This Isn't the Finale

“Ahh! This game blows! Stupid Otome game makes no sense!” Akimoto yelled as she threw her arms up.

Something smacked against my wall hard followed by books falling to the floor—I fear the worst.

“Was that my controller!?” I bolted over to where it lay.

“It’s your controllers fault for being so throwable and this game for being so stupid.”

“No-no-no! You can’t just throw my controller! You have to get me a new one!” I held the pile of electronic scraps to her face.

“...Fine, whatever. Maybe next time don’t have such stupid games in your room and this won’t happen.”

I sighed and gave Akimoto a tap on the back of the head as I passed her.

“Ow—”

“What game were you playing anyway?”

“It’s a new one that was in your library, you have to get back with your girlfriend who left you. It’s soooo challenging…”

Akimoto deflated and laid her head on the table as she spoke.

“...”

“What?” She asked.” Why’re you looking at me like that?”

“You don’t see any irony in that? None?”

“Wha? I-I’m confused…”

Out of everyone I’d expect you to recognize it! I know because I’m an author and we creatives specialize in understanding emotions, you’d assume I picked up on this easily. However I’ll humbly admit this isn’t the case.

My point is, this really is a back look for Akimoto.

I scootched around the table so I was sat next to her.

“Let’s play something, come on.”

Akimoto slowly raised her head and an eyebrow at my suggestion.

“Hm? Seriously? Mr. I have to write all the time, want to take a break?”

“Yes, and this offer only lasts another ten seconds. So hurry up.”

She readjusted her posture and turned so we were shoulder-to-shoulder. W-well almost at least our shoulders didn’t touch but it’s just how we sat. It’s a description of it.

“Okay-okay, hold on let me grab a snack and then we can play.”

“...Fine, I’ll allow it.”

Akimoto clapped her hands and her eyes twinkled—she jolted up and after her footsteps became far away I could hear her talking with my mom in the kitchen.

It felt almost too natural the way my gaze drifted towards her laptop which she left open… An expression from a great thinker comes to mind, it might’ve been Socrates, or Plato: “Curiosity killed the cat, however unless that cat is extra careful, then you’re fine.”

I glanced towards the door then back towards her screen.

My fingers placed themselves on the trackpad and opened up her file-explorer.

Files > This PC > Documents > Writing > Kiyotaka’s Nerd Homework

This has to be it.

“Oh my god… Forty thousand words!?”

I said a short story! A few thousand max! Not an entire light novel! Hold on… Was this all she did while she wasn’t coming to club…? It was probably more of a mix of hanging out with friends and this… still…

I scrolled down the document and my eyes devoured the words—line after line, scrolling faster and faster, it’s so telling, it’s all here!

She hasn’t been herself in weeks… She’s not over it.

“Hah, I’d expect someone like you to cheat, I was really only ever with you because I felt bad.”

“I won’t tell anyone else it’s this small, okay?”

“No I won’t let you smell my feet, Katsuki.”

“You’ve been liking all these photo’s on Enstagram? You know they’re all men dressed as women, right…? Wha? You don’t care?”

“I’m not taking you back, no matter how much you beg. You’re seriously pathetic for asking that after you’ve cheated.”

This… This is a fanfiction about Katsuki wanting to get back with you! There’s no way these details are just made up either! Were you planning on leaking all these details about him to sink his social status!?

I can't let this get out! She'll ruin Katsuki---even though he may deserve it---and herself! People will see all these shitty details about their relationship and view her as toxic! 

Okay but is that a bad thing...? I mean yes! It is!

I heard the footsteps of Akimoto approaching my door again. I snapped the laptop shut and spun back towards the T.V.

“Alright! I’m ready!”

She plopped down with a tower of Katsudon sandwiches.

“Did you cook an entire meal!? You said snack!”

“I know… But your mom mentioned something and I got really hungry so we went shopping and cooked.”

More importantly, how long was I reading for!?

She began yapping about something as we started the game but for the life of me I couldn’t focus.

She’s clearly far from fine, keeping all that inside her… almost, almost like some sort of tragic heroine… No matter how I look at her, I can only ever see a main heroine. Even if Fujioka agreed, Akimoto won’t do the modeling.

Damnit.

I peaked at her face from the corner of my eye—she wore a serious expression, most likely because she was in second place and about to pass for first.

But— But I also should help her… or something. As a f-f— hmmm… As a f-f-f— Ahhh! Just say it! It’s trivial!

“As a friend!”

I shut my eyes tight and titled my head down.

“What?” Akimoto gave me a suspicious look.

“N-nothing, I was thinking about a scene…”

Is it wrong of me to want to use her trauma as a catalyst to get Fujioka to illustrate for me…? That sounds like a light novel title.

No, it’s not wrong if I can help her and get what I want… Win-win, right? 

Tonight. Tonight I'll show Fujioka the vision I see in Akimoto and get her on board. All while helping Akimoto get over Katsuki once and for all...

“Kiyotaka-kun,” Akimoto said through laughter. “You’re in fifteenth place, you suck!”

“Hm? W-wha? Oh crap—”