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“Where are you going?” Ai asked after the wait for their drinks lasted for a little too long. A time where no one said anything, where everyone was trapped in their own mind.
“It’s a remote place, beyond the mountains.” The girl with the choker released some air through her nose. A little amused or playful; Hachiman couldn’t tell. “You wouldn’t know it.”
“Is it a good vacation spot?” Ai insisted, not at all deterred from the conversation.
“I mean, it has beautiful sightings. But finding a descent place to stay is tricky.” The girl replied, voice even and clear. Like it wasn’t their final stop, which they should be looking forward to, and was simply humoring Ai’s curiosity.
“Eh… Won’t that be problematic?” Ai tilted her head. Still thriving in this borderline topic-less conversation.
“It’s part of the charm.” The girl smiled a bit more.
“We’re pretty hardy.” The guy spoke up, showing his teeth in a dangerous smirk. They were sharp, all of them. It felt like Hachiman was looking at a shark rather than a person.
“That’s what people that kick the bucket usually say.”
“Hachiman-san!” Ai reprimanded him. Almost, but not quite, genuinely offended by his words.
“I’m just saying.” He shrank a little in his seat. “Better safe than sorry.”
“We’ve been at this for a while.” The girl answered like Hachiman’s words simply slid off her skin. She was cute, and assured in a way that reminded Hachiman of Ai, of Isshiki. It was… Oddly nostalgic, in a way. Almost innocent enough to get Hachiman to drop his guard. “We’ve been hitchhiking for a while.”
“Sounds like you’d grow complacent.”
The girl chuckled.
“Well, I mean…! It’s kind of difficult when you’re constantly scrambling to for money and resources. But sure, you’re right.” Her tone became so sweet that Ai glanced at Hachiman coldly. For whatever reason, the idol decided that it was his fault that the girl talked to him like this. Even though the guy seemed to pay it no heed whatsoever. “There’s wisdom in looking at the worst possible outcome. Though doing it all the time is no way to live. No, no.”
“R-Right…” Hachiman looked at the guy, who was staring at the waitresses coming and going. Bored out of his mind.
He’d paid so much attention when Ai spoke. But, when it came to Hachiman, he clearly lost all interest and didn’t even bother chiming in.
Asshole.
“Besides, we’re resourceful if nothing else.” The girl’s smile became even more potent as she tilted her body toward her companion and elbowed him playfully. “Right? Denji?”
“Hell yeah!” The guy bumped his fist in the air. Once again reenergized by the contact with a woman.
“The enthusiasm almost makes up for the lack of opportunities, right?” Ai asked politely enough, eyeing Hachiman for a moment before re-focusing on the two people across from her.
“Eh. You’d be surprised how many people need some quick labor, or some machine fixed.” The girl shrugged like she was joking. “Life’s tough, even for people well-established in town.”
Hachiman turned to the waitress that approached them, giving them tea for the girls, a cold drink for the guy, and coffee for Hachiman.
He stared down at his cup; at the way the smoke dissipated into the air.
He looked outside, through the window of the family restaurant in the middle of nowhere where Ai decided to stop.
They’d not have privacy if they had their trip somewhere close to the capital, but the problem was that fewer people meant more danger. More wildness involved, and that attracted other kinds of attention.
His hands turned into fists without his conscious choice.
“The trick is not losing confidence.” The guy crossed his arms and nodded sagely, like he was saying something deep. “You just gotta get that ride from town to town or you’ll end up sleeping on the road!”
“Isn’t that dangerous?” Ai almost didn’t look taken aback by the confession.
The guy smirked proudly.
“The trick is being more dangerous.”
Uh-huh…
“Or having a good enough deterrent.” The girl with the choker added with a chuckle.
“It’s just the two of you, though.” Hachiman furrowed his brows, studying the girl up and down to see what the trick could possibly be with this one.
If he learned something, it was that dangerous women seldom looked the part. At least not in an obvious way. With a couple of exceptions.
Very important exceptions.
“If someone tries to mess with us, I’ll mess them up real good.” The guy smirked. “Because otherwise, they’ll be in Reze’s hands and that’s where the messed-up part comes.”
“Oh, please!” The girl actually laughed out loud, like the guy didn’t imply that he was traveling the country with a psychopath, and pushed him on the shoulder mid-sentence. “You make me look like a freak!”
“Ah, my bad. I just thought it sounded badass.” The guy scratched the back of his head with some awkwardness, but his good mood didn’t fully disappear.
“You think I’m badass?” The girl asked with blush in her cheeks.
“The most badassest there is!” The guy almost jumped in place with excitement.
“Eh…” The girl took a demure sip from her drink. “I dunno…”
“You two get along very well.” Ai commented, not really knowing what else to say.
“Denji’s just a big, cute, puppy.” The girl let out a satisfied sigh.
“I’m always thrilled to see where Reze’s leading me.” The guy added.
“So nice…” Ai stared at Hachiman for a moment. “To be on the same wavelength must be precious.”
“We disagree plenty, but it’s never boring when we’re together.” Reze giggled while eyeing Hachiman for a moment. “I think that’s the most important part with our lifestyle.”
“A life of adventure, huh.” Ai trailed off before taking a sip of her own drink.
“It isn’t always that action-packed.” The girl chuckled. “There is plenty of quiet too. Of peace.”
“We’re going to get to a hot spring after this.” Ai added with a bit more excitement. “If it’s about a peaceful evening, why not tag along? It’s very romantic.”
The guy made an ‘o’ shape with his mouth, clearly interested. But turned toward his partner, as if asking for confirmation.
“I don’t know… We must continue our journey sooner rather than later.” The girl replied with an even tone.
“Eh… Really?” Ai looked just slightly disappointed.
Hachiman didn’t know what got to her, what made her like these people. Though he supposed that she might find something in them… Reassuring.
They weren’t facing the world with honestly. Only answering enough to keep the conversation polite. But Hachiman had no doubt that they were enjoying themselves, enjoying this moment here. With Ai.
It made him feel reassured, in a way. At least this short vacation wasn’t all fuck ups and visits to the hospital.
“Yeah. I promised Denji we’d stop at the Chainsaw Man auction before continuing.” The girl smiled softly.
“Chainsaw…?” Ai furrowed her brows, confused.
“It’s the hero with chainsaws for arms and face!” Denji roared, getting to his feet and startling the other costumers. Before going back to normal and lowering his voice more than necessary. “It was super popular way back in the day.”
“I see, so you have vintage hobbies.” Ai chuckled.
“Vintage?” The guy tilted his head, confused.
“Old… I guess it has been a while.” The girl looked up, as if she was imagining something with fondness. “It’s probably the last figurine in circulation.”
“Was it popular?” Ai asked with only mild interest.
“Was it…?” The other two looked at each other for a moment. “I guess you could say that.”
“Can’t believe there’re now people that haven’t heard about Chainsaw Man…” Denji scoffed like an old man looking down on the ‘kids of today’.
“If it was really good, it’d still be popular today.” Hachiman mumbled to himself.
“Say whatever you want.” The guy slammed his hands on the table. “What does someone that rely so much on their dumb pocket PCs know?”
Hachiman glared at the guy, though his readiness to start a fight deterred the loner from adding anything.
“It’s one of the few times we’re actually in a hurry.” Reze brought back the main topic once more, placing a hand on Denji’s shoulder like one would grab a dog’s chain to make sure it didn’t lunge. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine!” Ai beamed cheerfully. “Who knows? We might see each other again at some point.”
“Yeah…” The girl chuckled. “Life’s long and exciting. Who knows what’ll happen tomorrow?”
Hachiman had no idea how someone could be enjoying themselves to the fullest in this world. It didn’t make sense, all things considered. It felt like society was constantly on the border of collapsing. Just shy out of eradicating everything.
The Tomato Devil rotting above the restaurant’s roof was proof enough that this world had gone mad a long time ago, and only the weirdoes were having a blast here. Just hoping that it all ends with a bang and not a whimper.