For the first time in a long time, I couldn’t sleep through the night. That girl has been on my mind the entire time. There’s no reason for me to be obsessed with her and her weird antics I witnessed on my first day of work. I don’t want to admit anything by saying something along the lines of “I love her” but it’s something close to that. But at the same time, there’s this uncertainty that’s been bugging me too. What if she has no interest in me? What if she’s with that jackass from work whom I’m going to have to work with today? Out of all the days in my entire life, why did it have to be on my first day of work where my emotions are to be toyed with all of a sudden? To top it all off, Anchovy is a grade level above me. That’s means she’s going to graduate real soon and I won’t be able to see her again for a long while if not ever again. I don’t even know if I should even bother trying to connect with her on a personal level. What would be the point anyways. Oh yeah that’s right. Because she’s fucking stunning in every way not just with her cooking but her personality and accomplishments in school. I can’t even pull off decent grades in school, let alone get my driver’s license. I feel like such a failure. At the very least, I’m trying to be productive this summer. I think….”Ahhh screw these roads and screw this bike!!! I”m buying a motorbike when I’m done working!” I had to pedal uphill to the Pizzeria which is easier said than done. I’m putting up with this shit for Chovy and nothing else. Though to be fair, the work wasn’t too bad and pay is alright for what it is. I’d still be going uphill either way regardless.
At last! I’m here earlier than expected. The open sign hasn’t been flipped over yet on the entrance door. I can walk in a say hello to my new peers. I walk inside and there’s she is! Miss Chovy herself. She’s not wearing her uniform but rather a simple tank-top and some jeans. She’s looking really casual from last time. “Good morning Tomio. You’re here pretty early. I didn’t think you be here on time I figured…” “Figured I was going to be a slacker on my second day of work?” I interrupt. “ I don’t want to be that guy holding up early morning traffic with my bike….oh where are my manners? Good morning Miss Anzai!” I nod my head in a kind of shitty bow like motion before making my way to the lockers to get my uniform. “Is the boss here as well? What about Gio?” Anchovy replies: “They don’t usually show up until right before opening hours. So it’s just the two of us for now.”
Her unassuming attitude starts to shift as she suddenly blocks my path in front of me as I was making my way to the bathroom to change. “Now just hold it there one second!” She barks at me directly. I don’t move. She just stands in front of me and gives me this really direct stare at me. It’s kind of intimidating to be honest. “Uh...I-Is there something wrong?” She smirks a little cute grin (as if she’s planning something mischievous or something) but does give an surprising remark: “You know, it’s not often I get to talk to boys.” I don’t know how I feel about this. She’s acting differently from when I first met her yesterday. “err...surely I can’t be the only guy you ever talked to. Don’t you have Gio here?” She starts approaching me slowly “Oh no, that’s different. He’s my cousin. You on the other hand are a complete stranger.” I can already breathe an internal sigh of relief knowing that I don’t have to worry about Gio being potential competition for me.” She giggles and then says: “Heheheh. I can tell you are relieved to hear that. I wonder what you’re probably thinking right now?” “Uh….uh...well…” I can’t hide my blushing anymore. “So you’re working because this is some family business thing right?” She nods her head. She’s now standing in front of me with her arms crossed. Her fluffy hair isn’t tied and is longer than I initially thought. She leans her face closer in front of me. Almost close enough for a kiss if I was brave enough.
”So as you know, today is Friday right? Think you’re going to be busy tonight Tomio?” I shrug in a semi-relieved fashion. “Well...not really. Why do you ask?” She smiles and suddenly reaches out for my hands with hers, wrapping my palms with hers. I’m internally screaming inside but I’m doing my best not to show it. “Well then you’d be an idiot not to come along with me and do some fun stuff tonight downtown. I want to know more about you.” She then let’s go of my hands. “Not like a date or anything like that yet...just some chit chat and all.” “Miss Anzai…” I mutter. “You’re being more social than last time.” She giggles and then pats me on the shoulder. “Well I do tend to get nervous around boys at first but after realizing you aren’t all that bad, I feel a lot more open around you.” She then pauses a bit before saying “at least I believe that’s how it works.” Is that so?
“You really are strange Miss Anch….Anzai.” I muttered. She replies: “It’s alright, You can call me Anchovy as long as nobody is around.” So she’s giving me the green light now to use my secret nickname on her. “How about I start calling you Chovy instead?” “Ch-Ch-Ch-Chovy!!!” She stutters. “Ah….geez. That’s embarrassing. It’s like a name you use for someone your dating.” She’s now blushing now. “So it’s not a date then?” I ask her. “Of course….it’s totally not a date!” she tries to explain. “Because dates involve romantic things like hand holding and kissing and….” She’s getting even more red in the checks and I can’t hold back my nervous laughter. “But you were literally holding my hands just a while ago!” I burst out laughing but not out of amusement. More so of how shocked I am about how cute she’s been acting today. “Nooooo! I didn’t mean to…..ahhh…umm…” I can’t torment her like this any longer.
“Alright, it’s settled then. We’ll hang out after work. But you’re going to have to find me a ride or something because there’s no way in hell I’m going to have to ride my bike to wherever it is we decide to go.” She comes back to her senses. “Alright...that’s good. Don’t worry, I’ll give you a lift in my moped. I think we can safely ride two people on it anyways.” She calms down and returns back to her homely and calm mood. “Well you better get changed soon. My cousin and uncle will be here any minute.” I respond back “Well you aren’t in your uniform either.” She gives out this funny “eek!” and rushes to her locker and grabs her uniform and makes a dash to the restroom. The wrong one unfortunately. She comes out even more embarrassed than last time and walks into the proper one this time. God what a silly girl.
Our boss and his son Gio finally arrived and after being teased by Chovy I wasn’t exactly on track with my mind. Still, I’m really excited to go on this “date” with her once our shift is over. Our boss Benito (hmm that name sounds familiar and considering how everyone here larps like Italians…), gave us the run down on today’s objective. Bake some pizzas, have them delivered to a special client today, and continue to run the pizzeria until closing time. Oh and apparently there’s a new shipment of ingredients coming in so we can start cooking pasta, meaty marinara, and spaghetti. You know, typical Italian food, badda bing badda boom where the fuck is my 50s do-wop background music so I can start a monologue on how we had it good back then before I start ranting about some extended mafia families? Just kidding.
It didn’t take too long for Miss Anzai (Anchovy, Chovy, Chiyomi, what should I even call her at this point?) was quick enough to get this huge order of like 50 boxes of pizza within an hour (with our bosses help of course). Talk about being really efficient. Meanwhile, Gio and I loaded them into his FIAT 500 both in the trunk and the backseat because it’s such a small chode of a car. I ask Gio: “Why didn’t you get a truck or a van? Wouldn’t that be more practical than some city sized hatchback?” He scoffs at my question: “Listen. You wouldn’t understand. You just don’t see the beauty of Italian design and philosophy. Just look at these curves, the quirkiness of the design, that small and efficient engine in such a small package. It’s way more interesting than anything us Japanese have over here.” I look inside the car where the passenger and drivers seat are located. “Gio, this interior reminds me of a fucking washing machine. Even the dashboard looks like the buttons and nobs you see on one.” He snaps back “Pffft, what do you know about cars? You don’t even have a license to drive one, let alone the cash to buy one. This car has been doing great since the last maintenance job. Especially since I replaced the head gaskets, water pump, and …” “Oh god, that’s not typical car maintenance. Even my mom’s car has been serviced less and she’d had her car for over 10 years already. How long have you actually owned this car?” I questioned him seriously. “A year in the half.” He said bluntly. Of course. No wonder they are behind deliveries. “You’re insane man.” Now that I think about, every in this prefecture is insane. Just the fact we have establishments, schools, and festivals that all are basically larps of Italy. Are the other prefectures and schools like Saunders, St. Gloriana’s, or Kuromorimine this insane too? I respond back with my own personal tastes “I don’t know about you but something like an hardy American car would be nice. My friend from school is saving up for one of those.” Gio laughs at my opinion. “American cars and nice don’t go together Tomio”. Pfft sure whatever you say mister FIAT enthusiast. “You know Miss Anzai like my car too.” He also mentions. I start quietly mimicking his voice: “yeah you know Miss Anzai likes my car too….huehuehuehue.”
We didn’t get to banter for that long as we finally got our last pizza box fitted into this tiny car. Benito gives us the address to where we’ll be dropping off all this pizza. Of course, it’s a school that requested this order which doesn’t surprise me. Anzio High. Chovy’s school. Now that I mention it, I believe this time of year they are undergoing tank skirmish practice this time of year unless they are due for a match against another school. I think this might be one way Chovy is trying to help her school out other than financial means. But then who paid for the food? I looked at this receipt for this order. Someone that goes by the name of Carpaccio. Oh yeah that’s right. The blonde one. And she’s the one that knows of Chovy’s dual identity situation. Everything just seems like coincidences at this point. “Come on Gio, since you have the drivers license, you drive. I’ll just look at the scenery while you drive.” “Don’t push your luck Tomboy.” “It’s Tomio!” “Sure thing Tommy.”
So now we are driving on our way to Anzio and I must say the suspension on this car really sucks. You can feel every single pothole if not pebble that this car has the misfortune of driving over. How does this car have any charm? I might even get car sick from this little trip. “So you really are related to Miss Anzai right Gio?” I asked. “Figured she’d told you already Tommy. I’m the one who recommended she’d work with Pop’s pizzeria.” He makes a turn on a road and I could swear I could almost slide off this seat even with the seat belt on. “Can’t you drive more carefully?” Gio then replied back “Don’t like it, you can walk back to your girlfriend in the hot boiling summer. At least my car as working air-conditioning….for now so might as well endure my driving Tom.” The nerves on this guy I swear. “Miss Anzai working it the family business made sense for her back when she joined Anzio during her second year. She was living at Nagoya prior to coming here. We had this sponsorship for Anzio even before their Sensha-do took off again. Now that I think about it, I bet she’s real involved with the school team. I wonder what she does.” Surely I can’t be the only who knows she’s the one who brought Anzio from the bottom up over the years she was there. It’s kind of crazy to think her relatives don’t see Chiyomi Anzai when they see Anchovy at the Sensha-do events. Her disguise isn’t even that elaborate either. She’ll just put on her contacts and tie two pony tails instead of one! Either way, that’s probably not something I should let her relatives know about just yet. The fact she even opened up that truth on me suggest she has a lot of trust for me. Even though I never promised her anything. “Well if you need to puke, now’s your chance, here we are at Anzio high. Please get it over with because I don’t want you to mess up my car or throw up in front of our client.” “It’s fine Gio. I’m just slightly dizzy. Drive normally next time.” I grumble.
Gio parks his car at the parking lot and we get out the pizzas and this little cart to pull them all at once. “Alright Tomoi. Just take these pizzas to the Anzio headmasters’ building. You can’t miss it. I’ll be waiting here while you go drop them off.” “Now wait just a minute?!! Why aren’t you getting down Gio? You have a restraining order or something?” Gio replies: “Of course not! Since you didn’t have to do anything on the way over here, you might as well do the rest of the job task while I get my well deserved mini nap. What? Are you worried I’ll drive off without you? Miss Anzai and pops would probably give me hell if I left you behind. Just don’t take too long alright.” So that’s how it’s going to be. He’s pobably true to his word about not leaving me left behind so I might as well do what he says. Still, this is an all girl’s academy. It’s bad enough I have to be confident in front of one cute girl. Imagine a whole school of them. I’m hoping I just run across our main client, drop off this order, get the cash, and get out.
I drag this wagon full of pizza boxes around the campus grounds. It’s actually quite nice and peaceful around here. Perhaps because classes aren’t even in session right now. So everyone is either at home or doing Sensha-do practice elsewhere. But I could swear I could hear some motor vehicles and machine gun fire off in the distance. As long as whatever is going on is not too close to where I am at, it’s all fine and dandy. Oh good, I found the headmaster’s building. It has that classical Roman architecture thing going for it but it still has those stupid glass doors at the front. What a way to ruin the immersion. I sure hope my client is here so I can dispose of these pizzas to some hungry mouths already. I make my way to the front door, push my pizza wagon ahead of me, and walk inside.
Walking into the headmaster’s building, you’d mistaken this for some ordinary office building if you weren’t able to see the exterior beforehand. There’s a hallway that you walk right into and at the very end of this hallway is a desk where whomever is supposed to be in charge would sit around here. There are two girls who I immediately guessed where none other than the girls I served on my first day of the job. Carpaccio and Pepperoni if I recall correctly. They were more than likely waiting for me but you’d think it would’ve killed them to help me out as pull this wagon of pizza boxes over to them.
”Well well. Looks like we meet again.” said Carpaccio. “Pepperoni, could you please take these pizza boxes to the skirmish field while I make the payment?” Pepperoni responds enthusiastically “Fuck yeah! Mmmmm pizzzaaaaa!” Pepperoni takes the wagon and drags it through the backdoor of this building. “So, you must be working in the same place as Duce Anchovy huh?” she asks me. “So you know about that huh.” I said bluntly. “Indeed.” She smiled as she took a seat by some nearby benches. “Please, come sit next to me for a moment.”
Of course, I wasn’t going to deny sitting next to a cute girl like Carpaccio but then again, my heart was set for Chovy. Then again, these two must be close so I might as well get something out of her that could help me understand Anchovy’s problems. “Our Duce works so hard for us. We sometimes feel like she’s a mother to us sometimes or in Carpaccio’s case “a big sister”. But she’s also a very sensitive and timid sometimes too.” Yeah I don’t know if I would call how she acted in front of me either of those. “I was one of the first friends she made when she moved to Anzio. So I guess it made sense she was more open with me than with anyone else. In exchange, normally I wouldn’t spill secrets about her to some random stranger.” She then tilts her head and places her hand under her chin in a way that looks like that thinking man statue that I can’t even remember the name of and then looks at me. “But you are different dear Tomio.” “Say, how did you figure out my name?” That threw me off a little but I think I know why. “Well last night, Duce Anchovy sent me a text about some guy who just joined her family business for work. She was never one to approach boys you see. You kind of made her nervous at first.” I sigh. “Wow jeez, that certainly doesn’t help my own self esteem one bit.” She gives off this really cute laugh that borders somewhere around being bursting out of air and trying to hide her giggles at the same time. It’s really hard to describe but it’s adorable to see. “Oh...but it gets more interesting.” she mentions and she crosses her legs. “Because soon after she starts taking about how she can’t stop thinking about you and when you stepped in and helped her during her anxiety attack when we stopped by to order some food.” “But why didn’t she just go out and say hi?” I asked. “You already know her alter ego or whatever it is.” She then responds “But not Pepperoni. She had never seen Duce Anchovy’s other side. She’s only knows of Anchovy. Duce of Anzai. She does not know Miss Chiyomi Anzai. She’s not the only one either. All the first and second year Sensha-do members do not know this about Anchovy. If the secret were to get out…” She pauses and then continues. “She may lose her prestige as our school leader. Even though she does get really good grades. She even used to work part time in the school’s newspaper “Avanti”! Oh and Miss Anzai is one of the best third year tutors in the entire school. They just don’t realize she’s Anchovy.” My brain is starting to hurt from all this. “Wow. I didn’t think the situation would be something like that.” Couldn’t she just be herself and avoid all this confusion? At least I understand a little.
Just as we finished our conversation, she gave me a letter with the payment for the order. Don’t try to lose it. Anchovy used to do delivery before you did and lost her payment with a breeze. She had to chase it down the road while trying to keep her skirt down. You’d should of seen it. I had to hide my laughter from her.” Well she is kind of a dork. “How come you don’t work with us at the pizzeria?” “I think it would be great to work alongside with your best friend.” She shakes her head. “As much as I want to spend more time with my good friend Anchovy, I have my own tasks I have to take care of. Not just for my own sake but for Duce Anchovy. She’s a third year and she will not be here for the fall tournament. I am training to become a commander for Anzio alongside Pepperoni.” Her typical joyful mood is suddenly changed into something like a slight frown. “Anchovy said I had a good temperament when it comes to Sensha-do but I lack the enthusiasm and charisma to be a leader. Pepperoni is the complete opposite.” She gets up from her bench and starts walking towards the desk where she then leans on and crosses her arms. “I don’t think I am ready to be without Anchovy. Nobody here is ready. We all love her so much. She’s done so much for us. But we don’t have anyone who could even replace her.” She sighs quietly and then says “It’s going to be real hard with out her…” “Carpaccio!!!” A voice bellows out from a distance. “Come on! The food is going to get cold! It’s soooo good!””Well then…” Carpaccio tells me directly. “I hope we can met again soon. Please, do take care of her as much as you can. Ciao!” She runs off towards the back where Carpaccio is waiting for her. I guess that now that I have the payment, I can go back and try to wake up that sleepy fuck named Gio.
I make my way back to the car where sure enough, he’s sleeping in the driver seat. He has the window open too. Perfect. I take out my edc pocket light and shine it on him. “LICENSE AND VEHICLE REGISTRATION PLEASE!” I ordered with my best policeman voice I can do. “NO WAIT OFFICER I CAN EXPLAIN ITS NOT A ….YOU LITTLE SHIT!!!” He screams. “The delivery is done, here’s the payment. That didn’t take too long right?” I tell him in my normal voice. “You cock blocked my dream! I was at peace until you showed up.” “But we are still in our shift. We still have stuff to do back at the pizzeria .” “Alright alright new guy you got a point…” “IT’S TOMIO!” “Yeah of course Tommy. How could I forget right?” I get into the passenger car and we speed off from the parking and lot and down the narrow road we came through. Soon, it’ll be a matter of time before I can finally have my “date” with Miss Anzai….also known as Anchovy (or Chovy for short). Dammit, how long am I going to keep up with this gag. “Hey I heard that Tomboy!!!” “My name isn’t Tomboy you moron! At least my name doesn’t sound like a gay Super Mario reject!” “Giovanni is a highly cultured name with strong Italian roots!” “You aren’t Italian! You’re JAPANESE!” Basically the rest of the trip was non-stop pointless arguments until we finally reached the pizzeria.