Part 91: Kurisu and Suzuha dramatically fail to get along

The formerly fun atmosphere freezes in an instant.



"What do you mean by that?"

And there's also my usual assistant, Kurisu. Naturally, she shows no signs of running from the fight. Sparks begin to fly between the two girls.

"I've been thinking for a while, but have I done anything to you?"

"Nothing directly, but I know everything you've done."

"What do you mean, everything I've done? I've done nothing to be guilty of."

"Sure thing. But I know. I know your true nature."

"Hmm, amazing. You can peek into my heart? That's a ground-breaking invention, so please, show me by all means."

"There is no device. If I'm forced to say, then it's a prediction."

"So basically, you're all talk, huh."

"It's the truth."



"Okarin."

Mayuri clings to me with teary eyes.

"Stop them!"

"Hehehe, seems like the only one who can bring peace in this situation is I, Hououin Kyouma."

I step between them, grab their shoulders and separate them.



They glare at me. Though flinching, I endure it without exposing my weakness. First, I focus on Kurisu.

"Assistant, I don't remember raising you to be like this."

"I don't remember you raising me."

"Let me tell you the most important thing to being a mad scientist. Namely, 'hot on the outside, cold on the inside'--"

"I didn't ask. I don't want to be one."

Next, I switch focus to Suzuha.

"O Warrior, you should be fighting Ragnarok against SERN, not her."

"Okabe Rintarou, I've warned you, haven't I? To be careful of Makise Kurisu."

"Hey!"

You're going to talk about that here and now?

"What's this about, Okabe?"



But Mayuri's watching anxiously. I need to fulfill her request somehow or another!

"Fuuhahahaha! Looks like neither of you guys wants to pull back, huh. Then fight each other to your heart's content. Fight, and fight, and fight to the bitter end! Then after that, share a manly handshake by the river and let friendship blossom! But, in the future, when you go out in public, just be aware of this one thing: You two just can't read the atmosphere!"

"Shut up."

Getting told by both of them at the same time sends chills down my spine. I endure by gripping my right wrist.

"Gwahh... now, of all times...! Calm down, right hand of mine...!"



"Mayuri, I'm sorry, at this rate, I'll hurt those two, so... I'll leave the rest to you..."

"Geez..."

Mayuri puffs her cheeks out to contain her anger, and intervenes in my place.

"Listen, you two. Mayushii doesn't like it when you fight. Let's get along..."

Then, the two of them reluctantly comply. As expected of the oil to our group's gears. It's because Mayuri's a lab mem that things don't go crazy. The throbbing in my right arm dissipates.





Kurisu's in the development room, making a call. Probably to her mother in America, I guess. I sit down on the sofa, drinking Dr Pepper, watching TV. What's on is a variety program about the prices of popular meals at high class restaurants.

Mayuri sits down next to me. She peels a banana and begins eating it.

"Hey, hey, Okarin."

"Hm?"

Mayuri slowly looks around the lab, smiling all the while.



"Yeah, certainly."

I established Future Gadget Laboratory at the same time as I entered college to make my debut upon the world. That was around the middle of March this year, which means its almost been five months. Not half a month after it was established, Mayuri started staying here with an ambiguous reason, and became a lab mem. From then until the start of Golden Week, when I finally got Daru to change his mind by telling him the labs a three-minute walk from MayQueen+Nyan², nobody was in the lab except me and Mayuri. It's originally located in a quiet place just outside of Akiba.

Mayuri's not the type to object to every little thing like Kurisu, nor the type to make dumbass jokes like Daru, so the lab was very peaceful back then. With that said, I was comfortable in those calm times. Before I realized it, the lab mem count increased to 8. They didn't come today, but Rukako visits occasionally, and Faris is a familiar face at MayQueen+Nyan².

But it's gone now. To someone from Ikebukuro like me, Akiba was a different town at first, but now, it's like a second home town.

"It's fun, huh♪"

Mayuri also seems happy that there are more people in the lab.

"You know, the lab mems increased to 8, right? Mayushii thinks it's getting a little cramped. First of all, we don't have enough chairs."

The sofa in the center of the room sits only two people. Then there's Daru's personal desk chair. Those are the only chairs in the lounge. Though, there are some pipe chairs in the development room.

"We need to buy more. Okarin, do you have money?"

"If I buy chairs, that'll take all my savings."

Then I'd need to start working again.

"Then Mayushii can give some of her salary. Also, a microwave. If we don't buy a new one, I can't warm up any Juicy Karaage Number One!"

"Ahh, sorry about that."

Cutting off Mayuri's karaage supply puts her in a life-or-death situation.

"But Mayuri, if we turn in the Time Leap Machine for a reward, that'll solve all our problems."

"Will it be enough for chairs and a microwave, and to pay the slightly-increased rent?"

"It'll be enough. More than enough."

"Is that so? That's great, Okarin♪"

"Why are you that happy?"



"Like Daru, and Cris, and Ruka, Suzu, Moeka, Faris, Manager, Nae, et cetera et cetera."

She squints her eyes, as if looking to a faraway place.

"But in springtime, Okarin looked so lonely. But now he's fine. Even without Mayushii as hostage."

"What do you--"

--mean by that, I tried to ask, when--



The subtitles read "Terrorist Bomb Threat Suspends Yamate, Sobu, Keihin-Tohoku Lines".