It could’ve been years, centuries, or even a billion millennia since Hajime reunited with the original Fun Trio, a name he hadn’t even told Farkas and Paulie about. Still, anyone with half a brain would be delighted to meet his old friends—school president Haruto Minagawa and kendo champion Tokiwa Aoki. All it took was one gambit between them, ensuring a relationship that would transcend worlds.
For a time, people knew him as the Orca of Tsuru University, powerful yet cunning and unpredictable, but that moniker had long passed. Now, he was merely thankful that the reports about his arrival didn’t reveal the mission in any conceivable way. Since their jaws still dropped wide open at his presence, he could only guess the surprise in their hearts.
“Are you just gonna stand there or what?” he said, pacing himself closer, curious at how the Brazen Couple was still fifteen inches shorter than him. Eventually, they gave him a pair of smiles beyond any description of happiness. One might wonder how long it had been, how long their separation had gone, but he never expected their next move in a hundred lifetimes.
“Hajime!” they cried in unison, forming a group hug that pushed him to the soft grass on his back in a flash. For a moment, they appeared more like two little kids missing their father from vacation than adult treaders.
Although Hajime anticipated their flash-step technique from miles away, he might as well allow their happiness to continue, even if it devolved into a comical scene of Haruto blabbering nonsense with some tears. On the other hand, Tokiwa laughed with her tears, further cementing his suspicions that they never had another friend held as dearly in their memories as him. It was touching in every way, and he returned the embrace with more laughter.
Haruto was the first to let go, rubbing his eyes for a small moment of clarity. “Sorry about that. We thought we’d never see you again. I couldn’t sleep for weeks when your apartment burst into flames that day. You were all over the news.”
“Did it hurt when you died?” Tokiwa interjected, trying to hold both his shoulders for comfort despite her below-average stature. “There was so much I wanted to thank you for, and I never got the chance.”
Hajime raised his hands, wishing for them to give him space to recollect his thoughts at the time of his admittedly morbid demise. “Slow down, it was nothing. I didn’t feel as much as a tingle when I turned to ash, but I’m sure Mom was devastated beyond belief.”
“Yes, you’re right,” nodded Haruto. “How about we discuss more in our house? We live by the shore. The crashing waves are very soothing and perfect for any conversation.”
“With pleasure, Light Novel Boy!” Hajime replied, preparing himself for whatever wonders awaited him in a home possibly imbued with magic and whimsy. “So, you guys have teleport crystals or something? Or am I talking about a show your long-lost twin happened to be in? You better Link Start my jimmies, baby!”
He hoped that laughing at his own joke at the expense of Haruto’s striking resemblance to a character he didn’t like was still in good taste. Not even a stone-cold judge would ignore the bangs hanging between the eyes. Either way, Hajime got his answer from Tokiwa, who raised her hand to do the honors.
Her screen ushered in various outlandish items, from what seemed to be dragon claws to slime jam, neatly packed in Swordland’s scroll-down inventory mechanic. “Here it is!” she said, holding out her palm. The desired item materialized into a white envelope with a sword symbol. “This is a «Door Mail». It takes you anywhere as long as you write your destination.”
Now, that was convenient. If Agrima had a technologies division, they sure as hell needed to step up their game, not that he’d show them his Insta-Warp card for the sake of the mission. Blending in was his objective at the moment despite what his semi-fake screen had told him. He waited for what this envelope could do, noticing the words “HaruToki Residence” written in front.
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The «Door Mail» didn’t disappoint, luckily. In three seconds, it grew into multiple folds like crumpled origami until it became its intended purpose: a door. It had a surprising design, adorned with purple silhouettes of rose vines creeping on an arch with a bird’s nest on top. He couldn’t help but acknowledge it was fitting for their love, if only predictable.
“That’s a neat-looking door you’ve got there,” he said, crossing his arms as he observed a few more moments.
“Thanks. My Haruto thought of the idea. Now, let’s hop in. Oh, and don’t forget to say goodbye to Abram and Mila. They’re super sweet!”
Hajime let out a hearty laugh, eyes closed, remembering the brief moments they shared. “Oh, are they? In that case, I’ll have to move my dinner with them tomorrow.”
He wasn’t sure if the Whetstones felt robbed of getting to know the new warrior of light a bit more, considering it was their duty to help them learn the basics. Disclosing to them about what happened in the «Starting Forest» would only have them carry the unnecessary burden of responsibility. But after thanking Abram for suggesting another color for his blade, he thanked Mila even more for forging it in the first place, rubbing her head with a smile worth remembering for generations.
Without any more dallying, Hajime opened the door. His ears met with the sounds of seagulls cawing on the other side.
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Hajime couldn’t say they lied through their teeth about their current livelihood. Along the sands of pearly whiteness the same as his grin, the waters glistened so clearly under the moonlight that it appeared safe to drink and even make a cocktail out of. Eventually, the couple guided him to a lovely three-story cabana situated by the shore, as promised.
image [https://i.imgur.com/RlYwEzV.jpeg]
No matter how hard the waves tried to capsize their home, it stood tall with the same dignity as a millionaire’s villa, especially with its posts towering almost the same height. Walking up the stairs, he could already witness a sprawling infinity pool, which blended seamlessly with their traditional wooden architecture. Suddenly, he forgot he was in Swordland, reliving the times when his parents kept visiting Hawaii nearly every year.
Alas, the interior was a different story altogether, with what seemed to be two equally different personalities in each room. One room had a wall of countless bullseye targets, more than in a dart-throwing competition, while the other was a glorified collection of bamboo shinai as far as the eye could see. Then again, these two always made Hannibal Lecter look well-adjusted in their obsession.
Man, they need other hobbies. Hajime moved on to the next room, the living room, to be exact. Thankfully, it didn’t assault his eyes with another lack of conventional design; it was inviting, in fact. On each corner were pots of miniature palm trees, and the green velvet sofas perfectly accented the unpainted floorboards, shining in an ample coat of varnish.
There was also a bookshelf made entirely of bamboo, but he wasn’t keen on them filled with almanacs of pistol designs and kendo techniques. Only a small section had novels of pure fiction, and one of them was quite the page-turner, his fingers guiding him through a story about a boy who forged the sun to fight the darkness. If only that despicable Clovis were as stunning as this child.
Haruto entered the living room, carrying a plate of assorted delights, including the ever-so-important minced pie. “Please, have a seat. We have a lot to talk about. You were the only one who understood someone like Tokiwa, something I couldn’t see long ago.”
Hajime placed the book back where it belonged and paced himself around the room. “Nah, she’s got her own thing going on and owns it. I only wanted to know if I could hook you guys up: two different people from different backgrounds. But if I didn’t know her better, she’d be at my back right now with a stick ready to go up my—”
“Hiyaa!” Out of nowhere, but not unexpectedly, Tokiwa roared from behind with a shinai in hand.
He responded with his hand moving at a speed that no radar could ever hope to measure, the world again slowing like molasses in his eyes. And yet, with all that power, his fingers failed to get a tight grip on her wooden blade. He didn’t fully understand, but the change of wind resistance on his back made him assume it swayed the other direction before the last moment. Undoubtedly, she was in the same domain of speed as he was, if not higher.
Fortunately, since humans had two hands, Hajime switched to his left while turning around like an acrobat, successful in his flip. Sure enough, her blade wouldn’t go anywhere soon, with a mere pinch splintering the tip nearly into sawdust. “Smart moves, Kendo Girl. We really do have a lot to talk about.”
Tokiwa returned his excitement with her own grin, albeit with an aura of mischief no different from the manga protagonists they grew up reading. “The feeling’s mutual, Orca. I can’t wait to get stronger with you.”