*Knock, Knock*
"ZZZzzz....."
*Knock, Knock, Knock*
"ZZzzz....huh?"
*Knock, Knock....BOOM!!!*
"What the hell?!?!" You yelped when a sudden bang ripped you out of dreamland. Scrambling out of bed, you ran on autopilot and adrenaline as you bolted down the stairs, your brain waking up when you reached the bottom. Your jaw dropped, seeing the carnage awaiting you. The front door laid in a busted heap and standing in the entry way, amongst the splintered remains was a short girl with messy, brown hair and small bow, cradling a strange gadget resembling a piledriver in the crook of her arm.
“Morning Shujin.” Hotaru waved happily.
"Hotaru? W-What did you?" you sputtered, staring at the wreckage strewn across your floor. "MY DOOR!"
"Oh! Sorry about that." She answered meekly, looking at the damage while scratching her cheek. "It was locked, and you weren't answering my texts, so I thought our experiment yesterday might've...caused some side effects. So, I came to check up on you and I even brought the emergency kit. See." She cheerfully held up a bag with a red cross emblazoned on the side.
You stared slack jawed at the girl, and were about to rip into her when Shujin's...no, your memories came flooding in.
That's right.
Hotaru was your neighbor, as well as your childhood friend.
Both of you have been nigh inseparable since the early days with Hotaru often dragging you along with her experiments. You were her lab rat...ahem, partner in that regard. More memories slowly trickled in, a slideshow of all the moments shared between you. From mundane experiments like a baking soda volcano to the nearly sci-fi like her (scrapped) hoverboard. As well as yesterday's experiment, where both of you were messing with some very volatile looking chemicals. And while it was nice that she came to check up on you.
But that was no excuse for destroying your front door!
"Hotaru..." You growled ominously, a dark aura leaking off of your body. "Did you happen to forget that you had the spare key to my place? Because I clearly remember giving it to you the last time you busted down my door. So, I will give you this one chance to explain just why you decided to use that to break down my door again."
"Uh. Well..." Sweat was rolling down her face as she tried and failed to come up with an excuse. "Sorry. Tehe!"
In a supreme form of self-control, you didn't shout nor snap at your childhood friend. Instead, you paddled over to her, careful stepping around the broken glass and splinters, yanked said gadget out of her hands and marched down the hallway to your basement door where you kept some of her other confiscated goods.
"H-Hey, hold on Shujin!" She rushed up behind you. "Don’t take my baby away. I'm not done testing him yet. There's still so many experiments I can still use him for."
"Oh no," You smiled down at her, to wit she quickly backed away, her expression paling. "You know the deal. If you break it, then you're going to pay for it. So, until I see a new door, then your 'baby' is going to be staying downstairs with the others." And to illustrate your point, you ducked down and tossed the device onto the growing pile of mechanical terrors.
So much for a quiet morning.
"That's not fair Shujin." Hotaru whined, staring longingly at the door when you came back up. "I was really worried you know, and Mecha Mecha Pile Poker needed a test run."
You gave her a flat stare before sighing.
As much as you wanted to stay angry for yet another technical mishap, you let it ebb away. This was just Hotaru being Hotaru. Asking her to not test her new gadgets was like expecting the sun to rise in the west.
"I'm fine, Hotura." You flexed your non-existent muscles, "See, nothing is wrong with me."
"Oh good." She heaved a relieved sigh, then an '!' popped over her head as she tapped her fist in her palm. "Oh yeah. V.D. asked me to pass a message onto you." Hotaru whipped out her phone, reading it aloud. "Make sure you tell that stupid oaf to be at the clubhouse tonight. I've made a breakthrough!"
You weren't sure who this V.D. person was, but if the Narrator's words from last night were to be believed then she might be one of the new heroines in this world.
And you were getting excited by the prospect.
As much as you loved the current heroines, you were a gamer through and through, so the potential new characters were stoking your curiosity and excitement. You'll definitely be at the clubhouse later today.
Hotaru, on the other hand, was excited by whatever breakthrough that V.D. mentioned and was doing her famous running in place jig. "Oh my god! Oh my god.! Did she finally do it? How exciting! Did she find the energy source? Or did she make it? Oh have to know. I have to know." She gibbered, her face becoming flushed with excitement and eagerness. "Sorry, Shujin. Gotta run!" She cried then dashed towards your back door.
"Hotaru!" You called after her.
"What?" She yelled back, skidding to stop.
"Help me clean up this mess first."
Though cleaning up your entry way was well...a chore, it didn't take long.
The two of you had become rather industrious at it though, in retrospect, Shujin had plenty of practice. Years of cleaning up after many failed experiments did wonders in that regard. Shujin (well, now you) and Hotaru were a first-name basis with the owner of the local supply shop. The first time, she nearly had a heart attack when both of you entered her store covered in soot and ash after Hotaru got the brainy idea that adding some more explosive chemicals would make her baking soda volcano stand out from her classmates.
Needless to say, your house was back to normal by the time she ran out the back door.
And left a metal shutter where your front door used to be.
(((So, did you like the surprise?)))
"Narrator!" you yelped, "Where have you been?"
(((Oh just here and there, but that's not important. Were you surprise to see a heroine so soon?)))
"Yeah," you mumbled, staring at the spot you thought his voice was coming from. "I don't remember this being in the game."
(((Well, think of this setting as another way we're providing to help acclimate yourself to this world. She'll happily answer any question you might have, and you now have a head start if want to let out those budding feelings of romance. Hint, hint.)))
"Hahaha...ha....yeah...." You chuckled but sweat ran down your back at the Narrator's not so subtle nudging.
You liked Hotaru, you really did. She was friendly, energetic, and quite cute but unfortunately, you didn't see her that light. Even when you played the game, she was usually one of the last heroines you romanced. She just didn't get your motor running like a girl such as Izumi did. She had a great personality, but your interest lied in the more well-endowed heroines though if you were now a romcom protagonist then that issue will eventually rear its ugly head.
Like in any romcom featuring a childhood friend, one of the pair will develop feelings for the other but be trapped in the 'friend-zone'. If something like that does happen, you're not going to let Hotaru suffer for it. Because as much as it'll hurt her, it'll be a whole lot better than acting noncommittal and stringing your friend along like those fucking douchebag protagonist. You will talk, you will cry, but it will happen and hopefully let the both of you move on.
Though, that's a big if.
(((Something wrong Shujin?)))
"No, nothing." Your head popped up as you heard a ting.
Congradulation!!! You've leveled up!
"Uh, Narrator?"
(((Exactly as it says on the tin, buddy. You completed your first event, so now you leveled up!)))
You opened your status screen.
Shujin Kou
Title: N/A
Level: 2 (+1)
Esper Ability: Shapeshifting
Rank: FFF
Skill Points Available: 1 NEW
Charges Left: 6 (+1)
You were quite happy to see that you'd leveled up and that there was even a new addition to the status screen. If your knowledge of RPG's was right, then that skill point means...
(((Exactly as you're imagining. Even time you level up or complete a special quest, you're automatically given one skill point and gain one charge for your powers. How you spend that skill point is up to you. You can upgrade one of your 'stats', acquire a perk, or if you have enough points, even increase your ability's rank. Though, for now, I suggest you wait till you have a better idea of what you're aiming for.)))
You nodded, following along with the Narrator's logic...and speaking of your ability.
<<< 3 >>>
You repeated what you did the night before, toying with the colors of your hair and eyes while you kept your status screen open. The chime tinged in your head as the following message spread across your vision.
Congratulations! You've Ranked Up!
Rank: FF - Weak - Second Lowest Rank. Still pitifully useless, though a step-up from your previous rank. Minor height and body modifications available, such as hair growth and a height increase of 1cm.
That was...still bad.
(((What do you expect? You're Ranked FF, so you better start practicing when you can if you want to catch up to your classmates. Oh, and Shujin.)))
"What is it?"
(((I know you haven't been watching the clock with all the excitement this morning, but your classes start in about 15 minutes, so you better hurry up and get out of here.)))
...Shit.
"ZZZzzz....."
*Knock, Knock, Knock*
"ZZzzz....huh?"
*Knock, Knock....BOOM!!!*
"What the hell?!?!" You yelped when a sudden bang ripped you out of dreamland. Scrambling out of bed, you ran on autopilot and adrenaline as you bolted down the stairs, your brain waking up when you reached the bottom. Your jaw dropped, seeing the carnage awaiting you. The front door laid in a busted heap and standing in the entry way, amongst the splintered remains was a short girl with messy, brown hair and small bow, cradling a strange gadget resembling a piledriver in the crook of her arm.
“Morning Shujin.” Hotaru waved happily.
"Hotaru? W-What did you?" you sputtered, staring at the wreckage strewn across your floor. "MY DOOR!"
"Oh! Sorry about that." She answered meekly, looking at the damage while scratching her cheek. "It was locked, and you weren't answering my texts, so I thought our experiment yesterday might've...caused some side effects. So, I came to check up on you and I even brought the emergency kit. See." She cheerfully held up a bag with a red cross emblazoned on the side.
You stared slack jawed at the girl, and were about to rip into her when Shujin's...no, your memories came flooding in.
That's right.
Hotaru was your neighbor, as well as your childhood friend.
Both of you have been nigh inseparable since the early days with Hotaru often dragging you along with her experiments. You were her lab rat...ahem, partner in that regard. More memories slowly trickled in, a slideshow of all the moments shared between you. From mundane experiments like a baking soda volcano to the nearly sci-fi like her (scrapped) hoverboard. As well as yesterday's experiment, where both of you were messing with some very volatile looking chemicals. And while it was nice that she came to check up on you.
But that was no excuse for destroying your front door!
"Hotaru..." You growled ominously, a dark aura leaking off of your body. "Did you happen to forget that you had the spare key to my place? Because I clearly remember giving it to you the last time you busted down my door. So, I will give you this one chance to explain just why you decided to use that to break down my door again."
"Uh. Well..." Sweat was rolling down her face as she tried and failed to come up with an excuse. "Sorry. Tehe!"
In a supreme form of self-control, you didn't shout nor snap at your childhood friend. Instead, you paddled over to her, careful stepping around the broken glass and splinters, yanked said gadget out of her hands and marched down the hallway to your basement door where you kept some of her other confiscated goods.
"H-Hey, hold on Shujin!" She rushed up behind you. "Don’t take my baby away. I'm not done testing him yet. There's still so many experiments I can still use him for."
"Oh no," You smiled down at her, to wit she quickly backed away, her expression paling. "You know the deal. If you break it, then you're going to pay for it. So, until I see a new door, then your 'baby' is going to be staying downstairs with the others." And to illustrate your point, you ducked down and tossed the device onto the growing pile of mechanical terrors.
So much for a quiet morning.
"That's not fair Shujin." Hotaru whined, staring longingly at the door when you came back up. "I was really worried you know, and Mecha Mecha Pile Poker needed a test run."
You gave her a flat stare before sighing.
As much as you wanted to stay angry for yet another technical mishap, you let it ebb away. This was just Hotaru being Hotaru. Asking her to not test her new gadgets was like expecting the sun to rise in the west.
"I'm fine, Hotura." You flexed your non-existent muscles, "See, nothing is wrong with me."
"Oh good." She heaved a relieved sigh, then an '!' popped over her head as she tapped her fist in her palm. "Oh yeah. V.D. asked me to pass a message onto you." Hotaru whipped out her phone, reading it aloud. "Make sure you tell that stupid oaf to be at the clubhouse tonight. I've made a breakthrough!"
You weren't sure who this V.D. person was, but if the Narrator's words from last night were to be believed then she might be one of the new heroines in this world.
And you were getting excited by the prospect.
As much as you loved the current heroines, you were a gamer through and through, so the potential new characters were stoking your curiosity and excitement. You'll definitely be at the clubhouse later today.
Hotaru, on the other hand, was excited by whatever breakthrough that V.D. mentioned and was doing her famous running in place jig. "Oh my god! Oh my god.! Did she finally do it? How exciting! Did she find the energy source? Or did she make it? Oh have to know. I have to know." She gibbered, her face becoming flushed with excitement and eagerness. "Sorry, Shujin. Gotta run!" She cried then dashed towards your back door.
"Hotaru!" You called after her.
"What?" She yelled back, skidding to stop.
"Help me clean up this mess first."
<<<<.....>>>>
Though cleaning up your entry way was well...a chore, it didn't take long.
The two of you had become rather industrious at it though, in retrospect, Shujin had plenty of practice. Years of cleaning up after many failed experiments did wonders in that regard. Shujin (well, now you) and Hotaru were a first-name basis with the owner of the local supply shop. The first time, she nearly had a heart attack when both of you entered her store covered in soot and ash after Hotaru got the brainy idea that adding some more explosive chemicals would make her baking soda volcano stand out from her classmates.
Needless to say, your house was back to normal by the time she ran out the back door.
And left a metal shutter where your front door used to be.
(((So, did you like the surprise?)))
"Narrator!" you yelped, "Where have you been?"
(((Oh just here and there, but that's not important. Were you surprise to see a heroine so soon?)))
"Yeah," you mumbled, staring at the spot you thought his voice was coming from. "I don't remember this being in the game."
(((Well, think of this setting as another way we're providing to help acclimate yourself to this world. She'll happily answer any question you might have, and you now have a head start if want to let out those budding feelings of romance. Hint, hint.)))
"Hahaha...ha....yeah...." You chuckled but sweat ran down your back at the Narrator's not so subtle nudging.
You liked Hotaru, you really did. She was friendly, energetic, and quite cute but unfortunately, you didn't see her that light. Even when you played the game, she was usually one of the last heroines you romanced. She just didn't get your motor running like a girl such as Izumi did. She had a great personality, but your interest lied in the more well-endowed heroines though if you were now a romcom protagonist then that issue will eventually rear its ugly head.
Like in any romcom featuring a childhood friend, one of the pair will develop feelings for the other but be trapped in the 'friend-zone'. If something like that does happen, you're not going to let Hotaru suffer for it. Because as much as it'll hurt her, it'll be a whole lot better than acting noncommittal and stringing your friend along like those fucking douchebag protagonist. You will talk, you will cry, but it will happen and hopefully let the both of you move on.
Though, that's a big if.
(((Something wrong Shujin?)))
"No, nothing." Your head popped up as you heard a ting.
Congradulation!!! You've leveled up!
"Uh, Narrator?"
(((Exactly as it says on the tin, buddy. You completed your first event, so now you leveled up!)))
You opened your status screen.
<<<<....>>>>
Shujin Kou
Title: N/A
Level: 2 (+1)
Esper Ability: Shapeshifting
Rank: FFF
Skill Points Available: 1 NEW
Charges Left: 6 (+1)
<<<<....>>>>
You were quite happy to see that you'd leveled up and that there was even a new addition to the status screen. If your knowledge of RPG's was right, then that skill point means...
(((Exactly as you're imagining. Even time you level up or complete a special quest, you're automatically given one skill point and gain one charge for your powers. How you spend that skill point is up to you. You can upgrade one of your 'stats', acquire a perk, or if you have enough points, even increase your ability's rank. Though, for now, I suggest you wait till you have a better idea of what you're aiming for.)))
You nodded, following along with the Narrator's logic...and speaking of your ability.
<<< 3 >>>
You repeated what you did the night before, toying with the colors of your hair and eyes while you kept your status screen open. The chime tinged in your head as the following message spread across your vision.
Congratulations! You've Ranked Up!
Rank: FF - Weak - Second Lowest Rank. Still pitifully useless, though a step-up from your previous rank. Minor height and body modifications available, such as hair growth and a height increase of 1cm.
That was...still bad.
(((What do you expect? You're Ranked FF, so you better start practicing when you can if you want to catch up to your classmates. Oh, and Shujin.)))
"What is it?"
(((I know you haven't been watching the clock with all the excitement this morning, but your classes start in about 15 minutes, so you better hurry up and get out of here.)))
...Shit.
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March 23
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