The final bell eventually rang.
Ding…
Ding…
The sound echoed throughout the school, signalling the end of another day.
Almost immediately, the classroom descended into movement.
Chairs scraped against the floor.
Bags were packed.
Conversations resumed with renewed energy.
Katsumi quietly closed his book before placing it inside his bag.
Another day completed.
Another day survived.
‘The prison sentence has ended!!Oaaaawn!’
Blue announced grandly with a yawn that showed his true state.
‘Saying this every day while sleeping?
I hope there was a way I could bring you out.’
‘Hmph!
I am a prisoner that has seen no sunlight or touched grass.
How am I to blame?’
‘A NEET in my head, is that what you are implying?’
‘Exac-No no…What i mean is…’
Choosing not to continue the argument, Katsumi slung his bag over his shoulder and stood up.
A few moments later, Aika appeared beside him.
“Going home?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s go.”
Simple and direct.
That was usually how Aika spoke with him.
Unlike most girls their age, she wasn’t particularly talkative, nor was she the type to drag people around through sheer force of personality.
She simply stated things as they were.
And more often than not, Katsumi found himself following along.
He was a good friend.
The two left the classroom together and gradually made their way through the school grounds before entering the afternoon streets.
The weather was pleasant.
A cool breeze occasionally drifted through the city while the golden sunlight reflected against the windows of nearby buildings.
For a while neither of them spoke.
Aika was reading a pamphlet she had received at school.
Katsumi was busy arguing with a the dragon he had once considered his favourite.
‘That cloud resemble a dragon.’
‘No, they don’t.’
‘You lack the vision.’
‘You lack common sense.’
‘Common sense is overrated.’
The conversation continued until a familiar sign entered Katsumi’s vision.
Card Capital.
The card shop stood where it always had, quietly welcoming cardfighters from all over the city.
Unlike most students, Katsumi had visited the shop numerous times throughout the years.
Not frequently enough to become a regular.
But enough to be remembered.
Sometimes Card Capital.
Sometimes other stores.
Sometimes obscure hobby shops hidden between buildings.
A collector could not afford to stay in one place.
Just as the pair were about to walk past the entrance—
The shop door opened.
A familiar figure stepped outside.
Shin Nitta.
He had his hand full with some boxes.
He placed them outside, along the store.
His eyes briefly swept across the street before stopping on Katsumi.
Recognition appeared almost immediately.
“Well, if it isn’t the curious little fella.”
Katsumi stopped.
“Afternoon, Manager.”
Shin chuckled.
The boy had gotten considerably taller since their first meeting.
Yet his personality seemed largely unchanged.
Still carrying books.
Still looking mildly disinterested in everything.
Still somehow ending up around Vanguard, after the big talk.
“Been a while.”
“A few months.”
“More than that.”
“Time moves differently when you’re studying.”
“…I don’t think that’s how time works.”
Katsumi merely shrugged.
Shin had long since accepted that trying to understand the boy’s logic often led nowhere productive.
Before the conversation could continue further, however—
Aika stopped.
She was slightly interested in what they were discussing.
But she felt like she was being called.
Her eyes had wandered toward the inside of Card Capital.
Through the glass windows, several cardfighters could be seen engaged in matches while shelves lined with card packs filled the store.
A quiet fascination appeared on her face.
Subtle.
Yet noticeable.
Katsumi immediately noticed it.
Naturally.
Aika had never really been involved with Vanguard despite knowing about Katsumi’s hobby.
At most, she possessed a beginner’s understanding of the game.
Yet something about the atmosphere seemed to draw her attention.
Shin noticed it too.
“First time?”
Aika nodded.
“I’ve never gone inside before.” Find the original chapter at novelping.com.
“Want to?”
Aika hesitated briefly.
Her eyes darted towards Katsumi who was showing a thumbs up.
She looked away and nodded again.
“Maybe.”
Shin stepped aside.
“Then come in.”
Aika looked toward Katsumi, signaling him in.
Katsumi looked toward the sky, realizing his mistake.
He was not in the mood for cardfighting.
But he also couldn’t stop her or leave her.
He hoped that he could get some help.
But Blue certainly didn’t provide any help.
‘The female has been lured by cardboard.’
‘That’s rich coming from your dragonic arse.’
‘False!
Dragons are never lured.’
‘You once made me walk three kilometres because you sensed a Blue-Eyes ‘Brother’.’
‘An entirely different situation!’
Katsumi sighed.
He already knew what was happening.
Aika was curious.
Which meant she would enter.
Which meant he needed to enter.
A simple rule of life from the looks of it.
“Fine.”
Aika smiled slightly.
A very small smile.
Yet one that somehow made the entire trip worthwhile in her eyes.
The three entered the shop.
The familiar scent of card sleeves, cardboard, and air conditioning greeted Katsumi almost immediately.
Several players occupied the tables while cardfighters argued about triggers and deck builds in the background.
It was exactly as he remembered.
Shin moved behind the counter, though before doing so he paused beside a certain black cat lazily resting nearby.
Without a word, he gently scratched beneath its chin.
The cat blinked slowly.
A silent exchange of mutual respect.
Only after fulfilling this sacred ritual did Shin finally take his position behind the register.
Meanwhile, Aika quietly looked around the store.
Her eyes wandered from table to table.
From decks to posters.
From card packs to ongoing fights.
Everything appeared new.
Everything appeared interesting.
And Katsumi immediately realized something troublesome.
The moment Aika became interested in something—
She became very difficult to stop.
Which, unfortunately for him, probably meant they weren’t leaving anytime soon.