PHASE 2 - HOW TO WIN A FRIEND

There’s something different from this girl’s eyes. Her sclera has this glowing bright cross sigil. It was excessively gorgeous, and no words can sufficiently describe it.

“T-Tiara Hikari, right?” I have to make sure.

“Y-Yes!” Tiara bowed with reddish cheeks. “I-I’m sorry if I took so long in rescuing you!”

“I-I’m fine, thanks to you.” I scratched my head and looked away. Gosh, this is so awkward. I believe I also have my face red.

Tiara pushed her face to scan me. “Are you hurt?”

“N-No, I’m fine,” I said.

I felt that there’s some warm blood flowing to my lips. It’s probably my nose since the bloody cotton swabs have been ejected from me a while ago.

Tiara made a serious but slightly mad face. She even had her hands on her hips, ready to unleash a sermon. Now her pure and shy figure has been replaced with the overly-protective nanny.

“I don’t trust guys who always say that they’re fine when they are not.” She said, and then she put her soft warm fingers on the tip of my nose. Her hand glowed green, and there is some sort of refreshing menthol sensation on my sinuses. Then the pain finally stopped.

“Just so you know, my bleeding nose was not due to that monster. That was because I got my nose punched by a girl earlier…”

Tiara’s eyes became round and big. “I-I-I’m sorry about that…” Then she bowed once again. “I...couldn’t resist myself punching a rude guy…”

“Just so you’re cute doesn’t mean that you can punch a guy that you barely know…”

Tiara’s face went full strawberry when she heard that. I can see steam bursting out from her ears! “Y-You’re the f-first person who told m-me I’m cute…”

“You’re really strange…” I sighed. “Anyway, what happened to the world?” I pointed the red moon that has been there for a long time.

“O-Oh I forgot to return you to the Earth Realm!” She clasped her hands softly.

She swiped her fingers in the thin air, and a white dimension rift opened. Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light from the portal, and everything became...normal.

The streets are now busy with vehicular engines. The night has been brightened by the city lights, and we are nowhere in the typical bus terminal. Tiara and I are the only ones seating here, but we are not completely alone. There may be no passengers but there are now people on the ticket counters and bus drivers. Seeing so many people have never made me relieved than before.

“J-Just who the heck are you?” I asked the shrine maiden-looking girl beside me.

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“I…” Tiara made a long pause.

“I’m a witch!” She made a bright smile.

A witch? Considering what happened earlier… Her monstrous strength, her ability to create a golden dragon from her fist, her powers to heal wounds, and her weird outfit… She’s maybe one. But when Tiara noticed that I was convinced immediately, she changed her answer.

“I’m just kidding!” She let out a soft chuckle. “I can do all these things because I’m cursed!”

I made my face so doubted that I wanted to punch this girl.

“C-Come on, I’m joking.” She made that puppy eyes again when she realized that I’m annoyed.

“I am a Gate Guardian.”

I kept my silence, waiting for her to change her answer once again. But I think this time, she’s telling the truth since she continued her story.

“We Gate Guardians have the duty to protect the world from super duper evil monsters called Eidolons. Eidolons are the embodiment of sins of mankind. Once the Eidolon gets enough power, they can possess a human, and that human will do a really bad thing! Oh, I forgot to explain about the place called Yami… Earlier, you were transferred to the dimension called Yami. This is where the Eidolons hunt for their victims. Yami is a dimension where it is always dark and there is a gigantic blood moon.”

Tiara’s explanation is really disorienting but I get it. It’s like those cliches about magical girls fighting astral spirits. Being an otaku helped me a lot to digest the situation.

She pushed her face towards mine once again. But this time, she held both of my hand. Does she even know the meaning of personal space!? Anyway, her hands are soft so I won’t complain. For now…

“P-Please don’t tell my secret to anyone else!” There go her puppy eyes again.

“I would sell this information to the social media,” I said with a smirk. “The world will know the identity of a real superhero”

“P-Please don’t!” She shrieked. “I-I will do everything for you, just don’t tell anyone else!”

“F-Fine, I’m just kidding about that. It would be rude of me to disclose the name of the person who saved me from an Eidolon, right?”

“Thanks!” She let out a tearful smile as if she just saw a long lost lover.

I was starting to get thirsty so I went to the vending machine and got two bottled fizzy drinks. I gave out the other bottle to Tiara, who appeared to be dried out herself. FIghting those monsters must be tough for her.

“T-Thank you for this.” She said to me and then proceeded to open the bottle of soft drink and then gulped it in one go! This girl is weird in all angles!

“Uumm... “ Tiara spoke softly. “Can I… Can I be your friend?”

I was silenced. I was dumbstruck by the foolishness of this person. There’s no person in reality who would ask permission to be your ‘friend’ because asking is so awkward and stupid. Friends come without any formal declaration and crappy announcements. Anyone who begs for friendship is a retarded antisocial.

It requires guts to ask this especially to me, who has a bad reputation for socializing. I might give her a credit. So I nodded slowly, accepting this troublesome request.

“Thanks!” She gave out a bright smile again. “Now we do the Friendly Handshake!”

“W-What the f-” I was cut when she grabbed my right hand and started to shake it up and down together with the beat of her song.

“A-la-ric~ The name of my new friend~Oh I’m so glad that I’ve met him~” Then she chuckled like a child.

I was a little embarrassed with that cheesy song and gesture, but her sweet voice made it sound like a nursery rhyme.

It’s so easy to make this girl smile, but I admit that she’s too repetitive saying the word thanks all the time. I’m slightly annoyed.

“You’re my first friend in the outside world.” She bowed down.

The environment was filled with awkwardness and silence. I can’t comment on anything since I figured that this girl is purely lonely. I don’t even know if I should have pity or I must cringe.

After about a minute, there was an announcement, signaling that the bus will finally depart. I stood up and looked at her puppy eyes.

“It’s time for me to go home, Tiara.”

“Y-Yes. See ya tomorrow!” She had both of her hands waving at me. I made a single wave back as I took my first step on the bus. Tiara then shouted, “Be safe on your way home!”

I just replied with a smile.

<>

It’s been a half hour since I departed from Dradecim City. I leaned on the bus window and watched the silhouettes of the trees pass by in this not-so well lit place.

Eidolons, Yami, and Gate Guardians. This world is sure full of mysteries. Even Tiara Hikari is a mystery herself.

Tiara is so pure, elegant, beautiful and cute. I didn’t expect that she has a big secret that was easily exposed on her first day in the Dradecim High School. She may be an airhead but she still saved my life. Thinking those things makes my heart flutter.

Wait, I should prevent myself from falling in love again! Always remember Alaric, girls love to play games! I should be wary of girls who try to hit me! Sure, Tiara has a great figure and a really adorable face, but I should stop myself from falling into a trap!

Always remember! 2D girls are better than 3D!