Chapter 4 - 1

Dodge Evade Light attack Parry

Counter Jump Heavy attack Finisher

Since I try to spend every possible second at home there are things that I've gotten quite skilled at. Video games are one of those things. Most people think such skills are useless, I'd like to tell those people that they are missing out on learning basic skills. Someday you're gonna need basic knowledge of video games and you won't know anything, how embarrassing would that be?

Being able to play video games is another reason I like Saturdays. I don't have to worry about homework since I can complete it on Sundays while I think about starting the next week. Only Saturdays allow me to have a quiet and peaceful day. And since I have the policy of not bringing problems to home I don't have to think about the whole Akane situation while I'm at home.

Just as I was lost in thought of my perfect life the ringing sound of my phone reaches my ear, someone's calling me. What is up with people who just call others out of nowhere? Not everyone is as free as you, be more considerate. I look at the phone screen and it's flashing a number I haven't seen before, must be a wrong number or someone pulling a prank. I ain't gonna fall for that, I'll just put my phone on silent.

After a few more attempts at ruining my Saturday the caller finally gives up. A relief, a short lived relief.

"House chores are your responsibilities on Saturdays, that's what we decided." I hear a squeaky voice coming from the hallway of my house.

"And I did all of them."

"Picking up the phone is also a chore." the voice continues, "Especially if it's a call for you."

"For me?"

"There's only one dead eyed Arima living in this house." The door to my room opens and my sister walks in with her hair being a mess as if she just woke up, "It's not good to make a girl wait my dumb brother." Mira throws me the house phone. "I'm gonna go sleep some more."

She didn't have to add "dead eyed", there are a lot of other ways to identify me. Did the caller tell her to say that? Probably just my sister ridiculing me for waking her up on a Saturday.

"Have a nice sleep." I say, smiling.

Pulling the phone to my ear I hear a strangely familiar voice, "Why do you have a phone if you are not gonna use it?"

It's Akane. Why is she calling me and more importantly how did she get my number? I always avoided sharing my number because I didn't want my personal life to be affected by school life. Akane was supposed to think about the fake dating plan through the weekend. Why contact me now?

"Can you at least speak? You are creeping me out."

"Yeah I'm here. Why do you have my number?" I ask reflexively.

"Are you really that stupid? How would I contact you without your number?"

"That's not what I meant, why do you need to contact me?"

"With a memory like that I am surprised you managed to live 16 years of your life. It was your idea to be seen together, did you really forget everything?"

My memory is perfectly fine. What kind of ego does she have to think my life revolves around her? Not to mention calling someone like that is something that should never be done. Also, the way she was acting yesterday I didn't think she would even go with my plan, I'd almost given up on it. "But why call me now? I thought we were gonna discuss it on monday?"

"We are going to follow your plan, at least for now." there was a change in her voice, it has gone quieter.

"Something made you change your mind?"

"That does not concern you. Come to the shopping district right now." Akane ordered.

"Right now?"

"Yes right now. Do not think of making any excuses. I know you are not doing anything of significance."

How can she just assume that? What would happen if I was busy with something of my own. She should be thankful that I have nothing else to do.

And to be honest I did push that idea on her so I have to see this through. "Fine. I'll come."

***

I walked through the row of shops and hordes of people in the shopping district. I've made a grave mistake while agreeing to meet with Akane.

I forgot to ask where to meet.

Now I have to find her among all the people and the best place to start would be the district square. I walked towards the clock tower that was the biggest landmark of the district. I never understood why the biggest landmark in a shopping district is a clock tower. Something about the history of the city I guess.

Reaching a clearing at the district square I looked around for Akane. It didn't take long for my eyes to catch someone with the bright red colored hair that I had grown quite familiar with in the past few weeks. This time however those hairs weren't allowed freedom, they were tied loosely.

The closer I got the more deviation I noticed, Akane wasn't in her usual uniform, in fact, she didn't wear anything formal. This is the first time I am seeing Akane outside of school, she's wearing a bright yellow one piece dress. Is that how she dresses casually? She looks around and notices me. Her left arm which was crossed up until now raises to her shaking head. I could feel her dismissal of me even from far away. That gesture did hurt my pride a little this time as someone who tried to wear good clothes today. There's nothing wrong with my outfit.

"You could have at least tried to wear decent clothes?" Akane mocked me as I reached her side.

"These clothes are pretty good."

"I understand you have not spent any time with a girl but to think you thought this blue shirt looks good on you. You have no sense with clothes either."

"Not all girls nitpick as much as you, speaking from experience." My experience with my little sister still counts.

"Well they do say it is impossible to teach a worm to fly."

"Did you just call me here to mock me? Speaking of which, how did you even get my number?" I hadn't got the answer to that question yet and I don't like not knowing how my information got leaked.

"Oh that, I just looked at the student registration data in the teacher's room." I saw a smirk on Akane's face.

Students aren't supposed to look at that. Did she sneak in or something? I'm probably overthinking it. When you get as popular as Akane a lot of doors open up for you that stay closed forever for others. She could just ask a teacher to show her and they wouldn't deny her or a teacher might just have needed her help with something and she saw the data that way. Either way I guess it wasn't really a leak, my data should still be safe.

"I do not understand one thing. Why do you even carry a phone when you are not going to answer when being called?"

"It's for emergencies only, and only for those whose number I have saved. I don't want people to call me so I just don't pick up any random calls from an unknown number."

"In that case you should save my information on your phone," Akane looks me in the eye, I feel the atmosphere get a little colder or it's just my blood going cold, "cause if you do not answer my call next time, it will not end well for you." she said with a hint of bloodthirst in her eyes.

Dear sister, if I don't make it back alive today please find this girl and deliver me justice.

I don't doubt her when she says she will kill me if I don't answer her call. I should definitely save her information.

"I still don't get one thing. You shouldn't have been able to call my house with the student registration data. How did you get my house number?" I asked. While it's true that you have to give a number for student registration, I simply gave my number not my house number. She shouldn't have access to that number.

"Oh that. I had a little help." The faint smirk was now fully visible on Akane's face.

"Help?"

"There happens to be someone who would help anyone trying to ruin your life. I think you know that person well."

Someone helping others to ruin my life, someone with resources to get my house number. There's only one person that fits that criteria. "Kitagawa-sensei…"

"That is right." Akane turns her back towards me still smiling, "It really was surprising how willing she was to give me any information about you."

That woman… She's really all over my life. What's her motive? Her end goal? Why is she so adamant about ruining my peaceful life?

"We do not have the time to waste here. Follow me." Akane said as she started to walk towards the shops on the streets.

"Where we going?" I tried to catch up to her.

"To follow your plan."