The Purple Haired Girl Wants a Date?

This girl is trouble! Hikari wasn’t one to let nothing be said. Absolute trouble. You need to get away from this witch right away!

Per usual, the girl in his sword was being a bit extreme. At least she wasn’t telling him to kill the purple-haired girl on the spot.

You should kill her. It’s the safest way!

It still bothered him how she could read his mind. Nevertheless, the girl in front of him seemed sure that he was the one who saved her. He was, in fact, but he didn’t like the idea of letting someone deduce his identity so easily. It made wrapping the shirt around his face pointless and he must have looked stupid.

“You must have be confused with someone else,” Mamoru replied.

“Ohohoho, you totally can’t fool me. I, like, saw that sword bag, and you have the same build. Not to mention,” she leaned close to whisper the rest, “you give off the same aura.”

The girl slid both hands behind her back as she took a step back. Once again getting just out of reach.

“Say I am the same person?”

“And you totally are.”

Mamoru jerked his head so that his neck popped.

“Say I am the same person, who are you and what do you want?”

She beamed, or partially so since her eyes remained slightly squinted all the same. Putting a hand to her chest like a speaker about to make some huge announcement, she replied.

“I am Yamiko Suzuki. As for what I want, I want you.”

“You don’t even know who I am.”

“Something you, like, can remedy rather easily.”

He sighed. She seemed harmless enough, just a bit ditzy, maybe. “Mamoru Takeda.”

Yamiko’s voice turned cutesy. “Oh, Mamoru, my love! Would you be willing like to accompany me on an outing!” She looked away for a second, then back with a couple bats of her eyelashes before looking away again.

Tell me you are not falling for this? You should reject her right away. Right now. Insult her family, her ancestors, and her dog when you do it!

Mamoru wished Hikari would shut up for just a minute. He closed his eyes. It would be a lie to say a part of him didn’t mind the attention, but he had a mission. Distractions could come after he saved Mae. Unfortunately, this Yamiko didn’t seem like she intended to give up so easily. He would have to use the secret weapon.

“I’m sorry Yamiko, I cannot go with you. I am already in love with Mirai Tankyu!”

His words seemed to echo in now much more crowded schoolyard, a bit of martyrdom for a true fan to endure. Yamiko looked perturbed to say the least.

“Mirai? Like the virtual idol? For real?” She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and shook her head before turning back to her sultry tone. “Why have a fake girl,” Yamiko moved close and pressed her shoulder against his, “when you can spend some time with a real one, ya know?”

The secret weapon had failed. It was supposed to be the ultimate way to chase off unwanted suitors.

Oh, I assure you, that would work for normal people. I would have run off if I wasn’t trapped in this sword.

“Be that as it may, I still must decline,” Mamoru answered swiftly.

Yamiko’s mouth turned down, and her expression icy. She leaned close to whisper again.

“Then how about this, if you like don’t go out tonight, I’ll be forced to report a student carried a katana in to school with him. Mr. Sword Wielding Rescuer.”

I told you taking me was a bad idea!

Mamoru had to agree with Hikari, still whatever magic the sword had still griped him enough that he still would have kept it close by even under duress like this.

“Very well,” he replied. Her willingness to threaten him made his voice turn cold, but she didn’t seem to pick up on it.

Her smug look returned.

“Great! I’ll, like, meet you here after classes, deary!” Yamiko blew him a kiss before running off. Mamoru sighed. His exploits to deal with the gangs would have to wait until the next night at this rate.

The rest of the day went quickly enough, helped by the fact he slept through most of it. Attendance still counted so long as he was there, and the teachers should be satisfied that he bothered to show. When the final bell rang, Mamoru retightened the sword bag on his back and shuffled his way to his motorcycle. He heard some whispers from girls chatting that the Red Devil had rejoined the kendo team and shook his head. He hadn’t realized how far the excuse to keep the bag on him would mutate in the rumor mill.

Yamiko waited by his bike, leaning against it while using a paper fan. The weather was chilly enough that it was unnecessary, so he figured it was for some sort of aesthetic.

There is that ugly witch. Quick, let’s take her somewhere quiet and cut her head off before she can do more damage!

Despite the chipperness in her tone, Hikari’s words were quite violent. Mamoru shook his head. He wasn’t going to kill anyone.

“Heey Baae!” Yamiko chirped when she saw him. “You, like, will love the spot I found. It’s totally with it!”

She can’t even speak properly!

“I suppose I’m driving?”

“Of course, silly. I don’t like, have a way to get there without you.”

Mamoru didn’t reply. He put on his helmet and handed the purple-haired girl the spare. She sniffed the inside and crinkled her nose before looking back at him.

“My sis is the only one whose worn it, it’s not gross.”

“If… If I must.” She slowly dropped the helmet over her head and climbed onto the bike after Mamoru. Arms immediately wrapped around him and he shook his head.

The directions the girl gave were simple. The spot was an old arcade on the outskirts of downtown. It was the zone considered ‘no go’ for high schoolers, but that didn’t stop the more rebellious ones from frequenting. Many called it simply by that name—No Go—as part of a little joke at the authorities who labeled it as such. Naturally, Mamoru had been there, and intended to continue.

The ride was quiet. Hikari made a couple protests about going along with the witch. Each attempt to reason with Mamoru got less violent as a sort of compromise, ending with trying to convince him to just give her a good ‘bonk on the head.’ The high-school boy just wanted to get the night over with. He would play such a pathetic loser that Yamiko would see the error of her ways and not even want to blackmail him into another date, then he could get some real work done.

The arcade came into view just as the sun was starting to set. Just like the main town, No Go was undergoing installation of excessive lights of all colors. Yet, the arcade remained dark. The windows were boarded up, and Mamoru was sure he couldn’t even hear any sounds coming from within.

He turned to Yamiko. Never in his life had he seen someone take of a helmet as quickly as she did. A brush was produced from somewhere, it didn’t seem like she had pockets, but he could have missed her purse, and she started to straighten out her purple hair.

“You sure you have the right place?

“Of course, silly! It might seem dead now, but I can assure you it is very active inside.”

Mamoru. Something isn’t right. Look out!

The direction of which way to look out wasn’t clear, so Mamoru spun to cover his back. Something grabbed his ankle and he was pulled off his feet. His helmeted head bounced off the ground and he shook his leg.

A mangled form of a person had emerged from the sewer. It grunted and turned its head at him.

“A zombie?” he said.