Sena (2)

…

Oh yeah, it’s dream time. The first time I experienced one of these dream illusions, I was admittedly a little spooked. This time though. I’m ready for it. I can’t wait to spend some time with my beautiful gyaru queen. Where are we this time, anyway? A train station? It’s pretty damn busy, people scurrying around everywhere. I wonder what this is all about?

“Thanks for waiting, Satocchi!”

“Satocchi?”

“Ah. You don’t like it? I thought it would be cute to give you a nickname?”

“Oh yeah? Sounds good to me, Kirishima.”

“Don’t be so stiff, Satocchi! Call me Sena, ‘kay?”

“O-okay, Sena. What’s the plan for today anyway?”

“Boo-boo! Lesson one, Satocchi! When you meet up with a girl outside of school, you have to compliment them on their fashion. Go on, I’ll let you try. Compliment me.”

She flashes a peace sign and poses at me, bending her right knee a little and putting her hand up to her face. Her makeup, despite being, y’know, gyaru-ish, isn’t that heavy and her natural beauty shines through. Her street clothes are really nice too. Her top leaves nothing to the imagination; exposing plenty of cleavage on top and exposing her belly button. 

God! I love belly buttons and Sena’s is the cutest. 

Her shorts are hot too. Wait, are they shorts or hot pants? Damn. I need to do some more research on this. I’m disappointed. How can I call myself a man if I don’t know the difference between

“Hey Satocchi? You’re staring a hole through my chest, y’know?”

“Ahh! I’m so sorry! I was just thinking your clothes are really cute. They suit you really well, Sena.”

“Hmmm. Your face shows me you're thinking of lewd things but I believe your words. Thanks Satocchi, you pass. So, come on. Let’s go!”

She grabs my hand and drags me away from the station, pretty much running. She’s energetic! Suppose I better throw myself into this full force if I want to keep up with her.

“Ahh! Game Arcade! Let’s go!”

She keeps pulling like this my arm might come off! But weirdly, the faint fragrance of roses that she gives off makes the pain go away. Besides, I love game arcades and it gives me a chance to show off.

“Hey, hey, Satocchi. Try and win the elephant plushie for me. It’ll make you seem really cool”

Flirty Sena is the best Sena. Claw machines are mostly luck but this is my dream world. Surely I must be on my own side here… YES! Got it in one. I’m sure my superb skill made her so wet…

I can’t believe I just thought that. Need to reign it in a little.

“Amazing! I’ve never seen anybody get it in one before. Not bad, Satocchi.”

“Ahaha. I just got lucky. Not sure I could do it again!”

It’s my dream. If it would give me some physical content, I’d do it a thousand more times.

“Ahh. It’s so cute! I can’t wait to put this in my room… Ahh! A commemorative photo machine. Come on Satocchi, let’s take one!

“Eh!? Ah, wai- okay!”

She does move at a mile a minute. Hard to keep up, in truth but I’m having a ball. I’m wondering if this is what the popular kids always do. The ones on the top of the social ladder. Never been inside one of these machines. Smaller than I thought it’d be. Not that I dislike being this close to Sena’s ample cleavage. As I’m in cloud cleavage land, Sena snaps countless photos and mercilessly takes a pen to the photos. God knows what she is-

Wow. These stickers are… gaudy. Not a word I get to use often but they are certainly full-on. Stickers and colours and eyes the size of dinner plates. It’s certainly a bit of our country’s culture that I didn’t know about before. Well. Sena’s beaming smile is more than enough to make up for the somewhat surreal nature of these photographs. More like caricatures really but still. Before I get to finish thinking about it, my arm is tugged once more and we head off to the next attraction. Then the next. Then the next, until we have played with, sat on and laughed at everything this little arcade has to offer. It gets hot in these places after a while. I signal to Sena that we should step outside and she follows along, clutching my arm and making me even warmer in the process.

“Sorry Satocchi. Was that not much fun for you?”

“No, on the contrary, I had a blast. Looking at your face, you did too, right?”

“Of course! I come to these places all the time… Hmm… It’s still a bit early to be calling it quits. How about we go for some karaoke? There’s a box I use a lot just around the corner.”

Before I can even say yes, the eager beaver slots her left arm through my right and drags me off down the street. I usually like being in control but… well… she is gorgeous, isn’t she. It’s amazing what a pretty face and a can-do attitude can get you. And she’s got me.

Weird thing is I’ve never been to karaoke before. I’ve sung before, obviously. I’m not a robot. But going to an enclosed space to sing badly with friends is something that has never really sat well with me. Yet, here I am. Considering this is all in my mind, I thought that this place might be a little blurry. Seems as if I underestimated my imagination though. This place is astounding. Big flat-screen display, microphones, maracas and a big old couch to sit on. Honestly, I think I’ve been reading too much manga because this place is uncanny. Shit. Better sit next to her before she notices my discomfort.

“Satocchi. Watch me sing. Just sit there and relax, kay?”

I tell you something, being in an uncomfortable place is so much more manageable with someone like Sena. Her zest for life and incredible ability to ignore the glares of society is inspiring really. I wish I had the balls to embrace freedom as she does but-

Forget that. Listen to that voice. Oh my God! She can sing. Wasn’t expecting that. I don’t know the song. Probably some modern R and B hit by a preening, teen heartthrob but, with her singing it at least, I’m pretty happy with this. As her surprising performance comes to an end, she beckons me up to the microphone and thrusts it at my chest… No… She wants me to sing!? After her performance? This is going to be a car crash. No… This will be fine… Just pick a song, Yuusuke.

“Yuusuke, how about this one?”

Before I have the chance to choose a song, Sena clicks on a well-known anime slash karaoke hit from yesteryear and the music begins. I know the song but I’m no singer…Let’s hope my imagination can do me another favour…

…

…

…

“That was amazing, Yuusuke! Never heard that song sung like that. Surprisingly cool, big boy.”

I’m lucky this is a dream or I would have cracked all the glass in this building. After a few more songs from each of us, we take a seat and order some drinks. It is a convenient system to just pick up a phone and the waiters come running. Limits the human contact so I can’t complain.

“Hey, Satocchi… Thanks for spending the day with me. I know we’re pretty different people but I had a blast. You’re a cooler guy than I thought you were. Might even do this again… If you’re okay with that.”

“Of course. Spending time with you is great fun, Sena.

She smiles at me warmly and moves closer. Nuzzling up against my arm. Even in a dream, this sort of physical contact makes my heart race. The back of my arm brushing up against her chest and the smell of her perfume filling my sinuses. This is bliss but…

The date is starting to resemble a cliched manga. Game centre then karaoke. What next? We go to Hitomi’s special hotel and get to know each other more… intimately? No… No of course not. As I ponder the next step, an all too familiar feeling begins to sink its claws into me…

Time is almost up. The world is becoming fuzzy and the sounds muffled.

“Hey, -cchi. —— time today. —next time— hotel?”

Damn. I’m already too far gone to hear her or even see what expressions she’s making. I bet she’s blushing. Once more this illusionary world crumbles but, before it does so, I manage to blurt out a short message to my Juliet.

“Wait for me.”

I hope she does. Because when the new day comes, I’m doubling down on my reconnaissance. Time to make her mine.

***

Once again I find myself at school, alone in the prison of education. Well. Not alone, per se. Shun and Sakura are here. They’re waiting for me on the roof actually. We’re going to have lunch together for a change but it caught me so much by surprise I left my bento in the classroom. I’m sure they can entertain themselves without my charming wit for a minute or so. They’d make a good couple thinking about it. Both are cheerful, attractive and popular. Why do they spend time with me? Maybe deep down they wished they were as cynical as I am. Maybe they are but they keep their vitriol bottled up. Whatever works, I guess. Once I grab the box, I can ask them at length… Shit. There are still a few people in the classroom… Including Sena and the Gyaru gang. I know I like her but they really are a bit… intimidating to approach. Especially when they’re chatting so bloody loudly.

“You should have come last night, Sena. Turns out those guys were really good fun. So much fun that I think I hurt my back. Hahaha.”

God that slut has a loud laugh.

“Ehh. Take it you won’t see him again though?”

“Of course. Who wants to see the same guy twice, it’d get so boring. Don’t tell me that you're waiting for some prince to sweep you off your feet, Sena?”

“ Ha. No. But if I’m gonna sleep with someone, I want to love them first. Said this yesterday, right?”

“Aww. My cute little princess, Sena! Any potential suitors right now?”

“Hell no. The whole class is boring and all the upperclassmen just want to get in my pants. So many of these guys just stare at me.”

“That’s because you look like a model and dress like a wh-”

“Oi, cut it out Miki!”

“Only joking Sena dear.”

“I’ll tell you who the worst is though. That Sato guy who sits in the back of the class. I catch him just staring silently at my chest all the time. Even saw him last night and he was practically drooling at me. Such a creep. Who would even consider dating a guy who can’t speak to them? Just treats them as material for some masturbatory fantasy. If I do date anyone soon, it won’t be one of those losers. Especially not Sato anyway. ”

“Oooh. So harsh, Sena. Maybe you’re not a princess but an ice queen instead.”

Gyaru Miki’s obnoxiously loud laugh cuts deep into my soul. Once again this dream world has proven to be just that. A fantasy wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a failed test. Maybe our worlds were just too far apart to begin with to bridge the gap. She loves going out and socialising whereas I just like being by myself. Trying to force myself out of the cage or her into it. No… It just wouldn’t be fair, would it? As much as I lament society's boxes, they do serve a purpose. Any attempt to cross over would just hurt both of us in the long run. Maybe Sena knows that too. That her cruel, cold words are hiding something more. A love she feels she must keep hidden for the sake of her own preservation. To stop us both getting hurt… Yes. That must be it.

Farewell my tanned princess, I barely knew thee.

Sena Bad End.