The Loop

Chapter 4: The Help.

He mentioned Tuesday specifically. What does he mean by that? Does it mean what he thinks it is? No, that's impossible. If it is then he'd know who he was, after all those catastrophic events he caused back then. But still, he still can't help but ask.

"Like… y'know… shitty?" He pauses on each word, struggling to put it all into sentences. Accelerator's eyes were slightly wide. "I forgot my homework that I spent 3 days on, my chair broke a leg, splashed hot coffee on my arm, stubbed my pinky on the door, and got chased by 3 dogs. Oh, and I got slapped 13 times in a row."

"Are you sure that's everything?"

"Yes." He replied without missing a beat. The lights in his eyes vanished, back to how it once was. "Oh, no, wait, I think it was 11 times."

"Shut it." Disappointment was clear as day.

And that's exactly what he did. He put his hands up when he barked, a gesture that he knew meant to convey for him to calm down.

The silence was loud for nearly 20 seconds when it was broken again by the guy. "By the way, are you having a party or what?" Looking at the stacks upon stacks of coffee. "I don't think they'd be happy at all with those things. Anybody that isn't me, of course!" He joked to lighten the mood. It didn't work.

"Hn, you're somehow even more irritating than that guy back at the arcade." He blurted out loudly, his thoughts spilling out of his mouth. And it seems to be giving the guy an idea.

"How about this," he cleared his throat, his balled fist right to the front of his mouth. "You and me. Arcade. For a single can."

Accelerator finds the offer annoying but rather amusing. He eyes the spiky haired up from down. The guy is clean, unlike that bastard back there. Their only similarities is that they're both stiff. But their skills, would they also be similar? Unlikely. This guy doesn't have that hardcore gamer look. That being dark rings under the eyes.

He's easy meat. He hides a smirk.  "And what're you putting up then? I can't be the only one that has something to offer."

That has him thinking, but soon enough reached into his pocket, pulling out a rainbow pin with a frog face on it. A Gekota, the albino thought confusingly. "Some kids gave this to me for strawberry milk." He shrugged. "They said it was an SSR or something, so I was planning to give this to someone, but I don't think she'll like it; it's a little too childish."

He rolled his eyes. Whatever, he scratched the back of his head. It's gonna be an easy win anyways. "I'll take it." The guy pumps his hand and places it back into his pocket. "Let's go." They headed for the mall.

…

Easy as it is said, easier it is a win.

Touma, whose name he'd been told a few minutes into the walk when he finally decided to introduce himself, seemed to have bad luck, a degree of inconvenience to everyday life.

This fucking guy lost when he was literally at a health so small that when he gets hit while blocking, it'll deal enough damage for him to immediately die.

And that's just undermining everything that has happened! The basketball blows up, prompting the manager to demand compensation from him. His controller occasionally stopped working when the albino pulled out his special moves. The bloody transmission lever snapped when they played a racing game.

Guy is the epitome of bad luck.

His reactions were loud, sometimes he can be heard musing his own misfortune. Maybe that's where he got his habits of saying his thoughts out loud came from? Could be.

But there's something about this guy that he'd noticed after playing with him for an entire day. Just like that blue haired woman from this morning. He is genuine in everything he does. That's something that was rarely ever encountered by a person.

Seeing this taught him that there's more than just vile animosity between us humans. The hatred, jealousy, all of it, it was all there. But not everyone has it. Some have it in such a small quantity that it's overwhelmed by the goodness of their heart. Why can't everyone be like that, he thought bitterly.

"Ah, fuck!" Touma screams, eyeing his phone with his eyes wide. His face contorted in fear. "Index is gonna kill me!" He shouts. Soon enough, he bids his goodbye hastily, grabbing his bag and rushes out of the building.

He watches as the running figure slowly diminishes from the sight before looking at the wall on the clock. It's 11 pm. "That late already?" He didn't notice that time had passed that much. It's only 12 am when they came here.

"Time passes slowly when you're having fun, don't you think?" The manager approached him, her hands crossed. He hummed. Was he having fun? He probably did. He should probably get this guy for the next loop. "Oh, and he hasn't paid, so…" she smiled softly, the palm of her right hand coming up towards him.

The nerve of this woman. To smile like that when asking him for money. With an annoyed look he fished through his pockets. But none came. He blinked. Then he remembers where it went. "Ohh… you fucking piece of shit." His face palmed, his tone low enough to be barely heard in a place so loud even after curfew.

He'd left it at the convenience store because he had no need for it. Because, y'know, everything loops? "How about this?" She lowered her hand, slightly leaning in. "You can pay another way."

"Ok." He says without missing a second.

He didn't know what he was expecting, but she made him wash the dishes in the employee's lounge.