Hurricane

Hurricanes are the third scariest natural disaster in my opinion. Tsunamis and earthquakes have to be rated as first and second respectively, but hurricanes finish in a strong third place. Honestly that's not too bad if you think about it, I am after all in a solid third place when it comes to literature scores in my class. Tsunamis and earthquakes can be extremely deadly so it's only natural to fear them the most. A Hurricane's powerful winds are nothing to scoff at, but they are far less deadly than walls of water or falling buildings.

"…Hello? Hikigaya? Earth to Hikigaya"

That being said I'd much prefer to deal with an earthquake or, hell, even a collapsing skyscraper right now. Unfortunately, I find myself caught in raging winds I couldn't have predicted when I set out this morning. In fact, I don't remember hearing anything on the weather channel about Hurricane Orimoto blowing through!

"You're struck dumb? Hilarious!"

Now that I think about it, a forecasting service that tells people where unpleasant interactions are likely to happen would be useful indeed. Though for me, I'd expect a map which showed all of Japan to be a dull gray. An indication of the rotten society which we live in. Wow, that was quite the nostalgic utterance there wasn't it? Perhaps middle school never ends… Well, I guess a part of me thought that was cool. 10 Hachiman points.

"Hikigaya… all kidding aside, I'd like an answer."

Why Gods?! Why would you throw this situation at me? I'm not sure what I did to earn your ire, but I'll do anything to get back in your good graces. I'll beg, I'll grovel, I'll even tutor Yuigahama without complaint! Well… I honestly wouldn't be able to do the last one. But give me a possible challenge, and there's nothing I won't do to get out of this situation!

"…Uh… I …"

Please give me a sign. Tell me what you want me to do, oh mighty Gods of Romantic Comedy.

"Look, that employee just put a sale sign in the window! That café is doing a 50% sale! Come on, just come sit with me."

Damn you.

That's not what I meant Gods and you know it…

"Ah, okay…" Well I might as well not anger them anymore. Perhaps their directions will become clear in here. Or maybe there will be a chance for me to escape somehow.

Following Orimoto at a slow gait, I entered the café. Resigned to my fate, I decided to get a good sense of what type of café this was. From the lack of uniforms, the patrons seemed to be mainly college students, almost exclusively couples. Looking up, I saw the name of the establishment "Café Mucho Amore". Dear God, it didn't get much worse than that. The 50% sale didn't seem quite so appealing, or even very surprising. I'd normally only eat a place like this if they were the ones paying me. Obviously that never happened, so I'd never normally eat here.

Yet here I was sitting morosely.

Lost in thought, I'd somehow missed key events occurring around me. My eyes met Orimoto's first, and a slightly annoyed waiter second. Crap, they likely want my order. Sorry Mr. Waiter!

"…Uh, a coffee please."

"Very good then sir."

Heh. Not a bad recovery if I do say so myself. Though, I really shouldn't have been so distracted in the first place. But what can you expect from me. I still felt as though I hadn't recovered from her words. How was it in any way fair that she gets access to so much CC?! I've been disabled by her 'speech' move for like 10 minutes now!

I looked over at her, the long silence only now registering as strange. Well not strange for me certainly, but definitely worrying given the person seated across from me. Her gaze was firmly planted outside. She seemed focused on the blue sky speckled with clouds out the window. Her brown eyes suddenly swiveled and locked onto mine. A slight blush ran across her face and she squirmed just a bit in her seat. Any normal man would be putty at this point, but I'm not just any man… I'm a Chiba man! Strong, composed, attentive! I was not going to be bested, I was going to walk away from this, no matter what plan she had in mind.

I began my counterassault "So what have you been up to as of lately?"

A grin flashed across her face, it appeared that my choice of topic had been successful. I needed this hurricane to be pointed somewhere, anywhere, else.

While she appeared to be smiling, there was a certain hardness that came over her features.

"Trying to change the subject now Hikigaya of all times? That's so like you, Hilarious!"

A perfect parry, shit. That was good on her part. Oh no, perhaps that was too good on her part. How can I deflect any more, especially when she called me out on it so blatantly? Curse you Orimoto, your bluntness has once again foiled me. I suppose I'll just have to-

"Let me try this again, I need an answer this time. Please Hikigaya, I know I'm being selfish… I wouldn't even blame you if you hated me. I've changed though, and I can't handle this feeling of needing to know. It sounds stupid, but I feel like a have a chance… a chance with you for something genuine."

I don't know if that was her or my emphasis on that last word. I just remember putting my coffee down very gently with perfect grace, not unlike a robot programmed to do that task, and that task alone. I sat absolutely transfixed at this girl. Once I thought that she everything I despised. The Orimoto I remember from middle school was shallow, dumb, and even cruel. But that was wrong, I was wrong. After getting to a see a different side of her after the Christmas pageant, my image of her had improved somewhat. That didn't mean I could have predicted this from her. Our goals were the same, she wanted something genuine as well? What did that mean?

Rudely interrupting my thoughts, I felt a pressure. Not a painful one, completely the opposite actually. It was a hand that had snaked into my own, one that was pale and delicate. I glanced at it, mostly to ensure myself that life was actually unfolding in front of me. That I wasn't dreaming or dying in some hospital bed, only thinking about what could have been. I felt that pressure though, undeniably pushing the idea that this was real, and that I had to do something.

I couldn't do this of course. Logic told me clearly that this was a very, very, very bad idea. I'd been torn asunder by this girl before, and I'd be damned if I let that happen again. I had to tell her that she was being ludicrous, and that I didn't even know where I could possibly begin. Resolutely raising my eyes to hers I had everything I needed to say all planned out.

Upon making eye-contact with her, my schemes were immediately blown away.

She was an open book to me. Brown eyes with small drops of water swimming in them, ready at any moment to break free and mar that beautiful face. A crimson blush, so deep that you could put a diving board above it and call it an Olympic pool. Tiny, almost imperceptible, movements of her hands and face belying an unmistakable nervous energy that was venting itself anywhere it could find an outlet. But her gently trembling hand never let go, not even for a second. But that blush didn't go away, not even for a second. And those eyes never wavered off mine, not even for a second. She was locked onto me, every fiber of her being held in limbo just waiting for a response. It was like she thought my answer was the most important thing in the world.

"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face" was the saying that immediately came to mind. If I remembered correctly that was one from Mike Tyson, and how right he was. It was a little different in my case however. Instead of being punched in the face, I was socked in the heart. Hurricane Orimoto had torn my defenses to shreds. One powerful gust was all it had really taken to tear every word and plan out of my head and scatter them to the four corners of the world.

Three things happened at once. I'd like to say that they were… acts of nature, and therefore out of my hands. But that is, I suppose, deflecting responsibility for my role in all this.

First, I realized that no matter how hard I had tried to push her out of my mind, there was still a part of me that was interested in Orimoto. One that had grown since the Christmas pageant where I'd learned there was more to her than meets the eye.

Second, I felt myself squeeze her hand in mine. I'd like to think that I did it to try and calm her, and prevent any sort of scene. Realistically though I think I might have been scared that she would take her hand back. That pressure stirred up emotions I had blocked out for so long. There was a beast, unfed and angry in me. Taking advantage of his prison being destroyed and his captor distracted, the disgusting vigor of youth I'd stashed away deep inside took his chance.

Third, I threw myself upon my own funeral pyre. Not literally, though I do certainly wish I had right about now. Rather, I found myself agreeing to her request.

"I don't know if it's what you really want… But I'd be happy to go on a date tomorrow. It's not like I've got any plans anyway."

The smile she gave me was something I'll never forget. With the orange tint of a sunset just beginning its descent behind the horizon her brown eyes shown gold. Her smile was wider than I'd ever seen it, not that I'd seen it all that much before that.

"That's how you respond to a confession? That's gotta be the least cool way to do it Hikigaya, Hilarious!"

My trance like state was broken with that remark. What have I done? What am I getting myself into? How do I explain this? Do I need to explain this? Looking up towards Orimoto to ask one of the hundreds of questions bubbling away in my brain I saw her looking out the window at the clouds rolling in. After a moment she noticed my gaze and turned to me.

She smiled at me again. God what a smile, I can't look away.

The silence after our conversation lasted a long time. It stretched past the splitting of the bill. It stretched past the walk to her house. It only ended with a slightly blushing Orimoto turning to me to wave goodbye.

"Thanks for listening to my request, Hikigaya… I'll see you tomorrow right?"

I realized I was staring at my last chance to back out. But I found myself only further drawn in.

"Yeah" I merely grunted.

"Let me have your phone for a second… There we go, just email me if something comes up! Good night Hikigaya"

"…Goodnight Orimoto."

And so here I am lying in bed unable to close my eyes. Well not unable I suppose. It's just that the day replays itself every time I do. I want to die of embarrassment and jump for joy. Tomorrow is going to be the longest day of my life with or without rest. I'd really much rather sleep right now though. Thankfully I think that exhaustion will eventually overpower my adrenalin. Before I finally pass into the land of dreams I make a final prayer to my most important God, one who I know can help me.

Dear Lord,

Orimoto may be the most overpowered character I've ever run across. She's got a stun, a taunt, a snare, and I haven't even seen her ultimate yet. This is beyond OP, this is borderline game-breaking! Icefrog-sama, please nerf this character!

P.s.

Please buff Tusk.

And with that, I am asleep.