Chapter 15: Aqua-rium?

Dinner.

Should be easy and simple.

Should be relatively manageable.

Huge emphasis on 'should.'

Izumi and I had done it before, after all.

Mika and Eiji were unknowingly dining with an interdimensional magical girl I had every intention of keeping under wraps but as my absolutely horrible luck would have it... that didn't exactly work out so well.

Instead of being cool as a cucumber I was very panicked parsnip.

At least Eiji thinks the food's good.

"Keizo I never took you to be a chef this is... really something!” Eiji gushed after he took a bite. “Oh man! This is so good!” He said between bites. “I wish I could make things like this every day!”

Takoyaki. A childhood favourite of mine quick easy and my mom and dad use to make it a bajillion times before bailing on me.

As we ate, I lamented the fact that I was not the octopus.

"Thanks just something I felt comfortable making for guests is all. It’s nothing special really."

Izumi looked at me with those bright sapphiric eyes of hers.

"Do not devalue your—"

"Self, yes I'm aware," I interrupted smoothly.

Izumi just nodded and proceeded to handbomb her food directly into her mouth sans chopsticks.

It irked everyone, but for some reason Eiji was grinning widely with eyes crinkling in amusement.

“You know for cousins you two sure have an… interesting bond ” he said teasing yet somehow sincere.

'Interesting' doesn't even begin to cover it.

Izumi nodded solemnly as though declaring before a council of lords: “Fear not friends. I am sworn never to abandon him in feast or famine in sickness or in social humiliation.”

Mika blinked. Eiji snorted into his takoyaki. 

I wanted to crawl into the trash bin outside and die.

“Is this comedy?” Izumi asked earnestly.

Eiji nearly choked on a takoyaki ball. “Bro she just… asked if this is comedy. I'm actually dying.”

"You have no ailments."

I facepalmed so hard my grandfather's father felt it.

A few hundred beats later and dinner was long gone and digested already.

It was mostly without incident unless you counted the number of times Izumi completely disregarded her chopsticks' existence.

We were now all chilling in the living room snacking it up and half-watching an anime OVA together.

"Pardon the ask but I hope everything is okay between you two... It certainly looks that way but looks can be deceiving y'know?"

Translation: spill the tea, Keizo.

I froze mid snack grab. Izumi tilted her head at Mika.

"Our bond is forged, not deceiving," Izumi said plainly. "His soul has safeguarded me. I in turn safeguard him. This is equilibrium."

Mika blinked twice like Izumi had just recited an ancient physics theorem.

Eiji however looked like he’d just witnessed a god descend. “Bro… equilibrium. That’s some next-level couple goals right there.”

I felt like imploding.

"We’re not—" I tried to say but nearly choked on my own saliva.

Izumi patted my back with solemn precision. "Do not choke Keizo. Your tether to me cannot allow the reversal of death."

"She’s so committed," Mika whispered wide-eyed. "Like I know she’s cosplaying but wow I’ve never seen someone do a bit for this long."

And there it was. Their verdict. Izumi wasn’t a magical girl from another world. No. She was a method cosplayer. A hypermeta role-devoted never-break-character freak who was also my girlfriend.

Is she?

Was she?

It kinda felt that way at times. We never really talked about a label for us.

I helped her escape a magical barrier mirror realm that a corrupt society used as a banishment place for her all with the power of love and friendship.

That doesn't even fit on a T-shirt in a readable font size.

Sigh.

I wanted to tell them otherwise—no wait I wanted to tell them nothing. I wanted to disappear into the cushions like a worm into dirt.

Yeah.

Izumi must’ve sensed the storm inside me because she straightened folded her hands and delivered with deadly calm:

"Indeed. I take pride in embodying the essence. To falter in character would dishonor the craft would it not?"

Mika lit up. "Ohhh so it’s like… performance art! You’re like committed-committed."

Eiji slapped his knee. “Bro she’s a pro! Like legit award-winning material!”

And just like that, the bull rampaging through the china shop found its way back out the door leaving me sweating in midst of all the wreckage.

Izumi sipped her soda like nothing had happened.

She’s too good at this I thought sinking further into the couch. I’m supposed to be the one saving her but here she is running cover fire for me like it’s second nature.

The OVA characters were screaming on screen. Fitting really.

"Dude we so gotta go on a double date! the four of us."

Mika squinted her eyes at Eiji and raised her eyebrows.

"We're not dating, you oaf. They are." Mika corrected, pointing towards Izumi and I 

We were sitting together as we watched the movie. Perhaps a bit too closely.

I shifted in my seat awkwardly.

"Right, uh, yes. What. I meant to say was group hangout." Eiji said quickly.

I rolled my eyes.

"Where would we even go?"

"The ocean park it's got seals that do tricks a killer food court and—the aquarium."

"Aqua-rium?" Izumi mispronounced as she turned to look over at Eiji.

Yeah the aquarium! it'll be fun right?""

"This ocean park sounds like quite the popular hangout spot, is it far away?"

"You must be new in town it's a train ride away from here!"

Mika chimed in looking pleased by the prospect of a trip.

Eiji gave both girls a smile. It was genuine. He loved going out of his way to please others regardless of who they were (well anyone other than his family of course).

I could feel everyone collectively shift their gaze towards me. Oh God.

My turn to say something.

I weighed the pros and cons.

I'd have to keep Izumi at bay and try to keep her from going ballistic every time a new animal comes out. I'd also have to explain to her what this trip essentially is and her potential reaction to a moving train while we're on the damn train ride.

I looked over at Izumi.

She looked excited to be going somewhere with people doing something other than be cooped up with me all day.

This would be good for her to see my world.

Or bad.

I'd just have to really up the ante on my part to keep her from going off the rails.

Sounds like a great time to me! I smiled.

"Great! Now we just need to figure out when we're leaving tomorrow."

After a few more discussions about trip logistics we'd settled on a plan.

Eiji and Mika thanked us for having them over.

Mika said she was glad I didn't let math overcome me and that I'm doing something else with my life besides number crunching.

Eiji wondered if I'd be back at school at all.

I told him I'd be back until I felt like myself again.