HOTD: A New Dawn

"I'll keep my end of the bargain." Saya said, huffing. There was no way in hell she'd go back on her word. Though, 3 million yen wasn't a small sum even for her. But she had a trust fund; her parents wouldn't deny her the opportunity of making it big without their direct help. "But only because I believe there's merit and fortune in this idea of yours." 

"I lay golden eggs with every idea that comes out of my kissable lips."

"Ew."

Tysone stretched before slumping over the table. He plucked a pastry from a nearby plate and popped it in his mouth. "If you invest the same amount as I did, we'd have around 20k USD, and I'm sorry but not sorry for using American currency when I speak, it comes easier." He shrugged at the way she rolled her eyes. "Either way, it should be more than enough to set everything up. Of course, that's considering we'd be the only 'employees'. But, eh, we can always hire some minions to do our work when it becomes too much for the two of us."

Saya leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, contemplating the absurdity of it all. The most pressing issue in her mind for the past few months had only been the chaos of school life, the occasional family drama, and the future her parents kept trying to shove down her throat. But now? Now she was sitting here, contemplating opening a Rage Room business with Tysone of all people.

"Unbelievable…" Saya muttered under her breath. "I can't believe you're actually pulling me into this."

Tysone raised an eyebrow, munching on his pastry. "Oh, come on. You know you're dying for some action. Think of the rush when the first customer walks in, and they just start smashing stuff to bits. It'll be glorious!"

Saya sighed, adjusting her glasses. "This isn't some game. You're talking about a real business here. People don't just throw money at you for letting them break things."

"Actually," Tysone said, leaning forward with a sly grin, "they kinda do. People love breaking things. The world's a pressure cooker, Saya. And we're gonna be the valve."

She paused, considering his words. Stress was real, and the need for release was undeniable. She'd seen it in her father's business associates, her classmates, and even herself. Life was stressful. Maybe there was something to this ridiculous idea.

"But..." Saya leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "This isn't a charity. We'll need marketing, customer retention, operational logistics—things that can't just be left to chance."

"Exactly! And that's where you come in." Tysone said, pointing at her. "You're the brains. You handle all that boring, technical stuff. I'll be the face of the operation, the guy who gets people hyped."

"'Hyped,' huh?" She parroted, unimpressed.

"Hey, don't underestimate the power of charm. People flock to confidence. Plus, I'll throw in a discount for the cute ones." He smiled. A lazy curl of the lips. 

Saya groaned. "No flirting with the customers. That's rule number one."

"Rules don't apply to us, Saya-chan. What's the point of being a big boss if you can't do whatever the fuck you want—"

She promptly kicked him. It was a light one, thankfully. 

"If I have to chip in my own money and time on this, we'll take it seriously. I won't have a business failure besmirch my good name." She tapped his leg with her toes. There was a promise of more pain there. "So don't do anything stupid. Got it, yankee?"

"Goddamn." Tysone rumbled in a deep baritone. He rested a hand on his chin, his elbow supporting everything. "You actin' freaky right now, Saya. I kind of like it, not gonna lie." 

"W-W-What are you on about all of a sudden!" Saya sputtered in disbelief, blushing all over. She quickly withdrew her foot, tucking as far under the chair as she could. "Stop saying stupid things and concentrate, stupid!"

Tysone shrugged and stood up. His towering height made him look like a titan rising over a wall. Saya was momentarily stunned. "I think we should end today's lesson here, Saya-chan." And then he spoke in Japanese. It was far from perfect, but she was inwardly surprised he got to that point so fast, in the first place. 

It was not as if he was a highly intelligent guy, but he wasn't stupid by any means. Quite the opposite, in fact. He had a knack for memorization, and he always worked hard. 

That was a trait Saya kind of appreciated—if only her childhood friend, Takashi, had the same wit and ambition as the man in front of her, perhaps she—

"Saya-chan?"

"H-Huh?"

She snapped back to reality, Tysone's ginormous hand waving in front of her. 

"I said to talk it out with your parents. You're their precious little gem, I'm sure they'll endorse the idea and even help us. Besides, I doubt you could dish out 20k like that. They'll find out." He said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I'll be on the lookout for a prime location for our Rage Room. Keep me updated, pipsqueak." 

"W-What…"

Saya raised a hand, hoping to hold him back a bit more, only to watch as it fell limp on her lap. Tysone came and left like a storm. 

…

Not having Google Maps readily available made the task of venturing through unknown streets corners and alleys of Tokonosu City a bit intimidating—but only because finding the way back home would take a hella lot of time. Still, he had to learn his way around, and who knew? Maybe, in true anime fashion, he'd stumble across a place or someone that'd drive the plot forward.

Tysone found himself walking or taking the tram towards the locations highlighted on his old phone. All of them were potential candidates for his Rage Room. It had to be someplace easily visible and accessible. It didn't have to be too big, but not too small either. Rent should be relatively affordable. Maybe have it next to a bar, a tavern, or wherever the workers went to de-stress. 

But after some hours of walking and research, none seemed to be... fit. A few of them were in neighborhoods prone to crime, which wouldn't be ideal with Saya, a wealthy Japanese girl, in the picture. The rest didn't quite have what he had envisioned. So, it was back to the drawing board.

He finally settled on a spot. It was close to a subway line, and the rent wasn't that expensive. It was located inside the more populous section of Tokonosu City and would offer a place filled with possible clientele.

Many used the subway to commute to work, whether in local businesses or larger offices, while college students made the daily journey back home. Both needed to unwind after a hectic day, and Tysone would be the business entity ready and willing to supply.

'Yes, this could be it.'

The store was abandoned; it was dusty and caked in dirt with broken tables and chairs, clearly signs it used to be some type of coffee shop, perhaps? A club maybe? Tysone could hear Saya cursing up a storm the moment she saw the place.

He walked up to the window, cupping his hands around his eyes as he tried to peer into the darkness. He blinked. He could've sworn he saw something crawl from under a table.

'This'll take some fixing.' He sighed. 'And disinfestation as well. Should add that to the costs as well.'

Tysone snapped a picture of the note attached to the window—a few kanjis saying something something for sale something something. Oh, and a phone number. 

'But hey, I can understand that kanji!'

The feeling of progress was simply the best. If he had an experience bar above his head, it'd probably fill up a bit more right then. 

The zombie apocalypse had yet to happen, yet here he was diligently doing all the side quests. 

…

The bell rang when Saya felt her phone vibrate. She chose to ignore it. 

"So, what's got you looking stupider than usual?"

She threw that question at Takashi in a bored drawl. Though, to a careful eye, one could have noticed a hint of distaste. No—more like disdain. It was not out of malice, as Takashi was still Saya's childhood friend, but the young man's passiveness and indecisiveness were traits she wasn't fond of. 

Maybe in the past she'd have grown to accept them as endearing parts of Takashi, but that relationship dynamic always ended with her rolling her eyes at his foolishness. 

Takashi sighed, looking out of the window. Honestly, she was surprised he didn't skip class. It was not that uncommon amongst some of the bottom achievers of the school, but she expected better of Takashi. What was he going to do once he graduated—if he graduated at all. 

Saya was sure she was going to hold an influential position in the political arena. And even if she didn't, wasn't she going to start a business with her stupid, yankee, and partner-in-crime Tysone? 

As for Takashi? He'd likely become a typical salaryman. She could see him one day coming to the Rage Room, becoming a statistical number of the ever-growing depression and stress graph of Japan. 

The thought of the Rage Room made her glance at her phone.

"It's Rei."

Takashi said, not even bother to look at her.

'It's always her.'

Saya lamented quietly.

Author Note: More chapters on [email protected]/LordCampione.