Happenstance is a Strange Beast

It's not until minutes later that we finally stop and Hashigami lets go of my hand. I'm panting like a dog. I was never athletic in high school, but I'm even more out of shape now.

I have no idea where our wild escape has taken us. The street we're on is one that I'm not familiar with. It looks like every other street in downtown Aomori- cubic buildings, all connecting into each other, and lots and lots of loud signs. The only thing I recognize is a Kyoudai Mart a few meters down down, its multicolored sign sitting over the ground floor of one of the interchangeable buildings. It's sort of comforting, in a way. No matter where you are in Japan, no matter how lost you are, you're never too far away from a Kyoudai Mart and that annoying doorbell jingle.

Hashigami slumps down, wearily. "I think we're safe now..." she huffs.

I can't offer a reply, I'm breathing too heavily. The only thing I can do is pant and nod.

"What a jerk," Hashigami spits, still pausing to take deep breaths. "I hate people like that. They pick some random guy near me and act like they're saving me from him and then they're like 'hey, since I stopped that molester, can I get your number?' And they don't leave me alone. It's happened to me before. The police came and they wouldn't listen to me because everyone believed the handsome college student who 'heroically stopped a train pervert' instead of the balding salaryman who was minding his own business. They dragged him out of the train and I was trying to yell ‘Stop! I can explain!’ but the young guy blocked me and started asking for my number. They didn’t see that, and they didn’t see him follow me out of the train and ask me on a date a dozen times. That's why I hate public transport." She pauses, running a hand up the back of my left arm and then my shoulder. I instinctively tense up as her delicate fingers brush against the back of my hoodie. "Your arm's okay, right? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

It's still a bit sore, but I don't think anything's broken and all my joints are where they should be, so I just nod.

Finally, after my breathing has calmed down enough for me to speak again, I sputter out, "Why did you say I was your-"

Her expression remains flat and disinterested. "It was so that guy would stop. Saying that usually gets wannabe heroes to back off. But this guy didn't."

I instinctively wince as I remember that guy's balls getting kicked into next week. Sure, he was an asshole, and from what Hashigami said he was trying to make himself look good in front of her so he could get her attention, but still...the sack is off-limits. Every man knows that.

"You could have just cleared up the misunderstanding..." I mumble. "You didn't have to kick him..."

"That guy deserved it." She brushes her long hair back over her shoulder. "I mean, I told him twice that you were with me and he still wouldn't let go. I don't feel bad about giving him what he had coming. If it wasn't me, some other girl was gonna do it sometime."

Yeesh. And she doesn't regret it at all. Mental note: buy a cup. I do not want to find out the hard way if she's gonna go after my twig and berries if I say or do something she doesn't like, too.

The guy didn't refuse to let go of me because he was being a jerk. At least, that's not what I think. He must have thought Hashigami was lying because she was embarrassed. He saw the same thing that everyone else on the bus saw- a scrawny, string-bean, nervous loser around a well-groomed, well-dressed pretty girl. No one in their right mind would have thought that I was actually her boyfriend.

...She still said I was her boyfriend. God, that's embarrassing. I mean, think about it. There's no way in hell that I would ever be able to date her. Just me getting a girlfriend at all would be a miracle.

But, if by some divine act, she was my girlfriend, we would-

Forget it. I've gotta forget it before my face goes red and my heart starts beating out of control and Hashigami thinks I'm a creep.

"Do you know where we are?" I ask, tentatively.

"Not really." She shakes her head.

"There's probably another bus stop just around the corner-"

"I don't wanna get on the bus again. Sorry, Sakuta-san."

Just like that, all of my plans for the day have evaporated. I wanted to take her to that mall to show her the largest ElCro merchandise collection in Northern Japan- but without public transport, we've got no way to get there.

Googol Maps: Walking time: 4 hours 45 minutes. Ugh.

Maybe if we hurry, we could get there before dark...

"Wanna hang out there for a little while?"

I follow Hashigami's gaze to a weathered sign down the street. The letters are blurred, but I can just barely make out Internet Cafe.

Opening the door, we're immediately greeted by a wave of warm air, and then a dingy smell like old coffee and must. This place looks like it's been in operation like the 70s. Are they gonna have PCs running Binbows 96 in there? Maybe BS-DOS? Bortran?

¥300 for 2 hours. Thank you, gods of poverty. While we're here, I'll Googol fun things to do in this area.

"Welcome," the middle-aged man behind the counter nods. "Two of you?"

Nice, they have free drinks here. And the computers have video games. Probably the original Quarter-Life 1.

"I'll pay for both of us-" I begin, but Hashigami immediately shoves her way in front of me.

"No, you won't. Two hours, please."

I've got no choice but to fork over 3 hard-earned 100 coins, embarrassed.