CHAPTER 8

I’ve arrived back in my original world – World B. Daisuke and Kaneko-san agreed to help me out again today. I told them the situation beforehand – Yuki-san was being blackmailed by some loan sharks. To be honest, I didn’t really have a solid plan for today. It didn’t matter though, since I focused only on convincing Yuki-san to change. Maybe if we somehow managed to get the authorities or adults involved then maybe she wouldn’t have to worry anymore about the debt.

“What took you two so long?”

Daisuke and Kaneko-san run up to me. Daisuke looked as if he was going to keel over. Kaneko-san on the other hand, barely managed to break a sweat.

“S-Sorry Kaz, i-it’s just y’know…we’re dealing with the “Ice Witch.” said Daisuke with reluctance.

It seemed that my two friends were still in doubt about this.

I’m going to need to fire them up!

“Guys, I know I may be asking a lot. But Yuki-san is in dire need of our help.”

“B-But what can we do? We’re just some high schoolers…” said a discouraged Kaneko-san.

It’s true we were only high schoolers. But even if none of the adults listened, it’s up to us to make change.

“Yuki-san’s been going at it alone her whole life. If we can get her to open up, then maybe we can save her from the debt.” I explain.

“It’s not going to be easy, and I understand if you guys want to back out now.”

I turn my back away from them, and look up into the clear blue sky. It was a beautiful sunny day. I didn’t want to force Daisuke and Kaneko-san into this. Who knows what might happen.

Can I really save Yuki-san…?

Suddenly, I feel a hand placed on my shoulder.

“C’mon idiot, what kind of friends wouldn’t help you?” said Kaneko-san.

“W-Well in that c-case, see ya!-“

Daisuke was about to run off, until Kaneko-san grabbed his collar and held him in place. She was close to knocking out the knucklehead.

“I-I’m kidding!” joked Daisuke.

Sure you were.

Comedy routine aside, it seemed that our squad was ready. The only thing now was to confront Yuki-san in class.

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“U-Uh…I-I have no idea where Yuki-san is…” said class president.

Tsubasa Takemi, the class president, was always class president according to the people that knew her. She was pretty much chosen because of that. With her clear-framed glasses, she reminded me of a librarian. She was clumsy, always misplacing her glasses somewhere, and as a result, had multiple back-up pairs just in case.

“Do you have any ideas where she went class president?” I asked her. Surely someone must have seen her around.

Class president shakes her head.

“S-She never showed up. I-I’m gonna get in trouble if she keeps missing classes…”

That’s weird…

Yuki-san if I recall has never missed a day of class. This must be the first time she’s ever been absent.

“Just where could she have gone…?” said Kaneko-san.

I walk to my desk in class to think. As I’m sitting here, I try to visualize Yuki-san sitting in front of me, with her long black hair draped across her shoulders. I bury my face into my arms and think.

Think. Where could she have gone?

“Oh! I’ll go check the spot you got rejected Kaz!” as Daisuke slaps me on the back.

Y-You didn’t have to say that so loudly.

“K-Kazuki?”

I lift my head up to see Kaneko-san sitting in Yuki-san’s chair. Her face expressed concern, with her brow furrowed.

“W-Why don’t we walk around and try to find her? Sitting here isn’t going to do anything…” as she twiddles her fingers.

That sounds like a good idea.

Kaneko-san and I exit class 2-B, and decide to walk around the school, hopefully figuring out any information about Yuki-san’s whereabouts. However, it was pretty awkward that the whole hallway was filled with Valentines’ Day decorations. Pink and shades of red hearts were plastered all over the walls. She walks by my side, and for some reason Kaneko-san was eerily quiet.

“H-Hey! It seems like we’re gonna be busy this semester.” Kaneko-san tries to break the silence.

“Yeah.” I respond apathetically. My mind was still thinking where Yuki-san could have gone.

“The school festival is actually going to be coming up…”

“You’re gonna tie your shoes right?” she teases.

“Shut up…” I sigh.

I dreaded the school festival coming up. Last year I was a replacement for a relay race, and when it was my turn, I tripped right before the finish line. Needless to say, Kaneko-san wasn’t happy that I blew it.

Maybe this year I can redeem myself…

Kaneko-san suddenly stops in her tracks.

“What’s wrong?”

She was looking down, but I could see that her face was turning slightly pink for some reason. She was twirling her blonde hair with her fingers.

“W-What are you g-gonna do for…” as she mumbles off.

“For what?” I asked her.

Kaneko-san’s face is now red like a tomato. I could feel heat escaping her body, like she was a human kettle pot. She lightly slaps her face in order to compose herself. She takes a deep breath.

“W_What are you g-gonna do for Val- I mean! The school festival?!?” she asked with embarrassment.

Is she really embarrassed about reminding me that I screwed up last year at the race…?

“Um… I have no idea what our class is gonna do.”

Every class was required to do some sort of event. Popular ideas included restaurants, staging a play, games, etc. Class president was probably going to figure something out for class 2-B.

“Maybe…you should do a café. I’ll look forward to trying out your coffee Kazuki.”

I was never much of a coffee drinker, but caffeinated herbal drinks were the regular in my family due to my father’s eccentric purchases.

“Wait, didn’t you say you’d never drink caffeinated drinks?” I reminded her.

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“I’ll make an exception only if it’s good. So you better not mess up dummy.” she smiles.

This kind of playful banter helped alleviated a bit of my stress. Akane would probably help me make the best coffee in the other world. If only Yuki-san could experience this as well.

*RING*

I feel a vibration in my pocket and see my phone had a notification.

“No. She’s not here Kaz.” texted Daisuke.

Think.

If she’s definitely not here, then she must be somewhere. I rack my brain to figure out points of interest, but nothing comes to mind.

“Wait! Speaking of cafes, maybe she’s at the café right now? She must be working extra today in order to pay off the debt quicker!” I suggested.

“Y-Yeah! She has to be there!” agreed Kaneko-san.

It was a bit weird how we came to the conclusion, but nonetheless, our plan had changed. We couldn’t leave Yuki-san alone. Every second counted.

“I have to head over to the café right now. It’s my only chance at finding Yuki-san.” I said

Kaneko-san smiles, and her face changes to a smug expression.

“Y’know, you owe me big for ditching class. Idiot.”

She was willing to tarnish her perfect attendance for me.

I owe her big now.

Suddenly we see an out-of-breath Daisuke appear behind us.

“Y-You’ll…need…backup…loverboy.”

Daisuke looks like he was about to pass out, but Kaneko-san simply kicks him back into his normal self. So the plan was to go to the Purrfect Café.

Yuki-san, please be there!

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The three of us finally arrive at the café after completing our journey across town. Although we did get some strange stares from people since we had our school uniforms on, nobody bothered us. I’m standing outside this familiar door, and I take a deep breath before I enter.

Let’s do this.

I enter first, followed by Kaneko-san and Daisuke. Strangely, Felix-chan, the tubby cat was missing from his usual spot. Instead, I noticed he was hiding inside his cage. Upon closer observation, I notice that most of the guests around us were rushing out the door.

“W-What’s goin’ on?!?” asked Kaneko-san.

Who’s that guy?

“Shaddup stupid manager! If I want to talk to the girl, I will.” said a raspy voice.

I step past the waiting area and move closer to the center of the café. I see three men in flamboyant suits, all sporting various jewelry and gold chains. One man’s suit sported an intricate white tiger pattern, while the other two were short and tall respectively. The man in the white tiger suit, who I assume was their leader, is holding manager-san by the collar, lifting his pudgy figure off the ground.

“Y-You c-can’t! Akane-chan isn’t here!” manager-san said hoarsely.

“I know she’s here, otherwise I’m gonna search every nook and cranny here for her!” he shouts. He then looks at the other two henchmen.

The two men understood, and quickly began to trash the café.

I have to stop them.

The big burly man started flipping the cat tables upside down, while the smaller man readied his bat against the cat posters on the wall.

“C’mon Kanji, they’re too cute to smash…”

I wanted to intervene, but like Daisuke and Kaneko-san, we were all trembling in fear. My legs were shaking, and I could see that Kaneko-san quietly stepped behind me, quietly watching the chaos.

I must not run away!

I muster my courage and move my legs forward, only to be stopped by a familiar voice.

“Let him go!”

There was silence in the room. The three troublemakers froze.

It’s Yuki-san!

She was dressed in her frilly cat/maid outfit. Unlike her usual cold and emotionless demeanor, this was the first time that she looked worried, as I noticed that her face was struck with fear.

“Please…don’t hurt manager-san.” as she kept her head low.

“Well, well…”

The man in the white tiger suit throws manager-san towards Yuki-san, who catches his fall.

“I’m sorry…Akane-chan…” as manager-san faints in her arms. Yuki-san clutches his body, and then lays him down on the floor. She stands up, this time with determination. Her fists were curling from rage, and she was about to let the troublemakers know of her fury.

“I told you! I will have the money by the end of the month. Do not come back to this place again…” as she holds back her tears. “Or hurt anyone…please.” she pleads.

The man in the white tiger suit walks towards Yuki-san.

“You really have your father’s eyes y’know…” as he grabs Yuki-san’s face to inspect it. “It’ll be a shame if he couldn’t be able to see you again…”

Yuki-san slaps away the man’s hand. He clutches his hand in pain, as he did not expect her to retaliate.

“Ha! Just like your old man. I like it when they have a little fight in them!” he teases.

The two henchmen wait for the orders to continue ransacking the café, but the man in the white tiger suit waves them off.

“I think you might have left me a bruise princess!” as he sarcastically rubs his hand. “Just for that, let’s say…an additional 10,000 dollars to pay off the medical expenses, along with this month’s payment of course!” The man grins maliciously ear to ear.

Yuki-san falls to her knees. Her face was red from the sudden rush of blood. Her eyes become blank, like she was in a broken state of mind.

“T-There’s no w-way I could pay that off…”

The three henchmen surround her.

“Well then…you’ll just have to pay another way!”

The three of us were still frozen from fear. But, I made a promise that I came here to save Yuki-san. I was not going to stand idly by anymore.

“WAITTTTTT!”

The three troublemakers turn their heads, trying to locate the origin of the sudden outburst. Finally, they turn their attention towards me. I step forward, moving closer to them.

“Who’s this kid?” said the small man with the bat.

The man in the white tiger suit walks closer to me. He must have been as tall as Daisuke was. I could see multiple tattoos etched across his arm. He grins at me, revealing a single gold tooth.

“What do we have here? Must be a group of students playing hooky?” he says to my face.

“Looks like we got witnesses boss!” said the burly man as he points to Daisuke and Kaneko-san still at the entrance.

The man in the white tiger suit sighs. I interrupted his twisted idea of fun.

“Whaddaya want kid?” he apathetically asks me.

I mustn’t run away.

“I’ll take the debt!” I scream.

“What are you doin’ Kaz?!?” expressed Daisuke.

Don’t worry, I’ll take the debt from Yuki-san.

I had no idea how I was going to do it, but what mattered the most was getting everyone out of here safely. Yuki-san was still on the floor, but this time surprised at my sudden outburst.

“Ha!” as the three thugs burst into laughter.

“Ah kid! You crack me up. You’re gonna take this strange girl’s debt?” the man in the white tiger suit laughs. “It’s not your problem, punk.” he threatens.

My inner sense of justice couldn’t let this slide. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I couldn’t save one person. What kind of hero would I be if I stood idly by while someone was in peril?

“Hmm?”

Suddenly the big burly man reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. He quickly answers it and promptly hangs up.

“Boss! We have to go now! Something’s going down, meet up at the abandoned factory.” he shouts.

The man in the white tiger suit looked disappointed.

“Just when I was having so much fun…” he sighs. “Consider yourself lucky kid.”

He pushes me aside, and heads towards the exit with his two henchmen.

“Oh!” as he turns back to face me.

“I’ll be taking this cute little guy!” The man in the white tiger suit snaps his fingers. One of the henchmen locks the cage Felix was in. I hear a loud ear-piercing shriek from the café’s mascot.

“N-No! Not Felix!” as Yuki-san finally stands up.

“See ya, Akane-chan!” as man in the white tiger suit walks out. I can hear the sound of tires screeching as they drive off.

Oh no!

Yuki-san runs out of the café to chase them down, but it was too late. The rest of us exit the café, only to see Yuki-san on her knees, teary eyed. She quickly wipes her tears away and confronts me.

“You idiot! I told you never to come here again!” she shouts at me.

This wasn’t supposed to happen…

Her scowl makes me want to look away. Yuki-san was angry, and it was all because of me.

“You are ruining my life, just leave me alone!” as she points her finger at me.

She brushes me off, and then runs off in the other direction.

Some hero of justice I am.

“Where did those jerks go?” Kaneko-san said, with a vein popping out of her forehead.

“I think…I heard them say something about an abandoned factory.” I replied.

Daisuke and Kaneko-san had a look of surprise on their faces. They couldn’t believe I managed to get that considering all the commotion in the café. It was moments like this that my perfect hearing was useful. I suddenly feel a push forward from behind.

“Then go get her idiot!” encouraged Daisuke.

I start running as fast as I could, in order to find Yuki-san and Felix.

“Call us if you find anything! We’ll be looking around too!”

Please! Let me save Yuki-san.

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I…need…a…minute.

I try to catch my breath. My body felt exhausted running around all day, but I couldn’t give up now. Our search is going into the night. Kaneko-san and Daisuke have been updating me, and their leads went nowhere. I’ve ran across town, hoping to run into Yuki-san along the way, but no luck.

Oh yeah…

I realize that I was by the split of the road. This was where my accident occurred. My head began to pound, and I wince at the sharp pain. My legs couldn’t move. I’m petrified in fear since this was the spot where I nearly died. This is where all my weird dreams, the world hopping power, and meeting Akane started. It was getting difficult to breathe, as I clutch my chest with my hand. The night was silent, aside from some cicadas, but then there was an odd sound. It sounded like something was ringing nearby.

Almost like a bell…?

I try to recall my memories, and remember Felix’s collar.

Didn’t he have a bell on his collar?

Although it was unlikely, this was the only lead I had. I followed the sound of the bell, finding myself at an abandoned factory. I peek inside one of the many holes of the building, and see it was empty. Upon closer inspection, I can see a huge space filled with boxes of various sizes, and something placed directly in the center, underneath the moonlight.

“Found him!”

No doubt it was Felix! He was still trapped inside his cage. I pull out my cell phone, only to see that I have zero reception.

Just my luck…

The whole building was empty. Maybe I could quickly maneuver through and escape with Felix in hand. However, it just seemed too simple. The three thugs were nowhere to be found, so maybe this was a trap? I’m running out of time, and I have to make a decision.

I’ll go get Felix, and then get out. Once I have reception, I’ll call the others and let them know where I am.

Still, the only thing that was unaccounted for was Yuki-san. I haven’t run into her yet.

Felix first. I have to go now!

I pump myself up and take a deep breath.

Hero of justice, hero of justice, hero of justice.

I stand up and execute my mission.