Chapter 14

The weekend comes, and I have a day to myself. As I finish my studies for the day, I double-check to make sure they're all correct. The frustration of one of the questions that I was stuck on led me to go get some well deserved fresh air after being cooped up for what felt like ages, but was only a mere hour that passed.

As I start to leave the house for some leisure time, I can hear my mother and father talking in the living room, as father just came from work: "How was your day, sweetie?"
"Like any other day...except this girl in a cat maid outfit came into the office spouting weird stuff."
It sounded a lot like the person the principal encountered.
"Oh no! That's the same person that Tenryou-san told me was harassing her son and the school principal a couple of days ago. Was she dangerous?"
"She was harmless, but boy, was it irritating trying to communicate with her. Even the translators we use when we head overseas couldn't trace that dialect."
(So both mom and dad has heard the news now...I guess I should leave. Don't want to interrupt them.), I think as I walk out of the door.

I go to the park, clearing my head of all of this that has been happening, and relax on a nearby bench. As I do, I feel the warmth of the sun hitting me, and the coolness of the wind blowing the worries away. As I was about to rest, I hear a clatter of cans nearby. I look up to see a dark haired red eyed person in a cat maid costume picking up the cans they dropped. I think nothing of it, and continue dozing off.............PERSON IN A CAT MAID COSTUME!?

Realizing this, I snap out of my slumber, jump up off the bench, and head over towards them. I put my phone on record in case they're hostile, and pick up one of the cans that rolled over. "You dropped this.", I say, handing it to them.
"Sankyuu, wee lad. The bot gave me duds, but I wanted winners!"

Surprised that I could comprehend a word of what they were saying in the first place, I look at the park vending machine. The machine is old, and has a real problematic reputation for giving people the wrong item with the right button press, so I put two and two together, and asked them, "What drink were you wanting?". They responded with "Ye got anny'o em magic fruit juice that taste like veggies on ye?". (This person is definitely not from around here), I think to myself, (But they's understandable to where I can make out what they are saying. I guess that foreign language work paid off.)

For the readers, I will interpret what they say.
"It sounds a lot like tomato juice, since that's the only can that vending machine holds that you didn't seem to get, apparently."
"Aye. Tis but only a wee predicament that can be solved with but a mere penny or three, but me shat out of luck on that bot.(Yes. I could've got it if I had a few extra yen, but I lost everything I had to the vending machine.)"

"There's a way to get the one you wanted. All that you have to do is tap on the glass in front of the item you want. Watch this."
I proceed to knock on the vending machine, directly in front of the part that held the coffee can, then the one in front of the tomato juice can. One of each both drop down to the dispenser slot, as I pick them both up.
"Oi! Ye didn't jus nosh a free grubbin, did ye?(Hey! You didn't just steal those, did you?)", they reply, as I hand them the tomato juice.
I say, "The real robber here is the vending machine. I'm just giving back to society.", trying to look cool with such a badass response. In reality, underneath the facade, I was borderline pissing myself. (I'm SO glad that no one was looking. If the authorities didn't kick my ass for doing that, my parents would!), I think to myself, realizing how much of a carefree attitude Cringe-kun had rubbed off on me.

"Sanks, laddie! Wanna squat where the beam doesn't rot our brain? It's aliens, I tell ye! (Thanks, friend! Can we find some shade to cool off? I feel like some unknown force is trying to kill us with all this heat!)", they ask, and I accept, despite that I was dressed for hot weather, and they're dressed as if they were attending a convention.

We sit on a bench under a tree, and start drinking. I ask the cat maid, "What will you do with all of those cans you brought?".
"I will sacrifice them for the Allfather! (They are of no use to me, so they will be thrown out!)", they respond. I say to them with a drop of awkward sweat running down the side of my head, "You don't have to do that, you know...", a bit mortified that they would waste money like that in the first place, even if it was a few yen.

A kid comes up, and says "That's a lot of cans."
"Aye.(Yes.)", they respond. "Haha. Ai is my mama's name. You're a funny cat lady.". They suddenly get an idea: They pull out a can of strawberry milk, a can of pocari sweat, and a can of mintberry soda, then hands it to the kid. "My onee-sans love those kinds of drinks! How did you know I like strawberry milk, too?", the boy asks. They tap on their head, smiling, as if they just knew all along.

I smile as I watch this scene play out, then the kid asks "Do you have a can of Charlemagne?", as I was taking a swing of my iced coffee. This immediately made me spit out and choke on the coffee for a few seconds. As I regained my composure, I tell him "Alcohol is NOT for minors!". He looks at me, and says "It's not for me, it's for aniki.". "Who?", I ask. "It's for aniki as a welcome back gift. He was studying at a school abroad, and has now returned to Japan where he'll be attending a school somewhere around here. I wanna give him something I know he'll like as the gift!", he says, unaware by that logic, it's still illegal.
"Pish posh, lad! What's really important is not materials, but feelings!(Nonsense, kid! What's really important is not materials, but feelings!)", the cat maid says to him.

This mulled over in the kid's mind for a second, but he slowly got it. As his mother walked over, she calls out, "Come on, little one. It's time to go pick up Makoto-chan from the airport.". As she pulls him away, he calls out to the cat maid, "Arigatou, funny cat lady-san!", while looking back, grinning. They wave bye to the kid in response.
I noticed the two entering a limousine, but I think nothing of it. I turn to them, and ask about the school incident. They said "Was going to show up to attend me classes in person for a change, but the principal and the wee cunt coke bottle fairy cannae lemm'eh in, apparently.(I was trying to attend school, but the principal and Prez-kun said I couldn't, it seems.)"
Come to think of it, there was always an absent attendee slot in our homeroom that was for someone called Haru Abe, but this person looks too feminine to have that name.

We continue talking about getting the situation cleared until the sun sets, then we write down our digits before going our separate ways. But, before we did, he says, "Let's have a talk here'n again someday, yeah?(Let's chat like this another time, ok?)". I say "Of course.".

I pull out my phone, and had forgotten I had it on record the whole time. The phone buzzed with a notification as I checked my massages: "You have (1) message from Aoba Tenryou: So THAT'S the situation, although I am not a fairy, thank you very much. You did well, and I could not be any more happy to hear this than I am now. I am well aware of who Abe-san is. However, the fact that you need special permission to come to school as the opposite gender and have to be in uniform at all times, hence the case of Kamamori-san, for example, is why we couldn't have let someone that was at the time unrecognizable past the gates. I trust that he understands this as well." As I started to put my phone away after deleting some junk mail, I get three texts. I read Prez-kun's first, and my nightmare came true: "You have (1) message from Aoba Tenryou: However, I noticed what you did to the community vending machine. I could call the authorities to have you arrested, but you helped clear up our current predicament, so I will turn a blind eye. Just this once. Don't do it again.". I dutifully acknowledge this with gratitude on what a merciful being he is, and I read the second: "You have (1) message from Taiyagi Motonoya: You solved the problem, AND used a line I would use after teaching that piece of shit a lesson. I don't even know why we still have that thing! I lost so many coins to it, and I STILL never get the drink I want! Why can't we use the school funds to replace~"
As patient as I am, even I don't have the patience to continue reading Cringe-kun's 500 page essay on why the vending machine is malicious, so I read the last one: "You have (1) message from Machiro Kamamori: Arigatou! You did it! ^^ I honestly don't think I could've done much ^^;, but I would've tried my best. >:( I'm so relieved he was one of our classmates this whole time ^^, although I wish he showed up at least once. :( I may not be good around people, but it's always good to make new friends.:D I didn't think that you would do that to the poor vending machine, though. :( What did poor Mr. Machine-kun do to you? >_<"
(They all are hung up about the vending machine, huh?), I say, sighing with grief. I continue reading:"Still, we wouldn't have made progress if it wasn't for you. Here, someone wants to thank you too! :3". I look at the image that Shy-kun attached. It's a picture of him in what looks like his bedroom holding a rabbit up to the camera, holding the rabbit's paw, and lifting it in a manner as if the rabbit was waving. I smile at the comfiness of that image as I put the phone away and set off for home.

As I head back to my room, the question I was stuck on is no more. I write down my answer, and fall asleep.
What is important in life?
(Feelings).