(Ravasū..RAVASŪ…RAVASŪ!!, HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN!!) I slammed my head against the counter, the shrill voice of the store owner jolting me awake.
The fluorescent lights of the manga store hummed overhead, casting a sterile glow on everything. I, Aravasu Ikari, slumped against the counter, the worn cover of "The Adventures of Aiko Mizuki" mocking me with its bright colors. Another light novel devoured, another escape into a world where the hero defied societal norms and got the girl. Me? I wouldn't even dare to defy a parking ticket. But that voice just now... that dream, it was weird. But I know the wicked society just operates on a conveyer belt, move forward, get molded, sit in the packet. Something weird is just a time waste in this day and age, and wanna know what is the only thing these people find weird and cares 'bout? doing something different, you can't do something different from society if you're not sure of your success… if you do something different from society's beliefs and fail, you become an example, a middle-aged guy would give his kids if they try to do something different, and if you succeed, Bad idea. Because then You end up as a cautionary tale in some self-help guru's motivational seminar, so in short, you can't do stuff which defies society, even if you're bound to succeed, but I am different, kinda??, I don't care if I fail or pass, my ultimate goal in life is to,
follow the same line as society and yea obviously it comes after convincing world to make human hibernation a mandatary thing, OfCourse cuz I am an energy conservative like the MC of Hyouka
Just then, a flash of blue hair outside the window snagged my attention. A girl, dressed in what looked like a cosplay of aiko, stood frowning at people's phones and steel buildings. Didn't she know the cardinal rule of this city? Mind your own business. Yet, here she was, sticking out like a sore thumb. Curiosity, a rare visitor in my world, poked at me. I straightened up, the well-worn copy of the novel tucked under my arm. Maybe a little interaction wouldn't hurt." …. "hmmmm…have I introduced myself…. I am Aravasū Ikari and this is how a cosplayer changed my life, this, this is MY story of MY WICKED ROMCOM IN AN ABSURD WORLD"
----------------------------------------------her perspective----------------------------------------------------------
A stabbing pain jolted her awake. Her vision swam, filled with blurry shapes and flashing lights. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was facing down the hulking form of the Demon Commander, his obsidian blade crackling with dark energy. Had she somehow been spared? Pushing herself up, she winced at the ache in her side. This wasn't her familiar throne room. Towering structures of glass and steel scraped the sky, a stark contrast to the traditional wooden architecture of Mizuki Castle. People bustled around in strange, brightly colored clothing; their faces glued to glowing rectangles clutched in their hands. "Strange town," she muttered, her voice rough. Just then, a prickling sensation alerted her. Someone was watching.
----------------------------------------------back to Ikari----------------------------------------------------------------
Spinning around, she met the gaze of me, a boy with messy brown hair standing in front of a building plastered with colorful pictures. mine expression was a curious mix of amusement and... was that a hint of exasperation? I asked her "Yō, you here to apply for the mascot??" surely there were no mascots needed, I was just so captivated that I had to start a conversation with her, but I was not able to move my eyes from her face, I used all of my social energy reserved to co-operate with society just to have a convo with her, this better end up right, Aiko bristled. Did this boy have no respect for a princess? "What are you staring at, pervert!" she demanded, her voice echoing in the unfamiliar street. My lips twitched. "Oh my god, you even made up your own language. Deep into the cosplay, huh? Come inside, I have something for you" her cheeks burned with a mixture of anger and confusion. She seems understand somewhat of the language I was speaking, so she followed me inside, but still she wasn't able to understand it completely, what was he saying? She needed answers, and fast.so she relied on the sign language, finally when inside the shop, she pointed on my face and then her chest, "what?? You want me to put my face there" she can't speak, but was able to understand, she flustered and starting nodding her head left and right, but now it was ready, her spell which lets her understand and speak every language in existence, it can finally be used, taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and focused. "Aqua-Sama, goddess of water," she chanted in a hushed voice, "please grant me the knowledge to understand the language of this place." A warm sensation flowed through her, and when she opened her eyes again, the world seemed a shade brighter, she smiled as she understood the words of those around her. "Konnichiwa," she tried cautiously. I broke into a laugh, a genuine laugh that crinkled the corners of my eyes. "You just used a spell to learn Japanese?"
her face turned the color of a ripe tomato. No one had ever dared to laugh at her before. She sputtered, trying to form a retort, when a blur of blue hair shot past her, nearly knocking her over.
"DID IKARI LAUGH!!!! Man with no known expression, the legend himself, Ikari the dead gold fish laughed????"
I said "look at this cute cosplay- Wait, did you just call me a guy with no known expressions, what gives you the great idea, huh??? You wanna fight huh?? Padded Bakemono" my expressions changed from laughing to looking dead again "see, you are again looking like a dead goldfish, and what are you talking about, paddings, don't you know how to talk to a maiden" the girl and I bursts into a fight "I tend to speak the truth, sometimes harsh, but truth is truth" Aiko sighs and clicks her tongue "what kids you are, fighting over such trivial matters....NOW SHUT UP AND TELL ME YOUR NAMES!!" Aiko goes through phases in seconds "oh I am so sorry my princess I never introduced us, my name is Aravasu Ikari, and she is uhh Ichika Kobayashi" said with no sort of expression and strong sarcasm but seems to boost her ego... "yes that is how you'll address me" she starts to smile in pride, Ichika whispers "is she an airhead or what, 8th grade syndrome??" "Maybe, she seems to be cosplaying this character from the light novel I was reading, the name of the character is Aiko Mizuki, I suddenly saw her on the market street, when I was reading it... is this kind of a prank she just died in the chapter", that is when, I noticed something on her neck... "that necklace, its tha-" I kept staring... and that is when, suddenly a punch comes flying, sending me to stairways of heaven.... with a cold-hearted voice, aiko says "I knew it you PERVERT" she remains calm, but is hesitant and frustrated "I knew it, you pervert, staring at my chest"
"I was not strain at your chest, it's plain anyway-" I felt a killing gaze at me coming from both aiko and kobayashi "I I- mean it's plain degeneracy to do something like that HMM HMM" "Kawaī otoko" silence surrounded the room Aiko looked confused...I was turning red with the passing second...a cute girl, called me a cute guy....is this it.... does my love life starts from here...is what I thought to myself but... with cherry blossom in my heart "ahh you find me cute-" "wait...wait wait...CUTE...(she turns red too) I SAID SCARY GUY....NOT CUTE" my heart shattered in that moment..kobayashi on the other hand, became a middle school teacher for her "So that's what you meant...hmmm..see scary is KOWAI what you said was Kawaī which means cute...." that was the 1st time a girl called me cute, and it was just because a language barrier, "you thought I'll call you cute!!?? Gross, your language is just confusing...how do you guys even speak"
"What gross, you are a princess, can't you let a boy feel happy when a girl called him cute, even when he knows the fact that it's because of the language barrier"
suddenly I saw something on the light novel I was reading.....
It had turned BLANK