This is What Kaoru Does

“Uhm… yeah… actually…” I took a quick peek at my cell phone. A notification popped up simultaneously reading: Investigate how Sato is feeling—try asking about his job to start. “What…? I— Uh I mean, is this even a message from Takechi? What app was that?” Sato leaned over to peek at my phone-screen—which I quickly shoved in my pocket.

“I’m in the middle of work Kiyotaka, so if you’re just here to chat my shift ends at eight.” He collected some cups and plates scattered on a table.

“Well I’m not here to chat… it’s more of a directed chat… a purposeful one. It’s still chatting yeah but like… uh—” Sato had already left my side and re-entered the kitchen. Naturally I followed him. “What I meant to say was Takechi sent me here… or something.”

“Kiyotaka! You can’t come bac— Oh… Takechi… did? N-no. You can’t be back here it’s employees only.” I glanced around the kitchen—deserted. He must’ve noticed this as he added on, “It’s just slow today. I’m the only one scheduled. Ahem… So? Just gonna stand there? What’d he want?”

“He mentioned something about a trip? I think?”

“Oh right, the clubs-camping-trip.” Sato handed me a menu as I scooched into a booth. “What’da about it? You keep talking in half-sentences dude.” He moved in across from me.

“He said uh, you guys gotta plan it better or somethin’. It’s this weekend, right?”

“Ugh! Don’t remind me. Of course we have mountains of more work to do! But I seriously can’t get anything done with him acting like that!”

I took a short moment to recall my past few interactions with Takechi. “A-acting like what?” There wasn’t a thing off about him lately.
“So needy! Ugh! You don’t notice it? I know he’s always been a bit of a perfectionist, but planning this simple little trip is really taking the wind out of my sails.”

“Wind… out of your sails…?”

“Honestly… If he isn’t worried about having perfect timing and weather coordination for some dumb activity, he’s always trying to make the time spent planning “special”. Like, it’s just planning! Why does it have to be special?”

“Are we talking about the same person?” No, for real, that wasn’t an expression, are we!? I guess I stopped really knowing the guy around our third year of Junior High. People change… And get gayer… Huh.

Sato aggressively sipped his cup of cold coffee. “Anyway… What were you talkin’ about, Kiyotaka?”

“P-planning… And uh… Takechi… Heh.”

“Oh! That reminds me—has the writing club gotten its invites? And did that new Ohashi-san girl get one?”

“Wha!?”

“It’s the clubS-camping-trip. Like six different clubs are attending, it’s a whole thing.”

“S-so it’s not just your guy’s going?” This planning thing might be a bit more serious than I thought… It’d be pretty noble of me to offer my services of course, but wouldn’t it then be too easy for Takechi? High school is a time of growing and learning. Planning/coordinating skills are crucial in the working-world, so leaving this all on Takechi’s shoulders was a learning-experience more than anything.

“No, of course not. Seriously though, Akimoto-san never delivered the invites?”

“N-no…” I said in probably one of the weakest voices I’ve ever produced. I was just so caught up in imagining what prevented her from delivering those invites. It’s such a trivial task! It sounds like exactly the thing her special-ass would mess up

***

“Oh! This is so exciting! Invites to a club camping trip! I’ll deliver these right away!”

“Kaoru-san, not just the writing club, it’s the clubS camping trip. Get it? A little under half of the school's liberal-arts clubs are attending.” Sato would’ve said in response.

“Ooh! Cool! Thanks for inviting the writing club Sato-kun! And because I’m not a bumbling idiot I’ll diligently deliver these right away,” Kaoru responds.

A bit later…

“Lalalalalala I’m Akimoto Kaoru, an air-headed idiot who can’t do simple tasks. Lalalalalala.” She hums as she skips home. Kaoru then takes a “short-cut” down a dark alley known for pick-pockets and muggings.

“Hey, kid, come here a sec’.” A robed figure growls from the darkest shadows—even though its broad daylight.

What did my parents say about talking to people who look like criminals? Kaoru thinks. Oh! That’s right! Go up to them and engage in conversation with them! “Lalalalala~ how can I help you?”

“Interested in any… Magic items!?”

“Oooooh~! Magic!? O-o-of course… why…?” She says with the utmost genuine curiosity.

“Well… You see, it’s come to pass that I need to part with a few items of… great magical strength. And you miss, appear to be overflowing with magic potential.”

“R-really!!? A-Ahem— I mean, really?” She attempted to downplay her excitement.

“Of course. You believe it's mere coincidence you decided to take this short cut today?”

Oh! He’s good! She thinks.

“Well, I’m looking to part with this magic crown.” Out of his robe he produces a pointy golden crown with three red gems in it. Kaoru’s bird-brain naturally reaches for the shiny item but the shadowy figure quickly recoils it. “Uh-uh-uh— it comes at a cost.”

“W-w-what!? A-anything!”

“Those… invitations you possess… I require tho—”

“Here! Take em’!” Before the man could process what occurred, Kaoru swapped the invitations for the crown.

As she left the alley headed towards my house with her forgotten original purpose, cackles of the robed figure echoed from behind her.

***

“Yoo-hoo— Earth to Makoto~” Sato waved a hand in front of me, snapping me away from my daydream.

“Oh, sorry. What were we talking about?”

“N-nevermind that.” He sipped from his cold coffee.