9 Summer Holiday (3)

The curious stares we get from the people stops when we enter the restaurant. As the people who saw our "dancing" car are outside the restaurant, no one inside know what has actually happened.

Of course, Shizuka is still red from the embarrassment. Being the mature one out of the two, I am the only one who act calmly.

"Stop flushing like I have just proposed you. You don't want people to misunderstand us, do you?"

"S-shut it, brat. Who told you to touch my breasts?!" She rebuked me with a barely above whisper voice. I sigh, stop on my track, and look at her dead in the eyes.

"First, it's not BREASTS. It's BREAST. I merely touched one of them."

"That's the sa—"

"Second, I didn't touch it deliberately. You were the one who led my hand to your breast."

"Huh? What are you talking about?! I will nev—"

"You wanted to headbutt me so much you tried to move my hands out of the way, only to fail to do that."

"..."

Well, at least, she has the conscience to not throw all the dirt on me —

"It doesn't matter! You are the man, so you're in the wrong!"

— or not.

I sigh, and merely nod my head. I won't argue with her whenever she activates her hypocritic feminist mode. I will never win. Thus, I choose to leave.

But!

She stops me. She knows I always do what I say, and will never joke around when I decide to do something. Therefore, she stops me.

"Oh, come on. You don't have to leave. I was just joking!" She smiles, and hits my shoulder friendly. I quirk my eyebrow, and look at her in mock confusion. "What do you mean? Am I not allowed to go to the toilet?"

Snap!

Something breaks, but it is not my bone. It's Shizuka's patience. She tries so hard to hold back the urge to smack the shit out of me right here, right now. Apparently, she never resort to violence in public.

I head to the toilet, and leave her staring at my back with well hidden killing intent. Surely, it is just me exaggerating. She is just staring at me with the 'I'll smack the shit out of you later, you lil' shit' eyes.

Messing with her is as fun as usual.

...

Upon returning from the toilet, Shizuka is nowhere to be found. Being a smart young man I am, I take out my phone, which my sugar mommy, Shizuka, has bought to replace my good ol' Vita-chan, and dial her.

[What?]

"Where are you, mommy?"

[Call me that once again, and I'll send you to God!]

"I am an atheist."

[Being a smartass, huh?]

"Okay, I got your position already."

[Huh, what do—]

I end the phone call, even before she finishes her words. It isn't because I already know her position. It's because I know, right after this, she will come to me. Thus, her position will be revealed to me.

As I expected, I can already see her storming towards my direction.

"You, brat! If we're not in public, you'll be lying on the floor already!"

"Oh my God." I gasped. "I don't know if I can handle such a rough play, mommy."

"Y-you...!"

That's why you should never joke with me. I will always find many ways to make you the butt of the joke!

Nah, not really. Shizuka is just an easy prey.

"Kuhum. So, where is our seats?" I ask curiously.

Shizuka doesn't answer immediately as she calms herself down first. Then, she looks at me, and says coldly, "The correct question is, 'Where is our room?'."

"Huh? Is this place a love hotel or something?" I asked in mild confusion.

Who knows a soba restaurant provides rooms for the customers? But, wait. Didn't she say room? Did she intentionally choose the room over eating on the tables for...

"Can I go back home?"

"No."

Yup, judging from her smiling face, she wants to smack the shit out of me in the room later. Well, nothing can be done. May as well go with the flow, and defend myself to the best I can later.

Resolving himself, the young man sets his spirit ablaze, and heads to the dangerous path that he knows thirsting for his life.

"What are you? Lelouch? Stop being dramatic!"

I would like to retort she poses like an anime character more often than me. However, I won't risk my already slim surviving chance. Thus, I opt to stay silent.

It doesn't take long until we arrive at our Japanese style room. Contrary to my expectation, the room is just fit for only two people. Upon entering the room, Shizuka quickly assumes seiza, and... do nothing.

Yeah, I am surprised too, she didn't hit me. But, it's a welcome surprise.

I set my laptop on the table, and turn it on. I am gonna resume my work. I am still analyzing this world's stock market. To invest, i need to grasp the market's situation first. Right after understanding it, I need to make a prediction on which stock whose price is going to rise in the future.

Of course, prediction here means calculating the probability using the market charts as the data. Although sometimes the prediction misses due to an external interference — such as demand changes, natural disasters, or massive stock sale — this world has none of it.

As I have said, this world is easy.

"Hachiman..." I look up at Shizuka who has just called me, without stopping my hands. "Yup?" She looks down at my hands, before saying, "What are you typing? Can you even type correctly without looking?" I smirk, and answer her confidently, "I have good fingers."

"Tsk. Anyway, why are you always busy?"

"Well... If I do nothing, it will be awkward for both of us."

"Why? We can just talk."

"Nah, I don't want to get smacked."

"..."

Shizuka stares at me silently, and my eyes are planted on the laptop's screen. She keeps staring me that way, thinking I will feel uncomfortable. Unfortunately, I won't. Haven't I told you I can even watch an elder got killed without blinking my eyes?

Yes, this much is nothing —

"Alright, let's have a civil talk, Shizuka."

— until she decides to smack me anyway.

Darn! I feel like Christine haunting me even in this world.

I sigh, before closing the laptop. Then, the civil talk quickly ensues. The only civil talk I can have with her is about anime. So, we just talk about that. She talks about the anime she watched recently, where the protagonist is overpowered, yet dumb as fuck.

Nah, she didn't tell me that. I conclude it myself from her story. The civil talk continues for a few minutes, until someone knocks the door.

Knock. Knock.

"Excuse me. I am here to serve your order."

Shizuka stops talking, and replies, "You may enter."

The door opens, and comes in the waitress. It is a girl about my age with a black hair braided in two, and a glasses. She's a typical bookworm girl. She looks at me, and recoils in surprise for whatever reason.

"H-hikigaya-kun?" She calls me.

I take a good look at her, but I can't tell who she is. Therefore, I ask her.

"Yes, I am Hikigaya Hachiman. I am sorry, but after an accident, I am having an amnesia. So, I can't tell who you are."

She gasps in surprise, before putting down the tray.

Well, at least she is professional. I am here to eat, not to chat with a stranger that I may or may not know, after all.

"S-such an unfortunate accident. I am Yoshida, Hikigaya-kun. Yoshida Saki, your classmate."

Oh! She's a classmate. So, who is this Saki girl? She wasn't mentioned in the light novel, and I am sure about it. Ah, I see! Maybe, she's just a Girl A in the light novel.

I extend my hand, and introduce myself to Saki who I may or may not know. "Hello, Saki, it's nice to meet you, again."

Saki only looks at my extended hand, and smiles nervously. Ah, I see. In Japan we don't do handshake. I am about to retract my hand, when Saki suddenly takes it, and shakes it vigorously.

"Ah, yes! It's nice too meet you too, Hikigaya-kun."

"Well, you can just call me Hachiman."

"O-okay."

Again, she smiles rather awkwardly.

Japanese are sure polite. Most of them won't act too friendly, even after knowing someone for years. It's a good environment for someone like me, who regards privacy highly.

"Kuhum! It's only a few minutes, and you're already flirting."

"I didn't expect your inexperience causes you to consider a normal conversation as flirting."

While Saki is flushing due to the embarrassment, I look to Shizuka in a deadpan manner.

"Hey, experience has nothing to with this!"

Well, at least I managed to annoy her. When Saki regains her composure, she bows to us, and excuses herself. Shizuka glanced at the door, where saki has just passed through, before looking back to me.

"She is a good girl."

"..."

"Anyy memory about her?"

"No."

"I see..."

Shizuka often dodges this topic normally, since it will be uncomfortable to her. Each time she asks whether I remember something, my answer is always the same, no.

My knowledge is limited to what was written on the light novel. Aside from that, I'm as clueless as a baby. Therefore, I'm learning everything about this world each day... from the internet.

What? Do you think I have to explore this world to get to know it? That is stupid!

We eat in silence, and only a few words are exchanged. Don't get us wrong, the silence is comfortable. We just want to enjoy our soba. Yeah, it's heavenly, surprisingly.

...

We have finished our meal, and it's time to pay. Since I have done many things that irked Shizuka, I decided to pay it myself. It's not much. I have earned enough to afford it.

Surely, Shizuka is surprised.

"Wow! You really have money?"

"I know I am not as rich as you, but don't say it like I will never have money myself."

"Haha! You may or may not."

I just sigh to myself when this savage of a woman slaps my shoulder. I know she meant it as a joke. But, she is really insensitive sometimes.

"Thank you for your patronage." Saki, who has apparently assumed the role as a cashier, bows at me, right after I paid the bill.

"Well, see you next time, Saki."

"S-s-see you next time too, H-Hachiman-kun!"

I wave my hand, and ignore the fact how difficult she was talking to me. The girl is too shy for her own good. Or maybe, do I look frightening?

"Shizuka... How do I look?"

"How many times have I told you to call me Shizuka-san, brat?" She sighs, before eventually answering me, "You look just fine. What? Being a narcissist already?"

I look up to her, since she is CURRENTLY taller than me, and stare at her deep in the eyes. "Do I look scary?"

"Hah! No wa— yeah... If you keep staring me like that, you look scary." Shizuka shifts in her place rather uncomfortably.

I hum to myself. It seems I still have the 'stare' that I often used to intimidate people in the past.