Chapter 42

“CHAMPWORLD-GRAND OPENING!”

The sign lays bare and unfinished on the garage floor as a single race kart darts around the track, buzzing it’s engine at full tilt, alone and unsupervised. The broken asphalt that has plagued the facility for the past weeks have now been repaved and the lights that were once promised, now in place. All that was left to do was to prepare for its reveal.

But despite having most of the dilemmas solved, the person tasked with the final preparations seemed to have other things in concern, mainly the return of a certain most valuable person, leaving them with no choice but to leave an unsuspecting boy in charge.

Strangely the boy enthusiastically agreed, but unbeknownst to anyone, he had other ideas.

The kart pulls into the garage after an hour of being driven in anger. If one had eyes that can see heat, the kart would look like it was in flames. Denzo steps out of the vehicle as the sweat drips from underneath his helmet, taking it off with a sigh of relief, freeing his face from the hot, claustrophobic embrace of the helm, ruffling his hair to get the breeze flowing into his scalp. From the looks of it, he appears to have been exerting the effort equivalent to a sprinter in a hundred meter dash as he scrambles towards the refrigerator inside Val’s office to get some refreshments. Trying to catch his breath as he climbs the stairs up to her office.

It was in the middle of the week and he was still in his school uniform when he decided to take some laps around the track. It wasn’t a particularly hot evening, in fact there is a slight cool breeze blowing across the track, but for some reason he was drenched in sweat after getting off the kart.

A cold blast of air hits him as he opens the door into her office, giving him the shivers as the cold air from the air conditioning hits the sweat drenched fabric on his back as he gets an urgent push to be in and out quickly before he freezes to death just to get a drink.

A lot of things have happened in the past few weeks with the most recent one giving him the most trouble as he felt completely betrayed after discovering his favorite virtual streamer was nothing but a “fake”. To make it worse it was now almost a week since then and still the frustration remains in his heart, prompting his mind to wander into the various failures he’d experienced in his life and tonight it so happened that his mind had wandered into that memory of his first race.

Val was scheduled to return that night after weeks of being away into someplace no one was aware about. His boss, J2, was getting worried that she had been gone for almost a month without any signs of return, then all of a sudden he gets a call from Val earlier that evening, notifying her return.

Denzo was curious seeing J2 scramble around the garage when he had arrived from school and asked him where Val had been to that made him so flustered.

And without skipping a beat he answered.

-Japan-

He also asked him to complete the installation of the sign right outside of the office, which is yet to be accomplished, but besides hearing that Denzo failed to register the other commands as he was already preoccupied in his thoughts.

He remembered back during the trip towards the old zig zag road that J2 was telling him a story of what Val was in the past.

‘Hashiriya’ Is what he said.

After that night of racing Denzo had done a search of what that word truly meant. And what he had found had shocked him.

If somebody were to type Hashiriya into any internet search engine, the first thing anyone would see is the definition of the word in a certain information web page followed by several results of racing games containing the japanese word “because it sounds cool” and is associated with drifting. It was an underwhelming result that made Denzo laugh because J2 had put on a serious tone in describing what she was in the past, but after experiencing a ride in the passenger seat of Val’s car. He knew there was more to this than what the media would want to portray.

And so he went to the elephant room.

And the first link that came up was “Her” face, front and center with a bunch of scary looking people and cars lining up in the foreground.

His eyes couldn’t believe it.

It was so blatantly presented as if the site didn’t have any intention to hide this piece of info, and after only a few more minutes of digging around the related searches, stumbled upon a whole racing archive featuring her, entitled: “The Hakone Grudge Match”

And within it were full video archives of all 69 races completely recorded. From the top of the mountain to the finish at the bottom.

So far Denzo had watched up until race 23 but he was convinced that the Val in the video and the person who gave him the ride of his life were two different people. The one in the video had the intensity of a beast willing to kill in order to survive while the one he experienced was more refined and calm which, after seeing the videos, made him think that she had held back during that race where he rode shotgun.

He was in awe but at the same time he felt insulted.

Insulted not towards Val, but to himself. She wasn’t giving it her all but the people behind were barely keeping up and at the same time he himself was struggling to comprehend the speed inside the car.

He felt inferior.

Too inferior.

He thought that he was fast.

He thought that he was better.

But he was only good at driving in games.

In the real thing he was nothing, even worse than those other local racers who were struggling to keep up with her.

The gap between them was immense, so much that it was embarrassing, and as he watched, Denzo started to realize why she disappeared.

‘She must’ve felt the same.’ He thought, not because of inferiority, but because one can be of match to her.

And as the weeks of her absence went on Denzo could only wallow in his despair, aloof in retreat towards his thoughts as he contemplated if it was even worth it to continue. After all his teacher herself had fled and disappeared because the competition was so slow, what good would he bring to the table?

When the word of her returning had reached his ears he felt a sense of panic rushing through his veins like one would when someone hears that they had overslept on a school day and was now rushing to make it in time for classes.

Denzo suddenly felt that he was slacking off, that he had lost sight of what he was running towards. He felt he got too comfortable with the people that surrounded him that stopped running. He indulged in the company of Aida who wanted to spend time with him, finding a strange comfort in her warmth, making him question the things he was missing when he was running at full speed towards his goal. And just like that, this sudden rush of guilt made him feel regretful that he stopped running.

He regrets everything.

His frustration had built up.

And to top it off his favorite streamer was a guy.

And thus he had driven himself “literally” into exhaustion.

He took the kart that Val had J2 tuned for him and started running laps with no plan in mind. Only the goal of going the fastest around the newly paved track. Each lap that he completed raised his confidence at getting faster and soon enough the lap times started to tumble.

The longer he ran the more addicted he felt, throwing and sliding the car around without a care in the world to the point that he was driving in the same state of mind as he would when he drove in game. But this feeling did not last.

He started trying different things, starting to discover what works and what doesn’t and as he does so he starts to burn an image of his previous laps racing alongside him, like a ghost. He was getting obsessed in trying to beat himself lap after lap, pushing himself lap after lap until he could feel his body starting to fail him.

Which angers him more.

The forces and the intensity he felt after being thrown around inside Val’s car that night were ten times more violent than what the kart could ever dish out and yet Val had driven it as if it was just another sunday drive to the grocery.

He knew he wasn’t that particularly unfit but the feeling of being unable to last that race forcing Val to forfeit is an embarrassment for him. And his fatigue on a mere little go-kart is nothing more than the final nail to seal his coffin.

He slams the refrigerator door, being unable to contain his frustration, as he gulps down a chilled bottle of water to quench his thirst. He took no breaks, breathing in between gulps. Such was his thirst that he had finished the 300ml bottle in a single sitting.

Wiping the sweat off his brow he decides to settle down for a moment before returning to work on the sign. Denzo contemplated having a smoke, but because he was now extremely conscious of his fitness, he rejected his urge to do so, taking a walk around the garage to cool off. He figures he still has an hour before J2 returns with the demon queen as flights notoriously get delayed at NAIA, taking in the cool gentle breeze from the outside as he can feel his heart starting to relax its beat.

For some reason the ache in his chest started to dissipate with the wind, as if the breeze was taking away the dark thoughts, doubts and shortcomings that he didn’t consciously know he had till this moment. And as the leaves fluttered away from the branches that held them, so did his anger.

As the air quiets down he hears the sound of gravel getting displaced from outside the garage and car doors get opened and closed.

The next thing he heard was a woman. A devilish sounding one complaining about a sign.

And then the inevitable.

‘DENZO!’

He sighs after hearing the words.

‘Already?.’ He thought.

…

…

‘What? Another one?’ Lorna answered in disbelief after her father had called her into his office right after dinner. Her father, Dante, looked peeved that evening after coming home from the senate, immediately knowing that the day was rued, prompting her to order the maids to prepare a feast.

But even a grand meal wasn’t enough to sate his mood despite the whole family being gathered at the table.

It was supposed to be a happy moment for the four of them, since it’s been days since the head of the house had come home, but it seems like the problem was even greater than what Dante could handle. Arranging an impromptu meeting with his eldest daughter, who now stands in disbelief, looking a bit peeved herself.

‘Yeah looks like we’re gonna have to do more work now to justify her paper trail.’ He replied.

‘Ugh…’ Lorna reacts, holding her aching head. ‘It’s a good thing I heard from the grapevine that the lady in question had just touched down in NAIA.’ She continued.

‘I think I feel the need to go there and give her a piece of my mind.’ She said as she cracked her fingers, looking like she wanted to decimate the walls around the office.

‘Even if you did, you can’t do anything, the place is already built.’

‘Well yeah that’s another thing that annoys me!’ Lorna stomps her foot. ‘I trusted her words that she’d just use that land to build an extra garage for the cars she had piled up in her shop. I didn’t know she’d make another business out of it!’ She exasperated.

‘Well it’s too late now my dear she’s opening tomorrow so if you have any comments it’s best to air it then.’ Dante replied. ‘Still, I find it amazing that she managed to build one under our noses. It also helped that the progression of that facility happened while she was away, making us think it was not much of a big deal.’ He continued, before silently looking at Lorna with a probing question.

‘Do you think she plans all of this to the detail? Or does she make things up as she goes? Cuz, the only way I see this happening is if she had some sort of outside help.’ He said with his eyes looking squarely at his daughter.

‘Really?’ She asked back, trying to throw off the question.

‘Really, really.’

…

…

‘I’m gonna make sure you give me my cut with additional interest!

You owe me. Val.

Lots!!!’

Lorna looks at Val with a pouting face as they discuss the matter with Lorna’s father in her office. Val sighs as she looks out of the window from her desk, overlooking the activities below as a couple of police officers are casually conversing with J2 by the karts, seemingly trying to explain what the equipment is.

‘Hey are you even listening?!’ Lorna aggressively asks.

Val looks back at her with a piercing look.

‘You know I don’t even understand why the cops are at my door. And why do I owe you stuff in the first place? You’re not even involved in setting this up.’ She replied.

‘Well I am guilty by association you dummy! I have shares in your little startup besides I kept this hidden from dad long enough to get this thing up and running so you owe me as much.’

‘Wha-- isn’t that your share of the job?!’ Val immediately responds, shocked at Lorna’s answer.

‘Well the secret was another tuner garage and NOT a fucking kart track!’ Lorna exasperates.

‘Well it’s still a legitimate business.’

‘Yeah! Built through ill gotten wealth.’ Lorna snaps back irately. ‘Look Val my dad’s got an image to uphold as the guy that snuffs out the leeches in the government. Now one illicit business is enough but two?!’

‘It’s a legit place Lor!’

‘With an illegal paper trail!’

The two women were both wide eyed and fuming as they reach a stalemate in their exchange. Val could see the seething anger in Lorna as her fists were shaking, trying to hold her emotions back. At this point Val can only hold her hands up and surrender.

But only slightly.

She sighs.

‘Fine.

But I don’t get the “image” thing. Your dad is also one of the gas moguls in this country so he’s part of the leeches in the system anyways. And besides I didn’t ask for your family’s help this time. In fact I wanted you guys to stay out of it cuz I know this - exact - shit would happen.’

‘Don’t speak shit about what we do.’ Lorna swiftly interjects. ‘Did you forget that you rely on our business oh-so-abundantly? Besides, we're not leeching any shit from this country. Gas is good business since everyone needs it, and thus it thrives. We only charge a fee on top of the expenses for shipping the damn stuff. If you’re whining about the prices, ask the guys who drills the fucking thing.’

‘Whatever.’ Val rolls her eyes. ‘Just get the cops out of here ‘kay?’

Lorna’s brows start to crinkle as she hastily pulls out a bundle of documents from her bag and slaps it on top of the table in between them.

‘This is what you owe me for! I had to type all of these certifications overnight just to clear your ass.’ She said as Val could only stare, surprised at the amount of documents presented to her.

‘Do I have to sign all these?’

‘Duh…’

Val curls her lips wanting to swear at Lorna of the annoying paperwork, but holds herself back. She knew it would all be pointless as Lorna herself hated paperwork so complaining to her about doing the same task that she labored over in a rush would just be hypocritical.

‘You know the zigzag race was supposed to be your last involvement.’ Val said, breaking the silence as she started to sign the papers in front of her.

‘I know!’ Lorna replied with a sarcastic tone. ‘So why the the fuck am I here saving your ass?’

‘Oh you forgot?’ Val responds, still keeping her eyes on the documents she was signing. ‘We were standing at the pitstop balcony when I mentioned this to you.’

Val said as she gazed up from the papers with a teasing grin on her face. ‘Then you were like: “Oooh! Ooooh! It sounds fun! Can I join? Like, maybe like a shareholder? Or something like that??” Val mockingly mimics Lorna’s bubbly way of speaking.

‘Shut up!’ Lorna responds. Her face gets red from both anger and embarrassment as she remembers the moment that Val was mocking her for. ‘Just sign the damn papers so we can start the party already…’ She continued.

Val looks up at her and can only chuckle at her response.

‘Never change Lor. Never change.’

…

…

-da-ba-daa-baa-da-ba-da-da-ba-ba-da-ba-da-baaa!-

-ba-da-ba-da-baa-daa-ba-ba-da-da-ba-da-ba-daaaa!-

-twang-twang-twiiinn-twanngg!-

Distorted sounds coming from an electric guitar echoes from the living room sofa as a certain someone was practicing their musicianship on the most quiet hour of the evening. Granted that the windows were open to keep the out of tune notes from bouncing around the halls, still the person is extremely lucky that nobody had warrant a noise complaint.

Pete had nothing to do that night and was just lounging on his sofa, alone. He had patched things up with Tisha the week before but for some reason she still wasn’t comfortable enough to be alone with him. And thus he was still spending the bulk of his time in solitude inside his apartment. To ease the deafening silence that his lonesomness had brought with him, he had the bright idea of learning how to play an instrument, and thus on one of the days he was walking home, he decided to pick up an electric guitar.

Usually one would start with a standard acoustic guitar but since Pete had the idea on a whim, without prior research, he quickly settled for a Gibson Flying V.

For no other reason other than it looked cool.

And of course he had to buy the whole set, also getting a huge amplifier to pair with his new guitar.

All of this, without any prior knowledge of playing one. And thus the screeches began.

It was already pulling close to 9 in the evening and his excitement and fascination with the object that he had bought had kept him “practicing” not noticing how late the time was. Nor did he notice the messages in his phone.

The only thing that snapped him out of his trance was the growling of his stomach, as he’d also forgotten to eat his dinner amidst his hype.

He sets down the guitar on its stand, which he also newly bought, and goes to the kitchen counter to open the box of pizza he had ordered earlier and sets some of the slices inside the microwave to heat it. As he stood idly in front of the microwave he suddenly felt bored and had urge to “do something” walking towards where he left his phone in the living room table. He snatches the device and as he kills its slumber the first notifications started popping up on screen.

It read:

28 messages from Pattycakes,Yukisan and 3 more...

All of a sudden, panic.

Also unexpectedly: the door rang.

Being unable to decide which to do, Pete rushed to the door while looking at his phone, accidentally stubbing his toe on a corner of the wall by the kitchen as he shouts in pain while he continues to limp towards the door.

Still, even if he was in agony, he was able to open one of the messages:

Pete, you up for a party? We coming over.

He reads it as he simultaneously opens the door. He panics once again as he suddenly realized he wasn’t ready to accept any guests nor was he ready to go out anywhere. Also because he didn’t read the messages beforehand.

It also didn’t help that the sender was Yukino and Tisha, who may or may not be on the other side of the door that he was now opening, as he braces himself for the bash that awaited him for being caught unaware.

Slowly but surely the door opened, and his fears were finally realized.

…

…

‘You know Tisha, leaving this oaf alone has been very troubling. If you keep this up we might find Pete dead inside of his own apartment for the stupidest of reasons.’

‘Yeah… I know…’

Tisha answered Yukino’s jab as Pete cowered at the back seat beside her. The three of them had taken a taxi from Pete’s condo but not before they had kicked him around his apartment for being unprepared, also verbally berating him for buying an expensive electric guitar with zero knowledge of playing it.

It was hell for Pete as he changed his clothes in shame inside his bedroom while the two girls ate the pizza that he prepared for himself as punishment.

‘By the stupidest I meant his hands down his pants and a noose around his neck.’

‘Hey!’ Pete interjected, but as he does the two girls just glared back at him spelling death in their eyes if he ever said another word, making him slump even further into his seat.

‘Seriously Pete you’ve gotten too spoiled around Tisha, that the moment she’s away you start doing stupid things like a child out of daycare.’ Yukino scolds. ‘And you too Tisha! I dunno why you’ve been silent since we got to Pete’s but you can’t just leave that giant five year old unsupervised.’

‘I know…’

‘Whaddya mean I know?! How much did Pete spend on that guitar? And it was a full set with amps and all. I mean I dunno how much you have in your pockets but damn… that’s… that’s a lot.’ Yukino continued.

Tisha can only sigh but she knows that this is partly her fault. She knew something might go wrong leaving Pete on his own for as long as she did. But she never thought he’d get an impulse to go on a spending spree. The most she’d predict of him alone was leaving a pile of dirty dishes and laundry scattered around the apartment, but she was pleasantly surprised that that was not the case.

At least she now know’s of Pete’s weakness in managing money.

The taxi stops just in front of what used to be an abandoned lot that was now lit in brightest of lights as they can hear a couple of karts already darting around on the other side of the fence.

‘Oh I’ve been here already. They’re open?’ Pete spoke, reacting to the sight outside.

‘You’ve been here Pete?’ Tisha asks, also reacting to him. As she blushes after realizing it, averting her gaze.

‘Yeah.’ He responds. ‘Went for a run, checked it out, saw Denzo inside and did some laps with him.’ Pete explained. ‘Apparently he works for Val now.’

‘Really?’ Tisha replies, surprised. ‘Keeno you know of this?’

‘Yeah… for a while now… Oh by the way I just remembered.’ Yukino spoke as she pays the fare to the taxi driver. ‘Can you move the driving tournament to next year, foundation day?’

‘Ehh?’ Tisha replied with a confused look on her face.

‘I wanna make some money out of it for this place we’re about to check out. I thought running it as a special after party foundation day event would pull in more players around J&B.’ She explains.

‘O-okay? I guess we can push it back…’

‘Cool.’ Tisha calmly responds as they look at the dazzling sign installed near the rear of the parking lot.

-CHAMPWORLD!- GRAND OPENING

Entrance this way ->

‘Wow, they certainly outdid themselves now.’ Pete whispers as the three of them stood in appreciation at the brightly lit sign.

‘Shall we?’ Yukino asked the three as they both nodded, walking together side by side as they made their way into the garage of the new place that Val had built.

…

…

‘Denzo.’

He froze in his footsteps the moment he heard the voice that he dreads to hear. As he pivots around on the ball of his foot, he turns his gaze to face the source of it. His mother.

With a deep breath he responds.

‘What is it now?’

‘What do you mean, What is it?’ She responds, her voice, he can tell, was trying its hardest to stay calm, for at any moment he knows she could burst. ‘It’s already late at night and I am letting you out because it’s work related. So don’t answer me with that tone.’ His mother reprimanded.

Sternly.

Denzo felt a cold sweat slide down the back of his neck as he tried to stay calm amidst the suffocating atmosphere. He takes another deep breath as he prays to himself that he doesn’t break the thin ice that he’s stepping on.

‘Sorry.’

He said as he lowered his stance at her presence.

‘Anyways, nevermind that. Here.’

His mother, looking a bit calmer after his apology, hands him a thousand peso bill.

‘Extra cash for emergencies.’

Denzo reaches his hand to take the bill but his mother quickly withdraws it from his grasp, holding up a finger as she does so.

‘Remember. I’ll be expecting you by midnight.’

…

‘The fuck am I? Cinderella?’

…

‘Understood…’ He responds calmly, choosing not to react with hostility as the voices in his mind kept repeating the same phrase over and over again.

--Thin ice…--

As the door closes behind him. He takes a proprietary sigh of relief. As far as he’s concerned, it’s crisis averted;

For now.

It has been an eventful couple of months since he had the impulse to abandon that house that he had just exited from. During that rainy evening he had sworn to never return to that place once more and yet, here he was, walking on the same piece of sidewalk inside this silent suburb near the outskirts of the city. He takes the same route and exits out of the same gates of the suburb where he first encountered the reality that used to be myth in the internet pages he’d been visiting.

Also that striking green Lamborghini.

He never had the chance to ask the driver of that car. Nor did he get the chance to express his surprise that it was none other than Yukino’s sister. But since he was sure that both her and her sister would be present at the grand opening, he thought he might get the chance then.

But at the moment he had to hold those thoughts in as he had other problems to contend with, as he looked at his watch to see that he was already running late. It was a good thing that J2 was still paying him “something” despite Val’s refusal of a salary. Thanks to his consideration that Denzo has more than enough saved for a long taxi ride, which he took advantage of to gain back the time he needed, as he still had another stop to go to before arriving.

And sure enough, he wasn’t planning on making that person wait.

…

…

‘It just makes sense that Yotsuba got it, Ya know? Any other of the quints would just make it shallow.’

‘Na-na-na-na-nah. Me and my dad are on the same side on this one. It’s Nino. It’s always Nino. Hands down, no argument.’

‘Oh for Christ sake, anyone but her! I think your dad just showed you that one good doujin with Nino innit and you just went with it!’

‘Nuh-uh. She’s the bravest of the five and placed her heart on her sleeve. That alone deserves to be top waifu and yet the best one never wins!’

‘Nope she’s not the best one. Just watch the whole series again and see the facts Julian! The author meant it to be Yotsuba from the very start! See and read the signs and open your fuckin eyes!’

--

--

‘I’m so sorry about this… they’re just… passionate…’

Pai apologized as Nica gave him a wry smile.

‘It’s alright. I think it’s nice to see people have their own passions.’ She replies as she takes a look at the pair who were still on escalating levels of hostility as they continue defending their respective opinions. ‘But I do find it strange that they’re arguing over a character. If you ask me, no matter how upset an author makes me feel about something in their story, the fact that they made you feel something about it is amazing in itself.’

Pai listens in amazement as he starts to see Nica in a brighter light. He always knew that she had a certain something within her that wants to shine brightly but somehow fails to see the light of day. It was in these fleeting moments of mediocrity where he finally got a glimpse of the inner workings of her mind. Moments where she is caught unawares that her walls were down and her thoughts flow free. Where she forgets how people see her and she starts to stop acting.

A moment where Nica can be Nica.

‘But then again that’s just an excuse I make to keep myself from exploding like those two. After all at the end of the day you’re just forced to respect what the author wrote. It’s not like you can force the person to make a special ending for you and make it canon just so you can sleep easy at night.

Cuz writing’s not for the purpose of pleasing the audience.

It’s about telling a story that you want and hoping somebody else would like it.’

‘Wow’

‘Wow… Huh?’

Pai forgot to silence his thoughts.

‘Oh uhh… sorry I’m just blabbering about writing that’s all. But yeah it’s nice that they’re passionate about it.’

And just like that, her spirit had retreated.

‘Anywho let’s pause this for now. I don’t want our new guest to be weirded out by us.’ Julian spoke all high and mighty to interrupt Casper’s retort as Pai looked at him with raised eyebrows.

‘As if you didn’t already…’ He thought as their party stopped by one of the convenience stores around a particular neighborhood in uptown six-one-six.

‘This should be the place.’ Nica said as she pulled out her phone. She was about to text someone to notify them that they had arrived, but it turns out she didn’t even need to.

‘Hey!’

A short but loud greeting echoed from down the street as a figure came running towards them. A few moments later an exhausted but still preppy Aida Murai arrived before them. Still catching her breath.

‘Sorry I’m late!’ She exclaimed apologetically. ‘How long were you guys waiting?’

‘Oh we just got here.’ Nica said soothing her with her gentle smile. ‘Actually we’re the ones who thought we’re making you late. It turns out we just arrived at the right moment.’

‘Oh thank goodness!’ Aida answered with a huge sigh of relief. ‘Hi Guys!’ She said waving to the rest of the guys in the group, as Julian suddenly turned beet red upon experiencing Aida greeting him.

‘Anywho. Leggo?’ Aida pepped up as Nica suddenly looked at her with concern.

‘Don’t you wanna take a short break? You did, just ran from your place after all.’ Nica responds.

‘No biggie… I’m fine. What I really need now is some air conditioning. Wanna grab a taxi?’

Nica was about to agree but she suddenly remembered their numbers and found a fault in her suggestion. ‘Umm… Aida, I think we won’t fit…’

Aida looks around the group and counts all five people including her, quickly remembering there are only four seats available inside a taxi. But still, in her mind, she wants some air conditioning after working up a slight sweat from her jog.

‘No it’s okay I think there’s a workaround for that and we don’t even need to take two taxis.’ Aida responds as she flags down the first taxi she sees.

‘B-but Aida?’ Nica tries to ask but Aida swiftly jumps to the side of the taxi, filling the driver in towards their destination. Needless to say she had already made up her mind about fitting all of them inside a single taxi cab.

‘Guys we’re late! Let’s go!’ She shouts as she waved her arm in a come hither gesture, quickly ferrying them into the cab. Nica was perplexed if it was okay to do such a thing as there are strict laws about overloading passengers around the city and she didn’t want to put the driver in trouble, but Aida insisted and for some reason she had Casper in front and Julian and Pai in the backseat.

She looked at her thinking what could she have in mind before noticing a sinister expression taking over Aida’s face.

‘Nica… come sit with me.’ She said with a sly smile as she sat first into the remaining seat at the back.

Needless to say Nica already felt an inkling of what she was trying to do as she remembers how clingy Aida was towards her back at Yukino’s place. Gesturing her hand on her thighs while her smile grew exponentially perverse with every step that she took towards the car.

Sometimes she questions herself why she often gets herself in troublesome situations where simple things would always turn out the opposite of what she wants. It turns out that her answer, as she had realized it, was plain to see.

‘Next time I think I’ll assert myself more…’ She sighs as she thinks to herself whilst sitting on Aida’s warm lap. To make it worse, when the car moved, the sudden jolt unbalanced her giving Aida an excuse to put her in a locking embrace. Nica, bashfully trying to hold her composure, could do nothing but accept her fate, for even though she knew their destination was near, it was still going to be a long ride.

Meanwhile:

The boys were having a field day.

..

..

‘Yeah just park it by the side.’

‘Wait a sec kid. Do you know what this place is?’

‘Huh? My friend lives here, why?’

‘Oh… uhh nevermind that’ll be 120.’

Denzo hands the driver the fare and steps out of the cab. In front of him hangs the brightly lit neon sign just outside on a modest dated looking mid rise building.

The sign reads: The Palace of Midas.

He takes a deep breath as he takes his first steps towards the building. For some strange reason he feels like he was not supposed to be there, like he was trespassing. A thought that he found funny as he did not feel this eerie feeling when he infiltrated Jack and Barry’s during his first visit, where he indeed undoubtedly trespassed.

Denzo never wanted to do such a bothersome task but since Yukino had mentioned that Neil was along the way his route towards Champworld, she had asked him a favor to fetch him since she felt Neil would throw a tantrum if nobody personally contacted him for the opening.

‘Just my luck isn’t it…’ He said to himself. Wishing he still lived with the old man as everything was more convenient where he lived.

He peeks through the glass windows that showcased the interior of the place. Sadly the curtains were at half mast and obscured half of his view but from what he could gather, the inside was nothing more than a regular beauty parlor.

Finally getting the courage to enter, he pushed through the doors as the bell rings to alert the lady of the front desk.

‘Hi! How may we serve you?’ The lady greets him as he musters a faint smile, not really sure on how to act.

‘Uhh… I am… Neil’s friend. I’m here to pick him up for the party? I think the class president had in...formed… you… guys… already?’ He stammered his speech, unsure whether Yukino had pushed through with her end of the deal of telling Neil’s guardians in advance.

‘Oh it’s you then…’ A sudden voice came from behind the curtains leading further into the parlor. As he turns to look, he sees a blonde woman, a bit older than his mother, emerge out to confront him. ‘Yukino called yesterday, though I don’t know if that brat would come.’ The woman said looking peeved as she gave the lady behind the counter a look of sympathy.

‘Oh… why? What’s up with Neil?’ Denzo asked.

‘What’s your name again?’ The blonde woman asked.

‘Denzo.’

‘Hmm, Denzo. I see… Nice to meet you Denzo. My name’s Miles. I’m sorta Neil’s aunt if.. You can call it that way…’ The woman responds as her gaze fixates on the lady by the counter.

‘Yeah… Aunt sounds nice. I’m Wendy by the way. His elder sister.’ The lady said, plainly introducing herself.

‘Well Denzo, that friend of yours has been locked up in that room since last night. He hasn’t been downstairs to eat or drink--’

‘Or shower.’ Wendy interjects.

‘Or that… And we have zero idea on what to do with him.’ Miles calmly said. ‘So… since you’re here, we’re hoping that you can get some sense into that kid… maaayyybe get him out?’

Denzo was taken aback with what he’d just heard. For some reason she sounded like she was giving him an order.

‘Is… this alright?’ He asked.

‘Yup! His room is up those stairs, second room to the right. Careful though, most of the people who live here are women. You don’t wanna get yourself into a “cliche” moment.

If you know what I mean.’

Denzo squinted his eyes after hearing her last statement, but despite her ridiculous advice he still can’t shake the fact that the two women in this room were just waiting for him to get Neil for them. ‘Is he really that much of an asshole?’ He thought to himself as an inkling of self reflection hit him. Suddenly he started to question himself internally if this was how his mother and Uncle Thor would see him during those days, but he quickly shakes it off to ponder it for another time.

Right now he has a task to do;

And he was running late.

He gives into the women’s request and makes his way towards Neil’s room. On the way he saw a couple of lightly dressed girls in their nightgowns lounging around the area near the foot of the stairs. For a second he panicked as the thought of a “cliche” moment filled his mind, but thankfully those ladies paid him no attention, which was both a saving grace and a haunting thought since it made him feel a bit “insignificant”.

Denzo arrives at the door where Miles had directed him into, double checking to see if he made the right count, he looks back before giving it a knock.

‘Not now… Busy…’ A voice resembling Neil’s grumbled on the other side.

‘Neil. It’s me. Let’s go.’

There was an eerie moment of silence around him after speaking, followed by an intense rumbling and banging of things that Denzo couldn’t comprehend. But the way this was making him feel now didn’t lie as he prepared himself for a fight.

Suddenly the door opened.

--

--

--

‘What happened to you?’

He reacts as a groggy disheveled looking Neilsen Paras peeks out, keeping the door opened enough to have him see his face.

...

‘Denzo.

I’m not coming.’

...

‘Is something burning?

…

‘Nothing. It’s work. Now please…

Go.’

…

‘Neil what are you doing?’

…

‘Just go!’

…

‘Fuck it! Fine!’

He quickly turns around as the door slams behind him. Denzo was fuming after the encounter and was trying his hardest not to kick down the door and strangle him inside his stinky room that smelled like burnt plastic.

He wanted to go and walk down the stairs and leave Neil out of sight and out of mind but the urge to kick down the door was winning in the battle inside his heart as he finally settled on a compromise to quench his rage from disrespecting another family’s home.

He slams his fists on the door as he shouts:

‘You know they are waiting for you!

Those friends of yours!

I don't really know why you’re being such a prick right now but people are expecting you!’

Just as he finishes his declaration, Denzo hears a loud obnoxious laugh from the other side of the door.

‘I know they are!

But not for what you think it would be.’

Neil shouts back.

‘Whatever man! Your friends are waiting. I’m leaving with or without you so if you change your damn mind just get your ass there.

You’re a big kid already. You know the way.’

Denzo responds in kind as he rushes down the staircase.

But midway his descent he hears another reply.

‘They’re your friends now…’

Denzo stops on his tracks. Trying to decipher why Neil would say that.

But he wasn’t there to ponder on other peoples problems.

He sighs, puts his hands in his pockets and makes a bee line out of the building. He still stopped briefly to tell the women at the reception that he had failed, which was met with nonchalant reactions, sending him off as they shared sighs about what they encountered.

Immediately Denzo gave Yukino a call about the situation, expecting to hear an earful for failing his task, but instead Yukino just shrugs it off and tells him to proceed on his trip, as if the issue with Neil is nothing more than a rest stop. These weird uncaring reactions prompts him to think about what Neil last said, as Denzo hails another cab whilst deep in thought.

‘What kind of company am I getting myself into?’