Friendly Gamble

✧✦✧✦✧✦Eijiro's PoV✧✦✧✦✧✦✧

High school life. Some say it's the most memorable school life, others say it's the worst part of their lives. But for me, it's just a simple, peaceful, fun and very exciting part of life.

Me and my best friend, Miki Ebisawa, who has the same height as I do and almost has the same hair style as I doーcommon Japanese hairーexcept he has a little hair color which is copper-like.

We always had fun together. We mostly go to each other's houses, because both of us are known to each other's family and there we play video games, card games, board games and many more. Of course, we never miss to study together, and work on our assignments together. We even sometimes discuss our crushes and who would be the perfect girl for us.

"What do you think of Yumi? She's cute, average height, and most of all, smart." Miki asks.

I shrugged, "Nah, she's more of your type. Why do you even ask me this?"

He laughed hysterically, "Hahaha! I asked you 'what do you think of her', I didn't ask you if you liked her. But yeah, you're right. She's my type, but nah, maybe next time."

Miki likes average height, smart, and mature girls. He always discusses his crushes with me even on school. I also like crush discussions, but I don't open up. I wait for Miki to open the discussion instead, and that what I open to him mostly are about newly released games.

My name is Eijiro Suguha, and I love video games. But hey, I don't forget my studies. After all, it is the reason why I am a student and it's my responsibility to study. My height is as average as other common Japanese and I kind of have a shaggy, black hair. Maybe because I don't work much on my hair nor responsible enough to have time to style my hair, but Miki see it as a gamer's hairstyle.

It's quite neat, so I accept his judgement on my hair and he even tries to have the same shaggy hair as I do. He added some little hair color on his hair, so that both of us wouldn't looked like twins.

Miki said, "With this hair color, people wouldn't be confused anymore and probably will call our right names, now. Just probably, maybe."

My eyes narrowed, then laughed, "Hahaha. Do you want to bet? That there will still be some people, mistakenly calling our name?"

He looked at me with a direct fierce gaze, "Oh yeah!? If more people call me by my name and not mistakenly your name, I win and I'm going to get the coolest keychain and must be better than yours. That means, you'll get a cheap one."

"Fine! The same goes with me, if more people still mistakenly call our names. You better be prepared for this! By the way, when is the betting going to start?"

"Of course starting tomorrow, dummy. I won't lose to you! It's a gamble I must win!"

"Oh yeah!? We'll see about that then!"

The next day, our gamble started. I counted how many people called me mistakenly and so far, I only had like, 5 people calling me mistakenly. Most of them called me by my right name.

I looked at Miki as he talked to almost everyone as if he's an extrovert. They're calling his name the right one. Meanwhile, I was just in the corner staring and stalking them like a creep. What I counted is maybe around 7, or 8, or maybe 9 calling him the right name, I felt like I was losing.

At the end of the day, I lost.

"See? Told you people would recognize our differences!" Miki says.

I'm grateful that people will not mistakenly call us in different names anymore, but what I'm ungrateful about is that I'm going to get a cheap keychain...

I looked down with a lazy face and said,

"So... are we still in that contract? I get the cheap keychain?"

"Of course!"

He continued laughing as if he's heartless, but oh well, that's just how happy he is. I'm happy for him too since he never laughed that much ever since his father died in an accident.

During the weekend, we planned to go to the mall to hang out. We're planning on having a dine-in there, shop for that keychain we saw on the internet, and sing in a karaoke club afterwards. As for dine-in, we picked a restaurant that offers buffet meals so that we will be full for the entire day. After that, we moved and window shopped around the mall before we go to the shop where we will get the keychains we're looking for.

As we make our way to the shop, we discuss our terms and conditions, "So, I will be the one to get this Excalibur sword. It's the legendary sword of King Arthur! Meanwhile, you will be getting a sword less than ¥1000" Miki says.

"Wait, why just ¥1000? Can I buy more that is less than ¥1000? And how much is this Excalibur thing?"

"It's not just a thing! Alright? it's the Excalibur sword of King Arthur... So, basically it costs a lot and maybe around ¥5000 or more. It's newly released and newly imported here, so I'm gonna get my hands on it right away. And no! You're not getting anything above ¥1000, it means you're not getting anymore that will exceed your ¥1000 limit. Basically, numerous items are restricted."

He was glaring at me while explaining, but maybe because I disrespected the sword he liked so much.

"Right... Right... Ok, ok, I understand. You're the boss, after all, you won the bet." I sighed depressingly, felt like there's nothing I can do but to follow.

"Good! We're in good terms. Now let's get going."

We entered the shop named 'Kenshi no Buki' and there, we find different kinds of keychains. Mostly swords in a scabbard and some of them are sharp, like literally sharp as a knife.

We proceeded to the Excalibur that costs around ¥7700. The keychain sword is somehow sharp, but thankfully it's not enough to cut someone's skin. It has a golden combination with azure-rose colored scabbard. A combination of gold and silver in the hilt part and an absolute shiny blade. The guards are sharp as well and inside the pommel was a small sapphire in it. Basically, it's a small gem inside the pommel.

I was so amazed by the sword and Miki bought it just like that. Meanwhile, I'm picking up my very cheap sword that is only made up of iron. I picked the medieval style sword because samurai swords aren't really my type and it's also because I lived up with this kind of swords back at medieval MMO-RPG games. I'm more used on seeing and having this sword along side with me.

We've finished buying and was almost about to leave the store, when suddenly, we bumped into a black-leather jacketed guy. We even thought of him as a thug, so we just asked for forgiveness and ran quickly.

Miki ran faster and even covers his mouth, so no one will see him laugh, "Dude, that is some Yakuza Gang! Hahaha."

"Jeez, let's just get the hell out of here. It's also almost night now by the way."

So, we hurried right away and headed to a nearby karaoke club, and there, we sang together. We partied with only just the two of us, and for me, it has been fun

After a long hang out, we're finally walking home. We had so much fun. As we walk, Miki drew his Excalibur keychain and started slashing the air as if he's a swordsman, but the truth is, he is just playing tipsy. I'm laughing at him cause he's like a little kid waving his little sword like that.

"We had so much fun! Hey, when are we having this again?" Miki asks.

"I'm not sure, but maybe next time. Yeah?"

"Yeah! Yeah we will!"

He was shouting in the street and like really drunk even though he is just playing tipsy. I wonder what will his mom think about us if she saw us. However, it's not like this is the first time we were like this. There were much worst cases...

After bringing him back to his house. I was walking alone in the street, when suddenly, another black-leather jacketed man walked passed me.

It seems like they're really a gang and that maybe Miki is right about them, maybe they're really a Yakuza.

So, I hurried home even though it's late, but at least, dad is not mad at me. Maybe because he's tired from work. I guess I have to call it a day and just look forward for tomorrow.