Time Traveling Hero

"No."

I was in my room along with Heracles, who scowled at my refusal.

"At least hear me out."

"No. N. O. NO! I'm not doing it!"

"C'mon Pinkie, you didn't even thank him. You ignored his contribution and then got into a wrestling match. I would appreciate it if you could get along."

I glared at Heracles, who was busy making a miniature tower from blocks. He had already made five on his side of the room, each of them about my height, and was just about finished with the sixth.

"No means no damnit! I'm not doing it, I refuse!"

He sighed. "If not for you, then for me? I never ask you for anything, so make an exception just this once."

I hate how he has a point. It's not as if I didn't want to do it, it was just more that I really didn't want to get along with Hiro.

"Here, just give this to him tomorrow before club starts. He's normally the first in the clubroom, so it shouldn't be too difficult." He placed two bags next to my bed before finishing up his sixth tower. "Anyway, I'm off to bed, but please, just think about it."

I watched him curl up in his bed, a bad habit he obtained a long time ago, and I sighed before glancing back at the bags.

"I'm not doing it."

"Yeah yeah, go to sleep already."

"I'm not doing it!" I yelled out my resolve before the candles that lit up our room went out, plunging it into darkness. I pulled my covers up to my mouth and closed my eyes.

I'm not going to do it. I'm. Not. Going. To. Do. It!

Damnit, I did it anyway!

I was in front of the clubroom, school having just got out. Normally I would just bum out somewhere in school till Hera found me, but I decided to just get it over with early today.

I sighed, looking down at the two bags. I had no clue what was even in here, but I couldn't refuse those puppy eyes Hera gave me this morning. Damnit, why do I have to be the one to initiate this?

I opened the door, only to be met with silence. I frowned, and looking down revealed why it was so quiet.

"He's asleep then. Oi, wake up Crybaby!" I tapped him on the head using one of the bags, and he ġrȯȧnėd, scowling at me.

"What the? I thought I would at least get 30 minutes to sleep. The hell are you here so early Pinkie?" .

"I'm here for you dumbass!" I pulled up a nearby chair and sat next to him, and his scowled deepened.

"Is that meant to be a roundabout confession?"

Why the hell do I deal with this guy? "Of course it's not damnit! Ugh, just take this already!?"

I handed him both bags, and he took them, peering into it. "What is it?"

"Hell if I know, but it's so we can 'make up' or whatever, not that I particularly want to…"

He took opened up one of the black plastic bags, which revealed leftover food from yesterday at dinner. As if on que, his stomach let out an unearthly growl that was so loud I nearly fell out of my seat.

"Oh man, you got me food!? I haven't eaten anything since yesterday!" His gaze flitted between the food and I, as he hesitated. "Uh, are you sure I can have this?"

"I said you can have it, so take it already damnit!" I yelled out, and he nodded, pausing to open up the other plastic bag, which was the same meal as in the first one.

"Why are there two?" Hiro asked, and I scowled, realizing what Hera had done.

Damnit, I'm not doing it!

…

"Hey, if you want, we can eat together."

"How the hell are you going to suggest the very idea I didn't wanna do!?"

"Because the author willed it, duh."

"And now you're not making any damn sense! Fine, if I have to eat with you, I'm going to at least enjoy it!"

I got up from the table and grabbed the bag before reaching the door. "Well, c'mon then, follow me already!"

I walked out the clubroom, back outside towards the school, and Hiro appeared next to me, his brow furrowed. We walked in silence for a bit before Hiro decided to speak.

"Could it actually be that your character archetype is a Tsundere instead of the cutesy loli?"

"I AM NOT A TSUNDERE!" I yelled out, and he put up his hands in defense. "And stop trying to fit me into those dumb anime archetypes, people are deeper than that."

He stopped, a look of hesitation on his face. "Could it be, that you really like anime?"

I stopped as well, turning around. "Of course I do, I'm just not over the top about it like you Crybaby. Besides, it's pretty much the only connection I got left with-!" Wait, the hell was I about to say this doofus!?

"Oh, so it's the same with you then?" Hiro let out a sad smile as he looked at me, and for a brief moment I noticed a heavy pain in his eyes before he sighed.

"Uh, it's nothing really, let's just get a move on," I said, and I turned back around, walking faster to our destination.

I don't know why, but I feel as if we had reached some sort of understanding in that moment, one that was hard to put into words…

"You do realize that we can't eat in here right?"

We were in front of the school library, and I looked at Hiro with newfound curiosity.

"Didn't realize the Crybaby was such a stickler for rules. Then again, being a crybaby and all, it makes sense."

"You're never going to let me live that down huh?" He turned away from me, and although it was hard to tell, I could've sworn I saw his skin redden.

And yes, we were obviously trying to cheer him up (Prez's idea, not mine by the way. I wanted no part of it).

"You should live a little. What's breaking a few school rules anyway, especially if you're number 1 Crybaby?"

"Can it douchebag. Now are you going to tell me what we're here for?"

We walked into the library (which was huge by the way, but I didn't really care), and I gave him a sly grin.

"Why else but to read!?"

His face soured on impact. "I've had enough of reading, damn tired of it."

"But not just any reading mind you, but here!"

Over in a nearby corner, was an entire section dedicated to light novels and manga. Hiro's eyes lit up in excitement, as he rushed over, glancing over at all the rows.

"They're separated into two sections: Light Novels on the right and Manga on the left. Then they're organized by demographic, then by genre within each demographic."

Hiro rushed back to me, his excitement palpable in the air. "This was here this entire time, and I didn't know!?"

"Hey, this is a library you know, quiet down," I hissed at him, dragging him to my favorite spot, the table right by the corner, complete with a window view of the outside.

"Ah, this hits the spot." I plopped down in one of the two comfy chairs, opening up the plastic bags, which were Chinese food. I kicked my feet up onto the table, leaning back into my chair.

"Maybe your character archetype is delinquent?"

"And you're still on that same bullshit!" I was suddenly met with a finger to my lips as Hiro gave me a sly smile.

"Kinda hypocritical of you to yell after you told me to hush." I bit down on his finger, or attempted to anyway. He appeared away from the table, over by the manga section, leaving me feeling slightly embarrassed.

I glanced back at the food, at room temperature, before looking back at Hiro. Yeah, he won't notice.

I started muttering under my breath, and when I was done, I was greeted with steaming hot food (and yes, Hiro's food was heated up as well).

I exhaled, looking back at Hiro, who still hadn't decided what he wanted to read. Curious, I walked up to him to see what he was looking at.

"Oh, am I in the way?" he asked, and I shook my head.

"No, just wondering why you're standing here like an idiot."

"And here I thought we could not insult each other for five minutes, but the Pinkie Bitchie strikes again."

I threw a punch right at his throat, which he simply crouched to dodge, sticking his tongue out.

"Anyway, if you must know, I was looking at most of the shounen's here, and I started to realize I had already read a lot of them, and the rest don't really interest me too much." His gaze turned back to the row of manga, and he sighed. "Maybe I should find a light novel instead?"

I crouched down next to him. "You're telling me you've already read most of the shounen in this library? Really?"

"The ones that interest me, yeah. They don't have that many here actually, mostly popular ones or hidden gems. They also don't have much older works here. I guess I could go to seinen, but I've already read a bunch of those as well…"

"… You're a full blown weeb, you know that?"

"And I'm damn proud it, nothing to be ashamed of."

I sighed. "Well, guess I can't say anything to that. I've pretty much have read all the Shoujo's and Josei's in this library."

We both looked at each other before starting to laugh. "Guess that makes us both a bunch of weebs huh?"

I nodded, giggling to myself before an idea popped up in my head. "Hey, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

He stopped laughing, nodding. "Manga recommendations?"

I grinned. "Yep. Give me a good Shounen, got it?"

"One Pi*ce," he said automatically, and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm all caught up on that, next."

He seemed legitimately shocked, blinking at me. "You, you're actually all caught up?"

"Yep, rather recently actually. I've also read J*Jo's before you ask."

"You read J*Jo's? You're a better weeb than I am, I'm a filthy anime only," he said, starting to think to himself. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I respect you a little bit now."

"Doesn't that imply you didn't beforehand?"

He shrugged. "Details, details. Now, have you read Bl*ck Cl*ver?"

"The screaming guy? Hell no, he's annoying, like you in some ways."

"I'm going to ignore that entire last sentence," he said, grabbing the first volume. "The best part about manga is that there are no screaming guys, just words. Although the anime is good too."

He handed it to me, and I frowned. "It's better than My H*ro Ac*demia, so just give it a shot."

"Oh yeah, you're like that crybaby Deku, trying to become a 'Hiro!'" I said, and he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Nice pun though."

Wait, now that I think about it…

I looked down back at the manga volume, scowling. Nah, there's no way this jackass is with them, especially as a Hero.

"Uh, something the matter?" Hiro peered into my face, and I pushed him away, growling.

"Personal space, ever heard of it? Anyway, it's my turn to give a recommendation, right?"

He nodded, and I got back up, walking over to the shoujo section. "Let's see, what exactly would you like?"

"For the record, I've already read Ouran High School Host Club, along with My Little Monster."

I looked back at him, slightly impressed. "Didn't realize you were a romance sort of guy."

"Oh shut up, it's my guilty pŀėȧsurė. I don't read or watch that many though."

"Here then, read this." I handed him the first volume, and he scowled as he looked it over.

"The hell's up with the art? Not that I really mind, but it looks like one of those 90's shoujo's, you know?"

"Well uh, it did start in the 90's, but the late 90's you know."

"I dunno, seems pretty sketchy to me."

I rolled my eyes. "Sure it's about people turning into animals, but it's damn good, even if all the characters look the same."

"You're not exactly giving me hope here you know," Hiro muttered, and I turned back around.

Of course not, like hell I'm about to overhype this series for him.

"Well, I have heard of it at least. I was going to watch the anime, but they're readapting it with a better art style, but I can't be bothered to wait weekly for it."

"Then read it, it's already completed you know. Just read it, you won't regret it."

There was a pause, followed by a sigh. "Only because you're caught up on One Pi*ce and read J*Jo's. I'll read it, now let's eat already."

Hiro grabbed 3 more volumes, while I grabbed 2 more, and we made our way back to the table, where we ate in relative silence.

The only odd thing that happened was that Hiro finished three volumes while I only finished two. I read pretty fast, but that guy reads like a damn demon. It was like he would pick one up and put it down in a minute.

I stretched my arms, yawning. "Ah, that was nice. Hera doesn't like this sort of stuff, so this was a nice change of pace."

Hiro nodded, closing up the volume. "Yeah, it really was…"

"Uh, something wrong? Don't tell me you didn't like it."

He shook his head, lowering his head. "It uh, seems I owe you an apology. I'm sorry. Thank you for trying to make up with me, despite it being all my fault. So, once again," he said, looking me in the eye this time.

"I'm sorry."

Ah, I wasn't expecting that. Nor could I tell him that I had long forgiven him.

"T-thanks, I guess. I guess I should also apologize too." I lowered my gaze. "So, I'm sorry as well."

There was a moment of awkward silence, before I cleared my throat. "Enough about that, here's to our new friendship Crybaby Hiro!"

He nodded, before catching me off guard once more. "Yep, here's too it!" He looked down at his phone before jumping up from his chair. "Ah crap, I'm gonna be late at this rate, and fuċk that rhymed!" He grabbed all the trash and slung his bag over his shoulder.

"We should do this again soon Pinkie! See yah!"

I watched him leave, before covering my face with my shirt.

Oh, that's completely unfair.

I looked up, feeling my face heat up.

How the hell can a jackass like him, smile like that?

"UGH, STUPID CRYBABY HIRO, THAT'S SO UNFAIR! I'M GONNA GET HIM NEXT TIME!"

And thus, ended Hiro's Third Hidden Tribulation.