Laughing is best medicine

“I thought we were best friends, Youta. I never thought that you would done this to me.”

“Wait, Kojima! All of this are misunderstanding!”

“I think this is the end of our friendship. Thank you for being become my friend. Goodbye. ”

“No!!”

I suddenly woke up from my sleep. Why did that scene come again in my dream? Right now, is three o clock. I feel I can’t go sleep anymore. What should I do now? I look at my smartphone and I see Noda senpai has sent a message to me.

“Arima, I need your help. Can you meet me at the café that we went to before? Alright we will meet at ten o clock in the morning.”

He did not even ask me if I was free or not during the time.

I replied to him, “Alright.”

Ten o clock in the morning.

Both of us sit at the table with two cups of coffee on the table.

“So, how can I help you, Noda senpai?”

“Can you tell me how to ask Chihaya out?”

“Why are you asking me, senpai? Don’t you have friends that more experience than me?”

“When I look at your face, I can see the face of man who have many experiences with romance before.”

“I think you should ask another person. Goodbye senpai.”

“Wait! I just kidding! I really need your help now. Just help me this time. Can you give me suggestion how to ask her out?”

“How about ask her out to visit the aquarium that just open the other day.”

I suddenly remembered yesterday.

“Oh! Nice idea! Is there any place that I can bring her?”

“Shopping mall, lake or anywhere that you think the place where you can have fun with Akimoto senpai.”

“I will take note about that. Thank you, Youta!”

Then, he takes out his smartphone and called someone.

“Chihaya, are you free right now?”

Did he call Akimoto senpai just now?

“Wwwhy you call me, Wataru? Yes, I am free right now.”

“Let’s have a date right now! I will waiting for you at the in front of café that we went before.”

“Alright! Please wait for thirty minutes! I will try to go there quickly!”

“I did not know that senpai always go here. By the way, good luck with senpai’s date. Bye.”

“Where do you want to go? Your role starts just now. I need you to become my coordinator.”

“ ’I really want to help you’, is that what I suppose to say right now?”

“Yes! Let’s go right now!”

Noda senpai dragged me to the outside of café without asking my consent.

“Arima, you will hide first before Chihaya comes. You will coordinate me from behind. I will leave the rest to you. Hide quickly! She is coming here!”

I will try to hide in the café first. There she is. Akimoto senpai surely dress prettily. She really likes Noda senpai.

“Wataru, sorry for the wait! “

“Don’t mind! Let’s go to the aquarium now !”

“Sorry Wataru! I have been there with my family last week.”

“Really?! Can you wait here first? I need to do something .”

“Okay!”

Noda senpai seems to be doing something on his smartphone. I hear my smartphone is ringing. Is he calling me?

“Why senpai?”

“Chihaya went to aquarium with her family last week. Where should I bring her right now?”

“How about lake that near aquarium?”

I look from window that Noda senpai is try asking about it right now. He is calling me again.

“She said she don’t really like to go the lake.”

“How about shopping mall?”

He is asking Akimoto senpai again. He is calling me again…

“What is it senpai? Did she said she already went there yesterday with her friend?”

“How do you know? Yes, she had went there yesterday.”

“Can you just bring her to the bar that you always go before?”

“I can’t.”

“Why? Because she afraid she will drunk and faint on the road suddenly.”

“Arima, you should become detective! How can you know exactly what her reason is not to go bar.”

“I’m just guessing.”

“So, where should I bring her right now?”

“How about you ask her? Maybe she will tell you where she wants to go right now.”

“Okay!”

Then, Noda senpai asked Akimoto senpai. From what I see, she looks happy, and I realize both are coming to this café. Wait!? Is the place that Akimoto senpai want to go is here? I need to hide somewhere right now. I think I can hide in the toilet first. Fortunately, they did not see me now. Then, Noda senpai sent me a message.

“Arima, I think you can go back home right now. From now on, I can handle it on my own. Thank you for everything.”

I don’t think I have done something for him to thank me.

“Alright senpai. Can I ask you to make sure she is not looking at the toilet. I want to go out now.”

“Alright!”

Finally, I can get out of the café. I hope your romance life will work out this time, Noda senpai. I think I want to go to an arcade that is near to a video game shop. When I arrived there, there were so many kinds of games there. I play all the games there. I feel my stress is finally gone.

“A-ri-ma!”

This voice is so familiar. Wait!? Why he is here?

“Noda senpai, I thought you still with Akimoto senpai right now?”

“Yes! It is already three hours before we have a date at the café. She came back just now. I coincidentally saw you playing here.”

“I don’t realize I had playing here for three hours.”

“Do you want to bet something? We will play arcade racing machines there. Whoever lost will take weird picture at the photo booth and give it to her crush.”

“I don’t have crush.”

“Whatever. I will ask Chihaya to check on Akemi if she has your weird photo later.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Don’t need to waste our time. Let’s play!”

Both of us sit at the arcade racing machine. I will choose my favorite car, Subaru BRZ. I will always choose this type of car whenever I play with an arcade racing machine. I tried to look at Noda senpai’s screen. He chooses Toyota GR Supra. His choice is quite nice. I will give my all in this game.

“Arima, I want to say that you better not cry because…. I will destroy you with my driving skill.”

“Noda senpai, you should keep your confidence for yourself before it will crumble down when I show you who is true driver.”

“Ready, set , go!”

Ten minutes later…

“Arima Youta, I dare you to kneel before me. Look, who is the best driver here! “

“I don’t know that Noda senpai is really good driving at the corner.”

“Now, as we promise before you will take weird picture and show to Akemi.”

I brace myself to go to the photo booth. This is my first time doing this.

“I will judge the picture how weird it is.”

“Noda senpai looks happy doing this. I try to make a pose as weird as possible. Then, the picture is out. Noda senpai looks at the picture first.

“Hahahaha!!! This is a masterpiece. Make sure you show to Akemi later.”

“Okay…”

I feel I don’t have energy anymore.

“Noda senpai, are you this kind of person? I thought that you were a cool person when I first time saw you.”

“This is my real personality. I will act like this when I feel so happy.”

“Really? Oh! Noda senpai, the bus has arrive. I need to go now. Goodbye, Noda senpai.”

“Goodbye! Don’t forget about the picture!”

I really don’t want to show the picture to senpai.

Today is the day senpai will come home.

She said she go to my house first to take her house key. I heard someone knocking on my door and she is Saito senpai.

“Senpai, welcome back!”

“Thank you. How about water problem in my house? Is it already settle?”

“Yes! They said to call them back if same problem occurs again.”

“Noted. Thank you Arima-kun for taking care of my house! Here is souvenir I got for you.”

“Thank you Saito senpai!”

I still don’t know should I show my picture from yesterday to Saito senpai or not.

“Is there something in your mind. I will go back home now. I feel so sleepy right now.”

“I will send something to you senpai. Just keep it for now.”

“What do you send?”

“Just look at your smartphone.”

When she looks at the picture , she starts to laughing.

“Hahahaha!! What the picture ! I will save it as my wallpaper!”

“Don’t you dare, senpai! I will save your drunken picture as my wallpaper too.”

“Do what you want, I don’t care anymore!” she said as she was still laughing at my picture.

I am done right now.