《Nandemonogatari: The Story of Something Else》Chapter 22 - The Story of Something New
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A month after the encounter with Miyu, the Paranormal Club is still struggling to return to normalcy. The mood is still thick in the air of the clubroom as they laze about during the last Saturday in May.
“Agh, I can’t take this anymore! We are going out and we are doing something paranormal together and that’s that!” Katsuki screeches as she tosses her paperwork into the air. “This sucks and isn’t why I started this club!”
Mayumi covers her ears. “Jesus Pres, when did you become part mandrake?”
Yuuri turns towards Katsuki. “I get how you feel, but did you even have anything in mind?”
Katsuki’s eyes light up. “Un! I heard of some rumors of unexplained disappearances in Akihabara. We should totally check that out.”
Saito perks up with interest. “Whatchu wanna go do about it, Prez?”
Kirika covers her mouth at the suggestion. “I-isn’t that where all those wasters go? Like him.” She says, pointing at Saito with disdain, receiving a chuckle from him.
Katsuki smiles. “Exactly, which is why we’re checking out their haunts.”
Yuuri thinks out loud “There are some things I want to check out at Akiba… but I don’t know if I wanna walk around in my uniform.”
Akina cuts in with a serious question. “Prez, so far we haven't done anything paranormal ourselves. What even is the point of this club?”
Mayumi retorts for Katsuki. “I haven’t seen you do jack and or shit, Edge-chan. Whereas I was the only one who knew how to cook.” She flips her hair. “Basically you’ve been closer to furniture than a member of the club.”
Akina scoffs. “We are almost like a video game club that never plays or talks about video games. Not that I care about this shit, but then at least we could change the name to something more fitting.” She glances aside. “I wouldn’t mind checking it out though.”
Katsuki steps between the two. “W-well, we haven’t really done anything like that at all…Which is why we’re investigating this!”
“Ok but Akihabara is a huge place, pres. Surely we aren’t just going to scramble around the entire place until we stumble upon something, right?” Saito says with a look of concern.
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“I have a few places in mind actually. We’re going to try to gather information from a few of the popular but shady businesses. I found three places on the internet that kept popping up. There’s an arcade that was recently bought out by a mysterious businessman, a mahjong parlor with a long history with the police department, and finally a family restaurant.”
“Uh, pres, what’s the deal with that last one?” Cerys asks.
Katsuki’s stomach grumbles. “I wanted to grab something to eat.”
Mayumi hooks an arm around Kirika. “C’mon kid, we’re gonna do something cool.”
“O-Okay.” Kirika stammers out and grabs onto Mayumi’s sleeve. “I'd like to avoid any TV cameras so my daddy doesn't see me in such a place.”
Yuudai steps forward. “Woah woah woah, where are you taking Kirika?”
Yuuri puts her hands on her hips and gives a disapproving look. “Yeah, where ARE you taking her?”
Mayumi scoffs. “Somewhere cool. An old friend runs that mahjong parlor.”
Katsuki tilts her head. “How’d you know which one I was talking about?”
“That long history? Half those calls were about me.” Mayumi puffs out her chest like it’s something to be proud of.
“Aren’t those places usually full of old men?” asks Yuuri with an exasperated look. “I don’t think that’s really somewhere we should be looking.”
Saito looks up from his phone and nods. “Bingo.”
Mayumi shakes her head. “30 isn’t really old unless you’re a chick, so that’s a no.”
“I’m...not really sure what I want to do yet. Maybe I’ll figure it out when we get there…” Yuudai shrugs.
Katsuki takes the opportunity to slide up alongside him. “Y’know, I could use a bodyguard, if you need something to do~”
Yuudai sighs. “You just want someone else to do the dirty work for you, right?”
Katsuki nods with a smile. “Yup!”
“That’s correct,” Akina says, nodding with her eyes closed.
“So you’re coming along too then, right?” Katsuki asks, already ready to strong-arm her as well.
“Sure, I haven’t been able to punch someone without getting yelled at for it in a long time,” Akina replies, cracking her knuckles.
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“I’ll only go if you promise we’ll only act in self-defense.” Yuudai says, resigning himself to the gaggle of goons.
Katsuki pats Akina on the shoulder. “Don't worry Akina, we can destroy the world another time.”
Cerys speaks up, her patience long gone. “Can we stop talking and start investigating? We don’t even know who’s going where.”
Yuuri nods. “Ah right… We should head back to our dorms to change then.”
Saito retorts, “Whatever man, I’m ready to walk out.”
Cerys snaps back, “That doesn’t actually solve that issue though. I’ll go to the mahjong parlor because it’ll be funny to see Mayumi get dragged out.”
Saito scoffs. “Do you really have to ask? I’m going to the arcade.”
Katsuki looks at Yuuri. “Guess you’re going there too then, huh?”
“W-what do you mean by that? I don’t play video games.” Yuuri stammers out, unable to make eye contact.
Saito ignores this outburst. “Hey if vice-pres wants to come along to do some power in numbers crap that’s fine by me.”
Kirika speaks up. “Since we’re all split up already, why not get changed and meet up outside in about 20 minutes?”
With murmured assent, the club mates return to their dorms to change.
Nearly an hour later, Yuudai and Saito wait at the gate for the rest of the club. “Y’know, we probably should have expected this.”
Yuudai shrugs. “It’s whatever.”
Yuuri is the first to arrive at the gate. “I’m glad to get out of that outfit. Orange is kinda painful to look at after a while.”
Kirika agrees. “Yeah, it’s way too bright.”
Katsuki says, “I don’t know, I kind of like it, though maybe that’s because it’s close to my favorite color.”
“What’s that, Katsuki?” Kirika asks. “Oh! It’s red, right?” She then blurts out after a moment. Katsuki nods. “Ah! Red’s nice but I like black and purple the best!”
Yuuri joins in. “Oh, how strange! I adore the color purple as well! Light purple especially, it’s so cool and calming.”
Mayumi fusses about with her top, trying to decide if she wants the top button closed or open. “I like pink and green, myself.”
Akina waltzes in with the rest. “We would have been here on time, but someone had to spend forever picking out a shirt to wear.”
“Ya can’t put a time limit on looking good, Edge-chan.”
“No, I’m pretty sure you can do exactly that,” Cerys says.
Yuuri stomps her foot. “Let’s just go, we’re burning daylight!”
“Alright, let’s go,” Katuski agrees.
The club hits the train station, the train hits Akihabara. The train doors open, the club is assaulted with the sight of nerds.
Kirika looks around disapprovingly at the nerds.
Mayumi breathes in the nerd stink and sighs happily. “Oh Akiba, never has there been a more wretched hive of scum and fuckery.”
Kirika shakes her head. “No...just wasters.”
“Man, I feel so out of place,” Yuudai grunts, pulling on his t-shirt.
“Just wear a business suit and you’ll be like 50% of the people here, Yuudai.” Akina replies.
Saito checks his outfit, then looks back up. “Man, this is still pretty fly… isn’t it?”
Katsuki chuckles. “I dunno Saito, I think you might need some more orange shirts.”
“Hey now, orange is a cool color!” Saito grins. “Besides, the less I spend on clothes, the more I save for arcades.”
“You should save some of that money for pussy,” Mayumi says, “Because your outfit screams pay for play.”
Saito shrugs. “You have to wear it too, so it can’t be that bad.”
Mayumi grimaces. “Have you seen me wear the fucking uniform?”
“You barely wear anything.” Saito slips a hand into his pocket and mumbles to himself. “Fuck me sideways, I guess I forgot to actually save money.”
“Alright, everyone good with where they’re going?” Katsuki says. “If we don’t find anything within 4 hours, let’s all meet up at the restaurant and head home from there.” Everyone nods and heads their separate ways.
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