by Torako
“Sorry, but I don’t have that particular ability. Are you alright alone? Can you make your own meals?”
“Hmm. Sorry to disappoint you, but there’s not enough materials today. Maybe another time.”
“I see. Got it.”
Rikka was smiling a lot today. I’m not sure how talking about someone’s eating habits could make someone so happy. Today feels more like she invited me over for lunch rather than studying. After our little break to eat Rikka’s not-so homemade cup ramen, I focused on why I came over.
“So, since our stomachs are full, let’s get to studying!”
“There’s something else to do today.”
“Huh?”
“Today is my death day.”
“What?! You’re actually dead?!”
“I was mistaken. It’s my birthday.”
“Don’t mix up the day you were born with the day you died! That makes it sound like today’s the day you were born anew!”
“It was a necessity for my contractee to be present today.”
“What?!”
“It is party time.”
Something else flew around in the room over us. What’s this? Were you preparing for a party?
“Is it?”
Now that I look at her, her clothing looks different than earlier. Instead of that black attire, she’s now dressed in red. It looks somewhat Santa-ish, but it’s more gothic than what Santa would wear. Plus there’s a skirt. A new Santa has been born. The reign of dark Santa begins today.
“Wow. You really changed to look like Santa!”
“Is this not celebration attire?”
“That’s quite the difficult question to answer, wouldn’t you say?”
I really wanted to celebrate her birthday with her, but somehow it seemed like I was too nervous. Wearing a Santa-ish outfit is very different than what I would expect.
But what the hey, you’re supposed to celebrate on a birthday. Today was supposed to be a day off anyways. Let’s party.
Our two person birthday party afternoon bash had started.
“Happy Birthday!” We celebrated by shooting her prepared crackers into the air and yelling that required phrase. With only two people yelling it, it felt somewhat weaker than it should be.
Hmm, the only close friend I could call would be Isshiki, but Isshiki’s at work today and I can’t get in touch with him. Rikka also doesn’t have anyone she could call… Oh well, guess we’ll have to party by ourselves.
Rikka still looks pleased. I don’t know if that brave girl is happy from being the focus of our celebration or what, but that Dark Santa looks so happy cleaning up the mess from the crackers. She’s brought a little bit of winter into summer.
“Oh yes. We also have cake. This time it’s really homemade.”
“Oooh! You gotta have cake with a birthday! Good thinking!”
You can’t forget a birthday cake on a birthday, especially when it’s your own. And yet Rikka made one for her own birthday. She’s alone all the time. Here… at school……Always alone…
I’m a bit… different… in that respect. Maybe it was luck, but back then I had someone who understood me. Back then, that person listened to all my made-up stories. Now it’s my turn to be the rescuer that Shichimiya was for me. If I didn’t have her, I would have been alone all the time too.
That’s why, when I look at Rikka’s happy expression, I felt like I had to say, “I’ll do my best to help you study properly.” I’m her sympathizer. We’re in this together. There was one more statement I added mentally: “That’s just how I feel about this.”
I heard Rikka walking back from the refrigerator with her “homemade” birthday cake in tote. By then, I had already forgotten about something. Rikka cannot cook. Um… what did she put into this cake when I couldn’t see how she was cooking it? I had forgotten all about that possibility.
“Um… is this…what would you call it? Oh, is it dark matter?”
“Huh? The cake?”
“There’s no extensive term for it?! Well, if I have to do my usual retort, then why is it that shade of black!?”
This wasn’t the black of chocolate; this was pitch black. The first thing I could think to match was dark matter. The only food that I could think to match it were black soy beans. The decorations were also absurd. You could just barely tell this dark black thing was supposed to be a cake someone would make in this world. There were golden leaf prints around it too as if they were highlighting her chuunibyou nature. Apparently she wanted to highlight the color of her Devilish Truth Stare. That’s quite skillful! Granted, while it might be skillful, it’s not the best thing to do to impress someone else.
“The black is due to sesame seeds. I used some sesame paste to imitate classic Japanese-style cooking.”
“Why did you do something idiotic like that!? Come back to the future and use white cream instead!”
“If it’s not black, it will not have the best flavor.”
……Really, she just wants an incredibly new taste. I can’t help it anymore. I’ll have to throw my lot in with this one too.
Well, it might not be as bad as I think. While it may look bad on the outside, the inside might surprise me. Maybe if I think about it like that, perhaps my death flag won’t signal.
“Is that so? The best huh? Well, from what I see, it really looks tasty. Let’s eat it!”
“Before that, Yuuta has to blow out the candles.”
And of course she lit the candles on this birthday cake (it is one right?) with matches.
“Wait a sec! It’s pointless to light candles on a cake if the birthday person doesn’t blow out them out! Especially when they made the cake.”
“Oh well.”
Rikka brought the cake closer to her face.
The room was lit by the sun’s rays coming inside, but we could still see the bright lights of the candles. It was like a winter illumination. Beautiful. Well, this might not be the right season, but they do match Rikka’s Santa outfit.
As Rikka blew on the candles, the small flames moved in the wind.
“I’m one hundred and sixteen years old today.”
“I think not your majesty!”
“I am a being of the Underworld you cur! Congratulate me, congratulate me!”
“What role are you playing?! Wait… What do you mean ‘Congratulate me!’ I am congratulating you!”
“Then give me a present.”
Cleverly extorting a present from me huh? I fell right into the storm.
“I don’t think so pal.”
“Call me Rikka.”
“Yes, yes, I know that. But I don’t have a present ready for the occasion…”
“Anything’s fine.”
“Anything’s fine huh… Alright, it’s a bit cliché, but how about I’ll get anything you say? But only something I can get today.”
“Limitation placed: must be today.”
And for a while nothing was said. I started to think about this. Well, it’s not that I wasn’t thinking earlier; if I gave her a bad present, she wouldn’t be happy on this special day.
……Soon ten minutes had passed since her confirmation.
“Say what you’re thinking!”
I couldn’t bear the silence, so I had to give a retort somehow.
“I’ve narrowed it down to two things. But they would be difficult to obtain.”
“Oh, how will you choose?”
“Shall I pick an easier one?”
“No… well, as long as they’re simple.” I’m feeling awfully generous today. Normally I wouldn’t give a single thing, but since it’s a special day, I guess it’s fine.
“Then…”
She pulled out a magic marker she hid previously.
“Can I write something on your face?!”
“Ok.”
I might have agreed, but that doesn’t mean I have to like what she’s doing…. After being fulfilled with my thoughts, I closed my eyes.
“Please d
on’t make it too conspicuous.”
“Even if I lied, it would be alright.”
Rikka opened the cap of her magic marker and wrote something on the back of my left hand for some reason. I timidly opened my eyes.
“Ugh, what is this?!”
“Execution of a new contract.”
On my hand was a single hiragana character in black, round handwriting: “yu.”
“This makes it seem like I’m going to a hot springs!”
“It has a different meaning. This is a fragment of a highly potent spell.”
“……What kind of effects are you talking about this time?”
“It’s….embarrassing.”
Well I’m embarrassed enough already! Guess that magic spell is already effective on the user.
“Do you want to guess?”
“Nah, just tell me.”
That’s how it usually goes. Once she starts talking, I’ll get the gist of the matter. I’d never be able to guess what any of this is actually for otherwise.
“This is a permanent magical fragment. If you look here,”
I looked and drawn on the back of Rikka’s left hand was the same character.
“Having these will make our contract considerably stronger. Breaking it will be difficult.”
“In other words, I can’t escape?”
“Stuck together like glue.”
“Wow… that gag is old, especially coming from a girl like you.”
How old is that thing anyways?
But anyways, it looks like we’re together while Rikka is studying. I get it. I feel the same way too. I’ll see this contract out until the very end. I’ll set you free from the shackles of extra lessons.
“Oh yeah, is there another fragment?”
“Well, it’s embarrassing.”
Now we’re starting to get into a routine.
“Do you want to guess?”
“Ah…..”
Does she really want me to guess? She’s a strange one.
“To be honest, I have to take a re-test in science. I’d like your help.”
“What?!”
I couldn’t help but let out a panicked cry after hearing that. Please tell me she doesn’t have to take extra classes for it too.
“So tell me what was your grade?”
I timidly asked her. Please tell me it’s not that illusionary…
“I got a 31. Quite disappointing.”
“That’s really disappointing!”
Obviously, anything below a 40 is a failing mark. When you think about it that way, it’s not that disappointing. Did she study for any of these? Surely she wants to raise her academic rankings… right? Wait… A new fear suddenly came over me.
“….By the way, what were your other grades?”
Again, I could only timidly ask. She bombed in science and math, but what else?
“Japanese was a 100.”
“You went from one extreme to the other!”
“Society was a 99. I’m disappointed.”
“Yeah yeah, that’s really disappointing…”
Please apply your talents to math now. Why can’t she do this well in math and science? I can’t guess by looking at her.
“Japanese is merely kanji, so I can study it freely. I enjoy world history, so society is easy. Knowing about myths is one of my strengths. I think Buddha and the history of Japan are cool too. I really like the thousand-armed Goddess of Mercy.”
As she explained why she was able to do well in those subjects, I could feel her chest puff up with pride. Not literally of course. But, you know, wouldn’t having knowledge of myths, characters, and all that be necessary for any chuunibyou patient? Ah, I get it now. That’s why she’s so enthusiastic for those subjects! Then,
“So let’s just say that all of these formulas for math are really cool!”
No, I didn’t yell it. But they are vital for math.
“That would be permissible.”
“Alright….”
And now the planning for her birthday present ended with me getting the job of looking after her science education. Stepping aside for a moment, her grade for English was 78. A bit on the upper range, but I can’t really comment on it knowing my talents.
After the discussion, we began to eat Rikka’s homemade cake together. Before I took a bite, Rikka commented, “The best….”
That again. I wonder if she’s saying that just because she made it…Should I sample it before I give a retort? Well, I don’t want to bring down Rikka’s mood today. This is really trying my patience. I don’t know what to do. Let’s just eat it whole and see what happens.
“This really is the best….”
It was the truth. I couldn’t lie. It was delicious and didn’t make me want to curse her in the name of sweets. As a sweets loving guy, I wasn’t giving this up.
“This is the immense power of the Devilish Truth Stare. Even the cakes it helps make with its power are amazing.”
It’s only great because you just made that power up. I’ll grant you that this is really good, but how positive can you be?
“Now then, let’s..”
“Yuuta, let’s play a game.”
And she pointed towards the TV. Over there I could see… a MOX.
“How do you have one of those?! Wow! I’ve missed having one of these, well it’s not like that. I have one of these too, but I never thought… wow….!”
My theory that I was the only one who had one of these not-so-popular game systems crumbled. Damn it! She even has the 300 model? That just raises the bar. Our MOX is broken. But that’s really the big MOX game system I see on the stand underneath the television.
Wow. She has PyuuO too. What kind of person is she? Not only does she have western games, but old games as well. I doubt that’d apply to Showa era songs and western music though.
Looks like today’s study session is about to be extended and it’s not for studying. Usually it’s Rikka who looks at me and I give in, but today’s different. Well, it’s her birthday, so she’s gotta have fun. Besides, mine’s broken, so I couldn’t have fun like this anyways.
Let’s start with a two-player game. Wait, she mostly has one-player games, so I guess we’ll have to play a parody shooting game. I thought I knew about that when I turned it on, but the player select screen was a shock.
Why is the main character an octopus? Seems his ancestor was rich and had a lot of influence in the area. Wait, now I know a squid can’t be the main character! This might sound selfish, but I don’t think there’s any way that a squid could sell a game!
I chose the penguin since I seem to have a connection to them somehow. Though I never got the Golden Apple in that other game, I hope I can do well with him here. Rikka chose the octopus. Now then, the game[6] started and I heard that BGM I had really missed.
Hidebu! Hidebu! And the screen was already jam packed with creatures. It’s been a long time guys. Since it was the first time I’ve played in a while, my penguin quickly died. No Golden Apple for me today. I passed the controller over to Rikka and watched her godlike play. She beat the mysterious rock-paper-scissors game, found the “how would you ever look there?!” warp, and didn’t die even once before the ending. I felt a little bit of pride go down the drain.
“Please watch the ending.”
“Hmm, sure the octopus is really good in this one, but wouldn’t it be that you’re really good at this game Rikka?”
“I like it. That’s about all I can say for it.”
Ah, well, looks like my pride is slowly coming back up.
“Do you have a beat’-em-up game?”
“I don’t, but I guess Great Uprising might work.”
That’s not a beat’-em-up game, that’s a war game! Besides, “Great Uprising? Isn’t that called Sumabura instead?”
“Sigh, Yuuta, that’s different. This is Great Uprising. That’s the only name I’ve ever known it as.”
No, that’s not the formal name of it, but that doesn
’t matter. I’m not giving up this time. Great Uprising huh? Wouldn’t that be GreUp for short? Maybe you’re thinking of another big war game. Besides, Sumabura has that feeling where you go “Ah, ah. That game!”
“No, it’s Sumabura.”
“Great Uprising!”
“Sumabura!”
“Great Uprising!”
AGH! It’s a duel over titles with neither side giving in. Neither of us paid attention to the television screen. You know, this is probably the first argument we’ve had since we first met and it’s over some trivial thing. Nonono, I’m not giving in to this girl. You might think this is stupid, but this is personal. I’m not giving in to her.
“Alright, why don’t we settle this in the game?”
“Oh, I’d like to see that! Show me your real power Yuuta!”
“Sounds good to me. First round is without items. This way, you can’t neglect your ammo.”
I immediately began setting up the round. This time I chose the Pink Demon. Rikka chose the Yellow Mouse. That’s not the best looking character, but it’s useless if you can’t use its lightning speed.
“How about this stage?”
“I wouldn’t think of any other stage to play on!”
This is a strange way to bond. Still, this is a battle. My prep mode has been initiated. I’m not going to lose to her.
It might be bad for the environment, but I plan to cut down all the trees. It’ll be an easy victory! But let’s wait-and-see. I don’t know her skill at this one, so it might be best not to rush. It might not work out too. If her skills from the first game carry over, she might be really good. Keep everything in check.
Since no one is moving, the game can’t go on. Thus,
“Aren’t you the strongest? Why don’t you move?”
She’s taunting me. I’ll do whatever it takes to win.
“Humph.”
Like I’d had a few glasses already, I began to move towards her with full force. As I checked the sky, I saw it was filled with electricity. That’s a strategy even a noob would use. It’s just some basic protection for far range attacks. Rikka, reading my attacks, grounded herself across from me. There’s still some more to go before I know her true capabilities. This battle is so tense already.
If I played normally, there’d be no way I could win, but if I feint, there might be a chance I could pull this out. Watch what I’ve been practicing all these years for!