"It was an entertaining movie."
I stretched my arms—sitting for two hours can be exhausting.
"It was interesting, but the protagonist's attitude left much to be desired."
After lunch, we walked around the mall for a while until we passed by the theater. Since there was a new release, I asked Raiden if he wanted to see it, and he said it was better than just walking around.
"Sacrificing someone you love to protect the world… I guess that's something only a few could do."
The movie's message was that sometimes, to protect something, you have to sacrifice something else.
"That's why heroes bore me," he said flatly.
Seems like he doesn't care much for that kind of character.
"And you? What would you do?"
"If I had to choose… I'd rather be the villain who sacrifices the world to save someone." He said it with a hint of pride.
Now that he mentions it, at the end of the movie, the villain faced off against the hero. While the hero wanted to sacrifice a loved one to save the world, the villain thought the opposite.
"Mmm, but if the world doesn't exist, where would they live? And isn't it a bit shallow to sacrifice so many for just one life?"
Raiden fell silent at my words. He's such an idiot, talking without thinking.
"You have a point…"
Only an idiot would think like that.
"You never think before you speak, baka." I teased him a little.
"And you, Yumiko? What would you do?" he asked, sounding smug.
Hmm… if you ask me…
"I guess I'm an idiot too."
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"That you're an idiot."
"Huh!? Why!?"
I ignored his protests. Spending so much time with him is making his weird way of thinking rub off on me.
Though, if someone had asked me the same question a few months ago…
…I would've answered the same.
...
"You've got all that money, and you want a stuffed toy from a claw machine?"
"It's from a show I used to watch as a kid, so of course I want it!"
"You know my money isn't endless, right?"
"I've only tried twenty times—I think I'm getting better."
While walking through the mall, I stopped at an arcade after spotting a cute lion plushie from an old anime I used to watch.
But since the machine didn't take cards, I asked Raiden to lend me some cash.
"I only brought 3,000 yen with me, so I'm running out…"
Each try costs 100 yen, so I've got ten more chances left. Come on, Yumiko, focus!
Other machines cost 500 yen per try and take cards, but none of them have the plushie I want.
I really want that lion.
In the anime, he was the king—a leader who guided and protected everyone, always fighting off the villains.
I always admired that.
"Another 100 yen wasted…"
"I'm getting better at my own pace."
I tried a few more times, but the claw wouldn't grab the plushie.
"You're gonna burn through all my money."
"If I can't get it, maybe I'll just buy the whole machine."
I heard those cards hold quite a lot of money.
"Remind your mom not to give you credit cards, or you'll bankrupt them."
That was rude. It's not like having unlimited money has gone to my head… maybe just a little.
"You're complaining, but not helping."
"It's fun watching you lose and whine."
"Even though it's your money?"
"A fair price."
"And I'm the one wasting money?"
He's so cynical.
"There's only 100 yen left, so let me try."
I stepped aside, and Raiden took control of the claw.
"You sound confident, but let me tell you—talking's easy, actually getting the..."
I started boasting about how confidence alone wouldn't get him the prize.
I'd already tried more than twenty times and only managed to nudge it a little, so there was no way he'd get it.
"Here!"
I caught the plushie he tossed to me on reflex.
"…Wait—how did you do that?" My brain took a few seconds to process what just happened.
Did I really look away for one second and he got it that easily?
"Once, Rumi wanted a plushie from one of these machines. I spent all my money and couldn't get it, so I kept coming back for days until I finally did."
I stared at him, dumbfounded.
"I don't know whether to be impressed by your persistence or your stubbornness."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"How much did you spend?"
You need money to get good at these kinds of machines.
"Hmm, if I'm not mistaken, 5,000 yen a day for five days—25,000 yen total."
"Where'd you get that much money?"
We're students, so there's no way to get that kind of cash without a job, which is already hard to have at our age.
"I told my dad it was for Rumi's birthday present, so he gave it to me."
Rumi once mentioned that Raiden and his father are alike—both overly protective of her.
"You never fail to surprise me, but not in a good way…"
Raiden can go overboard when it comes to Rumi. I don't even want to imagine the day she brings a boyfriend home—poor guy's a dead man.
"I'm just a reliable big brother."
"I guess I can't complain…"
Thanks to that strange obsession he has with his sister, I managed to get the plushie I wanted. Still, I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Rumi.
"It's not that flashy."
Raiden took it from my hands and inspected it.
"It's just for people with good taste."
I snatched it back.
"Whatever you say," he replied flatly.
Looking at that plushie makes me feel nostalgic.
I should be more selfish about what I want—there's no reason to hold back if that's how I truly feel.
…
"I'm exhausted…"
I sat down near a fountain in the middle of the mall.
"We've walked around this place twice…"
"I just wanted to buy everything I liked."
After leaving the arcade, I decided to get whatever caught my eye. My room's been pretty empty, so I wanted to fill it with things I love.
That's why we spent the last two hours wandering around the mall, buying all sorts of stuff.
Of course, Raiden was in charge of taking everything to the shipping counter so it could be sent to my house.
I'll be busy decorating my room later.
"You were a big help, Raiden. I don't think I could've bought all that without someone to carry it."
I'm not ungrateful enough to ignore the help he gave me today.
"I was the one who said I'd come along, so there's no need to thank me," he said, waving his hands dismissively.
He can be modest when he wants to, though he complained the entire time—and still did everything I asked.
"Good to know," I said with a smile. "If you're so willing, you could go grab us something to drink from that café."
There was a long line at the café, so whatever they were selling must've been good.
"Is that a request or an order?"
"What do you think?"
I handed him my card so he'd have something to pay with.
"Feels like you're just showing off your money in my face."
"Aside from the plushie, the food, the movie, and all the snacks—you didn't pay for a thing. You even ordered extra." I tilted my head, looking at him.
"Whatever you say, Yumiko-sama."
After his little joke, he went to stand in line at the café.
If he really hated doing this, Raiden would've flat-out refused or just walked away—but he didn't.
He's strange in his own way…
I took out my phone and started watching videos on how to decorate a room.
There are so many styles you can try; all you need is creativity and the right materials.
I've still got a long way to go, but even so, I can't help but smile—just thinking about it feels exciting.
"Hey, I couldn't help noticing your smile. It's really charming."
"Hm?"
I looked up from my phone toward the unfamiliar voice, seeing a stranger in front of me.
He looked about eighteen, with brown hair and a refined face—handsome, by most standards. He wore a fitted black shirt, blue jeans, and a leather jacket draped over his shoulders. The way he spoke radiated confidence, like he did this all the time.
He was basically the textbook example of the "perfect guy" you'd find in a romance novel.
"What do you want?" I raised an eyebrow.
It's not the first time some guy's tried to flirt with me.
"I saw you from over there and thought I'd come say hi."
Aren't those the most cliché words you could use to hit on someone?
"Well, you said hi. Now you can leave," I replied flatly, turning my attention back to my phone.
"Come on, don't be like that. Hang out with me—we'll have fun."
"And according to you, what exactly does 'have fun' mean?"
"You know, we could go see a movie, grab a bite to eat, maybe hit up a karaoke place."
"No, thanks."
"You're a tough one, huh? But I'm pretty persistent, you know," he said with a grin.
He's the first one who didn't walk away after being rejected outright. I have to admit, he's persistent.
"As I told you, I'm not interested. Go find some airhead who'll actually want to go with you."
If a girl goes with a guy like him willingly, that says a lot about her.
"I'm not the type to give up easily."
He reached out to touch my hand, but I pulled it away immediately.
"I don't remember giving you permission to touch me!" I said, narrowing my eyes.
I was in a good mood, so I thought I'd let it slide—but clearly, I was wrong. Now I'm irritated.
"You're feisty. Not bad."
I stood up from my seat.
"Didn't your parents teach you not to bother others? Or are you just too stupid to understand something that simple? Yeah, that must be it." I smiled coldly. "Someone as dumb as you could never get it. You're pathetic."
The guy frowned, his cheerful, flirty expression fading.
Who does he think he is, trying to mess with me? I should be the one feeling offended here.
"Don't think you have…"
I glared at him, making him stop mid-sentence.
"If you've got nothing better to do, then get lost. I don't care about you. And if that's too hard for you to understand, maybe you should go back to elementary school."
My tone was sharp, almost threatening.
My words hit hard—he took a step back, his face shifting to confusion and fear.
I can be scary when I want to.
Strange… I thought I heard someone cracking their knuckles. Maybe I imagined it.
"If you get it, THEN GET LOST ALREADY!"
With that, he turned and walked off quickly.
A girl can't even have a quiet moment without some idiot showing up to bother her.
I felt proud of myself for confronting and chasing him off—that just shows how intimidating I can be.
Hmm?
I looked back and noticed Raiden standing behind me.
"If you were there, you could've said something!"
I jumped a little when I noticed him. I didn't even sense him approaching; I'd been too focused on that guy.
"I got curious, so I decided to watch." He handed me my drink as he said this.
"As you saw, I have no problem dealing with some fool who thinks he can flirt with me."
"…Obviously. You're scary."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Didn't say anything. Drink your coffee before it gets cold," he said flatly.
I decided to drop it and just enjoy my coffee—it really was delicious.
…
"Thanks for today, Raiden."
"It just took up a lot of my time… and was mentally exhausting."
"This is the part where you say, 'It was nothing.'"
"But it was a hassle…"
It was nighttime by the time we left the train station, and Raiden walked me all the way to my house.
"You didn't look bothered when I bought you that burger."
Before leaving the mall, I'd picked up something to eat.
"I'm just good at pretending."
Seriously… what an idiot.
"Next time, I might make you carry everything for me."
"Are you some kind of dictator?"
"Don't make me try it."
"Alright, alright." He sighed tiredly. "It was fun in a way. If we ignore the first few hours, I guess I had a good time."
"You should be more honest."
I enjoyed spending time with him too. Having someone who speaks their mind is refreshing.
"I am honest."
"I mean all the time."
No one's honest all the time—even Raiden must know that.
"I'm honest all the time."
"You're such a headache…"
I forgot this guy can act like such an idiot. How can he seem calm and serious one moment, then clumsy and dumb the next?
"Thanks."
"That wasn't a compliment, baka."
"Words are open to interpretation."
If I keep talking to him, I really will get a headache.
"Whatever you say." I turned around and walked up to my front door. "See you Monday at school." I waved.
"I guess that's inevitable…"
"Did you just say something!?" I raised an eyebrow.
"See you Monday, Yumiko."
After saying goodbye, he turned and walked away quickly.
It's surprising that guy ended up being my first friend.
I shook my head and went inside. The living room lights flickered on—it looked exactly the same as when I left that morning.
I went up to my room and placed the stuffed toy Raiden won for me next to my pillow.
"Now that I think about it, I don't even remember the anime's name—or the character's."
I took out my phone and searched for the name using a picture.
"You've got to be kidding me." I started laughing.
Must be one of those weird coincidences.
I picked up the stuffed lion and held it in front of me.
"You think the same thing, don't you, Raikun?"