2025-08-11: Bring A Weapon
- Cutscene: Bring A Weapon
- Cast: Hazuki Nakao, Setsuko Nakao
- Where: Nakao Household, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo
- OOC Date: August 11, 2025
- IC Date: Monday, June 25, 2012
- Summary: A few days after Taro's outburst, Hazuki gets some advice from her grandmother on how to handle her problem.
A few days after that weird dream, Hazuki still couldn't get it out of her head. Most dreams she forgot pretty quickly, but that one was distinct.
Right now, she was wallowing at the kitchen table of her grandmother's house, trying desperately to piece what her subconscious meant with it. It had all sorts of nonsense, but dissolution of humanity sounded bad, like a sci-fi anime. Maybe it was like a dissolution of a friendship... her relationship with Taro would never repair if she didn't do something.
But that required more bravery than she possessed at this exact second.
Resting her head sideways on the wooden table, she exhaled a long sigh. "Why does life have to be so hard..." she muttered to herself.
"Because if it isn't, it won't be very rewarding."
The voice that echoed through into the kitchen belonged to one Setsuko Nakao, her paternal grandmother, who was graciously allowing her to stay with her until her parents came back (or she turned eighteen, whichever was soonest).
"Grandma...!" Hazuki rose her head up, embarassed from her position, cheeks tinged with awkwardness. Despite her English address, they both spoke Japanese.
"Don't rest your head on the table," Setsuko chided, causing Hazuki to frown once.
Looking at her with an apologetic gaze in her eyes, Hazuki nodded. "Sorry."
Setsuko shook her head, walking over to take a seat across from Hazuki. "What's the problem? You just got home from school, go hang out with your friends instead of loitering in my house!" Despite the words, it was softer than intended, Setsuko more confused than actually wanting her out.
"...I don't have any real friends," Hazuki admitted glumly. She thought Taro was becoming her friend, but he disputed that quite fiercely.
Setsuko sighed once more, rapping her knuckles across the table. "A pretty kid like you doesn't have any friends? Nonsense. There must be one!"
Hazuki shrugged sadly. There was Tyler, but they just met... and trying to do the same things she did with Taro would probably push him away, too.
"Okay. Let's say you don't have any friends. What are you going to do about it?" Setsuko stopped with the knuckles, looking straight at Hazuki.
Hazuki shrugged again, not really taking in her words. "Is there anything to do about it?"
"Of course there is! You think things get done by being passive and waiting for them to sort themselves?" Her grandma was frustrated, and let it read across her face. "People don't make friends by staying in the house all day!"
Hazuki frowned again, especially because her grandmother could come off a little strongly. But, she also wasn't sharing the whole story. Maybe she could change that.
"...My friend yelled at me. Told me I was a nuisance the whole time. ...I think he was right."
As Hazuki spoke, Setsuko softened her frustration a bit. "Listen, I don't know you that well yet, Hazuki. But if he thinks you're a nuisance... what are you going to do about it?"
"...wallow in self-pity and doubt?" Hazuki responded, biting her lip.
"If you want," Setsuko shrugged. "I think that'd be a disservice to yourself."
Hazuki sighed, lost in thought. Maybe Setsuko had a point. But what could a teenager do? Taro hasn't been back to the arcade, seemed to have blocked her number, and she doesn't quite know where he lived.
As if she read her mind, Setsuko placed her palm under a chin. "Does this boy go to your school?"
"No, I think he goes to school in Chiyoda? I think it was..." she rattles off a school name.
Setsuko nodded once. "Go look for him! Apologize if you've hurt him! Worst case, he rejects you some more. Best case? Everything works out."
Hazuki frowned. "Is that alright? Isn't that stalking?"
With a wink, Setsuko smiled. "Should that stop you?"
Hazuki paused. Maybe it was a good idea if Grandma recommended it... "But some people thought he might be haunted by ghosts." Actually, Hazuki thought he might be haunted by ghosts based off other people being concerned about weird stuff...
"Then, bring a weapon!" Setsuko smiled wider, laughing a little at the notion.
Hazuki paused. 'Wait, really?' was the look on her face.
"Anyways, can you get me that box of sewing supplies from the garage? I have something I need to repair," Setsuko asked in an end to the topic, causing Hazuki to nod.
She finally got up, stretching her arms, before heading into the garage. Looking through for the sewing supplies, through boxes and boxes of old memorabilia from her father's childhood, she found something, gleaming in the light.
"Was this dad's...?"
A silver metal baseball bat, with a very faded emblem on it. The very sight was inspiring, enough to make Grandma's suggestion feel real.
"...a weapon, huh."
She'd mark this away for tomorrow. Tonight, she had to plot.
Operation: Fix A Friendship would begin soon.