It was finally the weekend.
I woke up earlier than usual to get my chores out of the way since I needed to go to the shopping district.
Genuinely, looking forward to the day.
It was really nice out, that perfect Spring weather with a nice breeze to go along with it.
The kind of weather you wish you had year round.
I put on my black Kobe jersey with some matching jeans and bolted out the door to make the short ten minute walk to the train station.
I sprinted up to the platform with a spring in my step and patiently waited for the train.
I sat down at the nearest empty seat and put my headphones on.
Time to enjoy some hype music since it was a few stops until I had to get off.
The train wasn’t as busy as I had thought it would be, which was a nice bonus as I made my way towards my shopping excursion.
Everyone minded their own business as I retreated into my own little world, my video game playlist blaring into my ears.
The shopping district was packed with people which was to be expected on such a lovely weekend day.
It was the perfect time to be out and about with the family or with your significant other.
You could see the joy written on most people’s faces as I walked through the crowded streets.
There was a decent chance I might run into some people from school, but I put that thought out of my head as I walked down the street.
“This should be simple,” I muttered to myself as music continued to hit my eardrums.
Might as well continue to have a soundtrack as I journeyed about.
My objective for the day, you ask?
Buying some new sneakers.
My old ones had gotten beaten up by yesterday’s pickup game and my heroics hadn’t helped much either.
Which really sucks, since I loved those shoes.
They were comfortable and perfect for playing.
But alas, the best things in life don’t last.
Though, I was optimistic I’d find shoes that were just as good.
It was difficult not to be, it was just that kind of day.
After a couple minutes of walking I spotted the store I was looking for.
I instinctively gave an approving nod as I headed straight towards it.
I just had a feeling this was going to be a chill excursion, then…
“KAITOOOOOO!!!”
As I removed my headphones and instinctively turned into the direction of my name being called at a decibel unwise for most humans…
CRASH!!!!!
My body lifted off the ground, traveled an impressive distance, and collided with a vending machine.
We all have to have our first concussion at some point, right?
Here I was thinking if that ever happened, it would be while I was playing basketball or some other contact sport.
Then again, for the girls in my life, any moment can easily turn into a contact sport.
“Found you! Guess who~?”
“Fu… jihara.”
“No. It’s Akane, silly. You know better than to call me by my last name~”
As I got up, Akane latched onto my arm, wrapping her arms around it like she would be in physical pain if she didn’t.
The sort of pain I was currently in.
She was wearing a long sleeved white blouse and a pair of blue jeans that perfectly hugged her curves.
The buttons on her blouse were struggling for dear life to contain her massive mammary glands.
I’d be burning this image into my memory forever if my head wasn’t all fuzzy and throbbing like I had a sinus infection.
“…Akane.” You could see her face light up instantly, as though me saying that word was a magic charm that induced happiness.
“Mhm, that’s better~”
“I told you that you need to stop tackling me. We’re not little kids anymore…”
“I didn’t. I approached quickly~”
Akane looked me directly in the eye and gave me the most adorable pout I’d ever seen her pull off.
“You didn’t answer my messages earlier~”
“I was asleep.” That was a lie.
I was doing chores and just didn’t bother to respond.
I was trying to get everything done quickly so I could come buy my new shoes.
“That’s okay, I forgive you~”
“I didn’t ask for forgiveness.”
“I know, but I still forgive you~”
Akane tilted her head slightly, giving me an inquisitive look.
“What are you doing out here, Kaito~?”
“I am shopping,” I said in a matter of factly tone.
I mean, what else would I be doing out here in the shopping district?
“I know that, silly. For what~?”
“Sneakers.”
“Ooo, I’ll help~”
“That… that is not necessary.”
“I want to~”
Of course she does.
It’s not that I hate hanging out with Akane.
In fact, I love hanging out with her because we usually have a lot of fun together.
Plus, she’s a sweetheart and a fire cook.
But right now, I was a man on a mission.
I was focused, locked in.
And she would be a distraction to this very important questline.
“…Kaito.”
I didn’t even react this time.
Hikari stood behind us holding a small shopping bag.
She was wearing some black jean shorts that perfectly cupped her booty and a matching tank top.
I’d be saving this image in my memory banks for later, er shall we say… research purposes, but I wasn’t actually sure what planet I was currently on.
Her eyes focused on Akane’s grip.
I swear I could see fire consuming her pupils.
She walked up to me slowly, her every move a calculated step.
Then, before I could react…
TWHACK!!!
I went sailing into the vending machine once more from Hikari’s swift kick, like I was being welcomed into Sparta.
If I wasn’t sure about being concussed before, that question had been definitively answered now.
“…Hikari,” I said, trying to regain my footing.
“We’re outside. There are witnesses.” Pedestrians walked by with amused looks on their faces.
Most gave us a wide berth, clearly not wanting to deal with whatever the hell was going on.
“I DON’T CARE!”
“Hikari, you kicked me!”
“You didn’t tell me you were coming here.”
“You didn’t tell me either.”
“That’s different!”
“That sounds the same.”
“STOP TALKING LIKE THAT!”
Hikari continued to glare at the both of us.
She then turned to look directly at me like I was the lowest form of life on the planet, somehow even lower than a politician.
“What are you doing?”
“Shopping.”
“With her…”
“She just appeared.”
“She tackled you.”
“I approached quickly~” Akane chimed in.
“THAT’S NOT BETTER!”
Hikari crossed her arms and continued to stare at me as though she wanted me to spontaneously combust.
“Why didn’t you answer your phone earlier?!”
“Because it was 6 AM. On a Saturday.”
“So?!”
“So… I was asleep.” That time I actually was asleep.
It’s the weekend.
Your boy is going to sleep in.
Sure I woke up early this morning to get my stuff done, but not at freaking six!
“You sleep too much!”
“That’s not a crime!”
“It should be!”
I finally managed to pull myself up and checked the vending machine.
“You, you dented it.”
“…Tch. It shouldn’t have been in the way.”
“It was bolted to the ground.”
“Then it should’ve moved!”
Akane immediately wrapped her arms around mine.
Hikari looked like she was about to explode and take everything within a ten mile radius out with her.
“GET OFF HIM!”
“Why? I was here first~”
“BECAUSE YOU TACKLED HIM!”
“That doesn’t matter~”
“IT TOTALLY MATTERS!”
Hikari then grabbed my other arm with a blazing speed.
I was being pulled in two directions.
Again.
Different day.
Same problem.
“We’re in public,” I said in an exasperated tone.
“No one cares!” Hikari snapped.
“Someone definitely cares,” I said, nodding toward a passing elderly man who immediately turned around and walked the other way.
The other shoppers were all walking as far away from us as possible, avoiding us like the plague.
“See?”
“HE DOESN’T COUNT!”
“Why doesn’t he count?!”
“Because I said so!”
“Flawless logic.”
Akane leaned in slightly, adjusting her grip.
Making sure there was no possibility of escape.
I looked up into the sky.
This started out as such a nice day.
I miss the optimistic me from ten minutes ago.
He seemed like a nice guy.
I let out a loud sigh.
“I should just go home…”
“We can hang out~”
“Uh…”
“I’m already hanging out with him,” Hikari said.
“You just got here~”
“SO DID YOU!”
“Then we’re tied~”
“I DON’T ACCEPT THAT!”
Of course Hikari would be joining me on this excursion as well.
Look, I love hanging out with Hikari.
She’s the only unpredictable factor in my life that I truly enjoy being around.
Plus her skills on video games, especially fighting games, are no joke.
But I really wanted to buy my new shoes, and she was a very loud distraction to the successful completion of this quest.
I exhaled slowly.
I need to just go into the store, get my new sneakers, and get out of dodge.
The mission had gotten more complicated than I had foreseen but as a wise Prussian general once said, “No plan survives contact with the enemy.”
I gathered my strength, what remained of it due to my internal bleeding, and dragged the two girls into the shoe store with me.
I was instantly hit by the bright lights as I maneuvered through the limited space.
I squinted and powered forward.
“This was a mistake.”
I sat down.
Because they made me sit.
Of course they did.
Why would I be allowed to make my own choices about what sneakers I should purchase?
It’s not like I, the starting point guard on our high school basketball team, would know anything about sneakers.
Hikari ran up to me looking excited, her mask slipping for a mere second before she returned to her resting bitch face.
Her incredibly adorable resting bitch face I might add.
“This one!”
Hikari held up a shoe.
Black.
Sleek.
Aggressive design.
The perfect metaphor for the girl standing in front of me.
“It’s practical,” she said.
“Good support, clean look. Just get this one.”
Akane walked up with a dangerous sway to her hips.
I’m not proud to admit I stared for a bit longer than I should have.
I’m a simple guy.
I see a hot chick walking like that, my eyes will be glued to her.
“No, this one~”
Akane held up a different pair.
White and blue.
Softer design.
Might as well have been Akane in the form of a shoe.
“This one feels nicer and it looks good on you~”
“I haven’t tried either of them.”
“You will,” Hikari said.
“You should~” Akane added.
“This has escalated…”
“Put this on,” Hikari said, already crouching.
“You don’t need to…”
Too late.
She grabbed my foot.
Pulled off my shoe with what seemed like practiced ease.
“You… you removed my shoe.”
“That’s how trying on shoes works!”
“You could have asked.”
“You would’ve overthought it!”
“That’s… accurate.”
Akane gently took my other foot.
“I’ll do this side~”
“You don’t need to do that, Akane….”
“Mhm~”
“I have lost control of the situation.” This is my life now.
Left foot: Hikari’s shoe.
Right foot: Akane’s shoe.
“Stand up,” Hikari ordered.
I stood up faster than a military grunt being ordered to at basic.
“Walk,” Akane said.
I walked.
No hesitation.
I valued my ability to extract oxygen from the air too much to protest.
“This feels… uneven.”
“Focus on mine,” Hikari said.
“No, focus on mine~” Akane said.
“I cannot focus on both independently.”
“Then choose!” Hikari yelled.
“No.”
“CHOOSE!”
The noise around me began to fade out.
Colors became dull, like everything had become greyscale.
Time seemed to stand still.
The rain poured all around me.
I could feel it falling on my head incessantly.
I looked down at my hands, much smaller than I was used to.
Two silhouettes argued nearby.
Someone began crying.
“Why did you pick them?” One of them said in a shocked tone.
“This is ALL your fault!” Shouted the other.
The rain stopped and the silhouettes disappeared.
A basketball bounced alone on an empty court.
As I stared at it, a tear fell down my cheek.
I couldn’t believe it was still raining.
The blinding lights of the store reappeared.
A cacophony of noise joined.
Time moved once more.
“CHOOSE KAITO!” Hikari screamed once more.
“I will not choose.”
I turned.
Took a few steps to look in the mirror.
Honestly, both pairs of shoes looked pretty nice.
“They are both… functional.”
“That’s not helpful!” Hikari snapped.
“They both look good~” Akane added.
“That’s WORSE!”
“There… there is a solution.”
They both froze and looked at me like a deer in headlights.
“What?” They both replied in sync with one another.
“I will purchase both pairs.”
Silence.
They both stood there frozen, staring at me like I had just confessed to them that I was a serial killer and they were my next victims.
“That’s not a solution,” Hikari said.
“It removes conflict.”
“It CREATES more conflict!”
“How does it create more conflict, Hikari?”
“You’re avoiding the problem!”
“I am resolving the problem.”
“You’re running from it!”
“I am addressing it from a different angle.”
“That’s NOT…!”
Akane smiled that soft smile of hers.
I couldn’t be 100% sure, but I would’ve bet money on it that she was okay with this decision solely because it would rub Hikari the wrong way.
“That works~”
“OF COURSE YOU’D SAY THAT!”
“Financially, this is inefficient…” I added.
“THEN DON’T DO IT!”
“…But it is optimal for balance.”
“STOP SAYING CRAP LIKE THAT!”
A familiar voice hit my ear drums.
“Wow…”
We all turned.
Tadashi stood at the edge of the aisle.
Holding a drink.
Watching the scene unfold like this was a live broadcast of a close game.
He was wearing black jeans and the Jayson Tatum jersey that physically and emotionally hurt me to purchase for him for his birthday last year.
“Tadashi…” I said with a solemn voice that wouldn’t have been out of place at a funeral.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, raising his hand.
“We have a weekend special event!”
“Stop. Please. Stop.”
“Our challengers have moved into a controlled retail environment. High pressure, limited mobility, excellent conditions for conflict! The contest is heating up!”
“This is not a contest.”
“This is absolutely a contest.”
He pointed dramatically to Hikari.
“On the right, Hikari Tachibana , bringing a strong defensive pick: black sneakers, high practicality, aggressive styling!”
“IT’S A GOOD CHOICE!”
He then pointed dramatically to Akane.
“On the left, Akane Fujihara, countering with a balanced offensive: white and blue, high comfort, aesthetic advantage!”
“It looks nice~”
“…I am buying both,” I interjected.
Tadashi paused.
Then grinned like the Celtics had just won another championship.
“OHHH, AND KAITO GOES FOR THE NEUTRAL ROUTE! NO SURPRISES THERE FOLKS!”
“I resolved it.”
“HE’S DODGING!”
“I handled it.”
“HE’S EVADING!”
“I optimized it.”
“HE’S SPENDING MONEY TO AVOID EMOTIONAL GROWTH!”
“That… is an aggressive interpretation.”
“That is EXACTLY what’s happening!”
Hikari shot me a pointed look.
“You’re unbelievable!”
“That’s… not inherently negative.” I managed to stammer out.
“IT IS RIGHT NOW!”
Akane leaned slightly closer.
“Then you’ll wear both, right~?”
“Um… yeah. Alternating, of course.”
“Fair~”
“THAT’S NOT FAIR!” Hikari blurted out.
“This works…” I thought.
No one loses.
No one wins.
No consequences.
The secret to a good compromise.
“…Temporary balance.”
Tadashi shook his head.
He then leaned in close to make sure the girls wouldn’t overhear him.
“You’re gonna bankrupt yourself before you confess to anything.”
“I am not confessing.”
“That’s the problem.”
“That is not a problem.”
“That is THE problem.”
I walked toward the counter.
Two boxes in hand.
“This… is fine. Totally fine. I’m fine.”
Behind me, they all started chatting like I wasn’t there.
“He did it again,” Hikari muttered.
“Mhm~” Akane replied.
“I hate that it works.” Hikari shot back.
“For now~”
“For now,” Tadashi echoed.
That wasn’t reassuring.
How did today become such a mess in such a short amount of time?
I really didn’t expect to spend so much money today.
But hey, at least now I had two pairs of sneakers in case something happened to one of them.
Yeah, I know.
I’m coping.
We went out for a quick bite to eat at a local burger place.
I then decided to walk around a bit to clear my head before I went home.
The vultures continued to circle around me as we ended up at a nearby park.
“Why are we at the park?” I said half dazed and confused.
“You said you were going home,” Hikari snapped.
“I was.”
“Then why are you here?!”
“Because you followed me!”
Akane raised her hand slightly.
“I also followed you~”
“Oh really? I didn’t notice…” Sarcasm is one of the multiple languages I speak.
We stood in the middle of the park.
No plan.
No structure.
Just chaos.
What is my life coming to?
Tadashi walked over with a strut after visiting a nearby vending machine, holding a drink like a microphone.
“And we’re live on location once more, folks,” he said.
“Why are you still here?” I asked.
“I had a feeling.”
“Of course you did.”
He looked between Hikari and Akane.
Then nodded seriously.
“This is good.”
“What is?” I responded.
“Unregulated environment. No school rules. No teachers. No constraints.”
“That’s not a good thing.”
“That’s a GREAT thing.”
Hikari pointed at him like she was trying to fire one of Frieza’s death beams.
“Stay out of this, Tadashi!”
“I am deeply in this,” he replied.
We sat down at a bench close by.
That was mistake number one.
Akane sat on my left.
That was mistake number two.
Hikari sat on my right.
That was mistake number three.
“This… feels familiar,” I said.
“Well, it shouldn’t!” Hikari snapped.
Akane smiled that sweet, yet devious smile of hers.
“It’s comfortable~”
“It’s not comfortable!” Hikari shot back.
“It is for me~”
“That’s not the point!”
Tadashi stood in front of us like a coach addressing a team.
“Alright,” he said.
“New rules.”
“There are no new rules,” I said.
“There are now.”
“Who put you in charge?”
“I appointed myself.”
“Of course you did. Why do I even ask?”
He pointed at Hikari.
“You. Tsundere. What’s your play?”
“I DON’T HAVE A PLAY!”
“You always gotta have a play.”
“I DON’T!”
“You’re losing.”
“I AM NOT LOSING!”
He pointed at Akane.
“You. Deredere. What’s your move?”
“I’ll just stay like this~” she said, grabbing my arm and leaning into me more.
“Solid. High contact strategy. Very effective.” Tadashi nodded approvingly.
“STOP ENCOURAGING HER!” Hikari shouted.
“I encourage excellence.”
“I’M GOING TO HIT YOU!”
“You’ve been hitting Kaito all morning. Good to see you diversify your targets.”
I stood up.
I woke up this morning expecting a nice, calm day.
That expectation had died horribly.
I had finally reached the limits on the amount of crazy I could handle.
“I’m leaving.”
Both girls grabbed me as soon as I got up.
They immediately sat me back down.
“I hate this.” I muttered to myself.
“I just wanna go home…”
A few minutes later, Akane ran over to the vending machine.
She returned with a confident look on her face.
“I bought drinks~”
Akane handed me one.
“Don’t take it!” Hikari said.
“I’m thirsty.”
“THAT’S NOT THE POINT!”
“What? That’s literally the point. I’m thirsty so I’m going to drink this.”
“I’LL BUY YOU ONE!”
“I already have one.”
“THEN DON’T DRINK IT!”
“I’m going to drink it.”
Before I could hesitate, or more likely, before Hikari could swat the drink away… I opened the can and gave it a big gulp.
Ah.
Sweet relief.
Been dying of thirst all morning for obvious reasons.
“That was good.”
Hikari stood up so fast the bench shook.
“YOU!” Hikari snapped, but there was something unusually fragile beneath the anger this time.
“You always take her side…”
“I’m not taking anyone’s side, Hikari. I just wanted a drink…”
Akane smiled sweetly.
“He said it was good~”
Tadashi nodded.
“And she’s extended her lead. What a dynamic play folks. The tsundere seems to be losing ground…”
“I AM NOT LOSING!” Hikari yelled.
“This is not a race!” I shot back.
“It’s absolutely a race!” Tadashi replied in a haughty tone.
“I refuse to participate!”
“You’re the finish line!”
“I REJECT THAT!”
“Fine!” Hikari snapped and looked directly at me.
“Then answer this!”
I already didn’t like where this was going.
My gut was telling me to run but I foolishly decided to stay seated.
Curse you comfortable park bench.
And my incessant need to not rock the boat.
“Which do you prefer?!” she demanded.
“Prefer what?”
She froze as she realized what she said.
Face turned red instantly, like an angry yet bashful cherry.
“I-I mean..!”
Akane tilted her head.
Her devious side could not be any more obvious right now.
“Prefer what~?”
“I DIDN’T MEAN IT LIKE THAT!”
“You definitely did,” Tadashi said.
“SHUT UP!”
All eyes turned to me.
Ah.
Yes.
Death.
“This… is a trap,” I said.
“ANSWER THE QUESTION!”
“I don’t know the question!”
“You DO know!”
“I genuinely do not!”
“COWARD!”
“I prefer the word strategist.”
“IDIOT!”
“I just want to live…”
“I HATE YOU!”
“I KNOW!”
Silence.
Then, Akane giggled.
Hikari turned away.
Tadashi wiped a tear from his eye.
“Peak,” he whispered.
As I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling a million thoughts scrambled around my head trying to gain relevance.
The rest of the day was a haze of complicated interpersonal navigation and survival tactics.
My weekend?
Ruined.
My peace?
Destroyed.
Tadashi’s voice echoed in my head.
“Unregulated environment.”
Yeah.
That was the problem.
I needed rules.
I needed regulation.
Because I didn’t know how much more of this I could handle.
Structure was necessary to keep some semblance of balance in my life, some sanity.
“This is getting worse.”
My phone buzzed.
Akane:
Today was fun~
Hikari:
Don’t get the wrong idea about earlier!
I closed my eyes.
Hikari’s loud shriek reverberated in my head.
“Which do you prefer?!”
I opened my eyes.
It was a solid question.
Which girl did I prefer?
I continued to stare at the ceiling, completely lost in a haze.
There’s no way I can keep this up.
I’m going to have to choose, aren’t I?
But I know what happens when you make a choice like this.
Someone is going to get hurt.
I had to do whatever it took to either prevent myself from choosing or at minimum, delaying what now was starting to feel like the inevitable.
Every time someone chooses, someone gets left behind.
“I’m screwed, aren’t I?”
Announcement on Older Chapters Will also split older chapters in future.
TY to all my readers!