Chapter 16
The man addressing Genji had a formidable physique, resembling a bodybuilder often seen on TV. In contrast, Genji felt small and nervous in his presence. "Yes, I'm Genji, uh, Takeshi Genji," he introduced himself with a touch of unease, uncertain of how to act in this situation. The man's eyes scrutinized him, and then he burst into laughter, prompting most of his companions to chuckle as well. "You're the one who's going to kill Copperhand? Seriously?" he scoffed.
Amidst the mocking laughter, another member of the group, a woman with short brown hair, chimed in good-naturedly, "Come on, Dare, don't make too much fun of him. Look at how confident he looks," she teased, gesturing towards Genji, who struggled to find his voice in defense. His face flushed with embarrassment as he attempted to form a response, but the words seemed to get caught in his throat.
"Ah, just look at him! He can't even speak anymore," added a short guy with green-highlighted hair, joining in on the laughter at Genji's expense. The group seemed to be enjoying the moment at Genji's expense, which only added to his discomfort.
As Ripper returned to the table with the menu, the group's laughter ceased, and they exchanged uncertain glances. Ripper, seemingly oblivious to the tension, flashed a friendly smile and said, "How's it going, boys and girls? Hope you're not making fun of me mate here, are ya?"
Dare, the one who had initially mocked Genji, took a step back and replied hastily, "Nah, we were just having a bit of fun, right, guys?" The others nodded in agreement, clearly trying to diffuse the situation.
Ripper leaned in closer, his tone more serious as he warned, "Good. Let's keep it that way." The group fell into a tense silence, clearly understanding that Ripper wouldn't tolerate any further disrespect towards Genji.
After a moment, Ripper shifted back to his casual tone and said, "Alright, mate, this is the menu. Order whatever ya want. And will you folks sit with us?" The group exchanged puzzled glances before Dare started to decline, "Nah, we'll sit on our ow-" However, before he could finish, the woman who hadn't laughed at Genji spoke up, "If you don't mind," and took a seat at the table with Ripper and Genji. The rest of the group followed suit, seemingly unsure of their companion's decision.
As the rest of the group returned to their table, the girl introduced herself as Pip and extended her hand towards Genji. "Nice to meet you," she said with a warm smile. Genji shook her hand, feeling grateful for her kind gesture. "Thanks for that," he said, referring to her not joining in the laughter directed at him earlier.
Pip tilted her head slightly, looking puzzled. "Hmm?" she responded, prompting Genji to elaborate. "For not laughing at me," he explained, feeling a bit vulnerable.
Pip nodded empathetically, her smile softening. "Sorry for them, they can be pretty mean at times," she said, expressing sympathy for Genji's experience with the group's taunts.
Genji observed Pip's appearance, and he couldn't help but think *She can't be much older than me, younger even.* Her grey hair was tied in a ponytail, giving her a cute and youthful look. Despite her unique appearance, her clothes seemed to fit in perfectly with the rest of the people in the slums.
Ripper handed Genji the menu and said, "Here, mate, take a look at the menu and order whatever you fancy." He then turned to Pip and asked, "Are you hungry, Pip, or just gonna hang out with us?" Pip shook her head and replied, "I already had a meal earlier, so I'm good, thanks." Ripper shrugged and turned back to Genji, who seemed to be deep in thought and a bit worried.
Genji's realization hit him like a ton of bricks. The characters on the menu were entirely foreign to him, and he felt a mix of frustration and helplessness. *I cannot read!* he thought to himself. In his own world, he was literate in hiragana, katakana, kanji, and even had some knowledge of English. But the language in this world was nothing like what he had ever encountered.
He discreetly tried to make sense of the symbols on the menu, but they remained inscrutable. Genji knew he would need assistance to navigate this aspect of life in the new world he found himself in.
Ripper, noticing Genji's troubled expression, looked confused and asked, "What's the matter, mate?" Genji, feeling a bit embarrassed, chuckled nervously and replied, "I, um, can't read." Ripper's eyes widened in surprise as he dropped the menu from his hand, he stammered, "A-a-are you serious, mate?" Genji nodded, feeling self-conscious about his inability to read the unfamiliar language in this world.
Pip, still taken aback by Genji's revelation, tried being as kind as she could asking, "How have you managed to survive this far?" Genji's embarrassment only deepened, and he blushed even more intensely. Ripper, trying to ease the awkward situation, sighed and said, "I'll take care of the order for you." Genji managed to give him a nervous thumbs-up, grateful for his friend's help in this unfamiliar world.
As Ripper placed the order for both himself and Genji, Gin overheard Genji's confession about not being able to read. She was taken aback and thought to herself, *How in the world has he managed to survive this long? How the fuck can someone his age be unable to read?!* She was utterly dumbfounded, also pondering, *If he's that stupid, how the fuck did he manage to bypass the city's inspection?!* The questions swirled in her mind, and she couldn't help but feel a mix of surprise and disbelief at Genji's situation.
Meanwhile Genji tried to maintain a straight face and hide his embarrassment, his internal monologue was quite the opposite. *Ahhhhhhhh, I want to crawl into a hole and disappear! This is so embarrassing!* He wished he could just vanish from existence to escape the awkward situation.