23rd Extras/Episode 02: Sometimes I wonder

Opening music - WONDERLAND

All my brothers and sisters

All in all over ten billion listeners

Lend me your ear when you want to hear

The hypest and ripest sound of the year

Up and kiss the body

Boy, then pucka...

Body body

Ok, y'all, this is it now bust it

The mic will sing soon as I touch it

Do this smooth and easy like

So we might get hyped in here tonight

Be nice, relax, MC's further back

If you ain't with that

I'm-a have to attack you with a bad rap

That can smack the smile off your face Jack

So don't start no crap

Givin' a little bit of heart and soul

As we do it to you in your earhole

Huh, I ain't going out like a sucker

And if you think so, boy, then pucker up

And kiss the butt of this lyricist

Blow on the mic, word up

This groove is set to soothe, move you

Party people now it's time to...

Dance, boogie boogie

Dance, boogie wonderland

Ha, boogie...

As the sun sits proudly at the top of the sky, Sam found himself in the school district once again. This was his chosen path to work, and surprisingly, it had some practicality to it. His shift would typically begin in the early afternoon, right around the time most schools would start to let students out. At this time of day - and particularly in this type of area, - Gang battles would not often break out as many competitors in the Gang Wars were currently still in high or even middle school.

The Westminster Quarters would begin to play its jolly tune around Sam, almost drowning out the music from his headphones... It was calming to know that he wouldn't be approached by some kind of delinquent but... whatever the case, Sam still felt he had one 'extra' thing to worry about these days.

But before he can even finish the thought, the redhead jumps out from her school gates, almost as if she was doing her best effort to make a scene. "YAMADA-KUN!!!" This 'declaration' causes the eagle to freeze in place. In this moment, it becomes apparent that he should - no, he MUST - improvise to get out of this mess of an encounter. His answer - to wear his scarf around his beak and put on his best faux-British accent.

"...Oii, who's Sam? There ain't no Sammy boy around here. Well, I'd love to have a luvvly-jubbly chat, but I'm afraid I have--"

Haruka gives a knowing, condescending smirk, "I didn't say 'Sam'. I said 'Yamada-kun'."

Oh. Well this is... "B...Bugger." With that small remark, Sam begins to run. He's already in his work uniform... he can't afford to get caught up in this Haruka girl's shenanigans today, but unfortunately for him Haruka doesn't seem to be letting up.

"PLEEEEEEEEEEEASE, WE NEED SOMEONE LIKE YOU WITH US!!"

"That's a load of codswallop and you know it! Besides, I don't want to fight people, innit!?"

"Stop with the cockney already!!"

"Then STOP FOLLOWING ME!!"

This battle of roars echoes into the afternoon.

"...I... think I lost her." Sam thinks out loud. Considering the minor workout he'd just been through, he seems to be at work early - almost too early. Of course not! Never too early to get to your job, perhaps this was just going to look better on his record or something. To be excited about something like this... such is the mundane life of Sam Yamada.

"On the bright side." Sam walks in and starts to walk up a set of stairs. Almost immediately his sight is filled with neon, a flickering wonderland of lights. Almost a typical fictional game world.

"...It's always something to see who comes in and out." He mumbles, his attention diverting to a certain someone who had just been hogging a pachislot machine. Luck almost seemed to... veer in this one's favor, and although his appearance was the kind to blend into a crowd easily, he was still able to reliably stand out with an arm wrapped in an ivory cloth.

Almost as if on cue, the boy turns around. "Good afternoon." He let a soft smile curve to his face, but it lasted less than a second. "Can I help you?" What he was ignoring, and what Sam couldn't ignore, was the perfect bonuses displayed on the LCD game screen behind him.

"Uwoah! That was amazing! You just did all that without even looking! I mean, good job. I don't usually watch pachislot."

Clearly, the boy was one who was bestowed with the sheer concept of luck itself. "Thank you. I don't suppose you are... well, you resemble someone I've talked to in the past." This response causes Sam to cock his head clockwise. "...Eh?"

"Although, if you really were tied to Masafumi Yamada, and Yamada Tech, then I suppose you..." The black haired gentleman looks up and down at Sam's body "...would not be working at an arcade, hm? Hah, what a fluke... but I wonder what the eldest son, heir to the Yamada fortune, would have to do around people like us?"

"Ah... ahahaha, yeah, what a weird world! Rich kids, am I right? Uh, I'm Sam Yama... zaki. Sam Yamazaki."

"Kouki. Charmed."

Sam in this moment feels as though he's being pierced into with Kouki's crimson eyes. There's more to this guy than meets the eye, clearly. He has to change the topic quickly, he's getting a little concerned about things he would rather not talk about.

"So like, what's the deal? With you, I mean?" Sam thought out loud, while Kouki once again took his seat.

The pachinko machine made a satisfying 'chime' as another coin shot through.

"Just a man with his luck set out for him. I suppose that's an apt description, though I'm more interested in you."

Kouki kept his lips shut for a moment, a long moment. Sam had almost expected more flashy lights to flicker on the screen, but...

Nothing.

"This." Kouki broke the silence. Nothing. "It never happens. Now, I'm not saying I should blame you for it. Because luck, it fluctuates, but... it does strike me curious. So, Yamazaki-kun - if that's your real name." Nothing, nothing, nothing. Lights as dim as a rainy evening, and with that Kouki stood up. He folded. "Will your story end in rags, or will you gamble it all and win riches beyond your greatest desires?"

Once again Kouki stared intently. Sam could only have cut the tension with a sawblade.

"Well, I'm pretty sure gambling for money is illegal in Japan, but... go off, I guess, man." Sam's snark had fallen on deaf ears - Kouki was already gone by the time he was finished speaking.

"...Man, the people I see at work." The eagle mused. His break could not have come sooner.

Haruka was aching. Her newest attempt at recruiting Yamada - and it lay in shambles. She didn't know how to place it, but there was simply something about the eagle that set her off - no, she knew what she saw. In her own eyes.

"Perhaps Yamada-kun thought Kurata-kun made it to the rescue in..."

Her train of thought breaks. Across the street stood her upperclassman, a woman with warm, dark skin and a signature backpack. Of course, with her trademark motherly warmth, Haruka approached her.

Up close, she seemed considerably more mellow.

"Namie-senpai!"

"Oh." The other girl spoke up - if one could call that speaking up, at least. "You're... Kaneko. Right?"

"Yeah! From the Extras... and also Class 2-A. How's your whole 'incognito' thing been? Do you need help? I'd be willing to help with the rest of my gang."

"I, er... appreciate the gesture, buuuut... I'll turn you down. At least - for now." Namie rubs her arm. There's a minor level of discomfort in the course this conversation has taken.

"Okay, okay. How about tea? I wanna hear about the blog life. What you're updated on and stuff-"

"M...Maybe another day!" With that, Namie would bow and walk off... on her own, again. Haruka groaned in defeat. Two for one? What a bummer. How could she be so-

No!

This was not the end! She would continue... even if it took her weeks, she would find one more member. After all, to reach her goal, it takes at least four...

"Pheeeeew!!" Sam yawned. It was now about 18:30, so Sam was clocking out for his break. So, sticking to his aesthetic, he naturally gravitates towards the one machine that caught his fancy. A dance machine - this wasn't like the other machines, it was not updated and simply was maintained by the mechanics who worked in the area every so often. It had to be from 1999 at the latest.

He should have been spending his break small-talking with coworkers or having food but this machine had him absolutely mesmerized. The machine started to display a sample play of "IF YOU CAN SAY GOODBYE" by Kate Project.

Right as Sam was into it... a goblin stepped onto the podium.

"Hey..." Sam pointed. "You're--"

Lo and behold, it was the same guy who had been hanging around with Haruka that afternoon. Kazushi Kurata. "It's nice to see you again, Yamada-senpai."

"Sam is... is fine."

"Okay. Sam. What... brings you here?"

"About 500 yen a week. I'm still a student, so like, the pay's kind of crappy. But what about you? Wait, don't tell me she's here too!?"

"I'm here alone."

"Alone? Oh, I see. I didn't take you for, well, you know-"

"A gamer."

"That. Yeah."

"It's my ability."

"You have gaming powers? I don't get it."

"Binocular. The ability to see through a single layer. Be it wall or person, I can perceive beyond it. With my eyes."

Kazushi had always worn that hood of his over his eyes, which were golden in iris, pupil and sclera. Today was different, though; his head was entirely visible. "Oh, right. So... exposure to blue light technology though. You can't see through that, can you? You took your hood off and junk."

"...Correct."

Sam stood perplexed for a short moment."Interesti--"

"Video games are an escape for me."

"Come again?"

Kazushi let out a sign. "I don't talk much, so you should have to forgive me for... my use of words. You say you don't have an ability, and it isn't always some power fantasy. Others like myself need to live with it - day in and day out. My sight is all I have. I'm... I'm not socially adept, and I'm only moderately athletic. I'm not a very good listener and I often-times find myself daydreaming. I appear as Kaneko-senpai's bodyguard, but in actuality it seems as though she does more to help me and Akagawa-san. But when I play video games at the arcade... no one can judge me for my speaking, the screens do not judge me for my ability, and when I play with someone else, we do not need to make any social or physical contact. I can... play to my heart's content, completely in my own personal bubble wherein I don't have to worry about my own ability getting in the way of..." Beat. "...my daily life."

"Oh, right. So, gamer then."

"Do you not feel the same way? You allow me to feel the same sensations as when I look at the screen."

"Weeeeell, I'm not too good at video games, especially not the modern ones but... this one's like, run down and stuff. Maybe just a little, and the music - have you ever heard the Dancemania albums? They get me through the day, and they're in video games now, too?"

It seems like Sam had completely dodged that last remark or, perhaps he didn't know exactly what it meant. But wait. Kazushi thinks to himself. This game came out in 1998, how is this new or exciting? He can't get a read on the eagle, but nevertheless he smiles. "I'm... glad to hear it. It was nice to meet you, Yamada-senpai."

...And off he goes, presumably to play something else. Last had Sam looked, he seemed to be headed towards a fighting game. Out came a sigh. "I... said Sam is fine. Well, whatever... back to work, I guess. But even so, I still had a few questions."

"Like... I wonder what drives him to fight? With the Extras..."

Even more hours later, Sam had finally broken free from his overtime shift. The sky was dyed orange, and--

Grumble...

...and Sam was hungry.

"...Hamburgers... Guaah, I wish I had money." He paused for a moment, unintentionally tantalising himself with the mental image of various burgers and sandwiches. "I wonder if like, Dad would be okay with me borrowing money for burgers."

His speaking trailed off, for a girl had just walked past him blasting music from a pair of earbuds. Naomi Namie, who had met with Haruka earlier that afternoon. She was listening to a familiar song, it's almost a coincidence, actually.

"...If You Can Say Goodbye-" Sam blurts it out, Namie isn't one for social interaction but nevertheless removed one of her buds. "...Hm?"

"By Kate Project. Right?"

"That's...- yeah. Right."

Sam hadn't really seized the opportunity to listen to the song in full. A song getting stuck in one's head is usually troublesome, but sometimes - just sometimes, it can be nice to have company when you're alone.

Sometimes I wonder what I'm doing

Sometimes I'm cold and serious 

"I thought I recognized it. It's like, groovy, but bittersweet."

The sentiment is followed by a nod from Namie.

But when you touch my body and close your eyes

My little baby I don't realize... 

Sam caught himself singing to himself. By the time he woke back up however, Namie was gone. Right in the blink of an eye.

"Huh. Gone already? Never even got her name."

...Grumble.

"I should, maybe get home, like..."

Off the wanderer goes, humming a particular song in his head.

An abandoned warehouse, clearly a shady spot, was inhabited by a beefy shark in fashion primarily topped off with yellow and green. His scleras were black, the rest of his eyes - red. What he was doing here? The right thing. Indeed, this was the right thing to do, the right place to be, and his date had to be here any second. The place was barely lit, and rather run down, the only real light being the heavy moonlight that let the interior seem even remotely visible.

Breaking his train of thought, a highschool student still dressed in uniform, holding a hardback book in one hand and adjusting his glasses in the other.

The shark tsk-tsked over his 'date's fashionably late appearance. "Took ya long enough. How'm I supposed to be the strongest if I have to go on shabby little dates with lackeys like you? Tch. This better be worth my time, Aesop."

"Of course. A boy should never cry wolf until he truly means it. That is why I have called you here someplace quiet.

Don't trick yourself into thinking this is some sort of ambush, as I could never never stand toe to toe with you, our leader. Anyway... I must stress that this is of utmost importance."

"Ooooh, muy importante! I'm listening, I'm listening."

"Well, it's... exactly what we'd had concerns about. I believe I've found your equal - no, your opposite. Earlier today at the arcade, an employee was talking to someone - The Faces, who I previously assessed as possessing what the Envoys refer to as 'Binocular', although he is not a threat to us."

"Mmmhmmm?"

"According to him part way through conversation, he seemingly could not see through the employee's frame."

"Huh. So, what you're sayin' is things are finally startin' to get interesting in this city." The shark takes a deep breath before turning his back. "Alright. Do your assessment on this guy or whatever. N' ambush him on his daily routine. If he works at that arcade, you should be able to see him again. Make it hurt."

"...Okay. Admittedly, not the reaction I expected and I'm more inclined to gentle and kind persuasion. But nevertheless, orders are orders." Aesop turns on his heel and just like that he was gone.

The shark, left alone again, takes a gaze at the moonlight cracking through the small windows.

"...That's all I need. I need to get rid of my opposite, if he truly does exist. Then I can finish what I damn started."

Ending music - Over the Time

Lyrics

We have just heard somebody's voice

Uniting us from the world

Over the fence in the park of the night

There's a breeze we felt together

You had tried to say something to me

Holding my hands so tight

That feeling and your touch still fill up my heart

A part deep in my soul

Over the time, ever since then

Is there any way we couldn't trust each other

I open the window just a little

There, coming a cold, cold winter wind   

I feel sad of being alone

Will this feeling of sorrow ever go away?

The mist from my sign

Of grief lingers for a time that disappeared

Over the time ever since then

Is there any way we couldn't trust each other

Are we now livin' the world we imagined at that time?

Not everything is going well as we dreamed it would be

I wonder if this routine of days will keep going on and on

A crispy night's sky with stars

That I look up through the window

Over the sky, so deep in the night

There waiting, a bright tomorrow for us