69th Purchase - The AI Didn't Give This Chapter a Name, So I Did It For Them B)

It's been two years since I first began working as a shopkeeper.

Since then, I've made a lot of friends, but I still haven't found anyone who could replace Homura.

When I'm alone, I often think back to all of the things that she said to me. She always told me to "live in the moment" and "not worry about the future". Those are good lessons to remember, but it doesn't make it any easier to cope with her absence.

I'm sure that she's still alive somewhere. If she hasn't passed on yet, then she must still be searching for her way home. I wish that I could help her, but I don't have any idea how to go about it. All I can do is keep playing Utopia Online, hoping that someday she'll come back.

***

I was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. It was just another day at the office. I'd finished all of my chores, and I was waiting for the next customer to show up.

I heard the doorbell ring, and I got up to greet my newest customer. As soon as I opened the door, I saw a familiar face.

"Yo, Watanabe!" Chris exclaimed, "What're you doing here? Didn't you just get off work?"

"I-It's a long story," I sighed, "Let's sit down and talk."

We walked over to my table and sat down.

"So, what brings you here today?" I asked.

"Well, I wanted to ask you a question..." Chris said, scratching his head.

"Okay, what's the question?" I inquired.

"How do you get a girl to like you? Like, I mean, really like you. You know, like how you and Homura were together?"

"Well, that's a tough one..." I mused, "You see, I've never actually had a girlfriend before. So I wouldn't know how it works."

"Oh, okay," Chris replied, nodding his head, "I guess you're right. But hey, I don't want to date some random girl from the internet. I want someone real. Someone who I can meet in person and spend time with. How do I go about finding that kind of girl?"

I scratched my chin and thought for a bit.

"Hmm... Well, I guess you could try going to places where people tend to gather," I suggested, "Like the Town Square, or maybe the Tavern? Maybe there's some kind of club or social group that you could join? You could also try posting ads online, but I don't know if it would work."

"Those are all good ideas, but they won't be of much use to me," Chris shrugged, "I'm not very good at talking to girls. I've tried joining clubs and stuff, but I'm always the only guy in there."

"Maybe you should start by learning how to talk to women? You could take a class or something. Then you could try approaching a girl while you're in the middle of practicing," I suggested.

"Yeah, I suppose that might work. Thanks, Watanabe!"

"No problem."

After we parted ways, I decided to head back to my apartment. I was feeling a little tired, so I was planning on taking a nap.

As I was walking along the path towards the exit, I noticed a strange woman standing outside of the front door. She was wearing a white dress, and she was staring at the door.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" I called out to her.

She turned around and gave me a look.

"Oh, hi. Do you live here?"

"Yes, I do. What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time?" she said, stepping forward.

"Uh, sure. Come inside."

I led her into my apartment and offered her a seat. After she sat down, I sat across from her.

"I've seen you around town before," she said, "But I don't think that I've ever spoken to you before."

"That's true. I don't usually speak to strangers either."

"I'm Aiko Tajiri," she introduced herself, "I'm the daughter of the man who owns this place. My father is a merchant, and he travels a lot. He comes here every once in a while to check on things. Anyway, I came here today because I wanted to ask you a favor."

"A favor? Um, what kind of favor?"

"I'd like to borrow your daughter for a bit," she said, "She's quite beautiful, and I was hoping that she could accompany me to a party that I'm hosting tomorrow night."

"A party? You want me to bring her to a party?"

"Yes. I'm sure that she would love to go, and it will give us a chance to get to know each other better."

"I see... Well, if that's what you want, then I suppose it would be alright."

"Thank you very much. I'll pick her up at eight o'clock sharp tomorrow morning.

"Alright. I'll let her know."

"See you then."

"Goodbye."

I watched as Aiko left the building. I couldn't believe that she was asking me to take her daughter out on a date. I mean, I didn't mind, but why did she have to do it now? And why was she so insistent about meeting her at 8pm? Why not 7pm or 9pm?

I closed the door behind her and turned back to my computer. As I started to type away, I realized that I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. I quickly made myself some lunch, and I started eating.

As I was finishing up my meal, I heard the doorbell ring.

END OF PART 1… [AUTHOR’S NOTE: This chapter was generated entirely by an AI. I do not know how it ends, and the AI didn’t supply me with a Part 2…]