INTERMISSION 2: Loners

"It's not like I live for all of humanity to like me." - Sakuta Azusagawa

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POV : 3rd Person

In the external corridor to the class S room, a rhythm of measured steps echoed, spreading slowly without haste. Amid this calm, other sounds pierced through: the noises emanating from a video game. Dialogues of female characters, catchy melodies, and the clicking of console buttons totally captivated the young boy who advanced, his face displaying absolute neutrality, immersed in the virtual universe reflected on his glasses. What seemed to capture his concentration was a visual novel focused on romance and dating.

Continuing his path nonchalantly, he had left the class S room earlier, convinced that he found no interest there, preferring by far the solitude accompanied by his game. This young man, with brown hair and eyes, known as Keima Katsuragi, wore glasses and sported somewhat tousled hair. In his hand, he firmly held a gaming console, a "PFP," while immersing himself in his preferred world.

??? : Oh, so I'm not the only one who fled the class, huh? I bet you're not a fan of presenting yourself in front of everyone either, especially with that incessant commotion...

Keima's attention was abruptly diverted by a voice that, far from being imbued with calm and serenity, revealed instead a marked nuance of boredom. This voice belonged to a newcomer whose steps merged with Keima's.

The newcomer was a young man named Sakuta Azusagawa, whose dull gaze and stoic demeanor suggested a tranquility punctuated with a hint of weariness. Hands buried in his pockets, he displayed an average and slender stature, complemented by brown hair and eyes, his expression reflecting a subtle yet perceptible disinterest.

However, Keima did not bother to stop or even divert his gaze towards the new arrival walking alongside him. Instead, he simply adjusted his glasses with his right hand before placing it back on his console, remaining focused on his virtual world.

Keima: These introductions are utter nonsense. And you said it right, it was unbearably noisy for something so trivial, and it stretched on far longer than necessary. Such events might serve those looking to establish connections or make friends, but I see no use in them, so I have no interest in attending. Still absorbed in his game, he added directly. I suppose you see things the same way, don't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't be here either.

Sakuta: Sakuta, walking calmly alongside Keima, kept his gaze fixed ahead. Yeah, you know, I prefer quiet places, being a bit on the fringe. I'm not against the idea of making one or two friends, but it's not really my priority, you see. He then turned his gaze towards Keima and his console. And you, where did you get that console from? It's not the kind of thing they usually let pass here, especially in a school as prestigious as this one. And if I remember correctly, we didn't even have this point system when we arrived.

Keima: This institution values independence and self-management, which is far from displeasing... It's even decidedly preferable. At least, this renowned school grasps the essence: as long as the results are there and the skills follow, there's no need to burden us with meaningless rules. He paused briefly, then continued. I always keep my consoles with me, and here, no one seems to care. It's as if they understand that these devices are an integral part of us.

Sakuta: Sakuta let out a simple sigh upon hearing this, then resumed his observation of the horizon ahead while walking. Yeah, that crossed my mind too... We can say it's quite a unique school, huh? Probably much better and more captivating than any ordinary high school.

Keima: Yeah, I can admit that. This school at least has the merit of not being as monotonous as usual institutions, but we'll see what the future holds anyway.

A moment of silence settled between them, briefly suspending the exchange until Sakuta finally decided to break it.

Sakuta: By the way, it was rather interesting what happened earlier, right... With Forger-sensei and Furudo-san, I mean, don't you think? That girl seems really interesting, I find, not that I'm really interested...

Keima: Erika, right? Her speech about class hierarchy didn't dazzle me... Happy to see that these so-called elites manage to grasp such obviousness, although probably most students could have said the same. As for me, it mattered little; I paid very little attention. The affairs of this real world arouse no curiosity in me.

Sakuta: Yeah, you're probably right... But you know, there's something about that girl. It seems like she has a certain presence, don't you think? She seemed to become a bit haughty, but I don't think it's just because she solved the puzzle. Actually, she must have known that quite a few people in the class had already started to figure things out after the hints given by Forger-sensei.

Keima: Well, okay, she might be a bit less unbearable and slightly more intriguing than other girls in reality, but I won't go further than that. And frankly, I wouldn't recommend anyone getting too close to her; she's probably the worst kind, and intelligent and complicated girls like her are just trouble assured. If I had to choose among several options and she was one of them, she'd clearly be the last on my list. Seriously, I have no trouble dealing with girls usually, but she would represent too much effort, probably the longest and most tedious challenge I could encounter...

Sakuta: How so? What are you talking about exactly? Are we on the same page here?

Keima: It would likely resemble an extremely difficult route, with about 90% tragic endings, 5% neutral endings, and only 5% happy endings, which is practically untenable. The options would be like: A) Invite her to shopping mall 1; B) Invite her to shopping mall 2; C) Invite her to shopping mall 3; D) Invite her to shopping mall 4; and E) Invite her to shopping mall 5, where there would be one correct choice among four wrong ones. In short, she's too complex to decipher, and she's probably aware of it.

Sakuta: Huh? What are you talking about with this metaphor? And why are you bringing this back to dating? He pushed a sigh after saying this.

Their progression continued in comfortable silence, only interrupted by their footsteps and the noise from Keima's console. As they advanced, their walk was suddenly interrupted by the sight of a woman's legs standing firmly in front of them. Instinctively, Keima raised his eyes from his console to identify the obstacle, Sakuta doing the same. Standing before them was Mai Sakurajima, an imposing figure with her seriousness and assured demeanor.

Mai was undeniably attractive, with her long black hair falling to her waist, adorned with a neatly arranged fringe on the left side and held back by a rabbit-shaped barrette. Her deep blue-violet eyes and tall stature distinguished her clearly. Tall for a Japanese woman, she commanded an elegant and determined presence.

Mai: Sakuta, you finished before me today, didn't you? I had planned to wait for you at the exit of your classroom... Turning her head towards Keima, her face displayed a slight surprise mixed with curiosity. Oh, you've already made a new friend? That surprises me a bit coming from you, but it's nice to see. Are you going to introduce me?

Sakuta showed a look of surprise at encountering Mai here and now, but his expression quickly changed to a contented smile. Meanwhile, Keima had already returned his focus to his game, remaining indifferent to the ongoing exchange.

Sakuta: Huh? Oh, hi Mai! Uh, there's a little misunderstanding here... We've just met, so we can't really say we're friends...

Mai: Mai watched Sakuta for a moment before offering him a gentle smile, letting out a soft laugh. You fool, that's exactly how friendship starts! You meet someone, you talk, and then you start hanging out together. You really don't get how it works, do you? Wait, don't tell me you didn't even bother to ask for his name? Then turning towards Keima, who remained focused on his gaming console, she added with a touch of indulgence. Well, I guess I'll have to step in a bit here; he's quite clumsy with these things, sorry. But he's a good guy at heart! So, what's your name?

However, as Mai directed her gentle smile and attention towards Keima, it was Sakuta who took the initiative to respond for him.

Sakuta: *Cough* *cough*. Sorry, but I think he's already gone, actually.

Turning his gaze towards Sakuta, Mai's smile faded. When she looked beside him to see Keima, she realized that... he had already disappeared.

Mai: What?

She then turned to see Keima a little further away, continuing his path undisturbed, still engrossed in his game.

Mai: Hey, wait a second, you can't just ignore people like that! Hey, listen to me, don't act like you can't hear or see me, I know very well that you can!

Keima: What do you want? Why would you want to know who I am? There's little chance we'll cross paths again; we're not even in the same class... And as Sakuta said, we're not friends, we just left the class at the same time by sheer coincidence.

Sakuta: Eh? Realizing he had been left behind, Sakuta started running to catch up with Mai and Keima. Hey, Mai, you can't just leave me hanging like that! He sighed before finally catching up with them. Seriously, he doesn't seem too inclined to introduce himself, so why not just leave him alone, huh?

Faced with this situation, Mai turned towards Sakuta, sporting a pouty look, her cheeks slightly puffed, grumbling in a way that was meant to be cute, which made Sakuta blush slightly.

Mai: That's really rude! All I did was ask for his name, and he keeps ignoring me! I'm just asking you to introduce yourself, that's all. And if you hang out with Sakuta, we're likely to cross paths in the future! And honestly, I wouldn't like it if Sakuta made friends with people who are so impolite.

Sakuta: He sighed resignedly after hearing this, then turned to Keima. You know, she's quite stubborn. After all, it's just a name... Might as well know it. And besides, it's always useful to at least know the names of people in your class.

Keima: Barely lifting his eyes towards Mai, Keima granted her a brief glance before diving back into his console, muttering in an almost childish grumpy tone. Fine, if it will make you leave me alone afterward... Then, without any trace of enthusiasm, he briefly introduced himself. Keima Katsuragi, there, you have my name.

Mai: Mai watched him for a moment before letting out a sigh and sporting a resigned smile. Well, I'll take that for now; it's better than nothing... Ah, now I see, you've found a friend who is just like you, haven't you, Sakuta? She gave him a teasing smile, to which Sakuta responded with a simple sigh. Then, Mai turned back to Keima. Alright, in that case!! My name is Mai Sakurajima, and I'm in class C, unfortunately not with Sakuta... So, this boy who seems to resemble you a lot and whom you've just met is Sakuta Azusagawa. I assume you two are in the same class, then.

Keima: Perfect, I don't care, I just wanted to be left in peace. Ignoring their presence now, he quickened his pace and continued on his way without paying any more attention to them.

Mai: Huh, what? Mai exhaled loudly, first glancing at Sakuta before staring at the back of Keima walking away. What's his problem...? *Sigh*. Honestly, I never thought there could be someone worse than you, really.

Sakuta: Was that supposed to be a compliment? He also sighed, then observed Keima moving away quickly, his eyes fixed on his console. Well, I can understand him, honestly. If someone approached me so unexpectedly, I'd probably react the same way.

Mai looked at him with an expression that said: "Of course, you would!" pushing out a sigh of resignation.