Boogiepop Returns VS Imaginator Part 1 by Kouhei Kadono Read Free Book Online Page B

ought to at least have lunch.” I showed her the bag.
    “But you didn't like waiting.”
    'Not really. But if. . .” I'm with you, I've got no time to be bored. . . I started to say, but got embarrassed, and fell silent.
    “What?” Orihata asked, head to one side.
    “. . . So, uh, what'll you have? I brought a bunch so you could choose. . . what do you like?”
    “Anything.”
    “You like everything?”
    “I have no right to dislike anything.”
    There she went again with the cryptic stuff. I couldn't get her to explain this. It was like her heart was locked down somewhere, and I couldn't get in.
    So I grabbed a double cheeseburger at random and handed it to her, and began scarfing down a hot dog myself.
    She began nibbling at the burger, neither reluctantly nor happily. I felt like I was feeding a rabbit, which made me uncomfortable.
    I finished my hot dog in three bites, and had nothing left to do. My eyes wandered upwards towards the sky.
    Suddenly, Orihata looked at my face, and exclaimed, “Ah!” Before I even had time to wonder why, she reached up, her face came close to mine, and she licked the ketchup off the side of my mouth. . . with her tongue!
    I was stunned. She looked like nothing at all had happened.
    “Now you're clean.”
    She wasn't at all embarrassed, and she wasn't joking around either. It was as if she had decided her tongue would be the most effective tool, since her hands were busy holding the burger. Her job complete, she turned her attention back to eating again.
    Meanwhile, I had turned bright, bright red.
    I'm not sure how many hours we waited, but at some point we finally managed to make it into the theater. And before I knew it, the movie was over. I couldn't tell you a single thing that happened -- I spent the entire time in a complete daze.
    When I snapped out of it, we were outside, and it was already night.
    All it took was Orihata telling me, “Bye,” outside the theater to bring my attention crashing back to reality.
    “Eh? Going home already?” I'm sure I sounded a little whiney.
    Orihata looked a little surprised. “But. . . we already saw the movie.”
    “Yeah, but. . . we could go to a cafe or something,” l said, wistfully.
    “Really?”
    “Of course! It'll be on me!”
    “Not the money. . . you don't think I'm boring?”
    'No, not at all!” I said, flustered. I thought she must be angry with me, since I'd been so out of it.
    But Orihata looked relieved, and said, “Good. I was worried. I thought you hated me.”
    I never in a million years thought she would say that, so I panicked a little. We somehow made it into a nearby cafe, Tristan , ordered some coffee, and at last, I settled down. This was the chance I needed to sort everything out, so I tried talking with her.
    “Orihata, you don't think.. . I'm boring?” Oh god, that was terrible. Still, I couldn't not ask that.
    But Orihata didn't answer. Instead, she suddenly took my hand. Her gentle touch wrapped around my wrist.
    I was taken aback, but I couldn't snatch my hand away, so I just sort of jumped in my seat dramatically.
    “Masaki. . . your skin is warm,” she said with a peaceful expression on her face, like an old lady who had just sipped some really good tea.
    She was a mystery. I understood nothing about her.

    ***

    And that's basically how Orihata and I started going out, although it was a strange sort of relationship, and I'm not really sure you could call it dating.
    First of all, her house. . .
    No matter when I called, she always answered instantly -- right in the middle of the first ring. I had barely finished dialing, and the call was connected, and BAM! There she was saying, “Orihata,” with absolutely no emotion at all.
    “Um, it's Taniguchi. . .” No matter how many times I called, I always started out tongue-tied.
    “What?” she always said, curtly.
    “Um, well, I thought this Saturday. . .”
    Our relationship was awfully like this phone call. I got all excited and chased