Kasami Shopping Street. By the time we arrived, the hustle and bustle of crowds of people can be seen and heard. Rows of shops selling things, ranging from traditional ramen to even sports equipment, as people walk in and out of said establishments. 

‘So now that we are here. What do we do?” A tiny flying angel whispered into my ear, as if she could be seen by other people.

‘Well, we look around first, and scout the area.’

‘Hmmm… really? Are you sure this isn’t just an excuse to go on a date with yours truly’ she says with a smug face as she hovers in front of my face. I had the urge to flick her on the forehead right then an there, but relented as flicking thin air is not really what you call inconspicuous.

‘Sure… I totally did…’ I say sarcastically

‘I knew it! You really have  fallen for my maiden char-“

"Oh my bad" I say as I move my arm.

‘Whoa! What do you think you are doing!?’ She exclaims as I swat at the air by her.

‘Huh? I don’t know what you are talking about? I am just simply swatting away a bug’ I thought while I grin as keep swatting the air.

‘Hey stop that!’

Satisfied, I relent and continued looking around.

As I stumble about, I spot an establishment with a sign that read “Himegi’s Sports Needs” which peaked my interest. 

‘Himegi where have I heard that before?’I thought as I walked in to the sound of a ringing bell. 

“Ohayou! What may I get you sir.” A smiling man with light brown hair greeted me, he looked to be in his mid to late twenties with wrinkles barely showing.

“Uh, hai. Do you have Kendo Equipment in stock?” I asked as I looked around.

It was what you would expect from sports shop, racks of sporting equipment can be seen. Most of their displays were for more international sports such as basketball, baseball and volleyball. Plus this was quite a small place, so I was a bit skeptical if they would have the things I need. 

“Oh, okay? Uh… Are you here with your mom?” The man behind the counter asked still maintaining his business man smile.

“No. Just me.” I say as I look at him with a cold stare

“Oh certainly… this way please.” He says with a raised eyebrow. 

He led me to the corner of the shop. I see a single rack of what looked like outdated kendo equipment. Five practice swords and two dusty armor sets. 

‘Well its at least something?’ Angelica says as she inspects the equipment.

‘Now we know why, I haven’t competed against anyone from Kazegaura’ I sigh thought rubbing my temple.

Keifuu Academy, being a Coed Engineering school, focused more on science based competitions, and literary works. With baseball, basket ball and volley ball clubs. I expected they might have a kendo club but, I might be wrong.

“Here. Bring what you need to the counter after you have picked okay?” he says still smiling as he walked away to the ringing sound of a bell.

I pick up one of the jissengata shinais made of Keichiku bamboo with a length of about 110 cm and swing it. “Weighs slightly less than a kilo huh? Usable for practice, I guess? Heavy enough to be allowed in tournaments. Well, it's unique so let’s add it to the collection. I guess...” I sigh. 

I had gotten the habit of collecting kendo shinais from places I go to compete or even visit. Then keep it in a chest inside my room, just in case. And yes I had to lock it, after getting hit by said kendo swords in the face by an annoying angel. And as food for thought, Jissengata translates roughly as "made for real combat". These Shinai are built with competition in mind and so tend to be as light as regulations permit and slimmed down in the monouchi or cutting section.

'Though a jissengata kendo sword is supposed to be light as can be, why is this the opposite?' I wonder to myself. Because I remember the weight limit being about 440g where as this is double that.

I take the one I was holding and wander around to the tennis section of the shop.  It seemed to have an assortment of rackets, balls and strings. 

‘Well, at least more than the kendo section’ Angelica chuckled.

I check out different ones, but find nothing that would peak Kanon’s interest. I go to the counter and check out. 

“Thank you for your purchase. Are you new around here?” he asked while feeling relieved he finally got rid of one of the kendo swords. 

“Uh. Yes just for the summer actually.” I say as I pick up the case that comes complimentary with the shinai. 

“Is that so... Well, come again” he says once more with a warm smile.

I nod and walk out. As I exited someone bumped into me nearly pushing me down to the ground, but I quickly recovered. I turn around to see a girl with hair, a light shade of red and brown eyes. She was wearing a pink top and yellow shorts. She could be mistaken for a boy in a distance if not for her feminine face.

‘Is that?’

“Sorry about that!” she says as she rushes off

“Be careful and don’t be too late!” the shop keeper shouted.

“Sorry about my daughter, she can be a handful sometimes”

“Oh it is okay, don’t mention it” I say as I sling the kendo bag in my shoulder and rush after her.

… 

After running around for a good while, she stops at the entrance of an alleyway outside Kasami Shopping Street and looked around. I hide around a corner as not to be seen by her. After a few seconds of scanning the surroundings she smiles and runs down through the alleyway and I go on  hot pursuit. Winding down a few alley ways that were hard to see down, an old, abandoned building. The girl goes behind the building after checking no one was following her once more.

‘That must be Ageha right? I thought I remembered the surname Himegi’ I thought as I recall her red hair and brown eyes. 

‘And this must be their secret base.’

‘Yeah so… what now? Aren’t you going to follow her in?’ Angelica says as she sits on my shoulder. 

‘Maybe, lets just wait for a bit. They might come out and make this a bit easier’ As I wipe the sweat on my face and catch my breath. 

‘How can she have that much energy running like that?” I thought as I adjust my glasses.

‘Hoho… a random kid has more endurance than you, a kendo champion.’

‘Shut up.’ I say as I sit there waiting.

‘ So what’s the plan’ she asked with a bored expression.

‘ The plan is to go there and introduce myself as a normal person would’ 

‘…’

‘What? Why are you so surprised?’

‘No… I just somehow expected a very complicated plan, maybe involving that kendo stick.’ She says dumbfounded as she points to the shinai

‘Huh? Did you expect me to beat them up and demand that they be my friends?’ I thought and chuckle

‘Maybe? You have to show who’s dominant somehow right? I don’t know how Kyousuke’s brain works’ she says sarcastically as she shrugs

‘What are we animals? Can’t you read my mind?’ I roll my eyes at that

‘Well… only your surface thoughts, like things you are thinking of at the minute. Say you are thinking of a Amane I can see.’ 

‘Is that so?’

‘And also the indecent things, just to let you know’ she says with a grin plastered on her face

…

After waiting a few minutes I grew impatient. I was about to walk towards the building until I saw a bunch of kids I don’t recognize walking towards the warehouse.

“Aww guys! This looks sweet.”

“Lets take a look inside.”

“Yeah, lets make this our base!”

There were seven kids, six of whom were what you would describe as lackeys. But one of them was what a stereotypical bully leader would look like. Bigger and taller than the other kids and has a weird hair cut that doesn’t do him any favors, I also notice a tattoo on his shoulder, but on closer inspection it looked to be just one of those ink patterns on plastic that you stick to your skin. 

‘I will name him Big boy for now, I guess, Bigboy thinks it makes him look cooler?’ I chuckle to myself as I continue to observe.

‘Well this should be good' as the angel still sitting on my shoulder, produces a bag of popcorn from who knows where.

“What are you guys doing here!” a boy wearing a red shirt with black hair and blue eyes comes out and glares at the unwanted guests. He looked like a person I know, only younger.

‘He must be Aoi’

Aoi Minase, the protagonist of the visual novel “If My Heart Had Wings”. A person who always try to take care of everyone. Always does his best. Also the emotional core of the group. 

As he goes out to confront the outsiders, he is followed by whom I assumed to be younger versions of his childhood friends. Coming out of the abandoned structure was Ageha, Tatsuya, Masatsugu, Hotaru and a boy I don’t know. 

Ageha was the one who bumped into me at the store, she had red hair and brown eyes, though I found that all of them have slightly different shades of brown for eye color. Then there was Tatsuya, more commonly known as An-chan the oldest and also the big brother figure of the main cast with brown hair and same colored eyes was wearing his school uniform. Hotaru the younger sister of Ageha, she has brown hair with a slight tinge of red and was weaing white top with pink polkadots and a skirt. Then there is  Masatsugu also known as Mabou, having yellow brown hair with a white shirt and blue shorts. But there was the kid I don’t know, he had black hair and a bland face.

‘Is he a fellow mob?’ I thought as I recall things about the Visual Novel.

“Huh? Scouting a new base obviously” one of the stooges says with a smug face

“Yeah, you better scram of here if you don’t want to get hurt!” big boy says  as he makes a fist

“Yeah the boss will get yah!” Lackey number 2 adds

I can’t help but cringe at this situation. This looked like at cliché scene you could see from a kid’s cartoon somewhere. I rub my temple and look at Angelica who only shrugs at me. 

‘Well atleast this does give me certain opportunities.’ I thought as I watch the situation unfold.

“Why would we do that?! We were here first! Baka!” says Ageha.

“What did you call me?” the big one says

“Baka baka baka! Bleh” Ageha says as she stick out her tongue 

“Why you-“

“Come on now, let as all come down and talk this out. Why don’t we?” An chan interjects as an attempt to defuse the situation. 

“But An chan… “ Ma bou says with a slight groan

“Why don’t we just fight them?” The nameless kid says.

“Come here a sec. guys” he says as they huddle around together. 

I look to see Hotaru hiding by the door of the building. They then, whisper to each other something that I couldn’t quite catch. They then nod to each other. As the bullies wait patiently for them. How gentlemanly of them, by the way.

“Finally decided to get lost?” Big boy says as he picks his ears.

“Sure, have. But, lets shake hands first” says An-chan as he walks towards the bully with the gang in tow.

Aoi and his friends are actually outnumbered. With the bullies having three people more, as Hotaru won’t be doing any fighting.

“Here…” An chan says with a smile that I found unnerving. 

“Oh? For real?! Okay, hmm… sure” the bigboy says in a haughty tone

They move to shake their hands as if they had just had a good game of soccer, as they line up and face each other. 

“Good to see, you are  actually smart.” the bully continues.

Anchan merely smiled and grasped the hand of bigboy, then he tighten his grip.

Bam*

The bully is surprised he found him pulling his hand and An chan pummeling his right fist right into bigboy’s face, with an added strength of him being pulled and punched I the bully was knocked down. 

"Thanks..."

Thud*

…

There was an eerie silence as the bullies try to comprehend what just happened

Aoi and the guys were quick to react, as they also serve a buffet of knuckle sandwiches each enemy. 

Aoi punches a guy in the gut as he looks at the downed bigboy. The lackey goes down holding his stomach.

And Ageha delivers a kick to the family jewels to another one that sent shivers down my spine and made me cross my legs as she takes out one opponent. I thought I heard something break.

'He won't be getting up any time soon.'

But Ma-bou goes to punch someone but closes his eyes and screams as he does and misses only to have his ass handed to him as he gets hit square on the face. But taking out three bullies in one surprise attack definitely evened the odds.

And the nameless kid, just like how things end up for most mobs he gets knocked out fast with a kick to the stomach.

‘Looks like they won’t be needing my help’ I thought as I look at the bullies being overwhelmed. 

‘I… I am not sure about that’ Angelica says as she eats a fist full of popcorn.

Wondering what she meant I looked at the scene again. Two more have been dispatched of. Leaving only two bullies standing, but as I look, bigboy and the one Aoi gut-punched earlier has actually recovered and he sneaks up on the pre occupied An-chan and grapples him by the shoulder to prevent him from fighting back.

‘How is he still standing after that?’ I thought.

 This gave another bully the chance to land an few blows on him. The other lackey doesn’t miss this chance and tackles Aoi to the ground as another one, occupies Ageha dodging her ballcrushing kicks.

“Hahaha! Not so tough now are you?” big boy taunts as he holds An chan, as he gets used punching bag by one of the bullies.

“You bastard! We were here first and this is our base!” An chan shouts at them as Aoi struggles on the ground.

“Yeah! Leave us alone!” Aoi exclaims as he wrestles a lackey on the ground

Big boy grinned and said “Well its our base now.” 

‘That guy kinda ticks me off, somehow’ I thought out loud

‘Is that so… by the way you now have a chance to Come in and be hero right? Kyousuke?’ Angelica says smiling still looking at the scene.

I sigh. “Did you know about this?”

‘Yes. It was mentioned in the games so of course, I knew it. Well you better get going, I think someone has spotted us’ she says with a smug face

She says, which causes me to look around only to see Hotaru’s teary pleading eyes look at me. Her face made me get the urge to pet he because of it. She made me want to help.

‘Better hurry up or you its going to end badly.’ She gestures to the brawl.

‘I was planning to, no need to tell me. So just enjoy the show.’ I let out one more deep breath as draw the shinai from its bag jumped into the fray.

‘Time to play the hero’