The Question Club Member (2)

Dull eyed, Asuka Ayanami hid behind a wall. She shallowly breathed covering her mouth while watching out for the opening street, turning at the corner beside her.

"What are you doing there, miss student?" a voice said behind her.

Ayanami yelped inside her thoughts, then cocked her head to see a middle aged looking man in a Kirasum Co. delivery uniform.

Ayanami sighed in relief thinking, "Just a delivery man."

"Nothing much, sir." Ayanami simpered. "I'll get going now."

Ayanami just stood there. Afterwards, the delivery man awkwardly passed by her.

Ayanami blew a sigh and checked her phone lock screen. 3:21 PM. She unlocked it and forced a smile at the sight of Akira's calm visage being highlighted by the yellow sun, looking out the window in an empty classroom. A black wrist watch clicked 3:22 PM. The same hand carrying a school bag. At the side of the neighborhood street, Akira Park was looking over his shoulder, eyeing a turning corner. A delivery man appeared, meeting his eyes before Akira faced back forward. He walked with a single earphone playing instrumental music. The other earphone stretching up at Hiroko Kusanagi walking beside him holding the piece against her other ear. A solemn look on her face.

"Hey, Park." Kusanagi asked.

Akira hummed in question, gazing up at her. They both stopped walking.

"Do you think of me as your friend?"

Akira's face was indifferent as he said, "What kind of friend do you think I should see you as?"

Kusanagi tilted her head and grimaced, "You again and your cryptic answers. That wasn't even an answer! I'm supposed to be the one asking y—"

"And I'm asking you back to clarify what I think of that question," Akira informed. "I know you more than a stranger, and we treat each other more than just acquaintances."

Akira looked away.

"But what is a "friend" anyway? And how can it be known to be "true"?" He searched up above him where a cloud passed by. "Do you have to talk about the legitimacy of your platonic relationship with that "friend", or does it first come out as an unspoken agreement? Then what about courtship?"

Akira flashed Kusanagi a glare. "I bet you only stick around me because you want a typical romance out of my face."

Kusanagi flinched thinking, "So many questions . . . "

"I—mean, you weren't wrong but," Kusanagi groaned. "Although you're so good looking you're sooo not boyfriend material."

"And I don't ever intend on being one," Akira barked. "Why do you even want a "boyfriend" anyway—?(Blegh) you're still 13."

Kusanagi gasped while they continued walking. "I'm 13 and a half!"

"Still the same thing." Akira mumbled, "Children nowadays . . . "

"Bruh, why do you not like romantic relationships so much? They seem pretty sweet to me!"

"I hate that it's mostly sexualized. "Wahhh they're so goodlooking~! I think I've fallen—!", love at first sight my fucking ass. I don't want that "doki doki", isn't it possible they're just pretending and lying to themselves because of the cliche media they consume as unknowing youths? Because they SHOULDN'T always know what they are doing for sure! I believe there is such a thing as self-deceit."

"Are you an ace* and an aro* or something?" Kusanagi appraised.

Akira looked up at her.

*Ace is LGBT slang for Asexual—someone unable to feel sexual attraction and lacks interest/desire in the idea of having sex/coitus

*Aro is LGBT slang for Aromantic—someone unable to feel romantic attraction and lacks interest/desire in the idea of having romantic relationships

(usually for these people it makes them feel uncomfortable, and are unable to emotionally understand what is so good about such feelings.)

"I'll change my mind about "romance" once I meet my "soul mate" and whatever. Which is a one in a 7 billion chance," Akira smiled to himself thinking, "As if that will ever happen."

Kusanagi returned the fallen earphone back to him, pouting while bumping shoulders with Akira as he kept the earphones in his bag pocket.

"Oh!" Kusanagi jumped. "Park, have you joined any clubs yet??"

"A Junior Highschool doesnt have any of which I am interested in." Akira answered.

"Ehh? Then what kind of club do you think is interesting?"

"I don't know." Akira said.

Remembering his mother's face, surely she'd want him to have more friends, wouldn't she? "It would be nice to meet some like-minded people, though."

Kusanagi's mouth curved into a grin, "Then let's make a club of our own!"

"What kind of club should it be?" Akira tilted his head to show a smirk at Kusanagi with an eyebrow raised.

"Er—uh—" Kusanagi's cheeks reddened, averting her eyes anywhere but that beautiful face. "What kind of club do you think it should be?"

Akira went silent for a bit. Then he rummaged through his school bag to his black water bottle.

"Why do you always do that." Kusanagi frowned at Akira drinking water.

"I remind myself to drink water whenever I ought to think."

"But why?"

"The brain contains around 60% of water," Akira took out a handkerchief from his pocket and lightly tapped his lips. "Keep it dehydrated and the brain essentially loses its adequate functionalities."

Kusanagi only smiled at him. Then she met Akira's eyes.

"Drinking enough water makes you less stupid."

"Ohhhhhhh," Kusanagi's smile widened and became more knowledgeable. "Anyway, what about our club! What if we just make it about philosophical stuff—I know you're pretty into that."

"I guess," Akira folded his handkerchief and tucked it away.

"Ooh!" Kusanagi lit up. "And what if we call it "*Ka Kurabu"?"

*In Japanese grammar, putting "ka" (か) at the end of a sentence signifies it as an inquiry, like the question mark "?" in English. (The author thinks it's a very clever pun.)

"We could just ask each other a bunch of questions, " Kusanagi grinned to Akira. "and you'll give us the answers."

"That's one sided labor," Akira frowned. "And I'm not omniscient, Kusanagi. How about all members try finding the answers together? There could be more activity in the club, limited to 3-5 members including me and you, plus the rest of you can go bond with each other while I still get left alone. It's a win-win situation. How about that?"

"You're such a passionate loner."

"Say whatever you will about me, Kusanagi Hiroko." Akira managed a smile while looking up. "Anyway, we've arrived at your place now."

"Oh." Kusanagi went silent.

Reluctantly, she gazed over her shoulder to see an empty, ghost house. So imposing and close, even though it should be farther away. Kusanagi bit her gums and faced Akira with the brightest smile she could muster, "Thank you for walking me, Paruko-kun~."

Kusanagi fondly handed a lunch box to a now wincing Akira.

"Why did you call me that all of a sudden?" he grieved and gently took it.

"Just messing around," Kusanagi chuckled. "I could have just walked you to your house, you know."

"It's fine. Society sexualizes women more than men so there's a higher chance you'll get assaulted."

"Ah, no. It's just . . . you're short. How are ya gonna . . . you know."

Akira looked at her with a sullen expression.

"My house is less than 4 minutes away," Akira said. "What do you take me for."

"Bruh. You literally look more feminine than I do I—! Have you seen my legs?!"

Kusanagi lifted his pants hem, revealing hairless skin that shined against her blinded face. Akira slapped her away—gently—and quickly covered himself with a red, disturbed face. Kusanagi cried against a wall.

Akira went to her and consoled, "Don't worry, my ancestor was a monkey, too."

"That's not very reassuring," Kusanagi wept.

Asuka Ayanami's head peaked over from afar. Akira turned around to see nothing. His face growing more and more skeptical.

As Hiroko Kusanagi continued her loud fake crying she now tried to hug an aggressively struggling Akira that kept pushing her away.

"I'll protect you, beautiful Paruko-kun!"

"What are you doing— You're such a child—!"

"Plisuuuu~! Let me stay with you longer, my parents aren't even home until evening!"

Akira heaved a groan and then turned Kusanagi around by the shoulders to wrap his arms around her like a rope. Kusanagi stopped moving and silently pinked.

"I take my words back about you not being boyfriend material." she irked a smile.

"Augh—you like "this sort of thing"?" Akira's hand twitched, loosening itself while being tempted to back away. "My hands were supposed to be like ropes so you'd stop moving around like an idiot, stupid."

"That's—" Kusanagi whispered, "Kinky."

Akira screamed; shivered and pushed her off him with overtly disgusted moans while dusting away areas he felt Kusanagi with. "Children nowadays . . . !"

"Could you stop saying that in front of my face just because you're a year older than me!"

"But I'm not wrong when I say you're immature."

Kusanagi gasped before crying against the gate wall.

"Alright, alright! What the hell . . . Fuck it," Akira massaged his forehead, sighing while taking out his phone to call "Big Brother". "I'll let you walk with me, but I'm asking my elder brother to chaperone."

Kusanagi gasped in delight facing him, "You have a brother? Can I stay over for a little while, too?! We can even plan for the Question Club, Park!"

Akira managed a smile, facing away from Kusanagi. "Also, Big Brother . . . "

Dull eyed, Asuka Ayanami stood against a wall with her phone over her heart.

"I wish," Ayanami said to herself. "I could make Akira smile like that, too."

Question Club.

Ayanami walked away, a grin on her face thinking, "If I spend more time with him, then maybe I could make Akira smile even brighter than that, heh!"

A bell twinkled. Ayanami dodged a towering bike rider wearing thick black, square rimmed glasses, separating messy black hair on his shoulders. He held a red phone against his ear with a Nyango Starr drawing seemingly done by a child supported by a transparent phone case. As he passed by Ayanami had stared at the man and turned to face him but he was already gone.

"Why does he remind me of Akira?" Ayanami thought to herself.

Beyond the warm colored sky, the sun was lowering. Spreading its orange hues against the neighborhood.

"How many days left?" the delivery man's eyes were two dark chasms of nothingness.

He stood by a gate wall, above it the nameless black haired girl sat to watch the sunset.

"Too lazy to be precise." she grinned, not looking at you. "But this scene is over. Thank you for your service, mister truck driver."

The delivery man was silent, before vanishing away in thin air.

Not long after, Kusanagi strolled over then wandered towards the house gate. She looked up at the wall, seeing no one on it.

Kusanagi shivered and quickly entered the gate, fumbling for her cell phone while unlocking the house. "Hey, Park~? Wanna talk~?"

Akira stood by his room balcony, "Sure."

He stared at the sun, not sure what to feel about it. Next to him, there was a girl. He couldn't remember her whole face no matter how many times he searched for anything other than her moving lips, which emitted sounds Akira couldn't formulate into words. She had black hair that the sun turned brown. But, seemingly, only the sudden wind touched hers while he was left unaffected. This wasn't Kusanagi. Nor any girl he's met before.

But even he wondered, "I think I've seen her in the past."

"That's good," the girl said. She lifted her hand and tapped on his forehead as if on a keyboard, ""Forget"."

'Did I hear that righ—?" Akira's eyes dilated and felt his soul implode within him.

She pressed her thumb grinning, "When the plot demands it."