Underdoctor - 6

[verdantgrove]

 Location: Yumenosaki School Route (Autumn)

Kuro: Hahahaha! What a wreck!

Keito: Hey, quit laughing at me! You’re utterly incorrigible! They’ve already sent it back, so I can’t do anything about that now.

I see why the two of you are here now too. I was caught off guard when you said you were getting materials to make costumes, considering the fact that we haven’t had any large-scale events lately, but I understand now.

Souma: Mhm. That is also why I am accompanying Kiryuu-dono on this outing.

Keito: Perfect timing, then. You two wouldn’t happen to have any stores that I wouldn’t typically visit in mind, would you?

Souma: Hm, hm… It is quite difficult for me to give you an answer when prompted so suddenly.

...Ah! What say you of visiting a storyteller’s theater, or another venue of that nature?

Keito: Unfortunately, I’ve been to theaters like that many times before. Well, not so often that it could be considered a hobby of mine or anything, but still.

Besides, I don’t think that’d be much of a departure from the answers I wrote that got the questionnaire sent back. Anzu was more polite in explaining this, but...

In short, I think it’s the case that there aren’t enough answers on my questionnaire that are typical activities for high school boys of this day and age. Something of the “norm”— a template, so to speak.

I do have some basic awareness as to what sort of things aren’t typical for modern teenage boys to do, after all.

Souma: Hmm… This is a troublesome task indeed. I am extraordinarily ignorant as to what is considered “modern”...

Keito: We’re in the same situation, then. I do have a vague idea of what’s trending, but I can’t come up with somewhere we can go on the spot. I was nearly on the verge of admitting that I’m completely lost on what to do.

Kuro: You don’t have to make this harder than it needs to be, ya know? I think we should take a nice little stroll through the area. If ya see somethin’ that catches your eye, we can go take a quick look.

I think that alone would be a pretty shocking thing for ya to do, Hasumi.

Keito: Hm? Is that something you usually do?

Kuro: I wouldn’t say so. But I used to go for walks with a buddy of mine pretty much all the time back in middle school, and ain’t it enough to at least walk around the place?

I never had any money back then, so I couldn’t go into too many stores. On the other hand, I had more time than I knew what to do with, so I really couldn’t do much else.

Keito: Hmm. It’s absolutely not in my nature to spend my time wandering around aimlessly like that. I can’t help but feel like I’m wasting time.

Souma: I as well. I would much prefer to have some clear purpose in my meandering, at the very least...

Kuro: Which is why this is already out of the norm for you guys. Plus, it’s fun to walk around with nothin’ to do sometimes.

Keito: Really? Well, given that the goal here is to walk around with nothing to do, I can’t go home before I’ve done that.

Kuro: You’re bein’ so uptight. Anyway, are we good? We’re gonna be on the lookout while we’re walkin’ around. If either of you spota place that catches your eye, we’ll go check it out.

This is what they call a detour on the way home, see? We can just stop by that kimono shop that Kanzaki recommended while we’re out.

Keito: Hm? You two are coming with me too?

Kuro: You bet. I’d get all worried about ya if you were by yourself. Besides, Kanzaki told me I need to rest. This’ll be the perfect change of pace.

Souma: Precisely! I do not doubt that it was fate that brought you to encounter us here. Let us all go together!

Kuro: All of us have had our schedules packed with jobs and events for ages. It’d be pretty nice to spend some time together after school, just the three of us for once, don’t ya think?

Keito: Hmph. Though I’m reluctant to be treated like a child… It would be nice indeed.

They do say that you’ll have more fun when you’re with friends, after all. How perfectly apt of a saying.

Location: Downtown

Kuro: Ooh. There’s an arcade here. Wanna go have a match on one of their games?

Souma: I have not had many past experiences with “geemu”. However, it appears to me that many of those in my “kurasu” have quite the fondness for them.

What sorts of “geemu” does that establishment have to offer?

I have heard talk of “bokushingu geemu”1 from Oogami-dono, though if there is such a thing as a “geemu” involving the art of iaido2, I would quite like to try my hand at it.

Kuro: ...Never seen a game like that before.

Souma: Truly…? How unfortunate. Were there such a “geemu” in existence, I am confident that I would emerge undefeated.

Keito: Come to think of it, my class went to an arcade at Eichi’s suggestion once. I only stopped by for a brief moment, however.3

I wonder what kind of games they were playing then.

Hey, Kiryuu. I’m not very acquainted with playing games either, so are there any games here that Kanzaki and I should be able to handle?

Kuro: Ooh, okay… What about a racing game? That’s somethin’ we can all play together.

You gotta drive insanely fast through a track. The first one to get to the end wins. The rules are pretty straightforward.

Souma: I have no experience with automobiles, but surely it is necessary that we use some sort of transportation, yes? If that is the case, I often ride on horseback, ergo handling vehicles is second nature to me!

Anyhow, the objective is simply to be the first to arrive at the “gooru” as well! How very straightforward!

Keito: For a second there, I was worried you’d suggest we play the game with that UFO-looking thing over there. I don’t even know what kind of game that’s supposed to be in the first place…

Anyway, I should be able to play a racing game without much issue. Let’s try that.

<15 minutes later>

Souma: Are not horses and automobiles both considered methods of transport?! Yet the way in which you handle them could not be more different!

And to think that you would throw the shell of a turtle at me!

Is this not intended to be a lawful race, one where it is simply raw speed which carries one to victory?! Are you truly satisfied with a race as riddled with underhanded tactics as that Dragon King Competition?!

Keito: Utterly incorrigible! What kind of racing game has an item that fragments the road into pieces?! You made me get fished up by that strange creature on its cloud more times than I could count!4

Kuro: ...My bad. There weren’t any other racing games at this arcade, so what can ya do?

Let’s pull ourselves together and then head somewhere else.

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TL Notes:

1: boxing games

2: Iaido is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes awareness and quick movements of one’s blade in response to sudden attacks. More here. 

3: Reference to WANTED!!!

4: The racing game they are playing seems to be a reference to Mario Kart.

Proofread by 310mc and Amagiiz.