With that, we set off to meet this last person. We were now seated on the second floor at the Starbucks nearest the Pretty Garden café, on a couch in one of the corners. Two tables were joined end to end, so four people could sit down together. Naruko and I were sitting side by side, Rias was across from me, and the last person at the meeting was sitting across from Naruko. There were drinks set in front of each seat. Naruko, Rias, and I had just come up from the first floor after buying drinks a few seconds ago, and had just met this fourth person. But since all four of us had gathered here, not one person had said anything.
… But, this last person… she was also really strange, although not in the same way as Rias. As soon as I saw her, my eyes widened. Although I couldn't really see her face… in the corner seat across from Naruko, she was fiddling with her cell phone. Because she was motionlessly looking downwards, I couldn't see her face, but she definitely had a beautiful head of black hair.
But… she was one of those cosplayers, wasn't she…? She has a black cat tail and black cat ears and she wears a black blouse with white frilly material at the chest along a row of black buttons. Around her neck is a purple bow with a silver bell attached to the center. Her skirt has white multi-layered frills with black around the sides and back. Her black mary-jane shoes are worn with knee length white and black striped stockings. She really looked like she was going to a Halloween party or something.
She stands out in an entirely different way than Naruko does… I had no idea what she was cosplaying, but however I looked at it this just went way overboard… she was taking cosplay a bit too seriously.
As soon as she saw that all of us had sat down, Rias began to introduce us two. "These two are Orange Naru-chan and, as a special guest, her brother Naruto-chan. And, this is a member of my community—-"
"My username's Belladonna Blake," the final person at the meeting raised her head and vacantly introduced herself. What an emotionless, indifferent manner of speaking.
"Um… my username's Orange Naru. N-nice to meet you," Naruko spoke nervously. It was a nervousness that didn't really suit her, but this was probably how she felt during the offline meeting too.
"I'm Namikaze Naruto. Sorry for intruding on this meeting so suddenly." Following this, having introduced myself like my sister, and a gloomy voice responded.
"I see. Well, for the time being, nice to meet you," she spoke bluntly, but this black haired cat girl was really quite a beauty.
Although, her personality did not match Naruko's at all. She has long wavy black hair. Her skin is pure white. Her eyes are bright crimson and sharp. I'm not sure if this is the right way to say it, but she was a somewhat Japanese doll-like beauty. From the looks of it, she also seemed to have a difficult, gloomy personality… in this atmosphere, I was half-expecting her to start using black magic. She was definitely pretty, but she had none of the charm that Naruko had, and a foreboding aura rose up from her entire body.
"Everyone seems to be here, so I'll ask quickly… what exactly is your intention for inviting me to a place like this, manager-san?"
"Hahaha. Didn't I tell you before? I wanted to invite you to a little afterparty. Ahh, but that was a pretty close call! The minute I finished speaking, you started briskly walking away, so I had to run after you! Geez, if I didn't do that, I wouldn't have been able to invite you!"
Rias repeatedly nudged the cat girl, but she remained completely expressionless. Since we first saw her, she had not changed her facial expression in the slightest… it was really eerie. But I understand now, this is probably why Rias took off running earlier.
I see. Gradually, I'm starting to see what Rias is trying to do here… but, Naruko and this cat girl… the reason she deliberately picked these two to bring here, I still didn't really know… perhaps it was that this meeting was organized by the community manager for the sake of the attendees at the offline meeting who failed at making many friends. That's why there were no others here. As Rias had said, it was a meeting "for people I had wanted to talk to, to make friends with, but didn't have a chance to," right? That's a nice way to put it.
Hmm. You couldn't tell by looking at her, but she really knew how to take care of people in a discreet way, didn't she? And, also, she never asked exactly why I had been accompanying Naruko, and furthermore received me as a "special guest," so she probably had vaguely guessed what I was doing there. So really… hah… just as her appearance would suggest, she was a pretty charitable person.
Slurp.
Still having not let her guard down, Naruko silently sipped her soda. It seemed like Naruko had not yet realized what was going on… but Blake I think had already figured it out. That might have been why she suddenly looked so ill at ease after first seeing us. On the one hand, I would be grateful, but on the other hand, once I guessed Rias's intentions, no matter how I looked at it I felt like I was being pitied. It was an incredibly difficult situation.
Blake's inner thoughts were probably pretty complicated. Honestly, my mood was also a bit complicated right now. The people who weren't doing well at the first meeting would probably not go to the next meeting, right? As Rias, I really would have been fine with that. That's what I thought at least. So really, Rias was a pretty good person, wasn't she?
"By the way, stop it with the manager-san and the reserved manners. Just feel free to call me Rias-chan or "Oneechan", Blake-chan. We all went through the trouble of meeting here, so let's drop the formality and have fun."
"How could you dare to call yourself with 'chan' at your age? How shameless."
The minute Rias gave out this invitation to drop formality, this cat girl had to say such a thing.
"Hey hey, that's the first time someone's said something like that to me."
"But it's true, isn't it? When you're online, you put on that 'pure princess' act… but really, it's like this, isn't it? However you look at it, you're a fraud. It's unfortunately laughable. And also, what's with that weird outfit…?"
"You feel like some gross Otaku from the past." Like a timid cat, Naruko huddled in her seat and spoke bluntly what we all were thinking.
"Hey you two when she said you could drop the formalities, she didn't mean you could just freely insult her. Even after she took the trouble to invite you two who didn't fit in at the offline meeting… why are you saying such cruel things to her?" Especially you Naruko, if you want to act mature, should you be saying stuff like that?
"Hey, hey, Naruto-chan, there's no need to get that angry. I'm glad that you got so fired up for my sake, but… these types of insults feel like nothing harsher than a soft breeze to this body. Rather, they're almost pleasant. So, don't worry about it, Naruto-chan. I don't mind if you insult me either!"
"Don't talk like that, Rias-chan, I really think that you're a good person… " As I sent her a dumbfounded stare, Rias raised one finger and leaned forwards.
"Well, at least we can be open with each other. So, how about we each introduce ourselves again?"
"I'm a bit skeptical that what just happened you could call 'being open'…" It wasn't a bad idea, though. However, at Rias's words, the place felt deathly silent.
Come on, guys, say something. Even if it might be awkward. Seeing no other way, I took the initiative and urged them on. "Come on, isn't this a good idea?"
As I thought, I got no response. It seems like both Naruko and Blake were completely bewildered and at a loss for words. For one, no matter how I looked at her, Blake didn't seem to be the type of person to do this kind of thing… and Naruko was still dealing with the failure from before.
Hmm… I mean, even if you tell them so vaguely to introduce themselves, they're still going to be shy. As an outsider, I really shouldn't be butting in here… but it really can't be helped now. So, I proposed an idea.
"Well, how about for each person who is about to introduce themselves, we take turns asking them questions? That way, it should be easier to talk. Ah, of course, you can pass on asking a question if you want. And then, we'll gradually rotate through all of us."
"Hm. That's a nice idea, Naruto-chan. Then, let's start with Blake-chan!"
"Oh yeah, just feel free to pick me first…"
At Blake's fierce glare, Rias, with a "well, well," made exaggerated gestures in an attempt to calm her down. Blake blew on her hot milk, and after slowly taking one sip, muttered with an uninterested expression.
"Alright, fine… well, I believe I already gave you my name, so what should I talk about after that?"
"Hmm, well first. I have a question… yeah."
I was sure that she was going to start with the obvious question about her outfit, but Rias did nothing of the sort.
"Hmm, well, could you tell us a story about an event recently that made you really nervous?"
"That doesn't sound like a question appropriate for self-introductions. It sounds more like something a guest would be asked on a talk show… "
Geez, I felt the same way. I did not understand at all why Rias would ask such a question… but with a "whatever," Blake played along. Really? She's pretty impressively calm about this. With that, the flow of conversation began to smoothen.
"Hm, an event that made me really nervous, right… if I had to pick one… " Blake pondered expressionlessly for a little while, but before long began to mutter in a disinterested tone. "I was planning a submission to NicoNicoDouga, so I put on my cat ears and tail and was dancing around, when my little sisters saw me… yeah, I guess that made me pretty nervous."
I didn't know what Niconico-whatever was, but I did understand that she had lost her cool, quite contrary to her calm demeanor now. Still, I could only really understand half of what she said, so I couldn't comment.
"Hahaha, Blake-chan is surprisingly mischievous, isn't she? And then your sisters came in?"
"Yeah. They were staring at me as if she was witnessing something inexplicable and her mouth was half open."
I can believe it. I mean, that's pretty much how I felt just now, right? I can relate to her sisters all too well.
The conversation then turned into Blake's sisters but Naruko continued to be silent the entire time. As always, she's just too nervous, isn't she? And then, with good timing, Rias turned the conversation to Naruko. "Alright, it's Naruru-chan's turn now! Please ask Blake-chan a question!"
"Uh, me?… uh… uhhh… " Realizing that she was suddenly being pointed at by Rias, Naruko blinked in surprise. "I-I… don't really have anything to ask… so… I'll pass."
What an idiot. What the hell are you doing!? All this after Rias, being considerate, didn't ask Blake about her outfit so you could have an easy question! Ask it, won't you!? Ask about her clothes! But it didn't seem like my mental wishes went through, and Naruko curled up tightly on her chair while casting her eyes downwards.
Well… this might be something else. It might be that Naruko is still traumatized from being excluded from the previous meeting… maybe… what should I do? Scratching my chin, I threw a suitable question at Blake. "What kinds of food do you like?"
"Fish… is that a good enough answer?" Blake begrudgingly answered me as if she was just fulfilling some sort of unwanted obligation. It seems that this girl also doesn't have enough respect for other people, does she?
"Alright. Next, it is Naruru-chan's turn to introduce herself!"
"M-me… ? Uh… uhh… I'm Orange Naru." Naruko had become quite stiff, and continued to look downwards as she gave her name again.
Sensing that the tension was not decreasing at all, Rias raised her voice with good timing. "Alright, then it's time for a question for Naruru-chan! Blake-chan, if you would please!"
"Why exactly are you wearing such an out of place outfit? I would understand if you were meeting friends in Shibuya or something, but for going to an offline meeting in Akiba, that kind of fashion is just unheard of."
Well, she doesn't mince words and goes right to the difficult questions, doesn't she? This cat girl! This will just further traumatize her, so don't ask such a thing! Certainly, I wanted to tell someone to ask about clothes, but that someone definitely was not you.
"Wha—" as expected, Naruko, seeming dejected, looked offended and tried to refute Blake's statement. "Well, I'm sorry… I can't help it, this is just the type of clothing that suits me. A-and, I mean, you too… "
"Me too? What's that? Please tell me," Blake whispered this with a sneer. Whoa… what an amazingly condescending atmosphere.
A blood vessel rose to the surface on Naruko's forehead. Whaaa, stay in control, please, stay in control. Naruko, normally having a quick temper, was showing an almost unheard of level of self control, and was deeply breathing in and out. She was probably on the verge of blowing up inside, but on the surface she still didn't seem that angry. But even the smallest thing could set her off now. Damn, I'm worried.
Hoping that she would be able to defuse this dangerous atmosphere, I looked at Rias, but… she was sitting there with her neck cutely inclined to the side, with an expression of feigned ignorance that said "Oh dear, how will this turn out?" It seemed like she was just going to sit back and watch… dammit, what is she trying to accomplish? As the smell of gunpowder hung in the air, Naruko and Blake's exchange continued.
"I think I'll have to take back my pass from before. I have a question for you too. That costume… what cosplay is it supposed to be? Momomiya Ichigo from Tokyo Mew Mew… right?"
"Ah, this? It's not Ichigo. That's completely wrong, where exactly are you looking…? Moonlight Fantasy's Matatabi the Demon Cat of Hell… could it be you haven't heard of it?"
I had no idea. Even if she acted surprised that people hadn't heard of it, I had no idea. Naruko also didn't seem to have heard of it.
"Hm? I think I've heard the name somewhere before… it's a new anime, right?"
"Yes. Moonlight Fantasy. It's an action anime, and the story and artwork are both the best out of the current season. It airs in the evening every Friday, so watch it, alright?"
"Ah, that… isn't that competing with Azutan in the same time slot? It's that isekai harem anime with those super power edgy boys, right?"
Ping.
I could have sworn I saw a vision of a skull and crossbones switch being pushed.
"What in the world do you mean by edgy? I hate that word with all of my being. Just labeling it with a word like that, idiots criticize it without even trying to see the show for what it is. You said something there… 'Azutan,' could you possibly mean Magi Magi Magical Azura? Hmph! Children's Anime like that is not cool at all. Other than idiot kids, or stupid adults who are satisfied as long as there's a cute anime girl in it, I can't think of anyone who would watch that rubbish. Also, if you take into account the ratings, it's Magi Magi Magical Azura that's the inferior one, isn't it? Please don't say stupid reckless things."
"Children Anime you said!? Azutan is not a children's anime, idiot! And also, by your remarks, you haven't even seen Azutan, have you? If you watched the first three episodes, you definitely wouldn't be throwing around insults like that! Ahhh, how pitiable! Someone who hasn't even seen Azutan! And together with that ultra-cool soundtrack from Twin Maidens that will make you want to die, everything is just so awesome! Don't you dare make fun of Azutan!"
"It's you that should be more respectful. That stupid anime is only loved by people who like to watch young girls dress in perverted clothes. Could it be that you're one of those pigs?"
What the hell is happening? Why did an argument suddenly start?
"Waait wait wait wait wait! You two, don't get up and stay in your seats! Calm down! It's just anime, isn't it?"
""IT'S JUST Anime!?"" Blake and Naruko simultaneously turned to face me.
Crap, otaku are scary when they get serious. I looked to Rias for help, but she just went on sipping her orange juice without concerning herself with me. I leaned over and whispered into her ear.
"R-Rias-chan do something, won't you?"
"Opening up to each other like this… hehe, don't you think they're strangely suited for each other?"
"Where the hell do you see that!?"
Of course, without anything stopping them, the verbal argument continued.
"Hmph… well, you just have a great personality, don't you? That's why you couldn't make any friends at the offline meeting. Were you self-conscious or something?"
"Look who's talking. I saw you, and all you did the entire meeting was fiddle with your phone by yourself. How gloomy! If you do that, nobody's going to talk to you, you know!"
"Shut up, you… I just suddenly wanted to check the funny memes in an anime channel I followed… "
The two girls stared each other down while holding imposing poses. They were both very pretty but… this was quite a stupid argument.
But honestly, they're both to blame, aren't they? Geez… why do all the pretty ones have such problematic personalities? Because of you two, my own prejudice against good-looking girls is just getting stronger and stronger. As I thought, normal girls are the best.
As I began to escape from reality, the battle of insults had come to a standstill, and Rias interrupted. "Well, it seems that the discussion has completed the first stage, so let's proceed to the next phase, shall we? Let's see… it's my turn next."
With her boomingly clear voice, Rias attracted the attention of everyone in the place. The corners of her lips upturned, she smiled. "Alright, so one more time. My username is Rias Gremory. I act as the leader of the 'Otaku Girls United!' community. This is already written on my profile page, but I'm eighteen years old and currently in my final year in high school. I believe that Blake-chan is around the same age as Naruru-chan and Naruto-chan here, right?"
Rias had casually changed the subject to Blake, but Blake showed no reaction. She was completely expressionless.
So she was older than the three of us and I could guess that Blake would be somewhere around Naruko and my age. But Rias…? She didn't look like a high school girl at all. Not really believing it, I took a good look at Rias.
"Why are you staring at me so intensely, Naruto-chan? Fufufu, if you want to know my measurements are—"
"You don't have to tell me that!" I shouted. Dammit, I really didn't know how to handle any of these girls…
"Alright, alright, someone quickly asked her a question." Exhausted, I pleaded for someone to help me, and surprisingly, Blake was the one who answered.
"Alright then, I'll ask the question everyone has on their mind. What the hell is with that gross Otaku outfit and manner of speaking?"
I really wanted to hear her answer to that one too! In my heart, I applauded Blake's nerve, but what should I do when the question is answered honestly? I should take my sister and get away from this weirdo, right? Thankfully, my fears were misplaced. Rias responded. "Well, haha, I'm a bit embarrassed. Truth is, this was the first time I organized something like an offline meeting… so I wanted to make a good impression on everyone and did my best to make a character appropriate for a leader… I mean, normally I'm a bit more reserved than this."
Seriously? You can't just make a character out of an outfit, but you have to change how you speak too? The remarks I wanted to make here were absolutely countless… for now, I'll just say that I can't even begin to believe that she's a bit more reserved normally. She might think so, but it's probably not true.
Blake blinked her golden eyes in surprise. "If you did your best, how it became something like that, I can't even begin to understand. But, at least, it's a bit preferable to a certain someone who came armed to the teeth with brand-name clothes, who tried so hard but just ended up being ignored."
"What the hell? Annoying… you shouldn't be the one talking. What the hell is up with that overdone cat girl outfit!? Even in Akiba, I didn't think I would see an idiot wearing such an outrageous thing at the meeting!"
"What did you say?"
Once again, Naruko and Blake were glaring at each other. Whatever, I'm just going to leave them be. Dealing with each and every argument is just too tiring. Also… I just realized something. Naruko had picked some truly cute brand-name clothes for today. Blake had come in a full-blown serious cosplay. Rias had wrapped her body in the clothes of a gross Otaku. Three people, three kinds. Yet, even though their appearances and personalities were so different, these three had common ground. And that is… that all three of these people, wanting to do well at the offline meeting, had each very carefully and with great effort picked their outfits.
As I listened to Blake and Naruko sling insults at each other that I couldn't quite understand, I reflected over these past few hours. Today marked the first time I had come into contact with otaku outside of my sister… but honestly, they were completely different from what I had imagined them to be. When I say "otaku" here, I'm using the strict interpretation of "otaku." That is, people who like games or anime, who are really into what we call the "subculture." I think I'm saying something obvious, but they are people who love their hobbies, and that's it. Yes, that's all there is to it. It's not different from liking music, or sport, or mystery novels, or calligraphy. But, up to now, I didn't think that. An "otaku" was something that went beyond just attachment to a hobby, that had some special extra quality to it. Even though I really didn't know what that extra quality was.
Even now, at my side, Naruko and Blake were still bickering feverishly, probably about anime stuff. Is there really a difference between this situation and a bunch of girls talking dreamily in a karaoke box about their most beloved idols? Is this really any different from members of high class society sitting in a corner of a stylish café, talking about romance novels? Well… there probably isn't any major difference, I think. Am I wrong?
Naruko had said that because she had to worry about her public image, she couldn't pursue her hobby in public. I understand her reasoning. Thinking back on how I thought of otaku before today, it was quite clear to me that society holds great prejudice against them. Especially amongst high school students. But, not all of it is completely prejudiced… like, weren't these people a bit weird? At the very least, they weren't normal. Yes, prejudiced as I am, I dare to say this. But, I underestimated them! They were weird beyond belief! Well, I mean… these three are the only otaku I know, and it might be hasty to use them as a basis for judgment. The typical Otaku may be quite different from these three. So, by this point, it's pretty clear that any thoughts I express on otaku from here on out will be affected greatly by the prejudices I harbor against them. I think otaku definitely have their good points too. Although they still are a bit weird.
I looked at the unmistakable otaku. For instance, even though Rias is older than us, she is very considerate of us and good natured, isn't she? But also… she's weird in every possible way! Yet it was admirable that she could play the role of a leader so well in order to make sure everyone else was satisfied. There were other good points as well. Going over the day's events again in my head, I understood this well. For example, take the maid café where the offline meeting happened. Take the festival-like main street in Akihabara. And then, take this second meeting here. Apart from the sad scene of Naruko getting left out of the conversation, I didn't think there was anything bad about these things. Rather, they seemed like fun. To have people who like the same thing gather, to hang out together, to play together… if you can't participate in that, wouldn't you regret it too? Are you worried about public image? Terrified of prejudice? Don't worry, come join us. Together, we'll have a huge party and have lots of fun! I could imagine them saying this with arms outstretched to the ceiling.
Who's "them,"? Well, I don't really know… although, if I had to give an answer, I'd say that "them" would be everyone. Although, I might just be talking to myself. So, these people are here to fulfill that hope, aren't they? They came here to find friends, just like Naruko did. I mean, just take a look at this heated verbal exchange between Naruko and Blake here. They had only met today, and they could already get so seriously into a deep argument like this… that's amazing in its own way, isn't it? Right? And that's because, between these two, there is something very important that they both strongly believe in. Although, from the side, well, some people might still see them as quite strange. But it still definitely wasn't a bad thing. It's not something to be looked down on, to be brushed to the side as not having any redeeming qualities. No matter how strange they happen to be.
"Ugh… the likes of you… to just keep going on and on as you like. Alright, let's take this outside, bitch. I'll etch true fear into your body there. I'll make you regret this in the next life."
"Shut up! Do whatever the hell you want, you delusional shitty cat."
"S-s-shitty cat… d-d-d-d-delusional? You've finally said something you shouldn't have… ahh, how pathetic, you don't know what you've done, do you? Even if you regret it, it's too late. Even I won't be able to stop it… "
"Are you an idiot!? You, don't you want to stop being such an embarrassment? Wouldn't it be better if you went off and died somewhere?"
I take back what I said before. Otaku… are definitely terrifying people.
𖦹𖦹𖦹
It was a little while after that. Having left the Starbucks, we followed Rias's plan and went for some light shopping in Akihabara, during that time, Blake and Naruko never ceased their foul-mouthed arguments. It was generally tangled in otaku subjects though. They started from anime, then went to games, then to manga… this couple and that couple… the artwork is yadda yadda, the DVD's price is blah blah… but through it all, I was amazed at their everlasting string of verbal abuse and bitter insults. It was evening, and the get-together had just disbanded. Even though they had already said their formal farewells earlier, the battle between superpower boys and magical girls continued.
"Heehee, Naruru-chan and Blake-chan are really hitting it off, aren't they?"
"Where exactly do you see that?" Those words came out of my mouth, but… I sort of understand where she's coming from.
Watching as Naruko and Blake threw verbal abuse at each other, I couldn't help but turn up the edges of my lips a bit. I'm glad, Naruko. I'm glad that you found someone to talk to about your hobbies in such a loud, unrestrained way. Although, you'll definitely deny that this has happened… but you've made a friend here, haven't you?
"Well, then," trying not to get pulled into the otaku anime dispute, Rias and I stood a bit to the side. We stood on a walkway at the side of Akihabara's Washington Hotel. Soon, there was a crosswalk in front of us. As Naruko's brother, there were words that I definitely had to say to this person. With as much sincerity as I could muster, I lowered my head to Rias. "Thank you."
"Huh? What exactly are you thanking me for?" A question mark floated above Rias's head and she inclined her neck.
Although, I'm pretty sure she understood. But, saying anything past what we've said would be inappropriate. But I said what I had to say. And I definitely believed that my feelings were transmitted successfully. I smiled. "As I thought, you're a good person, Rias-chan. I am really grateful for what you did to my sister."
"I don't know what you're saying, but… hee hee, I'm not as good as you make me out to be. I've always just only done what I want to do, and not anything more… but if you really think like that, then probably, that's because Naruto-chan himself is a good person. Other people are just mirrors of that, aren't they?"
Having said that, Rias took out a poster from her backpack and wielded it like a lightsaber. The poster gleamed under the light of the setting sun. Squinting at the shining point of her makeshift sword, I shrugged my shoulders.
"Hm, say whatever you want."
"Exactly," Rias smiled and turned her back to me.
In her head wrapped in a bandana. With her checkered shirt tucked into her trousers. It was a terrible, gross Otaku fashion. I couldn't believe how out of fashion it was! Rias, with a swish, swung her sword to the side, and resheathed it into her backpack.
"Well then, let's be sure to meet again sometime, Naruto-chan."
The traffic light turned green. Akihabara station was tinted with the glow of dusk. Rias confidently strolled away from me, not afraid of what others might think, she was an impressive sight. Not wanting to be outdone, I puffed up my chest and walked to Naruko's side.