Part 55: Takatoshi Hijiyama 3

Chapter 55: Takatoshi Hijiyama 3

Time to jump back into Hijiyama’s shoes. Hopefully Okino’s done rooting around in his gourd.




*yawn*



And it looks like he’s left me behind again. When does he even sleep?

Consider Tsukasa Okino



(Forcing his way into someone’s head and messing around!? He’s unhinged!)




I should arrive there around noon. I need to save up. Even a small reserve would be enough…

Music: LONER (Azusa Chiba)




I just need to slip in the old staff entrance. Seems like nobody will spot me. Now… Where is Okino?






Ah, there he is.




Music: Heated Debate (Mitsuhiro Kaneda)



*blushing* (Why do I… feel like this?)



Ah, just a stray cat, that’s all. I just gave it a little food. Now it shows up here all the time, so… I ended up bringing food for it every day.
I suppose I can relate. You used food to toy with the both of us.

What, still upset about the whole grievous-invasion-of-privacy thing? C’mon, what’s a little rooting around in your brain without consent between… whatever you two are?



I didn’t ask you to do that.
I’d better get going.



…… Oh, right. You sticking around until Shintaro’s done eating? Mind tossing the empty can for me?
Shintaro?
That’s his name, yeah.

No it’s not! He already has a name! And don’t feed him, it’ll go right to his head! Or his thighs, really, but you know what I mean!



Music: LONER (Azusa Chiba)







There’s something under the can…




*gasp*



Are you still trying to look after me…?





She’s one of the teachers at this school…







I’m sorry, what?




Then again, I was a mess when she saw me last… Wait. If she’s a student here, then… That means it must be sold here at the school…! This is where I can find that yakisoba pan…



Which one’s your type?
Man, if you’re making me choose… Ponytail girl, maybe?
Yeah? I’m all about that one with the long hair. …Well… The short-haired girl’s cute too…
Final answer?



Those baseball guys are staring at us.
You’re right… You know them?
Oh, no. Definitely not.
I think I heard something like, “who’s your type?”
Ugh, seriously? Barf.
That’s the worst…

Ha.










They only have one left, dude. You’re getting what you’re getting.




Consider Yakisoba Pan






So hungry… I’ve got no strength left… I can’t go on like this. I’ll starve to death…



Maybe on the main street, I could find some scraps in the garbage… …… What am I thinking!? I am an imperial soldier! The pride of the Empire! I can’t dig through trash like some animal! I’d be better off dead…



Still… I’ll never find a paying job in this state…



I shouldn’t have let the heat get to me. Taking that bath in the river was my biggest mistake… That cold left me out of commission for a while. And now it’s been three days since my food ran out…



*wince* I couldn’t even find Kiriko-san in the end.




That’s right, Megumi. Just don’t make eye contact with the disheveled, ranting homeless man.



Music: STAGNATION (Yoshimi Kudo)



…!





*blushing* Uh… haha…
I know…



What’s this…?
I bought too much of this at lunch… It’s yakisoba pan.
*stomach growls*



I can have this?
If you’d like.
I… I suppose I’ll take you up on that.



Megumi walks away, confident in having just done a good deed, blissfully unaware she’s set this man down the hard road of yakisoba pan addiction…



Hijiyama takes a bite…

Music: Living in the Moment (Yoshimi Kudo)




Impossibly good…! It’s delicious! How could anything so delicious exist in this world? *immediately snarfs down the rest*



I practically inhaled that whole piece.



I never even got to thank her.



Well, uh… sure, that explains that, I guess…



I can eat in peace here. Still, I can’t believe I got the last one… I suppose it’s good karma for my model behavior…

You punched a guy out, kidnapped him, and trapped him in a “time loop” like, yesterday! What the fuck are you talking about!?



Did you go buy that yourself?
Okino…

Music: Forty Winks (Rikako Watanabe)



Wow, I can feel the disappointment from here. Want me to get back into the skirt?
I don’t care.
It’s just that the skirt’s kind of breezy. I don’t have much on underneath it. Makes me feel pretty exposed, you know?



Just think of what could happen.

Okino, can you stop trying to fuck with Takatoshi here for like, five seconds?

(mildly flustered) Stop that. You’re… clearly enjoying this, no matter what you say. And you don’t have to be so… lewd about it.



Once the afternoon classes are over, we’ll head back. You stick around here until then.

Consider Yakisoba Pan



(Time to finally enjoy my…)




Use Yakisoba Pan on Tsukasa Okino



Wha—Oh, no, I’m fine! I’m not even hungry. Isn’t that your favorite food, anyway? You enjoy it.
Well… if you’re sure…
You really are a nice guy, Hijiyama-kun.



Eat Yakisoba Pan




Fantastic! This is it!




Okino has no reaction to hearing about the Yakisoba Pan Angel.

If I ever see her again, I need to thank her personally…



No, wait… I did meet her. But when?






Music: STAGNATION (Yoshimi Kudo)



Of course.
Is it possible he really doesn’t know anything?
There’s still residual data in there from the switch. If I can figure out who’s sending out the signal, then… Maybe I can stop it, or even control it.




The convenience store near the station. You haven’t eaten since noon, right? I’ll go get us some snacks. Help change things up. Any requests?
(instantly) Yakisoba pan.
So much for changing things up. Haven’t you tried anything else from this time?




Wow. Can’t argue with that logic…




Who’s there!?



What is she doing out so late? More importantly, what’s she doing here?



……



Megumi begins looking around.

Consider Yakisoba Pan

We sure are Considering yakisoba pan a lot today!















…Huh. Wonder what that was all about. We have a lot of Hijiyama left though, so maybe it’ll get cleared up soo—



Oh come on!



We add two links between Hijiyama and Megumi. One orange for her gift of yakisoba pan, and one blue because she shot him in the chest. Simple enough.



And the current board.