HOTD: A New Dawn

( More chapters on: [email protected]/LordCampione.)

"Rage… room?" Saya's expression denoted that, no, she didn't. Great.

Tysone shrugged, as if it wasn't that big of a deal. "You know how stressful life can be for the average Japanese worker, don't you? Between pulling ungodly amounts of overtime and passing out drunk in the middle of the streets, it can take a toll on a man. Or a woman. Unfortunately, they can't complain and have to suck it up. They're given no outlet for their stress, and this can lead to dangerous health effects, like increased heart rate, high blood pressure... so, wouldn't it be great to have a place where you can release all that pent up frustration and aggression?"

He was talking from experience, mostly.

"A place that's safe and controlled, where you can break stuff or throw tantrums without the risk of being arrested, or having your coworkers or boss give you dirty looks." Tyson continued, a hint of a smile on his face.

"That does sound... interesting, but..." Saya hesitated, her expression betraying her skepticism. "Where would you find such a place? And how would you make money off of it?"

Tysone smiled knowingly. "I was thinking we could rent a cheap place to start. It doesn't have to be fancy. Besides, you're a rich ojou-sama, aren't you? I'm sure you have spare furniture you don't know what to do with. And even if you don't, you could buy some cheap stuff from thrift shops or second hand markets. Once you're done, you can open it up to the public. Charge people a fee per visit and give them the opportunity to destroy whatever they want."

She nodded slowly, her eyes glinting with excitement.

Tysone couldn't help but smile. "You can invite your friends to let loose, and they'll thank you for it. I guarantee you, this idea will take off."

Saya huffed, crossing her arms. Her eyes narrowed. "Don't expect me to fund the entire thing by myself."

"Don't fear." Tysone waved a hand. "Allow me to save some money first. Maybe we can even find a sponsor. But let's take baby steps, one project at a time. We have many things to do, and many things to plan."

Tysone felt an odd sense of satisfaction. He was finally making his mark, setting up a path for his own future. 2 years to become wealthy enough for his goals, or die trying. Literally.

He chuckled darkly. 

"Still, I have one more favor to ask of you, Saya."

She rolled her eyes. "Favors. Favors. All I do is give and give. What do you want, now, yankee? Don't be greedy. My patience isn't limitless." Even though she said that, he knew that as long as he didn't push too far, she'd help him out.

"I promise I'll pay you back in the future. I just need to get financially steady, and I doubt it'll be easy for me to start out without knowing the language or having an education like yours. The fact that I'm black will get me some side eyes as well." He sighed; he had to abandon all pride to ask for help to a girl a few years his junior, but it was an anime world, and she was rich as fuck. "Do you think you could use your connections to land me a job? Even a part-time one. Hell, I'd be willing to work in the sewers or anything."

She blinked, surprised by his request.

"You're asking me to find a job for you?"

"Please. I can only rely on you, Saya." Tysone made sure to not break eye contact with her, which would have been considered a huge taboo for Asian culture.

If Saya couldn't help him out, he'd ask Mai. But if push came to shove and Mai refused, Tysone would have to find more questionable and not-exactly-legal ways of making money. Hopefully, though, that wouldn't be necessary.

Saya huffed, shaking her head. A look of annoyance settled on her face. "Only this once. Just once. If you ask again in the future, I'll turn a blind eye to this plea, but once is more than enough."

"That's all I needed to hear. Thanks. You won't regret this."

He gave her a huge smile, his white teeth standing in blinding contrast on his dark skin.

Saya averted her eyes. "Augh! Too bright!"

Brat. 

...

Saya must've known Tysone was living a frugal life, so she treated him to dinner as well. Honestly, if he made it a habit of eating this kind of rich, white people food, he'd probably never be able to stomach those instant noodles he saw at the convenience stores. Then again, wasn't it an important staple for a main character to curl up in a dark room and eat trashy food? 

Also, one thing to note was that, weirdly enough, the characters in this world somehow retained their VA's voices. 'So, what happens when the same voice actor voices two different characters? And what if they're in this world?'

He imagined something like Sailor Moon or the cast of Fate where voices somehow blended together to create some unique… entity. A horrific being to be exorcized immediately.

"Heeey, you're spacing out again." Saya waved her tiny hand in front of his eyes. "Do Americans normally zone out like this, or are you just naturally thick headed?"

"Yeah, we zone out often, just to ignore idiots." Tysone dodged the chopsticks she threw at him with a casual smile. "Hey, what do your butlers think of you throwing utensils like that?"

She paused and suddenly started chuckling like an evil genius. "If those old geezers have an issue with it, then they'll keep it to themselves. I outrank all of them."

Tysone figured she enjoyed throwing tantrums, and who could blame her, really?

"Anyway..." She dismissed her brattiness with a wave of her hand. "I'll see what I can do about that part-time job thing. I'll ask mom. She should have connections."

"Must be nice having rich parents." Tysone sighed wistfully.

She snorted, arms crossed, a smug smile on her face. 

It was getting late, and he knew how preposterous it was for a boy to stay over a girl's place in this world. 

The chair scraped across the expensive floor. Tysone stood up, stretching. "I should go." 

Saya stood up as well. "Here, take this." She handed him the notes and books. "Go over them repeatedly and bring them for the next lesson. Don't get careless now, I don't want you wasting my precious brain cells."

"Of course, Saya. You can rely on me. I'll practice well at home." He mockingly saluted her, before being led towards the entrance by this cute, genius ankle-biter. "Have a good night, Saya."

"Oh..."

She suddenly stopped him.

Tysone turned around to look at her.

"You're so big, you'll get hungry later. Eat this." She stuffed a bag full of food into his hands, smiling cheekily.

Tysone opened the bag with curiosity, revealing several small, high quality snacks. He couldn't help but chuckle. "Saya... are you targeting this lonely man's heart? If you do stuff like this, you'll make me fall in love with you."

"W-W-W-What?!"

It was ridiculous how quick a furious blush spread across Saya's face. She was so startled that her mouth hung open in a cute 'o' shape, a fang poking out the corner of her upper lip. 

Perhaps it was in his best interests to defuse the situation before she broke down. "Just kidding. Don't look so upset." He amended with an easy smile.

"Wha-? I'm not upset—wait..." Saya suddenly realized what he was doing and clenched her tiny fists in a cute, threatening gesture. "You damn bastard!"

Oh boy, if looks could kill, Tysone would have imploded ten times over.

Saya eventually gave in, huffing like an annoyed hamster. "Just get out!"

Tysone muttered a very Japanese-like 'Hai, hai...' before he grabbed the bag and slowly made his way out. He didn't hear the click of the wide doors closing until he was well out of sight. 

He looked up at the dark sky. The fountains frothed next to him. Yet another day had basically gone by. Another day in this strange yet familiar world. Tysone enjoyed talking to Mai and Saya. But he'd be lying if he said that, deep down, he thought of them as actual real people. 

And it was a normal thought to have. They were 2D characters, written, drawn, and animated by humans. Real, living humans. But Saya and Mai seemed almost… too human, if that made any sense. They were anime characters, but not quite anime characters. There was a different kind of realism to them that was extremely surreal.

Kind of like a toy coming to life? Would you treat it like a human because it gained intelligence? 

This wasn't AI.

A simulation. 

He wouldn't wake up and be offered a red or a blue pill. 

Still, a part of him didn't want to get too attached, because really feared that those girls could very well be fiction. Maybe that's why he didn't feel too guilty taking advantage of them. 

As morally reprehensible it was, he had to look out for himself. 

Still, it was undeniable that Saya was feeding and teaching him. 

Whether she was real or not, he'd return that kindness with gratitude and safety. 

'I bet you wished to be in my place, Malik.'