Everything I Ever Wanted

1

I guess when I was younger, around kindergarten age, I seemed to enjoy the idea of solitude and being alone. Overcast days were my favorite because I could go outside and just sit in a corner and think.

In the first grade, it was mostly the same, except recess existed, which meant I had to do something, but I just sat in a corner.

This was the same for second grade.

Then third.

Then fourth.

Then fifth.

And then my parents died in a tragic car accident. I wasn't even there, I was at school. I didn't give two shits, but I was adopted around that time. I guess after that incident my stone-coldness made me seem like a sociopath, so I was taken extra care of by my new family until they realized I was fine, and did not show an ounce of emotion. I was adopted by a Japanese family and suddenly, I had a step sister. Since I had barely any experience, I studied books on how to speak Japanese thanks to my step-father.

Then finally, junior high came and over the summer between fifth and sixth grade, I got into anime. All I did was watch anime and this also pulled me into gacha games. I remember the first time I ever found a gacha game after searching up "anime game" after watching Hunter Hunter. It was Azur Lane, and I instantly downloaded it on my phone and laptop.

I was most of the same except for since there was no recess, I was just sitting in the back of the class, half paying attention, and half playing gacha games or watching anime.

When the seventh grade hit, I decided I would get the signature "isekai jumpsuit" which was essentially a matching sweater and long pants with some sort of stripe on the arms and legs, which went down vertically. On the first day of school, I went to my usual spot when suddenly a group of boys I had encountered previously that year who had left me alone came up to me.

"What up, weeb! Stop simping for stupid fucking ugly anime girls already!" said one of the boys.

I couldn't care less. I simply stayed silent and looked to the side.

"Weak boy. He's so fucking weak he ain't even worth a fight. Little shitty ass shrimp,"

Eventually they left. And from that day forward I knew I would always be a shut-in otaku who could not wait until they got home, just be even more quiet to my parents than even my schoolmates.

Eighth grade. The same as seventh, except, I now had gotten into the, lets say, "raunchy" side of anime and tv shows. I also just started not caring about what others thought of me and kept on wearing the isekai jumpsuit. I also started playing "Blue Archive" , a game which I still play to this day. I also got into light novels after I got in trouble aftering being caught reading a manga during silent reading.

My room had changed a lot throughout the years though. As the summer to ninth grade started, I decided to revamp my room. It was lined with bookcases filled with light novels I got online as well as manga and normal books. My bed and desk were in a "secret" area amidst the maze I had constructed.

Now we are in ninth grade. This is where this story starts to materialize. But I am getting ahead of myself. I guess I need to explain who "she" is.

"She" is Airi. To introduce her I guess I would explain as an introvert making friends with another unwilling lone wolf who choses to do it by their own choice. Think of Ryo from Bocchi the Rock if she was a boy and not in a rock band who also loved anime as a stereotypical isekai protagonist before they got "reincarnated" or "died and reborn in another world". Around two weeks into the school year, I was reading "The Detective is Already Dead" in the library, when suddenly I heard a small gasp behind me. I look at the clock, which points to around three p.m, less than twenty minutes after all classes end and I see her. She was wearing an oversized sweater with kanji written on it, with what I presumed to be beaten up Asics and her underwear. She was risky. I like that.

Normally if a girl approached me I would make no notice and pretend I didn't see her. But something about Airi made me look up and down without my eyes moving.

"Uhm, so, ah, you like The Detective Is Already Dead too?"

"Yeah I read tons of light novels, I just happened to find this one today."

"Ah, this might seem like a weird question, but what is your favorite light novel?"

"Wandering Witch: Journey of Elaina," I replied.

Why the hell did I say that so automatically? Am I seriously that impulsive to talk to her? I thought.

"Ah, uh, so uhm, is it okay if I sit here next to you? I brought my own light novel I am thinking of uh, reading,"

"Sure,"

She sat next to me facing me to the side on the counter, where I happened to be sitting, it criss cross formation. She pulled out Classroom of the Elite, and I made a small gasp myself. She looked surprised that I had gasped. Not even a second later I put my face in my book, embarrassed.

After this two hours went by without us talking to each other. And for those two hours, I used my expertise at peripheral vision and multitasking to look at her while also simultaneously reading my book. She was my type. No doubt about it.

The school bell rang out loud as a sign that everyone should leave and that the after-school kids should leave. I instantly got up, and carried her backpack to her.

We started walking down the hallway where I met my sister and her friend, Chizuru. Oh great. I forgot to mention my sister Akame. She was a big brained lunatic in my eyes who only wanted the top spot in everything and would sacrifice normal humanitarian things just to get the top spot. Otherwise known, she was my rival. And also a spoiled brat since she almost died during birth and my parents felt like they had to do something.

"Hey there Miles, who is that person behind you?" Akame asked.

Airi tugged my shoulder, as she was being extremely shy.

"A friend I made," I responded.

"But you don't have any friends. After all, you are an otaku," she replied.

And before I could say anything, she left with her sister. And as I stood there I looked down at Airi. She had the shy anime girl look on her face, which was kind of cute. I knew what she had said was supposed to make Airi get turned off by me, but what happened was the exact opposite. Now she really liked me and held my arm right out of the school and onto the street, where she let go and looked embarrassed.

We walked down to an intersection, around two blocks from my house, she looked back to me and said,

"I live around a block down this street."

"Oh cool," I said, "I live around two blocks down."

She paused. We continued to walk down the street, when I saw her house. She stops, and says,

"See you tomorrow at the same spot? We can swap favorite light novels,"

"Sure thing,"

"Also Miles, here is my phone number. Don't forget to send me a text when you get home!"

She gave me a card with her phone number on it. She looked back, did the thing where she smiled, closed her eyes, and did a slanted-horizontal peace sign.

"Can you take a picture of me doing this pose and send it? Thanks!"

I took the picture on my phone, and she then returned to herself and smiled at me, then went into her house. I stood there for a solid ten seconds, before a certain someone said,

"OoOooOhhhH guess who has a crush!1!"

"I looked behind me with my signature expressionless face and said,

"Stop fucking poking me in my business. Fucking creep."

"Oh come on, I was just joking! Besides, isn't it normal for siblings to gossip about each other?"

Whatever. As if I care about gossip. All it does is ruin people and can sometimes bring down someone's career and or reputation. (If they have any of the two) And thankfully, I don't have both. Maybe a career. Because you see, I make music for my ten thousand followers on SoundCloud. Mostly breakcore. And that's a secret because if Akame found out, she would definitely try to extort and tell the whole school I make music and then I might become popular. Not exactly what I want. And she knows it.

I get home with Akame practically on my feet all the while she floods me with questions, all of which I ignore. I take off my shoes inside the house, and notice that Mom and Dad aren't home, which means I will most likely be cooking tonight. Which I am fine with. The less money I spend, the easier it is not for Akame to find out. Speaking of music, how do I make money from it? The answer is Patreon. I also forgot to mention, I am a Pixiv artist, which means I get double the money since I use AI to make my drawings, post them on Pixiv with commissions open, and because of that, my Fanbox has exclusive AI art. So yeah, I kind of have enough money to live comfortably for a while.

I get upstairs and change out of my isekai jumpsuit and put on some fresh underwear, my Italia windbreaker, some long black sport pants which are like a windbreaker but for pants I put them on and then look at the clock. I then take out my phone, add Airi to contacts, and send her the picture.

Within twenty seconds she responds.

********** Heyo! Thanks for sending me the picture

Me: No problem.

********** Be sure to not have my phone number as the contact then change it to whatever the fck you want it to be. (preferabbly best friend, but you can also use Airi) then change the pfp of my icon to the picture you just sent me now.

Me: Sure.

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Airi: Thanx. Anyways, do you wanna call? I havent called anyone from any of my schools or former friends? Actually, lets not call, i wanna go out to your house for dinner, since I we live practically next door. Bye! Cya!

Jesus, I guess she is that lonely that she is talking so much to me. Kind of weird. Hey, don't mind it, a girl is talking to you. You are still in the friendzone. Friends always go to each other's houses on short notice. Right? RIGHT!??!?! I think and before I continue with this argument in my head, Akame walks downstairs and says,

"I'm going over to Chizuru's house, tell Mom and Dad where I am if I don't get home before them,"

She immediately leaves the house with her phone in her hand.

Great. Finally not thing one, not thing two, but object fucking three finally fucking leaves.

About a minute passes by and I turn on cable TV, go to the anime network which is playing Lucky Star and start looking at inventory in the fridge. Suddenly I hear a knock at the door, so I walk up and open it. Right there is Airi, wearing the exact same sweater and beat up asics, but this time took care to comb her hair. I take in the moment and keep it locked up in my brain. Since she is short, it makes it extra cute and makes me aroused. However, since the thing is shoved down my pants, there isn't a bulge.

"Uh, uhm, so, sorry for talking so much on the phone," she says, "I never got to talk with students and even former friends by phone and even outside of school."

"It's fine, however I have run out of ingredients, so I'm going to head to the convenience store to buy some lunches for myself as well as get some ingredients to make some food."

She followed me around half a mile trip to the convenience store, all while holding onto my arm. I am certain that she did this so that all the older men and highschoolers know that she has someone who will protect her. Geez, if she knew me a lot, she would rather take her chances alone.

But anyways we arrive at the store and she immediately says,

"I'll get the fish, meat, and vegetables. You get the lunches and other things you might need."

I am standing there shocked as she pulls away from me and grabs all the ingredients. I follow her, helping her get things to show I won't leave her alone, and she doesn't stop me like most girls would. After picking up some salmon and some meat, we head to the sections which have a Japanese version of lunchables, but with better ingredients and aren't about to go bad.

Stopping by the register, I grab some soft drinks and some water, and a bag of chips I give Airi. As we exit the store, I look down and see Airi happily open the bag of chips while her arm is laced in mine, and I instantly start to enjoy the moment.