Kai and Jun were two otaku peas in a pod, with many of the same interests. They also had a few complexes in common.
Jun was the first to realize this. It happened a year ago on the day of the entrance ceremony. This is the story of the very first time Jun, enticed by MHW, came over to Kai’s house to hang out.
“I picked Asagi because I heard they didn’t care if you played video games or read manga at school,” said Jun.
“Me too, me too!”
They were on the way back to Kai’s house. Kai walked next to Jun, down a public road that ran through a residential area.
“At my middle school, they didn’t even let you bring your cell phone!”
“Same, same! Like, who even cares as long as you’re not using it in class?”
“Right?! It made it really hard to get in touch with my mom whenever something happened. It sucked,” said Jun.
“That’s so behind the times,” Kai agreed. “I remember being even more pissed when I read something online saying more and more schools are letting students have their phones on them.”
“On the other hand, isn’t it crazy that Asagi lets us bring our Switches to class too?”
“Yeah!”
“I didn’t fully believe it,” Jun elaborated. “I was like, ‘The teachers really won’t confiscate them? If they took my Switch, I’d straight-up die.’”
“I feel that. I was honestly pretty nervous up until homeroom started.”
“I even nailed a sweet drift in Koopa Castle in front of the teacher, and they just let it slide!”
“I hunted two Rathalos in class, and they didn’t get mad!”
“It was freaking awesome! WAY more exciting than playing at home!!”
“I feel free... or should I say, liberated as hell after being repressed all through middle school. I’m honestly impressed. Like, ‘Wow, is this what it’s like being in high school?’ I feel like I’m one step closer to being an adult.”
“Exactly! That’s exactly it, Kai! You said it perfectly!”
“O-Oh yeah?” he asked.
Jun, deeply moved, suddenly grabbed Kai’s left arm and shook it like she was trying to yank his arm off. Even this mild bit of physical intimacy was a huge shock to an adolescent virgin like Kai. Not to mention just how gorgeous Jun was. It almost looks like we’ve been walking arm in arm...! he thought to himself, heart pounding wildly. No one was there to burst his bubble and tell him, “No, not really.”
Afterwards, Jun composed herself and said, “But we should probably dial it back after tomorrow...”
“Yeah, I feel kinda bad...” Kai admitted. “Everyone was sorta put off by it.” If they kept that up tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, they’d end up isolated from the rest of their new class. They wouldn’t make any friends. Definitely no bueno...
He’d never been a loner by nature. He’d always had good friends, even before high school. Of course, he didn’t really feel the need to make a ton of friends in high school either. He wanted to be friends with people he got along with, people who shared his interests.
As those thoughts were running through his mind, Jun asked him, “But I did make one friend right off the bat because of that, right?”
She said this while looking into his face, walking right beside him. A bit embarrassed, she tried to play it off with an impish grin and said it teasingly. But she was still holding onto Kai’s arm the entire time.
“W-Well, true that.” Kai was too embarrassed to come up with a slick response. He looked off in the other direction, but didn’t try to shake himself free from Jun’s tight grip.
Then, thanks to Jun, he was able to confidently announce to his family:
“I’m hoooome! I brought a friend.”
He succeeded in scaring the crap out of his mother, who poked her head out of the kitchen and said, “WOW... you have a friend this cute?!”
I’m more shocked than anybody here, he thought. He couldn’t help but find it a bit humorous.