This Might be the Finale... Almost

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

“Hm? W-what? Oh crap—”

***

“Boom! Eleventh race in a row!”

Akimoto threw her arms up and knocked into my side, causing me to lose balance and tip-over.

“Kiyotaka-kun, you’re a massive nerd. I thought you’d be really good at games.”

“Sorry, I’ve been a bit distracted,” I said as I sat up-right

“Thinkin’ about that last chapter still? Any luck figuring out how you wanna end volume one?”

Why does she have to remind me…

“Sorta… Well… I’m more thinking about Fujioka and illustrating.”

“Still?” Akimoto let out a long sigh.

“Yes still, it’s important. Imagine this: In some bizarre reality where we somehow don’t get through to the finals of this contest, our work is still good, right? So we sell it as a fan-project light novel.”

“Fan-project? Like a doujinshi?”

“Basically. We could— we could sell it at Comiket! Get Fujioka to make it into a manga! With this trio anything is possible!”

“Listen-listen-listen.” Akimoto patted my shoulder. “I’m all for helping you get her onboard, but you know I’m not gonna actually do it, right?”

“I knoww—. I’m still figuring out who can model.”

I feel deflated. I have an amazing vision, why won’t everyone around me give me everything I want?

“Have any ideas?” She asked.

“Yoshika possibly… But I just don’t get that same vision with her like I do you.”

Akimoto obscured her face by turning her head one-eighty.

“Don’t say stuff like that so casually…” She mumbled.

“What did I say?”

She turned back towards me and took a deep breath.

“Have you ever tried showing Fujioka-senpai the vision you have? Or do you keep repeating the same begging over-and-over?”

“...”

I wish my silence didn’t speak as loudly as it did.

“This doesn’t work any differently than how you did it with me—I shouldn’t be surprised you couldn’t realize that though.”

“What’d you mean?”

“All those speeches you gave me when we first started hanging out. You showed me your dream of writing and becoming published… You spoke from a very important body-part and made me believe in writing.”

“My heart?”

I put a hand to my chest and Akimoto chuckled.

“No~ Your Prefrontal Cortex and Limbic System.”

“...Why do you know that?”

“I know you’ll think of a way. I can picture it now! A cover with a beautiful girl in her uniform, her hair flowing—pushing some hair behind her ear. A guitar on a strap around her neck.”

“...”

“And then after the illustration is done we all go out for chicken to celebrate. I get ten pieces plus a side-salad, cause ya’ know, gotta stay healthy. Also maybe a Cola or—

“That’s it!”

Akimoto slightly recoiled in surprise.

“Picture it. Picture of it. I’ll physically show Fujioka my inspiration by capturing it with a photo!”

“Hey.” My golden companion had her cheeks puffed out. “I said no using me. Are you stupid?”

“O-of course I didn’t forget. I’ll… find someone else.”

She nodded with a satisfied smile.

I’m sorry Akimoto, but this opportunity is more than perfect. I can help you not sink your social status and secure us some credibility to this project.

I found myself quietly staring at her as she began another time-trials race… I think I know how to achieve both tonight.

***

I stretched my arms far above my head and turned towards Akimoto.

“I’m ready for a break.”

“How many more words did you get?”

My eyes wandered to the ceiling then over towards the window.

“Hey. The answer isn’t over there.” She waved a hand in front of me.

“Fifteen… words…”

“Really doesn’t sound like you should get a break.”

“That’s what it’s for! To realign myself again.”

“You’ve done that how many times? It never works.”

“We’ll stop at Eight-Eleven.”

***

*Ding-ding—ding-ding*

“Thank you for stopping!” The clerk called out from the store.

Akimoto held one bag that looked like it was about to bottom-out. The plastic they use is incredible, there must be ten pounds in that bag!

“Home now?” She asked.

I know she hates walking—at least I’d assume so… she really isn’t gonna appreciate this.

“Mmm… Ah, uhm— Hmm…”

“Out with it.”

“F-follow me. We need to take a train somewhere.”

“Whhhaaaa? I can’t! Don’t the train-lines like, stop running soon?”

We stood facing each other in front of the brightly lit convenience store. The automatic doors remained open because we decided to have our conversation within their sensor’s range.

Akimoto slouched forward while giving me a massively unamused expression.

“Akimoto-san… It’s only seven thirty… We have almost five hours until they stop.”

“I don’t wanna go!”

“Did I not just buy you all those snacks!?”

She flicked her eyes away and muttered what sounded like insults under her breath.

“It’s not that bad.” I continued. “The station isn’t far at all. Okay?”

***

“You know, you didn’t have to shove me on the floor for the window seat… You could’ve asked.”

“In this world, Kiyotaka-kun, there are no guarantees. Only the opportunities you create for yourself.”

“After you did it you took a picture and laughed!”

“Yeah, what kind of nerd gets shoved by a girl?”

“My backpack has some expensive stuff in it! You could’ve broken something!”

A short pause in our conversation later, Akimoto spoke up again with another question.

“Why’re we going to the beach anyway? The water’s still too cold and it’s dark.”

“You don’t see the vision?”

She shook her head no—so I pushed up my glasses.

“Picture this. The dim glow of stars far out, resting on the horizon, city lights behind you and a endless expanse of darkness to gaze out at. The wind catches your and her hair, you each turn towards each other, you both know somethings there, ahhh but the words are caught in your throat—”

“Kiyotaka-kun.”

“W-w-wha?”

“Either you’re about to receive the harshest rejection of your life from me or you recently read a really corny light novel.”

“All light novels are kinda corny!”

“So what’s your point with this? Are we gonna get inspiration from the sea?”

“...Sorta.”