NERD SQUAD, ASSEMBLE!
You know the drill. Every day I struggle to get to my school. My house to school travel time is one thing, the traffic jam is another. But it's completely different when your bus driver has anger management issues and proceeded to brawl another driver in the middle of the highway. I had fun watching this street fight since I'm in the front seat, but deep inside I know I'll get screwed once again. One and a half hour late.
"I'll get scolded by Macho Steel again..." I muttered while panting and running in the hallway all at the same time.
I drifted in the corner, still maintaining my full speed. But unfortunately, a girl with the same speed as mine, who have this toast hanging on her lips, was running towards my direction. A head-to-head collision happened!
I can't see anything. It's because the buttery toast was slammed to my face. When I removed the sticky breakfast, I realized that my face is now full of butter.
"Aauuuu…" There was a soft cry in front of me. It sounded like a Japanese girl's moan in some dirty anime.
And guess who. It's Tiara. I think I'm being tested by fate.
She was covering her head with both of her hands due to excruciating pain. Because of the said impact, she was sitting on the ground, so I accidentally saw her panty.
"M-Mister Alaric?" She finally realized it was me.
"H-Hello, Tiara…"
"I-I'm so sorry that I bumped you!" She immediately stood up and pulled a white handkerchief, and attempted to wipe my buttery face.
"I-It's okay." I softly slapped her hand away from me and pulled my own handkerchief. I cleaned my messy face on my own. "Let's go, Macho Steel...errr Mister Kent will be yelling at us."
"R-Right!"
It's convenient that we're already in front of our classroom, and no one heard us colliding on each other's heads. We hurriedly opened the door and saw Macho Steel glaring at us as if he was waiting. It seems like he used his x-ray vision to detect his unpunctual students coming. He has these hands on his waist as if he's showing off his huge biceps. Maybe he's really Superman.
"WHY ARE YOU TWO LATE!?"
I reasoned out that I woke up early and just unlucky to be caught in a traffic jam and in a road rage, which is totally true. But still, my excuses are unpardonable. Meanwhile, Tiara's justification is that she has this 'part time job' during the night, so she overslept. But unlike mine, Macho Steel unfairly accepted the woman's explanation!
Gender equality my ass.
<>
We went to our respective seats and the class went on. Macho Steel's lectures about math are sure boring, so I got myself spinning my pen in my hand just to survive this hellish hour that seems like an eternity. I had a side glimpse of Tiara, who is somewhat uncomfortable on her seat. She's just slowly shaking her body, and her face looked pale.
Then there was this loud roar. All the students and our teacher got startled, wondering if there's an earthquake. But there isn't. I'm the only one who knows the source of that uproar.
It's Tiara's tummy. I'm the nearest person to her and know for sure that she missed her breakfast because of me. I feel slightly guilty for her flying toasted.
I reached a pack of biscuit on my bag and carefully watched her face and wondered what she would look like. She noticed me and got her puppy gold-brown eyes fixated on the biscuit. She observed every movement I made from cracking the biscuit from entering my mouth, chewing it, and gulping it down. She really looks like a dog wagging her tail for some food right now, and I know she's telling me to toss some for her.
She's even drooling like hell.
It's so fun to tease her, but I think it's enough. I grabbed another pack of biscuit from my bag and secretly passed it to her like a drug dealer. She softly expressed her gratitude by saying thanks.
"Thank you so much for this biscuit, Rikkun."
"Ric-kun?" There's a big question mark on my face.
"I've read in a book that you call your friends by their nicknames. I was up all night formulating a nickname for my first friend. Is Rikkun okay with you?"
"Y-Yes." I forced a smile. That nickname is cute but cheesy, and it doesn't suit a masculine man like me. I just agreed to end this annoying conversation.
If I didn't, I might get punched in the face once again. This Japanese girl has unstable mood swings.
<>
During the lunch break, I side with the nerds who have the same interest as me; games and anime. We all have antisocial attitudes which made us sociable to ourselves only. There are five of us:
Chrisprel; the short white handsome fella who broke up with her girlfriend a month ago because of a certain DotA gang war. He's handsome and white, but I have a leverage which is height.
Ranley; the fat big guy who is a seller of lewd anime merch. He's just your regular Indian guy, except that his body build is like a bouncer who got locked up in the kitchen for five months.
Daughty; the ugly thin bastard who got rejected by her crush and attempted to commit suicide by drinking ten sleeping pills. His weabonese talk would sometimes give us extreme anxiety. You have been warned.
Heushac; a chunibyo or a guy who mistakes anime from reality, who spends his whole time in class drawing awesome swords and badass characters on his notebook. Did I already say that he smell like a hobo?
And there's me, Alaric; who has the largest collection of waifu pictures on my phone. At least waifus don't break your heart.
All of them are good persons and are still single. This is where I belong and also where I feel at home. Sometimes we get teased by idiot hunks and get laughed at by bratty hoes, but no one dares to bully us because we five are smartasses.
"Did that nose got broken yesterday?" Heushac asked after gulping her spoonful of curry. "That punch was solid!"
"That's what you get from harshly rejecting Lushie! You're so lucky that there are a lot of people who like you!" Daughty sermoned. "Just because you're a heartthrob doesn't mean you have to reject girls in that manner!"
"Who's Lushie?" I tilted my face, and then reasoned out. "That freak stalks me from school to the bus terminal! You should put yourself in my shoes! Being handsome is hard!"
"Daughty will never experience that, so no hope." Ranley chuckled, having breadcrumbs erupt from his mouth. All of us except Daughty laughed.
"You should pay your attention to the new girl." Daughty made a smug at me. "That Tiara Hikari is like a kawaii waifu hime-chan. I even saw you giving her some biscuits. Do you know each other?"
I was silenced for a long time, trying to make up a story inside of my head. I took so long to answer so Chrisprel resorted in teasing me.
"Don't tell me that you will be trying to hit on that girl?"
"O-Of course not!" I defended. "I'm just returning a favor, that's all!"
"What favor?" A follow-up question by Daughty.
I cannot tell them the truth. I promised to keep Tiara's secret because she's the one who saved my life. But enlightening these dudes will surely cheer them up, knowing that magical girls or Gate Guardians like Tiara are real.
I never had the chance to answer. The four kept silent, and they were looking behind me. Just like a scene from horror movies.
"U-Ummm...Rikkun…"
The four nerds had their eyes widened. I can read that their faces are protesting "Why is that Arrogant Alaric being chased by that kawaii waifu hime-chan!" and "Rikkun? That's a cute nickname! Are they close friends?! Impossible"
We five turned our attention to her. Tiara's cheeks are completely blushing, maybe because of her shy nature. I could never forget that I am her 'first friend in the outside world'.
"I-I-I n-need you t-to come with me." She mustered all the courage she got.
<>
I followed her until we reached an empty classroom. She immediately locked the door when we were inside to ensure that we're the only ones here.
Tiara pulled out a pen-like hairpin from the back of her hair. It looks like a staff where there is a figure on the tip; a red fox embracing a transparent orb. "Please hold this." She said.
As soon as I got my hands on the hairpin, the orb glowed with blue light.
Tiara's eyes became brighter than the glowing hairpin. "It's what I thought."
"W-What?" I was puzzled.
"You have the potential to become a Gate Guardian."
RAVIOLI RAVIOLI, I HATE THE BLONDE LOLI
The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Students have been broken into small groups, but most of them are out of the classroom already. Meanwhile, my nerd squad has been flocking around me.
"So, Tiara Hikari invited you to her place, huh?" Chrisprel made a smug.
"It seems like it, but I feel more like I've been summoned to the principal's office…" I had my palm in my forehead the whole time.
I have mixed feelings about this. Tiara said that I have the potential to become like her. To become a Gate Guardian. I will be a magical girl like creature who would fight imaginary monsters in order to achieve safety for the citizens. With great power comes great responsibility they say. But I hate responsibilities. I love beating up monsters with magical powers though.
Maybe I should see it first before commenting.
"Here she is," Ranley said. I heard footsteps coming closer.
"Ohayou gozaimasu!" Daughty greeted the Japanese school girl. "Watashiwa Daughty-des! You're so osoroshi sugoi, Tiara-chan! Toyotamitsubishihondacivic!"
"E-Eh?" Tiara's face is a huge question mark.
"WTF are you saying, Daughty!" Ranley locked Daughty's neck and drilled his fist on his forehead.
"Ow OUCH!!!" Daughty screamed. "Ittai! Yameteeeee! Ya-Yameroooo!!!"
"Shut up!" Heushac and Chrisprel pinned him and then dragged out of the classroom, leaving only the two of us. Tiara and I.
Tiara erased her confused smile and shifted to a serious mood. I returned back to my original position with a gloomy face. There was a weird and awkward silence. I feel like Tiara has been formulating some words from her mind, and it's taking too long so I opened my mouth first.
"Shall we go now?"
"Y-Yes!"
That's all she's gonna say? I want to smack her head with a pencil.
<>
We walked for ten minutes until we found a condominium that has six floors. When we reached the sixth floor via the elevator, she led me to room number 65. She rang the doorbell. I was nervous because I was expecting that she's still with her parents.
Suddenly, she started talking. "Don't worry, I don't live with my parents." She smiled.
I was astounded for a second there. Can she read minds?
"I can read minds because I'm a psychic!"
"W-What?"
"Just kidding! I have the curse of a witch so I know the deepest secret you have." She made a cute chuckle.
This time, I'm completely annoyed so I didn't show any facial reactions. I'm fed up with all her bullcrap. I pretended not hearing her say "It was a joke, I just have good intuition." Jokes are meant to be funny, dumbass. Repeating the same phrase over and over won't make you any good.
Suddenly the door opened.
There was a small girl, about only five feet wearing a gray blazer and short skirt. Her uniform is those of a high school student from my hometown. Her long blonde hair was tied in twintails by adorable pink ribbons. She has a cute reddish face and purple twinkly eyes. She's definitely a loli!
"Good afternoon! You must be Tiara's classmate! Please come… in…" The small blonde girl was stunned upon gazing at my face. Then she muttered. "H-Huh!?"
There was a loooooong silence. This girl… I've seen her before…
Meanwhile, Tiara proceeded to enter the unit. She said "I'm home!" but when she realized that the blonde girl and I are still staring at each other, she went back outside.
"D-Do you know each other?"
"No, of course not!" I immediately blurted. My natural instincts say that I must go home right now, so I waved Tiara goodbye. "See ya!"
As I was about to turn my back, Tiara immediately grabbed my collar and dragged me inside! "You agreed to stay at my place tonight, so you have to be true on your word!"
<>
Oh, my goodness. This is so awkward.
I was sitting on my lap, and in front of me is the short blonde girl. Tiara is busy preparing tea for the three of us while humming carelessly and ignorant of the unpleasant atmosphere.
It's because this girl is…
"Tea's ready!" My magical girl acquaintance gave out a full cup and a ravioli for each of us two. Tiara has been joyful and lively since we've come to this unit.
I'm fully aware that this place is her comfort zone, and the classroom is her restless zone because she didn't have friends in school. I see that she had formed the bond with this blondie.
The blonde girl had her cheeks blushing the whole time. We're both looking in the ground like we're waiting for some ant to show up.
"U-Um, S-Senpai…" Tiara elbowed the girl softly.
"O-Oh, yes!" The blonde girl cleared her throat. "Let's start with the introductions. You're Alaric Eisenhower, right? I'm pretty sure you know me."
"I don't know you," I said coldly. Then I looked at Tiara. "Is she your little sister in prep school?"
"OF COURSE NOT!!!" The blonde girl exclaimed and held her chest. "It's Jeannette! Je-ann-ette!!! How can you forget your best friend from grade school to junior high?"
"I don't have any best friend in grade school to junior high."
"You became handsome, but you have turned denser and colder, huh…" Jeannette facepalmed herself and made a deep sigh. "We're getting nowhere if we continue to have our conversation like this. Let's cut to the chase."
Suddenly the air went from awkward tension to a serious and scary environment. It's because everything that comes out of her mouth is a little new to me. She gazed at me with her purple eyes, and at the center of it… is a golden cross. The same as Tiara's.
"Tiara told me that you have the potential to become a Gate Guardian. I'm pretty sure that you know the basics, right?"
I nodded without noise.
"You really doesn't have a choice, really. Only 0.001% of the population has the talent to open the gates of Yami and the power to defeat Eidolons, and you're one of them. You need to become like us. You need to become a Gate Guardian. I am here to teach you-"
"I don't want to." I quickly replied.
"You have to!" Jeannette shouted. "It's for the greater good! You will become a hero, just like what you wished before!"
"I don't want to become a hero." I stood up. "My life is mine, and mine to decide alone. I know what I like, and I will do what I want to do."
"But-!"
Before she could finish, I cut Jeannette. "I'm not interested in playing hero. I'm leaving."
I packed my things and left the condo.
<>
Honestly, I wanted to give that Gate Guardian thing a try. But when I stepped on that condo unit, I lost all the motivation and interest on it. I want to have special powers, but if it means that I will see that runt's face every day, I will say thanks but no thanks.
Because of that Jeannette…
Is the first woman I loved…
And the one who broke my heart.
You may also Like
Paragraph comment
Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.
Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.
GOT IT