《Gamers!》 Volume 1, Prologue: Keita Amano and Youth Continued

Volume 1 Prologue Keita Amano and Youth Continued

Trantor: Skythewood Editor: Deus ex-Machina, Ruzenor I couldn¡¯t really rte to an average male main character that likes a peaceful everyday life. Even though I myself was a painfully average high schooler. Let me use an example. A story that starts with a beautiful female childhood friend waking you up from bed in the morning, colliding with a tsundere transfer student as you turn at a junction on your way to school, A cool beauty female senpai who thinks highly of you at school, and an impish yet cute female junior who stays close to you for no reason. Damned innate normie main character. [ ©¤©¤ Actually, I really like my in everyday life©¤©¤ ] After hearing him narrate thiszily, the only emotions that welled up within me is¡­ ¡°Duh!¡± I retorted as I exhausted all my blood and sweat. I couldn¡¯t find any bit I could rte to. On the other hand, there would be asional works that were theplete opposite of the earlier description, with main characters that felt really realistic, with few beautiful girls and living a ¡®in everyday life¡¯. But if you ask me if I could rte to them, that would be a different matter. Here¡¯s another example¡­ [Dusk. The sound of the students¡¯ idle chatter andughter, along with the soft echo of the wind orchestra practices, were mixed with the noise of the sports clubing from the gymnasium. As usual, the school day ends inly¡­] I, Amano Keita, who was studying in the second year of high school ©¤©¤ really loved such a in everyday life from the bottom of my heart. Even if I said this in the tone of a tough guy©¤©¤ ¡°I-Is this a manly warrior who had braved countless battlefields¡­?¡± In the end, I couldn¡¯t help feeling a difference in values that was different from the example earlier. That doesn¡¯t mean I dislike such main characters, in fact, I am quite fond of them. But rting to them was another issue. In conclusion, a person who had lived an absolutely in life since birth¡­ Especially boys and girls in their teens, I couldn¡¯t imagine at all why they would like their in everyday life from the bottom of their hearts. At least I ©¤©¤ Amano Keita, a in 16 year old high schooler©¤©¤ Still spend every night deluding in my bed about being summoned as a hero to a different world. ¡­¡­ Eh, you¡¯re already in your second year of highschool, if you have the time to do that, think seriously about tertiary education or joining the workforce©¤©¤ To be honest, I felt the same way too, but I just couldn¡¯t help it. Before I knew it, I realized that I had been dreaming about not being in anymore. When traveling on vacation, I would hope on bing a detective dragged into a murder inside a mansion on a isted ind; When I visit the convenience store at night, I would feel nervous, wondering if I would run into a heroine that hunts monsters in the dark night; When there was nothing to do in ss, I will try to levitate a mechanical pencil with telekinesis, attempting that about once every month. And of course, I didn¡¯t really believe those things would really happen. But I hope that I am permitted to live on with the hope of striking the lottery. That was because ©¤©¤ My personality was despairingly ¡®in¡¯. Amano Keita, 16 years old, second year of high school. Blood type A, zodiac sign: cancer. Short and thin. I live together with my parents and a brother two years younger than me, a family of four. I didn¡¯t feel any trouble growing up in my middle ss family, my paternal and maternal grandparents are still alive, and our rtionship with our rtives were cordial. It was probably thanks to me and my brother being raised as good kids, even though we would fight sometimes, our family had never flipped out on each other. The rtionship of our parents were wonderful, and every year or two, our family will go on a domestic vacation trip (mostly nearby ces). My school club experience was by joining baseball during elementary and middle school. But I only treated it as a ce to hang out with friends, and didn¡¯t put much passion into it. Icked talent, and was an unathletic burden instead. When the match was a blow out for either team, I would be sent out on thest inning as an act of charity. To be frank, I had no intention of troubling the team by ying. And of course, I still participated seriously. I wasn¡¯t too stupid, and had confidence in my academics. I don¡¯t know if I was dragged down by my arrogance or I yed too much games, my results dropped a lot in middle school, and ended up entering a public high school that had a low entrance score¡­ Otobuki High School. After I graduated, as most of the friends I knew got into other schools, my socialwork had to start over from zero. But back then, I hadn¡¯t grown out of the super naive nature of elementary schoolers and thought: ¡°I will make friends naturally!¡± So I started reallyte, and didn¡¯t get to know anyone really well before a year past. After the sses were reshuffled for my second year of high school, I was still spending my time after school ying my phone or portable game console alone after school. Even though I was the so called ¡®loner¡¯, and would be mocked andughed at asionally, no one really bullied too openly. I was the type that was used to staying at the bottom of the campus rtions pyramid. Naturally, when I talk to my ssmates every now and then, the contents were really superficial. Speaking of which, of all the conversations I had in my high school life, the friendliest ones was with a loud boy chatting with a group beside me¡­ ¡°Neh neh, Amano, which type of JUMP reader are you?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, erm, well, I read in a normal way, from the cover page in sequence¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that right! See, I told you guys Amano is the in sequence type! You all owe me a drink!¡± That was how it went. And I was in a great mood the day that conversation took ce. ¡­ To the people who are saying in their heart: ¡°Aren¡¯t you one level beneath ¡®in¡¯...¡± please be quiet for a while, I will feel hurt if I hear that. Living my life inly made my heart as brittle as ss. I was the type who would be depressed the entire day if the game I like was criticized harshly. Getting a girlfriend was just a fantasy for a guy like me. The love rted event I experienced in high school was just¡­ [ When I was loitering around aimlessly on campus after school was out, I ran into a couple french kissing at a rarely used staircase, as they caressed each other¡¯s body. Even though time stopped for an instance, it would seem weird if I turn back. So I pretended I didn¡¯t see anything and walked pass them. When I was feeling relieved after going downstairs, I heard the couple upstairs bursting intoughter for some reason. ] That was my experience¡­ To be honest, I wasn¡¯t sure if my reaction back then was correct. Ah, you want me to talk about my own love story? Eh~~ if 2D could be counted ©¤©¤ Ah, no? I see. Well¡­ Yes, I had zero experience. Cough. Anyway, I couldn¡¯t be anymore iner, without any aura of poprity or outstanding talent. But on the other hand, there wasn¡¯t anything negative about me that attract attention too. For everyone in ss, I was like a background ¡®mob character¡¯. That¡¯s me, Amano Keita. If I had to point out my only character trait, that would be my name was very simr to the main character of Yo-kai w*tch, and also¡­ < TL: http://yokaiwatch.wikia/wiki/Nathan_Adams > ¡°My hobby is gaming.¡± That was all. You could probably tell from my earlier self introduction that I like gaming. I like video games from the bottom of my heart. There wasn¡¯t any special reason, I just like it unconditionally. I felt the happiest whenever I yed an interesting game, and I could ovee most detestable things if there were fun games to y. This behaviour helped release the chuuni urge building in my heart. From this perspective, even though I wasn¡¯t summoned to a different world, I think it was great to enjoy fun games in this world. That¡¯s how much I love gaming. The gaming time after reaching home and before dinner could only be described as my utmost happiness. I would asionally scream and shout as I yed against my brother in video games, such times filled withughter were really precious. However¡­ There were countless people in the world who liked gaming to such an extent. In conclusion, my trait wasn¡¯t really a trait, and my character didn¡¯t have much personality. And so, the story that I am about to recount©¤©¤ This story about me which very much goes against my personal preference, and regrettably. After bbering so much, in the end©¤©¤ The story still started with the in high school boy being chatted up by a beautiful girl, in a cliche and astonishingly rtable way©¤©¤ ©¤©¤ This is a story about gaming. Volume 1, 1: Amano Keita and the People Who are Guided.

Volume 1, Chapter 1: Amano Keita and the People Who are Guided.

Trantor: Skythewood Editor: Deus ex-Machina, Ruzenor There were existences that were out of the league of mere mortals. For example, there were idolized singers, athletes performing on the international stage, the wealthy directors ofrge corporations and 2D waifus, it differs from person to person. Their status and positions were too different with no intersecting points. Even if they met miraculously, keeping up conversation or interaction would be highly difficult. They were existences that were out of the league of mere mortals. Therefore¡­ ¡°Eh, pardon me. You are a student from Otobuki¡­ correct?¡± ¡°Huhh?¡± A certain day in June, after school was out, in a certain game shop where the atmosphere was casual under the setting sun. When the top beauty of Otobuki High School Tendo Karen spoke to me without any warning¡­ I, Amano Keita¡¯s brain waspletely frozen, and responded with a weird sound without even thinking. My eyes scanned all over the ce in order to obtain more information, and looked at her from head to toe indiscreetly. The first thing that drew my attention was her long blonde hair. It wasn¡¯t the blonde dyed haphazardly by delinquents in dested salons, but a healthy blonde that was the real thing. I didn¡¯t remember the details, but she seemed to have either half or a quarter caucasian heritage. But unlike her blonde hair, her face was really Japanese, even though her big bright eyes were light blue, she somehow gave an impression of innocence. Just like a typical beauty from an anime or game. Maybe it was her slender model like body built, the Otobuki High School uniform everyone was wearing looked really neat on her. ¡°...?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I couldn¡¯t help staring, and Tendo-san looked at me baffled with her head tilted. In contrast to me whose heart was racing, Tendo-san said naturally: ¡°Ah, right.¡± then shyly ced her hand on her chest, and moved her lips. ¡°I am in the second year ss A of Otobuki High, Tendo Karen. Pleased to meet you, eh¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, well, eh, I am Amano. Amano¡­¡± I instinctively state my family name in a panic. When I saw Tendo-san smiling silently at me as she waited for me to continue, I came to my senses and added: ¡°A-Amano Keita. ss F¡­ ah, second year¡­. Ah, not that, yes, I am studying in Otobuki too!¡± I introduced myself in bits and pieces in response. Not only was I stuttering shamefully, my face was sweating because of nervousness. My fringe stuck onto my forehead, and my slightly trembling body made my teeth chatter. I tried my best to calm myself so the other party won¡¯t be able to tell how shaken I was¡­ But the more anxious I was, the more wasted my effort became, and my entire face slowly turned red. I was aware of the disgusting, introverted ¡®stay at home boy¡¯ aura I was emitting, there should be a limit to how much of a fool I was making myself. Tendo-san didn¡¯t mind my suspicious actions at all, and extended her smooth and delicate hand out to me with an even friendlier attitude. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s great, we are in the same grade. Nice to meet you, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Yes¡­ Eh¡­ Ah.¡± And I finally realized I was still holding the box of a galgame in my hand, and ced it back onto the shelf in a hurry. I wanted to shake her hand ©¤©¤ but at this moment, I realized a guy like me would be touching Tendo-san¡¯s hand and hesitated. Afraid that it would be bad manners, I wiped my hands onto my pants, reached out again before regretting it; Wrong, wiping it like that would make the other party feel more disgusted©¤©¤ ¡°... Nice, to, meet, you!¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ©¤©¤ As I was still thinking about it, Tendo-san forcefully took my hand and shook it. As for the sensation of her hand ©¤©¤ I couldn¡¯t spare the effort to enjoy it, and could only stand there in a daze. ¡­ No matter how I thought about this¡­ Our palms touching seem like an unreal situation to me. Afterall¡­ She is the famous Tendo Karen, why is she talking to someone like me... I looked at her smile and once again, I realized how abnormal this situation was. Tendo Karen. On the other end of the spectrum, she was the student at the very top of the social pyramid on campus. With great looks, fantastic grades, quick-wittedness and excellence in sports, she was a beauty with attributes so good that it seemed unreal. In Otobuki High School which had low entrance score, and mediocre reputation, she literally stood out from the crowd. Even though she wasn¡¯t a television celebrity, her standing in Otobuki was akin to a goddess©¤©¤ also known as ¡®school idol¡¯. However, she wasn¡¯t a frog in a well. As Tendo Karen had a strong support in such a small world, her influence was huge. Just the term ¡®idol¡¯ would not be enough to describe her. She was themon topic among the students of Otobuki, the fashion setter, idol, mascot, spiritual symbol and glory. If a high schooler in the region was asked about their impression of Otobuki high, right after the customary ¡®a public school with slightly low entrance score¡¯, you will hear: ¡°That¡¯s the high school Tendo Karen studies in.¡± That¡¯s how important she was. Her personality was really popr, even though she had the confidence and capability nurtured by her excellent traits, she didn¡¯t have a shred of arrogance about her. In fact, one could even feel a sense of nobility (That was what I learned from the gossips of the boys in ss). On the other hand, I am a background character type solo yer who didn¡¯t even have a single friend in high school. ¡°......¡± ¡­ Yup, no matter how I racked my brains, I couldn¡¯t think of the reason why Tendo Karen was chatting me up. Or rather, it was a miracle that she was looking at someone like me. Eh, d-do I have to say it. My chuuni tendencies had seeped deep into my bones, so I don¡¯t deny that I fantasized about someone as famous as her falling for me in a dramatic way. But even when I was fantasizing that, I couldn¡¯t think of any concrete setting for why she would fall for me, which took a lot of effort. Don¡¯tugh, but I used the cliche fantasy of ¡®making an important promise when we were young¡¯ as apromise. And so, the situation right now fell too far from my expectations, and instead of tion and anticipation, I felt more troubled¡­ and uneasy¡­ Yes, uneasy. D-Did I do something weird? I hope it¡¯s not a big problem... Even though I was always craving for an experience out of my ordinary everyday life, I would hesitate timidly and fear that my steady lifestyle would end. I always talked about chuuni stuff, but my wish for ¡®nothing bad to happen¡¯ was stronger than ¡®I hope something good happens¡¯. I had the psychology of being a nobody. How shameful. As all sorts of emotions stirred in my heart, Tendo-san pulled back her hand after shaking mine, she asked me with a smile still hanging on her face: ¡°Amano-kun, do you like it?¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± The sudden question made my heart race again. N-No way, I would never dream that in my in everyday life, I would be confessed to out of the blue by a girl out of my league©¤©¤ ¡°I mean video games.¡± ¡°Of course! I knew it! I actually knew it from the start, and only acted shaken on purpose!¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s n-nothing¡­¡± Oh no, I was too flustered and was leaning towards being anxious like a bipr personality. It was probably really disgusting to someone I just met. I unwittingly spoke as if I was talking to my family. Tendo-san didn¡¯t seem to mind, and asked with her eyes on the game I was holding a moment ago: ¡°Amano-kun, you were holding something just now right? EhÒ»¡± Oh shit. It was embarrassing to be caught browsing gal games, and the game I picked up randomly was¡­ ¡°Eh, this one right? Let me see¡­ The first love simtion game that features only blonde beauties, a mischievous adventure game with eye candies, ¡®Golden tricks¡¯...?¡± ¡°Love itI love!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I answered the previous question loudly in order to divert her attention from the game, but the timing was unfortunate. Tendo-san brushed her blonde hair with her fingertip as she looked between me and the game frantically, her cheeks slowly blushing©¤©¤ ¡°Ah, I, I mean all video games!¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s right! I knew that! I already understand, but I still felt embarrassed!¡± Tendo-san seemed to be reacting to what I said a moment ago as she ced the game box backed onto the shelf in panic. And so, an indescribable feeling hung between the two of us, and the atmosphere was like a funeral¡­ I want to disappear just like this, vanishing from the scene without leaving a single trace, as if ¡®Medoroa¡¯ was cast on me¡¯. That might be so, it was fine for a disgusting otaku to suffer, but I felt that I have to take responsibility for dragging Tendo-san into this awkward atmosphere. Squeezing out all the courage I had, it was rare to see me trying to move the conversation along. ¡°Eh, generally speaking, I like all types of video games. T-That¡¯s why, there isn¡¯t any special meaning behind the game I was holding just now¡­ Or rather, the concept of that game is too innovative, so I was intrigued about what the description on the back of the box¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I understand. That¡¯s right, the description behind the game packaging is interesting, isn¡¯t it?¡± Tendo-san smiled at me gently. For an instant, I let it get to my head. ¡°Y-You understand too!? That¡¯s right, the back of the packaging is so entrancing! Although I read ratings online and from magazines, I also ced a lot of importance on the synopsis on the back of the box too! It is different from the exnation found on the official website! I couldn¡¯t resist the feeling ofpressing and presenting the strong points of the game in such a small space! Speaking of the back of the package, the idea Metal Gear Solid had was really creative©¤©¤¡± I bbered all that out before I came to my senses and stopped. Oh no, what was I doing? I was usually quiet, but would keep chattering when I talk about things I like¡­ That was so typical of me! How embarrassing! And even worse, the other party was the girl at the peak of the normies in Otobuki high! I messed up the scene so badly©¤©¤ ¡°Fufu¡­¡± ¡°? T-Tendo-san?¡± However, Tendo-san¡¯s reaction waspletely opposite of what I expected, and she was softlyughing cheerfully. For an instant, I thought she wasughing at my pitiful state, but I didn¡¯t feel such malicious intent. As I was standing stiff confusedly, Tendo-san said with a joyous smile: ¡°My apologies for interrupting halfway. I couldn¡¯t help myself because you are so passionate¡­¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± H-How embarrassing! My face heated up again. However, Tendo-san didn¡¯t look down on me and continued: ¡°How should I put this? You really match my ideal, I really want to praise myself for mustering up the courage to talk to you¡­¡± ¡°Huh? M-Match your ideal? Eh¡­ You are referring to¡­¡± This time, I was heating up for an entirely different reason. Eh¡­ Judging from this¡­ Could this be the route I thought up in my delusions about her falling for me!? My heart was thumping hard, and Tendo-san straightened her back and looked right into my eyes for some reason. ¡°Erm, Amano-kun, if you don¡¯t mind, would you like to¡­¡± ¡°!¡± I-It¡¯s here©¤©¤! T-The moment of confession is here©¤©¤ ¡°... Join the Gamers Club with me?¡± ¡°Of course! I knew it! I already knew that you want me to join the game©¤©¤ Huh? Wait¡­ Game¡­ Gamers¡­ Club?¡± The invitation came too unexpectedly, which left me dumbfounded. But Tendo-san still acted like an angel¡­ smiling sweetly at me. --------------------------------------------------------------- There was nothing more interesting than ying games when I was in a good mood. When I feel down, I couldn¡¯t invest much emotions no matter what masterpiece RPG it might be; But when I¡¯m in a great mood, no matter what kind of unreasonable enemy wiped out my team and waste all the time I spent adventuring, I wouldn¡¯t sigh in depression, and would chuckle instead. That was why, the me today©¤©¤ ¡°?~~?~~?¡± ©¤©¤ Could enjoy myself even though I was sitting in a corner of the ssroom and ying socialwork games on my mobile phone. Eh~~ Social Network Games aren¡¯t bad, how should I put it? I feel that I can empty my mind when I y this¡­ I don¡¯t dislike it! I liked the design that tempts yers to pay cash, even though it usually frustrates me. As I slowlypleted my ¡®weekly mission¡¯, I hummed a song in a volume no one else could hear. Even the usually unbearable ¡®after school sit in ce forever alone time¡¯ felt trivial today. After all... I recalled what happened after school yesterday and couldn¡¯t help snickering. The famous Tendo Karen invited me to join the Gamers Club! My campus life had always been covered in gloomy clouds, but I was suddenly facing a dramatic event that appeared out of nowhere. The person I admired approached me, and on top of that, I had a feeling that I would get to know a lot ofrades who loved video games. It would be hard for me to not get hyped in such a situation. Actually after what happened yesterday, I went home and yed Super Smash Bros with my younger brother. For the entire game, I was so hyped that I was all smiles even when I lose, even my brother who was in the third year of middle school said ¡°You look really disgusting!¡± But I couldn¡¯t help it even if he said that. Anyway, there was no entertainment better than ying games in a great mood! I had to keep myself from snickering at school, but a background character like me won¡¯t be noticed©¤©¤ I thought as I continued ying with my phone in a great mood. Speaking of which, Gamers Club huh? I never heard that Otobuki had such a club. Even a self-proimed gaming enthusiast like me didn¡¯t know. But that was only natural, Tendo-san said that the current Gamers Club was just started by her. For some reason, the student popce totally didn¡¯t know about this club. I yed around with the operating system of my phone as I slowly think back about what happened after school yesterday¡­ After shifting location from the game store to a bench in a nearby park, I listened to what Tendo-san had to say. ¡°And for the Gamers club, even though I founded the club, I didn¡¯t advertise to recruit members at all.¡± Tendo-san said as she took out a small bottle of mineral water from her bag to drink. Even though I was still very nervous about talking to her alone, I still did my best to pretend to be calm to avoid making a fool of myself. ¡°Thank you for enlightening me, But in that case-¡± ¡°Ah, your honourifics.¡± ¡°?¡± Tendo-san looked at me troublingly with a frown. ¡°We are in the same grade, you can just talk to me like an equal, Amano-kun. Or rather, I am already speaking in such a casual tone, it would be awkward if you respond with honorifics.¡± ¡°Ah, my apologies¡­¡± I apologized on reflex, and then noticed that I almost used honorifics again. Tendo-san smiled wryly. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, even my ssmates use honorifics with me.¡± ¡°I-I see.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ That other time, even the teacher spoke to me with honorifics¡­¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± ¡°In the end, even King Bowser used honorifics on me.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Eh, no no no, that¡¯s too ridiculous!¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. When I went into the deepest part of Bowser Castle, he said: ¡®I apologize for the terrible road conditions.¡¯ Is it a bug?¡± ¡°There should be a limit on how bad a bug affects the game! And under what situation did this bug ur!?¡± ¡°Eh¡­ When I feel very sleepy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a dream! There is no doubt that it was a dream!¡± ¡°Hmm? Then when Rathian told me apologetically: ¡®I am very sorry, I don¡¯t have any more scales¡­¡¯ That was a dream too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably a dream! It would be terrible if it is not a dream!¡± ¡°... Should I ask Ca about this?¡± ¡°Why do you insist on denying that was a dream! Don¡¯t do that! Of course, the one who was mistaken is Tendo-sa©¤©¤ ¡°... Fufu!¡± When Tendo-san suddenly giggled, I finally realized that she drew out my true colours, and felt really embarrassed. When I became timid again,Tendo-san looked at me as if it was a pity. She seemed embarrassed about chatting further, so she returned to the topic with a gentle smile. ¡°Sorry, I veered from the topic identally. Ehh, where were we¡­¡± Tendo-san looked to the sky with a finger on her lips¡­ She probably became the school idol because she could act this way so naturally. ¡°Right, we were talking about not advertising for the Gamers Club after founding it, right?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, that¡¯s right. Eh¡­ So why¡­?¡± After I had calmed down a little, pure curiosity stemmed from my heart. Tendo-san capped her bottle as she looked at the kids ying in the sandpit. ¡°Aside from the fact that the Gamers Club doesn¡¯t sound like a proper group, it¡¯s awkward for me to say this myself¡­ Well, because I am in the club, if words are to spread¡­¡± ¡°...? ¡­¡­ Ah... Ah~~ I see¡­¡± Even though she tailed off the ending of her exnation with a wry smile, I could feel the subtle reason behind that. Simply put, Tendo-san was probably worried there would be half hearted people who would join in order to ck off or to woo her. After all, unlike sports club, the entry bar for the Gamers club sounded really low. Tendo-san continued: ¡°I really love video games, although I don¡¯t really mention that to my friends. And the reason I am studying in Otobuki High is because I heard we have a famous Gamers Club here.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± That was the first time I heard that. Tendo-sanughed weakly. ¡°I heard that the club disbanded right before we entered the school. Most of the members then seemed to have graduated¡­¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± That was really¡­ how should I put this? But Tendo-san didn¡¯t seem disheartened at all. ¡°And so, in order to revive the Gamers Club, I have been working behind the scenes for the past year. Finally, I became the Club president this spring¡­¡± ¡°Oh, the Gamers Club has revived? Congrattions.¡± I offered my sincerepliments. Tendo-san said shyly: ¡°It isn¡¯t much.¡± After a short apuse, I thought of a question and asked: ¡°Eh, but, what exactly does the Gamers Club do¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I know what you are meaning to ask. It is basically what you¡¯d expect at face value, a club to y video games.¡± ¡°... Are there any difference between it standing out or not? Actually, how can ying video games be a club activity¡­¡± Tendo-san smiled at my question. ¡°Ahaha, yes, that¡¯s what people would normally think. However, it really is different from just ying video games. Or rather, we have to y games seriously for it to be a club activity.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Eh¡­ Sorry, it¡¯s hard for you to imagine that right? But that¡¯s how it is.¡± Tendo-san stood at this moment, and invited me with a warm smile, with her back to the setting sun: ¡°Well, Amano-kun! Would you like to visit the Gamers Club room!?¡± For an instant, I almost lost myself because of how cute she was, but I still asked her back hurriedly: ¡°W-Why would you invite someone like me¡­¡± ¡°Why would you say that¡­?¡± Compared to me who couldn¡¯t understand and was flustered©¤©¤ Tendo-san said in a kind tone as if she was gently guiding a child throwing a tantrum: ¡°Because you like video games, right?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, yes, I do like them¡­¡± I tilted my head as I pondered, and Tendo-san began exining in detail. ¡°Our Gamers Club won¡¯t advertise publicly, and in ce, the members have to recruit those who loves gaming. To be honest, the efficiency is bad, and we would most likely miss out on people who truly like games. However, it won¡¯t be worth it if the Club fails because weird people joined in. I think this is a good way ofying a solid foundation.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see¡­¡± Simply put, this was like a shop that prioritized to serve the customers? The efficiency might be sacrificed, but it gave more importance to other matters. Hmm? But this means¡­ I really... ¡°Ah, it¡¯s already sote! My curfew¡­!¡± She had probably set a vibrating rm on her phone, Tendo-san looked flustered when she took it out from her pocket. At this day and age, a girl like her still had curfews huh©¤©¤ While I was feeling impressed, she waved at me and said: ¡°Excuse me!¡± then picked up her bag from the bench swiftly. ¡°That¡¯s it for today! Tomorrow! Make some time for me after school tomorrow! I will tell you the details¡­ I will find you after ss is over! Bye, Amano-kun!¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, alright, eh, b-bye¡­¡± I stood up from the chair hurriedly, and despite a slight hesitation in my heart, I still waved my hand shyly¡­ Even though Tendo-san wasn¡¯t looking at me, I continued waving my hand¡­ I only slumped back onto the bench when I could no longer see her figure anymore. And after I spaced out for a while¡­ I looked up to the sky and muttered: ¡°So that means¡­ I¡­ was chosen by her?¡± It had nothing to do with romance though. But even so¡­ What was just a delusion suddenly felt very real, there was no doubt about that. ¡°Gamers Club¡­ Gamers Club huh¡­ Fu, fufu¡­¡± It was the first time in my life©¤©¤ That I looked forward to going to Otobuki High the next day. As I absentmindedly cleared my Social Network game missions, I kept reying back the event from yesterday in my mind. That¡¯s right, Gamers Club. Today¡­ Tendo-san would be inviting me into the Club¡­ What an exciting day. To think I would see such a day in my high school life. But¡­ There¡¯s something that I felt uneasy about¡­ Could it be¡­ That was just a dream¡­? I didn¡¯t feel that way yesterday, but my confidence dwindled after a single night. Being the type whose dreams felt really realistic also helped to grow my unease. ...N-No way, that was definitely not a dream. Yes, it was real, no doubt about it¡­ I-I just need to y my game and wait for school to end, yup! I focused on the screen of my phone, forcefully wiping away the unease in my heart. For me, games were a safe haven, and also my mental stabilizing injection. I liked to empty my mind, y task oriented games, and immerse myself in the world of RPG as well. Because no matter what I was ying, I could forget everything about reality, and cleanse my soulpletely. Right now, I was ying one of the many games on the market that was a clone of Puzzle & Dragons. The yers had to use the energy that recover over time to adventure, and battle by ying mini games. They could also use the rewards from battles or the bonus from logging in daily to y gacha to collectrades, power-up and synthesize new items. I usually couldn¡¯t y pay-to-win Social Network Games for long, but this one had a lot of action elements in its battle, which I liked a lot. And so, with a miniscule spending in the range of hundreds of yen, I had been fiddling with this game for half a year. Ipleted a mission today as usual, and found a ¡®help request notification when I returned to the home screen. You could request for reinforcement from other yers registered as your ¡®friend¡¯ if you couldn¡¯t defeat an enemy that appeared during a limited time event, a system to call for aid by sharing the rewards. Ah, even though the term ¡®friend¡¯ was used, I don¡¯t know most of the yers, and was only helping out in the game. Just strangers that didn¡¯tmunicate, and only helped each other for the reward, with no emotional investment. However, the person requesting aid this time was different. Ah, it¡¯s ¡®MONO¡¯. I will help him then. Basically, the rewards for the yers who help wasn¡¯t too good for this game. It wasn¡¯tpletely a waste of time, but there were other missions that grant rewards more efficiently. However, ¡®MONO¡¯ was a ¡®friend¡¯ I made when I first yed this game. Even though we didn¡¯t message each other at all, I somehow feel a strong sense of camaraderie for him. Our game progress was almost the same and we go online at simr timings, which was probably the reason why we often help each other. In short, even though this was a meager friendship I had in the Social Network Game, I still want to ept MONO¡¯s help request. Especially for this event which had a strict time limit: ¡®After receiving the help request notification, you have to ept within 3 minutes.¡¯ I immediately reached out to press the ¡®ept help request¡¯ button©¤©¤ ¡°Ah, found you, Amano-kun!¡± ©¤©¤ It happened really fast, Tendo-san entered the ssroom after speaking loudly. The appearance of the unexpected person caused an uproar in F ss. But Tendo-san seemed used to it, and wasn¡¯t concerned as she walked towards me openly. I froze on the spot as I stared at her with my mobile phone in hand flusteredly, ¡­ As she got closer to me, the gazes from my ssmates slowly fell onto me¡­ I could feel my heart beating fast. Ugh¡­ This really is... Even though this was a scene I looked forward to in a romanticedy. I couldn¡¯t calm down with so many eyes on me, let alone feeling a sense of superiority about this. To be honest, instead of being envious, the gaze of my ssmates appeared confused. Maybe Tendo-san didn¡¯t understand the awkward atmosphere hanging over us, aftering to my table in quick steps¡­ She suddenly leaned in and peeked at my phone. ¡°Hmm? Amano-kun, are you busy with something?¡± ¡°Ah, just killing time¡­¡± ¡°Oh, a socialwork game. How unexpected, I didn¡¯t think you will y such boring things.¡± ¡°Huh?... Ah¡­¡­ T-That¡¯s right, just a little.¡± My face started heating up for no reason, and I hurriedly flip my phone over¡­ Why was my body turning hot too? Was it because Tendo-san was beside me, and I was being watched by everyone? Or perhaps¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that.¡± Tendo-san moved the phone I put on the table away, ced her hand there, then spoke to me intimidatingly: ¡°About the promise today, how about meeting in the library after school? Amano-kun, you cane over immediately after your cleaning duty right?¡± ¡°Ah, a-alright. It should be¡­ fine.¡± The words were stuck in my mouth and came out haphazardly. It¡¯s probably because I¡¯m being watched by others, so my body was stiffer than yesterday. I had to try expressing myself clearer, so I nodded my head several times like a nodding doll to emphasize what I said. And so, Tendo-san said with a smile: ¡°It¡¯s settled then!¡± It was rare seeing her smile so happily, and she was doing so just for me. This fact caused a disturbance in the ss. I couldn¡¯t find the words to answer her as my mouth opened and close. The gods probably couldn¡¯t bear seeing me like this, and rang the bell for the second period of ss. ¡°Ah, I need to go then. See you after school, Amano-kun!¡± Tendo-san left quickly after saying that. The only thing apanying me was the words ¡®Ah, right, bye¡­¡¯ I uttered in relief, and¡­ Ugh... The rude stares from my ssmates. Also, as the bell for ss just rang, even the ssmates that would normally riot didn¡¯t talk to me, and the air felt dangerous. That might be so, but I couldn¡¯t take the initiative and talk about the Gamers Club¡­ I lowered my head as I reached for the textbook under my desk, and slowly prepare for the next lesson. ©¤©¤ At this moment¡­ ¡­ Ah, in the end¡­ I didn¡¯t ept the help request from MONO... I picked up my phone and looked at the screen, and the message ¡®help request fail¡¯. In reality, it wasmon when other yers couldn¡¯t respond to help requests because of various factors. Conversely, there were times when I couldn¡¯t get any reinforcement too, and wouldn¡¯t hold a grudge against others because of that. But, why¡­? Compared to normal times, the guilt I felt today¡­ Was heavier for some reason. --------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Phew¡­ Wahhh~~...¡± After school, I went to a corner of the sparsely upied library, and quietly groaned as I stretched my back. ¡­ This is the longest day of my entire high school life... And of course, it didn¡¯t feel long in a good way. I realized once again how mentally taxing it was to endure strange gazes. Well, the game I was ying, thetest release of ¡®Shiren the Wanderer¡¯ I brought to school to y just happened to be saved at the hardest part of the dungeon, level 70. I was grateful that the ¡®super tension that makes me ignore the outside worldpletely¡¯ apanied me in taking on this stage of the game! If not, I would have died already. Games are great! ...Eh, in the end I died to an amateur mistake at level 95, so it was still a setback from another perspective! Damn Chunsoft! Giving the monsters so many annoying skills! Were they geniuses at that!? After sulking over it for a while, seeing that Tendo-san had still note to the library, I picked a book at random from the shelf and flipped through it, even though my mind wasn¡¯t in it. But this is weird, it wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to call such a situation an extremely lucky romanticedy development. But I don¡¯t feel blissful at all, instead... When I thought this far, I shook my head. Why was I being such a wimp? The main event was just about to start, right? I would be visiting the Gamers Club, and would probably join right away. And be good friends with Tendo-san and the members of the Gamers Club. ¡­ After that, my joyous high school life would finally begin. How could I run into a wall like this? I have to pull myself together. Yes, I have to endure even if something unpleasant happens. As I was renewing my resolve, I could hear the library door open. I put the book back onto the shelf and took a look, and found a blonde girl looking at me with a smile just as expected¡­ She looked out of ce no matter where she was as usual, as if she belonged to a higher realm. An existence that waspletely the opposite of me¡­ Well, I was out of ce here too, in the sense that she was out of my league. ¡°Amano-kun, you are fast. Sorry, I¡¯mte.¡± Tendo-san lowered her voice and came to my side. then I replied with a smile: ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡°I just arrived anyway¡­¡± I immediately regretted saying that, as I thought it was too cliche, but¡­ ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Fortunately, Tendo-san brushed it aside lightly and I patted my chest in relief. In order to head to the destination, I started walking to the library entrance©¤©¤ ¡°Ah, please wait. One more person would being.¡± ¡°... Huh?¡± Tendo-san¡¯s sudden words made me turn back in surprise. Even though she tilted her head lightly in response, she still exined to me with a smile: ¡°Ah, didn¡¯t I mention it? Before I invited you yesterday, I also found another person. It was a good chance, so I want to invite both of you to a visit.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I-Is that so?¡± I walked back to Tendo-san¡¯s side with a smile¡­ but my heart was shaken hard. Finding someone else before me¡­ That means¡­ I¡­ am just a passing thought¡¯? I felt ashamed about thinking that I was a ¡®chosen one¡¯ moments ago. That¡¯s too cringey. The only salvation was that I didn¡¯t show an arrogant attitude to the people around me. I didn¡¯t have friends to show off to anyway¡­! ...Was that really salvation? Tendo-san and I sat together on a chair near the entrance, and did my best to answer her idle chatter like ¡®how are you doing?¡¯ About 2 minutester, the library door opened again. Tendo-san waved when she saw the person entering, calling him over softly. ¡°Misumi-kun, over here.¡± After seeing her reaction, I turned my head to the entrance too. I could hear from the way she was addressing him that the person was a guy, and¡­ Wahh~~ ¡­ A stylish handsome boy... My heart fell into a valley. How should I put this? If the one who came was a girl, I might still have a chance. I don¡¯t know what kind of chance though. For example¡­ the hope it would be a cliche romanticedy? But when things turned out this way, I really felt strongly that I am just a plementary item¡¯... Well, that wasn¡¯t wrong, I was a background character from the very beginning. On the other hand, that ¡®Misumi-kun¡¯ was a cheerful handsome boy that didn¡¯t seem out of ce¡­ In other words, he had the aura of a main character, also¡­ ¡°Ah, sorry Tendo-san. And you are Amano-kun right? I¡¯mte¡­¡± The apologetic handsome boy lowered his head right after seeing us. ¡­ Uwah, he is bowing really lowÒ» He feels like a good person~~ ...Ah, that¡¯s right¡­ I fell into despair in many areas as Tendo-san and I replied in unison: ¡°Not at all.¡± Tendo-san looked my way again. ¡°That¡¯s right, I mentioned you to Misumi-kun this morning, but the time after ss was too short, so I couldn¡¯t tell you about Misumi-kun in time.¡± ¡°Yes, I see¡­¡± As expected, she went to Misumi-kun first, then came to my ce... ¡°Let me introduce again. He is Misumi Eiichi from ss O, in the second year just like us. I saw him ying games in the arcade and chatted him up. He was concentrating hard on ying a tetris-like puzzle game.¡± Tendo-san¡¯s introduction made Misumi-kun blush. ¡°Eh, don¡¯t say that, Tendo-san. It¡¯s really embarrassing.¡± ¡°Why would that be? I amplimenting you. Your skills are shockingly good.¡± ¡°No, my only forte is in ying that game¡­¡± ¡­ Uwah, even the way they met was much better than mine. That¡¯s right, the male and female main characters should meet that way, yup. My eyes had turned gloomy, but the cheerful Misumi-kun still shyly and naturally extended his right hand to me. ¡°Erm, nice to meet you, Amano-kun. I heard about you from Tendo-san. Well¡­ I actually don¡¯t have many friends, I will be very happy if you are willing to be friends with me.¡± ¡°Ah, a-alright, n-nice to meet you, I am Amano. How do you do!¡± He is super cool! I wasn¡¯t used to the action of shaking hands, so I shook back embarrassedly with a red face¡­ Ah, what a smooth hand. His brown hair was smooth too, and what a kind smile¡­ Wait, what was that!? BL? But to be frank, just this part of him already won me over! If I was the main heroine in a loveedy starring Misumi-kun, I would be the type that would fall for him easily, that¡¯s how much I admired him! After I was capturedpletely, Tendo-san stood up again. ¡°Alright then, please follow me to the Gamers Club.¡± When we heard this©¤©¤ Misumi-kun and I looked at each other¡¯s faces¡­ Then I squeezed out a smile a bit too forcefully and said: ¡°Okay!¡± --------------------------------------------------------------- After passing through the corridor from the main school building, the club room of the Gamers Club was located in one of the rooms in the old school building, which housed most of the non-sports clubs. We were told that the club was located on the third storey and climbed up the stairs, Misumi-kun asked Tendo-san who was walking in front of us: ¡°By the way, it¡¯s amazing that you got a club room with video games as the core activity. I heard the non-sports club were brutal in their fights over resources...¡± I was curious about that too. It might be fine in college, but founding a Gamers Club in high school was something only possible in light novels. Tendo-san replied without turning back: ¡°Ah, there are two reasons. Firstly, the Gamers Club existed before we entered the school.¡± I didn¡¯t quite understand Tendo-san¡¯s exnation and my gaze went upwards unconsciously¡­ But I almost saw under her skirt for an instant, and averted my eyes while I asked: ¡°B-But in the first ce, how was the past Gamers Club established¡­?¡± ¡°That would be the second reason. In the end, club activities have to be proper.¡± ¡°?Proper?¡± Misumi-kun and I tilted our heads. W-What was a proper club activities like? Were there a proper or improper way of ying games? Despite our confusion, Tendo-san simply walked on with no intention of exining further. After getting to the third storey, we walked on for several more seconds. Misumi-kun couldn¡¯t help but try to ask more, but Tendo-san spoke preemptively: ¡°For that part, I think it is better for you to see for yourselves.¡± She suddenly stopped and turned towards us. Looking closely, there was a door between her and us¡­ The door with the sign ¡®Gamers Club¡¯ was right before us. Tendo-san pushed open the door and entered¡­ She then opened her arms to wee us, and announced with a refreshing smile: ¡°Wee to the Gamers Club!¡± The lighting from inside made it hard to see the room clearly. Despite taking a deep breath, our greetings were nervous, but Misumi-kun still entered the club room first¡­ Not daring to enter first was probably a trademark of me being me. When Tendo-san closed the door behind us to cut off our retreat, we looked around the club room. The space was about half a ssroom with monitors and games consoles arranged neatly, and their wirings were done perfectly. It was worlds apart from my room where my brother would frequently rage after stepping on a controller. In the Gamers Club room, there were two other students aside from us. A male student with narrow eyes under his sses, giving off a cold impression. And a brown haired ¡®hot babe¡¯ female student who waszily blowing a bubble gum that was rarely seen in this day and age, as she fiddled noisily with her personal game joystick for fighting games in silence, focused on her game. ¡°...... Gulp.¡± It was difficult to describe the atmosphere as ¡®weing¡¯, which made Misumi and I straighten our backs. Tendo-san eased the mood a little frantically. ¡°Ah, eh~~ I am sorry. Including me, there are five members in the Gamers Club right now, but I don¡¯t know why only the two people who are hard to get along with are here¡­¡± The intelligent looking male student heard what Tendo-san said, and crossed his arms unhappily and pushed his sses. ¡°Hmmp, what an impolite junior. Did I ever treat someone I just met strictly?¡± ¡°No no no, Kase-Senpai is just strict to everyone. That is stringent enough for a first impression.¡± She might be saying that, but Tendo-san was really at ease towards the Sempai. Was this the rtionship between clubmates? While I was feeling envious, the other student who looked like a delinquent appeared to have finished a fighting game match, and nced our way. She then said with a fierce look: ¡°... Ah~ hello.¡± ¡°H-Hello¡­¡± Misumi-kun and I bowed and parroted her words. The female student look at us with sleepy eyes, and asked directly: ¡°Are you good with fighting games?¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Who was she asking? We didn¡¯t know, but Misumi-kun and I both shook our heads. And so, she obviously lost interest with an ¡®Oh¡¯, spat her bubble gum onto the paper packaging, then ced a new gum into her mouth immediately. She then returned her gaze to the screen¡­ Eh¡­ ¡°Ah, sorry. Nina-Senpai is always like this, please don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°... Oh.¡± We answered Tendo-san nkly. This person was a grade our senior too. Indeed, from her outstanding figure and charm from herzy attitude, she felt like a person that wasn¡¯t our age. Tendo-san gently introduced them once again to the two of us who were intimidated: ¡°Ah, let me reintroduce. That person wearing sses and acting cool is the club vice president, Kase Gakuto-Senpai.¡± ¡°Hey, Tendo.¡± Even though we were intimidated by how Kase-senpai was obviously enraged, Tendo-san was unfazed and continued: ¡°And the person ying fighting games over there¡­ Or rather the ¡®hot babe¡¯ big sister who always ys fighting games is Oiso Nina-Senpai.¡± ¡°......¡± ¡°As you can see, Senpai ignores people when she is ying fighting games, just like that.¡± Even though she was being introduced, not only did h Senpai ignored us, she didn¡¯t even nce at Tendo-san¡­ What amazing focus. Heeding Tendo-san¡¯s words, we sat down. Two long white tables were ced together in the middle of the room, with h Senpai sitting to the right front seat with a screen before her and her personal joystick in hand. Kase-Senpai who was opposite her wasn¡¯t doing anything, simply watching as if he was appraising us. Misumi-kun and I sat together at the bottom seats with our backs to the entrance. Tendo-san who was seated beside Oiso-Senpai led the conversation with a ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°I wish to invite the two of you to watch our club activities¡­ Kase-Senpai, please don¡¯t sulk there, y some FPS casually like you usually do.¡± ¡°Hey Tendo. I have never yed FPS with a casual attitude since I was born¡­¡± ¡°Ah~~ alright, got it. Here Senpai, I am plugging the console in.¡± Tendo made her way to the top seat side, and plugged in the power for thergest screen and a game console. She started the game, then hand the wireless controller to Kase-Senpai. Even though the Senpai snorted, he didn¡¯t hesitate in taking the controller and called out to the seat opposite him: ¡°Oiso.¡± The female upperssman took out headphones from somewhere and plugged it into the monitor connected to her fighting game console. Seemed like the people ying on the main screen had priority in audio entertainment. When Tendo-san returned to her seat, Kase-Senpai activated the game software and deftly chose online battle from the menu. He then waited for the matchmaking to be done. It was thetest installment of a famous FPS (First Person Shooter) game series I had dabbled in. The yer would be a soldier in a real battlefield, and shoot at each other with the most advanced guns¡­ The description might sound bloody, but yers would be revived immediately after death, and the kill scenes were downyed, so the feel of the game was like an advanced version of snowball fights. After the numbers were set and the fight started, Misumi-kun heaved in admiration: ¡°Woah~~ the graphics in games are really advanced nowadays.¡± It was true that the graphics was really well done among FPS games¡­ But for a game lover, I was surprised by how moved he was. Tendo-san asked: ¡°Misumi-kun¡­ could it be you have not tried other games other than that puzzle game?¡± In response, Misumi-kun scratched his head troublingly. ¡°Didn¡¯t I mention it before? I have a game console at home¡­ But I would only consider ying when there is a new Dragon Quest or Mario game.¡± ¡°I-I see.¡± Tendo-san probably thought he would be more familiar with games, and smiled wryly. ¡°... Hmmp.¡± Kase-Senpai snorted as he fiddled with his controller. Misumi-san felt a little guilty and turned timid¡­ Eh~~ ¡°T-The graphics in this game is awesome! A-And Kase-Senpai¡¯s skills are great!¡± I pushed myself to speak in order to lighten the mood, but my voice was obviously shrilled, so it wasn¡¯t done too well. Despite that, Misumi-kun still smiled at me in relief¡­ T-That¡¯s great. ¡°Kase-Senpai might look like this, but he is actually an elite who made it onto the ranking board of Japan.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®look like this¡¯? What do I look like?¡± Kase-Senpai protested as he blew off the head of the enemy he encountered splendidly. We weren¡¯t familiar with FPS, but we could still tell his skills were top notch. Kase-Senpai didn¡¯t think much of it as he defeated the opposing team one by one. I gasped. I remember this series¡­ the review says it¡¯s a game where yers dish out and take damage really fast right? But¡­ After going through such intense battles, he didn¡¯t even die once? Anyone who tried this game series before would be able to tell how out of ce that was. No, when I nced to the side, I noticed that Misumi-kun was also staring at the screen. That¡¯s how overwhelming Kase-Senpai¡¯s technique was. Tendo-san muttered while watching the screen: ¡°So, do you understand the Gamers Club better now?¡± Misumi-kun and I both nodded after hearing that¡­ I could feel subtly what she meant by ¡®club activities have to be proper¡¯. As Kase-Sempai started the second round silently, Tendo-san continued: ¡°Not just FPS. For example, for Nina-Senpai¡­¡± ¡°......!¡± Tendo-san turned the monitor in front of Oiso-Senpai towards us a little. Oiso-Sempai was shaken for an instant, but she clicked her tongue and ©¤©¤ ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t see the screen properly from such an angle, but Senpai¡¯s character was doing just fine, and could even dominate her opponent who had great win-lose ratings. Tendo-san turned the monitor backed towards Oiso-Sempai with a smile on her face. ¡°The other members aren¡¯t no-lifers like these two, but they could still perform at simr level in their own expertise. In other words¡­¡± ¡°... I understand. You mean they have all gotten achievements for the club.¡± Tendo-san smiled to answer Misumi-kun muttering, effectively saying: ¡°Bingo.¡± ¡°Apetition in real life is a given, it¡¯s the same for onlinepetition too. Also, because the previous principal held the concept of ¡®rewarding those with merits¡¯, the previous Gamers Club was established sessfully. Founding it this time was done mostly by imitating the previous generation.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± I mumbled. When I heard the name Gamers Club, I was wondering why such a club that focus on entertainment was approved, but this was really ¡®club activities¡¯... But that means¡­ The three of us observed Kase-Senpai¡¯s massacre for a while more. After the second round was done, Tendo-san led the conversation with a ¡°Well then,¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point in watching right? Please try it out too.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The sudden suggestion stunned Misumi-kun and me. Surprisingly, even Kase-Senpai also expressed his interest: ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Tendo-san took two portable game consoles from somewhere and proffered them to Misumi-kun and me. ¡°We have the portable version of that game series, just one game cartridge would allow multiple yers to y against each other.¡± ¡°I-I see¡­¡± I turned on the portable game console and adjusted the settings nervously. However, Misumi-kun beside me wasn¡¯t familiar with it and took some time to do so. I told him ¡®Lend me that for a moment¡¯ and helped him finish the settings. ¡°Thank you, Amano-kun. You are knowledgeable with games, that¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°Ah, not really¡­: I returned the configured console back to him bashfully. At this moment, Kase-Senpai turned his gaze to me and said: ¡°The guy over there seemed to have somewhat dabbled in this.¡± I straightened my back nervously and answered: ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Well, I y¡­ yed this game franchise a little¡­¡± ¡°Oh, then show me what you got.¡± Senpai¡¯s sses lighted up. I stammered: ¡°P-P-Please show mercy¡­¡± Then look down at the screen of my console. The rules of the game was a little special. There were four yers, but there were also eightputer controlled bots, simting a twelve yer game. Kase-Senpai also quietly raised the difficulty of the bots to the highest. The serious atmosphere was making me pale, but Misumi-kun didn¡¯t seem to notice. Tendo was even giggling mischievously. With all sorts of emotions brewing underneath, the first ten minute round began. And the result was©¤©¤ ¡°... Kase-Senpai, please be more considerate of them.¡± The match ended in no time, and Tendo-san lift her head from the screen dumbfounded¡­ As expected, Misumi-kun and I died numerous times terribly. Our ranking from the top was Kase-Senpai, Tendo-san, me and then Misumi-kun. But the gap between Tendo-san and I was ridiculous, and I was about even with Misumi-kun. Misumi-kun was falling into depression beside me. To ease the mood, I said hurriedly: ¡°B-But Kase-Senpai is really good! The bots are strong, but you can wipe them out as if they were trash! A-Also, ying this game with four yers is really interesting©¤©¤¡± ¡°Another round.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Kase-Senpai cut me off. He didn¡¯t look away from the screen and continued: ¡°Another round. Get ready.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, o-okay¡­¡± I looked at my console screen quickly. As it was still loading, I looked around me with a smile¡­ However, Tendo-san and Misumi-kun were both staring seriously at their screens too. Feeling ashamed, I also looked down on mine. And so, round two started. And the results©¤©¤ ¡°That¡­ That¡¯s strange?¡± As for the rankings, Kase-Sempai and Tendo-san still won convincingly¡­ But I lost to Misumi-kun a little¡­ That¡¯s strange? I raised my face from the screen and smiled at Misumi-kun. ¡°Y-You are amazing! Did you yed this before?¡± Misumi-kun raised his head from his screen after hearing my question: ¡°Huh? No, I really didn¡¯t know about this before¡­ But after ying, it feels really deep.¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, I-I see. Yes, that¡¯s right, it¡¯s fun ying together with everyone©¤©¤¡± ¡°Another.¡± Kase-Senpai cut me off again. Since this wasn¡¯t a FPS y trial, but to see the environment of the Gamers Club as a whole, I felt it was time to do something else and looked around¡­ But Tendo-san and Misumi-kun was looking at their gaming screen seriously once again. I had no choice but to mimic them, and y the game silently. After the third match was over, the result was¡­ ¡°... Hmm¡­¡± Kase-Senpai was still first¡­ But Misumi-kun¡¯s score was really close to Tendo-san who was in second. At this point, Kase-Senpai finally lifted his head and smiled coldly for the first time at Misumi-kun. ¡°You got some skills. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m Misumi.¡± ¡°Misumi, you have potential. Although your controls were stiff in the beginning¡­ you gradually learn techniques and is getting better the more you y.¡± Misumi-kun scratch his head shyly because of Kase-Senpai¡¯spliments. ¡°No, I¡¯m just lucky. I was just referencing Senpai¡¯s movements¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± It was rare hearing Kase-Senpai sounding a little passionate. ¡°The effort in stealing techniques from others, your attitude and observation skills, these are qualities in order to improve in games. And Misumi¡¯s quality in these are high in standard.¡± ¡°Eh, not really¡­¡± Misumi humbly scratched his head, but Tendo-san also praised him. ¡°No, you are really amazing, Misumi-kun! I yed this game for quite a while, and you have almost caught up to me! Misumi-kun, you are very talented. Ah, maybe that puzzle game helped nurture your concentration and thinking skills?¡± They surrounded Misumi-kun and discussed excitedly. Looking at this scene¡­ Well, I felt somewhat vexed and envious after losing, but I still thought naively that Misumi-kun was really amazing as I looked at them while dazing off. In this world, there were people who possess such talents. Yes, he was really strong. ©¤©¤ At this moment, Kase-Senpai turned to me suddenly¡­ and red at me unhappily. I didn¡¯t know what¡¯s the matter and my shoulders trembled from fear. He then pushed his sses and showered me with sharp criticism. ¡°Compared to him, what¡¯s with you? You yed this game before and remembered the basic controls¡­ But I couldn¡¯t see any improvement in these three matches. Not just that, your performance dropped towards the end, right?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Eh¡­ Sorry¡­¡± I didn¡¯t expect to be lectured and just answered stiffly. But that seemed to enrage Kase-Senpai even more, he even ignored Tendo-san who tried to soothe him by saying ¡°It¡¯s fine, that should be enough¡¯, and continued lecturing me. ¡°Also, you climbed on top of the vehicles in the center of the map and jumped around that one time. Why did you do that?¡± ¡°Hmm? Senpai is saying¡­¡± I searched my memory to see if I did that¡­ Ah~~ I did. ¡°Ah, because if I climb higher from there, I think I can catch an amazing view, so I tried jumping¡­ And the scenery was awesome!... Well, I was shot immediately after that.¡± After hearing my answer, not just Kase-Senpai, even Tendo-san sighed softly. When Misumi-kun also smiled awkwardly, I tilted my head, not really sure why I was lectured. ¡°Well¡­ Ah, sorry, I didn¡¯t y that seriously. Well, it is fun ying with everyone©¤©¤¡± ¡°Never mind that. Or rather, you saw how I y right? Didn¡¯t you think about learning from that? Just what are you thinking about when you watched me?¡± To me, these were still baffling questions. Not knowing what kind of mine I tripped off, I answered timidly: ¡°Huh? Well¡­ What I have in mind¡­ That¡­ I felt impressed thinking ¡®great skills¡¯ and ¡®amazing¡¯, and was having a st watching¡­ But¡­ Ah, I like to watch clips of highly skilled yers©¤©¤¡± ¡°... Hmmp.¡± Kase-Senpai smirked while I was still talking, then turned his eyes away from me as if he had lost interest. With the awkward atmosphere in the room¡­ Tendo-san wanted to restart the session and said loudly: ¡°O-Okay!¡± ¡°The Gamers Club doesn¡¯t just y FPS! Next¡­ that¡¯s right, let¡¯s y an action game, action game! Okay, Nina-Senpai, it¡¯s your turn!¡± ¡°Hmmm? Ah¡­ Wait a moment¡­¡± Oiso-Senpai who was called took off her headphones and hung it on her neck as she swiftly finish off her opponent. After ending the game, Senpai grunted and used her gaze to urge Kase-Senpai to switch ces with her. She probably wanted to y on the main monitor together with us. After changing seats, Kase-Senpai continued ying FPS alone. Tendo-san then went to the top seat area to choose a game. ¡°Well~~ ¡­ Right¡­ Fighting games require skill¡­ That would be a little¡­¡± Was she referring to me when she said ¡®that would be a little¡¯...? My mood sunk a little. Misumi agreed, probably out of goodwill: ¡°I think something rxing would be great.¡± Ah¡­ Misumi-kun was a nice guy and talented in gaming. How respectable. Tendo-san deliberated a while, chose a game and then said: ¡°Ah, this one is good.¡± before putting the disk into the game console. She handed the wireless controller to Oiso-Senpai, me and Misumi-kun, then returned to her seat with a controller in hand. After starting the game, the title screen appeared on the screen. ¡°Ah, I yed this before. It¡¯s interesting, everyone had a riot ying it.¡± Misumi-kun smiled. It was true, this was a really famous battle action game. It was fundamentally a fighting game, but it allowed four yers topete at the same time, and contain a variety of stage gimmicks, and you can turn things around by pure luck in getting powerful items. It was the type of game where the skills of the yers won¡¯t matter too much. Speaking of which, I like this game too, and would y with my brother at home asionally. ¡°Ehh~~ ¡­ Alright, it¡¯s fine ying this once in awhile.¡± Oiso-Senpai was the only one who seemed a little reluctant, but she wasn¡¯t very against it. And so, we started ying with a rxed mood. It was true that the first match started in a peaceful atmosphere. The difference in yer skills were probably too wide, even though luck y an important part, Oiso-Senpai still took the lead. The twist and turn in the match really suited the style of the game, and it felt really interesting. However, something was strange during the character selection screen of the second match. ¡°Huh? Everyone¡­ is not changing your character?¡± One of the selling point of this game was therge ensemble of yable characters. When I y with my brother, we would switch characters after every match naturally, and would even let theputer pick one at random. But¡­ Aside from me, the three other people didn¡¯t switch characters. As I was sitting there dazed, Tendo-san replied with a wry smile: ¡°Ah, because that¡¯s the character I specialized in.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡± Well, it was normal to have a character you specialized in for fighting games¡­ Eh~~...? I still had doubts and looked towards Misumi-kun, who smiled shyly: ¡°Ah, I¡¯m a beginner, so I want to familiarize myself with each character.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I-I see.¡± I could understand his reasoning. Yes, very traditional. However¡­ I looked at Oiso-Senpai, who saidzily: ¡°Because I am the weakest in this character.¡± ¡°Hmm? You mean¡­ Ah, you are giving us a handicap¡­¡± ¡°Maybe a little. But I¡¯m doing it mostly to get better at this character, so don¡¯t mind me.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Ah, okay¡­ I understand¡­¡± Yup, I was grateful for Senpai¡¯s good will. On top of that, she still want to train in such a situation, she was really a model gamer¡­ Yes¡­ Despite the knot I felt in my heart, I still finished the second and third match. Oiso-Senpai secured first ce convincingly, the other ces weren¡¯t fixed because of the element of luck, and the results were basically a tie. However¡­ ¡°Wah! ...Ugh, that¡¯s sly, Misumi-kun! Tendo-san is fast! And Oiso-Senpai is really skilled!¡± "......" I was the only one who would make such exaggerated reactions, the other yers just focus on the screen¡­ Everyone were smiling, and no one was unhappy¡­ After four or five consecutive rounds, everyone still didn¡¯t change characters, only I was choosing a different character every time. That was probably why I would be at a disadvantage when the match start, as I wasn¡¯t familiar with the control. Oiso-Senpai nced at me and said: ¡°... Eh, how about concentrating on one character? The one at that corner is strong and easy to use.¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, alright. Thank you Sempai. I will use it this time!¡± I replied with a smile to Senpai¡¯s rmendation. But she seemed troubled for some reason. ¡°... This time?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, sorry, well, I want to try the other characters too¡­¡± ¡°... Alright.¡± Oiso-Senpai who seemed to have lost interest in me turned back to the screen¡­ Eh, was I too rude to Senpai just now? Should I keep using the character she rmended? However¡­ I yed a few more match with the knot in my heart. The matches were short, so the pace was fast. However¡­ Everyone¡­ kept using the same character... To be frank, the matches were turning dull. Also¡­ I am the only one making an effort to get the items? When I realized it, everyone including Misumi-kun was fighting a melee battle seriously, I was the only one wandering the field for items. Even if I obtain a powerful item, I would feel bad about it when the three of them were fighting so seriously. In the end, my ranking in the matches were average, with mediocre performance, with results right in the middle. We had ten such matches. Tendo-san then looked at the clock and made an ¡®Uwah¡¯ sound before stopping the game. ¡°We yed a bit too long. Alright, it¡¯s finished! Good work everyone~~¡± When we heard what she said, we responded with: ¡°Thank you for your hard work~~¡± Unlike the FPS game, the ending was harmonious¡­ However, for some reason, the knot I felt in my heart¡­ No¡­ It¡¯s probably because my feelings were too in¡­ Yup. And so, Oiso-Senpai yed another fighting game on the main screen while Tendo-san chatted with us idly, which probably serve as a means to rest our eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right, was there any reason why the two of you came into contact with video games?¡± When we were asked this, Misumi-kun and I looked at each other. We both wanted to let the other party go first, but Tendo-san probably couldn¡¯t stand it and said: ¡°For me, I had an Onee-san who loves video games who lived near my ce, I was probably influenced by her. When I was young, I was pretty bothered by my hair colour, and spent most of my time ying at home. Back then, that Onee-san would apany me gently.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± As we listened to this heartwarming story, Tendo-san¡¯s face suddenly turned gloomy and she said: ¡°But that person¡¯s gaming skill was ridiculously good, and she refused to give me any handicap. When I realized it¡­ I had be a kid who was as strong as a demon in all sorts of games¡­¡± ¡°I-Is that so¡­¡± To think the topic changed in such a way which made it hard toment on. ¡°After she moved away, I spent less time ying games, and my skill had fallen from my peak a little¡­ But even so, I still retain my passion for video games. That¡¯s why, my wish right now is to have a match with the Gamers Club from the high school that Onee-san went to¡­ Hekiyou Academy, and defeat them.¡± ¡°Y-Your gaming background is really dramatic¡­¡± As I was feeling shocked by Tendo-san¡¯s back story, she made an ¡°Ara¡± sound, as if she was being teased. ¡°My story is the inest. For example¡­ Kase-Senpai over there had been trained by his legendary mercenary father since birth, whichid the foundation for his demon like skills.¡± ¡°Huhh!¡± Misumi-kun and I were both shocked, but Kase-Senpai just pushed his ssed in response¡­ He didn¡¯t retort, which meant¡­ It was true! ¡°Also, Nina-Senpai set a very high target for herself in order to get her good friend who waspletely engrossed in fighting games out of the dark side.¡± ¡°Are you serious!?¡± Misumi-kun and I were both stunned, and the subject Oiso-Senpai herself said: ¡°Yes, it¡¯spletely true~~¡± Her casual tone made me feel weak¡­ Which seemed more convincing that way¡­ Tendo-san continued: ¡°By the way, for the two absent members, one imed: ¡®I am a princess from an RPG like world, so I should y RPG and receive the blessings of RPG¡¯, a girl with unfathomable thoughts: The other had her family heirloom stolen, and entered the video game world to follow the lead that the culprit is a ¡®professional video gamer¡¯. A girl with a heavy duty on her shoulders¡­¡± ¡°What kind of Gamers Club is this!?¡± When I heard that, our in experience was not even worth a mention. However, Tendo-san was urging with a smiling face, so we couldn¡¯t run away. Even my gaze lost to Misumi-kun, so I had to talk about my own experience. ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t have any reasons¡­ I just¡­ Like ying video games¡­¡± Thatpletely spoiled the mood, and it lingered in the air. Even though I thought that I screwed up¡­ But my love for games was real, so I added: ¡°Eh¡­ Liking something without any special reason¡­ Is that no good?¡± ¡°No¡­ Not at all¡­ Yes, I remember that Onee-san said that©¤©¤" Tendo-san looked into the air nostalgically. And so, seeing the chance to end my round, I elbowed Misumi-kun lightly, urging him to introduce his experience. Misumi started solemnly: ¡°My situation is verymon¡­¡± Misumi had no choice but to say it. Alright, there would be another story on the same level of my©¤©¤ ¡°I have amnesia, and the only thing I am good at is that puzzle game¡­¡± ¡°Traitor©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!" I yelled. After showing a surprised face, he started telling us the details. ¡°I don¡¯t have any memory of the past three years. When I realized it, I was already ying that puzzle game. After a series of events, I was adopted into the Misumi family, and live together with my foster parents and little sister. At the same time, I am still focusing on ying that puzzle game.¡± "......" The amazingly strong story made us speechless. Misumi-kun smiled shyly, and passed the baton back to Tendo-san¡­ But Tendo-san was troubled to take over at such a moment. She was lost for a moment, and then cleared her throat¡­ She skipped the topic to conclude today¡¯s visit. ¡°A-Alright, so you get the gist of what the Gamers Club¡¯s activities are?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Misumi-kun and I answered in unison. Tendo-san nodded satisfactorily and carried on: ¡°Ah, also, our upperssmen arepletely not suitable for leading club activities, they are the type of no-lifers whose social skills missed the mark. But you can hold some expectations for the other members.¡± "Hey¡«¡«" The two upperssmen who kept their eyes glued to the screen protested. Misumi-kun and I couldn¡¯t helpughing, and the gentle faces of the Senpai-tachi filled the room with a peaceful air¡­ As expected of the school idol Tendo Karen, her choice of words was excellent. She continued with a heartwarming smile on her face: ¡°There are no hard and fast rule that you have to improve your gaming skills. In fact, I am not that skilled too. The other two members are first years with lots of space to grow, and they are both cute girls. But they are really gutsy.¡± I reacted immediately to these information. The Gamers Club where all the members including Tendo-san were cute¡­ Was this some sort of VIP area? A new type of Dream C Club? As I indulge in my delusion, Tendo-san continued: ¡°But since we are ying, sparring with each other to raise our skills should be the direction the Gamers Club should take as a group. Well then, that¡¯s what I think about when leading the club activities¡­¡± Tendo-san ended the topic, and showed a dazzling smile. ¡°It would be wonderful if the two of you could join us.¡± I already had the intention of answering ¡°Yes¡± and entering the club. And Misumi answered easily: ¡°Okay, I had fun ying today, please let me join.¡± ¡­ Was this the ability of popr main characters? So decisive and straightforward. Tendo-san was ted over his reply, and faced me with that smile too. ¡°What about you, Amano-kun? Will you participate in the Gamers Club activities with me?¡± The power of Tendo¡¯s upward looking gaze was showing its effect¡­ My mental endurance was at its limits. My face waspletely red, and it was a miracle that my nose wasn¡¯t bleeding. I looked to the side sharply, and saw Misumi-kun looking at me with a smile full of anticipation. Not just that, even the picky Kase-Senpai and Oiso-Senpai was looking at me with gentle eyes, as if they were saying: ¡°It¡¯s a good chance, so just join us.¡± I thought they were scary at the beginning, but the Senpai-tachi were actually good people, they were willing to ept a hopeless yer like me¡­ I was very grateful. I looked around the Gamers Club once again. The games I loved the most filled this ideal space. A school idol I admired was inviting me. There was a cheerful youth my age who I rather like, and feel that we would be fast friends in no time. There were Senpai-tachi worthy of respects, and two female junior members I had not met. The normie life that I always dreamed about was all right here. If I say ¡®yes¡¯ right now, I would be able to grasp all these in my hands. ¡­ It was like a dream. Running into such a situation was like a once in a lifetime surprise the gods bestowed to a background character like me. That was why, I¡­ Facing her¡­ After interacting with her directly, I started to fall for her for real, and it wouldn¡¯t be too much for me to say shamelessly that the blonde beauty was my first crush. I smiled from the bottom of my heart. With a determined heart. I told her the answer I had. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Because there isn¡¯t any ¡®game¡¯ I want to y in this club.¡± --------------------------------------------------------------- "I am really an idiot ahhhhhhh!" The next morning after visiting the club. I sprawled over my table right after reaching school. Ignoring the curious eyes of my ssmates, I grabbed my head in deep regret. Why! Why did I reject her!? Am I retarded? Do I want to die? Was I so vexed after losing to Misumi-kun in a game? Or angry because of Kase-senpai¡¯s usation!? Depressed because Oiso-senpai is disinterested in me!? Huh, did I reject such a dream like invitation for my cheap pride!? I should just die! The me from yesterday should just die! What is this!? Pretending to be retarded? That¡¯s right, I was just pretending to be retarded! I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night as I repeated my self loath for god knows how many times. The truth was, I still didn¡¯tpletely understand how I felt back then. I didn¡¯t take out the textbook and notebook, and just kept struggling on the table. I remembered that I answered that with some weird belief, but I couldn¡¯t remember what the content of that crucial belief is! Or the concept couldn¡¯t be expressed in words! No no no, how could I reject with such a reason!? Idiot! What am I doing!? Am I pretending to be the hero who rejected the invitation of the dragon king in Dragon Quest!? My sensitivity is too game like! Like some sort ofte stage disease! Sigh, enough already... No, I wasn¡¯t able to stop cursing myself. This might lead to me hurting myself. I had to calm down first. Right, I should y games at a time like this¡­ After gathering my thoughts, I took out my phone under the watchful gaze of my ssmates, and started ying my usual socialwork game. When I was about to clear one mission, I had calmed down a little. I need to be calm¡­ Wait, there is still hope right? It will be fine, I can just apply to enter the Gamers Club again. Even though that¡¯s really shameful¡­ But even so, there is still a way to salvage this. I just need to say that I wasn¡¯t emotionally ready yesterday, and everything will be fine right? Yup. I then rxed. Eh, to be frank¡­ There should be a limit to how low one could go. But this was a crucial moment that would decide if I could live like a normie, not the time to be concerned about these. I cleared another mission while I was contemting. An even better situation would be¡­ for the other party to invite me again, yup. That¡¯s right, maybe Misumi-kun wille invite me! Yes! Even though I knew I was deluding in a way that was convenient for me, I couldn¡¯t keep it together if I don¡¯t do that. I continued fiddling with my phone as I deluded further. At this moment©¤©¤ Ah, MONO sent another help request. I didn¡¯t aid him yesterday, and the event period is almost over, I have to help him©¤©¤ I was about to to hit the ¡®ept help request¡¯ button when at that instant¡­ As the ss was getting rowdy, I looked at the ssroom entrance¡­ And found Tendo-san¡¯s usual smiling and graceful figure. I gulped. Tendo-san entered the ssroom unfazed like yesterday, and walked towards my seat. The gazes of my ssmates followed her closely. As I held my phone motionlessly, Tendo-san came to my desk, and said almost the same words as yesterday. ¡°Good morning, Amano-kun. Are you busy with something?¡± ¡°Huh? Eh~~... I am just ying games on my phone¡­¡± ¡°Oh©¤©¤ you really like such boring things.¡± ¡°Erm¡­ Ah, t-that¡¯s right¡­¡± I forcefully averted my gaze, but my personality of being intrigued on the topic of games made me bber. ¡°Ah, this game¡¯s design isn¡¯t bad. Tendo-san, I think you will find it interesting if you y it©¤©¤" ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that.¡± Tendo-san ignored the screen on my phone that I was showing her, and leaned in¡­ So close! Her face was closer than yesterday, so close that everyone in ss became noisy at that instant. Tendo-san¡¯s longshes, high nasal bridge, soft lips and delicate skin. And also¡­ her big clear eyes. These all entered my vision in a close up shot, making my pulse race. She showed a smile as charming as an angel, then told me with a gentle and well meaning tone: ¡°Amano-kun, join our club alright? Please, I am very interested in you.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Her invitation¡­ surpassed all the ¡®return to the Gamers Club delusion¡¯ I made up in my mind. It was too ideal, and even had the ¡®very interested¡¯ speech by Tendo-san in it. In fact, my ssmates also heard that, and themotion was louder than ever. And it wasn¡¯t just asional subdued outburst, but close to screams. This might be a rare chance for me to elevate my status in ss. With all the conditionsid out, what was there to hesitate about? Tendo-san moved her face away a little and extended her right hand, as if she was asking me to shake hands. ¡­ Oh no, I was on the verge of tears. In my eyes, Tendo-san was like Buddha who was lowering the spider web to save Kandata. It¡¯s true, I could see the halo behind her. What a merciful person. She offered me another chance¡­ To a foolish background character like me. I switched the phone to my left hand, and then slowly extended my right towards her¡­ I didn¡¯t reached out quickly simply because I was shy, and a corner of my heart was still lingering over what the ¡®belief¡¯ in my heart yesterday was. However¡­ Since I couldn¡¯t recall it, it was probably not important. Despite hesitating for a moment, I steeled my heart and reach for her hand©¤©¤ ¡®MONO¡¯s help request: five seconds remaining.¡¯ ©¤©¤ I didn¡¯t take her hand, but pressed the ¡®ept help request¡¯ button on my phone instead¡­ Phew, that was close. It was fine now. It would be fine to press pause on the battle for now©¤©¤ "......" "...... Ah." When I came to my senses, I had already did something unbelievably rude¡­ Even Tendo-san who was extending her hand was smiling stiffly. Under the gaze of the ssmates who didn¡¯t know what was happening, Tendo-san forced a smile and asked: ¡°A¡­ Amano-kun? Could it be¡­ That boring socialwork game is more important than my invitation?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, no, sorry! I am very sorry, we were in the middle of a conversation! That was really rude of me! I am really sorry! I apologize for that! Like this!¡± I lowered my head in apology hurriedly¡­ but, how should I say this? Unfortunately, I remembered my feelings yesterday because of our conversation just now. ¡­ Sigh¡­ No other way about this. Yes, I remembered, it couldn¡¯t be helped. I lift my head and showed a broad smile¡­ This time, I didn¡¯t stammer when I talked to Tendo-san. ¡°However, Tendo-san¡­ Even though they are boring to you, they are meaningful to me.¡± "!" ¡°So, I will apologize to you about the Gamers Club. I still won¡¯t be joining the Gamers Club.¡± ¡°! But¡­ But¡­ Why?¡± Tendou-san¡¯s smile became stiffer. Even though it breaks my heart¡­ I still can¡¯t give in on this, and replied with a smile. ¡°Like I said yesterday, there isn¡¯t any ¡®game¡¯ I want to y there.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m asking you©¤©¤!" Tendo-san raised her voice, then cautiously lowered it again. "©¤©¤ That¡¯s why I am asking you, what does that mean?" ¡°It means¡­ Sorry, even though you are asking, I am not too sure myself.¡± ¡°... Are you worried about your gaming skills? Don¡¯t worry, Kase-senpai might look that way, but he is unexpectedly caring©¤©¤" ¡°Ah, No, no! Not that¡­ Eh~~ Well, to be honest, it is true my confidence in my gaming skills got shattered. But¡­ That¡¯s not the reason.¡± ¡°If not¡­ Then what is the issue¡­¡± Tendo-san¡¯s face was like that of a lost sheep¡­ I never thought that I would ever see the confident her show such an expression¡­ Ah, was it because of the haphazard way of expressing my opinion? Although I was smiling awkwardly, I was still in thought for a while, and tried to answer by expressing what I could right now. ¡°I don¡¯t think there is anything wrong with the Gamers Club. Or rather, I think everyone in it is very respectable. All of them are shining so brilliantly. From the bottom of my heart, I feel that the Gamers Club was like the Baseball Club, Ser Club and the other sports club, worthy of the status of ¡®proper club activities¡¯.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Everyone training hard together to aim for a higher goal. That is the right way to approach gaming right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. Improving oneself through hard work will let you experience the true joy in gaming¡­ I think, you can achieve that result in your Gamers Club.¡± ¡°S-Since you understand, then let¡¯s join the Gamers Club together¡­¡± Tendo-san looked at me as if she was looking for support¡­ But why did she want to invite me so badly? Someone like me wasn¡¯t valuable at all. And so, even though her sincere invitation made my heart ache¡­ Even so, for the ideal I refused to give in¡­ I showed her the screen on my phone, and expressed my feelingspletely honestly. ¡°But I am sorry. I still prefer to y games happily¡­ It seems impossible to do that in the Gamers Club where we spar and train with each other.¡± ¡°! I really¡­ don¡¯t understand¡­ Didn¡¯t you just say that training is the right way¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yes, that¡¯s why I wholly acknowledge that way of enjoying the game.¡± ¡°... Then¡­¡± Tendo-san reacted as if shepletely didn¡¯t understand. I grabbed my shoulders and groaned as I sought out a way to express myself in an easier to understand way. ¡°Eh, that¡­ Right, I have a very cool and excellent little brother.¡± "¡­¡­ What?" Tendo-san turned stiff. To be frank, her eyes started to show the emotions of being dumbfounded. But even so¡­ I still struggled to convey my messy thoughts to her. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t have much interest inmon with my brother, and didn¡¯t talk much. Think about it, I am so ipetent, and couldn¡¯t do something that showed the dignity of a big brother¡­ H-However, you mightugh at this, when the two of us y video games together, we couldugh like idiots happily¡­ Even if we encounter anything unhappy in school¡­ That doesn¡¯t change.¡± "......" ¡°And so, Tendo-san, video games to me¡­ Well¡­ I know that my attitude towards gaming would be lectured by you, Kase-senpai or Oiso-senpai, and is not anything worthplimenting¡­ However, I still treat it as my safe harbour, something I can findfort in, a medium for a bum like me to use to interact with others¡­ That¡¯s why I hope to keep video games as something that would give salvation to my soul¡­ keeping the most important ¡®entertainment¡¯ effect of it.¡± "......" ¡°Ah~~... T-Think about it, just like a yer whose goal is to make it into K¨­shien or turn pro, and another who just wanted to vent their stress in the baseball batting cage¡­ like the difference between them? "......" Oh no. Was mynguage skill too lousy? I cleared my throat to redo it, deciding to tell her the conclusion. ¡°Well, anyway, what I wanted to say is, I¡¯m sorry, Tendo-san. The Gamers Club is wonderful¡­ But I won¡¯t be joining. Because I want to y video games in my own way in the future too. Ah, but I am very very happy that you invited me! Thank you!¡± I expressed my gratitude with a smile, but Tendo-san¡¯s reaction¡­ For some reason, she was looking down and trembling¡­ She seem to be muttering something. ¡°~~! ~~Ugh~~! Why¡­ Why does it feel like I am being dumped¡­! I never¡­ thought that¡­ I would be rejected by someone like¡­ Amano-kun¡­! For that to actually happen¡­¡± ¡°T-Tendo-san? S-Sorry, someone like me rejecting your invitation¡­¡± The moment I spoke, Tendo-san lifted her head as if she came to her senses. For some reason, her face was red. ¡°I-I¡¯m not being tsundere¡­! T-That¡¯s right, s-since you prefer that, I-I don¡¯t¡­ mind at all. And also¡­ someone like you¡­ I won¡¯t¡­ A-Anyway, your skills are bad, ying games with you is¡­ is not interesting¡­¡± With her arms crossed, Tendo-san averted her eyes as sheined to me quietly. In response©¤©¤ I showed the smallfolk smile I was good at and agreed with her. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s true. Well¡­ But I think you have a talent for video games! So please continue working hard on the club! I will support you all from behind! Ah, Misumi-kun joined the club, with such a promising member like him, the club will be fine even without me!¡± ¡°...Ugh! Yes, you are right!¡± The next instant, Tendo-san suddenly mmed on my table with a ¡®bang!¡¯ Her face waspletely red as she red at me grudgingly with tears in her eyes¡­ T-That¡¯s strange? She then turned, flicked her long blonde hair to the side¡­ Then left in crude steps,pletely unlike how she came into our ssroom. ¡°......¡± Tendo-san left the ssroom and left everyone dumbfounded. After a few seconds, there was amotion in ss as all my ssmate seemed to snap out of it. ¡°Huh? What happened? This is the first time I see Tendo-san making such a vexed face¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, that was definitely emotional conflict!¡± ¡°No, they were talking about club activities or something¡­ Anyway, why don¡¯t someone ask Amano.¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s hard to ask the subject directly right now. And he seemed so mysterious recently¡­¡± ¡°Amano had a strange aura about him these few days.¡± I seemed to have be the subject of their discussion¡­ Since I could hear all that, did that mean everyone didn¡¯t care whether I heard them or not¡­? I sighed deeply and looked out the window. The branches of the birch tree swayed wildly with the wind. ¡­ Sigh¡­ Not only did I reject joining the Gamers Club¡­ I even made Tendo-san so mad¡­ Just what am I doing... The route to a wonderful high school life crumbled. In such a situation, I would have no one to me if Tendo-san¡¯s fans find trouble with me. Why did things turn out like this? ¡­ Looks like¡­ I made the wrong choice. That¡¯s definitely it... I also yed some galgames, but why didn¡¯t I gain any experience points from that? Well, that¡¯s how ying games were, it was useless even if you y a lot. But that was why¡­ After sulking for a while, I decided to use the time before the bell for ss ring toplete MONO¡¯s help request mission. I worked hard to defeat the unexpectedly tough enemy, reaped the miniscule rewards and then switch off the screen for a while to rest¡­ Sigh. Now that I think about it¡­ I prioritized this reward over Tendo-san, right? ¡­¡­ Oh no, I am getting depressed. Now I get it. After an hour, I will definitely return to how I was before. I would keep thinking about joining the Gamers Club, and regret tremendously©¤©¤ ¡°Boo boo!¡± ¡°?¡± ©¤©¤ As I was thinking about that, my phone suddenly vibrated. I thought it should be the notification of an app update and unlocked the screen. But it was disying something I didn¡¯t expect¡­ A message from the Social Network Game. Huh, it is ¡®a message from MONO¡­¡¯ ¡­ Huh? It came too suddenly, and made me open the message from the menu in a hurry. In there ©¤©¤ was just a simple line. ¡®Thank you for your support all this while.¡¯ ¡°......¡± I read those words four times¡­ Then looked out the window. Unfortunately, the weather was a bit gloomy. It wasn¡¯t going to rain, but there wasn¡¯t any sign of the sky clearing, a strange weather¡­ But this was actually the mostfortable weather. ¡­ A in half hearted everyday life without any pretty girls¡­ Isn¡¯t too bad either. I started ying with my phone again with an awkward smile. Today, I spent azy day with my gaming buddy like usual. Volume 1, 2: Uehara Tasuku and Restarting After Getting Stronger

Volume 1, Chapter 2: Uehara Tasuku and Restarting After Getting Stronger

Trantor: Skythewood Editor: Deus ex-Machina, Ruzenor ¡°Ehhhh, Tasuku~~ Help Aguri catch that plushiel~~¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Aguri whined as she tugged at my sleeve, and I couldn¡¯t help turning my head back with a pouting face. A girl who appeared dull witted at a nce was looking up at me. She had a light tan, and her hair was dyed a faded orange. But thanks to her face and body figure, she was cute on the whole and her skills in appealing to men was top notch. I tried putting on airs, but Aguri ignored thatpletely. She forcefully pulled me to the w Crane Game and pointed with her finger, saying: ¡°That one, that one!¡± ¡°Ehhh, doesn¡¯t that look sick?¡± ¡°... Ah~~ totally sick.¡± Sick in a negative way. There were many cute kittens inside the w Crane Machine¡­ Various plush toys that had weird changes to the usual design of the kittens, some had two long legs, others were full of muscles. Even though I felt they were ¡®sick¡¯, but from the way Aguri squealed excitedly, her definition of ¡®sick¡¯ was probably opposite from mine¡­ Instead of ¡®ugly cute¡¯, wasn¡¯t ¡®normal cute¡¯ better? Or was my sense of aesthetic behind the current times? I rubbed my neckzily. ¡°... You want me to catch that one?¡± ¡°Yes! Because Tasuku is cheekily skilled in games!¡± ¡°What cheekily skilled¡­?¡± I couldn¡¯t help snickering. My gaming skill is much better than Aguri¡¯s but I didn¡¯t y much games before her at all. I think she saw me yed fighting games a couple of times, so she thought I was ¡®cheekily good¡¯. Thinking that I was good with w Crane Machine because of that, was how people who don¡¯t usually touch games would feel. ¡°Tasuku~~ catch it for me okay~~¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind catching it¡­ So, the hundred yen?¡± ¡°... Tasuku~~ C-Catch it for me.¡± Aguri yed it off with a smile. T-This girl¡­! I sighed as I dug out a hundred yen coin from my wallet. Aguri who was squealing behind me might be annoying, but this wasn¡¯t the first day she behaved like this. In fact, her frivolous style was popr among the boys¡­ To be honest, I didn¡¯t really get it though. I pressed the two buttons that controlledteral and vertical movements respectively, and made the mechanical w reach down in the vicinity of the plushie Aguri wanted. In the end¡­ ¡°Ah, such a pity~~!¡± ¡°Sigh, that¡¯s a shame.¡± Wasting a hundred yen hurts me a little, but I didn¡¯t invest any emotion in the plushie itself at all. I turned to leave -- but my arm was grabbed strongly by Aguri. ¡°Once more! Tasuku, one more try! You can do it! You can definitely catch it!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± What¡¯s with this girl? She want me to keep ying until I catch that plushie? For a game machine like this, shouldn¡¯t she be grateful that I am willing to use my own money for one try? To be honest, I didn¡¯t want to humour her. But if I ignored Aguri here, it would be troublesometer. If the alternative was me having to treat Aguri to a pancake to cheer her up, since I already threw in a hundred yen, I would be better off showing off my sincerity and carry on the challenge. With no other choice, I threw in another hundred yen, and leaned forward a little more seriously. This time, I inspected the entire machine carefully, and found my serious face reflected on the ss. My brown hair was carefully styled, and my brows neatly trimmed; cing emphasis on washing my face with lotion kept my skin so smooth and clean that not a spot of e was visible; a dull silver earring was hanging from my left ear. Ah~~ I am cool today too. My unpleasant mood diminished a little. And behind me was my girlfriend who wasn¡¯t that smart, but could definitely be described as cute. Hey hey, I am a winner in life, right? I couldn¡¯t help peeking at my past self who was residing in a corner of my mind¡­ And greeted the me from my middle school days. In response, the in guy with side parting and sses and uniform buttoned all the way up answered meekly with a smile: ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡­ That guy was still the same, why can¡¯t he smile a bit more cheerfully? I focused on the w Crane machine to escape from that mindset. After spending plenty of time and carefully controlling the buttons, the mechanical w stopped right on top of the plushie -- and slightly to the side. Aguri said unhappily: ¡°Ahh! Tasuku, what are you doing! How sloppy!¡± ¡°Noisy, just watch.¡± After I said that, the mechanical w slowly¡­ descended to the position slightly off to the side. As I expected, it didn¡¯t grab the plushie-- however, one side of the w hooked onto the tag on the plushie splendidly. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Aguri opened her eyes wide. After the mechanical arm rose with the tag in tow, it was wobbling unsteadily, but the plushie didn¡¯t fall. Next, it returned to the starting point¡­ and the w opened, dropping the plushie at the prize retrieval slot. The next instance, Aguri took out the plushie excitedly, and showed it to me as if she was the one who caught it then said: ¡°How sick! It¡¯s really fluffy! Tasuku you are really good at games~~!¡± ¡°... Don¡¯t get too excited.¡± Feeling a little embarrassed, I averted my eyes. To be honest, half of it was a fluke. I did aim for the tag, but I wasn¡¯t good enough to be certain that it would definitely work, so the over exaggerated praise was a little troubling. Eh, getting my girlfriend to fall for me again wasn¡¯t too bad-- ¡°Wah~~ ¡­ Awesome¡­¡± ¡°?¡± -- I turned and saw a male schoolmate who was wearing an Otobuki high school uniform just like us. It seemed that he just happened to see me ying the w Crane game as he stared nkly at the kitten plushie Aguri was holding with a dumb impressed face. ¡­ Hmmm? This guy is... At this moment, I realized that I knew this guy. He seemed to have noticed us at the same time. When Aguri looked at him and asked ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± his face blushed and he panickedly bowed at us before leaving in a hurry. Aguri tilted his head confusedly. ¡°Ehh¡­ What was that?¡± ¡°Ah, he is our ssmate, although we never spoke before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. But why did he run away?¡± ¡°Ehh, instead of running¡­¡± A ssmate that he wasn¡¯t close to had a girl who seemed to be his girlfriend. Normally speaking, it would be quite difficult to chat with me in such a situation. Aguri didn¡¯t seem to think that far, and looked baffled. I just said: ¡±Doesn¡¯t matter, it¡¯s great that we caught the plushie.¡± And so, Aguri¡¯s mood became great as she hugged the plushie tightly in her chest¡­ The way she intentionally hugs it with the head of the kitty facing me was really skilled¡­ Well, that was definitely cute. As she had something extra in her hands, we left the arcade directly and headed home. After we exited downtown and I bid Aguri farewell, I walked by myself for a while. As I was about to take a shortcut through the park¡­ it suddenly hit me. Ah, that¡¯s Amano. Amano¡­ what¡¯s his name? Anyway, he¡¯s that guy from my ss... I remembered the family name of the ssmate I just met, but no matter how long I thought, I couldn¡¯t remember anything else. I smiled wryly. Speaking of which, he was probably more in than me in my middle school days. I wouldn¡¯t be that impressed with someone ying a w Crane game. And he was in such a panic just seeing me who he never even talked to being with my girlfriend¡­ howme. I smiled awkwardly as I recalled the dumb look on that in ssmate. My mood turned great for no good reason as I whistled badly and strode through the quiet residential zone. --------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°... Yawn¡­ Morning~~¡± I stifled my yawn as I greeted Daiki and Masaya. I dumped my schoolbag onto the table, tickled the waist of Shiyouji who was sitting at my seat, getting him to move away. The four of us yed around a little, then Masaya¡¯s girlfriend Mika came in, followed by a girl from the light music club Reina that Shiyouji hooked up with recently. The group started chatting idly as usual. Today¡¯s topic was mainly about Masaya and Mikaining about their karaoke session yesterday. Even though Imented: ¡°That¡¯s horrible.¡± the topic wasn¡¯t that interesting. My eyes wandered carelessly in the ssroom to stave off my boredom. At this moment, the boy who I never paid attention to in the past appeared in a corner of my vision suddenly. Amano Keita¡­ I looked at him because I ran into him at the arcade yesterday. After observing him a while, he really was a boy without anything. It goes without saying that he had nothing to do with me, he wasn¡¯t prominent in school at all. As far as I know, I have never heard any friends talked about him at all¡­ For example, who he was close to, what club he was in, nothing at all. I only learned his name after looking through the ss nominal roll that was ced inside the ssroom. I couldn¡¯t help smiling wryly. People with a sense of presence as thin as a ghost¡­ they can be found anywhere. If we flip through the graduation booklet during a ss reunion ten yearster, we will definitely have a hard time recalling his name¡­ That¡¯s how I felt. Is he happy with such a in life? I suddenly remembered how I was in my middle school days. It was different from Amano, but my life was really dull too. I would just work hard on preparing for my high school entrance exam as instructed by my parents, and y games asionally for entertainment. I lived my life seriously, and was influenced by the people around me to attempt the entrance exam of a high school beyond my standard¡­ After failing, I entered my safety school Otobuki. This was treated as a scar that shouldn¡¯t be mentioned by my family. In the end, you can only win in life by living in the moment. Talking about life at such a age might seem a little arrogant, but ever since I made up my mind to start over again, my life had been smooth sailing. Right, for example, this was like ¡®The ant and the grasshopper¡¯. The guidance of my parents was a factor, the young naive me was nurtured to have the view that I should ¡®live seriously like the ant¡¯ after hearing the story. However, instead of the ant who had to work hard in order to save for the future, I think the grasshopper who got a share of the food just by apologizing was smarter and more worthy of respect. ¡­ At this point, I tilted my head. Weird? Why¡­ am I thinking so deep about Amano¡¯s circumstances? When I realized it, my mood turned sour. What was going on? Amano didn¡¯t do anything to me, we were ssmates whose path didn¡¯t cross at all. I didn¡¯t have any reason to be this frustrated. ¡­ Ah, no... After thinking this far, I realized something. Why was I so flustered when I looked at Amano? The reason was¡­ That guy¡­ Why does he look so happy¡­? That¡¯s right, that was the reason why I felt flustered. At a nce, Amano was sitting by his lonesome self in his seat, but he was smiling about something. I thought he was busy with some stuff, but he was toying with his phone. From the position of his fingers, he wasn¡¯t texting or surfing the web, but ying games. Now that I thought about it, this guy was always ying games by himself after ss. He was happily isted from the outside world, minding his own business without being noticed by us. Even so, there shouldn¡¯t be any reason that would make me flustered¡­ Why was that? Amano was just ying games on his phone, but he looked so cheerful¡­ What the hell¡­ Some. I can¡¯t stand it... I couldn¡¯t help scowling my face, and Masaya suddenly toss the topic to me. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Tasuku!? Don¡¯t you think that is awful? What I ordered was fried chicken, fried chicken!¡± ¡°T¡­ True, you are right. A cold fried chicken is not even half as delicious as before.¡± ¡°Absolutely! Hmm, Tasuku, you feel me!? Please work over there~~¡± ¡°Forget it, I can¡¯t be bothered to work.¡± I faked a smile as I joined them in their idle chat. It wasn¡¯t that boring, and everyone bickered with Masaya, such times were enjoyable too. However¡­ I nced at Amano, peeking at what he was doing. So why¡­ Do you look happier than me? He should be a loser in life, but the face he was showing seemed happier than me who was chatting with my friends, and I felt dissatisfied by this. Just what was he so happy about? ¡°? What¡¯s the matter Tasuku? Feeling unwell?¡± Reina who saw my sour face asked. I was panicking in my heart, but I still found an out for myself. ¡°Nothing, I just got a bit unhappy after listening to what Masaya described.¡± I pretended to be angry, and the pure Masaya seemed to be very moved. ¡°Oh, my dear friend! Tasuku, you really are a good guy!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know? That¡¯s right, no matter what, I will always take the side of¡­ Mean customers.¡± ¡°How wicked!¡± Everyone retorted, thenughed out loud. I didn¡¯t care about the ssmates who turned our way, wondering what happened as Iughed dumbly with my friends. What am I doing? Why should I care about someone like Amano¡­ Alright. And so, I made up my mind again. ¡°Don¡¯t be annoying! I am a good guy! Before this, Aguri even asked me--¡± I pushed the in nerdy ssmate out from my mind, and resumed my rowdy everyday life. Until a few dayster, when the famous Tendo Karen came to chat with Amano. --------------------------------------------------------------- After ss was over, ss 2F would split into groups of various sizes, chatting idly together and creating a noisy atmosphere. Among them, our group of six was exceptionally influential. Leaving our numbers aside, the six of us were the type with lots of acquaintances and friends in ss, and would naturally influence the overall atmosphere of ss 2F. When weugh, the emotions in ss would be high; when we rage, the tension of the other people would rise. And so, whether ss 2F was rowdy or not was mostly dependent on us. And now©¤ The school idol Tendo Karen suddenly graced us with her presence, and the entire ss turned silent. Tendo¡­ Why is she... I couldn¡¯t help holding my breath because of the blonde schoolmate standing at the entrance of the ss. The first to notice Tendo was Mika who was always looking around her. From the angle she was looking from, she already saw Tendo walking along the corridor. But at that moment, Mika just treated it as a part of the conversation, pointing to the corridor as she said: ¡°Ehh, look, it¡¯s Tendo-san¡­¡± When we heard Mika, we all turned to look at the face of the rare beauty¡­ At this moment. We noticed this at the same time¡­ and were all stunned by the fact that Tendo was about to enter ss F. Influenced by our silence, everyone in ss noticed Tendo¡¯s existence©¤ She surveyed the ssroom from the entrance, and smiled as if she found a lost treasure. Then©¤ ¡°Ah, found you, Amano-kun!¡± ©¤ Nobody expected that¡­ Tendo was here for the person who was furthest away from her in a sense, Amano Keita. All the chatter in ss stopped instantly, and then¡­ following Tendo¡¯s actions, we all focused our gaze on Amano. At the same time, I was feeling agitated for some reason. ¡­ Why would she find someone like Amano... It was simr to the ¡®frustration¡¯ I felt about Amano a few days ago, the same emotion was reignited in my heart. Amano seemed to be shaken by Tendo¡¯s appearance and being the center of attention in ss too. His in face was even more stiff now, and he couldn¡¯t even smile¡­ Agitation mixed in with several otherplicated emotions were gradually expanding in my chest. On the other hand, Tendo who didn¡¯t seem to mind the gaze of the crowd strode forth confidently and approached Amano¡¯s seat nimbly. When she was before his desk¡­ She leaned to look at the phone Amano was toying with in an intimate way. ¡°!¡± Some of our ssmates finally made some wavering noise, and sound returned to the ssroom. Tendo seemed to be talking about something to Amano, but because of the whispering everywhere, I couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying clearly. The only thing I could tell was that Tendo was talking to Amano rather one sidedly. Games, promise, library¡­ I heard these terms, but I couldn¡¯t grasp the contents of their conversation. As the ss was getting anxious, Amano seemed to have nodded at Tendo hurriedly several times. And the next instant©¤ ¡°I see!¡± Tendo smiled and enchanted the entire ss. At the same time, when everyone noticed that she was smiling just at Amano, the wavering in our heart increased and the noise level went up a notch. However, the bell announcing that ss would be starting soon rang as if if on cue, and Tendo said hurriedly: ¡°Ah, I have to go now. See you after school, Amano-kun!¡± She said in an intimate tone and left right away. When the entire ss was dumbfounded, and Amano who was left behind watched Tendo leave in a daze©¤ Shiyouji beside me muttered something that left a deep impression on my mind. ¡°What the heck was that¡­¡± These words seemed to represent how the entire ss 2F felt. But before I could gossip with my friends, the teacher came in to start the next lesson, so it left a strange ¡®itch¡¯ in the heart of everyone in ss. Iid out my textbook and notebook onto my table, and pretended to listen to ss as I thought about Amano. Unfortunately, from the seat assignment, I couldn¡¯t see Amano who was beside the window at the back of the ssroom from my seat in the middle, but he was definitely¡­ Showing a cocky face that is saying ¡®did you all see that?¡¯ Once I imagined that, my unpleasant mood wouldn¡¯t stop. The in loner nerd who was suddenly chatted up by the number beauty in the entire school. This was like the story from a boring trash light novel. The subject might be having the time of his life, but from the perspectives of the people around him, there was nothing that was more disgusting than this. I knew very well that was jealousy or ¡®sour grapes mentality¡¯, but so what? That was my true feelings right now. In fact, most of my ssmates more or less felt annoyed by this. ¡­ Sigh. That might be so, I was aware that I my reaction was bigger than others. After all¡­ I didn¡¯t meet with such a wonderful salvation in middle school¡­ Damn it! I got angrier the more I thought about it. Amano Keita. As I couldn¡¯t see his face, I imagined that he was showing a smug face. Even ignoring that, I was still¡­ ¡­ Who would be happy to see a in nerd who didn¡¯t put in any effort to obtain happiness out of nowhere¡­ Arghh, so annoying! I took out my stationeries in a rough manner. After that, I stabbed the lead of my mechanical pencil into my white eraser again and again. --------------------------------------------------------------- The next afterss break, the ssroom was covered in a strange atmosphere. Even though the groups were all chatting as usual, but the topic revolves around Amano and Tendo. It was the same for us, especially the two girls who were specting blindly. As for me¡­ To be honest, I think the act of ¡®chatting about this topic¡¯ would make Amano happy, so I didn¡¯t participate too keenly. However, when Reina asked cheerfully: ¡°So, what exactly are their rtionship?¡±, I couldn¡¯t help responding. ¡°Reina, what do you think?¡± ¡°Hmm? Me? Ehh~~ That¡¯s hard to say. It will be fun if it is love rted. Well, to be honest, it doesn¡¯t feel that way, saying they are friends is unrealistic too. They felt more like official business contacts?¡± ¡°You mean, the two of them got acquainted through club society or their jobs?¡± That felt close to the truth. As I was about to let it go, Mika who loves to gossip made a ¡®Hmm~~¡¯ sound. ¡°That is boring~~ And actually, I remember that Tendo-san didn¡¯t join anymittees or clubs right? And to be frank, I don¡¯t think she works part time.¡± Masaya nodded in agreement to Mika¡¯s opinion. ¡°That¡¯s right. Tendo¡¯s family is rich right? And also, I don¡¯t have any impression of Amano working or joining clubs.¡± ¡°Or rather, Amano didn¡¯t leave much of an impression at all.¡± Daiki¡¯s words made everyoneugh. I joined in too, but myugh was superficial. As we slowly went off topic and everyone started fooling around©¤ I noticed that¡­ I couldn¡¯t let my unhappy mood go, and treated this as an entertaining piece of gossip like everyone else. What the¡­ Having so much fun talking about Amano. Are you all retards? How boring. I peeked at Amano. Even though he was intimidated by the gaze of the entire ss, he seem unconcerned with the surroundings, and was looking at his desk with sparkling eyes. I was wondering what he was doing, but he seemed to be engrossed in his game. He wasn¡¯t ying with his phone, but a handheld console. ¡­ Hmmp, what a loner. Are games that fun? There was a time when I was addicted to games. During the spare time I had while preparing for exams, I found therge arcade machines really interesting. And with the unique sense of space it had, it was a refuge for my soul during middle school. That was why I would be as excited as Pavlov¡¯s dog whenever I step into an arcade. However¡­ At least the time I spent chatting between sses with my friends are more meaningful than games. That guy is just hiding in his own world, engrossed in his games... Even though we were the same age, I detested him with a ¡®kids these days¡¯ sort of feeling. I couldn¡¯t stand it. ¡­ Well, other than Amano, there were a few others who spent the time after ss by themselves, but somehow, I didn¡¯t feel flustered when I look at them. I only felt pissed off about Amano¡­ Because of his expression when he looks at the screen of the game. Thinking back, that guy had always been showing such a face after ss. He didn¡¯tughed out loud, and was simply staring at the screen with a dumb smile, as if he was enjoying a little piece of happiness. That was why he could blend into the rowdy atmosphere in ss despite being a loner, and won¡¯t be a subject in others conversation for better or worse, or remain in other¡¯s vision. Not for me¡­ It felt like he was making a dig at me. After all, even though I was surrounded by friends, I felt from the bottom of my heart that the things they were talking about was boring, and my smile waspletely fake. ¡­ What¡­ You got a problem with that? Don¡¯t look down on interpersonal rtions. Even though Amano didn¡¯t say anything, I averted my eyes from him. ¡­ I will find Aguri and y in the arcade after school. I didn¡¯t know why I decided on that. And because I could look forward to that, I was able to make it through the entire day of Tendo and Amano topic. And so, school ended like what I was hoping for. After finishing up on cleaning duties, I met up with my cute girlfriend at the school gate. Alright, we will set off to the arcade happily. But on the way there©¤ ¡°Oh right, Tasuku, that Amano something is in the same ss as you right?¡± ©¤ When I heard Aguri said that¡­ I felt faint, as if I was lost in a nightmare. Aguri who was walking beside me didn¡¯t notice my face was tense, and kept going on while swinging her school bag around. ¡°It was an uproar in ss C too. The famous Tendo-san actually went to find a male schoolmate from another ss©¤¡± ¡°©¤ So noisy!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I couldn¡¯t help yelling, and scared Aguri into stopping in her tracks. I red at her for a moment, but noticed I had lost myposure and soothed her: ¡°It¡¯s nothing, nothing. It¡¯s fine¡­¡± Strange, my tongue was not working well. I seemed to have reverted to my middle school self. I squeezed out a stiff smile to the stunned Aguri. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I think¡­ Let¡¯s not go to the arcade today, and go home straight alright?¡± ¡°Huh? A-Alright¡­ It¡¯s okay¡­ Tasuku, are you feeling unwell?¡± Aguri looked my way with a face of concern. But I hid how I felt and only told her: ¡°I¡¯m just not in the mood.¡± and kept walking. Aguri caught up with me but still couldn¡¯t read the mood and talked about Amano again. ¡°And so, that Amano boy, what do you think he is like ©¤¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you!¡± I said in a heavy tone and cut her off forcefully. ¡°There couldn¡¯t be any guy who is good enough for Tendo in a school like Otobuki.¡± ¡°Hmm? Is that so?¡± Aguri thought naively. I sighed and continued: ¡°It is a miracle that Tendo actually enrolled in this school with such low entrance grades. In fact, people from elite schools and baseball club members from famous schools would confess to her every other day. Why would a girl like that look for a suitor from the bottom feeder guys in Otobuki¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, but I think that you and Tendo-san match rather well, Tasuku.¡± When I heard something that didn¡¯t sound like what a girlfriend would say, I turned my head in surprise. But Aguri didn¡¯t seem to mind at all¡­ She had the same dull look as usual, and said calmly with a smile: ¡°You are handsome with good points too, and is amazing at everything you do. You two would be a perfect match.¡± ¡°... That¡¯s right.¡± I felt disheartened¡­ This girl is the same as usual, just how do her nerves look like? Where in the world would you find someone naive enough to say her own boyfriend is a good match for other girls¡­ I couldn¡¯t stand her. Speaking of which, the reason I started dating Aguri was really casual too. When I debuted sessfully in the high school social world, I bid farewell to my dark middle school days and was making a lot of friends, she confessed to me on a certain day in winter even though we just met: ¡°Uehara, let¡¯s start dating~~¡± The fact was, Aguri looked really cute, and with no reason to turn her down, I started dating her out of nowhere. That happened about half a year ago. ¡­ After that, the things we had actually done was just ying together like this after school. And we both had plenty of friends, so we didn¡¯t stick to each other on non school days, and didn¡¯t go on any proper date before. We didn¡¯t create any nice atmosphere, so things like kissing or beyond didn¡¯t even need to be mentioned. ¡­ I was a healthy high school boy too. Even though I was filled with lust, but for some reason, probably because Aguri being the one who confessed, I had some strange pride that stopped me from taking the initiative to do anything to her. But Aguri also maintained this pace, so our rtionship developed into ymates who could talk about anything without worries, while our boy girl rtionship didn¡¯t move forward one bit. In the end, I couldn¡¯t really grasp the difference between Aguri and my other female friends, so I couldn¡¯t be more ¡®aggressive¡¯ with her. ¡­ That might be so, but we were still a couple, so saying things like ¡®you match Tendo-san well¡¯ is too insensitive. I red at Aguri¡¯s eyes. ¡°So you are determining if we match by our looks?¡± ¡°Huh? Yes! You are handsome after all, and Tendo-san is cute just like me!¡± ¡°... How stupid.¡± I already thought that Aguri was a stupid girl, but I didn¡¯t expect her to be this retarded. She probably confessed to me for my looks anyway, it would be a joke to describe it as love at first sight. Really now, women these days¡­ Wait, I shouldn¡¯t use Aguri as the standard. Mika and Reina might be frivolous, but not this bad¡­ sigh. It is true that dating a girl like Tendo might be a happy ending... If I was choosing a partner solely on looks, she would be the top choice. No, it was the same for her personality. At least, if I was dating her, our rtionship wouldn¡¯t be as tiring like Aguri and mine was. Even chatting would be a joy, if anyone could monopolize Tendo¡¯s intimate smile and shy expression, be it boy or girl, they would be captivated by her¡­ That was why¡­ Why did that girl just have to choose Amano¡­? Probably because Aguri said I waspatible with Tendo, my flustered emotions came back¡­ Arggh, enough already! I felt like asking myself what was wrong with me! I kept thinking about Amano, Amano! In a fit of the moment, I grabbed Aguri¡¯s hand crudely. ¡°Come Aguri, let¡¯s go home!¡± ¡°Huh? Eh, but I am not going in that direction, Tasuku¡­¡± After she reminded me, I realized we were at the splitting point where we should be heading home separately. I felt my face heating up a little, but I couldn¡¯t take my words back, so I pulled Aguri to conceal my embarrassment. ¡°I-It¡¯s fine! Aguri, a-apany me home some time!¡± Even I would feel that a guy like this would be too much of a brute. What the hell? It¡¯s fine for a boyfriend to walk her girl home, but forcing his girlfriend to walk home with him doesn¡¯t even happen in the olden patriarchal society, and was just in retarded. I made up my mind to let go of her hand and dash back home once Aguri rejects me. However, it just happened that my girlfriend couldn¡¯t read the mood¡­ ¡°... Uwah. Alright, I will send you home~~!¡± Aguri was all smiles for some reason, and epted my suggestion excitedly¡­ Since she said that, I couldn¡¯t turn her down now. ¡°Ugh¡­ A-Alright! I will let you walk me home!¡± ¡°Yes! Hehehe~~¡± Aguri held my hand again with glee¡­ Eh, what¡¯s with this girl¡­ And what¡¯s with me today¡­? In the end, it¡¯s all Amano¡¯s fault! After deflecting all the responsibility, I managed to keep a steady mind¡­ And walked home all lovey dovey with Aguri depressed. ¡­ How unfathomable¡­ --------------------------------------------------------------- Ugh, enough already, what is this... The next morning, in ss 2F. I had thrown aside all the frustration and doubts from yesterday, but I was still stunned. Not just me, the entire ss was the same after witnessing ¡®that scene¡¯. It would be hard not to, after seeing ¡®that scene¡¯. ¡®That scene¡¯ ©¤ refers to¡­ Amano¡­ dumped Tendo Karen! Amano rejected Tendo about something, and with tears of vexation in her eyes, she left ss F with a flushed face ©¤ What an unbelievable scene. After witnessing that scene that could very well herald the end of times, the ssroom fell into utter chaos. ¡°Huh? What happened? This is the first time I have seen Tendo-san looked so vexed¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s obviously emotional entanglement!¡± Mika and Masaya said in a volume loud enough that Amano might hear them, even Daiki, Shiyouji and Reina were discussing it too. They said that it sounded something like clubs, Tendo¡¯s reaction being abnormal, and even suggested asking Amano. They asked for my opinion too, but I answered disinterestedly. During all this while, I was staring right at Amano. Honestly, just what are you thinking¡­? Despite what just happened, Amano was still toying with his phone happily. Even though he seemed depressed and regretful momentarily, after he looked at his phone and smiled, he reverted to that ¡®Amano who smiles happily even though he was ying with his phone alone¡¯. ¡­ He rejected Tendo¡¯s invitation, so why is he showing such a face¡­? I gulped. Instead of frustration, I felt more crept out. However, I got the gist of their rtions. Tendo probably invited Amano to join a certain club yesterday. As she was exceptionally loud today, we could hear this part clearly. However¡­ Amano turned her down coldly¡­ He actually turned her down. For Tendo, this was an unexpected turn of events. Her face turned red midway, and even left with an expression that she rarely showed¡­ Even though this wasn¡¯t a matter about love, the ss would still riot. After chattering noisily for a while, Mika looked towards Amano and muttered: ¡°This feels¡­ a little annoying¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± After hearing something unexpected from Mika, I shifted my gaze away from Amano. Mika said a little flusteredly: ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing deep¡­¡± After opening unconfidently, she continued: ¡°I think he is putting on airs¡­ A-After all, he was invited kindly, would normal people reject this? What surprised me was that the other three agreed with what Mika said. Even though I was annoyed with Amano in the beginning, I couldn¡¯t keep up with their train of thoughts and started defending Amano: ¡°Well, there is probably some reasons we don¡¯t know?¡± This time, Reina doubted my opinion: ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°If there is somepelling reason, Tendo won¡¯t show such a face right?¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± ¡°From what I am seeing, I think she was rejected because of Amano¡¯s state of mind.¡± Reina had a keen eye in observing others. That was true. If there was a good reason, Tendo¡¯s expression would show that it was a shame, and she wouldn¡¯t react that way. Shiyouji who had the aura of being a ¡®follower¡¯ in the group sighed in resignation, and mumbled: ¡°He is the receiving party, yet he still wants to keep up his ego, how unsightly.¡± When I heard him say that, I felt a fire surge up within me for some reason. I couldn¡¯t helpshing out at Shiyouji: ¡°... We are all students from the same school year, so there isn¡¯t any higher or lower status anyway.¡± ¡°Huh? Eh, what¡¯s with you, Tasuku?¡± I only realized after seeing Shiyouji acting a little shaken up¡­ What lofty things was I talking about? Yes, there were higher and lower status. In fact, I thought that Amano was lower down the totem pole than me right? So what was I saying¡­ The quick witted and calm Daiki noticed that I was shaken up, and helped to smooth out the situation. ¡°But I do feel that Amano is looking down on people today.¡± It was a brilliant way of putting it. Thanks to that, what I said earlier could be interpreted as me feeling annoyed by ¡®Amano looking down on others. The truth was, such a wed exnation couldn¡¯t smooth out the conversation that well, but Shiyouji and I were both happy to ept it, and the discussion moved on. I was relieved and rejoined the conversation. We discussed about Tendo and Amano passionately up until the bell rang. I felt guilty about spoiling the mood for a short instance, and worked hard in talking about delusions and nonsensical spections forughs¡­ But whenever there was a pause, my gaze would be drawn to Amano who was ying games happily by himself. --------------------------------------------------------------- After school, I visited the arcade myself because Aguri couldn¡¯t make it at thest moment. After visiting it one time, I would unconsciously visit it several more times. I was very particr about things, and would focus single mindedly into things I was engrossed in. I remembered that was the reason why I kept my distance from games when I prepared for my high school entrance exams¡­ As I walked along the streets, I recalled this. Why had I thought until a moment ago that the reason I strayed away from games was because I was ¡®tired of it¡¯ or ¡®faded interest¡¯? Even though I really like games, and only managed to pull through by keeping my distance. From this perspective, it was only natural for my passion to be reignited after I started visiting the arcade with Aguri. After I reached the arcade, I walked around the entire facility. Even though it was not that easy to bring in new machines, the rewards of prize machines do change frequently. My taste was different from Aguri, and I wasn¡¯t interested in plushies. But I found something I kind of liked today and stopped in my tracks. That¡¯s¡­ a game cartridge? Several cartridges for thest gen portable game console was ced inside the 500yen per game machine as prizes, as if it was a bazaar for second hand goods. As this was a rare situation and I found a game that I wanted to y in middle school but skipped in order to prepare for entrance exams, I put in 500 yen before I realized it. I was surprised by how moved I was as I controlled the mechanical arm and aimed. The old game was probably cheap, and the packaging had a spot that could be hooked on, a kind design. I maneuvered the mechanical arm and hooked the tag splendidly, and the prize moved waveringly to me. It fell with a dull thud. To be honest, I felt this wasn¡¯t the proper way of treating the game, but it was hard toin about it either. After I took the prize, I sighed and wondered why I picked this game after all this time©¤ "Wah, so strong." ©¤ Right after that, I heard a familiar voice from my side. I turned and it was like D¨¦j¨¤ vu¡­ An impressed Amano was standing there with sparkling eyes. I showed a speechless and perplexed face as I looked at Amano. He probably realized he said something after that and started blushing and panicking. ¡­ He doesn¡¯t look like someone who would reject Tendo sopletely... Thinking carefully, Amano looked really shady when he wasn¡¯t ying games, and was a normal pitiful loner¡­ Will his personality change when games were involved? I thought as I stared at Amano, and he waspletely flustered¡­ He still mustered courage out of somewhere and walked towards me. He then bowed. "Ah, I am Amano! The Amano from your ss!" "I know that." I answered casually. But this fellow didn¡¯t seem to read the mood, ignored my attitude and inched closer. He then¡­ pointed at the game I won as a prize in my hand. ¡°T-This! You are amazing, Uehara-san! You caught a plushie the other time too!" ¡°H-Huh? Erm, it¡¯s nothing¡­ just lucky¡­" What was going on? Why was this guy talking to me? It was too unexpected, so I didn¡¯t know how to react. As I was thinking about various stuff, Amano continued: "Erm, U-Uehara-san, do you like games? W-Why did you pick this prize¡­?" ¡°Hmm? Ah¡­ Not really, this is just lucky. There was a game I felt like ying¡­¡± ¡°Huh, which game is it?¡± ¡°Ughh.¡± Amano got even closer. What was with him? A nerd to the very core? I felt he was annoying, but still answered: ¡°A game called ¡®Paradigm of Fantasia¡¯...¡± ¡°Oh, POF!¡± Amano¡¯s eyes lit up for some reason. I didn¡¯t want to foray into this, but I could understand that people like him seem to like this game series. The Fantasia games were a rather famous RPG series. It was simr to Dragon Quest, each iteration was a standalone story. The title doesn¡¯t use numbers, but changes the ¡®xxx¡¯ in the game title of ¡®XXX of Fantasia¡¯. By the way, the first game was called ¡®h Fantasia¡¯, a timeless game that had been remastered several times. And the battles were side scrolling action games. That was why the gamey fitted me who prefer fighting games really well, and I yed several games in this series. However, I had to prepare for my exams when thetest game was released, and I had to give up on games and abandon the series. Other then that, just from the packaging and promotion videos, I couldn¡¯t deny that the art style and story of this series was trending towards nerds. I felt embarrassed about touching them, and started shying away. I couldn¡¯t get use to the illustrations in recent years¡­ Amano didn¡¯t know I had suchplicated feelings started chatting with me enthusiastically, based on the fact that I like this series. ¡°This is a masterpiece! Uehara-san, if you like this series you have to y this!¡± ¡°I-Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes! When the entire series was maturing, the developers imed that they want to ¡®revolutionize the concept of gaming¡¯ before pushing out this iteration. After it retails, people realized it followed the traditional form of the Fantasia series, and it was swamped by critical reviews. But in actual fact, it was really well made! That¡¯s why I am so confident about rmending this to you!¡± ¡°Well, even with your guarantee¡­¡± Instead of Amano¡¯s taste, I would rather refer to thements on Amazon. As I started to scratch my head, wondering what I should do next, Amano seemed to have snapped out of it. His face turned red, and he moved away from me and shrivelled his body. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! I let it got to my head¡­¡± ¡°Eh, it¡¯s okay¡­ Ah~~ Sorry, I must have given you a fright.¡± I was also reflecting on it. At the very least, I shouldn¡¯t use such an attitude to treat a ssmate who came to me with kind intentions. So I decided to take a step back, alongside Amano. Amanoughed awkwardly, then raised his head and looked at me apologetically. ¡°Eh, well, I did something stupid recently, and missed the chance to befriend fellow games enthusiasts... That¡¯s why I went crazy and thought it was a good chance when I saw you caught a prize twice in a row in crane games, and got too excited¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t need to apologize¡­ Ah~~ ¡­ Erm, thanks foring to chat with me.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, I get it¡­¡± We then turned silent while facing each other¡­ What was this? A matchmaking date? As I was having a headache about what to do, Amano lowered his head out of concern for me and said: ¡°Ah, I will make a move first¡­¡± Then turned his back to me. Amano hurried along to another area with arcade machines. I watched his movement withplicated feelings for a moment©¤ And¡­ What the hell¡­ Is he doing...? Amano wanted to try the newest fighting game, but was afraid that someone would sit in the machine opposite him for a fight, so he withdrew. He then looked for a single yer arcade machine, but they just happened to be full right now. He ended up in front of the machine for ¡®Tank Wars¡¯, and was hesitating about ying it. Well, Tank Wars was a fun game¡­ Could it be¡­ He likes video games, but isn¡¯t used to the arcade environment? It was true that there was a gulf between arcade yers and home console yers. Although I was the type who yed both sides frequently, many people onlye in contact with one side. From the way Amano looked, he definitely belonged to the home console faction. Amano started dazing and wandering about©¤ This time, a student from another school clicked his tongue at Amano, even though Amano didn¡¯t get in anyone¡¯s way. That affected him deeply and he became really depressed¡­ W-What the hell was he doing? In the end, Amano didn¡¯t y anything and walked out of the arcade depressingly©¤ ¡°Wait wait wait!¡± "?" I couldn¡¯t help chasing after Amano, and put a hand on his shoulder. Amano looked back at me confusedly, his face was just like a baby rabbit that had been abandoned by its mother!! I scratched my head¡­ then grunted exasperatingly: ¡°Ah~~ enough!¡± then looked Amano in the eyes. "Hey Amano, can you apany for a while?" "Huh?" Amano who was chatted up by me opened his eyes wide. His face was getting redder¡­ ¡°Ah, I-I¡¯m not interested in guys©¤" ¡°Don¡¯t pull such a old cliche even if you want to run. How about it? Want to y together? Or not?¡± "¡­ Please allow me to apany you." Amano pleaded with his head low. I shrugged in haplessly. Not thinking carefully about it, what was I doing¡­ I couldn¡¯t help holding my temple to ease my headache. --------------------------------------------------------------- The game Amano picked was originally a home console RPG, but in response to its poprity, an arcade fighting game was made for it. The story was also a continuation after the ending of that RPG, that was why Amano who loved that game made up his mind to visit an arcade he normally wouldn¡¯t visit. Amano scratched his head shyly as he queued to y the game together with me. ¡°I came here before, but as expected of the newest game, it was always upied. Even if it was empty for a moment, someone else would y it immediately, that¡¯s why I felt bad about watching the cutscenes and story leisurely.¡± That¡¯s right, I met Amano herest time too. So he went straight home that time then¡­ Just how negative was he? It was dumbfounding¡­ However¡­ "¡­¡­" "?Uehara-san?" "Ah, it¡¯s nothing¡­" Amano peeked at me after I suddenly stopped talking¡­ The truth was, the more I learn about his character¡­ the greater the dissonance he had from my impression of him because of Tendo¡¯s incident. Unable to hold back, I asked him directly: "Amano, erm¡­ What is your rtionship with Tendo?" Oh crap, my face is heating up. I was very conscious of such a senseless question, and it was draining on my psyche to even ask. If it was Aguri, she would ask it nonchntly. But it was true that this thing had been nagging at my heart. My rude question¡­ made Amano smile a little troubledly. ¡°I-I see, that incident at the end of ss¡­ You saw it too right, Uehara-san?" ¡°Yes¡­. S-Sorry, if it is a private issue, then there¡¯s no need to©¤" ¡°Ah, no, it¡¯s not that serious!¡± Amano waved his head hurriedly. I decided to question him further. ¡°It sounded like you rejected a club invitation¡­¡± ¡°Ah, you already know that much. Ugh~~... Well, considering the nature of that club, I hope you can keep this between us¡­¡± After making that clear, Amano, he told me the briefly what happened between him and Tendo. To be honest, it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal after hearing it. He just happened to meet Tendo, and was invited to join her club, that¡¯s all. I was surprised that the club was a ¡®Gamers Club¡¯, but everything else was a normal run of the mill. Invited to join a club, Amano went to visit it. However, if there was something unusual about this story, that would be¡­ ¡°And so? Why didn¡¯t you join the Gamers Club? To be honest, I still don¡¯t understand your exnation about that crucial part. What exactly is the difference between the Gamers Club and the the games you want to y?¡± I asked while I checked if the yer in front of us had finished their bout. Amano then showed a very troubled face. ¡°Eh¡­ how should I put this? Erm~~... It¡¯s hard to exin¡­¡± ¡°But, don¡¯t you want to meet friends you can talk about games with?¡± ¡°T-That is true¡­ Ugh¡ª¡­" Amano stammered, and the frustration that was gone came back to me again¡­ Sigh, damn it. Why do I feel so annoyed whenever I see him? Even I wasn¡¯t sure what I am so caught up about, which made it even more infuriating. ¡°Ah, Uehara-san, look. Two seats facing each other have just been vacated! Let¡¯s go y there!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Ah, okay.¡± Just when I turned silent, two spots opened up at the machines, and we quickly filled them¡­ To be honest, I was saved. With how I was just now, who knows what I would say to Amano. I was certain that I would vent at him unreasonably because of the frustration I felt. Anyway, let¡¯s y a game and cool down. I checked and didn¡¯t see anyone aside from us queuing for this machine. After Amano was satisfied with looking at the opening scenes and the character intro, I inserted a hundred yen coin and was ready to fight him. ¡°You don¡¯t want to see the story mode?¡± I asked Amano from the other side of the machine. He raised his voice and answered: ¡°Yes. I will enjoy that part when the home console version is published. Let¡¯s fight, Uehara-san!" ¡°Okay. Be mesmerized by my splendid technique.¡± ¡°Hold back a little alright?¡± I wanted to y with memes, but Amano answered me seriously, so it felt a little embarrrassing. If it was Aguri, she wouldugh like an idiot¡­ huh? What am I doing? Wasn¡¯t I feeling really great that I didn¡¯te to the arcade with Aguri, and happy about the peace and quiet? Stop kidding, she will just scream like a banshee if she was here. I focused on the screen again, and Amano already chose his character. The cliche main character. This was a steady choice when ying a game for the first time¡­ Then I will choose¡­ I fiddled with the selection cursor, and after pondering for a little, I chose a character that looked powerful and hard to control. The other side reacted in surprise. ¡°Hmm, Uehara-san, have you yed this game before?¡± ¡°No, this is my first time. I just like the design of this character.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I see.¡± Amano¡¯s voice sound stupefied¡­ and happy at the same time. I tilted my head, not sure what was the meaning behind his reaction. But the battle began immediately, and I concentrate on the game. Amano had the posture of a gamer, and his control skills were much better than Aguri. He won¡¯t jerk the joystick about randomly like Aguri. However, that was why¡­ ¡­ Maybe he is weaker than Aguri... People who inputmands randomly was unexpectedly difficult to deal with in a fighting game. Even though they were not ¡®strong¡¯, but as theypletely gave up on defense and psychological warfare, they could score quite a number of hits with their unorthodox attacks despite their stiff controls. That¡¯s why, when talking about which type of yers were the weakest, that would be¡­ Amano¡­ You are really easy to read. A yer who knew the controls and used moves without any innovation was the easiest to defeat. Amano was a ssic example. His modus operandi was as follows: - To confirm the move set, he would try to use each of them once. - After learning simple projectile attacks, he would rely on thempletely. - If his attacks were blocked or dodged too many times, he would lose hisposure and close in. - He would close in by randomly jumping. - And use only strong attacks, which would get blocked. - Forget there were throw attacks for some reason. - If counterattacked, he would panic and just keep defending. - And naturally, he would get thrown. - He would remember with a start that throws existed. - And then try to forcefully throw his opponent, and get hammered in the process. - When his hitpoints get very low, he would try to use super moves. - Focus too much on theplicated inputmands and miss the timing of using the moves. - In the end, he lost to the simple move of jump light kick. ¡°Wah! U-Uehara-san, you are so strong!¡± ¡°You are the one who is too weak!¡± I couldn¡¯t help retorting over the machine, this fellow¡¯s fighting scheme was too forthright! Even a grade schooler these days would be more cunning than him! As Amano was groaning on the other side, the second round began. This game used a best of three system, it would be over if I win this match. After seeing how weak Amano was in the first round, I gave him a bit of handicap and tried out some moves©¤ And¡­ Huh, what is this move of his¡­ Oh, it¡¯s a taunt? This was amon design in recent fighting games. Taunts. It didn¡¯t have much meaning behind it, but it showcased the unique features of the various characters who made interesting moves. I can¡¯t stand this, he isn¡¯t strong, but act so arrogantly¡­ Alright. I responded with a taunt of my own¡­ However©¤ What, he used a second type of taunt against me? There are so many taunting moves in this game? I looked at the sticker that showed the controls. At the corner, there was a small print about ¡®Taunt 2¡¯... No no no, Amano, remembering this thing is too strange! I was a bit stunned, but I still responded with taunt 2. I then heard Amano muttering from the other side of the machine¡­ ¡°Amazing¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s so amazing!? What exactly is your standards!? There isn¡¯t much time, I¡¯ming!¡± ¡°W-Wah! T-Take this, ultimate skill ¡®super defence¡¯!¡± ¡°Wahh!¡± My character who was throwing a light punch got thrown back! Amano seemed really pleased. ¡°This is the ultimate defensive skill that depletes the power gauge to reflect all attacks!¡± ¡°It is strong, but you used it at thepletely wrong time!¡± After lecturing Amano who wasted his entire power gauge, and even used my character¡¯s ultimate skill to finish him off in retaliation. Amano yelled at the other side: ¡°Uwah~~!¡± ¡­ This fellow was usually quiet, but he showed huge reactions when ying games. After finishing the match, as the winner, my character could continue with the story mode. It couldn¡¯t be helped since I won, so I will just y a little©¤ ¡ºHerees a new challenger!¡» "Why did you put in 100 yen!" I roared as I peeked at the other side of the machine. Amano then looked my way sheepishly. ¡°Eh, no one is queuing anyway. It¡¯s fun fighting with you, and before I knew it¡­¡± ¡°Hey, you are really¡­¡± This guy was really head strong when gaming was involved. I sat back down in resignation. Oh, so I can switch my character when a new challenger joins mid way. Alright... It¡¯s a good chance, so I changed my character and waiting for Amano. When the match started, Amano¡¯s avatar wasn¡¯t the main character anymore. When he saw the character I was using, Amano looked surprised. "Huh? Uehara-san, you switched your character." "Yes. I was given the option to do that." "But¡­ You seemed to like the design of the previous character, and is getting used to the controls right? Is this fine?" ? What kind of question is this? Although I didn¡¯t really get him, I still replied frankly: ¡°It¡¯s more fun to try more characters right? You also changed your character.¡± "¡­" "Amano?" ¡°Ah, n-nothing! Nothing at all! J-Just that, it¡¯s natural to want to try out other characters!¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s true¡­¡± What the hell. Amano¡¯s voice sounded really chirpy. Did I say something strange? Hmm©¤ And so we started our second match. Amano was weak as usual as he used strange moves he learned from somewhere that was not really practical¡­ I felt that defeating me was a secondary objective to him. With such an opponent before me, I had no intention to be too aggressive, and used all sorts of move sets in response. Even though the match was retarded and low level¡­ ¡­ I never knew that ying games this way can be so interesting... How I was at home aside, I had always acted seriously in arcades, but it didn¡¯t feel too bad having a match with Amano. I was used to ying with Aguri anyway, and I might uncover new things with such debauchery. As I started ying around in the second match, it turned out really messy, and ended with Amano¡¯s victory. We were just a few steps away, but Amano still rushed to my side and looked at me with a blushed face: "This is fun, Uehara-san!" ¡°Y-Yes¡­ it¡¯s not too bad.¡± Even though I wasn¡¯t as excited as Amano, it was true that I had a st, so I averted my eyes and answered him. Amano looked really blissful when he smiles. Ah¡­ That¡¯s his usual face that appears when ss is out¡­ That expression. It was obvious how blissed he was. His face was more rxed than I imagined¡­ It was making me a little embarrassed. I looked around me and asked Amano: ¡°What¡¯s next, what shall we y?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I only noticed I made a mistake after saying it. Damn it, why did I invite Amano to y some other game? He already achieved his goal¡­ The environment of the arcade made me act in the same way I did when I was with Aguri. The rxed smile of Amano being simr to Aguri was part of the reason. To conceal my embarrassment, I continued: ¡°The¡­ The result of the matches earlier is 1 - 1. That feels dissatisfying.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ R-Right! You are right! That¡¯s it, Uehara-san!" When I suggested having another match, Amano showed a smile that was happy from the bottom of his heart. I can¡¯t stand it¡­ Why did someone who showed me such an expression rejected Tendo¡¯s invitation? As I was thinking about that, I realized that I hadn¡¯t asked Amano the reason why he rejected the invitation to the Gamers Club. But when I see Amano¡¯s smile, it was hard for me to bring up that topic¡­ ¡°Uehara-san! Why don¡¯t we y that game next, that one!¡± ¡°That one¡­ Hey, isn¡¯t that aser gun shooting game? There¡¯s no versus mode!¡± ¡°Ah, right¡­ Yes, but it looks like it would be fun for co-op, so let¡¯s y it!¡± ¡°What logic is that-- Hey!¡± Amano bes a different person when games are involved, and I had no choice but to follow. And so, I was dragged by the excited Amano all around the arcade for an hour. --------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Alright, Uehara-san, what shall we y next!?¡± I couldn¡¯t help ring at Amano who was so full of energy after all this time. ¡°Hey Amano, you have been using a match with me as an excuse to y all the arcade games you want to try but couldn¡¯t because you are alone right?¡± ¡°Huh? N-No such thing.¡± Amano averted his eyes and tried whistling even though he couldn¡¯t. I was dumbfounded, but didn¡¯t continue to resist and started browsing for the next game. The truth was, I was having a st ying games with Amano. His skills were bad, just a bit better than Aguri, but his reaction was interesting¡­ He gave the impression that he was enjoying games from the bottom of his heart, even I was influenced by that aura of his. And the strange thing was, after ying my heart out with Amano, I could subtly understand why he didn¡¯t join the Gamers Club. How should I put this¡­ Aguri and this guy¡­ are both really pure. What exactly made them turn out this way? To be frank, the two of them had very few things inmon, but I could strangely feel that there was a simr ¡®essence¡¯ at their very core. But¡­ I couldn¡¯t really grasp what that essence was. And¡­ it was making my heart itch. I looked at Amano who was walking around the arcade in a great mood. In the past¡­ I think I had¡­ the same expression. I couldn¡¯t recall when that was, and what I reacted to. But Amano¡¯s smile stirred my heart so much because I felt the same way in the past. Amano seemed to have found a game, and tugged my sleeve. "Uehara-san! Let¡¯s y that one next! Please!" ¡°Ah? Whatever, really now, which game is it©¤" As I grumbled even though I wasn¡¯t really against it©¤ I suddenly noticed the prominent figure of a beautiful blonde girl in my field of vision. I only saw the side of her face, but that was obviously the pride of our school, the school idol Tendo Karen. She was out of ce in the arcade, and there were yers who ended their games because they were staring at her¡­ What was going on? And from the way Tendo was looking around in search of something¡­ To be frank, I got the gist of the situation, so I decided to tell Amano who had not noticed Tendo yet. "Hey Amano, look over there©¤" "Ah, Uehara-san." "?" Amano interjected with a nervous voice. I was wondering what was the matter and noticed he was looking behind me¡­ At the entrance of the arcade. I followed Amano¡¯s gaze©¤ and standing there was¡­ "Ah¡­" A group in Otobuki uniform walked harmoniously into the arcade. I took a look, and saw that they were the ssmates who usually hangs out with me. The five of them were Daiki, Masaya, Shiyouji, Mika and Reina. My body stiffened on reflex. Thinking about it carefully, there was nothing to be ashamed of, I was just hanging out with my ssmate Amano¡­ But I couldn¡¯t stop my reaction in that instant. However¡­ that reaction was enough for a gloom to cover Amano¡¯s smile. ¡­ Before the five of them took notice¡­ Amano turned his back to me before I could say anything, and left with his head lowered. ¡°B-Bye, Uehara-san, thank you for today." "Ughh¡­ Hey!" I wanted to stop Amano, but it was toote. He passed by my side, and went in the opposite direction from the five of them, heading briskly for the exit into the back alley. Me, who could only watch him go in a daze; Amano who walked away before my eyes with a pained expression; And the beautiful blonde girl who couldn¡¯t speak to him in time. As I stood there, looking at the exit Amano left from, the voice of Masaya and the others came from behind me. ¡°Yo, what a coincidence, Tasuku! We just finished Karaoke! At that ce I told you about!¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s right¡­ that one huh.¡± ¡°Yup, that one! Their staff is just as bad today¡­ Hmm? Oh right, where¡¯s Aguri? She isn¡¯t with you today?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, she is meeting someone else today¡­¡± ¡°I see. So you are ying here alone? What¡¯s wrong, why are you acting in such a lonesome wayso lonesomely!?¡± ¡°Not really¡­¡± I wanted to refute him, but everyone wasughing together with Masaya, so while my words were still caught in my mouth, Masaya kept talking to fill in the gap. ¡°Alright, anyway, we went to sing karaoke today too. And it ended just likest time©¤" As I listened to him recount his boring karaoke adventure, several emotions twirled in my heart. Especially¡­ Why did that Amano¡­ ran off all of a sudden¡­! With self reproach, regret and anxiety all mixed together, my anxiety burst forth first. I cut off Masaya. ¡°Sorry, I have something urgent! Bye!¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, I see. Bye?¡± The group of five including Masaya were all stunned, and I passed by Tendo quickly, heading straight for the entrance where Amano left from. Aftering out of the shop, I went to the back alley that had barely any pedestrian. I guessed the direction Amano would go if he was going home, and ran towards the residential zone with my bag in hand. Damn it! What am I doing! Ridiculous! What am I thinking!? I couldn¡¯t organize my feelings at all. Did I want to apologize to Amano? Vent my temper at him? Not just that, I didn¡¯t know if it was appropriate for me to chase after him without any ns. But¡­ I just didn¡¯t want to keep this suppressed emotions in my heart! If I go on like this, I would be just like my middle school days! Not able to squeeze out an ounce of courage, not daring to make friends, unable to tell my true wishes to my parents, just like that time! I tripped and almost spilled a bucket in the restaurant, but I still dashed into a dark alley where there wasn¡¯t many pedestrians. After sprinting for about a minute and reaching the corner of a building, I finally found the depressed back of my ssmate. "Amano!" I couldn¡¯t hold back and dashed over with a shout. Amano trembled, then turned his head towards me timidly. When Amano saw me approaching with ragged breath, he tilted his head in confusion. "Huh? Uehara-san? W-What¡¯s the matter?" Amano also jogged towards me. I walked to his front, then kept quiet for a moment to regte my breathing¡­ Then I red at him and asked: "Why did you flee?" ¡°Huh? F-Flee? It¡¯s not that exaggerated¡­¡± ¡°You did flee.¡± Amanoughed sheepishly, but my attitude remained forceful. Amano¡¯s mood turned sour too, and he overtly showed an unhappy face. Silence fell between us¡­ a momentter¡­ Amano couldn¡¯t take it anymore and averted his gaze. He then said in a humble and gloomy tone, as if he was talking to himself: ¡°Well¡­ It must be troubling to spend time with someone like me¡­ And you are a normie¡­¡± "©¤©¤©¤" The instant I heard him say that, I grabbed Amano¡¯s shirt and pulled upwards. A rage that could boil my blood was stemming from my guts. I finally understood. What I thought of this fellow¡­ This ssmate¡­ I despised him to the point of feeling sick. ¡°Erm, ugh¡­ What¡­ are you¡­ Uehara¡­ san¡­" Amano moaned painfully, but I didn¡¯t care, pulling his face close to mine. Theplicated emotions I had towards Amano©¤ Ished it all out on him without any semnce of order. "Stop your bullshit, you damn hikkikorimori virgin! Who do you think you are!? Saying things like normie! Don¡¯t use that word¡­ Don¡¯t think you can brand everyone with a term like that! You understand!¡± ¡°What¡­ are you¡­ saying¡­¡± The groaning Amano didn¡¯t seem to get what I was saying¡­ Even I myself didn¡¯t get my own words. But once your emotions spill forth, it would gush out like a broken dam, and wouldn¡¯t stop before all of it had been emptied. ¡°If my life right now seem fulfilling, it¡¯s all thanks to the effort I put in! Because I used to be a bespectacled nerd, and only worked hard to change myself after entering high school! Your life is unfulfilling because of your own doing! Am I wrong!? At the very least, I don¡¯t think I should be branded with your discriminatory term like everyone else, Amano!¡± "I am not¡­ discriminating¡­" ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say you didn¡¯t! Listen up, you definitely thought ¡®instead of spending effort to build up pointless rtionships, it is more meaningful to spend my days happily ying games¡¯, am I right!?¡± ¡°... T-That is¡­¡± Amano¡¯s face turned a terrible shade of green, his blood wasn¡¯t flowing to his brain¡­ but that was definitely not the reason why his face became like this. I rxed my right hand that was grabbing his chest, and continued: ¡°Yes, your idea isn¡¯t illogical. That¡¯s all that I can agree with you. Because I also have the thinking of having fun in the moment. However, my standard of entertainment is much higher than yours. Living my youth to the fullest means that you can call me a ¡®normie¡¯. I have friends and a girlfriend. What about your high school life? You had no choice but to make thepromise that you will be happy just with video games.¡± "¡­¡­" As I spoke, I asked myself: Do I have anypromises in my high school life?... I couldn¡¯t answer, only irritation and frustration were welling up. To shake all these aside, I focus my attention on Amano. "¡­ Hey Amano, you heard the children¡¯s tale about the ant and the grasshopper?" "¡­¡­?" Amano appeared to waver slightly after I asked him that¡­ But he still nodded, as I held on to his chest. I showed a twisted grin. ¡°I am the grasshopper in the story. By understanding the ways of the world and getting the main gist of it, I can have a fulfilling youth. If I run into major trouble, I just need to plead my head low and I will get to take advantage of others. Isn¡¯t that wonderful?¡± I worked hard every day in middle school, and only games gave me a little breather. But I didn¡¯t achieve anything in the end, and I hated myself for that. Myself from back then was ovepping with the nerd before me. "Amano, speaking of this, what about you!? Are games fun? Is that enough? Hey, isn¡¯t your method of escapism too shabby!? That part of you¡­ I find that part of you to be very annoying!¡± The parts that resembled me greatly. Even though he was really simr to the past me¡­ there were different parts too. Amano groaned painfully. "Even if you say this much¡­Uehara-san, you don¡¯t really know me¡­" "I know! I don¡¯t need to ask too much about someone as shallow as you! Amano, you rejected the invitation that Tendo worked so hard to grant you right!? You had the chance to be a grasshopper without working for it¡­ But you used the poor excuse of ¡®differences in attitude towards gaming¡¯ and gave it up! Even though you sounded as if you regretted it, but that¡¯s not how you really think!... The truth is, you think you are cool for sticking to your haughty principles!¡± ¡°!T-That is¡­¡± Amano¡¯s eyes flickered. I carried on: ¡°That was the same reason you ran away before my clique! You are reveling in the image of a tragic main character you moulded for yourself! To me¡­ That part of you is something I can¡¯t tolerate!¡± "¡­¡­" The sad gaze of Amano caught my eyes¡­ It was like looking at my past self. I couldn¡¯t help getting too emotional. ¡°In the end, what is there to be serious about for stupid entertainment like gaming? How retarded. No matter how much you y, it won¡¯t benefit your real life one single bit. That¡¯s how gaming is¡­ an absolute waste of time. It¡¯s true, if you see it from that angle, I can agree with your dissatisfaction with the Gamers Club. Wasting effort on useless things like fools. Tendo looks pretty, but her reputation is getting worse because of her weird moves recently©¤" And so, I talked about anything that came to mind¡­ The next instant. ¡°Ugh!¡± ©¤ It was Amano¡¯s turn to grab me by the chest. I looked at him, and Amano¡¯s eyes were¡­ turned from the timid into the enraged. Amano probably had a hard time too, but he still grabbed my chest and pulled up with all his might¡­ and red right back at me. I couldn¡¯t help feeling impressed by that. Ho? So you can show such eyes too¡­ And then? Why are so mad? Because I called you a bum who can only be envious? Because I told you the fact that rejecting Tendo¡¯s invitation was cool? Or¡­ I said these words because I had my conviction anyway. No matter how Amano refutes it, I had no intentions of giving in. And I didn¡¯t think I was wrong. I couldn¡¯t wait for his rebuttal. Amano¡¯s right hand that was grabbing me was shaking weakly, his eyes were tearing up¡­ At the same time, he mustered his strength in his eyes and¡­ Amano who wanted to say his piece no matter what©¤ Finally started his rebuttal: ¡°Don¡¯t look down on ants!¡± ¡°... Wut?¡± Amano¡¯s words were too unexpected, I even forgot to get angry as I stared at him nkly. As I unconsciously released my hold on Amano, he leaned into me. ¡°I-It¡¯s true that I didn¡¯t put in any effort, I¡¯m just a no lifer whose only interest is gaming! I knew that from the start! That¡¯s why I will not refute all that! I¡¯m very sorry! Also, I¡¯m sorry about calling you a normie. I think it¡¯s wrong for me to say it like that! T-To be honest¡­Uehara-san, I only said all that because I can¡¯t y with you! I am very sorry!¡± ¡°Huh? T-That¡¯s right¡­?¡± Amano was grabbing my chest, but he seemed to be agreeing with my criticism and apologizing to me¡­ What was happening here? Amano continued apologizing. ¡°Also, that thing about ¡®rejecting Tendo-san looks cool¡¯ really got me hard! I was only aware after you said that, it really surprised me! That¡¯s right, I am really troubled! Also, also, I think I am really crazy for rejecting Tendo-san! I messed up the chance to make friends because of my strange pride, I really am the worst! So retarded! Something is wrong with my head!¡± "I-I didn¡¯t scold you that badly..." As Amano continued speaking, his posture got lower than prostrating, so I couldn¡¯t get angry. I wondered what I should do next and scratched the back of my head ©¤ At this moment, Amano lowered his head and voice. "¡­¡­Eh, if I take a hundred steps back, I can agree with your idea that gaming isn¡¯t beneficial. Yes¡­ basically, it isn¡¯t useful at all. I know, but that is why I find it interesting¡­ To be honest, I don¡¯t have the chips to refute you on the point that gaming isn¡¯t beneficial. I acknowledge that. But¡­¡± Amano stopped here. He kept his head down, and a momentter¡­ When he raised his head again, only his heightened determination was left in his eyes, as he looked straight into mine. ¡°But, I won¡¯t allow you to look down on the Gamers Club and Tendo-san when you are criticizing gaming!¡± "!" It was a little unexpected¡­ but his refutation that had some properness about it made me speechless. At this moment, Amano got to the core of the issue with a gentler face. "Uehara-san, like you said, I think the grasshopper in ¡®The Ant and Grasshopper¡¯ is very smart. I am impressed with how well rounded he is, and frankly speaking, I am really envious of that kind of lifestyle. I actually wanted to be the grasshopper too. That is only natural. But¡­ but¡­¡± Amano¡¯s tone turned firm and sharp. ¡°No matter how smart the grasshopper is¡­ he still don¡¯t have the rights to look down on the hardworking ant.¡± "! You¡­" I was prepared and so confident. However, I couldn¡¯t refute him at all. Amano was on a roll, as he went all out on me who was gaping like a goldfish: ¡°It¡¯s fine for you to call someone who takes it so easy a bum, and I think you are right. After being admonished by you, I realized again how bad I really am. Not even an ant, I didn¡¯t even put in the effort, so I am just a flea. I don¡¯t have a single bit of rights to lecture you. I am really sorry. But, even¡­ even so!¡± Amano who didn¡¯t stutter at all at this moment moved me with his sincerity. ¡°Even though we are talking about games, such unbeneficial things! When you are criticizing me and games, you shouldn¡¯t look down on those who put in their heart into one single thing¡­ You shouldn¡¯t criticize Tendo-san and the members of the Gamers Club!¡± ¡°... Ugh.¡± Oh no, not only couldn¡¯t I rebuke him, Ipletely agreed with what Amano said. Correct. At the spur of the moment, Ished out too hard at everyone, even though I was just feeling frustrated at Amano. Even if Amano gave in and epted my criticism, I didn¡¯t need to defame Tendo, the Gamers Club and games in general too. As I was feeling dejected, Amano who was still grabbing my shirt showed a gentle face, and continued with a warm voice: "Especially Tendo-san, she is a really nice person. She actually invited someone like me twice. It goes without saying that she is beautiful, she is gentle, can get things done and is talented in gaming. Even though Tendo-san is very smart, she went out of her way to study in Otobuki in order to join the Gamers Club. To me, someone like her is just like my first love©¤ No, I mean someone worthy of respect. That is why, even though I ept your criticisms towards me¡­¡± Amano paused momentarily, looked at me again and said: ¡° I want you to take back your words about Tendo-san and the Gamers Club.¡± Even though Amano appeared a little timid, his honest eyes were filled with even firmer conviction. As Amano stared at me with such eyes¡­ The sense of frustration I bored towards him that had been haunting my mind disappeared. Ahh¡­ What the hell, this guy¡­ Ispletely unlike the old me. Even more than the old me¡­ No, even more than the current me, he... I sighed and gently pushed away Amano¡¯s already loosened hand from my shirt. After patting at the crease, I apologized. ¡°... I was wrong. I apologize for saying those things about the Gamers Club and Tendo¡­ Erm, and also¡­ I feel the same for the things I said about you. All this¡­ was just me picking a fight out of nowhere. Sorry about that.¡± I bowed, and Amano waved his hands in a panic. "Uehara-san¡­ N-not at all! Not one bit! Everything you said about me is my fault!¡± I was the one apologizing, but Amano lowered his head instead and turned fidgety¡­ I can¡¯t stand him, this is really demotivating. After my mood changed, I decided retort with a joke. ¡°But someone who rejected Tendo¡¯s invitation don¡¯t seem to be in the position to say anything for the Gamers Club.¡± My words made Amano open his eyes wide. He then scratched his head with a blushing face. ¡°Ah, y-you¡¯re right! Eh¡­ Well¡­ Erm¡­ T-That¡¯s¡­¡± "¡­Fufu." The sight of Amano scrambling to find an excuse made meugh. When Amano saw that, he alsoughed in relief¡­ Eh, what the hell, it wasn¡¯t a big deal after clearing up the issue. Amano wasn¡¯t pretending to be mysterious or behaving strangely, he was just a normal ssmate of mine. What was I so anxious about before this? Afterughing for awhile, I asked: ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m heading back to the arcade, what about you, Amano? Why not join us¡­¡± My suggestion out of the wish to atone and a little bit of consideration made Amano smile awkwardly. ¡°Well, that bar is too high for me. And I have games I want to y at home, so I will go home for the day.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Well then¡­ Erm, see you at school.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ R-Right! See you at school!¡± Even the normal farewell from a ssmate made Amano smile from the bottom of his heart¡­ Damn, I still couldn¡¯t get use to him, it was too cringey for me to look. I turned and walked towards the arcade. But a few stepster¡­ ¡°Ah, right!¡± I heard Amano¡¯s voice from behind and turned back. He was some distance away and seemed to remember something interesting, and was snickering. I was a bit hesitant, but I still asked Amano why he was acting so weird, and he said with a smile: ¡°I amughing about the meme of the Ant and the Grasshopper. Uehara-san, you came up with this metaphor after thinking for long, and talked about it arrogantly as if it was a grand idea. But it didn¡¯t fit at all.¡± ¡°What the hell? Hey, are you cruising for a bruisin©¤" ¡°Think about it yourself.¡± I was so embarrassed that I pulled up my sleeve and wanted to go after Amano, but he just smiled deviously¡­ And told me the reason. ¡°In order to be with your friends and girlfriend, you have worked hard. That is theplete opposite of the grasshopper who indulged in the effort of others©¤ Uehara-san, you are actually a super serious and cute ant." "©¤©¤©¤©¤" I stopped moving. Amano dropped a ¡®bye¡¯ and left. But I remained there dumbfounded. And then¡­ "¡­Ha, haha¡­ I see, I am still an ant huh¡­ Hahaha." A strong urge tough well up, and Iughed out loud like Tidus. ¡­ The strange thing was, I felt the me from the middle school days wasughing along with me. "¡­ Alright, and next..." Afterughing for a while, I turned with the mostfortable mood in recent years, and went back the way I came. After about 10 metres, I turned at the corner of the building ©¤ And¡­ ¡°......¡± ¡°...... (daze)¡± ¡°......¡± ¡­ I ran into a blonde beauty hiding in the blind spot of the building ©¤Tendo Karen. But she didn¡¯t even noticed that I was right beside her, as she looked at a certain direction with a dazed expression as if she caught a high fever. I followed her gaze¡­ And it seemed to be the direction Amano left in¡­ Hmm. Ahh~~ Oh no. I saw an incredible scene... I immediately realized how ¡®serious¡¯ this was, and grabbed my nose. After all¡­ The way she looked¡­ Anyone who saw her would¡­ Hey, our school idol has fallenpletely in love... A pure girl with a red face and sparkling eyes, watching a boy leaving was standing right there. Tendo probably followed behind me to find Amano. Her objective was to persuade him to join the Gamers Club of course. However, she happened to witness my spat with Amano. And then¡­ She saw Amano, who rejected her invitation, caring so much for her and the Gamers Club, and became like this. I never expected to see such a dramatic love story that was so obvious from a nce. Well, it wasn¡¯t that couples like me and Aguri was the norm, but in this day and age, love would happen in a iner way. To think our school idol would be the exception from the norm¡­ I admired this rare scene for a moment, but I couldn¡¯t bear leaving the dazed Tendo in the dark alley and leave. So I went and spoke to her. "Hey¡­ Tendo?" "¡­Huh!" Tendo only came to her senses when I ced my hand on her shoulder. After recognizing me, she used her famed smart brains to understand her situation¡­ She blushed immediately and shouted at me: ¡°I don¡¯t have any special feelings for A-A-Amano-kun!¡± A wild Tsundere in love has appeared! And she wasn¡¯t aware about her feelings yet! ¡­ How idiotic. ¡°Ah, right~ I get it~~ Congrattions~~¡± After responding nonchntly, I bowed and prepared to leave©¤ ¡°W-Wait a minute!¡± ¡°Uwah.¡± ©¤ My cor was grabbed all of a sudden. I choked and coughed. But Tendo didn¡¯t make any show of concern and continued: ¡°W-W-What did you mean by you get it? Why are you congratting me¡­?¡± ¡°Cough cough¡­ Ahh~~ ¡­ Well, I think Amano and you are a good match.¡± "What©¤©¤" Tendo¡¯s face turned even redder, and was steaming like a boiling kettle of water. Okay, now¡¯s my chance. "Bye." I waved and escaped in a hurry. Fortunately, Tendo didn¡¯t chase me this time¡­ Phew. ¡­ I can now empathize with Amano, and understand why he didn¡¯t look very happy about being chased by a stunningly beautiful girl. That girl is really troublesome, more so than Aguri in some ways. I slowly walked towards the arcade with my arms crossed in silence. And so, I decided on something when I reached the arcade. Alright, I will do all I can to bring them together, and tease Amano along the way! ©¤ I had another new entertainment in my fulfilling high school life. --------------------------------------------------------------- "Ah, Tasuku¡«¡«!" "Hmm? Aguri?" After parting ways with Amano, I went back to the arcade and chat idly with Masaya and the others. Just when I felt it was time to split, Aguri suddenly came. I was surprised, she then took my arm and exined: ¡°I finished meeting my friends, and was wondering if you would be here!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Right.¡± Even though the teasing eyes of Masaya and the others made me feel awkward, I still answered reluctantly¡­ The instinct of women scared me sometimes. I didn¡¯t have any experience in affairs, but I caught a gist of how terrifying it would be in the future. Aguri joined the conversation for a while, but it was gettingte, so Masaya and the others went home a short whileter. As for me¡­ Aguri pleaded with me to ¡®y one game! Just once okay!¡¯, and was dragged to the crane game machine by her. I felt unmotivated. ¡°Spare me¡­ Just how much money did you think I was forced to spend in the arcade today¡­¡± ¡°Hmm~~? What, did you catch a plushie for someone other than me?¡± Aguri puffed her cheeks suddenly¡­ Huh? It was rare seeing her look jealous. After all, she could say something like Tendo and me beingpatible so casually. Hmm? I felt a little hesitant, but I still took one hundred yen from my wallet and exined: ¡°No such thing, I was just wandering around the arcade and ying games at random with some guy.¡± When Aguri heard what I said, she eximed ¡®huh~~!¡¯ and reacted as if it was a pity. ¡°I want to see! I want to see Tasuku y all sort of games!¡± ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t you always watching? Why are you saying that now¡­¡± I inserted the hundred yen coin into the crane game machine¡­ but Aguri was still angry. ¡°Ughh~~ ¡­ You yed games¡­ with someone other than me¡­¡± ¡­ She¡¯s in a bad mood today. That¡¯s a rare sight. Aguri usually smiles all the time, and didn¡¯t think of anything like an idiot. ¡­ But that¡¯s true, my emotional ups and downs when I was with Amano might be wider than when I was with my girlfriend Aguri. Thinking from this perspective, I could sort of understand why she was jealous, but I didn¡¯t exin the situation in so much detail. Frankly speaking¡­ Why am I dating Aguri¡­? I don¡¯t dislike Aguri, and find her to be cute¡­ But was that enough? I had absolutely no intention of getting into BL, but after the emotional fight with someone who was just a ssmate, I felt a bit weird that I didn¡¯t tell my girlfriend about this. I inspected the crane game machine. Aguri probably wanted another version of the weird cat I got her the other day. I nned to use the tag hooking trick, but I had to be careful. As I checked the machine¡­ I had some time on time, and tried asking Aguri: ¡°Hey, Aguri.¡± ¡°What is it~~ adulterous Tasuku?" She was still angry. Did she take the wrong medicine today? I couldn¡¯t care less, and continued: ¡°I want to ask¡­ Just what did you see in me, that prompted you to confess to me?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Aguri seemed to have forgotten about being angry and stood there in a daze. Oh right, this might be the first time I talked about this. I was a bit bothered when we started dating, but I felt embarrassed about raising this topic myself. When we got to know each other, we were too casual about it, and I lost interest in asking about this. After devising the n to catch the plushie, I started pressing the controls carefully. First would be the vertical axis. ¡°The reason I fell for you? Hmm, I never told you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Alright, the vertical axis was just as I wanted, next would be the horizontal axis¡­ I sneaked a peek at Aguri¡­ She didn¡¯t seem to be thinking as usual, and just like Amano who was ying games earlier, she had a dumb smile on her face. Her mood seemed to have recovered after talking about love¡­ What a simple girl. She probably fell for me because my looks suit her taste anyway. I shift my focus back to the crane machine, and thumbed the horizontal axis button gently. ¡°I fell for you because you are cool!¡± See? In the end, it was all thanks to me changing my image and making it into the high school social scene. Looking at it this way, it was proof that my efforts was worth it¡­ I was happy that my prediction was on point, and felt disappointed in some sense. I pressed down on the button to move the mechanical arm¡­ Alright, just a bit more, and it will be right above the target©¤ ¡°Because back in middle school, you were really cool when you helped me catch a plushie!¡± The armpletely pass over the plushie and moved to the side. Aguri protested: ¡°Ah~~ What are you doing, Tasuku!" As for me, I felt nothing about wasting a hundred yen, and looked at Aguri nkly. Aguri lectured me angrily for being useless, but I just asked her in a mutter: ¡°You and me¡­ Did we met in middle school?¡± When Aguri heard my question, she turned her gaze to the crane machine, and answered vexingly and nonchntly: ¡°We did. Ah, back then, I had ck hair, braids and wore round frame sses, a in girlpletely different from now! But you also changed, so we are the same!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Hmm?¡± A in girl with ck braids? I¡­ helped her caught a plushie? Right¡­ Now that she mentioned it¡­ That¡¯s right, I think such a thing did happen. In the summer of my third year in middle school. In order to get away from the pressure of preparing for entrance exams, I ended up ying crane games somehow, and caught a plushie¡­ But if I brought something of that size home and my mother found out, I would get in trouble. I was worrying about it when I saw a in and cute girl who was obviously not used to the arcade staring at that plushie. And so I¡­ Aguri turned back to look at me, and continued with a smile: ¡°Since that day I have always~~ liked you. After that, I will visit this arcade to look for you every now and then. When you asionally visit this arcade, you would focus on ying one game, and then go home. I like the way you were the most.¡± Aguri said it in a rxed manner. However, I was the opposite of her, my brain felt as if it was knocked heavily. After all¡­ After all, this girl¡­ the one Aguri likes¡­ is not the me right now¡­ ¡°I knew we entered the same high school, but you became so cool when I visited your ss. I then asked my friends, and heard that your preference leans towards frivolous girls¡­ So I worked hard to change my image. Ah, but I really like the way I am now anyway.¡± Hehe©¤ Aguri was still smiling like an idiot. Her smile made me¡­ made me©¤ ©¤ For some reason, I felt very ashamed, and couldn¡¯t look at her directly! My heart was pounding so fast! I covered my mouth with my hand, and averted my gaze from Aguri. But I couldn¡¯t shake away the image of her smile from my mind! What is this? What is this! Why am I so nervous about a girl like Aguri, that my heart is on the verge of exploding¡­!? S-She had her eyes on me since middle school? She liked me¡­ since that time? She fell for the real me? ¡­ A-Aguri would do that? "Tasuku? What¡¯s wrong¡«¡«?" Aguri asked as I fell into a daze. I sneaked a peek at her. ¡­ It is gripping my heart! Oh no, what is going on? W-W-Was Aguri¡¯s face that lovely!? I didn¡¯t understand how I interacted with her in the past. In order to escape from Aguri, I had to leave this ce. ¡°T-That¡¯s enough for today! Y-You should go home early today!¡± ¡°Huh~~! Tasuku, aren¡¯t you going to see me home?¡± ¡°Y-Your ce faces the shopping district, it is not dangerous at all even if you walk back at night! Bye!¡± I turned my back towards Aguri¡¯s unhappy voice, and left the scene hastily. I walked on the street briskly, trying to cool my burning cheeks. ©¤ I walked like this for some time. On a whim, I looked at the reflection of myself on a shop¡¯s ss window, and¡­ ¡­ Ugh. A figure who looked dazed with blushing cheeks stared back at me, just like Tendo earlier©¤ In other words, that was a reflection of a pure youth who had fallen deeply in love. --------------------------------------------------------------- After the turmoil on Friday, Saturday and Sunday went by and it was the morning of Monday. Because of various reasons, I went to school with dark circles under my eye and waltzedzily into ss 2F. Masaya and the others greeted me energetically: ¡°Morning!¡± I stifled a yawn and replied: ¡°Morning~~¡± went to my seat and ced my bag on my desk. ©¤ I then cast my gaze to the corner of the ss, locking eyes with Amano who was ying a portable game console. I hesitated momentarily about what to do, and that guy seemed to be worrying about me unnecessary, and shifted his eyes back onto his console. I got mad when I saw Amano act that way. ¡­ Alright, I decided. Shiyouji was about to move away from my seat as usual, but I stopped him¡­ And then, under the confused gaze from the five of them, I walked towards Amano. Not just Masaya and the others, the entire ss was watching my strange move¡­ And so, I ced my hand onto Amano¡¯s desk a little forcefully. Amano looked up in surprised, then removed the earpiece connected to his console. I said to him with a smile: ¡°Yo, morning Amano.¡± ¡°Morn¡­ Morning, Uehara-san." At this moment, Amano seemed to realized the reason why I was unhappy, and smiled awkwardly with an ¡°Aha¡­¡± as he scratched his face. ¡°B-But for me to greet you out of the blue cheerfully¡­ will be weird right? I have my image too¡­¡± ¡°... Sigh.¡± I sat on the back of the empty chair before Amano and answered: ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that It will feel unnerving if you greet me jovially.¡± ¡°How mean!¡± Amano looked as if that was a heavy blow. In fact, Masaya and the others were watching my interaction with Amano a little waveringly, and the atmosphere in ss seemed to be affected too. Sigh, can¡¯t be helped. Even I became like this after Tendo¡¯s visit, it couldn¡¯t be helped for Amano to be in the spotlight. I felt awkward and thought I did something I shouldn¡¯t have, but Amano showed me a wildly happy smile. "But thank you, Uehara-san. I was really happy that you were willing to y games together with me!" "¡­¡­¡­¡­" I felt a sense of salvation from his pure, Aguri-like smile. At this moment I seemed to understand themon point between the two of them. For them¡­ the thing they love deeply is right beside them. Amano has games; while Aguri has¡­ "? What¡¯s the matter, Uehara-san? Your face is really red." ¡°N-Nothing! F-Forget that, I have something to ask you¡­" "Huh? Ah, okay? W-What¡¯s the matter¡­?" Amano straightened his back a little nervously¡­ He probably thought I will say something serious again¡­ That made it hard for me to say it out too. I turned silent for a moment¡­ Staying like this won¡¯t do either, so I made up my mind to ask Amano: "¡­ I can¡¯t clear the Paradigm of Fantasia¡¯s chapter 5 boss¡­¡± "Hmm¡­ Ah, I see!" I nced at Amano from the corner of my eye. He was all smiles¡­ unbelievably bright. Amano leaned his entire body forward. ¡°You can¡¯t win by using normal method at that part!¡± "So the story is scripted to lose? Eh, the game ends normally after I lose though¡­¡± ¡°No, not that, you can¡¯t win if you don¡¯t use the moves in the correct sequence.¡± ¡°Hmm?... Ah, I get it! The story did mention that a little!¡± I couldn¡¯t help cing my hands onto the table. Oh no, I want to try it out soon! Basically, this is an RPG I had been staying up at night to y! After finding out the way to clear the level, I didn¡¯t feel like attending sses anymore. Amano was smiling very happily. ¡°That was hard to decipher. Actually, I was forced to check the online guides too.¡± ¡°Ah~~ I thought about checking it online, but I feel that I would lose if I did. I won¡¯t feel hesitant if I check it once¡­ but this is my first ythrough.¡± ¡°Yes, I know! You will be spoiled if you check the guide in some ces!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Even though the story wasn¡¯t mentioned, there are cases where the name of the dungeon itself is a spoiler!¡± ¡°Exactly! I really wish the guide writers will be more considerate, although the ones reading it are partly to me too. Basically, there are times when youe across spoilers in the midst of searching for the guides to clear the level.¡± ¡°There is! For example, searching the terms online and you got the results of ¡®character name + betray¡¯!¡± ¡°That happens too often!¡± Amano and I had a st talking about video games. However, when we noticed that our ssmates were getting a bit rowdy, we cleared our throats a bit shyly¡­ Hmm, strange? "¡­¡­" I turned to the side, and there was a beautiful blonde girl leaning into the ssroom and watching us. She was gritting her teeth vexingly as she looked our way. Haha~~ Tendo probably gave up on inviting Amano to join the Gamers Club, and naturally thought from a high position: ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I chat with Amano who didn¡¯t have any friends about games?¡± And when she reached the ssroom, the position of ¡®game chatter¡¯ had been taken by me, that¡¯s probably it¡­ Our school idol is really interesting. "? Uehara-san, what¡¯s the matter?" "Ah, it¡¯s nothing, Tendo is here again¡­" "Huh?" Amano looked at the ssroom entrance after I told him that. Tendo left in a panic, and Amano stood there dazed. ¡°Eh¡­ W-What was that just now? Could it be¡­ Tendo really hates me?¡± Seemed like he was still concerned about rejecting the Gamer Club¡¯s invitation. I couldn¡¯t help snickering, and Amano looked at me with his head tilted. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s nothing. I think both of you are very interesting.¡± ¡°N-Not at all! You are actually taking pleasure over my misfortune! I made Tendo-san mad, I-I have to apologize to her¡­¡± Ara, that won¡¯t do. I had to¡­ I had to make things more interesting! ¡°Ah, no need no need, ignore Tendo. Just leave her alone before she find you to talk on her own.¡± "Uehara-san, are you being especially strict towards her all of a sudden?" ¡°Huh? No, rather than me being strict, it will be more effective to make her a bit more anxious¡­¡± ¡°A-Anxious? Effective?¡± Amano was still confused. Iughed quietly and stood up. ¡°Eh, don¡¯t mind that. Well¡­ Bye, Amano.¡± "Ah, right. Bye bye, Uehara-san." After Amano sent me off with a smile, he turned back to his game console happily again. ¡­¡­ ¡°Ah¡­ Eh¡«¡« Hey, Amano¡­" "? Hmm? What is it, Uehara-san?" With my back to Amano, I rubbed my neck and said as if I just thought of something. ¡­ Actually, this was the thing I really wanted to talk about¡­ But it was really embarrassing. After a moment of silence¡­ In order to not let Amano realize this was the main issue, I asked quietly: ¡°Can I ask you things about games next time?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I turned my head a little to peek at him. And¡­ Amano showed an absolutely blissful smile, simr to the one he had when he was ying games earlier, and then nodded firmly. ¡°Yes! I wee that warmly! Let¡¯s chat next time, Uehara-san!" "... Okay." With a wave, I returned to Masaya and the others¡­ In the end, we were still the same as usual. I spent my time noisily in the center of the ss, Amano still yed games by himself in a corner of the room, our rtionship was awkward, not even friends. Aguri was my girlfriend, that part had never changed. The same for games, I didn¡¯t give it any exceptional evaluation. In my heart, my interaction with friends and other entertainment still had far higher priority than games. Amano and I were different. ¡­ However©¤©¤ ¡°? Tasuku, what¡¯s with you?¡± ¡°Huh? What are you asking?¡± When we were chatting as usual, Daiki asked me all of a sudden. He was usually quick witted in some ces, but he was looking at me baffledly right now. ¡°Eh, you seemed to be a good mood today. Did something good happen?¡± ¡°Good? No, nothing great¡­ Ah.¡± ¡°Something came to mind?¡± ¡°Yes, I got it. Even though it is just a trivial matter.¡± ¡°? What happened?¡± Daiki asked with his head tilted, and... I replied shyly: ¡°I have been thinking recently that games are pretty interesting.¡± Volume 1, 3: Hoshinomori Chiaki and Proximity Connection Part 1

Volume 1, Chapter 3: Hoshinomori Chiaki and Proximity Connection

Trantor: Skythewood Editors: Deus Ex-machina, Perditor ¡°Uwah¡­ Amazing.¡± I couldn¡¯t help praising it as I fiddled with the control pad connected to myputer. The game on the screen¡­ Wasn¡¯t thetest cutting edge AAA grade games. By using existing art work and traditional RPG structure, the game was presented in nostalgic bitmap art, that reminds me of indie games made during the Super Famicon era. Which was known as free games. They are games created by hobbyist and distributed free of charge online. I was ying an adventure game made by the most popr RPG maker software. Although the graphics were constructed using the RPG software, the game didn¡¯t have any battles or character growth elements. It was a pure exploration, puzzle solving and storytelling game from start to finish. Commonly seen amongst free games. That was the reason the quality varies greatly, but if you ask me about the quality of the game I was ying©¤©¤ ¡°Eh¡­ I need to use this here?¡± I controlled the main character, little girl, and chose the ¡®key of death¡¯ I just got from the item selection box to enter the new room, ¡®room of poison¡¯©¤©¤ And what appeared before me was a wall full of faces, all of them squirming about as they groaned in an unknownnguage. ¡°... Woah, the creator is sick in the head as usual¡­¡± I gulped. By the way, ¡®sick in the head¡¯ is my way ofplimenting him. Actually, this game¡­ Or rather, this creator always made games that were hard to understand. After ying midway, the storyline was normal, there were no obvious programming errors or typos, and the game was made really carefully¡­ Unfortunately, there were too many ¡®super developments¡¯. The super development wasn¡¯t natural too, it was so bizarre that the yer would feel they were ying another game midway. I thought the creator would exin in detailter, but he just tossed all the earlier storyline away, which makes me wonder what the point of all that was. It was impossible for such a game to be popr; since,the games made by this creator were too niche. However, the second game he made was much more docile, without any strange super developement, and the ending was unexpectedly normal. That¡¯s why it made it into the poprity rankings of free games in no time. I only learned about this creator through that game... Aside from the second game, without exception, his other works were¡­ putting it nicely, unique; putting it not so nicely©¤©¤ ¡°I don¡¯t get what the content is saying.¡± It could only be described in such a way, as if someone¡¯s nightmare was being visualized. But such games also had their blind following among the open-minded world of free gaming¡­ How should I put this? I don¡¯t think the works of this person werethat ¡®outstanding¡¯. His style always follows a set route: ¡®The story starts out interesting, turns into shambles because of the super development, and proceeds into the ending in a mess.¡¯ There was nothing ¡®deep¡¯ about the super development either, so you can¡¯t really talk about it with others. A work thatbined the four elements of no climax, no ending, no meaning, and no taste. (I coined the term ¡®4chan¡¯ for this.) This was the style of this creator©¤ ¡®NOBE¡¯. But somehow, I like the games made by ¡®NOBE¡¯. I couldn¡¯t really answer properly even if you ask me why. The ws I mentioned earlier bother me and the super development would make me retort: ¡°Hey hey hey¡­¡± I probably agree more with the negativements. But even so, I still look forward to new works by ¡®NOBE¡¯. As I thought nkly about the creator while I explored the ¡®room of poison¡¯, the faces on the wall started speaking. ¡°The adverts by the mobile service provider do not get to the point though.¡± ¡°The ice cream looks delicious, but they can do away with the song.¡± ¡°Why do they want to film a live action version so much?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t ept a genericment which includes a discount code as a product review.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little toote to release a huge DLC now.¡± ¡°The trend of jacking up the prices by adding the words ¡®limited edition¡¯.¡± ¡°Physical ability and talent are two different things.¡± ¡°Oh, so ¡®this game enhanced the intemunication functions¡¯ huh?¡± ¡°No matter how I look at it, it''s your own fault that you are not popr.¡± ¡°So the poison in the ¡®room of poison¡¯ refers to a venomous tongue!¡± I retorted to the screen, and a smile appeared on my face. That¡¯s right, it was this kind of feeling. I couldn¡¯t exin it clearly, but this was why I always have a smile on my face when I y the games by this creator. This was different from it being funny because the game sucks too much. If I could appraise it more directly, I feel that the games made by this person¡­ his worldview feels veryfortable to me. Like his choice of words for the game messages, his taste in picking pictures, way he uses the music, all these trivial things. All these elements suit my taste perfectly. The asional glimpse into his personality I get when his developer blog refreshes also resonated with me. It even surprised me that there is someone with suchpatible sensibilities as me. I was definitely drawn to the ¡®personality¡¯ part of the creator. That might be so, I didn¡¯t know his age or gender. This was normal on the inte, but from how vague the creator was on his private life, he must have taken extra care to protect his privacy. The only thing that was clear was his inte handle ¡®NOBE¡¯. And of course, I didn¡¯t interact with the creator either. I would leave myments about histest release on his blog (basicallypliments) or express my agreement with the passages posted on the blog. Even so, I had never received any response. But I like the icy attitude of ¡®NOBE¡¯ too, a true die hard fan. ¡°Erm, next will be¡­ this way?¡± After exploring the entire ¡®room of poison¡¯, I made the main character enter the next room, which was the bottom of the sea for some reason¡­ Although I was exploring a mansion and there wasn¡¯t any mention of me entering a tunnel, a room in the bottom of the sea suddenly popped up. I was stunned, but still explored the surroundings©¤©¤ ©¤©¤ The next moment, a giant jelly fish suddenly appeared and killed the main character by eating her! ¡°Huh?¡± The unreasonable situation made me froze momentarily, but such deadly traps weremon in games made by this creator, so there wasn¡¯t any need to panic. I just need to reload an earlier save file. So I waited quietly for the screen prompt to appear¡­ But after waiting for so long, the game over message still didn¡¯t appear, and only the jellyfish that ate the main character remained on the middle of the screen. "......" Thinking ¡®it can¡¯t be¡¯, I timidly press the left button on the directional pad, and©¤©¤ ©¤©¤ The giant jellyfish moved one step to the left. ¡°Can the main character be switched in such a way!?¡± Even a die hard fan like me couldn¡¯t help roaring at the screen. Immediately after that, the worried voice of my younger brother came from next door: ¡°B-Bro, what¡¯s the matter?¡± I answered: ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing.¡± and turned my gaze back to the game screen. To confirm, I pressed up down left right on the directional pad. The Jellyfish moved ording to my inputmands. I looked at the screen dumbfoundedly for a moment, but a smile returned to my face quickly, and I continued ying. As I continued controlling the jellyfish and yed the game¡­ I muttered subconsciously: ¡°Really, just what kind of person¡­ is ¡®NOBE¡¯...¡± And of course, I was aware that many people had different personality or remain anonymous. But even so, I was still very interested in this person ¡®NOBE¡¯. --------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Hey Amano! That game made by ¡®NOBE¡¯ is incredibly nonsensical!¡± On a certain morning, Uehara-kun who ran into the ssroom didn¡¯t go to his seat, and headed straight for me. The first thing he did wasin to me loudly. I tried greeting him with a cool smile, but Uehara-kun didn¡¯t even acknowledged me, and approached with a fierce attitude that made the other ssmates cringe. ¡°I trusted you because you rmended it! During the starting ¡®mystery exploration¡¯ segment, I was looking forward to it when I saw all the puzzles and foreshadowing!¡± ¡°Yes, the beginning is interesting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Not just that, when the super development happened midway and changed into a ¡®fishing game¡¯, I was shakened, but still yed on patiently by telling myself ¡®Well, Amano rmended it, so the story will be make sense in thetter half, and lead to a touching ending¡­¡¯!¡± ¡°Woah. Uehara-kun, I think your personality of not giving up immediately is great.¡± I tried soothing him withpliments, but it was not effective. Uehara-kun said with a trembling fist: ¡°In the end¡­ In the end¡­¡± He then mmed it onto my table with a bang, and roared with tears in his eyes: ¡°Why is the ending an arrogant bearded old man taking a picture with a huge ck bass!? What the hell! What happened to the haunted mansion in the first half of the story!?¡± ¡°Ara~~ Isn¡¯t that interesting?¡± ¡°What¡¯s interesting about that!? Your taste is too weird! That is just a trash game!¡± ¡°Yup, probably.¡± I answered honestly, and Uehara-kun grabbed his head and squirmed. ¡°You actually agreed! Then why rmend it to me!? Out of ill will? You wish ill on me!?¡± ¡°How can that be! A tenth of it is out of goodwill!¡± ¡°So ill will is nine-tenths!? Damn it,pensate me! Give me back the time I spent on that lousy game all night at the expense of passing on watching ¡®Ame Talk¡¯!¡± ¡°Ah, their segment on ¡®Celebrities that love gaming¡¯st night was super interesting.¡± ¡°So you did watch that!¡± Uehara-kun strangled me¡­Sigh, how blissful. I had resigned myself to a dull campus life, but I actually get to experience such friends-like interaction, this was like a dream¡­ Like a dream¡­ there¡¯s arge patch of flowers around me¡­ Hmm, isn¡¯t that my great grandmother I had only seen on photographs©¤©¤ ¡°Ughh, you are strangling me too seriously!¡± I hurriedly shook away Uehara-kun¡¯s hands. He answered me with a face of rage: ¡°I am really mad!¡± I-I see. So he really was angry. Oh no, I hadpletely forgotten about how to gauge the distance between friends. I apologized to Uehara-kun depressedly. ¡°I-I am sorry. Erm, there was a 90 percent chance that this game wouldn¡¯t suit you, but I carelessly¡­ hoped that you might like it.¡± ¡°Huh?? Ah... In the end, this incident started because I asked you whether ¡®you have any games only insiders would rmend¡¯... My bad, I overreacted.¡± Uehara-kun scratched his head as he said that, then sat down in the seat in front of me. I ced my phone onto the table and apologized once again: ¡°I am sorry.¡± Uehara-kun sighed and said: ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± But he immediately followed up with: ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get why you find this thing charming at all.¡± ¡°Ah~~ ¡­ well maybe¡­¡± I didn¡¯t refute. The truth was, aside from the inte, I had never met anyone else who praises the work of ¡®NOBE¡¯. I answered with a wry smile: ¡°Eh, but I do feel that game is really bad.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? Basically, your taste in games isn¡¯t too different from me. In fact, the stuff you rmended earlier were all really interesting, that¡¯s why I trusted your judgement so much.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Hearing someone say that was the most blissful thing for video gamers. However, Uehara-kun put his elbow on my table and rolled his eyes. ¡°And that¡¯s why I don¡¯t understand why you rmended that. It feels like a prank.¡± ¡°Ah~~... you are right¡­¡± ¡°Ugh, hey hey, aren¡¯t you going to deny it?¡± Seemed like Uehara-kun wanted to debate me but got blindsided. I scratched my cheeks. ¡°Ehh~~ ¡­ Well, I don¡¯t have any excuse. How should I put this, the charm of that game can¡¯t be exined with words. Putting it more arrogantly, those who don¡¯t understand won¡¯t, it¡¯s just like one¡¯s taste in food.¡± ¡°Food huh¡­ If I have to say, this isn¡¯t a matter of like or dislike, it is dubious whether the thing is actually food. It can¡¯t be called a game.¡± ¡°Maybe. But I like this.¡± ¡°... You like bearded old men fishing for ck bass?¡± ¡°Not that. What I like is the details within the game, or its worldview.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get you¡­¡± After saying that, Uehara-kun leaned onto the chair¡¯s back, rocking the chair on its hind legs as he crossed his arms behind his head¡­To be honest, I couldn¡¯t exin further. If I had to use a great example I haven¡¯t used before¡­ With augh, I put up a cool front and said: ¡°That¡¯s right, Uehara-kun, this is something like love, and can¡¯t be exined with reasons.¡± "¡­ What the hell is a cherry boy like you saying to a guy with a girlfriend?" ¡°Ugh.¡± Amano Keita¡¯s heart suffered a billion points of damage! My face turned red with shame! ¡°T-That¡¯s not the point! I am talking purely about spiritual connection! M-Maybe you and your girlfriend already have¡­ erm, a more intimate connection.¡± ¡°Ahh?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± For some reason, my words stunned Uehara-kun¡­ a momentter, the redness of his face could even rival mine. Uehara-kun then averted his gaze¡­ Could it be¡­ ¡°Erm¡­ Uehara-kun, I remember you had been dating with your girlfriend for almost half a year¡­¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right! Spiritual connection is important! Yes, that is everything!¡± "¡­¡­" Strange? Could it be, Uehara-kun appeared to be very frivolous, but was unexpectedly©¤©¤ ¡°E-Enough about me, what about you? You!¡± Uehara-kun suddenly used me to conceal his embarrassment. I tilted my head. ¡°Me? Well, I told you I didn¡¯t interact with ¡®NOBE¡¯ at all¡­¡± ¡°Who¡¯s asking you about that! I mean you and Tendo, Tendo!" He mentioned an unexpected name, which made me tilt my head nkly. "Tendo-san? Hmm? What about Tendo-san? If you are asking about my interaction with the Gamers Club, I will greet Misumi-san when I meet him on the corridor by chance, or chat with him a little...¡± I didn¡¯t meet the upperssmen since then, much less Tendo-san who was from apletely different realm¡­ "Tendo-san and I don¡¯t have anything inmon to the point of being depressing." I replied in a tone insinuating: ¡®What¡¯s the point of asking this now?¡¯ Uehara-kun showed a stupefied expression for some reason. ¡°Are you¡­ serious?¡± ¡°Hmm? I am serious¡­ Or do you want me to confess and get dumped?¡± ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t mean that¡­ After that time, you didn¡¯t see Tendo around much?¡± ¡°? Yes, that¡¯s right. There are times when I saw her one sidedly, but the thing is, we interacted in the past, so I got better at noticing her from the corner of my eye. Sigh~~... Am I really sissy for acting this way?¡± I realized how disgusting I was, and felt a little depressed. Maybe I still had lingering feelings for Tendo-san, or held on to some hope. People with chunnibyou were really troublesome. When I smiled with a hint of guilt, Uehara-kun looked even more stupefied. ¡°You¡­ You aren¡¯t dense, but your self esteem is too low, and a bit off in your taste.¡± ¡°? Off? Ehh¡­ Ah, you mean my views on the games made by ¡®NOBE¡¯?¡± ¡°No, not that, I mean Tendo¡­ Forget it. It¡¯s funny that way too. But you have to be careful about drifting too far apart, and losing the hook.¡± ¡°? Drifting too far apart? Ah, it¡¯s fine, you might not know since youid off gaming for a while. The effect distance for proximity connection for the 3DS is further than expected.¡± ¡°... Is that so.¡± Uehara-kun answered disinterestedly¡­ What¡¯s going on? I felt our dialogue was out of sync. Was this the gulf between nerd game yers and normies? ©¤©¤ At this moment, I suddenly noticed a request for aid from my mobile phone. After notifying Uehara-kun, I checked and found a message from ¡®MONO¡¯. I wanted to clear the quest while chatting with Uehara-kun, but found him peering at the phone screen. "Ah, Uehara-kun, are you interested? I can send an invite©¤©¤" "Well, not really. I¡¯m interested about the person on the other end¡­ What¡¯s the name again? One of the reason you rejected Tendo¡¯s invitation¡­" ¡°Hmm? Ah, you mean ¡®MONO¡¯?¡± ¡°Yes. Connecting spiritually with someone you don¡¯t know the face or background of, don¡¯t it have the feeling of destiny about it?¡± I didn¡¯t imagine Uehara-kun to be have such romantic ideology. ¡°It would be great if the other party is a beautiful young girl. Sigh, but I won¡¯t mind even if ¡®MONO¡¯ is a old man.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Could it be your preference is¡­¡± Uehara-kun backed away as if that was true. I hurriedly exined: ¡°N-No, that¡¯s wrong! I just think that if we can chat about games happily, then the gender of the other party wouldn¡¯t matter¡­ Or rather, I have less reservation when talking with guys.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I see¡­ You really think of gaming as your everything¡­¡± ¡°Not at all. I often think: ¡®will a pretty girl fall from the sky¡¯?¡± ¡°Your taste lean too much towards gaming.¡± ¡°That might be so, but I don¡¯t have the determination to grind the stats like in gal games though! I will just hope for blessings falling from the sky, and that the other party will like me unconditionally!¡± ¡°That¡¯s too depraved!¡± Uehara-kun sighed with a stupefied expression, then stared nkly at my phone screen. After I finished the help quest, then asked: ¡°... Oh right, why did you pick your inte handle to be ¡®Tshi¡¯? Since your family name is Amano, I thought you will pick something like ¡®Rain¡¯.¡± After hearing his question, I answered while thinking that it is rather embarrassing for someone to watch me y social games: ¡°To be honest, I will name the hero Rain or Keita when I y RPGs. But I prefer distancing myself for inte handles¡­¡± ¡°Ah~~ I feel you.¡± ¡°And so, I used my mother¡¯s family name ¡®Tsuchiyama¡¯ and chose the handle ¡®Tshi¡¯. On the other hand, my inte alias is ¡®Yama-san¡¯.¡± ¡°Oh~~... It is hard to make conversation if you use such a reason. Boring.¡± ¡°Who cares!¡± Uehara-kun sighed in resignation again. And then¡­ ¡°Looks like you need rehabilitation before I can use your loveedy as entertainment.¡± ¡°What are you saying? Loveedy? Rehabilitation?¡± What¡¯s the link? I blinked nkly, and Uehara-kun looked at me with serious eyes. ¡°Think carefully about it, Tendo is too high a bar even for me. Under such a situation, the current you¡­ Even if Tendo is willing to take the initiative, it will end in no time with such a huge imbnce. You are¡­ too weak.¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t know what you are talking about, but it¡¯s clear you want a fight. Uehara-kun, let¡¯s take it outside for a round of Mario Party!¡± ¡°Your way of picking a fight is too gentle! Sigh, Amano, calm down, you are mistaken. I just want to tell you¡­ Compared to Tendo, you are lower than a lice.¡± ¡°Yup, that¡¯s no different from what I thought you are trying to do! Let¡¯s Mario P©¤©¤" ¡°Huh? Or you think you arepatible with Tendo?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. Compared with Tendo, I am worse than lice.¡± I was devastated that the first friend I made put such a cruel fact before me. Only now did Uehara-kun start to ease the atmosphere. ¡°Eh, I am not trying to make you depressed. Like I said, I want to help you rehabilitate¡­ In other words, salvage you from the situation of being a loner.¡± ¡°Huh!? So you are going to finally introduce your girlfriend and friends to me©¤©¤" "¡­¡­" I could see that Uehara-kun awkwardly averted his gaze¡­ He cleared his throat and continued: ¡°N-Not really, that bar is still too high for you right now.¡± ¡°Eh, you have a point.¡± I was actually half joking. I couldn¡¯t imagine myself chatting happily inside Uehara-kun¡¯s circle of friends. I think that interpersonal rtions require effort from both parties, but feeling strained and exhausted from being friends felt wrong too. But in that case, what does Uehara-kun want me to do? I couldn¡¯t figure it out¡­ Uehara-kun smiled at me deviously, and nonchntly stated his idea. "Amano, try chatting up a game enthusiast and quiet©¤©¤ ¡®girl¡¯!" "¡­¡­" The ideas from normies were too horrifying, which made me shiver with a headache. --------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Alright Amano, the target is ss A¡¯s ¡®Hoshinomori Chiaki¡¯. She seems to be the same type as you, a loner nerd girl who likes video games.¡± After school. When ss was over, Uehara-kun who got information about girls through hiswork came to my seat. I red at him with an obvious show of displeasure. ¡°Like I said this morning, I don¡¯t want that, this is like picking up girls¡­¡± But Uehara-kun didn¡¯t back down and red back at me with a straight face. ¡°Hey hey hey, what are you saying? Anyone who wants to make friends has to start by talking toplete strangers. It¡¯s a given it will be somewhat like picking up girls.¡± ¡°T-That might be so¡­ b-but even then, why must it be a girl!¡± ¡°Huh? The final objective is obviously for you and Tendo©¤©¤" Uehara-kun seemed to realize something and scratched his head at this point. "Ah¡«¡«¡­ No, I remember now. For guys, you already know the gamer Misumi right? And you have no problem talking with me.¡± ¡°That¡­ That is true.¡± But to be honest, I was still quite distanced from Misumi-san to call him a ¡®friend¡¯. We only chat when we meet asionally, and wasn¡¯t that close to make the effort to keep in touch. But Uehara-kun didn¡¯t know about that awkward gap, and started persuading me: ¡°Think about it, if you keep grinding the same type of enemy in a RPG, the experience points will dip right? It¡¯s the same for this. Amano, you need to challenge a new enemy so you can grow rapidly.¡± ¡°Somehow, I feel your arrogant face is trying to say: ¡®good good, I made a perfect example by using the concept of RPG for Amano who loves gaming.¡¯ It feels irritating.¡± ¡°Why are you so acute when it is about your inferiorityplex!? That is a worse characteristic than main characters who act like blockheads!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a background character anyway. Not a main character like you, how nice.¡± ¡°Annoying! Loner twisted nerdy virgins are annoying! Please, if you go on like this, Tendo will©¤©¤" "? Tendo-san will what?" Why did he mention Tendo-san here? I couldn¡¯t help tilting my head. The words ¡®oh shit¡¯ might as well be written on Uehara-kun as he averted his eyes¡­ ¡°... T-Tendo will keep calling you a ¡®giant slug¡¯!¡± ¡°Tendo-san calls me that behind my back!?¡± What a surprise! Especially the fact that she didn¡¯t choose the weakest minion, the cute ¡®slime¡¯. She went out of her way to call me a ¡®giant slug¡¯, that shows her malevolence clearly! I might be shocked, but I still replied Uehara-kun: ¡°T-That¡¯s really depressing¡­ I wish she could upgrade me to the level of ¡®giant rat¡¯...¡± Y-Yeah, that¡¯s right. I don¡¯t get your standards for doing that though¡­ Eh, it¡¯s a lie anyway¡­¡± ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°I heard you say it¡¯s a lie.¡± ¡°At times like this, you need to act like a main character that is hard of hearing! Why did you hear that! The loveedy can¡¯t proceed like this! Are you consciously pulling out the gs!? You really have no right to be a main character! Even though you have the quality of a main character in attracting events!¡± ¡°W-Why am I being lectured?¡± Did I mishear? That should be it, Uehara-kun had no reason to tell me a lie like that. Also, unless his conscience was biting at him¡­ there was no reason for him to mumble about telling lies. Yes, I should reflect on this. Pulling myself together, I looked into Uehara-kun¡¯s eyes again. ¡°I-I understand, Uehara-kun. Being branded a ¡®giant slug¡¯ is too miserable, so I will believe you and try rehabilitating! I will go to that¡­ Erm, Hoshinomori-san and chat with her!" ¡°G-Great! Amano, I¡¯m d you understand where I¡¯ming from. No point in wasting time©¤©¤" ¡°Erm! Uehara-kun, please introduce that girl to¡­¡­" "©¤©¤ Go and find that Hoshinomori, and talk to her now, Amano!" "¡­ Huh?" For some reason, Uehara-kun slinged his backpack onto his shoulders, then waved at me¡­ Strange? Wasn¡¯t this the usual way he bid farewell¡­? "I will be ying with Aguri at the arcade, I will pray for your sess! Bye!" "¡­¡­Huh?" Uehara-kun left the dazed me behind, and followed a girl with a light tan that was waiting outside the room before I realized it¡­ She seemed to be his girlfriend named Aguri (I don''t know why she always res at me from afar before walking off). He left with this cute schoolmate hurriedly. ¡­ Which means¡­ I will be going to this female schoolmate I didn¡¯t know, and talk to her. And purely for the sake of building a better rtionship¡­ Yup, this simply means¡­ I clutched my bag as I sat alone in my seat, and muttered: ¡°Hmm? Isn¡¯t this just picking up girls¡­?¡± ¡­¡­ This idea from a normie was too horrifying, which made me shiver with a headache. ©¤©¤ On top of nausea and a headache, I was also inflicted with petrification. --------------------------------------------------------------- Oh no, my stomach is starting to act up. I walked towards ss A on the corridor, and couldn¡¯t help nursing my lower abdomen. There was a dull pain, as if someone filled it with lead. However, this pain probably wouldn¡¯t subside with stomach medicine. Why do I have to go so far as to challenge picking up girls¡­? Even I myself didn¡¯t understand why my legs didn¡¯t led me to the shoe racks, but towards ss A. I wasn¡¯t that determined about this and felt repulsed by this idea, but my legs showed no signs of stopping. Despite that, I thought about it as I walked and came up with a few possible reasons. First, Uehara-kun¡¯s idea yed a big factor. He isn¡¯t just a friend that I finally made, he even used his own methods toe up with this proposal. And also¡­ he just happened to y a game made by ¡®NOBE¡¯ that didn¡¯t fit his taste, which made me feel bad¡­ He will ask me about the result the first thing next morning. If I answered ¡®I didn¡¯t even give it a try¡¯, that would be too disappointing as a friend. At least, I hope to answer: ¡®I went to her ss to look, but I missed her as she already went home.¡¯¡± On top of that¡­ that thing with Tendo-san bothers me too... That was the second factor. I still feel guilty about wasting her effort and goodwill. Since I had another chance to build an interpersonal rtionship through games once again, I felt that I couldn¡¯t avoid this. Also, I didn¡¯t take everything Uehara-kun said wholesale, but if I want to meet Tendo-san again and apologize, it would be impossible if our rtionship was so bad that she calls me a ¡®giant slug¡¯. I need to at least be a bit more decent. And thest factor, which was trivial whenpared to the previous two¡­ Just wanting to talk to a girl who likes games. After getting to know Uehara-kun, I realized once again how happy it was to chat about games with others. There wasn¡¯t any grinding of skills or exchange of high value information¡­ Just idly chatting about what games we liked, and which games were interesting. These carefree chats about games were really blissful. When I realized it, my stomach didn¡¯t hurt that much now¡­ Yup, it should work now. Go go, Amano Keita. I am notmitting any nefarious acts, I should learn from Uehara-kun who made it into the high school social circle, and talk to that person confidently! I straightened up my posture and made my way outside ss A, then gulped. The door to the ssrooms were open since school was out, and the students inside the room would be able to see me if I took another step inside¡­ I just remembered, this was basically the first time I was visiting another ss¡­ my legs started shivering. I-It¡¯s fine! School is out, so there shouldn¡¯t be that many students around. Someone like me is different from Tendo-san, no one will notice even if I entered the ssroom! Yes! Let¡¯s get it over with quickly Making up my mind, I took a step forth and peered into the ssroom from the entrance. As I expected, there were not many students around, and no one paid me any mind. I patted my chest in relief and surveyed the room. And then©¤©¤ ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ©¤©¤ I locked eyes with an absolutely gorgeous blonde girl. Only now did I remember¡­ Tendo-san was in ss 2A too. The school idol was seated in the middle of the ss, surrounded by her ssmates. When they saw her surprised face, their gazes slowly focused onto me¡­ Oh no. That incident between me and Tendo-san reached this ss too, and the ssroom turned a little rowdier. I couldn¡¯t help backing away and hiding half my body. And so, even Tendo-san who always looksposed showed a wavering expression. After shifting her gaze away from me, she immediately did a simple touch up to her hair for some reason. She then cleared her throat, and appeared even more at ease than usual. ? Eh¡­ What is with her reaction? Could it be like Uehara-kun said, her reaction by treating me like a ¡®giant slug¡¯? I took another look, and even though Tendo-san was tantly making an expression of ¡®I am not bothered by Amano-san at all~~¡¯ while chatting with others, she would peek towards me from the corner of her eyes every now and then. W-What is this? How should I interpret her attitude? A-Anyway, the only thing I knew was that it felt very awkward. Leaving Tendo-san herself aside, the ones who grew tense from her unusual reaction were her ssmates instead¡­ Recently, I had been making too many enemies. Feeling depressed, I still thought about my next course of action. Well, my objective today is different anyway¡­ Yup, I won¡¯t earn any ire if I don¡¯t bother the school idol. After my quick conclusion, I stepped into the ssroom once again, looking around the room in search of Hoshinomori-san. And of course, just the information ¡®quiet girl who likes games¡¯ wasn¡¯t enough for me to find that girl. I was a bit hesitant, but I still steeled myself and chatted to the two girls closest to me. ¡°M-May I ask¡­¡± ¡°H-How can I help¡­?¡± The reply was a bit too tense, which made me depressed. I told myself it wasn¡¯t because I was disgusting, but because I was the center of attention, so I muster my courage and looked at the other party¡¯s eyes. ©¤©¤ However, the other girl asked before I state my question. ¡°A-Are you looking for Tendo-san?" ¡°Huh?¡± Her question made a few girls in the ssroom squeal a little. I peeked at Tendo-san, who was still cool andposed¡­But her eyes nced my way more frequently, and her gaze seemed to be looking forward to something. I couldn¡¯t guess what Tendo-san¡¯s intention was¡­ I still waved hurriedly with a bitter smile. In order to not trouble Tendo-san, I refuted her with a heavier tone. ¡°Ah, no no. I am not interested in Tendo-san at all, and don¡¯t have any business with her!¡± That moment, a loud ¡®Cock¡¯ sound came from the room. I was wondering what happened, and saw Tendo-san had banged her forehead onto the table, what the hell! Not just me, the entire ssroom was shakened by this. Tendo-san lifted her head slowly, and showed her typical graceful smile as if nothing had happened¡­ That was scary. W-What¡¯s with her? Was she not feeling well? But the atmosphere lightened because Tendo-san lifted her head. Seeing this chance, the girl talking with me asked as if she just remembered something: ¡°Eh, s-so you are not looking for Tendo-san? I heard the rumours and thought¡­¡± I nodded to affirm her suspicion, and did my best to answer with a smile: ¡°Yup, I am here to look for another girl, not Tendo-san.¡± ¡°Cock!¡± The knocking sound sounded even louder than earlier! Tendo-san¡¯s forehead had sunk into the table a little, and steam like smoke was wisping out! T-Tendo-san? Everyone held their breath. As for Tendo-san, she slowly raised her twisted smiling face that looked like a mask¡­ said to her ssmates ¡°excuse me for a moment¡±, then left her seat¡­ She then walked towards me with a smile on her face! Uwah! W-Why!? Why is Tendo-san walking to me !? It got so awkward the previous time! I still haven¡¯t shaken off my title of ¡®giant slug¡¯ yet! The situation waspletely unexpected©¤©¤ like grinding near a save point and suddenly entering a final boss fight, which threw me into extreme confusion. Under the watchful gaze of the students from ss A, Tendo-san came before me, and spoke after widening her smile even further: ¡°It¡¯s been awhile, Amano-kun.¡± "L-Long time no see, Tendo-san¡­" I was so nervous that my entire body turned stiff, and I broke out in cold sweat. Compared to the first time I met Tendo-san, my fear had grown stronger. My smug feeling from back then waspletely gone, and only the negative and darkness remains. I was scared. I stood up straight as if I was being lectured by a teacher for viting school rules. Tendo-san wasposed and smiling¡­ But at the same time, she seemed a little nervous as she asked me: ¡°So, what brings you to ss A? I-I heard just now that you are looking for a girl¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I am looking for a girl in ss A¡­¡± ¡°... I-Is that so?¡± "? Yes." Tendo-san who was standing appeared a little giddy for an instant¡­ So she really was unwell? But the next moment, she seemed to have figured something out and turned cheerful. She then asked me excitedly, as if she was clearing up something: ¡°Oh right, I know! Amano-kun is so serious, so you must be looking for a girl from my ss formittee work or some other duties©¤©¤" ¡°Erm, no, it¡¯s not like that.¡± I panicked because I seemed to have been misunderstood, so I spilled the beans without a second thought. ¡°I came to ss A in order to build a better rtionship with that girl! It has nothing to do with Tendo-san!¡± ¡­¡­faints "T-Tendo-san?" Tendo-san still had a smile on her face, but she was falling backwards for some reason. I rushed forth to support Tendo-san¡¯s back and held her steadily, and squeals erupted from her ss. No no no, now is not the time for that kind of reaction! No matter how I looked at it, Tendo-san had obviously fallen ill! And her face was red as she looked at me from such a close distance! Not just that, her mouth was opening and shutting, like a goldfish gasping for air¡­ "!¡«¡«! Ugh¡«¡«! P-..." "?" Tendo-san wanted to say something, so I turned my head and perked my ears. And so, she¡­ She suddenly wailed with tears in her eyes! "You big yboy¡«¡«¡«¡«¡«¡«!!" "Huhhhh!?" Tendo-san pushed me away, and ran out of the ssroom¡­ Weird, what happened? This felt familiar though, what was with this situation? By the way¡­ What did she say? Beck buoy¡­? What did that mean? Tendo-san was probably too near and she wailed too suddenly, so I didn¡¯t hear what she said clearly. Well, I thought I heard ¡®big yboy¡¯, but that was definitely not words to describe me. Ugh¡«¡« ¡­I was really bothered, and wondered what she actually said. But the sharp gazes from the people around me didn¡¯t allow me to ask any further¡­ Could it be, they think Tendo-san and I were a couple and we were having a fight? Even though Tendo-san was just feeling under the weather¡­ I couldn¡¯t stand it, for her ssmates to not show concern for her at a time like this felt wrong to me! I felt a little angry for acting like a ¡®dense main character who didn¡¯t show concern for how others felt¡¯. Thanks to that, I could rx my tensed emotions and asked the female student once again: ¡°Erm, I¡¯m looking for a Hoshinomori Chiaki¡­ Is she here?" When the female student heard my question, her mouth was wide open as she said something nonsensical: ¡°I-Instead of Tendo-san, you want Hoshinomori!?" ¡°>Huh? Erm¡­ that¡¯s right, I¡¯m not here for Tendo-san, I¡¯m here to look for Hoshinomori-san." I didn¡¯t know why she mentioned Tendo-san, but I still answered her. For some reason, the ssroom turned rowdy¡­ What was it, what was it? The female student seemed impressed as she looked at me. ¡°Y-You think Hoshinomori is better? Even after seeing Tendo-san?¡± ¡°? Well, I am only here for Hoshinomori-san though." I was losing patience. So annoying for them to involve Tendo-san in everything they say, although I know she was really popr. And the squeals in the room every time I speak. What¡¯s wrong with this ss? You should worry about Tendo-san¡¯s health instead! I couldn¡¯t stand it! And so, I insisted that Hoshinomori was the only choice for me. The ssroom got even rowdier¡­ I don¡¯t get it. With a face of a neighbourhood housewife entertaining herself with the love gossips of others, she pointed to a corner of the ssroom¡­ Taking reference from my ss, It happened to be near where I was seated. After being shown the way, I looked over there and¡­ This¡­ U-Uehara-kun¡¯s informationwork is too strong... I saw someone with earphones looking down at the screen of her console, oblivious to everything that just happened in the ssroom. She just concentrated on her gaming with a blissful smile©¤©¤ ©¤©¤ She was the same type as a certain someone, this background type girl without any thing striking about her was sitting there. --------------------------------------------------------------- This is¡­ just like the reenactment of that scenest time. A student who had drawn the gazes of all the students in the ss was approaching another student ying video games at a corner of the ssroom. The only different thing was, unlike Tendo-san, I was a big coward. Tendo-san she¡­ is always basking under such gazes... Only now did I felt impressed by this fact. Just recently, I was on the verge of breaking down justing into contact with Tendo-san¡­ Tendo-san endured more gazes than this and still managed to act naturally. ¡­ Really, the more I get to know her, the further she feels. She can still insist on the things that she likes, which makes her truly a great person¡­ I have to at least shake off my title of ¡®Giant Slug¡¯. Nowadays, whenever I think about Tendo-san, I willpose myself mentally. This wasn¡¯t just superficial admiration, I understand that she was worthy of respect¡­ Although we were the same age. After steeling myself, I didn¡¯t want to lose to those gazes, and walked straight up to Hoshinomori-san. She was still wearing her headphones with her eyes glued to the screen. I just stood in front of her desk and looked down at this scene. ¡­¡­¡­ "¡­¡­c-cough cough!" "¡­¡­¡­" ¡­Oh no, the other party didn¡¯t notice me at all. This schoolmate of mine was focusing entirely on the game. W-What should I do? Touching the shoulder of a girl¡­ Isn¡¯t good either... To be honest, I wasn¡¯tfortable with taking the initiative to talk to others. Not just that, I seldom contact others through phones or emails either¡­ Because I will wonder: ¡®Am I bothering them?¡¯ Pushing myself to ask a female ssmate about Hoshinomori-san was already my limit. On top of that, Hoshinomori-san¡­ It feels that¡­ she ispletely immersed in her game, it is hard to chat her up... I could empathize since I y games often too, there was nothing that spoils my mood more than being dragged back into reality when you were totally engrossed in the game world. Hoshinomori-san leaned forth and studied the screen carefully. Her curly hair that reminded me of seaweeds covered both side of her console, barring away the annoying sunlight. She is absolutely in a world of her own! It is hard to chat her up! I also y video games in ss, but not to such an extent¡­ Or I hope I didn¡¯t. No, if Uehara-kun was to judge, he would probably say: ¡®how alike.¡¯ Okay, I couldn¡¯t bear to interrupt Hoshinomori-san who was focusing so intently on her game. To be honest, my business with her was just trivial chat about ¡®let¡¯s be friends.¡¯ I pulled out the chair in front of Hoshinomori-san¡¯s desk, and sat on it side ways with my elbow on the back of the seat. Frankly speaking, I didn¡¯t really dare to sit in someone else¡¯s ce, but the owner seemed to have already went home, so this was an exception. I peeked at the screen of the game. Thankfully, there wasn¡¯t that much seaweed like hair to the front, so I got a clear view. Hmm, isn¡¯t this ¡®Aegis VIII¡¯ that was just releasedst week? I happen to be ying this too... On the screen was a 2D style chibi male main character defeating enemies with his sword and exploring the open ins. This type of game was known as Action RPG. Fearing spoilers, I timidly checked how far Hoshinomori-san¡¯s had progressed in the game. She seemed to be slightly slower than me, so I patted my chest in relief and continued watching her y. "¡­¡­" On closer look, she seemed happier than I imagined. I caught a glimpse of her mouth through her hair, and she looked defenseless, opening it halfway in her joy. It was a little disgusting, but I felt as if I just met arade, and felt really happy. How should I put this¡­ Maybe I like seeing people enjoying their games with a smile. It was probably because I saw Hoshinomori-san¡¯s blissful face, it eased my tensed emotions greatly. I watched her y her game in silence momentarily. The main character charged around the ins, defeated mob monsters, and then explored every corner of a dungeon. Before I realized it, only the two of us were left in the ssroom illuminated by the setting sunlight. I saw a few bags around the ssroom, so it just happens that just the two of us were alone¡­ Ugh¡­ If I want to talk to her, now should be the best chance¡­ right¡­? Without the gaze of bystanders, the bar for picking up girls lowered substantially¡­ Wait, no no no, this wasn¡¯t picking up girls! My head started hurting again. To avoid the atmosphere going astray, I had to choose the way I start the conversation carefully. Anyway, I decided to leave the conclusion forter, and return my gaze onto her game screen. And then¡­ Ah, she is finally going after the boss? What a long journey. The difficulty of this dungeon didn¡¯t feel like the games of recent years. The enemies are strong and the save point is ced near the entrance. The game was entering its climax, and my thoughts on chatting up Hoshinomori-san was tossed aside. Hoshinomori-san gulped nervously. Indeed, if she loses now, all her time spent ying after school would be for nought. And from what I glimpsed, Hoshinomori-san didn¡¯t grind too hard, and could even get in trouble fighting the dungeon¡¯s minions. Her skills were simr to mine, she knew the controls, but was not very proficient. As for whether she can beat the boss, it¡¯s probably 50-50. I only challenged him after grinding to a higher level than Hoshinomori-san, so I had more leeway, but it was still a tough fight. The boss room was right before her. Hoshinomori-san stopped, and I couldn¡¯t help straightening my back. And so, after waiting for five seconds¡­ Hoshinomori-san finally stepped into the boss room. After the disy of an exaggerated warning message, a huge rock giant blocked the main character¡¯s path. ...Gasp. We both gasped at the same time. Hoshinomori-san pulled away from the boss, nning to observe his attack pattern first. This was the standard method when one faces a boss you met in an Action RPG for the first time. However¡­ ¡°Swoomp!¡± "!" With the soft sound effect that leaked out from her ear phones, stone spears sprouted out from the walls of the cave. This was one of the annoying ability of this boss, if you go near any stone walls or objects, it will attack with spears that was almost too fast too dodge. This attack will definitelynd the first time. And she will think it is just a trap, then get stabbed again when she hides in the other corner. Just when I was thinking that, Hoshinomori-san got stabbed as I expected. Her movement pattern really resembles mine, which made me giggle. Now that I thought about it, even the way Hoshinomori-san yed earlier was eerily simr to mine. Even though I often watched my younger brother y and others livestreaming their ythrough online, I had never seen someone whose thought process was so simr to mine. The truth was, this game was very liberal in ystyle, weapon choice, stats allocation and skills to learn. But somehow, her choices were almost simr to mine. Ah, she won¡¯t expect the spear to sprout from other objects, and will get stabbed once more. As I was thinking that, Hoshinomori-san got stabbed as I expected. "¡«¡«!" Hoshinomori-san¡¯s face turned anxious. That hit brought the main character¡¯s HP bar to the halfway mark, and there was basically no way to heal during boss fights in this game. Items couldn¡¯t be used, so magic was the only means. But that would drain a lot of MP, and the casting time was also rather long. That was why grinding to increase attack and max HP was so important. Oh no, it might be difficult to win like this. Even though I was at a higher level than her, I barely managed to defeat the boss. In that case, since her skill and y style was about the same as me¡­ her odds are low. Okay, although she made up her mind to attack the boss fiercely, that heavy smash attack with an unreasonably wide hitbox¡­ Ara, she got crushed as expected. Hoshinomori-san made the same mistakes I did. Fearing that the time she spent adventuring would be wasted, her breathing started getting rugged, but her controls remain deft and cautious, easily dodging the attacks she had seen before and counter attacking. The boss¡¯ HP dwindled slowly, and the tide was turning, but the main character will fall with another hit. She replicated my situation almost perfectly! But when I was ying, I grinded harder so I could still take another hit when I took down the boss¡­ But for her... This could literally be described as nerve wrecking. I was leaningpletely forward, Hoshinomori-san and my forehead was almost touching as we watched the screen, but she was so focused that she didn¡¯t notice me. Hoshinomori-san could dodge the attacks she had seen before¡­ But this boss will use new attacks when his HP drops¡­ Although it was an attack that could be evaded easily after seeing it once, it was used in a way that would ¡®definitely hit yers who saw it the first time¡¯... At least it hit me. Damn it, it will be unbearable to die after making it this far! I was more emotionally invested than usual because I watched the progress of the game together with her! I nced at Hoshinomori-san¡¯s face, and she seemed to be enjoying this tension too, but I still felt¡­ That¡¯s right, the grueling game difficulty might add to the experience¡­ But if possible, yers would still prefer to avoid wasting the vast amount of adventuring time they spent. And for Hoshinomori-san, there was probably some other reason. Gaming inside the ssroom in public view was not very conducive, and the gaze of her ssmates didn¡¯t feelfortable either. If her adventure was all wasted¡­ That would be too terrible. It was finally time. The Rock Giant raised its hand in a ¡®banzai¡¯ stance, and started charging for an attack. "!" Having not seen this attack pattern, Hoshinomori-san was surprised. This was natural, as the pattern that worked so far had been dodging left if the boss moved its right hand, dodging right if it moved its left hand. But this time, ¡®both hands were raised¡¯... several ways of dodging woulde to mind, but she wouldn¡¯t be able to confirm which works best and¡­ She will pull back as she thinks putting some distance between them cannot go wrong! I did that too! But©¤©¤ The Rock Giant finished charging. After hesitating for a moment, Hoshinomori-san pulled the control stick down hard and pressed the emergency evade button, dashing backwards©¤©¤ ¡°Dodge forward!¡± ©¤©¤ I couldn¡¯t help yelling before that happens! "!" Hoshinomori-san immediately pushed the control stick forward instead, making the character roll between the legs of the Rock Giant! At the same time, the Giant smashed the ground with its fists, a donut shaped shock wave spread outwards in all directions. That¡¯s right¡­ except for the safe spot between the legs of the Giant, it will hit everywhere else. ¡°Now! Hit it hit it hit it!¡± "!¡«¡«!" As I cheered her on, Hoshinomori-san mashed the attack button, plummeting the Giant who was exposed after it dished out a huge attack! And so, when the Giant¡¯s stun time ended and it prepared for its next attack©¤©¤ "!" ©¤©¤ The HP of the boss had finally been depleted. After a brief silence, the Rock Giant exploded dramatically. The moment the stage clear message was shed¡­ We couldn¡¯t help standing up. Coming back to our senses, we locked eyes and shouted: ¡°Oh right©¤©¤!" Hoshinomori-san and I high fived with our right hands. Looking at her again, Hoshinomori-san was an innocent looking cute female girl when she lifted her head. But when her seaweed like fringe drooped down again, she immediately¡­ turned back into a vague existence. Ah, I felt it was a pity. I wanted to look at her face more clearly¡­ Wait. "¡­¡­" Snapping out of it, the two of us were touching palms, and staring nkly at each other. Her earphone fell from her left ear, and the sound from the game buzzed in the silent ssroom. Hoshinomori-san¡­ asked in a voice as soft as a mosquito¡¯s: "¡­¡­ E-Erm, may I ask¡­ Who are you?" "Ah¡«¡«¡­ Well, that¡¯s¡­" Thinking from her perspective, Returning to reality from the game she waspletely engrossed in, she found the ssroom to be empty except for a guy she had never seen before smiling intimately and touching palms with her. This wasn¡¯t a matter of picking up girls anymore, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if she made a police report. This first meeting was very much overboard. "¡­¡­Eh¡«¡«¡­¡­ Please listen¡­¡­ Well¡­¡­ I¡­¡­ Erm¡­¡­" "¡­¡­¡­¡­" My gamer brain that splendidly rescued her from a crisis¡­ failed to provide a single ounce of useful information right now. --------------------------------------------------------------- "¡­¡­" Hoshinomori-san and I sat on the bench of the deserted bus station. The setting sun provided warmth for my back. In the end, I tried to express my reason for finding her. Even though she remained skeptical, she still agreed to speak with me on the condition of only doing so before her bus arrives. The reason she stayed sote in school seemed to be the low frequency of the bus she was taking home. And so, the situation turned into me waiting together with her for her bus¡­ Oh no¡­ After a short conversation in ss, I didn¡¯t speak with her properly... It was fine while we were walking, but once we sat down, the silence was unbelievably heavy. That being the case, talking about games right off the bat seemed inadequate too. I decided to start off with trivial matters. ¡°The bus¡­ How long before ites?¡± Hoshinomori-san trembled for some reason when she heard me, then answered with a bit of stutter.: ¡°... Erm, a-a-about f-fifteen minutes¡­ But¡­ it depends on the traffic¡­¡± ¡°I see, there are few trips, and the arrival time is unreliable, it must be hard on you.¡± Hoshinomori-san nodded quietly. "¡­¡­" ¡­¡­ Hmm. It felt like the conversation was over. Although Hoshinomori-san didn¡¯t say much and answered in short spurts, I was the one responsible for holding the conversation and was despairingly unskilled in this. I thought I had improved somewhat after talking to Tendo-san and Uehara-kun, but I was wrong. The two of them were the ones who were good, I didn¡¯t improve at all. No matter what, I should start with an introduction. With that in mind, I said with a stammer: ¡°Ah, s-sorry, it¡¯s a bitte to say this now, b-but, I¡¯m from ss F, my name is Amano Keita." "You are Amano¡­ san." "Y-Yes. And¡­ well..." ¡­ I couldn¡¯t think of a good opening line. That was expected. Who could say something like ¡®I want to be good friends with you¡¯! Even putting it in a nice way, it would be troubling to underestimate how bad my social skill was. ¡­ After agonizing over it, I gave up and handed the topic docilely over to the other party. "Hoshinomori-san¡­ you¡­ like¡­ video games¡­ right?" The two of us were in the same grade, so I should be more rxed and speak to her as an equal. But I didn¡¯t have the guts. Hoshinomori-san nodded in response¡­ Her eyes covered by her seaweed-like hair seemed to be looking at me suspiciously. Although her gaze made me anxious, I still racked my brains to keep the conversation going. But to my surprise, Hoshinomori-san spoke to me on her own. "E-Erm¡­ Y-You are from the Gamers Club, right?" "Huh?" I didn¡¯t know how to react to this unexpected question and Hoshinomori-san lowered her head for some reason. "I¡¯m sorry. No matter how many times you all ask¡­ I-I don¡¯t intend to join the Gamers Club¡­" "Huh? P-Please wait a minute!" "?" Seeing how flustered I was, Hoshinomori-san tilted her head bafflingly. I raised my voice to clear the misunderstanding. ¡°I¡¯m not from the Gamers Club, alright? Well, they did invite me before¡­¡± "? Then, you are not acting together with Hyobu-san¡­ or Tendo-san? "? I don¡¯t know who Hyobu-san is¡­ But Tendo-san did invite me to join the Gamers Club. And just like you, I turned her down¡­¡± "¡­J-Just like me¡­?" Hoshinomori-san opened her eyes in surprise. However, I was the one who was shocked. I didn¡¯t expect us to have things inmon for even that part. Anyway, I decided to clear up our rtionships with the Gamers Club. I told her the gist of what happened between Tendo-san and me, and Hoshinomori-san bowed towards me with her face slightly blushed and said: "M-Me too! A freshman girl called Hyobu-san invited me¡­ And then¡­ I visited the Gamers Club once¡­ But, eh, how should I put this¡­¡± ¡°Ah, take your time, it¡¯s fine.¡± I reminded her with a smile. Hoshinomori-san was acting just like I did when I spoke with Tendo-san, which amused me a lot¡­ Sigh, although I felt rather thick-skinned for looking at her from such a perspective. Hoshinomori-san backed away a little shyly, then continued: "¡­ I turned down the, Gamers Club¡­ because¡­ erm¡­" Hoshinomori-san seemed very anxious about finding the right words to express herself. Inspiration struck, and I took the initiative and told her: "Is it because¡­ The actual content of the club is different than the ¡®gaming¡¯ you had in mind?¡± ! Nods her head furiously! After hearing what I said, Hoshinomori-san nodded as if she was enlightened. I felt happy about it, and couldn¡¯t help continuing: ¡°The Gamers Club is good and all, but for us, that is too dazzling¡­¡± "T-That¡¯s right! ying games with others is enjoyable, I enjoy a match with another person asionally too¡­ B-But, I have no intention of being the very best that no one ever was¡­¡± ¡°I know right!? But, the Gamers Club is a through and through ¡®club activity¡¯.¡± Nods furiously! "Like I said, Hyobu-san who invited me¡­ As well as Tendo-san who approached me again on the basis of being ssmates, I feel bad towards them¡­ However¡­¡± ¡°Yes¡­ since gaming is our sanctuary, we can¡¯t reallypromise on this¡­¡± ¡°... Yes¡­¡± When we realized it, we had already started chatting. Seems like our simrities were beyond Uehara-kun¡¯s expectation, we were alike to the very core. With the tension eased, I naturally moved to the main topic. ¡°I prefer ying casually. Like those mindlessly repetitive mobile games¡­¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s right, I get it. ying leisurely is important, right! But that doesn¡¯t mean I only like simple games¡­¡± ¡°Yup, difficult games are nice too. Like those that explores dungeons¡­¡± ¡°Well, RTS and those foreign beat-them-up games are attractive too¡­ Right?¡± ¡°Of course! Although I am really bad at them.¡± ¡°Yes, my skills are terrible too.¡± The two of usughed softly. I didn¡¯t expect to find someone to talk about games with like this¡­ Today is a good day. I was enjoying the blissful moment quietly. Although being chatted up by Tendo-san the first time was also blissful enough to give me wings; but the bliss I felt today was different in naturepared to that day. I took a look, and Hoshinomori-san who was lowering her head had a cheerful expression now, as she looked at me excitedly. "Hoshinomori-san, I am surprised¡­ Erm, this might sound rude, but you are really chatty.¡± ¡°Not at all, that¡¯s not true. B-But, I will talk more when I am with people I amfortable with¡­¡± Oh no, that¡¯s just like me. No wonder she sounded so intimate. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was her catch phrase, but she will asionally repeat herself with ¡®t-that¡¯ or ¡®b-but¡¯, which express her seriousness and was unexpectedly soothing. I took a deep breath and said: ¡°Sigh, I feel at ease. Hoshinomori-san, you don¡¯t really make me conscious that you are a girl©¤ Ah, putting it that way sounds rude, my bad." My words made Hoshinomori-san smile wryly. ¡°Not at all not at all! That¡¯s my tone when I speak, so that¡¯s natural! Erm¡­ all this while, I couldn¡¯t get used to the way girls talk¡­ even using ¡®watashi¡¯ makes me feel embarrassed. B-But, I am d that you find this morefortable.¡± Hoshinomori-san might be bashful, but she still smiled¡­ How touching¡­ She is actually talking happily to someone like me¡­ Oh no, I feel like crying. Ever since I entered high school¡­ No, in a sense, fulfilling a lifelong wish made me feel touched. But at this moment, I noticed a bus approaching on the road. ¡°Ah, Hoshinomori-san, is that the bus you are taking?" I asked her, feeling that it was a shame. Hoshinomori-san confirmed it with a slightly gloomy face: ¡°Ah, yes, that¡¯s the one¡­¡± Well, it can¡¯t be helped. There is always next time... With that in mind, I stood up and said: ¡°Let¡¯s stop here for today¡­¡± Hoshinomori-san answered: ¡°Yes¡­¡± As she got up, the bus rolled into the bus stop, and the door near the driver¡¯s side opened. It would be awkward for Hoshinomori-san if I kept looking at her, so I turned my back to the bus and walked towards the school. Ah, I¡¯m d I mustered my courage. Will she be willing to chat about games with me next time¡­? The door of the bus closed with a ¡®pomf¡¯ behind me. When the bus passed me by, I looked at its window, seeking out Hoshinomori-san. But she was probably seated on the other side as I couldn¡¯t find her. Feeling a warmth that didn¡¯t stem from the weather, I walked back to school alone. ©¤©¤ At this moment, I heard someone jogging towards me. Strange, there wasn¡¯t anyone around just now. I turned as I thought about that, and found¡­ ¡°Hmm¡­ H-Huh, Hoshinomori-san?" "A-Amano-san." Hoshinomori-san who was rushing to me lowered her gaze shyly, as she fidgeted with her bag she was holding in front of her. She seemed to be squeezing out all her courage as she said: ¡°E-Erm¡­ T-The bus that goes to my home¡­es infrequently¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I-I know. Hmm? I-Isn¡¯t that the bus you were¡­ waiting for?¡± I was half confused and half expectant, which made my heart race. I waited quietly for Hoshinomori-san¡¯s next words. I could see how red her face was despite her long fringe¡­ she shouted her proposal to me: ¡°E-Erm, before the next buses, can you chat with me for an hour!?¡± These words and how cute Hoshinomori-san was dazed me for a moment©¤©¤ My face turned as red as her¡¯s was, and I replied quickly: ¡°I-I will be happy to!¡± This felt like being invited to go for a drink. Although I have never visited a bar before. "¡­¡­" Our attitudes were too stiff, which made me smile. And so, the two of us returned to campus, and finding that ss A was still empty, we started chatting there again. The more we talked, the more I realized that Hoshinomori-san¡¯s hobby and interest aligned surprisingly with mine, which made me suspect that we were siblings separated by birth. Well, my blood rted younger brother waspletely different from me in his hobbies though. After asking, I realized that Hoshinomori-san also had an excellent younger sister too, even this part was eerily like me too. Especially for video games, the games we yed, our attitude towards them and even our ystyle were virtually identical. After chatting for 50 minutes, our nervousness when we first met was all gone and we were really close. Not just Uehara-kun, I spoke to her with a tone more intimate than my younger brother and asked: ¡°Oh right, Chiaki. You were ying ¡®Aegis VIII¡¯ just now, so you like the Aegis series?¡± I didn¡¯t use honorifics for a girl, which was not like me at all. It was the same for Chiaki too¡­ "Of course! T-That¡¯s right, you really saved me just now, Keita." Chiaki had gotten used to calling me by name, this scene was just like a loving couple about to get married, but people who got along were probably like this, yup. ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ No, thinking about it calmly, it was strange for us to be so close. But for the two of us who didn¡¯t make any friends before, this issue was the same for both of us. The appearance of a too ideal person to talk with resulted in our brains secreting excessive endorphins, and we were in a drunk-like state. Our faces were flushed as if we had beer, and kept talking in our excited state. ¡­¡­ In a way, this was a ¡®dream-like¡¯ period of time. We hadpletely forgotten about the next bus timing, and chatted intimately. "Speaking of which, the Aegis series is really a masterpiece, Chiaki!" ¡°T-That¡¯s right! I love that series! The best part about it is¡­¡± ¡°Yup, it is definitely¡­¡± Looking at each other¡¯s face, bearing an expectation of our views in aligning, we shouted the charming part about the Aegis series©¤©¤ ¡°Music right!¡± ¡°Characters right!¡± ¡­¡­ Huh? "¡­¡­" ¡­¡­ We stared at each other nkly¡­ That was strange. There seemed to be a difference in opinions just now¡­ N-No, that wasn¡¯t possible, yup. With a smile that was a little stiff, I continued by acknowledging Chiaki¡¯s view: "Y-You are right, the music in that series is absolutely fantastic." ¡°T-That¡¯s right, yes. No matter what, the charming part of that series is in its music! Using music to bring out the fine aesthetics of fantasy! The world building only works uniformly because of the music!¡± ¡°Ipletely agree.¡± I had no arguments about that. The music in the Aegis series was wonderful. However, the foundation of the world building had to be supported by the character design©¤©¤ ¡°The only w is some ¡®Moe¡¯ elements got mixed into the character design.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What?¡± For a moment, time seemed to freeze. I squeezed out a smile and said ¡°No no no.¡± ¡°What are you saying, Chiaki? The Aegis series is built on the enchanting heroines that debut in its various venues.¡± Chiaki seemed baffled by my words, and tilted her head to the side. "? Ara ara, you sure like to jest, Keita. What are you talking about? Isn¡¯t the heroines the only ws in the Aegis series? Theter releases trend towards ¡®Moe¡¯ a little too much. ¡®Moe¡¯ is the main thing that spoiled the game, right?¡± ¡°Huh, what are you saying? ¡®Moe¡¯ is a great spice for all media, you can even say it is a crucial ingredient. Although it would be troubling if the bnce goes off scale¡­¡± Chiaki slowly frowned as she listened to what I said. She squeezed out a stiff smile and said: ¡°H-Hold on, Keita, please stop joking. ¡®Moe¡¯ only brings detriments with no benefits to gaming right?¡± When I heard what she said, I also replied with a forced smile: ¡°No no no, you should be the one to stop joking, right? ¡®Moe¡¯ surpasses gender, and even extends to inanimate objects too¡­ It is embodied in all things in life, no matter how hardcore a work is, we can still find a wonderful entertainment value in it, that¡¯s ¡®Moe¡¯.¡± "¡­¡­Huh?" "¡­¡­Ah?" ¡­¡­¡­ ©¤©¤ I felt the temperature inside the ssroom increased by a degree or two. --------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Y-You had a big fight with her!?¡± Uehara-kun yelled hysterically, silencing the rowdy ss 2F. I was bothered by the gazes from around me, but I still mumbled a reply while scratching my face: "Well¡­ Something like that¡­" "H-How did things turn out like that¡­?" Uehara-kun sat onto the seat in front of my desk, and ced his right elbow on the table menacingly. When the gazes of our ssmates drifted away, I turned my eyes away from Uehara-kun and replied: "¡­ I guess it¡¯s our difference in values and beliefs¡­" "Huh? Hey hey hey, I heard that Hoshinomori is a loner girl who likes games. What is this about? Is she a fujoshi who only ys BL games?" "N-No, it¡¯s not that¡­ The games we like are almost the same¡­ And our game preference is so alike that she is practically my body double¡­" "? Eh, or is she actually a hidden normie, or her personality is very repulsive¡­ something like that?" ¡°No, it¡¯s not that either¡­ Her experiences were almost the same as mine, and we got along fine as if she was my doppelganger. To be honest, she speaks a little nerdy, but that makes it more rxing and I was less conscious about her being a girl. She was more like a friend to me than you who is lofty for some reason.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I like you the best.¡± I tried smiling amiably, but it seemed to be disgusting too, spoiling Uehara-kun¡¯s mood badly. With a solemn face, he asked: ¡°I don¡¯t get it at all. Shouldn¡¯t you two get along great? Not just friends, she might as well be your fated partner.¡± ¡°Erm¡­ That¡¯s true. We did hit it off great.¡± Uehara-kun couldn¡¯t fathom the reasons and tilted his head. He then asked me from another approach. ¡°So, what led to the fight? It¡¯s a serious matter, right?¡± "Well¡­ Because we¡­" I averted my eyes away from Uehara-kun, and said it quietly in an attempt to bring it across casually: "¡­ We fought because our attitude on ¡®Moe¡¯ is different¡­" "You retard!" I waspleted refuted by Uehara-kun¡¯s loud voice. With no regards to the gaze of our ssmates, he leaned towards me agitatedly. "What the hell! Why did you fight so hard about this with a girl you just met!?" "Erm, how should I put this¡­ This is how vast the gulf between ourmunication skills with girls are.¡± "I feel a different sort of respect towards you now! Just one short hour, and you turn from a first meeting to getting along like a one true pair, then progressed to sworn enemies! I¡¯m not as fast as you!¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m the type who will choose the simple options wrong even when I y galgames because I overthink things.¡± "I¡¯m starting to see why you can¡¯t make friends!" After venting his agitation, Uehara-kun was stupefied and sighed, thenid onto the table. "First Tendo, then Hoshinomori¡­ Why did you get into a fight with someone that matches your ideals...?¡± "Even if she is a girl, I won¡¯t back down. For it concerns gaming!" "What useless manliness you are asserting! So that¡¯s what happens when a nerdy loner gets involved with his strange ego!¡± "¡­ Erm, U-Uehara-kun. Wasn¡¯t it cool when I announced that I won¡¯t back down just now? If this is a scene from a light novel, this will definitely be a timeless quote©¤©¤" ¡°Let me tell you then, that is really revolting!¡± Uehara-kun was filled with rage as heshed out¡­ Weird, I thought my recent conviction was a good thing. Looks like Ipletely misunderstood. Life is hard. Uehara-kun looked at me with utter disappointment. I decided to rebuke him a little. ¡°A-Alright, I admit that incident with Tendo-san waspletely my fault. But this time¡­ I think Chiaki and I should share the me.¡± ¡°You are calling her directly by name? Just how close did you two get in one day¡­? Sigh, forget that for now, since you said there was a big fight, the other party must have retorted too¡­¡± ¡°Of course. And the content of our fight is basically about the necessity of ¡®Moe¡¯ in games and other media. I agree; she thinks there is only harm without any benefit.¡± ¡°Yup, from the topic of your big fight, I can tell you two get along really well.¡± ¡°Stop that! Getting along with such a person makes me want to puke!¡± ¡°Just how bad is your rtionship with her! You are just like a divorced couple!¡± I crossed my arms in silence, and Uehara-kun sighed deeply¡­ He then looked at me as if I was annoying. ¡°Well, even so¡­ you two are basicallypatible, right? In that case, you just need to apologize and make up with her.¡± "Hmmp, instead of such humiliation, I would rathermit seppuku!" "The determination of a Samuraipletely does not fit with you, why are you so repulsed by that idea! ¡­ Sigh, I get it I get it. I will go together with you after school, that¡¯s fine, right? With someone as a buffer, you two will discuss more calmly, right?¡± ¡°...... If you insist, this humble one won¡¯t reject your offer.¡± "Yup, even I am thinking about ending our friendship. Seriously though, I am really intrigued by Hoshinomori who got into a huge fight with you. I will apany you there after school.¡± Uehara-kun then massaged his shoulderszily and waltz back to his own seat. ¡­ That¡¯s true, with Uehara-kun soothing things, maybe we can reach apromise... After all, I didn¡¯t fight with Chiaki because I wanted to. If we could get along, that would be for the best. With this faint hope in our after school meeting, I started ying social games again. --------------------------------------------------------------- In conclusion, it was hopeless. "What! Wait wait, Keita, what do you mean! The Japanese game industry that is leaning too much towards ¡®Moe¡¯, and the foreign game industry that prioritize gamey and story! Just think about it and you will know which side holds the advantage! Stupid stupid stupid~~! I can¡¯t stand it, shorty with narrow field of vision is really¡­¡± "H-Hold it hold it, Chiaki-san. Let me ask you then, when you y foreign made games, don¡¯t you ever think: ¡®If only the girls are drawn cuter¡­¡¯ No, you definitely did, right? Romance or not, ¡®Moe¡¯ and ¡®cute¡¯ are important elements! Narrow minded seaweed head who can¡¯t even get this is really¡­¡± "Huh¡«¡«?" "Yeah?" "Timeout timeout time~~ out!¡± Uehara-kun got between Chiaki and me who were ring at each other. I had no choice but to back off, as for Chiaki¡­¡­ "¡­ O-Okay, Uehara-san¡­¡­" She backed away quietly with her face red¡­ Although she was an introvert, her reaction definitely didn¡¯t stem from that reason. From the looks of things¡­ "Oh¡«¡« Chiaki, you only have eyes for handsome guys, but not ¡®Moe¡¯. "What did you say!? T-T-That has nothing to do with this! Also also, I-I am not ogling¡­ I-It is not like¡­ what you said¡­¡± Chiaki kept stealing nces at Uehara-kun, and would lower her head shyly when their eyes met. I sighed exasperatedly. Sigh¡­ Uehara-kun says he will be neutral during our discussion, but he is basically supportive of Chiaki¡­ It¡¯s only natural, he¡¯s handsome after all. As I was feeling disinterested, Uehara-kun showed his obvious fatigue as he smoothed things over. "Why are the two of you so quick to bicker¡­ And you are criticizing each other¡¯s appearance right? That¡¯s not good. Although it¡¯s true that Amano is a virgin shortie.¡± "Hey." I red at my friend who was not neutral at all. He ignored me and smiled amiably at Chiaki. "Hoshinomori, I think your hair is nice. Natural curl looks great on girls, and has a feel that artificial curls can¡¯t replicate. How could he call you a seaweed head, I can¡¯t stand him¡­¡± Uehara-kun seemed to be saying this seriously, he even scratched his head as he red at me in bewilderment¡­ I-I didn¡¯t think Chiaki¡¯s hair was that bad, I was just getting back at her for badmouthing me¡­ Chiaki looked at Uehara-kun with a dazed look of admiration¡­ Her eyes were just like how I looked at Tendo-san some time ago. I can understand how she feels¡­ After all, I admire Uehara-kun too. How should I put this, maybe he had a certain charm that attracts nerds? The subject himself probably wouldn¡¯t be happy about this though. Right now, we were seated at the back of ss F, with three chairs ced around one table. And of course, there was some distance between Chiaki and me, with Uehara-kun in the middle, his elbow on the desk. It had been 40 minutes since we started talking after school. We went all out since the beginning in a continuation of yesterday¡¯s fight. And so, even with Uehara-kun mediating as a neutral, it only shifted how we feel about him, while our rtionship showed no signs of warming. With the issue at an impasse, Uehara-kun finally muttered impatiently: ¡°Why is your rtionship so bad? It might not sound nice, but to me, the two of you are the same kind. For someone like me who couldn¡¯t get what you two are arguing about, I think you two get along superbly well¡­ Hey, don¡¯t make such an obviously repulsive face!¡± Uehara-kun yelled when they saw the expressions we were making. I nced at Chiaki, and she red back at me through the gaps of her seaweed¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t duel with your eyes! Sigh¡­ you two are really¡­!¡± Uehara-kun ruffled his hair hard. After exchanging looks, we tried to speak in a non-hostile tone. "¡­¡­ How far had you yed ¡®Aegis VIII¡¯?¡± I started the conversation. Seaweed head¡­ No, Chiaki answered as she averted her gaze. "¡­ E-Erm¡­¡­ I-I reached the ¡®hidden vige of the elves¡¯...¡± Her words made me intrigued and I leaned closer! "Ah, you yed until that part!? That is one of the most beautiful viges in the entire series!¡± Chiaki also answered excitedly when she heard me: ¡°Yes yes! That¡¯s right, it is really wonderful! There are many ways to showcase an Elven vige, but it¡¯s rare seeing one that could build the atmosphere to be so fantastical and intellectual at the same time!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Not just that, the graphics give the yer a subtle sense that the vige dislikes humans and doesn¡¯t wee outsiders. The way they present that is really masterful. The thing that builds the atmosphere further would be the pretty©¤©¤" ¡°B-But, the only regrettable part is the unpleasant Moe©¤©¤" At this moment, our voices oveps perfectly. ¡°Character portraits of the elves!¡± "¡­¡­" "¡­¡­" Sharp sound of friction came from the air. There were other students in the ssroom, but everyone just happened to stop at the same time. The ticking sound of the clock reverberated in the ssroom. And then©¤©¤ ""Huh?"" "Why are you arguing about that!" The moment the two of us red at each other, Uehara-kun retorted loudly. Not giving Chiaki and I the chance to continue, he gave his opinion: ¡°90% of your opinions matches correct!? You don¡¯t need to go that far! Why don¡¯t you twopromise on thest 10%!?¡± In response to his opinion¡­ Chiaki and I smiled wryly. "Uehara-kun, you don¡¯t get it. We¡­ will even turn down an invitation to a normies Gamers Club, we are lone gamers, and the only thing we build up is our strong egos. Especially on our taste in games, there are no backing down for us in that!¡± "Keita is right! Just like the gap between lovable bad games and detestable games that couldn¡¯t be exined easily! Lone gamers also have a line they won¡¯t back down from!" "You two are such a pain!" As Uehara-kun finally showed a face of stupefied resignation, Chiaki and I used this chance of him not interfering to argue as much as we could. Before I realized it, we had ignored him and another 20 minutes passed. We were still fighting, but when I saw Uehara-kun¡¯s girlfriend¡­ Aguri-san peering in from the corridor, I remembered. Ah, he said he is meeting his girlfriend, and can only apany us until 5. I stopped arguing when I remembered what Uehara-kun said. While Chiaki was tilting her head baffledly, Uehara-kun suddenly muttered as he checked his smart phone: ¡°Oh no.¡± I didn¡¯t have the chance to tell him that Aguri-san was here, and he started packing his stuff in a hurry. ¡°Sorry, let¡¯s call it a day, alright? Well, you two can continue©¤©¤" ""Don¡¯t wanna."" "I thought so. Anyway, I¡¯m meeting someone at the school gate at 5." Hmm? Meeting at the school gate? Aguri-san is already here to pick you up¡­ Ah, you couldn¡¯t see her from your side. I wanted to warn him, but the anxious Uehara-kun refused to pass his turn to me. After tidying up his stuff, he looked at Chiaki once more. The blushing Chiaki straightened her back. ¡­ Oh, right. Isn¡¯t it better to rify that Uehara-kun has a girlfriend? Eh, it¡¯s weird to introduce it like this too¡­ Right? Being too concerned would make him ufortable instead¡­ But making it clear early would be better¡­ No, I don¡¯t need to worry, yup. I forgot about the matter with Aguri-san and thought about my own things. And so, Uehara-kun smiled at Chiaki. "Bye, Hoshinomori. Sorry about making you join us out of the blue." "N-No, not¡­ at all..." Chiaki lowered her gaze bashfully©¤©¤ At this moment, the face of Aguri-san looking this way changed¡­ Ah. Uehara-kun mentioned that he invited Chiaki himself¡­ And it is obvious that the blushing Chiaki likes him¡­ As I was feeling uneasy, Uehara-kun continued saying with a cool smile: ¡°But it was fun. It¡¯s interesting listening to you talk about gaming.¡± "Uwah, Erm¡­ Erm¡­ Thank you..." Chiaki answered bashfully. Aguri-san was obviously shaken as she started trembling. Eh, wait, t-this situation¡­ I wanted to warn Uehara-kun, but seeing a scene of jealousy for the first time made me panic and I couldn¡¯t find the words to say. As I was still mulling over it©¤©¤ Uehara-kun said the critical words with his best handsome guy smile. "Oh right. Hoshinomori, your hairstyle is fine now, but judging from your hair texture, I think cutting it a bit shorter would suit you much more. After all©¤©¤ you are already cuter than others just the way you are!" Bang! I could see a spray of shotgun pellets flying in all sorts of direction. One of them was a bullet of love that pierced Chiaki¡¯s heart. Another was a terrifying bullet that made me more anxious. Thest one was¡­ "¡­¡­" Ah! Aguri-san is going somewhere with unsteady steps©¤©¤! Thest one was a bullet of sadness that opened a serious wound in Aguri-san¡¯s chest! I checked Uehara-kun¡¯s face immediately. He had a brilliant smile, without any hint of ulterior motives. That was only natural, he wasn¡¯t nning anything nefarious. This is the same pace when Uehara-kun gave me advice! After breaking into the high school social scene, he is sincerely cheering for Chiaki who is simr to me in his own way! Theck of malevolent intent increased the power of that smile over 9000! It was enough to make Chiaki fall for him. If¡­ If his girlfriend who felt a bit troubled because he felt distanced recently was to see this¡­ It would be a kill shot if Aguri-san saw this! "And Amano, see you tomorrow. Bye¡«¡«" After saying his farewells, Uehara-kun prepared to leave cooly¡­ Oh no, if he leave like this, he will meet with the depressed Aguri-san, and it might end horribly¡­! "W-Wait!" When I realized it, I already stood up and shouted loudly¡­ I was also holding my bag and saying something that I shouldn¡¯t be saying: "A-Aguri-san said she is not meeting you today!" "¡­Huh?" "?" Uehara-kun and Chiaki both tilted their heads in confusion. Uehara-kun asked: "¡­ Erm, Amano, why are you the one passing the message¡­?" Shit, I didn¡¯t think this through clearly. But¡­ But it would be problematic if the two of them met like this! I might not know much about love, but I could tell this! Most important of all¡­ I think 70% of the fault behind this misunderstanding lies with me! Deciding to see it through, I mustered my courage¡­ and lied to Uehara-kun. "S-She has some matters to discuss with me today!" "!" Uehara-kun was stunned. Oh no, my lie was too outrageous. This was bad. Thinking that saying anymore would expose my lie, I ran off hurriedly. "B-Bye then! If you wish to, please continue to chat!" "Ah, hey!" "Hmm? Wait wait¡­" The two of them behind me was confounded. That was expected, even I felt this was weird! A-Anyway, I need to find Aguri-san! I have to catch up with her! I ran in the corridor hurriedly, but couldn¡¯t find Aguri anywhere. Worst of all, I didn¡¯t know anyway to contact her. If she contacted Uehara-kun and wanted to break up with him, that would be¡­ Uwah! What did I do to my first precious friend I made in high school ahhh! As I ran anxiously along the corridor, I suddenly noticed a prominent blonde beauty in the distance. She noticed me too, and seemed to be shaken¡­ After weighing the seriousness of the matter, I mustered up my courage and talked to her. "Tendo-san!" "A-Amano-kun. That previous time¡­ Erm¡­ I am probably mistaken¡­¡± It was rare to see her stammering, but I didn¡¯t have time for that now! I asked flusteredly: "Tendo-san! Did a girl just pass you by!? She looks like¡­ How should I put it, dressed like a hottie, but it suits her well and feels rather cute¡­¡± "Huh? Ah, yes there is. If you mean a girl that looks like that and seemed depressed, she was walking towards the school gate just now¡­¡± "! Thank you!" I ran after thanking her. However, Tendo-san who didn¡¯t understand the situation shouted a question towards my back: "A-Amano-kun! Why are you chasing that girl!" Why ask me? This was hard to exin. And I didn¡¯t have time right now. I turned back as I ran, deciding to just tell her the key point. "Simply put, it¡¯s a matter of the heart!" "!" ¡­Eh, did I convey my intention well? Tendo-san stood there nkly and her bag fell onto the floor¡­ Forget it, I didn¡¯t have time to exin. I guess Tendo-san only asked why I was in such a hurry out of courtesy, but was not really interested in my after school activity. Yup. I kept sprinting at full speed. And finally, when I reached the school gate¡­ "Aguri-san!" "?" I caught up with Aguri who was changing her shoes, with no intention to wait for Uehara-kun. Aguri red at me as I panted, and muttered: ¡°Ah, the disgusting nerd who is interested in Tasuku¡­¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how you see me! No wonder she kept ring at me from afar! I was stunned, and Aguri-san looked at me with suspicious eyes¡­ Ugh, I caught up to her, but I don¡¯t know where to start. The entire matter needed to be exined from the very start, but he might think I was just speaking up for Tasuku because we were bros¡­ Hmm¡­ From the looks of things¡­ Making up my mind, I looked at Aguri-san¡¯s¡­ unexpectedly innocent face, and told her: ¡°W-W-Want to have some tea with me?¡± "©¤©¤©¤ What?" ¡­¡­ Recently, I felt like I have been chatting up girls a lot. Volume 1, 3: Hoshinomori Chiaki and Proximity Connection Part 2

Volume 1, Chapter 3: Hoshinomori Chiaki and Proximity Connection Part 2

Trantor: Skythewood Editors: Deus Ex-machina, Perditor Uehara Tasuku ¡°Fwah¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help yawning for the upteen time. I usually walk or ride a bicycle for this stretch of road, but I took a bus today. There wasn¡¯t anyone I know on the bus, and there was plenty of empty seats. I leaned my back heavily onto a seat, and sighed after closing my eyes. I wasn¡¯t sleeping enough recently, which was wrecking havoc on my body condition. If I needed to stand for a long time such as during school assembly, it might get dangerous. All of this was¡­ Amano¡¯s fault... Negative emotions that seemed sort of simr to the ones I felt towards him before welled up in me. Worst of all, the games he rmended were all interesting¡­ No, I need to make a correction. Worst of all, except for the game made by ¡®NOBE¡¯, the games he rmended were all interesting. I was the type who would restrain myself in terms of entertainment, but when the RPG I was ying neared its end, I couldn¡¯t help pulling an all nighter to finish it off. However, the reason why I didn¡¯t get enough sleep was different this time. It wasn¡¯t because of a game rmended by Amano, but because of Amano himself¡­ In other words¡­ Just what did Amano and Aguri do together after school was out yesterday ahhhh! I couldn¡¯t help holding my head, thinking about it again. Basically, Amano and Aguri had no link at all, right!? No, or did they knew each other much earlier? Aguri used to be a in girl, and Amano seemed to have friends back in middle school¡­ Ah, they might know each other. But, were they from the same middle school? B-But usually, they will make that clear from the get go. Since they never mentioned it, they probably don¡¯t know each other¡­ No, thinking about it from another angle, are their rtionship so deep that they can¡¯t be open about it!? The difficult question that would even stump Google sensei made me down in the dumps. I knew I couldn¡¯t figure it out no matter how much I think about it, but that was why I couldn¡¯t help thinking. The easiest way would be asking one of them¡­ But, that was really scary. The reason was, after I parted with Hoshinomori quickly yesterday, I wandered the streets after leaving school to kill the time I suddenly had¡­ And I saw it. I saw Amano and Aguri©¤©¤ hanging out happily in a cafe! The couple chatting cheerfully were people I knew, Amano and Aguri! That¡¯s wrong! It¡¯s too weird! Amano going to a cafe together with a girl was already a sign of the apocalypse! And he just have to be with Aguri... To be honest, I really thought that the world was about to end. For me, that was how outrageous that scene was¡­ And made me specte. Normally, even if I didn¡¯t ask, Aguri will keep using messages or LINE to report to me her everyday life. But not only was her message¡¯s content meagre today, she hadpletely glossed over the fact about her outing with Amano. And so, I couldn¡¯t ask Aguri about it either¡­ In the end, that incident yesterday kept reying in my mind. The route to my school shes past the window. I will reach school soon. To calm myself before meeting my schoolmates, I told myself: I-It¡¯s fine. Amano and Aguri would definitely not NTR me. Even if they have contacts, it would revolve around me. Anyway¡­ it¡¯s probably the sensitive Amano overthinking things and then approached Aguri. Speaking of which, he was acting weird yesterday¡­ That¡¯s right that¡¯s right, what a logical deduction. This was definitely it¡­¡­ No, wait. Some time ago, didn¡¯t I thought that Amano and Aguri seemed simr at their cores? Did the two of them¡­ hit it off? ¡­ Ha, haha, how is that possible. The Aguri I like is so frivolous, she won¡¯t be interested in Amano... When I thought this far, I felt electricity flowing down my spine. Wait¡­ Aguri fell for the past me right? The past me¡­ In other words, the nerdy me who ys games happily¡­ I was really simr to Amano back then! When I realized it, the bus already stopped at my school¡¯s stop. I got down and drifted towards the campus like a spirit. ¡­ N-No no no, that was impossible¡­ "Hmm, strange? Tasuku?" "!" A familiar voice came from behind me. I was surprised and turned back exaggeratedly. The one before me was Aguri herself who looked surprised. Before I could react, she rushed to my side with a happy smile. ¡°Wah¡«¡« how rare for me to meet Tasuku in the morning!" ¡°T-T-That¡¯s right. M-Morning, Aguri.¡± ¡°Yes, morning~~ Tasuku. Fufufu~~¡± Aguri said as she walked beside me. I wanted to walk naturally just like usual¡­ But my joints were strangely stiff. H-How do I usually walk? As Aguri grew suspicious, I threw out a topic hurriedly: ¡°O-Oh right, what did you do yesterday, Aguri?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ah... I asked before thinking, but in retrospect, that was andmine. An absolutely disastrous choice! It¡¯s not like I was Amano! As I broke out in cold sweat, Aguri¡­ Aguri seemed a little shaken, and averted her eyes quietly. ¡°Erm, that¡­ y-yesterday I suddenly felt like having tea with my friend, s-sorry, Tasuku.¡± ¡°Ah, r-right. You mentioned that in your message¡­¡± ¡°R-Right¡­¡± "¡­¡­" What was with her strange reaction! The doubts in my heart were gushing out! The truth was, Amano said himself that he was meeting Aguri, but it wasn¡¯t clear if they had prepared their testimony ahead of time. Aguri only told me she went for tea with her friend, but refuse to say that friend was Amano.¡­ What the hell, I feel so conflicted! W-W-What¡¯s going on!? So it¡¯s really¡­ What I think it is!? In my heart, the theory that ¡®Aguri had a thing for Amano¡¯ was quickly taking shape. Eh, Amano wasn¡¯t a bad guy¡­ His looks were fine too¡­ And he seemed to be the faithful kind¡­ even the famous Tendo fell for him, an unexpectedly manly character¡­ Wait. Strange! Is Amano¡¯s that good a catch!? Is he having it good? No¡­ That¡¯s not true right? I didn¡¯t know what¡¯s happening anymore. After we reached the school gate, we changed into indoor shoes, then walked towards the second year ssrooms together. After this short period of silence, Aguri suddenly said to me with a rare tense expression: ¡°Tasuku, w-what did you do after school¡­ yesterday?¡± ¡°Huh? M-Me?¡± The question was too sudden, which made my heart waver. I still recalled what happened yesterday, and reported honestly: ¡°Well¡­ I chatted with Hoshinomori and Amano¡­ Ah, then Amano left first¡­¡± ¡°Ahem, a-after that¡­?¡± ¡°After that¡­ Oh right, I don¡¯t think you know her, the Hoshinomori I mentioned is a girl from ss A.¡± ¡°I-Is that so¡­ W-What kind of girl is she?¡± Aguri was interested in Hoshinomori for some reason¡­ I could understand if she wants to talk about Tendo or Amano¡­ but she wants to learn about Hoshinomori who waspletely unrted to her? Strange. ¡°What kind of girl¡­ Well, looks gloomy at first, nerdy, and have an aura of not having any friends¡­¡± ¡°O-Oh¡­ Is that so¡­¡± Aguri suddenly flicked her hair, and she looked a little smug¡­? ¡°Ah, but after actually talking to her, she is actually a nice person, and is interesting to talk about gaming with her. Also, she is the ssical hidden gem, the type that loses to others because she doesn''t dress up.¡± ¡°... I see~~... Ahah¡­ hah¡­¡± Aguri became depressed again for some reason. Was she jealous? Eh, that was unlikely. After all, she even said I waspatible with Tendo, a girl who was frivolous about love. I might be her boyfriend, but she wouldn¡¯t be that dedicated to me¡­ ¡°? Hmm? Tasuku, why are you depressed?¡± ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m not.¡± I averted my gaze. Oh no¡­ I was exposed. Feeling lonely because my girlfriend didn¡¯t care about me, that¡¯s too sissy! But, I couldn¡¯t help it, I feel that¡­ Aguri looked really cute recently. "¡­¡­" Our conversation ended abruptly¡­ After being with Aguri for half a year, this was the first time this happened. Could it be¡­ This was¡­ T-The signs of an eminent breakup!? I was sweating bullets in my heart. I often heard others speak of such a situation. A couple didn¡¯t have anything they dislike about each other, but their rtionship still felt uneasy, and they break up in the end. Was this it? Something like love burnout period? With an incredibly tense heart, we came to the corridor leading to the Second Years¡¯ ssrooms. ©¤©¤ The next moment, an unfamiliar girl talked to me. ¡°Er¡­ E-Erm, Uehara-san!" "Huh?" The female student before Aguri and me was a beautiful girl that was a sight for sore eyes. She had an innocent looking face, exceptional figure and she her uniform was put on in a sloppy but fashionable manner. She had azy charm about her, and her slightly curly hair was enchanting©¤ Hold on. ¡°Huh, could you be¡­ H-Hoshinomori?¡± Nods furiously! ¡°Y-Yes.¡± The sunny beauty smiled amiably¡­ H-Hey hey. I did say that cutting her hair shorter would suit her better, and also told her she didn¡¯t need to wear her uniform too tidily¡­ To think it would be so drastic a change¡­ To be honest, I was scratching my face a little troubledly. Both male and female schoolmates around us had their eyes our way. Aided by the feeling of freshness, she was as prominent as Tendo. I turned, and saw that Aguri was stupefied too. Hoshinomori seemed to be shy about my gaze and lowered her head quietly¡­ Ah, she might look amazing, but she was still Hoshinomori on the inside. ¡°Ehh¡­ s-sorry.¡± "Huh? Why are you apologizing?" ¡°E-Erm, changing my style like this is a little too reckless¡­ It must feel revolting, right? I carried out all the advice you gave yesterday¡­ B-But, I just want to give it a try¡­¡± ¡°I-I see¡­¡± Yup, that was totally Hoshinomori on the inside. Her self-esteem was too low, just like Amano. I couldn¡¯t stand it,the two of them had simr experiences and had simr personality, so why couldn¡¯t they get along better? If they just made apromise about ¡®MOE¡¯, they would really be a one true pair©¤©¤ hold on. If Amano and Hoshinomori got together like this... Would Aguri¡¯s heart return to me? I shook my head when I thought about this. The hell was I thinking? That¡¯s too scummy. That¡¯s not the problem, right? Really, then what about Tendo? Seeing her like this, I hope she ends up with Amano too¡­ Eh, no no, why should I worry which heroine Amano picks?! And that wasn¡¯t all there was to this, right!? I didn¡¯t get it myself either. I was showing symptoms of catching a cold, probably from theck of sleep, my entire face will heat up when I get agitated. I couldn¡¯t stand it¡­ ©¤©¤ At this moment, I realized that Aguri nced towards my face, and then shuffled towards her ss as if she was in a trance¡­ Strange. I wanted to call out to Aguri, but Hoshinomori didn¡¯t seem to realize that I knew Aguri, and continued talking to me. "Neh neh¡­Uehara-san. Is it fine¡­ for me to change my style like this? W-Well, aside from my ssmates, even my parents and younger sister asked me ¡®w-who are you?¡¯...¡± In the end, Hoshinomori couldn¡¯t tell if these reactions were good or bad. Was there even a need to say this? I couldn¡¯t stand it, just how low was these people¡¯s self esteem¡­? ¡°Well, there aren¡¯t any problems, it suits you very well, Hoshinomori. Especially your haircut, it is great. Amano won¡¯t call you seaweed head anymore.¡± ¡°I-Is that so? Hehe¡­ T-Thank you!¡± Seeing the bashful smile of the more confident Hoshinomori¡­ looks like she will be popr. ©¤©¤ As we were chatting about various things, Amano approached gradually from behind Hoshinomori. I raised a hand to acknowledge Amano, and he greeted me from afar: ¡°Morning, Uehara-san¡«¡«" ¡­ But he didn¡¯t stop at all and headed towards ss F. When Amano passed us by, he said softly with a mockingugh at Hoshinomori: ¡°Dry seaweed.¡± "What©¤©¤!" Using the chance while Hoshinomori was getting mad, Amano dashed into the ssroom. J-Just how much does he hate Hoshinomori!? Hoshinomori wanted to rebuke him, but entering ss F¡­ Entering another ss in the morning made her hesitate, and she could only stomp her feet vexingly. ¡°W-What is w-wrong with him! Uehara-san, why are you friends with Keita!?¡± ¡°Huh...? Why are we friends¡­ B-Because he lends me games?¡± ¡°What a superficial friendship!¡± Hoshinomoriined to me about Amano for a short while, but after the bell rang, she bowed to me and hurried towards ss A. I entered the ssroom too, thinking in a daze as I went to my seat. But¡­ Didn¡¯t Hoshinomori notice? Amano only saw her back, but he managed to recognized her beforeing to tease her. Hoshinomori who changed her style was so different that even her family didn¡¯t recognize her. But Amano still treated her the same way, as expected of Amano©¤©¤ I thought while harbouring this strange sense of respect. ...In the end, my mind was clotted by the rtions between Aguri and Amano. --------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Y-You are making games?¡± ¡°Y-Y-Yes.¡± Hoshinomori lowered her head shyly as she sat on a bench inside a park near the school, while sipping on tea voured soya drink through a straw. I watched her from the side, thinking: Hmm, what in the world am I doing? It had been a week since Hoshinomori changed her style, and I realized that I was like a consultant to her. Well, in the beginning, I just thought of it as an after sales service after she changed her looks drastically, and it would just be discussing with Hoshinomori what sort of fashionable essories would fit her style. But the content of our dialogue gradually shifted to her worries andints about Amano (Which were present all along). On the other hand, Aguri didn¡¯t spend much time with me, and I suddenly had free time after school. That was why I ended up apanying Hoshinomori who was bored stiff waiting for her bus. A week went by just like that, until today. Hoshinomori revealed her interest in creating games, and the content of our discussion finally went beyond the realm I could manage. ¡°That¡¯s why, e-erm, I want to ask Uehara-san for advice about making games¡­¡± "Ah¡«¡«¡­¡­" Well, I was happy that someone was relying on me, but discussing this with me was strange, right? After I finished the 200ml ¡®tri-arrow¡¯ brand soda, I mmed the can to the side and said: ¡°I-I want to tell you, Hoshinomori..." ¡°Y-Yes, what is it, Uehara-san!?" Hoshinomori looked up at me with sparkling eyes¡­ Oh no, she had grown really intimate with me before I realized it. I backed off a little and told her: ¡°If you want to discuss about gaming, you should know someone who is more suitable than me©¤" "¡­ Pui!" ¡°Is it so repulsive that you had to spit with an abhorrent face thatpletely spoils your image!?¡± Well, Hoshinomori didn¡¯t really spit, but she conveyed her unwillingness to me very clearly. I couldn¡¯t help sighing. ¡°Hey, you two can definitely get along better, right? Why are you so stubborn about this?¡± When Hoshinomori heard my question, she crushed the soya package in her hand and said: ¡°This isn¡¯t being stubborn, it¡¯s a problem of not backing down and insisting on one¡¯s pride.¡± ¡°Yes, that is exactly what being stubborn means.¡± ¡°I-I-I don¡¯t care about Keita at all. I don¡¯t feel anything about him, and don¡¯t want to get involved with him. I hope he will transfer schools to an alternate world.¡± ¡°Such a development would probably make him happy.¡± ¡°B-But, Uehara-san¡­ Do you know how far he had progressed with ¡®Aegis VIII¡¯? I-I¡¯m just curious¡­¡± ¡°You are super concerned about him!¡± ¡°I-I-I am not concerned about him! I just want to clear the game before he does, then gather all the rare weapons, armour and collectibles, then show it off to him arrogantly!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I said you are super concerned about him! Hoshinomori, you wouldn¡¯tpete with others on how fast you clear games!" When I pressed her, Hoshinomori probably realized she was being irrational, so she took out her phone and pretended to answer to an iing message¡­ Basically, she didn¡¯t have friends that would send her messages, just like Amano, right¡­ I leaned in and peered, and found Hoshinomori ying a social game as expected¡­ Hmm, wait? Strange, this game was¡­ "Amano also y this¡­¡­" "What¡«¡«?" "Ah, no, it¡¯s nothing." Hoshinomori turned to me with an annoyed look, so I pretended to be retarded. As she fiddled with her games, I peeked at it¡­ And so©¤©¤ Ah, as expected, that¡¯s the game Amano was ying. Just howpatible are the two of you... It was to the extent that they should just get married. Why did they have to fight over something as stupid as ¡®Moe¡¯? God was cruel¡­ No, these two were just too retarded. As I nkly watch Hoshinomori y her game, I realized Amano received the help request Amano mentionedst time. The other party¡¯s name¡­ was some guy called ¡®Tshan¡¯... Hmm? I saw this yer¡¯s name somewhere before¡­ My brain seemed to be stuck onto something as I continued watching Hoshinomori y. She seemed to have epted the request. On the confirmation page, I saw Hoshinomori¡¯s yer name. She is ¡®MONO¡¯ huh¡­ Oh~~... ¡®MONO¡¯ huh. ¡®MONO¡¯...? ¡°Wahh! Huh! U-Uehara-san?¡± I couldn¡¯t help grabbing Hoshinomori shoulder from behind, and she turn around flusteredly with a blushed face. I let go with a ¡°S-Sorry¡± but I couldn¡¯t help asking her: "H-Hoshinomori. That game¡­ You¡­ are using... the nick name ¡®MONO¡¯... to y this?¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, yes, that¡¯s right¡­¡± ¡°And then¡­ Erm¡­ The ¡®Tshan¡¯ that requested for your help¡­ is a yer you had known for a long time?¡± ¡°Ah, y-yes. Well, this type of game basically have shallow interactions limited to within the games, but this person will always help me at the most crucial time, and is very righteous. For someone like me who don¡¯t have friends in real life¡­ He is probably one of the few people who understands me¡­ Ah, e-erm, maybe you think it is weird that despite having never spoken with him¡­ I still described him in such exaggerated terms¡­¡± "¡­¡­Tsh¡«¡«" "U-Uehara-san?" I took a deep breath. Even though this was in public¡­ Despite of that, I still stood up from the bench, walked to the front of Hoshinomori and grabbed her shoulders tightly with both hands. I looked at her seriously in the eyes©¤©¤ I couldn¡¯t stop myself from yelling: "This is toopatible a match ahhhhh!!!!!!" "! Huh hmmm? W-What¡¯s wrong!" Hoshinomori was scared stiff. Her face was red from embarrassment because she misunderstood something, she even averted her eyes. But I really couldn¡¯t spare the thoughts for that. I was agitated, but I still lowered my voice and asked her with renewed seriousness: ¡°L-Let me ask you, be honest, how do you feel about Amano!?¡± ¡°Huh? I hate him more than an idol forcefully slotted into my favourite drama series by some agency.¡± She answered without hesitation. I grabbed my head and yelled: ¡°But why!? ¡°Huh? No no no! I should be asking what¡¯s wrong with you!?¡± ¡°Fall in love! At a time like this, you should go and experience love! Isn¡¯t a happy ending obviously in sight!?¡± ¡°What~~! No no no, no matter how I think about it, this is a bad ending for me!¡± ¡°... Ah! Damn it, so when someone enhanced by the traits of a main character, possess despairing low potential to be a main character, the situation bes this retarded!¡± ¡°... Eh~~ E-Erm Uehara-san? W-Want some soya?¡± When I realized it, Hoshinomori appeared to be spooked by my weird actions, and was even offering some of her soya. I turned her down as I decided I do need to cool my head, and sat back onto the bench. After spending some time to regte my breathing, I spent some time thinking about it before telling Hoshinomori: "Hoshinomori. I want to confirm again¡­ You don¡¯t have the tsundere type of feeling for Amano at all¡­? ¡°Absolutely not. If I am stuck on a deserted ind with him, I would rather kill myself.¡± ¡°That so¡­¡± She refused with serious eyes. After hearing her opinion, I reviewed my strategy. It is easy to exin such a fated situation to them¡­ But from the looks of things, even if I clear up the situation, that might just make them hate each other, so what is the right move... Well, although I was an outsider, I still feel frustrated when such a ¡®regrettable¡¯ situation was ced before me. It was the same as Tendo¡¯s incident, it really felt like I was cheering for the main character and heroine of a manga or light novel. It was really interesting. I looked at Hoshinomori, and she seemed a little concerned about me. But the deadline for aid request was probably reaching, so she ced her eyes on her phone and fiddled with it. Anyway, let me test her out first. "Hoshinomori¡­ Well¡­ Oh right, why do you call yourself ¡®MONO¡¯?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, I get it, you are asking why I choose this name? It¡¯s very simple.¡± ¡°Simple? Ah, did you pick a part of ¡®Hoshinomori¡¯ and read it backwards©¤©¤" ¡°No no no, it¡¯s because my mother¡¯s family name was ¡®Mononobe¡¯, and I used the first kanji, ¡®MONO¡¯. As you know, everyone would prefer to choose an online handle that isn¡¯t too close to their real life self, right? Ah, that¡¯s why I used the other part of the name ¡®NOBE¡¯ as my online name. I use it mainly for game creation.¡± ¡°Being thispatible is too incredulous aaaaahhhh!¡± I stood up and yelled again, which shocked Hoshinomori once again. The parents who brought their kids to the park also pulled some distance from me. I immediately lowered my head in apology, saying ¡°Ah, sorry¡± and then sat down, but my emotions remained hyped up. ¡°¡®NOBE¡¯ huh!? So you are ¡®NOBE¡¯! What is this situation!¡± Hoshinomori probablypleted the help request mission and kept her phone, her eyes were fretful as I had given her a fright. I cleared my throat with a cough and asked once more: "Hoshinomori. Can¡¯t you feel any¡­ charm from Amano as a man?¡± ¡°Before talking about Keita¡¯s charm as a man, I don¡¯t even acknowledge him as a human.¡± ¡°You are actually that repulsed by him!?¡± What was with the two of them!? Could one person hate another to such an extent!? ¡°Except for a certain point, your hobby and interestpletely aligns¡­¡± ¡°That is the reason! His experience is so simr to mine¡­ but he still supports ¡®Moe¡¯! I am bewildered by that taste of his! It¡¯s like I am seeing my own dark side!¡± "¡­Ah¡«¡«¡­" Simply put, this was the highest level of the inverse of ¡®opposite attracts¡¯. Because they had so many things inmon, there would be an intense standoff if they arrive at different conclusion from these experiences. I scratched my head hard. Oh no, from the looks of things, their grudge was too deep. And from the Gamers Club incident, it was clear how much unnecessary pride these two had. In that case¡­ No matter how fated this seems, nothing good wille from revealing this! But if the two of them avoided each other and loses touch, it will be really... Despite all these fated situation linking them together, it would be ridiculous for them to drift apart! Too ridiculous! But if this goes on, they would definitely not persist on meeting each other. As I racked my brains and failed to think of a way, Hoshinomori probably switched the subject out of consideration for me: ¡°E-Erm, like I said, about the game creation¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ We were talking about that.¡± As I thought about the ways to pair Amano with Hoshinomori, I listened to Hoshinomori expound further. She took small sips of her soya milk and said: ¡°In the beginning, I will create simple games and publish them online because it¡¯s my hobby¡­ B-But, how should I put this? My reviews aren¡¯t that great¡­¡± ¡°Yes I know. You are ¡®NOBE¡¯ after all¡­¡± HoshinomoriÒ» look so docile, but she was actually so evil on the inside¡­ As I sighed, Hoshinomori looked at me with surprise: ¡°U-Uehara-san, y-you know about the games I made! Even though it is so niche!?¡± ¡°? Ah, I only yed one game from the beginning to the end. As for why I yed¡­¡± At this moment, I considered about telling her the entire thing with Amano. However, Hoshinomori looked at me with sparkling eyes. ¡°I-I think this is destined to be!¡± ¡°You are going with that!?¡± Wrong! It might be destined to be, but the subject wasn¡¯t me! I wanted to rify with Hoshinomori, but I found it hard to mention about Amano with how happy she looked. Anyway, I will make a simple confirmation. ¡°Well, Hoshinomori, assuming¡­ this is just an assumption. Assuming Amano knew that you are a game creator and yed the free game you made¡­¡± ¡°... I will let the crows feast on my living body and return to nature.¡± Her eyes were serious. I held my head in exasperation. W-What is the right thing to do here!? Objectively speaking, Amano and Hoshinomori are each other¡¯s destined partner! If they keep drifting apart, that would be too ridiculous. If they carry on like this, they won¡¯t get together even if all the other conditions are fulfilled¡­ As I was racking my brains over this in vain, Hoshinomori continued her discussion with me: ¡°Eh, Uehara-san, what do you think about the game I¡­ ¡®NOBE¡¯ made?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah~~... Well¡­ How should I put this¡­ i-it is very original©¤©¤" ¡°Ah, that will be enough.¡± Hoshinomori probably realized something and shirked away. The two of you were only sensitive about such things! She sighed deeply. ¡°In the beginning, I only made games for my own interest. I didn¡¯t n to show anyone, and just want to make a game that only belongs to me.¡± ¡°Ah, everyone will have such thoughts. Like drawing your own manga or writing a novel.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s right. When the game is finished, I became emotionally invested in the product. And so, I tried releasing the game online¡­ After that, I received some praises and a fewments, which made me be cocky from happiness. And so, I started making a second and third game¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine if you enjoyed the experience?¡± ¡°Enjoyed, huh¡­ I admit that I enjoyed myself¡­¡± At this moment, Hoshinomori pursed her lips. It appears that this was the part she wanted to talk about. ¡°B-But¡­ Recently, I don¡¯t know anymore. Because the games I designed in the way I like¡­ Erm, is like the one yed¡­¡± ¡°The reviews aren¡¯t great.¡± Of course her work won¡¯t get acknowledged. It was too unique. ¡°B-But, when I designed the content with the criticism of others in mind¡­ the results are¡­¡± ¡°Rave reviews.¡± Hoshinomori nodded. Right, I think Amano mentioned this before. Amongst the game made by ¡®NOBE¡¯, the second one was rtively normal, and even made it into the top rankings. Hoshinomori smiled wryly. ¡°W-Well, I know that I am not a great creator, so it¡¯s strange for me to worry about it so much. But even so, I still can¡¯t find the right answer. In the end, I just kept doing the things I like¡­ And ended up with mediocre reviews.¡± ¡°Since you like to make games, that is also fine, right?¡± "¡­ Things would be simple if I just resign myself like that. But after experiencing praises that one time¡­ I can¡¯t forget the exuberance I felt¡­¡± ¡°Why not make games that others would like?¡± ¡°I-I made the second game with that in mind. However, I didn¡¯t feel that strong sense of happiness even though I got praised by others¡­¡± ¡°Well, in a sense, that would be like denying your original style¡­¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s right! Erm, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t feel happy at all. In fact, I was very depressed when my third game tanked. B-But, I believe that my real style will be epted one day and I have been working hard all this while. However¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s still not going smoothly huh?¡± ¡°Y-Yes. That¡¯s why, I am thinking whether I should make another orthodox game.¡± ¡°T-This feels like an endless hellish cycle.¡± All creators in the world had been caught in such a dilemma to some extent. But there was no right answer to this. Frankly speaking, I think it was fine either way and urged Hoshinomori to continue: ¡°And then.¡± ¡°B-But, actually, I have a strange fan who said¡­ He likes the style of the real me.¡± ¡°... Ah¡­ That guy is probably ¡®Yamasan¡¯ right?¡± I mentioned the online handle Amano mentioned on a whim. Hoshinomori confirmed that. ¡°? Hmm? How did you¡­ Ah, r-right, I remember. You saw thement section of my blog, right? Yes, you are right.¡± Eh, enough, why aren¡¯t the two of you dating yet? Just how many ces did the red string of fate bond the two of you? Was that red string a wed product or kinked somewhere? Hoshinomori said with a straight face: ¡°So I was thinking, if I made a proper game¡­ wouldn¡¯t that be betraying ¡®Yamasan¡¯? That¡¯s why I want to discuss this with someone. Uehara-san, t-tell me, what do you think I should do?¡± ¡°Go ask Amano!¡± That would solve everything! But Hoshinomori seemed to think this was a joke, and was annoyingly gleeful when she said: ¡°Uehara-san, you are doing that again¡«¡«" Ugh, even her inability to gauge distance was the same as Amano! Honestly, what should I do©¤©¤ I renewed my thoughts. Even if I ignore ¡®Yamasan¡¯, Amano would be more suited to discuss such game rted troubles. But Hoshinomori would never consult him about it. However, it would be wonderful if their rtionship improves after talking about this. On one hand, I want to support Tendo¡¯s love, and if I somehow dragged Hoshinomori in, it might even ignite Tendo¡¯s jealousy. In a corner of my heart a fair away from these thoughts, I was really bothered by Amano and Aguri¡¯s rtionship. But with no good way to unearth the facts, I could only stare at the issue anxiously. Also, I had just been spending time with Amano or Hoshinomori recently. Frankly speaking, my status as a normie in ss was getting dangerous, and there was another issue I had to be careful about¡­ Sigh~~ is there any good way for me to resolve all my frustrations and troubles I umted in the past week in one go? I looked around the park nkly as I harboured a hope that was as good as relying on God. In the distance were kids ying in the sand pit, while the housewives busied themselves chatting to the side. On the open za beside the park were several elderlies engrossed in a social game of Croquet¡­ What a serene sight. The atmosphere in the Gamers Club sounded really strict. This scene was its exact opposite! ¡°......¡± ©¤©¤ Inspiration struck in an instant. ¡°... That¡¯s it¡­¡± I jumped up from the bench. ¡°Huh?¡± Hoshinomori tilted her head baffledly, as she watched me. But I didn¡¯t reply to her¡­ No, I couldn¡¯t reveal anything, I just looked at the scenery within the park seriously as I thought about my ¡®heavenly revtion¡¯. Once again, I realized that it was a great move that could settle all my worries, and was terrifyingly effective. I couldn¡¯t help trembling in silence. --------------------------------------------------------------- The next day. ¡°¡±Hobby group?¡±¡± After school was out, the synchronized voices of Amano and Hoshinomori echoed in ss 2F. With the two of them intentionally sitting some distance apart from Amano¡¯s desk, I was standing with my chest puffed out alone. I announced loud enough for the few ssmates who were still around to hear: ¡°Yes! Let the three of us form the ¡®Gamers Hobby Group¡¯!¡± ""¡­¡­Oh."" The two of them who weren¡¯t too sure about this looked at each other troublingly. Using this chance while they weren¡¯t fighting, I used the momentum to propose: ¡°The two of you are both interested in ¡®gamers group¡¯, but thinks that the Gamers Club is not what you are looking for.¡± ""¡­Oh."" ¡°In that case, we should create a new organization! Unlike the Gamers Club that holds club activities for everyone to hone their skills, but something more rxed, a gaming group that makes having fun for its members the priority. That is¡­ the ¡®Gamers Hobby Group¡¯ that I am trying to form!¡± ""Whoa¡«¡«¡­¡­"" The two nerds were probably influenced by my passion as they forgot their position and pped for me softly¡­ If I mediate for them in the middle, the two of them were unexpectedly easy to coerce. I took a look, and found my ssmates who were still around looking at us and whispering¡­ Good good. This was one of my n. Me, Amano and Hoshinomori, such abination feels weird and would be very prominent. However, if I tie the three of us together under the name of a Hobby Group, the gazes directed at us would lessen! I can talk to them openly too! That was the first advantage of forming the Hobby Group. As for the second advantage¡­ ¡°Erm, Uehara-san?" "What, Amano?" Amano raised his hand meekly and asked with his head tilted: "A Hobby Group¡­ to do what exactly? Can¡¯t we just talk to you normally like before? A-After all, if we do as you suggested¡­¡± When Hoshinomori heard his question, she raised her opinion too: ¡°E-Erm, me too, I just want to talk to Uehara-san like before. I am saying this because..." And then, the two of them pointed at each other, and told me firmly: ¡°¡°This one is annoying.¡±¡± ¡°You two never change, huh!¡± Could people really be that resistant topromise!? I waspletely impressed by them! I was stumped, but still coughed and kept my cool, then exined to them calmly: ¡°That is the raison d''etre of the Hobby Group.¡± ""?"" "You two might share simr interests, but I am not forcing you to be friends. You would just be partaking in the Gamers Hobby Group¡¯s activity. It is just an avenue for members to talk about gaming, and won¡¯t force them to get along with each other. So¡­¡± ¡°¡±¡­! D-Debating to the end is permitted¡­!¡±¡± The fire of determination burned in their eyes¡­ Yup, although I was hoping for this¡­ They were idiots as expected. However, I didn¡¯t show my stupefied expression, and continued with a devious smile: ¡°How about it, it¡¯s great isn¡¯t it? Because you hate each other¡­ There must be plenty of times where you want to debate to your heart¡¯s content.¡± ¡°"Ughhhh¡­"" They looked at each other with almost the same movements, then turned their face away. They then looked my way and mumbled¡­ The simrity of their thoughts was like a scene from aedy. I was looking forward to their interaction in the Hobby Group. Actually, this was the second advantage of forming the Hobby Group. Even if the two of them squabble, this would ensure they would meet each other. Even if they want to better their rtionship, it would be impossible if they didn¡¯t have a ce to converse. However, if they were not tied together with some reason, they would probably drift apart stubbornly. Even though they consider each other as eyesores¡­ They were surprisingly concerned about each other. It would be too much to describe them as Tsundere, but they still wish to have the chance and reason to talk to each other. Hence, I set up the ¡®Gamers Hobby Club¡¯, a small circle to link them together¡­ ""¡­¡­Since you say so¡­"" Hook, line and sinker. I caught both of them. I¡¯m a master baiter. Although the fishes were brainless. With a smile of satisfaction, I sat down as I had more or less achieved my goals. The two of them were sneaking peeks at each other, it felt as if they were keeping each other in check. Amano raised another question: "But¡­ Can we form a Hobby Group with just the three of us?¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, there needs to be a minimum number of people and a clear objective in order to form a club in our school, but we just need to submit some documents for a Hobby Group, and we are good to go. On the other hand, the school won¡¯t allocate any budget for us.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s great, but¡­¡± Hoshinomori finished Amano¡¯s sentence: "S-So, it¡¯s just the three of us? Well, I don¡¯t like having too many people either¡­ But¡­¡± Sparks flew between Hoshinomori and Amano as they dueled with their eyes. I sighed and replied: "No, I actually invited one more person. I haven¡¯t ask her toe in yet¡­¡± As I was saying that, that person leaned her head into the ssroom. While my ssmate in ss F were stunned, I raised my hand and hollered: ¡°Yo!¡± calling her in. "Tendo, this way! You came at the right time!" "Ah, Uehara-san. Sorry for beingte. Cleaning duty took longer than expected." "T-Tendo-san?" Amano immediately straightened his back¡­ It seemed that his fear of Tendo was growing by the day. Tendo had her usual perfect smile as she walked over, then politely bowed and greeted the two people who sat stiffly. ¡°Thank you everyone for inviting me to join the ¡®Gamers Hobby Group¡¯. As I also had my own club activities, I haven¡¯t decided yet. But I will consider it seriously after joining today¡¯s session¡­¡± She looked at Hoshinomori, at this juncture, and paused for some reason. "¡­¡­" "Erm¡­ T-Tendo-san." "Tendo?" Strange? What happened? Why was Tendo looking at Hoshinomori intently? They were from the same ss¡­ But they were not enemies or anything, right? Didn¡¯t seem like they had anything inmon. As everyone was baffled by this development, Tendo suddenly came to her senses and asked Hoshinomori: "Erm¡­ S-So Hoshinomori-san is also part of the Hobby Group.¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­ Ah, I am sorry about turning down your invitation to the Gamers Club that time¡­¡± Hoshinomori acted timidly. I overlooked this part, so it was my fault. But¡­ The thing bothering Tendo didn¡¯t seem to be issue with the Gamers Club¡­ As I expected, Tendo alternated her nces between Amano and Hoshinomori Amano said hurriedly: "Ah, I have to apologize too. I turned down the Gamers Club, but joined this group instead¡­" "N-No. That is fine¡­ Erm¡­ as expected¡­ T-The two of you would rather form the Gamers Hobby Group than join the Gamers Club because both of you are here¡­?¡± ""?"" Oh shit, so that¡¯s what this is! I finally realized at this moment. It wasn¡¯t clear why¡­ But Tendo thinks the two of them liked each other? Well, I did hope to spark off Tendo¡¯s jealousy, but she seemed to have been mistaken way before this. I wanted to clear things up¡­ But it was already toote. After they were asked this vague question, the anxious Amano and Hoshinomori once again showed how in sync they were, and how they couldn¡¯t read the mood¡­ They nodded firmly and answered: ¡°¡±Ah, yes, that¡¯s right.¡±¡± Obviously answering without thinking. Imbeciles ahhhhhh! Feeling the (non-existent) intimate rtionship between the two of them, Tendo was shocked. What the hell was this situation? As I was sweating buckets internally, the red faced Tendo averted her gaze and muttered: ¡°... A-As expected, the Gamers Hobby Group don¡¯t really need me¡­¡± She is throwing a tantrum ahhhhhhhhh! Oh no! I do hope she would be jealous, but not like this! Things could only develop after she joined the Gamers Hobby Group! Only then would there be a chance for Amano to get closer to either Tendo or Hoshinomori! Don¡¯t fail at such an early stage! And honestly speaking, once the Hobby Group is formed, it will eat into Amano¡¯s after school time. He can start his romanticedy with the two beauties, and won¡¯t have time to date Aguri! I can also use the Hobby Group activity as a reason to control plus monitor Amano¡¯s movements! After affirming my n, I decided that getting Tendo to stay was the priority and said: ¡°D-Don¡¯t decide so hastily, just try joining us for today..." I was soothing things over midway when Amano made an insensitive statement: ¡°Ah, Uehara-san, that won¡¯t do. I hope Tendo-san can¡­ concentrate on leading the Gamers Club!¡± ¡°Do you have to be so heartless aaaaahhhhhhh!¡± "?" Amano tilted his head innocently. His words were equivalent to ¡®get the hell back to your Gamers Club¡¯, which made Tendo¡¯s face cramp. Such genius! Genius in hurting Tendo¡¯s ego! Blinking away the bits of tears in my eyes, I soothe her calmly: ¡°A-Anyway, please take a seat, alright? Joining or not is another issue, j-just observe our activity okay!? Okay? It¡¯s fine, right?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, that is fine¡­ Eh, Uehara-san, were your actions this weird before?" ¡°Don¡¯t mind me!¡± Of course my actions turned weird! What the hell was with this situation!? Recently, even I got confused over what the objective behind my actions was! What happened to my normie lifestyle? Anyway, the four of us finally sat down around Amano¡¯s desk, and Amano was quietly feeling touched. It might just be the few of us, but to him, this was like a scene from his dreams. Having several people around his desk, such a situation¡­ I felt like crying for him too. When Tendo asked me: ¡°And so? What¡¯s the activity for today?¡± I nced towards Hoshinomori, confirming with her with my eyes. After getting her final consent, I formally brought up the gaming topic for today. "Hoshinomori is making a game right now, let¡¯s discuss the direction for her next work." ""Huh?"" Amano and Tendo looked at Hoshinomori in surprise. She mumbled the things she discussed with me yesterday shyly¡­¡­ and omitted the part about her being ¡®NOBE¡¯. She seemed to have done so because she didn¡¯t want Amano to y the games she made as she was sure Amano would belittle it¡­ When the fact was¡­ "Oh¡«¡«Chiaki, you are making a game huh¡­¡­ it must be really boring." "What?" Amano had a go at Hoshinomori as expected¡­ No, the only fantastic fan of her would actually be you¡­ The scene of them two squabbling all the while shocked Tendo¡­ Ah right, she thought the two of them were on great terms. ¡°They are always like this. Can¡¯t get along like fire and ice.¡± "I-I see¡­" Tendo¡¯s mood improved and she smiled¡­ You didn¡¯t even attempt to hide your liking for Amano huh. Or did she train in gaming too much and was unexpectedly inexperienced in love? With the misunderstanding cleared for now, I felt more at ease. I broke up their fight and moved the topic forward: "Alright, Tendo and Amano, what do you two think? Should Hoshinomori do what she likes? Or do what others want?" "Do you even need to ask, don¡¯t hesitate and just do the things you like." I didn¡¯t expect Tendo to answer so decisively. Hoshinomori asked timidly: ¡°S-So that¡¯s the right answer after all?¡± Tendo nodded and replied without any doubts: ¡°Of course. You have to follow through on your beliefs. Be it painting or literature, a real masterpiece is borne from such a selfish desire.¡± ¡°I see I see¡­ that is true.¡± ¡°You must believe in yourself and work hard on your creation. Your skill and poprity wille naturally in the future.¡± ¡°Y-Yes! E-Erm, I will work hard!¡± Hoshinomori straightened her back andpletely agreed with Tendo¡¯s opinion. Amano and I were impressed. This girl¡­ Tendo was good. She might be a wreck when things involved Amano, but the girl at the top of Ootoki High was the real deal. Her opinion and attitude were unwavering, determined and strong. However, that was why¡­ "¡­ Ah¡«¡«¡­" The topic thus ended¡­ No good, that was too perfect, Tendo Karen! What the hell! At least showboat a little! High school at a level higher than us©¤©¤ for example, Hekiy¨­ High school located near us, their student council will showboat in every meeting! So holding a fun discussion was impossible if someone so perfect was around! Today I learned! Awkward silence shrouded the ce¡­ Strange, were hobby group activities supposed to be like this¡­? I knew this was irresponsible as I broke out in cold sweat, but I had no choice¡­ but to push the topic to Amano. ¡°Right, t-then Amano, what do you think?¡± "Huh!" Amano red at me as if to say: asking me after hearing such a perfect answer, how mean! ...Ugh, sorry, but¡­ Amano, I have my troubles too! On the other hand, Hoshinomori sensed Amano¡¯s crisis, and asked with an insidious smile: "Ah¡«¡« I want to know too, what does Keita who is famous for loving games think?" "Ugh¡­ Chiaki, you¡­!" What an ugly fight! Tendo who was surprised by that scene asked me again: ¡°I-It seems that in all sorts of ways, these two have lesspatibility than oil and wate¡­¡± ¡°Well, I-I think they have their own unique rtionship¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t answer further. It was too unique in a negative sense. Anyway, everyone fixed their attention onto Amano. Amano red back at Hoshinomori¡­ then sighed in resignation and scratched his head. After that, he answered in an unexpectedly rxed manner: ¡°To be honest, I think either way is fine.¡± "¡­Huh?" His opinion was too casual, it would be too much topare that with Tendo¡¯s masterfulment. Hoshinomori bashed him on this point: "W-What is this. Keita¡­ Y-You don¡¯t care about the games I am making¡­?" ¡°Oh right, that too.¡± ¡°W-Why you¡­¡± Sparks flew between them again. Tendo muttered to me: ¡°They seem to be on great terms instead¡­¡± Yup, I felt the same, they were like a loving married couple who just happened to be fighting. After Hoshinomori gave Amano a piece of her mind, he continued: ¡°But, even if it isn¡¯t you, I think it would be fine too. To me, it doesn¡¯t matter whether the creator wants his work to be popr or not. The important thing is how fun the product is.¡± ¡°With the way you put it, it¡¯s as good as not saying anything¡­¡± I mumbled, but Amano replied nonchntly: ¡°But I¡¯m not wrong, correct?¡± ¡°Since there are cases where masterpieces arise by staying true to one¡¯s conviction, there must be cases where entertaining elements got mixed in haphazardly and the finished product is still incredibly fun. Vice versa.¡± ¡°W-What is that? Keita, d-don¡¯t you have anything you want from the game creators you like?¡± "Huh? That¡¯s right. That¡¯s how it is." "¡­¡­" Hisck of ambition waspletely opposite to that of Tendo, and even made us felt stupefied. However¡­ Amano continued: That¡¯s why,¡± ¡°Chiaki, just do it the way you like, ok? Even if you want it to be superficially popr, that is still your work. Isn¡¯t that so? "Huh?" His words seemed to make Hoshinomori realize something, Tendo and I also listened carefully to Amano¡¯s view. "Chiaki, since the project made by sticking to your conviction is your work, isn¡¯t the game made in order to gain poprity also the fruits of yourbour? Are these two that different?¡± "Well¡­" Hoshinomori was a little shakened and averted her gaze. But Amano probably felt his opinion was too shallowpared to Tendo, so he nced at Tendo and scratched his head shyly. He exined to Tendo politely, with apletely different attitude from the way he treated Hoshinomori. ¡°Ah, I also like the games made by a certain free game creator. If I have to say what I like about him, it would be the personality that could be discerned from the details of the game. That¡¯s why¡­ Even if that creator wants to gain more superficial poprity, I think the core parts would remain the same no matter what he does. In that case, I would definitely like it too, that¡¯s how I feel.¡± "¡­¡­" "S-Sorry, I must have sounded really shallow¡­ Eh, I-I don¡¯t care about the lousy game Chiaki made anyway..." "Ehhhh!" Hoshinomori red at Amano, but strangely, her eyes weren¡¯t that hostile. Tendo too, despite her opinion being the pr opposite of Amano, she was smiling warmly. ¡°I see¡­ you are right. I finally know now. Yes, Amano-kun¡­ That¡¯s the sort of person you are.¡± "Huh? Ah, s-sorry¡­¡± Amano waspletely intimidated¡­ Ah, he seemed to have misunderstood! Tendo was obviously showing a face of admiration! Why did you interpret it as you being scolded? Basically, this guy was too sensitive; plus, he has an inferiorityplex! ¡­ Well, the atmosphere was unexpectedly cordial, I thought it was about time. "Well then, let¡¯s call it a day." After saying that, the other three nodded without any objection. When I realized it, the ssroom was empty save for us. When everyone was ready to leave after packing up, I said to Tendo: ¡°So how about it, Tendo? What do you n to do? Do you want to¡­ join the ¡®Gamers Hobby Group?¡± When Tendo heard my question, she nced towards Amano hesitantly¡­ Yup just one more push. I didn¡¯t want to let Amano and Hoshinomori hear this, so I went closer to Tendo and whispered: "Oh right, Amano started talking to Hoshinomori because of you, Tendo." "Huh?" ¡°He wants to talk to you with an attitude of an equal in the future, so he is working to improve himself. He found someone who likes gaming to practice his talking. Sigh¡­ And it became like this.¡± ¡°I-I see. H-He did this in order to¡­ speak properly with me¡­¡± Tendo¡¯s face turned a deeper shade of red. Alright¡­ thest fish is hooked I smiled deviously. As I expected, Tendo answered timidly: ¡°T-That¡¯s fine. I had fun today too¡­ Then I will split my time between these two groups, and join your©¤©¤" Phew, I could finally rx. Going by this pace, if the Hobby Group progresses well, Amano will be a pair with one of them©¤©¤ Hmm, strange? Over there was¡­ "Aguri? What¡¯s the matter?" When I realized it, Aguri was already at the entrance of ss F. I stopped my conversation with Tendo and asked Aguri, but she seemed to be surprised. She then looked at me awkwardly and greeted me weirdly: ¡° Tasuku¡­ Gwoo day~~¡± She then looked at Tendo and Hoshinomori©¤©¤ "¡­Ughh!" "?" Aguri suddenly turned teary¡­? What? What was that¡­ Well, I didn¡¯t arrange to meet Aguri today, but she still came to pick me up. In that case, I should hurry and tidy up©¤©¤ ¡°Eh,e heree here! Amano-chi! Amano-chi! Hurry up!¡± ¡°Ah, alright Aguri-san! S-Sorry! E-Everyone, I have some business with her, so I will be going now!¡± Amano who was summoned by Aguri hurried over after packing up. Tendo and I were speechless, while the two person meeting at the entrance¡­ ¡°U-Ugh~~! A-Amano-chi~~!¡± ¡°P-Please calm down, Aguri-san! A-Anyway, let¡¯s go!¡± "¡­¡­Huh?" The teary Aguri sticked intimately to Amano, then left quickly. "¡­¡­" Compared to the lost Tendo and me©¤©¤ Hoshinomori was not surprised by this strange situation at all as she calmly packed her things. She even said something impactful to our backs: ¡°B-But, sometimes fact is stranger than fiction. To think that¡­ Keita can find such a cute girl to be his girlfriend. Don¡¯t you think so, Uehara-san?" "¡­¡­What?" With our necks as stiff as robots, Tendo and I turned back with a creak. Hoshinomori replied with her head tilted: ¡°Recently, I saw them together when I go home. The two of them seem close. A-Also, Keita himself said that she is his girlfriend.¡± "¡­¡­What?" ¡°I find it hard to ept. It¡¯s a pity for that girl to be a matched with Keita. Keita should be matched with a nerdy girl who likes games instead¡­ Huh? Strange, what am I saying? Ah, I need to wait for the next bus! Bye bye!¡± "¡­ G-Good bye¡­" Hoshinomori left quickly. Tendo and I were left in the ssroom, and we looked at each other. Tendo clutched her bag tightly. With tears welling in her eyes¡­ She suddenly ran off with a yell: "I-I¡¯m not joining the ¡®Gamers Hobby Group¡¯ after all~~~~~~!" ¡°I can guess that much!¡± I didn¡¯t even want to smooth things out! Of course! Or rather, instead of inviting Tendo¡­ ¡°I am thinking about withdrawing from the ¡®Gamers Hobby Group¡¯ myself! W-What is happening!? What is this!?¡± That day after school, when I formed the Gamers Hobby Group and thought I could resolve all my problems in one go. Thinking back, this day was the start of all theplicated rtionships. Yup back then©¤©¤ I already had an ominous feeling about it. Amano Keita How did things turn out this way? "Hick¡­ Ughhh¡­¡­ Ughh¡­¡­" "A-Aguri-san, sorry. It¡¯s all because I am too useless¡­" A boy and a girl sat face to face with painful expressions inside a family restaurant. The girl had been crying for a while now, while the boy lowered his head apologetically. No matter how one diced it, this appeared to be a scene of a breakup. Well, in a sense, that¡¯s true... I took iced coffee from the beverage bar and poured it down my parched throat¡­ Students from Ootsuki don¡¯t frequent here, the beverages were cheap and the family restaurant itself was fine¡­ But the usatory gazes made me ufortable. Aguri¡¯s slightly heavy makeup was ruined by her tears¡­ To be honest, she looked cuter without makeup, but I knew very well that this wasn¡¯t the right time to say that, and swallowed these words with my iced coffee¡­ Yup, that wasn¡¯t the way to cheer up a girl who was troubled by love¡­ "Ah, Aguri-san, I think you look cuter without makeup.¡± I said it anyway. D-Don¡¯t underestimate how limited my conversation topics with girls were! And of course, Aguri red at me fiercely. ¡°Annoying! Disgusting! How uncouth!¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s right~~¡± I averted my gaze and took a sip of iced coffee¡­ The gaze from the other people hurt me even more. The officedy seated behind me even reacted with disgust. I felt like crying. "¡­ Sigh¡­ This is the worst¡­" That might be so, but I managed to stop Aguri-san from crying after saying that. She drank the coke I got her then admonished me: ¡°Not cold!¡± ¡­ Well, you left it at the side after I got it all this while ago¡­ "Please take this." When I realized it, I quickly served a new drink to her. The coke she didn¡¯t want to drink because it wasn¡¯t cold anymore was now my responsibility. And of course, I would be lectured if I indirectly kiss with her, so I used a straw. Aguri drank the iced honey melon soda, exhaled, then looked my way after rubbing away her tears. ¡°... Tell me, why are those girls there¡­?¡± "¡­Eh¡­" I averted my gaze. The group of officedies behind me started whispering: ¡°What a jerk.¡± Yup¡­ Our conversation do sound like I got caught having an affair, as if we were intentionally misleading them. Sigh, i-in a sense, such an interpretation was 30% right. With sweat oozing from my forehead, I reported what happened today. ¡°Erm¡­ For some reason, Chiaki and Tendo-san were invited to join a Hobby Group¡­¡± ¡°Why did things turn out this way~~!¡± ¡°That hurts hurts hurts! Don¡¯t pull my ear! Aguri-san! Be conscious about the people around us!¡± Aguri-san pulled my ear hard, then said while panting like a beast: ¡°Amano-chi, what did you tell mest time!? You said there is nothing going on between Hoshinomori Chiaki and Tasuku! You also said that Tasuku doesn¡¯t like boys, he only likes me!¡± "I-I did say that¡­" ¡°And because you promised to support our pairing, I was in a good mood and even treated you to a drink that day too!¡± ¡°You did treat me¡­ but it was cheap and you only treated me once¡­¡± "What!" "Nothing!" "Then why¡­ why did things be worse after that day¡«¡«!" "W-Why¡­?" That was what I want to ask. What was this situation? Why did it turn out like this? Well, I should make this clear first to avoid misunderstandings. In the beginning, I believe from the bottom of my heart that Uehara-san and Aguri-san love each other. It was obvious, Aguri-san kept raving about her love for Uehara-san¡­ And Uehara-san seemed to cherish her too. However, the situation became weird one week ago. In other words¡­ Chiaki made her debut. Aguri-sanined for god knows how many times today. ¡°Basically, Amano¡¯s predictions were all off from the very start! Saying Hoshinomori Chiaki isn¡¯t a looker, and has a passive personality¡­" ¡°I-I did say that¡­ B-Because she was not©¤©¤" ¡°And the next day, she turned into a stunning beauty, and talked to Tasuku with an obvious liking for him¡«¡«!" "Ugh." That was too unexpected. Well, to me, Chiaki didn¡¯t feel too different than before. I thought that her long seaweed head suited her ¡®real persona¡¯ more¡­ Wait, these weren¡¯t important. Anyway, Chiaki was now acknowledged as a beauty in the entire school. When such a girl¡­ one that loves gaming took a liking for Uehara-san, Aguri-san who fell for him because of gaming felt uneasy about it. I tried speaking up for Uehara-san with a wry smile: "B-But Aguri-san, you also said before that Tendo-san and Uehara-san arepatible, right?" ¡°That¡¯s two different matters! Because Tendo-san feels like she is out of reach. And¡­ Tasuku is the coolest guy in the whole world, he is too good for me¡­¡± "¡­¡­" "What¡¯s with those eyes of yours?" "Ah, nothing. Just felt turned off by others raving about their love life." "What?" "Nothing. Uehara-san is awesome. He is super cool!" "What are you saying? Disgusting." "Then what do you want me to do!?" Too unreasonable! In a sense, Aguri-san was as hard to handle as Tendo-san in my heart! Chiaki was a pain to deal with too¡­ Hmm? Could it be, all girls were troubling for me? No, no way¡­ Aguri-san dug up the ice in her honey melon soda with her straw. "While we are busying ourselves with all that, Tasuku seemed to be seeing that Hoshinomori Chiaki much more often¡­" ¡°Isn¡¯t that because of your n to ¡®keep some distance from Tasuku¡¯ failed¡­?¡± "Huh?" "Sorry, that is also my fault. I don¡¯t know why, but it¡¯s all my fault.¡± But if she was willing to apany Uehara-san after school, things won¡¯t turn out this way¡­ And I was dragged by her to stalk them too. I actually wanted to y games¡­ ¡°And the most critical part¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­ You mean that day?¡± That day Chiaki and Uehara-san chatted in the park alone¡­ Known as X-day. Although Aguri-san and I were the only ones to use that word. But that time was really damning. I was careless and thought Chiaki was not a problem, Aguri-san was much cuter than her anyway¡­ But that day, my opinion waspletely crushed. His stunning words shattered Aguri-san¡¯s hopes. That¡¯s right¡­ That day, as we watched Uehara-san from afar©¤©¤ He grabbed Chiaki¡¯s shoulders, and shouted with serious eyes: ¡°This is toopatible a match ahhhhh!!!!!!¡± "¡­¡­" As we thought back to the situation back then, the family restuarant fell into depression again. No matter what¡­ that was too absurd. To be honest, it was a huge blow to me too. Leaving Chiaki aside¡­ I never imagined¡­ Uehara to be someone who would do that to another girl despite having a girlfriend. Aguri-san continued: ¡°And then¡­¡± ¡°... Amano-chi, didn¡¯t you say this after that? ¡®I made up my mind! No matter what¡­ I will make Uehara-sane to his senses!¡¯ I felt a bit touched by that unexpectedly manly announcement of yours. Did you not say that?¡± ¡°I-I did say that¡­¡± Well, I was sincere about that. I also felt responsible for this incident for Aguri-san, and I was serious about supporting her after spending time with her. That was why I made up my mind, but¡­ Aguri-san screamed at me again: ¡°Amano-chi, why did four boys and girls including you form a Gamers Hobby Group so intimately aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!¡± "I don¡¯t know either aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!¡± After shouting at each other, we were shushed by the employee: ¡°Please keep your voice down¡­¡± After we apologized to everyone in the restaurant, we sank back into our seats weakly. ¡­ I said quietly: "Sorry¡­ The formation of the Gamers Hobby Group was my mistake. I was too careless¡­ and happy about it, and forgot that Chiaki and Uehara-san would meet each other more¡­ But Tendo-san joining was really out of the blue...¡± I never imagined©¤©¤ that Uehara-san would woo Tendo-san at the same time! But it would make sense then. Recently, Tendo-san has been talking to me more, so her interest in Uehara-san was the reason. ¡­¡­ ¡­ Huh, what is this? My heart hurts a lot just now. Even though I am not that shameless to think anything can happen between Tendo-san and me. How strange. As I was confused by myplicated feelings, Aguri-san sighed. ¡°... Sorry Amano-chi, I also know¡­ that it¡¯s not your fault¡­ Thank you Amano-chi. It seems like¡­ I made you apany me a lot recently." "Aguri-san¡­" "So¡­ you are not a disgusting, nerdy boy with BL tendency..." She paused for a moment, then smiled gently. ¡°But a kind-hearted, disgusting, nerdy boy with BL tendency.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel happy about that upgrade at all! And why am I still suspected of BL!?¡± "¡­¡­ Sigh. The truth is, I could feel since I started dating Tasuku¡­ that he is probably not that interested in me.¡± Aguri-san smiled bitterly as she fiddled with the water droplets on the cup. My mood also turned sour. "¡­ Even so, your feelings for Uehara-san remains the same, right?" "Ah, yes of course!" Aguri-san smiled without any doubt in her heart. I stiffened my face. ¡°It feels like¡­ Because you always seem so sad, so I don''t really get it. Are you¡­ fine with that?¡± ¡°Ahaha, it¡¯s not a matter of me being fine with it. I like him means I like him, there is no helping it.¡± ¡°B-But think about it, if both parties fall for someone whom they can converse morefortably with©¤©¤" For some reason, the image of Tendo-san¡¯s face kept shing across my mind. That¡¯s right, I shouldn¡¯t push myself up this unscble wall, I need to be more practical about this, or else¡­ "Ahaha, Amano-chi, you are really stupid!¡± "¡­Huh?" I took a look, and Aguri-san was gazing my way with a ¡®what are you saying?¡¯ expression on her face. She said with a nonchnt tone, as if she was regurgitating the truth of the world: ¡°Love, isn¡¯t something that you n for, but something you fall into unknowingly.¡± "¡­¡­" "When you encounter such a situation, you can¡¯t help it, it is like meeting with an ident. Even if it hurts, even if you are not good enough for the other person¡­ Well, since you have fallen, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± "A-Aguri-san¡­" W-Why do I feel so sad too!? I wasn¡¯t a man mature enough to meddle in other¡¯s love affairs¡­ Even so¡­ "A-Aguri-san!" "? Amano-chi?" I couldn¡¯t help sping her hand, and announcing firmly! ¡°I-I will do my best to help you two get back together!¡± "Amano-chi! Yes, thank you! Let¡¯s work hard together!" "Ok!" "Huh? Wait wait." "? What¡¯s the matter?" As we sped our hands in a show of camaraderie, Aguri-san suddenly looked out the window of the family restaurant. ¡°Inside the bus that stopped at the traffic light just now¡­ I think Hoshinomori Chiaki is inside¡­" "? Yes, I remember the bus to her ce goes in this direction¡­" ¡°That so¡­ ah." Aguri-san found herself holding my hand, and looked a little flustered. ¡°What should we do, what if she misunderstands¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it will be fine, Aguri-san. Because I already mustered my courage like a man and told her howpatible a couple you and Uehara-san are!" "Oh¡«¡«! How did you say it? Tell me tell me." In response to the intrigued Aguri-san, I puffed out my chest and said: ¡°I told her: ¡®Aguri-san is the most thoughtful girlfriend!¡¯ ¡®A girlfriend as pretty, cute, and unbeatable can¡¯t be found anywhere else! Incredible right?!¡¯ And I also did this ¡®absolute Aguri deration¡¯ to Chiaki at the best moment!¡± "Woah, as expected of Amano-chi, how manly!" "Hehehe, you tter me. Chiaki¡¯s reaction was like: ¡®T-That¡¯s great¡¯. So stoic that it bothers me, but she is definitely putting on a strong front!¡± ¡°Wow you helped me so much! Then I¡­ will also support you to pay you back! Alright, it¡¯s decided! Even if I have to asionally turn down Tasuku¡¯s invitation, I will still apany you, until you can talk to Tendo-san as an equal! A woman will never go back on her word!¡± ¡°Y-You are too kind! Thank you, Aguri-san!¡± ¡°It¡¯s no trouble. Let¡¯s work together for each other¡¯s benefit in the future, Amano-chi! ¡°Okay! I will be in your care, Aguri-san!¡± At the table of this family restaurant, we sped our hands in a manly fashion as a sign of our friendship. And so, Aguri and I sessfully formed an ¡®alliance¡¯... However, we didn¡¯t realize at this point that the creation of this strange ¡®alliance¡¯ would cause more problems for us in the future¡­ And wasn¡¯t aware of it until our high school days were over. Volume 1, Epilogue and Extra Story

Volume 1, Epilogue and Extra Story

Trantor: Skythewood Editors: Deus Ex-machina, Perditor It had been two weeks since the founding of the ¡®Gamers Hobby Group¡¯. Today, I attended the Group¡¯s activity after school as usual, then went home for dinner with my family of four. I then idle my mind in my room, and browsed the websites I usually frequent. In the end, there wasn¡¯t much progress in all sorts of ways. We started the ¡®Gamers Hobby Group¡¯, but the truth was, Chiaki and I still fight all the time. And for some reasons, Tendo-san didn¡¯t join the Group, which was a pity. If only she was around, Chiaki and I would settle down more¡­ Don¡¯t Tendo-san like Uehara-san? I didn¡¯t understand why she didn¡¯t join the Group, but my heart will ache whenever I thought about this, so I decided not to delve too deep. There was still a distance between Aguri-san and Uehara-san. Or rather, I feel there was a gulf between Uehara-san and me too. He didn¡¯t make any obvious strange moves¡­ But I could feel the distance between us, and he seemed to be observing me. And so, Aguri-san and I had lots ofint session and reflection session, and would visit that family restaurant every other day to vent. But fortunately, thanks to Aguri-san¡¯s help, I don¡¯t feel that flustered when I speak to someone for the first time anymore, and I could converse with Tendo-san when I met her. But for some reasons, Tendo-san stammers a lot, so we still couldn¡¯t hold a smooth conversation¡­ I need to work even harder. Oh right, the only proper progress in these two weeks would be Chiaki finishing her game. The time needed to make free games varies, but she was considerably fast. Was Chiaki unexpectedly talented? I didn¡¯t want to acknowledge that though. In the end, Chiaki went in the direction of making her work ¡®eptable by most people¡¯. But she had a look of aplishment on her face when she said that. No matter what type of work it was, maybe it would be good enough if one put their effort into it¡­ Sigh, I wasn¡¯t a creator anyway, so I wouldn¡¯t know. However, there was one thing I couldn¡¯t ept, that would be Chiaki refusing to reveal her inte handle to me. She seemed to hope that I would never get to y it in my lifetime. But she seemed to have told Uehara-san, which made me so vexed¡­ I would find out sooner orter. ©¤©¤ As I recalled these things aimlessly while I surf the, my eyes fell on the rare news of a certain blog posting new content. It was the blog of NOBE. From the content, it seemed to be a notification that hepleted histest game. "Oh, awesome!" I immediately downloaded it to try. I actually nned to y another game on my game console, but that can wait. In the game, NOBE¡¯s game was a short AVG (adventure game) that could bepleted in two hours. Surprisingly, there wasn¡¯t any super development, and despite being short, the content was properly executed. But because of that, itcked the usual taste of NOBE. After reaching the ending, I read the ¡®afterword¡¯ that appeared as the ending credit and went to NOBEs blog. I opened thements section that remained empty. After tidying my thoughts, I left a short message as usual. < I saw a new side of NOBE this time. This game is interesting and well made too! Thank you! - Yamasan! > After writing that, I posted myment. Myments were usually short. I considered writing a long passage on my thoughts in the beginning, but as the words started umting, I feel it was starting to drift from my true feelings. Hence, I decided that conveying the message that the ¡®game was very enjoyable¡¯ would be enough. And of course, I didn¡¯t hope for any reply, I was just expressing my thanks for getting to y an interesting game. ¡°Alright.¡± I stopped what I was doing, took a bath, brushed my teeth and got ready to turn in. After rousing myputer from sleep mode, NOBE¡¯s blog was still open. Without thinking too much, I pressed the refresh page button to check for any posting about his next work¡­ And©¤©¤ Hmm? Thements section¡­ have two messages? The blog didn¡¯t have any new content, but I noticed twoments on thetest post. It was probably someone else sharing their thoughts, I opened thement section with a rxed mood. I then saw©¤©¤ < Thank you for your support all this while. - NOBE > ©¤©¤ A short and simple message on it. "¡­¡­ I should be thanking you." I felt my heart warming¡­ to be frank, I felt touched, but I didn¡¯t write a reply and closed the window quietly. Strange? I think I saw those words somewhere before¡­ Well, never mind. For no particr reason, I felt like sleeping early tonight. I got onto my bed after turning off theputer. When I closed my eyes, the screen from NOBE¡¯stest game appeared before me. Speaking of which, NOBE¡¯s style changed a lot this time. His usual style that was too unique, cocky and introvert changed drastically. There was a huge cast of characters, each with their clear personality and viewpoint. They would some time activate their powers through portable consoles and devolve into intensive fights. But everything was resolved with a happy ending. That was a heartwarming game©¤©¤ ©¤©¤ A masterpiece named ¡®Gamers¡¯. But the characters appearing in the game seemed to be inserts of people around me recently, that surprised me. And there are elements of ¡®MOE¡¯ this time too, although it¡¯s just a little. As expected of ¡®NOBE¡¯, her taste just hit the right spot. I felt very blissed after ying a great game. In my sleepy mind, the smiles of Uehara-san, Chiaki, Tendo-san and Aguri appeared. My everyday life¡­ is bing lively... Even now, I still felt this was incredible. There was nothing harder for me to ept than a main character who likes a normal peaceful life. This thought of mine remained unchanged even after this hectic month. I would question what was so average about a guy so popr with beauties, and I wasn¡¯t that noble in spirit to cherish my old life that was boring and never changing with the perspective that ¡®peace is great¡¯. However¡­ If I had to say what changed in my heart, there would be just one point. I©¤©¤ Amano Keita, 16 years old. The fact was, my urge to go to another world had gradually dwindled. How strange¡­ In the past, I will fantasize about a faraway world before I sleep. But recently¡­ I realized I had been thinking about ¡®tomorrow¡¯. Grabbing the edge of the nket, I curled my body. What appeared in my mind wasn¡¯t a fantasy world, but Uehara-san, Tendo-san, Aguri-san¡­¡­ and I guess Chiaki¡¯s smile. ¡­ Since things turned out like this in this world, I had to admit even if it vexed me. I admit that my everyday life right now¡­ well, felt really charming. Eh, despite that,pared to harem main characters, such a daily life is still incredibly shabby. I had a new male friend, a person I admire, and started cheering for the girlfriend of my friend. On top of that¡­ ah, there¡¯s seaweed too. In the end, there was just one person I could call a friend with confidence. Even though I got to know more girls¡­ My rtionship was only to that extent. I didn¡¯t have a girlfriend. In conclusion, gauging from the average normie scale of having several friends and a lover, I wasn¡¯t doing that great, and might even be beneath the curve. Honestly speaking, I was still alone after school was out, and would even wander around campus out of boredom. But no matter what others think, to me©¤©¤ Tomorrow¡­ who would I¡­ chat about games with¡­ how exciting... ©¤©¤ I finally got the blissful daily life that made me shed tears of joy. And so©¤©¤ And so, the story that I want to tell©¤©¤ Went against the preference I have for tales, and was rather regrettable. After going about all this, in the end. The story still started with an average main character being chatted up by a beautiful girl©¤©¤ ©¤©¤ This was a story about games, a touching tale that pulls on your heartstrings. Volume 1 Extra Story Tendo Karen and Detrimental Upgrade Tendo-san¡¯s elegant day BEFORE Tendo Karen got up very early in the morning. Jogging, morning study, club self training. Making full use of the conducive environment in the morning to increase her concentration, she could improve herself efficiently. But on the other hand, Tendo groomed herself very quick and simply. Others might not know, but she was the type who didn¡¯t pay too much attention to her appearance. She paid the minimum attention to her dressing, and felt it was her personality on the inside that was the most important. After reaching school early, Tendo would focus on socializing with her ssmates. Because her belief was to give her all in doing the things that could only be done at a particr time. Tendo not only interact with her ssmates after ss, she would take the initiative to help the teacher. Instead of trying to score points in giving a good impression, this only happened because she value the unique experience she could get from performing this task. Instead of chatting idly with her friends in the ssroom, she thinks taking action would be more efficient use of her time. For her, afternoon recess was a troubling time. For some reasons, she didn¡¯t like being tied down after school, so afternoon recess had a high chance of bing ¡®confession rejection time¡¯. Tendo had gotten used to being confessed to, but the heartache from turning down the goodwill of others still bit at her. Even so, in order to share the pain of the other party, even just for a tiny bit, the most sincere thing she could do was look at the other party in the eye and reject them clearly. And so, after she attended all her sses, the time after school was the most blissful moment for Tendo. Although Tendo Karen didn¡¯t inform this to most people around her, she was a member of the Gamers Club. That wasn¡¯t a serene ce where you could y games leisurely, but a venue for people to grind their video game skills with each other. Tendo loved the seriouspetitive atmosphere that was ever present in there. After partaking for an average of two hours in club activities, Tendo would head home, study and review her homework, rx by collecting gaming news. After her preparation for the next day of school, she would turn in early to prepare herself for the next day. And so, Tendo Karen¡¯s day would proceed without pause elegantly. ¡­ Originally, she should be spending her days like this. Until she met him. Tendo-san¡¯s elegant day AFTER Tendo Karen got up very early in the morning. Jogging, morning study, club self training. Making full use of the conducive environment in the morning to increase her concentration, she could improve herself efficiently¡­ However©¤©¤ "¡­~~!~~!" She omitted the jogging and self training (basically, ying video games) part. The reason was¡­ she couldn¡¯t get out of bed. It wasn¡¯t because she wanted to sleep. It was the opposite. Because¡­ She was covering her face with her nket, and rolling around with her eyes wide open. W-W-Why did I dream about Amano-kun!? A-And the c-content is so shameless¡­ After all, t-that sort of scenario¡­! Tendo Karen relive the scenes of her dream and kept rolling around while fluttering her legs for several times¡­ In a sense, this might burn more calories than jogging. In the end, she rolled around for almost an hour after waking up before sheposed herself. She then groomed herself very quick and simply¡­ Not. S-Strange. The way my fringe looked bothers me¡­ Ah, I need to trim myshes¡­ Should I change my lipstick¡­ Hmm? A-Ara, it¡¯s already thiste! Despite spending much more time on her makeup, she still managed to reach her school at about the same time as usual, and started socializing with her ssmates¡­ After a few superficial words, she wandered to the entrance of ss F although she didn¡¯t need to pass by that area for any reason. ¡­ Is Amano-kun here yet? ¡­ He¡¯s not here. Really, how can he note to school earlier, Amano-kun is always like this. I-It¡¯s not because I want to see his face sooner. As a fellow game enthusiast, we should promote a healthy way of interaction¡­ Ah, I-I don¡¯t mean interaction in that sense. I mean our interaction through gaming©¤©¤ ¡°Huh¡­ Why is Tendo-san wandering outside our ss in a daze every morning recently?¡± ¡°W-Who knows? There must be a deep reason behind this. She is Tendo-san after all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. She is Tendo-san after all¡­¡± Probably because Tendo Karen had always been prominent, she didn¡¯t realize that there were many obviously curious gazes falling on her as she wasted loads of her morning¡¯s time away. However, her actions would suddenly end when a certain student ©¤©¤ Amano Keita reaches school. When he reached, he would naturally catch sight of Tendo, and muster his courage: "Ah, Tendo-sa©¤©¤" Halfway through his greeting, Tendo Karen would turn and walk towards ss A, as if she was emphasizing that she ¡®didn¡¯t notice Amano-kun at all¡¯. So the two of them never greet each other. By the way, Amano would be deted; Tendo would blush; and Uehara would smile deviously in a great mood whenever he saw this. This scene would repeat itself every time. When ss was over, Tendo would not just chat with her ssmates, she would take the initiative to help her teacher. ¡°Eh¡­ Tendo-san? I appreciate your help in carrying the teaching materials, but these need to go to the chemistryb¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I understand. Leave it to me, teacher.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Alright¡­ Erm, Tendo-san? That¡¯s not even the long way there, it¡¯s thepletely opposite direction¡­¡± ¡°It will be fine, Sensei. I will pass by ss F and make sure the items are delivered. (all smiles)¡± ¡°Huh? That¡¯s great¡­ Well, why do you have to pass by ss F¡­¡± ¡°I will make sure the items are delivered, don¡¯t worry. (all smiles)¡± ¡°Ah, right. Thank you.¡± ¡­ And so, Tendo Karen continued to help her teacher earnestly. Instead of trying to score points in giving a good impression, this only happened because she value the unique experience she could get from performing this task¡­ By the way, the unique experience here include ¡®she could pretend to be over encumbered by the teaching materials, so she could slow down and look at a certain background character type loner gamer boy from through the door of ss F¡¯. To be honest, that was ny percent of the reason. After that would be afternoon recess, which was a troubling time for her. Because afternoon recess had a high chance of bing ¡®confession rejection time¡¯, and she was bing worse at this as time goes by. The reason was¡­ ¡°Why¡­ Why won¡¯t you go out with me!? As expected¡­ as expected, someone like me can¡¯t match up to you right!?¡± The words of a boy from her same grade resounded at the back of the school campus. It was as good as their first meeting, but Tendo responded calmly and: ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. There are no main reasons. First of all, sorry, I don¡¯t know you very well. And of course, I think we could still be friends in the future. There is another reason why I can¡¯t date you, because I don¡¯t have any©¤©¤" Desire to date a boy©¤©¤ When Tendo was about to finish her usual speech, the boy pressed her unexpectedly: ¡°Could it be¡­ you have someone you like, Tendo-san!?" "Hmm?" The sudden question made Tendo Karen¡¯s brain freeze. No, if it was the usual her, she would dismiss it with a smile and say: ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± and then exin she didn¡¯t want to date anyone right now. However, now¡­ For some reasons, she seemed different from the famous Tendo Karen¡­ Her face was beet red, demeanour flustered, head bowed low as she gave a muffled and incoherent reply while covering her mouth. ¡°Hmm? N-No, I don¡¯t have anyone I like, y-you idiot, how could that, be. N-N-No, that¡¯s not it, I don¡¯t have, don¡¯t have any intention of dating¡­ anyone¡­¡­ Ah! I-I am not! I am not fantasizing about dating someone and feeling so blissed!¡± ¡°? Hmm? W-What? Erm¡­ Sorry, what did you just say¡­? What do you think after hearing my confession¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, I totally don¡¯t want to ept. Zero willingness.¡± ¡°How harsh!¡± ¡°Ah, I misspoke, sorry! W-Weird, I-I usually won¡¯t turn people down so cruelly, please don¡¯t misunderstand. Ah, but I really can¡¯t date you©¤©¤" And so, when Tendo Karen turns down confessions in recent time, it would somehow end in a mess. For her, afternoon recess was much more troubling than before. But after she attended all her sses, the time after school was the most blissful moment for Tendo©¤©¤ that used to be true. "¡­Tendo? Tendo!" "Ah." The hot babe game maniac Oiso Nina of the Gamers Club©¤©¤ usually addressed as Nina-senpai called out to her, and Tendo Karen reacted with a start. She then realized the fighting game character she was controlling had lost a perfect defeat. Oiso said to the dazed Tendo worriedly: ¡°You seem to be spacing out a lot recently¡­ Are you okay?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, sorry¡­ Recently, I will get lost in thought without realizing it. What¡¯s wrong with me¡­?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine since your health is fine¡­ Then, what do you usually think about?¡± ¡°... Well, I couldn¡¯t find anything inmon¡­ Eh, bits of unrted memories would sh through my mind¡­¡± ¡°Oh~~ For example?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Even though Nina-senpai is amazing, you definitely couldn¡¯t find what they have inmon¡­¡± After her opening disimer, Tendo Karen started recounting with a serious but troubled manner. ¡°For example, the first time I chatted up Amano-kun at the game shop; or when I invited Amano-kun to the Gamers Club; and the time I went to Amano-kun¡¯s ss; and when I got invited to Amano-kun¡¯s Gamers Hobby Group; and how Amano-kun is alone in ss today too; it would be great if Amano-kunes to school earlier; and why won¡¯t Amano-kun join the Gamers Club? How maddening; and what exactly is Amano-kun¡¯s rtionship with those girls around him? Also, the thing I recalled the most was the scene when I run into Amano-kun praising our club strongly when he was leaving for home from the arcade. These scenes kept reying in my mind.¡­ Fufu." "¡­¡­" "¡­ Sigh. Ah~~ even thinking about this way, I couldn¡¯t make sense of them. Right, Nina-senpai? I had been wondering what these things have inmon©¤©¤ hmm strange? Nina-senpai, where are you going!? Why do you have the look of not being able to take it anymore!? Wait, only the two of us are here today, where do you want to go¡­ Ugh, hey~~ Senpai!¡± That was why, even her Gamers Club activities wasn¡¯t going too well. After club activities was over, Tendo would head home, study and review her homework, rx by collecting gaming news. After her preparation for the next day of school, she would turn in early to prepare herself for the next day. And so... Will Amano-kun stop by the Gamers Club tomorrow? ¡­ Ah, i-it wouldn¡¯t improve the quality of the Gamers Club even if hees, and I don¡¯t really hope for him toe! Eh, b-but if he doese, I wouldn¡¯t be against that. Yes, in that case, I willy the foundation of his gaming skills for him¡­ Fufu¡­ Fufufufu¡­ After she fell asleep while thinking about all this, she would naturally dream about Amano Keita acting out a scene that made her face blush and her heart race¡­ Which led to her rolling around in bed the next morning. And so, today, Tendo Karen©¤©¤ Spent the day elegantly in a different sense from the past. Volume 2 Amano Keita and the Sold Out Game, 1: Amano Keita and the Sold Out Game

Volume 2 Amano Keita and the Sold Out Game, Chapter 1: Amano Keita and the Sold Out Game

TL: qbomb Editor: Deus Ex Machina The best kind of game is definitely an action RPG with local multiyer. ¡­What am I talking about? I, Amano Keita, am creating a ¡°List of genres that are easy and fun to y with siblings¡± ¡ªthat¡¯s what I was in the middle of doing. Everything after first ce, though, is bunched together. Fighting games, puzzle games, sugoroku, horizontal scrolling games, shooting games, all of these are interesting to y with two people. However, I still think that an action RPG with local multiyer is the best type of game to y with a brother. Rather than handheld games like Monster Hunter, hack and sh games that can be yed on a single big screen¡­ like that game called Diablo is best. What is good about these kind of games is that there is the feeling of ¡°ying together¡±. We aren¡¯t fighting each other, but cooperating. Of course, there has to be some fighting. By introducing the RPG element, it can be yed for a very long time without getting tired of it. Having a sibling means that you see each other every day in the house. Naturally, that also means that there¡¯s way too much free time. When you have too much free time, the ability to have fun together at the same time bes way more valuable. When we y in front of the big TV, though, my momins and tells us to get out of our room, while dad just eats pistachios and silently reads the newspaper. This is when I feel the happiest. If I were to talk about ¡°Games that are fun to y with friends¡±, though, the situation ispletely different. Since I don¡¯t spend long periods of time at home with friends, mobile games that asionally require cooperation such as hunting games are best. ¡­Ah, well. I, Amano Keita, don¡¯t have any friends to y hunting games with, so I wouldn¡¯t know. ¡­N-no, don¡¯t misunderstand. Before high school¡­ in middle and elementary school, I had close friends. R-really. Back then, I spent a lot of time in the baseball club, so when I got the chance to y with friends, we would only y fighting games for a short amount of time¡­ W-well, I, Amano Keita, am a gamer through and through. As a second-year high school student, I still haven¡¯t yed any hunting games with friends. ¡­N-no, let¡¯s say that differently. I, Amano Keita, am a solo yer. I have decided to y alone because I do not want other people to leech off me. ¡­Yes, that¡¯s it. I¡¯ll use ¡°Bhi¡±.[1] W-wait, no! I didn¡¯t know anyone a month ago¡­ but now I have ssmates I can call friends! Well, that friend is¡­ ¡°When you say that ying with your brother is your source of happiness, people stop listening.¡± He¡¯s really harsh. The ssroom was really lively and loud in the morning. In the seat in front of me, Uehara Tasuku-san shrugged his shoulders and let out a sigh after listening to me talk.. Even though I wouldn¡¯t usually reply, because it was about games, I wanted to object to his words. When I saw him interact cheerfully with our ssmates, however, my fighting spirit died back down. I guess you could call him a riajuu? He has a lot of friends, gets along with everyone, and even has a cute girlfriend. Compared to me, who reverts back to checking my mobile game during breaks, he¡¯s theplete opposite. Obviously, despite being ssmates, we¡¯ve only started talking recently. But because we have a point inmon, he¡¯s now my friend¡­ or rather, Uehara-kun worries about me. While he was greeting his ssmates, he noticed me fidgeting, and let out another deep sigh. ¡°Hey, Amano. I¡¯m not saying that you should be like me all of a sudden, but can¡¯t you try harder?¡± ¡°E-even if you say that¡­¡± Is he talking about trying to make friends? I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s referring to. Ever since elementary school, I¡¯ve always thought that ¡°Friends are formed naturally¡± and that they aren¡¯t ¡°forcibly made¡±. Also, I was never good at getting close to people since I was always shy. Uehara-kun started lecturing me as if he was my dad. ¡°I¡¯ve said this multiple times now. Not having friends isn¡¯t bad. Of course, spending your time happily with your family is good and all, but you have a goal in mind, right? ¡­Trying to get closer to Tendo is a really far-fetched goal, but it¡¯s your goal nevertheless.¡± ¡°Ugu¡­¡± That pained me. Because of certain circumstances, I somehow started trying to get closer to Tendo-san. Attractive, intelligent, and athletic. Even though she¡¯s Japanese, she has blonde hair and blue eyes, and is an existence that has surpassed the level of ¡°riajuu¡± and approaches godlike status. For a¡­ mob character like me, trying to get closer to a girl like her is a foolish thought. Well, there still is a bit of hope, since we are more or less acquaintances. I was given the once in a lifetime opportunity to listen to her speak, and I engraved that memory into my heart¡­ ¡°Well¡­ Even I don¡¯t think I can continue on like this.¡± ¡°I guess.¡± Uehara-kun nodded. I balled my fists and looked out the window. ¡­It reminds me of another cloudy day. The rtionship between me and Tendo-san can be described as tenuous. Not normal, not negative, but extremely thin. Of course, in a bad way. In the first ce, if my rtionship with the school idol Tendo-san ended as being acquaintances, I would normally feel privileged. But¡­ because of my actions, her impression of me is not very good (or at least, that¡¯s what I think). I guess you could call it a very big debt? Because of that, I can¡¯t turn around and go, ¡°Everything¡¯s fine if I just have games!¡±. I want to apologize to her¡­ no, rather, I want to improve our rtionship. ¡­After all, it¡¯s sad to leave a bad impression on someone who called out to me. When I resolved myself, Uehara-kun looked over, slightly puzzled but still smirking. ¡°Well, it¡¯s natural for a man to want to get closer to a beautiful girl.¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s not like that!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°¡­No¡­ well¡­ Tendo-san is certainly better than anyone else¡­¡± Uehara-kun let out yet another sigh when I blushed and muttered with my head down. ¡°¡­ Why aren¡¯t you guys dating already¡­¡± ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°No, it was nothing¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking as if Tendo-san likes me.¡± ¡°Why are you only perceptive in this kind of scene!? You blockhead of a main character!¡± ¡°Eeh!? What!? Why are you getting mad at me for getting your joke!?¡± There are limits to how unreasonable you can be! Well, he¡¯s probably trying to annoy me by bringing up Tendo-san. Am I that funny to tease just because I¡¯m trying to get closer to the school idol? ¡­No, from an outsider¡¯s point of view, it probably is funny, huh. Anyway, we both got too engrossed in the conversation, so I changed the topic. ¡°Oh right, Uehara-kun, do you want this game?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± At the sudden change in topic, Uehara-kun tilted his head in puzzlement. Reaching for my bag, I took out a game for consoles. Uehara-kun let out a voice of wonderment. ¡°Is that Kurikure 3? Wow, you got a copy.¡± ¡°Ah, yea, well, I preordered it.¡± While Uehara-kun was looking at the package, I lightly scratched my cheek. Crystal Cradle¡ªor the Kurikure Series for short, is a top-down perspective hack and sh action game. It¡¯s a really popr smash hit with lots of sales, good reviews, and with the release of the third game, is currently in very high demand with low stock. Despite having DLC¡¯s, its price on online auction sites are steadily increasing, and even Uehara-kun knows how difficult it is to get a copy. However¡­[2] I timidly proposed a deal to Uehara-kun, who was eyeing the package in envy. ¡°Uehara-kun, do you want this¡­?¡± ¡°Ha? Not even lend, but you want to give it to me? That precious thing?¡± ¡°Ah, yea.¡± In a panic, I tried to exin to him as he tilted his neck in confusion. ¡°No, I have another copy. Of course, I preordered one. But at the same time, I entered a giveaway on a whim. But I also won the giveaway, so¡­¡± ¡°I see now. Sounds like something you¡¯d do. Well, if that¡¯s the case, I understand, but¡­¡± Uehara-kun made a grim face. When I asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±, he scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°Wait¡­ Why are you giving this to me?¡± ¡°What? Why, you say¡­ I thought that you¡¯d be happy if I gave it to you.¡± Uehara-kun suddenly went ¡°Oof¡± and awkwardly twitched, but cleared his throat and responded. ¡°I-I¡¯m thankful, but you should probably think about how you use things.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, like selling it online for a high price? Hmm, but I don¡¯t want to do something like that¡­¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s a good idea, but you can probably do something even better.¡± ¡°What? What would that be¡­¡± I was utterly confused. Uehara-kun sighed yet again, and with a mischievous smile, held the game right in front of my face. ¡°First of all, shouldn¡¯t you see whether or not Tendou-san has this game?¡± ¡°Oh!¡± In that moment, my outburst echoed in the ssroom. £ª Uehara-kun was right. In other words, Tendo-san didn¡¯t have a copy of Kurikure 3 and was looking for it. ¡°It looks like she really wants it.¡± That was one of my few friends, Misumi Eichi-kun, who was pretty close to Tendo-san. When I learned of this during the lunch break, I immediately went to Uehara-kun and told him of the news. He was finishing up his lunch with Aguri-san (I got a fierce re from her¡ªplease forgive me). Sitting down in the same seat as he was this morning, he started to think of strategies as if he was trying to do something evil. ¡°Hey, this is a perfect chance. The way you use this game is going to be a major factor in this loveedy¡ª¡± ¡°Ah, by the way, Uehara-kun, do you really not want Kurikure 3? It¡¯s really interesting¡ª¡± ¡°Are you an idiot!?¡± ¡°Ow!¡± He sent a chop towards my head. Why did he have to hit me with all his strength!? ¡°You¡¯re really a big idiot! If I said ¡®I want it¡¯, would you hand it over to me!?¡± ¡°Ah, yea, if you said you wanted it, I would give it to you. It¡¯s really interesting¡­ Ow, it hurts!¡± He hit me again on the top of my head. Hitting me twice is too harsh¡­ While I was groaning in pain with teary eyes, Uehara-kun started shouting at me with a flushed face. ¡°What are you doing!? You¡¯re stupid! You¡¯re really stupid!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re saying it twice, then this must be really important¡­¡± ¡°Of course! Seriously, you¡­ Well, it¡¯s because you¡¯re like this that I get this worked up¡­¡± ¡°Ehehe, Uehara-kun, do you like me that much¡ªO-ouch!¡± He hit me again. Cruel. This is too harsh. I can feel a bump forming on my head. Even my parent¡¯s don¡¯t hit me like this. Seriously. ¡°You¡­ Well, fine. Anyway, I really don¡¯t need this game. Just give it to Tendo-san somehow. Put in so much effort as if you¡¯d die any time now.¡± ¡°W-wouldn¡¯t it be really creepy if some otaku tried to give a girl a game like that?¡± ¡°W-well, I guess. ¡­Then try and give it to her casually, in a refreshing manner, but with that much effort.¡± ¡°This feels like a terrifyingly dark n¡­¡± With a sigh, I thought over the n once again. Putting the game down, I tapped my fingers on the table. £ª ¡°Eh, did Tendo-san note to the Gamers club today?¡± I rushed to the Gamers club room right after school. Misumi-kun made an apologetic face. ¡°Sorry, Amano-kun. It looks like I underestimated her desire for Kurikure 3.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I mean, Tendo-san¡­ took a break from club activities today to go look throughout the town to find the game.¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Also, it looks like her phone died. I haven¡¯t been able to contact her at all.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Misumi-kun scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°Well, I always thought that Tendo-san was more of the stoic, honors student¡­¡± ¡°Right? Well, in the first ce, she joined this school because of the club¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± We both exchanged wry smiles. Saying my thanks, I left the club room and started to think more about my n. ¡°(Well, should I give it to her tomorrow? ¡­But, if Tendo-san finds a copy today, everything¡¯s over. No, even if she doesn¡¯t find a copy, she might settle for downloading the game.)¡± As I thought, are evil ns bound to be unsessful? Leaving the building, I headed towards the nearby bus stop to go home¡ªnot. Rather, I started walking towards the urban area. ¡°(No, that¡¯s bad! Leaving aside my own feelings, if I gave this to her, she wouldn¡¯t have to waste her money unnecessarily! Alright, let¡¯s try harder! Let¡¯s look for Tendo-san!)¡± She¡¯s helped me before. So, if I have even the smallest possibility of helping her, I shouldn¡¯t give up so easily. With renewed determination, I started jogging down the street. ¡°(In this area, there should be three ces to buy new games.)¡± I thought of the best route to look for her. Since I also like games, I frequented this route after school to look at games. But¡­ ¡°(Since Tendo-san left school a while ago, it might be better to look for her starting from the furthest area first¡­)¡± Instead of following her, there¡¯s probably a higher chance of meeting her if I try to go the opposite way. Making up my mind, I decided to go to the toy section in the department store that is the furthest from school and has the worst selection of games. Going up the esctor, I went towards the toy section, feeling a bit out of ce. Walking up to the video game disy, I looked around for Tendo-san, but I didn¡¯t see her nearby. ¡°(Looks like she¡¯s not here¡­)¡± Even though she wasn¡¯t there, I wasn¡¯t disappointed. I felt that if I got to find her, it would be a great deal. ¡­Well, I didn¡¯t really profit though. Because I didn¡¯t see Tendo-san, I went to the counter to see if there was a copy of Kurikure. ¡°Um¡­ well, this area¡¯s pretty messy¡­¡± That¡¯s typical of a department store. There¡¯s something that looks like a new releases section, but there were games from over a month ago. But it looked kind of strange, so it looked great for finding weird games. However¡ª ¡°So, um, Chri¡­ Christmas Idol? So you guys don¡¯t have that game!?¡± Suddenly, the voice of a male who sounded too old to be in the toy department rang out. I looked towards the source of the voice. In front of the counter was a 40-something man who was pressing the clerk for answers. He was wearing a white shirt with the top button unfastened and was holding a jacket in his right hand. It looked like he was an office worker, but he was also wearing chinos, so I . ¡°(He has a somewhat rough appearance, but still looks strangely handsome¡­)¡± One reason for his rough appearance is because he¡¯s somewhat good-looking, but seeing him desperately asking the clerk for the game looks straight out of a drama. Feeling slightly nervous, the clerk said, ¡°Like I said, we don¡¯t have the game Christmas Idol at this store¡­¡±, but he mmed his fist against the counter and sent an earnest gaze to the clerk. ¡°In the first ce, it might not even be called Christmas Idol!¡± ¡°Uh¡ª¡± At the same time as the clerk did, I raised my voice. He nced at me for a second, but turned back to her. Oddly, my heart started beating faster. ¡°(W-what is this? Are they actors? It¡¯spletely like they¡¯re on a stage¡­)¡± I felt like they would shout ¡°Oh, god, we have to redo it!?¡± any time now. She turned to deal with the customer once again. ¡°Um, but I don¡¯t really know the name myself¡­¡± ¡°Tsk¡­! Is there nothing that can be done!?¡± He hung his head. ¡­It was the first time I heard anyone say that in real life. ¡°(I shouldn¡¯t be sitting around watching¡­ I¡¯m wasting time.)¡± I should probably leave right after I confirm that they don¡¯t have Crystal Cradle 3¡ª ¡°Cra¡­ cr, cracking Chestnut Condor! It¡¯s something like that, then the number 3!¡± ¡°!?¡± I looked over towards the counter. By any chance¡­ In contrast to me, the clerk was looking up the game ¡°Cracking Chestnut Condor¡±, and obviously, got the result ¡°No matches¡±. ¡°Dammit¡­! Is it the end of the line!?¡± Why are you using that phrase? ¡­Well, that¡¯s fine, but was he searching for¡­ While wondering what I should do, he looked over to me and shouted at me. ¡°You boy, over there!¡± ¡°Over there!?¡± Again, why is he talking like that? When I asked ¡°Y-yes?¡± while trembling in fear, he called out to me with a sharp glint in his eye. ¡°Shoplifting is a crime!¡± ¡°What!?¡± Somehow, I was used of a ridiculous crime. However, he crossed his arms and started nodding. ¡°It¡¯s ok, it¡¯s ok. It¡¯s ok if you don¡¯t say anything. Everyone does one or two bad things in their youth. Today, I¡¯ll overlook it. Right, Tanabe-san?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± The clerk¡ªor rather, Tanabe-san, spoke as if she didn¡¯t hear anything. At least it seems like she didn¡¯t suspect me at all. That makes me relieved, but¡­ But¡­ ¡°¡­Just go, boy.¡± ¡°No no no no no!¡± Go!? How can I leave in this situation!? Blood rushed up to my head as I approached him, trying to tell him that I wasn¡¯t a shoplifter¡­ I tried my best to tell him. ¡°I-I think it¡¯s Crystal Cradle!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± He blinked in surprise. Before anything else came out, I had to correct the title of the game first. ¡­I¡¯m hopeless. At that moment, the clerk went ¡°Oh¡± and looked it up at the register. It seems like the search yielded a result. ¡°Crystal Cradle! Was the game you were looking for called Crystal Cradle, sir?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­? ¡­Oh! It is! It is Crystal Cradle!¡± His face brightened up. With a smile, he forcibly took my hand and shook it. ¡°Thank you, boy! You helped me remember the name!¡± Another exaggeration. I wryly smiled and said ¡°No, it was nothing¡­¡± but he continued on with a broad grin. ¡°Alright, for your good deed, I¡¯ll forgive your sins!¡± ¡°No no no, in the first ce, I¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s in stock!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The clerk interrupted our conversation. ¡°The game Crystal Cradle 3 is in stock! There¡¯s only one copy, though¡­¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± Of course, the man shouted in a panic. That¡¯s odd, when I checked, it was already toote¡­ ¡°W-where is it!?¡± He asked the clerk, almost falling over. She said ¡°Give me a second¡±, but then¡­ ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°¡­Oh?¡± She looked at us with an awkward smile. ¡°The only copy of Crystal Cradle 3 was just bought.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Both of us shouted in surprise. Well, I didn¡¯t want it, but questions still arose. Thinking that it probably was Tendo-san that got it, I was feeling regretful. The clerk was looking around awkwardly. ¡­? Exchanging nces with the man, we followed her gaze, and¡­ ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Over there, was another person. At the counter on the other side of the store, someone was finishing up their purchase, and it was clear that the bag was just the right size for the game. ¡°Oh!¡± At our loud voices, the person who finished the purchase turned around. ¡­Wait, I just realized, but that uniform¡­ and that hairstyle¡­ ¡°¡­Keita?¡± ¡°Chiaki!?¡± My enemy, Hoshinomori Chiaki, was looking at us with her head tilted in curiosity. Noticing that I was looking at the shopping bag she was holding, she looked at me with an evil smile. ¡°Yay~, I got thest copy of Crystal Cradle 3, I¡¯m so lucky, ehehe.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­ Chiaki, you¡­!¡± What a bad personality! Why is a girl like her bing popr at school! N-no, if I think about it, I already have two copies, so her smug smile doesn¡¯t really mean anything¡­ But why do I feel a strange sense of defeat! Right. Even though I already had a copy, the man next to me, though¡­ ¡°Y-you! You over there!¡± ¡°Hii!?¡± The man clearly thought that Chiaki was making fun of him, and shouted at her. ¡°(Crap!)¡± Chiaki, who¡¯s really timid when she talks to people other than me, started trembling with teary eyes. I tried to stop the man. ¡°W-wait! This is a misunderstanding! Chiaki, don¡¯t do stupid things and just go!¡± ¡°Uuh¡­! ¡­K-keita, you¡¯re stupid, stupid! ¡°Why!?¡± For some reason, Chiaki ran away in tears. I don¡¯t know why, but she seems to dislike me more. ¡­Well, that¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t care whether or not she likes me. ¡°Let go! Let go, boy! You guys were conspiring together, weren¡¯t you! Dammit!¡± ¡°You¡¯re misunderstanding everything!¡± Trying to calm him down, I exined the situation to him and that Chiaki had done nothing wrong. When he regained hisposure, he bowed his head to both me and the clerk as he said ¡°S-sorry¡­¡± in apology. ¡°I got really into it somehow, as if I was acting on stage¡­¡± ¡°We know.¡± The clerk and I both immediately replied, and he bowed once again. And then he said, ¡°Oh, right.¡± and took out a business card. As expected, the profile written on the card was¡­ ¡°You¡¯re Miyamoto Satoshi-san, an actor¡­¡± ¡°Yes, for the most part, I always act like I¡¯m on stage.¡± He replied with a grin, his white teeth showing. Unfortunately, I¡¯ve never heard of his name, but I feel like he would be a popr celebrity. He once again bowed to the clerk, said goodbye, and turned his back to the counter. Because I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, I first said to the clerk, ¡°I really didn¡¯t shoplift!¡±, to which she replied with a wry smile, ¡°Alright, I got it.¡± I then promptly said goodbye and left the area. Of course, I didn¡¯t have anything else to do with the man, but for some reason he followed me and eventually caught up to me, walking side by side with a big smile. ¡°Fuu¡­ Both you and I have things to reflect on, huh?¡± ¡°No, I really don¡¯t have anything to reflect on!¡± For some reason, I was included. Is he still doubting me? While walking, I tried my best to convince him that I really didn¡¯t shoplift. When we approached the entrance of the department store, he said ¡°Well then, bye¡­¡± and we separated. ¡°Sorry for everything, boy! Stay strong!¡± ¡°H-hah.¡± Miyamoto-san waved goodbye while shouting in a loud voice, while I returned a small bow and hurried away. ¡°(I somehow met a strange person¡­ Anyway, let¡¯s not lose focus of the goal.¡± Once again, I started to look for Tendo-san at the nearby game stores. The next store is the only electronics store in town. The good thing is that everything there is reasonably priced, but it doesn¡¯t focus on games, and so it has a bad selection and bad inventory. It¡¯s a ce I go to without any expectations from the beginning. If it has what I¡¯m looking for, it¡¯s lucky event, not anything ordinary. Well, it¡¯s that kind of ce. After walking for five minutes, I arrived at the store. Making my way to the game corner, I looked at the TV in the store that had the news on. ¡­I¡¯m not a gamer that really cares about the disyg, but I am fascinated by good TVs. At that moment, a gamemercial yed on the TV. After watching it to the very end, I arrived at the game corner. However¡­ ¡°(As I thought, Tendo-san doesn¡¯t seem to be here¡­)¡± I would be able to tell if Tendo-san was here in an instant because of her easily recognizable blonde hair and blue eyes. But then again, there were so many people, so I wouldn¡¯t know unless she was nearby. Looking through the store, I checked the shelves, made sure that Kurikure 3 wasn¡¯t there, and so I should now¡ª ¡°Do you have the game Tartar Sauce Binge Drinking!?¡±[3] ¡ªleave, but at that moment, I overheard another person asking about a game at the cash register. Acting on a hunch, I peeked through the shelves and looked at the situation. Over there¡­ ¡°It¡¯s Tartar something! No, it might not even be Tartar!¡± ¡°Uh¡­ yes?¡± ¡ªThe male actor was annoying the clerk and putting him on the spot. The clerk looked new to the job and looked around for his co-workers, but no one was around. Meanwhile, he¡ªMiyamoto-san kept repeating strange titles. ¡­I just want to leave. I have things to do. But¡­ ¡°¡­Uh, I think this person is trying to ask for the recently released game, Crystal Cradle 3. Do you have any copies in stock?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°P-please wait a bit.¡± While Miyamoto-san was still surprised, the clerk searched for the game. Miyamoto-san turned to me with a smile at the chance encounter. ¡°This is good fortune! A blessing!¡± ¡°Ahaha¡­ t-thanks.¡± I made another awkward smile when he started talking as if he was acting. And then I tilted my head in confusion. ¡°Why are you here, too? By any chance, are you looking for the same game?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, well, something like that.¡± Truthfully, I¡¯m looking for someone who is looking for the game. I didn¡¯t try to exin that since it would be confusing. Miyamoto-san, with a grim expression, mumbled ¡°Is that so¡­¡±. ¡°It looks like this game is a popr one. ¡­I should put in more effort.¡± ¡°¡­Um, by any chance, do you normally have no interest in games?¡± I asked because I was interested. No, rather, I thought that he would know the name of the title if he had an interest in games. Miyamoto-san scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°Truthfully, yea. I heard that this was really popr these days, so I became interested. But I haven¡¯t been able to find it anywhere, so I was starting to get annoyed.¡± ¡°Hah¡­ I see.¡± I didn¡¯t know Kurikure was popr enough to attract the attention of non-gamers. That would certainly cause stock to drop a lot quicker, too. ¡°(¡­Although, in that case, I wish people that are more interested in games would be able to get a copy¡­ At least, if there was only one copy and both Tendo-san and this man were there, I would definitely want Tendo-san to get it.)¡± In this case, it¡¯s not that bad, but if people who weren¡¯t interested didn¡¯t buy any copies, the ones who actually yed games would be able to buy it. While I was thinking, the clerk gave us the bad news. ¡°Ah, it looks like Crystal Cradle 3 is not in stock. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Alright. Sorry for troubling you. Well then!¡± Miyamoto-san left the ce in a gant manner. I also started walking in the same direction. He was scratching his cheek and mumbling to himself. ¡°Umu, not here too. Money isn¡¯t a problem, but rather¡­¡± ¡°Then you can find them on online auctions, you know.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s a bit different. I want to have it in my hand, not shipped to meter. I would be able to pay anything for a copy.¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± I could understand his sentiment. If there was a game I really wanted, I would search everywhere for it and buy it for a fixed price without any discounts. Facing the exit, I said my goodbye, and walked away. Behind me, I heard Miyamoto-san talk to himself in a loud voice. ¡°Ah, isn¡¯t there anyone that has a copy of the game¡­¡± *flinch* ¡°If someone had it, I would negotiate anything for it¡­¡± *shudder* I tried to look behind me. ¡­I don¡¯t feel like anyone¡¯s staring at me. It looks like he¡¯s actually talking to himself. ¡­A monologue, is it? Well, he is an actor, so¡­ Suddenly, our eyes seemed to meet, and I turned around in a panic. ¡°(If he learns that I have an extra copy, then this¡¯ll be really troublesome¡­!)¡± Tensing up, I quickly walked out of the building. Walking fast enough to be about of breath, I reached thest store¡­ It was a game shop that I frequently visited. ¡°(¡­I have to be careful to not meet that person again!)¡± I headed towards the game shop using a road that I didn¡¯t use very often. It wasn¡¯t much different from walking on the main street, but it¡¯s narrow and dark, so I preferred the main road. ¡°(Anyway, I probably won¡¯t meet Miyamoto-san on this road¡­ but wait a second!)¡± While walking, I realized an important point. ¡°(That also means Tendo-san probably doesn¡¯t use this road!)¡± What should I do? Because I was too upied with avoiding Miyamoto-san, I forgot¡­ that my original goal was to encounter Tendo-san by going the opposite direction of her path. ¡°Uwaa, what if we pass each other¡­¡± I thought of going back and taking the main road again, but I was already too far away. Letting out a sigh, I decided to keep walking to thest shop. Perhaps, for some reason, Tendo-san might be going hometer than I thought, and she might still be at the store. With a faint hope, I entered the familiar game store. ¡­I think it was also here that I was able to talk to Tendo-san for the first time. ¡°(Alright. I feel like¡­ another fateful encounter will happen here!¡± If this was a loveedy, where else would an event be? As I walked towards the inner part of the store, my heart started racing. As I thought, my expectations were splendidly¡ª ¡°(¡­Yea¡ª)¡± crushed. There was no blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl in here. This is my life¡ªmediocre. Things like a loveedy temte wouldn¡¯t apply to me. Speaking of which, a g which would be more appropriate is¡ª ¡°Shopkeeper, please!¡± ¡°(He came!)¡± Upon hearing that distinctive voice once again, I immediately hid myself behind the shelves. He¡ªMiyamoto-san entered the store, looked around the store to see if I was there, then headed to the cash register. ¡°(I-I was saved because I know theyout so well¡­¡± Trying to escape to an area well out of his sight, I moved silently through the shelves. ¡­I imagined I was a snake for a second, but I immediately thought ¡°What am I even doing¡­¡± and became depressed. ¡­I didn¡¯te here so I could pretend to be a snake. ¡°Do you have any copies of Cry¡­ ¡­Crystal Cradle 3, shopkeeper!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a part-time worker¡­¡± I stealthily made my way to the exit as I watched him finally get the name right. ¡­I already made sure that this store didn¡¯t have a copy of Kurikure 3. By experience, I know that if the package isn¡¯t in the storefront, it¡¯s not in inventory either. In fact, as I expected, the clerk immediately apologized. ¡°We sold out of stock for Crystal Cradle 3 yesterday¡­ the next shipment is still unknown.¡± ¡°Dammit¡­! Can nothing else be done¡­¡± Miyamoto-san copsed in defeat in front of the register. ¡­What is this, a solo performance? The clerk was really flustered in front of the copsed Miyamoto-san. ¡°(Alright, time to leave¡­)¡± While Miyamoto-san was on the ground, I once again made my way to the exit. ¡­I wasn¡¯t able to meet Tendo-san, but it can¡¯t be helped. Since none of the stores had a copy anyway, Tendo-san probably wasn¡¯t able to buy it. After all¡­ ¡°(I can just normally give it to her during break time tomorrow!¡± Well, she might be able to buy it from an online auction. However, it¡¯s likely that she¡¯ll face the same problems as today. Also, after spending all of today looking for the game, if I¡¯m able to give my copy to her¡­ then she¡¯ll definitely be grateful, and she might look at me in a better light! ¡°(It¡¯s a bit misleading, but¡­ Tendo-san will be happy too! I felt a strange sense of aplishment as I stealthily made my way past Miyamoto-san. Paying careful attention to the register, I walked out of the store with light steps¡ª ¡°Ah. Amano-kun!¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Hearing someone¡¯s voice from the entrance, my body tensed up in surprise. ¡°M-misumi-kun!? W-why are you here¡­¡± ¡°Well, the club ended early today, so I also thought to look for a copy of Kurikure 3.¡± ¡°O-oh, I see¡­¡± I was sweating buckets. Why¡­ would Misumi-kun be here¡­ I felt a gaze on my back from the register¡­ But, without knowing the situation, Misumi-kun set off andmine. ¡°Oh right, Amano-kun, were you able to give your copy of Kurikure 3 to her?¡± ¡°(Misumi-kuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnnnn!)¡± I can¡¯t help but feel hatred towards that big smile! Even though he didn¡¯t have any bad intentions and didn¡¯t know what was happening¡­ sorry, Misumi-kun! I want to hit you really badly! I didn¡¯t even have time to punch him, though, since I felt a presence approaching me from the back. Turning around in surprise, there was¡­ not Misumi-kun, but rather, the broadly grinning Miyamoto-san. ¡°Hey hey, we meet again, boy!¡± ¡°Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!¡± I involuntary screamed, as if I saw a face from one of Umezu Ka¡ðo¡¯s works. Still unable to read the mood, Misumi-kun tilted his head in curiosity. Miyamoto-san kept smiling with a grin.[4] Miyamoto stood in front of me, and I broke out in a cold sweat at the situation¡­ in an instant, he abruptly kneeled on the ground and prostrated himself. ¡°Please! I can pay however much you want, but please give me the game!¡± ¡°No!¡± I refused instantly. T-this is too valuable. It¡¯ll open up a bridge between me and Tendo-san. It¡¯s not something that can be solved with money. However, Miyamoto-san kept begging. ¡°Then what do you want!? My signature!? Do you want my signature!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want it!¡± ¡°What do you mean, you don¡¯t want it! Isn¡¯t that rude to an actor!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± I apologized out of habit from the great pressure. I quickly regained my wits. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it! It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want your signature, but I cannot give up this game!¡± ¡°Then what will make you agree to negotiate!?¡± ¡°Nothing can be exchanged!¡± ¡°Even if I offered my life!?¡± ¡°There¡¯s way too many things wrong with that!¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯m extremely reluctant, but¡­ I¡¯ll go on a date with you once!¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one that¡¯s reluctant! It¡¯s on the same level as offering your life!!¡± ¡°My signature, life, a date¡­ boy, do you even have anything you want!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m normal! Money was the best option out of all of those!¡± ¡°Alright, money it is! How about 1500 yen!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying! Also, way too cheap! Even the listed price is higher!¡± ¡°¡­You have a weird sense of values, boy.¡± ¡°I have a normal sense of values though!¡± Misumi-kun was flustered, not knowing what to do, while the clerk was looking at us while grumbling ¡°Please stop doing weird things in front of the store¡­¡± We kept ring at each other in silence for a while¡­ He was the first to break the silence. Suddenly getting up, he dusted off his legs, and looked at me with a wry smile. ¡°Sorry, boy. I showed you something disgraceful.¡± ¡°Huh? No, it¡¯s fine¡­¡± I blinked in confusion. Miyamoto-san scratched his head and continued on. ¡°Having helped me a lot today, even if we were strangers, a nice boy like you must have a reason as to why you can¡¯t give me the game. ¡­Sorry, please forgive me.¡± ¡°Eh¡­ uh, no¡­ that¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m also sorry too.¡± Feeling bad that I tried to stealthily run away from meeting Miyamoto-san, I hung my head in shame. He cheerfully smiled and patted my shoulder. ¡°What is there for you to apologize for? I was just being selfish.¡± ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± ¡°No, really, you don¡¯t have to worry. In the first ce, it wasn¡¯t like I really wanted that game. I was being stubborn. ¡°H-ha¡­ If you say so¡­¡± ¡°Yea. ¡­Sorry, got a phone call.¡± Miyamoto-san took out his smartphone from his shirt pocket. Misumi-kun and I exchanged looks, and then I said, ¡°W-well then, I¡¯ll leave now¡­¡± Misumi-kun, who didn¡¯t know anything to the very end, also awkwardly said bye. Miyamoto-san waved back with a smile. ¡°Hi, it¡¯s me¡­¡± After seeing that he started talking on the phone, Misumi-kun decided to take a look in the store, and we separated. Finally, time to leave¡ª ¡°Hey, Kaori. Sorry. The game¡¯s sold out everywhere. Yea. ¡­There¡¯s other games to y together at home. Oh, right, also tell my daughter¡ª¡± ¡­ I stopped in the middle of the doorway. £ª ¡°You actually gave it to some random man on the street!?¡± Uehara-kun shouted at me in the ssroom the next morning. Attracting the attention of the people out in the hallway, I curled up in my seat. ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± ¡°If things could be solved with a ¡®sorry¡¯, there would be no need for a loveedy police!¡± ¡°Where is this loveedy police in the first ce?¡± ¡°That¡¯s me! I¡¯m the chief of police! And I sentence you to life in prison!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what policemen do¡­¡± ¡°Be quiet, you attempted loveedy suicide!¡± ¡°What is this new charge!?¡± ¡°Why do you always, always break your own gs with Tendo! You¡¯d do better even if you ran into each other by chance!¡± ¡°I have no words to say. However, um, I would like to call for mywyer, Misumi-kun¡­¡± ¡°Lawyers aren¡¯t allowed in the interrogation room!¡± ¡°This loveedy police is very corrupt.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because this is an incident at hand! This is just depressing!¡± ¡°This system brings happiness to no one, this loveedy police.¡± ¡°Shut up! If we¡¯re able to control someone like you, we¡¯ll be happy!¡± ¡°What a bad organization. Have I evenmitted that severe of a crime?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll go to my cell.¡± Because Uehara-kun had a really angry look on his face, I hung my head in shame. He kept looking at me for a while, and then sighed in resignation. ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine already. I know you¡¯re the kind of person to do that.¡± ¡°Wah, those words are really like what a friend would say!¡± ¡°Shut up, I¡¯ll actually hit you.¡± ¡°Wah, those words are really like what a bully would say¡­ ¡­Sorry.¡± ¡°¡­Hah.¡± Uehara-kun sighed once again, then continued talking. ¡°Well, it was your game in the first ce. You can do whatever you want with it. But even so, you¡­ gave it to some man that you just met for free. Did you not have the spirit to say that you won¡¯t give up your game for any amount of money?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, well, that spirit hasn¡¯t changed.¡± ¡°Hah?¡± Uehara-kun tilted his neck, not understanding. I then told him the whole story. ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t give up the game for any amount of money. But if someone can be happy, then I would dly hand it over.¡± ¡°¡­What the hell, are you Buddha? Or are you some god of games?¡± I returned a bitter smile to the shocked Uehara-kun. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to say that at all. Hmm¡­ do you not understand? I¡¯m happy if people can have fun with the games they y.¡± ¡°¡­Is it fine for that man to get it over Tendo?¡± ¡°Well, I want Tendo-san to be have fun too. But I think that Tendo-san will probably get her hands on the game eventually. But, in this case, if I didn¡¯t give it to Miyamoto-san, he probably would¡¯ve settled for a different game¡­¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t let him settle for a different game, huh. ¡­You¡¯re really stupid, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± This time around, even I was surprised. Giving a game to a stranger might be a phnthropic activity, but I still have a bad taste in my mouth. ¡­But¡­ but still¡­ I know more than anyone else what it means to have fun with your family while ying games. Uehara-kunughed andforted me. ¡°¡­Well, isn¡¯t it fine already?¡± ¡°Uehara-kun¡­¡± My eyes teared up. Feeling embarrassed, Uehara-kun averted his eyes and changed the subject. ¡°Well? How are you going to make up for your lost chances now?¡± Well, to that question, I¡­ with a smile, answered as I normally would. ¡°I¡¯ll do that by ying fun games, of course!¡± Epilogue Miyamoto Satoshi, who was returning home, was thinking about the contents of the bag with a smile on his face as he walked in the door. It¡¯s the game his daughter had wanted for a while now. Furthermore, Miyamoto also wanted the game so he could y with the family. He would¡¯ve paid as much money as he could for it. Lately, my job has been busy, so I haven¡¯t been able to travel or do much. I was able to get the game at just the right time. Also, my daughter is a child who takes action really quickly, so as soon as she finds a game, I wouldn¡¯t be able to talk to her, but¡­ because of that boy, I was able to find it quickly. With this, I canmunicate with her properly.[5] Feeling excited, Miyamoto rang the inte. The namete of the house suddenly entered Miyamoto¡¯s vision¡ªit had the characters ¡°Tendo¡± on it. Heughed to himself as he realized that he got used to using his stage name. The door opened, and his wife, Tendo Kaori, opened the door with a smile. Closing her eyes, she told him that their daughter had alreadye home in disappointment, having not been able to find the game. Miyamoto returned a smile, walked into the hallway, and¡­ called out the name of his beloved daughter in a loud voice. ¡°I¡¯m back! Hey, Karen,e here for a sec¡ª!¡± Notes: 1. Bhi is short for hitori bhi, which means ¡°solitary¡±. 2. I¡¯m not sure if this game is a reference to anything. Please tell me if it is. 3. I¡¯ll be using ¡°()¡± to denote thoughts. 4. In Japanese, this is pronounced simrly. I couldn¡¯t find a way to make ¡°binge drinking¡± rhyme with ¡°cradle¡±. 5. Umezu Kazuo is a horror manga author. 6. PoV is weird in this section. It¡¯s generally in 3rd person, but it was in the PoV of Miyamoto for this paragraph. Volume 2, 2: The Gamer’s Hobby Club and the Two Person Play

Volume 2, Chapter 2: The Gamer¡¯s Hobby Club and the Two Person y

TL: qbomb Editor: Deus Ex Machina ¡°Why are you being so stubborn, Chiaki!? ¡®Moe¡¯ is a universal quality that makes every workplete!¡± ¡°Oho,plete, is it? Then one question, Keita. Are you iming that you need ¡®moe¡¯ even for a war movie?¡± ¡°Like I said¡ª! Why are your ideas so extreme!?¡± ¡°Is being extreme that bad~? Aren¡¯t personal opinions supposed to be biased~? fun~, this is why a lonely boy who believes that staying neutral is better than giving constructivements is¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be like a boring adult, but I guess it¡¯s better than creators who don¡¯t care like you.¡± ¡°Shut up, chibi.¡± ¡°How uncute, you ¡®seaweed girl¡¯.¡± After school, sitting across each other at a desk, a boy and a girl red at each other. ¡°You guys, get along¡ª ¡­Hah¡­¡± Sitting in between the two, I tried to stop their fighting while yawning loudly. Naturally, though, their fight wasn¡¯t something that could be solved so simply. Ignoring mepletely, they resumed their ¡°moe¡± debate, leaving me alone¡­ finally, I came to a conclusion. ¡°(This Hobby Club is so boringggggggggg!)¡± It¡¯s already been a month since the Gamer¡¯s Hobby Club was created. Though irregrly, the club met about once or twice a week, and this is already the tenth meeting, but¡­ To be frank, after the eighth time, I don¡¯t know how they can continue to fight about the same thing over and over again. Amano and Hoshinomori somehow always fight every single time they meet. Of course, they leave me out every single time, and it gets boring pretty fast. Also, this fight is¡­ it¡¯s certainly a fight, but from my point of view, it makes my heart strangely itch from time to time¡­ ¡°Oh, by the way.¡± Taking a pause from advocating his ¡°moe¡±, Amano loosened his necktie and let out a sigh before continuing to talk. ¡°Chiaki, how far have you gotten in Kurikure 3?¡± Taking a sip of her coffee-vored soy milk, Hoshinomori replied cheerfully, unlike the menacing look she had on her face earlier. ¡°Fufu~n. Listen carefully, Keita. I¡­ have finally reached the great capital city, Elst!¡± ¡°Oh, me too.¡± ¡°Eh!? Ugu¡­ and I thought I was ahead of you¡­!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s what I should be saying. Yesterday, my RNG was pretty good, so I got a decent amount of progress done.¡± ¡°S-same here. It was the first time I showed off in years, too¡­!¡± They both red at each other while grinding their teeth in irritation. then a few seconds of silence passed. ¡°¡­ The.. the boss of Thirst Valley was good¡­¡± Amano muttered as he averted his eyes. ¡°¡­ Well¡­ that¡­ the setup and the background music were good, it was difficult but not unreasonable, and the boss¡¯ behavioral pattern was good as well, so certainly, it was a good boss¡­¡± Hoshinomori also averted her gaze and timidly replied. The two of them stole nces at each other, but never faced each other directly. Continuing the conversation, they kept fidgeting. ¡°A-and then the bnce of the dungeons are as good as they can possibly be. Even though skills improve and better weapons drop at a reasonable pace, the battles don¡¯t be tiring and the game¡¯s difficulty is perfectly adjusted!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah! It really lived up to expectations! Keita, you have a good eye for detail! That¡¯s exactly right! Sadly, I don¡¯t have anyone to talk about the game like that with. On the inte, the topic has shifted to speedrunning since they have already cleared the game, leaving behind the slow gamers like us.¡­¡± ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right! I only have a short time to y games each day, and even then, I¡¯m not very good at it and also have other games to y, so I don¡¯t have anyone else to talk to who¡¯s on the same part of the game as I am. That¡¯s why I only talk to my brother about the game, wait¡­¡± ¡°I know what you mean! I also only talk about the game with my sister who has about the same game progress! Well, it¡¯s not like I have much friends in the first ce¡­¡± ¡°Yea¡­ There aren¡¯t any friends who are progressing at the same rate we do¡­¡± ¡°Because of that, I¡¯ve been trying to pass you in the gametely¡­¡± ¡°Yea, me too¡­¡± They began to fidget and nced at each other once again. And then¡­ ¡°But, I hate the heroine Lisa because she¡¯s so pushy.¡± ¡°Hah!? That¡¯s being pushy? Hmph, this is why a loser girl who immediatelybels a 2D heroine as ¡°unrealistic¡± is¡­¡± ¡°Hah!? Disgusting! There isn¡¯t any boy out there who would start defending a heroine character like her¡ª¡± Suddenly, their gentle conversation took a turn and they started fighting for a second round. Even though they were averting their eyes from each other a second ago, they were now ring at each other and quarrelling. While I watched over two warmly¡­ my mind screamed inside. ¡°(Go marry already and do this at homeeeeeeeeeeeeee!)¡± Do you understand? This fight is a fight, but¡­ it looks like a lover¡¯s quarrel. I can¡¯t stand to watch this; my heart¡¯s beating too loudly. ¡°(Even though looking over Amano¡¯s loveedy is like a hobby¡­! Somehow¡­ when I watch them talk, it¡¯s way too sweet!)¡± Far from keeping my distance, I¡¯m surprised because I insist that I¡¯m not friends with them. What the hell? What have I been doing here after school these days? Also, because there¡¯s the difficult situation with my girlfriend, it¡¯s even more difficult. I feel like I would be forgiven right now if I got up and hit Amano. I think the jury would dere, ¡°Even though it was definitely an outburst of anger, taking the circumstances into consideration, the defendant is not guilty.¡± While I was going through various emotions, the two kept fighting. ¡°The scene where Lisa gets jealous of Serena is the most heart-pounding scene!¡± ¡°Ah, that event is really disgusting. It always feels like a loveedy as well, but especially, why is the heroine, who isn¡¯t even going out with the protagonist, getting mad because he¡¯s with other girls? I don¡¯t get it. She doesn¡¯t have the right to get mad.¡± ¡°No, she definitely has the right! Then Chiaki, if you saw a boy you were interested in walking with a cute girl, what would you think!?¡± ¡°Eh, I-I¡­ um¡­¡± Hoshinomori sent a fleeting nce towards me. ¡­Honestly, I¡¯ve known that she¡¯s been emotionally attached to me for a while now, but because of her seemingly natural middle-aged couple act with Amano, I just can¡¯t take her good will seriously. It¡¯s probably simr to how Amano is emotionally attached to me. It¡¯s like imprinting in chicks; she was probably overjoyed by the fact that she was able to make a new friend. She sent me a flustered look as our eyes met. After a few moments of contemtion, she answered Amano with a wry smile. ¡°I¡­ if I saw the boy I liked having fun with a girl, I think I would be sad for a little while¡­ but, eventually, I would only think ¡®Good for them¡¯¡­ A-at least, I wouldn¡¯t get mad. Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Watching her reply so bashfully, both Amano and I stopped breathing in surprise and sunk into silence¡­ As she hung her head in embarrassment, I elbowed Amano lightly and whispered into his ear. ¡°(H-hey, Amano! Don¡¯t you feel anything when you see Hoshinomori like this?)¡± ¡°(What!? N-no, that¡¯s what I should be saying, Uehara-kun!)¡± ¡°(Hah!? Why would you be saying that!? That doesn¡¯t make any sense! No, more importantly, Amano. You just saw that right now. Don¡¯t you¡­ feel like she¡¯s surprisingly a good girl?)¡± ¡°(I-is that so? That¡¯s, well¡­ that¡¯s¡­ honestly, I feel like I just lost that argument¡­ N-next time, I won¡¯t lose!)¡± ¡°(No, no, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying! Win or lose doesn¡¯t matter! Don¡¯t you feel inside your heart that you want to protect a cute girl like her!?)¡± ¡°(¡­fu~n, I see¡­ so that¡¯s what you were thinking, Uehara-kun¡­)¡± ¡°(Why are you looking at me with those eyes as if you were looking a pile of trash!? A-anyway, I was just saying how I think Hoshinomori¡¯s a good girl¡­¡± ¡°(I-I don¡¯t want to hear that from Uehara-kun¡¯s mouth! You¡¯re the worst!)¡± ¡°(Why are you suddenly talking like a girl!?)¡± ¡°(No, I guess you could say that I¡¯m speaking for a certain person¡­)¡± ¡°(Don¡¯t say things that don¡¯t make sense. You¡­ just gopromise with Hoshinomori. You understand, right? She¡¯s really a good person.)¡± ¡°(Guh¡­)¡± Amano groaned, as if someone poked a bruise. He hung his head just like Hoshinomori and stayed silent for a short while¡­ Showing some kind of renewed determination, he sat up in his chair. ¡°Ch-chiaki!¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± Hoshinomori tilted her head in curiousity while looking at Amano, whose back muscles were tensed. The two of them looked at each other for a while¡­ Amano¡¯s face tightened up, and he talked as he looked straight at Hoshinomori¡¯s eyes. ¡°I-I think that someone like Chiaki has a lot of ¡®moe¡¯!¡± He said it. He really said it. He said it even more directly than I thought he would. A lonely boy who grew up without having learned how tomunicate with the other gender is really scary. Quickly, I looked at Hoshinomori¡¯s reaction. Her cheeks were tinged pink¡ªnot. Rather, her head was steaming in anger! ¡°D-d-don¡¯t make a fool out of me, Keita!¡± Hoshinomori mmed her hand against the table and stood up. Ignoring the both of us, who werepletely dumbfounded, she continued to talk with teary eyes. ¡°S-saying that I have ¡®moe¡¯ attributes¡­ Just the thought of it makes me scared!¡± ¡°What!?¡± Both Amano and I were dumbfounded. No¡­ how much does she hate ¡®moe¡¯ that she goes as far as to reject apliment¡­ Trembling, she wrapped her arms around herself. ¡­Even though I¡¯m not Amano, I feel like it can¡¯t be helped that someone with a small, animal-like form like her would be called ¡°moe¡±. ¡°E-especially since Keita called me ¡®moe¡¯¡­ I-I only feel disgusted!¡± ¡°(Wah~, how moe~)¡± I looked at the tsundere girl with practically saint-like eyes. However, receiving her words directly, Amano groaned and said, ¡°Ugu, certainly, I must be disgusting!¡±. Ah¡­e to think of it, this guy really has no confidence in himself. I looked at Hoshinomori once again. ¡­Like a girl would be, it looked like she was really angry. I¡¯ve only been a third party, but from what I can tell, the ¡°moe¡± that Hoshinomori hates seems to refer to the heroine¡¯s strong personality. From the outside, the heroine seems to always take the initiative, and since she sees the character as fundamentally wed, she seems to see the character in a bad light. ¡°(In other words, I guess it means that saying that Hoshinomori has an aspect of ¡®moe¡¯ to her will end with a shallow understanding.)¡± Well, that¡¯s certainly regrettably sad¡­ wait, what? No, wait a second. ¡°(She¡­ just then, didn¡¯t she say that ¡®especially¡¯ ¡®Amano¡¯ was the bad part¡­)¡± While I was pondering over that, this time it was Amano that hit the desk with his hand and stood up. ¡°I-I¡¯m truly sorry that you were disgusted by my words. B-but¡­¡± Looking at her with a fierce re, he spoke with a strong voice. ¡°When I say that you have ¡®moe¡¯, I¡¯m only saying the highest words of praise that I can!¡± ¡­Huh? N-no, isn¡¯t, isn¡¯t that a really bold thing to say¡ª ¡°Shut up, shut up! I¡¯m not happy to receive your praise! No matter how you use it, I hate ¡®moe¡¯!¡± ¡°Hah!? Even until now, are you going to be so childish!?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the child here!? I don¡¯t think the chibi who¡¯s shouting ¡®moe¡¯ is the adult here!¡± ¡°It¡¯s still better than you, ¡®seaweed girl¡¯!¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± ¡°Um¡­ h-hey¡­¡± Even though I raised my hand and tried to speak up, the two of them continued to fight without any signs of stopping. After watching over them for short while again¡­ I let out a sigh once again. ¡°(The girl who wants him to properly look at her, and a boy who says that he thinks she¡¯s cute from the bottom of his heart. If this isn¡¯t mutual love, I don¡¯t know what is¡­)¡± At least, these two had a good rtionship that you could call ¡°friendship¡±. ¡°¡­Good grief.¡± With a sigh, I observed them argue over moe once again. Well¡­ actually, even including all these arguments, these two make a good pair. In other words, my actions were nothing but pointless meddling. ¡°That¡¯s why Chiaki is¡ª¡± ¡°Keita, Keita, that¡¯s strange¡ª¡± The ever-constant situation of the Hobby Club. The rays of the sun entered the ssroom gently as it set. In the end, I failed to improve their antagonistic rtionship, and continued to watch them for a bit. A gentle, adult-like smile appeared on my face. Calmly, I looked out the window¡­ I quietly thought over what happened today. ¡°(Like I thought, this Hobby Group is super boringggggggggggggggggggggg!)¡± The harsh rays of the sun pierced my eyes as I remembered how I spent the daypletely alone, having been left out of the discussion the whole time. 1. ¡®Seaweed girl¡¯ refers to her hairstyle. Volume 2, 3: Aguri and the Communication Mishap

Volume 2, Chapter 3: Aguri and the Communication Mishap

TL: qbomb Editor: Deus Ex Machina Note: Aguri refers to herself in the third person. A certain day of a certain month. Today, Aguri finished the daily love report (it¡¯s painful every time) at the family restaurant with Amano-chi and yed around with the phone to kill some time before Aguri finished her drink. ¡°(As usual, Tasuku rarely contacts me¡­)¡± Feeling somewhat hurt by the truth today once again, Aguri turned off her phone. Looking up, Aguri saw Amano-chi trying really hard to do something on his smartphone that he was holding inndscape mode. Aguri leaned against the table, rested her cheek on her hand, and gazed at him with a slightly amazed look. ¡°¡­Amano-chi, you really like your, uh, ¡®beep boops¡¯, huh.¡± ¡°¡®Beep boop¡¯? Not even olddies say that anymore to refer to games, you know.¡± Amano-chi didn¡¯t look away from the screen at all while shooting back a tsukkomi. ¡­Is being able to respond to Aguri without looking up from his game evolution or de-evolution¡­? The ice cubes in the cup clinked against one another as Aguri stirred her soda with her straw. ¡°No,pared to other people ying around on apps, Amano-chi gives off more of a ¡®gamer¡¯ feeling¡­ I guess you could say that it no longer looks like a smartphone.¡± ¡°Are you saying it looks like I¡¯m ying on a Game & Watch?¡± ¡°Huh? What? Watch? Are you talking about that thing that makes youkai appear?¡±[1] ¡°No, it¡¯s different. It¡¯s an old portable gaming console. Do you not know about it? It¡¯s about the size of a smartphone with a monochrome disy.¡± Amano-chi finally looked up from his phone and exined it thoroughly to Aguri. ¡­But no matter how much you tell Aguri, you don¡¯t know what you don¡¯t know. ¡°Rather, Amano-chi, you¡¯re the same age as Aguri, so I doubt that you know about old games.¡± ¡°Huh? Why¡­ it¡¯s the same as simple addition and subtraction. Isn¡¯t it justmon knowledge?¡± ¡°Definitely not!¡± Aguri¡¯s doesn¡¯t know anything about games at all, but Aguri definitely thinks that Game & Watch isn¡¯tmon knowledge as Amano-chi thinks it is! At this point, Aguri would usually shift the topic toward Amano-chi¡¯s interest in games, but this time, he unexpectedlyunched a counterattack. ¡°But, Uehara-kun always follows along whenever I talk about games.¡± ¡°Ugu!?¡± Aguri faltered from the jab. ¡­Certainly, it might not bemon knowledge, but since Tasu has an interest in these kind of things, is Aguri unable to understand him at all? Because of that, that girl¡­ Hoshinomori Chiaki is now a threat in various ways. Suddenly feeling attacked by a wave of anxiety, Aguri¡¯s gaze wandered around the family restaurant¡­ Trying to lookposed, I shifted the conversation towards games once again. ¡°What¡­ what kind of games does Tasu y these days, I wonder¡­¡± It was clear that Aguri¡¯s question was of a lower priority as Amano-chi looked back down at his game and responded. ¡°It looks like he¡¯s starting to y FPS gamestely.¡± ¡°F¡­ F¡­ P¡­ S?¡± W-whatnguage is this? Is this rted to kaki pii in some way? No? No, right?[2] Not noticing that Aguri was utterly confused, this game otaku boy continued to talk. ¡°An exhrating, skill-dependent game where you shoot your opponents like an FPS certainly suits Uehara-kun~.¡± ¡°Huh? Y-yea, that¡¯s right. I-it fits Tasu perfectly. Ef¡­ oh! FPS!¡± Noticing that ¡°F P S¡± meant the acronym ¡°FPS¡±, Aguri pointlessly eximed in realization. Suddenly, Amano-chi looked up at Aguri in excitement, but didn¡¯t try to ask anything and looked back down at his game. ¡°(Guh¡­ what the hell, Aguri doesn¡¯t want to learn what kind of game an FPS is and what it stands for from an otaku boy who keeps saying ¡®FPS¡¯ over and over again!)¡± Whenever Aguri talks about fashion, Amano-chi would always go ¡°D¨¦coll¡­ et¨¦?¡± with a nk face, but it feels like this power rtionship was just flipped. Moving past that topic, Aguri started thinking to wonder what this ¡°FPS¡± that her boyfriend like was. ¡°(He said that it was an exhrating, skill-dependent game where you shoot your opponents¡­ right? Shoot¡­ in other words¡­ the ¡®S¡¯ stands for shooting, right!? And then, ¡®FPS¡¯ would mean¡­)¡± While trying to reason out the answer, Aguri asked Amano-chi indirectly to check her answers. ¡°A-amano-chi, do you also like it? That game¡­¡± ¡°What? What game are you talking about?¡± Not expecting to be continuing the conversation from before, Amano-chi looked up and tilted his head. Believing that ¡°This is it!¡±, Aguri tried to check her answer. ¡°A ¡®Friend¡¯s Parents Shooting¡¯ game.¡± ¡°A game where you shoot your friend¡¯s parents!? I-I don¡¯t like that kind of game!¡± ¡°Is that so? Then you don¡¯t have the same tastes Tasu does then, Amano-chi.¡± ¡°Uehara-kun likes that kind of game!? Honestly, that¡¯s just scary!¡± H-huh, that¡¯s strange. Somehow, it doesn¡¯t look like ¡°FPS¡± is a game where you shoot your friend¡¯s parents. But now it¡¯s hard to ask for the correct answer. First of all, Aguri will stick with her interpretation for the time being, but Amano-chi was grumbling to himself for some reason. ¡°But, to think that Uehara-kun likes those kind of hardcore games¡­ Before, he said that ¡®Lately, I¡¯ve lost interest in MO games (a multiyer co-op game like Monster ¡ð¡ðnter)¡¯, but¡­¡± At those words, Aguri jumped up in surprise. ¡°Eh, he has¡­ has an interest in M-type boys?!?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, yea, well, Uehara-kun has many friends and gets invited a lot too.¡± ¡°Really!? I-is that, w-why, Tasu gets along with Amano-chi so well these days?¡± To Aguri, who was asking in a panicked voice¡­ Amano-chi shyly smiled for some reason, said ¡°No way,¡± and waved his hand in denial. ¡°Uehara-kun and I, haven¡¯t done it yet, you know?¡± ¡°What do you mean by yet, yet! Why are you making such an outrageous statement so easily, Amano-chi!?¡± Aguri reflexively hit the table and stood up. ¡°Huh? What are you so excited about? Aguri-san.¡± ¡°A¡­ Aguri¡¯s not excited! Aguri doesn¡¯t have those kind of hobbies!¡± ¡°H-hah, that is true. Aguri-san doesn¡¯t really y¡­¡± ¡°P-¡ª Hey, Amano-chi! Don¡¯t think of Aguri as a easy woman! Aguri means, Aguri is really shocked! Aguri never thought that Amano-chi was that much of a yer!¡± ¡°What? Oh, my house is a pretty easy-going environment, so I y with strangers, going ¡°bang, bang¡±. On the inte!¡± ¡°You y around with people you just randomly meet online!? That¡¯s extreme! You¡¯ve reached a new low, Amano-chi!¡±[3] ¡°Ehehe, well, honestly, it¡¯s at a level where it can¡¯t be helped that I¡¯m so bad¡­¡± ¡°Why are you proud of that!? D-don¡¯t pull in my Tasu like that!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t agree to that no matter how much Aguri-san asks. After all, the person himself wants to, so¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that, m-my boyfriend, wants to do it!¡± Atst, Aguri shouted as her faced flushed red. The surrounding customers, startled at the outburst, faced in our direction¡­ Eventually, Amano-chi looked like he realized something, and panicked. ¡°Ah, u-uh, umm, I don¡¯t know when, but didn¡¯t we just have a horrible misunderstanding!?¡± ¡°Huh? A misunderstanding¡­¡± Aguri finally calmed down, and deliberately talked it over with Amano-chi. And then¡ªseveral minutester. ¡°Oh my.¡± There were the figures of two people having a friendly conversation while putting their hands on their chests, sighing in relief. Thinking about the absurd misunderstanding we had, both of usughed ¡°Seriously, we¡¯re idiots for not noticing that misunderstanding earlier.¡± ¡°Really, really! Ahaha, ah, that¡¯s funny! That¡¯s really funny!¡± ¡°Yea, it is! It¡¯s practically miraculous how much we misunderstand each other! But even then¡­¡± ¡°Yea, I don¡¯t know if it was a fairy or God, but it was a bit excessive of a prank. But¡­¡± The two of us, while smiling, then said the same words at the same time. ¡°Aguri (we) aren¡¯t that thickheaded to not have noticed our misunderstanding!¡± We both praised each other¡¯s perceptiveness while smiling. And so, today once again, the meeting¡­ without having really helped either of us, ended on a calm and positive note. Notes: 1. Reference to Youkai Watch 2. Rice crackers with peanuts 3. There¡¯s another misunderstanding here about the ¡°bang, bang!¡± that Amano says, but I found it difficult to make the wordye across in English. Volume 2, 4: Extra: Misumi Eiichi and the Infuriating Battle

Volume 2, Chapter 4: Extra: Misumi Eiichi and the Infuriating Battle

TL: qbomb Editor: Deus Ex Machina I can¡¯t empathize with a mediocre main character who loves an uneventful everyday life. The reason is, I¡¯ve never experienced putting myself in that ¡°ordinary everyday life¡±. Three years ago, I found myself ying puzzle games in an arcade. ¡­Before that, I have no memory of anything. I wasn¡¯t holding any identification, wallet, or a phone; instead, there was a small handgun haphazardly jammed into the inner pocket of my jacket. ¡­For as long as I can remember, my life was the exact opposite of ¡°ordinary¡±. When I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror, both my facial features and my body looked like that of a middle schooler¡¯s, but I didn¡¯t know my exact age. The uniform I was wearing looked more like a military uniform than a school uniform, and on my armband, the letters ¡°E.G.G.¡± were written in the silhouette of a griffon. It sounded like some name of an organization. Aimlessly wandering the town without a particr destination, I encountered a girl confronted by men in ck suits pretending to help in a back-alley. Going with the flow of things, I helped her out. Once the incident was over, the girl, Riki, finally arrived at her destination¡ªit was her parent¡¯s home, the mansion of the Misumi family. After being frank with my circumstances and with a stroke of good luck, the head of the Misumi family, possessed by a strong sense of duty, brought me into the family as an adopted child, and so I became the person I am today¡ª¡±Misumi Eiichi¡±. And so I was given food, clothing, and shelter, but even then, my life wasn¡¯t by any means calm. A mysterious organization that was aiming for my step-sister would often contact me, glimpses of a past rtionship between me and that organization would asionally appear, the family¡¯s pharmaceuticalpany seemed to have a few secrets, my sister would always get mad whenever I talked to a girl from school, and I would often be attacked by people who wore the same uniform I was wearing when I first woke up¡­ And most recently, the most beautiful girl from Otobuki High School, Tendo Karen-san, called out to me and invited me to the Gamers Club for some reason (my sister had a sullen expression). Well, at any rate, in the life of Misumi Eiichi, there was no such thing as an ¡°ordinary, boring day¡±. As a result, since I don¡¯t know what merit being ¡°ordinary¡± has in the first ce, whenever I read a manga or a novel depicting a protagonist that treats it as an important thing, I don¡¯t understand. Because my everyday life has always been in ¡°a state of perpetual action¡±, whenever a work depicts an ¡°ordinary life¡±, I can only think of it as a boring, t, and a useless depiction. So I, starting now, will tell a story. A story using the typical, overused light novel setting, though I feel very regretful doing so. At the end of the day, Starting from the time when the special main character who wished for something extraordinary is called out by the beautiful girl, this is an extraordinary tale that makes me empathize to a remarkable extent¡ª ¡ªThis is a story about a game. £ª ¡°Is it¡­ the local TVGT preliminaries?¡± ¡°Yea!¡± In the clubroom of the Gamers Club, the beautiful as ever president Tendo Karen-san, confidently pushed forward a proposal. Kase-senpai was ying an FPS, and Oiso-senpai was ying a fighting game quietly, so the only two first-years in the room were idling. In the scattered setting of the clubroom, Tendo-san faced towards me and handed me a flyer. While I quickly scanned through the flyer, Tendo-san kept enthusiastically rambling on and on. ¡°Total Video Game Tournament, or TVGT for short. It¡¯s next Saturday, so it¡¯s a bit sudden, but I wanted to invite you to participate in this tournament. Of course, I will too.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s no problem, but¡­¡± While talking, I sent a fleeting nce towards the senpais. Even though we were talking about game tournament, they look strangely uninterested. Tendo-san had a bitter smile. ¡°Those two¡­ well, I mean, other than the two of us, no one else will go.¡± ¡°Eh, is that the case? Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you know by looking at the flyer, but this tournament¡¯s biggest feature is being a prehensive game tournament¡¯¡­ in other words, youpete in all genres of games. So, a game with somepetitive aspect will be randomly selected right before the next round.¡± ¡°Heh~, that sounds somewhat like a festival; it looks fun.¡± ¡°Right? I also think that way and go every year, but look at these other club members¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I see.¡± Understanding how Tendo-san feels, I nodded my head. Other than Tendo-san and I, the other members of the Gamers Club were people who are fundamentally ¡°specialized¡±. They¡¯re people who have an interest in and are good at specific games like FPS or fighting games. Naturally, they don¡¯t have a reason to participate in the prehensive game tournament. ¡­Now that I think about it, that might by why Tendo-san wanted people like Amano and I who haven¡¯t ¡°matured as gamers¡±. After looking over the flyer and noting the key points briefly, I turned to Tendo-san with a smile. ¡°Alright. Then, let me ept your kind offer, and let¡¯s participate together. Well, I¡¯m a beginner, so I¡¯ll probably be eliminated pretty early on anyway¡­¡± At my reply, Tendo-san¡¯s golden hair fluttered in the air as she smiled. ¡°OK, good! You can sign up here. Let¡¯s both do our best.¡± ¡°Yea. Please take care of me.¡± After finishing her exnation, Tendo-san went back to her seat. I looked over the flyer once again. ¡°(A tournament, huh. This kind of event sounds more exciting than our usual club activities. ¡­As I thought, I still don¡¯t know what it means to have an ¡®ordinary life¡¯.)¡± Looking forward to the new experience and the fierce battle toe, my heart leapt in excitement. ¡ªHowever, a disturbance that would surpass my expectations awaited me at the game tournament. £ª I think the part that makes games fun is that unlike reality, for every action, there is a proper ¡°reply¡±. It¡¯s probably different for unreasonably bad video games or games based on chance, but fundamentally, most games are based on predetermined rules. If the yer presses a button, the character will respond, if your HP goes down to zero, it¡¯s game over, and if you defeat thest boss, the game ends. This ¡°rule-bound world¡± felt veryfortable to me. At the very least, an outrageous event like that happens in real life is less believable than any event that urs in a high quality game. In that kind of world, it¡¯spletely possible to have ¡°victory¡± or ¡°defeat¡± without killing or injuring anyone¡­ it¡¯s really wonderful. ¡°¡­Today¡¯s finally the tournament, huh.¡± Saturday morning. After finishing my breakfast with the family as always, I was sitting in the dining room, sipping coffee, while thinking about games. ¡ªWhen I realized, though, my sister, Riki, was still in the dining room, although she usually finishes her breakfast quickly and leaves the room. Sitting across from me, she looked at me sullenly while resting her cheek in her hands. She¡¯s a dainty girl that looks like a really delicate doll. I started the conversation with a harmless and inoffensive smile. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look somewhat unhappy today.¡± ¡°¡­Not really~. Rumors have been reaching my all girl¡¯s school that Eiichi has ns on his day off with a popr, beautiful woman known as Tendo Karen, but that has absolutely nothing to do with me, so¡­¡± Rika talked with a sullen look on her face. ¡­As the ojou-sama of a respectable family, even though she usually acts elegantly, she can be childish from time to time when she¡¯s talking to me. ¡­Honestly, it¡¯s pretty embarrassing, but I guess it means that she¡¯s opening up her heart to me¡­ well, I am a little happy. When I chuckled unintentionally, Riki pouted and stuck out her lips. ¡°A-are you that excited about going out with Tendo-san?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, well, I guess. Actually, I¡¯m really looking forward to today.¡± Anyway, ever since joining the club, I, as a beginner, found my hands full learning about all sorts of games, so I never had the chance to ever y against anyone. Because of that, I felt even more excited for today. ¡°(Actually, it¡¯s because that game was really fun. When Tendo-san, Kase-senpai, Oiso-senpai, and Amano all yed together¡­)¡± Thinking back on those fun times, I unintentionally smiled. I don¡¯t know what she was thinking while she was looking at me, but Rika, in a really bad mood, hit the table and stood up. ¡°Thank you for the meal!¡± ¡°Oh, Riki, if you¡¯re also going out, make sure to be careful of the usual organization¡ª¡± ¡°Tch, i-it has nothing to do with Eiichi! Well then, have a good day!¡± ¡°Ah, o-ok. You too, Riki, have a good¡ª¡± Before I could finish, Riki quickly walked out of the dining room. ¡­Hmm, I wonder. By any chance, did she want me to hold her bags today? What a natural ojou-sama. Well, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll cheer upter. ¡°¡­Alright!¡± Drinking thest of my coffee, I pumped myself up and walked out of the house. The local TVGT preliminaries were being hosted at the biggest game center in the area. After meeting Tendo-san, we both registered for thepetition and got nametes with the registered name and number. Once that was finished, we sat against the wall together and passed time until our first event. ¡­However¡­ ¡°¡­Even now, Tendo-san, when you¡¯re going out¡­ or rather, when you¡¯re outside, you attract a lot of attention.¡± Ever since we met up, I have been unintentionally wincing since we were attracting everyone¡¯s attention. However, Tendo-san seemed to be used to it, and looked confident instead. ¡°Is that so? Misumi-kun, if you feel mindful of it, I don¡¯t mind if we separate.¡± ¡°Ah, no, I¡¯m normally used to the attention, but¡­¡± In thest three years, I got involved in quite a few troubles downtown, so I¡¯m pretty resistant to attention. ¡­But in this case, Tendo-san stands out too much. While looking at the crowd with a strange admiration, Tendo-san suddenlyughed as if she saw something really funny. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, no, it¡¯s nothing. When we were talking about being used to attention, I thought of Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Ah, he looks like the type that would be bad with these kind of things.¡± While we were talking back and forth about amon friend, Tendo-san suddenly started talking enthusiastically for some reason. ¡°Yea, that¡¯s right! Whenever I get close to him, his face immediately turns red. I guess he feels somewhat embarrassed. ¡­Fufu.¡± ¡°?¡± I blinked my eyes in confusion as I looked at Tendo-san, who wasughing really hard in enjoyment. ¡°(H-how strange, for her tough like this. ¡­She¡¯s usually pretty gentle, so I didn¡¯t think she had this kind of side to her¡­)¡± I¡¯ve never seen this Tendo-san at the Gamers Club. ¡­Personally, I didn¡¯t think our conversation about Amano-kun was that funny¡­ Rather, I only think that Amano-kun is pretty pitiful, but¡­ I couldn¡¯t bring myself tough about Amano-kun with her, so I changed the subject. ¡°Anyway, there are a surprising amount of people at this preliminary. I mean, this area isn¡¯t even a city.¡± ¡°Yea, that¡¯s right. Well, the preliminary level really feels like a festival, so the threshold is pretty low. Misumi-kun, if¡­ if this were a serious fighting gamepetition, you would¡¯ve hesitated to join, right?¡± ¡°Yea, probably.¡± ¡°TVGT opens its doors pretty widely and lets a lot of participants join. ¡­But because of that, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a ¡®true warrior¡¯ participating here today.¡± ¡°¡®True warrior¡¯, huh¡­¡± Unable to imagine a ¡®true warrior¡¯ for games, I tilted my head in curiousity. Tendo-san said, ¡°For example¡­ look, the one in the white hat¡± and looked towards the corner of the room. ¡°He¡¯s one of the more famous yers. Look, he has that glint in his eye.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± I was lost for words. The one in the white hat looked like a university student with the characteristic freckles¡­ ¡°He¡¯s went to the strip mahjong seats and sat down magnificently with his legs crossed!?¡± Tendo-san talked calmly while I was still in shock. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it shocking? Look at that face full of confidence. He¡¯s disregarding even the families apanying other members looks of disdain as well. You look like you haven¡¯t thought about why no one dares to enter that area in all this confusion and bustle. ¡°Gulp¡­ c-certainly a warrior¡­ a warrior that only looks at games¡­¡± It seems like gamers follow the path of terrifying fights and battles. While I trembled, thinking about its various meanings, the loudspeaker made a screeching sound, and then an announcement was made over the PA system. After the standard greetings and rules, they finally announced the details of the tournament. The tournament had been divided into 3 groups, and they were starting to be disyed on several monitors throughout the building. While I checked my number and my name, the participants of group A had started being listed. Tendo-san talked as the numbers were being disyed. ¡°That¡¯s me. My genre is¡­ puzzle games. Then, people to watch out for¡­ ok, it doesn¡¯t look like there aren¡¯t any famous yers to look out for. That¡¯s too bad.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m d that I didn¡¯t have to meet Tendo-san in the preliminaries.¡± At these preliminaries, one person from groups A, B, and C win in their respective groups¡­ so, in the end, three people get to advance to the next stage. In other words, if I¡¯m not in the same group as someone else, we don¡¯t have to fight in this round. While Tendo-san said, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s too bad¡±, in a mischievous way, the announcement for group B started. I looked attentively as my heart beat loudly¡­ finally, I saw my number listed. ¡°The genre is¡­ t-tennis games? Uwa, it¡¯s a genre I¡¯ve never tried before.¡± Feeling that I¡¯d be eliminated in the first round, my mood was dampened. Tendo-san, while in a flustered state, responded. ¡°B-but look, your opponents are also probably bad at tennis games¡ª ¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Tendo-san? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seeing that she abruptly stopped talking, I looked at my opponent in the group. ¡°Number 43¡­ uh¡­ Echizen-san? Um, do you know the person?¡± Tendo-san stayed silent to my question and looked towards the corner of the room. Is he over there¡­? ¡°¡­Uh¡­ what about that strip mahjong person¡ªwait, by any chance¡­¡± While I was trying to guess, Tendo-san broke out in a cold sweat as she nodded¡­ After a few moments of silence, Tendo-san only said a few words with a grave look on her face. ¡°That person is, your opponent, Echizen. His ystyle involves provoking others by talking in an extremely condescending manner and he¡¯s known as the . In other words¡­ he¡¯s one of the best yers of tennis games.¡± ¡°¡­¡± While I was lost for words, Echizen, having seen my namete, broadly grinned. And while sitting on the strip mahjong chair¡ªhe looked towards me, who was trembling, and with confidence dripping from his freckled face, he muttered something. ¡°You still have a long way to go.¡±[1] £ª The match consisted of a single set, first to four wins. As expected, Echizen started out massively dominant. Game 1. I didn¡¯t know how to y and straight up lost. Echizen smiled. ¡°You still have lots more to work on¡­ (Mada mada dane.)¡± ¡°H-hah, is that so¡­ (What?)¡± He said something with a smile on his face, looking like he was being cool and refreshing, but I couldn¡¯t hear him very well so I gave an ambiguous reply. Game 2. Having learned how to y the game atst, in the end, I lost once again. Echizen said a few words. ¡°I will advance.¡± ¡°H-hah, is that so¡­ (It¡¯s a tournament, so you¡¯ll advance if you win¡­)¡± This person surprisingly seems like he loves taking things at his own pace. It¡¯s as if he¡¯s a game character that only says a few fixed lines. ¡°(By any chance, are all gamers like this for their whole lives¡ª)¡± While I thought about it, Tendo-san was shaking her head violently in denial. ¡­It was my first time seeing Tendo-san with such a desperate look. Game 3. As a result of the improvement of my own skills and the mistakes from Echizen¡¯s overconfidence, I was able to take a point, but eventually lost. ¡°Won¡¯t you teach me how to y tennis?¡± ¡°¡­Uh¡­ (I don¡¯t think he has the right to be speaking so sarcastically. Besides¡­)¡± He still had the stereotypical lines, but his smug look disappeared. And then, it was game 4. ¡°¡­Fu, fu~n, not, not bad¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± His voice shook, but kept saying fixed phrases. I nced at him briefly, but looked back down at the game screen. ¡­I didn¡¯t want to lose focus. Finally, I took a game from him; this feeling. Changing up the flow of things, the surroundings started to be noisy, and game 5 started. The result of the game was¡­ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Echizen forgot his typical lines after that game, and I looked at my screen with a calm gaze, waiting for the next game¡­ Unlike us, however, the spectators were getting amped up. ¡°H-hey, this guy just took two games off Echizen!¡± ¡°It was¡­ by chance, right? It¡¯s gotta be a lie. He was aplete amateur in the first game¡­¡± The attention had shifted away from the famous yer Echizen and towards the no-name yer, Misumi, who had just won two games. Gritting his teeth, Echizen had a desperate look on his face. Game 6. ¡°I¡­ I will defeat you and make it to the nationals!¡± He shouted a war-cry during the match, but to no avail. I beat Echizen once again. ¡­This time, he was only able to take a point, and my skill had surpassed his. ¡°¡­¡± Everyone watching the match was holding their breath. All the excitement had already passed, and instead, the atmosphere was a mixture of anticipation and awe as a strange mood hung over the crowd. And the deciding game¡­ game 7. ¡°¡­I want to be stronger. More¡­ moooooorrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeee!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Echizen had all but copsed and forgot his lines and his character, but¡ª ¡°¡­¡± As if it was a throwaway game, I¡­ uninterestedly looked down at my controller, and without losing a single point, won the match. For a short while, only the sound of the game echoed in the room. But right after, the silence was broken by loud cheering. ¡°A-amazing! What is this!? An amateur just beat Echizen at a tennis game!¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s a lie! He¡¯s a famous yer, so I bet he gotzy and lost!¡± ¡°No, you saw what just happened, right!? He didn¡¯t lose on purpose, he was actually beaten by aplete amateur!¡± ¡°But in thest game, didn¡¯t he look like a pro yer!?¡± ¡°A-are you saying he got better¡­? In.. in those seven games¡­?¡± During the confusion of the surroundings, I calmed myself down and let out my breath. Looking to my side, I saw an exhausted Echizen grumbling to himself, saying ¡°Where did the pir of Seigaku go?¡±. ¡­Even to the very end, I still don¡¯t get what this guy is saying. Well, it¡¯s not like I heard anything he said. ¡°Good job, Misumi-kun. ¡­You were great.¡± Making my way back through the crowd, I went to go meet Tendo-san, who was smiling, but had a stiff look on her face. Wondering why, I returned a smile while saying, ¡°You too, Tendo-san¡±. ¡°In the first round, you were winning handily unlike me, right?¡± ¡°Yea, I was, but¡­ but you¡­¡± Tendo-san was talking in a roundabout way. She was looking down as if she was thinking about something, and looked up after a few seconds. ¡°Misumi-kun, you¡­ is this really your first time ying these tennis game?¡± ¡°? Yea, that¡¯s right. Or should I say, it was my first time trying out the tennis game genre itself.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right¡­¡± Looking at Tendo-san, who had a thinyer of sweat on her forehead, I thought I somehow said something bad, and tried to follow up in a panic. ¡°Ah, b-but, it was a real fight! It waspletely different from ying alone, and I feel like I learned a lot. It¡¯s all thanks to the .¡± ¡°¡­Yea¡­ because it was a fight¡­ huh. ¡­Then, that time when you visited the Gamers Club¡­¡± ¡°L-look, Tendo-san! More importantly, your second match is about to start!¡± ¡°Eh, oh, y-yea. I¡¯ll be off, then.¡± ¡°Ok, take care.¡± After saying goodbye and making sure that she got to her destination, I unintentionally let out a deep sigh and looked at my own hand. ¡°(Yes, this feeling of satisfaction. Challenging a difficult obstacle, and oveing it with all my might¡­ Because I have these moments, games are¡­ no, an everyday life filled with idents is the best.)¡± Grabbing my trembling hands in excitement, I looked towards the monitor to check the location of my second match. £ª After the momentum from beating Echizen, I made my way through the preliminaries and eventually won the group B tournament. After the simple award ceremony finished, Tendo-san and I made my way back. Leaving the stuffy arcade, the air outside was really refreshing¡­ It¡¯s not like the arcade was ufortable, but I felt relieved, as if I returned to the world I belonged to. ¡°At any rate, you¡¯re amazing, Misumi-kun. For someone who just started ying that game, you got a lot better.¡± While walking side-by-side, Tendo-san would praise me from time to time. However, it looks like she considers winning group A handily was a natural and obvious oue. With a bitter smile, I replied to Tendo-san, who was the same as ever. ¡°No, you¡¯re exaggerating things, Tendo-san. I¡­ I was just desperately trying to hold on by imitating others.¡± ¡°Your ability to concentrate isn¡¯t normal, Misumi-kun. Even Kase-senpai has recognized you.¡± ¡°No, like I was saying¡­ Also, today¡¯s tournament was actually a really friendly match for beginners.¡± ¡°Ah¡ª¡­ Well, that¡¯s certainly true, but¡­¡± Tendo-san nodded. Her best virtue is not overestimating or underestimating other people. Tendo-san touched her chin in thought, and then continued talking. ¡°Today¡¯s preliminaries was restricted to a small region and had that ¡®festival¡¯ kind of feeling, so for a genre like tennis games, thepetition ends up having a lot of beginners. For a structure like that, it really suited your fast growth rate. But¡­¡± ¡°Yea, I also understood that. If the match waspletely decided on a single game, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything. Myplete loss in my first game to Echizen-san is a good example. If that was the end of the match, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to improve.¡± ¡°Yea. I think it¡¯s apletely worthy assessment of your skills, but sadly, the opponents in the next round will gradually get harder and harder. In other words¡­¡± ¡°Unlike this time, I won¡¯t be able to get used to apletely different game from the beginning, huh.¡± To my words, Tendo-san regretfully nodded. ¡°And another bad thing is that since TVGT is such a bigpetition, the schedule¡¯s usually really crowded. So¡­¡± ¡°So I have limited time to learn the games in advance. ¡­By the way, the next round is¡­¡± ¡°One week from today, Saturday.¡± ¡°One week¡­¡± Since I don¡¯t even have the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, making a dramatic power-up is pretty difficult.[2] As one would expect, I pretty much gave up on my hopes of advancing any further. After pondering over something, Tendo-san looked at me with a sharp glint in her eyes. ¡°¡­If it¡¯s your growth rate, possibly¡­¡± ¡°?¡± I tilted my neck, not knowing what she meant. Tendo-san stayed silent for a few seconds, collecting her thoughts, and then came up with a suggestion for me. ¡°It¡¯s pretty sudden, but tomorrow, Monday, I was thinking of going to the club. Since everyone has appointments, I can¡¯t make any definite promises, but I think I can force everyone to participate.¡± ¡°? Huh? Uh, that¡¯s fine with me, but, I don¡¯t think I have to be that extreme during club activities, you know? Actually, all I¡¯ve been doing during club time is just learning the controls and rules to each of these games.¡± I was just trying to speak honestly and wasn¡¯t trying to be humble, but Tendo-san denied it. ¡°No, the policy of our Gamers Club was wrong. In your case, it is more important to experience the actualpetition rather than learning the fundamentals. If you look at the match between you and Echizen, that much is clear.¡± ¡°Hah¡­ Well, I certainly do likepeting, but¡­¡± Remembering the exhration of thepetition, my body trembled. Facing an overwhelmingly strong opponent, thinking desperately of ways to defeat them despite looking up to them, trying out different strategies and getting experience from each attempt, and attempting to make note of their skills and using it myself¡­ Atst, I felt what I was longing for since the beginning and exceeded it; you could call it ecstasy. Certainly, thepressed exhration is much better than aimlessly ying games. I feel like there¡¯s absolutely no truth to Amano-kun¡¯s ¡°Slow, fun game theory¡± that I heard about from Tendo-san. I understood what it meant to confront a strong man for the first time. ¡­Huh? Confront a strong man for the first time? ¡­Ah, in other words, my growth¡­ Suddenly understanding what I have to do from now on, Tendo-san smiled broadly as if she was confirming my answer. ¡°The members of the Gamers Club, except for me, all specialize in a certain genre. In other words, in the week before thepetition, you will keep ying those remarkable senpais over and over again¡ª¡± ¡°Are you hoping for a¡­ remarkable growth?¡± In the breeze of the early summer, the trees by the road rustled. With the setting sun in the background, and with a confident look simr to that of Echizen¡¯s, Tendo-san dered the name of her strategy. ¡°Let us start Operation ¡®History¡¯s Strongest Disciple Eiichi¡¯!¡±[3] £ª And thus, I started the journey to be the strongest all-purpose yer. However, the road through TVGT starting from now is a long tale in a short amount of time, and if this were aic, would take about 20 volumes toplete. For this reason, from now on, I will only tell the important points of the story. ¡°History¡¯s Strongest Disciple Eiichi, Digest~¡± First of all, by ying with my senpais, I gained the skills in FPS and fighting games to approach the top yers. Of course, I wasn¡¯t able to reach Kase-senpai and Oiso-senpai¡¯s overwhelming skill overnight, but I was able to win 2-3 games out of 10. Furthermore, by ying Tendo-san and the two kouhais, I was able to learn a new special ability, ¡°Instant Draw¡±, that makes the best use of my learning ability. By boosting my powers of concentration, it¡¯s an ability that lets me copy my enemy¡¯s moves perfectly for a duration of three minutes. Imitating someone, by itself, can only result in a draw at best, but for my ability, ¡°Quick Growth¡±, the ability to ¡°earn time¡± is irreceable. In this way, I was able to easily pass through local tournaments, but once I reached the semifinals, I unexpectedly struggled in a match for the first time. This time, the genre was ¡°Rhythm games¡±, and as one would expect, it was one of the genres that I didn¡¯t practice in the past week. Furthermore, the opponent this time was¡ª ¡°Give up, Eiichi! Your journey ends here!¡± ¡°R-riki!? Why are you here!?¡± ¡ªmy step-sister, Misumi Riki. Actually, Riki¡¯s super good at rhythm games, and had me cornered this time. What¡¯s more, she¡­ ¡°You going to nationals together with Tendo-san, I won¡¯t allow iiitttt!¡± ¡­Saying those kinds of things, she entered with a strange fighting spirit. Feeling shaken and unable to do my best seriously, I was rapidly being cornered even further. When I thought I was going to be defeated instantly¡­ suddenly, Tsundere sses-senpai, also known as Kase Gakuto-senpai, who always thinks of his kouhais and secretly came to watch, fiercely rebuked me, who had already given up. ¡°You¡¯re not a man who would lose here! Misumi Eiichi!¡± After I regained myself from those words, I started to go after her. Using my skill , I stayed close in points, and during the match, I developed another skill¡­ and put that to use as well. By imitating her skill and making it my own, I was able to barely beat Riki. I won and advanced to the finals. (By the way, Riki looked like she was about to cry, but when I hugged her and patted her on the head, her mood got better and she returned home.) However, when I then arrived at the finals, my opponent was¡­ ¡°Finally, you¡¯vee all the way here, Misumi-kun¡­¡± ¡°Tendo-san¡­¡± the existence that could be called my shisho of games, Tendo-san. The genre was racing games. ¡­I hadn¡¯t mastered this type of game, and also, it was a genre that Tendo-san was good at. The atmosphere became tense, and the game finally started. ¡­If I spoke honestly, at this point in time, since I just got another skill from the battle with Riki, I had the confidence that I would beat her. However, myposure was broken in a split second. In a best of seven, I was handily beaten in the first three races. ¡­If she takes one more game, I¡¯ll lose without even being able to grow. Tendo-san smiled, as if sneering, and about to reveal a secret trick to me, who was dumbfounded. ¡°Did you think that I wouldn¡¯t have a countermeasure for your growth ability, ?¡± ¡°By any chance¡­ for thesest three games, have you been using ¡®Moderation y¡¯!?¡± ¡°Fufu, noticing now is toote, Misumi-kun. I¡¯ve been holding back my strength. In the next game, no matter what ability you use¡­ you can¡¯t learn enough to beat me!¡± ¡°Damn¡­ !?¡± ¡°You may think it¡¯s underhanded, but it¡¯s the president¡¯s duty to take a new member down a notch or two!¡± With her deration, the fourth race started. Even from the start, Tendo-san pulled way ahead. Even when I continued to use and , she pulled into high gear and surpassed my growth. When the match was nearly decided¡­ in the bottom of my heart, something awoke. ¡°(¡­! ¡­I want power¡­ I don¡¯t want to lose! I¡­ want to win!)¡± In the next moment, I thought I was able to see a line above the course, and as if my hand was following the course, the car automatically started to move. ¡°Hey¡ª¡± I started to pursue Tendo-san right on her heels, the voices of Tendo-san and the crowd fading away. In thestp, finally¡­ ¡°I-it¡¯s a lie, right!?¡± Barely overtaking Tendo-san, I passed the finish line. Looking at me in disbelief, she grit her teeth and eximed, ¡°The next race is thest, so I¡¯m going to be serious now!¡±. After ying the 5th, 6th, and 7th races with all my might, I now¡­ ¡°¡­This¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Afterpletely beating Tendo-san, I smiled broadly. ¡ªAnd so, the curtains closed on the bumpy road through the local tournament with my overall victory. My new ability helped me rampage through the nationals that started a weekter. The ability allows me to perceive the ¡°Road to Victory¡± once I understand both the game and my opponent. My eyes, mind, and body all move together to ensure a victory. With this ability, no matter how strong all the participants were at the nationals, no one was a true opponent. People with skills like ¡°Wing¡±, the ability to treat a ser ball in a game as a friend, ¡°Data Game¡±, the ability to do quick mentalputation, and other people like a mysterious gamer who ys dance games with fishing poles, a pachinko pro blessed with luck, and even a cheat onee-san like Tatsumi¡­ anyway, I piled up victories over everyone.[4] However, after getting through nationals and having arrived at ¡°World Championships¡±, as one would expect, I had several difficult battles. Starting with a beautiful silver-haired female spirit, ¡°Shinra¡± harassed me with a bunch ofpletely inexplicable phenomenon that crossed the boundaries of a game. The Indian representative, whose favorite saying was ¡°Things will probably work out well¡±, made me tremble with her mysterious positive attitude from beginning to end. The battle with the French representative, who had the ability , was the toughest battle in since I wasn¡¯t able to imitate him at all. After such various battles, it was the finals atst. ¡°¡­Ex¡­ we met¡­ long ago¡­¡± My opponent appeared, calling me with a strange name. Wearing the same exact uniform as I was when I awoke, the mysterious girl¡¯s name was Machina.[5] With impressive blue hair, the girl stayed emotionless and silent, and whenever I asked a question, she would always reply with ¡°If you win, I¡¯ll tell you¡±. And as I was feeling uneasy and anxious, the finals, which were puzzle games¡­ started with a one-sided beatdown by Machina. It wasn¡¯t umon for me to struggle in the beginning with my growth, but her game technique was too far off the beaten path. In the world, there is a way of ying a game by using Tool Assist and getting the ¡°highest possible score¡± in a game. Her ystyle was just like that. She easily approached the limits of the system, without making a mistake. This ability is certainly the strongest ability. Machina handily won the first three games of the finals, which was a first to 4 series. The crowd was silent because of the one-sided game. When I was crushed with hopelessness¡­ several voices of encouragement rang out from the crowd, breaking the silence. Looking out towards the crowd in surprise, I saw the Gamers Club members who had taught me how to y games, my precious younger sister Riki, and¡­ all the opponents that I had yed to get here. With the willpower to ¡°not give up¡±, I used all of my ability and started ying without thinking of the consequences. Desperately stealing Machina¡¯s ystyle, I was able to pull off a draw by getting the highest possible score. ¡°You¡¯re only exhausting yourself in vain, Ex¡­¡± Not minding Machina, who was looking at me in pity, I continued to desperately keep up. The series continued, and reached about 20 draws. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Finally Machina made a slight¡­ a very slight mistake, and in that gap, I finally took a game. The crowd erupted in cheers. Like that, I took two, three games off her, but Machina regained herposure, and the draws started to pile up again. Machina, noticing that a cold sweat had appeared on my forehead from all the overworking, urged me to surrender. ¡°Ex will never win against Machina like this. You¡¯re only shortening your lifespan. You should quit now.¡± ¡°Is that¡­ so?¡± ¡°?¡± I smiled broadly. ¡­ In the next moment, my eyes looked like the world was shining. started operating. In that moment, universe; nature; I felt like I could understand anything. ¡°Hey¡­ this is¡­¡± As Machina and the whole crowd held their breath, I silently operated the controller as if I was God. These movements aren¡¯t the same as trying to obtain the ¡°highest possible score¡±. Only because I have a body that can grow, this is possible. Furthermore, those mysteries from before¡­ I was able to use those strange moves that were astronomically difficult to reproduce. This miracle-like ability to widen horizons¡ªit was the revtion of the new skill, . ¡°Lies¡­ this is¡­¡± ¡°This¡­ ends here!¡± Surpassing the highest possible score, atst, I crushed Machina. Even though it fell silent for a second, the crowd started cheering excitedly, and my friends came running over towards me. As the venue, no, the world, started to get wildly excited, Machina walked towards me. ¡°Ex¡­ ¡­Machina,pletely, lost.¡± ¡°Machina¡­ ¡­Won¡¯t you tell me? What kind of people are we?¡± ¡°Of course. ¡­But after this.¡± For the first time, she broke her expressionless look and smiled. ¡°Congrattions, Ex. You¡¯re the true champion of the gaming world.¡± ¡ªAnd so, the curtains closed with vigor on the story of the game tournament. ¡°History¡¯s Strongest Disciple Eiichi Digest~¡± Fin £ª ¡°¡­Fu.¡± TVGT¡­ Total Video Game Tournament World Championships, one weekter. After having gone through all those hardships, I returned to my school life¡­ now standing in front of the clubroom, I let out a sigh. Because¡­ ¡°(Going to the Gamers Club¡­ is there even any meaning to it?)¡± After school, I walked to the Gamers Club out of habit, but¡­ after having made my way to the door, I suddenly had this doubt. With my backpack on my shoulders, I stared at the doorway. ¡°(Honestly, I¡¯m already¡­ better at games than anyone in this world. Although that¡¯s not the exact reason, I fear that it¡¯s likely that Kase-senpai and Oiso-senpai aren¡¯t even close to me in level. In this situation¡­ if I left the Gamers Club, what should I do from now on?)¡± Even winning the national tournament didn¡¯t appeal at all. ¡­In other words, I need somewhere to use my enthusiasm for games, not easy objectives like that one. It¡¯s like the feeling of Son ¡ðku fighting Yam¡ða right after beating Fr¡ðza. Looking down at my hands, I sped my hands a few times. ¡°(Should I¡­ stop ying games? ording Machina¡¯s story, the organization I was in is a very shady organization, and she said she participated in the game tournament because it looked fun. ¡­What meaning is there to keep ying games¡­)¡± At any rate, deciding that I didn¡¯t have to do club activities anymore, I left the area before someone could find me. ¡­It¡¯ll probably be fine to tell them I¡¯m quittingter. Leaving the old school building that the clubroom was in, I started making my way home. While wondering whether or not Riki and the new freeloader, Machina, were fighting at home, I saw the back of a person I strangely missed. Unlike the usual timid me, I ran over and assertively called out to him. ¡°Amano-kun! Long time no see!¡± ¡°? Oh, M-misumi-kun. I-i-it¡¯s been a while!¡± His face flushed when he noticed me, and in a panic, the small animal-like male student bowed, unbefitting of someone the same age I am. I made a wry smile at Amano-kun, who was acting as usual, and started walking next to him. ¡°Amano-kun, are you also going home right now?¡± ¡°Ah, y-yea! ¡­? Uh, Misumi-kun, are you not going to the Gamers Club?¡± ¡°Ah, yea, well¡­¡± I returned a vague smile. Amano-kun, without doubting my reply, only said ¡°I see¡± and continued walking. For a while, we were talking talking about ourselves. During the time I was at the game tournament, Amano-kun seems to have joined a ¡°Gamer¡¯s Hobby Club¡±. He talked about people I didn¡¯t know like Uehara-kun and seaweed girl, so I didn¡¯t really understand what he was saying, but I only knew that he was having fun. ¡°Ah, sorry, I was only talking about me. How was your game tournament, Misumi-kun?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, yea¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know how to reply to that. In the past month, my various experiences and incidents should be ¡°interesting stories¡± that are far beyond Amano-kun¡¯s ¡°ordinary life¡±. Filled with the extraordinary, tons of mysteries, and lots of stories. Even though it was wonderful, I didn¡¯t feel like talking about it to Amano-kun. ¡°Well, I ended up winning¡­ uh, thanks to the Gamers Club.¡± To my answer, Amano-kun, who is the type to have fun ying games by himself regrly, replied and said ¡°Heh, that¡¯s amazing, Misumi-kun!¡± with an extremely ordinary answer, as if he didn¡¯t know much about game tournaments. I thought about telling him that ¡°I¡¯m the best in the world¡±, but instead, I continued to talk conversationally with him. As we continued to talk back and forth for a bit, Amano-kun¡¯s expression suddenly brightened and asked me a question. ¡°Oh right, Misumi-kun! Since you¡¯re free today, do you want to y a game with me?¡± ¡°? With you, Amano-kun?¡± ¡°Yea! Actually, one of my favorite open source game developers recently released a new game, but it¡¯s a fighting game, which is pretty uncharacteristic of them. But I also don¡¯t have anyone to y with other than my younger brother¡­ also, he doesn¡¯t have any interest in open source games, so I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ so in other words¡­¡± ¡°Yea! Misumi-kun, I¡¯d be happy if you¡¯d y with me!¡± ¡°¡­¡± I faltered from Amano-kun¡¯s innocent proposal. ¡­Even though he doesn¡¯t know it, he¡¯s challenging the best of the world right now. ¡­Gently refusing right now is probably best for him¡ª ¡°Misumi-kun, you¡¯ve yed a few games in the Gamers Club, right? Then it¡¯s ok! This game is a fighting game that can be yed by beginners! Please?¡± ¡°¡­¡± This is dangerous. For some reason, I started to feel a bit annoyed. I guess you can call it arrogance, but¡­ having be the best gamer in the world a few days ago, being challenged by someone like Amano-kun, who isn¡¯t even good at games¡­ When I noticed, I was smiling at him. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do it, Amano-kun. I¡¯ve also yed a few games.¡± I already regretted it, thinking ¡°What a bad personality!¡±, but it was already toote. To Amano-kun, who was happily smiling, I couldn¡¯t just turn around and quit now. £ª Amano-kun¡¯s house waspletely different from the Misumi family¡¯s house. It was an extremely normal two-story building, which was neither old nor new, and it was really the ¡°typical middle ss house¡±. While he was telling me that no one else was home, I walked into the house, said ¡°Sorry for the intrusion¡±, and then headed towards Amano-kun¡¯s room, which was on the second floor. As I walked up the stairs, which creaked every once in awhile, suddenly¡­ even though I probably don¡¯t have any experience being raised in a middle-ss family, I felt extremely nostalgic. ¡°T-there¡¯s not much, but thanks foring.¡± While blushing like a girl, Amano-kun let me into his room, which was practically ¡°THE room for a quiet boy¡±. There were lots of games and manga lying around, and although there were a few wires here and there, the room was mostly neat. It was a typical room that left a deep impression on me. ¡°(As I thought, when I¡¯m with Amano-kun, I can understand what it means to be an .)¡± While thinking these thoughts, he quickly put down his bag and sat on a cushion in front of the TV. After doing something with hisputer and the TV, he handed me a wireless controller. It looks like he hooked hisputer up to the monitor. ¡°(¡­A wireless controller and an external monitor, huh¡­ I¡¯m worried about thetency, but¡­)¡± As a person that lived in the world of milliseconds and frames, I was uneasy about the suboptimal gaming environment. I was irritated for a moment, but I told myself that this wasn¡¯t a tournament. While I was calming myself down, Amano-kun finished setting up the game and then started it up. After grabbing his controller and sitting down next to me, he started to talk excitedly. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll go easy on you for now, so it¡¯s ok! Let¡¯s have fun, Misumi-kun!¡± ¡ªAs one would expect, I got annoyed. I know it¡¯s childish, but¡­ even then, I, as the best in the world, shouldn¡¯t be looked down upon like this. Clutching the controllers tightly¡­ I started to concentrate on the screen as if it were the finals. ¡°(It¡¯s Amano-kun¡¯s fault¡­)¡± Amano-kun was yer 1, and I was yer 2. As the battle started, a light spread across my field of vision. Since it was a game I¡¯ve never seen before, I used as well as and observed both the game and Amano-kun. ¡°(If it¡¯s the me right now, even if I have to learn, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll drop a single game¡­!)¡± Even then, if I have 10 seconds, I¡¯ll also use and . In reality, though, this open source game made by this person named ¡°Nobe¡± was extremely shabby and looked like it was made by one person as well. It used free game assets, the key responses were crude, the character bnce was off, and the motions werecking. Everything is third-rate. To be honest, it didn¡¯t even take me 5 seconds to understand the whole game. Also, Amano-kun wasn¡¯t very skilled either. ¡°Wah, Misumi-kun, you¡¯re really good for your first time!¡± ¡°(Theparison is harsh, but¡­ you¡¯re worse than any of the participants in the tournament, Amano-kun.)¡± As one would expect, it looked like he was familiar with the controls, but¡­ that was all. Amano-kun was like that before, too. He doesn¡¯t put any importance on ¡°growth¡±. Always stopped¡­ a stagnated person. ¡­He¡¯s exactly a good-for-nothing, ordinary protagonist. ¡°(If this is what being ¡°ordinary¡± is¡­ then I don¡¯t want this!)¡± Getting worked up for some reason, and even though there¡¯s no need to, I¡ª ¡ªused all the skills I¡¯ve learned until now, and started to knock down Amano-kun. And thus, the result was¡ª <1P Win!> ¡°¡ªWhat?¡± It was Amano-kun¡¯s victory. I stared at the screen inplete disbelief like a senile old man. Amano-kun faced me with a wryugh. ¡°Ehehe, it was myeback win!¡± ¡°¡ªHah?¡± Not knowing what he meant, I looked at his face with my mouth agape. ¡­I should have won. I should have been lowering his character¡¯s HP in wless form. And yet, in the next moment¡­ my character copsed ¡­Amano-kun responded with a bitter smile to my horrified expression as I wondered what kind of ability he used. ¡°S-sorry. If I were to tell you the trick, this game has an absurd ability that¡¯s like an outrageousmand. The ability I used right now was ¡®Switch Sides¡¯¡­ well, I guess it¡¯s this character¡¯s special move?¡± ¡°¡ªHah!?¡± What is this game design!? Isn¡¯t this just nonsensical!? This game is way too absurd, so my powers of observation couldn¡¯t even analyze theplete game. While I was still in shock, Amano-kun continued to apologetically exin. ¡°It¡¯s not limited to this, but rather, this game by Nobe-san does this every round¡­ It¡¯s really surprising, right?¡± I only said a few words to Amano-kun, who was looking at me with upturned eyes, as if he was looking for an opinion. ¡°Surprising or whatever, t-this¡­¡± This game doesn¡¯t make any sense. It¡¯s not the ¡®game¡¯ I know. The moment after I was about to get mad. Amano-kun, though he still looked apologetic,ughed out loud and looked towards me. ¡°But that¡¯s good, Misumi-kun; it looks like you had fun.¡± ¡°¡ªHuh?¡± As I eximed loudly, the game screen suddenly switched and the monitor went dark. When I looked at my reflection¡­ I was smiling. Naturally, it was a wry smile, but¡­ it¡¯s been awhile since Ist smiled and made such a soft expression. While I was lost for words, Amano-kun continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but Misumi-kun, you looked really tense today for some reason. Ah, I-I thought¡­ Misumi-kun was getting excited over a game like you did when you first joined the Gamers Club, so I thought you had a really pleasant look on your face¡­ Ah, b-but, um, even though I say ¡®pleasant¡¯, I don¡¯t mean anything weird, ok!?¡± Even though no one would make that misunderstanding, Amano-kun denied it with a flushed face. ¡­As usual, he¡¯s all over the ce. But¡­ I looked once again at the TV monitor. The crude character selection screen was disyed. ¡°¡­One more time.¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, yea, ok!¡± Changing my character this time, the fight started once again. ¡­This time, I didn¡¯t use any abilities. Without focusing on winning, I simply yed the game like an idiot and let my instincts and body do the work. ¡­This ystyle isn¡¯t serious at all, unlike how Kase-senpai ys against his rivals in a tournament. ¡°Wah, what is this!? Why is my character suddenly being eaten by a shark!? Amano-kun!?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry, this is my character¡¯s killer technique . If you use it, your opponent dies.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a limit to how unreasonable things can be!¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok! Look, it eats me right after! Furthermore, the shark¡¯s the one that wins!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a limit to how useless abilities can be!¡± ¡°Ahaha, right? But I wanted to show you this.¡± ¡°Even if you lose after using it?¡± ¡°Yea. But it¡¯s funny, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yea. That¡¯s right. It¡¯s really funny, Amano-kun!¡± When I noticed, I was ying the game, smiling, and without thinking about anything. It was my first time having fun with a game like this ever since I joined the club. ¡­Of course, there¡¯s no sense of ¡°aplishment¡± or pletion¡± in this room. Fiercelypeting with veteran yers, breathtaking stories, fate, or growth¡­ none of it. By ying this game, I surely don¡¯t get any sense of aplishment out of it. It¡¯spletely stagnant. A moratorium. An element that doesn¡¯t need to be in my story. But¡­ While I continued to y like an idiot with Amano-kun, I started talking. ¡°Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± He continued looking at the monitor and kept ying the game. Even then, I clumsily said my true feelings to him. ¡°I think it was a really good thing that I got to be friends with you.¡± ¡°Ueh!?¡± In that moment, Amano-kun, who was trembling more than necessary, dropped his controller, retreated to and copsed in the mountain ofic books nearby. ¡°Uwa, wawa, wah! Dangerous! Dangerous!¡± ¡°Oh¡ª! Good gracious, even with and , I didn¡¯t expect this.¡± ¡°What!? W-what are you saying, Misumi-kun? Stop thinking of those embarrassing chuunibyou lines and help me!¡± ¡°Alright, time to attack Amano-kun¡¯s character while you¡¯re gone. Take that!¡± ¡°Hey, you demon! ¡­Ah, but my character has a special move that instantly kills the opponent with poison if you attack him while he¡¯s not moving.¡± ¡°Waaaahhh!? What is this!? That¡¯s terrible! Dammit, let¡¯s y again, Amano-kun!¡± ¡°No, help me first! We¡¯re friends, right!?¡± ¡°Ahaha, you¡¯re funny, Amano-kun. It¡¯s really great that I became friends with you!¡± ¡°How!? Right now, I¡¯m only hearing you say bad things!¡± ¡°Ahaha! ¡­Oh, right, I was thinking of leaving the Gamers Club, yea.¡± ¡°So suddenly!? Or rather, just help me out!¡± While looking at Amano-kun, who was crying out desperately, and the absurd game that was on the monitor¡­ Softly, I wiped away the tears in the corners of my eyes. This boy definitely has no rtionship with Misumi Eiichi¡¯s memory and tale of personal identity. He wasn¡¯t an opponent that stood in my way, nor was he a strong ally, nor was he a keyponent to regaining my memory. Even in my personal story from now on, I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll have any rtionship to the topic of games. However, even then, this is the story I want to tell the most. Since itcks appeal as a light novel, it¡¯s a story that could¡¯ve beenpletely omitted in this volume. At the end of the day, Starting from the time when the special main character who experiences something extraordinary is called out by the beautiful girl, he simply, and without too much trouble, ys with a friend¡ª ¡ªThis is a story about a game. Notes: 1. Prince of Tennis reference 2. Dragon Ball Z 3. History¡¯s Strongest Disciple Kenichi (or Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple) 4. There are various references here, one of which I think is to Captain Tsubasa, but I¡¯m unsure about the others. 5. Ex Machina Volume 2, 5: Tendo Karen and her Days in a Slump

Volume 2, Chapter 5: Tendo Karen and her Days in a Slump

TL: qbomb Editor: Deus Ex Machina Holding an assault rifle, a soldier ran through a snowy battlefield. The character was breathing heavily, and the screen had a whitish tint from the snow. Coming out of my dash, I slowly advanced by making the soldier lean against the wall with his left shoulder. There were gunshots in the distance. I can¡¯t confirm where the enemy is, though. ¡°(¡­Let¡¯s go.)¡± Making sure that the soldier had enough stamina, I broke out into a sprint once again. However, in that next second¡ª ¡°Ah.¡± Suddenly, the whole screen turned red, and my soldier copsed onto the snow. At the same time, the win conditions were reached and the game ended. The screen yed the winning y of the game¡ªin other words, it was a rey of my character. ¡­but that was not the case. The rey showed my soldier recklessly turning the street corner, meeting an enemy who was waiting for someone to show up with his knife, and getting killed silently. ¡­My mistake was perfectly timed. I felt sorry towards my teammates for losing the game. If we consider my record, I did my fair share of contribution towards the team. However, since I lost the game by dying stupidly, I couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated ¡°Tendo.¡± ¡°Yea¡­¡± At the urging of Kase-senpai, who was one of my teammates, we both left the online match. Right then, Ipletely used up all of my concentration, and atst, felt like I returned to the real world. As usual, it was the Gamers Club¡¯s clubroom. Kase-senpai and I were using two monitors to y FPS games, while Oiso-senpai and Misumi-kun were ying fighting games on handheld gaming consoles. ¡­And like always, the two first-year girl ghost members were absent. When I noticed, Kase-senpai went to the game console to change the game discs. Recognizing that it would normally be what a kouhai should do, I tried to stand up in a panic, but senpai gestured to stop. Even though I felt a bit ashamed, it¡¯s not something you need two people to do. While I was bored, watching him change the discs, Kase-senpai started talking as if he was going to make some small talk. ¡°Tendo. Did you get worse?¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± The sudden harsh words made me stiffen. I heard the sound of taking damage from Misumi-kun¡¯s handheld gaming console; it looked like he noticed my tense state, A tense atmosphere wafted throughout the clubroom. However, it was only Misumi-kun and I that felt it, and the two other senpais werepletely oblivious to it. Oiso-senpai was focusing on the next match, and Kase-senpai continued to speak bluntly as he was changing the discs. ¡°And it¡¯s not only just FPS games;tely, it seems like you¡¯ve been losing more often.¡± ¡°R-really?¡± ¡°Yea. I feel like you¡¯ve been losing concentration and hesitating a lot.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Is your physical condition bad? From studying or fromck of sleep? ¡­But the exam was a while ago, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°A while ago, huh?¡± As usual, senpai is really indifferent about things other than games. However, I was grateful that he brought up the tests. Using that, I tried to change the topic. ¡°Speaking about exams, Kase-senpai and Oiso-senpai, you guys were ranked surprisingly high this time.¡± ¡°Saying ¡®surprisingly¡¯ is rude, you know.¡± While adjusting his sses, Kase-senpai looked back at me as he finished changing the disks. In the back, Oiso-senpai also replied indifferently as she continued to y loudly on her handheld gaming device. ¡°People who are good at games are people who are smart.¡± ¡°That¡¯s some convenient logic right there.¡± I made a wry smile because of Oiso-senpai¡¯s far-fetched logic, but Kase-senpai agreed with her. ¡°Well, people who are bad at learning are bad at games.¡± ¡°Hah¡­ is that how it is?¡± I wouldn¡¯t go as far as to say that that¡¯s the case. There must be a lot of people who are mediocre at games but are actually smart. For example¡­ ¡°Is A-amano-kun good at studying?¡± I asked Misumi-kun while fidgeting a little. While looking down at his handheld game, he replied with, ¡°I don¡¯t know about his grades, but¡­¡±. ¡°Since he himself says that he¡¯s mediocre¡­ well, I think that he¡¯s about average. At the very least, he¡¯s not at the top.¡± ¡°I-I see¡­¡± Although I hung my head in shame, Kase-senpai blew air through his nose and continued talking. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s as I said. People who are mediocre at games are also mediocre at other things¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true at all!¡± ¡°¡­¡± I shouted out loud, interrupting senpai¡¯s words. The clubroom instantly fell silent. Even Oiso-senpai looked up from her game in surprise. Taken aback, I tried to wave my hands and smooth over the situation. ¡°Ah, no, um, uh, that¡¯s, um, I don¡¯t think that rankings are everything for gaming and studying¡­¡± ¡°? But that¡¯s not what we were talking about?¡± Kase-senpai tilted his neck in confusion, wondering what I was talking about. Oiso-senpai resumed her game and looked back down, and Misumi-kun was the only one looking at me in worry. While I was still at a loss for words, Kase-senpai started to navigate the menu with his controller, and mumbled as he looked at the screen. ¡°¡­Tendo, by any chance, you haven¡¯t lost your enthusiasm for games, right?¡± ¡°Ugh! It¡¯s not like that! It¡¯s not like that but¡­¡± Suddenly I remembered Amano-kun¡¯s stance on games. ¡­Right now, am I enjoying games more than he is? Did I lose sight of something somewhere? Lately, I¡¯ve been having these thoughts¡­ or should I say, Amano-kun has been on my mindtely. ¡°¡­Hey, the next game¡¯s starting, Tendo.¡± ¡°Eh, ah, yea.¡± I realized the Kase-senpai had finished and was waiting. I hurriedly grabbed my controller and yed the online FPS game, which was simr in appearance to thest game but slightly different. ¡­However. ¡ªI, on this day, got the lowest score I¡¯ve gotten since I started ying this game several months ago. £ª ¡°Fu¡­¡± Even though I was tired of the summer sun, I made my way towards downtown on my day off. It sounds better if you call it a stroll, but in truth, I was just escaping from reality. ¡°(I really¡­ got worse at games¡­)¡± It wasn¡¯t just the games I yed during club activities the other day; when I went home, I yed the online game by myself, but the result was horrendous. It¡¯s not limited to just FPS games. Fighting, racing, action, puzzle, strategy¡­ I yed badly, no matter the type of game. ¡­I can¡¯t even say that my bad performance is only temporary. It really was as Kase-senpai said. I got worse at games¡­ no, atpeting. Suddenly stopping in front of a disy window, I looked at my own reflection in the window. I saw my conspicuous blonde hair and blue eyes. People of all ages around me were looking at me as they passed by. That by itself is fine. It¡¯s not new. I¡¯m already used to it. The problem was¡­ ¡°(I¡¯m making an unhappy face¡­)¡± The summer heat wasn¡¯t the only reason why my face was drained of all energy. Letting out a sigh, I resumed my aimless strolling. ¡°(The cause of my slump is¡­ clearly, him¡­)¡± I let out another deep sigh once again, right after the previous one. I have to admit this already. I am being strongly influenced by Amano-kun. If I were to say it more specifically, it¡¯s his game style¡­ My stoic ystyle ispletely copsing because my heart has epted his way of thinking that prioritizes having fun since who knows when. In other words, my thirst for victory has diminished. But the confusing part was that I¡¯ve only talked to Amano-kun a few times. The number of times we¡¯ve met is actually countable using my fingers, and for me to be that affected by his words¡­ there¡¯s clearly something strange going on. ¡°(Speaking of strange¡­ whenever I think about him, my body temperature goes up for some weird reason. ¡­I wonder if I¡¯m still mad at him for refusing my invitation to the Gamers Club.)¡± Am I really that narrow-minded? ¡­The reason doesn¡¯t feel exactly right, though. At any rate, because of Amano-kun, my game skills have dulled. ¡°(Seriously¡­ what a difficult person through and through.)¡± If I think about it, I¡¯ve been manipted by him. The time when he rejected my invitation to the Gamers Club, that Gamers Hobby Club mess, and most importantly¡­ the situation right now. ¡°(I really wish he would take responsibility!)¡± Waving my arms wildly, I steadily made my way towards the town. ¡­ ¡­! ¡°(W-when I say responsibility, that¡¯s not what I mean! That¡¯s not what I mean, ok!?)¡± I tried to take back my poor word choice in a panic when I realized what I had said. I don¡¯t know who it was for, though. Even then, my face inevitably burned up. ¡­Ah, mou! As if I was trying to leave behind my hazy thoughts, I walked down the road with quick steps with my head down¡ª ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡ªbut bumped into someone as I turned the corner. Just like yesterday¡¯s FPS game. Lately, I¡¯ve been feeling under the weather. This, that, everything is his¡ª ¡°Oh, uh, Tendo-san?¡± I quickly looked up, hearing a voice I recognized. The owner of the voice was¡­ ¡°Huh!? A¡­ A-amano-kun!?¡± ¡°Y-yeah. Uh¡­ um, hi¡­¡± The small-statured, timid boy who was as apologetic as ever¡­ Amano Keita was standing in front of me while averting his gaze. However, I was acting equally as suspicious this time. Unable to calmly reply as I usually do during this chance encounter, the resulting situation was¡­ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Both of us were squirming, unable to look directly at each other even though we were facing each other¡­ somehow, we looked like an innocent elementary school couple. After clearing my throat and regaining my senses, I forced my usual ¡°diplomatic smile¡±, and interacted with him in afortable and rxed manner. ¡°Oh, fancy seeing you here, Amano-kun. Are you out shopping?¡± While brushing my hair with one hand, I lightly hugged myself with the other while standing beautifully. Like a model. Alright, perfect. This is the usual Tendo Karen. I made a triumphant pose in my mind. Amano-kun, though¡­ as usual, he was avoiding looking in my direction. Well, no matter howposed he is, he¡¯ll eventually end up like that. ¡°I-I, um, uh¡­ ¡­ w-was wandering?¡± ¡°H-huh?¡± My eyes spun at the unexpected answer and Amano-kun scratched his cheek. He continued to talk in embarrassment. ¡°¡­I was ying games from the morning at home, but my mom got mad. After leaving my house, I lost my way, so I¡¯ve just been helplessly wandering outside¡­¡± ¡°¡­A-ah, is that so¡­¡± What kind of stupid answer is that! I never thought that I would meet another second-year high school student that was strolling around, looking even more helpless than I was. And why does this person openly admit to such a sad reason? ¡ªAs I was thinking such thoughts, his face suddenly made an expression that said ¡°Oops¡±. It seems like he somehow realized what he just said. As his face gradually turned red, he also looked more disheartened. ¡°¡­Fufu.¡± ¡°? Tendo-san?¡± While looking at him, who was the same as ever, I unintentionally let out augh. If I think about it, he¡¯s always been this way. Suspicious, nervous behavior¡­ an awfully humane person. My plete perfection¡± is radically different from the other people around me. But because of that, I can act with confidence. After I continued tough quietly for a bit at Amano-kun¡¯s embarrassed face, I briefly apologized to him and spontaneously asked him a question. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, Amano-kun, do you want to walk with me? I don¡¯t have any ns either.¡± ¡°Eh, ah, yea, sure. ¡­ ¡­Wait, w-what!?¡± After reflexively epting, he then understood what I meant and became startled. Bing flustered, he replied incoherently. ¡°No, eh, that¡¯s, for someone like for me to be with Tendo-san on a day off, um, I don¡¯t deserve it!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t deserve it?¡± I never thought that someone in the same grade would say those words to me. ¡°Um, uh, yea¡­ ¡­ ¡­As I thought, it¡¯s not good! Yea!¡± After pondering over it for a few seconds, Amano-kun arrived to that conclusion. This guy, really¡­ He always rejects my invitation every time, as if it was on purpose. But this time, I won¡¯t ept that answer. For some reason, I¡¯m bothered by his nature. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to ept my invitation once in a while. ¡°Why? Amano-kun, do you hate me?¡± With upturned eyes, I asked him a question with slightly malicious intent. Amano-kun¡¯s face turned red and immediately denied it with all his power. ¡°It¡¯s not like that!¡± ¡°What?¡± I was the one who brought up the question, but I didn¡¯t expect him to deny it so fiercely with such an angry look. I stared at him nkly¡­ and for some reason, my cheeks became hot in embarrassment. Amano-kun took back his words in a panic. ¡°Ah, no, that¡¯s because, it¡¯s not good when you walk with me. Like before, strange rumors will pop up.¡± He¡¯s probably talking about the time I invited him to the Gamers Club when he said ¡°before¡±. Since I don¡¯t talk to boys very often, it certainly became a rumor back then. But such an issue is trivial to me. Even though I¡¯ve refused every single one, I have been confessed to by many boys, so I¡¯m no longer surprised by the strange rumors that pop up from the gossip around school. So, even if rumors pop up that I was walking around with Amano-kun, I¡¯m not particrly¡­ ¡­ ¡°Tendo-san? W-what¡¯s wrong? Your face is red for some reason¡­¡± ¡°No, i-it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s nothing, yea.¡± ¡°? Really?¡± Amano-kun looked at me in worry. Unable to take his gaze, my cheeks flushed red and I averted my eyes. ¡°(R-really, why am I like this? Why now¡­)¡± I don¡¯t understand why I feel so disturbed. While I was thinking to myself, Amano-kun apologetically lowered his head, looking like he misunderstood something once again. ¡°Uh, well, it¡¯s something like that, so please excuse me for today¡ª¡± ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°O-ok!?¡± I pulled at his shirt sleeve in a panic. Amano-kun looked at me nervously. Even though I was surprised at myself for stopping him, I steeled my nerves and spoke up boldly. ¡°I-it¡¯s a stroll!¡± ¡°Um?¡± ¡°T-this is ¡®two people walking together¡¯, not a d¡­ d-¡®date¡¯ at all, ok!? So, it¡¯s fine if you just walk with me!¡± ¡°Um¡­ ¡­ ¡­No, that¡¯s really not the problem¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, so let¡¯s go, Amano-kun!¡± Pulling him by the sleeve, we started to walk quickly. Feeling awfully embarrassed at the situation,he shouted ¡°I got it, I got it, so!¡± and made me let go of his sleeve. As we walked side by side, I sent him a re to stop him from running away. Amano-kun, trembled after seeing my re and reluctantly started to walk together with me. Letting out one big sigh, he mumbled, having given up on getting away. ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s¡­ um¡­ w-where shall we go? Tendo-san.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re talking.¡± He awkwardly returned a smile after I replied to his question with a smile on my face. £ª ¡°Um, you know¡ª¡± As we arrived at my favorite game shop, Amano-kun mumbled with an amazed expression. I asked him a question, looking sullen. ¡°Oh. Are you unhappy abouting here?¡± ¡°Ah, no, that¡¯s not what I mean¡­¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a date, we¡¯re out on a walk. I said that earlier, right?¡± ¡°No, if it¡¯s a walk, why are we at a game shop first¡­ wait, oh, this is the game I was interested in! Let¡¯s see¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you already having more fun than me¡­¡± I wryly smiled and started exploring the store. Well, since I¡¯ve been troubled by gamestely, it¡¯s certainly strange that I decided to go to a game store during our walk. But after all, the first thing thates to mind as a change of pace for me is games. I can¡¯t do anything about that. I didn¡¯t have a particr game that I wanted to buy, but I looked at the shelves in great interest. ¡°(¡­Speaking of which, I talked to Amano-kun for the first time in this store.)¡± Looking at Amano-kun¡¯s back through the cracks of the shelves, I remembered that time. Back then, each of the members in the club wanted to invite more gamers. To tell the truth, I knew people who were better at games than Misumi-kun and Amano-kun back then, but¡­ ¡°(I saw him walking out of this game shop with a smile on his face, after all.)¡± I always dropped by here to keep an eye out for other students, so I noticed him one day. I knew him one-sidedly. ¡­Whenever he bought a new game, he would walk out holding a package under the arms, looking happier than anyone else in the world. ¡°(That¡¯s¡­ without even checking his skill, I instinctively invited him to the Gamers Club.)¡± Eventually, I was refused, so I ended up looking like an idiot. While I was thinking back on that time, Amano-kun, who apparently just finished reading the bottom of a package, looked for me in a bit of a panic, and excitedly walked over to me. ¡°S-sorry, I got too excited by myself¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. We¡¯re just walking around, so feel free to do whatever you want to do.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s certainly difficult to look at games together¡­¡± ¡°Right?¡± He looked like he wanted to ask, ¡°Then why are you taking me into a game shop?¡±, but I ignored him and started looking through the store. After having looked through the games for about five minutes, an idea suddenly struck me and I looked for Amano-kun. He was standing in front of the used games shelf. And, the package he was holding¡­ ¡°¡­¡¯Golden Tricks¡¯¡­¡±[1] Amano-kun was looking at that game for a while, which had a golden-haired bishoujo as the heroine in a dating sim. When I started to mumble behind him, he became startled and put the game back on the shelf. ¡°No, um, it¡¯s not what you think! I-it was cheap, so, I just grabbed it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok, Amano-kun. ¡­You¡¯re a boy, after all.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act like a mother who discovered their son¡¯s porn! I¡¯m not buying this anyway!¡± ¡°¡­I see, not buying that¡­ ¡­¡± ¡°Why are you disappointed now!?¡± After having teased Amano-kun as much as I could, I started up a new topic. ¡°Well then, Amano-kun. Shall we go to the arcade afterwards?¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s fine, but¡­ games again?¡± ¡°? Amano-kun, you like games, right?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°I also like games.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Then, since this is a two-person stroll, isn¡¯t it only natural that we visit a game store and arcade?¡± ¡°¡­Huh? A¡­ stroll?¡± Amano-kun doesn¡¯t look convinced anymore. Yea, to be honest, I can¡¯t say that my words don¡¯t sound strange anymore. I can¡¯t say the reason directly, but I have to go to the arcade by any means possible. In the end, I took the reluctant Amano-kun with me and headed towards the arcade. On the way, Amano-kun asked me a question while feeling wary of the gazes of the people around us. ¡°Tendo-san, do you like ying arcade games?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh¡­ well, for me, the ratio of ying games at home to at an arcade is about 7 to 3. Oiso-senpai and Misumi-kun like ying arcade games more. On the other hand, Kase-senpai seems to only y online FPS games.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± ¡°How about you, Amano-kun?¡± When I asked him a question in reply, Amano-kun smiled wryly. ¡°Not at all. I even used to dislike it a lot¡­¡± Somehow, I understand him. People who y games at homes and go to the arcade to y are considerably different. Especially for someone like Amano-kun, who doesn¡¯t have many friends and is the type to stay alone, it¡¯s not surprising that he doesn¡¯t like arcade games as much. But the thing that got me was¡­ ¡°¡®Used to¡¯? You used to dislike it a lot¡­¡± ¡°Oh, yea. Lately, I¡¯ve had the chance to y with other people, so I¡¯ve been having a lot of fun with a lot of arcade games.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± My heart thumped loudly when he said that. ¡­Amano-kun¡­ at the arcade with someone else? Ah, speaking of which, I¡¯ve seen him with Uehara-kun before¡­ him, right? Yea. Right. It¡¯s him, yea. I should make sure¡­ ¡°¡­U-um, Amano-kun? It¡¯s only for reference, but, um, who did you y with¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, Tendo-san, we arrived. Is it this ce?¡± ¡°Oh, we are! Yea! This is the ce, uh-huh!¡± I suddenly looked back, feeling disturbed, and walked into the store in a panic. ¡­Ipletely lost my chance to ask the question. ¡°(No, it¡¯s definitely Uehara-kun. Yea. ¡­ ¡­It¡¯s not anyone like Hoshinomori-san, or, um, the suddenly alleged girlfriend Aguri-san¡­ right?)¡± The more I think about it, I could imagine Amano-kun chatting and giggling with another girl, enjoying themselves as they yed a crane game. ¡­In reality, by looking at his usual behavior, he¡¯s clearly not the type to do so, but if I say what I know of him¡ª ¡°Tendo-san? Um, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I replied absent-mindedly to Amano-kun¡¯s sudden and worried question. ¡°No, I was just disappointed and surprised that Amano-kun was the type of person to shamelessly go to an arcade with another girl.¡± ¡°But wasn¡¯t it you that invited me!?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± When I noticed, Amano-kun had dropped his shoulders, said ¡°There are too many trap choices¡­ !¡±, and became depressed. It looks like he thought that ¡°going to an arcade with another girl¡± was referring to the current situation. ¡­Well, with how things were going, it was only natural to think that way. When I opened my mouth to clear up the misunderstanding, I realized that telling him my train of thought would also be a problem, so as a result¡­ ¡°Oh, look, it looks like a variety of new game machines havee in!¡± It looks likepletely changing the topic was a solution that wasn¡¯t well-received by Amano-kun. ¡°Hah¡­ yea¡­¡± ¡°(Ah, he¡¯s clearly feeling depressed now! S-sorry, Amano-kun.)¡± Even though I apologized over and over in my heart, I couldn¡¯t say my true intentions. Anyway, I tried to get him to forget about it as quickly as possible and pulled on his sleeve forcibly. The arcade we arrived at was a three-story building that was different from the one I saw Amano-kun and Uehara-kun at in the past. Without even looking around the first floor, which had crane games and photobooths aimed towards families, I headed straight for the second floor, which had video games. While I was still pulling on his sleeve, Amano-kunughed in a strained voice. ¡°Tendo-san, you¡¯re really consistent.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Ah, no, see, I was just thinking that you were the opposite of Aguri-san, who would immediately bite at the chance to win a prize at one of the crane games.¡± ¡°Oh, certainly, I don¡¯t really have much of an interest in those things¡ª¡± When I said that much, I realized something. ¡°(¡­Isn¡¯t Amano-kun somehow strangely familiar with Aguri-san¡¯s personality!?)¡± I was sweating. ¡­Is there something between them after all? ¡°(But¡­ I¡¯ve heard from people that she and Uehara-kun were dating. But¡­ Hoshinomori-san¡¯s testimony also had credibility¡­)¡± While my brain ran around in circles, I passed the video game floor without realizing it and arrived at the third floor, which had medal games.[2] Looking back at Amano-kun in surprise, I saw that he also had a look of uncertainty. ¡°¡­Um, Tendo-san? Are you¡­ going to y medal games?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh¡ª¡­¡± It seems like he expected me to go to the video game corner. ¡­To be honest, that was my n all along. At any rate, the reason I dragged him to the arcade was so that I could y against him. ¡°(If I yed a game with Amano-kun once again¡­ somehow, I thought that I would be able to understand how to break out of my slump, but¡­)¡± What should I do now, havinge to the medal game floor? There aren¡¯t any fighting games, nor are there any puzzle games. Letting out a sigh, I cleared my throat to distract him, and looked back at Amano-kun to go back down a floor¡ª ¡°Oh, we must¡¯vee here to kill some time as a change of pace as we y medal games! As expected of Tendo-san. I didn¡¯t think of that at all.¡± ¡°¡­Sure?¡± Suddenly, Amano-kun¡¯s eyes glittered, havinge up with a reason for my actions by himself. Ignoring me, who had stopped moving, he made his way to the middle of the medal game floor. I chased after him in a panic¡­ Standing in front of the medal exchange machine, he pointed towards a sticker and looked back at me with a grin. ¡°Look, Tendo-san! Once a month, they give three times the medals, and that¡¯s today. We¡¯re lucky!¡± ¡°Y-yea, we are. That¡¯s definitely great value.¡± ¡°Right? For now then, since today¡¯s special, let¡¯s spend about 500 yen.¡± ¡°Yea, sure¡ªuh, no, um, w-wait¡ª¡± Amano-kun put his hand into his pocket, pulled out a single 500 yen coin, and put it into the machine before I could say anything to stop him. The medals jingled as they came out the machine and into the cup. ¡°Oh¡ª¡­¡± ¡°? What¡¯s wrong, Tendo-san? You¡¯re making a face as if a magician in your party just wasted his MP on some useless stuff.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you have been more perceptive like this earlier!?¡± ¡°Ueh!? D-did I do something bad?¡± Amano-kun became frightened as he held the cup of medals, which jingled loudly. Sighing deeply, I took out my purse from my pouch, stood in front of the machine, and exchanged my own 500 yen for medals. Holding my cup, I red at Amano-kun, who was shrinking back in fear. And then¡­ in the next moment, I thrusted my finger towards him. ¡°Let¡¯s have a match, Amano-kun!¡± ¡°? Huh?¡± Amano-kun looked at me nkly while tilting his head. I continued to speak with firm resolution. ¡°This isn¡¯t what I intended to do¡­ but it¡¯ll work. Let¡¯s have a match with medal games this time, Amano-kun!¡± ¡°H-huh. ¡­Um, if this wasn¡¯t what you meant to do, then we don¡¯t have to do this¡­¡± ¡°Amano-kun!¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± ¡°You made a very good choice. Certainly, if it¡¯s a medal game¡­ where practically everything is decided by luck, I canpete seriously with you!¡± ¡°Putting aside the fact that you subtly dissed my gaming skills¡­pete earnestly, is it?¡± ¡°Yea! This is¡­ the deciding match with my life and myeback on the line!¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing someone so enthusiastic about medal games!¡± ¡°Amano-kun! I will definitely defeat you! And then I will retake what I have lost!¡± ¡°¡­Um, well, then should I lose?¡± I replied in indignation when Amano-kun hesitantly suggested to throw the match. ¡°D-don¡¯t joke around like that! Trying to withdraw from a serious match¡­ You¡¯re the scum of gamers! Shame on you!¡± Amano-kun replied in bewilderment to my exasperated words. ¡°But, um, I have nothing to lose¡­ and Tendo-san, you said that your life depended on this match, so¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­! ¡­T-that¡¯s a figure of speech! Ignore that part! Nothing¡¯s on the line for me! Nothing, ok!? ¡­ W-whee whoo~¡± ¡°What is that really unsettling whistle!? It¡¯s actually really scary!¡± ¡°! You¡¯re a really fussy person! I-if you¡¯re like that, girls will hate you!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t my favorable impression rapidly dropping today somehow!?¡± ¡°Anyway! This is a medal game match, Amano-kun! Alright¡­ 30 minutes! After 30 minutes, we¡¯lle back here, and the person with more medals is the winner! Do you understand!?¡± ¡°H-hah, I got it¡­¡± ¡°Then, in 30 minutes! ¡­Game start!¡± As I announced the start of the match, I started to speedwalk around the floor while looking around for ces to invest my medals in. ¡°(The most orthodox game would be the pusher game. A simple, ssic, and visually appealing game where the goal is to use the timing of the pusher to push already-existing mounds of coins off the ledge. But¡­)¡± After seeing a lot of elderly people and families around the circr machine, I grimaced. ¡°(The machine¡¯s way too popr, like I thought it would be. And naturally, the empty spots are¡­)¡± I quickly checked the LCD disy. ¡­As expected, all the good spots are taken. Lately, this sort of game has bingo and sugoroku elements added to it, and each seat umtes points that are shown on the disy. In other words, a person who is able to get a seat with a high number will profit a lot, but since this game is popr, good seats are taken fast.[3] ¡°(It¡¯s a fun game with various elements, but since today¡¯s goal is to get as many medals as possible in a short amount of time, it¡¯s not the best¡­)¡± Quicklying to a decision, I ruled out pusher games. By the way, it¡¯s only been about ten seconds since the start of the match. While constantly thinking over my strategy, I looked over at Amano-kun to see what he was doing, And, he was¡­ ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°(Hey¡ª)¡± The pusher game that I ruled out in the very beginning¡­ and furthermore, he went to the seat with the lowest number of points without checking it just because no one was there and sat down. I was dumbfounded for a second, but I snapped out of it and immediately analyzed his actions. ¡°(Is that his strategy!? Did I not see the number correctly? No¡­ that¡¯s probably not it. B-but, he can be attentive at times, so maybe¡­)¡± ¡°¡­Fumu fumu. ¡­Heh~¡­ ¡­ Oh, there was that kind of rule, huh¡­¡± ¡°(He¡¯s aplete amateeeuuuuuuurrrrrrrr!)¡± I nearly tripped. Amano-kun¡­ he probably sat down because the pusher game caught his eye¡­ Well, it¡¯s just like him. ¡°(Somehow I feel like I¡¯m losing my strength¡­ But I won¡¯t be careless! I, I will do the very best I can! And then I will break away from Amano-kun¡¯s loose and easy-going nature!)¡± I firmly made a fist and resumed walking around the floor, hoping for a machine with a high ie in a short amount of time. Twenty minutester, in front of the medal exchange machine. There was¡ª ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was a girl holding a cup filled with medals to the very top without even having used up all the time, and a small-statured young boy who was feeling depressed. Already knowing the result without even counting, I asked myself a question. ¡°(¡­Then what?)¡± I didn¡¯t feel the exhration of victory nor any disappointment in Amano-kun¡¯s poor performance. I felt nothing. The only result was the oue that I anticipated from the start. Amano-kun prioritized having fun as always and suffered a crushing defeat. I prioritized getting points and so I won in andslide. It wasn¡¯t interesting at all. ¡°Ahaha¡­ as Tendo-san said, if it was medal games, the match would be morepetitive, but¡­ it was just pathetic.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As I watched Amano-kun drop his shoulders, I kept thinking to myself. Certainly, he should¡¯ve had a decent chance of winning. But¡­ if, for example, he had won and I had lost, I feel like I would still have this strange feeling. ¡­there¡¯s nothing at all. ¡°(I have really¡­ be half-hearted. I don¡¯t feel the exhration of winning. At the same time, I¡¯m not like Amano-kun, who¡¯s satisfied with just having fun. ¡­I¡­ what the hell is it that I want to do¡­)¡± It¡¯s not even an exaggeration¡ªI felt like I hit rock bottom. Amano-kun must¡¯ve also been sad, but¡­ for me, this situation was painful. Because¡­ I no longer knew how to enjoy games. The one thing that had always been a pir of support in my heart just crumbled. Feeling light-headed, I dropped a medal from my cup. Amano-kun sent me a sidelong nce, picked up the medal, and tried to return it, but he saw my vacant look and hesitated. Iughed without any energy when I saw him hesitate, and talked carelessly. ¡°It¡¯s ok. You can have that medal as thanks for picking it up.¡± ¡°Huh? Is it really fine? Woohoo, thank you very much!¡± He bowed exaggeratedly. While thinking that he was a strangely innocent person as always, I looked around, wondering if I should put my remaining medals in the deposite machine. However, I noticed that Amano-kun was no longer there. ¡°Amano-kun?¡± I looked throughout the store while calling out his name. I saw him at the ce he was ying at originally for some reason¡­ returning to his seat at the pusher game, he was looking at the machine with a serious look, trying to measure when to put his coin in. Sitting on one side of the two-person seat, I looked at his face,bed my hair, and said, ¡°Amano-kun?¡± He became flustered when he noticed that I was close to him, and scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°No, um, since you gave me this medal, I thought I would bet on the match with this¡­¡± ¡°Match? What match?¡± ¡°Eh? Of course, the one with Tendo-san about who could get the most medals¡­¡± ¡°Hah?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± When I reacted in surprise at his unexpected words, he also replied in surprise. I forcefully pulled his shoulders towards me and asked him. ¡°Um¡­ Amano-kun, are you still trying to win?¡± ¡°Huh? No, I didn¡¯t have any medals and didn¡¯t get out of myst bet, so¡­ But since I received a medal from Tendo-san, I¡¯m aiming for aeback victory. I still have some time left.¡± Replying with an attitude that said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡±, he took up a posture to put the coin in once again, but I reflexively called out to him. ¡°Eh, w-wait a bit, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°W-what is it? Are you trying to stall? Don¡¯t stop me, Tendo-san!¡± Without looking in my direction, Amano-kun looked for the right time to put in the coin as he talked in a slightly irritated tone. Even then, I continued to ask him questions. ¡°W-why are you trying to win?¡± ¡°Because this is apetition!¡± ¡°But, you, you¡¯re not that type¡­¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that supposed to mean, ¡®that type¡¯?¡± Amano-kun closed one eye and carefully aimed the coin, replying to me in a slightly rude tone. I gulped, feeling a hunch that a big assumption of mine was just about to be overturned, and asked the question that struck the heart of the manner. ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine whether or not you lose¡­¡± In reply to my words, Amano-kun, while concentrating on the tip of his finger, told me his true intentions without any lies¡­ and it was a big shock to me. ¡°The match is definitely more fun if you win!¡± ¡°(Eeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhh!?)¡± The biggest reason that I fell into this slump was ¡°Amano Keita¡¯s game stance¡±. While shouting words thatpletely ruined my theory, Amano-kun pushed the medal in. And the result was¡ª ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± It didn¡¯t have any influence at all and only added to the mound of coins. The oue felt like a failed punchline. In the next instant, Amano-kun grabbed his head, taken aback. ¡°Ahh, mou! This is irritating!¡± ¡°Ir¡­ irritating¡­?¡± ¡°Hah? Yea, irritating! I lost myst bet!? I!¡± ¡°Y-yea, but¡­ but, isn¡¯t it fine if you had fun in the process?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Amano-kun tilted his head in curiousity. ¡­I¡¯m the one who doesn¡¯t understand, you know. Sensing a family that wanted to y behind us, we left our seats in a panic, traded in my medals, and then left the arcade. For a short while, we had a casual and carefree conversation as we walked through the city and we finally seemed to be taking the most ¡°stroll¡±-like activity of today.¡­ at a tree-lined passage in the park. Finally, I decided to ask what was on my mind. ¡°Amano-kun. Didn¡¯t you¡­ refuse to join the Gamers Club because you didn¡¯t like to fuss over winning and losing?¡± ¡°W-why ask so suddenly? That¡¯s¡­ no, well¡­ if I say it directly¡­¡± Amano-kun must¡¯ve thought that I was mad since he replied in an awkward tone, his eyes downcast. I started by reassuring him, saying ¡°I¡¯m not criticizing you or anything¡±. ¡°But a few minutes ago, you said that losing was irritating and tried your best even with yourst medal to win, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that strange?¡± ¡°¡­Is it strange?¡± It looked like Amano-kun didn¡¯t understand what I was saying. Getting slightly irritated, I piled on the questions. ¡°After all, your top priority is to have fun when you y games, right?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°Then, in other words, it doesn¡¯t matter whether you win or lose, right?¡± ¡°No no no, it does matter whether I win or lose. I want to win.¡± Looking upset, Amano-kun shot back a tsukkomi. In the end, I couldn¡¯t understand at all. ¡°¡­Your ims aren¡¯t consistent, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Uu. Well, certainly, my beliefs aren¡¯t as strong as Tendo-san¡¯s¡­ ¡­I still don¡¯t think what I was saying sounded strange, though.¡± ¡°How? Isn¡¯t it strange? Prioritizing having fun, and yet caring about the result of the match¡ª¡± When I said that much, Amano-kun interrupted me and said it directly. ¡°It¡¯s about ying together, you know?¡± ¡°¡ª¡± I was dumbfounded when when he said a contradictory statement once again. Rather than being concerned about the matter on hand, Amano-kun looked around, worried that we would be discovered by other Otobuki students. While walking, he offhandedly replied to my silence. ¡°But if I really didn¡¯t care about winning or losing¡­ then games wouldn¡¯t be fun at all, no?¡± ¡°Ugh¡± That¡¯s right. That¡¯s me right now. The one whose enjoyment of winning has diminished. But the one that doesn¡¯t even enjoy ying; that¡¯s the iplete me. Amano-kun suddenly looked upwards at the sky and gave an easy-to-understand analogy. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not only about thepetition. In an RPG, if you just sigh when the boss kills you¡­ doesn¡¯t that mean that the game needs tons of farming and that it¡¯s apletely shit video game where the bnce is off?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ well, probably. ¡­B-but!¡± Feeling unconvinced, I asked him a question. ¡°You said it before, right!? That you yed games with your brother like fools whileughing out loud! If you y with that kind of feeling, doesn¡¯t that just mean that you don¡¯t care whether you win or lose? Am I wrong?¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Rather, it¡¯s the opposite.¡± ¡°O-opposite?¡± Amano-kun replied with a nod to my hysteric voice. ¡°Both of us always make a huge uproar about winning or losing. We say that [I will win next time], or that [today¡¯s match was unfair so it didn¡¯t count], and argue that we won, counting all previous matches. Well, you could say we argue over it like a massive scandalous dispute. It¡¯s like a direct way for us to quarrel in a lighthearted way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So when I say I like to y games with my brother, we both have massive mood swings from the oue of the game.¡± It felt like I was just hit on the head. I think I was just taught the natural way to enjoy ying games again. And¡­ he simply gave me what I was desperately looking for, like how I simply gave him the medal that he picked up for me. While unintentionally shivering and feeling vulnerable, I continued asking questions. ¡°¡­What the hell? Then why, Amano-kun¡­ did you not join the Gamers Club¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I simplycked the willpower. Naturally, I want to win, but I didn¡¯t have the enthusiasm to practice over and over again just to be able to win.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ve already said this before, but for me and my brother, games are for ¡®amusement¡¯.¡± ¡°I¡­ I see.¡± Amano-kun smiled warmly towards me with a grin. While feeling like I was gradually learning how to have fun with games again, I kept asking questions. ¡°Hey, Amano-kun. When you see¡­ me trying my hardest only to win¡­ and the Gamers Club as well, is it funny to you?¡± ¡°? What are you saying? It¡¯s not like you to ask questions like that, Tendo-san.¡± As if he was blowing all my troubles away, Amano-kun shouted whileughing, which unusually filled my whole body with confidence. ¡°The fact that I love winning and am so irritated at losing is the best part about ying games!¡± ¡°¡­Is that so.¡± ¡°So, from the bottom of my heart, I don¡¯t think people who obsess about winning and use their irritation of losing as motivation to improve are funny!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Noticing that my eyes were wet, I looked downwards in a panic. However, it didn¡¯t look like Amano-kun noticed at all, and scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°Well, since I don¡¯t have the conviction and the willpower, rather than trying to improve my skills, I¡¯m just running away by ying other games¡­¡± ¡°Fufu.¡± ¡°S-sorry¡­¡± I unintentionally smiled as the negative Amano-kun apologized. If things were as always, I would give him reassuring words, but¡­ ¡°Really, my expectations for Amano-kun were betrayed.¡± ¡°U-uu¡­ I¡¯m really sorry for being disappointing in various ways¡­¡± When I saw Amano-kun dejectedly drop his shoulders, I stuck out my tongue. ¡°(Well, I actually meant it in a good way, though.)¡± But to say it so directly is a bit mortifying¡­ and embarrassing. I walked a few steps in front and turned back to look at him. ¡°Alright, this is where our stroll ends!¡± ¡°Eh!? Ah, yea, I understand, but¡­ i-it¡¯s very sudden, you know?¡± Did I do something rude?¡­ said the uneasy expression on Amano-kun¡¯s face. I waved my finger and smiled, denying his worries, and turned my back to him. ¡°Can¡¯t do anything about that.¡± I raised my hand in lieu of a farewell, and¡ª ¡°Right now, I want to y games, so I can¡¯t help it!¡± ¡ªstarted my journey towards home, where games were waiting, with energetic strides like the old ¡°Tendo Karen¡± andpletely unlike the ¡°Tendo Karen¡± right before the stroll. ¡­ ¡­However. Ater development It was Monday after school at the clubroom. ¡°Tendo, you¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± After finishing a round of an FPS game, Kase-senpai put down his controller and started to talk with a meek expression. Uncharacteristically, Misumi-kun and Oiso-senpai paused their game and were looking in our direction. As I was waiting eagerly for judgement time, Kase-senpai¡ª ¡ªshouted loudly, looking utterly amazed. ¡°You got even worse! What is this!¡± ¡°Uu!¡±¡± I crashed onto the table at his overly harsh words. Kase-senpai quickly got over his amazed state, and as if he was afraid, swallowed his spit. ¡°No, it¡¯s safe to say that you¡¯ve returned to your old ystyle. Your thirst for victory and your improvement from losses as well. That much I¡¯ll recognize.¡± ¡°Uu¡ª¡­¡± ¡°But, that¡¯s why this is so confusing. Why do you¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why do you make stupid ys that would make even a beginner surprised!? Whenever you get carried away, your face flushes red!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± When Kase-senpai pointed that out, I couldn¡¯t say anything and just hung my head. ¡°(Uu¡­ that¡¯s probably¡­)¡± After my stroll with Amano-kun, I¡¯ve been able to understand the joy of games once more, got my enthusiasm and joy for games again. That much is good. But¡­ ¡°(Why¡­ Why do I always think of Amano-kun¡¯s face, who ys games for fun!? This is really strange, me! Is there a bug in my brain!?)¡± This was the current reason for my bad performance. ¡°Uu¡­¡± I groaned and red at the monitor with teary eyes, having set a new low score. I slowly thought over the events that happened recently. And then¡ªI came to a conclusion, and shouted with all my might in my head. ¡°(As I thought, this is Amano-kun¡¯s faaaaauuuuuuuuullllllllllllllttttttttttt!)¡± ¡ªThe day when Tendo Karen returns to her normal condition in the truest sense was still a ways away. Notes: 1. Reference to Golden Mozaic. 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medal_game 3. This sentence really confused me, as bingo and sugoroku really shouldn¡¯t have any connection to pusher games. However, it may be referring to them as elements of luck/RNG. Volume 2, 6: Gamers and Flying Get

Volume 2, Chapter 6: Gamers and Flying Get [1]

TL: qbomb Editor: Deus Ex Machina ¡°Sorry, but I just want to be good friends.¡± ¡°Eh~, what the hell, mou!¡± When my third confession failed, I looked up and threw a tantrum. Even though I was rejected, my reaction was excessive, stubborn, and rude¡­ but it¡¯s nothing to be worried about. After all, the person I was confessing to was a 2D heroine inside of a monitor. ¡­Don¡¯t tell me that this is really pathetic. I¡¯m aware of it myself; after all, I¡¯m sitting here by myself, cursing at a dating sim because I don¡¯t know what to do. But even though I¡¯m aware of it, I can¡¯t stop shouting at the screen. ¡°What¡¯s so bad about me¡­¡± Copsing on my bed face up, I mumbled like a snobby secondary character as I vacantly gazed at the controller that dropped from my hand. It¡¯s been five days¡­ since I started the dating sim ¡°Golden Tricks¡±. As for my progress, I¡¯ve captured one heroine a day. I waited until the time was right to start capturing thest heroine, which was my favorite. However, the result of the three confessions to the blond honors student, Frau Heavenly, was¡­[2] I groaned while I scratched my head and pulled on my hair in frustration. ¡°Ah~, mou, I don¡¯t get it.. I have no idea where I made the wrong choice.¡± In the beginning, my goals was to capturest heroine in one go without any mistakes. But¡­ I made a mistake sometime, and my confession scene failed. In my surprise, I thought about the choices I made and tried to figure out where I failed. In my second attempt, where I meticulously thought over my choices and was careful about what I said¡­ I was rejected again. When things got to that point, I realized that I was making some fundamental mistake, and I over-enthusiastically challenged it for the third time. Using the quick save and load function, I closely examined all of Frau¡¯s reactions from each of the possible choices and intentionally tried my best to stay away from all the other heroines. My perfect confession¡ªwas a tragic shipwreck. I threw myself onto the bed while badmouthing the game. As the strangely mncholic and simplistic ending credits of the bad end rolled, I let out a big sigh. ¡°(¡­Why did things turn out like this¡­ Of all people, why am I only bad at this character¡­)¡± While looking up at the ceiling, I got mad at myself, Amano Keita, for being in this miserable state. It may appear over-the-top for a simple dating sim game, but¡­ To be honest, Frau looked simr to Tendo-san. ¡°(¡­After leaving the heroine that looks like Tendo-san forst, I was tragically rejected¡­)¡± Actually, none of the reviews and the rumors say that Frau¡¯s route was difficult in any sense. In other words, none of the other yers had any difficulties clearing her route. I was the only person stuck. I don¡¯t understand how a woman¡¯s heart works at all. ¡­No, that¡¯s wrong. Rather than ¡°a woman¡¯s heart¡±, ¡°Tendo-san¡¯s heart¡± would be more urate. After all, I was able to capture the other heroines without any problems. Even in this situation, the fact that I had to look up information on thest heroine is irritating. Having said that, going through the game once again takes 40 minutes, even if I skip through all the dialogue. I don¡¯t have a strategy in mind, nor do I have the energy to go through the game a fourth time. ¡°¡­Hah.¡± I let out a big sigh and turned off the console. Feeling dead tired, I stayed on my bed and started ying a socialwork game. ¡°Amano, don¡¯t call this a love consultation.¡± When my curt friend responded like that, I clung onto him in a panic saying ¡°no no no¡±and held him back. It was after school on Wednesday. When I went to go spend my time doing nonsense, or in other words, go to the Gamers Hobby Club, I gathered up my courage and went to Uehara-kun for consultation, but his response was really cold. After making sure that I had time before Chiakies, who was in another ss, I kept trying to get him to talk to me. ¡°I¡¯m not here for anything like that. I-I think this¡¯ll help me get closer to Tendo-san. Please?¡± Uehara-kun ignored me, who was desperately clinging onto him, and casually picked at his ear with his pinky. ¡°I mean, since you have a real girlfriend, Uehara-kun, capturing a heroine in a dating sim should be a piece of cake, right? Please teach me nicely, Uehara-kun.¡± ¡°¡­Amano.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Uehara-kun suddenly let out a big sigh and shook his finger while saying, ¡°Oh my¡±¡­ He then crossed his arms and started to talk like he was about to criticize me. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you the shocking truth starting now, which may be a bit of a surprise for an otaku like you.¡± I sensed that he would say some harsh words, so I looked away and tried to stop him in a panic. ¡°Oh¡­ S-sorry, you really don¡¯t have to help! I don¡¯t want to hear!¡± ¡°A dating sim game¡ª¡± ¡°Ah, ah, ah, I-I can¡¯t hear you¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªdoesn¡¯t actually simte real life dating!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it!¡± Having been stabbed by the harsh truth, the herbivorous young boy trembled. Uehara-kun looked down at me with a pitiful gaze as he continued to talk. ¡°So, even though I have a girlfriend¡ªRather, because I have a girlfriend, I can¡¯t give you advice about dating sims. Even though they look simr¡­ they¡¯re twopletely different things!¡± ¡°Gyaaaaaaaaaaa!¡± When Uehara-kun told me what I had been suspecting, I put my head on my desk, feeling crestfallen¡­. ¡­I then groaned. ¡°Then¡­ then, all the experience I¡¯ve gotten from the game about talking to girls is¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, Amano. Actually, the experience you got is only for your interaction level with the heroines¡­ in reality, your interaction level with girls hasn¡¯t increased at all!¡± ¡°W-what!?¡± ¡°The opposite is also true. So, I¡¯m not able to give you advice. You¡¯re probably way better at dating sims than I am. Yo, Simtion God!¡± ¡°What kind of disgraceful nickname is ¡®Simtion God¡¯!? I-I¡¯m not a ¡®Simtion God¡¯!¡± ¡°By the way, Amano, how many gal games have youpleted just during your second year?¡± ¡°Um¡­ around 40?¡± ¡°Congrattions, Amano.¡± Suddenly, Uehara-kun handed me a sheet of paper. In big letters, the words ¡°Simtion God¡± were written in huge letters with a sharpie. It¡¯s something like a certificate. After Uehara-kun saw me slump my shoulders, he said ¡°Well, it¡¯s just a joke¡±, and continued talking. ¡°Actually though, I don¡¯t know even if you ask me. I don¡¯t do those kind of gal games.¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re kidding. Don¡¯t be shy and just say it honestly¡ª¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. Really. Or rather, it¡¯s just Amano-kun. A normal boy wouldn¡¯t y gal games at all. Your sense of values are clearly biased because of your otaku nature.¡± ¡°T-then where do normal boys vent their feelings of desire for girls¡ª¡± ¡°Normally, it¡¯s AVs.¡± Although I felt dazed momentarily, I regained my wits and let out a sad sigh in disappointment. ¡°¡­What is with the youth of Japan these days¡­¡± ¡°No no no, that¡¯s what I should be saying to you.¡± ¡°It would be better if it was an eroge¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s your tastes that are strange. Simply speaking, you¡¯re different. In a sense, your preferences are hardcore.¡± After talking like he was amazed, Uehara-kun cleared his throat and returned to the main point. ¡°In the first ce, why are you being so stubborn, Amano? If you¡¯reing to me for advice, just ask online first.¡± It was a reasonable opinion, but I said, ¡°No,¡± while I scratched my cheek in embarrassment. ¡°This kind of adventure¡­ especially for things like heroines of dating sims, feels a lot more empathetic to make my own decisions while looking over the choices instead of following a guide¡­¡± ¡°Hoho, so in other words, you want to learn how to be friends with Tendo-san by yourself. What a man.¡± My heart jumped up when he got it exactly right. I tried to deny it in a panic. ¡°N-no, what are you saying!? I¡¯m talking about the game, the game!¡± While trying to smooth over the situation, I reflected on my actions. I realized that I had superimposed reality onto games more than necessary, and that I had dug myself into a hole that I couldn¡¯t get out of. I let out a sigh, thinking about how this whole situation was pathetic. Looking bothered, Uehara-kun scratched his head and started to talk again. ¡°If you feel troubled about trying to use your experience capturing heroines in real life, just worry about reality itself. That would work much better.¡± ¡°? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean. ¡­Isn¡¯t it about time that you approach Tendo herself?¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± My eyes spun at Uehara-kun¡¯s suggestion. ¡°What are you saying, Uehara-kun? Right now, I¡¯m less than a flea to Tendo-san, so if I were to go up to her now¡­ I still need to learn how to talk to girls. Did you forget?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t forget. I¡¯m telling you this because I didn¡¯t forget.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°¡­What do I mean? ¡­Hah. You¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Uehara-kun looked at me with an expression that seemed to say, ¡°How did you not realize yet?¡± And then¡­ he approached the crux of the matter. ¡°Don¡¯t you already talk to Tendo rather normallypared to other girls?¡± ¡°¡ªEh?¡± I froze for an instant, thinking about what he said. During that pause, Uehara-kun continued to talk. ¡°Well, Hoshinomori goes without saying¡­ and I don¡¯t really know much, but I¡¯ve seen you talking to Aguri. And then¡­ I mean, you talked to Tendo when you guys met and went to y medal games, right?¡± ¡°Y-yea, we did go y medal games together, but¡­¡± What is Uehara-kun trying to say? For a mob character like me to talk to Tendo-san normally¡­ wait¡­ ¡­ ¡°Comparatively!?¡± ¡°You just noticed!?¡± I stood up from my chair with a ng and shouted, eyes wide. Uehara-kun also replied in surprise. I-I guess that¡¯s true. When we were ying medal games, I was nervous as always and experienced strong feelings of awe, but I feel like I was able to properlymunicate. Well, though that may be true, the mood wasn¡¯t very good. Eventually, it became apetition between the two of us. In other words, I ended up losing and showed her my disgraceful side. Yea. I was going to tell him that, but Uehara-kun said ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant¡±, and listlessly massaged the back of his neck. ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about winning or losing. Because you two yed together without special reasons like ¡®club activities¡¯, I think you have already fulfilled the requirements to be considered as ¡®friends¡¯ now.¡± ¡°U-umm, is that so?¡± Honestly speaking, I¡¯ve never thought about how close I am to Tendo-san. Every time we meet, I only think about my temper or about how I should act. Since we¡¯re pretty much ¡°acquaintances¡±, I¡¯ve always talked and acted like such, but¡­ well, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything more than that between us. Rather, I often think that she still hates me. Also, the reason why Tendo-san is getting close to me is¡­ probably because she wants to get closer to Uehara-kun. She¡¯s employing the tactic of ¡°If you want to aim for the general, aim for his horse first¡± to get closer to him and be able tomunicate with him. How much can you consider this as ¡°bing closer¡±? However, I can¡¯t talk about this things with Uehara-kun himself, so all he sees is that Tendo-san and I are getting along. ¡°(Mou, this is why the protagonist of a loveedy that doesn¡¯t understand the girl¡¯s heart is¡­!)¡± While I was groaning, Uehara-kun looked at me with an exasperated expression for some reason. ¡°¡­Is the hurdle of ¡®friendship¡¯ too big for you?¡± ¡°Uu¡­¡± Leaving aside Tendo-san¡¯s love, there might be some truth to his words. There might be, but¡­ ¡°But the other person is Tendo-san, you know?¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s Tendo or a princess, in the end, it¡¯s just another person.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m like a small flea to Tendo-san, or rather, just a big slug¡­¡± ¡°Even if that might have been the case when you rejected her invitation to the Gamers Club, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s still like that. You know, Tendo doesn¡¯t really hate you. If she hated you, would she invite you for a walk?¡± ¡°Since she met an acquaintance by chance on the street, she probably invited me out of kindness.¡± For some reason, Uehara-kun said, ¡°Are you serious¡­¡± and held his head. It seems like Uehara-kun was really always worried about my rtionships with other people¡­ ¡°¡­I¡¯m really happy that Uehara-kun became my friend.¡± ¡°Why do you only say nice things to me!?¡± He took a few steps back, his face turning red. Right¡­ friendship between men should be more manly, yea. Manly¡­ friendship between males¡­ ¡­ ¡°Uehara-kun, do you want to enter a bath with me?¡± ¡°Are you serious!? You¡¯re not being serious, right!?¡± Uehara-kun pushed aside the chairs and desks in front of him as he scrambled to get away from me. Our ssmates that were still in the ssroom were all looking at us. As I looked around the room and bowed apologetically to try to fix the situation¡ª ¡°Oh, uh, Chiaki?¡± ¡ªI called to the seaweed-haired girl, who was, surprisingly, standing at the entrance of the ssroom. Uehara-kun¡¯s eyes widened in shock. For some reason, Chiaki¡¯s cheeks dyed red, and after looking back and forth at me and Uehara-kun¡­ ¡°Um¡­ that, that! I-I have something to take care of, so¡­ um, um, that¡­ g-goodbye¡ª!¡± She suddenly bolted from the room. I didn¡¯t understand her reaction, so I tilted my head, confused. Uehara-kun, however, was opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish¡­ Suddenly, not caring about his surroundings, he shouted out loud with all his might. ¡°I can¡¯t let things end like thiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssssss!¡± While I was surprised, he immediately rushed back to his seat, picked up his bag, told me ¡°The Gamers Hobby Club is over for today!¡±, and rushed after Chiaki desperately. I was still confused about the situation. When I could no longer hear Uehara-kun¡¯s footsteps in the hall, I finally realized what had just happened. ¡°Ah, damn¡­! This is definitely that¡­!¡± Even if I may be oblivious about myself, I have some confidence in recognizing other people¡¯s rtionships. With a gulp, I rested my chin on my sped hands and mumbled with conviction. ¡°This is a g that Uehara-kun and Chiaki¡¯s love is deepening¡­!¡± A girl who blushes and run away, and a boy who shouts ¡°I can¡¯t let things end like this!¡± and chases after her. I can¡¯t mistake this for anything else, Isn¡¯t this definitely an decisive scene before the ending? Or rather, isn¡¯t this a bad ending? ¡°Ah¡­ mou, what should I do¡­!¡± I pulled at my hair for a short while. Even though I felt uneasy¡­ I reluctantly decided to contact Aguri-san. Tendo Karen ¡°So, no matter how many times you ask, I won¡¯t go out with you. ¡­Huh? A trial period, is it? Honestly, outside of professional rtionships, I find that way of thinking disgusting. ¡®Trial¡¯¡­ don¡¯t you think that¡¯s rude to the other person? ¡°¡­No, I¡¯ve already said this before. I don¡¯t want to date anyone. ¡­¡®Then isn¡¯t it fine¡¯¡­? ¡­Hah. I¡¯m shocked. ¡°Do you even understand what I¡¯m saying? Just to make it clear, I¡¯ll tell you my final answer once again. ¡°I do not want to go out with you. ¡°¡­Hah? If you win the uing tournament? ¡­Hah. I don¡¯t understand someone like you. ¡°What do you think I am? Is it fun to look at people as an ¡®extra prize¡¯ at some tournament? ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re good at boxing. I think it¡¯s respectable. ¡°But that¡¯s apletely different issue than my own emotions. Right? ¡°You want me to watch your game? You¡¯ll win for my sake? No thank you. Yes, no thank you. No, I don¡¯t dislike boxing. I am simply saying that as of now, I am not willing to sacrifice my personal time just to watch your match. After all, why would I spend my day off watching someone I barely know in a match? ¡°What? You want to¡­ start by being friends? ¡°¡­No, I¡¯m not sure about that. In the first ce, what do you mean by ¡°friends¡±? Since I didn¡¯t want to go out with you, you¡¯re trying to¡­ get closer to me by any means possible, right? ¡°Unfortunately, I do not want to be that kind of friend. ¡°I¡¯ll say this honestly¡­ I am fully aware that what I am about to say may be rude, since this is our first time meeting, but I will still be direct. ¡°Frankly speaking, I don¡¯t want to be friends with you. ¡°Our sense of values are different¡­ or more importantly, I feel like we wouldn¡¯t click. Obviously, a friend doesn¡¯t have to have the same hobbies and preferences, but I think it¡¯s very important that their human nature ispatible. ¡°In that sense, and although it may be unfortunate, after having heard your confession, I do not think that I like your personality. ¡°So, taking all my earlier points into consideration, I¡ªwait, what?¡± I suddenly realized that Andou-san, who was in the boxing club from a different school, had disappeared from my vision. ¡°You¡¯re as unpleasant as the rumors said! Ah, no, please stop!¡± While hurling insults, Andou san ran out of the cultural clubs building, the floorboards creaking with every step. While sighing, I looked at his back until he disappeared from my sight. Suddenly, I felt someone pat my shoulders from behind. ¡°Good work, Tendo-san.¡± ¡°? Oh, Misumi-kun. You¡¯re early.¡± Turning around in surprise, I looked at Misumi Eiichi-kun, who was standing still with an awkward and strained smile stered on his ever refreshing face. Noticing his expression and the nuance in his words, I asked him a question, feeling slightly ashamed. ¡°¡­Did you see?¡± ¡°Uh-huh. I felt guilty, but¡­ in the corridor leading to the clubroom, it¡¯s pretty much unavoidable¡­¡± ¡°Yea, I guess. No, I should be the one sorry for blocking the hallway. ¡°Well, the only one waiting for the confession to end was me, so it¡¯s no big deal¡­¡± Misumi-kun looked like he wanted to say something more as he scratched his cheek. When I asked him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± and urged him to talk, he hesitated at first and then continued. ¡°Tendo-san, um¡­ you turned him down pretty harshly¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Oh¡­¡± I wryly smiled as I leaned against the wall of the hallway, trying to recover some of my depleted energy, and responded¡­ ¡°I¡¯m pretending to be a pro at love when I say this, but the worst thing you can do is to give an ambiguous answer. If you reject them gently, they¡¯ll have a strange sense of hope and the situation will be even worse¡­¡± That was the conclusion I got from my experience rejecting countless number of people. Misumi-kun looked impressed as he crossed his arms and muttered. ¡°Haha, I see. You know, Tendo-san¡­ even I would¡¯ve cried a bit when youpletely rejected him.¡± ¡°Uu.¡± I was at a loss. ¡­I timidly asked him another question. ¡°Misumi-kun. Was I¡­ really that harsh?¡± Misumi-kun saw me looking uneasy and blinked in surprise. ¡°Eh? Yea, it was harsh, but¡­ isn¡¯t that what you were trying to do?¡± ¡°I mean, that¡¯s true, but¡­ ¡­I was wondering if I¡¯ve been more aggressive than necessary when I refuse these daily confessionstely.¡± I was trying to be sincere to those who were sincere, and harsh to the ones who were superficial, but¡­ it¡¯s a bit of a problem if the other party thinks it¡¯s overly harsh. Misumi-kun went ¡°Hmm¡­¡± while scratching back of the head, feeling ufortable. While thinking back on the confession that just happened, he started talking. ¡°Honestly, when I first saw him, I didn¡¯t think so highly of him, but¡­¡± ¡°R-right? He looked like someone without good sense.¡± Yes, I wasn¡¯t wrong. My response was definitely the right one¡ª ¡°But even though yourpatibility may be bad, I think he had good intentions. Since Tendo-san¡¯s reply was basically aplete rejection, he got a strong impression that you were like a demon.¡± ¡°Ugu!?¡± An arrow deeply stabbed my chest. ¡­C-certainly, that might be true. I didn¡¯t want to date Andou-san at all, and I didn¡¯t really like his personality, but¡­ but, he dide to confess with pure intentions. On the other hand, even though I was being sincere, my words of rejection may have been overkill. Misumi-kun lightly smiled and gave me some advice. ¡°Before, you might¡¯ve gone in while thinking, ¡®Reject his confession¡¯, but this time, Tendo-san went in while basically thinking ¡®no¡¯, right?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ when you say it like that, I guess that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Or rather, it seems like it¡¯s be a habit. You would ¡®walk in and reject his confession, then give him a reason¡¯, or some pattern like that.¡± ¡°¡­Yea¡­¡± Something came to mind. ¡­Oh, right. Ever since rejecting confessions became something ordinary, my thoughts unconsciously became ¡°reject them from the beginning and keep things stable.¡± Misumi-kun still had a gentle smile on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s very good to make too many habits. Even though you reject because of your original feelings, it seems like you¡¯re going in reverse.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that I start with the fact that I¡¯m rejecting other people, then tell them my feelings as if I¡¯m giving an excuse afterwards?¡± ¡°Yup, that¡¯s what I mean.¡± ¡°That¡¯s certainly¡­ an unfavorable thing to do as a person.¡± Lately, I¡­ the person known as Tendo Karen, have been aware of that issue and could understand what he was talking about. ¡°(It¡¯s like the time when Amano-kun rejected my invitation to the Gamers Club¡­ I can be really stubborn at times. I wonder if I¡¯m just unable to adapt to the situation.)¡± I¡¯ve been arbitrarily deciding ¡°because of this, this is probably true¡± for a lot of things. Because Amano-kun likes games, he probably won¡¯t reject my invitation to the Gamers Club. Because he ys games for fun, he probably doesn¡¯t care about winning or losing. Because I¡¯m going to reject their confession, it¡¯s probably better for me to start off with aplete rejection. I thought I looked perfect at a nce because of my resolute actions, but¡­ rather, my flexibility was lost and I became unable to react to situations ¡°(¡­My shameful actions when Amano-kun refused my invitation to the club are a perfect example of this¡­)¡± Even now, my cheeks turn hot when I think back on that incident. Everything that happened was because of my stubbornness. When I became depressed after having reflected on my past actions, Misumi-kun followed up in a panic. ¡°No, um, I wasn¡¯t saying that you shouldpletely change how you live. Um, how should I put it¡­ I was just saying that you should be aware of it¡­¡± Misumi-kun stared off into space for a while, then looked like he hit upon a good idea. ¡°How about trying to increase your awareness?¡± ¡°Increase my awareness?¡± ¡°Yea. From my perspective, it seems like you always put on this facade of ¡°the ideal Tendo Karen¡±, for better or for worse. Well, during clubtime, it somewhat disappears.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Whenever you have a conversation, how about taking off that facade, then feel what the inner Tendo-san is thinking? I think doing things in that order would be better.¡± ¡°In other words¡­ first, talk with my true feelings in mind and then try to apologize afterwards¡­ right?¡± ¡°Yea. In Tendo-san¡¯s case, I think that would be better.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± I put my hand under my chin while I thought over what he said and agreed with his words. However, Misumi-kun was muttering something at the same time. ¡°¡±¡­If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll never get closer to Amano-kun, no matter how much time passes¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Did you say something?¡± ¡°No, it was nothing. ¡­If you couldn¡¯t even hear that, then you definitely wouldn¡¯t hear Amano-kun¡­ Ah, it looks grim¡­¡± Misumi-kun said something again, but I couldn¡¯t hear what he said, so I guess it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with me. After having finished talking for now, we went to the clubroom and started ying our respective games. However¡­ ¡°Start by being honest with my feelings. Be honest with my feelings. Be honest with my feelings. Don¡¯t start with a rejection. Don¡¯t start with a rejection. Don¡¯t start with a rejection¡­¡± I unconsciously repeated the same words over and over throughout all of club time. Uehara Tasuku ¡°S-s-sorry, I seem to have jumped to a wrong conclusion¡­¡± ¡°Yea,pletely wrong.¡± I let out a sigh in exhaustion while standing next to the apologetic Hoshinomori. We were walking side by side towards the downtown area, with the school building dyed by the rays of the setting sun behind us. Hoshinomori usually took the bus in front of the building, but it looks like she has some shopping to do today. So, I walked with her and cleared up her BL suspicions, and thus we arrived at the current situation¡­ I stole a nce at the girl walking next to me and sighed in my mind. ¡°(¡­In the end, I¡¯m walking with Hoshinomori again. How strange.)¡± Usually, I would hang out with my girlfriend Aguri every day after school, but our rtionship got strained a short while back. That¡¯s still how things are these days. As soon as I realized my love for Aguri, our time together rapidly decreased, and somehow I started spending more time Amano and Hoshinomori. ¡°(This can only be God¡¯s harassment¡­)¡± I¡¯m not a devout person, but I can¡¯t help but think that this foolish situation is someone¡¯s foolish prank that is changing our fates. ¡°(And what does this god even want to do in the end? Even though the thread of destiny clearly links Amano and Hoshinomori, he¡¯s still creating other opportunities between Amano and Tendo, as well as me and Hoshinomori.)¡± Oh, and Amano and Aguri recently. ¡­What aplicated mess. What kind of youth report is this?[3] I noticed that my serious middle school self with his hair parted to the side within me was looking at this andughing through his nose. No, my middle school self. I know. I wish that a ghost shark would quicklye and attack these party people in this love web at a beach resort. However, I want you to look at this situation again, my old self. You¡¯ll notice something right away. All the characters in this love rectangle or whatever¡ªnone of them have had their first kiss yet. If I said in the style of Kitano Takeshi¡¯s movies, it would be ¡°Everybody, virgin¡±. What is this, Miura Jun¡¯s world view? Ah, yes, yes, did you know that the word ¡°virgin¡± originally applied to girls as well, my old self?[4] ¡­Hey, don¡¯t look at me with those eyes, my middle school self. This is far from being a youth report or a high school report; don¡¯t say that this is on the level of a middle school student¡¯s diary. That¡¯d be rude. ¡­to the middle schooler¡¯s diary. Anyway, it¡¯s like we are currently mixed up in these really ridiculous, soap opera-like circumstances, and then producing rtionships using love tips from something like ¡°Sawayaka 3 kumi¡±.[5] I put my hand to my forehead as I felt a headacheing. Hoshinomori noticed and looked at me in worry. ¡°U-uehara-san, are you alright? Are you sick or something¡­?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, no, it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that¡­ I was suddenly hit by the cruelty of this world.¡± ¡°Oh, so you were being attacked by something after all.¡± Hoshinomori came to a conclusion by herself and nodded. I no longer have the strength to fix her misunderstandings. The surroundings gradually became more busy as we headed towards downtown. Suddenly, I started talking about a topic that I¡¯ve been thinking about for a while now. ¡°By the way, what do you think of Amanotely¡ª¡± ¡°I wish he¡¯d get on a Ca helicopter already.¡±[6] ¡°Still want to kill him, huh.¡± Their fate seems to be in a direct retreat. Definitely not going well in any way. As soon as I brought up the topic of Amano, her mood immediately became worse as she continued talking. ¡°I still can¡¯t understand how Keita has a super cute girlfriend like ¡®Aguri-san¡¯.¡± ¡°O-oh, I don¡¯t understand that either¡­¡± In a different meaning from Hoshinomori, though. I tried to keep talking, but she went ¡°Right!?¡±, and took initiative of the conversation. ¡°This is really strange! Even now, when I remember Keita¡¯s useless, self-confident expression while he talked fondly about his love, I¡¯m so irritated, irritated!¡± ¡°¡­I-is that so? ¡­H-hey, Hoshinomori. Are you sure you weren¡¯t misunderstanding¡­¡± ¡°It was the first time seeing a boy look so damn proud while talking about his girlfriend!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°? Huh? What¡¯s wrong, Uehara-san? You don¡¯t look very good.¡± ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s nothing. Yea. ¡­Let¡¯s change the topic.¡± ¡°Haa, well, it¡¯s fine, but¡­¡± Hoshinomori replied, looking curious. I let out a big sigh, prepared my heart, and asked her another question, but from a different angle this time. ¡°Then, what do you think about Tendo?¡± She replied while ying with the curly tips of her hair. ¡°Tendo-san? Hmm¡­ What, you ask? We¡¯re ssmates, but we never talk, so¡­ well, if you were topare us, I would be like a pile of trash¡­¡± ¡°Wow, even your self-awareness is the same.¡± ¡°Um, but, I do respect her. Since we both like games, if she became my friend one day, even though that thought is more or less¡­ but, that would be really amazing! P-p-please forget what I just said!¡± ¡°¡­Go out with Amano already. Please. It¡¯s not even on the level of just being ¡®suitable¡¯.¡± ¡°? Um, how¡¯d you reach that conclusion from this conversation?¡± Hoshinomori tilted her neck, lookingpletely lost. ¡°Well, is that so? I don¡¯t understand.¡± I don¡¯t feel like exining if she said that. No matter what I say right now, I know that it won¡¯t affect how these two view each other. After walking in silence for a bit, it was Hoshinomori who spoke up first this time, though looking uneasy. ¡°U-uehara-san, what do you think? About¡­ Tendo-san.¡± ¡°Huh? My¡­ impression of Tendo?¡± I blinked in surprise from the unexpected question and repeated her question. Hoshinomori looked down in embarrassment, and nodded slightly. ¡­Well, I don¡¯t really see why she asked the question, but¡­ No, wait. Perhaps¡­ ¡°(As a person who¡¯s close to Amano, is she asking because she unconsciously views Tendo as a rival?)¡± Hoshinomori seems to have misunderstood Aguri as Amano¡¯s girlfriend for some reason (¡­haha, right?), but on the other hand, the radar of her mind must have perceived Tendo as the true rival. If that¡¯s the case¡­ There¡¯s only one response I can give. I suddenly stopped, drawing Hoshinomori¡¯s attention. I fearlessly smiled, and¡ªwith all my power, I will fan the mes of rivalry within her heart! ¡°I think Tendo Karen is the best girl there is. No boy can avoid falling in love with her!¡± ¡°As I thought, Uehara-san thinks that of Tendo-san¡­!¡± Hoshinomori¡¯s face became pale after receiving some kind of shock. ¡°(Oh, isn¡¯t this a pretty good response? It¡¯s proof that she¡¯s aware of Amano.)¡± After looking at her state and confirming my thoughts, I unintentionally let out augh. ¡°Fufu¡­¡± ¡°Ugh! That delightful smile on Uehara-san¡¯s face¡­ it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s my first time seeing such an expression¡­¡± Hoshinomori was unsteady on her feet, which was a reaction somewhat beyond my expectations. Hey, isn¡¯t that great? As I thought, she¡¯s actually very conscious of Amano. Feeling satisfied, I patted her head to cheer her up from her depressed state. ¡°Cheer up, Hoshinomori. If you ask me, you¡¯re a great girl. You won¡¯t lose to Tendo at all.¡± ¡°Hah¡­ but¡­ Well, if Uehara-san is happy¡­ wait, what!? Fuee!?¡± Hoshinomori flushed a deep red from my words, and backed away in a panic. ¡­Oh, shit. Was it bad to carelessly touch the hair of a shy girl? No, when I thought to cheer up Hoshinomori, it seemed like she had aplex about her hair, so I touched her hair to reassure her¡­ ¡°(Aguri¡¯s the type to cling onto me, sotely, my sense of distance with girls seems to have gotten a bit strange.)¡± While I was reflecting on my actions, Hoshinomori¡¯s eyes started spinning around in circles, and her body temperature shot up, as if steam would start shooting out of her head at any moment. Atst, it seemed like she reached her limit. She squeezed her bag, lowered her head, and¡­ ¡°E-e-excuse me for today!¡± ¡°Ah, hey, wait¡ª¡± She dashed away even before I could stop her. ¡­Like Tendo, is it some kind of trend for beautiful girls to leave by dashing away? Something like Zenryoukuzaka.[7] ¡°¡­Hah.¡± Feeling tired all of a sudden, I let out a sigh. I inadvertently turned around, and for the first time, I noticed that we were walking on the sidewalk right in front of a family restaurant. ¡°(Shit, was I seen by a customer?)¡± No, far from just being seen, the customers sitting on the side facing the road would¡¯ve probably heard the conversation. Even though I felt embarrassed from that possibility, I didn¡¯t have to worry about the part of the restaurant I nced at. The table I saw had a ss and a cup of coffee, but there was no one sitting there. Did they already go home, or did they go to the drink bar¡­? Either way, it seems like our exchange wasn¡¯t seen. I let out a sigh of relief. While thinking about what I should from now on, I quickly left the restaurant. Amano Keita ¡°¡­ ¡­D-did he leave? Hurry up, Amano-chi, look!¡± ¡°Wait, don¡¯t rush me, Aguri-san! ¡­ ¡­Oh, it looks like he left.¡± I peaked out from under the seats to check that Uehara-kun was leaving, and put my hand over my chest in relief. ]Aguri-san also peeked out from under the table to look outside. ¡°¡­¡± We absentmindedly kneeled on the floor of the family restaurant for a short while. ¡­And then. ¡°¡­D-dear customers?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± When we heard the waitress¡¯ cramped voice, we finally noticed how suspicious we looked. After sitting back on the seats in a panic, we looked at her with awkward smiles, as if to say, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to see here.¡± ¡°¡­P-please take your time¡ª¡± She was clearly suspicious of us. Trying to avoid getting involved with us as much as possible, the waitress quickly walked away from our table. We kept smiling as we watched her leave¡­ and when she disappeared into the kitchen, we both let out our breaths. ¡°Hah.¡± We both copsed onto the table. When my gaze incidentally rested on the coffee cup, I said, ¡°Oh¡±. ¡°Was it fine¡­ for our cups to be on the table?¡± I talked while I was still copsed on the table. Aguri-san replied, also in a simr position. ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine as long as he didn¡¯t see us?¡± ¡°Ah, I guess¡­¡± We talked back and forth while looking at the ceiling, feeling out of it. The reason being¡­ ¡°(Uehara-kun is definitely cheatiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnngggggg!)¡± After all, enough proof of cheating just appeared right in front of our eyes. ¡°(Saying that Tendo is the best girl, then smoothly patting the head of another girl¡­ Uehara-kun, you¡¯re impossible¡­! If this were the KISUMAI BUSAIKU rankings, you have the potential to get first ce every time!)¡±[8] I can¡¯t even say anything anymore. I propped my head using my arm. On the other hand, Aguri-san was still looking up at the ceiling, muttering something. ¡°Yuute imiya oukimu kouho riiyu ujitori yamaa kirape pepepepe pepepe pepepe pepepepe pepepe pepepe pepepepe pepe¡­¡±[9] ¡°A spell of restoration!? Or rather, what generation are you from, Aguri-san!?¡± ¡°? What are you saying? Aguri was just mumbling the words that came from the bottom of my heart in this nothingness¡­¡± ¡°What are the chances of that!?¡± A heaven-sent child of the gaming industry was sitting in front of me, naturally spewing out spells of restoration as a means of recovery from a shocked state. It¡¯s a miracle. But the sad part is that this person has absolutely no interest in games. It¡¯s a useless miracle. As if it was the effect of the spell, Aguri-san finally returned to her normal state and started sipping her now lukewarm oolong tea. ¡°Haa¡­ the scene we just came across is rather refreshing¡­¡± ¡°Yea, definitely. Rather than worrying about trusting or doubting others, it probably feels more rxing.¡± ¡°Hey, can you not talk like you understand, you hikki otaku bhi boy?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry.¡± I sat up in my seat. Lately, there¡¯s one that that I¡¯ve learned about human rtionships. That is, no matter how much time and effort you put in, there are some rtionships where it is impossible to get close. Having been influenced by RPGs, I mistakenly thought that spending long amounts of time together would help a group of people trust each other and be friends. ¡°Amano-chi, more juice.¡± ¡°Yes, right away. ¡­Um, which one?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh, right. This is a chance for me to show my sense by picking myself. Excuse me.¡± ¡ªI feel like this power rtionship will stay this way for my whole life. We¡¯ll never be lovers, close friends, or anything of the sort. This is the limit to how close we can get. I went to the drink bar, got a mixed fruit juice drink, and put it down in front of Aguri-san after returning to our table. ¡°Mixed juice, huh. ¡­And your reasoning?¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d like something bittersweet.¡± ¡°12 points.¡± ¡°So low!?¡± ¡°Feelings don¡¯t always match with what someone wants to drink; that¡¯s what a maiden¡¯s heart is¡ª¡± While talking, Aguri-san started to drink her mixed juice through the straw. As I sat down, I asked her a question. ¡°Then what was the correct answer?¡± ¡°A short caramel mhiato from Starb*cks.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an unreasonable demand!¡± ¡°Your inability to think of such things is rted to why you¡¯re bad at games, Amano-chi.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk like you know about games, you riajuu girl!¡± I also get mad if you say something like that! However, Aguri-sanpletely ignored my words and looked out the window as she kept sucking on her straw. I let out a sigh, then realized that I didn¡¯t get my own drink. Reluctantly, I drank my coffee that had be cold. The bitter taste was strong, but it strangely matched how I was feeling right now. Both of us looked out the window in silence for a while¡­ then, Aguri-san started to talk as if she was talking to herself. ¡°Even then, Aguri loves Tasuku.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t say anything and sipped my coffee again. ¡­It¡¯s really bitter. ¡°¡­What should I do¡­¡± ¡°What should I do, huh.¡± I bitterly smiled and repeated Aguri-san¡¯s words. ¡­As a loner, I didn¡¯t think that love troubles were so worrisome. Especially the fact that the simplest solution of ¡°Throwing away your feelings¡± is the worst idea. It would be better if Uehara-kun was a hopeless boy¡­ I let out a sigh and started to talk. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to stick up for a friend, but¡­ I don¡¯t think that Uehara-kun doesn¡¯t mean anything bad, you know? He wouldn¡¯t ever try to hurt Aguri-san.¡± ¡°That goes without saying, Amano-chi.¡± Aguri-sanughed and talked proudly. ¡°Tasuku is really good at taking care of people. That¡¯s why Aguri came to like him¡­ He also attracts other rivals like Amano-chi.¡± ¡°I see you counted me as one of Uehara-kun¡¯s heroines without hesitation.¡± ¡°Eh, am I wrong, then?.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ I¡¯m sorry, it terrifies me that I couldn¡¯t deny it immediately.¡± Uehara-kun might be stolen away! If Uehara-kun makes another gaming friend, I¡¯m certain that I would say ¡°Kii¡ª! Who is it!?¡±. I now recognize that I have some of those feelings against Chiaki. That seaweed girl is a beast. She¡¯s going to steal my position as his ¡°well-informed game buddy¡±. ¡°Amano-chi, Amano-chi, don¡¯t bite your nails with such a terrifying expression.¡± ¡°Ha! Sorry, Aguri-san. What were we talking about? Were we talking about my top 1000 picks for game music?¡± ¡°We weren¡¯t talking about that, I have no interest in it, and never bring it up again for all of eternity.¡± ¡°I thought we were talking about where to rank Chrono Cross¡­¡± ¡°We weren¡¯t.¡± ¡°Personally, I want to include all the songs from Final F*ntasy 13¡­¡± ¡°Amano-chi, Amano-chi, can I say something?¡± ¡°What is it, Aguri-san. I won¡¯t stop talking about games so easily! The only thing that can dampen my passion for games is something appropriately¡ª¡± ¡°Gross.¡± I fell silent as my heart shattered from those five letters. Even an apology doesn¡¯te out. I stayed silent, my hands shaking. I felt like crying. Suddenly, a group of 6 middle schoolers sat down at the table nearby, their voices audible from where we were sitting. There were three boys and three girls. A boy, whose uniform didn¡¯t really suit him, stood up and told a joke. The girlsughed at his joke, saying ¡°Stop that, you~¡±. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Amano-chi, Amano-chi, don¡¯t make such a gloomy expression.¡± ¡°Eh, was I?¡± ¡°Yea, yea. Your expression was full of NEET-like hatred and envy.¡± ¡°NEET-like is too much, but¡­ well, I certainly did have some negative emotions there. Sorry. I was just wishing that those students who came to a family restaurant with girls would explode.¡± ¡°Amano-chi, your true feelings are leaking out. But I mean, you are at a family restaurant with a cute girl right now.¡± ¡°Eh¡­ ¡­ ¡­.¡± ¡°Eh, why are you making such an annoyed look? I¡¯m the one that¡¯s annoyed.¡± Aguri-san red at me in dissatisfaction. I thought for a bit and replied. ¡°No, sorry. Somehow, the ¡®family restaurant riajuu¡¯ is so different than what I had imagined.¡± ¡°What is this new term, ¡®family restaurant riajuu¡¯?¡± ¡°Just as it sounds like. I use it mainly for middle to high school students who frolic around in family restaurants.¡± ¡°Wait. Amano-chi, have you never gone to a family restaurant with a friend other than Aguri¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m somewhat sorry.¡± She somewhat apologized. I let out a sigh and continued talking. ¡°Well, I am somewhat jealous that these boys and girls areughing and having fun, but more importantly, I always think, ¡®do they even have enough spare cash to spend at family restaurants?¡¯ or ¡®just go eat at home¡¯ and feel hatred for these students whoe to eat at family restaurants.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you being excessively nitpicky!?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never thought that my thoughts were ¡®excessively nitpicky¡¯ in my whole life.¡± ¡°No, but you¡¯re talking with a cute girl at a family restaurant right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Like I said, why are you making such an annoyed expression? I¡¯m the one that¡¯s annoyed!¡± Aguri-san then nced at the group of middle school students and sighed as she went ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Aguri understand what Amano-chi is saying, though. Actually, Aguri was also kind of like Amano-chi back in middle school.¡± ¡°Right!¡¯ ¡°But not all students who go to family restaurants are like what Amano-chi thinks. For example, look at that girl at the end of that seat.¡± I reluctantly turned towards the middle school students that Aguri-san was pointing at. As I nced over in that direction, I saw a in girl who was awkwardly smiling. ¡°For example, that girl is simr to Amano-chi, if anything. But unlike Amano-chi, she is able to go along with the flow, and she can be one of the ¡®family restaurant riajuu¡¯ that you talk of. The amount of effort she put in is amazing. Then, Amano-chi, do you think someone like her should also go explode?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Aguri-san smiled as I struggled to reply. ¡°The Amano-chi right now and that girl are simr. There are a lot of things in the world you can¡¯t understand just by ncing at the situation.¡± ¡°Aguri-san¡­¡± I teared up, feeling moved from her unexpected adult-like behavior. However¡­ ¡°Wow~! Look, look, it¡¯s a belly button¡­ it¡¯s so risque!¡± ¡°Stop, you¡¯re the worst, hahaha.¡± ¡°I really think they should go explode!¡± I hit the table when I saw the middle school students finally take off their clothes in high spirits! ¡°Amano-chi, Amano-chi, you¡¯re too loud!¡± ¡°Look, Aguri-san! The ¡®in girl¡¯ you were talking about ispletely the opposite! Look! She¡¯s poking his belly button without any restraint! Kii¡ª!¡± ¡°Ok, ok Amano-chi! Aguri understands, so stop making matters worse!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not making matters worse! I¡¯m right! Absolutely right!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I mean by making things worse!¡± Aguri-san tried to calm me down as I red up in anger. And then, while roughly breathing, I was about to sit down, having somewhat calmed down¡­ ¡°Ahaha.¡± Aguri-san let out augh, looking like she was enjoying herself. Sheughed by herself for a bit while I still felt envious of those middle school students. While wiping tears from the corners of her eyes, she continued to talk. ¡°Thanks, Amano-chi.¡± ¡°W-what are you talking about?¡± Feeling slightly startled, I averted my gaze. However, Aguri-san continued to talk as if she saw through everything. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yea.¡± We both looked out the window as we conversed. I wonder what she realized. Looking refreshed, Aguri-san suddenly said ¡°Ok then!¡± in a loud voice. ¡°Leaving aside Aguri and Tasuku, how about her, Amano-chi?¡± ¡°Her?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve resolved yourself, right? About Tendo-san.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I started to sweat and averted my eyes without answering the question. Aguri-san let out a sigh on purpose. ¡°¡­Amano-chi, don¡¯t you have any motivation? Shouldn¡¯t you be taking action?¡± ¡°Even if you say that¡­¡± Feeling down, I nced at Aguri-san. For some reason, she looked seriously angry. ¡­I think that this part of her is really simr to Uehara-kun. Suddenly, I wondered if this was how it would feel to be helped for a marriage interview by an old, married couple¡ª ¡°Amano-chi, are you thinking of something rude right now?¡± ¡°Of course not. I was just thinking about how Aguri-san is nice for helping out.¡± ¡°I see. Then, Amano-chi, you should go make a move on Tendo-san soon.¡± ¡°I take back my words. You¡¯re a demon.¡± I then wondered if this was how it would feel to be pestered by an annoying rtive that was trying to persuade me to do a marriage interview. Aguri-san shrugged her shoulders and continued. ¡°Amano-chi. Aguri was originally a really in girl, but I changed myself with great effort. In the end, I was able to go on the attack against Tasuku and reached this point, you know?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re at this point after your boyfriend practically cheated on you, I see¡ª¡± She pinched my cheeks with all her strength. It wasn¡¯t like one of those gentle, loveedy-like pinches on the cheek; it was strong enough to have left a mark. Scary. Girls are scary. As I rubbed my cheek with tears in my eyes, Aguri-san red at me. ¡°In other words, just because you put in the effort to improve yourself doesn¡¯t mean anything will change!¡± ¡°No, but you can raise gs with heroines just by raising your parameters in Tokimeki Memorial¡­¡± ¡°Amano-chi. Just think about it. A girl who gets closer to a boy as soon as his looks or his parameters improve¡­ Amano-chi, what would you think of her?¡± ¡°At the very least, I wouldn¡¯t want to be her friend.¡± ¡°Then, from your point of view, is Tendo-san someone like that?¡± ¡°Definitely not!¡± I strongly hit the table. Aguri-san continued, looking somewhat taken aback. ¡°Then you understand, don¡¯t you? Regardless of how much you improve yourself, if you don¡¯t talk to Tendo-san, nothing wille of your efforts in the end.¡± ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying, but¡­¡± If I don¡¯t talk to Tendo-san, I probably won¡¯t be able to get closer to her. Even then, I¡­ feel like I¡¯ve gotten better at talking to other peopletely (at least, enough to stop my rehab), but does that mean I can talk to the most popr girl in Otobuki High School? In other words, isn¡¯t it the same thing as trying to challenge thest boss like a hero after feeling satisfied by bing level 3 from defeating slimes? As I was about to say my doubts out loud, Aguri-san crossed her arms and sighed. ¡°Amano-chi, what level do you feel like you should be?¡± ¡°Huh? That¡¯s¡­ well¡­ about level 60?¡± ¡°Then, when do you think you¡¯ll reach that stage at the rate you¡¯re progressing at?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t say anything. Certainly, If I waited until then, my high school life would have ended. With a somewhat sympathetic gaze, Aguri-san continued to speak. ¡°You know, Amano-chi, life isn¡¯t a game.¡± ¡°I agree. Even then, I think that games are an amazing, fun representation of life¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re too loud, shut up.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Amano-chi. Are rtionships between two people defined by things like what ¡®level¡¯ they are? After earning ¡®good points¡¯ with someone, it doesn¡¯t mean that they automatically be your friend starting from that point in time.¡± I was startled. Aguri-san is sharp in these areas. Even though Uehara-kun jokes around that she¡¯s a ¡°stupid girl¡±, she does her best to enjoy the real world, unlike me¡­ She really understands the truly important parts. ¡°Amano-chi. In this world, 1 plus 1 doesn¡¯t equal 2.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I replied seriously to Aguri-san, who also spoke with an earnest gaze. After a pause, Rtionship Master Aguri-san made a deration as I waited for her next words. ¡°1 plus 1 is¡­ love!¡± In that moment, the serious atmosphere of our conversation instantly vanished. ¡°¡­Hah¡­ love?¡± ¡°It¡¯s love!¡± ¡­I guess what Uehara-kun said is true. I mean¡­ I don¡¯t know what she meant by those words, but it felt quitecking. She¡¯s kind of slow. Also, her words have some kind strange indecency to them. 1 plus 1 is love. ¡­It sounds like one of those sayings that you keep saying because they sound wise, but are actually pretty stupid when you think about it. I made a vague smile so as not to dampen her spirits since she looked really proud. Aguri-san nodded and continued by herself. ¡°Unlike games, lovers don¡¯t just pop out of nowhere.¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking you at your word, Aguri-san, but that doesn¡¯t happen in games either¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! That¡¯s not the point here! Amano-chi, you have to do something!¡± ¡°No, in the first ce, I just want to be friends with Tendo-san¡­ no, I just want to be recognized by her¡­¡± ¡°Same thing. No matter what your goal is, you have to talk to her or else nothing¡¯s going to happen.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, but¡­¡± I hung my head, feeling restless. Actually, I¡¯mpletely aware of my own cowardice and my indecisiveness. I know, but¡­ it¡¯s still scary for me to try, knowing that I¡¯ll fail. It¡¯s like saying, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s climb Mount Everest!¡± after buying a light down jacket from Un*qlo. That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to do just because I got the chance to talk to her a bit. There¡¯s so much risk involved. Nheless, our conversation was going in circles. Aguri-san didn¡¯t look like she was going to give in anytime soon. As ast resort, I changed the topic. ¡°Um, Aguri-san, how did you confess to Uehara-kun?¡± ¡°Eh? You¡¯re asking that? You want to hear about that? Wow. Um¡­¡± ¡°(Oh, dear.)¡± When I saw Aguri-san bashfully ying with the tips of her hair and clearly about tounch into a long speech and talk fondly about her confession, I felt weary. After about 30 minutes of introduction, she finally reached the confession scene. I returned to reality and paid attention to her story, having ended my game of ¡®mental tetris¡¯. ¡°And then, Aguri mustered up all of her courage, called out Tasuku, and said this!¡± Aguri-san said with a boastful expression. ¡°¡®Uehara-kun, please go out with me.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­Heh?¡± I identally let out a tiny voice. Aguri-san interpreted that as ¡°I didn¡¯t hear you¡± and said it again. ¡°I said, ¡®Uehara-kun, please go out with me¡¯, Amano-chi.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s¡­ really?¡± After talking on and on about Uehara-kun, her simple confession was anticlimactic. I was dumbfounded. However, Aguri-san just nodded to my question and continued talking. ¡°Well, I heard that Tasuku liked less serious girls. But, even if that wasn¡¯t the case I probably would¡¯ve said the same thing.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯ that way too simple for such an important confession¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s the opposite, Amano-chi.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Aguri-san smiled maturely unlike her age. ¡°The most important things are the most simple, and so theye out naturally.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t say anything. Aguri-san continued in an unusually kind tone. ¡°That¡¯s why, Amano-chi, if you really want to be friends with Tendo-san, or to be closer¡­ your honest feelings should naturallye out without forcing it.¡± ¡°¡­Is¡­ is that so?¡± I¡¯ve always made Tendo-san angry. But perhaps, I might not be so hopeless¡­ unlike Aguri-san, I might have been trying too hard to get of rid of all good will towards me. ¡°Aguri-san, I¡­¡± I gripped my empty cup with both hands and drank the remaining bitter liquid that was left in the bottom of the cup. With determination, I made a deration to Aguri-san, my friend that I respect. ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll challenge Tendo-san, even if I fail!¡± Tendo Karen On my way back home from club, I thought over the advice that Misumi-kun gave me. ¡°Don¡¯t start with a rejection, be honest with my feelings first¡­¡± Usually, it wouldn¡¯t be such a difficult thing, but ever since I was young, I¡¯ve learned to act in a manner like my outward appearance, rather than acting on my true feelings. ¡°(However, after having resolved myself, I, Tendo Karen, willpletely follow through with my decision.)¡± Even if other girls might go back on their word, Tendo Karen will never do the same. ¡°Don¡¯t start with a rejection. Reply with my honest feelings¡­¡± As I walked down the street while muttering the same lines over and over again, I lightly bumped shoulders with another girl walking in the opposite direction who was clearly not paying attention to her surroundings. The somewhat shy student noticed just before she bumped into me and tried to avoid me, but to no avail. She lightly apologized. ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± ¡°Oh, no, it was my fault¡­¡± After saying that much, I suddenly realized something, and tried again. ¡°Yes, it was a bother. Please try not to take up the whole sidewalk as you walk.¡± ¡°Huh!? Oh, o-okay¡­¡± She stopped from my unexpectedly harsh words. It looked like things would take a turn for the worse. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry for my rude words. Well then, goodbye.¡± I lowered my head in apology, smiled, turned around, and gantly walked away. After walking for a short while¡­ I fist-pumped, feeling like I had aplished something. ¡°(Perfect!)¡± This is definitely what Misumi-kun was trying to say. I spoke my true feelings, then covered it up. Honestly, this feels unexpectedly nice. ¡°(I¡¯m in great condition. I didn¡¯t start off with saying ¡®no¡¯ immediately, and instead started by speaking my true feelings and following up afterwards. This is it. This is it!)¡± While letting out my breath, I pushed my bangs to the side and smiled in satisfaction. As I thought, I have a strong will. I think that¡¯s one of my strong points. It¡¯s probably because I¡¯m an actor¡¯s daughter. After all, I would always set my mind on achieving something, and I would always be that idealized image I had in mind. It¡¯s the same thing this time. I decided to ¡°start with my true feelings¡±, and on the very same day, I achieved my goal. My ability is amazing, even to me. Feeling confident, I stopped my self-reform, and looked in front of me as I kept walking. Before I noticed, I had reached the downtown area. Since I¡¯m here anyway, shall I visit the game shop? As I pondered over whether or not I should go¡­ ¡°(That¡¯s¡­)¡± I saw a girl with disheveled hair running in my direction. Although I was startled for a moment, as she gradually got closer, I noticed that the student was one of my ssmates. Right before she was about to run past me, I called out to the panicked girl. ¡°Hoshinomori-san?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± She pulled a short distance past me, suddenly stopped, and turned around to look at me. ¡°Te¡­ Tendo-san?¡± She was tightly squeezing her bag to her chest as she panted from running. Honestly, I didn¡¯t have much inmon with her, so after some hesitation about what to say, I decided to start with a harmless greeting¡ª ¡°(Hah!? That¡¯s bad, Tendo Karen! Start with my honest feelings! Yea!)¡± Noticing my close call, I called out to the panting girl with a smile. ¡°For a moment, I thought that seaweed could fly.¡± ¡°A direct hit!?¡± ¡°Oh, but not in a bad way, of course.¡± ¡°And then a really messy follow up! What is this!? What the hell is this!?¡± Hoshinomori started tearing up all of a sudden. ¡­How strange. Did I do anything wrong¡­ I cleared my throat and tried to fix the situation with a smile. ¡°Sorry, I called out to you just because I recognized your face.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, y-yes, um, this, is an honor, for you to talk to someone like me¡­¡± For some reason, Hoshinomori-san yed with the tips of her hair as if she was nervous. While keeping Misumi-kun¡¯s advice in mind, I continued the conversation. ¡°But I honestly don¡¯t really know anything about Hoshinomori-san, so I don¡¯t know what to talk about.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you say!? You talked to me to say that!? I-I guess it¡¯s true, but¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t mean anything bad by that.¡± ¡°Um, you know, that follow-up doesn¡¯t work every time!¡± I see, is that so? That¡¯s not good. I¡¯ve pretty much removed how to speak honestly from my consciousness, so my follow up is pretty sloppy. Focus, Tendo Karen. ¡­Alright. ¡°Hoshinomori-san, you¡¯re beautiful, have great style, and have such fair skin¡ªhow wonderful!¡± ¡°Such a sudden backhandedpliment! I-Is this some new way of bullying me!?¡± Strange. Hoshinomori-san is trembling. I thought my praise was just perfect, but¡­ I wonder what the reason Hoshinomori-san¡¯s unexpected reaction¡­ there¡¯s one thing thates to mind. ¡°Ufufu. Hoshinomori-san, you¡¯ve changed.¡± ¡°Eeeeeeeeehhhhhhhh!?¡± She had a somewhat upset expression. Yup, Hoshinomori-san definitely changed. However, we aren¡¯tmunicating properly right now. There¡¯s also no point in continuing this useless conversation. I thought about what topic she would want to hear about the most, and talked about that. ¡°How is it with Amano-kuntely?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Hoshinomori-san tilted her neck in confusion. I continued to talk with a friendly grin. ¡°I¡¯m talking about your rtionship with Amano-kun. Did you make any progress?¡± ¡°Ha-hah. ¡­ Um¡­ I, I don¡¯t know what Tendo-san is trying to ask¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a vague person! I don¡¯t know either!¡± ¡°Eeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhh!?¡± ¡°I just wanted to ask one thing.That is, how are things with Amano-kun?¡± ¡°H-how, you say¡­ well, the same as ever, but¡­¡± She replied hesitantly. ¡°¡­The same, is it¡­¡± I thought back on the time I visited the Gamers Hobby Club. Certainly, Amano-kun and Hoshinomori-san were close enough to call each other by their first names, but I only saw them have a lover¡¯s quarrel¡­ ¡°¡­Lucky.¡± ¡°What!? Tendo-san!? Are you feeling envious for some reason!?¡± When I muttered my true thoughts, Hoshinomori-san shot another unexpected tsukkomi once again. ¡­Her tsukkomis and reactions are more severe than her usual, quiet self. She¡¯s simr to Amano-kun in that aspect. Simr¡­ to Amano-kun¡­ Simr¡­ ¡°¡­Unfair¡­¡± ¡°Like I said, what is it!? Tendo-san!? Why are you suddenly pouting!?¡± Hoshinomori-san kept fidgeting with her fingers, looking more and more frantic as she kept asking questions. ¡­This is bad. I feel like I¡¯ve been too honest about my feelings. I took a few quick deep breaths in session, and put on the Tendo Karen facade once again. ¡°Fufu, it¡¯ll be fun seeing how long this Gamers Hobby Club willst!¡± ¡°So suddenly!? Why the sudden ojou-sama-like rival character!? Tendo-san!?¡± ¡°Sorry, I made a mistake. Ahem. ¡­Oh, how nice to see you, Hoshinomori-san.¡± ¡°Such a quick change!? W-well, this is certainly how Tendo-san always acts, but¡­¡± Somehow, it seems that my appearance was sessful. I started the conversation once again. ¡°Then, Hoshinomori-san. Has the Gamers Hobby Club ended for today?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, um, talking about that, um, in the first ce, today¡¯s meeting was aplete failure¡­¡± ¡°? What do you mean?¡± Right then, a middle-aged office worker walked past us as he said, ¡°Excuse me.¡± I noticed that we were talking right in the middle of the sidewalk. After I said ¡°Sorry¡± to the man, we started to talk as we walked. She apparently also had some business in the downtown area. But then why was she running away in the opposite direction earlier? When I asked, her cheeks turned red as she exined the general outline of what had happened. After she finished telling her story, I crossed my arms and let out a big sigh. ¡°Good grief, even Uehara-kun is hopeless.¡± I always thought he was an easy person, but I didn¡¯t think he went for anyone and anything. However, as I was evaluating his character, Hoshinomori-san quickly followed up in a panic. ¡°Uehara-kun is a very nice person! There¡¯s nothing hopeless about him!¡± ¡°Hmm, is that so? However, I do hear that he talks to a lot of girls¡­¡± ¡°? Really? But, um, it¡¯s not like he actually has a girlfriend, so I don¡¯t think there are any problems¡­¡± I hesitated a little from Hoshinomori-san¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ my memory is vague so I may not be correct, but I heard that he did have a girlfriend¡­¡± ¡°Eh, i-i-is that so?¡± ¡°Yea. I heard that it was that Aguri-san¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Hoshinomori-san¡¯s eyes spun from my words. She gulped. In the next moment¡ªshe held her stomach as sheughed. ¡°Ahahahaha, Tendo-san, that¡¯s definitely wrong! Aguri-san is Keita¡¯s girlfriend! She has nothing to do with Uehara-san!¡± ¡°But I heard from other people that¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m definitely sure that Aguri-san is Keita¡¯s girlfriend! I mean, we¡¯ve talked about his girlfriend together too, even though it¡¯s a painful experience because I¡¯m a loner! Really!¡± Considering that it was a guess, Hoshinomori-san spoke with great conviction. I was overawed by her certainty. ¡°(T-that¡¯s possible. They must have had the opportunity to talk about each other¡¯s partners¡­)¡± However, to be frank, I really can¡¯t see Amano-kun and Aguri-san dating. She fits much better with Uehara-kun. However¡­ ¡°(P-perhaps I just want to avert my eyes from the truth that Amano-kun is dating someone¡­!)¡± Hoshinomori-san, in a strangely good mood, continued to talk as I held my head in my hands. ¡°Ehehehe, I was surprised that you said that Uehara-san was dating someone. Tendo-san, having those kind of misunderstandings is an unexpected side of you.¡± ¡°U-uu!?¡± Ah, maybe. After all, I face away from the truth and try to insert my own misunderstandings into the story. On the other hand, Hoshinomori-san epts reality and acts with a clear mind and open heart¡ªI should be like that! As my thoughts kept swirling around in my head, Hoshinomori-san changed the subject, feeling that the current discussion hade to a conclusion. ¡°By the way¡­ Tendo-san, are you on bad terms with Keita?¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± The unexpected question made me look up and put a pause on my troubled thoughts about Amano-kun¡¯s girlfriend. Hoshinomori-san continued, tilting her neck in curiousity. ¡°Um, that is, I don¡¯t really know about the rtionship between you two. Um, I know that you invited Keita to the Gamers Club, and that he refused, but nothing else¡­¡± ¡°Yea, that sounds about right, There¡¯s nothing wrong there.¡± ¡°Fumu fumu. That means that Keita and Tendo-san have slightly delicate rtionship¡­ or, speaking frankly, it¡¯s not a very good rtionship¡­ right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± While I was at a loss for words of exnation, Hoshinomori-san kept talking. ¡°However, Tendo-san, you came to one of the Gamers Hobby Club meetings a few days ago, no? Even though Keita was there. So I thought that maybe there was no way to turn down the offer, but¡­ after all, the two of you converse pretty awkwardly. Especially Keita¡ªhe¡¯s very brash and rude towards me, but when he talks to you, he¡¯s strangely obedient.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s because your rtionship is somewhat special¡­¡± ¡°Even so. I always thought that the rtionship between Keita and Tendo-san was always strange. Then then, how is it actually? Are you on bad terms? D-do you consider Keita a horrible person just like I do? *tremble*¡± ¡°Eh, ah, no, that¡¯s¡­¡± I involuntarily hesitated. Now that she mentioned it¡­ my rtionship with Amano-kun is strange. Just like she said, Amano-kun is probably aware of me. Even when he rejected my invitation to the club, he probably did so with his tail in between his legs. Then, what about me?¡± ¡°(Regarding the matter of the Gamers Club¡­ it¡¯s too bad, but even now, I¡¯m not really mad.)¡± Honestly, right after he rejected my invitation, I immediately red up in an emotion simr to anger and thought ¡°Why!¡±, but contrary to my own expectations, that feeling vanished right away. ¡­But then, why, and when, did it vanish? ¡°(¡­Oh right. Certainly, when I saw him arguing with Uehara-kun¡­ he¡­)¡± I know¡­ that he seriously considered the Gamers Club¡­ and me. And¡­ At that point, I noticed that my cheeks felt unusually hot. Hoshinomori-san looked at my face in worry. ¡°W-w-what¡¯s wrong, Tendo-san!? Your face is red! Are you okay!?¡± Hoshinomori-san was sincerely worried about me. She¡¯s so simr to Amano-kun¡ªa nice, pure person. As I thought, she¡¯s much more suitable for him than Aguri-san. ¡°Ugu!?¡± ¡°T-tendo-san!?¡± ¡°T-there¡¯s a weird stinging feeling in my chest¡­!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that really serious!? S-should I call an ambnce¡­!?¡± ¡°Wait, Hoshinomori-san!¡± I stopped her in a panic as she reached for her smartphone. She was looking at me with a worried face. I smiled at her to reassure her. ¡°Honestly, heating up, fast heartbeat, and pain aremon symptoms for me. That¡¯s why it¡¯s fine!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that excessively bad!? Rather, why haven¡¯t you gone to the hospital yet!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s just that my mind screams, ¡®It¡¯s not a hospital-rted issue!¡¯¡± ¡°Are you a spoiled child!? You¡¯re not a child, so please go to the hospital!¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­And if I said no?¡± ¡°What kind of argument is that!? I-it¡¯s also bad to say that with such a serious face! N-no matter what you say, e-even if you hate me, I¡¯m going to call an ambnce!¡± Like a mother who scolds a bad child¡ªstrict, yet gentle¡­ with teary eyes, Hoshinomori-san reached for her phone once again. In this clumsy yet kind girl, I see traces of Amano-kun¡­ as my heart strangely calmed down, and as my red cheeks cooled down, I gave her a sincere, honest smile. ¡°I¡¯m already fine.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­C-certainly, you look like you¡¯re already fine, but¡­ but¡­¡± Even now, Hoshinomori-san didn¡¯t put away her smartphone. I smiled at her again, and walked towards downtown again. Hoshinomori-san hurriedly followed after me and walked next to me. ¡°¡­Y-you¡¯re really fine¡­ right?¡± ¡°Yes, definitely. Thanks, Hoshinomori-san.¡± ¡°N-no, I didn¡¯t do much¡­ ¡­or, um, rather, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°? Why are you apologizing?¡± ¡°Um¡­ um, I made amotion for no reason¡­ n-now that I think back on what I did, it was an overreaction¡­ oh¡­ how embarrassing¡­¡± This time, it was Hoshinomori-san who turned red. Burying her face in her hands, she groaned in embarrassment. I watched her feeling somewhat peaceful for a while¡­ then, looking up at the evening sky, I brought up the previous topic once again. ¡°¡­The feeling I have towards Hoshinomori-san is the same as I feel towards Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Heh? Your feelings towards me¡­ is the same as your feelings for Keita?¡± Hoshinomori-san stopped covering up her face and tilted her neck. I smiled and said, ¡°Yea¡±, and after thinking for a tiny bit, she answered with a difficult expression. ¡°¡­The same as a low-life being that should go disappear from this world?¡± ¡°Your evaluation of Amano-kun is so low that it scares me.¡± ¡°Ehehe, how embarrassing.¡± ¡°Yea, it¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about.¡± We continued to banter back and forth. Afterwards, I smiled at her again and honestly told her my feelings without being embarrassed. ¡°I want to be friends with you¡­ and get to know you better.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hoshinomori-san stopped in an instant and looked at me in a daze. I stopped walking as well and looked at her for several seconds. She became flustered so suddenly. ¡°W-with someone like me!? ¡­I-I-I am honored!¡± ¡°¡®I am honored¡¯, huh?¡± I feel like I heard the same words from Amano-kun recently. There¡¯s a limit to how simr you two can be, you know. ¡°And for Keita to be friends with Tendo-san¡­ it¡¯s too good for him, so he deserves to die!¡± ¡°How low is Amano-kun¡¯s existence to you¡­¡± Somehow, I feel a bit sad. To think that there are people this simr, yet so antagonistic towards each other in this world. It¡¯s a bit of a culture shock. As I was thinking to myself, Hoshinomori-san cleared her throat and averted her eyes away from me, as if to hide her embarrassment. ¡°I-i-if you¡¯re ok with me, then please take care¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, dly!¡± Suddenly, a loud voice interrupted us from somewhere nearby. After looking around again, I noticed that we were right in front of a bar. A cheerful waiter kept repeating the same lines over and over again, as if he was taking multiple orders one after another. ¡°Yes, dly!¡± ¡°Yes, dly!¡± ¡°Yes, dly!¡± ¡°¡­¡± And before I noticed¡­ Hoshinomori-san was trembling, looking down at the ground with teary eyes. ¡°(Ahh, right as I was about to ept her request, that loud waiter just ruined the mood! I can¡¯t say it now! Under these circumstances, I can no longer use the words, ¡®dly!¡¯ I don¡¯t want to use it! I don¡¯t want to be like the waiter!)¡± However, it looked like Hoshinomori-san didn¡¯t have a backup n. Or rather, the waiter was still saying ¡°Yes, dly!¡± over and over again, and so she couldn¡¯t think of any other word. It was the same for me as well. In the end, after she finally stopped shaking¡­ when I thought that she would look at me with tears in her eyes, she instead turned around and ran away as fast as possible while shouting out loud. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for some reason¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-!¡± ¡°I am too for some reason¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-!¡± I replied in confusion to the girl running away. I watched her leave until I could no longer see her¡­ and then I feebly smiled ¡°Why did our meeting go that way¡­ I probably won¡¯t be able to talk to Amano-kun either¡­¡± I was probably much more awkward than I thought I was. For some reason, I couldn¡¯t sit still when I that thought came to my mind. ¡°¡­Start with my honest feelings. Don¡¯t start by rejecting them. And then, be genuine like Hoshinomori-san¡­¡± Eventually, I started to make my way back home, muttering the same words to myself as I walked alone. Amano Keita After Aguri-san and I said goodbye to each other, I returned home, had a quick meal with my family, and took a short bath. I hurriedly went to my room, deciding to go to bed early for today. 9 o¡¯clock, night time. I turned off the lights, covered myself with my nkets¡ªthen plugged in my game console. The title of the gal game in the console lit up the monitor. I, the otaku boy, smiled. ¡­N-no, wait. I hesitated when I thought about how helpless I was. While it is true that I am ying this gal game in my pajamas, hiding from my family, that was my n from the start. After all¡­ ¡°(Before I ask Tendo-san to be my friend tomorrow¡­ I want to clear this route at least!)¡± With a determined look, I looked at the heroine Frau Heavenly, who was right next to the title of the game, ¡°Golden Tricks¡±. Yes, today¡­ even if it takes me all night, I have decided to make sure that I will confess sessfully without looking at a guide. ¡°(Then¡­ I feel like I will definitely have the self-confidence tomorrow. I¡¯ll have the courage.)¡± It¡¯s almost like a prayer to a god. But even then, will she even want to be my friend if even the Tendo-san-like heroine is so hard to capture? ¡°(If Uehara-kun was here, he would say that those two things arepletely different matters¡­ I understand it in my mind, but¡­ but, I can¡¯t give up. I will capture Frau.)¡± I wonder if there are any other boys who y love sim games as seriously as I do. Skillfully handling my controller, I used my skips to start on capturing Frau. First of all, being as careful as always, I examined each of the choices that affect Frau, and picked the best response. However, I¡¯ve tried this method before. Naturally, I was rejected in the end. At 40 minutes, I had reached my first failure. ¡°(Well, that was to be expected, but¡­ dammit, I still don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong.)¡± After having been defeated by the game, it was time to wonder about which situations were the most difficult and think, ¡°I don¡¯t know where I went wrong.¡± When I keep losing to a strong opponent in an action game because my skills arecking, I always y with the hope that ¡°I¡¯ll get him next time.¡± And even if I eventually throw in the towel because it¡¯s impossible, even if my attempts failed, there¡¯s some sense of aplishment. Even if it¡¯s a difficult puzzle where all I can do is guess, I can get close. However, if it¡¯s a situation where I can¡¯t win, where I can¡¯t solve the problem, then it¡¯s different. For example, a situation where an opponent¡¯s attack that was easily avoidable mysteriously bes a direct hit. Or a solution to a puzzle where I think, ¡°This is definitely the answer!¡±¡ªand the answer turns out to be wrong. Whenever such situations happen, I feel the cruel despair in my heart. Furthermore, if it wasn¡¯t a bug, I just give up. Trying to capture Frau is exactly that. Also, this game has so many choices that it would be unrealistic to try everybination possible¡­ If I wanted to do that, I would¡¯ve just looked up a walkthrough. I want to capture her with my own efforts. ¡°(I¡¯ve already tried everything that I thought was right¡­ anything more would be useless. ¡­Then¡­ I honestly don¡¯t feel trying any more, but¡­)¡± After that, I started my second attempt. This time¡­ I tried thinking differently. ¡°(Then, I¡¯ll try to make her hate me this time!)¡± Well, if this actually clears her route, I¡¯d feelplicated¡­ While having those thoughts, I finally got to the confession scene. Well, like expected, I was brusquely rejected. Second attempt¡ªfailure. ¡°(That was expected. I didn¡¯t deliver Frau¡¯s lost item, and I ran away as fast as possible when Frau was having a hard time. There¡¯s no reason she would fall in love with someone like that.)¡± Rather, in the first ce, it¡¯s strange that the staff would choose to put in these bad choices. It¡¯s so bad I would suspect that it was one of Irem¡¯s works.[10] However, I still don¡¯t get it. Roughly speaking, the choices that I select are most likely correct. Even then, my confession always fails. What in the world¡­ While agonizing about my troubles, I continued to y and aimlessly tried over and over again. Once I finished two more runs, I put down the controller, lied down, and covered myself with the nkets. ¡­It was about to be midnight. ¡°(¡­Is this a hint that I¡¯m fatally ipatible with someone like Tendo-san in the first ce¡­?)¡± I realized that I still couldn¡¯t see the light from here. The route that is an easy clear for the rest of the world is impossible for me. ¡­Even games, my favorite thing in the world, just showed me once again why I was a loner. ¡°(¡­Am I being conceited¡­?)¡± I¡¯m aware that the difference between Tendo-san and I is like the moon and a turtle. But the thing that irritates me is¡­ the fact that I still hold onto the ridiculous dream of getting closer to Tendo-san. ¡­Even though I was the one to reject her invitation. I¡¯m a shameful, lowlife person. But¡­ but¡­ ¡°¡­¡± I quickly got up and grabbed the controller again. If it was the old me, I would¡¯ve given up already. Because I y games to have fun, or something like that. Because there¡¯s no point in doing something impossible. My fundamental values remain the same. However¡­ ¡°(This game¡­ isn¡¯t just to y! I don¡¯t want to give up so easily!)¡± With renewed determination, I tried again for the 5th time. However, right as I reached the first set of choices, I noticed that my smartphone¡¯s notification light was blinking. ¡°(Oh right, I turned off vibration and sound to focus on the game.)¡± I stopped ying, unlocked my phone and checked my notifications. There was a notification from the messaging application that Aguri forcibly downloaded, and one from my socialworking game. ¡°(Oh, it¡¯s from Aguri-san and Uehara-kun. Wow, I¡¯m super happy.)¡± Even though I received a text message when I first downloaded the application, this was my first time getting a message after that. ¡°(Ahh, I get to experience things like this in my life too¡­)¡± I received a chat from a friend. ¡­ After savoring the small happiness I got from the message, I cheerfully looked at the message from Aguri-san. ¡°I¡¯m really sorrrryyyyy!¡± I kneeled on the bed and prostrated myself towards my smartphone. I then immediately sent a reply. I sent some strange texts because I was nervous. Even then, I feel like my enthusiasm got through at least. After calming down and controlling my breath, this time, I opened Uehara-kun¡¯s message. ¡°That isn¡¯t something to ¡®lololololol¡¯ abooooouuuuuuuuttttttttttttt!¡± What is he doing!? This person, what the actual hell is he doing!? Uehara-kun!? Aren¡¯t you having way too much fun!? No, he¡¯s been having way too interested in my rtionships to begin with! Also, why is he assuming that I¡¯ll seed!? Does my rtionship with Tendo-san look that good!? I immediately started typing out a reply in a panic. ¡°Let¡¯s say, ¡®Don¡¯t do anything excessive¡­¡¯ ¡­¡± But at that point, I went back and deleted what I just wrote. After thinking about it for a short while, I started typing again. I let out a sigh. ¡°¡­For someone who worked this much for me¡­ I can¡¯t reply with such a harsh tsukkomi.¡± He¡¯s overestimating the rtionship between me and Tendo-san, and I can¡¯t help but think that his help is too excessive. Even then, he¡¯s a friend that has always helped me, I can¡¯t help but feel thankful. Afterwards, I pressed the home button and opened the socialworking game. It looks like I received a message from someone. How strange. I quickly opened it, and¡­ like I thought, it was from the only yer I talk with, MONO. It was only one sentence¡ªlike always, it was in and simple. I think they probably want me to participate in defeating the current raid boss (a limited time boss). ¡°(MONO is probably a shy, awkward person.)¡± But that¡¯s why I really like that person. ¡­I¡¯m saved by our tiny connection. I sent my own short reply, finished the quest, checked that I received no further messages from Uehara-kun and Aguri-san, then turned off my phone. However, for a while¡­ I continued to look at my smartphone. ¡°(¡­Thank you Aguri-san, Uehara-kun, MONO.)¡± I realized that despite feeling like the lowest of the low a few minutes ago, I felt a lot better right now. With renewed fighting spirit, I set my smartphone aside, grabbed my controller and looked at the screen. On the screen, it was the main character¡¯s childhood friend, not Frau. The first set of choices in the game is deciding whether or not to walk home with her or not. Naturally, to aim for Frau, I had to make sure to stay away from her. Like always, I was about to refuse her offer¡ª ¡°¡­Wait.¡± Right then, I suddenly stopped my hand. ¡­Maybe¡­ It was an idea that never came to me before. However, a strange conviction filled my heart. Using the D-pad, I scrolled over to the option to ept her invitation and selected it. ¡°(Maybe¡­)¡± While thinking, ¡°This may work¡±, I went through the ythrough, being nice to everyone and not just to Frau. I went on dates with my childhood friend, helped out my kouhai, and cheerfully did favors for my senpai. This is usually a strategy seldom used for any route other than the harem end. I made sure to not go on that route, though. Of course, using such a method also decreases my time with Frau. My date event with Frau was still out of reach. However, even then¡­ ¡°(This is¡­ perhaps¡­)¡± I kept acting ording to my strange conviction in my heart and got closer to all the heroines. Atst¡ªI reached the confession scene. Like always, the main character started talking first. ¡°Please¡­ please go out with me!¡± I had been hearing those words too many times to count over the past few days. And then, Frau would also say the same words with a troubled face¡ª ¡°¡­I¡¯m d¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± My reaction and the main character¡¯s reaction were the same. After all, Frau¡­ Frau had a tear-stained, yet delightful, expression¡ªone that I had never seen before. With a slightly embarrassed smile¡­ and with tears dripping down her cheeks, she responded. ¡°Yes, please take care of me. ¡­My kind hero that I love.¡± Her smile looked like it was wrapped in light as the scene faded out and the ending credits started to roll. ¡°¡­¡± However, I continued to look at the screen, feeling dumbfounded. ¡°(Did I¡­ clear it?)¡± I can¡¯t believe it at all. I can¡¯t believe it because I waspletely stuck and thought it was nearly impossible. I thought that the best I could do was to look at a guide or give up. Even then, this time¡­ I was able to reach the ending. Furthermore, using my own power¡ª ¡°(¡­No, that¡¯s wrong.)¡± orrecting myself, I looked at my smartphone that I put to the side. ¡­It was thanks to Aguri-san, Uehara-kun, and MONO that I realized that I shouldn¡¯t ¡°focus only on my rtionship with Frau¡±. No matter how much I love a person, it doesn¡¯t mean that I should treat everyone else rudely. That¡¯s obvious. This world doesn¡¯t consist of only two people. ¡­For a loner like me¡­ because I was someone who was so desperate to make a single friend, that thought never came to me. That¡¯s why only I was unable to capture Frau¡­ who cared about everyone around her and treated them as important people. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Once again, I turned towards my smartphone and showed my gratitude. After watching through and enjoying the final moments, closing with Frau¡¯s smiling expression, I turned off the game console and lied down under the nkets. Right now, I don¡¯t feel nervous at all. However, it¡¯s a bit different from feeling confident. ¡­I realized something. ¡°(Even if Tendo-san hates me¡­ I¡¯m already happy.)¡± I looked at my smartphone lying next to my bed. If that¡¯s the case¡­ I wonder what I¡¯m afraid of right now. With the covers up to my neck, I fell into a deep sleep while thinking over and over again about the main character¡¯s gant figure in ¡°Golden Tricks¡±. Uehara Tasuku During lunch, Tendo is going to go see Amano again. I heard the news from students of ss F when I got to school. It wasn¡¯t certain, there was no proof, and in the first ce, no one knew that I spread the rumor¡­ so it was a rumor that had no credibility at all. However, that¡¯s why people were so interested. Actually¡­ ¡°Nee nee, tell me the truth, Uehara!¡± Mika, who loved to gossip, grabbed onto the rumors and started talking about the subject like I thought she would. She doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯m the source of those rumors. It was before homeroom in the morning. As Amano entered the ssroom, clearly confused by the mood, and looked at my direction, acting a bit suspiciously. I replied, ¡°Who knows?¡± to Mika. ¡°I¡¯m not really close to Tendo. I don¡¯t know her every move.¡± ¡°Hmm~? Ah, no way~.¡± Mika pulled back, seemingly understanding. Looking around the room, I noticed the suspicious gazes of Reina nad Daiki who are particrly perceptive. I averted my eyes from the two of them and thought back on the morning. Actually, my reply to Mika was about half truth, half lie. It is true that I¡¯m not that close to Tendo, but I did ask her toe to ss F during lunch break. ¡°I think Amano has something important to say, soe over to my ss during lunch.¡± When I went to ss A and told her early in the morning, Tendo¡¯s face was nk. ¡°(It¡¯s probably since getting called out for a confession during lunch is an ordinary thing now.)¡± Once I told her that Amano had something important to talk about, it was clear that she was disturbedupset, her eyes swimming. However, she didn¡¯t blush, so she probably didn¡¯t misunderstand that as a confession. Or maybe Tendo has a bad imagination. ¡°(Well, in Tendo¡¯s case, she¡¯s always rejected by Amano in the first ce.)¡± He rejected her club invitation, always gets in a fuss with Hoshinomori and Aguri, and always talks about his different values about gaming. Since someone like that has ¡°something important to say¡±, she would obviously be more wary than happy. However, this is another one of riajuu Uehara Tasuku¡¯s ingenious tactics. ¡°(If she goes in thinking that it¡¯ll be something bad, the chances of the friend request being sessful goes up!)¡± Yes, this is one of the basic techniques of business and fraud. It¡¯s the same thing as marking up a product that originally costs 50,000 yen up to 100,000 yen, then holding a big 50% off sale and bringing the price back to 50,000 yen. The buyer leaves feeling like they saved money. After making Tendo feel anxious, she¡¯ll spend the morning having thoughts like ¡°Is it about not joining the Gamers Hobby Club?¡±, or ¡°Have I been rude to Amano-kuntely?¡±, or ¡°Maybe he¡¯s going to tell me to stop being concerned with him because it makes him stand out¡­¡± However, once she hears Amano¡¯s actual question¡­ ¡°Please be friends with me¡±¡ªshe¡¯ll immediately feel relieved! Afterwards, Tendo would reply with ¡°Oh, if it was about that, then of course it¡¯s fine¡±, and the chance of sess will practically be a 100%! ¡°Fufufu¡­ Amano, this is how winners act.¡± ¡°Tasuku, what are you muttering with such a smug look?¡± I realized that I looked creepy to Masaya. Clearing my throat once, I stood up and left the ssroom to go to the bathroom. On my way, I sent a look towards Amano. As I walked in the hallway slowly, I heard the footsteps of someone jogging towards me from behind. ¡°What is it, Uehara-kun?¡± Amano asked while walking next to me. I sent him a sidelong nce and replied. ¡°Oh,e with me to the bathroom, Amano. I have something to talk about that¡¯s difficult to say in the ssroom.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hey, why are you pulling back?¡± I noticed that Amano had stopped walking. ¡°¡­Sorry Uehara-kun, I don¡¯t swing that way¡­¡± ¡°Hey wait, you bastard. If you make a misunderstanding like that I¡¯m going to get super angry at you.¡± After sending him another sharp look, Amano silently walked next to me again. After letting out a sigh, I started talking about the issue at hand. ¡°Uehara-kun. Tendo-san ising to the ssroom at lunch. Why?¡± ¡°Oh, you already heard about it? Who told you?¡± ¡°Your conversation with your friends.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the same gloomy, eavesdropping loner as always.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s better than a bully who sets up other people¡¯s confessions on their own.¡± Amano replied, looking sullen. For some reason, it seems like he¡¯s somewhat seriously mad. I forgot about thistely, but he doesn¡¯t like to yield, and is the unexpectedly aggressive type. Once we walked away from the ssrooms and arrived at the bathroom, which didn¡¯t have many people walking around, I leaned against the wall. ¡°It was my bad to do things on my own. But if you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll undo everything I¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°I-if I don¡¯t like it¡­¡± As Amano hesitated, I continued on. ¡°Yea. Actually, since you were going to talk to her today, you would¡¯ve probablye to me to call Tendo, right? I think it¡¯s too high of a hurdle for you to go directly to ss A and call out to her.¡± ¡°Uu¡­ T-that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± In the past, he was super nervous to even call out to Hoshinomori, who¡¯s also a loner. I think it¡¯s impossible for him to call out to someone like Tendo in ss A. Amano was shaking¡ªI must¡¯ve hit the bull¡¯s eye. Even then, he sent a dissatisfied re at me. ¡°I¡¯m thankful for setting this up for me, but¡­ but couldn¡¯t you make it more private? It¡¯s not the two of us, but do your friends and acquaintances really have to be there?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you get my message? If you do it in front of a lot of people¡­ in other words, we¡¯re also aiming to increase your social position by doing it in front of ss F.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to increase my social standing and get along with Tendo-san at the same time.¡± Amano looked at me with a manly look that shocked me slightly. ¡­Seriously, this guy is troublesome as always. That¡¯s also one of his good parts¡­ but that¡¯s also the biggest reason I can¡¯t be a casual friend. I scratched my head and replied with my own logic. ¡°¡­I already said this before when we were arguing, but I think that even the most superficial of rtionships are important.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If I use your words, what is useless to you is important to me and other people. In anime, manga¡­ and even games, there¡¯s no one, not even a rock, that doesn¡¯t care about their social standing. Since I think it¡¯s necessary to live, I think I have help you out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­: Amano¡¯s eyes wavered. ¡­Right now, I¡¯m acting selfishly. Fundamentally, he¡¯s the type to put priority on his own hobbies and his own wishes. His sense of priority is different than mine, so it¡¯s strange that I¡¯m pushing my logic onto him. But even then¡­ ¡°Hey Amano, what type of person do you think I hate the most?¡± ¡°What now? ¡­Are you trying to say that you hate indecisive people like me?¡± ¡°Regrettable, but that¡¯s wrong. That¡¯s the type of person I hate the second most.¡± ¡°I am pretty disliked!¡± ¡°The type of person I hate the most is¡­¡± I looked at his eyes as I paused for effect. ¡°People who wish to hold onto their ¡®honor of not fussing over honor or social status¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I could respect a fool that really didn¡¯t have any aspirations or was super prideful. However, staying aloof because they believe that they¡¯re so cool even though they¡¯re alone isn¡¯t a difference in belief or a way of thinking; it¡¯s just the carelessness of a narcissist whocks ambition.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s harsh.¡± ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t talking about you. All I was saying is that either way, you¡¯re the stupid type.¡± ¡°H-how embarrassing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not apliment.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Amano looked despondent. This guy¡¯s emotions are really hectic. Wait, that might be my fault. ¡­Well, can¡¯t help it¡ªI¡¯ll simply summarize everything I want to say right now. ¡°Hey, Amano. This is for your future. Try imagining this for a bit. For example, if you and Tendo be friends¡­ what will the other students think when they see you two walking together?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, I see¡­¡± Amano¡¯s eyes opened wide in realization. I continued to talk. ¡°A rtionship that isn¡¯t recognized by other people is difficult to maintain, Amano. It might be¡­ a bit overkill to rte it to a story like Romeo and Juliet, but there isn¡¯t a healthy rtionship is this world thatsts if it¡¯s only recognized by the people in the rtionship.¡± ¡°I guess. It¡¯s strange that I¡¯m trying to get closer to Tendo-san for no reason, after all.¡± No, I didn¡¯t go that far. Rather, it would be a pain to follow up, so I just continued to say what I wanted to say. ¡°In other words, that¡¯s why it¡¯s good to have a few people see you ask her to be your friend. It¡¯s also good to do it in a ce with some distant acquaintances who will irresponsibly spread the information about it. Maybe an area like downtown where strangers walk by. And, to fulfill all the conditions, somewhere where it¡¯s easy to ask her¡ª¡± ¡°ss 2-F! There¡¯s lots of people, and enough time during lunch break!¡± ¡°Yup, it¡¯s perfect.¡± I smiled. For some reason, Amano looked really excited and grabbed my hand. ¡°As expected of Uehara-kun! You¡¯re amazing! Sorry, I was being foolish! Thank you! Thank you very much!¡± ¡°No, no, I did nothing.¡± I stayed humble. Right then, the chime rang through the hallway. Letting out a voice in panic, he returned to the ssroom. While chasing after him¡­ I secretly let out a crooked smile. ¡°(¡ªBut that was all a superficial reason!)¡± While looking at his back, Iughed evilly. ¡°(My true aim is to see how Aguri will look!)¡± Naturally, Aguri will alsoe to today¡¯s lunch event to watch. When Amano asks Tendo to be his friend¡­ I¡¯ll be hidden among many students and will be properly able to observe Aguri! I may be nice to Amano, but I also have my doubts¡ªshe¡¯s my girlfriend! ¡°(In a circumstance where only Amano¡¯s acquaintances are watching, Aguri might try to conceal her actual reaction! That¡¯s how it is in a ssroom full of people! However, it¡¯s difficult topletely hide your reaction! Since everyone¡¯s eyes will be on Tendo, Aguri won¡¯t even have a hint that I¡¯ll be there watching her!)¡± That was my aim. Right when Amano asks Tendo, I have to look for Aguri¡¯s initial reaction. If Aguri and Amano were really just friends, Aguri would cheerfully support Amano and Tendo¡¯s friendship from the bottom of her heart. However, if she shows an expression of mixed feelings, then she is definitely cheating. It¡¯s proof that Aguri has been charmed by Amano. ¡°(¡­Well, the worst possible reaction is if Aguri awkwardly sees me, who is worthy enough to be her boyfriend, looking at her¡­)¡± I set up this event with Tendo as a facade to see if Aguri and Amano were together¡­ In other words, I cannot be seen. If Aguri looks at me with an awkward expression¡­ Uwa, I¡¯m shaking just from the thought! Well, that still isn¡¯t the worst case! ¡°(Anyway, this will settle things. I should know Aguri¡¯s true feelings!)¡± So, this event is pretending to be ¡°Amano¡¯s friend request¡±¡­ but it¡¯s actually litmus test for Aguri¡¯s feelings! ¡°(Don¡¯t underestimate a riajuu¡¯s strategic prowess!)¡± I let out a war cry in my mind to no one in particr. However, I feel like my middle school self is still looking down on me¡ªwhat does this have to do with you!? Be quiet, you studious bastard! Your studying is finally being useful for once! Yes yes, I also have another reason why I got Amano to ask in front of ss 2-F. That would be to get Hoshinomori to see it as well. ¡°(If there were only a small amount of people, she would definitely note, but she might watch since there will be a lot of onlookers in this situation. And then, if Amano and Tendo be friends, she¡¯ll feel jealous, and if they don¡¯t be friends, she¡¯ll feel sympathetic for a fellow loner, then develop a crush on him! No matter what happens, I¡¯m a genius!)¡± If I say so myself¡­ my mind is terrifyingly sharp. In this world, do you think there are any other high school boys that are this good at manipting human rtionships? Nope, I think not. As I followed Amano into the ssroom and went to my seat, I was no longer able to hold back my grin. ¡°Fufufu¡­ kuku¡­ kufufufufufu!¡± ¡°No, Tasuku. Honestly, you¡¯re so gross today. I wish you weren¡¯t my friend anymore.¡± Ignoring Masaya¡¯s words, I marveled at my own professional human rtionship skills, and keptughing creepily. Aguri ¡°(Amano-chi¡¯s gonna ask during break, huh¡­)¡± It¡¯s third period right now. Aguri is skillfully spinning her pen as she gazes at the boring kanji written on the ckboard. ¡°(¡­Aguri doesn¡¯t mean to incite anything, but honestly, Aguri thinks that something will go wrong¡­)¡± Aguri let out a sigh. ¡°(Somehow¡­ even though there¡¯s no evidence, Aguri has a hunch that things won¡¯t go as nned. Aguri¡¯s sixth sense is tingling¡­)¡± After hearing Amano-chi¡¯s story, Aguri doesn¡¯t think that there¡¯s no hope at all regarding Tendo-san. After all, Amano-chi is really self-deprecating, so his words didn¡¯t seem like they were just wishful thinking. Also, Aguri thinks that their rtionship isn¡¯t bad to begin with. But¡­ ¡°Somehow, it feels like Amano-chi and Tendo-san have a different rtionship than Aguri actually thinks they do. It¡¯s strange.)¡± It¡¯s doesn¡¯t seem particrly bad¡­ but if Aguri had to say something, then it feels like their fate is fatally bad? Aguri stopped spinning her pen and started to draw circles and arrows to create a rtionship diagram. ¡°(Amano-chi likes Tendo-san¡­ or rather, admires Tendo-san. Aguri likes Tasuku. No, love. It¡¯d be great if that could be confirmed right now, but¡­)¡± Aguri can¡¯t move her pen anymore. ¡­Even though there are lines drawn from Tendo-san and Tasuku to Amano-chi and Aguri, Aguri can¡¯t confirm their feelings. Furthermore, with the addition of Hoshinomori Chiaki, things are even moreplicated. ¡°(Amano-chi hates that girl¡­ is what Aguri would like to say, but those two clearly get along well. Yea. Well, it¡¯ll be fine to just write my guesses too.)¡± This time, Aguri included all the unconfirmed information too. ¡°(Tendo-san feels¡­ well¡­ normal? Towards Amano-chi. It doesn¡¯t look like she hates him. And then, Amano-chi and Aguri arerades. Then, Tasuku¡¯s feelings towards Tendo-san is¡­ love, it seems like.)¡± After drawing a line from Tasuku to Tendo-san, Aguri wrote ¡°Love?¡±. ¡­The tip of my pen is shaking. ¡­Uu, don¡¯t cry, Aguri! Don¡¯t cry! Aguri is strong! ¡°(Well then, the problem is this girl¡­)¡± Hoshinomori Chiaki. She¡¯s honestly harder to read than Tendo-san. Aguri doesn¡¯t know much about her. Well, if Aguri were to write what she does know¡­ ¡°(Clearly she has feelings¡­ towards Tasuku, right?)¡± Again, Aguri drew a line from Hoshinomori Chiaki to Tasuku and wrote, ¡°Love?¡±. ¡­Well, Tasuku is the coolest person on the, so it can¡¯t be helped that he¡¯s so popr. It¡¯s not a shock. It¡¯spletely not a shock. The problem is, what does Tasuku think of her¡­ ¡°(Hoshinomori Chiaki¡­ even Amano-chi says that she¡¯s a quiet, boring otaku girl¡­)¡± For some reason, it seems like Amano-chi tends to underestimate girls, so his words were untrustworthy. Honestly, she¡¯s super cute. However¡­ ¡°(But Tasuku¡¯s type was¡­ a cheerful, light-hearted girl, right?)¡± At least Aguri thought that was the case, so that¡¯s why Aguri is the Aguri now. But thinking back on it¡­ Tasuku has never been super into the Aguri now! Even back then, Tasuku was always kind to Aguri, and Aguri thought that was really nice, and Aguri really likes him, really really likes, ahh, Tasuku¡­ ¡°(¡­Hah! No, no, I got off topic!)¡± Aguri has to focus. Not on the lesson, but on this rtionship diagram. ¡°(Thinking about it again¡­ maybe Tasuku just likes everyone.)¡± Tasuku¡¯s always nice to everyone without discriminating. In other words¡­ he might not like cheerful, light-hearted girls, but he might also like cheerful, light-hearted girls. There are various eventstely that line up with this theory. But¡­ ¡°(Uu¡­)¡± Oh no, tears are forming. What is this, this is bad! Aguri might actually start crying in the ssroom. That¡¯s no good. A girl who cries about her boyfriend during ss is seriously scary. Aguri knows that. Calm down. Calm down, Aguri. ¡­Fuu. Alright¡­ let¡¯s write¡­ ¡°(The line from Tasuku to Hoshinomori-san is¡­)¡± The tip of the pen kept shaking as Aguri started to write the word ¡°Like¡±¡ªthe pen escaped from the piece of paper. The braid-sses ss chairman sent me a look, but Aguri ignored it and held her head in her hands. ¡°(What is this great resistance!? When it was Tendo-san, Aguri was barely able to draw the line, but¡­ when Aguri thinks that Tasuku might like Hoshinomori Chiaki, a girl just like the in, boring Aguri, Aguri hates it!)¡± As expected, Aguri won¡¯t allow this. Aguri doesn¡¯t want to allow this. ¡­No, even though Amano-chi and Aguri already saw the definitive evidence¡­ s-still, Aguri doesn¡¯t know yet! Yea! That¡¯s right! Aguri might be mistaken! ¡°(Y-yea, Aguri still doesn¡¯t know. So¡­ let¡¯s confirm it again! Let¡¯s do that!)¡± Aguri suddenly came up with a good idea and raised her head from her desk. ¡°(That¡¯s right! Amano-chi¡¯s event at lunch! Let¡¯s measure Tasuku¡¯s feelings then!)¡± The new idea lifted Aguri¡¯s spirits. ¡°(First of all, if Tasuku actually likes Tendo-san, he won¡¯t like Amano-chi¡¯s request. He might be helping since Amano-chi¡¯s his friend and he can¡¯t help it, but¡­ if he doesn¡¯t like it, it¡¯ll definitely show on his face!)¡± Also, among a huge crowd, he won¡¯t bother to hide his feelings! ¡°(And then, if he really likes Hoshinomori-san¡­ Tasuku won¡¯t be looking at Amano-chi, but at Hoshinomori-san instead! He¡¯ll be wondering what Hoshinomori-san thinks of Amano-chi! He¡¯ll definitely look at her reaction!)¡± At the very least, Aguri can figure out if Tasuku likes Tendo-san or Hoshinomori-san. Oh, but¡­ ¡°(The worst thing that could happen is if Tasuku looks over at Aguri. After all¡­ if he sees his girlfriend while meeting the person he cheated with, mou, I don¡¯t know how a cheater thinks! Well, Tasuku probably won¡¯t do that, though!)¡± At any rate, everything Aguri learns during lunch will be the truth. In other words¡­ Amano-chi¡¯s event has turned into a litmus test to find out Tasuku¡¯s true feelings by focusing on his expressions! ¡°(Ah, Aguri is such a smart girl! As expected of Tasuku¡¯s girlfriend and Amano-chi¡¯s shishou! Aguri¡¯s craftiness is amazing!)¡± While ignoring the lesson going on, Aguri let out quietughter. ¡°Ufu¡­ fufu¡­ kufufufu¡­¡± ¡°A-aguri-san?¡± Ignoring the ss chairman¡¯s worried look, Aguri marveled at her own professional human rtionship skills, and keptughing creepily. Hoshinomori Chiaki It looks like Tendo-san will go to Keita during lunch. I heard the information from my ssmates during break time¡ªor, more urately, after I overheard my ssmates¡¯ conversation, I stopped using up my stamina in my socialworking game and contemted over the information by myself. ¡°(Tendo-san¡­ has business with Keita? I wonder why¡­)¡± I peeked at Tendo-san. The concerned person was in the middle of the ssroom, having a pleasant chat with the other students. As always, she¡¯s beautiful, even to me. A sight for sore eyes, one could say. ¡­For some reason, a sigh leaves my mouth. ¡°(Obviously, people other than Uehara-san would like her¡­)¡± It¡¯d be absurd to call her my rival in love. There¡¯s a huge difference between her and me, who¡¯s currently sitting down in the corner of the ssroom, ying a socialworking game quietly. Or rather, I feel like I haven¡¯t said a word since I left the house. Even though it¡¯s break time after 3rd period. ¡­I think my vocal cords are deteriorating. While thinking about such things, I looked at Tendo-san again. Obviously, the rumors about what will happen at lunch haven¡¯t reached her friends in the middle of the ssroom. The people talking about the rumors were still hanging around the edge of the ssroom, looking towards the middle. ¡°(Isn¡¯t the evidence really weak? No, no¡­ but¡­)¡± I looked at Tendo-san again. ¡­Fumu. ¡°(The normal Tendo-san would clearly say whether a rumor was true or not¡­)¡± This aspect of her is really refreshing, and it¡¯s probably part of the reason why she¡¯s so popr. Thinking about it that way, even though there are rumors floating around about Keita, the fact that she¡¯s not reacting to it shows that the situation isn¡¯t normal¡­ ¡°(W-wait. Is she really going to see Keita¡­)¡± For some reason, I feel uneasy. ¡°(I mean, I really can¡¯t see the reason. She¡¯s stopped trying to ask him to the Gamers Club¡­ so for her to go see Keita¡­)¡± Since even I can¡¯t tell why, even though I know their circumstances pretty well, other people would be even more doubtful. Well, but¡­ ¡°(Like the rumors are saying, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a confession. Between Keita and Tendo-san¡­ well, at best, it would probably be something like ¡®please be my friend¡¯?)¡± That might be the case. ¡­I mean, I don¡¯t really want to admit it, but Keita and I have a simr sensitivity to things. And for a while now, I¡¯ve felt restless because I wanted to get closer to Tendo-san, who also likes games. ¡°(Rather than Tendo-san going to Keita, she was probably called there instead. ss F is more or less Keita¡¯s home.)¡± After that thought, my curiosity disappeared. I didn¡¯t really want to see Keita get rejected by Tendo-san. Since we¡¯re so simr, I really want to run away from that. Letting out a sigh, I went back to my socialworking game¡­ but as I reopened the application, my hand stopped suddenly. ¡°(Huh? Doesn¡¯t Keita already have a girlfriend? Aguri-san. Even then, he¡¯s calling out to another girl?)¡± Although it¡¯s probably not rted to love, it felt a bit strange. I suddenly remembered Tendo-san¡¯s words from the other day. ¡°(Oh right, Tendo-san¡­ said that ¡®I feel like Aguri-san is actually dating Uehara-kun¡¯¡­)¡± Honestly, I don¡¯t remember it too well, but I feel like that¡¯s what she said. Looking up from my smartphone, I started to fidget again. ¡°(No, no, that can¡¯t be. After all, I¡¯ve seen Keita and Aguri-san together before. I feel like Keita¡¯s love for Aguri-san is deep¡­)¡± Then, I suddenly hit upon a good idea! ¡°(Then, then, is Keita¡¯s love for Aguri-san super one-sided!?)¡± My body stiffened like it was hit by lightning. ¡­No way¡­ But everything makes sense that way. I always thought that Keita and Aguri-san didn¡¯t really match, and wondered why a beautiful girl was dating a water flea-like presence. Everything¡­ ¡°(If we assume that Aguri-san doesn¡¯t have any feelings for him, then various things are exined!)¡± My lips trembled. I-it¡¯s clear to me now. Keita is really the same as I am! ¡°(After all, Keita and I are super easy!)¡± When someone does something remotely nice for us, we stick to them, and if it¡¯s the opposite gender, then we fall in love with them. That¡¯s the history of a loner like Keita and me. Originally, Aguri-san is like a person from another world for us. However¡­ by some small chance, she must¡¯ve done some minor nice thing for Keita sometime. ¡°(It¡¯s not strange that Keita fell in love in one blow!)¡± Feeling confident, I nodded. In the beginning, Aguri-san would¡¯ve ignored a small flea like Keita. However, that developed into a girlfriend-boyfriend rtionship. How did that happen? ¡­There¡¯s only one answer. This is love detective Hoshinomori Chiaki¡¯s excellent love sleuthing skills! ¡°(Keita is being yed with by Aguri-san!)¡± This is the only possible truth. Having glimpsed at one of the frightening mysteries of the world, I trembled. ¡°(Since Keita¡¯s body isn¡¯t her goal¡­ i-it¡¯s probably money. Asking him to pay at the game center¡­ or, now that I remember, getting him to pay when they went to the cafe together¡­!)¡± The more I think about it, the more I¡¯m convinced. ¡°(H-how scary. T-that¡¯s why people like us can¡¯t go outside! All riajuus are evil! They¡¯ll have us on the palm of their hand, dressing up as angels even though they¡¯re actually the devil! Oh, but Uehara-san is different.¡± I¡¯m amazed at how easy Keita is. Good grief, that hopeless chibi fell in love just because someone was somewhat nice to him. Good grief. ¡°(I¡­ I have to make sure!)¡± I looked up with a determined look. ¡­I really hate Keita, but I can¡¯t stand to see someone so simr to me get yed by a riajuu. ¡°(I-I have to make him see the truth¡­!)¡± I, the love detective, suddenly noticed something. ¡°(That¡¯s right¡­! Asking Tendo-san to be his friend¡­ is an SOS from Keita! Since he can¡¯t separate from Aguri-san by his own will, this is the best SOS he can do!)¡± Having noticed the desire of someone just like me, small tears formed in my eye. ¡°(I got it, I got it, Keita. Today¡¯s lunch break. I¡­ having received your message, will go to ss F to confirm the truth about the devil! Tendo-san please receive his message as well!)¡± I sent a strong look towards Tendo-san, who turned around to look at me, as if she sensed it. In response, I nodded my head in a deliberate manner. ¡°???¡± Tendo-san acted like she was confused. ¡­Goodness, what a good actor. Since she¡¯s smart, she must¡¯ve noticed all of Aguri-san¡¯s evil deeds and decided to ept Keita the flea¡¯s invitation. Why is she such a nice person? I nodded at Tendo-san once again. Finally going back to the game I held off on ying¡­ I entered the battle against the voluptuous female raid boss and thoroughly crushed her. Tendo Karen It¡¯s lunch right now. I¡¯m on my way from ss A to ss F. Like always, I was walking down the hall confidently with my chest puffed out¡­ but unlike my outside appearance, I was feeling uneasy inside. ¡°(Ahh, I don¡¯t get it at all! Why did Amano-kun call for me!?)¡± After Uehara-kun called out to me first thing in the morning, the doubts and anxiety swirled around in my mind. As I headed towards the stairs to get to ss F, I still couldn¡¯t think of a reason. Passing in front of ss C, I was still frantically thinking for a reason. ¡°(Honestly, the most likely thing is¡­ breaking off rtions.)¡± The blood drained from my face. I didn¡¯t want to think about that case, but when I think about our delicate rtionship, it¡¯s the most probable answer. ¡°(For someone who likes to y games calmly, interacting with someone like me does great damage and gives him no advantages at all. Whenever we meet, he looks ufortable¡­)¡± And then there are the troubles with the Gamers Club too. Amano-kun and I still feel awkward about that incident. And, ordinarily, it¡¯s really strange that Amano-kun and I still talk now and then. In the end, I also refused his invitation to the Gamers Hobby Club, so we¡¯re not really rted in any way. Even then, we still went on a walk for some reason. Also, I know that I¡¯m more or less a special person here. It¡¯s just a fact; I¡¯m not trying to brag. ¡°(Since Amano-kun is a timid person¡­ talking with someone like me is a definite no¡­)¡± It¡¯s not like he¡¯s being excessively self-conscious. It¡¯s a fact that I stand out. It¡¯s not something I¡¯m particrly proud of¡­ but I wonder. Is that also suspicious? At the very least, I thought that Amano-kun would naturally join the Gamers Club because I invited him, but maybe that was being too haughty. ¡°(I¡¯m¡­ probably an annoying person to him.)¡± I¡¯m confident in my abilities. I¡¯m also aware of the effort I put in. I think my poprity and my reliability have to do with my effort and my ability. But honestly, I think it¡¯s questionable if I¡¯m a ¡°charming person¡±. ¡°(At least¡­ Amano-kun probably doesn¡¯t trust me.)¡± The way he acts with me is clearly different than how he interacts with Uehara-kun and Hoshinomori-san. He¡¯s always flustered whenever he talks with me¡­ and always¡­ looks ufortable¡­ and, only talks clearly to say that his opinions differ from mine. ¡°(That¡¯s¡­ no matter how you put it, our rtionship is bad.)¡± Passing by ss D, I let out a small sigh, trying not to let others see it. Feeling a tiny bit depressed¡­ in the next moment, I looked to the front and let out my fighting spirit. ¡°(Hold on, Tendo Karen! Even if you encounter a bad situation, at least you can make it through by behaving like your usual self!)¡± The girl known as Tendo Karen is resilient in the most crucial moments. No matter how much I may waver, in important moments, I can conduct myself with firm resolve, as if I was confident from the very beginning. Passing by ss E, I warned myself. ¡°(Under these circumstances, you have to prepare yourself, Tendo Karen! You have to respond honestly and truthfully!)¡± Yes, I will honestly and truthfully face myself. Using Misumi-kun¡¯s advice and the practice I got with Hoshinomori-san, now is the time to put it into action. ¡°(First, I will listen to Amano-kun¡¯s words sincerely. Afterwards, I won¡¯t put on a strange facade and reject, but I will answer him with my honest feelings.)¡± There¡¯s nothing to it. The essence of everything is always simple. ¡°(I will face Amano-kun from the front. That¡¯s it.)¡± With renewed determination, I walked into ss F with an invigorating smile. ¡°Excuse me. Is Amano-kun here?¡± Amano Keita ¡°Excuse me. Is Amano-kun here?¡± When Tendo-san appeared at the entrance, my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my mouth. ¡°(S-she came! She came!)¡± Although I prepared for it the whole day, I didn¡¯t believe that she woulde and say my name, and I was starting to think that she might note. ¡°I-I¡¯m h-h-h-here!¡± All of the gazes in the room turned to Tendo-san. I stood up while raising my hand as I trembled all over. As I did so, all the gazes the turned towards me. ¡­U-uu! Tendo-san wasposed like always and had an elegant smile¡ªshe looked like a model with her beautiful posture and her gait as she walked towards me. In the crowded ssroom, filled with people from other sses who had heard the rumor, Tendo-san was like Moses parting the red sea as she walked. I felt the same dizziness from the attention I got when I was invited to the Gamers Club, but uehara-kun grabbed my arm and said ¡°Hey¡±, bringing me back to my sense. Looking around the ssroom, I obviously saw Uehara-kun, and Aguri-san in the distance¡­ and, looking like she had followed Tendo-san, I saw Chiaki poking her head out around the entrance. And, those four people¡­ unlike the other onlookers, who were smirking at the situation, they all had earnest expressions. ¡°(Everyone¡­ to go so far¡­ for me¡­)¡± I was really moved. Even though I don¡¯t want to include seaweed girl¡­ well, I guess she¡¯s still a friend. I¡¯m grateful. ¡°Good afternoon, Amano-kun.¡± Standing in front of me, Tendo-san greeted me with a smile. For a moment, my throat was blocked and I sounded like a domesticated chicken as I stuttered out, ¡°G-g-g-g, goo¡ª!¡±, but looking at Uehara-kun and everyone¡¯s faces again¡­ I calmed down my mind, looked straight at Tendo-san, and replied confidently. ¡°Good afternoon, Tendo-san. Sorry for calling you here today.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Then¡­¡± Tendo-san hesitated for a moment, but immediately recovered and asked me a question with a smile. ¡°Then, Amano-kun. What business do you have with me today?¡± ¡°Y-yea. About that¡­that¡¯s¡­¡± Right then, I noticed that all the gazes in the ssroom were focused on us. ¡°(T-that¡¯s natural. Untill now, everyone was just ncing at us¡­ everyone must have noticed that ¡®things are starting now¡¯ and are looking over here¡­)¡± I was conscious of all the attention that we were gathering. ¡°¡­?¡± Tendo-san tilted her neck as I sunk into silence. While trying to ignore the surroundings, I continued to talk with trembling lips. ¡°U-um, that¡¯s, um¡­ um¡­ i-it¡¯s really hard to say, but¡­¡± ¡°!¡± Right then, Tendo-san¡¯s face looked really sad. I tilted my neck, thinking that her reaction was odd. ¡°? T-tendo-san? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°N-no, it¡¯s nothing. Continue, Amano-kun. ¡­I am prepared.¡± ¡°H-ha.¡± Wait, ¡°prepared¡±? I¡¯m only asking her to be my friend¡ªis that really necessary? But then, I just realized! ¡°(O-oh! She¡¯s prepared to refuse!)¡± I was astonished. ¡­I guess my loss has already been determined. Tendo-san spoke up as I stood still. ¡°Amano-kun? What is it?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, no¡­ it¡¯s noth¡ª¡­¡± I slumped my shoulders in disappointment and replied. ¡°(¡­Should¡­ should I just quit?)¡± I abruptly looked up. After all, this¡­ this has no meaning. It¡¯s pointless to be bold here. It¡¯s like using up a valuable recovery item during the boss fight that determines whether or not I lose. ¡°Um¡­ Tendo-san. It¡¯s really noth¡ª¡­¡± While talking, I peaked at Uehara-kun to see if he was angry. However, he was¡­ ¡°(Eh? It looks like he¡¯s not even looking!)¡± I don¡¯t get it. He was looking at somewhere else with much focus. Or rather, I noticed that Aguri-san and even Chiaki weren¡¯t even looking. ¡­What is this. What are you guys doing? Why is everyone looking somewhere else¡­ ¡°(Hah! That¡¯s wrong! This¡­ that¡¯s right!)¡± I noticed their aim. They¡¯re not trying to be cruel. If they were so heartless, they wouldn¡¯t havee in the first ce. They didn¡¯te just because they were curious. They must be seeing how things are going with me and Tendo-san. But then, what are they looking at? There¡¯s only one answer. ¡°(Everyone¡­ everyone¡¯s being so considerate¡­!)¡± Knowing that I¡¯m weak to attention, seeing my heart get discouraged¡­ everyone¡¯s so considerate! They¡¯re trying to reduce my burden by looking away! Really, even though they want to watch, even though things won¡¯t change! ¡°(Everyone¡­ all this¡­ for me¡­!)¡± Inside my heart, a light shone once again. Suddenly, I recalled¡­ the events ofst night, when I cleared ¡°Golden Tricks¡±. ¡°(I see¡­ that¡¯s right. I¡¯m borrowing everyone¡¯s power¡­ Even if I think I¡¯ll lose, that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t try my best!)¡± What do you mean, ¡°because my loss has been determined¡±. Do I intend to show my back as I shamelessly scurry home after having borrowed the strength of my amazing friends? That¡¯s wrong, Amano Keita! Even though I¡¯m a mob character and not the main character of a story, that doesn¡¯t matter now! This is, as a person, as a man, what I should do! In other words¡­ ¡°(Showing my friends my proud loss¡­ this is a man!)¡± Having resolved myself, I looked at Tendo-san with an earnest gaze. ¡°¡­!¡± To my change in attitude, Tendo-san sat up straight, and the tension in the ss rose. I looked at my friends, who were looking somewhere else just like before, and smiled. I started to talk with courage. ¡°Tendo-san, please¡ª¡± Uehara Tasuku ¡°(Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Why is Aguri looking at me super awkwardlyyyyyy!?)¡± While Amano and Tendo¡¯s event moved along nicely, I¡­ was amazed how I was able to guess the worst reaction that Aguri could have. ¡°(I-i-if she¡¯s looking at me in this situation¡­ that means¡­ that means that she¡¯spletely in love with Amano, and is thinking how easy I was to triickkkkkkk!)¡± But what is that super awkward expression!? I¡¯m the one that feels awkward! It¡¯s been decided! Let alone cheating, doesn¡¯t that mean that he¡¯s your favorite!? That¡¯s a lie! But before I knew it¡­ with Amano¡­! Then, in an unrted matter to my intense shaking¡ª ¡°Tendo-san, please¡ª¡± ¡ªBefore I knew it, the climax of Amano¡¯s event hade. Aguri ¡°(Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Why is Tasuku looking at Aguri super awkwardlyyyyyy!?)¡± While Amano-chi and Tendo-san¡¯s event moved along nicely, Aguri¡­ was amazed how Aguri was able to guess the worst reaction that Tasuku could have. ¡°(I-i-if Tasuku¡¯s looking at Aguri in this situation¡­ it means¡­ it means that Tasuku is a yer who goes around seducing girls! Not Tendo-san, not Hoshinomori-san, but he¡¯s awkwardly looking at Aguri, his girlfriend¡­ this is definite proof that he¡¯s cheatiiiiinnnnnngggggg!)¡± But what is that super awkward expression!? Aguri¡¯s the one that feels awkward! Isn¡¯t it certain now!? It¡¯s been decided! It¡¯s been decided that he¡¯s a cheater! This is a lie, right!? But when¡­ when did he abandon Aguri¡­! Then, in an unrted matter to Aguri¡¯s intense shaking¡ª ¡°Tendo-san, please¡ª¡± ¡ªBefore Aguri knew it, the climax of Amano-chi¡¯s event hade. Hoshinomori Chiaki ¡°(Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Why are Uehara-san and Aguri-san are looking at each other super awkwardlyyyyy!?)¡± While Keita and Tendo¡¯s event moved along nicely, I¡­ was amazed how I was able to guess the worst reaction that the two of them could have. ¡°(I-i-if they¡¯re looking at each in this situation¡­ that means¡­ that means that they¡¯re secretly dating, and are purposely thinking back on ufortable memories to pretend there¡¯s nothing going onnnnnnnn!)¡± But what is that super awkward expression!? I¡¯m the one that feels awkward! Isn¡¯t it certain now!? It¡¯s been decided! Doesn¡¯t that mean that she¡¯s using Keita for her convenience and is actually going out with Uehara-san!? Or rather, is she using Uehara-san too!? This is a lie, right!? But before I knew it¡­ leave Keita alone¡­! Then, in an unrted matter to my intense shaking¡ª ¡°Tendo-san, please¡ª¡± ¡ªBefore I knew it, the climax of Keita¡¯s event hade. Amano Keita ¡°Tendo-san, please¡ª¡± Right as I said those first few words, the various events that happened recently shed before my eyes like a revolvingntern. Miyamoto-san, who wanted a copy of Kurikure 3, Chiaki, who I argued with in our meetings of the Gamers Hobby Club, Misumi-kun, who somehow won a game tournament, and Tendo-san, who I had a medal game showdown with. And, the most memorable one being the most recent event. Those unsessful endings of ¡°Golden Tricks¡± that I saw over and over again. Even now, the words of the main character still stuck to my dreams. Yesterday¡¯s meeting with Aguri-san at the family restaurant. There, I decided to ask Tendo-san. I decided to imitate Aguri-san¡¯s simple, anti-climactic confession. Gathering my determination through my memories, I paused once in my words. I cleared my throat, as if to clear the air of all the tension. And then, once again, Thinking of the confession scene of ¡°Golden Tricks¡± and Aguri-san¡¯s stories, I looked into Tendo-san¡¯s eyes and started over. ¡°Tendo-san, please¡ª¡± Tendo Karen ¡°Tendo-san, please¡ª¡± As Amano-kun started to talk with such an earnest look, I went over everything that had happened since yesterday. Misumi-kun saw how coldly I rejected a confession and admonished me about how I was using my facade, then I tried it on Hoshinomori-san. ¡°(First, reply with my honest feelings. Then, don¡¯t immediately say a rejection¡­)¡± Ever since then, I¡¯ve been constantly telling myself that. ¡°(It¡¯s wrong to immediately reject someone I just met like I always do. He¡­ Amano-kun is one of the people I respect the most. These are his words. Even if this is his rejection of me. I¡­ have the obligation to reply to his words from the bottom of my heart without a facade.)¡± I resolved myself. Looking determined as well, he started to talk again. ¡°Tendo-san, please¡ª¡± This is just right. Following my beliefs of ¡°not starting with a a rejection¡± and ¡°replying with my honest feelings¡±, I cut into his words slightly as I responded with a positive reply. ¡°Yes¡ª¡± Amano Keita With many students looking on, the fateful moment hade. ¡°Tendo-san, please go out with me.¡± ¡°Yes, dly.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­Oh, that wasn¡¯t what I meant to say¡ª ¡°Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡± In that moment, the whole group let out surprised voices that shook the whole building. ¡ªThus, on this day, An unprecedented event that no one expected¡ªeven the people involved¡ªurred. On this day, in this ssroom, an unexpected couple was identally created between two very different people. Notes: 1. Flying Get means pre-ordering and obtaining items such as books, CDs, and DVDs before the date they officially go on sale. 2. Frau means woman in German. So, her name means ¡°heavenly woman¡±. 3. In these next few paragraphs, there are a lot of parts where I think there are references, but I don¡¯t really watch/read too many series, so I have no idea what they refer to. If anyone knows, pleasement! 4. The Japanese word used for ¡°virgin¡± here (ͯؑ) typically refers to boys/males. 5. Sawayaka 3 kumi is a Japanese educational TV show geared towards kids. 6. Ca loves crashing their helicopters. 7. Zenryoukuzaka is a TV show about female idols running. 8. KISUMAI BUSAKU is a TV show about males trying to prove how cool they are. 9. A spell of restoration from Dragon Quest when they were actually used. 10. Irem is a video gamepany that produces arcade and early console games. Volume 3, 2 - Keita Amano and Karen Tendou’s Best Entertainment

Volume 3, Chapter 2 - Keita Amano and Karen Tendou¡¯s Best Entertainment

Trantor: your_pingas Keita Amano ¡°Uehara-kun, please teach me what I should do when I¡¯m on a date!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a n at all!?¡± After I exined how I started dating Tendou-san, Uehara-kun stood up abruptly from the bench and yelled at me. I can hear the sound of liquid shaking vigorously in his can of coffee. Uehara-kun scratched all over his hair impatiently before sitting back next to me. Meanwhile, I was just sipping my box of nd vegetable juice and stared nkly at the scenery. The park after school was shaded with the orange sunset. It was filled with housewives carrying their goods and students that are chatting with each other. There¡¯s even a group of boys chasing each other In the central za. Then, next to the fountain, intimate couples from Otobuki and Hekiyou (Note: The name of the high school in Student Council¡¯s Discretion) are flirting with each other. Within this peaceful aura, two tired high school students are sitting on a rarely visited bench under the tree at a corner of the park. Uehara-kun is ying with his canned coffee, throwing it from one hand to another, and let out a big sigh towards me. ¡°I¡¯m here because you said you wanted to discuss something about Tendou-san in peace, and then you are asking me about your date? I thought you were determined to break up with her based on what you said earlier.¡± ¡°Eh? You wanted me to break up with her, Uehara-kun?¡± ¡°Not at all, how did you get that conclusion?¡± ¡°Ah¡­no¡­it¡¯s nothing. Forget about it.¡± ¡°Really? Well, I¡¯m fine with that.¡± Uehara-kun seems to be able to tell something is off, but he doesn¡¯t particrly care. So, he took another sip of his coffee while I put my hand on my chest, feeling relieved. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on between him and Tendou-san, though.¡± Different from Aguri-san, I am not that confident with my theory. After all, Uehara-kun and Tendou-san are friendly people that I respect. I don¡¯t think that they came up with the cruel idea of using-me-as-a-cover. However, I think that¡¯s why they are 100% in sync with each other. In conclusion, while I am still suspicious about the rtionship between them. There¡¯s no way for me and my poormunication skills to prove this. For now, all I can do is to maintain the status quo with them. Tendou-san is the girl that I deeply admire and respect. Uehara-kun is the most trustworthy friend I can find. That¡¯s why, while I still can¡¯t get the idea that they are secretly dating off my head, I still think that I can trust Uehara-kun and ask him for advice regarding my date with Tendou-san. I nced at Uehara-kun¡¯s face. He seemed pretty tiredtely and was ming me for everything. But then, he gradually switched to a serious tone and engaged in the discussion. ¡°Why are you asking me? I¡¯m not that experienced, you know. Aguri is the only girlfriend I ever have.¡± ¡°But you dated with her for half a year, you should have at least went out with her, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± Uehara-kun scratched the back of his head, a bit embarrassed. ¡°I might have said this before, Aguri and I were like friends. Even if we go out on a date, it¡¯s not like what you see on TV or in movies, we would often call our friends as well.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s totally a normie thing to do.¡± ¡°Why do you hate normies so much? Don¡¯t just treat boys and girls who y together as viins!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t treat them as viins. Uehara-kun, but you should be careful when you guys are heading to a beach with sharks during times like Friday the 13th.¡± ¡°What are you worrying about? It¡¯s not like I will get murdered or anything. You are dead wrong if you think that all normies will end up badly!¡± ¡°This world doesn¡¯t make the least bit of sense to me at all¡­¡± ¡°This still makes more sense than a world where you will be sawed or eaten by sharks for having a good time!¡± ¡°If I am dating the legendary Tendou-san, I need to have a more dramatic backstory like being an otaku that is bullied by Uehara-kun to maintain perfect bnce. As all things should be.¡± ¡°You know you don¡¯t need to perfectly bnce your fortune and misfortune. Why does half of your view towards reality ising from fictional stories? That¡¯s a whole new level of edginess!¡± I beamed a charming smile at Uehara-kun. ¡°Amon highschool boy got in a word with a cute girl, and then develops into a rtionship¡­¡± ¡°Damn, you are really like a protagonist from romanticedies!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. As long as I deal with every threat facing Tendou-san and me carefully, I feel like this rtionship canst forever!¡± I expressed my thoughts with a serious look on my face. ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± Uehara-kun seemed to have backed down slightly. ¡°Um, w-with that said, I guess this is still a peaceful romanticedy after all. There shouldn¡¯t be any ce for a Jason, right?¡± ¡°¡­Uehara-kun, do you have anyst words for Aguri-san?¡± ¡°Dude, if you don¡¯t want to die, don¡¯t throw me a certain-death setting. Even though this is just a romanticedy, I feel like characters like BFFs are in danger, they are usually the first ones to be sacrificed in a disaster to dramatize the boring plot!¡± ¡°Rx! You are immortal, Uehara-kun! You are such a strong and gentle character! You will never die unexpectedly!¡± ¡°You really wanted me to die!¡± ¡°Um, but in reality, you are not the same as me. You don¡¯t really care about the plot. Right? That¡¯s fine, you can keep on hiking with Aguri-san and your friends.¡± ¡°Hmm, now that you are mentioning it, I¡¯m starting to feel scared! I can imagine that a first-person camera angle popped out from nowhere and started creeping towards Augri and me when we are having our intimate moment. Crap, it¡¯s all your fault. Amano-¡° ¡°W-What should I do, Uehara-kun? I feel so proud of myself that I think I will really die when I¡¯m going out with Tendou-san! At this point, I think I¡¯m in a storyline where I am actually in a deepa, and everything was supposed to be a dream! Things are just going too good for me!¡± ¡°Get a hold on your self-imagined suffering. Jeez, that¡¯s really enough. How about you actually start thinking about the date instead of trash-talking?¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re right. Even if I am going to die, I am willing to as long as I get to save Tendou-san.¡± ¡°W-Well, as long as you are happy with it.¡± After the bullshitting is over, Uehara-kun looked at the couple next to the fountain again. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve never gone on a serious date with Aguri. The closest thing we had was going to the arcade and going home together as we¡¯ve always done before.¡± ¡°Well¡­I feel like I don¡¯t have a word at this, but is that really what you want?¡± This is an arrogant question, but I felt terrible for Aguri-san. I am prepared to be scolded by Uehara-kun. Incredibly, he gave me a gentle smile instead of getting angry. ¡°Yeah¡­I guess I¡¯m disappointing her, you¡¯re right. However, I really enjoyed the times where we can walk home together.¡± ¡°So, when you two are busy or don¡¯t have time to y together, you just make up by walking her home?¡± Uehara-kunughed at my question. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s a blessing when you can chat happily with a girl you love all alone.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll feel happy even when all you do is chatting¡­?¡± Uehara-kun seems to be hurt by the intimate couples surrounding the fountain. Well, even though I felt bad for him, I still think that he is just trying to make up with chatting.¡± ¡°Perhaps this is because I yed a lot of games, but I feel like being able to participate in an entertaining event together with your loved ones is happier than simply being together.¡± Somehow, I started thinking about my little brother. He¡¯s close to me because we are in the same family, but I think I will enjoy my time with him more if I yed games with him instead of just hanging out aimlessly. Will the same thing urs if it¡¯s between Tendou-san and me? ¡°Even so-¡° I guess Uehara-kun can sense my confusion, he gave me a slightly bitter smile before continuing. ¡°Well, I think you need to n your first date properly if you wish to close the distance with her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Like I¡¯ve said before, I was the one who invited Tendou-san.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the point. Hey, you can sometimes act like a man in weird situations.¡± ¡°Eh? D-Do I? I am feeling quite embarrassed when you praised me-¡° ¡°You seem calm, but you would often ignore the consequence and went straight into it. You pretend to be gentle, but you are actually an asshole who prioritize emotion more than anything else¡­¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t praising me at all!¡± ¡°Hey, your analysis is correct. However, you failed at the critical dating part; you weren¡¯t supposed toe here wholly unprepared even if you wanted to discuss it with a friend. Like, dude, I can¡¯t give you anything if you don¡¯t even have a script.¡± Uehara-kun sat on the bench and acted like some kind of a producer or director. He does have a point, though, so I just brought my knee caps together sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Well¡­I have considered this before, but instead of me giving useless ideas, can Master Uehara give me a start boost first?¡± ¡°What the hell? You are asking someone to help with your own date, are you serious, kid?¡± ¡°Calling me a kid...Ah, no, you¡¯re right, I¡¯m sorry. Well, this is embarrassing, but please allow me to give you a presentation on my shallow n for my date.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good start. Alright, you will most likely feel ashamed for the first time. It¡¯s okay, though. Allow Uehara Senpai to guide you with his half-year experience.¡± ¡°Alright, then I¡¯m starting, Master.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Uehara-kun feels quite satisfied with ying the role of a producer, he started to be more self-centered, while I am trying my best to present my dating n, sheepishly. ¡°Well, we are not suited to do what ordinary couples would, so things like watching movies, taking a walk at the park, and shopping is out the question. I don¡¯t feel like things will go well if we chose to do that anyway.¡± Uehara-kun¡¯s eyes bulged slightly, he seems to have forgotten his role as producer and replied to me. ¡°Hey, you are quite smart, you know. That¡¯s right, while those are pretty solid, you shouldn¡¯t force Tendou to do so if neither of you is interested. With that said, you are not just going to take Tendou to the arcade to hang out, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I understand. That was too shabby. However, I think that gaming is the only thing that both of us are interested in. So¡­¡± ¡°Woah, Woah, Woah¡­¡± Uehara-kun suddenly stood up just when I am finishing that sentence, he then looked at me, worriedly. ¡°You are not thinking of bringing her to your home for your first date rig-¡° ¡°So that is why I wanted to bring Tendou-san to the multi-entertainmentplex ¡°Around 1¡± located in the next town, to try and have a good time with her. Is that good enough¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Uehara-kun held the can with both of his hands and looked down, is my n so terrible that he can¡¯t even give me any feedback? I-I guess so, it¡¯s too simple to call it a date when all you do is bringing the girl to an entertainmentplex¡­ Just when I wanted to scrap the idea- Suddenly, Uehara-kun chugged all the remaining coffee down his throat. Then, he left his can on the bench and then turned around to grab my shoulder with both of his hands, apanied by a serious look on his face. ¡°Not bad, kid! No, Amano! There¡¯s nothing that I can teach you anymore!¡± ¡°Master isn¡¯t that too fast for graduation!?¡± ¡°Damn, I can¡¯t believe you thought of going to Around 1, even I haven¡¯t been there with Aguri yet! You are a wizard, Amano! The king of normies chosen by God himself! This is a perfect n for the date!¡± ¡°Somehow, I feel more worried when you praise me like that!¡± While it is good that Uehara-kun praised me, but now that I¡¯m thinking of it, suspicion soon clogged my brain. ¡°Even though Uehara-kun is handsome, does his mindset not resemble that of a normie at all?¡± Right, Uehara-kun is a serious and hard working guy deep down. Considering that he made virtually no progress with his girlfriend for half a year, maybe he is as old-fashioned as an 84-year-old. He gave me a refreshing smile and moved his hand towards me. ¡°Have fun, Amano! Your n is perfect!¡± ¡°Eh? Y-Yes, thank you¡­¡± I gave him a reluctant smile and grabbed his hand. Then, he started to shake them vigorously. ¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡°¡­Everything will be fine, right? It¡¯s my first date¡­¡± It was not until today that I realized, sometimes you will feel more insecure when your friend cheers you on like that. * It is all the way on a Sunday before the summer holiday when Tendou-san and I are actually free. ¡°Phew¡­¡± I walked off from the bus and arrived at the station where we are supposed to meet. I looked at the clear blue sky above and let out a sigh. ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t believe it didn¡¯t rain, is this Tendou-san¡¯s power? To be honest, I, Keita Amano, is your typical ¡°Ame Otoko¡± [Note: Rain man, the opposite of ¡°Hareonna,¡± which means sunny girl, like Hodaka and Hina from Weathering With You.] While most people think that it¡¯s just imagination or something like Murphy¡¯s Law where you can remember bad memories more clearly. However, I still feel like it¡¯s more likely to rain when I head out. I became lost in thoughts as I walked from the bus sign to the station. ¡°This has to do with me keep praying for rain so that the baseball practice can be canceled in junior high.¡± It seems ridiculous, but I believed in it nheless. Even though it¡¯s not a realistic exnation, people will feel relieved as long as there is evidence that seems to convince them. I guess it¡¯s like being superstitious, rather than epting the unreasonable amount of rain in my life, I keep praying for rain in the past is somehow a convincing reason for me to give up and take the fate. Also, this would make sense in another meaning. I walked into the station with air-conditioning while holding my shoulder bag tightly. ¡°Perhaps, what I¡¯m doing right now is looking for evidence for me to date Tendou-san¡­¡± Just like the exnation I had for myself for being an Ame Otoko, while I am both honored and blessed to have Tendou-san as my girlfriend, but I will feel insecure when I can¡¯t find the reason of her dating me. I even tried to buy the self-abased idea of her using me as a cover to cheat with Uehara-kun. In a way, this is a less depression conclusion. ¡°But¡­today, I won¡¯t be the same anymore!¡± I raised my head and then marched forward with burning determination. This is the reason why I am asking Tendou-san for a date, even if I usually wouldn¡¯t do this at all. There¡¯s just not enough ¡°evidence¡± for us to be a couple. However, even if things aren¡¯t in my favor, once the red string of fate is pulled, this will be a proud moment that I will treasure forever. Just because I am seemingly losing doesn¡¯t mean that I should disconnect early on, I will never do that! Also, if I decided to give in everything, I have to enjoy the experience and try my absolute best to win. So, the first step for that is to create evidence for us. Even if I am clumsy, inexperienced, and is straight-up a lonely Passerby A, the least that I could do is try my best to make the girl like me, right? I arrived at the giant clock tower where we are meeting, then I grabbed my phone and checked the time. 9 AM. 1 hour earlier than when we are supposed to meet. ¡°Anyway, I can¡¯t make Tendou-san feel ashamed! The first thing I can do is to arrive before she does, she could havee 5 minutes earlier, I do feel like it¡¯s normal for her to arrive 15 minutes earlier, no, even 30 minutes is not out of the realm. I have to reach at the destination before she does and show my sincerity-¡° Just when I¡¯m about to approach to the ce while snickering- ¡°Amano-kun? Wow, you sure doe early.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± My whole body immediately curled up upon hearing the familiar voice. After I raised my head stiffly, I saw a cute, blonde girl with a gentle smile, wearing a pure women shirt. My girlfriend. I can feel that my face is mping, but I greeted her nheless. ¡°G-Good morning, Tendou-san.¡± ¡°Yeah, good morning¡­*cough* It¡¯s a nice day, isn¡¯t it¡­¡± Tendou-san somehow started off with the standard gctic opening remarks, I threw her a question before she could continue. ¡°Um¡­we decided to meet here at 10AM, right?¡± ¡°Hm? Yeah, you are right.¡± ¡°It¡¯s 9 AM now, right?¡± ¡°Yup. 8:58 AM to be precise.¡± ¡°Um¡­if that¡¯s the case, when did you arrive here, Tendou-san?¡± ¡°Eh? Me? Um, if I remembered correctly¡­¡± Tendou-san put her finger on her lips, her beautiful blonde hair is reflecting the sunlight beaming down from the window of the station. Then, she replied to me with a heavenly smile. ¡°I think I arrived here at 7:57 AM.¡± ¡°Oh, well, uh¡­¡± You¡¯ve got to be kidding me, she arrived here 2 hours earlier. I stared at the sky nkly, should I just gomit die? ¡°Amano-kun? What¡¯s wrong? By the way, you are really early today. That caught me off-guard! I knew that you are a serious person!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°A-Amano-kun?¡± Under the clear skies, I am hearing the heavenly voice of the cutest girl in the school. At the same time, I re-verified the fact of ¡°I am now dating Miss Karen Tendou,¡± the tears of joy are already forming in my eyes. * We arrived after a 30-minute bus ride. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s more spectacr than I¡¯ve ever imagined.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± After we walked down from the car park, Tendou-san and I just stood there and admired the grandness of the entertainmentplex like we first visited Tokyo as we exchanged our thoughts. Although everyone that got off from the bus nced at Tendou-san for a while, then they soon turned their eyes to theplex. ¡°W-Well, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°S-Sure, right.¡± Tendou-san and I responded to each other stiffly as we walked forward shoulder to shoulder, we even left a subtle distance apart from each other. ¡°H-How did I manage my distance when I¡¯m walking with Uehara-kun or my family?¡± I¡¯m so nervous that I began to forget basic things like this. I quickly nced at Tendou-san, she seems a bit restless as well. In situations like this, I should be the one who takes up arms and¡­well, I don¡¯t even know what I should do. ¡°If we are in a romanticedy, I need to hold her hands bravely¡­but there is just too much distance between us, there¡¯s no way I can pull that off¡­¡± Sigh, I¡¯m not sure if we count as a couple now that I¡¯m thinking about that. Actually, during the bus ride, we were so shy that we can¡¯t even pick our seats correctly, I ended up sitting behind her, causing the majority of the bus ride to be silent. ¡°Man, now that I¡¯m here, maybe I should¡¯ve heard Uehara-kun¡¯s advice. Is it better to act in a group instead of going alone for the first date? But then, I thought about who I pick¡­ Immediately, the image of a seaweed-haired girl ¨C my rival, the guy who is highly suspected of cheating, and thepetitive gal who doesn¡¯t want to lose to the rest of the females in the gang popped up in my brain. This group¡­ ¡°T-This feels different, it¡¯s not what I¡¯ve imagined for a normie tour!¡± This is a group that is destined for eternal conflict, far off from the harmonious normie group I imagined. Ugh! My interpersonal rtionships are all messed up! ¡°Amano-kun? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Just when I am mumbling to myself, Tendou-san spoke to me in a worrying tone. ¡°Ah, i-it¡¯s nothing. I am just thinking, although I¡¯m not a loner anymore, my friendships are still all messed up, and the more I think about it, the more confused I became.¡± ¡°Friendship? Oh, do you mean the Game Hobby Club?¡± ¡°Eh? Well, I guess it¡¯s simr to that.¡± If we are looking for precision here, I had to count Aguri-san in as well. Suddenly, Tendou-san gave me a mischievous grin. ¡°Ohhhhh, if you ever feel regret for joining the Hobby Club, the Game Club is always here for you, Amano-kun.¡± Tendou-san then moved her head towards me. Oh my, that¡¯s so cute. No! Wait! I gave her my reply while I am shaking my head and smiling bitterly. ¡°F-Forgive me. Really, that¡¯s unkind of you.¡± ¡°Haha, but I am quite serious, though.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, b-but you know how much I sucked at games, right?¡± ¡°Well, I will absolutely teach you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Um, sorry, b-but I refuse.¡± ¡°My my, you considered that for a long time, didn¡¯t you?¡± Tendou-san chuckles, then I retorted while my face is still blushing. ¡°Sorry, I am weak, but I find that joining the Game Club with you sounds far more tempting than before¡­¡± I am ashamed, I repented when I abruptly reject her invitation earlier. I suck at being a man¡­ Just when I am disappointed by my actions, Tendou-san somehow turned away from me. ¡°R-Really? It is now far more tempting for you to join the Game Club with me¡­r-right.¡± ¡°Tendou-san? Ah, s-sorry, you invited me once again, and I replied to you this way¡­¡± This was supposed to be a date, why did I just reject her invitation that abruptly?! I always screw everything over, don¡¯t I? Even if I am going to say no, there are much better choices of words, right? Just when I am heartily regretting my actions, Tendou-san turned back to me, panicking. I feel like her face is a bit red, maybe it¡¯s from my imagination. ¡°N-No, don¡¯t say that! I am good with what I have. Yes! I am satisfied!¡± ¡°R-Really¡­you feel satisfied?¡± How is she satisfied when I rejected her invitation that abruptly? That¡¯s gotta hurt. I felt terrible for her, but then Tendou-san seemingly wanted to change the topic, so she spoke again. ¡°Ah, w-we arrived at the entrance, Amano-kun!¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, you¡¯re right!¡± I got a hold of myself, then went back to the date. Around 1 is thergest entertainmentplex in the country. This single building includes a bowling alley, KTV rooms, billiards, basketball, tennis, and baseball fields, and many more. This is a perfect ce for entertainment that takes an utterly different approach than a yground. Moreover, the facility here is so well-equipped that there¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t y here, well, at least that¡¯s what the ads on the official website say. ¡°Sigh¡­Basically, it¡¯s aplex reserved for normies.¡± Although I feel like that I¡¯m 100% ipatible with this ce, I walked into the entrance. I found that the atmosphere is unexpectedly chilling. Well, maybe it¡¯s because this is Sunday morning, we see far more families than groups of normies. ¡°Phew, we are lucky¡­¡± I put my hand on my chest, feeling relieved. I feel like if there are too many people that are of the same age as we do, Tendou-san may receive some unwanted attention. While she is clearly being nced at, I think I don¡¯t need to worry about hostile people messing with us deliberately, for now. ¡°The boyfriend that strikes at the gangs who¡¯s trying to harass his cute girlfriend, making the girl falling even deeper in love. There¡¯s no way I can afford to be in that kind of plot!¡± Unless the boyfriend is Uehara-kun, that would fit perfectly. Sigh¡­ ¡°Wait, why am I beating myself all over when I¡¯m on a date? This can¡¯t continue!¡± My determination fired up again, but then, Tendou-san looked at me suspiciously while tilting her head. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Amano-kun? Your face looks like the characters from Baki the Grappler when they are hyped up.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t mind that, this is a proof of my determination.¡± ¡°Mmm, while I don¡¯t want to interrupt your triumphant speech, but I don¡¯t want to walk along with people showing that face. If it¡¯s possible, please keep your cool.¡± Ouch, I tried my best to keep the facial expression, but I gave up after a few tiring seconds. Then, I reverted back to the usual ¡°rxed Keita Amano¡± mode. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s right.¡± Tendou-san beamed me a smile. I scratched my head embarrassingly, what¡¯s wrong with me? I feel like I¡¯m on a date right now. I mean, even though we are already on one. We walked to the reception counter and started to discuss what we should y while looking at the list of facilities and their costs. ¡°A tour of the arcade area, that¡¯s a must.¡± ¡°A required activity, right?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really want to y anything else aside from that. Amano-kun, the rest is on you.¡± ¡°You liked gaming far more than I¡¯ve imagined!¡± Tendou-san smiled shyly at myment. ¡°It¡¯s not like that, I¡¯ve more or less followed the rmendation of others when I¡¯m giving my suggestion to what my friends and I should y.¡± ¡°I guess so, you ranked at the top among normies, after all.¡± ¡°We can talk about you ranking me at the top without my consentter. Um, but¡­¡± Tendou-san¡¯s hand seems a bit restless when she said this, her glistening eyes focused on me. ¡°I really hope that I can show my true side in front of you¡­¡± ¡°Tendou-san¡­!¡± After hearing that, I¡­I¡­am really sorry! ¡°Oh my god! I have already pissed her off during our first date!¡± After all, if I consider how Tendou-san treated this rtionship, this is what she meant- ¡°Hey Amano, even if we are dating, you are nothing but an earthworm in my eyes! Take a good look at yourself! You should be ashamed!¡± She meant this, right? It has to be. Crap, I''m too hyped today! I immediately saluted to Tendou-san. ¡°Tendou-san, I will try my best to cooperate with you in your incredibly fake conservations that don¡¯t involve any emotions at all!¡± (This is the best trantion I cane up with.) ¡°Um, I¡¯m sorry, even though I don¡¯t understand what you are trying to say at all, but I feel like we aren¡¯t even on the same.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m honored!¡± ¡°But, I¡¯m regretful!¡± For some reason, Tendou-san let out a huge sigh. This means that I have to try even harder! I maintained my pose for a while and then looked at the floor n hanged on the wall once again. ¡°S-Sir! What should we do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not your officer! I had already said this before, just do whatever you want.¡± ¡°So it turned out like this¡­crap!¡± ¡°Sorry, Amano-kun, why are you sweating embarrassingly? I¡¯m not going to judge you based on what you are choosing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tendou-san. But, saying what I wanted to do for my friend is an astronomically tall order for a weak loner like me.¡± ¡°You are like the kind of guy who¡¯s too scared to say what loot he wants in Monster Hunter, am I right?¡± ¡°Ah, no, that¡¯s something entirely different.¡± ¡°Oh, really? I didn¡¯t know that. But, I guess you will exin everything clearly when you have to-¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m the kind of guy who can¡¯t even find friends to y that game with me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Okay, Amano-kun, how about we just take a tour around theplex and just y whatever we see, you good with that?¡± Tendou-san is giving me such a gentle look, she¡¯s as cute as an angel! But, for some reason, I¡¯m somehow feeling worse after I saw her beautiful face. A-Anyway¡­ We started our date in Around 1. * Tendou-san said that the arcade will be the main dish for today, so we decided to save up the best for thest and just y whatever we saw that has fewer people. Zone 1: Baseball Field. There¡¯s only one empty spot, then Tendou-san urged me to go first with a smile; it¡¯s too cute to reject! So, I just equipped the helmet and walked into the field. I practiced the bat swinging a couple times while sighing in my heart. ¡°I¡¯m bad at this¡­¡± If you can¡¯t tell already, my strength and agility are basically 0. I¡¯m neither talented nor have the willpower to devote myself to a sport continuously. That¡¯s me, a weak, nervous, easy-to-chicken-out coward. Being always anxious made my performance went from bad to worse. When I''m in the baseball team, I¡¯m horrified with the opponent''s ultra focus on scoring a point, being over-considerate when I¡¯m on the attacking side. Aside from that, I would often trip myself when ying football, putting all my points in defense during Kendo sessions and scared of the ball speeding towards me in baseball. ¡°Well, at least I never told Tendou-san that I used to waste my life in the baseball team, that way she won¡¯t have high hopes for-¡° ¡°Hey, Mizumi-kun told me that you were in the baseball team, right?¡± ¡°MIZUMI-KUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!¡± Why does my cheery friend have to act like he always had?! Did I identally tell him when we are gaming in my room? Out of all the things he could¡¯ve said to Tendou-san, this is the one piece of useless trivia he picked? Well, to be honest, I think Mizumi-kun is just trying to be friendly, but I¡¯m screwed now!¡± ¡°Do your best, Amano-kun!¡± ¡°I-I-I-I-I will!¡± My face mped up again as the first ball isunched from the machine suddenly, and I- swung 3 seconds after the ball flew over by me. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± The family that was watching me dropped their jaws, not to mention Tendou-san¡­Crap. I¡¯m sweating more and more. Then, the second ball is already speeding towards me while I¡¯m still frozen¡­miss streak x2. I plopped my head, and Tendou-san seems pretty embarrassed along with the families that are watching us. The worst part is the innocent kids that were around them, I think the two of them are brothers. ¡°That¡¯sme!¡± ¡°Hey, he sucked at this!¡± The bald kids burst intoughter while their parents immediately tried to tame them down, and then tried to apologize to us with a smile that I don¡¯t even know how to describe. I nodded at them and then immediately prepare for the third ball. Right! I have to concentrate and hit this next ball precisely- There¡¯s no way I can do that. I missed the third, the fourth and the fifth ball, I swung the bat violently topensate and ended up looking like an idiot, missing the sixth and the seventh ball. There are 20 strikes in one round, I lost a third of that already¡­crap. Then, when I¡¯m waiting for the eighth one, there¡¯s a clean hit sounding from the right. The older of the kids went on to the field and ready for action, looks like he got a hit already. ¡°¡­Hehe!¡± ¡°!¡± The kid nced at me for a second before grinning mischievously. He even gave Tendou-san a flirty smile, this little shit! ¡°Take another swing, bro!¡± His little brother is cheering up for him at the entrance. Their parents freaked out and beamed me an apologetic look, all I can say is, ¡°N-No, it¡¯s fine.¡±- ¡°Ping!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± -I missed the eighth one without even swinging my bat, I¡¯m so distracted. The older kid burst intoughter again and took another swing, second hit. He¡¯s stillcking in strength, but his talent is far more supreme. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I¡¯m red up. I have to get at least a home run no matter what, this is a battle of my honor!¡± I stared back at him right in the eye, and then went on to overdrive mode to win the rest of the game, then-¡° ¡°Y-You did well, Amano-kun¡­Don¡¯t let it get into your heart.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± 20 strikes, gave up 1, missed 16, 3 went out of bounds (one of them ricocheted and hit my leg). I have to leave. The hit sounds are stilling from the next slot, then Tendou-san looked at me, who just let out a despairing sigh. ¡°Hey, A-Amano-kun, I think that this is just like how you y video games! You don¡¯t need to win as long as you had fun-¡° ¡®¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°-Sometimes, there is just despair, though.¡± Tendou-san looked away from me as she said this. Well, to be, I felt bad for her after seeing her like this¡­ Then, the kid walked out of his slot, with a satisfied grin. ¡°Hey, that was fun!¡± ¡°You hit every single one of them, you¡¯re amazing, bro!¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s nothing! There¡¯s no way you will miss any of that!¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± He nced at me, even though his parents are poking his head and apologizing to me. Neither of us cared anymore, and we just looked at each other furiously. I-I get it now, this is the feeling of having a rival- ¡°Then, Amano-kun, it¡¯s my turn!¡± ¡°Alright, help yourself- What?!¡± Tendou-san is already walking to the field triumphantly when I snapped back, I never even imagined that she wanted to try out baseball as well. So, I rushed towards the entrance and grabbed the iron mesh wire. ¡°T-Tendou-san, you wanted to try it as well? In this situation?¡± ¡°Eh? Situation? I¡¯m not sure what you are talking about, but my blood¡¯s boiling when I¡¯m watching you y. Therefore, I wanted to try too!¡± ¡°O-Oh, it¡¯s fine for you to try, but I don¡¯t think this suits you¡­¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s starting now. See youter, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± After she dropped that, she put on herpetitive look and focused on the field with burning passion in her eyes. Then, around 5 minutester¡­ ¡°Phew. 13 home runs in total, I have to try harder next time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Tendou-san is still feeling unsatisfied after 13 home-runs and 7 hits, then there¡¯s also the family who¡¯s looking at me and her back-and-forth. ¡°T-This is embarrassing!¡± Everyone felt that. The older kid even got up to me and gave me a pat on the back. Tendou-san beamed me an innocent smile just when I¡¯m about to cry. ¡°It seems easy, but it¡¯s actually quite challenging!¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± ¡°However, I found this to be surprisingly fun! I really liked getting as high of a score as possible in a limited time!¡± ¡°R-Really? That¡¯s great¡­¡± Tendou-san excitedly and utterly destroyed my dignity as a man (boyfriend) there, even though she didn¡¯t mean it. Well, I guess I¡¯m okay with that as long as she is having a good time. However, everyone is already staring at me sympathetically, it¡¯s too much for me. It¡¯s like when I¡¯m having fun with my friends back in elementary school, and then a serious girl showed up and yelled at the boys for bullying me. Feels sad, man. ¡°W-Well, let¡¯s check the other ces out!¡± I urged Tendou-san to leave, she still seemed unsatisfied. ¡°Eh? Well, alright. I kinda wanted another round, though¡­¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s bad to hoarding the slot, that¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Oh, I guess that¡¯s true. Let¡¯s go.¡± We left the baseball field after I convinced her. I nced back, and the bald brothers are still looking at me,ughing uncontrobly. * The rest of the experience in Around 1 is more or less the same as the baseball one, whether it¡¯s billiards, darts, or bowling. First, I screwed up badly, then Tendou-san tried to save me embarrassingly. However, she¡¯s the type that goes full-on tryhard when it getspetitive. So, she always tried her best at everything, so much so that she forgot to care about me and just became fully immersed in gaining the top score, then reviewing herself and ask me where she could do better. The worst part is, we would often see the bald brothers, and they would always try topete with me, then they keep yelling after a win. My disappointment is immeasurable, and my date is ruined. But¡­ ¡°By the way, this ce is amazing, Amano-kun!¡± ¡°R-Really, that¡¯s good to hear¡­¡± After a tour at the sports facilities, we took a break in the food court at noon and ate some snacks. It was during this time that Tendou-san told me how she felt about this ce. I smiled bitterly at her thoughts, but I do think that, from the bottom of my heart, it¡¯s great as long as she gets to enjoy this ce. So, I start sipping my oolong tea that¡¯s slowing diluting due to the melting ice cubes. Tendou-san calmed down a bit, but she still can¡¯t hide the joy on her face. ¡°This is incredible, I¡¯ve never been so excited before even though I did the same thing during PE lessons!¡± ¡°Yeah, I think I felt that as well. I guess it¡¯s different because you are doing that on your own.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess that¡¯s part of the reason¡­¡± Tendou-san nced at me as she speaks. I tilted my head to express my confusion, then she suddenly grabbed the ice lemon tea nervously and took a sip. I feel like she¡¯s embarrassed, so I decided to change the topic. ¡°So, where should we go next? It¡¯s almost time for the arcade, right?¡± ¡°Eh? Y-Yeah, you¡¯re right. We still have a lot of time, though.¡± ¡°Yeah, but we already visited every iconic sports facility.¡± I took out the floor n from my bag and spread it out on the table. Just when I wanted to rotate the map so Tendou-san could see, she told me, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± before moving her seat next to mine. She¡¯s closing on me unexpectedly, I can smell her orange-like scent radiating from her hair. ¡°Ehm¡­¡± I embarrassingly tried to maintain our distance as I¡¯m not used to being so close to someone that I can smell the scent. But then, maybe Tendou-san realized what I¡¯m thinking, or she just did it naturally, she closed off our distance again¡­all I can do is to temporarily ignore this feeling, and focus on the floor n. ¡°Um, well, I guess we¡¯ve been to every ce.¡± ¡°Yeah, it seems like you¡¯re right¡­. Huh? Amano-kun, this floor...¡± Tendou-san then pointed at the path connecting the other building of theplex. There are a lot of buildings here. However, there¡¯s only one sports facility in thatrge building. As for what it is¡­ ¡°Um, it¡¯s a water park with swimming pools, water slides, and wave pools. But¡­¡± To be honest, there¡¯s no way I could¡¯ve missed that iconic building, but I never intended to pick that in the first ce since¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not good to get Tendou-san in a swimsuit right¡­.not to mention we weren¡¯t meant to go there anyway.¡± An attractive girl with a swimsuit on¡­Honestly, while I¡¯m certainly excited to see that, I feel like troubles will soon show themselves before I get to enjoy it. Also, even if we went there, there¡¯s nothingpetitive that Tendou-san can immerse herself in. Therefore, just when I nned to forget the idea of going to the pool, Tendou-san then spoke like it¡¯s nothing. ¡°It¡¯s not easy getting here, why not we give it a try? Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Huhhhhh!?¡± I identally hit my chair, then Tendou-san tilted her hair, confused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s not¡­¡± You are the girl who¡¯s often in the spotlight, and yet you are not aware of that? I fell silent, then Tendou-san seemed to have realized what I¡¯m worried about and mumbled, ¡°So that¡¯s why¡­¡± before giving me a mischievous smile. ¡°Amano-kun, you don¡¯t want anyone to see me in a swimsuit, right?¡± ¡°N-No, um, well, actually, I do!¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, r-really? I¡¯m just kidding with you¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Tendou-san blushed and lowered her head. My face red up as I tried to cover it up. ¡°Ah, no, i-it¡¯s not like that! To put it this way, I¡¯m not qualified to see you in a swimsuit, the best is to keep that in a ce where no human should ever witness!¡± ¡°Am I too dangerous to be kept alive when I¡¯m wearing a swimsuit?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that will awaken the dark side of humanity.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s a ridiculous description for your girlfriend In a swimsuit! You¡¯re rude, Amano-kun!¡± She pouted, and it¡¯s the cutest thing ever. No, wait- ¡°S-Sir! You shouldn¡¯t reveal something that is destined to bring nothing but chaos to this world!¡± ¡°Stop calling me that! Amano-kun, listen here, I really don¡¯t like suppressing my real side, this is how I act like.¡± ¡°I knew that fact painfully.¡± Mostly by being destroyed by her earlier. Tendou-san crossed her arms while she nodded before continuing. ¡°That is why I hate nothing more than being not able to do something I wanted just because of other people''s attention.¡± ¡°Well, I guess so, you created the Game Club from the ground up even though you ranked at the top of all normies.¡± ¡°Yes. With that said, now I only have one thing in mind. I wanted to enjoy the date with you in the swimming pool, even if that meant the destruction of humanity.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really too dangerous to be kept alive! What did humanity do to you!?¡± ¡°You¡¯re annoying! Amano-kun, I¡¯m going to ask you one, and one question only.¡± ¡°Right, what is it?¡± ¡°*cough* Amano-kun, you¡­¡± Tendou-san paused for a second, then she stared into my eyes and asked. ¡°¡­you want to go to the swimming pool with me, or not?¡± * ¡°I betrayed humanity¡­¡± Wearing a pair of shabby swimming pants, and fantasizing that the future of the world is decided by his words, that¡¯s me. I looked at my surroundings cautiously and sheepishly while I¡¯m at the entrance, waiting for Tendou-san to change. We are at the swimming pool after all. However, I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯mpatible with this ce in the slightest. Under the clear sky above the window, the children are lively, their parents are watching them peacefully by the pool, a bunch of normies is having fun on the slides, and the couples are ying the ssic game of spraying water at each other. Honestly, I don¡¯t hate this scenery. I don¡¯t think I hate normies to the point that I will bring a curse upon this peacefulnd. This is like heaven. However, that is why I don¡¯t think I fit here. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s like what I felt back when I¡¯m trying out at the Game Club¡­¡± It¡¯s interesting to see professionalspeting with each other, it feltpletely different if you have to take part in it, though. ¡°This is weird. I have a girlfriend, and we are now dating, this is already as close as the life of a normie. Then, why don¡¯t I feel like one at all? Is there something wrong with me?¡± I nced at the couple that is spraying water at each other. T-They do look happy. But then, for some reason, I don¡¯t think I can do that, it¡¯s like watching people flexing off their musical talent. It¡¯s incredible, but just in the right amount, so they don¡¯t feel like you¡¯re showing off. It¡¯s also like those insane people in Osu! You can see that they are old-schooled yers. T-There is no way that I can pull that off! No! Wait! ¡°What the hell am I saying!? I have to show that I¡¯m determined! I can¡¯t give up without doing anything, it¡¯s a terrible attitude! Right, once Tendou-sanes, we will do the same-¡° Just when I am red up, suddenly- ¡°Sorry to make you wait, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°!¡± Someone is calling me from behind, my shoulder is shivering as I¡¯m turning back, then I saw- An angel. ¡°¡­Crap! I lost a life there.¡± After I snapped back, I looked at Tendou-san face to face. ¡°W-What do you think?¡± Tendou-san¡¯s cheeks are slightly blushing; she embarrassingly crossed her hands and put them behind her. The white bikini is too bold for her, she looks great in it, though. This was supposed to get people to watch by showing as much skin as possible. Still, because she¡¯s so attractive, this is an unusually wellbo. Before we talk about how hot she looks, I wanted to say this sincerely- ¡°Gramercy, my gracious liege.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a weirdpliment for a swimsuit, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°N-No, I just feel grateful to know such a spectacr view really exists.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to go that far, you know¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to start with a pedestrianpliment like ¡°You look good in it!¡± or something!¡± ¡°Can you at least start with pedestrianpliments like ¡°You look good in it!¡± first?¡± ¡°You look good in it!¡± ¡°Well done.¡± Tendou-san gave me a satisfied smile. It¡¯s hard topliment a girl correctly. I carefully nced at my surroundings. As expected, everyone is staring at us, guys and girls, no matter how old they are. I guess this feels the same as when you see a UFO in the sky. When an angel descends on the pool, there¡¯s no way for you to look at anything else. I¡¯m beginning to sweat from this terrible scenery, while Tendou-san beamed me a calm smile. ¡°Amano-kun, your swimsuit suits you as well.¡± ¡°You¡¯re mentioning that in this situation?¡± ¡°A white and soft body, you are like a cute girl in my eyes.¡± ¡°Tendou-san, I don¡¯t feel praised at all.¡± ¡°Well, I do appreciate those ads where they showed the differences of the guy before and after losing his weight.¡± ¡°Tendou-san, I still don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m being praised!¡± I have to train up my muscles, no matter what. The people stopped paying attention to us as we talked to each other. At first, I am worried that someone will try to mess with us, but the atmosphere doesn¡¯t look like there will be any. I put my hand on my chest and let out a relieving sigh, then Tendou-san chuckled. ¡°Amano-kun, you are thinking too highly of me, who do you think I am? ¡°Eh? You are nothing but an angel to me¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, that was blunt, I can¡¯t cover how excited and embarrassed I am. Give me 10 seconds please.¡± Tendou-san turned around and took a few deep breaths. Wow, even her back looks attractive. Wait, why aren¡¯t there any wings? Is it because I¡¯m too evil? Right? Well, I can understand. Just when I¡¯m thinking about all this, the normal Tendou-san with her iconic smile turned back to me once again. ¡°Thanks for the wait, so, what should we do?¡± ¡°Ehm, well¡­¡± ? nced at the shallow pool area. Then, Tendou-san gave me another smile. ¡°I don¡¯t really want to go for a swim either, I guess we¡¯ll get just a bit wet and call it a day.¡± ¡°A-Alright.¡± Tendou-san and I then stepped into the artificial beach, the temperature of the water is just right. When the water reached our knee caps, I n to give her a surprise by spraying water at her suddenly- of course, I don¡¯t have the courage. So, I suggested: ¡°C-C-C-Can I spray water at you?¡± ¡°Eh? Why did you ask¡­.Oh, that¡¯s why¡­¡± Tendou-san jaw dropped at first, but then she saw what the couple are doing there before realizing. She turned her head to me, then looked at me fearlessly. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°T-Then¡­¡± I started loading the water into my hands. Then, Tendou-san asked for a sudden pause. Water poured from my hands as she continued. ¡°Though, if we are ying this, we should set up some rules, shouldn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°R-Rules?¡± I¡¯m already feeling that this is deviating away from what I¡¯ve imagined. ¡°Of course. If we are just attacking each other without any kind of victory conditions, don¡¯t you think this will be pointless, Amano-kun?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re dumb. If we just started to attack each other right away, don¡¯t we have to keep spraying water at each other until one of us dies from hypothermia?¡± ¡°This is the first time that I¡¯ve heard such a nightmarish description for spraying water at each other.¡± That sounds like what a crazed killer in horror movies would force a normie couple to do. Tendou-san continued with a serious look on her face. ¡°That¡¯s why it is crucial to figure out how thepetition shall ends.¡± ¡°I think we¡¯ll just leave when we had enough¡­¡± ¡°Amano-kun, you once said that it¡¯s wrong to disconnect before it¡¯s clear who the winner is.¡± ¡°I never expected you to bring that up in this situation.¡± ¡°Put it this way, even if we are just spraying water and each other, that¡¯s not a reason for us to act like filthy casuals, don¡¯t you feel the same way?¡± ¡°Um, I¡¯m sorry, Tendou-san, but what I¡¯m feeling is that you¡¯re really annoying.¡± ¡°Hmm, you mean we don¡¯t need any rules? That¡¯s what you were thinking¡­Alright, Amano-kun, let¡¯s begin this deathmatch- the battle of our date!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t host the ¡°Karen¡¯s Poolside Deathmatch¡± without authorization. That¡¯s a ridiculous interpretation of what a date is, we can just do this regrly!¡± ¡°Regrly¡­do you feel satisfied by spraying water at each other aimlessly?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m quite satisfied with that!¡± ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s begin-let us spray water at each other aimlessly!¡± Tendou-san bulged her eyes. That¡¯s how we began our ¡°water-spraying activity.¡± I sprayed water sheepishly towards Tendou-san¡¯s stomach, she did the same towards mine. Then, rinse and repeat, silently. Ssh. Ssh. Ssh. Ssh. Ssh. Ssh. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ So, Tendou-san, filled with emptiness, clenched her teeth before sting on me. ¡°Amano-kun! What can we even learn from this pointless match?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I don¡¯t really know either!¡± What the hell is this!? There¡¯s a limit for boringness. Are all the normies crazy? ¡°I-I guess you¡¯re right, we need more or less some form of rules to make this fun¡­¡± The moment I said this, Tendou-san beamed me another smile, she didn¡¯t smile that much today, though. ¡°See? W-What did I tell you! We were just wasting our time because you are being so indecisive! You should¡¯ve heard what I said in the beginning!¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. So, let¡¯s make up the rules, a set of rules that grants apetition!¡± Tendou-san then started to discuss the rules with me excitedly. So, 3 minutester. ¡°So¡­Amano-kun, let¡¯s begin!¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready for you!¡± From an outsider¡¯s perspective, a couple is staring at each other menacingly while keeping their distance from each other. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± 3 seconds after the start, none of us moved an inch. 4 secondster, the nearby families are starting to feel uneasy when they sensed a menacing aura is surrounding them. Then, 5 secondster-right now. Tendou-san¡¯s shoulder vibrated suddenly. I can see that that¡¯s a sign for attacking, and I immediately moved to left. What I saw the next moment was cold bullets- I mean in old water scattering where my head was. ¡°Hm!¡± Tendou-san pouted. I gave her a smile before I start revising the rules in my brain with the 10 seconds I had. ¡°The one who gets their hair wetted loses. Only one attack is allowed for one round, whichsts 10 seconds. The attacker and the defender switches after spraying water or when time runs out. Rinse and repeat until the hair of one of us is wet!¡± 7 seconds went by already. Suddenly, Tendou-san is giving me a troublous look, I grabbed the chance at sprayed a massive wave at her-But! That¡¯s was she nned all along! ¡°NANI¡­¡± Tendou-san has seen through my attack and dodged it beautifully. Crap, I¡¯ve been bamboozled! My attack failed to hit the target, and now it¡¯s Tendou-san¡¯s turn. I took a deep breath to prepare, then- ¡°Ha!¡± ¡°A-A quick attack?!¡± Tendou-san immediately attacked instead of waiting for that 10 seconds, I tried to dodge, but my body just can¡¯t follow up! The match ended with my wetted bangs. I pped my hands onto my kneecaps and plopped my head down ¡°I¡­lost¡­¡± ¡°I won!¡± Tendou-san stood tall and cheered over her win. A moment for us to relish our victory and defeat, please. Just when we felt a bit satisfied after finishing an exciting match, the couples started to spray water at each other excitedly. ¡°Ahaha, hey, don¡¯t do that, c¡¯mon. Ha!¡± ¡°Woah! Hey, that¡¯s cheating! My turn!¡± ¡°You¡¯reme! ?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± They are not bound by any rules. The quality of our match should be far better than theirs, but then why are we- ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We stared at the couple who is surrounded by a loving aura, then we looked at each other silently. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± After that, we left the pool depressingly. * We tried to lighten up the mood by walking around the pool area, but there are just too many people for us to y. Also, Tendou-san in a swimsuit attracted way more attention she usually had, so much so that even she can¡¯t take it anymore. After wepped the pool, I suggested to her: ¡°¡­Should we head to the arcade?¡± ¡°R-Right! That¡¯s not a bad idea at all. Sure!¡± Tendou-san¡¯s eyes are clearly brighter than before. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± I smiled bitterly and urged her to move. -Just when we arrived at the entrance of the pool. ¡°¡­? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Not sure..at least it doesn¡¯t look like an ident.¡± Screams and scolds can be heard clearly, but no one is gathering around the location of the incident; it¡¯s like when people are staring at Tendou-san, you can feel that everyone is peeking at something. The closer we are to the entrance, the more we can sense the above atmosphere to the point where it¡¯s the same as the attention that Tendou-san is getting. Then, we realized what it is. ¡°Oh.¡± Tendou-san and I spoke at the same time. We can see a girl¡¯s back there-a seaweed¡¯s back. Wearing an aqua blue swimsuit that doesn¡¯t fit her style at all, the girl with a curvy body that is currently the target of all the males¡¯ attention. She is standing by the entrance alone, moving around restlessly. ¡°¡­Amano-kun, that girl is clearly¡­right?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Tendou-san and I looked at each other. To be honest, this situation causes quite a headache, but we feel terrible to just ignore her and leave. We then walked towards her - Chiaki Hoshinomori, but before we even got there, a handsome tanned boy started chatting to her. ¡°Hey, is something bothering you?¡± The guy gave her a bright smile, maybe he¡¯s just trying to talk to her, but then everyone around him liked that, they can feel at least he¡¯s showing 20% of caring there. But then- Chiaki apparently freaked out, her shoulder is shivering, and tears began to form in her eyes as she faced the guy. ¡°Eh!? U-U-Um, i-it¡¯s not, I-I-I am f-f-fine.¡± ¡°W-What? C-Can you repeat again but slower?¡± The handsome boy tilted his head as he took a step towards Chiaki. I don¡¯t me him, but this is probably stressing the hell out of Chiaki, and caused her to freak out even more. ¡°I-I-I-I am j-j-just waiting for someone h-h-here. S-S-So¡­¡± Chiaki has be a malfunctioned recorder at this point, we can understand what she is saying because we knew her habit of repeating words. ¡°Hey, she¡¯s waiting for someone.¡± Of course, it¡¯s too hard for the guy who she met for the first time to understand. He wished Chiaki to calm down first, so he tried to put his hand and Chiaki¡¯s shoulder, which is a bit controversial but probably not malicious. ¡°Wait-¡° Just when Tendou-san and I wanted to stop him, Chiaki seemed to have noticed us and turned her head around, we looked at each other in the eyes. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Suddenly, Chiaki beamed us a relieved expression. Just when the guy stopped and looked at us, tears began to form in Chiaki¡¯s eyes before she suddenly started running. Before Tendou-san and I can even react, Chiaki had already sneaked behind me and wrapped her hands around my arms, and then mustered words to the handsome guy. ¡°E-E-E-E-Ehm, h-h-he is the guy I-I-I¡¯m waiting for-¡° Chiaki is still not speaking properly. However, I guess the guy is really being kind-hearted, he gave us a bright smile and gave us his conclusion. ¡°Oh, your boyfriend is here. That¡¯s great, off I go then.¡± EVEN THOUGH HE¡¯S WRONG! DEAD WRONG! 100% WRONG! He turned around and left quickly, while I can still feel that Chiaki is wrapping my right arm. As for where Tendou-san is standing, though¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Some kind of terrifying aura is radiating from her side, which prevented me from turning my head. What is this? This is scary. To try and escape from the situation, I first turned to Chiaki. ¡°Hey, Chia-¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I wanted toin, but she is still shivering with tears in her eyes and raised her head to look at me¡­There¡¯s no way I canin. Even if we are rivals, I¡¯m not that cold-hearted to the point where I can yell at her when she¡¯s in a sorry state like this. ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­..*cough**cough*.¡± Just when Chiaki and I are staring at each other meaninglessly, some coughing sounds can be heard from left, it¡¯s from Tendou-san. I am not the dumb protagonist in romanticedies, this is my final warning. But, even if I knew that¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± What¡¯s wrong with her? Release your hands already. You stopped crying and have more or less calmed down, and yet you are still holding onto me. ¡°¡­Hey, the seaweed girl here.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mr. Bean Sprouts?¡± She is talking shit to me while literally holding onto my arm, and have no intention of releasing her hands while giving me such a calm reply. Ehm, honestly, what¡¯s even going on? A girl in a swimsuit just grabbed the arm of a guy who¡¯s in a date, this seems bullshit. What the hell? Why am I in a harem situation right now? Oh! I got it! Chiaki is pranking me! That¡¯s why, then, I can just shake away her arms forcefully- ¡°¡­K-Keita, even thou I hate you, b-but I¡¯m still freaking out right now, so I have to hold onto you right now¡­Phew¡­¡± -Now I¡¯m not doing it. T-This is too hard for me! I had the feeling that wasn¡¯t a bad guy, but, Chiaki who has the same loner condition with me wearing a swimsuit that she isn¡¯t used to, and forced to get in a word by someone from the opposite sex, I felt that, sincerely. Then, maybe it¡¯s because she is still shivering, her voice is so weak that Tendou-san didn¡¯t hear what she had said, the terrifying aura has no sign of backing down. Chiaki is slowly calming down, though¡­ ¡°This sucks, why the hell are you here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line, why are you here¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Girl holding a guy on his arms, chatting, the girlfriend looking at them silently from behind, in the middle of a date. That¡¯s the bizarre situation that we are in right now. I¡¯m sweating so hard. Then, Chiaki gave me an unhappy look. ¡°Your arms are slimy. Keita, you are disgusting.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± What does she want from me?! I see her as a rival, but this is too much for me! Did I murder her whole family or something? I am trying my best to suppress my arm from shaking her off violently. To make her let go, I gave her a serious look and said. ¡°T-That¡¯s enough, Chiaki. Look, Tendou-san is here.¡± ¡°I saw that. Hello, Tendou-san.¡± Still wrapped around my arms, she nodded to Tendou-san with a smile on her face. Then, Tendou-san just answered with her reflex, ¡°Oh. Hi.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡°No, no, no, no, no, Chiaki. Isn¡¯t this weird? Can''t you understand? Right now, my girlfriend, Tendou-san, is standing here, standing with us! Do you know where this is going?¡± ¡°I know, you two are dating, right? This is obvious!¡± ¡°If it¡¯s evident to you, then how the hell can you manage to keep holding onto my arm like that?¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m not getting what you are saying¡­¡± Chiaki is tilting her head, she seems really confused. I can see her breasts clearly from my angle¡­Shit! ¡°Why are you not getting it? I¡¯m on a date! It¡¯s not hard to understand this fact, right? Then, even though you are a clump of seaweed, but you are ssified as a biological female, after all. Don¡¯t you think holding onto my arms like this is a bit too¡­¡± ¡°A bit too¡­what? Ohoho, Keita, you¡¯re a weirdo. You¡¯re saying that Tendou-san will hate me for sticking up close to you, that¡¯s weird.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the weirdo! Wait? Are you doing this on purpose? You¡¯re evil!¡± ¡°No, you are. Didn¡¯t you received Tendou-san ¡°kindness¡± already?¡± ¡°I told you not to yell the word ¡°fondness¡± in front of everyone! Not to mention you are saying that in front of her!¡± I turned around, and I saw Tendou-san lowered her head, seemingly embarrassed¡­Crap! Then, Chiaki seems to havee to her senses. She adjusted her breaths slowly and released my arm. U-Ugh, I feel like my chest in pain right now. ¡°T-That¡¯s true, maybe I shouldn¡¯t interrupt your date¡­¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t! Also, why did it took you that long to realize that¡­¡± ¡°Hm, I think you are just too on edge right now? Your ¡°girlfriend¡± isn¡¯t paying attention to you anyway¡­¡± Chiaki is observing her surroundings while saying stuff like this¡­Nope. ¡°I¡¯m at the center of everyone¡¯s attention right now. This looks like two cuties in swimsuits trying topete over a guy, not to mention one of them is my girlfriend!¡± ¡°¡­Cuties¡­¡± ¡°W-Why are you embarrassed? Also, Tendou-san, please don¡¯t distance yourself from us with a dangerous smile on your face! She is just an introvert that is sticking to me, coincidentally!¡± After the exnation, while Tendou-san still isn¡¯t 100% convinced, she¡¯s back to us. I pressed my chest as a sign of relief, then I asked Chiaki once again. ¡°So, seriously, what brings you here? Are you looking for your natural habitat?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a clump of seaweed! I-I don¡¯t want toe here either¡­But then, my little sister invited me with something along the lines of ¡°Hey, it¡¯s just this time, alright?¡±, that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°Right, you mentioned that you have a little sister that¡¯s theplete opposite of you.¡± After I understood the situation, Tendou-san then asked. ¡°But, your sister is not with you right now¡­¡± ¡°Y-Yes! That¡¯s why! My little sister is far cuter than I am, and she has a taste for fashion. Hence, I have once again decided on my swimsuit before she does, then entered the pool way earlier.¡± ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why you were forced to get in a word with a guy?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, sorry for the inconvenience¡­¡± Chiaki seems a bit down. Tendou-san and I looked at each other, and then Tendou-san put her hand gently on Chiaki¡¯s shoulder. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, Hoshinomori-san, I will wait with you until your little sister arrives.¡± ¡°Eh? Ehhhh!? W-Well, I¡¯m honored, but¡­¡± Chiaki nced at me, nervously. I scratched my head, then looked away from her and mumbled. ¡°Keita¡­¡± Chiaki¡¯s tears are forming in her eyes again¡­how should I put it? While I treated her as my enemy, I am terrified of her showing her weak side¡­ ¡°COUGH!¡± I feel like Tendou-san¡¯s cough was targeting me. Tendou-san still has that gentle and warm smile stered on her face, but then I can sense an aura of darkness surrounding her as she continued. ¡°No, I can mop up the rest here. Amano-kun, please go ahead.¡± ¡°Eh? N-No, I¡¯m a guy after all, if I am here, at least we can avoid that kind of situation¡­¡± ¡°No. You don¡¯t need to. We will wait for Hoshinomori¡¯s ¡°cute little sister¡± here.¡± ¡°Um, b-but, then I will have to wait for you all out there alone, I would prefer to stay here¡­¡± ¡°Amano-kun.¡± Tendou-san¡¯s eyes shed an eerie re. I immediately saluted to her. ¡°Yes, sir! I will standby at the exit!¡± ¡°Good! Off to the exit, Private Amano!¡± ¡°Yes! Stay safe, sir!¡± I raised my head and then marched towards the boys changing room. Chiaki stared at us, baffled before mumbling. ¡°¡­T-This is what they call a date?¡± I¡¯m sorry, Chiaki, none of us can answer this question. * ¡°Thanks for the wait.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Tendou-san and I gathered with each other 10 minutes after we left the pool. I raised from the chair in the corner and walked towards the arcade with her. ¡°I never thought we will get there that quickly.¡± ¡°Yeah, her little sister arrived shortly. Honestly, I wanted to talk to Hoshinomori-san alone.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Both of us love gaming, right? It makes sense that we want to chat with each other.¡± ¡°¡­You can always talk to me about gaming.¡± I felt a bit unpleasant after asking her, Tendou-san quickly realized what¡¯s on my mind, she moved her head towards me before chuckling. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Amano-kun? Are you jealous?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s not like that¡­! I-It¡¯s just that I hate Chiaki, yes!¡± ¡°Ohoho, you are getting jealous of the rtionship between Hoshinomori-san and me, interesting.¡± ¡°I-I said it¡¯s not like that. Why would I get jealous because of that¡­¡± I exined myself nervously. Then, Tendou-san gently smiled. Although I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, she seems to be willing to forget what happened between Chiaki and me earlier. ¡°Well, then let¡¯s cheer ourselves up at the arcade.¡± ¡°Sure. Hey!¡± For some reason, Tendou-san sneaked to my right and wrapped her hands around my arm, which Chiaki did. She is ¡°excitingly¡± close to me, my heart is pumping real fast. But, w-why is this heartbeat feels¡­ ¡°I feel like excitement isn¡¯t the reason why my heart is pumping up! What the hell!? This is creepy!¡± This was made worse because Tendou-san didn¡¯t say anything, she just smiled usually, and this is the part that causes me to freak out. I can¡¯t really be happy if she¡¯s actually jealous, you know? It¡¯s like when I screwed up in MMOs, and the teammates justforted me gently, they are not even willing to show their dissatisfaction directly, which makes me feel even worse! It¡¯s like when they are not giving you a chance to apologize! A-Anyway, at least Tendou-san acted like the way she always is on the surface. While I am quite anxious, we chatted with each other like nothing was wrong as we are heading towards the arcade. ¡°Wow, this ce is nicely nned.¡± Once we arrived at the arcade floor, Tendou-san¡¯s face clearly brightens and released my arms. Honestly, I¡¯m feeling more relieved than lonely, she turned back to me with a smile on her face and suggested. ¡°Come, Amano-kun! Let¡¯s lighten up the mood andpete in the arcade, alright?¡± ¡°¡­S-Sure.¡± Here ites. I am about to be brutally destroyed. However, there¡¯s no way for me to reject- Put it this way, I don¡¯t have the choice at the beginning anyway. Tendou-san dragged my sleeves as we yed 1v1 matches, and I lost all of them. One-hit KO-ed in fighting games, forced to pick a difficulty that I can¡¯t ever hope to ovee in rhythm games, just when I thought I can enjoy riddle games with Tendou-san- she immediately answered all questions correctly, I don¡¯t even have a chance. Then, I wanted to challenge UFO catchers to redeem myself. Just when I lost a thousand yen without getting anything, Tendou-san already got her ¡°Gamer Bunny¡± doll with a tenth of what I spent. An angel hugging a bunny in front of a useless, depressed teenager, that¡¯s the picture we¡¯re in right now. Tendou-san smiled bitterly and tried to cheer me up. ¡°S-Sorry Amano-kun. I¡¯m usually a model student, but when ites to gaming, I won¡¯t hesitate to murder everyone¡­¡± ¡°Your way offorting me made me feel even worse.¡± ¡°B-Bu-But, this bunny can serve as the beautiful memorial of our date, that¡¯s right!¡± ¡°A date is supposed to be a 2-yer thing, but you caught that bunny alone, though¡­¡± ¡°Aha¡­ha¡­¡± Even Tendou-san can¡¯t say anything to cheer me up anymore. Suddenly, when my girlfriend is trying her best tofort me, some unfriendly waves ofughter broke this atmosphere. ¡°Ahahaha! You suck! You suck, shrimp bro!¡± ¡°Even I am doing better than shrimp bro!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± It¡¯s the bald brothers from before. Also, even if I don¡¯t want to exin at all, but the ¡°shrimp bro¡±ing from them seems to mean ¡°big brother that is as weak as a shrimp¡±. This is the most humiliating nickname I¡¯ve been called in my life. When Tendou-san and I reached therge arcade area, we met with the brothers again, unfortunately. By the way, their name is Shota and Satoshi, respectively. Shota patted my shoulder and gave me a disgusting smile.¡¯ ¡°Although Big Sister is really amazing, don''t you think you suck a bit too much?¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± Satoshi pped my butt with his tiny hands beforementing. ¡°Hey, shrimp bro, I know the answer to the question that you¡¯ve got it wrong.¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± I guess he is talking about the riddle game earlier. I wanted to give Tendou-san a good impression, so I gave the answer before the question is even revealed (the question is about cartoons for children). The answer is entirely different than what I¡¯ve guessed. ¡°Hehe...¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Tendou-san smiled bitterly at her useless boyfriend. Then, she seems to have thought of something suddenly and suggested it to us. ¡°Hey, now that we¡¯re all here, don¡¯t you think you shouldpete with little Shota here, Amano-kun?¡± ¡°You¡¯re like Hitler! But even Hitler cared about Germany or something!¡± What the hell did my girlfriend just say? She is literally pushing her boyfriend off a cliff at this point! Just when I¡¯m still frozen, Shota raised his hand energetically and said, ¡°I¡¯m in!¡± His brother cheered for him, ¡°y with him!¡±. Even Tendou-san went along with them and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡± She is a devil with an angel¡¯s face! Although I¡¯m sweating so much, I fiddled with my bangs and gave them a sneer. ¡°Ah, I guess you¡¯re right, maybe I shouldn¡¯t use 100% of my power topete with juniors. In situations like this, we can just happily enjoy riddle games together-¡° Tendou-san brilliantly ignored what I¡¯ve said, and pointed at an arcade machine. ¡°Alright, let¡¯spete with Mario Kart!¡± ¡°Yay!¡± ¡°Crap, she clearly wanted to rank us in order!¡± I¡¯m so nervous that I can¡¯t even- W-What¡¯s wrong with this person! How serious must she get when ites to gaming! This is not the difference between casual andpetitive yers! She¡¯s telling her boyfriend topete seriously with a bunch of first-graders! Is she still mad at what happened between Chiaki and me?! ¡°Alright, we are starting, Amano-kun. Prepare yourself.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± She grabbed my ankles and forced me to sit down before the Mario Kart screen. Next to my seat, Shota is ready for action. I looked at their parents sitting in the resting area, and they gave me an apologetic look. Tendou-san beamed them a smile, why can¡¯t you use that fondness of yours on your boyfriend who¡¯s on a date with you!? Well, it¡¯s not like I can escape anyway. I cried while sitting and began to choose my character. The character with average stats that is easy to control, the character with low top speed but with a fast starting boost. There are a lot of options, but then I already knew what I need to pick¡­ ¡°¡­Shrimp bro, why are you picking that when you suck?¡± ¡°S-Shut up!¡± Satoshi sneaked behind me and took a nce at my screen before mumbling. He¡¯s right, I picked the weighty character, high speed but hard to control, for advanced yers only. Shota went with the standard option. We picked aplex track, the one where you can identally drive off a cliff. Shota beamed me a provocative yet confident smile, is he a pro at this? Compared to him, while I didpete with my little brother in this game¡¯s console version, I¡¯ve only yed this once or twice in an arcade. Honestly, if you ask me if I am confident, my answer is a definite no. I suck at even the console version. I nced at the other seats. This usually is for 4 yers, but now only Shota and I are ying. I can¡¯t find an excuse for losing at this stage. Basically, while there are bots in the race, those are just for fun only. After the introductory clip, the camera focused on the start. The lights that signal the start appeared as the countdown began. Red light¡­red light¡­green light! Once the green light appeared, all the cars started to charge forward. Shota stepped onto the gas in time for a starting boost. While I¡­ ¡°Boom! Sssssss¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± I ultimately failed as the car turned off its engine. Satoshiughed hysterically at the back¡­Ouch! ¡°I-I¡¯m just cking off for you, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°You suck!¡± Shotaughed while controlling the steering wheel masterfully and raced ahead of the bots at 1st ce. Ah, crap, is he actually a pro? I immediately rushed forward and grabbed the power-ups ced along the track. They are meant to save the losers. yers can randomly get power-ups that either stunt the opponents or boost themselves and gain an advantage. The lower the ce you are in, the better power-ups you will get. Shota being at 1st ce only granted him power-ups that slightly boosted his speed. While I¡­ ¡°Yes, crash into all them!¡± I got the rocket power-up which erges my kart, increases my top speed, and grants me the ability to knock other opponents away. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s cheating.¡± Satoshi mumbled. ¡°W-Why is this cheating? This is a legit strategy!¡± ¡®That¡¯s a cunning strategy! Give it your all, big bro!¡± ¡°Right, Satoshi! I¡¯m not going to lose to weaklings like shrimp bro!¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you can brag for now!¡± I climbed all the way from 12th ce to the 4th from the rocket power-up, and then I tried my best to control my unpredictable character after the power-up went off. But then¡­ ¡°¡­Amano-kun, you don¡¯t know how to control that character, right¡­¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Tendou-san gave me a cold stare when she saw my character keeps banging into the edges. ¡­To be honest, I¡¯ve never used this kind of character at all because I¡¯m a slowpoke. I value stability and ease-of-driving the most when ites to racing games. There¡¯s no fun for timed races. That¡¯s the kind of guy I am. Sorry. Then why am I using it now? Sigh, it¡¯s because of my underestimation and vanity. I thought it¡¯s more than enough to race against a first-grader like this. Yes, I¡¯m helpless. The bots are passing me relentlessly as I¡¯m hitting the walls. But then, I will get a rare power-up after I fell back and will speed forward again. Rinse and repeat. During this time, Shota is still staying all the way ahead at 1st ce, he even got the time to look at my screen and taunted me. ¡°A-ha, you¡¯re really humorous, shrimp bro!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need any humor right now!¡± We reached thestp when we were messing around with each other. Shota is at 1st ce, and I¡­am at 4th ce with the power-ups. There¡¯s still a vast gap between us. However¡­ ¡°Hm? Amano-kun, you¡¯re starting to get a hold on this, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Thanks to you!¡± I am less likely to crash into walls. With that and the fact that my vehicle has the highest top speed, I¡¯m catching up quickly. Then, I picked up a power-up after seeing the evenly-matched 2nd and 3rd ce, and the power-up was¡­ ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Oh, he got a bad one! It¡¯s the bomb wheel!¡± Satoshi screamed. He mentioned the worst power-up you can get in this game. This power-up can randomly bomb a non-CPU yer- with a 90% chance of hitting yourself. Honestly, the risk far outweighs the result, that¡¯s why it¡¯s the worst power-ups, it¡¯s like picking andmine. Anyway, I kept the power-up in the slot and passed the 2nd and 3rd ce. I¡¯m now in 2nd ce. Then, I saw the back of Shota¡¯s kart. ¡°Woah¡­¡± Shota is getting nervous. It looks like he is paying too much attention to my screen, and his control slightly rxed. I¡¯m closing our distance with my top-speed vehicle. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to tell who will win at this point¡­!¡± Tendou-san gave us an energeticment. It¡¯s one straight road to the finish line. I¡¯m getting closer and closer. Shota tried to block me, but that just slowed him down and brought himself closer to me. And then¡­ ¡°Oh, crap! This will be dangerous, big bro!¡± ¡°I know!¡± Shota responded to a worried Satoshi. Yes, if this goes on, I might get to win.¡± Everyone halted their breath when it¡¯s a few meters until the finish line. I grabbed the chance- and used the Bomb Wheel! ¡°Eh?¡± Everyone but me froze at the moment, and the wheel ended up at- ¡°Boom!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± -Well, this makes sense, actually. I blew myself up. Although I have suspiciously gained the ¡°male protagonist¡± status, my luck hasn¡¯t been boosted, and I blew my car up as usual. Then- ¡°Yay! You¡¯re dumb, shrimp bro!¡± ¡°We won big bro! Shrimp bro is weak! Shota won. I got passed by bots right before the finish line and finished at 8th ce. Thepetition¡¯s result was too tragic to even look at. * ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± After that match, Tendou-san and I left Around 1 without a single word. We are now sitting on the free shuttle bus. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I plopped my head downwards while Tendou-san remained silent since then¡­it¡¯s like hell down here. Also, for some reason, there¡¯s suddenly enough space on the bus for us to sit together¡­and othermuters sat quite far from us, it feels like we are alone on this bus. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I took a nce at Tendou-san secretly. I somehow feel like the ¡°Gamer Bunny¡± she put on her legs is staring at me¡­so I turned around and looked at the window. The bus hasn¡¯t moved yet, there¡¯s nothing to look at, but then Tendou-san faced towards the window since then, I can¡¯t see her face. I can¡¯t see her reflections from the window either, maybe it¡¯s because of the angle. I can¡¯t really sit tight. The view of the Around 1 brimming with lights just made me feel even more tragic. I really wanted to disappear right now, what the hell am I doing? Now that I¡¯m thinking about what did we do for today, none of them would qualify as ¡° me giving Tendou-san a satisfying impression.¡± While she did have fun in Around 1, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m involved in any of this at all. Around 1 is the only thing that¡¯s giving her fun. ¡°I should¡¯ve never went on a date without a n¡­¡± I had always been like this, the same goes for my gaming style. Rather than contemting on my ythrough, I would just dive into the whole thing again brainlessly. That¡¯s why you never see growth in me. Of course, while I do gain subtly while gaming, but that was never enough for a date. ¡°Is it really too heavy for me¡­?¡± Mizumi-kun¡¯s face suddenly appeared in my brain. Perhaps he should be the one to go with Tendou-san, especially when ites topeting with each other. I would often y with him nowadays, and I have to say, his adaptability Is really amazing. He is the definition of the protagonist, the one that is on the same side as Tendou-san. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a sample answer when ites to gaming styles. However, there¡¯s no way for all yers to get along with each other. A piece of good evidence for this is that some games will use a matchmaking system and create a casual zone and apetitive zone. None are better than the other, but there are certainly preferences. In terms of this, Tendou-san and I are different. This sort of mindset is certainly not limited to gaming, we are destined to see things differently at some point in our rtionship. ¡°¡­Especially when I was in that race, I used the power-up atst¡­that¡¯s the issue, right.¡± To Tendou-san, that¡¯s an intolerably stupid decision, it looks like I¡¯m not taking the match seriously at all¡­at least I can¡¯t retort her if she uses this in her argument. But then¡­ I realized that Tendou-san¡¯s shoulder was slightly shivering when I snapped back. What¡¯s going on? Is she so mad that she is shivering? I freaked out. But then, it¡¯s terrible if I did nothing when my girlfriend is pissed. I swallowed my saliva and made my decision¡­and then put my hand on Tendou-san¡¯s shoulder- ¡°¡­Pffft, ahahahahahaha!¡± ¡°?¡± -Suddenly, Tendou-san let out a hystericalugh while hugging her doll. At the same time, the door of the bus closed, and it was announced that the bus will soon depart. My body shakes as the bus is moving, and Tendou-san is stillughing to the point that she bent her waist. ¡°Ohoho, hehe, haha.¡± ¡°¡­Um¡­Tendou-san?¡± I¡¯m baffled by the situation. Tendou-san then wiped the tears off her eyes with her finger as she continued. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, g-give me a moment, Amano-kun. I need a second.¡± ¡°O-Okay.¡± Then, Tendou-sanughed for another 10 seconds before taking a breath and looked at me. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s angry. Tendou-san then exined to me. ¡°Um, it¡¯s not like that, it¡¯s just that the way that you lost was amusing to me. B-But, if you think about it, I don¡¯t think I shouldugh with that situation, so I held it back, but then that just made me wanted to chuckle even more. S-Sorry.¡± ¡°N-No, it¡¯s okay¡­So, you are not mad at me?¡± Tendou-san tilted her head when I asked this. ¡°I¡¯m mad? Why would I?¡± ¡°Um, b-because of the way I y¡­won¡¯t you feel dissatisfied because of that?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh¡­that¡¯s what you meant.¡± Tendou-san gave me a smile, then looked at the window gently and looked at the lights shining from Around 1 while answering me. ¡°You¡¯re right, Amano-kun, you didn¡¯t y anything well today, including sports. Also, it¡¯s hard to say that you are peting seriously¡± at all.¡± ¡°S-Sorry¡­¡± I¡¯m scared. However, Tendou-san gave me a warm smile before looking at me directly. ¡°But then, you were trying your best to let everyone enjoy the experience, right?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I tilted my head to express my confusion after her exnation. ¡°You didn¡¯t realize this at all.¡± Tendou-san chuckles while mumbling. ¡°Amano-kun, while it¡¯s true that you keep losing. But¡­it¡¯s like what you¡¯ve said in the past, you feel unsatisfied after every defeat.¡± ¡°O-Of course, I will feel bad. I said that before.¡± ¡°Right. However, your reaction is rare these days. When everyone in the Game Club and I lose a match, while we do feel unsatisfied, we will never express it this vividly. We will just train very hard afterward.¡± ¡°¡­Ehm¡­¡± I-Is she meaning that I¡¯m acting like a kid? In reality, I¡¯ve always enthusiastically asked my little brother to 1v1 me in games, so I will always express my feelings towards the match immediately after it¡¯s over. The reason for this is that I feel like it will get too serious to the point where we will argue with each other furiously if we just hide everything in our hearts. If that¡¯s the case, I think it¡¯s better to just yell when we lost a match so that we expressed our feelings clearly. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve learned from the experience. However, I never thought I will make that mistake in front of Tendou-san. Just as I¡¯m scratching my head embarrassingly, Tendou-san continued without a single notion that she¡¯s ming me. ¡°You are referring to yourself as a slowpoke. To me, though, I feel like you are just trying your best to act like a slowpoke with that attitude of yours, right?¡± ¡°Um, I-I¡¯ve never thought about this before¡­In reality, I just challenged a kid to a serious match and then lost to him¡­¡± ¡°Yes, you are right, you should be ashamed.¡± ¡°Ouch¡­¡± ¡°But then, Amano-kun, that¡¯s why you are amazing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know which part of me got praised at all!¡± ¡°Really? For example¡­Right, take Shota and Satoshi as an example. If I am justing here with the Game Club members, I think we will never get to enjoy the experience as much as the brothers did.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s because I suck, that¡¯s why our date is interrupted¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve said this before, that¡¯s the amazing part of you.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry, I still don¡¯t feel like which part of me are you praising¡­¡± ¡°Really? Beingpletely oblivious to which part you are good at is another fantastic point of you as well.¡± ¡°Sorry, I usually just freak out when someone isplimenting me this much while I¡¯m confused.¡± It¡¯s like when you got an award in a writing contest when you turned in a half-assed submission. While thements pointed out that the writing included numerous issues in modern society, I have no memory of writing any of that, something like this. Tendou-san nced at my utterly confused face, then gave me a ¡°Hmm¡­¡± while putting her finger on her lips, thinking about something cutely¡­Then, she continued as if she reached a conclusion. ¡°When you are in thestp with Shota, you didn¡¯t use the Bomb Wheel to win. If winning is your sole purpose, you could¡¯ve just out-speed him with the agility of your kart.¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, s-sorry, I didn¡¯t act seriously-¡° I immediately wanted to apologize, Tendou-san stopped me by raising her hand. Then, her eyes are sparkling with logic as she continued. ¡°The brothers will have fun no matter what the result was ¨C that¡¯s why you used the bomb. Am I right, Amano-kun?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Whether you or Shota got bombed, it¡¯s funnier to the kids this way then to justpete regrly.¡± ¡°¡­Ehm¡­¡± I scratched my cheeks before looking away, I¡¯m being read like an open book. Crap, I knew my girlfriend¡¯s attitude towards gaming. Then, I deliberately let her knew that I was so na?ve that I am willing to lose a match just to let the kids have fun. Tendou-san¡¯s voice then echoed throughout my head, she sounds a bit baffled, though. ¡°¡­Man. You hadn¡¯t changed in the least bit since when you rejected my invitation¡­¡± ¡°Um! Tendou-san, I-I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to reject your attitude towards gaming¡­¡± ¡°Mmm, I understand, you¡¯re not just randomly losing a match on purpose. But then, whenpared to ¡°looking cool in front of me,¡± you feel that it¡¯s more important to let the brothers have fun, right?¡± ¡°Ahh! Well, um, ah, T-Tendou-san, I didn¡¯t mean to just ignore you¡­¡± Crap, I¡¯m too scared to look at her. She sounds pissed from that- ¡°¡­That¡¯s what I love about you.¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± -I heard something big and turned my head around immediately. But then¡­for some reason, this time it¡¯s Tendou-san who looked away to the window. The lightsing from the houses are shing in the dark, rural scenery outside. Although Tendou-san and I are sitting very close to each other, I feel really peaceful, incredibly, and I even told her this when she¡¯s still looking out to the window. ¡°Tendou-san, I really admired¡­you for destroying me relentlessly.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? I don¡¯t feel like you¡¯re praising me at all.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m being sincere. If you just let me won purposely, that I won¡¯t even get the chance to feel unsatisfied. You know what that meant, right? Tendou-san, you¡¯re amazing.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m a dumb girl who just knows how topete seriously.¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s what I love about you.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Tendou-san¡¯s shoulders suddenly shivered, ¡­but then even I can tell this time: ¡°Oh, she¡¯s embarrassed.¡± This awkward yet satisfying moment slowly slipped away. It was not until a couple minutes after that I started chatting with her. ¡°¡­Right, Tendou-san, have you yed the newly-released Fire Knights?¡± ¡°Oh. Yes, of course! That¡¯s right, I wanted to talk about that! How¡¯s your progress?¡± Tendou-san¡¯s face clearly brightens. I answered confidently. ¡°I¡¯m in Chapter 9 right now.¡± ¡°Ugh, I lost. I¡¯m in Chapter 7. I guess I will fall behind if I spend more time with the Game Club and studying¡­¡± ¡°By the way, did you know that if you didn¡¯t meet the requirements in Chapter 6, you can¡¯t get the item in Chapter 12.¡± ¡°Eh, really? A, then I have to restart¡­¡± ¡°You are starting over!? The item is not that important, I just left it behind and moved forward.¡± ¡°Hmph! That¡¯s what I don¡¯t like about you, filthy casuals.¡± ¡°Well, thanks, but that¡¯s the reason why your progress is falling behind, right?¡± ¡°Hey, how dare you? But then, isn¡¯t that why we will spend a lot of time in games-¡° ¡°No, not at all, you¡¯re missing the key-¡° ¡­The calm and peaceful scenery, the tired gamers, the night slowly falls on the bus that is slowing driving through the rural town. Suddenly, when I am in a break while chatting with Tendou-san, I can¡¯t help but mumble: ¡°¡­Master Uehara, you¡¯re right, after all. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Oh, about that part in Chapter 10¡­¡± So, I just chatted with Tendou-san about the game while I¡¯m reflecting on what Uehara-kun had sad before the date. ¡°It¡¯s a blessing when you can chat happily with a girl you love alone, after all.¡± [Trantor¡¯s note: Phew, that was a long chapter hope you enjoyed it. I manage to get this out early even if I¡¯m ying Animal Crossing all day and doing Uni projects. Also, props to Skythewood for letting me put the chapter onto his blog, really appreciated. Anyway, see you next week, maybe.] Volume 3, 3 - Chiaki Hoshinomori and Pursuit of Excellence

Volume 3, Chapter 3 - Chiaki Hoshinomori and Pursuit of Excellence

Trantor: your_pingas Keita Amano In the year 775 of the Kingdom¡¯s calendar, the two countries that have been engulfed in constant wars for the domination on the continent of Gorugon, the Republic of Berufurau has signed a truce with the Baochishiu Empire. In the dirty slums ruled by the soldiers disbanded from the Empire, a man who is destined to change the world was born from an emaciated prostitute. His name is- ¡°The Tasty Peony Cake Eater¡±- ¡°Wait!¡± Uehara-kun and I yelled, then the seaweed-haired girl - Chiaki Hoshinomori raised her head from the printed paper and before expressing her confusion with a ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°But, my new game¡¯s synopsis is still in its prologue, what¡¯s wrong¡­?¡± ¡°Um, it¡¯s not what¡¯s wrong, something is clearly very wrong.¡± I suppressed myself from scolding at Chiaki while urging her to re-think this whole story. Chiaki only tilted her head dumbfoundedly, followed by another ¡°Hmm?¡± before reading the paper for a few seconds and giving us a look of sudden realization. Uehara-kun and I pressed our chests as a sign of relief. ¡°Right, at least she knows what¡¯s the problem here. That¡¯s good.¡± Chiaki then sincerely thanked us. ¡°Yes, there¡¯re problems! It would be funnier if I changed the year to 776 of the Kingdom¡¯s calendar.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that!¡± Uehara-kun and I yelled at her at the top of our voices¡­This legendary creator is still tilting her head to express her confusion. The two boys looked at each other and let out a big sigh. It¡¯s after school on a typical day. The scheduled 3-yers meeting of the Game Hobby Club Is still ongoing at the corner of the ssroom. While this is a good thing, the development of this plot is certainly raising our eyebrows. The reason for this is that at the start of the meeting, Chiaki, the game developer is already¡­ ¡°E-Ehm, Uehara-kun¡­and also Keita. If it¡¯s possible, can you pleasement on the concept of my new game!¡± She approached us. Honestly, the Game Hobby Club¡¯s activity consists of Chiaki and me yelling at each other with our different ideas towards gaming. While it¡¯s rare for her to find a legit topic, the problem is¡­ ¡°We peasants can never understand what the mindset of this creator is.¡± Uehara-kun and I deeply realized this to the heart now. Honestly, I neither have heard the name of the game from Chiaki nor have I yed the games she made as well. But then, Chiaki has always leaked some of the ideas during the meeting every time. Uehara-kun and I didn¡¯t understand her whimsical concepts at all, so it¡¯s hard for us to givements on her game development process. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to grasp how much we should intervene in her development.¡± I usually just say what I wanted to say and then falling into an argument with her. Even so, I will more or less be cautious when ites tomenting on her creations. It¡¯s not just games, most of the productions are like this, right? Something that looks like a kid¡¯s doodle could be a famous artwork that worth billions. It¡¯s not that umon. What I fear is that rare talents are wasted by pedestrianmentsing from an average guy, even if thements are for my rival, Chiaki. But then, regarding Chiaki¡¯s concept for her new game, she seems to hope that her work can be enjoyed by the general audience, so she requested us to point out any problems that she had. If she¡¯s putting it this way, we thought that maybe the setting the game will be less entric. In reality, we can tell that it¡¯s going to be a fantastical story with solid content, even a bit pumped up by the plot, but then¡­ A few seconds after the debut and it went wrong wholly. Uehara-kun smacked his desk and screamed at her, who are seemingly oblivious to what we are talking about. ¡°Hoshinomori! Are you really trying to generalize your game!?¡± ¡°Y-Yes! Of course! That¡¯s why I have an intricate yet fantastical world setting in mind!¡± ¡°None of this was intricate! Everything went wrong all of a sudden! What¡¯s your thought process when you areing up with the protagonist¡¯s name?! ¡°Peony Cake Eater¡± is the worst name I have ever heard!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong, Uehara-kun. ¡°The Tasty Peony Cake Eater¡± is the correct answer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same! The setting just suddenly went rogue!¡± ¡°Eh? B-But then, I did an exnation to link the plot together.¡± ¡°What!? Where!?¡± Although Chiaki is acting sheepishly, she somehow retorted to Uehara-kun. She¡¯s scared, but she didn¡¯t step back and proposed: ¡°T-There is¡­¡± before continuing. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you at the start? He is ¡°a man who¡¯s destined to change the world,¡± right?¡± ¡°You mean he changed the world with his name!?¡± The sudden truth baffled us. Chiaki nodded her head furiously while she continued. ¡°H-He got an unusual name, and it¡¯s up to the government staff whether to ept a name like this. Will the freedom of name changing, the bureaucratic culture of the Empire, and the policies surrounding names drastically change from this one action? This is one of the questions that this game dives into!¡± ¡°Eh? What about the war between them and the Republic? Who gets to dominate the continent?¡± ¡°Eh? Those are just background information in the detailed world setting. Is there a problem?¡± Uehara-kun and I feel speechless. This is the problem, this has always been the issue with creators that focuses on individuality. There¡¯s no way for ordinary people like us to give feedback. At this stage, isn¡¯t it pointless to dig into the details? She had alreadypleted the whole story in her brain, this is not something we canment on, right? Chiaki looked at our reaction sheepishly while asking, ¡°C-Can I continue?¡± We nodded our heads silently, she cleared her throat before speaking again. ¡°Then, allow me to re-introduce. After the prologue is over, the main story starts here. Basically, the game is going to be an RPG.¡± ¡°Eh? That¡¯s surprising. I thought this was going to be a strategy game or an interactive fiction based on what you¡¯ve said about the whole changing-the-policy thing¡­¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s incorrect. Ehm, this is a game where ¡°The Tasty Peony Cake Eater,¡± abbreviated as ¡°Peony Eater¡± to assassinate everyone working in the town hall, one by one.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a dirty trick for a guy with a name like this.¡± ¡°During this time, the policy of the town hall will change gradually based on the type of staff he defeated.¡± Uehara-kun seems to have realized what Chiaki is saying and nodded. ¡°So your design is, the reforming faction will gain more influence when you defeat a conservative staff, and the same goes for the conservatives as well?¡± ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s not right.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Uehara-kun gave a solid remark based on the game¡¯s content, and Chiaki immediately denied his answer. She continued as we froze in ce. ¡°He will murder the staff cruelly based on his/her personality. For example, he will shove a bunch of peony cakes in the mouth of a staff that hates red beans paste until he chokes to death. People will then began to question the Empire¡¯s punishment policies.¡± ¡°What about that whole name policy thing!?¡± The goal of the game changed again, we can¡¯t help but look at her helplessly. However, Chiaki doesn¡¯t seem to realize what we areining about and asked us back dazedly. ¡°What¡¯s that name policy thing you were talking about?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re the one who asked this! What about the goal of getting the staff to ept that weird name?! When did this turn into Assassin¡¯s Creed with Altair bing a strange serial killer!?¡± ¡°Alright, alright! Hey, Ms Hoshinomori! You were the guy who wanted to generalize your game!¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s why I wanted to discuss with you and the dwarf winter melon. I wanted to know how I should adjust the game to make this popr!¡± ¡°YOU SHOULD RE-MAKE THE ENTIRE GAME!¡± Uehara-kun and I yelled at the top of our lungs. However, for some reason, Chiaki seems to have taken that as a joke and gave us a ¡°Haha, don¡¯t give me that¡± look. In a sense, this guy is lonelier and way more twisted than I do! I should¡¯ve seen thising! Chiaki just said, ¡°Well, I¡¯m continuing.¡± Although we would like to file a hundredints right now, but then there will be too much for us to cover if we are going to pick on her game. So, we looked at each other again before nodding and swallowed all of ourments and listen to her. Chiaki doesn¡¯t seem to have realized our solemn and stirring determination. She promptly continued. ¡°Thenes to the experience-gaining part. This part follows the traditional RPG route. You can rob the staff¡¯s cash after killing them while raising your murdering abilities.¡± ¡°Chiaki, do you know what ¡°traditional¡± means?¡± ¡°Keita, you¡¯re annoying. To put it simply, you can get money and XP from them.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just say this at the start?!¡± ¡°But then, I think a good game should bring individuality to the unit of the in-game currency.¡± ¡°I guess I can understand that¡­Right, what¡¯s the currency for this game?¡± ¡°Good question, Keita. The currency will be¡­¡± Uehara-kun and I saw Chiaki smiling mischievously, and we¡¯re like, ¡°Here she goes, again.¡± We bet that she¡¯s trying to say something controversial. If we had to guess, based on the fact that the name of the protagonist and the way of murdering people consists of ¡°peony cakes,¡± I think it¡¯s something rted to red beans- ¡°G R E E N P E A S!¡± ¡°You should be using red beans!¡± We were shocked by the baffling setting of the currency. ¡°The name of the protagonist is based on peony cakes, and yet the currency unit isn¡¯t red beans! N-No, not to mention red beans, are you trying to prank other people by using different types of peas?! Chiaki, you did this on purpose! Just use red beans!¡± ¡°R-Really? Red beans¡­¡± Chiaki mumbled before looking down upon us. ¡°But then if the currency unit is called ¡°red beans,¡± don¡¯t you think that doesn¡¯t match with the setting of the world?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not saying that until now?!¡± ¡°Think about it this way, GREEN PEAS can be shortened as GP, isn¡¯t that awesome?¡± ¡°¡­Oh, really?¡± We lost the energy toin after seeing her being so confident. For some reason, Chiaki seems to have interpreted our reaction as ¡°Ha! I got you two now!¡± before exining the game mechanics even more confidently. ¡°Then, it¡¯s time for the most crucial part, the game mechanics. I n to implement a traditional turn-based system here.¡± The ¡°traditional¡±ing from her mouth sounds so distant to us. Even so, there¡¯s not much ground-breaking potential for a turn-based system. So, Uehara-kun and I just heard what she had to say casually- ¡°The protagonist will attack from behind the enemy lines at night with his weapon, and then purges the enemy in a one-sided bloodfest with an ¡°Endless My Turn System¡±¡­or EMTS for short. I¡¯m putting that in the game.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Uehara-kun and I instantly tried to turn her down. Chiaki then titled her head and gave us another ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°But then, this is a super funbat system where you can enjoy the feeling of invincibility¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not evenbating anymore. That¡¯s merely killing people!¡± Uehara-kun yelled furiously, but then Chiaki didn¡¯t give up. ¡°But then, it¡¯s always going to be a one-sided ughter when an armed character is attacking ordinary people with basically zero strength, they have no hope of struggling¡­right?¡± ¡°Why are you giving me a look of ¡°why can¡¯t you two have somemon sense!¡± Who cares about you! Why are you only making that part realistic!? You should be going after whether the game Is fun or not!¡± ¡°Eh, if we can ignore the authenticity part, I will design the image of the enemy staff as clumps of meat with a bunch of eyeballs and tentacles on them¡­¡± ¡°Why are you doing that!? Does authenticity sound the same as sanity to you? I¡¯m asking you to widen the setting based on the situation!¡± ¡°Oh, I get it. Then why don¡¯t we make apromise? The enemies can attack as well¡­and the reason for that is because they have eyes behind their necks, so it¡¯s hard to sneak up on them, that should do it.¡± ¡°The sanity¡¯s even lower! It¡¯s like when aliens invaded when you¡¯re going on your daily life! I-It¡¯s just a game, why can¡¯t you just let thembat normally!?¡± I paused Uehara-kun with a bright look on my face. ¡°Wait, Uehara-kun. I feel like you shouldn¡¯t use nukes-graded logic like ¡°it¡¯s just a game¡± casually.¡± ¡°Huh? Hey, Amano, which side are you on¡­?¡± ¡°Keita¡¯s right. Uehara-kun, the game will be more immersive to yers if you can exin subtle details like why a pack of medicine can cure wounds immediately.¡± ¡°Eh? Um, I don¡¯t really care about that¡­¡± ¡°No, I do think you care. For example, if the game as a revival item, don¡¯t you feel bored If the starring characters died ordingly to the plot? Like, ¡°Bruh, why can¡¯t you guys just revive him?¡±, right?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­I-I guess you¡¯re right. Can¡¯t say that I haven¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°See?¡± Chiaki and I gave him a proud smile. Uehara-kun stared at us for a few seconds before he seems fed up and yelled at us. ¡°YOU DAMN OTAKUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUS!¡± ¡°That¡¯s rude!¡± Chiaki and I screamed innocently. We started arguing with each other for a couple minutes. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± When we were tried, we picked up from where we left off after we calmed down and brought the topic back to Chiaki¡¯s new game. Chiaki cleared her throat after grabbing her paper again. ¡°Then, moving onto the plot development after the prologue¡­¡± ¡°Right, you haven¡¯t mentioned, where Peony Eater will end up going?¡± Uehara-kun asked, and Chiaki confidently answered: ¡°That¡¯s a good question.¡± ¡°I think you guys should know from the clues already, this story¡¯s selling point is with its dark and detailed setting as the opening, but it won¡¯t go deeper and deeper. Instead, there will be plot twist after plot twist.¡± ¡°There¡¯s already a few since the prologue¡­¡± I stated my opinion. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Chiaki seemed to have interpreted it as a positivement, so she continued. ¡°So, the plot will advance shockingly, it¡¯s hard to even try to sum it up simply. I¡¯m sorry, just when the plot has finally gained your interest.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Although Uehara-kun and I acted like we don¡¯t mind, I didn¡¯t want to dive deep into a story that will lower my sanity at the start. ¡°Peony Eater will get an unexpected ending, anyway.¡± Uehara-kun and I prepared ourselves mentally. To be honest, I¡¯m getting used to Chiaki¡¯s jumping tone. Why do I feel that? Is it because I have yed simr games before¡­? ¡°I can spoil the ending.¡± I snapped back to reality when Chiaki started to talk. Just when Uehara-kun and I imagined the surprise ending of Peony Eater and waited for her answer caringly. Chiaki, who already can¡¯t her excitement, told us the ending of the game. ¡°After a long battle, the Gctic Federation has finally defeated ¡°Waltex,¡± the invading evil lord.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Peony Eater!?¡± Uehara-kun and I screamed upon getting the ending. I think the entire high school heard it. Chiaki tilted her head before giving us another ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Peony¡­Eater?¡± ¡°Why are you acting like you heard that name for the first time!? Chiaki! That¡¯s bullshit, no matter how you put it! This far exceeds our imagination, we are freaking out at this point!¡± ¡°Right!¡± Chiaki gave us a smug look. ¡°Amano is not even praising you! When did Peony Eater join that Gctic Federation thing!?¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Uehara-kun? No person with such a weird name exists in the Federation.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Where did Peony Eater go then!?¡± ¡°Peony¡­Peony¡­Eater?¡± ¡°How can you forget the name of your protagonist!? Are you one of those female main characters with amnesia that forgets your friends every few seconds!? Are you cursed!?¡± ¡°¡­Oh, ooh! Right! I was still wondering what you guys were talking about. Yes, Peony Eater exists! I¡¯m feeling quite surprised, you know, he¡¯s only in the prologue of the prologue and would be irrelevant for the remaining 99% of the plot, after all.¡± ¡°PEONY EATER IS IRREVALENT EARLY ON!?¡± We freaked out upon the reveal of the truth. Chiaki continued with a smile on her face. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. By the way, isn¡¯t Peony Eater a strange name? It¡¯s weird now that I¡¯m thinking it. Hehe, I guess I don¡¯t take naming seriously.¡± ¡°Apologize to Peony Eater!¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± Chiaki doesn¡¯t seem to understand why Uehara-kun and I were so furious at all. W-We don¡¯t know why we are mad either. But, Peony Eater¡¯s fate was such a tragic one. We were already in tears as we tried to fight for a better position in the plot for him. ¡°Chiaki! Give more love to Peony Eater! I beg you!¡± ¡°Hoshinomori! I¡¯m begging you as well! Let Peony Eater¡­Let ¡°The Tasty Peony Cake Eater¡± be a strong man!¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong with you two!? It feels disgusting to have that many feelings towards a random viger that disappears as soon as he appears!¡± ¡°Give Peony Eater a bit more hope!¡± ¡°What was that!? Are you two really giving me helpful suggestions?¡± ¡°Are you even taking your game seriously!?¡± The scene fell into chaos again. This feels weird, the Game Hobby Club should function just like the student council in the next school. We are supposed to mess with each other and have fun, while we are messing with each other, something doesn¡¯t feel quite right. Ehm, I¡¯m not that familiar with what¡¯s going on in Hekiyou anyways. We argued over the Peony Eater incident for a while- When we spent all our energy once again, to the point that we can¡¯t discuss with each other anymore, Uehara-kun suddenly looked at the door of the ssroom and said: ¡°Oh! Hey, Tendou!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Chiaki and I looked in the same direction. Then, right there, we can see a cute blonde girl who felt anxious for reasons unknown,ing from the door. She, the student that ranks above the entire school ¨C Karen Tendou, fiddled with her hair gently before she continued. ¡°Hi¡­I just happened to pass by, and so I ¡°slightly¡± checked out what¡¯s happening here.¡± Tendou-san exined before we even said anything. Uehara-kun gave her a mischievous grin and said, ¡°Oh, right.¡± Then, he waved at her as if he got a good idea. ¡°I¡¯m halfway through my Game Club activity¡­¡± Tendou-san stepped into the ssroom obediently as she said that. After she took a seat, Uehara-kun robbed the paper that Chiaki is holding and passed it to Tendou-san. Although Chiakiined embarrassingly, Uehara-kun continued. ¡°Can you read that and give her some feedback? It¡¯s the concept of Hoshinomori¡¯s new game.¡± ¡°Hoshinomori-san wrote this?¡± Tendou-san looked at Chiaki. She stared at the ground embarrassingly before giving her a nod. Tendou-san gave her a warm smile. ¡°That¡¯s great. I really wanted to help¡­But, I¡¯m not a game developer, so I don¡¯t know if I can help you with that¡­¡± Tendou-san is incredible, being able toe up with a sophisticated reply like this. Chiaki got her courage out of this gentleness and nodded her head vigorously before answering. ¡°P-P-P-Please! I-I really wanted to receive feedback from a serious person like Tendou-san!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Tendou-san ignored ourint, even giving Chiaki a bright smile back. ¡°Oh, thank you. I¡¯m starting now.¡± Tendou-san started reading the paper. Then, in front of Chiaki, who¡¯s shivering from her excitement and hope, Tendou-san¡­ ¡°Ehm, the more she read this, the more awkward she feels¡­!¡± Although Tendou-san still has the perfect customary smile stered on her face, maybe it¡¯s because we are in front of Chiaki, after all¡­we immediately knew what she is thinking. But then, she is still superior to us. Tendou-san proceeded to probe Chiaki euphemistically while she¡¯s in the middle of the reading. ¡°H-Hoshinomori-san? Is this¡­Is this an out-of-season April Fool¡¯s joke¡­?¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m serious! I wanted to give everything I got to create this game!¡± ¡°O-Oh, I got it¡­¡± ¡°So, I wanted to hear what Tendou-san has to say to make this popr!¡± ¡°R-Really¡­¡± Uehara-kun and I looked at Tendou-san¡¯s face that is full of embarrassment, we can¡¯t help but feel guilty. We felt terrible for her, really. A person that is not that close to her just made something awkward and is now asking her to givements¡­that¡¯s the worst situation possible! Just when Uehara-kun¡¯s face is wrinkled together when he is guilty of not thinking about this ahead. Tendou-san managed to finish reading the paper and looked at Chiaki, who¡¯s smiling excitedly and waiting for feedback ¨C and I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s looking for a positive one, before giving her a smile. ¡°The content is really intriguing. This is a fascinating work full of originality and creativity¡­I look forward to your diligence and pursuit of excellence in your next game!¡± ¡°Holy shit you killed her gently and subtly dude ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!¡± Tendou-san tried! She gave it her all! Thatment was like something I¡¯ve heard from the inte when the editor got a boring draft from the writer, I can¡¯t believe Tendou-san have the courage to say that in front of Chiaki! Uehara-kun and I throbbed at Tendou-san¡¯s response. It suited her style perfectly. She is still shivering dazedly after giving thatment. As for Chiaki who just heard that- ¡°I¡­I¡¯m excited! I never thought I will be thoroughly praised like this! I will give it everything I got!¡± ¡°SHE DOESN¡¯T GET IT AT ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!¡± Her unexpected optimism freaked us out. Tendou-san ran out of options, she can¡¯t help her anymore. She gave Chiaki a pale smile before returning the script to her. ¡°Farewell, everyone.¡± She turned around and said. Then, while Chiaki is happily reading her text, Tendou-san¡­mumbled silently to the point where only Uehara-kun and I heard her. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°We should be the one to say that!¡± We looked at Tendou-san, who¡¯s still shivering while running away before apologizing to her loudly in our hearts. We¡¯re really sorry! We meant that, Tendou-san! After that, Chiaki, who¡¯s still oblivious to what¡¯s happening, gave us a proud smile. ¡°Hm-mmm, how¡¯s that? Did you two see that? I found someone who¡¯s truly appreciating my game!¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± How should I describe this emotion that¡¯s erupting in both Uehara-kun¡¯s and my heart? Oh, it¡¯s like watching those light novels that sold well only because they had a good illustrator, something like that, I guess. Honestly, I really wanted to tell Chiaki, and I don¡¯t care whether I will destroy her will to live or not. Your game sucks even worse than the broken vacuum cleaner in my room. I really wanted to tell her no matter what! But then, there¡¯s no way for Uehara-kun and me to do that. Since¡­that would entirely invalidate Tendou-san¡¯s solemn and stirring effort! She is being so considerate towards Chiaki to the point that she just took all the bullets for her! Just as we are biting our teeth out of our sheer frustrations, Chiaki continued proudly. ¡°Come to think of it, while Keita and Uehara-kun didin a lot, you two never said that it was boring. I get it now. While I certainly hate moe characters, but this is what they call tsundere, right?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Uehara-kun and I were biting our lips to the point that they¡¯re about to bleed! This¡­This doesn¡¯t make any sense! Just because the creator is sensitive and talented, does that mean ordinary people like us can¡¯t say what we wanted to!? Is this the society we¡¯re living in!? So, Uehara-kun and I tried our best to suppress our anger that Is about to erupt furiously. Chiaki¡¯s paper was blown by the winding from the window of the ssroom, and it fell onto the floor of the entrance. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Chiaki immediately stood up and went after the paper. But, the script beautifully slipped pass her hands, and it ended up on the hallway. Uehara-kun and I stared at what she is doing, dumbfoundedly. Chiaki is chasing the paper all the way to the door, she rested a bit on the wall. Meanwhile, the thing ended upnding next to a girl. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s this?¡± The girl mumbled as she picked it up. Chiaki seems to have known the fact that a stranger picked up her script, so she hid at the corner of the wall to prevent the girl from noticing her, but Chiaki can¡¯t see the girl either. However, the girl¡¯s face, with wheat-coloured skin and brightly coloured hair- she is Aguri-san, Uehara-kun¡¯s girlfriend. We can see that clearly from the ssroom. To this unexpected situation that is about to unfold strangely, Uehara-kun and I held our breaths as we watch. Aguri-san read the script, and then- -Sheughed hysterically and gave us her unbridled thoughts. ¡°This sucks! What kind of game is this even? This feels super boring!¡± ¡°OUR LORD IS HEREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!¡± Uehara-kun and I saw a depressed Chiaki slowly curling herself up near the wall. At the same time, we hugged each other tightly from the heart-throbbing development. Suddenly, just as we are hugging each other to the point that actual homosexuals are ashamed of¡­I saw Uehara-kun¡¯s girlfriend, which is Aguri-san looked towards us. ¡°¡­Oh.¡± ¡­Aguri-san, who lost all hopes of living, ran away with Chiaki¡¯s script. ¡°W-WAIT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± Uehara-kun and I immediately scrambled and ran after her. Chiaki is still curled up at the corner of the ssroom, and mumbled to herself depressingly, ¡°S-super boring¡­¡± Well, I guess it¡¯s still too harsh for her even if this is just an ident. ¡°Oh, now is not the time to be worried about Chiaki. Aguri-san will scold at me if I don¡¯t exin!¡± After a series of hassle, the meeting of the Game Hobby Club ended spectacrly. Two weekster. A couple days after the meeting of the Game Hobby Club, in the afternoon of a Sunday. I¡¯m just browsing aimlessly on the when I suddenly found out that, NOBE, the game developer that I admire, has uploaded something new. ¡°Oh yeah!¡± I immediately downloaded the game. The works of NOBE has always contained a distinctive individuality. To be honest, it¡¯s not for everyone. But that¡¯s why I liked his games, and feel like I¡¯m one of his fans. I started the game with high expectations. Let¡¯s take a look at the title screen first. ¡°Gctic Federation vs Evil Invading Lord!¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± I¡¯m quite baffled. Um, while it still retained its individuality, I feel like I¡¯ve heard that somewhere. Welp, maybe I am just imagining things. After I clicked on ¡°New Game¡±, the prologue started to roll. ¡°In the year 765 of the Kingdom¡¯s calendar, the two countries that have been engulfed in constant wars for the domination on the continent of Gorugon, the Republic of Berufurau has signed a truce with the Baochishiu Empire.¡± In the dirty slums ruled by the soldiers disbanded from the Empire, a man who is destined to change the world was born from an emaciated prostitute. ¡°Hmm?¡± I felt like I saw this somewhere before. Still, I¡¯ve always yed a couple games at the same time, such ordinary plots like this are literally everywhere. But then, I realized that ording to my memory, the protagonist should have something odd within him¡­ ¡°His name is, Glenn Andalusia.¡± Looks like everything¡¯s normal. Yep, it¡¯s just my imagination, after all. So, I started ying the game It¡¯s a really traditional turn-based RPG. The protagonist has to defeat the corrupted staff of the Empire to reform its government, he decided to sneak up on them before assassinating- or not. Glenn is an honourable knight that challenges the enemy directly and bring them to justice after every battle. The world setting is very typical. The unit of currency is Gold, you gain XP and level after defeating the enemies, HP can be healed after using the medicine. Although the setting widens as the plot advances, the main character is just going on his business, punish the evil and bringing them to justice. He joined the Gctic Federation, atst, it¡¯s far from surprising. In the end, the Federation defeated the evil lord, and everyone lived happily ever after. The story is quite wild, but the plot managed to keep up. Um, how should I put it? Honestly¡­ ¡°It¡¯s your ordinary good game¡­¡± I stared at the ending screen and froze. I-I guess it¡¯s alright, NOBE sometimes did publish less ridiculous works, but he is really ying by the rules this time. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I turned off the game and opened NOBE¡¯s blog. After every ythrough, I will always give my feedback with the nickname Yama-san. ¡°Eh? Strange. There¡¯s a new post on the blog.¡± I read the post, it was about the obstacles he faced when creating the game. While the text is short, it did mention he received the help from two of his friends. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why¡­¡± I was a genuine fan of NOBE. I really like the originality from this guy¡¯s games, it¡¯s like I am his believer. Also, If we are talking about the quality of the game now, I feel like out of all the works of NOBE, this one ranks the top in terms ofpleteness. Three heads are really better than one, after all. Trim out the fat, and you¡¯ll get a game that everyone can y and love. That¡¯s not something that you can see every day. Also, NOBE just epted the suggestions from his friends, I bet that he is a mature and outstanding person. Even so, the game that I really like is after all¡­ I clicked on thement sections. First, I wrote down my thoughts as I¡¯ve always done: ¡°This is interesting! It was full of content to the point that it surprised me!¡± Then, after a moment of thinking, I decided to add one more sentence. ¡°¡­Alright.¡± I added what I really felt about NOBE in one simple sentence. The next day. ¡°I should¡¯ve followed my heart!¡± ¡°What?¡± We held the meeting of the Game Hobby Club as usual, and then Chiaki just announced this to us out of nowhere. Uehara-kun and I just stared at each other. ¡°W-What¡¯s going on? W-What¡¯s wrong with Hoshinomori? I thought she followed our advice¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, w-what the hell? After Aguri-san trampled her game to the ground, Chiaki lost her pridepletely and sincerely took our advice¡­¡± But then, why did she just reverted back today? This uneasy feeling is making us tremble, and Chiaki, who is feeling absolutely confident, loudly announced to Uehara-kun and me. ¡°I identally listened to your advice! But, this is a free game, not amercial product, there¡¯s nothing wrong for a creator to shove her preferences into her creation. Isn¡¯t this the reason that made F2P games attractive to yers!? I don¡¯t have the strength to withstand you two¡¯s temptation, that¡¯s too weak of me!¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± We felt unfair that she just criticized ourments. ¡°W-What¡¯s that? Chiaki, is it because no one downloaded your game after you took our advice?¡±¡± ¡°No, based on thetest data I have, the number of downloads is higher than all my previous gamesbined! People loved it! Honestly, I felt really proud of that!¡± ¡°See-¡° ¡°But!¡± Chiaki interrupted us and stood up forcefully. She lowered her head for a while, then she gave us a bright smile before mumbling. ¡°But¡­But if I do that, I don¡¯t think I can impress the guy that I really wanted to¡­¡± ¡°?¡± I don¡¯t understand what she is saying at all. So, I looked at Uehara-kun, but he just nced at me and said, ¡°Oh, is it because¡­¡±¡± I tilted my head, and then Chiaki cleared her throat before continuing. ¡°I made a small mistake. I just shovelled you two¡¯s input into the game because I lost faith in myself¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± We gave her some pretty genuine suggestions, so we are baffled by her reasoning. Then, she answered sheepishly. ¡°Um, although I think that it¡¯s good to ept other¡¯s people advice¡­¡± Chiaki paused for a moment, and then she continued with her eyes filled with determination. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t blindly put all those into my game without consideration, that¡¯s the least candid thing a creator could do. So, allow me to apologize to you two, I am really sorry about not utilizing your ideas to the fullest.¡± She bowed and apologized to us. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Uehara-kun and I lost words. We feel like the girl in front of us is much more mature than she seems. ¡°Y-You don¡¯t need to do that!¡± We immediately responded. In the next moment, when Chiaki gave us an embarrassing look, I looked away from her. ¡°Chiaki¡¯s awesome..wait, w-where did I get that idea¡­¡± I rubbed my eyes in an attempt to brush off the thought I just had. Chiaki was confused at my reaction as she returned to her seat, and then she continued. ¡°Um, but, if you two are okay with it, please give me your suggestions for my next game¡­¡± Chiaki seems embarrassed. It looks like she thought she pissed us off with her speech. Uehara-kun and I looked at each other, we gave each other a bitter smile before we beamed Chiaki a bright one. ¡°Sure, don¡¯t expect us to act kindly, though.¡± ¡°Okay! I¡¯m ready for it!¡± She patted her chest, followed by a few loud coughs. While the boys just looked at her andughed loudly- Suddenly, for some reason, I remembered the quote I left for NOBE on his blog. ¡°I loved your games from the bottom of my heart, they really showed who you are. ¨C Yama-san.¡± Volume 3, 4 – Ero-gamer and Spectator Mode

Volume 3, Chapter 4 ¨C Ero-gamer and Spectator Mode

Trantor: your_pingas ¡°Thanks for today, everyone!¡± The rays of the sunset cast into the Student Council¡¯s office. I raised from my seat and bowed down politely to wrap up the conference as I¡¯ve always had. The members are leaving one by one, only the year 3 secretary by my right, Seika Fuusai-senpai, remained. She lost a bit of her temper and is now pouting at me. ¡°Konoha, how many times do I have to tell you that you don¡¯t need to act so prudishly¡­¡± Senpai crossed her arms out of her frustration, even putting her hands close to her face. Her delicate arms wrapped in silky white skin is supporting her plumpy chest, and her hair is glistening like a dark crow¡¯s feather in the rain from the sunset. She¡¯s so beautiful. I really wanted to just stare at her forever. Still, I managed to suppress my lust before giving her a usual embarrassed smile. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay, don¡¯t mind it, Senpai. That¡¯s what I am supposed to do. Think about it, I am a year 1, after all, there is still a lot for me to learn from all of you!¡± I clenched my fist while Senpai let out a big sigh. ¡°That¡¯s what I was talking about. Our school, especially our student council, we don¡¯t really care about the hierarchy¡­¡± ¡°Yes! I understand! That¡¯s why I will train myself even harder, to allow me to work together with all of you. I sincerely look forward to that day, because I love all of you!¡± I grabbed Fuusai-senpai¡¯s hand tightly and looked at her right in the eyes. So, Senpai blushed out of her embarrassment before looking away. ¡°M-Man¡­¡± She mumbled to herself. ¡°Why can¡¯t you listen to us for once¡­¡± ¡°Haha, just give up, Seika. She has always been like this!¡± Kaga Kaya, the vice-president who¡¯s ready to go home, chuckled while swinging her ponytail. During this time, the remaining two members joined in the discussion. ¡°Konoha being a hardworking and sincere girl, didn¡¯t we learn that fact a long time ago?¡± ¡°Exactly. Konoha already climbed to the top of the school in year 1 due to her friendly attitude.¡± They are the vice-president, Setsusai Rinn, and the ountant, Mitsunai Sanndenn. Rinn-senpai is theposed type, while Sanndenn-senpai is the flirtatious type. Although their styles are different, there is something shared by all the girls in the student council. That is ¨C everyone is absolutely gorgeous. In the office room painted with a red shade of sunset, four hotties are looking at me sincerely. While I¡­looked at each one of them. Then, I clenched my fist once again and loudly announced my determination. ¡°Yes! I, Konoha, will fully dedicate myself to being the president of the Hekiyou High School, so please lend me all of your help in the future!¡± * Student Council Office, after the conference. I, Konoha, the President of the Hekiyou High School, is now sitting alone in the room. My back is facing the window, my ankles are on the table, my arms are crossed over each other as I prepare for the ¡°Real Battle¡± in my mind. After I closed my eyes, my nose was filled with the fragrant scent of the girls that just departed. The smell of innocent and pure girls¡­ ¡°¡­Ha.¡± My mouth curved up mischievously, and I almost exhibited my ¡°bad habit¡± on my face. However, I covered my face up with my hands. ¡°No¡­not now, Konoha. That¡¯s not your goal today.¡± So, I tried to identify the situation I¡¯m in to clear my mind. Firstly, let¡¯s review the unique background of this student council. Student Council of Hekiyou High School. It¡¯s a wondend straight out of light novels, filled with beautiful girls every year. In reality, starting from 5 years ago, the council started recording their daily lives and turned them into light novels. However, I have read none of that out of myck of interest. I have nothing to do with seniors that are 5 years older than me. Especially the ones that left their normie, youthful records behind, how am I even supposed to read them? I don¡¯t n to, anyway. Basically, the most crucial part is that this student council is really filled with beautiful girls, that¡¯s unbelievable if you ask me. Of course, there are reasons for it. It¡¯s not easy for a school to have that many hotties, the election of the council is now more or less a beauty contest. To put it simply, the most charming one gets to be the president, and the 2nd to 5th ce gets to pick the position they like. That¡¯s the council we¡¯re in. With this background, the girl that ranked 1st at the List of Most Beautiful Students in Hekiyou is me, Konoha. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± I turned my seat and looked at the full-body mirror ced at the side of the room, which showed my reflection. An innocent face with sparkling blue eyes, a soft and bright skin that is just right that it doesn¡¯t give off a pale and weak aura. The glossy ck hair is wrapped into a double ponytail, embodying both purity and activeness. A rather petite and thin bodypared to girls of the same age, and yet my breast size is not something that you can ignore, this really gives off the ¡°softness¡± of girls. Together with top grades, for the president of a student council- No, for a female, this is perfection, too perfect. Yes, all of these almost seem surreal. -I gave a mischievous grin to my ¡°perfect disguise¡± in the mirror. ¡°¡­Ohoho¡­this form is perfect¡­¡± The innocent image of the ¡°lively year 1 President Konoha¡± ispletely gone. I walked towards the mirror and reveled at my reflection. From the skin to the body and the moe double ponytails, this is too perfect to even have any room for improvement. I¡¯m absolutely not a narcissist. I worked really hard for this image. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m proud of myself. Objectively, when I¡¯m elected as the president of the student council, the goal of the girl named Konoha is alreadypleted. ¡°So¡­¡± After a round of appreciation in the mirror, I looked at the empty room once again before smiling confidently. Yes, in reality, I¡¯m not the hardworking, kind, and innocent student president like everyone thought I am. I only pretended I am for my interests and hobbies. Deep down, I¡¯m theplete opposite, and there¡¯s should be no way for me to be the president. The only reason that I climbed on the way up here is to satisfy my hideous desires, to gain control of the Hekiyou Student Council, and make it my own property. Finally, the day is here, I can finally stay in the student council office alone without raising any suspicion. ¡°Let¡¯s begin¡­¡± I¡¯m going to materialize my dark ns. ¡°Let¡¯s find the student council¡¯s dark and sinful legacy. Yes, I¡¯m going to¡­¡± This is me. The unusual and bizarre monster that is supposed to creep under the eternal darkness. That¡¯s right, I, Student President of Hekiyou High School, am actually- ¡°Let¡¯s find the legendary adult game!¡± -apletely fallen girl who loves adult games * Jealousy, curses, contempt. The male who once had everything in the world, in a sense. ¡°Hentai King¡± Key?JC?Capstone. ¡°You want my treasured collection? Take it¡­¡± ¡°Find the treasure yourself. I left everything that is erotic there.¡± The world is soon engulfed by an era of erotic games- -While it¡¯s not as ridiculous, some adult game lovers are actually curious about this, and the location of the treasure bes a small urban legend. However, it¡¯s not easy to find an adult game lover that can enter the Hekiyou Student Council. So, a few uneventful years just passed. Then, finally, a girl with erotic aspirations appeared. That¡¯s me ¨C the 37th president of the Hekiyou Student Council, Konoha. ¡°Right, let¡¯s get to work.¡± I immediately started searching in the empty student council room. Searching the shelves for files, the storage locker, knocking the walls, and even crawling on the floor. All of this to find the legendary adult game, affectionately known as ¡°ONE PIECE.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ What¡¯s wrong? Did you have a problem? Say it. Yes, I know. What I¡¯m doing right now is severely over the line. I literally saw myself crawling around, raising my butt, and showing off my panties in the mirror, even I wanted to suicide when I saw that. But, so what? If there¡¯s an exciting adult game wait for me, I can throw any useless dignity I have left. That¡¯s how a true adult games lover should be! ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Um, I do feel I shouldn¡¯t do this. However, that¡¯s precisely the reason why I am just confessing myself to a random person somewhere (maybe a god or a guardian spirit, some kind of higher entities, I guess.) and making up excuses. Whatever. If this is the case, I¡¯m going to keep my mind busy with an autobiography of myself during the search of the erotic game, just so I can forget the unfortunate reality I¡¯m in. Let¡¯s go with that. Well, it¡¯s not like I was born as an erotic game lover or anything. No, actually, the ¡°disguise¡± that I¡¯m using right now, the student council president Konoha, is what I used to be like, from the bottom of my heart. I got top grades and a somewhat good physique. It¡¯s not all serious, though. When it¡¯s time to y, my once innocent heart will enjoy the time to the fullest. I¡¯m trusted by my friends, feel joyous when the others get the blessing from the bottom of my heart. It¡¯s quite embarrassing for me to say all this myself. But that¡¯s who I was, a sincere girl that is rare these days. Then, two years ago, I identally entered the realm of erotic games when I¡¯m in junior high. The main fuse is a light novel rmended by one of my friends. The book itself wasn¡¯t remotely erotic, it¡¯s just a clich¨¦ and traditional romanticedy. However, what struck my heart is the alluring conversations inside. Although I loved it to the point that I rewatched the 4-episode novel five times in total, I feel more unsatisfied the more I rewatched it. During that time, I found out that the author was a scriptwriter for erotic games, and I immediately wanted to y that. Though, Icked the courage and yed the console version instead, which removed adult content. I feel somewhat satisfied since the game is verypelling. However, the one thing that I can¡¯t get it off my head is that it¡¯s easy for me to find out some of the scenes was supposed to be erotic, only for them to be removed in the console version. Like, even when I was just an innocent and sincere girl, I can feel something¡¯s wrong. After all, I spent a long time reading the part where the protagonists expressed their love for each other, and the content is supposed to be 18+. It¡¯s guaranteed to give yers scenes that make them sexually aroused but skipping the real meat, which is uneptably tantalizing. It¡¯s like describing the boss battle in a few sentences in an adventure manga. Of course, I don¡¯t think all works in the world needed an erotic scene. However, for a novel that is initially 18+, the readers will certainly get the impression that something¡¯s removed. Put it this way, even if new female characters are added, they simply couldn¡¯tpensate for the missing erotic scenes! Wait, where was I? Anyway, the result is the same, even though the content is very fascinating, I don¡¯t feel satisfied at all. So, I started looking for games from the same developer only to find that this is his only game that received a console version. However, I still don¡¯t dare to immerse myself in erotic games. When I ran out of options, I referenced people¡¯s feedback and the rmendations on the website, from there, I found a couple famous games that had their 18+ content removed. However¡­ Now that I¡¯m thinking of it, this decision is my turning point. In reality, all those games lived up to their reputation, the content is outstanding and intriguing. Surprising plot developments, exquisite illustrators for the girls, and their eye-catching presentations. All of them provided a refreshing and exciting experience for a new gal game (adult game) lover like me. Also, it¡¯s because of this. Those fantastic and perfect titles- They all gave me indigestion due to all the removed sexual content. Eventually, I crossed the line and entered the realm of erotic games. After I watched the sex scenes, I realized most titles nned them well enough so that the plot wasn¡¯t affected. The console version didn¡¯t give a part of the story to tant fanservice. It made the progression of the plot way better in some situations. Still, I had sometimes stumbled on games that can only impress people when they included the erotic part. However, at least I won¡¯t feel ufortable with the iplete plot in console versions. Most importantly, there are still a whole bunch of famous titles out there that weren¡¯t avable on consoles yet! I¡¯m sinking deeper and deeper into erotic games. I¡¯m just after the plot at the start. Before I even realized it, I started to develop preferences for the illustration style of the female characters, sometimes even able to givements to the illustrator. Atst, I abandoned the plot altogether and bought the game just for the drawings. While I¡¯m not born yuri, I didn¡¯t realize until now that I¡¯ll be aroused when I¡¯m around cute girls. Therefore, this Hekiyou Student Council is literally a paradise for me, I feel so excited! *cough* A-Anyway, that¡¯s how I became the ve of erotic games in less than two years. Of course, I never admitted to my closest friends or family that I have dirty hobbies like this. No matter how much you admire adult games, there are still rules and boundaries that you shouldn¡¯t vite. In reality, thanks to the model student life I have always been in, none of my friends or family knows anything in that realm. The girl that rmended me the light novel is not even a passionate reader in the first ce, and she is definitely not the girl that I will invite to an erotic game discussion panel. If we are just talking about average gamers, I can immediatelye up with someone in my mind. The problem is, while a person that loves games and a person that loves erotic games sounds simr on the surface, the difference between them is likeparing an elf to a dark elf. Both are in a stringent state that can quickly escte into an interracial war when there¡¯re misunderstandings. I really don¡¯t dare toe up to them and just chat about erotic games. Come to think of it, I guess I¡¯m still a good student deep down in my heart. I wanted to be liked, and I wanted to be trusted. The time and effort required for all that is a lot, but I don¡¯t feel like it¡¯s a tough task. The ¡°Konoha¡± on the surface is not a disguise or acting, it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve never shown anyone my inner self. But then, a peculiar hobby is like a fire. The more you tried to suppress it, the hotter it burns. That¡¯s why I tried my best to polish my outer Konoha to prevent that fire from burning everything down. Then, I ended up in an infinite vicious cycle. Well, I guess it¡¯s a positive one in a sense. So, that¡¯s the twisted birth of the beautiful student council president that is secretly an erotic game lover. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± I snapped back to reality and looked at the room that I¡¯m still searching with all my power before I mumbled to myself with a confident smile. ¡°Sigh, I guess I still had my own goals when I went out of my way to be the president.¡± If it weren¡¯t for this, I would never give up a vast portion of my personal time to participate in student council activities. I already had to work to deal with my hobbies and the spending required to maintain my outer image, not to mention studying hard for good grades. Honestly, I didn¡¯t have time to care about the student council. Still, I had put bing a member of the student council as my goal. All of this to find the legendary adult game and to treasure all of the beautiful girls in the world! ¡°For an erotic game lover, this is apletely logical decision!¡± I can¡¯t call myself an erotic game lover if I didn¡¯t grab this once-in-a-lifetime chance. Luckily, I kept on polishing myself for years, and I already gained everything I needed to get the top 5 in the ranking of beautiful girls. I never thought I get to be no.1, though. The reason for this seems to be that I have gained way more votes from the guys than other contestants. Well, I did more or less referenced 2D anime girls when I¡¯m shaping my image. I think that gave me a lot of points. My look is close to the guys¡¯ imagination, after all. To me, I guess the ¡°Konoha¡± on the surface is like roley, a roley that takes care of my hobbies and real-life interests. Just to illustrate how perfect my performance is, I sometimes even sighed to myself, ¡°Damn, I¡¯m going to be a popr female protagonist in erotic games, aren¡¯t I?¡± Um, although the image of me that is reflecting off the mirror is an exhausted high school girl searching for erotic games everywhere with dust on her head, it¡¯s too weird for me to be a protagonist. At least I will never try to y as this character, that will scare the crap out of me. ¡°¡­Phew, I¡¯m tired.¡± I paused the search, sat on the presidential chair, andzily pressed the bottom of my neck. I had my reasons to search for an erotic game so tirelessly. It basically boils down to a local urban legend posted on an underground forum. The folklore says that there was a psychopath full of motivation in the Hekiyou Student Council years ago. He was also a severe lover of adult games, his collections will make an expert show their horribly stained white feathers. However, when that guy graduated from high school, he got a whole bunch of reasons that forced him to deal with his treasures. In the end, most of the games were reluctantly sold. There is one that¡¯s forever not for sale in his heart, though. The so-called legendary erotic game, ¡°ONE PIECE.¡± No one knows the actual content of that title. However, if it¡¯s a game that Is treasured by an erotic game lover, do you have the slightest idea how little that narrows it down? The most reliable rumor has pointed out that, ¡°The student council at the time published a few light novels, then they got to meet a famous scriptwriter of erotic games with their connections in the industry. The student council may have received the extraordinary works of that scriptwriter back when he was still writing doujins. This rumor persisted, and it is the one that I believed in. This situation, together with my original decision to enter Hekiyou and me having the strength to join the student council, I think fate is asking me to join. Therefore, after a long and painful journey, I can finally stay in the student council room without raising any suspicions and spending my time searching for erotic games like this. But¡­ ¡°¡­Where is it!?¡¯ I reviewed my past in my mind and spent an hour searching in the room. When I roughly finished exploring this not-so-huge room, I finally screamed out of my frustration regardless of whether there are still people in the school. ¡°I-It¡¯s been an hour, why is it not here!? This is just a small room! I looked all over the walls, the floor, and even the ceiling yet there¡¯s nothing, what the hell is going on!?¡± This room is half the size of the standard ssrooms with just a few bookshelves and cupboards. I really don¡¯t understand how can an erotic game escape my carpet searching. The game could probably be gone, maybe someone took it away before me. However, allow me to reject that. The reason for this is with the local forum I mentioned earlier, a user that is highly spected to be Key?JC?Capstone himself has arrived and left a message behind. ¡°I went to Hekiyou earlier and found that the erotic game is still intact.¡± That is what he posted. Honestly, there is always a possibility for impersonations. However, that local forum has already turned into a tform for erotic game discussions midway for some reason, only a few adult game lovers around here cared these days. There¡¯re so few members that there¡¯s less than one message per month, I feel like no one will cast such a shabby prank like this. Moreover, when you consider the na?ve motivation that doesn¡¯te out from an aged man, I can say confidently that the user is probably the guy who hid the game. I can¡¯t help but bite my fingernails. ¡°But where did he hide it!?¡± Humans have always hide their erotic products since antiquity. The hotspot for guys is usually under their beds, the DVD box of movies for a more borate option. Me, an intellectual, will hide them in the wardrobe¡¯s bottom shelf where my underwears are. Beautiful girls poking their heads out of a sea of colorful panties, that¡¯s something that even I¡¯m ashamed of when I saw it. However, no one in my family found out because of this. Anyway, what I wanted to say is that erotic game lovers are often experts at hiding things. ¡°Damn, erotic game lovers are really a pain in the butt.¡± I ignored my identity and stomped on the floor. To be honest, I underestimated the difficulty of finding the legendary adult game. I expected I can find it in under 30 minutes. Then, I ended up in an unreasonably hard, real-life room escape game where there¡¯s no hope at all. I grabbed my phone from my pocket and checked the time. It¡¯s 6 PM already, which means I have to get going. However, I don¡¯t know when I can stay in the room alone like this if I missed this chance. The members are good girls, after all. They will never allow me to work alone like this. I only managed to get them home when I said I still got a few documents left that I have to sign. They barely resisted helping me, even with such a simple task. This is an excuse that can¡¯t be used twice. God knows when I can stay alone in the room. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± I looked around the dark student council room and bit my fingernail even harder. I really can¡¯t think of anywhere else to hide an adult game. I had already worked off my butt to try and eliminate all possibilities. Still, I can never understand what the legendary guy is thinking. Suddenly, I found out the mirror is reflecting an exhausted, dirty, and defeated girl who looks like she¡¯s about to cry. I feel like my spirit is wavering as the room darkens. Honestly, this is how I¡¯ve always been. A gifted student sounds like a good description of mine. However, this basically means that I don¡¯t have any particr talents. I can masterfully finish anything without errors, but I can never get 1st ce in vital times. I can rank at the top 5, or top 10 regardless of grades or sports. However, I have never been a no.1. Since there are always more talented beings that can take all glory away. Hence, I freaked out when I ranked 1st in Hekiyou¡¯s most attractive girls. I even felt blessed for a short while before it disappearedpletely. Why? It¡¯s because even if I didn¡¯t hear it for myself directly, the truthful words from the students of Hekiyou had still passed to me. ¡°Sigh, if Karen Tendou from Otobuki is here, she is definitely no.1.¡± This sentence. I¡¯ve always heard Karen Tendou-san¡¯s fame from Otobuki. Put it this way, even though I just took a nce at her from far away, I instantly and painfully realized that, ¡°this person is different.¡± Of course, all members of the Hekiyou Student Council are attractive girls with their own unique personalities, including myself. I sincerely felt that even after I eliminated my narcissist''s brain and the bias towards my school. But then, Karen Tendou is the most extraordinary. In this world, everyone has their preferences for their definition of attractiveness. Even for an idol group where every member is outstanding and cute girls, there is still a wide range of favorites based on people¡¯s desires. However, Karen Tendou has some kind of attribute on her that made everyone feel that she¡¯s attractive regardless of their preferences, the qualities that you can¡¯t find easily even in the performing industry. The distance between our starting line is overwhelmingly long. It¡¯s not an exaggeration when I say she¡¯s blessed by the gods. The world that she is living in is not one that can be reached with effort or self-improvement alone. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± I looked at my helpless reflection in the mirror before I let out a self-mocking sigh. I deeply realized I¡¯m nothing whenpared to that angelic girl. I admitted defeat a long time ago because I love beautiful girls more than anyone else. Still, even so, I have to say. Admitting defeat doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m not upset. While there¡¯s no point in being jealous of other people¡¯s talent, but when you face a situation where your hard-worked result was quickly overwhelmed by someone with unique expertise in a single stroke, it¡¯s hard to get over it. That is why even when I used the jealousy to fuel my efforts in improving myself, I will often lose when I¡¯m up against the word ¡°talent.¡± So, this time, as an erotic game lover myself, I finally admitted defeat in something that I¡¯m an expert at¡­because Icked talent¡­ ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I really can¡¯t let it go. I barely kept the tears from rolling down my eyes. My polished appearance is inferior to others, my hard trained physique is nothing whenpared to talents, I studied with everything I had only to lose to a genius¡¯s random spark in his/her brain. I can still get myself over all this when Iforted myself that there¡¯s nothing more I can do about this. However, if it¡¯s to the point where I was marked ¡°unqualified¡± for a game that I loved from the bottom of my heart, even I will get upset. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡­Sigh, I¡¯m going home.¡± I mumbled to myself depressingly before packing up and heading home. * ¡°Damn, I¡¯m filled so much lust right now.¡± Basically, there¡¯s no way for my sentimental, girl-like heart tost for 3 minutes. After I walked out of the school and towards the bus station, I changed my mind and started dashing to the downtown. ¡°I can run to the game shop and make it home before dinner!¡± Even if I can¡¯t, I can just say that there are activities in the student council. I really needed to find a game to calm down my lust right now. But, I¡¯m still wearing my high school uniform, so I can¡¯t enter the adult game section. That¡¯s fine, a console version will do for now! Console versions are like the promotional videos for sexy portraits that the guys loved, sometimes even more than porn. What makes gal gamespelling is that they can really give you the freedom of imagination when you are filled with sexual desire. ¡°Moreover, I¡¯m immersed in erotic games for a long time and distanced myself from gal games, now¡¯s the time to catch up.¡± It¡¯s easy to leave the console version behind when you start exploring the erotic genre. However, I never treated adult games as a better recement for gal games. While adult games gained their individuality from their wide range of scales, gal games are for all age groups, the developers have to put more effort into the plot if they can¡¯t rely on the sexually-arousing scenes alone, and that¡¯s a fact. Ah, even so, whenpared to the ridiculous being that is the legendary adult game, there¡¯s no way for me to deny that it overshadowed other products. Still¡­ ¡°Kyaa! Now¡¯s not the time for that! All I need to do now is head to the goal!¡± I started using my entire body¡¯s energy and charged towards the game store. However, I ran into the toilet when I¡¯m close. ¡°I need to disguise myself even though I¡¯m not buying erotic games, just to y it safe.¡± I skillfully untied my double ponytails and let all the hair wrap around my head chaotically, then I stuffed the paper tissues into my mouth to puff up my cheeks before wearing a pair of rustic red sses. If I¡¯m being picky, I would have changed my body shape and perhaps wear a bit of makeup as well. However, since I¡¯m not getting into the adult gamer zone, I guess this will do. I walked into the store while feeling relieved that the number of customers and the games that they¡¯re selling has always been the same. To be honest, the price here is quite high, and the quality is not outstanding either. This is just a typical game store. It¡¯s both cheaper and more convenient to buy the games online. Even so, this is still a treasured ¡°typical game store¡± in a sense. To put it simply, you can purchase everything from brand new titles to erotic games. ¡°¡­Looks like there¡¯s no one from our school.¡± I picked up a random game from the new release area near the entrance and used the gaps between the shelves to observe the situation inside the store. Aside from the brown-haired cashier who¡¯szily reading his magazine, there¡¯s no one around. I put the game back onto the shelf and walked towards the section for gal games like it¡¯s nothing. The games are listed alphabetically. There¡¯s no way for me to decide by reading the titles alone. So, I turned to the ¡°Featured¡± section, which showed the cover of the games¡­ ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s all new releases and famous titles¡­¡± I considered myself to be a gamer. So I can¡¯t help but feel disappointed when nothing is refreshing enough to catch my eye. Usually, when you finished ying all the well-received titles on the inte, you will turn your eyes on games that are rmended by a person. Hence, I¡¯m really interested in the games that the staff has picked out. It looks like I¡¯m out of luck today, though. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just start with something I¡¯m interested in¡­¡± I made up my mind and picked up a box of a game that has a refreshing name and started scanning it. Then, when I¡¯m picking up the fourth box because the first three isn¡¯t reallypelling. ¡°So¡­that¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°?¡± Someone¡¯sing from the entrance, I immediately put the game back onto the shelf and started peeking at the side. ¡°By the way, you¡¯re really interested in this, Mizumi-kun. I respect you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, Amano-kun. It¡¯s really embarrassing when you are praising others this seriously. Didn¡¯t other people tell you that?¡± I took a nce, two high school boys chatted with each other as they entered the store. ¡°Their uniform¡­they are from Otubuki.¡± Phew, good to know that they aren¡¯t from Hekiyou, I should keep observing. The guy called ¡°Amano-kun¡± looks like a weak and short student. He¡¯s not ugly, but I feel like no one will remember him. ¡°Hey, he¡¯s like the typical protagonist in dating sims.¡± He looks alright, but you don¡¯t know where he¡¯s good at. I guess this is what you call a person that iscking in personality. ¡°¡­Sigh, I shouldn¡¯tin when I¡¯m a hardworking student myself.¡± I spent a lot of time polishing every bit of me to climb to what I am today. If we were just talking about base stats, maybe I¡¯m more or less simr to him. Now that I¡¯m thinking about it, I feel somewhat sympathetic towards him¡­ Anyway, the problem is with the guy next to him, Mizumi-kun. Soft skins, cute face, brown hair, a tall body that doesn¡¯t feel give off a fragile feeling, and a bnced physique. Most importantly, the guy gives off a refreshing aura that attracts people. ¡°¡­Crap, he¡¯s so awesome to the point that I¡¯m falling for him.¡± He¡¯s an entirely different character than Amano-kun. He¡¯s not a personalitycking protagonist born from normality, I guess he is born with a distinctive presence. From this perspective, I think¡­ ¡°I guess he¡¯s the boy version of Karen Tendou, right?¡± He¡¯s not as impactful as the blonde Karen Tendou, after all. Boys like him shouldn¡¯t be idolized in the school, but I guess many girls will fall for him, at least I am right now¡­ Just when I¡¯m lost in thoughts, I realized that they are heading towards here. Those two guys didn¡¯t even look at the new release area for some reason. Instead, they walked straight into the store, into the gal game area where I¡¯m standing. ¡°Oh, crap!¡± I hastily left the area. I walked softly and quickly so that those boys don¡¯t see me. Finally, I got to the RPG zone, where I saw them stopped at the gal game area. I observed them from the gaps between the shelves while pressing my chest, feeling relieved. ¡°They are from another school, and I¡¯m in disguise. Well, I feel like I shouldn¡¯t take my time and pick my favorite gal game in front of them¡­¡± So, I just stared at them for a while. I can see their backs as they started chatting in front of the gal game area. ¡°So, Amano-kun, I wanted to hear your rmendations¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I am here because I wanted to hear rmendations, so I can¡¯t help but raise my ears as I took a step forward. The guy that looks like a cowardly protagonist gave a weak smile upon facing the question from the cute one. ¡°H-How should I put it? I¡¯m feeling quite embarrassed when you are seriously asking me a rmendation for gal games¡­¡± ¡°I know how you feel bro, but can you speed up here?¡± I¡¯m getting irritated as I grew impatient. Although I¡¯m just releasing my anger on that guy, there¡¯s a reason for me to feel depressed and restless at the same time. The handsome guy called Mizumi-kun seems to share my feelings. He smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to tease you. I was the one who asked for rmendations, why would Iin about your taste?¡± ¡°Yeah, I wasn¡¯t suspecting you, and I don¡¯t think I have an unusual taste. It¡¯s just that I have never rmended a gal game to my friends, so I¡¯m still not used to it.¡± The average protagonist smile shyly¡­what a pain in the butt, this Amano-kun guy is some! Look at how straightforward Mizumi-kun is! *cough* Well, to be honest, I know what Amano-kun is thinking. It¡¯s not easy for you to give rmendations when your friends know that you¡¯re into erotic games. They will found out your preferences of the opposite sex, which would include your fetishes. So, it¡¯s way harder to answerpared to other types of games. Just when I¡¯m observing worriedly for some reason, the Amano-kun embarrassingly answered after a moment of consideration. ¡°Um¡­So, Mizumi-kun, are you curious in any gal game here?¡± ¡°Jesus, stop dragging, you¡¯re a pain in the butt!¡± I can¡¯t help but stomp on the floor. Then, the boys turned around and looked at me. I hastily turned around and let off a couple coughs to cover myself. After a moment of silence, they seemed to have misunderstood my signal, so they continued discussing with a suppressed volume. The guy called Mizumi-kun looked at the shelf, he appeared frustrated. In the end, he picked up a featured title in the store that is well-received. ¡°I did my homework, they called this a legend on the inte, right?¡± He showed this to Amano-kun as he¡¯s talking, it¡¯s the cheaper version of a legendary title from an author who started with doujins. That was so popr that it got remade a few times, I guess it¡¯s unanimously famous. Especially for the writer who¡¯s full of individuality that has a lot of crazed fans, his overwhelming talents are well-known in the anime and novel industry. I feel somewhat defeated as I continued looking at the boys. ¡°This game got momentum, even a guy who¡¯s not familiar with gal games are interested. Was it made with talent?¡± Like Karen Tendou and Mizumi-kun, who¡¯s in front of me, some covers immediately radiated an aura in the erotic and gal game industry, they just make people feel that ¡°this is different than the other games.¡± Whether it¡¯s the illustrations, the plot, or the presentation, those titles had always included revolutionary elements. To put it this way, these are titles created with talents that justify the attention they got. Of course, they would, people are literally flocking to buy it. While I do agree on this, there¡¯s something that makes my heart tinge for a little bit. However, I don¡¯t know what this feeling is¡­is it because I expected to hear an unexpected rmendation? I wondered for a while. Then, Amano-kun, who¡¯s seemingly lost in thought for a moment, quickly answered Mizumi-kun¡¯s question. ¡°Yup, that¡¯s fun. I loved it so much that I barely slept for a week. I think you can be addicted to it as much as I do, this is a fascinating title.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯m picking this one if you say so.¡± Mizumi-kun started walking towards the cashier as he¡¯s talking. I knew they started moving, so I wondered whether I should go back to the gal game area. Suddenly, Amano-kun grabbed Mizumi-kun by his sleeve gently. ¡°Oh, just a second. Although that is an outstanding game, and the content is really intriguing, I never said I rmended that to you.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Mizumi-kun looked at him suspiciously as he stopped. I¡¯m feeling a little bit confused as well, and then he started exining unexpectedly in a clear voice. ¡°Mizumi-kun, the reason you wanted my suggestions is that you wanted to know why are gal games appealing, right?¡± ¡°Yep, you¡¯re right. Don¡¯t you think all members of the Game Club are too specialized? Like, no one is familiar with this genre at all¡­¡± Mizumi-kunughed heartily. It looks like he belonged to the Game Club. Damn, the more I know, the more I¡¯m falling for him. In contrast to this, the guy called Amano-kun¡­ ¡°What do you want? Stop nagging! That game is such apelling one, why don¡¯t you just rmend that one? Please don¡¯t be so indecisive¡­ He¡¯s precisely the coward protagonist in dating sims. Just as I grew impatient, Mizumi-kun also gave him a confused look, hinting that he doesn¡¯t really understand what his friend was saying. Then, the guy named Amano embarrassingly grabbed a game on the shelf that wasn¡¯t featured by the store, it¡¯s not even a new release or a hot one¡­its sale figures are mediocre at best. Yet, he rmended that to Mizumi-kun. ¡°Actually, I think I will rmend this, Rainbow Court.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Ehhhh!?¡± Although Mizumi-kun let out a confused noise, I¡¯m far more shaken than he did. That¡¯s because¡­ ¡°That game has nothing special going for it!¡± To be honest, I was curious about the game¡¯s illustration as well a while ago, so I looked up thements for it. I found out that there¡¯s nothing revolutionary with the plot, and it¡¯s not touching at all. It¡¯s really an average game. In reality, the yers give it a 5/10, saying that it¡¯s alright. So, I don¡¯t feel that I need to y it immediately and never got my hands on it. Well, no one on the blog strongly rmended it anyway. ¡°He went out of his way to endorse Rainbow Court¡­is he pretending to be a connoisseur?¡± This is the only possibility. I don¡¯t think that game is not something you can rmend before the legendary title. Unexpectedly, that Amano guy had the same idea as I do. ¡°Oh, this game doesn¡¯t have anything going for it, and it¡¯s not well-received or popr.¡± ¡°Really? Hmm, then why did you¡­¡± ¡°Um, I guess it¡¯s because I love this game.¡± ¡°Oh, I get it. You mean that this one got a unique charm only understood by gamers like you?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not like that. Like I have said before, this game is in no way memorable.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Mizumi-kun and I were confused. What¡¯s wrong with this guy? If he¡¯s not pretending to be an expert and emphasized that ¡°this game has something special that only I know about¡± thing¡­What does he want then? Amano-kun doesn¡¯t seem to have realized our confusion. He continued. ¡°But then, all I know is that I love this game. The content is really detailed.¡± ¡°Oh, so you mean that it¡¯s a great title that has a lot of effort spent on the details, right?¡± ¡°Welp, it¡¯s not as good as you¡¯ve said.¡± ¡°H-Hmm?¡± Mizumi-kun tilted his head in confusion as he asked a genuine question. ¡°Um, if that¡¯s the case, shouldn¡¯t I just y the well-received title instead¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, you can buy that first if you are really interested in it, that¡¯s fine. However, I personally wanted you to check out games like this one as well.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mizumi-kun threw him a logical question, which is what I wanted Amano-kun to answer. Amano-kun scratched his face as he looked gently at the cover of Rainbow Court¡­and gave his conclusion while smiling embarrassingly. ¡°Of course, a famous title created by a genius is impressive. However, I feel the same way for games that are created by hardworking people as well, perhaps I even value thetter more. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Suddenly- Something pierced through my heart. ¡°Oh, shit.¡± I really wanted to cry for some reason. I immediately tried to hold it back as I plopped my head down. ¡°What¡¯s this? Why do I¡­have this feeling?¡± I¡¯m unable to process my emotion right now. All I can do is try my best and hold back my tears. Just as I¡¯m panicking, those two boys are still chatting over the shelves. ¡°Amano-kun¡­I thought you liked ying unique games like the fighting game we yed earlier.¡± ¡°Um, that¡¯s true. I¡¯m lying if I say that I don¡¯t like these fascinating titles. However, even if that¡¯s the case, I feel that there¡¯s a particr genre of games that wasn¡¯t branded with outstanding titles.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­this is hard to exin¡­how should I put it? Here¡¯s an extreme example. Let say that a guy bes addicted to suspense drama when they saw a 2-hour detective TV show, and then hees up to you and says he wanted to read detective novels. You wouldn¡¯t tell him to read Dogra Magra at the start, even though that is a legend filled with talents, right?¡± [Note: Dogra Magra, one of the top 3 detective novels in Japan.] ¡°Oh, I get it, that¡¯s a good one. But, isn¡¯t that a really extreme example? At least when Ipare the famous title with Rainbow Court, I still feel like I can gain more from the former one.¡± Mizumi-kun is a Game Club member, after all. He¡¯s emphasizing on what he can gain from ying that. Amano-kun scratched his face with a smile after hearing his solid refusal. ¡°Yeah, it boils down to your preferences in the end. However, I think the value of ¡°a good game that can bring you joy¡± and ¡°an outstanding title¡± is the same. Don¡¯t you think the former one can give you a sense of peacefulness? I believe this ¡°rxed peacefulness¡± is what I am after when I want to y gal games.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s what makes gal games great, am I right?¡± ¡°Yup, that¡¯s how I think. Therefore, if you want to know what makes gal games fun, I wouldn¡¯t give you an exceptional rmendation. Instead, I hope that you can at least try out these genuine, detailed, and humble titles. Sigh, to be honest, that¡¯s what I love.¡± I saw his embarrassed face as he speaks, and then I finally realized why I¡¯m shaking right now. ¡°I got it¡­it¡¯s because¡­when I heard what he said, I feel like someone finally appreciated my life¡­¡± Gosh, I¡¯m just eavesdropping why I am feeling epted right now. However, at this moment, I think that his words are for me¡­that¡¯s my thought. I can¡¯t help it. I gave everything I could, and yet I¡¯m still overwhelmed by talents. Then, his words made me feel all my effort wasn¡¯t a waste. At the same time, that made me reflect on myself, who spent all day trying to find that adult game. I stared at my right palm as I closed it slowly. ¡°Come to think of it, maybe I involuntarily focused on famous and exceptional titles as well to the point that they narrowed my sights¡­¡± I was not this self-abased when I faced talented people in the past. I guess my condition has worsened because I became so narrow-minded. This time, I clenched my right hand tightly. Being unexpectedly corrected by a cowardly boy that I used to look down upon, and even letting him to save me. Never before have I been so offended by something I one hundred percent agree with¡­ ¡°Come to think of it, the light novel which I foundpelling at the start didn¡¯t even have anything unique going for it. The content is universal, detailed, and genuine while appealing and gentle at the same time. That¡¯s the clich¨¦ romanticedy it is¡­¡± A nostalgic and warm feeling brightened my heart. Maybe, there¡¯s something I should do before I spend all time trying to find the legendary erotic game left by someone unknown. They started moving as I am lost in thoughts. ¡°Hmm, alright. I¡¯m buying this then.¡± Mizumi-kun answered gently. I can hear his footsteps as he walked towards the cashier. Which one did he buy? I¡¯m curious. However, I will never know what choice did he make. That¡¯s because- I¡¯m not looking at him at all, even though he¡¯s handsome and straightforward. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not like I care about this guy. Why am I¡­why am I..falling for him!?¡± I bit my fingernails hardly as I stared at the weak protagonist in dating sims ¨C Amano, and his face. * ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± I opened the door to the living room, andzily greeted the house. I¡¯m exhausted. Then, my sister, who¡¯s wearing her pajamas, answered while focusing on her phone. ¡°Wee back. Wow, you¡¯rete, Konoha.¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m a bit busy today. It looks like I caught up to dinner, though.¡± I looked at the kitchen, mom¡¯s almost done cooking. Dad¡¯s¡­ probably in his room, I don¡¯t see him in the living room or the kitchen. I pulled the chair in front of my sister and hung my bag on the back of the seat before I sat down, and then I started watching the riddle TV show nkly. Sis stared me after the host asked a trivial question. ¡°¡­Why aren¡¯t you changing your clothes?¡± ¡°Right, I need to. I really needed a break, though.¡± ¡°Konoha, it¡¯s not easy to see your exhausted face, is the student council tough?¡± Sis put her phone on the table before looking at me worriedly. Her face makes me feel relieved. Speaking of my sis, she¡¯s pretty bad at everything. Honestly, I¡¯m way better than her when ites to academics or sports. But then, she is still a well-qualified sister. I really appreciated that. So, even though I never went out of my way to grumble to her, I really wanted to say that today. Of course, my love for erotic games has to remain a secret for my family. I looked at Sis face to face and started talking about how pissed off I am today, vaguely. ¡°Um¡­how should I put it? I met a person who¡¯s totally against me today.¡± ¡°Oh, really? What a coincidence. I was pissed, so I never told you, but I encountered a simr situation not long ago.¡± ¡°Right. It¡¯s not every day that you get to hear my introverted sis be mad at others. Oh, but mine was really ridiculous. How should I say it? That person is fundamentally different than I am. But then, we shared something subtle inmon, which really irritated me.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s really a coincidence. Me too, me too!¡± Sis leaned towards me. I did the same thing as I¡¯m getting energetic. ¡°If we are talking about which part of that person pissed the most of out me, that has to be the fact that I sometimes admire his way of thinking in some situations¡­¡± ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s it! When you know that from the bottom of your heart that the person sucks, but sometimes he¡¯s really an inspiring figure, that¡¯s precisely why I am mad! I know that feeling!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I didn¡¯t know that I can chat with my sister this much. When I finally stood up from the chair out of excitement, my bag that was hung on the back of it fell onto the floor suddenly. Everything inside spilled out because I forgot to zip the bag. The textbooks and notes are everywhere. Also, there¡¯s something in the mixture¡­ ¡°Oh, crap!¡± I immediately scrambled to clean everything up after realizing something, but it¡¯s toote. ¡°Huh? What kind of game is this?¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t just grab it away, sis!¡± Sis is only agile in times like this. She took ¡°that¡± away. She deftly escaped my grab and read the title out loud. ¡°What is this¡­.Rainbow Court? Konoha, you liked this kind of game?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s not like that! I-I just borrowed it! Yes, I borrowed it from my friend!¡± ¡°Eh? But it still got the stic coat on, I feel like you just bought it¡­¡± ¡°Damn¡­!¡± I¡­I can¡¯t say it out loud! I bought the game because of that guy¡¯s words! I¡¯m literally acting like a tsundere right now! I don¡¯t want to exin it! Kill me! Shit, my face is ring up! I-I need to take that back right now! The more I tried to take that back, the more my sister, who¡¯s supposed to be a slowpoke, can dodge my attacks. She gave me a mischievous grin as she ran all around the living room. ¡°Ooooooh, never seen this side of you before, that¡¯s rare!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­t-that¡¯s enough, sis, give it back to me, please?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­what should I do?¡± I got agitated. I¡¯m frustrated with my cowardly sis¡¯s smug face¡­Finally, I took off my model student disguise and showed just a tad bit of who I am as I screamed. ¡°G-GIVE IT BACK! CHIAKI!¡± The 37th President of the Hekiyou Student Council ¨C Hoshinomori Konoha. This is only the start of her painful journey. Volume 3 5 – Tasuku Uehara and Half Their Life Game

Volume 3 Chapter 5 ¨C Tasuku Uehara and Half Their Life Game

Trantor: your_pingas Amano and Aguri married each other. They snapped together as soon as they graduated from college. We celebrated and wished the couple to head to their next stage of life. However, in reality, our heart is filled with mixed feelings. Hoshinomori, who¡¯s a freeter, reluctantly gave her rival Amano his celebration money. As for Tendou and me¡­while both of us are not poor, but when we looked at our lovers marrying each other, the customary smiles on our faces are stiff, to say the least. No, speaking of stiff smiles, the married couple is the same. Although they gave Tendou and me an embarrassing look, they still nced at each other before whispering to each other like they are a destined couple. ¡°¡­Are you an idiot, Amanhi¡­¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t help it¡­! That¡¯s how things went¡­!¡± I, Tendou, Hoshinomori stared at them as their clearly-in-love faces. The bride and the groom noticed our sights and finally stopped whispering before coughing a few times to make up for it. The spot for this intive scene is in the wedding banquet hall of a hotel, several years after our Otobuki Highschool life was over when we parted ways- or not. The living room of Hoshinomori¡¯s Home, a while since the beginning of the summer holiday. ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± Under an atmosphere akin to Finnegans Wake, five people surrounded a table. A Game of Life board is at the center of the table. The cicadas are calling outside the window. The AC in Hoshinomori¡¯s home seems to have sensed the dense atmosphere and automatically switched on, and cool breezes descended among us. I grabbed my wheat tea and poured it into my mouth, the ice cubes are bumping and nging each other as I re-evaluated the situation. The living room, afternoon. Amano and Aguri are sitting shoulder-to-shoulder at the longer side of the table near the window. Tendou and I sat opposite them. Hoshinomori, the owner of the house, sat on the shorter side. ¡°¡­Bruh, why did we assign the couples to diagonal seats? This is already a big problem.¡± Usually, Aguri and I should be a pair with Amano and Tendou on the other side, or it¡¯s boys against girls. However, when we arrived at Hoshinomori¡¯s home, we behaved just like the same as all of us would, because we all exhausted our minds to try and figure out a strategy for proper seats. In the end, we got a result that none of us wished for, as you can see here. However, I¡¯m not giving up yet. That¡¯s because¡­ ¡°¡­Phew.¡± I put my cup of wheat tea on the table with a ¡°ng¡± sound. Then, I forced a smile and tried to save the awkward situation. ¡°A-Alright, let¡¯s continue and y this ¨C Sweet Sweet Game of Half-Life!¡± If there¡¯s a misunderstanding, the best way to solve this is to gather every relevant person together. I, Tasuku Uehara, had realized this truth a long time ago. The problem is, it¡¯s not easy to group these five people together. In the end, two issues prevented us from sitting down and chat with each other. One, there¡¯s a subtle between Tendou and us. Second, we don¡¯t have a 5-yer ¡°centralized activity¡± at all. Tendou wasn¡¯t a Game Hobby Club member, to begin with, and she¡¯s far from reaching the threshold for friendship. However, even if we got that part done, we still don¡¯t have a reason for us to gather and talk. Then, these two issues were resolved gradually before the summer holiday. Firstly, the main one, Amano and Tendou are in a rtionship now. With that, we can link ourselves to Tendou. She being Amano¡¯s girlfriend, will have no issue toe and y with Amano¡¯s friends. With that out of the way, the only problem is gathering five of us together, which means nning activities. Honestly, Aguri is the crux in this step. All of us but her are gamers, and she has no knowledge of it. Therefore, it¡¯s going to be hard to ask her to y along with our standards. Then, this super weird game of life¡­Love Love Game of Half-Life appeared. ¡°Um, this is something that my sister brought home with. I¡¯m not sure of the details, but she said she found it during a treasure hunt or some kind. I¡¯m a bit confused. But then, the game seems fun¡­¡± Hoshinomori brought this up during a Game Hobby Club meeting. With that, I felt a bit hopeful, we can drag Aguri into this with the board game. Basically, this is a game of life where you walk forward by spinning a wheel, so it really doesn¡¯t have anything to do with skills. However, the game has small built-in events that are very specific. Reads are pretty much useless here. More importantly, I can see how Hoshiomori, a game lover without many friends and Amano are really into this. So, I took the chance and tried my best to invite everyone. Finally, today is the day. After a long negotiation, I forced us to be in Hoshinomori¡¯s ce and face each other¡­ ¡°S-So¡­I-I¡¯m next, right? H-Here goes.¡± Aguri reached for the wheel as she speaks. I stared at the roulette, waiting for the result as I¡¯m thinking about what just happened. Then, I let out a sigh in my heart with a smile stered on my face. ¡°Which part is not working? A game of life with this scale is hard to carry around, that¡¯s why we just decided to y at Hoshinomori¡¯s ce¡­This is 100% logical. As for the seats, sitting this way can avoid people from just chit-chatting with their loved ones, this is understandable as well. The rules for Love Love Game of Half-Life is just to do whatever the wheel told you to, everyone can enjoy their time and chat with each other, exactly what I¡¯m looking for. Yes, my n should be perfect. But then¡­but then¡­!¡± Just as I¡¯m overthinking, the wheel stopped. 3. The pink car representing Aguri¡¯s piece walk forwards for 3 spaces, and she stopped at¡­ ¡°Your newlywed life is going great! You got a child during your honeymoon! Take 3000 yen from all yers.¡± ¡°NO ONE CAN PLAY THIS BS GAME!!!¡± My heart is dripping blood right now as I smiled and gave Amano and Aguri 3000 yen. Hoshinomori, who became a freeter right at the start, stared at them angrily because she¡¯s out of money. As for Tendou, Amano¡¯s actual girlfriend¡­she gave a fake smile like the one I did as she handed 3000 yen to Amano. Meanwhile, Amano and Aguri didn¡¯t even dare to look at us in the eye. ¡°Aguri-san¡­! Why do you have to give birth to a baby in times like this¡­!¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s not like we have a choice! A-Amanhi, you have to take up responsibility as well!¡± They started whispering to each other again as they fell into an argument. However, that just makes the whole thing 10x as worse for Tendou and me, who heard their conversation. They noticed our stares. Then, they coughed a few times to clear their throats. Both of them have synchronized coughs, which really makes us think that they are a newlywed couple¡­what the hell is this? I looked at the entire money exchange process as I re-evaluate which part is the cause of failure of this masterful n. ¡°¡­Sigh, this Love Love Game of Half-Life has its own issues as well.¡± You can see from all the context, we stayed more or less the same since the start of the game. Amano and Aguri started dating when they were students, Hoshinomori, who doesn¡¯t have a boyfriend in real life, is basically jobless. Now, this evolved into an awkward situation that none of us knows how to deal with. This was followed closely by marriage events, and then, well, you know how it went. Marriage events are a part of this type of game, but most of them won¡¯t bind yers into a couple. The best that they can do is plug a piece that symbolizes a partner in the car. However, it¡¯s called ¡°Love Love¡± for a reason, there¡¯re many weird interactions included in the board, granted it can lighten up the mood in bonding events. For us, though¡­ ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a problem if Aguri and I, or Amano and Tendou married each other in events like this. But, our misfortune has really taken a toll on us this time.¡± It wasn¡¯t until now that I regretted picking this BS game of life. I put too much effort into connecting these five people and didn¡¯t consider whether the content suits us¡­crap. ¡°W-Well, it¡¯s my turn, then¡­ahem.¡± Tendou tried to switch up her mood by coughing as she reached for the roulette¡­she advanced the most spaces so far. However, when Tendou was on the marriage event space earlier, she rolled ¡°decided to not marry anyone and focus on work instead, ie doubles,¡± which have a 10% chance of urring. As a result, the richest and farthest yer is still single. Still, I guess it suits her so we can¡¯t reallyin about this independent women¡¯s life. Tendou¡¯s wheel stopped. 8. The yellow car walked across the ¡°Loner¡± road that derived from the marriage event, her speed is as fast as her hastily life. ¡°Um, this is¡­¡±The person you unrequitedly love marries with another one, you be more focused on work. 50,000 yen granted.¡± Really¡­Ahaha, I¡¯m so rich¡­¡± Everyone turned their faces away from Tendou¡¯s fake smile, this is just unbearable. She ranked no.1 so far, and yet¡­something doesn¡¯t feel right. Tendou¡¯s round is over, my turn. I spun the roulette. 3. Let¡¯s move forward. ¡°Oh, marriage.¡± I stopped after advancing two spaces. No matter what number you got, everyone must act on the event as soon as they touched the area for marriage. Most encounters rely on the result of the roulette. Still, they can be ssified into three types: marry a yer, engage with an NPC, or be like Tendou, a loner. Also, the content of the wheel will haveplicated changes based on the number of yers, which I¡¯m going to skip over. My situation, though¡­ ¡°The wheel is split between 1 to 10, and the marriage will be decided on the numbers. 1 to 2 is Aguri, 3 and 4 is Hoshinomori, 5/6 is Tendou. 7, 8, 9 are NPCs, and 10 is to remain single. Right.¡± Also, this marriage roulette is absolute, and it can drag the target as well. Put it this way. If I¡¯m engaged with Tendou right now, I can pull her all the way back to my space and restart from the road of marriage¡­most importantly- ¡°If I got Aguri¡¯s number¡­this will be a bride kidnapping!¡± This is what makes the gamepelling, or should I say disgusting. When I got Aguri¡¯s number, which is 1 or 2, Aguri has to restart with me, and Amano will be singled out. Honestly, this is what I want, whether it¡¯s in the game or in reality. I spun the wheel with emotions overflowing inside me. 1 or 2! 1 or 2, please! The long spinning time is over, and the result is¡­ ¡°¡­4. Which means it¡¯s Hoshinomori¡­¡± ¡°W-Woah, I-I¡¯m honored¡­¡± Hoshinomori, who was rankedst, was forced to join me in the marriage space. She blushes as she put her piece next to mine. Ouch, Aguri¡¯s sight is stabbing me. What can I do? What do you want me to do!? ¡°T-Then, it¡¯s my turn! Alright!¡± Hoshinomori excitedly spun the wheel, her number is¡­ ¡°2. Let¡¯s see, ¡°Your couple cheated on you. You have to pay the person 5000 yen aspensation.¡± Really¡­.¡± Hoshinomori and I hastily paid 5000 yen to the bank (where all the money from the game is kept)¡­What¡¯s wrong with everyone? Why are y¡¯all staring at me this way? Especially Aguri and Tendou, I can sense the hostility from them like I really cheated. What the hell!? Also, why is Hoshinomori disappointed at this? I feel so guilty right now, my sweat won¡¯t stop¡­D-Did I do something wrong? ¡°W-Well, it¡¯s my turn! Alright, w-what will happen next¡­?¡± Amano tried to smooth things over with a joking manner that didn¡¯t fit him and made everyone focus on him instead of me. Amano, no matter how you put it, you¡¯re a nice person¡­ Also, when everyone is spinning the wheel with full-power, Amano, who probably doesn¡¯t want to take up too much time, turned it a bit less forcefully. I feel like this is his style, after all. Then, Amano¡¯s number is- ¡°5. Um, what is it¡­¡±Your sweet newlywed life reaches high-tide! You got busy and busted the bed. The couple each pays 6000 yen.¡±¡­¡± -He screwed up from his modestness. This guy is undoubtedly energetic in the game. Amano ana Aguri immediately blushed. They lowered their head and quietly handed 6000 yen to Hoshinomori, who¡¯s managing the bank. Aguri knocked Amano slightly with her ankle. ¡°Amanhi, you need to turn it down a bit¡­!¡± ¡°W-What do you mean by turning it down! I don¡¯t care! I¡¯m just doing what it said.¡± ¡°Eww, Amanhi, you¡¯re nasty!¡± ¡°N-No, that¡¯s not what I meant-¡° ¡°Ahem!¡± Tendou, Hoshinomori, and my cough stacked with each other. Those two then said ¡°sorry¡± and lowered their head¡­Sigh, what¡¯s this? How can I even continue to watch them y like this? After that, Aguri quietly turned the wheel. 2. She got the same spot as Amano, coincidentally. Of course, the event is- ¡±Your sweet newlywed life reaches high-tide! You got busy and busted the bed. The couple each pays 6000 yen.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± Just when everyone lost their words, the husband and the wife whose face is practically green at this point paid their 6000 yen mournfully¡­They get my sympathy. I don¡¯t even have the energy left to be jealous. Now, it¡¯s Tendou¡¯s turn. 9. The event of the space shended is¡­ ¡°The person you¡¯re in love with doesn¡¯t even take a nce at you, but you are popr with your clients. You get 100,000 yen.¡± ¡°¡­Yay¡­¡± That¡¯s the most apathetic ¡°yay¡± I¡¯ve ever heard in my life. The talented blonde who¡¯s in the lead and has the most cash. Perhaps this is just out of my imagination, but she seems thinner than when she just started to y. Is this person cursed with regret whenever she interactives with anything rted to Amano? I can sense the dark aura radiating from the blonde girl next to me. I spun the roulette as I¡¯m trembling. ¡°Um¡­7. ¡°You cheated with your couple¡¯s sister. There¡¯s bloodshed. Rest for one turn.¡±¡­Um¡­¡± Everyone¡¯s stares are like knives at this point. Suddenly, there¡¯s a ¡°BANG!¡± sounding from someone opening and closing the door in the corridor. I can¡¯t help but freak out. ¡°Ah.¡± Hoshinomori told me, leisurely. ¡°My little sister went for the toilet.¡± ¡°Y-Your sister is at home¡­?¡± I sweatdropped as I asked, and Hoshinomori smiled bitterly. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, I wanted to bring her here to say hello to all of you. But then, she said she was not ready to show her face today, and she shut herself in the room.¡± ¡°R-Right¡­¡± Although I don¡¯t see her at all, I would¡¯ve probably stabbed by her with a knife¡­N-No, it¡¯s just a game, it has nothing to do with reality. Yes, but for some reason, I¡¯m already extremely terrified by Hoshinomori¡¯s sister, even though I never saw her. When everyone is staring at the corridor via the matte ss door, Hoshinomori, who probably wanted to get our attention away from her sister, coughed loudly before reaching for the roulette. ¡°W-Well, I¡¯m spinning it. Go!¡± The wheel spins. 7. As for the event¡­ ¡°Let see¡­¡±You realized that your soulmate is another person. You even found out that you and that person are linked by fate. Your mood begins to swing. Lose 300 yen because you¡¯re less attentive to your job.¡±¡­Really¡­I feel like this event is entirely unmoving.¡± Hoshinomori tilted her head as she pays 300 yen. Amano, Tendou, and Aguri didn¡¯t show much of a reaction either¡­only my face is twitching so hard right now to the point that I can¡¯t smile. ¡°THIS EVENT IS A COMPLETE HEADSHOT!¡± Straight to the core! Although it¡¯s hitting me so hard right now, only I knew what¡¯s going on, so everyone didn¡¯t react at all. Sigh, this is too much! Hoshinomori, that space you justnded on is giving me goosebumps! You should be more surprised by this miracle! But then¡­ ¡°Haha, Chiaki doesn¡¯t suit this kind of high school girl¡¯s plot at all.¡± ¡°Shut up, Keita. You¡¯re not qualified toin about me.¡± What!? What¡¯s wrong with you two!? Don¡¯t just joke this straight-to-the-crux event off like it¡¯s nothing! Realize it! Even though it¡¯s hard for both you! Jeez, I¡¯ve had enough! During this time, Amano looked at me worriedly. ¡°Eh? Uehara-kun, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you acting like you really wanted to tell something that only you know it but you can¡¯t¡­so you ended up with such a ¡°my heart is so itchy right now¡± face?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still as keen as you¡¯ve always been! What the hell!? Do you have superpowers!? Um, but¡­whatever! It¡¯s fine! I don¡¯t care about you two! y the damn game!¡± ¡®I still don¡¯t understand why you are mad at me. A-Alright, I¡¯m continuing.¡± Amano gave me an uneptable look as he unwillingly reached for the wheel. He is still spinning it lightly. The number is¡­4. ¡°Oww, same as Chiaki. What the hell? That¡¯sme-¡° ¡°YOU TWO ARE BOUNDED BY DESTINY!¡± ¡°!¡± I stood up abruptly and screamed at the top of my lungs because I can¡¯t take it anymore. It freaked everyone out, even Hoshinomori¡¯s sister, who just came out of the toilet, just stood there since I scared her, I can see that through the matte ss. I cleared my throat before sitting back. ¡°¡­Nothing, let¡¯s move on.¡± ¡°E-Eh? Um, Uehara-kun¡­Well, if you really wanted to say something¡­¡± Amano is genuinely worried about me¡­Sigh, although it¡¯s quite annoying in this situation, he is really a nice person and is sincerely concerned with me. However¡­ ¡°¡­There¡¯s no way for me to say it now.¡± I realized these two people are still bound for each other, so I can¡¯t help but yell in excitement¡­But then, I feel like I shouldn¡¯t leak this piece of intelligence. ¡°Tendou and Amano are dating, after all, no one can benefit from this information.¡± If they weren¡¯t a pair, not even like the ones you see in a romanticedy. I, as a spectator, can still egg them for joy. However, if I exin everything right now, this will do nothing aside from causing ripples between Amano and Tendou¡¯s seemingly-loving rtionship. Hoshinomori will feel bad too. ¡°¡­Yep, I should keep this secret to myself.¡± I made up my mind and tried to joke it off. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m too excited from us five people having so much fun together. Please, forget what I¡¯ve said.¡± ¡°Really? Um, this is my first time ying games like this as well, I¡¯m happy¡­¡± Amano replied embarrassingly. Well, at least this guy made Tendou and Hoshinomori believe what I¡¯ve said. However, Aguri is still staring at me, wondering if something¡¯s wrong. ¡°¡­Aguri can see it immediately, we dated each other for half-a-year, after all¡­¡± Although we often argue with each other nowadays, she can still see me right through like it¡¯s nothing. It seems that only Aguri can tell something¡¯s not right. Perhaps, she even knew what¡¯s happening between Amano and Hoshinomori. However, Aguri is just¡­ ¡°Oh, it¡¯s my turn then! Right, when will I get¡­?¡± She continued like there¡¯s nothing wrong¡­I used to treat her like an idiot in the past. It looks she could be terrifyingly smart, though¡­or should I say an intimate and caring woman¡­Crap, I¡¯m falling for her again. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s 8! Yes, I can advance so many spaces! Let see what¡¯s on this one¡­¡±Your ex confesses to you.¡±¡­Wow, what a situation we have here!¡± Aguri nced at me, and I beamed her a bright smile back- ¡°And then¡­¡±However, your love for your current partner is unmoving! You firmly turned your ex¡¯s temptation down and reaffirmed your love for each other! You got another kid!¡±¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Aguri silently put the piece representing a child onto her car. She stared at Amano fiercely. In reality, Amano didn¡¯t deserve this, so he stared back at Aguri directly¡­However, this just looks like they are looking at each other loving to us¡­ ¡°Ahem!¡± They soon turned away from each other when Tendou coughed loudly. ¡°My turn.¡± She turned the wheel with a creepy smile on her face. She got 10. Tendou left us behind and walked further and further ahead. The event she got is¡­ ¡°You became famous. Get 100,000 yen.¡± ¡°They aren¡¯t even trying at this point!¡± Finally, her life turned into nothing but money and fame. What is this? The game¡¯s treating single yers too unfairly. Indeed, this is what Love Love Game of Half-Life is. From her life which is only filled with money and fame, I can feel the depth of the game, or hatred. But, I guess her life is way better mine whose marriage only consists of cheating and bloodshed. It¡¯s my turn, but I need to rest due to what happened earlier. I skipped, and it¡¯s Hoshinomori¡¯s turn. But then¡­ Oh, sorry. My sister seems to be calling me¡­¡± I looked at the corridor as she said that, there appears to be a figure outside that looked like Hoshinomori¡¯s sister waving at her. We decided to take a break. Just as Hoshinomori stood up, everyone started to stretch their backs and or press their shoulders. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Konoha?¡± Hoshinomori started talking as she walked outside. I can briefly see her sister as the door opens. I can only know that she¡¯s wearing home clothes. She looks like a girl that would be chased by many guys, though. But, I don¡¯t know if her face is simr to that of Hoshinomori¡¯s. Other people reached the same conclusion as well. ¡°I¡¯m kind of curious in Chiaki¡¯s sister¡­ ¡°Oh, Amano-kun, what do you mean by that?¡± The blonde beauty gave him a bright smile. Amano instantly tried to find an excuse frantically. ¡°N-No! I don¡¯t mean anything! I¡¯m only curious to see if they looked the same, sir!¡± ¡°Oh, really¡­¡± ¡°¡­Sir?¡± Although Aguri and I were quite confused, we feel like we shouldn¡¯t ask them what¡¯s going on. So, we just left it there. An eerie silence fell onto us, and I can hear the sisters talking to each other on the corridor. ¡°¡­There¡¯s an e-mail with a weird title, I saw its notification on the browser. I didn¡¯t look at the content, but I feel like I should let you know.¡± ¡°Eh, really? This should be important. I¡¯ll check it out¡­oh.¡± Hoshinomori¡¯s abruptly stopped. At the same time, Amano¡¯s phone vibrated for a second. When he grabbed the phone to confirm its content, the sisters started talking again. ¡°Hm? Your phone¡¯s ringing, that¡¯s rare¡­Eh? Meh, it¡¯s just the game¡¯s notification.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± During this time, Amano looked away from the screen of his phone with a confused face. Just as we are trying to figure out what¡¯s going on, we heard Hoshinomori¡¯s exnation from the corridor. ¡°Oh, right, this period is filled with special activities, I need toplete the missions¡­¡± ¡°Huh? I need to do that too.¡± Amano looked at his phone and the corridor over and over again. At this point, only I realized the situation before Tendou and Aguri. ¡°Right, both of them y the same mobile game and should get the same notification.¡± While this is entirely logical, the problem is¡­ I immediately knocked my chair without meaning it. ¡°Oh, shit. If Hoshinomori and Amano began to chat about the mobile game¡­!¡± Perhaps they will realize their shared bond of destiny. I immediately grew nervous. But, I guess I¡¯m worrying too much. Someone¡¯s moving, I can see that via the matte ss. ¡°I wanted to read the e-mail, though. However, I don¡¯t think I should make everyone wait¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I can do the missions for you, sis. I saw you ying a lot, so I guess I know the basics.¡± ¡°R-Really? Thanks, I¡¯ll go to my room then.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The sisters chatted as they walked into the room. It looks like Hoshinomori won¡¯t recognize who Amano really is soon. I secretly nced at Amano. Although he grew curious for a moment, perhaps it¡¯s just like what Hoshinomori said, the time for the mission is tight, and he immediately started to click on his phone. I guess he will forget his curiosity conveniently. When I pressed my chest in relief, Tendou left her seat and went around the table before looking at Amano¡¯s screen from behind. ¡®Wow¡­I didn¡¯t touch this because I¡¯m biased before, but it looks like this game¡¯sbat got some action going for it.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s like that! Oh, sorry, I don¡¯t have time to exin now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just y your game, I¡¯ll watch from here.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s making me nervous.¡± Amano smiled bitterly, but he continued happily. Looking at the couple, Aguri left her seat and went to me and whispered. ¡°¡­Hey, Tasuku. Don¡¯t you think they have gone quite close to each other without realizing it?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Now that we¡¯re looking at the couple staring at the same screen, they look very intimate physically, as well. If it was the past, Amano would freak out when Tendou got so close to him, but now¡­it looks like he can purely feel excited to rmend his favorite game to Tendou. Amano is getting along with Tendou in his own way. Aguri spoke gently in a way that I¡¯ve never heard before. ¡°¡­I feel happy for Amano when I saw him got what he wanted.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you feel the same, Tasuku?¡± ¡°N-No, not at all. I meant it¡­¡± While I do feel d at Amano¡¯s sess. I feel a tinge a pain in my heart when Aguri is gently ncing at him, no matter what she is thinking. ¡­Usually, I would just hide all this in my heart. Today, though¡­ ¡°¡­I¡¯m here because I wanted to exin everything and unfold this whole misunderstanding!¡± I clenched my fist and made up my mind. So¡­I took a deep breath and asked Aguri, who¡¯s staring at Amano and Tendou. ¡°Aguri¡­Um, Aguri, how do you feel about Amano?¡± ¡°Eh? How do I feel about Amanhi? Hmm¡­¡± Aguri tilted her head dumbfoundedly as she thinks. Then, she smiled brightly, just like the one I¡¯ve always known and answered. ¡°I feel like he¡¯s a troublesome little brother. He grew a bit annoying after he got a girlfriend. But then, basically, I think I¡¯m happy for him.¡± ¡°¡­Really.¡± I don¡¯t think she¡¯s lying at all. More like, she meant that with all of her heart. I can see that clearly. ¡°¡­!¡± I can¡¯t help but plop my head down. I feel so ashamed of myself right now. I just went ahead and decided what feelings does Aguri have for Amano, even getting jealous of it and started overthinking. I¡¯m disgusted by myself, I¡¯m ashamed of me who didn¡¯t trust his girlfriend. I grabbed Aguri¡¯s hand tightly. She freaked out and instantly blushed. ¡°Eh? W-What¡¯s wrong, Tasuku?¡± ¡°No¡­nothing. What¡¯s wrong with grabbing my girlfriend¡¯s hand?¡± ¡°Um, of course, you can, I would love to¡­but we are in front of Tendou-san right now¡­¡± ¡°Tendou? What does that mean? This isn¡¯t rted to her, right?¡± ¡°Eh? R-Really? It¡¯s not rted to Tendou-san in the slightest...¡± Aguri suddenly became happily embarrassed for some reason. Although I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on, I can guarantee you that I have the world¡¯s cutest girlfriend. I grabbed her hand, this is the most secure moment I¡¯ve had in a while. So, after we immersed in our loving moment, Amano, who seemed to have finished his mission, let out a big ¡°Phew.¡± ¡°That was close¡­I would¡¯ve been toasted if my in-game friend wasn¡¯t there¡­¡± He let out a big sigh again. Then, the door to the corridor opens, and Hoshinomori is back. Tendou, who¡¯s been staring at Amano¡¯s phone this whole time, asked. ¡°Oh, the friend you¡¯re referring to, is it this MONO person?¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. While I think MONO¡¯s actions are a bit different today, but we still cooperated with each other perfectly. It¡¯s not easy to gain a friend like that. He sometimes even send messages to me, which really showed me his support.¡± ¡°Huh. I just found out that someone¡¯s that close to you on the inte, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­it¡¯s like he¡¯s a recement for my actual friends whom Icked, I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± Amano scratched his head embarrassingly. The door suddenly opens, and Hoshinomori is back. Aguri and I disconnected from reality as we are dazing out. During this time, Tendou seemed a bit jealous and asked Amano with a smile. ¡°Amano-kun, do you have any other friends on the inte?¡± ¡°Um, welp. I do differentiate in my alias¡­¡± Amano didn¡¯t notice the way that Tendou is looking at him. He even started to think sincerely. At the same time, Hoshinomori quietly apologized as she entered the living room before she quickly sat back to where she was, which is next to Amano¡¯s. ¡°I only have two aliases, though. Or should I say, I only interact with certain people.¡± Amano embarrassingly answered Tendou¡¯s question as he put his phone on the table, in front of Hoshinomori. In a sense, this is quite logical, but Hoshinomori looked at his phone without meaning it. The screen is still showing that mobile game- ¡°OH SHIT!¡± I didn¡¯t realize it until now. I really didn¡¯t until now. This is dangerous. I hastily released Aguri¡¯s hand, and- it¡¯s toote. When I noticed this, Amano already said the most crucial piece of intelligence. ¡°Firstly, my alias is ¡°Tshi¡± in this game, and I only yed with this yer named MONO. Then, there¡¯s this F2P game developer called NOBE which I admired, I use the name ¡°Yama-san¡± whenever I¡¯m giving him feedback, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°------!¡± Suddenly, the time between Hoshinomori and I froze. Just when we were struck so hard that we began to lose sight, Amano and Tendou continued. ¡°Oh, really. I guess you don¡¯t really have friends on the inte either.¡± ¡°Um, of course. I¡¯m still an introvert on the inte. It¡¯s just that MONO and NOBE are really special to me. This is why I really treasured them.¡± ¡°Yeah, you prioritized that over my invitation to the Game Club. They¡¯re vital to you.¡± ¡°Ouch, s-sorry.¡± There¡¯s no way Tendou is really jealous of this, so she chuckled. However, I couldn¡¯t, and my forehead is sweating so hard. Aguri asked worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Tasuku?¡± But I don¡¯t even have time to answer my girlfriend. Instead, I secretly nced at Hoshinomori. Then, I saw something terrible that I¡¯ve always feared. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Hoshinomori nced at Amano passionately and lovingly. On the other hand, her mouth slightly mped when she saw how much closer are Amano and Tendou than before as she tried to suppress her emotions down. This scenery hits me hard. ¡°¡­Damn, shit¡­if¡­only¡­if only I paid attention before¡­!¡± After all, this looks like¡­ The worse timing for a person to arrive at the starting line. Put it this way, I saw a poor and helpless girl who started her new game of first love toote. Volume 4 – Aguri and Unconscious Critical, 1 – Chiaki Hoshinomori and Account Hack

Volume 4 ¨C Aguri and Unconscious Critical, Chapter 1 ¨C Chiaki Hoshinomori and ount Hack

Trantor: your_pingas I started making my first game when I was in 4th grade. It¡¯s nothing surprising, really. I checked out the Beginner¡¯s RPG Game Maker in my console, a very traditional way to enter game development. I can say that all gamers have once walked along this path. However, if you have to differentiate me from other gamers, that would be I actually ¡°finished¡± a game. This is just my impression, but I feel like most people will be bored with tools like these halfway. Even when they tried their best to make a wild RPG with their preferences, 9 out of 10 people will lose the will to continue after making their first vige. Their hobbies will soon move to other things, I think most people are like this. The reason that I am saying all this is because I¡¯m that type of person. Just like the rest of the gamers, I spent my time creating my first RPG while I¡¯m watching the tutorial. I ended up with no energy left after making the plot for the first vige. Things were supposed to stop here, but then¡­ I realized something afterward. ¡®Eh? I spent too much time creating this vige¡¯s plot, I think that would work as a story already¡­¡± Exactly. Yep, although this isn¡¯t what I¡¯ve expected, I polished a part of the plot so much that itself can be a story when you look at it independently. If that¡¯s the case, I ended up utterly abandoning the whole full plot setting, and used the content I have to create a ¡°pocket version¡±¡­This tricky idea is what made me continue making games. As a result, this RPG is Chiaki Hoshinomori¡¯s, or NOBE¡¯s debut. I can still remember the process of making my first game. I guess I really liked creating things. This is entirely different than when I tried to draw a grand blueprint. Then the RPG making sucked because of high bars and various limitations. When you set the goal to a range where you don¡¯t need to put a lot of effort into it, it feels more rxed both physically and mentally. I can be the one to control whether there¡¯re plot twists and the time and energy put into detail. Finally, I finished a pocket version under a joyous and rxed attitude. I really felt great about that. However, even so, I didn¡¯t merely mean that ¡°Hey, I¡¯m going to continue creating games!¡± While creating is undoubtedly fun, but when you consider the investment needed, it¡¯s hard to say that game development is the best entertainment for me. The only reason that I¡¯m still a developer for all these small F2P games now¡­Put it simply, it¡¯s because there are yers that are willing to click on my games and give feedback on them. The first catalyst is from the RPG that I spent several agonizing days making using the beginner¡¯s tool and uploading it to the. I¡¯m in no way confident with what I¡¯ve made. Although I put a lot of effort into it and was satisfied, I¡¯m not arrogant enough to think that my work is the most outstanding whenpared to others. In reality, the game has nothing special going for it. If you had to pick something exceptional, I guess you can say it still got my style - a strange world setting for the general audience. I think it¡¯s appropriate, though. Even so, if I spent time making it and there¡¯s an anonymous ¡°Submit¡± function, I will do it, for my own satisfaction. So, the problem isn¡¯t whether or not I can get into the rankings, it¡¯s a wild wish to even get feedback for games like this. I don¡¯t even think anyone would y what I¡¯ve made. But, there¡¯re always people with strange tastes in the world. A few days after I submitted, that game suddenly got ament ¡­¡±It¡¯s a little funny.¡± Objectively, this is a really subtlement, at least I won¡¯t take it as a praise. I won¡¯t feel surprised if the guy meant it negatively. However, for some reason¡­ When I got that feedback, I¡¯m so excited that I wanted to dance across the floor. I¡¯ve never felt such excitement in my entire life. If I¡¯m cruel to myself, it¡¯s because he satisfied my desire to be epted, probably. Honestly, I¡¯ve always been a friendless introvert. The type that won¡¯t get bullied on the surface, but was taunted or hurt behind more or less. So, I do look for entrustment on the inte or a ce to fulfill myself. But then, I don¡¯t really care for themotion that this background brings me. Some kind of pure happiness is blessing my heart at that time. It¡¯s like what your crayon doodles as a kid was praised by your parents with a smile. The creator is happy, the yers are willing to y the game as well. I¡¯m really attracted to delighted interactions like this. I immediately made my second and third game, they got some responses, and I¡¯m reveled by them. But then, the console version of the beginner¡¯s tool fell out of poprity, so I had to switch to the PC version. I registered an ount on a F2P games submission website, even making a blog to receive feedbacks. Then I realized, I¡¯m already a ¡°F2P game developer.¡± However, if you ask me if I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, my answer is a definite no. It¡¯s natural for a game development process to slowly fall into anarchy. Moreover, the most crucial part of creating things is that it¡¯s impossible to maintain this kind of friendly interactions as the scale of the game increases. Put it simply, there will be harshments. The excellent feedback will undoubtedly make me jump in excitement. In the same way, I will be really hurt and depressed whenever I got a negativement. I think the damage that this will cause varies from person to person. However, I¡¯m more of a fragile type. Just a ¡°boring¡± will make me depressed to the point that I¡¯m surprised by it. The reason is probably, I¡¯m making games out of my ¡°goodwill.¡± Just like the example I¡¯ve given earlier, that is like giving your mother something that you drew. All you wanted is to make someone happy, an extraordinarily innocent, and personal motive. That¡¯s why if say there¡¯s an art teacheres up to me andment. ¡°You need to work harder on this part.¡± Even though I understand his/her reasoning, I¡¯ll still be very discouraged. Of course, if I am putting my stuff on a public tform, it¡¯s unrealistic to hope that there will only be positivements. I knew this a long time ago, no need for you to remind me. I¡¯ve already realized this from my school life to the point that I don¡¯t want to anymore. However, that¡¯s the reason that I wanted to go after times that can be enjoyed by both parties within the game developmentmunity. But then, seemingly inversely proportional to my amount of investment, the longer I¡¯m active as a F2P game developer, the less I can enjoy simple times like that. Learn programming to prevent the same content every time. Revolutionize the gamey mechanics while maintaining my individuality. I started to face requests after requests. Of course, that¡¯s the price I have to pay if I wanted to reach the next level. I understand. Even so¡­even so, sometimes¡­like when a game that I¡¯ve dumped months into was mercilesslyined by someone, I just don¡¯t understand why am I continuing. No one will ept things like this, after all. Yet, I spent months working on it out of my courtesy. This is just tragic, really tragic. I¡¯m here to heal my exhausted mind that dealt with everything in school so that I can have to encourage to face what is toe tomorrow, that¡¯s why I¡¯m interested in entertainment like this. But, once I snapped out of it, I realized that I¡¯m being strictly and cruelly judged, even forced topete with others. This is just¡­taking the branch before the root. However, although I kept being pessimistic, the reason that I never gave up on publishing games as NOBE is because- It¡¯s all because of a single person. A person that has always shared my emotions, sense of distance, warmth, and frolicked with me. That guy will stroll around my blog. I¡¯m always waiting for his ordinary, a bit awkward yet warmments. Being able to understand each other mutually but not to the point where it¡¯s an interruption, only solidly sharing the ¡°joyous¡± part. I feel really free in this rtionship. I sometimes even felt it¡¯s okay to take harshments, as long as I get to y with this distant person. Now, in a way, this person is closer to me than to my family. He¡¯s sometimes a reliable partner, sometimes a spoiled friend whom you can tag along and do bad things together. I will undoubtedly treasure this person forever. And, this person is ¨C Yama-san. * ¡°Ugh¡­ugh¡­ugh¡­¡± ¡°Sis, listen to me. I¡¯m sorry to interrupt your depressed desk-pping session, but your writhing technique doesn¡¯t look cute at all.¡± I immediately raised my head when I heard my sister, Konoha, said that. Then, I realized the window blinds of my living room is already closed without me looking. The room was filled with the LEDmp¡¯s warm lights. Although I feel like someone pranked me hard, I still asked my little sister dazedly. ¡°Um¡­I was ying that game of life with Uehara-kun and his friends since the afternoon¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, you did that. Five normies upied the living room. I feel like this doesn¡¯t fit your style at all, so I just hid. Man, I can use the holiday for rushing my progress¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What progress?¡± ¡°The progress for my hentai- I-I mean the progress of my studying, sis.¡± ¡°Wow, Konoha, you¡¯re still a model student. I can never catch up to you.¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s alright. A-As the president of the student council, this is my responsibility. Yep.¡± Hoshinomori Konoha, the beauty who wore flimsy clothing and nced at me uncertainly while sitting on the leather sofa. She is my outstanding sister. Konoha seems to have just taken a bath, she wiped her hair gently with the sports towel hanging on her neck while pouring the wheat tea in the ss down her throat. The room is filled with the clear sound of ice cubes nging into each other. I nced at the TV in front of Konoha and realized it¡¯s ying the prime time variety show. While I freaked out at how many hours have past, I still asked my sister, who doesn¡¯t look happy, while trembling. ¡°Um, when did Uehara-kun and his friends went¡­¡± ¡°Around 4pm, I think.¡± ¡°¡­Eh, strange. I don¡¯t remember anything during that time¡­¡± I¡¯m not kidding, my memory just paused in the middle, and I¡¯m scared. Suddenly, I suspected whether this is the ¡°nk time¡± that the victims of alien kidnapping had experienced in supernatural shows. Still, I immediately calmed down after I heard what Konoha said. ¡°Yeah, sis. The second half of the gamested for almost an hour, I think? You seemed out of it, though. Welp, I just assumed that based on what I¡¯ve heard from the living room.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s why¡­¡± Finally, I felt a bit relieved. I realized something that caused my entire world to flip over when I¡¯m halfway through that game of life. Yes¡­ Yama-san, my savior and Tshi, my dearest mobile game partner, their true identity is actually my rival¡­Keita Amano, this is the truth. Although I think I didn¡¯t just freak out and ran with tears on my face, I just went soulless instead. My brain just disconnected from reality. Konoha continued exining. ¡°Also, when your friends got home, you justid down there and made weird noises¡­So, I watched some manga before I went to the bath.¡± ¡°Hmm, weird, how should I put it? My little Konoha, after your sis heard what you¡¯ve just said, I realized there¡¯s something strange that we can¡¯t ignore.¡± ¡°Oh, about that part where you made weird noises? To put it precisely, the sounds that you made were ¡°Hnnnnnng¡­¡± and ¡°Fufufufu¡­¡± I can¡¯t remember the rest.¡± ¡°T-That was quite embarrassing! But, Konoha, there¡¯s something even more important! I can¡¯t believe you just left your tangled sister alone and just go to watch manga and bath!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that today is hot.¡± ¡°What about our kinship?! Konoha, can¡¯t you just give a bit more love to your sister?¡± ¡°Sis, is there a problem with your brain?¡± ¡°Weird, what is this, this is unbelievable. I¡¯m still pissed even when you cared for me.¡± ¡°Ah, sis, maybe that¡¯s because you are already terminally ill.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t call your sister terminally ill.¡± ¡°Alright, Chiaki, I will call you not terminally ill, then.¡± ¡°Eh? This is weird. I somehow felt even madder.¡± I went around the sofa as I spoke and mustered all my strength to mp my sister¡¯s head with two of my fists. After some screaming, I sat next to her, and we watched a variety show with half of our heart. The humorous interaction of the celebrities did make me smile a little. Then, when it¡¯s ad time, I spoke to my little sister again. ¡°Konoha, I want to ask you something.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Konoha took a sip from the wheat tea, which turned nd after the ice melt. She didn¡¯t even bother to look at me. I polished my words before speaking. ¡°Remember that there are always plots in mangas, the female protagonist found out that the mischievous boy protagonist helped a puppy in the rain. Then, she can¡¯t help but fall for him? I don¡¯t like this scenario. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s unfair for those who behaved themselves?¡± ¡°Why did you bring this up so suddenly? Ah, but I do understand your point.¡± ¡°Of course, I understand that¡¯s the standard plot setting so I won¡¯t go nitpicking. However, what I wanted to say is that I think I will probably fall for the same trap.¡± ¡°Right¡­Um, so?¡± ¡°¡­S-So¡­¡± Then, I blushed while clenched my fist that¡¯s on myp and started mumbling quietly. ¡°How cunning¡­impressing people with a surprise change of their character. I-I¡¯m sure that this emotion is only temporary. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m actually falling for him; that¡¯s the point I¡¯m trying to make¡­!¡± ¡°Sis, I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t have the slightest idea of what you¡¯re saying.¡± Konoha¡¯s confused. I almost pushed her over on the couch in excitement and even forced her to agree with me. ¡°A-Anyway! I¡­I will still maintain my hatred towards ¡°him,¡± Is this alright!? There¡¯s nothing wrong with this, right!?¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± Konoha¡¯s brain is still clouded as she rolled her eyes. But, I guess she felt that she should make a half-assed conclusion. So, she suddenly nodded at me with a smile.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, sis, I think you¡¯re right!¡± ¡°Yeah, right!¡± ¡°Y-Yes! Although I¡¯m not sure, um, how did that unknown person show their good side to make my sister fall for him¡­?¡± ¡°You mean Yama-san?¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s fictional, or the guy¡¯s only pretending-¡° ¡°I-It¡¯s not like that!¡± ¡°!¡± Suddenly, I pushed Konoha over without her expecting it and pressed her on the couch with a stern look on my face. Konoha freaked out at her sister¡¯s sudden swift in attitude. However, I had already forgotten what I¡¯ve said earlier and yelled at her impulsively. ¡°I-I won¡¯t let you speak ill of Yama-san even if you are my little sister! Take back what you¡¯ve said!¡± ¡°S-Sorry. Ah¡­t-that Yama-san is a total genius!¡± ¡°Very good!¡± I¡¯m satisfied with my little sister¡¯s change-of-mind, and I nodded furiously¡­Eh? ¡­Hnnnnnng. ¡°¡­Ugh¡­ugh¡­¡± ¡°Uh, Chiaki, can you not switch to your weird noise-making mode after you crushed on me immediately?¡± ¡°¡­Ugh¡­¡± At the end of the day, my noises kept bothering the whole Hoshinomori family until midnight. * Two days after the game of life gathering, early August, and the middle of the summer holiday. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± I, Hoshinomori Chiaki, is still locking myself in the darkroom where the sunlight is blocked by the filtering blinds. I wrapped my hands around my feet while sitting on the office chair as I stared at the bright PC screen. The screen is showing¡­NOBE¡¯s blog. It wasn¡¯t frequently updated, but I tend to make a development progress report on my games once a week. However, it¡¯s been 10 days since thest blog update. I felt like I should write something, so I forced myself to get up and turned on theputer. I logged into the blog¡­and yet all I have typed is a ¡°Long time no see¡± before stoppingpletely. Another reason for this could be that there¡¯s no specific progress made for this week, so I can literally write nothing. But, if that¡¯s the case, all I need to write is ¡°I¡¯m having trouble developing my game this week.¡± To be honest, I have written that down on the blog a couple times in the past. This time¡­I can¡¯t even do that, and it¡¯s because of¡­ ¡°¡­I feel like¡­I¡¯m writing a letter to Keita¡­¡± I plopped my head between my feet as soon as I realized this again. When Yama-san is still a distant and unknown person, I can chat with him freely on the blog. Now that I realized who Yama-san really is. Yet, I have to pretend like it¡¯s nothing and continue writing to Yama-san¡­I¡¯m not calm and resilient enough to do that. ¡°¡­Ahhh, that¡¯s enough!¡± I spun the chair around and stepped onto the floor loudly. Then, I walked out of the room. I stepped into the bright living room and opened the fridge aimlessly, only for me to close it because I¡¯m bored with it. I nced at the digital clock above the utensil shelf at the corner of my eyes. 2:03pm, and the date- ¡°¡­Oh, right.¡± I stood there for a moment because I realized something. Then, I decided to lighten my mood by wandering around the streets. Right, I made up my mind, let¡¯s not hassle. I groomed my hair in the mirror and changed to my usual clothes, not modern but good enough to take to the streets. Got my bag, put my phone and wallet in it. Then, I walked to my sister¡¯s room, who¡¯s very quiet, probably studying hard like she¡¯s always has been. I knocked on the door. ¡°Konoha?¡± There¡¯s a loud ¡°Bang!¡±ing from the room. It sounds like someone¡¯s legs identally hit the table. After a moment of silence, I can hear slow yet heavy footsteps areing my way. Then, the door finally opened. My little sister poked her head out of the room¡­She¡¯s probably tired, her breaths are out, and she looks exhausted. Looking into the room via the gap of the door, I can see that herptop¡¯s green battery light is blinking. Wow, she¡¯s hard-working to the point that she needed aputer. My little sister is really different from me. She¡¯s an elite. I would just open my notebook and copy whatever¡¯s on the ckboard to give people the impression that I¡¯m studying. https://1.bp.blogspot/-SQFoDvVxLW0/Xr6BQ9yc6tI/AAAAAAAAO0E/01Lt0RJgTyA7qNBHCwspyfxtNvBwwcoVACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/00005.jpeg ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong, sis?¡± Konoha asked. She still got the dark circles around her eyes today. Konoha looks way more worn out in the summer holiday, it¡¯s almost like she¡¯s a different person than the perfect student she is. However, her eyes are giving off a strange sparkle. This tells me that she¡¯s cutting her sleeping time to do something that she¡¯s passionate about. ¡°Sigh, my little sister is always giving her best, and now she¡¯s even be the president of a great high school. Yet, I¡¯m still here¡­¡± Although I¡¯m a bit depressed about the situation, I managed to muster up a smile at Konoha while concealing some of my personal information. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m going to the convenience store to get some stuff, you want something?¡± ¡°Sis, you¡¯re going to buy the Fami magazine, right?¡± I just said I want to get some stuff! She saw through it immediately. My elite little sister already knew that I¡¯m a loser that only contacts sunlight when the new edition of Fami or games is out. Oof, I¡¯m so ashamed right now. However, my kind-hearted little sister didn¡¯t look down upon me even though she¡¯s studying so hard. Instead, she asked her sis politely. ¡°Um¡­if you are going out, I might need some energy drinks. Ah, b-but, you don¡¯t need to buy it if you¡¯re busy! Just get it when you have time!¡± She seems very sorry when she frantically asked me that. This child¡­! You don¡¯t need to feel guilty when you¡¯ve worked so hard. This isn¡¯t a problem for your Fami-getting andzy sister! Konoha is really an angel! She¡¯s way ahead of the gaming otaku in front of her! I patted my chest even though it¡¯s not my style and answered, ¡°I got it!¡± Then, I choked and coughed as I walked towards the door. During this time, I heard Konoha¡¯s voice again. ¡°Right, sis, can I borrow your PC while you¡¯re out?¡± ¡°Huh? Um, sure, but why? How about yourptop?¡± I tied my shoces as I asked, and then Konoha answered with a sigh. ¡°Right. Actually, I wanted to watch videos, but myptop won¡¯t behave when the video got too much action happening in it.¡± ¡°I got it. By the way, Konoha, what videos are you watching?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m watching the BALDR series¡¯s OP-¡° [Note: Not sure what that is, but probably hentai.] ¡°BAL¡­?¡± Strange. Konoha just said something that a model student probably wouldn¡¯t know. I turned my head to her, and then Konoha freaked out for some reason. She exined to me once again while blinking weirdly. ¡°I-I want to watch my favorite band¡¯s new promotional video! Yes!¡± ¡°Ohhhh¡­a band¡¯s promotional video¡­¡± My little sister¡¯s hobbies are entirely different than mine. She¡¯s rxing from all her hard work by watching promotional videos from a band. I feel like we don¡¯t even have the same parents. ¡°A-Anyway, sis, stay safe!¡± ¡°Ah, okay¡­then I¡¯m off.¡± She hurried me out of the door. Right, I guess it¡¯s hard for her to immerse herself in the world of music while there¡¯s a procrastinating sister at home. *sobs* Once I¡¯m outside, the sunlight from midsummer is sting onto me. I immediately sighed while putting on my straw hat. However, perhaps the concrete below is too reflective, I don¡¯t feel that much cooler. I guess this is what it feels to be on the receiving end of an attack that prates your DEF stats. My imagination started to run wild as I walked across the steaming concrete road slowly. Even though it¡¯s just a walk to the nearest convenience store, but in a remote and rural area like this, it¡¯s going to take 15 minutes with my walking speed. It¡¯ll be a bit faster if I¡¯m riding a bicycle. Still, after it was stolen for once (that was retrieved back immediately), I don¡¯t really want to go cycling anymore. This is far from emotional trauma. However, whenever I remember how depressed I was when my bike was gone, I can¡¯t help but feel that this isn¡¯t a situation where I need to take the risk. ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m just as apathetic as I¡¯ve always been, I hate myself.¡± The game developer that wishes people to ept her by publishing her work while being extremely repulsive to intrusions in her daily life. This is who Chiaki Hoshinomori, or I am. Anyway, I can never deal with things when I either didn¡¯t expect or mentally prepared myself for them. This is not just things that will get me in trouble, even joyful and exciting events are the same. For example, even when there¡¯s a close friend that invited to me go out, I will still reject once out of my reflexes. No matter the causes, I just hate disruptions in my daily routine. However, after I think for a while, my mind will suddenly change to ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not wrong to go out for once¡­¡± But after my first rejection, I don¡¯t dare to say that I want to go. I ended up being the girl that no one can invite her out. That¡¯s why I spent a lot of time alone. I filled up my schedule with either gaming or making games. Now that I realized it, not even I know when did I surround myself in such a towering fortress. A fortress that I don¡¯t know how I should walk out, both externally and internally. My inner wall is so tall that even I¡¯m scared of it. That one guy who shared my personalities and yet he entered my fortified heart bravely and found me, Amano- ¡°No! That doesn¡¯t count! None of that counts!¡± My brain is starting to go haywire under the hot weather. I pulled the straw hat onto my head tightly once again as I walked along the road while trying to polish my ideas for a new game in my head. I ended up noting up with a single idea before I arrived at the store. ¡°Wee.¡± I was greeted by thezy cashier and a wave of freezing winding from the AC unit as I walked into the store. I turned right after a couple steps before I cheered myself up and dashed to the magazine area. The reason I¡¯m acting like this is that this store doesn¡¯t have that many Fami magazines in stock, sometimes it¡¯s sold out even on the release day. There¡¯s no way I can withstand the heat while walking to a far-away convenience store. So, I observed the magazine shelf intensely and found the Fami book mixed between others. I reached my hand toward it. But then, suddenly¡­ ¡°Oh.¡± Someone tried to reach for the Fami as well, his hand ovepped with mine. My white and pale hand is cover with his (which is just as white and pale). ¡°¡­Eh, Chiaki...?¡± ¡°K¡­Keita¡­why are you here¡­?¡± The rival who looked at me nervously, Keita Amano, is standing right in front of me. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Both of us are ultra introverts with practically no social skills, so none of us know what to do besides staring at each other silently as if the time has stopped. In summary, the scenery is a boy and a girl reaching their hands for the same book, while this seems like what you¡¯ll see in a romanticedy¡­ In actuality, it¡¯s just two otakus fighting over the Fami magazine, what a ramshackle scene. * ¡°I¡¯ve been suspecting this before, you really have the potential of bing a stalker¡­¡± On the road back to Hoshinomori¡¯s home after I quickly bought my stuff, I¡¯m enjoying my double freezie while holding a bag with energy drinks and a magazine. ¡°Um, I¡¯ve said this before, it¡¯s not like that! You overly self-conscious seaweed girl! Ah, but thanks for the freezie.¡± Although Keita spoke ill to me like he always had, he still thanked me nheless while chewing on the freezie I gave him. I didn¡¯t bother to turn my head to him before replying sulkily. ¡°Don¡¯t get it wrong. I just want to try out this brand of freezie, but two are too much for me. I just had to give one to you, it¡¯s too hot for it tost all the way until my home, anyways.¡± ¡°Yeah, I understand. Although its portion is the same other popsicles, I feel guilty to just swallow the entire double freezie. Perhaps I¡¯m used to sharing them with my little brother.¡± ¡°Exactly! Um, ahem, you¡¯re annoying, stalker.¡± ¡°Hey, I-I told you it¡¯s not like that¡­¡± Bean sprout short winter melon, or should I say bean sprout short winter melon stalker walked next to me depressingly. He¡¯s wearing a pair of loose jeans with a polo shirt. Looks pretty casual to me, doesn¡¯t look like what a boy will pick when he¡¯s heading to a girl¡¯s room¡­I can¡¯t stand it. ¡°No, wait! I-I¡¯m not hoping for him to dress appropriately! That will probably just make the whole situation more awkward. From this perspective, this is the most appropriate dress code for the guy. But, I¡¯m irritated for some reason. After all, he¡¯s going take his dress code more seriously if he¡¯s heading to Tendou-san¡¯s ce. No, whatever, it¡¯s useless to be trapped in all these thoughts. He¡¯s my rival, and he¡¯ll piss me off no matter what he does, anyways. Keita is holding his freezie while mumbling. I think he¡¯s trying to exin something to me. ¡°It¡¯s true. It¡¯s just that this isn¡¯t the best moment. Honestly, I knew that this is an unpleasant situation, so I won¡¯t retort back. However, think about this. There¡¯s a reason for this, just like my simplified exnation.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re saying that you forgot something at my home from thest time, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, e-exactly.¡± I stared at him fiercely. Keita started to rub his arms like he¡¯s cold on a summer day and even looked away from me as he answered. ¡°Um, I get it. It¡¯s weird for me to take something I forgot from a girl¡¯s house without contacting beforehand. But, allow me to exin.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯ll really call the police if I feel offended-¡° ¡°Let me ask you this. Chiaki, did you turn on your phone?¡± ¡°-Eh?¡± After I heard that, I snapped back to reality and slowly grabbed my phone out from the pocket before I pressed the power button for a few seconds. No response, the battery ran outpletely. Keita let out a big sigh after he saw what I was doing. ¡°I wanted to contact you from the day before. I texted you at first, but I didn¡¯t get a reply for a day. Then, I tried to call you to no avail. I thought there¡¯s no way for a situation like this to happen, but here we are¡­By the way, Chiaki, I can¡¯t believe you just left your phone uncharged for two whole days. Perhaps it¡¯s because you don¡¯t have any friends, but don¡¯t you y mobile games as well?¡± ¡°Eh? Welp, um, no, how should I put it¡­¡± ¡°?¡± Keita tilted his head dumbfoundedly when he saw I¡¯m stuttering. While I just stared at my dead phone¡¯s ck screen, it is reflecting my startled face clearly. ¡°Crap¡­! After I realized that Yama-san and Tshi are both Keita, I distanced myself from mobile games entirely to try to calm myself down to the point that I didn¡¯t touch my phone¡­!¡± ¡°Um, b-beauties like me has to date many boys during the summer holiday, so I don¡¯t have time to check out my phone. I¡¯m busy going to the mountains, to the beaches, and to the theme parks. Phew¡­¡± ¡°Um, your excuse is kinda bullshit.¡± ¡°Keita. D-Don¡¯t act as if you know me!¡± ¡°Your body.¡± ¡°Wha-¡° I blushed at his bluntness and nearly dropped my freezie, while Keita gave me a cold stare. ¡°Your unhealthy and pale skin doesn¡¯t look like someone who¡¯ll y everywhere during the summer at all¡­¡± ¡°W-Why are you so sure about that!¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s because I¡¯m proud of having the same skin as well¡­¡± The friendless, bean sprout boy looked at the far-away clouds. ¡°I feel like¡­I should apologize.¡± I apologized, no matter how fierce our rivalry is. We just chewed our freezie depressingly while walking silently for a minute. I tried to make small talks again. ¡°Let¡¯s move on from my phone! To be honest, I have no idea what did you forget at my home.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡±Oh, about that. I initially thought that you¡¯ll realize what I¡¯ve left behind immediately when you¡¯re at home¡­But after a while, maybe this is not the case.¡± ¡°You mean you forgot something tiny? Like a 1:1 Keita Amano¡¯s stand board or something like that.¡± ¡°You just had to insult me whenever you got the chance. You¡¯re wrong, it¡¯s not tiny.¡± ¡°An object with a medium volume that I¡¯ll miss¡­what is it? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s your sealed devilish magic remnants in your body that can only be seen whenever you opened your third eye.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t insert some half-assed edgy settings in me. Is that a new way of messing with me?¡± ¡°Actually, I think it¡¯s almost time for you to prepay for some simple little magic.¡± ¡°Prepay?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this what people kept saying? If you are still a virgin by 30 years old-¡° Keita pped my head lightly when I said that. To be honest, tis but a scratch since he managed his force very well. However, I¡¯m still pissed at the fact I was just hit. So, I pped my hand on his weak arms as well. Keita Amano turned unhappy as he armed himself with his tricky theories. ¡°I pped you because I wanted to quickly halt you from saying something nasty in public. I don¡¯t understand why I should be hit by you.¡± Keita quibbled as he gently knocked my head, this is pissing me off. ¡°Yeah, while I can tolerate you picking on me verbally, there¡¯s no need for me to tolerate your violence as well.¡± I pped his arm as I spoke. His face twitched for a second. ¡°The only rather violent thing I did was touching your hair. Comparatively, you just violently contacted my skin.¡± ¡°But, a girl¡¯s life depends on her hair.¡± ¡°Your¡¯s are just dry seaweed.¡± ¡°The short winter melon next me, you¡¯re really viting the taboos now. This is sexual harassment. Sigh, what a pain in the ass. This is what a bean sprout little winter melon stinky otaku that talk down a girl looks like¡­¡± ¡°Then, you should be conscious of you speaking ill of me as well! By the way, you exerted a bit more energy in your counterattacks! It¡¯s hard for me toin about this kind of ¡°1.2 times more powerful¡± retaliations, you do manage your strength well!¡± ¡°Ayyyy, you really are a narrow-minded guy in every bit¡­O-Of course, I bet your size below is just as narrow as well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too nasty! You even flinched after you made thatment!¡± ¡°Oh, I wanted to say something irrelevant, don¡¯t you think your tone of ¡°nasty¡± sounds like ¡°publishing on time¡± a bit?¡± [Note: I have no idea what¡¯s the context of this, so I just tranted it literally.] ¡°That¡¯s too irrelevant! Do you really need to mention that now!?¡± ¡°So, where were we? I remembered you were saying something along the lines of ¡°If you wanted to know how powerful my bottom is, you have to witness it yourself!¡±. Then, you prepare to sexually assault me, right?¡± ¡°Woah, this seaweed head is finally making nderous usations.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I went a bit over there, that one doesn¡¯t count.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think my reactions are too ridiculous as well. Sorry, I wasining too much.¡± ¡°¡­Then, Keita, please stop attacking immediately!¡± ¡°Nonono, that¡¯s my line!¡± Although we were bickering, our hands never stopped at pping each other. This is going to hurt my brain if it evolves into another misunderstanding. Still, I¡¯m not usually the type of girl that has physical contact with boys frequently. Keita is the only boy that I dared to, which I guess it¡¯s the same for him. If Tendou-san is in my position, Keita will never react like that. In this sense, Keita and I are meant for each other. ¡°Oh? W-What¡¯s wrong, Chiaki? You are not¡­fighting back anymore?¡± Keita just yelled, ¡°don¡¯t fight back¡± a while ago. He suddenly started freaking out when I stopped. I turned my head away from him and mumbled. ¡°W-Welp, I-I found out that it¡¯s so disgusting to touch you for the sake of hitting you, I stopped because I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡± ¡°A-Am I an Lv.1 enemy that counterattacks with poison¡­!? You know how damaging a girl is when she yells that ¡°he is too disgusting to even touch on¡± to a lonely otaku!? ¡­Ouch.¡± Keita plopped his head down depressingly. ¡­Honestly, I didn¡¯t mean that, at all. But, I identally won the argument. That¡¯s rare¡­what should I do now? We ate our freezie silently as we walked for a while. Almost not a single person could be found in the residential area during the day, and the cicadas are not even singing today. So, the silence is so heavy to the point that it gives me a headache. At this moment, Keita finished his freezie and began to swing the stick leisurely before speaking again, seemingly trying to sweep the negative mood away. ¡°R-Right, I feel like we went off-topic there. So, about the thing that I left at your home.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, we were talking about that. What did you end up forgetting? I really have no clue.¡± No matter how insignificant that object is, I should at least notice that there¡¯s something that doesn¡¯t belong in my house. Keita gave me an unexpected answer, as I¡¯m thinking. ¡°I forgot my IC transport pass and its holder.¡± ¡°Your pass holder? I should be able to see right away if there¡¯s something like that in my house¡­¡± Someone¡¯s pass holder showed up in my home. It¡¯s only logical to be able to tell right away. Keita only said that while what I said was true, then he told me this embarrassingly. ¡°I¡¯m just guessing here, but I feel like that thing will not stand out in your home at all.¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Well. Chiaki, although I¡¯m extremely unwilling to admit this, don¡¯t you think that you and I are alike in every way aside from a couple differences? So¡­¡± ¡°¡­Oh, I get it¡­¡± I suddenly what Keita was trying to say. So, I took thest bite of the freezie before leaning towards him slightly and try to confirm. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell me your pass holder is deep blue and foldable-¡° After I described the appearance of my pass holder, Keita nodded at me while smiling bitterly. I put my hand on my forehand as I mumbled. ¡°¡­What the hell, even the scratches, and the marks are the exact same¡­¡± ¡°Really. Although I did kind of expect this at the start, I still can¡¯t believe what you¡¯ve just said. What do you think then? Is my pass holder in your ce?¡± I started thinking after he asked me. ¡°¡­Now that you¡¯re mentioning it, I did remember finding one in the living room and putting it away earlier. I think I discovered that on the utensil shelf. Well, I realized that I never took public transport since the summer holiday began, so it¡¯ll be strange if my real pass holder isn¡¯t in my bags¡­¡± ¡°Right. Ah, it could be left somewhere else as well. But, I guess it¡¯s right to look for it at your ce first. However, I should apologize for the sudden intrusion.¡± Keita lowered his head and apologized. While we called each other rivals usually, we often behaved politely in times like this. Both of us are nobody. I started provoking him out of my awkwardness. ¡°B-But, a lonely otaku like you don¡¯t need to use the pass in the summer holiday either, why do you want to take it back that urgently?¡± I meant to start a fight with him, but then he didn¡¯t take the bait. Instead, he scratched his head embarrassingly. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. But¡­I think this year¡¯s summer holiday will be a bit different thanst year¡¯s, so I wanted to take it back ASAP.¡± ¡°What do you mean by different than thest year- Oh.¡± Right, Keita belongs to the ¡°Couples¡± ss now, so I shut my mouth. Keita looks like he still isn¡¯t used to mentioning that, so he got too embarrassed to say anything. A subtle silence flowed between us. I secretly nced at Keita¡¯s face before thinking again. ¡°¡­By the way¡­looking at the current situation, I feel like this is different than what I¡¯ve expected¡­about Keita and Tendou-san¡¯s rtionship.¡± I thought Tendou-san epted her role as girlfriend reluctantly out of sympathy, to let Keita escape the evil grasp of that she-devil Aguri. However, when everyone gathered in my ce to y that game of life, I feel like it¡¯s something beyond that, and that¡¯s a fact. ¡°Aguri-san is still there, after all. Keita could just be pretending¡­but it¡¯s really natural for an act.¡± At least from what I know, Keita Amano can never act that perfectly. I don¡¯t know the perfect role model, Tendou-san, though. ¡°This plot¡­don¡¯t tell me they grew closer to each other when they are pretending to be a couple¡­¡± I never thought that such a clich¨¦ plot for a romanticedy can exist in reality. Even though it¡¯s just a show, I guess it¡¯s not that weird for both to grow closer when the couple got more time to be with each other by going on dates. ¡­Yeah, there¡¯s nothing wrong. Nothing strange¡¯s happening¡­ ¡°W-Weird, what¡¯s going on? What¡¯s wrong with this conclusion? The more I think about the interaction between Keita and Tendou-san, the more goosebumps I get in my chest for some reason. What is this¡­?¡± When I¡¯m trapped in abyrinth of thoughts, Keita spoke again with a bitter smile on his face to try and lighten up the mood. ¡°Sigh, I still haven¡¯te up with a n for our date, though.¡± ¡°Really, w-well¡­Keita, you being overly self-conscious is disgusting.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re wordy, Chiaki.¡± While this looks like what¡¯re we arguing typically¡­this time it feels awkward for some unknown reasons. So, Keita and I kept arguing as we walked through the deste residential area. I unintentionally grabbed out my phone and sighed at the dark screen. Keita looked at me confusingly as I¡¯m doing that. Then, he seemed to have realized something and asked me abruptly. ¡°Ah, right! I don¡¯t have the chance to ask you while we were arguing. Chiaki, are you ying the same mobile game as I do?¡± My heart skipped a beat. My whole body turned stiff as Keita¡¯s sudden jump to the main point. ¡°W-What are you talking about?¡± I pretended that everything¡¯s fine while freaking out intensely inside as I asked. So, Keita grabbed his phone out of his pocket and clicked on a mobile game. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s hard to remember the title of the game. So, I just opened it for you. Ah, this one.¡± Keita conveniently showed the title screen to me. It shows the mobile game that connected Tshi and NOBE¡­Keita and I together. Although my heart is beating vigorously right now, I turned away from Keita and took a second to calm down before I- ¡°N-No, I¡¯ve never yed this! Yes, I didn¡¯t y it in the least bit.¡± -I just identally said no to him. Keita frowned confusingly. ¡°Eh, really? Hmm¡­but I remembered you received the notification at the same time when we were ying with everyone¡­¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s just the one from my other game, that¡¯s all.¡± I don¡¯t understand why I am lying either, and I¡¯m not even sure this is a good or bad thing for both of us. But, at least I can tell that I¡¯m not ready to reveal the truth to Keita yet¡­ ¡°Hmm¡­really, that¡¯s a shame.¡± Keita stopped asking and turned off the screen of his phone¡­ ¡°S-Strange, what¡¯s going on? I felt so regretful just then¡­¡± ¡­N-No, that¡¯s wrong! I-It¡¯s got to be due to my desire to chat with other gamers! T-This has absolutely nothing to do with my hope for Keita to discover his fateful bond with me. There¡¯s no way I will have a girly idea like that. Yes, it¡¯s totally impossible! ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong, Chiaki? You¡¯re suddenly clenching your fist!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, everything¡¯s fine! I¡¯m just expelling my feebleness away!¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly so hyped up in leisure times like this? What¡¯s happening?¡± Keita seemed to be confused with what I¡¯m doing and even looked at me like I¡¯m a ghost¡­That¡¯s what you get. It¡¯s unfair for me to feel flustered only¡­ ¡°But then, if that¡¯s the case¡­is it better for me to just exin everything?¡± I started reviewing how viable this option is. In the past, I will just hide everything as the situation evolves¡­In actuality, there shouldn¡¯t be anything to hold me back from telling the truth. While I do feel a bit uneasy and embarrassed since a close friend is a fan of my games, but it¡¯s nothing to me already. If there¡¯s a chance to chat with Keita¡­to chat with someone that understands me about creating games, mobile games, or NOBE¡¯s works, the benefits should far outweigh the consequences. But I¡­I just can¡¯t take a step forward no matter what. ¡°Why¡­?¡± When I¡¯m struggling as I walked, the distance from my home is gradually closing in. 2 minutes after and I¡¯ll be there. Then, I will return Keita¡¯s pass holder to him and say goodbye. There wouldn¡¯t be any opportunities for us to see each other alone until the end of the summer holiday. After all, this is the rtionship between Keita and me. We will gather around in the Game Hobby Club with other people and pick on each other when we meet, but that¡¯s all we do. I think we barely count as friends, not to mention couples or BFFs. Rival. Opponent. These are the closest terms to portray our rtionship. However¡­ ¡­With a situation like this¡­I¡­I¡­ ¡°I wish to change where we are currently as well.¡± ¡°!¡± Keita faced forward and started talking suddenly. My heart skipped a bit since I thought he read through my mind, and I didn¡¯t answer back. So, he scratched his cheeks embarrassingly before continuing. ¡°Exiling your feeble side¡­Chiaki didn¡¯t you just mention that you are weak or something?¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s what you mean¡­¡± I realized what Keita just said isn¡¯t about me, and I sighed in relief. He¡¯s clearly embarrassed, but he continued. ¡°Just like the pass holder. It¡¯s like what you¡¯ve said, that wasn¡¯t something that I need to use right away. Moreover, I just mentioned that I don¡¯t have a n yet. So, honestly, there¡¯s no need for me to just barge into a girl¡¯s house this suddenly. But, even so, I still mustered up the courage and did something that doesn¡¯t fit my style¡­¡± Keita turned back and looked at me as he finished, his face seems a bit different. Although it still looks unreliable, he¡¯s giving off some kind of strange mettle. My heart is starting to beat quickly¡­So, the guy gave me a bitter smile. ¡°It¡¯s because I want to¡­get closer with Tendou-san.¡± ¡°¡­With¡­Tendou-san¡­¡± I can feel a tinge of pain is stinging my heart. Keita seemed to have interpreted my reaction as ¡°being pissed off because someone¡¯s showing off that they¡¯re a loving couple.¡± He freaked out and continued. ¡°Ah, no, you got it wrong! Um¡­I-I guess you¡¯re right. Well¡­I-It doesn¡¯t matter much to me when I don¡¯t have my pass holder. After all, I might use that as an excuse to not go out with Tendou-san or just straight-up rejecting other¡¯s invitation¡­The only reason that I¡¯m taking the pass holder this deliberately Is because I don¡¯t want to have an excuse. Haha, to be honest, even I felt that was a shitty reason.¡± ¡°¡­I¡­¡± I don¡¯t feel like that at all- I immediately stopped myself from spewing that out¡­It¡¯s because no matter how you think about it, that¡¯s not something a rival would say. But¡­but¡­ ¡°Being able to admit your weakness, and even trying to ovee it¡­that¡¯s not something a true coward can do¡­¡± I sincerely and truthfully admired the boy in front of me¡­But, it¡¯s difficult for me to express my feelings with such a rtionship between us. Keita sighed helplessly and lowered his shoulders. ¡°Chiaki, I mustered up the same courage toe up to you earlier.¡± ¡°Oh, you mean the time where you tried to talk to me? You were quite sneaky back then.¡± ¡°H-How annoying. You should know how hard it is to send a friend request to someone from the opposite gender when you haven¡¯t interacted with them at all, right?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s true. I¡¯m already trembling when I think about it.¡± ¡°See? While I was just doing that because Uehara-kun pushed me, I still can¡¯t believe Ipleted the mission¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, Keita, that doesn¡¯t seem like what you would do, now that I¡¯m thinking of it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Sigh, luckily, it was you¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I slowed down my pace, and Keita continued like it¡¯s nothing. ¡°After I saw how much you are enjoying yourself in that game, I just forgot how hard it is to talk to a girl. Honestly, I was thrilled there, it¡¯s like I¡¯ve finally found my soulmate.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah, but then I immediately realize that was a misunderstanding- Eh? Chiaki, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Keita looked back at me confusingly since I¡¯m falling way behind. After I snapped out of it, I looked at him and quickly brought out the usual, vicious words. ¡°Hmph. I-I felt harassed there. Keita, do you know what it¡¯s like to be stared by a disgusting male when a girl¡¯s enjoying gaming?¡± ¡°Ouch! The damage! You just went ahead andpletely ruined my glorious little moment there! I¡¯m really hurt! I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Chiaki! I feel like this is my fault!¡± ¡°Well, I did meet with Uehara-kun, so I guess I can forgive you.¡± Iughed as I saw Keita mumbling while pressing his chest. Suddenly, I made up my mind. ¡°¡­Perhaps¡­I still¡­wanted to change myself¡­¡± I clenched my fist in front of my chest. From the looks of it, I have to admit. I still wanted to chat with a person like Keita Amano more. Right now, I can¡¯t think of where this mindset will bring me to atst. However, I believe this feeling can¡¯t be easily categorized into things like love or friendship. But, I¡¯m sure of my hope of going forward. Although I don¡¯t understand whether that¡¯s right or wrong, I still wanted to follow my heart, maybe it¡¯s because I can¡¯t exin this feeling. ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­now that we have time to be alone, I have to act fast and not waste this precious chance¡­¡± I have to act fast, right. The only trump card that I have, the one that can cause a sudden change to our rtionship. Yes, I have to tell Keita who NOBE and Mono really are before we reach home¡­! ¡°¡­Right!¡± I made up my mind and raised my head. I won¡¯t be at a loss anymore! Keita is the same type as me. If a weakling like him can show this amount of manliness! I can exin everything to him before we get home if I put in the effort- ¡°Hey. We¡¯re here, Hoshinomroi¡¯s home.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I snapped back to reality when Keita said that. So, I looked at where he pointed and realized the sign wrote ¡°Hoshinomori¡± in front of me. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I silently pushed the door open and smiled nky before urging Keita toe in. ¡°¡­Wee¡­pleasee in¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s the least weing ¡°wee¡± I¡¯ve heard since I was born!¡± Well, I¡¯ve also never felt more disappointed with seeing my home since I was born. * ¡°E-Excuse me.¡± Keita Amano politely greeted as he took off his shoes. I, the one who entered first, turned around and told him. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so nervous, none of my parents are here right now.¡± So, Keita suddenly stopped walking to the corridor for some reason. I nced at him, thinking that is there a problem. His face suddenly turned serious. ¡°¡­Although we are talking about seaweed here, does this constitute as being disloyal to Tendou-san when a guy enters a girl¡¯s home alone¡­?¡± ¡°W-What do you mean by disloyal¡­Sigh, rx, my sister¡¯s in her room as well.¡± ¡°Oh, really. Phew, I¡¯m in luck. Then, excuse me.¡± Keita pressed his chest in relief as he stepped to the corridor and put his shoes down. Then, he followed me to the living room. ¡°¡­Actually, if a guy walking into the home of two youngdies, that¡¯s even worse than just me alone. But, it¡¯s a pain in the butt if I brought that up anyway, I should keep it to myself.¡± I can¡¯t go off and imagine things now. I put the bag with the magazine and the drinks on the table. Keita kept looking around suspiciously after he entered the room. ¡°Uh, Keita, you can take a seat.¡± ¡°Um, but, as I¡¯ve said before, you don¡¯t really need to go out your way for me. I will go home right away after I got my pass holder.¡± Keita looked for his pass holder as he said that¡­Hmm. ¡°I-It¡¯s going to be a big problem if you leave this early! I have to tell you everything, at least!¡± I silently took away Keita¡¯s pass holder on the utensil shelf and hid it behind me. Then, I suggested to him with hands behind my back. ¡°K-Keita, why don¡¯t you get a cup of wheat tea before you leave?¡± ¡°Eh¡­? Let¡¯s see, where did you put your chloroform¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to prank you by adding that! Do you really dislike me that much!?¡± Our rtionship is hopeless! I didn¡¯t really care in the past, but now that I wanted to close our distance, this is a tricky situation. Keita smiled bitterly and apologized. ¡°S-Sorry, I really don¡¯t know what I should do here¡­¡± ¡°Please just be yourself.¡± ¡°Heh, seaweed.¡± ¡°Correct, that¡¯s what you sound like usually- I¡¯ll punch you in the face if you do that again.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Keita sat down with his back straight after he said that. He looked at the balcony, and then he turned away suddenly, he seems embarrassed. I looked outside as well since I¡¯m confused. Then, I realized¡­ Our family¡¯s clothes are drying outside. Of course, that includes me and my sister¡¯s underwear as well¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t look, you hentai!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! Uh, I should just grab my pass holder and leave-¡° ¡°You know what, I¡¯ll allow it! View it to your heart¡¯s content!¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense! N-No, I won¡¯t look.¡± Then, we stared at each other silently for a few seconds.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, Keita, s-so you don¡¯t want to spend even a second looking at my underwear, is that what you are thinking right now?¡± ¡°Dude, what drugs are you on right now? You are going haywire today.¡± ¡°N-None of your business.¡± ¡°Honestly, I would rather see that you¡¯re drying kelps outside.¡± ¡°Being a seaweed isn¡¯t my feature! You¡¯re the same, Antman has been getting all your fametely.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not proud of how tiny I am!¡± We just stared at each other before turning away angrily. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°..Eh, weird! Didn¡¯t I want to get along with Keita!?¡± Why are we so ipatible with each other? It¡¯s just as natural as breathing for us to start fighting each other, but is it still too difficult for us to y nice? I took out a ss from the shelf and reached for the fridge. But then¡­ ¡°No, if this goes on, Keita will just chug the wheat tea and go home¡­But, I haven¡¯t made up my mind yet¡­I-I need to drag this out first¡­!¡± I eximed upon the realization, ¡°Oh, right!¡± Then, I looked at Keita again. ¡°C-Can I go back to my room to charge my phone first? Um, there could be some important messages waiting for me!¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, okay, that¡¯s fine¡­Um, if that¡¯s the case, I really don¡¯t need any wheat tea or anything, I will leave after I got the pass holder¡­¡± ¡°Then, please wait here for a moment! I promise it¡¯ll be quick!¡± ¡°Eh? Hey, Chiaki-¡° I ignored Keita, who¡¯s clearly confused and left the living room while secretly carrying his pass holder. I opened the door to my room in the middle of the corridor, it¡¯s still just as gloomy as usual. The bright screen illuminated the dim room due to the filtering curtains. I calmed down immediately. At the same time, I can feel that I¡¯m incredibly depressed now. ¡°Do I really¡­want to show¡­who I really am?¡± I walked towards theputer desk frustratedly and put my phone on charge. Then, I looked at the screen saver on the monitor. This room basically symbolizes who I really am. Usually, this is not something that I wanted to show to the others actively. But, if the person in question is Yama-san or Tshi¡­ ¡°¡­If the person is Keita¡­¡± My mumbling voice gradually disappeared in the darkness. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I pressed the power button of my phone and waited for it to turn on. Then, I clicked on that mobile game. ¡°¡­Oh, I missed the daily login reward.¡± In the past, I¡¯ve never abandoned the game. I would alwaysplete the missions even if that meant I need to reject my friend¡¯s invitation. That¡¯s who I truly am. Now¡­Keita Amano is slowly taking my time away in all aspects, and my heart as well. I clicked on the menu of the game and opened the messages with Tshi. ¡°Give it your all!¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°We¡¯re saved.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡±Yeah!¡± Concise words. Extremely simple. An interaction with as few letters as possible. However, for some reason- ¡°¡­Haha.¡± My mouth curved as I stared at the screen, and my chest is feeling a tinge of warmth. ¡°¡­Alright, I shouldn¡¯t tell the truth right now.¡± Naturally, I made up my mind. ¡°¡­This is because I treasure everyone, no matter its Yama-san, Tshi, or Keita Amano. While I¡¯m unwilling to say this, but they are really precious to me. That¡¯s why I should treat them differently. The worst thing I could do is to put our rtionship on the bet for the sake of closing our distance, right.¡± I didn¡¯t back down from my passiveness. Instead, I¡­made this decision myself. Right now, I¡¯m not going to push myself¡­I should follow my own pace. ¡°¡­Yes, I¡¯ll wait for the day¡­where I can smile naturally at him and reveal who I am¡­we can do it at that time. So, this is enough for me right now¡­I need to prepare for that day in my own way, with a pace that suits both of us. Then, I can slowly grow closer¡­with Keita¡­with Keita Amano-¡° I cherished at my phone¡¯s screen as I made up my mind. Suddenly- ¡°Hey, Chiaki? It just rained for a bit, I think you better get all your clothes back first¡­¡± ¡°!¡± I got startled as I turned around because someone suddenly talked to me. Then, I saw Keita peeked inside sheepishly from the opened door- ¡°Ah? Uh, ehm, I-I-I¡­I got it!¡± To block the screen, I quickly flipped my phone over and put it on theputer desk. However, it seemed to have moved the mouse, which caused the screen saver to stop. As a result, the monitor showed NOBE¡¯s half-edited blog¡­ ¡°?¡± ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± Why does this happen right after I decided to keep it a secret! I swung my arms violently to block him from seeing the monitor. However¡­ ¡°Oh.¡± This time, I identally threw my phone outside. So, I sent the phone flying which caused the charging cable to disconnect, and it even sild across the smooth rug towards Keita- ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± I cursed all the gods as I scrambled after my phone. However, I identally tripped over and was temporarily paralyzed on the floor. ¡°A-Are you okay, Chiaki?¡± Seeing a friend in such a miserable state, Keita picked up the phone naturally as he walked towards me to try and help me out. ¡°Wait, um, t¡­t-t-the phone, and the PC, don¡¯t¡­¡± I gaped and told Keita not to look at my phone and theputer. However¡­ ¡°Eh? Oh, you want me to make sure your phone and PC are fine? Alright, just a second.¡± That became thest push needed. ¡°Oh, n-no, don¡¯t do that¡­!¡± Before I even finished my protesting, he kindly checked my phone andputer screen. So¡­ ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Keita seemed to have realized something and just stood there, frozen. ¡°NOBE¡­and Mono¡­? Eh, these are¡­¡± ¡­It¡¯s over. ¡°¡­!¡± How can things be this ridiculous? This is literally out of a romanticedy¡­No, stupid miracles like this are even too rare in romanticedies, not to mention that this is reality! I blushed as I plopped my head down. Keita is looking down at me, hoping for an exnation. ¡°There¡¯s only one way left¡­now that things have taken a turn like this¡­!¡± I have to tell Keita the truth¡­Yes. Perhaps this is a good chance. I¡¯m scared to interact with people from time to time, this had to be God¡¯s attempt to push me to talk. This situation doesn¡¯t allow me to slowly build up the rtionship with Keita anymore. After all, all of this seems a bit toote anyway. Even though I¡¯m not sure what I feel, I have to step on the gas and drive our rtionship to the next level. That should be God¡¯s instruction. ¡­Alright, I got it. I¡¯m a woman, after all. Now¡¯s the time to show a woman¡¯s bravery and pride! I stood up immediately¡­and grabbed my phone from Keita¡¯s hand as I stared with him, my eyes are filled with determination. ¡°¡­Keita!¡± ¡°Y-Yes! W-What¡¯s the matter¡­?¡± Keita got scared and straightened his back right away. A boy and a girl are staring at each other in a gloomy room. It¡¯s raining outside, but those washed clothes are no longer relevant¡­Just like Keita¡¯s pass holder, I don¡¯t want to use that as an excuse to escape from this situation. I took a deep breath. Then, I showed my phone andputer screen at Keita clearly before I spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t want to say this initially, but you found out already. It can¡¯t be helped. Now¡¯s the time to clear everything up.¡± ¡°A-Alright¡­¡± ¡°Keita, I think you¡¯ve realized already¡­It¡¯s just like what you see, the true identity of NOBE, and Mono is actually¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Keita came to his senses and gave me an ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡± look. I red back at him confidently- ¡°¡­Hmm? Phew¡­that was a good nap¡­¡± -Suddenly, at the corner of my eye, someone yanked the quilt away and woke up slowly on the bed at the dark side of the room. Just as Keita and I are staring at each other shockingly, that person...even when she¡¯s wearing pajamas and looks tired, still retained a sense of cuteness that¡¯s different from me. My sister, Konoha Hoshinomori, stretched her back with a big ¡°Phew¡­!¡± and started mumbling without bothering to look at us. ¡°Hiya¡­Sis, you¡¯re back. I¡¯m sorry. I wanted to watch videos initially, but I got too tired from ying hentai- I mean studying. So, I borrowed your bed to take a nap-¡° Konoha finally noticed there¡¯s someone other than me, ¡­which is Keita. She let out a gasp right away. ¡°Why¡­are you¡­¡± Then, while I¡¯m not sure of the reason behind, but Konoha showed a subtle reaction to Keita that indicates she has met him somewhere before. At this moment, my brain is operating rapidly. Then, after I snapped out of it, I turned towards a startled Keita quickly and told him everything. ¡°Yes, my sister ¨C Konoha Hoshinomori, she is both NOBE and Mono!¡± ¡°-Wha?¡± The boy and the girl¡¯s confused voice ovepped each other. Also¡­ ¡°¡­Ha¡­ahahaha¡­sigh¡­¡± ¡­There¡¯s a clown who¡¯s hollowlyughing because she¡¯s freaking out at what she just said. -So, during a random day of the summer this year, in Hoshinomori¡¯s home under showers. Unfortunately, we witnessed the birth of yet another misunderstanding here. Volume 4, 2 – Tasuku Uehara and Plot Intervention

Volume 4, Chapter 2 ¨C Tasuku Uehara and Plot Intervention

Trantor: your_pingas¡°The true identity of NOBE¡­is Hoshinomori¡¯s sister!?¡± I, Tasuku Uehara, screamed loudly at the bustling burger joint. The guy that¡¯s sitting in front of me ¨C Keita Amano sipped his 100 yen iced coffee as he looked around the shop curiously. Then, he answered me slowly and calmly. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s surprising, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Um, while I¡¯m surprised¡­Eh, no, but you¡­¡± I took a big shot of my coke to calm myself down, and then I grabbed a single piece of fries on the table and chewed it for a long while. ¡°I thought something went wrong when Amano suddenly said he wanted to meet¡­¡± This guy¡­Keita Amano, who looked just the same as usual, proceeded to st me with such a shocking fact that I¡¯ve never expected. ¡°The progress between them has twisted this much already, just when I¡¯m hesitating on how I should help Hoshinomori for these couple days¡­¡± I chugged the coke to flush the fries down to my stomach. Then, I chose my words carefully before asking Amano for a detailed report. Amano spent 5 minutes exining everything up to the part where Hoshinomori¡¯s sister showed up on the bed. Then, Iid back onto the chair and mumbled. ¡°That¡¯s why¡­¡± From what I¡¯ve heard, it seems that Hoshinomori¡¯s identity was almost revealed unexpectedly to Keita. Then, she came up with a dumb excuse in a hurry. Just as I¡¯mmenting over the stupidity of this pair of babies, Amano continued even though he¡¯s clearly confused. ¡°But the litigant NOBE¡­Konoha-san didn¡¯t show much of a reaction. Although she¡¯s probably still sleepy, how should I put it? I feel like she doesn¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on at all.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± After all, that girl is not NOBE. How can she understand? I¡¯m feeling sympathetic to Hoshinomori (sister), so I grabbed some more fries and urged Amano to continue. ¡°Then? What followed that?¡± Amano grabbed a handful of fries as well. ¡°Um, Chiaki dragged me out of the room. I initially wanted to tell her it¡¯s raining only. Moreover, I guess it¡¯s not nice to force a first-met girl to face us in her home clothes, right?¡± ¡°Sigh, I guess you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Then, Chiaki took all her washed clothes back andmanded me. ¡°Do not leave the living room. Don¡¯t even try to move a single step. Understand!¡± She retreated to her room after saying that¡­I told her that I¡¯ll leave after I got the pass holder back¡­But, for some reason, Chiaki insisted she wouldn¡¯t return it now, perhaps she¡¯s pranking me.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± I knew what¡¯s Hoshinomori thinking exactly. There¡¯s no way for her to just let Amano go home without letting him know at least a bit of the truth. ¡°Then¡­I guess it¡¯s around 10 minutester? Chiaki dragged her properly-dressed sister out¡­Konoha-san to the living room and introduced her to me. She said her sister is both NOBE and Mono.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm, Hoshinomori¡¯s sister¡­is called Konoha, right? How¡¯s she acting like?¡± ¡°Well, let me tell you.¡± Amano leaned towards me and stretched his face as he spoke. ¡°Initially, my first impression for Konoha is she ispletely unaware of what¡¯s going on. Also, perhaps it¡¯s because she just woke up, I feel she¡¯s a bit sloppy. Then, shepletely changed after she appeared again. The girl answered everything I asked correctly. ¡°Correctly?¡± ¡°Hmm. How should I say this? Um, it¡¯s like talking to thetest AI girl. While her answers are correct, I don¡¯t feel she¡¯s giving off any emotions¡­¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± This guy¡­Keita Amano is still just the same. His insights are through-the-roof in weird times like this. To be fair, his first impression is very urate. Although I don¡¯t know if Hoshinomori (sister) is acting on her sister¡¯s behalf, she was pretending to be NOBE and Mono anyway. ¡­Even though Amano is more or less suspicious about this whole incident, but the girl can show a perfect AI response when she has just woken up and only had 10 minutes to prepare herself. This little kid can undoubtedly put up an excellent performance. Hoshinomori (sister)¡¯s impressing me. ¡°Well, I still don¡¯t really know what I should do with Konoha-san. When our conversation died in the middle, Chiaki helped and gave us some exnation. She told us that she just discovered this rtionship recently and that she got so sneaky because of her hesitation on how to convey her thoughts¡­¡± ¡°Yup, what an exnation¡­¡± An exnation for something that was entirely made up by her. Other than that, I¡¯m sure that she wanted to clear her sister¡¯s confusion as well. ¡°Then, I went home after a simple greeting¡­That¡¯s the end of the story. As a result, Konoha-san and I didn¡¯t get to chat about gaming like I wanted to.¡± ¡°Really. Well, I guess so¡­¡± In actuality, Amano can never ¡°chat about gaming¡± wither her. She is not NOBE and Mono, after all. Based on what I¡¯ve heard, she¡¯s just an irreverent, normal girl. Amano looked at the burger joint and sighed as he stared at the group of teenagers happily chatting with each other. ¡°I feel like¡­I¡¯m still confused.¡± ¡°¡­I guess you¡¯re right.¡± No shit, you¡¯re just talking to the fake one. It¡¯s natural for you to feel unsatisfied. Amano leaned on the back of the seat and looked at the centre of the table nkly. ¡°¡­Well, I didn¡¯t expect to be BFFs with her as soon as we see each other, anyway. Hmm, but what¡¯s with this feeling¡­¡± Perhaps Amano couldn¡¯t give an answer to himself. He looks embarrassed now. ¡°¡­What do I want¡­what should I do¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± I tried to say something, but ultimately I remained quiet because I can¡¯t really give any advice now. ¡°¡­If Amano knew that Chiaki Hoshinomori is who NOBE and Mono really are, I guess he¡¯ll be genuinely happier than he is now.¡± It¡¯s hard to say from the past. But, recently, Amano and Hoshinomroi¡¯s aren¡¯t that bad anymore. Perhaps it¡¯s because both sides realized that the only point they couldn¡¯t agree on is with moe characters. So, they won¡¯t really pick a dumb fight nowadays. That is why Hoshinomroi doesn¡¯t feel disgusted explicitly when she knew that Amano is both Yama-san and Tshi. Amano must¡¯ve felt the same. If he realized Hoshinomori is who he had talked to on the inte, I say he¡¯ll be 20% surprised and 80% d that to know the truth. However, Amano is different from Hoshinomori, he didn¡¯t acquire this sense of joy. Instead, apletely different person reced his hard-earned rtionship with some fake conversations. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± As his friend, I felt terrible for Amano, it¡¯s like watching an idiot got persuaded to buy counterfeit goods. Although he¡¯s suspicious of what he just bought, the guy ended figuring out that maybe it¡¯s just his problem. However¡­I can¡¯t reveal the truth to the poor soul now. It¡¯s because this is Hoshinomori¡¯s choice. Hoshinomori carried the sameplicated emotion that Amano does, if not more. Still, she decided that this is the best for both worlds. I rubbed the back of my neck and hesitated before mumbling. ¡°Um¡­hmm¡­so¡­well¡­h-how do you feel about Konoha as a girl?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Welp¡­for example¡­is she cute¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with that look?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Uehara-kun, you sure are energetic¡­¡± ¡°Eh, what do you mean by that!¡± ¡°Uh, I really respect you. Honestly, as a man, you¡¯re really fascinating. To put it this way, Uehara-kun, you¡¯re really an ant if you are in that Ant and Cricket fable¡­¡± ¡°Yo, don¡¯t try to paint me as a lewd dude that only puts in the effort to chase after girls. Also, please don¡¯t refer to The Ant and Cricket in situations like this! That was meant to be a ¡°good story¡± between us!¡± ¡°Well, how about¡­The North Wind and the Sun, you¡¯re like the Sun, Uehara-kun!¡± ¡°Oi, you just picked that fable because it involves undressing people!¡± ¡°How about The Tortoise and the Hare? If a hare is sleeping in an adorable position, you¡¯ll be the tortoise that slowly and silently creeps on her.¡± ¡°What kind of metaphor is this!? Why are you treating the tortoise as if he¡¯s a rapist!? Picking on me with all these twisted Aesop fables analyses, what do you want from me!?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re in The Bat, the Beast, and the Bird¡­¡± ¡°Stop! The Bat that pretends to be in the same league as the Bird and the Beast. I can¡¯t think of a good metaphor, no matter how you put it!¡± After I barraged him with a wave ofints, Amano finally stopped his Aesop-style attack and asked. ¡°Then why are you asking me how do I feel about Konoha-san¡¯s appearance? She being cute or not has nothing to do with this. Right?¡± ¡°W-Well¡­¡± I-It¡¯s hard to exin. After all¡­ ¡°I¡¯m considering the possibility of Amano falling for Konoha¡­how can I say this.¡± In reality, Hoshinomori certainly felt in love when she knew that Amano is Yama-san and Tshi¡­I mean, I¡¯m not 100% sure, but at least she looked like she has a simr feeling. Then, if Amano¡¯s the male counterpart of Hoshinomori¡­I thought that he¡¯ll more or less be moved if the girl that he¡¯s chatting on the inte with is cute¡­ ¡°Um, think about it, Hoshinomori brags about her sister from time to time. I wanted to know what¡¯s actually going on.¡± Amano answered my question reluctantly after I gave him a far-fetched reason. ¡°Ay¡­in terms of appearance, you¡¯re right. I think Konoha-san is an adorable girl, so cute to the point that it¡¯s not exaggerating to use the term beauty.¡± ¡°¡­Then, are you falling for the girl?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Amano tilted his head explicitly. He even gave me an ¡°Are you an idiot?¡± vibe. A sincere reaction. Good, I¡¯m going to punch someer. ¡°Did you even listen to me? Konoha-san and I just chatted for a little bit.¡± ¡°Even so¡­she¡¯s still both NOBE and Mono, which are really meaningful to you, right? This means that you two have abundantly interacted with each other on a spiritual level. Then, you found out that she¡¯s a beautiful girl of your age when both of you meet¡­It¡¯s unnatural to not have any feelings for her, right?¡± If the guy likes the girl¡¯s appearance and personality, it¡¯s weird to not have any feelings. But, Amano pulled a long face for some reason. ¡°Well, I do like NOBE and Mono, and I think Konoha-san¡¯s pretty cute and responsible¡­¡± Then, Amano frowned and crossed his arms as he mumbled. ¡°Sigh¡­you¡¯re right, Uehara-kun. You have a point. Usually, I would fall for her in a situation like this, at least if we¡¯re in a rom.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Yep¡­this makes sense in every way possible¡­¡± Amano scratched his head, he found that it¡¯s unbelievable for himself as well. ¡°¡­How should I say this? Hmm¡­but the great premise of all of this is that Tendou-san already had the only sublime ce in my heart.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Someone just showed off their love to me, but whatever. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m both d and honoured to know that the identity of NOBE and Mono are shared by the same person. But¡­I can¡¯t seem to project those emotions towards Konoha-san. So, she¡¯s only ¡°Chiaki¡¯s sister¡± to me right now¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Amano scratched his head like he¡¯s reconsidering as he said that. ¡°Ah, but I guess I¡¯m being really fickle. After all, the girl is basically my saviour, whom I chatted frequently¡­while being the game developer that I respect from the bottom of my heart. Then, I only carried this kind of uncertain feelings towards her when we get to meet face-to-face. Sigh, how much of an introverted and weak coward do I have to be¡­¡± ¡­I still can¡¯t say anything to Amano. ¡°Amano¡­no doubt you can¡¯t project your feelings to the girl. Your idea is exactly right.¡± Honestly, I wanted to tell him that, but¡­ ¡°¡­Can I reallyin about Hoshinomori¡¯s decision when I¡¯m in a position like this¡­?¡± I chose to spectate when I knew their rtionship from the start. Then, atst, under the influence of this bastard named Tasuku Uehara¡­the situation evolved into what can only be called unfortunate for both of them. ¡°I¡¯m not allowed to intervene. Right now, my grasp on the situation is the exact same as Hoshinomori. If that¡¯s the case, the problem should be handled by the person in question. If there¡¯s anything that a spectator like me can do, that¡¯ll be¡­¡± I drank the c and made up my mind. Then, I spoke solemnly. ¡°Hey, you already got an incredible girlfriend named Karen Tendou. Now¡¯s not the time to be wordy with other girls, right?¡± ¡°Eh? No, I don¡¯t mean that at all¡­Ah, but I guess you¡¯re right. If I had already found out that the girl is the same age as me, it¡¯d be problematic to just interact with her in the way that we did on the¡­¡± I paused Amano¡¯s mumble and continued. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this part can be kept as it is? You can directly treat NOBE and Mono like you used to be. Then, you just avoid contacting the actual Konoha, that''ll work.¡± But then, Amano tilted his head confusingly at my suggestion. ¡°Eh? Personally¡­I liked your idea. But, although that¡¯s just getting closer to a girl you know on the inte and in real life, I still feel like that¡¯s a bad thing for a guy with a girlfriend to do, right¡­?¡± ¡°What¡¯re you talking about, Amano? I will often chat with girls other than Aguri as well. Not to mention that you¡¯re still chatting with Hoshinomori and Aguri.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I know both people already¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same. If you can ept that, it¡¯s nothing for you to chat with people on the inte, right? Just keep the rtionship. You¡¯re not looking for anything else, anyway.¡± ¡°Um, hmm, eh¡­really? It¡¯ll be fantastic if I can keep it as it is. Ah, but, I guess I need to exin this to Tendou-san first-¡° ¡°No, no, you don¡¯t need to. I think Tendou will just get upset if you went out of your way and tell her.¡± ¡°¡­Really? Um, yeah, I guess this feels a bit too self-conscious¡­¡± Just as Amano felt distressed, I finished all my fries at once and lifted my te before leaving my seat. ¡°So, you just keep chatting with NOBE and Mono as you¡¯ve always been! Don¡¯t meet with Konoha! Don¡¯t report to Tendou! Everything will be fine that way! Alright, dismissed!¡± ¡°Eh? W-Wait a second, Uehara-kun, I still haven¡¯t finished my coffee-¡° ¡°Just go, Amano.¡± ¡°W-Wait for me!¡± *chugs coffee* *coughs loudly* Amano didn¡¯t have time to question my conclusion, so he finished his coffee quickly and stood up. I gave him a mischievous grin before I put the te back onto the recycling area and walked out of the burger joint. The slightly malfunctioned auto-door is reflecting the bitter face of a despicable bat. * A week after that. You asked what I am doing during this time? Well, to put it simply, I just cherished this beautiful summer holiday. I worked in a rxing part-time job for a while and went out with my girlfriends and others. I stayed home and yed games when there¡¯s no schedule for the day. I even decided to go on an overseas trip with my family a few dayster. It¡¯s rxing, joyous, blessing, and cheerful, ¡­which is why I feel a sense of longing sometimes. I have to game even more just to get this out of my head to go through a typical day. ¡°¡­It¡¯s over.¡± I mumbled while I sat on the bed of my room. The screen is showing credits that are presented boringly. I let out a sigh as I put away the game. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I caressed my slightly-longer beard as I stared at the credits screen with names that I¡¯ll never remember. While I spent 40 hours to reach the end, I don¡¯t really feel anything at all. This game is not that boring, though. The rxingbat and training system is quitepelling, I can¡¯t help but finish all content before I won the game. However, because I¡¯ve already done everything, this made the boss fight not exciting in the least bit. Although it¡¯s purely because my team was too overpowered to the point that it turned thebat into a ughter, I can¡¯t really immerse myself in the mind of the protagonist. Mostly because I left the main story to finish side quests. Also, when the full-level protagonist and his friends are facing the practically useless final boss- ¡°Ow! He¡¯s too strong!¡± ¡°How can we even defeat him¡­¡± Lines like this really ruined the game for me. If I¡¯m challenging the boss on the standard level, I guess it¡¯ll be quite exciting. Then, I realized this is just a game. There¡¯s no way for me to feel excited about the main story with a mindset like this. I can tell the credit scenes aren¡¯t over yet from the BGM, So, I grabbed my phone just to kill time. ¡°¡­Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t contact with Amano and Hoshinomori recently at all¡­¡± Well, I mean we don¡¯t really message each other often. But, our rtionship has weakened because we don¡¯t get to see each other at school in the summer holiday¡­no, wait. ¡°¡­I¡¯m hiding from them. That¡¯s perhaps the reason¡­¡± Usually, I would hold a Game Hobby Club meet-up in times like this. However, I don¡¯t feel like doing that at all right now¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°Oh, it¡¯s over already¡­ Once I snapped out of it, the credits on the TV screen has already finished ying, and the game went back to the title screen. But, if it¡¯s going back to the title screen at the end without an epilogue, why did I just spend a few minutes staring at a bunch of strange names? I turned off the console, and the room returned to silence. ¡°¡­Jeez¡­¡± I decided to go out and take a walk to get the depression out of my head. Most of the thugs around here are my friends- that¡¯s obviously not true. But, I, who know a bunch of people, should be easily able to meet up with people in downtown, not to mention we¡¯re on a summer holiday. ¡°W-Why I can¡¯t see anyone today¡­?¡± Aguri¡¯s date with me will often be interrupted by my friends. Then, they disappear when I¡¯m looking for them. What is this madness? ¡°The enemy encounter system for my life is way too broken¡­¡± This sounds like a metaphor Amano would say. I guess it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been ying RPGstely. I wiped the sweats from my forehead with the back of my hand. Then, one of the drops fell onto my rather-new sneakers. I can¡¯t help but frown and walked quickly to ease my anger. ¡°¡­I ended up feeling even more pissed, this walk didn¡¯t help at all.¡± My mood isn¡¯t going to lighten up by wandering around aimlessly. But, it¡¯s not like I have a clear goal anyway. After a while, I decided to head to the arcade. ¡°ying games while I¡¯m at home, still ying games while I¡¯m out¡­was I like this in the past?¡± While I did like gaming from the start, but this is clearly under the influence of Amano and Hoshinomori. Well, I did have a good time with them in the Game Hobby Club¡­ ¡°Also, I don¡¯t feel like gaming is as fun as they¡¯ve described.¡± Amano and Hoshinomori are gamers from birth. Although they aren¡¯t experienced, they are the type of yers that love gaming indiscriminately. So, the default line of their conversation is, ¡°That part of the game is fun!¡± ¡°This part¡¯s awesome!¡± ¡°This plot is certainly touching!¡± They¡¯ll be more and more excited, and would often skip away from the negative aspects. So, I will naturally feel, ¡°Hey, that seems interesting!¡± and try to y it. Then, I will find out that it¡¯s not thatpelling at all. After that, when I¡¯m expressing my dissatisfaction with them, those two will just pretend there¡¯s nothing wrong and say, ¡°Um, you¡¯re right. That game is not that famous nor outstanding.¡± Honestly, while I¡¯m pissed, they really meant that in a kind-hearted way. That¡¯s the one thing I¡¯ve not realized until recently. Amano and Hoshinomori¡¯s gamingmentaries are several times more interesting than the actual game that they¡¯re talking about. This is like a veteran movie fan rmending a B-grade production. It¡¯ll be hrious toin about it, but when you actually watch it¡­sigh, it¡¯s a dull movie. This is the feeling I¡¯m getting. However, when the fans that shared the same hobbies are chatting, they¡¯ll get so excited to the point where others will be envious of them. I smiled without realizing it when the memories of the Game Hobby Club showed up In my mind. ¡°Man, I really wanted to listen to their rmendations again and watch them talk-¡° -But then, I immediately realized. ¡°¡­Perhaps the two wouldn¡¯t have a chance to chat like this anymore¡­¡± Hoshinomori kept her huge secret and lie. Amano will hold back on talking to other girls when he got Tendou as his girlfriend. They¡­can never happily chat like they¡¯ve used to be. ¡­Then I¡­ ¡°¡­No, this is wrong. This isn¡¯t something that I should worry about. I¡¯m too arrogant. The two are the ones who get to decide, I must not intervene.¡± I shook my head to try and clear all these thoughts away. Then, I dashed towards the arcade, seemingly to try and escape from something. * I usually y fighting games when I¡¯m alone in the arcade. After all, I¡¯ll be in the w crane section when Aguri is here, and my friends will usually y whatever our mood wishes. However, I¡¯ll always go for fighting games when I¡¯m alone. Although I don¡¯t y that much at home, I find itpelling for some reason once I stepped into the arcade. ¡°This is THE arcade, after all¡­¡± To be honest, fighting games are no longer the head honchos of arcades nowadays. However, I still feel like ¡°Hey, I¡¯m in an arcade¡± the most when I¡¯m sitting in front of a fighting game machine. After I entered the building, I searched for a familiar face as I walked towards the electronic toy area. There¡¯re only a few customers, not to mention friends. As for the fighting game machine area, all I can see is a person wearing a short-sleeved hoodie with the hood covering his face only. He is controlling the joystick masterfully while radiating a professional aura, though. I went around the person quietly and picked my machine somewhere a bit further¡­I don¡¯t dislikebating other people, but I never went out of my way to try and challenge someone other than my friends. So, I found a machine for a new game that¡¯s out of that customer¡¯s sight. Perfect. I immediately sat down and took out a couple 100-yen coins to y. ¡°Right, Amano didbat me on fighting games before, even though it¡¯s not this game¡­¡± That day is what made us talk to each other often like we¡¯re right now. I¡¯m sure yearning over that even though it was just a couple months ago. ¡°¡­But, that guy surely sucked.¡± People often say that love is what makes you improve. However, I don¡¯t see that at all on the dude and his games. Amano seems to ybat games with his little brother as well, so he shouldn¡¯t be extremely inexperienced by any means. Why does he still suck then? I started ying even though I¡¯m thinking about all this. I pick my characters based on their appearance. This time, I chose a teenage boy who¡¯s ying cool. Well, I¡¯m not here to hone my skills anyways. I¡¯m here to switch up my mood. If that¡¯s the case, I can abandon all ground rules at the start and just y as I wished to. This is my personal opinion. This y-cool teenage guy is unexpectedly easy to use, though. The game mechanics are very traditional as well, so I went through the levels smoothly. However, I¡¯m starting to feel stress once I reached the 4th round. While I¡¯m not as weak as Amano, I¡¯m not that confident or talented. Moreover, this is my first time ying this. I somehow managed to go through the 4th round with a lot of luck. However, if this continues, I¡¯ll probably lose at the 5th round. In this two-wins-in-three-rounds system, I got demolished by the AI in the first level, who still got over half of its HP remaining. With a no-retreat second round, my spirit heightens, and I managed to chip half of my opponent¡¯s HP away, but my character is about to die. It¡¯ll lose HP gradually even if I go full-on defence. In dire situations like this, my only chance at victory is with a sudden and intense attack. Just as I¡¯m about to do that, suddenly- ¡°Hmm?¡± The screen suddenly changed. I thought something went wrong, but then it was nothing. Someone just inserted a coin and challenged me. I guess it¡¯s the guy with the hoodie. Moreover, there¡¯s no one nearby. I guess he helped me a little. Then, just as this thought appeared in my head, I heard a loud greetinging from the opposite side of the machine. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, okay, nice to meet you too¡­¡± I responded while feeling confused, but not because I was greeted by a stranger. While that is quite rare, I have more or less encountered that situation when I¡¯m in the arcade. What I¡¯m baffled about is that¡­ ¡°¡­A girl?¡± The greeting is short, but that was really a girl¡¯s voice. Come to think of it, the armsing up from her hoodie is slim and beautiful. But, I just treated her as a guy because I saw her controlling skills earlier. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll hesitate anyways¡­¡± This is not one of those situations where you have to hold back because she¡¯s a girl. I¡¯ll do that when I¡¯m up against Aguri to make both of us happy. However, my opponent is clearly an expert. There¡¯s no room for me to do that. I still stuck to the y-cool teenager even though I can re-select my character. On the other hand, the girl chose a hrious looking teddy bear. ¡°Yo, is she showing mercy to me instead?¡± Although I¡¯m not sure of the abilities that the teddy bear has, that doesn¡¯t look like a standard character no matter how you look at it. I nced at the moves table on the machine and found out her character has a bunch of moves with weird names. Also, thebos are tough to pull off. ¡°¡­Bruh, what the hell?¡± I¡¯m a bit pissed. I¡¯m just here to try and lighten the mood. Yet, I¡¯m about to be ughtered by an expert stranger in a despising manner. You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. I sat tight on the chair and straightened my back. ¡°¡­Alright, I¡¯ll focus and fight.¡± Somehow, I¡¯m miraculously feeling a sense of hype swarming in me. I¡¯ve never felt this for a while. I don¡¯t want to lose. No, even if I will, I won¡¯t go down without a fight. I entered the field with a high spirit. ¡°FIGHT!¡± So, I rapidly pressed the controls as soon as the first round started and spammed energy balls far-away. Don¡¯t have time to care for my image. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this is going to beme, but I have to keep my distance from you!¡± Spamming wide-range attacks to a melee character certainly looksme, but it¡¯s reasonable. Just like what I¡¯ve expected, the opponent¡¯s bear can only choose to defend, its HP is slowly decreasing under my attack. I kept using the same moves. I knew that this isn¡¯t fun for both parties, but I really need to take my anger out on someone right now. ¡°Well, to be honest, she¡¯ll immediately figure out a way to close in our distance anyway¡­¡± This tactic is pretty clich¨¦. Games nowadays will more or less consider the bnce. So, if this isn¡¯t an invincible strategy, professionals can easily breakthrough this cheap move. It was supposed to be like this. ¡°Strange?¡± Surprisingly, the teddy bear can¡¯t attack smoothly. Thanks to this, I was able to chip away 1/3 of my opponent¡¯s HP. At this stage, I can¡¯t help but feel baffled. The big pretence for me to use this tactic is that it¡¯ll be countered within a few seconds, so I feel pretty insecure when it looks like I¡¯m dominating over her. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me this game doesn¡¯t consider bnce at all. If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± I stopped spamming my attacks. Suddenly- ¡°WHA-¡° The bear broke through the stalemate and started rapidly closing in with its agility and defence. ¡°Shit, she knew how tobat this all along!¡± I immediately switched the energy ball to a melee move, but the teddy bear blocked all my attacks spectacrly. Right away, my character lost a bunch of HP as it was punched repeatedly by the teddy bear with its melee attacks. ¡°Crap, she¡¯ll win if this continues!¡± I can tell she is a veteran from her smooth actions. I¡¯ll lose if she hits me a couple more times with this distance. Although I¡¯m prepared for this oue¡­ ¡°Huh¡­?¡± The teddy bear moved away from my character again, I still don¡¯t understand what the girl is trying to pull off. Is she underestimating me? But, she¡¯s showing off her incredible skills after we started fighting again. She¡¯s obviously giving it her all. We repeated this strange style of fighting for a couple times. Of course, I lost the first round. The teddy bear is jumping happily on the screen. However, surprisingly, I¡¯m not that angry anymore. Also, I don¡¯t feel as hopeless with the giant gap between our skills. ¡°Well, I chipped away half of her HP after all.¡± I can still win. Although my opponent used a strange strategy, I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m disrespected. So, I entered the 2nd round, feeling somewhat unbelievable¡­ ¡°¡­I¡­won¡­¡± I managed to beat the teddy bear with only 1 HP left. To be honest, the girl is clearly superior when ites to uracy and other aspects. However, it¡¯s still not impossible for me to win. How should I put this? Her battle style is erratic. ¡°Ah¡­right, this person doesn¡¯t follow the meta in the slightest.¡± There are a bunch of moves in fighting games that are deemed the meta. Just like Go or Chess, you¡¯ll be somewhat sessful if you followed a specific meta. For a more extreme example, there are a bunch of cheap/infinite tactics that can obliterate your opponent without giving them the chance of retaliation. Of course, you¡¯ll have to execute themands correctly. (All of them would be more or less fixed in ater patch, though.) So, my impression for a ¡°fighting game expert¡± is that they can recite all these metas at the back of their head. They knew a bunch of reliable ways that can give them the upper hand and use them effectively based on the situation. There¡¯s no way for a newbie like me to defeat a person with skills like this. So, that¡¯s why I¡¯m prepared to be ughtered when I knew that she¡¯s an expert. However¡­ For some reason, this girl entirely abandoned the meta. ¡°She¡¯s still a professional, though. I feel like she¡¯s not holding back utterly¡­¡± This feeling ofbat is unbelievable¡­Nah, I¡¯ll just say it. To be honest, I¡¯m having a great time. This is different from what I¡¯ve experienced with Amano or Hoshinomori¡­This is what you call tryharding, I don¡¯t dislike it at all, though. Instead, I¡¯m honoured to be able to face off an incredible expert seriously. So, herees the final round. Once I snapped out of it, I realized that I¡¯m smiling while challenging that bear. Right away, while I¡¯m not utterly pinned down, but I¡¯m getting rekted painfully right now. ¡°¡­Haha.¡± I stared at the screen showing my character¡¯s defeat as I let out augh¡­This is the first time that I enjoyed losing a fighting game match. I stood up from my seat and grabbed my belongings as I prepare to leave. I gave the girl a goodbye when I passed the opposite position. ¡°Thanks for the match. Hey, you¡¯re incredible. I really enjoyed it.¡± ¡°Ah, no sweat.¡± The hoodie-wearing girl gave me a trained response before immediately looking back at her fight with the AI. I wanted to leave directly. However, the girl unexpectedly called me instead. ¡°You¡¯re not bad as well. That was a good round. Thank you.¡± ¡°Eh? It¡¯s really not¡­¡± Honestly, my skills are definitely not worthy of being praised by an expert. That¡¯s why I stopped walking and asked her confusingly. She moved the joystick tobat the AI as she exined to me, who¡¯s dumbfounded. ¡°It¡¯ll be an excellent practice topete with a gamer that evaluates his/her attacks.¡± ¡°Um. But I¡¯m a beginner.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. If we¡¯re just talking about an opponent for training, you¡¯re even rarer than those who call themselves a veteran while being a ve of the meta only.¡± The girl in a hoodie affirmed simply. This person looks cool, to be honest. I suddenly felt like now¡¯s not the time to leave, so I went around to the girl¡¯s back and watched her fighting the Ais¡­Eh? ¡°¡­Wow, you¡¯re awesome¡­¡± The girl beautifully knocked down the AI opponent¡¯s character. Her moves are so fascinating that it made suspect how did she lose one round to me before. She didn¡¯t give me a mean attitude. Instead, she replied calmly. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not really focusing right now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re tougher when you¡¯re not focusing? Isn¡¯t that strange?¡± ¡°Nope. This is just using what I¡¯ve learned already. On the contrary, I¡¯ve to focus when I¡¯m learning new things, and I¡¯ll make mistakes as well. It¡¯s all trial and error. That¡¯s why I was weaker.¡± ¡°R-Really¡­that¡¯s why¡­¡± She didn¡¯t destroy me with a series of metas while maintaining this seriousness. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t feel disrespected on. I was sincerely convinced as I mumbled. ¡°I feel like¡­you¡¯re invincible. That¡¯s why you¡¯re an expert¡­I can never hope to match you.¡± She didn¡¯t feel particrly excited and just answered inly. ¡°Do you? Basically, I should have the same attitude as you when ites to gaming. It¡¯s just that our time spent and level of passion are different. If we¡¯re talking about the difference in skills, you should probably ask my junior¡­¡± The girl suddenly paused as if she remembered something. She asked me this after a while. ¡°Right, I haven¡¯t asked for your name yet.¡± ¡°Eh? You mean¡­name?¡± I didn¡¯t expect someone who I just knew for 5 minutes to ask for my name, so I freaked out a little bit. Then, I stammered my name out because I didn¡¯t really have time to think. ¡°I-I¡¯m U-Uehara¡­¡± ¡°Umehara? Going with such an alias, you sure are not afraid of anything¡­¡± [Note: Daigo Umehara, ¡°the god of 2D fighting games,¡± the most sessful yer in major tournaments of Street Fighter in the Guinness World Records.] ¡°It¡¯s Uehara! My name is Uehara! It¡¯s not my alias¡­¡± I tilted my head dumbfoundedly. The girl turned her head around when she¡¯s taking a break. ¡°Oh, sorry, that¡¯s your actual name? Ay, I thought you were referring to your alias because you¡¯re giving me the impression that you spent a lot of time in the arcade.¡± ¡°Oh, t-that¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. Sigh, I can¡¯t continue like this. I¡¯ve been utterly poisoned by the industry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I should be the one to apologize¡­¡± I¡¯m just embarrassing myself to give her my real name in this setting. I scratched my head regretfully. So, the girl gave me a smile and took her hoodie off. It¡¯s a surprisingly beautiful girl. Just as I stared at her because I lost words, she gave me a suspicious look while smiling gently. ¡°I¡¯m Oiso. Nina Oiso. That¡¯s my real name. It¡¯s fair now.¡± * ¡°Eh? You¡¯re my senpai, and you¡¯re from the Game Club as well?¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. By the way, you¡¯re in Otobuki as well, Fake Umehara?¡± 10 minutes after that game. We¡¯re now chilling at the vending machine area of the arcade. Both of us are leaning against the wall while drinking from our cans. I chugged my ginger c while watching the 6th graders yelling around the cardbat machine that has gained a lot of poprity recently. ¡°Yep¡­what a coincidence.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too much. It¡¯s easy to meet someone from the same school when you¡¯re hanging around the streets on a summer holiday. Nina-senpai drank her Dr Pepper as she said that depressingly. This is just a side note, but she asked me to call her Nina-senpai. She seems to use the alias ¡°Nina¡± when she¡¯s in the arcade. Also, speaking of aliases¡­ ¡°Fake Umehara, you¡¯re from year 2 right.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right¡­Uh, by the way, can you stop calling me that please?¡± ¡°What do you mean? Oh, Fake Umehara? No, I¡¯m not changing that. It¡¯s easy to remember.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s not giving people a good first impression at all, right? I don¡¯t want to be remembered with a fake alias¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not convinced to be an imposter? Then, how about¡­the True Umehara, the Original Umehara, or True Hit Umehara. Pick one.¡± ¡°What kind of options are these? You¡¯re making it sounds like we¡¯re in Yo-kai Watch right now. My real name isn¡¯t even Umehara. No sane person can call themselves with that. Sigh, whatever, just call me Fake Umehara.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s good¡­Yep, that¡¯s a nice alias, it¡¯s easy to memorize and fun.¡± Nina-senpai answered me calmly. She just decided to call me the Fake Umehara because she heard it wrong for the first time¡­Aliases are scary. I poured more ginger c down my throat and began to speak again. ¡°Compared to senpai studying in Otobuki, I¡¯m more shocked to know that you¡¯re in that Game Club.¡± ¡°You¡¯re shocked because I¡¯m in the Game Club? Why?¡± ¡°Uh, my friend had some issues with the Game Club. His name is Amano¡­¡± Nina-senpai¡¯s eyes bulged a little as she gave me a suspicious look after my answer. ¡°So you¡¯re his friend. That makes sense, you two are both in year 2.¡± ¡°We¡¯re in the same ss. Also, I¡¯m surprised to know that you remembered the guy, Nina-senpai. You and Amano should have only met each other once during his visit to the club, right?¡± ¡°Sigh, he¡¯s now our Tendou¡¯s boyfriends after all.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why¡­but then¡­¡± ¡°Tendou often shows off her love in the club innocently¡­¡± ¡°R-Right¡­¡± I can imagine the picture. I¡¯m sorry, senpai. ¡°Ah, but even if that wasn¡¯t a thing¡­that guy is still giving me a big impression.¡± I was quite shocked and found this unbelievable. So I can¡¯t help but ask for more details. ¡°You mean Amano? I know this isn¡¯t nice to say, but don¡¯t you think he doesn¡¯t stand out from the crowd at all?¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. The guy¡¯s really humble. The same goes for his gaming skills, dull and ipetent. He¡¯s like those guys that wanted to y but can¡¯t get good at all that are everywhere.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She¡¯s not wrong, but I can¡¯t really respond to her. As a friend, I wanted to support Amano, but he really sucked, so¡­ Just as I¡¯m feeling tied up for the moment- ¡°However, I¡¯m¡­a bit envious of him.¡± I can¡¯t believe Nina-senpai just said what I¡¯ve always wanted to. When I¡¯m surprised, Nina-senpai nced at the 6th graders that are cheering around the arcade. ¡°¡­To me, the best part about gaming is the moment that you knew you¡¯ve improved. So, I really don¡¯t understand people that own others with a single meta or people that taunt after they smurf. These people aren¡¯t trying to improve at all. I really wanted to ask them: Is that even fun?¡± ¡°Yeah, I get it.¡± I go to the arcade often, so, naturally, I¡¯ll have a couple bad memories. To be fair, that¡¯s something that you get to experience in an arcade only. ¡°But, when that Amano guy mustered up his courage and rejected our invitation, while our reaction is not as ridiculous as Tendou¡¯s, Kase and I were quite shocked as well. How should I put it¡­To be honest. We kind of¡­despised his gaming style. Her words hit me, it hurts a little. Nina-senpai then continued. ¡°A person like this carried a firm belief that can rival ours just rejected the invitation. This is weird now that I think about it, but we only started seeing who the guy really am after that. To put it this way, I realized that I subconsciously became so focused on other people¡¯s ¡°gaming skills¡± only, this feels embarrassing. But, that was toote in every possible sense. As a result, Kase and I don¡¯t get to meet him at all. It¡¯s giving me goosebumps when I think about Keita Amano every time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why.¡± I felt the same way. By the way, although I¡¯ve heard the guy rejecting the invitation, I didn¡¯t know that his sharp rejection was under the stares from such bold members. What¡¯s with the weird courage? ¡°Even so, my gaming style didn¡¯t really change at all. Although I can ept the guy focus on entertainment, I feel like I shouldn¡¯t reject my own way for enjoyment.¡± ¡°Oh, I think Amano will understand as well.¡± ¡°I guess so. That¡¯s precisely why Kase and I felt a bit pissed.¡± ¡°I know that feeling. I feel pissed whenever I was convinced by a guy like Amano.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Nina-senpai and I smiled at each other. It was not until now that I realized this person is a beauty. I can¡¯t help but to flustered for a little. That¡¯s why¡­ ¡°By the way, why did I just randomly chat to a beautiful girl and enjoy it? Isn¡¯t this the exact reason that made Aguri worried about me?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Fake Umehara? You are scratching your hair so intensely.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m just scared that I¡¯ll turn into a celebritypletely¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, what? You sound disgusting. Please tell me that was a joke, Fake Umehara.¡± Nina-senpai is terrified. I switched back to my standard expression as I spoke nobly. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding.¡± ¡°Uwah¡­then, you aren¡¯t talented at all.¡± ¡°Ah, so senpai¡¯s affection for me will drop no matter what I say.¡± ¡°Yeah, you were stuck after you said that.¡± ¡°Hmm. What should I do to save¡­¡± I just suddenly realized in the middle of my speech. Uh, what the hell am I talking about? Why do I have to fight for girls¡¯ affection other than Aguri? Tasuku Uehara, isn¡¯t this your biggest issue? You really need to stop being so smooth and slick. Being kind and gentle to everyone will just cause you to owe someone that is the closest to you. You hurt¡­Aguri. -During this time, perhaps it¡¯s because I looked down on the floor with a serious expression on my face. Nina-senpai, who loses her cool rarely, freaked out as she apologized. ¡°Ah. S-Sorry, Fake Umehara. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you this deeply¡­¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, it¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m just thinking of a girl that has nothing to do with senpai.¡± ¡°¡­Oh. Fake Umehara, should I treat you like an enemy character?¡± ¡°Why would you! My hobby isn¡¯t hurting girls¡¯ feeling! I¡¯m not Amano!¡± ¡°Dragging your friend down in times like this, don¡¯t you feel like you¡¯re a scumbag?¡± ¡°No! You misunderstood! Please believe me, Nina-senpai.¡± ¡°Fake Umehara¡­¡± ¡°Ah, but please don¡¯t fall for me who¡¯s too handsome at this point!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Fake Umehara, your reputation in my heart couldn¡¯t be any lower right now.¡± ¡°Phew, that¡¯s great. It¡¯ll be a big problem if senpai fell in love with me, after all!¡± It¡¯s because Nina-senpai is really beautiful, and a kind person. That¡¯s why I wanted to smooth things over and say that. However, senpai is trembling for some reason¡­is it because she remembered how she broke up with someone? ¡°¡­Fake Umehara, you¡¯re incredible. This is the first time in my life that I¡¯ve felt such intense emotion in my heart. ¡°Oh? Is it an omen for love? That was dangerous.¡± ¡°Yeah, I agree about the dangerous part. Luckily, I don¡¯t have a knife with me.¡± ¡°Knife?¡± Is she meaning that it¡¯s lucky that her red strings of fate weren¡¯t cut apart? Nina-senpai is so caressing. But, I won¡¯t be moved since I have Aguri already. However, I can¡¯t continue chatting with senpai so intimately. I finished my canned drink and tossed the can to the bin next to the vending machine. Then, I looked at Nina-senpai. ¡°Well..I think that¡¯s all for today. Thank you very much, senpai.¡± After I said this, Nina-senpai, who just crushed her empty can with his hand, immediately calmed down and answered. ¡°Oh, really? Yeah, thanks forbating me. No one is showing up today, you¡¯re a great help.¡± I was a bit shocked at senpai¡¯s sudden appreciation. Suddenly, I can¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Um, can I ask onest offensive question?¡± ¡°Yeah. Nothing can be more offensive than what did you just said.¡± ¡°Thank you, senpai. I wanted to ask¡­Nina-senpai, how can you be so immersed in gaming?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I promptly continued after I saw Nina-senpai tilted her head in confusion. ¡°N-No, I don¡¯t mean to disrespect video games. But, while that¡¯s true, it¡¯s just games after all. We treat them as entertainment. So, I was thinking, a beautiful girl like you should have a lot of alternatives for entertainment, right¡­?¡± My current situation is that I almost lost everything because I was too smooth and slick. To try and look for a hint that can break this status quo, I asked Nina-senpai sincerely, who had apletely different experience than me. So, Nina-senpai threw her empty can to the trash bin as she gave me a ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°¡­Do I really have to answer? I feel that¡¯s already up in the air all along.¡± ¡°Up in the air? Um¡­do you mean¡­you have nothing else to do?¡± ¡°No. Even I like enjoying gourmet food, watching mangas, and chat with my friends. I¡¯m just an average person, after all.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­then why do you spend so much time in gaming¡­?¡± ¡°Please, of course.¡± Then, Nina-senpai gave me a shy smile before answering. ¡°It¡¯s because I love it. I love it to the point that I won¡¯t feel regret to sacrifice something for it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s regretful now that I¡¯m thinking of it, an ordinary person like me can only get so many resources. I¡¯m not strong enough to grasp everything in my hand. So, if I wanted to chase after the things that I liked sincerely, I¡¯ll more or less realize the costs thate with it.¡± ¡°¡­So, the reason that senpai likes gaming so much is it because you¡¯re talented in fighting games after all?¡± Nina-senpaiughed loudly at my answer. ¡°Not at all. I think I¡¯m not talented at all. The evidence is that my win rate is horribly low when a new gamees out, I can¡¯t even bring myself to look at it.¡± ¡°Then, why will senpai¡­¡± ¡°I said it already. It¡¯s because I love it.¡± Nina-senpai answered firmly. For some reason, her face reminded me of Amano and Aguri. ¡°If you wish to get 1st ce of something you love, is talent really all that important?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Suddenly, Aguri¡¯s image came into my mind. Even when I¡¯m suspecting her falling for Amano, did I really think of admitting defeat and quit? Nina-senpai continued. ¡°That way, the only option left is to advance forward, right? You have to find someone more durable than you and let him defeat you to improve. You don¡¯t have time to be excited over winning someone weaker than you. It¡¯s because I knew that this temporary victory isn¡¯t something I wanted. Instead, I wish to win over my sess. The thing that I absolutely wanted the most is to acknowledge that the current me is tougher than the one in the past.¡± https://1.bp.blogspot/-M4DXadTOYoY/Xr5_zl0Vd3I/AAAAAAAAOz4/wGuBx1INp8UQxQDeRX1P3XRb4t2l-9JcACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/00007.jpeg Wanted to acknowledge that the current me is stronger¡­really¡­currently, can I identify myself with that? Up until a moment ago, I can guarantee that I¡¯m a thousand times better than the nerd that I was in the past. In reality, I admit that my appearance looks way better now. However¡­ is this really the case? Have I lost the edges that I only had when I was a nerd? Just as I¡¯m trapped in thisbyrinth of thoughts, Nina-senpai kept on talking about her views objectively like she has nothing to do with it. ¡°So, if there¡¯s a summary for my gaming style. It¡¯ll probably be winning something that I wanted via realizing the cost thates with it and never painting a limit for myself. Well, to be fair, I didn¡¯t really go out of my way and analysis it.¡± ¡°Realizing the sacrifice, and then don¡¯t paint a limit for yourself as you chase after something you want¡­really.¡± At that moment, I feel like¡­I found out what I¡¯ve been missingtely. Nina-senpai is already leaving as I raised my head up. I immediately shouted at senpai¡¯s back ¡°Um¡­thank you very much, senpai! I had my lesson there!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Nina-senpai only raised her hand as a response before leaving chicly. I nced at her back, then¡­ ¡°¡­Right.¡± I made up my mind as I clenched my fist. * ¡°So, Uehara-kun, what¡¯s wrong? You suddenly said you wanted to meet with me¡­¡± ¡°Yep¡­¡± The afternoon after the day I talked to Nina-senpai. On the contrary ofst time, this time I was the one who wanted Amano to meet me at the park instead. I sat on the bench that oversees the fountain with my arms on my legs. My hands are crossed in front of my mouth, along with a serious expression on my face. Amano asked me worriedly after he looked at my unusual behaviour. ¡°I-Is there an ident between you and Aguri-san¡­?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. Aguri went on a trip with her family. There would be no ident if we didn¡¯t meet.¡± ¡°Oh, really.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Aguri tell you?¡± ¡°Of course, I never meet up with her after we yed that game of life.¡± ¡°R-Really.¡± I let out a sigh as a relief. Although I¡¯m not genuinely suspicious of these two cheating behind me, I¡¯ll still feel ufortable when the two are talking to each other intimately. Amano then followed after I feel rxed. He¡¯s dumbfounded. ¡°If we¡¯re not talking about Aguri-san¡­Ah, is it because you got stuck in a level?¡± ¡°I say¡­which game and which level will I stuck on that caused me to give you such a serious expression?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­For example, maybe when you kept trying but just can¡¯t get over the first Goomba in Mario?¡± ¡°That¡¯s horrible! I feel like your brain is alerting you! But that¡¯s not true!¡± ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be any help if we¡¯re not talking about games¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so self-abased! A-Anyway¡­¡± I felt better after I let out a big sigh. At the same time, I stated why I really wanted to talk to Amano. ¡°The only reason that I¡¯m calling you out today¡­is to talk about your rtionship.¡± ¡°¡­Um, well¡­?¡± Amano scratched his cheeks embarrassingly as he looked at the surroundings. ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Eh? I-It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just thinking, is there a camera from Terrace House recording us?¡± [Note: Terrace House, a famous reality TV show in Japan where 3 men and women will live under the same roof while getting to know and date each other.] ¡°Uh, I¡¯ve realized this myself. As your male friend, the topic that we¡¯re talking about foolishly sentimental. However, there isn¡¯t a TV show that¡¯s willing to let us appear on the camera.¡± ¡°Eh? Then why are you arranging us in a scenery of ¡°two guys sitting on a bench and talk about rtionships¡± if we¡¯re not in a show¡­? Y-You¡¯re incredible¡­¡± ¡°Hey, why are you chickening out! Don¡¯t distance yourself from me!¡± ¡°No¡­I¡¯m just shocked by this local normie in front of me. You¡¯re way out of my league¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean by a local normie! Where¡¯s its origin!¡± ¡°Um, but I wanted to buy something before getting home. Please don¡¯t punch me in the face¡­¡± ¡°No one is punching you! We¡¯re not starring in a youth drama where we decide to meet up next to the dyke and engage in fist-to-fist galore!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. So, what are we talking about then? Oh, how to get rid of the Goombas? Just jump and stomp on his head.¡± ¡°Everyone knew that! Moreover, I¡¯m not talking about that game!¡± ¡°Come to think of it, a hostile mushroom that kills you on touch terrifies me.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­that¡¯s not even a pawn¡­No! There¡¯s something I wanted to tell you first, specifically about your rtionship.¡± ¡°You wanted to say something specifically about my rtionship¡­?¡± Amano gave me an honest ¡°what the hell?¡± look as he tilted his head to the side. This is true, even though we are friends, talking about someone¡¯s rtionship without them asking for advice is basically meddling.¡± I knew that¡­and I reflected on my actions in the past¡­but there¡¯s something I need to clear up for Amano. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Uehara-kun?¡± ¡­Even so, I¡¯m nervous when I have to say it. Now, I¡¯m preparing to make a selfish-as-hell announcement. There couldn¡¯t be a worse oneing out from Amano¡¯s friend. However, there¡¯s something worse. That is not expressing my thoughts at all, and try to sneak around in the safe zone. ¡°This is the exact reason why I¡¯m being fooled over by a bunch of misunderstandings. Well, I deserved it to be honest.¡± But I won¡¯t do that anymore. It¡¯s because starting from this moment today¡­I will express my thoughts and my stance bravely. ¡°This is a deration of war to the God of Misunderstandings!¡± ¡°¡­Uehara-kun?¡± Amano¡¯s giving me a weird look to me, who just abruptly stood up from the bench. As for me, I clenched my fist so that I can remember what Nina-senpai said to me. I mustered up my courage and looked back at Amano¡¯s eye firmly before telling him. ¡°I can¡­no longer support the rtionship between you and Tendou.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Amano¡¯s eyes immediately lost its focus. His face is clenching like he¡¯s having a stroke. Shock, waver, hopelessness, confusion¡­There are too many emotions interwinding with each other, he doesn¡¯t know what to do¡­I¡¯m not ming him. He would feel like he just got abandoned by the friend he deeply trusted. Although my friend¡¯s helpless face is hurting my stomach, I have to keep my attitude upright. So, I charged right into it without escaping and continued. ¡°To put it simply, I can¡¯t support you and Tendou¡¯s rtionship from the bottom of my heart right now.¡± ¡°¡­Why¡­?¡± Amano threw a natural question at me. To this, my answer is obvious. ¡°It¡¯s because I wanted to support Hoshinomori¡¯s feelings towards you.¡± It¡¯s my responsibility to support her rtionship. Also, most importantly, I really wanted Amano and Hoshinomori to date each other. ¡°I have to¡­even if it meant tears on Tendou¡¯s face¡­¡± Realizing the sacrifice you have to make, never paint a limit for yourself, only chase after the thing you wanted¡­Just like Nina-senpai, I¡¯m not almighty. I don¡¯t have the goodness to make everyone happy, and I¡¯m not brutally requesting Amano to act as a character in harem light novels. However, if that¡¯s the case, I have to follow my heart and select the person I wanted to support. I understand that I shouldn¡¯t be meddling in their affairs. I know, I really know. Even so, I really wanted to see that scene¡­I wanted to see Amano and Hoshinomroi happily chatting with each other, I wanted to protect them at all costs. I won¡¯t allow any people to have an opinion with my tiny wish. It¡¯s just that, with all that as the premise, I still feel like¡­ I¡¯m immoral if I just stayed next to Amano, who loves Tendou and keep on pretending that I¡¯m his ally. ¡°¡­Uehara-kun?¡± Amano urged me to answer again. He wanted to know why I can¡¯t support him and Tendou anymore. Honestly, I wanted to answer him, I wished to exin everything to him with all of my heart. However¡­I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t just respond to the poor soul on my own. It¡¯s absolutely impossible for me to just say what¡¯s on Hoshinomori¡¯s mind without her authorization. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t tell you why.¡± ¡°¡­Really¡­well¡­¡± Amano touched his chin and nodded imposingly. In reality, he has the right to angry. He¡¯s supposed to be angry. But¡­Amano didn¡¯t give me that attitude at all. ¡°Is it because Amano¡¯s a coward¡­I guess not. That look¡­it¡¯s like he expected it already.¡± Don¡¯t tell me Amano already knew what¡¯s going on when I called him out? I can¡¯t specte his entire thinking, but at least he didn¡¯t reject me explicitly. However, that¡¯s why, to be honest, I felt miserable right now. ¡°¡­You can curse me.¡± ¡°Eh, Uehara-kun, you have a fetish like that?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have a reason to yell at you then¡­But¡­let me think about this just a little bit more.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± I sat back next to him after I answered. Amano looked forward nkly as he¡¯s seriously thinking about something. 3 minutes passed. ¡°¡­I understand. Uehara-kun, I won¡¯t consult you regarding my rtionship too much anymore.¡± ¡°Too much?¡± Amano didn¡¯t promise to not consult me about his rtionship again. So, I threw this question at him confusingly. Then¡­for some reason, Amano smiled embarrassingly. ¡°Well, think about it¡­if I¡¯m dating Tendou-san, I can¡¯t help but bring her up while we¡¯re chatting.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­you wanted to chat with me.¡± I knew what he meant for a bit, so my eyes bulged. Amano only gave my response a bitter smile, but he told me truthfully. ¡°I understand how you feel. However¡­a significant premise for all that, we¡¯re still friends when we¡¯re talking about other things. It¡¯s more like, I wish for you to continue seeing me as a friend, please?¡± ¡°Amano¡­¡± I can feel the corners of my eyes are heating up. To be honest, I¡¯ve expected Amano to end our friendship right away. No sane person will go out their way to tell his friend that he can no longer support his rtionship. But, even so, I¡¯m satisfied¡­as long as I get to see Amano and Hoshinomori date each other. I¡¯m prepared for anything before that. But, to a shitty person like me, this guy just said he wanted to keep being my friend. It¡¯s impossible for me to NOT understand¡­how much he trusted me, how much he valued our friendship, and how manly he is to make him say such words. So, the only response I have to make to his words is to try my hardest and give him a smile. ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll keep bothering you with gaming questions! Prepare for them!¡± ¡°Alright, give it your all!¡± Amano punched his thin chest as he smiled. I looked at him¡­and mumbled in my heart. ¡°Amano¡­even though I felt terrible for you, but I really wish a person that can warmly smile when ites to gaming like you¡­can be apanied by Hoshinomori.¡± I made up my mind again. ¡°Now that it¡¯s decided¡­I have to tell everything to Hoshinomori. Let say we¡¯re chatting on the phone, I have to be careful with my words since it involves the true identity of NOBE and Mono¡­¡± ¡°Ah, Uehara-kun. I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s time for me to leave.¡± Amano raised his head as he stood up next to me, who¡¯s still thinking silently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just called you out to here. I¡­wanted to figure something out before I go.¡± ¡°I understand. Bye, Uehara-kun. See you next time. ¡°¡­Alright..then Amano, we can y games together next time.¡± ¡°¡­Sure! Right! Then goodbye, Uehara-kun.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Amano waved at me as he left with a smile on his face¡­ ¡°Didn¡¯t realize it until now¡­that guy is surely staunch¡­¡± It¡¯s not going to be easy to change his heart for another girl. However¡­I made up my mind. The guy that tried to be smooth and slick while unable to make up his mind ¨C Tasuku Uehara, graduated today. I stood up from the bench with all my power! ¡°Witness me, god! I will never allow another misunderstanding in this rtionship for as long as I can see!¡± I raised my fist to the sky, while the Sun shined brightly, seemingly trying to bless me. Keita Amano I turned around after walking for a while. Then, I found out that Uehara-kun rose from his chair and punched the sky with a refreshing look. Did he just encounter something good? Um, but, now that I¡¯m thinking about it¡­ ¡°Well, it looks like Uehara-kun loves Tendou-san as well, after all¡­Sigh¡­¡± I let out a deep sigh as I sneaked below the shades of the trees, seemingly trying to escape the sunlight. So, to try and hide from the harsh reality, I headed towards the familiar game store depressingly. Volume 4, 3 – Konoha Hoshinomori and Character Takeover

Volume 4, Chapter 3 ¨C Konoha Hoshinomori and Character Takeover

Trantor: your_pingasThe strong sunlight from the afternoon is reflecting off the asphalt road. It¡¯s unrelentingly scorching my skin to boiling point. Early August. Midsummer. As a bean sprout boy, I, Keita Amano, would usually even hesitate to go to the convenience store. But, if it¡¯s a game release day, I have no options left. Nowadays, you can just buy the game online or pay to download the digital version. There¡¯s a bunch of ways for you to get the software you wanted without leaving your house. However, the former will usually not deliver the goods to on time during the release day to a guy living in a rural area. As for thetter¡­honestly, I used that quite frequently. But, I guess it¡¯s natural for people to wish for the package and any special physical editions for a series they loved. Well, today¡¯s the release day of my favorite series. ¡°Ah¡­I¡¯m too into the hobbies of otakus, perhaps I will be more likely to leave my house after a line is crossed. Right, let¡¯s call this analysis graph the Amano Curve¡­¡± An otaku is talking to himself, idiotically, while carrying a disgusting smile as he walks alone. Although I feel I¡¯m a crappy person, I can never maintain my poker face in a hot summer like this. That will hurt my heart even more. ¡­Sigh, while that¡¯s true, the hot weather isn¡¯t the only reason that I¡¯m going haywire right now. ¡°What does Uehara-kun..feel¡­? I turned depressed the moment I thought about that, even to the point that I took back my disgusting smile, which is something that I¡¯m good at. I was talking to Uehara-kun a couple minutes ago. Then, he just said that he can no longer support Tendou-san and me. To put it this way, he just announced the fact that he loves Tendou-san. ¡°With that, this can no longer be exined as a misunderstanding anymore¡­¡± The only reason that Uehara-kun told me face-to-face that he can¡¯t support Tendou-san and me¡­I can¡¯t think of another other than he loves her. My mouth curved up as I tried to squeeze a theory out of my head. ¡°What if another girl fell in love with me, and Uehara-kun decided to ally himself with that girl?¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡­Um, I felt bad about that.¡± I¡¯m ashamed of myself, from the bottom of my heart, that I just associated myself with the plot that only exists in moe light novels as I apologized to the gods. Well, you¡¯ll more or less imagine yourself to be popr if you¡¯re a guy. Still, I already have a fantastic girlfriend now. However, I still have the wild idea that another girl is falling for me. This is so disloyal to the point that I hate myself for it! I need to realize my current position! ¡°Although an angelic girl is willing to bend over and date with me, I¡¯m still a disgusting otaku loser from the inside out. Moreover, Uehara-kun loves Tendou-san, and he should be the one to match with her in this situation. This is the absolute truth right now. Alright, I will have to ept that with all my heart.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Crap, while I did ept the fact, but my heart was almost crippled by it. Well, the reality is often cruel, I can¡¯t help it. All I can do is to try and go on with my life. I made up my mind and walked towards to the game store¡­and buy hentai games. ¡°¡­My bad.¡± The guy who, a moment ago, just decided to swear loyalty to his girlfriend, went ahead and try to buy hentai games. What¡¯s wrong with me? Do I want my trust to go bankrupt? Am I an idiot? I didn¡¯t stop myself from buying the game while I¡¯m contemting my life. That¡¯s what makes me Keita Amano. I¡¯m helpless. I have to y the game¡­even though I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m feeling helpless right now. ..B-But, that¡¯s different. Although it¡¯s an adult game, I¡¯m not buying the 18+ version. Basically, it¡¯s still the console version. Well, to be fair, it is infamous for a bunch of hentai scenes. People evenmented that ¡°it¡¯s even more erotic when you¡¯re fantasizing over it; the content is way more sexual than an actual 18+ game.¡± The game is getting suchments by solely relying on CG without nudity and words that make your imagination run wild. This is next-level, as a gamer, I have to y this no matter what¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡­This is really all my fault.¡± So, I apologized to someone (A god or my beloved sir) while I dashed towards the game store. Then, a couple minutester, an exhausted me (both mentally and physically) finally reached the store. To try and cool myself down, I walked around the game store and avoided the new release section, even though my target is a new game. ¡°It¡¯s going to be nasty if I brought that hentai game to the counter with my face full of sweat¡­¡± I wanted to more or less decrease my level of disgusting. Although I didn¡¯t put effort into buying matching clothes or decorations, I still wanted to maintain basic hygiene. Well, I guess no one really cares how much I sweat anyway. ¡°Crap, I¡¯m even more self-abased today.¡± ¡­Well, I ran here to buy hentai games after I heard a handsome guy just announced that he loves my girlfriend, after all. There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll have any faith in myself right now. However, that isn¡¯t going to stop me from buying the game. ¡°If Tendou-san forced me to answer whether she or the game is more important. How should a loser like me answer¡­? Of course, Tendou-san will never ask this based on her personality. Also, after I actually thought about that, isn¡¯t that a strange jealousy scene? The guy¡¯s already dead if he dares to draw an equivalence between gaming and love. Keita Amano, you suck¡­But I¡¯m still getting the game! ¡°¡­Phew. So¡­¡± After I recovered my strength in the cold store with air-con, I once again started walking towards the new release shelves. I immediately found what I was looking for. I can¡¯t help but let out a relieving sigh as I looked at the package. ¡°Wow, what a great design. The logo and the color both adopted a steady tone. Even though the illustration is just the female protagonist leaning against the wall of the corridor alone, why is this so god damn arousing!¡± How should I put it? This is giving off a sexual vibe even if it¡¯s just a moe type illustration, but my heart is throbbing for a bit. This image alone will attract any gal game lover without them realizing it. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m so touched that my feet began to tremble as I stepped closer to the package. I swallowed my saliva and reached for the game with my left hand. Then- -I identally grabbed someone¡¯s right hand at the same time. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Our slight grasp ovepped each other, which pulled me back to reality. By the way, didn¡¯t I encounter this exact same situation before¡­ Although my heart keeps telling me not to look to the side, I still looked, and I realized it¡¯s the familiar face of a girl. I knew this person. So, I can¡¯t help but ask. ¡°K-Konoha-¡° ¡°Y-You are¡­¡± The girl¡¯s eyes bulged. I stared at that face, which surprisingly resembled her sister¡¯s when viewed up close. Then, I snapped out of it and immediately said. ¡°-Konoha¡­Hoshinomori-san?¡± ¡°¡­Keita¡­Amano?¡± We really don¡¯t know what to do, aside from feeling shocked and mumbling. So, we just stared at each other for a few long seconds. Atst¡­the scene is a boy and a girl with a subtle distance between each other, trying to buy the same hentai game¡­This is as embarrassing as a nightmare. * ¡°Damn, really, why did I decide to not put up my disguise today!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Konoha-san stomped on the floor as soon as she left the game store. I can only scratch my face because I can¡¯t follow up with her sudden change of personality. -So, she suddenly turned to me and gave me a sharp re. ¡°You. Why do you have to mess with my life in such a crappy way every time!¡± ¡°Ouch¡­eh!¡± I was struck by this unprecedented hostility. For some reason, NOBE, who I admired, suddenly decided to hate me. Crap, to be honest, I wanted to cry. ¡­During this time, Konoha-san suddenly became alerted to my reaction. She let out a big sigh before changing her attitude helplessly. ¡°Ah, well¡­I¡¯m not saying that to you as NOBE or Mono. That¡¯s my reaction as Konoha, so please don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Eh? No¡­eh? I don¡¯t understand what you are trying to say¡­After all, isn¡¯t them the same person¡­?¡± ¡°A-Anyway! Although I¡¯m very pissed at you right now, NOBE and Mono are still your dearest friends!¡± ¡°R-Right¡­Um¡­y-you mean something like multiple personalities?¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s not like that¡­Ah¡­Hmm, but that was a fitting exnation. Not bad. Alright, let¡¯s go with that.¡± ¡°L-Let¡¯s go with that?¡± ¡°So, you need to think of me as a separate entity than NOBE and Mono.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Ah, but of course, I¡¯m both NOBE and Mono, yes!¡± ¡°O-Okay¡­¡± What is this person trying to say? Sigh, I¡¯m not bringing our friendship on the inte to the real world anyway, I guess that¡¯s a proper oue¡­Hmm¡­ Just as I¡¯m showing a confused look, Konoha-san cleared her throat. ¡°A-Anyway, let¡¯s get moving. Amano¡­kun. We don¡¯t want others to see what we¡¯re doing, right?¡± Konoha-san lifted her stic bag with the hentai game in it as she spoke. I nced at my own as well¡­After all, we both bought the game despite the situation. I nodded my head and agreed with Konoha-san before moving. She said she¡¯s taking the bus, so I decided to apany her to the station. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± There¡¯s a subtle distance between us, we fell silent as we walked along the path. ¡­The sound of the few cars that rushed by. The scent of the summer grass that came from somewhere, and the group of ants that are carrying an earthworm¡¯s dried carcass. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­Crap, this is an overwhelming atmosphere. I forgot about this since I haven¡¯t encountered this situation for a long time, but staying alone with a person that you aren¡¯t friends with is seriously messing with my brain. Especially Konoha-san, who I frequently chatted on the inte while having no idea how to interact with in real life. So, we kept probing each other¡­and never spoke a word. Honestly, I really wanted to get out of here. However, Konoha-san is radiating an aura that implies that she wanted to tell me something¡­which prevented me from leaving. We can¡¯t help but silently walk for a few minutes. Then, after we arrived at the road with basically no pedestrian, Konoha-san spoke to me stiffly. ¡°Can I ask¡­um¡­A-Amano-kun, you¡¯re my senpai, right?¡± Konoha-san is suddenly respecting me. Come to think of it,st time when we met at Hoshinomori¡¯s ce, she¡¯s using this kind of formal, respectful tone as well¡­ ¡°Eh? Ah, r-right. If you¡¯re in year 1, then I¡¯m your senpai¡­a year older.¡± ¡°¡­Uh, so put it this way, I should be more respectful to senpai, right?¡± Konoha-san leaned towards me to see my face. I scratched my head and answered. ¡°No¡­that doesn¡¯t fit well at all¡­After all, I just saw who you really are. It¡¯s unnatural for you to change back to your past attitude¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! Okay, that I¡¯ll just switch to my natural attitude to talk to you, senpai.¡± After that, Konoha-san changed her attitude immediately and stared at me violently. She calls me senpai, but I don¡¯t feel respected at all. Instead, I think her tone sounds like she¡¯s trying to prank me. W-When did I piss her off¡­? Just as I¡¯m freaking out internally, Konoha smiled at me while looked me with her eyes full of hostility. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell anyone about me buying hentai games.¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean by anyone¡­¡± ¡°That includes senpai¡¯s girlfriend and my sister.¡± ¡°W-Well, sure¡­¡± After my answer, Konoha raised her fingertips to her chest and smile as she said, ¡°That¡¯s great! ?¡± What the hell? She is reminding me of Tendou-san¡¯s image as the ¡°standard beautiful girl.¡± But, to be honest, she sounds warmer than before. I figured out that there could be a room of discussion, so I tried to add a bit of condition. ¡°Uh, then I can mention that while I¡¯m chatting to my friend Uehara-kun¡­¡± ¡°A-m-a-n-o-s-e-n-p-a-i?¡± Konoha-san, who¡¯s still has a smile stered on her face, immediately radiated a menacing aura towards me. What is this? Tendou-san knew this as well, don¡¯t tell me all girls know how to switch their smile from healing mode to attacking mode in a second. The girls are incredible. I nodded like an idiot while still finding it hard to take in. I quickly walked to Konoha-san, who¡¯s far ahead of me now as I asked once again. ¡°Uh, but why did you have to hide it from everyone?¡± I¡¯m still using a respectful tone to a younger girl who doesn¡¯t care about me in the least bit¡­How should I put this¡­I guess I don¡¯t really know how to close off our distance, even though I realized that being self-abased is an excellent way of pissing other people off. Just like what I¡¯ve expected, Konoha-san gave me a frustrated look as she nced at me. Even so, she didn¡¯t ignore me and answered. ¡°My senpai, will you tell others explicitly that you¡¯re ying hentai games?¡± ¡°¡­Uh, yes, I won¡¯t¡­But, think about it, this is merely a console version¡­¡± ¡°Well, then senpai, why don¡¯t you y this in front of your family tonight.¡± I started to imagine the scenery she described. My parents and little brother are watching me in the living room as I yed that gal game with a lewd smile on my face. The protagonist is licking a devil school girl¡¯s toe. That image is way more tormenting than getting your secret magazines discovered by your family! ¡°My bad! I will never reveal your secrets!¡± ¡°Right, good to know that you listened. I appreciate your attitude, Amano-senpai¡­?¡± ¡°T-Thank you, Konoha-san!¡± ¡­S-Strange? This isn¡¯t right. Isn¡¯t I the one who knew her secret? Why am I acting so humble right now? Uh, it¡¯s because this is the creator who I admired from the bottom of my heart, so I can¡¯t help it. Eh? But,e to think of it, I remembered NOBE said that¡­ There¡¯s a giant question mark above my head, so I asked her sheepishly. ¡°Uh¡­I didn¡¯t know that NOBE will y hentai games as well, I thought you hated moe elements¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Strange, is she ignoring me? ¡°NOBE¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey, NOBE?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Konoha-san?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Amano-senpai?¡± This person is NOBE, right! Uh, no one will really call someone with their alias online! But, they will at least give a reaction! Although my heart is overwhelmed in suspicious right now, I asked again. ¡°NOBE ys hentai games?¡± Konoha is somehow confused at my question.¡± ¡°Eh? No, my sis will never y hentai games¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I know Chiaki won¡¯t y that, right? You¡¯re wrong, I¡¯m asking if NOBE¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve said it already, sis will never-¡° I feel like just as Konoha-sanzily said that she suddenly remembered something as she bulged her eyes and switched her attitude. She immediately gave me an energetic response. ¡°Yes! Hi, I¡¯m NOBE! Nice to meet you!¡± A radiant Konoha-san is giving me a ¡°V¡± with her hand in front of her eye. https://1.bp.blogspot/-JxJUbG6AWTE/XsETc4wUj0I/AAAAAAAAO00/9yNVNWMYfkovm5uKq7Ys4aFdObGiwk0rQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/00008.jpeg ¡°What, why are you suddenly using that tone! It¡¯s as stiff as the self-introduction of a new type of AI!¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s not that. Think about it, it¡¯s because I¡¯m both NOBE and Mono.¡± ¡°I knew that! Why do you have to keep emphasizing that!¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing! Right, where were we? Uh, will NOBE y hentai games, right? Well, it¡¯s hard to say.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already holding a stic bag of hentai games, what makes it so hard to answer¡­¡± Konoha-san then crossed her arms and answered me embarrassingly while I¡¯m dumbfounded. ¡°¡­Even if I love hentai games, what¡¯s on the mind of NOBE?¡± ¡°W-Why are you giving an answer like you¡¯re Eikichi Yazawa! That¡¯s quite cool of you!¡± [Note: Eikichi Yazawa, a famous singer-songwriter in Japan.] ¡°Hmph, the girl that canpletely differentiate the attitude of a consumer and the emotions of the creator. That¡¯s me, Konoha Hoshinomori. Please just think it that way, Amano-senpai.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why! I feel like that exins everything! No wonder I can¡¯t see you as NOBE before!¡± Just as I¡¯m agreeing, Konoha-san seemed like she was hurt for some reason. ¡°Ugh¡­! W-Well, A-Amano-senpai, let me ask you this.¡± Konoha-san suddenly started stuttering. This person¡­her mood can never stop swinging. ¡°Uh, you can¡¯t really see me¡­as NOBE or Mono before?¡± ¡°Yes,pletely! To be honest, I thought you were irrelevant to them! While this is impolite, but I have even suspected whether you¡¯re lying or not!¡± ¡°¡­R-Really¡­Sigh¡­I¡¯m losing faith in my acting skills¡­¡± ¡°Why are you losing faith in that?¡± ¡°¡­A-Amano-senpai! I¡¯ve heard this before, but you never really miss a single wording out from other¡¯s mouths even if they are just mumbling to themselves! You¡¯re more annoying than those dense and deaf protagonists!¡± ¡°Why are you being unreasonably pissed at me right now!?¡± The only reason that I listen to what they say is to avoid being impolite. ¡°¡­Sigh. But¡­really¡­I don¡¯t feel like NOBE at all¡­I¡¯m sorry, sis.¡± ¡°W-Why are you apologizing to Chiaki in this situation?¡± Konoha-san is utterly depressed as she apologized to her sister. Although I don¡¯t understand what she meant by that, all I can do is to cheer her up for now. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I admire the way that you can separate your characters! It¡¯s more like you have a strong will than your acting skills! You¡¯re really a creator!¡± ¡°¡­Really¡­Thanks for your appreciation¡­¡± Konoha is saying that while not looking excited at all. H-How incredible. She won¡¯t think highly of herself even though she was praised. She is NOBE, indeed. At this moment, my heart is finally feeling a bit that this person is really NOBE. ¡°Although it¡¯s far from what I¡¯ve imagined, I can tell that Konoha-san is very ambitious. Moreover, she will sometimes say something that doesn¡¯t make sense, this is the same as NOBE¡­I guess so!¡± The creator that I¡¯ve admired is walking next to me, how honored. ¡°Hmm¡­w-what¡¯s wrong, Amano-kun¡­? Why are you staring at me with such a pure and brave look that can never appear on a high school boy¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just felt delighted. I really like NOBE¡¯s works!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Konoha-san? Why are you turning your face away from me¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ouch, my heart is being flushed with a barge of emotions right now. Embarrassment, envy, guilt, jealousy, pain in the butt, and my heart are beating so fast¡­Right, Amano-senpai, please take up responsibility and let me punch you.¡± ¡°Eh! Why! That¡¯s unreasonable-¡° ¡°Hiya!¡± ¡°Uwah!¡± She really pped me on the face. Well, she only pushed the muscle on my face for a bit, and it¡¯s not painful at all¡­However, it¡¯s too sudden, and it really hurt me mentally. If I am a kid, I would probably break into years. Just as I¡¯m shocked while touching my face, Konoha-san just stared at the sky before letting out a sad sigh. ¡°¡­Sigh. This helps nothing, it just made me empty¡­¡± ¡°Exactly! What is this! Even Tendou-san has never punched me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that keen to violent female characters as well. After all, those girls are not going to be popr.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s hard to grasp a violent girl- No, wait! Then why did you punch me!¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m embarrassed?¡± ¡°Embarrassed? Why are you punching me if you¡¯re not pissed?¡± ¡°Ugh! You¡¯re annoying senpai¡­wait.¡± ¡°?¡± Konoha-san suddenly stopped walking. I poked my head out, thinking that there¡¯s something wrong, then, she seems frustrated and urged me to realize what¡¯s going on as she pointed forward. Although I¡¯m slightly pissed, I still confirmed what¡¯s in front of me- ¡°A-Amano-kun?¡± ¡°¡­T-Tendou-san¡­¡± -I turned around, and I saw my beloved girlfriend, Karen Tendou. Her soft and silky hair is blowing around because she suddenly stopped, and her jewel-like blue eyes are bulging. She is still beautiful, even in such a state. We fell silent for a while¡­However, I instantly managed to snap out of it and turned to Konoha-san. Konoha-san immediately gave me a ¡°what should we do¡± look. But, once she realized Tendou-san¡¯s staring at her, she quickly gave her that ¡°formal Konoha Hoshinomori¡± smile and approached both of us. ¡°H-Hi, Tendou-san. It¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°H-Hi¡­uh, Konoha Hoshinomori-san. We saw each other back at the pool shortly, right?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m honored to be remembered by you.¡± ¡°Ah, no, I should be the one to say that.¡± Tendou-san and Konoha-san smiled as they greeted each other¡­Alright. Very good, we can y along¡­and try to get out of this situation! Konoha and I both have an eerie smile stered on our face as we hid the stic bag with the hentai games behind us. Then, we nodded at Tendou-san as greeting before we start taking a step. ¡°Well then, if you will excuse-¡° ¡°Right, why are you two together?¡± ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± Tendou-san moved and blocked our way as she asked with a smile. Konoha-san and I, while we¡¯re still smiling, started to sweat uncontrobly. We immediately plopped our heads down and started to hold a conference extremely quietly and quickly. ¡°Ah, senpai! What should we do! She¡¯s your girlfriend! Please just fudge it!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me for something I can¡¯t do! Other than the disgusting fact that we met each other while buying hentai games, there isn¡¯t another reason of why I¡¯m walking along with Chiaki¡¯s sister!¡± ¡°¡­C-Coincidence! Yes, this is just a coincidence! Let¡¯s pretend that we just met each other!¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s the only way!¡± So, I smiled as I exined this to my girl- ¡°I saw it from afar, you two were chatting up real close to each other, I guess you¡¯re not trying to say you just met with each other, right?¡± ¡°SHE INTERCEPTED US BEFORE WE EVEN HAD A CHANCE!¡± Konoha-san and I lowered our head as we started trembling again. ¡°Ah, what¡¯s with this girl! While I¡¯ve heard this before, from a negative perspective, she¡¯s way too smart internally!¡¯ ¡°She¡¯s Tendou-san, indeed! I¡¯m way out of her league!¡± ¡°Amano-senpai now¡¯s not the time to be proud of that! W-What should we do!¡± ¡°Uh¡­Konoha-san, you¡¯re a smart and beautiful girl as well, do you have any ideas-¡° ¡°Hey, don¡¯t praise me in a situation like this-¡° ¡°Oh, did you two just starting whispering with each other in harmony?¡± ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± She found out! She found out about our conference! Of course! We discussed it for too long! Konoha-san and I immediately raised our head and tried to look for an excuse as we smiled. ¡°N-No, Konoha-san just, dropped something, yes.¡± ¡°Y-Y-Yes, that¡¯s it. Ah, but it looks like I messed up. S-Sorry to make you two worry.¡± This is a rushed and crappy excuse. However¡­it surprisingly worked. Tendou-san seems to havee to her realization on her own. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why. The reason that you two were so intimate is because of finding something lost.¡± ¡°Yes! Exactly!¡± ¡°Alright, I understand. It¡¯s fine. I just feel like you two are ¡°partners that realized each other has the same target deep inside your heart,¡± so I grew a bit suspicious¡­¡± ¡°SHE¡¯S SO SMART! IT FREAKS US OUT!¡± Tendou-san hit straight to the nail. Konoha-san and I grabbed our stic bags tightly. I bitterly smiled as I changed the topic. ¡°Well, Tendou-san, why are you here today? Are you buying anything?¡± Tendou-san gave my question an embarrassing smile. ¡°No, I¡¯m going to my summer sses. Although I can study by myself, my parents will be worried if I just stayed home and y games throughout the summer. So, I guess I need to be a good daughter, sometimes.¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± In the midsummer, two hentai gamers are staring at this angelic girl. We were struck. Hard. Tendou-san didn¡¯t notice our reaction, and she tilted her head with an ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Come to think of it¡­Amano-kun and Konoha-san knew each other already?¡± ¡°Huh!¡± If I need to exin this adequately, I have to talk about taking something I forgot at Chiaki¡¯s home, and who NOBE and Mono really are. To put it simply, this means that I went to some girl¡¯s house other than my girlfriend¡¯s, and the specific part about chatting with a girl other than my girlfriend¡­Yep. We are¡­really¡­ ¡°IT¡¯S LITERALLY A GIANT FIELD OF LANDMINES!¡± The rtionship between Konoha-san and me can¡¯t be truthfully revealed to my girlfriend, no matter which part you choose. Just when I¡¯m out of options, Konoha-san took a step forward and tried to smooth things over. ¡°I-It¡¯s because I saw the photos on my own.¡± ¡°Ah, really? But where did you see Amano-kun¡¯s photo?¡± ¡°O-Of course, it¡¯s from my sister, right.¡± This is the only logical exnation. Konoha-san and I focused on whether this makes sense and even verified it repeatedly in our brains. Then, we nodded our heads in satisfaction. However¡­ ¡°H-Hoshinomori-san has his photos?¡± ¡°?¡± Tendou-san froze as if she¡¯s shocked. Why is she shocked? Is there a problem with our exnation? Konoha-san and I freaked out for a bit as we tried to think about whether this makes sense or not¡­We still couldn¡¯t find out where¡¯s the problem. ¡°R-Really? Hoshinomori-san has his photos¡­Well¡­I feel like¡­¡± Konoha-san anxiously asked Tendou-san, who¡¯s mumbling to herself. ¡°U-Um¡­i-is there a part that you were baffled in?¡± ¡°Baffled? Haha, let me think. No, there isn¡¯t. Yes, absolutely no. Come to think of it, this is a natural conclusion!¡± ¡°Y-Yes! There¡¯s nothing strange with that!¡± Konoha-san and I looked at each other¡¯s face in relief. Yep, this exnation makes sense! Chiaki having my photo is physically logical! Alright, at least we made it through. Let¡¯s continue. Konoha-san started talking again. ¡°W-Well, Tendou-san, it¡¯s time for us to leave.¡± ¡°Eh? You two¡­are leaving together?¡± Tendou-san gave us a reasonable question. To be fair, Konoha-san and I don¡¯t have a reason to stay together anymore. As a boyfriend, I should apany my girlfriend to her summer sses. But¡­ Konoha-san took a nce at my hidden hentai game. Jesus. T-That¡¯s why. As a hentai game lover, she said that to get me away from my girlfriend Tendou-san as soon as possible? I¡¯m throbbed with her idea. So, I decided to ept her suggestion! ¡°Um, actually, I wanted to discuss something about Chiaki with Konoha-san.¡± ¡°Eh! Y-You wanted to discuss something about H-Hoshinomori-san?¡± Tendou-san is trembling with a pale face¡­It looks like she realized what I¡¯m about to say is going to be terrible. To explore the weakness of my rival Chiaki, I¡¯m going to spy on her sister. This is a logical exnation! So, I continued. ¡°Yeah, ¡­it¡¯s about time¡­to bring an end to the rtionship between Chiaki and me.¡± ¡°Y-You two are ending¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not easy to get to know Konoha-san. Now it¡¯s the best chance for me¡­to take a step forward!¡± ¡°F-Forward!¡± Tendou-san¡¯s lips are shaking from her fear. Haha, it looks like the horrible war between Chiaki and me freaked her out. Honestly, I feel like I¡¯m making it up at this point. However, to eliminate the possibility that my girlfriend is suspecting me cheating, I have to act like Chiaki¡¯s absolute rival! ¡­During this time, Konoha-san hit my elbow slightly to try to talk to me. ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t understand what you are saying. Are you sure that excuse will work?¡± ¡°Why won¡¯t it work? There isn¡¯t a better excuse, right?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­if you think it does¡­I guess senpai is not falling for Tendou-san but for sis after all¡­¡± Perhaps she¡¯s shocked over the rivalry between her sister and me, she mumbled as she distanced herself from me. Although I felt terrible for her, I still asked for her cooperation. Konoha-san cleared her throat in an attempt to switch up her mood, then she did what I say. She turned to Tendou-san and exined. ¡°He¡¯s right, Tendou-san. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Konoha-san¡­it¡¯s fine¡­your actions are right in your stance. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°?¡± Somehow, I feel like there¡¯s a grave atmosphere radiating off everyone right now. Isn¡¯t this purely a conversation between a sister that is about to betray her cowardly older sister and a gently appreciating Tendou-san¡­? For some reason, Tendou-san took a deep breath and gave me a somewhat sad smile. ¡°I understand. Amano-kun, that¡¯s good. You can do It until you¡¯re satisfied.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, okay, of course! I¡¯m taking care of Chiaki and let her know how strong a man can be!¡± ¡°H-How strong a man can be? Ah, n-no! T-That wasn¡¯t what I meant by you can do it!¡± Tendou-san¡¯s face is as red as a tomato as she yelled. Now that I¡¯m looking, even Konoha-san blushed as well, with her eyes sparkling¡­What is this reaction? Will girls be interested in fights like this? https://1.bp.blogspot/-vKqWrmNqUu8/XsPl_aZSDjI/AAAAAAAAO1k/qhsz6KF7XeEaA8MKOxCoHV9TJ0Pwn2hmACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/00009.jpegI let out a cough before continuing. ¡°With that, I need to first acquire assistance from Konoha-san.¡± ¡°Wait! Amano-kun¡­what do you want her sister to help you with!¡± ¡°Eh? I¡¯ve said it before, I need to know Chiaki¡¯s weakness from her sister¡­¡± ¡°Y-You mean you¡¯re doing that via her sister¡¯s body!¡± ¡°Her sister¡¯s body? It¡¯s more like via the mouth instead of the body¡­¡± ¡°You¡­you rapacious boyfriend! Uwahhhhhhh!¡± ¡°WHAT!¡± Atst, Tendou-san finally cried like a child! I-I feel like there¡¯s a fatal misunderstanding within our conversation! Also, why is Konoha-san mumbling at the side, ¡°Am¡­am I going to be dragged down? Like I¡¯m in a hentai game? Like I¡¯m in a hentai game!¡± She¡¯s clearly excited about it for some reason. How terrible! I¡¯m calling the cops! After I expressed my confusion, Tendou-san and Konoha-san finally seemed to have realized that something isn¡¯t right and calmed down. Tendou-san cleared her throat and led the conversation again. ¡°Well, I-I have to admit. Those ridiculous, sexually harassing words that came from Amano-kun is just a misunderstandinging from my imagination.¡± ¡°Huh, wait, what do you mean by ridiculous and sexually harassing words?¡± ¡°A-Anyway, you¡¯re talking to her sister to get to know Chiaki-san. I understand that.¡± ¡°R-Really, that¡¯s good¡­¡± We knew what we were talking about at the start, right? Forget about my question, during this moment¡­ ¡°I trust you¡­Amano-kun. I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± ¡°¡­Tendou-san! Yes, I will absolutely not waste your trust!¡± As your friend, I will defeat Chiaki! ¡°Amano-kun¡­!¡± ¡°Tendou-san¡­!¡± We stared at each other. How should I put it? I can feel it, at this moment, our hearts are connected to each other! We¡¯re sharing each other! This is my feeling! This is how you feel to be a couple!¡± ¡°¡­Ahem.¡± Konoha-san let out a cough and made us snap out of it. To cover up our embarrassment, we waved at each other and headed towards each one¡¯s destination. I looked at Tendou-san until she took a turn. After she¡¯s out of my sight, Konoha-san and I pressed our chests in relief. ¡°I feel like a lot of things had happened. But we made it through, Amano-senpai.¡± ¡°Yeah. Thank you, Konoha-san.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s supposed to thank you.¡± Then, we smiled at each other like we¡¯re soldiers on a harsh battlefield. So, after Konoha-san walked for a while, she let out an ugly ¡°Hnnnng!¡± as she raised her arms to stretch her back. Then, she rxed like a sloth. Then, she mumbled with a husky voice. ¡°Ah¡­but, this was tiring. Uwah, I¡¯m exhausted¡­¡± I can¡¯t help butugh at her reaction, which doesn¡¯t resemble a beautiful student council president in the slightest. Then, Konoha-san red at me fiercely with the corner of her eyes. ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong, Amano-senpai? Are you taunting my ugly side?¡± ¡°What do you mean by ugly. No, I didn¡¯t mean to despise you¡­¡± ¡°Hmph. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m different from that Tendou-san. I¡¯m just a pretentious girl.¡± Konoha-san said that a bit angrily. I tilted my head for a bit and responded. ¡°But, I actually really respect people that can put up a performance on their own. Ah, I didn¡¯t mean to cheer you up. Just saying. It takes a lot of effort, after all. It¡¯s incredible for people to not give up and learn that skill.¡± I spoke to Konoha-san as I stared her in the eyes. Then, she turned away from me. ¡°¡­You are saying that naturally again¡­!¡± ¡°Again?¡± Did I mention something like this to Konoha-san before? I don¡¯t really remember. Crap. I forgot something that the girl remembered. Isn¡¯t this super impolite? Just as I frowned to try and dig into my memory, Konoha-san leaned towards me with a mischievous smile on her face. ¡°Wow, Amano-senpai, I can¡¯t believe you can forget interacting with such a cute girl. Are you thinking too highly of yourself right now?¡± ¡°Ouch¡­! Y-You¡¯re right. I¡¯m getting ahead of myself! Just a while ago, I will remember all conversations from my high school!¡± ¡°¡­Ah..I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to make you remember the pathetic high school life you were in¡­¡± ¡°Eh? You¡¯re now pretending to be a girl that shows herpassion to a regretful senpai! Please don¡¯t do that! I¡¯m feeling really empty right now!¡± After my protest, Konoha-san smiled happily before asking me in a pranking tone. ¡°Eh¡­Amano-senpai, do you mean you¡¯re the type that all people want to bully on?¡± ¡°Exactly. People often see me like that without realizing it!¡± ¡°Ahaha, I guess so! Hey, it¡¯s fun to bully senpai, after all!¡± ¡°You just spew that insult out of your mouth so randomly! By the way, Konoha-san, I don¡¯t feel like you¡¯re trying to pretend as a lovely little sister anymore!¡± ¡°Eh? Ah¡­yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± Konoha-san gave me a bitter smile. This time, she scratched the back of her head roughly and started to face me with the true her. ¡°Sigh, for me. I¡¯m not a girl that hides everything in my heart, not to mention negative emotions. Everything from work, affection, and sexual desire- I mean power. I wanted to vent them out whenever I wanted to.¡± I agree with her. ¡°Ah, I know how you feel. It¡¯s effortless for me to express my emotion out sincerely since I¡¯ll always overthink everything and freak out. If I can¡¯t even say something that I wanted in a ce that I feel secure with, my emotions will probably erupt someday. I¡¯m really a guy that can only vent out my anger in front of my family or close friends¡­¡± After I said that, Konoha-san¡¯s eyes brightened as she bes interested. ¡°Yeah, I get it. I get it! That¡¯s precisely the reason! Come to think of it, it¡¯s the same when I¡¯m the student president in Hekiyou¡­Although I didn¡¯t be the president purely out of my acting skills, there¡¯s a lot of times where I can¡¯t express how I really think¡­That¡¯s why I will often show who I really am when I¡¯m chatting with my family, friends, and when I¡¯m on the inte.¡± ¡°Exactly! However, that¡¯s the reason why I will let loose too much sometimes¡­¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes! I know how it feels! Life is always either being serious or let loose with no in-between. This can really mess with the brake that prevents you from going out of control!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to say! I always care about what others are thinking worriedly. Then, if I slip for just a bit, I¡¯ll yell at my little brother or Uehara-kun like I¡¯m a different person. Either that or I will oppose Chiaki or Tendou-san when ites to gaming style.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for me, it¡¯ll always end like this! I can¡¯t hold my violent desires back even if I met someone I knew outside, then I¡¯ll end up buying hentai games explicitly.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Konoha-san raised her stic bag with the game as she said that. I responded with rasing my bag as well. Then, we gave each other a bitter smile. Then, I realized the gap between Konoha-san and me has already disappeared. Well, it¡¯s because we have the same hobbies in the first ce. We can just start chatting right away, just like¡­when I first met the girl¡¯s sister. ¡°Ah, right. Konoha-san, have you yed Eushully¡¯s new title that was releasedst month?¡± [Note: Enshully, a famous Japanese eroge studio in Sapporo.] ¡°Of course! Eh, you¡¯re ying that as well, senpai! Thatpany¡¯s game design is stillparable to console versions!¡± ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s it! You feel that too! Uwah, I¡¯m excited to know that someone actually yed it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to say! Sigh, but that game is quite erotic when ites to the plot CGs. Amano-senpai¡­you acted like you¡¯re an innocent boy, I can¡¯t believe you were just hiding your teeth.¡± ¡°Do I? But..pared to the fact that the elite and adorable student council president is a hentai game lover, I feel like I¡¯m nothing.¡± ¡°¡­J-Just like the intelligence from my sister, you¡¯ll praise others unconsciously¡­¡± ¡°What intelligence? Ah, let¡¯s move on to that game! Even though the yers are focusing on the UI, don¡¯t you think the plot is incredible as well?¡± ¡°Yes! Exactly! Exactly! I¡¯ve always got a grudge with people only praising the UI¡­but the plot is very well-made, after all!¡± ¡°Yeah! Right, speaking of the famous titles-¡° So, during the walk to the station..both of us just chatted about hentai games that no one could talk about loudly. * ¡°Eh? Chiaki?¡± After Konoha-san and I entered the station, we surprisingly saw Chiaki, who¡¯s sitting on the chair ying on her phone. As soon as I spoke, a defenseless Chiaki freaked out after she raised her head and saw me. ¡°K-Keita? W-W-Why, are you here¡­?¡± She trembled and identally dropped her phone. I immediately grabbed it, that was so cool that even I wanted to praise myself for it. I gave Chiaki a smug look, however¡­ ¡°P-Please return my phone!¡± ¡°Eh!¡± She robbed her phone back from my hand¡­Honestly, I was pissed. ¡°I almost forgot the fact that she¡¯s my enemy.¡± We started fighting each other because we have different opinions when ites to moe. However, now I feel like we both hated each other¡¯s behavior. See, Chiaki¡¯s red at me while blushing, even with a bit of tear on her eyes, she¡¯s clearly angry¡­Right, a guy like me can¡¯t even touch your phone, right? ¡°I think I nced at a mobile game screen that I¡¯m familiar with¡­Whatever. I don¡¯t even have the mood to chat anyway.¡± I explicitly let out a sigh to Chiaki, and Konoha-san leaned forward to try and smooth things over. ¡°Uh, I¡¯ming out with my sister at the start. We were walking together, but we split up because each of us has things to do. So, we decided to meet at the station before disbanding¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why. That¡¯s why you were going to buy the hentai-¡° Konoha-san stared at me while I¡¯m in the middle of my sentence, I immediately fixed my words. ¡°-That¡¯s why you met me, who was happily buying hentai games alone.¡± ¡°¡­Uwah¡­Keita, you¡¯re disgusting¡­¡± Chiaki is giving me a cold stare¡­Uh, even though it¡¯s true that I¡¯m buying hentai games, but why I¡¯m feeling like I¡¯m the only one getting hurt right now? I nced at Konoha-san and found out that she looked away like she has nothing to do with this¡­should I say that this girl is really something¡­? ¡°Damn, why does this have to happen¡­¡± Chiaki mumbled as she put her phone back to the pocket before she stood up. This is only the third time that I¡¯ve seen Chiaki in her casual clothes. However, she¡¯s still the same type as I do. An attire that she didn¡¯t spend any effort on that can reluctantly be worn out to the streets, a T-shirt with a tannin skirt. How should I put this¡­while I¡¯m pissed, I¡¯ll probably wear the same boring outfit if I was a girl. Although I¡¯m unwilling to admit this, Chiaki does look good because she has a beautiful figure. It¡¯s giving off a ¡°back to nature¡± vibe, she was not supposed to have reached this level yet. ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong, Keita? You keep staring at my body. This is what a hentai game lover is like¡­¡± ¡°Hmph, Ms. Chiaki. Bold of you to assume that you earn the same position as the female protagonist in hentai games. You sure do think highly of yourself. What, are you getting smug just because you changed your look? ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t want an otaku that pretends to be a protagonist from harem novels just because he identally started dating with Tendou-san to say that to me!¡± ¡°Hmm, this seaweed still got thorns on it¡­!¡± ¡°This is what a bean sprout boy that keeps overthinking looks like¡­!¡± We closed off our distance as we stared fiercely at each other. Then, Konoha-san looked at us with admiration. ¡°You two can surely start a fight with each other like it¡¯s breathing¡­want to go on a show?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t say it like our minds are in sync!¡± ¡°I feel like I just saw a boy and a girl with brains that arepletely synced with each other!¡± Konoha-san is throbbed for some reason¡­I¡¯m not convinced in the least bit¡­! Chiaki and I gave a ¡°Hmph¡± before turning around with our backs facing each other. Konoha-san, who was in the middle, annoyingly scratched her cheeks. To calm things down, she said this a bit forcefully. ¡°Um, well, Amano-senpai, thank you for apanying me to here-¡° ¡°Amano-senpai?¡± Suddenly, Chiaki noticed how Konoha-san called me as she put on a poker face. I responded with a frown. ¡°What, you got a problem? I¡¯m a year older than Konoha-san. That¡¯s a normal thing for her to call me that right.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. You don¡¯t deserve to be called senpai at all, how arrogant of you. Moreover, our Konoha is cute, smart, gentle, and the student council president. She¡¯s the perfect little sister.¡± Konoha-san lowered her head with a blush after Chiaki tried to fend me off. ¡°Uwah¡­we got another person that tantly praises people here¡­forgive me¡­¡± Konoha-san seemed to be mumbling something, but I couldn¡¯t much as I¡¯m retorting. ¡°Konoha-san is indeed adorable and smart. Also, I realized that she has a good personality after I talked to her. I¡¯m convinced that she¡¯ll be a fantastic student council president as well! But I¡¯m really older than her!¡± Konoha-san seemed to have blushed so hard that she had enough and screamed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you two! Pretending to be fighting each other, but you are just trying to mess with me in reality!¡± ¡°But, even though you¡¯re older, my sister is surely nobler than you! At least she¡¯s totally different from a prick that buys hentai games in the middle of the day!¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± Konoha-san moaned while pressing her chest suddenly. She¡­she was hit even though she was outside the situation! That¡¯s bad! ¡°Y-You can scold me, but I won¡¯t allow you to look down upon all hentai gamers!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the part that you were trying to defend? What are you? President of the Hentai Game Fan Club?¡± ¡°Uh, no¡­A-Anyway, you can depreciate me, but don¡¯t depreciate all hentai gamers! This is for the sake of someone you treasure!¡± I reaffirmed Konoha-san¡¯s depressing look with the corner of my eyes as I announced to Chiaki. However, I didn¡¯t convey my true meaning to her. ¡°W-What kind of facy is that! Uh, i-if I have to say it, I really didn¡¯t mean to scold at anyone except you¡­I guess I can apologize for that¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Chiaki! Just target me!¡± ¡°Why are you getting so excited about this! Sigh¡­that¡¯s enough. I ran out of steam to fight.¡± Chiaki finally decided to stop fighting after she mumbled¡­No matter how much I hate her, I¡¯ll never go after someone who lost the will to continue. I took a couple deep breaths to clear my mind. After we calmed down, Konoha-san started exining to Chiaki about how we met. (The entire hentai game was skipped.) ¡°Oh¡­so you two met on the road and just chatted with each other all the way to here¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Chiaki finally understood. Konoha-san and I nodded with a smile. However¡­Chiaki immediately gave us a confused look. ¡°¡­But, were you two that close before?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Konoha-san and I lost our words. Ay¡­we only started chatting with each other happily because we grabbed the same hentai game at the same time¡­If we just met on the streets, we¡¯ll probably go our separate ways after a standard greeting. Konoha-san tried to exin. ¡°Sis, think about it¡­Amano-senpai and I will often chat on the inte, r-right?¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± Then, for some reason, Chiaki is the one to turn sheepish this time¡­? Why is she acting like this after she knows the rtionship between Konoha-san and me? ¡°Ah¡­her little sister had a connection with her rival, is this the reason why she¡¯s being so repulsive?¡± If this is indeed the cause, I find it quite convincing¡­ Just as I¡¯m suspicious, Chiaki cleared her throat with a cough. Then, her eyes rolled around as she asked me for reasons unknown. ¡°Uh¡­about the chatting on the inte part, what did you talk with Konoha¡­?¡± ¡°Eh? Nothing much¡­Also, why do I have to tell you?¡± I feel like this is a sensitive part of both Konoha-san and me. Even though she¡¯s a rtive, there¡¯s no way for me to just exin everything clearly¡­ In this awkward situation, Konoha-san somehow tried to smooth things over again. ¡°Ah, well, as long as it¡¯s rted to NOBE and Mono, you can tell my sister all about it, Amano-senpai!¡± ¡°Eh? This is wrong¡­what¡¯s happening¡­¡± I can¡¯t believe she can just reveal who she is on the inte to her family¡­I don¡¯t really understand the entire reasoning behind it. For me, at least I will never tell my little brother about it. Konoha-san beamed me a manly and frank smile. ¡°I¡¯ve nothing to hide from my sister!¡± ¡°Konoha-san, are you sure you can say that!?¡± The little sister that is hiding her hentai game in her bag while saying stuff like that. I feel like this scene is out of reality¡­but I can¡¯t reveal her secrets now. I unwillingly admitted¡­and told Chiaki about the exchange with Konoha-san.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t talk much about the inte part¡­Ay, but we had fun chatting with each other, that¡¯s basically it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re chatting with Konoha? What did you two talk about?¡± ¡°Sigh.¡± Konoha-san and I froze¡­she¡¯s annoying! This sister is annoying! What¡¯s wrong! Why does this girl care about the conversation between Konoha-san and me? Konoha-san and I nced at each other silently to think of a solution. Too many things had happened today. We already knew this is the way to get us out of this mess. However, squeezing our eyes seems to have ruined the whole thing. Chiaki is looking increasingly suspicious of our movements, so we just stood like a statue there. Just as we were in a standoff, we heard a ringtoneing from somewhere suddenly. I grabbed my phone out to confirm, thinking that it was mine, but it¡¯s not. Then, Chiaki freaked out and said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s my phone.¡± She grabbed her phone out. This girl¡­she even got the same ringtone as I do¡­Sigh. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re saved for now.¡± Konoha-san and I smiled at each other¡­what¡¯s going on? She was so rude to me earlier, but I don¡¯t feel bad about it incredibly. Is it because we both have each other¡¯s secrets? I feel like I¡¯ve changed, I¡¯m closer to Konoha Hoshinomori-san now. However, on the other hand, the more I get to know her¡­ ¡°I feel like¡­while she¡¯s different than her stiff version, but I still think that there¡¯s a difference between Konoha-san and NOBE or Mono¡­¡± I dazed in thoughts as Chiaki is picking up her phonecall. ¡­Konoha-san is no doubt a ¡°good person,¡± I think that she shared some simrities with NOBE and Mono in terms of attitudes. But¡­they¡¯re still different. ¡°Sigh, if she already said that they¡¯re separate characters, I guess it makes sense for me to view it this way¡­¡± The situation is perfectly logical, but I¡¯m not 100% convinced. This is the first time that I¡¯ve encountered something like this¡­Uh, even though Konoha-san is really nice¡­ ¡°Amano-senpai?¡± ¡°Ah! It¡¯s fine, nothing¡¯s wrong, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Once I snapped out of it, I realized that I¡¯m staring at Konoha-san directly. Her face¡¯s slightly red. Of course, she¡¯ll feel uneasy when a guy that she¡¯s not that familiar with stared at her face. I lowered my head to apologize and said. ¡°Well¡­Chiaki¡¯s busy answering her phonecall, after all. I should leave.¡± ¡°Ah, alright. Well¡­uh¡­ehm¡­¡± ¡°?¡± Konoha-san suddenly started stuttering for some reason. I tilted my head dumbfoundedly. Then, she gave me an unwilling pout before mumbling. ¡°¡­See you next time.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah..o-okay. Uh, well, see you next time.¡± I was ttered as I replied to her¡­It¡¯s because I didn¡¯t expect her to say that. I¡¯m excited. ¡°This got to be just out of her courtesy. Still, I appreciated that. Konoha-san is incredible.¡± She is the student council president, indeed. Her social skills are way out of my league. Although I really feel that Konoha-san is impressive, on the other hand¡­ ¡°This person¡­is she really NOBE and Mono?¡± The two people that I liked¡­the two people that resonated deeply with me¡­Do they really exist in the heart of this smart and hardworking girl? The more time I spend with her, the more I feel¡­ ¡°Eh! W-W-W-W-What does that mean- U-Uehara-kun? Uehara-kun!¡± ¡°?¡± -During this moment, Chiaki suddenly yelled at her phone. Konoha-san and I freaked out as we stared at Chiaki. We found that she froze as she looked at her phone with the call ended. Then, she turned to us with a shocked expression on her face. This is a situation that can¡¯t be ignored¡­! ¡°Sis mentioned Uehara-kun¡­He¡¯s the handsome normie in your Game Hobby Club, right? The guy that she¡¯s initially affectionate with¡­¡± Initially? Uh, I think Chiaki has always been fond of Uehara-kun¡­Sigh, whatever. ¡°Yes. Uh, Uehara-kun is a very reliable hero to us.¡± ¡°Then¡­what does he has to do with my sister by now?¡± By now? Even though I¡¯m not sure what that means¡­Sigh, whatever. ¡°¡­I have no idea either.¡± Konoha-san and I looked at each other before we nodded with an empty head. After a second, we asked Chiaki at the same time. ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong?¡± Then¡­Chiaki¡¯s eyes lost focus as she exined with her lips trembling. ¡°U-Uehara-kun¡­he¡­said a single sentence with a serious tone before hanging up¡­¡± ¡°¡­What did the guy say?¡± ¡°Uh¡­well¡­¡± Chiaki swallowed her saliva in the middle of the sentence. Then¡­ she continued. ¡°He said, ¡°I¡¯m choosing you only!¡± loudly¡­¡± ¡°------¡° During this moment, we put everything we had talked about to the side. Konoha-san and I lost our emotions. Then, Chiaki, who¡¯s seemingly trying to confirm something with us¡­she mumbled. ¡°T-This means that¡­what Uehara-kun means is that¡­!¡± Following that sentence, the scene fell silent as if the sea is ebbing. Then, at the next moment- Like a violent tsunami, all of us shouted at the top of our lungs! ¡°HE CONFESSEDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!¡± -During these few days, our mind has been subtly wrapped in confusion. However, at this moment, the Hoshinomori sisters and I¡­felt like everything is irrelevant already. Volume 4, 4 – Keita Amano and the Deliberately Guided

Volume 4, Chapter 4 ¨C Keita Amano and the Deliberately Guided

Trantor: your_pingas ¡°You want me to join the Game Hobby Club? ¡­Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m serious.¡± I nodded definitively. Then, Aguri stopped eating the donut in her hands before giving me a frustrated frown. ¡°¡­Uh¡­why?¡± She tilted her head as she opened her mouth with sugar sticking at the lips. I gave her a smile. ¡°Why¡­Of course, the only reason is that Uehara-kun and I wanted to enjoy our time in the Hobby Club with you.¡± Aguri-san heard my blunt response. For a moment, she gave me a warm smile. But then, she immediately reverted to her suspicious face. ¡°Uh, Amanhi, I really appreciated that¡­But, you wanted me to join the Game Hobby Club?¡± ¡°Yes, Aguri-san.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t y games at all.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. You only need a heart that loves gaming to join the club¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s the exact reason. I don¡¯t love gaming at all.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s also okay if you love a person that enjoys gaming.¡± ¡°That¡¯sx! The membership requirements are reallyx!¡± I looked away at her reasonableint. Aguri continued with a gentle, persuading tone. ¡°Amanhi, I¡¯m pleased that you invited me. But this is really too far-fetched. While participating in the club with Tasuku sounds fun¡­However, I¡¯m not a girl that doesn¡¯t observe the situation at all.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She makes too much sense. I can¡¯t say anything. But¡­but I can¡¯t back down just like this. ¡°A-Actually, I asked Tendou-san¡¯s opinion again, she agreed as well.¡± ¡°T-Tendou-san is joining?¡± Aguri-san was a bit shocked. Earlier, she mentioned that ¡°she trusted Tasuku¡± to me. But that was its own issue. She can¡¯t help but to mind the fact that her boyfriend is in the same club with a beautiful girl. However¡­Aguri-san is still not moving an inch. She elegantly took a sip of her Darjeeling tea, which doesn¡¯t fit her style at all. Then, she beamed me a reluctant smile. ¡°Sigh¡­i-it doesn¡¯t matter. Tendou-san loves gaming, after all. Moreover, you Amanhi, as her boyfriend is in the club as well. This is a natural conclusion. That reason alone doesn¡¯t justify my participation, right?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± This is way off from what I¡¯ve expected. This gal just doesn¡¯t want to join. To re-evaluate my strategy, I took a sip from the bitter condensed coffee to try and take in some caffeine as I looked away from Aguri-san to the store. The donut store at 2PM is filled with a sluggish atmosphere apparent in thete summer holiday. The seats are filled with school girls holding their cheeks as they¡¯re chatting to their friends. ¡°Bute to think of it, this is probably thanks to Aguri-san. Even though I don¡¯t belong to this room at all, I¡¯m no longer ufortable with that.¡± I was scared to be seen in a ce like this, sometimes even going so far as to think that someone will speak ill of me. But now¡­while my paranoia still existed, I believe that ¡°maybe this is fine¡± at the same time. I guess I became a bit more cheeky. ¡°I feel like¡­all of this is thanks to Aguri-san.¡± Her personality and lifestyle are the opposite of Tendou-san and me¡­.However, that¡¯s the exact reason why I¡¯m convinced. If we are talking about normies, the same thing goes for Uehara-kun, but Aguri-san is still different from him. If Uehara-kun is a person that can limit himself to cooperate with others, Aguri-san is a girl that can show off her real side while still being appreciated by others. Well, wilful is one rash way to put it. Yet, her behavior can be described as limited in a range that others find eptable. Just like the situation I¡¯m in right now¡­ ¡°But Amanhi, this donut is perfect. Nomomom.¡± ¡°d to hear that.¡± ¡­Initially, she wanted to take a bit of my donut, but now she already ate 1/3 of it. That¡¯s fine, she¡¯s adorable, this is entirely eptable. ¡°¡­Nomomom¡­Ah, I¡¯m sorry, Amanhi. I think I finished the entire thing. Ahaha.¡± ¡°¡­I-It¡¯s alright.¡± I took back what I¡¯ve said. To be honest, Aguri-san will sometimes go over the line by half of a step. B-But, this is as capricious as she¡¯ll get, a level that puts a bitter smile on one¡¯s face. So, speaking of this charming Aguri-san. ¡­I¡¯ll admit here. Right now, she¡¯s the most important woman to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tendou-san¡­¡± I apologized to my girlfriend in my heart, but I still can¡¯t stop myself from feeling this emotion. I can¡¯t hold it back anymore. Aguri-san, I¡¯m really¡­really¡­ ¡­Really sympathetic to you! ¡°I can¡¯t believe your boyfriend confessed to another girl while you were out travelling during the summer holiday, how pitiful!¡± I¡¯m still on the edge of crying, no matter how many times I think this through. So, I immediately crossed my arms on the table and put my forehead on the back of my hands. Then, Aguri-san leaned forward while giving me a worried look. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Amanhi? Your donut¡­¡± ¡°No¡­it¡¯s fine, Aguri-san. It¡¯s fine¡­¡± Sigh, this girl is way too kind-hearted. How could I get angry when my donut was eaten by a girl like this? I slowly raised my head and gave her a gentle smile. ¡°¡­Eat up, dear.¡± ¡°Grandma! Amanhi, you¡¯re like my loving grandma!¡± ¡°Really? Very good indeed. Do you want another one?¡± ¡°I¡¯m disgusted by your sudden kindness! Amanhi, what is this? Ah, are you trying to bait me into joining the Game Hobby Club? ¡°Of course not. Grandma just wants you to be well.¡± ¡°That fake acting is pissing me off even more!¡± Even when Aguri-san said this, I still keep a smile stered on my face while staring at her. I knew that she can¡¯t tolerate me being a grandma, but I can¡¯t change my attitude. It¡¯s because I¡¯ve already made up my mind at that moment. ¡°I will¡­I will stand with Aguri-san no matter what!¡± Although it¡¯s terrible for Uehara-kun and Chiaki, this is my conclusion. * About a week ago. After the impactful event where Uehara-kun unexpectedly confessed to Chiaki. The Hoshinomori sisters and I immediately changed location and headed towards the caf¨¦ to hold an emergency conference. However, during this time, before we get to discuss the hot issue at hand. When we¡¯re reviewing the current situation, something shocked me. That is the fact that Chiaki has two fatal misunderstandings with my personal rtionships. The first misunderstanding is the rtionship between Aguri-san and me. Chiaki didn¡¯t know that Uehara-kun and Aguri-san are dating each other¡­which I kind of expected before. However, that¡¯s not the only problem, I don¡¯t understand how Chiaki can twist her understanding that much, she even thought that I was dating with Aguri-san. I immediately denied it. ¡°It¡¯s not like that at all.¡± However, Chiaki and Konoha-san don¡¯t seem to find this entirely convincing. The crux of the issue appears to be the fact I would often be stuttering when they asked me why I am going out with Aguri-san. With that said, it¡¯s not exactly easy to say that we¡¯re just discussing each of our rtionships. So, I gave her a vague answer. ¡°Aguri-san and I are just good friends.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we often chat with each other.¡± Then, Konoha-san gave me a cold stare for some reason as she tried to correct me. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean you two are really close to each other?¡± I can¡¯t really answer her¡­The sisters ended up concluding that the rtionship between Aguri-san and I is in the ¡°reconsideration¡± status. However, at least both of them are convinced that Aguri-san and Uehara-kun are dating each other, luckily. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m a bit surprised, Chiaki doesn¡¯t seem to be shocked¡­Did she know something already? Also, another misunderstanding of Chiaki¡­is that she thought that Tendou-san is just pretending to be a couple with me. This theory stemmed from her belief that Aguri-san is my ex-girlfriend. The reason that Tendou-san epted my confession is that she wanted to save me from Aguri-san¡¯s scam out of her ¡°kindness¡±¡­Chiaki appears to be thinking it that way. That would exin why Chiaki is emphasizing on the word ¡°kindness¡± earlier. By the way, this whole incident is very impolite. I can¡¯t believe she said I was ckmailed by Aguri-san¡­Well, that¡¯s not entirely wrong. B-But, that¡¯s not as severe as what Chiaki has imagined. Then, after I defended myself. Chiaki immediately¡­ ¡°Ahhh, that¡¯s right, that¡¯s the line of a typical child who¡¯s bullied continuously! It¡¯s like that kind of ¡°Oh, I¡¯m wrestling with my friends¡± excuse!¡± She freaked out. Uh, w-well, I did sound like that tone! However, Aguri-san isn¡¯t a nasty girl. I tried my absolute best to convey this point to her, and I finally managed to solve Chiaki¡¯s misunderstanding. From what I heard from Chiaki, she said she got the impression of ¡°Hmm, I didn¡¯t expect that this gal seems to be a nice person¡± when she¡¯s ying the game of life with Aguri-san. Of course, Aguri-san is a really nice person, after all. With that, I unexpectedly acquired the chance to solve some of the misunderstandings between Chiaki and me. However, I also grabbed the chance and exined the rtionship between Tendou-san and me. ¡°Ah, while I¡¯m not sure what Tendou-san thinks¡­but at least I continued dating Tendou-san because I love her. I¡¯m not lying about that one.¡± I presented my own thoughts firmly. However, Chiaki gave me aplicated bitter smile. Don¡¯t tell me she wants her rival to suffer under the rtionship with the devil version of Aguri-san? I¡¯m not sure what Chiaki¡¯s thinking. Anyway, after we fixed all these minor misunderstands, Chiaki changed her mind and no longer considered Aguri-san to be a devil. (Even though she was quite right in some parts) Also, she ¡°reluctantly¡± agreed that Tendou-san dated me out of her ¡°affection¡± and not out of her ¡°kindness.¡± Then, we can finally talk about the fact that Uehara-kun confessed to Chiaki. ¡°So, is it okay for me to treat that handsome Uehara-kun guy as a shitty yer?¡± Thises from Konoha-san, who never directly meet with Uehara-kun before. Although she¡¯s kind of harsh, I guess it¡¯s reasonable for an outsider to view it this way after a subjective view of the whole situation. After all, Uehara-kun...told me that he can no longer support the rtionship between Tendou-san and me¡­This means that, after he reaffirmed his love for Tendou-san for not even a second, he immediately called Chiaki and confessed to her. This is all upon the fact he already got Aguri-san as his legitimate girlfriend. From all these pieces of intelligence alone, Konoha-san¡¯s attitude is reasonable. She¡¯ll definitely not feel good when a person like this is harassing her sister. On the other hand, Chiaki and I don¡¯t agree with Konoha-san¡¯s point at all. The reason is simple. It¡¯s because we¡¯re sure that Uehara-kun is not a shitty person like that. Chiaki lowered her voice as she mumbled. ¡°Konoha, Uehara-kun is very warm to everyone, he¡¯s a reliable and attractive guy.¡± ¡°Sis, that¡¯s precisely what makes him dangerous. From his look, he¡¯ll call himself the king of harems if he took a wrong step. Sigh, I hated him. This is what an aggressive normie looks like.¡± Honestly, Konoha-san¡¯s view of Uehara-kun is stringent while being very convincing at the same time. But Chiaki and I don¡¯t believe that entirely since we knew how great of a person he is. However, from Konoha-san¡¯s perspective, she became even more suspicious towards Uehara-kun because it looks like he just convinced two lonely and innocent otakus. It¡¯s impossible to exin. But we won¡¯t have any progress if we just sit around and discuss this. So, we had to reluctantly back down, and continue to hold the conference under the assumption that Uehara-kun is a guy that doesn¡¯t seem to be aware of the damage that a harem mindset can cause. I crossed my arms on the table and began to speak respectfully. ¡°So, the Uehara-kun in question just unexpectedly confessed to Chiaki¡­¡± After that, I gave Chiaki a gentle smile. ¡°Uh, forget about all those suspicions for a second. Chiaki, I wanted to congratte you first.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s an honourable thing that a guy you¡¯re attracted to just confessed to you, right? Chiaki, forget about Uehara-kun¡¯s issues, I think you can at least be happy first.¡± It¡¯s because I just started dating Tendou-san, so I can understand¡­Even though there are mysteries behind, but hearing a person that you love confessing to you is a good thing. However¡­Chiaki¡¯s look is unbelievably stiff. ¡°Uh, what¡¯s wrong? Are you still troubled by Uehara-kun¡¯s suspicions?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. Sigh, that¡¯s right¡­¡± I¡¯m not that convinced of Chiaki¡¯s unwilling tone. So I continued. ¡°Well, I think you should be genuinely happy that the guy you loves confessed to you.¡± ¡°¡­I can be genuinely¡­happy¡­when the boy I loved confessed to me¡­right¡­¡± During this moment, Chiaki nced at me for some reason before giving me a warm smile. ¡°Perhaps. Um¡­I think I¡¯ll be excited. If¡­I can hear the boy that I cared about said¡­he loves me. That would make me very happy.¡± ¡°Right? Then we can celebrate Uehara-kun¡¯s confession to you-¡° ¡°AHEM!¡± Then, for some reason, Konoha-san interrupted our conversation with an explicit cough. So, I had to stop asking for a moment. Konoha-san changed the topic quite forcefully. ¡°Right now, we need to immediately discuss how should we do with my sister.¡± Sigh, she¡¯s right. I secretly took a nce at Chiaki¡¯s face, and I found out that she plopped her head down with a perplexed look. No¡­I still can¡¯t let it go. Although I might piss her off, I really needed to get this out of my chest. ¡°Uh, Chiaki, you¡¯re quite fond of Uehara-kun, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± Chiaki still wouldn¡¯t give a straight answer. Is she too embarrassed to say her affection? Well, I mean, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t understand that¡­ Konoha-san¡¯s re is stabbing me¡­Well, I¡¯ll have to let it go for now. ¡°Sigh, h-he¡¯s really suspicious right now. I guess it¡¯s reasonable for you to hesitate for an answer, even though you two are falling for each other, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Falling for each other, right¡­¡± Chiaki¡¯s mumbling face still doesn¡¯t look happy¡­Hmm, don¡¯t tell me Uehara-kun suddenly became unworthy. Chiaki¡¯s way more depressed than I¡¯ve expected. Sigh, this is hurting my brain¡­Eh? Hurting my brain? Why would I? Do I really hate Chiaki getting this apathetic? We¡¯re rivals after all, why? I fell silent with all these thoughts on my head. Then, Konoha-san looks like she can¡¯t take it anymore as she mmed her head forcefully on the table. She¡¯s the student council president. Indeed, she got the boldness. ¡°Personally, my only choice is to turn him down as soon as possible! You two have any better ideas?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Although Chiaki and I really can¡¯t stand the fact that Uehara-kun is treated like a shithead, he does seem to be guilty judging from the situation alone. We can¡¯t really say anything aside from expressing our trust towards him. Also, the point that I can¡¯t tolerate the most is that Uehara-kun already got a fantastic girlfriend called Aguri-san right now. If Chiaki epted her confession¡­that would hurt Aguri-san deeply. To me, that¡¯s the one thing that I absolutely can¡¯t tolerate with. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­Yeah¡­that¡¯s right. Okay, I can¡¯t let that happen, no matter what. This means that I should¡­ ¡°Chiaki.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I made up my mind as I crossed my arms on the table and looked at Chiaki in the eyes. Due to my unusual attitude, Chiaki straightened her back as well. Under the observation of Konoha-san¡¯s, who just swallowed her saliva, I told Chiaki clearly. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t wish for you to date Uehara-kun as well.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Chiaki blushed. Maybe she¡¯s angry¡­I guess that makes sense. It¡¯s not a rival¡¯s job to decide how her rtionship should go, not to mention that it¡¯s a rejection. Of course, she¡¯ll be pissed. Even so¡­I still wanted to support Aguri-san. It¡¯s because I¡¯m 100% sure that she should be the girl that stays with Uehara-kun. I stuck my forehead onto the table and requested to Chiaki. ¡°I¡¯m sincere! I know that this is very impolite¡­but if you already doubt whether to date him or not because of a little suspicion, I hope that you¡¯ll reject Uehara-kun¡¯s confession! Please!¡± ¡°Eh? Wait, Keita? W-W-Why are you going so far right now¡­?¡± It¡¯s because I wanted to support Aguri-san¡­I can¡¯t say that right now. If I did, this means that I¡¯m throwing all the hatred and responsibilities to her. That¡¯s the worst thing I can do. This is just my unauthorized request, only for my self-satisfaction. However, ¡­on the other hand, even though Chiaki¡¯s my rival, I can¡¯t just make up a random reason to her. I pressed my forehead even harder on the table. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you the reason right now! Although I can¡¯t say it¡­and I know that I¡¯m a prick¡­this is what I¡¯m sincerely thinking! So, Chiaki, please!¡± ¡°Keita¡­um, d-do you mean that¡­¡± ¡°Senpai¡­this means that you¡¯re actually¡­¡± Both of the sisters seem to be so shocked that their voices are trembling. No, it¡¯s more like anger. Of course. Konoha-san may have more or less realized¡­It¡¯s becausepared to Chiaki, I value Aguri-san¡¯s well-being more. I¡¯m lucky if she just scolds at me for being a prick. All I can do right now is to plop my head down. However, they said that they need to be aware of other customers, so I unwillingly raised my head. ¡­Then, after I looked at them face-to-face again, I found out that the Hoshinomori sisters blushed way harder than I imagined. For some reason, Chiaki started mumbling gratefully. ¡°Still can¡¯t make up your mind even though you¡¯re in a rtionship¡­T-That¡¯s bad! Jeez!¡± ¡°Eh? R-Right, that¡¯s true. That would be bad.¡± Although the subject was omitted, Chiaki should be talking about Uehara-kun, right? Also, she said a badment about the person that she loves¡­This means that¡­ ¡°This means that Chiaki epted my sincere request. She¡¯s willing to reject Uehara-kun¡¯s confession!¡± What a kind bunch of seaweed. I changed my opinion of Chiaki from the bottom of my heart as I stared her in the eyes. Chiaki started to be embarrassed¡­Man, how humble of her! I really changed my mind about her! Just as my mind ran all over the ce, this time, it was Konoha-san who blushed for some reason. Then, she spoke with tears in her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s cheating¡­! You¡¯re purely trying your best¡­to make her change the person¡¯s mind no matter what¡­!¡± ¡°C-Change the person¡¯s mind? Uh¡­¡± Crap, I really don¡¯t get her meaning this time. How can I interpret this in a way that can link all the pieces together? Uh, Konoha-san wanted to change the mind of whom? Uehara-kun? No, that doesn¡¯t make sense¡­It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to be anything better if I changed my mind. Or did I miss something important? That¡¯s why I don¡¯t really understand what¡¯s she trying to say? This is probably why, but the mood doesn¡¯t appear to allow me to ask Konoha-san to repeat again¡­ ¡°Sigh, w-whatever, I should try to fudge it with a smile. I need to smile as chicly as possible¡­Alright!¡± ¡°Hmph, hmph! S-Senpai is hurting my brain right now! You monster!¡± ¡°Eh!¡± Uwah, I seem to have made a fatal mistake when I¡¯m replying. It¡¯s not good to randomly reply, after all! That¡¯s precisely why I should be careful when ites to interpersonal rtionships, I shouldn''t miss a single word! Alright¡­I will listen to people¡¯s mumbling even though they willin to me unrelentingly! After I made up my mind, Konoha-san brought us to the topic with a cough. ¡°Well¡­sis, so what are you going to do? Do you want to call him and turn him down now?¡± ¡°Eh? But¡­isn¡¯t that too¡­¡± Chiaki¡¯s giving a hard look. Of course. I will also hesitate if I need to turn down Uehara-kun as well. This is too painful. To put it this way, for a pathetic weakling like us, it¡¯s possible for me to just not move for a while out of my hatred towards myself. When did I get so mighty to the point that I can reject Uehara-kun? Some kind of self-me mindset like this. ¡°Even if I¡¯m rejecting¡­there¡¯s not an appropriate reason¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Konoha-san and I fell silent after Chiaki said that. She¡¯s right. She can¡¯t just go ahead and say, ¡°Uehara-kun, it¡¯s because you¡¯re really suspicious with females around you¡± or, ¡°Keita asked me to turn you down.¡± If that¡¯s the case¡­ ¡°Chiaki, can you say you love another person?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I¡¯ve never seen Chiaki blushed so hard before. During this time, Konoha-san interrupted us forcefully. ¡°Amano-senpai, don¡¯t you know what ¡°implicit¡± means?¡± ¡°Eh? Uh¡­eh? S-Sorry¡­?¡± While I¡¯m bewildered about why she¡¯s mad, I still apologized immediately. The Hoshinomori sisters tried to adjust their breaths for some reason¡­W-What is this atmosphere? Based on the progress of our conference¡­Isn¡¯t this just an idea that wille up eventually¡­? Konoha-san gave me a re before continuing. ¡°Amano-senpai, if she did that¡­it¡¯ll be troublesome if Uehara-kun asked who¡¯s she falling for?¡± ¡°Me? Why? Eh? I wouldn¡¯t be bothered at all¡­¡± ¡°What! That¡¯s manly of you!¡± I feel like the Hoshinomori sisters are admiring me for some reason¡­? Crap, is there another fatal misunderstanding between us again? There¡¯s clear evidence. Well, while there is¡­I really can¡¯t think of a solution or conclusion now. What should I do? As I dazed in thoughts, Chiaki cleared her throat with a cough. ¡°I¡¯m not doing that. That way of rejection will ruffle a lot of feathers, no matter what.¡± ¡°Really? But turning him down without a specific reason doesn¡¯t sound good as well, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind using words that¡¯llpletely destroy a shitty person. However, what I fear the most is that the guy will mess with her if she gave a vague reason for rejection. Sigh¡­to be honest, I can¡¯t really think of an alternative either.¡± Then, I suddenly remembered Tendou-san used to reject other people¡¯s confession all the time. In a sense, she¡¯s an expert at this. Without further ado. I called Tendou-san right away. The Hoshinomori sisters are waiting while giving me a weird look. After a few rings, Tendou-san picked up the phone. I gave her a simple greeting and went straight into the core. ¡°Tendou-san, please teach me how to turn someone down!¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± I can hear that Tendou-san¡¯s clearly shocked by the other side of the phone. Still, I continued. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the sudden rude request! But¡­I really need to know how to reject someone cleverly right now!¡± ¡°Eh!¡­A-Amano-kun¡­does that mean¡­you want me to teach you?¡± ¡°Huh? Yes, of course! Please teach me how to use it!¡± This is for my friend. I wanted to say that, but then I can hear that Tendou-san¡¯s cries from the other side of the phone! ¡°I-I refuse!¡± ¡°Eh!¡± I didn¡¯t expect her to just reject me right away, so I was shocked¡­Honestly, maybe it¡¯s because of the fact that this topic is not interesting at all. However, I¡¯m doing all of this¡­for Chiaki! ¡°P-Please! I can only rely on you! Your opinion¡¯s the most effective!¡± ¡°I guess so! I¡¯m your best opinion if you ask me!¡± She¡¯s feeling confident! If that¡¯s the case¡­ ¡°This means that you¡¯re willing to teach me? Am I reading this correctly?¡± ¡°Not at all! Amano-kun, why don¡¯t you¡­why don¡¯t you figure that out on your own! U-Uwahhh¡­!¡± ¡°Tendou-san! What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t tell me a passing boxer punched you in the stomach!¡± ¡°While I¡¯ve never encountered such a crazy situation before, but I might as well have been!¡± ¡°Eh! P-Please, wait, Tendou-san! I¡¯lle to save you!¡± I stood up hastily. The Hoshinomori sisters freaked out¡­while I can hear Tendou-san¡¯s shocked voice from the other side of the phone. ¡°¡­Eh? Are you saving me? By now? Saving me? ¡°Of course! No boyfriend will note to the rescue of their beloved girlfriend!¡± ¡°B-Beloved¡­Ouch.¡± ¡°Tendou-san!¡± I can hear that Tendou-san has fallen onto the floor lightly. Crap! This is not good! There¡¯s really a boxer randomly punching people on the street¡­! Just when I¡¯m about to start running, Tendou-san¡¯s clear voice can be heard from the other side of the phone. ¡°Thanks for the food.¡± ¡°What did you eat! Tendou-san!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for causing you trouble, but I¡¯m fine. Amano-kun, Karen Tendou ispletely fine!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fine! What¡¯s with that weird tone! Were you punched! Did someone hit you in the gut so hard that you begin to babble nonsense!¡± ¡°In a sense, someone did deliver a sharp blow to me. I appreciated it.¡± ¡°What are you appreciating! Don¡¯t tell me you were punched by Inoki!¡± [Note: Antonio Inoki, a famous Japanese professional wrestling and mixed martial arts promoter.] ¡°Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Y-Yes?¡± Tendou-san¡¯s tone suddenly turned serious. I can¡¯t help but straighten my back. Then, I can hear her surging, gentle voice from the other side of the phone. ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The call was hung up. I put my phone back to my pocket¡­Then, I slowly sat back down with my hands crossed on the table¡­before staring at the sisters thoughtfully. ¡°Sigh¡­how can my girlfriend be so adorable?¡± ¡°WHAT THE HELL!¡± They started screaming at me for some reason, followed closely by ¡°Die!¡± and ¡°Lame!¡±, but I¡¯m too blessed to hear all that. Ah¡­Tendou-san¡¯s so cute. My head was floating around, and the Hoshinomori sisters yelled at me, a couple minutes passed. After everyone has finally calmed down, we were back to discussing how Chiaki should reject. ¡°I ended up forgetting to ask for Tendou-san¡¯s suggestion¡­¡± I looked at Hekiyou¡¯s student council president after I said that. ¡°Konoha-san, what would you do then?¡± ¡°What do you mean, Amano-senpai?¡± ¡°I mean, I wanted to know what will you say when you reject a confession. You¡¯re cute after all, there should be a bunch of people that wanted to confess to you, right?¡± ¡°Ugh! You¡¯re saying stuff like that again¡­!¡± Konoha-san knocked a few times on the table. Just as Chiaki and I were frozen, Konoha coughed and calmed down before she answered me. ¡°¡­Well, ah, in my situation¡­I¡¯ll say I¡¯m not interested in those things at all.¡± Her response made me genuinelyugh. ¡°Ahaha, what do you mean by not interested in that at all, you¡¯re just a hentai game-¡° ¡°Senpai?¡± My foot under the table was brutally stomped. I immediately sweatdropped as I continued. ¡°¡­A hentai game lover like me feel like all girls in the world wanted a guy to hug them, hehe!¡± Chiaki freaked out at my sudden change of attitude. ¡°Keita? What¡¯s wrong with you! Are you possessed by an evil spirit?¡± ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m sorry, Chiaki. I just identally expressed who I really am. Continue with your rtionship!¡± ¡°Who can discuss their rtionships with a guy like that! By the way, are you okay, Keita? I can¡¯t tell if your face is pale or blushing. That colour is weird!¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just that countless emotions are battling each other in my heart right now. By the way, the winning side is the Empire of Keita Amano Really Wanted To Die.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fine at all! Your emotions are way too vtile!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind it, Chiaki, I¡¯m fine. Also, Konoha-san, I¡¯m sorry.¡± After I apologized, Konoha-san gave me a customary smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t mind it. I¡¯m not going to despise even though senpai is a nasty hentai game lover. Yes, I promise, because I can understand.¡± ¡°I guess so¡­¡± During this moment, Konoha-san finally moved her feet away from mine. I pressed my chest in relief. Then, she continued like it¡¯s nothing. ¡°I¡¯m the student council president after all. It makes sense for me to use ¡°I¡¯m busy¡± to reject¡­but sis have a lot of free time. I don¡¯t think the guy will ept that solely.¡± ¡°Well, I, your sister, is into game development, though¡­¡± Chiaki answered sheepishly. I remembered that she¡¯ll make games as well, so I asked Konoha-san. ¡°Come to think of it, you sisters did take part in developing F2P games. Right, NOBE?¡± ¡°Uh¡­yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Chiaki was the one to answer. Uh, I¡¯m talking to NOBE¡­ Just as I¡¯m confused, both of the sisters suddenly gave me an alerted look. Then¡­ ¡°Hello, I¡¯m NOBE! Dundun!¡± ¡°Wow, K-Konoha¡¯s awesome!¡± This pair of sisters just started messing around. Konoha-san didn¡¯t care that other people are staring at her, she rose up and gave a celebrity pose. The older sister than cheered and pped for her. What is going on¡­is this a trick that only sisters will know? Anyway, I cleared my throat with a cough because I can¡¯t catch up to them. ¡°Uh¡­can you two at least sit down first? This is embarrassing.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh¡­who do you think the culprit of this whole mess is¡­!¡± ¡°Uh, at least it wasn¡¯t me, right? ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Um, you two don¡¯t need to stare at me that fiercely. What¡¯s wrong with this pair of sisters? Is ming everything on me in the Hoshinmori bloodline¡¯s gics? Just as they are trembling and sitting down, I resumed the discussion. ¡°Alright, about the troublesome situation of Chiaki, Uehara-kun, and the girls that are tangled with him¡­I¡¯vee up with a decent solution, can I say it?¡± ¡°Decent solution?¡± The Hoshinomori sisters tilted their heads. Then, I presented my idea stemmed from reverse thinking. ¡°To confirm what Uehara-kun¡¯s really thinking, and to end this matter as soon as possible¡­Why don¡¯t we just gather all relevant girls in one ce? To put it this way, I wanted to drag Tendou-san and Aguri-san into the Game Hobby Club, what do you two think?¡± * So, back to the present, in the donut shop a week after the meeting. Also, during this week, there are no apparent changes in our interpersonal rtionships. The main reason is that Uehara-kun went on an overseas trip with his family after that. However, this means that Chiaki had the time for reconsideration, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s terrible. What if¡­Uehara-kun already saw thising when he confessed? If that¡¯s the case, he¡¯s indeed a terrific normie. ¡°Hmm¡­but, I¡¯m really not interested in gaming.¡± Aguri-san¡¯s still frustrated during my trip of memory. I¡¯ve already argued with her for more than 30 minutes. Even so¡­I¡¯m still not backing down. ¡°Please! Can you! It¡¯ll be fun. Moreover, Uehara-kun will be there as well!¡± ¡°That¡¯s actually quitepelling¡­But intervening that much in my boyfriend¡¯s hobbies or friends. To be honest, don¡¯t you think a girlfriend like this will be annoying?¡± ¡°Not at all! You¡¯re a god among females! Guys can¡¯t find you annoying!¡± ¡°But your tone is annoying as hell. What¡¯s actually going on, Amanhi?¡± ¡°Me? I¡­I¡¯m just a passerby that worships my friend¡¯s girlfriend as a god among females.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way for a passerby to stand out this much!¡± ¡°At least I¡¯mpletely willing to hold a ritual with the blood of a chicken just for you!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t make my religion into a cult! Amanhi, what drugs are you on today! That¡¯s scary, what are you going to do to me!¡± ¡°I wanted to praise you as my only god!¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous! F-For what!¡± ¡°It¡¯s because once you¡¯ve be god, no one on Earth can stop your ambitions!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never told you any grand ambitions that required me to be a god before!¡± ¡°Uh, you¡¯re right¡­how should I put it¡­¡± To defeat Uehara-kun¡¯s inner yer¡­and make him so obsessed with Aguri-san to the point that he canpletely ignore a beauty like Tendou-san. This required a spirit that¡¯s willing to conquer everything to be a god. But¡­I can never exin all that to Aguri-san. I scratched my chins slowly as I answered with a serious expression on my face. ¡°How do I put it¡­Aguri-san, I feel like you¡¯re going to be a great god.¡± ¡°Hiya, I got a surprisingpliment for my talents.¡± ¡°So, join us and be a god in the Game Hobby Club!¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that! What¡¯s going on in the Game Hobby Club!¡± ¡°It¡¯s basically a gathering for gamers. Only you have to be a god.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t fit in at all! I¡¯m even less willing to join now!¡± ¡°Crap! Uh, my bad! You don¡¯t have to be a god! I just want you to participate!¡± ¡°Please, Amanhi, I¡¯ve repeated this for a few times already, I¡¯m not into gaming¡­¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t hate it right!¡± I leaned my whole upper half of the body on the table and asked Aguri-san. Her eyes blinked. ¡°I don¡¯t hate it¡­but¡­I suck at gaming, and I don¡¯t know much¡­¡± ¡°Me too. I suck at gaming, and I don¡¯t have any deep knowledge.¡± ¡°Forget about all those first, my situation is that I didn¡¯t y at all¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll also alwayse to the realization that I¡¯ve yed nothing but mobile games, that¡¯s not an issue.¡± ¡°¡­You might be right. But¡­I still feel like..¡± Aguri-san¡¯s eyes are rolling around like they have nowhere to go. Honestly¡­I don¡¯t want to force a person to like my hobbies, especially when they expressed their rejection sincerely. This is true, but her situation is¡­ I decided to drop the issue between Chiaki and Uehara-kun first. Then, I started talking to Aguri-san calmly based on my own opinions. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you and Uehara-kun go to the arcade often?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not so much about loving to y games¡­it¡¯s just that I feel happy when I¡¯m wing dolls with Tasuku¡­That¡¯s why I go with him¡­¡± ¡°Then, why can¡¯t you put that motive onto the Game Hobby Club? Don¡¯t you want to enjoy the time with Uehara-kun?¡± ¡°Eh? Uh, maybe that¡¯s the case. But as a gaming noob, I¡¯m scared that I¡¯ll say something that I¡¯m not supposed to say¡­¡± ¡°By now, do you really think that Uehara-kun and I will be annoyed by a person with no gaming sense or whatsoever?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­but Hoshinomori-san¡¯s there, also Tendou-san¡¯s joining¡­Think about it, if someone wanted to join as well, they¡¯d most likely find the girl who sticks to her boyfriend annoying-¡° She rapidly spewed a string of reasons for not joining the Game Hobby Club. ¡°Aguri-san.¡± I called her name to interrupt. ¡°The reasons for your rejections. All of them¡­seems to be because you concern over others.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s because¡­¡± ¡°I really like a kind-hearted and observant girl like you, so I respect you. However¡­Aguri-san, I wanted to hear what¡¯s really on your mind.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Aguri-san turned to me and gave me a serious look¡­I¡¯ve finally made up my mind and challenged her directly. ¡°To be honest, the reason why I¡¯m going after you this much is due to my own ns. While I can¡¯t reveal them to you, but I still wanted to apologize first. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Amanhi¡­¡± ¡°But, it¡¯s true that I wanted to enjoy gaming with you.¡± ¡°Why? I don¡¯t really have a purpose-¡° ¡°Didn¡¯t we have fun when we¡¯re ying that game of life in Chiaki¡¯s ce?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± At the start of the summer holiday, we yed that Love Love Game of Half-Life in Hoshinomori¡¯s house. While that game of life¡¯s definitely not worthy of praise, and it made the situation between Aguri-san and me helpless under a string of idents. However¡­ I scratched the back of my head to try and hide my embarrassment. ¡°Uh¡­I changed my mind towards gaming for a bit after I started dating Tendou-san.¡± ¡°¡­How?¡± ¡°Although I haven¡¯t made up my mind yet, I feel like gaming is quite simr to a meal. While it¡¯s fantastic to have tasty dishes¡­but the person that you¡¯re eating with is sometimes way more important than what you are actually eating.¡± ¡­After all, I had a good time in that. Honestly, ¡­there¡¯s tears in my eyes when it¡¯s time to go home. I didn¡¯t even realize that I forgot my pass holder. That time of excitement and depression when we¡¯re ying the game of life is irreceable. Just as I¡¯m staring at Aguri-san with all of my heart, she nced at me and asked. ¡°¡­Amanhi¡­are you happy when you¡¯re ying with me?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± I nodded with the most confidence that I recently have. Aguri-san scratched her face slightly. ¡°¡­Will Tasuku feel the same way¡­when he¡¯s ying with me?¡± My heart is aching from Aguri-san¡¯s shy look. Of course¡­I wanted to tell her that. I can definitely say that if it was in the past. But now, I found out a bunch of suspicions pointed towards Uehara-kun. It¡¯s irresponsible for me to justfort her half-heartedly. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t answer your question because I¡¯m not Uehara-kun.¡± ¡°¡­I guess you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m sure of one thing¡­That is the Game Hobby Club will definitely wee you. You don¡¯t need any skills or knowledge! You¡¯ll be an irreceable friend for us if you can enjoy gaming from the bottom of your heart!¡± ¡°¡­Really.¡± During this time. Aguri-san¡­finally showed her cheerful smile for the first time of today. She thought about it for a moment. Then, she stretched her backs as she spoke. ¡°I¡¯m confident that I¡¯m the happiest of all when I¡¯m spending time in the arcade with Tasuku, does that qualify for me to join?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, I understand. Well, if you went out of your way to invite me¡­¡± So, Aguri-san gave me an innocent, cheerful, and beautiful smile like she¡¯s a child. ¡°I¡¯ll join the Game Hobby Club and try it out.¡± ¡°Really! That¡¯s great!¡± ¡°Ah, but-¡° She immediately put back her serious face as she continued. ¡°I¡¯ll not hesitate to speak up if I¡¯m joining. I will say I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s a part of gaming that I really didn¡¯t know about. The same goes for the weird part.¡± ¡°Come at us. Perhaps it¡¯s good for us when someone that give an opinion from that perspective. ¡°Really? That¡¯s good¡­A-Also! The most crucial premise is that, if Tasuku doesn¡¯t like it, or if it was way too mentally demanding for Hoshinomori-san or Tendou-san. I¡¯ll have to reconsider the offer.¡± ¡°Alright, I got it¡­Haha, you¡¯re still just as gentle as you used to be.¡± ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s alright. Amanhi, don¡¯t fall for me.¡± ¡°Ah, no problem. You really don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± ¡°Uwah¡­what¡¯s that, I feel really pissed after hearing that.¡± I think I made her mad. So, I sighed as I tried to reply. ¡°Then how about I immediately blush because I care about you, are you satisfied with that?¡± ¡°¡­Eww.¡± ¡°Ay, I¡¯m honest, can you please don¡¯t cover your mouth and try to vomit silently?¡± That damage is a couple times more potent than being called a disgusting person. That¡¯s not even a joke. ¡°Sorry, Amanhi¡­I really don¡¯t feel that way to you. Should I say¡­I can¡¯t ept it biologically¡­¡± ¡°Eh? Why did I just get brutally rejected! Did I do a confession!¡± I felt like I¡¯m about to cry. Aguri-san went back to her usual tone as she happily continued. ¡°Ah, but don¡¯t get it wrong, Amanhi. When I said I can¡¯t ept you biologically, that doesn¡¯t mean your appearance alone, your immanence counts as well.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pretending to beforting me while going for the kill, how nasty of you! Do you really have to reject me mentally as well!¡± ¡°3, 3, 3, 1.¡± ¡°Atst, you¡¯re even using the cross score method that you¡¯re unfamiliar with to stab me! Who gave me a 1? Did I kill that person¡¯s parents?¡± [Note: I¡¯m not sure where this gages from, seems to be something rted to the PTE Test.] ¡°Tendou Karen must buy.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t make it sounds like a Fan Must Buy! What¡¯s with that tone, you¡¯re making it looks like only Tendou-san will ept my values! Even though it¡¯s really that case!¡± ¡°¡­Uh, the other thing is¡­A-Amanhi, you¡¯re dumb?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to try and scold me if you can¡¯t think of a creative insult! What the hell, you can never be bored with bullying me!¡± ¡°Ahaha, I¡¯m sorry, this is quickly bing my habit.¡± ¡°Please change that bad habit!¡± Aguri-san chuckled mischievously at my reaction. Then, she stretched her backs with a big ¡°Phew¡± before standing up from the chair. ¡°Then I guess it¡¯s almost time for me to go. Actually, I¡¯m going on a date with Tasuku, who just came back from his family trip.¡± ¡°Really? What a coincidence, I¡¯m meeting Tendou-san as well.¡± ¡°Oh, not bad. You two are going steady.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you. Please enjoy your date, as well.¡± ¡°Of course! The same goes for you, Amanhi!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± I smiled as I watched Aguri-san putting her tray back to the recycling area before leaving. Then, I found out that after she went through the auto ss door, she was already jumping around the streets with a big smile on her face. ¡°Haha.¡± A sense of happiness that can¡¯t be described with words immediately filled my chest. ¡°Hmm¡­I still wanted to stand with Aguri-san, even though¡­it might hurt Tendou-san and Chiaki who¡¯s attracted to Uehara-kun. Even so, I still wish Aguri-san and Uehara-kun can grasp their love for each other in their hands! I can do anything for that! Yes!¡± I made up my mind as I raised from my seat. Then, I put back the tray and left the store. The sunlight that¡¯s less harsh than early August is scorching my skin. ¡­The short and condensed summer holiday of the north is about to meet its end. Volume 4, 5 – Karen Tendou and Exclusive Contract

Volume 4, Chapter 5 ¨C Karen Tendou and Exclusive Contract

Trantor: your_pingas ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­you wanted to decide your stance at the Game Hobby Club?¡± I grabbed a piece of my favourite fried chicken nugget with the front of my chopsticks as I asked. Then, Tendou-san answered while staring me face-to-face, straight into my eyes. ¡°Yes.¡± I was so shocked to the point that I forgot to eat my nugget. Game Club Room, lunchtime, sometime after the end of the summer holiday. I¡¯m currently experiencing one of the normiest activity possible, enjoying bento with my girlfriend alone in a closed room¡­That was supposed to be the case. The regretful thing is that my girlfriend doesn¡¯t seem to want to y sweetly with me at all. The atmosphere in the room is literally a lunchtime conference. Tendou-san set aside her silky blonde hair next to her ears as she continued. ¡°Even though I immediately epted your second invitation to the Game Hobby Club during the summer holiday.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re right, that¡¯s really the case. I was a bit surprised even when I¡¯m the one who invited you.¡± Since Tendou-san hesitated to join in the past, I was honestly prepared to spend some time to convince her. I feel like I just wasted my energy there. Uh, even though I really appreciated it. Tendou-san elegantly picked up a clump of rice from her bento before saying ¡°Of course¡± without even taking a nce at me. ¡°When you said that you wanted to always be together, how can I, Karen Tendou reject-¡° She suddenly snapped out of her calmness after saying that, the clump of rice fell back into the bento. I tilted my head as I looked at Tendou-san¡¯s face. She cleared her throat while blushing before continuing. ¡°It¡¯s the chief¡¯s responsibility to supervise, I don¡¯t want you to go out of bounds with other girl members.¡± ¡°Go out of bounds¡­Tendou-san, who do you think I am? It¡¯s hurtful if you believe that I¡¯m a yer or something like that. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that, but I believe that you are the type of guy that pulls a girl¡¯s heartstring unconsciously before leaving chicly. A disastrous being.¡± ¡°I feel like that¡¯s worse than a yer! Am¡­am I really like that!¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Tendou-san nodded her head calmly as if she¡¯s describing a fact while chewing the rice¡­I can¡¯t ept that. When did I mess with a girl¡¯s heart? I feel like I was the one that is being messed with. Whether it¡¯s Tendou-san, Chiaki, or Aguri-san¡­ Tendou-san enjoying her meal for a while before continuing. ¡°Back to the topic. Whenever we¡¯re in the Game Hobby Club, what attitude should I, Karen Tendou use? I¡¯m bringing you here because I wanted to discuss this matter, it¡¯s definitely not because I suddenly wanted to go on a lunch with you.¡± ¡°Oh, actually, I felt like something was going on when you suddenly invited me to this alone.¡± So, I¡¯m definitely notcent¡­I meant that while I¡¯m trying to smooth things over. But then, Tendou-san immediately curled up her lips like she¡¯s pissed off. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t invite you to eat bento together without reason?¡± ¡°Eh? No, it¡¯s not like that¡­But I can¡¯t really imagine you to do that without any reasons¡­¡± ¡°W-What do you know about me! Howcent!¡± ¡°I still ended up getting called acent person!¡± What should I do? There¡¯s got to be a way to get out of this situation. I freaked out because I still have no idea how to deal with my girlfriend. So, Tendou-san brought me back to the topic with a cough. ¡°A-Anyway, we¡¯re talking my stance at the Hobby Club. Amano-kun, what do you think? Should I more or less cater myself in the atmosphere of the Game Hobby Club?¡± ¡°Any examples?¡± ¡°To put it simply, that means that should I pace myself with the casual yers instead of expressing my opinion as a hardcore gamer. People often say that do in Rome as Romans do, right?¡± A serious discussion that matches Tendou-san style perfectly. I gave her an ¡°Ahh¡± before mumbling for a while¡­Then, I gave a standard and moderate suggestion that fits my style. ¡°I think you just need to act ordingly to the situation.¡± ¡°Sigh, the useless opinion in this circle, act ordingly to the situation finally appeared.¡± ¡°Which circle? Well, I do understand what you mean.¡± As a suggestion, act ordingly to the situation is basically meaningless. Nobody will be bothered if they can do that. However, this is really the best advice I can give. ¡°I think you just need to be yourself and express your opinion truthfully¡­But, on the other hand, when everyone is chatting about casual gaming styles, I hope that you don¡¯t go out of your way and yell ¡°I really hate that!¡± to everyone.¡± ¡°Amano-kun, who do you think I am?¡± Tendou-san said that a bit angrily. I gave her a bitter smile in response. ¡°No, those words aren¡¯t really for you¡­Instead, it¡¯s more for a fanatic gamer that I know, so I have to advise that beforehand. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Your boyfriend.¡± ¡°¡­Oh¡­¡± Tendou-san seems to have understood. I bet she remembered the scene where I just said ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t really want to y games that much¡± in the Game Club full of hardcore gamers¡­Hmm. ¡°Just like my example, people will really forget to observe the situation when they¡¯re talking about the things that they love, so I guess you¡¯ll have to pay attention to that¡­¡± ¡°T-Thank you for such a personal suggestion.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine¡­¡± We lowered our heads as we apologized to each other¡­While you should treasure a person that you can share all things with, sometimes it¡¯ll be more depressing¡­right. Tendou-san ate her lunch silently for a while. After that, she seemed to have made up her mind and mumbled ¡°Alright¡± before looking at me. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll just be the true Karen Tendou when I¡¯m in the Hobby Club. Of course, I won¡¯t immerse myself too much into it.¡± Tendou-san¡¯s determination¡­made me really excited. I can¡¯t help but lean my body forward. ¡°Yes! I think that will be okay! After all, you¡¯re already so attractive when you¡¯re yourself! I¡¯m in love with your serious side! Honestly, I really admire you, and also think that this side of you is adorable! That¡¯s why I wanted everyone in the Game Hobby Club to know- Eh, Tendou-san?¡± Once I snapped out of it, I found out that Tendou-san plopped her head down while trembling, her ears are as red as a tomato¡­Just as I¡¯m thinking, her elegant dining etiquette had a 180-degree turn. She held her bento and start digging all the rice like a boy in a sports club that eats his lunch in the morning. Her cheeks are stuffed like a chipmunk, then she chugged all the tea down her throat along with everything in her mouth. After that¡­ ¡°T-Thanks for the food!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Shepletely ignored her boyfriend, who was just halfway through his lunch. She stood up abruptly from the chair after she hastily packed everything up. I can¡¯t follow the rapidly evolving situation, so I just froze there¡­Then, Tendou-san fiercely red at me with tears in her eyes. ¡°Y-Y-Y-Y-You! Saying stuff like that in a closed room, w-w-what are you trying to pull off!¡± ¡°Eh! W-Wait a minute, this whole luncheon operation was your idea¡­¡± ¡°Yes! Exactly! Then I¡¯ll obviously be the one that pushes you over onto the bed, am I right!¡± ¡°WHAT!¡± What was that? What did Tendou-san just say to me? All I know is that now¡¯s probably not the time to enjoy my chicken nuggets peacefully, but my brain can¡¯t catch up at all. ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore, Amano-kun, I was nearly caught by your ingenuity. Compared to your tactics¡­even the military adviser protagonist from the recently popr war-oriented light novel looks like a toddler!¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about!¡± ¡°What I am talking about¡­Ho, ho ho, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still putting up an act by now, you¡¯re indeed a scary person.¡± Tendou-san¡¯s shivering out of her sheer fear¡­Crap, I don¡¯t understand in the least bit. Although I heard what she just said, I don¡¯t get the meaning. What is this? Am I getting praised? Or am I getting despised? A-Anyway, Tendou-san seemed to be mad, so I should¡­ ¡°Um¡­s-sorry?¡± I tried to apologize. However¡­Tendou-san¡¯s face suddenly red up again! ¡°You admitted? Amano-kun, that was an admission right! W-Woah¡­I¡¯m just half-joking¡­! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re actually such a powerful little devil boyfriend¡­! No, this isn¡¯t a little devil anymore! You¡¯re a big devil! Satan Amano!¡± ¡°That was themest nickname in the century!¡± ¡°Hiya¡­how fearsome¡­My boyfriend doesn¡¯t resemble those beastly and demanding boys in the least bit...But, in reality, he¡¯s an archdemon that turns the girl into a beast instead¡­! Moreover, he can still keep his innocent, pure young boy look stered on his face in a situation like this¡­! Ah, how terrible!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡­Uh¡­how should I say this, I wanted to be a m right now. I feel like everything¡¯s going negatively, no matter what I do. Why mymunication skills are always stuck before I even have an option? Tendou-san is somehow making a ¡°Phew¡­phew..¡± noise, she red at me while all of her blonde hair is raised as if she¡¯s a cat trying to intimidate me. Atst, she yelled something shocking while still having a blush on her face. ¡°But how regretful! It¡¯s going to be a while before I can get you!¡± ¡°A NOTICE OF CRIME!?¡± This time it was me that started trembling¡­Eh? What¡¯s wrong? When did I piss my girlfriend off that much? She didn¡¯t hit me or scold at me right here. Instead, she gave me a heads up that she¡¯ll get me in the future, this hatred is undoubtedly unusual, right? Relishing in my fear, this is where her movees from! My face turns pale. Then, Tendou-san cleared her attitude and said, ¡°A-Anyway!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll disband for today. Thank you for joining this discussion. Please return the key to the office after you locked the door. Well, see you at the Hobby Club.¡± She said that with a suspiciously calm tone before hastily preparing to leave the club room with the finished bento in her hands. I froze while watching a Tendou-san like this for a while¡­However, at the moment of when she¡¯s in the corridor and was about to salute me before closing the door, I immediately spewed out the words that I wanted to tell her no matter what. ¡°Ah, Tendou-san! Even though a lot of things have happened, but I¡¯m thrilled that I get to join you at your lunch! Well¡­I have always finished my bento alone when I¡¯m in high school. So, this meal is especially awesome for me! Uh, I really appreciated that!¡± Tendou-san blushed instantly after she heard that, but then she calmed down right away. Inparison, this time she¡¯s much more gentle¡­before giving me a flirtatious smile. ¡°Ho ho, I¡¯m the one that should appreciate your hospitality¡­I love you, Amano-kun.¡± Tendou-san immediately closed the door and walked away after she said that. I heard her footsteps when I¡¯m still in the club room alone as I mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tendou-san. Although I almost wanted to tell you that I wish my gaming friends to know how attractive you really are¡­¡± During this time, I thought of her seductive lips before she left. I can¡¯t help but to cover my eyes with my hand and mumbled. ¡°¡­I guess those words aren¡¯t all truthful.¡± ¡­I shoved all the chicken nugget in my mouth as if I¡¯m afraid that someone will rob them away. Then, to vent out some kind of emotion in my heart, I started digging in all the white rice. Volume 4, Intermission: Gamers and DLC Talk

Volume 4, Intermission: Gamers and DLC Talk

¡°Honestly, don¡¯t you think games are too expensive?¡± Aguri-san¡¯s still ying on her phone while humpbacked today as shezily asked us this question. The Game Hobby Club members immediately stopped their exciting discussion ¨C The crappy game that I identally bought online. Elder Hunts. I can¡¯t even get a refund. Then, after Aguri-san¡¯s question, we can¡¯t help but stare at each other. 2F ssroom, afterschool, early autumn that¡¯s still a bit too warm. 5 boys and girls are still sitting around the table today. The ssroom is painted with shades of the sunset, music from the orchestra practicing session is echoing throughout the corridor. When the Hobby Club¡¯s holding its meeting in such a quiet environment, Aguri, who¡¯s still unfamiliar with the gaming industry, asked the question. The first one to answer is the normie boy dating with her, Tasuku Uehara-kun. Uehara-kun scratched his head as he¡¯s serving the bridge between us loner tribe and the normie tribe. Then, he gave us a reasonable opinion that fits his style. ¡°6,000 yen sounds expensive, but isn¡¯t there a bunch of T-shirts that have way higher prices¡­¡± ¡°No, no, no, it¡¯s okay when you spend money on fashion since it¡¯s a daily necessity. However, games are basically useless, yet they charge 6,000 yen. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s weird?¡± ¡°No, no, no, no, no!¡± We, the three gamers that have remained silent until now, responded loudly. Here¡¯s a quick exnation. After a bunch of back and forth, the Game Hobby Club currently has 5 members. First, the couple of Uehara-kun and Aguri-san who just talked. Then, there¡¯s me, an awkward loner, Keita Amano. Also, there¡¯s my rival, seaweed otaku Chiaki Hoshinomori. Then, there¡¯s the perfect female that stands at the top of the school that¡¯s also a hardcore gamer ¨C Karen Tendou. This is just a side note, due to various reasons, she¡¯s actually dating me (allow me to skip the details). With this rtionship, she naturally belonged to both the Game Club and the Game Hobby Club. Alright, back to the topic. Within these members, me, Chiaki, and Tendou-san loved gaming from the bottom of our hearts¡­Although our stances are a bit different, you can definitely call us gamers. Of course, we three can never stay silent when we heard that games are useless. Just as Aguri-san was a bit scared with our manners, Tendou-san got triggered and started retorting. ¡°Basically, it¡¯s ridiculous toment on games based on whether its useful or not. Otherwise, activities like watching a movie during a date, bowling, and finely frolicking with my beloved Amano-kun, will you consider all of them to be useless?¡± ¡°Uh, let¡¯s forget whether there¡¯s a disgusting and useless scene in thetter half¡­However, watching a movie or bowling is really fun, right?¡± ¡°G-Games are fun as well!¡± Tendou-san retorted at the top of her voice with her blonde hair raised as she descended into a rare hysteria. I immediately tried to appease her down. Even so, I began to confront Aguri-san since I basically agreed with all of Tendou-san¡¯s opinion. ¡°Forget about Aguri-san¡¯s hobbies for a second, gaming is the same as movies and bowling. They are all entertainment. So, I think we shouldn¡¯t focus on their usefulness. Also, I sometimes hoped that I could finely frolic with Tendou-san for a few hours as well.¡± ¡°You two can curse each other with Izanami forever. Forget about that, the difference between movies and gaming is that the former will end in around 2 hours. Moreover, bowling is a kind of sport, right? As for gaming¡­how should I put it? Isn¡¯t that wasting your life away in front of a screen with sounds?¡± ¡°What wasting! What do you mean by that!¡± Even though that¡¯s really the case! She¡¯s right if she has to put it this way! But why am I getting so restless right now! Is it because my opponent just hit where it hurts the most, which made me really pissed off!? So, just as my emotions are entirely boiling, the seaweed girl Chiaki can¡¯t stay silent anymore. So, she gave a hand sign for Tendou-san and me to stop them as she stood onto the frontline. Aguri-san and Chiaki, which have different personalities and experiences for love, started staring at each other fiercely. In terms of appearance, it¡¯s like a dragon versus a tiger¡­or I guess it¡¯s easier to imagine as a hamster versus a chipmunk. It¡¯s a small scale and a surreal fight between girls. Chiaki sprung her curly bangs with her finger. ¡°As a modern person seeking for salvation, I think the time where we get to enjoy gaming with all of our hearts is definitely not useless.¡± ¡°Chiaki!¡± ¡°Hoshinomori-san!¡± Tendou-san and I, who¡¯re gamers, were throbbed with what Chiaki just said. Although Chiaki gave us a ¡°Hmph hmph¡± before putting on a smug look, Aguri-san¡¯s followed immediately with a razor-sharp counterattack. ¡°¡­But from my impression, gaming isn¡¯t always making people happy¡­¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°After all, don¡¯t you think leveling up is a frustrating process?¡± ¡°W-Well, including leveling up, gaming can make people happy¡­!¡± ¡°Really? I heard from Amanhi before, people will sometimes doze off when they are gaming. If everyone is indeed thrilled when they¡¯re leveling up, stuff like that shouldn¡¯t happen, right?¡± ¡°She¡¯s smart!¡± Perhaps it¡¯s because Aguri-san is really uninterested with gaming, sometimes her opinions hit straight to the core. Chiaki¡¯s forehead is full of sweat as she looked away. Then, Aguri-san continued to follow up on her innocent attacks. ¡°Uh, if people are dozing off when they are leveling up boringly, why don¡¯t they just spend the time watching movies or TV, I feel like it¡¯s more beneficial that way¡­¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! B-But, there are also multitasking in gaming where you can do other things while you¡¯re leveling up¡­¡± ¡°Eh, that skill really exists? I didn¡¯t expect gamers to be this smart.¡± ¡°Ho¡­ho ho, I¡¯ll get embarrassed when you praise-¡° ¡°But, doesn¡¯t that mean you guys admit that leveling up is boring?¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± The faces of us three turned stiff because we can¡¯t retort back. Also, Uehara-kun wasn¡¯t a worshipper of ¡°Gamer Suprematism¡± anyway. So, he just carried a moderate ¡°I guess that¡¯s true¡± look while observing the development of our discussion. Aguri-san is seemingly checking an online shopping website with her phone. She asked us this while reviewing the prices from the gaming software ranking. ¡°Mm-hmm, the new releases are indeed around 6,000 yen¡­Hmm, what¡¯s this game, it¡¯s over 10,000 yen! First limited edition? Uh, it contains a setting manual and an in-game DLC? ¡­Tasuku, what¡¯s DLC? I heard that from you before, but I forgot.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the abbreviation of downloadable content. To put it simply, you can acquire new content for the game via the inte. From this example¡­uh, it seems that it allows you to purchase the character¡¯s costumes¡­¡± ¡°Eh? This means that you¡¯re spending real money to buy clothing of the character in-game? For real?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Aguri-san gave us three gamers a contempt look. Tendou-san and Chiaki immediately started looking for an excuse after they received that. ¡°I-I¡¯m t-totally uninterested in that kind of DLCs.¡± ¡°M-Me too! I¡¯m not buying a clothing DLC either!¡± ¡°You two sound like you¡¯re going to buy them if the content isn¡¯t clothing¡­¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± The two girls plopped their heads down as their faces turned pale. Just as the price tag argument is leaning more and more to the opposite side¡­the boys camp ¨C Uehara-kun and I looked to the side as we mumbling quietly. ¡°¡­We would usually buy swimsuits or something like that¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Uehara-kun and I received a wave of despising look from the three girls as we straightened our back¡­Hmm, perhaps we shouldn¡¯t bring that up in front of our girlfriends. As for Chiaki, she¡¯s a yer that vehemently disagrees on moe elements. Swimsuits DLC can¡¯t survive in this environment. Uehara-kun and I looked away as we whistled. Then, Aguri-san let out a sigh. ¡°¡­You guys mentioned that it¡¯s weird topare games to T-shirts. But, if you have the money to buy clothing for your in-game character, shouldn¡¯t you just dress up for yourself¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± This time, including Uehara-kun, all the Game Hobby Club members sweatdropped. ¡­Crap! It¡¯s hard to argue back! ¡°Entertainment is priceless¡± can¡¯t be used here anymore! But then, I still managed to spew words out of my mouth! ¡°Y-Your in-game character is like your clone in a sense! I think spending money on in-game fashion is the same as buying clothes in real-life!¡± ¡°Really? I still feel like spending money on things without practicality is too¡­¡± ¡°T-There is practicality! Uh¡­h-how about this! What will you feel if Uehara-kun bought a ring for you?¡± ¡°Eh, why are you asking this suddenly? O-Of course, I will feel happy!¡± Aguri-san leaned forward with an excited expression after hearing my question. I nodded my head a couple times before continuing. ¡°Then, after you got the ring, will you equip it or not?¡± ¡°Eh? E-Equip? You mean wearing it? Well, I guess I will¡­¡± ¡°So, will you love Uehara-kun even more?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. It¡¯s quite happy to get a present after all¡­¡± ¡°Alright, at this point, you¡¯ve epted the concept of DLC.¡± ¡°Oh, okay¡­Wait, this isn¡¯t right, there¡¯s definitely a difference!¡± Aguri retorted as she stood up abruptly. However, I did the same thing and joined in the argument! ¡°Where¡¯s the difference! This is what you pay for in mobile games! To put it this way, Uehara-kun used his real money to buy an item that will raise the affection meter of the gal game character Augir-san. They have the same meaning!¡± ¡°Eh, Amano! Watch your words! I really don¡¯t like what you said there!¡± Uehara-kun interrupted from the side, but I¡¯ll ignore it for now. Aguri-san is the main problem here. She pondered in for a while before mumbling¡­ ¡°¡­That¡¯s why¡­So in reverse, if Tasuku identally turned into in-game data, perhaps I¡¯ll gift him a bunch of paid items¡­¡± ¡°Hey, wait, that¡¯s a weird premise. By the way, what kind of idents will turn me into a bunch of in-game data?¡± Uehara-kun is interrupting our discussion but forget about him. I continued nheless. ¡°Right, Aguri-san. Let me ask you this. If you can use your in-game clothing¡­the in-game wardrobe to make Uehara-kun, who was identally turned into in-game data, to feel embarrassed or blush, what would you do?¡± ¡°Amanhi, please give me all the pay-to-download equipment! H-How much does it cost? Is 10,000 yen enough?¡± ¡°Hey, wait, you two are really sick bying up with such a premise! Also, Aguri!¡± Uehara-kun coughed as he said that. Then, he looked away with a blush and told Aguri-san as his girlfriend. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that¡­I-I¡¯m already in love with¡­¡± ¡°Tasuku¡­¡± A sweet and loving aura radiated from the couple. Just as Tendou-san and Chiaki stared at them with the look of a Buddhist statue, I grabbed the chance and mumbled. ¡°-Now for 300 yen, you can spin the roulette with the chance of getting that awkward plot as a prize.¡± ¡°Amanhi, I¡¯m spinning for a hundred times!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t use me to scam my girlfriend! Hey, Aguri, it¡¯s time for you to wake¡­¡± However, next to Uehara-kun, who just warned her, Agur-san is already grabbing her purse from her bag. Her eyes are rolling around full of affection. ¡°Ho ho ho¡­3-30,000 yen for Tasuku to say a bunch of loving words to me, that¡¯s cheap¡­ho ho¡­¡± ¡°That scared me! You¡¯re scaring me! Hey¡­A-Aguri! Wake up! You don¡¯t need to pay to enjoy my time with you! It¡¯s because I¡¯m really in love with you¡­¡± ¡°Tasuku¡­¡± Aguri-san¡¯s eyes became clear again. I slipped in and mumbled from the side. ¡°-That¡¯s how the gaming industry gets yers into their trap recently.¡± ¡°No wonder. Amanhi, I understand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure, don¡¯t mind it.¡± Just as I¡¯m feeling smug for myself after my sessful exnation for gaming, Aguri nodded her head a couple times before making a conclusion. ¡°Yep, after the discussion, I understoodpletely¡­Games are real shit!¡± ¡°Oh, crap!¡± ¡°You idiot!¡± Uehara-kun, Chiaki, and even Tendou-san yelled at me. Hmm¡­once I snapped out of it, I realized that I got too immersed and mentioned the scary part of luring gamers to pay! The unique ability of lonely otaku ¨C can¡¯t shut up once the topic is exciting, was identally activated! After Aguri-san understood the concept of payment, she expressed her disappointment towards gaming from the bottom of her heart. ¡°Uh, so, this means that all the recent games are already expensive. They first need you to pay 6,000 yen, and then the games won¡¯t even let you enjoy theplete entertainment?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°Ah, there¡¯s a debate about a game in the forum. Hmm¡­¡±Premium yers are too advantageous in onlinebat¡± ¡°A ssic pay-2-win game¡± ¡°The plot for single yer wasn¡¯t even finished. You need to wait for DLCs, but I feel like I just bought something iplete¡° What the hell, these yers have the same questions as I do, right? About the price of the game.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I, Tendou-san, and Chiaki lowered our heads as we began to sweat. Then, Uehara-kun startedforting his girlfriend, seemingly out ofpassion for us. ¡°Ay, n-not every title is like this in the gaming industry¡­¡± ¡°But this is a famous title. If a renowned title is like this, the gaming industry is about to fall, right? Even though I don¡¯t totally understand.¡± Why is this gal¡¯s argument so sharp? Is she a natural enemy for gamers? Uehara-kun probably thought that it¡¯s not good for the gamer''s faction if this continues. So, he tried to change the topic with a smile. ¡°D-DLC itself wasn¡¯t a bad thing. Think about it, if your favorite manga series ended a while ago, you¡¯d be happy if you got an OVA or a new story, right?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, I guess I can understand that¡­¡± ¡°Also, you would want to see your favorite character in a swimsuit, right?¡± ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t understand that in the least bit.¡± There¡¯s a man who¡¯s trying his hardest to get everyone to ept swimsuits but ultimately failed¡­Uehara-kun! ¡°¡­A-Anyway, it¡¯s okay if the DLC is what the yers asked for.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm¡­really? Well, what kind of DLCs will make people happy?¡± ¡°Eh? I¡¯ve said this already, like swimsuits-¡° ¡°Please only answer if you¡¯re not Tasuku.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Just as Uehara-kun fell into depression, we three looked at each other upon Aguri-san¡¯s question. After a moment of thinking, we decided to answer based on our own¡¯s preference. Tendou-san¡¯s first. She rose up confidently and puffed up before speaking. ¡°Of course, as a gamer, I¡¯ll only hope for greater difficulty.¡± ¡°¡­A greater difficulty¡­that means that the game turns tougher to beat, right? Uh, sorry, I don¡¯t understand the meaning of it at all¡­¡± Aguri-san asked like she¡¯s unable toprehend the concept. However, Tendou-san, as a hardcore gamer, told her excitedly. ¡°All fields can make you feel refreshed when you conquer the high barriers that came with it, right?¡± ¡°R-Right. I guess I can understand that¡­¡± ¡°Also, doesn¡¯t it feel great when you¡¯re tortured by an unreasonable difficulty in the game?¡± ¡°Sorry, Tendou-san. I apologize for interrupting when you¡¯re acting like this ismon sense, but I don¡¯t know what you are saying at all.¡± ¡°Uh, I¡¯m saying it¡¯s a pleasure to be tortured.¡± ¡°Strange. I thought I was talking about gaming, why did I just hear a girl revealing her hentai fetishes?¡± ¡°How rude. It¡¯s not just me, all gamers in the world are like this. Right?¡± Tendou-san looked at us. Chiaki and I¡­immediately turned our heads away.¡± ¡°¡­Tendou-san? It seems that no one can understand your point¡­¡± ¡°A-Ahem! A-Anyway, I wish to gradually increase my tolerance!¡± ¡°¡­So you¡¯re a masochist?¡± ¡°No! I, Karen Tendou, is just excited when I¡¯m in pain!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s not a masochist, I don¡¯t know what is.¡± ¡°At least the hardcore gamers in the Game Club will understand!¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting the impression that the Game Club is actually a Masochist¡¯s Club. My brain is giving me the image of a bunch of eyes shing with hentai thoughts when they¡¯re staring at an unreasonable game over screen.¡± ¡°¡­Sigh, i-it¡¯s not wrong when you put it that way¡­¡± ¡°Really? S-So, all gamers are weirdos with masochistic fetishes?¡± ¡°Yeah, in a way, you¡¯re-¡° ¡°No.¡± Chiaki and I responded calmly to try and ovep Tendou-san¡¯s answer. Uh, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯tprehend Tendou-san¡¯s opinion at all, but there¡¯s certainly a bias. Tendou-san gave Chiaki and me an unsatisfied look before backing down. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve said what I wanted to.¡± https://1.bp.blogspot/-biXRHx4IHxw/XsuYnXqHBiI/AAAAAAAAO3Y/kA_mwDw7oK8Ize3f6xlntYymOsYwrLQWwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/00011.jpeg Uehara-kun moved his chin to urge us to continue defending. Chiaki and I looked at each other¡¯s faces¡­Then, Chiaki decided to talk about her opinion of DLC. Tendou-san sat back down. Chiaki cleared her throat before standing up before sheepishly telling Aguri-san her thoughts. ¡°W-Well, I still feel like it¡¯s great to see the aftermath of the main story in RPGs¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I can understand that-¡° ¡°If there¡¯s an after story where the human protagonists suddenly turned into fishes and cause mass hysteria, that would be awesome!¡± ¡°Uh, sorry, what kind of disgusting plot is that?¡± ¡°Really? Ah, I apologize first if there¡¯s any misunderstanding. In my hypothetical situation, the main story is still the typical RPG with fantastical elements.¡± ¡°Um, sorry, I don¡¯t have any misunderstandings for that. Instead, I think it made more sense if the main characters are already animals in the main story!¡± ¡°Ahaha, what are you talking about. It¡¯s because the main story goes for the standard human models, doesn¡¯t turning them into fishes in the OVA makes the plot more fun?¡± ¡°I feel like this is the first time that I¡¯ve grasped the true insanity of humanity!¡± ¡°How rude. All gamers will look forward to an after story plot where the humans turn into fishes. Right?¡± Chiaki smiled as she looked back at us, and Tendou-san and my responses are- ¡°Shake our heads furiously!¡± -We immediately shook our heads in disapproval, not to mention nodding¡­However, Chiaki pretended she never saw that and turned back towards Aguri-san. ¡°¡­Uh, I guess it¡¯s based on personal preferences, perhaps some people prefer shells than fishes.¡± ¡°No, the problem isn¡¯t about that kind of small details! The two gamers behind don¡¯t resonate with you in the slightest!¡± ¡°B-But, the purpose of DLCs is to provide an after story or affiliated plot. Of course, I will look forward to a bizarre story that can¡¯t be done in the main one!¡± ¡°W-Well, if you put it that way, I guess I can understand your point¡­¡± ¡°Right? If there¡¯s a fish version of your favorite manga, you would want to see it, right?¡± ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying at all!¡± ¡°If there¡¯s a manga where the stage is based on Mars, and the fish powered protagonists are fighting with evolved cockroaches called the Martian Fingerling. Wouldn¡¯t you want to see it?¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re making me wanting to see it.¡± ¡°Even though none of the protagonists could survive without water.¡± ¡°Martian Fingerling¡¯s too fatal on Mars!¡± ¡°Anyway! DLC in the gaming industry shouldn¡¯t make sense in the least bit. It should be absolutely irreverent to the main story! No one willin this way!¡± ¡°I-I feel like that kinda made sense¡­! But¡­!¡± Chiaki doesn¡¯t care that Aguri-san has fallen in confusion. She sat back down with a happy face after she finished what she had to say. Just as the situation is beginning to spiral into chaos¡­I, Keita Amano, was urged by Uehara-kun to express my opinion for DLCs. I stood up slowly and faced Aguri-san. ¡°Uh¡­I do wish for a DLC with OVAs¡­the normal ones.¡± ? gave Chiaki a nce before saying my opinion. Chiaki¡¯s the only one sulking, the other members were like, ¡°Right¡­¡± I continued. ¡°Also, about the game difficulty, I¡¯m actually not against a ¡°strongest game mode¡± where the yer can beat easily.¡± ¡°Amanhi, your viewpoint is still theplete reverse than that of Tendou-san¡¯s.¡± Aguri-san smiled mischievously. However, this isn¡¯t the first time that the difference between Tendou-san and me showed up. At this point, Tendou-san isn¡¯t going to be hurt because our opinions are different. ¡°Sigh, even with that. Instead of paying for those game modes, I still honestly wish to be able to y them after Ipleted a certain quest in the game.¡± ¡°Hmph hmph. I agree with your requirements of DLCs as well¡­even though it¡¯s boring when the plot is too reasonable.¡± ¡°Was thest sentence necessary!?¡± ¡°How should I put this, Amanhi, you¡¯re not suited to act funny when you¡¯re answering a question.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m not trying to act funny when I¡¯m answering a question!¡± ¡°Even so, you need a pair of sses if you wanted to be theining character.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the first time that I¡¯ve heard you can¡¯t be aining character if you don¡¯t have a pair of sses!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have another way, Amanhi¡­Take it as a nickname, should everyone call you ¡°Four-eyed¡± from now on?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing in me that makes me a Four-eyed!¡± ¡°Ah, Four-eyed, go buy me a cup of tea.¡± ¡°Why I am suddenly mistreated when my nickname got turned into Four-eyed!¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s because of the pair of sses?¡± ¡°Apologize to all the sses in the country!¡± ¡°Hmm, including all those reasons, I feel like you¡¯ll look in when you equip a pair of sses. I¡¯m willing to buy that DLC for 30 yen.¡± ¡°That subtle price is pissing me off.¡± ¡°Alright, Amanhi. By the way, do you know how to act funny when you¡¯re answering a question now?¡± ¡°All that just for giving me the time to think about how to act funny with a DLC?¡± I lost my words as Aguri-san smiled devilishly. In a way, this kind of arguing is born from our interaction during the family restaurant meetings. This is how she and I act like usual. However, it seems that Aguri-san and I are the only two thinking it this way. Once we snapped out of it, we realized that the other members¡­ ¡°Ah.¡± ¡­The people that we¡¯re dating with, Uehara-kun and Tendou-san, gave us an unhappy look, naturally. But for some reason, even Chiaki is not contented as well. Aguri-san and I cleared our throats and brought us back to the topic. ¡°Uh, w-we were talking about the DLC I wanted, right.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. A-Amanhi, even if there¡¯s an OVA. What¡¯s the exact content that you¡¯re looking for?¡± ¡°W-Well¡­at least not a plot with people turning into fishes¡­¡± To be fair, I feel like I¡¯ve seen a game with a simr idea¡­Sigh, but let¡¯s forget that for now and move back to my DLC wishlist. ¡°¡­Hmm¡­for example, a scene where the male and female protagonist are happily enjoying their life¡­?¡± I crossed my arms and tilted my head as I said that. Then, Uehara-kun let out augh beforementing. ¡°Hey, hey, hey, that doesn¡¯t make it a game anymore.¡± ¡°Ah, right. However, the grand finale is already included in the main story. I think it¡¯s miserable for the protagonists if they need to go through a bunch more weird events just because I wanted to keep ying¡­¡± Chiaki was baffled with my opinion as Tendou-san chuckled. ¡°Keita, what kind of opinion is that¡­¡± ¡°Haha, Amano-kun is still a kind-hearted and gentle person in every way.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± She¡¯s right. What do I want? Even I feel like I don¡¯t have the right idea, they¡¯re right to be dumbfounded. Just as we¡¯re discussing, Aguri summarized the topic. ¡°Ay, about the part where the customers can get what they want by paying extra, I guess I can understand this part. To put it this way, DLCs are basically extra side dishes or dim sums, right?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, that¡¯s it. That¡¯s a nice metaphor.¡± ¡°Then, there¡¯re yers arguing in the forums because the main dish wasn¡¯t salty enough in the first ce. But then, they were asked to pay X yen to get extra salt. I guess that¡¯s how it goes, right? Even though you need to pay extra in both situations, thetter is quite uneptable, right?¡± The high school gal¡¯s view of the gaming industry is urate. It¡¯s agitating the gamers. While Aguri-san was slightly freaked out by that, she continued to make the conclusion. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s my conclusion after I¡¯ve heard everyone¡¯s opinion¡­In the end, the games are still too expensive, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°I know that all entertainment has its own values. However, even so, I still don¡¯t understand the meaning of paying several thousand yen to spend 40 hours on a bunch of work with vibrating numbers and a bit of storyline. If you¡¯re looking for a touching story, isn¡¯t watching movies, TVs, or reading enough? As for a sense of achievement, won¡¯t it be better for you to just get a job in real life and earn an ie?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah, s-sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to criticize gaming¡­¡± Aguri-san quickly tried to smooth things over when she saw all of us fell silent. However, I beamed a smile before responding. ¡°Ah, no, we¡¯re not in a bad mood. Instead¡­I guess a person who has yed games for a long time to probably feel like you¡¯re right in a sense.¡± ¡°Hmm? R-Really? Uh¡­s-so, all gamers are masochists like Tendou-san?¡± ¡°Not at all. Tendou-san¡¯s the only extremity here.¡± ¡°Amano-kun, Amano-kun, that¡¯s a weird way to smooth things over! It¡¯s no joke when a boyfriend agrees that his girlfriend is a masochist!¡± Tendou-san protested with a blush on her face. However, that¡¯s not the point of what we¡¯re discussing. So, I smiled and ignored her before continuing. ¡°How should I put this¡­I believe that only gaming can bring you the joy of fruitlessbor.¡± ¡°¡­Amanhi, you¡¯re willing to buy for a fruitlessbor experience?¡± ¡°Well, I guess so¡­¡± I thought about it for a while. Then, I answered Aguri-san. ¡°¡­Well, for example, there¡¯s an RPG that my parents bought for me when I¡¯m in elementary. Ay, that¡¯s actually just a counterfeit of a big-brand RPG. There¡¯s no bnce, it sucked all the way down to the mantle as a game. Also, after some browsing, I realized its price is even higher than the real one.¡± ¡°Uwah, what a waste!¡± ¡°Yeah, I was depressed when my parents got me the wrong game as well¡­But, think about it, I¡¯ve always been like this. So, I¡¯m scared to tell my parents that this isn¡¯t what I wanted¡­¡± ¡°Amanhi, I feel like that¡¯s a bitter story. I don¡¯t want to hear it¡­¡± I looked up, and everyone¡¯s giving me a depressed look. I hastily continued to lighten up the mood. ¡°H-However, my parents went through a lot to get me that game, after all. So, I decided to give it a try with my little brother. Sigh¡­that was such a bad experience. Even so, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve any other ways to entertain myself¡­¡± ¡°Amanhi, big sister¡¯s getting you a game right now!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying to earn your sympathy! Uh, I¡¯ll continue then? About that game¡­I yed that all day with my little brother and more or less realized the fun part of it. However, the design of the recording system and quest conditions are crappy, and there¡¯s no walkthrough on the inte. So, we reyed for a few tries and was a bit tired with it from time to time¡­In the end, even if we didin a lot, we still enjoyed it for like 3 years. Also, sometimes when we managed to beat a level which we¡¯ve stuck on for a whole year, my little brother and I felt very good for it.¡± Aguri-san gave me a dubious smile. ¡°Like you¡¯ve said¡­it is indeed a warm story. But even so, that still doesn¡¯t improve my impression of gaming. After all, you can take the game out and change it to a book or a movie, and the story will still make sense. It just means that you two are a pair of true brothers that can find enjoyment from all things.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm¡­I¡¯m not sure if I can take what you¡¯ve said at face value¡­But, I think the only reason that brought us together is that it¡¯s a game.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± Aguri tilted her head dumbfoundedly. Then, I proceed to tell her my view of gaming. ¡°It¡¯s because gaming allows the user to intervene from both positive and negative sides. That¡¯s why, in a rtionship like this, there should be some elements that significantly reduced its value. However, on the other hand¡­¡± I continued with as I feel a tinge of embarrassment flushing up my face. ¡°I feel like it¡¯s a resilient form of media that allows you to inject whatever emotion you want into it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Aguri-san listened silently. As for the gamers, they seem to have different thoughts on their heads while epting my opinion with a warm expression¡­I appreciated it. ¡°Sopared to other forms of entertainment, I can¡¯t make up a single conclusion to whether the price of games is high or low. Instead, even when I found out that it¡¯s a crappy title after I bought it, I¡¯ll feel ¡°whatever¡± sometimes.¡± ¡°Hey, that can be applied anywhere.¡± ¡°Yes. However, that¡¯s why¡­the only thing that we gamers can do is¡­is to try and find enjoyment in the game in our own ways. From this perspective, leaving down a harshment andin along with those who agree with you could be a kind of entertainment. In the end, a lot of titles left down their irreceable memories in this way.¡± Chiaki smiled as she added. ¡°Ah, there¡¯s a ranking for the worst games on the inte. I guess the very existence of it is from what you¡¯ve mentioned.¡± I nodded at her as I continued with a smile. ¡°At least, to my little brother and me, the crappy game isn¡¯t calcted in terms of its price.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Uh, so¡­can you find the price of the games eptable now?¡± I trembled as I asked Aguri-san. Although she pondered over it for a while¡­she still gave me a bitter smile before nodding at me. ¡°Understood. If that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t carelessin of expensive games.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Tendou-san, Chiaki, and Uehara-kun smiled at our interaction¡­a warm and gentle atmosphere radiated in the Game Hobby Club. Chatting happily with everyone about gaming and achieving mutual understanding atst¡­Is there another ce where I can join in such a blessing event like this? ¡­Times like this can¡¯t be expressed with any words other than a blessing to a loner like me. Although I¡¯m deeply throbbed by the situation¡­on the other hand, I suddenly realized now¡¯s the only time to tell everyone my idea. So, I stood up abruptly. ¡°So, everyone, we arrived at the conclusion that all games can be fun. Then, how about we y this 5-yer, infamously crappy Elder Hunt together-¡° ¡°Alright, thanks for today, everyone.¡± All members of the Hobby Club stood up as they prepare to leave. Just as I¡¯m hesitating, even Tendou-san, who¡¯s supposedly my girlfriend, left without bothering to say anything to me. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I was left in the ssroom alone as I stared at the sunset outside the window. Then, I mumbled to myself. ¡°¡­I knew it.¡± No matter how you put it, a bad game is a bad game. A wrong purchase is a wrong purchase. Most importantly¡­ ¡°¡­Sigh, I really wanted a refund¡­!¡± In the end, I have deeply realized that I¡¯ve wasted my money. Volume 4, 6 – Gamers and Next Level

Volume 4, Chapter 6 ¨C Gamers and Next Level

Trantor: your_pingas Keita Amano ¡°Tomorrow, I, Keita Amano¡­decided to challenge a once in a lifetime feat.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The first Wednesday of September. 2F ssroom, after school. The Game Hobby Club still held its meeting today, and I told everyone that with a serious look when the meeting¡¯s almost over. Uehara-kun, Tendou-san, and Chiaki¡¯s eyes bulged simultaneously. Also, Aguri-san is absent today. I think she¡¯s meeting her long-time-no-see middle school friends after school. To be honest, for a moment, I felt like ¡°Not showing up at the Hobby Club just because you wanted to y with your friends, how terrible are you!¡± However, after a while of thinking, this Hobby Club is already kind of ying in the first ce. It¡¯s natural to prioritize seeing a friend first. Hence, even not all members are present, we decided to end the Hobby Club meeting early¡­But I have a ¡°determination¡± that I wanted to convey to everyone no matter what. So, I went out of my way to say that. Uehara-kun swallowed before asking me. ¡°Uh, Amano? Are you going to¡­discussing something crucial right now?¡± ¡°Yes¡­you¡¯re right. I have to clear this up no matter what.¡± ¡°R-Really¡­Crap, just when I¡¯m hesitating how I should take my next step, don¡¯t tell me this guy¡¯s cooking up something big¡­¡± Uehara-kun¡¯s mumbling to himself. I tried my best to hear him before nodding and giving him a ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You guessed correctly, Uehara-kun. Tomorrow¡­I¡¯m going to do something big!¡± ¡°Forget about your sharp ears that can hear everyone¡¯s mumbling¡­Are you for real, Amano?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m genuine here.¡± I nodded with all my confidence at Uehara-kun¡¯s response. His eyes are losing focus¡­and Tendou-san seems to have noticed something from our interaction. Then, she freaked out and started to speak. ¡°Amano-kun, d-don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s the thing we discussed when we¡¯re texting¡­?¡± ¡°Discuss?¡± Did I discuss something with Tendou-san recently¡­To be honest, we more or less talked to each other every day since we started dating. So, I¡¯m not sure what she¡¯s talking about. After I tilted my head, even Chiaki suddenly freaked out as she asked me. ¡°D-D-D-D-Don¡¯t tell me, Keita, did you realize something about Mono¡­?¡± ¡°Mono? Ah, does Mono want to do that as well?¡± ¡°W-W-Woah, why you¡¯re dering that both wanted to do that! W-What, wait, just a moment. I-I¡¯m not going to stay silent if you decided to do it with Konoha!¡± ¡°Eh? Chiaki¡¯s joining this battle as well? Uh, this is nerve-wracking.¡± ¡°W-What do you mean by nerve-wracking! Exin everything! K-Keita¡­I¡¯ve always¡­wanted to do that with you¡­!¡± Chiaki¡¯s excited over nothing. Tendou-san¡¯s looking worried, and Uehara-kun gave me a rare, startled look. I looked around the three people slowly. Then¡­, I¡¯ve finally decided to reveal my determination for ¡°tomorrow¡± the big day!¡± ¡°All of you¡¯re correct! Tomorrow¡­I decided to give it my all and rush to buy Space Ranger 5!¡± ¡°What are you talking about!¡± All of them stood up, angrily, and yelled at me at the same time. I froze as I answered. ¡°What am I talking about¡­I¡¯m talking about games?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re talking about games!¡± ¡°Eh, how can you guysin like that? What¡¯s wrong with talking about games in the Game Hobby Club!¡± I was shocked at the three¡¯s unreasonable response. The trio looked at each other¡­and let out a big sigh. Then, everyone sat down helplessly. ¡°Amano-kun, sometimes I¡¯m wondering whether you¡¯re doing this on purpose.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right, Tendou-san. I get that a lot. Keita¡¯s sometimes a pain in the butt.¡± ¡°Him being innocent is making all of this worse, he¡¯s basically a disaster.¡± I was murdered relentlessly. W-What did I do, tell me! ¡°W-What¡¯s happening with the Game Hobby Club! Are you guys picking a fight? Alright, let¡¯s fight! Everyone goes outside with me! Prepare for blood¡­as we y against each other with Ponjan! [Note: Ponjan/Donjara/Pom Jong, basically a kids version of Mahjong in Japan.] ¡°You¡¯re still just as gentle as you used to be!¡± They seemingly ran out of steam¡­what¡¯s wrong? You guys shouldn¡¯t underestimate Ponjan, that¡¯s fun. Ponjan¡¯s a big help when there¡¯s a gathering of rtives with little kids. ¡­Whatever, now¡¯s not the time to discuss how awesome Ponjan is. I saw that everyone has calmed down. So, I started exining. ¡°Uh, tomorrow¡¯s the release day of the newest title of my favourite series, Space Ranger. So, I wanted to say that I¡¯ll dash there to buy it immediately after school¡­¡± ¡°Eh? Just a second.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Chiaki?¡± ¡°Space Ranger 5 is indeed released tomorrow. By the way, I wanted to buy that for myself as well¡­But why do you have to rush there? Keita, didn¡¯t you have a reservation?¡± ¡°Well, listen to me.¡± I continued as I let out a big sigh. ¡°Well, I¡¯m usually the type of gamers that¡¯ll go for a reservation whenever I saw a ¡°must buy¡± famous title like this one. However¡­I feel like this is an eventful summer, right?¡± ¡°Yeah (Yep).¡± The three of them agreed with amenting look. W-Was it that eventful? Sigh, whatever. ¡°Thanks to all that, Ipletely forgot about the reservation. Once I realized, the deadline for both the in-store and online booking has passed¡­.So, the only ce left where I can buy it is the game store with new releases on the shelves.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± It seems like they understood. Tendou-san spoke up first. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a rush if you¡¯re going after a famous title after school. There¡¯s probably one copy left when you arrived.¡± ¡°Yep, that¡¯s why I¡¯m rushing there tomorrow after school at full power. So, I¡¯m reporting to you guys ahead.¡± Uehara-kun nodded after he heard what I just said. ¡°So, you mean that you want none of us to talk to you tomorrow after school, not even a greeting, right?¡± ¡°Yep, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m sorry.¡± They finally gave me a considerate look. Chiaki answered with a smile. ¡°Well, I guess that can¡¯t be helped. I understand. For this time only¡­as a fellow gamer myself, I¡¯ll wish you luck, Keita.¡± ¡°Thanks, Chiaki!¡± I¡¯m excited to know that my rival¡¯s cheering me up today. Just as I¡¯m replying Chiaki with a smile, for some reason, Tendou-san hastily interrupted us. ¡°I-I¡¯ll wish you luck as well! Yes, as your girlfriend, I¡¯ll bless you more than anyone else!¡± ¡°Eh? O-Okay, thank you, Tendou-san¡­¡± Even though I really appreciated that¡­but¡­how should I put it? Being blessed by your girlfriend with ¡°I hope my boyfriend can get his game!¡± I feel like¡­a guy like this¡¯s pretty¡­Sigh, w-whatever. I¡¯m really a crappy boy anyway. Yep, that can¡¯t be helped. I scratched my cheeks. Then, Uehara-kun gave me a mischievous grin before speaking. ¡°You really loved that game, though. The normal, you should be more rxed even when you forget your reservation.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Like I¡¯ve said before, ¡­this is the only series which meant a lot to me.¡± ¡°¡­I do like that as well¡­but is this series that attractive?¡± Chiaki tilted her head. Now that I¡¯m looking, even Tendou-san and Uehara-kun have the same expression as well. However, I¡¯m not freaking out at their response. Instead, I nodded with a bit of confidence. ¡°To me, this is pretty much the ¡°original¡± game. Uh, even though it¡¯s not the first game that I¡¯ve yed. How should I say this¡­ This is probably the first game that ¡°impressed¡± my heart.¡± ¡°Impressed your heart?¡± ¡°Yep. Especially the second title in the series, it was based on teenage sci-fi, which is my favourite. Of course, I did y a bunch of wild and famous RPGs before, and I felt that those were indeed notable titles¡­But this is the one that fits my bill perfectly. I was thrilled with the prologue, my emotions rose and fell ordingly to the middle, and I even cried at the ending. Also, since that game wasn¡¯t crazily popr at the time¡­This way, I got the feeling that this game belonged exclusively to me.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± The three of them seem to have made up their mind separately. Although the three people¡¯s eyes are wandering away, they still nodded at me. I continued shyly. ¡°I can no longerment on this series objectively once I had that feeling. Like what Chiaki has said, perhaps this is really not an outstanding game¡­.However, to me, this is probably the most crucial series. Sigh, I can¡¯t believe that I forgot the reservation. What am I doing¡­¡± I let out a big sigh after finishing. But then I yelled with all the determination filled in my body. ¡°However, I¡¯m definitely not going topromise with a digital version! So, for this game only, I¡¯m willing to risk my life to buy it!¡± ¡­In the end, all three gamers smiled at me mischievously. It looks like they wereughing at my attitude¡­Crap, the more I think about this, the more I¡¯m embarrassed. However, Uehara-kun quickly spoke up once I begin to chicken out. ¡°Woah, how imposing! I guess it can¡¯t be helped, I¡¯ll bless you sincerely.¡± ¡°Ah¡­okay! Thanks, Uehara-kun! Also Tendou-san, and Chiaki! I¡¯ll try my best tomorrow..to payback for all of your blessings!¡± I made that deration with a smile. The three gamers cheered me. ¡°Give it everything you got!¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ What¡¯s happening? I was supposed to be depressed when I forgot the reservation of my favourite game. But now¡­I¡¯m not regretful in the least bit. ¡°¡­Ay, it¡¯s great that I get to know everyone in the Game Hobby Club¡­¡± I looked at the three people¡¯s faces as I gave them my appreciation. At the same time, I¡¯m thrilled with tomorrow¡¯s battle. Karen Tendou ¡°Y-You want me to invite Amano-kun to the club again?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Nina-senpai stared at the game screen as she answered me with her usual calm tone. I first put my bag onto the empty seat before sitting down and thinking about what she meant. ¡°Sigh¡­I just wanted to show up at the Game Club because the Game Hobby Club¡¯s activity ended¡­Then, I¡¯m suddenly in a situation like this.¡± This topic is quite sensitive to everyone in the club, I didn¡¯t know how to respond right away, so I can¡¯t help but fell silent. However, that¡¯s why the Game Club Room during after school¡­is somehow making me unbelievably nervous. Kase-senpai is still calmly racking up his kills in the FPS. Mizumi-kun¡­is practising a puzzle game with levels that even we can¡¯tprehend. But they¡¯re clearly listening to the conversation between Nina-senpai and me. I let out a sigh, Then I decided to dy the conclusion by asking Nina-senpai. ¡°Uh¡­why are you suddenly bringing this up now? This isn¡¯t the usual you, senpai.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. After all, if we areparing with RPGs, Nina-senpai¡­and Kase-senpai, are people that treat other Game Club members as low-level reserves that should never be put to the main team, right?¡± ¡°Hey.¡± The two growled at me as if they are protesting the two of them more or less still retained some degree of humanity. However, the two are speaking whilebating online and quickly demolishing other pros that don¡¯t convince me at all. I gave Nina-senpai a suspecting look. Then, she stared at the screen before letting out azy ¡°Ahhhh¡± mumble. ¡°To say this doesn¡¯t fit my style, I guess you¡¯re right. But¡­you should have realized this. Kase and I just surprisingly can¡¯t get over him¡­the incident about Keita Amano.¡± ¡°Ah¡­okay¡­¡± After senpai said that, Mizumi-kun and I stared at each other before smiling bitterly. She¡¯s right¡­even though Mizumi-kun and I still interacted with Amano-kun personally, and we have more or less found apromise with our attitudes towards gaming. However, senpai¡¯s different. To put it simply, ¡­the two seniors wanted to apologize to him. Even so, whether that justifies going to a junior¡¯s ssroom and apologize is another question. They didn¡¯t make any sort of serious mishap. This is an awkward situation. Although I understand how both of them feel¡­I still have some questions. ¡°I understood, but why are you bring that up suddenly? Did something happen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like something happened¡­it¡¯s just that I had a chance during the summer holiday.¡± ¡°Did senpai meet with Amano-kun?¡± ¡°No, I met Fake Umehara instead.¡± ¡°Fake Umehara?¡± ¡°Yep¡­he¡¯s one of the people that stirred my emotion the most in my entire depressing life.¡± ¡°R-Really, I feel that he¡¯s amazing¡­¡± I¡¯m interested in the new character that senpai has mentioned. But I can sense that senpai doesn¡¯t want anyone to investigate anything about that Fake Umehara. ¡°¡­Ah, is it about love? Hiya hiya, ho ho, so that¡¯s why.¡± I¡¯m really interested in Nina-senpai¡¯s rtionships. However, I have to hold my desire back now, let¡¯s bring back the topic. ¡°What did that Fake Umehara do?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s better to say that guy is a psycho¡­rather than saying what did he do¡­¡± I can¡¯t believe that guy can make Nina-senpai this irritated, who the hell is this Fake Umehara? ¡°Anyway, I thought about Keita Amano once again after I talked to that Fake Umehara.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t talk to a psycho, senpai. Also, please don¡¯t associate that guy to my boyfriend!¡± I felt like I was treated really disgracefully! However, Nina-senpai brilliantly ignored my anger as she continued. ¡°Also, Tendou, weren¡¯t you starting to join the activities in the Game Hobby Club recently?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, t-that¡¯s because¡­¡± ¡°Sigh, I didn¡¯t mean to me you. If you can ept Amano¡¯s invitation and join their meetings, I think that the reverse can be done as well, right?¡± ¡°The reverse¡­Uh, so you mean that Amano-kun can participate in the Game Hobby Club, and then he can check us out sometime¡­You want me to tell that to him, senpai?¡±¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Well, perhaps that¡¯s possible¡­¡± I fell silent¡­Honestly, it¡¯s happy when I¡¯m with Amano-kun in the Game Hobby Club. So even if the stage is on the Game Club, I bet that¡¯ll be happy as well. However¡­ ¡°¡­Strange, what¡¯s happening¡­? Didn¡¯t I wish to be able to stay with Amano-kun forever¡­But I¡¯m not willing to invite him to the club at all¡­¡± I¡¯m pondering why do I have an unreasonable idea like this. In the end, I can only think of one reason. ¡°I guess¡­I¡¯m still affected by¡­the experience where he brutally rejected me.¡± I was quickly rejected by Amano-kun back when I invited him. That scene is a thorn inside my heart. While we¡¯re way closer than before. With that, I¡¯m confident that we can express our emotions freely and sincerely to each other. This is an entirely different situation than in the past. However, ¡­even if my mind understands¡­I can¡¯t still easily erase the memory of being rejected¡­I¡¯m still scared no matter how. What if he rejected me again¡­and then¡­ ¡°What if¡­it¡¯s just likest time, Amano-kun is putting his hobbies and rtionships ahead of me¡­With that, can I still pretend everything¡¯s fine?¡± The situation isn¡¯t the only thing different thanst time, this time, it also includes¡­my feelings for the boy. ¡°¡­Tendou?¡± After I fell silent, Nina-senpai gave me a weird look before speaking. I hastily answered. ¡°Ah, yes, that¡¯s fine.¡± So, Nina-senpai seemed to have interpreted this as ¡°I agree,¡± so she gave me a warm smile and continued. ¡°Well then, Tendou, please invite him.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, I didn¡¯t¡­¡± I hope senpai can give me more time to consider¡­I almost spewed that out. However, suddenly, Mizumi-kun and Kase-senpai spoke up when they¡¯re taking a break. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll be pleased if I can y with Amano-kun together!¡± ¡°¡­Hmph, as long as the guy doesn¡¯t interrupt me, I guess it¡¯s okay for me to allow him¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Once I snapped out of him, everyone in the Game Club¡­is expecting me to invite Amano-kun. If that¡¯s the case¡­as the president, there¡¯s only one answer in a situation like this. ¡°¡­P-Please leave it to me! This time, I¡¯m certain that I¡¯ll bring him here¡­as his girlfriend!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± My body¡¯s epting the member¡¯s cheers. ¡°¡­Girlfriend¡­ah¡­¡± I looked away from them by staring outside the window. In early September, where the heat of summer still hasn¡¯t entirely faded, a wave of flickering mirages of the highways faraway Is still visible. Aguri ¡°Crap, I was baited into this¡­¡± Wednesday after school, the day where I took a break from the Game Hobby Club. I¡­am in a family restaurant, enduring wave after wave of intense regret. ¡°Honestly¡­if I knew that this would happen, I would have shown up at the Hobby Club.¡± I¡¯m pretending that I¡¯m on my phone with my head facing downwards, and let out a quiet sigh that doesn¡¯t ruin the atmosphere¡­During this time, one of the two ruffian boys sitting on the opposite side doesn¡¯t seem to understand the emotion that I¡¯m giving off now. He even tried to talk to me in a half-joking tone. ¡°Hey, Aguri beauty.¡± ¡­To put it simply, I can¡¯t even fake augh out at his words. ¡°What¡¯s up, a guy¡¯s calling you? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s your boyfriend?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± It¡¯s not like that- I almost answered him on my reflexes. However, Iter changed my mind. Ay, wait. ¡°Let¡¯s just pretend this is the case and go home. Yep, this feels better, let¡¯s get going-¡° After I made my decision, I immediately wanted to bring up my proud boyfriend, which is Tasuku. Right away, my middle school ssmate that¡¯s sitting next to me, Sarina Sanntou, kicked my legs brutally. To be very honest, I¡¯m really pissed¡­but then I answered the ruffian boy with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s not that at all¡­Ah, I wanted to go to the drink bar¡­¡± I chugged my ssful of lemon tea at once and left the seat as if I¡¯m trying to escape. ¡­However- ¡°Ah, wait a minute, Aguri. I¡¯m going with you.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Sarina stood up as well. She wrapped her arms around mine and pretended like we¡¯re a pair of besties. However¡­ ¡°Crap, she¡¯s going to preach me.¡± Sarina obviously wanted to talk to me alone. I felt repulsive as I¡¯m walking towards the drink bar¡­Just like what I¡¯ve expected, once we arrived at the ce where the two guys can¡¯t hear us, she started intimidating me. ¡°Hey, Aguri, please just chat with Shougenn. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to get close with Koutou as well.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you should meet with that Koutou guy alone. Why are you dragging me into this? I¡¯m here because you said you want a gathering with our long-time-no-see ssmates¡­¡± I was just thinking why did this gal type ssmate Sarina Sanntou was asking me to go since our rtionship wasn¡¯t the best¡­It ended up being like this. ¡°¡­Sigh. Even though it¡¯s wrong for me to expect something.¡± In reality, this is how Sarina as a girl looks like. To be honest, she¡¯s a normie that pisses other people off. To me, a girl that behaved innocently in middle school, she¡¯s the hardest ssmate to deal with. However, that¡¯s the reason why¡­Sarina left such an overwhelming impression in my heart, whether positively or negatively. ¡°I thought this was a chance for us to get along¡­¡± I took a nce at Sarina next to me. She¡¯s still putting up her usual heavy makeup with perfumes. Perhaps it¡¯s because her phoenix-shaped eyes got a pair of eyeliners, she got a powerful stare. A ¡°gal type¡± female that¡¯s giving off an intimidating aura. ¡°Sigh¡­I¡¯m still not used to¡­interacting with Sarina.¡± After a year since graduation from middle school, I initially expected that our impressions for each other would more or less change for a bit. However, that¡¯s clearly not the case. Sarina is still Sarina. I¡¯m still me. Predator and prey. She pushed me away, forcefully as she seized the drink area beforeining. ¡°Hmph, how impolite. What do you mean by dragging you into this? This is for your own good.¡± ¡°Huh? For me?¡± ¡°Yes. You only barely got your appearance together after you entered high school. I¡¯m here to help you to gain experience in dealing with men. You should be thanking me¡­Shourishi.¡± [Note: Shourishi, can be roughly tranted to Little Aguri.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Sarina brought up my shameful nickname in middle school. I¡¯m already so dumbfounded that I can¡¯t say a single word. ¡°I bet that she knew how I look like from somewhere, and then she got the idea of ¡°this giddy girl should be a useful bait¡± before contacting me¡­I can¡¯t believe she had the nerve to say that.¡± I¡¯m so thoroughly pissed off that I¡¯m starting to admire her. Although I feel that I¡¯m already quite capricious on my own, I still can¡¯t beat a person that was born like this. Even though I knew this is futile, I still tried to protest. ¡°¡­But I already got an excellent boyfriend.¡± ¡°Hey, really? What a coincidence, the same goes for me. I have a handsome boyfriend with a promising future. Also, they¡­Koutou and Shougenn have girlfriends of their own as well¡­so what?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± This doesn¡¯t make any sense. Although I slightly feel that I¡¯m a bit of a normie now¡­these guys are on a whole new level. I put the cup back to the recycling area when Sarina went back to her seat. Then, I poured some Olle coffee into my cup¡­as I stared at the bubbles appearing on the burnt down liquid in my cup. ¡°Sigh¡­this is perhaps the first time that I feel¡­so bored at this family restaurant¡­¡± When you look at our seats¡­there¡¯s a girl that pisses other people off, and two guys that seem to have their brains directly attached to their dicksughing off loudly towards other customers. I can¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°¡­If I¡¯ming to the family restaurant, I would prefer to have a sweet time with Tasuku. Or¡­¡± I wanted to chatzily with Amanhi. Just like we¡¯re usually¡­emptying our brains as we talk. ¡°Sigh, can¡¯t I just sacrifice those three to summon Amanhi out¡­?¡± This thought appeared on my head. Since I would often visit the Game Hobby Club, my terms are getting a bit towards gaming¡­However, unbelievably, now I feel like maybe this isn¡¯t so bad. The Olle coffee was made just as I¡¯m smiling. When I¡¯m staring into the cup, I suddenly remembered the scenery where I opinionatedly exined to Amanhi what¡¯s interpersonalmunication. I can¡¯t help butugh. ¡°¡­Yep, perhaps I should put in more effort. If I wanted to get closer to someone¡­I have to more or less be tolerant in the beginning. Aguri, that¡¯s what you said to Amanhi, right?¡± I carefully held up the hot cup with the tip of my fingers as I sauntered back to the seat. So, without even waiting for me to put my cup onto the table, that guy¡­the ruffian boy called Shougenn leaned forward and tried to talk to me. ¡°Aguri beauty. I heard that you¡¯re in the Game Hobby Club, are you serious?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, so what?¡± I answered sulkily as I sat down. Then, Sarina kicked my legs again¡­Sigh. Shougenn continued with a hippie smile. ¡°You¡¯re quite amazing¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a bunch of pig-headed, disgusting, and indoor otakus in the Game Hobby Club, anyway, right?¡± ¡°¡­Uh.¡± Sorry, Amanhi, I immediately associated that to you. I-I do not think that you¡¯re pig-headed or disgusting. Y¡ªYep, that¡¯s real¡­ Just as I¡¯m sweating out of my guilt, Shougenn continued. ¡°Those people are just paying attention to you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± What is this guy talking about? His imagination is way too ridiculous. Just as I couldn¡¯t be anymore dumbfounded¡­even that Koutou guy and Sarina went along. ¡°Ay, that guy must have used Aguri beauty to jerk off.¡± ¡°Eww, that¡¯s disgusting¡­ Stop it, Koutou.¡± ¡°No, no, no, instead of letting them rutting off over 2D characters like a pig, isn¡¯t that healthier? In this sense, Aguri beauty is really the most charming girl in the otaku club.¡± ¡°BAM!¡± The table was shaking intensely after a sudden shock. I thought something was wrong¡­ ¡°Eh, it was me.¡± I ended up being the reason. To exin what just happened, ¡­I guess I subconsciously raised my hand and mmed the table before standing up abruptly¡­How unbelievable. At the moment, while I¡¯m still confused¡­I made up my mind quickly in my heart. Anyway, ¡­I gave the speechless three a gentle smile. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Then, just as their face is showing a tinge of relief- I slowly spoke up with an extremely calm smile. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll be leaving because I¡¯m having way more fun talking to those pig-headed, disgusting, and indoor otakus.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Bye-bye.¡± I rolled my eyes at them. Then, I quickly grabbed 1000- no, 500 yen is more than enough, from my pocket. After I mmed the money onto the table, I picked up my bag and began to leave. In the end, once I got out of the store, of course- Sarina Sanntou caught up to me. I turned back helplessly, ¡­and the face of the girl in front of me is definitely not something a guy would see. ¡°Hey, Aguri! What are you doing!¡± ¡°What do you mean by what am I doing. I¡¯m just saying my sincere thoughts before going home. That¡¯s how it is.¡± ¡°Huh¡­! T-The boyfriend that you just mentioned, don¡¯t tell me, is that disgusting otaku from the Game Hobby Club?¡± ¡°Nope, that¡¯s not the case¡­¡± Although my boyfriend is in the Game Hobby Club as well, they¡¯re not the same person. ¡°Well then, what¡¯s with that attitude!¡± ¡°What attitude?¡± ¡°Please¡­! Why are you going mad over some small insults of a guy that¡¯s not your boyfriend! Unbelievable! I can¡¯t believe that you ruined the mood over a trivial matter like this¡­!¡± ¡°A trivial matter?¡± I immediately reacted. Sarina retorted weakly. ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong¡­¡± Then, I¡­stared at Sarina directly before answering her. ¡°Amanhi is indeed a disgusting, indoor otaku- But, it¡¯s not trivial when you guys are insulting him.¡± ¡°W-What, that¡¯s strange. T-The guy isn¡¯t your boyfriend, right?¡± ¡°So what?¡± ¡°Wha¡­but¡­you¡­that¡­¡± ¡°What? If you can¡¯t say anything, I¡¯ll leave.¡± I turned and walked away. Then, ¡­after a couple steps, a hysterical curse can be heard from my back. ¡°You didn¡¯t change in the least bit! You¡¯re still that innocent Shourishi in the end!¡± I turned back upon hearing that. Then, ¡­I gave a bright smile to Sarina, the middle school ssmate, that I¡¯ll probably never meet again, before speaking. ¡°Ahaha, that¡¯s the most exciting sentence that I¡¯ve heard today! Thanks, Sarina.¡± https://1.bp.blogspot/-l4faevfMjok/XtI7yriXFJI/AAAAAAAAO4I/vFpTIfrxHCYbJosbzRFEGZ9IdjnpEGkBQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/00012.jpeg Chiaki Hoshinomori 9:30 PM, Wednesday. In the central window of the giant screen, an 8-bit hero is heading down south along the ins. A few secondster, he encountered some monsters. The screen switched to a side-viewbat mode as he engaged with the three pawns, Lizard Braggart. I moved the pointer with the controller as I tested the attack, defend, and special abilitiesmand. ¡°¡­Weird, this move didn¡¯t change the stats of the character¡­¡± I typed the summary of the error into the notepad, then I continued testing. After a while of work, a door knock was heard from my back. ¡°Sis, are you free now?¡± ¡°Come in. It¡¯s fine.¡± I responded without turning my head as I¡¯m still on my controller, the door was opened gently. A few secondster, Konoha Hoshinomori, my little sister in a pyjama, came next to me. She saw the unfinished 8-bit RPG ying on the screen and let out a confused ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Sis, what did you start making games again?¡± ¡°A while ago. I¡¯m debugging right now.¡± ¡°Oh¡­That¡¯s surprising. I thought you¡¯ll stay low after the incident with Amano-senpai. I didn¡¯t expect you to have made up your mind already.¡± After Konoha said that, my heart skipped a beat as I stopped my hand that¡¯s debugging the game. I scratched the tip of my nose before looking up to Konoha at the side. Then, I smiled bitterly at her. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t made up my mind at all. The situation is already as chaotic as possible.¡± ¡°Sis, you¡¯re responsible for half of that. Even I was dragged into this mess.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­S-Sorry. I really appreciated you for readily epting such a sudden and offensive request.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not convinced at all. However, when I saw you begging me with everything you got. Of course, the only option for me is¡­ Sigh, whatever. So, why are you making games when you haven¡¯t made up your mind yet?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because¡­I have a pure motive that doesn¡¯t require me to make up my mind.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Konoha tilted her head to express the confusion from the bottom of her heart and I¡­smiled at her before answering. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m hopelessly in love with making games.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s why.¡± Konoha answered my reply with a warm smile. I looked back at the screen, and then I moved my mouse¡­to open the NOBE blog, which wasn¡¯t updated for a while. ¡°The messages I had with Yama-san on the blog¡­They were a big part of my motivation for creating games recently. That¡¯s why¡­I don¡¯t know how I should get along with him right now, so I ended spending less time creating¡­However¡­¡± I closed the blog and returned to the game screen. Then, I smiled mischievously as I controlled the movement of the hero. ¡°In the end, that still wasn¡¯t everything. Although it¡¯s just a tiny and weak reason¡­even so, the most important core of creation can only be stemmed from my heart.¡± ¡°¡­Sis, you¡¯re incredible.¡± Konoha gave me an unprecedently warm look. I felt really embarrassed, so I immediately tried to cover it up. ¡°B-B-But, in other terms, we can see from this point! I¡¯m just a piece of gaming trash in another meaning! Man, I have never put any effort into my studies¡­I¡¯m really a terrible sister, yes!¡± ¡°Uh, about the part of being a terrible sister, please allow me to retain my dissuading words.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! K-Konoha, if you¡¯re here to prank with such an older sister, please leave immediately! It¡¯s because I¡¯m busy working on a bunch of things! Yes!¡± I swung my hand to get her out of here. Then, Konoha yelled. ¡°Hiya, this arrogant sister is scary,¡± as she dodged my attacks¡­She doesn¡¯t want to leave at all, so she just stayed here. ¡°¡­What do you want, Konoha?¡± I stared at her fiercely. Konoha gave me a ¡°Hmm¡­¡± as she¡¯s staring nkly into the air. ¡°¡­How should I put it¡­I¡¯m thinking, should I ask what does sis feel once more.¡± ¡°How do I feel? About what?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± During this time, Konoha stared at me thoughtfully. I swallowed before asking. ¡°¡­You mean¡­Keita?¡± Konoha nodded silently¡­Honestly, I don¡¯t get why she is so serious. But, if I dragged her into this mess, I need to answer this question sincerely. I turned my seat and face Konoha again¡­Then, I took a deep breath, and calmly¡­and sincerely¡­told her the answer that proves I¡¯m so useless right now. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Konoha didn¡¯t say anything right away. Instead, she gave me a harsh re. Even so, I still stared back at her to try and not admit defeat¡­A few secondster, Konoha let out a sigh before raising the corner of her mouth and gave me an aggressive smile. ¡°Even though my sister is a dense girl that can¡¯t understand her feelings, I can already see the answer clear as daylight as her little sister. Do you want to hear it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but fell silent. Then, Konoha smiled leisurely before continuing. ¡°Sis, basically, when you¡¯re requesting me, you¡¯re already-¡° ¡°Stop. It¡¯s because my feelings aren¡¯t cheap enough to be expressed by words from other people.¡± I answered sharply. Konoha¡¯s eyes bulged right away before smiling like she found thisughable from the bottom of her heart. ¡°Ahaha, what is this, I still can¡¯t win over my sister. Sigh, I don¡¯t even know if this is clear or not¡­¡± Konoha said this dumbfoundedly while smiling with a gentle look. It wasn¡¯t until now that I realized I was baited by her, so I plopped my head down embarrassingly. ¡°I-I feel like I should apologize to you, Konoha. Ugh¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that¡­After all, maybe I should be the one that apologizes to youter.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Who knows. Sis, if you¡¯re still procrastinating like this, perhaps you¡¯ll slowly realize how your smart little sister catches up to you this quickly.¡± ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you already way better than me in every way? Why do you need to catch up¡­¡± ¡°Sigh, you¡¯re always like this. I feel like all of my spirit was worn out, man.¡± This time, Konoha gave me a look that she was dumbfounded from the bottom of her heart. Ugh, my little sister¡¯s view for me is even worse¡­ Just as I¡¯m depressed, Konoha scratched her head before saying. ¡°Anyway-¡° as she brought us back to the topic. ¡°Sis, I hope that it¡¯s time for you to decide the rtionship you want with Amano-senpai.¡± ¡°The rtionship I want¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. Otherwise, ¡­the problem is already evident when we three met with each other a while ago. I have to act as your identities¡­NOBE and Mono. My stance¡¯s getting fuzzy as well, I don¡¯t even know whether I should get along with senpai or draw a clear line between us¡­¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°¡­Sigh, the problems on the inte are always moreplicated. I¡¯m not asking you to make up your mind now¡­But, I think it¡¯s time for you to decide how will the rtionship between ¡°Chiaki Hoshinomori¡± and ¡°Keita Amano¡± go.¡± ¡°Really, ¡­right.¡± ¡°¡­Sis, in the end, do you want to get closer to him? Or do you want to keep your rivalry? Perhaps¡­¡± Konoha paused for a moment before asking me sincerely. ¡°¡­How about you just keep your distance with the guy?¡± ¡°!¡± I can¡¯t help but take a deep breath¡­Indeed, I¡¯ll feel ufortable whenever I see the boy recently¡­No, I should be honest. I feel pain whenever I see Tendou-san and himughing with each other. I was surprised¡­when Konoha sincerely gave me the opinion to keep our distance. It¡¯s because, during this time, ¡­I have more or less decided that this would be the best option subconsciously. However, ¡­I still feel like that¡¯s too¡­ I was lost in thoughts. Then, Konoha lightened her tone and told me. ¡°Sigh, I didn¡¯t ask you for a conclusion right now. Instead¡­I¡¯m sorry for bringing this up suddenly.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, no, that¡¯s okay¡­¡± This is clearly my fault. Konoha quickly backed down. ¡°¡­I still can¡¯t tell who¡¯s the older sister¡­¡± She will scold me directly when I deserved it. Still, she would keep it gentle, even making me reconsider and gain experience in the process¡­Crap, is this something a little sister should do? After I deeply reconsidered, Konoha switched back entirely to her usual joyous tone and say ¡°Alright,¡± before leaving the room. ¡°Well, that¡¯s all. Sis, goodnight.¡± Konoha even gave me a smile from the gap of the door before waving at me. I hastily waved back at her and responded. ¡°Ah, ¡­o-okay. Goodnight, Konoha.¡± The door closed with little noise. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I was the only one in the gloomy room with the light from the monitor, wrapping around myself¡­mumbling¡­and asking myself quietly. ¡°What¡­what do I¡­what do I want¡­with Keita?¡± ¡­I have asked myself this question countless times. If this is just designing a story that¡¯s based on the lines and actions of the game character¡¯s belief, I should be able to write as much as I wish for without any restrictions. However, I¡¯m still not clear on how does the character¡­¡±Chiaki Hoshinomori¡± feels. Tasuku Uehara First Thursday of September. During the break after the third lesson. ¡°Eh, but we don¡¯t need to go to the Game Hobby Club today, why can¡¯t we go out alone together today?¡± In front of the full window of the multi-purpose hall, Aguri protested to me while pouting cutely. I told her that I¡¯m sorry while I lowered my head to apologize. ¡°If I¡¯ve made up my mind, something¡¯s going to go wrong if I don¡¯t act right now.¡± ¡°What? You mean preparing for the exam?¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s not like that¡­But if we¡¯re talking about determining one¡¯s future, perhaps both shared a simr meaning.¡± I exined vaguely. Aguri then said. ¡°Ufufu, ¡­sigh, okay.¡± After that, she curled up her lips, implying that this is clearly not okay. ¡­To be honest, I felt terrible for making my girlfriend showing a face like that. Moreover, the real issue is that I¡¯m rejecting Aguri¡¯s invitation because I¡¯m meeting another girl after school. I will be lying if I say I don¡¯t feel guilty. However, I really had to do it this time. Since¡­ ¡°It¡¯s time for me to take on some concrete actions, as a member of the Hoshinomori Alliance¡­¡± I¡¯ve already made up my mind. Aguri seemed to have noticed the determination I¡¯m giving off. So, she took a few steps before looking back at me and throwing a bit of a tantrum at me with her tongue out. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll go to the arcade alone sometimes. I won¡¯t think of you even when I got along with a boy other than you there.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± I¡¯m a little nervous¡­Although I can feel that Aguri¡¯s only joking, for some reason, the image of her ying games happily with Amano immediately came to my mind. ¡°Man. When can I stop this girly paranoia?¡± I immediately threw that image away from my mind before giving Aguri a smile. ¡°That¡¯sme. Alright, to prevent you from getting along too well with other boys, I¡¯ll show up at the arcade if I can get my stuff done earlier.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. But, I can¡¯t really predict how long this will take, so you don¡¯t have to wait for me. I may end up not being able to go depending on the situation.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand! Ho ho, but I¡¯ll be expecting you for a bit.¡± ¡°Bye!¡± Aguri said shyly as she went back to her ssroom. I watched her with a smile before walking back to 2F. ¡°But, for real, ¡­what should I do about Hoshinomori?¡± I walked along the corridor from the multi-purpose hall to the ssroom as I pondered. ¡°After that, I immediately went on a trip with my family. Then, I hung out with my friends and Aguri and never found the chance to talk to Hoshinomori alone¡­¡± I can always call her or send a message. However, if we¡¯re talking about the rtionship between Amano and her, I also hoped that we can chat face to face. But¡­ ¡°I feel like Hoshinomori is trying to avoid me. Or should I say, she¡¯s acting a bit stiff recently? The same is true when she¡¯s in the Hobby Club, everything seems usual on the surface. Still, I feel like she¡¯s trying to avoid talking to me without leaving any hints¡­¡± I was a bit baffled. Also, aside from that¡­ ¡°Amano is getting energetic somehow, he suddenly invited Aguri and Tendou into the Hobby Club. Ay, it¡¯s not that strange considering the development and their rtionships¡­However, he being this worked up, and Hoshinomori didn¡¯t reject it at all. Something¡¯s obviously wrong¡­¡± I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on behind the scenes, but there¡¯s clearly a n going on under the table. If that¡¯s the case¡­I can no longer hesitate about contacting Hoshinomori and keep on dying. I clenched my fist and made up my mind as the 2F ssroome into view. ¡°So, ¡­we don¡¯t have the Game Hobby Club meeting today. Amano even decided that he¡¯ll ignore everyone and charge at his favourite game with everything he got. After school would be a great time where I can contact Hoshinomori freely without any disruption. Even though I felt terrible for Aguri, but I have to prioritize Hoshinomori first for today only.¡± Once I walked into the ssroom, the bell signalling the end of the break rang throughout the school. After school. When the assembly before going home is over, Amano dashed out of the ssroom like a rabbit. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving, Uehara-kun!¡± ¡°Oh, good luck.¡± Amano and I only greeted each other with our eyes. So, Masaya got close to me and asked as she watched the door where Amano just left. ¡°W-What is he doing? This Amano guy¡­I still can¡¯t figure him out.¡± ¡°Really? I feel like there¡¯s not a whole lot of people whose emotions can be read so easily like him.¡± Masya frowned as if she has a headache at what I just said. ¡°Really? Sigh¡­I fell like he¡¯s all worked up. Am I right?¡± ¡°Oh, correct. Also, can you tell why is the guy so excited?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know- Ah, wait, I guess it¡¯s about that.¡± During this time, Masaya had a light bulb on her head. I guess she realized Amano¡¯s a gamer. Just as I¡¯m expecting that, Masaya¡­answered with a mischievous grin on her face. ¡°It¡¯s about his overwhelmingly different girlfriend, Tendou-san¡¯s asking him to go over to her! Eh, am I right?¡± ¡°¡­Ah¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but scratch my face. Well, ¡­to justify for a man running this wholeheartedly, I guess it¡¯s a more concrete answer to say that he¡¯s running for her girlfriend¡¯s sake. The actual situation is not, though. I felt a bit terrible for Tendou, so I answered Masaya. ¡°Ay, that¡¯s close.¡± Then, I decided to pack up and leave the ssroom as soon as possible. I¡¯m busy as well. I have to catch up with Hoshinomori before she gets home. I greeted with my ssmates as I walked towards the 2A ssroom where Hoshinomori is. In the middle, I took a nce at 2C, where Aguri¡¯s in only to find out she¡¯s not there. Perhaps she already left for the arcade? ¡°¡­I really wanted to finish this quickly and meet up with her.¡± I mumbled as the image of Aguri ying with other guys shed across my mind. I walked towards ss A at a faster pace. ¡°So, where¡¯s Hoshinomori¡­Ah.¡± I peaked from the door to look for Hoshinomori. In the end, the first person that I had eye contact with¡­wasn¡¯t the girl that I¡¯m looking for. Instead, she¡¯s the idol with blonde hair and sapphire eyes. She immediately greeted me once she saw me. ¡°Uehara-kun.¡± Then, she somehow left her friends behind and walked towards me¡­Crap, all the 2A ssmates are giving me a ¡°what do you want¡± look, this is difficult. ¡°Amano has always endured looks like this¡­That guy¡¯s incredible.¡± I almost broke into tears with such hostility after I was greeted by Tendou. If I was her boyfriend, ¡­I can¡¯t even imagine that. Just as I¡¯m responding to her with a stiff smile. ¡°Hey, hey.¡± Tendou came up to me with her usual formal smile. ¡°You arrived in just the right time, Uehara-kun.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing big, I just want to discuss something with you.¡± I can¡¯t help but tilt my head at her unexpected question. ¡°Me? You¡¯re not looking for Amano?¡± ¡°Yes¡­that¡¯s why-¡° During this time, Tendou took a step towards me. She spoke quietly to prevent anyone from hearing. ¡°I wanted to talk about Amano-kun¡­I hope that I can invite him to the Game Club again.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± This is troublesome¡­However, that¡¯s the reason why I can understand the girl wanted to discuss this with me. However, I have my own business. I peeked over Tendou¡¯s head and looked around the 2A ssroom. ¡°I understood¡­Uh, is Hoshinomori still here?¡± ¡°Hoshinomori-san? Yeah, I think she hasn¡¯t gone home yet¡­¡± Tendou said this as she turned back¡­Then, she spoke to a girl with curled up hair who¡¯s putting her textbooks in her bag slowly at the corner of the ssroom. ¡°Ah, Hoshinomori-san! Uehara-kun¡¯s looking for you.¡± ¡°Eh?! Ah¡­U-Uehara-kun¡¯s looking for me¡­? ¡­Uwah¡­¡± ¡°?¡± Hoshinomori¡¯s somehow started to freak out right away. Tendou and I tilted our heads to express our confusion. She then packed up her belongings¡­before walking to us stiffly like she¡¯s a robot. Hoshinomori came up to Tendou and me. She then spoke with her eyes rolling around. ¡°W-Well, um, about that, I still don¡¯t know how I should reply now. Perhaps, should I say, I¡¯m not prepared to hurt someone? So, if you wanted to talk to me alone, then I¡­!¡± ¡°?¡± Tendou and I were baffled since we have no idea what¡¯s she saying. However, ¡­after a moment of quick thinking, I realized what she really meant. ¡°I knew it, Hoshinomori still hasn¡¯t figured out how she should deal with her feelings for Amano. She didn¡¯t have the consciousness to rob Tendou¡¯s lover away, so this is not the stage for discussing how to go after Amano with me, I guess she meant that.¡± Come to think of it, perhaps I¡¯m too rushed. Once I snapped out of it, I realized I¡¯m acting like this just for my own convenience. This is my bad habit. After I reflected on myself, I beamed Hoshinomori a warm smile tofort her. ¡°I understood. Sorry, Hoshinomori. I didn¡¯t mean to urge you to reply¡­¡± ¡°N-No! Don¡¯t say that! I-I think it¡¯s reasonable for Uehara-kun to want to know my feelings, yes! Ah, um¡­¡± A subtle yet strange atmosphere is radiating off between Hoshinomori and me. So, Tendou spoke carefully. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on, but is it alright for me to treat that the business between you two hase to an end?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. I should say it ended unexpectedly¡­¡± ¡°Well then, can I discuss with you about inviting Amano-kun to the Game Club?¡± ¡°Eh? You¡¯re inviting Keita to the Game Club again?¡± Hoshinomori froze at Tendou¡¯s words. Tendou looked at her reaction before smiling bitterly. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°It ended up this way after our talk in the club¡­Ah, Hoshinomori, it would be great if you can join the discussion as well, what do you think?¡± ¡°Eh? Me? Sure¡­¡± Hoshinomori answered as she nced at me¡­This situation is way off from what I¡¯ve expected, so I can¡¯t help but scratch my head. ¡°¡­Sigh, if I can¡¯t talk to Hoshinomori about her rtionships, I guess it can¡¯t be helped. Moreover, I¡¯m quite interested in what¡¯s happening over in the Game Club¡­¡± I replied both of them with a nod¡­During this time, I realized everyone in the 2A ssroom is staring at me with daggers in their eyes. Of course, we¡¯re talking about a handsome boy discussing something secretly with two cute girls that can represent our school. I beamed both of them a worn-out smile as I spoke. ¡°Uh, should we talk about this as we go off in the main street?¡± To escape these people. More importantly, to meet up with Aguri quickly as I discuss with Tendou. This is the suggestion I made. After the two quickly epted, we immediately got moving. ¡°So that¡¯s what happened, Nina-senpai and the Game Club pushed you for this¡­¡± On the road towards the main street, I can¡¯t help but mumble after hearing the summary as we¡¯re walking along with the rural scenery. So, Tendou tilted her head and asked after she saw my reaction. ¡°Eh? Uehara-kun, do you know Nina-senpai, or is there a rtionship going on?¡± ¡°Hmm? Why are you asking this¡­Ah, it¡¯s because I¡¯m calling her Nina-senpai?¡± Indeed, I should call her Oiso-senpai if we¡¯ve never met before. Hoshinomori¡¯s listening as well. So, I exined it simply. ¡°No, I just had the chance to talk to her during the summer holiday.¡± ¡°¡­Oh¡­¡± The girls are distancing themselves away from me. ¡°Hey¡­W-Why are you two staring at me like I¡¯m a prick! F-First and foremost, I didn¡¯t try to strike up a conversation with her! I just enjoyed an exciting match with her¡­¡± After I exined, ¡­Tendou and Hoshinomori somehow stopped walking with a blush on their faces. The two were scared with me as they yelled. ¡°You enjoyed an exciting match with her?¡± ¡°Uh, what¡¯s with the weird emphasis! It¡¯s not like what you¡¯ve thought! I didn¡¯t mean anything about enjoying a match with her at night! I¡¯m just talking about fighting games!¡± ¡°¡­Fighting games¡­?¡± ¡°Hey, why are you two seemingly trying to look for an erotic metaphor for the word fighting games! What happened to my credibility in your hearts?¡± What the hell is this? Why did my image suddenly turn into that of a yer? W-Well, I did more or less try to be smooth and slick¡­! But with that only, on top of never cheated anyone, I feel like this is an unreasonable treatment. I coughed to clear my throat as I continued. ¡°So, Tendou, what are you trying to discuss with us? Upon hearing that, I feel like you can directly bring this up with Amano and let the matter ends there¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m curious about that as well.¡± Hoshinomori has the same question. After Tendou gave us a weak smile, she hesitated for a bit before asking us while trembling. ¡°No¡­Although this is embarrassing, I¡¯m scared if I brought this up to the boy directly¡­¡± ¡°Scared?¡± Hoshinomori and I were surprised at this unexpected wording out from Tendou. Tendou nodded as she continued. ¡°Uh, didn¡¯t he rejected me when I invited him to the club in the past? Also...how should I put it¡­It¡¯s like he brutally broke up with me¡­Perhaps I should say when gaming and I were put onto the bnce in his heart, I ended up losing¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Hoshinomori and I fell silent since we don¡¯t know what to say. Tendou was startled at our reactions. She immediately tried to smooth things over. ¡°N-No, now I understand Amano¡¯s gaming style more than in the past. Honestly, I¡¯m mentally prepared that there¡¯s a 90% chance of rejection. It¡¯s just that, for some reason¡­¡± Tendou lowered her head slightly as she mumbled destely. ¡°For some reason, I¡¯m afraid that he¡¯ll reject me¡­more than me in the past¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Hoshinomori and I can¡¯t help but look at each other¡­To be honest, Hoshinomori and I immediately understood why Tendou¡¯s getting more afraid to be rejected by Amano than in the past. ¡°¡­Tendou¡­she really love Amano¡­¡± That¡¯s because she loves him way more than in the past. That¡¯s why his words weighted heavier. If he confessed his love, she¡¯d be more delighted¡­On the other hand, now, if she has to hear his rejection, that would be really painful. Tendou continued. ¡°When we were dating a while ago, ¡­I tried to casually invite Amano-kun when we¡¯re chatting. Even though he said, ¡°please forgive me¡± before kindly turning me down¡­However, I was really anxious when I heard him say that. That¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s why you¡¯re afraid to hear Amano¡¯s answer, right?¡± Tendou nodded at what I said¡­We just walked silently for a while. The sunlight is scorching my skin. The summer still hasn¡¯t winded down yet, I looked to the ground and saw a dried carcass of a cicada. Suddenly, a chilly wind swept past us. Unexpectedly, ¡­Hoshinomori was the first one to break the silence. ¡°¡­I think that should be fine.¡± ¡°?¡± Tendou and I didn¡¯t hear what Hoshinomori said clearly as we looked at her. However, for some reason, Hoshinomori didn¡¯t look at us. Instead, she repeated once more as she stared off into the distance. ¡°I think that should be fine. You should be d about that. If the boy refused to join the Game Club.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Although we heard what she said clearly, we still don¡¯t understand what she meant. Just as Tendou and I were speechless, ¡­Hoshinomori still looked away from us¡­Her eyes are full of a strange determination as she¡¯s seemingly mumbling to herself. ¡°After all¡­after all, this is who Keita really is, right? He¡¯s weak but stubborn at weird ces, basically an otaku. So, sometimes he would prefer enjoying gaming over bing a normie¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°However, that¡¯s why¡­¡± Hoshinomori finally looked at us for the first time as she said that. Then, she smiled brightly. ¡°That¡¯s why Tendou-san loves Keita, right?¡± ¡°!¡± Her words, and her expression, made us suddenly came to the realization. Tendou was throbbed because she realized the most crucial point. However, from my perspective, ¡­that¡¯s not all¡­ ¡°Hoshinomori. Actually¡­actually, you¡¯re not just describing what Tendou feels, you¡¯re describing yourself¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but clench my fist. ¡­Hoshinomori is cheering Tendou with a smile in front of me. ¡°So there¡¯s no reason for you to be afraid, Tendou-san. It¡¯s because Keita will definitely reject an invitation like that. Especially today when his favourite game released. Perhaps that boy will even say that he¡¯ll stop joining the Game Hobby Club meetings for a while. Keita is a fanatic gamer like this.¡± ¡°¡­Hoshinomori-san¡­¡± Tendou¡¯s eyes are getting energetic. ¡°Yeah¡­that¡¯s the case. Yep, you¡¯re exactly right¡­ Haha,pared to his friends or me, Amano-kun will prioritize gaming. That¡¯s why I¡¯m¡­That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Yeah, that idiot thinks that gaming is everything. So¡­¡± Hoshinomori lowered her head and mumbled when she¡¯s saying this, seemingly don¡¯t want anyone to hear. Tendou is still the opposite to Amano, she doesn¡¯t seem to notice mumbles like this¡­ However, ¡­I¡¯m observing what Hoshinomori is doing, so I can hear her mumbles clearly. ¡°So, ¡­I decided to step forward, as well. Even if what waiting ahead of me isn¡¯t a couple rtionship.¡± ¡°!¡± To avoid Tendou from hearing, ¡­Hoshinomori cheered her up as a friend while making up her tiny mind as she quietly mumbled. When¡­when I saw Hoshinomori acting like that, I clenched my fist even more forcefully with an embarrassing determination. ¡­However, of course, Tendou¡¯s still oblivious to the situation¡­ ¡°Yeah, Hoshinomori-san. Amano-kun is quite a pain in the butt, during our date he-¡° I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s trying to show off her love in front of Hoshinomori. So, I can¡¯t help but cough as I forced my way between them. ¡°A-Ahem!¡± ¡°Hiya?¡± ¡°Eh, Uehara-kun?¡± I was too rough, and I ended up sticking real close to the two girls. However, this has to be done. With the situation, I do look like a definite flirty guy from every way, but I¡¯m not regretful in the least bit. Moreover, it¡¯s basically impossible for anyone I know to see me on a rural road like this- ¡°Tasuku¡­?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± -I can suddenly hear someone from my back, I turned back dumbfoundedly. Then, waiting for me there is my girlfriend with eyes full of hopelessness¡­Ms Aguri. She was trying to chat with me a moment ago, her hand, which was halfway on reaching for my shoulder, is now trembling ¡­Crap. This is not good. Although I know this is really nor good, ¡­I can¡¯t think of a brilliant exnation right now. The same goes for Tendou and Hoshinomori. The situation is so chaotic that no one can say anything. The hellish time gradually passed. So, after a few seconds that felt like an eternity, Aguri¡¯s trembling lips moved. ¡°Che¡­¡± ¡°¡­Che?¡± Aguri¡¯s eyes are full of tears¡­Then, she dashed away from us towards the main street! ¡°CHEATER! THERE¡¯S ALL THE EVIDENCE!¡± ¡°Why does this scream sounds so familiar to me!¡± Imented as I chased after- all of us. For some reason, even Tendou and Hoshinomori caught up with me as we¡¯re running towards her. They seem to have realized they¡¯re responsible as well. The two screamed at Aguri off the distance at the top of their lungs. ¡°Aguri-san! This is fine! To me, Uehara-kun is basically Amano-kun¡¯s bootlicker!¡± ¡°Yes! The time where I was honoured to be liked my Uehara-kun is already over!¡± ¡°Thanks for smoothing things over! But why I¡¯m feel hurt just then!¡± ¡°Cheater please just shut up!¡± ¡°Uwahhh! Even the girls that he¡¯s cheating with admitted that he¡¯s a stinking cheater!¡± This unexinable situation is basically hell! Aguri sped out quickly with her mysterious bewailing as she gradually disappeared on the streets. By the way, she¡¯s faster than a light motorcycle now. Crap, Aguri¡¯s back is getting smaller and smaller. So, just as we¡¯re about to lose Aguri, Tendou, who¡¯s ahead of Hoshinomori and me pointed forward. ¡°Aguri-san seemed to have entered the arcade.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks, Tendou. We should get to her quickly¡­I wanted to say that, but Hoshinomori seemed to have reached her limit.¡± ¡°S-Sorry¡­¡± Hoshinomori¡¯s catching her breaths as she replied. I smiled at her before saying. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I was already nning to go to the arcade with Aguri. The only reason that she ran there¡­ , perhaps she wanted to calm down by herself. We can walk there slowly.¡± ¡°¡­What a trained response from a cheater¡­¡± ¡°Yep, it looks like I¡¯m getting depreciated no matter what I do.¡± Forget about Tendou and Hoshinomori¡¯s suspicions, we adjusted our breaths as we walked towards the arcade. -Just like what I¡¯ve expected, Aguri¡¯s wrapping her arms around her legs next to the vending machine in the store. She¡¯s curled up like a ball as if she¡¯s throwing a tantrum. Tendou, Hoshinomori, and I tried our best to exin what happened today. Aguri finally calmed down after she heard our exnation. She immediately stood up and apologized to the two girls. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just freaking out by myself and even treating you two as bad guys¡­¡± ¡°No, no, no. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°Hey, why are you three sound like that there¡¯s someone behind this hideous mess?¡± What¡¯s with the girls in the Game Hobby Club? When did my reputation take such a big hit? Just as I¡¯m dropping my shoulders discouragedly, Aguri asked Tendou shyly. ¡°So?¡± ¡°In the end, the thing about being confident enough to invite Amanhi to the Game Club, how did that discussion go?¡± ¡°Ah, about that. We already came into agreement that it¡¯s Amano-kun¡¯s style to prioritize gaming over his girlfriend or friends-¡° Just as Tendou was exining, Aguri yelled as if it reminded her of something. ¡°Ah!¡± We three were shocked. Then, Aguri quickly grabbed her phone out. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Aguri?¡± I asked. Aguri then checked up on her history of the messaging app before pping herself on the forehead with a ¡°Hiya.¡± Then, she showed me the screen. ¡°Uh, I was too shocked. Before you guys came here, I contacted Amanhi to try and grumble at him. I have to change this quickly or else he¡¯ll be here for nothing¡­¡± However, to Aguri¡¯s nervous attitude, ¡­we three smiled upon looking at each other¡¯s face. Hoshinomori started exining to a baffled Aguri. ¡°Aguri-san. I guess it¡¯s fine for you to not correct him right away.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°After all, today is the release-day of the game he longed after for his entire life. Now the idiot that values gaming over everything is trying to get his prize. It would be impossible for him toe here immediately-¡° ¡°Aguri-san!¡± A strange, wild call was heard throughout the arcade. Just as the customers are curious as they¡¯re observing the situation, ¡­that person didn¡¯t care about them looking at him in the slightest. Instead, even though he¡¯s out of breaths and sweating real hard, he still headed towards us with a severe re. So, just as that person arrived in front of the speechless group, ¡­he finally realized this is a strange situation. So, he tilted his head with a big question mark on his face. ¡°Aguri-san¡­? Uh, didn¡¯t you break up with Uehara-kun, and was so depressed that you¡¯re about tomit suicide¡­?¡± Aguriughed awkwardly at the person¡¯s question. ¡°Ah, ahaha¡­¡± ¡°W-Well. Uh, ¡­how should I put it¡­Uh¡­¡± ¡°¡­Aguri-san, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± Amano gave Aguri a contemptuous look. Aguri then pretended to smile elegantly. ¡°I-It¡¯s just a misunderstanding. Hehe. ?¡± ¡°Of course! What the hell! Really! I was worrying over nothing! Damn!¡± ¡°S-Sorry, Amanhi. I¡¯m apologizing to you! Look, I¡¯m sincere!¡± ¡°What kind of apology is this! You¡¯re asking me to look when you didn¡¯t even lower your head! Sigh, really¡­at least everything¡¯s good now, for real.¡± Amano wiped his sweat on his chin away as he smiled at Aguri in relief. As for Tendou, Hoshinomori, and I, ¡­after we looked at him¡­ ¡°Strange¡­?¡± There¡¯s a weird voice in our hearts. Then, seemingly trying to represent us, Tendou asked Amano while trembling. ¡°A-Amano-kun? Uh, ¡­why are you here?¡± ¡°What? Why am I here¡­It¡¯s because Aguri-san called me with a severe tone.¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­perhaps, you¡¯re right. But, Amano-kun¡­Didn¡¯t you go after for your favourite game today¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right¡­But what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Amano answered casually. Just as the hearts of Tendou, Hoshinomori, and I were beating so fast out of this strange anxiety¡­Tendou pretended everything¡¯s alright, ¡­but then finally headed straight to the core of this question that¡¯s making us lose our mind. ¡°S-So, Amano-kun, you¡¯ve always prioritized gaming over everything. Well, of course, you bought the game¡­before you rushed here, am I right?¡± To Tendou¡¯s question, Amano¡­He first gave her a confused look. Then, he confidently and naturally gave us a shocking response. ¡°Eh? Of course, I ran here when I¡¯m in the middle of the line. After all, now¡¯s not the time for gaming, right?¡± ¡°¡­hhhhhhh?¡± Tendou, Hoshinomori, and I froze with a twisted smile stered on our faces. Just as we¡¯re chatting, Aguriughed as she put her hand on Amano¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ahaha, what are you doing, Amanhi. You¡¯re sweating so much. Uwah, perhaps a pig-headed, disgusting, and indoor otaku is really nasty. I can¡¯t handle this. I really can¡¯t.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the horrible words! None of your business! I¡¯m just a weakling that only y games! Of course, I¡¯ll be sweaty as well when I¡¯m running here at full power with this hot weather! Moreover, the only reason that I¡¯m here is because of a retarded, clumsy, and capricious gal called me without thinking¡­!¡± ¡°Ahahahaha, hiya, you¡¯re really dumb, Amanhi. Sigh, but thank you. Honestly, you didn¡¯t help me in the least bit at all this time.¡± ¡°What the hell. Really¡­I can¡¯t take this anymore. I can¡¯t deal with you, Aguri-san.¡± ¡°Hmph. I was the one that can¡¯t deal with you, Amanhi.¡± We¡¯re not sure what¡¯s making this situation funny, but Amano and Aguri just burst intoughter with each other. As for we three who just saw their intimate scene¡­ ¡°Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?¡± Like a poption that¡¯s panicking over a giant monster that has been unknowingly growing underground. All we can do is to bulge our eyes as we stared at them, speechless. Volume 4, Special – Karen Tendou and Gamers’ Companionship Scenery

Volume 4, Special ¨C Karen Tendou and Gamers¡¯ Companionship Scenery

¡°Don¡¯t tell me, humans can no longer stop my victory rate?¡± I, Karen Tendou, suddenly thought of that. To this puzzle gamebat, I¡¯m already on a 30 kill streak. After school, since we don¡¯t have any club activities today. The Game Club room is upied by only both of us. I looked away from the TV screen and secretly took a nce at my opponent¡­My boyfriend, Keita Amano¡¯s face. Then, there¡¯s¡­ ¡°¡­Me¡­ Just a scum whose power level is only 5¡­¡± [Note: Dragon ball line by Raditz about the first earthling he met] ¡°Ahhh, Amano-kun is like that guy with a straw hat, all he does was getting punched.¡± [Note: I think this is talking about Luffy from One Piece. I¡¯m not sure, didn¡¯t watch it.] I didn¡¯t realize this because I¡¯m so immersed in the game. During this time, my boyfriend is alreadymenting over his inability with bloody tears on his face. I can¡¯t help but immediately apologize. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Amano-kun. B-But, I feel like it¡¯s very enriching when I¡¯mbating with Amano-kun!¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± Amano-kun¡¯s peeking at me, who just suddenly apologized. To him, I¡­can¡¯t help but say my sincere words. ¡°Yep. It¡¯s because¡­once I started ying games with you, I would turn a bit sleepy.¡± ¡°Although this round for me is like spawn camping a bunch of Lv.1 yers, I still wish that you can hone your skills in this game.¡± E-Eh, this is strange. I initially wanted to tell him that he¡¯s the only one in my heart when we¡¯re together and that this is rxing. Why I am feeling a subtle difference right now. I immediately coughed as I tried to correct myself. ¡°Amano-kun, please don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯ve never thought about enhancing my gaming skills when I¡¯m up against you.¡± ¡°T-Tendou-san¡­I¡¯m sorry. P-Perhaps I¡¯m too self-abased.¡± ¡°You¡¯re. Even when I beat you so many times already, none of that is converting to any of my EXP.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not even worthy of being hunted by you. Ugh¡­I¡¯m really sorry for sucking this much¡­¡± W-What, what¡¯s going on. I¡¯m trying to emphasis that ¡°you are special to me,¡± why is my boyfriend¡¯s voice getting weaker and weaker. Now it¡¯s like hearing a bug apologizing to me. I can¡¯t do this anymore¡­But, if things have already turned this way, it¡¯s impossible for me to just express my sincere feelings to him. ¡°Sigh, my weak boyfriend.¡± ¡°Yes, what can I do for you, my strongest girlfriend-sama.¡± The boy is already switched to his tantrum mode. I continued. ¡°Honestly, from the Gamer Karen Tendou¡¯s perspective, you¡¯re the worst opponent.¡± ¡°What a kill! It¡¯s too much to just insult me directly, after all.¡± Amano-kun kept scratching his cheeks. To him, ¡­I only gave a light, gentle smile. ¡°Even so, a girl like that is still intoxicatedly, happily, repeated ying against you¡­Why does that happen?¡± ¡°¡­Well, ¡­uh¡­¡± Right now, even when my voice is low, Amano-kun seemed to have understood what¡¯s the hidden meaning behind my words. So, he blushed while looking away from me. ¡­Hmm, when he¡¯s treated this innocently. How should I put it, even I started to get embarrassed as well! After this rare moment, I cleared my throat with a cough. Although there¡¯s still a bit of a blush on my face, I suggested to the boy. ¡°By the way, Amano-kun, ¡­can we y for just a bit longer? Even when Amano-kun hates to y with a person like me.¡± To my trembling words, Amano-kun¡­faced me again and gave the same shy smile I had. ¡°Put it this way, a boy with a child-like appearance and less-than-average IQ like me. Even when I¡¯m losing 30 rounds in a row, I¡¯m still intoxicatedly, happily, repeated ying against Tendou-san. What do you think about that?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s because you¡¯re a masochist?¡± ¡°T-Tendou-san?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just kidding.¡± We smiled at each other before starting thebat again. So, today¡¯s the same. We stillpanioned each other in front of the moving scenery of the TV screen, unpretentiously, and lovingly. Volume 5 – Gamers and Annihilated Game Over, 1 – Tasuku Uehara and Fanatic Gamer

Volume 5 ¨C Gamers and Annihted Game Over, Chapter 1 ¨C Tasuku Uehara and Fanatic Gamer

Trantor: your_pingas Otobuki High School, ss 2F, Keita Amano. There¡¯re only two things important about this person. ¡°Normal¡± and ¡°Loves gaming.¡± From these two points, ¡­even that doesn¡¯t sum up his entire personality, it would be 70-80% of who he is. First, there¡¯s the ¡°normal.¡± This is precisely what the word means. As long as you have a vague idea of what those every day, weak male protagonists look like in early dating sims, you¡¯ll know the appearance of this Keita Amano guy. Not a strong-willed person, but not to the point where he just gives up on everything. Although he¡¯s an introvert, it¡¯s still possible for him to at least talk to people. His abilities are like a 3-star character in mobile games. Neither does he has an outstanding attribute, nor does he has a captain¡¯s ability. To put it simply, he¡¯s only a character that you¡¯ll pay attention to once or twice whenever you¡¯re packing your inventory. The same goes for the ss in the real world, people only think of him whenever they¡¯re changing seats or in a group activity. ¡°Right, this person exists.¡± However, for a period, he was at the center of the stage of a specific reason¡­If we¡¯re using the mobile game as a metaphor again, it would be like he got a slight bonus buff during plot missions. Now that the event¡¯s over, everyone¡¯s view for him reverted back to normal¡­He¡¯s gradually turning back into a 3-star character in another sense. He¡¯s ¡°normal¡± everywhere. This is the boy, Keita Amano. But, a guy like him has a part where it can be barely termed as personality. That is the element of ¡°loving video games.¡± ¡­Uh, on the surface, this seems like a dull personality. However, in the guy¡¯s situation, he¡¯sparatively¡­tougher, I guess. Let¡¯s give a more concrete example. He rejected a path straight towards victory in rom. A miraculous event of being invited to the club by a cute girl. He refused that because of some stupid difference in their gaming styles. This introverted, cowardly, teenage boy then met a girl who¡¯s the exact replica of him. However, when they met for the first time, they immediately started fighting each other over their opinion of gaming. ¡­To put it simply, he¡¯s a guy with a slightly weird temper. But he¡¯s definitely not those light-novel protagonist with ¡°Amazing gaming skills!¡± or ¡°He¡¯s talented at that type of game!¡± or even ¡°He¡¯s way more experienced in gaming than others!¡± He has none of that. Even so, unbelievably, when ites to the love of gaming, he did process a part that surprised everyone. Also, it¡¯s because of Keita Amano having a personality like this. That¡¯s why he became friends with me¡­Tasuku Uehara. That¡¯s why he became the boyfriend of the school idol Karen Tendou. That¡¯s why he even got his so-called rival, Chiaki Hoshinomori, to fall in love with him. Everything¡¯s caused by Keita Amano having a love of gaming at the bottom of his heart. That¡¯s supposed to be true¡­ ¡­That¡¯s supposed to be true¡­ ¡°However, ¡­a guy like that gave up his favorite game because of his friend¡¯s girl, that¡¯s a big problem!¡± Late at night, ¡­in my bed alone, I wrapped my hands around my head and bitterly vexed. * I knew that Amano had a close rtionship with my girlfriend Aguri a long time ago. While I¡¯m not sure of the exact reason, but they seem to have befriended each other and started making love inquiries, thereby kept on meeting. Of course, I¡¯m not toofortable with it since I¡¯m Aguri¡¯s boyfriend. For a period, I¡¯m getting a burning sensation of jealousy when I¡¯m suspecting whether they¡¯re cheating behind me. However, some time ago, I heard Aguri¡¯s exnation that she only treated Amano as a little brother. With that, my suspicions ended there¡­But then, things immediately happened. I was forced to witness that scene. ¡°Amano readily prioritized Aguri over his love of gaming, and Aguri also yed with him happily¡­That scene.¡± The events in the arcade after school, I still can¡¯t forget them. I¡¯ll skip the details here. But, both of them just did that in front of us¡­Me, Aguri¡¯s boyfriend, Tendou, Amano¡¯s girlfriend, and also Chiaki Hoshinomori, who fell in love with his gaming attitude. They showed how unbreakable their bond is. ¡°Although the two persons in question admitted that they didn¡¯t do anything special¡­¡± ¡­Honestly, they didn¡¯t do anything that can even be remotely considered as cheating. After everything we¡¯ve been through, no one will feel that there¡¯s any kind of impure rtionship going on between the two. Moreover, everyone can see that the two are pure, innocent, and straightforward. It¡¯s even giving me a warm feeling when I¡¯m watching. However, for some reason. The two people that cared about each other¡¯s love. It¡¯s because of how beautiful that scene was. The three of us have never felt so vulnerable before, and that¡¯s a fact as well. ¡°I¡¯ve finally realized that¡­this is already not about cheating anymore¡­¡± I¡¯m shivering even though I¡¯m covered by a warm nket. I think Amano and Aguri are sincere towards Tendou and me, respectively. While it¡¯s hard to say in the past, right now, I¡¯m definitely not going to suspect their feelings. Sigh, I do wish for a change in Amano¡¯s rtionship, though¡­But that was a separate matter. I¡¯ll hold it back for now. Anyway, there¡¯s no point in suspecting the two¡¯s sincere love for their respective couple. On the other hand, ¡­an idea showed up in my head. ¡°Aguri and Amano...Do they share a deeper bond than between us, who¡¯s their boyfriend and girlfriend?¡± Among them, we still considered Amano to be the source of the problem, after all. Love video games¡­No, you could already say that he¡¯s a mild fanatic gamer, Keita Amano. A big part of his character is his love for gaming. A guy like this, he¡¯s willing to throw away this rare chance of getting the game he wanted and rushed here for someone else. Even when you take away the love part, in the eyes of spectators like us, that¡¯s like¡­ ¡°Actually, I prefer cream filling than red bean paste!¡± [Note: A famous quote by Anpanman, I think?] It¡¯s hard to not feel shocked when you witnessed a scene like that. If this is a light novel with Amano as the protagonist or something,mentators will definitely think that the plot is going haywire. At least, I even felt that this Keita Amano is a different person than the one that rejected the invitation of the cutest girl in the school¡­Karen Tendou because of varying gaming styles¡­If this feeling appeared In my mind who was just merely his friend, Karen Tendou, the girl was rejected by him before, and now Amano¡¯s girlfriend. I can¡¯t believe how much damage she took from that scene. Also, Chiaki Hoshinomori, the girl that linked with Amano because of their shared bond in gaming. She seems to be unable to hold back her distraught over he throwing away his games for a gal as well. Moreover, ¡­I felt the same way about this. ¡°What the hell¡­What do you want¡­¡± To try and vent out my frustration, I crumpled my nket into a ball and wrapped it with my arms. This feeling, which hasn¡¯t appeared for a long time, had started to grow in my heart again¡­The anxiety of not being able to understand the person Keita Amano. * The smell of thepost carried by the wind is especially pungent today. The first Friday of September. Izily looked at the forage rolls peppered across the rural scenery as I dragged my feet, slowly walking on the street towards Otobuki High School. Thanks to me leaving home a bit earlier today, I can¡¯t see any of my ssmates. Basically, most of Otobuki¡¯s students take the bus to school. However, since I need to walk for 25 minutes on foot. For such a subtle distance, I will usually either take the bus, ride the bicycle, or walk based on my mood. Today¡¯s situation is¡­I identally woke up too early, and I wish to have time to think alone, so I decided to walk to school. Sparse clouds are floating over my head. I guess you can say today¡¯s a sunny day. The breezes are way more refreshing than the past few days. Today¡¯s probably the best day for walking. Even so, there isn¡¯t the slightest indication that the knots in my heart are unwinding. ¡°¡­What do I even want?¡± I¡¯ve finally pissed myself off since I¡¯ve suspecting over so many things. After all, in this situation, Aguri and Amano did nothing wrong. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve one-sidedly acknowledged the two¡¯s bond for each other and getting agitated over it. If I have to spew my anger on someone, there¡¯s no one for me to do that aside from myself. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s rted to stress or sleep deprivation, I¡¯m feeling a headache whenever I tried to suppress my anxiety by scratching my head forcefully. I¡¯m only getting even more irritated. This way, perhaps walking to school is a failure, my mind is going haywire at this point. I let out a deep sigh before grabbing my phone out from my pocket. While it¡¯s not good to walk while paying attention to your phone, but when you¡¯re in a rural, deste area with a straight road and wide views. Please just bear with me here. Even so, it¡¯s not convenient to walk while reading news online. So, I opened something that I usually won¡¯t y, ¡­but I installed it because of Amano¡¯s brainless rmendation list of idle type and clicking type mobile games. It looks like an indie mobile game with familiar sound effects and 8-bit elements. By using the resources umted through the passage of time or clicking (like money and experience) to level up the yer, you can increase the profit efficiency before letting it go idle for a while. That¡¯s how this game is yed. As for the actual game content, ¡­for example, the character can earn 1 gold per minute initially. As long you level up it with money, it can make 10 gold per minute. So, the increased ie can be used to strengthen the character and let it earn 100 gold per minute, then 1000¡­The value will increase gradually like this. As for the things that the yer can do, basically waiting for the character to make money. These types of games will usually continue to operate even after you closed the app, so you don¡¯t need to pay attention to the screen. You cane back to check the character¡¯s status or the amount of resources you have when you feel like it, leveling up the yer in the process. Rinse and repeat. Perhaps you will feel ¡°where¡¯s the fun part¡± just from hearing the summary alone, I didn¡¯t find itpelling in the least bit at the beginning. However, it was surprisingly good after I tried it out. It¡¯s like removing the tedious grinding part away in RPGs and just giving you the cheers of growth. Of course, the price for omitting the tedious part is the emptiness that came with it. But, if we¡¯re just talking about killing time, I guess it can be called an excellent form of entertainment. ¡°Come to think of it, it¡¯s been a while since Ist checked¡­¡± After staring at the loading screen for a long time, I realized I got a massive amount of money in stock since I didn¡¯t check on it frequently. So, I immediately used all the money I had to level up my character. After a significant increase in strength, my character is showing a profit-earning rate that¡¯s entirely different than it used to be. ¡°Nice.¡± I was pleased with this situation but also feeling a bit regretful at the same time. I should have checked up on the character earlier. Even the idle time is equal, the difference in profit of 1 gold per hour and 1,000 gold per hour is vast. If there¡¯s a trick in ying these idle-type games, it would be checking up on the status of the game frequently. ¡­It was supposed to be an idle-type game, the trick is at not letting it idle for too long. What does this mean? Sigh, this means that it¡¯s meaningless if you just let the resource umte without using it appropriately. ¡°¡­This is just like maintaining my rtionship with Aguri, it¡¯s all for nothing.¡± I can¡¯t help but mumble as I sarcastically remarked on myself. Then, I smiled bitterly. I utterly don¡¯t believe that¡­the feelings that I¡¯ve umted with Aguri will lose to others that easily. However, ¡­of the things that we¡¯ve built up, did they convert to anything for us to step forward? Especially when we¡¯re troubled by misunderstandings and idents recently¡­No, am I just using this as an excuse to not face myck of courage for taking that step forward? Inparison, I don¡¯t think I need to say anything about Amano to Tendou. Whether it¡¯s me, Hoshinomori, and also Aguri¡­They didn¡¯t umte a lot of feelings and memories, but they can always muster up the courage and step forward. The reason for the ¡°loner¡± guy to have earned a bunch of close friends in a couple of months isn¡¯t just luck. It¡¯s because the guy is already a man that will charge forward whenever he has the chance. If you think about it this way, it¡¯s incredibly reasonable for him to quickly close off the distance with others. Although it makes sense¡­ ¡°Why is Aguri on top of his list¡­He picked the wrong female protagonist, right¡­¡± This ssmate of mine still unconsciously chose to walk the path where no male protagonist should take even though he already had the qualities of one. Although it¡¯s funny if you¡¯re watching by the side, it¡¯s overwhelming to be dragged into such an out-of-sequence event like this. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± I let out a sigh before turning off the game and rudely stuffed my phone back into my pocket. Then, I rushed towards school. Once I looked forward, I can see the back of a female ssmate about 50 meters in front of me. Before I started to y on my phone, I think I didn¡¯t acknowledge that person¡¯s existence at all¡­Just as I¡¯m feeling all that, I immediately realized the reason. ¡°¡­That¡¯s slow.¡± The girl¡¯s walking speed is so slow that I¡¯m suspecting whether she stopped or not. Also, her powerless walking is basically like a zombie. Her messy suit jacket is unusually wide open, her arms are sagging. Her flimsy neck is making her head shaking like a baby, and her hair is swinging chaotically. Honestly, that person is so suspicious that I felt ¡°not good¡± for a moment before wanting to distance myself from her. I thought about traversing the road to the opposite sidewalk and passing over as I shorten our distance. So¡­ ¡°¡­Eh?¡± As I¡¯m approaching her, I¡¯m increasing feeling familiar with her back and her temperament. Although I hesitated in my heart, I still made up my mind and walked next to earn before mustering up my courage to see the person¡¯s face. ¡°¡­Nina-senpai?¡± ¡°Eh? ¡­Oh, it¡¯s Fake Umehara¡­Good morning¡­¡± The senpai that loosely looked up to me before giving a warm smile¡­Nina Oiso. What is this? It¡¯s quite scary after I found out that I know this person. Even though I felt a bit regretful trying to strike up a conversation with senpai, I still greeted her back with a stiff face. ¡°G-Good morning, senpai. Uh¡­¡± Just as I¡¯m hesitating with what I should say next, Nina-senpai stared at the sky shakingly before smiling creepily. ¡°¡­What a beautiful morning¡­Fake Umehara¡­¡± ¡°Are you really meaning that from the bottom of your heart!¡± Honestly, even if I just heard that from a guy whose whole family was murdered, I would just feel slightly ufortable in my heart. I freaked out this time. However, Nina-senpai tilted her head shockingly for a moment before giving me a mumble in realization. ¡°Ah, ¡­that¡¯s fine. This is just my bad habit¡­¡± ¡°Senpai¡¯s whole family will be murdered once every morning!?¡± ¡°¡­What are you talking about, Fake Umehara? You¡¯re still just as bafflingly disgusting as before¡­¡± A suspicious person is suspecting me in the morning. What is this? Nina-senpaizily let out a sigh. Then, she gave me a look showing that her brain is finally ¡°slightly¡± operational and exined to me. ¡°¡­Well, I got low blood pressure.¡± ¡°Uh, that wasn¡¯t exinable with just a ¡°low blood pressure,¡± right?¡± ¡°Ay, I guess you¡¯re right¡­Even my parents begged me, ¡°my daughter, please don¡¯t act like you just got raped every morning¡­¡± Yep.¡± ¡°That¡¯s severe if your parents used such strong words!¡± ¡°But, to me, being woken up is basically the same as being raped. So perhaps my parents are right¡­¡± ¡°How can your parents tolerate waking you up every morning!¡± ¡°¡­I always red at my parents from the bottom of my heart whenever I¡¯m eating breakfast¡­¡± ¡°No one can stand with you!¡± Being treated as the perpetrator by the daughter every morning, what a poor family. ¡°Even so, ¡­I can¡¯t keep this attitude while entering school¡­¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve called the cops if I¡¯m a teacher.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s why I¡¯ll be like this in the morning, ¡­going out my way and walk to school¡­so I can wake up¡­Zzz.¡± ¡°Eh, you just dozed off there! Walking isn¡¯t working for you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­I¡¯ll immediately boost myself up when I¡¯m near the school gate, and people start looking at me¡­Think about it¡­I¡¯m quite knowledgeable about how our society works¡­¡± ¡°No, senpai. I¡¯m looking at you right now¡­¡± ¡°¡­Uh, so?¡± I feel like she¡¯s genuinely tilting her head to express her confusion. Hmm, ¡­it seems that¡­with such a reaction¡­ ¡°N-No, Nina-senpai. Ipletely understand that you were falling for me a while ago, ¡­but you shouldn¡¯t express your feelings so sincerely in front of a guy.¡± I showed my white and bright teen as I turned on my handsome boy mode. So, I think Nina-senpai seems unable to look at such a charming person directly. So, she put her arms on her forehead and mumbled. ¡°Ah, ¡­I feel that there¡¯s a suitable amount of agitation waking me up. Right, you¡¯re a prick like this, Fake Umehara.¡± ¡°Yes, Nina-senpai. It¡¯s good to know that you¡¯re reminding yourself by calling me a prick.¡± Nina-senpai is an attractive person, but I already have Aguri as my girlfriend. I don¡¯t wish for senpai to be in a rtionship where she can¡¯t gain anything. Nina-senpai nced at me silently. ¡°¡­Yep, not bad, Fake Umehara. Your words are quite refreshing, my blood¡¯s flowing all over my body at once.¡± ¡°The power of love is terrible.¡± ¡°Oh, my blood¡¯s boiling.¡± Nina-senpai seemed to have woken uppletely, even groomed herself for a moment. (although her uniform is still a mess) So, senpai increased her walking speed to normal levels. She walked by me and asked. ¡°Fake Umehara, then what are you doing in the morning? Looking for girls?¡± ¡°Uh, why are all girls treating me as a chatty boy recently?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re literally trying to strike up a conversation.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not-¡° I realized this is how I met Nina-senpai in the middle of my sentence. So I stopped. After I cleared my throat, I brought the topic back to her question forcefully. ¡°Sometimes, I like to walk while thinking.¡± ¡°Uwah, it feels like you¡¯re a weird normie that doesn¡¯t put up a stinky air. I can never understand your reason.¡± ¡°There¡¯s should be a limit for being unreasonable, right.¡± ¡°Fake Umehara, you should like that Vige Vanguard book store, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I like it. Sigh, what¡¯s wrong with me loving Vige Vanguard! Isn¡¯t it great! ¡°Ay, I do appreciate Vige Vanguard. It got a nice style.¡± ¡°Can I ask what do you want from me!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just that you¡¯re pissing me off no matter what you do.¡± ¡°Are you going through your rebellious period or what!¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­sorry. Actually, what were you thinking? Is the examing soon?¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­no. It¡¯s not about that¡­¡± ¡°Then what? Are you thinking about fighting games?¡± ¡°N-No, how should I put it¡­I¡¯m troubled by l-love¡­¡± ¡°¡­Uwah¡­¡± Nina-senpai is despising me with a cold stare. I can¡¯t help but yell! ¡°I¡¯ve expected this reaction already! Yes, you¡¯re correct! A guy walking to school in the morning because he¡¯s troubled by love is terrible, right!¡± ¡°¡­Fake Umehara, it¡¯s like you¡¯re in those romantic reality show like Terrace House: Boys x Girls Next Door¡­¡± [Note: Terrace House: Boys x Girls Next Door, the first installment of Terrace House, a Japanese reality show.] ¡°I¡¯ve been watching that! What¡¯s wrong!¡± ¡°Ay, I even watched the movie version.¡± ¡°You watched that as well!¡± While I still don¡¯t understand this person¡¯s hobbies, I didn¡¯t expect that fighting games aren¡¯t all she interested in. Just as I¡¯m catching my breath from all that yelling, perhaps Nina-senpai was a bit sympathetic towards me. Her attitude softens. ¡°But, I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯ll be troubled by love as well.¡± ¡°Of course. Who do you think I am?¡± ¡°A ruffian boy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s hurtful.¡± It¡¯s such a realistically cheapment. A ruffian boy. Nina-senpai¡¯s still looking at me loosely. She even continued while yawning. ¡°Then, how did it go? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s those clich¨¦ love rivals plot¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°¡­Fake Umehara, let me ask you this-¡° ¡°You don¡¯t need to ask me! What do you want! I¡¯m sorry for being such a shabby person! Yes, I¡¯m so shabby! I¡¯m the type of ¡°I think no one has heard of it, but I quite like X recently,¡± with X being a mainstream title! What¡¯s wrong!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying to imply anything¡­Sigh, i-it should be fine even when a rival in love appeared.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t mention ¡°rival in love¡± with such a faint smile on your face! Let me tell you, this is not as simple as you think¡­¡± ¡°Oh, really. Ah, ¡­I¡¯m sorry. I just imagined a bunch of shabby plots¡­For example, a guy and the female protagonist who was supposed to be rivals in love. While they imed that they don¡¯t have any feelings for each other, they¡¯re pretty close in actuality. I just imagined this kind of shojo manga plot development. You¡¯re right, such a shabby frustration can¡¯t happen in real life¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I looked away and fell silent. Nina-senpai then stared at me with a ¡°Really?¡± look. ¡°¡­Hey, Fake Umehara¡­¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t mind it too much.¡± She put her hand on my shoulder. This reaction should be one of the most upsetting ever. Why can¡¯t she just keep up her humorous responses to thest?¡± It¡¯s not possible to just exin everything to her. I decided to ask for Nina-senpai¡¯s opinion vaguely. ¡°For example, Nina-senpai, what would you do when you¡¯re in a situation like this?¡± ¡°Eh? But I¡¯ve never encountered a rival in love. Whenever I heard that, I just feel the character will only appear in a retarded romanticedy¡­¡± ¡°I-It doesn¡¯t have to be a rival in love! Let me think¡­It would be alright to use gaming as an example. Let¡¯s use fighting games, where senpai¡¯s the most confident at. If you were suddenly and brutally defeated by a close friend that you used to look down upon someday¡­What would you think?¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­for example, like when I suddenly lost to a person like Keita Amano?¡± ¡°W-Why are you using Amano for your metaphor!¡± Although I¡¯m confused at the precise character selection, Nina-senpai really doesn¡¯t seem to be implying anything more. ¡°Uh, it¡¯s because the only ones that I¡¯m both familiar and look down upon with are you and Keita Amano¡­¡± ¡°R-Really? Alright. So, what do you think? Well, ¡­Nina-senpai, if you lose to Amano suddenly in a fighting game, how would you cheer yourself up¡­¡± ¡°Ay, it¡¯s not about cheering up or not. I fundamentally don¡¯t feel I¡¯ll be depressed with that.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I let out a shocking sound at the unexpected answer, but Nina-senpai is giving me the same confused look as well. Eh, eh¡­? Is it because of the issue of me switching the subject from love to fighting games? My emotion right now doesn¡¯t align with Nina-senpai¡¯s answer at all. I was shaken as I questioned her. ¡°Um, well, after all, senpai is the most confident at her skills with fighting games. Then, ¡­if you lose to a guy that doesn¡¯t seem to have any experience suddenly, won¡¯t you find it hard to just let it go?¡± ¡°Well, I think I¡¯ll never forget about it. But, if the reason for that is because of not being able to see my opponent¡¯s experience. I won¡¯t agree with that in the slightest.¡± ¡°W-What does that mean?¡± ¡°After all, in reality, I lost to the guy, right?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± An arrow just pierced into my chest. I-In reality, I lost¡­I¡­lost to Amano¡­ I plopped my head down depressingly as I mumbled with a pale face. ¡°Y-You¡¯re right. I¡­really did lose¡­I should re-evaluate my actions¡­¡± The reality is in front of me. I was a bit dispirited. However, Nina-senpai was dumbfounded with my reaction as she responded. ¡°Like I¡¯ve said before, I¡¯m different from you. I won¡¯t let myself to be that depressed. By the way, before you re-evaluate your actions, perhaps you should find the guy and talk it-¡° Just as Nina-senpai naggingly told me her suggestion. She seems to have suddenly realized something and exhaled disappointingly. ¡°¡­Nevermind. I¡¯m an idiot.¡± ¡°Eh, why did you stop? P-Please, give me a suggestion.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­no, I¡¯m not trying to leave you hanging¡­¡± Nina-senpai troublesomely scratched her head before turning her hand and facing me again¡­Her eyes are full of sympathy, frustration, and also a bit of warmth. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine if we¡¯re just entirely talking about fighting games. But, in reality, you¡¯re talking about your serious rtionship issues, right? If I have to give you a precise suggestion with my standards for gaming, ¡­I feel like I¡¯m not suited to do so. It¡¯s because I don¡¯t want to take up responsibility for your rtionship at all. ¡°Don¡¯t say that! I could really reference on senpai¡¯s style of doing things. Please-¡° Yet, just as I¡¯m sincerely begging Nina-senpai. She persuadingly poked my forehead with her finger. It¡¯s like a mother scolding her child, senpai gave me both a stern and warm look as she continued. ¡°Fake Umehara, do you want to look for answers from another person even though it¡¯s about the core issues of your rtionship?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Suddenly, for some reason- To me, Nina-senpai ovepped with Aguri for a second¡­just for a short second. I guess it¡¯s because that sounds like a suggestion Aguri would give to Amano. While I was a bit shocked, ¡­I immediately pondered on the meaning of the words. So, in the next moment, I immediately tuned down my expression and looked at Nina-senpai directly. ¡°¡­You¡¯re right. I understood. I will try to think about the conclusion of what we¡¯ve just talked about, even though the answer might be different than the one that senpai had in mind.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. I should say, that¡¯s the correct answer to you.¡± Nina-senpai smiled at me, warmly. I responded with the same smile as well. Then, Nina-senpai let out a cute ¡°Phew¡­¡± yawn. ¡°Ah, ¡­I wanted to walk slower. As for you, Fake Umehara¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I understood. Well then, ¡­please fight me again next time!¡± ¡°Alright, I got it. I¡¯ll be expecting that.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± I dashed towards the school after I answered her energetically. Once I snapped out of it, I found out there¡¯re fewer clouds in the sky. * ¡°W-W-Well, Uehara-kun, I would like to ask for your opinion!¡± ¡°Yes, Uehara-kun. It looks like we had to go after you about you not taking care of your own girlfriend.¡± ¡°¡­Ah¡­¡± The two cute girls with dark circles around their eyes intimidated me aggressively. I really don¡¯t know how to respond, so I looked away from them while letting out a ¡°Hmm¡­¡± as I tried to buy time. Game Club clubroom, after school. A couple of modern consoles and monitors are chaotically ced onto the long table in the center. The steel frame at the walls was stuffed with stic boxes full of controllers and cables. Yet, the amount of game software boxes is surprisingly few. I guess this shows that the club believed that it¡¯s better to be proficient in a few games than to be average in a bunch of games. Also, currently, three people are sitting around the table. I, Tasuku Uehara, with my back facing the empty wall. Then, Karen Tendou and Chiaki Hoshinomori¡¯s on the steel frame side. It seems that the Game Club is taking a break today, Nina-senpai and other members are nowhere to be seen. So, right now, ¡­while there¡¯s nothing wrong with Tendou, why are Hoshinomori and I gathered here as well? All of this is because¡­ ¡°Alright. Please exin Amano-kun (Keita)¡¯s rtionship with Aguri-san!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± That¡¯s what going on. Perhaps you can already tell the situation? The only ce and time where no one can hear us three discussing this matter¡­Tendou eventually came up with this ce, that¡¯s where we ended up with. I let out a sigh before pressing my shoulders¡­Honestly, I also wish that someone could exin to me¡­However, these two girls look way worse than me, so I really can¡¯t say anything. The thing that makes them different than me is that Tendou and Hoshinomori are especially proud and aloof. They look so miserable, perhaps it¡¯s because they¡¯re hiding all of their thoughts inside their mind. Facing the two girls staring me forcefully while pressing their hands on the table, I decided to respond with a solid argument. ¡°Then you two should be asking the guy in question instead of me-¡° ¡°We wouldn¡¯t look so worn out if we dared to ask!¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± ¡­Yep, this is my fault. The two are right, even I wouldn¡¯t dare to confirm this with Amano or Aguri directly. Especially Aguri, I already mentioned to her about how she feels towards Amano. I don¡¯t think I can bite the bullet and ask for the second time. Moreover, even if I asked¡­ So, just as I¡¯m lost in thoughts, Hoshinomori brought up my concern. https://1.bp.blogspot/-047NClth7kY/Xto6d81PF-I/AAAAAAAAO5U/R8DYyEp2Wg4Ik4LOb-HyTEpnBAbhBMbugCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/DLraw_0033.jpg ¡°¡­Also, from that situation, even if we managed to ask the two people directly. I think they¡¯ll just reasonably deny our usation¡­¡± Hoshinomori¡¯s hit the nail. Right, here¡¯s the problem. No matter it¡¯s Amano or Aguri, when we ask them about their feelings for each other, they¡¯ll probably just answer ¡°consultor¡± or ¡°little brother.¡± Also, to them, they would be telling the truth. However, even so, ¡­.these are not what we wanted to know. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The mood died down ultimately. Tendou and Hoshinomori slightly calmed down before sitting. To vent out her anxiety, Tendou leaned back before crossing her arms and legs. ¡°Uehara-kun, where¡¯s Amano-kun and Aguri-san today¡­¡± ¡°Ah, Amano did mention this. He said that he¡¯ll be looking for the game he missed yesterday. Aguri said that she wanted to chat with her ssmates and stayed in her ssroom.¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± Tendou gave us a relived look¡­She¡¯s probably worrying over the two meeting each other again. Next to Tendou, Hoshinomori also secretly pressed her chest. Then, during this time, ¡­Tendou suddenly brought up a simple question. ¡°By the way, I understand that Uehara-kun and Aguri-san are dating, so it¡¯s reasonable for Uehara-kun to have the same reaction as I do.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°¡­Uh, ¡­well, but then why would Hoshinomori-san¡­be irritated over this as well? ¡°!¡± Hoshinomori and I were suddenly alerted with the situation¡­She¡¯s right. Although we¡¯ve put our hearts on Aguri and Amano, we didn¡¯t take care of this one at all¡­However, we can¡¯t keep this up! If this goes on, Tendou will realize that Hoshinomori loves Amano! The two of us fell silent at the sudden question. Then, Tendou looked at me Hoshinomori repeatedly with her face turning increasingly confused. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­Hoshinomori-san¡­is still falling for Amano-kun¡­¡± ¡°!¡± Hoshinomori and I started to sweat furiously¡­Uh, but¡­ ¡°Wait, to me, the Captain of the Hoshinomori Love Solidarity Group, isn¡¯t this a good chance? If I make Hoshinomori dere war right now, the situation will more or less change, right¡­¡± With that, I nced at Hoshinomori. So, ¡­Hoshinomori proceeded to¡­ ¡°¡­Well¡­!¡± She seems to be looking away from me embarrassingly. Those eyes are clearly showing the guilty of stomping on someone¡¯s kindness! I guess she can¡¯t bring herself to look at Tendou directly, and she doesn¡¯t know why she¡¯s getting that sympathetic look¡­Anyway, this person is so kind! Just as my determination to support Hoshinomori¡¯s rtionship is getting stronger, Hoshinomori stood up abruptly and turned to Tendou like she already made up her mind. ¡°T-Tendou-san! Uh, the reason why I¡¯m irritated over Keita and Aguri¡­is¡­well¡­is because¡­because¡­I¡­!¡± ¡°O-Ohhhh!¡± Is she finally making a deration of war? Hoshinomori¡¯s imposing manner made both Tendou and I swallowed. So, at the next moment, ¡­Hoshinomori came up with an unexpected line. ¡°I-It¡¯s because my sister is both NOBE and Mono!¡± ¡°¡­W-What?¡± This exnation was too unexpected, Tendou and I were shocked by it. However, Hoshinomori let out a ¡°Hmph¡± from her nose and sat down elegantly with an ¡°I finally got it¡± attitude- ¡°No, no, no, no, no! We didn¡¯t understand at all!¡± Tendou and I immediatelymented. During this time, Hoshinomori stopped us with a ¡°please wait for a moment,¡± then she closed her eyes for almost 20 seconds¡­before mumbling. ¡°I sorted it out.¡± ¡°You sorted it out?¡± Sorted out what! Eh, is it the settings? You just sorted out the setting for this bluffing, Hoshinomori! Just as I¡¯m starting to sweat on my own, Hoshinomori casually started to cover up her lies. ¡°Actually, my sister has a fateful rtionship with Keita on the inte.¡± ¡°Eh? A fateful rtionship¡­on the inte?¡± ¡°Yes, allow me to skip the details. However, that¡¯s basically fate. Moreover, it¡¯s a very, very deep spiritual connection! Their rtionship is ridiculously ideal! Yes!¡± ¡°R-Really.¡± Hoshinomori is somehow very energetic about this and shocked Tendou. Just as I¡¯m observing this scene with a ¡°which movie are we in¡± tone, Hoshinomori cleared her throat before continuing. ¡°Then, ¡­forget about Keita for a second, after my little sister Konoha knows that it¡¯s Keita¡­She¡­basically¡­how should I put it¡­uh¡­she was so attracted by Keita¡­¡± ¡°Very old-fashioned choice of words!¡± From here, we can clearly see that Hoshinomori doesn¡¯t have any experience when ites to talking about rtionships. So, Tendou and I left ourints at our hearts just to show her some care. However, Hoshinomori didn¡¯t seem to realize this and kept on talking. ¡°Ah, but, please rx, Tendou-sama.¡± ¡°Why is she so excited about this?¡± Hoshinomori¡¯s ability as an unobservant otaku is starting to let loose. We don¡¯t know to respond, so we just sat there quietly. ¡°I¡¯m obviously not letting my little sister take your love away. After all, we¡¯re talking about Keita. No sane person will hope her little sister to go on a date with a bean sprout boy like him!¡± ¡°Ehm, well, Hoshinomori-san. Currently, I¡¯m the girlfriend of that bean sprout boy-¡° ¡°Absolutely impossible! Really! Although she¡¯s my sister, I can¡¯t believe she¡¯ll fall in love with a guy like that, even I felt that was tasteless for her! I bet I didn¡¯t care for her enough when she¡¯s little! Think about it, it¡¯s like those anime adaptations of original light novels that y at midnight. Don¡¯t you feel that you¡¯re losing your appetite when you saw the female protagonist falling in love with the male one in chapter 1!¡± ¡°Moe-selling works like that are always getting scolded for their personalitycking yet hugely popr male protagonist. However, I always felt that the female protagonist falling for the male one so quickly is just as bull-¡° ¡°Hoshinomori. That¡¯s enough. You¡¯re now basically shooting Tendou with a machine gun!¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Hoshinomori was alerted before looking at the girl¡¯s face next to her. Then, ¡­the idol of our school¡­is sitting there with a smile stered on her face while clearly not meaning it¡­Yep, I figured it out. Hoshinomori, ¡­no wonder you can¡¯t befriend anyone. Hoshinomori cleared her throat with an ¡°A-Ahem!¡± Then, she continued. ¡°S-So, I¡¯m not going to let my little sister take away Keita from Tendou-san. It¡¯s more like, I wanted to make her witness how strong Tendou-san and Keita¡¯s rtionship really is!¡± ¡°Make her witness¡­the rtionship between Amano-kun and me?¡± Tendou tilted her head while Hoshinomori gave her a warm smile. ¡°Yes. After all, ¡­when my little sister gives up after seeing how loving you two are¡­Isn¡¯t that a clean way to end a rtionship?¡± ¡°Hoshinomori-san¡­¡± Tendou replied with the same smile. A warm aura is radiating off the two of them¡­However, I was watching them with a tinge of pain in my heart. ¡°Hoshinomori¡­you¡­¡± Her words are full of ridiculous lies. Even so, ¡­on the other hand, her true feelings are always so explicit that no one can bear to see it. After a while, Hoshinomori let out a ¡°so¡± to bring us back to the topic. ¡°Just as my little sister¡¯s love is about to end spectacrly, a weird character for romantic movies named Aguri-san showed up. This hurts my brain!¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s why.¡± Tendou and I mumbled at the same time. Especially me, I was very convinced of this exnation. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t expect this to work as well!¡± Chiaki Hoshinomori¡­Although hermunication skill as a whole is hopeless, she¡¯s still a creator. I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s especially outstanding at fabricating fictional settings. Hoshinomori, the Master of Imagination, continued. ¡°After apetition like Aguri-san appeared, it¡¯ll make my little sister feel like ¡°perhaps I have a chance as well! I¡¯ll have to give it everything!¡± This will be quite bothering.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Even so, if she found out that ¡°Uwah, I didn¡¯t know that the lover that I met on the inte, Keita Amano, is a filthy cheater¡­¡± Thus ending her first love poorly. I¡¯ll feel terrible for her as well.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why¡­After all, as a girl that¡¯s worrying her little sister¡¯sing-to-an-end rtionship, I¡¯m just feeling terrible for the suddenly appearing female protagonist, Aguri!¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s why¡­¡± This exnation is so next-level that I findpelling. What the hell? You¡¯re incredible, Chiaki Hoshinomori. Also, that¡¯s the exact reason why I feel so empty for you, Chiaki Hoshinomori! How subtle do you have to express your feelings just then! To Hoshinomori¡¯s exnation, Tendou nodded in agreement. ¡°Yep, I understand now, Hoshinomori-san. Uh, ¡­also, I wanted to apologize! R-Really. I thought that you¡¯re the one who¡¯s falling for Amano-kun¡­¡± ¡°No, no, no! Like I¡¯ve said before, I¡¯ll never fall in love with a sluggish bug like him-¡° ¡°Ah, okay. You don¡¯t need to say anything anymore!¡± Tendou rescued her boyfriend just in time, who was about to be scolded like a pig-head. She coughed before leading us back to the discussion. ¡°Back to the thing about Amano-kun and Aguri-san. The real question is¡­In the eyes of you two, how do you guys feel about Amano-kun and Aguri-san?¡± To Tendou¡¯s question, Hoshinomori and I looked at each other¡­before staring at her with the eyes of a dead fish. ¡°If this is a romanticedy, the two of them will end up as a couple.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Karen Tendou pressed her elbows onto the table as she¡¯s holding her head. It looks like she got the exact same impression as we do. Hoshinomori exined with a lifeless face. ¡°To be honest, I was sure even though I¡¯m not familiar with rom. We can often see a plot like this with childhood sweethearts who¡¯re always in an argument.¡± ¡°I should say it¡¯s basically like that. The two¡¯s rtionship is so good that they¡¯re like the protagonists of a rom that¡¯s developed from them supporting each other¡¯s rtionship.¡± We continued adding. However, Tendou, who still doesn¡¯t want to admit, retorted hopelessly. ¡°B-But, what evidence do you guys have¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s based on your boyfriend¡¯s preferences on things! (Oh!)¡± ¡°¡­I guess so.¡± Perhaps she still can¡¯t take in her emotions, Tendou¡¯s already answering us like she¡¯s a robot. We three let out a big sigh at the same time. Silence soon fell onto us. The first one to break it is Hoshinomori, who looks tired from the bottom of her heart. ¡°In reality, what¡¯s up with that? I can¡¯t believe that the guy¡¯s prioritizing a girl over gaming¡­When did Keita be a boy who¡¯ll make correct choices like that!¡± I can¡¯t help butment at Hoshonomori¡¯s angry question. ¡°Ay, but usually, that means that he¡¯s growing, right¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not growing at all! That¡¯s just losing personality! I knew it! It¡¯s like a certain straw hat-wearing pirate yelling, ¡°It¡¯s better to get a secure job than to be the king of pirates!¡± Words like that!¡± ¡°N-No. Let¡¯s think about this calmly, that was a correct choice for one¡¯s life¡­¡± ¡°Taking the right route doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s right! Uehara-kun, if that¡¯s the case, how about this. Do you want to see a Dragon Ball episode where Goku sincerely begs his enemies and says it¡¯s bad to use violence!¡± ¡°I¡¯m kind of interested.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so stubborn! B-But, there should be the main story first! It works as a secondary creation, but no one wants to watch that if it got turned into the main plot!¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Also, from my perspective, Keita is precisely like that! Even though I¡¯ve mentioned that before, ¡­the reason why Keita Amano is Keita Amano, isn¡¯t it because he¡¯s stupid enough to reject Tendou-san¡¯s rare invitation!¡± ¡°R-Right¡­¡± Hoshinomori¡¯s especially excited. Tendou and I backed down for a bit. Tendou evenined to her confusingly. ¡°Uh, Hoshinomori-san? Well, ¡­if we¡¯re just talking about your little sister¡¯s love, you seem to have a pretty solid ¡°Keita Amano Theory¡± in your head¡­¡± ¡°N-No! Uh, it¡¯s because¡­Right, this is from the emotional side of a creator! I can never ept my character losing his personality, yes!¡± ¡°R-Right¡­T-That¡¯s why.¡± Tendou was frozen at Hoshinomori¡¯s excitement, so she barely epted it. To help Hoshinomori out, I decided to quickly move on. ¡°Anyway, the crux of this problem is with Keita Amano prioritizing Aguri over gaming, right.¡± Tendou nodded at what I just said. ¡°Although I¡¯m not willing to admit, you¡¯re right. Actually, ¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that problematic for Aguri-san to be that close to Amano-kun. After all, she has always been a straightforward person.¡± ¡°Yeah, Aguri¡¯s always more unfettered than anyone else.¡± Even so, if I, who¡¯s familiar with Aguri was talking. Although she looks flighty, this girl, in reality, will keep a subtle distance with every male aside from me¡­Sigh, now¡¯s not the time for that, it¡¯ll just make things even moreplicated. So, Tendou lowered her head lonelily. ¡°Amano-kun rejected my invitation to the Game Club¡­Yet, he epted Aguri-san¡¯s request right away¡­After all, ¡­no matter how you think of it, it means that Amano-kun¡¯s already¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Hoshinomori and I can¡¯t say anything to smooth things over. It¡¯s a fact that Keita Amano rejected the Game Club and rushed next to Aguri-san for her. This is different than pure idents and misunderstandings in the past, the overwhelming ¡°fact¡± is right there. It¡¯s not helping even if you try to describe it optimistically. Another wave of imposing silence fell onto us. We lost count of how many times that this has urred. Hoshinomori started mumbling. ¡°I feel like¡­this gathering is pretty pointless as well. Even if we managed to discuss something, ¡­the bond between the two wouldn¡¯t change because of that¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Her words stabbed into our hearts deeply¡­Everyone in this room understood that before we came in. But even if we do, ¡­we still had to look forfort somewhere. However, this time we can¡¯t even lick our wounds. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s dismiss.¡± Tendou murmured this out. In reality, I guess that means we¡¯ll dismiss here¡­However, to us right now, it¡¯s hard to not feel that there¡¯s another meaning for that. Is it right to just let it end this way? This thought is on everyone¡¯s head¡­Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have a way to break us out of this situation. We stood up silently from our seats as we started preparing to go home- ¡°Knock, knock!¡± -During this time, the door to the clubroom was suddenly knocked. We stared at each other. The shy Hoshinomori then asked Tendou nervously. ¡°A-Are the members of the Game Clubing?¡± ¡°No¡­Strange, I¡¯ve already told them that we¡¯re having a break today¡­¡± Tendou mumbled as she answered. ¡°Okay,e in!¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡± The door was pushed open, following a girl¡¯s slow answering. The voice is familiar. Then, the person that¡¯s standing there¡­ ¡°Ah, you¡¯re really here! Tasuku, really, you¡¯re secretly in a closed room with a bunch of cute girls again¡­¡± ¡°W-Why are you¡­¡± The main subject of our discussion and my girlfriend ¨C Aguri is here. * ¡°Huh? Amano has changed recently?¡± Aguri seemingly gave us a ¡°c¡¯mon¡± from the bottom of her heart as she tilted her head. However, the three of us weren¡¯t convinced, and we stared at her full of resolute as we nodded. ¡­It¡¯s been 10 minutes since Aguri¡¯s in the Game Club clubroom. Initially, she was pissed with her boyfriend secretly meeting with other girls behind her. But after we tried our best to exin to her, she finally barely forgave us. Even so, we skipped the part where we¡¯re getting jealous of how intimate Amano and Aguri is. In our words, we¡¯re only discussing how Keita Amano¡¯s values have changed. Although Aguri¡¯s temper cooled down, paratively, she questioned our topic. She held her hands around the back of her head, and even swinging the chair with the back chair leg as bnce as she continued. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is that really serious enough for three people to go out of their way and gather here to discuss?¡± The content¡¯s really weak when we¡¯re just talking about this topic. This misunderstanding only urs because we can¡¯t mention our suspicion of Amano and Aguri¡¯s rtionship. Just as we¡¯re scrambling our brains for an excuse. Suddenly, Tendou exhaled from her nose as she started yelling. ¡°This is already serious enough! It¡¯s more like, as long as it¡¯s rted to Amano-kun, everything in this world matters!¡± ¡°Yep, I don¡¯t want to hear a super biased opinion from one of the idiotic couple.¡± ¡°L-Let us forget about me being Amano-kun¡¯s girlfriend first. In reality, he¡¯s the central figure of the Game Hobby Club. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a big issue for the Hobby Club when a person like this started to neglect video games?¡± ¡°No, ¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that much of a big issue¡­¡± Aguri let out a ¡°hey¡± before switching back to her usual seating pose. Then, she looked at us before asking. ¡°I was already a bit suspicious with the choices of words of you guys. Put it bluntly, it¡¯s because of that, right? Yesterday, Amanhi gave up the newly-released game for me, and it made all of you felt ufortable, right?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± We didn¡¯t even mention this directly, yet, we still got caught. Ay, it¡¯s hard to me the girl. We gathered here to discuss not even a day after that, anyone can realize the real reason. After Aguri let out a dumbfounded sigh, she popped arge mint into her mouth from her bag. She tried to give us, but we all refused. Aguri doesn¡¯t seem to mind as she withdrew her hand. ¡°Really.¡± Then, she just chewed the mint candy by herself for a while¡­before speaking to us with an unusually rxed tone. ¡°Uh, ¡­what the hell, are you guys idiots?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Aguri¡¯s tone was like she¡¯s baffled from the bottom of her heart, it scared us. Since she¡¯s not that close to Hoshinomori and Tendou, she tried to suppress her emotion down. Even so, she continued like she wanted to vent out her anger. ¡°Well, ¡­I just want to confirm, all of you are really bothered with this, right? Like, none of you is trying to prank or anything, right?¡± ¡°O-Of course! No one¡¯s pranking you!¡± Hoshinomori answered quite angrily. To that, Aguri apologized with a simple smile. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just trying to confirm.¡± ¡­Then, she scratched her head like all of this is bothering her. ¡°Sigh, you guys are boring¡­I can¡¯t take this¡­¡± To that airy attitude, even Tendou and I got pissed off. Tendou started to deepen her voice and said. ¡°A-Aguri-san, I respect your opinion. However, Amano-kun was a person¡­that initially rejected my invitation to the Game Club. Then, when we saw him giving up his favorite game for you¡­It¡¯s hard for us to not feel shocked or suspicious, right?¡± ¡°Uh, so, just as all of you¡¯re starting to get suspicious¡­Ah, really¡­¡± Aguri gave up exining in the middle. Then, she shrugged helplessly as she grabbed her phone out of her pocket, seemingly trying to pull off something. Under the re of all of us, she slid and poked the screen quickly with her fingers before speaking tartly. ¡°¡­I decided to do this because it¡¯s useless to exin this verbally¡­But, honestly, this isn¡¯t something I would usually do since it¡¯s quite terrible. So, please remember to apologize afterward.¡± ¡°?¡± Aguri continued on her phone as she said something that neither of us can really understand. After a minute. Aguri finished confirming the screen, ¡­then she looked at us and let out a sigh. ¡°¡­Sigh¡­I can¡¯t help it. Here goes.¡± ¡°?¡± From this sentence, we guessed that she just sent a message or e-mail to someone. However, we still don¡¯t really understand the situation. Aguri grabbed another mint and popped it into her mouth casually. Then, she looked at her phone, depressingly before speaking to us like it¡¯s nothing. ¡°About Amanhi, I¡¯ve actually met him in the main building just then.¡± ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t the guy looking for his game today¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it seems to be true. However, it¡¯s said that the guy realized his phone is still in the drawer, so he unwillingly headed back here. Also, unfortunately, the phone was taken away by the janitor. He has to go to the office to deal with some annoying formalities before getting his phone back¡­¡± ¡°It feels like that¡¯s exactly the thing Amano-kun will encounter.¡± Tendou smiled faintly. Conversely, Aguri¡¯s unexpected not too thrilled with this. She even stared at her phone, boringly. ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s quite like his style¡­But, what I wanted to say is that it looks like Amanhi¡¯s probably still around here.¡± ¡°Uh, so?¡± ¡°Ay, so.¡± Aguri deeply sighed as she said that¡­Then, she seemed to have made up her mind and put her phone on the table for us to see. Although we three were quite pissed at her bafflingly casual attitude, we still stood up and leaned forward to see the screen. Then, it showed¡­the interface of a texting app. Aguri¡¯s icon sent two messages to Amano, who¡¯s still hasn¡¯t got his own image and is using the default one. We got our faces together as we read the content of the messages. ¡°Amanhi. This is just what I heard from my ssmate. It seems that the game you were looking for still has one copy left in the game store nearest to the school. You should be able to make it if you rush there right now!¡± ¡°!¡± We don¡¯t understand the meaning of the message, so we unconsciously looked at Aguri. Aguri¡¯s still giving us a depressed look. She moved her chin and urged us to continue reading. We can only look at the following message she typed. ¡°Right. Also, actually, my boyfriend had a big argument with his pals. He¡¯s super depressed right now. He even asked Tendou-san, who he bumped into with, to borrow him the key to the Game Club clubroom before locking himself up and said he wanted to calm down alone. So, you should call him when you got the time.¡± ¡°This is¡­¡± Tendou and Hoshinomori looked at me. I shook my head¡­Uh, it said that I had a big argument with my boys, but I didn¡¯t remember any of that at all¡­ After we looked back at Aguri, she yed with her nails as she casually spoke without ncing at us. ¡°The game and the argument are aplete lie. I just made that all up.¡± ¡°Huh!¡± We¡¯repletely baffled. A strange silence fell onto the room. Suddenly, ¡­a noise of someone rushing through the halls can be heard. Just as I¡¯m thinking what¡¯s going on, ¡­that wave of footsteps is getting closer and closer. So, unexpectedly, at the next moment, the door was forcefully knocked open by someone. ¡°U-U-U-Uehara-kun! It¡¯s fine! I-I-I¡¯m on your side, s-s-s-so please don¡¯t b-be too depressed¡­!¡± A boy with severe stuttering to the point where people are getting embarrassed appeared. That¡¯s a young boy that¡¯s as thin as a bean sprout and got himself just as sweaty as he did yesterday. In other words¡­ ¡°..A-Amano?¡± ¡°Ah, Uehara-kun! Well, while I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on, but you still got me as your friend¡­Eh? S-Strange¡­Aguri-san and Tendou-san are here as well¡­Even Chiaki¡¯s here¡­?¡± Amano wiped the sweat that¡¯s dripping down his chin away as he stepped into the clubroom. So, perhaps even he realized that this is a simr situation to yesterday¡¯s, so he was alerted as he looked at Aguri. Then, Aguri immediately mmed her hands together as she apologized to Amano with one eye closed. ¡°Sorry, Amanhi! Uh, it¡¯s because of a certain situation¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s just like what you think. This is a trick that I¡¯ve been practicing¡­Calling Amanhi Randomly! Da-da!¡± ¡°What trick is this! Eh? This means that the game and the thing about Uehara-kun getting depressed are all¡­¡± ¡°That message was purely fictional. It has nothing to do with the individuals and groups in reality.¡± ¡°Eh? What¡¯s that? An easy-to-pull-off yet extremely fatal act?¡± Amano immediately deted as soon as he heard the truth. Aguri opened the foldable chair right away and let him sit next to her. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± As for us three, ¡­we stared at this process as we fell into a whirl of emotions that¡¯s different than yesterday. All we can do is to open our mouth, speechless. My chest is throbbing unusually. It¡¯s the same as yesterday¡­However, this kind of throbbing is decisively different than yesterday, it¡¯s not a throbbing of jealousy and suspicion. ¡°¡­Ahem.¡± Then, maybe it¡¯s because he rushed here too quickly, Amano started coughing since he¡¯s out of his breath. We can¡¯t help but express our worries. He then embarrassingly put his hand out and stopped us. ¡°S-Sorry, I¡¯ll go get some water.¡± Then, he stood up quickly from his seat and dashed out of the clubroom to the nearest toilet. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± As for Tendou, Hoshinomori, and me, we stared at the door where he just left with pale faces¡­During this time, we¡¯re finally starting to understand. We understood why Aguri¡¯s so impatient with us today. Aguri still stared at us dumbfoundedly¡­Then, she looked at the door where Amano just left as she mumbled, seemingly not trying to me us. ¡°Right, where were we? You guys were talking about who changed his personality? Continue.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We plopped our head down¡­It was not until now that an overwhelming sense of embarrassment and regret flushed in our hearts. Aguri looked at us before exhaling slightly and rxed her face. ¡°I felt a bit sorry if you guys think that I¡¯m especially close to Amanhi. But, after seeing that scene, ¡­I think all of you understood, right?¡± To Aguri¡¯s words, I lowered my voice and answered. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Amano¡¯s just coincidentally rushing for me this time¡­However, the result will probably be the same even if you switch me for Tendou or Hoshinomori¡­¡± ¡°Ay, that¡¯s right.¡± Aguri smiled at me before persuading Tendou. ¡°Also, about Amanhi reject your club invitation, that¡¯s because¡­¡± Just as Aguri¡¯s in the middle of her sentence, Amano opened the door. ¡°¡­!¡± The three of us looked away from him out of our guilt and plopped our heads down. ¡°?¡± Amano froze at the creepy atmosphere in the room. Just as he¡¯s sitting down sheepishly, ¡­Aguri gave him her usual devilish smile as she spoke to Amano. ¡°Ehhhh, Amanhi!¡± ¡°W-What, Aguri-san?¡± ¡°Let me ask you this, Amanhi. You¡¯re so stupid that you prioritized your own gaming style over the invitation to enjoy your youth with Tendou-san in the Game Club, right?¡± ¡°Huh? W-Why are you suddenly bringing this up? It¡¯s more like all of you¡¯re gathering here to¡­¡± ¡°Just answer me, Amanhi. You¡¯re an idiot, right?¡± Aguri looked up at Amano seriously. While Amano, who doesn¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on at all, was shocked for a moment, he still looked away before answering. ¡°Ay, ¡­you¡¯re right. I¡¯m an idiot. Sorry.¡± ¡°Yep, but an idiot like you just threw your game away because of Tasuku and me today and yesterday, respectively, right? Why did you do that? Are you pretending to be a total normie now? You¡¯re not a gamer anymore?¡± Aguri pretended a series of core questions. We were a bit nervous. However, Amano just tilted his head like he¡¯s unable toprehend the importance of these questions. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m really a ¡°fanatic gamer¡± that wasted my youth away because of video games¡­¡± Then, he continued naturally. ¡°But, I think I¡¯m not a prick that uses gaming as a reason to leave my friends alone when they¡¯re in trouble.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Please don¡¯t disrespect gamers that much, Aguri-san.¡± ¡°S-Sorry, Amanhi.¡± This interaction finally made us unable to look at Amano¡¯s face directly¡­We¡¯re embarrassed from the bottom of our hearts since we just despised him on our own. However, Amano doesn¡¯t seem to have noticed the mood, and he red at Aguri. ¡°Aguri-san, by the way, why are you trying to put on airs since we met?¡± Of course, Amano will question this because he doesn¡¯t know our conversation. However, Aguri can¡¯t answer his question, so she looked away. ¡°H-Hiya? Uh, y-you do care after all?¡± ¡°Yeah, I do care! After I was tricked, you just went especially lofty and asked me several questions like you¡¯re testing me for something, ¡­even I would be pissed as well!¡± ¡°A-Amanhi! I feel like it counts as a prick if you act rudely to a girl!¡± ¡°Please rx, I¡¯m not going to hit you. However, ¡­I¡¯m using my sweaty hands to touch your personal belongings!¡± ¡°Uwah, don¡¯t touch my phone! Hentai!¡± They started chasing each other in the cramped clubroom, as they argued. We looked at the two and deeply reflected on our miserable suspicion. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We apologized to Amano again and again in our hearts. We even made up our mind to apologize to him legitimately after this. Just as we¡¯re dragging this, the two of them continued yelling. ¡°There¡¯s no escape, Aguri-san! Today, ¡­I¡¯ll touch what I¡¯ve said no matter what! With my sweaty hands! I¡¯m touching your stuff or the corner of your uniform!¡± ¡°Ha, big talk¡­That¡¯s quite imposing, actually. Amanhi, onee-san is proud to see your growth!¡± ¡°You can only keep your cool now¡­Hiya!¡± ¡°No sweat! What about this!¡± ¡°U-Uwah, s-stop moving! I almost touched your chest!¡± ¡°Hmph, Amanhi, see? This is one of my specialized tactics, exclusive to Amanhi! A Horrible, Mandatory Sexual Harassment! If my move hit, the opponent¡¯s social life is over!¡± ¡°Ugh, how despicable¡­! But, ¡­even so, I¡¯ve said that I¡¯m going to do that no matter what¡­!¡± ¡°Hehe, I know a virgin like Amanhi can never conquer his fear of this tactic! Come, you¡¯ll be touching my breasts!¡± ¡°Ugh, you¡¯ll be ashamed if I touched them as well!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not going to happen. It¡¯s because even you touched my breasts, I wouldn¡¯t care at all!¡± ¡°T-The same goes for me. While it¡¯s hard to say for other girls, but it¡¯s not a problem for me to touch your chest! So, I¡¯m not scared of you!¡± ¡°Ugh, it looks like you¡¯re really risking your life here. Amanhi. Well, ¡­it¡¯s time for me to reveal my final measure¡­¡± ¡°T-There¡¯s an even more powerful defense move than your breasts? W-What¡¯s that¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a gap! I¡¯m leaving!¡± ¡°Ah, stand right there, Aguri-san! Uh, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll be leaving too!¡± Aguri grabbed her bag and left the clubroom. Keita Amano apologized to us before immediately chasing after her. The corridor is echoing the loud footsteps of them chasing each other. As for the three of us, we first profoundly apologized to Amano¡­Since he¡¯s not here, we prayed silently to make up for it. Once the apology is over. After all. Even if things went this way. We had to shout at the top of our lungs no matter what. ¡°EVEN SO, YOU TWO ARE WAY TOO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER!!!¡± Keita Amano and Aguri. It seems that there would still be a long time before peoplepletely stop suspecting them. Volume 5, 2 – Konoha Hoshinomori and Unrestricted Scale

Volume 5, Chapter 2 ¨C Konoha Hoshinomori and Unrestricted Scale

Trantor: your_pingas ¡°Konoha-san, you wanted to ask for¡­my rmendation other than hentai games?¡± ¡°Yes. Is there a problem?¡± The cute girl with ck hair and double ponytail ¨C Konoha Hoshinomori nodded at me with her back facing the sunset beaming from the window. ¡°Uh, there isn¡¯t r-really a problem¡­¡± Although I answered that, I still worriedly looked around. Student Council Room, after school. The sunset is shining. A cute girl and I were in a moody closed room¡ªa guy and a girl, alone. ¡­Only the protagonist from light novels can act sincerely and casually in a situation like this. As for me, Keita Amano, a lonely passerby in high school uniform, all I can do is to sweat profusely as I answer while stuttering. The beautiful girl in question¡­Konoha-san let out a dumbfounded sigh at my look. Then, she crossed her arms under her plumpy chest. ¡°¡­You¡¯re still the typical indoor lonely otaku as the day I know you, senpai.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m really a typical indoor lonely otaku!¡± Being criticized face-to-face by a girl younger than me, I was so upset that tears are already forming on my eyes, but I still managed to retort back. ¡°E-Even if it wasn¡¯t me¡­When I¡¯m called to another school that I¡¯m not familiar with, and the location is the student council room, which is like the most crucial out of all, it¡¯s reasonable to freak out, right.¡± I looked around as I said this. Indeed, actually, ¡­this isn¡¯t the student council room of Otobuki where I¡¯m studying in, it¡¯s a neighboring school with better average grades¡­The student council room of Hekiyou High School. There shouldn¡¯t be a lot of high school students that can act naturally when they just came to the student council room of another school. Konoha answered with a ¡°you¡¯re right¡± before almost agreeing with me for a moment, but then she immediately continued. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right when visiting a normal student council¡­But, Amano-senpai, you¡¯re a guy after all, right?¡± ¡°Eh, this is rted to being a girl or guy?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very rtable. After all, we¡¯re talking about men¡­¡± During this time, Konoha-san raised her eyebrows with a bit of a blush, and she even puffed up like she¡¯s pissed off over something as she told me this. ¡°No matter how introverted or weak the guy is, as long as it develops into an 18+ plot, he¡¯ll instantly and excitedly go for a public y or verbal insults. Aren¡¯t all men are creatures like that?¡± ¡°Uh, Konoha-san, please don¡¯t discuss men based on the male protagonist in hentai games! Not all men in real-life are like that!¡± ¡°Really? I feel a gentle boy like you feel say stuff like ¡°C¡¯mon, ¡­tell me what you want¡± whenever you¡¯re ¡°doing¡± that¡­¡± ¡°Even though I understand what you are trying to say! However, that¡¯s just from the perspective of hentai games! It¡¯s not going to happen in real-life! A coward will always be a coward!¡± I-I guess so. I¡¯ll never have the chance to see two people smashing, so I can¡¯t be sure. Konoha-san bulged her eyes before mumbling like she didn¡¯t expect this from the bottom of her heart. ¡°R-Really. Sorry, I need to adjust my mind.¡± ¡°It¡¯s great if you can do that.¡± ¡°Yep,pared to the protagonist in hentai games, Amano-senpai is small in ¡°every¡± way¡­Alright.¡± ¡°Yep, it¡¯s because I¡¯m scared, so I¡¯m not going to pursue you about the content of the so-called ¡°every¡± way.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s a smart decision.¡± Konoha-san smiled faintly as she took her seat¡­Uh, I can¡¯t still tell her true identity as a hentai game fan just by looking at her alone¡­So, I stared at her carefully as I let out a sigh. Konoha Hoshinomori. In Hekiyou High School¡¯s student council election, that¡¯s basically a beauty contest. She¡¯s a top-notch cute girl that brilliantly took the throne of the president as a junior. Also, she¡¯s exceptional at academics, teachers, and students alike are always praising her serious and hardworking side. This girl¡¯s reputation can¡¯t be higher. A girl like her should have nothing to do with a lonely and humble passerby in a different school like me¡­Keita Amano¡­Sigh, but as you can see here, after a bunch of events, we grew closer to each other for a little. Also, about the ¡°a bunch of events¡± part, too many things have happened where I can¡¯t exin in detail. If you want a brief summary, basically, this girl is the little sister of someone I¡¯m familiar with¡­my rival, Chiaki Hoshinomori. Ay, she¡¯s just the little sister of someone I know with that alone¡­However, I identally found out that she was a hentai game fan a while ago (only I knew it). Our rtionship has changed immensely ever since. Then, after a bunch of twisted events, ¡­atst, I guess you can call us partners with the same hobbies or secret sharers. Although we¡¯re not close enough to call each other friends, the secret that we shared is tooplicated for me to treat her as just a girl I know¡­What a subtle rtionship. Anyway, being with such a girl alone in the core room of another school¡­I can never calm down in a situation like this. Konoha-san, who was observing me up until now, finally spoke with a slightly apologetic tone. ¡°Sigh, even though senpai looks like an inactive loner, I¡¯m quite sorry for just calling you here this suddenly.¡± ¡°I feel like that¡¯s not something a truly apologetic person would say, but whatever. In reality, I¡¯m quite used to called by people recently.¡± It¡¯s because of one of my friend¡¯s gal-type girlfriend. It¡¯s already good that she didn¡¯t ask me to pay for her meals. However, the question is¡­ ¡°But why are you asking toe to Hekiyou¡¯s student council room? Why can¡¯t we just meet regrly outside?¡± I looked into the room as I asked, Konoha-san¡¯s face suddenly red up for some reason. ¡°O-Outside¡­Whether it¡¯s cream y in the family restaurant, public y in the park, or ¡°silent¡± y in the library, I¡¯m not too fond of all of that¡­¡± ¡°Eh, I¡¯m not talking about hentai games!¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°What a surprising retort!¡± I didn¡¯t expect the serious side to be on the disadvantageous side of this debate. What the hell, this is so embarrassing. ¡°Forget about the jokes. Actually, this is the only location possible to meet senpai secretly.¡± ¡°Really¡­Why is that?¡± I asked dumbfoundedly¡­Then, Konoha-san answered calmly as if she¡¯s describing a fact. ¡°Eh? If someone saw Amano-senpai and I were alone, isn¡¯t that worse than being in hell?¡± ¡°I¡¯m literally experiencing hell right now!¡± Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have a heart that can tolerate a little girl saying stuff like no one can bear being seen together with you. Why do you have to do this for me? I want to cry. I want to go home. Just as I¡¯m grabbing my bag and standing up with tears on my face, Konoha-san hurriedly tried to smooth things over. ¡°N-No, I didn¡¯t mean it in a bad way! After all, senpai has a girlfriend! I may not look like it, but I¡¯m just as popr! It¡¯ll be troublesome if rumors start going around, right!¡± ¡°¡­Sigh, I guess you¡¯re right¡­¡± ¡°Right? Instead of letting things devolve into that¡­Isn¡¯t it better to just have an erotic discussion that will make people blush with just the two of us secretly? In a deste and closed room, after school, you agree?¡± ¡°Out! Completely out! Secretly chatting erotic stuff, that¡¯s literally worse than only cheating! I-I¡¯ll feel terrible for Tendou-san. It¡¯s better to just cancel this meeting-¡° ¡°Eh, wait, d-don¡¯t go!¡± Just as I¡¯m preparing to go home, Konoha-san put her hands on my shoulders and pressured me back to my seat with her weight. After school, I¡¯m in the student council room of another school, pressed slowly by a cute girl that¡¯s clinging next to me. ¡­Yep, this is not good. Even though Konoha-san doesn¡¯t like me at all, this can possibly be defined as cheating if you just look at this physically. To overwhelm Konoha-san¡¯s weight, I started to use all my power to stand up. So, ¡­she anxiously yelled something out at the top of her lungs. ¡°A-Amano senpai, ¡­I want to hear your rmendation for games!¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± As a gamer, I immediately rxed and sat back down. Konoha-san and I stared at each other and fell silent for a couple seconds¡­After that, I cleared my throat and looked away as I answered. ¡°¡­Sigh, I guess it¡¯s okay if we¡¯re just talking about video games¡­¡± ¡°Crap, this gaming otaku is surely super easy to fool.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going home.¡± ¡°Ah! Wait! Wait! Alright, I really wanted to chat with senpai about gaming only today!¡± Konoha-san hastily tried to cover it up while I squinted and stared at her. ¡°¡­Y-You¡¯re not going to derail the discussion into that side. Right?¡± ¡°Why would I, don¡¯t treat me as if I¡¯m a female monkey that ruts all year! ¡­But I¡¯m not going to deny about the rutting all year part.¡± ¡°You¡¯re supposed to deny that! Even if you kept the female monkey, you should at least deny that!¡± ¡°A-Anyway, we¡¯ll only talk about console games mainly today! Please, senpai! Please? Please?¡± ¡°¡­Sigh, if that¡¯s the case¡­¡± I finally let my guard down and sat down deeply. Konoha-san then pressed her chest in relief as she mumbled. ¡°¡­Really, the same tactic against sis can bepletely copied here as well, how convenient¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it seems that I was treated as a person like Chiaki just then, I should go home.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still never missing other people¡¯s mumbling, senpai! N-No, I¡¯m just joking! Amano-senpai, you¡¯re different than my sis, yes!¡± Konoha tried her best to smooth things over¡­I can only go along with her. I took the seat on the right of Konoha-san (which I think is the seat of the vice-president usually). Then, I urged her to continue with an attitude like I¡¯m at a conference. ¡°So, why are you finding me to talk about games other than hentai? Shouldn¡¯t you just ask your sis for that?¡± Although I¡¯m not willing to admit, ¡­her sister, that is Chiaki Hoshinomori, has basically the same view for gaming as I do. Instead of going out of her way to secretly find a guy from another school to talk about game rmendations, it¡¯s more convenient to discuss with your family. Konoha-san shook her head vigorously. ¡°My sis is indeed very simr to senpai. But don¡¯t you two have a fatal difference in opinion about moe elements?¡± ¡°I guess so¡­¡± This is the reason why Chiaki is my rival. Basically, our two¡¯s sensibility is so close that it¡¯s we¡¯re clones, but we¡¯repletely the opposite on that part. ¡°Then, this time, that¡¯s a quite important point to me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Honestly, please rmend me a console game that even a hentai game lover like me would want to y as well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why.¡± Chiaki, who hates moe elements, is undoubtedly unable to fulfill tasks like this. No wonder I¡¯m the one that has to deal with the problem. Although I immediately listed a game rmendation in my brain, I asked furthermore. ¡°However-¡° ¡°If you¡¯re looking for those games, why don¡¯t you just search on the inte?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll reference online research, but I also treasure opinion that can be asked directly from people close to me.¡± ¡°Ah, I can understand that.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s better to be straightforward. When I¡¯m on the sex scenes, I also like to do it directly without a condom. The rhythm will be clearer.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t, nor I want to understand. Also, I don¡¯t want you to talk about that at all.¡± ¡°Ah, of course, that¡¯s only from a creator¡¯s side. I feel like people should be careful in real-life! It¡¯s wrong to just let yourself loose in happiness, we definitely can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°A very correct suggestion, and I wholeheartedly agree as well. However, if you have such fantastic judgment, why won¡¯t you hesitate for even a bit when you¡¯re showing your naked sexual fetishes for hentai games?¡± ¡°To me, it¡¯s already a kind of ¡°escape¡± if Ipletely stopped talking about my sexual fetishes in a hentai gamementary.¡± ¡°What are you trying to fight against?¡± ¡°Right, also I wanted to ask this, why do men naturally want to creampie-¡° ¡°I¡¯ve said this before, please don¡¯t discuss men based on the standard of hentai games! Also, it¡¯s really NSFW if we¡¯re chatting about this in a closed room!¡± I protested with my face as red as a tomato, Konoha-san then tilted her head bafflingly. ¡°Uh, isn¡¯t this even more NSFW if we talk about this in public¡­?¡± ¡°You suddenly managed to shoot me a reasonableeback! I¡¯m so pissed right now! A-Anyway, I can¡¯t really respond if a boy and a girl are alone, and the girl is saying erotic stuff. Please don¡¯t be like that!¡± ¡°¡­Oh¡­¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t give me a face that looks like you just found a new toy, I¡¯m really going home!¡± ¡°Sorry. Then I¡¯ll try to suppress myself in that topic.¡± ¡°What kind of crappy oath is that. It¡¯s extraordinarily rare. Also, it¡¯s not just about a part, please refrain from talking about all erotic subjects.¡± After I requested that, ¡­Konoha-san put her fingers on her chin and fell silent for a while. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Uh, ¡­s-senpai, ain¡¯t the weather good today?¡± ¡°You can onlye up with that! You immediately can¡¯t even strike up a conversation when someone banned you from talking erotic things!¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s because¡­I¡¯m a woman that can only connect with senpai erotically¡­¡± ¡°What kind ofnguage is that! We¡¯re just rted because we¡¯re both interested in hentai games, right!¡± ¡°Ay, I feel like that has its own problems as well.¡± ¡°For real, though!¡± Konoha-san chuckled after she saw me so tired that I¡¯m out of my breath¡­No, this girl is clearly the type that will bully others. She has the re of a ferocious predator, and her body is full of energy that¡¯s clearly different than Aguri-san¡¯s. I put my arms on the table tiringly as I told him. ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore¡­Konoha-san, even though it¡¯s rare to see a partner in hentai games, you should always try to keep it down.¡±¡± ¡°¡­Alright, so we can only chat all the way up to the ¡°forey¡± in the evening. Is my understanding correct?¡± ¡°NSFW! There has to be a limit even though the scale is unrestricted! It¡¯s more like, I can¡¯t believe you can still live normally while hiding your true identity!¡± ¡°Yeah, for real. Thanks to this, once the restriction is lifted, I¡¯ll squirt like crazy!¡± ¡°I seemed to have understood that one! But, can you please try to spend more effort when in front of me!¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­ah, senpai, well, ¡­do you want to know where you can get discounted tissue boxes?¡± ¡°What kind of effort is that!¡± I can¡¯t believe that the little sister of someone I knew has such a fatal personality w, who can imagine that? Thanks to this, I¡¯m starting toin more rudely. That¡¯s the first time I¡¯m showing this rude side other than my family and Chiaki. I can¡¯t help but press my temple as I mumbled. ¡°It¡¯s enough¡­Konoha-san, are you really just a pure erotic girl with a bunch of hentai memes in your head?¡± After Konoha-san heard that, she curled up her mouth resentfully. ¡°How impolite. It¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m the president of the student council, after all. Of course, I¡¯m a hardworking and innocent model student. Please don¡¯t look down upon me.¡± I immediately started reconsidering after hearing her retort with such a stern face. ¡°R-Really. Perhaps I treated you too harshly, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I think I¡¯m too rxed in front of a person that I¡¯m not too familiar with¡­ ¡°Really. First and foremost, I, a girl that¡¯s searching for knowledge wholeheartedly, love these two words the most ¨C Investigation and Teaching!¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean discipline whenbined together?¡± [Note: In Japanese/Chinese, the second word of ¡°investigation¡± and the first word of ¡°teaching¡± can form ¡°adjustment/training/discipline¡± whenbined. In this case, the term ¡°discipline¡± basically means BDSM.] I¡¯m stupid. I shouldn¡¯t have reconsidered in the slightest. ¡°Wow, what a coincidence.¡± ¡°If that was a coincidence, you¡¯re literally born for saying erotic memes.¡± ¡°No, no, no, even if senpai praises me like that, ¡­the most I can do is toctate a bunch of milk out.¡± ¡°What kind of unusual physique is that. It¡¯s as if you¡¯re in a hentai game! Also, why do you have to make up a lie like that!¡± Crap, I¡¯m exhausted, for real. After I let out a huge sigh, I mumbled quietly. ¡°Please, I beg you¡­Forgive me.¡± ¡°Forgive what? Ahhh, senpai ran out of strength so fast, you¡¯re useless¡­¡± Konoha-san smiled mischievously as she said that to me¡­She¡¯s obviously doing it on purpose. She¡¯s really a fanatic and energetic hentai game lover, but talking about erotic stuff all the time definitely isn¡¯t her natural habit. Today, it¡¯s clear that Konoha-san¡¯s treating me as a toy. ¡­With that, I really have to move on with the discussion. I tapped the table with my finger as I brought us back to the topic. ¡°So, you want me to rmend dating sims that are yable on consoles only?¡± Konoha-san finally stopped messing around after hearing my question as she gave me a serious look. ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to bother senpai with that. This time I wanted to inquire about something that isn¡¯t in my area of attention¡­Please rmend me games other than text-based adventures, like RPGs or action games, for example.¡± ¡°Ah, really¡­I didn¡¯t expect this. Sorry if I¡¯m impolite, but I recently treated you as a gamer that only ys ¡°that type¡± of games recently.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really impolite. I do y solid games as well.¡± ¡°I guess so, sorry¡­¡± It¡¯s idiotic to assume other people¡¯s interests and hobbies on your own. I¡¯ll have to reflect on myself deeply¡­ ¡°Like Rance, Baldr Sky, and Kamidori Alchemy Meister. I¡¯ve yed them all.¡± ¡°Yep, those are quite entertaining. But all of those names means that you¡¯re just exclusive to that kind of games!¡± ¡°Hmph¡­I don¡¯t think there¡¯re a lot of works in the console game industry that can surpass those hentai games!¡± ¡°Why am I the one that¡¯s getting scolded on! D-Don¡¯t you want me to rmend games?¡± ¡°Alright, let see what your industry can do.¡± ¡°¡­Saying all that, I really feel like you¡¯re Chiaki¡¯s little sister, after all.¡± ¡°Uwah¡­That¡¯s nasty, senpai.¡± ¡°Where do you find it nasty! Sigh, it¡¯s enough, anyway, if I¡¯m rmending a game¡­¡± I thought for a second before throwing a safe option out. ¡°Well, you can start with Atelier¡­¡± ¡°Ha!¡± The junior from the other school immediately despised me with a disappointing look.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe the first game you rmend to a hentai game lover is the Atelier series. What a safe and reliable option, my stomach hurts from hearing it!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe 100% out-of-kindness answer will hurt your stomach either.¡± ¡°Well, to be honest, I¡¯m super curious about the Atelier series on my own. Every illustration from the trilogy is spectacrly fantastic, it¡¯s so beautiful that a flower blossomed in my heart as soon as I saw it. The developers also spent a lot of effort to design an entertaining andfortable experience. Also, you can see that it has abundant content that¡¯s worth digging into. It¡¯ll be a sure hit no matter how you look at it. I can literally guarantee that there won¡¯t be another game that suits my interests more than this one. However, that¡¯s precisely why I don¡¯t need senpai¡¯s rmendation! Using such a fantastic title as an example, are you an idiot! Don¡¯t you feel embarrassed!¡± ¡°I can never imagine that giving a sure-hit game will end up with me getting scolded like this. ¡°Too explicit! It¡¯s like when someone asks, ¡°I like Ghilbi, do you have any rmendation for video games?¡± Then you just answer Ni No Kuni! That¡¯s way too obvious!¡± ¡°Hmm, I can understand that, how annoying!¡± She¡¯s right. After hearing that, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t understand what she meant by too explicit. Konoha-san sighed bewilderedly before urging me to continue. ¡°So, let¡¯s restart. Please, senpai, reconsider all those criteria before giving me a rmendation.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­I didn¡¯t expect a day where I¡¯m having a hard time rmending a game¡­¡± Is this a stress test training or what? Chatting about my game rmendations with a cute girl, ¡­this should be a blessed scenery that all otaku boys craved on. Now I feel like my stomach¡¯s hurting a lot. The stress of answering incorrectly is sweeping toward me. What the hell? I want to go home. This time, I fell silent for almost a minute, ¡­then I answered sheepishly. ¡°Uh, what about Fallout¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°What do you mean by what do you mean! Ah, no, it¡¯s because you seem unsatisfied with games that are aligned with a hentai game lover¡¯s taste. Uh, so I decided to simply rmend something on the opposite of the spectrum. A hardcore world setting and imagery while being so entertaining at the same time¡­Also, you can¡¯t find a simr type of game in the hentai game industry.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand what you meant.¡± ¡°However, this time, senpai ignored my inner hentai game lover too much. So, please allow me to reject your rmendation.¡± ¡°What do you want from me!¡± There should be a limit for being unreasonable. I can¡¯t believe Konoha-san said no, whether I included the opinion of a hentai game lover or not. Also, she still acted like it¡¯s all my fault as she shrugged helplessly. ¡°Sigh, the Fallout series is quite fun, to be honest. I¡¯ve seen my sis yed it before, and I indeed felt that it was a fantastic game. It¡¯s one of those titles that the hentai game industry can¡¯t catch up yet. From this perspective, I can say it¡¯s a game worth trying on.¡± ¡°I-If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± ¡°But, this can¡¯t be helped¡­I still wish for a game that can stimte my sexual desires.¡± ¡°What the hell are you suddenly going on about.¡± I was shocked, then Konoha-san changed her mind a little embarrassingly. ¡°Sorry, let me put it this way¡­For me, I want it to have the freedom for sexual imagination.¡± ¡°That¡¯s even worse!¡± ¡°Ay, anyway, what I mean is that it¡¯s quite frustrating if you jumped directly to games like Fallout.¡± ¡°I-Isn¡¯t it because of you disliking it¡­¡± Konoha-san explicitly mumbled with a sigh in the middle of my grumble. ¡°It¡¯s too shabby for you to go for the opposite extremity when your first proposal was rejected in the conference, senpai.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± I was struck with what the current student council president just said. Konoha-san then continued. ¡°Why don¡¯t you look for a bnce in between? Isn¡¯t that the problem, senpai?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± Perhaps I¡¯m really too extreme with my thinking these days, I¡¯ll have to pay attention to that. ¡°Really¡­If the ratio of senpai talking to your girlfriend Tendou-san or sis is 1, you should aim for a 3 when you¡¯re talking to me. You¡¯ll have to train to grasp a bnce like this.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I¡¯ll remember it with all of my heart¡­? Eh?¡± Strange, that ratio I just heard wasn¡¯t right¡­Just as I¡¯m confused, Konoha let out a small cough and urged me to continue. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s restart. It¡¯s thinking time.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I¡¯m getting more stranded as time goes on. Usually, I¡¯m the exemplification of dull ideas. But my brain no longer works ordingly once I have to join in a serious discussion. The more you like something, the harder it is for you to describe It logically. I just checked detailedly inside my mind for a while¡­However, the conclusion is that it¡¯ll never end since this is a question without a clear answer. So, I decided to change my mind and just list out the games that I found entertaining recently. ¡°Uh, what about Dream Tale Aigis?¡± To my suggestion, Konoha-san showed a rare confused look this time. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, perhaps it¡¯s because of my ignorance, but I¡¯ve never heard of that game before. Can senpai please mention what kind of positions appeared in that game?¡± ¡°The word ¡°position¡± never appeared in that game! I¡¯m talking about console games! Also, what¡¯s with that brain of yours that can search for a game based on positions!¡± ¡°Sometimes I¡¯ll encounter a hentai game with a shockingly repeating position. It¡¯s hard for me to notugh mischievously as I think perhaps this is the fetish of the scriptwriter or the illustrator¡­Right?¡± ¡°Wrong!¡± ¡°Eh? Then, don¡¯t tell me creating a list of positions that appeared in the game with Excel isn¡¯t something that all hentai game lovers would do?¡± ¡°Why do you think that¡¯s something all gamers would do! But, I¡¯m kind of convinced when you¡¯re that serious¡­Eh, no, we¡¯re rmending a game right now!¡± ¡°Oh, senpai was talking about that Wet Dream Tale Sex, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called Dream Tale Aigis! By the way, you said that on purpose, right!¡± ¡°Yeah, sometimes even I was scared at how fast my brain is operating.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve also felt that the brain of yours is horrifying as well for several times! A-Anyway, I¡¯m bringing us back to the game.¡± ¡°I mean, you can. But like I¡¯ve said before, I haven¡¯t heard of that game at all.¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s weird. It¡¯s because I believe that game was released at the end of the year, where the market war was at its peak, so it was buried. Although the content is excellent, ¡­there¡¯s only so much poprity it can get from yer reviews.¡± ¡°I got it. Uh, ¡­what was that called again¡­¡± Konoha-san brought up her phone as she asked this. She searched the title of the game I gave her. After it connected to the official website, she let out a ¡°hmm¡± after looking at the introduction and previews. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a fantastical RPG based on the modern age. I really liked the illustrations as well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. The story is based on teenage school life. Of course, this means that it¡¯ll include rom elements as well. Also, thebat isn¡¯t too difficult or easy. I feel like it¡¯s a pretty bnced game.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Konoha-san paid attention to the official website and other introductory reports, and then she started to investigate something seriously. It looks like it wouldn¡¯t be rejected by her right away this time. I got a bit of my confidence back, so I continued with a bitter smile. ¡°¡­Ay, instead of saying that I rmended this game based on your interests, this is actually just a title that I loved.¡± Konoha-san immediately raised her head from the screen and red at me forcefully after I said that. ¡°¡­A game loved by senpai personally¡­.Well, ¡­I still wanted to reject it for a bit¡­¡± ¡°Eh!¡± She still said something this arrogant and shocking casually. It made tears appear in my eyes. However, Konoha-san was a bit anxious this time for some reason. ¡°Ah, no, I didn¡¯t mean it in a bad way!¡± ¡°Really¡­Sigh, it¡¯s okay. So, ¡­you still want to reject this game?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, no¡­¡± Konoha-san looked at her phone for a while again. Then, she raised her head and asked me a somewhat weird question. ¡°¡­Amano-senpai, this style of illustration and story, ¡­do you think it doesn¡¯t fit my sis¡¯s taste?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah¡­¡± When she asked this, I started to think about Konoha-san¡¯s older sister¡­Chiaki Hoshinomori¡¯s interests. Basically, Chiaki and I were perfect copies of each other, but she treated moe elements as monsters. From this perspective of her, Dream Tale Aigis is actually on a subtle borderline for her. Chiaki is the type that can temporarily forget her hate for moe when the game is fun. Even so, she can¡¯t have yed this specifically since there¡¯re a bunch of more influential titles when this game released. After I told my reasoning to Konoha-san, she nodded quietly before responding. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, ¡­perhaps that wouldn¡¯t be a more suitable game than this.¡± ¡°Konoha-san?¡± What does that mean? Konoha-san wanted me to rmend a game for her, why is this rting to her sis¡¯s interests?¡± I tilted my head to express my confusion. Konoha-san mumbled. ¡°Right.¡± Then, she gave me an expression signaling that she made up her mind before standing up abruptly and telling me this. ¡°So, we¡¯ll disband for today! Amano-senpai, thank you very much!¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, no, it¡¯s my pleasure to help¡­¡± Honestly, I don¡¯t feel I¡¯ve achieved anything at all. I should feel happy when my rmendation for games was epted by others. However, I don¡¯t feel the same way this time, somehow I¡¯m feeling quite ufortable with this. But, Konoha-san is already packing to leave right now, so I can¡¯t just sit there and do nothing. I grabbed my bag and stood up. The girl then urged me. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s going to be quite troublesome if people saw us together, senpai, please leave first.¡± ¡­Although I was immediately depressed over it, I had to leave the room. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be leaving¡­¡± I closed the door to the student council room from the corridor as I mumbled. Konoha-san then crossed her hands behind, in the room¡­before staring at me embarrassingly somehow. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to thank senpaiter! Uh, sexually!¡± ¡°No, thanks!¡± I answered a bit angrily as I mmed the door close as if I¡¯m stopping Konoha-san¡¯s chuckles. ¡°¡­What the hell, I can¡¯t bear her attitude.¡± ¡­Honestly, even a coward like me was pissed at her disrespectful attitude. I got a girlfriend, after all. A tinge of guilt will appear at my back whenever I hear another girl saying something erotic. That¡¯s a big reason as well, ¡­even though it¡¯s just an entirely personal feeling. https://1.bp.blogspot/-2zupgwREjW8/Xtz2Q94D3HI/AAAAAAAAO6Q/H0KT6doj_2Md6dLd3_vL-WvPierBKubYgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/DLraw_0086.jpg I let out a huge sigh facing the door to the student council room. ¡°¡­But, is Konoha-san really that erotic? Damn¡­¡± It¡¯s because I¡¯ve always perceived her as a serious person¡­to the point that I admired her in part. Honestly, ¡­even though today¡¯s experience didn¡¯t waver my imagination for her, her words are still pretty intolerable. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll go home¡­¡± After some mumbling, my tiredness suddenly flushed up, but I still walked out of another school secretly before going back. * I managed to resolve all those knots in my heart after a weekter, during the break between lessons. ¡°Eh, Chiaki? What¡¯s wrong? You seem pretty excited¡­¡± I coincidentally met up with the older sister of Konoha-san, ¡­my rival, Chiaki Hoshinomori. I even found out that she was exceedingly happy today, so I went out of my way and talked to her. But¡­ ¡°Hiya, what¡¯s wrong, Keita? Are you curious about me? Really, so that¡¯s the case.¡± The seaweed girl that smiled devilishly as she said those words immediately pissed me off. From this tendency of pranking, I can actually feel that they¡¯re really sisters. For a moment, I decided to leave Chiaki alone. But even if we¡¯re rivals, I shouldn¡¯t do this to her after I was the one that tried to strike up a conversation. So, I changed my mind and acted more maturely. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m curious. After all, it¡¯s rare for me to see you smile like that.¡± ¡°Eh? W-Well, ¡­r-really¡­¡± ¡°?¡± Chiaki¡¯s voice became quieter and quieter. She plopped her head down as she mumbled something. Don¡¯t tell me, ¡­did I freak her out with my unusual response? I¡¯d be quite embarrassed too if Chiaki treated me like that. Just as I¡¯m scratching my head puzzledly, Chiaki still lowered her head while stuttered to me. ¡°W-Well, it¡¯s my birthday a couple days ago.¡± ¡°Eh, really? H-Happy birthday, Chiaki.¡± I was a bit surprised, but I congratted her nheless. ¡­I didn¡¯t know this at all. Even if I didn¡¯t give the girl a present, I think I still hoped that I can say ¡°happy birthday¡± to Chiaki on the date or a day after that¡­Even though she¡¯s my rival¡­ Perhaps Chiaki saw the sad expression on my face, she immediately started showing solitude to me with the attitude that doesn¡¯t resemble a rival at all. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s okay. Then, what I wanted to say is that I got a present from my little sister!¡± ¡°Konoha-san gave you a present? Huh, she¡¯s certainly thoughtful.¡± Even though I have a little brother, but brothers won¡¯t actually exchange presents with each other. I mean, we¡¯re pretty close to each other, ¡­but perhaps it¡¯s because we¡¯re male rtives, we don¡¯t have a habit like that. So, I admired Konoha-san¡¯s action from the bottom of my heart. I then asked. ¡°Ah, is that the reason why you¡¯re so excited today?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m already thrilled when I received a gift from my little sister. The content of the present is coincidentally a game that I liked¡­Also, the game that she gave me is the one that I barely missed on, so I didn¡¯t buy it for myself!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± After I heard Chiaki, the after school scenery a week ago immediately showed up in my mind. Don¡¯t tell me¡­ I asked Chiaki as I can feel my heart¡¯s pumping faster. ¡°Uh, the title of that game is¡­¡± ¡°I can tell you. That game is called Dream Tale Aigis! It¡¯s super fun!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± I can¡¯t help but look outside of the window from the door¡­at Hekiyou¡¯s direction. Chiaki doesn¡¯t even realize that I was frozen, she continued to talk about how attracted she is to the game. ¡°Let me tell you. Actually, when I saw the summary of the game, I immediately backed down because I think there are moe elements inside! However, ¡­with the chance of Konoha giving me this as a present, I found out that it was a fantastic game after I yed it! The love part is presented refreshingly, entirely within the bounds of my eptance. More importantly, thebat and experience system is outstanding!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I heard Chiaki exining to me excitedly as I thought about the actions and attitude of Konoha-san duringst week. ¡°Rmending a game to a hentai game lover like that, ¡­while not prioritizing her preferences too much?¡± All of the questions in my heart are finally solving themselves. An explicit moe title wouldn¡¯t work. Even so, ¡­a hardcore game¡­the ones that Chiaki has yed before wouldn¡¯t work as well. However, the one game that I picked out of my personal feelings ¡­and the game that my copy Chiaki picked quickly passed through Konoha-san. People should feel strange with such unusual standards like this. However, that¡¯s the precise reason why Konoha-san is¡­ ¡°No wonder she kept saying erotic things, it¡¯s all just to disrupt me.¡± I can¡¯t help but let out a sigh. Then, I immediately reflected on myself. I¡¯m so useless. I only found out the truth after a week. ¡°But, if that¡¯s the case, why didn¡¯t she just tell me honestly that we¡¯re discussing a gift for her sister¡­¡± ¡­No, that doesn¡¯t work. After all, Chiaki and I dered each other as rivals in publicly¡­Moreover, even if she actually chatted with me about this¡­Whenpared to something that I personally liked from the bottom of my heart, I think I¡¯ll rmend something that¡¯s guaranteed to work for Chiaki¡­I deeply realized that I¡¯m such a stingy guy. Just as I can¡¯t help but clench my fist, Chiaki continued while beaming me an innocent smile. ¡°However, the thing that made me the happiest is that¡­my little sister really spent a lot of effort on this present, she¡¯ll pick someone that her sister likes! To me, that¡¯s anotheryer of joy!¡± ¡°¡­Really.¡± I gave Chiaki a rare, gentle smile. Chiaki also suppressed her usual thorny attitude towards me as she continued happily. ¡°Ah, right, Keita. Have you heard of that Dream Tale Aigis game?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± After I pondered for a moment, ¡­I shook my head. ¡°Nope, I haven¡¯t heard of it. Is that game good?¡± ¡°Yes. 10/10 would y again!¡± ¡°Oh, well, you should really thank Konoha-san for giving you that game.¡± ¡°Of course! I¡¯m proud to be her sister!¡± ¡°¡­You are.¡± I agreed with that wholeheartedly. Where can you even find a little sister that can spend so much effort on her older sister? Also, while I¡¯m not willing to admit this, but if the little sister can sacrifice this much, this girl must be a good older sister as well. Looking at Chiaki¡¯s pride smile, I feel like I¡¯m being blessed as well. However, at the same time¡­ ¡°¡­Crap. This way, I was miserable to treat Konoha-san as an erotic girl, and even getting impatient at her¡­¡± What¡¯s with that stinky guy that stayed in Hekiyou a week ago? I was full of pride once I dared to talk to other people normally for a bit. Damn, it¡¯ll be another 3 billion years before I can look down upon people! Just as I¡¯m falling into a depression on my own, Chiaki let out an ¡°ah¡± like she suddenly realized something before moving. ¡°I¡¯m changing ssrooms for the next lesson. Well then, Keita, I¡¯ll see you after school at the Hobby Club!¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, okay. See youter.¡± Chiaki quickly walked away after she waved at me. I stared at her back for a moment. When Chiaki disappeared at the corner of the corridor from my sight, I let out a big sigh. ¡°¡­Alright.¡± After a moment of hesitating, I decided to apologize to Konoha-san. Although I didn¡¯t say anything terrible to her, I still treated her as an erotic girl in my heart, and that¡¯s something I can¡¯t forgive myself for. After all, ¡­she¡¯s really a good little sister. Although I hesitated for a bit, ¡­I shouldn¡¯t text Konoha-san in situations like this. So, I opened my e-mail and wrote my sincere feelings for her. ¡°Title: Sorry.¡± ¡°Text: Konoha-san. I¡¯m really sorry about treating you impolitelyst week. I¡¯ve finally realized today that you¡¯re actually a respectable-¡° Just as I¡¯m typing that, I got an e-mail. Looking at the notification, it¡¯s coincidentally from Konoha-san. I decided to pause writing my e-mail and confirmed the content of hers first. ¡°Title: This one is sexy.¡± ¡°Text: I found this at the back of my school. What do you think, senpai?¡± I scrolled to the content directly, and the attached picture appeared¡­ ¡°Attached picture: A tree hole being prated by a thick branch from another tree, high resolution.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­I calmly deleted that e-mail, along with the one that I¡¯ve just written. Then, I wrote another clean mail and sent it out. ¡°Title: Shut up.¡± ¡°Text: Erotic girl.¡± ¡°¡­Phew.¡± I looked to the autumn skies above from the window before letting out a sigh. ¡­Whether that person is a good little sister, or a cute girl, or a genius, or a talented creator, or even a reputable and outstanding student council president¡­ -Even so, forget about all that, sometimes there will be an instance that¡¯s enough to make me despise a person from one part of him/her alone. Keita Amano (17 years old), a boy that just started studying the conduct of life, learned something extremely unhelpful this time¡­the so-called ¡°human diversity.¡± Volume 5, 3 – Keita Amano and Neutral Route

Volume 5, Chapter 3 ¨C Keita Amano and Neutral Route

Trantor: your_pingas People will encounter a moment where they have to make a choice, even though when there isn¡¯t a correct one. It¡¯s impossible for an ending where everyone can be happy, a merciless, and irreversible choice. That¡¯s a brutal test on one¡¯s mindset and values. Also, it alwayses suddenly,pletely ignores where we¡¯re mentally prepared or not. After school, a day in September. At the corner of a family restaurant, a boy and a girl are seriously staring at each other. ¡°No, ¡­I still can¡¯t make a choice like that¡­¡± The overly harsh choice is right in front of my eyes. It makes the boy, ¡­which is me, Keita Amano, can¡¯t help but look away due to the overwhelming stress. The girl sitting in front of me ¨C Chiaki Hoshinomori, doesn¡¯t seem to want to let me escape, she wrapped her hands around mine and spoke to me with a sincere look. ¡°Please make a choice, Keita. I-I can¡¯t wait any longer!¡± ¡°Chiaki¡­But, but I¡­¡± I can clearly see that she¡¯s almost relying on me, but, of course, I don¡¯t have the strength to take it on directly¡­So, I can only lower my head. ¡­No progress will be made if this continues. Even though I already knew that it¡¯s not helping everyone, I still can¡¯t make a choice. I hated my own indecisiveness from the bottom of my heart. Chiaki grabbed my hands even harder. Her hands are already getting sweaty by now. ¡°I know that this is forcing you to make a hard decision, and I know that I¡¯m selfish. But¡­but I really don¡¯t know what I should do now¡­¡± ¡°Well, ¡­it¡¯s the same for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. However, as long as you make a choice, ¡­I think I can ept it honestly, no matter what the answer is¡­So, Keita¡­¡± ¡°Chiaki¡­¡± We started breathing rapidly as our passionate re connected with each other. I even closed my eyes at one point¡­Then, I decided to make a move first and grabbed Chiaki''s hands tightly. So, -I finally told her¡­I told her my chosen answer to her, even though it was a brutal choice without a correct solution. ¡°I think- I¡¯m still picking the Neutral Route in the newest series of this Twisted God¡¯s Reincarnation¡­¡± I answered with a dubious smile. Chiaki immediately let go of my hand as she started scolding me like she¡¯s going to spit on me. ¡°Sigh, herees the most boring answer! Neutral! You dragged until now just to say that you¡¯re picking Neutral! Keita, I¡¯m kind of convinced that youck any sort of adventuring spirit!¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong! You¡¯re the one that said you wanted to consider my opinion when you¡¯re picking your routes. That¡¯s why I reluctantly stated what I wanted to choose despite only yed the start! I-I can¡¯t believe you just called me boring¡­!¡± The person that I¡¯m discussing with is way too capricious, my voice¡¯s trembling from my anger. So, Chiaki chugged all her soda at once before staring at me suspiciously like she¡¯s drunk. ¡°Nope, I didn¡¯t deny Neutral Route itself. Also, I nned to choose Neutral Route as well.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re the same as me!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I said it¡¯s annoying. Now I even have to hear why you find the route attractive to you, ¡­my stomach hurts from thinking it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hurt your stomach! You¡¯re the one who wanted to talk to me! Do you even know how our society works!¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re the only person that makes my stomach hurt!¡± ¡°Thanks for your special treatment, then, see ya!¡± ¡°Fine, don¡¯t say that, Keita. Please just stay as my chatting partner (sandbag).¡± ¡°Did you just add a useless annotation there! Calling me a chatting partner while thinking differently in your heart, right! I¡¯m really leaving!¡± ¡°You¡¯re going home to y games anyway, Keita.¡± ¡°But I feel like it¡¯s a million times more meaningful to y games at home than to be treated like a sandbag in this situation!¡± I yelled at the top of my lungs toin while feeling exhausted at the same time, so I just leaned down on the sofa weakly. Chiaki is drinking her beverage happily in front of my eyes. Actually, ing to the family restaurant with my rival Chiaki to rx a bit, this is initially something that I¡¯ll never have imagined. However, the only reason that I epted her request is that this girl told me this seriously. ¡°I wanted to sincerely discuss something with you ¡­¡± I didn¡¯t hate Chiaki from the bottom of my heart. No, while I do hate her, ¡­how should I put this. Right, I got it. The rtion between is like the ones of Nobita and Gian from Doraemon or Ash and Team Rocket from Pokemon. Although we rival each other, usually, we still unite immediately when something¡¯s off. So, as a fanatic gamer, I¡¯ll have to be considerate of Chiaki. So, I tearfully took away my time for gaming to join in this discussion. After the topic is revealed, I¡¯ve finally realized that¡­ ¡°A particr option about the RPG Twisted God¡¯s Reincarnation.¡± That¡¯s what she wanted to talk about. Honestly, I felt ¡°what the hell¡± for a moment before feeling a sense of fatigue¡­ However, after I thought about it, I realized that¡­this is quite an important topic for us gamers. I should give a summary of the Twisted God¡¯s Reincarnation series. This is one of those so-called RPGs as well. For non-gamers, it¡¯s pretty urate to just think it as Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy. However, this Twisted God¡¯s Reincarnation has a bunch of features that differentiated it from other traditional RPGs. The most iconic two are the world settings and the plot. The plot of traditional RPGs is usually based in a fantasy world with medieval European elements and a plot of good vs. evil. However, the stage of the Twisted God¡¯s Reincarnation series is usually based on modern Japan (Tokyo) as the prologue of the story. Also, it described the hardcore survival of the protagonist in an apocalyptic world with demons appearing throughout the globe. Due to the nature of the game, the plot would naturally be different from the clean, straightforward good vs. evil. Basically, the special ability of the protagonist isn¡¯t something like ¡°The Darkness Shattering Power of the Bright Hero!¡± From the part where you can dispatch demons, the story is already twisted to the extreme. To survive in a world ruled by demons, you have to use the demon¡¯s power in reverse. Such conflicting scenery¡­I guess Yokai Watch or Pokemon had dived into that end for a bit. The game mechanics are in simr behavior¡­but it¡¯s still giving people a dark and depressing feeling. Anyway, the protagonist will lead numerous demons to adventures andbats. Just like in most RPGs, the main character will gain experience and will be more acknowledged in the world. However, based on a chaotic human world, the protagonist will be approached by the Angels, the Army of Humans, and the Advanced Demons. They¡¯llpete with each other fiercely to draw the protagonist into their side. Ah, also, when you think about this usually, you¡¯ll feel that perhaps the Angel side would be the correct answer. In reality, they did call upon the protagonist based on the bright and upright justice. However, about the ¡°justice¡± that the Angels advocated in this series¡­ ¡°Humans should be justly and absolutely managed and guided by us.¡± A trap that makes people give a ¡°hmm¡± also exists, you have to be careful. Also, when you picked the Human side, they will attempt to cleverly use the powers of the demons and angels on their military to gain an advantage over other nation¡¯s army. Clear ambitions like this shouldn¡¯t be overlooked either. Comparatively, the demons are just advocating for ¡°A world where only powerful people have the right to speak! Haha!¡± This rude and straightforward stance looks unbelievably cute and beautiful. Although the names and stance of each side changed a bit in each title more or less, the most fundamental plot and core theme are the same for the entire series. Good and evil. Order and Chaos. The protagonist is stuck between values like those and was forced to make a choice. That¡¯s the ¡°core¡± part of the Twisted God¡¯s Reincarnation series. ¡­Up to now, I think you can see where this is going. To be honest, this is the part where Chiaki wanted to discuss it with me. ¡°Well, this feature of Twisted God¡¯s Reincarnation has always been a source of frustration for yers¡­¡± If this is purely a choice in text-based adventures, it¡¯s easy for you to rey after ying the plot development on one side before switching to the other from a saved point. However, Twisted God¡¯s Reincarnation is a more solid RPG. It¡¯s not just the story, the game also included elements likebat and adventure. This means that it¡¯ll take quite some time and effort even if you wanted to rey it. Also, that¡¯s precisely why this is a hard choice for yers. A decision that will create a decisive divergence in the plot that can¡¯t be restarted readily. So, even though it¡¯s just a game. With such this title in the series alone, I can still understand Chiaki¡¯s particrly serious attitude¡­However, that¡¯s why I feel she¡¯s unreasonably criticizing me when I made the Neutral conclusion after a long time of hesitation. The sunset beamed into the family restaurant. I finished my caf¨¦ auit at once, and then I put down the cup forcefully with a ¡°bam¡± before continuing. ¡°Well, the Neutral Route doesn¡¯t belong to order or chaos. It¡¯s kind of like walking along the third path, ¡­which is the choice between the two mindsets. However, that¡¯s still a possible choice, right?¡± ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t have any opinion on this either.¡± ¡°Then what do you have an opinion with?¡± ¡°I have an opinion of an average guy like you picking the Neutral Route like a passerby.¡± ¡°I think you just dislike me, right!¡± ¡°Not at all! If you picked either order or chaos quickly and cleanly, ¡­I would have only used 90% of my power to scold you!¡± ¡°I still end up getting scolded at anyways! This whole discussion is a literal trap for me!¡± ¡°Hmph, sucks to be you, it¡¯s okay as long as I can benefit from it! No matter whether it¡¯s a double-win or win-lose, as long as I¡¯m on the victory side, it¡¯ll be no problem!¡± ¡°A true lowest scum on the Earth!¡± She¡¯s not my rival anymore. This girl is literally an enemy of the public, right? Chiaki seems to have realized that she went overboard, so she let out a cough before restarting the discussion. ¡°A-Anyway, what I wanted to say that this time is that¡­Keita, you¡¯re boring.¡± ¡°What kind of conclusion is that! Enough, I¡¯m really going home!¡± Chiaki bullied her rival with sinister means. There¡¯s no reason for me to y along with her any longer. I grabbed my bag before standing up angrily- ¡°Ah, ¡­um, ¡­no¡­Uh, ¡­well, ¡­Keita, ¡­uh, ¡­I¡­¡± -Suddenly, shock and regret filled Chiaki¡¯s eyes as her sight began to float around. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± After seeing her like that, I ended up sitting back onto the sofa. Although I supported my cheeks with my hands sulkily, I still sat down and didn¡¯t leave. Chiaki asked me as she¡¯s frozen. ¡°Uh, ¡­Keita, you¡¯re now¡­?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s continue chatting, Chiaki.¡± ¡°Eh? O-Okay, sure¡­¡± While Chiaki acted sheepishly, she still beamed me a smile in relief. ¡°¡­Damn.¡± I can¡¯t help but let out a sigh. ¡°¡­When I met a person that¡¯s so bad atmunicating with others, ¡­I, ¡­being a guy with social skills just as low, there¡¯s no way for me to leave her behind¡­¡± Honestly, that¡¯s why Chiaki Hoshinomori as a person, pisses me off so much. To me, she¡¯s a person that I can¡¯t ignore in every way. That¡¯s why I feel so annoyed. That¡¯s why we will often fight each other. That¡¯s why¡­we understand each other more than everyone else. I fell silent, and Chiaki seemed to have reflected on herself. She continued with a softened attitude. ¡°W-Well, ¡­I picked the Neutral Route out of some apathetic reasons on my own¡­Uh, that¡¯s why I wanted to hear others talk about they chose this route out of the same reason. How should I put it, it¡¯s like a strongly biased advocate¡­¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­I seem to have understood your feelings. It¡¯s likements for games, movies, or books. Instead of giving an average score, it¡¯s better to just praise it greatly or criticize it fiercely.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°However, ¡­if that¡¯s the case, this is too much for an honest passerby like me.¡± ¡°Sigh, ¡­honestly, I kind of knew that you¡¯ll pick the Neutral Route. But it¡¯s okay for you to choose whatever you want, perhaps you can still find a point in the game where you can passionately defend with from your style¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ah¡­¡± I sighed dazedly¡­Right, even though it¡¯s not strange for me to do that usually. But this time¡­ ¡°Ah, right. Although I¡¯m unwilling to say this, Chiaki¡¯s right this time. Perhaps¡­ I think that it¡¯s better to not make a mistake right now, that¡¯s why I picked the Neutral Route.¡± I¡¯m still at the beginning of the game. I guess it¡¯s understandable for me to think this way. The problem is, I didn¡¯t identify the difference between picking the Neutral Route based on my beliefs and picking the Neutral Route to not make a mistake. ¡°Not being able to know what my beliefs are¡­I really didn¡¯t change for a bit when I rejected the invitation to the Game Club randomly. Sigh, I¡¯m screwed.¡± I can¡¯t help but sigh deeply. Then, I guess Chiaki freaked out for some reason and immediately tried to smooth things over. ¡°A-Anyway, Keita,pare to others, I still wished to ask for your opinion first! Yes! ¡­U-Uwahhh, what am I even saying¡­!¡± Chiaki lowered her head somewhat embarrassingly. It almost looks like she¡¯s a girl embarrassed with the person she loves¡­However, thinking about this normally, I guess this just means that she¡¯s not used to giving in for her rival. I beamed her a smile. ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re d about that! Keita!¡± Chiaki suddenly stood up and leaned towards me. I-I don¡¯t understand why she¡¯s doing this. Just as I¡¯m frozen out of my shock, she seems to have snapped out with a blush before quickly sitting down back to her original position. ¡°S-Sorry. Uh, I can¡¯t help¡­can¡¯t help but feel embarrassed to the top of my heart.¡± ¡°Is that amon ng between you two sisters? The ¡°top of my heart¡± you just said¡­¡± I think I¡¯ve heard the same words from Konoha-san before if I remembered correctly. I asked Chiaki about this, but I didn¡¯t expect her to shake her head in disbelief. ¡°Eh? No, it¡¯s not like that¡­Uh, Keita, Konoha had felt embarrassed to the top of her heart before?¡± ¡°Hmm? Yeah, although I¡¯m not sure what happened, I think it¡¯s true.¡± I ended up getting punched by Konoha-san at that time. Then, this time, the older sister pped the desk to try and intimidate me¡­I really don¡¯t know what does these two sisters¡¯ ¡°embarrassed to the top of their hearts¡± means. During this time, Chiaki curled up her mouth for some reason. ¡°Oh¡­really? Keita, you¡¯ve made Konoha embarrassed to the top of her heart¡­Oh¡­¡± ¡°?¡± W-What¡¯s wrong with this girl? She suddenly became pissed. If I¡¯m reasonably reading this. It seems to be that she¡¯s getting jealous of the scene where I made Konoha embarrassed¡­ ¡°Uh, but this sister isn¡¯t normal.¡± I immediately stopped my bad habit of treating myself like a famous light novel protagonist. It¡¯s terrible to have an overly self-conscious habit like this! That¡¯s how otakus are! Damn you! Honestly, the ¡°embarrassed to the top of the heart¡± that these sisters were talking about, seems to include the tone that they¡¯re pissed as hell. So, from the current situation, ¡­perhaps Chiaki thought that I did something impolite and pissed her sister off, that¡¯s why she¡¯s mad at me. Yep, that¡¯s got to be true. ¡°¡­Jeez, a person that read other people¡¯s feelings based on weird bias, is undoubtedly annoying!¡± For a guy like me that read other people¡¯s mind precisely, I¡¯ll feel that Chiaki being stubborn like this should be despised on. Whatever, I¡¯ll forgive her this time. Yep, I¡¯m really growing up. With my generosity, I didn¡¯t persuade after Chiaki¡¯s impoliteness and moved on to the topic. ¡°I got a real question here. It¡¯s okay for us to talk about Twisted God¡¯s Reincarnation¡­Even so, do we really have to go out of our ways ande to the family restaurant?¡± ¡°W-What do you mean?¡± ¡°No, I mean. If we¡¯re just chatting about gaming, why can¡¯t we just do it in school or send an e-mail, isn¡¯t that enough¡­¡± To my reasonable question, Chiaki seemed to be pissed as she pouted her cheeks. ¡°¡­But you and Aguri-san frequentlye to the family restaurant¡­¡± ¡°Aguri-san? Uh, that¡¯s because she-¡° ¡°Because she what?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± After she asked me this, I was surprised that I went speechless, unbelievably. ¡°Eh? Since Aguri-san is¡­what? It¡¯s natural for me to meet up with her in the family restaurant. It should be reasonable-¡° I really thought about it this way in my heart, ¡­but once I have to look for a solid reason, I can¡¯t think of anything convincing. Strange, there¡¯s clearly a problem. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­Nope, I can¡¯t work my mind out. I should keep this in my heart now. The problem¡¯s with Chiaki this time. Aguri-san isn¡¯t my girlfriend. If chatting with a Hobby Club member like her in a family restaurant is a natural thing for me to do, the same should go for Chiaki. There¡¯s nothing actually weird about this, yes. Although there¡¯s a subtle difference here, I still decided to reluctantly ept the current situation based on how things work. ¡°Ay, ¡­I guess it¡¯s okay for you toe to the family restaurant with me.¡± ¡°R-Really? I-I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± ¡°?¡± Chiaki¡¯s the person who brought up this question, and yet she¡¯s the one that backed up embarrassingly. What¡¯s wrong with this girl? I exhaled before moving back to the discussion. ¡°So, Chiaki, what do you want to do? About Twisted God¡¯s Reincarnation.¡± ¡°Hmm, ¡­I still need to consider the options. It¡¯s because there¡¯s still time before we have to choose.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re still just as indecisive as I do, Chiaki.¡± ¡°S-Shut up! I-It¡¯s just a game, why can¡¯t I just hesitate for a good while! It¡¯s not going to bother anyone!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­Ah, now that I remembered, how¡¯s the thing with Uehara-kun¡¯s confession going?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, a-about that? Uh¡­¡± Chiaki looked away explicitly¡­After all, she still hasn¡¯t made a move yet. I let out a dumbfounded sigh. ¡°Although I¡¯m definitely qualified to give an opinion to other people¡¯s rtionship, ¡­I think the least you could do is to not leave it alone, in terms of life.¡± ¡°I-I understand! But while I do¡­¡± Chiaki suddenly deted. Sigh, ¡­it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t understand how she feels right now. ¡°If I¡¯m you, I would probably not do anything either.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯ll be the same if you¡¯re me? ¡­Hmm, Keita¡­and Uehara-kun¡­¡± ¡°Hey, did you just imagine things with Uehara-kun and me!¡± ¡°H-How did you know! Keita, you have superpowers, right!¡± ¡°Everyone can see it! Damn, you two sisters are the same¡­¡± I sighed as I mumbled. Then, Chiaki answered me bafflingly. ¡°You two sisters¡­are the same? This has nothing to do with Konoha.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡± I freaked out and tried to sip from the cup, but I drank all of it just then, so it¡¯s empty. Chiaki stared at me, silently and suspiciously¡­Ugh¡­ ¡°Right. Chiaki didn¡¯t know that Konoha-san is a hentai game fan with powerful imagination¡­¡± I missed that. There¡¯s too much change in the information recently, my brain¡¯s not keeping up. After I grabbed the cup and stood up, I spoke to Chiaki to try and cover what I said before. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m going for a refill.¡± ¡°Ah, then I¡¯ll go with you-¡° Then, I stopped Chiaki with my hands and even naturally grabbed her cup. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Chiaki-san. I¡¯ll refill yours as well.¡± ¡°Chiaki-san?¡± ¡°Crap.¡± Crap, this time, it¡¯s the Aguri-san Treatment popping up where I got used to in the family restaurant. ¡°Sorry, this is how I am when I¡¯m with Aguri-san, that¡¯s an ident¡­¡± ¡°R-Really. You¡¯re always helping her¡­Whatever, it¡¯s fine¡­¡± Although Chiaki curled up her lips for some reason, she still prepared to stand up. During this time, I saw her legs hit the table for a bit, so I immediately acted and kneeled down! ¡°Are you okay, Chiaki-san! Did you hurt your precious legs!¡± ¡°Precious legs?¡± ¡°Ah! Crap, I identally fell to my bad habit again. I just wasted the Aguri-san¡¯s treatment on you¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s wrong, Keita. Your Aguri-san¡¯s Treatment has some issues! Seriously, who¡¯s Aguri-san in your eyes?¡± ¡°Eh, I worship her.¡± ¡°Hiya, I just heard a ridiculous answer.¡± Chiaki can¡¯t take this anymore as I stood up with my back straight. ¡°Hiya. Anyway, I just kneeled down for nothing.¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s with that tone of yours? Even though I wasn¡¯t hurt at all, actually¡­¡± After I heard what Chiaki just said, ¡­I immediately and explicitly responded negatively to her. ¡°Damn, seaweeds like you shouldn¡¯t hit your legs, understand? It¡¯ll be a problem for the restaurant. Also, you should just drink salt water when you finished your beverage. You¡¯re a seaweed, anyway.¡± ¡°In reverse, you¡¯re treating me ridiculously! Honestly, I¡¯m about to cry!¡± ¡°Sorry, Chiaki. But think about it, it¡¯s better to achieve a bnce in life.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re achieving a bnce, please refrain from treating Aguri-san too nicely! Why do you have to adjust by acting so rudely to me!¡± ¡°¡­Uh, it¡¯s because you¡¯re a seaweed, after all.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s the first time in my life that I wanted to stab someone severely before.¡± Chiaki didn¡¯t say that she wanted to murder people, that feels horrible. I exhaled before moving back to the topic. ¡°Alright, Chiaki. We¡¯ll stop messing around here. Sit down, I¡¯ll grab your drink as well. What do you want to drink?¡± ¡°Eh? W-Well, I want orange juice¡­¡± ¡°Understood.¡± After I answered, I went to the drink bar familiarly and got both of the drinks. Waiting for me in the seat, Chiaki grabbed her juice with both hands and even nodded at me to express her gratitude. ¡°T-Thank you¡­¡± ¡°No sweat.¡± We started sipping our beverages. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± A quiet and peaceful moment. Once we snapped out, ¡­we chuckled at the same time. ¡°W-What¡¯s this. It feels weird to treat you usually instead of fighting.¡± ¡°Yeah. Uh, b-but¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, ¡­I guess it¡¯s not bad this way.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. It¡¯s not bad, right!¡± ¡­Then, we made eye contacted and looked away embarrassingly. I cleared my throat before speaking to her again. ¡°Right. C-Chiaki, about this Twisted God¡¯s Reincarnation¡­¡± ¡°Yep, h-how was it, Keita!¡± So, after we chatted excitingly with each other about the game for an hour. Rarely, Chiaki and I waved at each other with a smile before disbanding. * ¡°Amano-kun, do you want to join the Game Club activity with me?¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Two days after, I chatted with Chiaki at the family restaurant after school. My girlfriend suddenly invited me. The 2F ssroom after the ss meeting, since the Game Hobby Club doesn¡¯t have a meeting today, I was casually nning to return home. Suddenly, a blonde hair beauty sternly appeared in front of me. The ssmates in 2F immediately grasped¡­Even though I¡¯m dating with Tendou-san, this kind of subtle nervousness is still here. No matter how long it has passed, Karen Tendou¡¯s outstanding attractiveness always can¡¯t merge with 2F¡¯s daily scenery at all. However, the person in question didn¡¯t seem to mind at all and even continued with a smile. ¡°We don¡¯t need to be in the Hobby Club today. You have time, Amano-kun, right?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, yes, time, ¡­uh¡­¡± I answered sheepishly, but I still stuck in the middle of my sentence¡­Also, my stomach is constricting harder and harder, and sweat begins to appear on my forehead. ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± I can¡¯t help but look away from Tendou-san first. ¡­Although I was a bit proud of myself recently, I¡¯m still me in the end even when I got a beautiful girlfriend, ¡­the introverted, cowardly, Keita Amano. Being suddenly invited to a group with a subtle distance, I¡¯m freaking out even more. This is entirely my imagination, but I feel like this situation Is like getting invited to drink with my boss that¡¯s hard to deal with. Although I knew that the person is doing this out of kindness, I don¡¯t think like I would thoroughly enjoy the experience¡­Even so, it¡¯s no good to just reject casually. Just as I¡¯m racking my brain to think of a clever excuse, perhaps Uehara-kun felt terrible for me, he came here from the normies in the center of the ssroom. ¡°Hey, Tendou. What¡¯s up, suddenlying to our ss?¡± ¡°Hello, Uehara-kun, I didn¡¯t expect you to say that this is sudden. At least, I have discussed with you before, I wanted to invite Amano-kun to the club again¡­¡± ¡°Eh, really?¡± That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard that. I looked at Uehara-kun. He then scratched his head before answering. ¡°Ay, right, we actually discussed that. But that¡¯s already¡­¡± Uehara-kun suddenly mumbled as if he realized something as he said this. ¡°Really.¡± Just as I¡¯mpletely confused with what¡¯s going on, Tendou-san answered with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Eh, what¡¯s this? I feel like only they are connected to each other. Also, ¡­this kind of ufortableness in my heart¡­what¡¯s wrong with me? Don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯m jealous? Me, Keita Amano? Just as I¡¯m feeling depressed with all those emotions flushing in my heart, Tendou-san continued. ¡°At the same time, when the affair between Aguri-san and Amano-kun barely ended, I somehow forgot inviting him to the club. However, Nina-senpai asked me, ¡°How¡¯s inviting Keita Amano to the club going?¡± I only remembered because of that.¡± ¡°Right, you didn¡¯t clear up with Amano about that.¡± ¡°Yes. How careless of me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The handsome boy and the beautiful girlughed as they talked to each other, and there¡¯s a short winter melon in the middle spectating unhappily, that¡¯s me. Tendou-san finally looked back at me during this time as she invited me again. ¡°So, because of that, Amano-kun, do you want to revisit the Game Club?¡± ¡°The ¡°because of that¡± you just said¡­it¡¯s because of what?¡± I answered like I¡¯m slightly throwing a tantrum. ¡°¡­Uh, Amano-kun, it¡¯s because I want to spend more time to be together with you¡­¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go, Tendou-san!¡± I instantly grabbed my bag and made up my mind as I stood up heroically. After Uehara-kun saw me like this, he mumbled dumbfoundedly. ¡°Sometimes, I feel like you¡¯re actually a guy full of manliness¡­¡± ¡°Hey, the weakling from the Game Hobby Club, you¡¯re still here?¡± ¡°I take back what I¡¯ve said. You¡¯re truly the lowest scum on this Earth.¡± ¡°Tendou-san¡¯s really cute. Nothing on Earth is more important than this fact, right.¡± ¡°Your personality is seriously going haywire! We even reflected on ourselvesst time, I just feel like an idiot now!¡± ¡°Reflect?¡± What¡¯s Uehara-kun talking about? Although I¡¯m not sure, now¡¯s not the time for that. I turned to Tendou-san and answered her clearly. ¡°Tendou-san, I¡¯m d to hear that. So, I would love to visit.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s great! Then let¡¯s go, Amano-kun!¡± Tendou-san beamed me a smile as she walked forward. I soon followed her¡­Then, Uehara-kun seems to be trying to call me, so he poked at my shoulder. I turned my head around, wanting to know what¡¯s wrong, then I realized¡­his attitude turned serious instead of just messing with me. He continued. ¡°¡­You¡¯re just pushing yourself, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but stop walking. Uehara-kun nced at me, worriedly from the bottom of his heart. ¡°I knew this when I looked at you, you¡¯re trying to keep up appearances by joking around¡­Sigh, Amano, how about I just help you and tell Tendou-¡° I shook my head to stop him as he said this. ¡°Uehara-kun, you¡¯re a nice person. But it¡¯s fine, just let me push myself. After all, ¡­I¡¯m still Tendou-san¡¯s boyfriend.¡± I replied with a smile after I said this¡­Then, Uehara-kun let out a huge, dumbfounded sigh. ¡°Damn, You sure are manly in weird ways.¡± ¡°Ugh, I think the ¡°weird¡± part is extra¡­Yep, but thank you, Uehara-kun. I¡¯ll be leaving then!¡± ¡°Alright, Amano, have fun!¡± https://1.bp.blogspot/-QAx6xZ9I_Q8/XuIEpD0BZaI/AAAAAAAAO6w/6glOtdgEMj0tMXhrBGMwqa09yo7ZXOYXwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/DLraw_0121.jpg Uehara-kun padded my shoulder forcefully as he sent me to my way. I gained a massive amount of courage from that, so I hastily chased after Tendou-san. ¡­My stomach ache disappeared when I didn¡¯t even notice it. * The clubroom of the Game Club is on the 3rd floor of the passive club building renovated from the old part of the school after you passed the corridor from the main building. I walked up the stairs following Tendou-san as I grabbed the chest of my uniform tightly. ¡°It¡¯s okay, calm down, calm down¡­Nothing bad should happen¡­¡± Basically, when Tendou-san and Mizumi-kun, who I¡¯m familiar with is here, I should be guaranteed to receive a certain amount of weing. Moreover, if Kase-senpai and Nina-senpai really hated me, they should¡¯ve stopped Tendou-san at the start. So even I knew it the only reason that I¡¯m freaking out is that I think things will go wrong, ¡­but I can¡¯t help it. ¡°Amano-kun.¡± ¡°?¡± During this time, Tendou-san suddenly called me from the front, so I looked up. Then, I nearly saw the scenery under her short skirt, so I immediately looked away. ¡°Uh, I think I¡¯ve reacted simrly in the past¡­¡± I¡¯m Tendou-san¡¯s boyfriend now, is it alright to keep the same attitude even when things were different? Being able to stare at my girlfriend¡¯s skirt calmly from the bottom, that¡¯s what a manly boyfriend should do- ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± ¡°I think I shouldn¡¯t do this once you said that!¡± -I can¡¯t bring myself to look at her skirt after the unbelievable permission. ¡°Saying stuff like that, I think you¡¯re even closer to the 18+ side than Konoha-san, Tendou-san.¡± ¡°Sorry, Amano-kun. Even though I don¡¯t understand what you mean at all, but I can clearly see that you¡¯re freaking out. But, anyway, you¡¯re wee to do so in the Game Club.¡± ¡°Y-You want to me to generously stare at your panties in front of everyone in the Game Club!?¡± ¡°Amano-kun, what were you saying up until now!¡± Although our conversation seems a bit erotic, this is just how we are, in a sense. Tendou-san and I smiled at each other before passing on the corridor on the 3rd floor. So, after we finally arrived in front of the clubroom, ¡­Tendou-san turned her head and looked at me with a smile as she asked. ¡°So, are you ready, Amano-kun?¡± ¡°I-I-I-I-I¡¯m r-r-r-r-ready¡­B-B-B-Bring¡­i-i-it¡­o-on¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s the first time that I¡¯ve heard something that deviates so far from the state of your mind. A-Are you okay, Amano-kun?¡± Tendou leaned forward and looked at me worriedly¡­Honestly, I¡¯m not okay at all. While my stomach doesn¡¯t hurt anymore, but I can¡¯t staypletely chill in this situation. Perhaps it¡¯ll be better when I just head in there with hope without knowing anything, just likest time. ¡­However- ¡°¡­Okay, I¡¯m fine, Tendou-san.¡± I managed to suppress my feeble side and replied a smile to Tendou-san. She nced at me like she didn¡¯t expect this, then she secretly grabbed my hands. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I would¡¯ve freaked out and sweat crazily in the past. However, incredibly, I¡¯m deeply surrounded by a sense of peace right now. After who knows how much time has passed, Ipletely recovered and nodded at Tendou-san. She nodded in the same manner before quietly letting go of my hand. ¡°Then let¡¯s go, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Alright, Tendou-san.¡± Tendou-san pushed the door to the Game Club after she heard my answer. Then, she smiled a bit naughtily and copied what she said when I came to the clubst time. ¡°Wee to the Game Club!¡± Just likest time, I squinted my eyes because of the brightness¡­However, different than the previous time, I walked into the clubroom stably and slowly. Just as Tendou-san¡¯s closing the door, I can see the scenery in the room after my eyes got used to the brightness. The clubroom is filled with a massive amount of consoles and screens. Still, they appeared to be very tidy because of some clever cable cement magic. The scenery in the room whenpared to me¡­ a guy that will casually ce a game disc into the box of another title is still way stronger than I can handle. Even the clubroom itself shows that it¡¯s sincerely serious toward gaming. In a clubroom like this, ¡­Gakuto Kase-senpai, Nina Oiso-senpai, and Eiichi Mizumi-kun are already ready for action. I swallowed because I remembered what happenedst time¡­In reality, this club is so serious that it can put a sports club to shame. These people are burning their youth here, ¡­there¡¯s no point for them to invite a sucker who rejected the invitation once here to visit again. Even so, I still made up my mind in front of Tendou-san and mustered up my courage to bear their xenophobic res- ¡°Wee to the Game Club.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± -Then, I was greeted unexpectedly warmly. I can¡¯t help but let out a sigh in relief. Once I took a good look¡­I finally realized that everyone in the Game Club is looking at me gently, way different than what I¡¯ve imagined. ¡°Strange¡­?¡± I¡¯m freaking out since this is far off from my imagination. Uh, let¡¯s forget about my friend Mizumi-kun first, ¡­even Kase-senpai and Oiso-senpai stopped ying and smiled at me. I can only say that this is unexpected. Just as I¡¯m frozen, Tendou-san helped to exin with a bitter smile. ¡°Amano-kun, please don¡¯t feel disgusted. Despite senpai looking like that, they¡¯re just trying their best to be friendly.¡± ¡°Hey, Tendou.¡± Kase-senpai and Oiso-senpai immediately red at Tendou-san fiercely. Just as her shoulder is shivering, Mizumi-kun started speaking to me with a smile. ¡°Tendou-san is right. Amano-kun, the two senpais are more or less being considerate to you. Ay, don¡¯t mind it. Alright, take a seat.¡± ¡°Ah, alright. Thank you, Mizumi-kun.¡± Mizumi-kun urged me to sit down on the chair next to the door. Then, Tendou-san sat next to me today as well. Mizumi-kun is at my left, Tendou-san is at my right, this arrangement made me a lot more calmed down. Even I felt like I was just an innocent guy. I felt relieved while almost started to chitchat with them. However, Kase-senpai let out a cough, so Tendou-san seemed to have grabbed the chance and started talking. ¡°Amano-kun. I¡¯ve briefly exined this before. The reason that I¡¯m bringing you here today is not just because I wanted to try my best to spend even a second more with you. Ah, while it¡¯s true that I wanted to be with you, I¡¯m actually feeling so blessed right now.¡± ¡°The same goes for me, Tendou-san. Being able to meet you after school like this, I really need to treasure this time!¡± ¡°Amano-kun¡­¡± ¡°Tendou-san¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ahem!¡± Just as Tendou-san and I are staring at each other passionately, the three explicitly coughed to interrupt us for some reason. Although we¡¯re feeling sorry for the short moment we had there, we still had to move on. ¡°Anyway, today¡¯s the same asst time, we just want you to visit and experience our activities.¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­in other words, you want me to observe Game Club¡¯s activity before asking me to consider joining the club, right?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°I understand¡­but¡­¡± Just as I wanted to continue, Mizumi-kun seems to have realized something and cut me off. ¡°Alright, you just got here. There¡¯s no need for a haste answer, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± After that time, my opinion for gaming still hasn¡¯t changed a whole lot. If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s not like my answer can be different than thest one. I let out an awkward bitter smile, Mizumi-kun still pressed on. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s just have fun ying video games today, alright? Ay, despite only a few months has passed, I¡¯m already missing out on all 5 people showing up like this.¡± Mizumi-kun changed the topic a bit forcefully. However, I didn¡¯t expect Oiso-senpai to be the one that continued. ¡°Yep. A lot of things have happened after that¡­Specifically, starting from Mizumi¡¯s World Championship¡¯s chapter, then Kase finally ending the war in the Battle of the Games chapter. Also, that rouge friend of mine who brought the world to the brink of destruction in the Ragnarok chapter¡­A lot of things have surely happened.¡± ¡°Eh, too many things have happened in the Game Club! P-Please everyone, there should be a limit for messing with me!¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I slightly went out of bounds there. I think I made 20% of it up.¡± ¡°Only 20%! Eh, what¡¯s wrong with the Game Club! Sigh, even though I heard that everyone has a weird background the first time I¡¯m here¡­D-Don¡¯t tell me that isn¡¯t just a little joke!¡± ¡°Hmm, ¡­it¡¯s hard to say¡­¡± Nina-senpai chuckled¡­This person still hasn¡¯t changed. I really don¡¯t know what she is hiding. Is she serious or just joking¡­ I can only confirm from Mizumi-kun. ¡°Uh, Mizumi-kun, about you joining the World Championship, and the things happened throughout the Game Club¡­Honestly, how much of that is real?¡± After Mizumi-kun heard my question, he can¡¯t suppress it anymore and began tough out loud. ¡°Ahaha, Amano-kun is indeed an innocent person. You just believed what she saidpletely.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. I guess you shouldn¡¯t take in those words entirely-¡° ¡°Of course. It¡¯s because in reality¡­the two ghost juniors from this club have partnered up after they swept opponents from another race in an Isekai gaming championship beforeing back with a brilliant victory. The chapter of No Game No Rise is the most unusual and heated. In fact, senpai is already trying to tone down the excitement instead of adding for dramatic effect.¡± ¡°¡­Is it time for me to abandon my position as the narrator?¡± Initially, I made it all the way to high school with the belief that a passerby has a passerby lifestyle. However, when I¡¯m in this club, I feel like I can no longer hold back my emotions. From now on, I should stop trying to be a protagonist and just be a machine that repeats ¡°Wee to Otobuki High School¡­¡± So, just as I¡¯m falling into a depression, Mizumi-kun quickly tried to smooth things over. ¡°Even after we were busy with a bunch of chores, that¡¯s just a sidequest. We¡¯re still honing our skills in the game industry. I think the Game Club will continue to achieve more feats in the future.¡± ¡°R-Really¡­¡± After all that, the Game Club still seems to be a group that hones their gaming skills healthily in regr days. I pressed my chest in relief after knowing the truth. During this time, I suddenly found out that Kase-senpai is trying to find something deep in the clubroom. T-This kind of change seems familiar¡­ ¡°If we remembered correctly, this is¡­¡± Just as a tinge of nervousness appeared in my heart, Kase-senpai quickly finished his preparation and looked here. He even slid the handheld console on the long table. ¡°So let¡¯s y immediately, Keita Amano.¡± ¡°Here ites¡­!¡± Kase-senpai slid the same consoles to Tendou-san and Mizumi-kun. I tremblingly grabbed the one in front of me before looking at the screen. Then, Kase-senpai already opened the game, the title of the game is¡­ ¡°J-Just like what I¡¯ve expected, it¡¯s the same asst time¡­!¡± This is the same FPS that I¡¯ve yed at my first experience in the club¡­My stomach begins to hurt again. N-No, I don¡¯t hate the game itself. Instead, I think it¡¯s a pretty exciting game. Although it¡¯s handheld, how immersing when you¡¯re dashing across the battlefield, the controls, and the graphics¡­are incredibly high standards. Even a couple months have passed, it still remained as the most decisive title in FPS for handheld consoles without a doubt. So, we can see the degree ofpletion of this game. So, as a gamer, I¡¯m thrilled that I get to y a game like this with others happily. While I¡¯m thrilled¡­ ¡°What should I do, if we¡¯re talking about how much my skills have improved, ¡­it¡¯s exactly zero!¡± In novels or manga, shouldn¡¯t a plot like this would only happen after the protagonist has gained some experience, right? The entertaining part is to see a character that used to look down upon the main character will soften a bit and say, ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not too bad.¡± This is how the plot is supposed to go, right? However, if we¡¯re talking about what I did for these couple months¡­ ¡°I yed some rxing games, then I sleep. y mobile games, then I sleep. Starting some minor argument with Uehara-kun, then I sleep.. Being kicked like a ball in aplex web of rtionships, then I sleep. Trying to revel in being a normie, then I sleep. Fighting with the seaweed girl, then I sleep. Being caught by a gal, then I sleep. Being so attracted to Tendou-san, then I sleep. ying some rxing games because I feel like it, then I sleep again¡­¡± I¡¯m roughly repeating this process. If this is a light novel centered around gaming, it¡¯ll literally force people to write down ¡°it¡¯s time for the protagonist to practice gaming¡± toin about my daily lives. And now, I can¡¯t believe that a plot of ¡°test my abilities like previously, that¡¯s why I have to show myself in a different state than mest time¡± happened. My god, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re too cruel? Just as I¡¯m holding the console with my hand and shivering like a small animal, Tendou-san beamed me a smile, seemingly trying to calm me down. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Amano-kun. This is different than thest time.¡± ¡°No¡­no, no, no, no, no! It¡¯s okay if I went through some kind of training or a brutal battle to gain more experience! My skills are really the same asst time! No, I¡¯m mostly ying clicking games or games that require me pressing options only. My skills may have rusted even more!¡± Just as I yelled this deration out, ¡­everyone in the Game Club looked at each other gimmicky. ¡°?¡± Just as I¡¯m tilting my head to express my confusion, in the next moment, Kase-senpai suddenly announced loudly. ¡°Then we¡¯ll start the match now! I¡¯ll team up with Mizumi, Tendou will be with Amano. Including AI characters, this will be a 6v6 team deathmatch! Begin!¡± ¡°Eh? U-Uwah!¡± The match started right away, I was pushed onto the battlefield when I haven¡¯t even started hesitating. The screen is disying a section of the streets in ruins: exfoliated concrete walls, broken ss windows, and a bunch of rubble. This is just an ordinary and typical battlefield in FPS, ¡­but I can¡¯t be more nervous. The countdown of the match ended quickly, the game has finally begun. The AI soldiers started charging at their best, and I just looked at them dazedly. During this time, a solider suddenly turned around in front of me. The name ¡°yer 3¡± is disying above his head, ¡­it seems that¡¯s the soldier controlled by Tendou-san. I thought Tendou-san was urging me to charge for a moment, so I immediately start to panic¡­However, in the next moment, her character started floor dancing, which was a move purely for fun. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± I can¡¯t help but look up from the game screen and towards Tendou-san. She also looked away from the screen and replied with a smile. Her hands even left the buttons and gave me a thumbs up. ¡°Eh, wait¡­¡± The match started long ago, ¡­yet she did mishaps and unnecessary actions that a hardcore gamer would never do. Just as I¡¯m worrying, and like what I¡¯ve expected, I can start to hear gunfires from the battlefield. Two friendly signals were lost from the radar. The two AIs on our side were demolished right away¡­Of course, it¡¯s because the leading yers are still rubbing around at spawn. I quickly started controlling my character to attack as I talked to Tendou-san. ¡°T-Tendou-san, we have to go to the frontlines quickly! We¡¯ll lose at this rate!¡± ¡°Yep, okay, perhaps you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still saying perhaps! You¡¯re the main star of our team no matter what you think, please be more serious¡­¡± Just as I¡¯m mumbling as I lead my character to the entrance of the ruins, that moment. ¡°Boom!¡± ¡°Uwah!¡± Along with an explosion, white smokes and red damage effect shed on the screen. ¡°Sigh, I was immediately murdered!¡± Since this game designed the characters to have low HP on default, while light gunfires don¡¯t hurt too much, being bombed by explosives in the face is guaranteed death- It¡¯s supposed to be this way. ¡°What?¡± Unbelievably, my character is still alive. Although I was frozen for a second, I immediately turned around and hid myself to confirm the situation. So¡­ ¡°¡­A-A smokescreen?¡± The ce where I just stepped on some explosives is currently enveloped in white smoke¡­Yep, that¡¯s all. N-No, smokescreens are valuable equipment in FPS. Whether it¡¯s blocking sniper¡¯s sightlines or blocking enemy advancement, there¡¯s a lot of usages. However, ¡­of course, it¡¯s not used to hurt people. Although there¡¯s minuscule damage when it blew up, that¡¯s really it. So, this kind of smokescreen where it¡¯ll only activate when an enemy stepped on it is quite confusing, ¡­or what people call a meme weapon. Of course, it¡¯s rarely used in online battles. After all, this is a ¡°meme¡± weapon that even I will hesitate to equip. I¡¯ll only use it when I¡¯m up against my family or my friends¡­ With that, I abruptly raised my head. Then, I realized Mizumi-kun is ncing at me with a mischievous grin. ¡°Ho, ho, ho, how does it feel, Amano-kun? Was it fun?¡± ¡°Mizumi-kun¡­!¡± I can¡¯t believe a serious person like him will use tactics like this¡­No, while I¡¯m d that it yed out this way. However, I do mind what the reaction of the dead-serious Kase-senpai is. 2 out of the 4 yers don¡¯t take the match seriously. It¡¯s unavoidable that Kase-senpai will be mad at us. I tremblingly looked at senpai¡¯s reaction, then I found out¡­senpai is still paying attention to the screen and even mumbling quietly. ¡°¡­Ho, I got it.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Tendou-san immediately let out a quiet surprised grasp. It looks like she was killed by Kase-senpai. No matter how talented Tendou-san is, it looks like when ites to FPS, Kase-senpai is still better- ¡°Ugh, I saw that mouse first!¡± ¡°Sorry, Tendou. Firste first serve¡­let us meet at the next kitchen again!¡± ¡°No, no, no, no, no, what are you twopeting over!¡± I questioned shockingly at the baffing conversation. Tendou-san, who¡¯s still paying attention to the screen, answered. ¡°This time, I¡¯mpeting with Kase-senpai over personal kills. The target is mice that will asionally stroll around the edge of the map!¡± ¡°Uh, the mouse that you two are talking about, was it a term for enemy soldiers¡­¡± ¡°Of course, we mean genuine mice!¡± ¡°Genuine mice!¡± That¡¯s the first time that I¡¯ve heard the term ¡°genuine mice.¡± ¡°So, Amano-kun, please don¡¯t interrupt me right now! ¡­Ah, that CPU on our team is annoying¡­Alright, I¡¯ll shoot him down.¡± The enemy team scored a point right away, no, no, no, no, no! ¡°Tendou-san, you can¡¯t shoot down your teammate! Although it¡¯s adorable for you to say that! While you¡¯re cute, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s interrupting the match, right!¡± Just as I¡¯mining at full-power, this time, it¡¯s Kase-senpai that raised his head from the screen casually and looked at me. ¡°Ho, don¡¯t worry, Keita Amano.¡± ¡°K-Kase-senpai?¡± Kase-senpai pushed his shining sses as he told me this proudly. ¡°I¡¯ve already¡­killed my own CPU teammates 8 times!¡± ¡°I¡¯m anxious about your mental health! What¡¯s wrong with a guy that kills his own teammates 8 times just to catch mice!¡± After I yelled that, Tendou-san suddenly let out an ¡°ugh¡± grasp as she mumbled strictly. ¡°¡­Just watch, Amano-kun. I¡­I¡¯m not going to lose either. I¡¯ll kill even more teammates!¡± ¡°So what the hell are youpeting over!¡± I¡¯m running out of breaths fromining¡­During this time, I finally realized that I¡¯ve abandoned my character. In this utterly undefended state, I should¡¯ve been killed by enemy AIs, right? I thought of this as I looked at the screen, then I found out the scene is- ¡°Amano-kun, ¡­I got your back!¡± -Mizumi-kun kept killing his own teammates just to protect me! ¡°Why! Why are you giving everything you got just to protect an enemy like me, Mizumi-kun!¡± ¡°¡­Ho¡­why...Perhaps it¡¯s because¡­even though we¡¯re enemies, ..you¡¯re still my friend.¡± ¡°What a throbbing line! You¡¯re indeed a male protagonist! But if we¡¯re already throwing out this kind of hot-blooded friendship card in a game, we can¡¯t y anything that involvesbat!¡± ¡°Amano-kun, ¡­what you¡­what you mean is that¡­even though we¡¯re friends, sometimes we have to abandon our kindness¡­and fight each other¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re supposed to do inbat games, right!¡± ¡°Alright¡­.Then, show me what you got, Amano-kun! Let us throw away our weapons¡­No, let just throw away our consoles and wrestle each other with live flesh!¡± ¡°Then we¡¯re just really fighting each other! Let¡¯s justbat each other normally in the game!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­don¡¯t tell me, you just really wanted to kill your friends in the battle!¡± ¡°I want to! Instead of fighting in real life, what¡¯s wrong with killing in a game!¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped then¡­let¡¯s go¡­This is The Battle of Games Between Us and Her!¡± ¡°Uh, very poor choice of words! Well, while it fits for our situation, but how should I put it? You have to pay attention when you¡¯re saying it like that! Although the orientation of the content is very different, we¡¯re still in the same genre. So, your words are a bit sensitive!¡± [Note: Amano and Mizumi are referencing to the light novel Boku to Kanojo no Game sensou, roughly tranting to The Battle of Games Between Her and Me. The female protagonist is also called Tendou.] ¡°¡­Amano-kun, sometimes you¡¯re confusing me with your words.¡± ¡°You¡¯re thest person that I want to hear that from!¡± We repeated this useless interaction as we fought each other chaotically. Then, around 10 minutester. ¡°I-It¡¯s over¡­¡± Although the match ended with Tendou-san and me on the victor¡¯s side, honestly, I don¡¯t feel that I¡¯ve won at all. In reality, Tendou-san didn¡¯t even look at the results. She just tiringly mumbled. ¡°Mice¡­It¡¯s not enough¡­¡± ¡­If a stranger saw her, the person will immediately feel that she¡¯s a psycho. By the way, even her boyfriend, that¡¯s me, wanted to keep my distance from her. Scary. On the other hand, Mizumi-kun has his own issues as well. Heughed it off even after he killed a bunch of teammates. ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t regret any of this, Amano-kun!¡± Nuts. This guy went nuts. Only Kase-senpai barely remained calm, but he¡¯ll mumble pretentiously. ¡°Ha, I knew how to kill mice now¡­¡± In a sense, that looks like he¡¯s the one that went utterly crazy. So, in a situation like this, I snapped out and realized Oiso-senpai is seemingly trying to install arge screen¡­Memories from the past began reying in my mind again. ¡°In this situation, ¡­it¡¯ll turn into me sucking at fighting games before there¡¯s no ce for me to stay here anymore¡­!¡± Just as I¡¯m sweating, senpai continued her preparation. Once I looked, Tendou-san, Mizumi-kun, and I already got the wireless controllers. As I¡¯ve expected, the massive monitor in the clubroom disyed the screen of the same battle royale type fighting game just likest time. Oiso-senpai hastily chose something at the main menu. This is a battle royale. It¡¯s different from the FPS, you can¡¯t rely on others anymore. (Even though I didn¡¯t count on Tendou-san just then) The character selection screen appeared. Just as everyone started to choose, Oiso-senpai was the first one to finish selecting. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll choose this one that I¡¯m the least familiar with, just to practice and be lenient.¡± Oiso-senpai used the exact same reason asst time to pick her character, still a mindset identical to that of a real gamer. Then, it¡¯s Tendou-san and Mizumi-kun¡¯s turn. Contrary to Oiso-senpai, they seemed to have chosen a character that they¡¯re familiar with. This is also what a gamer would do. As for me¡­ ¡°Uh, then I¡¯ll go for Random Selection.¡± Without a character that I¡¯m especially familiar with or unfamiliar with, and having the symptom of performance drops as I y. Also, I¡¯m indecisive. So, I gave in to my habit and picked Random Selection that I would often go for when I¡¯m fighting against my little brother. However, -at this moment, I immediately realized. ¡°Crap, this is something that¡¯ll piss everyone in the Game Club!¡± Without determination or will, that¡¯s the most casual way for character selection in a sense. There shouldn¡¯t be something that will piss a serious gamer even more than this. After all, if you¡¯re doing this, you can¡¯t me people for using you of underestimating them in a sense. Although I didn¡¯t mean that in the slightest, I still can¡¯t retort if someone scolded at me for not being sincere to gaming. My heart skipped several beats as I secretly looked at Oiso-senpai. Then, ¡­just like what I¡¯ve expected, senpai is looking a bit angry. However, that onlysted for a short moment, she immediately let out a huge sigh like she changed her mind before looking at me with a smile. ¡°I got it. Random Selection is the one that you¡¯re the most familiar with.¡± I feel like senpai is praising me. I immediately waved my hands. ¡°N-No, it¡¯s not that ridiculous! Uh, but-¡° ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start, Keita Amano.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, o-okay!¡± After senpai said that, I immediately turned back to the screen and put my heart and soul into the game. The first round finished shortly¡­In the end, I didn¡¯t expect that I wasn¡¯t thest one. Tendou-san scratched her head as she smiled bitterly to Oiso-senpai. ¡°Ahaha¡­Sigh, I wanted to imitate Nina-senpai and try to use Throw as my main move even though I¡¯m not familiar with it¡­However, I guess I really can¡¯t do something that I¡¯m not used to.¡± ¡°Maining Throw despite choosing this character, I don¡¯t think anyone can y like this way.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± Tendou-san nced at the miserable results on the screen before letting out a sigh. Just as I¡¯m staring at her dazedly, she tongued out at me slightly. How adorable. My girlfriend is super adorable. Just as my thoughts are running wild, the character selection of the second round began. I looked back at the screen while considering seriously to just so I can pick a suitable character- ¡°¡­Eh?¡± -During this time, I found out that Oiso-senpai moved her cursor to the Random Selection button. I stared at senpai shockingly. She then started to blow on the bubble gum that she chewed since who knows when, and even nced at me¡­After that, she pressed confirm. Also, even Mizumi-kun is seemingly following senpai¡­and picked Random Selection. He looked at me with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s good to y with this style sometimes.¡± ¡°Mizumi-kun¡­¡± ¡°Ah, then I¡¯ll be the same too.¡± Atst, even Tendou-san picked Random Selection as well¡­This way, I can¡¯t be the only one that selects a character. As everyone waited, I scratched my cheeks embarrassingly and chose Random Selection. So, everyone yed 3 rounds with Random Selection. Forget about Oiso-senpai, Mizumi-kun and Tendou-san look like they didn¡¯t practice anything other than the characters that they¡¯re familiar with. Thanks to this, although I¡¯m not talented in gaming, I still practiced all of them averagely. I managed to put up a brilliant fight¡­Even so, I ended ranking thest 2 out of 3 rounds. It¡¯s not like I was defeated brutally. In the 5th round, I guess Tendou-san and Mizumi-kun finally realized that they didn¡¯t have the time to get used to the character. So, they started to use attacking items actively that hardcore gamers usually wouldn¡¯t use. This way, the match fell into chaos. No matter how powerful Oiso-senpai is, there¡¯s a lot of situation that can¡¯t be conquered with skill alone. So, I managed to cheese it and distanced myself from the fierce fighting of the three and start attacking continuously. Then¡­ ¡°Wow, 1st ce.¡± I miraculously managed to surpass Oiso-senpai in a slight difference and got 1st ce. Tendou-san pped her hands excitedly like she¡¯s the one who got it. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re amazing, Amano-kun! Even I didn¡¯t win against Nina-senpai!¡± Mizumi-kun cheered along soon. ¡°Fantastic, Amano-kun. Youpletely demolished me, who just got the world champion. You really are something!¡± ¡°No, no, no, no, no, that was all just luck!¡± I tried to y it cool. Then, even Oiso-senpai turned to me with a smile atst. ¡°Keita Amano. Whether you relied on skill or luck, a win is a win. You should learn to be proud of yourself.¡± ¡°¡­Yep, senpai. While I felt a tinge of throb in my heart, I still think that luck is just luck. I¡¯m thrilled, but I still think that I shouldn¡¯t be proud of myself¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Ah, senpai agreed with that as well, right!¡± Oiso-senpai is still just as hard to understand. However, for some reason, even though I don¡¯t know senpai very much, I don¡¯t feel that sense of coldness likest time anymore. Instead, I wanted to get closer to her. ¡­No, it¡¯s not just Oiso-senpai. ¡°Hey, time¡¯s almost up.¡± Kase-senpai looked at the clock as he noticed us. Oiso-senpai replied with an ¡°okay¡± casually before cutting the power to the console and start packing. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll help.¡± Although I stood up as I said that, Oiso-senpai stopped me. ¡°No need, it¡¯s better for people who¡¯s familiar with the club to pack.¡± Comparatively, she ordered Tendou-san, Mizumi-kun, and Kase-senpai. Just as the four of them are busy packing, I leisurely went idle and observed. ¡­I can feel a sense of ¡°warmth¡± here, different than thest time. ¡°So that¡¯s why¡­Tendou-san dragged me here because she wanted me to experience all this¡­¡± Right, this is something that I didn¡¯t get to see when I¡¯m visiting the Game Club previously. The Game Club is willing to be considerate from the bottom of their heart for a sucker like me¡­Then, they even weed me with the corresponding preparation and mindset. I looked at the senpais who still busy while being convinced by their effort again at the same time. Tears are even starting to appear in my eyes. ¡­So, the club was as clean as before without me even realizing it. Once I snapped out of it, the four people standing in the clubroom with their backs facing the sunset is looking at me warmly. Just as I¡¯m shocked at their solemn faces¡­Tendou-san is seemingly trying to represent everyone as she took a step forward and asked. ¡°So, ¡­A-Amano-kun, how do you feel? Today¡¯s visit to our club.¡± Tendou-san is a bit nervous. I immediately responded with a smile. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m super delighted! Everyone is doing so much for me¡­!¡± I stood up abruptly and bowed down to everyone in the Game Club. ¡°I really appreciated that!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, well, it¡¯s good to know that you¡¯re having fun.¡± I raised my head and realized Tendou-san, ¡­no, even other members are smiling a bit shyly. ¡­At this moment. I felt that the tinge of ufortableness existed between us since thest time when I visited the club, ¡­gradually merged with the sunset and disappeared. As if we¡¯re trying to finely experience this afterglow, a momentter. Tendou-san spoke with a gentle look. ¡°Well then, Amano-kun. Perhaps you¡¯ll feel annoyed with this already, ¡­but, please allow me to ask again.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After I heard that, I answered with a warm smile. Tendou-san then cleared her throat before asking her question once again. ¡°Amano-kun, can you please join the Game Club with us?¡± Tendou-san¡¯s eyes are looking up to me¡­This is too powerful. My mental resistance instantly turned to zero, and my face ispletely red at this point. It¡¯s a miracle that I didn¡¯t hug my girlfriend in front of my eyes. Now that I¡¯m looking, Mizumi-kun, ¡­Kase-senpai and Oiso-senpai are awaiting us with a smile. Treating an utterly unworthy person like me like this, ¡­how throbbing. I took a good look at the Game Club. An ideal space surrounded by my favorite games. As the cutest girl in the whole school, while being my girlfriend at the same time, Tendou-san. The charming smile of Mizumi-kun, who¡¯s so close to me that it¡¯s safe to say that he¡¯s my BFF. The senpais that care a guy like me, and the two juniors that I didn¡¯t get to meet yet. Everything from my normie high school life dream is here. All of this is at the state where I can grab them once I said yes. ¡­That¡¯s literally a paradise. People that understand me, there are fun games around¡­This is a pure utopia to me, Keita Amano. That¡¯s why I¡­ Facing this person in front of me, ¡­the girl that I loved the most, while also being the girlfriend that I admired at the same time. I smiled sincerely. I¡¯m filled with determination. I told her my answer. ¡°No, I¡¯ll pass. It seems that the ¡°Game Club¡± I initially respected was seemingly gone.¡± * ¡°ARE YOU AN IDIOT? KEITA, ARE YOU AN IDIOT!?¡± ¡°The seaweed girl next to me, you¡¯re annoying.¡± In the evening, one hour after my visit. At the same family restaurant, a boy and a girl are looking at each other face-to-face at the seat. Although the two of us red at each other fiercely for a while, ¡­this contest didn¡¯tst long rarely. It¡¯s because I backed down right away. I pressed my forehead on the table apathetically as I moaned with my arms around my head. ¡°Ugh, ugh¡­Chiaki, even you think I picked the wrong option as well?¡± I secretly looked at Chiaki¡¯s face from the gaps of my bangs. She¡¯s despising me with a scaringly cold stare. ¡°No, no, no, you didn¡¯t just pick the wrong option. If I¡¯m the developer of this dating sim game, I would¡¯ve made that a weird choice that goes straight off to the bad ending. Rejecting your girlfriend¡¯s club invitation with a smile for the second time¡­What¡¯s wrong with your nerves?¡± ¡°W-Well, Chiaki, didn¡¯t you reject the invitation to the Game Club for once-¡° After I retorted, Chiaki mmed her cup of red tea to the mat as if she¡¯s intimidating me¡­I was honestly a bit scared. ¡°Mr. Amano, this is entirely different than thest time, do you understand that?¡± ¡°Mr. Amano¡­¡± Hiya, she¡¯s switching to her preaching mode. I raised my head from the table and sit upright. Chiaki sighed helplessly as she continued. ¡°Last time, the cutest girl in the school wanted to kidnap an unfamiliar and easy-to-fool otaku boy into her club, so it kind of made sense for you to reject.¡± ¡°I feel like that¡¯s too straightforward-¡° ¡°However, this time is¡­your beloved girlfriend musted up her courage and wanted to work hard to close off the distance, yet you still brutally rejected. That¡¯s already the first small step towards psychopath!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you just called me a psycho. Sigh, even though it¡¯s true that I did hurt Tendou-san.¡± I¡¯m embarrassed when Chiaki pointed out that. However, I still have to smooth things over. ¡°Of course, I did exin to Tendou-santer and even apologized to her; at least she forgave me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because Tendou-san wanted to be an empathetic girlfriend¡­Perhaps she was deeply hurt but is just trying to y along with you!¡± ¡°Ugh, if you put it this way, I can¡¯t really retort anything¡­¡± Although it doesn¡¯t look like that from my eyes, ¡­when people pointed out that the person in question may have hidden him/her thoughts, I can¡¯t do anything. Actually, I¡¯m a bit anxious about this part as well. That¡¯s why I wanted to discuss this with Chiaki. However, even so, there¡¯s a small part that I find uneptable. ¡°¡­Uh, Chiaki, although you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m in the same league with Tendou-san, after all!¡± The seaweed girl said that with a coarse voice for some reason¡­When did this girl share something inmon with Tendou-san? I have no idea. With that, I asked my question once more. ¡°Uh, Chiaki¡­Why are you so enthusiastic about this? Are you that close to Tendou-san?¡± ¡°Eh? T-That¡¯s because¡­¡± Chiaki looked away during this moment as she mumbled. ¡°¡­After all, I was the one that called for the second invitation¡­¡± ¡°Eh? You were the one that suggested this?¡± ¡°Hey, how can you hear my mumbling so clearly! I was confident that only I can hear it with that volume!¡± ¡°Actually, I started picking up on lipnguage recently.¡± ¡°What is this protagonist trying to be!¡± After Chiaki let out a somewhat dumbfoundedint, she cleared her throat before continuing. ¡°However, I didn¡¯t suggest it directly¡­Uh, I should say just as Tendou-san was hesitating whether to invite you or not earlier, I identally said something that encouraged her. Well, ¡­something along the lines of it¡¯s fine to be rejected, Keita is a person like that anyways¡­¡± I bulged my eyes shockingly at Chiaki¡¯s words. ¡°Eh? Then Tendou-san and you both understand my temper, right.¡± ¡°Ah, b-but that was purely based on the same situation asst time. To put it this way, it¡¯s alright for you to reject them if you view gaming differently. However¡­¡± Chiaki red at me fiercely as she said this. ¡°You still tried to cut ties with them when the Game Club members are willing to back down on their gaming attitude, that¡¯s an entirely separate issue.¡± ¡°¡­Yep, you¡¯re right. Well, that¡¯s actuallypletely different.¡± That¡¯s the part that I agreed with. I lifted the coffee at the side that was about to lose all of its heat and sipped gently to buy time. During this period, Chiaki is still staring at me forcefully¡­It looks like she¡¯s really considering Tendou-san. ¡°¡­I¡¯m excited.¡± Even though I was the one that Chiaki is pissed with, I¡¯m pleased to know that she is willing to be angry for Tendou-san. However, that¡¯s why¡­I can¡¯t cheese it with random words. I drank my coffee as I made up my mind before looking at Chiaki¡¯s eyes directly. ¡°Right. Just like what you¡¯ve said, my reason for rejecting to join the club is entirely different thanst time. However, on the other hand, my fundamental mindset is still the same.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Previously, I rejected because I wanted to keep my attitude for gaming.¡± ¡°Yeah, I was the same too.¡± Chiaki nodded. We really are the same, she seems to have no issues with this part. However, if that¡¯s the case, Chiaki must understand what happened this time as well. I puffed up my chest, as I exined. ¡°This time, I rejected because I wanted to respect the Game Club¡¯s attitude for gaming.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Chiaki nced at my eyes silently¡­Although she didn¡¯t forgive me right away, I can no longer sense the apparent hostilitying from her. I smiled and continued. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m so excited that I nearly cried when the Game Club members spent so much effort for me. Really. If this is just a pure friendship instead of club activity, I think I¡¯ll dly join their circle¡­However, that¡¯s not the case, after all.¡± I carefully put my coffee mug on the cup mat and spent some time searching for the right words. ¡°How should I put it¡­Yep. Today¡¯s visit was rxed and enjoyable for me, and that¡¯s a fact. It¡¯s like heaven for me when I can y games happily with Tendou-san. Moreover, the two senpais didn¡¯t force themselves too much to act in concert with me. Yep, ¡­really. No matter how many times I thought of it, this is entirely different thanst time¡­This time is both warm and cheerful, I think that¡¯s aforting scenery for a club activity.¡± ¡°T-Then, why did you¡­¡± Chiaki tilted her head confusingly. However, ¡­to that, I¡­ ¡°But it can¡¯t be helped. After all, in my eyes, instead of everyone trying to cooperate with me to create a rxing and enjoyable club activity scenery¡­¡± I smiled before answering. ¡°The scenery of the Game Club practicing seriously without Keita Amano ¨C That is Tendou-san and her friends honing their skills unrelentingly with each other. It looks way, way more charming.¡± ¡°¡­Keita¡­¡± Chiaki immediately changed her attitude and even looked at me sympathetically. That has its own issues as well, so I hastily tried to smooth things over. ¡°O-Of course, I¡¯m trying to criticize the rxing Game Hobby Club! How should I put it¡­Right, it¡¯s like coffee and milk.¡± I raised my coffee mug as an example. ¡°Although the caf¨¦ auit mixed from both beverage is undoubtedly tasty, it doesn¡¯t mean that the former is a level higher than milk or pure coffee, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yep. To put it this way, if the Game Club is coffee and the Game Hobby Club is milk, we don¡¯t need to mix both sides forcefully, it¡¯s better to just go our separate ways, ¡­is that right?¡± ¡°E-Exactly!¡± I¡¯m satisfied with being able to convey my metaphor sessfully to a person, but Chiaki immediately started to gab. ¡°However, I think I liked caf¨¦ auit the most among all those drinks.¡± ¡°Ah, I think I liked caf¨¦ auit the most as well, among all of them.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­Chiaki rolled her eyes in front of me, ¡­sweat begin to appear on my forehead¡­ ¡°¡­C-Chiaki, how¡¯s your Twisted God¡¯s Reincarnation ythrough going?¡± ¡°You just straight up avoided the question, Keita! Sigh, ¡­whatever. This kind of iplete conclusion fits your style as well¡­¡± After Chiaki said that, she suddenly looked like she¡¯s happily embarrassed. ¡°I felt a bit relieved. Haha!¡± ¡°!¡± In my eyes, who was always fighting with Chiaki, that¡¯s an extraordinary expression¡­ ¡°¡­Crap. I just identally felt that¡­Chiaki¡¯s a bit adorable!¡± I already have Tendou-san as my girlfriend. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m attracted by this seaweed, what the hell! To expel these evil thoughts, I quickly mmed the table with my forehead. Although Chiaki and the staff freaked out as they looked at me was embarrassing, ¡­the pervert that ignored his angelic girlfriend for a clump of seaweed deserved punishment like this. I¡¯ll have to dly ept it. I pressed my slightly red forehead as I raised my face with tears in my eyes. So, Chiaki smiled bitterly, but she didn¡¯t talk about my strange actions. Instead, she brought us back to where we were. ¡°As for Twisted God¡¯s Reincarnation, I¡¯m finally at thest scene where I¡¯ll have to pick which side I should follow. The same goes for you, right?¡± ¡°Ah, yep, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°I initially called you here to talk about this, didn¡¯t expect this to turn into you talking about your bizarre adventures when you got invited to the Game Club¡­¡± ¡°S-Sorry, Chiaki, that was a long walk. Uh, so, you decided to choose¡­¡± ¡°Ah, before that.¡± Chiaki interrupted my question and acted like she¡¯s passing me a microphone. She even asked with a slightly mischievous smile. ¡°Please tell me first, the choice you¡¯ve made atst. Tell me, Master Keita Amano, who¡¯s seemingly trying to respect both milk and pure coffee at the same time, what did you choose.¡± ¡°¡­Me? ¡­Haha, you¡¯re dumb. Of course, ¡­the choice that I¡¯ve made, there¡¯ll only be one.¡± ¡°Oh, so, what did you choose?¡± Even though Chiaki should already know the answer, she still curiously pointed her invisible microphone to my side. To her question¡­ ¡°It¡¯s Neutral.¡± I immediately answered that. Then, Chiaki continued to ask with a slightly naughty look. ¡°Hey, hey, hey, after all, did you still pick Neutral because it¡¯s the safest? Or is it because you hate both order and chaos for being biased?¡± ¡°Nope, it¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s more like¡­¡± I replied Chiaki with a smile. Although I¡¯m a bit embarrassed, ¡­even so, I have a strong determination in my heart that differentiated me from the past. Then, I answered her question. ¡°I think, it¡¯s because I love both sides.¡± Volume 5, 4 – Gamers and Abhorrent Strike, Part 1

Volume 5, Chapter 4 ¨C Gamers and Abhorrent Strike, Part 1

Trantor: your_pingas Tasuku Uehara ¡°Right, I feel like Amano would use the term ¡°I love both sides¡± on women as well.¡± High-level residential area, after school. I stared at the white walls of the houses painted by the red shades of the sunset as I mumbled unintentionally. The girl that was initially walking next to me¡­Tendou immediately stepped in front of me and asked me excitedly while leaning forward. ¡°U-Uehara-kun, even a guy that¡¯s going down the harem route like you agreed with that, right!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going down the harem route! Tell me!¡± Although I protested immediately, the blonde hair girl didn¡¯t listen at all. She turned around and put her fist under her chin and started thinking seriously. ¡°Exactly. Amano-kun is too gentle, I feel like he¡¯s motivated to do that. When even the pure, degenerate, and cheating guy Uehara-kun can guarantee that, I think it must be true.¡± ¡°Y-You¡­¡± I used a more severe tone since I¡¯m really pissed. However, Karen Tendou still doesn¡¯t seem to realize my mood. Moreover, she¡¯s even mumbling to herself distressingly as she wrapped her hands around her head. ¡°It¡¯s because he loves both sides, that¡¯s why he wanted to respect them¡­This is really Amano-kun¡¯s style, I¡¯m in love with it! That determination to hold true of his own ways made me imagine a lot of things, my heart is pulling on me today! But since he¡¯s so attractive, it¡¯s kind of troublesome to say this-¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Uehara-kun, are you trying to secretly escape from me?¡± ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± The stupid woman who¡¯s helplessly in love with her boyfriend grabbed the corner of my suit jacket with sharp eyes¡­Basically, she¡¯ll pretend that I don¡¯t exist while forcing me to hear her nagging or carry her bags.¡± ¡°Ah, I knew it. This treatment is called ¡°very¡± in our society.¡± I can¡¯t help but look at the sky. The red sun is burning hot. ¡°Is it because I stayed in the ssroom after school¡­¡± Come to think of it, ¡­once I realized the time that I finished chatting with my friends is the same as the end of the Game Club assembly, I already sensed that something terrible ising. So, I nervously walked to the entrance of the school and took a look. Just like what I expected¡­I met Tendou, who¡¯s explicitly sighing because she¡¯s depressed for some reason. ¡°If I decided to support Hoshinomori, I really¡­don¡¯t want to have anything to do with Tendou.¡± Although I thought about this in my mind, as a partner in the Hobby Club, ¡­and as a friend, I can¡¯t leave an obviously depressed person behind. I asked like I¡¯m not trying to bear any responsibility. ¡°Hey, T-Tendou, you¡¯re going home as well?¡± Then it¡¯s over. It¡¯s a rare chance to ¡°walk¡± home with her. So, she started to talk about inviting Amano to the club today. She then expressed directly how attractive her boyfriend is and basically showing off how loving they are. Of course, I wanted to escape when there¡¯s a chance¡­However, while Aguri is easy to deal with, this girl is still the legendary Karen Tendou. I can¡¯t leave in front of her, even when there¡¯s a good chance. ¡°I feel like she¡¯s the final boss.¡± Although I don¡¯t want to stay here for a second longer, it¡¯s been more than 10 minutes since I walked home with Tendou. Things were better in the high-level residential area where no one¡¯s around, I was having a hard time when we¡¯re traversing over the urban area. ¡°¡­Damn, I sure do hope no weird rumours will start because of this¡­¡± It¡¯s probably alright if we brought more Game Hobby Club members here to chat. However, it¡¯s a pretty iconic scenery when a guy and a girl are walking home together. At least I would think that they¡¯re couples when a high school boy and girl are walking alone. ¡°Also, we¡¯re talking about her¡­¡± This is the first time I¡¯ve experienced everyone turning their heads to look at us on the streets. This tale is so unusual that I¡¯m suspecting that Tamori-san will show up sooner orter. Also, after they nced at Tendou, they will eventually stare at the guy next to her¡­ [Note: This is a reference to the horror science fiction TV show Tales of the Unusuals with Tamori as the host.] ¡°Even though I¡¯ll tell Amano a thing or two usually, ¡­but this is really miserable.¡± The stress is unbelievably high. I didn¡¯t think that being judged by people would be so intolerable. From this perspective,pared to Tendou, who¡¯s just getting yearned on, perhaps it¡¯s more painful for people that are next to her. Just as I¡¯m thinking all over the ce, we passed through a group of chatting housewives. When we¡¯re moving, I was deted when I slightly heard ¡°the boy looks a bit too flighty¡± from them. ¡­Sigh, e-even though I didn¡¯t mind it, but I still straightened my back. After Tendou saw me, she stared at me, coldly from the bottom of her heart before speaking. ¡°Uehara-kun, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re too frivolous today? How disgusting.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Once I snapped out, Tendou¡¯s already dumbfoundedly at my reaction. I looked around before retorting. ¡°P-Perhaps you¡¯re right¡­¡± Tendou sighed even more explicitly. ¡°Uehara-kun, I thought you have already seen everything.¡±s ¡°What do you mean by ¡°seen¡± everything? I can¡¯t withstand this much attention even when I have a girlfriend and made a lot of friends.¡± ¡°Really? But, ¡­recently, Amano-kun will smile happily at me when we¡¯re together.¡± ¡°R-Really? ¡­Well, ¡­Amano¡­¡± After I heard Tendou, my heart suddenly throbbed for some reason. ¡°Amano¡­He¡¯ll sweat a lot whenever people strike up a conversation with him. He¡¯s stuttering every time he opened his mouth. The Amano that was ying mobile games happily in the school, ¡­now he¡¯s already brave enough to smile at the legendary Karen Tendou¡­¡± Crap, perhaps this is how it feels when your son is finally independent. Right now, I really wanted to put my hand on Amano¡¯s shoulder and tell him, ¡°You¡¯ve grown up.¡± Like I¡¯m a father, even though I¡¯m not actually his dad. However, the actual problem is with Amano¡¯s growth. I think the feelings he carried for Tendou is different than mine. Even so, I think the only reason why Amano is quickly improving hismunication skills is because of¡­ ¡°It¡¯s all because of¡­Aguri-san¡¯s blessing, right?¡± ¡°!¡± I immediately freaked out and reacted when Tendou suddenly started talking to me. Tendou¡¯s walking by my side, and she responded to me with a covered smile¡­To her, it seems that this is what she really wanted to talk about today. ¡°I have to say thanks to Aguri-san. She¡¯s the reason why I can be with Amano-kun happily.¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± Although aplex array of emotions appeared in my mind now, I still agreed to that. I continued after a while. ¡°However, speaking of change, Aguri may have changed a bit as well.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± The cute girl is holding her bag in front of her skirt as she slightly tilted her head to me¡­This kind of segregation from the mortal world, it¡¯s like the after school plot of dating sims¡­ I coughed before continuing. ¡°How should I put it¡­Aguri will act especially like a gal just to get me interested previously.¡± ¡°Yeah, if we¡¯re talking about loving gals, that setting surely fits with you.¡± Tendou casually said what she feels, and it made my face turned stiff. ¡°Eh, what¡¯s wrong with my reputation among you girls? What did I do?¡± ¡°Look¡­Uehara-kun, you¡¯re immediately trying to sexually harass me. Wanting me to say what did you ¡°do!¡± You¡¯re really a prick!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m absolutely dumbfounded at the unreasonable attitude that I can only stare at this retarded blonde hair girl dazedly. During this time, Tendou suddenly became alerted and covered up her kneecaps and the chest of her uniform. ¡°N-Now, you¡¯re staring at me erotically! How fallen do you have to be until you¡¯re satisfied, Uehara-kun!¡± ¡°Struggle all I want, despise still awaits me.¡± I¡¯m so depressed that I¡¯m referencing a slogan of a horror game. [Note: Uehara is referencing the iconic quote of the game SIREN: Struggle all you want, despair still awaits you.] What is this? Talking will lower my reputation. Not talking will also do the same thing? Did someone poison my affection meter? After that, Tendou seems to have realized that she may have gone overboard, so she cleared her throat before moving us back to the discussion. ¡°W-Well then, where were we? Uh, ¡­Uehara-kun, were we talking about you liking flippant girls that are willing to sleep with you right away?¡± ¡°It¡¯s incredible that you can twist our conversation content moments ago that much! I¡¯m really admiring you right now!¡± ¡°Sorry, I made a mistake. We were talking you having a flippant attitude, right?¡± ¡°Still wrong! We were talking about Aguri thought that I like gals!¡± ¡°Eh, what are you talking about? Isn¡¯t that something entirely different?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I said you¡¯re utterly wrong! By the way, why are you acting like you aren¡¯t convinced at all!¡± ¡°¡­Phew, this hurts my brain, then why did we talk about the term ¡°flippant girls¡± then, Uehara-kun¡­¡± ¡°Huh, you¡¯re asking me? Eh, you¡¯re really asking me!¡± ¡°¡­Uehara-kun, sometimes I feel like I¡¯m in a maze whenever I¡¯m talking to you.¡± ¡°I feel the same! I strongly agree with this point alone!¡± Just as the two of us unexpectedly shared the same thought, we¡¯re back to where we were again. ¡°Anyway, what I wanted to say is that Aguri won¡¯t try to act like a gal too much recently. How should I say this¡­I guess she managed to get a hold on her serious side, right?¡± ¡°Yep. Then, you think that¡¯s because of Amano-kun¡¯s influence?¡± Tendou asked with an unbelievable look. I replied with a bitter smile. ¡°For better or for worse, Amano can really pull people¡¯s heartstrings, right?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Tendou answered right away. Ay, after all, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s the most impressed by Amano¡­ ¡°When you spend extended time talking about your rtionships with a guy like this, naturally, you can¡¯t just respond with your outer appearance¡­Your conversation with him will turn sincere, no matter what.¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­perhaps you¡¯re right. I got it. That¡¯s why Aguri-san has more chances to show off her real side and caused this situation.¡± Tendou seems to have understood something as she put her finger on her chin and nodded. She¡¯s different from Aguri, every action of her seems smart and calcted¡­However, in other words, shecked a sense of cuteness. We silently started pondering on our own as we walked along the quiet residential area. ¡­Under Aguri¡¯s enormous influence, Amano is starting to grow on his own. Also, inspired by Amano, Aguri is beginning to be more mature.¡± Just as we subjectively imagine the rtionship between the two, a single sentence appeared on our minds. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­Tendou and I made eye contact¡­Then, as if we shared the same brain- we shouted together. ¡°What an ideal couple!¡± Trusting each other from the bottom of their hearts, sometimes messing and fighting, but still managed to inspire each other to be way more mature, what a rtionship. If this isn¡¯t an ideal couple, I don¡¯t know what is! When no one¡¯s staring, we quickly threw away our usual elegant and calm attitude and started yelling at each other loudly! ¡°It all boils down to you not properly holding onto your girlfriend!¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one that¡¯s supposed to say that¡­No, I¡¯m returning those words of yours with x10 power! Karen Tendou, you can¡¯t even take care of your boyfriend, that¡¯s unusual! I can¡¯t believe he rejected your invitation to the club again!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! E-Even though you¡¯re right¡­! H-However, you two have dated for over half-a-year! Maintain a distance with each other like that, ¡­don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit too useless for a high school student!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! I-I¡¯m observing my partner''s situation so that I can know how we should close our distance¡­¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make you a wimp?¡± ¡°You¡­! Then let me ask you this, what exact ¡°progress¡± did you make when you and Amano became a couple!¡± ¡°Ugh, ugh¡­! W-We y games together often¡­¡± ¡°y games together! Ha, then I yed with Amano even more!¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re really looking at Amano-kun that way¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean by really! I¡¯m not talking about that! Let me tell you, the things that you¡¯ve been doing with Amano is far from dating!¡± ¡°Then what did you precisely do with Aguri-san in these 6 months? Tell me!¡± ¡°A-Are you saying the word ¡°do¡± in a subtle yet erotic tone! Uh, well, w-what did Aguri do with me¡­For example, we headed to the arcade often after school¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Stop it, i-it¡¯s my bad! Right, absolutely right! Honestly, I¡¯m still stagnating at the ¡°friend¡± level! Damn you!¡± After I stomped forcefully, Tendou dropped her shoulders like she¡¯s exhausted. ¡°¡­It¡¯s more like, how about we stop this pointless argument. We already ran out of steam, this will do nothing but burn our remaining energy.¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± The two of us looked at each other¡¯s face before letting out a huge sigh. Then, we continued walking home, depressingly. After a 10-second silence, Tendou spoke up again. ¡°¡­The actual problem is that I¡¯m not really seriously suspecting Amano-kun is ¡°cheating¡± with Aguri-san.¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­I understand.¡± It¡¯s right. Those two will never tolerate a ¡°betrayal¡± like that. We¡¯re really sure about that. However¡­ Tendou continued. ¡°But, ¡­once I think whether I have ¡°anything¡± shared with Amano-kun that can surpass the ones between Aguri-san and him¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­I can also understand that.¡± Tendou and I can¡¯t help but plop our head down¡­It¡¯s time for a proper exnation. ¡°-We¡¯re not suspecting whether they¡¯re ¡°cheating¡± or now. Instead, we doubt ourselves whether we¡¯re inferior to those two, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Tendou¡¯s face wrinkled up painfully. Even so, she still answered with a slight nod. Her delicate hands are tightly holding the handle of her bag. Although I felt the same immense feeling of stress in my heart, I still continued with a tinge of hope. ¡°Even so, I still think that we¡¯re too pessimistic.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°There¡¯s should be a lot of examples for stuff that couples would do while friends wouldn¡¯t, right?¡± ¡°Ah, for me, it would be a Presentation of Amano-kun¡¯s Attractiveness ¨C Two-Hour Deluxe, something like that, right?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t do that to your friend.¡± I still can¡¯t deal with a terminally love-struck Tendou, but I still continued. ¡°Ay, but that¡¯s precisely what¡¯s going on. In reality, the ¡°rtionship inquiry¡± between that is the extreme of what friends can talk about, right? You can¡¯t talk about those things in front of each other¡¯s boyfriend or girlfriend.¡± ¡°But, I wish that Amano-kun will chat with me about all the things in the world¡­¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re right¡­I got it. For example, there¡¯s no way for Amano to discuss with you when he¡¯s hesitating over how he should prepare a surprise gift for you, right?¡± ¡°Ah, perhaps you¡¯re right. If we¡¯re talking about gifts, I want Amano-kun as my present no matter what.¡± ¡°You can be surprising, sometimes.¡± ¡°?¡± Karen Tendou didn¡¯t even realize that she just said something embarrassing and just tilted her head¡­Sigh, t-this girl¡¯s love is a bit too heavy to bear! For the first time in my whole life, I¡¯m worried about the guy¡¯s virginity. I cleared my throat before continuing. ¡°Anyway, what I want to say is that we don¡¯t need topete on the same field as them. We have our own ways of turning the tide, right?¡± ¡°W-What do you mean? I-I-I-I want to know more!¡± ¡°R-Really¡­Eh? Wait, isn¡¯t this your house?¡± Once I snapped out of it, we¡¯re already in front of the house with the ¡°Tendou¡± doorte. What an appealing home. However, Tendou doesn¡¯t care as she leaned forward and asked. ¡°That¡¯s not important! Please exin in detail about that turning the tide part! Please!¡± ¡°A-Alright¡­¡± Tendou¡¯s way too worked up. I freaked out for a bit before I can think calmly. ¡°Hey, hey, hey, why am I the one that¡¯s giving Tendou suggestion now? Didn¡¯t I decide that I¡¯m on Hoshinomori¡¯s side?¡± Then, without me even knowing it, I identally acted ording to the situation and stood on the same side with the one I¡¯m talking to. ¡°I guess this is the oue of me being too smooth and slick¡­¡± Although I reflected on myself immediately, on the other hand, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to answer Tendou with a cold attitude. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s like a match of fighting gamese to think of it. While I¡¯m absolutely not holding back duringbat. Still, I¡¯ll dly ept my opponent¡¯s request to talk about what went well and what could be improved for both sides. It¡¯s the same philosophy.¡± I¡¯m still not meaning to ¡°stand on the same side¡± with Tendou. If we¡¯re talking about unconditional support, I¡¯m still shipping Amano x Hoshinomori in the end. However, even so, I¡¯m not going to waste the chance where both of us can grow. ¡°I¡¯m certainly on Hoshinomori¡¯s side, ¡­however, I¡¯m really Aguri¡¯s boyfriend.¡± After I drew the line in my heart, ¡­I turned to Tendou. ¡°There¡¯s only one way to differentiate between couples and friends, right?¡± ¡°W-What is that¡­?¡± Tendou gulped¡­At this point, I can¡¯t turn back anymore. ¡°Sigh, screw it!¡± To cheer myself up, I decided to share this method forcefully ¨C The technique that can turn the tide from a couple¡¯s perspective. ¡°-Creating an indisputable fact, that¡¯s the only way, right?¡± Keita Amano In a night during Autumn, it¡¯s so cold that you¡¯ll immediately start shivering even though for your hot body that just went into the shower. ¡°D-Double date?¡± ¡°Yes. What do you think?¡± My yet-to-dry hair has already been pressed t by the headset, as I asked dazedly. Tendou-san then nced at me with an angelic smile that looked just as amazing as in real life, even though there¡¯s a screen between us. I casually rubbed the two sides of my head rudely with the towel on my neck. I even started looking around. ¡°What do I think¡­Uh, well, ¡­uh, ¡­uh¡­¡± My brain and tongue are not working correctly, and I can¡¯t squeeze a word out¡­It¡¯s because we¡¯re calling each other online today at night. It¡¯s an unusual situation, the screen that disyed Tendou-san¡¯s look in pyjamas is already freaking me out. Moreover, the term ¡°double date¡± showed up, something that I once thought it had nothing to do with my life¡­It¡¯s hard for an indoor otaku to not feel scared. However, since Tendou-san is my girlfriend, she¡¯s guaranteed to know how I¡¯ll react, so she continued without hesitation. ¡°I think it¡¯s too cautious about calling it a double date. Put it simply, it¡¯s just that we¡¯ll invite Uehara-kun and Aguri-san and go out with the four of us.¡± ¡°After I heard that, I feel like it¡¯s only an extended activity for our usual Game Hobby Club schedule¡­¡± It¡¯s just that we didn¡¯t include Chiaki. The things that we¡¯ll do is not that different. However, ¡­why is my back itching so hard right now? After a moment of hesitation, ¡­I decided to express this feeling sincerely to Tendou-san. ¡°B-But, ¡­basically, the people that go out of their way to hold a double date, don¡¯t you think they deserve to be thrown into andfill?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so!¡± Tendou-san immediatelyined vehemently about my biased thought¡­Ay, I understand. But, while I do, ¡­I¡¯m not going to back down easily about this feeling. ¡°Uh, people will already feel that ¡°pfft, god damn normies¡± and ¡°explode them all¡± when they saw a couple. Even so, there¡¯s always a small room of forgiveness of we consider the personality of them, right?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t have a grudge like that against the couples in the world in the first ce!¡± ¡°However, for people that will hold double dates, ¡­it¡¯s not like they have anything to do with their rtionships. The only thing that you can do is to send them all to thendfill, right.¡± ¡°Amano-kun, I don¡¯t have the slightest idea to what you¡¯re talking about!¡± ¡°To put it simply, an activity like a double date is the heaviest of the heaviest sins to us.¡± ¡°What do you mean by us! Don¡¯t you have a girlfriend already!¡± ¡°¡­Even so, ¡­even so! I still think that there¡¯s a line that we mustn¡¯t cross!¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that determined look that resembled the one when you rejected my invitation to the club! Although I¡¯m not willing to say this, I¡¯m attracted to you by a bit! Amano-kun, you¡¯re cool!¡± ¡°T-Tendou-san¡­¡± ¡°Amano-kun¡­¡± A sweet and loving aura radiated between the two of us. I let out augh before trying to y it cool and tell her. ¡°Bye.¡± Then, I clicked the disconnect button- ¡°So, when should we go for the double date?¡± ¡°Shit!¡± I can¡¯t help but swear, even though I¡¯m talking to Tendou-san. She almost freaked out. ¡°W-Which part of double dating is making you that ufortable?¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­well, ¡­I¡¯ll stop joking here¡­I think it¡¯s really embarrassing.¡± After I scratched my cheeks and answered honestly, Tendou-san blushed slightly as well. ¡°W-Well, I¡¯ll be lying if I¡¯m not embarrassed about the term ¡°double date.¡± It¡¯s more like, I think that¡¯s more advanced than regr date.¡± ¡°R-Right! Double dating could be even more advanced than marriage or giving birth!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s absolutely not there yet. Uh, ¡­but, ¡­Amano-kun, ¡­then you¡¯re really against the idea of double dating, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Tendou-san asked again. I can¡¯t help but look away from her¡­As a guy, of course, I do want to satisfy her wish. However, there¡¯s still a line that I couldn¡¯t cross. Just like when I refused to join the Game Club, in times like this, I should carry a strong and firm determination and- -During this time, once I looked, I found out that Tendou-san¡­is currently staring up to me with her watery eyes. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not possible, ¡­no matter what?¡± How terrifyingly cute. Once I snapped out- ¡°Of course I¡¯ll go! Double dating for the win!¡± -I immediately stood up and answered. Tendou-san put her smile back right away and said. ¡°Really? That¡¯s great!¡± Then, she started talking about the double date n that seems to have been initially prepared. ¡°Well then, we¡¯ll meet each other at 10 on Saturday in front of the entrance of the Viva Spiel Kingdom. Ah, about the tickets, I got some free ones with my parents¡¯ rtionship. Please don¡¯t worry about that. You¡¯ll only need to take care of the cost of food and transportation. That¡¯s about it. Amano-kun, are there any questions?¡± ¡°¡­Eh? Ah, no, nothing in particr¡­¡± ¡°d to hear that. Then, please look forward to the day. Goodnight, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Eh? A-Alright, goodnight, Tendou-san.¡± The call ended without any hesitation. I looked at the monitor of my PC for a while, dumbfoundedly. My breaths are getting faster, and I can feel my head is aching. ¡°¡­While it¡¯s not good to rely on others with rtionships, ¡­however¡­¡± So, I secretly grabbed the smartphone next to me, right at this moment. Aguri-san called me. * Then, after the night, in the family restaurant before we go to school in the morning. ¡°I can¡¯t guess what my boyfriend is thinking, how frustrating¡­¡± Once Aguri-san took her seat, she immediately put her elbows on the table and wrapped her hands around her head. It looks like she didn¡¯t get a good sleep yesterday, faint dark circles can be seen on the bottom of her eyes. As for me, ¡­I¡¯m excited about the atmosphere ofing to the family restaurant in the morning for the first time. I¡¯m cheerfully reading the ¡°Morning Menu¡± that I¡¯ve rarely seen. ¡°Aguri-san, Aguri-san! I didn¡¯t know that a slice of toast in the morning is roughly the same price as the drink bar in usual times! Woah, that¡¯s incredible, I¡¯m feeling so grown up now!¡± ¡°¡­Amanhi, you¡¯re quite rxed¡­¡± Aguri-san turned to me with her dead face before staring at me grudgingly. Facing her, I raised my head from the menu and answered with a bright smile. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m really rxed right now! It¡¯s because-¡° ¡°It¡¯s because?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because Tendou-san and Uehara-kun are finally announcing that they¡¯re dating in front of me, publicly. There¡¯s literally nothing to worry about anymore. It¡¯s aplete game over for me! HAHAHA!¡± ¡°I take back what I said, this child is in critical condition! W-Waitress, we would like to order breakfast! Give this poor boy an especially good slice of toast, and also a cup of thick coffee! This is an emergency!¡± Aguri-san seems to have helped me to order something. Eh, she¡¯s such a nice person. I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s willing to pay for my first breakfast in this family restaurant! I smiled brightly as I expressed my gratitude to Aguri-san. ¡°Hey, being able to enjoy a tasty meal in myst moments, I¡¯m so blessed.¡± ¡°What do you mean by in yourst moments, Amanhi! Get a hold on yourself! H-How about you just ys on your phone to change up your mood! C¡¯mon!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll dlyply¡­Let¡¯s y this ¡°Girl Oriend¡± (Temporary)¡­¡± ¡°Eh, why are you ying a game with such a name right now! Are you torturing yourself!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that at all. Even though it¡¯s temporary, now it looks like I¡¯m thinking too highly of myself to treat Tendou-san as my girlfriend.¡± ¡°You¡¯re terminally ill, Amanhi! Wake up! You¡¯re still Tendou-san¡¯s boyfriend!¡± ¡°Aguri-san, did you identally read ¡°clown¡± as ¡°boyfriend?¡± ¡°Your paranoia is going haywire! I didn¡¯t say that at all! Don¡¯t let yourself spiral down forever!¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t an unstopping Ame (ano)¡­or not.¡± [Note: The name Amano is derived from Ame, which means rain. He¡¯s joking with his name (or his rtionship) here.] ¡°Amanhi, what you just said was so boring than I began to cringe! Wake up, I¡¯m serious!¡± ¡°That¡¯s rude, I¡¯m excellent. Please look at my phone, Aguri-san. I wrote the word ¡°seasoning¡± this many times in my notepad in a single night!¡± ¡°That¡¯s dark! Especially when you didn¡¯t write words like ¡°die¡± or ¡°broke up¡± to express your feelings!¡± ¡°But seasoning is good.¡± ¡°Okay, I feel like your brain isn¡¯t operating at all, Amanhi! Ah, herees breakfast, sip the coffee! Chug the coffee down! Quick, pour it down your throat at once!¡± ¡°A-Alright.¡± Aguri-san is weird. I¡¯m obviously so energetic and calm right now. She¡¯s the one that¡¯s exhausted. Moreover, seasoning is delicious. I followed Aguri-san¡¯s advice and drank the coffee before taking a bite of the toast. ¡­So, for some reason, a tinge of depression immediately swept over me. ¡°¡­Sigh. I can¡¯t believe Tendou-san is trying to go out with Uehara-kun¡­How depressing.¡± ¡°Nice! That¡¯s great, Amanhi, you finally woke up!¡± ¡°W-What? Uh, but I¡¯m very depressed right now¡­¡± ¡°Right, at least your emotions returned to normal!¡± ¡°R-Really¡­¡± I really don¡¯t understand this girl. However, perhaps it¡¯s because of the coffee and toast deeply resonating within my body, there¡¯s actually an unbelievable feeling of ¡°waking¡± up. Yeah, breakfast is fantastic. Just as I¡¯m chewing on my toast energetically, Aguri-san looked at me warmly as if she¡¯s my mother. ¡°¡­Sigh, as long as Amanhi cheered up, I¡¯m satisfied¡­¡± ¡°What the hell, that¡¯s disgusting. Can you please leave me alone?¡± ¡°Herees the rebellious period! This child is finally going through his rebellious phase because of our deep rtionship!¡± ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m just kidding¡­Uh, well, I really appreciated it, Aguri-san.¡± I scratched my cheeks as I thanked her. She answered. ¡°Jeez¡­¡± Then, she rested her chin on her palms before sighing dumbfoundedly. Aguri-san suddenly took away my half slice of toast before chewing on it slowly. ¡°But thanks to you, I¡¯m more or less cheered up now. So, the same goes for you, ¡­Amanhi. Don¡¯t tell me you nned this all along-¡° ¡°Aguri-san, Aguri-san! Right now, in this situation, ¡­I¡¯m enjoying breakfast with a girl in a family restaurant before going to school. A high school student like me should rank very high in the world of normies! Right! Right!¡± ¡°-It looks like you¡¯re not.¡± Aguri-san looks dumbfounded but relieved at the same time. She¡¯s still beaming her motherly smile at me¡­Although I appreciate her warmth, it¡¯s kind of pissing me off when I¡¯m treated like this by a girl with the same age as me. Ay, even though those feelings immediately went away when I¡¯m bathed in the peacefulness of enjoying my breakfast. I can¡¯t stop myself from getting purely excited. Aguri-san then let out a ¡°hmm¡± before continuing. ¡°Actually, perhaps this is my first time¡­toe to the family restaurant in the morning.¡± ¡°Eh, really? That¡¯s unexpected. I thought you use this family restaurant as a bus from the core.¡± ¡°Amanhi, did you just casually say something vicious? ¡­However, I did actually went to a bunch of family restaurants, but I never go in the morning.¡± Aguri-san dragged my te of breakfast to her as she said that, and she immediately started digging in one of the poached eggs without any hesitation. Well, I didn¡¯t really mind things like this now. Our distance isparable to that of family members. I sipped my coffee as I stared at the office workers outside the window dazedly. ¡°I still had so many first experiences when I¡¯m with you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line, Amanhi. I have never done this with Tasuku.¡± ¡°Ah,e to think of it, a guy and a girl drinking coffee together in the morning, that feels¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. It feels like we¡¯re in those clich¨¦ couple plots in songs from the 90s-¡° Aguri-san stopped in the middle of her sentence, and even put her utensils back onto the te. I also silently put my coffee back onto the cup mat. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± A wave of silence crossed between the two of us¡­for more than 10 seconds. We quickly bulged our eyes and locked each other, and then we yelled at each other, mingly at the top of the lungs! ¡°Isn¡¯t this the problem!¡± We pressed our hands onto the table forcefully. The utensils are shaking. This didn¡¯t raise much attention in the restaurant with the hustle and bustle in the morning, but people from other seats still nced at us. After we apologized, we lowered our voices while continued to chat in a heavy tone. ¡°When did I have so many first times with you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line, Amanhi! How many first times do you want to take away from me-¡° As we said that, the office worker in the next seat choked with a couple coughs. ¡°I feel like Tendou-san keeps suspecting the rtionship between you and me recently, please don¡¯t do that! Come to think of it, why did we gather secretly in the morning to eat breakfast!¡± ¡°What a coincidence, Amanhi, I¡¯m regretting about this right now! How can you just do a bunch of things with me when even Tasuku and I haven¡¯t done before like it¡¯s nothing! Showing up immediately when another girl called you despite having a girlfriend, I can¡¯t believe it!¡± ¡°Y-You say that out loud. If I didn¡¯t show up when you¡¯re trying to find me, you¡¯re the one that will be pissed off in the end! This means that I don¡¯t have a choice at all! This is irresistible!¡± ¡°But Amanhi, isn¡¯t your life all about self-defeating?¡± ¡°No! What¡¯s with that crappy impression of yours! My life is still filled with hope and future!¡± ¡°Like BL, for example?¡± ¡°I feel like I can develop on that side! I¡¯m not referring to that, this is from a rational perspective! Usually, I still got some room when ites to rtionships with girls¡­¡± After I said that, Aguri-san immediately stared at me with an alerted look. She even hugged herself tightly. ¡°Amanhi, you¡¯re nasty.¡± ¡°¡­? ¡­Ah, I got it. Aguri-san, you perceived that I wished for a sexual development between our rtionship just then¡­Is this interpretation of what you¡¯ve just said okay?¡± ¡°Is it that hard for you toprehend what I¡¯ve just said to the point that you¡¯re exining it that much! Hey, hey, hey, ¡­I¡¯m not really treated like a proper girl in your heart, that¡¯s surprising.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one that should be asking, do you even treat me as a guy-¡° Just as I¡¯m about to ask her that, Aguri-san started searching in her bag. ¡°Strange. Ah, right, I just left my makeup bag in the toilet. Hmm, ¡­I¡¯m sorry, Amanhi, can you help me take it back?¡± Aguri-san is suddenly asking me to do errands for her, I almost stood up from my seat on reflex. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go now¡­Eh, why are you baiting me! People will call the cops, you know!¡± ¡°Eh? ¡­Ah, right, Amanhi can¡¯t go into the girl¡¯s toilet. ¡°Now I really understand how you treat me!¡± Anyway, this proves that as a guy and girl, Aguri-san and I really don¡¯t have special feelings for each other. We stared at each other¡¯s face as we sighed at the same time. I understand now. Perhaps it¡¯s like what Aguri-san has mentioned. The two of us aren¡¯t really aware of our gender, that¡¯s why we can¡¯t immediately realize things that you¡¯re not supposed to do with the opposite gender. For example, I¡¯ll more or less pay attention if I¡¯m with the Hoshinomori sisters. Although I don¡¯t have any feelings for the two, at least I¡¯ll treat them as a girl. I¡¯ll absolutely avoid body contact with them. However, ¡­if it¡¯s Aguri-san, it¡¯s because we chatted with each other sincerely since we met. We¡¯re even treating each other as family. To a partner like this, it¡¯s natural for the feeling of ¡°perhaps this counts as cheating¡± to show up. It¡¯s like I won¡¯t have any feelings for my little brother when we¡¯re in the room alone. However, ¡­that¡¯s why. Aguri-san sighed while mumbling. ¡°I guess¡­this is where I¡¯m wrong at.¡± ¡°Aguri-san¡­¡± It looks like she¡¯s the same as me, she also treated this double date as an activity to announce our game over. It¡¯s hard to me her. After all, ¡­if you just want to go out with your boyfriend or girlfriend, a regr date will satisfy that. As for double dates, ¡­only couples that are still too embarrassed to go out alone will do it. Or it¡¯s when two pair of couples are so close to each other that it turned into a ¡°friend circle¡± and have ideas like this. However, in our situation, ¡­both sides have already gone on a date more than once. Moreover, the two pairs of couples aren¡¯t that close to each other. It¡¯s especially Tendou-san and Aguri-san, they still can¡¯t act naturally when they see each other. In other words, when Uehara-kun and Tendou-san are suggesting a ¡°double date¡± explicitly in this situation, we can see that they mean something else. As for the meaning behind all this, ¡­it¡¯s clear as water when you consider where we are. This means that¡­ ¡°Clearly, ¡­Tendou-san is trying to go out with Uehara-kun, and Uehara-kun is trying to get Tendou-san to enjoy with him in the amusement park publicly. That¡¯s why they suggested a double date, ¡­am I right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± After I said the conclusion, Aguri-san lowered her head silently and poked her te with the front of the fork. I also mocked myself with a couple of emptyughs as I stared at the crumbs of the toast on the table. ¡°¡­If I¡¯m facing Tendou-san directly, ...facing the love of our partners, it¡¯s almost time for us to admit the fact sincerely and leave, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± After Aguri-san heard what I¡¯ve just said, ¡­she started to silently poke my poached eggs on the te. However, I don¡¯t even have the energy toin anymore this time. ¡­In the past, ..I, ¡­no, we used to loom that who¡¯s our lover attracted to. However, the two of us thought that ¡°Even so, we can only earn our loved one¡¯s hearts back with our effort!¡± Putting it in a better way, we¡¯re lying to ourselves with ¡°positive¡± thoughts. However, ¡­if Tendou-san indeed fell in love with Uehara-kun, we¡¯re just interrupting their rtionship if we do that. It¡¯s fine when they¡¯re just ¡°suspecting¡± whether they¡¯re falling for each other. However, ¡­if the two already showed that with concrete actions, it¡¯s time for us toe to the realization. It¡¯s time for us to realize that this is the end of our own rtionships. ¡­During this time, Aguri-san pressed her fork a bit harder and poked at the yolk at the centre of the poached egg. ¡°¡­Amanhi, are you satisfied with that?¡± Aguri-san gave me a serious re. I locked my eyes with her as I clenched my fist on the table forcefully. ¡°¡­It¡¯s impossible for me to be satisfied with that. However, there¡¯s nothing we can do, right? If things are already at this stage, then we¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking me to give up struggling? For the two of them?¡± ¡°¡­Well¡­¡± I was speechless. It was very depressing once it¡¯s converted to clear words. My chest is so stressed that I can¡¯t help it. I don¡¯t know if this qualifies to be called with ridiculous terms like ¡°broken up.¡± ¡­However, once I remembered the scenery of chatting happily with Tendou-san and our dates, tears are somehow starting to form in my eyes. I bit my lips as hard as I could. So, ¡­Aguri-san spoke up with a very gentle tone. ¡°Well, ¡­while the rtionship of your loved one is obviously meaningful, but my feelings¡­The feelings that Amanhi and I have put in for those two people, I don¡¯t think asking for more respectful is something that I¡¯m forbidden to do so.¡± ¡°¡­What do you¡­mean by that?¡± I raised my head, and unexpectedly found out that Aguri-san is smiling at me¡­This girl is undoubtedly tough. ¡°If the two of them clearly exined that ¡°It¡¯s because we love someone else, so let¡¯s break up.¡± I also feel that it¡¯s not good for us to keep longing over them. However, ¡­we¡¯re still not there yet. If that¡¯s the case, even though we may have lost 99% of it, I still feel like I have the right to spend ast-ditched effort in it.¡± Her words¡­made me feel like there¡¯s a faint sense of hope in my heart. ¡°Even when we¡¯re 10 points away from out at the second half of the 9th inning, we still have the right to struggle¡­We have the right to believe that we can turn things around and continue swinging, is that what you mean?¡± ¡°Yep, that¡¯s it. Then, if we got a strikeout after we swung as hard as we could. I feel like even if we lost, ¡­it¡¯s a happier ending that way, right?¡± ¡°Aguri-san¡­¡± Her smile struck me straight in the heart¡­This person is incredible, after all. Too unbelievable, it¡¯s almost dazzling me¡­I¡¯m thrilled that she¡¯s the one that talked with me. Also, this is perhaps thest suggestion of someone that I¡¯ve respected so long can make. I wiped the tears at the corner of my eyes hard, and then I beamed Aguri-san with a smile, signalling that I¡¯m unwilling to admit defeat. ¡°I got it! In this double date, ¡­I¡¯ll try my best to struggle and see what happens!¡± ¡°d to hear that! Amanhi, that¡¯s who you are! Good boy.¡± Aguri-san leaned forward and rudely patted my head. After my hair was rubbed roughly for a while, I asked. ¡°By the way¡­¡± ¡°Even if we¡¯re saying that we¡¯re struggling to try and turn the tide. In reality, what are you going to do? On the day of the double date, the things that the two of us can do are¡­¡± ¡°Ho, ¡­Amanhi, are you seriously asking that?¡± Aguri-san raised the poached egg she forked as she answered my question. Ah, that¡¯s mine¡­ ¡°Well, a method that can turn things over in one strike, of course, ¡­there¡¯s only one, right?¡± ¡°Only one? What¡¯s that¡­Eh, my poached eggs!¡± Suddenly, she opened her mouth and shoved the egg in. After she chewed itzily, ¡­she even grabbed my coffee and chugged it down. Then, she mmed the cup onto the table with a ¡°bam¡± as she yelled. ¡°Creating an indisputable fact, that¡¯s the only way!¡± Chiaki Hoshinomori ¡°Yes, this weekend, let us go to the amusement park¡­to explore?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I paused my game development session before turning back. Then, I found out that Konoha, who just finished bathing, is rubbing her wet hair with the towel on her neck as she smiled at me. ¡°Sis, you¡¯re not busy anyway, right?¡± ¡°N-No, no, no, no, Konoha, I¡¯ve said this many times. Basically, my holiday schedule is filled with either ying video games or creating games¡­¡± ¡°This means that you¡¯re not busy, right?¡± ¡°¡­You don¡¯t even appreciate indoor activities¡­¡± I curled up against my lips, sulkily. Konoha then said ¡°sorry, sorry¡± with a smile as she crossed her legs. I can see her panties from her shorts. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Ugh, what¡¯s with that slightly devilish act that is even attracting her sister for a bit? As always, I¡¯m still feeling a strong sense of ¡°femininity¡± that doesn¡¯t fit with the seriousness of my little sister. Unbelievable. Truly unbelievable. Konoha sighed as she continued. ¡°¡­But, I guess I can understand you want to spend more time in indoor leisure.¡± ¡°Liar. Konoha, you¡¯re not into indoor activities as much as I do, right?¡± ¡°Nope. During the holidays, I¡¯ll also y hentai- ¡­H-Hiya, I¡¯m not into it as much as you do¡­¡± Konoha looked away for some reason, then she continued. ¡°A-Anyway-¡° ¡°In reality, you don¡¯t have to y and create games every day, right? However, free tickets for the Viva Spiel Kingdom that I got from themittee of the student council onlysts for 2 weeks. We should prioritize that over indoor activities, right?¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­you¡¯re right.¡± My little sister is still reasonable, I was speechless. Even so, I wanted to retort something, so I continued, unwilling to let this go. ¡°B-But-¡° ¡°I know what you mean, but we don¡¯t have to go as sisters, right? Konoha, you can go with your friends¡­Right, why don¡¯t you just go with themittee of the student council from Hekiyou?¡± I suggested sincerely. However, Konoha shook her head helplessly. ¡°Dating with the beautiful girls from the Hekiyou High School¡¯s student council¡­That plot was already reused so many times in Student Council¡¯s Discretion, who would want to see that anymore?¡± ¡°K-Konoha, who are you insulting?¡± ¡°That clich¨¦ plot is already finished. Calling it a date, while mixing in a bunch of humorous conversations and harem to buff up the pages¡­I feel like that annoying, clich¨¦ amusement park plot is something only a C-grade light novel author can write, even I was fed up with it!¡± ¡°Yep, that¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you. Konoha, what can you get from insulting people? Tell me!¡± ¡°However, in times like this, we can show the public a new, dull plot of exploring the amusement park as sisters, and also appealing to someone at the same time.¡± ¡°Sorry, Konoha. If that¡¯s the case, ¡­even for an older sister that hates moe elements the most. In terms of entertainment, I feel like a harem amusement park plot written by a C-grade author will make more sense.¡± ¡°No, no, no, sis, you don¡¯t understand. In this industry, it¡¯s not going to work if you don¡¯t put out something weird enough to be a feature. In other words, you need to let the author exercise his/her creativity.¡± ¡°Hiya, my little sister, you¡¯re saying that like a weird light novel author.¡± ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t want to hear that from NOBE, who¡¯s already can¡¯t be anymore weirder¡­¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­I-I didn¡¯t mean that on purpose¡­!¡± https://1.bp.blogspot/-R7bBAIiEE-Q/XuZBJKj5oFI/AAAAAAAAO8A/hMlMI5SyasgYzPiG3gih-Eo9swUgi3l-gCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/DLraw_0197.jpg ¡°¡­By the way, sis, isn¡¯t this time for us to stop joking around and exin this seriously?¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that like I¡¯m the one that¡¯s messing with you!¡± Just as I became speechless, Konoha took a sip of the carton of milk at the corner of the bed before coughing as she moved on. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t want to waste my precious holidays in an amusement park with my gloomy sis either.¡± ¡°Konoha, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re interested in all-out insults now?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry, I mean gloomy in another way. Think about it, ¡­it¡¯s¡­Uh, I love you the most, sis.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that brand-new follow-up insult!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk something else, gloomy sis.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk anything with you!¡± ¡°How about I let you y games for 5 minutes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s azy way to try to appeal to someone! If you think a little game can satisfy a gamer, then you¡¯re dead wrong- Ah, my phone¡¯s notifying me that the game has full stamina now! Konoha, just a second.¡± Around 5 minutester. ¡°Phew, games are amazing, Konoha! Well then, we were talking about going to the amusement park together, right? Uwah, I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡± ¡°Your happiness just went from 0 to 100 real fast, even I¡¯m freaking out! Sis are games already like drugs to you!¡± ¡°I-I can quit it whenever I wish! Yes!¡± ¡°That¡¯s precisely what an addict would say! W-Whatever, let¡¯s continue.¡± Konoha cleared her throat before continuing. ¡°Like I¡¯ve said before, the only reason that I¡¯m pairing with sis is just to venture for exploration before the ¡°actual¡± n.¡± ¡°The actual n? What are you talking about¡­¡± After I tilted my head, Konoha puffed up her plumpy chest and announced generously. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m exploring since I wanted to go on a ¡°legitimate¡± date with Amano-senpai.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± I was speechless with a totally unexpected response. Konoha then crossed her legs on the bed again and even gave me a provocative look. ¡°I¡¯m different from sis. I¡¯m not in the least bit willing to miss the chance or let go of each other. I¡¯ll charge straight towards something that I¡¯ve made up my mind with.¡± ¡°Eh? K-Konoha, ¡­you love Keita?¡± I asked with a rapidly beating heart. After Konoha heard my question, ¡­her strong will disappeared for some reason and answered me ckly. ¡°Who knows? I¡¯m not too sure either.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°After all, I don¡¯t have any experience dating in real life.¡± She¡¯s saying that as if she experienced a virtual rtionship¡­Did she y dating sims before¡­Uh, no way. Konoha will never touch those. I was a bit confused, so I asked. ¡°Then, why do you want to go out on a date with Keita¡­¡± ¡°Sis, that¡¯s a dumb question. Of course, it¡¯s because¡­I¡¯m interested in him.¡± ¡°Interested, ¡­you to Keita?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Sis, who do you think senpai and me are? If we¡¯re talking about interests, ¡­I got it. It¡¯s like my interest to one¡¯s body biologically¡­No, uh, of course, I mean in terms of personality.¡± Konoha looked away from me again as she answered¡­In terms of personality¡­Hmm- I can¡¯t help but cross my arms. ¡°Konoha, I¡¯ve been suspecting this for a while¡­Are you that rted to Keita? You two more or less can chat when ites to NOBE¡¯s true identity and Uehara-kun¡¯s confession¡­However, I don¡¯t feel like you two have that much of a connection¡­¡± To my question, Konoha still refused to look at me. She was struggling toe up with a response. ¡°W-Well, senpai and I¡­R-Right. How should I put it, ¡­there¡¯s something connecting us deep inside our souls¡­¡± ¡°S-Soul? Uh, is it like rtionships from the previous life?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s close, we shared many memories inmon when ites to hentai games in the previous life¡­¡± ¡°T-The world setting is suddenly getting this supernatural! I can¡¯t believe that my little sister has such an unbelievable experience! You need to exin everything now!¡± ¡°I-I think I can¡¯t exin this to anyone, ¡­really.¡± ¡°Yep, people¡¯s previous life can be sensitive sometimes. Uh, ¡­anyway, you can¡¯t get Keita off your head for some reason, am I correct?¡± ¡°Y-Yes! Okay!¡± Konoha seems to be giving me an ¡°I¡¯m saved¡± looked before leaning forward in agreement¡­Don¡¯t tell me, is she that unwilling to talk about her previous life?¡± I respected Konoha¡¯s decision, so I stopped asking her about her previous life. However, I gave her a new question. ¡°But, you¡¯re dating him just because you can¡¯t get him off your head¡­¡± ¡°¡­Sis, that¡¯s why you can¡¯t change anything¡­¡± I asked Konoha, who¡¯s slightly lowering her head and mumbling. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Konoha slowly raised her head¡­Then, she gave me a confident smile. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let myself fall into love idiotically. My rtionship¡­is going to be incubated by myself.¡± ¡°¡­Konoha¡­¡± I was convinced by my little sister¡¯s imposing manner. I can¡¯t retort anymore, so Konoha squinted a little before telling me. ¡°However, I¡¯m not the only one that wanted to ¡°explore¡± outdoors, right? Sis, do you think I¡¯m right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m done.¡± Konoha raised from the bed and walked directly to the door. She only left a ¡°sis, goodnight¡± and prepared to leave the room. I mumbled quietly to her. ¡°I¡¯m going¡­¡± ¡°Eh? Sis, what did you say?¡± Konoha obviously heard it, but she still asked me mischievously. As for me, ¡­I raised my slightly blushed face abruptly and clenched my fist in front of my chest. Then, I announced with a determined look. ¡°I-I¡¯m going to ¡°explore¡± in the amusement park too, please!¡± Volume 5, 4 – Gamers and Abhorrent Strike, Part 2

Volume 5, Chapter 4 ¨C Gamers and Abhorrent Strike, Part 2

Trantor: your_pingas Karen Tendou The Viva Spiel Kingdom. Amidst the most rural of rural areas, a deste ce that can only be arrived with a 30-minute bus ride filled with garden scenery. However, it upies ample space and counts as a theme park that emphasizes heavily on world settings. The streets in the park are mainly modeled after medieval Germany, gamers will feel that it¡¯s a town appearing in the middle stage of RPG plots. Although it¡¯s definitely not asplete as Disnend, nor does it contain as much entertainment as Universal Studios. However, that¡¯s why it gives off a sense of tranquillity. This is a ¡°local amusement park¡± favored by family visitors during the weekends. This is the Viva Spiel Kingdom. So, to put it frankly, the rides are few and old. I guess it¡¯s true that this ce wasn¡¯t designed for teenagers at all¡­ However- ¡°Yay! The Viva Spiel Kingdom!¡± After Amano-kun and I took a step into the park, we raised our hands high with our eyes sparkling pure happiness as we watched the street scenery. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s great no matter how many times I came here. This in, middle town feeling!¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s really great no matter how many times I came here, this in, middle town feeling!¡± ¡°No, no, no, I don¡¯t understand what are you two exciting over at all.¡± Aguri-san slowly walked behind the excited two of us, she dumbfoundedly nced at us as she mumbled. During this time, Uehara-kun, who¡¯s next to her, helped to persuade her with a bitter smile. ¡°However, for RPG lovers, it¡¯s hard for them to resist this street scenery of the theme park.¡± ¡°¡­Even so, why are the two always saying in and middle?¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­even if this has RPG elements in it, this doesn¡¯t resemble the metropolis in thete game. Reversely, it doesn¡¯t look like the rural vige at the start¡­How should I put it, this really looks like the cities that will appear in the mid-game.¡± To Uehara-kun¡¯s exnation, Amano-kun and I agreed at the same time. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°However, that¡¯s why it really gives off this ¡°half-assed¡± feeling that¡¯s just right!¡± ¡°Exactly! Only a mid-game town or city will resemble this! The park didn¡¯t challenge themselves to build a genuine and majestic castle in thete game, that¡¯s the best part about it!¡± ¡°Yeah! Amano-kun surely knows a lot!¡± ¡°No, no, no, Tendou-san¡¯s the same! Do you understand this kind of excitement!¡± ¡°Yep!¡± So, we grabbed our hands tightly. Aguri-san looked at us with an even more dumbfounded look as she asked for an exnation from Uehara-kun. ¡°Uh, ¡­Tasuku, do you understand their baffling emotions as well?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, even for a guy that ys video games like me, I also feel that this indoor couple is quite disgusting.¡± ¡°Really, then I can rx. That couple is quite dumb.¡± ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re dumb.¡± Although they seem pretty impolite, Amano-kun and I didn¡¯t mind at all. After all, this ce is¡­gamer¡¯s paradise! Amano-kun mumbled throbbingly. ¡°Sigh, ¡­it¡¯s because VR¡¯s getting all the spotlight these days. I still wish people would continue to treasure this kind of concrete and cheap feeling, Tendou-san.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Amano-kun. Come, look over there. That statue is giving off a subtle, unmaintained feeling! It¡¯s really realistic and excellent¡­¡± ¡°Exactly¡­¡± ¡°Tasuku, I want to split up with that pair immediately!¡± ¡°Calm down, Aguri! Even though I understand how you feel! I really do! But if we disbanded right after we entered the park, we would just be a pair of friends that got on the same bus instead of a double date!¡± The other couple seems to be arguing over something. Amano-kun and I looked at each other, and then we helplessly paused our enjoyment before turning to them dumbfoundedly. ¡°You two are already fighting at the start?¡± ¡°I wonder who caused it!¡± The two stared at us angrily. Wow, I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re getting jealous over a couple with a good rtionship, how awful. After Amano-kun and I responded maturely with a gentle smile, we said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Then, we walked towards the rides with Uehara-kun and Aguri-san. I went over the za in front of the entrance and nced at Uehara-kun, who¡¯s at my back. Then, although Uehara-kun and Aguri-san are chatting over something, he still slightly nodded at me as a response. I also nodded at him. ¡°Things are going well, for now.¡± Even though the date has just started, but there¡¯s a tendency for us to mess everything up, no matter what we do. We should be already celebrating when the double date can start without any dy. I blocked the sunlight with my hands and stared at the sky. It¡¯s sunny with the autumn winds sending rxing chills, excellent weather for dating. I secretly nced at Amano-kun on my side. Even though he was unwilling to be invited to this double date, he¡¯s now smiling at me nonchntly. Also, Aguri-san, who keptining because she¡¯s not that interested in the park, seems that she¡¯s not really that unhappy. The evidence is that she¡¯s chatting excitedly with Uehara-kun. Everything¡¯s going smoothly, I can¡¯t help but clenched my fist in excitement. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s going ordingly to Uehara-kun¡¯s and my n¡­Aren¡¯t we lucky today?¡± Honestly, Uehara-kun and I nned this double date with the premise that it¡¯s not going to go well, so it¡¯s not like we didn¡¯t expect this. ¡°Raining is just trivial. From the super awkward scene where only Aguri-san and I showed up to Uehara-kun identally dying, we should have expected every situation¡­¡± Then, God decided to be kind to us, and the double date is peaceful. Even though the activity has just started, it¡¯s hard for Uehara-kun and me to not feel weirdly satisfied. However, herees the main show. I need to push the operation to the next phase. ¡°Well, about the rides, it¡¯s actually not a lot. Also, we don¡¯t need to get in line for any of them. I was nning to go in order, what do you guys think?¡± I hastily suggested. Although Amano-kun and Aguri-san were shocked for a moment, ¡­they seems to have no reason to reject this. So, they agreed. ¡°I feel that¡¯s okay¡­¡± ¡°Thanks. Then let¡¯s y!¡± I smiled. Then, at the next moment, I mustered up my courage and held Amano-kun¡¯s hand. ¡°Hiya¡­!¡± Amano-kun let out a strange noise and even sweated for a little. However, instead of throwing my hand away, he grabbed mine tightly¡­He¡¯s still that weirdly manly boy. I can¡¯t take this anymore, I love him so much. Uehara-kun and Aguri-san at the back started to hold hands as well, just like what we expected. But they weren¡¯t the same as we do, they¡¯re pretty used to it. Although it still looks quite nervous more or less for a half-year couple, it¡¯s not as freaked out as we do. Just as Amano-kun and Aguri-san are putting their minds onto holding hands, Uehara-kun and I made eye contact. ¡°It¡¯s going well for now¡­Uehara-kun, I¡¯ll charge like this¡­!¡± ¡°Hmph, I¡¯ll not lose to you either, Tendou. What follows next is apetition between us in a sense! All of this depends on whether we can unleash our attractiveness as a man and woman¡­!¡± I received Uehara-kun¡¯s message, and then I remembered thebat meeting that I held with him as I nodded with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re right. After all, our goal is¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, our goal is¡­¡± At this moment, we stared at each of our couples¡­with sharp res! ¡°In today¡¯s date, we need to make them stick as close to us as possible!¡± * Uehara-kun and I were slowly starting to feel that each of our rtionships are in the danger zone. -He, and she, are they still attracted to us? Of course, Uehara-kun and I have heard each of our partners said they ¡°loved¡± us in the past. That¡¯s a memory that¡¯ll be forever treasured by us. However, words aren¡¯t anything more than words. When we¡¯re facing the unusual distance between Amano-kun and Aguri-san, we¡¯ll feel a sense of emptiness no matter what, and all hope will be lost. That¡¯s why the one thing that we wanted the most right now is- An indisputable fact, nothing else. Proof that we¡¯re boyfriend and girlfriend. Also, we don¡¯t want a normal fact. We want the fact that each of our partners is ¡°requesting¡± us on their own. We can¡¯t prove anything even if we confess our more-than-enough love to them. However, if they¡¯re the one, ¡­in my situation, if Amano-kun is willing to do something for me- There¡¯s nothing that will give me more confidence than that. There¡¯s nothing that will give me more relief than that. ¡­However, even so, Uehara-kun and I didn¡¯t want to act passively. Our n is to show off our attractiveness as much as possible so that our partners will confess to us. While that¡¯s true, ¡­if we¡¯re just seducing them brainlessly, a regr date would be more efficient. However, this time, what we want is a definite ¡°action¡±ing from our partners on their own. The regretful part I that¡­our respective boyfriend and girlfriend are theplete ¡°introvert¡± type. I don¡¯t think Amano-kun needs an exnation. As for Aguri-san, ¡­while she looks frivolous on the surface, but from the fact that she hasn¡¯t made any progress with her boyfriend for half a year, she¡¯s clearly an innocent girl. It¡¯s hard for a girl like this to force her to stick close in a single regr date. But, on the other hand, Amano-kun and Aguri-san are people that will act decisively when the time is right in every way, and that¡¯s a fact too. We can see that clearly when Amano-kun refused to enter the club, and Aguri-san helping him to smooth things over. These two are courageous enough to act on something that they need to do right now without hesitation. If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯ll be easy for us. We can rely on a double date, ¡­instead of a regr one, to explicitly manage the time when the guy and the girl will be alone together. First, we will keep on seducing our partners, ¡­then we immediately cut it out when others are around¡­After we got them hooked up to us, we¡¯ll give them a definite ¡°yes, right now¡± chance and give us a short time to be with each other alone. This way, ¡­Amano-kun and Aguri-san will act naturally on their own. Yes. The two of them should confess to us. It¡¯s more like, that¡¯s what should a couple looks like. So, Uehara-kun and I will cast our spells on our partners with this Viva Spiel Kingdom as the stage¡­Honestly, although I¡¯m embarrassed and blushing right now, we still unleashed our relentless ¡°hormone attacks¡± on them. When we¡¯re in the park, I¡¯ll pretend to trip over with an ¡°ah¡± before leaning onto Amano-kun. When the four of us are eating ice-cream together, Uehara-kun will wipe the ice cream stain on Aguri-san¡¯s lips with his thumb like there¡¯s nothing wrong. When we¡¯re on the rollercoaster, I even wrapped myself around Amano-kun¡¯s arm when I¡¯m not scared at all. During the afternoon break, even though Uehara-kun went all out and attempted a ¡°kabedon¡± on Aguri-san. He missed the timing and only embarrassed himself when others snickered at him. So, the ¡°first chance¡± is here, each of the couples is riding on the Ferris wheel separately. I said, ¡°I-I¡¯m scared of the height¡± even though it doesn¡¯t fit my style at all, then Amano-kun just answered ¡°r-really¡± because he doesn¡¯t know how to react. The situation can¡¯t be any more embarrassing. As for Uehara-kun¡¯s side, it is told that he lost his bnce when he intended to sit next to Aguri-san, and identally caused the second kabedon. The two of them are also very embarrassed as well. In the end, both of our operations on the Ferris wheel were a failure¡­However, Uehara-kun and I are still far from giving up yet. It¡¯s because, in this Viva Spiel Kingdom, there¡¯s a better ¡°opportunity¡± than a Ferris wheel, it¡¯s an excellent facility designed for couples. Its name is- https://1.bp.blogspot/-y-gCXQ5FUEo/XutGuc9RkqI/AAAAAAAAO9E/X3BkE92WnYk5d5T_d_O40dE8X5PKHkmmACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/DLraw_0214.jpg Chiaki Hoshinomori ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­the Kizuna Dungeon?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Konoha opened the map of the park on the bench as she nodded happily. As for me, I tried to replenish my sugar level with a can of soda as I stared at the post-afternoon sky dazedly. ¡°¡­I¡¯m exhausted¡­¡± We got on all the rides in order since morning to check whether it¡¯s qualified for a date, sometimes even getting on two to three times repeatedly. Also, we ordered a bunch of things during lunch to ¡°taste the difference¡± between them. It¡¯s far from a rest, so an indoor person like me is already exhausted right now. I looked at my little sister to the side. She¡¯s wearing something that¡¯s considered to be too revealing by her sis¡¯s standard. It seems like that¡¯s casual clothing designed for a date. However, in contrast to her feminine look, she¡¯s gnawing on a churro in her right hand and said, ¡°This tastes awful.¡± ¡­Where did she get that energy from? I can¡¯t take this anymore since my stomach is still filled with the lunch we just had, so I can¡¯t help but plopped my head now discouragedly. Suddenly, I freaked out because I saw my pale legs. ¡°Ah, right. Konoha shoved her hand-picked clothes to me today, even I wore something a bit too daring¡­¡± I thought whether my skirt can be a bit longer, so I can¡¯t help but started to drag the corner of my dress downwards. So, Konoha immediately stared at me fiercely. All I can do is smile bitterly as I try to think about something else. ¡°Uh, well, so, ¡­about that, ¡­right! W-What¡¯s actually in the Kizuna Dungeon?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes, that¡¯s a good question.¡± After my little sister shoved the rest of her churro into her mouth, she folded the map and showed the summary of that Kizuna Dungeon to me. Just as I retrieved the map, Konoha started exining. ¡°It¡¯s the same as what the map described, Kizuna Dungeon is an exploration-type facility with two people as a group.¡± ¡°Really, so it¡¯s like a haunted house? I¡¯m quite scared of that¡­¡± The reference photos showed a guy and a girl walking in a gloomy room. So, my face went pale because I immediately associated them with the scary rides. Although I¡¯ll make horror games as well, I¡¯m scared of jumpscare tricks like this¡­ However, Konoha denied my suspicion. ¡°Hmm, I think it¡¯s not the same. While it¡¯s true that you will be in gloomy rooms, but instead of saying that the goal is to experience horror, it¡¯s more like an act to enhance the couple¡¯s rtionship.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Look, here¡¯s the photos. This pair of couples are wearing headphones, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, they actually do.¡± After I heard Konoha, I finally found out the couple in the photos seems to be wearing headphones with a shining ¡°G¡± letter in the middle. She continued to exin to me. ¡°It is told that these headphones arepletely soundproof.¡± ¡°Eh? After we entered a dark environment with poor visions, we even have to walk with no sounds?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the point, sis.¡± Konoha puffed up her chest. She¡¯s so confident that it¡¯s like she was the one that designed this facility. ¡°This way, the only thing that the two can rely on is touch, ¡­and the warmth of holding hands, right?¡± ¡°Ah, I understand. That¡¯s really suitable for a couple.¡± I let out an innocent sigh, then Konoha looked at me dumbfoundedly. ¡°¡­Sis, are you acting like you¡¯re just hearing someone¡¯s else story?¡± ¡°What? But even if you said that I should have nothing to do with facilities designed for normies like that, right¡­¡± ¡°Do you want to imagine what it will be like when you entered with Amano-senpai alone?¡± ¡°Eh-¡° Suddenly, my imagination ran wild. Keita, and I, in the dark, holding our hands and making our way through the maze¡­ ¡°¡­Konoha, I think your sister just understood how it''s like to be loved.¡± ¡°This sister isn¡¯t really covering her love recently, right.¡± ¡°Ah, b-but it¡¯s not like I have any feelings for Keita! So I don¡¯t want to go to the Kizuna Dungeon with him at all. But Konoha, if you wanted to mess with your sister in that way, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m not willing to take the free ticket to the park next week from your right now¡­¡± ¡°How did this sister went from a tsundere to a ¡°scared bun¡± that fast? I don¡¯t want to give you the tickets when you¡¯re this annoying.¡± [Note: That joke has something to do with Xiangsheng,monly found in Chineseedy. I just tranted it literally since I have no idea with any of that.] ¡°¡­Eh, ¡­well, ¡­ufufu¡­Sigh¡­¡± ¡°H-Here it is! Sis, here¡¯s the ticket! I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°Eh, you¡¯re really giving me that, Konoha? ¡­Ho, ho, ¡­I¡¯m absolutely not willing to go on a date with Keita anyways, but if my little sister is asking me to go no matter what-¡° ¡°Wow, I feel like my sister¡¯s really adorable when it¡¯s this ridiculous.¡± During this time, Konoha suddenly wrapped me in her arms tightly. The people passing the za is starting to give us unusual stares. ¡°K-Konoha! This is embarrassing! D-Don¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Sis, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m a bit horny now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that confession! Konoha! Eh, if any of our friends saw we like this¡­!¡± ¡°Ahaha, you surely love worrying. Although you guys will often encounter wild things, usually, we¡¯re not going to meet the people we don¡¯t want to in the wrong time and in the wrong ce-¡° ¡°Chiaki¡­and Konoha-san?¡± ¡°Hiya!?¡± Someone suddenly tried to talk to us. We sisters remained in our cuddling position as we turned our faces in that direction. Then, there¡¯s a boy standing there, who¡¯s seemingly trying to say hi to us with his hand shivering in the middle ¨C Keita Amano. Also, behind him, Tendou-san, Uehara-kun, Aguri-san¡­It¡¯s almost the ¡°dream team¡± that wasn¡¯t supposed to find out what we¡¯re doing now. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The atmosphere froze right away. Just as Konoha and I remained utterly still, ¡­the dream team members looked at each other stiffly, and then everyone smiled as they said the exact same thing. ¡°P-Please enjoy yourselves¡­¡± ¡°Stand right there!¡± The two of us dragged them from leaving with all our strength before exining angrily about what happened there. Keita Amano ¡°Yep, I-I think it¡¯s good that you two sisters have such a lovely rtionship, Chiaki.¡± ¡°I-I already said that it¡¯s a misunderstanding, Keita! Are you listening to me!¡± Then, around 10 minutester, we switched the location to the resting area with a bunch of vending machines. We chatted happily with the Hoshinomori sisters that we unexpectedly met. Just as I¡¯m forced to listen to Chiaki¡¯s exnation, Konoha-san greeted Uehara-kun and Aguri-san behind me. This should her first time meeting them, but¡­ ¡°Uh, ¡­Konoha, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Uh, ¡­well, ¡­did I¡­do something that makes you hate me¡­?¡± ¡°Eh, Trashara-senpai, please don¡¯t get close to me. You¡¯re dirty as hell.¡± ¡°Trashara-senpai? Dirty as hell?¡± Uehara-kun¡¯s face went pale after this abhorrent strike. Inparison, Konoha-san is staring at Uehara-kun like he killed her parents. Then, there¡¯s the shocked Tendou-san and Aguri-san next to them since they don¡¯t know how to react. Chiaki and I made eye contact and confirmed with each other quietly. ¡°Uh, ¡­in Konoha-san¡¯s mind, Uehara-kun is still that yer that tries to mess with Tendou-san and her sister even when he already has a girlfriend?¡± ¡°Y-Yes. Although I did more or less try to smooth things over, ¡­uh, I can¡¯t give concrete evidence. So, all I can do is give a vague exnation. ¡°I-It seems that Uehara-kun is a kind person.¡± That n may have backfired¡­¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­if you said that I feel like this sounds like a normie trying to toy with an innocent sister¡­¡± Although this is somewhat correct, Chiaki loves Uehara-kun so much, after all. I feel like there¡¯s a subtle atmosphere going around recently. The two of us smiled bitterly. Then, Uehara-kun looked at us, hoping that we¡¯lle to his rescue¡­Sigh, I really wanted to help, but I¡¯ll be the same as Chiaki if I tried to smooth things over. Just as we¡¯re engulfed in an unknown nervousness, Tendou-san coughed to get everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°B-By the way, why are you two here?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The Hoshinomori sisters suddenly looked at me for some reason before going speechless. After she saw them like that, Tendou-san and Aguri-san squinted and looked like their brains are operating at max speed. Also, after Konoha-san was treated like that, she switched her face to the smart ¡°hardworking student council president¡± mode. ¡°Are there any problems with sisters with a good rtionship toe to the amusement park during the holiday? I¡¯m quite curious about this though, why would the four boys and girls from the Game Hobby Club abandon my sister toe to the park? Ay, I¡¯m just kidding.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Tendou-san and Aguri-san immediately started to shiver¡­What¡¯s with this dangerous aura radiating off the girls? Me, who¡¯s shocked, and Uehara-kun, who¡¯s depressed, are getting a strong feeling that they¡¯re hiding something from us. Just as we¡¯re struggling to understand the situation, the girls are still fiercely staring at each other. So, Tendou-san is seemingly trying to show off to the others as she swung her smooth blonde hair¡­I¡¯ve only found out about this recently. Still, sometimes Tendou-san has a switch that she can use to turn on her ¡°Karen Tendou¡± mode¡­I think the swinging-her-hair part counts. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m really sorry, Konoha-san. However, we¡¯re absolutely not trying to iste Hoshinomori-san. Think about it, ¡­how should we put it, the four of us do have boyfriends and girlfriends, after all.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± This time, it¡¯s the Hoshinomori sisters that started mumbling¡­By the way, why is Chiaki taking damage as well? I feel like this girl doesn¡¯t want a boyfriend at all¡­ So, it looks like Konoha-san is burning furiously after she saw her sister getting hurt. She nced at Tendou-san and Aguri-san with a clearly provocative look. ¡°So, you guys are here for a double date? Oh, double date. We loners are getting jealous, double date.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± This time, it¡¯s not just Tendou-san, and Aguri-san, even Uehara-kun and I were hit as well. What kind of feeling is this? It¡¯s super embarrassing. After she mentioned ¡°double date¡± few times in a roll, this feels really embarrassing! To Konoha-san¡¯s indiscriminate attacks, even Aguri-san, who just met her for the first time, spoke up like she can¡¯t stand that her boyfriend was looked down on. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m having a ¡°double date¡± with Tasuku. A double date. This means two pairs of ¡°COUPLES¡± ¡°DATING¡± each other¡­Uh, by the way, are the Hoshinomori sisters joining us as well?¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± The Hoshinomori sisters seem to be in critical condition¡­What kind of round-based deathmatch is this? Are the normie tribes always in a state of civil war with each other¡­Although I respected them a little, from the looks of Uehara-kun, this doesn¡¯t look normal at all. I can¡¯t help it. I should have taken rtively light damage. Even though I knew that doing this doesn¡¯t fit my style at all, I need to calm everyone down right now. ¡°Uh, it¡¯s not easy for everyone to be in the same park. Even if we¡¯re trying to talk to each other, it should be faster to y as we talk, right¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe a loner is giving us suggestions!¡± ¡°YOU GUYS ARE CRUEL!¡± Everyone shouted that at the same time, including Tendou-san. This is the most damage that I¡¯ve ever taken in a single blow. So that¡¯s the case, ¡­even my girlfriend saw me as a loner as well¡­.I don¡¯t even know anymore. In this world, some people are still loners after they got a girlfriend¡­Phew. After I turned clearly depressed, everyone sensed ¡°crap¡± from the atmosphere. So, the gang switched attitudes and started to care for me. ¡°A-Amano-kun¡¯s right! Yeah, it¡¯s not efficient to stay in the rest area and chat, yes!¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, Tendou-san. Moreover, my sister and I wanted to go on some other rides as well.¡± ¡°Oh, w-where do the Hoshinomori sisters wanted to go?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s a ¡°Kizuna Dungeon¡± ce¡­¡± ¡°Uwah, w-what a coincidence. We¡¯re just talking about going there as well!¡± ¡­I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on, but everyone is staring at me as they talked to each other warmly. I think things went well again, even though I¡¯m not sure why. I took a deep breath to switch up my mood, and then I smiled at the sisters. ¡°Well, let¡¯s forget other things for now. Anyway, you two should follow us to the Kizuna Dungeon!¡± ¡°Yep!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± For some reason, Tendou-san and Uehara-kun¡¯s faces turned stiff. Is there a problem? I tilted my head to express my confusion, the two of them immediately tried to cover it up quickly. ¡°Y-Yeah, it should be nice, Amano-kun! I agree.¡± ¡°O-Okay! There wouldn¡¯t be any problems as long as our destination is the same, alright!¡± ¡°R-Really? That¡¯s good¡­¡± Although I was a bit suspicious, I still answered, ¡°Then let¡¯s go¡± before urging Konoha-san to leave the resting area and head towards the Kizuna Dungeon. Tendou-san and Uehara-kun followed us slowly. Also, the two of them seem to be secretly exchanging something. ¡°6 people¡­This could be¡­quite troublesome¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­but this is still within our expectation¡­¡± ¡°?¡± I can¡¯t hear what they¡¯re saying clearly even though I have sharp ears. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with going to the dungeon with 6 people?¡± I¡¯m not familiar with the Kizuna Dungeon, so I can¡¯t say anything. Just as I¡¯m getting slightly ufortable as I¡¯m walking, suddenly, Tendou-san caught up with me. ¡°Amano-kun, Amano-kun, about the Kizuna Dungeon we¡¯re going to¡­Although the n changed for a bit, I¡¯m sure that there wouldn¡¯t be any problems.¡± ¡°What problems?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, no, how should I say this...Uh, Kizuna Dungeon is challenged by two people in a group at a time. However, if we¡¯re going with a gang, we¡¯ll be grouped randomly.¡± ¡°Eh? This means that we can¡¯t pick our own groupmates?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°¡­Ho, ho, I can¡¯t believe ¡°please form your own groups¡± is not suitable here. It¡¯s sending chills down my spine when I¡¯m thinking it¡­This is a dream arrangement for loners like me! Great!¡± ¡°Yep, Amano-kun, I¡¯m sorry to interrupt when you¡¯re this apathetic. However, that would only be bad in this situation where we¡¯re dating.¡± I immediately snapped out of it after my girlfriend responded to me coldly. ¡°Y-You¡¯re right. However, I¡¯m sure the staff will amodate if we¡¯re nice¡­¡± I gave a reasonable answer, but Tendou-san put her hand on her cheeks as she sighed. ¡°That¡¯s not guaranteed. Kizuna Dungeon was designed to be used to encourage friendships. If more than 4 people are present, the park ordered that they must be randomly arranged. ¡°Oh, ¡­really. So, that¡¯s a facility designed for normies toin like ¡°I hate you¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe this¡­¡± Words like that. Yep, this whole thing should be struck to shreds by a meteor.¡± ¡°We¡¯re the boys and girls that are preparing to go there right now, what are you talking about? Anyway, because of this, once we¡¯re going there with 6 people¡­¡± ¡°Ah, so there¡¯ll be less chance for couples to be in the same group. If that¡¯s the case, we can hide that we¡¯re a group and just enter with two people each time¡­¡± ¡°¡­How are we going to exin this to the Hoshinomori sisters?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Well, let¡¯s go in separately as couples. Ah, so you two sisters are going in together. Ho, ho, ahaha, I¡¯m looking forward to this, darling¡­ ¡°This is bullying, right?¡± ¡°See? Amano-kun, can you even suggest that to them?¡± ¡°I know what it¡¯s like to form groups by yourselves. I can never pull off something that lunatic!¡± Being treated as the extra person in a group, nothing is scarier than that! I clenched my fists tightly as Tendou-san continued. ¡°However, if we just go in without doing anything and put all our bets on luck¡­Let say if Uehara-kun is in the same group as you, what will you do?¡± ¡°Eh? Although this is a bit embarrassing, I would still be happy.¡± I was embarrassed. Tendou-san¡¯s look turned dark. ¡°I freaked out at the unexpected answer. ¡°I wanted to be in the same group as Tendou-san¡± is what I wanted to hear.¡± ¡°I-I wanted to be in the same group as Tendou-san!¡± I immediately said that. Then, Tendou-san smiled and answered, ¡°Right.¡± ¡­She¡¯s scary. ¡°This time, you can rely on Uehara-kun and me.¡± ¡°Uehara-kun, and you?¡± ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re almost there, so I don¡¯t have time to exin¡­However, Uehara-kun and I knew the rules of this random arrangement.¡± ¡°Eh, why?¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s because we already-¡° Tendou-san coughed as she said that. ¡°S-She''s already¡­?¡± D-Don¡¯t tell me, Tendou-san and Uehara-kun havee to the Kizuna Dungeon before?¡± I¡¯m shivering at the ever-increasing sense of defeat. Then, Tendou-san continued. ¡°A-Anyway, Uehara-kun and I will manage to get into a group with Aguri-san and you. So, you two don¡¯t need to freak out, just be the normal you. That¡¯s all I wanted to say.¡± ¡°R-Really.¡± After she said that, I found out that Uehara-kun is seemingly exining the same thing to Aguri-san. During this time, Konoha-san, who¡¯s at the front, nced back at us. It would be unfortunate if we spoiled our n here. Tendou-san and Uehara-kun immediately left us and ran towards the Hoshinomori sisters to chat with them. Aguri-san and I, who was left here by them, met up off the distance as we exchanged our thoughts rapidly. ¡°¡­Amanhi, what do you think?¡± ¡°¡­If I¡¯m brutal, objectively, I think it¡¯s 50%.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Objectively, the two can do this to lower our guard, ¡­when in actuality, they¡¯re trying to pair themselves up.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± We exchanged our pessimistic thoughts. However, ¡­we don¡¯t feel hopeless at all. That¡¯s because¡­ ¡°Then, Amanhi, you were saying that objectively. However, subjectively, ¡­what do you think?¡± ¡°Ho¡­Aguri-san, you¡¯re asking this? You shouldn¡¯t even need to ask this. Our opinions should be the same.¡± ¡°Ho, ¡­you¡¯re right. I asked a dumb question. Subjectively, Tasuku today seems¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, Tendou-san today seems¡­¡± We stopped walking and distanced ourselves from the others¡­before shouting! ¡°THEY¡¯RE WAY TOO ATTRACTIVE!!!¡± The two of us are seemingly trying to vent out our long-umted frustration. However, we shouted it to the ground because we¡¯re trying our best to suppress our voice. Aguri-san and I were so excited that our cheeks are as red as tomatoes as we showed off our love to each other. ¡°I can¡¯t believe how cute Tendou-san is today! She¡¯s definitely trying to seduce me!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for me! I can¡¯t believe how handsome Tasuku is! When he tried a kabedon, I thought I¡¯ll die from his handsomeness!¡± ¡°No, no, no, no, no, like when Tendou-san leaned on to me, my exploding heart is about to bomb the entire park into dust! I managed to hold it because I don¡¯t want to be too embarrassed!¡± ¡°Me too! Although I tried to y it cool when I got a kabedon for the second time, I¡¯ll be too excited andunched into the atmosphere if I don¡¯t do that! Wow, my boyfriend is absolutely trying to seduce me! It couldn¡¯t be wrong! Subjectively!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for me! Tendou-san is basically at a e on¡± state! Subjectively!¡± ¡°Yes, subjectively!¡± ¡°Yes, subjectively!¡± ¡°Subjectively¡­¡± ¡°Subjectively¡­¡± Then, ..the two of us were so depressed that people will question what we were getting so excited about¡­We even dropped our shoulders and yelled. ¡°Although from a subjective perspective, they¡¯re just hiding that they¡¯re cheating behind us!¡± We mumbled with grinding teeth. This is agonizing. Where? This ¡°rollercoaster of love¡± with crazy up and downs are so god damn agonizing. Aguri-san mumbled depressingly. ¡°So, what should we do, Amanhi? That suggestion¡­Should we go with it or avoid it?¡± ¡°Honestly, ¡­we can only go with it. We aren¡¯t familiar with the random arrangement¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± We let out a loud sigh¡­I can¡¯t believe it¡¯ll be this painful when we¡¯re on a date while being unable to guess what¡¯s on our partner''s mind. I looked at the depressed Aguri-san at the side¡­To cheer her up and to boost my courage, I told her my rtively positive thought that had been on my mind. ¡°However, in another way, perhaps this is our biggest chance.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°To put it simply¡­¡± I raised a thumb, as I exined. ¡°It¡¯s because Tendou-san and Uehara-kun knew all rules of the arrangement. If this really turned into what they said, which is Tendou-san pairing up with me and Uehara-kun pairing up with you¡­¡± During this time, Aguri-san seems to have understood everything. ¡°Right, this proves that they still love us!¡± ¡°Exactly! If they really loved each other, it¡¯s impossible for them to not use a chance like this to cover up for their rtionship.¡± ¡°In other words, once they actually picked us as their partners¡­¡± ¡°I think we can sincerely agree that represented their love for us. Logically, it wouldn¡¯t be just us overthinking everything.¡± ¡°Then, ¡­when the dust has finally settled..¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Then, to prove that we¡¯re not wimps, we can finally go ordingly to our n¡­¡± ¡°Then, we looked at each other¡¯s eyes directly. The two of us spoke up at the same time with a determined look. ¡°Act decisively and create an indisputable fact!¡± Tasuku Uehara ¡°Your group has 6 people, right?¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± ¡°I understand. Well, we¡¯ll arrange for everyone. Please give us a moment.¡± I looked at the female staff member disappearing in the Kizuna Dungeon as I secretly observed what¡¯s happening between the five of my groupmates. Although everyone is chitchatting with each other, there¡¯s an undeniable sense of nervousness radiating between us. During this time, I made eye-contact with Konoha, who has a subtle distance with me. She still fiercely¡­and suspiciously red at me. Therefore, I immediately looked away and looked at the door to the dungeon half-heartedly. ¡°We¡¯re entering the main hall from there, then the visitors will choose the headphones, right¡­¡± My friend Masaya, his uncle, is also working here. With this moment, I started memorizing the intelligence I gathered from him. ¡°Everyone will get a soundproof headphone, but there are 6 colors on the ¡°G¡± letter. The arrangement will be based on the colors.¡± The information ends here. It was mentioned on the tour guide and the official website. It even got a slogan saying, ¡°It¡¯s decided by the God of Fate for who gets to pair up with who!¡± However, in reality, ¡­it¡¯s far from a random arrangement, it is static. ¡°If I remember correctly, blue should go with red, yellow should go with green, white should go with orange¡­It should be grouped like this.¡± I reaffirmed the grouping method I heard from Masaya. In other words, I need to take the red one if Aguri grabbed the blue headphone. I need to rob the green one if she got yellow. This way, we can be arranged like we¡¯ve wished. Of course, I¡¯ve told Tendou about this as well. Also, the reason we didn¡¯t inform Amano and Aguri is that we¡¯re afraid that they¡¯ll act on their own and mess everything up. ¡°I should¡¯ve put Amano and Hoshinomori in the same group if I knew she¡¯ll be here¡­¡± However, I can¡¯t help it. After all, we didn¡¯t count in the Hoshinomori sisters at all. In our n, only the four of us would show up. Also, we need to make our partner feel, ¡°Wow, perhaps it¡¯s a fate that we¡¯re grouped like this!¡± Sigh, this facility only allows 6 people at a time. Tendou and I had already memorized all the color codes, perhaps this is the silver lining. ¡°However, no matters how many times we thought of it, this rule is way too broken¡­¡± In reality, Masaya seems to have abused this mechanic in the past silently. He sessfully got put into the same group¡­with his current girlfriend, Mika. What a despicable ride, only the well-connected ones could benefit from it. ¡°Even so, it¡¯s better than arranging us randomly and making everyone unhappy¡­¡± Let¡¯s use our situation as an example. Including the Hoshinomori sisters, if we¡¯re arranged entirely randomly, it could be that I¡¯ll pair up with Amano, Aguri with Konoha. The pairs that nobody asked for. If that¡¯s the case, it should be allowed to cast some tricks and group the couples together. Just as I¡¯m thinking about this, the staff girl opened the door and returned. She seems to be wearing a headset for announcements on her right ear. ¡°Well, sorry to make everyone wait. Then, the 6 visitors, please go in!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After I answered, I followed the girl at the front. We saw a circr hall after we went through the door. There are 6 doors on the walls. At the center of the room, there are headphones with 6 colors on the table. The door closed after we all entered the room. The lights went out. Under the darkness with an eerie glow, the staff girl started exining. ¡°Alright, these 6 people are the final survivors of humanity!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We can¡¯t follow up with the sudden and mysterious world setting, so we can¡¯t respond¡­Ah, no, it looks like only Hoshinomori is listening with sparkling eyes. Yep, you do like ridiculous developments like this. The staff girl seems to pretend that she didn¡¯t see our confusion and promptly continued. ¡°Oh, no! Humanity will be extinct if this continues! Please, everyone, find a partner, and give birth to a child!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We went speechless but for a different reason this time. Although we can¡¯t see clearly due to the darkness, I¡¯m afraid that everyone¡¯s slightly blushing now. Embarrassment. What a direct and embarrassing setting. What should you do about family visitors? There would be a different world setting, right. I hope so. ¡°This time, it¡¯s time for us to reveal our ¡°Emergency Love App¡± developed by our research facility!¡± ¡°E-Emergency Love App¡­!¡± Everyone¡¯s words ovepped each other unexpectedly. How should I put it? It¡¯s because this term is so embarrassing, we just spewed that out loud. Emergency Love App. However, the staff girl is still a professional, she continued with a high tone like there¡¯s nothing wrong. ¡°First of all, we need all of you to pick this differently-colored and headphone-shaped device called ¡°Gorgeous Love¡± and go out with it.¡± ¡°G-Gorgeous Love!¡± The voices of the six of us ovepped again. This time is because of the ridiculous name, it¡¯s making all of us pumped up for some reason! That ¡°G¡± letter actually means Gorgeous! Eh, I feel like that¡¯s an incredible name! ¡°Just choose the colors based on your instincts. After everyone wore their Gorgeous Love, please act ordingly to the guided instructions from the headphones.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Also, this facility would make everyone hold their hands in groups of two and walk for a few minutes in apletely dark environment. Please don¡¯t run or mess with each other, and also remove the Gorgeous Love used for guiding.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Well, sorry to make everyone wait. Then, please everyone, embark on this Gorgeous Love Journey, abbreviated as GLJ! Be safe!¡± ¡°Gorgeous Love Journey!¡± All of us turned stiff as we yelled at the same time and saluted at the staff girl! Perhaps it¡¯s because we¡¯re getting nervous over our rtionships, and we were suddenly brought to a gloomy room like this and hear this unique world setting. Everyone¡¯s spacing out at this point. It¡¯s hard for the staff girl to not freak out with us, so she let out a cough. At the same time, we snapped out like we were hypnotized a moment ago. We stopped saluting, then- ¡°Ah, then should we pick our headphones now?¡± -After we heard Amano¡¯s suggestion¡­ To quickly act decisively in this critical situation, Tendou and I were secretly prepared for this. Konoha Hoshinomori ¡°I-I feel like something¡¯s not right!¡± Once we¡¯re picking the headphones, something is sending chills down my spine. I hastily looked around. In this dark room, Amano-senpai and that Aguri gal are picking up the headphone first. Then, behind them, ¡­Trashara and Tendou-san are staring at them sharply. ¡°Although I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on, ¡­my hentai game instinct is warning me of this situation! This is the part where you have to pick the route of the plot!¡± Amano-senpai seems to be grabbing a headphone at any time. There¡¯s no time to ask for suggestions from my sister, who¡¯s freaking out behind me. Anyway, I¡¯ll need to act fast as well! Amano-senpai reached for the blue headphone. ¡°Uh, then I¡¯m choosing this one¡­¡± Amano-senpai said this¡­as he nced at Tendou-san for some reason. So, Tendou-san seems to have nodded before quickly reaching for the red headphone- ¡°Hiya!¡± ¡°Eh!¡± -Although I¡¯m not sure of the situation, anyway, I realized now¡¯s the time to act. So, I yelled loudly before stepping forward and robbed the red headphone when Tendou-san¡¯s freaking out. To a shocked Amano-senpai and Tendou-san, I ran out of breath as I tried to smile at them warmly. ¡°R-Red¡¯s my lucky color today.¡± ¡°R-Really¡­¡± After Amano-senpai answered, he looked at Tendou-san confusingly like he¡¯s asking her for advice. As for Tendou-san, ¡­she still has a smile stered on her face, but she leaned towards Amano-senpai with a bit of anxiety. ¡°Uh, A-Amano-kun, I feel like¡­green suits you more than blue.¡± ¡°Eh? R-Really, Tendou-san, then I¡¯m picking¡­¡± This is a suspicious interaction. Amano-senpai was alerted as he put down the blue one. However, at that moment¡­ ¡°Then, I¡¯ll pick yellow.¡± I don¡¯t know if that gal understands the situation or not. She grabbed the yellow headphone innocently. Trashara and Tendou-san let out a shocked response right away. From their response, I finally have all the clues¡­I realized what¡¯s going on. ¡°Of course, these two knew how the color arrangement works! Amano-senpai and the gal are probably waiting for their order!¡± It¡¯s going to be a big problem if you underestimated my wit. Even though I¡¯ll have to back down to Karen Tendou when ites to beauty, but it¡¯s going to be another 100 years before you can win me at these little tricks. Don¡¯t underestimate a low-profile hentai game fan! ¡°From the responses of Tendou-san and Trashara before, the color code must be blue to red, green to yellow, and orange to white! This means that¡­¡± Currently, I got the red one, so I need Amano-senpai to keep the blue one! ¡°Although I¡¯m sorry for sis, who¡¯s still doesn¡¯t understand the situation, ¡­we¡¯re seriouslypeting with each other after all!¡± I went up close to the shocked Amano-senpai and pulled his elbows. Then, I tossed him away from the table with other headphones. ¡°Well, Amano-senpai will pick blue, I¡¯ll choose red, and Aguri-san will pick yellow. It¡¯s decided!¡± ¡°Huh!¡± Just like what I¡¯ve expected, Trashara and Tendou-san are showing a shocked face. Alright, ¡­I¡¯m moving onto the next level! I left Amano-senpai and headed back to the table. After that, I grabbed the green headphone- and kept the person that¡¯ll go with the gal. ¡°Ah, sis, I grabbed for you as well! Green fits you, after all!¡± At least I need to prevent sis from getting into the same group with Trashara. ¡°Huh!¡± So, Trashara and Tendou-san¡¯s face are turning even paler¡­Ho, ho, that¡¯s what you get for trying all these little tricks. I can¡¯t believe you two treated my sister and me as extras, I¡¯m not going to forgive all of you¡­Uh, even though we¡¯re really extra to this double date. H-However, when they dared to exclude our adorable sister, they at least deserve some kind of punishment! During this time, the gal seems to have finally realized that something¡¯s wrong. So, she freaked out and looked at her boyfriend. ¡°Uh, Tasuku? Then, what should I pick¡­¡± ¡°Aguri¡­H-How about you put back the yellow one first¡­Hey, A-Amano! Green suits you better, after all, yes! Just exchange it with Hoshinomori-¡° They¡¯re up to their tricks again! I immediately robbed Amano-senpai¡¯s headphones and put it onto his ears. ¡°Uehara-kun, what did you say?¡± ¡°Amano, I¡¯m telling you that you should exchange with Hoshinomori-¡° Trashara swore in the middle of his sentence and gave up. ¡°Shit! This is soundproof! Eh, Amano-¡° Trashara wanted to take off Amano-senpai¡¯s headphones directly, so he walked towards us. I hastily grabbed Amano-senpai¡¯s hand, without caring that he¡¯s still confused and opened the door next to me that¡¯s controlled by the button¡­Then, I shoved him into the narrow, elevator-like room. ¡°Eh, wait-¡° The confused Amano-senpai wanted to protest to me, but it was toote. The door automatically closed and locked. Then, ¡­a blue light appeared above the door. ¡°Ah, after you wore the Gorgeous Love, please select a door to go in. There¡¯s a ¡°Moving Room¡± behind the door that acts as an elevator. When everyone¡¯s in there, it¡¯ll move based on the colors and send each of you to the dark start¡­About these content, the Gorgeous Love would y audio that¡¯ll exin this to everyone.¡± The staff girl is giving off a sense that said, ¡°Just choose and wear it quickly, you normies!¡± ¡­Who cares about you, we¡¯re risking our life to win here. Trashara mumbled angrily. ¡°In other words, it¡¯s certain that Amano is blue¡­¡± ¡°This means that¡­¡± Tendou-san looked at the red headphones in my hands. ¡­There¡¯s a stingy atmosphere around. I¡¯m not sure whether this will result in a severe melee fight. I held the red and green headphones as I distanced from them along the wall. Being able to grope on Amano-senpai in the dark, who¡¯ll give up a rare opportunity like this¡­I thought. ¡°Uwah!¡± Just as I¡¯m feeling my hand is touching on something, the wall that I leaned on quickly disappeared, and I lost my bnce. ¡°Crap, that¡¯s the door to the Moving Room!¡± I seem to have leaned on that door without me realizing it, and even identally pressed on the ¡°Open¡± button. Just as I¡¯m falling with my back facing the room, one of the headphones left my hands. I thought: ¡°Ah.¡± At the next moment, the door closed mercilessly in front of me. Also¡­ ¡°¡­W-Why did this happen¡­¡± The headphones in my hand¡­is radiating an empty green glow. Aguri ¡°That¡¯s perhaps the first time that I actually saw such an obvious ¡°you get what you deserve¡± scene¡­¡± The little sister who¡¯s up to something seems to be grabbing the headphones she didn¡¯t want as she fell into that narrow moving room. Then, the door closed. When I¡¯m witnessing all that, honestly- I¡¯m delighted. ¡°I feel like that girl¡­won¡¯t get along with me.¡± In reality, I saw her personality from all that, that Konoha girl seems to be quite good at being pretentious¡­ ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because I only became more social in high school, so I have a particrly strong feeling about this.¡± Ay, although I said we won¡¯t get along well, I don¡¯t feel like she¡¯s a mischievous girl. From what I just saw, it looks like she¡¯s just messing with us. Anyway, a lousy person like this just disappeared. I grabbed the yellow headphone as I walked toward Tasuku, who¡¯s still shocked at this point. ¡°Uh, so, Tasuku, do I just keep the yellow one?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, no, well¡­¡± Tasuku scratched his head, seemingly trying to make up his mind. During this time, Tendou-san grabbed the red headphone left by Konoha before smiling devilishly¡­That looks scary. ¡°Well, Uehara-kun, I¡¯ll go first.¡± Tendou-san turned back with a smile as she greeted us after wearing the red headphone. She¡¯s in a good mood. Then, we just watched her walking into the Moving Room quickly. This way, in all of the 6 doors, the blue, red, and green ones were already selected. Only Tasuku, Chiaki Hoshinomori, and I remained. Tasuku grabbed the white and orange headphones before giving me the orange one. ¡°Well, Aguri, you¡¯re wearing the orange one, and I¡¯ll wear the white one. Alright?¡± ¡­I don¡¯t really understand what¡¯s going on. But it seems that we would be in a pair if we do this. After I took the orange one, I looked at Hoshinomori-san to hand her the extra yellow one. -During this time, she¡¯s still lingering around the entrance for some reason. Don¡¯t tell me she didn¡¯t think of anything when her sister is throwing such a big tantrum? Just as I¡¯m confused, she noticed our nces and freaked out before plopping her head down to apologize to us. Then, she walked to us. ¡°S-Sorry, another staff member dashed from the counter to tell me something. Uh, so¡­s-strange? Where is everyone else?¡± It looks like she didn¡¯t know what did her little sister brought to us¡­Sigh, I guess that¡¯s not a bad thing. After I tell her toe to me, I handed the yellow headphones to her before smiling. ¡°Wear this and enter the Moving Room without the light, then the thing will start. That¡¯s what the staff girl said.¡± ¡°The Moving Room?¡± ¡°Yep, it seems that it was designed like an elevator. It¡¯ll move ording to the colors and send people to a gloomy start with their partners waiting.¡± ¡°Oh, that sounds incredible. I got it, thanks!¡± ¡°Ah, i-it¡¯s fine¡­¡± After I saw her carefree smile, I felt there¡¯s a tinge of pain in my heart¡­This girl is really like Amanhi, especially the innocent part¡­That¡¯s why I wanted to, unbelievably, cheer them up. They really look alike in this part. ¡°¡­Well-¡° I almost wanted to suggest that we exchange our headphones so that she could be in the same group with Tasuku. However, Tasuku smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Aguri.¡± So, I decided to give up. ¡°¡­Right. Trying to act sympathetically is the worst thing I can do right now¡­Yes!¡± I made up my mind again and took the headphones before walking to the remaining door. So, just as I¡¯m walking into the Moving Room and turned back, I saw Tasuku and Hoshinomori-san entered the room as well. ¡°Also, ¡­just because I¡¯m wearing this doesn¡¯t mean I get to be in the same group as Tasuku.¡± From that procedure, I¡¯m 90% confident in Tasuku¡­However, I still can¡¯t say for sure that he doesn¡¯t want to pair up with Tendou-san at all. The door closed automatically. Once I looked at it, there¡¯s a little screen on the top of the room. ¡°Eh, that¡¯s the hall we¡¯ve just been?¡± Why does this screen appear? Just as I¡¯m thinking, the screen turned off. I can¡¯t help but tilt my head, then I immediately figured it out. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the screen for the people that entered the Moving Room to see first, right?¡± From the monitor, it seems that we can confirm what colors did everyone pick. Then, when everyone¡¯s in the Moving Room, there isn¡¯t any reason to show what¡¯s happening in the hall anymore. I guess. Just as I¡¯m thinking, the floor below started shaking. It looks like the room is moving towards the start. At the same time, the already dim lighting is getting darker. Atst, the only thing that¡¯s glowing is that little light from the headphone I wore initially. ¡°But, it¡¯s because it¡¯s on my ears, I can¡¯t even see it¡­¡± However, this was meant for you to rely on your only partner in the dark and try to act sweet, I guess it¡¯s useless if it wasn¡¯t this dark. ¡°¡­Crap, what¡¯s going on? Staying alone in a narrow and gloomy ce like this, ¡­it¡¯s super helpless.¡± Due to the soundproof headphones, I can¡¯t hear the noise either. I can only feel the light G forceing from my moving body in a coffin-like room. ¡°Tasuku¡­¡± I was too helpless, so I clenched my fist on my chest like I¡¯m praying and started thinking about my boyfriend in my heart. ¡°God¡­Please, I hope that I¡¯ll be paired up with Tasuku!¡± I tried my best to pray. From what I remembered, ¡­Tasuku is wearing the white one, right. Just as I¡¯m thinking about all this, the room stopped moving. It looks like I arrived at the start. In the darkness, I can sense that the door in front of me moved. Behind the door, ¡­it¡¯s still nothing more than pitch ck. However, at the next moment, ¡­a faint glow from the headphones appeared there. ¡°God¡­!¡± Then, the color of that glow is¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± The one that I prayed to the Gods for ¨C white. Keita Amano ¡°It¡¯s red¡­Red. This means that¡­!¡± I gulped after I saw the color of the headphones in front of my eyes. Then, as I¡¯m trying to confirm, I slowly remembered the screen disyed on the monitor. ¡°¡­Yes. I remembered. The red headphones were dropped by Konoha-san¡­Then, Tendou-san picked it up. I think.¡± No matter how many times I reaffirmed, she is really Tendou-san, it¡¯s got to be right. In my heart, ¡­there¡¯s an unspeakable sense of throbbing in my heart, knowing that I was chosen by her. Just as tears are beginning to form in my eyes, the ¡°red light¡± slowly approached me from the dark. I quickly touched the walls with my hands as I walked forward tremblingly. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t sense our distance at all.¡± A dark environment, way too dark. Although it was exined before, I didn¡¯t think that you can only see the faint glow from the headphones of your partner. Aside from that, I can¡¯t even sense the lighting from mine. ¡°This is fine, right? Can we really reach the end like this?¡± I continued to walk despite the torment of my anxiety. Suddenly, my hand touched something. Although I freaked out for a moment, ¡­that seems to be the hands of the person in front of me without me knowing it. Both of us reached each other¡¯s hands slowly, ¡­then we grabbed our hands tightly. Right away, I let out an ¡°ah¡± dazedly. Although I regretted it and felt embarrassed immediately, I pressed my chest in relief because I remembered the person couldn¡¯t hear anything from the soundproof headphones. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t know that it¡¯ll be this nervous when I felt the warmth of holding hands in the dark¡­¡± I¡¯ve held Tendou-san¡¯s hands a couple of times, while I do feel nervous- but holding hands like this is another experience. Security, anxiety, the responsibility of wanting to protect the girl, the real feeling of being protected¡­All kinds of emotions are flooding me in the dark at once. ¡°While I¡¯m unwilling to agree with this facility designed for normies, ¡­but, ..this feels good.¡± Anyway, it has the same outstanding effect on couples and people with unrequited love. ¡°¡­Sigh, this can¡¯t go on forever.¡± It¡¯s useless to keep standing like this. Moreover, in times like this, ¡­it should be the guy that leads the way. Aguri-san would¡¯ve definitely said that. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Tendou-san.¡± I knew that she can¡¯t hear my voice, but I still spoke to her as I nodded. So, the movement of my headphones seems to have passed what I meant over. She nodded as well. After I saw Tendou-san like that¡­I finally made up my mind. ¡°She chose me. If I¡¯m still using ¡°I¡¯m not confident in myself¡± as an excuse to flee, ¡­that¡¯s totally wrong!¡± My heart is pounding, and I have trouble breathing. Even so, ¡­I opened my eyes in the dark to make myself more determined. ¡°Now¡¯s the time! I¡­I¡¯m going to confess my feelings to Tendou-san right now when we¡¯re alone in the darkness! I¡¯m going to use the most sincere way possible!¡± The two of us held our sweaty hands tightly. Then, we slowly stepped to the dark maze. Karen Tendou ¡°A-Amano-kun is getting nervous¡­¡± When we started to explore the maze, around 3 minutester. Our progress can¡¯t be any slower. After all, ¡­to be honest, Amano-kun is really slow. ¡°Even though he¡¯s an apprehensive person, ¡­and it¡¯s quite stiff this time¡­¡± The slim hand that feels like that of a girl is already full of sweat. The only thing I can see in the darkness is the blue light growing from his headphones, that light is leaving afterimages when he¡¯s looking around. Also, when I saw he¡¯s freaked out like this, ¡­even I¡¯m starting to get nervous as well. In the end, we can¡¯t progress in the dark. ¡°This maze is basically a straight road to the end with no sidewalks. While it¡¯s quite dark, it shouldn¡¯t take this long to go through¡­¡± Once I thought about this, I mumbled nervously beforeing to the realization. ¡°N-No! Karen Tendou, that¡¯s your bad habit! Why are you acting like this is a timedpetition! T-This isn¡¯t what a date looks like!¡± I immediately persuaded the gamer side of me, who¡¯ll appear once I rxed. I reflected on myself before grabbing Amano-kun¡¯s hand again. Although his body turned stiffy for a moment, after a while, he generously held mine back. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡­My boyfriend is way too adorable!¡± Honestly, with this darkness, I wanted to suddenly hug him. However, I remembered the meeting I had with Uehara-kun, so I suppressed myself. ¡°This is wrong, Karen Tendou! Today¡¯s goal is still¡­to make our partner create an indisputable fact on their own! You¡¯re doing all these extremely embarrassing seductions because you wanted to do that, right!¡±s If I hugged Amano-kun right now, I¡¯d be a sore loser in a sense. It¡¯s like being baited by my opponent¡¯s provocative actions in an online game and attacking brainlessly. Karen Tendou, you have to be able to withstand this kind of tease in love as well! I tried my best to suppress my excitement. Inparison, to arouse Amano-kun¡¯s emotion, I estimated the position from the headphones and gently poked his cheeks. ¡°!¡± The blue headphones are shaking out of his nervousness¡­Very good. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep on the attacks like this!¡± I made up my mind and stepped into the darkness once again. Chiaki Hoshinomori ¡°M-My cheeks are getting poked!¡± I freaked out at what my partner just did, so I can¡¯t help but stop walking. ¡°W-W-W-W-What does this mean¡­! W-W-What does he mean by that?¡± I stared at the partner in front of me, ¡­the person with the blue headphones and froze for a moment. ¡°Eh? I-If I remembered correctly, Keita¡¯s wearing the blue one, right?¡± Although I¡¯m 90% certain, my heart is still a bit unsure. The reason for this is because when we¡¯re picking the headphones, another staff member showed up behind and talked to me. So, I didn¡¯t really understand what¡¯s going on on both sides¡­ ¡°B-B-But, ¡­Konoha chose green¡­and Uehara-kun picked white. I remembered these details.¡± So, at least I know that the person is definitely not these two. Also¡­ ¡°I feel like Tendou-san and Aguri-san wouldn¡¯t do that to me either¡­¡± Although I can¡¯t confirm the color of my headphones, the person should be able to figure out that I¡¯m Chiaki Hoshinomori with that. The only person that¡¯ll do this after he found out who I am is¡­ ¡°K-Keita is¡­doing this to me¡­¡± Perhaps it¡¯s the usual half-hearted prank. No, that¡¯s got to be the case. Even so, I-I¡¯m still¡­! ¡°Y-You¡¯re the one at fault, Keita. If you dared to do that, ¡­then I guess it¡¯s okay for me to be a bit more aggressive¡­¡± My heart is pounding so fast. I took a few deep breaths and made up my mind. ¡°!¡± I didn¡¯t care that the person is still a bit confused, so I grabbed the sweaty hands that I haven¡¯t been able to feel on tightly as I stepped towards the darkness. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡­This way, when the staff members rushed here and asked me, ¡°Do you guys want to try the newly added shuffle function?¡± I don¡¯t know what the meaning of that is.¡± Eiichi Mizumi ¡°Sigh¡­¡± I leaned on the walls as I sighed alone. The afternoon of the holiday, everyone¡¯s touring around the amusement park is different than me¡­Eiichi Mizumi. They look pretty happy. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s okay for Riki invited me to the park, ¡­but I don¡¯t understand.¡± I grabbed some mint from my pocket and shoved like three of them down into my mouth, but I didn¡¯t feel any happier. I stared at the sky. Then, as if I¡¯m trying to escape reality, I thought about gaming, and suddenly, I remembered when Amano-kun showed up at the Game Club. ¡°Although I didn¡¯t chat with him a lot, ¡­right, we did talk about our Game Club members getting dragged into unusual events.¡± Once I thought about this, I immediately faced reality again as I sighed. ¡°When people from the Game Club heard I talk about my own life, they immediately treated Riki like she¡¯s the female protagonist¡­However, the actual problem is that I¡¯m sure Riki hates me.¡± While it¡¯s hard to reject the considerate hearts of everyone in the Game Club, but it¡¯s impossible for Riki to love me. I¡¯m sure. After all, when she invited me to the amusement park¡­ ¡°I-It¡¯s just that I got these free tickets identally, and I don¡¯t want to waste it! Don¡¯t get me wrong! I-It¡¯s not like I love you, for real!¡± She looked away before telling me that once more. After we arrived at the park, Riki is somehow getting nervous and plopped her head down without saying anything. Also, when I made up my mind and tried to invite her to this Kizuna Dungeon that seems to be able to enhance a guy and a girl¡¯s rtionship¡­I don¡¯t know whether she¡¯s angry or something, she suddenly blushed and said, ¡°I-I-I-I-I¡¯m going to the toilet! I-It¡¯s not because I¡¯m trying to put on my make up or to mentally prepare myself!¡± Then, she ran away. ¡°Really¡­I¡¯ve already told them a bunch of things like this, why are everyone in the Game Club adding that ¡°she loves me¡± setting on Riki? Sigh, ¡­I¡¯m feeling so empty right now.¡± Those people from the Game Club must have yed too many video games, they¡¯re horribly out of touch when ites to love and rtionship. Damn, what a pain in the butt. On the other hand, Amano-kun is really sharp and smart in weird parts. That¡¯s another troublesome part. ¡°Come to think of it, I wonder what¡¯s Amano-kun doing today.¡± I think I can imagine him on holiday, or not. Perhaps he¡¯s still ying video games happily on his own. Or, he would be having a delightful date with Tendou-san? I envy him no matter what. Really, I¡¯m envious, from the bottom of my heart. -Just as I¡¯m going sigh deeply once again. ¡°Eh, you turned on the shuffle function?¡± Just when I heard the noise of the door opening, I can listen to someone¡¯s chatting from somewhere. I peeked at the corner of the wall, then I found out a guy and a girling out from the backdoor of the facility. ¡°Ah, right. This is the back of the Kizuna Dungeon.¡± I held my breath for no reason. The girl then showed a clearly dissatisfied look. ¡°Eh, I haven¡¯t heard that before. I didn¡¯t even mention that part to those people when I¡¯m making the announcement.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not like this will hurt or kill anyone.¡± ¡°Uwah, this is embarrassing, hearing the staff members talking about what¡¯s happening behind the scenes¡­¡± Although I was immediately discouraged, ¡­if I made a promise with my sister-inw Riki that we¡¯ll meet here, I can¡¯t walk away on my own. I let out a sigh and started to y on my smartphone to try and divert my attention away from the staff members¡¯ conversation. In reality, I managed tost for a while longer because of this. However- ¡°Eh, the shuffle function will change the colors of the Gorgeous Love as well!¡± The sharp voice of the girl pulled my attention back again¡­It looks like I can¡¯tpletely ignore them. I gave up and put away my phone, and then decided to empty my mind to listen to the conversation of those two staff members. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s because it was supposed to make the visitors unable to tell who¡¯s who. If the headphone colors are the same as the original, isn¡¯t that meaningless?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit too daring¡­?¡± ¡°No, no, no, some people like this actually. We¡¯ve already tested this a couple times. When we ¡°reveal the result of the arrangement¡± at the za, the young visitors will often chuckle and say, ¡°oh, that was you¡± before bursting intoughter. It was fun.¡± ¡°Uh, that¡¯s because everyone wanted to mess with each other, right? But that group was¡­¡± ¡°But thatst girl said it¡¯s okay to turn on the shuffle function.¡± ¡°Really? Then I guess¡­it¡¯s fine? Ah, also, what will the colors of the Gorgeous Love after we shuffled them? Will the colors be simply rearranged?¡± ¡°Nope, to present an even higher rate of randomness, sometimes the colors will repeat themselves. Right, ¡­this time, the arrangement of the colors is really unbnced. If I remember correctly, there should be 4 blue, 1 white, and 1 red.¡± ¡°Uwah, that¡¯s super unbnced, even blue can match up with blue as well.¡± ¡°However, nobody should find out as long as you don¡¯t take your headphones down and check the color.¡± ¡°Oh, ¡­sigh, then I¡¯ll be leaving today! Thanks for your work.¡± ¡°Alright, thanks.¡± The two staff members disbanded after the girl said that. The conversation is over. At the same time, I saw Riki from afar, so I left the wall. I looked at Riki, she¡¯s walking to me slowly and embarrassingly¡­as I mumbled. ¡°¡­I feel like, this is the trouble that Amano-kun and Tendou-san will exactly encounter¡­I hope not.¡± Konoha Hoshinomori ¡°Although I¡¯m not sure what happened, I paired up with Amano-senpai¡­!¡± Currently, I¡¯m thanking God¡¯s arrangement as I stick my body real close to my partner¡­The boy with the blue headphones. The boy is trembling, and he clearly wanted to distance himself away from me. However, I¡¯m not letting him go! I tried my best to keep touching him. ¡°By the way, Amano-senpai¡¯s chest is unexpectedly thick, and his figure looks reliable?¡± Usually, he has a gentle look while being humpbacked, I feel like he¡¯s unreliable. After I touched in the darkness, his figure is giving me quite a dependable impression. ¡°Ho, ho, ¡­I¡¯ll keep sexually harassing senpai until the end!¡± This is a rare opportunity. I don¡¯t care even if he treats me as an erotic girl. In the darkness, ¡­Amano-senpai somehow keeps resisting me. Even so, I still carried out my attacks vigorously. Tasuku Uehara ¡°I FEEL LIKE AMANO IS CONSTANTLY TRYING TO TOUCH ME!!!¡± The blue headphones are shaking vigorously in the dark, and even sticking up to my body frequently. I tried my best to push him away as I thought, let¡¯s just reach the end as fast as possible, so I marched forward with tears in my eyes! ¡°Also, why am I the one with Amano! Is there something wrong with the intelligence I gathered? Damn you!¡± I¡¯m punching Masaya once I¡¯m back. I¡¯m absolutely hitting him. By the way, even when the arrangement is wrong, why are you putting Amano and me in the same group? You want to push me into hell, right? No, I¡¯m not trying to avoid contact with any girls other than Aguri, but this should have never been the case. Two guys in a group. This is bad for our progress¡­At this time- ¡°Hey, Amano, why do you keep touching my chest! That¡¯s disgusting!¡± I yelled at the top of my lungs. However, due to the soundproof headphones, I don¡¯t think the person can hear it. ¡°Eh, what¡¯s this? Don¡¯t tell me Amano is really into that!¡± I¡¯ve made a lot of predictions in the past when ites to rtionships, but I really didn¡¯t expect this to be the case. You got to be kidding, right? The target of Amano isn¡¯t Aguri or Tendou, or even Hoshinomori¡­but is actually me! ¡°Uh, b-but this way, a lot of things can be exined¡­¡± After all, this guy actively tried to tangle himself with me at the start¡­All the problems between him and the girls, it can be considered a tactic to make me notice him. ¡­Just as I¡¯m thinking all of this, Amano is still sticking up and hugging me. I tried my best to push him away! ¡°Also, his body is quite soft, and it smells good, I¡¯m freaking out even more! Crap! It looks like I¡¯ll surrender if I rx for one second!¡± The worst part is that he¡¯s obviously a boy, but his seduction is working for me. What drugs am I on today? Amano¡¯s skin did feel like that of a girl, but he¡¯s a guy after all. Don¡¯t forget this! ¡°Anyway, the only reason that I feel that this guy is a girl ¨C is because I started to imagine things due to the darkness! It¡¯s all imagination! So, there¡¯s only one attitude I should take now. I need to refuse him!¡± My heart was filled with determination as I dragged Amano and dash towards the end of the maze. Aguri ¡°Tasuku¡­is really manly after all¡­¡± The partner with white headphones is so nervous that his hand began to sweat, but he still held my hand tightly and lead our way in the dark. I followed him slowly behind¡­At the same time, I made up my mind in my heart. ¡°I still love Tasuku¡­Also, ¡­Tasuku has chosen me as well.¡± The situation is already ready. All that remains¡­is what I¡¯ve discussed with Amanhi before. This means that¡­ ¡°I¡¯m not a woman if I don¡¯t do anything in this situation!¡± For 6 months, I¡¯ve made virtually no progress with Tasuku. It¡¯s because I already felt I was loved when we¡¯re together. I never thought that¡¯s problematic until recently¡­ However, I feel like that¡¯s just pretending to be honest, my heart isn¡¯t sincere. ¡°It feels good when you exin it as I want to treasure the boy¡­I want to take my time to develop our rtionships, and I do think that a couple like that isn¡¯t so bad. However, perhaps I¡¯m just¡­escaping.¡± I¡¯m already deeply in love with Tasuku since middle school. But to say whether Tasuku loves me or not, ¡­I¡¯m not sure until thest moment. I thought that things will be okay, even if that¡¯s true. However, perhaps it¡¯s because that wasn¡¯t true¡­For half-a-year, we¡¯ve made no progress. Moreover, ¡­thanks to Amanhi, I¡¯ve finally realized. ¡°Amanhi¡­He is always trying to understand what the ¡°others¡± are thinking about.¡± In the beginning, I thought Amanhi looked to the others because he¡¯s a coward. However, I¡¯m slightly wrong. ¡°Amanhi always tried to find a way that seems ¡°correct¡± to him. That¡¯s why in times like that, he¡¯s always indecisive¡­Even so¡­¡± Once he has chosen the route he wanted to take, he¡¯ll bravely step forward. That¡¯s Amanhi. Even he briefly lost his mind when he got invited to the Game Club, as long as he realized they had a different attitude for gaming. Amanhi will refuse without hesitation. As long as he realized that he loves Tendou-san from the bottom of his heart, ¡­he¡¯ll not be defeated by other¡¯s opinions. Even go so far and try to maintain this rtionship with all his strength. When I¡¯m looking at Amanhi like this. I also felt that it¡¯s time for me to step forward as well¡­If I found a path that I deemed to be right, I really need to actually take that step even when I¡¯m scared. That¡¯s something I found out from Amanhi. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I grabbed Tasuku¡¯s hand tightly again¡­Both of us were so nervous that our hands are sweating. We can hear our heartbeats ovepping with each other and echoing while getting heavier at the same time. ¡°¡­Tasuku¡­¡± Although I knew he can¡¯t hear it, I still called his name. So, I guess he also turned around and said something as well. We can step forward even when we¡¯re in the dark maze, as long as we¡¯re cheering each other up with our warmth. Being able to feel that our souls are connected. That¡¯s the first time in my life I have felt that. Tasuku pulled my hand a bit forcefully. ¡°Ah.¡± So, I can¡¯t help but hit his body. The two of us just stumbled forward for a short while. Suddenly, I can feel that there¡¯s a subtle change in the atmosphere. How should I put it¡­The two of us seemed to have entered a wide space¡­We were alerted with the surroundings as we walked forward. During this time, I can hear a female announcing something from my headphones. ¡°Congrattions! The two of you finished the Kizuna Dungeon sessfully!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± It ended already? Just as I¡¯m frozen, a tinge of nervousness starts to appear in my heart. I haven¡¯t done anything with Tasuku- ¡°Please wait in the darkness for a while before the other 4 visitors arrive at this za!¡± -No, there¡¯s still time. Just as I¡¯m feeling relieved, I¡¯ve made up my mind. ¡°Tasuku.¡± I called his name as I let go of his hand, then I wrapped my arms around his neck. So, although I feel like his height is unexpectedly short, I was shocked for a second¡­However, I realized right away. ¡°Right, he couched down for me.¡± Also, I realized why did Tasuku do that. In reality, Tasuku wanted to answer my feelings. So, he wrapped his hand around my waist while using the other to hold my head ¡­and, pulling me next to him. In the darkness, the headphones with white lights are getting closer. ¡°Tasuku¡­¡± I called his name again, intoxicatedly. Then, I bravely opened my eyes and leaned toward the lips- [Note: In case you were confused by the colors. At the start, Amano is blue, Tendou is red, Konoha is green, Uehara is white, Aguri is orange, Chiaki is yellow. After the shuffling, Chiaki, Tendou, Uehara, Konoha are blue. Aguri is red. Amano is white.] Keita Amano ¡°Tendou-san¡­is really gentle, after all¡­¡± The partner with red headphones is so nervous that her hand began to sweat, but she still grabbed my hands tightly and followed me¡­Honestly, she¡¯s way more elite and a reliable personpared to me. But now, ¡­she¡¯s willing to submit herself to me. I really appreciated that¡­At the same time, I made up my mind in my heart. ¡°I still love Tendou-san. Also, ¡­Tendou-san has chosen me as well.¡± The situation is already ready. All that remains¡­is what I¡¯ve discussed with Aguri-san before. This means that¡­ ¡°I¡¯m not a man if I don¡¯t do anything in this situation!¡± Even though we¡¯re dating, Tendou-san and I haven¡¯t done anything¡­No, I haven¡¯t done anything for her that remotely counts as what a boyfriend would do. It¡¯s because I don¡¯t believe in myself. I¡¯ve always been questioning, is it good for a guy like me to be Tendou-san¡¯s boyfriend? It¡¯s because she has an attractive guy called Uehara-kun next to her, I can¡¯t let this go. At least for a guy like me, I can¡¯t stain Tendou-san¡¯s youth because of my selfish desires. However, I feel like that¡¯s just pretending to be honest, my heart isn¡¯t sincere. ¡°Not wanting to hurt my lover¡­Hoping to confirm each other feelings peacefully¡­Although for a couple, that¡¯s a definitely reasonable feeling¡­However, I¡¯m probably just¡­escaping.¡± I¡¯ve always admired Tendou-san. When she invited to the club, I appreciated that while feeling a sense of hope and respect in my heart. Then, a lot of things has happened and as I began to get to know her a bit more¡­I¡¯m increasing in love with this person called Karen Tendou. But if we¡¯re talking about whether she loves me or not, ¡­I¡¯m not sure until thest moment. I¡¯m still suspecting, does she love Uehara-kun? However, as long as she¡¯s loved, ¡­as long as I can make her happy, even if it was only a little, I think that¡¯s okay. I initially carried this reasonable idea. However, ¡­perhaps, that isn¡¯t the case. I wanted to be a couple with Tendou-san, I really wanted to. Moreover, ¡­thanks to Aguri-san, I¡¯ve finally realized. ¡°Aguri-san¡­is really serious about her rtionship.¡± In the beginning, I thought she has an entirely different idea than I do, even being so flippant that she¡¯ll treat rtionships as the only thing in her life. A normie type gal. However, I think I¡¯m slightly wrong. She can sincerely cry and smile when ites to Uehara-kun¡¯s actions. When Uehara-kun is suspected of cheating, ¡­although she got mad and depressed over it, she never thought of genuinely leaving. She¡¯s trying her best to maintain this rtionship, even if it meant dragging herself down with it. When I look at Aguri-san like this. I also realized it¡¯s time for me to step forward as well¡­No matter whether I¡¯m confident or not, sometimes I need to listen to my feelings and take that step. That¡¯s something I found out from Aguri-san. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Tendou-san grabbed my hand tightly once again¡­ Both of us were so nervous that our hands are sweating. We can hear our heartbeats ovepping with each other and echoing while getting heavier at the same time. ¡°¡­Tendou-san.¡± Although I knew she can¡¯t hear it, I still called her name. So, I guess she also turned around and said something as well. We can step forward even when we¡¯re in the dark maze, as long as we¡¯re cheering each other up with our warmth. Being able to feel that our souls are connected. That¡¯s the first time in my life I have felt that. I pulled Tendou-san¡¯s hand a bit forcefully. ¡°Ah.¡± So, she can¡¯t help but hit my body. The two of us just stumbled forward for a short while. Suddenly, I can feel that there¡¯s a subtle change in the atmosphere. How should I put it¡­The two of us seemed to have entered a wide space¡­We were alerted with the surroundings as we walked forward. During this time, I can hear a female announcing something from my headphones. ¡°Congrattions! The two of you finished the Kizuna Dungeon sessfully!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± It ended already? Just as I¡¯m frozen, a tinge of nervousness starts to appear in my heart. I-I haven¡¯t done anything with Tendou-san- ¡°Please wait in the darkness for a while before the other 4 visitors arrive at this za!¡± -No, there¡¯s still time. Just as I¡¯m feeling relieved, I¡¯ve made up my mind. ¡°Tendou-san.¡± I called her name as I let go of her hand. Then, I didn¡¯t expect her to wrap her arms around my neck. Although I was shocked by this daring attack that doesn¡¯t fit her style, I immediately realized. ¡°I knew it¡­Tendou-san is giving me thest bit of courage.¡± At the moment that I understood her determination, all kinds of shabby emotions like ¡°embarrassment¡± and ¡°nervousness¡± disappeared from my heart. All that remains is this feeling of love that¡¯s about to spill over. To answer Tendou-san¡¯s feelings, I wrapped my arm around her waist and held her head with another¡­Then, I pulled her next to me. In the darkness, the headphones with the red light are getting closer. ¡°Tendou-san¡­¡± I called her name one more time. Then, I leaned forward to her lips with my eyes open- -Suddenly, all the lights at the za were turned on. ¡°Uwah!¡± I felt dizzy from the sudden change in situation- I still held her waist and head with my arms, but I stood utterly still. A few long seconds passed. ¡°Eh¡­?¡± Just as my eyes are getting used to the brightness, the first thing that came into my view is¡­ The face of a girl with her eyes wide open, shockingly- and also Tendou-san and Chiaki, who are hugging each other deeply. Aguri -Suddenly, all the lights at the za were turned on. ¡°Hiya!¡± I felt dizzy from the sudden change in situation- I still wrapped my arms around his neck, but I stood utterly still. A few long seconds passed. Just as my eyes are getting used to the brightness, the first thing that came into my view is¡­ The face of a boy with his eyes wide open, shockingly- and also the guy behind him, being hugged tightly by Konoha-san¡­Tasuku. Gamers -Suddenly, all the lights at the za were turned on. ¡°!¡± People were dizzy at the sudden change of the situation. Karen Tendou, Chiaki Hoshinomori, Tasuku Uehara, Konoha Hoshinomori, all of them were frozen with their partners. A few long seconds passed. Just as their eyes are getting used to the brightness, the first thing that came into their view is¡­ ¡°Eh¡­?¡± In the middle of the za, two people are holding each other while deeply kissing at the same time- Keita Amano and Aguri. Volume 5 Afterword

Volume 5 Afterword

Hello, I¡¯m the author, Sekina Aoi. Thank you for buying < Gamers! 5 ¨C Gamers and Annihted Game Over >. Well, we arrived at the 5th volume of the series. So, I guess we can take all the serious greetings away. Please allow me to get to the topic as soon as possible. This afterword has 12 pages. ¡­Have anyone seen an author that wrote afterwords that exceed 10 pages like it¡¯s nothing? At least I don¡¯t¡­unless I¡¯m facing a mirror. Speaking of which, I feel like the author ¡°Sekina Aoi¡± is a narcissist that loves to talk about himself. In reality, it¡¯s because I have that ¡°hey everyonee and listen to my story¡± side. That¡¯s why I chose to be an author. Even so, usually, I should be satisfied with a couple of 4-5 pages afterwords since my debut. Actually, I have already fulfilled my desire for afterwords in the 1st volume of the series. I should say the ¡°talking about myself happily¡± part is already over long ago. From this perspective, the lowest amount of pages possible (around 2) is already enough for me to thank the readers and the people involved. ¡­Then, a few years passed. Right now, even if I received a notification from my editor that said I need to write a 10-page afterword, I¡¯m already trained to respond. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s finally time for a normal round?¡± What is this? ¡­Ay, although I¡¯ve alwaysined about the lengthy afterwords, I think it counts as self-inflicted damage this time. The reason for that is just like what I¡¯ve mentioned. When I received the afterword notification from the editor, I also received a passive suggestion. ¡°Hey, do you want to adjust the pages for the main story a little bit?¡± ¡°No, the pages reserved for the afterword has been cking offtely. I¡¯ll keep it just the same this time.¡± However, I immediately answered that. Recently, I can slightly get how thoseedian feels when they ask to eat a boiling oden. So, due to the situation, I¡¯m still overwhelmed by my desire to ¡°write¡± something. Right now, I can¡¯t think of anything to write. I¡¯ve talked about the reason for this back when I¡¯m grumbling. It¡¯s because I¡¯m a 100% indoor otaku. My life only consists of novels, meals, entertainment, and sleep. Among them, the only hobby that I can chat about is gaming. -Right here, perhaps all readers will feel that, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just write about gaming, the theme of this series is based on that, anyway.¡± However, there¡¯s an enormous trap hidden within this. That¡¯s right. This series is supposed to be covering gaming topics in the main story. Uh, in other words¡­ I can¡¯t spend all my precious ¡°gaming-rted writing ideas¡± on the afterword, right! If you took away all the gaming topics from me, what will even be remained in this afterword? The kind editor and readers willugh cheerfully and say, ¡°Just talk about Aoi-sensei¡¯s daily lives, and it¡¯s alright.¡± However, can I really take this by it¡¯s meaning? I¡¯m going to try and talk about my ¡°daily lives¡± seriously, alright? Are you ready? My favorite t-shirt was stained by toothpaste a while ago. Ughhh, it struck me down hard. ¡­Don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s someone in this world that wants to read a ¡°daily lives report¡± like this! Nowadays, no one will ept a dull slice of life report like this even if you¡¯re a celebrity, do you guys really want to hear what I have to say! By the way, what¡¯s with this report, it¡¯s super disgusting! Do you know where the most surprising part is? Actually, my t-shirt wasn¡¯t even stained by toothpaste! Annoying and fictional, jeez, what kind of crappy afterword is this! Quit being an author! Sigh, readers, please don¡¯t underestimate how hopeless I¡¯m when ites to chatting with other people. I¡¯m the kind of guy that can¡¯t even talk about the weather unless I know the person a lot. Moreover, even if the guy throws a topic at me, I¡¯ll identally answer, ¡°¡­Really.¡± I¡¯m a guy thatpletely shatters all kinds of topics! Then, you just say, ¡°please write whatever you want¡± to a guy like this. After that, you hand a 12-page afterword for him to write. The content will even be on amercial publication for everyone to read, what is this business model? ¡­Even so, ¡­ whenever I¡¯mining about afterword in the afterword, I would often ask myself, ¡°Then why I¡¯m trying to be an author?¡± However, even I¡¯m not sure about it. Perhaps among the readers, someone may have seen the ¡°fresh version of Sekina Aoi¡± that ims, ¡°it¡¯s fun to write!¡± But I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s just the opinion of the surface and social part of Sekina Aoi. Although I¡¯m definitely not lying, honestly, the ¡°fun¡± that I mentioned there. In terms of gaming, it would be¡­ ¡°Hehe, ¡­even though there¡¯s no enemy for me to fight already, ¡­I really like wasting time on pointless training. ¡­Hehe, ¡­hehehe, ¡­ah, my total ytime broke the record again¡­¡± This is also a part of the ¡°fun¡± too! Instead of saying entertainment, it¡¯s closer to being ¡°sick.¡± Moreover, the refreshing feeling you got from finish writing, I guess it¡¯s like the warmth you get after a long bath. The pleasure you got when a reader gave you positive feedback, perhaps it¡¯s simr to being thanked when you healed or revived another yer in an online game. ¡­Then, this is what I get from being addicted to those pleasures. The birth of an otaku writer that managed to churn all of this out with hard work, even though I¡¯m not good at long afterwords. ¡­However, although I¡¯m not Chiaki Hoshinomori, it can¡¯t be helped if I¡¯m addicted to it. In the future, I do hope to work harder for the main story and the afterword. The end. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ The ending feels good, but how hopeless, this is just 1/3 of the required amount. It can¡¯t be helped. I need to think of more topics, let¡¯s talk about the story (you should do that at the start)! The subtitle of Volume 5 is extremely shocking. I don¡¯t know what people will think after reading it. Basically, I want the readers to think that ¡°oh, that¡¯s why the subtitle¡± when I designed the plot. However, even the author didn¡¯t expect the Earth to be blown up in thest chapter. I bet the readers who finished it already must be shocked. More importantly, people who read the afterword first should be even more surprised. Let¡¯s put the jokes aside first. Although the title looks like it¡¯s going to be thest volume (and the bad ending type), of course, the story will continue. Even though it¡¯s been like this every time, I¡¯m just trying to match the subtitle with the content, hope you don¡¯t mind. As usual, this chapter ended with an atomic bomb (The Earth didn¡¯t explode). It would be my honor if everyone can await the next volume excitedly. This is still a romanticedy filled with misunderstandings, no matter what. Hey,e to think of it, Uehara, who survived by hiding into a space shuttle alone, what will happen to him? The author is also looking forward to < Gamers! 6 ¨C Tasuku Uehara and Space Reset >! I can¡¯t wait to see what¡¯s the story! I really hope that Amano and his friends can be revived! ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Yep, these made-up content could¡¯ve been even more in the beginning, I should just add a couple of paragraphs in¡­ Alright, the author is already trying to fill the pages with his inner monologue that¡¯s full of nasty ideas. The discussion for Volume 5 ended quicker and cleaner than I¡¯ve expected, I¡¯m slightly freaking out now. Eh, it¡¯s hard to discuss the content in < Gamers >! It¡¯s because the rtionships of the characters in the story keep changing. It¡¯s very easy to leak the plot out, no matter which part I took. Ah, why don¡¯t we talk about the characters? First of all, it¡¯s the two Game Club members that often made quite a few appearances in these two volumes. From the 1st volume in this story, initially, even the editor thought that they were just actual characters in the series. However, honestly, in the author¡¯s mind, these people are supposed to be ¡°small casts that show up in Volume 1.¡± But recently, they appeared from time to time, even I was surprised by it. The characters are moving on their own. ¡­Although this is such a clich¨¦ saying, as the author, I¡¯m d that everyone in the Game Club can still do things in this world actively. By saying that, you would think I¡¯m ¡°an author that loves his characters.¡± However, I would also entirely forget the names of the characters that I came up with sometimes. So, it¡¯s better for you to not praise me. Also, if we¡¯re talking about the characters, personally, I like Konoha¡¯s viewpoint. After all, she¡¯s the one with the most beef. She¡¯s straightforward, which is precious to the author. ¡­It¡¯s hard to say for the readers, though! I¡¯m sorry if she freaked everyone out! Konoha is just a bit hard for me to describe, but I bet she¡¯s still a good girl! (A sudden andzy way to smooth things over) I guess that¡¯s all. ¡­Well, we¡¯re done talking about the characters. ¡­At this point, I can only squeeze in some gaming (daily lives) topic. Although I kept mentioning that my hobby is gaming, I¡¯m not the type of guy that can spend his entire day on the same game. Instead, I¡¯m living on a ¡°wide but shallow¡± style. I read novels and manga. I watch movies and anime. (In the end, I¡¯m still an introvert) Among all of those hobbies, recently, I have a lot of chances to y board games that require me to use my brain. This is also very suited as a theme of < Gamers! >. So, I hope that the characters can y them too. Even if it¡¯s not through a medium like a board game, they¡¯re already doing a lot of unnecessary calctions in their daily lives. If I include the wit required for a board game, I feel like I can write a strategic novel that canpare to the best detective or military fictions. That¡¯s why I restrained myself. I guess the Game of Life in Volume 3 is the limit. This is clich¨¦, but my favorite board game is Settlers of Catan. ¡­The readers must be getting an Amano vibe from me since I only know the very basics of the game. I¡¯m sorry. ¡­Actually, I¡¯ve yed all kinds of games too, but a famous title is a famous title. This is the same for console games. (The feeling when you¡¯ve yed the mobile version of a ssical RPG) Ah, speaking of consoles, if we¡¯re talking about something that I¡¯ll never write in < Gamers! >, ¡­I returned to console games after going around. Although I still like watching TV while ying on handheld consoles, I¡¯ll immerse myself in that satisfaction whenever I can y a super famous title in consoles. Then, identally, I kept finishing game after game. Conversely, no matter which type of consoles, as long as I haven¡¯t yed it in a while, I don¡¯t feel like switching it on. I don¡¯t know whether I¡¯m the only person that feels like this. It feels troublesome when you need to update the system software and charge the console or the controllers¡­ For example, handheld consoles. You turn on the thing after a while, then you¡¯ll realize that the battery¡¯s empty. After the charging¡¯s over and finally turning on the console, the system needs to update again. Then, when you finally downloaded the update files, the console restarts, and it says the instation takes 10 minutes. ¡­Has anyone experienced hell like this before? What is that? It feels so helpless when you¡¯re just wasting time. Well, ¡­let¡¯s talk about movies. I¡¯m the type that goes to the cinema once or twice per month. (I really don¡¯t know this counts as a lot or not, the average?) For the past couple of years, unbelievably, I feel the ¡°oh that looks like a game¡± situation has increased. Usually, it¡¯s always the cutscenes in the game that looks like a particr movie. There are a lot of ces in movies that make people feel it¡¯s copied from a game. In terms of the most explicit part, recent war movies will often use an FPS perspective in some scenes. Even if I don¡¯t mention this, there¡¯s an increase in the ¡°sense of gaming¡± from subtle actions and plot structure. However, I guess the part where I only reacted because of my love for gaming takes up 90% of the reason. Even so, I still feel like the entertainment brought by gaming is way more immersive nowadays, so I¡¯m quite happy on my own. ¡­Uh, even though I¡¯m entirely irrelevant. I¡¯m not a game developer! But, seeing the moment of your favorite element passing in front of your daily lives, isn¡¯t it quite a blessing? It¡¯s like your favorite game¡¯s BGM was suddenly yed out in the news. Meal talk. Authors that know how to cook will introduce tasty recipes in afterwords that put COOKPAD to shame, or they would give bits of advice. [Note: COOKPAD Inc, a recipe sharing tform.] About that, ¡­I, Sekina Aoi, have heard about that. So, ¡­I, Sekina Aoi, the self-proimed culinary researcher, am going to share my information here. I¡¯m just telling everyone here, no one else. Thetest supermarket bento and desserts are super tasty. ¡­Hey, is everyone¡¯s mind blown? It¡¯s okay if you want to suggest, ¡°I hope you can publish Aoi-sensei¡¯s cooking books!¡± to the editors. I don¡¯t dislike it. In reality, the meals in convenience stores will sometimes be stunning, isn¡¯t it? I always feel that the noddles, soups, and desserts are ¡°already better than those poor-quality stores¡­¡± Uh, usually, I would just go to cheap restaurants, right? I guess it¡¯s right if you put it that way, but that¡¯s not rted. Of course, I understand it makes more sense to cook yourself economically. Also, it¡¯s overwhelmingly healthier and tastier. Yeah, you have to mention Sekina Aoi when ites to cooking (still trying)! Even so, what I want to say is that, don¡¯t you think everyone will sometimes identally look down on supermarket bento? ¡­Who even am I? Whichpany sent me here? Actually, I¡¯ve worked night shifts in supermarkets before, so I ate a lot of their products at the time. However,pared to the past, convenience store meals nowadays are significantly tastier. I bet there¡¯s a lot of elite adultspeting with each other to develop various products, perhaps it¡¯s bound to happen. Especially cakes and puddings, how could those be that good. I¡¯m starting to feel terrible for those dessert shops. Ay, although I don¡¯t think that can rival the ¡°dine-in¡± meals in restaurants, even so, the evolution of taste is still incredible when you consider the convenience. Moreover, the standard for cold and packaged food are skyrocketing as well. What should I do if the convenience stores begin to threaten light novels in the future? They¡¯ll publish light novels with their own brand in a massive wave, and I feel like the content will be very interesting. That way, I¡¯ll lose my job¡­ Sekina Aoi loves convenience stores! Long live, convenience store! Please give me a job! Well, here¡¯s the usual appreciation speech. First of all, thanks to Cactus-sensei for embellishing the 5th volume with beautiful illustrations, as usual, I really appreciated you! Since the novel is based on conversations, there are not a lot of scenes for images to shine. Sometimes, when a critical scene is here, you added a finishing touch with your incredible illustrations. Thank you so much. I look forward to working with you. Then, I have to thank the editor. Just as I¡¯m having a hard time writing a particr part in this volume, you voiced your support, which really helped me. Thanks for your work. ¡­Uh, even though I can¡¯t still predict the development of the story! (because I don¡¯t even know too) Finally, the readers who picked this up despite the ominous subtitle, thank you. I sincerely appreciate everyone¡¯s support. There are not a lot of things I can promise for this series. But like I¡¯ve mentioned before, this story is still a romanticedy. So, it would be my honor if you can read the next volume joyfully. I¡¯m looking forward to that. Well, see you in the next volume! Sekina Aoi Volume 6 - Lonely Gamer and Love Confession Chain Combo, 1 – Karen Tendou and Proof of Innocence

Volume 6 - Lonely Gamer and Love Confession Chain Combo, Chapter 1 ¨C Karen Tendou and Proof of Innocence

Trantor: your_pingas Karen Tendou, she¡¯s a girl that¡¯s the best at everything right at the start. She thought that a race is an art of dashing through the finish line brilliantly. She also doesn¡¯t understand why ying the piano fluently will earn her praises, even though all she did was following the music scope. As for exams, she has seriously suspected whether writing something on a piece of paper can confirm anything. Also, that¡¯s why, when she¡­ No, when I¡¯m in second grade, before I suddenly realized, ¡°Hey, it looks like I¡¯m better than others.¡± I¡¯ve always- -I¡¯ve always felt annoyed with everyone ¡°going easy¡± for me. This is embarrassing,e to think of it. But when I¡¯m little, I believed with the bottom of my heart that everyone¡¯s base stats Is the exact same. Winning and losing onlye down to your condition on that day and the effort you¡¯ve put in. People with a firmer determination to that field will have a higher chance of winning. In reality, the kids that lost to me have a high probability of saying, ¡°it¡¯s just that I¡¯m not doing well today¡± or ¡°this isn¡¯t even my final form.¡± The younger me sincerely believed their words. However, one time, ¡­when I easily won over the girl that said she¡¯s good at running. After we reached the finish line, she ran to her mother with tears in her eyes and sweat all over her body. I¡¯ve finally realized that it¡¯s not ¡°everyone¡± that¡¯s weird. Instead, it¡¯s me. Since then, I feel ¡°terrible¡± for all variety ofpetitions. After all- That looks like only I get to have a faster starting position than everyone in a race. That looks like only I get to use auto-apaniment when I¡¯m ying the piano. That looks like only I get to cheat in the exam. ¡­What can I even gain when I won the others in conditions like that? Even so, I can¡¯t change the fact that I hate ¡°going easy¡± from the bottom of my heart. In the end, ¡­I can onlypete with myself. I can only put all of my focus on exceeding my limitation instead of winning or losing to the others. My target is always breaking new records instead of the ¡°No.1¡± living style. In a sense, I think that¡¯s a healthy and proper lifestyle, I still don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with that. However, ¡­if I leaned into that side alone, it seems to be erging the gap between me and the others. Perhaps starting from this period, I began to be praised more than the others. I have more ¡°supporters¡± while having fewer ¡°friends¡± at the same time. While I¡¯m not alone or isted, I¡¯m too aloof. No one, whether they¡¯re friends or enemies, wanted to face me seriously. My parents seem to have noticed my frustration as well, they seemed to have considered switching me to an environment that suits my abilities better. Now that I¡¯m thinking, it¡¯s quite hrious, to be honest¡­Put it simply, my parents wanted to send me overseas to a university. However, that¡¯s not what happened in the end. It¡¯s because, and it¡¯s quite regretful- Before I can do that, I already encountered an environment where I can seriously fight with each other. Yes. I encountered the best battlefield ¨C video games. * ¡°I didn¡¯t expect gaming to be this boring.¡± After I said this to everyone, the time in the clubroompletely stopped. Gakuto Kase-senpai, who was in the middle of his online FPSbat, stopped his hands as his character got shot into oblivion. Then, he looked at me. ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong, Tendou?¡± ¡°What? Everything¡¯s fine. I just felt that, is gaming this boring to me in the past?¡± I said this as I calmly headshot the enemy soldiers and earned another kill, then I let out a sigh. Kase-senpai immediately snapped out of it and got back to his controls since he¡¯s in the enemy team. After that, Nina-senpai, who just finished a match of her fighting game, turned her body to me. ¡°Uh, ¡­Tendou, are you not feeling well today?¡± ¡°Nope, not at all. I¡¯m doing quite well today.¡± This time, I said this as I st the head off the character controlled by Kase-senpai, who¡¯s still trembling. Nina-senpai immediately started sweatdropping. ¡°I-It looks like you¡¯re right¡­Uh, is it that you got bored with that FPS¡­¡± ¡°Nope, I feel like this newly-released FPS has an excellent design. Whether it¡¯s weapon bnce, map design, or matchmaking efficiency, this game has the highest ratings in its series. The plot in the singleyer is fascinating as well. Even if you look at thements on local or foreign rating websites, this game is definitely the Game Of The Year.¡± ¡°R-Really. W-Well, I must be imagining things just then¡­¡± ¡°Sigh, even so, this game is still boring to me.¡± ¡°I get it, this girl¡¯s brain crashedpletely.¡± Nina-senpai mumbled a bit dumbfoundedly. After I won the match, I slowly tilted my head and questioned. ¡°Crashed¡­? Ahaha, what are you talking about, senpai? I¡¯m Karen Tendou, the legendary Karen Tendou. The incarnation of all the elite elements in the world, Karen Tendou.¡± ¡°There¡¯s already a lot of problems when you said that out loud by yourself. Sigh, but you¡¯re indeed a strong-willed girl¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. So, what¡¯s wrong with senpai, why are you acting like I¡¯m a fragile little girl.¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­y-yeah. Sorry, Tendou. I shouldn¡¯t just assume that you lost your mind¡­¡± ¡°By the way, senpai, this brand of tissue tastes very well.¡± ¡°Get us a counsellor! This is an emergency! Get us an expert counsellor!¡± Kase-senpai and Mizumi-kun immediately held both of my hands as Nina-senpai started to click on her smartphone. I tilted my head once again, then I smiled and spoke up softly. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding, everyone. How could I be serious.¡± After I said that, everyone in the Game Club pressed their chest in relief. Then, I¡­announced loudly. ¡°It¡¯s too vain to call me an incarnation of all the elite elements. Actually, ¡­I¡¯m the incarnation of all the failures in the world, Karen Tendou! Sigh, please everyone, JUST LET THIS POOR LITTLE GIRL EAT A PIECE OF TISSUE!¡± ¡°What a ridiculous way to show that you lost your mind!¡± Then, I begged for tissues for a couple minutes. After I finally calmed down, I looked at the club members that don¡¯t have the mood to y video games anymore. Next, I sighed deeply and slowly exined everything. ¡°Uh, ¡­actually, I went to a double date with Amano-kun and othersst weekend¡­¡± With that, I apologized and briefly exined why did I lose my mind. A double date with my boyfriend and a couple that we¡¯re friends with. Although a pair of sisters that we know showed up as well, everything progressed smoothly. So- After a bunch of hassles, my boyfriend kissed my friend¡¯s girlfriend. ¡°Why did that happen out of nowhere!¡± ¡°I wanted to ask that as well!¡± The reactions from everyone in the Game Club look like they just saw a movie that jumps to the conclusion. However, I also responded wildly with tears in my eyes. ¡°Once I snapped out of it, my boyfriend kissed Uehara-kun¡¯s girlfriend in front of him, the Hoshinomori sisters, and me!¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden and unreasonable game over!¡± ¡°THAT¡¯S WHY I FEEL SO HELPLESS RIGHT NOW!¡± Indeed, that¡¯s like a nightmare that even I felt there¡¯s no way of happening. However, the sad truth is that this is reality. After that, Uehara-kun, Hoshinomori-san, and I pulled our cheeks countless times. Thanks to this, my cheeks are a bit red today. Just as I¡¯m getting dizzy from remembering the nightmare, Mizumi-kun stood up abruptly and mmed the table, seeming trying to intercede. ¡°N-No, no, no! Tendou-san, e-even if you said that, I think it¡¯s just the usual misunderstandings! You know, the crazy misconceptions that you and Amano-kun are the best at-¡° ¡°There isn¡¯t a problem with tone interpretation. Also, there are 4 witnesses.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± Mizumi-kun¡¯s face looks like that of a certainwyer in Ace Attorney. His face started sweating¡­It¡¯s hard for him to not wanting to defend Amano-kun, his most treasured friend. I deeply understood that. However, the sad part is, I, the prosecutor, has an overwhelming advantage right now. This part is the exact same as that game. Moreover, in this real world, it¡¯s not guaranteed that the defending side can turn things around. However, he is THE protagonist, Eiichi Mizumi, after all. Perhaps it¡¯s because of the emotion of ¡°I¡¯m not giving up on my friend no matter how hopeless the situation is!¡± He seems to be racking his brain for a solution. A true protagonist. So, after a moment of silence, ¡­he mmed the table. ¡°A-Amano-kun- what did the defendant think about this incident!¡± Even his way ofst resort questioning is the same as Ace Attorney. I answered with a sigh. ¡°¡­Ay, the two defendants indeed reaffirmed that they¡¯re innocent.¡± ¡°What did they say?¡± ¡°Anyway, ¡­they mentioned something about kissing the wrong person, and also that their lips barely counts as not touching each other. None of those excuses really made sense.¡± I can only exin everything. Then, Attorney Phoniex- No, Attorney Mizumi grabbed the chance and point at me as he proposed. ¡°L-Look, it¡¯s obviously the plot that¡¯ll always happen between you and Amano-kun! This means that the defendant is innocent! I should say that Amano-kun is a good boy!¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t need you to tell me that Amano-kun is a good boy! I can¡¯t believe you try to exclude me and talk about how attractive Amano-kun is, Mizumi-kun, that¡¯s daring of you!¡± ¡°Objection! I¡¯ve thought about this all the time, Don¡¯t Prosecutor Tendou think you¡¯re always trying to monopolize everything! Now that we¡¯re talking about it, I wanted to be allocated more time for me to y with Amano-kun as well!¡± ¡°Wait! Even if it turned like this, I, Karen Tendou, has always shown symptoms of Amano-kun deficiency! I can never agree with a person taking away my time from him, especially a friend that he¡¯s not very close with!¡± ¡°Objection! T-That¡¯s precisely what I¡¯m saying! Precisely! ¡­Man, that¡¯s why Prosecutor Tendou let her friend¡¯s girlfriend gain a 1UP on her, right?¡± ¡°T-That argument has nothing to do with thewsuit! I request you to withdraw that-¡° ¡°Silence, you two! Go outside if you two are fighting over boys!¡± Just as our argument is reaching its climax, the two presiding judges ¨C No, the two senpais, who had been quietly watching our debate, rose up and stopped us. Mizumi-kun and I can only clear our throats before moving on. ¡°A-Anyway, in reality, only the two defendants proposed that they¡¯re innocent. But when there are up to 4 witnesses around, their im extremelycks credibility. That¡¯s what I wanted to say.¡± To my incredibly serious advocate, Mizumi-kun let out an ¡°ugh¡± as he mumbled. After he sweated a bit more, he seems to have realized the debate will end badly for him. So, he subtly changes the topic. ¡°¡­B-By the way, uh, the ridiculous nightmare of identally kissing the wrong person when everyone¡¯s staring¡­Where and why did it happen? From what I¡¯ve heard, I guess you guys are holding a double date at an amusement park somewhere¡­¡± ¡°Yes, the actual crime scene is at the Kizuna Dungeon of the Viva Spiel Kingdom.¡± ¡°T-The Kizuna Dungeon¡­in the V-Viva Spiel Kingdom, ¡­right¡­¡± Mizumi-kun started trembling for some reason after he heard the name of the crime scene. The more I continued to exin, the more he trembles. So, after I exined the situation¡­The boy wrapped his arms around his head and started to get upset. ¡°Ugh, ¡­I didn¡¯t expect that you guys are really in trouble there! Not only did I foresee that incident, I almost encountered it head-on. I feel like I need to take up some responsibility as well¡­!¡± ¡°You almost encountered it head-on? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing. A-Anyway! Based on what I¡¯ve heard, there¡¯s a massive indication that this is just a misunderstanding! The staff members should be the most responsible if we have to me someone!¡± Mizumi-kun retorted at the top of his voice firmly. The two senpais roleying as the presiding judges (or jurors) also agreed with that¡­In reality, his exnation does make sense. However¡­ I racked my brain for a bit before raising my hand quickly and spoke up. ¡°Your honour, about this case, ¡­the prosecuting side would like to call a new witness!¡± ¡°W-What?¡± Although the two senpais tilted their heads shockingly since they clearly can¡¯t follow up with the Ace Attorney joke that Mizumi-kun and I were in. A few secondster, they still managed to notice the mood that we¡¯re in and helped to continue. ¡°W-Who are you calling?¡± I smiled confidently at their question. Then, ¡­I crossed my arms in front of my chest and announced chicly. ¡°The chief victim of this case other than me ¨C Mr Tasuku Uehara!¡± * ¡°¡­I¡¯m Tasuku Uehara¡­Sigh¡­¡± We called him on the phone. Then, while he¡¯s willing to stay in the witness stand (an ordinary table) hastily prepared by the Game Club, his back is pretty curled up as he let out a heavy sigh. The teenager, Tasuku Uehara. Just as everyone in the Game Club was speechless at that depressing look, Nina-senpai, who got rather close to him, tried to strike up a conversation with him, tremblingly. ¡°F-Fake Umehara? Uh, a-are you okay?¡± ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you Nina-senpai¡­Good morning¡­¡± ¡°This guy is as good as dead, your greeting isn¡¯t even at the right time.¡± ¡°Ah, Nina-senpai, I¡¯m a bit hungry. Can you give me a piece of tissue?¡± ¡°No. By the way, what¡¯s wrong with this school? Is there a fetish that requires you to eat tissues whenever you lost your mind?¡± ¡°Ah, Uehara-kun. If you don¡¯t mind, please just use my wet wipes.¡± ¡°You too, Tendou. Don¡¯t just give people wet wipes like you¡¯re handing out chips!¡± Nina-senpai suddenly robbed the wet wipes away from us. Just as Uehara-kun and I were staring at the wet wipes with an anticipating look, Mizumi-kun let out a cough. ¡°A-Anyway, let¡¯s continue. Uh, ..first of all, nice to meet you, Uehara-kun.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. I remembered you¡­You¡¯re Amano¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re Amano¡¯s ¨C BL member no.2, right?¡± ¡°No.¡± Mizumi-kun denied sincerely. However, Uehara-kun seemed to have misunderstood something as he started to get anxious. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you said no¡­S-Sorry, I¡¯m not giving you the no.1 spot.¡± Mizumi-kun is shocked by his reaction. ¡°W-What kind of rejection is that! Uehara-kun, are you really interested in those things!¡± ¡°S-Stop messing around! Who¡¯ll be interested in guys! It¡¯s just that for some reason, ¡­I¡¯m a bit sad when someone robs my no.1 spot of Amano¡¯s BL membership.¡± ¡°That¡¯s supposed to be the mindset of the female protagonist! It¡¯s just that, ¡­yeah, for some reason, now that you¡¯re mentioning it, I feel like I want it as well. The no.1 spot of Amano-kun¡¯s BL membership!¡± ¡°Hmph! But I suit Amano far more than you do-¡° ¡°Silence, you two! Go outside if you two are fighting over boys!¡± Protests started in the Game Club again. After Mizumi-kun and Uehara-kun cleared their throats, they introduced themselves to each other usually and cleanly. So, when everyone calmed down, Uehara-kun¡¯s testimony and questioning finally began. First, Uehara-kun talked about his view of this whole event ¡°As for the part of whether this counts as an incident or ident, ¡­honestly, I can¡¯t say anything. It¡¯s an incident if we¡¯re talking about the interwinding nning and strategy. Still, it¡¯s an ident if we ount for everyone not expecting that ending.¡± ¡°Then, can I interpret this as you¡¯re not going to me Amano-kun and your girlfriend?¡± Mizumi-kun tried to lead the conclusion. However, Uehara-kun shook his head and showed a clear rejection. ¡°No, that¡¯s a separate matter.¡± Uehara-kun¡¯s eyes brightened after he said that. Then, he even clenched his right fist and mmed it onto the table. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether that¡¯s an ident or incident! The most important thing is ¨C the two¡­kissed right in front of us. This ¡°fact¡± is the most crucial part! DAMN YOU!¡± ¡°O-Objection! Amano-kun proposed that their lips didn¡¯t touch. I think it¡¯s too early to conclude that they kissed each other-¡° ¡°Shut up! Listen here! The most important thing isn¡¯t about whether the lips touched or not! No matter the truth, some people were already seriously hurt from this! In other words, ¡­Tendou and I witnessed that kissing scene and was struck hard. Isn¡¯t this the most crucial fact right now!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Mizumi-kun was forced to lean back by Uehara-kun¡¯s imposing manner. Uehara-kun took a step further and continued. ¡°Yeah, while whether the lips touched does matter a lot. It¡¯s more like, I also hoped that I can believe from the bottom of my heart that they¡¯re right.¡± ¡°W-Well then...¡± ¡°However! That¡¯s a whole different thing! Right now, the two of them scratched scars all over our hearts! To put it simply, there are victims! Whether it¡¯s an ident or incident, touched or not, we were hurt anyway! ISN¡¯T THIS FACT ALONE ENOUGH TO CHARGE KEITA AMANO!¡± ¡°OHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± Mizumi-kun leaned back even more. Honestly, his reaction is too vigorous from his usual appearance. However, we already devoted ourselves to this Ace Attorney roleyingpletely, so his response isn¡¯t that disharmonious¡­But I¡¯m not going to mention that the two senpais aren¡¯t appreciating this. After Mizumi-kun went speechless, I proposed my advocate as the prosecutor again. ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s still room for discussion for the two defendants¡¯ im of the lips didn¡¯t touch each other. But even if what they said is true, ¡­it can never resolve the mental damage that we have taken!¡± ¡°UWAHHHHHHHH!¡± Mizumi-kun wrapped his arms around his head and vexed again. Although this victory made Uehara-kun and I looked at each other before smiling in satisfaction, then we realized. ¡°Eh, this doesn¡¯t help anything?¡± The two of us then dropped our shoulders depressingly¡­Why did we call everyone to court in the first ce¡­ Just as the scene came to a standstill, ¡­suddenly, Kase-senpai, who had remained silent for now, spoke up. ¡°Can I say something, Tendou?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, senpai- your honour, please.¡± ¡°Alright. Uh, ¡­I¡¯m the type of guy that¡¯spletely unfamiliar with rtionship problems like this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Honestly, the prosecuting side thinks that: You FPS otaku please just be quiet.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll remember that. Ay, forget about that. In terms of FPS, that can be called friendly fire¡­In other words, while it¡¯s frustrating when you identally shot your teammates, and I do agree that there should be punishments. However, there should be some room for discretion when we consider the reasons behind¡­¡± ¡°The four-eyed FPS guy, can you just shut up for real?¡± ¡°You¡¯re finally insulting your senpai. Alright, we¡¯ll talk about thister. What I wanted to say is that there¡¯s a big difference between a douchebag that explicitly fires on teammates and a newbie that identally fired.¡± ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this the same as whether their lips touched or not? No matter who¡¯s right or wrong, there isn¡¯t a difference with the events that happened¡­¡± ¡°No, Tendou, that¡¯s actually a rude conclusion. Will you report the yers for idental friendly fire in an FPS game?¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t do that¡­However, if you just stroll into an online match that has friendly fire on even though you¡¯re a scrub. That yer should more or less take up responsibility, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. But there are other reasons when there are idental friendly fires in FPS.¡± ¡°What are we talking about, senpai? It¡¯s time for you to stop derailing this-¡° At the moment that I¡¯m about to respond to senpai, -his sses brightens as he headed straight to the conclusion. ¡°The fault isn¡¯t at the yer that fired, ¡­but is actually the dumb teammates that brainlessly charged into the fight and caused the friendly fire. There¡¯s a situation like this in FPS, and that¡¯s what I wanted to talk about.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± This made Uehara-kun and I pressed our chests. Also, Attorney Mizumi didn¡¯t miss this detail. ¡°E-Exactly! Basically, why would you guys go into the Kizuna Dungeon with that ridiculous arrangement! We can clearly see that there¡¯s a room of discussion in there.¡± This made Uehara-kun started to sweat on his face, but he still managed to retort. ¡°L-Like I¡¯ve said this before, this has everything to do with the staff members. We¡¯re not trying to do anything¡­¡± ¡°Is that really all?¡± ¡°Uh, w-while we made a slight mistake at the arrangement part¡­But this has nothing to do with us if we¡¯re paired up randomly!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be too sure with that.¡± ¡°W-What¡­¡± Mizumi-kun seems to have thought of something, he puffed up his chest bravely. Inparison, Uehara-kun and I¡­have been sweating a lot since then. He tapped the document with a smug face. ¡°Here¡¯s the facility overview of the Kizuna Dungeon. It looks like this is designed and famous for being an entertainment ce for normies¡­and couples.¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s up with that¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­I just feel like, this is clearly a ce that Amano-kun is ufortable with.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Uehara-kun and I can¡¯t help but gasp. Crap. I feel like this¡­is going to be bad for us! ¡°The same goes for this whole ¡°double date¡± n. While I¡¯m not sure about Uehara-kun¡¯s girlfriend, this n clearly doesn¡¯t fit with Amano-kun¡¯s style. Right now, can I please ask the two of you¡­Who and what is the goal behind this whole n?¡± ¡°W-Well¡­!¡± Uehara-kun and I are sweating unusually profusely. Mizumi-kun grinned mischievously as if he knew everything already. ¡°It can¡¯t be wrong from your reactions. In other words, this double date¡­was nned by you two all along!¡± ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± Uehara-kun and I can¡¯t help but scream and step backwards. Nina-senpai tilted her head. It seems that her brain can¡¯t follow up with the change. ¡°Uh, so, ¡­what¡¯s happening? Mizumi, what¡¯re you trying to say?¡± ¡°The same thing with Kase-senpai¡¯s exnation of idental friendly fires. Perhaps Amano-kun needs to take up a part of the responsibility as well. However, if these two did spend a lot of effort to arrange this date and that KISS, then¡­¡± ¡°Then?¡± This time, Attorney Mizumi calmed down for a moment¡­Then, he smiled brightly as he threw this out! ¡°The person at fault would be these two instead of Amano-kun!¡± ¡°U-UWAHHHHHHHHHH!¡± We¡¯re pushed to the edge of the cliff! If this is really Ace Attorney, the BGM will be especially triumphant right now. ¡°Also, even if Amano-kun and Uehara-kun¡¯s girlfriend wanted to cheat, kissing in front of everyone, ¡­especially their friends is too risky and dumbfounding as well. Moreover, this can¡¯t be any more ridiculous when we consider Amano-kun¡¯s personality.¡± ¡°B-But they still did that as a result¡­¡± I retorted, but Mizumi-kun is already firm as he continued. ¡°Yes, while the result did take a worse turn. Amano-kun did do something that doesn¡¯t fit his style. However, this means that¡­there¡¯s a ¡°strong motive¡± set up by you two for him to do that!¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re saying¡­a strong motive?¡± ¡°Yes. And that¡­is enough to confirm that the defendant Keita Amano is innocent and should be subjected to a lenient treatment!¡± ¡°W-What are you talking about¡­¡± ¡°Your honour! The defending side requests ¨C a phone call with the defendant Keita Amano!¡± ¡°Permitted.¡± The two presiding judges permitted casually. It looks like they wanted this to end quickly. Under the nervous attention of Uehara-kun and me, Mizumi-kun called Amano-kun on his smartphone. ¡°Amano-kun? I¡¯m sorry for the sudden call. I wanted to ask you something rted to that double date before¡­Ah, hmm, why am I asking that¡­Uh, think about it, a lot of things happened after. Yep, I was dragged into this mess as well. Let¡¯s just put it that way. Thanks for your consideration.¡± Mizumi-kun then happily started to chat with Amano-kun slowly. At the same time, he began to dig into the core. So, about two minutester, ¡­he finally arrived at the main issue. ¡°Amano-kun. So, to you, what were you ¡°thinking¡± when you¡­tried to kiss?¡± Mizumi-kun asked this as he quickly clicked on his phone. The call can now be heard from the entire room. Everyone is listening silently. Amano-kun¡¯s embarrassed¡­yet determined words were yed to the clubroom with Mizumi-kun¡¯s smartphone. ¡°Uh, ¡­of course, I did that because I mustered up my courage and wanted to kiss Tendou-san¡­¡± ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± The prosecutor ¨C which is me, immediately blushed so hard that my face is as red as a tomato. I even swung my hair around like I¡¯m a maniac. All of my elegance disappeared today. When Uehara-kun admitted defeat as he plopped his head down depressingly, Mizumi-kun only said ¡°thank you very much¡± to the phone before disconnecting. Then, he puffed up his chest and looked at me, Uehara-kun, and the two presiding judges. Influenced by the atmosphere, Kase-senpai, one of the presiding judges, cleared his throat. ¡°Yep, ¡­I¡¯ve been active in this club for a long time, but this is the first time that I¡¯m involved in something like this.¡± Of course. This was never supposed to happen in the Game Club. ¡°A-Anyway, I should just announce it clearly. The defendant Keita Amano¡­Upon considerations in every possible way, we judge that¡­¡± Kase-senpai announced to everyone respectfully after a beat. ¡°Innocent.¡± ¡°Wow, wow, wow.¡± At the same time, Nina-senpai sprinkled the paper flowers that appeared out of nowhere in the club room emotionlessly. ¡­Well then. This is the end of Ace Attorney: Game Club of the Otobuki High School Episode 1: The Dumbest Reversal Ever. * ¡°Even so, I also felt the most terrible for Tendou-san and Uehara-kun.¡± Mizumi-kun walked along the corridor of the old school building where we can see the sunset as he gave me a bitter smile. I let out a huge sigh as I answered casually. ¡°Thanks then.¡± After the jury is over, everyone in the Game Club is free to disband. Although they can leave once the activity ended¡­ ¡°¡­I know you care about me, but you don¡¯t need to go out of your way to walk home with me.¡± I stared at the former attorney on the opposite side after I said that. He scratched the back of his head a bit embarrassingly. ¡°Uh, ¡­but, I still think I need to apologize to you first. I acted like I¡¯m ming you two just then, sorry about that.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize for anything¡­¡± ¡°No, I was immersed in that game, after all, even going so far to act the ¡°catching the real criminal¡± part out that wasn¡¯t an attorney¡¯s job¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re really a protagonist from the bottom of your heart.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Mizumi-kun lowered his head embarrassingly. To him, I sighed before giving him a faint smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Uehara-kun and I weren¡¯t hurt by this simted court at all. Instead, it helped to clear my stress out when we¡¯re yelling and messing around like that.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± Mizumi-kun pressed his chest in relief after he heard what I said. After I answered him with a smile, ¡­I continued without hesitation. ¡°Sigh, we have already taken the most severe damage in our lives previously.¡± ¡°¡­Y-You¡¯re right.¡± Mizumi-kun¡¯s face twitched. Then, he tried to go back to what we were talking about. ¡°It¡¯s because you two are the most deeply hurt in this incident, and I agree with that wholeheartedly. I know how you two felt.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­Honestly, this doesn¡¯t soothe anything.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± The two of us walked under this extremely gloomy mood for a while, the old wooden floorboards will often make a cracking voice. So, when we arrived at the corridor in front of the main building, Mizumi-kun spoke up again. ¡°Although I agreed with Amano-kun that their lips didn¡¯t touch, and I also defended him to prove that he wasn¡¯t bad or wanted to cheat¡­On the other hand, I also deeply understand the crux of this issue isn¡¯t about ¡°that part¡± at all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± When I fell silent, Mizumi-kun continued mncholy. ¡°It should be tough for you¡­That feeling of witnessing everything.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± I didn¡¯t look at his eyes. Instead, I grabbed my arms tightly as I answered. The team cheers from the racing sports clubs passed through us. ¡°¡­In reality, even when the case was marked with ¡°attempted¡± in the end. For Uehara-kun and you at least, it looks like the incident actually happened¡­¡± ¡°¡­Yeah¡­I can¡¯t really do anything about it¡­¡± ¡°I feel like you two shouldn¡¯t take the me. For example, ¡­if I saw Amano-kun and my sister-inw did that, I think I would be pretty shocked as well.¡± I can¡¯t help but smile mischievously at his words. ¡°Hey, Mizumi-kun, you finally admitted that you¡¯re interested in your sister-inw-¡° ¡°But Amano-kun and I are way closerpared to her¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re jealous about the guy instead of the girl! T-There¡¯s a new question stemmed from my heart just then! Mizumi-kun!¡± ¡°Eh, let¡¯s forget about that first.¡± ¡°Can we even forget about that? Won¡¯t this go badly if we don¡¯t deal with it now?¡± Although Iined vehemently, Mizumi-kun remained firm. He even swiped his soft hair upwards as he gave me a very startled look. ¡°¡­Amano-kun is still very good at pulling people¡¯s heartstrings, how sinful.¡± ¡°Yep. S-Sorry, Mizumi-kun, I can no longer sincerely take what you just said asforting words.¡± ¡°However, I do love that side of him unexpectedly.¡± Mizumi-kun said that with a bright smile¡­Ah, crap, I¡¯m increasingly biased towards him like he¡¯s interested in a rtionship with Amano! I was able to ept that with no problem at all in the past! To make up my mind, I walked as I took a couple deep breaths. The texture of the floor went from the old wooden boards to the brand-new stic of the main building, the footsteps of the two of us followed were lighter. I took another deep breath before continuing. ¡°Sorry. In reality, even though talking about this is just rebooting the debate we had earlier¡­However, whether we can 100% trust that Amano-kun and Aguri-san advocate of ¡°not touching¡± is another question.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­about that.¡± Mizumi-kun seemed like he took a hit as he scratched his head. ¡°Hmm, ¡­from Amano-kun¡¯s behaviour, instead of saying that he¡¯s trying to bait himself out, it¡¯s more like he¡¯s considerate to Uehara-kun and you.¡± ¡°Yeah. Uh, ¡­during that phone call, the boy mentioned atst¡­well, ¡­the ¡°motive¡± of kissing. I-I didn¡¯t suspect that at the slightest.¡± I can¡¯t help but blush as I plopped my head down. Then, Mizumi-kunughed and said. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. Thanks.¡± We arrived at the entrance of the school after a while of chitchatting. We changed our shoes and walked outside. The sun is about to disappear into the mountains. Mizumi-kun seems to be taking the bus, while I wanted to clear my mind up and just take a walk on the streets, so we said goodbye to each other at the bus station. However, during this time, ¡°Atst, I wanted to ask something¡­¡± Mizumi-kun spoke up with a serious face. ¡°Tendou-san, will you and Amano-kun¡­remain as a couple like in the past?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± I was speechless¡­That¡¯s the fatal question¡­that I¡¯ve been pondering about in these days. What do I want? How should I deal with this? Is there a best way? I can¡¯t see the future at all, no matter how many times I think about it. Then, I realized it has always been like this since when I met Amano-kun. This is different than in the past. Nothing goes ording to my n. I got rejected when I invited him to the Game Club. We started dating unexpectedly just as I¡¯m nning to slowly improve our rtionship. Then, just as I¡¯m scrambling my brain to create an indisputable fact, ¡­I somehow ended up losing my female protagonist status to another girl. ¡°¡­However, this is just a small bummer in my life¡­¡± Just as I curled my lips and mumbled, I immediately realized. ¡°Ah, ¡­I think I understand how those kids felt when they¡¯re unwilling to admit that I defeated them¡­¡± I lost at the part where I can¡¯t make up for it even when I put all of my efforts in. A situation like this¡­ ¡°I really wanted to find an excuse for my inability¡­¡± I feel a tinge of pain in my chest. But, on the other hand, I was exceedingly thrilled to know I was finally ¡°in the same spot¡± as everyone. I can¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°T-Tendou-san?¡± During this time, Mizumi-kun was startled as he secretly nced at me. ¡°Uh, ¡­I-I¡¯m not letting you eat tissues!¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? Why would anyone eat tissues? Mizumi-kun, please don¡¯t mess around right now.¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± Mizumi gasped as if he¡¯s unconvinced from the bottom of his heart. Iughed before saying that it¡¯s just a joke, then I walked to the time schedule board of the bus station. ¡°¡­There¡¯s no way for everything to go ording to n¡­¡± ¡°You mean when the bus will arrive? Of course, it depends on the traffic.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right¡­Right now, I¡¯m different than in the past. I¡¯m not ¡°only¡±peting with myself now. Even when I didn¡¯t win like I¡¯ve expected, I guess that¡¯s normal¡­¡± ¡°Uh, are you talking about gaming or something else?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Mizumi-kun unexpected question made me turn my head around. So, he froze confusingly as well. ¡°Eh, am I wrong?¡± He asked, then I answered with a faint smile. ¡°No, you¡¯re right, perhaps that¡¯s the case. It¡¯s actually the same as gaming, both sides can never go ording to n¡­Also, that¡¯s why¡­I wanted to face them seriously¡­¡± Suddenly, I feel like¡­all the clouds in my heart started to disappear, just for a bit. Of course, the damage I took when I witnessed that scene, and the problems that came with it, none of them were resolved yet. But, ¡­at least, right now, I- -Karen Tendou, as a gamer and Keita Amano¡¯s girlfriend, finally understood what I wanted to do. ¡°¡­Well. Then I¡¯ll be leaving, Mizumi-kun.¡± I took a step forward as I made up my mind. So, Mizumi-kun freaked out and spoke up from behind. ¡°Please, what are you going to do with Amano-kun in the end¡­!¡± I paused for a moment at his question, so I can only turn around again. I answered him with a determined look. ¡°At least, I have no intention to ¨C keep it ¡°the same as before¡± anymore.¡± Volume 6, 2 – Keita Amano and All-out Defeat

Volume 6, Chapter 2 ¨C Keita Amano and All-out Defeat

Trantor: your_pingas In a loner¡¯s life, it¡¯s hard to find a word that appears more frequently than ¡°embarrassment.¡± After all, except during lessons, we are almost always invaded by this emotion in our school life. Whether it¡¯s the short breaks between lessons that we have no ces to go, the lonely lunchtime that we just plop our heads down and eat, or the time that we¡¯re forced out to move out of the normies¡¯ way when we¡¯re on the bus. We carry a fidgetting sense of ¡°embarrassment¡± at all times. The same goes for talking to other people as well. Everyone has a tongue twist once in a while. However, only people like us will screw it up at crucial times. The kind of mishaps that weren¡¯t even adorable or hrious at all. For example, the humiliation between girls identally said ¡°good morning¡± as ¡°good mourning¡± is entirely different than me, the guy that once read ¡°next sentence¡± as ¡°next penis¡± during lessons. To put it simply, that¡¯s why¡­Uwah, my face red up once I think about it. Sigh, how could I pronounce it like that¡­ [Note: The pronunciations of ¡°penis¡± and ¡°sentence¡± are entirely different in Japanese.] A-Anyway. I¡¯m an ¡°Embarrassment Taster¡± that takes on all kinds of embarrassment inrge doses every day. This is the title bestowed upon on loners, ¡­which is me at the same time, Keita Amano. Alright, even though I held such an empty Embarrassment Taster title like this. Currently, I still encountered the most embarrassing moment in my life. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I made sporadic eye contact with the girl in front of me as I gulped. The family restaurant, after school. Under the hustle and bustle with all the customers, only our seats are silent like we¡¯re the eye of a hurricane. A drop of sweat appeared on my temple¡­As a taster, I¡¯m undoubtedly sure right now. ¡°Yes¡­This tangy, rich aroma, ¡­and the color after fermenting, and constant mixing...Also, the intense sourness flooding out from my stomach¡­¡± I took a deep breath when I thought about this. Then, ¡­I managed to hold myself from vomiting and bulged my eyes ¡°Is this the rarest sight in the industry ¨C The Hell! -I¡¯m alone with ¡°my friend¡¯s girlfriend¡± that almost kissed me in the after school family restaurant. Have I encountered an even more embarrassing situation before? Nope, there isn¡¯t. It will be a big problem if there is. Even when I¡¯m in 1st grade, the time that I yelled ¡°Taiyaki!¡± sleepily on my great-grandma¡¯s funeral wasn¡¯t that terrible. I kept sweating even when it¡¯s not hot at all. My stomach hurts. I¡¯m dizzy, and there¡¯s a needle in my brain. At the same time, I¡¯m feeling increasingly stuffy. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The gal in front of my eyes¡­Aguri-san curled up her hair with her finger as she chugged countless cups of oolong tea down her throat from the drink bar. She prompted me to start chugging my own oolong tea as well. So¡­ ¡°Klink¡­¡± We put the cup back onto the table at the exact same time. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± With that alone, ¡­this moment is already as embarrassing as it could be. Both of us subconsciously lowered our heads. ¡­Embarrassment, hatred, anger, regret, anxiety, ¡­and also the overwhelming of guilt to each other. These kinds of emotions merged together in our hearts, and then we lost track of the words that should be said to each other. In the end, ¡­we ended up spending 30 minutes doing nothing but chugging oolong tea. ¡­Why are we stilling to the restaurant together, are we trying to show off our wealth? How should I put it? Even so, the two of us still thought that ¡°we need to discuss this face-to-face¡± as soon as possible. In reality, it¡¯s been two days since that incident passed. During this period, of course, Aguri-san and I tried our best to exin it to each of our partners¡­However, we¡¯re just getting busy on our own. The two of us never had a uniform conclusion. This is not going to go well¡­if we do care for our future. No, we¡¯re not trying to make up a conclusion. Basically, Aguri-san and I can swear to god that our lips didn¡¯t touch. That¡¯s true. However, ¡­for example, if my exnation to Tendou-san is slightly different than Aguri-san to Uehara-kun¡¯s, what would the two of them think? Will they be even more confused? To avoid that kind of absurd tragedy (and it¡¯s entirely possible to happen for us), Aguri-san and I must share the same acknowledgment. Then we¡¯ll use it as a weapon against each of our partners¡­We both knew that in our hearts. While we knew that¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± During this time, we identally made eye contact again, so we looked down¡­From the others, perhaps we look like a pair of fresh new couples. However, our hearts are filled with¡­nothing aside from bitterness, not to mention sweet and sour. ¡°¡­Even so, ¡­this silence has to end¡­¡± I sighed and made up my mind to face the issue head-on ¡°Yes. Aguri-san was the one that leads the discussion usually. In times like this, the least I can do is¡­!¡± To cheer myself up, I randomly grabbed the ss of oolong tea on the table and chugged it down at once. Then, I finally spoke up the first sentence- ¡°A-Amanhi. That¡¯s¡­my cup of oolong tea¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± -I messed it uppletely when I was about to say something. I banged my head onto the table a couple times as I mumbled with tears in my eyes. ¡°D-D-D-Don¡¯t tell me I-I-I just indirectly kissed you i-in a situation like this¡­!¡± I want to die. This way of screwing up things kind of fits my style. I¡¯ve always been like this. When I tried to save something, I ended up getting despised for some dumbfounded reasons. A firm determination coupled with a cowardly end. My life has been repeating like this¡­So, I ended up being such a coward. I tried to prevent myself from getting people¡¯s attention, but I still continued to bang my head onto the table. Aguri-san then chuckled quietly and smoothed things over. ¡°Hoho, you¡¯re dumb, Amanhi. It¡¯s okay, the side that you sipped is the opposite of mine.¡± ¡°Ufufu, ¡­r-really?¡± I raised my head with tears in my eyes. During this time, Aguri-san nodded with a smile. ¡°Yep. Right now, I¡¯m not going to lie on things like this. It¡¯s alright, you didn¡¯t mess it up-¡° Suddenly, I let out a big sigh in relief as I continued happily. ¡°Ah, good to know that! Honestly, I don¡¯t want to have an indirect kiss with you at all, absolutely not! Hiya, I¡¯m saved! I really thought that I¡¯m going to die!¡± Aguri-san immediately pouted her cheeks. ¡°T-This is weird, for some reason, while your reaction is right since you have a girlfriend¡­However, I really wanted to beat you up hard right now!¡± ¡°Eh? No, sorry. Well, ¡­I-I really wanted to kiss you indirectly! Alright, I¡¯ll pretend that I¡¯m the host of Gilgamesh Night and lick the other side of the cup with my tongue-¡° [Note: Gilgamesh Night, a softcore porn Japanese TV show from the 90s.] ¡°That¡¯s a no as well!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± I ended up getting punched. She¡¯s quite brutal, and my cheeks hurt. Also, the waiter got scared away. Aguri-san sighed. ¡°Jeez.¡± Then, she leaned her body on the back of the seat and even drank the not-so-iced-anymore cold water instead of oolong tea. I followed her and took a sip of my cold water. Then¡­ ¡°Klink¡­¡± When the noise of the cups being put on the table ovepped again- ¡°¡­Ho!¡± -Aguri-san and I can¡¯t hold ourughs anymore. Weughed at each other carefreely for a while¡­Then, this time, we sincerely looked at each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°Well, let¡¯s start our emergency conference right now, alright, Amanhi?¡± ¡°Alright, I understand, Aguri-san.¡± We used this overly innocent opportunity and returned to normal. * ¡°Amanhi. Firstly, I need to confirm this no matter what.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After the conference started, Aguri-san crossed her arms on the table and looked at me face-to-face. ¡°We¡­barely counts as not kissing each other, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, of course. That¡¯s obviously true, I have no doubt about it.¡± The two of us nodded at each other. Then, ¡­two secondster, we sighed deeply at the same time. ¡°Phew¡­Hey, good to know that. I was confident that we didn¡¯t kiss each other. Still, when Tasuku and other people suspected me, ¡­I¡¯m starting to get worried as well.¡± ¡°Me too. I¡¯m the type of guy that¡¯s never sure of his opinions. However, I think I¡¯m definitely right about this. After all, I¡­¡± ¡°Yep, me too¡­¡± After we said that, the two of us blushed as we gave our reason why we¡¯re so sure. ¡°We werepletely focused on our lips¡­¡± This is reasonable. Although Aguri-san and I kissed the wrong person, ¡­we were trying to ¡°receive our boyfriend¡¯s/girlfriend¡¯s first kiss¡± at the time.¡± If we did touch our lips a little bit, that feeling would be carved into our hearts forever. Aguri-san continued helplessly. ¡°Ay, even though it¡¯s true that the distance between Amanhi and me was enough to cause a misunderstanding in everyone¡¯s mind¡­¡± ¡°The same goes for me.¡± We let out a sigh in relief again. Aguri-san wetted her lips with a cup of water¡­Then, she suddenly stared at me. ¡°By the way, ¡­when I found out the person in front was Amanhi instead of Tasuku after the lights were turned on. I was so depressed!¡± ¡°W-Why are you acting like you¡¯re the sole victim! I was the same as well! When the angelic Tendou-san in my mind suddenly turned into a rebellious gal, that¡¯s a big disappointment!¡± ¡°Wha¡­! I-If you¡¯re putting it that way, I was the one that was hurt the most when my handsome boyfriend turned into a bean sprout little kid!¡± ¡°What was that!¡± ¡°I¡¯m putting it that way, fight me!¡± The two of us stared at each other angrily. Then, around 5 secondster, ¡­we dropped our shoulders at the same time and sighed. ¡°This feels empty¡­¡± As energetic as we are, we ran out of stamina to rub salt on each other¡¯s wounds. So, we ended this mutual attack and even took the beverages from the drink bar on our own to change the mood before we discuss it again. ¡°¡­Even so, Amanhi, I didn¡¯t mean to target you when I said that¡­However, I¡¯m still the one that took the most damage.¡± Aguri drank her cup of juice as she said that. I scratched my head. ¡°Yep, I¡¯m really a disgusting otaku, sorry about that-¡° ¡°No, it¡¯s not about that. While this ¡°attempted kiss¡± incident is quite shocking and dwarfs other things, ¡­I actually witnessed the scenery of ¡®Konoha Hoshinomori sticking up to Tasuku¡¯ as well.¡± ¡°R-Really¡­I understand.¡± The ¡°attempted kissing¡± is indeed a powerful bomb. It made me forget that aside from us, other partners that entered the maze have their own issues as well. Specifically, Aguri-san saw that Konoha Hoshinomori sticking real close to Tasuku Uehara. On the other hand¡­ ¡°However, I witnessed the scenery of ¡®Tendou-san cuddling with Chiaki¡¯ as well, I should have taken the same damage, right?¡± ¡°No. How should I put it, ¡­you can clearly sense that it¡¯s just an ident between the two girls. No matter how I put it, you wouldn¡¯t seriously suspect that they¡¯re interested in each other, right?¡± ¡°Uh, you¡¯re right¡­¡± Even so, in actuality, a seed of suspicion that said ¡°don¡¯t tell me¡± was nted in my heart. However, I guess this is just a minor issue. Aguri-san continued helplessly. ¡°But, when wepare the scenery of Tasuku sticking close to another girl to our attempted kissing, the impression should be far weaker. However, I¡¯m still Tasuku¡¯s girlfriend, this is still agonizing.¡± ¡°Hmm, ¡­yeah, I get it.¡± Even though this is just an ident, but if I saw Tendou-san cuddling with other boys, I would be shocked as well. Of course, I¡¯m not going to overreact and scold the guy for being a cheater, but I¡¯m confident that I¡¯ll hesitate for a long time.¡± ¡°While that¡¯s true, Konoha-san and Uehara-kun should be the same as well. An ident is an ident.¡± ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right¡­¡± Aguri-san curled her lips out of her jealousy. I sipped some iced coffee before continuing. ¡°Especially Uehara-kun acted like he¡¯s rejecting it.¡± ¡°Right, Amanhi, Tasuku thought that it was you at that time.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! W-Why¡­When I heard you said that, I feel like I¡¯m shocked.¡± ¡°No, no, no, what¡¯s wrong with you! Tasuku wanting to touch you is the main issue here!¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re right. But, for some reason, ¡­I¡¯m a bit thrilled.¡± ¡°Amanhi, you¡¯re too dangerous!¡± Aguri-san clicked on her smartphone rapidly as she said that. It seems that I was on her watchlist for ¡°potential cheaters of boyfriend¡± already, with a high ranking. I willingly subjected myself to a treatment like this and continued chatting with her. ¡°Konoha-san was the one that I disillusioned myself from. Although she was already quite erotic- Uh, no, she¡¯s supposed to be an innocent person. Still, I didn¡¯t expect her to flirt with another girl¡¯s boyfriend¡­It¡¯s a guy that she just met¡­¡± She was acting so repulsive just then¡­Well, to be honest, Uehara-kun is a handsome guy. Forget about girls, ¡­even I¡¯m willing to stick close to him. However, my rationality sessfully held all these thoughts back. Just as I¡¯mining angrily, Aguri-san tilted her head unbelievably. ¡°Eh? No, I confirmed the color of the headphones¡¯ lightster. Instead of that Konoha girl wanting to stick close to Tasuku, it¡¯s more like her wanting to¡­¡± Aguri-san is staring at me quietly¡­? ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­the colors of the lights? Ah, ¡­sorry, I didn¡¯t remember what everyone was doing back then. I only remembered Tendou-san thought her partner was me. That¡¯s why she hugged with Chiaki¡­Hoho¡­.¡± I suddenly remembered this critical event, so I can¡¯t help but give a reveled smile. Then, Aguri-san gave me a dumbfounded look for some reason and even mumbled. ¡°Sigh, ¡­it¡¯s a bad thing to cause troubles.¡± ¡°Hey, then where were we? We were talking about Konoha-san¡­¡± ¡°Ah, no, it¡¯s fine. I wanted to say that girl is quite an anthomaniac, way different than her sister.¡± ¡°No, no, no, she¡¯s not an anthomaniac at all¡­¡± Although I immediately wanted to defend my friend, I went utterly speechless after that, sadly¡­Sorry, Konoha-san, I don¡¯t think I can retort when others called you an anthomaniac¡­!¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°Speaking of her sister, why did Chiaki cuddle with Tendou-san back then? Did she think that it was Uehara-kun?¡± ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know. Come to think of it, I think the girl never mentioned the color change of her partner''s headphones.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I¡¯m getting more suspicious about the whole lesbian theory. Chiaki didn¡¯t mention Tendou-san¡¯s headphones color¡­Is it because Tendou-san¡¯s color didn¡¯t change? Didn¡¯t Chiaki hug Tendou-san because she recognized her? Just as I¡¯m mumbling with a confused look, Aguri-san suddenly took a sip of my iced coffee and spoke to herself. ¡°After all, ¡­it¡¯s because she thought that it was Tasuku¡­¡± Aguri-san drank half of my iced coffee directly like it¡¯s nothing¡­Although we were freaking out with the indirect kiss just then,e to think of it, Aguri-san taking my stuff is nothing unusual. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve never done the same to her¡­I feel I was dumb for getting immersed in the mood. I led the discussion again. ¡°Well, we have to bear the most responsibility, though.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± We let out a big sigh again. Aguri-san ttened herself on the table. ¡°I spent a lot of time exining to Tasuku, and Tasuku did smile before saying ¡®I understand¡¯¡­.But, honestly, I still don¡¯t feel like they treat us as innocent.¡± ¡°The same goes for me. Although Tendou-san also smiled and said she understands, ¡­that was just a ¡®courtesy Tendou-san¡¯ smile. ¡°But, we really didn¡¯t kiss.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°We are supposed to be innocent. Sigh, this world doesn¡¯t make sense. Right, Amanhi?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Amanhi?¡± I didn¡¯t go along with her, Aguri-san then stood up, and she looked at me. As for me, ¡­I stared at my crossed hands on the table and answered. ¡°No, ¡­at least, it¡¯s a fact that I hurt Tendou-san.¡± ¡°But, that was just the result of a string of idents and misunderstandings¡­¡± ¡°Even so, a fact is a fact. I¡¯m not shameless enough to hurt my girlfriend and smiled to think that ¡°this has nothing to do with me¡± before leaving.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Of course, ¡­I¡¯ve already exined that I really didn¡¯t kiss with another girl. However, aside from that, I feel like¡­I need to express myself even more sincerely.¡± After Aguri-san heard my serious exnation, ¡­she seems embarrassed suddenly, and even scratched the back of her neck anxiously. I noticed that and immediately tried to smooth things over. ¡°Ah, s-sorry. I didn¡¯t say that to ask you to be more responsible. Compared to Uehara-kun, I feel like Tendou-san would be hurt deeper¡­¡± After I said that, Aguri-san smiled in relief. ¡°Yeah, I guess I understand. After all, you two just started dating.¡± ¡°Yes. I think you and Uehara-kun developed trust for each other over time. So, as long as you exined clearly, you two can definitely move on from this temporary ¡®shock¡¯¡­Uh, but Tendou-san and I¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, ¡­I know what Amanhi is trying to say. But what are you going to do when you said that you want to show your sincerity?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± I was speechless¡­Although a couple ideas came to my mind, honestly, none of them are positive¡­Also, I feel like that¡¯s guaranteed to piss Aguri-san off. However, Aguri-san stared at me sharply like she knew what I was thinking. Her face turned stiff as she questioned me. ¡°Hey, Amanhi, if you are trying anything funny¡­¡± So, when she¡¯s in the middle of her sentence. ¡°E-E-E-E-E-E-Excuse me!¡± ¡°!¡± Apanying the sudden greeting, an uninvited clump of seaweed appeared on our seat. ¡°C-Chiaki?¡± ¡°Hoshinomori-san?¡± She ignored that we¡¯re still shocked and even stick her soft body to me and try to squeeze space for her to sit. Aguri-san and I immediately moved inwards as we went speechless. Chiaki was the one that ran to us, but she blushed real hard like she¡¯s very embarrassed¡­However, at the same time, she red severely at Aguri-san and me The situation is too sudden, we can¡¯t say anything. Chiaki told the waitress, ¡°Uh, I want to order drink bar services as well!¡± After a short exnation, she put her bag next to her and took a deep breath¡­ Then, as if she¡¯s trying to me us, the girl cried out for some dumbfounded reason. ¡°I-I still¡­I still can¡¯t acknowledge the r-r-rtionship between y-you two! I-It¡¯s because¡­It¡¯s because I¡­I¡­! I also¡­!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°¡­W-What?¡± So, this is it. No one understood the situation, the three of us was clouded with confusion. * ¡°I-I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± Chiaki slowly sipped her water as she blushed even more and plopped her head down. Aguri-san and I looked at each other and sighed helplessly. ¡­Around 5 minutes after Chiaki¡¯s intrusion, she finished listening to our exnation of this meeting. When she understood the situation, her anger disappeared quickly and entirely reverted to that¡­embarrassed Ms. Chiaki Hoshinomori mode, which is the same as me. She still lowered her head and exined before grabbing her drink. ¡°No, well, ¡­our parents aren¡¯t home today. So, Konoha and I came to the family restaurant for dinner¡­However, when I witnessed the moment that you two are talking to each other intimately, my mind reyed that scene a couple days ago. My anger red up¡­Once I realized, I¡¯m already sitting next to Keita¡­¡± ¡°¡­Really.¡± To us, her exnation seems a little vague. ¡°If it was Tendou-san, it¡¯s reasonable for her to burst into here like that since she¡¯s my girlfriend¡­But why did Chiaki got angry at times like that¡­¡± That sounds like she¡¯s falling in love with me. Hmph, this isn¡¯t a rom, anyway. If that¡¯s the case, hmm, is it because of rage? For example, Chiaki thinks that Aguri-san and I have our own lovers. This is too despicable¡­Is she even that serious towards love? But I guess Chiaki is slightly interested in Uehara-kun¡­Hmm¡­ ¡­It¡¯s kind of unrealistic, no matter how you think of it. Even so, Aguri-san and I have no interest in bullying Chiaki anymore. Aguri-san spoke up, signaling that she¡¯s trying to smooth things over. ¡°Y-Yeah, I¡¯m already alone with Amanhi only a couple days after that. This feels not right. We¡¯ll admit that. However, that¡¯s the reason why we picked another family restaurant¡­¡± She said that and nced outside the window. ¡°¡­By the way, even if this counts as downtown, it¡¯s still more or less quite close to Hoshinomori-san¡¯s home¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­I¡¯m sorry. Although it¡¯s not like a couple steps away, our family will get dinner here based on its taste and price¡­I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing you need to apologize for¡­¡± Aguri-san gave me an awkward look and signal me to think of a way to get out of this¡­W-Why do you have to ask me¡­ ¡°¡­C-Chiaki, what games are you ying recently?¡± ¡°You¡¯re way too terrible at chatting, Amanhi! I can¡¯t believe you got the nerve to talk about gaming with a depressed girl!¡± Aguri-sanined at the top of her voice. However- ¡°Ah, I started ying Dragon Blood Tree¡¯s Maze 5. Keita, you yed that as well, right?¡± ¡°You two are chatting!¡± Aguri-san was shocked. I focused on talking with Chiaki. ¡°Of course! I¡¯m on level 3. What about you?¡± ¡°Me too! Man, why does the middle part is the mostpelling in these type of games!¡± ¡°It¡¯s super effective as well! What¡¯s wrong with gaming otakus! They¡¯ll go high whenever someone throws the word ¡®gaming¡¯ out!¡± Aguri-san seems to be talking about something, but us gamers can¡¯t hear her already. Chiaki and I sat next to each other and even turned our bodies as we chatted enthusiastically. ¡°I know you! When there¡¯re a lot more missions avable in the mid-game after you passed the tutorial, it really excites me!¡± ¡°Yeah! Especially when there¡¯s a job system in the game. After you found a quick level-up spot in the mid-game orte-game, the ¡®experience ceiling¡¯ is expanded at once. It feels my heart with hope and expectation, and that¡¯s the best part!¡± ¡°I 100% agree with you! Level 3 in this generation is exactly the same! I stopped advancing through the main storyline for 10 hours, just to level up my character!¡± ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s it! Once you start leveling up, it already feels like you¡¯re not doing it to beat the boss, you¡¯re just doing it for the sake of gaining experience! You don¡¯t like going through the story anymore, am I right!¡± ¡°I feel like I would just live there. That¡¯s like getting stuffed up in an all-you-can-eat buffet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great metaphor, Keita!¡± Sigh, but that sense of depravity is a fun part of the game¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, Chiaki-san.¡± The two of us just looked at the sky and let out a reveled sigh. ¡­At the opposite seat, Aguri-san put her elbows on the table and looked at us dumbfoundedly. ¡°¡­How should I put it? If we put all theplicated situation aside, ¡­how about you two just start dating right away?¡± She seems to be babbling about something, but Chiaki and I are entirely devoted to chatting about the game, so we didn¡¯t have time to care. Just as we¡¯re relished in this blessed moment like we¡¯re in a hot spring, we spoke up at the exact same time. ¡°By the way, the best part of this generation is still-¡° ¡°By the way, the worst part of this generation is still-¡° Then, both of our voices ovepped. ¡°The girls are all pretty cute.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°HUH?¡± We instantly red at each other fiercely. Suddenly, loud ps can be heard from the seat in front. ¡°Yo, Master Amano! Master Hoshinomori! Hiya. Although I saw the small conflicts between you two in the past, ¡­I¡¯m still throbbed when I saw such a concrete and ssical argument plot! I feel like I just watched a traditional performance. I learned something. I¡¯m super delighted right now.¡± Aguri-san is getting thrilled over nothing, but we don¡¯t have time to care for her. Chiaki and I discussed moe elements for 15 minutes straight just as usual. When we exhausted our energy, we finally realized that Aguri-san is still here¡­Both of us apologized to her. ¡°S-Sorry¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I appreciated your performance. It¡¯s a wonderful pre-dinner show.¡± Once we snapped out of it, Aguri-san is eating a bowl of French fries that she ordered some time ago. She even treated our fight as a side dish and seems to be enjoying it. Then, Aguri-san directly asked an unbelievable question. ¡°By the way, how many kids do you two have?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re not married.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Aguri-san was thoroughly shocked for some reason. Also, Chiaki blushed suddenly as well. She doesn¡¯t need to be that pissed with a joke of this level, right¡­ Anyway, the embarrassing atmosphere caused by Chiaki gradually disappeared. After Chiaki took a beverage from the drink bar, we grabbed the opportunity and asked her about the incident. ¡°Chiaki, about the things that happened in the amusement park¡­¡± ¡°Ah. I get it, you two kissed on that day, right?¡± ¡°No.¡± We started exining to Chiaki once again. Although she¡¯s unwilling to admit it, she understood what happened and nodded. Chiaki took a sip of the warm ck tea before pouting. ¡°But, from my perspective, I only felt that you two ¡®kissed¡¯ each other.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­right¡­I guess so¡­¡± Aguri-san and I found this troublesome. If Chiaki viewed it that way, ¡­this means that other people¡¯s reaction has to be the same. This is an actual ingrained issue. Even if we actually didn¡¯t kiss, their testimony is more concrete. We would have lost if this is awsuit. So, even Chiaki seems to be trembled by our reaction. She gave us a slightly caring look. ¡°Well, ¡­even so, we¡¯re not absolutely not believing you two. It¡¯s just that¡­we can¡¯t find apromise between that and what we¡¯ve witnessed.¡± ¡°U-Ugh¡­¡± This is a crucial point. However, at the same time, this is just increasing our frustration. We can¡¯t do anything to help it¡­But it¡¯s because we can¡¯t help it, there¡¯s no used to continue to be bothered. I decided to change the topic. ¡°By the way, Chiaki, I don¡¯t really understand a part since then.¡± ¡°Really, which part?¡± Chiaki elegantly took a sip of her ck tea as she answered. I asked her without meaning anything. ¡°Chiaki, why were you shocked when you saw Aguri-san and me kissed?¡± ¡°PFFT!¡± Ms. Chiaki spewed all her ck tea out. Luckily, it was only on the table and didn¡¯t reach the food or anyone. I do feel terrible for her. Chiaki is coughing hard from her choke, she even wiped the table with tissues quickly as she answered. ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing, uh, well, well, it¡¯s because, because¡­¡± ¡°C-Calm down, Chiaki. That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen such a reaction aside from humorics. So, I don¡¯t know what to do, just calm down for now, anyway.¡± ¡°A-Alright¡­Phew, ¡­ha¡­¡± ¡°You good?¡± ¡°Yep, ¡­I¡¯m fine. Sorry for scaring you two. I¡¯ll take a sip of my ck tea first.¡± ¡°Alright, d to hear that¡­Anyway, why were you shocked when you saw Aguri-san and me kissing-¡° ¡°PFFT!¡± ¡°You¡¯re like a character inics! That¡¯s incredible!¡± Aguri-san and I were quite amazed by that at this point. She didn¡¯t mess up anything except the tables, that¡¯s precision. It¡¯s like a kind of unique ability. Just as we¡¯re staring at Chiaki with sparkling eyes, she quickly wiped the table with tissues and cleared her throat. ¡°O-Of course, ¡­it¡¯s notmon to see my friends in separate rtionships kissing each other in front of me. It¡¯s hard for me to not feel shocked.¡± This is absolutely reasonable. However¡­ ¡°But this isn¡¯t enough to hurt your heart, right? However, including your little sister Konoha, I felt like you two are overreacting¡­¡± The Hoshinomori sisters are just as shocked as Uehara-kun and Tendou-san. This is weird once you think about it. I asked a question purely, but Chiaki¡¯s eyes started rolling around for some reason. ¡°Uh, it¡¯s nothing. That¡¯s just because, ¡­well, well¡­¡± So, at the next moment, an unexpected person came to her aide. ¡°Amanhi, don¡¯t act like that. It¡¯s quite shocking and hurtful when you witnessed two unexpected friends kissing alone.¡± Aguri-san swung her finger while letting out her disapproval. I can¡¯t help but tilt my head. ¡°Aguri-san? Uh, ¡­what do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Well, here¡¯s an example from your perspective¡­For instance, how would you feel if you saw Hoshinomori-san kissing with that Mizumi guy?¡± Eh, ¡­Mizumi-kun and Chiaki¡­? ¡°Uwah! Although I don¡¯t understand the reason, I feel like I would be shocked!¡± I took more damage than expected after I imagined it! What is this! This feels disgusting. Two friends that I don¡¯t even know how they connect to each other just unexpectedly kissed! I¡¯ve never imagined such a horrible scene even when I¡¯m still in my loner stage! I¡¯m defenseless! Just as my heart is pounding, Aguri-san blinked slightly at Chiaki. To that, Chiaki hastily lowered her head and thanked her¡­What¡¯s with that interaction between them? Chiaki appreciated her so much just for conveying her thoughts. I think it¡¯s too ridiculous¡­ Anyway, I understood how Chiaki feels. I apologized to her once again. ¡°Sorry, Chiaki. I think I understand that you¡¯ll be shocked as well.¡± ¡°R-Really? That¡¯s good¡­Phew¡­¡± Chiaki finally calmed down and drank her ck tea. I smiled and continued. ¡°Chiaki, I really don¡¯t like seeing you kiss another boy.¡± ¡°PFFT!¡± ¡°What¡¯s triggering it now!¡± I freaked out when Chiaki spewed her ck tea again. At the next moment, I was somehow red by the two girls fiercely. ¡°Shut your mouth when others are drinking!¡± ¡°This is unreasonable!¡± I was the one at fault again! I didn¡¯t even say anything remotely hrious! Chiaki should be the one to me for acting so brainlessly! I thought about this, but the stressing from the two girls is immense. So, I zipped my mouth. Chiaki finally sipped her ck tea normally and slowly. She rested for a while. ¡°Phew¡­Anyway, our sisters¡¯ reaction isn¡¯t the most significant issue right now. The main problem is you two¡¯s partners, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± Honestly, we tried to move away from the issue explicitly when Chiaki showed up. However, the main problem is indeed not the brainless reactions of the Hoshinomori sisters. Chiaki secretly nced at Aguri-san as she continued. ¡°However, uh, it¡¯s not right to say this in front of Uehara-kun¡¯s girlfriend¡­But, I don¡¯t think he understands the concept of chastity, am I right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s really not right to say that in front of a girl! But, ¡­the regretful thing is, I can understand what Shin-chan is trying to say¡­¡± ¡°S-Shin-chan?¡± Chiaki was confused at Aguri-san¡¯s sudden change in naming. Aguri-san continued like it¡¯s nothing. ¡°After all, the name ¡®Hoshinomori-san¡¯ sounds pretty long, right? Including the Hobby Club, we obviously have a lot of chance to talk, so it¡¯s quite weird to keep calling you that. A nickname should be allowed, right.¡± ¡°A nickname¡­nickname¡­My friend just got me a nickname¡­Ho, ho, haha, ¡­hahahaha¡­¡± Chiakiughed disgustingly. This feels creepy¡­Although I wanted to tell her, the regretful part is, I also understand how precious it is to have a nickname from your friends. https://1.bp.blogspot/-G44LAX0KfHM/Xvdg2IXYRrI/AAAAAAAAO-g/C3rjwhgDjhYpCZdoiCwnRTEC8ZbgQQl9QCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/DLraw_0070.jpg Even so, I guess Aguri-san is just trying to shorten the name, so she continued with the intention of smoothing things over. ¡°Uh, I can change it back if you don¡¯t like it¡­¡± ¡°No, please just use the nickname! Yes, please call me with the nickname!¡± ¡°Really, if that¡¯s so, ¡­I¡¯ll keep it like that. Right, then I¡­¡± ¡°Ah, well, please let me call you Big Sis!¡± ¡°Big Sis?¡± Aguri-san and I were surprised at this, but Chiaki answered like there¡¯s nothing wrong. ¡°The name ¡®Shin-chan¡¯ doesn¡¯t carry any negative meaning. To a person that¡¯s willing to give me such an adorable nickname, how can I not treat her as a superior!¡± ¡°Eh, we¡¯re equals! I hate it when a girl at my age call me Big Sis! It¡¯s like when Amanhi treated me as some kind of god, why are you two thinking so highly of me right away!¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s because¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not because! How about you just call me ¡®Aguri-san¡¯ like usual!¡± ¡°T-That doesn¡¯t feel right!¡± The two girls went back and forth about the name¡­So, 5 minutester, the two finally managed to find apromise and solution. ¡°W-Well, Shin-chan will call you ¡®Aguri-chan¡¯ from now on¡­¡± ¡°I-I guess it can¡¯t be helped¡­¡± After the conclusion is made, the two of them greeted each other with a smile. ¡°Well, nice to meet you, Shin-chan.¡± ¡°Yes, Aguri-chan.¡± I followed them soon. ¡°Nice to meet you, seaweed head.¡± ¡°Shut up, you bean sprout midget.¡± We fought each other with furious res. Aguri mumbled dumbfoundedly. ¡°In a sense, I¡¯m quite envious of the rtionship between you two¡­¡± I don¡¯t understand at all why she is envious of our fierce rivalry. Then, Chiaki cleared her throat and continued. ¡°Uh, well, about Uehara-kun. Well, what I want to say is that¡­at least whenpared to Tendou-san, he¡¯s the kind of guy that can let this go quickly. So, as long as you exin it clearly, I feel like there¡¯s a good chance that he¡¯ll understand.¡± ¡°Really¡­Hmm, if Shin-chan said that, I feel a bit better now.¡± Aguri-san cheerfully scratched her cheeks¡­Just like when they¡¯re calling nicknames, I think these two people are way closer now¡­Although, from my perspective, they should be love rivals in fiercepetition. Just as I¡¯m pondering dazedly, Chiaki dampened my enthusiasm right away. ¡°However, Tendou-san will not let this go that easily, Keita. How should I put it¡­It¡¯s because she¡¯s innocent and has a love for cleanliness. Even when you exined everything, it¡¯s hard to estimate how hurt she would be¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She has the same idea as I do. No matter whether we kissed or not, ¡­before we discuss the truth, Tendou-san was perhaps already severely hurt when she witnessed that scene. Chiaki took a step further and asked me. ¡°Keita, what are you going to do with her?¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­about that, actually, ¡­I¡¯ve already made up my mind on how I should ¡®end¡¯ this.¡± ¡°End? What does that mean¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± After I took a sip of the iced coffee, I showed the girls my determination once again. ¡°Firstly, if Tendou-san lost all hope with me, ¡­I¡¯m nning to cut all ties with her when the time arrives.¡± ¡°WHA-¡° The girls were speechless. Then, they freaked out and immediately spoke up. ¡°No, no, no, Amanhi, you don¡¯t need to be that resolute suddenly¡­!¡± ¡°Aguri-chan is right, Keita! Your idea is way too extreme, no matter what! That¡¯s your bad habit!¡± The two scolded at me. Even so, I¡¯m still not backing down. ¡°No, I think I need to go from an extreme perspective. After all, ¡­as boyfriend, I literally kissed another girl in front of my girlfriend. It¡¯s hard to find a more lethal attack than this one, right?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Even if our lips didn¡¯t touch, nothing changes if Tendou-san can¡¯t clear away her suspicion. Also, instead of making her ufortable and keep maintaining this rtionship where only I can benefit¡­I need to act decisively and cut all ties, even if that will make her hate me. She has a great future ahead of her. I shouldn¡¯t drag her down.¡± That¡¯s the same as me in the spring. I had a great time because of Tendou-san. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The two girls back down and fell silent. I quickly cheered them up. ¡°N-No, we still don¡¯t know how it will end yet. Perhaps Tendou-san will 100% believe our exnation and agree that we didn¡¯t kiss. So, it¡¯s not guaranteed that we¡¯ll break up. How should I put it, I¡¯m just talking about my own realization and decision. Right, whether did we break up or not, I need to bring an end to something else, and that is-¡° ¡°A-Amanhi!¡± During this time, Aguri-san gave me an all-out look and suddenly interrupted me. I stopped and looked at her. Then, she sat upright and lowered her head to apologize. ¡°A-Amanhi¡­Well, uh, I¡¯m sor-¡° ¡°W-Wait up!¡± This time, I was the one that interrupted Aguri-san. She was shocked as I hastily continued. ¡°Aguri-san, what are you trying to apologize for! Please don¡¯t do that! If you say sorry right now, doesn¡¯t that make us look like we actually kissed each other!¡±¡± ¡°But, ¡­even if we didn¡¯t, if you ended up breaking up with your girlfriend because of that¡­¡± ¡°Aguri-san, this is at least absolutely not your fault. It¡¯s more like, if you just bear the responsibility carelessly, it¡¯ll only make Tendou-san and I feel ufortable. So, ¡­instead, you need to be yourself and act politely.¡± ¡°Amanhi..¡± ¡°Aguri-san silently looked at me¡­Then, she nodded her head confidently. ¡°¡­Okay, I understand. I won¡¯t say anything or apologize. I will just¡­pray silently in my heart and wish that things will be beautiful with you and Tendou-san. ¡°Thanks, Aguri-san.¡± Aguri-san and I smiled at each other warmly. During this time, ¡­for some reason, as if she¡¯s trying topete, Chiaki injected into the conversation as well. ¡°W-Well! I¡¯ll back you up as well!¡± ¡°Eh? Yep, okay, thanks¡­?¡± ¡°Also, Keita, even if you broke up¡­Uhhhh, it¡¯s not like your future is totally over yet! There¡¯s a chance for you to continue your youth! You can have a great life!¡± ¡°W-What? I can still¡­continue my youth?¡± ¡°Yes! T-Think about it¡­For example, ¡­uh, p-perhaps there¡¯s another girl who matches you perfectly as well¡­T-That development is quite possible¡­¡± For some reason, Chiaki blushed as she mumbled atst¡­Uh, what¡¯s wrong with her? Is she nervous because she¡¯s not used to smoothing things over for people? Even so¡­ ¡°Eh, it¡¯s not going to happen, Chiaki.¡± ¡°Why are you so sure!¡± Chiaki was somehow struck hard. I continued with a serious look. ¡°We¡¯re talking about me, the lonely passerby Keita Amano. Also, I just experienced ¡®a rtionship with Karen Tendou,¡¯ which had already exhausted all my luck in my entire life. Usually, ¡­the rest of my life is a straight path towards being a mage. It¡¯s more like being able to date Tendou-san for a short time is already a miracle. I will forever treasure that memory.¡± ¡°You are taking yourself too lightly! Even though I¡¯m the same as well!¡± ¡°Moreover, you can expect how much I¡¯ll earn based on my crappy base stats¡­With this, I guess even the women that are just trying to scam won¡¯t get near me as well.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t talk about your miserable future this calmly! K-Keita, where are your hopeful adolescent delusions? ¡°That¡¯s not a problem. I¡¯m looking forward to bing the first person to use the strongest fire magic ever!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t look forward to learning magic! D-Don¡¯t be so apathetic!¡± ¡°Chiaki, please team up with me as a mage when the time is right! We¡¯ll y together!¡± ¡°Why are you dragging me down as well! I-I still haven¡¯t given up on my life yet!¡± Chiaki ran out of breath as sheined. Hmm, I didn¡¯t expect this. Does she wish for a future with a boyfriend? Ah, is it Uehara-kun? However, hmm, ¡­even though she got a confession somehow before; if he already had Aguri-san, who¡¯s such an incredible girlfriend, I feel like thepetition will be harsh.. Just as I¡¯m thinking, Aguri-san, who nearly finished all of the fries on her own, spoke up. ¡°Well, it¡¯s been a long day. I think it¡¯s time for us to go, right?¡± ¡°Ah, right. Uh, what about you, Chiaki¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll wait for Konoha here- Oops, just a second.¡± Chiaki pulled out her smartphone that seemingly got a message and checked. Then, a few secondster, she let out a big sigh as she hastily prepares to leave. Aguri-san and I were confused. So, Chiaki exined. ¡°Konoha wants to watch TV shows, so she¡¯s nning to get her dinner from the convenience store¡­I guess I should go with you two.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± So, the three of us left the family restaurant. During this time¡­ ¡°Ah, right. That ¡®something that I want to bring an end to¡¯ was skipped¡­¡± Although I noticed about this, there¡¯s no reason to go back to the seat and chat now. We went outside after we paid at the cashier. The sun was already gone when it¡¯s not even 6. The three of us chatted halfheartedly as we strolled on the street. ¡°The sunset is so early now.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°This feels the same as Amanhi¡­¡± ¡°While I¡¯m not sure what are you trying to say, anyway, can I punch you?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t do that, Keita! Why are you so violent to Aguri-chan?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a dumb question, Chiaki. It¡¯s because she¡¯s Aguri-san.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a dumb answer, Keita. This doesn¡¯t make any sense! Don¡¯t you think you two¡¯s rtionship is too unique!¡± We were delighted at this bizarre conversation. This is the salvation that I don¡¯t have when I¡¯m a loner. When the two girls are around, who I kept arguing with, ¡­right now, I sincerely appreciated that¡­H-However, it¡¯s because I¡¯m unwilling to tell Aguri-san and Chiaki directly. But I should thank them in my heart¡­Really, thank you so much. Then, Chiaki is seeming trying to mediate the argument between Aguri-san and me. So, she went close to me forcefully and started to chat about gaming. ¡°S-Speaking of Dragon Blood Tree¡¯s Maze, the bosses are challenging this time!¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, ¡­it¡¯s actually hard. You need to fight your way to the boss without a lot of save points. It¡¯s tough to challenge again as well.¡± ¡°Yeah. I ended up spending all my effort on leveling up instead of fighting the boss without noticing¡­Moreover, the punishment for a game over is really harsh.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ll lose all your items once you lost in this generation¡­Thanks to this, currently, my team is very fragile from my losing streak.¡± I smiled bitterly at Chiaki. So, she gave me a surprised look. ¡°Eh? Why? Didn¡¯t you also level up your team before you fight a risky boss like a well-prepared yer? Why are you wasting your time for additional tries and even sacrificing all your stuff¡­¡± ¡°Oh, ¡­right, you¡¯re correct. But¡­¡± I looked forward, as I answered. ¡°Recently, I feel like it¡¯s an excellent experience to screw everything and just go all-out and challenge something that¡¯s guaranteed to result in a defeat.¡± ¡°I can understand that if you¡¯re talking about fighting games¡­But, in RPGs that carry risks when you lose, there¡¯s no benefit for a defeat at all¡­¡± ¡°Hey, of course, I want to win as well. But ¡®Challenge, Defeat, Lose¡¯ sounds like an enjoyable gaming experience as well. I think. I started to believe that recently.¡± I smiled as I conveyed my idea. Then, Chiaki¡­answered with a slightly lowered head. ¡°¡­That¡¯s exactly what Tendou-san would say, Keita.¡± ¡°Eh? Right, ¡­I guess you¡¯re right once you said that. Really? While I don¡¯t look like it, I think I was influenced by Tendou-san quite a lot without me knowing it.¡± I agreed wholeheartedly with Chiaki¡¯s point, so I can¡¯t help but give her a smile. However, for some reason, ¡­she answered me with an empty smile. ¡°?¡± I¡¯m not sure what she meant. Just as I¡¯m about to ask her, at that moment, Aguri-san, who¡¯s at the front, turned back and asked us. ¡°By the way, Amanhi and Shin-chan, is it fine for you two just walk to downtown with me?¡± After she asked that, we stopped talking about gaming and answered. ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m taking the bus. Let¡¯s walk together for now.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m meeting Konoha at the station as well. It¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Okay. Then let¡¯s go to the bus stop.¡± So, the three of us partnered up and walked along the streets in the night. I initially wanted to ask Chiaki what does her reaction mean¡­However, right now, she¡¯s chitchatting with Aguri-san, so I missed the chance. Sigh, I can¡¯t just keep bothering her. I changed my mind and looked at the roads dazedly. ¡­But, by the way,e to think of it, it¡¯s quite rare for the three us to be in a group. Although we¡¯re all Game Hobby Club members, perhaps it¡¯s not easy to only see a 3-person gathering. ¡°The Keita Amano that¡¯s walking on the streets at night with a gal and a seaweed head¡­I don¡¯t even know what will the former self think if he saw this.¡± No matter how you put it, I feel like my rtionships had a massive change in these few months. Even so, meeting with these two people is just the start. The most shocking fact is still ¡°bing couples with the legendary Tendou-san.¡± ¡°A couple, right¡­¡± I still felt like this is unrealistic by today¡¯s standard, ¡­not to mention me a few months ago. But it¡¯s hard to me me. The opportunity for us to start dating is literally- ¡°Eh, w-weird?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Aguri-san?¡± Since Aguri-san stopped suddenly, I snapped out of my thoughts and asked. So, Aguri-san pointed at the bus station that we can see already, and she even looked back at me with a perplexed look. ¡°¡­I think I saw Tasuku, Tendou-san, ¡­and Konoha-san¡­walked into the station together¡­¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­On the same street, there seems to be another unlikely trio. * When we walked into the station, we saw the three arguing over something on the sofa in the middle of the hall. Just as we¡¯re rushing there, we began to slowly hear what they¡¯re fighting over. ¡°-I¡¯ve said this many times. I didn¡¯t mean to do that.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s so, how would you exin the fact that you yed with my body during the date!¡± ¡°This is injustice!¡± ¡°Look, you¡¯re using erotic words like ¡®injustice¡¯ again!¡± [Note: The pronunciations of ¡®injustice¡¯ and ¡®wet clothes¡¯ are the same in Japanese.] ¡°Eh, what¡¯s with the unreasonable usation! Who¡¯s the erotic one here!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Trashara-senpai, of course. Anyway, I bet 80% of your brain is thinking about ¡®a big breast, defenseless, young wife with clothes wetted¡¯ when you said that¡¯s injustice.¡± ¡°That¡¯s real injustice when you put it that way!¡± ¡°Please just calm down. We shouldn¡¯t be arguing like that in public¡­¡± ¡°Sigh, Tendou-senpai, you got some issues as well. Although you¡¯re trying to act like a mediator just then, I¡¯m just as mad at you! You already have Amano-senpai as your boyfriend. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still walking on the streets alone with a pornstar that sold his body like him¡­¡± ¡°No, like I¡¯ve said before, we really just met each other coincidentally. Then, you¡¯re the one that overreacted and makes a big deal over this-¡° ¡°No, no, no, Tendou. You should ask her to take back that whole ¡®pornstar that sold his body¡¯ thing-¡° The three of them seem to be in a standoff. Although we¡¯re close enough to hear what the three are saying clearly, ¡­we stopped walking towards them and came to a standstill. That¡¯s because¡­ ¡°Uwah, I don¡¯t really want others to know that I¡¯m friends with them¡­¡± Our thoughts are perfectly synchronized here. We looked at each other and nodded before deciding to leave quietly- ¡°Eh, weird, Amano-kun? That¡¯s you, Amano-kun, right?¡± ¡°-Shit!¡± ¡°What?¡± Tendou-san was struck with the fact that her boyfriend just swore to her brutally. I¡¯m sorry, Tendou-san¡­However, I think the problem has to do with the people talking like that in the station¡­ Anyway, we can¡¯t help it when we¡¯re busted. We turned our heads stiffly, and Tendou-san stopped arguing with the other two and bulged their eyes surprisingly. ¡°¡­What¡¯s the unbelievable trio doing here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s literally our line!¡± We can¡¯t help but yell at the top of our lungs. Then, after that, all of us finally understood what¡¯s going on after a 5-minute talk. Tendou-san and Uehara-kun went to the Game Club after school today, seemingly based on ¡°a variety of reasons.¡± After that, they left the school separately, but the regretful part is that since both of them love gaming, so they met up again at the arcade near the station. If they met, how about just go to the station while chatting¡­So, after a short walk, I think they¡¯re under Konoha-san¡¯s inspection. Being misunderstood as cheating by a girl from the Hoshinomori¡¯s family, and even bursting in angrily¡­I think I heard that somewhere else. Is it what¡¯s trending these days? Our side started to exin our situation, as well. However, we¡¯re different than Tendou-san. This isn¡¯t a coincidence right at the start, we even met alone in the family restaurant. Honestly, there¡¯s no way we¡¯re getting out of this if we¡¯re suspected of cheating. Aguri-san and I were prepared for this¡­ However, Tendou-san and Uehara-kun trusted us right away, unexpectedly. Just as Aguri-san and I found this unbelievable, the two looked at each other¡¯s face and answered powerlessly at the same time. ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s because we were taught a brutal lesson on the court¡­¡± ¡°The court?¡± Aguri-san and I tilted our heads to express our confusion¡­This doesn¡¯t make sense. What court? But I guess Tendou-san and Uehara-kun don¡¯t want to exin in detail, so they just moved on quickly. ¡°A-Anyway, right now, Uehara-kun and I were self-reflecting.¡± ¡°Yes. So, we¡¯re not in the mood to suspect whether you two are cheating or not¡­¡± ¡°Oh, ¡­really, ¡­okay¡­?¡± W-What is wrong with me? I¡¯m feeling unsatisfied even we¡¯re not under suspicion. Should I say that this isn¡¯t fun? ¡­After all, Aguri-san and I were well-prepared to exin ourselves¡­ But if we¡¯re trusted this way, I need to sincerely appreciate them. So, after everything¡¯s cleared up, Uehara-kun spoke up like he¡¯s trying to lead the discussion. ¡°Anyway, everyone¡¯s going home, right? Whether you¡¯re taking the bus or walking.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± Tendou-san nodded. Uehara-kun said, ¡®right¡¯ before continuing. ¡°Well, ¡­it¡¯s useless for us to just stay here, shouldn¡¯t we just disband?¡± His suggestion is absolutely right. However, everyone just answered with a subtle silence that¡¯s hard to tell whether they agree or not. Uehara-kun scratched his head awkwardly and looked at Aguri-san. Aguri-san is a bit embarrassed, so she looked away. The reaction between Tendou-san and I is more or less the same. ¡°¡­Ah, right¡­¡± Currently, we were relieved to know the ¡°attempted kissing¡± incident was over, on the surface. So, there shouldn¡¯t be any reason for us to feel awkward right now. But, we ended up not being able to be ourselves¡­From this perspective, in actuality, all the issues remained unsolved in everyone¡¯s heart. Also, we all knew this fact. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We can¡¯t go home first, yet we don¡¯t have any ideas to lighten the mood, either. In the end, everyone remained quiet. It¡¯s because all of us are being considerate in our hearts. That¡¯s why it caused this sense of¡­stagnation. It¡¯ll only be even more embarrassing if this continues. ¡°Uh, uh, well, Amano-senpai, hentai game- ¡­No, ¡­uh¡­¡± To change up the mood, Konoha-san wanted to throw something new into the discussion, but she can¡¯t reveal her hobbies as well. This isn¡¯t going great. Also, it¡¯s humiliating for us to be cared for by a junior from another school like this. The atmosphere ended up even more awkward. So¡­ ¡°W-Well, ¡­uh, ¡­game, ¡­right¡­Dragon Blood Tree¡¯s Maze¡­¡± There¡¯s a very silent voice that only I can hearing from the side¡­So, I turned my head and looked. Then, right there¡­ ¡°Chiaki¡­¡± I don¡¯t know whether she¡¯s doing it for her little sister or us¡­A gaming otaku girl is trembling and blushing really hard as she tries to find something for us to talk about, even though she¡¯s not used to this at all. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ At that moment, I finally made up my mind and decided to screw it ¨C Alright. ¡°Please listen to me!¡± ¡°?¡± I spoke up with a voice that¡¯s enough to overpower Chiaki¡¯s weak mumbles. Just as everyone¡¯s raising their heads in surprise, ¡­I puffed up my chest and took a couple steps forward. Then, I stood in front of Tendou-san. ¡°¡­A-Amano-kun? W-What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Tendou-san. I deeply understand that I shouldn¡¯t bring this out in front of everyone¡­However, to us, I think we can call everyone here a ¡®friend¡¯ and irreceable to us. So, I hope you can forgive me.¡± ¡°O-Okay. Uh, ¡­Amano-kun? What are you trying to say¡­¡± Tendou-san stunned. Just as everyone around is watching us speechlessly, ¡­I straightened my back seriously and asked that one thing. ¡°I want to talk about, of course, is how we should ¡®end¡¯ our rtionship.¡± ¡°!¡± It¡¯s not just Tendou-san, I can sense that everyone present paused breathing. I took a deep breath before continuing. ¡°Tendou-san, I want to confirm this with you first¡­¡± ¡°A-Alright.¡± Tendou-san gave me a nervous look¡­So, I made up my mind and asked that question. ¡°About the scene where Aguri-san and I kissed, can you agree with our ¡®attempted¡¯ exnation, let this go, and go back to the rtionship we used to have?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± To my question, Tendou-san remained silent and slowly closed her eyes first. With that, she pondered about it with her eyes closed for nearly 10 seconds. When Tendou-san opened her eyes again, ¡­that pair of blue pupils were already boiling with a firm determination. She faced me directly and slowly spoke up¡­ ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to keep it the same as before with you anymore.¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± Even though I was prepared for this already, but my throat still froze when I actually heard that. During this time, Aguri-san suddenly spoke up from behind. ¡°Eh, w-wait up, Tendou-san, Amanhi didn¡¯t do anything wrong-¡° ¡°Aguri-san!¡± I yelled and stopped her. Although Aguri-san is still not willing to let this go and said, ¡°but¡­!¡± When I looked back and mumbled, ¡°thank you,¡± she almost cried out for a moment, but she bit her lips and lowered her head before backing down. I faced Tendou-san once again and tried my best to squeeze a smile on my face. ¡­Honestly, I wanted to cry right now. I really can¡¯t hold my tears back if Aguri-san continued to defend me. However, ¡­I can¡¯t let a girl that I¡¯ve respected for so long to see such a feeble side of mine. Just as everyone¡¯s watching the event unfolds silently, I continued. ¡°Tendou-san. I understand now. Well, from this moment and on, we¡¯re already¡­¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Amano-kun, ¡­let¡¯s end this rtionship.¡± I almost whimpered when I heard her saying that so decisively. However, ¡­I¡¯m not done. I¡¯m not done yet. After all, right now, ¡­I¡¯m only halfway through the ¡®end¡¯ I wanted to make. ¡°Amano-kun-¡° Tendou-san reached her hand to me and wanted to say something. However, I took a step back and yelled as if I¡¯m rejecting it. ¡°THAT¡¯S DIFFERENT!¡± Tendou-san was scared right away. Also, the same goes for everyone and a couple of passersby that are just joining in the fun¡­. Ufufu, this is embarrassing. But I don¡¯t care. This is the only moment that I have a chance to end this. I puffed up my chest and announced loudly! ¡°I-I w-wanted to use this as myst chance! I-I-I want to ¡®end¡¯ this rtionship in my own style! Tendou-san! Please listen to me!¡± ¡°Hmm? A-Amano-kun? W-What are you talking about¡­¡± Tendou-san is oblivious to the situation, and her eyes are rolling. Everyone around us is observing with a confused look. I¡­have never blushed this hard before in my life. Even so, to ¡°end¡± thispletely¡­ I still yelled at the top of my lungs and channeled all my feelings¡­to Tendou-san! ¡°Karen Tendou-san! I¡­I love you!¡± https://1.bp.blogspot/-dDe_zl5MOII/Xvdh0RARO2I/AAAAAAAAO-s/-EXq7z8ly5sH0YFlTbtvylF9IXzFKRX9gCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/0000001.jpg ¡°Hiya!¡± ¡°!¡± Tendou-san let out a weird noise as she blushed and even leaned backward out of her shock. All of my friends bulged their eyes, and the people in the station stopped. This is so embarrassing, I want to die. I want to disappear. However, even so, ¡­I still didn¡¯t stop. I continued my confession. ¡°I love your smile! Your smile pulled this in and useless boy out of his miserable daily lives. It makes me sincerely attracted to you!¡± ¡°Eh, wait a minute, A-Amano-kun¡­¡± Tendou-san freaked out. How poor of her for being dragged down by my weird move. Although I thought about this, I have to do this for a proper ¡°ending.¡± I continued once again. ¡°I love your serious side! You¡¯ll never go easy on someone in a game or in apetition. I¡¯ve always looked forward to that, and it made me fell hopelessly in love with you!¡± ¡°Uh, well, how should I, this¡­hey¡­¡± ¡°I love your slightly biased sensibility! You made meugh with your unique views on everything, and it made me proud of you as well! This is the first time that I have experienced such a real feeling when I¡¯m with someone! Perhaps I¡¯ll be teased like a little kid when I¡¯m saying this, even so, I¡¯m thinking, maybe this is how it feels to be in love with someone. Yes, I can sense that it is a part of love! Thank you very much!¡±¡¯ ¡°Ah! N-N-N-No¡­¡± Tendou-san covered her face with both of her hands. Even my friends blushed right now, not to mention her. However, ¡­even so, no matter how embarrassing this is, I need to go all-out until thest second. ¡°Also! Most importantly, ¡­the times that I¡¯m ying video games with you, ¡­and the times that we¡¯re chatting about gaming, ¡­those were the most blessed moments of my life!¡± ¡°Amano-kun¡­¡± Tendou-san peeked at me from the gaps of her fingers. I smiled at her, then¡­ I decided to confess my feelings once again to bring this to a conclusion. ¡°Karen Tendou-san! I really¡­I really love you! The end!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Once it¡¯s over, ¡­not only Tendou-san, all of my friends are so embarrassed that their heads are steaming. Also, even the crowds gave me a round of apuse¡­H-How embarrassing! Just as I¡¯m about to die from embarrassment, Tendou-san is still trembling. But she asked me this. ¡°A-A-Amano-kun? W-Why did you say all that¡­?¡± To her absolutely reasonable question¡­ I took a few deep breaths and managed to act normally again. Then, I answered with a bitter smile. ¡°I-I¡¯ve said this before, ¡­that¡¯s because I wanted to ¡®end¡¯ this. The importance is like epting a break up calmly, or maybe it¡¯s even more than that. Anyway, this is my way of ¡®ending¡¯ this.¡± ¡°The ¡®end¡¯ that you k-keep talking about, ¡­what are you trying to end?¡± ¡°What am I trying to end¡­Uh, isn¡¯t it already clear?¡± ¡°Eh? W-Well, ¡­I just felt¡­that was literally a confession¡­¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, that¡¯s right!¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Tendou-san and everyone around us was frozen. I decided to convey my thoughts to her again. ¡°Tendou-san, after all, I¡¯ve never properly ¡®confessed¡¯ to you, right?¡± ¡°¡­Oh¡­¡± Right away, everyone understood what I¡¯m trying to say. I continued. ¡°Think about it, the chance for us to start dating, ¡­it¡¯s based on a series of biases, misunderstandings, and verbal error. How should I put it, ¡­I can¡¯t get it off my head. No matter how we¡¯ll break up, I still feel like I need to confess to you properly. ¡°Amano-kun¡­¡± ¡°After all, if I don¡¯t do this, ¡­I¡¯ll feel terrible for those who confessed to you sincerely and got rejected¡­I didn¡¯t even say anything remotely rted to a confession. Then I acted like a boyfriend because of your kindness¡­I think I¡¯m definitely not supposed to do that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°B-But, as a result, I didn¡¯t expect that I¡¯ll only yell out my confession once we broke up. I guess this could be one of the most stupid confessions in the world¡­¡± After I said that, I scratched my cheeks before continuing. ¡°However, ¡­I¡¯m d that I said this out. It feels far better. Think about it, it¡¯s like fighting a boss in RPG that you can never hope to win. Although you can just quit early on and restart, right now, I still feel like I should do an all-out challenge, then got annihted and return to the title screen. I just think it feels way better.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± S-Strange, what¡¯s wrong? No one is giving me any reactions¡­Did I mess this up when I tried to rte this to gaming? I decided to end this with a short conclusion. ¡°Uh, that¡¯s all. Thank you for dating me before, Tendou-san!¡± I lowered my head and greeted her¡­Although no one gave me a response, ¡­even so, I can still feel the mood among everyone has lightened up. Anyway, this is enough embarrassment for a day, and I lost my girlfriend¡­As long as I can improve this tightened atmosphere, all the things I just did was worth it. Yes.s I¡¯m satisfied with the result, so I spoke up to everyone shyly. ¡°Well, it¡¯s gettingte, let¡¯s disband-¡° Just as I suggested that. ¡°No, u-uh, wait up, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Tendou-san?¡± Tendou-san walked forward embarrassingly with a blush. Everyone is looking at her to see what she has to say¡­So, Tendou-san cleared her throat. She looked away awkwardly as she mumbled. ¡°¡­When did I¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Crap, even I, the guy that imed to be the best at listening to other¡¯s mumbling, can¡¯t hear it. In reality, I think no one heard that as well, all of them stepped closer to Tendou-san. Then, although Tendou-san paused for a moment with an ¡°ugh¡­¡± But, at the next second, ¡­she seems to have given up on herself and decided to shout it out. ¡°W-When did I say I¡¯m breaking up with you!¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± All of us don¡¯t know what she meant, our confused voice ovepped each other. Strangely, Chiaki was the one that questioned Tendou-san first. ¡°No, no, no, Tendou-san, i-it¡¯s because you just said ¡®let¡¯s end this rtionship¡¯ to Keita, right? Doesn¡¯t that mean you two are breaking up¡­¡± ¡°Ugh! No, ¡­that¡¯s because of¡­uh¡­¡± Tendou-san grabbed the corner of her skirt embarrassingly as she lowered her head. Uehara-kun immediatelyughed mischievously. ¡°Haha, I guess you¡¯re falling for him once again after hearing Amano¡¯s confession, right?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s not like that! It¡¯s not that! I, ¡­uh, ¡­meant that from the start, ¡­that¡¯s why I¡¯m here¡­¡± Konoha-san interrupted her mumbling sharply. ¡°You meant that at the start? This means that you nned to forgive Amano-senpai from the beginning and stay as a couple? If that¡¯s the case, why are you saying that you wanted to end this rtionship¡­?¡± ¡°I-I said it¡¯s not like that!¡± Tendou-san kept waving her hands like a child throwing a tantrum. However, even if she said that none of us can understand her meaning from such shattered information. ¡°Ufufu¡­¡± Tendou-san¡¯s face is blushing harder and harder. She mumbled on her own, ¡°I didn¡¯t n to say this in front of that many people¡­¡± However, I guess she realized she can¡¯t get out of this if she doesn¡¯t exin clearly. Tendou-san took nearly 3 deep breaths, and then she started to exin bit by bit. ¡°S-So, I, ¡­uh, ¡­d-decided to¡­end ¡®this rtionship¡¯ with Amano-kun at the beginning¡­The ¡®this rtionship¡¯ I¡¯m talking about means¡­uh¡­it means¡­¡± ¡°What does it mean?¡± I tilted my head out of my confusion and asked. So, ¡­Tendou-san cried out as if she¡¯s embarrassed from the bottom of her heart¡­At the same time, she covered her face with both of her hands, ¡­and then she finally said what she meant out loud. ¡°I mean it¡¯s almost time for us to end this kind of ¡®level 1 couple¡¯ rtionship¡­a-and advance to the next phase¡­Uh, I mean, ¡­it¡¯s the phase¡­where we can k-k-k-k-kiss soon¡­¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Then. We got another person who¡¯s blushing like a red tomato. * In the end, we reached a whole new meaning of ¡®embarrassment¡¯ that¡¯s different than the start. After we bid farewell to each other, the group was quickly disbanded¡­ I can¡¯t believe the bus I need to take to go home was the same as Tendou-san¡¯s. Also, there are no passengers aside from us. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We sat at the back of the bus, and there¡¯s a person¡¯s wide gap between us in the middle¡­Initially, we can just pair up and take the 2-person seat. However, currently, it¡¯ll be too much for us to handle if we stick that close to each other¡­Even so, it¡¯s weird to sit separately, so it ended up like this. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­Aside from our silence, there¡¯s only the engine running noise of the bus¡­I didn¡¯t expect that my ranking of the ¡°most awkward situation in my life¡± updated once again in just a couple hours. Moreover, this awkwardness isn¡¯t caused by tensions¡­The embarrassment caused by both sides liking each other is way too novel. I didn¡¯t know what to do, my chest and my stomach are so itchy. ¡°Also, the bus still isn¡¯t moving¡­!¡± Whether it¡¯s for Tendou-san or me, our homes are just a walk away. In other words, taking the bus wouldn¡¯t take us a long time. We only decided to take it because it¡¯s gettingte. However, speaking of this bus, I don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s rted to the bus schedule or something, it¡¯s not going to start any time soon. By the way, I only noticed this now, but the driver wasn¡¯t even on the bus. He¡¯s chatting with other drivers. Seriously, how long does it take for this bus to start moving? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± But this silence is intolerable. I managed to muster up my courage and work up my sense of humor to the extreme, then I tried to talk to Tendou-san. ¡°¡­It¡¯s quite awkward for us to meet right after we said goodbye.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. This is awkward.¡± ¡°R-Right. It¡¯s awkward." ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Crap, this is just telling each other that we¡¯re embarrassed. This is getting even more awkward. What¡¯s wrong with my chatting ability? I¡¯m utterly hopeless with myself. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± I let out a huge sigh and dropped my shoulders. So, at this moment, I can hear Tendou-san¡¯s chuckles from the side. I looked, and I saw Tendou-san¡¯s ncing at me with a smile. ¡°Amano-kun, this is unbelievable. You¡¯re always Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Eh? What does that mean? I feel like I¡¯m not getting praised¡­¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s fine. Honestly, I¡¯m not praising you.¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°However, I¡¯m not despising you either.¡± Tendou-sanughed cheerfully after she said that¡­Although I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on, the mood has lightened up anyway. I pressed my chest in relief as I faced her once again. ¡°Uh, sorry, Tendou-san. I can only give you weird reactions for your feelings to me¡­¡± After I apologized, Tendou-san smiled and answered. ¡°Nope, Amano-kun, aren¡¯t you like that at the start? Like when I invited you to the Game Club, you acted really strangely as well.¡± ¡°Ah, I knew I was looked down upon at the time as well.¡± It¡¯s true when you think about it, but I¡¯m still struck hard nheless. From my impression, Tendou-san was considerate to me with an angelic smile¡­Sigh, now that I remembered it, that smile and reply was literally the polite version of Tendou-san. Tendou-san moved closer to me once I start getting depressed. ¡°But you¡¯re still quite positive in my heart, I really like you going all-out on something.¡± ¡°Ho, ho, after I heard you said that¡­¡± ¡°I think the ratio between the good impression and disgust is 9:1.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re feeling a little bit disgusted.¡± I immediately put back my serious face. What¡¯s wrong. It¡¯s already a 90% good impression. A total winpared to the 10% disgust. I shouldn¡¯t underestimate how destructive the word ¡®disgust¡¯ can be. Tendou-san smiled happily when she saw me like this again¡­Yep, I¡¯m d to know that I¡¯m disgusting when I can see a reaction like this. Just as I¡¯m going over these dumb thoughts, the driver finally came back. He closed the door as he announced that the bus will start soon. The bus slowly went through the roundabout. We stared at the view outside dazedly, the lightsing from the bustling downtown is shing through the window. After the bus started moving, there¡¯s not a lot of time for us to be alone together. It was embarrassing just then, but now I¡¯m starting to miss the time we had. ¡°My home is at the next station.¡± ¡°Yeah. You¡¯ll go shortly.¡± ¡°Yeah. That was fast.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The artificial voice announcing the next station is echoing throughout the bus¡­After this one, Tendou-san will drop off at the next stop. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Even though I knew I should say something, nothing showed up on my mind right now. I¡¯m thrilled to know that my girlfriend just said she wanted to take our rtionship a step further. That¡¯s a blessing for the guy. I was suspecting whether I¡¯m dreaming or not. However, this is reality. Also, that¡¯s why¡­I can¡¯t just be reveled on my own. No, it¡¯s more like¡­ ¡°What¡­should I do¡­¡± My future was suddenly expanded in an unexpected direction. I¡¯m confused. ¡°What should I do that suits Tendou-san¡¯s future the most¡­Wait, this is wrong, the problem has nothing to do with her, it should what do I want, right? If she already said all those things, it should be fine for me to go a bit tougher¡­a bit tougher¡­No, no, no, she will suffer irreversible damage if I messed it up! Uh, even though that¡¯s true, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to keep this sheepish beta male attitude¡­¡± I don¡¯t know the answer at all, ¡­but I really love Tendou-san. It¡¯s because I love her so much, I can¡¯t decide anything. This is different than gaming. I can¡¯t use ¡°it¡¯s fine to lose¡± or ¡°let¡¯s just screw everything and go for it.¡± However, I knew that this isn¡¯t working for me. Just as I¡¯m getting frustrated, the bus announced the next station. Tendou-san pressed the drop-off button. ¡­No. There¡¯s no way for me to keep it the same as before and be indecisive. I got closer to Tendou-san. Then, I mustered up my courage and tightly held her hand on herp. Tendou¡¯s eyes are sparkling. I stared right at her with a severe blush. Then, even though I still haven¡¯t made up my mind yet, I said what I had to say. ¡°Uh, well, Tendou-san! I also hope to take a step further with you as well¡­! But, uh, I still don¡¯t know what¡¯s the best for you right now-¡° After I said that. Tendou-san silently put her finger on my lips and stopped me. ¡°Amano-kun, you¡¯re disgusting.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even though I loved you way more than that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± Tendou-san smiled. That look made all the anxiety in my heart magically disappeared. Instead, a gentle and carefree sense of love came back again. Her finger is still on my lips as she smiled embarrassingly. ¡°Honestly, I still haven¡¯t made up my mind yet up until this moment. What should I do next? I don¡¯t have the answer. But, ¡­when I saw you¡¯re getting this nervous, I think I know.¡± After she said that, Tendou-san smiled again and moved her finger off my lips. So, at the next moment, she put her finger on her own lips. She¡¯s so beautiful. ¡°Well, let¡¯s be anxious and find that real answer excitedly together.¡± ¡°¡­Okay¡­¡± This is too much love for me. I can¡¯t help but answer dazedly. During this time, the bus is gradually stopping. Tendou-san grabbed her bag and stood up before waving at me and say, ¡°Bye, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Ah, alright, ..see you¡­¡± As for me, I¡¯m still dazed in thought as I answered. Then, when the buspletely stopped, Tendou-san walked to the door- -However, she seems to have remembered something and turned her head to ask me. ¡°Ah, right. Pleasee to my room to y soon, Amano-kun. Let us advance our rtionship to the next level.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, I would love to.¡± ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll see youter.¡± ¡°Alright, bye.¡± I answered calmly and waved at her. I saw Tendou-san got off the bus, then I waved at her once again to bid farewell from the window. After that, ¡­I just sat dazedly on the bus for 3 minutes. ¡°¡­WHAT!¡± I suddenly shouted as I stood up. The driver freaked out, and his shoulders started trembling. I immediately apologized to the driver before sitting once again. Then, ¡­I plopped my head down powerlessly and mumbled. ¡°¡­E-Even though if we¡¯re taking a step further, isn¡¯t this too fast, Tendou-san¡­¡± I ended up dropping off 10 stops away from my home. Volume 6, 3 – Keita Amano and Karen Tendou and Complete Victory

Volume 6, Chapter 3 ¨C Keita Amano and Karen Tendou and Complete Victory

Trantor: your_pingas A day in autumn, when the time of sunset got earlier, and people are starting to miss the warmth on their skin. Right now, ¡­rough moaning of a couple are echoing throughout a dim high school girl¡¯s room. ¡°¡­Ah, ¡­ah, ¡­Amano-kun, ¡­you should be on top¡­sometimes¡­¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­Tendou-san, ¡­b-but I¡¯m satisfied as long as you feel good¡­¡± ¡°No, ¡­Amano-kun, ¡­I¡­I want to see how strong you are¡­¡± Her cheeks are blushing with a faint sakura color from the heat, and her watery eyes look as if she¡¯s begging me. ¡°T-Tendou-san!¡± If the girl acted like this, the guy can¡¯t stay silent! I stood up from the bed and changed my pose, then I stared at Tendou-san¡¯s crystal-clear blue eyes once again. ¡°Tendou-san, ¡­h-here I go.¡± ¡°Yes,e, Amano-kun, ¡­make me¡­make me even more excited!¡± ¡°Tendou-san!¡± ¡°A-Amano-kun! I-If you go that fast right away, I-I will¡­!¡± ¡°N-No, Tendou-san! I can¡¯t hold myself back anymore¡­!¡± ¡°Ah, Amano-kun! Amano-kun! If this continues¡­if this continues, I will¡­!¡± Tendou-san¡¯s rapid breathing is starting to signal a sense of excitement and anxiety. So, at the next moment, her moaning echoed throughout the gloomy room! ¡°If this continues, I-I will¡­! Ugh, just like every time before¡­AHH!¡± ¡°U-Uwah, Tendou-san, what the-, you¡¯re amazing, A-AHHHHHH!¡± The screams of the couple sted through the room. So, just as our vigorous emotions are reaching high-tide- ¡°FINISH!¡± The screen yed the sound of an unrelenting game over screen of a fighting game. Also¡­ ¡°1P WIN!¡± ¡°PERFECT!¡± From the 2P perspective, the screen is only disying even more miserable details¡­Why does this fighting game have to specify this? My character is lying at the corner of the screen sadly, and Tendou-san¡¯s character is putting her victory pose. Also, her HP is still full. I guess you knew the result just from this alone, right? ¡°Phew¡­phew¡­¡± I¡¯m in my uniform, ¡­sitting on the bed in her room. My hand is holding the wireless controller as I stared at the unfamiliar ceiling with a burnout face. A day in autumn, after school. I, Keita Amano, came to my girlfriend¡¯s room for the first time¡­Just like what you saw, we¡¯re bating¡± each other with fighting games in school uniforms¡­No, it¡¯s actually ¡°defeat¡± instead of bat.¡± Tendou-san, who¡¯s next to me, sat on the bed as she let out a huge sigh and red at me with the corner of her eyes. ¡°¡­I¡¯m so disappointed at you, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Ouch¡­!¡± Usually, she would forgive the ¡°Keita Amano that loves gaming but is a noob at the same time.¡± Still, she¡¯s acting way harsher when I lost multiple times today. I put my sweaty hands on the controller, and the game went back to the character selection screen. At the same time, I tried to find an excuse without looking at Tendou-san. ¡°N-No, think about it, even the e-sports yers don¡¯t have a consistent victory rate in fighting games¡­¡± ¡°Nope, you just lost 20 rounds in a role incredibly, in a sense, your victory rate is quite consistent.¡± ¡°¡­Sigh, even the pros will lose if they¡¯re up against someone who trained beforehand-¡° ¡°I¡¯ve said this before. This is the first time that I¡¯ve yed this¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, you should be way more familiar than I do since you¡¯re the one that brought this game over-¡° ¡°Uh, b-but, I¡¯m the type that grows in battle, let¡¯s just y a couple more rounds¡­¡± ¡°Nope, we were equal at the start, and now it¡¯s already a totalpetition. From this miserable state, I¡¯m gaining experience a lot quicker than you do, to put it simply, I¡¯m better than you now¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Silence fell onto us. The joyful BGM of the character selection screen is making this even worse somehow. After I deeply sighed, I secretly looked at the corner of the room¡­before curling my lips and mumbling. ¡°¡­Tendou-san baka¡­¡± ¡°Are you 12 years old!¡± Tendou-san stood up abruptly. I followed her son and directly start arguing with her. ¡°T-This is the first time that I¡¯m at my girlfriend¡¯s house. Yet, you just electrocuted your excited and nervous boyfriend 20 times in a row. You¡¯re thest person that I want to hear that from!¡± ¡°You know that I¡¯m this type of yer, right! I¡¯ll go all-out even if I¡¯m up against a newbie!¡± ¡°I know! I know you. If that¡¯s the case, ¡­then please don¡¯t give me requests like ¡®I hope Amano-kun (¡®s ranking) can be on top sometimes¡¯ when I can¡¯t even do it!¡± She probably didn¡¯t know that kind of request is kind of erotic. This time, Tendou-san¡¯s cheeks are blushing like sakura again as she requested me once more. ¡°I-It¡¯s because I¡¯m on top (of the ranking) every time¡­I¡¯m the only one that feels good (when I¡¯m ying the game)¡­Amano-kun, that¡¯s why I hope that sometimes, you can fondle with my (character¡¯s) body¡­¡± I answered her in a simr tone since she dragged me down into this. ¡°While that¡¯s true, Tendou-san, you¡¯re always going all-out to toy me!¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s because¡­my heart really wanted it¡­and my body is feeling good¡­¡± ¡°If you want me to fondle with you (your character), you should give me something in return!¡± ¡°Amano-kun, ¡­don¡¯t tell me¡­you want me to use my mouth (to praise your skills)¡­?¡± ¡°Ay, I¡¯m not going to force you, but you, as a girlfriend, should at least contribute something, right?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± I smiled mischievously, the girl with blonde hair and blue eyes then gave me a humiliating look as if she¡¯s a knight that was captured by an orc. To be honest, ¡­both of us realized that this conversation is a bit weird, but we went along with it because it¡¯s quite funny. ¡°ng!¡± ¡­Then, we can hear that someone broke something outside the door. * ¡°¡­Tendou-san, honestly, ¡­this is the most depressed I¡¯ve got in a couple years.¡± ¡°What a coincedience, Amano-kun, me too¡­¡± The two of us walked dispiritingly on the streets at night. 6:30 PM. The sunset is earlier in the northern part during autumn, it¡¯s already dark everywhere. But because of the time, there¡¯s still a lot of people around. Tendou-san and I walked shoulders to shoulders as we sighed deeply. We can see the white breaths radiating, even in the darkness. ¡°Although¡­after our exnation, Tendou-san¡¯s mother seems to have understood the situation¡­Sigh.¡± Even if the misunderstanding is solved, the fact that her daughter¡¯s boyfriend messed up at the first meeting will never disappear. Tendou-san let out a white breath that¡¯s simr to mine in size. ¡°Well, ¡­it¡¯s fine if this is just the usual misunderstandings¡­But we wanted to prank for a bit, and it just feels even more depressing.¡± ¡°Yes, ¡­we shouldn¡¯t try something that we¡¯re not familiar with. We really need to reflect on that one. Ah, I¡¯ll pay for the broken cups-¡° ¡°Ah, no need. After all, my mom and I should be responsible as well. It¡¯ll only make my mom feel bad if you paid for it.¡± ¡°Really¡­?¡± I¡¯m d that I heard her say that. I pressed my chest in relief as I mumbled. ¡°But uncle wasn¡¯t home today, perhaps this is the fortune of the misfortune.¡± ¡°Yeah. While my father wasn¡¯t aggressive, ¡­but he¡¯s an irritable person in every way.¡± ¡°R-Really, an irritable person in every way¡­?¡± W-What does that mean? My body was shivering when I imagined the day that I need to meet my girlfriend¡¯s father. So, Tendou-san tried to be considerate and changed the topic. ¡°Right, I¡¯m sorry, Amano-kun. I¡¯m acting so wilfully for apanying you to the bus station.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, r-right. When I thought about my adorable girlfriend has to go home alone at night after you sent me there, I, as your boyfriend, meant to reject that¡­¡± I stopped for a second here before smiling at her. ¡°However, there¡¯s something that you want me to hear, right?¡± ¡°¡­Correct.¡± Tendou-san answered with a bright smile. After I looked around, I continued. ¡°Hmm, ¡­if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll allow you to do this for once¡­¡± ¡°Just for today? Then I can¡¯t go out at night?¡± ¡°Well¡­Hmm, I can reluctantly ept if there¡¯re that many people and lights around. B-But, after 8 PM, ¡­no, you can¡¯t go out alone after 7:30PM! Please ask me toe with you when you want to walk around! I¡¯ll be there right away!¡± After I tried my best to exin to her, Tendou-san chuckled. Then, she answered me with a slightly embarrassed yet mischievous face. ¡°Yes. I got it¡­My. Love.¡± ¡°------¡° ¡­Holy crap, that was close. I almost ascended to the heavens just then. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m already satisfied with my life, but it¡¯s going to be troublesome if I died here¡­.¡± To keep my soul inside my body, I pped my own cheeks. As for Tendou-san, she seems a bit embarrassed after saying that as well, so she coughed to clear her throat. Then, she changed the topic as if she¡¯s trying to cover something up. ¡°Uh, w-well, about the thing that I wanted to say to you¡­¡± ¡°R-Right, you wanted to talk about something! W-What is it?¡± The two of us are still a bit excited, but we moved on nheless. ¡°Uh, next week is my birthday¡­Amano-kun, didn¡¯t you ask me before about what present do I want? Well, I¡¯ve been thinking recently¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yes! P-Please say it! I¡¯ll prepare with everything I got!¡± I straightened my back as I announced that out¡­It¡¯s already nervous when an indoor loner has to give his girlfriend a present. Moreover, recently, I felt awful about missing out on one of my friend¡¯s birthday. So, right now, I¡¯m unusually worked up about Tendou-san¡¯s birthday. Tendou-san smiled at my energetic look as she continued. ¡°Amano-kun, ¡­if it¡¯s possible, I hope you can bang me.¡± ¡°-Huh?¡± I seemed to have heard something incredible, so I can¡¯t help but stop walking. Then, Tendou-san¡­chuckled slightly mischievously. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just saying that on purpose.¡± ¡°¡­I thought my heart was stopping.¡± At that moment, I¡¯m so freaked out that my mind just beamed me a screen of a Japanese curry rice advertisement for no reason. Tendou-san continued. ¡°To be correct, it should be¡­I want you to ¡®beat¡¯ me.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, ¡­you mean in video games?¡± After I answered in relief, Tendou-san gave me a slightly apologetic look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Of course, I understand your attitude towards gaming and the difference in skill levels between you and me. However, ¡­this is unbelievable, I¡¯m so focused on victory usually when I¡¯m ying video games¡­But, when I¡¯m facing you, sometimes, I really wish that I could lose.¡± ¡°¡­Really.¡± ¡°Even so, I don¡¯t want to purposely go easy on you¡­How should I put it? I hope that I can acknowledge your victory in a serious situation¡­Perhaps it¡¯s because I purely wanted to see how strong you can be, that¡¯s why I thought about this¡­Ay, what was I going on about? Uh, sorry, I feel like I¡¯m so capricious.¡± ¡°¡­No, ¡­it¡¯s totally fine¡­¡± Just as I plopped my head over my inability, Tendou-san seems to have freaked out as she quickly tried to smooth things over. ¡°Uh, ah, right, Amano-kun. I think it¡¯s better for you to just pick stationary as a present for me, yes! T-Think about it. This way, I can smile idiotically at it during lessons. Yep, what a great idea! It really only has to be something cheap, Amano-kun, please?¡± ¡°Tendou-san¡­¡± I want to say something to hear, but I can¡¯t think of anything. So, just as I¡¯m struggling, we arrived at the bus stop. At the same time, the bus arrived and opened the door in the middle. I¡¯m the only one that¡¯s getting on here, so I can¡¯t drag things out. ¡°Bye, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Eh? A-Alright, see youter, Tendou-san¡­¡± Although I¡¯m ufortable in my heart, I still got on the bus. The door closed instantly. After I sat down near the door, I quickly waved at Tendou-san from the window. Tendou-san waved back at me with a smile¡­However, after the bus started moving, she immediately disappeared from my sight. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± I sat tight depressingly before letting out a sigh. Then, ¡­I stared at my hands that just held the wireless controller in her home for a good 10 seconds. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s do it.¡± I, Keita Amano, decided to train hard on gaming for the first time in my life. * ¡°So, Uehara-kun, please teach me the basics of fighting games once more.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Two dayster, after school. I quickly asked one of my few friends, Tasuku Uehara-kun, to teach me. He then gave me an explicate wondering look. He left me down for a moment and bid farewell to everyone in the ss like a normie. After that, he quickly grabbed his bag and gave me a polite smile. ¡°Bye, Amano. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just escape like nothing has happened, Uehara-kun! What are you trying to pull off!¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line! You know how much you suck, yet you¡¯re begging me with that kind of extremely troublesome and stressful chores!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll pay you something! I¡¯ll give you the invitation code of the mobile game as thanks!¡± ¡°Who needs it! Also, you¡¯re acting like you¡¯re giving me a reward, but you¡¯re the only one that ended up profiting!¡± ¡°H-How about I¡¯ll give you 10 coupons that you can use to y video games with me!¡± ¡°I told you I don¡¯t need it! Why are you giving me this kind of weird ¡®massage coupons¡¯ suggestions! Also, you¡¯re still the only one who¡¯s benefiting in the end!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a paulownia chest of drawers if you ept it right now!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t need it! But I¡¯m kind of curious about where you can find that!¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still trying to exploit me¡­Uehara-kun, you¡¯re brutal!¡± ¡°What do you mean by exploiting, I didn¡¯t even take anything from you! You¡¯re the one that¡¯s trying to pay tribute!¡± ¡°¡­I feel like that¡¯s what a mugger would say, Uehara-kun¡­¡± ¡°What kind of threat is that! Uh¡­¡± Once we took a look around, everyone in the ss is staring at us as they¡¯re whispering. Uehara-kun gasped. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Then, he let out a huge sigh¡­After that, he finally backed down. ¡°¡­I got it. Anyway, ¡­I¡¯ll train with you at the arcade today.¡± ¡°Wow, thanks, Uehara-kun! You¡¯re reliable, after all, yes!¡± ¡°¡­Recently, I can¡¯t help but view you as a demon that pretends to be innocent¡­¡± Uehara-kun seems to beining about something, but I readily ignored all that. I grabbed his arms and headed toward the arcade immediately. ¡°I surrender. Really, please forgive me, Amano-sama.¡± ¡°Jeez¡­Uehara-kun, you¡¯re useless.¡± It¡¯s been around 30 minutes since I started ying that 50-yen-per-try, unpopr fighting game with him at the arcade. Uehara-kun plopped his head down at the machine in front of me, helplessly. Then, I puffed up my chest and crossed my arms as I yelled at him. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you admitted defeat after you crushed me with a mere 10 overwhelming victories in a row, how useless!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel like it, THIS IS SUPER BORING!!!¡± Uehara-kun peeked at me from the opposite side as if he¡¯s dropping blood tears and told me that. I ignored my defeated character on the screen and shook my head helplessly. ¡°When can I get stronger, Master Uehara?¡± ¡°Why are you still acting all smug right now! Please, learn for a bit. How could someone be weaker as they yed more rounds¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s because my passion for fighting games has already reached its peak. After that, I¡¯ll start to get bored with it and don¡¯t want to y anymore. Honestly, I¡¯m a bit tired right now.¡± ¡°Self-motivation! You want to be better at gaming, right! If you want it, then please act like you want to learn!¡± ¡°How impolite. I¡¯m learning in my own ways, as well! Look, this time¡­I learned that resistance is futile, and not fighting back will make me feel better!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the worst thing you can take away from fighting games! The most important thing to do everything is to never give up and stay high-spirited! Most manga and anime mentioned that time and time again, right!¡± ¡°But don¡¯t those pawns from Kingdom die in an instant before they can talk about that kind of philosophy? I, Keita Amano, is even worse than those pawns, please acknowledge that! It¡¯s basically impossible for me to kill legends like you or Tendou-san!¡± [Note: Kingdom, a Japanese seinen manga based on the Warring States period in China.] ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing left for me to teach you! You will never get stronger!¡± ¡°P-Please, Master Uehara¡­There¡¯s a cheat called ¡®protagonist hack¡¯ in this world, right? Can you think of a method¡­to share some of that to me?¡± ¡°How despicable! By the way, I don¡¯t have that at all!¡± ¡°Really? What the hell, I shouldn¡¯t find you if I knew it. I should¡¯ve asked the real protagonist Mizumi-kun instead¡­What a failure.¡± ¡°You mean asking your friend to waste 30 minutes with you is a failure!¡± ¡°Ah, well, Master Uehara, thanks.¡± ¡°You¡¯re literally forcing me to end our friendship! You know that!¡± Just as Uehara-kun is screaming, I suddenly sensed that someone is behind. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± No matter how unpopr a game is, someone ought to try it after we wasted 30 minutes. I initially decided to give my seat as soon as anyone showed up, so I hastily stood up and gave it to that person. However, I guess he or she doesn¡¯t want to sit down yet. Moreover, I think I¡¯m getting stared. ¡°?¡± It wasn¡¯t until this moment that I turned and looked at that person¡­Then, I realized it was a familiar face. ¡°O-Oiso-senpai?¡± The beautiful gamer girl with a bit ofzy temperament is standing there just as usual. She put her hands in the pockets of her sloppy uniform as she chewed bubble gum emotionlessly. ¡°It¡¯s really you, Keita Amano. Thanks for the work.¡± ¡°T-The same goes for you, senpai¡­¡± I still greeted at Oiso-senpai despite a bit of hesitation. So, Uehara-kun, who was on the opposite seat, noticed her as well. So, he greeted her as he fought against the CPU character. ¡°Ah, Nina-senpai, thanks for the work.¡± ¡°Fake Umehara, thanks.¡± The two said hi to each other simply¡­I¡¯ve heard that they knew each other without me realizing it. However, I feel like these two are much closer than I thought¡­Hmm¡­ But now¡¯s not the time for that. I gulped and begged sincerely to this rtively unfamiliar senpai. ¡°W-Well, Oiso-senpai! There¡¯s a favor I would like to ask you as a fighting game pro!¡± ¡°Ask me? You? Keita Amano?¡± Senpai bulged her eyes in shock. Honestly, the rtionship between her and me is just ¡°we knew each other,¡± and that¡¯s it. The distance between us is never close enough to ask for a favor. Uehara-kun, who¡¯s still busy fighting the CPU, managed to interrupt. ¡°You idiot, how can a noob like you drag Nina-senpai down into this mess¡­!¡± But, even so, I mustered up my courage and spoke up. ¡°Uh, I hope senpai can teach me how to be better at fighting games!¡± ¡°Teach? The only way to be better is to practice.¡± Senpai said it directly. However, that¡¯s why this is so convincing. Just as Uehara-kun is mumbling dumbfoundedly, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you¡­¡± I¡­I abandoned everything and plopped my head down to beg senpai. ¡°Please, senpai! It¡¯s fine for me to use cheats or shortcuts, just please teach me how to win!¡± After I said such an embarrassing wish, a tense atmosphere suddenly appeared among us. It¡¯s not just Nina-senpai, who¡¯s a fighting game pro¡­Now, even Uehara-kun is getting annoyed with me. I gulped since I¡¯m already such a coward, then senpai warned me with a slightly thorny attitude. ¡°The one thing that I hate the most is that kind of ¡®shortcut¡¯ attitude, you should know-¡° ¡°I know!¡± However, I cut her off and shouted. Just as the two are a bit surprised, ¡­I clenched my fist tightly and stared at the floor of the arcade, stuck full of bubble gum¡­Although I¡¯m about to give in to my own embarrassment, I still said my arrogant and capricious wish. ¡°Even so, this time, no matter what¡­I¡¯ll have to beat Tendou-san within a week no matter what! Also, I understand that it¡¯s not going to work even if I put it the effort normally for a week¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I clenched my fist tightly. This attitude is so terrible that I¡¯m about to cry. However¡­! ¡°Even a guy like me knows that the worst attitude you can have is to rely on cheats or shortcuts when you want to be better at gaming! So, the two of you can despise as much as you like! But, ¡­even so, I¡¯m still trying to hold my embarrassment back and beg you two! Please, teach me a shortcut! I beg you!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Amano¡­¡± Oiso-senpai and Uehara-kun are staring at me with an expression that¡¯s either despise or sympathy. So, the silencested for around 10 seconds. Oiso-senpai mumbled and tried to bring on a conclusion. ¡°¡­The weakest and worst character, Keita Amano, is trying to find a shortcut to beat Karen Tendou, a super genius with terrifying stats¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Raise your head, Keita Amano.¡± After Oiso-senpai urged me, I tremblingly¡­raised my face with my heart prepared for the most severe despise of my life. So, in front of my eyes- ¡°That sounds fun, please let me join.¡± -Oiso-senpai is smiling innocently like a boy nning for his pranks. * A weekter, on Tendou-san¡¯s birthday. ¡°You really want to do it¡­? Amano-kun.¡± In Tendou-san¡¯s room, she¡¯s still sitting on the bed like she was a week ago, but she¡¯s staring up to me with a bit of anxiety. In response, I answered her with an entirely determined look and nodded. ¡°Of course. That¡¯s why I never learned my lesson and came to your house to bother you again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine for you toe to my home¡­but¡­¡± Tendou-san said that as she nced the thing on her table. That¡¯s a brilliant letter opener designed after swords in fantasy RPGs. ¡°Look, you already gave me such a fantastic birthday present, there¡¯s no need for you to¡­¡± ¡°No, please let me do this. Please, Tendou-san.¡± ¡°W-Why are you bowing down to me¡­! I-I understand!¡± After Tendou-san answered that, she immediately grabbed the controller once again. I smiled at her, then she replied to me with the same but a bit perplexing smile. ¡°Sigh, well, ¡­when the birthday ended peacefully, of course, she doesn¡¯t want to go out of her way and crush her boyfriend with a game¡­¡± I deeply understand the reason why Tendou-san doesn¡¯t want to ybat games right now. However, ¡­I can¡¯t back down either. After all, in this one week, ¡­I concealed the fact that I tried my absolute best to walk the shortcut! ¡°Right now, this battle is dedicated to Uehara-kun and Oiso-senpai as well¡­! If I prioritized this normie couple atmosphere and forget about the match, I can¡¯t bring myself to face them!¡± To be honest, I know that Tendou-san is emitting a strong ¡°why is my boyfriend still pressing on for a match in situations like this¡± aura¡­B-But I don¡¯t mind! We¡¯re fighting if I said we¡¯re fighting! Although if Agur0san, my mentor in rtionships, is here, she would probably look me down. ¡°Amanhi, that¡¯s your bad habit!¡± Even so, I¡¯m still fighting! Just as I¡¯m waiting for the game to load, I yelled out quite excitedly. ¡°Tendou-san. On this memorable asion, I¡¯m definitely going to smash with you!¡± ¡°Words! Amano-kun, are you saying that on purpose!¡± ¡°Eh, on what purpose?¡± ¡°Hiya, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re meant that naturally. This just makes it even more disgusting! Let me tell you, my mom is home today as well!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m going to smash with you even if we¡¯re in front of your mom.¡± ¡°Why are you saying that with a manly look!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just talking about fighting games.¡± ¡°You should be! Even though I deeply understand that as well!¡± Tendou-san seems to be tired ofining, she¡¯s running out of her breaths¡­Good. ¡°I feel like she¡¯s getting less concentrated!¡± Master Uehara proposed an external tactic ¨C ¡°The Shocking Words¡± is working. ording to Uehara-kun, ¡°Your words have an unusually high chance of making Tendou freak out. It should be able to weaken her performance.¡± ¡­Honestly, I don¡¯t understand how does this works, but I think it¡¯s working. ¡°¡­Sigh, I can¡¯t take this¡­¡± Tendou-sanined as she looked at the TV. Right now, it¡¯s disying the character selection screen. I observed silently. Tendou-san then ¡°uhh¡± and acted like she¡¯s hesitating. Usually, she would pick a character that she has ¡°trained¡± before. However, when she¡¯s up against me, she¡¯ll use different ones as practice and to go easy on me. So, today, she picked the protagonist-like fighter for no particr reason. Then, during this time, I acted naturally, while actually meaning to ¡°pressure¡± her and suggested. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just pick E. Hongo.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Tendou-san turned and gave me a confused look. She¡¯s so cute. I beamed her a gentle smile before telling her once again. ¡°I think you should choose E. Hongo. Look, this sumo yer is handsome.¡± ¡°Eh? No, i-instead of a sumo yer, I want to use a faster character¡­¡± ¡°E. Hongo is so fast that I¡¯m feeling terrible for him to only be a sumo yer!¡± ¡°Amano-kun? Why are you rmending E. Hongo to me! What are you trying to pull off!¡± ¡°What am I trying to pull off? I-I¡¯m not trying to do anything. It¡¯s just that, Tendou-san¡­Look, I think a sumo yer matches you well.¡± ¡°How could you say that to a girl!¡± ¡°I want to ask, how could you say that to Mr. E. Hongo?¡± ¡°What kind of weirdeback is that! ¡­Honestly, I¡¯m getting a bit pissed off. I decided to remain firm and pick a fighter tobat you!¡± Tendou-san relentlessly clicked the confirmed button on the fighter character. However, I still haven¡¯t decided mine yet. So, it¡¯s not over¡­I smiled at her once again. ¡°¡­A-Are you going to switch?¡± ¡°Am I going to switch? No, no, no. I¡¯m really picking this character-¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ugh, m-my boyfriend¡¯s stare is too watery and moving. More importantly, it looks so miserable! I-I got it, I got it! I¡¯m picking E. Hongo.¡± Tendou-san finally backed down and chose E. Hongo before pressing the confirm button. At this moment, ¡­I can¡¯t help but clenched my fist excitedly! ¡°YES!¡± ¡°Yes? Eh, Amano-kun, you¡¯re clearly baiting me-¡° ¡°Hm-mmm-mm-hmm! ?¡± ¡°Wait, Amano-kun? You sang that out loud while picking a character that¡¯s basically an ¡®E. Hongo killer¡¯ and started the game right away!¡± ¡°Tendou-san¡­Let us fight legitimately today!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you said that!¡± Tendou-san was shocked. But, ¡­now¡¯s not the time for that! I have to do this if I have to beat you within a week! I remembered what I¡¯ve heard from Oiso-senpai around a week ago. ¡°To be fair, in fighting games, the abilities of the character and mutual counters y a substantial role. Of course, it¡¯s basically a dream for you to be able to ovee this. If the yer is already the weakest, you¡¯ll have to use this to its full strength. In other words, ¡­you¡¯ll have to make Tendou use a character that she didn¡¯t train for, and also one that was ssified on the weaker side based on the game bnce. Moreover, you must pick a character that¡¯s designed to counter her while having decent stats at the same time!¡± Yes, this is the shortcut directly passed onto me by Master Oiso. I call this the Cheater¡¯s Counter! ¡­Eh? I mean, this is legal,pletely legal. Where''re my manners? W-Well, ¡­I¡¯m a beginner and a noob at fighting games, so there¡¯s a lot for me to learn¡­ Anyway, the match started right away. My character, ¡­the American soldier, Keanu, quickly maintained the distance and activated his ranged attack repeatedly. Tendou-san¡¯s sumo yer is better at melee, so naturally, she was forced to remain in a defensive position. Even so, there¡¯s a way for her to counter this. ¡°Ugh, ¡­then I¡¯ll use this!¡± E. Hongo jumped up high towards the enemy and used the move to crush the opponent with his massive body. This is a ranged attack for him based on the bnce of previous games in the series. This move can dodge the attacks while rapidly closing the distance in the air. However, my response to this is¡­ ¡°Hiya!¡± ¡°Wha-¡° I countered this with Keanu¡¯s overpowered anti-air move and kicked Hongo back. Tendou-san asked me in shock. ¡°W-What was that? That expert input skill and the ability to act ording to the situation. It doesn¡¯t look like you!¡± ¡°Ho, ho, ho¡­Of course, Tendou-san. After all, I, during this one week¡­¡± I kept on unleashing my ranged attacks on the screen¡­as Iughed devilishly! ¡°During this one week, I¡¯ve ¡®only¡¯ been practicing on how to screw E. Hongo over with Keanu!¡± ¡°YOU¡¯RE REALLY GUILTY OF THIS AFTER ALLLLL!¡± Tendou-san yelled. I fondled my bangs as I countered Hongo with Keanu¡¯s anti-air attacks and mumbled. ¡°Tendou-san¡­It¡¯s a mistake for you to use the word ¡®guilty¡¯ right now.¡± ¡°My boyfriend is so annoying right now!¡± She was really pissed off, and that affected her performance during the match¡­It looks like the external tactics proposed by Uehara-kun is working again. I calmly responded, so¡­ ¡°2P WIN!¡± After the result is announced, a short silence fell onto us. So, when we¡¯re waiting for the next round to start, Tendou-san red at me fiercely. ¡°Amano-kun¡­You used to hate impolite behaviors like cutting the connection from the bottom of your heart when you¡¯re gaming, where did that nice concept of yours go?¡± ¡°How impolite, Tendou-san. That side of mine is still in my heart.¡± ¡°A-Amano-kun¡­R-Right, I¡¯m really sorry-¡° ¡°-That side of mine will be forever treasured like all the beautiful memories I had in my heart.¡± ¡°He¡¯s aplete goner, right!¡± So, the second round began when Tendou-san isining. All that conversation pissed Tendou-san off once again. Her movements are still just as easy to predict, Hongo¡¯s HP bar is slowly decreasing from my ranged and anti-air attacks. Tendou-san is getting increasingly frustrated. Even so, I still didn¡¯t ck off. So, once I snapped out of it, I can¡¯t believe it¡­ ¡°FINISH!¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Tendou-san¡¯s and my shocked voice ovepped each other. It¡¯s because the result is¡­ ¡°2P WIN!¡± ¡­Of course, I won. Also¡­ ¡°PERFECT!¡± -I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t get hit for even once, a total win is achieved. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± An overwhelming silence soon descended onto the room. When I looked, Tendou-san lowered her head, and her shoulders are shivering. As for me, ¡­I gently put my hand on her shoulder and spoke up. ¡°Tendou-san, ¡­what do you think? This birthday surprise where I beat you, ¡­does it¡­make you¡­happy?¡± ¡°Amano-kun¡­¡± She slowly raised her head and looked at me with tears in her eyes. We looked at each other passionately and lovely, a flood of emotions swept through us. So, after a few seconds. Tendou-san wiped her tears and nced straight at me¡­Then, she said it with a bright smile. ¡°Honestly, that¡¯s not what I wanted.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± In reality, I¡¯ve subtly noticed this during the training stage! But I can¡¯t say it out loud when my two masters are ethnically teaching me! ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± The two of us sighed loudly on the bed * ¡°But Amano-kun, I really hated what you did there. That wasn¡¯t you at all, it freaked me out.¡± Just as I¡¯m about to go home depressingly, Tendou-san, who¡¯s still on the bed, chuckled. I shrugged and answered her. ¡°Of course. I didn¡¯t even sleep for this week just to practice that¡­Phew.¡± After the main show is over, tiredness soon swept towards me. To alleviate this sleepiness, I let out an ¡°ugh¡± before stretching my arms. ¡°Ah.¡± Tendou-san let out a noise like she noticed something. ¡°Amano-kun, your hands¡­¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, ¡­sorry about that.¡± I looked at the slightly swelling callus on my left thumb and smiled bitterly. ¡°Considering the environment and my own skills, I kept practicing with the cross buttons¡­Then, I finally grew the first gaming callus of my entire life.¡± ¡°Really, ¡­that¡¯s why¡­¡± Just as Tendou-san is giving me a dumbfounded look, I continued scratching my brain once again. ¡°I feel like¡­I really suck when I got a callus from practicing a cheap shortcut. I feel terrible for you. Yeah,e to think of it, you said you wanted me to beat you¡­It¡¯s out of ¡®wanting me to show my manly side¡¯ instead of acting like a jerk¡­Ipletely¡­got it all wrong¡­¡± I sighed loudly before bing depressed quickly¡­Ugh, where did it go wrong? Everything should be going ording to n up until the moment when I swore that I have to defeat her¡­ ¡°Ah, the reason has to do with I forgetting to exin to Uehara-kun and Oiso-senpai ¡®why I want to win¡¯ her right!¡± After this self-reflection, it seems to be my misunderstanding and slow of speech¡­In other words, this is all my fault. Just as I¡¯m getting more and more deted, ¡­Tendou-san is staring at me nkly and even mumbling to herself. ¡°¡­The Amano-kun that I know¡­I can¡¯t believe you didn¡¯t sleep¡­and even managed to get a gaming callus¡­¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± F-From Tendou-san¡¯s words, ¡­I think she¡¯s really dumbfounded at my idiotic actions! I can¡¯t stay here anymore. So, I quickly grabbed my bag and say, ¡°W-Well, I¡¯ll be leaving!¡± Then, I promptly put my right hand on the door handle and n to leave- ¡°Wait.¡± -At this moment, my left hand is wrapped by something very soft. I turned back with a surprised look, ¡­then I found out Tendou-san is wrapping her hands lovingly around my callous left hand for some reason. Just as I¡¯m feeling the warmth of Tendou-san¡¯s hands, and while I utterly don¡¯t understand what is the meaning of that. So, I freaked around and looked around- Then, ¡­Tendou-san raised my hand in front of her as she spoke quietly with her goddess-like face. ¡°I really witnessed it ¡­your manly side.¡± ¡°T-Tendou-san?¡± ¡°¡­Hoho!¡± ¡°!¡± She¡¯s suddenly giving me a throbbing and embarrassed smile¡­My heart is pounding so fast. So, even though I don¡¯t understand the situation, ¡­I¡¯m not dense enough to unable to feel her overwhelming love towards me. ¡°Tendou-san¡­¡± I was stunned as I can¡¯t help but put my hands on hers. Tendou-san is slightly embarrassed, ¡­but she didn¡¯t look away from me entirely, and she even spoke up determined. ¡°I think¡­I want to see¡­the strong of you¡­more often.¡± ¡°Tendou-san, ¡­you mean¡­¡± A loving atmosphere appeared between us. We¡¯re slowly closing our distance, then¡­ ¡°ng!¡± We can hear that someone broke something outside the door. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± Tendou-san and I sighed deeply at the same time, and then we smiled bitterly at each other. After that, I immediately opened the door and helped Tendou-san¡¯s mom, who¡¯s freaking out, to sweep the floor as we exined like usual. ¡°W-Well, auntie, this is just a usual misunderstanding between us. When she said she wanted to see how manly I am, it¡¯s still only limited to gaming ¡­Right, Tendou-san?¡± To ask for my girlfriend¡¯s acknowledgment, I turned around. In the end, ¡­Tendou-san blushed for some reason¡­She even looked away from us and cleared her throat, then she mumbled quietly. ¡°¡­Please allow me to remain silent.¡± Volume 6, 4 – Tasuku Uehara and Weakened Restart

Volume 6, Chapter 4 ¨C Tasuku Uehara and Weakened Restart

Trantor: your_pingas¡°You want me to meet with another girl today after school?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I questioned him with a face full of distrust. Then, Masaya gave me that usual suspicious and nasty smile and put his hand on my shoulders like we¡¯re whispering. I can¡¯t help but sigh loudly and stare at the sky from the window of the dirty toilet of the old school building. ¡°The lesson will end in 10 minutes. When Masaya explicitly asked me to go to a toilet like this with him, I can already tell that something¡¯s going on¡­¡± This is the third worst terrible development that I¡¯ve imagined when we¡¯re on the way. Also, in my mind, the worst would be that he¡¯s inviting me to smoke, and the best is that he¡¯s going to give me concert tickets. ¡°Nah, I need to meet someone important today.¡± I grabbed my phone out of the pocket to check how long until the lesson finishes, but Masaya didn¡¯t back down from my apparentck of interest. He even pulled me over forcefully and continued. ¡°Ay, listen to me, the girl¡¯s called Onnmu Ryoutsuzi¡­She¡¯s a junior that I¡¯ve met during a gathering.¡± ¡°Gathering, ¡­that¡¯s not an abbreviation for a friendly concert, right?¡± [Note: The word ¡°gathering¡± in Japanese can either mean an actual meeting or friendship.] ¡°Of course not, it¡¯s just a typical gathering. A meeting for boys and girls to fool around.¡± ¡°Oh, is it a joined concert of Johnny and AKB?¡± ¡°That can really bring boys and girls together if a concert like that actually exists! Eh, please.¡± ¡°Sorry. Even if that¡¯s true, you¡¯re in high school only, and you have a girlfriend already. Why would you go to a gathering like that¡­¡± I looked at Masaya dumbfoundedly. He¡¯s still answering me with a warm smile. ¡°Ay, to be honest, I¡¯m just dragged by my brother in university to make up the numbers. I will be lying if I say I¡¯m definitely not going to mess around. However, I¡¯m going to treat 90% of it as a social study.¡± ¡°A social study¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know there¡¯s such a frivolous social study. However, in reality, Masaya has always been like this. While it¡¯s true that he¡¯s flippant, but he¡¯s honest and kind. So, unbelievably, none of us dislikes him. ¡°So, of course, all the participants are in university. But for some reason, there¡¯s a girl that¡¯s about as young as I do. After I asked, she said that she¡¯s in year 1 of our school. ¡°I got it. Then? Don¡¯t tell me¡­that Ryoutsuzi girl is interested in me, the charming normie handsome guy?¡± ¡°You got that quickly.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Eh, that¡¯s too fast for a conclusion, please!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about fast. Like I¡¯ve said at the start, I got to meet someone important today after school.¡± ¡°You can always dy small things like that. I guess it¡¯s just your daily walk home with Aguri, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s indeed just a daily activity, but I¡¯m really upied when I said I¡¯m upied.¡± ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s not rted whether you¡¯re free or not! I¡¯m talking about the prioritization!¡± ¡°Uh, so, in my concept, I prioritize someone that I¡¯ve already decided to meet¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s something even more important than gathering with an ¡®easy¡¯ girl!?¡± ¡°There is! Also, don¡¯t force that sexually-driven mindset of yours onto me!¡± I threw away Masaya¡¯s hand and nned to leave the toilet, then he quickly tried to save. I stopped walking and let out a loud sigh, then I turned back and looked at him. ¡°Hey, hey, hey, ¡­why are you being so stubborn. What¡¯s in it for you if I meet with that girl?¡± ¡°My best friend will be blessed. That¡¯s what in it for me!¡± ¡°Really. Well, the actual situation is?¡± ¡°I used my friend¡¯s virginity as an exchange, and asked the girl to introduce an ¡®easy¡¯ friend to me!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a total prick!¡± I take back when I¡¯ve said. This guy is honest, kind, and so cheerful that it¡¯s hard for people to dislike him, but he¡¯s a total prick inside¡­By the way, a douche that doesn¡¯t make people hate him is quite terrible, right? ¡°P-Please, Tasuku! Onnmu said she¡¯s totally uninterested in me, but she¡¯s quite fond of you. If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s hard to not make a deal. This is the only way to achieve a beautiful double-win!¡± ¡°You and that girl are the only ones winning, right!¡± I let out a sigh because I might have befriended the wrong person in high school. Then, Masaya tilted his head in confusion. ¡°What? Uh, but this is not a bad thing for you.¡± ¡°This is the bad thing, right. I need to meet someone today, and more importantly, I already have a girlfriend¡­¡± ¡°Eh? But, recently, things between Aguri and you aren¡¯t going well, right?¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± My heart was severely hurt when another person says that ¡°things aren¡¯t going well¡± between us. I pressed my chest and asked Masaya. ¡°M-Masaya, ¡­when you said things aren¡¯t going well between us, where did you hear that from¡­¡± ¡°No one told me about it¡­It¡¯s just something I concluded when I observed you two from the side.¡± ¡°W-Which part tells you that our rtionship is rough?¡± ¡°Which part? ¡­When a young boy and girl aren¡¯t making any progress for half a year, it¡¯s already pretty much that, if you know what I mean. Also, recently, I can see there¡¯s a subtle distance between when you two are together.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Exactly. Aguri and I¡­aren¡¯t going too well these days. We treated it as a misunderstanding about the time when she almost kissed Amano. Even so, a separate issue is that we need to slowly figure out how we should treat each other. ¡°How should I put it¡­Perhaps it¡¯s because we¡¯re timid. It¡¯s the same for Aguri and me.¡± Both of us look like we¡¯re the bold and open type. In reality, we tend to prioritize ¡°respecting the partner¡± at no.1. So, that¡¯s why we kept thinking, ¡°is it too weird to do this¡± or ¡°will the person misunderstand if I did that.¡± In the end, we can only talk about our daily lives. Then, of course, when others saw this, they¡¯ll feel like that ¡°things aren¡¯t great¡± for us¡­ ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s not just ¡®it looks like,¡¯ ¡­things really aren¡¯t great for us¡­¡± I acknowledged this once again and let out a sad sigh. Masaya seems to realize that there¡¯s a gap in my heart that he can exploit, so he suggested to me once again. ¡°Anyway, in times like this, how about you meet with a junior that¡¯s kind of attracted to you¡­¡± ¡°Still, no.¡± ¡°This boy is unexpectedly conservative! Eh, please, Tasuku. Just meet the girl for once, then you can do whatever you want.¡± ¡°Like I¡¯ve said before, I have a girlfriend¡­¡± ¡°You dare to say that you have? In this situation? Really?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I can¡¯t answer immediately¡­There isn¡¯t a memorable fact for proof, we even began to chat less frequently. Can I really call a girl with such a rtionship to me a girlfriend? This is an entirely different question than the feelings that I have for Aguri. ¡°Moreover, we just witnessed Amano and Tendou pairing up together in in sight¡­¡± Right now, there isn¡¯t anythingparable to them between Aguri and me. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Masaya patted my shoulder at this quiet moment as he shoved his schedule to me. ¡°Alright, after school, the girl will wait for you behind the old school building that¡¯s originally a parking lot for bicycles. Thanks!¡± ¡°Hey, wait! I already said I have a meeting today-¡° ¡°I can¡¯t hear it! I can¡¯t hear it!¡± Masaya ignored myint and even covered his ears as he makes a beeline out. ¡°That guy¡­! He nned to escape after he said everything, right! I¡¯ll be a douchebag that leaves a girl that¡¯s interested in me waiting on the field if I don¡¯t go after school, am I! You got to be kidding me!¡± Although I tried my best to chase after Masaya after I realized what he¡¯s trying to pull off- -Int the end, until that troublesome after school moment arrived, Masaya covered his eyes and totally avoided me. ¡­I take back what I said once more. Masaya isn¡¯t a prick. I¡¯ve already found him being this wholeheartedly nasty respectable. ¡­However- I¡¯m pretty sure that I made a wrong friend. * ¡°Also, that girl isn¡¯t even here yet¡­¡± After school, I can¡¯t help but go to the abandoned bicycle parking lot for the meeting. There¡¯s no one here, not to mention a girl. There¡¯s only the screeching noise of the rusted tin roof of the storage house being blown by the wind. Even when I¡¯m stepping onto the grass that grew between the gaps of the stone b road, of course, the only ce that I can see doesn¡¯t even have a wall to lean onto. This is extremely ufortable. ¡°I want to quickly finish this and actually go to my original meeting¡­¡± I rubbed my neck boringly as I waited for the girl. Actually, I wanted to grab my phone out to y as well. However, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good for the girl to see me clearly using the phone to kill time. Even if there¡¯s nothing to do, even it¡¯s notfortable, I still maintained my nervous attitude and stood upright. ¡°¡­How should I put it? Perhaps this is my bad habit¡­¡± I feel like I shouldn¡¯t have anything to do with the girL, yet I still ended up considering her so much. If I¡¯m really prioritizing Aguri over everything, I shouldn¡¯t havee here in the first ce¡­ ¡°¡­I just can¡¯t do it.¡± That¡¯s why I was described as a smooth and slick person, right? But this is really who I am, I can¡¯t help- ¡°You can¡¯t do what?¡± ¡°!¡± Someone¡¯s suddenly answering me from the back. Although I was scared for a moment, I quickly turned back. Then, there¡¯s a girl with a reddish-brown short bob hair and ultra-short skirt. She looks pretty refined. I¡¯m starting to freak out, but I still immediately gave her a smile and raised my hand. ¡°H-Hi, uh, ¡­it¡¯s okay for me to call you Ryoutsuzi-san, r-right.¡± After I smiled, I immediately regretted it. ¡°Why the hell am I smiling?¡± ¡­Why do I quickly want to show my sweet side despite there¡¯s no need for that¡­Sigh. However, this girl, ¡­Ryoutsuzi-san wouldn¡¯t have noticed my regrets. She even smiled innocently. ¡°Ahaha, yeah, thanks. Ah, you don¡¯t need to be so nice. Just call me Onnmu is alright. By the way, senpai, you came super early. That¡¯s cute!¡± Ryoutsuzi-san- No, Ryoutsuzi talked as sheughed out¡­The serious side of mine let out a big sigh in my heart. Ugh, hmm, after I got in high school, I thought I was more or less getting used to a girl like her¡­It looks like there¡¯s still a long time for me to adapt. I first make sure I calmed down before facing Ryoutsuzi again. ¡°So? Uh, Ryoutsuzi, perhaps Masaya didn¡¯t mention it to you, but I already got a girlfriend.¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, I know. That Aguri girl, right? I¡¯ve heard it before. Senpai¡¯s surely cute!¡± ¡°You think I-I¡¯m cute?¡± Yeah, I heard that you two did nothing even dating for half-a-year, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Ryoutsuzi answered me without any embarrassment or hesitation¡­This time, it¡¯s not just in my heart, I almost wanted to sigh in real life as well. I scratched my head and asked her. ¡°Uh, well, if you know that I have a girlfriend, why are you looking for me?¡± ¡°Why? You mean why I¡¯m looking for you, right. You¡¯re really asking me this? Uh, ah, how about please go out with me, senpai.¡± ¡°What do you mean by how about¡­¡± I fell silent, yet Ryoutszui continued calmly. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s because senpai¡¯s rtionship isn¡¯t going well, right? Then it¡¯s fine, right? Coincidentally, ¡­I can count as being single right now.¡± You can also count as being single right now? ¡°No, it¡¯s not fine. How should I put it¡­Uh, ¡­this is just a temporary roadblock¡­I still have my feelings for her¡­¡± Why am I saying this in front of a junior that I just met for the first time? My face is blushing from all the embarrassment. I hastily concluded to finish this quickly. ¡°So, I can¡¯t go out with-¡° ¡°Ah, alright.¡± ¡°-Eh?¡± The girl backed down immediately, and it made me let out a weird noise. It feels like I just hit nothing during a sumo match. Even so, it¡¯s great to know that the girl is willing to back down. I raised my hand lightly and continued. ¡°Uh, w-well, that¡¯s it¡­¡± ¡°Yes, this is it. I¡¯m entirely okay with it!¡± Ryoutsuzi answered with a baffling smile for some reason. I raised a ¡°?¡± on my head. However, I¡¯m good as long as she can understand. So, I decided to turn around and leave- ¡°¡­!¡± -At this moment, I suddenly felt that my right arm is wrapped in something soft, so I freaked out and stopped walking. I anxiously tried to confirm. Then, I found out¡­Ryoutsuzi is sticking really close to me and wrapping her plumpy chest around my arms. She nced up to me and smiled. ¡°Then let¡¯s go, Tasuku-senpai.¡± ¡°Eh, huh? Eh, where are we going-¡° ¡°Hmm? Ay, I can do it wherever you wish, anyway.¡± ¡°What do you mean by you can do it wherever-¡° ¡°It¡¯s okay as long as there¡¯s a quiet ce for us to be alone.¡± ¡°----¡° Suddenly, I realized that my heart is gradually calming down to a point where I was surprised by it. I forcefully¡­got my arm off her, and then I answered her calmly with an emotionless tone. ¡°¡­Ryoutsuzi, didn¡¯t Masaya tell you? I need to meet someone today.¡± ¡°Really? But senpai, I¡¯m pretty sure that I can make you happier.¡± Ryoutsuzi said that with an innocent smile. I can¡¯t help but¡­despise at her. ¡°Ha! That¡¯s absolutely impossible.¡± Suddenly, she was triggered and answered a bit angrily. ¡°What was that. Don¡¯t tell me the girlfriend that doesn¡¯t allow senpai to do anything is better than me?¡± ¡°Yeah. Of course.¡± ¡°!¡± I answered like it was nothing. Ryoutsuzi immediately red at me anxiously¡­Uwah, I feel like this girl is finally showing her real side. How terrible¡­ ¡°Please, senpai, can you not act like this? I¡¯m feeling cold.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s good that we¡¯re cooling down. See ya.¡± I waved casually as I nned to leave, but Ryoutsuzi grabbed my shoulders forcefully¡­I told you this girl is super scary. ¡°Just say it directly if I¡¯m not your type.¡± ¡°Sigh, that¡¯s not the problem-¡° ¡°That¡¯s the problem. Isn¡¯t everything fine if there¡¯s nothing wrong with my look?¡± ¡°No, no, no. It¡¯s not fine.¡± ¡°As long as senpai¡¯s girlfriend doesn¡¯t know about this-¡° ¡°THAT¡¯S ENOUGH!¡± I can¡¯t take this anymore, so I shouted at the top of my lungs. However, the girl is still my junior. Once I saw her trembling in fear, I scratched my head and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°How should I put it, Ryoutsuzi¡­Anyway, I¡¯m not really trying to reject you. Although I¡¯m not in love with you, I still think it¡¯s not bad to do that with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°However, ¡­I¡¯m still not interested in that. Sorry, go look for another guy. In reality, I think you¡¯re really adorable, objectively, yes-¡° -I immediately realized my mistake in the middle of my sentence. T-This is my bad habit, right! Why am I praising her looks! Do I really have to talk good to a girl in this situation! I¡¯m helpless! I can readily enter the top 16 if there¡¯s a globalpetition for being smooth and slick! ¡°Bam! Bam! Bam!¡± I feel like I can¡¯t be helped. So, I banged my head on the rusted rebar on the side. So, Ryoutsuzi freaked out at my strange reaction for a second¡­But then, she let out a sigh and mumbled in defeat. ¡°¡­Tasuku-senpai, you¡¯re really just the same as what Masaya-senpai told me.¡± ¡°Same as what Masaya told you?¡± ¡°He said you¡¯re an obedient little sheep disguised in a handsome wolf skin.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± I can¡¯t believe that stupid Masaya saw me right through! For real? Don¡¯t tell me my wish for ¡°a stronger restart¡± in high school is actually not remotely as sessful what I¡¯m imagined? I pressed my chest and gasped. Then, Ryoutsuzi seems to be smiling in relief. ¡°Eh, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be this obedient. You¡¯re the friend of Masaya-senpai, who asked me ¡®do you want to go to another ce¡¯ 10 minutes into the gathering. Tasuku-senpai, it¡¯s more like, why are you friends with him?¡± ¡°¡­P-Perhaps I want to ask someone else about this as well.¡± After I answered, we can¡¯t help but smile at each other bitterly. Sigh, actually, Masaya is a nice person, ¡­even though I wouldn¡¯tment on his sexual desires. ¡°Uh, well, I need to meet someone at the entrance of the main school building¡­¡± I nned to leave after I said that. Ryoutsuzi didn¡¯t stop me, but she said ¡°I¡¯ll go with senpai as well¡± before walking next to me. I scratched my head as she gave me a little devilish smile. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll leave Tasuku-senpai before the girl finds out.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I think she saw me right through¡­Am I the type of guy that express all his feelings on the face? Ryoutsuzi and I tagged along the road back to the school building¡­Honestly, there¡¯s not much that we can talk about, ¡­but I¡¯m terrified of those so-called silent moments. Once I snapped out of it, we¡¯re already chitchatting. ¡°Ryoutsuzi, I¡¯ve always wanted to be a normie before.¡± ¡°Really¡­Sigh, but I don¡¯t think you can be one when you rejected a girl¡¯s confession that tantly.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Ryoutsuzi twirled the tip of her hair as she casually replied with a bittereback. Although I was hurt for a bit, ¡­even so, I still answered in my own style. ¡°R-Right. In the end, perhaps there¡¯s no way for me to be like you or Masaya.¡± ¡°Aha! I can¡¯t believe a handsome senpai is saying something so depressing to a junior that he just broke up with, that¡¯s super cute!¡± Ryoutsuzi pped her hands as she burst intoughter. Jesus, this girl is really a bitch. Uh, even though it¡¯s true that I broke up with her! However, usually, that¡¯s not a reaction a depressed girl will give! While I¡¯m still annoyed, I turned my head to the front¡­and cleared my throat. ¡°But, after I met a couple of new friends, I started to think about what is it that I really want.¡± I paused for a moment here, ¡­after a second of hesitation, I grabbed the chance and said the conclusion with a bright smile. ¡°I think it¡¯s okay as long as I¡¯m chasing after the ¡®enriched normie life¡¯ in my heart-¡° ¡°Ah, Hiro! Eh, you guys are not going to the club activity today? Wow, ¡­I¡¯m d to know that! Then I¡¯ll go with you too! Hey, hey, hey, if you got the time, why don¡¯t we find a quiet ce? I¡¯m just kidding¡­Hiya, I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°What the-, are you serious?¡± The senpai was halfway through his philosophical presentation, and she dares to start squiring noisily to another boy? How did she change her mind that quickly? Same as Masaya, she¡¯s so ridiculous that I¡¯m beginning to respect her. The Easy Girl Onnmu Ryoutsuzi. A born normie is really something else. Just as I¡¯m feeling somewhat convinced, Ryoutsuzi noticed that Hiro guy is trying to get something excitedly, so she turned back to me. ¡°Well, Tasuku-senpai, I¡¯ll be seeing you. Help me say hi to your girlfriend.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s helping you? Basically-¡° ¡°Ah, Hiro, wait for me! Eh, you¡¯re grabbing something from the clubroom? Uwah, I really like a sports clubroom full of the smell of men! I¡¯m going with you!¡± ¡°I feel like you¡¯re amazing.¡± In a sense, this girl¡¯s reputation is skyrocketing in my heart. Onnmu Ryoutsuzi. Perhaps this is a name that¡¯ll be recorded into history in a certain way, I¡¯ll have to get her signature the next time we meet. I watched Ryoutsuzi slowly disappears from my sight. After that, I started walking to the ce for meeting again, which is the entrance of the school building. So, just like what I expected, the person is waiting for me there. After seeing me, that person rushed here with a smile like a puppy¡­However, she suddenly seems to have noticed something and pouted angrily. ¡°Eh, you¡¯re too slow! Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯lle back quickly!¡± She looked up to me and is even getting angry in a somewhat adorable and innocent way. I yed with that person¡¯s hair as I apologized. ¡°Sorry to make you wait, Amano.¡± She-, no, it¡¯s he, Keita Amano, escaped from my hands as if it¡¯s tickling him as he smiled embarrassingly¡­However, based on the baffling sense of responsibility that he has to be angry in this situation. The boy answered me with a pretty subtle tone. ¡°I-It¡¯s really long! But, ¡­we¡¯re not in a rush today, anyways¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine then?¡± ¡°B-But, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good to bete and acted like there¡¯s nothing wrong when you¡¯re meeting with someone.¡± ¡°I already apologized. If we¡¯re friends, you have to forgive me on minor issues like this.¡± ¡°F-Friends! Y-You¡¯re right, we¡¯re friends¡­Y-Yes.¡± The ssmate that¡¯s easy to coax is mumbling a bit excitedly, ¡°Friends, ¡­ho, ho, friends.¡± I shrugged my shoulders helplessly at Amano, then I urged him ¡°we¡¯re going¡± before taking the first step. ¡°Ah, wait, ¡­wait for me, Uehara-kun.¡± Then, Amano quickly rushed next to me and walked on my side. We directly left the school and headed towards downtown. During this time, Amano slightly tilted his head and asked me. ¡°By the way, Uehara-kun, where did you go? It looks like you¡¯re walking to the entrance from outside¡­¡± ¡°I need to do some errands.¡± ¡°Errands, ¡­it sounds like there¡¯s another meaning.¡± ¡°Nope, it¡¯s not like that. Although I want to bicker with you, it¡¯s really just something trivial.¡± Indeed, perhaps there¡¯s not another word other than ¡°trivial¡± can be used to describe what I went through. In the end, Amano seems to be curious and asked. ¡°What¡¯s with that, I¡¯m super curious. Exin in details, please.¡± ¡°No, no, no, you¡¯re really annoying right now.¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± Amano pouted his cheeks, unwilling to give up. That reaction made me can¡¯t help butugh. Then, he suddenly gave me a serious look and asked respectfully. ¡°But, ¡­Uehara-kun, should you really be going with me today?¡± ¡°What do you mean by really going with you?¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s because ¡­there¡¯s no Game Hobby Club meetings today. I¡¯m just going to the game store to check out vintage games. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m the one that asked to go with you. In reality, I¡¯m interested in vintage games as well.¡± ¡°Uh, but¡­I guess you had to deal with something today, right? Isn¡¯t that supposed to be something more important than going to the game store with me?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± It seems that Amano noticed something and are worrying for me. After all, I¡¯m te¡± today when I¡¯m a guy that¡¯s surprisingly good at arriving on-time. I looked at his eyes, ¡­.and then I smiled as I started to rub his hair with my hands again. ¡°Nope, ¡­it¡¯s not like that at all. Your side is way more meaningful, and I also prioritized you first.¡± ¡°R-Really? That¡¯s good to know¡­¡± Amano smiled a bit embarrassingly. However, I think he doesn¡¯t want me to see a reaction like that. So, after he cleared his throat, he dared to start talking trash to me. ¡°Uehara-kun, but if I¡¯m looking it this way, I didn¡¯t expect you to have this much free time. Are you really a normie?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± So, I poked his head forcefully. Well, today, I still started my lethargic, unconstructive, and youth-wasting after school timezily- -And evenughing like an idiot with my best friend. Volume 6, 5 – Chiaki Hoshinomori and Broken Multiplayer, Part 1 of 3

Volume 6, Chapter 5 ¨C Chiaki Hoshinomori and Broken Multiyer, Part 1 of 3

Trantor: your_pingas A morning in the middle of October, where the red leaves can be seen everywhere in the mountains of the northern region. After I covered my lips with the scarf that I¡¯m not used to wearing because it stings my skin, I¡¯m still waiting for the bus to the school alone while sighing as usual. ¡°¡­It suddenly got cold.¡± The September that still reminded me of summer is already a distant memory¡­Usually, this season should be called autumn. However, to a person like me, Chiaki Hoshinomori, who can¡¯t withstand hot or cold, as long as the temperature outside is making me cold, it already counts as a full winter. ¡°By the way, what¡¯s with the indefinite period of autumn and spring, it¡¯s literally testing whether an awkward loner like me with stand out from the crowd. I hate it.¡± The same can be said for the fluffy scarf that I covered my chin in, nobody knows how long did I observe the surroundings and how determined I am to wear it. My little sister Konoha even said this. ¡°Uh, does wearing a scarf or not matter that much? Just wear whatever you want¡­¡± She¡¯s always despising her sister with a dumbfounded look. Seriously, this is weird. That¡¯s why I¡¯m really anxious around hardcore normies. To a coward like me, my ¡°clothes¡± will always be prioritized over everything else. ¡°Will it be weirdpared to others?¡± Also, I choose what I wear based on a standard like this, things like cold resistance will always be consideredter. I can¡¯t help but exhale forcefully and clench my fists. ¡°From this perspective, I¡¯m the girl that¡¯s paying the most attention to her outfits!¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ While it¡¯s fine to look, but I realized that things are definitely not going this way, so my face red up. I coughed to clear my throat. During this time, I can feel the vibration of my phone in the pocket. I wanted to know what¡¯s going on, and then I realized it¡¯s a notification of the mobile game that I didn¡¯t touch on for a while. At one point, I raised my head to confirm that the bus isn¡¯ting for a while before opening the game. First, I took the login rewards and checked my progress. After all that¡­ ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡­I found out there¡¯s a message sent to my ount. ¡°Is it some kind ofpensation from the system maintenance a while ago?¡± My mood was slightly uplifted due to the free spin, so I opened the inbox. At that moment, the text that came into view is¡­ ¡°!¡± The appeared text freaked me out. I can¡¯t help but raise my face and look around meaninglessly¡­Then- ¡°Ah¡­¡± Coincidentally, the bus slowed down and stopped at the station I¡¯m waiting. Although I was a bit restless, I still went onto it and walked along the empty carriage the same as usual. Then, I sat down at the double seat at the front that I treated as my own personal space. ¡°Phew¡­¡± When the bus started, I put my bag to the side and took off my scarf and let out a sigh in relief. The in and boring scenery slowly passed by the window. I can hear the engine of the bus and the chitchatting behind from time to time. I¡¯m still holding my phone with my right hand and looked outside the window dazedly¡­Basically, it¡¯s hard for me to say that I like going out or going to school alone. However, I really love the 15 minutes that I¡¯m taking the bus to the school leisurely in the morning. This is slightly different than the ¡°leisurely alone¡± time in my room. Also, the time when I¡¯m taking the bus ranks no.2 in where my creativity runs high. No.1 is when I¡¯m washing my hair in the bathroom. Recently, I¡¯m taking good care of my hair because a certain bean sprout midget has been taunting me as a seaweed head. That¡¯s why I¡¯m getting exceptionally creative¡­.Ah, it¡¯s not like I care. ¡°¡­By the way, why would he send an in-game message to me in times like this¡­¡± I adjusted my breathing and looked at the screen again. It¡¯s still showing the message with Tshi as the sender. It seems like my eyes are working correctly. ¡°The body is¡­An Invitation to Checkpoint Tours? ¡­What does checkpoint mean¡­Ah!¡± I almost tilted my head for a second, but I immediately realized what that word means. ¡°Right, this game, GOM, added something new in thest update.¡± I mumbled as I closed the inbox, and then I checked the help screen of that system. ¡°Mm-hmm, ¡­ah, right, the one that uses your real-time location to y.¡± Honestly, this is just something ripped off from Ingress and Pokemon Go. By using the GPS on your phone and arriving at specific locations in real life, you can acquire items or characters. In reality, this never impressed an indoor loner like me, so I used to ignore it entirely. After I understood what it was about, I returned to the inbox again and checked the message. ¡°¡­W-W-What!¡± I almost dropped my phone. Since the bus is pretty quiet, someone is ncing at me at the side. So, I apologized and held my phone tight with both of my hands. My sight browsed through the screen a couple times. ¡°T-T-This means that K-Keita is inviting me to go out and y with him, ¡­right?¡± I¡¯m mumbling with a voice that only I can hear, ¡­and my heart is pounding so fast. Thest time that I¡¯m this nervous was already the first day that I¡¯m walking in Otobuki High School. Although I kept shivering, and my face is ring up¡­I immediately made up my mind and first expressed my willingness to go to the boy. So, I replied as quick as possible. I pressed the send button, and my breathing went rough¡­It¡¯s actually rare for me to ept an invitation like this without any hesitation. Usually, I would overthink it until my stomach is starting hurt, and then I¡¯ll reject it politely. However¡­. (W-While I¡¯m unwilling to admit this, but stuff like this would happen! I became way too excited and forgot about everything, not to mention all theplicated questions that are surrounding me. This immediately became the first priority in my heart! It¡¯s literally like the release day of a game!) I held my phone with both of my hands and can¡¯t wait to see his reply, and I can¡¯t even stop my legs from kicking in excitement. (¡­I-I can¡¯t deal with that fanatic gamer Keita. He already has Tendou-san as his girlfriend, yet he¡¯s immediately going crazy once it¡¯s rted to gaming. Going so far to even invite me first, j-jeez¡­) Going on a tour while ying the game that both of us like with Keita warmly¡­Oh my god, how should I put this, even though I¡¯m unwilling to say this, ¡­but I¡¯m really looking forward to it! This hurts my brain! What¡¯s wrong with me! Is it even alright for something this blessing to suddenly happen to me! Things won¡¯t be bnced if there aren¡¯t any terrible traps waiting for me- ¡°Hiya, there¡¯s a reply!¡± -There¡¯s a new message in the inbox. Keita¡¯s definitely texting me on a bus to school, right¡­U-Uwah, what is this? Texting each other in the morning, i-it¡¯s like¡­we¡¯re a pair of sweet couples! I opened the message delightedly and confirmed its content with a blessed heart. ¡°I¡¯m the one that¡¯s looking forward to it!¡± I can¡¯t help but salute my phone. Then, I wanted to tell him that I have an empty schedule- During this time, I suddenly found out that¡¯s not the end of Keita¡¯s message. It looks like the screen can¡¯t show the entire thing due to the limited spacing. I scrolled down the screen while humming a song since I¡¯m in an excellent mood, then I realized- <-I¡¯m looking forward to it! Konoha-san!> ¡°¡­Ah!¡± -Then, I realized I¡¯ve already fallen into a terrible trap. * ¡°Are you an idiot!?¡± Uehara-kun looked at the scenery outside the window from the stairs that are headed towards the roof. Then he sighed at me,pletely dumbfounded. As for me, I sat on the stairs two steps from the tform and grabbed my phone with both hands before speaking up with watery eyes. ¡°W-What should I do, Uehara-kun?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re asking me¡­¡± Uehara-kun, who¡¯s putting his right elbow on the edge of the window, answeredzily. ¡°Well, I do admire the fact that you¡¯re willing to trust me and view me as a friend, even going so far to provide all the online interactions you¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°Y-Yes. I do think that all of these are quite shocking to you¡­¡± ¡°Nope, it¡¯s not that at all. You¡¯re just nagging over the intelligence that I gathered a long time ago once more.¡± ¡°How¡­how did you know everything beforehand! Don¡¯t tell me¡­you¡¯re actually¡­¡± Don¡¯t tell me Uehara-kun has been stalking me! I trembled as Uehara-kun scratched his head like it¡¯s nothing and continued. ¡°By the way, how¡¯re you going to face Amano now? Don¡¯t you view him as your rival?¡± ¡°W-Well¡­¡± I lowered my head awkwardly. Then, Uehara-kun sighed at me. ¡°Sigh, you can keep that part to your own. I already figured things out on my own.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m convinced.¡± I lowered my head and nced at Uehara-kun¡¯s slightly mncholic face. ¡°But, didn¡¯t Uehara-kun say that he loves me¡­?¡± So, his confession earlier was really just a joke, right? Well, I guess so, ¡­but, ¡­hmm¡­ Just as I¡¯m pondering, Uehara-kun continued. ¡°Usually, why don¡¯t you just say that ¡®I¡¯m still busy¡¯ and reject him?¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t say that. I already said that I¡¯m joining at the beginning, and the date is already in the ¡®a time that both of us figured out that we¡¯re convenient¡¯ phase. Right now, I¡¯m afraid that I can nevere up with a good reason to reject him and say we can¡¯t go together¡­¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­you¡¯re already replied that you wanted to go.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I turned depressed. Then, Uehara-kun scratched his head and acted like this is a troublesome task, ¡­but he¡¯s still racking his brain for me. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯ll be weird if you rejected it at this stage. How about¡­right, why don¡¯t you ask Amano¡¯s n before saying no. Just say ¡®oh I¡¯m busy at that time, how regretful, we¡¯ll see if we¡¯re lucky enough next time¡¯ and things will work out fine¡­¡± ¡°Well, basically, Keita is ¡®always¡¯ free.¡± ¡°That guy doesn¡¯t have that many friends, after all!¡± ¡°Also, the regretful thing is, I¡¯m even freer than him!¡± ¡°You two should just go and be a pair of couple, I beg you! Both of you are loners, you two need to stay together and be blessed!¡± Uehara-kun is somehow screaming at me with tears in his eyes¡­I¡¯m baffled by his recent actions. It seems that he already forgot about his confession to mepletely, right? Although this might just look like I¡¯m finding an excuse again, it¡¯s not like I can bring this up when Uehara-kun is giving me this attitude¡­ In the end, I feel like we¡¯re back to square one¡­While I¡¯m not sure whether I can say that, but Uehara-kun and I were back to each other¡¯s ¡°discussing partners¡± once more. Thank god¡­Hmm¡­ I decided to reaffirm who should take the most responsibility here and change this stagnating mood. ¡°Jeez, GOM is really good at adding unnecessary functions!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a limit for pushing away responsibilities, right! Also, I didn¡¯t know that GOM is the name of the mobile game you two are ying¡­I¡¯ve never heard it before.¡± ¡°Ah, right, this is an abbreviation. The correct name should be Gate of Mars.¡± ¡°Oh, I think I¡¯ve seen that on an ad. But I think the abbreviation makes the game less dull, what was that called¡­Ah, right, it¡¯s called Gamar-¡° ¡°Nope, you have to call it GOM.¡± Uehara-kun blinked his eyes in shock from my firm stance. I let out a ¡®hmph¡¯ before continuing. ¡°You know, I really hate this kind of abbreviation. Thepany is obviously just trying to attract new customers¡¯ attention with it.¡± ¡°Hoshinomori, it¡¯s been quite a while since I¡¯ve seen such an annoying side of you!¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s not just me! All the veterans must belong in the GOM faction. It has always been like this since the release of the game. Right, why don¡¯t you ask Keita and see what he¡¯ll say! I bet that he¡¯ll be just as pissed as I do when you¡¯re using a weak abbreviation like that! He¡¯ll fight until hisst breath!¡± ¡°What kind of baffling trustworthiness is this. I really don¡¯t understand the feelings between you two. Jeez¡­¡± After Uehara-kun mumbled dumbfoundedly, suddenly, he seems to have thought of something and looked at me. ¡°This is simply a question. Will weird gamers like you call Dragon Quest as DQ?¡± I smiled smugly at his question. ¡°R-Really. So, you two won¡¯t let that weird temper out often-¡° ¡°As for FF, our attitude is, of course, hoping that it could explicitly use the vintage name Space Warrior. However, basically, there¡¯re absolutely no issues to just call it FF.¡± [Note: In Taiwan/Hong Kong, the old trantion of Final Fantasy is called Space Warrior during the 80s.] ¡°Can you really ¡®of course¡¯ that? It¡¯s not right. I think that part definitely varies from person to person!¡± ¡°Nope, at least my opinion ispletely identical to that of Keita¡¯s.¡± ¡°You two can really go marry each other!¡± Uehara-kun is yelling at me based on his mysterious judgment. While it¡¯s good for me to know that he¡¯s actively supporting the rtionship between Keita and me for some reason, but sometimes he¡¯llin. ¡°You two should marry each other!¡± I was baffled by this. I guess Keita¡¯s the same as well. Uehara-kun looked outside of the window and brought us back to the topic of discussion. ¡°Sigh, if we¡¯re thinking about this normally, you can just hand your phone to Konoha-san and let her go for you. Case closed.¡± ¡°Yeah. But if I did that, ¡­there¡¯s still a big problem that can¡¯t be ignored.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a problem? Ah, like Konoha-san unable to keep the secret?¡± ¡°While that¡¯s more or less true, ¡­but there¡¯s a bigger issue.¡± ¡°A-A more significant issue? Eh? What¡¯s so serious to the point of making you say that?¡± Uehara-kun turned to me with a confused look. To that, I nodded and answered gravely. ¡°I want to go out happily with Keita as well!¡± ¡°You¡¯re really in love with Amano!¡± I can¡¯t blush after Uehara-kun yelled at me. ¡°I-It¡¯s not like that! It¡¯s not because I have any feelings for Keita! Uh, well, ¡­this is just a great activity that represents the umtion of feelings between Mono and Tshi! I feel like it¡¯s too much if I¡¯m giving it to my little sister¡­¡± Uehara-kun is already giving me the billionth dumbfounded look of today and answered. ¡°The root of the issue is you randomly making up a lie. It¡¯s harder to find a case that exemplifies the term ¡®you get what you deserve¡¯ even more than this.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! W-While that¡¯s true, but!¡± ¡°Hmm, I get what you¡¯re trying to say. How about, ¡­right, why don¡¯t you just say ¡®hey I¡¯m justing with my little sister¡¯ and just chill in the event?¡± ¡°M-My dignity doesn¡¯t allow me to be treated as ¡®third wheel¡¯ like that!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still mentioning ¡®dignity¡¯ in times like this!¡± ¡°It¡¯s because if I¡¯m participating with that excuse. I feel like Keita will definitely be baffled by this. ¡®W-Why is the seaweed heading as well? Then, my sister will re at me and say, ¡®Onee-chan is surely annoying¡­¡¯ That would ruin my whole holiday.¡± ¡°Indeed, it¡¯ll be terrible. Even so, it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t deserve it. Hmm, ¡­eh? ¡­Come to think of it, the big premise is, will Amano go alone?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I let out a weird noise at Uehara-kun¡¯s question. He continued. ¡°Uh, usually, will Amano invite Konoha-san to go out on his own? Now that I¡¯m thinking, that guy is very loyal to his girlfriend.¡± ¡°I¡­I guess that¡¯s true when you¡¯re putting it that way. He¡¯s not a crappy yer like you¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just hurt someone who¡¯s trying to figure this out with you. That¡¯s scary.¡± ¡°But, in reality, Keita bes a different person when ites to gaming. While I¡¯m not entirely sure about this, but perhaps he didn¡¯t notice that this is something between a boy and a girl. He just invites Mono¡­Konoha, because he¡¯s excited.¡± ¡°Right, ¡­this is entirely possible¡­Hmm¡­¡± Uehara-kun is started to get frustrated again. During this time, the bell that signals the morning assembly will begin in 5 minutes rang across the school. I stood up from the stairs. Then, Uehara-kun said ¡°anyways¡± and brought up the conclusion. ¡°I¡¯ll try to get Amano to say something about this after school without a trace. You can decide what you should do after that, right.¡± ¡°Ah, sure, sorry about that. While it¡¯s quite troublesome, but I can only rely on you.¡± I lowered my head and greeted Uehara-kun. So, he patted my head and continued with a bright and sincere smile. ¡°I got you covered. After all, I already decided that I¡¯ll support you more than anyone.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Suddenly, I can feel a tinge of pain in my chest. I chased after Uehara-kun as I wiped the sweat off my forehead. (¡­Did I¡­did I¡­just do something very cruel to a guy that¡¯s seeming attracted to me¡­) Although this idea popped out in my head, it was overwhelmed by a train of emotions flooding in my heart. First of all, I¡¯m thinking of myself too lowly, which caused me to feel confused with my feelings towards Uehara-kun. At the same time, there¡¯s a sense of reliance on Uehara-kun since I treated him as a guy that I can talk to and figure out a solution. Also, most importantly, ¡­the increasingly deepening feelings towards Keita. All of the emotions were swarming up and got mixed into a huge mess. I have no idea what I should do about them. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I can only plop my head down and slowly walk down the stairs. Once I snapped out of it, I unconsciously grabbed my phone and opened the browser¡­At this moment, I¡¯m shocked with myself. ¡°Am I¡­trying to search for something? To try and search for an answer.¡± I can¡¯t help butugh at myself forcking any sense of autonomy. That¡¯s why I¡¯m helpless. I can only secrete nce at other¡¯s faces when I¡¯m asking for suggestions. When that person is looking directly at me, I¡¯ll immediately be embarrassed and escape. ¡­I¡¯m scared to express my sincere feelings. ¡°As a creator, ¡­didn¡¯t I have much more power to express myself truly than anyone?¡± If this continues, I¡¯ll be thrown away by Tendou-san, Aguri-chan¡­No, I¡¯ll be thrown away by Keita. Instead of letting myself falling towards that abyss, how about I just screw everything and go for it. Instead of slowly degenerating into my former self that¡¯s full of regrets and self-hate, how about I just screw everything and go for it. Even though I deeply understand that this will cause nothing but troubles. Even so, ¡­even so. At least I have to decide on which path I wanted to take! ¡°Please¡­please listen to me!¡± ¡°?¡± Once I snapped out, my back is already facing the sunshine. At the top of the stairs, ¡­I loudly suggested to Uehara-kun, who turned his head around with an unbelievable expression. ¡°Well! I think¡­I should get everyone on board on this tour!¡± Keita Amano ¡°Hmm, ¡­Konoha-san is still not answering¡­¡± Lunchtime. Today, Tendou-san invited me to the Game Club clubroom as usual. Right now, I¡¯m opening my bento as I nced at my phone on the table to check. Tendou-san pinched up a small piece of tomato deftly with her chopsticks as she asked. ¡°Ah, is it about that ¡®cheating permit¡¯ you¡¯re asking me earlier?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember for asking such a permit. I¡¯m just asking you whether I can go out alone with a person that¡¯s slightly anthomaniac towards me.¡± ¡°I feel like that¡¯s already a ridiculous request.¡± Tendou-san said that as she put that piece of tomato into her mouth¡­Hmm, I feel like she¡¯s not angry, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯s happy about this either. I turned off the screen of my phone and faced her again. ¡°Uh, but, out of all the people I know, only Konoha-san is ying GOM. Moreover, she, ¡­no, Mono, has always been a good partner of mine¡­¡± When I realized that someone that has been ying the same game with me for a long time is so close, and the game decided to add something that¡¯s based in the real world in this situation. How could I not invite the person to have a good time together? Even so, I do understand that ¡®inviting a girl other than my girlfriend to go out alone¡¯ kind of counts as cheating or betrayal. So, that¡¯s why I tried to get a permit from Tendou-san beforehand¡­ Tendou-san put down her chopsticks temporarily and sipped a carton of green tea silently¡­She¡¯s still an elegant person in every way, far different than the crude and careless Aguri-san. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Amano-kun? Why are you looking around suddenly?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing, I feel like, ¡­right now, it¡¯s not out of the realm of possibility for me to receive an interdimensional punch to my face.¡± ¡°Why is my boyfriend suddenly talking nonsense this brainlessly?¡± Tendou-san sighed dumbfoundedly. She said a ¡°whatever¡± as a conclusion. Then, she put her green tea on the table and looked at me. ¡°As your girlfriend, I really admired your attitude for saying your goals clearly and asking for permission beforehand. Also, you swear that ¡®you¡¯ll maintain a certain distance when you¡¯re with Konoha-san.¡¯ This clearly shows that you¡¯re aware of the rtionship with me. The walkthrough mindset from a gamer¡¯s perspective is also working correctly, I can only say that it¡¯s perfect. This already proves that it eliminated all possibilities of cheating in that activity.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s no problems¡­¡± ¡°There is.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± There¡¯s already no way for me to cheat, ¡­yet there¡¯s still a problem? I tilted my head, and Tendou-san said it with a calm and natural look. ¡°I¡¯ll feel lonely.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a big problem!¡± I can¡¯t help but stand up abruptly right away. Tendou-san nodded and continued. ¡°The time that was initially just for you and me will be robbed away by some other girls. Moreover, it¡¯s a game activity that feels quite interesting. I feel lonely.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re right! Uh, if that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you juste with us¡­¡± Tendou-san put out her palm and rejected me abruptly in the middle of my suggestion. ¡°My dignity as Karen Tendou doesn¡¯t allow that either!¡± ¡°Hiya, that¡¯s troublesome!¡± ¡°The boyfriend just sincerely asked whether he can go to the meeting beforehand. If the girlfriend is still joining together like it¡¯s nothing, ¡­I feel like it¡¯s a bit too much for a woman.¡± ¡°I get what you¡¯re trying to say¡­However, hmm, if that¡¯s so, I should just cancel going out with Konoha-san, and the case will be closed-¡° After I said that, Tendou-san rejected it even more vigorously than before. ¡°M-My dignity doesn¡¯t allow that even more! Please just go out and enjoy your time! I, Karen Tendou, will never be a girl that tries to manage her boyfriend¡¯s hobbies! Please don¡¯t underestimate me!¡± ¡°R-Really. Thank you. Well, then I¡¯ll go out happily with her-¡° ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way for me to go out of this alive! I feel like I¡¯m the one that¡¯s saying nonsense, right!¡± I quickly plopped my head down and apologized! Yep, this is all my fault! This is all my fault for nning the activity too casually! What Tendou-san thinks doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯m already stuck as soon as I came up with the n!¡± Even so, I can¡¯t just give up thinking directly. I scratched my head and tried to search for apromise. ¡°Uh, how about¡­this. Tendou-san, I¡¯ll ask others to go including you, does that sound good?¡± ¡°Ask the others? For example?¡± ¡°Think about it, like finding Chiaki.¡± ¡°Hoshinomori-san¡­¡± During this time, Tendou-san is curling her lips up for some reason. ¡°¡­Amano-kun, you always call her your rival, ¡­yet she¡¯s on top of your list when you¡¯re trying to find someone to y. You¡¯re even calling her name directly.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, it¡¯s not like that. She just came up on my head because I¡¯m considering people rted to Konoha-san¡­Also, the reason that I call her name directly is only that it has always been this way since I met her¡­¡± ¡°You and Hoshinomori-san are already best friends at the start.¡± ¡°Uh, instead of calling us best friends-¡° I almost wanted to retort right away. But, when I¡¯m actually thinking about this, ¡­indeed, I remembered. Initially, we¡¯re really calling each other¡¯s names directly because we like each other. It has always been like this even after we became rivals, so I just eventually forgot. Actually, in the beginning, Chiaki and I called each other¡¯s first names because we¡¯re good friends. After I felt silent, Tendou-san tapped her chopsticks on her lips gently¡­and looked away from me. Then, she mumbled as if she¡¯s throwing a bit of tantrum. ¡°¡­I want you to call my name directly as well¡­¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± My heart skipped a beat as I froze¡­The ticking sounds of the clock is gradually filling up in the clubroom. After I gulped, ¡­I quickly decided momentum is crucial for things like this. So, I tried to say it swiftly to prevent this pause for going too long. ¡°Karen.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­UWAHHHHHHHH. At the same time, both of our faces red up immediately. Crap. This is so embarrassing. What the hell? Why is this 10 times more embarrassing than when I¡¯m confessing? I guess I can skip the part for thinking, ¡°who the hell do you think you are¡± when I¡¯m calling Tendou-san¡¯s name directly. Well, the deeper part is that our hearts suddenly got too close together. It feels like I¡¯m wall-pinning her out of excitement. From such distances, expressions, and the girl¡¯s reaction, it made me think about a lot of things rted to our future. Those images swept us like a wave of tsunami. In the end, we can only be engulfed in this storm and do nothing aside from feeling embarrassed. We plopped our heads down and fell silent for a while. It feels like the room got two degrees warmer. So, after a whole minute, I cleared my throat when I barely recovered and continued. ¡°S-So, ¡­Tendou-san, about the n for finding more people to join¡­¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. Yep, I¡¯m Tendou-san, right.¡± The two of us looked away from each other and pretended nothing happened. Tendou-san quickly chugged two mouthfuls of rice and answered. ¡°It¡¯s a good idea to find more people, ¡­but I can think of two problems.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± I also looked at my bento as I talked. Tendou-san then continued. ¡°First, like what you¡¯ve mentioned earlier, right now, only the two of you have yed that game before. Let say I¡¯m starting to y immediately, can I enjoy the entertainment of that new function?¡± I immediately answered Tendou-san¡¯s question. ¡°Ah, I think it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°You can use the new ¡®GOM Search¡¯ function right away. I think it¡¯s still entertaining if you treat it as a real-time location game. Also, the abilities of the starting characters are quite good as well, perhaps they¡¯re even better than veterans like Mono and me.¡± ¡°Really? Well, let¡¯s forget about this one first. The real issue is the next one.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I can¡¯t help but raise my head from my bento and made eye-contact with Tendou-san. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We blushed and fell silent for a while again. However, Tendou-san cleared her throat and activated her ¡°Polite Tendou-san¡± mode before answering. ¡°I feel like that Konoha Hoshinomori-san wouldn¡¯t allow us to do that.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still asking why¡­From the things that Konoha-san have done in the theme park, it¡¯s evident that she wanted to be alone with you-¡° Just as Tendou-san is in the middle of her unbelievable sentence. My phone on the table is vibrating. It looks like there¡¯s a notification. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡± I paused the conversation to confirm the content. So, just like what I expected, that¡¯s a message from GOM. I quickly clicked on my phone with my left hand and grabbed a piece of sausage with the chopstick on my right hand. ¡°Eh, Amano-kun, that¡¯s impolite.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± After this family-like interaction, I temporarily put down the chopsticks and looked at my phone. Then, it wrote¡­ ¡°¡­Tendou-san, I think that problem of yours¡­is solved already.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Tendou-san pinched a mouthful of fried egg that was cut with her chopsticks as she tilted her head. To this, ¡­I answered while tilting my head as well. ¡°Uh, ¡­I have no idea what¡¯s going on as well.¡± ¡°What?¡± Tendou-san blinked. So, I let her look at the screen of my phone as a ¡°?¡± popped above my head. Then, I conveyed the content of the message. ¡°I think Mono is suggesting that we should go in a group.¡± Volume 6, 5 – Chiaki Hoshinomori and Broken Multiplayer, Part 2 of 3

Volume 6, Chapter 5 ¨C Chiaki Hoshinomori and Broken Multiyer, Part 2 of 3

Trantor: your_pingas Tasuku Uehara 10 AM, on the fourth weekend that signals the end of October. Under the clear sky, I went through the park and arrived at the fountain, which is where we decided to meet. Then, I saw someone I know not far away in front of me. ¡°Aguri.¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, Tasuku, good morning.¡± ¡°Oh, hello.¡± I turned around and waved at Aguri, who¡¯s smiling at me, as we gathered together. It¡¯s been a long time that I¡¯ve seen Aguri in such brilliant casual clothes. I¡¯m feeling a bit embarrassed, but I still acted calmly and strike up a conversation. ¡°You went out of your way toe here. Sorry, I¡¯m forcing you even if you¡¯re uninterested.¡± ¡°Really. However, it¡¯s okay as long as I¡¯m with you.¡± My girlfriend just gave me her warm words before smiling¡­Crap, what¡¯s with this girl? She¡¯s super cute. Right now, I really wanted to give up this boring real-time location game meetup and just have a sweet date with her. Just as I¡¯m seriously considering such a proposal, someone abruptly interrupted me. ¡°Ah, Uehara-kun, Aguri-chan! Good morning!¡± Once I looked back, there¡¯s a girl that¡¯s greeting us happily as she rushed here, also¡­ ¡°¡­Good morning.¡± There¡¯s also the sulky student president of Hekiyou High School that¡¯s greeting us as if she was forced to do so. The two of them slowly walked towards us. We greeted each other before strolling forward. During this time, Hoshinomori spoke up with a bitter smile. ¡°Sigh, ¡­it looks like we got more people than expected.¡± ¡°Of course. There¡¯re already 6 people who were confirmed to join.¡± Also, it included us four plus Amano and Tendou, 6 people in total. To put it simply, it¡¯s the Game Hobby Club +1. I nced at Konoha-san, and she stared right back at me explicitly. She even started to provoke me. ¡°Sigh, this was supposed to be a sweet time for Amano-senpai and me only. It turned into this because someone has been pulling some strings behind.¡± ¡°Ouch.¡± Hoshinomori and I mumbled. Aguri, who seemingly didn¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on, tilted her head to express her confusion. ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t this an ¡®everyone y with Amanhi¡¯ gathering?¡± After Konoha-san witnessed Aguri¡¯s innocent look, ¡­she sighed a bit less vigorously and beamed her a smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, you¡¯re right. Aguri-senpai.¡± ¡°Really? Konohhi.¡± I think Aguri¡¯s way of calling Konoha-san suddenly changed without me knowing it. Sigh, she can rapidly get close to someone since a long ago. Honestly, Konoha-san also acted like she didn¡¯t mind and answered. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°However, initially, only Amano-senpai and I have yed this mobile game before. So, there are just 2 participants at the beginning of the n.¡± ¡°Really. Well¡­¡± So, Aguri¡¯s still using her innocent, yet an unbelievably provocative tone and pissed Konoha-san off. ¡°In the end, all of us get to enjoy this happily. Isn¡¯t that great, Konohhi!¡± ¡°¡­! R-Right, ¡­Agu-senpai.¡± ¡°Ahaha, what¡¯s with the name. It sounds like a species of pig. Jeez¡­¡± [Note: This refers to the Agu pig, sometimes known as the phantom pig in Okinawa.] ¡°Yeah, ¡­doesn¡¯t that sound good? It¡¯s quite cute, Agu-senpai.¡± ¡°Jeez, Konohhi. I can¡¯t stand such mannersing from a junior.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I really can¡¯t help but get into a fight with the gentle Agu-senpai.¡± While both of them are still smiling, but I can feel that they¡¯re slightly triggered¡­I think these two don¡¯t match each other very well. However, instead of saying this as a rtionship conflict, I guess this has more to do with the two¡¯spletely different personalities. However, Hoshinomori is seemingly unconscious in such a tense atmosphere. She¡¯s even waving her arms up and down excitedly as she walked next to me. ¡°Hey, hey, but anyway, I¡¯m still d that this turned into a wholesome and enjoyable activity!¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± Her smile made me press my chest in relief¡­It¡¯s perfect to know that this girl is feeling blessed. Actually, I wanted her to stay with Amano alone¡­ Just as I¡¯m thinking about all that, we can already see the fountain that we¡¯re meeting at. Also, the long bench at the side¡­ ¡°¡­Uh, I would like to ask all the seniors that are studying in Otobuki here, ¡­is that person acting explicitly like that?¡± Konoha-san suddenly gave us a lifeless look as she asked a question like that. After we heard that, all of the Otobuku students present shook their heads. ¡°No, the scariest part is that she¡¯s doing it naturally.¡± ¡°For real¡­¡± Konoha-san looked at the scenery in front of her with half respect and another half dumbfounded. We also smiled bitterly¡­as we looked at that again. ¡­Right there. Under the shades of the trees, there¡¯s a beautiful, yet slightly mncholic girl with blonde hair sitting on the bench by the fountain. She¡¯s even flipping the pages of a book elegantly with her slim fingers. Everyone around the fountain, regardless of their gender, stopped walking and reveled in that scenery. Kohona-san sweatdropped as she mumbled. ¡°No, no, no, what¡¯s with that, she¡¯s literally an angel!¡± ¡°She¡¯s really an angel.¡± ¡°Is it okay for a person like that to exist outside the world of light novels! Isn¡¯t that too weird!¡± ¡°Every student in Otobuki is witnessing this light novel scenery daily, though.¡± ¡°W-Why would a kind like that be Amano-senpai¡¯s girlfriend!¡± ¡°This is one of the Eight Wonders of The World.¡± ¡°Ah, even the Otobuki students are so surprised to the point that they added a new wonder to our world!¡± Just as we¡¯re yelling at each other, and this is reasonable in a sense, the angel ¨C Karen Tendou noticed us and raised her head. She put a bookmark between the pages before rising up from the bench. Then, she walked towards us cleanly and elegantly as if she¡¯s a model. After that, the girl stopped in front of us and smiled. ¡°Good morning, everyone.¡± ¡°G-Good morning.¡± Everyone¡¯s replying nervously for some reason. During this time, ¡­she looked up to the sunny sky and continued as if it¡¯s too charming. ¡°Such beautiful weather. What a great day for gaming!¡± ¡°Indeed, she¡¯s really that guy¡¯s girlfriend!¡± ¡°Eh? What¡¯s wrong?¡± We realized something on our own, and it confused Tendou¡­Yep, the jokes should stop here. Everyone walked towards the bench that Tendou sat on as we waited for the remaining participant¡­The man at the center ¨C Keita Amano. Aguri mumbled confusingly. ¡°This is rare. I can¡¯t believe Amanhi is thest to show up. He¡¯ll always arrive at the meeting ce first and even salute while waiting for me.¡± ¡°Why are you making him salute? But, I guess it¡¯s quite strange for Amano to bete.¡± Just as Aguri and I are starting to chat about this, ¡°Ah, about that.¡± Tendou helped to exin. ¡°He messaged me just then, it seems that he wanted to bring another person in. So, they took the next bus and will arrive one or two minutester.¡± The part that he went out of his way to contact us that he¡¯ll bete for a minute is really like Amano. After Aguri and I answered, ¡°we got it,¡± Hoshinomori tilted her head unbelievably. ¡°However, who¡¯s the person? Although we indeed wanted to invite more people to this, I think Keita¡¯s friends aside from those in the Game Hobby Club¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably Mizumi, right?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, I think so.¡± Tendou agreed with my guess, everyone nodded and acknowledged that as well. So, after 3 minutes of chitchatting¡­ ¡°Ah, ¡­hey! Sorry, I¡¯mte!¡± A boy was waving his hands high at the entrance of the park and apologized as he dashed towards us. It¡¯s Amano. We waved back at him. However¡­ ¡°Who¡¯s¡­that guy? It¡¯s not Mizumi.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The person who¡¯s rushing here next to Amano is clearly not Mizumi. Tendou and I were shocked. Aguri mumbled. ¡°I think it¡¯s a guy, ¡­who¡¯s that? I have never seen him at school.¡± ¡°None of the Otobuki students knows him. Perhaps it¡¯s just Amano-senpai¡¯s old friend, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible for him to have a friend like that.¡± ¡°You guys are so confident! That¡¯s brutal!¡± Konoha-san freaked out. However, it¡¯s not like we don¡¯t understand why she¡¯sining¡­But, we remained very close to Amano for nearly half a year. So, we¡¯re sure that¡¯s not the case. If Amano really does have a friend like that, first of all, we can guarantee that he would¡¯ve absolutely told us. However, in reality, he really just brought a total stranger to us. Everyone¡¯s uproaring due to sheer anxiety. But, ¡­Amano and his friend arrived before we can mentally prepare ourselves. ¡°S-Sorry, everyone. I¡¯mte¡­I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s fine¡­¡± I answered Amano, who¡¯s out of his breaths as he¡¯s apologized, with a stiff smile as I nced at the person next to him. The guy is highly contrasting with Amano. He¡¯s not panting at all. A tall boy with ck hair and an incredibly refreshing smile. Also, speaking of this person¡­ (Eh, isn¡¯t this guy¡­too handsome¡­) This is a boy that even I had to bend my knees down to. Also, he¡¯s not the same as me. He¡¯s letting off apletely natural aura. I guess I can represent this kind of ¡°outstanding¡± existence if I say that his impression matches that of Karen Tendou¡¯s. However, his handsomeness isn¡¯t the only thing that we¡¯re confused about. (I feel like, ¡­this guy looks simr to Amano?) Honestly, their appearances aren¡¯t remotely simr. But, unbelievably, the guy¡¯s face is giving off an Amano-like impression. Just as we¡¯re utterly speechless, Amano looked slightly startled as he scrambled his brain to try and introduce the person next to him. ¡°Ah, sorry, uh, this guy is-¡° *coughs* Amano probably choked because he ran all the way here. Tendou, as his girlfriend, quickly tried to attend to the boy¡­However, the handsome guy next to Amano acted first and rubbed his back as he frowned worriedly. ¡°A-Are you okay, -brother.¡± ¡°B-Brother?¡± We said the exact same thing out of our shock. The tall boy looked at us a bit embarrassingly¡­Then, he rubbed Amano¡¯s back, who¡¯s still coughing nonstop as he spoke up. ¡°Hello, nice to meet you. I¡¯m my brother ¨C Keita Amano¡¯s little bro, Kousei Amano. I¡¯m really sorry for participating in this even though I¡¯m a middle schooler that¡¯s not in the Game Hobby Club. To avoid any inconvenience, I¡¯ll try my best to stay at the side. Thanks for everything.¡± The handsome junior that¡¯s too polite bowed down respectfully. Although he got this especially ¡°refreshing¡± aura, we were still shocked¡­ ¡°¡­N-Nice to meet you¡­¡± We barely managed to give a reluctant and stiff smile to him. Konoha Hoshinomori In contrast to the subtle nervousness within everyone based onst time¡¯s experience, this activity is unexpectedly smooth¡­Moreover, this is really peaceful and enjoyable. I think the biggest reason has to do with that GOM Search is somehow quite entertaining. Walking around in the real world and collecting items around checkpoints with emotional ups and downs. While the game mechanics are pretty clich¨¦, but there¡¯re so many checkpoints that you don¡¯t need to worry about not being able to find one, even in rural areas like this. Together with the easy-to-use controls and the ingenious item collection mechanic based on luck, all the elements merged into this one great game. In the end, we chatted happily as we strolled along the park excitedly and went from checkpoint to checkpoint. Two hours had already passed before we knew it. Amano-senpai is looking a bit exhausted, so he let out a ¡°phew¡± and sighed. ¡°We walked quite a lot. My legs are getting tired.¡± The tall, refreshing, and handsome boy next to him ¨C Kousei Amano answered rxingly. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re still just as inactive as usual.¡± Also, he¡¯s calling Amano-senpai with ¡°brother¡± or ¡°onii-san¡± while I just call my older sister ¡°onee-chan.¡± It feels that they¡¯re not very close upon hearing that¡­ ¡°K-Kousei, you¡¯re annoying.¡± ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m different from you. I¡¯ve always trained my physique back in my middle school¡¯s Volleyball Club.¡± The little brother smiles innocently at his older sibling. Amano-senpai pouted his cheeks angrily. ¡°Kousei, you really robbed everything from me, whether it¡¯s height, intelligence, appearance, or physique.¡± ¡°Ah, brother, you forgot about ¡®gaming skills¡¯ as well.¡± ¡°Ugh! I really hate myself for not being able to retort and can do nothing aside from getting sulky!¡± ¡°Hey, hey, brother, I¡¯m sorry for being such an elite little brother.¡± ..Hm. It looks like the rtionship between the brothers is even closer than us sisters in a sense. However, if that¡¯s the case, why doesn¡¯t he just call him ¡°bro¡± directly, ¡­perhaps this is the difference between sisters and brothers. (But, ¡­it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m only interested in the older brother, anyways.) I centered my vision at Amano-senpai, who¡¯s taking heavy footsteps, as I can¡¯t help but lick my lips and covet inside my heart. (Ahh, for some reason, I¡¯m quite fond of seeing Amano-senpai suffer.) Today I realized an unexpected sexual fetish of mine once again¡­Yep, should I try an even nastier hentai game next time? Just as I¡¯m thinking about it, my older sister suddenly spoke up with a rtively loud volume, which is quite rare. ¡°W-Well! E-Everyone, ¡­it¡¯s almost time for lunch, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yep.¡± After we heard her suggestion, we finally realized it¡¯s past 12 PM already¡­Also, coincidentally, we can see a rural burger steak restaurant in front of us. Agu-senpai pressed her stomach as she moaned. ¡°Ah, I think I¡¯m starving right now.¡± ¡°Really? Uh, ¡­it took us a while to get here, let¡¯s just go in for lunch, alright. Everyone agrees?¡± All of us raised our hands at Trashara¡¯s question, and we agreed to enter the restaurant. Amano-senpai, who¡¯s twice as exhausted and emaciated as others, pressed his chest in relief. We acknowledged our hunger once again. Then, we chitchatted about what we should order as we stepped into the restaurant gleefully. However- ¡°7 in total, right? Uh, right now, ¡­let me see. All of you will be split into two 4-person tables that are a bit far away, will that be too inconvenient?¡± At the moment that the waitress asked us, that cheerful atmosphere of us disappeared immediately and turned into the usual ¡°battle of wits¡± mode- ¡°Ah, other customers areing as well, let¡¯s just sit randomly.¡± -Right there, Amano-senpai gave a reasonable suggestion. We were forced to take a seat before we even had a chance to think. In the end¡­ (¡­¡­¡­¡­) ¡­Trashara, Karen Tendou, me, ¡­and the new face Kousei Amano. The four people that weren¡¯t supposed to be together seated in the same table. (¡­¡­¡­¡­) Tendou-senpai is with Trashara, and I¡¯m with the little brother¡­We stared at each other silently as if we¡¯re at a funeral. Tendou-senpai and Trashara are seemingly unable to get their partners off their heads¡­However, well, of course, I wanted to sit with Amano-senpai and onee-chan as well. From the little brother¡¯s perspective, I guess he wanted to sit in the same table with the only person that he¡¯s familiar with. That¡¯s why¡­ (¡­¡­¡­¡­) ¡­None of us moved an inch. There¡¯re only 3 people on that table, so one of us can go there¡­But that¡¯s why no one is moving, everyone¡¯s in a status quo. The four of us are pinned down in this overwhelming silence. On the contrary, that table¡­Amano-senpai, onee-chan, and Agu-senpai¡¯s side. ¡°Ahaha, even the meal choices are the same as well. Amanhi and Shin-chan, you two are adorable together!¡± The menu is ced in the middle of the table. Those three people yfully and cheerfully ordered their dishes. My sister is even cleverly upying the seat next to Amano-senpai. How blessed. Inparison, our side¡­ ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± Our sighs wholly ovepped. This is literally hell. None of us are benefiting. Even so, we can¡¯t stay depressed for long. We opened the menu on the table as well, ¡­but we¡¯re not as enthusiastic as the other side. We just decided what we want to eat inly and ordered after we called the waitress. (¡­¡­¡­¡­) The silence returned to the table again¡­To be honest, I feel like, in situations like this, Tendou-senpai or Trashara should lead the discussion since they¡¯re seniors¡­However, the two of them are way too focused over the next table. I think they¡¯re busy. I let out a sigh as I admitted defeat. Fine, whatever. Then, I followed my desires and tried to strike up a conversation with the little brother next to me while smiling. ¡°Hey, your name¡¯s Kousei, right? Can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Sure. What do you want to ask?¡± Kousei-kun took a sip of the cup of water as he answered me with a bright smile. As for me, I fiddled the tip of my hair a bit embarrassingly¡­and looked up to him. ¡°Let me ask you about that brother of yours¡­Uh, from a little brother¡¯s perspective, do you know¡­what type of girls is he into?¡± Tendou-senpai and Trashara were shocked at my question. As for the little brother, ¡­he quickly answered my question with a warm smile. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re asking this? Hmm, I do know my brother¡¯s preferences.¡± ¡°R-Really? Uh, ¡­c-can you tell me?¡± I straightened my back and faced him with excitement. Just as Trashara and Tendou-senpai are slightly interested in this topic¡­ The little brother gave me the answer clearly with an angelic smile. ¡°At least, bitches like you will never be his type. Know your ce, slut.¡± [Note: That¡¯s really what he said. I¡¯m not tranting it aggressively.] ¡°Oh. Really¡­¡± ¡°!¡± W-Weird, I think I heard something shocking just then¡­Uh, must be my imagination, right? Trashara and Tendou-senpai bulged their eyes as well¡­Hmm, both of them got it wrong as well, right? Moreover, in reality, the little brother is still giving us his refreshing smile. Yep, there¡¯s no way for a guy like this to say something along the lines of bitches and sluts to seniors that he just met. Ahaha, I¡¯m such a silly girl! Did I y hentai games too much! ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did I just say something impolite?¡± The little brother tilted his head and expressed his confusion to our stiff attitude¡­Yep, I must be imagining things. That¡¯s great, I thought something went wrong for a second. I answered with a forehead full of sweat. ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing, everything¡¯s fine¡­¡± Then, I think Tendou-senpai is trying to switch up the mood, so she started talking to Kousei-kun, ¡°Uh, ¡­right, Kousei-kun. Do you feel ufortable staying around your brother¡¯s friends all day? I hope you can enjoy yourself and didn¡¯t hold back¡­¡± She¡¯s really a real angel. What a natural way to show that she cares. To that, Kousei-kun straightened his back as he waved his hand, and hastily denied. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine! I¡¯m totally not holding myself back, not at all!¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s great.¡± Tendou-senpai smiled as she said that. Kousei-kun also answered ¡°yes¡± as he gave us a warm smile- -He spoke up embarrassingly with that smile. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for me to hold back against the dust and trash that float around my brother!¡± ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± Our suspicion just then is now almost confirmed¡­At the same time, we started sweating real hard on our faces. Kousei-kun still faced Tendou-senpai and Trashara with a refreshing smile. ¡°Right! I¡¯ve heard about you two from my brother! He described you two as an incredibly cute, handsome, and respectable girl and a gentle, reliable, good friend!¡± ¡°R-Really.¡± The two seniors are suddenly praised to the top, so they scratched their heads embarrassingly. Kousei-kun took a piece of paper towel from the side of the table. Then, he carefully wiped the water droplets spilled onto the table from his cup as he continued with a bright smile. ¡°However, once we actually met, I realized you two are indeed retarded peasants that can never hope to match my brother. I¡¯m feeling a bit more relieved.¡± ¡°¡­? R-Retarded¡­peasants?¡± Tendou-senpai and Trashara seemed like they didn¡¯t understand what did he just say, so they repeated those words as if they¡¯re parrots. As for Kousei-kun, he continued while facing the two seniors without any hostility. ¡°Sigh, I guess that¡¯s fine as well. The two of you are irreceable for my brother, after all! Really!¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± The two were a bit embarrassed again. Kousei-kun smiled and continued. ¡°Yeah! Please continue to pretend as a ¡®fake friend¡¯ and ¡®¡¯fake girlfriend¡¯ from now on. It would be great if you two can stay on good terms with my brother for a long time!¡± ¡°F-Fake¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah! After all, you two aren¡¯t in the same league with my brother at all. However, right now, he misunderstood that you two are his friend and girlfriend. So, it¡¯s a fact that he earned some sort of mentalfort from this. In this sense, I think the two of you are still really important to my brother.¡± ¡°R-Really-¡° ¡°Even though you two are absolute trash whenpared to him!¡± ¡°!¡± What kind of emotional shock is this? Right now, what did the little brother do to the two people in front of me? Torture? Is this some kind of new extreme punishment or what?¡± However, Kousei-kun continued innocently to the two seniors. ¡°So, Tendou-senpai! Uehara-senpai! From now on, ¡­please continue to be my brother¡¯s ¡®soul fertilizer¡¯ as well!¡± ¡°¡­Uh¡­¡± What the hell is this guy talking about? The two normies from Otobuku can only fell speechless after hearing that. ¡­What should I do? What¡¯s with this atmosphere? This shocking first experience of my life made my brain stopped working entirely. A-Anyway, the one thing I can guarantee is that ¡­we would all lose our appetites if this continues. I let out a forced ¡°ha¡­haha¡±ugh as I tried to smooth things over. ¡°A-Alright, this little brother just suddenly said something surprising. Even so, from the fact that he still agreed for us to stay with Amano-senpai atst, I guess it¡¯s cute if you considered that as a Tsundere reaction-¡° ¡°Nope, you¡¯re different, Konoha Hoshinomori. Please disappear immediately from my brother, you slutty bitch.¡± ¡°Why!¡± I can¡¯t help but m my hands on the table as I stood up. So, -everyone in the restaurant, including Amano-senpai¡¯s table, nced at us. Amano-senpai looked at us worriedly. Kousei-kun then replied with a bitter smile. ¡°Haha, brother, is it really the time to be worried about someone right now? I don¡¯t think you guys are talking enough¡­¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s fine! Y-You¡¯re annoying, Kousei. This is none of your business. Jeez.¡± Amano-senpai turned back angrily to continue what they were chatting about. During this time, Kousei-kun nodded respectfully at onee-chan and Agu-senpai when they¡¯re looking at us. I sat back down after I witnessed their interaction. Then, I racked my brain and started talking acridly to this guy¡­.this stinky douchebag with a stomach full of crap. ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re already calling me a bitch¡­K-Kid, you sure do know how to act innocently.¡± ¡°Eh? You say¡­I¡¯m acting innocently? What are you talking about?¡± He tilted his head as if he¡¯s genuinely confused¡­.T-This prick! ¡°I-It¡¯s because your attitude is entirely different for uspared to them!¡± I pointed out my reasoning clearly. Even so, the little brother¡­No, douchebag Kousei is still giving us an unbelievable look like he doesn¡¯t understand what we¡¯re talking about at all. ¡°Ah? Uh, this is something that¡¯s bound to happen, right. It¡¯s because that table is my brother and his genuine friends. There¡¯s no reason for me to treat them impolitely. Did your brain rot after you turned into a bitch?¡± ¡°Huh-! T-To your brother, this table is also full of his treasured friends, right!¡± Tendou-senpai and Trashara nodded vigorously at what I just said. However, Kousei-kun let out an ¡°ah?¡± before giving us a serious look. ¡°Nope, you three are different. I¡¯ve already said this a couple times, right? In this table, ¡­there¡¯s only ¡®my brother¡¯s fake friend,¡¯ ¡®my brother¡¯s fake girlfriend,¡¯ and the ¡®pure bitch.¡¯ Sigh, how regrettable.¡± ¡°No, no, no! I¡¯m the one that should feel regret right now!¡± ¡°Yes. You should be regretful of your chastity.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about that! Jesus, I-I¡¯ve had enough!¡± I scratched my head frustratedly! W-What¡¯s wrong with this guy! Rage kept funneling up to my brain, I¡¯m so angry that I don¡¯t even know what to say! Just as I¡¯m mumbling to myself, Trashara tried to continue and asked. ¡°Uh, K-Kousei? I do have a question¡­¡± ¡°Ah, okay, what is your question? U¡­Ue¡­the green leaves senpai who¡¯s just acting as a foil to my brother.¡± ¡°G-Green leaves¡­Whatever. I-I¡¯ll bring that upter. Kousei? Just then, ¡­you were saying it like you¡¯re highly respecting the members from that table. However, that means¡­¡± After Kousei heard what Trashara just said, he answered with a random bright smile. ¡°Ah, right.¡± ¡°Aguri-senpai and Chiaki-senpai. I really respect them. Sigh, ¡­my brother got himself two great friends in high school. To that, I¡¯m delighted to know this today¡­¡± Kousei wiped the tears off the corner of his eyes after he said that¡­T-This guy is crazy. He¡¯s excelling my ¡°hentai game lover despite being a student council president¡± side. He¡¯s aplete psycho. I can¡¯t believe Amano-senpai¡¯s little brother is actually a guy like this¡­ (No, this makes so much sense once I thought about it.) After all, Amano-senpai is like a device that attracts weirdos. Even though I don¡¯t count. Tendou-senpai and Trashara seem to have also adapted to my mindset as well. The three of us understood what¡¯s happening at the same time. Just as I¡¯m pondering about it, the meals arrived. Kousei-kun is still acting so politely that we began to suspect what¡¯s wrong with that toxic discussion just then. He started eating after announcing, ¡°thanks for the food.¡± We felt that this is pretty dumb as well, so we started chewing on our burger steaks detedly. After a while, suddenly, Tendou-senpai asked Kousei-kun something tremblingly. ¡°Uh, ¡­Kousei-kun?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, what¡¯s wrong? Uh, ¡­Te¡­Te¡­Tempura crumbs? No, ¡­uh, ¡­right, the female side character senpai?¡± ¡°Side character¡­W-Whatever, it¡¯s okay. Uh, ¡­Kousei-kun, I have a simple question. Why are you just acknowledging Aguri-san and Hoshinomori-san as your brother¡¯s friends?¡± ¡°Eh? You¡¯re asking why¡­Isn¡¯t that obvious? They¡¯re entirely different than you three trashes. Those two are pretty amazing, way out of your league.¡± ¡°R-Really.¡± Even Tendou-senpai mumbled a bit dumbfoundedly. Trashara and I said ¡°that¡¯s enough¡± before skipping the conversation between them. Then, we ate our meals. However, ¡­Kousei then said something that made us stopped eating. ¡°It¡¯s because those two noticed that my brother isn¡¯t feeling too well today.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± We bulged our eyes in shock. Kousei-kun still continued eating as he spoke up again. ¡°All of you thought that I¡¯m only here to check on my brother¡¯s friends, right?¡± ¡°Quite possible.¡± The voices of the three of uspletely ovepped. Kousei admitted. ¡°Yep, I do.¡± Then, he continued. ¡°In reality, I do mean to just ¡®apany my brother¡¯ if we¡¯re just talking about today. Ah, even when I said he¡¯s not feeling well, of course, it¡¯s only limited to a slight headache. I¡¯ll never let my brother go outside if he¡¯s really sick.¡± ¡°T-Things like that¡­If the guy doesn¡¯t say anything, we wouldn¡¯t have know¡­¡± Trashara looked away as he mumbled. I didn¡¯t Kousei-kun to not only agree with him with a ¡°yeah,¡± he even continued after taking a bite of the burger steak. ¡°Honestly, I also felt that it¡¯s quite extraordinary for people to be able to notice small things like that. Come to think of it, only a family member who stayed with him for a long time can do it. However, that¡¯s why I thoroughly respect those two for realizing that my brother¡¯s under the weather. Ay, Chiaki-senpai and Aguri-senpai are really amazing. I can¡¯t believe my brother can meet such incredible friends in the school. I¡¯m so throbbed right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Tendou-senpai and Trashara lowered their heads at what Kousei just said. Kousei then cut his burger steak with chopsticks. ¡°Ah, please don¡¯t misunderstand. This is just the reason for me to ¡®respect¡¯ those two. That¡¯s not why I¡¯m treating you three as trash. I¡¯m not despising you all out of your inability to notice that my brother¡¯s not feeling well.¡± Kousei smiled after he said that. It looks like he got a unique view on everything. He continued. ¡°So, the reason that I¡¯m giving you guys a bad rating is just that I hate ¡®people that thought they¡¯re smooth and slick¡¯ at everything. My brother has always been hurt by people like that, ¡­including myself.¡± Just as we¡¯re holding our breaths, Kousei chugged a cup of water down his throat as if he¡¯s trying to vent something out. Then, he nced at his brother with a look filled with a traffic of emotions. ¡­Perhaps¡­this guy is different than what I thought. He¡¯s not just a guy with a stomach full of crap- ¡°But that bitch right there is a piece of universally-agreed trash.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking too much!¡± I wanted to hit his head, but he easily dodged it without even looking at me¡­Ugh, he got strong base stats! What¡¯s with this person! Onee-chan, I think I got myself a rival as well! Tendou-senpai and Trashara remained silent since they can¡¯t retort Kousei. As for me, I mumbled as I red at Kousei¡­Then, I suddenly realized he¡¯s absolutely not just paying attention to his brother. ¡°¡­Kousei, why are you staring at my sister?¡± ¡°!¡± Kousei immediately freaked out as his body froze. He blushed a bit embarrassingly and mumbled. ¡°¡­Shut up, you bitch.¡± Then, he quickly cleared all of his rice. ¡­Ohhh? ¡°Really. I get it. You have a massive brotherplex. When there¡¯s a cute girl who¡¯s personality is the exact same as your beloved brother, of course, you¡¯ll pay attention to her.¡± I spoke up and revealed Kousei¡¯s thoughts. However, he wiped the corner of his mouth with tissue nervously as he gave me an icy stare. ¡°Huh? ¡­Hmph, that¡¯s what a shallow bitch would think. As a biological being, it¡¯s reasonable to have an intense sexual drive. Still, if thates at the cost of rationality, it¡¯s absolutely over for a human.¡± ¡°W-What! How could I be wrong to think that you¡¯re in love with my sister?¡± ¡°No, I do agree that I ¡®love¡¯ Chiaki-senpai.¡± ¡°L-Look. You¡¯re indeed falling for my sister.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the difference. That¡¯s the decisive divergence between a bitch and me. The dream that I¡¯ve painted for Chiaki-senpai¡­It¡¯s not those kinds of pathetic loving rtionships. Instead, it¡¯s a far more noble and sublime imagination.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Kousei just said something baffling. The three of us looked at him dumbfoundedly. So, ¡­Kousei suddenly brought up his disgusting wish intoxicatedly. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about whether my brother can marry Chiaki-senpai. If that happened, there will twice the existence of my brother. If they gave birth to children, there¡¯d be 3 to 4 times as many beings that resembled my brother¡­¡± ¡°¡­Uwah¡­¡± We can¡¯t take it anymore, that¡¯s crazy. Kousei Amano, he¡¯s super insane. I can¡¯t believe Amano-senpai has such a shocking trump card behind him. N-No, perhaps senpai didn¡¯t even know that his little brother¡¯s real side¡­However, I guess it¡¯s better for him to not know. After that, we continued digging in silently. However, it¡¯s different than when we just took a seat. It¡¯s not because we felt awkward. ¡°Kousei Amano. My appetite is losing for every second spent talking to him!¡± Depression. Intolerance. His attitude and ability to cast these emotions onto us make it extremely difficult for us to enjoy our meals. Kousei Amano. He got a caring heart for his brother, a wicked tongue, a stomach full of crap, a love of cleanliness, and purity found in middle schoolers. What a miraculous chemical reaction. After we robotically swept up our burger steaks, we quickly called the happy, lunchtime-enjoying trio that¡¯s far better than us to leave the restaurant¡­Although we feel kind of terrible to them, it¡¯s now too suffering for us ¡°The Trash Group¡± to talk to Kousei Amano. ¡°W-Well, what should we do next?¡± Everyone finished paying up and walked to the door of the restaurant. Trashara nced at Kousei Amano¡¯s movement with the corner of his eyes as he asked for everyone¡¯s schedule. Amano-senpai is the first to answer. ¡°If everyone¡¯s still interested, I kind of wanted to take a short walk and continue ying GOM search. It helps with the digestion.¡± Kousei Amano answered with a bitter smile. ¡°Jeez, brother, you will always be active in times like this.¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong, Kousei¡­Why does it matter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. However, in reality, I¡¯m not as interested in the game as you, brother¡­¡± ¡°U-Ugh, Kousei¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s pointless to let out a sound like that. This is decided by everyone, right? You¡¯re the one that said it, right, brother? ¡®If everyone¡¯s still interested,¡¯ ¡­everyone agrees?¡± Kousei Amano looked at us with a refreshing smile after he said that. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Tendou-senpai, Trashara, and I immediately started sweatdropping. ¡°Before we ate that lunch, ¡­I can sincerely agree¡­he¡¯s trying to be a ¡®good little brother that knows when to exhort his brother¡¯ when he said that.¡± Honestly, onee-chan and Agui-senpai, who don¡¯t know Kousei¡¯s real side, answered with a polite smile. ¡°Ay, I guess I should y with Amanhi sometimes.¡± ¡°I wanted to y for just a little bit more like Keita¡­¡± Kousei continued. ¡°Really? I¡¯m sorry. My brother¡¯s causing quite a hassle¡­¡± What a polite reply. ¡­Yep, that¡¯s fine. That¡¯s really fine¡­However¡­ Kousei then turned to us- with his super bright smile. ¡°Uh, but, it¡¯s not like I need everyone to stay with my terrible gaming otaku brother, though.¡± (Didn¡¯t my brother say he wanted to go for a walk! Say ¡®yes¡± right now, you peasants!) ¡°I think we can hear what he¡¯s actually trying to say-!¡± We can¡¯t help but tremble. What the hell is this? Kousei Amano is super insane. While it looks like he¡¯s a typical ¡®good little brother¡¯ type, and it does look genuine. However, there¡¯s a pretty horrible dark side hidden in it. Inparison, I think my switch between the student council president mode and the hentai game lover mode isn¡¯t even that bad. ¡­Anyway. Just like that, -everyone ¡°agreed¡± to retake a stroll for the checkpoints. Volume 6, 5 – Chiaki Hoshinomori and Broken Multiplayer, Part 3 of 3

Volume 6, Chapter 5 ¨C Chiaki Hoshinomori and Broken Multiyer, Part 3 of 3

Trantor: your_pingas (Ugh, ¡­Kousei is still just as serious when ites to me¡­) I walked alone behind everyone depressingly. We¡¯re already in the rural area that¡¯s far away from the downtown area filled with game stores and other shops. It¡¯s only a short walk away from the area that¡¯s full of natural scenery. However, right now, there are only food processing factories and car reseller shops that no one visits. There¡¯s nothing that can calm down my restless heart at the moment. In the end, I can only put my mind on the friends that are walking in front of me¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± In front of me, my little brother is already getting familiar with everyone in just a couple of hours. While he¡¯s young, he¡¯ll never be shy to express himself¡­At the same time, he¡¯s chatting with everyone with perfect politeness. I stared at them dazedly before I let out amenting sigh. (Kousei¡¯s sure incredible. In terms of strongmunication skills, I think he shares that with Uehara-kun and Tendou-san¡­However, there¡¯s a slight difference between them¡­Hmm, ¡­what is it?) I looked at the back of my outstanding little brother for a while. So, just as he¡¯s¡­.chatting with the three people that he just sat with for lunch extra peacefully, I finally realized. (Right. There¡¯s a ¡°sincere¡± and ¡°likable¡± part of Kousei that he shows everyone but me, yes!) I¡¯m reveling in my urate observation. Yeah, exactly. Although Uehara-kun and Tendou-san are both excellent as well, Kousei¡¯s situation is that he¡¯s innocent and straightforward from the bottom of his heart. (I must be right to think that his ¡°kindness¡± is already known by everyone at this point.) Look. Tendou-san, Uehara-kun, and Konoha-san smiled robotically just then. Being able to make three people with different personalities grinning the exact same way, my little brother is undoubtedly incredible. (¡­Sigh. Inparison, I¡­) The more that I¡¯m proud of my little brother, the more apparent it shows how useless I¡¯m. Honestly, even one of the reasons that I invited my little brother is¡­This is embarrassing, but trying to brag ¡°hey, I got myself a bunch of good friends and a girlfriend as well¡± is included. However, once the result is revealed¡­It only proved that I¡¯m still only myself in front of my excellent little brother. (Ay, but I guess this is not all bad. I think I¡¯m acting a bit too proudtely) Even if I got a girlfriend, and my friends are benefiting me so much. I¡¯m still me. I acknowledged the fact that I¡¯m just ¡°Keita Amano¡± once again. Yep, from this perspective¡­ (Perhaps, ¡­it¡¯s right to call Kousei here.) I looked at Kousei, who¡¯s chatting happily with Uehara-kun and his friends, as I can¡¯t help but smile¡­Despite everything, I¡¯m still really delighted to know that Kousei¡¯s happy when he¡¯s around my favorite friends. Just as I¡¯m pondering alone, in that group, ¡­there¡¯s an angel with blonde hair who left silently and came to me. ¡°T-Tendou-san? What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked her with a slightly sharper voice out of my nervousness¡­Even though we¡¯re dating each other for a couple of months, I¡¯m still straightening my back whenever she¡¯s next to me. I¡¯m really not in the same league with my little brother, how useless. Tendou-san smiled warmly at me, ¡­but her face immediately darkens for some reason before asking me. ¡°Uh, ¡­Amano-kun? Well, ¡­are you feeling better now?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I freaked out at the unexpected question¡­A-Am I feeling better? Why is she asking that¡­Ah. (Come to think of it, I have a slight headache since morning. Itsted all the way until we had lunch.) Since it¡¯s quite mild, I¡¯m fully recovered by now. So, I eventually forgot about it. I answered Tendou-san with a smile. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m absolutely fine now. Thanks for worrying over me, Tendou-san!¡± ¡°R-Really. d to hear that¡­¡± Tendou-san pressed her chest in relief. That look, ¡­I¡¯m really proud of her. ¡°Sigh, ¡­you¡¯re really amazing.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m confident in myself for not acting like I have a headache¡­I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still able to tell it. I¡¯m throbbed to know that.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, that¡¯s because¡­¡± Tendou-san plopped her head down somehow¡­Is it because she¡¯s embarrassed? I also scratched my face. Although I¡¯m feeling a bit embarrassed, ¡­I still said my thanks. ¡°Uh, you¡¯re indeed my girlfriend. No one can do what you just did. I really appreciate that.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay¡­¡± Tendou-san is holding herself with her arms tightly for some reason. She¡¯s even looking away from me¡­? (Ah, ¡­did I make her ufortable just then? I-I guess it¡¯s right. I think ¡°you¡¯re indeed my girlfriend¡± is quite lofty. Uwah¡­) I¡¯m freaking out at Tendou-san¡¯s reaction. I-I really didn¡¯t mean anything aside from expressing my gratitude¡­However, that¡¯s why it¡¯ll be weird to take it back right now¡­Ugh! During this time¡­ ¡°Ah, Tendou-senpai, there¡¯s something I would like to ask you for. What does this reaction mean? It doesn¡¯t look like an item or a character¡­¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, a-alright, that¡¯s¡­¡± Thanks to Kousei for suddenly speaking up to Tendou-san at the front, we managed to get over this stalemate vaguely¡­T-Thanks, Kousei! (¡­However, this means that my little brother can¡¯t stand anymore and helped me.) Crap, I¡¯m so depressed right now. Seeing my perfect little brother chatting happily with my girlfriend from behind dazedly, it¡¯s really disheartening. While I don¡¯t feel anything remotely rted jealousy, ¡­I feel like I can¡¯t be any more useless. This time, Chiaki was the one that walked next to me while I¡¯m feeling hopeless. She¡¯s looking at me with her usual, slightly provoking stance. ¡°Keita, is the meal good?¡± ¡°Huh? Why are you asking that? I mean, it¡¯s okay, ¡­but you¡¯re not the one that cooked it, anyways.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong? Why are you looking at my eyes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­Hmm, good to know that. Yes. Sorry for the simple diet.¡± ¡°Uh, why are you saying that like you cooked it.¡± Chiaki chuckled¡­W-What¡¯s wrong with this girl? I feel like she found out a new way to tease me. I shrugged helplessly before grabbing my phone out of the pocket and checked GOM. So, Chiaki quickly noticed it and reminded me. ¡°You¡¯re on your phone while walking.¡± ¡°Why are you saving that up until now? There¡¯s no one around, and the path is wide, please just leave me alone.¡± ¡°¡­But you¡¯re on your phone while walking.¡± How annoying. I let out a helpless sigh and stopped as I went to the side of the road to check my game. Although we distanced ourselves from everyone else for a bit, it¡¯ll be quick to check, so everything should be fine. Chiakiughed. ¡°Good boy.¡± Then, she stood next to me and checked her game as well. ¡°You¡¯re ying too?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m here to y this.¡± ¡°¡­Really.¡± Chiaki stayed next to me cheerfully. She checked the location around her with a face full of excitement¡­Jeez. (The part that I hate the most is that I can actually understand what she¡¯s thinking¡­) Our views for everything are almost identical. This hurts my brain. After I¡¯m finished with my game, I nced at Chiaki¡¯s screen without thinking. Then, it showed¡­ (Ah, her level is indeed low.) That¡¯s totally the stats of a new yer. Chiaki must have registered just for this activity, right. (I think I¡¯ve seen her ying GOM a while ago, ¡­was it just my imagination?) Although I¡¯m still a bit suspicious, I looked at Chiaki¡¯s screen as I spoke up to her. ¡°Your username is¡­Haru?¡± ¡°Ah, wait, don¡¯t peek. You pervert.¡± ¡°What kind of fetish do I need for me to be turned on with a game screen like that¡­¡± I let out a sigh and asked her again. ¡°By the way, why are you calling yourself Haru?¡± ¡°No reason, I just named it randomly. I guess it¡¯s because I like spring if you want a reason.¡± [Note: ¡°Haru¡± means spring in Japanese.] ¡°Oh, ¡­you¡¯re still as bad with talking to people as I do, Chiaki.¡± ¡°Please leave me alone! Also, Keita, is it okay for you to insult me like that!¡± Chiakiined vehemently, but I didn¡¯t care. I just answered, ¡°I¡¯m going¡± before taking the first step. So, Chiaki immediately replied. ¡°P-Please wait.¡± Then, she chased after me. I looked at the white fumesing out from the factories in front as I got lost in thoughts. (Haru, ¡­that¡¯s more like what Konoha-san would use.) Sigh, there¡¯s nothing concrete about my suspicion. After all, nothing is forcing people to call their characters with their real names. After walking with Chiaki for a while, we caught up with everyone. All of them stopped to check on their phones. ¡°Ah, ¡­hey, Amano, I think there¡¯re rare characters around here.¡± ¡°Eh, really? What characters?¡± I grabbed my phone out to check once again. Then¡­ (Ah, this is¡­) That¡¯s a special character that was released in previous missions. One of the new functions that made GOM enjoyable is using this to release ¡°vintage characters¡± or the ones that were missing in previous rewards. I think it¡¯s a pretty good mechanic. Speaking of the characters, it¡¯s a handy one that was released in a short activity a while ago. Its weapons are top-tier. I¡¯m so excited that I can¡¯t help but raise my face. However, the newbies that only started ying today will never know its real value- ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± -For some reason, I made eye contact with Chiaki. ¡°!¡± However, Chiaki quickly plopped her head down¡­? What¡¯s wrong with her? Just as I¡¯m hesitating whether to talk to her, then¡­ ¡°Ah, Shin-chan, Shin-chan, I think I just got a weird screen!¡± Aguri-san called Chiaki out of her confusion, so we missed the chance. I let out a gentle sigh and attempted to change my mood. ¡°Ah, right.¡± Then, I rushed next to Konoha-san. ¡°Konoha-san, Konoha-san! I feel pretty good!¡± ¡°¡­Hiya?¡± Konoha-san looked away from the screen and towards me as she tilted her head confusingly¡­What? She was shocked for a while. After that, she answered with something that¡¯s not even remotely rted. ¡°Did we have sex already, senpai?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a ridiculous reply. I¡¯m not ¡®feeling good¡¯ in that way. Look at the character!¡± ¡°Eh, this character isn¡¯t a virgin? But her face is so cute¡­I¡¯m turned on.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You can get this character, this one. Don¡¯t you remember?¡± ¡°¡­? Ah, r-right. Uh, ¡­.it exists.¡± For some reason, Konoha-san¡¯s eyes are starting to float around. I tilted my head and nced at her screen as well. (The username is Mono¡­I still found this unbelievable even when I saw it once again.) I can¡¯t believe this person is Mono that I¡¯ve yed with for so long, ¡­at the same time, she¡¯s supposed to be the F2P game creator NOBE that I respect. Even if my brain understands, right now, I still feel like they¡¯re not rted to Konoha-san. (Despite confirming Konoha-san¡¯s username from her phone, I still feel unrealistic¡­From this perspective, I think I¡¯m quite weird as well.) People often have more or less the same as I do when they meet someone they know on the inte in real life, right? Like, the ¡°different than what I expected¡± impression¡­Uh, I think I¡¯m not expecting anything from Mono or NOBE, though¡­ Just as I¡¯m thinking about this, Konoha-san called her sister, who just finished teaching Aguri-san, for some reason. ¡°Onee-chan,e! Come here!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Konoha?¡± Just like that, she wrapped her arms around her older sister¡¯s shoulders. Then, she even nced at me before whispering about something I don¡¯t know. (¡­I feel like it¡¯s better for me to not listen to it. Even though I don¡¯t know what do the girls want.) Usually, I would pay 100% attention to what others are saying, but not to the point of eavesdropping on people¡¯s secrets. I looked at my phone and did some casual missions to kill time. ¡­So- ¡°Hey, sorry for the wait, senpai! Greetings, I¡¯m Mono!¡± Konoha-san suddenly came back to me and self-introduced herself again, which has been repeated so many times at this point. ¡°R-Really, Nice to meet you¡­¡± ¡°Damn, by the way, Tenshou is out again! The character with the OP leader¡¯s ability ¨C Lightre. Everyone calls her the Shining Sky because of her cute forehead. I can¡¯t believe I got it right now. Damn, that feels good, go new function!¡± ¡°R-Really. Y-You¡¯re right¡­¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong, senpai? You¡¯re not high enough! Don¡¯t you feel excited!¡± ¡°I¡­I¡¯m excited, uh¡­¡± W-What¡¯s wrong? Konoha-san is so high right now. Her suggestion is super correct, and it matched with my knowledge as well, ¡­but it feels really out of ce. However, it¡¯s not like I can just say it. Well, all I can do for now is to give a vague smile. Konoha-san isughing stiffly as well. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°Well, it¡¯s time for us to get moving again.¡± Uehara-kun noticed everyone¡¯s finished with their game, so he lead the discussion. After we responded, we put back our phones and started walking. After a short walk, ¡­for some reason, I looked back and nced at the two people that are far behind the group. (¡­Konoha-san and Chiaki are holding each other¡¯s phones and whispering over something¡­.) The sisters are surely close. I feel like Kousei doesn¡¯t like me very much, so I can do nothing aside from getting envious. * -In the end, a couple of incidents like that happened afterward. Even when I¡¯m speaking to Konoha-san excitingly about the characters and items, I don¡¯t get the expected reaction from her. Just as I¡¯m feeling regretful, she¡¯ll continue the discussion a minuteter very energetically. I¡¯m quite fed up with it. This situation repeated again and again. Even so, GOM Search as a real-time location game is still very enjoyable. We continued to y since it attracts us a lot. So, once we snapped out of it¡­ The seven of us are watching the beautiful sunset from the parking lots at the top of the hill. ¡­Uehara-kun looked from a distance as he mumbled. ¡°¡­I think¡­we walked the path to the hill unconsciously¡­¡± (¡­¡­¡­..) Everyone immediately lowered their heads¡­Well, we¡¯re so fascinated with the game that we climbed up the hill and met the sunset. This is quite shameful even for gamers like us. However, the one good thing is that there¡¯s a recently constructed rest area near us. A lot of buses heading towards downtown and other ces are operational as well. After we checked our respective bus schedule for heading home, we gathered up at the rest area and started to wait for the bus. However, none of the couples are chatting with each other happily¡­ (¡­¡­¡­¡­) Even Tendou-san can¡¯t hide her tired look. This shows that how exhausting and unconstructive today really is. We¡¯re sitting there tiringly as if the whole group just went through intense training in the sports club. I felt responsible since I¡¯m the one that nned this, so I tried to mobilize my lowmunication skill and attempted to make small talks. ¡°Uh, i-is everyone¡¯s bus schedule separated from each other?¡± The one person that¡¯s willing to answer my ¡°unnecessary¡± question is still my girlfriend, Karen Tendou. She¡¯s wearing that ¡°Karen Tendou¡¯s smile¡± on her drained face as she summarized for everyone. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s either to Amano¡¯s house, to Hoshinomori¡¯s house, or to downtown. The members that are taking the buses are the same. The Amano brothers. The Hoshinomori sisters, and the rest of us.¡± ¡°Really. Uh, well, the bus to our home is leaving 20 minutester at 6:30 PM. Tendou-san, how about you?¡± ¡°The downtown gang is leaving at 6:25 PM. Hoshinomori-san, what about you?¡± ¡°Ah, we¡¯re going at 6:35 PM. We¡¯re quite close to you guys.¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± The conversation ended entirely. Yes, it¡¯s over. It¡¯s not like the usual ¡°after a subtle silence,¡± instead, it¡¯s absolutely over. I can say that everyone doesn¡¯t want to talk in the least bit. Usually, in times like this, Aguri-san or Uehara-kun, who¡¯s strong at chatting with each other, will initiate the discussion first¡­However, they¡¯re really exhausted by now. The two of them are lying on the table lovingly. I feel like it¡¯s not going to help to keep talking, so I just minded my own business and yed on my phone¡­After all, I have the least stamina in this group. In reality, I¡¯m just as tired as everyone, but I¡¯m not ¡°exhausted.¡± Instead, my eyes are still sparking actively. This is a kind of excited state. I guess I¡¯m like those elementary kids eagerly waiting for their trip and unable to fall asleep. I clicked on my phone as I can¡¯t help but smile. (I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m ying with my friends on the holiday until we¡¯re all drained¡­To me, it¡¯s not that easy to find such a blessing experience like this¡­) There¡¯s no way for me to be really tired right now¡­However, I still pretended I do to avoid getting embarrassed. Even so, it¡¯s not to the point that I have to rest my eyes- (¡­Eh, that¡¯s weird?) -Now that I¡¯m looking, Chiaki seems to be ying with her phone as well. I think she¡¯s in the same excited state as I do. In reality, her rxed smile is blossoming as if she¡¯s blessed from the bottom of her heart¡­ (¡­Uh, ah!) Just as I¡¯m smiling when I saw her expression, I quickly tried to tone it down¡­Feeling gratified because of my rival¡¯s feeling blessed, what am I doing? Jeez. When I confirmed no one around saw me smiling, I put my focus back onto the phone and opened GOM Search. (Although I¡¯m already done with it today, ¡­there¡¯s nothing else to do.) Moreover, we only checked the area in front of the parking lot under the sunset. Perhaps there could be more checkpoints around here. I looked at the screen and checked the characters and items near this rest station, but I can¡¯t find anything eye-catching. After I got all those and feeling there¡¯s nothing to do, ¡­I can¡¯t help but zoom out of the map and look at the locations further ahead. -During this time. ¡°Ah.¡± -I can¡¯t suppress my voice. Also, Chiaki made the exact same noise at the same time for some reason as well. Chiaki and I made eye-contact¡­Then, I asked her about it. ¡°Uh, what¡¯s wrong, Chiaki?¡± So, Chiaki blushed a little somehow as she shook her head and answered. ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m just reading the online news, yes. W-What about you, Keita?¡± ¡°M-Me? Uh, ¡­it¡¯s nothing, should be the same as you. There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Our conversation ended, just like that¡­I let out a faint sigh as I stared at the screen once again. (This¡­I can get this if I take a short walk from here¡­) That¡¯s a coupon for challenging the multiyer battles in the past again. The multiyer battles are mostly missions that require you to ¡°cooperate with other yers¡± and y the enemies. You¡¯ll get all kinds of rewards after defeating the boss. Basically, once the activity is over, you can¡¯t challenge it anymore. However, the special item that allows you to participate in the battle once again is right there. I can¡¯t help but cross my arms as I sighed. (I really want this. But, ¡­it¡¯s really far and the bus is arriving soon¡­) I remember that if I miss this, I¡¯ll have to wait for an hour for the next one. Honestly, that¡¯s really exhausting. (Moreover, even if we won this multiyer battle, the rewards are a bit too shabby.) From a pure gamer¡¯s perspective, this boss isn¡¯t really worth it, at least I¡¯m definitely not going to wait an hour for another bus just to get the reward. However¡­ ¡°Hey, everyone. I think the buses are arriving one by one into the station.¡± Kousei suddenly spoke up. Then, we snapped out of it and checked the bus terminus from the ss window near the rest area entrance. Just like what he said, although there¡¯s still a bit of time, the buses to all destinations are on stand-by. Uehara-kun let out a ¡°phew¡± as he stretched his back, then he was the first to stand up from the chair. ¡°Well, it¡¯s almost time for us to leave, right. No use dragging our feet here.¡± After we heard what he said, we slowly rose from our respective chairs and walked to the entrance of the rest area. In the meantime, we bid our farewells to each other. (Ah, right¡­) I thought of something after I finished talking to Tendou-san, so I rushed next to Konoha-san. ¡°Konoha-san! Uh, actually, there¡¯s a Star Dragon Novajak boss fight close-¡° ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry, Amano-senpai. Just a second, ¡­phew!¡± Konoha-san interrupted me and yawned as if she¡¯s thoroughly exhausted. Well, she¡¯s still the student council president of Hekiyou, after all. Comparing to her normal anthomaniac state, I think her yawning face is quite adorable. After I saw her like that, ¡­I¡­ ¡°Ah, so what do you want, Amano-senpai?¡± ¡°¡­Uh, ¡­ah, well, ¡­Konoha-san. I-I really appreciate you for ying with me today! I had a good time!¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, a-alright. If senpai¡¯s happy, ¡­well, ¡­I guess I¡¯m the same¡­¡± After I thanked her with a smile, Konoha-san lost her usual calm and is trembling embarrassingly. I left after praising her once again. Once we walked out of the rest area and arrived at the bus terminus, Uehara-kun turned back and looked at us as he concluded. ¡°Well, ¡­thanks for today, everyone!¡± ¡°Thanks for today, everyone!¡± With that, we finally disbanded. The bus is lining up ording to the departure time. I waved at Tendou-san before going onto the second one with Kousei. The bus is empty. We decided to take one of the double seats each and sat down with one person in front of the other. ¡°Phew.¡± Once I sat down, Kousei let out a huge sigh in front. I praised him with a bitter smile. ¡°Thanks for today, Kousei. You must¡¯ve been exhausted after dealing with a bunch of strangers.¡± ¡°Hmm? Nope, it¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m not you, brother. I¡¯m not afraid of people.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°However-¡° Kousei seems to be acting like he¡¯s teasing someone as he said that. Then, he looked outside the window and mumbled. ¡°¡­Ay, I guess there¡¯s still a bunch of good friends that care about me. If we¡¯re talking about you, brother.¡± ¡°Kousei¡­¡± While he acts coldly, he does care for me. Hmm, my little brother is still just as outstanding as usual. He¡¯s so perfect that it hurts my brain, this little brother. I¡¯m so excited that I started leaning forward and talked to him. ¡°Kousei, I think everyone really likes you today!¡± ¡°¡­Who knows.¡± Kousei chuckled like there¡¯s a deeper meaning behind this. What a humble person. I really like him for not being arrogant. This is the little brother of my house. I should say that he¡¯s very social while keeping his true self. Inparison, I¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I leaned my body on the back of the seat entirely before looking outside the window. I can¡¯t see the sun anymore, and there¡¯s star sparkling in the sky. The weather is clear, the air is clean, it should be a night with beautiful stars to see¡­Even though I can¡¯t see anything inside the well-lit bus. I grabbed my phone from the pocket and turned on the screen. 6:25 PM¡­During this time, the bus in front that¡¯s heading to downtown is starting. Due to the position, regrettably, I can¡¯t see Tendou-san from the window of the bus. However, I¡¯m still staring at the bus leaving dazedly. I sighed and paid attention to my phone once again. 6:26 PM. It would be not long before we¡¯re leaving as well¡­ I decided to switch up the mood by ying mobile games and surfing the, so I unlocked the screen. Then¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The screen of GOM Search that I opened earlier filled my sight. ¡­Sigh, fine. ¡°Kousei.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah?¡± I patted Kousei¡¯s shoulders, who¡¯s already getting drowsy. So, just as he¡¯s rubbing his eyes while turning to me with an annoyed look. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, brother¡­¡± I¡­scratched my cheeks with a bitter smile and said something that even I would agree that it¡¯s a dumb suggestion. Chiaki Hoshinomori ¡°Sigh, even I felt like it¡¯s dumb for me to do this¡­Why is this happening¡­Phew, ¡­phew¡­¡± I walked along the path to the hill in the cold night as I grieved. It¡¯s been just 5 minutes since I started climbing the stairs behind the rest area that¡¯s heading towards the za. Due to the tiredness today along with the steep stairs, honestly, I already wanted to quit. ¡°I¡­picked¡­thepletely¡­wrong¡­option¡­¡± I basically leaned my entire body to the brand new handrail that¡¯s supposed to be designed for the disabled as I climbed the hill slowly. Thanks to this being a tourist¡¯s hotspot with extensive nning, there¡¯s stairs and lights even in the mountains. I guess I should be grateful for this. Also, although there¡¯s not a lot of people around, other tourists are still here. So, even though it¡¯s a mountain at night, it¡¯s not a dangerous environment that no girl should walk alone. (Although I used this reason to make Konoha go home first and climbed this alone¡­) After I reached the halfway of the mountain, I stopped at one point and sat on the stable handrail. I took a couple deep breaths. The scent from the trees and the grass filled my lungs up with fresh and clean air. I tried to not disrupt other tourists as I grabbed a bottle of 340ml mineral water from my bag that I bought at the rest area. Then, I took a sip. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± Just as I¡¯m going to stare at the sky dazedly, ¡­I quickly stopped myself. (No, no, no! I¡¯m going to Starry za next. I need to save staring at the sky until then!) This path is heading towards Starry za. Just like its name, it¡¯s a vast space where you can see the beautiful stars at night. I can¡¯t look at the sky like this halfway in the mountain. That would be like secretly munching on half the main dish¡­Ah. (No, no, no, the starry sky isn¡¯t the main dish.) When you consider my ¡°initial¡± goal, the starry sky is like an appetizer. However, no matter what, it¡¯s pointless to stare at the stars here. ¡°Alright¡­¡± After I confirmed how much my stamina has recovered, I started climbing up the stairs once again. So, after I moved my feet silently for 5 minutes. ¡°¡­I¡¯m here¡­!¡± I finally arrived at the destination. Starry za. This is a semicircr za that seems to be built by ttening a part of the hillside. There¡¯s a bunch of equally-distanced benches at the outer ridge of the circle. The seats are adjusted in a way that you cany down. It must be designed this way so that you can watch the stars easily. There¡¯s almost no source of light around here. Only a bit is used to point out the location for the fences and the benches. ¡°Ohh, this is surprisingly beautiful¡­!¡± To be honest, I¡¯ve always skipped this ce since I used to treat it as a rural tourist¡¯s hotspot in the past. However, I didn¡¯t expect this turned into an elegant space after some nning. Also, that¡¯s why¡­ (¡­Just like what I¡¯ve expected, it¡¯s full of couples¡­) A lot of the benches are already filled with people that arrived first¡­A bunch of young boys and girls. I sighed helplessly and started moving around the za. There¡¯s not a whole lot of tourists around, but the seats are still almost full. (I really wish there¡¯s a ce for me to sit down and rest if possible¡­) I thought about this as I kept on looking for empty benches, but there¡¯s none. I let out a sigh and stood at the center of the za¡­Then, I can¡¯t help but stare at the sky. So- ¡°¡­Wow.¡± A sky filled with twinkling stars filled my vision. Thanks to the dim and wide area, a lot of tiny stars that I¡¯m unable to see usually are revealing themselves. I can¡¯t help but be immersed at the moment. (¡­I¡¯m happy that I still came here.) Thete bus, the exhausted body, and all the stairs are worth it. If there¡¯s a regret, it should be that I hope everyone that went back home first can see this starry sky as well. If I can see with all of my friends, I wonder how thrilling it would be. Watching with them¡­ (¡­Sigh, ¡­I guess I still want toe here with Keita¡­) I wanted to see the sky with him. Then, together¡­ (¡­No.) I stared at the bright sky as I can¡¯t help but smile bitterly.(What are you talking about. This is wrong, Chiaki Hoshinomori. The reason that you¡¯re here today¡­is to bring an end to everything, right?) Yes. The reason that I¡¯m asking Konoha to go back first and to go out of my way toe here¡­I¡¯m not trying to flood myself with that kind of sweet imagination. Instead, I¡¯m here to end this. I¡¯m here to treat this as the finale¡­I¡¯m here to disconnect from words like ¡°chance¡± or ¡°fate.¡± That¡¯s why I¡¯m here alone¡­This is the ce where ¡°something¡± that I have a miraculously profound memory of belongs- ¡°¡­Chiaki?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± During this time, someone spoke up behind me, so I frozepletely. How is this possible? Why is this happening? This is the worst time possible. I¡¯m still swept up in a wave of emotions¡­However, once I thought about, ¡°No, perhaps I just imagined things due to my secret wish. That¡¯s absolutely right. That¡¯s the most reasonable exnation!¡± To prove that I¡¯m correct, I stopped watching the stars and turned back. So, after I slowly nced downward, I saw it. ¡°Good evening, Chiaki. I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯re that simr to me to the point that we¡¯re here to watch the stars alone¡­This is a bit hrious.¡± The person that I¡¯m in love with ¨C Keita Amano is standing there with an innocent smile. I pressed my chest in pain as I looked up to the sky once again. (¡­Please forgive me, I beg you, ¡­really¡­) Then, I begged to the gods that have been pranking me from the bottom of my heart. * ¡°Ah, Chiaki, I think there¡¯s an empty bench there. Let us sit down.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, sure¡­¡± Keita urged me to the side of the bench. Then, we sat down with shoulder to shoulder¡­It¡¯s like we¡¯re couples¡­ ¡°Weird, what¡¯s wrong with you? You¡¯re sitting all the way at the edge.¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong? Why does it matter? K-Keita, are you really that kind of person? Do you want to stick really close to a girl other than your girlfriend!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that¡­but it¡¯s hard for me to talk to you when you¡¯re that far away.¡± ¡°You¡­you¡¯re right. I-I feel like this bench can squeeze 5 people in.¡± ¡°Thene closer if you know that.¡± ¡°What are you trying to pull off?¡± ¡°I want to chat with you.¡± ¡°You want to chat about erotic things?¡± ¡°We¡¯re just chatting. Why are you thinking in the same way as Konoha-san does? Uh, it¡¯s more like¡­¡± Keita nced around as he said that. Then, he suppressed his volume slightly. ¡°After all, ¡­it¡¯s not good to talk loudly in ces like this, right?¡± ¡°I-I guess you¡¯re right¡­Ugh, ¡­I-I understand¡­¡± Although I¡¯m trembling with my face as red as tomatoes, I still dragged my way towards the center of the seat inch by inch. Keita gave me a dumbfounded look. ¡°W-Why are you giving me that shameful look¡­I feel like I¡¯m guilty of something.¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­C-Chiaki Hoshinomori is here!¡± ¡°Do you need to be that determined for just closing off a couple centimeters! I will still be depressed even though you¡¯re my rival!¡± Keita¡¯s eyes are starting to get watery due to the misunderstanding. After I briefly adjusted my breaths, I smiled warmly at him. ¡°I-It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re not smelly. Really. You¡¯re really not smelly.¡± ¡°Eh, are you really trying to smooth things over? Don¡¯t do that. Please don¡¯t do that.¡± Keita said that as he tried his best to check his odor¡­I already said it¡¯s not smelly. After I calmed down a bit, I asked Keita once again. ¡°By the way, Keita, why are you here? Where¡¯s your little brother?¡± Keita stopped checking his body after hearing my question. ¡°My little brother got home first. Then, the reason that I¡¯m here¡­¡± ¡°Keita?¡± Keita felt silent suddenly after giving me a bitter smile. I tilted my head out of my confusion. He scratched his head a bit awkwardly and said, ¡°Uh, it¡¯s nothing big¡­¡± He¡¯s clearly hesitating. Then, he spoke up sheepishly after a while. ¡°Honestly, this is quite embarrassing¡­It sounds girly. I really hope that you can keep it a secret.¡± ¡°Really. Girly? Ah, perhaps you love watching the starry sky, that¡¯s romantic of you¡­?¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s not like that.¡± At this moment, Keita grabbed his phone out of the pocket and clicked on it. Then, ¡­he turned the screen to me. ¡°T-This is¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m here to look for items in GOM Search. I really wanted the rewards in this checkpoint, no matter what. The reason for that is because¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but take a deep breath when I saw what was on the screen. It¡¯s because¡­It¡¯s because that¡¯s¡­ ¡°-It¡¯s because this is where Konoha-san and I met up for the first time and defeated the boss.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Keita answered me embarrassingly, yet I can¡¯t say anything. That¡¯s because I¡¯m here for the exact same reason. Keita misunderstood that I¡¯m shocked by the dumb reason. So, he continued in a self-mocking tone. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s disgusting, right?¡± ¡°I gave up the bus just to acquire a multiyer battle boss from my memory. I¡¯m really helpless¡­Do you want to know the even more helpless part? To all of that, I think Mono¡­¡± My heart skipped a bit because someone suddenly called my username. However, I immediately realized Keita¡¯s not talking about me. Yes, the Mono that he¡¯s talking about is¡­ ¡°¡­I think Konoha-san doesn¡¯t remember anymore. I should say that she¡¯s not even interested.¡± ¡°!¡± Keita mumbled depressingly, and I can feel a tinge of pain in my chest. N-No. It¡¯s not like that, Keita. I¡­I remembered all of them in my heart¡­! However, Keita knew nothing about that. He¡¯s even staring at his phone while continuing sadly. ¡°To me, ¡­that¡¯s a very memorable boss. At that time, I knew nothing about efficiency. I¡¯m still taking my baby steps then. Mono and I tried our best to defeat the Star Dragon Novajak¡­Although we didn¡¯t even message each other, that¡¯s why I felt that our souls are connected.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± I fell speechless. ¡­Me too. Me too. Me too! Even though I¡¯m practically screaming inside my heart, ¡­he¡¯s still feeling a bit lonely next to me. ¡°However, I guess this is only a ¡®one-sided¡¯ imagination. I realized that when I saw Konoha-san¡¯s reactions today. To be honest, I¡¯m pretty embarrassed.¡± I can¡¯t look at Keita¡¯s disheartening smile. Why¡­Why is this happening? I¡­I¡­ Just as I¡¯m clenching my fists tightly on myp, Keita seems to have noticed that the mood is going off. So, he quickly tried to smooth things over. ¡°Ah, sorry!¡± ¡°Ay, instead of saying this whining, I¡¯m treating that as a ¡®disgusting embarrassment¡¯ and shared it. Well, I don¡¯t mean to me Konoha-san in the least bit. Uh, so, it would be great if you can keep yourself from mentioning this to her.¡± ¡°¡­Alright¡­¡± ¡°d to hear that¡­Yeah, so that¡¯s what happened. I also thought that it¡¯s not necessary to get the Star Dragon Novajak and went onto the bus. In the end, after I talked about it with my little brother, I changed my mind for a bit¡­I think that¡¯s not the right thing to do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the right thing to do¡­What do you mean by that?¡± Upon hearing my question, Keita scratched his face and answered embarrassingly. ¡°Even though Konoha-san doesn¡¯t think that I¡¯m important to her, to me, Konoha-san is still¡­No, Mono is still my treasured partner. The times that we¡¯ve yed together will remain a beautiful memory, no matter what. That¡¯s the thought I had after changing my mind.¡± ¡°!¡± Why, why is this person always messing with my heart that easily¡­ Keita continued as if he¡¯s trying to stay on topic. ¡°Ah, buting here alone to get a boss from my memory, I still think this feels pretty girly judging from the action alone. Ugh.¡± After he mumbled like that, he directlyid down to the back of the chair. Then¡­ ¡°Uwah! Chiakiy down with me! There¡¯s a lot of stars!¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, alright, I¡¯ll lie down as well.¡± I followed Keita andid down my body to the back of the chair, and then I looked at the sky. Indeed, ¡­the stars are sparkling that makes you feel that you¡¯re in a dream no matter how many times you¡¯ve watched it. ¡°¡­It¡¯s beautiful¡­¡± Once I snapped out of it, I¡¯m already praising it without noticing. (Jeez, I¡¯m surely innocent as well¡­) I was just feeling distraught just then. However, when I¡¯m looking at the starry sky with Keita¡­the person I love, I¡¯m so blessed that I threw all those things to the back of my head. Keita¡¯s still watching the stars next to me as he asked. ¡°By the way, Chiaki, why are you here all alone? Do you like watching the stars?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah¡­¡± Although I hesitated for a bit, ¡­I immediately answered with confidence. ¡°Yeah. I love it¡­I love it to the point that I wish I can just lie down and stare at it forever.¡± Right now, I sincerely wished that was true. Keita mumbled. ¡°Really.¡± ¡°While it¡¯s been a long time since I can watch the stars like this, ¡­hmm, I guess it¡¯s not too bad to do this sometimes.¡± ¡°See, the stars are great, right?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± The two of us just looked at the sky for nearly a minute¡­What a blessed moment. However, Keita still seems to be Keita wherever he goes. ¡°¡­I still think this is boring. While the starry sky is fascinating, I hope that I can watch it while ying games.¡± ¡°Hoho, what was that. Jeez, you¡¯re terrible.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you feel the same way?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a mature adult, so I won¡¯t feel bored at all. Moreover, I need time for my ideas to sink in when creating.¡± Keita burst intoughter after I said that. Ugh. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s not your style to look at the night sky for ideas. For example, the Peony Cake Eater¡­¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s not like that! As long as I wished for it, I can also write something that will go down in the history of the entire universe¡­! Ah, speaking of the universe, did you get Star Hero 5 in the end?¡± ¡°Ah, right, this reminded me of that game! Actually, I finished it in one go right after I got it. Sigh, it¡¯s because I knew beforehand that the ratings for it are pretty low, so I¡¯m quite worried about ying it¡­In the end, I think it¡¯s alright! It¡¯s fun!¡± ¡°Ah, exactly. I¡¯m not a fan of the series, but I still had a good time. I like the refreshing battles, and the degree ofpletion is really high.¡± ¡°Yeah! Ay, in reality, the experience system is-¡° Just like that, we chatted about gaming excited as we stared at the beautiful night sky. To be honest, there¡¯s nothing romantic about it. In a sense, we¡¯re literally spoiling the incredible scenery and are just killing time. However- To me, this moment is so blessed that I broke into tears. Then, after the game talk ended, Keita still stared at the sky as he spoke up a bit respectfully. ¡°Ah, right.¡± ¡°Thank you, Chiaki.¡± ¡°Hmm? W-Why are you suddenly thanking me?¡± Being thanked by my rival Keita, this scenery is too rare. I can¡¯t help but look to the side. After that¡­ (Uh¡­) Keita¡¯s face is really close to me. I freaked out and blushed really hard before immediately staring back at the sky. He doesn¡¯t seem to mind what I just did, so he continued. ¡°First of all, it¡¯s about what happened today at noon. I just realized¡­did you suggest us to have a break because you noticed that I¡¯m not feeling well?¡± ¡°Ah? W-Well¡­¡± I acted normally before giving the boy a mischievous smile and answered. ¡°That¡¯s why I hate a self-conscious bean sprout midget like you. It¡¯s just because I¡¯m hungry. Moreover, we¡¯ll have to take a break sooner orter since it¡¯s lunchtime, so even if I care about you, there¡¯s no reason for you to thank me.¡± ¡°¡­Really. Oh, ¡­hmm, d to hear that.¡± Keita mumbled softly, and then he continued. ¡°However, there¡¯s something else that I have to thank you for.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is today your transformation from the tsun-tsun phase to the dere-dere phase?¡± ¡°Ay, sometimes.¡± I can feel that Keita¡¯s smiling bitterly next to me¡­I¡¯m really calm right now. ¡°¡­Hey, didn¡¯t I confess to Tendou-san in front of everyone a while ago?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± I remembered what it was like back then, ¡­it¡¯s supposed to be painful to witness someone I love confessing to another girl. However, unbelievably, I¡¯m not repulsive to Keita¡¯s confession scene. Instead, I can feel warmth flowing in my chest when I thought about him at that time. (Also, that¡¯s why¡­today, I came here alone and try to ¡°give up¡± and end my love¡­) I thought about that as I slightly closed my eyes. After a short silence, Keita leads the discussion again. ¡°I feel like¡­I would have never done that if it was me in the past. No, instead of saying me in the past, I think it¡¯s better to say the original me, right?¡± ¡°¡­You can¡¯t do that normally.¡± Like right now, ¡­even though I¡¯m alone with you, and you¡¯re next to me. I still can¡¯t say anything. I slowly opened my eyes and pondered about it. When did I got left behind by Keita? Why? ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± I can¡¯t help but let out a hopeless sigh. But Keita didn¡¯t seem to notice this, ¡­he continued and said something I wasn¡¯t expecting. ¡°However, the reason why I¡¯m brave enough to do that is because of you.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Upon hearing those surprising words, I looked at Keita¡¯s face again. The starry sky is reflecting off his eyes as he told me. ¡°I mentioned this to you before, right? I don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s under Tendou-san¡¯s influence, recently, I started to think that perhaps it¡¯s not a bad thing for me to go all-out.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, I remembered that.¡± ¡°That time¡­At that moment, I thought that I¡¯mpletely influenced by Tendou-san¡¯s gaming perspective. However, recently, I discovered that there¡¯s another critical factor.¡± My heart is pounding faster and faster after I heard what he just said. ¡°Well, ¡­uh, and that critical factor, is me?¡± ¡°Yep, you¡¯re right.¡± Keita replied quickly and continued. ¡°Think about it, the only reason that we know each other is because I was basically trying to strike up a conversation with you back then, right? ¡°Yeah¡­That¡¯s not something you would do, no matter how I think about it.¡± ¡°Exactly. I don¡¯t remember how painful my stomach was¡­¡± ¡°Haha, I can imagine that.¡± I would probably be the same if I was him. Keita slowly reached his head into the sky. ¡°¡­However, putting all the moe conflicts aside, ¡­in the end, we¡¯re still like this. Uh, how should I put it, we¡¯re frie- ¡­No, ¡­we¡¯re getting clos- ¡­That¡¯s not right, either¡­Ah, right, didn¡¯t we be g-gaming buddies?¡± At thest moment of hesitation, he brought up the term ¡°gaming buddies¡± to describe our rtionship. Then, he quickly skipped this topic. I chuckled, and Keita cleared his throat. ¡°That perhaps¡­made me really happy, and I¡¯m proud of you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­you¡¯re proud of me?¡± ¡°Yep. After all, the person that I mustered my courage to try to talk with is still now chatting about gaming with me. Come to think of it, this is a great achievement. Also, I¡¯m finally getting more passionate about ¡®going out and try things¡¯ because of my first sess. I guess a part of me ¡°¡­Keita.¡± After I looked at him, ¡­suddenly, Keita turned his face to me as well. He made eye contact with me before smiling. ¡°So, thank you, Chiaki. Thank you for willing to¡­uh, be friends with me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I felt speechless, all I could do is to look at his eyes. Keita¡­I¡­I also¡­ Then. ¡°Hey, time¡¯s almost up, Chiaki.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Keita suddenly let out a ¡°hey¡± before standing up from the back of the chair. After that, he took his phone out and clicked on the screen. ¡°Indeed, there are only 15 minutes before my bus arrives. It¡¯s time for us to go down.¡± ¡°Ah, y-you¡¯re right.¡± I checked the time on my phone after I hastily stood up¡­Then, I suddenly remembered. ¡°Ah. R-Right, I still haven¡¯t got the boss here.¡± I nced at Keita to confirm. He seems to have already received it before meeting up with me, and even rising from the bench and let out a ¡°phew¡± as he stretched his back. I secretly changed the position I sat and hid my phone away from him. (I exchanged my phone with Konoha during the day¡­so it¡¯s quite troublesome if he saw it.¡± Although we got the same phone cases beforehand to prevent people from realizing that we exchanged our phones, ¡­it¡¯s still in my interest for Keita to not know it. (At least, I hope that the information from this boss fight¡­will be saved in my phone¡­) I opened GOM Search and smiling faintly when I saw the boss, and then I quickly clicked the screen to acquire the character. At this moment, a notification popped out on the screen¡­I¡¯m in haste, so I clicked on it before even reading the content. The screen changed. It shows that¡­ (¡­Ah, the detailed records of the boss fights in the past.) It showed which date and when did we battle, what did we get, and¡­which yer did we cooperate with. I can¡¯t help but scroll down the screen in a rush of nostalgia. So, when the bottom of the screen, ¡­which is the first record of the boss fight is showing. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Chiaki? We¡¯re going?¡± ¡°Hiya.¡± I freaked out since someone spoke to me from behind, just as I¡¯m standing up abruptly¡­ ¡°Ah.¡± My phone slipped off. However¡­ ¡°Oops.¡± Keita caught it brilliantly and prevented the phone from falling onto the ground. After I pressed my chest in relief, Keita started looking at the screen of my phone. ¡°Eh? GOM?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, that¡¯s-¡° I quickly tried to take my phone back. However, perhaps it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been lying down to see the starry sky up until a moment ago, I felt dizzy from standing up too fast, and I missed. Although I quickly recovered from it, Keita¡¯s already- finished reading the text shown on the GOM Search screen. ¡°¡­Hmm? It says that the yer you¡¯re cooperating with is Tshi¡­? Eh?¡± ¡°Hiya! It¡¯s not, well, uh, that¡¯s¡­¡± Keita raised his head from the screen with an unbelievable look. As for me, ¡­I first robbed my phone back from his hand before freaking out and looking away. T-Think about this¡­I need to think about this as quickly as possible! I¡¯m the best at oveing difficult situations like this, yes! ¡­Uh, uh, uh¡­! Yes, let¡¯s go with that! As usual, I quickly thought of a good idea and told him immediately. ¡°T-This is Konoha¡¯s phone. S-She requested me¡­¡± ¡°Eh? It¡¯s Konoha-san¡¯s request? Getting this boss from the multiyer battle?¡± ¡°Yes! Jeez, K-Konoha¡¯s undoubtedly a headache, though! I can¡¯t believe she asked her sister to run errands for her just because she got her own schedule¡­¡± Just as I¡¯m saying that with a smug face, I suddenly realized¡­Keita¡¯s face is decorated with a bright smile. He¡¯s mumbling as if he¡¯s delighted to the bottom of his heart. ¡°R-Really. Konoha-san still remembers¡­this boss.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± At the moment that I saw his smile. I feel like something has been lifted off my chest. ¡°¡­I-It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Keita tilted his head in confusion over my sudden words. I lowered my head and grabbed my phone tightly as I continued. ¡°This¡­isn¡¯t¡­Konoha¡¯s phone¡­¡± ¡°Eh? Uh, but that¡¯s Mono¡¯s game record, no matter how you look at it¡­¡± Keita froze since he can¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening at all. To him, I¡­I¡­ ¡°!¡± ¡°¡­Chiaki?¡± I raised my head and looked at him with my eyes full of years. After that, I shouted loudly. ¡°The fight with the Star Dragon Novajak is really memorable for both of us! However, if we¡¯re talking about the history of our alliance, we must mention the following battle with the Ghost God Bolger! After all, we were wrecked so hard from start to finish! We put even more time into GOM because we¡¯re unwilling to admit defeat there! So, we acted as if we¡¯re sharing the same brain at the following multiyer battle, The Attack of the Four Legendary Beasts! I had a great time there!¡± ¡°Chiaki¡­? How did you¡­know all of that¡­? Ah, did you hear that from Konoha-san¡­No, even if that¡¯s true, you¡¯re way too familiar¡­¡± Keita was shocked by that. As for me, ¡­I continued. ¡°However, the most memorable event for me¡­is still the rescue mission with a harsh time limit¡­in this year¡¯s spring. That was my first time¡­to send a message to you¡­I managed to send it after I mustered my entire life¡¯s courage.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± Keita seems to be finally understanding what¡¯s going on. I made up my mind¡­and put my hands behind me as I gave Keita a sincerely gratifying smile. ¡°Thanks for everything.¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­Mono¡­?¡± Keita pointed at me tremblingly. After I nodded my head, he¡­ He froze with his mouth half-open and just stared at me. Although I can¡¯t help butugh at his reaction¡­ But if I¡¯m in this phase already, I might as well tell him everything. ¡°Also, well, ¡­I¡¯m NOBE as well.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Uh, so, ¡­how should I put this¡­Well, ¡­you always thought that Konoha is your ¡®online friend.¡¯ In reality, it was me all along¡­Well, ¡­I identally lied to you because I¡¯m too embarrassed¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Keita lost all of his expressions and fell speechless. He even sat back onto the bench out of fatigue. (I think¡­he¡¯s angry, right?) Of course, he should be angry. After all, I¡¯ve always lied to him, not to mention that this is something essential. (I guess it can¡¯t be helped even if he got mad¡­or reject me.¡± However, I¡¯m mentally prepared for his rage. Even though I know this might happen, ¡­I still wanted to confess my true identity and my feelings, no matter what. I don¡¯t feel regretful saying that. But even though I didn¡¯t regret anything¡­ ¡°Really. So, that¡¯s the case¡­My online friend is you, instead of Konoha-san. I got it...¡± ¡°W-Well, ¡­Keita? Uh, ¡­I wanted to tell you that I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Keita¡¯s seemingly mumbling out of his depression as he¡¯s sitting down. I peeked and looked at him with a face full of worry. (He¡¯s furious, ¡­right?) My heart is pounding really hard as I observed Keita¡¯s look¡­So, he slowly raised his head. ¡°Chiaki, if what you said is true¡­¡± ¡°!¡± I immediately stopped moving. I¡¯m already prepared for the boy to be mad at me! Just as I¡¯m confirming his expression tremblingly while squinting my eyes. His¡­his face- -is filled with an unexpected, yet gentle smile. ¡°Ahaha, I think I understand everything now. Really, that made sense. Ay, I¡¯ve been suspicious. After all, Konoha-san doesn¡¯t look like the type to create free games at all.¡± Keita burst intoughter sincerely after he said that. I felt dazed and asked him once more. ¡°Keita, uh, ¡­you¡¯re not mad?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, ¡­hmm, honestly, I¡¯m more or less surprised¡­¡± ¡°R-Right. So, Keita, you should be angrier if that¡¯s the case-¡° He heard what I said. Keita stood up from the bench and faced me with a bright smile. ¡°However, I think ¡®excitement¡¯ is overflowing in my heart right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± His words ¡­and his innocent smile. It made me took a deep breath. My heart is beating so fast. Keita continued. ¡°After all, that means that my partner Mono came here because she shared the same feelings as I do, right? There¡¯s nothing in the world that can make me happier than this. Isn¡¯t this reasonable?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Even though I heartlessly hid everything from him. Even though I heartlessly lied to him. He¡­didn¡¯t care any of that. Instead, his face is only showing nothing but joy at me. (Keita¡­I¡­I) There¡¯s something in my heart that¡¯s about to overflow. So, there¡¯s some kind of emotion swelling rapidly inside my heart. Suddenly, Keita straightened his back respectfully and wiped his right hand on his jeans forcefully. ¡°?¡± Comparing to me, who¡¯s tilted her head out of confusion. Keita¡­reached his head out to me with a slightly embarrassed look. ¡°H-Hello, NOBE! I¡¯ve always been a big fan of you!¡± (-Ahhhh.) Suddenly. In my heart, ¡­the path leading to my ¡°true feelings¡± that was blinded with aplex web of lies and excuses previously. Right now, I can already feel that path ispletely clear. (¡­Yeah, that¡¯s right. If that¡¯s the case, ¡­all I can do is to step forward, right. Just like what happened to Keita. To me, ¡­that¡¯s the only proper way to end this.) I silently put my hand on my chest as I bit my lips¡­I didn¡¯t shake his hand as NOBE, all I¡¯m doing is facing the ground. ¡°Chiaki?¡± Keita¡¯s hand is still there. He blinked his eyes confusingly. I just kept my head down as I told him. ¡°Keita, there¡¯s¡­there¡¯s nothing else that I wanted to tell you today.¡± My words made Keita put back his hand as he let out a dumbfounded sigh. ¡°What¡¯s with the formal tone. Don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s something you¡¯re hiding from me as well? Alright, say it. At this point, I¡¯m confident that I won¡¯t freak out even if you tell me that you¡¯re actually an alien-¡° Just as Keita¡¯s joking around like that. I can feel my cheeks¡¯ slightly ring up. My eyes are filled with determination as I raised my head- Keita, who¡¯s looking at me and holding his breath for no reason. Under the starry sky. I puffed up my chest and announced to him with a top-tier smile, devoid of haze. ¡°Keita. I¡­I really love you.¡± Volume 6 Afterword

Volume 6 Afterword

Hello, I¡¯m the author that washes his upper left arm first during a bath, Sekina Aoi. ¡­Well, we¡¯re starting the afterword with the most useless information in the world. I think smart readers will have an idea already, this will be a lengthy afterword too. As usual, even there are no additives, no processing, and no adjustment in content, the word count somehow got higher. It can¡¯t be helped. I can¡¯t vite thews of nature. ¡­Now that I¡¯m writing this, everyone, who¡¯s living cheerfully and rxedly, may feel, ¡°Hiya, how shameful, why can¡¯t it be like refined, no-pesticides vegetables?¡± However, even if it¡¯s veggies, no pesticides and whether it¡¯s tasty or not are two separate issues. Instead of letting everyone read that I wash my upper left arm first, it¡¯s better for the readers and Fantasia if I just put advertisement here. Moreover, it can reduce my workload. ¡­The author is upset, the editors and proofreaders need to do more work, and the reader will be in pain too. ¡­When it ended up like this, people will start to seriously wonder who did I write this ¡°afterword¡± for, and why did I publish it. If I just made the topic a bit more serious, I can write a super stern article called ¡°The reason I was born is¡­¡± that contradicts itself. Perhaps this is even a precious plot that can be adapted into a Hollywood movie in the name of ATOGAKI. [Note: Atogaki means afterword.] I¡¯m just making that up. Also, I think I might have used this topic already. Anyway, because of that, I need to write a lengthy afterword again. However, about the pages of the afterword, it¡¯s really decided by fate. So, sometimes there will be a bunch of long ones, and sometimes a bunch of short ones. But, somehow, I don¡¯t feel good of thetter, the difference is way too much, and it bothers me. I feel like it would be better to just give up my ¡°no adjustment¡± style, but I already created a reputation bafflingly. I think the consumers will furiouslyin if I suddenly started using additives now, what a difficult situation. Even so, ¡­for example, in those travel shows where it¡¯s only fun when the cast met an unfortunate ident, if the director suddenly forced some activities in, I¡¯ll also feel like ¡°That¡¯s not what the audience wants to see!¡± However, when I saw those episodes with no idents at all, I will alsoin, ¡°This is really boring.¡± By applying that principle, in other words, I¡¯m now in the eternal hell of ¡°didn¡¯t explicitly adjust the word count, but it¡¯s long for some reason¡­¡± The cast in this show will eventually explode. In the future afterwords, if I suddenly- Well, please watch the following Fiboni sequence for a while. 0, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89. 144, 255¡­ When I started writing stuff like this, it would be really helpful if the readers can write a letter to the editors and say, ¡°Please let Aoi-sensei rest more.¡± However, I guess the editor should worry first since he¡¯s the one that read the draft of this afterword. By the way, if the editorial department cares about my mental health, I feel like it¡¯s time for me to act brainy and bring up a ¡°Long Afterword Termination n¡± out. For example¡­ ¡°Although I¡¯m sorry for Aoi-sensei, ¡­please include advertisement this time, no matter what! I beg you! Initially, we also hoped to read sensei¡¯s incredible afterwords too! But you need to preserve the editor¡¯s reputation too! Please be considerate!¡± If the editorial department is willing to bow down and beg me, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t fondle with my mustache and¡­ ¡°Well, if you guys are saying that, it can¡¯t be helped. For the readers, and for the reputation of ¡®lengthy afterwords,¡¯ I wanted to write a long afterword too. But I¡¯m impressed by your enthusiasm. Alright, I decided to¡­not write a lengthy afterword this time!¡± I can answer like that too. Please let me answer that way. Please. I beg you. I can kneel down, or I can lick your shoes. After the long-awaitedint about lengthy afterwords, herees the most helpless part. In reality, the editor will actually- ¡°We have X pages for this time. ¡­Is it okay? Do you want to change it?¡± He¡¯ll ask me kindly, but I- ¡°Uh, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯ll be troublesome to change it. (picks my nose)¡± I epted it casually. Everything¡¯s my fault, ¡­yet I kept bbing. Sekina Aoi is undoubtedly annoying. I¡¯m really sorry. However, please be considerate, everyone. ¡­Just a little bit. After spending two hours writing this dissatisfying trash text with a stomach full ofint, I proofread it and mocked myself. ¡°Yep, what a piece of trash.¡± Then, I quietly mailed the draft to the editor before taking a sip of the canned coffee that cooled down already. A lonely man who¡¯s deeply sighing. It¡¯s like ying a game for two hours without saving, and then the fuse blew. This feeling. Also, after reading that description- ¡°I can¡¯t believe Sekina Aoi spent two hours on a text like this? It looks like he¡¯s not talented to write afterwords.¡± To the readers that see me this way, you¡¯re absolutely correct. I¡¯m not talented in writing afterwords. I¡¯m not writing this casually at all. Instead, I mumbled ¡°ughhh¡± in my mouth as I thought about it for a long time before finishing this junk. Come to think of it, I¡¯m helpless¡­ Once I snapped out of it, I startedining again. Sorry, let¡¯s switch up the mood. Anyways, here¡¯s < Gamers! 6 ¨C The Lonely Gamer and Love Confession Chain Combo >. How does everyone feel? From the creator¡¯s perspective, perhaps this feels like writing a long story. Although the content is still a continuous short (medium) story. I guess the plot development will be lengthy. It¡¯s also quite rare for a volume to have plot twists in the middle and at the end. Instead of saying it¡¯s a bunch of misunderstanding, the 6th volume is more like a resolve. It would be my honor if everyone enjoyed this volume as well. The problem is with the way of solving the misunderstandings. Based on different perspectives, perhaps some will feel that things only got even more troublesome. However, like what I¡¯ve written at the end of Volume 5, this is a romanticedy. It would be my honor if you can wait for the next volume in a rxed manner. Ah, also, about the subtitle. Instead of seeing it from the ending¡¯s perspective, perhaps people will think, ¡°oh, that¡¯s why¡± if they thoroughly read the entire book. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Well, there¡¯s a piece of bad news, everyone. This is the unexpected end of the afterword main dish that talked about the plot in Volume 6. ¡­Ah, r-right, let¡¯s announce something rted to multimedia! Thanks to everyone, < Gamers! > will have a manga and a nned anime adaptation. First of all, the manga part is already published in the October issue of Monthly Sh¨­nen Ace. Props to Tsubasa Takahashi-sensei and his fantastic drawing skills. As for the anime adaptation, uh, there¡¯s an anime, yes. There¡¯ll be more details in the future. ¡­¡­¡­ H-Hiya, this is weird, that¡¯s all about the news. It¡¯s especially disappointing when the anime topic can¡¯t even drag the word count up! Currently, aside from the ¡°there¡¯s an anime soon, wow,¡± I have literally nothing to talk about! What is this? Should I just say there¡¯ll be a giant robot in the anime? But people will often mention a plot like that even if it¡¯s not rted to anime, right? ¡­Ugh! D-Didn¡¯t I say this before? I¡¯m not talented to write afterwords¡­! Actually, that character has that background. ¡­There¡¯s literally nothing for me talk about regarding that topic! I¡¯m the type of author that can¡¯t say anything unless it¡¯s rted to the main story! Especially for this series! For example, ¡­recently, there was a conference for the anime adaptation. It feels like it¡¯s rted to my work. Still, my attitude for that is basically, ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can give you guys aside from the original light novel, how about that?¡± In the end- (Then what is this Aoi guy doing here¡­) (The original author is the worst person when ites to producing the < Gamers! > anime¡­) The conference is even filled with this hopeless atmosphere. (Paranoia ounts for 90%) As for the detailed settings and future developments, ¡­I¡¯m the person that wants to know them the most! Especially the so-called ¡°behind-the-scenes settings,¡± I¡¯ve always been confused about that. Uh, ¡­it¡¯s BTS settings as long as it¡¯s not a setting appeared on the surface plot, right? - Actually, Tendou-san loves udon. Like this, right? Uh, although I just wrote a setting like that, I¡¯m not sure whether Tendou-san is an ¡°udon lover.¡± I entirely made that up just then. However, if the author specifically mentioned that in the afterword, it¡¯s obviously a BTS setting, right. Yep, but if we actually ask Tendou-san¡­ ¡°Udon? I don¡¯t hate it, it tastes good¡­¡± I feel like she would give a vague answer like this. However, the author guaranteed that ¡°Tendou-san loves udon¡± in the afterword already. It has to be right. You should believe the author instead of the puzzled Tendou-san. But if that makes sense, I can write whatever I want in the BTS settings. - Actually, Keita Amano is a girl. - Actually, Chiaki Hoshinomori¡¯s hair is really seaweed. - Actually, everyone in < Gamers! > has passed away already. Hiya, all of those were shocking, right. However, they should be correct if the author said it, even though none of them will appear in the plot! Alright, the staff responsible for the manga and anime adaptation, pay attention to this part! Please draw the faces of all characters in a subtly lifeless manner, let¡¯s follow the BTS settings! Alright, let¡¯s put the jokes aside. Actually, I didn¡¯t even write any BTS settings. Sigh, I get it. Basically, BTS settings aren¡¯t here because the story needs BTS settings. Instead, it should be ¡°the settings that were designed but weren¡¯t mentioned in the story, or it was included in the background,¡± right. So, just like the example above, it¡¯s not BTS settings if you made it upter. It only counts as the author saying random things. I¡¯m sorry. The stage is not based on an afterlife world. ¡­Uh, even though if you say the characters are actually in the ¡°Hell of Romantic Comedy,¡± I feel like a lot of parts can be exined at once. However, I do hope that I can talk about these BTS settings with a smug face, even though there are no settings at all. What should I do with this desire? Hey, can anyone give me the BTS settings for < Gamers! >? Ah, but I remembered this. If we¡¯re talking about secrets like ¡°the character from previous novels is actually already with this character¡­¡±, I have something too! Here ites, the secrets that feel like BTS settings! The one that authors will often brag about with a proud look! However, I¡¯m not going to reveal it. Uh? You¡¯re asking why? ¡­After all, perhaps I¡¯ll use itter in some other ces. Even if I don¡¯t, it¡¯ll be extremely embarrassing if people startedining about it. More importantly, to the people who have only read < Gamers! >, that¡¯s something that they would never care about. ¡­Or I should say, it¡¯s not worth mentioning to someone else¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Crap. This isn¡¯t a BTS setting, it¡¯s actually an ¡°in-name-only setting.¡± I guess this counts as the same type with the ¡°frail¡± attribute of the female protagonist two novels ago. The settings that aren¡¯t going to benefit anyone even if you knew it. Whatever, let¡¯s move on. So, that¡¯s all for the BTS settings for < Gamers! >. Hey, it¡¯s really an afterword-style afterword! I feel like a healthy light novel author right now! The guy that spent 5 pagesining about afterwords wasn¡¯t me at all! A-Alright, the remaining pages will be for daily reports. Recently, I¡¯ve watched a lot of overseas shows. When the TV that can y inte shows arrived at my home, I¡¯m immediately globbed up by its convenience. Speaking of overseas shows, although the cast keeps changing, it can stillst something like ¡°season 10.¡± I¡¯m somewhat admiring them. I hope < Gamers! > can adapt the same approach and aim to release 100 episodes. I guess the original cast wasn¡¯t here anymore if there are 100 episodes. Even Amano, who¡¯s the protagonist¡­ ¡°The mysterious middle-aged gamer bloke (who sucks) that barely showed up in Episode 54 will be hisst appearance, right?¡± I¡¯m afraid that it woulde down to this. The 100th episode of the main story will probably be about 8 boys and girls renting an apartment together in France. All the gaming elements will be gone. Also, there wouldn¡¯t be any misunderstandings as well. More importantly, the author who moved to France, iming that he wants more ideas¡­ ¡°Today, I¡¯m still presenting you with this chapter at the side of the Seine River.¡± I¡¯ve heard that every afterword will start with this sentence from now on¡­ ¡­Uh, sorry, this series will still end before the 100th episode. Well, here¡¯s the appreciation speech. First of all, Cactus-sensei, thanks for your illustrations. I really appreciated your work. A romanticedy that¡¯s based on conversations doesn¡¯t have a lot of chances for illustrations to shine. Your dynamic drawings adorned my work. Thank you. I¡¯ll be relying on you. Then, props to the editor. Even though I¡¯m the weirdo that agreed to write a lengthy afterword and nag about it, you still patiently apanied me. Thank you so much. I can guarantee that I¡¯ll write something long about this next time too. Hope you don¡¯t mind. Finally, thank you, readers. Thanks for reading this volume. You guys even read the afterword that¡¯s full ofints, not to mention the annoying main story. Perhaps your stomach is full already, but the story and afterwords will continue. So, I hope everyone can spend a few months on digestion. Well, see you in the next volume. Sekina Aoi Volume 7 – Gamers and Kiss of Dead End, 1 – Keita Amano and Chiaki Hoshinomori and Youth Continue

Volume 7 ¨C Gamers and Kiss of Dead End, Chapter 1 ¨C Keita Amano and Chiaki Hoshinomori and Youth Continue

Trantor: your_pingas¡°Keita. I¡­I-¡° A night in autumn. Under the starry sky. My rival, Chiaki Hoshinomori. Faced me, Keita Amano, a guy who has a girlfriend. ¡°-I really love you.¡± And confessed while blushing. ¡­Hmm¡­hmm? (Eh? W-What is this? Is this an elementary school game that needs you to tell ¡°When. Where. Who. To who. What.¡± from a random situation? T-This is too sudden, right.) I think my brain will freeze if I rx for even a second. However, I managed to snap out of it and tried my best to deal with this iprehensible situation. (I need to calm down first¡­Hmm, n-no problem. Now that I¡¯m memorizing everything, I managed to get a hold on what¡¯s happening until right now.) Calm down. Anyway, let¡¯s confirm one by one¡­Alright, let¡¯s begin. When: A night in autumn after our friends, including Chiaki and me, yed for a whole day. Where: We have our own reasons to go home a bitte. Then, in the end, we ended up staying at this dating hotspot, Starry za, alone. A boy and a girl. Who: My rival, and also a respected creator that I found out just then¡­A girl that¡¯s my enemy in every way, Chiaki Hoshinomori. To who: The lonely passerby that¡¯s dating Tendou-san, the school idol, under the strings of fate, which is me, Keita Amano. What: A love confession. (That¡¯s a too sudden turn for the worse! The ¡°what¡± option.) What the hell is this? If there¡¯s an author that¡¯s supposed to create stories for us, I want to tell him that this is a rash and careless plot. I¡¯m sure that the editor responsible will immediately and mercilessly cross out thest line with a red pen. What is this? I can¡¯t help but sigh quietly and put my hand on my forehead. ¡­Uh, I did more or less foresaw this. I can tell that Chiaki¡¯s trying to ¡°confess¡± something to me from the situation. However, initially, I thought Chiaki¡¯s ¡°confession¡± is about her ¡°real identity¡­¡± (After all, she just admitted, ¡°Keita, I¡¯m actually the person who¡¯s frequently chatting online with you¡± a second ago¡­) If there¡¯s something that Chiaki wanted to tell, naturally, I would think that¡¯s something extra rted to her true identity¡­ So, for example, even if Chiaki suddenly reveals that ¡°I¡¯m an alien bi-bi-bo-bo,¡± or ¡°Konoha and I have superpowers that we use to hunt a group of creatures called Dark Beasts every night.¡± While I¡¯ll ask ¡°really¡± in a shocked manner, my mind is not as faded out in this situation. Even though I can¡¯t ept it, I¡¯m still ¡°mentally prepared¡± for what¡¯s toe. Then, at this point, ¡­I can¡¯t believe Chiaki said, ¡°she loves me.¡± This is way too unexpected, no matter how you think about it. It¡¯s like I¡¯m staring at the sky and hoping for an outfield hit. Then, someone from the audience suddenlyunched Yoga me towards my waist. This is something more than lethal. Anyway, I can¡¯t digest the situation at all. However, even so¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­I made eye contact with Chiaki, who¡¯s looking at me with a serious expression. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ (It looks like¡­this isn¡¯t a situation where I can escape or fool over¡­) This is literally a bolt from the blue to me. But, from Chiaki¡¯s perspective, I guess she finally managed toe to this after an enduring struggle. Even a dense protagonist like me can understand that. Also, it¡¯s because I understand this, ¡­I¡¯m not willing to give a quick answer to her sincere feelings and actions. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ (¡­Yep, ¡­I guess so¡­) I slowly lowered my head down and stared at the tip of my sneakers for a while. ¡­So, I finally made up my mind. (¡­What¡¯s wrong with being unable to understand?) For example, even if I don¡¯t pletely¡± understand this confession. Even if her feeling shocked me. Even so, I¡­am confident that I know ¡°what Keita Amano¡¯s really thinking¡± more than anyone. This is undoubtedly true. If that¡¯s the case, the least I could do right now is to answer her wholeheartedly and sincerely. I have to return her feelings. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡­Phew¡­¡± I exhaled before facing Chiaki once again. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Under the starry sky. Although Chiaki¡¯s blushing really hard right now, ¡­she didn¡¯t look away from me. Her eyes are boiling with determination as she stared back at me. That overwhelming ¡°staunchness¡± made me respect her sincerely. At the same time- That¡¯s why I¡¯m also answering as sincerely and truthfully as I can. I replied to her confession. ¡°Thank you, and I¡¯m sorry.¡± I lowered my head as I spoke up. ¡­There are a lot of things I want to say, ask, and confirm right now. However, at thest moment, all of my emotions and feelings are concentrated in this appreciation and apology. I will only keep my head lowered in silence until Chiaki permitted me to raise my head. Perhaps she would be angry. Perhaps she would be upset. Perhaps she would yell at me for answering insincerely. ¡­However, even if her action is one of the above. (I need to ept her feelings truthfully right here, and right now¡­It¡¯s because that¡¯s all I can do.) ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± A moment of silence filled between us two. A couple second passed, which felt like an eternity¡­ ¡°¡­Please raise your head, Keita.¡± Chiaki spoke to me in an unexpectedly gentle tone. So, I slowly raised my head. So, I gulped and mentally prepared myself as I look at Chiaki¡¯s face tremblingly. I saw an unexpected yet hazeless and bright smile. Then, she¡­continued with her usual hasty and at-a-loss attitude and told me. ¡°Ah, actually! I¡¯m the one that should apologize, Keita. Even though I know that you have a girlfriend, I still confessed to you just to make me feel better. How selfish of me! Yes, you should me me!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Chiaki¡¯s still talking to me like that in her old ways. Although I felt like I¡¯m about to cry for a second, ¡­I managed to suppress it and smiled immediately. Then, I put my hands on my waist and tried my best to answer with the usual flippant ¡°rival¡± attitude. ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡± ¡°Eh, you¡¯re cheered up that quickly?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s more like, in reality, this is probably the most disgusting attack I¡¯ve ever received from you.¡± I stared at Chiaki sulkily. Then, she protested with her eyes full of tears. ¡°W-What was that! I can¡¯t believe you called a girl¡¯s sincere confession disgusting! You¡¯re aplete jerk, Keita!¡± ¡°It¡¯s really disgusting. No one told you to do things like this that can only result in you hurting yourself.¡± I let out a massive sigh after saying that. Then, I continued with a bitter smile. ¡°After all, ¡­Chiaki, you¡¯re still very important to me, no matter what.¡± ¡°Keita¡­¡± Chiaki¡¯s giving me a slightly embarrassed look. I almost submerged myself into that floaty and loving atmosphere unconsciously¡­However! At that moment, I immediately put out a serious expression and distanced myself from Chiaki before reaching my hand out and rejecting her. ¡°Ah, e-even if I say that you¡¯re important to me, I¡¯m absolutely only viewing you as a friend!¡± ¡°That¡¯s aplete rejection! D-Do you have to be that brutal!¡± ¡°Of course! After all, I swore my loyalty to my girlfriend, which is Tendou-san. That¡¯s why I¡¯m doing something like this! I really hope that she wouldn¡¯t misunderstand anything!¡± ¡°Y-You sure are noble¡­but it¡¯s okay for you to care about me just a little bit more, right¡­¡± ¡°So, you, t-the girl that¡¯s falling in love with me, can you please keep your distance away from me!¡± ¡°That rejection is pissing me off! Uh, even though it¡¯s true that I fell in love with you! Even though it¡¯s really a fact, yes!¡± After I heard Chiaki¡¯s retort, I can¡¯t help but scratch my head with a blush. ¡°Eh? Ah, hmm, well, uh, thank you, well, for being interested in a person like me¡­¡± ¡°Eh? It¡¯s nothing, well, uh, ah, yes, ¡­you¡¯re right¡­¡± Chiaki was embarrassed, too, after she witnessed my reaction. The two of us just plopped our heads down silently for a while as we¡¯re focused on being embarrassed¡­ ¡­Crap! When did this turn into a loving atmosphere again, I¡¯m such an idiot! ¡°D-Damn you, little devil! You¡¯re trying to waver my loyalty towards Tendou-san again!¡± I quickly distanced myself away from her. Chiaki¡¯s about to cry out. ¡°No, no, no! I¡¯m treated like a demon a few seconds after my confession, what kind of hell is this! Y-You can at least view me as an important friend, right. Keita!¡± ¡°W-Well, it¡¯s not like I want to hurt you¡­But think about it, in my stance, I basically have to eliminate all beings that are hostile to Tendou-san¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a limit for blind loyalty! I-It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll be struck by lightning even if you care about a friend like me a bit more¡­¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re doing it again! Look, you¡¯re trying to bewitch me like that¡­!¡± Just like that, Chiaki and I started yelling at each other. Then, the couples around made a loud ¡°ahem¡± cough as they cleared their throats. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Both of us seem to have forgotten that this ce is supposed to be a quiet and romantic dating hotspot. Chiaki and I immediately lowered our heads and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Then, we fled the za as if we¡¯re escaping from something. We¡¯re now at the stairs that go from the tform of Starry za to the rest area. After a short walk, we¡¯re already in the middle of the mountain that¡¯s so quiet that we can¡¯t sense any human around. In the dark and flourishing forest, only the stairs that leads to the foot of the hill is lighted. There¡¯s no one hiking aside from us. We can only hear the calls of the crickets and the noiseing from the wind blowing the dead leaves. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± This silence seeming voided the chaos earlier. The two of us realized this, so we stopped at the same time. Then¡­ ¡°¡­Haha!¡± We burst intoughter, perhaps it¡¯s because we¡¯re feeling relieved. Suddenly, I feel like the nervousness that shared by us two thatsted from the confession to right now finally disappeared, even if we acted like it¡¯s normal. The two of us walked along the stairs, shoulder-to-shoulder. Then, after a while of quiet walking¡­ ¡°¡­Ah, ¡­let me ask you this, Chiaki. I-I¡¯m just trying to reference this¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Keita?¡± I scratched my face slightly¡­Then, I thought that there¡¯s nothing wrong with asking this in terms of the atmosphere, so I spoke up determinedly. ¡°Chiaki, why do you love me?¡± ¡°PFFT!¡± I think I shouldn¡¯t ask this. Chiaki let out a ¡°pfft¡± as if she just got punched really hard. I hastily tried to smooth things over. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! I-I get it! Even I know that this is a ¡®why don¡¯t this guy go die¡¯ question. However, Chiaki, I sincerely don¡¯t know which part of me do you love¡­It¡¯s more like, the process is way tooplicated. Honestly, I¡¯m still perplexed¡­¡± After I managed to express my thoughts, Chiaki wiped the corner of her mouth with her sleeve before saying ¡°r-right¡± as she continued. ¡°Indeed, perhaps you¡¯ll feel perplexed since I¡¯m always arguing with you. Uh, ¡­it¡¯s because I knew your true identity a while ago, that¡¯s why I¡¯m falling for you on my own¡­¡± ¡°My identity¡­Ah, you mean our interactions online¡­¡± Come to think of it, Chiaki and I are bitter rivals in reality, but NOBE and Mono are good friends of mine. Although it kind of freaks me out since people will think I¡¯m falling in love with another girl, I really think those two (one in reality) are important to me. So, even if I can¡¯t let this go yet, it¡¯s not hard for me to understand. ¡°I get it.¡± I nodded. Then, Chiaki plopped her head down embarrassingly before counting the stairs as if she¡¯s trying to cover something and continued. ¡°W-Well, Keita, even so, it¡¯s not just from what we did online. Uh, to me, the time when I get to chat about gaming with you in real life, that¡¯s precious...and rxing¡­¡± ¡°R-Really, ¡­well, ¡­I¡¯m honored¡­.¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s fine¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but scratch my cheeks and fell silent¡­N-No, I don¡¯t know what I should do in situations like this. Since I¡¯ve always been a shabby loner, there are no smart options for me to choose when people areplimenting or liking me. It feels like I¡¯m talking about a buggy game with other online yers. ¡°A-Also, Keita, let me tell you, let me tell you! The reason that I love you! Well, actually, a big factor of thates from the suggestion of developing games¡­!¡± During this time, Chiaki seems to be moved by something and tried to continue excitedly. Crap, ¡­if I do nothing, I think she will continue to talk about ¡°the reason why she loves me.¡± What a creative way for harassment. After I cleared my throat loudly, I decided to stop this discussion. ¡°I-I get it! Yep, Chiaki, how should I put this, I roughly understood why you love- No, uh, well, w-why you like me. It¡¯s okay now.¡± ¡°R-Really? I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± Chiaki pressed her chest in relief. I can¡¯t help but mumble after seeing her like that. ¡°Ay, of course, the messages with NOBE and Mono has always spiritually supported me. Moreover, I¡¯m actually thrilled when I get to chat with you in real life as well¡­¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± I feel like Ms. Chiaki¡¯s blushing really hard, and she¡¯s even staring at me with a hopeful look. I hastily shook my head and distanced myself away from her! ¡°If you think I¡¯m lowering my guard, then you¡¯re dead wrong! Nasty girl!¡± ¡°Keita, don¡¯t you think your cold treatment is a bit too much! E-Even if you¡¯re doing the right thing as Tendou-san¡¯s boyfriend, but I feel like your personality is slowly corrupting!¡± ¡°B-But, Chiaki, aren¡¯t you trying to have sex with me whenever you have a chance?¡± I wrapped my arms around my body as I shiver. Chiaki¡¯s face immediately red up as she yelled at me! ¡°I-I¡¯m not! Please don¡¯t think of me as Konoha!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to say that, right. I can¡¯t believe that¡¯s how you view your little sister¡­¡± ¡°S-Shut up! Keita, you¡¯re overly self-conscious right now, anyway!¡± ¡°B-But, Chiaki-san, you¡¯re interested in me, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re annoying! I¡¯ve never seen such an annoying confession plot in romanticedies! How much do you want your reputation as a man to fall!¡± ¡°I-I guess you¡¯re right¡­¡± I admitted that I¡¯m overreacting as well¡­However, when I got my girlfriend, my ¡°harem¡± level isn¡¯t high enough to clever adapt to a situation where a girl confessed her love to me. This situation is tough, so I can¡¯t help but stop as I scratched my head. So, Chiaki nced at me from a couple steps lower, ¡­and then she lowered her head depressingly. ¡°¡­My confession is really causing you a lot of pain, right¡­¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t say that-¡° I immediately wanted tofort her, but Tendou-san¡¯s face shed in my mind right away. So, I fell speechless¡­and Chiaki¡¯s lowering her head even more as she mocked herself. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Keita. In reality, I¡¯m the selfish one for confessing to you¡­and even requesting you to ¡®maintain the same rtionship¡¯ with me after your rejection.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°S-So, for a while, I need to distance myself away from the Hobby Club-¡° ¡°Y-You can¡¯t do that! I won¡¯t allow it!¡± ¡°K-Keita?¡± Chiaki¡¯s eyes bulged at my sudden loud announcement. As for me, ¡­I clenched my fist tightly as I slowly walked down the stairs. Then, I turned around in front of Chiaki and took a deep breath before telling her. ¡°¡­Honestly, I¡¯m really honored to know that you¡¯re interested in me.¡± ¡°¡­Keita¡­¡± ¡°When you confessed to me, I said ¡®thank you¡¯ right away to show my appreciation to you, right? That¡¯s really what I meant. After all, it¡¯s impossible for a loner like me¡­to feel annoyed or frustrated when someone confessed to me, right? Instead, I want to say that this is the happiest thing I¡¯ve heard in my whole life.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± I interrupted Chiaki and continued. ¡°So, the one that should be disciplined¡­isn¡¯t you. Instead, ¡­it¡¯s that cowardly heart of mine that can¡¯t help but feel overly excited about your confession and feelings.¡± ¡°¡­B-But, the root cause of that is due to my confession¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± I finally made up my mind when I¡¯m talking to her. I smiled at Chiaki, ¡­and then I announced it clearly once again. ¡°Thank you, Chiaki. I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re interested in me, and I sincerely respect you for mustering up your courage to confess to me. That¡¯s why, ¡­from now on, I should be the one that works harder. You absolutely don¡¯t have to suppress or lose anything anymore!¡± Tears began to form in Chiaki¡¯s eyes after she heard what I just said. However, she stopped herself from crying out. Instead, she answered with a smile. ¡°Thank you, Keita.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re wee, Chiaki.¡± We smiled at each other for a moment¡­Then, we walked down the stairs together once again. Chiaki¡¯s rubbing her eyes next to me, and I pretended that I didn¡¯t see any of that. I even tried to joke around. ¡°By the way, I didn¡¯t expect that I¡¯ll encounter a plot that¡¯s straight out of dating sims like this in my entire life.¡± ¡°W-What was that. It would be creepy if youpared me as a female character in dating sims!¡± Chiaki, who¡¯s a moe hater, retorted angrily¡­Yep, this is the usual Chiaki. I argued with that my usual frustrated face as well. ¡°Ms. Chiaki, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a little bit impolite with your tone on dating sims?¡± ¡°Why am I the one that¡¯s being corrected? You¡¯re the one that said something impolite first!¡± ¡°Eh, normally, shouldn¡¯t it be honorable when you¡¯re called a female character in dating sims?¡± ¡°Which universe¡¯s ¡®normal¡¯ are you referring to! How about this, will you be happy when someone described you as a male character in otome games-¡° ¡°I¡¯m honored. Doesn¡¯t that mean I¡¯m a handsome dude?¡± ¡°Eh, really! This is weird! I-I feel like this is different than the female characters in dating sims!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Chiaki. Even if we¡¯re talking about female characters in dating sims, you¡¯re like the ones that the developers will add a plot to in fan discs.¡± ¡°You¡¯re finally calling me a female side character, right! There¡¯s a limit for rudeness, Keita!¡± ¡°Then, let me tell you this. There¡¯s a lot of female side characters that are even more popr than the female protagonist. A lot ofpanies noticed this. They¡¯ll put up a little trick at the start and purposely leave the female side character with the most personality to fan discs-¡° ¡°Eh, you¡¯re definitely not trying to calm me down! ¡­Ah, Keita, d-don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re implying that I¡¯m actually more attractive than Tendou-san-¡° ¡°Nope, I just want to say that female side characters are essential in dating sims as well. It has nothing to do with you. I should say, including 2D anime characters, no one in this world¡¯s more attractive than Tendou-san. Since when did you be this ignorant? That¡¯s scary.¡± ¡°Cold treatment! I said this before, Keita. Don¡¯t you think you love Tendou-san a bit too much and treated me way too harshly!?¡± ¡°But my feelings towards Tendou-san are nothing but true love¡­¡± ¡°Can you stop that! How many times do you want to say that to a rejected girl!¡± ¡°But Chiaki, I feel like you¡¯re actually an excellent female side character.¡± ¡°I said that it won¡¯tfort me in the slightest! The more you call me a female side character, the more I feel ashamed!¡± ¡°Uh, Chiaki, I think you should be ashamed over your thoughts on all the female side characters¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! A boy that thinks the entire world works like dating sims like you is so damn annoying!¡± We started arguing over moe elements, just like usual. Once we¡¯re finished, Chiaki and I looked at each other with a lightened expression. During this time, Chiaki perhaps realized why I¡¯m doing all of this, so she looked away from me a bit embarrassingly. So, I turned away as well¡­This is an excellent opportunity, so I decided to convey my sincere thoughts that are a bit embarrassing. ¡°¡­Uh, honestly, Chiaki¡­I think to chat with you like this, ¡­how should I put it, ¡­it¡¯s not like I hate it¡­¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°S-So, I feel like¡­it would be great if I can chat with you cheerfully from now on.¡± ¡°¡­A-Alright¡­¡± Chiaki¡¯s ears turned red as she nodded slightly. I continued. ¡°Like I¡¯ve said before, including this point, I hope you can still participate in the Game Hobby Club¡­Uh, of course, only if you wanted to.¡± ¡°O-O-O-Of course! I-I¡¯m just the same¡­!¡± Chiaki¡¯s suddenly agreeing with me excitedly. I¡¯m relieved to see that. At the same time, another worry showed up in my heart as I scratched my head. ¡°H-However, what should we do when things went this way?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Uh, for example, Chiaki, ¡­are you really okay with this? You have to¡­chat and y happily with a guy that rejected you. I feel like I¡¯m taking advantage of you¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t think so.¡± Chiaki immediately answered in an unexpectedly clean way. I blinked my eyes as she continued ¡°Well, if we¡¯re talking about taking advantage, I¡¯m just the same as well. The girl that failed her confession, yet she can still maintain a friendship with the boy. Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m the one that got something ¡®good¡¯ out of this? It¡¯s like I can continue to y without insert a 100 yen coin.¡± ¡°That example is too frivolous, right?¡± ¡°Does it? But, isn¡¯t that like what I¡¯ve said before? Ah, also, if you think I¡¯ll continue treating you as a guy I love, then you¡¯re dead wrong.¡± ¡°R-Really¡­I guess you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°O-Of course.¡± ¡­I feel like another unexpected silence fell onto us. I went on after clearing my throat with a cough. ¡°Well, Chiaki, does that mean you¡¯re willing to continue our friendship?¡± ¡°O-Of course! I should be the one to say that!¡± Chiaki smiled as she reached her hand out. To that, ¡­I didn¡¯t overreact and calmly shook her hand as a friend before answering. So, when we started walking again, we can see a bright and spacious area just a bit lower. That¡¯s a tform connected Starry za to the rest station at the foot of the hill via the long stairs. It even has a couple of benches for people to sit down and rx. Although we can¡¯t see clearly due to the distance, I think someone is sitting there right now as well. I stared at that dazedly as I thought, ¡°Perhaps we can¡¯t catch the bus.¡± Then, I fell silent. During this time, Chiaki seems to have misunderstood something and sighed a bit awkwardly. ¡°Ah, ¡­uh, Keita, ¡­but, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Eh? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Well, ¡­even though I said we should keep it the same way, I think the atmosphere will still get a bit awkward sometimes, like right now.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I didn¡¯t mean it that way right now¡­However, I understand what¡¯s Chiaki trying to say. She continued. ¡°But it would be great if you can tolerate it¡­¡± To Chiaki¡¯s words, I answered with an ¡°of course¡± as I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s more like, I think it¡¯ll be weird if we tried to suppress it that much.¡± ¡°Yeah. Ay, so, please remain ¡®natural¡¯ from now on in every way.¡± ¡°I got it, the person that likes me.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Keita.¡± ¡°Sorry, Chiaki, even though you¡¯re my rival, I¡¯ll never prank you that way anymore!¡± ¡°You have to keep your own words, the guy that decided to keep a girl¡¯s who interested in him.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Chiaki.¡± ¡°Sorry, Keita, even though you¡¯re my rival, I¡¯ll never prank you that way anymore!¡± We went back and forth as we searched for a solution for our friendship awkwardly. After that, I realized there¡¯s something we need to reflect on as well. ¡°Right, can I tell everyone that you confessed to me?¡± ¡°Oh, we got a ¡®bullying¡¯ case here! W-What are you trying to pull off! Are you trying to write ¡®Chiaki Hoshinomori Loves Keita Amano?¡¯ on the ckboard? You¡¯re trying to do that, right!¡± Chiaki protested with tears in her eyes, I quickly tried to smooth things over. ¡°I-It¡¯s not like the ¡®bullying¡¯ you¡¯re talking about! Eh? So, you wanted to keep your confession, ¡­or should I say, you want to keep the fact that you love me as a secret?¡± ¡°Of course! Isn¡¯t that embarrassing!¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re right. It¡¯s quite embarrassing to love a guy like me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen this heavily self-abased side of yours. No, I¡¯m not talking about that kind of embarrassment.¡± Chiaki spoke up andined. I continued after clearing my throat. ¡°But if we¡¯re keeping it that way, it¡¯ll be quite troublesome to me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­troublesome?¡± ¡°Yep. After all, this means that I¡¯ll have to keep your confession to me as a secret to Tendou-san as well, right? ¡­Honestly, I feel like from a boyfriend¡¯s perspective, I feel kind of guilty¡­¡± ¡°¡­Oh¡­¡± Chiaki seems to have realized the problem and sighed. I continued. ¡°Logically, I didn¡¯t cheat on anyone. However, don¡¯t you think ¡®staying as a friend with a girl that confessed to me and pretend nothing¡¯s wrong¡¯ is a bit too much¡­?¡± Chiaki started thinking about it after she heard what I said. ¡°When you put it that way, I-I feel like it¡¯s a bit too much as well. Logically, I¡¯m not a mistress behind Tendou-san, but I do feel like I did something I never was supposed to do.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­Also, Keita, this is quite sudden, but I¡¯m feeling a little throbbed right now.¡± ¡°Why?¡± After I asked, Chiaki¡­shouted the answer out excitedly for some reason. ¡°We were still loners a while ago. Now, ¡­we¡¯re already like this, getting annoyed with normie rtionship problems like we''re in Terrace House. That''s why I¡¯m so throbbed!¡± ¡°¡­Uwah! You¡¯re right!¡± I didn¡¯t realize before she said it. T-This is impressive, we¡¯re making a lot of progress! What a luxurious trouble for us to have! There should be a limit to how normie we can be! We can¡¯t help but stop walking and stare at the sky for a moment. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Alright, the jokes end here. We finally arrived at the tform that we saw earlier after a long walk on the stairs. There¡¯s a celestial globe made with bronze here, and even benches for people to take a small break. Although there¡¯s no one around right now, the atmosphere feels a bit warm somehow. Even so, Chiaki and I aren¡¯t going to sit down here. We nced at the celestial globe at the corner of our eyes as we walked through the tform and started talking again. ¡°Sigh, honestly, from my stance, I also hope to exin this properly to Tendou-san as well.¡± Chiaki was troubled by what I just said earlier, but she still nodded forcefully in the end. ¡°You¡¯re right. If Tendou-san hates me because of that, or she¡¯s ming the rtionship between you and me. I can only say it can¡¯t be helped since it¡¯s all my fault.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s all our fault.¡± After I corrected her, Chiaki started to get embarrassed before nodding her head. ¡°I understand. Keita, we should exin our rtionship to Tendou-san as soon as possible. I feel like that¡¯s the only way to keep our rtionship without any troubles.¡± ¡°Yep. Indeed, we really need to quickly end this part.¡± ¡°Yeah. I feel terrible for Tendou-san if we¡¯re hiding everything away from her.¡± ¡°Yes. I also hope that I can maintain a rtionship built on trust with the person I¡¯m dating with.¡± ¡°Right. I also wish the person that¡¯s important to me can keep it that way. I really hoped that.¡± Chiaki smiled gently at me. My heart was filled with what she just said¡­It¡¯s hard to trante this kind of emotion into words. So, right now, I can only stare at her eyes before nodding confidently. We passed the tform and continued walking along the stairs. Then, we only chatted about gaming until we arrived at the rest station. This situation is¡­Well, although we can¡¯t say that we¡¯re keeping it in the exact same way, even so, it¡¯s still gratifying for us to talk about games. So, when we arrived at the rest area, even though we¡¯re still a bit nervous, we don¡¯t feel ufortable anymore. (Perhaps it¡¯s because even if the ending is bitter, we still managed to say what we need to¡­) Actually, in all honesty, I can never judge how Chiaki feels right now. The pain of being rejected after confessing to a close friend. I don¡¯t think I can casually imagine it and reaching my own, arrogant conclusion. Moreover, I can never forget that I rejected Chiaki¡­I hurt someone that fell in love with me¡­Honestly, I¡¯m still feeling a tinge of pain in my heart right now. We hurt each other. However, at least, there¡¯s no further damage. While a scar might form, but the pain will disappear, and it will heal- I hope. I nced at Chiaki, who¡¯s next to me, and then I realized she¡¯s giving me the usual pouting face. ¡°Keita, why are you staring at me? You¡¯re disgusting.¡± Chiaki causally insulted me. I also replied with my usual manners. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I think there¡¯s a faint smell of sea tideing from you.¡± ¡°What do you mean by I smell like sea tide!¡± Then, we started bickering with each other without holding back just like we were. This makes me really relieved right now. If that¡¯s the case, I think we can still treat each other as ¡°friends¡± or ¡°partners¡± in the Game Hobby Club from now on. We pressed our chests in relief after reaching this conclusion as we walked towards the rest station. When we arrived at the kiosk, there¡¯s suddenly an unexpected voice calling us. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t this Amano and Hoshinomori? What are you two doing here?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I freaked out as I turned to where the voice wasing from. Then¡­ ¡°Eh, Uehara-kun¡­and Aguri-san?¡± A normie x gal couple is resting at the seats of the kiosk. ¡°Oh, Amanhi, Shin-chan, thanks for today.¡± Aguri-san waved as she smiled. Chiaki and I looked at each other in shock as we walked towards them, who should be already on the bus to home. So, when we came next to the table, Uehara-kun asked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you guys went home already?¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s my line, Uehara-kun. What happened to you two? Didn¡¯t you guys go onto the bus to downtown an hour ago?¡± I started searching in my memory as I said that. In reality, I did see these two and Tendou-san¡¯s bus heading towards downtown leaving an hour ago. Just as I¡¯m feeling thoroughly unbelievable, Uehara-kun said a ¡°well¡± depressingly before speaking up. ¡°The bus broke down suddenly after 5 minutes. Then, the driver checked for a while for a cause. In the end, he didn¡¯t know how to fix it. So, he apologized and asked the passengers to go back to the rest station and take the next bus. There¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± ¡°Wow, I feel terrible for you.¡± Aguri-san crossed her arms angrily at my sympathy. ¡°Jeez. We even had to walk all the way back here. We spent 20 minutes in the dark mountain roads. Also, I think the next bus is arrivingte as well. This sucks.¡± Aguri-san said that as she stared at the roundabout facing the window near the entrance. Indeed, there¡¯s not a single bus stopping there. After we questioned further, it seems the buses going to our homes are dyed too. ¡°So, why don¡¯t you guys sit down and wait as well?¡± We were urged by Uehara-kun, so we sat next to them. Then, this time, Uehara-kun started questioning us. ¡°So? Why are you two still here? Did your buses break down too?¡± ¡°Ah, nope, it¡¯s not that. We¡¯re¡­¡± Just as I¡¯m preparing to exin, Chiaki suddenly stepped on the tip of my foot and made me realized. ¡­Right, what am I going to say? ¡°I met my partner with a fated connection online, and she even confessed to me.¡± Am I really going to say that? Well, while this is a fact, ¡­but if I don¡¯t exin in order and in detail. This is going to be troublesome if it got out since I have a girlfriend. However, in situations like this, the bus could arrive at any time¡­ Just as I¡¯m hesitating to answer, Chiaki spoke up cleverly for me. ¡°Well, we went to the restroom on our own before the bus started to leave, but we ended up missing it. After that, when we¡¯re chilling and waiting, I suggested going to Starry za behind to kill time given a chance¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s why you two areing from behind?¡± After Uehara-kun heard Chiaki¡¯s exnation, he understood quickly without any questions. During this time, Aguri-san let out an ¡°Eh!¡± ¡°What the hell, I didn¡¯t realize there¡¯s such a romantic spot here! We should have gone there if we knew it! Jeez¡­!¡± Aguri-san plopped on the table as she rubbed her hands while throwing a tantrum. I answered her with a bitter smile. ¡°Uh, it¡¯ll take a long time for a round trip. Even if the arrival of your bus is different than ours, you won¡¯t have time to watch the stars since it takes 30 minutes.¡± ¡°Really. I guess it can¡¯t be helped if you put it that way¡­By the way, Amanhi, Shin-chan, you two are interested in stars as well? I didn¡¯t expect that. I thought you two don¡¯t care about anything outside of games.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s impolite. We¡¯re at least interested in the stars¡­R-Right, Chiaki?¡± ¡°Y-Y-Yeah, Keita. I don¡¯t want to be treated like a girl that¡¯s o-only interested in gaming!¡± We nced at each other before lowering our heads awkwardly¡­I-I really can¡¯t say it. Actually, 90% of our motives is taking the rewards of the mobile game. That¡¯s why we¡¯re climbing the hill. But I really can¡¯t say it right now! ¡°Oh¡­¡± Aguri-san stared at us suspiciously¡­Crap. This person is really sensitive towards rtionship issues. She will start getting her own ideas if this continues. I freaked out as I looked around before immediately changing the topic. ¡°R-Right. Tendou-san should be on the same bus as you two, where is she?¡± I looked around as I asked. Then, Uehara-kun answered. ¡°Ah,e to think of it, she said she wanted to walk around the kiosk, so she left the seat.¡± ¡°R-Really¡­Uh, w-well, then I¡¯ll go look for Tendou-san¡­¡± After I said that, I quickly tried to leave to avoid Aguri-san¡¯s question- At that moment. ¡°Amano-kun, Hoshinomori-san, good evening.¡± Someone suddenly spoke up behind us. Once I turned back, ¡­the cutest being on this, which is my girlfriend, Karen Tendou, is waiting there with a smile. Even though she was exhausted from the long walks of today, because of her blonde hair, she still looks just as bright and refreshing. ¡°T-Thanks for today!¡± I got nervous for some reason and greeted like I¡¯m a junior in a sports club. Then, I hastily stood up and gave away the seat on my left that was for my luggage to make sure she has a ce to sit. However, Tendou-san¡¯s reaction¡­ ¡°Ah, Uehara-kun, Aguri-san, I¡¯m sorry, but can you give me some space.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Once we realized, she was already sitting between Uehara-kun and Aguri-san. (¡­Uh, I-I guess that works too¡­It¡¯s not like there¡¯re rules requiring couples to sit together every time¡­Yep¡­) Although everyone is feeling the seat arrangement isn¡¯t right, I managed to give myself an exnation. I guess Tendou-san is just taking her original seat before our arrival. During this time, Uehara-kun spoke up. ¡°W-Well-¡° Then, he stood up. ¡°The bus isn¡¯t arriving yet. I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡± Aguri-san stood up as well after hearing what he said. ¡°Ah, then I¡¯m going too. Tendou-san, please keep sight of our luggage.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Tendou-san suddenly let out a sound while trembling. To that, Aguri-san tilted her head. ¡°Uh, ¡­I¡¯m just trying to get you to watch our stuff¡­I-Is there any inconvenience?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, n-no, it¡¯s nothing¡­I understand. I, Karen Tendou, will watch you two¡¯s luggage, even if it meant sacrificing my own life!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to give up your own life for it¡­Uh, alright, ¡­well, thanks.¡± Aguri-san looks dumbfounded as she prepares to leave with Uehara-kun, who¡¯s already walking towards the toilet. I saw her leaving¡­as an idea suddenly popped out in my heart. Then, I kicked Chiaki¡¯s leg. (Shouldn¡¯t we mention the thing we¡¯ve talked about earlier right now?) I tried to suggest to her with eye contact and my expressions. So, Chiaki looked confused for a second, but she immediately gave me a determined look and nodded. Chiaki turned her body along with the chair and faced Tendou-san. After that, just as she¡¯s going to speak up with an extremely serious look- ¡°A-Amano-kun! Have you yed the newest series in Battlefield?¡± -Tendou-san suddenly opened her eyes and asked me. While I¡¯m a bit confused, I still answered her question. ¡°N-Nope, how regretful, I didn¡¯t y that¡­¡± ¡°R-Really? You never yed that¡­Ah, h-how about Hoshinomori-san¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never yed it¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± ¡­The conversation is over. I-It¡¯s because we have never yed the game she¡¯s talking about. Moreover, there¡¯s something more important right now¡­ ¡°Uh, Tendou-san? Well, there¡¯s something important that Chiaki and I wanted to tell you right now-¡° ¡°This game is really based on WWI, the immersion is powerful!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that topic over already!¡± The Battlefield discussion seems to be continuing again! Tendou-san started talking non-stop. ¡°No. Personally, I¡¯m really fond of FPS that¡¯s based in the near-future with intensebat and futuristic items! However, there are some situations where you have to participate in a slow battle to emphasize the importance of teamwork and tactics! Think about it, the reason why online battle games are fun is that they¡¯re not just focused on uracy-¡° ¡°P-Please wait, Tendou-san! I-I¡¯m not against other people¡¯s gamementary. Even so, can you put that game aside from a second?¡± I tried my best and interrupted Tendou-san. She let out an unwilling ¡°ugh¡± mumble¡­Eh, has she always been like this? Uh, even though Chiaki and I will go haywire when we¡¯re talking about our favorite games¡­However, Tendou-san should be able to observe the mood and act decisively¡­ A-Anyway, Tendou-san stopped talking about Battlefield. Chiaki and I cleared our throats as we sit upright once again. Then, just as we¡¯re preparing to talk about that- ¡°I¡¯m going to take a walk around the kiosk.¡± -Tendou-san suddenly stood up before hearing us! I hastily spewed a couple of ¡°no¡± and stopped her! ¡°How many times do you want to go to the kiosk, Tendou-san!¡± ¡°Perhaps they got new products already.¡± ¡°Only an online game store can update that quickly! Also, didn¡¯t you bet your own life on taking care of Aguri-san¡¯s luggage?¡± ¡°Ho, why do I have to bet my own life on Aguri-san¡¯s stuff?¡± ¡°Even though your question makes a lot of sense! By the way, didn¡¯t you say it yourself, Tendou-san?¡± ¡°My brain wasn¡¯t working properly just then. Well, I¡¯m going to the kiosk, see youter!¡± ¡°Your brain isn¡¯t working correctly right now as well! E-Even if you made that promise when you¡¯re unconscious, a promise is a promise! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re this irresponsible. This isn¡¯t like you, Tendou-san!¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­you¡¯re right. I-I understand. I¡­will take care of the luggage.¡± Tendou-san sat back down with a face full of regret. It looks like she¡¯s about to bite her own tongue and kill herself. After that, she stared at Aguri-san¡¯s stuff silently¡­ ¡°Uh, ¡­Tendou-san? So, ¡­well, there¡¯s something that Chiaki and I want to¡­¡± (*stares*) ¡°¡­Tendou-san? Hey¡­?¡± (*stares*) Tendou-san¡¯s paying full attention to Aguri-san¡¯s bags. ¡°Eh, are you serious! You can at least talk to people when you¡¯re keeping watch, right? Tendou-san, can you please at least say something.¡± ¡°K!¡± ¡°That¡¯s casual! That¡¯s even more casual than I¡¯ve imagined! If you¡¯re paying this little attention, are you sure that you can hear what we¡¯re saying!¡± ¡°K!¡± ¡°Please listen to us seriously, Tendou-san! Please, Tendou-san!¡± I can¡¯t take it anymore. So, I stood up and reached my hand towards Tendou-san¡¯s shoulders- ¡°!¡± ¡°!¡± -So, with a ¡°bap¡± noise, my hand was swept away. Her sense of rejection is way too apparent¡­At the moment, Chiaki and I froze. However, after that- ¡°Thanks for the wait. I¡¯m sorry for asking you to keep watch.¡± ¡°Amanhi, is the bus still not here yet?¡± -Since Uehara-kun and Aguri-san returned from the toilet, we vaguely went over everything. Chiaki and I gathered up with those two as we whispered to each other. (This feels really strange¡­Ay, I guess we can say it next time, right?) (Yeah. It¡¯s not like we have to say it right now, anyway.) Although Tendou-san¡¯s a bit strange right now, we¡¯re exhausted after this long day, anyway. The time¡¯s gettingte, so Chiaki and I didn¡¯t really care about her ¡°unreasonable excitement¡± that much. In reality, Chiaki and I just had a bunch of embarrassing interactions at Starry za just then. Even so¡­ (To us, I think we need to exin everything to Tendou-san to end this vague rtionship. We can¡¯t revert back to ¡®friends¡¯pletely before then¡­) With that, we managed to switch up the mood and started walking again. Even so, right now, we¡¯re hiding something together from Tendou-san¡­as if we¡¯re cheating behind her. What the hell is this? I can¡¯t help but look at Chiaki, and she did the same thing as well. We started staring at each other. This is embarrassing, so we immediately plopped our heads down. However¡­ (So, why is this cheating situation still going on! If we don¡¯t exin and end everything clearly to Tendou-san, the subtle rtionship between Chiaki and I can never be resolved!) Even so, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to say this over text or phone. This is a critical case where Tendou-san, Chiaki, and I have to be present and exin everything. Sincerely. There¡¯s no doubt about that. I let out a huge sigh as I looked at Tendou-san, who¡¯s chatting with Uehara-kun and Aguri-san, dazedly before making a conclusion. (Sigh, there¡¯s a lot of chance for us three to talk in the Hobby Club, anyway.) This isn¡¯t a long-distance rtionship. We can solve this within days. Just as I¡¯m thinking about this, the buses that are heading to our destinations arrived one by one. So- The buses started sessfully this time. We can finally end this long and intense day. Karen Tendou I let out a deep sigh as I stared at the dark road from the window of the moving bus. Uehara-kun and Aguri-san are sitting behind lovingly. However, I distanced myself from them for a bit and took a seat at the front. The two of them will probably think that I¡¯m considerate, but it¡¯s actually not. I just want to¡­.stay alone. After all, I really don¡¯t want to talk to anyone right now. The reason is that¡­is because¡­because¡­ (Amano-kun and Hoshinomori-san started ¡®dating¡¯ each other. HOW CAN I ACCEPT A FACT LIKE THAT! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!) I screamed inside my heart as I lowered my head and start fisting the empty seat next to me with my left hand. There¡¯s a traffic of boiling emotions with nowhere to go inside me. They¡¯re ravaging every piece of me. Anger, depression, jealousy, jealousy, JEALOUSY, hate, and- (I will never¡­.never tolerate something like this!) -Denounce. (I can¡¯t believe things are going this way¡­going this way¡­This is too weird¡­!) I can¡¯t help but try and pinch my cheeks¡­It hurts. It hurts so much. Perhaps I¡¯m pinching the wrong spot, so I tried the other side as well. In the end, the result is the same. It¡¯s just that both sides hurt equally now. ¡°¡­Ughhh.¡± This time, the sadness in my heart overwhelmed anger. Tears nearly fell out of my eyes. However, I immediately cheered myself up. ¡°I can¡¯t do that!¡± The same thing goes for ying games. If I cried out of depression, everything¡¯s over. While it¡¯s fine to cry out of regret and hate for it to be the fuel of the next match, however, crying out of sadness will extinguish the fire inside my heart. It¡¯s because those kinds of years will really end everything. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± After I adjusted my breaths, I tried to cheer myself up once again. So, ¡­I tried my best to be objective as if I¡¯m describing this to another person¡­and started remembering how did I know those two started ¡®dating.¡¯ * Around an hour ago. When the bus broke down, Uehara-kun, Aguri-san, and I started chilling around the kiosk after we walked all the way back to the rest station. However, I really can¡¯t deny the fact that I¡¯m an extra when I¡¯m facing Uehara-kun and Aguri-san as a couple. So, after a slight consideration, I said, ¡°Ah, I-I¡¯m going to walk around the kiosk.¡± Then, I left the seat directly. That¡¯s the worst mistake I¡¯ve made today. In reality, there¡¯s almost nothing to see at the kiosk. I quickly started strolling inside since I have nothing else to do¡­So, I noticed it. The entrance towards Starry za. I¡¯m d to know that I can kill time for a moment. However, after I read the instructions, I realized there¡¯s not enough time for me to get to the top ande back. But, even so, I can never give up ¡°seeing a sky filled with beautiful stars,¡± no matter what. Anyway, I believed the instruction that mentioned there¡¯s already enough space to watch the stars on the path to the za. I started walking up to the middle of the mountain while thinking I have to try it out to know. So, atst, the starry sky that I saw is really incredible. Especially when there¡¯s a spacious rest area in the middle of the hill. I can see an even more fantastic starry sky there. I sat on the bench for tourists alone as I enjoyed the view for a while. ¡­I even wished that Amano-kun is here to watch the stars with me. So, when I reveled on the stars for roughly a minute, my hairpin fell onto somewhere dark behind the bench. I stood up helplessly and went to the back. Then, I bowed down and started looking for the hairpin with poor vision. However, the hairpin rolled to somewhere far away. In the end, I finally found it behind the celestial globe. I grabbed the pin as I let out a sigh in relief. Then, I pressed my chest, thinking it¡¯s almost time for me to go back to the rest station- -Just as I¡¯m about to stand up, suddenly, I realized someone¡¯s here as well. I can¡¯t help but freak out and even hid at the corner of the celestial globe out of reflex. So, when I¡¯m peeking at the corner to see what¡¯s happening, I found out a couple is walking towards here from the mountain path. Honestly, there¡¯s no need for me to hide, but I might as well stay to prevent them from getting scared by suddenly popping out. Anyway, I decided to stay hidden and nned to leave after the couple passed through the tform. I stayed behind the celestial globe and thought about what the hell I¡¯m doing depressingly as I waited for the couple to pass. However, no matter how long I waited, those two aren¡¯t showing up. I¡¯m baffled by what those two are doing, so I can¡¯t help but peek from the celestial globe. ¡­In the end, I saw someone unexpected. (Eh, isn¡¯t that¡­Amano-kun and Hoshinomori-san?) I bulged my eyes out of the unbelievable scenery. As for those two, they¡¯re chatting with each other cheerfully. ¡°We were still loners¡­normies¡­troublesome¡­This!¡± ¡°¡­Uwah! You¡¯re right¡­¡± Although I can only hear some fragments, I can guarantee that it¡¯s them with those voices and the interaction. (Why are they together¡­) I¡¯m slightly palpitating, but I still continued to observe the situation. During this time, the two stopped at the stairs for some reason¡­Then, they stared at the sky before falling into silence. (¡­W-What¡¯s with this hidden atmosphere¡­! Eek¡­!) I¡¯m incredibly anxious out of my sheer jealousy¡­No,e to think of it, I think my emotions were too vigorous at that time. However, a boy and a girl staring at the sky while throbbing¡­Is there another way to describe this situation aside from romantic? Just as my worries are getting consolidated with each passing minute, the two walked down the stairs. I quickly stopped peeking and hid behind the globe again. I made sure that I¡¯m entirely silent¡­Please don¡¯tin about why I¡¯m doing this. Do you understand the feeling of not being able to escape if you decided to hide? Anyway, I was hiding behind the globe and held my breath. Amano-kun and Hoshinomori seem to be unaware of my presence as they walked silently. Immediately following that, when they arrived at the rest area where I¡¯m hiding, ¡­they suddenly started talking¡­ Yes, they started that decisive conversation. ¡°Sigh, honestly, from my stance, I also hope to exin this properly to Tendou-san as well.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. If Tendou-san hates me because of that, or she¡¯s ming the rtionship between you and me. I can only say it can¡¯t be helped since it¡¯s all my fault.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s all our fault.¡± I didn¡¯t understand any of that in the least bit at that time. However, even though I don¡¯t understand, ¡­my heart is beating so fast that I¡¯m feeling a tinge of pain. Something in my heart is warning me to not listen any further. However, ¡­before I can put my hands around my ears. That ¡®brutal¡¯ sentence is already out of Hoshinomori-san¡¯s mouth. ¡°I understand. Keita, we should exin our rtionship to Tendou-san as soon as possible. I feel like that¡¯s the only way to keep our ¡®rtionship¡¯ without any troubles.¡± (-Eh?) Right away, I can feel all emotions are lost in my eyes. ¡­What did she just say? I think I just imagined things. Yep, this is just a usual misunderstanding. Exactly, there¡¯s the only possible conclusion. Haha. I was trying my best to cheer up¡­However, as if the two are trying to add insult to injury, they started a continuous attack on me. ¡°Yep. Indeed, we really need to quickly ¡®end¡¯ this part.¡± ¡°Yeah. I feel terrible for Tendou-san if we¡¯re hiding everything away from her.¡± ¡°Yes. I also hope that I can maintain a rtionship built on trust¡¯ with the person I¡¯m dating with.¡± ¡°Right. I also wish ¡®the person that¡¯s important to me¡¯ can keep it that way. I really hoped that.¡± ¡°------¡° Then, the distance became further, and I can no longer hear what they¡¯re saying. No, even if I heard a voice, I think I can¡¯t interpret it as a conversation. This is because my heart is already totally messed up at that point. (Eh? What is this? Ugh, so, why are they¡­) I wrapped my legs behind the globe and started pondering it non-stop. However, ¡­no matter how hard I¡¯m thinking, thinking, and thinking, ¡­I can only reach one conclusion. The interpretation is just like¡­when I¡¯ve heard. (Amano-kun and Hoshinomori-san started dating. So, they¡¯re going to end this with me soon.) ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°HUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± I screamed at the top of my lungs as I stood up. Amano-kun and Hoshinomori-san seem to be so far ahead that they didn¡¯t realize I¡¯m here. However- ¡°AHHHHH!¡± ¡°?¡±. -Inparison, I didn¡¯t realize that another couple saw me while climbing down the hill. They were totally freaked out¡­Ay, I guess the reaction is normal if a hysterical blonde hair girl suddenly appearing from behind the celestial globe while screaming¡­Come to think of it, I still feel like I did something terrible to them. I¡¯m sorry, but I hope that it¡¯s not going to be turned into an urban legend in the future. Anyway, I quickly apologized to the couple and ran as if I¡¯m trying to escape. The tears that have been building in my eyes were blown away by the wind and sparkling behind. My mind is going haywire when I¡¯m running. I can¡¯t think properly. I¡¯m frustrated and depressed. I didn¡¯t understand the meaning of all this, why are things going this way. I can¡¯t ept the reality. Even so, when I¡¯m back at the rest station, there¡¯s only¡­one clear answer in my heart. That is¡­ (I-I will never acknowledge this¡­! I can¡¯t agree with this¡­! I absolutely¡­absolutely disagree with this!) They n to ¡®end¡¯ this with me on their own. Then, they¡¯re going to march onto a new journey selfishly. To that, I really can¡¯t let that slide easily. (Yeah, ¡­no one will allow that!) Well, ¡­that realization is mine is like a father that¡¯s unwilling to meet his daughter¡¯s boyfriend for a marriage proposal. After all, if I heard a request like that. If I let¡­the two to¡­end everything with me like this. I¡¯m sure that¡­there¡¯s nothing I can do. It¡¯s impossible for me¡­to have any means to fight against¡­a couple that sincerely loves each other. That¡¯s why, ¡­when we¡¯re alone at the rest station, I kept on avoiding when they¡¯re trying to report about the date or the breakup. * ¡°¡­Phew.¡± The rey ends here. I returned to the quiet bus at night. When I looked back, Uehara-kun and Aguri-san are lying on each other¡¯s head lovingly as they fell asleep. I¡­made up my mind once again after I saw that lovely couple. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not over yet. It¡¯s not over yet. After all, ¡­Amano-kun¡­confessed to me¡­¡± I remembered a while ago, that extremely passionate, ¡­that confession that¡¯s making me blush by only thinking about it. ¡­Indeed. Didn¡¯t I hear Amano-kun¡¯s passionate confession a while ago? Thre¡¯s no way he¡¯s lying. But if that¡¯s the case, why is he dating Hoshinomori-san¡­? I finally realized at this point. (Right! How could I not know until now! I bet he didn¡¯t find the right way ¨C to reject Hoshinomori-san¡¯s confession!) Everything can be exined this way. I theorized further. (Yeah, that¡¯s right! I¡¯m sure this is the answer! Amano-kun has always been a gentle and kind person! He can never reject a confession from his friend, Hoshinomori-san, in that romantic situation! This has to be right! Yes!) So, things have gotten intense after some back and forth. In the end, they n to discuss this with me for a proper ¡°ending.¡± If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m entirely relieved¡­No, it has to be this way. (In reality, there¡¯s no way for them to love each other¡­It¡¯s not going to happen¡­) I trust Amano-kun a lot, yet there¡¯s a fear passing at the corner of my brain¡­No, Karen, you don¡¯t need to consider a possibility like that. The theory must be correct. It has to be correct. (Yeah. After all, it made sense. It has to be right.) I can¡¯t help but grin coldly at myself, who¡¯s a bit too ¡°clever¡± and sensitive. (Sigh, by the way, I can even acknowledge the ¡°misunderstandings¡± and ¡°mistakes¡± that I¡¯ve caused and used them in my theory¡­) I¡¯m terrified by my high standards. This woman, Karen Tendou, how ugly and calcting do you have to be? However, this is the only time where I have to appreciate my outstanding wit. Thanks to this, ¡­I can correctly identify the ¡°enemy¡± and the ¡°countering¡± method. To put it simply, the enemy¡­isn¡¯t Hoshinomori-san. Instead, it¡¯s the ¡°couple deration¡± that they made under a string of misunderstandings. As for the counter¡­ (If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s only one thing I need to do!) I red at the starry sky from the window. Then, I put my fist together with all of my determination and raised them forcefully to the starry sky outside. (Whenever they¡¯re trying to talk about ¡°that¡± thing, I¡¯ll have to avoid, avoid, and avoid. I need to cause their rtionship to stagnate. This is for the benefit of everyone!) To say how powerful my fist raise was- ¡°Ding! Stopping at the next station.¡± -It made me identally press the STOP button. Volume 7, 2 – Konoha Hoshinomori and Guided Ones

Volume 7, Chapter 2 ¨C Konoha Hoshinomori and Guided Ones

Trantor: your_pingas ¡°You¡­confessed to Amano-senpai?¡± My scream is echoing throughout in the bathroom of Hoshinomori¡¯s house that¡¯s full of steam. I can¡¯t help but stop washing my hair and look back. Then, onee-chan sank her mouth into the bathtub and made a bunch of ¡°bubububub¡± noise in embarrassment. To clear up the mess in my brain, I washed away the bubbles on my head with a shower as I started remembering how did things go this way. The night after our gaming hike with the rest station at the mountain as the finish line. Onee-chan, who¡¯s taking the next bus to get her mobile game rewards, returned home almost an hour after me. Since it¡¯s gettingte, I¡¯m more or less worried about onee-chan going home alone. So, I¡¯m quite relieved when I saw hering back at the expected time¡­However, upon closer examination, I realized there¡¯s something wrong with her. Her eyelids were swelling a bit, and her mood seems to be unusually excited. While she talked a lot, she didn¡¯t mention too much about the things that happened after I left. Although my parents, who¡¯re sitting on the sofa and paying full attention to the TV shows, didn¡¯t pick up on this, I noticed it because I ate dinner together with onee-chan. I can¡¯t let this go that easily. Don¡¯t tell me this onee-chan, who¡¯s kind of a cute girl, encountered something that she¡¯s not even willing to tell her parents after I left. My head is filled with nasty scenarios. I really hate all the hentai game knowledge I¡¯ve built up in my brain in times like this. However, it¡¯s not like I can question this directly in front of my parents. In the final moments of my frustration, I decided to suggest something we haven¡¯t done for a couple years to onee-chan. Do you want to bath together today? Of course, onee-chan rejected initially due to embarrassment. Even so, basically, my older sister can¡¯t deal with stubborn people. After a while of begging, she immediately agreed with a blush¡­Uh, as a little sister, I¡¯m also worried about her passive attitude¡­ Anyway, back to the topic, I managed to find out what happened during the ¡°Lost Hour.¡± In the end, I didn¡¯t expect an ultra wild plot like this. From a different perspective, onee-chan¡¯s rtionship is quite likely to go straight to a bad ending like the plot development in hentai games. I really didn¡¯t see thising. I slowly washed the shampoo on my head away. Then, I turned the bath stool towards the tub direction and prepared to ask for details. ¡°You confessed to him¡­What the hell is wrong with you, that¡¯s really sudden!¡± My question made onee-chan raise her head from the bathtub. She¡¯s even blushing really hard in embarrassment and looked away before answering me. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. Well, ¡­it¡¯s too much to call it a confession, Konoha. After all, I just¡­I just expressed my thoughts¡­and my feelings for Keita to know without holding back¡­¡± ¡°Eh, if that¡¯s not a confession, then what is?¡± I asked dumbfoundedly. Then, onee-chan put her finger on her chin and tilted her head as if she¡¯s trying to be cute. ¡°¡­Want me to tell you now?¡± ¡°Why are you acting like the host of a variety show! I can¡¯t pretend you can treat your confession like this. Our onee-chan isn¡¯t feminine in the least bit, you¡¯re in the negative zone!¡± ¡°But I revealed everything about NOBE and Mono to him as well¡­¡± ¡°HUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± Another ultra wild plot. What is this? Did onee-chan lose her mind? The bathroom is echoing with the noise of water droplets falling from my hair and sshing onto the ground only. I froze entirely and fell speechless. Then, onee-chan let out an ¡°ah¡± before apologizing to me and continued. ¡°So, Konoha, you don¡¯t need to pretend to be NOBE and Mono anymore. Thanks for everything in the past.¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­eh? I-I can¡¯t change my feelings if you said that suddenly¡­¡± ¡°¡­Uh, K-Konoha, cut!¡± Onee-chan pretended to be adorable and raised her arms with a ssh. She¡¯s even talking like a director at the scene¡­What is this? ¡°Eh, the problem isn¡¯t with the way you said it! Why did you suddenly switch me off from the NOBE and Mono roles without any confirmation!¡± ¡°¡­I-It¡¯s because your pay keeps rising¡­¡± ¡°Why is the reason so simr to those overseas series? By the way, onee-chan, when did I ask for a high sry from you!¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re the one that robbed it from your onee-chan! The ¡°feelings¡± Keita has for NOBE and Mono are the rewards you took..¡± ¡°My onee-chan is feeling pretty smug after insulting someone! This is super annoying!¡± ¡°So, please stop stealing Keita¡¯s feelings from onee-chan, Konoha.¡± ¡°Stop giving me that victim look! You¡¯re the one that asked me to act like those characters!¡± ¡°Moreover, Keita mentioned you have a fatal difference with the personality of NOBE and Mono. What a horrible character selection.¡± ¡°You¡¯re even saying that I¡¯m a horrible character atst! I-I dealt with so much crap because of your terrible role assignment!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Now that I¡¯ve revealed my identity to Keita, and I even got a decent reaction. So, I feel like the time when you pretended to be me, It should be kept as a secret from everybody. What a terrible history.¡± ¡°Hey, I feel like that¡¯s cheap enough for me to kill someone.¡± ¡°¡­I-I¡¯m sorry, Konoha. I¡¯m really hyped with the confession, so onee-chan was a bit high just then.¡± Onee-chan sank her mouth into the bathtub and made a bunch of ¡°bubububub¡± noise again, this time it¡¯s in guilt. I let out a sigh as I turned the stool back to the showering space again. Then, I decided to shower while I ask for all the details once again. ¡°Then? How did the confession go? Sigh, judging from the atmosphere and the process, I can already feel you two didn¡¯t go together¡­¡± However, if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m curious why onee-chan isn¡¯t sad at all. She raised her head from the bathtub and gave me a rough exnation. ¡°Well-¡° So, when I finished showering, onee-chan finished exining everything. ¡°I got it.¡± I washed away the bubbles on my body as I answered. ¡°Although the confession was unsessful, you two didn¡¯t lose your friendship or somehow turned into a cheating rtionship.¡± ¡°Yes. This is all thanks to Keita¡¯s honesty and gentleness.¡± Onee-chan said that before smiling embarrassingly. I immediately got it after seeing her expression. (Ah, this way, it looks like onee-chan loves him even more, after all. This is enough, forgive me¡­) Well, the worst part is that even I have to praise Amano-senpai¡¯s way of ¡°dealing with another girl¡¯s confession when he¡¯s in a date.¡± (He didn¡¯t give a vague expression. Instead, it¡¯s a direct rejection. However, he paid attention to not hurt the girl too much¡­This is a 10/10 rejection. But, that¡¯s why I want to ask, don¡¯t you think senpai is cheating a bit too much!) Getting a girl to love him even more despite rejecting her. This is cheating. That¡¯s nasty. Ah, I hate it, I hate it. ¡­H-He¡¯s really adorable. (What is this! What is wrong with Keita Amano! If he¡¯s even more attractive when he managed to maintain his chastity over other girls, doesn¡¯t that make everything worse for onee-chan and me! Our emotional drama already got two girls that understand how a woman feels when she¡¯s depressed with love despite all of us being virgins! Why! None of our problems were solved yet!) What is this twisted situation? It¡¯s literally like a family-friendly version hentai game, except all the sexual parts are gone with only adult rtionships remaining. I can¡¯t believe something like this exists in reality. My heart hurts when I think about it. I can¡¯t help kick everything around. The hot water on the ground is sshing everywhere. ¡°K-Konoha?¡± Onee-chan looked at me worriedly¡­This onee-chan, I bet she didn¡¯t even realize she¡¯s still genuinely in love yet. It¡¯s great for me to confess to Amano-senpai, and it seems we can still be friends happily! I guess that¡¯s what she thinks. I don¡¯t think that mindset is wrong. Compared to onee-chan getting tortured by unable to confess her feelings and real identities, she must¡¯ve felt a lot better now. However¡­ (Can love¡­be bound by rationality that easily?) It was over after the confession was rejected. The possibility of this route was utterly destroyed. The failed female protagonist will only appear as a ¡°friend¡± in the following episodes¡­Does love in real-life have such a systemic ¡°ending¡± like this? The feelings she has as a girl, itpletely switched to that of a ¡°friend¡± after a rejection¡­Things like this shouldn¡¯t be as easy as onee-chan has imagined it. ¡­No, am I overthinking this just because I yed a lot of hentai games? After all, I really suspect the friendship between a guy and a girl. ¡°¡­Sigh, whatever.¡± I looked at onee-chan. ¡­Then, I smiled and congratted her. ¡°Isn¡¯t this great? It¡¯s not bad to be normal friends with senpai, right.¡± Onee-chan blushed at what I said. After that, she answered with her brightest smile. ¡°Yeah! Thanks, Konoha!¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take a shower now, Konoha. You should warm yourself up in the bathtub.¡± ¡°¡­Thanks, I will.¡± Onee-chan and I switched ces, and I went into the bathtub. Onee-chan¡¯s bath water is still hot, warm enough for me to feel how blessed she is. * Then, a weekter, the calendar reached November. This year, Hekiyou High School nned to host the cultural festival inte November. Thanks to this, I, as the student council president, was busy dealing with a bunch of chores. I can¡¯t even y hentai games freely, not to mention a date with boys from other schools. This is upsetting. Also, I asked onee-chan how Otobuki High School¡¯s cultural festival is going. I got an unexpected reply: they¡¯re not even organizing a festival this year. It seems that Otobuki¡¯s ¡°mega cultural festival¡± will only be held once in three years. That feels pretty rxed. I¡¯m getting envious. However, a once-in-three-years opportunity means that it¡¯ll be more luxurious and exhausting than other schools. That has its own issues as well. I¡¯m already sympathizing with the students that are in the council next year right now. Anyway, that¡¯s why Otobuki¡¯s students are basically enjoying their usual autumn school lives. Onee-chan and Amano-senpai, who¡¯re second years, are preparing for the school trip inte November. It¡¯s a bit busy, but I heard they¡¯re still operating normally. So, the Game Hobby Club meetings seem to be held three times a week as usual. -There¡¯re no obstacles. (I thought they would feel a bit more awkward¡­) Indeed, in contrast to the worries I had, I think the rtionship between onee-chan and Amano-senpai is going pretty well. Of course, I should put an asterisk reminding people that ¡°this is my idea after I heard what onee-chan told me.¡± However, at least I can guarantee that there aren¡¯t any significant changes in their friendship. Moreover, I guess onee-chan is d that she¡¯s chatting even more happily with Amano-senpai about gaming. Of course, their perspectives on gaming still haven''t changed. So, I think their ¡°bickering frequency¡± is the same. Perhaps even that was treated as a joke between them as well. She was thrilled¡­To put it simply, onee-chan finally developed a ¡°normal friendship¡± with Amano-senpai at this point. From onee-chan¡¯s perspective, this is a summary of her rtionship with Amano-senpai. Fellow > Rivals > True Love > One-sided Love > Normal Friends (NEW!) ¡­Onee-chan is incredible in this six months. What happened? Perhaps a reality show director is handling my onee-chan¡¯s life right now? Come to think of it, the real monster should be a certain otaku boy. After all, a lot of things happened between onee-chan and him. On the other hand, he even started dating the school idol and almost kissed his friend¡¯s girlfriend. At the same time, he just robbed a hentai game loving girl¡¯s heart. The no.1 spot of ¡°King of Plot Twists,¡± Keita Amano. ¡­I guess I went off-topic for too long. Anyway, onee-chan seems to be just as happy as she was right now. By all means, she can still talk ¡°normally¡± to Trashara, Karen Tendou, and even Agu-senpai. The effect of the confession on her wasn¡¯t as significant as I expected. Although that was an excellent oue, ¡­from onee-chan¡¯s perspective, I feel like that¡¯s ¡°exactly¡± why she can¡¯t let it go. I heard onee-chan and Amano-senpai want to exin that confession thing sincerely to Tendou-senpai before returning to their normal lives. ¡­Honestly, this ¡°fits¡± their style. It¡¯s dumb and na?ve, and also unexpectedly selfish¡­However, it¡¯s kind of respectable in some parts. What a pure decision that fits onee-chan and Amano-senpai¡¯s style. However, from what I¡¯ve heard from onee-chan, that¡¯s ¡°exactly¡± the problem that they¡¯re struggling with. Basically, it¡¯s already hard for onee-chan, Tendou-senpai, and Amano-senpai to talk to each other. Even if it¡¯s possible, they can¡¯t lead the discussion, and Tendou-senpai would leave before they can even start discussing it¡­The pattern urred a few times in this week alone. If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you two just text or call her? Although I thought about that, it seems that they think it¡¯s not sincere enough¡­These people are surely a pain. Anyway, that¡¯s why onee-chan still can¡¯t get over this little bit right now¡­ ¡°Senpai, don¡¯t you think this feels a bit weird?¡± ¡°Eh? What do you mean by weird?¡± After school, a Wednesday in the second week of November. I managed to squeeze out a little time by quickly finishing everything in the student council. Currently, I¡¯m sitting with Amano-senpai at the lunch area of the convenience store. On the in table, there¡¯s a bottle of ck coffee in front of me, which feels a bit manly. As for Amano-senpai, he got himself a carton of lemon tea with a long straw. Senpai is sipping his lemon tea with a peaceful expression as if he¡¯s a herbivore. I can¡¯t help but smile upon seeing that look, but then I realized today¡¯s not the time to enjoy it. So, I calmed down and asked him again. ¡°Uh, I mean the ¡°difficulty¡± of striking up a conversation. Is it normal for that to happen?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing about normal or not, ¡­it really happened¡­¡± Amano-senpai looks like he still doesn¡¯t understand what I¡¯m suspecting. I deeply sighed and decided to be straightforward. ¡°Is Tendou-senpai avoiding you two?¡± Amano-senpai gave me a shocked expression after hearing what I said. However, he immediately let out an ¡°ahaha¡±ugh as if this is a joke. ¡°Konoha-san always gets these interesting thoughts¡­¡± ¡°No, senpai, I¡¯m not fooling around. In reality, when two out of three people wanted to ¡®mention¡¯ something, yet they can¡¯t even talk about it¡­Will the situation happen this frequently?¡± ¡°Ay, like what I¡¯ve said before, there¡¯s nothing about normal or not. It really happened.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I think this is weird-¡° Just as I¡¯m leaning forward as I continued to theorize, Amano-senpai interrupted with a confused look. ¡°To say that it¡¯s weird, ¡­basically, why would Tendou-san ¡®avoid¡¯ this topic?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± He hit the nail on the head right away. I fell silent. Then, senpai continued after taking a sip of his lemon tea. ¡°Sigh, from your argument¡¯s perspective, I¡¯m not entirely unable to understand what you¡¯re saying. Honestly, from my impression, ¡­I can more or less feel that Tendou-san is especially fast at stopping the topic.¡± ¡°L-Look, that means I¡¯m indeed right-¡° ¡°However, I can¡¯t find a reason.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I fell silent again. Amano-senpai scratched his head. ¡°So, I think¡­the reason why we can¡¯t exin the confession thing to Tendou-san sessfully, I guess it has to do with ourselves, right? Think about it. Perhaps we subconsciously think that ¡®we really don¡¯t want to say it¡¯ or ¡®it¡¯s hard to exin¡¯ and just subtly missed the chance, right?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± This is genuinely what Amano-senpai or onee-chan will guess¡­.Also, this is the most reasonable exnation. However, I still feel like something is wrong. We, ¡­no, onee-chan and Amano-senpai¡¯s rtionship is always full of turmoil and misunderstandings. However, not all of that was based on ¡®idents,¡± right. Someone has to n something in advance with a clear idea, and a misunderstanding urs after a series of interactions. In this case, if two out of three people ¡°want¡± to talk about it¡­If the discussion ended up failing, this could only mean that the remaining person ¨C Tendou-senpai, is nning something else. I can¡¯t help but mumble with a stiff face. Then, Amano-senpai smiled gently at me. ¡°Thank you, Konoha-san. I feel like you¡¯re always worried about us.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, it¡¯s not like that. Instead of saying worrying¡­¡± ¡°I freaked out when I heard from Chiaki that she told everything to you. However, at this point, I also felt from the bottom of my heart that this is the best oue.¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± ¡°Yep! After all, thanks to this, I can chat happily with you once again.¡± Senpai smiled like he¡¯s sincerely happy before continuing. ¡°Even though the interaction I had with you on the inte was fake, ¡­I¡¯m still thrilled when I¡¯m just merely talking to you. Also, I love it.¡± ¡°Eh? It¡¯s fine. Uh, well¡­¡± He¡¯s still looking at me with an innocent expression and straight-up cozying to me¡­I don¡¯t know how to answer aside from feeling embarrassed. (T-This is cheating! Amano-senpai will only stop me from talking about erotic things¡­However, what he just said was just as vicious and lethal! J-Jeez, I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s such a cheeky person. Won¡¯t he feel embarrassed by saying stuff like that¡­!) C-Crap, my face¡¯s ring up. What is this? This is too weird. Thanks to all the hours I have in hentai games, I will never embarrass myself over erotic things now¡­How can this senpai make my heart beat so fast by saying something so innocent? I can¡¯t ept it. I¡¯m unwilling to ept it. I curled my lips before letting out a sigh, even using my hands to fan my face. During this time, Amano-senpai spoke up with a slightly bitter smile. ¡°So, I also want to exin everything sincerely to Tendou-san and enjoy the time with everyone without feeling guilty¡­Hmm, it¡¯s quite difficult.¡± ¡°Uh, you didn¡¯t mention anything about onee-chan¡¯s confession to Trash¡­no, Uehara-senpai, or Agu-senpai?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s because I feel like we must be ones that report to Tendou-san. For example, ¡­if you heard another girl confessing to your own boyfriend little by little from your friends or some other people, isn¡¯t that the worst?¡± ¡°Ay, I feel like that¡¯s quite annoying¡­¡± At least onee-chan will give others a terrible impression. I bet Amano-senpai cared this the most. ¡°That¡¯s why I hope we can exin it to Tendou-san as soon as possible, ¡­but why are things not going well for us?¡± Amano-senpai sighed. I suggested to him once again. ¡°Uh, senpai, like I¡¯ve said before, that¡¯s because of Tendou-senpai¡­¡± ¡°You mean she¡¯s avoiding us? Konoha, while I appreciate you for worrying over us, ¡­but I¡¯ll feel bad if I just force the responsibility on Tendou-san without any evidence.¡± ¡°¡­Perhaps, you¡¯re right¡­¡± I can¡¯t think of anything else to retort. An awkward silence fell onto the two of us. I get it, I¡¯m very annoying today. However, ¡­no matter what, I still can¡¯t disagree with what I¡¯ve said. (Onee-chan and Amano-senpai feel awkward. While this is worthy ofpassion, ¡­but my instinct is mumbling even more information at me. This problem must have a ¡°lethal misunderstanding¡± hidden within it!) Also, I can guarantee that the ¡°truth¡± can be my weapon as well¡­It just depends on how I use it. This expectation is why I¡¯m trying my best to clear everything and meet with Amano-senpai today. However, I think it¡¯ll be difficult for me to ask Amano-senpai for more details right now. I let out a sigh and said, ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°As a spectator, I¡¯m not going to ask for anything anymore. Sorry for saying all that weird stuff.¡± After I apologized, senpai freaked out and quickly waved at me. ¡°No, no, no, it¡¯s okay! I really appreciate you for worrying over us! Sorry, I feel like we¡¯re trapping ourselves in some unnecessary ¡®restrain¡¯ and even dragging you down¡­Ah, speaking of dragging you down, I also wanted to apologize for something else. I think you spent a lot of time and effort pretending to be Mono and NOBE as well. Uh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Amano-senpai bowed down and apologized to me. For a second, I was shocked and bulged my eyes, but then I chuckled and answered. ¡°Why are senpai apologizing? You¡¯re quite weird, you know. Aren¡¯t you the one that was lied to?¡± ¡°Uh, but I think you wasted a lot of time because of me¡­¡± After he said that, Amano-senpai seems to be embarrassed by what he said to me before and scratched his cheeks. ¡­What¡¯s wrong with this person? He¡¯s literally the definition of Mr.Nice Guy. Even if he was pranked on a TV show, he seems to be the type that says ¡°thanks for today everyone¡± and hand out drinks to the staff. However, ¡­that¡¯s right. This is what Amano-senpai looks like. He¡¯s the guy I¡­we love. Vulnerable, doubtful, a baffling amount of restraining, ¡­and always being honest. I chugged down my bottle of coffee and let out a ¡°phew¡± as I sighed. (Although I hate to say this, I think I can slightly understand what¡¯s on that psycho little brother¡¯s head. While we¡¯re almost the same, but if I¡¯m senpai¡¯s little sister, ¡­I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be the type that overprotects him.) My onee-chan is just as awful. However, despite her looks, she still got a quite prominent part from a creator¡¯s perspective. So, I¡¯m not that worried about her. But when ites to Amano-senpai, ¡­how should I put it? He seems even more vulnerable to tricks than onee-chan, especially when it¡¯s about interpersonal rtionships. Uh, but, onee-chan also counts as a ¡°beautiful¡± girl. Judging from senpai¡¯s immediate rejection of her confession, perhaps he got some fierce mental resistance? ¡­No, no, no, if I¡¯m the one that confessed, I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll push senpai over with my full strength and rape- ¡°K-Konoha-san, are you okay? I feel like you¡¯re breathing so fast and your re is scary!¡± ¡°Ah! I¡¯m sorry. I was a bit turned on just then.¡± ¡°What are you going off about¡­Ay, it seems that you¡¯re just the same as usual. I¡¯m relieved.¡± ¡°Eh, senpai, can I ask you how do you define ¡°same as usual¡± please!¡± ¡°Why are you even protesting with an unwilling-to-admit look? If you don¡¯t like that, then please act more politely in front of me¡­¡± ¡°Ah, senpai,e to think of it, don¡¯t you think some bottles look a bit too erotic?¡± ¡°As soon as I¡¯ve said it!¡± Senpai looked at me, dumbfoundedly¡­Right, I get this is my ¡°usual¡± look. Honestly, I realized his impression of me just then, so I barely and reluctantly flipped on my erotic switch. I smiled mischievously at senpai and fondled the bottle on the table with a flirty look. As for senpai, ¡­he¡¯s not embarrassed anymore and even let out a sigh before looking in the distance¡­Crap, the once-innocent Amano-senpai is already used to erotic things. Who stained his mind¡­I guess it should be me. After defiling senpai, I started talking about hentai games, which is something we haven¡¯t been able to talk about in a long time. ¡°By the way, senpai, did you y anything good for fapping recently?¡± ¡°You¡¯re bringing that up as if you¡¯re just casually talking about the weather.¡± ¡°Also, I didn¡¯t. I¡¯m not feeling it.¡± ¡°Feeling what?¡± ¡°So,tely, I¡¯ve been using Amano-senpai only.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going ask you where did you use it. Absolutely not!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it masturbation?¡± ¡°AH! AH! AH!¡± Amano-senpai covered his ears and screamed. I pouted. ¡°¡­Senpai, what¡¯s wrong with you? You¡¯re acting like as if we weren¡¯t the same type.¡± ¡°Eh, we aren¡¯t the same type in reality! I didn¡¯t know you thought I was the same as you!¡± ¡°But senpai ys hentai games¡­¡± ¡°If you think all hentai game lovers are like you, then you¡¯re dead wrong! Hentai game lovers aren¡¯t defined as ¡®people who loudly talk about sex,¡¯ right! Moreover, ¡­I¡¯m the type that wants to enjoy hentai games from a plot or the game¡¯s perspective-¡° ¡°Oh, so whether the character is adorable isn¡¯t important? It¡¯s okay for the girl¡¯s face to look like a geometrical square?¡± ¡°¡­Uh, I didn¡¯t mean that, ¡­well, ¡­I also hope the illustrations are cute as well¡­¡± Amano-senpai started stuttering. Crap, he¡¯s so cute. That¡¯s why I can never stop sexually harassing senpai. The actual problem is that I don¡¯t talk about erotic things usually, and I don¡¯t intend to. I only go overboard in front of Amano-senpai because his reactions are really adorable. I can¡¯t help but continue asking. ¡°By the way, senpai, what are your preferences on that side?¡± ¡°What kind of serious sexual harassing question is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just asking for your ¡®opinion¡¯ on the game. I was thinking, how would senpai rate ¡®that part¡¯ when you¡¯re ying hentai games.¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­what a cunning way of paraphrasing¡­!¡± As long as I mentioned that we¡¯re talking about games, this person is just as easy to trick. He gave me a frustrated look for a while¡­Then, although his face is as red as a tomato, he mumbled and answered. ¡°I-I feel like¡­as long as it¡¯s n-normal¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean by normal?¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s because, honestly, I¡¯m a typical guy. No matter how impressive the plot is, I can¡¯t go on when there¡¯s something unusual going on in the intimate scenes¡­¡± ¡°Ah, just like themon issues I¡¯ve briefly talked about earlier. The gentle and introverted protagonist suddenly goes berserk during the scenes. That plot will make people feel ufortable. Even if it¡¯s okay for fanservice, it doesn¡¯t make sense when ites to the plot or the characters.¡± After I expressed my agreement, perhaps senpai was interesting in gaming, so he spoke up. ¡°Yeah, Konoha-san! When the yer just felt ¡®hey the story¡¯s good,¡¯ if the protagonist suddenly starts swearing in the sex scenes, I really don¡¯t know how I should feel about the plot!¡± ¡°Exactly. I experienced that. Even though it¡¯s pure romance, yet the main character suddenly pulling out sex toys at that scene. I think I¡¯ll lose around 70 to 80% of my mood as well.¡± ¡°This means that you¡¯re still 20% excited, right. Uh, that¡¯s not important. It¡¯s really like what you¡¯ve said. From this point alone, perhaps you won¡¯t encounter it in dating sims. This is just a standalone hentai game issue ¨C a sudden appearance of the creator¡¯s sexual fetishes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Also, that kind of plot is the scene that ¡®exposes¡¯ everything, so I¡¯ll feel that the character is only being the true himself/herself at that moment.¡± ¡°For example, ¡­the straightforward MC is, in reality, a douchebag that ties up the female protagonist with ropes. Ay, of course, it¡¯s fine when both sides agree¡­¡± ¡°Right. Just like senpai and me.¡± ¡°This person started making up things again.¡± ¡°Hey, despite my looks, I¡¯m really interested in BDSM.¡± ¡°Who cares. I should say, I don¡¯t want to know my friend¡¯s true fetishes.¡± ¡°Also, isn¡¯t senpai a hidden sadist?¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting more and more determined to charge you for sexual harassment and damaging my reputation.¡± ¡°Senpai is getting embarrassed again, even though you¡¯re enjoying it. Wow, senpai is surely cute.¡± ¡°The person that tarnished her reputation with sexual harassment always thinks about this kind of flippant stuff¡­¡± ¡°Ah, so, whenever senpai thinks about me while fapping, please refer to the walkthrough I gave you just then.¡± ¡°This is the first time that I really want to forget a walkthrough.¡± ¡°Also, in my imagination, senpai is a guy that never holds back when ites to insulting people with swears.¡± ¡°You have never heard me swearing in real life, though.¡± ¡°Eh? What did senpai just scold me? A female pig?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that!¡± ¡°¡­Oh, ho¡­¡± ¡°This person is enjoying herself way too much! I think you¡¯re already happy enough from the ending you imagined in the head!¡± ¡°¡­Alright, let¡¯s put the jokes aside.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to forget everything just because you said that!¡± Senpai is good at fussing over things. No matter how ridiculous I was, I¡¯m only 90% serious with what I just said. I hope he doesn¡¯t consider me as a pure erotic girl. We drank our coffee and lemon tea and rested for a while. Then, senpai cleared his throat and said, ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°I should confirm this from you. Your love of hentai games and saying erotic things, did Chiaki ask you to act like that for me¡­¡± He¡¯s asking me very worriedly- I slowly stood up from the chair and pointed both fingers to my waist¡­After that, I generously announced. ¡°Please just rx! I¡¯m not wearing it!¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re literally a true erotic girl! Also, isn¡¯t this meme a bit too old!¡± [Note: This is a joke by the Japaneseedian Tonikaku Akarui Yasumura.] Senpaiined loudly. The supermarket staff nced at us, so I sat back down and answered him. ¡°That was just a joke, ¡­however, I only wish that senpai would believe me on this.¡± ¡°Believe what?¡± ¡°I, Konoha Hoshinomori, no matter when and where, will never wear panties in my heart!¡± ¡°The most regrettable part is that I know you¡¯re not pretending.¡± ¡°Senpai talks like that again. No man in this world will hate a lusty high school junior girl, right.¡± ¡°¡­Well, Konoha-san, if there¡¯s a guy from another school that bragged about not wearing underwear started talking to you, how would you feel?¡± ¡°Eh? I¡¯ll call the cops right away. That¡¯s disgusting. It sends shivers down my spine when I¡¯m just thinking about it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Senpai squinted and stared at me, ¡­the Hekiyou student council president quickly looked away. ¡°¡­I-I mean, think about it, people will only tolerate because I¡¯m cute-¡° ¡°No, that¡¯s enough, Konoha-san. It¡¯s okay. I understand that you¡¯re not acting already. Please just shut your mouth.¡± ¡°Hmm, ¡­I get it, senpai is surely nasty as well. You want me to shut my mouth and spread my legs-¡° ¡°Shut up!¡± (in English) I¡¯m afraid that this is probably the first time senpai used an English word. Yes, if that¡¯s the case, even I will freak out and immediately quiet down. So, after nearly a minute of silence, when both of us have calmed down, senpai chuckled and spoke up. ¡°Yep, ..but Konoha-san, even though I said that just then, ¡­I¡¯m still relieved. That erotic side of you is the real Konoha-san.¡± ¡°Uh, although I¡¯m the one that¡¯s trying to prank, I don¡¯t feel good with you representing ¡®the real Konoha-san¡¯ with that interaction alone¡­¡± I let out an annoyed look, and Amano-senpaiughed genuinely for a while¡­Then, with that smile, he reached his pale and soft hand to my side. ¡°So, please stay as my ¡®badpany¡¯ from now on, Konoha-san.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Although I froze for a moment, ¡­at the next second, I deeply sighed before grabbing his hands tightly and answered. ¡°Jeez, you¡¯re certainly cheeky¡­I¡¯m the one that should thanks senpai.¡± * After I bid farewell with Amano-senpai and left the convenience store, ¡­instead of going home directly, I started walking towards downtown. (I should check out the game store.¡± Perhaps it¡¯s because I¡¯ve chatted with Amano-senpai about hentai games, I really wanted to y something right now. Since I¡¯m still wearing Hekiyou¡¯s uniform, I can¡¯t enter the hentai game area¡­However, I somehow wanted to y pure romance titles right now, so it¡¯s not that big of a problem. The sunset stained the city. Rarely, I started appreciating the scenery around as I slowly strolled on the street. (After all, I¡¯ve been busytely, ¡­uh, even though I didn¡¯t finish anything.) Even so, for some reason, I feel like my shoulders aren¡¯t as tight as before. It¡¯ll never be like this even if I had a good sleep or just took a hot bath. Right now, I¡¯m feeling pretty rxed. (Is it because I can finally reveal my fetishes and honest words that I¡¯ve kept for a long time?) However, I think it¡¯s not just that alone. This level of peacefulness can be acquired every night byzily lying on the bed half-naked. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but mumble at this confusing phenomenon. The reason is that Konoha Hoshinomori has always invested all her energy on everything, ¡­such as the student council, jobs, hentai games, and imagination. The energy output is quite massive. So, I¡¯m two times as sensitive to ways that can relive tiredness or stay focused. If we¡¯re talking about coffee or energy drinks, I¡¯m even confident that I can brag about them easily for three days. So, I hope that I can understand the ¡°reason¡± why my body and soul are full of energy. Perhaps it¡¯s from the bottled coffee at the store? Or is it because I temporarily isted myself from the chores in the student council? On the way to the game store, I put my fist under my chin and started pondering about it. Ipared every single element to my previous state and verified them in detail. So, I became lost in thoughts for around 10 minutes. After I saw the destination, I finally finished my investigation and said my conclusion out loud. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since Ist saw an alive Amano-senpai. This stimted my sexual desires and increased my vitality in the end.¡± ¡°Seriously, please just die, you stinky bitch.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± A middle school brocon is looking at me with a despising and arrogant expression- -Kousei Amano is right here, and I didn¡¯t even notice it. * ¡°W-Why are you here¡­¡± I bulged my eyes in surprise as I backed up quickly. Then, Kousei Amano, who still acted like he didn¡¯t care anything, swept up his bangs as if he¡¯s pretending to be cool and answered with a sigh. ¡°That¡¯s my line. Why would a bitch mumble next to a road and even dare to talk about ¡®sexual desires¡¯ openly? Ah, I get it, it¡¯s because you¡¯re a bitch. Bitches certainly suck.¡± ¡°Eh, can you not call someone a bitch in public? That¡¯s horrible to hear! ¡°What do you mean by horrible to hear, it¡¯s because the word ¡®bitch¡¯ is your name. I can¡¯t help it, right?¡± ¡°I have a perfectly fine name called Konoha Hoshinomori!¡± ¡°Can you please stop acting like ¡®Hoshinomori¡¯ is your name? You¡¯re saying that like you¡¯re rted to Chiaki-senpai.¡± ¡°I¡¯m her little sister! I¡¯m really her biologically rted little sister!¡± ¡°¡­I feel like I shouldn¡¯t trust gics when I¡¯m looking at you.¡± ¡°What a coincidence, me too!¡± How can I agree that this guy shares the same bloodline as Amano-senpai? Honestly, what¡¯s wrong with Amano-senpai¡¯s family dynamic and environment? Why would one family have the mindsets of this little brother and that older brother? What a mysterious parenting method, ¡­well, I¡¯ll skip our family for now. Just as I¡¯m letting out an ¡°ugh¡± and stared at him, ¡­Kousei Amano seems to have lost all interest in me. He even tried to rapidly walk away from me. I pulled a fast one and chased after him and spoke. ¡°Wait! You just met a senior, yet you¡¯re leaving without bothering to greet, where''re your manners?¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe the bitch that¡¯s mumbling about her sexual desire is talking about manners¡­¡± Kousei let out a huge sigh. I scolded him even further. ¡°Jeez, your brother is way better than you. I really want to boil his nail stain for you to drink.¡± [Note: This is an idiom in Japan that urges the person to be more respectful.] ¡°I would love to!¡± Kousei answered with a determined look, ¡­that¡¯s crazy. Kousei Amano, he¡¯s still just as insane. He cleared his throat and started walking as he gave me a disgusted look. ¡°By the way, can you stop messing with me? This will affect my rmendation and evaluation.¡± ¡°Why! Moreover, I¡¯m just heading in the same direction as you!¡± ¡°Hmm? If you¡¯re looking for rich middle-aged men that are hunting girls, I think you can find them near the station.¡± ¡°What is your impression of mine!¡± ¡°Eh, of course. It¡¯s-¡° ¡°Ah, sorry, please don¡¯t say it, I don¡¯t want to hear anything.¡± I put my hand on my forehead and interrupted his answer, ¡­my head is dizzy from the pain. Kousei Amano, ¡­he counters me so hard. I kept a bit of distance from him as I headed towards the game store. ¡°¡­Kousei, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to the game store as well?¡± Kousei bulged his eyes in surprise upon hearing my question. ¡°Eh, you¡¯re going as well? But they don¡¯t have any adult toys for sale¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m really going to punch you¡­I¡¯m just going there to buy some games.¡± ¡°Oh, a bitch can sometimes understand how a human should be.¡± ¡°What is that wicked concept of ¡®a bitch¡¯ in your head? ¡­Whatever, I¡¯ll stop here. However, aren¡¯t you the weird one? You¡¯re not as interested in gaming as your older brother do, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Kousei answered calmly. ¡°I¡¯m not really into games. Even if I don¡¯t say anything, my brother will buy something home as well.¡± ¡°Huh? Then why are you going to the store alone?¡± ¡°Is it necessary to ask that?¡± Kousei is answering me with a calm ¡°why are you even bothering to ask this¡± tone. ¡°I¡¯m on patrol. I need to check whether the ce that my brother often visits is dangerous.¡± ¡°That¡¯s crazy.¡± I can¡¯t help but say it out loud. Although Ick any words to describe this situation, in my heart, this is how I feel about Kousei. That¡¯s crazy. Totally insane. What¡¯s with this little brother? Kousei doesn¡¯t care that I was shocked and continued naturally. ¡°Ay, to my brother, that ce is even less dangerous than a yground, ¡­but think about it, there¡¯s a chance for him to meet something terrible.¡± ¡°Why are you looking at me with a bitter smile?¡± ¡°Moreover, I heard that the game store is where the ¡®fake girlfriend¡¯ first talked to my brother, ¡­if only I was there, I could¡¯ve prevented all of this.¡± Kousei started biting his lips. I can¡¯t help but answer on Tendou-senpai¡¯s behalf. ¡°However, a lot of things started because she talked to Amano-senpai¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, it was the beginning of this ridiculous romantic harem farce and disrupted the peace that my brother enjoys.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a farce¡­¡± I was a bit pissed off. Then, Kousei suddenly remembered something and continued. ¡°Oh, but, after a series of events, Chiaki-senpai ended up confessing to my brother. I¡¯m thrilled to know that.¡± ¡°Eh? Kousei, how did you know that? Did your brother tell you?¡± ¡°Do you think my honest brother will go out of his way and brag about the confession to his little brother? That¡¯s what a bitch will think.¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong? Then why would you know about the confession¡­¡± ¡°Wiretapping.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Kousei smiled at me, who¡¯s freaking out. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. Tapping my brother, do you think I¡¯ll really do that?¡± ¡°Highly likely.¡± ¡°Ay, even though I have thought about it.¡± That¡¯s crazy. The guy¡¯s trying to joke whilecking the appropriate personality. That¡¯s way too insane. But Kousei looks like he doesn¡¯t care about my reaction and continued. ¡°Even if I¡¯m not wiretapping, at my level, I can get a rough picture just by looking at my brother. For example, what is bothering him today; it seems that he¡¯s happy. His body temperature is 36.5 degrees Celsius; he¡¯s going to scratch the side of his waist in three seconds; his current urination desire is around 27%. I can see all of that.¡± ¡°Your abilities are even crazier than a tapping device?¡± ¡°Yep, so I can roughly guess what happened on that day, ¡­however, thanks to your reaction, I fully understand now. Thanks.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Crap. This guy is trying to make me spill my beans¡­Seriously, he¡¯s tough to deal with. I can¡¯t help but put my hand on my forehead again. Then, rarely, Kousei started answering depressingly. ¡°However, they¡¯re kind of insane. I didn¡¯t expect Chiaki-senpai to confess in times like this¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­I can only agree with you on that alone.¡± ¡°Well,pared to that ignorant blonde hardcore gamer, the Mother of God Chiaki-senpai is way more attractive¡­Even so, the best part about my brother is that he instantly rejected her because he¡¯s dating another girl!¡± Kousei continued with sparkling eyes, ¡­this person is finally casually describing another person¡¯s older sister as the mother of god. I bet his mind is fully upied with my onee-chan giving birth to his brother¡¯s clones. That¡¯s insane. Although I still can¡¯t deal with Kousei, I do agree with what he just said. ¡°Sigh, well, I¡¯m the one that respects onee-chan from the bottom of my heart. She wanted to end this with a confession despite knowing that it wouldn¡¯t go well. Even when she was rejected, the girl can immediately admit her failure and continue going forward¡­Honestly, I feel like onee-chan is way too bright and charming.¡± I thought I was a couple step ahead of onee-chan when it came to rtionships a while ago, ¡­but once I snapped out of it, she was already far ahead. Just as I¡¯m sighing, Kousei nodded and continued. ¡°Yeah, I think both my brother and Chiaki-senpai are incredible and handsome. That¡¯s why I¡­really hate the current situation.¡± ¡°¡­Perhaps you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Also, I heard that fake girlfriend has been more or less avoiding my brother and Chiaki-senpai, am I right?¡± ¡°Ah, did you get that from your brother?¡± ¡°Nope. I acquired this piece of information by utilizing my personal psychoanalysis and theorized it from my brother¡¯s actions and expressions.¡± ¡°What are you even trying to be in the future?¡± If he used that kind of power in other perspectives, I¡¯m sure that he can achieve a lot of things. Tragically, right now, this guy is just a pure pervert. Kousei didn¡¯t even realize mypassion and even exhaled agonizingly from his nose. ¡°By the way, screw that so-called god of love, why would it always messes with my brother¡¯s peaceful life and rtionships?¡± ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t feel like senpai¡¯s life is filled with misfortunes¡­¡± I almost tried to retort. However, I¡¯m slightly echoing to the ¡°senpai¡¯s life is disrupted by rtionship¡± point. (The embarrassing confession at the station, and the answer he gave to onee-chan¡­Indeed, perhaps senpai has been ¡°forcing himself¡± to date Tendou-senpai¡­) I put myself, who can¡¯t rx because of the work in the student council, and senpai, who¡¯s tangled up in a mess of gaming, rtionships, and friendships, in the same boat. ¡­Uh, I don¡¯t think working in the student council is ¡°useless,¡± moreover, I feel like that¡¯s more meaningful and beneficial than ying hentai games¡­ However, just because it¡¯s meaningful, it doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s better than thezy and boring life of mine. Also, I can guarantee that senpai feels the same way. (Although it pisses me off to agree with Kousei, ¡­if I¡¯m asked whether it fits ¡°Keita Amano¡¯s style¡± for him go all-out and date Tendou-senpai, people are going to be suspicious.) From this perspective, Amano-senpai should still end up with onee-chan, right- No, it should be the best for him to date me! We can y hentai games during the holidays, and then we can have erotic developments in real life. Isn¡¯t thiszy yet loving at the same time, ¡­hmm, ho, ho¡­ ¡°Ugh, I picked up a menacing aura that¡¯s hostile to my brother, ¡­it looks like it¡¯s somewhere around here!¡± ¡°Who even are you!¡± A small clump of hair popped up from Kousei¡¯s head. I sighed as I looked at the entrance of the game store. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go back to the topic. I¡¯m really here to check out some games only. Please just finish your so-called patrol duties and leave.¡± ¡°Of course, I meant to do that. Ay, if it¡¯s possible, I wish I can execute a bitch today, though¡­¡± ¡°What am I guilty of, say it!¡± ¡°Fornication.¡± ¡°The entire world poption is guilty if you¡¯re charging on that!¡± ¡°Although your view on the world is already bitchy enough, there¡¯s really not enough evidence to charge you.¡± ¡°See, I¡¯m innocent.¡± ¡°Yes, just for today¡­I¡¯ll stand-by near the station next time to catch you in action.¡± ¡°Eh, I¡¯m not going to talk to some random middle-aged guy.¡± ¡°Well, enjoy your remaining out-of-jail life, bitch.¡± ¡°No one will bid farewell that way! That¡¯s enough, bye, you middle school brocon!¡± After I said goodbye to Kousei angrily, I walked straight to the dating sims area. As for Kousei, he really started patrolling from the corner of the store. That guy is even trying to check the curvature of the corner of the shelves, ¡­a-are you serious¡­This isn¡¯t just being overprotective, right¡­ However, it¡¯s useless for me to just keep my eyes on another family¡¯s pervert little brother. I changed my mood by start checking on the new releases in the dating sims area. (It¡¯s been a while, there¡¯s a lot of titles that I don¡¯t recognize¡­) Aside from the games that are transferred from their hentai counterparts, if it was a dating sim developed for consoles at the start, even I can¡¯t grasp them as well. (I think Amano-senpai should be more familiar here¡­) I guess I¡¯m more well-educated when ites to hentai games. However, I shouldn¡¯t overlook Amano-senpai¡¯s ¡°wide but shallow¡± mindset. Since as a result, he has a high chance of knowing something great in the fields that I haven¡¯t touched on before. If specialized yers like me need to rmend hentai games to Amano-senpai, I need to go for the extreme route. I grabbed the dating sim packages in order and looked at the cover cheerfully as I thought about Amano-senpai. (Perhaps this is why senpai is popr among gamers. He can chat happily with them, as long as the person loves gaming.) Also, he¡¯s sincere, frank, and not trying to appeal to someone. This makes himfortable to talk to. I guess that¡¯s why senpai managed to do well with Tendou-senpai, even though she¡¯s a hardcore gamer. I thought about it as I grabbed the next game. It¡¯s called Golden Memories 2. Although I didn¡¯t recognize it, ¡­it seems interesting. It¡¯s just that it reminded me of Tendou-senpai since all the females are in blonde hair. I read the ¡°the typical young boy trying his best to get close to the school idol¡± description at the bottom of the cover. Then, I can¡¯t help but think about those two. (However, ¡­is Amano-senpai happy with that? The girl that suits him¡­isn¡¯t Karen Tendou, after all-) Things immediately happened when I just started thinking. ¡°Hey, Konoha-san? Hello, didn¡¯t expect to see you here, what a coincidence.¡± I can hear a familiar voice from behind. I turned back tremblingly, then I found out the person that¡¯s standing there- it¡¯s the blonde angel that showed up in my mind. ¡°T-Tendou¡­-senpai.¡± The empty Golden Memories 2 package slipped off from my hand. * ¡°Ah, sorry, I think I startled you.¡± Tendou-senpai said that as she quickly crouched to pick up the game for me. I snapped out of it and apologized. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± Then, I reached my hand out to take the package¡­For some reason, Tendou-senpai didn¡¯t hand me that right away. Instead, she stood up and stared at the box. ¡°T-Tendou-senpai?¡± I started freaking out. Tendou-senpai smiled embarrassingly and said, ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Then, she handed me the package. ¡°It¡¯s because that situation is literally the same as the first time I talked to Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. This is where I talked to Amano-kun for the first time. At that time, he grabbed the first title in the series, ¡­that¡¯s why I remembered what happened then.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­r-really.¡± I heard their experience as I put the game back onto the shelf. During this time¡­ ¡°Uh.¡± I can see Kousei ncing at us at the gaps of the shelves. He seems to be observing us from the opposite row. Just as I¡¯m feeling helpless, Tendou-senpai tilted her head. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Konoha-san?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing¡­I¡¯m fine.¡± There¡¯s no reason for me to cover Kousei, but no one benefits if I exposed him. That¡¯ll only make Kousei call me a bitch and casually insult Tendou-senpai. Kousei Amano, he¡¯s really a force to be reckoned with. Everything went wrong when he showed up. Is he the Joker in Old Maid? I let out a huge sigh and managed to pick up myself before smiling at Tendou-senpai. ¡°What a coincidence! Tendou-senpai, do youe here often?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I alwayse here.¡± ¡°Oh, really.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The conversation ended¡­Come to think of it, what can I even talk about with Tendou-senpai? Also, there¡¯s no one in the store aside from us (and Kousei). The staff seems to be busy behind the cashier. There¡¯s nowhere to go to escape this silence. Tendou-senpai gave me a slightly frustrated smile and quickly tried to end this. ¡°W-Well, I¡¯ll be leaving. See you, Konoha-san.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, sure, goodbye, senpai¡­¡± I almost bid farewell with a wave¡­During this time, someone is fiercely staring at me, which sent shivers down my spine. I quickly tried to confirm, ¡­and I found out Kousei is ordering me with his eyes at the gaps of the shelves. (Bitch, ask this woman why is she avoiding my brother and Chiaki-senpai.) (Y-You¡­!) The audacity of this guy¡­! Although I thought about it, I¡¯m unwilling to admit that I want to know the reason as well¡­I had to ask. I quickly called Tendou-senpai. ¡°Ah, p-please wait, Tendou-senpai!¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, yes, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Tendou-senpai stopped leaving and turned back. Her blonde hair is sparkling in the store, ¡­this girl is really straight out of a dating sim¡­ I can¡¯t help but be shocked at that scene. Then, I managed to say what I wanted. ¡°Uh, ¡­how should I put it, ¡­well, r-recently, my onee-chan is troubled by something. She feels like¡­you¡¯re avoiding her¡­Honestly, is that true?¡± Even though I came up with a bunch of ns, I ended up asking her directly. However, I think I have to frank on this issue. Tendou-senpai bulged her crystal-clear blue eyes at my question. She answered shockingly. ¡°Eh? Well, uh¡­¡± To be honest, I feel terrible for her, even a girl like me understands that I¡¯m intervening too much. I hastily tried to smooth things over. ¡°Ah, Tendou-senpai, please take it with a grain of salt. As a little sister, I¡¯m just worrying about onee-chan. Although I asked that just then, I feel like onee-chan shouldn¡¯t be as frustrated as I thought. I guess I¡¯m¡­perceiving this level of chitchatting too ridiculously-¡° When I¡¯m smoothing things over, Kousei keeps pressuring me ¡°ask for more¡± with his look, but I didn¡¯t care. After I¡¯m finished, I quickly tried to walk away. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be leaving¡­¡± I wanted to escape right away, but¡­ ¡°Konoha-san, p-please wait!¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± Unexpectedly, Tendou-senpai stopped me this time. I looked back in surprise, then Tendou-senpai blushed embarrassingly for some reason. ¡°S-Sorry, Konoha-san. Uh, ¡­I wanted to ask you something too since you¡¯re Chiaki-san¡¯s little sister.¡± ¡°R-Really. You want to¡­ask me something?¡± I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening at all, so I tilted my head. On the other hand, while Tendou-senpai is happy that she immediately stopped me, but senpai seems to be troubled by something. She fell silent with a hesitant expression. However, I¡¯m waiting patiently. Instead of saying this is for Tendou-senpai, this is just for onee-chan and even myself. Also, on the other side of the shelf, Kousei is observing the development with bright eyes, ¡­please just go home, you pervert. So, the silencested for nearly 10 seconds. Tendou-senpai finally raised her head with a determined look, ¡­and looked straight into my eyes. Then, carrying a slightly nervous expression, she asked me a surprising question. ¡°From¡­from your perspective, do you think Chiaki-san and Amano-kun ¡®love¡¯ each other!¡± ¡°What!¡± This question is way too unexpected. It made me let out a noise in shock. On the other side, there¡¯s a braindead ¡°Keita Amano x Chiaki Hoshinomori¡± superfan, which is Kousei Amano. He¡¯s trying to get closer and closer, ¡­seriously, please just get home. A middle schooler (brocon) eavesdropping on two beautiful high school girls over a shelf in the game store, that¡¯s enough to call the cops. I tried to exile the ghost called Kousei out of my brain as I asked Tendou-senpai once again. ¡°Uh, ¡­why are y-you asking that?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. I guess you¡¯re right. It¡¯s hard for you to answer when you were asked by Amano-kun¡¯s girlfriend.¡± ¡°Uh, yep, ¡­yeah.¡± Hmm? Is this person trying to emphasize that she¡¯s senpai¡¯s girlfriend just then? Or is it just because my mind¡¯s too messed up? Am I the only one that thinks she¡¯s trying to tie me up? (¡­Ah, nope, Kousei is also sniffing at Tendou-senpai¡¯s ¡°Amano-kun¡¯s girlfriend¡±ment. Crap, my mind is just as messed up as that guy? I need to do some soul-searching.) That guy is 10/10 when ites to being a negative role model. I gave Kousei a dumbfounded look. Suddenly, Tendou-senpai is looking around vigntly. It looks like she wants to discuss something more in-depth. For a second, I was afraid that she would find out Kousei. However, he¡¯s aware of Tendou-senpai¡¯s blind spot and moved quickly in the store without a sound. No sweat. (¡­Are you a cockroach?) Who is this almighty pervert? Although I feel like a hentai game-loving student council president is more or less the same, I really feel like I¡¯m sane after I met him. That¡¯s unbelievable. After Tendou-senpai confirmed that there¡¯s no one aside from us (except for the colossal cockroach), she took a step closer to me. Even though it¡¯s after school, her hair still smells like she just showered with shampoo¡­Seriously, what¡¯s wrong with this person? I¡¯m getting pissed off at her angelic aura. But Tendou-senpai didn¡¯t notice my tangled up emotions, she even exined with a serious look. ¡°Actually, ¡­I witnessed it by chance when we were ying GOM that night.¡± ¡°Witness¡­you witnessed what?¡± Did she witness the moment that onee-chan¡¯s confession is rejected? No, if that¡¯s the case, she wouldn¡¯t ask whether they ¡°love¡± each other¡­ I¡¯m getting more and more confused since I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s talking about already. However, ¡­at this moment, Tendou-senpai threw another grenade. ¡°¡­I witnessed the moment that your sister became a couple with Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Huh!¡± Upon hearing that, even Kousei let out a noise in shock at the back of the shelf, not to mention me. However, since our reactionpletely synchronized, Tendou-senpai miraculously didn¡¯t realize he¡¯s here. My eyes were floating around out of the sheer surprise. Tendou-senpai continued. It seems that she somehow heard senpai and onee-chan¡¯s conversation that night. The details can be omitted as ¡°it¡¯s just the usual stuff.¡± Also, the conversation that she heard seems to be literally the one after they started ¡°dating.¡± Then, atst, things ended at the brutal ¡°let¡¯s end this with Tendou-san once and for all¡± conclusion. So, of course, Tendou-senpai felt like ¡°you¡¯re got to be kidding me.¡± In the end, she¡¯s now avoiding those two from talking about ¡°that thing.¡± ¡­This is what happened. ¡°¡­Hmm, uh¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but mumble since this is so hard to exin. ¡­Well, I can understand the process from Tendou-senpai¡¯s own conclusion. The problem is that¡­I already know the correct answer from onee-chan and senpai. I can¡¯t help but put my finger on my forehead and replied to Tendou-senpai. ¡°Please let me think for a while.¡± Then, I started analyzing this. (Uh, ¡­what is this situation?) If I believe what Tendou-senpai has mentioned, this means that Amano-senpai and onee-chan are ¡°together¡± already, but they decided to lie to me¡­ (That¡¯s absolutely impossible.) I quickly rejected this possibility. The two will never be smart enough to lie about things like this. If that¡¯s the case, this means that Tendou-senpai still misunderstood something. (So, this means that, right? The two were discussing how they should exin the confession. Then, this dumb blonde girl misunderstood they have ¡°paired¡± up. This is the truth, right? No, ¡­this Karen Tendou girl can¡¯t be that dumb, right¡­) Just as I¡¯m about to go back to square one, the Karen Tendou in question swept her bangs with a very depressed look. ¡°Phew, ¡­I¡¯ve always been like this.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m way too observant and sensitive. I guess it makes people feel that I¡¯m not an adorable girl, ¡­even I was scared by my talents.¡± (Yep, this girl is absolutely an idiot.) At this moment, I can already confirm that this person is just freaking herself out. Case closed. During this time, someone is also letting out a despising noise behind the shelf¡­Damn, I feel like that guy and I shared the same conclusion at the same time. Don¡¯t tell me we¡¯re just as disgusting? This pisses me. Anyway, I understand what¡¯s going on now. I mumbled. ¡°I get it.¡± After that, Tendou-senpai spoke up once again. ¡°It¡¯s just that, I¡¯m not so sure if we¡¯re talking about whether I¡¯m absolutely confident about this.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The most troublesome is still Amano-kun¡¯s reply. Think about, after all, Amano-kun¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± I titled my head and expressed my confusion to Tendou-senpai, who suddenly fell speechless along with a blush. As for Tendou-senpai, ¡­she put her hand on her ring cheeks and mumbled to me. ¡°Isn¡¯t he the best boyfriend that I, Karen Tendou, am hopelessly in love with?¡± ¡°What a pain.¡± Hiya, I didn¡¯t switch on my narrative mode and actually said it out loud. However, whether it¡¯s lucky or not, Karen Tendou, who¡¯s heart is blossoming in love right now, can¡¯t hear it. She mumbled happily to herself and continued. ¡°Konoha-san, I think you must¡¯ve seen his fantastic confession, right.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, ¡­y-you¡¯re right¡­¡± ¡°Also, I¡¯ve typed what he said at the time into aplete text file. Do you want to read it?¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± ¡°Ah, this is my favorite part¡­¡± ¡°I said I don¡¯t need it! Don¡¯t shove your phone to me!¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re right. Konoha-san, you¡¯re single, after all. I didn¡¯t think this through.¡± ¡°Why are you insulting me after backing down!¡± Just as I¡¯m dumbfounded, Tendou-senpai put her phone back into the pocket and cleared her throat. ¡°In other words, I¡¯m not really suspecting Amano-kun¡¯s love and sincerity for me¡­Instead, I¡¯m really confident about him.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Indeed, about that, I already understood so much that I don¡¯t want to anymore. ¡°However, in the end, he epted Hoshinomori-san¡¯s confession¡­This is baffling. Something isn¡¯t right.¡± ¡°Yeah, something¡¯s wrong. I wonder where?¡± I stared at Tendou-senpai and spoke sarcastically. However, Karen Tendou didn¡¯t realize what I meant and even nodded with a sincere look. She¡¯s saying that while raising two of her fingers in a V-pose¡­It feels stupid. ¡°First of all, the most probable one, ¡­Amano-kun ended up not being able to reject Hoshinomori-san¡¯s confession out of his ¡®sympathy¡¯ for her.¡± No, usually, the most probable one is that you misunderstood everything, yet you didn¡¯t even consider that? Really. Tendou-senpai theorized further on her own with a serious look. ¡°This is a situation where no one benefits. If they just ¡®end¡¯ the rtionship with me and start dating, ¡­Amano-kun will pair up with Hoshinomori-san out of hispassion even though he¡¯s genuinely in love with me. This is a tragedy for Hoshinomori-san as well. After all, he loves me.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, really¡­¡± I¡¯m picking my ears as I casually listened. Kousei is doing the same thing behind the shelf. However, in contrast to our casual reactions- Tendou-senpai¡­suddenly plopped her head down as if she can¡¯t think something through. Just as I¡¯m observing the situation with a dumbfounded look, she slowly and helplessly spoke up. ¡°Then, ¡­there¡¯s another¡­although it¡¯s highly improbable¡­and I do hope so, ¡­it¡¯s actually stuck at the corner of my heart¡­another exnation¡­¡± ¡°¡­What exnation?¡± I urged her to continue. Tendou-senpai¡­smiled hopelessly and told me the ¡°exnation¡± that she shouldn¡¯t even mention. ¡°Hoshinomori-san and Amano-kun actually love each other ¨C this exnation.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I fell speechless at that agonizing smile¡­While I shouldn¡¯t be the one to say this, but I can¡¯t treat her like the ¡°dumb girl that misunderstands everything¡± andugh. ¡°¡­If that¡¯s really the truth, ¡­then all I¡¯ve been doing¡­is ¡®avoiding¡¯ the two, ¡­that will be way too embarrassing andme¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but nce at Kousei¡¯s direction. However, this is the time when he turned around, and I can¡¯t see his face¡­What¡¯s wrong, ¡­why don¡¯t you give me a mischievous look¡­ Tendou-senpai asked the initial question once again. ¡°Let me ask you this, Konoha-san. From your perspective, ¡­do you think your sister and Amano-kun ¡®love¡¯ each other?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I gulped. ¡­It¡¯s because I realized something. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for me. (Right now, ¡­don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m in control of this rtionship?) The realization is too heavy that my shoulders started trembling. (Right now, can I¡­control everything?) Of course, I can cheer for Tendou-senpai. On the other hand, as long as I provided evidence that onee-chan and Amano-senpai really love each other, ¡­I can easily end Tendou-senpai and Amano-senpai¡¯s rtionship right here. Also, I can directly support onee-chan this way. Aside from that. It¡¯s possible for me to just- rob senpai away. (Everything is in my control¡­) -My body is shivering, and I can¡¯t think of anything. Come to think of it, I, ¡­Konoha Hoshinomori, has always been somewhat isted out in this romanticedy. It¡¯s because I¡¯m in another school. It¡¯s because I¡¯mte. It¡¯s because I¡¯m younger. It¡¯s because I¡¯m just, Chiaki Hoshinomori¡¯s little sister. Although there¡¯s a lot of reasons, no matter what, I¡¯ve always been the farthest away from Amano-senpai¡¯s heart. This is apparent. ¡­I¡¯ve always thought about this. If I was the first girl that Amano-senpai met when he was a true loner. I¡¯m sure that Amano-senpai and I will be like where we¡¯re today. We would chat about everything and joke with each other, ¡­and then we¡¯ll build up a loving, boring, ¡­and a happy rtionship atst. The reason why we aren¡¯t like that is just because of the unfortunate timing. ¡­That¡¯s the worst reason to give up my love. I can¡¯t give up because of that. However, right now. I, Konoha Hoshinomori- I acquired everything I need to restart Amano-senpai¡¯s everything and the chance for me to be no.1 again. ¡°S-Senpai, ¡­Amano-senpai is¡­¡± My lips are trembling from this unexpected opportunity. ¡­There¡¯s nothing to hesitate, right. After all, the girl asked for my suggestion. I¡¯m just saying my opinion, there¡¯s nothing wrong. It¡¯s not wrong to head towards my love, right? My mind repeated what I¡¯ve said to onee-chan in the past. ¡°My love¡­can only be controlled by myself.¡± Yes. This will work. This is what I¡¯ve believed in. Moreover, this isn¡¯t something that only I¡¯ll benefit from. Of course, Kousei, who¡¯s listening with full ears, should also hope that his brother¡¯s rtionship to end, right. Also, more importantly, ¡­even if Amano-senpai is just temporarily single after that, onee-chan would love to see that, right. Of course, I n to rob him away. Yes, there¡¯s nothing wrong with this, ¡­exactly. So, you should just say it, Konoha Hoshinomori! ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I made up my mind and puffed up my chest. I faced Karen Tendou¡¯s eyes that are sparkling with fear. I smiled, honestly. And followed the sincere desire that¡¯s boiling in my heart- -I answered. ¡°Of course, Amano-senpai¡­will always love you, Tendou-senpai.¡± * (AM I AN IDIOTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!) 10 minutes after the decisive encounter, I saw Tendou-senpai, who felt much better, going home before putting my fingers on the dating sim shelf. Then, I plopped my head and let out the loudest sigh possible. (Why! Why didn¡¯t I lie to her! Am I an idiot? Do I want to die? Am I chickening out? Hypocrisy? Anyway, screw that Konoha Hoshinomori 10 minutes ago!) Even though it was my own decision, right now, I don¡¯t understand why I did that at all. (I feel like I did it based on some kind of beliefs¡­) However, I don¡¯t remember what I was thinking back then. I feel like that¡¯s something even I can¡¯t trante the idea into words 10 minutes ago. (I wasted the chance for onee-chan and I to find our love for that kind of motive, ¡­I¡¯m really messed up¡­) I sighed again as I dazedly opened my eyes. So, I saw the package of Golden Memories 2 on the shelf in front of me. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I left the shelf and subconsciously grabbed the box before checking on it again. (¡­This must be the wrong option, right¡­) Even though I¡¯ve yed a bunch of dating sims and hentai games, why would I still make such a rookie mistake in real life? I literally didn¡¯t learn anything from the games. However¡­ ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Just as I¡¯m looking at the package dazedly, I can suddenly hear a voice calling me from the side. Then, I can see Kousei, who quietly went around the shelf and came in front of me. ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I know what you¡¯re going to say.¡± Facing the pervert middle schooler with a stiff face, I answered while chuckling. ¡°What the hell, bitch. You¡¯re useless, bitch. That¡¯s what you wanted to say, right? I¡¯m sorry for not breaking up your brother and Tendou-senpai apart. I also wanted that-¡° Yes, just as I¡¯m answering cynically. Him ¨C Kousei Amano, walked next to me and mumbled quietly. ¡°You¡¯re dumb, ¡­just like a certain twisted brother of mine.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Although I can¡¯t really hear it, ¡­I can¡¯t help but look back when I heard Kousei¡¯s gentle voice. I¡¯ve never seen him talk this softly. So, Kousei is still facing me with his back and even switching to his usual stern tone before bidding farewell to me. ¡°Bye, Hentainomori-senpai.¡± ¡°Who are you calling Hentainomori! Hey, Kousei! Wait!¡± Kousei ignored my protest and quickly made a beeline¡­Jeez, what¡¯s wrong with that guy¡­ ¡­Ay, but thanks to that, I finally got myself out of this vicious cycle from feeling depressed at my own idiotic actions, ¡­yep. ¡°¡­Alright, now that I¡¯m here, let¡¯s buy this.¡± I took the Golden Memories 2 box and headed towards the cashier. Just as I¡¯m standing there and waiting for the staff to grab the game from behind, ¡­suddenly, I realized something. ¡°Come to think of it, that guy finally called me ¡®senpai¡¯ for the first time¡­¡± Although he called me a pervert, even so, I guess I¡¯m making progress, right¡­ ¡­Why am I making progress. I don¡¯t get it at all. Then, the staff took the software from inside the store. ¡°Thanks for the wait. Do you want to checkout now?¡± ¡°Yes, no problem.¡± I answered with a smile as I paid for the game. Then, I put it in my bag and walked outside. Just like that, when I¡¯m walking towards the sunset alone, ¡­unbelievably, I realized that I¡¯m not really depressed anymore. Instead, right now, I¡¯m looking forward to the game that I just bought. (Being unable to find my love and are now stuck in a slow and half-assed life¡­Sigh, I guess it¡¯s not so bad, after all.) I smiled bitterly at my own innocency. So, this dumbfoundedly typical after school life of today ended with a game. Volume 7, 3 Chapter 3 – Gamers and Trip Preparation

Volume 7, Chapter 3 Chapter 3 ¨C Gamers and Trip Preparation

Trantor: your_pingas I have a girlfriend, a handsome friend, and sometimes I¡¯ll talk about rtionships with my friend¡¯s girlfriend. I was even confessed by another girl recently. Do you know who this refined man that stood above all normies is? Eh, you don¡¯t? Right, it¡¯s because you guys are loners, after all. Even if you browse all the online news, there are no sources for you to receive information in the normie world. In a sense, you guys have insufficient data. It can¡¯t be helped. Well, let me introduce myself to everyone. Hello, I¡¯m the king of the normie world, abbreviated as Normie King ¨C Keita Amano. Man, to be honest, I¡¯m way too popr recently. What a pain, ¡­I¡¯m swamped. There¡¯s no time for me to rx. I can¡¯t even sleep well. Sigh, but this can¡¯t be helped, this is the life of a heartthrob, right? Think about it, even though loners like you may not understand, interpersonal rtionships can be exhausting sometimes. I have to y with my friends, go out with my girlfriend, and I have to listen to someone, right? Sigh, my shoulder hurts. I¡¯m spending way too much money on drinks and food. I can no longer only focus on games and anime like you guys. What a pain, this hurts my brain. However, after my transformation, on the contrary, ¡­and, I¡¯m saying the word ¡°contrary.¡± The lonely otakus that have a massive chunk of time for themselves by staying home. Oh, how impolite of me, but I¡¯m really envious of free people like you that can live for their hobbies. I really wanted to switch ces with you guys. I¡¯m already tired of girls. Instead, I just want to y games alone. Although I should say, there¡¯s not a lot of people that can take my position aside from me! HAHAHAHA! Think about it. After all, our most significant difference is, ¡­while it¡¯s impolite for me to say this, but our most significant difference is how we ¡°conduct¡± ourselves, isn¡¯t it? Whether it¡¯s my girlfriend, friends, or the girl that confessed to me. Sigh, how should I say this? They¡¯re getting closer because they¡¯re attracted by the man, the myth, the legend ¨C Keita Amano¡¯s charm, right. So, to be frank, this isn¡¯t a spot that anyone can take. I¡¯m sorry, it looks like I made you all hopeful. Not all lonely otaku can pass all of the challenges, except if you¡¯re in a light novel. Otherwise, only a ¡°real man¡± like me can do. Alright, it¡¯s time for me to go. I¡¯m busy. Eh? You¡¯re asking me where I¡¯m going? Do I even need to say it? It¡¯s time for me to leave this fictional world where I¡¯m a normie god by default, and back to reality. In other words, this means the 2F ssroom on a certain day of November, the time when we have to form groups for the school trip- ¡°Well, is anyone willing to take the ¡®lonely¡¯ Amano-kun? No? Then, the group that loses the rock, paper, scissors will take Amano-kun! Alright, shush! -The hell is this world. * ¡°I want to die¡­¡± After school, when we finished the grouping assembly. Iid on the table and mumbled depressingly. Uehara-kun, who¡¯s sitting in front of me, smiled bitterly and tried tofort me. ¡°Hey, hey, hey, Amano. You can¡¯t just say ¡®I want to die¡¯ casually.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay, Uehara-kun. I¡­didn¡¯t mean that in a casual way.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a big problem! Eh, Amano, cheer up¡­¡± ¡°The cold-hearted traitor shouldn¡¯t talk. Uehara-kun, you didn¡¯t even invite me to your group.¡± I slightly raised my head and stared at Uehara-kun. He looked away and scratched his head. ¡°I-It¡¯s not like that, ¡­I really wanted to let you in. However, there¡¯re already too many people in my group. I can¡¯t kick other members out just to add you, right¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re that kind of people¡­¡± ¡°Ugh. W-Well, what would you do if you were me then? ¡­You have to kick Tendou or Mizumi away if I¡¯m added to your group. Are you sure that you¡¯ll invite me¡­?¡± ¡°Sorry, Uehara-kun. Stay safe.¡± ¡°You¡¯re that kind of people too.¡± Uehara-kun gave me a dumbfounded look. I let out a sigh. It¡¯s time for me to stop whining depressingly, so I raised my head from the table. Then, I smiled bitterly with ¡°a sense of reality¡± and told Uehara-kun how I really feel right now. ¡°Weirdly, I feel like this is good in some ways.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Ay, I should say, this is how I was always treated in the ss.¡± I looked at the ssroom. Two guys are observing us whileughing at me for making a fool out of myself. This isn¡¯t just my persecutory delusion. It¡¯s actually quite severe, and it makes me sad. So, Uehara-kun frowned explicitly and fiercely red at them. Crap. I quickly continued. ¡°Uh, you don¡¯t need to do that, Uehara-kun. In reality, I¡¯m a professional gag material.¡± ¡°But you¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, like what I¡¯ve said before, I think this keeps me winded up. ¡­Indeed, as long as I¡¯m in this ss.¡± ¡°Winded up?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± I scratched my cheeks as I continued. ¡°Think about it, ¡­recently, people like you¡¯re willing to talk to me like this, and Tendou is willing to date me. ¡­This way, I think I may getcent from time to time. I thought I¡¯ve be ¡®some kind of figures¡¯ finally.¡± ¡°Some kind of figures, ¡­really.¡± Although I put it in a very abstract way, I didn¡¯t expect Uehara-kun to understand it instantly. ¡­I guess he felt the same since he only became popr in high school. ¡°Keita Amano is Tendou-san¡¯s boyfriend while also being a member of the Game Hobby Club. Just like that, I feel like I¡­got some kind of titles, characters, or a ce that I belong to. ¡­It¡¯s because everyone is so nice to me.¡± ¡°Eh, that¡¯s indeed what¡¯s happening, right. You¡¯re Tendou¡¯s boyfriend, and Keita Amano from the Game Hobby Club.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. However, ¡­that¡¯s just something that Tendou-san, Chiaki, Aguri-san, and you have given me. This isn¡¯t a title or a character that I earned for myself. I can acknowledge this, ¡­as long as I¡¯m in this ss where none of you can protect me.¡± In the end, I¡¯m still not a popr guy. I can¡¯t create as well as Chiaki does, nor can I lighten up the mood as Uehara-kun does. I¡¯m still just¡­the introvert that sits at the corner of the ssroom, Keita Amano. However, once I started chatting happily with Tendou-san or Uehara-kun, I¡¯ll often identally forget about this. I thought I became someone amazing. Like when I was escaping from reality just then, ¡­my arrogant side almost got the better of me. So¡­ I smiled at Uehara-kun. ¡°Just as I¡¯m about to be proud of myself, this ss will remind me. From this perspective, I really appreciated that.¡± ¡°Your temper is ridiculously twisted. I think you¡¯ll appreciate everything sooner orter.¡± ¡°Sigh, ¡­even so, this ss is reminding me too much¡­¡± Sigh, I let out a sad sigh. Even though¡­it¡¯s all my fault. In reality, I¡¯m not familiar with my ssmates, aside from Uehara-kun. I once beautifully imagined that I can get closer to Uehara-kun¡¯s group. ¡­Ay, we¡¯re still on our own in the end. Uehara-kun sighed as he moved on. ¡°In the end, you¡¯re in Kaburagi¡¯s group, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± I nced at the male trio at the corner of the ssroom. So, it seems that those three are looking at us too, and we made eye contact. They smiled as if they¡¯re despising me before looking at each other and burst intoughter rudely. Also, the guy in the middle that¡¯s putting his legs on the table while shaking his chair. He¡¯s the core member of that group, Sakon Kaburagi. I guess they¡¯re in the moderate delinquent group. ¡­No, they should count as moderate and reasonable delinquents. Although they give other people a despising look and act all mighty, they¡¯ll never pick a fight with someone else. Those three boys always act together and are xenophobic. So, I don¡¯t think they pair well with Uehara-kun, even though he¡¯s a normie. As for the weaklings in ss like me, ¡­I guess I don¡¯t even need to exin our rtionship. To them, Keita Amano is an excellent source of entertainment. Uehara-kun looks like he¡¯s fed up with it and continued. ¡°Then, including you, and Murata¡¯s group who was teasing you just then, there¡¯re 6 people in the gang, right? ¡­Although I feel like I shouldn¡¯t say this, ¡­it¡¯s literally hell for you.¡± ¡°S-Stop it¡­¡± Being together on a school trip with the ssmates that especially like to pick on me, ¡­or should I say, despise me. ¡­My stomach¡¯s already in pain when I¡¯m merely thinking about it. ¡°¡­I would just not show up if I were you¡­¡± ¡°I-I told you to stop saying it.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, if I ran away, those 5 people shouldugh at me even more rudely.¡± ¡°The hell that you fell in is quite horrible. There¡¯s nowhere to escape.¡± ¡°Yep. So, I have to go even if it meant costing my life.¡± I talked about my determination and smiled. However, Uehara-kun backed down for a bit. ¡°¡­Y-You¡¯re quite ¡®manly¡¯ inside¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? No, when my stomach hurts this much right now, I¡¯m just a passerby no matter my performance.¡± ¡°I mean, paring people who jumped into hell without knowing how painful it is, and people who jumped despite knowing the pain, which one is crazier?¡± I thought about hisparison. Then, I said something that came up in my mind. ¡°Ah,e to think of it-¡° ¡°In reality, Tendou-san is the craziest weirdo, right. She feels good in hell.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you can casually say that your girlfriend is a weirdo.¡± ¡°Ah, actually, the person that can discuss the hellish and bloody scenes in a game happily as if it¡¯s an attraction, she¡¯s pretty crazy as well. ¡­Also, I know a girl that can create a hell-like game¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, I can feel that you¡¯re surrounded by weirdos.¡± ¡°Ay, but among all of them, you¡¯re still my best friends.¡± ¡°But, I really want to return the friend title to you right now.¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly saying something so rude!¡± My friend suddenly wanted to cut ties with me while we¡¯re just chatting. I freaked out and began to tremble. ¡°I¡¯m just joking, it¡¯s a joke.¡± Uehara-kun answered with a smile. During this time, the bell that signal the end of lessons rang across the school. Uehara-kun stood up and returned to his seat. He even looked at me with a warm expression and asked me before leaving. ¡°However, in reality, ¡­there¡¯s another reason for you not wanting to be absent in the trip, right?¡± ¡°Oh, you saw me through?¡± I scratched the back of my head as I answered his question. ¡°Well, ¡­even though 90% of the trip is torturing for me, however¡­if I did go, there¡¯s the slightest possibility that I can enjoy it with Tendou-san. I¡¯ll be there if she calls.¡± I answered as my face red up in embarrassment. Uehara-kunughed out. Then, for some reason, he repeated that sentence again. ¡°Amano, you¡¯re indeed ¡®manly¡¯ inside.¡± Karen Tendou Hoshinomori-san is trembling with tears in her eyes. ¡°Is anyone willing to add Hoshinomori-san in? I hope everyone can volunteer if it¡¯s possible. Think about it, you can just decide it with rock, paper, scissors. It¡¯ll be pitful if Hoshinomori-san is treated like an ¡®extra,¡¯ right? I hope everyone can take Hoshinomori-san back to your own group.¡± Mori-san, the serious, capable, yet a bit thick-lined ss president, is nagging at every group to voluntarily take Hoshinomori-san. Thanks to that, Hoshinomori-san is shaking with a blush during this 5 minutes. ¡­Honestly, she¡¯s being disyed in public right now. (To her, it¡¯s easier to just decide with rock, paper, scissors if it turned out like this¡­) ¡°Hey¡­¡± I can¡¯t take it anymore, so I spoke politely, and I stood up. Then, I tried to suggest to Mori-san seamlessly that we can solve this with rock, paper, scissors, or drawing lots. However, she picked the right opportunity, the lens on her sharp sses shed for a second as she rejected my suggestion. ¡°Hey, is Tendou-san trying to treat her own ssmate as an extra?¡± ¡°N-No, I didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡± Mori-san gave a snort of contempt to my vague bitter smile. ¡°Then, can you please don¡¯t give us a half-baked suggestion? This will interrupt the discussion.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± I feel like it¡¯ll only cause Hoshinomori-san more pain if I pressed on. So, I can only sit back down. The ssmate next to me looked at Mori-san dumbfoundedly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s always treating Tendou-san like a thorn in her flesh. Is she mad with the fact that she¡¯s not the center of the ss?¡± ¡°Ay, Mori-san is the ss president, after all¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s still terrible even if that¡¯s true. Sigh, ¡­although it¡¯s not convenient for us to take Hoshinomori as well.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re right¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but start pondering it after I heard my groupmate¡¯s opinion. I looked at Hoshinomori-san. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Speaking of her, she¡¯s still blushing really hard with her head plopped down. She¡¯s even quietly apologizing to the ss president and everyone around. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡­I feel really sorry for her. (Honestly, I really want to help¡­) Everything¡¯s okay if I said I¡¯m taking her. The problem is that I can¡¯t deal with it that simply. That¡¯s because, ¡­although I feel like I shouldn¡¯t be the one to say this, in reality, my group is both ¡°popr¡± and in ¡°fiercepetition¡± because Karen Tendou is here. In other words, there¡¯re a lot of students that are thinking, ¡°I want to be in the same group as Tendou-san, but I can¡¯t¡± in this ss. In this situation, ¡­it¡¯s going to be awkward for me to take Hoshinomori-san casually. It feels like you¡¯re hired by a renownedpany based on rtionships. It¡¯s okay if I¡¯m the one that¡¯s taking the anger, but it¡¯s not good if people are mad at Hoshinomori-san too. (Moreover, ¡­currently, I don¡¯t want to interact with her too much¡­) In reality, the case of her bing couples with Amano-kun remains unsolved. I want to avoid staying next to Hoshinomori-san for a long time if it¡¯s possible. Anyway, although Hoshinomori-san and I are partners in the Game Hobby Club, I still haven¡¯t helped her yet. Also, another problem is that a ¡°group¡± can only have 5-6 people. Actually, not everyone in this ss is cold-hearted. If it¡¯s a two people activity, someone should be willing to form up with Hoshinomori-san. However, this is a problem that rtes to the entire group. I can¡¯t add a subtly-distanced member based on my personal feelings. So, I would hope that I can leave for a second in times like this and let the members discuss it. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m sorry, ¡­can I have a word?¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong, Tendou-san?¡± The ss president is looking at me with a clearly annoyed look. Honestly, I¡¯m a little bit irritated. Still, I managed to give a smile and suggest to her politely that we should let the groups discuss this. However¡­ ¡°Here you go again, Tendou-san. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re trying to ignore a person with no groups. You¡¯re trying to make people settle down into groups so that close friends can talk to each other. Isn¡¯t that a bit too insensitive?¡± ¡°N-No, but, instead of wasting time like this¡­¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s over as long as a group takes Hoshinomori-san! Tendou-san, seriously, can you shut up for a second and stop dragging the discussion?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡­I can only back down and take a seat. ¡­I¡¯m getting impatient at Mori-san. Still, basically, ¡­people once wished me to be the ss president, yet I refused them since I want to be in the Game Club. I can¡¯t get too angry at her. Mori-san urged everyone in the ss to exercise their ¡°kindness¡± straightforwardly. ¡°Alright, is anyone willing to take Hoshinomori-san!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Everyone looked away from her. ¡­Of course. So, Mori-san finally began to knock on the teacher¡¯s desk impatiently. ¡°Eh, no one wants to take Hoshinomori-san? Isn¡¯t this a bit too cold? Hoshinomori-san is one of us, after all.¡± Hoshinomori-san plopped her head down even further as if she can¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Tendou-san? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah¡­¡± Once I snapped out of it, I realized I¡¯ve been unconsciously scratching the table with my nails. The ssmate nced at me, worriedly from the other seat. I quickly tried to cover it. ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m fine.¡± I answered calmly, yet I¡¯m confused with this unknown wave of emotions. (What was I thinking? ¡­While Hoshinomori is actually a partner in the Hobby Club, but more importantly, she¡¯s my ¡®rival¡¯ right now. There¡¯s no reason for me to be that considerate towards her¡­) Just as I¡¯m thinking about all that, a boy suddenly raised his hand with a ¡°yes.¡± After Mori-san asked him what, he suggestedzily. ¡°If the ss president is that determined, why don¡¯t you just take Hoshinomori under your group?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The ss president, who¡¯s seeming unaware of the idea, bulged her eyes. Perhaps it¡¯s the inappropriate reaction, everyone in the ss start yelling as if they¡¯re adding insult to injury. ¡°Yeah, everyone can be solved if the ss president took her.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s way too cunning for you to act irrelevantly?¡± ¡°I think a ss president¡¯s job is to solve problems.¡± Everyone in the ss expressed their dissatisfaction with the ss president. Eventually, she admitted defeat and shrugged helplessly. The ss president mumbled with a sigh. ¡°¡­Jeez, there¡¯s no way.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± My shoulders suddenly started shivering. Although someone from the other seat gave a worried ¡°Tendou-san¡± voice again, ¡­I can¡¯t even react anymore. Mori-san pushed her sses and turned her body towards Hoshinomori-san as if she¡¯s thoroughly annoyed by it. ¡°Well, Hoshinomori-san, just ¡®follow¡¯ my group, alright?¡± After she heard that, Hoshinomori-san immediately blushed once more. However, she still tried to squeeze a stiff smile and answered Mori-san¡¯s suggestion- ¡°A-Alright, t-thanks-¡° ¡°Wait!¡± -At the moment that she¡¯s about to ept that, I stood up abruptly, which knocked the chair away along with a loud noise. It made everyone in the ssroom fell silent. When the ssmates are holding their breaths, ¡­I immediately gave my usual polite smile. Then, I directly went through the ssroom and walked next to Hoshinomori, who¡¯s shivering in her seat. ¡°¡­T-Tendou-san?¡± Still sitting, ¡­Chiaki Hoshinomori raised her head and looked at me with a shocked expression. How hateful, my rival in love. The little devil that¡¯s trying to take Amano-kun away, my biggest source of frustration. However¡­ ¡°Eh, Tendou-san? Although this counts as an assembly, we¡¯re still in the lesson, please restrain yourself-¡° Mori-san seems to be advising me in a displeased tone. ¡­However, that¡¯s none of my business. I smiled before wrapping my arms around Hoshinomori-san¡¯s shoulders, who¡¯s still seated, and hugged her tightly. ¡°Eh!¡± Hoshinomori-san gasped in confusion. Everyone in the ss is shocked as well But I¡¯m unmoved by everyone¡¯s reaction at all, and even announced to them calmly. ¡°Who will give Hoshinomori-san to groups that don¡¯t even know her worth? Listen, no matter who¡¯s saying what, from now on, Chiaki Hoshinomori Chiaki belongs to me ¨C Karen Tendou. No objection, get it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Everyone froze, and they can¡¯t say anything. ¡­Really. I gave a brighter smile. ¡­Inparison, I asked fiercely. ¡°GET IT!?¡± Suddenly, including Mori-san, everyone in the ss, ¡­no, even the teacher, who¡¯s getting drowsy at the corner is- ¡°Y-Yes, madam!¡± -Everyone straightened their backs and stood up before saluting at me. Tasuku Uehara ¡°Well, in the end, only Tendou and Hoshinomori is in the same group?¡± After school, on the day that we formed groups for the trip, 2F ssroom. Although the Game Hobby Club is always talking about gaming, just like its name, it¡¯s hard for us to not talk about the school trip today. Hoshinomori nodded excitedly to what I¡¯ve said. ¡°Yeah, I guess so! Man, I¡¯m indeed blessed! Tendou-san was like a ¡®prince¡¯ to me jus then! I really appreciated that!¡± ¡°P-Please stop bringing that up, Hoshinomori-san.¡± Tendou-san blushed in embarrassment and stopped Hoshinomori. However, Hoshinomori still can¡¯t suppress her excitement. All she¡¯s thinking about right now is to express her gratitude. She waved her hands around and continued. ¡°I already feel like ¡®Tendou-san¡¯ isn¡¯t polite enough! It¡¯s not going to work if I don¡¯t call Tendou-san with something like ¡®mydy¡¯ from now on!¡± ¡°Who are you trying to be? Please just call me in the old way.¡± ¡°I got it, mydy.¡± Hoshinomori straightened her back and answered. ¡­Tendou smiled in an increasingly creepy way and approached her. ¡°¡­Hoshinomori-san?¡± ¡°¡­I-I¡¯m sorry, Tendou-san. ¡­B-B-But if I keep calling you that way, I can¡¯t suppress the ¡®sense of love and respect¡¯ in my heart that¡¯s going haywire right now¡­¡± ¡°No, no, no, your ¡®sense of love and respect¡¯ should never go haywire¡­¡± ¡°Ughh, ¡­ughh, ¡­miss, ¡­mydy, uwah¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯re really going crazy! I-I understand! How about we just call each other directly, with the name. Uh, Hoshinomor- N-No, Chiaki-san.¡± ¡°Huh! C-Can I? I got it, K-K-K-K-Kar¡­Karen-sama!¡± ¡°Ehhh, Chiaki-san?¡± ¡°¡­Ughh, K¡­Karen¡­-san.¡± ¡°Yes, very good.¡± ¡°Ughhh¡­¡± Hoshinomori became deted and greeted her usually. Even so, her eyes are still filled with hazeless admiration towards Tendou, ¡­ wholly convinced. If Hoshinomori is a puppy, the respect and fondness in her eyes are perhaps enough to break her tails by twisting too much. Just as Aguri and I are still enjoying this unexpected oue, someone¡­Keita Amano is spectating the two girls sulkily. ¡°Tch, ¡­I¡¯m supposed to be the only loyal dog that follows around Tendou-san¡­!¡± What kind of repulsion is that? Even though I can feel that he¡¯s filled with love, but is that right for a boyfriend? I¡¯m seriously baffled, Amano. The name-calling part should be the troublesome one, right. Why are you trying to be a loyal dog? The two annoying loyal dogs stuck themselves on Tendou. So, she sighed as if it¡¯s seriously frustrating her before turning to me. ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect Uehara-kun and Amano-kun to be in different groups. I thought you two will end up together, no matter what¡­¡± I answered Tendou-san with a bitter smile. ¡°Yeah. However, even if Amano¡¯s in my group, this still feels pretty awkward. I should say he will probably feel that he doesn¡¯t belong. While it¡¯s weird for me to say this, but a close friend having a good time with others should make you feel somewhat¡­l-lonely?¡± Although I put it a bit too vaguely, Amano, who¡¯s ears are still as sharp as always, immediately corrected me. ¡°Yep, I think I¡¯ll be ¡®jealous¡¯ if Uehara-kun yed happily with other guys when I¡¯m next to him!¡± ¡°Phrasing! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re saying that in front of your girlfriend!¡± ¡°It¡¯s because this is a fact, I can¡¯t help it! I don¡¯t, nor I want to hide this feeling!¡± ¡°You¡¯re still just as manly! But you¡¯re showing it at the absolutely worst time possible!¡± ¡°Ay, forget about the grouping thing¡­ But, Uehara-kun, w-we¡¯re entering the bath together.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that girly look! Why are you pretending to be cute and blushing while trying to invite me! Don¡¯t act like a female character in my story, please!¡± ¡°Ah, if Mizumi-kun is in the bath as well, I¡¯ll feel even happier.¡± ¡°I already feel like you¡¯re meaning something else!¡± ¡°Eh, what meaning?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s enough¡­¡± I think I¡¯ll only suffer irreversible damage if this continues, so I decided to back down. Amano took my spot, who¡¯s temporarily resting due to mental tiredness, and exined to Tendou. ¡°Ay, it¡¯s actually just like what Uehara-kun has said. Even if we¡¯re in the same group, I bet there will be other troubles as well. From this perspective, I don¡¯t think my group is so bad.¡± Amanoughed. Tendou smiled in relief and said. ¡°Really?¡± Once I snapped out of it, Aguri and Hoshinomori are showing a relieved look as well. However, ¡­I¡¯m the only guy that¡¯s frowning. (No, it¡¯s actually not good, right. To Amano, he¡¯s almost in the worst group possible from my imagination.) They despise, hate, and are jealous of Amano, to the point that they¡¯re not even trying to hide it. A group that¡¯s entirely formed by that kind of people. ¡­It¡¯s hard to estimate how much pressure Amano would handle mentally. However, Amano didn¡¯t look like that at all. Instead, heughed while teasing himself. ¡°Ay, I¡¯m a loner wherever I go, anyways.¡± ¡­I don¡¯t know whether he¡¯s trying to act cool, or he doesn¡¯t want the girls to worry. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I nced at Tendou and Hoshinomori¡­before sighing deeply alone. (¡­Tendou already helped Hoshinomori, who¡¯s her rival in love, yet I¡­) One of my reason is that I do mind my friends aside from Amano. Even so, I still shouldn¡¯t just hand Amano, ¡­a friend of mine to groups like that. (Damn, ¡­what am I even doing?) Wave after wave of regret hit my chest. ¡­After I entered high school, I¡¯ve always been like this. I try my best to be kind to everyone and act all smooth and slick. I wanted to find a better answer, and then¡­ ¡­and then I realized what my ¡°sincere thoughts¡± really is before getting shocked by it. Just as I¡¯m being tormented by regret alone, Aguri seems to have noticed it and tried to prank with Amano innocently and lighten the mood. ¡°Ahaha, Amanhi is always in hell as long as he¡¯s with people.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that like I¡¯m a cockroach! A-Actually, the hell is fine as long as you weren¡¯t there!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go on a trip with a pathetic gaming otaku too¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to walk around the old capital with a flippant gal as well!¡± ¡°What was that!¡± ¡°Then what do you want!¡± Amano and Aguri are still bickering with each other relentlessly like they¡¯re family. I can¡¯t help but look at them with an envious look. (¡­I¡­can never convey my thoughts into words as these guys do¡­) This is my bad habit after I changed myself in high school. For these two years, I¡¯ve always lived on ¡°an observant answer¡± rather than my own thoughts. Perhaps this is why logic dictates my action way faster than feelings. When a decision has to be made, I¡¯ll always think, ¡°What would everyone (he/she) think?¡± ¡°What should I do to keep everyone happy?¡± This isn¡¯t a bad thing. Instead, this ability is irreceable to survive in our society. ¡­However, whenever I look at Amano, I¡¯m always ashamed of myself like this. (I¡¯m sure that¡¯s why Kousei hates me¡­) In reality, after I considered the ¡°surrounding¡± mood, I cut ties with Amano in the end. While this is bad for Amano, ¡­from the entire ss¡¯s perspective, this is guaranteed to be the correct choice. Logically, this is the answer with the lowest risk to everybody. However, to Amano personally, it¡¯s the worst scenario possible. Even so, ¡­Amano¡­ ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m perfectly fine with my group! You¡¯re not there, anyways!¡± ¡°That pisses me off. ¡­Amanhi, ¡­you should go to the back of the toiletter- and press the switch with a skull face on it. Then, after the hidden stairs appeared,e to the gloomy basement. You can find me there.¡± ¡°What kind of meeting ce is that! What are you going to do to me!¡± ¡°¡­Hoho, ¡­I¡¯ll let you see the real ¡®chicken cabbage hotpot¡¯ there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an Oishinbo invitation! However, that¡¯s why I¡¯m getting even less idea of what I will encounter! S-Save me, Uehara-kun!¡± [Note: Oishinbo (The Gourmet), a cooking manga written by Tetsu Kariya.] Amano suddenly started relying on me. His eyes¡­wasn¡¯t filled with anger or mistrust towards me at all, that just¡­makes me even more upset. ¡°A-Alright. Hey, Aguri, you shouldn¡¯t bully Amano too much.¡± ¡°J-Jeez, Tasuku, I¡¯ll never bully a stranger.¡± Aguri pretended to be adorable once I talked to her. Inparison, Amano hid behind me and answered. ¡°L-Liar! Aguri-san will never be gentle on a stranger like me¡­¡± ¡°Huh, Amanhi doesn¡¯t count as a stranger to me anymore.¡± Her tone made me freak out for a second. However, ¡­Aguri continued with her crazy pranks, obviously. ¡°Amanhi is¡­my ¡®dependent¡¯ already.¡± ¡°Dependent! Eh, I didn¡¯t know that I¡¯m your dependent?¡± ¡°Yep, you¡¯re right. ¡­By the way, Amanhi, I¡¯m not that familiar with gaming jargon. I want to ask you¡­the word dependent means devil servants, pawns, or ve, right? That¡¯s the meaning, right?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s forget whether it¡¯s right or not, I can already feel what¡¯re you trying to mean by using that word! ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Aguri beamed a devilish smile at Amano. At the next moment, she requested to me with an angelic smile.¡± ¡°Anyway, Tasuku, you should know by now. I¡¯m always a warm and gentle girl, ¡­unless I¡¯m with that disgusting otaku. Give him back. Bone broths take a long time to make.¡± ¡°This person is trying to cook me into a chicken cabbage pot!¡± Amano is shivering with tears in his eyes. He¡¯s even trying to rely on me from the bottom of his heart. In contrast, Aguri approached me with a mischievous smile. ¡­Jeez, these two, just as I¡¯m troubled by something important¡­ Iforted these two people by saying, ¡°Alright, alright, I know you two are really close to each other.¡± ¡­Then, I moved the topic away from the groups as if nothing happened. ¡°But, 4 nights in Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo, ¡­I don¡¯t know whether I should say that this is a clich¨¦ schedule or a packed one.¡± Hoshinomori agreed with me and said, ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Well, if I remembered correctly, it¡¯s one night in Osaka, one in Kyoto, and two in Tokyo, right. ¡­This feels kind of explicit. I think they¡¯re trying to make us travel through the entire Honshu with this chance¡­¡± ¡°However, to me, I¡¯m already relieved that we don¡¯t need to stay in Kyoto and Nara for 3 days. If it¡¯s a metropolis, we can fulfill our wishes and go buy and eat whatever we want, right? I especially want to use this opportunity to do a caf¨¦ tour.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s true.¡± Unexpectedly, Tendou is the one that agreed with Aguri. She¡¯s reading the travel guide that she took from somewhere and reviewed it. ¡°I want to do a tour with this chance as well.¡± ¡°Oh? Really, there are some shops that Tendou-san is interested in? I can go with you depends on the situation-¡° ¡°-The unlicensed arcades that are filled with tough opponents.¡± ¡°Bye, Tendou-san. We¡¯ll y ¡®on our own¡¯ during the school trip!¡± However, Tendou-sanughed out as if she didn¡¯t notice it ¡°This is a rare chance for me to meet those unusual yers that you can¡¯t see ¡®on the surface¡¯ like nationalpetitions or online matches. I have to thoroughly enjoy this. ¡­Ho ho ho¡­¡± ¡°Yep, what is Tendou-san even trying to learn from the trip¡­?¡± The gal that¡¯s focusing on shopping and gourmet food is dumbfounded at the goal of this blonde girl. Tendou cleared her throat and continued. ¡°O-Of course, I¡¯m a girl as well. There¡¯re other important goals on this trip too.¡± ¡°Right. Our school idol can¡¯t be that femininecking-¡° ¡°I¡¯m going to eat up Amano-kun clean.¡± ¡°What is this blonde girl going off about?¡± All the Hobby Club members fell speechless. Tendou-san told everyone on her own. ¡°This is a trip, everyone. There¡¯s a lot of chance for me to see the sides of Amano-kun that I usually can¡¯t, right? The Amano-kun that just woke up, the Amano-kun that¡¯s getting drowsy, the Amano-kun that finished bathing, the Amano-kun that¡¯s getting airsick, the Amano-kun that¡¯s getting carried away on a stretcher, and the Amano-kun that received new powers after signing a contract with the devil.¡± ¡°Thatst Amanhi is way too rare! Also, what are you even looking for on the trip!¡± ¡°What am I looking for? ¡­Of course, it¡¯s the loving time that I¡¯ll have with Amano-kun. Isn¡¯t that right, Amano-kun?¡± Amano was appointed by Tendou. I thought he would be embarrassed. ¡­Instead, that¡¯s not the case at all, he¡¯s just as excited as Tendou. ¡°Of course, Tendou-san! I-I also want to see all sides of you too, that¡¯s why I¡¯m going! The Tendou-san that just woke up, the Tendou-san that¡¯s getting drowsy, the Tendou-san that finished bathing, the Tendou-san that¡¯s standing in a CLAMP pose on the Tokyo Tower, and the Tendou-san that¡¯s defeating enemies with the power of songs. Also, the old-fashioned gal that¡¯s making a fool of herself in the Omotesand¨­ caf¨¦s. I¡¯m going on the trip so that I can see all of them!¡± ¡°Hey, that disgusting otaku there, did you just insult me while praising Tendou-san? Huh?¡± Aguriined. However, Amano and Tendou are already looking at each other lovingly. They entered a world of their own. Hoshinomori smiled bitterly and concluded. ¡°Ay, well, a-anyway, I¡¯m looking forward to the trip. Moreover, on the 4th day, you can visit Tokyo¡¯s¡­or should I say, Chiba¡¯s Disnend and y for the entire day.¡± ¡°Yeah. Also, you don¡¯t need to go by groups on that day. The couples can stay together¡­¡± I quickly shut up in the middle of my sentence. ¡­H-Hoshinomori is looking at us with an empty and helpless smile. Crap. Honestly, this Game Hobby Club consists of two pairs of couples and an unrequited lover. It¡¯s not really a friendly group for Hoshinomori. At this point, it only became even more apparent. Amano, Tendou, and Aguri seem to have noticed the mood too. An awkward silence took hold of the scene. So, ¡­unexpectedly, Amano was the one to break the silence first. ¡°Ah,e to think of it, there¡¯s a new ride in Disnend, Tendou-san.¡± ¡°Eh? Uh, y-yeah, y-you¡¯re right. If I remembered correctly, ¡­is that the impressive railcar-based shooting entertainment facility created by thebination of VR and projection mapping?¡± ¡°Yeah, exactly, that¡¯s right. Then, I remembered that will disy everyone¡¯s final scores, right.¡± ¡°Perhaps, ¡­you¡¯re right.¡± Tendou tilted her head since she doesn¡¯t understand what is this about. Just as Aguri, Hoshinomori, and I were confused, Amano cleared his throat, ¡­then, at the next moment, he pointed his finger at Hoshinomori suddenly. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have a match there to see who¡¯s better at gaming, Chiaki!¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Hoshinomori froze. Amano¡¯s acting like he¡¯s trying to cover up his embarrassment, so he faced Hoshinomori with an even more provocative attitude and continued. ¡°Aside from our viewpoints on ¡®moe,¡¯ it¡¯s been a couple months since we¡¯re regarded as having the same stats for a couple months. I feel like it¡¯s time for Chiaki and me to differentiate ourselves and see who¡¯s better at gaming! Yes!¡± ¡°R-Really, that¡¯s what you want? ¡­I-If so, even if we aren¡¯t going to Disnend, we can still fight each other in an arcade or handheld consoles¡­¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong, Chiaki! It¡¯s only meaningful if we¡¯repeting with each other with thetest rides in Disnend, which we don¡¯t often visit! We can¡¯t train beforehand this way! In other words, this means that we¡¯re testing our ¡®gaming power¡¯ purely!¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­I guess you¡¯re right¡­¡± ¡°Then, this means that you¡¯re willing to fight me, okay?¡± ¡°W-Well, ¡­I guess so¡­¡± Amano¡¯s momentum overwhelmed Hoshinomori, so she epted his suggestion. However, it¡¯s not just Hoshinomori, just as everyone is confused as to what he is talking about¡­ Amano smiled and said, ¡°it can¡¯t be helped¡± before concluding. ¡°To ensure fair and seriouspetition, Chiaki must stay next to me on the day. After all, it would be a headache if she trained when I¡¯m not noticing.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± It was not until now that we understand what Amano is trying to say. Aguri, Tendou, and I looked at each other, ¡­before we agreed to Amano¡¯s suggestion respectively. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, as your protector, I¡¯ll have to witness this match as well.¡± ¡°If Tasuku decided that, I¡¯m following too. Moreover, I want to see Amanhi losing.¡± ¡°You guys areparing your scores with thetest entertainment facilities? As the president of the Game Club, I can¡¯t miss this activity. Please let me apany you.¡± ¡°E-Everyone¡­¡± Hoshinomori¡¯s tears are forming in her eyes, yet she immediately waved and rejected us. ¡°No, no, no, you all don¡¯t really need to mind me, the couples can just go¡­¡± However, Amano answered angrily. ¡°Oh, this means that you¡¯re admitting defeat before the fight.¡± ¡°Ugh. K-Keita, I didn¡¯t say that! I will never lose to you!¡± ¡°Then ept the invitation. We¡¯re taking the fast pass together, ¡­I¡¯m afraid that we¡¯ll wait until dusk, so you have to stay with us before then.¡± ¡°B-B-But, ¡­that way¡­¡± Hoshinomori nced at Tendou. To that, I guess Amano knows what¡¯s she thinking, so he proposed something that¡¯s a bit more considerate to his girlfriend. ¡°¡­Uh, how about this. We need to give some time for couples to watch the parade at night after the battle. So, before then, ¡­I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯ll have to stick with me, Chiaki.¡± Amano smiled at her. As for Hoshinomori, ¡­although her head remains plopped down, at the next second, she gave her usual provocative smile to Amano and answered. ¡°Jeez, it can¡¯t be helped. I got it. ¡­Keita, I ept your challenge!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Amano and Hoshinomori shook each other¡¯s hands like they¡¯re in a sports event. Aguri and I watched with a smile. The entire Game Hobby Club is filled with a warm atmosphere. ¡­However, there¡¯s only one person within all of us. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Only Karen Tendou is showing a tinge of darkness in her blessing smile. * ¡°You¡¯re saying that Amano and Hoshinomori secretly started dating!¡± My shout is echoing throughout the quiet reference book area of therge book store. ¡°Eh, you¡¯re too loud, Uehara-kun.¡± As for the girl that¡¯s ming me with a frown, she¡¯s the blonde idol of our school. ¡°Uh, but, you¡­¡± My mouth keeps opening and closing, and I can¡¯t muster any coherent words out. It¡¯s because the information I received from Tendou is way too unexpected, I can¡¯t make up my mind right now. However, from her serious look, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s joking with me. I took a deep breath. At the same time, I looked around to give me some time to answer this. ¡­Even though it¡¯s a usual evening, this rural but spacious book store doesn¡¯t have many customers around. In reality, this is one of thergest book stores with the most abundant catalog here. Regrettably, it¡¯s far away from downtown, so there¡¯s not a lot of business around. However, since it has a lot of books that you can¡¯t buy from the small stores in downtown, the locals still loved it. So, when the Game Hobby Club meeting is over, I came here after bidding farewell to Aguri to try and find thetest manga, which was sold out in other stores¡­ Coincidentally, during this time, Tendou suddenly texted me and said, ¡°There¡¯s something that I really want to talk about.¡± Honestly, in the beginning, I¡¯m aware of ¡°the risk of meeting another girl other than my girlfriend,¡± so I almost tried to reject it. However, Tendou said it¡¯s not going to take me long. Anyway, I decided to meet her since this urgency doesn¡¯t really fit her style. Tendou seems to be around the book store as well, she came 5 minutes after we messaged each other. We decided to head to the reference book where no one¡¯s around and just discuss there. It¡¯s not something to praise about when you¡¯re chatting in the book store. However, like what I¡¯ve said, this is a ssical rural ¡°spacious but not a lot of people around¡± bookstore. I feel like we won¡¯t get any interruptions here. Moreover, Tendou is basically a celebrity here. I¡¯m afraid that people will get the wrong idea if I went into a caf¨¦ with her alone. From this perspective, even if someone saw us in the reference book area, I can wrap everything up with an ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just a coincidence.¡± So, we stood together and stared at the reference bookshelf dazedly before greeting each other. ¡­But the ¡°topic¡± that Tendou brought up is way too shocking. It made me fell speechless until this moment. During this time, Tendou suddenly apologized to someone by lowering her head. Once I took a look, I think I might have caught a woman¡¯s attention, who looked like she¡¯s a housewife. So, I quickly bowed as well. Then, that woman smiled before going back to her business again. Thank god that she¡¯s well-mannered. We pressed our chests in relief. ¡°S-Sorry, but why are you getting that suspicious¡­¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you. It happened on the night after we yed GOM¡­¡± Then, Tendou briefly summarized on why she¡¯s getting suspicious. However, once I listened to the details, my first impression is¡­ ¡°¡­I think you¡¯re indeed annoyed by this. So, I feel like I shouldn¡¯t say this, ¡­however, objectively, I think I¡¯m getting that usual ¡®misunderstanding¡¯ feeling.¡± ¡°Ah, really?¡± To Tendou¡¯s opinion, I explicitly gave a puzzled response, but Tendou seems to be agreeing with me too. She put her hand on her cheeks and continued with a sigh. ¡°Currently, in my heart, I think there¡¯s a 90% chance that I ¡®misunderstood¡¯ the whole thing.¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey, what the hell. You just freaked me out for no reason.¡± I shrugged helplessly. ¡­It¡¯s because Tendou went out of her way and called me to discuss something with a serious tone. I thought something went wrong¡­ I felt pretty dumb and tired of seriously listening to her, so I randomly took a reference book from the shelf and started reading it. ¡°If you¡¯re 90% certain that it¡¯s a misunderstanding, why don¡¯t you just confirm it from the guy. ¡­Eh, by the way, I didn¡¯t know that the public exam will be this hard, isn¡¯t that crazy?¡± I think this is the maths public exam questions from the past, ¡­but that¡¯s all I can read. It¡¯s not just that I can¡¯t calcte the answer, I can¡¯t even read the questions. ¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯m that incapable of studying in Otobuki¡­ Just as I¡¯m feeling a sense of fear for my future career, Tendou nced at the question bank that I opened and mumbled. ¡°¡­Well, I don¡¯t really like multiple-choice questions.¡± ¡°Eh, why? I do love it, multiple-choice. Even if I don¡¯t know the question, there¡¯s a chance for me to luckily guess the correct answer, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. However, it¡¯s because there are more choices, so¡­¡± Tendou looked down slightly and mumbled as she¡¯s saying that. ¡°It¡¯ll make people unsure whether the answer that they chose is correct.¡± ¡°¡­Really, ¡­perhaps you¡¯re right.¡± I nodded calmly and closed the question bank before putting it back onto the shelf. ¡­Then, I answered Tendou again. ¡°Sorry, I was answering too imprudently. ¡­Even though the possibility is lower than 10%, you would still fear that theory is true, right.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Tendou looked down and appeared to be biting her lips. ¡°¡­Actually, I have talked about this with Konoha-san beforehand.¡± ¡°Konoha-san?¡± ¡°Yes. Uh, I ran into her in the game store. ¡­Initially, I understand that I shouldn¡¯t let people know this, ¡­the thing is, I can¡¯t handle it on my own anymore.¡± ¡°Yep¡­¡± Witnessing Amano and Aguri started dating -if I was the one that saw a scene prone to misunderstanding like this, perhaps I¡¯ll react in the same way as Tendou. While I¡¯m insecure about it, ¡­I can never muster up my courage and confirm with the two. Even so, I¡¯m not strong enough to take this all on my own. From this perspective, perhaps Konoha-san is distant enough for her to talk to. I urged Tendou to continue. ¡°Then? What did Konoha-san say?¡± ¡°Yep, ¡­she said I misunderstood everything and even said that Amano-kun should love me. She really cheered me up.¡± ¡°Oh, ¡­after everything, she¡¯s indeed a nice girl.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Tendou smiled faintly. In reality, what Konoha-san said probably saved her from getting crushed by her insecurities. However¡­ ¡°However, ¡­with that alone, it¡¯s still not enough topletely ¡®heal¡¯ this sense of insecurity.¡± ¡°Yep, ¡­perhaps you¡¯re right.¡± It¡¯s like only filling up the surface of a gunshot wound. After the pain disappeared and the appearance returned to normal, ¡­the bullet is still in the body. Even though it¡¯s possible to live in your daily lives, there¡¯s still a scar inside. However, there¡¯s only one way to thoroughly heal this. ¡°¡­If that¡¯s the case, I think you have to directly ask them.¡± You have to open the wound again to take the bullet out. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± Tendou smiled helplessly as if she¡¯s saying, ¡°I understand.¡± ¡­Ay, I guess so. She fell silent. To lighten up the mood, I grabbed another question bank again. This time it¡¯s Japanese literature. Once I flipped over the page, I can clearly see a paragraph quoted from a famous text. ¡­I¡¯m not good at this type of question. Although I know the answer that it wants, I feel like it¡¯s kind of uneptable. I think no one knows how the protagonist feels aside from the person. No one can decide what the correct answer is. Strictly speaking, even the author of that text is not allowed to decide on that. During this time, Tendou looked at the question bank that I flipped over and mumbled. ¡°¡­That kind of thing, no one will know aside from the protagonist¡­¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Is she referring to this reading exam? Or¡­ I flipped over the pages as I mumbled. ¡°However, the annoying part is that it¡¯s not guaranteed that what the protagonist said is the truth.¡± ¡°¡­Hoho, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s like you iming to be ¡®dedicated to your girlfriend,¡¯ that¡¯s a good example.¡± ¡°No.¡± What¡¯s wrong with these people¡¯s impressions of me? Am I defined as a yer now? ¡­I feel like this turned into a joke around, so it¡¯s not like I¡¯m genuinely pissed off. I turned over to the kanji question page and asked Tendou. ¡°So? What do you want me to do by talking to me? You want me to confirm this with Amano without a trace?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s unnecessary. I don¡¯t like relying on other people that much.¡± Tendou quickly rejected my offer, ¡­she¡¯s still a staunch girl. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why did you call me¡­¡± I asked, and Tendou said, ¡°Well¡­¡± She gave me a slightly frustrated look. ¡°For some reason, before I decide to ask Amano-kun and Hoshi¡­Chiaki-san, how should I put it, ¡­I hope that someone can give me a small push.¡± ¡°Well, you don¡¯t need to find me for that¡­¡± ¡°No, Uehara-kun, st time when we were ying the Game of Life at Hoshinomori¡¯s home, didn¡¯t you ask your girlfriend? You asked her how did she think about Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­that time, right? I didn¡¯t know you saw everything, Tendou?¡± ¡°Instead of saying that I saw everything, I merely heard your questions. I can¡¯t hear Aguri-san¡¯s reply clearly, though.¡± Tendou continued after she exined. ¡°However, ¡­right now, I¡¯m in the same situation, so I kind of admire you. You dare to ask that kind of thing directly, ¡­that worths some respect.¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­it¡¯s really not that much¡­¡± To cover up my embarrassment, I started reading the questions from page 1 again without meaning anything else. So, Tendou sighed deeply. ¡°I can never do that. Once Amano-kun is involved, ¡­it¡¯ll make me¡­incredibly weak.¡± ¡°In other words, ¡­this proves how much you love him, right? I do feel like that¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°Really, ¡­or it could be that I still don¡¯t fully trust Amano-kun yet.¡± ¡°If you have to say that, ¡­I guess it¡¯s true¡­¡± I can¡¯t think of anything to say at the moment. It¡¯s because I used to be like her, ¡­there are some parts which I can¡¯t trust Aguri yet. ¡­No, I¡¯m wrong. I think I feel the same right now. Just as I¡¯m calming down, Tendou said, ¡°but-¡° and continued the topic again. ¡°At that time, you mustered up your courage and asked. Also, even though I don¡¯t know the details, you got a good answer, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡± ¡°So, I hope I can be just like you too.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± I finally understand why Tendou is finding me to discuss with her, ¡­why did she choose me to ¡°push¡± her. I closed the book and put it back onto the shelf. ¡­Then, I looked at Tendou once again and faced her with a smile. ¡°Rx, Tendou. From what I¡¯ve heard, the thing that you just talked about, it¡¯s very likely that you¡¯re just freaking yourself out.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. So, ¡­just go and find Amano and Hoshinomori to talk everything out, the result must be good.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Tendou¡¯s tears formed in her eyes for a second. Then, she quickly bowed to me as if she¡¯s trying to cover it up. Although I freaked out for a second, I realized why she¡¯s doing this, so I epted her gratitude silently. Tendou kept her head down for 3 seconds before facing me again. Then, the usual, refreshing ¡°Karen Tendou¡± smile is already back onto her face. ¡°Uehara-kun, you¡¯re a good person.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, see? If you got that, it¡¯s time for you to stop misunderstanding me-¡° ¡°Yes. ¡­That¡¯s why I¡¯m increasingly suspecting that you¡¯re a yer.¡± ¡°Why!¡± ¡°Meeting with a girl other than your girlfriend in a quiet ce secretly, and even cheer her up. ¡­I feel like it¡¯s a bit too much for a guy. Honestly, I can¡¯t deal with you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too unreasonable! I just made a big mistake, what is this? I¡¯m not benefiting at all!¡± ¡°Benefits? Well, ¡­ah, uh, how about I pay cash?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just making it worse! What kind of guy will charge a fee for discussing with a friend¡¯s girlfriend!¡± ¡°¡­I feel like it sounded way worse now that you¡¯ve said it.¡± ¡°Really! I don¡¯t need your money! However, please more or less respect or like me!¡± ¡°Oh, this means that, even though you have a girlfriend, yet you still wish your friend¡¯s girlfriend to like you. Is this what you¡¯re trying to say. ¡­You¡¯re literally the worst douchebag on the.¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re right! Sigh, ¡­that¡¯s enough, whatever. I¡¯m tired.¡± I feel like I¡¯m already resistant to being called a yer or a prick in recent times. Sigh, do whatever you what, how troublesome. I decided to conclude this discussion as soon as possible and leave. ¡°Anyway, you can¡¯t distance yourself from your partner just because of a dull misunderstanding. Moreover, the school trip is here soon.¡± I said that as I left the reference book area. ¡°Yeah.¡± Tendou followed behind and answered. ¡°By the way, Uehara-kun, how are you doing? Are you on good terms with Aguri-san?¡± ¡°Ughh¡­¡± The boomerang hits me. Yep, ¡­I¡¯m the one that¡¯s distancing myself away from my partner. Tendou is ncing at the suspense novel area as she asked me with a face full of sorry. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you still mind the incident between Amano-kun and Aguri-san?¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­well, it¡¯s not like I can pretend nothing happened.¡± Honestly, ¡­perhaps Tendou feels the same way. That attempted kissing scene still shes over in my mind from time to time. Also, it¡¯s because of this, ¡­I want to push my rtionship with Aguri further to eradicate that memory¡­ In the end, the more I think about it, the harder it is for me to break away from this rxed and friendly state. After I exined to Tendou, she answered detedly. ¡°I can feel that¡­¡± Then, we went through the cashier and the automatic doors, and the bitter chills suddenly started attacking us. Our bodies shiver as we walked forward. We nned to stay together before we have to go our separate ways. Tendou is so cold that she hid her chin in her scarf. As for me, I think I¡¯m trying to return what she said earlier and asked her to discuss something in depth with me. ¡°Uh, honestly, pared to me, do you feel that Aguri is happier when she¡¯s with Amano recently?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She answered almost immediately, without any sense of consideration or hesitation. This just makes her reply all the more truthful and sincere. Tendou is even adding insult to injury when I¡¯m depressed already. ¡°It¡¯s more like, I feel like Aguri-san¡¯s most beautiful moment is when she is bullying Amano-kun. Honestly, ¡­from what I¡¯ve seen, I think she was pretty adorable at times like that.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be any more serious. As Amano-kun¡¯s girlfriend, aside from feeling jealous, I¡¯m even envying that Amano-kun can have family-like body contact with such a cute girl like her.¡± Tendou mumbled with a sigh. So, I sheepishly tried to ask her. ¡°¡­On the contrary, when Aguri is talking to metely¡­¡± ¡°¡­Sigh, to be honest, she¡¯s as quiet as a cat that entered another person¡¯s house.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that, isn¡¯t that hopeless?¡± ¡°Please rx, Uehara-kun.¡± ¡°Rx what?¡± ¡°¡­Amano-kun will give me the more or less same impression when he¡¯s with me.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­perhaps you¡¯re right¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Walking shoulder to shoulder in the northernnds covered by chilly winds, ¡­a boy and a girl are carrying a sense of desteness. We kept silently walking until we arrived at the point of divergence¡­ ¡°¡­Bye.¡± ¡°K.¡± We only bid farewell to each other. Then, we walked on our respective homes while shivering from the sheer cold. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­For some reason, I really want to eat a bowl of chicken cabbage pot right now. Keita Amano After I got home from the Game Hobby Club meeting, my mum, who should be at home first since she finished her part-time job earlier, isn¡¯t here. It looks like she went to buy something as well. ¡°¡­Well, let¡¯s y.¡± There¡¯s still some time before dinning, so I acted decisively. I quickly changed into my usual clothes and washed my face as I prepared for gaming. After pouring some tea into the cup and putting it on the table, Iid down on the sofa and turned on the handheld console. Thus, the most blessed moment of the day began. -At this exact second, I felt unbelievably touched. (Strange, I feel like it¡¯s been a long time since I can y games thiszily.) Of course, I¡¯ve always immersed myself in gaming. However, perhaps it¡¯s because I can only touch it a little recently, so I don¡¯t have a ¡°wow I¡¯m having so much fun¡± feeling. ¡­Uh, even though it¡¯s still unbearable when you look at the skyrocketing total ytime. ¡­Should I say that it¡¯s an emotional problem? Think about it, it¡¯s like sleeping. Taking a one-hour nap 8 times and sleeping 8 hours at once, the ¡°I did sleep¡± feeling is very different, right? I think that¡¯s the situation here. Iid on the sofa and supported the console with the slop of the handle. Then, I hummed as I started ying the game. Right now, I¡¯m ying thetest series in Pokemon. By using an item called Poketickets, you can collect, train, and trade all kinds of Pokemon before sending them into battle. [Note: No idea what that is, perhaps it¡¯s something from Pokemon Go. I just tranted it literally.] Honestly, I¡¯m not really fond of RPGs that are centered aroundbat or trade. ¡­To put it simply, it needs you to interact with other people. I don¡¯t want to mention the reason. I don¡¯t even need to say it, right. Don¡¯t force me, ¡­it¡¯s because I¡¯m a loner. E-Even so, I often y with my little brother. I know some weird friends that y it back in middle school too, so I¡¯ve yed a lot of titles in the series. Anyway, to be honest, although I don¡¯t likepeting or cooperating with others, I still bought it just like usual. ¡°Sigh, after I actually yed it, it¡¯s quite unwilling for me to admit that it¡¯s kind of fun.¡± I can¡¯t help but mumble. The best part about this series is singleyer. I think it¡¯s pretty impressive. Due to the nature of the title, it was considered to be quitepetitive and focused around battling and interacting with others. On the inte, these are usually the parts that will be mentioned. However, I think training the Pokemon bit by bit alone is just aspelling. Catching wild Pokemons, train them, forming teams, fighting the enemies, conquering the obstacles, and move forward. When you¡¯re fighting with a robust Pokemon trainer, you need to consider the types of the enemy¡¯s pokemon and their entering sequence. Then, you need to choose yours based on countering types and moves. If your strategy worked perfectly, it¡¯s hard to not feel proud of yourself. Conversely, when you saw the opponent is starting with unexpected Pokemons or moves, naturally, you¡¯ll be surprised. The back-and-forth battle is filled with joy and despair with the sess or failure of your moves. One of my standards of rating a game is ¡°whether it¡¯s interesting to fight a tough opponent.¡± However, the Pokemon series is guaranteed to be enjoyable when you¡¯re fighting others. Also, the better part is that, basically, every Pokemon in this game is more or less bnced. Uh, of course, if you go online, there¡¯s a bunch of discussion about the meta. However, even if you forget about those and just train your Pokemons based on preferences, there wouldn¡¯t be any problems in singleyer, at least. Moreover, it kind of makes sense to think of a strategy based on your favorites when you¡¯re battling the others. Anyway, Pokemon is a game that¡¯s full of love while being magically bnced at the same time. ¡°¡­Ay, even though I can¡¯t find any opponents that match my skills.¡± ¡­When I encountered this situation, honestly, it¡¯s hard for me to not hate it because the game is super exciting! Damn! All the opponents online are too powerful! If only there¡¯s someone just as poorly skilled as me- Wait. ¡°Eh, right, I don¡¯t know whether Chiaki yed Pokemon too.¡± Due to the confession and the school trip, I don¡¯t really feel like talking about gaming with everyone. If Chiaki did y it, I think she would be an excellent opponent¡­ Just as I¡¯m considering such a possibility dazedly, I can hear someone¡¯s opening the door. Then, I can hear a guy saying, ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± It¡¯s my little brother, who just finished his club activities. I spoke up when he opened the door to the living room. ¡°You¡¯re back, Kousei.¡± ¡°I¡¯m back, brother. ¡­Eh, mom hasn¡¯t got home yet?¡± Kousei put down his bags as he asked. I answered while still focusing on my console. ¡°Yep, I think she¡¯s buying something.¡± ¡°Oh, ¡­brother, so you¡¯re having fun while the demon is gone.¡± Kousei is mischievously smiling as he looked at me, who¡¯s still lying on the sofa. The screen is the battle against a girl that¡¯s wearing a swimsuit, so it¡¯s a bit embarrassing. I leaned forward to block the screen and pouted. ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong, why does it matter?¡± ¡°No one said anything¡¯s wrong. That¡¯s why I hate self-conscious otakus.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I can¡¯t feel any sense of respect or love from this little brother. I¡¯m a bit envious of Chiaki, who¡¯s little sister can chat with her all she wants. ¡­Even though, sometimes I feel saved when Kousei gave his usual calm attitude to me¡­ Kousei quickly packed everything up and changed his clothes. Then, he pushed my legs away and squeezed onto the sofa. I don¡¯t really mind and even put my legs on Kousei¡¯sp as I continued to y. Kousei chugged the tea that I poured for myself, and then he grabbed the remote before starting to randomly switching the channels. I don¡¯t think he wants to see anything specific. He switched in the middle of the evening news. Atst, the TV showed ¡°Insane amount of shrimps appeared from the bowl¡­! A surprisingly filling meal!¡± This is one of those casual and mundane shows. Even so, it seems that he¡¯s not into it as well. Kousei treated the ridiculous reaction of the female reporter as background music and started ying on his phone. We brothers yed on our own for a while. ¡­Then, around 5 minutester. Kousei mumbled when the news introduced the third restaurant that offersrge meals. ¡°¡­I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s gettingte, and the shows are about gourmet food.¡± ¡°Right. But I don¡¯t think no one in the family is interested in meals like this.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t eat much, after all. It¡¯s useless to give us an unmatching filling, anyways.¡± Looking at the TV, I can see a bunch of salmon roe pouring from the bowl to the te. The reporter is getting really excited. ¡­Sigh, while salmon roe is tasty, but, honestly, I only need a moderate amount. I paid attention to the game again. During this time, Kousei asked again. ¡°¡­Brother, let me ask you this. When you¡¯re with Tendou-senpai, ¡­are you happy?¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly bringing that up?¡± I smiled bitterly and remained focused on the game as I answered. ¡°Of course I¡¯m happy. I¡¯m thrilled.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Kousei answered like he¡¯s not interested. You¡¯re the one that asked me, though. What a in response. I mean, I guess it¡¯s just chitchat for killing time to him, anyway. I don¡¯t really mind since I¡¯m focusing on the game. Unexpectedly, ¡­Kousei continued asking. ¡°¡­Well, how about when you¡¯re with Chiaki-senpai?¡± ¡°Chiaki?¡± Although I don¡¯t understand why he is suddenly bringing up Chiaki, I guess there¡¯s no need for me to overthink this, so I answered sincerely. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m happy. A lot, actually. We like chatting with each other about gaming. Even though some parts cause us to fight, ¡­recently, we¡¯re enjoying yelling at each other too.¡± Especially after that confession thing is over, it¡¯s only bing more apparent. I didn¡¯t expect the ¡°barrier¡± caused by rejecting and being rejected isn¡¯t as severe as I¡¯ve imagined. I guess we¡¯re chatting even more happily because we expressed our sincere feelings. ¡°Oh, ¡­it¡¯s quite fun, isn¡¯t it¡­¡± Kousei is still answering as he looked at the extrarge meals episode on the TV. ¡­He¡¯s really talking to me just to kill time. This is the subtle distance that Kousei has between me. So, we chatted with each other about TV shows. Then, around 15 minutester, someone¡¯s opening the door again. This time, it¡¯s my mom with a bunch of shopping bags. Mom yelled, ¡°it¡¯s cold¡± as she walked towards the kitchen. Then, after she put all the veggies and beverages into the fridge, she started talking to us brothers. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m standing in the book store reading magazines, that¡¯s why I forgot the time.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I was the only one that reacted, barely. Kousei is paying attention to his phone. Of course, he¡¯s not fighting with his family. I guess this is like the roles of the older and younger brother. When mom¡¯s walking towards here to put the car keys back to the cupboards in the living room, she suddenly looked at me as if she found something amazing to talk about. ¡°Right, right! Eh, Keita, mom saw it today.¡± ¡°You saw what?¡± I urged mom to continue as I¡¯m still focusing on the game. Then, mom said something unexpected. ¡°The one that¡¯s famous in your school. ¡­That blonde beauty that I forgot the name!¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± I immediately choked. Kousei nced at mom for a second. He caught onto the conversation for me, who¡¯s still freaking out and coughing. ¡°You mean Karen Tendou-senpai?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I¡¯m quite sure it¡¯s her. Hiya, what an adorable girl, she¡¯s like a doll. Mom freaked out for a second there. What did she eat to have such a beautiful look?¡± Mom stared at my short legs as she sighed. ¡­Well, my mother didn¡¯t know that Tendou-san and I are dating. Although it¡¯s not like I¡¯m trying to hide it, you can tell from her appearance that she¡¯s a usual housewife. ¡­So, I don¡¯t really want to tell her everything, ¡­unless Tendou-san¡¯s visiting my home. Kousei¡¯s aware of this part too, so he didn¡¯t bring this up as he talked. ¡°So, that Tendou-senpai is at the book store too?¡± ¡°Yeah, I think she¡¯s with her handsome boyfriend too.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Kousei and I reacted shockingly at the same time. Mom slightly tilted her head out of confusion for a second. However, I think she wanted to talk more, so she waved and continued. ¡°I feel like there¡¯s an unusual atmosphere between them. Ay, I thought, why would they call me at the start, so I can¡¯t help but peek at their situation.¡± ¡°R-Really.¡± Perhaps¡­that isn¡¯t mom¡¯s imagination. If she met Tendou-san, I guess it¡¯s not weird to bring up the word ¡°Amano¡± in the conversation. But, more importantly, who¡¯s the handsome guy next to Tendou-san¡­ I tried to seamlessly spy on my mother. ¡°Uh, ¡­what does that handsome boyfriend look like?¡± ¡°Huh? Why are you asking that?¡± ¡°Why. ¡­T-Think about it, perhaps it¡¯s someone I know.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have zero friends in high school?¡± My mom¡¯s horrible. She just stabbed her own son in the chest with a calm face. I urged her to continue with a twisted smile. ¡°I-I met some f-friends recently.¡± ¡°Hiya, really? That¡¯s great. What kind of people are they? Did you know any girls?¡± Mom sted me with question after question. I got a girlfriend already, not to mention knowing any girls. Also, my girlfriend is the one that we¡¯re talking about ¡­From my mother¡¯s perspective, I think all this information would be overwhelming to her. ¡­But I didn¡¯t say it since it¡¯s troublesome. ¡°Forget all that, what does Tendou-san¡¯s handsome boyfriend look like?¡± Is it Mizumi-kun, Uehara-kun, or someone I don¡¯t know at all¡­? Just as all kinds of possibilities areing up in my brain, mom answered confusingly. ¡°I don¡¯t remember that much, even if you asked¡­¡± I guess so. It¡¯s impossible to remember the features when you only took a look at someone on the streets. I can¡¯t identify the person even if I got something- ¡°Ah, but if I remembered correctly, that boy got a ridiculous voice and reactions. In terms of aedian, ¡­he¡¯s the kind of guy that will say ¡®what kind of day is this¡¯ as he choked?¡± [Note: This refers to theedian Eiji Kotoge.] ¡°It¡¯s Uehara-kun.¡± I got it. Just as I¡¯m smiling bitterly, mom continued with a stunned look. ¡°Hiya, it¡¯s really someone you know?¡± ¡°I guess.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Can you stop looking at the length of my legs suspiciously?¡± You¡¯re the one that gave birth to me. I stared at mom bitterly as she continued. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s forget about her boyfriend¡¯s weirdness for now.¡± ¡°Weirdness.¡± Uehara-kun¡¯s reaction was casually referred to as being weird. ¡­Really. ¡­Uehara-kun looks weird when he¡¯s met by people that don¡¯t know him. ¡­It¡¯s hard to make a living. ¡°However, they look they¡¯re destined for each other. A cute girl should stay with a handsome boy.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°Think about it, it¡¯s like the disparity between celebrities. Although it¡¯s worthy of discussion for a while, didn¡¯t nearly all of them ended up failing?¡± ¡°R-Really? B-But, there¡¯s true love like the one between Romeo and Juliet..¡± My eyes are floating around as I told my family. Then, Kousei answered with an emotionless look. ¡°Didn¡¯t the two die in the end? I don¡¯t think I can take it from a family¡¯s perspective.¡± ¡°Kousei¡­¡± My little brother is still just as heartless to me. Does this guy not love his brother? Just as I¡¯mining quietly, mom seems to be bored by the topic and went away as she pped her hands. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time for dinner. I¡¯m cooking Keita¡¯s favorite burger steaks tonight.¡± ¡°Ah, nice. ¡­No!¡± Mom went to cook dinner before I can even protest, ¡­even though I¡¯m really looking forward to burger steaks! I was pissed as I looked at Kousei to try and look forfort. So, ¡­he mumbled while giving me the usual despising look. ¡°Sigh, get a hold of yourself, ¡­the dumb Romeo that¡¯s going to suicide due to a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Phrasing! A-Also, I¡¯m not Romeo!¡± ¡°Oh, that you¡¯ll never get a happy ending with Juliet.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Brother, you¡¯re a typical guy, so you should learn to be one. Just find another normal girl and live happily ever after. That¡¯s enough.¡± Kousei said that as he looked at his phone. From the kitchen, I can hear mom¡¯s humming excitedly as she started cooking. ¡­N-None of you knows how I really felt¡­! ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Perhaps my family doesn¡¯t love me. * ¡°Loverbears?¡± After school, 10 days before the school trip. I took a sip of the diluted coke I grabbed from the drink bar as I listened to Aguri-san, mentioning a strange word in the family restaurant. Then, I tilted my head. ¡°Yes, Loverbears.¡± The gal sitting in front of me is showing a satisfied smile again. The current mood seems to be testing my knowledge. Let see, ¡­I guess this is a word that all normies know. I put the cup onto the table as I crossed my arms and nodded repeatedly. ¡°L-Loverbears. Yep, I get it. Loverbears are famous.¡± ¡°Yeah. Amanhi, even you knew it.¡± ¡°Of course. Come to think of it, ¡­uh, ¡­I heard it from my rtives¡¯ kids, uh¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, even the little kids liked it.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± ¡°You got it?¡± Aguri-san gave a puzzled look at my reaction. She took a sip of her hot lemon tea and continued. ¡°After all, it¡¯s very soft and gentle, feels pretty nice¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. ¡­Also, uh, right, it tastes pretty sweet-¡° ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°-Yep, it¡¯s not that. Loverbears aren¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think it doesn¡¯t taste sweet¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s more like, it tastes nd, yet there¡¯s a hidden saltiness-¡° ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not like that too¡­¡± Just as I¡¯m looking away with sweat forming on my forehead, Aguri-san let out a dumbfounded sigh. Then, she looked at me with apassionate look as if she saw everything through. ¡°¡­Hey, Amanhi.¡± ¡°Yes, what¡¯s wrong, Aguri-san?¡± ¡°Loverbears¡­is a variant of teddy bears.¡± ¡°¡­Really, ¡­yep, of course, I know that.¡± ¡°Eh, you can¡¯t continue. That ¡®I got it¡¯ impression of yours is already over.¡± We¡¯re still chatting about useless things in the family restaurant just like usual, ¡­then- ¡°¡­Haha!¡± I think weughed at the same time. It¡¯s quite exciting. Honestly, it¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯vee to the family restaurant together. After the attempted kissing incident, although it reached a conclusion on the surface, we still have a lot of worries. So, we don¡¯t meet each other that often anymore. However, it¡¯s actually okay for us to host a family restaurant meeting once in a while. We¡¯re still us. ¡­I¡¯m sincerely d that we can still be ¡°friends,¡± just like we were. After weughed for a while. Aguri-san started bringing out the topic of the day. ¡°Loverbears are the limited teddy bears that are only avable in Disnend each day. The unique thing about it is that it¡¯s always in pairs. Whether it¡¯s illustrations, key chains, or teddy bears, none of them are left alone.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­so, Loverbears is from the word lovers and bear?¡± ¡°Exactly! Eh, Amanhi, what do you think?¡± Aguri-san is asking me with sparkling eyes. To her, I answered honestly with an innocent smile. ¡°I feel like all personnel that is involved in developing the bear should be exterminated.¡± ¡°Why!¡± I sighed as I answered Aguri-san, who¡¯s pping the table. ¡°It¡¯s a race that refuses to acknowledge the existence of loners, right? Naturally, I¡¯m their enemy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have a famous girlfriend right now!¡± ¡°If you think ¡®having a girlfriend = a higher-up species that have friends,¡¯ then you¡¯re dead wrong! Aguri-san, you don¡¯t understand loners at all!¡± ¡°No, no, no! What¡¯s wrong with you calling yourself a loner despite having a girlfriend! Normally, that¡¯s pretty annoying!¡± ¡°You noticed it, Aguri-san. Yes, I¡¯m this annoying. However, that¡¯s why¡­for me, who has already lost his ce in the loner¡¯s industry, I should be called the true loner king, right!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone throwing a tantrum like this before! Amanhi, you¡¯re getting weirder. ¡­Eh, no, you¡¯re already a weirdo to start out with.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not a weirdo. I¡¯m a passerby. My inner passerby is so deep that I¡¯m excited to be called a weirdo by someone else. So, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re calling me a weirdo. ¡­Please don¡¯t randomly use such a fantastic word to praise me!¡± ¡°Uh, I feel like your way of throwing a tantrum has entered the ¡®strange¡¯ realm¡­¡± ¡°Ay, we¡¯re off-topic. Let¡¯s move back.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Then? Aguri-san, when are we dering war on those pervert bears?¡± ¡°What was that? ¡­Eh, Amanhi, please just forget your racist views towards Loverbears for a second.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. Those guys will never be my friends, no matter what happens.¡± Just as I¡¯m pissed off, Aguri-san quietly provided an additional piece of information to me. ¡°¡­Even if a lot of people believed the limited version of Loverbears will make the couples that bought it stay together forever?¡± ¡°Aguri-san, why are you still drinking lemon tea! We have to go and buy the Master Loverbears now! Hey, let¡¯s go!¡± The go-with-the-flow boy that immediately stood up and urged the gal. Aguri-san is staring at me with a unique half dumbfounded, half respected look. ¡°Amanhi, although you¡¯re genuinely a little peasant, you¡¯ve reached a refreshing level¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard such subtle praise before.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not just praising you. Sigh, just sit down first.¡± I sat back down unwillingly after Aguri-san advised me. ¡°So, Amanhi, even though I don¡¯t think I need to ask now, ¡­you wanted the limited Loverbears, right?¡± ¡°I want it, even if it meant sacrificing yourmunication skills to the devil.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just sacrifice me on your own, alright? However, while I say that, I want to get it even if it meant sacrificing your hair growth.¡± ¡°Can you stop sacrificing my future as well?¡± ¡°In a sense, isn¡¯t that a ¡®bright¡¯ and reflective future?¡± ¡°Shut up, ¡­alright, let¡¯s put the jokes aside. The one that you¡¯re talking about, ¡­the limited Loverbears? Is it that hard to buy?¡± Aguri-san answered my question with a vague expression. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s not that bad. ¡­While it¡¯s limited, the numbers aren¡¯t that extreme¡­¡± ¡°Huh? If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s not hard to buy it, right? If we can only get it there, we have to go to Disnend as soon as possible. I guess that¡¯s why Aguri-san brought up the Loverbears here. She nodded and continued. ¡°Yep, so, the problem isn¡¯t with whether you can buy it or not. Although people believed the spell, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s hot enough for people to line up for hours just to get it. That¡¯s why as long as we charge towards the store after entering the park, it¡¯s almost certain that we can get it. However, the real issue is¡­¡± ¡°The real issue?¡± There¡¯s enough stock, and you have a chance to buy it. What¡¯s the problem then? I chugged the not-so-iced coke down to my throat. Then, Aguri-san gulped as she spoke up. ¡°¡­The limited Loverbears cost 20,000 yen¡­¡± ¡°!¡± I almost spat all of my coke out. After I reluctantly swallowed all of them, I started trembling as I responded. ¡°2-20,000¡­? Ehhhh! Uh, that¡¯s a bit¡­¡± ¡°Exactly¡­¡± Aguri-san said that as she passed me her phone. The screen shows an adorable pair of teddy bears that¡¯s the size of my palm, ¡­but the numbers below the image aren¡¯t adorable at all. Aguri-san took her phone back as she sighed. ¡°Sigh, ¡­can I sell a disgusting otaku¡¯s hair growth to someone¡­¡± ¡°Please stop reviewing the possibility of that weird trade. However, it¡¯s 20,000 yen¡­¡± ¡°20,000 yen¡­¡± ¡°¡­But, honestly, we really need that, right¡­¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, ¡­exactly. ¡­Amanhi, you and I were thinking of the same way¡­¡± Our sighs ovepped each other. The two of us didn¡¯t go to the drink bar for a refill. We fell silent. After a while, I managed to spoke up. ¡°¡­Our partners have been worrying over us for a while now¡­¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± ¡°Even so, ¡­currently, we¡¯re a bit too depressed to create an indisputable fact.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± ¡°With this situation, if we gifted a limited teddy bear out with an incredible effect out to our partners on thest day of the school trip¡­¡± After I said that, ¡­I thought of Tendou-san¡¯s face as I smiled warmly. ¡°¡­I feel like if we do that, ¡­it¡¯s really reassuring for the person we¡¯re dating¡­¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Aguri-san must be thinking about Uehara-kun as well, she showed a pretty warm and gentle expression, which I rarely see. Although we thought about our partners¡¯ cheerful face for a moment tedly, ¡­after 10 seconds, the two of usid onto the table once again. ¡°But it¡¯s 20,000 yen¡­¡± This is unaffordable for high school students. Uh, our parents will cover some of our costs during the school trip. ¡­Even so, I don¡¯t feel good about using that money to buy expensive gifts for our boyfriend/girlfriend. I should say, I can¡¯t face my parents and Tendou-san properly if I did that. So, we have to acquire 20,000 yen on our own. ¡­However, usually, Aguri-san and I don¡¯t really have extra cash in our wallets. Also, we would oftene to the family restaurant and drink. I didn¡¯t even need to say this. Moreover, aside from the monthly pocket money I get from my parents, I¡¯ll also get them to put me into some part-time jobs during the summer and winter holidays, just to bnce everything out- When I thought about that, Aguri-san made eye contact with me. She¡­only gives me this look¡­whenever she has something hard to tell. This means that she¡¯s trying to do that in the beginning¡­. ¡°Amanhi, let me ask you this¡­¡± ¡°W-What?¡± I¡¯m shivering from the bad feeling. ¡­This feels, ...oh crap. I quickly looked away from her and spoke up. ¡°Ah, t-time¡¯s almost up, we should go-¡° ¡°Do you want to¡­work in retail with me?¡± ¡°Look, here ites! A lethal idea for any otakus! It¡¯s like asking a cockroach whether it wants to work in pharma, that¡¯s what a devil would ask!¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s not that severe¡­¡± Aguri-san smiled bitterly, and I still maintained my staunch attitude. ¡°Retail is the only job that I¡¯ll absolutely never do! Let¡¯s take a hundred steps back, ¡­even if I can cut the time for ying Pokemon to work, I¡¯ll never do retail! I really appreciated you for inviting me, but is there anything else to work in? Other jobs!¡± ¡°Eh, Amanhi, we¡¯re not in a position to choose our jobs, right? We need short-term jobs, and we can¡¯t do rough work. That¡¯s what the search results gave me. ¡°N-No, I-I¡¯m still a guy. I¡¯m perfectly suited for rough work¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t handle it at all. Even if you can, I can guarantee that you¡¯ll mess up your body before the school trip, Amanhi.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Although I¡¯m unwilling to admit this, Aguri-san is right, I¡¯m not suited for intense work, anyways. Sigh, while I can squeeze determination out, it¡¯s not going to help. If I got sick, I can¡¯t go or enjoy the school trip. It¡¯ll be pointless. Aguri-san continued. ¡°Uh, I got a text from my friend that said there are two spaces left. ¡­Initially, I wanted to say that you¡¯re the only one I can invite. ¡­Amanhi, but you hate retail, right?¡± ¡°Instead of saying I hate it, it¡¯s more like I can¡¯t do it¡­¡± ¡­Sweat began to appear on my forehead, ¡­my stomach hurts. Retail. I tried to think about this once more, then I realized there¡¯s nothing more terrifying than this word. Earning money by cleverly dealing with all kinds of people. ¡­If I, who can¡¯t even talk to others properly, took the offer, I think the manager will be very frustrated as well. I¡¯m trembling with just imagining it. My disappointment will not just hurt myself; it can even drag others down too. ¡­This is literally hell for me. Aguri-san noticed that my face turned pale, so she immediately tried tofort me. ¡°Y-Yeah, yeah! Ay, I¡¯m sorry, Amanhi! I was just asking, really. Moreover, Ipletely didn¡¯t expect you to ept the offer at all!¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± I raised my head helplessly and looked at Aguri-san. She nodded hard. ¡°Yes, yes!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just asking as ast resort, really! Uh, ¡­I just feel that if I can work with you, I think I¡¯ll be more hardworking¡­¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± I froze. Then, Aguri-san continued embarrassingly. ¡°Ah, this doesn¡¯t mean anything special. She¡¯s shy. ¡°Perhaps you forgot about this. However, I¡¯m not a girl that can chat with everyone happily as well. So, to be honest, although I¡¯m not as repulsive as you do, I don¡¯t really like retail either¡­¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. However, ¡­if I¡¯m with you, I think I¡¯ll feel better.¡± ¡°Yep, work is easier when there¡¯s someone you know¡­¡± ¡°I guess so. However, it¡¯s not just that. Uh, ¡­it¡¯s embarrassing for me to say this, Amanhi. Sometimes, when I¡¯m in front of you, I tried to subconsciously act like an old sister. How should I put it, ¡­when you¡¯re next to me, I-I think I¡¯ll work harder than usual.¡± ¡°Aguri-san¡­¡± I wanted to cry for a bit since I¡¯m really throbbed right now. However, Aguri-san immediately continued with a ¡°but.¡± ¡°Ay, if Tasuku¡¯s here, I¡¯ll be 3,000 times stronger than my max performance.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± But if she¡¯s saying that, as long as I¡¯m thinking about Tendou-san, I can do the same¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± When I lowered my head, Aguri-san seems to be freaking out as she tried to conclude. ¡°Anyways, Amanhi, although I talked a lot just then, it¡¯s okay for you to reject. After all, you don¡¯t need to force yourself to buy the Loverbears with me-¡° During this time, I suddenly remembered what mom had told me. It¡¯s charming when people who¡¯re meant for each other are together. ¡­I also understand at the start that I don¡¯t match Tendou-san at all. A guy that¡¯s still not popr or famous, Keita Amano. Neither am I a strong character nor do I have any special abilities. I¡¯m not handsome nor adorable, just like an unpopr Pokemon. However- If someone still loves me and chose me despite all of that. Also, at this moment, ¡­if a talentless and incapable guy like me can rely on ¡°hard work¡± to earn ¡°relief¡± and ¡°love.¡± Then, ¡­I¡¯m definitely taking the opportunity, that chance- ¡°¡­I¡¯m doing it.¡± -I bet the determination of a passerby. I can never miss a chance like that. ¡°Eh?¡± Aguri-san froze when I suddenly changed my mind. ¡­Even I freaked out for a bit as well. Actually, my body is shivering. Retail is the least suitable field for me to work in. However, even so¡­ ¡°Please.¡± I clenched my fists on my kneecaps that are already full of sweat. Then, I slowly raised my face as I tried to muster up my courage and answered her. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind a guy like me, please let me challenge it¡­and take that retail job.¡± * So, we¡¯re preparing for the school trip¡­ ¡­No. The preparations for the final ¡°copse¡± are slowly beingpleted. Volume 7, 4 – Amano and Aguri and Deadly Party

Volume 7, Chapter 4 ¨C Amano and Aguri and Deadly Party

Trantor: your_pingas I have a girlfriend, a handsome friend, and sometimes I¡¯ll talk about rtionships with my friend¡¯s girlfriend. I was even confessed by another girl recently. All of you know¡­the name of this refined man who stood above all normies already, right! Hello, I¡¯m the popr normie guy that¡¯s about to go viral, Keita Amano. Hiya, what a pain. Why am I in pain? ¡­Of course, it¡¯s the activities that all normies look forward to. The schedule of the school trip is so packed that I¡¯ve been busy! HAHAHAHA! Even though this is just the end of the first day. Eh? You¡¯re asking me what did I do on the first day? Hoho, I went to Osaka. An Osaka trip. Eh? You want me to say what did I do precisely? ¡­Uh, hmm, sigh, ¡­why does it matter, let¡¯s forget about that. Yep. A-Alright, it¡¯s time for me to go. It¡¯s because I¡¯m swamped. Eh? You¡¯re asking me isn¡¯t this narration ending too quickly? No, no, no, it¡¯s hard to me the guy. After, if we¡¯re talking about reality, it¡¯s the first night of the school trip right now. We¡¯re in the 6-person room allocated for the groups- ¡°But we didn¡¯t have fun in Osaka today because of someone.¡± ¡°He can¡¯t even figure out how should we transfer to the next train, really?¡± ¡°Gamers ugh) are super useless.¡± ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m really envious of those 5-person groups, the room is more spacious.¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey, he¡¯ll hear it if we¡¯re talking too loudly. The guy is hiding at the corner and trying his best to stay on his phone.¡± -I can¡¯t even escape to my imagination, what a hostile environment. * ¡°AHAHAHAHA!¡± I left the unbearable room. Once the door closes, I can hear Kaburagi-san and his friends¡¯ughter. ¡°¡­They¡¯re actually happy.¡± I mumbled with a sigh. Then, I plopped my head down as I walked across the corridor. ¡­The yukata provided to the guests to wear in the rooms is way toorge. A tiny guy like me can¡¯t move properly with it. ¡°Ay, even though it¡¯s actually my fault for getting onto the wrong train¡­¡± Well, if I want to look for a tiny excuse, they did walk slowly on purpose, which ruined my transfer ns. Then, they made fun of me because I was freaking out. The same thing repeated again and again, ¡­atst, I made a mistake at transferring to the next train. This is the full background. Even so, I¡¯m undoubtedly the guy that made a mistake in the end. I think I¡¯ve said this before, as long as ¡°someone is dragged down with me,¡± I feel really upset. Especially for a person like me, ¡­unless I absolutely believe that I¡¯m right, otherwise I don¡¯t want to confront others. ¡­I get it, nothing can be solved if I don¡¯t clear everything up. However, I can also predict an end where no one benefits. ¡°¡­Sigh, how embarrassing¡­¡± I sincerely hate how ¡°powerless¡± I am. It¡¯s like I¡¯m being possessed by an evil spirit, I feel so heavy. The first day of the school trip. Honestly, it¡¯s¡­way tougher than I¡¯ve imagined, to the point where I don¡¯t want to think about what happened today. It¡¯s so depressing that I still feel tired despite just took a bath and went back to my room for a break. I waited for the elevator at the end of the corridor detedly. During this time, there¡¯s seems to be a group of 7 girls loudly talking as they walked here. They lined up behind me and started whispering. ¡°Eh, I remember the elevator here is pretty narrow, right?¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­it¡¯s only for 6 people at a time, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡± ¡°We can squeeze in, even though Nozomi¡¯s weight is quite¡­¡± ¡°Shut up. However, even if we¡¯re squeezing in, look¡­¡± When they finished that sentence, I can feel someone¡¯s staring at me fiercely from behind. To be precise, it¡¯s 7 servings of girls¡¯ looking at a lusty woof. Although I¡¯ve never been one before. My forehead began to sweat. Then, I mumbled as I secretly left the scene while walking stiffly. ¡°¡­Ah, ¡­c-crap, I left something in the room. ¡­Yeah, yeah, yeah, ¡­jeez.¡± I brought up a useless excuse as I quickly walked away. Then, the elevator came, and I can hear the girls stepping into it as they talked. ¡­Alright. ¡°¡­ Where''re the stairs?¡± Right now, I think I finally realized why I¡¯m not getting fat despite being an otaku. However, I guess I¡¯m just overthinking this. After all, I¡¯m a normie king. ¡­This is the 8th floor, but the lobby is on the 1st floor. Yep, I just need to walk down. It¡¯s okay, there¡¯s no problem, I¡¯m absolutely okay. I feel like the lights on the stairs keep blinking. Of course, there¡¯s no one around. Honestly, this is super scary, but it¡¯s fine. ¡°I got a bunch of time, anyway¡­¡± I mumbled pathetically to myself as I slowly walked down the stairs. Just as I¡¯m unlocking the screen of my phone to lighten up the mood, the group chat window that I used appeared. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m even more depressed. Since I don¡¯t really invite people on my own that often, my heart turns cold when I mustered my courage to talk to someone, and all of them rejected me. I really want to cry. I really want to die. I really want to drag Aguri-san into hell with me. I put my phone into the pocket as I walked down the stairs quietly. ¡­Although I guess everyone knew it at this point already, this is how I went through my first day of the school trip. The seats in the buses are arranged in groups as well. So, I didn¡¯t even get to talk to Uehara-kun, not to mention Tendou-san. As for the 5 people in Kaburagi¡¯s group (excluding me), I think they switched to ¡°treating me as entertainment¡± mode. Their mischievous waves ofughtersted for hours. Recently, I entirely believed that I¡¯m a normie. However, once I took a step out of the Game Hobby Club, I immediately became a loner again. Uehara-kun and Tendou-san, who can basically strike up a conversation with anyone, is way out of my league. ¡°However, ¡­I put a lot of effort in my own ways too¡­¡± Actually, around a week before the trip, I tried to look for opportunities and muster up my remaining courage to try to talk to Kaburagi¡¯s group. ¡­It ended badly. Perhaps it¡¯s because I¡¯m acting like a servant, right now, they utterly despised my dignity as a man. They gave me an even more explicit attitude. I¡¯m falling deeper and deeper into this abyss. I deeply sighed as I passed through the stairs between the 3rd and 4th floor. ¡°¡­Sigh, ¡­I really¡­¡± Should I say I didn¡¯t improve, how should I put it? In the end, I still don¡¯t understand what did I do wrong, nor how I should self-improve. This is the lethal part. For example, right now, ¡­should I just try my best and get closer to Kaburagi-san¡¯s group in my room? Should I just wait and take the elevator calmly? ¡­I don¡¯t get it. What would Uehara-kun or Tendou-san do¡­ ¡°¡­For some reason, even though I can¡¯t think of a real solution. I remembered the two conquering these obstacles with ease¡­¡± Crap, I¡¯m getting even more depressed. Although I, a guy that can¡¯t befriend anyone in high school, have started worrying over the school trip since year 1, this is way closer to hell than I¡¯ve imagined. I wouldn¡¯t havee if I knew it- ¡°¡­No.¡± -Just as I¡¯m about to regret my decision, I pped myself on the face. ¡°What am I talking about? I¡¯m enjoying thest day with Tendou-san, and then I¡¯ll give her the present that I worked my butt off to buy it. For this goal, everything so far is nothing.¡± Moreover, it¡¯s not like someone violently beat me up. Really, I can¡¯t be that weak. ¡°¡­Right!¡± I cheered myself up and walked towards the lobby calmly, so- ¡°Look, that guy came to the lobby as well. Yeah, I won.¡± ¡°Seriously, Kaburagi won again, damn.¡± -My groupmates, who seem to have taken the elevator first,ughed as soon as they saw me. At this moment, ¡­I¡¯m finally breaking down. ¡°¡­!¡± I don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s anger or frustration, even I knew that my face is ring up right now. However, that¡¯s why I¡¯m all the more unwilling to admit defeat. I want to stop my face from blushing but to no avail. I stopped embarrassingly and started trembling. By all means, I don¡¯t even know what I should do anymore. I feel like there¡¯s nowhere in the world that I can go to. (This is¡­too ridiculous¡­) Come to think of it, my brain knows it¡¯s not that ridiculous. However, ¡­my heart can¡¯t cheer up right away. My heart is unwilling to cheer up. I really don¡¯t want them to see my ¡°depressed¡± side. As a gamer, and as a casual yer, I¡¯m not going to provide that sort of terrible entertainment even if it meant my life. I¡¯m really determined. But¡­ Currently, I can¡¯t even find something I can rely on to get up once again. I¡­I can¡¯t help it, ¡­just as I¡¯m about to give up and plop my head down directly to them- ¡°K-Keita?¡± -At this moment, suddenly, someone called me. I was alerted and quickly raised my face. Then, right there¡­ ¡°¡­Chiaki?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, ¡­phew.¡± It¡¯s Chiaki, she seems to be still catching her breath for some reason. I fell speechless. Then, Chiaki smiled embarrassingly and quickly exined. ¡°Uh, well, it¡¯s because I¡¯m hastily changing my clothes toe out. ¡­Ah, no, it¡¯s not like that, well, I was at the bath! But I saw your message just as I¡¯m taking off my clothes. ¡­Wait, forget about that, pretending you didn¡¯t hear anything about me undressing!¡± Chiaki seems to be exining to herself, and she seems to be freaking out too. ¡­This girl is still just as bad as talking to people as I do. Looking at her, I immediately felt...all my helplessness disappeared in a sh. I think¡­there¡¯s somewhere for me to go in this world. It¡¯s cramped, but it¡¯s very warm. Once I snapped out of it, Kaburagi-san¡¯s group seems to be looking at us with a jealous look. ¡­To Chiaki, ¡­I don¡¯t feel right about this atmosphere. I can¡¯t take it anymore if Chiaki got targeted as well. Finally, my brain is working again. So, I urged Chiaki to walk to the stairs. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go upstairs, Chiaki.¡± ¡°Eh, we¡¯re going up?¡± ¡°I remembered it now, there¡¯s a rest area with some vending machines on the 3rd floor. There are no tourists around, perhaps it¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°Ah, really. I got it, please go there.¡± ¡°Okay, ¡­drinks on me, as thanks.¡± ¡°Hmm? Even though I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re thanking me, but I¡¯ll dly take it this time. Yeah!¡± Chiaki followed me on the stairs with a cheerful look. As for me, ¡­I looked away from her and turned forward. Then, I quietly, ¡­really quietly so that she can¡¯t hear it, and mumbled. ¡°¡­Thank you so much.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing, no sweat.¡± ¡°H-How did you hear it!¡± ¡°Ehhhhh! Why are you mad at me!¡± Chiaki was suddenly scolded by me, so she freaked out and nearly cried. ¡­Jeez. * ¡°Yeah, yeah! That¡¯s it! The 4-star game ratings are really the most reliable and should be referenced!¡± ¡°Exactly! Uh, although 5-star and 1-star ratings are just exaggerations. Especially when I¡¯m hesitating whether I should buy It or not, sometimes I really have to thank 5 stars and 1 star for that final push!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± ¡°However, from what I¡¯ve remembered, I think only 2-star to 4-star ratings can bnce out between the pros and cons of the game!¡± 5 minutes after we met up, a boy and a girl are chatting with each other energetically in the vending machine area of the 3rd floor. Chiaki leaned forward excitedly after hearing what I said as if she¡¯s like, ¡°I agree too.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah! Ay, on the other hand, I¡¯m deeply resonating when there are 5-star ratings for a famous game. Also, I feel good when I give a 1-star rating to a trash game too!¡± At the same time, I nodded vigorously at what she said. ¡°Yes, yes! Sometimes, when I¡¯m ying a truly crappy game, although I¡¯ll feel it¡¯s way too harsh for a 1-star, I feel saved at the same time. For example, ¡­ah, luckily, I wasn¡¯t the only person that feels that kind of annoyance and anxiety!¡± ¡°Agreed! Also, I like those ratings that list out the bad points while saying, ¡°5-star, because I¡¯m super impressed!¡± It¡¯s really reassuring to read them!¡± ¡°I get it! Even though some ratingsck fairness, I still feel like there¡¯s no problem with that! However, by all means, it¡¯s just based on personal preferences.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± At this moment, the two otakus are finally willing to pause the exciting conversation. I¡¯m drinking the soda that I didn¡¯t see at home (which tastes just the same) as I looked around. The quiet rest area on the 3rd floor. A simple space with 4 vending machines, a trash can, and two sets of double seats. However, it seems that no tourists are renting the rooms on this floor today. It¡¯s tranquil. Aside from that, there¡¯s a bit of distance between the rest area and the stairs, so Otobuki students wouldn¡¯te. I guess this is an excellent ce to kill time. But¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Even so, due to the incident just then, I fear that Kaburagi-san¡¯s group withe and look for us. So, I¡¯m a bit worried. I guess Chiaki wanted to draw my attention, so she tried to speak sarcastically to irritate me. ¡°You¡¯re poor, unlike me, who got in the same group as Tendou-san.¡± ¡°Ughhh, ¡­you detestable seaweed!¡± The bean sprout that can¡¯t be in the sunlight, how miserable.¡± Chiaki chuckled before taking a sip of her soda. ¡­Although she¡¯s usually my irritable rival, for today, I feel like I¡¯m saved by her from the bottom of my heart. I can¡¯t but smile, Chiaki replied excitedly. ¡°That¡¯s great, Keita. You¡¯re still yourself.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°What am I talking about.¡± After Chiaki smiled bitterly, she carefully put the soda can on the table with both of her hands. ¡­She looks way different in a yukatapared to me. It looks adorable on her. Perhaps it¡¯s because of her figures. Even though I don¡¯t want to admit this, ¡­in reality, this girl is beautiful. ¡­I still feel like I couldn¡¯t calm down, so I can¡¯t help but look away from her. ¡°However, ¡­why can¡¯t we find a chance to talk to Tendou-san recently? There¡¯s a lot of chance for the two of us to talk like this.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Chiaki agreed and continued helplessly. ¡°¡­Like right now, I¡¯m the same group as Tendou-san, so I really want to clear it up as soon as possible. I feel like I¡¯m doing something bad with you, ¡­even though we¡¯repletely friends currently.¡± Chiaki smiled after finishing that. ¡­It looks like she¡¯s not forcing her smile, and it made me press my chest in relief. (O-Of course. There¡¯s no way for her to still love a guy that brutally rejected her just then. Really, I¡¯m being way too self-conscious now¡­) Perhaps I¡¯m the guy that¡¯s viewing Chiaki as a girl somehow. I¡¯m way too girly. I need to reflect on myself. This time, I looked at Chiaki directly and started chatting with her. ¡°By the way, Chiaki, do you y Pokemon?¡± Chiaki¡¯s eyes brightened at my question as she leaned forward to me again. ¡°Yeah! Of course! Keita, Keita, you y Pokemon too!¡± ¡°Of course! Eh, how¡¯s your progress right now?¡± ¡°Well, ¡­ah, ¡­since I¡¯ve been creating games recently, so I didn¡¯t progress a lot. ¡­All of my team members are at around Lv.30¡­¡± ¡°Eh, really! Me too, me too. Just the same as you!¡± Usually, I would¡¯ve yed a lot more, but because I was working. So, my progress coincidentally matched with Chiaki¡¯s. Chiaki suggested to me in excitement. ¡°Well, well, now¡¯s a good time for a battle, let¡¯s battle!¡± ¡°I was thinking just the same thing! I was looking for a suitable opponent!¡± ¡°Me too, me too! Hiya, it¡¯s best when there¡¯s a friend, indeed!¡± When I¡¯m looking at Chiaki¡¯s hazeless smile as she¡¯s talking lovingly, surprisingly, I will also feel blessed and satisfied too. Chiaki seems to can¡¯t hold it anymore and stood up. Then, she smiled and suggested it to me. ¡°Well, I¡¯m grabbing my console now. Let¡¯s y-¡° -Just as she¡¯s about to finish that sentence. ¡°G-Good evening, Amano-kun¡­and Chiaki-san.¡± A blonde beauty that¡¯s a bit nervous¡­my girlfriend, who¡¯s wearing a yukata, came and talked to us. We immediately stopped chatting. At the same time, we answered Tendou-san nervously in unison. ¡°G-Good evening.¡± ¡­For some reason, even though we didn¡¯t do anything wrong, we feel like we¡¯re being interrogated. An awkward silence fell between us three. ¡­During this time, I suddenly realized. (Eh, isn¡¯t this the best time for us to exin the confession?) We¡¯re the only three here, there¡¯s no one around. This situation allows us to talk in peace. I think Tendou-san and Chiaki realized this as well. That¡¯s why we¡¯re all nervous for some reason. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Everyone is still unwilling to speak up. ¡­I have to be determined here. After making up my mind, I¡¯m finally going to mention ¡°that thing.¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°¡­W-Well, Tendou-san! There¡¯s something that Chiaki and I-¡° For a moment, Tendou-san¡¯s face is filled with anxiety. But, even so, we have to talk about this sooner orter, so I mustered up my courage- ¡°Ah, ¡­w-well, it¡¯s time for me to take a bath!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± -Just as Tendou-san and I mentally prepared ourselves, Chiaki was the one that avoided it. I fell speechless. Then, Chiaki got near me and whispered. (Keita, this is a rare chance for you to talk to Tendou-san alone on the trip! Please take the chance while itsts!) (Eh? But Chiaki, if we don¡¯t exin it now, I don¡¯t feelfortable during the trip¡­) (That¡¯s just something trivial! Yes, I will never destroy the chance for my friend and his girlfriend to create good memories just to talk about those things!) Chiaki suggested this to me with a warm smile, ¡­this girl is really¡­ As for me, ¡­although I was perplexed for a second, I still decided to ept her favor. ¡°Uh, well, Chiaki, I¡¯ll battle you next time.¡± I waved at her. Tendou-san is still hesitating. ¡°Eh, well¡­¡± Chiaki waved at me before quickly leaving. ¡°Yes, please! Well, well, Karen-san, take your time chatting!¡± Chiaki quickly left the corridor. I looked at her back before urging Tendou-san to sit down. ¡°Ah, take a seat, Tendou-san.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, okay, well¡­¡± Tendou-san nervously took a seat at where Chiaki was. She¡¯s still a bit confused, so I tried my best to be cheerful. ¡°Uh, thank you, Tendou-san. You came here because you¡¯re worried about me, right?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, y-yes. However, well, I can¡¯t leave the room for a while, sorry¡­¡± Tendou-san plopped her head down detedly. ¡­Ah, Tendou-san showing a mncholic look in a yukata, she¡¯s stunning. It¡¯s like a movie. Phew¡­ Wait, this is wrong. I have to smooth things over! I quickly shook my head and waved. ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s not true! I¡¯m the one that shouldn¡¯t say all those depressing things!¡± ¡°That¡¯s obviously not¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, it¡¯s like what you just saw, Chiaki was there for me!¡± ¡°Really. ¡­Chiaki-san¡­is faster than anyone¡­¡± ¡°Tendou-san?¡± F-For some reason, the more I tried tofort her, the more depressed Tendou-san is. What should I even do¡­ I scratched the back of my head, ¡­and then I squeezed one of my few topics for chatting left. ¡°T-Tendou-san, you y Pokemon?¡± I sincerely hate that I can still only talk about gaming in this situation. However, that¡¯s who I am, so I can¡¯t help it. As for Tendou-san, ¡­she shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯ve never yed it.¡± ¡°R-Really.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± What¡¯s wrong with me? I ended the topic just because the person didn¡¯t y the same game as me. Am I an idiot? That¡¯s why I can¡¯t get a friend. That¡¯s what I deserved. During this time, Tendou-san seems to have realized that I¡¯m having a hard time, so she started talking about Pokemon. ¡°Uh, is thetest title in the series fun?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, yes! It¡¯s enjoyable! I¡¯m having fun even if I¡¯m ying alone!¡± ¡°Really? But Amano-kun, won¡¯t you battle the others?¡± ¡°Yep, I can¡¯t find a good opponent¡­and I don¡¯t have any friends at all¡­¡± Crap, this is embarrassing. Tendou-san is worrying over me once again. Just as I¡¯m sweating while trying to think of something, ¡­Tendou-san suddenly pped her hands and gave me a bright smile. ¡°W-Well, then I¡¯ll give Pokemon a try-¡° However, at this moment, I finally remembered the promise I made with Chiaki. To prevent Tendou-san from worrying over me, I smiled and continued. ¡°Ah, but! Chiaki seems to be willing to battle me! The most miraculous part is that she has the same progress as me! Hiya, that¡¯s precious! This is really precious!¡± At this moment, ¡­Tendou-san¡¯s eyes lost all energy. ¡°Really, ¡­Chiaki-san will y with you, ¡­I see¡­¡± ¡°Y-Yes! Tendou-san, so you don¡¯t need to worry about me! I¡¯m okay!¡± ¡°Haha, ¡­r-really¡­¡± Eh? T-This is weird. Tendou-san¡¯s looking away from me. Why? Is she getting dumbfoundedly at how incapable her boyfriend is? Or is it I didn¡¯tfort her enough¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The conversation paused again. Only the sounds from the operating vending machines are echoing throughout the ce. ¡­Strange. Staying alone with my beautiful girl at night on the school trip, ¡­isn¡¯t this literally the normiest scene possible? However, what is this dense atmosphere that feels like the intro of a horror game? Tendou-san suddenlyughed on her own. ¡°¡­I saw it from afar. ¡­You and Chiaki-san seemed to be having a good time just then¡­¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± What? I feel way worse than when I¡¯m in the same room as Kaburagi-san and his friends. I managed to keep a smile on my face and told her. ¡°T-Tendou-san, I¡¯m a million times happier when I¡¯m alone with you right now!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­...¡± ¡°¡­Haha.¡± Tendou-san suddenly gave me a mischievous smile. Honestly, it feels super creepy and freaked me out. During this time, Tendou-san quickly tried to smooth things over. ¡°N-No, everything¡¯s fine. I get it. From the conversation, you¡¯re just saying that topliment me. I understand that I should have a more depressed reaction. However, ¡­I don¡¯t want to.¡± She clenched her fist tightly at this point. ¡°I, Karen Tendou, ¡­even if I deeply understand that it¡¯s justpliment, there¡¯s no way for me to not feel happy when you praised meeeee! Uwahhhhh!¡± ¡°Uwah¡­? T-Tendou-san, what¡¯s wrong! Why are you crying!¡± ¡°Even if my brain rejected it, my body still feels excited! Amano-kun¡­¡± ¡°Eh, why are you saying this in public! Are you okay!¡± I¡¯m insanely worried right now. However, Tendou-san tried her best and told me this with tears forming in her eyes. ¡°I still really love you¡­¡± ¡°M-Me too! Wait, no, no, no, no, what is this! What do you mean by ¡®still¡¯! I strongly feel that I¡¯m disappointing you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I¡¯ll never be disappointed at you. It¡¯s just that I¡­¡± ¡°You?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± After I asked her again, Tendou-san seems to be pondering something for a second. Then, ...she suddenly took out a tissue paper from nowhere and wiped her tears and snivel. Then, she finally returned to normal and answered with a smile. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Please don¡¯t mind it, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Suddenly, I feel like I¡¯m suddenly distanced away from her. For some reason, this reminds me of the Tendou-san that I just knew. Even though she¡¯s gentle to everyone, ¡­I feel like our hearts aren¡¯t sincerely connected. Just as I¡¯m being swept by waves of insecurities, Tendou-san returned to normal already and changed the topic. ¡°Please listen to me, Amano-kun. Today, Chiaki-san, ¡­haha, it¡¯s funny. We went to the yground for a bit when we¡¯re in groups-¡° After that, Tendou-san talked about what happened to her today cheerfully. I can only answer with a smile¡­ So, the first day of the school trip ended with a bunch of insecurities. Tasuku Uehara The second day is a ss tour around Kyoto, so there¡¯s really nothing worth talking about. Taking a bus to tour around the temples and pagodas, I barely listened to the guide¡¯s exnation. Then, I saw the majorndmarks with my friends, sometimes taking photos and emptying my brain as I walked. We can chat, after all. So, it¡¯s more interesting than school. However, I¡¯m suspecting whether this is way better than the daily joyful moments I have. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this to be quite in, the school trip.¡± Masaya stayed next to me as he said that. This is a really emotionless thought, but he¡¯s right. For us, we just feel this because our group is just the same friends in school. If the usual members act together like always, it¡¯s just our daily lives, even when the ce is different. The worst part is that we¡¯re not interested in temples and pagodas. However, despite my look, sometimes, I¡¯ll be attracted to Kyoto¡¯s view as well. In moments like that, I can¡¯t help but feel¡­ ¡°Ah, I really want to see this with Aguri.¡± Of course, I don¡¯t want Masaya tough at me, so I didn¡¯t put up such an attitude. However, in this world, someone is innocent enough to say their thoughts out loud directly, not to mention the emotion or attitude. ¡°Ah, I really want to see this with Tendou-san.¡± A lonely boy is watching a buddha statue¡¯s reflection on the Kyoto-chi Pond near the Kinkaku-ji. He¡¯s mumbling intoxicatedly. I realized a friend of mine is already left behind his groupmates, so I helplessly sighed as I tried to strike up a conversation. ¡°Hey, Lonely.¡± ¡°What kind of straightforward and pathetic nickname is that. Stop it, Uehara-kun¡­¡± The lonely boy gave me a powerless look. After I confirmed that Kaburagi¡¯s group is still off the distance, I stood next to Amano, and we watched the golden structures together. ¡°Having a girlfriend and yet you two are in different ces, does it feel lonelier than just being alone, Amano?¡± ¡°What kind of normie theory is that. ¡­Perhaps the past Amano will say it, but I guess you¡¯re right, maybe.¡± Amano looked at the scenery hopelessly and depressingly. His situation is that he doesn¡¯t even have a friend in the ss, the level of loneliness is outstanding at this point. Actually, all I need to do is just hang out with him more, but I¡¯m not on good terms with Kaburagi¡¯s group. If I stick close to Amano to counter them, it¡¯ll just make Amano ufortable when we¡¯re separated into groups. This is what I want to avoid. The best I could do is to talk to Amano when we¡¯re in a ss activity like this. Suddenly, Amano took a good look at my face and sighed. ¡°¡­Sigh, Uehara-kun is really like Romeo, after all¡­¡± ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°But Romeo alwaysplicated the misunderstandings, and then he died. You¡¯re just the same¡­¡± ¡°Hey, you still got the nerve to insult your only friend right now.¡± I pretended to grab Amano¡¯s shirt. He smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Then, even though it¡¯s just a simple exnation, he confessed that there¡¯s seem to be a distance and disparity between him and Tendou. He¡¯s pretty upset with it. I started looking at the golden buildings and gave him a bitter smile. ¡°Well, when ites to whether people match her or not, most men in this world can¡¯t do anything about it. You¡¯ll just get upset if you care too much about it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. From my perspective, ¡­I also feel like it¡¯s fair to disappoint others. However¡­¡± Amano mumbled as he looked up to the slightly clouded sky. ¡°If I was the one that stained Tendou-san¡¯s smile, I can never forgive myself.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡± He¡¯s not a confident person, but I feel this situation is moreplicated than it sounds. After I asked, Amano let out aplicated ¡°Ugh¡­¡± mumble. ¡°Instead of saying anything specific happened, it¡¯s more like this umted over time. For example, I really can¡¯t get over Tendou-san¡¯s attitude. Also, ¡­Kaburagi-san and his friends are more-¡° Just as Amano is about to finish that, he suddenly looked behind me and paused. I thought whether something¡¯s wrong and turned back, then I realized¡­ ¡°Kaburagi¡­¡± Unexpectedly, Kaburagi is alreadying up to us with a mischievous smile. His 4 groupmates are right behind him. ¡°B-Bye, Uehara-kun.¡± Amano hastily left me and nned to group up with Kaburagi. However, Kaburagi ignored Amanopletely. Instead, he came up to me and smiled, pretending that he¡¯s my friend. ¡®I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt while you guys are having fun, Uehara-kun.¡± Kaburagi usually calls me ¡°Uehara¡± directly, yet he¡¯s imitating Amano and add a ¡°-kun.¡± The 4 groupmates behind him are snickering quietly. ¡­I bet he¡¯s joking with the friendship I have with Amano. It¡¯s okay for Masaya to joke with me, but I don¡¯t know these guys, and they still tried to mock me. It¡¯s really pissing me off. However, it¡¯ll bring nothing but trouble to Amano if I start a fight here. So, I explicitly¡­didn¡¯t react and ignored Kaburagi, paying my full attention to the elegant Kinkaku-ji. ¡°¡­Hmph!¡± Kaburagi¡¯s disappointed at my reaction. Typically, we¡¯ll dismiss and return to our own circles. ¡­Except for today, Kaburagi seems to be braver than usual. It¡¯s not just Amano. I guess he wanted to piss me off before going back too. So, he added one more insult¡­that¡¯s wholly unnecessary and cheap. ¡°Uehara-kun, help me say hi to your brainless and indecent girlfriend as well.¡± For a moment, I was so pissed off that he¡¯s about to receive a punch to the face. However, my calm side immediately stopped me. (The school trip will be in ruins if I did that.) If I start a fight here, ¡­it¡¯ll be awkward for my groupmates¡­and my friends. I barely made a decision here and quenched my anger, so I decided to just insult Kaburagi back. Anyway, I turned to him- During this time, I finally realized- ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Amano is already¡­the lonely and weak Keita Amano, is already grabbing Kaburagi by his cor. ¡°Wha-¡° Including Kaburagi¡¯s groupmates and me, ¡­they don¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening, not to mention Kaburagi himself. All of us are observing this, speechless. Then, ¡­the first one to speak up is Kaburagi. He¡¯s still trying tough it off while seeking acknowledgment from his friends, instead of talking to Amano directly. ¡°Wow, mad teenagers are super scary. Are you getting sick from ying too many video games? What a pain-¡° ¡°Shut your damn mouth.¡± Amano interrupted him viciously with an unprecedently deep voice. Kaburagi immediately fell silent. His groupmates are holding their breaths. ¡­Amano¡¯s eyes are entirely locked on him, no one knows what¡¯ll he do next. What an unusual and tense atmosphere. Luckily, there¡¯s no tourist around at this time. ¡­This may spiral out of control quickly. In reality, another group of people is already approaching us from behind. Perhaps Kaburagi feels hopeful with that, so he tried to get his hippy smile out again. ¡­However, after he looked at Amano¡¯s eyes again, his face immediately froze. It¡¯s hard to me him, after all¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± -That was our first time to see someone going mad thispletely. That was entirely different than when he¡¯s angry at me. He¡¯s going insane at this point. It¡¯s not about whether he¡¯s good at fighting already. I can feel Amano is so determined that¡­he¡¯ll bit his opponent viciously even if only his head remains. ¡­It¡¯s incredibly terrifying. Amano is grabbing Kaburagi¡¯s cor even more tightly. ¡°¡­Eek.¡± Kaburagi¡¯spletely frightened at this point. This is¡­not just a small-scale conflict or argument anymore. At this moment, I finally realized and interrupted them. ¡°Hey, A-Amano, stop it!¡± I loudly dissuaded him, and it made Amano snap out of it. His arms immediately gave up as Kaburagi escaped. Kaburagi returned to his groupmates as he¡¯s choking and coughing loudly, ¡­his face turned red out of embarrassment and anger. He red at us fiercely before running away, and his friends quickly followed behind him. I can see that they¡¯re just as frightened as Kaburagi does. I look at Kaburagi¡¯s group leaving dazedly. Suddenly, Amano looked back and said, ¡°Eh.¡± I immediately freaked out, and my whole body turned stiff. However¡­ ¡°Uh, well, let me ask you this¡­¡± If I had to describe Amano¡¯s expression, -in a sense, it fits his usual style, and it¡¯s actually quite embarrassing. His eyes are full of tears of regret. He pointed at the direction where his groupmates just left as he tremblingly asked. ¡°Do you think¡­I-I can still get my¡­happy¡­school trip back?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I shook my head silently. Then, I patted his head slightly. ¡°Give up. It was already a total game over just then.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­¡± The lonely gamer¡¯s momentum disappeared right away as he sighed detedly with his head down. I gave Amano a dumbfounded look. He then mumbled frustratedly. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s all Aguri-san¡¯s fault. ¡­That stinky ass gal¡­¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey, you¡¯re cursing her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay for me to curse her.¡± ¡°Haha, who are you to Aguri. ¡­Alright, it¡¯s time for us to go, Amano.¡± I pushed Amano¡¯s back and urged him to step forward as Iughed it off. However, on the other hand¡­ ¡°¡­Seriously, who are you. ¡­No, who am I to Aguri¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but frown as wave after wave of bitter regret swept through my chest. * In the end, Amano still can¡¯t merge with his group on the 2nd day. ¡­It¡¯s not just that. The decisive barrier is already here, and the sightseeing seems to be over. However, he doesn¡¯t seem upset to the point that I have to worry about. ¡­I was confused, so I took the chance to sit next to Amano on the bus going back to the hotel. I asked him why he doesn¡¯t mind. Then, he answered with a shocked look. ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t really regret it. It¡¯s different than why I got on the wrong train yesterday. Even though I feel like ¡®I messed up¡¯ today, but I¡¯ll never hope for a ¡®restart.¡¯ This is unbelievable. ¡­Ah, but I guess that¡¯s what a psycho thinks, right?¡± I can¡¯t bring myself to face Amano, ¡­while he¡¯s saying all that with a bitter smile. ¡°Sigh! Damn, why can¡¯t I¡­¡± I keep scratching my head to try and vent out the frustration. The girls that came to the guys¡¯ room to y was slightly startled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Tasuku? Feeling lonely for not seeing your girlfriend?¡± Masaya said this jokingly. This guy¡¯s casual attitude is really precious in times like this. Iughed and said, ¡°shut up¡± before standing up from the cushion. ¡°Well, I¡¯m taking a bath.¡± ¡°Okay, take your time.¡± The hotel on the 2nd day is different than yesterday, which is just a straight public bathhouse with a huge tub. Although the onsen seems to be man-made, it still got a vast open-air bathhouse. I¡¯ve heard that there are towels and showering kits provided. So, after I put on the yukata, I left the room with my phone and wallet only. I slowly walked on the corridor made of wooden floor that produces noises when you step on it. It seems that our school is the only one renting the hotel today. I can hear my ssmate¡¯s shouts everywhere. ¡­Although I¡¯m part of the school trip as well, I don¡¯t like these noises when I¡¯m thinking about stuff. I picked the shortest route to the bathhouse and just walked casually in a direction with fewer people. During this time, I suddenly realized that I can call Aguri to chat with me here. However, I¡¯m still regretting the incident on the day. So, I don¡¯t feel like meeting her right now. Even so, ¡­I¡¯ll ept it if she invited me. ¡­I carried this pathetic thought as I wandered around the corridor while holding my smartphone- During this time. ¡°Ouch.¡± ¡°Sorry!¡± Just as I¡¯m about to make a turn, I identally bumped into someone. I didn¡¯t consider this since there¡¯s not a lot of people here. I apologized and tried to walk on the side. ¡­At this moment, I noticed the person¡¯s signature bright blonde hair that¡¯s impossible to unsee. ¡°Ah, Uehara-kun, it¡¯s you?¡± The blonde girl sighed in relief. I was a bit irritated andined to her. ¡°What¡¯s that reaction? I feel like you¡¯re feeling upset for immediately apologizing.¡± ¡°Amazing. It looks like you really understand how a girl thinks.¡± ¡°Oh, you can rely on me if you want to know about a girl¡¯s heart, ¡­or not.¡± The pointless conversation reced our greetings. I rubbed the back of my neck and said, ¡°Then?¡± and urged Tendou to speak up. ¡°Can I ask why is our school idol, who¡¯s being chased all the time, strolling depressingly around a corridor which no one goes through on a school trip?¡± ¡°Hey, hey, that¡¯s my line, Uehara-kun, who¡¯s famous for being smooth and slick.¡± We red at each other fiercely for a while. Then- ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± -Both sighed deeply at the same time. We leaned on the wall of the corridor directly and started exchanging intelligence. ¡°So, Ms. Tendou, how¡¯re you doing on the trip?¡± ¡°So-so, ¡­negatively. How about you, Mr. Uehara?¡± ¡°So-so, ¡­negatively.¡± We sighed again. Tendou put her finger on her forehead as if she¡¯s trying to suppress the headache. ¡°Couples separated in different sses is indeed a big problem.¡± ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s virtually no time for us to have time alone. Although there¡¯re ways for us to squeeze some time out¡­¡± After I said that, my groupmates¡¯ faces shed in my mind. ¡­When I¡¯m having fun with those guys, I don¡¯t think I can excuse myself and leave just because I want to see my girlfriend. I guess Tendou¡¯s more or less the same. It¡¯s not urate to say there¡¯s no way for the couples to meet. However, it¡¯s indeed hard for us to see each other directly. Tendou mumbled. ¡°¡­I¡¯m so useless, even Chiaki-san acted immediately¡­¡± ¡°Hoshinomori?¡± I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s she saying and tilted my head. But Tendou doesn¡¯t want to exin it. She looked up to the roof of the corridor and mumbled to herself. ¡°Love, what even is it¡­¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey, that line is straight out of a fairy tale.¡± I gave her a bitter smile. Then, Tendou cleared her throat embarrassingly with a blush on her face. ¡°This isn¡¯t funny. Please think about it. Right now, when you consider the way that Amano-kun and I have interacted with each other, ¡­which action sets us apart from friends?¡± ¡°Do I even need to say it, you¡­¡± To her question, I can¡¯t help but blush before looking away and answer. ¡°A-Aren¡¯t you two¡­going to kiss or do something even more in the future?¡± Upon hearing my answer, Tendou¡¯s face red up even harder than I do. She¡¯s pissed. ¡°What a shallow way of thinking! That¡¯s what a flirty boy looks like!¡± ¡°Eh! Didn¡¯t you say something simr to Amano in the past! Like that time, you said that you want to take the rtionship to the next level¡­¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s not rted! Moreover, actually, Amano-kun and I¡­have never done anything like that before!¡± ¡°Is that something you should be proud of?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m really envious of you. Your morals are flimsy!¡± ¡°Shut up, Tendou! I¡­I haven¡¯t done anything with my girlfriend either!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The argument immediately stopped. We dropped our shoulders detedly before speaking up helplessly. ¡°Tendou, ¡­let¡¯s stop this kind of pointless mutual attacks¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, ¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I think we ended up in a frustrating situation every time we met. What is this? Why are things also going south whenever I¡¯m talking to Tendou? Tendou continued. ¡°Actually-¡° I guess she wanted to lead the discussion. ¡°If we eliminate all those kinds of direct actions, ¡­how should a couple prove to everyone that they¡¯re really dating?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. ¡­For example, how long the rtionship is, whether you two are on good terms, does the couple match each other, ¡­like those?¡± ¡°¡­If those are real standards, I¡¯m not confident in myself¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but feel a tinge of pain in my heart after hearing Tendou. Indeed, ¡­whenpared to Hoshinomori and Aguri, the girls that are the closest to Amano, I really don¡¯t think Tendou can stand out in those categories. I-It¡¯s not just Tendou. I¡¯m the same. No matter how you think about it, right now, the closest person to Aguri, ¡­the person that¡¯s the most connected to her, should be¡­ After I fell silent, Tendou slowly brought out her smartphone. Just as I¡¯m looking at her, she scrolled on the screen and said something unexpected.¡± ¡°¡­Why don¡¯t we ask Konoha-san too?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I was surprised at the sudden and mysterious choice. Tendou answered with a smile. ¡°In a way, isn¡¯t she the most energetic person among us? So, I think she might have an unexpected clear answer for this kind of questions.¡± ¡°I get it. I guess it makes sense. ¡­However, are you two that close before?¡± ¡°Instead of saying we¡¯re close, ¡­Konoha-sanforted my worries down in the past. I got a unteral good impression on her from that on. We would text each other sometimes, ¡­sigh, even though she¡¯s replying quite rashly.¡± ¡°Replying rashly?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­Look, it¡¯s like this.¡± Tendou showed me her phone with a bitter smile after saying that. The screen showed the message history between them. It¡¯s really rash. Uh, ¡­honestly, I deeply understand how Konoha-san feels. I feel like Tendou¡¯s way of chatting is indeed annoying, and only a hipster will talk to people like that. That interaction is a good example. However, I think Tendou liked Konoha-san¡¯s response too. She chuckled happily and typed the same question again. The tone is very annoying. What does she want? I will never befriend a girl like that. Honestly, I thought she wouldn¡¯t reply again. ¡­Unexpectedly, the answer came around 10 secondster. Tendou¡¯s smartphone vibrated. Tendou unlocked the screen as I peeked. The answer is¡­ ¡°Uwah¡­¡± This girl is super straightforward. Tendou and I were shocked. ¡­I-I didn¡¯t know Konoha-san is a girl like this before? Is she showing her real side because Tendou is really annoying? We fell into a mood that¡¯s hard to describe. ¡­To be frank, this feels really awkward. I wanted to leave, so I added a ¡°well¡± as I stood up from the wall behind. However, at this moment, Tendou¡¯s phone vibrated again. I bet Konoha-san randomly thought of something to cover it up. While I¡¯m still dragging my feet, I requested Tendou to let me see her phone again. In the end, we received a surprising message from her. ¡­It¡¯s something unexpectedly sincere. Her words made us look at each other for a second. ¡­After that, Tendou typed her response. Tendou sent her message out, yet the response isn¡¯ting. Even so, I stayed, and Tendou kept staring at her phone. So, ¡­around a minuteter, Tendou¡¯s phone vibrated. We confirmed the screen quite nervously. ¡­The screen showed Konoha-san¡¯s honest and straightforward answer that she genuinely believed in. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Her answer made us fell speechless. ¡­I don¡¯t understand how Tendou feels, but, at least for me, ¡­what she said¡­deeply stabbed into my chest. I can¡¯t help but look away from the screen immediately due to the pain. (If¡­if that¡¯s the case, ¡­the person that embodies that kind of stupidity and enthusiasm the most is¡­) Crap, my chest is overwhelmed in pain. I just said ¡°bye¡± to Tendou before leaving quickly, not even bothering to hear her response. So, just as I¡¯m about to make a turn, I looked back and nced at Tendou¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± She¡¯s still staring at the screen of her phone. Like a ghost standing alone on a deste corridor. Karen Tendou ¡°¡­Phew¡­¡± I finally got a hold of myself after I sank my shoulders into the bath of the open-air onsen. Upon bidding farewell to Uehara-kun, I stood on the corridor for a while alone. Although Kyoto is in Kansai, the wooden floor still feels cold. To avoid other people, I came to the corner of the onsen after arriving at the bathhouse. At the edge of the spacious bath, I hid behind some rocks to enjoy the hot water. Then¡­ ¡°Wow! This is way bigger than I¡¯ve imagined!¡± I can hear girls talking near the entrance of the bath. So, I hid even deeper to avoid being seen by them. I already gave up on dealing with the attention that my hair and look get. Even so, it¡¯s still embarrassing for someone to stare at my naked body. Just as I¡¯m trying my best to disappear from everyone and remain silent, I suddenly remembered Amano-kun. (Right, ¡­he mentioned that he¡¯s not really getting along with the rest of his ssmates¡­) Honestly, I don¡¯t get what¡¯s he saying since I¡¯ve always lived in the spotlight. After I¡¯ve experienced such a vulnerable and defenseless state, I think I can slightly understand the helplessness he talked about. (Really, you really hate being seen when you¡¯re not confident in yourself¡­) It¡¯s like people staring at my face when my bangs weren¡¯t behaving. From Amano-kun¡¯s perspective, perhaps that¡¯s everything in school for him. Amano-kun is a very attractive person in my eyes. However, I can guarantee that he doesn¡¯t think of himself in the same way. That¡¯s why he¡­ At this point, I can¡¯t help but ssh hot water onto my face. (I¡¯ve never thought about this before¡­) Come to think of it, I¡¯ve always cared for myself only. When I wish to know what¡¯s on Amano-kun¡¯s mind, all I wanted to know is how he thinks about me. I¡¯ve rarely pondered Amano-kun¡¯s troubles or frustrations. (However, Hoshinomori-san and Aguri-san must have¡­) Suddenly, I remembered when his little brother gave me a despising look. Why would a brocon like him give me such a low rating? I think¡­I can slightly understand now. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± I¡¯m getting weaker and weaker. ¡­I¡¯ve always been like this. Once it involves Amano-kun, I¡¯ll totally lose my cool. I can¡¯t maintain my confidence and pride to my own abilities, the Karen Tendou that¡¯s upright and straightforward. Where is he looking, what is he thinking, what does he think about me. I really mind them. ¡°I¡­¡± I clenched my fist tightly in front of my chest. I feel really guilty. I feel totally different than the love theory that Konoha-san proposed. I¡­I should¡­ ¡°?¡± At this moment, I noticed someone is approaching here. The person is pushing away the hot water as she walks. I quickly wiped the tears on the corner of my eyes and calmed myself down. Then, I pretended to be the usual ¡°Karen Tendou¡± and waited for the person to show up. Then, a couple seconds passed. ¡°Uwah!¡± Perhaps she didn¡¯t expect someone to be in this corner, so she let out a gasp in surprise. I smiled politely at her. ¡°Ah, sorry for scaring you-¡° ¡°¡­Karen-san?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The girl spoke up confusingly to me, so I observed her again. A white, charming skin that¡¯s slightly reddish, a good figure that can¡¯t be hidden with a small towel, ¡­and a beautiful face along with her signature hair- ¡°¡­Chiaki-san?¡± I answered in shock. She quickly nodded, and it¡¯s clear that she¡¯s a bit nervous. ¡°Ah, yes, it¡¯s me. ¡­Well, ¡­w-what a coincidence. C-Can I sit next to you?¡± ¡°Eh? Sure, of course, help yourself.¡± I moved a bit aside as I said that. As for Chiaki-san, she folded her towel as she slowly sank into the pool. Then, she squinted and let out a rxed ¡°phew¡± noise. ¡­How adorable. I asked the little animal type girl, who¡¯s chilling rxedly. ¡°By the way, why are youing to a corner like this¡­¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re asking this? Are you asking a loner that?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m the one that wants to ask why a person like you is here, that freaked me out. It¡¯s like opening the treasure chest at the start of the maze and ending up in a final boss fight.¡± ¡°That wouldn¡¯t just freak you out, right. Usually, people will think there¡¯s a bug.¡± ¡°Eh, Karen-san, you got a bug in you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s really impolite. I¡¯m just here to avoid others.¡± ¡°I get it. Beautiful girls attract attention, after all.¡± Chiaki-san gave me a reveled look as she expressed her thoughts like it has nothing to do with her. ¡­Didn¡¯t she know a lot of girls are envious of her figure too? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Since there¡¯s nothing to talk about now, I can¡¯t help but stare at the night sky. While the stars are sparkling from the hot steam, it¡¯s far from pleasing to the eye. (Inparison, ¡­when I¡¯m climbing the stairs to Starry za, that night sky I saw from the middle of the hill seems to be even more beautiful¡­) Right away, I remembered the things that happened on that night and snapped out of it. I can¡¯t help but look to the side, and I realized Chiaki-san is also staring at the sky dazedly as well. (¡­Now would be a good time¡­to confirm what I¡¯ve seen¡­) I wanted to ask her, but my mouth just opens and closes. I can¡¯t muster a word out. How weak do I have to be? I¡¯m ashamed of myself from the bottom of the heart, so I can¡¯t help but lower my head. Then- ¡°¡­Well, something happened on the night when we yed GOM.¡± -Chiaki-san seems to have seen what I was thinking, and she suddenly brought this up. I raised my face. As for her, she¡¯s still staring at the sky. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± A couple seconds of silence followed soon as if she¡¯s hesitating. However, ¡­she¡¯s different. She looked at me with determination boiling in her eyes. Then, with an embarrassed smile, she revealed everything to me. ¡°I confessed to Keita, and then he rejected me.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± The truth suddenly revealed itself. It made me speechless. What she said was really surprising. Moreover, ¡­for some reason, she looks really charming. Chiaki-san then pped her hands together like she¡¯s sincerely sorry and apologized to me. ¡°S-Sorry, Karen-san! E-Even though I know Keita is dating you, I still confessed to her. I¡¯m such a horrible person! Uh, so, please despise and scold me however you want!¡± ¡°Eh, ¡­ehhh?¡± ¡°Do it, you don¡¯t need to hold back, Karen-san! Please call me a foxy woman until you¡¯re satisfied! Ah, no, I failed to seduce Keita in the end, so it¡¯s not appropriate to call me a foxy woman. Uh, well, ¡­you can just call me a pig! I¡¯m a pig! Bu, bu!¡± ¡°What are you going on about! No, please don¡¯t do that! Please stop!¡± ¡°B-B-But, there¡¯s this dragon of ¡®Atonement¡¯ ravaging in my heart right now¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re going with that again! Aren¡¯t there too many things that are ravaging your heart! Please get a hold of yourself!¡± ¡°I understand. ¡­I¡­I will bite my tongue to get a hold my self! Hnnng!¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± ¡°Ow, ow, Karen-san. S-Stop it.¡± Chiaki-san is really trying to bite her tongue. So, I pinched her soft cheeks and started pulling to stop her weird and ridiculous way of atonement. Anyway, when both sides finally calmed down a little, I spoke up first. ¡°However, if you know that you¡¯ll regret it like this, why are you confessing to him¡­¡± Chiaki-san scratched her cheeks after hearing my question. ¡°Ahaha, ¡­I-I wonder why. ¡­W-Weird? If I remembered correctly, ¡­uwahh,e to think of it, I didn¡¯t wish for anything during that confession! Even if Keita epted it, the consequence would be cruel! It¡¯s super scary! What was I doing!¡± ¡°You only realized it now? If that¡¯s the case, why are you¡­¡± I¡¯m absolutely dumbfounded. Chiaki answered with an embarrassed smile. ¡°Ahaha, ¡­but, at that time, I didn¡¯t think of anything after the confession. ¡­Jeez, I¡¯m such an idiot.¡± ¡°¡­Ah¡­¡± Suddenly, I remembered Konoha-san¡¯s definition of love. That sentence was repeated in my brain several times. I fell silent. Chiaki-san continued. ¡°Anyway, Karen-san, I¡¯ve always wanted to tell you this and apologize to you. ¡­Actually, Keita and I were thinking of the same thing.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, that¡¯s why you two¡­¡± I finally understood everything. The two are indeed not trying to tell me that they¡¯re dating. It¡¯s just like what Uehara-kun had said, I¡¯m just freaking myself out. However¡­ (Why can¡¯t I¡­feel sincerely happy even though the misunderstanding is cleared up¡­) There¡¯s absolutely nothing between these two. Moreover, they¡¯re extremely sincere to me. Even so, ¡­what is this kind of insecurity and worry that¡¯s still lingering in my heart right now? Chiaki-san continued nervously. ¡°Well, Keita is really loyal to you. That¡¯s why he wanted to exin the confession to you! So! Well, it¡¯s okay for you to despise or hate me, but please don¡¯t me him¡­¡± Chiaki-san begged me worriedly. I replied with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Chiaki-san. Who will hate you just because of that? Not to mention Amano-kun¡­¡± ¡°Ughh, ¡­how generous¡­! ¡­M-Mydy! UWAHHHHHH!¡± ¡°But could you deal with the emotions that are ravaging in your heart right now as soon as possible?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Chiaki-san sank her mouth into the water embarrassingly. She¡¯s adorable, and I can¡¯t help but smile at her. ¡°However, ¡­if you promised Amano-kun that you¡¯re exining this together, why are you confessing to me alone?¡± Just as I¡¯m asking her with a thoroughly unbelievable expression, Chiaki-san slowly stood up from the bath and faced me with a warm smile. ¡°It¡¯s rare for us to go on a school trip like this. There¡¯s no way for me to just leave a barrier between Keita and you. Instead of that, ¡­instead of letting Keita suffer, I¡­I can break all the promises I made with Keita.¡± She exined to me with a determined look. What a charming girl. As for me, ¡­I finally realized it. (Ah, this¡­this is the real¡­what Konoha-san has talked about¡­) If this¡­if this¡­is really how a considerate person should be- Then, ¡­I, ¡­the only thing I can do for Amano-kun is¡­ ¡°¡­Phew. By the way, the onsen is super nice and warm, ¡­Karen-san.¡± I started pondering. Chiaki-san, who sank her shoulderspletely into the bath, spoke up with an intoxicated look. I sank my shoulders into the hot water with her too. Then, I slowly closed my eyes and expressed my feelings sincerely. ¡°Really, ¡­it feels warm. ¡­It¡¯s nice, Chiaki-san.¡± Keita Amano ¡°Hiya, I didn¡¯t expect them to just throw me away¡­¡± The rural student, who can¡¯t even figure out his directions, is standing in the Tokyo station alone. ¡­Hello, as you can see here, this is me on the 3rd day. The man that was finally ¡°abandoned¡± by his groupmates, Keita Amano. I was impressed that I stood here for so long, ¡­am I really an idiot? I leaned on the pir before the ticket gate as I deeply sighed. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m advancing towards the devil¡¯s abyss steadily¡­¡± If things are progressing this way, I don¡¯t even know what will happen on the 4th day of the trip. ¡­It terrifies me by merely thinking about it. ¡°Sigh, whatever.¡± I mumbled and cheered myself up as I switched my mindset. In reality, I¡¯m not that upset from being ¡°abandoned¡± by my groupmates. I¡¯ve always been a loner, so I don¡¯t find the idea of doing stuff on my own repulsive. The worst part is while being with everyone, they still tried to pull some ¡°petty actions¡± on me. From this perspective, now that I¡¯m entirely alone, I feel this is way better and more rxing. ¡°Even so, there¡¯s nothing for a loner to do in Tokyo.¡± I tried to search ¡°Tokyo,¡± ¡°Sightseeing¡± online, but the results didn¡¯t impress me at all. This whole day is supposed for group activities. We nned to go to the Tokyo Tower, Ueno, and Asakusa. But, ¡­now that things went this way, honestly, I don¡¯t like following them anymore. I should enjoy myself if I was left alone. After a while, I decided to message the members of the Game Hobby Club. During this time, of course, Aguri-san is the first one to give me a response. ¡°Whatedy.¡± What¡¯s wrong with this gal? She¡¯s pissing me off. Is she a devil that treats my misfortunate as snacks? Just as I¡¯m feeling angry, Uehara-kun messaged me next. Seriously, why would a saint like this date a devil? This world is ridiculous. ¡­Well, perhaps the disparate couple should remain silent. Just as I¡¯m thinking about all that, Chiaki sent me a confusing message. ¡°Get this done?¡± What is she talking about? Is Chiaki bringing her group to me? While I¡¯m happy to know that Tendou-san will be here, ¡­but I don¡¯t know the other members of the group. I endured this overwhelmingly restless feeling and waited for 3 minutes. Suddenly, my phone is vibrating. I remained cautious since I thought something went wrong, but it looks like it¡¯s just a phone call. ¡­My loner history was too long. It¡¯s rare for me to receive a call like this¡­ ¡°Uh, strange, Tendou-san?¡± I looked at the screen, and Tendou-san is calling me. While I¡¯m still confused, Tendou-san¡¯s energetic voice immediately went over the phone. ¡°Amano-kun, let¡¯s have a date in Tokyo. We¡¯re touring Tokyo together!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I¡¯m undoubtedly moved by her suggestion. Of course, I didn¡¯t bother to ask for details and epted her invitation right away. The result is- * ¡°We¡¯re here, Akihabara!¡± ¡°I figured it would be like this¡­¡± This is a bit of a rip-off of my imagination of a ¡°Tokyo tour.¡± Anyway, Tendou-san and I came to a ce like this. Tendou-san protested me, who¡¯s feeling a bit disappointed, with her sparkling eyes. ¡°Amano-kun, what¡¯s wrong with you! This is Akihabara, Akihabara! Isn¡¯t this a holynd for gamers!¡± ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s true if you put it that way. ¡­However, it¡¯s not like there¡¯re games that can only be bought here nowadays¡­¡± Well, I¡¯m still a part of the otaku tribe, so it¡¯s not right to say that I¡¯m somewhat impressed with the name ¡°Akihabara.¡± ¡­But if you ask me whether I had a clear goal when I came here, honestly, there isn¡¯t. However, from Tendou-san¡¯s perspective, this doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. She exined excitedly. ¡°I feel like there would be a lot of ssic games waiting for me here, Amano-kun!¡± ¡°Uh, I¡¯m not an old-school yer. Moreover, thetest releases already ate all of my time¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of souvenirs that you can¡¯t see at home too!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m more or less interested, ¡­but I still love the game itself more¡­¡± ¡°Ah, Amano-kun, look! That¡¯s the gship store of Gamers, the gship store of Gamers! It feels really familiar!¡± ¡°Indeed, how unbelievable.¡± ¡°Please look, Amano-kun! Maids! She¡¯s cute, really cute!¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re way cuter than her.¡± ¡°Hiya!¡± Tendou-san suddenly gasped and paused. Although it¡¯s good that she finally calmed down, she plopped her head down and shivered with a heavy blush. I¡¯m quite bothered by this, but I don¡¯t understand why. What¡¯s wrong with her? There¡¯s nothing I can do. So, I looked at the streets of Akihabara from the station and said thank you to Tendou-san again. ¡°By the way, thank you, Tendou-san. You cam all the way here to hang out with a loner like me¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing.¡± She finally snapped out of it and answered. ¡°I¡¯m the one that asked you toe to Akihabara with me.¡± ¡°But Tendou-san, are you sure that you don¡¯t want to stick with your group¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine. We weren¡¯t going to the same ce, anyway. Also, we already agreed that we¡¯re separating today.¡± ¡°Really.¡± I pressed my chest in relief and started touring the district with Tendou-san again. I didn¡¯t know that I¡¯ll get this feeling from walking alone, ¡­the streets of Akihabara really tune you up. The whole road is filled with games and manga, something that I¡¯ll never see back home. Even though we¡¯re doing nothing, I¡¯m happy by just being in this ce. This is the most ¡°sightseeing¡± thing I¡¯ve done so far. To enjoy this atmosphere, Tendou-san and I toured and appreciated the streets for a while. Then, we stumbled upon a game store and realized there¡¯s a discount area. Both of our eyes are sparkling as we tried finding what we like. ¡­It¡¯s time for me to admit this. No matter how you put it, I¡¯m the type that doesn¡¯t care romance when games appeared in front of my eyes. During this time, Tendou-san grabbed a Nintendo game as she mumbled. ¡°¡­Actually, Chiaki-san put a lot of effort so that we can be alone today.¡± ¡°Chiaki?¡± I read the text behind the Dreamcast game cover and questioned her. Tendou-san nodded as she continued ¡°Yes. Thanks to Chiaki-san trying her best and persuade all the groupmates to disband as soon as possible, that¡¯s why I cane here¡­¡± ¡°Oh, ¡­really.¡± I put the game back onto the shelve as I sincerely appreciated Chiaki. ¡­Jeez, that seaweed is really¡­ During this time, Tendou-san stared at my face for some reason. I stepped back and asked her with a blush. ¡°I-Is there anything wrong?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. ¡­Amano-kun, it¡¯s time for us to leave, right.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, sure.¡± We left the store when Tendou-san urged me. Although we tried finding our games, we ended up buying nothing. While we¡¯re kind of sorry to the store because of the window shopping, we¡¯re already satisfied when there¡¯s a bunch of rare games. It¡¯s been an hour since we left the store and walked around the streets of Akihabara. It¡¯s time for us to switch ces, right? Just as I started to think about that, Tendou-san seems unable to suppress her excitement and suggested to me. ¡°Amano-kun, Amano-kun! Let¡¯s visit the arcade too!¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Going to an arcade on the school trip, it sounds like what a shallow delinquent would do. So, a typical obedient student like me would find this idea a bit ufortable. However, if my cute girlfriend¡¯s staring at me with her watery eyes, it can¡¯t be helped. Goodbye, the once obedient student. I wanted topromise and said, ¡°We¡¯re just going to stay for a while¡­¡± Then, we entered therge arcade in the middle of the path that heads toward the station. ¡­Entering an arcade in the middle of the day with uniforms on, I hope I don¡¯t get a detention. ¡°Eh, weird? There¡¯s a lot of people in this arcade, right?¡± ¡°Really?¡± My girlfriend doesn¡¯t seem to be mind as she walked further inside. I followed her and observed the situation around. There are more people the further I go. Just as I¡¯m starting to feel that this is indeed unusual, I saw the poster on the wall. ¡°Ah, indeed. Tendou-san, look, a few famous cosyers came here to advertise a new game. ¡­Eh, hey? Tendou-san?¡± Once I snapped out of it, Tendou-san disappeared. It looks like she went further in. This girl is still just as attracted to gaming. ¡­Well, even though I shouldn¡¯t say anything. Although I shrugged helplessly, I headed forward to try and find my rampaging girlfriend- ¡°Eh? Ah, uh, wait, it¡¯s not like that. You¡¯re wrong. I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°?¡± -I realized something was wrong just as I¡¯m about to move. It seems that Tendou-san¡¯s in trouble, and the people began to cheer. I got a bad feeling. So, although I feel terrible for the crowd, I forced my way forward. So, when I finally reached the end, I saw- -The Karen Tendou Photoshoot that¡¯s even more popr than the cosyers. Tendou-san freaked out and waved her hands. ¡°I-I told you it¡¯s not like that. Uh, I¡¯m not participating in the activity!¡± ¡­Crap, I didn¡¯t know Tendou-san¡¯s being startled was this adorable. Also, I¡¯m not just the only one thinking that. The entire coward is overwhelmed by her charm. (¡­Ah, I guess it can¡¯t be helped. After all, there¡¯s an unrealistic and adorable blonde girl wearing a high school uniform¡­) Everyone will misunderstand if she appeared in a cosyer¡¯s scene. It¡¯s not right to me those photographers. Even so, I still can¡¯t stand Tendou-san being caught up in trouble. Now that I can see everything, a guy is trying to get a low-angle shot- ¡°Karen!¡± -I immediately yelled out and forced my way to her. Then, I grabbed Tendou-san¡¯s hand and pulled her to me. ¡°What are you doing, jeez! Hey, we¡¯re going!¡± ¡°Eh? A-Amano-kun¡­¡± ¡°Uh, sorry for interrupting everyone. She¡¯s just a passerby. I¡¯m sorry about the misunderstanding caused. Well, we¡¯ll be leaving!¡± I apologized as I dragged Tendou-san¡¯s hand out of the scene. So, we left the arcade like this and walked for around 50 meters. ¡°A-Amano-kun, well, ¡­well¡­¡± ¡°WHAT!¡± She spoke timidly to me, and I angrily answered since I¡¯m still not over it. During this time, although Tendou-san is acting embarrassed, ¡­she still mumbled to me. ¡°Uh, ¡­if we¡¯re in front of that many people, it seems a bit embarrassing¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I don¡¯t understand what she means, so I looked back. Then¡­ ¡°Ah¡­¡± Somehow, ¡­I didn¡¯t even notice that I¡¯m holding Tendou-san¡¯s hand tightly. We¡¯re walking tantly on the street with our hands together like a couple. My face immediately red up, and steam¡¯sing out. Then, I quickly let go of her hand and apologized. ¡°S-Sorry, Tendou-san! Ah, uwah, how could I do something so arrogant¡­¡± ¡°Ah, no, that¡¯s not true. I don¡¯t hate it, uh¡­¡± We plopped our heads down while still blushing. I understand that everyone around is giving us a ¡°what the hell are you two doing¡± look, but forget that. I scratched the back of my brain as I apologized to Tendou-san. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. ¡­When I saw that you¡¯re in trouble, I¡­I¡­¡± I deeply reflected on myself and expressed my sincere thought to Tendou-san. ¡°I just forget everything and acted recklessly.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I replied to her confusing reaction with a question mark on my head. For some reason, ¡­tears formed on Tendou-san¡¯s eyes. ¡­At the same time, she¡¯s staring at me with a very gentle look. ¡°Really, ¡­you¡¯re just the same.¡± ¡°H-Hmm?¡± W-What does this mean? Anyway, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s angry¡­ Just as I¡¯m freaking out, Tendou-san took a deep breath. Then, she continued with a face full of determination. ¡°Well, ¡­I need to return your sincere feelings too.¡± ¡°O-Okay¡­¡± C-Crap, I don¡¯t know where this is going. Even though I don¡¯t understand, I can hear that this is something very important. So, I¡¯m startled. My body turned stiff. Then, Tendou-san, ¡­my girlfriend grabbed my hand and just directly lead me forward as she spoke up cheerfully. ¡°Amano-kun! We¡¯re going to have as much fun as we can on our date! Alright!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡­I¡¯m not sure of the details. However, ¡­there¡¯s nothing more important than us having fun. ¡°¡­Yeah! Of course! Let¡¯s enjoy today, Tendou-san!¡± I answered her energetically. Come to think of it, this was the happiest day of the school trip for her and me. Aguri The morning of the 4th day that signaled the end of the school trip. I woke up earlier than my groupmates. Then, I upied the washstand and tried my best to tidy up my looks. After all, today, ¡­is the day where we can do whatever we want in Disnend. This is the main show for me. In reality, until today, I can sum up my experience on the school trip in one sentence ¨C ¡°It¡¯s not fun.¡± There¡¯s nothing for me to say aside from that. Of course, it¡¯s quite fun to tour around with my ssmates. We toured, ate, stayed up all night, and yed together. However, Tasuku wasn¡¯t there, ¡­the person that I loved the most isn¡¯t there. Once I realized that, all of my happiness faded away. It will be tastier if I¡¯m with Tasuku. It will be happier if I¡¯m with Tasuku. This thought kept appearing in my mind, no matter what. Although I feel terrible for my groupmates, I can¡¯t help but think it that way. People often say that it¡¯s easy to be lovesick. Indeed, this kind of emotion that permeates my body and my mind that¡¯s harmful to daily lives is a kind of sickness. There¡¯s only one way to suppress the symptoms: seeing Tasuku directly and absorb his everything. ¡­Ah, no, aside from that, there¡¯s one way for me to vent this out right now. I quickly clicked on my smartphone at the side of the washstand and messaged myrade in arms. So, he seems to be awake as well and immediately responded. Amanhi sent a sticker with an angry face and left. I can¡¯t help but chuckle after seeing that, and then I looked at the mirror again. ¡°Alright, ¡­I¡¯ll be giving my everything today!¡± Perhaps I¡¯m way too excited to see Tasuku. Right now, I can see that I¡¯m full of energy in the mirror. ¡°Hey, Amanhi. I¡¯m here.¡± I arrived at the za immediately after entering the Disnend entrance. Then, I realized the small guy that¡¯s getting pushed around in the crowd, so I waved and yelled at him. So, he- Amanhi, noticed me and cheered up right away as he dashed here. ¡°Ah, Aguri-san, good morning!¡± Even though I just pranked Amanhi this morning, he¡¯s still running towards me with a face full of smile. He¡¯s slightly out of breath. I can¡¯t help butugh and pat his head. ¡°Ahhh, Amanhi, you¡¯re really a loyal dog.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, does my hair looks like I just woke up?¡± Amanhi seems to have misunderstood something, so he tried his best to tidy up his bangs. ¡­Jeez. I casually scratched his head and walked forward. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯re buying the Loverbears before everyone, Amanhi.¡± ¡°Eh, what the hell are you doing, damn!¡± I guess Amanhi spent a long time on his hair in the morning. ¡­His hair is way too tidy, and it¡¯s not adorable at all. He¡¯s furious since I basically trashed it. As for me, I casually started whistling and walked into the store, not paying attention to the guy behind. Amanhi started fiddling his head with tears in his eyes. Then, he let out a sigh in relief after taking a look at the store. ¡°Ah, no one is lining up at the cashier. That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°Yep, it¡¯s not rare but expensive, after all. However, that¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I feel like it¡¯s very suited for Tendou-san as a present!¡± The innocent boy immediately grabbed his wallet from the bag tightly with sparkling eyes. I casually snatched the wallet from his head. Amanhi almost cried out immediately and reacted as if the world is ending. ¡°G-Give me back my wallet, Jyaian!¡± [Note: Jyaian is the bully from Doraemon.] ¡°Who¡¯s Jyaian? Take it. You should keep it safe if you¡¯re holding it.¡± After I returned it, Amanhi carefully defended his wallet and stared at me like he¡¯s throwing a tantrum. ¡°In this dreamy kingdom, only a barbaric gal will have an evil idea like that¡­¡± ¡°¡­Hey.¡± ¡°Uwah! What the, I¡¯m holding it really tightly just then! What kind of thief skill is that!¡± ¡°Alright, Amanhi. Let¡¯s see how much you got in your wallet¡­¡± ¡°S-Stop it, Jyaian!¡± Amano begged me with tears in his eyes. ¡­.Oh. (What is this? I really want to bully Amanhi whenever I see him. At the same time, I really wish that he¡¯s going to be blessed.) To me, Amanhi is an unbelievable person. Although in terms of the opposite gender, he¡¯s just a pawnpared to Tasuku. However, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re just regr friends. ¡°¡­Hmm, servant? ve? Pet? ¡­Ah, perhaps it¡¯s an animal you would y with¡­¡± ¡°Uwah, Jyaian is mumbling something super scary!¡± I yed with Amanhi¡¯s wallet as I pondered. Regrettably, I don¡¯t have any siblings. But if I have a little brother, I guess the result will be simr. Sigh, strictly speaking, it''s not urate since I don¡¯t have one. I thought about this as I walked further into the store. Finally, we arrived at the limited Loverbears area. The high-ss Loverbears are paired up and separated into different colors. I gave Amanhi his wallet back as we started looking for the bears we want. ¡°Hmm, ¡­blue and pink, ¡­does it look like Tasuku and me¡­¡± ¡°No, you can only choose ck and white. It¡¯s because it¡¯s the ckhearted devil and her saint boyfriend-¡° I elbowed Amanhi¡¯s stomach a bit forcefully. He continued agonizingly. ¡°Who allowed this person into Dreand. ¡­Why isn¡¯t the magical barrier working¡­¡± He¡¯s moaning like a disgusting otaku. Then, he barely got a hold of himself and started picking his bears. ¡°If it¡¯s for Tendou-san and me, I guess I should choose yellow that can match her blonde hair and the ssic male blue color¡­¡± ¡°Eh, let¡¯s cut it in half. You only need to get the yellow one, right?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a demon. A real demon has invaded Dreand!¡± Amanhi started shivering. ¡­Crap, I¡¯m enjoying this a lot. Anyway, I messed with Amanhi as we rated the bears. So, atst, I bought the pink and green Loverbears. Amanhi got the yellow and blue one. The Loverbears had their price tag removed before being put into the bag. Although there¡¯s an adorable packaging, Loverbears should be directly given to our partners. So, Amanhi and I refused. Comparatively, we left the store carefully with the bags in our hands. Then, Amanhi asked me this when we¡¯re heading towards the za where everyone in the Game Hobby Club will meet. ¡°Aguri-san, why are you giving the green Loverbear to Uehara-kun? It¡¯s okay to not choose a blue one?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Amanhi, you chose blue to represent yourself, after all.¡± ¡°Yes. This is a ssic color. Moreover, you would associate the name Amano to blue, right.¡± ¡°Yep. Well, if you picked blue, doesn¡¯t blue sound disgusting to me now?¡± ¡°This girl suddenly stabbed me with a knife.¡± Amanhi dropped his shoulders detedly. Iughed and continued. ¡°Ay, actually, it¡¯s not good for both sides to receive the same colors. Moreover, instead of themon blue, ¡­I think Tasuku¡¯s impression needs a manlier color. Hoho.¡± ¡°Alright, thanks for that. Instead of picking the passerby blue like me, Uehara-kun is really more suited to a green color that reminds people of nature.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± I took out the Loverbears from my bag. Looking at the pink and green bear sticking together lovingly, it made me smile as well. The bell on the neck of the bears is ringing adorably. Amanhi took out his Loverbears like me. The yellow and blue bears are clinging to each other blissfully too. We can¡¯t help but stop. Then, we looked at each other Loverbears¡¯ and was immersed in this sense of throbbing. ¡°That job¡­was really tough, right, Amanhi?¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­it¡¯s really tough.¡± Since the local customers have terrible attitudes, the cashier job at the supermarket is more challenging than I¡¯ve imagined. Especially for Amanhi, he¡¯s so stressed that he ended up losing weight every time his shift was over. Amanhi is different from me, who¡¯s good at cking off and were just trying to earn some cash. He¡¯ll provide more-than-necessary assistance when a customer requested it. Also, if someoneined, no matter how unreasonable it is, he¡¯ll feel sincerely depressed. A boy with an attitude like him will have a harsh life. Even so, if Amanhi had a small chance to ¡°prove his love to Tendou-san,¡± he remained determined and continued working. ¡­So, finally, he got the Loverbears that he wished for today. Come to think of it, although I really treasure my own pair of Loverbears too, I¡¯m still unreasonably touched when I saw Amanhi got his. Also, it looks like I¡¯m not the only one that thinks this way. Amanhi is looking at my Loverbears throbbingly as well as he spoke up embarrassingly. ¡°Uh, well, Aguri-san, thanks for everything.¡± ¡°Ahaha, what was that? Are you going to die?¡± Amanhi¡¯s acting like he¡¯s about to face the final boss in a game. I can¡¯t hold myughter. However, in reality, I can understand how he feels right now. ¡­The meeting ce isn¡¯t far ahead. Finally, I want to myst cheers to Amanhi, ¡­myrade in arms. So, I carefully grabbed my pink Loverbear. After that, I put the teddy in front of me as if I¡¯m a ventriloquist. I waved its¡¯ hands as I pretended to speak. ¡°Well, well! See you in battle, Private Amano!¡± ¡°Eh, I didn¡¯t know Loverbear is a character like that?¡± Amano gave my act a bitter smile, but he grabbed his blue Loverbear as well. Then, he put it in front of his face and cheered me too. ¡°Thanks, Sergeant Aguri. I hope you do well in the fight!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Then, we showed our faces from the teddy and chuckled at each other. There¡¯s a sense of warmth and courage flooding in my chest right now. I hope Amanhi is the same. We put our Loverbears back into the bags carefully to prevent our partners from noticing that there¡¯s a present. Then- ¡°Let¡¯s go, Amanhi.¡± ¡°Alright, Aguri-san.¡± -The two of us finally took a step towards the final stage. Tasuku Uehara Let¡¯s start with the conclusion. We had so much fun at Disnend today. Since everyone in the Game Hobby Club agreed to stick together, the couples didn¡¯t get to enjoy flirting with each other. However, it¡¯s impossible for us to not feel happy when we can tour around the theme park with our best friends. Especially the fact that this is different than the double date in the Viva Spiel Kingdom, we didn¡¯t spend a lot of effort on weird ideas and tricks. Thanks to that, we can genuinely enjoy ourselves in the rides. When we were on the rollercoaster, Tendou calmly said that ¡°it¡¯s literally just for freaking kids out,¡± and yet her legs are trembling. We all gave her a bitter smile. When we¡¯re in double-seat rides, Amano and I always ended up together since we randomly decided the seats, which made us allugh. When we¡¯re in rides that give you a leisure world settings, it¡¯s really warm for us to Amano and Hoshinomori are so touched that they¡¯re acting like innocent children. So, the evening hits in a sh, herees the long-awaited duel between Amano and Hoshinomori¡­ Well, about this activity, Amano and Hoshinomori scored equally ¨C rankingst among the Game Hobby Club. It¡¯s a terrible oue. Those two didn¡¯t just lose to Tendou and me. They¡¯re even falling way behind of Aguri, who¡¯s not a gamer at all. Speaking of how depressed they were, they don¡¯t even care who won the duel anymore. Their disheartened look always made usugh our butts off. Also, although there¡¯s not a chance for the couples to be alone, I think we should thank an arrangement like this. The time when I had fun together with Aguri is just like the past. No, we were way more intimate. Aside from that, I¡¯ll acknowledge this once again for every chance. Indeed, Aguri¡¯s smile is always my favorite. I bet it¡¯s just the same for Amano and Tendou. You can only understand how important and blessed your partner is in a group, instead of the two being alone. This was a throbbing day. Even so, none of us flirted with each other today. So, at least we didn¡¯t distance ourselves from Hoshinomori, ¡­but it¡¯s hard to say. Anyway, from my perspective, Hoshinomori enjoyed this day thoroughly. No, it¡¯s not just that, whenpared to the past, Hoshinomori is opening her heart to Amano and Tendou even more. I didn¡¯t expect this. They can give off a ¡°best friend¡± mood even when they¡¯re just arguing. Perhaps it¡¯s just my imagination, but I secretly asked Aguri how does she feel about them. She has the exact same idea as I do. However, in the end, Aguri and I didn¡¯t understand the reason at all. It¡¯s more like, I didn¡¯t know how Tendou stopped suspecting whether the two are dating or not. Sigh, ¡­no matter what, everything¡¯s okay as long as they¡¯re happy. So, Aguri and I decided to not ask for details, especially not in front of Tendou. So, we had our fun in Disnend today. Then, the sun is setting, and we need to find a good spot to watch the parade. The couples are finally separating from each other. However¡­ ¡°Hoshinomori, are you sure you want to be alone?¡± I can¡¯t help but say this to Hoshinomori. The leisurely atmosphere suddenly got a bit tenser. There¡¯re a lot of couples walking around happily in the dark theme park. Although we decided this in prior, this situation still made us feel guilty to Hoshinomori. Just as everyone is having a ¡°why don¡¯t we just go together¡± mood, Hoshinomori quickly rejected such an indecisive suggestion. ¡°No, it¡¯s too much for me to watch the parade among two pairs of couples. That already counts as bullying to me.¡± Perhaps she¡¯s right. Even so, we¡¯re still hesitating. So, Hoshinomori turned around and looked back at us with a smile. ¡°Well! Since I¡¯m not interested in the parade, I¡¯m going to use this opportunity and y the now-empty rides that were full at day! Bye!¡± Hoshinomori immediately ran off like she doesn¡¯t tolerate any other options. ¡­Honestly, I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s just forcing herself. However, she¡¯s already doing so much for us. It¡¯s not wise for us to keep her here, right. We decided to ept her courtesy genuinely. ¡­Ay, in reality, ¡­there¡¯s something I want to say to Aguri alone. I guess Tendou¡¯s the same. ¡°Well, it¡¯s time for us to¡­¡± I urged them. Then, Amano and Tendou nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay. Well, see youter, Uehara-kun.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving, Uehara-kun, Aguri-san.¡± The two didn¡¯t forget to bid farewell. Aguri smiled and waved at them. ¡°Enjoy yourselves.¡± Aguri¡¯s lighthearted cheers made Tendou answer with a smile. ¡°Yeah, the same goes for you.¡± So, just as they¡¯re leaving, ¡­Amano smiled slightly at Aguri. Aguri replied with the same smile. ¡­It¡¯s nothing big; that¡¯s all of the interaction. It¡¯s far less shocking than the attempted kissing scene before. However, no, that¡¯s why. (¡­I guess so¡­) I can feel that a certain thorn in my heart disappeared utterly. I spoke to Aguri after we saw Amano and Tendou leaving. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go find a seat.¡± ¡°Okay, ¡­maybe we¡¯ll bump into Amanhi.¡± ¡°That would be awkward, ¡­well, even though I think it¡¯s quite likely.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± We chatted with each other while strolling around the park. The gloomy main streets are already covered with a lot of pic mats. All of the families and couples are looking forward to the parade. Aguri stared at them gently and mumbled. ¡°I feel like¡­this is really great. It¡¯s different than the energetic and cheerful happiness we experienced in the morning. I guess¡­it¡¯s a soothing sense of happiness.¡± Aguri slightly blushed as she crossed her arms in front of her chest and mumbled. ¡°¡­Ha, what was that. T-This isn¡¯t like you at all¡­¡± I can¡¯t help butugh out at my gal girlfriend¡¯s emotional speech. Aguri pouted and protested. ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong! Sometimes I¡¯ll feel like that too¡­¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Ay, how long since I¡¯ve flirted with my girlfriend innocently. We joked around as we slowly toured the park. Honestly, ¡­I don¡¯t care about the parade anymore. Right now, at this moment, I feel incredibly blessed¡­by just taking a walk with her leisurely. However, Aguri seems to be looking forward to the parade. Since we still can¡¯t find a good ce, she mumbled a bit angrily. ¡°Ugh, ¡­it looks like we¡¯re totallyte¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. ¡­If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t we just go further away. Instead of squeezing ourselves in the crowd, it¡¯s better to just watch from afar rxedly, right.¡± ¡°¡­Sigh, you¡¯re right, Tasuku. It¡¯s enough for me as long as I can see your face.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t say that so calmly. ¡­I don¡¯t know how to react.¡± My face is ring up. Aguri has always presented her love to me casually. However, if youpared the times that I don¡¯t really care and right now, my ¡°damage taken from embarrassment¡± is two digits more. ¡°R-Really, ¡­uh¡­¡± I guess Aguri didn¡¯t expect me to react in this way too, so she scratched her face embarrassingly and fell silent. We continued walking without saying much else. ¡­Actually, I don¡¯t really mind whether we can find a seat or not anymore. In the end, when we snapped out of it, we arrived at the unpopr ride that was empty since noon. During this time, we can hear cheers from the crowd somewhere. It looks like the parade is starting. We observed the situation dazedly and just stood there, the lights are sparkling from afar. ¡°Uwah, we can¡¯t even see the parade from here.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Aguri and I talked to each other, yet we¡¯re not regretting it at all. ¡­The two of us just stood together. We¡¯re already happy with just that. So, we remained silent for a while. Then, Aguri spoke up. ¡°Ah, right.¡± She turned around and started searching for something in her bag. ¡­Is she taking a pic mat out? ¡°Yes, yes, there wouldn¡¯t be a better chance than this. ¡­I¡¯m sure Amanhi right now is also¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Aguri seems to be excited, and I¡¯m blessed as well. However, that¡¯s why¡­ I looked at her quietly. Aguri took the thing she¡¯s looking for, ¡­but she immediately hid it behind her to prevent me from seeing it. Then, she gave me a childish smile. ¡°Hehe, Tasuku¡­Tasuku! There¡¯s something I want to say to you.¡± That smile¡­made my heart is tightening up to the point where I feel pain. However, I managed to answer. ¡°¡­Really. I want to tell you something, too, Aguri.¡± ¡°Eh, really? What is it, what is it? Uh, well, well, ¡­you can go ahead first!¡± Aguri urged me with a bright smile. Looking at her, ¡­ I can feel that my love for this girl is about to overwhelm my heart. ¡°Aguri.¡± ¡°Hiya?¡± I took a step closer to her. Our bodies can almost touch each other. Even though we¡¯re a couple, ¡­ we¡¯ve never been so close before. ¡°Tasuku, you-¡° Aguri is confused. However, I want to calm her down, so I bowed down and- ¡°Ah¡­¡± I kissed her forehead. Karen Tendou ¡°We ended up somewhere far away from the parade.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± We kept walking towards a less crowded area, and then we ended up in a deserted ce. Also, I think the rides around here seem to be closed way earlier than the actual closing time of the park. We can¡¯t even see any tourist or staff members here, not to mention the people who want to see the parade. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s hard to believe that the famous Disnend will be this gloomy and quiet when it¡¯s still open. We looked at each other. ¡­Then, we can¡¯t help butugh. ¡°This is really like us in a sense, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Yeah. No one can beat me when ites to finding a lonely ce.¡± ¡°Why are you proud of that.¡± Amano-kun and I chuckled at each other. ¡­We don¡¯t really care how far the parade is anymore. We just felt that¡­we¡¯re really happy right now. We looked at the lights of the parade from afar as we passed this rxed moment. During this time, Amano-kun suddenly mumbled. ¡°Right, right, I almost forgot.¡± Then, he moved his bag to the front and started searching for something. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°?¡± Amano-kun nced at me. Then, for some reason, he hid his bag behind his body to prevent me from seeing it. Although I don¡¯t understand what he¡¯s trying to do, ¡­I¡¯m not going to peek at something that he doesn¡¯t want me to see. So, I looked away. After a couple seconds, he spoke up. ¡°Sorry for the wait.¡± I looked at Amano-kun again, and then I realized¡­he seems to be holding something in his hand with a smile. ¡°Uh, Tendou-san, there¡¯s something important I want to tell you¡­¡± Amano-kun told me this embarrassingly. Even though his face¡­made me feel a tinge of pain in my heart. I still managed to answer with a smile. ¡°Me too, Amano-kun. There¡­there¡¯s something important I want to tell you too.¡± ¡°Eh, really? W-What is it? Uh, well, ¡­y-you go first.¡± Amano-kun urged me anxiously. ¡­Although I don¡¯t know what he is hiding, he really wants to finish this as fast as possible. The evidence is that Amano-kun¡¯s eyes and legs can¡¯t calm down at all. I guess he doesn¡¯t want me to interrupt him in times like this. However, ¡­he¡¯s still willing to¡­prioritze me first. (Amano-kun is always so warm and gentle to me¡­) Even though I¡¯ve been terrible for avoiding Hoshinomori and him recently. Even though I can¡¯t do anything right and was a total coward when we¡¯re together. Even so, he has always put me and my feelings at no.1. I think that¡¯s definitely not because he¡¯s weak. He must be considerate to me from the bottom of his heart. Sincere and honest. His feelings must be¡­way tenser than I could¡¯ve ever imagined. ¡°Hmm? Tendou-san?¡± Amano-kun nced at me worriedly. Right now, I understand. Everything he did or said to me¡­has always been the truth. He never lied to me. He¡¯s always willing to face me directly. However, the reason that our rtionship is so tangled up¡­is because a weakling like me never trusted him. ¡°Amano-kun¡­¡± I stepped closer towards Amano-kun. Our bodies can almost touch each other. The distance that¡­we¡¯ve never experienced before. ¡°Eh, hey¡­¡± Amano-kun is confused. I¡¯m just looking at his face dizzily. Finally, ¡­I¡­said something to him, ¡­no, I said something to someone¡­ ¡°Sorry, Amano-kun. ¡­Even so, this is the only thing that I don¡¯t want to give away.¡± When I apologized. ¡°Eh, what are you-¡° ¡°Let us- take our love further.¡± I moved towards Amano-kun¡¯s confused face. ¡°!¡± He¡¯s shocked. Then, I put my lips against his. Chiaki Hoshinomori ¡°Eh-¡° In front of my eyes, -I can see Tendou-san and Keita kissing each other. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m just¡­staring at the scene dazedly from afar. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± My mind is messed up, and I can¡¯t think of anything. I escaped to somewhere deste to just avoid those two pairs of couples. Why are the two of them here? Why would they do something so important at this moment? Why would a girl like me stumble on a scene like this? Also, why¡­why¡­ ¡°¡­W-Why¡­am¡­I¡­¡± Even though Keita and I are already ¡°friends¡± only. Even so- Why would¡­tears keeping out of my eyes? ¡°¡­Ugh¡­¡± I turned around to prevent myself from seeing them kissing again. Is it because I¡¯m upset? Is it because I¡¯m guilty? Or- Perhaps, is it because the precious feeling that¡¯s still nurturing in my heart is actually unwilling to- obliterate that small beacon of hope? I started running away to leave the two alone. ¡°¡­Keita¡­Keita¡­!¡± I kept calling his name for some reason as I ran across the Dreand that¡¯s filled with hope. All I want to do now is to go to a ce that¡¯s as dark as possible. Amano & Aguri ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Right now, what did my lover do to me? I can¡¯t understand immediately and was utterly stunned for the moment. However, ¡­a couple secondster, the reality that came with the fact finally arrived. Happiness, warmth, courage- All of these emotions are exploding in my heart. (I¡¯m excited, happy, embarrassed, but I¡¯m really happy, really happy, really happy! So, I have to express my feelings right now¡­! After all, now¡­now¡¯s the best time-!) My face is as red as a tomato, and my heart is pumping faster and faster. The two teddy bears, Loverbears, is in my hand right now. My hands are sweaty. Right now, this is the only moment. I love him, I love her. I love. I love. I love! So, please rx! Now¡¯s the time to express my feelings to him, to her¡­! ¡°W-Well! I-I-I-I-I-I-I want to give you something too¡­!¡± The emotions are flooding. I¡¯m stuttering. However, what a blissful excitement that was. My lover is staring at me with an unprecedently gentle look. That just made me feel happy. Also, that¡¯s why I want to return my overwhelming emotions to my lover. I want to reveal the present as proof. I just want to make the person that I love the most to be happy from the bottom of my heart. I don¡¯t want my partner to worry about me. So, I feel like now¡¯s the time. ¨C At the moment that I¡¯m about to give the Loverbears to my lover. ¡°Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Aguri.¡± My lover suddenly called my name. ¡°Eh? Ah, what is it?¡± Although my face is as red as a tomato, I still snapped out of it and raised my head. I looked at my lover with eyes filled with excitement and hope. So, he, and she still facing me with the most gentle¡­and loving expression I¡¯ve ever seen. ¡°We-¡° ¡°Let¡¯s-¡° To me- He, and she said that decisive sentence. -They put that brutal and cruel deration in front of us. ¡°We¡¯re breaking up.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s break up.¡± ¡°-What?¡± ¡­The Loverbears in my hand, their bells are ringing along with the cold breezes that are blowing across the park. Volume 7, Afterword

Volume 7, Afterword

Hello, I¡¯m the author that¡¯s afraid of getting scolded at for only writing 2 pages of afterword. ¡­Since when did I start fearing over of writing a short afterword? This is literally like the final phase of being bullying. I¡¯m worried even though no one is trying to prank me. Isn¡¯t this like one of those syndromes? Honestly, if I didn¡¯t adjust the content at all, the afterword will have 16 pages. ¡­Eh, this is too ridiculous, right. What does God even want from me? Perhaps it¡¯s a good meme for me to write 16 pages here. However, it¡¯s not worth raising the price tag of the book! Unless it¡¯s thest volume! Thanks to that, the memories I had when writing thest afterword is still fresh, so I adjusted the content. The brand¡¯s falling apart. ¡­God, you¡¯re way too good at messing with me¡­ Well, I¡¯m running out of space, so here¡¯s the appreciation speech. Cactus-sensei, I really appreciated you for adorning the novel with your incredible illustrations. I¡¯m sorry for making the characters go around even though this is a school novel. Well, I¡¯ll be relying on you. Then, it¡¯s the editor. Your first impression of the draft is, ¡°My stomach hurts from reading the school trip plot.¡± However, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to say at all. After all, usually, everyone is like that. In reality, I¡¯ve always been that way. It¡¯s a typical school trip if you remove the flirting scenes with the female protagonists. At least my dear readers will feel the same, too. That¡¯s right. Jeez, my editor needs somemon sense! Finally, readers, I¡¯m sorry for making this volume into a description of ¡°a boring yet happy school trip.¡± There¡¯s not a lot of storms here. I think the characters will start making a mess out of themselves in the next volume! Please look forward to that! No problem! The 8th volume is still a romanticedy! So, see you in the next volume! Sekina Aoi Volume 8 Konoha Hoshinomori and Reversal Back Attack, 1 – Keita Amano and Total Loss

Volume 8 Konoha Hoshinomori and Reversal Back Attack, Chapter 1 ¨C Keita Amano and Total Loss

Trantor: your_pingas Nothing is harder to get a 10/10 than a sequel to a famous dating sim. It¡¯s not just for games. The bar for releasing a sequel for all renowned media is astronomically high. However, the dark side that dating sims contain is far deeper and more influential than other types. After all, for yers like us, even though that was just fictional and the time is short, the undeniable fact is that- -We still had a rtionship with those female protagonists. Of course, I also hope the characters that I deeply loved can be blessed in the sequels or after stories. All I wished for is for them to live happily ever after. I¡¯m already satisfied to see the loving interactions between them and the main character. Basically, that¡¯s what yers like us think. -At least, that¡¯s what a part of us thinks. Indeed, on the other side, there¡¯s a wish that severely contradicts this in our hearts. To be precise, we fell in love with them- Why are we so shocked to the point that we hope the female characters to live happily ever after? Which part of the main story has sessfully grasped our hearts? When thinking about this part, the typical scenes thate to people¡¯s mind for most titles are- -It¡¯s the scene where they overcame a challenge or difficulty with the protagonist. Naturally, there are exceptions. I¡¯m not saying that all famous games emphasize on that. However, the reason for most masterpieces that lived up to their reputation is because of an intensely impressive ¡°ovee hardship plot.¡± That¡¯s why they¡¯re called masterpieces. So, on the surface, the first requirement of ¡°sequels¡± or ¡°fan disc¡± for dating sims lovers like us is indeed a ¡°happy ending.¡± At the same time, there¡¯s an entirely conflicting thought in our hearts. ¡°Give us ¡®something¡¯ that¡¯s enough to surpass that throbbing plot once more.¡± ¡­We hoped. That¡¯s a no-no wish. Since if you want to see a ¡°conquering challenges¡± plot, it means that you want them to ¡°suffer¡± once again. So, fans will usually split into two camps here. The ¡°Character-loving Camp¡± that¡¯s satisfied as long as there¡¯s a happy after story. Also, there are the ones who realized that the thing that they loved is the ¡°plot.¡± If it can touch their hearts once again, they¡¯re more or less willing to ept the ¡°ups and downs,¡± ¡­which is the ¡°Plot Camp.¡± These two wishes aren¡¯t better than the other. Both sides are important. At least, for me, both camps exist in my heart. Of course, I feel upset when an after story just trashes the effort that the characters have given in the main plot for the sake of a sequel. Even so, some sequels gave up ¡°telling a story¡±pletely while releasing at full price. These are the ones that think they can satisfy the customers with an unfinished plot plus some new illustrations. If thepany is that crappy, I¡¯ll feel something different too. Anyway, both camps really exist in my heart. It¡¯s just that if you need to put me, Keita Amano, into one side- Well¡­ ¡°The fan disc for is basically trash.¡± I, Keita Amano, is cursing the game in the food court of the supermarket as I¡¯m staring at the snow piling up like a smoothie in the car park from the window. ¡°Hiya, senpai is giving an unusually bitter review. This is interesting.¡± As for the girl that¡¯s sitting in front of me, ¡­Konoha Hoshinomori-san, she shook her iconic double ponytail as she answered me with a somewhat excited expression. Honestly, this is not a useful hobby for her. However, I shouldn¡¯t bring this up since I¡¯m about to go off a brutal rant. Basically, since I¡¯m really into this genre, sometimes I just can¡¯t tolerate the issues with it. I chugged the newly-released energy drink as I mmed the can onto the table. Then, I continued angrily. ¡°What the hell. Thattest fan disc ¡®bent its knees to new challenges¡¯ entirely! No, it¡¯s not even right to call it a fan disc anymore! That¡¯s just a disc to satisfy people¡¯s darkest desires!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you this irritated before, senpai. However, I guess I agree with you, that fan disc is way too unusual¡­¡± ¡°Right!¡± My ally in the hentai game realm really understands me. I was so excited that I can¡¯t help but raise from my seat and lean forward. Our faces were pretty close. So, Konoha-san let out an adorable ¡°ah¡± gasp before hastily looking away. She bit the straw from her carton of milk tea directly and took a big sip as if she¡¯s trying to calm down. I snapped out of it and apologized to her. ¡°Ah, sorry, I couldn¡¯t hold myself back¡­¡± I guess I scared her- I thought about this as I sat back down. Then, Konoha-sanughed a bit stiffly. ¡°I-It¡¯s fine.¡± After that, she cleared her throat and continued the discussion. ¡°For a fan disc, that¡¯s a 4/10 maximum. The plot is in, and I don¡¯t feel the love for the characters, even the erotic elements are rare. It¡¯s literally a game that can¡¯t pique anyone¡¯s interest. Even so, ¡­it¡¯s just a ¡®mediocre game¡¯ in my eyes. I don¡¯t think I willin about it viciously¡­¡± Konoha-san¡¯s nd response is pissing me off again. ¡°What are you talking about, Konoha-san! That¡¯s like the worst thing they could do! It¡¯s weird, after all! Out of the 8 female characters, I can¡¯t believe 6 of them decided to break up with the main character in the fan disc!¡± ¡°Ay, ¡­but think about it, some of the break-up plots also created a positive atmosphere¡­¡± After I heard that, I¡­can¡¯t help but m my hand onto the table and retorted! ¡°How ¡®positive¡¯ can a break up be! That¡¯s just something to deceive you!¡± ¡°Hiya!¡± Swept by my anger, Konoha-san was startled as her shoulders started to tremble. After I saw her like that, I finally calmed down and quickly lowered my head and apologized to her. ¡°S-Sorry, I¡¯m being way too rash. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m getting angry like that¡­¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m quite happy to see senpai¡¯s unexpected side¡­¡± While she said that, I can feel Konoha-san¡¯s smile is still a bit stiff. I deeply reflected on myself as I spoke up once again. ¡­This time, I made sure I suppressed my emotion as I talked about my thoughts. ¡°¡­Parting ways because they want each other to be happy, ¡­that doesn¡¯t make any sense. Shouldn¡¯t you feel happy when you¡¯re with your most beloved person? ¡­I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Senpai¡­¡± Konoha-san gave me a sympathetic look. I also noticed it from her expression. It looks like Konoha-san already knew¡­the ¡°incident¡± that happened to us a few days ago. ¡­Which is- On the 4th day of the school trip, we got a- sudden and terrible ending. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ However, even so, I continued as if my experience was just a ¡°dating sim.¡± ¡°¡­In that fan disc, ¡­among the female protagonists that broke up, almost half of them parted ways because they dreamed a different future than the MC. ¡­However, isn¡¯t it unfair for love to get such a low priority?¡± ¡°Well, ¡­I think you¡¯re generalizing it too much. However, it¡¯s like what senpai mentioned. Perhaps in stories like this, most girls prioritize ¡®chasing after their dreams¡¯ over love.¡± During this time, Konoha-san put her finger on her chin. Then, as if this aroused her interests as a hentai game lover, she started mumbling while verifying. ¡°I guess your question is unexpectedly profound, senpai. Even though love was the theme of this genre of entertainment, most concluded by putting rtionships aside. This is quitepelling-¡° After she said that, Konoha-san looked at me beforeing to her realization. She quickly apologized to me. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t believe I just said that this ispelling¡­¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t mind it. We¡¯re just talking about the game, anyway. ¡­We¡¯ve always been talking about the game¡­¡± ¡­A depressing silence fell onto the two of us. Then, Konoha-san reluctantly smiled and tried to continue the topic. ¡°B-But, the worst part about is why the other two protagonists decided to break up, right! They said they love other guys¡­¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the problem!¡± My emotions are getting high again. This is different than before. Although I did more or less try to calm myself down to avoid causing trouble for Konoha-san, I still expressed my thoughts angrily. ¡°What even was that! Well, actually, in a sense, I think that described a natural part of love! However, ¡­however, isn¡¯t this too weird! This is supposed for entertainment!¡± ¡°The director can¡¯t do that even if he wanted to quit. Seriously, even for a girl like me, I also mumbled in the middle part. ¡®This doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡¯ It¡¯s so ridiculous that you can¡¯t exin it with NTR alone. The story has its own issues.¡± ¡°Exactly! ¡­Ay, but¡­¡± During this time, I looked outside at the not-so-snowy scene as I sighed and mumbled. ¡°¡­From another perspective, it¡¯s a hundred times more convincing than breaking up because they want each other to be happy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Loving another person. If things are really like that, I won¡¯t be this¡­I won¡¯t be this¡­¡± ¡°S-Senpai? W-We¡¯re talking about the game, right? Hey?¡± Just as I¡¯m staring afar, Konoha-san waved at me. I apologized. ¡°S-Sory.¡± Then, Konoah-san sighed¡­before speaking as if she gave something up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I tried my best to switch up the mood for senpai until now. ¡­However, I don¡¯t think I can cleverly avoid talking about ¡®that¡¯ anymore, even for a girl like me.¡± ¡°You¡­you¡¯re right. ¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I felt upset. So, Konoha-san sipped her milk tea and changed to a gentle tone before continuing. ¡°If senpai doesn¡¯t hate it, I can hear you out for a bit. Your rtionship issues.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re right. ¡­Even though it¡¯s just a random Konoha-san, it¡¯s good to find people to talk to when ites to rtionship issues.¡± ¡°Hiya, I suddenly don¡¯t want to talk to senpai anymore! Well, I¡¯ll be leaving¡­¡± Konoha-san said that as she stood up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Konoha-san! Please listen to me! Even though you¡¯re just a hentai game lover that emphasizes sexual desires and has nothing to do with sad, innocent love, I¡¯m saved if someone can stay with me!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not an attitude for requesting someone to talk to you! Senpai!¡± ¡°It means that my heart is fragile right now! I¡¯m so weak that I¡¯m saying everything honestly!¡± ¡°Senpai tried to stab me while pretending to be smoothing things over. Can you please stop doing that!¡± ¡°K-Konoha-san, ¡­as a loner, there¡¯s already no one I can talk to¡­about things like this¡­.¡± I plopped my head down depressingly. So, this Konoha-san¡¯s maternity seems to be awakened. She came back with a blush. ¡°Ugh, ¡­i-it can¡¯t be helped. If senpai said that, ¡­this means that I¡¯m the only one you can rely on, I guess I can more or less put up with you-¡° ¡°Aside from Aguri-san, Uehara-kun, Chiaki, Mizumi-kun, and my little brother, you¡¯re the one that I can talk about rtionship issues to, Konoha-san!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you prioritizing me too lowly! If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you just find another person to talk to! Stupid senpai!¡± ¡°Uh, everyone has been troubled by their own problems recently, I really don¡¯t want to bother them¡­¡± ¡°Uwah, I didn¡¯t know senpai is this considerate, ?how attractive?- If you think that¡¯s what I¡¯ll say, then you¡¯re dead wrong, devil senpai. Do I look like I don¡¯t have any trouble bothering me!¡± ¡°Eh, you do?¡± ¡°That¡¯s cold! T-There is! That¡¯s enough, stop looking down on me-¡° ¡°Well, how about you ignore those troubles that include sex, you got how many left?¡± ¡°That will be zero.¡± She answered immediately. I rolled my eyes at her, and Konoha-san began to sweat a lot. ¡­So, finally, she gave up on herself and said, ¡°Ah, ¡­jeez, I got it!¡± Then, she took a seat. After seeing her like that, ¡­I can¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Haha, thank you, Konoha-san. For some reason, when I¡¯m talking to you, I¡¯ll feel rxed somehow! I should say chatting with you makes me forget reality for a while¡­¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes, thanks for that, senpai. Jeez, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re making fun out of your partner¡­¡± Konoha-san pouted as she stared at the snowy scene sulkily. As for me, ¡­I politely lowered my head to her. ¡°I sincerely appreciated that. ¡­Seriously, I¡¯ve always wanted to thank you.¡± ¡°¡­Hmph, hmph.¡± Konoha-san hmphed as she looked away embarrassingly. She urged me to continue as if she¡¯s trying to hide something. ¡°So? What actually happened? A few days ago, ¡­on the 4th day of senpai¡¯s school trip.¡± This is Konoha-san¡¯s question. I¡­first took a deep breath as I remembered what happened on that day. The things that happened on the 4th day of the school trip where we separated into two couples to watch the parade. Aguri-san and I nned to give the high-ss present to each of our lovers, ¡­the paired Loverbears. We spent a lot of time and effort into getting them. -In conclusion, the Loverbears are still with us. Also, it¡¯s not because our partner said, ¡°you should keep that?¡± lovingly. Simply, it¡¯s because we can¡¯t give them out. In other words, Tendou-san and Uehara-kun didn¡¯t even know that we want to give this high-ss present out, which symbolized the two couples. The reason for that is- -Just as I¡¯m exining this part, ¡°Also-¡° Konoha-san asked me. ¡°Senpai kept saying high-ss just then, but how much did that thing actually cost?¡± ¡°¡­Uh, well, ¡­it¡¯s 20,000 yen.¡± ¡°Pfft! Hehehehe!¡± ¡°Why are youughing at me that terribly!¡± ¡°Normies spending their money like a normie, yet it all turned into waste. How refreshing!¡± ¡°Even though I want to scold you for being so vicious, I think I willugh in the same way if this happened to other normies! I really deserved it! I feel the same!¡± Ay, forget about that, let¡¯s continue. Anyway, our Loverbears n busted. Why? That¡¯s because¡­ ¡°Haha! Just as the normies are about to give out their 20,000 yen present chicly, their partners broke up with them¡­! I-I want to watch that scene even if I have to pay!¡± When I¡¯m about to describe the climax with a serious look, Konoha-san revealed the ending first as sheughed her butt off. I can¡¯t help but stood up angrily and smacked the chair. ¡°I talked to the wrong person! I¡¯m going home!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, don¡¯t say that, senpai! Please be considerate of the person listening to your rtionship problems. It¡¯s not like I have to be struck by lightning just by making a little fun out of this, right? Haha¡­¡± ¡°I¡­I guess you¡¯re right. However, you should get a hold of yourself¡­¡± ¡°You want me to ¡®get a hold of myself¡¯ at this point?¡± ¡°I-I guess it makes sense.¡± I somehow agreed with her, so I adjusted my breaths as I sat back down. Then, I started talking once again. ¡­Sigh, even though I exined everything already. In reality, it¡¯s just like what Konoha-san mentioned, our lovers suddenly broke up with us that night. Also, ¡­coincidentally, it¡¯s just the moment before we can give out the Loverbears. From my perspective, it¡¯s literally a bolt from the blue. Also, ¡­I didn¡¯t mention this to Konoha-san, but, actually, at the moment before the break-up, Aguri-san and I were going, uh, ¡­hmm, we were going ¡°well¡± with our lovers. ¡­As for¡­the meaning of going well, ¡­it means, ¡­how should I put it¡­ ¡­I-I should say, ¡­we kissed right there¡­ I can¡¯t help but slightly touch my lips with my finger. I can still remember everything clearly. Tendou-san¡¯s beautiful face, her faint fragrance, and¡­how soft and warm her lips were, I can remember all that. However, that¡¯s why¡­what followed that reyed clearly too. Perhaps it¡¯s because I have a low performance, I can¡¯t pause this video. Once it started ying, ¡­I can¡¯t stop it even if I want to forever remain at the kissing scene. I think Aguri-san must feel the same. Of course, I didn¡¯t actually hear what happened to her. However, when we¡¯re reporting to each other, I can feel the same embarrassed atmosphereing from her. So, I guess that¡¯s what happened to her. To me, that¡¯s like the most blessed scene of my life. But that¡¯s why the nightmare that followed immediately is all that more terrifying. It¡¯s literally like a free fall of love. The first kiss suddenly dropped into a break-up. Naturally, Aguri-san and I didn¡¯t understand what happened for a second there. All we could do is to stand there with a shocked expression a few seconds after our lovers brought it onto us. They said something wrong; I heard something wrong; It¡¯s just a joke; They¡¯re just trying to scare us. These are the possibilities that came up to our mind first. Although we let out a forcedugh that didn¡¯t match the mood of the scene, ¡­the opposite side¡¯s serious emotions still haven¡¯t improved by the least bit. At this point, when we finally got a hold of the situation, ¡­we mumbled a reasonable question out of our mouths. ¡°¡­Why¡­¡± This sentence. ¡°So, why?¡± Konoha-san sipped her milk tea as she repeated me in a rxed manner. I was quite dumbfounded at her flippant attitude, but I feel like I¡¯m saved at the same time, so I answered her question. ¡°¡­Honestly, this is still troubling Aguri-san and me.¡± ¡°Why? They don¡¯t want to exin it clearly to you two?¡± ¡°No, they did exin it, of course. It¡¯s just that, ¡­I should say I can¡¯t ept their exnation at all¡­¡± ¡°I got it. Those two revealed their crazy sexual fetishes to you two.¡± ¡°Uh, Konoha-san, they¡¯re not the same as you.¡± I calmly concluded. Konoha-san then replied sulkily. ¡°That¡¯s impolite. I will never hide any ridiculous fetishes that scare senpai away. ¡­A-Alright, please continue, senpai.¡± ¡°This is the first time that I¡¯ve experienced a silence that can arouse a perverted imagination! What is this! Konoha-san, you¡¯re already being too ridiculous now. Did you hide something else!¡± ¡°Well, ¡­you can look forward to it once you selected my route, senpai.¡± ¡°No, no, no, it¡¯s not about looking forward or not, that¡¯s a secret enough to scare me away, right!¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. I¡¯ll give you a hint: ¡®canned mackerel¡¯ ys an essential role if you want to flirt with me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s crazy! Since I can¡¯t imagine the content at all, your pervert atmosphere is especially shocking!¡± ¡°How¡¯s that? Is senpai interested, the Konoha Hoshinomori route?¡± ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m actually ¡®interested!¡¯ But are you willing to be treated as a weirdo like that!¡± ¡­I can even ept ¡®canned mackerel¡¯ just to seduce senpai!¡± ¡°Why are you saying that like ¡®canned mackerel¡¯ is my fetish! It¡¯s more like, what the hell is ¡®canned mackerel¡¯ actually! How are you going to use canned mackerel-¡° ¡°S-Senpai! You can¡¯t keep saying the word ¡®canned mackerel¡¯ in public, right!¡± ¡°Ah, sorry for that, I- ¡­No, wait, this isn¡¯t right! ¡®Canned mackerel¡¯ isn¡¯t something that arouses people, right!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be too sure of that. After all, some can grow up to 180 cm¡­¡± ¡°Seriously, what are you going off about with a straight face. Sigh, ¡­anyways, back to the topic.¡± ¡°Alright, where were we? Your lover just said something that meant a lot, and it¡¯s so spicy that you can¡¯t digest it. What should we do? That¡¯s what we were talking about, right?¡± ¡°Mostly correct, but your phrasing is wrong! I was saying that I can¡¯t ept the reason for breaking up!¡± ¡°Really. Well, although I want senpai to continue¡­¡± During this time, Konoha-san checked her phone and continued with an apologetic look. ¡°But it¡¯s time for me to go home.¡± ¡°Ah, r-right. You¡¯re still a girl, of course, your family don¡¯t want you-¡° ¡°No, my favorite hentai game studio released a mysterious countdown message on their official website. It¡¯s going to end in an hour.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nothing, right! Anyway, that¡¯s just a simple notice that tells you they¡¯re releasing a new game, or it¡¯s just a mobile game release notice! By the way, why don¡¯t you confirm thatter!¡± ¡°I know it too! While I do, ¡­however, you¡¯ll have to pay attention to those tantalizing countdown notice at first hand, and then get disappointed at first hand!¡± ¡°Look, you knew you¡¯re going to be disappointed! If that¡¯s the case, please just talk about my rtionship problems!¡± ¡°But senpai, there¡¯s roughly a 2% chance that it¡¯s something exciting!¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s right! But is talking about my rtionship issues less important than that 2% possibility!¡± ¡°Indeed, honestly, this is why I can¡¯t decide.¡± ¡°Is it that hard to decide¡­¡± ¡°So, ¡­senpai?¡± Suddenly, Konoha-san leaned forward from the table and forced me to see her plumpy chest in full view. She even looked up to me, ¡­is she¡­ ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be thrilled if you can chat with me as you walk me home.¡± ¡°Hmm, uh, but, walking a girl home is too much for a guy that has a girlfriend-¡° ¡°No, senpai, aren¡¯t you ¡®single¡¯ right now?¡± ¡°OUCH¡­!¡± Keita Amano¡¯s chest took severe damage. What is this? I¡¯m not upset about being alone in my loner phase, but when I had Tendou-san as my attractive girlfriend before, the word ¡®single¡¯ hurts way harder. What¡¯s wrong with me? This hurts. So, I decided to ept Konoha-san¡¯s request since I¡¯m so defeated. ¡°¡­I understand. I¡¯ll¡­walk you home.¡± ¡°Yay.¡± Konoha-san gave me a victory pose as she smiled innocently. ¡­Sometimes, an innocent and realistic reaction like this will make me feel that this person is adorable in a way that matches her age. ¡°Well, you need to hear my rtionship issues out too.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, you can rely on me, senpai.¡± So, we finished our beverages and walked out of the store. * In conclusion, this is a simple summary of the ¡®reason for breaking up¡¯ that Uehara-kun and Tendou-san mentioned to Aguri-san and me, respectively. 1. They didn¡¯t hate or give up on us. 2. It¡¯s also not because I¡¯ve done anything out of bounds with Aguri-san (I think they kept emphasizing that). 3. It¡¯s more like, they still ¡°love¡± us. 4. Moreover, they fell in love with us even more on the school trip. 5. However, that¡¯s why they can¡¯t continue dating us. ¡°What, I feel like I just skipped a chapter.¡± After Konoha-san heard what I said, she pretended that she¡¯s flipping a manga with her hand in walnut-colored gloves. First, I replied with a bitter smile as I looked around meaninglessly. We¡¯re on the way to the residential area where Hoshinomori¡¯s home resides. The snow is drifting with the breeze that came from nowhere. I put my hands into the pockets of my jacket, and then I hid my chins inside my scarf before continuing. ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing wrong, Konoha-san. I didn¡¯t miss anything. Moreover, your reaction is exactly how Aguri-san and I feel.¡± ¡°Really, I understand. This is quite puzzling¡­¡± Konoha-san said that as she stared at the evening sky, I guess she¡¯s not that interested. Her breaths turned into white fumes right away before disappearing directly in mid-air. So, she thought about this silently for 5 seconds. ¡°Ay¡­¡± Then, she spoke up with a slightly serious tone. ¡°Honestly, this is a quitemon plot in hentai games and dating sims. A mysterious break-up deration from couples that are hotly in love.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know that too. Then, the reason for most of that is¡­¡± ¡°Yep, they want to be considerate to their loved ones. Staying as a couple will endanger the partner¡¯s life due to numerous political factors. ¡­This ¡®there¡¯s a price for free love¡¯ plot is reallymon. Also, personally, I don¡¯t like it. It¡¯s cheap plot writing, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a joke after watching it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pretend that you¡¯re hearing my rtionship issues out while suddenlyining about all romantic shows, alright? Anyway, we thought about that too. ¡­However, will that actually happen in real life?¡± Konoha-san shook at her and replied with a ¡°no¡± after she heard me. ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s hard to wrap your head around it. I should say it feels unrealistic¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. In reality, I don¡¯t hear that from Tendou-san¡¯s tone as well.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, from the other plots of hentai games, ¡­it should be that one, right? The ¡®when you¡¯re up against the female protagonist, the side character decided to quit¡¯ plot-¡° At this point, Konoha-san became alerted to something and stopped. Just as she¡¯s putting her finger on her lips and mumbling ¡°don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± while thinking, I rejected her theory at first hand. ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s unreasonable. Who¡¯s Uehara-kun and Tendou-san trying to give Aguri-san and me to when they said that? No one in this world matches better than Uehara-kun to Aguri-san and Tendou-san to me, right?¡± ¡°This is the first time that I know normies can still show off their love after breaking up. This is annoying.¡± Konoha-san gave a dumbfounded sigh as she squinted and red at me for some reason. She started walking again and continued next to me. ¡°But senpai, you kept saying that you¡¯re a ¡®loner.¡¯ Actually, there are other girls that you¡¯re pretty close to other than Tendou-senpai, right?¡± ¡°Girls that I¡¯m close to? Ah, you mean Aguri-san?¡± I answered without thinking. Suddenly, Konoha-san lowered her head a bit depressingly. ¡°In times like this, senpai will always think of Agu-senpai¡¯s name first¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? W-Well, ¡­Konoha-san. Did I do something impolite to you?¡± Although I got more friends, mymunication skills are just as terrible. Just as I¡¯m worrying whether I¡¯m acting too arrogantly by saying something impolite to a girl, Konoha-sanforted me with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Also, speaking of girls that you¡¯re close to, who else would senpai think of?¡± ¡°Eh? Of course, it¡¯ll be your sister Chiaki.¡± After I answered confidently, Konoha-san smiled a bit cheerfully. ¡°Oh, ¡®of course¡¯ it¡¯s my sister? Of course, ¡­hoho, I¡¯m getting a bit jealous.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re just the same, Konoha-san. ¡­Y-You¡¯re a nice acquaintance to me.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just be honest and use the word ¡®friend!¡¯ I-I can¡¯t believe you said I¡¯m your acquaintance!¡± ¡°Uh, since I¡¯m a guy with a girlfriend, I don¡¯t think my brain allows me to say that I have a close rtionship with you¡­¡± ¡°Why! Also, as I¡¯ve said before, senpai is ¡®single¡¯ right now, is that true!¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­e-even if that¡¯s true, I¡¯m doing something that causes Tendou-san to hate me¡­¡± ¡°Why senpai¡¯s big premise is that Tendou-senpai will hate you just because you¡¯re close to me!¡± ¡°N-No. Well, ¡­uh, I should say that I¡¯ll feel like it will affect my impression score of the person that I¡¯m dating¡­¡± ¡°This guy is finally saying something simr to what Kousei would say!¡± ¡°Simr to Kousei? Eh, Konoha-san, Kousei said something simr to you? Why?¡± I tilted my head shockingly. So, sweat appeared on Konoha-san¡¯s forehead as she started mumbling something. (¡­Right, this person doesn¡¯t know who his little brother really is. ¡­Logically, there¡¯s no need for me to, ¡­even so, ¡­if he found out, ¡­my life would be in danger¡­) The stuttering sounds really surprising. However, I don¡¯t get what she meant at all. Then, Konoha-san seems to want to bring a conclusion to something, so she cleared her throat and looked away from me as she exined. ¡°N-No, uh, Kousei¡­-san and I bumped into each other a while ago. So, how should I say this, since we liked each other at the time, he just randomly insulted me. ¡­O-Of course, we¡¯re really just joking. It¡¯s a joke!¡± Konoha-san freaked out as she exined. (This looks like¡­) I can see a lot of things already. So, I rolled my eyes at Konoha-san before giving her an utterly gloomy look. ¡°¡­Konoha-san, ¡­I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯re¡­that close to Kousei¡­¡± ¡°¡­Eh¡­?¡± Suddenly, for some reason, Konoha-san blushed. Then, she started mumbling to herself loudly. (W-What¡¯s this? Don¡¯t tell me, ¡­don¡¯t tell me senpai is¡­j-jealous? Really! Eh, wait, what¡¯s happening? If that¡¯s the case, I feel super excited-) Konoha-san said something that no one can understand excitedly. Facing her like that, -I exined everything clearly. ¡°Konoha-san, ¡­please don¡¯t get too close with my proud little brother!¡± ¡°Although there¡¯s a difference, I didn¡¯t know that senpai is also a brocon too! What¡¯s wrong with you two? How annoying!¡± I¡¯m a brocon too? What¡¯s she going off about? While I¡¯m proud of Kousei, but Kousei doesn¡¯t feel the same, right. However, that¡¯s not important right now. Back to the topic. ¡°Uh, Konoha-san, let¡¯s put the jokes aside here. Even though it¡¯s impolite for me to say this, ¡­but if my perfect little brother started hanging out with you, it¡¯s too¡­you get it, right? Don¡¯t you think you two don¡¯t match?¡± ¡°That¡¯s mean! Senpai, I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re like an evil hag!¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong. From the experience I¡¯ve had with Tendou-san, I¡¯m actually a guy that hates to talk about the disparity between couples. However, even so, ¡­even though I¡¯ll be scolded, I still need to say this clearly for my family. You don¡¯t match my little brother!¡± ¡°What, why are you suddenly acting so manly! This impresses me for some reason! But I¡¯m even more pissed!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Konoha-san. You¡¯re beautiful, well-mannered, and I like how you talk. You¡¯re a top-tier girl in my eyes.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, well, ¡­thanks for that, senpai¡­¡± ¡°But you¡¯re nothingpared to my little brother. I can¡¯t believe an exhibitionist is wishing to eat swan meat.¡± ¡°Exhibitionist?¡± ¡°Moreover, ¡­think about it, ¡­there¡¯s a difference in family history too. From what I¡¯ve heard, your¡­your sister seems to have her origin linked to seafood.¡± ¡°My sister is seafood?¡± ¡°So, if you can, ¡­uh, refrain yourself from being a friend of Kousei, I would love that.¡± ¡°This older brother doesn¡¯t even want his little brother to have a friend! Uh, even though I don¡¯t want to befriend Kousei at all! I¡¯ll never wish to hang out with a person like him!¡± ¡°Ugh. I-I can¡¯t believe you said you don¡¯t want to be friends with my little brother. Konoha-san, what are you trying to say!¡± ¡°How annoying! What¡¯s wrong with this pair of brothers? What a pain in the butt!¡± Konoha-san put her hand onto her forehead before sighing loudly. Then, she said ¡°anyway¡± impatiently before going back to the topic. ¡°Currently, what happened between Kousei and me wasn¡¯t important, right. Moreover, in reality, our rtionship isn¡¯t that good.¡± ¡°R-Really? That¡¯s great, ¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± I scratched my head. I think blood just rushes up to my brain whenever things involve my little brother, and I said something really impolite to Konoha-san. I need to apologize. The street lights are firing up on the street in preparation for dusk. Konoha-san looked at that scene carelessly as she continued. ¡°Let me get this straight, senpai. You want to ¡®pry¡¯ on the reason of breaking up, that¡¯s why you came to see me, right? It¡¯s because I¡¯m quite close to Tendou-senpai recently.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± She got me. I dropped my shoulders and sincerely apologized to her. ¡°Uh, ¡­Konoha-san, I¡¯ve heard from Tendou-san that ¡®you¡¯re quite close to her¡¯ on the school trip. That¡¯s why I, ¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I think it¡¯s bound to happen for a person in love. At least, I love this kind of enthusiasm that ignores one¡¯s reputation.¡± ¡°Konoha-san¡­¡± Somehow, I respected this young high school girl that sounds a bit light, which is something that I haven¡¯t felt in a long time. ¡°Right now, I want to find a dark corner and drag senpai in as well.¡± However, itsted for less than 2 seconds. ¡°Please return my admiration.¡± Iined dumbfoundedly. Konoha-san then told me this with a sad expression. ¡°Phew, ¡­love¡­is surely sinful.¡± ¡°Yeah, as for the thing that you wanted to do just then, that¡¯s legally sinful too.¡± ¡°Eh, you¡¯re lying, really? A beautiful girl banging a boy is against thew?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to say this, but your mind is seriously poisoned by hentai games!¡± ¡°Hey, I can¡¯t just ignore that, senpai, please apologize.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, sorry, I¡¯m getting angry over a girl-¡° ¡°Senpai, please apologize to all hentai games! No hentai game will literally describe that twisted view as justice! Please don¡¯t act like that just because you think hentai games are subcultures!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, where did you get your crazy thoughts from! Anyway, I¡¯ll apologize to hentai games! I¡¯m sorry! Actually, I really love hentai games too!¡± ¡°Excellent. Moreover, about my concepts, especially on the sexual stuff, I admit that I¡¯m pretty crazy on my own. I wasn¡¯t really influenced by anything. ¡­I¡¯m just a pure molester freak at the start.¡± ¡°What kind of incredible title is that.¡± This is the first time that I¡¯ve heard such a word, molester freak. Also, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever hear it again in the future, molester freak. We stepped onto the snow as we continued making our way towards the residential area. At this point, I slightly remembered where Hoshinomori¡¯s house is. It¡¯s around 3 minutes from here. (¡­In the end, I still don¡¯t understand anything despite talking to Konoha-san¡­) In reality, I didn¡¯t really expect that I can know what¡¯s on Tendou-san¡¯s mind from her. However, ..even if I understand, I still can¡¯t just sit there and do nothing. To a gamer, nothing is more irritating than not understanding how to get through a level that you¡¯ve stuck on for a long time. For example, if you lose to a boss in RPGs, you can train if your level is too low. If your gear or team is too poor, just train harder and try it next time. However, if a message like ¡°a mysterious shockwave has invaded your body!¡± suddenly appeared and your HP suddenly went to zero, people won¡¯t know what to do. Perhaps you need some kind of essential item to go through, or you need to trigger the plot somewhere else. Although you can predict all that, ¡­if there¡¯s no hint in the game, you can¡¯t expect anything. In the end, you need to try every possible way inefficiently. This is¡­how I feel right now. Although Konoha-san praised me with the word ¡°enthusiastic,¡± there should be an actual difference. Right now, I¡¯m not even sure whether I¡¯m going forward already. However, if I just stop without doing anything. ¡­A weakling like me will just keep torturing my heart while aplishing nothing. To prevent me from free-falling like that, I¡¯m wrapping my hands around my head as I tried to escape. I¡¯m just struggling uselessly. ¡­Are you sure that people can describe me with positive words like enthusiastic? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Once I snapped out of it, I realized I fell silent for nearly a minute. Then, Konoha-san nced at me gently and warmly like she¡¯s my mother. I was impressed as I attempted to muster words out of my mouth. ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, everything¡¯s fine. Ah, by the way, senpai, let¡¯s go to that park over there, shall we?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± After she said that, I looked over at where she¡¯s pointing, and then I realized that there¡¯s a park. Amon one that you can see all over the residential area. There¡¯s a swing, a sandpit, gymnastic bars, drinking fountains, and a toilet. It¡¯s a really simple yground. Currently, not a single housewife or kid is around. Perhaps it¡¯s because of the snow. I said, ¡°But¡­¡± as a response. ¡°Konoha-san, don¡¯t you need to go home quickly?¡± ¡°Yep, there¡¯s still some time, so it¡¯s okay. Moreover, senpai, just go there with me for 5 minutes.¡± ¡°Really, if that¡¯s the case¡­! N-No, I think I¡¯ll pass. It¡¯s because no one is there, and it¡¯s pretty dark.¡± ¡°You were just imagining me raping you, right, senpai! That¡¯s impolite!¡± ¡°S-Sorry, I did it naturally¡­¡± ¡°Do you think the sexual desires that I¡¯ve suppressed for so long can be satisfied with merely 5 minutes, senpai!¡± ¡°Hiya, this is not the reason that I¡¯ve expected you to be angry.¡± ¡°Anyway, this isn¡¯t why we¡¯re going there!¡± ¡°R-Really? Well, ¡­then I guess I can go with you.¡± ¡°Thank you, senpai!¡± After Konoha-san gave me an energetic smile, she ran into the park like an innocent child. ¡­From her perspective, that¡¯s just an ordinary park near her home. Why is she getting so excited? ¡­Just as I¡¯m following her while feeling a bit confused, she stopped by the swing and turned back to me. Then, she put her tongue out a little bit embarrassingly. ¡°Actually, I wouldn¡¯t dare toe here and y if there are people around.¡± ¡°Ah, I really understand how you feel since I¡¯m the same type of person. However, I didn¡¯t expect this. Konoha-san, I feel like you¡¯re the extrovert type that loves to hang out with others.¡± Konoha-san smiled bitterly at what I said. ¡°Well, although I¡¯m way more flexible than my loner senpai, it¡¯s two separate things with whether you¡¯re a flexible person and whether you¡¯re willing to be one.¡± ¡°Uwah, that sounds deep.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not deep. I¡¯m just saying that whether I like being stopped by housewives from next door. They keep asking, ¡®how are you doing at school¡¯ or ¡®Konoha, did you get a boyfriend¡¯ every time.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­I get it. It¡¯s not ufortable or frustrating, it¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°Yep. Honestly, it¡¯s better to spend time like that on gaming.¡± ¡°You just said that out loud, but I guess it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Of course, if I said something sincere like, they¡¯ll think I¡¯m a ¡®modern, cold-hearted teenager.¡¯ So, I usually won¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°I feel you. They wouldn¡¯t even consider that I want to y games.¡± ¡°Exactly! Ay, well, I guess they¡¯re right in a sense¡­¡± Konoha-san and I can¡¯t help but smile bitterly at each other. It¡¯s moments like this that can make me acknowledge this girl in front of me is indeed my ¡°partner.¡± Then, Konoha-san faced me with her back and slowly bowed down, and then she carefully swept the snow piled on the swing away as she continued. ¡°Because of that, I hate being stopped by my chatty neighbors. However, I still love a park like this. Even though there¡¯s not a specific reason. How should I put it, perhaps it¡¯s because of the experience when I was little. The concept of ¡®this is a happy ce¡¯ has been funneled into my brain.¡± ¡°¡­I think I get that too.¡± As I¡¯m saying that, I also swept away the snow on the swing next to Konoha-san and sat down. Just as we took a couple light swings, ¡­we can¡¯t help butugh out. ¡°If you think about this calmly, even though swings are impractical rides, it¡¯s super fun.¡± Konoha-san agreed with what I¡¯ve said. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. So, sometimes, when there¡¯s no one around, I¡¯lle to the swings secretly. Ah, but if the kids are afraid ofing because I¡¯m here, I do mind that. So, I¡¯ll always leave before someone shows up.¡± Konoha-san told me this embarrassingly as she started swinging again. ¡­For some reason, I finally feel that this junior is a bit adorable- ¡°After all, it¡¯s sexually arousing to feel the Gs with my lower abdomen secretly.¡± -I was wrong. That was close. The ultra pervert is still operational today. Ipletely ignored what Konoha-san said and just sat there swinging silently. So, she slightly lowered her tone and spoke up. ¡°¡­Senpai, at which point do you think a couple¡¯s rtionship will end?¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean by at which point?¡± ¡°For example, it ends after there¡¯s no response for a month, or It ends after you realized she¡¯s cheating.¡± ¡°Hmm, .well, ¡­no matter the reason. ¡­Anyway, the rtionship should end when both sides want to break up, right?¡± ¡°¡­Really, ¡­what a slow way of thinking.¡± After Konoha-san heard my answer, she couldn¡¯t hold her smile anymore andughed a little as if she¡¯s looking down on me. I was a bit pissed. As for Konoha-san, ¡­she looked at the sky from afar and continued. ¡°I think- as long as one side decided to break up, the rtionship is alreadypletely over.¡± ¡°!¡± Her extremely brutal¡­yet logical sentence shocked me. I can¡¯t help but touch the ground with my foot and stopped the swing. I was still frozen from her words. Then, Konoha-san continued swinging as she spoke up calmly. ¡°No one will suffer if a rtionship can be built on one-sided love.¡± ¡°B-But, ¡­think about it. Actually, Tendou-san must want to continue dating me-¡° ¡°Senpai-¡° Suddenly, Konoha-san stopped her swing and came next to me. Then, ¡­she red at me with an unprecedentedly sharp look. ¡°Did you know that you just proposed something really dangerous?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± I can¡¯t help but look away from her after she said that, and then I lowered my head. ¡­She¡¯s right. ¡­The nice way to put what I¡¯ve just said is that ¡°I trust Tendou-san,¡± ¡­However, ¡­on the other hand, I¡¯m twisting the meaning of what she said, what she believed, and what she did base on my own convenience. This is the worst thing I could do. The most terrible scenario is that my mindset isparable to that of a stalker. I was so defeated that my face went pale. Konoha-san then changed her expression and continued. ¡°It¡¯s okay, as long as senpai understands. Look, I always thought that senpai wants to ¡®roll on the bed excitedly¡¯ with a junior girl from another school. That¡¯s why I¡¯m doing a lot of stuff to senpai with that premise.¡± Konoha-san smiled as she pinched her skirt and showed me her white thighs under for a bit. Usually, I would feel dumbfounded or startining. ¡­However, this time, I really want to appreciate her for being so ¡°warm¡± to me. Konoha-san started swinging gently again. ¡°I get it, senpai feels really weak right now. It¡¯s already depressing that Tendou-senpai broke up with you. Moreover, since things went this way, you can¡¯t call Uehara-senpai, Agu-senpai, ¡­or my sister for help, not even Kousei. You can¡¯t sincerely rely on them. In other words, senpai, ¡­you¡¯ve never been this lonely before. This is unusual.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± She got me. I stared at the dusky sky. ¡­Since the 4th day of the trip, ¡­I rarely messaged people online, not to mention in real life. I¡­ I¡¯m really lonely. ¡­I thought I was used to being ¡°alone¡± already. Although I really treasure everyone, however, even if they left me, it just ended up from ¡°positive¡± back to ¡°zero.¡± ¡­I¡¯m returning to my normal state from a blissful and beloved life. ¡­I thought that was true. However, I¡¯m wrong. Totally wrong. I¡­I¡­ ¡°¡­You¡¯re really lonely, right, senpai?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± How can this junior always see me right through? ¡­So, it seems that she saw my question as well and spoke up with a bitter smile. ¡°It¡¯s because someone in my family is really simr to senpai, ¡­including that weak emotion.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I don¡¯t know what to say. After that, ¡­after the school trip, I didn¡¯t even talk properly to Chiaki. Honestly, I don¡¯t know how I should speak to her. I used that I was dating Tendou-san as a reason and rejected her feelings. ¡­Then, I kept requesting her help, ¡­yet it all turned into dust. I¡¯m not sure whether I can still call myself a friend of her anymore. However, from what Konoha-san mentioned, Chiaki seems to be really ¡°fragile¡± right now for some reason too¡­ (¡­If it was because I rejected her, I don¡¯t think I should ask this right here.) Sigh, what¡¯s wrong with me right now. I can¡¯t rely on nor help anyone. Konoha-san spoke gently tofort me. ¡°Senpai, you must be, ¡­I get it. If we¡¯re in a game, you¡¯re at a ¡®lost¡¯ state.¡± ¡°Lost¡­¡± ¡°The shining gears you got from this adventure were all gone, and your level went back to 1. All of your journeys returned to the beginning, and all the teammates you got temporarily disbanded. Well, if there¡¯s something left, ¡­yep, perhaps it¡¯s an irrelevant NPC like me that are still affectionate towards senpai, right.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You¡¯re not irrelevant¡­¡± I nned to retort, but Konoha-san said, ¡°it¡¯s fine¡± and smiled. ¡°Thanks to that, I can act as a weak senpai¡¯s onlypanion right now andfort you.¡± ¡°Konoha-san¡­¡± So, it seems that Konoha-san wanted to calm me down, so she smiled confidently at me. ¡°But even if you ¡®lost,¡¯ it¡¯s far from a ¡®total loss¡¯ yet, senpai. This is just like a game. As long as you look for them quickly, all the gears, experience, and teammates you lost can be recovered in no time! So, in the future, I, Konoha Hoshinomori, will provide my assistance and help senpai out as much as possible! Uh, ¡­ah, it¡¯s okay if you want sex too, you get it, right!¡± Konoha-san even added thatst sentence yfully. ¡­I can¡¯t do this. Crap, I¡¯m about to cry. So, right now, even if it¡¯s just a casual encouragement from Konoha-san, when I heard that, ¡­when I listened to that¡­ ¡°¡­Thank you, Konoha-san. Thanks to you, I think¡­I can still fight on.¡± I appreciated her, yet Konoha-san answered me with a serious look. ¡°Also, what does senpai mean when you said you want to ¡®fight¡¯ on? From my interpretation, are you so determined that you¡¯re going to stalk your ex?¡± ¡­She¡¯s indeed the renowned student council president of Hekiyou High School. She¡¯s serious. That¡¯s the determination and face of¡­a friend that wants to protect the girl Karen Tendou. To her question, I also replied sincerely and honestly. ¡°Well, based on the situation, perhaps it¡¯ll really turn into what you said.¡± ¡°Senpai, that¡¯s too¡­¡± ¡°But please rx. Thanks to you, I¡¯ll not act an uncertain motive that¡¯s basically imagination. I will never think ¡®Tendou-san must feel the same way¡¯ before I act.¡± ¡°Hmm? If that¡¯s the case, senpai, can I ask what you are you thinking now?¡± ¡°Of course, even if I¡¯m in a total loss state right now, there¡¯s still something that I can rely on.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still something that you can rely on even in such a hopeless state? That is¡­¡± This is Konoha-san¡¯s question. I¡­put my hand in front of my chest and answered her with a smile. ¡°That is the feeling that I, Keita Amano, have for Tendou-san.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even if everything around me is uncertain right now, even if Tendou-san and I¡­aren¡¯t couples anymore. Even if that¡¯s the case¡­¡± I stared at the evening sky determinedly. ¡°I still love Tendou-san. It¡¯s okay even if it¡¯s just one-sided love. This is the only feeling¡­that even Tendou-san herself can¡¯t limit or reject. Whether it¡¯s the present or the future, I always love Tendou-san. I love her the most.¡± I told her with my eyes sparkling. Then, Konoha-san sighed dumbfoundedly next to me. ¡°¡­Jeez, senpai, you¡¯re going too far. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re showing off your determination to a junior that¡¯s interested in you¡­¡± While she didin, Konoha-san looks a bit happy, so I added. ¡°So, I¡¯ll still act like I¡¯m in love with her. I can¡¯t help it if that counts as what a stalker will do. However, I¡¯ll promise you that everything I do will be within my conscience.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I get it. Anyway, I¡¯m not really worrying that senpai will turn into a stalker. By the way, I¡¯m relieved that you got a nice conclusion.¡± Konoha-san smiled at me, ¡­what a nice girl. Just as I¡¯m throbbed on my own, Konoha-san kept her unchangeable attitude and added something unnecessary.¡± ¡°In other words, this means that the sexual desires I have for senpai also counts as ¡®love.¡¯ Hehehe!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s way over from what you¡¯ll call conscience.¡± ¡°Really? I hate to be honest, but 90% of love is sexual desires, right?¡± ¡°You destroyed everything you just said a while ago, sigh¡­¡± I let out a sigh. Then, Konoha-san chuckled and stood up with the help of a powerful swing. She didn¡¯t even wait for me and started walking as she spoke. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to go, senpai. It¡¯s time for the disappointing notice that I waited so long for.¡± ¡°Ah, I almost forgot. Let¡¯s go.¡± I stood up from the swing as well, and then I ran next to her. After that, I smiled at Konoha-san, but she suddenly looked away embarrassingly. Then, she got slightly startled and told me this. ¡°Sigh, sigh, ¡­if only I knew senpai was going to be this fragile. I could¡¯ve actuallyforted you in a more flirty way. Uwah, how regrettable.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that again¡­¡± Iined as usual. ¡­However, I slightly changed my mind this time. (Hmm, Konoha-san put so much effort into being a clown just to cheer me up. ¡­I¡¯ll be too inconsiderate if all I do isining. How about a route change¡­) I cleared my throat and immediately went in front of Konoha-san after we¡¯re out of the park. Then, I put my hands on her shoulders and faced her in the eyes. ¡°Ehh? U-Uh, senpai? L-Look there¡­¡± Konoha-san was surprised. Yep, ¡­this is a new reaction for me. This means that she¡¯s enjoying it. I¡¯m getting confident at pranks like this, so I smiled smugly. Also, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t notice Konoha-san is looking somewhere behind me- -I posed a ¡°handsome¡± look and told her with my serious attitude that I just acted out. ¡°Well, now that we have a chance, why don¡¯t youfort me with the flirty way that you just mentioned, Konoha-san?¡± ¡°Eh!¡± ¡°Eh!¡± I heard Konoha-san¡¯s shocked reaction, so I got a bit too cheerfully. Hahaha, I was the one that was pranked all around, but this time I¡¯m striking back. The evidence is that I can hear Konoha-san¡¯s shocked voice stereophonically as if it appeared in front and behind me. Look, like right now, I¡¯m so immersed that I think I can feel someone behind me- ¡°¡­A-Amano¡­-kun?¡± -Eh, weird, even though Konoha-san didn¡¯t move her mouth, I can hear a speaker ying a sound effect behind. ¡­Also, how should I say this? I can even feel that noise is exactly someone that dated me until a while ago. Also, Konoha-san seems to be staring the ¡°person¡± that I imagined with a pale face. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­.I turned my neck stiffy and looked behind with a horrible feeling. In the end, I saw- ¡°Amano-kun, ¡­what¡­did you¡­just say to Konoha-san¡­¡± -The incredibly beautiful and blonde high school girl, who¡¯s shocked expression is just as charming. In other words¡­ ¡°T-Tendou-san¡­?¡± My ¡°ex-girlfriend¡± is standing behind me with a twitching face. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Well, it looks like my rtionship is confirmed to be in ¡°total loss¡± here. Well done, everyone. I appreciated your hard work. Volume 8 2 – Karen Tendou and Fresh Restart

Volume 8 Chapter 2 ¨C Karen Tendou and Fresh Restart

Trantor: your_pingas (An hour before meeting up with Amano in the park.) ¡°Thest time when I came here, ¡­is when we were ying that Game of Life, right.¡± I turned off the GPS on my phone and looked at the house in front of me. ¡­The house with a ¡°Hoshinomori¡± sign next to it. I can¡¯t help but stand there silently for a moment. After school, residential area. A housewife from the neighbourhood is holding her shopping bag while looking at the blonde high school girl, ¡­which is me, from afar, again and again. I sighed deeply and mumbled to myself. (I can¡¯t help bute and ¡°visit¡± Chiaki-san. ¡­However, no matter how you think of it, this will do nothing but trouble to her, right.) I suddenly want to back out once I came here. ¡­I really can¡¯t be confident with myself once it involves Amano-kun. I took a few deep breaths in front of Hoshinomori¡¯s home as I thought about why I¡¯m here. (Firstly, today is the first normal school day after the end of the school trip. ¡­From what I¡¯ve heard from the teacher, my ssmate Chiaki-san was absent because she caught a cold. That¡¯s how everything began.) There¡¯s no problem so far. Karen Tendou is worrying her ssmate that caught a cold, so she¡¯s going to pay a visit. ¡­Yep, there¡¯s nothing strange with the process. Yes¡­ -If only the incident on the 4th day of the school trip didn¡¯t happen. I put my hand on my forehead as I pondered about it. (Although I feel like it¡¯s impossible, ¡­don¡¯t tell me the real reason why Chiaki-san was absent has to do with that ¡°thing¡± I did to Amano-kun.) That thing¡­refers to that. Uh, Amano-kun and I¡­k¡­ki¡­ W-We touched each other¡¯s lips, and then we broke up. (Honestly, I thought I was seeing things. ¡­However, I think I did saw a figure that resembles Chiaki-san¡­) That¡¯s a shadow I saw in the gloomy park. Since things were happening to us, so I can¡¯t confirm before everything was finished. If say, the person that I saw was really Chiaki-san, ¡­and it¡¯s why she was absent today¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I finally made up my mind at this point. (¡­Right. If that¡¯s really the case, ¡­no matter how ugly and awkward the meeting might go, I¡¯m still responsible for exining everything to her.) Perhaps I¡¯ll be scolded or hated. The worst possible scenario is that she might end our friendship. ¡­The expectation that a person who I sincerely identified as a friend will reject me is overwhelming me with fear. However, even so- If the reason for Chiaki-san noting to school isn¡¯t because she caught a cold, and it¡¯s actually because of us¡­because of me- ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll need to take care of everything.¡± After I made up my mind, I finally pressed the doorbell at the entrance. A moment passed and I can someone¡¯sing to the door. ¡­No, I knew that Chiaki-san¡¯s here. By texting Konoha-san beforehand, I confirmed that right now, Chiaki-san is home alone. In other words, there¡¯s no way to back out now. I awaited her with a nervous look. Then, the door was pushed open. So, she finally appeared in front of me. ¡­Chiaki Hoshinomori looks- ¡°Cough! Cough! Sniffffff... I-I¡¯m soreyyy, Karen-san. I can¡¯t believe I have to see you with how I¡¯m looking now¡­ A-ACHOO! Cough! Cough! ¡­Sniff, ¡­sniff. ¡­A-Anyway, pleasee in- Cough! Ugh! Cough! Phew, ¡­phew, ¡­phew¡­¡± -Without a doubt, she¡¯s just a girl that caught a severe cold! She¡¯s wearing pyjamas with a mask on her face, her hair and skin are a mess. ¡­I can¡¯t help but immediatelyin. ¡°Chiaki-san, you really just caught a cold!¡± ¡°What? Eh, t-this is the first time that my friend got mad at me because I ¡®really just caught a cold!¡¯ I-I feel like I should apologize¡­¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s good that you caught a cold, it¡¯s good. ¡­Phew, I¡¯m relieved.¡± ¡°Relived? K-Karen-san, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re taking pleasure in my suffering because you hate me! Cough, cough!¡± Chiaki-san looks like she¡¯s about to cry as she started coughing again. ¡­Crap, what am I doing. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! P-Please get back to your house, Chiaki-san! Here, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°R-Really. Uh, thanks¡­?¡± So, I immediately switched to the ¡°visiting¡± mode, pushed her back, and walked into Hoshinomori¡¯s home. * ¡°Cough, cough! H-Hiya, people like me is very likely to catch a cold before and after a trip. Recovery takes a long time. ¡­Achoo! Sniff, ¡­sniff¡­¡± Chiaki-san crawled into the bed in her room and exined with only her head out. After I put my bag at the corner of the room, I moved her desk next to the bed as I answered. ¡°I understand how you feel. However, is there any direct reason¡­¡± Is she really exhausted because of me? ¡­I worried about this as I took a seat. Chiaki remained in bed and tilted her head confusingly. ¡°Honestly, ¡­I don¡¯t recall any specific reasons.¡± ¡°Huh! I¡¯m the one that hurt you, after all¡­¡± ¡°I rode on the rollercoaster 10 times at a cold amusement park night with thin clothes on. I feel like that¡¯s not relevant, right¡­¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s the reason!¡± I knew why, finally. It¡¯s not because she worried too much. She just exhausted her body out. I asked dumbfoundedly. ¡°W-Why are you doing dumb things like that¡­¡± ¡°Eh? Hiya, that¡¯s because, ¡­ugh, ¡­uh¡­¡± Suddenly, Chiaki-san looked away slightly and covered her mouth tightly with the nket. I was alerted by her look. I clenched my fist on myp. ¡­Then, I got right into the chase and asked her. ¡°Chiaki, ¡­don¡¯t tell me¡­you saw what I did¡­with Amano-kun¡­that night?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± To my suspicion, Chiaki closed her eyes firmly. ¡­After that, she turned away and faced the wall, seemingly trying to avoid me. ¡­However, 10 secondster, she slowly nodded her head. I dropped my shoulders and sighed deeply. I showed a loving scene with my boyfriend to my rival in love. ¡­In certain situations, perhaps it¡¯ll make people feel good. But, right now, I¡¯m not happy at all. Moreover, I don¡¯t even feel embarrassed. All I can feel is¡­bitterness. This is sad. I¡¯m upset. I lowered my head with a bitter expression and squeezed my voice out to apologize. ¡°How should I put it. ¡­Chiaki-san, that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t want to talk to me on the ne heading back. ¡­It¡¯s because your chest is flooded with jealously and sadness, right¡­¡± After she heard what I said, Chiaki-san¡­looked at me once again. Then, she denied it with a puzzled look. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not like that. I was just trying my best to resist that ¡®nausea¡¯ caused by the uing cold.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, the things that were flooding my chest isn¡¯t sadness or anything. It was actually wave after wave of vomit. Ay, that was really close. I almost discharged next to you¡­¡± ¡°R¡­Really.¡± What the, I don¡¯t want to hear this information at all. ¡­I really hope that she can return my worries. I took a deep breath and made up my mind before talking to her once again. ¡°This is about what happened to us that night, ¡­and what you witnessed. There¡¯s something else I would like to confirm, alright?¡± ¡°Oh, what is it? ¡­Ah, well, if you¡¯re referring to an ¡®even more intimate scene¡¯ after that, t-then I saw nothing! Yes, please don¡¯t worry about it! So, I have no idea. Whether it¡¯s your reddish skin, or Keita¡¯s face when he unleashed his lust. I saw none-¡° ¡°No, I¡¯m not talking about those! Moreover, that didn¡¯t happen!¡± ¡°R-Really? But if that¡¯s true, what are you talking about¡­¡± Chiaki answered me with a confused look. From her face, I can tell she really didn¡¯t see the scene after we kissed. ¡­I paused for a beat. ¡­Then, I mentally prepared myself and spoke up. ¡°Chiaki-san, it seems to be that you have no idea. That night, Amano-kun and I- broke up already.¡± ¡°HUH! ¡­Achoo!¡± Right away, Chiaki-san popped up from the bed and sneezed at the same time. -Saliva, sweat, and snivel all flew across the room towards me. ¡°S-Sorry, sorry.¡± Chiaki-san quickly started cleaning everything around her with tissues. ¡­Yep, Amano-kun is like this too. Why do these people keep breaking serious moments! Are they sick? Sigh, even though Chiaki-san is really sick now, she caught a cold. After she cleaned her mess, Chiaki-san wiped her nose forcefully. Then, she propped up and asked me again. ¡°W-W-What happened! Karen-san, why did you say you broke up with Keita!¡± ¡°It¡¯s what you heard.¡± I wiped the mucus sshed onto my face calmly with a handkerchief. ¡°T-This means that after the bodies of Keita and you broke up, they formed Karen B and Keita B¡­¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s not science fiction. I mean, we broke up mentally.¡± ¡°T-This means that the ¡®Holy Karen¡¯ that was born from your conscience, and the ¡®Evil Karen¡¯ that was spawned from your wicked thoughts finally battled each other-¡° ¡°No. It¡¯s not as fantastical. My soul didn¡¯t break up and formed two parts.¡± ¡°Well, ¡­I-I¡¯m sorry. An idiot like me can only guess a hopeless conclusion as ¡®you broke up with Keita¡¯ and ceased to be a couple¡­¡± ¡°Uh, that¡¯s correct! Sorry, this is the real, hopeless conclusion!¡± ¡°Eh? EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± ¡°I wish you can give me this reaction earlier!¡± Chiaki-san was thoroughly shocked while I sighed helplessly. I sat upright and continued. ¡°I already told your little sister Konoha about this ¡­I should say, including Konoha-san, everyone around you knew in advance.¡± ¡°Ehhhhh! What is this! N-Not again! I¡¯m always the one that gets the messagest, why does this plot appear in my life this often! I was the only one that didn¡¯t know the hiking trip was cancelled, and I looked forward to it while going to the elementary school alone with my bags on. I ended up waiting for nothing in the rain! This is just like what happened at that time! This is madness! I¡¯m used to it, anyway, it¡¯s fine!¡± ¡°Sorry, Chiaki-san. I understand that we¡¯ll be stuck on the topic, but please let me hug you for 3 seconds.¡± ¡°Hiya!¡± So, I hugged Chiaki-san¡¯s head for 3 seconds tightly while she¡¯s confused. ¡­Phew. ¡°Well, allow me to continue.¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s with that magical mind-reading? The triggers are too random!¡± Although Chiaki-san seems to be confused, I still pressed on. ¡°There¡¯s another thing I want to report, Uehara-kun and Aguri-san broke up as well.¡± ¡°WHATTTTTTTTTTTT! Cough, cough! Cough, cough!¡± Whether it¡¯s because she screamed too hard or the cold, Chiaki-san choked herself atst. I rubbed her back. So, after she calmed down, the girl gave me a serious look. ¡°Ah! It turned into this after I got a mysterious fever. ¡­This means that I was influenced by a change in the timeline unknowingly-¡° ¡°It¡¯s not that at all. The things that are influencing you right now is ¡®the ups and downs in a romanticedy¡¯ instead of a ¡®timeline change.¡¯ Well, I do hate to describe my rtionship as a romanticedy.¡± ¡°R-Really. ¡­I can¡¯t believe all of this happened when I¡¯m struggling to fight my cold. ¡­Honestly, I feel like I¡¯m the protagonist of Walking Dead season 1.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t rte our situation to the end of the world.¡± She¡¯s acting like we made a colossal mess, ¡­even though we actually did. Chiaki-san answered with a ¡°sorry¡± and chugged the sports drink I got for her. After she finished half of it, she looks a lot better. So, she covered herself with the nket before facing me again. ¡­It wasn¡¯t until now that I realized Chiaki-san¡¯s pyjamas aren¡¯t appropriately worn, and her chest looks a bit red. It looks incredibly charming. I¡¯m d that Amano-kun didn¡¯t visit her alone. ¡­Just as I¡¯m almost feeling relived, I noticed and immediately pinched the back of my hand. (I¡¯m not his ¡®girlfriend¡¯ anymore. I¡¯m his ex, right! No, I can¡¯t feel that! Jeez! I¡¯ve always been-) ¡°Karen-san?¡± Chiaki-san was confused by what I¡¯m doing and tilted her head. I quickly stopped pinching my hand and tried to calm myself down. Then, I followed it with a cough before exining again. ¡°Although we didn¡¯t talk to each other in advance, ¡­that day, Uehara-kun and I broke up with our lovers separately.¡± ¡°Uh, this means that¡­after¡­you two¡­kissed each other?¡± Chiaki-san asked embarrassingly. I can feel my cheeks are heating too as I answered her. ¡°Y-Yeah, well, ¡­after¡­the k-kiss¡­¡± Chiaki-san¡¯s room was filled with silence for a while, around 10 seconds. Then, Chiaki-san said something unexpected -yet it fits her style. ¡°¡­Well, I feel terrible for Keita¡­and Aguri-chan¡­¡± Chiaki-san looks gloomy, perhaps she might break into tears. Even though it¡¯s inappropriate for me to mention this, I¡¯m convinced by her. (Even though you¡¯re in such a sorry state, ¡­your spirit and stamina should be incredibly low right now. You¡¯re still just aspassionate to your friends, Chiaki-san¡­) The embarrassing fact is that I don¡¯t think I can act in the same way. Moreover, since she loves Amano-kun, ¡­no one will me her even if she¡¯s ¡°happy¡± about our situation at first¡­ (Sigh, ¡­it¡¯s because you¡¯re a person like this, that¡¯s why I¡­) After I saw Chiaki-san¡¯s thoroughly depressed face, I¡­I once again believed that my decision is ¡°correct.¡± (Perhaps no one will understand. I sincerely get that I¡¯m asserting things here. However, ¡­this¡­this is how I¡¯m going to show my sincerity. ¡­This is¡­the conclusion I¡¯ve reached for my rtionship.) I stared at Chiaki-san¡¯s eyes again. As for her, ¡­she¡¯s still ring at me with a shocked look, even mixed with slight sparks of anger. (¡­It¡¯s because you¡¯re a person like this¡­) At this moment, I took a deep breath¡­ -Then, finally, I told someone why I¡¯m doing this. ¡°But, this way, everyone can finally ¡®love¡¯ each other, without any boundaries.¡± ¡°-Eh?¡± Chiaki-san was speechless. I held her hand and smiled warmly before continuing. ¡°Chiaki-san, the love you have for Amano-kun. ¡­Although I¡¯m unwilling to admit this, I¡¯ll say that it¡¯s ¡®genuine,¡¯ ¡­to the point where I¡¯m in awe.¡± ¡°Eh? W-Well, how, uh, uh, I, Keita¡­¡± Chiaki-san freaked out since she¡¯s embarrassed. I still held her hand tightly and pressed on. ¡°Of course, I love Amano-kun too. I sincerely¡­and deeply love him, ¡­to the point that I¡¯m willing to let myself suffer.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± This time, after Chiaki-san heard the sentence that I mustered out, she held my hand tightly. ¡­I want to cry. However, I can¡¯t break down here. I raised my head determined and continued. ¡°However, previously, -the fact that I¡¯m dating him has trampled¡­your noble love, ¡­and your feeling brutally.¡± ¡°N-No, my feelings weren¡¯t trampled! I¡¯m not thinking that at all¡­!¡± Chiaki-san tried to retort, but I interrupted her. ¡°The reason why I started dating him is twisted. It¡¯s a product of misunderstandings and luck. However, I think¡­I¡¯ve always just sat and enjoyed the rtionship with Amano-kun since I love him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. ¡­Think about it, ¡­Keita¡¯s second confession is undoubtedly sincere¡­¡± Chiaki-san was startled as she quicklyforted me, who¡¯s supposed to be her rival in love. (¡­Really, why can¡¯t you notice it? The more you act like this, ¡­the more determined I became.) Although I can¡¯t help butugh out, I still continued. ¡°Yeah, after that confession, I think we¡¯re genuinely dating. That love is 100% real. ¡­E-Even though I suspected it idiotically at one time, I still believed we were couples at that time. That¡¯s why, while this rtionship is temporary, and I understand that it¡¯s really selfish, I took his first kiss away before breaking up. After all, this is undeniable evidence that we dated.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± ¡°However, even so, the fact that it¡¯s wed at the start won¡¯t change. ¡­Also, someone¡¯s rejected feelings won¡¯t disappear as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Chiaki-san still looks like she can¡¯t ept it, so I decided to put it in another way. ¡°It¡¯s like a racing game. Even though the winner of that match is an overwhelming professional yer that can mow all opposition down. Even though the winner will win when you consider her skills. Even so, ¡­if that match started with a ¡®sneak off,¡¯ I think the result should be invalidated.¡± ¡°Karen-san¡­¡± Chiaki-san is very impressed by my extraordinary philosophy of winning and losing. After I saw her reaction, I put up a smug face confidently. Then, suddenly, ¡­Chiaki-san squinted andined. ¡°¡­Did you just secretly emphasize that ¡®you¡¯re better even without a sneak off¡¯ when you¡¯re presenting your view?¡± ¡°¡­Alright, let¡¯s forget about that.¡± ¡°Karen-san¡­?¡± Their ears are still really sensitive when ites to small things like this¡ªthese loners, ¡­whatever. I nced at Chiaki-san¡¯s eyes again and told her this. ¡°Chiaki-san, I¡­I hope I can win legitimately. Not at apetition where I get to start first, but it¡¯s a legitimatepetition where we share the same conditions, that¡¯s where I want to win.¡± ¡°¡­Karen-san, ¡­but, ¡­if you do that, ¡­I still feel like¡­¡± During this time, she red at my eyes brutally with a determined look. ¡°I still feel terrible for Keita. He¡¯s upset because of our selfishness. ¡­I¡¯m absolutely not willing to hurt his love! I won¡¯t back down on this one!¡± ¡°¡­Really.¡± With how sincere her words¡­and attitude are, I already surrendered countless times in my heart. ¡­Although I¡¯m the one that triggered her, ¡­this girl is way too unbeatable when ites to being considerate to Amano-kun. ¡­However- That¡¯s why Karen Tendou will move forward fearlessly. It¡¯s because an obstacle is blocking me. I red at Chiaki-san fiercely as well and told her. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯mpeting with you fairly. This is for Amano-kun to get his ¡®true happiness.¡¯ After all, you won¡¯t be happy just because you got ¡®someone¡¯ to go out with, right? I think true happiness can only be acquired by dating someone you sincerely love with your entire soul.¡± ¡°Karen-san¡­¡± My retort stunned Chiaki-san. I slowly let go of her hand. ¡°Also, the most important thing is that¡­¡± I brought on a slightly cunning conclusion to convince her. ¡°After thispetition, we can at least be sure that Amano-kun can be ¡®truly happy.¡¯ Don¡¯t you think¡­this is the best ending for us as well? We both love him, right.¡± * It¡¯s been 10 minutes since I talked to Chiaki-san and when she epted my reasoning. It¡¯s not good to overstay my visit. So, even though I don¡¯t want to leave yet, I still prepared to go home. ¡°Right-¡° Chiaki-san maintained her pose on the bed and said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t paying attention when I was talking about Keita with you. But, ¡­did Uehara-kun and Aguri-chan broke up because of the same reason?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, ..well, ¡­hmm¡­¡± I started putting on my scarf as I replied Chiaki-san with a vague smile. ¡°I think so, ¡­but it¡¯s hard to say. Like what I¡¯ve said before, Uehara-kun and I didn¡¯t agree that we¡¯ll break up with our lovers together in advance. Perhaps he has his own reasons.¡± ¡°Right. ¡­Uh, can I ask how did things go for the two of them?¡± Chiaki-san asked worriedly. ¡­Jeez, this girl is the kindest person ever. Although I can¡¯t help but chuckle, I stilled stopped putting on my scarf and answered her. ¡°Well, for Uehara-kun, ¡­hmm, I guess he¡¯s just the same. Even though I didn¡¯t talk to him directly, I saw that he¡¯s still messing with his friends in-ss cheerfully as they walked.¡± ¡°Really? Well, how about Aguri-chan¡­¡± ¡°¡­Sorry, I don¡¯t know too much then. While I¡¯m worried as well, ¡­even so, I¡¯m not supposed to interfere in her rtionship too much.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­right. I guess I shouldn¡¯t ask that.¡± Chiaki-san scratched her face embarrassingly. We¡¯re actually friends and partners in the Hobby Club. However, honestly, we still mind each other¡¯s existence. I started putting on my scarf again as I sighed loudly. ¡°Ay, Amano-kun should be a goodpanion of her right now¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. Speaking of this, I feel like Aguri-chan can also heal Keita¡¯s wounds pretty well too¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. From this perspective, right now, they¡¯re irreceable to each other-¡° ¡°Yes, yes. Currently, they¡¯ve never needed to rely on each other so much mentally-¡° At this moment, we paused everything we¡¯re doing. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I stopped putting on my scarf. Chiaki-san stopped scratching her cheeks. -We started sweating profusely. Then, the two of us looked at each other and screamed in our hearts. (THIS PERSON IN FRONT OF ME ISN¡¯T THE STRONGEST OPPONENT THAT I SHOULD WORRY RIGHT NOW!) We still smiled at each other, ¡­yet sweat keeps appearing on our faces as we continued the conversation. ¡°H-Hiya, this is not good. Well, I, ¡­right! I want to find Amano-kun directly and talk about gaming together, yes. I have to see him now, a-as a friend!¡± ¡°W-What a coincidence, Karen-san! I also want to look for Keita, uh, well, r-right, there¡¯s something I would like to ask him about the mobile game, a-as a friend, o-of course!¡± So, weughed emotionlessly at each other. So, a moment of silence passed. We started moving quickly. Chiaki-san grabbed her phone next to the bed, and I opened the door. ¡°Well, stay safe, Chiaki-san!¡± ¡°Alright! Sorry for not bidding farewell properly, Karen-san! See you!¡± ¡°K, bye!¡± I hastily waved at her and just left by the corridor directly. After I put my shoes on within 2 seconds and walked out of the entrance, I immediately got my phone out and opened the texting app. Usually, I will never walk while paying attention to my phone, but now¡¯s different. Anyway, once I confirmed that there¡¯s no pedestrians or cars nearby, I dashed across the residential area as I typed. Just as I¡¯m typing this. ¡°¡­Sigh, sigh, how regrettable.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that again¡­¡± I heard some familiar voices. I can¡¯t help but my raise my head from the screen. So, I saw a high school boy and girl walking out from the park not far away¡­ (Uh, that¡¯s Amano-kun? Also, ¡­Konoha-san too!) Due to the surprise, I stopped walking. (Eh? Why? Why is Amano-kun here? Is he visiting Chiaki-san? ¡­No, he¡¯s not my ss, I don¡¯t think he even knows that Chiaki-san is absent. Moreover, Konoha-san is with him. ¡­But it¡¯s natural for her to show up around Hoshinomori¡¯s home¡­) Although I thought of all the possible scenarios, anyway, the worst possible one ¨C the scene when Aguri-san and him ¡°instantly matched¡± each other, didn¡¯t happen. I pressed my chest in relief. I wanted to say hi to them. -However, at this moment, Amano-kun, who faced me with his back, put his hands on Konoha-san¡¯s shoulders tightly. ¡°Eh!¡± ¡°Eh!¡± The gasps that Konoha-san and I let out due to shockpletely ovepped each other. At the same time, since she¡¯s facing Amano-kun, she made eye contact with me, who¡¯s behind him. Konoha-san noticed my presence and tried to tell Amano-kun. Her eyes are bouncing between Amano-kun and me. However, ¡­Amano-kun didn¡¯t notice it at all. Moreover, ¡­he grabbed Konoha-san¡¯s shoulders with his hands even tighter and told her this with an unprecedentedly ¡°manly¡± tone. ¡°Well, now that we have a chance, why don¡¯t youfort me with the flirty way that you just mentioned, Konoha-san?¡± ¡°Eh!¡± ¡°Eh!¡± Konoha-san¡¯s and my voice ovepped again. At the same time, I¡¯m feeling dizzy. ¡­What¡¯s happening? Is this reality? ¡°¡­A-Amano¡­-kun?¡± I can¡¯t help but call him out. However, even so, Amano-kun still didn¡¯t look back. However, ¡­after a couple seconds, he was clearly alerted. Then, ¡­he looked back quite slowly. ¡­With a pretty awkward expression. As for me, I calmed down and asked. ¡°Amano-kun, ¡­what¡­did you¡­just say to Konoha-san¡­¡± ¡°T-Tendou-san¡­?¡± Right away, Amano-kun¡¯s face is painted full of hopelessness. ¡­T-This reaction, ¡­it looks like it can¡¯t be too far from that¡­ The atmosphere that feels like a cheater getting caught is permeating between Amano-kun and me. So, it looks like Konoha-san can¡¯t take it anymore, so she hastily broke the silence and attempted to smooth things over. ¡°H-Hiya, Tendou-senpai, what a coincidence to see you here! L-Let¡¯s forget about that, how should I put it, we¡¯re just chatting, yes! Senpai said that because of the things we talked about!¡± ¡°¡­Oh, oh, ¡­really. W-What did you two talk about?¡± ¡°Eh? Uh, well, ¡­I mentioned to senpai that, actually, I canfort him with an extremely flirty way¡­¡± ¡°If that¡¯s true, then it¡¯s just like what I expected. I didn¡¯t misunderstand anything, right!¡± ¡°Crap, you¡¯re right! Uh, b-but, that¡¯s not true! Right, senpai?¡± Konoha-san threw the topic to Amano-kun. He started nodded repeatedly like a wind-up doll. His face is pale as he tried his best to exin to me. ¡°Yes! I was thinking about ¡®why don¡¯t I take the initiative¡¯ sometimes¡­¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re literally falling in love with her, right¡­!¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re wrong! It¡¯s not like that! I should say I¡¯m just trying to return Konoha-san¡¯s effort¡­¡± ¡°You want to return Konoha-san¡¯s ¡®sexual desires,¡¯ right!¡± ¡°No, no, no, no, no! It¡¯s not like what you¡¯ve said¡­!¡± ¡°Senpai! If that¡¯s true, I¡¯m totally alright even if we¡¯re doing it in public suddenly!¡± ¡°YOU¡¯RE ACTUALLY NOT TRYING TO HELP ME, RIGHT!¡± After Amano-kun shouted, he scratched his brain repeatedly before exining everything to me with his entire soul. From what I¡¯ve heard, that was just his way of ¡°joking¡± with Konoha-san. When I heard the full story, I felt like it fits his style, so I pressed my chest in relief. ¡­However, after seeing his expression that looks like he¡¯s exining to his girlfriend, I realized I shouldn¡¯t act like this. So, I crossed my arms and answered him coldly with a sharp attitude. ¡°Amano-kun doing what with who has nothing to do with me, a-anyway! We¡¯re not dating, a-after all!¡± ¡°¡­Y-You¡¯re¡­right¡­¡± Amano-kun dropped his shoulders depressingly right away. ¡­What the, I feel terrible. I really want to hug him right now. However, ¡­I¡¯ve already announced that I¡¯mpeting legitimately, so I can¡¯t step out of bounds and enter the ¡°girlfriend¡± realm¡­ ¡°Wow, I feel sorry for senpai¡­¡± ¡°K-Konoha-san?¡± So, at the next moment, Konoha-san hugged Amano-kun¡¯s arm intimately for some reason. She kept touching him with her plumpy chest that¡¯s as big as her sister. Moreover, her entire body is leaning on him, nearly putting his arm in her cleavage. ¡°HEY-¡° I can¡¯t suppress my anger. However, Konoha-san immediately said, ¡°Weird?¡± as she looked at me mischievously. ¡°Why is Ms. ¡®Ex-girlfriend¡¯ getting angry when she broke up with senpai?¡± ¡°Uh, ugh¡­!¡± ¡°Like what you¡¯ve said, you¡¯re already the ¡®ex-girlfriend¡¯ now. Is it reasonable for you to be angry at times like this? Ah, ¡­or, Tendou-senpai, you¡¯re actually still in love with senpai?¡± Konoha-san asked me while showing an evil smile. J-Jeez, she has always been like this¡­! While she acts freely and carelessly on the surface, in reality, ¡­she¡¯s doing all this to cheer Amano-kun up. That¡¯s why Konoha-san revealed my feelings in front of him, ¡­I guess. Amano-kun was convinced by what she said, so he mustered up his courage and stepped forward to face me. ¡°T-Tendou-san! Uh, ¡­i-if that¡¯s true, w¡­well! P-Please, can¡­can we¡­can we go out¡­once again! Please! T-This time, I, ¡­well, ¡­I¡¯ll work even harder!¡± Amano-kun bowed down as he reached his hand out to me. ¡°You¡¯ll work even harder, ¡­right¡­¡± As for me, when I¡¯m faced with his request that¡¯s about to make me jump in excitement, I can¡¯t help but lowered my head as I held my trembling hands tightly. I¡­I really love Keita Amano. He loves gaming. He¡¯s always cheerful. He¡¯s gentle, yet he got a strong opinion. He¡¯s timid but filled with courage at the same time, and he¡¯s incredibly sincere to everyone¡­ I fell in love with him unconsciously. ¡­I really love him. I really love him, I¡¯m in love him so much that I can¡¯t pull myself out. I want to stay with him forever. I want tough with him together. I want to be¡­the closest to him. Yes, I sincerely wished that. However, that¡¯s why, at the same time, I hope¡­ No, I really hope- -I really hope that he can truly happy with the person he loves the most. ¡­If I¡¯m that person, then nothing is happier in the world for me. At that time, I think I will forget everyone and love him wholeheartedly and enjoy our lives together. However, that¡¯s the exact reason. I don¡¯t hope that¡­he chose me because ¡°we used to be a couple.¡± ¡­That¡¯s why, ¡­that¡¯s why I¡­ I clenched my fist subconsciously. ¡­Even so, I still squeezed out my final strength and raised my head with a calm smile. Then, I told this to my favourite boy in the world. ¡°No, thanks, Amano-kun. It¡¯s because you¡¯re not the Amano-kun that I want to go out with right now.¡± * (AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!) It¡¯s been 10 minutes since I met with Amano-kun and Konoha-san. I, Karen Tendou, bid farewell to them and left with a chic ¡°nice girl¡± aura. ¡­After that, I headed to the nearest convenience store and bought carbonated drinks, which I usually wouldn¡¯t try. Then, when I chugged the whole bottle at the food court, ¡­I scratched my head as I flooded myself in regret. (Why! Why would I reject Amano-kun with a smug face! What¡¯s the reason to turn down your most beloved person¡¯s confession! There¡¯s literally nothing in the world that stops me from dating him, not in my family at least! I just rejected him because of self-satisfaction, ¡­isn¡¯t this too weird? True love overrides everything, right? If that¡¯s the case, this means that what I did¡­is justmitting suicide! Am I an idiot! Seriously, what was I doing¡­) I stopped scratched my head as I leaned on the chair and stared at the roof of the store. A dusty air conditioner came into view. ¡­I was feeling as boundless as the sea and sky when I was exining to Chiaki-san. Right now, I¡¯m utterly depressed. (Sigh, ¡­can Amano-kun please ask me to date him again.) The Karen Tendou in Hoshinomori¡¯s home was nowhere to be found, I was hopeless. Although I¡¯m dumbfounded at myself, the bitterness in my heart hurts way more, so I¡¯m really helpless too. Venting out in the store alone like this, I feel like¡­ all these hesitations in my heart doesn¡¯t even matter if I can stay with Amano-kun. Really, how petty and low do I have to be as a girl. However, ¡­on the other hand, I did expect this. ¡°Even though I¡¯m such a coward alone, ¡­when I¡¯m in front of Amano-kun or Chiaki-san, I bet I¡¯ll still pretend to be the strong-willed Karen Tendou. ¡­I¡¯ve always been like this.¡± Really. It¡¯s idiotic, no matter how you look at it. I sighed loudly after I¡¯mpletely fed up with myself. So, ¡­my phone on the table suddenly vibrated. I casually grabbed it and turned on the screen while still feeling depressed, then I found out¡­ ¡°¡­It¡¯s from Konoha-san?¡± Konoha-san texted me on her own. I always get a half-baked response even if I tried to talk to her. It¡¯s rare for her to text me. I opened the app and read it. ¡°The question earlier?¡± I was confused with what she¡¯s talking about, so I checked our message history. So, after a while of sliding, I found out the message I wanted. ¡°Ah, ¡®what is love?¡¯ That¡¯s what I asked, right.¡± That¡¯s the question I threw to her during the school trip. Initially, Konoha-san answered me casually. ¡­Then, she wrote something sincere as the reply and alerted me. ¡­Yep. ¡°I feel like she already answered it pretty simply¡­¡± I confirmed the brilliant answer I got from her once again as I tilted my head. At this time, another messagees through. I scrolled the history and confirmed thetest content. So, the text written there is straightforward. ¡­It¡¯s her 4-word definition of love. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I blinked at what she said for a second. After a moment, ¡­I can¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Really, ¡­is that true¡­¡± If that¡¯s the case, ¡­nothing is more exciting than this. After all, this means that I¡¯m finally with Chiaki-san and Aguri-san¡­ I¡¯m finally standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the girls that I¡¯ve respected for long. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I looked at the screen for a while. Then, I rose up from the chair chicly as I let out a ¡°yep¡± and straightened my back. After that¡­ ¡°¡­Alright, I¡¯ll enjoy myself with video games once I got home today!¡± Well, today¡¯s the same. I started my dumbfoundedly usual daily routine with video games. Volume 8 3 – Tasuku Uehara and Difficulty Change

Volume 8 Chapter 3 ¨C Tasuku Uehara and Difficulty Change

Trantor: your_pingas ¡°Eh? Hey, this isn¡¯t right. ¡­Why are you not contacting Aguri on your own, Amano!¡± ¡°Uh, even if you ask me why¡­¡± The second Tuesday of December. In other words, the second school day after the end of the trip, lunchtime. In the stairs of the old school building that no one walks through, I stopped chewing my curry sandwich and looked back at Amano. He¡¯s putting his back against me as he¡¯s eating the same sandwich. Then, he looked at the boring scenery below the stairs and spoke up. ¡°Well, ¡­after the 4th night of the trip, we confirmed each of our situations in the lobby of the hotel. ¡­However, we didn¡¯t text each other after that. Yep!¡± Amano said this like it¡¯s nothing before chewing on his sandwich casually. Inparison, anxiety is clearly running high on my face as I asked him. ¡°B-But, ¡­in times like this, won¡¯t you two dash towards the family restaurant immediately?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true normally. ¡­However, honestly, I don¡¯t feel like it this time¡­¡± ¡°W-Why! Go! To the family restaurant! Just the two of you!¡± ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t get it, Uehara-kun. Why are you mad?¡± At this point, Amano finally looked at me with a confused face. To that, I can¡¯t help but protest loudly. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still asking me why. The premise of all of this is that I thought you¡¯ll support Aguri-¡° However, I realized it and stopped in the middle of my sentence. ¡°-Uh, it¡¯s nothing. Forget about it.¡± ¡°Really? Uehara-kun, I didn¡¯t know that you want someone to support a depressed Aguri-san?¡± ¡°You¡¯re only incredibly smart in weird situations like this! I-I told you to forget about all that!¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. ¡­But, Uehara-kun, I feel like you were saying something really selfish just then. ¡­Honestly, I¡¯m a bit pissed off.¡± ¡°!¡± Although it¡¯s not as fierce as the one on the school trip, Amano still red at me with a stern look. I¡¯m a bit scared by his determination, ¡­but I still sighed deeply. ¡­This guy is really¡­ ¡°Ah. ¡­Well, I¡¯m sorry, Amano-kun. I was saying something mean just then.¡± I admitted it as I sat next to him. When I nced at the side, I realized Amano is still chewing his sandwich a bit angrily. I scratched my head and continue apologizing to him. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m really sorry, Amano. How should I put it, I didn¡¯t mean to me you¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to say sorry to me. But, ¡­I felt terrible for Aguri-san.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­I don¡¯t need to apologize, right. ¡­This guy is still just the same. I smiled bitterly and slightly lowered my head. ¡°Right, ¡­it¡¯s my bad.¡± ¡°¡­Sigh, whatever. In reality, it¡¯s a fact that I can¡¯t stay and talk with Aguri-san. I also feel like I¡¯m pretty useless too.¡± ¡°Eh, I¡¯m not saying this with that in mind. Well, I¡¯m the one that hurt her, after all¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Amano didn¡¯t say anything as he took another bite of the sandwich. ¡­As ¡°Aguri¡¯s friend,¡± he should be furious at what I just said. Even so, he still didn¡¯t ask ¡°why did you two break up.¡± I bet that¡¯s because he¡¯s being considerate as ¡°my friend.¡± (You¡¯re really¡­¡± I nced at Amano gently. He quickly looked away embarrassingly upon the realization as he continued. ¡°Actually, under the usual circumstances, I admit that I¡¯ll immediately go to the restaurant with Aguri-san and just chat until the night.¡± ¡°Yeah. So why didn¡¯t you do that?¡± ¡°Sigh, I guess it¡¯s because¡­Aguri-san and I aren¡¯t feeling normal.¡± He stopped eating and gave me a weak smile before continuing. ¡°I feel like, ¡­right now, Aguri-san and I can¡¯t even ¡®support each other¡¯ properly. ¡­If we just relied on ourselves, I think¡­the two of us might end up copsing together.¡± ¡°¡­Really¡­¡± I don¡¯t know what to say, and I ended up crushing the curry sandwich together with the package. So, Amano freaked out and tried to calm me down. ¡°Ah, sorry, Uehara-kun. I didn¡¯t mean to me you or Tendou-san at all¡­!¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s dumb. At this point, you don¡¯t need to care about the guy that broke up with his girlfriend. No need to be polite. Just scold at me if you want to. It¡¯s because there¡¯s absolutely nothing wrong with this.¡± ¡°Uehara-kun¡­¡± Amano looked at my eyes like he wanted to say something. ¡°Seriously, why did you break up¡­¡± I feel like he¡¯s about to spew this sentence at any moment. However, he forcefully swallowed that sentence down along with the carton of milk he¡¯s drinking. So, he switched back to his normal tone and chatted with me. ¡°However,e to think of it, none of us is in the same ss as Aguri-san. ¡­So, there¡¯s no way for me to know how¡¯s she doing recently. Perhaps I should be worried.¡± ¡°Ah, right, speaking of worries, I think Hoshinomori was absent yesterday because of a cold.¡± ¡°Eh, really? Damn, crap, jeez, I was just paying attention to myself¡­!¡± Amano wrapped his hands around his hand regrettably right away. ¡­How can this person always forget his depression right away. I really respect that. I smiled and calmed him down. ¡°But I¡¯ve heard that she already recovered today, and she came to school.¡± ¡°Really, that¡¯s great¡­¡± Amano pressed his chest in relief. ¡­It looks like this guy already forgot that Hoshinomori is his rival entirely in front of me. Well, I think that¡¯s how he is. Amano took another sip of milk and adjusted his breath. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why¡­¡± He mumbled to himself and remembered something. ¡°That¡¯s why I saw Tendou-san near Hoshinomori¡¯s home¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Yeah, Tendou is in the same ss as her. I think she visited her yesterday. Forget about that, why were you near Hoshinomori¡¯s home?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s because there¡¯s something I want to talk about with Konoha-san. Then, when I¡¯m walking her home, I bumped into Tendou-san. Konoha-san and I were coincidentally¡­¡± ¡°What did you do to her?¡± ¡°An obscene request.¡± ¡°The progress is way too fast!¡± I nearly st all my coffee out as I stood up abruptly. Amano still looked into the distance as he continued. ¡°Ay, ¡­to put it simply, I¡¯m already game over.¡± ¡°It¡¯s aplete over! Your social life is in ruins, not to mention your ce in the romanticedy!¡± ¡°T-This is just a misunderstanding, Uehara-kun. I¡­I was possessed back then!¡± ¡°There¡¯s literally no misunderstanding! What kind of poor excuse is that! Keita Amano, you suck!¡± ¡°Uh, I thought that can cheer her up¡­!¡± ¡°You thought that can ¡®cheer¡¯ her up so you can bang her? That¡¯s what a rapist would think!¡± ¡°Moreover, she was the one that seduced me first. I think she¡¯s at fault too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a total prick! Everything terrible came out of your mouth today!¡± ¡°Then, Tendou-san saw me doing that. ¡­Now, I want to ask for your opinion, Uehara-kun. Do you think Tendou-san and I can still be back together?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you got the nerve to ask this right now! Are you insane! That¡¯s scary! Keita Amano, even though I always felt that you¡¯re crazy, but that¡¯s too horrible!¡± ¡°¡­Hmm, ¡­Uehara-kun, if it was you, I feel like you can use a more creative and rxed tone to ask Konoha-san to do something erotic, right¡­¡± ¡°What the hell was that! Stop it! That¡¯s hurting my image real bad! I¡¯ll quit hanging out with you-¡° ¡°¡­Sigh, to a loner, it¡¯s indeed hard to joke with someone else¡­¡± ¡°¡­What? A-A joke?¡± Due to that, we need to wrap everything up once again. I sat back down, and Amano exined everything in 3 minutes. Finally, his suspicion of being a rapist was lifted. However¡­ ¡°¡­Really. In the end, Tendou brutally rejected you once again.¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­that¡¯s right.¡± Amano looked afar as he nodded. He doesn¡¯t understand why Tendou¡¯s doing this, and it seems like he already ran out of options. As for me, I stared at his face as I finished up the remaining coffee. (However, ¡­I think I can theorize Tendou¡¯s reasoning for a bit. But, I don¡¯t believe these things should be exined by an outsider.) I already understood how terrible it can be to interpret other people¡¯s rtionships on your own, and in a painful way. I learned my lesson too. I put thest bit of the curry sandwich into my mouth. Then, I rubbed the package into a ball as I stood up and talked to Amano. ¡°But, Amano, you¡¯re less depressed than I thought you would be. If something like that happened yesterday, I feel like it¡¯s not weird for you to be more upset today.¡± Amano gave me a bitter smile as he answered my question. ¡°Although even I think I¡¯m being naive as well, ¡­what Tendou-san said wasn¡¯t as negative as it sounded.¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± ¡°¡­Tendou-san doesn¡¯t want to go out with me ¡®right now.¡¯ ¡­This means that¡­it¡¯s possible for me to date her in the ¡®future,¡¯ right?¡± ¡°¡­I get it.¡± I¡¯m convinced by how¡¯s he thinking about stuff. ¡­Keita Amano, even though this guy¡¯s life is filled with puzzling misunderstandings and mistakes, he can always grasp the truth. Amano shoveled his remaining red bean sandwich in his mouth and chewed roughly. Then, he chugged all that time with milk before raising his head and looked at me. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s still something I can do! Even if this round is over, and the save is gone, I can start a new journey whenever I wish.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re right.¡± I patted his head. ¡­Yes, the right to ¡®restart¡¯ is shared by everyone, no matter when and who they are. That¡¯s why I¡­I need to¡­restart with Aguri too¡­ ¡°Hiya, lunchtime¡¯s almost over, Uehara-kun. Let¡¯s go back to the ssroom.¡± Amano said that as he stood up and packed up the trash. Then, he started dashing down the stairs. I faced his back. ¡°Hey, Amano.¡± ¡°?¡± I tried to suggest this to him with a smile. ¡°Do you want to get everyone in a Game Hobby Club meeting today after school? It¡¯s been a while.¡± -This is for me to start my new journey as well. * To my sudden suggestion for a meeting, the reaction of everyone in the Game Hobby Club is, ¡­unexpectedly, they¡¯re willing to join. Especially for Tendou and Hoshinomori, they immediately replied with ¡°yes!¡± once I sent the message out. Actually, Amano and I guessed that the girls would turn us down, so we¡¯re confused by their reaction. As for Aguri, ¡­she said ¡°alright¡± sometimeter. ¡­This reply is way too standard. We¡¯re quite worried, and it made Amano and me feel a subtle sense of uneasiness. So, 2F ssroom, after school. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s bee a long time, the Hobby Club! I¡¯m already excited even if it isn¡¯t starting yet, Karen-san!¡± ¡°Yeah, Chiaki-san. Come to think of it, it¡¯s been nearly a month since I can chill and chat about gaming all I want with other people. We¡¯re going to have a great time today, right!¡± The smiles of the two gamer girls as they chatted cheerfully relieved us. Tendou just got a rtionship issue with Amano, and Hoshinomori barely recovered. Amano and I were worried until every single member showed up. ¡­I didn¡¯t expect them to stay the same. Perhaps even though a lot of stuff happened in their rtionships, their gamer side is still unfazed. Amano and I are even a bit throbbed. ¡­Yes, so, it¡¯s fine for gamers like them. It¡¯s okay as long as you y games. The problem is¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Next to the excited gamer girls. The person that¡¯s a bit far from the girls¡¯ sightlines. She even upied the best position so that only us boys can see her face ¨C a depressed high school gal that¡¯s staring daggers at us. As if she only wanted Amano and me to hear this, she subtly, quickly, ¡­yet urately moved her mouth. (¡­Wouldn¡¯t it be funny if all machines in the world suddenly stopped working right now? ¡­Haha¡­) (SHE¡¯S INDEED REALLY MAD!!!) Before Amano and I even knew it, Aguri¡­already went over to the dark side! I can¡¯t help but poke at Amano¡¯s shoulder, who¡¯s next to me, and med him. (I-It¡¯s because you didn¡¯t go to the family restaurant with her, Amano!) (Stop shifting your responsibilities! Uehara-kun, the root cause is because you broke up with her!) (You¡¯re right¡­! But, I didn¡¯t expect Aguri to be hit this hard. ¡­Sorry, Amano, I¡¯m actually a little bit relieved now.) (You idiot! Now¡¯s not the time to say that! Look!) Amano urged me, so I looked at Aguri again. She¡­is still mumbling with her perfect volume that¡¯s impossible for the girls to hear and cursed us. (If you guys like gaming so much, why don¡¯t I shut everyone in a game¡¯s world-) (SHE SAID SOMETHING THAT A FINAL BOSS WOULD SAY!) Amano and I are shivering in fear. Amano med me even further. (What should we do, Uehara-kun! I think the soul of the final boss finally befell on our timeline, and it¡¯s on your girlfriend!) (Ex-girlfriend, she¡¯s my ex-girlfriend.) (Now¡¯s not the time to correct that, right!) (No, Amano! I¡¯m begrudgingly spewing the word ¡®ex-girlfriend¡¯ out of my mouth.) (Who cares! Also, why are you crying, Uehara-kun! You¡¯re a pain in the butt!) (Aguri, ¡­how did you turn like this¡­) (Seriously! Why would you two drag a peaceful gaming meeting into your rtionship issues!) Just as Amano is scolding me quietly yet fiercely, I nced at Aguri again. So, Aguri¡­ (I¡¯m going to destroy all memories, all love, all games, ¡­and then I¡¯ll kill myself. F-O-R-E-V-E-R!) (She¡¯s giving off a Silver final boss aura right now! This is the first time I¡¯ve seen someone that wants to turn the world into a void so much!) (Aguri, ¡­how did you turn into this¡­) (Uehara-kun, it¡¯s because you broke up with her!) (Eh? Girls turn into final bosses when they broke up?) (Sorry, I guess this is a special case! B-But, anyway, Uehara-kun, you need to calm her down! Only Rose can stop the Demon King in DQ4!) (Wait, you can choose to not defeat the Demon King in DQ4?) (Ah, well, actually, in the remake version, you can- Wait, why are we talking about gaming!) (A-Amano, ¡­you¡­suppressed¡­your love of gaming for once¡­?) (I¡¯m frightened of you presenting your feeling in such a serious manner! Alright, anyway, you need to smooth things over with Aguri-san before the Hobby Club starts!) I can only face Aguri once Amano urged me. As for Amano, he directly joined the chattering between Hoshinomori and Tendou to prevent them from paying attention to this side. This way, I can talk to Aguri without any interruptions. However¡­ (¡­While that¡¯s true, right now, there¡¯s nothing to talk about, just like Tendou¡­) ¡­The most straightforward way would be saying that I want to get back together with Aguri. However, ¡­this is the only thing I couldn¡¯t do, even if it can cheers Aguri up. After all, that break up, ¡­that¡¯s the conclusion I reached after a long time of hesitation. It¡¯s painful, but I don¡¯t regret it. It¡¯s because, at this moment, that¡¯s my honest thought. ¡­I really understand that this is selfish. But if it can bring back happiness for Aguri, ¡­if it can ¡°correct¡± our rtionship, well, I can do something even more selfish. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Even so, I didn¡¯t expect Aguri to be devastated this much. I can¡¯t justfort her casually. Hmm, perhaps there¡¯s still something I can tell her right now. After I picked my words carefully in my heart, ¡­I decided to look at Aguri¡¯s eyes directly and told her honestly. ¡°Aguri, I¡­I love you, Aguri. Whether it¡¯s the past or right now, and I bet it¡¯s the same in the future.¡± ¡°Huh! You¡¯re just saying that on your own¡­!¡± Aguri red at me with a face that I¡¯ve never seen before. ¡­I guess saying this will piss her off again, but I¡¯m still¡­a bit happy to her reaction. I¡¯m finally standing on the starting line. I felt that. I managed¡­to suppress the desire to immediately restore our rtionship and continued. ¡°Yeah. The guy that broke up with you first before announcing that he likes you isn¡¯t a man at all. So, you can be angry at me. After all, Tasuku Uehara has always been such a prick.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°However, that¡¯s why, ¡­Aguri, you don¡¯t need to be upset, and you don¡¯t need to feel guilty. Also, please don¡¯t take your anger on someone else. It¡¯s because, right now, everything¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­I should be the only douche here. So, Aguri, today, ¡­please still act like the best girl I know. I beg you, alright?¡± I lowered my head and apologized. As for Aguri, ¡­she fell silent for a while. Then, she let out a deep sigh. ¡­At the next second, she switched back to the ¡°usual Aguri¡± and yelled at everyone. ¡°Alright, alright! Well, the chitchatting¡¯s over! It¡¯s time for the Hobby Club to start! Ay, even though I¡¯m totally not interested in gaming!¡± When they saw Aguri¡¯s look, ¡­even Tendou and Hoshinomori smiled warmly, not to mention Amano. ¡­It looks like the two girls also subtly noticed Aguri¡¯s situation. That¡¯s why they explicitly allowed Amano and I, ¡­no, allowed me to deal with it. I decided to express my gratitude for everyone and announced the topic that the Hobby Club will discuss today. ¡°Ahem. So, at this moment where all of our rtionships are in ruins, I, Tasuku Uehara, wanted to discuss something that can temporarily heal us¡­¡± ¡°Say it, say it.¡± Everyone¡¯s waiting for me with a hopeful look. Now¡¯s the time¡­to tell them! ¡°What will you guys do at Christmas?¡± ¡°UWAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± It¡¯s a one-hit KO. Everyone aside from me plopped their heads down detedly, and the colors of life entirely disappeared from their existence. If this was an anime, this scene would be painted in grey. I scratched my cheeks and observed everyone''s reaction. ¡­Then, I spoke up quietly. ¡°Are we¡­not supposed to talk about this?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Everyone (single) immediately raised their head and protested to me. Amano was the first to yell at me with tears in his eyes. ¡°The topic you¡¯ve decided can be ssified as the ¡®worst¡¯ in this situation! What the hell! Uehara-kun, aren¡¯t you a normie? You¡¯re actually not capable of observing the mood, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look me down, Amano. Of course, I thought about that before! ¡®Will it be awkward to talk about this?¡¯ I wanted to say that.¡± ¡°It will! This makes you all that more terrible when you brought this up despite knowing the mood! What is this! Why are you still throwing a grenade out when all members broke their rtionships!¡± ¡°I guess. ¡­It¡¯s because this is themitment that I, Tasuku Uehara, a man that decided to atone for his sins, has realized.¡± ¡°Why are you saying that line smugly!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind for you to use that line on the belly-band of a book.¡± ¡°Who needs it! Even if there¡¯s a light novel adaption of our story, that line will never be used!¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not rted. What are you guys going to do on Christmas?¡± ¡°UWAHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± The four of them acted like they just got shot in the chest by arrows again as they leaned forward, ¡­that¡¯s too ridiculous. I sighed loudly. Then, I fiddled with my soft bangs and said this chicly. ¡°The epitome of games is oveing pain and challenges, right?¡± ¡°Stop saying those idioms that are aiming to appear on the belly-band!¡± This time, it¡¯s not just Amano. Everyone red at me at the same time. Hmm, ¡­even though these guys are basically chickens waiting to be fed, honestly, I¡¯ll still be scared when I got this much hate. ¡­Well, I shouldn¡¯t provoke them too much. Even if it¡¯s a joke, I think I went a little bit overboard. I cleared my throat and tried to smooth things over. ¡°Sorry, I was stepping out of bounds just then. However, ¡­Christmas is in 3 weeks, that¡¯s why I really want to talk to everyone first. Also, the situation that we¡¯re in required us to discuss this.¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean by that?¡± Perhaps it¡¯s because Tendou and I were the ones that broke up first, she calmed down faster than anyone and asked me with a suggestive attitude. I continued my exnation. ¡°If this continues, well, ¡­honestly, all of us can only spend Christmas alone, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Ay, even though you and I deserved it.¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. Even so, ¡­although we broke up, it¡¯s not like we need to keep this funeral mood going and ignore Christmas, right.¡± ¡°Uh, I think I can understand what you¡¯re trying to say¡­¡± After Tendou responded, the rest finally regained their ability tomunicate. Aguri said, ¡°this means that¡­¡± and urged me to conclude. Then, I nodded and told them the real idea that I wanted to propose. ¡°Now that there¡¯s a chance, I want to invite everyone here for an exciting party, what do you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± All the members looked at each other after they heard what I said. Hmm, ¡­even though I said it myself, honestly, I guess it¡¯s reasonable for them to not like the idea. It can¡¯t be helped even if they¡­just give me a hostile ¡°what¡¯s wrong with this guy¡± look like what happened at the start. I¡¯m okay with that. However, if there¡¯s a chance to spend Christmas together with my precious pals, ¡­if there¡¯s a slight possibility for a happy Christmas that I ruined, I shouldn¡¯t give up. ¡­Even so, I¡¯m not so enthusiastic to the point that I hope my friends can despise me. While I did mentally prepare myself, it¡¯s painful to be hurt, and I¡¯m scared. So, I looked at everyone¡¯s faces while my heart was pounding. Then, tremblingly, I saw that the four of them- ¡°Nice! (Nice!)¡± -A totally unexpected and hazeless smile. ¡­For a moment, ¡­just for a moment, this blessed scene nearly made up tear me, ¡­but I managed to hold it back and continued. ¡°Right? I was nning to consolidate the content for what we¡¯re going to do on that day. Anyway, it¡¯s better to understand what¡¯s on everyone¡¯s mind first.¡± Hoshinomori nodded her head deeply at what I said. ¡°I get it. If that¡¯s the case, I can also agree with you bringing this out right now. Hiya, ¡­it¡¯s because what you said earlier was too offensive. I almost wanted to install a bunch of suspicious apps that ask for random permissions on Uehara-kun¡¯s phone to vent out my anger.¡± ¡°No. Why are you taking your anger on me that way? It¡¯s super scary.¡± Then, Tendou nodded as well. ¡°Really. At first, I was even thinking, ¡®I should get Kase-senpai here and¡­¡¯¡± ¡°I surrender! Why are you skipping the details! That just makes it even worse!¡± Even Aguri shrugged helplessly. ¡°I almost¡­wanted to make Amanhi all ¡®glossy and smooth¡¯ as revenge.¡± ¡°Me? Eh, why are you going after me? Also, what exactly do you want to make all ¡®glossy and smooth?¡¯ It¡¯s horrifying! It¡¯s a hundred times worse than just punching holes in me!¡± Amano is shivering next to me. ¡­That was close. My friend nearly turned into ¡®glossy and smooth¡¯ because of me. ¡­Even though I don¡¯t know what that means, I need to be careful too. Anyway, everyone¡¯s in agreement. The schedule for Christmas night (Sunday) seems to be good as well when I asked them. Just as we¡¯re discussing the actual content of the party, suddenly, I noticed that Amano and Hoshinomori weren¡¯t joining our conversation at all since then. I nced at them with a confused look. ¡­Then, I found out that a pair of loners are sitting there ¡®dazedly¡¯ and stared at the middle of the air with the same expression. After that, the two of them, not specifically against anyone, ¡­yet they said the same thing at the exact same time. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ll be spending Christmas with someone other than my family. ¡­It¡¯s like I¡¯m in a dream¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s too miserable!¡± Right away, the other three members, who have a lot of friends, suddenly feel a tinge of pain in their chest. Uh, even though Aguri and I only changed our appearances in high school, we still got some friends back in our innocent middle school era. We fell speechless. Then, a slight blush appeared on the two¡¯s cheeks as they started talking with a cheerful smile. ¡°W-What should I do, Chiaki? Honestly, I always thought that Christmas is just ¡®a day where I can get my parents to buy me a game.¡¯ So, the unlimited possibilities are making me unable to cover the fact that I¡¯m freaking out!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, Keita! Isn¡¯t this too incredible? After all, it¡¯s ¡®5 guys and girls spending Christmas together!¡¯ What is this! There¡¯s no way for people like us to trigger an event like this, right! Is this a bug? Did we just see a bug?¡± ¡°It should be a bug! But please rx, Chiaki! Who cares about a bug destroying the bnce! Who cares about characters moving weirdly! It¡¯s okay as long as it¡¯s fun!¡± ¡°Exactly! In other words, we can join the ¡®Crazy Christmas Party with 5 Guys and Girls¡¯ event even if we¡¯re not supposed to¡­¡± ¡°Yep! If things already happened, we should just enjoy ourselves! From a casual game developer¡¯s perspective, a bug that doesn¡¯t trouble the others won¡¯t count as a bug! That¡¯s already a¡­gift! It¡¯s a gift from God!¡± ¡°Gift! That sounds really pleasing! Hiya, if that¡¯s the case, we should really¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, a Christmas party with my precious friends¡­¡± So, they started dazing out intoxicatedly again and even mumbled passionately. ¡°¡­I really look forward to it...¡± (THE BAR IS WAY TO HIGH!!!) On the other hand, Tendou, Aguri, and I plopped our heads down while sweating profusely. We quickly talked to each other when the two loners at staring at midair. (Uh, ¡­actually, I thought about this in a more leisure way. The idea is just ¡®the five of us going for dinner.¡¯ Did I say anything wrong?) (N-No, Tasuku. I also feel that¡¯s what you were saying.) (Yeah, it¡¯s just that those two are unusually excited. I think Uehara-kun wasn¡¯t at fault. While I do believe that¡¯s true¡­) Then, the three of us looked at the two loners again. ¡­Crap, what¡¯s with theirpletely dazed faces? Hey, that looks like a kid stepping into a yground for the first time! (¡­Eh, what, don¡¯t tell me we need to go overseas and rent a mansion for the party? Does it feel like the party that they¡¯re requesting has to be that high standard?¡± (T-They¡¯re actually expanding their imagination.) (Uh, uh, but think about it, guys. All in all, the two of them still havemon sense¡­) Just as Tendou¡¯s preparing to smooth things over. The loner group¡­mumbled something out of their mouth again. ¡°¡­Ta-maya¡­¡± [Note: Ta-maya is the cheers that the Japanese crowd will yell when they¡¯re watching fireworks. It¡¯s a traditional thing.] (They¡¯re watching fireworks inside their hearts!) Eh, wow, what in the world do we need to prepare for the Christmas party? It already feels like this isn¡¯t something that a bunch of high school students can pull off. When I¡¯m looking at their intoxicated look, and the imaginations flowing in their eyes, that¡¯s absolutely not the fireworks you can find on the market! The two loners ignored our emotions and continued mumbling. ¡°¡­Diving, ¡­skydiving, ¡­grilled meat, ¡­a real Santa us¡­¡± (A real Santa us!?) The gradually increasing expectation is already off-limits to what a human is capable of. Aguri shivers as she slightly looked away. (¡­Tasuku, you¡¯re the one that called for this party, right¡­) (A-Aguri! Why are you saying that like you have nothing to do with this¡­!) (¡­I-It¡¯s because I¡¯m already not dating you.) (You¡¯re saying that now!) So, I looked at Tendou to seek help. ¡­However, she also looked away silently. (¡­Uehara-kun, please, everyone will pay at most 1,000 yen for this activity.) (You want me to turn all those fantastical wishes into reality with a 5,000 yen budget!? That¡¯s way too hard! No one can do that!) (Anyway, my boyfriend- Ahem, my ex-boyfriend Amano-kun is smiling so innocently. If you ruined his hope, even though the Gods allow it, the girl named as Tendou wouldn¡¯t forgive you. ¡­I, Tendou, will never forgive you!) [Note: The name Tendou literally means God¡¯s rule, and it¡¯s usually tranted as divine morality.] (What¡¯s with that chic face of yours? Stop it, that pun isme. You just associated your name with the ¡®Tendou¡¯ that represents divine morality, and I bet you¡¯re the only one that feels good about it. However, it¡¯s not as incredible as you think. Also, if you¡¯re saying that, you should be the one in charge of everyone then. The cost should be cheap.) (¡­Well, it can¡¯t be helped. This is for Amano-kun¡¯s sake too. ¡­I¡¯m willing to pay up to 1,200 yen!) (That doesn¡¯t help anything! What can you do with an extra 200 yen! If you¡¯re willing to buy a 6,000 yen game, why are you being so stingy in times like this!) I started scolded her. As for Tendou, ¡­she slowly fiddled her blonde hair and answered me quietly with a smug face. (Nothing can invade the holy realm of games, not even love and friendship. Isn¡¯t this¡­how all gamers like us are supposed to be?) (Shut up! Why are you saying that like it¡¯s an idiom! What you just said was utterly useless! It means that you¡¯re prioritizing gaming over Amano!) (What was that? I didn¡¯t neglect Amano-kun at all. I¡¯m just¡­asking you to think of a way to deal with this unreasonable challenge.) (You already said ¡°unreasonable¡± yourself! You know that this n won¡¯t work at all!) The reasoning of myint is sound, and it made Tendou and Aguri fell silent. ¡­If that¡¯s the case, I guess there¡¯s only one thing I can do. I coughed to attract Amano and Hoshinomori¡¯s attention. ¡­Then, I slightly lowered and scratched the back of my head as I spoke up. ¡°Uh, ¡­Amano, Hoshinomori, I¡¯m really sorry about this. ¡­Well, ¡­the Christmas party that we¡¯re holding is actually¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? The Christmas party that we¡¯re holding is?¡± The two of them tilted their heads surprisingly. ¡­Ugh, I didn¡¯t know that high school students can put up such an innocent face. Due to that, it¡¯s difficult for me to say this out loud. While I don¡¯t want to tell them¡­ I still clenched my fist on the table and looked at them. Then, I told the loners the truth with a determined look. ¡°Uh, ¡­it¡¯s actually just the five of us eating and ying games together!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± After I revealed the truth without any hesitation, Tendou and Aguri observed the situation worriedly. As for Amano and Hoshinomori- -I didn¡¯t expect them to be just as excited, and their eyes are sparkling. ¡°That¡¯s great! (Awesome!)¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Inparison to our relief, those two are still filled with excitement. ¡°Ahhh, Keita, ¡­I can¡¯t believe I get to eat and y with my friends at Christmas. ¡­I-If I¡¯m a ghost, I should¡¯ve ascended to the heavens right now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line, Chiaki. I didn¡¯t expect something this blessing to happen in my life. Ahhh, what a great time to be alive. ¡­Alright! Chiaki, we have to enjoy ourselves on that day to the max!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± The two loners are still smiling cheerfully. When we¡¯re looking, the only thing that¡¯s throbbing in our hearts¡­is pure happiness. (Indeed, it¡¯s great to see these two¡­living happily.) Although I¡¯ve never viewed myself as a ¡°nice guy,¡± ¡­for some reason, I honestly think that ¡®It¡¯s okay as long as these two are happy.¡± Due to that, I really hope that they can date, no matter what. ¡­Even so, it¡¯s true that I see Tendou as a ¡®partner¡¯ now. This is the part where I have mixed feelings. In reality, even when I¡¯m looking at Tendou now, I will realize¡­ (¡­This girl, ¡­after watching those two ¡°instantly matching¡± and ¡°blessed¡± with each other, she can still smile sincerely as a friend, without any jealousy. She¡¯s really something else.) To be honest, recently, I¡¯m seriously starting to respect Karen Tendou as a girl. I already announced that I¡¯m going to root for Hoshinomori. It¡¯s really selfish, ¡­even I¡¯m fed up with how ¡°smooth and slick¡± I can be. ¡­Sigh, whatever. Anyway, my thoughts don¡¯t matter in their rtionships. In the end, they will figure something out naturally. At this point, I don¡¯t n to over-intervene anymore. ¡­Just as we¡¯re still watching them, Amano and Hoshinomori continued chatting on their own. ¡°Well, Chiaki, then we need to think about what ¡®games¡¯ we should y on that day. ¡­This means that-¡° ¡°Yeah, Keita, I get it. This means that for otakus like us-¡° After she said that, the two shouted at the same time. ¡°-The happiest time is starting!¡± When we heard what they said, Aguri and I are still waiting gently with a ¡°really¡± tone¡­ However, at this point, suddenly, Tendou is joining the loners, ¡­no, she¡¯s joining with the otakus! ¡°I see! It¡¯s great to think about the games that you want to rmend to someone and the games that are fun to y with the group on that day! That¡¯s the best entertainment!¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± So, this time, it turned into the three of them chatting about gaming joyfully. ¡­The otaku trio. Aguri stared at them with a dumbfounded look and mumbled. ¡°I always feel like, ¡­why don¡¯t the three of them just date together.¡± ¡°Really, Aguri. I¡¯ve actually thought about that too, but I didn¡¯t expect girl will bring up something like that.¡± ¡°Eh, usually, I don¡¯t agree with cheating. While I don¡¯t, ¡­I feel like it¡¯s like the bug they talked about, right? It¡¯s fine for things to be not normal as long as they are happy.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡± Although we talked about it like that, in the end, Aguri and I weren¡¯t serious about this. ¡­It¡¯s because both of us knew that this boy, Keita Amano, will never be flexible enough to allow it. ¡°¡­Jeez, Amanhi is really clumsy.¡± Aguri smiled bitterly, yet she mumbled with a gentle face. I stared at her for a while. Then, I sighed and went back to the discussion. ¡°Hey, the otakus over there, even though we¡¯re ying games, this is still a Christmas party, not a gaming party. You guys need to consider that too.¡± ¡°I get it, Uehara-kun. About the games that we¡¯ll y on that day, ¡­we¡¯ll carefully select 10 of them!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t get it! 10!? We can¡¯t y that many in a single night!¡± ¡°¡­Sigh, outsiders¡­¡± ¡°Hey, the three idiots over there, why are you saying that like I¡¯m spineless. Don¡¯t act smug just because you¡¯re the majority of thismunity, alright?¡± When I red at them, Aguri sighed dumbfoundedly andined about the most fundamental part. ¡°Basically, are the three of you familiar with even party games? Tendou-san is a hardcore gamer, not to mention Amanhi and Hoshinhi, who are total loners, right?¡± Her question made the three let out an ¡°ugh¡± before backing down right away. They looked away and answered. ¡°F-For me, ¡­I¡¯m quite familiar with it since I¡¯ve always yed with Kousei¡­¡± ¡°I-I also y it with Konoha. ¡­Uh, even though we don¡¯t y that much, I¡¯m not a total stranger for multiyer games¡­¡± ¡°Even though I call myself a hardcore gamer, I do like to learn from party games¡­¡± Aguri threw out another powerful sentence at the three of them. ¡°What, this means that the three of you know party games as little as ordinary people do.¡± ¡°Ughh!¡± They started sweating when someoneined mercilessly. I gave them a mischievous smile and thought they deserved it. Then, Amano mmed the table and retorted. ¡°Uh, but that¡¯s why I¡¯m excited right now! Aguri-san, don¡¯t you understand? It¡¯s interesting to check all kinds of games out with a different perspective than usual!¡± Hoshinomori and Tendou agreed. ¡°Yes, yes! Usually, when I see a game that says ¡®online multiyer is rmended to have fun with everyone¡¯ in the introduction, I¡¯ll quit before considering the content. As for right now, we can finally put those game content into consideration! Nothing is more exciting than this!¡± ¡°Chiaki-san is exactly right! Although I, Karen Tendou, don¡¯t y party games that are aimed for families usually, when there¡¯s a precious chance like this, I need to join the selection actively and enjoy the epitome-¡° They were debating real hard, yet Aguri still¡­turned them down casually. ¡°Will you find an ordinary guy to be the guide of a local sightseeing tour even though he¡¯s only interested in overseas travels?¡± ¡°Uwah!¡± After everything the fanatic gamers have said, Aguri used only a single sentence to finish them. ¡­My ex-girlfriend is literally a WMD for gamers¡­ Those three moaned like zombies for a while. ¡­Finally, they looked at each other helplessly. Amano represented the group and announced their surrender. ¡°¡­We¡¯ll choose one or two games on that day¡­¡± ¡°Alright, that¡¯s good.¡± Aguri gave a satisfied smile. Those three plopped their heads down detedly. ¡­How should I put it. Honestly, I felt a little bad for them. However, when you brought 10 games excitedly but can only end up ying one, I guess that¡¯s quite pathetic too. The disappointment is for their own good. ¡­Usually, otakus that aren¡¯t used to ying with friends will fall into traps like this. If there¡¯re enough people, their desire to y everything is overwhelming. The expectation for a single party is too high. It will end up with an awkward situation for both the participants and promoters. (Even though their hearts are filled with pure hope and kindness, it somehow turned into an ending where no one benefits, right¡­) It¡¯s just like the situation we¡¯re in. ¡­Sigh, especially love, it¡¯s quite brutal to stop a person from forcefully adding his or her love and expectation on someone else. So, in a sense, this is the awkwardness that everyone has to go through, right. It looks like Aguri has the same idea. We identally made eye-contact before smiling bitterly at each other. However, it¡¯s not like we should let the three of them sink in depression. So, I decided to change the direction and asked them. ¡°Right, how about we y that? ¡­Didn¡¯t we y that ¡®Game of Life¡¯ thing in Hoshinomori¡¯s home before¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, you mean board games?¡± I answered Tendou with a ¡°yeah¡± as I tried to dig deeper into this. However, in contrast to my will, Tendou crossed her arms with an awkward look. ¡°Hmm, ¡­that¡¯s not something that we¡¯re familiar with. The Game Club is still just a club for games, after all¡­¡± Aguri questioned her at that. ¡°Ah, but in terms of the tribes, this ovepping isn¡¯t weird, right. People that love to y games and people that love board games. Is there anyone that knows more about board games in the club?¡± ¡°Oh, about that, I¡¯m afraid not. They aren¡¯t familiar with it. The reason is that there¡¯s a ¡®Tabletop Club¡¯ in our school that¡¯s separated from the Game Club. People that like board games would be on that side in the first ce.¡± ¡°Really, I see. ¡­By the way, don¡¯t you think there¡¯s a problem with the indoor clubs of our school? Are they doing their club activities seriously?¡± ¡°Ahaha, ¡­a-at least our club did win in some majorpetitions. As for the Tabletop Game,...if I remembered correctly, it¡¯s formed by a group of people that don¡¯t like Chinese Chess nor Go. Those games can get a club on their own. ¡­The club is filled with Western Chess and Reversi lovers, though. I think it¡¯s a bit rash to perceive them as ¡®not serious¡¯ from the name alone.¡± ¡°I see. Tendou-san, then do you know any of their club members? Why don¡¯t we just ask someone to rmend a fun board game for us?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not close to them. Moreover, I don¡¯t encourage asking ¡®what would you rmend¡¯ to insiders.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Aguri tilted her head. At the next second, Amano, Hoshinonomori, and Tendou smiled eerily. ¡­Then, Tendou represented them and said something extremely convincing. ¡°Aguri-san, would you ask us what games do we rmend?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Aguri bowed down and apologized right away. ¡­It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve heard something more convincing. That¡¯s crazy. I feel ¡®that¡¯s not good¡¯ when I heard it immediately. I continued with a ¡°however¡± just as Aguri is shivering. ¡°Even if we put the ¡®Tabletop Club¡¯ to the side, if we¡¯re talking about games that don¡¯t require skills or a special ce, and from a party perspective, ¡­board or card games are still better, right?¡± Everyone agreed with what I said. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± Although they nodded, ¡­no one is familiar with that kind of game. There¡¯s not much development following that. During this time, Amano took out his phone and started clicking on it. ¡°I¡¯m going to search for simple rmended board games online.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s nice. By the way, there should be a lot of information. Let¡¯s split out and start digging.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± So, right now, ¡­there are 5 people that looked like theypletely lost their sense of direction. We raised our heads at the same time and made eye contact. ¡­Then, we said what we thought. ¡°¡­Board games are really deep!¡± The more you search about board games, the more information you get. While Amano is exhausted, he still mumbled while exhaling enthusiastically. ¡°Even though I knew that¡­there¡¯s a lot of content already, it¡¯s impossible to experiment with them by yourself in a single day. Sigh, I guess that¡¯s true. The same thing goes for video games too.¡± Hoshinomori nodded. ¡°Yeah. Well, of course, it¡¯s not like we can¡¯t simply pick some board games that are good for newbies, however¡­¡± Tendou continued for her. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the bad habit of gamers like us. Once we started searching, it¡¯s easy for us to get all over the ce. ¡®Hmm, but thement did say that, even though it¡¯s a bit tougher, but this board game is more interesting. ¡­Well, let¡¯s check it out then. ¡­Hmm, it looks fun! ¡­Hiya, but this game used a mechanic from another version. Also, that game is just as renowned. ¡­Really, I should check that one out first. ¡­No, these games that pushed the mechanic to its height are the mainstream now-¡® It¡¯s like we stepped into an endless maze, we can¡¯te back¡­¡± Those three then let out a half happy, half bitter sigh. While Aguri and I weren¡¯t as ridiculous as they were, yet we feel the same pain. Aguri rubbed her neck as she spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m not like those three. I¡¯ve always stayed at the ¡®information shoal.¡¯ ¡­However, even if I only focused on the ¡®shoal¡¯ that¡¯s for newbies and family, the ¡®shoal¡¯ ended up being pretty broad too. I was lost in it before I even realized¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. Initially, I was like Aguri too, and just stayed near the ¡®shoal¡¯ and fished the information. However, I heard that there¡¯s more in the deep end. ¡­Then, I realized that I¡¯m drowning.¡± So, the five of us fell silent for a moment. ¡­.After that, we said this unanimously. ¡°Board games are scary¡­¡± However, it¡¯s not just for board games. I guess that¡¯s true for any new realms as well. The knowledge umted will often sweep you away. Even so, we should get back to work. After a while, we gathered our searched results together and started checking. ¡°Considering the price, portability, and difficulty, instead of ying the so-called board games, isn¡¯t it better to y card games with small packages?¡± ¡°Yeah, Tendou-san. Even so, there¡¯s still a lot of choices when we applied this condition¡­¡± ¡°Keita, Keita, why don¡¯t we just look for games that have the most positive feedback on online shops?¡± ¡°Eh? Wait, Hoshinhi. I don¡¯t want to say this, but I feel like feedback for games like this is unreliable on a subtle level.¡± ¡°Yeah, I agree with Aguri on this one. It¡¯s because all the opinions from hardcore yers and casual yers are mixed together. If we simply consider from the average score, it feels like it wouldn¡¯t fit our criteria.¡± ¡­Well, the 5 of us just continued discussing what isn¡¯t right. Aguri, who¡¯s chasing after rxed gamey, oftene into conflict with Tendou, who more or less want to bepetitive. Even after we sorted out their differences and decided the card game we want to y, Amano and Hoshinomori will start fighting. One wanted the remake version with cute illustrations while another wanted the original with elegant pictures. We ended up picking the game again. Anyway, the Hobby Club is still just as chaotic as ever¡­ More importantly, everyone wanted to mess with each other, and it¡¯s amusing. An hour passed in the blink of an eye. After we barely decided what card game we wanted to y, the Hobby Club meeting of today was dismissed. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I can feel all kinds of emotions when I saw such a blessing scene in the Hobby Club. To avoid other people from noticing me, I even wiped the tears at the corner of my eyes with my sleeves secretly. ¡­I would appreciate it if this secret can remain here forever. * ¡°It¡¯s hard to not feel cold in December.¡± Aguri hid her neck in the cor of her overcoat as she breathed white fumes out. I replied to her with a ¡°yeah¡± as I stared at the dirty snow shoveled to the roadside. It¡¯s 5 PM. After the Hobby Club is over, I was like, ¡°why not give it a try¡± and invited Aguri to go home together. I didn¡¯t expect her to say okay right away. So, ¡­we walked home lovingly as if the break-up during the school trip didn¡¯t happen. When the bus heading towards the school passed next to us, Aguri suddenly spoke up to me. ¡°Right, in the end, those three went home alone.¡± ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s because they were heading in different directions. If Amano was still dating Tendou, I guess Amano can walk her home¡­¡± ¡°I think Amanhi really wanted to go home with Tendou-san together. ¡­I feel like he looks like a little puppy abandoned by his former owner and can only stare from the fence.¡± Aguri chuckled after she said that. I don¡¯t know whether she¡¯s being generous or cruel towards Amano. I answered and tried to smooth things over for Amano. ¡°Well, I think Hoshinomori and Tendou wanted to go with Amano too. ¡­Sigh, naturally, Tendou was the one that broke up with him, so she can¡¯t say something like that. While Amano is single right now, Hoshinomori won¡¯t dare to invite him in front of his ¡®ex-girlfriend.¡¯ In the end, they kept everything in their hearts and just gave a ¡®see you¡¯ stutteringly before dismissing.¡± After I said that, Aguri and I smiled bitterly at each other for a while. Then, Aguri stared at the dusky sky and mumbled dumbfoundedly. ¡°They are so passionate when ites to their favorite games. Why can¡¯t they express their feelings sincerely when ites to love?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Amano, Tendou, and Hoshinomori are the type that likes to be sincere. They will say they love or hate something without hesitation. However, ¡­even they are trapped in situations where thoughts can only stay in hearts. From this, ¡­we can see that love really can¡¯t always go your way. Also, we¡¯re just the same. ¡­We¡¯re in love, yet nothing goes our way. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The evidence is that, right now, if we rx for even a second, the conversationes to an end. Although the mood wasn¡¯t sour, we can clearly see that our faces are desperately trying to find something to talk about. ¡­It¡¯s quite awkward. Aguri wanted to stop this atmosphere, so she scratched her cheeks and changed the topic. ¡°Ah, ah, ¡­right, Tasuku, t-there¡¯s something that I wanted to give you, but I couldn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°R-Really? Uh, when did that happen?¡± ¡°¡­Eh? ¡­Ah, ¡­I, ¡­wanted to give you this on the 4th day of the trip¡­¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­ah¡­¡± We fell silent again. ¡­T-This is embarrassing. Am I an idiot! I could¡¯ve asked, ¡°what did you want to give me,¡± yet I chose ¡°when did you want to give me!¡± Sigh, really, things never go my way. I nced at the girl next to me, and I realized Aguripletely fell into depression mode. Well, of course, it seems that she was just pretending to be cheerful until now. Then, I ignored the mood and said something that reminded her of the school trip. ¡­I deserved it. (¡­I didn¡¯t change for a single bit since middle school¡­) I thought I was ¡°hardworking¡± when all I did was facing the desk and jotting down notes. ¡­In the end, I failed pretty badly because I didn¡¯t learn anything. Compared to that time, I didn¡¯t change. Although my preferences switched from ¡°studying¡± to ¡°having a normie life,¡± I¡¯m still making the same mistakes. ¡­I only know how to cover up with my looks. My connotation is basically zero. So, even if I admit that I¡¯m a normie with many friends, I still ended up missing out on what¡¯s on the mind of a person that¡¯s important to me. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± I sighed loudly and tried to make up my mind. ¡­This can¡¯t continue, I¡¯m not breaking up with Aguri to hurt her even more in this way. (¡­That¡¯s enough. I should stop covering everything up. Even if I¡¯ll be embarrassed, ¡­even if I know she will feel dumbfounded by this, ¡­even so, I should talk to her sincerely.) Although I made up my mind, ¡­I can¡¯t find a chance to speak up, so we walked silently for a while. So, when we arrived at the fountain in the downtown park, Aguri suddenly stopped. ¡°Ah, Tasuku, look, the fountain has some Christmas decorations on it.¡± ¡°Hmm? Come to think of it, I remembered it was the samest year.¡± The fountain in this park aren¡¯t filled with water in winter, perhaps it¡¯s to avoid freezing. However, the spout in the middle has some decorations, like a Christmas tree. It¡¯s attracting the visitors of the park with a different vibe to summer. Aguri looked at the lights as she mumbled like she¡¯s cherishing something. ¡°¡­During this timest year, we started dating, and our attitudes are still a bit stiff.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± From this perspective alone, we still haven¡¯t changed yet. Now, we¡¯re being considerate to each other, ¡­while we¡¯re paying attention to the beautiful scene to avoid something. (¡­This wouldn¡¯t do.) I made up my mind again. ¡­Then, I looked at Aguri, who¡¯s staring at the fountain depressingly, and called her name. ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± So, Aguri seems to have realized something and faced me. She¡¯s always this thoughtful. I really appreciated that. ¡­So, I looked into her eyes directly, puffed up my chest, -and said it out loud. ¡°Let me just say this one more time. Right now, ¡­we aren¡¯t boyfriend and girlfriend.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way for me¡­to continue being a couple with you.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± She looked down and nodded calmly. ¡­I deeply understand that I hurt her once again. I feel so terrible, and I want to punch myself to death. However, even so, ¡­I already made up my mind. I wanted to tell her everything. So- ¡°Being such a selfish prick, currently, there¡¯s only one thing I¡¯m confident to tell you.¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± Aguri, who looks like she¡¯s about to give up, asked me helplessly. I know how stupid, how embarrassing, and how disgusting I would be. ¡­Even so, ¡­I still expressed my feelings sincerely with a heavy blush. ¡°At this moment, I, Tasuku Uehara, ¡­is ¡®honestly in love¡¯ with you, Aguri.¡± ¡°¡­Hiya!¡± Aguri was shocked for a second and looked like she didn¡¯t understand what I just said, and then her face red up. She squeaked weirdly. The lights on the fountain switched from blue to pink. I was just as embarrassed as well, and my face is as red as a tomato. I even wanted to disappear right away. Aguri freaked out and asked me. ¡°Uh, wait, eh, what does this mean? Eh, ¡­Tasuku, what are you talking about? D-Didn¡¯t you say there¡¯s no way for you to go out with me?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, ¡­you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Yeah? Eh, but you said¡­you¡¯re¡­¡± Aguri is hoping for something as she looked up to me. As for me, ¡­I can¡¯t help but look away and answered her. ¡°¡­S-Sorry, Aguri. I can¡¯t say the part after for now.¡± ¡°What? N-No, no, no, Tasuku, you were literally confessing to me just then, right!¡± ¡°I-I agree that it sounds like a confession. However, from my perspective, I don¡¯t recall anything of a legitimate confession.¡± ¡°You¡¯re starting to sound like an untrustworthy politician!¡± Aguri was finally confused and tilted her head. I wanted to vent out this awkwardness. So, I scratched my head and managed to calm down. ¡­Then, I spoke again. ¡°Uh, ¡­how should I say this? Aguri, I wanted to¡­properly confess to you in the future.¡± ¡°Eh? Why must you do that at this point? ¡­After all, I already¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. ¡­You already confessed to me in the past. At that time, ¡­I just felt like, maybe it¡¯s nice to hang out with a cute girl that got a thing for me. ¡­I was helplessly frivolous then. ..No, I epted you simply because of a man¡¯s lowest desire.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even though I didn¡¯t remember that I met you in middle school in the slightest. Ha, I was a total prick, how disgusting.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Aguri just listened to my self-mockery silently with a serious face. I sincerely appreciated her as I continued. ¡°Of course, I feel like a rtionship where people started getting closer gradually after they confessed works too. That counts as love as well.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± ¡°¡­However, after we started dating, if this shallow thinking of mine made us- made me boast myself as ¡®Aguri¡¯s boyfriend¡¯ and caused you to not be happy. ¡­If I eliminated your possibility to find true happiness, ¡­I will never forgive myself for that.¡± ¡°¡­So, that¡¯s why you said you¡¯re breaking up with me?¡± Aguri asked dumbfoundedly. I nodded and went on. ¡°It¡¯s selfish, stupid, and terrible, right? You can be mad at me.¡± ¡°Selfish, stupid, terrible, coward.¡± Aguri added one more and scolded me emotionlessly. I can¡¯t help but smile bitterly. ¡°However, that¡¯s what I hoped. I want to skip all logic and desires¡­and only face my most sincere impulse. ¡­Someone in my heart asked me to do that. Even though he¡¯s just a dead-serious nerd with a dumb hairstyle and have no idea how to dress appropriately. ¡°¡­Really?¡± Unbelievably, Aguri wasn¡¯t mad this time. Moreover, her face has an ¡°it can¡¯t be helped¡± look. I faced her again. Then, finally, I brought up¡­the ¡°core¡± option to her. ¡°So, I hoped you canpletely eliminate my existence as your ¡®boyfriend¡¯ first, and think about this again.¡± ¡°¡­Think about what?¡± ¡°-How do you feel about Amano?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Aguri red at me with a sharp look. I can clearly see the anger in her eyes. ¡­Even so, I didn¡¯t back down this time, and I looked back at her sincerely. So, ¡­a good 10 seconds that felt like an eternity passed. She sighed dumbfoundedly. Then, she slightly rxed her expression and tone before telling me. ¡°Hey, Tasuku, it¡¯s like what I¡¯ve repeated several times before, Amanhi and I are always just-¡° I interrupted her and said. ¡°¡­That guy got crazy for you on the school trip before I could.¡± ¡°-What?¡± Aguri has question marks all over her face. So, I exined the incident with Kaburagi on the school trip, ¡­which is Amano getting pissed off more severely, quickly, and fiercely than anyone for her. So, at this point, even a stubborn girl like her is confused with a tinge of embarrassment. ¡°R-Really. ¡­Amanhi, he¡­ Hmm, I feel terrible for him when ites to things like this.¡± ¡°No, you weren¡¯t at fault, aside from your frivolous look.¡± ¡°Tasuku, I¡¯m going to kill someone, ¡­but I didn¡¯t know that. I ruined Amanhi¡¯s school trip¡­¡± ¡°Eh, seriously, you don¡¯t need to feel responsible. That¡¯s not the point. What I wanted to say is that, when Amano did that, I think he has a sense of, ¡­uh, love-¡° ¡°Friendship.¡± Aguri corrected me with a severe re. I can¡¯t help but shiver, yet I didn¡¯t change my mind and continued. ¡°¡­Anyway, because of that, I¡¯m thinking, the love that Amano has for you, has it surpassed mine by a long shot? That¡¯s what the innocent teenager, Tasuku Uehara, thinks.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the self-abased coward, Tasuku Uehara, thinks, right?¡± Aguri replied to me casually with that. However, at the next moment, she started thinking about it with a quite serious look. Don¡¯t tell me she finally realized that she has a thing for Amano? I was nervous, so I asked. ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong?¡± So, Aguri, ¡­she gave me an unprecedentedly dark look and spoke up. ¡°Tasuku, do you know where I can get brass knuckles?¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t satisfied with just punching me by hand!?¡± ¡°Uh, that¡¯s true. But I want to find that Kaburagi guy more, ¡­let¡¯s punch him 10 times first¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that! Right now, everything is still okay between us, don¡¯t escte the problem!¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine! I will say ¡®this one is for Amanhi¡¯ as I punch him 10 times!¡± ¡°Why are you giving more hate to Amano! Aren¡¯t you trying to avenge him!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about Amanhi. I punch people because I¡¯m pissed.¡± ¡°What kind of violent reason is that. Teenagers that don¡¯t care about anything when they¡¯re enraged are scary¡­¡± I heard that line somewhere else before. In the end, I was justining with a joking attitude, as for Aguri¡­ ¡°Even so, I don¡¯t think it hurts too much with my strength alone. I need to get some kind of weapons. ¡­Ah, also, you need to tell me where does that Kaburagi guy live-¡° ¡°¡­You¡­¡± I looked at Aguri mumbling to herself while checking everything seriously. That¡¯s when I changed my mind, ¡­I was wrong. She¡¯s not fooling around, just like Amano at that time. This is the first time that I¡¯ve seen¡­how Aguri is when she¡¯s seriously angry. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I was a bit relieved¡­and lonely at the same time. Sigh, even so, I couldn¡¯t just watch silently as my ex-girlfriend grab a weapon and punch her way towards my ssmate¡¯s home. So, I chopped her furious brain with my hand. Then, Aguri wrapped her hands around her head and yelled, ¡°it hurts.¡± She red up to me angrily. ¡°W-What are you doing, Tasuku¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line, If things turned into this, instead of letting you getting this revenge that no one benefits from, how about you spend your energy on something more constructive.¡± ¡°¡­Like what?¡± Aguri looked like she has no idea what I¡¯m talking about, so I answered her with a smile. ¡°You can listen to Amano¡¯s whining in the family restaurant just like usual, right. Please, Aguri?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± However, ¡­to my suggestion, Aguri still replied me with a sulky face. ¡°¡­What? Tasuku, are you satisfied with Amanhi and me bing a couple?¡± ¡°Satisfied, ¡­right. Well, I think I¡¯ll be upset. As for satisfied or not, ¡­perhaps I¡¯ll be.¡± ¡°Ha! Really, I see! Well, whatever, I don¡¯t care! I was nning to give you the present I got earlier, guess what, I¡¯m not giving you now!¡± Aguri rolled her tongue out and zipped her bag in front of me. I gave her childish reaction a bitter smile and nodded. ¡°Hmm, although I don¡¯t know what that is, ¡­I also don¡¯t want to receive it right now.¡± ¡°Huh! W-What¡¯s wrong, what¡¯s wrong! Y-You don¡¯t understand me¡­!¡± Aguri¡¯s about to cry, but she still raised her fist and pouted angrily. I smiled warmly at her as I spoke up calmly. ¡°Yeah. That present, you can give that on the day that I confessed to you properly, alright?¡± ¡°Wha-¡° Right away, ¡­Aguri blushed, but it¡¯s not because she¡¯s angry. Her raised fist lost strength. She plopped her head down embarrassingly. ¡­Then, she nodded slightly. ¡°¡­A-Anyway, I¡¯m not going to find and kill that guy. ¡­Also, I¡¯ll try getting Amano to go to the family restaurant¡­¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°¡­Also, ¡­Tasuku, ¡­I-I¡¯m unexpectedly popr, you know! I-If you think I¡¯ll keep waiting for your confession, you¡¯re dead wrong!¡± ¡°Really. I see. ¡­It won¡¯t take me long.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! Ufufu¡­! Ha¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I tilted my head and asked. Suddenly, Aguri¡­red at me fiercely. Then, at the next moment, she turned around and dashed away. ¡°¡­Tasuku, you¡¯re dumb! Idiot! You¡¯re a coward that loves fawning everyone and seducing girls!¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­hey, hey¡­¡± My ex-girlfriend yelled like a small character as she ran towards downtown. She¡¯s energetic. Anyway, I shouted, ¡°be careful¡± at her as she slowly disappeared from my sight. Well, Aguri ran away. I¡¯m the only one in the park. ¡­I stared at the fountain lights again as I mumbled. ¡°¡­Even I feel dumb for going the whole way around.¡± It¡¯s like increasing the difficulty of an already challenging level, even though I¡¯m not skilled. Only an idiot will do something like that. However, ¡­I have to do that. To me, everything is worthless aside from real victory, whether it¡¯s love or games. I can¡¯t help but smile as I talked to myself. ¡°Come to think of it, I¡¯m the type that doesn¡¯t want to miss out on proficiency and SR points in Super Robot Wars¡­¡± Even if the level is difficult, if that¡¯s the only way towards the ¡°true ending,¡± I will choose the challenging path without hesitation. It doesn¡¯t matter for me to be stuck on it. ¡°¡­Or not. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m applying my gaming style to my life. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m Amano.¡± No. I can¡¯t conclude if I used gaming as a metaphor. The audience willugh. Whatever, the serious moment ends here. ¡°Uh, speaking of this, it¡¯s been a long time since I yed SRW. ¡­Alright, I¡¯ll pay a visit to the game store before I go home!¡± I said my determination out loud to cheer myself. With an unbelievably enthusiastic feeling, I started stepping forward as if I¡¯m chasing after Aguri. -The lights of the fountain are burning red right now. Volume 8, 4 – Amano and Aguri and Intermission

Volume 8, Chapter 4 ¨C Amano and Aguri and Intermission

Trantor: your_pingas¡°So, that¡¯s what happened between Tasuku and me.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± After school, family restaurant. A gal finished her ¡°Latest Aguri¡¯s Diary¡± in one stroke as she kept sipping the remaining c. As for me, I took a sip of my warm coffee. Then, I stared at Aguri-san, who¡¯s sitting opposite to me, directly in her eyes. ¡°By the way, Aguri-san, I have a question¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s your question, Amanhi?¡± Aguri-san answered as she put the empty cup back to the edge of the table. I¡­ I made up my mind and asked her this. ¡°Aguri-san, who am I to you?¡± ¡°Uwah, ¡­what a disgustingly over self-conscious question¡­!¡± Aguri put out an intolerable attitude, I mmed the table hard and continued. ¡°It¡¯s not like that! We¡¯ve always been partners that can share everything. However, is it¡­is it really necessary for you to describe your ¡®private¡¯ interaction with Uehara-kun in perfect detail to me! I feel quite guilty about it! It¡¯s like identally hearing a close friend of mine talking about herself! ¡°Ah! Yes, yes, yes! I can already see it just then! When I talked about the ¡®whether I treat Amanhi as a lover and as a man¡¯ part, your awkward expression is excellent!¡± ¡°No! T-That¡¯s literally the only feeling I can have at that moment!¡± ¡°Right, Amanhi, can you help me pick my underwear?¡± ¡°Are you trying to humiliate me! What? Is this bullying? Did you find a new way to bully me!¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t bullying. However, I do want to hold a presentation to read Amanhi¡¯s writing assignment.¡± ¡°This is obviously bullying!¡± Just as I¡¯m scratching my head to vent out the mental stress, Aguri-sanughed as she concluded the topic. ¡°Ay, honestly, I don¡¯t mean to hurt you. Perhaps this messed with your heart, ¡­but, if I did the opposite thing and kept what I did with Tasuku as a secret from youpletely, even realizing that you¡¯re a man. This means you¡¯ll need to bear the weight of our future. ¡­Amanhi, I guess you don¡¯t like it either, right?¡± ¡°W-WelL, ¡­I guess that¡¯s true.¡± I thought about it for a while before nodding. Hmm, ¡­if Aguri-san suddenly kept her distance from me, or they broke up because of me, I guess I can only describe this situation as terrible. However, even if I knew that, this doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s not embarrassing. ¡°I understand¡­¡± I scratched the back of my head and red at Aguri-san. ¡°Even so, then why didn¡¯t you just give me a summary of what happened? You don¡¯t need to jump into the details and exin everything¡­¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s just because I want to tease you. Soz.¡± ¡°Soz?¡± I feel like that¡¯s the most light-minded ¡°apology¡± nowadays. When you consider how old the term is, I think it¡¯s even less sincere than ¡°sorry, thx.¡± Then, Aguri ignored me and went to the drink bar. So, I finished the remaining coffee and filled another cup. So, when we retook our seats, the conversation began again. ¡°By the way, I feel like it¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯vee to the family restaurant.¡± After she heard what I said, Aguri-san blew on her hot chocte as she answered. ¡°Yeah, ¡­while that¡¯s true, it¡¯s actually not that long fromst time. I think we went through a lot recently.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I blew on the coffee that I just poured for myself too. Aguri-san and I aren¡¯t too fond of hot drinks. In the end, a strange silence fell on us when we were just blowing on our beverages¡­ ¡°¡­Haha!¡± The two of us can¡¯t help butugh. ¡­Ahh, it¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve done this. Also, ¡­for some reason, I realized that I feel¡­unbelievably relieved right now. I put my coffee cup down first before facing the girl in front of me with a serious face. ¡°¡­Aguri-san, if you¡¯re doing so much for me, I have to tell you everything too.¡± ¡°Hmm? Uh, you don¡¯t need to, Amanhi. You aren¡¯t hiding any shocking information from me, anyway, right?¡± Aguri-san started sipping on her hot chocte as she said that. She¡¯s totally unaware. ¡­So, I finally made up my mind and report everything that happened recently to her. ¡°Actually, Chiaki confessed to me a while ago.¡± ¡°Nnngh!¡± Aguri-san didn¡¯t swallow her hot chocte sessfully. Her cheeks pouted directly. Anyway, I continued calmly. ¡°But I was still dating Tendou-san, so I immediately rejected her.¡± ¡°!?¡± Aguri-san¡¯s cheeks are pouting even harder, and her face turned red as if she¡¯s about to spew out the hot chocte. However, ¡­I ignored her and pressed on. ¡°After that, Chiaki told everything to Tendou-san, but I only knew this recently. ¡­Also, right, speaking of Chiaki, she¡¯s actually the game developer that I¡¯ve admired for so long, NOBE. At the same time, she¡¯s my dear partner in the mobile game, Mono. That¡¯s all I have to report-¡° ¡°PFFFFFFT!¡± Aguri-san finally spewed all her hot chocte out. The scariest part is that, ¡­whether it¡¯s random chance, or gals have standards on this one, ¡­that liquid didn¡¯t mess up the sofa or the table. Instead, all of themnded on my face brilliantly. ¡­Honestly, I already expected this to happen. So, I hastily prepared tissues and started wiping my face. So, Aguri mmed the table and stood up with a vicious look. ¡°What is this! Amanhi, I¡¯m the one that should beining. What¡¯s wrong with you! Why are you throwing such a bomb like this now¡­!¡± ¡°Of course, this is to response you for ¡®discussing something with me seriously,¡¯ right.¡± ¡°A-Amanhi¡­¡± I answered calmly with a determined look. Aguri-san, who¡¯s temper quickly died down, sat back down silently. Her attitude was somehow really abiding today, ¡­so I continued my attacks. ¡°However, I did say that on purpose when you were drinking that hot chocte. Soz.¡± ¡°Soz?¡± Aguri-san mmed the table unbelievably and stood up again. ¡°Eh, what is this! Amanhi, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re treating the hot chocte that I spewed out as ¡®rewards¡¯ or ¡®holy water.¡¯ Is that why you¡¯re catching it with your face!¡± ¡°¡­Uwah, ¡­I can¡¯t believe that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking¡­¡± ¡°W-Why are you the scared one! I-I¡¯m not a girl that treats whatever she spewed out of her mouth as rewards or holy water!¡± ¡°Exactly. Honestly, I feel like I was ¡®defiled¡¯ just then, ¡­not even Tendou-san has done something like that to me before¡­¡± ¡°I guess so. It¡¯s more like, why are you, the disgusting otaku, giving me a victim¡¯s face when you designed the trap yourself! This is the first time that I¡¯m forced to use hot chocte as ¡®poisonous fog,¡¯ alright!¡± ¡°¡­Aguri-san, about the part when I was ¡®defiled¡¯ relentlessly, please keep this as a secret from Tendou-san¡­¡± ¡°Why are you putting it in such a brutal way! That¡¯s disgusting! What! Do you really need to keep your ¡®getting spewed on the face by hot chocte for the first time¡¯ experience as a secret from your girlfriend! If that¡¯s the case, why were you making me do that!¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because I was wholeheartedly thinking of¡­bullying you.¡± ¡°Bullying! What¡¯s wrong with our rtionship! Are we bitter rivals now!?¡± ¡°Yeah. Now that we¡¯re rivals, I feel quite bad for Uehara-kun, who¡¯s currently getting a little jealous of us.¡± ¡°Really! My boyfriend- ex-boyfriend just made all those outstandingmitments, and it already feels like that¡¯s a long time ago! Amanhi, you¡¯re Tasuku ¡®imaginary enemy in love¡¯ after all. Why can¡¯t you act like a normal person!¡± ¡°¡­I understand. Well, let me tell you what I¡¯m really thinking right now.¡± ¡°A-Alright, ¡­I was a bit nervous just then when you¡¯re giving me such a serious look-¡° ¡°Aguri-san. ¡­Actually, ¡­actually, about you spewing hot chocte on my face, I feel nothing but ¡®that¡¯s super dirty¡¯ right now! Thanks!¡± ¡°Knuckles! Come to me at this instant, my knuckles!¡± Aguri-san yelled out a mysterious deration heroically, and then she fell back to her seat. ¡­Crap. It¡¯s been a long time since we held a family restaurant gathering. I feel like we¡¯re rxing too much. The temperature of the drinks finally turned mild. We took our time sipping it and calmed down. ¡­Then, we managed to begin a normal conversation again. ¡°It¡¯s more like, I did expect no one to tell you about what happened to me, Aguri-san.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anything. ¡­Ah, but, Tasuku did bring up ¡®Tendou seems to have gotten herself in a subtle misunderstanding¡¯ when we were chatting. Is it rted to the confession you talked about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. I¡¯m not sure why Tendou-san did that. However, perhaps she already noticed something when she saw the weird atmosphere between Chiaki and me.¡± ¡°Ah, I feel like I can imagine that.¡± ¡°Also, like what I¡¯ve said before, Tendou-san seems to have known everything that happened between Chiaki and me. Actually, I wanted to report the confession with Chiaki to her. But, I think Chiaki exined it to Tendou-san on her own during the school trip.¡± ¡°Uwah, Hoshinhi is actually brave enough to pull that off.¡± ¡°Exactly. In reality, I didn¡¯t know this untilter. ¡­To be precise, Chiaki texted me about that after thest Game Hobby Club meeting. I freaked out after hearing that too, and I feel sorry for letting her handling everything by herself alone¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Aguri-san absorbed all the information. She took the cup of hot chocte and started drinking. I followed her and took a sip of my coffee as well. The two of us just rxed our minds and looked out the window. The roads are painted by the dusk. The snow is being stepped on. The people and the cars are on their way home, crossing around the city. ¡°¡­Everyone¡¯s fighting on their own¡­¡± ¡°¡­I guess you¡¯re right¡­¡± ¡­What was Chiaki thinking when she exined everything to Tendou-san alone? After Tendou-san heard it, what was she thinking when she broke up with me and visited Chiaki? Once I started thinking about this, I can always feel a tinge of pain and bitterness in my chest, perhaps even a sense of craziness and desperation. ¡­How unbelievable. However, ¡­even if I did hear them talking about ¡°Keita Amano.¡± ¡­I think I¡¯m not supposed to intervene. It¡¯s because that story belongs to Chiaki. At the same time, it belongs to Tendou-san as well. I finished the remaining bitter coffee. So, I realized that Aguri-san is looking at me. ¡°Amanhi, let me ask you this. ¡­Are you happy now?¡± ¡°You want to ask that to a guy who just broke up?¡± Although I smiled bitterly, I immediately puffed up my chest and answered. ¡°I¡¯m happy. Even though I failed the ¡®rtionship¡¯ part, how can I not be happy when everyone is so caring for me.¡± After Aguri-san heard what I said, she smiled right away and nodded. ¡°Yeah, I was thinking about that too. A lot of people do care about us.¡± ¡°Yep, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you, Amanhi.¡± ¡°Me too. Thank you, Aguri-san.¡± The two of us¡­appreciated each other honestly, which is something that we rarely do. However, we can¡¯t maintain this smooth atmosphere for long. So, we immediately switched the topic as if we¡¯re covering up something. ¡°By the way, Aguri-san, did you get any new ideas about the Christmas party?¡± ¡°Ah, well, honestly, I didn¡¯t. All I have is the feeling of not wanting the otaku trio to hold the party¡­¡± ¡°No, please leave the game selection on that day to us! Including non-digital games, the three of us have alreadypiled a list of 150 games for selection!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to leave it to you guys¡­¡± Aguri-san seemed to have let out a solemn sigh. I tilted my head dumbfoundedly. ¡°Is there anyone better than us when ites to picking games?¡± ¡°Ay, it¡¯s because no one is better than you three. That¡¯s why I hate this. It¡¯s more like, why are you guys so enthusiastic about this? It¡¯s more important for the five of us to hang out at Christmas, right? The games are just a sideshow.¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe you said games are just a sideshow! Hmph! What should we do then! Aguri-san, are you okay with whatever we picked as long as it¡¯s for five people!¡± ¡°Honestly, yes¡­¡± ¡°Is it okay for us to y a deadly game that sprays blood everywhere!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t your example a little too extreme! Why must the five of us be dragged time into a deadly video game at Christmas!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. However, if five guys and girls n to enjoy Christmas, we should at least expect that some of us aren¡¯t going to survive!¡± ¡°Why! Amanhi, your ¡®normies = go to hell¡¯ opinion is way too strong! It¡¯s going to be fine! We shouldn¡¯t trigger a deadly plot when we¡¯re just having fun at Christmas!¡± ¡°Really? Even if you¡¯re fine with that, ¡­I think we still need to decide on the theme of the games if we want to have fun.¡± ¡°Uh, like I¡¯ve said before, I¡¯m good with anything. ¡­Why don¡¯t we just y poker?¡± ¡°Really, we¡¯re ying poker. I see. So, we¡¯re going with that kind of plot, right? Next to Uehara-kun¡¯s headless body in the kitchen, a ck spade K is discovered¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no plot like that! Why must someone die in the end! Also, why are you started counting with my ex-boyfriend first! Do you really want all the normies to die, Amanhi!¡± ¡°Nope. This is just a reasonable and logical development¡­¡± ¡°Amanhi, you¡¯re banned from calling yourself as a lonely passerby again! With that kind of mindset, you¡¯re absolutely not an ordinary person!¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s quite embarrassing.¡± ¡°Why! Sigh, whatever! Anyway, everyone should be alive if we¡¯re ying games!¡± ¡°Really, we¡¯re going for an optimistic discussion, right.¡± ¡°What I¡¯ve said waspletely normal! How negative must you be, Amanhi!¡± ¡°Gamers have to be ready for the ¡®worst oue¡¯ at all times, Aguri-san.¡± ¡°Hey, please don¡¯t drag all gamers in the world down with you. You¡¯re saying that like all of them agree that ¡®there¡¯s a high chance of death whenever we y with normies,¡¯ alright! That¡¯s definitely not the case!¡± ¡°But Chiaki would agree with what I¡¯ve said.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bring up that clone of yours! You two only count as one vote! A-Anyway, please just talk about a typical game. Please, I beg you!¡± I have acquired the rare experience of Aguri-san begging me to talk about games. ¡­It can¡¯t be helped. I shall temporarily eliminate the possibility of a deadly game right now. ¡°First of all, about a game that everyone loves, ¡­it¡¯s actually not that good for five people.¡± ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t believe Amanhi isn¡¯t rmending video games, what a rare sight.¡± ¡°Of course, well, there are minigame bundles or games where everyone can take turns using the controller. ¡­However, it¡¯s for four people. It¡¯s actually quite a difficult challenge to ovee the 5-yer (offline) barrier.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­I think I can understand.¡± Most bat¡± entertainment games are for an even number of yers. Games are limited by the number of controllers, which is more apparent at this point. The selection is immediately restricted if we¡¯re looking for a 5-personbat game. ¡°However-¡° Aguri-san continued. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter that much, even if the five of us can¡¯t participate together, right. We can still separate into groups, or we can take turns ying a singleyer game¡­¡± However, I slowly shook my head at her suggestion and answered. ¡°Please think about it for a moment, Aguri-san. ¡­What would Tendou-san¡¯s eyes look like when you¡¯re holding a singleyer controller.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! What is this? ¡­Even though I¡¯ve never gone to one before, I can feel a driving course atmosphere there!¡± ¡°Please think about it for a moment, Aguri-san. ¡­What would you look like when you¡¯re up against Tendou-san in a 2-yerbat game!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! Why am I getting a ¡®humanity finally remembered on that day¡¯ vibe! I¡¯m shivering!¡± ¡°See? Aside from something that the five of us can enjoy together, I feel like¡­it¡¯s too much, right?¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t expect Amanhi¡¯s gaming logics to be t-this urate¡­¡± Aguri-san came to her realization as she scratched her head. I sighed helplessly and persuaded her. ¡°So, we still need to review the possibility of a ¡®deadly game,¡¯ right-¡° ¡°No, thanks. Anyway, I get that there aren¡¯t many games for five people to y. ¡­However, we can still pick something out, right?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± I answered Aguri-san¡¯s question with a serious expression. ¡°It¡¯s just that, ¡­whether there¡¯s a difference in our gaming skills or not, perhaps it will end up a bit awkward if we want to heat up the mood¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Please imagine it. What will Tendou-san looks like when she¡¯s the only one winning at a 5-yerbat minigame.¡± ¡°¡­What a harsh atmosphere. That¡¯s tough.¡± ¡°Think about it again. When we¡¯re ying minigames that rely on luck, ¡­you¡¯re the only one winning while Tendou-san is inst ce every time somehow!¡± ¡°¡­What a harsh atmosphere. It¡¯s just as upsetting!¡± ¡°Right. Uh, let me defend party games for a bit. In reality, this is the best arrangement for a family-friendly setting. It¡¯s just that, for us¡­¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­it doesn¡¯t feel great.¡± Aguri-san understood it and mumbled. I left my seat to get a new drink. So, Aguri-san just said ¡°mixed juice¡± to me and went to the toilet by herself. ¡­I grabbed my oolong tea and her juice at the drink bar before going back to the seat. After a while, Aguri-san came back from the toilet. Then, she saw her mixed juice and said ¡°nice¡± as she patted my head. To that, I replied casually. ¡°Thanks for your love.¡± Then, I sipped my tea and continued the discussion. ¡°So, like the conclusion we reached before, ¡®board games¡¯ are the first option since everyone is equally skilled. But because no one is familiar with it, I feel like¡­it¡¯s hard to getmon ground.¡± ¡°Yep. However, if no one knows about it, why don¡¯t we just randomly pick one that has a good rating.¡± ¡°¡­Do you think indecisive otakus like us can do that?¡± ¡°Nope. Ah, how about I pick it for you-¡° ¡°¡­Do you think weird otakus like us can allow that?¡± ¡°N-Nope¡­¡± Aguri-san sighed. She shrugged helplessly and looked at the restaurant, where it¡¯s getting crowded. After a few seconds, ¡­for some reason, sheughed. I tilted my head as I¡¯m holding my cup of tea. Aguri-san exined to me with a cheerful look. ¡°I feel like¡­even though I¡¯m not with Tasuku, I was a bit throbbed when I can chat about gaming happily. While I¡¯m touched, ¡­I think this whole thing is kind of dumb at the same time.¡± After Aguri-san said that, ¡­I put my cup down as I smiled gently. ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t even know what we¡¯re doing right now. That¡¯s stupid.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°However-¡° During this time, the reflection of the ss cup of oolong tea is suddenly projecting the memory of when Tendou-san invited me to the Game Club. ¡­I can¡¯t help but mumble. ¡°But, ¡­right now, this is the Hobby Club that I want to y games in.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± Aguri-san answered what I said with a smile. I continued a bit embarrassingly. ¡°Although we¡¯re just talking about it, we didn¡¯t y any video games at all. Haha, I feel like I¡¯m just as indecisive as I used to be.¡± ¡°Is that so? But why does it matter anyway? The most important thing is that you¡¯re happy.¡± ¡°¡­Aguri-san, you¡¯re just as casual as before.¡± ¡°Amanhi, you¡¯re the one overthinking stuff. However, that¡¯s why the two of us are partners, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± We faced and smiled at each other. Right now, our minds are connected to the point that we¡¯re like in the same family. Also, it¡¯s because we¡¯re sure of this. We smiled mischievously, joked around, and said a random love confession out loud. ¡°Hehe, I love you, Amanhi.¡± ¡°No, no, no, well, I love you the most, Aguri-san.¡± Things started to happen the next second. ¡°EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± I can hear a familiar pair of girls behind my seat¡­ ¡­My beloved ex-girlfriend and the hentai game lover are screaming. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± Aguri-san and I let out a sigh, without bothering to check what¡¯s going on. -I feel like this misunderstanding is already too clich¨¦. It¡¯s not even worth to react anymore. * ¡°Amano-senpai, you¡¯re at the ¡®people secretly approaching you from behind¡¯ month.¡± It¡¯s been 30 minutes after that dumb encounter. After we paid and left the family restaurant, Konoha-san, who¡¯s waiting outside first, smiled naughtily and started bugging me. I put the receipt and changes in my wallet as I nced at her and answered. ¡°What¡¯s with the name of the month you talked about? I can feel a subtle sense of universal horror.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just like the name. All kinds of threats will approach you from behind in that month. For example, the ex-girlfriend that appeared when you¡¯re forcing your beautiful junior to have sex with you. Also, the ex-girlfriend that showed up when you¡¯re confessing to your friend¡¯s girlfriend.¡± ¡°That¡¯s literally specifying one person.¡± ¡°Nope. If senpai thinks that only your ex-girlfriend will show up during the month, you¡¯re wrong. The nasty stuff from Cthulhu Mythos will tag along as well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not looking forward to that, and please tell the nasty stuff to go home. Also, don¡¯tpare Tendou-san in my mind with the things in Cthulhu Mythos.¡± ¡°However, right now, Tendou-senpai is a high-level being that can chip away senpai¡¯s sanity value.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! I-I can¡¯t disagree with you¡­!¡± Indeed, perhaps the mental damage I took from Tendou-san staring at me coldly when we were at the suspected cheating scene is worse than I think. It¡¯s far more hurting than even the abstract nightmare you got when a mysterious god invaded your dream. Just as Konoha-san and I are chatting, Tendou-san finished paying and caught up with us. ¡°Hey, what are you two talking about? Ah, don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s something erotic again¡­¡± She red at me half-jokingly. I smiled bitterly and denied. ¡°No, please don¡¯t mind. We were just talking about how high you will rank in Cthulhu Mythos.¡± ¡°But I do mind that a lot!¡± During this time, Aguri-san showed up behind Tendou-san, who¡¯s still shocked. ¡°Thanks for the wait. Well, let¡¯s head to the station.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Ehh! You¡¯re ending the conversation here! Eh! Konoha-san? Amano-kun? ¡­R-Really?¡± So, we ignored Tendou-san, who¡¯s still freaking out, as we walked towards the station. ¡­Uh, although I feel terrible for Tendou-san, there¡¯s no need for us to dig into that right now. In the northernnds, the sun is already setting at 6PM in December. The colorful lights from the bars are shining on the street. ¡­Perhaps I¡¯m still a kid, but I don¡¯t feelfortable walking around here with someone that¡¯s not my parents. I coughed and asked Konoha-san, who¡¯s walking next to me, calming myself down ¡°Well, the four of us barely said anything before we left the restaurant, ¡­but is this alright? Aren¡¯t Tendou and you going to the restaurant because you two want to talk about something?¡± Then, I heard that they entered the restaurant right after Aguri-san and I left our seats. The waiter brought them to the seat behind us. ¡­Can I say that we will often bump into situations like this? My question made Konoha-san let out a¡± hmm¡± mumble. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about Tendou-san, but I¡¯m okay with it. Since whenever I meet senpai, it¡¯s like, ¡­right, it¡¯s like encountering on a lost metal slime when I¡¯m leveling up.¡± ¡°Eh, it¡¯s not that ridiculous. You can¡¯t get any EXP even if you beat me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. ¡­I think the reality isn¡¯t the same as RPGs. EXP isn¡¯t decided on the opponents that are defeated, it¡¯s based on the attitude of thebatant.¡± ¡°Ohhh, ¡­t-that¡¯s deep.¡± ¡°Can I get this on a book waist?¡± ¡°You want to fight for that too!¡± What¡¯s wrong with my friends recently? Are they trying to hold a gaming idiompetition? Do we really need to write this into a light novel as the Hekiyou Student Council does? Konoha-san put up her scarf again as she continued. ¡°Moreover, speaking of what we were talking about, we just wanted to meet each other sometimes since we usually text instead.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The two of them have gotten really close. I didn¡¯t expect that. At the same time, I nced at Tendou-san behind me. Currently, she seems to be chatting with Aguri-san about something. -However, because she suddenly looked at me, we identally made eye-contact with each other. ¡°!¡± Both of us blushed for some reason and looked away. Then, we freaked out and faced the front. ¡­During this time, I can hear Konoha-san¡¯s dumbfounded voice next to me. ¡°¡­Uh, if you two really broke up, can¡¯t you act a bit harsher? What¡¯s with that mood? I just felt ¡®a wind of flirt¡¯ blowing towards me.¡± ¡°W-We¡¯re not flirting with each other. For me, I can¡¯t bring myself to look at Tendou-san, the greatest angel in the universe, in the eye. It¡¯s because my brain will copse.¡± ¡°Karen Tendou is really part of the Cthulhu Mythos now. ¡­Senpai, I feel like your ¡®affection for Tendou-senpai¡¯ increased even after you two broke up?¡± ¡°Konoha-san, you¡¯re half correct.¡± ¡°What does senpai mean?¡± ¡°Whether we broke up or not, I, Keita Amano¡¯s ¡®affection meter for Tendou-san¡¯ will increase as time passes by, just like an idle game.¡± ¡°Wow, thanks for saying something so brutal when you¡¯re single, senpai. It just makes me and my sister feel dumb when we were trying so hard to get you to love us.¡± Konoha-san picked her ears as she started throwing a tantrum. ¡­Did I say something impolite? But I feel like what I said was reasonable¡­ During this time, a simr conversation can be heard behind us, Aguri-san is- ¡°I¡¯ll quit letting Amanhi dumping all his rtionship problems on me! This is dumb!¡± She screamed angrily. ¡­I don¡¯t know what did Tendou-san say. If Aguri-san wasn¡¯t here for me as a troubleshooting unit, I¡¯d feel as lonely as when it¡¯s the end of Hikaru Ijuin¡¯s radio show. [Hikaru Ijuin, famousedian andputer game reviewer.] So, just as we¡¯re chatting with each other, the station quickly came into view. I talked with Konoha-san as I nced at Tendou-san again to see how she¡¯s doing. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s the same, whether in the Hobby Club earlier, or the family restaurant today. ¡­Although Tendou-san and I can hold a proper conversation as long as someone is beside us, honestly, I don¡¯t think I can talk to her alone. A real man should be able to go on the attack at times like this. ¡­However, I won¡¯t be alone in high school if a guy like me can pull that off. Also, Tendou-san seems to feel guilty for breaking up with me. I can sense that she¡¯s trying to stay a step away from me. Thanks to that, ¡­although we didn¡¯t mean it, we¡¯re radiating an overwhelmingly anxious aura to the surroundings. Konoha-san finally snapped and yelled next to me. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± ¡°Seriously, what¡¯s happening right now! Honestly, I feel like I can have an easier time sexually harassing senpai when you¡¯re dating Tendou-senpai!¡± ¡°Hey, I hope that you can stop sexually harassing me at all times.¡± ¡°Jesus! Stop making a fuss about this, senpai, you¡¯re annoying! I¡¯m going to touch your crotch if you don¡¯t shut up!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you sexually harassing me right now!¡± ¡°Anyway!¡± At this moment, Konoha-san stepped forward and turned back at us so that the two behind can hear her as well. ¡°If Amano-senpai and Tendou-senpai aren¡¯t a couple anymore, can you two act a bit more like a single person, please! Especially Tendou-senpai!¡± ¡°Eh, you¡¯re talking to me?¡± Tendou-senpai was suddenly attacked by her, so she protested with a shocked expression. ¡°I¡¯m acting like a single girl. You¡¯re right. Even if Amano-kun is chatting with you happily, and it kept stinging me, I still put up a normal face and talked to Aguri-san like it¡¯s nothing. Even though I really, really love looking at Amano-kun¡¯s small figure from behind, I still did nothing and just randomly answered Aguri-san! I want to hug him right now!¡± Tendou-san¡¯s blushing as she¡¯s running out of breaths. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the problem!¡± Konoha-sanined. ¡°In this world, only Amano-senpai and you think that those words are a proper ¡®single deration,¡¯ alright! To be honest, you were just emphasizing, ¡®I really, really love Amano-kun! I love him! I love him!¡¯ in Agu-senpai and my eyes!¡± ¡°Wha- Konoha-san, don¡¯t tell me¡­you have superpowers!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Konoha-san finally screamed out. ¡­I can¡¯t believe that this person didn¡¯t show her real side in Hekiyou. Her maskes off easily once it involves us. ¡°Alright, alright, calm down, Konhi.¡± Aguri-san tried tofort Konoha-san, who¡¯s still catching her breaths. She patted Konoha-san¡¯s back and said, ¡°However, I think what Konhi just said makes sense.¡± She teamed up and started confronting us. ¡°Actually, perhaps I¡¯m not in a ce to say anything, because I¡¯m in a simr situation. ¡­However, if you two broke up, I feel like you should act more like one.¡± What she said triggered me for a bit, so I quickly retorted. ¡°What do you mean by acting like we broke up? We can¡¯t even talk anymore?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying that. But, ¡­didn¡¯t you two forget about something?¡± ¡°Forgot what!?¡± My question was mixed with a bit of impatience. It made Aguri-san¡­answer with a slightly sad look. ¡°In this world, ¡­someone is seriously in love with Amanhi as well, not to mention the boys that like Tendou-san.¡± ¡°!¡± This made Tendou-san and I back down. Then, this time, Aguri-san turned to Tendou-san instead and spoke to her alone. ¡°Especially Tendou-san, ¡­you broke up with Amanhi because of that, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Tendou-san didn¡¯t give an answer and just looked down. Even though I don¡¯t want to understand what Aguri-san was talking about, ¡­I think I can get what she meant. The incident that happened at Starry za quickly and irreversibly surfaced up in my heart. Under the starry sky, a respectable friend of mine confessed to me. Also, -there¡¯s Chiaki¡¯s sincere eyes. We plopped our heads down and remained silent. So, Aguri-san rxed a bit and continued. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not mad at you two. It¡¯s just that, how should I put it? ¡­At least, Tendou-san should be more or less responsible for¡­giving a ¡®chance¡¯ to Konhi, ¡­and Hoshinhi.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Tendou-san cringed as she took a step back. At the next second, -Konoha-san seems to perceive this change as an opportunity. A big ¡î is sparkling in her eyes as her voice became louder. ¡°Well, well, well, Amano-senpai, this means that you can go out with me-¡° -However, she realized something and stopped in the middle of her sentence. ¡­Then, an impressively warm smile appeared on her face for a second. ¡­She changed her mind and spoke. ¡°Amano-senpai, this means that- you can go out with onee-chan next time?¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± The three of us froze at Konoha-san¡¯s far-fetched suggestion. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± At the same time, no one spoke up. ¡­It¡¯s also a fact that no one can clearly reject or deny this. Atst¡­ ¡°Well, senpai¡¯s going on a date with onee-chan on the next holiday! Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°¡­Eh? Really, ¡­hmm¡­?¡± After we snapped out of it, we were overwhelmed by Konoha-san¡¯s strange momentum. We answered her mysterious suggestion with a nod, even though Chiaki wasn¡¯t here. ¡­A call to attract customers can be heard from the bars down the street. ¡°You can hang out with nice girls if youe in!¡± Volume 8, 5 – Chiaki Hoshinomori and Forced Multiplayer

Volume 8, Chapter 5 ¨C Chiaki Hoshinomori and Forced Multiyer

Trantor: your_pingas ¡°D-Did you wait for a long time?¡± ¡°N-No, I just arrived¡­¡± ¡°R-Really.¡± ¡°Y-Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­...¡± Afternoon, a Saturday in the middle of December. Next to the station, there¡¯s a shy high school couple too embarrassed to even look at each other. -It seems like that, but, in reality, it¡¯s more like two lonely gamers going to an inte caf¨¦. ¡­Of course, that¡¯s me, Keita Amano, and Chiaki Hoshinomori. ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡­Even though we met ording to the n, wepletely paused there and remained silent. After all, ¡­this activity wasn¡¯t nned by Chiaki and me at all. Konoha-san brought up the suggestion. In the end, Tendou-san stubbornly insisted that- ¡°Y-You¡¯re right. Yeah, ¡­perhaps that¡¯s fairness. Yes.¡± Since she¡¯s agreeing with a stiff face, ¡­atst, the schedule that ignored Chiaki and my opinion were decided. So, that¡¯s why we¡¯re going on a date today. ¡­Or, should I say, the n of ¡°Keita Amano and Chiaki Hoshinomori Spending A Day Together¡± is in action. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Also, aside from the meeting ce and time, the organizers didn¡¯t arrange anything for this activity. Talk about irresponsible, man. Thanks to that, it left us where we are. We¡¯re stuck,pletely. We feel as if we¡¯re in an open-world RPG and stumbled on a bug that prevented the game from leading us to the next quest location. The two of us are helpless in an enormous world map filled with countless options. ¡­Even so, Chiaki wasn¡¯t at fault for this situation. However, since I¡¯m the one that participated in that conversation, I¡¯m more or less responsible. I faced Chiaki again. ¡­Although my voice is still a bit stiff, I tried and suggested to her. ¡°A-Anyway, well, ¡­this is sudden. However, time¡¯s running out. Why don¡¯t we go downtown and grab lunch? Is that okay with you?¡± ¡°Ah, y-yes, of course. Uh, yeah, no problem.¡± ¡°R-Really, that¡¯s great.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± So, we headed towards the urban areas quietly. ¡­For some reason, Chiaki¡¯s keeping three steps away from me like a traditional Japanese nice wife as she¡¯s following me¡­ ¡°Uh, ¡­Chiaki? It¡¯s¡­quite hard to talk to you if you¡¯re that far¡­¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re right. Right. It¡¯s just that, Keita, ¡­I don¡¯t think I can walk next to you with no issues¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ah, ¡­yes, okay¡­¡± Indeed, perhaps it¡¯s right now that she brought this up. Uh, currently, if I¡¯m not dating anyone, there¡¯s no problem strictly speaking. ¡­Yes. How should I put it? If it¡¯s Konoha-san or Aguri-san instead of Chiaki, I won¡¯t even mind at all. ¡­However, she once confessed to me, so it¡¯s hard to not put her on my heart¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± So, we¡¯re suffering from the rtively hard-to-talk position as well. We¡­strolled on the sunny downtown quietly, non-stop¡­ ¡­Well, after an imposing and speechless 5 minutes, Chiaki¡­mumbled something at me. ¡°Uh, ¡­Keita. While I do feel terrible for saying this to a guy that I just started ¡®dating¡¯ at the start¡­¡± ¡°¡­Hmm. It¡¯s fine, I can take it. Just say it.¡± Even though I can already sense what she¡¯s going to say, I still looked at the front and answered. Chiaki mumbled. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be honest¡­¡± After that, she took a deep breath. When she¡¯s fully prepared, she conveyed the ¡°truth¡± of the current situation. ¡°Aren¡¯t we being¡­super awkward right now!¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± I turned around immediately and agreed with tears in my eyes. Chiaki stopped walking. Then, she started venting out everything that¡¯s piling up in her heart at this point with a relieved face. ¡°No, no, no, no, no, what is this! I can¡¯t believe that I¡¯m forced to go on a date with the guy that just rejected me, not to mention this is suggested by my sister and the guy¡¯s ex-girlfriend! Is this a new kind of hell!¡± ¡°Right! This is indeed very weird, right! Why am I being encouraged by the girl I loved to go out with another girl! Also, I literally trashed the person¡¯s feeling a while ago, and now you want me to enjoy the day happily with her. ¡­Honestly, the bar is high! I can¡¯t do this!¡± ¡°Yeah! Keita, even though I just want to stay as your friend, they arranged this ¡®dating¡¯ scene for us. Honestly, my mind is about to go haywire! What should I do! Should I say ¡®ah¡­¡¯ when feeding you during lunch! We need to do that, right!¡± ¡°That¡¯s just making even more awkward! Instead of calling it a date, that¡¯s already cheating!¡± ¡°W-What should we do on the date then! We do a self-introduction first, watch movies, and then we¡¯ll decide when we go out next time. Is that alright!¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t meeting for the first time! Eh, our rtionship already surpassed that, right!¡± ¡°Well, how about I say hi to Keita¡¯s parents instead?¡± ¡°That¡¯s too ceremonial! It¡¯s not just cheating anymore. We¡¯re already at the final stage towards marriage!¡± ¡°But then what should we do to call this a date, Keita!¡± I backed down upon hearing her question. ¡­Then, I scratched my cheeks and answered. ¡°It¡¯s, ¡­how should I put it? F-For example, we¡¯ll y together, have lunch together, and walk together. Then, we¡¯ll be physically or mentally closer to each other. ¡­Finally, we¡¯ll call it a day with a slightly blessed feeling. I guess that¡¯s a typical date, right¡­¡± I said all that as I remembered the times I went out with Tendou-san. In terms of the situation, the Tendou-san in memory is subconsciously reced by Chiaki right now. ¡­The guilt is making me a bit anxious. An awkward silence fell onto the two of us. Then, ¡­I just realized that Chiaki took a deep breath. She repeated what she said earlier again. ¡°Aren¡¯t we being¡­super awkward right now!¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± The two of us are about to break into tears. Was there a date that the participants were this unwilling to hop in? ¡­However, after we vent the thoughts in our hearts out, ¡­I feel like the mood was rxed. -Just as I¡¯m thinking about that, perhaps it¡¯s because the anxiety is relieved. Our stomachs reminded us that we¡¯re hungry. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Chiaki and I looked at each other. Then, both of us chuckled. (¡­Ay, right. No matter how unreasonable this is, ¡­I¡¯m still me, and Chiaki is still Chiaki. We¡¯re the same type of loners. We love video games, ¡­and we¡¯re cowards.) I¡¯m relieved now. ¡­This is a rare holiday, after all. Let¡¯s forget whether this counts as a date or not. I think we should still enjoy it and be happy. I let out a ¡°hmm¡± and stretched my back with my elbows pointing to the side. After that, I tried to ease the awkwardness by chatting with Chiaki. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s eat lunch first, Chiaki. Ah, I feel like I want noodles today.¡± After hearing that, Chiaki answered me with a face that looks like her nervousness has been relieved. ¡°Ah, what a coincidence, Keita! I want noodles too! Well, let¡¯s find a restaurant quickly and figure out what we should do after that. I want pasta. Pasta is better!¡± ¡°Eh? Hmm, ¡­is there a spaghetti made of rolled noddles?¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey, Keita, why did you just include ¡®rolled noodles¡¯ in your search like it¡¯s nothing? Huh?¡± Although Chiaki red at me, ¡­she came up next to me subconsciously and didn¡¯t keep her distance. I feel like¡­I¡¯m relieved to see that. During this time, she scanned my whole body once before mumbling quietly. ¡°¡­Ah, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a spaghetti that uses bean sprout to¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Chiaki, why are you suddenly adding ¡®bean sprout¡¯ to your search? Huh?¡± So, ¡­we put all of our messed thoughts to the side, and our ¡°exciting date¡± finally began. * ¡°No, no, no, you¡¯re wrong, Chiaki. It¡¯s better to use ¡®animation rendering¡¯ in open-world games, right!¡± ¡°You¡¯re helpless, Keita. Stop using those ¡®reverse¡¯ points to act cool, alright? Usually, people wanted a ¡®realistic¡¯ representation of imagery for open-world games. It¡¯s pure and powerful.¡± ¡°Well, I do agree that a realistic scene is attractive! However, from a simple game point, using an animation or manga style gives off a ¡®clear and easy¡¯ feeling-¡° ¡°No, no, no, no, even though it¡¯s a realistic style, you can include the ¡®clear and easy demand in the UI design! I feel like making it apparent that ¡®where thetest game is the strongest at¡¯ is one of the responsibilities of majorpanies-¡° It¡¯s been 40 minutes since we entered a spaghetti chain restaurant. Speaking of Chiaki and me, ¡­ay, of course, we¡¯re debating each other as usual. A te of slightly dried, half-finished pollock roe pasta is in front of me. As for Chiaki, in contrast to mine, her te of half-empty m chowder soup spaghetti is starting to absorb too much water. We poked our forks into the te, ¡­yet we aren¡¯t taking another bite. Instead, we continued our heated argument. ¡°Widening your dissatisfaction with ¡®moe¡¯ to the ¡®2D style¡¯ field, I feel like you¡¯re too nit-picking.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that! However, honestly, I feel like 2D style shares the same stuff like the ¡®soft style¡¯ which I hated.¡± ¡°Uh, Chiaki, that¡¯s true. But, even though your¡­NOBE¡¯s games are 2D, the content is still pretty great. Also, it¡¯s unique, hardcore, and fun, right-¡° Chiaki suddenly stopped retorting in the middle of my sentence and plopped her head down. I was a bit puzzled. In the end, ¡­she mumbled with a super quiet voice with her ears red up. ¡°T-Thank¡­you. ¡­T-Tshi¡­¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, hmm, yes, ¡­y-you¡¯re wee¡­¡± During this time, I finally realized that¡­I was praising Chiaki in front of her. So, the embarrassment hits me, and I lowered my head like her. ¡­Then, as if we¡¯re trying to escape from something, we started snooping the spaghetti at the same time. The lunch is surprisingly fast. We finished our meals at the exact same time after we stopped talking. So, we enjoyed the drinks that came with the set as we managed to begin a new conversation again. ¡°W-Well, Chiaki, I feel like we were just talking about gaming. ¡­Uh, what should we do next?¡± ¡°R-Right. ¡­Hmm, what should we do? Want to see a movie?¡± ¡°You have any on your mind?¡± ¡°Nope. Doesn¡¯t it sound like a date when you have to see a movie that you aren¡¯t interested in?¡± ¡°It does sound like a date, ¡­but do you really want to do that?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I lied to my heart a little bit just then. No, I¡¯m not spending 2 hours on those awful romantic movies.¡± ¡°I guess so. You dislike ¡®moe¡¯ things at the start, so it¡¯s just going to be a torture for you.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. It¡¯s more like, and I¡¯m confused about this one, what¡¯s the point to watch other people getting in love?¡± ¡°Chiaki, can you stop it? Even though I don¡¯t know why, but I feel like ¡®the world revolving around us¡¯ has just been insulted by you. I¡¯m getting goosebumps. In a sense, you denied something that you should never hear¡­¡± ¡°Your eighth-grade syndrome is still just as severe, Keita. Don¡¯t tell me you want to be a light novel protagonist?¡± ¡°Eh? Hmm, yes. I will be lying if I say I don¡¯t want to be a protagonist. Well, actually, I did¡­¡± I answered with a subtle tone. It made Chiaki stared at me with a confused look as she¡¯s blowing on her hot lemon tea. I took a sip of my iced lemon tea and gave her an embarrassed smile. ¡°Right now, I don¡¯t think I want to be a protagonist that much anymore. After all, if I really got isekai¡¯d, I will never get to know you.¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± Chiaki, who¡¯s ying with the sliced lemon on the cup, identally dropped it into the tea. My heart started itching when I saw she was in such a shocked state. I quickly tried to calm her down. ¡°Ah, well, it¡¯s not just you! It¡¯s also for Uehara-kun and Aguri-san. Tendou-san as well, of course. I¡¯ll really hate this world if I can¡¯t see them, or if they were dragged into some mystery.¡± ¡°R-Really, ¡­I-I see. Alright, I¡¯m fine. E-Everything¡¯s okay. Yes, p-please, don¡¯t mind me.¡± After she finished that, Chiaki hastily picked up her lemon tea and started chugging it. ¡°It¡¯s hot!¡± But the temperature is still too high, so she moved her lips away with tears in her eyes. I can¡¯t help but smile at her and continued. ¡°Right now, I sincerely think that a lot of people care about me. ¡­Ah, in this sense, I guess that¡¯s the definition of ¡®being a normie¡¯ in my heart.¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± Chiaki kept blowing on her lemon tea as she asked. I answered with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m no longer expecting something ¡®unusual¡¯ to happen. This means that I have a fulfilling and stable life, right.¡± ¡°¡­I see. Perhaps, ¡­it¡¯s like what you said. Well, even though I don¡¯t want to admit it, I guess I also count as a ¡®normie¡¯ right now.¡± ¡°Hmm? You too?¡± I asked her. Chiaki¡¯s still holding the cup with her hands as she smiled very gently. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s because¡­I don¡¯t want to give up the daily lives where I get to hang out with you.¡± ¡°!¡± I¡¯m the one blushing this time. However, of course, Chiaki hastily made an excuse, just like what I did earlier. ¡°I made a mistake! I made a mistake! It¡¯s not just you. Everyone is included too! This part is crucial, alright!¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Desudesudesudesudesudesu!¡± [Note: ¡®Desu¡¯ sounds exactly like ¡®death¡¯ in Japanese.] ¡°It sounded like a death curse when you were that sure¡­¡± My friend read the word ¡®death¡¯ a couple times when she was nodding vigorously. It¡¯s quite damaging mentally. Depends on how¡¯s your body doing on that day, it might really kill people. Ay, I¡¯ll stop the jokes here, back to the topic. ¡°So, seriously, what should we do next, Chiaki?¡± ¡°Well, ¡­if it¡¯s not a date that we suggested, actually,e to think of it, I don¡¯t feel like doing anything at all.¡± ¡°Stop saying that. ¡­It can¡¯t be helped. Anyway, let¡¯s go for a walk on the streets. Then, I¡¯ll apany you if there¡¯s anything you want to buy, or anywhere you want to go. If there¡¯s not, ¡­let¡¯s go to the game store or arcade¡­¡± ¡°¡­Keita, although I don¡¯t want to say this, ¡­your idea is probably the worst for a date.¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± ¡°But I¡¯m totally fine with it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re cool with that?¡± My eyes opened wide as I¡¯m shocked. As for Chiaki, ¡­she smiled with a slightly frustrated expression. ¡°In reality, Keita, ¡­I¡¯m already really happy if I get to spend the day with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± For a moment, what she said and her face made my chest hurts. However, ¡­I immediately fudged with an ¡°alright alright¡± before replying with a smile. ¡°Actually, you¡¯re supposed to say ¡®us¡¯ instead of ¡®me,¡¯ right?¡± When she heard what I said, Chiaki¡­rolled her tongue out and smiled a little bit mischievously. ¡°Was I that obvious? Yes. Instead of you, it¡¯s more like going out with friends.¡± ¡°Jeez. ¡­However, I should agree with that too. From our perspective, instead of making a date look like one, it¡¯s better to just go out and have fun.¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, we have this figured out then, Keita.¡± Then, Chiaki finally grabbed her cooled lemon tea, and, without any consideration of a girl¡¯s etiquette, she chugged it at once manlily. After that, she stood up abruptly and looked at me. ¡°Let¡¯s go! The games won¡¯t wait for us!¡± ¡°You justpletely ignored the suggestion of a walk. All that remains in your heart is video games, right? Sigh, ¡­even though I¡¯m the same.¡± So, I took away the straw and finished the iced tea at once. Both of us smiled at each other as we walked on the street during the sunny afternoon like elementary students. * ¡°Even so, hmm, ¡­it¡¯s indeed boring for the two of us to just walk regrly.¡± ¡°Stop it.¡± The excitement when we left the restaurant disappeared out of nowhere. We startedining after just a single minute. Both of us didn¡¯t check up on each other, and we just walked towards the familiar game store in a straight line. ¡­No one said anything, not even looking to the side. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Chiaki and I are too uninterested in anything other than gaming. That¡¯s the fatal point. For example, ¡­right, if it was Aguri-san, who¡¯s theplete opposite of me, instead- ¡°Please go to the game store with me, Aguri-san. Here.¡± ¡°I guess I can. ¡­Eh, Amanhi, I want to check out that T-shirt. Come with me!¡± Yep, a ¡°two-person sized desire¡± will started conflicting with each other like this. You can kill a lot of time, whether it¡¯s good or not. However, for Chiaki and me, ¡­which is the so-called ¡°clone partners,¡± this won¡¯t work at all. Our desires entirely ovepped. Honestly, it¡¯s the exact same as spending the holiday alone. We¡¯ll just pick the shortest route and head to the destination silently. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± That ¡°it¡¯s happy to be friends¡± deration vanished right away. Currently, the two otakus are putting their minds entirely on gaming and are just moving on the street boringly. ¡­C-Can we call this a date? I should say, it¡¯s already quite questionable as to whether this can be defined as a ¡°happy time you spend with your friends,¡± right? Although we shared the thought, we couldn¡¯t answer if you asked us if there any solution. I mean, unless we¡¯re arguing about gaming, ¡­the two of us can fight forever. But, aside from that, wecked any sort of interaction methods. ¡­I felt slightly irresponsible. So, I nced at the sky and tried to ¡°chat normally¡± with Chiaki. ¡°¡­Nice weather.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The conversation part is over. Thanks for the work, everyone. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± So, right now, we¡¯re presenting this sort of ¡°voided time¡± to you. If this is a dating sim, the developer will absolutely delete the description of this plot. What is this? So, Chiaki seems to be at her limit of awkwardness. This time, she¡¯s the one that talked to me instead. She even brought up something other than interests. ¡°Keita, what did you and Karen-san chat about when you two were dating?¡± ¡°What? That was sensitive as hell!¡± ¡°No, no, no, it¡¯s not like that, right. This is like one of those FromSoftware games where you need to pile up your death count to pass the level. Why can¡¯t we learn from how other yers died and apply that knowledge to our adventure?¡± ¡°Why did you perceive that I¡¯m unable to talk to Tendou-san properly! Well, even though I always mess it up! If we¡¯re in a FromSoftware game right now, this area would be covered by my blood and soul remnants!¡± ¡°Wow, I admire Karen-san¡¯s patience.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not acknowledging my efforts!? I-I think I¡¯ve grown up during that rtionship too!¡± ¡°Well then, please talk about something interesting, Keita.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the hardest challenge you can give to a loner!¡± ¡°Well, please talk about something uninteresting then.¡± ¡°Your quest is way too unusual! You¡¯re telling me to talk about something uninteresting!¡± ¡°Your past, for example.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just assert that it¡¯s boring! Even though it is boring! It¡¯s so usual that it freaks you out!¡± ¡°Ah, I want to hear it. Remember the time when a vige screamed ¡®Devil!¡¯ while he threw rocks at you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have such a tragic past! Chiaki, who do you think I am!?¡±s ¡°The best offline yer of Life Online. Mr. Mistake. Dwarf Winter Melon. My tiny friend who¡¯s a total midget.¡± ¡°Very well, we¡¯ll quit being ¡®friends¡¯ here! Let us fight each other to death, Chiaki!¡± ¡°Eh, that¡¯s monotonous. I¡¯m not doing it today.¡± ¡°You fired the cannon first, and now you¡¯re not fighting!?¡± ¡°Well, Keita, how about you say something extremely romantic to me.¡± ¡°Stop giving an unreasonably difficult question to a lonely otaku! Chiaki, why don¡¯t you say something instead!¡± ¡°¡­Uh, ¡­well, ¡­n-nice weather.¡± ¡°See!¡± Nope, we can¡¯t figure out how to have a ¡°normal conversation¡± indeed. Seriously, what will humans say when they¡¯re hanging out! Also, why can¡¯t we talk about something that¡¯s not violent or depressing! Are we that emotionally unstable!? Anyway, the two of us strolled on the road silently after the conversation ended. Although we didn¡¯t ban any gaming rted topics, ¡­it¡¯s just like Chiaki refusing to battle before. This is still a date, and yet we¡¯re already suspecting in our hearts. Should we just avoid everything again today? ¡­The sunshine and the light reflected by the snow is gradually scorching our skin. There¡¯s still a long 15-minute distance to the destination: the Game Store. This isn¡¯t a distance where you can pass by saying nothing. However, as you can see here, we already ran out of all options. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We frequently nced at each other and then immediately looking away when we made eye-contact sometimes. ¡­All we¡¯re doing is walking forward. ¡­As a professional embarrassment taster, the current embarrassment level is only second to the family restaurant meeting after the attempting kissing incident. That has already entered the Top 10 Keita Amano¡¯s Most Embarrassment Moments. If we¡¯re going by the growth from now on, it looks like the top spot will change very soon. In the end, Chiaki and I remained speechless for 3 minutes. ¡­There¡¯s just one route towards the game store. Just as we¡¯re about to turn- ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Hiya.¡± We nearly bumped into a guy and girl at the corner. No one walks on the same roads as people tend to drive in rural areas like this, so we made a little oopsie. After we lowered our heads and apologized to each other, we crossed each other directly- ¡°¡­?¡± -We stopped as we¡¯re about to move forward. The four of us turned back at the same moment and looked at each other¡¯s faces. So, unexpectedly, we saw- ¡°Eh, Kase-senpai¡­and Oiso-senpai?¡± -The two senpais are wearing casual clothes. They seem to have noticed Chiaki and me as well, and their eyes immediately widened. ¡°Oh, aren¡¯t you Keita Amano? Also, this is, ¡­I remembered her visit to the clubst time¡­¡± ¡°Chiaki Hoshinomori, right. The kouhai that Kyoubu brought to the club.¡± ¡°H-Hello.¡± Chiaki lowered her head and greeted them. Come to think of it, she visited the club before as well. We stopped for a second and simply greeted them with a ¡°what a coincidence¡± and ¡°we¡¯re heading home from the game store.¡± However, ¡­of course, there¡¯s no reason for Kase-senpai and Oiso-senpai to pester us. After the greeting is over, they gave us a ¡°bye¡± and turned around. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± Kase-senpai bid farewell emotionlessly as he pushed his sses. As for Oiso-senpai, she waved her handzily as usual. Just as the two were leaving, -Chiaki and I suddenly grabbed their wrist tightly. ¡°Wha-?¡± The two senpais don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening, and they turned back with a shocked face. Their unfamiliar kouhais just suddenly held them by their wrist. They should be puzzled by the situation, right. ¡­Actually, Chiaki and I won¡¯t do this usually as well. However, today, ¡­no, this moment is unique. It¡¯s because¡­ ¡°Can you two please¡­¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± The two senpais can¡¯t hear our husky voice, so they asked us back. To their reaction, ¡­Chiaki and I tried our best to raise our heads and get real close to them. Then, we wholeheartedly begged. ¡°Can you two please chat with Chiaki (Keita) and me until we arrive at that game store!¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Even though our request is obvious, the two senpais are still tilting their head confusingly. * ¡°I see what¡¯s going on. However, Keita Amano, let me say something, alright?¡± Kase-senpai walked next to me as he and his sses gazed at me coldly. ¡°-What does that have to do with me?¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re right. ¡­B-But, uh, can senpai amodate for this time?¡± I rubbed my hands as I begged Kase-senpai, which isn¡¯t something that I usually do. Although he gave me a sincerely dumbfounded look, ¡­he still walked next to me loyally. The route to the game store is definitely not short. I was thinking about this before, ...but this person is actually really nice. ¡­However, I feel like I¡¯m using him right now. During this time, I can hear Oiso-senpai yawning behind me. When I looked back, senpai¡¯s rubbing her eyeszily due to sleepiness. Her wide-open jacket revealed the cami below, and it¡¯s somewhat flirty. Honestly, I don¡¯t know where I should look. Just as I hastily turned around, Chiaki, who¡¯s next to Oiso-senpai, spoke up and apologized. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I feel like we¡¯re forcing senpai to stay with us¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? I¡¯m good with that. It¡¯s boring to hang out with Kase alone, anyway.¡± ¡°Hey, Oiso.¡± Kase-senpai turned around and red at her. I can feel a really intimate vibe from this, so I tried to ask casually. ¡°Also, ¡­are you two dating or something¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± They gave me a full denial. Even the sleepy head Oiso-senpai answered so firmly, I guess they find the idea pretty repulsive. ¡­Hmm, but from my perspective, I think this just shows that they¡¯re close¡­ After I conveyed my thoughts out, Kase-senpai sighed troublesomely and exined. ¡°Like what I¡¯ve said before, Oiso and I are just going to the game store to buy controllers for the club. We already bought it. So, it¡¯s really pointless for us to head back to the store-¡° ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re going to the game store twice in a day, Kase-senpai! You¡¯re the role model for all gamers! Ha, the trump card of the Game Club!¡± ¡°Keita Amano, ¡­your social skills have grown a bit after I met youst time, and I hate it.¡± ¡°Hehe, thanks. I appreciated it.¡± ¡°Your personality changedpletely, right?¡± It looks like Kase-senpai can¡¯t deal with my annoyingly flippant attitude, but who cares about him. Instead of remaining awkwardly silent with Chiaki for 15 minutes, I¡­I would rather for senpais to despise me! Oiso-senpai added something. ¡°Also, a club member was with us until a while ago.¡± ¡°Eh!¡± Chiaki and my nervous voice ovepped each other. Then, ¡­Oiso-senpai continued like it¡¯s nothing. ¡°Ah, but Tendou wasn¡¯t here.¡± ¡°R-Really¡­¡± We pressed our chests in relief for some reason. ¡­How should I put it? Even though Tendou-san is the one that arranged this date, ¡­why are we so afraid to see her right now? Just as we¡¯re being tortured by this iprehensible sense of guilt, Kase-senpai let out an ¡°ah¡± as he remembered something. ¡°If I remembered correctly, ¡­Tendou said that ¡®she will wear a straitjacket and stay home¡¯ today.¡± ¡°Why!¡± Chiaki and I were shocked. Kase-senpai answered calmly. ¡°Who knows? But I guess all gamers want to do that from time to time.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so!¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ll sometimes be kidnapped and jailed by special forces during the holidays.¡± ¡°The Game Club is really just as usual!¡± This time, Chiaki and I were the ones that can¡¯t handle it. As for Oiso-senpai, she¡¯s staring at mid-air alone and mumbling some words that sound like gamemands. I guess she¡¯s mentally simting a fighting game to train herself. Eh, these people are really just the same. Just as Chiaki and I nced at each other and smiled bitterly, this time, Kase-senpai¡­was the one that threw a fierce question at us as usual. ¡°By the way, can I interpret this as Keita Amano and Chiaki Hoshinomori are dating each other?¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°This means that our Tendou lost the war on her love? Hmm, what a tragic woman.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Kase-senpai turned his words into swinging des without any consideration. Although we suffered massive damage, we still quickly tried to defend Tendou-san for her fame. ¡°N-No, no, no! Chiaki and I aren¡¯t dating!¡± ¡°Y-Yeah! Moreover, Karen-san didn¡¯t lose anything at all! Yes!¡± After he heard what we said, Kase-senpai answered calmly. ¡°Really¡­¡± ¡­However, he immediately threw out another grenade. ¡°But if you two are going out on holiday like this, shouldn¡¯t it means that you are interested in each other?¡± ¡°Uwah!¡± What¡¯s wrong with this person? Is he incapable of sensing anything rted to love at all¡­? Uh, even though I feel like we aren¡¯t in a position toin! ¡°If that¡¯s the case, our club president is indeed a big loser in love¡­¡± ¡°No, no, no! Kase-senpai, why do you want to think that Tendou-san is a loser!¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking me why? Of course, you should know it, right. Keita Amano.¡± ¡°N-No, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about at all¡­¡± I looked away immediately. However, Kase-senpai, ¡­he remained emotionless as he spoke up calmly and fiercely. ¡°It¡¯s because that girl is more charming when she lost for some reason.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that!¡± Chiaki and Iined at the same time. ¡­Honestly, we did subtly acknowledge that! Instead of remaining in a perfect mode, Tendou-san is as charming as fireworks when she¡¯s losing it! I tried my best to defend Tendou-san. ¡°B-But, Tendou-san¡¯s temper should be better when she¡¯s shining at the winning side, right!¡± ¡°Hmm, I guess you¡¯re right. ¡­Let me think about it. If you want to describe our club¡¯s cowardly president with a recent Dragon Ball episode, she would be like Kale.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t say that! Why would you think Tendou-san is that of character!¡± ¡°I want to put a smile on your face.¡± ¡°That¡¯s mean! You¡¯re in the same club. Do you think that¡¯s alright, Kase-senpai!¡± ¡°Of course, initially, I also sincerely hoped that her skill as a gamer can improve, ¡­and that her victory rate can be stable. However, after I saw what she¡¯s like recently¡­¡± ¡°What! If you¡¯re saying that she¡¯s better off as a loser, that¡¯s definitely not what Tendou-san-¡° I was pissed off about my ex-girlfriend''s reputation. During this time- Kase-senpai, ¡­for a moment, he shed an unprecedently gentle smile at me. ¡°However, her charm when she¡¯s losing in a match isn¡¯t so bad too. That¡¯s what I feel.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± That¡¯s something that we¡¯ve never seen on Kase-senpai¡¯s face when we were touring the Game Club before, ¡­which means we¡¯ll never get to see it. After Chiaki and I froze, Oiso-senpai, who suddenly snapped out of her simtion training a while ago, talked to us with a deep voice. ¡°Hey, we¡¯re also influenced by our club president Tendou as well. ¡­This means that we¡¯re influenced by the Tendou that¡¯s ¡®being influenced by Keita Amano and the Game Hobby Club,¡¯ right?¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but scratch my face out of this sudden embarrassment. Kase-senpai hmphed at this time. ¡°However, even though a ¡®defeat¡¯ worths more now, it doesn¡¯t mean that ¡®winning¡¯ values less.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± For some reason, Chiaki and I were impressed by that sentence. Our bodies turned stiff after that. (¡­He¡¯s right. Whether you were saved during a defeat or not, ¡­winning is still the best conclusion, no matter what. This fact will never change¡­) That¡¯s obviously not just for gaming. The same thing goes for love as well¡­ Chiaki and I lowered our heads, while Kase-senpai suddenly said, ¡°Oh.¡± Then, he quickly patted my shoulder as if he¡¯s trying to push me forward. After that, he suddenly bid farewell to me, who¡¯s still confused. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll leave now. Keita Amano.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. Uh, there¡¯s still some time until we arrive at the store¡­¡± I begged. This time, Oiso-senpai looked behind and let out an ¡°ah¡± before continuing. ¡°Yep, well, that guy will stay with you for the remaining time. See you.¡± ¡°Eh? Wait, senpai-¡° The two senpaispletely ignored Chiaki and my panicking and quickly turned around and fled. We freaked out as we watched them disappear. ¡­Then, both of us sighed as we faced forward. Thanks to senpais, it¡¯s only 5 minutes until we reach the store. I guess I can tolerate the silence of the two of us alone¡­ ¡°Eh? Amano-kun?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I raised my always plopped-down head when someone suddenly called me. Then, the person that appeared in front of me is¡­ ¡°M-Mizumi-kun?¡± The refreshing protagonist that I haven¡¯t seen in a long time. One of my few friends, at the same time, Eiichi Mizumi-kun- ¡°Hi, long time no see, the Amano-kun that ¡®wasted my efforts and broke up with Tendou-san!¡¯ Wow, what an honor to see you here! No, no, no, you don¡¯t need to mind at all, Amano-kun! I was just proud to be your wingman a while ago! Also, I¡¯m the one that defended you after that attempted kissing incident! I ended up being a literal clown of love in the Game Club, ¡­but I don¡¯t mind that at all! Yes! Also, you don¡¯t need to mind even if you¡¯re immediately dating another beautiful girl other than Tendou-san! BYE!¡± -The demon that¡¯s wrapped in his skin. He hastily prepares to leave with a hypocritical smile. So, I went in front of him, and then I immediately kneeled down even though we¡¯re on the road. ¡°No, I feel really sorry for you!¡± ¡­As a whole, I guess I¡¯m still not used to the people in the Game Club. * ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was really joking just then. Don¡¯t be that seriously startled, Amano-kun. Also, ¡­uh, Hoshinomori-san? I want to apologize to you too. Even though this is the first time we talked, I think I already soured up the mood.¡± It¡¯s been a few minutes since the terrible encounter. I tried my best to exin when we¡¯re on the way to the game store. Mizumi-kun bitterly smiled as he answered me like this. ¡°N-No, I¡¯m totally¡­¡± Behind Mizumi-kun and me, who¡¯s walking shoulder to shoulder, Chiaki¡¯s introvert mode slightly got the better of her. However, she still managed to reply to Mizumi-kun sheepishly. Following Chiaki, I also apologized to Mizumi-kun depressingly. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Mizumi-kun. Even though you did a lot for Tendou-san and me¡­¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­in reality, I¡¯m really regretful when you two broke up as well.¡± Mizumi scratched his cheeks awkwardly and continued. ¡®However, I¡¯m really not mad. So, please rx. It¡¯s more like, there¡¯s no reason for me to be mad.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. ¡­Also, even though it¡¯s toote to say this, sorry, please walk us to the store.¡± ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t need to mind that. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve chatted with you, anyway. I¡¯m really excited.¡± Mizumi-kun¡¯s smiling charmingly and refreshingly. ¡­Where can we even find such a likable teenage protagonist? People will really fall for him. If there¡¯s a chance for an Eiichi Mizumi harem, please let me join, even though I¡¯ll be in thest ce. During this time, Chiaki dragged the bottom of my shirt from behind. I slowed down and got closer to her, and then she whispered to me. (Whether it¡¯s Uehara-kun, or this Mizumi-kun, Keita, you¡¯re way too blessed by friends, right?) Although Chiaki sounds sarcastic, in reality, I sincerely agreed with her as well. So, I nodded and answered her. (Ah, yeah, I think so. A lot of people cared about me recently, including you.) (Eh? T-Thank you. ¡­Well, I also feel that, ¡­uh, ¡­I-I¡¯m blessed by¡­my friends as well¡­) (Hmm, you¡¯re quite close to Tendou-san recently too, Chiaki.) (Eh? Yeah, y-you¡¯re right. ¡­Ughh, I don¡¯t even have enough time to feel embarrassed¡­!) (Chiaki? What¡¯s wrong? I think I heard you said ¡°don¡¯t feel embarrassed,¡± right.) (You¡¯re asking me that!? I-I¡¯m okay! I¡¯m just thinking of a new spell for my game! L-Lighting Spell ! Like that?) (Oh, NOBE¡¯s taste is just as crazy.) (Please leave me alone, Tshi!) I think Chiaki¡¯s angry. So, I sped up and came next to Mizumi-kun again. So, Mizumi-kun, who I suspect that he¡¯s watching the interaction between Chiaki and me, said something unexpected. ¡°¡­I see. Well, ¡­I guess Tendou-san is tired.¡± ¡°Hmm? What did you say?¡± ¡°Uh, nothing. I was just thinking our club president really likes to go hard on herself as usual.¡± Mizumi-kun chuckled cheerfully. ¡­Although I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening, I guess I didn¡¯t make him upset. We finally arrived at the game store destination after a while of chitchatting. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be leaving¡­¡± Mizumi prepares to leave as he said that. However, I quickly asked him to stay. ¡°Wait, Mizumi-kun, there¡¯s something that I wanted to discuss with you. Can you spare just a bit more time?¡± ¡°Discuss? Yeah, sure. ¡­But Amano-kun, aren¡¯t you going out with Hoshinomori-san right now?¡± Mizumi-kun showed sympathy to Chiaki, who¡¯s standing next to me. I smiled and answered him. ¡°No, that¡¯s why we¡¯re discussing this right now. This is also for Chiaki¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°It¡¯s for Hoshinomori-san too? Well, even though I¡¯m not sure of the situation, ¡­hmm, it¡¯s fine as long as I can help you.¡± Mizumi-kun said that as he turned to us again. He¡¯s indeed a reliable friend. ¡­So, I mentally prepared myself and stated what I wanted to bring up to him. ¡°Mizumi-kun, in your opinion, ¡­how should Chiaki and I continue our date?¡± ¡°Ehhhh!¡± Mizumi-kun finally freaked out. He asked me this while trembling. ¡°Y-You¡¯re asking me that in front of the girl you¡¯re going out with?¡± In contrast to Mizumi-kun, who¡¯s looking next to me awkwardly, Chiaki answered with an emotionless face. ¡°Ah, please don¡¯t mind me. It¡¯s because I¡¯m just as hopeless as Keita.¡± ¡°Why are you both hopeless!? Is this even a date!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because Tendou-san and Konoha-san said that this is a date. I guess it counts as one today.¡± ¡°Is this a third-party, Sd Anniversary-style definition of date!? The love story between you guys exceeded myprehension by a considerable margin! [Note: Sd Anniversary, a collection of 500 short, song-like poems by Machi Tawara. The joke references the famous sentence: 6th July is Sd Anniversary because you said it tastes like. (Literal trantion).] ¡°I feel like that¡¯s my line as well¡­¡± Even so, the ¡°Light Novel Protagonist¡± is actuallyining. From this perspective, perhaps our imbroglio already entered the unusual realm. Mizumi-kun sighed loudly and mumbled. ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m fine with that¡­¡± After that, he agreed to discuss with me once again. ¡°Although I haven¡¯t gone on any dates, ¡­if you two aren¡¯t couples yet, basically, you can just do something that ¡®enhances the feelings¡¯ on the date, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Any examples?¡± ¡°For instance, ¡­let me think, like chatting, dining together, watching the beautiful scenery romantically. ¡­Finally, you can confess your feelings for each other sincerely. Isn¡¯t this the best date?¡± After I heard Mizumi-kun¡¯s refreshing opinion, Chiaki and I can¡¯t help but look at each other, ¡­and then we answered him at the same time. ¡°We¡¯ve almost done all of them.¡± ¡°Why! Aren¡¯t you two not couples yet!?¡± ¡°We are friends.¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll be stuck! After all, you two already entered thest stage! It¡¯s like reaching the level limit before changing your ss, yet you keep earning more EXP!¡± ¡°What a clear metaphor! You¡¯re incredible!¡± ¡°You two are still admiring me! A-Anyway, if you have already progressed so much, I can literally give zero ¡®date nning¡¯ ideas for you two right now-¡° Just as Mizumi-kun said that dumbfoundedly and almost put his hand on his forehead, ¡­he suddenly realized something. ¡°?¡± We tilted our heads. He¡­mumbled to himself. ¡°Uh, this is too, ¡­but¡­¡± The boy is hesitating. Chiaki and I nced at each other. ¡­Then, both of us faced Mizumi-kun again. I represented us and begged him sincerely once again. ¡°We¡¯re really stuck, Mizumi-kun. Please tell us if you got any good ideas. That would be really helpful¡­¡± ¡°Amano-kun¡­¡± After he heard my request, Mizumi-kun scratched his head awkwardly. Although he looked troubled by something for a while, ¡­atst, he can¡¯t ignore Chiaki and my helpless ¡°little puppy¡± eyes. So, he sighed and confessed to us. ¡°Uh, how should I put it? I guess you two can do the thing that I did with Amano-kun before. ¡­At least, I got really close to Amano-kun because of that¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What did I do with you? What was that? ¡­Ah, you mean the club visit?¡± ¡°Uh, no, it¡¯s not that. It should be some time after that¡­¡± ¡°Huh? What was that?¡± I was confused since I have no idea. Mizumi-kun looked at Chiaki and me for a couple of times. ¡­Finally, he mumbled. ¡°Tendou-san, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± After that, he told us this with an incredibly awkward face. ¡°Uh, ¡­I was thinking, can Hoshinomori-san visit Amano-kun¡¯s home and y video games together¡­¡± ¡°----¡° ¡­Another pair of boy and girl that¡¯s standing with an incredibly awkward face next to the game store. * ¡°W-Well, e-excuse me.¡± ¡°P-P-Pleasee in¡­¡± A nervous and stiff-looking girl is invited into the boy¡¯s home, who¡¯s just as stiff and anxious. ¡­This hellish scene went live an hour after we separated from Mizumi-kun. Of course, after he suggested we continue our date at my house, Chiaki and I immediately rejected the idea vehemently. Then, 10 minutes after we bid farewell to Mizumi-kun and finished touring the game store, ¡­we remained in the ¡°silent¡± state. ¡­We realized it when we kept walking. Currently, we can¡¯t think of a happy ¡°dating n¡± at all aside from that. Come to think of it, it¡¯s way too sly for him to suggest that ¡°we y games at home.¡± It¡¯s because that¡¯s like¡­inviting a Japanese, who stays overseas all the time, into my house and give him salted rice ball as dinner. The mouth, the tongue, ¡­and brain will be unable to think of anything ¡°aside from that" option In the end, I was defeated by my desires and invited Chiaki. ¡°Do you¡­want toe to my house?¡± She answered. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped! Yeah, it really can¡¯t be helped!¡± She agreed especially enthusiastically with an ¡°it can¡¯t be helped.¡± In the end, we adapted Mizumi-kun¡¯s suggestion dly. However, even so, as soon as we got close to my home, Chiaki started getting nervous unavoidably. I started trembling when I saw her look too, and it all entered a vicious cycle. Atst, both of us entered Amano¡¯s house while as weined exhaustingly. ¡°Why did it go like this¡­¡± I exined to Chiaki once again as she¡¯s still dragging her feet to take off her shoes. ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, my parents went somewhere far away to buy stuff today, so they aren¡¯t here. You don¡¯t need to be nervous. The ¡®greeting with parents¡¯ plot really won¡¯t appear.¡± ¡°A-Alright, uh, well, I understand. Yes.¡± Chiaki finally took off her shoes and tried to put them as close to the corner of the entrance as possible. I locked the door and took off my own as well before continuing. ¡°Even so, it¡¯s not just us two alone. Kousei is at home. ¡­Kousei! I¡¯m back!¡± I yelled across the room to the stairs heading towards the second floor after I walked in with Chiaki. After a while, I can hear someone opening the door, which is followed by footsteps. ¡°Yes. You¡¯re back. ¡­Uh, strange? Brother, but you said you¡¯ll be hometer tonight¡­¡± Kousei said that as he stepped downzily with his home clothes on. So, after he appeared in our view, Chiaki lowered her head and greeted him. ¡°W-Well, thanks for having me, Kousei-kun.¡± Kousei immediately stopped at the stairs as soon as he saw Chiaki. It¡¯s because I bought a friend obviously, ¡­a female friend back home¡ªwhat a rare sight. I exined the situation to him. ¡°Ah, Chiaki and I went out today for specific reasons, and yet we couldn¡¯t figure out how to kill time. So, I brought her here to y video games.¡± ¡°¡­Brother, you invited Chiaki-senpai to home and y video games together¡­?¡± Kousei answered with a shocked face. I nodded and said ¡°yes.¡± ¡°Instead of saying us two, Kousei, you can join if you¡¯re free-¡° However, in the middle of my sentence, Kousei¡­suddenly charged up the stairs and opened his door forcefully before entering and closing it. Then¡­ ¡°¡­YES! YES! YES! YES!¡± ¡°?¡± ¡­A confusing cheer can be heard from the second floor. ¡­Ah, even though my little brother is more well-mannered than your average boys. He¡¯s still in middle school, after all. I guess he could be frustrated on some days. Chiaki and I stood at the entrance. So, around 10 secondster, just as I¡¯m preparing to bring Chiaki to the living room, the door of my little brother¡¯s room opened again. Without any further thinking, Chiaki and I waited for Kousei to get down the stairs. However, ¡­when Kousei appeared in front of us once again¡­ ¡°Hey, Kousei, why are you bringing your bags and coat?¡± He¡¯s clearly going out. Chiaki and I were surprised. So, Kousei told us this with a charming and refreshing smile. ¡°Brother, there¡¯s something urgent that I need to do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite sudden! Eh, what, what¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re not going to y video games with us?¡± ¡°Hmm, even though that¡¯s a lovely suggestion to me personally¡­¡± After Kousei said that, he nced at us two standing together for some reason. Then, he smiled warmly. ¡°However, in the grand scheme of things, Kousei Amano¡¯s existence is unnecessary for this world right now!¡± ¡°Why did you suddenly say that!¡± I think my little brother just suddenly said something utterly depressing. However, even though Kousei¡¯s talking like that, he went past us with a happy look. He hummed a song as he got his shoes on. So, I faced his back and asked him further. ¡°Uh, ¡­Kousei? Where are you specifically going and doing¡­ ¡°Hmm? Oh, ¡­well¡­¡± Although he said it¡¯s something urgent, Kousei acted like he¡¯s only thinking of an answer right now. He tied his shoces as he thought about it. After a while, he let out a ¡°hey¡± and stood up abruptly before turning to us. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take this rare opportunity and entertain myself with that hentai girl.¡± ¡°Will someone spend their holiday like this!?¡± His schedule is so unprecedented that it made our jaws drop. What is this? Do middle schoolers like to do that nowadays? Just as Chiaki and I froze, Kousei pushed open the entrance door. He said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± ¡­He¡¯s really gone now. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Chiaki and I were left at the entrance alone. We can¡¯t help but look at each other. ¡­At the moment Kousei left home, Amano¡¯s house is wrapped around in a somewhat heavy silence. (¡­The two of us are now alone¡­) We can see each other¡¯s ¡°understanding¡± of what¡¯s happening, so we quickly looked away. I rudely locked the door that Kousei opened when he left as if I¡¯m covering up something. So, Chiaki freaked out, and her shoulders are shivering. I noticed my mistake and quickly calmed her down. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m sorry. Uh, I¡¯m just locking the door usually, well¡­¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s okay. Well, I should be the one to apologize. I feel like I was way too sensitive¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The two of us lowered our heads in front of the entrance. ¡­There¡¯s a piece of good news that I need to report to everyone. This time, in my life¡¯s ¡°Most Embarrassing Moments,¡± the first ce of ¡°The Department of Fastest Wind Speed in One Second¡± has been updated. ¡­That¡¯s enough. Please forgive me. Do gods dislike lonely otakus that much? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The two of us thoroughly enjoyed this sense of first-grade embarrassment, which it¡¯s guaranteed to cost billions per bottle if it was made into red wine. Then¡­ ¡°Uh, ¡­a-anyway, Chiaki, please move to the living room¡­¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, yes, w-w-well, excuse me¡­¡± ¡­Although our bodies are still very stiff, we finally moved away from the entrance. Amano¡¯s home design is rtively clean. In an ample space filled with carpet, there¡¯s a heater, TV, cupboards, and a sofa that¡¯s next to the wall. There¡¯s only an old and short table ced in the middle of the room. There¡¯s nothing for Chiaki to do aside from looking around in a room like this. So, I turned on the heater and talked to her. ¡°Just make yourself home and sit on the sofa. Ah, right, I¡¯ll help you hang your coat.¡± ¡°Ah, well, yes, sorry. I¡¯m taking it off now¡­¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, yes...¡± ¡­Jesus. What is this? Why are we getting very nervous even though Chiaki is just taking off her coat? I quickly hung Chiaki¡¯s coat on the rack next to the entrance. After that, I told Chiaki that I¡¯ll put my bags in my room on the second floor first. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± At the same time that I closed the door, I took a simple deep breath. Then, I looked at myself in the mirror unintentionally. So, just as I¡¯m about to tidy my bangs, ¡­I realized it. ¡°¡­What the hell am I doing¡­¡± I¡¯m slightly pissed at myself for being more or less excited. Why am I being such a show-off in front of a ¡°friend¡± of mine? How disgusting. No, I guess my love of cleanliness is a bit too much if I¡¯m hating myself over tidying my look. However, it¡¯s because the person in question is Chiaki. ¡­It¡¯s because she¡¯s a girl that confessed to a guy like me before. I think I couldn¡¯t dishonor her feelings, ¡­and I need to be a man. ¡°¡­!¡± I put my hands on my cheeks and squeezed them hard. Honestly, I did a bit too much and left some marks. ¡­Who cares. I deserved it. I picked a couple games that are great to y with her and walked down. In the meantime, I tried to set my brain to remove all those weird moods before heading back to the living room. ¡°Chiaki, do you want to y anything? Well, not that there are many options.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, alright. ¡­Let me see.¡± After I put the games onto the table, Chiaki, who¡¯s still a bit anxious, stood up from the sofa and started looking at the games I selected. Then, a few secondster, ¡­she suddenly chuckled. I blinked my eyes since I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening. Chiaki pointed at the table and gave me a bitter smile. ¡°Well, ¡­it¡¯s because¡­I have every single game here as well.¡± ¡°Hey, ..eh? Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, not even a single difference. ¡­Our tastes are this simr. What a refreshing sight.¡± ¡°¡­Perhaps.¡± We nced at each other and can¡¯t help but burst intoughter. Then, after a while, we finally¡­adjusted that ¡°Game Hobby Club¡± atmosphere. (There are not many options for party games rmended for multiple yers offline, which is quite unexpected. I guess we still can¡¯t tell the difference just because of our varying values on ¡°moe¡± elements.) ¡°Yeah. Well, I¡¯m okay with ying games that I have too. However, with this opportunity, I do want to y something I haven¡¯t before. Ah, Keita, why don¡¯t we y a downloaded game?¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. Wait, I¡¯ll open the console now.¡± ¡°Understood. Ah, Keita, if we¡¯re ying together, shouldn¡¯t we just sit in front of the sofa directly to be closer to the TV¡­¡± ¡°Ah, you realized that? I feel like it¡¯s weird to ask guests to sit on the ground, so I didn¡¯t say it. But, to be honest, it¡¯s easier to y when we¡¯re sitting below. At least I sit there when I¡¯m ying with Kousei.¡± ¡°Yes. Well, I¡¯ll be like you guys.¡± Chiaki came down from the sofa and sat down on the carpet with a pose that allows her legs to rx. I opened the console and prepared two controllers. After that, I sat down cross-legged next to her. ¡­Unbelievably, we don¡¯t feel nervous at all. Instead, I can even feel a sense of relief that resembles that when you¡¯re ying games with your family. I used my controller to move through the menu and showed a list of downloadable games. Then, we chatted about ¡°hey, I got that too¡± and ¡°this looks like an indie game with moe illustrations, but the content is excellent.¡± I guess this is the break between games. So, after we browsed everything, Chiaki showed particr interest in one of them. ¡°Ah, this one! Isn¡¯t this that difficult-type spy action game? ? I miss it. Initially, I was a bit curious, but I ignored it since my game development had reached the most important stage.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a shame. This one is cheap, simple, but super fun. Kousei and I were addicted to it for a while. ¡­Even though we forgot how to pass the actual levels. You want to give it a try?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Due to that, based on Chiaki¡¯s preferences, we started ying this slightly tricky indie game. ¡­Well, I guess it fits our twisted temper since we didn¡¯t go for the clich¨¦ and just y party games happily. The game started right away after we learned the necessary controls in the tutorial level. In , your goal is to control a weak stick figure that dies easily and pass holes and traps that will instantly kill you. The level isplete once you reach the end. It counts as a 2D action game. Basically, all you need to do is move and jump. Since the character is agile, it depends a lot on the yer¡¯s control skills. However, teamwork is more important in multiyer mode, so it¡¯s excellent for brothers to yell and y together. (But that¡¯s why I can never imagine myself ying this game with someone other than Kousei¡­) My worries were unreasonable, and I¡¯m progressing through the levels with Chiaki quickly. The two of us definitely aren¡¯t those professional gamers. However, a game that emphasizes teamwork over skill suits us well. Atst, Chiaki even thought that ¡°it¡¯s not as hard as thements said.¡± ¡­You got to be kidding me. When I¡¯m ying with Kousei, the number of times we died often reach three figures on challenging levels. However, we died less than 10 times on challenging levels this time. The two of us have no issues understanding what we need to do at that moment and the help required. Aside from simple mistakes and traps designed for newbies, we didn¡¯t die on anything else. It¡¯s quite an incredible experience to not feel stressed in a multiyer game. This is different than a skilled yer walking you through the mission. With the sense of achievement of the singleyer and the unity of multiyer, I can feel both feelings wholly and miraculously. -Honestly, this is the first time that I had a ¡°refreshing¡± gaming experience. Chiaki seems to be the same too. She¡¯ll look over every time we beat a level with sparkling eyes. I wholeheartedly agree with her. It¡¯s super fun. So, Chiaki and I became addicted to and kept ying. So, it¡¯s been 40 minutes since we started. The traps in the levels are getting pretty brutal. Our hands are slowly grabbing the controller harder and harder. ¡­At this point, Chiaki kept her eyes focused on the screen, yet she suddenly said this to me. ¡°Keita, there¡¯s something that¡­I might have to apologize to you.¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong? Did you get yourself into a spot where you can¡¯t press the switch? Just kill yourself and restart again.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I have no issues with the game. Alright, I got the switch.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks, the door¡¯s opened. Well, all I need to do is get my character to the end. I need to focus.¡± ¡°Yeah. Give it everything you got, Keita. Ah, about the thing that I want to apologize¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡± I controlled my small and weak character cautiously to the most formidable challenge towards the end. I have to pass through a series of floating mines. So, there are 4 mine areas in total. I got through three of them, and only thest one remained. I adjusted my breath, and then¡­I carefully yet daringly charged into the mines- ¡°Keita. Even if you rejected me, I still love you.¡± -I blew up. My stick figure was blown to pieces, and the respawned character immediately appeared on the checkpoint. ¡­One of the best parts about this game is that it¡¯s easy to challenge again. There¡¯s no concept of disability or game over, ¡­unless the yer gives up. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. But, ¡­this is what I truthfully and sincerely thinks.¡± Chiaki continued calmly when her eyes are still on the screen. ¡°¡­Really?¡± I tly answered as I prepared to go through the level again. ¡­This time, I can¡¯t even get through the first mine area out of the 4. I kept repeatedly dying due to simple mistakes ¡­My hands are sweating profusely. I sighed. After I wiped the controller with my sleeves, I threw it to Chiaki. ¡°Change of hand. Chiaki, please.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Both of us still avoided eye-contact and justmunicated with each other. After Chiaki got the controller, she was like my first ythrough and passed the three mine areas with ease. It¡¯s only onest area away from the end. ¡°¡­Chiaki. If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s something that I need to tell you as well.¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± Chiaki stared at the screen as she answered me, and then she adjusted her breaths in preparation for the final jump. So, when she finally started dashing towards the mines, ¡­I told her. ¡°Even if she rejected me, I still love Tendou-san.¡± Of course, Chiaki¡¯s character- -It passed the mines brilliantly and cleanly. She reached the end. At this point, she turned towards me and gave a faint smile before giving the controller back. ¡°Yes, I know it.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± I received the controller from her hand. ¡­It¡¯s dry, and there¡¯s no sweat at all. Chiaki grabbed the controller I gave her again as she looked at the screen like nothing happened. We started the next level. I started the game again like her. ¡­So, both of us matched each other perfectly and passed through the middle section as we spoke once more. ¡°¡­Why do we have to be this simr ?¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t deal with it..¡± ¡°Yeah, this sucks. Jesus.¡± Chiaki answered me with a tone that sounds like she¡¯sughing and crying at the same time. After that, Chiaki and I made the same mistake in the game. The ripped-apart character respawned at the checkpoint, and then we started again. Even though she¡¯s paying full attention to the game, Chiaki still threw a question at me. ¡°¡­Keita, how many times can one challenge something again in reality?¡± To her question, I hesitated for a while, ¡­and then I replied honestly. ¡°¡­Of course, it¡¯s just like this game.¡± ¡°You mean there¡¯s no limit?¡± ¡°I think it depends on what the challenging person thinks.¡± ¡°¡­I guess you¡¯re right. Ow.¡± Then, even though Chiaki and I weren¡¯t careless, we still failed. It looks like this level will be pretty tough. While we yed it again and again, the two of us couldn¡¯t ovee the obstacle. We spent a miserable 10 minutes at the same ce, yet there¡¯s no hope. However, Chiaki suddenly chuckled at times like this. ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I was just thinking¡­both of us are a pain in the butt.¡± ¡°¡­After all, if we encountered a situation like this, you want to pass it, right, ¡­no matter what. ¡°Yes. I want to pass through the level when I¡¯m in something like this, ¡­no matter what.¡± Finally, we exchanged our thoughts like this. Today, ¡­we only kept on fighting through the impregnable level silently until Chiaki has to go home. * ¡°Ugh, by the way, I¡¯m really unwilling to admit defeat. ¡­We still didn¡¯t finish it after all this time¡­¡± Chiaki fell onto the bench detedly after we arrived at the nearest station. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡± I exhaled some white fumes and smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s because that level ultimately emphasizes skill instead of teamwork. It¡¯s hard for ¡®follow-up¡¯ yers like us to get through it.¡± ¡°Ughhh, ¡­but Keita, didn¡¯t you finish it a year ago?¡± ¡°Kousei did it.¡± ¡°Uwah, this older brother is useless.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± I kicked Chiaki and got her to give up some space on the bench. Then, I sat next to her. It¡¯s already past 6pm. When I stare at the sky, the clean air of the winter is adorned with beautifully sparkling stars. It¡¯s literally like¡­the night when she confessed to me. Chiaki stared at the starry sky next to me as well and mumbled. ¡°¡­This feels unbelievable.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­That night, when I confessed and rejected by you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± I quickly fell silent. So, Chiaki, who¡¯s still staring at the night sky, smiled cheerfully. ¡°¡­For some reason, that night became a treasured memory in my heart.¡± ¡°A treasured memory? Even though¡­I gave you such a terrible answer?¡± ¡°Yes. Even though you rejected me, ¡­ahh, that¡¯s indeed a great night. I still remember it from time to time nowadays¡­.¡± ¡­Chiaki doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s forcing herself or trying to be considerate to me. This is real. She¡¯s sincerely thinking that. After a while, Chiaki kept that smile as she continued. ¡°Although I was always perplexed by it, I guess I slightly understand the reason today.¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not telling you.¡± ¡°Ehh¡­¡± I was left at a cliffhanger at this point. Just as I¡¯m giving her an unsatisfied look, Chiaki put her tongue out and told me. ¡°Keita, I think you should worry about ¡®Chiaki Hoshinomori¡¯ a bit more.¡± ¡°I do. Sometimes, I¡¯ll think about what¡¯s the best way to prepare a seaweed broth.¡± ¡°Yep. Instead of minding the guilt of you rejecting me, you should first apologize for every mean thing you said.¡± ¡°Hey, herees the bus, dried goods.¡± ¡°Your sincerity towards girls is actually pretty biased! Am I right!¡± Chiakiined as she stood up from the bench helplessly. We waited for the bus to arrive together. I followed and stood next to her as I stared at the sky once again. ¡­I scratched my head and mumbled to myself quietly. ¡°Well, ¡­I had a lot of fun today.¡± Regrettably, I think Chiaki heard what I said clearly. So, she plopped her head down embarrassingly and answered me. ¡°Uh, ¡­me too.¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah.¡± ¡­Crap. I feel like we¡¯re returning to the awkward mood at the start of the date. Just as we¡¯re bing restless, the bus arrived. It¡¯s almost empty. The old door is struggling to open. Chiaki bid her farewell with a ¡°bye¡± and waved at me a bit shyly. ¡°See you at school, ¡­ah, and the Christmas party as well. I¡¯m looking forward to that!¡± ¡°Ah, yeah, me too. Bye, Chiaki, see you at school.¡± Chiaki stepped on the stairs of the bus. ¡­During this time, she seems she suddenly remembered something. So, she took a step back and turned towards me. Chiaki waved her hands and asked me toe over. ¡°Ah, right, Keita, I forgot something! I forgot something!¡± ¡°Hmm? Eh? What, don¡¯t tell me you forgot something in my home-¡° I was a bit anxious. So, I unintentionally got a bit close to Chiaki. At this second- ¡°----¡° -Something warm and moist touched my cold cheeks. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± I touched my cheeks and froze there. As for Chiaki, ..although her face is as red as a tomato too, she¡¯s still looking pretty imposing. She even smiled at me, mischievously. ¡°W-Well, if we¡¯re rechallenging this, I have to keep up my attacks better thanst time. Yes!¡± After she said that, Chiaki didn¡¯t bother to wait for an answer and got on the bus immediately. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± So, just as my mouth is opening and closing repeatedly, the door closed entirely. Chiaki took a seat near the door, and then she waved at me from the window a little embarrassingly. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I waved at her when the bus is starting to move slowly. ¡­Then, I saw her disappear. Finally, when the bus was gone entirely¡­ ¡°¡­Phew! AHHHHHHHH!¡± I copsed onto the bench. ¡­My freezing cheeks are burning like fire now. Although I almost died from embarrassment, I still wrapped my hands around my head and started twisting around. ¡°No, no, no, this is too, uh, a bit, how should I put it? Well¡­!¡± Embarrassment, guilt, anxiety, confusion, ¡­and a sense of happiness that I feel sorry for. All of these emotions mixed together and overwhelmed me. I ended up struggling at the lonely bus stop for a while. ¡°AHHHHHHH! My chest! My chest feels so itchy, and I can¡¯t handle it! UWAHHHHH, what is this! What is this!¡± I kept scratching my brain and chest until I¡¯m exhausted. ¡­I bet Chiaki¡¯s so embarrassed that she¡¯s kicking her legs around on the bus as well. Seriously, what is this? The loner that¡¯s struggling because someone did something unexpected to him, and the loner that¡¯s struggling because she did something she wouldn¡¯t do. -The northern starry sky that¡¯s sparkling above us is just as beautiful today. Volume 8, 6 – Gamers and Abstract Christmas

Volume 8, Chapter 6 ¨C Gamers and Abstract Christmas

Trantor: your_pingas December 24, Sunday. 2 PM. ¡°Kousei, you¡¯re really not going to the Christmas party with me?¡± After I got on my shoes, I turned my head around and asked my little brother ¨C Kousei Amano. He leaned on the wall of the corridor as he crossed his arms and answered me with a bitter smile. ¡°Nope. I don¡¯t feelfortable going to a Christmas party full of senpais.¡± ¡°Really? Ah, but think about it, the party ended up at Hoshinomori¡¯s home because their parents aren¡¯t there. So, Konoha-san will be there as well.¡± ¡°About the part where brother thinks that this is the reason why I may go to the party, I¡¯ll investigate this seriouslyter. However, I¡¯m really not trying to be polite. Please don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°Chiaki¡¯s home feels superfy.¡± ¡°Well, I do think that I should pay a visit to my older brother¡¯s wife.¡± ¡°Older brother¡¯s wife?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing. Anyway, you don¡¯t need to mind. Just go and have fun, brother. Stay safe.¡± Kousei waved his hands casually as if he¡¯s forcing me to leave. ¡­This little brother doesn¡¯t care about his older brother that much. I sighed. ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± After I waved my hands, I grabbed my bags and left my home. It takes around 50 minutes from Amano¡¯s house to Hoshinomori¡¯s ce by bus and the additional walking. First of all, I need to take the bus heading towards the downtown station and then take the one that leads toward Hoshinomori¡¯s home. I arrived at the station at 2:15 PM. If everything goes right, I can arrive at Chiaki¡¯s ce before 2:50. ¡°Alright.¡± I grabbed my bags heavily filled with games and gifts as I walked towards the bus stop heading to Hoshinomori¡¯s home. ¡°¡­Oh, it started snowing.¡± When I¡¯m looking up to the sky, I found out that snowkes are falling from the thin clouds. Well, since I live in the north, I don¡¯t treasure snow that much. Even so, I do appreciate the snow for adding a little bit of mood towards Christmas night. I walked towards the stop as I stared at the sky nkly. Then, ¡­I can¡¯t help but vent out my emotions along with the white fumes. ¡°¡­I¡¯m looking forward to it¡­¡± In the end, ¡­my sentence ovepped with someone else, and it freaked me out. It looks like someone arrived at the bus stop first. I quickly looked downwards to check out who that is and apologize. -At this moment, I immediately snapped out. ¡°¡­T-Tendou-san?¡± ¡°A-Amano¡­-kun?¡± A beautiful angel stood before the snow. -No, she¡¯s my ex-girlfriend, Karen Tendou. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± For some reason, we just kept staring at each other. Our eyes are locked as the snow floats across midair silently. ¡­My face is ring up, and my heart is pounding hard. ¡­Why do my chest still feel so bitter and helpless¡­when I¡¯m facing this girl, Karen Tendou, no matter how long it is? Although I understand that this ¡°unwilling to let go¡± mindset will make Tendou-san upset, ¡­even so, I can¡¯t help it. ¡°¡­Well-¡° Both of us spoke at the exact same time identally. Then, we fell silent again. ¡­Come to think of it, this isn¡¯t exactly a ¡°fateful encounter¡± you see in movies. We¡¯re going to the same party, anyway. Meeting each other at the same time and ce, of course, I¡¯ll coincidentally, ¡­or definitely see her. In other words, I can¡¯t get excited over ¡°it¡¯s my fate to meet Tendou-san¡± in an encounter like this. ¡­Uh, I¡¯m actually thrilled. Welp, I managed to suppress my emotions down. ¡­After that, I barely gave Tendou-san a sessful ¡°normal¡± style.¡± ¡°H-Hello, Tendou-san. What a coincidence.¡± So, rarely, Tendou-san¡­smiled stiffly and answered. ¡°Y-Yeah, hey, Amano-kun. Y-You¡¯re right, what a coincidence. Yeah, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here. There¡¯s no such thing as fate. How should I put it? This is a probable ¡®coincidence,¡¯ yes.¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± I replied to her like that as I looked away temporarily. ¡­Then, I quickly pressed my chest! (T-That was close! I nearly said this is ¡°fate¡± or something like that! Yeah! Even though we were dating, it¡¯s too disgusting to put the word ¡°fate¡± on trivial things like this!) I barely got a hold of myself and sighed in relief. After that, I answered Tendou-san. ¡°If we think that it¡¯s ¡°fate¡± to see each other on the road leading towards the same destination, doesn¡¯t that make us stalkers, right!¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. Yes, you¡¯re right. I think so too, Amano-kun! Yes, exactly!¡± After I said that, for some reason, Tendou-san looked away from me and pressed her chest¡­? What¡¯s wrong with her? Nausea? When she finally cleared her throat and turned towards me, ¡­she already reverted to the usual ¡°Karen Tendou¡± mode and chatted with me. ¡°Well, it looks like Kousei-kun isn¡¯t going, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. However, I guess he worried about going to a party surrounded by older people.¡± After I said that, Tendou-san looked down slightly and mumbled for some reason. ¡°¡­No, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s the type that worries things like that¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, Kousei got really close to you guysst time, after all¡­¡± ¡°¡­I-Instead of saying he got closer to us, ¡­no, nevermind. Well, I guess it¡¯s still the usual 6 people today.¡± ¡°Yeah, the five of us in the Game Hobby Club and Konoha-san. That¡¯s 6 people.¡± ¡°Naturally, we¡¯re borrowing Hoshinomori¡¯s home.¡± Just as we¡¯re chatting, the bus to Hoshinomori¡¯s house arrived. Tendou-san followed me and stepped onto the stairs. The bus is empty. Then, Tendou-san sat down at the double seat first. I also- almost sat next to her beforeing to my realization. (W-We aren¡¯t dating anymore. Can I sit next to a girl like it¡¯s nothing?) I think I¡¯m about to sit next to Tendou-san just then. However,e to think of it, ¡­that¡¯s a bit overstepping, right. Luckily, no one is on the bus. In other words, there¡¯s no problem for me to take a double seat alone. So, ¡­I changed my mind and sat at the double seat in front of Tendou-san. ¡°Phew¡­¡± I sat next to the window and put my bags aside before sighing. ¡­Alright, I managed to prevent myself from making the wrong choice again. I didn¡¯t misjudge the distance we need to keep after we broke up¡­ So, at the moment that I¡¯m about to press my chest in relief. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡­I can feel someone staring daggers into my neck¡­from behind. ¡­I¡¯m in danger. I shivered as I tried to nce back and check out what¡¯s happening tremblingly. I saw¡­ ¡°¡­*smiling*.¡± ¡­Karen Tendou-san is smiling at me with an angelic face. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I can guarantee this. I, Keita Amano, have never seen something more terrifying in my 17 years of life than the hellish aura released by this person. I hastily turned and faced the front again as I thought about it with a face full of sweat! (Eh, why! Why is this girl mad at me! Is it because I didn¡¯t sit next to her? Eh, but we aren¡¯t dating now! If I just sat next to her like it¡¯s nothing, doesn¡¯t that make me a crappy simp that pretends to be close with his ex-girlfriend!) Honestly, I can¡¯t ept the fact that she¡¯s angry at me. ¡­Since I can¡¯t get it, while I¡¯m still scared, I barely managed to¡­squeeze out a protesting suspicion to her from my dried throat. ¡°Uh, ¡­Tendou-san?¡± I nced at my back. As for Tendou-san, ¡­she kept her angelic face stered. ¡°Yes, what can I help you, cowar- Keita Amano-kun?¡± This girl just tried to call me a coward, right? ¡­Sigh, whatever. ¡°Uh, ¡­think about it, we¡¯re¡­not dating now, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Exactly. If that¡¯s the case, ¡­it¡¯s okay for us to sit separately on the bus, right?¡± ¡°¡­I-I guess it¡¯s okay.¡± I can hear someone biting her fingernails from behind. ¡­That¡¯s scary. So, what? What do you want, Karen Tendou-san? You¡¯re the one that broke up with me, right? Anyway, I won¡¯t die if I don¡¯t provoke the school idol. ¡­I think this concept quickly embedded into my mind after I met her. I stared at the scenery outside of the window silently. ¡­So, around a minute passed. ¡°Ahem!¡± I can hear Tendou-san¡¯s intimidating cough from behind. After that, ¡­this blonde girl started talking to herself. ¡°Ah, ah, it¡¯s a bit cold today. ¡­I-I even put my bag onto myp. I-It¡¯s so warm. ¡­Even though the seat next to me is empty, perhaps¡­it¡¯s still pretty warm.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­B-But, it¡¯s strange. I still feel a bit cold. Yeah. W-Why is that? Did I catch a cold? Oh, I guess it would better if someone can sit next to me and warm me up-¡° During this time, the kind bus driver from the rural areas broadcast something. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll turn up the heater for you, passenger.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh! ¡­T-Thank you, driver-san¡­!¡± The school idol behind thanked the bus driver unwillingly before quieting down. ¡­Also, the bus is already quite hot. If the heater¡¯s turning up, we will sweat for real. Well, at least no other passengers are dragged into this mess. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± A suffocating silence, a somehow scorching bus, sweaty skins, and a couple that just broke up. ¡­This is literally hell. What kind of Christmas night is this, ¡­Jesus. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± So, I sighed deeply before grabbing my bags and standing up. After that¡­ ¡°Eh?¡± I came next to Tendou-san, who¡¯s still confused, and took a seat tantly. ¡­It¡¯s hot. Since I¡¯m really close to Tendou-san, it¡¯s several times hotter. However¡­ My eyes remained locked onto the corridor as I spoke to her a bit roughly. ¡°¡­That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that¡­I decided to not care anymore. Feel free to scold at me for being a stalker. Even though it¡¯ll cause a lot of troubles for Tendou-san, ¡­I¡¯ll do whatever I want right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Tendou-san didn¡¯t say anything. ¡­Ugh, this is really embarrassing. I covered up my embarrassment and continued. ¡°¡­S-So, Tendou-san, although you must be boiling up right now, I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s simple. You can think of this as revenge from a rejected guy. Please give up. Sorry, but I¡¯m this disgusting.¡± I gave up on myself and vented out to her. https://1.bp.blogspot/--6-zWFYf360/X5A75oLIkoI/AAAAAAAAPbI/w01MRbbveOMnCp7jIgQkPBvsuqH-jdrggCNcBGAsYHQ/s1618/DLraw_0240.jpg As for Tendou-san, ¡­she sat next to me and chuckled before giving me a response. ¡°Jeez, I cany believe you¡¯re sitting next to me when it¡¯s so hot. This ex-boyfriend is surely annoying. Ay, even though you¡¯re such an annoying person, ¡­I guess I can let you sit next to me for a bit.¡± ¡°R-Really? ¡­Well, I-I¡¯ll do what you said then.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, ¡­uh, ¡­please take a seat.¡± ¡­So, for a short couple minutes -and within a baffling environment that is inside of the bus, even so- The two of us still maintained a loving atmosphere as we spent the time right before Christmas. * In the end, Tendou-san and I arrived at Hoshinomori¡¯s home 10 minutes before the meeting time. When Chiaki came to the entrance to pick us up, both of us remembered that mandatory datingst time. So, for a moment, both of us nearly freaked out. However, since Tendou-san is here as well, we barely managed to contain our confusion and embarrassment. When we were lead into the living room, Konoha-san greeted us with a simple wave. Then, the doorbell rang. It must be Uehara-kun and Aguri-san. I guess these two bumped into each other coincidentally on the bus as well. From their slightly awkward yet satisfied expression, I bet they experienced when Tendou-san and I just did too. Aguri-san and I identally made eye-contact, so we smiled at each other a bit embarrassingly. So, when the introduction is over, everyone took a seat around the table in the living room. After everyone got a cup of orange soda, Uehara-kun held his cup and stood up before clearing his throat. Standing in front of the small yet slightly elegant Christmas tree in Hoshinomori¡¯s home, Uehara-kun spoke up nervously. ¡°Uh, with everyone rted to the Game Hobby Club in here, I¡¯m sincerely-¡° However, Aguri-san interrupted him and raised her ss. ¡°Here. Everyone, cheers!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± We yelled at the same time. Everyone¡¯s cups touched each other aside from Uehara-kun. Then, we took a sip of the orange soda. Uehara-kun is the only oneining. ¡°Hey, you guys!¡± His reaction really fits his character. However, he¡¯s actuallyughing cheerfully. Ay, I guess Uehara-kun expected Aguri-san to cut him off. He sat back down helplessly and cheered with Aguri-san, who¡¯s next to him. So, when everyone put their cups back onto the table, Uehara-kun became the host again. ¡°Well, even though this is a party, we didn¡¯t n too much for the schedule. So, what should we do next? y video games?¡± To his suggestion, everyone gave a subtle reaction. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The reason for that¡­isn¡¯t because we hate games. ¡­Uh. Uehara-kun smiled bitterly and exined it. ¡°Ay, r-right. Everyone still cares about¡­the ¡®present exchange¡¯ activity.¡± We all smiled helplessly at what he said. Present exchange. This is the only activity we agreed on in advance of this Christmas party with basically no rules. As for the content, ¡­hmm, it¡¯s what it says. A standard gift exchange. Everyone will bring one present respectively, ¡­and then we shuffle and hand them out randomly. It¡¯s a bit clich¨¦. However, ¡­initially, everyone didn¡¯t feelfortable with this suggestion. This is bound to happen. After all, ¡­uh¡­ We¡¯re the ones participating in this activity. We can¡¯t see any good results from randomly exchanging presents. (Nothing good will happen, anyway!) Everyone shared the same idea. To that, I think the organizer, Uehara-kun, knew that full well too. ¡­However, even so, he still strongly insisted that we do it. This is his perspective. ¡°Eh, if we¡¯re taking away the present exchange as well. At this point, what are we going to do at the Christmas party?¡± Also, Uehara-kun emphasized the following as he continued. ¡°Don¡¯t spend too much effort on it. Let¡¯s put all the love and rtionships aside first. This is just a simple present exchange among friends, alright? It¡¯s a part of games, soe y it.¡± He said that. Well, there¡¯s no reason for us to vehemently reject it. So, we prepared our gifts and brought them to the party today¡­ Konoha-san mumbled with a bitter smile. ¡°However, honestly, I¡¯m still feeling very restless after all that. The present exchange activity.¡± Aguri-san agreed. ¡°Konhi is right. ¡­Well, how about we exchange gifts first?¡± Upon hearing Aguri-san¡¯s suggestion, ¡­we nced at each other. ¡­Then, everyone nodded. ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t feel like ying video games under anxiety too!¡± ¡°R-Right. I¡¯m the type that finishes her homework first.¡± ¡°Y-Yes! Well, ¡­let¡¯s do it! Everyone gets their presents out!¡± So, under Uehara-kun¡¯s order, we quickly started the present exchange. In reality, what we need to do is very simple. We just hand out the gifts based on the results of the reshuffling app. It¡¯spletely randomized, aside from the setting of the app that prevented us from drawing our own present. Chiaki clicked on the tablet and showed the app on the TV. We gulped and stared at the screen. ¡­Honestly, if you want me to tell the truth- ¡­We lied about the friends giving presents out cheerfully part. In reality, everyone wanted to exchange presents with the one they love. T-That¡¯s guaranteed, right! After all, it¡¯s Christmas! Also, we¡¯re currently in a situation where everyone¡¯s rtionships aren¡¯t going great! It¡¯s tough for us to not look forward to some Christmas miracles! ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Due to that, the ¡°exchanging gifts cheerfully¡± part disappeared right away. Everyone¡¯s looking at the screen while praying. Even Uehara-kun, the one who brought up the bright idea, stared at the screen with a vicious face. ¡­Y-You¡¯re pretty worked up, right¡­ So, under a web ofplicated thoughts and prayers, the result is finally revealed. -This is a list of presents that everyone got! Keita Amano: Face massage roll (from Tasuku Uehara) Tasuku Uehara: Handkerchief for girls (from Keita Amano) Chiaki Hoshinomori: A series of moe rom light novels (from Konoha Hoshinomori) Konoha Hoshinomori: Leather wallet for boys (from Aguri) Karen Tendou: Handkerchief for boys (from Chiaki Hoshinomori) Aguri: Professional game controller for hardcore yers (sold out) (from Karen Tendou) ¡­Ay, after the exchange is over, everyone shared the same thought. (WHO NEEDS IT!) Although we did say this is within our expectation, ¡­even so, our hopes were brutally crushed. As for me, ¡­I rolled the face massage roller on my cheeks as I scolded at Uehara-kun! ¡°Why did you put a face massage roller as a present! Didn¡¯t you consider the possibility of me getting it!?¡± ¡°Who cares about you! That¡¯s what Aguri asked for a while ago¡­! N-No, wait, didn¡¯t you buy a handkerchief for girls as a present? What a dull choice from an otaku that doesn¡¯t know how to get along with girls!¡± ¡°W-What do you mean by dull! Look, didn¡¯t Chiaki pick a handkerchief for boys as well!¡± ¡°¡­Yep, I got Chiaki-san¡¯s present¡­¡± Tendou-san looked at Chiaki and me very awkwardly. ¡­Uh, uh, well, as for Chiaki, ¡­I guess she wanted to give it to me. That¡¯s why she prepared a handkerchief for boys. ¡­Yes, ¡­that¡¯s why, now that it went to Tendou-san¡¯s hand, I bet Chiaki is upset, naturally. Also, Chiaki¡¯s staring at something with tears in her eyes, ¡­the series of light novels filled with moe illustrations in her hands which she¡¯s totally uninterested. ¡°¡­Konoha, why¡­¡± ¡°W-Why did you bother to ask why¡­¡± Konoha-san quickly died down. ¡­I get it, Konoha-san. I can tell that¡¯s a famous light novel written by the director of hentai games. Actually, she wanted to share it with a partner like me. I get it. While I do understand, ¡­how did you not consider the possibility that your sister, the girl that hates moe elements the most, will receive it in the slightest!? Moreover, Konoha-san is holding a leather wallet in her hand with a confused look. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not too fond of this wallet¡­¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean to give it to you! I picked that because I think Tasuku likes it!¡± ¡°Why! We said that this is a present exchange, right! Isn¡¯t it more possible for people other than him to get it!?¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­you¡¯re right! But everyone can use a wallet! From this perspective, ¡­what the hell am I supposed to do with this!¡± ¡°Professional game controller. It¡¯s for thetest console that was just released.¡± Tendou-san answered calmly. Aguri-san immediately started bickering with her tearfully. ¡°But, I don¡¯t even have that console!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Uh, please just enjoy the feeling of holding a controller made for your hands.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t! You¡¯re way too biased! Can¡¯t I just exchange this with someone else!?¡± ¡°W-Wel¡­¡± After Tendou-san fell speechless, everyone¡¯s suddenly immersed in anxiety. Indeed, ¡­if we just exchange the gifts as Aguri-san said, everyone will be better off. While everyone will be happier, ¡­this way¡­ (We¡¯ll definitely fight over who¡¯s getting who¡¯s presents!) This is something that we absolutely understand too. In the end, the festive Christmas party will be entirely over. If that¡¯s the case, ¡­there¡¯s only one conclusion. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Suddenly, including Aguri-san, everyone reached the same conclusion. We looked at each other before nodding at the same time. ¡°¡­Ughhh¡­¡± Everyone¡­gritted their teeth as they put the presents into their bags. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Seriously, how did those normies enjoy something like this? * ¡°L-Let¡¯s improve the mood with games, y games! Alright?¡± To heat up the freezing atmosphere, Tendou-san pped her hands and suggested us to y video games. Honestly, everyone kind of expected that the present exchange will be a mess. So, actually, we didn¡¯t take that much damage. We followed Tendou-san and spoke up with an enthusiastic attitude again. First of all, Uehara-kun agreed to her. ¡°Sure. Ah,e to think of it, Amano, did you end up bringing a yable board game here?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. We can y a simple card game first. Also, you can ask Chiaki about the video game part.¡± I threw the topic to Chiaki, who¡¯s sitting next to the table. She nodded and continued. ¡°Yes. While I can¡¯t find any party game for 6 people, Konoha did help me look for some multiyer games.¡± After she said that, Konoha-san, who¡¯s sitting opposite to Chiaki, nodded. ¡°In our student council room, I think there are a lot of board games left by past members, so I borrowed them. ¡­From this perspective, I bet the senpais from my school didn¡¯t work in the student council seriously¡­¡± Konoha-san sighed. ¡­Hmm, I¡¯m quite suspicious as to whether the current student council president is serious as well. I¡¯m afraid that her personality is the weirdest. However, I guess I shouldn¡¯t say that since I¡¯m the only one that knows her love for hentai games, after all. No matter what, we listed the games brought by the Hoshinomori sisters and me out and tried them one by one. We yed Werewolf, Game of Life, and some minigame type stuff. Needless to say, the experience is enjoyable. In the end, we even split into two tables and tried out a strategy board game. So, 3 hours went by in a sh. I¡­reached one conclusion from all the party games that I¡¯ve touched on, which is honestly not that many. (I see. In this genre, the quality of the game isn¡¯t directly reflected by the ratings.) This is quite a refreshing realization for a thoroughly casual yer like me. Of course, even for current games, ¡­which can be represented by NOBE¡¯s works, the ratings can change based on personal preferences. However, this bes more apparent when ites to party games. Honestly, a bad one can always spice up everyone¡¯s mood. There¡¯s a lot of examples. For example, one of the card games that Konoha-san brought from the student council, which I suspect was made by previous Hekiyou members, called . However, ¡­the design of this game is total crap. To put you into perspective, even the total gaming newbie Aguri-san can tell on the first round. ¡°This game is pretty unbnced, right?¡± However, while we¡¯re unwilling to admit this, ¡­it got us excited because of how terrible it is. Everyone will boo when they saw an unreasonable card. When there¡¯s an unexpected plot twist, the loser even requested. ¡°One more match!¡± Hmm, honestly, ¡­it¡¯s super fun. Even so, a poorly designed party game that entirely relies on luck isn¡¯t the only solution, obviously. Some are wildly popr among casual yers, and that¡¯s why we bought them to y with everyone. Their designs are incredible, indeed. It¡¯s top-tier from a pure game perspective. Among them, one is very attractive today. ¡­It made Tendou-san and Uehara-kun all hyped up into it ¨C an ¡°abstract strategy¡± board game. Abstract strategy game. This term mainly refers to games that have nothing to do with luck in the industry. Even so, there seem to be no clear definitions. Put it simply, I guess you can imagine it as chess. It refers to games that aren¡¯t decided by dices or drawing cards. ¡­Uh, even though this is just something that I read recently. Then, the abstract strategy games we yed today are mostly rted to territorial control. Some required us to put things into their assigned areas to expand the territory, while some needed us to utilize knights or castles to expand our realm. The winner is decided by the score. This genre is way too suitable for gamers, ¡­especially the hardcore faction. Tendou-san and Uehara-kun scrambled their brains to fight each other, and they seem to be running out of breaths. However, if we want aparison, Konoha-san and Aguri-san are surprisingly better at this. ¡°I guess this is like deciding which coupon you want to spend on buying things.¡± This is what Aguri-san said. In reality, she doesn¡¯t y games at all, yet her urate instinct of when to retreat or attack is useful here. Also, Konoha-san is even better than her. ¡°I¡¯m the best at hiding my thoughts and tricking others. I¡¯m a student council president, after all.¡± Her momentum is real when she¡¯s holding the pieces and saying all that confidently. So, the Christmas party was even warmer than expected. Then- ¡°¡­Phew.¡± After my round is over, I returned to the dining table and took a sip of soda. In front of the TV, Uehara-kun, Chiaki, and Tendou-san, who are more experienced in gaming, arepeting fiercely in a minigame match. ¡°Eh, Amanhi, you¡¯re not joining them?¡± During this time, Aguri-san returned from the toilet and sat in front of me. I smiled bitterly. ¡°¡­Tendou-san is all worked up. I don¡¯t want to fight against her.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Aguri-san turned herzy gaze towards Tendou-san. Right there, ¡­Tendou-san, who¡¯s terrible luck in minigames dragged her down to the lowest score, yet she¡¯s still fighting determinedly with a smile. As for Chiaki and Uehara-kun, ¡­they¡¯re a bit afraid to y against her. Aguri-san looked back to me once again and smiled gently. ¡°Ahaha, I feel so rxed when I¡¯m face-to-face with Amanhi.¡± ¡°Indeed. Right now, it feels like we¡¯re in the family restaurant.¡± ¡°Yeah/ Amanhi, get something for me at the drink bar.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not brave enough to open someone else¡¯s fridge. Please just make do with a not-so-iced soda.¡± I said that as I poured a t orange soda into Aguri-san¡¯s ss. However, she immediatelyined upon taking a sip. ¡°It¡¯s not cold anymore!¡± ¡­Why even brother nagging at me. Aguri-san and I each held a cup of soda as we watched the minigame match between the three of them. ¡­Suddenly, Aguri-san said this casually. ¡°Amanhi, if you and me¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± I drank a little soda. Aguri-san¡¯s eyes remained on the minigame screen as she continued. ¡°If you and I got married, I bet we¡¯ll be happy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­.For a moment, my brain disyed me a picture where I immediately st out my drink. ¡­However, in reality, I don¡¯t feel pretty shocked. It¡¯s more like, I¡¯m surprised by how calm I am. I drank my soda before answering tly. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right.¡± ¡­Of course, Uehara-kun and the rest didn¡¯t hear all this. It¡¯d be troublesome if they did. But¡­I guess Aguri-san and I didn¡¯t really care whether they heard it or not. How should I put it? This conversation is very pure. Aguri-san continued. ¡°But, in reality, we won¡¯t date or marry each other at all.¡± ¡°Nope. I didn¡¯t even think about it.¡± ¡°Why did you repeat that in a graver tone? ¡­Sigh, but don¡¯t you feel like¡­we can¡¯t convey this message to our respective partners?¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­I really don¡¯t know where¡¯s the problem.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Both of us sighed helplessly. ¡­I took another sip of my soda, and then something came up to my mind. So, I tried to suggest it. ¡°Ah, why don¡¯t we justpletely cut ties with each other? Should we try that?¡± ¡°Oh, ¡­hmm. We¡­can try that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­...¡± We stared at the TV screen silently. This time, Tendou-san won, and she put up a victory pose. Uehara-kun, who finishedst, looks really unwilling to admit defeat. When Aguri-san and I witnessed that, we can¡¯t help but smile. ¡­Then, weughed at each other¡¯s reaction. Aguri-sany on the tablezily andined. ¡°¡­I feel repulsive to the idea, no matter what.¡± ¡°Yeah. ¡­Sigh, is this where we are at fault?¡± ¡°Probably¡­¡± Both of us have no idea what to do. Then, just like what we¡¯re usually like at the family restaurant, an aura of helplessness radiated between us. At this point- ¡°Hiya, what¡¯s wrong with you two? What¡¯s with the depressed faces?¡± Konoha-san returned to the living room and talked to us. Konoha Hoshinomori After I put down the board games we finished earlier back into my room, I tidied my looks before heading back to the living room. Then, I found out that Amano-senpai and Agu-senpai are releasing a somewhat depressing aura next to onee-chan, who¡¯s having fun with others. I sat between them and asked what¡¯s going on. ¡°What?¡± I sighed dumbfoundedly. ¡°This means that there¡¯s an erotic rtionship between Amano-senpai and Agu-senpai, which you two can¡¯t split no matter what? Is that right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not right at all.¡± The two of them denied quickly. ¡­However, I wasn¡¯t serious, anyway. But I do feel their problem is pretty close to that. I grabbed some snacks on the table and discussed it with them. ¡°Basically, the evidence of Amano-senpai and Agu-senpai not seeing each other as a boy and girl isn¡¯t too convincing.¡± ¡°But, we emphasized that we aren¡¯t like that.¡± I sighed helplessly and continued at Amano-senpai¡¯s retort. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel sincere when you keep saying you didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°But, it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same, even when it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Well, what should we do then?¡± Amano-senpai is at a loss. ¡­Ah, it feels good to be relied on by him. Thanks to that, I can¡¯t help but inject myself into this trivial matter that doesn¡¯t really benefit me. After I thought about it for a while, ¡­I came up with a good idea and raised my index finger. ¡°Well, how about I ask you two a question? Please answer honestly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a psychological quiz?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that serious, but I guess it¡¯s simr. With your answers, I can judge whether you two, ¡­are you listening? After I asked, you two really need to answer with a sincere heart. Ready?¡± Upon hearing my question, they nced at each other. ¡­However, they immediately answered innocently. ¡°Yes.¡± So, when the two are looking at me, I threw the question out. ¡°How do you feel when you¡¯re imagining each other kissing with their lovers?¡± To my question- Those two¡­leaned forward and answered with sparkling eyes without any hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ll be thrilled!¡± ¡°Hiya.¡± They are way more excited than my expectation, ¡­and it freaked me out a bit. However, the two of them awaited my diagnosis eagerly. ¡­So, I let out a cough and answered. ¡°W-Well, if there¡¯s no sense of jealousy at all, ¡­it seems to prove that you two aren¡¯t remotely close to cheating.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± They are satisfied with my answer, so the two looked at each other in relief. I nced at them gently¡­as I let out a sigh in my heart. (If they can answer that question with ¡°I¡¯m thrilled¡± right away, in a sense, this rtionship isn¡¯t exactly safe either¡­) At least, I won¡¯t be this considerate towards a ¡°normal friend¡± of mine. Those two pressed their chest in genuine relief, anyway. ¡°Wow, it feels great to prove your feelings. Aguri-san.¡± ¡°Yeah. Indeed, that question was quite reasonable. Yep, describing the feeling you get when you imagine we kissing each of our lovers, that¡¯s amazing. Konhi is a genius!¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing, senpai is overpraising me¡­¡± Why are these people keep admiring me as a master of love recently? I hope they can just leave me alone. I¡¯m already tangled up with figuring out the love of onee-chan and myself- ¡°Ah, ¡­right. I¡¯ll get some drinks at the convenience store nearby.¡± -During this time, Amano-senpai suddenly stood up. The unexpected action freaked me out, but Agu-senpai immediately answered in agreement. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s nice!¡± ¡°The drinks aren¡¯t cold anymore. Well, I want juice!¡± ¡°Alright, got it. Konoha-san, you want anything?¡± Amano-senpai smiled warmly at me. After I saw his ¡°weird¡± expression, I¡­ ¡°¡­Ah, no. I don¡¯t want anything in particr. ¡­Uh, our house has water and tea.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, alright, but Aguri-san wants juice, and I¡­want coffee as well. I guess I should go. As for those three, ¡­hmm, it seems that they won¡¯t have the time to answer, so I¡¯ll randomly pick something for them.¡± Amano-senpai smiled bitterly at the fanatic gaming trio before quickly wearing his coat and grabbing the wallet from his pocket. ¡°Take your time.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± When Agu-senpai sent him off, Amano-senpai swiftly left the living room. The gaming trio didn¡¯t even seem to realize that. ¡­Okay. ¡°Eh? What¡¯s wrong, Konhi?¡± I followed senpai and stood up. Agu-senpai tilted her head shockingly and asked. I took my coat into the living room and answered. ¡°Uh, I have nothing to do. I n to go along with senpai and help him.¡± I quickly made preparation after I said that. Also, just before the moment I left the living room, I patted onee-chan¡¯s shoulder, who¡¯s still ying. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong, Konoha? I¡¯m a bit busy right now-¡° ¡°Just hear me out, alright. I¡¯ll tell you¡­¡± I quickly issued some orders to onee-chan, and I ignored her confusion. ¡°Huh?¡± Anyway, I left down an ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving¡± and walked towards the corridor. Senpai seems to be out already. I didn¡¯t see him at the entrance. So, I shoved my feet into my shoes quickly and dashed out of the door after him. I ran for around 10 seconds. Finally, I turned a corner and caught up with senpai before yelling at him. ¡°Senpai!¡± ¡°Huh! ¡­Eh, K-Konoha-san?¡± Senpai freaked out and looked back when he¡¯s suddenly called on a street at night. I hastily went in front of him. Although I¡¯m still catching my breath, I smiled at him. ¡°I¡¯m going with senpai too. After all, there might be a lot of stuff we need to buy.¡± ¡°Eh? No, I¡¯m not nning to buy that much¡­¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Here, let¡¯s go, senpai.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, wait, Konoha-san.¡± I hooked senpai¡¯s arm with my as I started dragging him forward. Senpai freaked out at first, but he quickly sighed and gave me a dumbfounded look. ¡°Alright.¡± He said that and walked beside me. Senpai tried to push me away forcefully. Although I curled my lips, I didn¡¯t bug him. So, I let go and stayed beside senpai. Senpai tilted his head a bit detedly, yet he¡¯s still stepping forward while remaining silent. ¡­Both of us walked shoulder-to-shoulder as we continued heading towards the convenience store beneath the night sky silently. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Since he was in Hoshinomori¡¯s home that¡¯s pretty crowded and heated up for a while, senpai looks quite ufortable. I¡¯m reticent when I¡¯m supposed to stare and force him to talk usually. I guess this made him mind a lot. He scratched his head awkwardly and tried to squeeze out a chat with me. ¡°Ah, ¡­well, Konoha-san, are you having fun today?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m enjoying it.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, really? I see¡­¡± I didn¡¯t even flip my erotic switch and just replied obediently. It made senpai plop his head down with an extremely frustrated look. ¡­Even though he doesn¡¯t like me bbing all those erotic things usually, he¡¯s disappointed when I don¡¯t. Senpai is an idiot. I can¡¯t help but chuckle and stop before dragging senpai¡¯s coat. He stopped puzzlingly. ¡°Senpai, this is the park where we chatted a while ago. You remember?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, yes, I remember. ¡­The snow¡¯s getting thicker.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Uh, Konoha-san? It¡¯s time for us to go¡­¡± I remained in front of the park. So, senpai suggested to me with a confused face. After I heard him, I answered with a ¡°yes¡± and took a couple of steps. ¡­When I¡¯m in front of senpai, I quickly turned around and blocked his path. Senpai was surprised when I stopped him. ¡°Uh, ¡­Konoha-san? Aren¡¯t we going to the convenience store¡­¡± As for me, I threw¡­a question that seems unrted at first to his face as if I¡¯m cutting him off. ¡°Senpai tried to ¡®imagine¡¯ about it, right? Also, ¡­this time, your heart can¡¯t ept it, right? That¡¯s why you¡¯re running outside to calm your head down.¡± ¡°Hmm? What are you talking about? Is this a hentai game meme? Sorry, I don¡¯t understand.¡± After he said that, senpai walked next to me as if he¡¯s trying to escape. However, I stopped him determinedly. ¡°Eh, ¡­w-what do you want?¡± Amano-senpai finally threw some angry words at me with a frustrated face. Facing senpai like that- I still didn¡¯t back down, and we remained in a silent standoff for a while. So, ¡­I kept my silence and tried to take the best opportunity. I grabbed my chance and threw the core question at him, ¡­the boy Keita Amano. ¡°Senpai, you¡¯re finding this repulsive, right? It hurts you a lot, right? No, you should feel angry, right? Or should I say, it¡¯s all of that? No matter what, ¡­that¡¯s different than what you think about Agu-senpai, right. You were shocked by the difference between the two, right?¡± ¡°Hey, Konoha-san, what the hell are you talking about-¡° Finally, Amano-senpai tried to push me away impatiently. As for me, ¡­I looked at his back and yelled at him, not wanting to admit defeat. ¡°Didn¡¯t you realize you can¡¯t happily imagine onee-chan pairing up with a boy other than you, senpai!?¡± ¡°!¡± For a moment, senpai stopped walking. ¡­I went around in front of senpai once again. ¡­Then, I asked him with a determined look. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, senpai? Please, don¡¯t run away¡­and answer me. I think I have the right to hear your answer.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Senpai!¡± I forced him to answer- Senpai lowered his head¡­and grabbed his upper left arm with his right hand tightly. So, after a 10-second silence, ¡­he finally answered. ¡°¡­It¡¯s exactly like what you said.¡± ¡°!¡± I can¡¯t help but take a deep breath. This time, senpai vented out all of the emotions at me like a copsed dam. ¡°It¡¯s exactly like what you said! Yeah, you¡¯re right, okay! I feel repulsive! When I applied your question to Chiaki, I¡¯m so upset to the point that I¡¯m shocked about it! Even though I feel nothing but happiness when I imagine Aguri-san and Uehara-kun staying together¡­! However, once I think about Chiaki going out with a stranger, ¡­I¡­I¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Senpai¡­¡± I lightly put my hand on his shoulder. So, he grabbed his chest tightly¡­and spoke to me in a voice that sounds like he¡¯s struck down by regret and is now crying. ¡°But, I¡¯m such a jerk¡­! Even though I love Tendou-san¡­! Even so, ¡­just because Chiaki once confessed to me, ¡­yet I have this disgusting desire of possessiveness towards her¡­!¡± ¡°Senpai, there¡¯s nothing wrong with having such thoughts towards others like that¡­¡± After he heard what I said, ¡­senpai slightly got his cool back and answered. ¡°¡­You¡¯re right. At this stage, ¡­I¡¯m still just a jerk for having thoughts like that. ¡­Currently, I barely managed to stop myself from hurting others. This is the only thing¡­that I¡¯m d about.¡± Senpai said that as he tried to gently put my hand away from his should. He¡­looked at my eyes once again. His eyes are filled with sadness, guilt, and¡­adorned with some sort of determination. ¡°Due to that, ¡­even though the bitterness pains me, I should still swallow this feeling down silently and secretly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re swallowing it down, ¡­but what are you going to do after that? Do you want to just ignore the feelings you have for onee-chan and go out with Tendou-senpai as if nothing has happened? Is that what you¡¯re going to do?¡± My eyes are about to pierce through him- Senpai, ¡­he replied with a shocked expression. ¡°Eh, how can a jerk like me choose something that only I¡¯ll benefit? This doesn¡¯t make sense, right?¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± ¡°So, after I swallowed such an impure feeling towards Chiaki, I, ¡­uh, I n to disappear from the two girls entirely¡­¡± ¡°¡­W-What?¡± Senpai said something unexpected, and I froze. He quickly waved his hands and answered me. ¡°Ah, even though I¡¯m saying that I¡¯ll disappear, I¡¯m not really going to go missing. How should I put it? I wanted to disappear from a ¡®lover¡¯s¡¯ and a ¡®man¡¯s¡¯ perspective, I guess. After all, ¡­a sucker that carries a feeling close to cheating like me can never hope to match those two girls. So, I will try to distance myself as much as possible-¡° ¡°-Pfft! Ahahahaha!¡± ¡°K-Konoha-san?¡± I suddenly burst intoughter, and it freaked senpai out. I put my hands around my stomach and continuedughing. ¡­I tried to wipe my tears away from theugh and thought. (Jeez, ¡­this person is just as usual. He¡¯s dumb, innocent, and has a love of cleanliness. ¡­However, that¡¯s why¡­I want him to be loved.) When did this all start? I feel like, ¡­even though I¡¯m not the girl that can pair up with him, I¡¯m good as long as this person is happy. However, this is obviously different than how Agu-senpai feels. After all, I¡­ Right now, I still actually want to be the no.1 in this boy¡¯s heart. This made me almost cry. This made me almost went insane. However, ¡­even so, at the same time, I do agree with that. I can¡¯t help but agree with that. My most immense happinesses from the smile of someone that I treasure. Coincidentally, this is just something beautiful that I mentioned as the student council president of Hekiyou High School on the surface. (Sigh, ¡­really, when did I turn into a ¡®nice woman¡¯ like this?) I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m thinking about a childish thought seriously. I¡¯ll be happy as long as someone else is. Also¡­ I¡¯m actually ¡°carrying¡± the n out. ¡°¡­Senpai.¡± After Iughed for a while, I slightly lowered my head and told this to him Senpai is still looking at me with a sincerely worried face, ¡­damn. ¡°¡­I want to tell you one thing, alright?¡± ¡°Hmm? What?¡± ¡°Senpai, the feeling that you have for onee-chan, ¡­honestly, what is it?¡± ¡°What is it? ¡­Hmm, let me think, ¡­it¡¯s guaranteed to be an ugly sense of possessiveness¡­¡± ¡°No. Let¡¯s take a step back and don¡¯t restrain yourself. ¡­Put all those guilt away first. If we¡¯re describing it in a more sincere and positive sense, what would that be?¡± ¡°What would that be? Uh, it¡¯s, ¡­even though I¡¯m impure, ¡­I think that is¡­¡± Senpai scratched his cheeks embarrassingly. Then, he finally admitted defeat and told me. ¡°Uh, ¡­it¡¯s love, ¡­or something like that.¡± I can¡¯t help but grin upon hearing his answer. At the same time, I lowered my head even further. ¡°Thanks, senpai. Uh, also, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Senpai tilted his head with a confused look. I raised my head. After that, I ignored his confusion and said many things that he¡¯s guaranteed to not understand right now. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. However, I think senpai¡¯s wish couldn¡¯t be fulfilled.¡± ¡°Hmm? What? No, eh, what¡¯s happening? What are you saying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about senpai¡­wanting to swallow the feeling you have for onee-chan and disappear from the two girls from a lover¡¯s perspective.¡± ¡°Hmm? Why? Ah, you mean you¡¯re going to intervene next?¡± ¡°Hmm, regrettably, I¡¯m not. Instead of saying what I¡¯m going to do, my mission is already over.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already over?¡± ¡°Yeah. At least, among all the spears pointing at senpai, one of them can¡¯t be saved anymore. It¡¯s because what happened tonight already put it at full throttle towards you.¡± ¡°¡­Uh, Konoha-san? I really don¡¯t understand what you mean¡­¡± ¡°Really? Ah, if you don¡¯t, I can tell you one more thing. ¡­Even though I¡¯m cheating for a bit, ¡­I already warned senpai earlier. Ay, I went out of my way toe to this park. I guess you can say that this is a warning.¡± ¡°Coming to the park is a warning?¡± ¡°Yes. So, this is like an abstract strategy game, just like the one we yed. All of the information is in public now, and there¡¯s no luck involved. In the end, I think nothing can escape my palm.¡± ¡°What? Uh, that¡¯s enough. Even if you say that, I really still don¡¯t understand...¡± During this time, senpai suddenly realized something and froze. ¡­It looks like he finally remembered what happened in this park a while ago. Also- ¡­The warning he received from me a bitter when we were at the family restaurant. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Senpai, ¡­he slowly¡­turned around¡­with a pale face¡­ In other words- He looked into the direction where my eyes were at the back when we were at a standoff. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you, senpai?¡± I saw his look, ¡­no. I saw their looks. Then, I spoke up with an expression¡­that appears like I pulled off a prank, yet warmly caring about them at the same time. ¡°Senpai, you¡¯re at the ¡®people secretly approaching you from behind¡¯ month.¡± This is because- After senpai slowly turned his head, he saw what¡¯s in front of him. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± There¡¯s a lonely girl with a heavily blushed face because her love is granted by a miracle at Christmas. In other words- ¡°¡­Chi..aki¡­?¡± ¡°K-Keita, ¡­well, ¡­uh, ..I-I, ¡­uh, ¡­uh¡­¡± -My onee-chan who¡¯s about to have her wish fulfilled, Chiaki Hoshinomori. [Note: That¡¯s the end of Vol.8. The short story collection and DLC will be next. Thanks for reading and stay safe, everyone!] Volume 8, Afterword

Volume 8, Afterword

Hello, I¡¯m the innocent light novel author that still thinks dentists are scary after he grew up, Sekina Aoi. ¡­You can¡¯t just say I¡¯m a coward. Well, I didn¡¯t just make zero progress in my childhood. I even started to devolve right now. However, there¡¯s one thing that I can guarantee that I made progress in whenpared to the entire human race. Yes, that is the rtionship with afterwords. There are 3 pages for this afterword. However, the first sentence of the editor responsible for the pages is actually- ¡°You want a couple more pages?¡± It¡¯s this. Will someone really suggest something like this to me? The worst problem is that my brain shed something for a moment. ¡°3 pages, ¡­I think I¡¯ve been disappointing the readers recently.¡± That¡¯s enough. What is actually an afterword? Currently, which world is the reader and I¡¯m in for us to talk like this? This ce is much weirder than the main story, right. So, even though I hesitated for a bit, I still followed the ¡°it¡¯ll be over if I cut the main story short or the novel got more expensive¡± mentality. I wrote a 3-page afterword. Sorry. Well, let¡¯s talk about the plot. This time, it¡¯s because thest volume is way too upset. Personally, I nned to make this volume into a ¡°happy¡± episode. In reality, I¡¯m not sure if this is happy or not. The editor said this to me. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen theedy in the early stage of the series.¡± However, ¡­honestly, I didn¡¯t realize this at all. So- ¡°Ah, y-yeah, you¡¯re right. I did it on purpose. Y-You actually noticed it.¡± I answered stiffly. ¡­Indeed, perhaps it¡¯s just like the early stage of the series. ¡­I didn¡¯t realize it. ¡­Ahem. The next volume is actually the Short Story collection. We n to release it in autumn. The content is mainly bundling the magazine stories together, but the magazine is about another plot line of . Therefore, if readers are interested, pleasee and buy one. The book will contain the days Amano spent with his close gaming friends- ¡­No, the days Amano spent with the ¡°bombs¡± that weren¡¯t in the main story. Also, during the release of this volume, the anime version of Is already up. This is made by the fantastic staff and VAs when the original author is trembling over his fear of dentists. Please watch it if you¡¯re interested. Aside from that, the first two volumes of manga adaptation are also being released on Monthly Shonen Ace too! (Advertisement) Well, here¡¯s the appreciation speech. First of all, thank you, Cactus-sensei. I appreciate you for providing the incredible illustrations for this volume even when you¡¯re busy due to the release of the anime. Then, props to the editor. Thank you for dealing with all kinds of chores and small details when the author is solely responsible for the writing. I¡¯ll be counting on you. Finally, it¡¯s reader-sama. Recently, Amano-kun has be a lot ¡°normier.¡± However, if he¡¯s really a guy that can sincerely enjoy happiness like this, he wouldn¡¯t suffer from the beginning. The same can be said for other members. So, if you¡¯re willing to look forward to all characters being pranked between their ¡°situations¡± and ¡°thoughts,¡± I would love to hear that. ¡­Uh, even though I¡¯m putting it in a cool way, it¡¯s merely a dumb story. Well, I¡¯ll see you in Volume 9, or the short story collection! Sekina Aoi Short Story Collection: 1 – Karen Tendou and Masked Gamer

Short Story Collection: Chapter 1 ¨C Karen Tendou and Masked Gamer

Today, she visited me, Karen Tendou (5th grade), in my room again, just as usual. ¡°Hey, hey! Herees the Masked Gamer!¡± ¡°Hello, Sheena-san.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m the Masked Gamer.¡± ¡°¡­Hello, Masked Gamer.¡± ¡°Hehe, well, hello, hello!¡± This onee-san is always noisy. I smiled at the magical girl mask-wearing pervert- no, the kind onee-san. ¡°Well, what we¡¯re going to do today, Mafuyu-¡° ¡°Masked Gamer!¡± ¡°¡­Masked Gamer-san.¡± It¡¯s been one year since I started ying video games with this girl in my neighborhood. Initially, our rtionship is ¡°a lonely genius and a kind onee-san.¡± Right now, it turned into ¡°a dumb onee-san that self-proim as master of gaming and an innocent child that¡¯s willing to y with her¡± ultimately. She turned on a racing game and put a controller in front of me. ¡°Hehe, ¡­I¡¯ll not go easy on you, Karen-chan.¡± ¡°No, you never went easy on me-¡° ¡°Ah, Karen-chan, there¡¯s a UFO outside!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you act more like an adult!?¡± ¡°Eh, hiya!? Crap, I can¡¯t see the screen from the holes in my mask at all!¡± ¡°You deserved it, right!?¡± Masked Gamer-san always ended up like this. She¡¯s immature, embarrassing, serious in gaming, and¡­ ¡°Haha, I won again, Masked Gamer!¡± ¡°This pisses me off!¡± ¡­That¡¯s why I sincerely love the time when I get to y video games with her. ¡°One more round, Karen-chan!¡± ¡°Alright, alright¡­¡± ¡°The mask is troublesome! I¡¯ll throw it away!¡± ¡°Seriously!?¡± So, I, Karen Tendou, was perhaps influenced by this Masked Gamer -Sheena-san. She taught me all this. ¡°I love video games.¡± ¡°I have to y seriously.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be embarrassed (negative example).¡± Short Story Collection: 2 – Fantasia 2017 Short Story

Short Story Collection: Chapter 2 ¨C Fantasia 2017 Short Story

¡°The sakura isn¡¯t blossoming.¡± ¡°What?¡± One day, this conversation can be heard from a lousy ssroom after school. The 5 guys and girls are talking about games passionately as usual. Right now, we¡¯re chatting about gal games, I can¡¯t help but say something baffling to others. I quickly exined. ¡°Think about it, most gal games started the story in April, right? Well, this way, reasonably, sakura should blossom everywhere.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ubiquitous. It¡¯s throbbing to see sakura floating around when you meet with the female protagonist.¡± My friend, Uehara-kun, nodded in agreement. However, I suddenly frowned and cut right into the chase. ¡°But we live in the north, so sakura blossom in May.¡± ¡°Ah-¡° Everyone came to their realization. Now, a blonde and talented girl, my girlfriend ¨C Karen Tendou-san, took over and continued. ¡°It¡¯s not just gal games. I think every scene in those titles is always based in Kanto.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s just because the stage is set in Kanto, right?¡± The gal that doesn¡¯t y games ¨C Aguri-san. She¡¯s just as urate as usual. ¡°Well¡­¡± I answered. ¡°I¡¯m not reallyining about it. It¡¯s just that, as a resident in Hokkaido, I feel like that doesn¡¯t resonate with me.¡± Upon hearing that, this time, the lonely gamer that belonged in the moe-hating faction ¨C Chiaki Hoshinomori spoke up. ¡°Well, how should the story development goes to satisfy you, Keita?¡± ¡°Hmm? Let me think about it. There should be sakura and legitimate northern elements¡­¡± I thought about it and scrambled my brain for a prologue. ¡°For example, {In May, on a flower appreciation party where a bunch of local drunkards is dancing naked, I finally met with her}?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not romantic at all!¡± Everyone gave me a negative review. ¡°I was just trying to be realistic¡­¡± ¡°I would throw this gal game away within 5 minutes! I don¡¯t care what kind of story it will be when it started with a description of naked old men!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Uehara-kun. During the epilogue, whenever the story shows the memory of your first meeting with the female protagonist, there would be a description of a naked old man!¡± ¡°I¡¯m even less interested!¡± ¡°There¡¯s an illustration!¡± ¡°Are you trying to blind me!?¡± Everyone in the Hobby Clubined about me. ¡­This is strange. I spent a lot of time thinking about this. Chiaki sighed as she spoke up. ¡°Keita, you don¡¯t need to focus on sakura blossoms, right? Even if we¡¯re in Hokkaido, can¡¯t we just start the story normally in April?¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Well,e to think of it¡­¡± I tried once again and imagined a story that¡¯s based on realistic depictions of the north. ¡°April. The northernnds are suddenly under an intense blizzard. I, Keita Amano, ¡­found out her cold body under a thick and wetyer of snow¡­¡± ¡°Bad end!¡± Everyone brutallyined about me. Aguri-san rejected my idea furiously. ¡°Indeed, we do get snow when the school¡¯s opening up! But why must the female protagonist die!? This is too weird, right?¡± ¡°Weird? No. In the setting, her head was hit by an icicle on the roof when she¡¯s clearing the snow. Unfortunately, the snow kept piling up when she fainted. Then, she remained undiscovered until freezing to death. ¡­What¡¯s wrong with a realistic story like this?¡± ¡°What kind of realism are you looking after!?¡± This is strange. People praise games that are somewhat realistic, right? I expressed my confusion. After that, Tendou-san spoke up restlessly for some reason. ¡°Amano-kun. Actually, ¡­we don¡¯t really need to start the northern story in April or May. ¡­I think June is pretty good as well¡­¡± ¡°June? No, Tendou-san. In this industry, thetest that the male and female protagonist can meet is May¡­¡± Just as I¡¯m saying that, Tendou-san¡¯s face blushed. ¡­She slightly pouted and told me this. ¡°Didn¡¯t Amano-kun and I meet in June?¡± ¡°I see. June is the best.¡± I nodded my head forcefully before starting to look at Tendou-san¡¯s eyes lovingly. Then- ¡°K. Dismiss.¡± -The other three people said that emotionlessly and simultaneously. The Hobby Club meeting of today suddenly ended like this. Short Story Collection: 3 – Keita Amano and Local Communication Battle

Short Story Collection: Chapter 3 ¨C Keita Amano and Local Communication Battle

[This took ce a while before Amano received Tendou¡¯s first Game Club invitation.] When I¡¯m browsing thements of arge online game store, I unexpectedly found a well-received game that I missed. The first impression of this game is like a Nintendo 3DS software for children. In reality, it¡¯s an exciting robotbat game straight out of Corocoro Comics. I think it¡¯s great, anyway. The story is moving, thebat is immersive, and the godly bnced game mechanics added infinite variations to the game. I can¡¯t help but lean forward and stare at the screen. ¡­This game is precisely in my zone. I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t notice the cover and the rted information. How embarrassing and shallow of me. However, more importantly, I finished all my games already, so I¡¯m pretty bored right now. This is literally a gift from God. Well, all I can do is check it out when I pass the game store after school. I quickly opened my wallet. ¡­Alright, no problem, I got a bit of money. It should be enough. Once I thought about the possibility of encountering a new favorite game, I can¡¯t help but shiver in excitement. After that, I opened the most trustworthy positive review I can find to push myself and eliminate thatst shred of hesitation. The review is filled with praises that are entirely within my expectation- {The plot is excellent. ¡­No, actually, the game is already in climax once you finished the tutorial! You have to utilize your items and skills to the max. Then, you will fight with or against your friends in localmunication battles. This sentence basically summarized the entire game! I should say that this is what makes it so attractive! You have to y it!} -I quietly exited the browser. I left my room and walked down the stairs, detedly. Then, I put on my old sneakers and dragged my feet to tie up the shoces. ¡°Eh? Brother, you¡¯re not leaving yet?¡± My 9th-grade little brother, who¡¯s going to schoolter than me, was dumbfounded when he saw that I¡¯m still lingering around. I gave him a powerless smile. ¡­After that, I dropped down an ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving¡± quietly before leaving the house. To prevent me from beingte, I got on a bus, which I usually wouldn¡¯t. The normie group from the seats behind gave me ufortable res. Even though I didn¡¯t do anything, the girl next to me coughed on purpose. I tried my best to tolerate this for 10 minutes. Finally, I arrived at the 2F ssroom that I dreamed of for so long. Iid on the table exhaustedly. (Why staying on a bus for 10 minutes is even more exhausting than walking for 25 minutes¡­) It¡¯s not just mentally. I¡¯m physically tired as well for some reason. Usually, I would try to y mobile games as much as I can before lessons start, but I guess I won¡¯t do that today. Staring at the ssroom dazedly, I identally made eye-contact with the refreshing and handsome normie, Uehara-kun. I hastily turned my face towards the window. -The window is reflecting a lonely passerby with dark circles around his eyes. I¡¯m Keita Amano, 16 years old, 9th grade. My blood type is A, and my zodiac is cancer. There are four people in my house. Then, ¡­I got stuck on the personal description part. After all, there¡¯s basically nothing for me to talk about. I was never selected as a hero. I don¡¯t have a tsundere childhood friend or sister-inw, and I don¡¯t have outstanding wit or superpower. ¡­Ah, no, perhaps I¡¯m an ¡°imaginary killer¡± in disguise. ¡­However, I never got the chance to verify this ability. (¡­Ah, ah, can someone suddenly drag me into a superpower battle. ¡­Of course, my safety should be guaranteed. At the same time, I need to have incredible powers as well.) Honestly, I¡¯m a piece of trash with Eighth-grade syndrome that¡¯s always daydreaming even though he¡¯s dead-tired. I, Keita Amano, is a 10th-grade student. Like many others, there¡¯s something that has been seriously bothering me, yet, in reality, this source of frustration can just be found about anywhere. That is- (¡­A famous game that sells by promoting multiyer with your friends MUST BE ELIMINATED-) -Loneliness. This isn¡¯t even a state that a student should be in, not to mention those teenage romanticedies. I¡¯m not just friendless. Naturally, a background like this is introduced in the prologue of a light novel, but, in reality, there¡¯s a beautiful ss president and one or two other friends that always care about you. If you think that I¡¯m in such a fantastic position while trying to y as the victim, I¡¯ll have to stop you right there. Right now, let me tell you the undeniable truth. Starting from the spring of 10th grade until now, none of the students has chatted more than one minute with me. Also, it¡¯s not those dumb and clich¨¦ ¡°I actually got a girlfriend or friends outside of the school¡± settings as well. It¡¯s what I just said. I¡¯m a loner because I¡¯m lonely, a true lonely boy. I can confidently announce that I have zero friends. I¡¯m scared when the teacher asks us to form groups by ourselves. I¡¯m used to eating alone. I don¡¯t feelfortable staying in the ssroom during breaks. Instead, I find relief idling in the toilet. Sometimes, someone wille up to me and ask me for some random contact things. So, people described my can¡¯t-be-any-¡°normaler¡± face as ¡°disgusting¡± frequently. This makes it harder to talk to others, and I began acting suspiciously. Then, this vicious cycle continues, and others are even more ¡°disgusted¡± by me. Atst, it made me feel that I¡¯m saved if I be involved in a superpower battle. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m not terribly bullied. It¡¯s because, as an unremarkable student, I realized and corrected my position. At the same time, I didn¡¯t overly mock myself as a ¡°low-life refugee.¡± So, people just view me as a background passerby. To me, gaming is the only interest that keeps me alive. So¡­ (¡­Ugh, screw localmunication battles¡­!) I remembered what happened in the morning again as I mumbled depressingly. No, allow me to add something. Actually, someone does y video games with me. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Well, it¡¯s my little brother. As long as we each buy a copy of the game, we can still fight each other in localmunication battles¡­ However, for a middle-ss family, such capitalistic thought of brothers buying the same game twice can never be achieved! ¡°?¡± Is it because I identally knocked on the table? I can see that the girl on the left is looking at me. Just as I¡¯m about to clear everything up with an ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she suddenly pretended to be fascinated by something outside. ¡­Although she didn¡¯t say anything, she seemingly distanced herself a bit away from me. ¡­I want to cry. A-Anyway. Well, it¡¯s not exactly right when I say there¡¯s no way for us to buy two copies. After all, brothers that purchase different versions of Pokemon do exist. That¡¯s one way to have fun. However, this doesn¡¯t apply to my family. It¡¯s because my little brother isn¡¯t the same gaming addict as I am. His attitude towards gaming is, ¡°Ah, it looks like brother¡¯s having fun. I guess I can give it a try.¡± Also, he abandoned the game in the middle 90% of the time, and he didn¡¯tplete it either. My little brother even deleted my save a few times. In summary, I never thought of buying a copy for my little brother. Also, I¡¯m not rich enough, anyway. (If it¡¯sbat or co-op games in consoles, I think he does like it.) I do allow online battles. However, I¡¯m also an introvert online, so I more or less hesitate. Currently, Mono and NOBE are the only two that I interact with online. Mono and I aren¡¯t that close in the mobile game as we barely talked to each other. As for the interaction between the crazy free-to-y game developer NOBE, it¡¯s actually just one-sided feedback from me as a zealous believer. (Also, it¡¯s a simple ¡°I think it¡¯s fun¡± feedback.) When I¡¯m thinking about this calmly, I deeply felt that I¡¯m utterly disconnected from the outside world. More importantly¡­ (I feel happy for some reason, even though I¡¯m in such a situation. I¡¯m hopeless¡­) If it wasn¡¯t for the localmunication battle this morning, I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t even notice that I have no friends at this moment. I can¡¯t help but sigh deeply. For a moment, it fogged the window, but it disappeared right away. ¡°8 times, ¡­right?¡± When the after school assembly is over, I¡¯m lost in thoughts thinking about things like this as usual. ¡­How many times do I have to go to school until the game release day? The high school loner¡¯s path is arduous. The reason that I can bring myself to school every day is thanks to the intermittent ¡°encouragement¡± provided by my favorite games release day. A guy without friends is escaping reality with video games. I don¡¯t know how much everyone in the world hates this method. However, from my current perspective, games are why I can keep going in the real world. I grabbed my schoolbag neatly filled with notes and textbooks, as I stood up and prepared to go home. -Suddenly. ¡°Tasuku, let¡¯s go home after we y at the arcade!¡± ¡°A-Aguri? Why are you in my ssroom? This is embarrassing¡­¡± The flippant girl that poked her head out from the door of the ssroom called the central figure of my ss innocently, Tasuku Uehara-kun. After his friends joked around with him, he left the ssroom with the girl- his girlfriend with a very embarrassed face. I grabbed this window. Of course, it¡¯s not as ridiculous. Anyway, I went through the backdoor and left the 2F ssroom when everyone is looking at them. I walked towards the entrance helplessly by myself. The couple is holding each other¡¯s hands intimately. Compared to his joyful girlfriend, Uehara-kun looks pretty embarrassed. They look unexpectedly sweet. I looked at their backs boringly as I became lost in thoughts. (¡­Indeed, it¡¯s nice to have a girlfriend.) The scene before me is simply too far for me to reach right now. I can¡¯t even envy or be jealous of them. In reality, Uehara-kun looks a bit annoyed. Perhaps the first thought in his head is ¡°this is a bit awkward.¡± But that might not be true. When he sees his girlfriend being like this, he can be blessed to the max right now too¡­ ¡°Hey, hey, Tasuku, You¡¯re amazing at gaming!¡± My shoulder shivered at this sentence. I tried my best to keep my cool, and Uehara-kun is still answering with a casual attitude. ¡°I¡¯m not that good. I think you saw that incredible guy in the arcade yesterday, right. He¡¯s the guy that¡¯s entirely focused on puzzle games.¡± ¡°Hey, Tasuku is impressive as well. Remember that time when you yed Puyo Puyo with Aguri-¡° As a fanatic gamer, I can¡¯t help but eavesdrop on their conversation. ¡­Hmph, you¡¯re incredible at gaming, right. ¡­You two can lie about that once you abandoned that normie life of yours- ¡°Tasuku actually tortured your newbie girlfriend with a 20 win streak-¡° ¡°That¡¯s amazing! But it¡¯s horrible at the same time!¡± I can¡¯t help but yell! Those two immediately turned around. So, I hastily dashed into the ssroom next door. Although those two didn¡¯t see me, people in the room are giving me a strange look. My face red up right away. I greeted everyone and left the room within a second. Luckily, those two seem to have gone. I can finally feel relief. However, I thought of how awkward it will be if we chased each other¡¯s tails. So, I plopped my head down while slowly making my way towards the stairs. ¡­What am I even doing? ¡°¡­?¡± Just as I lowered my head because of my weird actions, suddenly, I saw a lost student handbook at the corner of the corridor, right below the fire extinguisher. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I paused for a moment. However, since I¡¯m always acting suspiciously, even if I try to be a hypocrite, my status in ss wouldn¡¯t increase anyway. It¡¯s better to just let this go and brutally ignore it. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± ¡°Ah, t-thanks. I-I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± After handing the handbook to the ss teacher in the office, I left with a nervous look. (Phew, at least everything went fine¡­) Instead of the satisfaction of doing a good deed, I¡¯m more afraid of those conflicts that are specially designed for me. ¡­For example, people start to think whether I stole it when I picked up the handbook. That was close. I walked towards the stairs again as I tried to remember the owner of that handbook. (In the end, I didn¡¯t even see it because I don¡¯t want any troubles. ¡­It would be great if this is a g for meeting a beautiful girl. ¡­That¡¯s impossible. I can only imagine it.¡± In reality, I did take a nce at the photo when I picked it up, but I didn¡¯t see whether it¡¯s a guy or a girl. I can only remember a messy clump of seaweed. ¡­Is this some kind of prank? Anyway, instead of a love g, this is more like a g of getting into trouble with weird students. I feel like I¡¯m in an unsettling Tales of the Unusual episode right now. But it should be fine. I should just try to forget this. Yep. [Note: Tales of the Unusual, a Japanese TV show for suspense and fantastical stories.] I¡¯m such a pathetic, insignificant, daydream-loving, Eighth-grade syndrome loser. I feel defeated after I did something good for some reason. I passed through the stairs, left the school building, and headed towards downtown. I always walk home. After all, I don¡¯t feelfortable staying on the bus for multiple reasons. More importantly¡­ I can¡¯t help but bitterly smile when I¡¯m standing at the game store I frequently visit. Usually, I stop by once or twice per week. First of all, I¡¯ll definitelye here every Thursday to check out new releases. Even if I¡¯m not nning to buy anything, I still want to check out the package. Aside from that, I¡¯ll also take a tour when I found something I like online or in some other ces. As for this time, ¡­it¡¯s not because of the above reasons. I already checked the new releases, and I don¡¯t find anything particrly interesting. If I have to exin why, I guess it¡¯s because today is just another ordinary day. I just stumbled upon here subconsciously. When I entered the store, I walked around as I browsed the products. Since I¡¯ve looked at all the new stuff already, there¡¯s nothing remarkably surprising. The vintage section didn¡¯t have anything worthy of discussion either. Just as I n to go home, I suddenly remembered the game that emphasizes localmunication battles in the morning. (Well, even though I¡¯m not buying it, I can still check out the package, right¡­) I thought about that. Just as I¡¯m about to move forward- ¡°!?¡± I noticed an unusual presence. I can¡¯t help but take cover behind the shelves. When my pounding heart is calming down, I secretly nced at the situation again. Indeed, it¡¯s her, Karen Tendou. I held my breath for some reason. (W-Why is our school¡¯s idol here?) I can only see a beautiful girl with blonde hair, blue eyes, a perfect figure, and an incredible face. She¡¯s so unrealistic to the point that I wouldn¡¯t doubt she jumped out of an anime or manga. However, this girl is paying full attention to checking out games. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I can¡¯t stop myself from looking at her beautiful face. Karen Tendou, she is the most famous person in our school- ¡­No, she¡¯s the most famous person in this region. Naturally, I don¡¯t need to exin the reason. It¡¯s because of that face. I¡¯ve only heard the rumors before. At one point, I doubted it and said, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate anime. How can a girl that surpass anime exist in reality¡­¡± However, when I saw her in high school, the barrier in my heart that isted 2D and 3D was utterly destroyed. She¡¯s the legitimate ¡°princess.¡± She¡¯s good at academics and sports. Her look and grade are both top-notch, and she¡¯s an extremely noble person. Karen Tendou, the perfect human, created by God himself. ¡­Also, I¡¯ve got absolutely no contact point with her, even though I don¡¯t need to bring this up. She¡¯s located at the top of the school pyramid. I¡¯m a low-tier passerby, just like the ss difference I¡¯ve learned during humanity lessons. The best I can do is to look and admire her from afar, maybe including some light-novel fascination as well. It¡¯ll only make me frightened and blessed at the same time if I talk to her. ¡­I¡¯ve never believed that I can see a person that makes me ¡°frightened and blessed¡± at the same time until now. She¡¯s a respectable presence that I can never hope to get close to while giving me such a feeling. However, that Karen Tendou is actually browsing games. I gulped. (W-Why is she here? No, actually, there¡¯s nothing wrong with Karen Tendou buying things in the game store. ¡­However, she doesn¡¯t match this background at all¡­) This is not the only ce for you to buy games on the street. Tsutaya and the mall are right in front of the station. You can get games anywhere. Also, this store isn¡¯t cheaper than those ces as well. Basically, only a guy that¡¯s ¡°happy as long as he¡¯s surrounded by games¡± like me wille here. [Note: Tsutaya is a bookstore chain in Japan.] But she¡¯s right here. (Is she looking for some rare games?) I¡¯m a bit, ¡­no, I¡¯m insanely curious. So, I tried to secretly look at the game in her hand while preventing her from noticing me. -That is¡­ (T-THAT¡¯S¡­THAT¡¯S THE ONE ON THE TOP OF THE WORST GAME RANKING LAST YEAR!?¡± This sudden shock made my heart started pounding in a whole new meaning! (N-No, Tendou-san! You can¡¯t buy that! Although the cover looks interesting, that¡¯s just a decoy! The content is bombarded with wave after wave of negative reviews¡­!) Just as I¡¯m getting anxious, Tendou-san is attracted to the content of the box as she¡¯s reading it. ¡­T-This face, she doesn¡¯t know that¡¯s the worst game!? (W-What should I do¡­? S-Should I go talk to her? However, I¡¯m stepping over the line. After all, Tendou-san and a guy like me¡­) My brain is a tangled mess, and my stomach hurts. I can¡¯t even decide what I should do. If we¡¯re friends, I should at least give her a warning. However, I can¡¯t say that I know her. If that¡¯s the case, I must not say anything. B-But, for a lover of games- (Uh, ah!) Just as I¡¯m frustrated on my own, Tendou-san already walked towards the cashier. I think she¡¯s buying it! (Ahh, Tendou-san¡­) Carrying an indescribable feeling, I watched the unrealistic school idol buying the worst gamest year. After she left the store, I let out a sigh and came to where she was a while ago, ¡­which is where that piece of trash was located. Perhaps I¡¯m imagining this, but I can seemingly smell Tendou-san¡¯s remaining scent. ¡­Uh, am I a pervert!? No! I pretended to cough at mid-air as I looked at the shelf again. -I suddenly realized. ¡°Eh? ¡­T-The t-trash game area¡­?¡± It looks like this area is just a couple days old. I didn¡¯t know this existed. Aside from the games that made it in the worst game rankingst year, there are some other trashy titles. Every game has a simple description from the staff. Which means that¡­ (Eh? ¡­Even though Tendou-san knows that it¡¯s a piece of trash, ¡­she¡¯s still buying it?) I froze as my heart began to stir. I left the store subconsciously with a face full of anxiety. I thought about what happened today as I¡¯m on my way home Atst, I still don¡¯t understand what she was thinking. She could be a trash lover, or she bought it because she really thinks it¡¯s interesting. No matter the reason, ¡­right now, I¡¯m sure that she has some sort of determination. A determination that won¡¯t be easily waivered by other¡¯sments. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± For some reason, I stopped walking. ¡­Compared to Tendou-san, what¡¯s happening with me today? I became disappointed in a game because of a strange reason. Even though I¡¯m the one that caused this lonely high school life, yet I¡¯m feeling lonely when others are chatting about games. I¡¯m even freaking out because I did something right. It¡¯s not because I couldn¡¯t connect with others. It¡¯s because I didn¡¯t bother connecting with others. Although I acknowledged the painful reality, right now, I still can¡¯t muster up the courage to talk to the others. ¡°¡­I¡¯m the textbook¡¯s definition of a passerby.¡± I¡¯mpletely different than Tendou-san. I¡¯m just surviving the days with a weak mind. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ However¡­ However, even for a guy like me, there¡¯s still something¡­that I don¡¯t want to give up. That is, ¡­that is- ¡°Eh? Brother, you bought a game?¡± When I entered the living room of my house, my little brother bulged his eyes as he stared at the game store stic bag in my hand and asked. I put down the bag and answered him. ¡°Yep, I didn¡¯t n to buy it, but I got it anyway.¡± ¡°Heh, that¡¯s unusual. Brother always decided on the game you want beforehand.¡± My little brother robbed the bag in my hands and took out the game as he said that The game that he took- ¡°What? Hmm, ¡­a localmunication battle robot game?¡± -It¡¯s the one that sells well with its localmunication battle system. My little brother gave me a weird look. ¡°Brother, do you know anyone else ying this game?¡± ¡°¡­Well, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Huh? Then why did you buy it?¡± My little brother gave me a dumbfounded look as he asked me. I smiled bitterly. Then, I shared my determination with him, which he probably won¡¯t understand. ¡°At least, I don¡¯t want to give up¡­anything rted to gaming.¡± Whether it¡¯s because some hotheaded gods listened to my wish, I met up with the ¡°Game Club¡± via Tendou-san a whileter. I managed to construct a precious rtionship with others with the help of gaming¡­. All of that happened a whileter. Short Story Collection: 4 – Karen Tendou and Idle-type Games

Short Story Collection: Chapter 4 ¨C Karen Tendou and Idle-type Games

[This is before Amano¡¯s first confession to Tendou.] ¡°T-That¡¯s why I said social games like this is really¡­¡± I threw my phone to the side furiously before sinking my face into the pillow. Before I go to bed, I, Karen Tendou, was interested in social games for some reason. ¡­In the end, I quitted the game with a head filled with dissatisfaction and rage. ¡­Initially, I knew that I¡¯m not suited to these types of games. However, recently, ¡­when I saw Amano-kun enjoying it, I can¡¯t help but think, ¡°perhaps I¡¯m biased.¡± So, I more or lesspromised and tried social games out for a bit¡­ I slowly flipped my body and stared at the roof with a dazed expression. (Unexpectedly, the game is actually pretty fun, ¡­especially for rhythm-based games. Their quality is on par with PC music games.) I did have a good time. From this perspective, I even wanted to take back the ¡°social games are boring¡±ment to Amano-kun. However, on the other hand¡­ As a hardcore gamer, I¡¯m ipatible with the mechanic of social games. It¡¯s because there¡¯s one element that¡¯s utterly hated by me¡­ ¡°¡­Stamina limit. ¡­This is nothing but trouble for me.¡± You have to wait for your stamina to regenerate to y the game a limited number of times. The main point is that you¡¯re not ying all of it at once. Instead, you¡¯re checking it out once a while in the long term. I¡¯m really not suited to this ystyle. I grabbed my phone and opened the music game I yed a while ago. ¡­The stamina is zero, and I can¡¯t even y for once. After I locked the screen and put the phone aside, I pouted. (Why you¡¯re not letting me y when I really want to?) I, ¡­Karen Tendou, will feel a devastating sense of defeat when I can¡¯t ¡°follow my own rhythm¡± during gaming. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡­Uh, ha!¡± Once I snapped out of it, I realized that I¡¯m hitting the bed with my hands and legs when no one¡¯s around like a child throwing tantrum. This isn¡¯t what a high school student should be. I can¡¯t help but blush. (N-No, Karen Tendou! You can¡¯t be like this! You¡¯re not a puppy yearning for food!¡± I started reflecting on myself. Actually,e to think of it, I¡¯m impatient when ites to queuing for a match. I always leave right away when no one is around to y against me online. I stood up abruptly and grabbed my phone tightly. (This isn¡¯t working. I have to get used to waiting. If I¡¯m so impatient, I¡¯ll definitely get into fights with Amano-kunter! ¡­I need to improve this by going through some training, Karen Tendou!) I thought about that as I started searching for new apps. This time, I¡¯m not looking for social games. Instead, I¡¯m looking for ones that wait around for progress, ¡­which is idle-type games. (There are no extra elements, no need to pay to win, and no skill is required. ¡­A indie app that can bepleted by ¡°waiting¡± is what I need for my training.) I quickly browsed the list. After scrolling down for a while, I found an icon drawn with vintage and rough pixels. ¡­This is the one. Intuitively, I installed it on my phone and opened the app right away. The first thing that showed up is a title and a cute yellow fungus in a ck g. The screen is tidy. {Idle Cultivation! Happy Fungus!} (Ahh, this seems to be a very half-hearted game. The content is just cultivating yellow fungi. The developer is sozy that I fell into a philosophical maze, thinking about what entertainment is. However, once I digested this kind of casual idle-type game, ¡­I can evolve right away!) I imagined myself being able to chat happily with Amano-kun. Suddenly, I¡¯m filled with determination and immediately clicked on the game. The screen showed the prologue. {Today, the yellow fungus is still thriving under the shades of the tree.} {It¡¯s slowly growing, growing, and growing.} {It¡¯s slowly opening its caps, opening, and opening.} {I¡¯m blessed when I¡¯m just looking at it giving its best.} This poetic description created a warm light in my frustrated heart. At the same time, I believed that as long as I casually enjoyed the experience andpleted the game, I will be able to say goodbye to my frustration. I smiled and clicked the screen to continue reading the prologue. The screen showed another set of text. {Haha, ¡­my parents still aren¡¯t visiting me today. It looks like I made a mistake.} {From the ward¡¯s window, a young man shows aplicated smile to the fungi growing in the garden.} ¡°¡­Huh?¡± The sudden development made me question it out loud. ¡­W-What is this¡­? ¡­Anyway, I clicked the screen and continued reading. {Hoho, ¡­I don¡¯t have much time. Can I at least see something that cheers me up?} {The young man coldly smiled as he closed the blinds in the ward.} The screen showed the full view of a pixted version of the hospital bathed in an ominous atmosphere. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I clicked. Then, the screen appeared again. {Idle Cultivation! Happy Dying Child!} [Note: The pronunciation for ¡°Happy Fungus¡± and ¡°Happy Dying Child¡± is the same.] ¡°LIAR!¡± I can¡¯t help but yell in the room alone! I can hear my father¡¯s anxious and concerned voice from the living room. ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong, Karen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I answered. Then, I calmed myself down with a couple deep breaths. ¡°C-Calm down, Karen Tendou. You don¡¯t want this, right. If you¡¯re training for a heart that can contain all idents, you must not be angered easily. This isn¡¯t working.¡± I adjusted my emotions and faced the screen again. The screen¡­is still showing that fake title. (¡­It was on purpose, right. The initial screen and the app both used Hiragana. The developer is clearly messing with people.) It pisses me off. However, I have to tolerate this. ¡­In a sense, this is the perfect opponent for training a calm mind. I made up my mind and continued clicking. {The goal of the game is basically idling. Sometimes, you need to check out how¡¯s the ¡°dying child¡± is doing and confirm his sickness.} ¡°This is too not serious, right!¡± I really wanted to uninstall it, but I should at least check what will happen next. {Note: Also, the young man caught a cold only. So, he took his day-off and hospitalized himself.} ¡°That¡¯s a double scam! He¡¯s not dying at all!¡± [Note: The title can also be interpreted as {Idle Cultivation! Happy Holiday-ending Child!}.] As if it¡¯s trying to answer my question, the next screen popped up with some additional exnations. {Please use your power and make this ¡°mentally¡± terminally-ill young man happy!} ¡°I don¡¯t feel like it in the slightest!¡± Why do I have to make a twisted young man feel happiness! ¡­N-No, no, Karen Tendou. Investigating the meaning of a game is the dumbest thing you can do. Calm down, calm down. I continued clicking the screen., and I guess the main story is starting. The screen showed a pixeled top view of the young man¡¯s ward. Initially, I clicked the TV, vase, and window first, but they didn¡¯t trigger anything. Atst, I clicked the young man on the bed, and a text appeared. {1 minute until he wakes up.} An exnation is also included. {You can see the next event when you open the app during the young man¡¯s wake-up stage. Sometimes, the events will provide you with options. Please guide the young man to true happiness.} ¡°I see. In reality, this is an ordinary idle-type game.¡± It looks like the core game mechanic wasn¡¯t a scam. Then, I nced at the notice. {However, events will only be triggered within the 2 hours that the young man is awake. If the app isn¡¯t opened during this period, you can¡¯t see the event. Also, the young man will choose an option on his own. Please mind that.} ¡°You need to check it frequently if you want to see the happy ending. Honestly, this is a bit annoying. ¡­Well, whatever. This is training, after all.¡± I feel like this game is really unfriendly to users. Well, I guess you can it¡¯s a feature of idle-type games, right. Just as I¡¯m thinking about all that, the 1-minute countdown passed already. An event popped up on the screen. The young man stared outside the window alone. {I¡­can¡¯t just stay here and do nothing. Cough, cough!} ¡°You can get out now. You just caught a mild cold, right.¡± {Even though the doctor smiled and said I can be discharged anytime. ¡­Well, this means that¡­I already¡­ran out of options, ¡­right. ¡­I guess that¡¯s what he means¡­} ¡°Indeed, you ran out of options in the opposite meaning. After all, this can be cured with enough nutrients and a good rest.¡± {Hmph, ¡­the yellow fungus over there and me, ¡­I wonder who will die first¡­} ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s the fungus.¡± No, I can¡¯t even stopining. Is this a gal game? Is the developer even serious about making this? The young man continued. {¡­My parents¡­still aren¡¯t here today¡­} ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Although the young man caught a cold only, the atmosphere is still a bit lonely. Suddenly- {120 minutes until he wakes up.} ¡°You¡¯re stopping here!?¡± I was bamboozled! Even though the content is meaningless, but this way of luring you into the hole is way too cunning! Honestly, I¡¯m really curious to see how this young man and his cold¡¯s story progress! ¡°Also, it¡¯s 2 hourster¡­¡± Since I¡¯m preparing to go to bed, this is a really subtle time. The event will only happen within the 2 hours that the young man is awake. I can never make it if I wake up after getting a night of good sleep. ¡°Ugh, ¡­even though I started ying this at the wrong time, this is too¡­¡± This game is sincerely unfriendly to users. However, if you say that this is ¡°a part of the game,¡± I can¡¯t really retort. After a moment of hesitation, I set the rm clock to wake me up 2 hourster. ¡°This is nothing but training, Karen Tendou¡­¡± I showed off my hardcore gamer side at some random ces. I turned off the lights and took a 2-hour nap. Then, ¡­midnight, I heard the quiet rm that doesn¡¯t disturb my parents¡¯ sleep, and I woke up. I rubbed my eyes as I checked my phone in the dark. In the game, the young man stretched his backfortably in a refreshing morning. {Ah, I had a good night¡¯s sleep today!} ¡°Tck¡­!¡± This is the first time that I got so mad at a game. I suppressed my anger and sleepiness and continued reading the story. The young man is mumbling to himself just as usual. {Ah, my body feels great. I feel like I¡¯m not sick at all!} ¡°You actually recovered! Your cold goes away when you have a good night¡¯s sleep, right!¡± {It would be better if I can just go outside and y!} {Just go! The game can end this way!} {¡­Well, I¡¯ll stop the jokes here.} ¡°What should I do! I can¡¯t even see where¡¯s the prologue of this game! What does this terminally-ill child in all meanings want from me!?¡± In this sense, the title of the game isn¡¯t lying. {Well, what should I do today?} Just as the young man is mumbling to himself, a series of options appeared on the screen. I got a bit worked up since this is the first part where the yer can participate. So, I read the choices. 1. Throw tantrum at the nurse 2. Steal an ambnce and run away ¡°You scumbag!¡± I can¡¯t find a single correct option. What do I do!? If you want to leave so badly, why don¡¯t you just say it to the staff! Why do you have tomit unnecessary crimes!? I sighed helplessly and chose the less dangerous ¡°throw tantrum at the nurse¡± option. Then, the screen showed the next time. {10 minutes until he wakes up.} ¡°Shameless!¡± Even though I want to sleep right away, I can¡¯t go to bed while leaving this alone. However, there¡¯s a 2-hour period for you to choose the event after the young man woke up. Actually, I can sleep for another 2 hours¡­ ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be pissed if I have to wake up once again.¡± So, I wasted 10 minutes on my phone checking on thetest game information dazedly. I thought about why I¡¯m getting so worked up while furiously opening the app. Then, ¡­the young man is wrapping his hands around his legs on the bed. {¡­My favorite nurse-san is mad at me. ¡­This is depressing.} ¡°Shut up! You deserved it!¡± {Ah, ah, why did you choose to throw a tantrum at the nurse¡­} The pixted young man nced at me. ¡°Wait, why are you saying that like it¡¯s my fault? It¡¯s at least better than stealing an ambnce, right?¡± {Well, ¡­what should I do next. This time, I have to do something serious¡­} The options appeared as the young man is mumbling. 1. Pretend to be cute to make the nurse sleep with you 2. Blow up the hospital ¡°That¡¯s not what a serious person would do at all!¡± What is the meaning of this? There¡¯s only one option, right. You¡¯re doomed in every sense if you choose thetter. Even though the former sounds like what a piece of trash would do, you literally can¡¯t choose thest one, right. I selected the sleeping option silently. So, the waiting time for the next event is¡­ {6 hours until he wakes up.} ¡°Ahh, I can see it when I¡¯m in school. Finally, I can get a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± Atst, I felt relieved as I went to bed. After that, I had a nightmare where the young man charged into the hospital with an ambnce and blew everything up. It tortured me for a couple hours. I went to school after waking up like usual and made all preparations. I took my seat after greeting my ssmates. ¡­Suddenly, I remembered the game. (Ah, it¡¯s almost time for the event. It¡¯ll be over after the first lesson¡­) I brought up my phone and tried to see the event. ¡­However, my friends immediately surrounded me and started chatting just as usual. There¡¯s no way for me to see it. (Even if I pretend to be checking my messages, ¡­I can¡¯t do it. It¡¯ll be too awkward if I explicitly showed the game screen here. However¡­) I¡¯ll miss the event if this continues. ¡­It can¡¯t be helped. I stood up and smiled at my friends. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the toilet.¡± So, after I stopped the girls that wanted to go with me politely, I left the ssroom in a sh. I suddenly noticed my change when I¡¯m dashing across the corridor, and I can¡¯t help but smile bitterly. (What am I doing? I can¡¯t believe I threw away the chance to talk to my friends for a game. That¡¯s too much for a person, right. However¡­) It can¡¯t be helped. Yes, it can¡¯t be helped. Iforted myself as I arrived at the toilet, where no student uses it in the morning. Once I entered an empty stall, I quickly checked the screen. {¡­I kept forcing the nurse to sleep with me, and I ended up getting punched. ¡­Ugh. ¡­I have to tell this to my father, who donated a lot of money to this hospital. ¡­You jerks.} ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± How should I put this? What a godly scumbag observation game. I suddenly calmed down. I distanced from my friends and entered the girl¡¯s toilet just to watch this jerk? I can¡¯t even figure that out. The young man sobbed as he wiped his tears with his pajamas. Then, he returned to bed. After a while of silence, ¡­he mumbled. {I made up my mind. ¡­I¡¯m doing the surgery.? ¡°That was sudden!? Also, what the hell is that!?¡± The young man just caught a cold (and he recovered already). What surgery does he need!? Just as I¡¯m trembling, the young man continued mumbling solemnly. {I already decided that I¡¯m going through the surgery. There¡¯s no choice! I will never¡­I will never let someone control my fate again!} ¡°Like I¡¯m the one that dragged you into hell!¡± {However, what kind of surgery should I take? I¡¯ll give it a good think the next time I wake up! Use the options!} ¡°That¡¯s the most critical decision, right!? You¡¯re throwing that to me again!?¡± {The next, ¡­the next choice will decide everything!} The young man screamed excitedly, and the screen switched again. {10 minutes until he wakes up, ¡­until the FINAL CHOICE!} ¡°This game is ending too fast!¡± I reached the end in only a single day. No, if there are multiple options, perhaps the content of the first run isn¡¯t this little. No matter what, I can¡¯t afford to miss the next super important event. However, now that I¡¯m checking the time, I realized the situation is a bit awkward. ¡°My only chance is the break after the first lesson is over¡­¡± I can¡¯t miss this chance, no matter what. I made up my mind before leaving the toilet and heading back to the ssroom. (¡­It¡¯s finally here.) After the first lesson ended, I stood up immediately. Then, I hastily left the ssroom before my friends started to gather around me, which I don¡¯t feel guilty anymore. However- ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t this Tendou?¡± ¡°Hmm? Ahh, Uehara-kun.¡± -A familiar guy suddenly struck up a conversation with me in the corridor, and I stopped. Even though I really wanted to check the app, I feel like it¡¯s not going to take a long time talking to him since he¡¯s not that close to me. I showed an appropriate smile. It seems that he suddenly remembered something. So, he dropped down a ¡°right¡± as he got closer. ¡°Sorry, can you call Hoshinomori in your ss for me?¡± ¡°Hoshinomori-san? Sure¡­¡± It won¡¯t take long. I turned around and started walking back towards ss A. Uehara-kun continued. ¡°Ah, Amano has to talk to Hoshinomori. He didn¡¯t even listen to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± My face started twitching. A-Amano-kun has to talk to Hoshinomori-san, ¡­that perfectly-matched cute girl for him? ¡°He, he¡­¡± I covered up my shock as I entered the ssroom and spoke up to Hoshinomori-san. After she heard what I said, the girl tilted her head unbelievably. ¡°Eh, Keita? ¡­Ah, it must be that, right. Jesus, this guy is surely annoying.¡± ¡°A-Annoying? Amano-kun¡­?¡± The Amano-kun that I always cared about¡­i-is annoying to her? I can¡¯t ignore the conversation between these two. However, Hoshinomori-san bid farewell to me before leaving the ssroom and meeting up with Uehara-kun. Then, they walked towards ss F, where Amano-kun is. I also left the ssroom and walked to the toilet- Of course not, I went to ss F. So, I sneaked around the ssroom¡­and tried my best to eavesdrop, even though I can only hear parts of their conversation. However¡­ ¡°C-Chiaki, that----is----------We---talked-------disgusting---too much.¡± ¡°Yes---However. Keita----nned this?¡± I can really only hear a little bit. I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re talking about at all. Although I have no idea, I can feel that they¡¯re talking about something really important! I poked my head out and stalked them while ignoring the people who¡¯re staring at me. ¡°----Even though it¡¯s---Uehara-kun----See?¡± ¡°Ah. ¡­Hey, Hoshinomori. ----I¡¯m also----¡° (Ughhh¡­) The three kept chatting with each other, but I still can¡¯t figure out the content. Even though I can¡¯t hear them, the feeling of them talking about something important is getting stronger and stronger. Finally, they nodded at each other with a ¡°that¡¯s nice¡± and a cheerful look. What¡­is happening? Did they form some sort of group¡­? In the end, I remained in position even though I can¡¯t figure it out. Then- ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Once I snapped out of it, the bell that signaled the end of the break rang. During the next break, I ran towards the toilet. My hands are trembling while holding the phone. (I¡¯m afraid I missed the most critical event in the game. Also, I gave the most crucial choice to the scumbag protagonist instead of myself¡­) Ahh, what did I just do! I sacrificed my sleep to get the game at this stage yesterday. ¡­I can¡¯t believe a hardcore gamer like me will make a rookie mistake like this. I sighed out loud. However, ¡­well, there¡¯s no use sighing. I opened the app and observed the protagonist determinedly. On the screen, he¡¯s still lying on the bed- -The young man evolved into a muscr person. His body is covered in dark skin. ¡°WHAT HAPPENED!?¡° I can¡¯t help but yell, and I even forgot that I¡¯m in school. ¡°Eek!?¡± I can hear someone¡¯s gasp outside the toilet, but who cares! I really want to break the screen with my clicking. The young man showed his sparklingly white teeth and mumbled the epilogue. {Thanks to you, the operation is sessful.} ¡°What operation!? Did you get Dr. Goodjob by your side!?¡± [Note: Dr. Goodjob is from Power Pros. A randomly encountered character that can enhance the pitcher¡¯s body performance.] {Also, this is thanks to everyone. Takeshi, you told me what friendship is. Kyoko, you made me experience the warmth of love. Brother, you gave me your organs. My parents, you two were perceived as mascots by the enemies. The vige chief, you granted me the holy sword. However, the one that I should thank the most is the people from the Republic of Madagascar for forgiving me.} ¡°What did you choose in thest event to turn the whole situation into this! This game¡¯s events are too weird, right! Also, what did you do to Madagascar!¡± {Thanks to everyone¡¯s help, I can be reborn like this. ¡­In the past, I¡¯m also instigated by the devil and caused a lot of troubles for the nurse.} ¡°Who are you taunting!? Hey! Exin who¡¯s the devil you¡¯re referring to!¡± {I¡¯m really happy now. Thanks! My girlfriend, Kyoko, is pretty cute!} ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn.¡± {Indeed, from today onwards, ¡­from today onwards, I¡¯m a happy muscr man filled with tendons. You can abbreviate it as Happy M Tendon Man!} ¡°Uwah, your name actually echoed with the topic? ¡­Did you really think I¡¯ll praise you like that!?¡± [Note: The game title can also be interpreted as {Idle Cultivation! Happy M Tendon Man!}. ¡± Looking at the credits that started ying on the screen, I really want to throw my phone to the wall. However, ¡­I barely stopped myself. ¡°N-No, ¡­you can¡¯t do that, Karen Tendou. This is obviously my problem. Yes, if I didn¡¯t miss thest event, perhaps I¡¯ll be just as touched right now¡­¡± The credits are over, and the game returned to the title screen. ¡­I tried my best to suppress my anger¡­and clicked on the new game button. ¡°I¡¯m ying it. ¡­Let¡¯s give it my best! I¡¯m the hardcore gamer, Karen Tendou!¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ In the end, no matter which option you pick, and even if you saw all events, the game will eventually return to this baffling ending¡­ -She already wasted 2 weeks of her life when she knew this fact. Short Story Collection: Epilogue – The full conversation of Amano and his friends in Class F

Short Story Collection: Epilogue ¨C The full conversation of Amano and his friends in ss F

¡°C-Chiaki, that app, ¡­the {Idle Cultivation! Happy Fungus!} that you developed based on the random conference chatters from the Game Hobby Club, ¡­I think it¡¯s too much of a prank.¡± ¡°Really? But didn¡¯t Keita n this out excitedly back then?¡± ¡°I mean, you¡¯re right. ¡­Uehara-kun, what do you think?¡± ¡°Ahh. ¡­.Hey, Hoshinomori, actually, I think that app is pretty bizarre as well.¡± ¡°Okay, it¡¯s off the shelves.¡± ¡°Why are our treatments so different? However,e to think of it, I¡¯m afraid a lot of people yed it already.¡± ¡°Ahh, don¡¯t worry about it, Keita. I just checked, and only 3 people downloaded it.¡± ¡°Ah, really. I¡¯m d to hear that. We said we¡¯re downloading it, so it¡¯s just Chiaki, Uehara-kun, and me. Ah, good to know that there are no victims! Right, Uehara-kun! ¡­Uehara-kun? What¡¯s wrong? Your face is covered with sweat.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, oh! ¡­I was saying since I¡¯ve been swampedtely, I actually didn¡¯t- ¡­Ah, no, it¡¯s fine, yep! Ah, it¡¯s great! There are zero victims! Yep!¡± Short Story Collection: 5 – Gamers and the Past and Future

Short Story Collection: Chapter 5 ¨C Gamers and the Past and Future

Trantor: your_pingas ¡°Amano-kun, you¡¯re asking me how did I feel when you rejected my club invitation, right?¡± Someday after I started dating Tendou-san. We opened our bento in the Game Club room just as usual. I asked her a question that I want to know the answer to since a long time ago. ¡°Why are you suddenly asking this, Amano-kun?¡± Tendou-san enjoyed her little octopus-shaped sausages as she expressed her confusion. I scratched my cheeks and continued. ¡°Well, how do I put it¡­? I¡¯ve always felt guilty about that, and I¡¯m really sorry to Tendou-san at that time.¡± ¡°Amano-kun, you didn¡¯t change at all. I already forgot about that. Moreover, I can understand what Amano-kun was thinking.¡± ¡°But you were really mad at that time, right?¡± ¡°W-Well¡­¡± Tendou-san didn¡¯t know how to answer. She put another piece of octopus-shaped sausage into her mouth awkwardly. I mustered up my courage and asked further. ¡°S-So, Tendou-san, what were you thinking at that time?¡± ¡°¡­Then, I¡¯ll answer honestly?¡± ¡°Please do that!¡± Tendou-san bent to my determination with a deted expression. She sighed and put down her chopsticks for the moment. ¡°¡­It can¡¯t be helped. Well, right here, please allow me to¡­recreate what I was thinking at that time.¡± ¡°P-Please.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± She cleared her throat and sat straight. Then, she stared at me directly- -Suddenly, she was on the verge of crying and screamed at the top of her lungs! ¡°H-How could you do that! I hate you! I hate you so much! Idiot, you¡¯re a big idiot! Uwah!¡± ¡°Gurk!?¡± Keita Amano suddenly suffered massive mental damage! I can¡¯t help but grab my own chest along with the shirt. On the other hand, Tendou-san¡­ ¡°¡­Just like that.¡± In conclusion, she reverted to her usual calmness and started digging in her rice. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but apologize and freaked Tendou-san out. ¡°W-Why are you apologizing now? Like what I said before, I already understood you.¡± ¡°But, I still really want to sincerely apologize to Tendou-san at that time¡­¡± Tendou-san chuckled upon hearing what I said. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Really, you¡¯re way too honest.¡± Tendou-san looked at me, passionately. I looked away. She continued. ¡°However-¡° ¡°Come to think of it, I really want to know this. At that moment, what did Amano-kun think about me at that time?¡± ¡°Oh, really? When?¡± After hearing my question, Tendou-san slightly sipped her tea and answered. ¡°Can you sincerely tell me what was your first impression and feelings when I first talked to you in the game store?¡± ¡°Eh, what?¡± ¡°Please tell me, alright!¡± Tendou really looks forward to my answer. ¡­This is hard. (However, ¡­I must answer seriously as well, yep.) I made up my mind. Then, I injected my mind into the past and presented my feelings. So, ¡­facing Tendou-san¡¯s passionate eyes, I tried my best to recreate what I was thinking. ¡°H-Hiya!? What is this! Why¡­? This is freaking me out¡­! I want to go home¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what Junji Inagawa says when he encounters a ghost, right!?¡± [Note: Junji Inagawa, an actor and director specialized in horror stories.] Tendou was shocked as she fell speechless. I started getting anxious and asked her. ¡°Tendou-san, what¡¯s wrong!? Did the fried chicken in your bento just talk?¡± ¡°That¡¯s scary! Nobody thinks like you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s toomon, right!¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°See, ¡­that fried chicken over there is staring at me angrily. It¡¯s mumbling ¡°coward¡± over and over again. When you stab it with your chopsticks, they will scream sternly as their meat juice is scattered everywhere¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t imitate Junji Inagawa when he didn¡¯t even say something like this, alright!?¡± So, Tendou-san cleared her throat and calmed down. ¡°Let¡¯s move on. Why Amano-kun¡¯s first impression of me is like that? ¡°Oh, Tendou-san, you weren¡¯t at fault. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m a coward.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Ay, think about it, it¡¯s that Karen Tendou, after all, right? That Karen Tendou stands on the top of the word. She is the treasure of the world, the legendary hero, and shees from another dimension, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who that Karen Tendou is.¡± ¡°She started talking to a guy like me. ¡­This means something terrible is about to happen!¡± ¡°That was mean!¡± ¡°Anyway, I feel extremely honored and scared.¡± ¡°I-I see. That¡¯s okay¡­¡± Tendou-san pouted for some reason. I picked up some vegetables and continued casually. ¡°So, of course, my heart is filled with feelings like ¡®she¡¯s beautiful,¡¯ ¡®she¡¯s an angel,¡¯ ¡®she¡¯s so gentle,¡¯ ¡®she smells really good,¡¯ ¡®it¡¯s like I¡¯m dreaming,¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m so blessed.¡¯ I skipped all these because I don¡¯t think I need to say them.¡± ¡°R-Really. ¡­I see¡­¡± Tendou-san powerlessly answered as she plopped her head down. For some reason, her ears are all red as she avoided looking at me. So, I can only continue eating silently. Well, after I finished my meals, ¡­I spoke up to her again. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing. It¡¯s about what I was thinking that day¡­no, it¡¯s about how I think since then. There¡¯s something I want to tell you.¡± ¡°How you think since then? ¡­You mean you really love games?¡± ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s been like that for a couple years.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, me too.¡± Both of us chuckled. This way, the embarrassment and anxiety finally disappeared. ¡­So, I said my ¡°appreciation¡± out loud. ¡°¡­I¡¯m really d that I can meet Tendou-san.¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± She bulged her eyes. I continued with a little bit of embarrassment. ¡°Recently, Tendou-san and I, ¡­no, there are also Uehara-kun, Aguri-san, and Chiaki as well. A lot of things happened to us.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°¡­I guess it will be the same afterward.¡± ¡°Yes, I can guarantee that. How regrettable.¡± We smiled at each other. I faced Tendou-san again and smiled. ¡°Even so¡­¡± ¡°Tendou-san, I¡¯m really d that you talked to me at that time. Right now, I feel sincerely blessed. So, ¡­thank you, Tendou-san.¡± I plopped my head down. Tendou-san smiled and answered. ¡°Amano-kun, I should be the one thanking you. I¡¯m also sincerely d that I get to meet you. ¡­This will stay true, no matter what happens.¡± We stared at each other lovingly. Then, as if we¡¯re being attracted by something, we slowly stood up from our seats¡­ ¡°Ding!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± The bell that signaled the end of the lunch break rang suddenly. We quickly snapped out of it. (What was I trying to do¡­) Embarrassment quickly overwhelmed me. Well, Tendou-san¡¯s face is as red as a tomato too. ¡°A-Amano-kun, it¡¯s time for us to leave!¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re right, Tendou-san!¡± We hastily packed everything up and dashed out of the clubroom. So, the two of us walked towards our ssrooms in the corridor. I asked her something to relieve this awkward atmosphere. ¡°B-By the way, Tendou-san, when you were saying ¡®no matter what happens,¡¯ what were you actually referring to?¡± After she heard my question, Tendou-san walked next to me as she thought about it. ¡°Let me think¡­¡± ¡°For example, ¡­I suspect that Amano-kun fell in love with someone else?¡± ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s a good joke. It¡¯s impossible. How would I dare?¡± I teased at her concerns. She asked me a bit unhappily. ¡°Amano-kun, what¡¯s going to happen in the future?¡± ¡°Oh, ¡­personally, I think I will have more friends and get to know more people. The school trip will be great!¡± ¡°Yeah. I guess your optimism isn¡¯t entirely unjustified.¡± ¡°See!¡± I¡¯m looking forward to it! However, if I¡¯m looking forward to something good, I have to prepare for the worst as well. ¡°Then. ¡­perhaps Tendou-san will break up with me?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± Sheughed. Y-Yeah, it¡¯s impossible. Then, we strolled along the corridor as we thought about our future. When we arrived at the sideroads to our respective ssrooms, ¡­we faced each other and smiled. ¡°No matter what, Amano-kun. From now on¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Tendou-san. From now on¡­¡± We took a step closer to each other. Then- -We shook each other¡¯s hand. ¡°We have to enjoy gaming.¡± After that, we turned around and bid farewell energetically. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Well, no matter how our rtionship will go, before we even became couples, -we¡¯re always partners that love gaming. Short Story Collection: 6 – Karen Tendou and Football Club

Short Story Collection: Chapter 6 ¨C Karen Tendou and Football Club

Trantor: your_pingas ¡°I used to be interested in the Football Club.¡± Someday, when we were on our way home, I asked Tendou-san. ¡°Did you think of doing something else aside from the Game Club?¡± In the end, I got an unexpected answer. Tendou-san put out a nostalgic expression. She stared at the sunset and continued. ¡°After all, chasing after a single ball, charging forward relentlessly-¡° ¡°Training the abilities of all these teenagers and bing the strongest army, isn¡¯t that fun!¡± ¡°You still ended up in a yer¡¯s perspective!? You¡¯re actually interested in Road to the World instead of football, right!?¡± ¡°Then, I want to write a book in the future. It¡¯ll be called {What If a High School Football Club Manager Girl yed SEGA¡¯s Road to the World?}.¡± ¡°You really think a gloomy girl that uses her management skills in the wrong ce can be a sessful manager!?¡± ¡°Amano-kun, you shouldn¡¯t underestimate games.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not underestimating games. I¡¯m underestimating a certain blonde-haired girl.¡± The school idol shrugged for some reason. ¡°You can¡¯t be helped.¡± She sighed. ¡°You¡¯re too na?ve, Amano-kun. Did you really think that I¡¯m just satisfied with bing a dumb coach girl?¡± ¡°I really thought about that¡­¡± ¡°Amano-kun, don¡¯t underestimate me. I didn¡¯t think that I can deal with all the problems of a manager just because I yed Road to the World.¡± ¡°d to hear that. It looks like my girlfriend is barely sane-¡° ¡°However, after I¡¯m done investigating eFootball PES, I will be the perfect manager that can understand what operators, coaches, and contestants do!¡± ¡°You¡¯re only bing a crazy manager girl that is misunderstood by all gamers!¡± I¡¯m okay with manager girls ying football games. However, if you¡¯re acting all mighty while giving suggestions to the yers even though all you yed are games, I bet they can¡¯t take it. I gave up. Tendou-san blinked her eyes a bit unbelievably. ¡°Amano-kun, you¡¯re saying that¡­I¡¯m just trouble to the Football Club.¡± ¡°You do realize that! Although I like ying games too, and I understand Tendou-san¡¯s strengths better than anyone, you can¡¯t just substitute games into reality¡­¡± I feel sorry for people that try their best in the Football Club every day. ¡°Uwah, ¡­Amano-kun suddenly started toin about Moshidora¡­¡± [Note: Moshidora, a light novel about a high school baseball manager girl that trains her team using Peter Drucker¡¯s methods.] ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. That¡¯s a good novel. It gave us something new by merging management into baseball clubs!¡± ¡°Yeah. So, it¡¯s the same if I bring Road to the World and PES into the Football Club¡­¡± ¡°Same my butt! You¡¯re just a temporary manager girl that yed video games and pretended that she knows everything, not to mention whether the idea is new or not, right!?¡± ¡°New ideas. ¡­It can¡¯t be helped. Well, I¡¯ll train myself with Power Pros as well.¡± ¡°For what!? You still ended up relying on in-game knowledge alone!¡± ¡°Well, how about I investigate Girl''s Side as well?¡± [Girl¡¯s Side, a dating sim for girls.] ¡°Please don¡¯t go and learn how to trick athletic boys¡¯ hearts!¡± ¡°However, in conclusion, isn¡¯t that what Moshidora is about?¡± ¡°Apologize to Moshidora at this second!¡± ¡°Also, ¡­I¡¯m very good at learning Dr. Goodjob¡¯s skill. I can make uniforms that can enhance the yer¡¯s capabilities. ¡° ¡°Exin why does a yer need to learn the skill Plunder.¡± ¡°After I¡¯m done ying Metal Gear, I can even destroy the enemy team¡¯s morale.¡±s ¡°This world doesn¡¯t need a manager girl that can subdue opposing yers with a stun gun!¡± ¡°Also, after I yed Ace Combat, I can transport the yers to anywhere I want.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s like a line from a criminal that can¡¯t tell reality and games apart.¡± ¡°Sorry that was impossible.¡± ¡°Nice reflection. However, you sound like the other options are possible. I can¡¯t just ignore that.¡± Just as I¡¯m about toin further, Tendou-san suddenly said something weird. ¡°Well, you should understand by now, right?¡± ¡°Hmm? What?¡± After I said that, ¡­Tendou-san answered with a bitter smile. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll be in something other than the Game Club in another timeline. ¡­However, I¡¯m still me. I, Karen Tendou, will always love gaming the most.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± I smiled after hearing this very Tendou-san styled conclusion. Then, I unintentionally stared at the sunset in front of the street¡­and mumbled quietly. ¡°Well, ¡­no matter which world I¡¯m in, I¡¯ll always fall in love with Tendou-san.¡± ¡°Hmm? What did you say?¡± Under the circumstances, Tendou-san activated her ¡°deaf protagonist¡± skill again just as usual. She asked me. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± I smiled and said. ¡°By the way, Tendou-san, are you interested in culture clubs or something like that-¡° We continued strolling on this idyllic¡­yet blessed road to home. Short Story Collection: 7 – Thanksgiving: Karen Tendou’s Episode

Short Story Collection: Chapter 7 ¨C Thanksgiving: Karen Tendou¡¯s Episode

Trantor: your_pingas ¡°By the way, Amano-kun, why don¡¯t we visit the southern inds when we get a chance?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Someday when we¡¯re going home, after we chatted about ¡°what if we¡¯re in the Football Club,¡± Tendou suddenly smiled and said this. After hearing the unexpected question, I answered a bit unsettledly. ¡°Uh, what does that mean¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean by what does that mean? I¡¯m just saying, ¡­why don¡¯t we go travel together?¡± ¡°¡­Y-You¡¯re not talking about online games, right?¡± ¡°No. Amano-kun, who do you think I am?¡± ¡°A scarily hardcore gamer.¡± ¡°I mean, you¡¯re right. However, I was talking about real-life traveling.¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± I never would¡¯ve expected that my lover is suggesting a day without any gaming elements at all. I¡¯m thoroughly throbbed. Tendou-san looked at the dusk sky as she continued with bright eyes. ¡°It¡¯s going to be great. ¡­An endless sunny sky, the blue ocean, sparkling beaches, cheerful couples¡­¡± ¡°Yep, ¡­it¡¯s great.¡± Although I¡¯m always in the indoor gang, nothing is better than spending time with your beloved ones like this- ¡°Also, an unending swarm of zombies.¡± ¡°Stop right there.¡± -I interrupted the blonde-haired girl forcefully. She bulged her eyes. ¡°First of all, ¡­sorry, Tendou-san.¡± ¡°Hiya, what¡¯s wrong, Amano-kun?¡± ¡°I want to say, ¡­just then, the security sensor that leads to my ¡®Dream Kingdom¡¯ at the departure hall detected something extremely dangerous. ¡­Please, can you walk over it once again?¡± ¡°Hiya, that freaked me out. But I didn¡¯t bring anything weird¡­¡± To my airport setting, my girlfriend responded cooperatively. ¡­She¡¯s such a smart girl. Hmm, ¡­it was indeed my imagination, right?¡± I started checking her. ¡°Well, please tell me the things that are in your right hand¡¯s ¡®Dream Luggage,¡¯ alright?¡± ¡°No problem. Let me think about it. ¡®An endless sky,¡¯ ¡®the blue ocean,¡¯ ¡®sparkling beaches,¡¯ ¡®cheerful couples¡¯-¡° ¡°Yes, yes, there¡¯s no problem-¡° ¡°-¡®zombie swarms,¡¯ ¡®heavy-caliber gunfire,¡¯ ¡®a throbbing plot,¡¯ ¡®a grand open-world¡¯-¡° ¡°Alright, pleasee to the room here.¡± I grabbed Tendou-san¡¯s arm forcefully and dragged her. She tilted her head unbelievably. I cleared my throat and started a trial against this extremely suspicious blonde-haired girl. ¡°Hey, ¡­Miss? What¡¯s with the ¡®imagination of the southern inds¡¯ here¡­?¡± ¡°Uh, you¡¯re asking what? ¡­Aren¡¯t these zombie fight elements¡­?¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s strange. You can¡¯t bring these things in a real-life holiday imagination, right?¡± ¡°No, no, officer-san, you¡¯re wrong. We¡¯re traveling to the southern inds, right? Aren¡¯t people only looking forward to one thing at that ce?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Epidemic.¡± ¡°Okay, 17:32, we caught a core terrorist.¡± I pretended to be looking at my watch as I grabbed Tendou-san¡¯s arm tightly and dragged her. Tendou-san let go of my hand as she protested with a bewildered expression. ¡°W-What does this mean, Amano-kun!? I¡¯m just¡­I¡¯m just looking forward to a ¡®real-life zombie fight¡¯ during the trip!¡± ¡°No, no, no! It¡¯s not going to happen!¡± ¡°Ehhh!? Aren¡¯t we talking about the southern inds!?¡± ¡°What did you expect the southern inds to be!?¡± After Iined, Tendou-san was shocked and nearly tripped over. ¡°H-How¡¯s that possible¡­? Well, then why are people visiting the southern inds¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re just going there for swimming in the ocean, surfing, and sightseeing!¡± ¡°Unbelievable. ¡­Sigh.¡± Tendou-san is depressed. ¡­Come to think of it, why does she believe that zombies exist? Did Chiaki teach her that? ¡­No matter the cause, I can¡¯t just let my girlfriend remain upset forever. I scratched my cheeks awkwardly. ¡­.Then, I tried my best to hide my embarrassment in my heart and told her. ¡°I-It¡¯s fine even if there are no zombies¡­as long as we can spend time together.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°¡­Nevermind.¡± Yep, I immediately regretted after saying it. I-It¡¯s so embarrassing! How can I say such a normie line! I need to explode right here! Where is my self-destruct button!? My face red up as I quickly walked away. ¡­As for Tendou-san, she immediately chased after me. Her depressed look disappeared into nowhere. She carried a cheerful expression and stared at me with her watery eyes. ¡°Hmm? Hmm? Amano-kun, what did you say? Can you say that again?¡± ¡°T¡­That¡¯s why I said nevermind!¡± My head is dizzy from the embarrassment, and I can¡¯t help but rudely reply as I walked forward. As for her, she kept a couple steps behind me¡­and chuckled alone before answering quietly. ¡°¡­Yeah. We¡¯re already¡­in the actual paradise.¡± Short Story Collection: 8 – Fantasia 2018 Short Story

Short Story Collection: Chapter 8 ¨C Fantasia 2018 Short Story

Trantor: your_pingas ¡°Eh, Tendou-san, you¡¯ve never worn a furisode before?¡± [Note: Furisode is basically the long-sleeve version of kimono.] ¡°Yeah.¡± Someday after New Year, I suddenly bumped into Tendou-san in the city. We strolled towards the station slowly as we chatted. She suddenly revealed a surprising piece of information. I red at the angel that can¡¯t hide her perfect figures even she¡¯s in a coat- No, she¡¯s my ex-girlfriend, Karen Tendou. Then, I spoke up angrily. ¡°D-Don¡¯t you feel responsible as a beautiful character!?¡± ¡°¡­Uh, I have no idea why I pissed my ex-boyfriend off just then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how fanservice works! It¡¯s okay for gloomy characters like Chiaki and me. However, I can¡¯t believe a girl like you still haven¡¯t tried out all clothing in the world. Do you have any idea how much an impact you¡¯ll have on the entertainment industry!?¡± ¡°The entertainment industry isn¡¯t my business.¡± ¡°Why are you not wearing furisode!? Do you prefer agility over defense!?¡± ¡°What kind of standard is that? Well, even though the agility of furisode is indeed lower than suits.¡± Tendou sighed deeply and exined. ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯m not suited to furisode, and the same goes for kimono as well. Think about it, ¡­my hair is colored like this. How should I put it? It looks like I¡¯m traveling to Japan, or I¡¯m a cosyer¡­¡± She twirled her hair with the tip of her finger and smiled bitterly at me. When I saw that, ¡­I turned around forcefully and said this to her with a serious look. ¡°So, why does that matter? Whether it¡¯s cosy or not, I just want to see Tendou-san wearing something beautiful.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Tendou-san¡¯s face immediately red up. Then, as if she¡¯s trying to cover up for something, she walked in front of me and hastily spoke up. ¡°W-Whatever, how should I put it¡­? If Amano-kun said it, ¡­uh, ¡­on the premise that you¡¯re the only one seeing it, ¡­I guess¡­I can wear it¡­for you¡­someday.¡± I chased her with sparkling eyes after hearing that. ¡°Eh, really!?¡± ¡°Well, well, when will Tendou-san hold a furisode conference!¡± ¡°Uh, no, don¡¯t rush. ¡­Moreover, it¡¯s past New Year already. I¡¯m not supposed to go out while wearing furisode, right?¡± ¡°W-Well, ¡­I guess you¡¯re right.¡± I can¡¯t help but feel upset after hearing Tendou-san. ¡­Yeah, ¡­I already missed the chance to see Tendou-san in a kimono this year. ¡­Come to think of it, our rtionships were a mess at the end ofst year. ¡­No, I shouldn¡¯t say that in past tense. ¡°¡­Uh.¡± Tendou-san felt a bit sorry when she saw my depressed face. Her expression slowly darkens. Only the footsteps on snow and the cheers of the city can be heard between us. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± So, we fell into a temporary silence as we walked. We didn¡¯t manage to improve the mood before we arrived at the station. This persisted until we¡¯re about to go our separate ways. ¡°Uh, ¡­well, ¡­.Tendou-san, ¡­I¡¯ll see youter¡­¡± ¡°O-Okay. ¡­Goodbye, Amano-kun¡­¡± So, we waved and bid farewell to each other stiffly. Just as we¡¯re about to turn around- ¡°¡­Ay.¡± We turned back at the same time. Then, with our face blushed to the max, we said this simultaneously with trembling lips and determined eyes. ¡°Next year, we¡¯ll go pay a visit to the shrine together!¡± This invitation is a bit too early. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± For a moment, we bulged our eyes and freaked out because we said the same suggestion at the exact same moment. However, we immediately chuckled. ¡°Hehe, ¡­why are we always like this?¡± ¡°Ay, you¡¯re right. We¡¯re promising that we¡¯re going to the shrine together next year, and it might not even happen. The ghosts would be teasing at us.¡± ¡°Yep. However¡­¡± ¡°Yep, even so¡­¡± Even though we understand how ridiculous this promise is, ¡­we still looked at each other¡¯s eyes and smiled as we swore to each other. ¡°It¡¯s a promise.¡± So, we walked toward the respective station we need to go. Our hearts are no longer filled with regret and worry. I arrived at the station and waved at Tendou-san, who¡¯s doing the same thing far away. Then, I raised my head and looked at the dusky sky as I imagined the future. I mumbled quietly. ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t wait to see Tendou-san in furisode.¡± -At the same time, I made up my mind. One yearter, I have to stand next to her. DLC 1 – Gamers and War of Gaming

DLC Chapter 1 ¨C Gamers and War of Gaming

"Speaking of games, the ones in the past should be better, right?" Aguri-san is still clicking on her phone with a humpbacked position today, just as usual. Shezily questioned something about gaming. The gal that has absolutely zero sense in gaming said that. ¡­It made the three of us ¨C Keita Amano, Karen Tendou, and Hoshinomori, immediately dropped what we were doing. So, the normie that''s usually a bridge between ordinary people and gamers, Tasuku Uehara-kun, tried tofort us. "Alright, alright." "You guys know Aguri''s not trying to mean anything, right? Calm down." He put up a smile. However, I still answered with an irritated face. "If you think everything can be forgiven as long as they didn''t mean it, you''re dead wrong, Uehara-kun. For example, ¡­if someone identally pressed the nukeunch button and caused the apocalypse, will you forgive him just because he didn''t mean it?" "That metaphor is way too ridiculous!" Uehara-kunined. However, strangely, my nemesis Chiaki helped me out at this time. "No, I feel like that''s really close to what Aguri-san just said! If you threw a bomb like that during a gamers'' online meeting, a real-life wrestling fight will bound to happen in 30 minutes!" "Gamers are way too easy to piss off! Hey, help me out here, Tendou!" "I understand. Well, Aguri-san, pleasee here and grit your teeth." "I can''t believe you''re the easiest one to piss off! Don''t p someone because of this!" Uehara-kun finally stood up and stopped us. We can only pause in the middle of our anger unwillingly. ¡­Aguri-san, who''s still isn''t used to this, stopped clicking on her phone and sat upright to face us. "Uh, ¡­I feel like I should say sorry. Like what Tasuku just said, I really didn''t mean it¡­" After hearing her apology, the three of us more or less calmed down. Then, we apologized as well. After that, Aguri-san spoke up again, tremblingly. "However, ¡­think about it, you can see that everywhere on the inte and at some other ces. People often say, ''The good old days are better.'' Although we can see that in every realm, from my impression, I can hear that the most in the gaming industry. T-This is just what I personally feel, though¡­" Aguri-san finished her speech while shivering. I sighed at her look before deciding to agree, unwillingly. "Ay, ¡­I guess you''re right. You can see ''the past is better'' everywhere in the film and entertainment industry. But, I guess it appears more frequently in the gaming world." Chiaki agreed with what I said. "Yeah. Perhaps it''s because this industry has many serialized games umted through the ages, and the old version often receives remakes. Also, technology''s catching up fast." Aguri-san, who doesn''t understand what she just said, tilted her head. "Hiya?" "If that''s the case, basically, aren''t games always improving then? It''s likeputers, right. When the industry advances, ¡­uh, the graphics will be better, right?" After hearing what she said, we, "the people that are actually ying the games¡­" "¡­Sigh." Including Uehara-kun, the four of us sighed deeply. Aguri-san protested strongly. "Why are you guys giving me a ''this girl doesn''t know anything'' vibe! What did I say!" "No, ¡­ it''s about your ''the graphics got better'' speech. ¡­Although the way you put it is pretty dumb, you didn''t say anything wrong. By the way, graphics, ¡­graphics, right?" "Alright, Amanhi,e here and grit your teeth." "The term ''grit your teeth'' appeared twice within 5 minutes from the start of the discussion. I think this Hobby Club is way too vicious. Ay, but, ¡­sorry, I guess I did act a bit rude there. Aguri-san, it''s just like what you said. Gaming technology has indeed advanced a lot. Graphics are getting better, and the loading time is significantly reduced, while some focused on online battles¡­" "Right? Uh, ¡­if that''s the case, then modern games are indeed better, right. The ''good old days'' faction is just a bunch of otakus that beautify their memories, am I correct?" "¡­Sigh." "Please don''t give me this kind of ''hopelessness'' so explicitly, alright! You guys said that non-gamers can enter the Game Hobby Club, right!" Her boyfriend, Uehara-kun, answered what Aguri-san said helplessly. "You''re right. ¡­However, how should I put it? Everything that you said will make all gamers'' hmph'' out loud." "What do you mean?" "Uh, ¡­ here''s an example. You love family restaurants, right? Then, if people that don''t go to the restaurants casually said ''why don''t we visit a better one instead of family restaurants'' while chatting, how would you feel?" "¡­Hmph!" "Exactly." "I see." Aguri-san understood Uehara-kun''s exnation as she agreed. They''re really couples, what a way to present themselves. However, I guess Aguri-san is still not entirely convinced. She continued questioning us. "Hmm, ¡­but that''s not the same as meals. In reality, modern games just have more parts that are better than old ones, and yet the past is still better?" After hearing that, I immediately denied with a "no, no, no." "Actually, we''re not saying that old games are better. Even so, it doesn''t mean that current games are better than the past as a whole. It''s like the rtionship between family restaurants and regr diners. You can''t just say one is nicer than the other." "Oh, I see. In other words, ¡­ it''s like Bamboo Shoot Chocte and Mushroom Hill Chocte!" [Note: It''s a meme about the two sister brands of Meiji chocte. Japanese people like to fight over who''s the supreme one, and thepany hosted a contest to raise sales sessfully.] "No, Mushroom Hill Chocte is obviously better!¡± "No, Bamboo Shoot Chocte is obviously better!" The four voices ovepped each other at the same time. Moreover, Tendou-san and Uehara-kun are in the "Mushroom" faction, while Chiaki and I belong to the "Bamboo" faction. "¡­¡­¡­¡­" Sparks soon ignited between us. Then, ¡­Aguri-san was dumbfounded. "¡­Anyway, about that, I felt that I was adding fuel to the fire. Sorry." A truce was made between us from what she said. ¡­Even though Bamboo Shoot is definitely tastier! I''m not nning to back down! Hiya, Tendou-san''s ring at me. Ugh, ¡­even if I''m fighting with Tendou-san, I will never back down on this one¡­" "Ahem!" Chiaki cleared her throat. She continued and brought us back. "However, it''s actually¡­" "This conflict has always existed, about whether the past is better." "In reality, vintage games are fun." I nced at Uehara-kun with a shocked expression after he said that. "Eh, Uehara-kun is in the nostalgic tribe?" "I guess so? It''s because I yed games for longer in the past."¡¯ Tendou-san agreed as well. ¡°I think so. Although I admit, the online match environment is much better than the past, from a simple, fastpetitive perspective, and the epitome of reaching new high scores, I think the ones in the past are the best.¡± After I heard their opinion, I nodded and agreed. ¡°I see¡­¡± On the other hand, I retorted. ¡°From my perspective, if I including some of my personal, twisted opinions, I guess I¡¯m in the modern faction. It¡¯s because the voice of old games is better is always the loudest. ¡®No, no, no, modern games aren¡¯t going to lose as well¡¯ is what I feel often.¡± Unexpectedly, my rival Chiaki strongly agreed with what I said. ¡°Ah, yes, yes, yes! Keita, I feel the same too! I should say, I hope that I can objectively acknowledge the added scores from my memories.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah! Exactly, Chiaki!¡± Chiaki and I just started chatting excitedly. -So, Uehara-kun and Tendou-san got into a sour mood and retorted us. ¡°N-No, even if we deduce the impression scores from the memories, the simple yet creative titles in the past are elegant. This is an obvious fact¡­¡± ¡°Ha?¡± ¡°Ha?¡± A murderous atmosphere immediately engulfed the Game Hobby Club. Aguri-san gulped. ¡°Well, ¡­e-everyone? I-I¡¯m thinking whether we should move on¡­¡± However, what she said was entirely ignored. -The two groups started battling. Firstly, I reminded the two of them with a bitter smile. ¡°No, no, no, Tendou-san, Uehara-kun, you two have to see the reality calmly. While vintage games are indeed amazing, but the modern games that ¡®inherited¡¯ those works are pretty fun as well. You need to acknowledge that.¡± However, Tendou-san responded to what I said with a coldugh. ¡°Ha!¡± ¡°Things that inherited famous titles will definitely be better? Aren¡¯t you being too shallow, Amano-kun?¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯s not vastly surpassing the first one, they¡¯ll still improve in small areas¡­.¡± I tried to smooth things over, yet Tendou-san sighed as she continued reviewing sequels negatively. ¡°Messed up new elements, removing the best plot in the first game, overly looking for creative elements, and resulted in a story that can¡¯t resonate with the audience at all. Also, they keep up the sales figures with a bunch of paid DLC and half-hearted 3D attempts.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Chiaki and I took severe damage! We can¡¯t help but press our chests as we moaned. However, Tendou-san is still trying to go on. ¡°Ah, also, personally, I think this kind of ¡®RPG that emphasizes ACT battle¡¯ is surging in poprity recently. If I have to list out actual examples-¡° ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± It¡¯s not just Chiaki and me. Even Uehara-kun stopped her with a serious look. Tendou-san tilted her head for a moment. ¡°Ay, whatever.¡± She still pressed on. ¡°Anyway, some games screwed up because they inherited the famous titles in the past. Some focused on developing new techniques, and it reduced the yability of the game. This is what I¡¯m bringing up. In other words, ¡­if the two factions are fighting, the ¡®old games are better¡¯ side will definitely win!¡± ¡°Ugh, ughh¡­¡± Our faces are getting stiffer and stiffer. Inparison, Tendou-san and Uehara-kun¡¯s faces are starting to show a confident smile. Also, ¡­Aguri-san began to clicking on her phone again. Just as I¡¯m wholly destroyed, Chiaki retorted for me sheepishly. ¡°¡­T-The two nostalgic members, aren¡¯t you being a little too cunning with your point?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Tendou-san raised her eyebrows. Chiaki lowered her head and continued. ¡°I-Indeed, there are a lot of famous games in the past. So, it¡¯s a fact that some series are ¡®sinking¡¯ down. However¡­¡± At this point, Chiaki suddenly raised her face and pointed out her proposal loudly. ¡°Behind all that, the endless desert of history is also filled with a bunch of crappy titles. That¡¯s also a fact, right!¡± ¡°Uwah!¡± This time, Tendou-san and Uehara-kun pressed their chests. Chiaki pressed on. ¡°There are a bunch of crappy game disasters in the past that can¡¯t even be imagined with modern metrics, right! Think about it! Nowadays, the games released as free mobile versions that got brutallyined once sold by nearly 8,000 yen! A generation of innocent kids was bombed by thesendmines!¡± ¡°U-Ugh¡­¡± ¡°People only remember those fun experiences when they¡¯re memorizing games in the past! However, I feel like you guys should remember those ¡®how did they screw it up¡¯ experiences too! Don¡¯t just throw out all those good old days from Super Nintendo and Square Enix! Please try to remember! Many crappy games randomly got a contract with a celebrity, and the weird ones adapted from a famous manga artist!¡± ¡°AHHHHHHH!¡± Atst, Tendou-san and Uehara-kun¡¯s camp wrapped their hands around their head and started struggling. As for Chiaki and me, we raised and high fived each other in satisfaction. ¡­I slightly changed my mind for you, Chiaki! -So, we started a continuous, back-and-forth tug of war between games. ¡°Old games got a ¡®soul¡¯ in them.¡± ¡°If we can y old games right now, we can say that ¡®now¡¯ is eternally the peak of gaming.¡± ¡°No, those experiences can only be gained when you y in that era.¡± ¡°You can feel that in this generation as well!¡± Anyway, we can¡¯t reach a conclusion, but that¡¯s why it¡¯s so intense. So, just as the conflict is reaching its climax¡­ ¡°Right-¡° Aguri-san suddenly interrupted as she raised her head. Then, she threw another grenade at us with a super rxed look. ¡°By the way, speaking of consoles, Nintendo¡¯s the best, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Right away, we stopped arguing about whether old games are better as we fell silent. Just as Aguri-san is frozen, ¡­all of us shrugged and mumbled. ¡°¡­That¡¯s what a non-gamer looks like¡­¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with that attitude! I really hate the Game Hobby Club today!¡± Aguri-san put her phone on the table as she started throwing tantrums. I sighed helplessly before facing her again. ¡°Aguri-san, ¡­I didn¡¯t know you are literally the John Paul of today¡¯s Game Hobby Club.¡± ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect myself to bepared to the antagonist that tried to spark civil wars across the globe in Project Itoh¡¯s either!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that a gal actually knows where John Paul came from!¡± In a sense, this is the most unexpected event of this year. However, I think this gal focused on her grades before she got into high school. ¡­She really matches me in some weird perspectives. So, just as we¡¯re somehow smiling mischievously at each other with our shared knowledge. People started to give us a suspicious look. Aguri-san cleared her throat and continued. ¡°C-Come to think of it, why are you guys not satisfied? You will think of Mario when ites to gaming, ad then you will think of Nintendo when you brought up Mario, right? In other words, isn¡¯t Nintendo the best in the industry?¡± ¡°What an amazingly new logic!¡± Gamers can never think of it like this. Including Uehara-kun, all of the Game Hobby Club members shook their heads. So, Aguri-san added fuel to the fire casually once more. ¡°Well, how about I guess something else? It¡¯s PS, right. ystation¡¯s the best, right?¡± ¡°Please stop.¡± The Game Hobby Club started trembling. What¡¯s wrong with this gal? Is she really going to be the John Paul of the gaming industry? She didn¡¯t say all that on purpose, right? I guess Tendou-san can¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Listen.¡± She raised a finger and started exining to the gal. ¡°That¡¯s just like arguing whether the past or present is better, especially for the fight between consoles. It¡¯s an extremely sensitive topic on the inte.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. ¡­Well, in the end, which console is the no.1?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t understand what I mean at all! The point is not on who¡¯s the best!¡± ¡°Eh, ¡­why are we concluding this like a cheap sports event where everyone is no.1? It¡¯s boring¡­¡± ¡°W-Why are you saying it¡¯s boring? ¡­Uh, ¡­Aguri-san, how about I ask a family restaurant lover like you this¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Speaking of family restaurants, which chain is the best?¡± The family restaurant lover Aguri-san bounced up angrily upon hearing that question. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®the best,¡¯ exin it! I can¡¯t answer such a vague question! All family restaurants have different good points! Everyone is different, and everyone is good!¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± Aguri-san immediately got convinced. ¡­Tendou-san¡¯s amazing. She said this after taking her seat. ¡°Wel, how about I put this in a survey mode> Uh, ¡­personally, which is the best console in your eyes? This question is okay, right?¡± ¡°Yep, sure.¡± ¡°Uwah, ¡­this group of chic gaming otakus pisses me off¡­¡± Although Aguri-san regretted the moment she asked us, we didn¡¯t listen to her. Everyone thought about it silently for 10 seconds. Then, I guess we reached our own answers. ¡­This friendly group shared the same opinion for the most part. -So, with that in mind, we responded at the exact same time. ¡°Nintendo 3DS.¡± ¡°Xbox One.¡± ¡°ystation Vita.¡± ¡°Mobile.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡­Huh?¡± The four of us started bickering again. At the same time, Aguri-san noticed the mood. So, she ejected herself from our conversation with a ¡°thanks for the work, everyone.¡± However, gamers like us can¡¯t spare any time to care about her already. First of all, I smiled¡­and pulled a fast one. ¡°No, no, no, please don¡¯t act like that, alright? I feel like a real gamer should bring up a not-too-popr console. Usually, how should I put it? ¡­People ¡®normally¡¯ answer with 3DS since it¡¯s the most secure option.¡± However, Tendou-san interrupted me and spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m so disappointed with you, Amano-kun. I can¡¯t believe you call yourself my boyfriend.¡± ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t really call myself ¡®I¡¯m Tendou-san¡¯s boyfriend¡¯ outside¡­¡± ¡°¡­W-Well, then you can bring this up to others more confidently. I-It¡¯s because you¡¯re my proud boyfriend¡­¡± ¡°¡­I-I understand. Uh, ¡­I-I¡¯m¡­Tendou-san¡¯s boyfriend! Yes!¡± ¡°Amano-kun¡­¡± ¡°Tendou-san¡­¡± Both of us looked at each other while blushing. Uehara-kun and Chiaki immediately interrupted. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s happening!?¡± Theyined about us. The two of us cleared our throats as we started battling again. ¡°Even so, I¡¯m still really disappointed with you, Amano-kun. Even though I love you wholeheartedly as a boy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line, Tendou-san. You picked Xbox One. ¡­It sounds like a console loved by hardcore gamers. ¡­Even though I love you because of that, partially.¡± ¡°Jeez, you¡¯re annoying, Amano-kun. I really love that part of yours.¡± ¡°You too, your understanding of casual yers will never pass a certain boundary. I really love this determined side of yours too.¡± ¡°What kind of argument is this!¡± The three violentlyined about us once we snapped out of it. ¡­Although Tendou-san and I didn¡¯t understand why we¡¯re being med, we still stopped flirting with each other. ¡­Then, we dragged Uehara-kun and Chiaki into the discussion and started again. ¡°Well, why did Chiaki suggest PSV then? It feels a bit surprising. If we¡¯re picking handheld consoles, my impression of you is a 3DS yer¡­¡± Chiaki shook her seaweed head helplessly at my question. ¡°Keita, I¡¯m so disappointed with you. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re calling yourself my rival.¡± ¡°Uh, Chiaki, it¡¯s okay for me to not call you my rival¡­¡± After I answered, Chiaki suddenly started asking me with tears in her eyes for some reason. ¡°Why, why! If we¡¯re going with the flow, it should be just like what you said to Tendou-san. You¡¯re supposed to beg me and act more like a tsundere!¡± ¡°N-No, I mean, it¡¯s fine if I¡¯m in front of my girlfriend. However, why do I have to act like a tsundere in front of my rival¡­?¡± ¡°Keita, ¡­y-you would want to be a rival with a special ce in my heart, right! Right!?¡± ¡°Ehh¡­? Oh, ¡­yep, yeah. I guess¡­so?¡± The seaweed head that¡¯s begging for some reason makes me feel sincerely sympathetic. So, I can only answer this. So, Chiaki immediately puffed up her chest and exhaled from her nose loudly. ¡°Jeez, you can¡¯t be helped, Keita! Ay, even though I can already see that you were still far from a man when you rmended 3DS! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re calling me your rival. That¡¯s hrious!¡± ¡°I really have no idea what Ms. Seaweed Head is trying to say here.¡± What¡¯s wrong with this girl? Is she emotionally unstable? Also, why did Tendou-san red at Chiaki and me? Moreover, why are Uehara-kun and Aguri-san giving me an extremely disgusting smile? I really don¡¯t know how did the Game Hobby Club¡¯s mood turn into this. Is it because I¡¯m a loner? Or is it because I¡¯m not observant enough? Just as I¡¯m spiraling down into a vortex of confusion, Chiaki continued. ¡°It¡¯s because the current PSV is ¡®just right¡¯ for a handheld console, right? Whether it''s about capabilities, graphics, and the software in store. Moreover, I don¡¯t really care about 3D vision, so PSV is the only choice!¡± ¡°How should I put it? ¡­W-What amon reason.¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong with beingmon! I don¡¯t want to hear that from a normal-type like you!¡± Although Chiaki is quite pissed, in reality, it¡¯s a regr opinion, so it got amon understanding. I have nothing to retort. I can only change the topic. ¡°If we take a hundred steps back, Chiaki¡¯s choice is alright. ¡­The problem is with Uehara-kun. Why did you choose smartphones? You answered that when we¡¯re asking for your favorite console. Uehara-kun, are you the weird kid that answers ¡®human¡¯ when you¡¯re asked what your favorite animal is? Is that so?¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s with that tone! There¡¯s nothing wrong with loving smartphones! You and Hoshinomori love ying mobile games so much!¡± ¡°While that¡¯s true¡­¡± Indeed, I spent a lot of time on mobile games too. So, I never think that mobile games aren¡¯t real games. However¡­ This time, Tendou-san helped me andined about Uehara-kun. ¡°But when you answer smartphones when asked ¡®your favorite console,¡¯ instead of saying you¡¯re trying to trick us, it¡¯s more like you¡¯re just being stubborn.¡± Uehara-kun finally stood up and protested after hearing what she said. ¡°What¡¯s wrong! You guys are all ganging up on me! You¡¯re saying that like I¡¯m a narcissist that¡¯s reveled with this ¡®I got a temper, so I¡¯m amazing¡¯ mood!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that look! Eh, what, don¡¯t tell me people really view me like that!¡± Uehara-kun¡¯s expression turned cold, so I answered him with a bitter smile. ¡°Indeed, ¡­Uehara-kun, you once suddenlypared yourself with Aesop¡¯s fables¡­¡± ¡°S-Stop it! Also, it¡¯s not like what you guys think! I¡¯m really fond of smartphones! After all, you can download all the RPG remakes in the past with way lower prices. Also, the graphics are quite nice, and the controls are easy. Most importantly, it¡¯s very convenient. Come to think of it, smartphones already surpassed all those simr-looking consoles, right.¡± ¡°¡­I guess so.¡± Indeed, smartphones¡¯ evolution in gaming software has improved a lot. From this perspective, of course, I agree that mobile phones are excellent consoles. However¡­ Just as the three of us are hiding our thoughts inside our hearts, Aguri-san, who¡¯s as sharp as usual, suddenly mumbled. ¡°I feel like this is what Tasuku¡¯s trying to say. It¡¯s like a ¡®which family restaurant is your favorite¡¯ questionnaire. Still, you just have to write, ¡®I love touring food streets because I can try out more dishes.¡¯ ¡­Does it feel like that?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Uehara-kun sulkily hmphed while we¡¯re convinced with the excellent metaphor. Even though Aguri-san knows nothing at all, ¡­her words can still point at the exact center. When she turned her attention back to her phone, Tendou-san continued for the speechless Uehara-kun. ¡°By the way, why is everyone focusing on convenience so much? If we¡¯re from a simple ¡®high-quality gaming experience¡¯ perspective, home consoles are the only options, right?¡± Chiaki retorted what she said. ¡°However, if that¡¯s the case, shouldn¡¯t we just buy a PC, no, the entire arcade cab?¡± ¡°Logically, we should be able to limit the area to ¡®home consoles,¡¯ right. Then, I¡¯ll still rmend Xbox One.¡± Tendou-san emphasized her ¡°logical¡± speech, and it damaged Uehara-kun mentally as he let out a moan. identally insulting others while not meaning it, ¡­Tendou-san often does that. I guess Chiaki gotpetitive after seeing Tendou-san¡¯s attitude, so she continued to fight. ¡°I-If we¡¯re talking about gamey experience, everyone bringing their handheld consoles together and beating the level is something that you can¡¯t get on home consoles!¡± Chiaki does have a point. I can¡¯t help but feel throbbed as I voiced my support. ¡°I guess so. Perhaps it¡¯s really like what Chiaki said.¡± At the next moment, Tendou-san, who looks a bit irritated, smiled as she dropped something brutal. ¡°Hiya, but what does that have to do with loners like you two?¡± ¡°Uwah!¡± Chiaki and I immediately did a blood-spilling pose! We took massive mental damage! However, Tendou-san pressed on. ¡°Y-You can go online on handheld consoles too¡­¡± I retorted sheepishly. However, Tendou-san immediately defeated me. ¡°Yeah. However, if that¡¯s the case, home consoles give you a smoother experience, right?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, most importantly, in terms of you two¡¯s situation¡­¡± ¡°W-What¡­¡± Chiaki and I started trembling from the forewarning of a powerful attack. As for Tendou-san, ¡­she smiled while presented us with the cruel truth without hesitation. ¡°In the end, you two just keep your consoles at home to y, am I right?¡± ¡°AHHHHHHHHH!¡± Revealing the truth in front of otakus is way too brutal! Yeah! We spend time on it after school or when we¡¯re out, but loners are almost always home! What¡¯s wrong with that!? Why does it matter!? ¡­Chiaki and I red at Tendou-san with tears in our eyes. I guess Tendou-san felt a bit guilty, so she looked away with a stiff face. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°A-Anyway, I don¡¯t have a grudge against handheld consoles. I¡¯m good as long as the title of King of Consoles belongs to home consoles. Hohoho¡­¡± Tendou-san acted smugly. Chiaki, Uehara-kun, and I clenched our fists, unwilling to admit defeat. During this time, ¡­Aguri-san corrected all of us calmly. ¡°Uh, but I didn¡¯t even ask who¡¯s the king of consoles¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°More importantly, based on what I¡¯ve heard, I would think my boyfriend¡¯s smartphone rmendation is the best for games since I¡¯m not familiar with it.¡± ¡°Eh!¡± ¡°Aguri!¡± Three gamers are showing their discontent explicitly, while a boyfriend is breaking down into tears since his girlfriend voiced out for him. ¡­The discussion ended up getting nowhere. So, Tendou-san changed the subject once again. ¡°However,e to think of it. Basically, I always feel ¡®these guys really have the energy to argue with each other¡¯ when I see gaming debates like this online. ¡­Then, I can¡¯t help but feel triggered before I snapped out of it.¡± Chiaki agreed with her too. ¡°Yeah, yeah! Actually, I do love old games too, and I¡¯m a big fan of home consoles. ¡­However, I didn¡¯t realize I¡¯m this biased to one side.¡± Uehara-kun and I went along with their opinions as well. ¡°Indeed. Usually, my bias towards handheld consoles is around 6:4. However, I realized the stance that I just took is basically a 10:0.¡± ¡°Ay, it¡¯s not just gaming. We can see that in every argument. It¡¯s like a see-saw, you can¡¯t stop once you started leaning towards one side, and you won¡¯t change side either.¡± After Uehara-kun made a conclusion, the gal shrugged helplessly. ¡°Jeez, that¡¯s why I hate gaming introverts.¡± ¡°Shut up, you¡¯re the one who caused all this.¡± Everyone¡¯s ming look pissed Aguri-san off as she retorted. ¡°What!?¡± ¡­Uh, Aguri-san, perhaps you weren¡¯t aware of it. But, based on the situation, your attitude is almost like the final boss in a game. Seriously, at least you only caused an argument between gamers right now. During this time, Uehara-kun suddenly looked at the clock in the ssroom. Then, we realized that time¡¯s almost up. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll end this here?¡± ¡°Thanks for the work, everyone.¡± After a mild announcement of dismissal, each of us started to pack up. Since it¡¯s the Hobby Club, we didn¡¯t have any rules for things like this. From a conclusion¡¯s perspective, ¡­are all the members supposed to yell, ¡°This is the end of today¡¯s gaming discussion!¡± together? Well, I don¡¯t want to do that. However, I actually want to see Tendou-san doing a weird pose embarrassingly. I should say I really want to see it. Just as I¡¯m thinking about useless stuff, Tendou-san grabbed her bag and talked to me. ¡°Well, Amano-kun, what are you going to do next?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, I was nning how to embarrass you when I¡¯m on the way home.¡± ¡°Hiya, what did this boyfriend of mine just say?¡± Crap. I quickly took back what I said and answered again. ¡°I¡¯m nning to go home¡­without thinking about anything. Seriously.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve heard such an untrustworthy testimony. ¡­Sigh, whatever. Uh, do you want to show up in the Game Club with me?¡± ¡°Ah, going to the Game Club¡­¡± The Game Club is different than our Game Hobby Club. It¡¯s a legitimate club activity where everyone hones their gaming skills with Tendou-san as its head. With this rtionship, I went to the Game Club a couple times. However, the style of their club has a subtle distance from a casual yer like me¡­ ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I should go. Based on what happened today, I feel like I¡¯ll start a brainless conflict with the Game Club¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I figured it out.¡± Tendou-san smiled bitterly. During this time, Aguri-san and Uehara-kun finished packing first, so they left together. After we bid farewell, Tendou-san turned to Chiaki, who¡¯s searching for something in her bag. ¡°Ah, Hoshinomori-san, do you want to go to the Game Club with me?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I was slightly startled at the unexpected invitation. But, of course, Chiaki freaked out and rejected. ¡°N-No thanks, I really appreciate you for inviting me. However, I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll disturb the club¡¯s atmosphere. Well, I¡¯m not used to be in the Game Club anyway¡­!¡± ¡°Hoho, you really sound like Amano-kun. How regrettable, I¡¯m rejected again.¡± Tendou-san didn¡¯t seem to particrly mind the fact that she¡¯s rejected, and she even smiled. So, for some reason, Chiaki and I pressed our chests in relief. The three of us tagged along as we left the ssroom. We¡¯re walking across the corridor. Unexpectedly, it¡¯s just the three of us, and I¡¯m in the center somehow. Instead of saying that I¡¯m hugging girls left and right, ¡­this looks more like I¡¯m between an angel and demon. Stuck between my beloved girlfriend and the rival that always bickers with me, ¡­what should I even feel right now? Just as I¡¯m getting nervous, Tendou-san spoke up. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, you two.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Tendou-san suddenly apologized. Chiaki and I tilted our heads in sincere confusion. After Tendou-san nced at us, she smiled bitterly and continued. ¡°After the debate went hot, I feel like I¡¯m practically throwing insults out left and right.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± It looks like she¡¯s remembering the loner speech she made during the console conflict. Chiaki and I immediately denied. ¡°No, no, no, if we¡¯re talking about that, both of us said a lot of mean things too. I guess we¡¯re now equal.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah! Keita¡¯s right, Tendou-san! That was way better than Keita and I going all out and mming each other!¡± ¡°Thanks for that.¡± Tendou-san smiled after she said that. Then, she sighed exhaustedly. ¡°However, like what I¡¯ve said before, I still shouldn¡¯t spew out all those things. I always get angry once something matters to me¡­¡± Chiaki agreed with her. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s hard for you to not want to win when you put a lot of emotions in it.¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­hiya, I¡¯m going to the Game Club. I¡¯ll bid farewell here.¡± When we reached the school entrance, Tendou-san stopped. So, after we said goodbye, perhaps she wants to leave a proof of reconciliation, she put her right hand to Chiaki and asked for a handshake. Although Chiaki blushed in embarrassment, she still grabbed her hand tightly and shook it a couple times. What a heartwarming scene. I¡¯m just as relieved when I can see these two are getting along-¡® ¡°Well, well, Tendou-san! Good luck with your club! I¡¯ll go home with Keita together! See you!¡± ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± Tendou-san¡¯s face immediately turned stiff along with her smile¡­? Huh, what¡¯s wrong? I¡¯m not that dense. As Tendou-san¡¯s boyfriend, I know that she¡¯s unhappy, ¡­yet I¡¯m uncertain why. However, they ignored my confusion and continued the conversation while still holding their hands with a smile. ¡°H-Hoshinomori-san? If I remembered correctly, ¡­your home is in the opposite direction of Amano-kun¡¯s, right?¡± ¡°Ah, yes! But ¡®the two of us¡¯ ¡®want to visit the game store¡¯ ¡®together¡¯ before we go home! Ah, this is just a pure coincidence!¡± Chiaki told her this without meaning anything. Although Chiaki¡¯s just describing the fact, ¡­I don¡¯t understand why she¡¯s incredibly excited about staying next to her rival. Just as I¡¯m dumbfounded by this menacing aura that¡¯s radiating around, Tendou-san¡¯s face twitched even harder. ¡°R-Really¡­? Well. I-If you two are just going to the game store, it¡¯s natural to go together. It can¡¯t be helped, ¡­perhaps.¡± ¡°Yes! Exactly! ¡®It can¡¯t be helped!¡¯ Sigh, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m going out with Keita. What a pain! ¡­Hohoho.¡± The seaweed girl isughing like an idiot. ¡­What¡¯s wrong with her? (¡­Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s nning to drag me into an alley and punch me when we¡¯re heading back?) Come to think of it, it¡¯s reasonable for my rival to be this excited. I theorized that I¡¯m in big trouble soon, so I started shivering. As for Tendou-san, her face kept twitching as she pressed on. ¡°I-If that¡¯s the case, ¡­t-there are games that I want to check out too. Well, I don¡¯t mind skipping the club today and going with you two¡­¡± At the moment Tendou-san said that, Chiaki¡¯s the one who¡¯s smile turned stiff this time. ¡°Y-You can¡¯t do that! There¡¯s no way you can do that! Say no to skipping club activities!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m just skipping the club. Why are you saying that like I¡¯m a drug addict¡­¡± ¡°No, no, no, it¡¯s crucial to participate in clubs! Yes, no need to say anything! Tendou-san, you¡¯re the Game Club president, right! That¡¯s before you became Keita¡¯s girlfriend! That¡¯s before you became a member of the Game Hobby Club! That¡¯s before you were even born!¡± ¡°Uh, I think my life¡¯s more important than being a club president¡­¡± Tendou-san was slightly startled by Chiaki¡¯s enthusiastic attitude. As for me, ¡­I can¡¯t help but feel horror at what Chiaki just said. That¡¯s because¡­ (The only reason that my rival is trying her best to persuade her, ¡­yes, she¡¯s definitely trying to beat me up! We¡¯ll be going to some lonely and dark alleys!¡± I¡¯m sure of my own theory. However, Chiaki didn¡¯t seem to care about our reactions and continued. ¡°Anyway! You can leave two people chatting happily while heading to the game store to Keita and me! That¡¯s not what a girlfriend is responsible for! That¡¯s the rival¡¯s responsibility!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s absolutely what a girlfriend should do!¡± Their argument is getting heated. There¡¯s no way for me to interrupt already. Also, ¡­when they¡¯re yelling at each other, my precious after school time is still disappearing second by second. I stared at their pointless argument for a moment. ¡­Then, I made an extremely reasonable conclusion. (Right, I¡¯ll make a beeline to home alone. Why do I have to wait to be punched here.) Thanks to my long-term loner experience, I¡¯m great at hiding my movements. I secretly disappeared from their argument. Then, I quickly changed my shoes and left the school. I reached the road that heads toward downtown. The sun is slowly setting within the gardens. I looked at the idyllic scenery unintentionally. ¡­At the same time, I realized the conclusion we reached today contradicts the conflict that Tendou-san and Chiaki are in. So, I can¡¯t help but mumble. ¡°Huh? People still get angry even if it¡¯s not about something they love¡­¡± ¡­It looks like the world isn¡¯t that simple. I acknowledged the unbelievability of interpersonal rtionships. ¡­However, at the next moment, I started looking forward to the game store. I¡¯m casually strolling alone on the road painted with the sunset just as usual. DLC 2 – Ayumu Kiriya and Youth-restraining Live Stream

DLC Chapter 2 ¨C Ayumu Kiriya and Youth-restraining Live Stream

Trantor: your_pingas < Hell''s Blood > All Achievement and Handicapped Live Stream. I''m about to start. Hello, I''m the streamer "Tigertrap." Uh, the goal of this series is to acquire all achievements. Also, I''ll be collecting every item in the game. Aside from that, there are 3 limitations. 1. No usage of "Cheetah''s de." 2. No points toward vitality. 3. No usage of "Merdia¡¯s Ash¡± (Weakness Item) during the ¡°Earth King Astor¡± boss fight. All of these will be banned during the gamey. As for other minor handicaps or limitations, the video will be apanied by appropriate exnations. Thank you, everyone. Well, let¡¯s begin. * After I finished the introduction, I first turned off the mic''s switch and stopped the recording. The following game clips and tutorials will be deleted in the legit video. So, there¡¯s no point in recording them. ¡°¡­I need coffee.¡± I looked at the unskippable introduction using the corner of my eye. Then, I went across a rtively tidy suite room for a lonely university student. I opened the fridge located in the little kitchen next to the entrance. My bare feet feels especially cold on the floor, and it finally made me acknowledge the fact that it¡¯s autumn now. I really miss the ground heating system in my old house. I opened the fridge and reached my hand towards the coffee storage shelf as usual. So, my fingers didn¡¯t touch anything. I can¡¯t help but swear. ¡°I forgot.¡± Usually, I will buy boxes of cheap micro sugar coffee online. However, it sold out thest time I tried to order it. So, I decided to deal with itter. ¡­Then, I dragged things until now. In other words, I don¡¯t even have a single can of non-cold coffee in my home. ¡°¡­Really.¡± I tapped the top of the fridge with my fingernails anxiously. I¡¯m not a coffee lover, nor am I addicted to caffeine. It¡¯s just that- ¡°Not having something that I think I have.¡± ¡°Things aren¡¯t going as I expected.¡± I¡¯m always irritated when ¡°unexpected¡± situations like this happen. Comparatively, I feel twice as thrilled when things are going my way. Even so, not having any cans of coffee is an undeniable truth right now. ¡°¡­It can¡¯t be helped.¡± I sighed and paused the recording before deciding to visit the convenience store. I switched from my home uni T to tight jeans with a long-sleeved t-shirt. Then, I tidied my looks in front of the mirror next to the entrance. The mirror is reflecting an indoor otaku with a slim body, white skin, and a face that¡¯s too sharp for ordinary people ¨C which is me. As usual, I don¡¯t really like my appearance. Sometimes, people will praise me with words like ¡°cool,¡± ¡°slim,¡± and ¡°thin.¡± To be honest, it¡¯s just that I look unhealthy. Actually, I think so too. After I tidied up my curly bedhead, Ipromised with my 6/10 face and put my feet into sandals before leaving the room. I slowly walked down the stairs and went out of the apartment entrance. During this time, I met my friend that just came back home. When she saw my face, she greeted me with a smile that¡¯s like a blossoming flower. ¡°Hoho, Ayumu-san. Good morning.¡± ¡°Ah, good morning, Ao.¡± I rubbed my neck as I answered coldly and indifferently. It¡¯s not like I hate this girl. Instead, I didn¡¯t bother to decorate my words because I have sincerely epted her. Ao already understood this part as well, so she didn¡¯t seem to particrly mind. She put away her umbre quickly as she asked. ¡°You¡¯re going out?¡± The conversation continued. ¡­She¡¯s still the elegantdy that¡¯s theplete opposite of me. Ao Saika, 19 years old, she¡¯s in the same university as me. We¡¯re neighborhoods of the same age. I should say she lives next to my apartment. We are quite close since I got into uni a year and a half ago. Ao fiddled her maroon short bob hair slightly and asked. ¡°Ayumu-san, you got lessons?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m free today. Right now, I¡¯m just going to the convenience store.¡± ¡°Really. ¡­Uh, by the way, I don¡¯t have anything to do as well.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ao gave me a charming smile while I looked at her emotionlessly. Then, a baffling silence started to radiate between us. ¡­This kind of weird pause often happens whenever I talk to Ao. This is something that I¡¯ll never see when Ao¡¯s talking to her friends. So, I¡¯m afraid the problem has to do with mymunication skills. ¡­However, I still have no idea on which part I need to improve. I raised my hand and dropped a ¡°bye¡± before preparing to leave. Ao grabbed the corner of my t-shirt. ¡°Please wait, Ayumu-san. Well, ¡­aren¡¯t Ayumu-san supposed to say something to the cute neighbor that just said she¡¯s free?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I thought about it. ¡­Then, I pped my hands together. I tried to put up a smile and told Ao. ¡°Ah, wish you a happy weekend?¡± Ao immediately dropped her shoulders detedly. ¡­Nope, I still have no idea the conversation manners ofdies. Although I always hoped that I can be closer to Ao, I can never take that step. Even though I want to invite her out for dinner or something, I¡¯ll be scared that I¡¯ll act impolitely. Ao gave me a dumbfounded look before mumbling helplessly. ¡°Jeez, ¡­this person never understands a girl¡¯s heart¡­¡± See? Thisdy is indeed dissatisfied with my attitude. If I did invite her out for dinner, who knows what she will say. I cleared my throat and continued the conversation. ¡°Right, Ao, I¡¯m looking for a partner for live streaming recently.¡± ¡°Eh? The so-called live streaming, ¡­is that the one that Ayumu-san has been busy with¡­¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that thing where you are mumbling to yourself alone while ying games. Then, you edit some funny clips out. After that, you even need to publish the video online to entertain yourself, right?¡± ¡°Even though I don¡¯t like the way you¡¯re putting it, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking for a partner. ¡­In other words, you¡¯re hiring a ¡®weird person that¡¯s willing to do something strange together in Ayumu-san¡¯s room,¡¯ right?¡± ¡°Even though I don¡¯t like the way you¡¯re putting it, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°If Ayumu-san¡¯s going out your way to tell me this, it means that¡­¡± Ao looked up to me with hopeful eyes. For a moment, I tilted my head in confusion because of her reaction. However, I still immediately nodded and said, ¡°yes.¡± Then, I told her my request. ¡°Ao, can you introduce someone good to me-¡° ¡°Please take care, Ayumu-san.¡± Ao put up an elegant smile and walked away within seconds. She¡¯s always like that. ¡­It¡¯s hard to grasp her, and I have no idea the distance that I should maintain from her when we¡¯re talking. Usually, she treats me kindly, but she can suddenly turn cold at the next second. ¡­Thanks to that, I¡¯m even less likely to muster up my courage and get closer to her¡­ ¡°Ay, I guess I¡¯m the worse one for not having a live streaming partner and even going so far to ask for ady¡¯s help.¡± After I mumbled that, I strolled towards the convenience store alone. * The leaves were blown off by the wind as they floated in front of me. The air of mid-October is dry and cold. Although the material is pretty thick, it¡¯s still cold to just go out with a long-sleeve t-shirt. I rubbed my upper arms and walked as I thought about the partner thing I mentioned to Ao. (Even so, it¡¯s true that I really want a ¡®partner¡¯ right now.) It¡¯s been a year and a half since I started uploading gaming live streams. Initially, I was just publishing these to kill time during my leisure university life. However, once I snapped out of it, this became my whole life¡¯s career. If you describe my videos with one word, that would be ¡°refined.¡± Concrete gaming knowledge, detailed editing, clear exnations on connoisseur game choices that don¡¯t need any yelling, and an emphasis on graphics, that¡¯s my style. If you put it in a friendly way, it¡¯s aplete and detailed live stream. On the other hand, you can also say that it¡¯s in streaming with no charms. Therefore, although I started slowly on the videos, I can oftenplete them. Also, theck of ¡°difort¡± in my videos helped a lot too. My reputation and subscribers begin to skyrocket. So, after I slightly entered the top rankings, my poprity started to soar. I became a part of the popr live streamers, with some videos getting over a million views. However, ¡­even so, I stayed true to my own belief ¨C simple, stable, and refined. In the end, everything changed when the new generation of live streamers that¡¯s akin to idols appeared. Currently, my position is the ¡°backbone live streamers only followed by long-time fans.¡± (¡­Well, even though thises with its own freedoms.) I thought about this dazedly as I walked into the convenience store. Then, I looked at the magazine area unintentionally. The cover of the magazine is charming new idols in swimsuits. (In reality, ¡­I more or less want to work hard and be famous.) Uh, please don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m not trying to be an idol streamer or something. Well, but I would be lying if I say I don¡¯t want to be famous. Also, for a period, I¡¯m actually quite happy with my voice. ¡­It¡¯s far deeper than all the people I know. However, unexpectedly, even though I don¡¯t really like it, people called it a ¡°handsome boy¡¯s voice.¡± I was kind of swept up by the excitement too, and I admit it. However, no matter how many people praise the ¡°voice¡± that my parents gave me, I still don¡¯t feel realistic about it. It¡¯s more like,pared to myself, I prefer sharing my gamey or favorite games with other people. I realized that a long time ago. Since then, I spent more time and effort to produce videos that are even more refined. But, the growth of subscribers still isn¡¯t much by relying on that alone. Although I wasn¡¯t nning to do this for poprity, I hate to admit defeat. I put my heart and soul into my videos. Yet, the views they got can be easily surpassed when those idol streamers just casually talk about their life. If that¡¯s the case, I can only try to attract new audiences. However, this way, I have to put something that I¡¯ve never used before. (With that in mind, I tried to do ¡°First ys¡± instead of walkthroughs or stream exnations, ¡­but it¡¯s still not going well.) I¡¯m not the type that¡¯s good at reacting. The calm andposed talking is one of my selling points as a streamer. A guy like me will never fit for first y videos no matter what. Although it doesn¡¯t suit me¡­ (Right now, ¡°likability¡± is what Ick the most, and I know that.) I understand that a self-proimed gaming expert streamer keeps dying during the recording sounds fun. However, in my situation, I will always fully prepare myself before that. Also, since I can utilize my skills during the real fight, I never mess up. This is the part where I¡¯m praised. On the other hand, it¡¯s a fact that all of my videos are too uniform. But, even if I acknowledged all that, I can¡¯t improve. I don¡¯t feel right for dying in a game on purpose. I bought 3 cans of micro sugar canned coffee. Then, I quickly left the store and walked back home. I strolled on the streetszily as I can¡¯t help but sigh. (¡­That¡¯s why I want a ¡°partner¡± topensate for myck of attractiveness, ¡­but things just aren¡¯t going my way.) After all, those are the conditions that I requested for my partner. I stopped due to the red light on the crosswalk. After that, I looked back at the unpopr game store behind me. I stared at that dazedly as I thought about my ideal partner. (Well, ¡­first of all, the person must love gaming.) I listed the conditions in my mind. I can see a high school boy¡¯s back in front of the game store entrance. He¡¯s ying the ultra-old demo version of a scrolled action game. This guy got some weird tastes. I looked at his back without paying too much attention as I continued thinking. (Although non-gamers uploading first ys videos aren¡¯t something new, that¡¯s too far from what I¡¯m looking for. Indeed, the person must love gaming at least. However¡­) So, I can¡¯t help but rub between my eyebrows. (At the same time, the person must be poorly skilled to a certain degree. This is hard to find. People often say that you can be good at something when you¡¯re interested in it. That¡¯s what gaming is. Basically, the experience is more important than talent. Therefore, it¡¯s challenging to meet a person that loves gaming while simultaneously suck at it¡­) At this time, that high school boy who¡¯s busy ying demo met a simple-minded and weak enemy. His character took damage. Then, perhaps he¡¯s getting nervous, he pressed the wrong button and fell into the bottomless pit. He lost a life meaninglessly. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Uh, where was I? Ah, yes, yes, yes, the conditions for an ideal partner. (Yes, also, more importantly, the reactions must be funny. However, this isn¡¯t easy as well. After all, the ¡°funny¡± that I¡¯m looking for isn¡¯t just screaming and yelling. How should I put it? What I want is a simple reaction that can make peopleugh. ¡­The person will try to cover up his mistakes in a humorous way. ¡­No, that would be too extravagant-) During this moment, the high school boy made the same mistake at the exact same level. Even though it¡¯s not a hard level, he keeps getting hit by those weak enemies and falls into the pit. Also, I didn¡¯t expect this time to be¡­ < Game Over > He lost all his lives. It¡¯s not just at the beginning. He died at the first level, and the game ended. ¡­I was a bit shocked. Uh, if you ask me, this young man already knew all the controls the game requires. Yet, he wasn¡¯t dying ¡°purposely.¡± Instead, he just came to the game over conclusion naturally. I paused my thoughts as I stumbled next to him. (W-What is his reaction when he¡¯s faced with something this unbelievable¡­) The light of the crosswalk already turned green, but this doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Will heugh, get mad, or be depressed? I gulped as I observed him from the side. ¡­As for that young man- He put the controller on the console. Then, he grabbed his bag on the floor. He acted smugly and forced a smile out as he¡¯s trying to cover something up with mumbles. ¡°I see how it works.¡±¡¯ ¡°I CHOOSE YOU!!!¡± At that moment, I pointed my fingers at him as I screamed the hardest I ever have in my whole life. ¡°Eek!¡± The person in question bulged his eyes and freaked out as he turned to me. Unexpectedly, his face looks innocent, and he looks tiny in Otobuki High School¡¯s uniform. -Yes, it¡¯s at this moment. I, Ayumu Kiriya, a live streamer with a twisted temper. Made the first contact with the game-loving and clumsy high school boy, Keita Amano. * ¡°S-S-S-Sorry for the intrusion¡­¡± ¡°Alright, juste in. You can sit anywhere you want. ¡­No, you can sit in front of that table.¡± ¡°O-Okay.¡± The high school boy that looked around suspiciously as he entered my room, Keita Amano. I tidied my room quickly as I observed him in silence. (Nice, I finally got him inside my house. Well, what should I do next¡­) It¡¯s been 30 minutes since I met him in front of the game store. As for what took 30 minutes, ¡­I spent all of that time- convincing him. ¡°Sorry, will you be good with non-cold coffee?¡± ¡°Ah, no thanks. I¡¯ll be leaving soon¡­¡± Keita Amano still stood in front of the table as he shook his head politely. I smiled and put the coffee in front of him. (It¡¯ll be a headache if you¡¯re going home too fast.) At least go back after I got some fantastic footage. Although he looked around ufortably for a while, he still dropped a ¡°sorry¡± atst. Then, he sat down on the small chair over there. I said yes in my heart and told him. ¡°Just a moment.¡± I opened the game- At the same time, I prepared to live stream secretly. (Well, ¡­herees the main part. After all, I¡¯ll have to make him, Keita Amano-) Just as I started thinking, he asked me with a startled look. ¡°Uh, is this really okay? You invited me to your room to try out games despite not knowing me at all¡­¡± ¡°O-Of course, no problem. You¡¯re interested in < Hell¡¯s Blood >, right? Please try it out.¡± ¡°Really. ¡­I appreciate that. ¡­Uh, but, I still feel like¡­¡± ¡°L-Look, I already prepared everything! Just y for a while! Do it! You should know if you love gaming, right? It¡¯s happy to rmend my favorite game to someone else!¡± I said that as I handed him the controller. As for him, ¡­Keita Amano, he¡¯s still suspecting this whole thing for a bit. However, he gave his first smile ever since he entered the room. ¡°¡­Yeah, you¡¯re right. Rmending your favorite games to someone¡­is really exciting.¡± ¡°Yeah! H-Here, it¡¯s starting! Please have fun!¡± ¡°Ah, okay, well, I¡¯ll be in your care¡­¡± Keita Amano embarrassingly smiled as he looked at the screen. I stared at him¡­as I opened the recording software on my PC secretly with my quiet mouse. Then, a faint smile appeared on my face. (I have to make him, Keita Amano- ¡°y on a live stream while not realizing it!¡± If I can achieve that, I¡¯m sure I can get some incredible and fantastic clips!) * During the 30-minute process of convincing Keita Amano in the game store, I realized something. His gaming style is well-suited to be a live streamer. At the same time, his personality won¡¯t fit into live streaming at all. In reality, I already chose him when he¡¯s trying the demo out. His skills are low enough, and his reactions are on-point. From this meaning, he can be a really popr streamer. However, on the other hand, he freaks out easily, shy, and introverted. From his personality, it¡¯s impossible to request ¡°please let me record some gaming stream clips¡± honestly. He wouldn¡¯t ept that. Even if he¡¯s willing topromise, I bet he will just get anxious and forget everything. This is an apparent fact. If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s only one thing I can do. (I have to make him go live stream without realizing it!) The process wouldn¡¯t be easy. However, that¡¯s why it¡¯s worth a try- ¡°H-Hey, Kiriya-san? Ayumu Kiriya-san?¡± ¡°Eh, can you not call my real name?¡± He suddenly threw this question at me. As for me, I smiled and grabbed a cushion before sitting next to him. When the TV is showing the game introduction, he tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Eh, why?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± It¡¯s because I¡¯m recording a video that will be published online. ¡­Of course, I can never say that. Crap, the n¡¯s suddenly about to be spoiled. I scrambled my brain and thought of an excuse right away. ¡°T-Think about it, it¡¯s more rxing to call each other¡¯s nickname when we¡¯re gaming, right?¡± ¡°Oh, ¡­I see. Well, can I call you Kiriyachi or Ayumuchi?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand why your concept of nicknames is by repeating words.¡± ¡°S-Sorry, there¡¯s not much I can reference on. Uh, then what should I call you¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± If this is the video that I¡¯m recording, of course, I have to use my name for live streaming¡­ I lowered my head silently and mumbled an answer. ¡°J-Just call me ¡®Tigertrap,¡¯ okay¡­¡± ¡°Why!?¡± Keita Amano asked me shockingly. It¡¯s hard to me him since the nickname is too brainless. Sidenote, the namees from me always stepping on those traps in the past videos, ¡­but I can¡¯t really exin to him right now. Just as sweat keeps appearing from my forehead, he asked. ¡°K-Kiriya-san, do your friends call you ¡®Tigertrap¡¯ in real life?¡± ¡°Ah, uh, hmm, ¡­I-I guess so.¡± ¡°How did you get that nickname!?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s because I often stepped on tiger traps in the past?¡¯ ¡°I can¡¯t imagine a school life filled with tiger traps! Kiriya-san, what are you-¡° ¡°A-Anyway, at least, when the two of us are ying games here, you should call me ¡®Tigertrap.¡¯ ¡­If you think that¡¯s too long, you can abbreviate it as Tora.¡± [Note: His actual streamer name is Torabasami. Tora means tiger, basami means a trap or clip. I use Tora because it seems more natural.] ¡°R-Really. ¡­I got it. Well, ¡­I¡¯ll be in your care, Tora¡­¡± ¡°Yep, nice to meet you.¡± Suddenly, I remembered I didn¡¯t get him a nickname for streaming. He smiled gently and started introducing himself seriously for some reason. ¡°I-I¡¯m Amano, Keita Amano. I¡¯m a year 2 student in Otobuki High School¡­¡± ¡°Hey, why are you being such a big mouth!? You¡¯re revealing everything about yourself!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Even though I don¡¯t understand why I¡¯m being scolded, I¡¯m sorry anyway!¡± ¡°Jeez. ¡­Anyway, you need to get a streaming nick- get a nickname, alright.¡± ¡°¡­Nickname. ¡­Ah, how about Amanhi or Kehi¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Yep. I¡¯ll call you ¡®Landmine¡¯ from now on.¡± ¡°Landmine? Eh, where did thate from? Why are you suddenly calling me andmine!?¡± Amano looked at me with tears in his eyes. So, I answered him calmly. ¡°Uh, think about it, it¡¯s just like tiger traps. They¡¯re both traps.¡± ¡°Why am I spending so much effort on this just to keep the unity as you!?¡± ¡°After all,e to think of it, we¡¯re partners.¡± ¡°What partners!? Hey, am I getting dragged into aedy group unconsciously again!?¡± ¡°Well, not yet, but you will be soon.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not yet!? Eh, what¡¯s happening right now!?¡± Crap, Amano started getting suspicious when I¡¯m acting chicly. Iforted him. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. It¡¯s just a joke. However, doesn¡¯t it feel exciting to get a nickname exclusive to this ce?¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­I-I guess so. I do understand that¡­¡± Amano turned his face away embarrassingly. ¡­He¡¯s surprisingly easy to convince, even though he¡¯s an introvert? ¡°Well, nice to meet you, Landmine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I still really mind when someone calls me andmine!¡± ¡°Really? But I can¡¯t take away the word ¡®Landmine¡¯ already¡­¡± ¡°No, take it away. You canpletely take it out, right! How can you get a cool nickname when you¡¯re fussing over things like this-¡° ¡°How about I call you ¡®Jiraiya¡¯ from now on?¡± [Note: The joke is from the word Jirai, which meansndmines.] ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this to be so awesome after a change! Thanks!¡± Amano lowered his head and thanked me. This boy is really easy to convince. While I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking, but in my head, that name isn¡¯t from that Jiraiya from Naruto. Instead, he¡¯s like andmine (jirai) that always messes his teammates up. ¡­Ay, I don''t need to bring that up. Anyway, as long as I praise him like that, the click rate of this video will be okay- ¡°By the way, Kiriya- No, Tora. I was wondering since then, what¡¯s with this¡­vertical microphone in front of me on the table?¡± ¡°Ughh!¡± He finally found out. I cleared my throat as I attempted to exin. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s just for me to chat with my friends.¡± ¡°I see. But it¡¯s kind of blocking me. Can you move that away from me for a bit-¡° When he reached his hand out to the mic, I grabbed his hand forcefully and red at him. ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Ehh! W-Why? Right now, we have no reason to ce it here¡­¡± ¡°I made a promise with my dead grandma! She wants me to never move the mic!¡± ¡°How did you even make that promise!? I can¡¯t imagine the process at all!¡± ¡°Please, I beg you! Please just let the mic be!¡± ¡°R-Really. ¡­I got it. I-I feel a bit sorry.¡± Amano freaked out as he let go of the mic. Just as we¡¯re tossing each other around, the game introduction on the TV screen is already finished. Then, the camera switched to the first boss fight of the story. In front of the yer with full knight armor, a giant monster blocks the way far ahead. The battle will initiate as soon as you get close to it. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Amano gulped and started controlling his character. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Firstly, Amano tried pressing the attack, move, and defend button to confirm it¡¯s working. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± After he¡¯s done, he sighed and faced the boss again¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± He charged forward without saying anything- ¡°Eh, say something, Jiraiya! You want to mess up the show!?¡± ¡°What?¡± Iined. It made Amano stopped when he¡¯s about to enter the battle and looked back at me. I yelled my request out. ¡°Why are you ying the game seriously!? Are you braindead!?¡± ¡°Never before have I been this confused as to why I¡¯m getting scolded!¡± ¡°Say something! Add some casual and humorous chatting, Jiraiya!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a sudden and ridiculous request! Eh, I can¡¯t do that! Not to mention usually, how can I say something funny when I¡¯m focusing on the game!¡± ¡°But you can only be famous in this industry after you ovee that!¡± ¡°Which industry are we talking about!? E-Even if you say that, I¡¯m just here for a demo¡­¡± Amano scratched his head. Hmm, since I imed that I¡¯m just asking him to try out a game, it¡¯s too much for him to be all worked up and talk. If that¡¯s the case¡­ ¡°I understand. You don¡¯t need to say anything funny. However, can you at least give some feedback, Jiraiya? Think about it, for people that rmend their favorite games to others, they will be curious about your reaction¡­¡± ¡°I-I see, you¡¯re right. W-Well, perhaps that¡¯s my bad. I got it. I¡¯ll try to pay attention and act naturally like usual.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Phew, I guess I can feel relieved for now. In reality, I¡¯m not expecting him to joke around. Instead, I¡¯m hoping for some new and exciting reactions. I won¡¯t beg for more as long as I can achieve that¡­ So, back to the game. Amano started rechecking the controls. Then, he followed my instructions and said how he sincerely feels about the game. ¡°I feel like this game¡¯s animation is stiffer than I¡¯ve imagined, and the actual graphics aren¡¯t that good too. I more or less saw the limit of the developer from things like this.¡± ¡°Hey, can you not suddenly leave a negative review!? Thepany will be mad! That¡¯s not good for their hearts!¡± ¡°Eh? But you asked me for honest feedback¡­¡± ¡°About that, ¡­you can just say what you feel with an ¡®adult¡¯s¡¯ mindset!¡± ¡°An adult¡¯s mindset! W-What a refined choice of words!¡± ¡°Think about it. I¡¯ll feel bad when someone doesn¡¯t like the game that I rmended! So, that¡¯s how it goes, get it?¡± ¡°I-I guess so. Sorry, I¡¯m being a nervous wack today, and I didn¡¯t think everything through. I understand. I-I¡¯ll give honest reactions with an adult¡¯s mindset!¡± ¡°A-Alright, even though I feel like it¡¯s kind of weird to announce that so loudly, ¡­whatever.¡± So, Amano started ying the game. We finally entered the plot of the first boss fight. After the enemy monster woke up, the video where its enormous body slowly climbs up appeared. To that, Amano mumbled throbbingly. ¡°Ohh, ¡­the enemy feels pretty heavy. Being shocked by a strong foe in RPGs is an excellent experience¡­¡± What a greatment designed for live streams! I¡¯m feeling pretty smug about choosing the correct guy for this, as I answered. ¡°Actually, this boss is really tough. You will die after 2 hits. The story will continue even after you lost, and it¡¯s more like a must-fail plot fight. However, the stuff you need to do is pretty simple. You can still win if you¡¯re careful. ¡­Yep, this boss fight is well-designed.¡± ¡°Oh, then I¡¯ll have to try my best and beat it!¡± ¡°Sure. It would be amazing if you beat it on the first try.¡± After I answered, I observed his fight while a mischievous smile. (Okay, all I have to do is to watch him getting obliterated now. ¡­Please give me an exciting and unwilling-to-admit-defeat reaction, Keita Amano!) I paid attention to the screen with hopeful eyes. Logically, he kept his distance from the enemy at first. Then, with the boss at the center, he went around clockwise as he observed its attacks. After a while of experimentation, when the enemy missed its attack and had an opening, he took a big swing on the boss¡¯s leg with a de. He managed to escape. ¡°Uwah, I barely hurt him. I have to be more aggressive¡­¡± Amano said that as he started stabbing when he got small chances. In the end¡­ ¡°Ouch!¡± He was hit painfully. The HP bar of the protagonist lost a considerable chunk. In this stage, there¡¯s no way to regen. It¡¯ll be over if he takes another hit. (Well, it¡¯s almost time¡­) To face Amano¡¯s eventual defeat, I sat upright on the cushion. As for Amano, he considered the struggle carefully. So, he slowly chipped away the boss¡¯s HP and dragged this out into a 10-minute sitzkrieg. So, after a mundane and slow battle¡­ He finally¡­finally- ¡°¡­Ah.¡± -He brilliantly defeated the boss. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Amano looked at me with an ¡°I won, right?¡± face. As for me, ¡­when I tolerated his re- I yelled all of my exploding emotions out. ¡°WHY DID YOU WIN!?¡± ¡°Eh! I-I¡¯m not supposed to win!? You¡¯re not praising me!?¡± ¡°Of course not! Your impression is ¡®the innocent sucker gamer that¡¯s loved because of his clumsiness despite the love for gaming!¡¯ How did you break that on the first try!?¡± ¡°F-First try? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. ¡­Uh, usually, I¡¯m a clumsy person. ¡­However, for some reason, I somehow made it out alive sessfully¡­¡± ¡°Why must you not mess it up at this time!? You suck!¡± ¡°I beat the level miraculously, and yet I suck!? Exin that!¡± Amano screamed out of utter anger. Indeed, n-normally, I should praise him for beating the boss in the first attempt. ¡­However, I didn¡¯t expect that from this boy! (Ay, b-but I guess I can still get some exciting and moving clips out with the power of editing¡­) So, I changed my mood and paid attention to the game screen once again. After a short cutscene, the character creation screen showed up. This is where the live streamer can get creative and express himself. You can be lovable if you make weird designs that attract the audience¡¯sins- ¡°Uh, I¡¯ll just choose the default appearance since it¡¯s troublesome.¡± ¡°That¡¯s actually quite creative!¡± He ignored that part even though the game allows you to modify the character in depth. That¡¯s the opposite kind of refreshing. Well, I guess it¡¯s because Amano just treated this as a demo. Hence, it¡¯s reasonable for him to not focus on the character¡­ After ending the character creation screen in 3 seconds, the main story is finally beginning. He followed the trail and explored the old city for a while. Then, he encountered the first enemies. I spoke up to him. ¡°This will be easy when you won the boss fight just then.¡± ¡°Yeah, I won¡¯t lose to pawns like this no matter what. ¡­Ouch! Ah, this guy¡¯s so cheap. ¡­Uwah, crap, no! That was close! Eh, t-take this!¡± Although he took near-fatal damage, he barely managed to kill a pawn with an unhonorable method. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­He suddenly fell into a tough fight while not dying dramatically. Also, he keeps taking massive damage from simple control miscalctions. His gaming style can really stress the audience out. I nced at Amano. He stared at the corpse of the enemy on the screen and mumbled smugly. ¡°¡­You still didn¡¯t manage to finish me off. Heh, this enemy isn¡¯t that powerful.¡± ¡°CREATIVE!¡± I can¡¯t help but yell. Jeez, what¡¯s wrong with this boy? Is he this unwilling to admit defeat? I don¡¯t know whether he¡¯s underestimating or overestimating himself. This is so disgustingly fantastic. Right now, I can already predict the video will be filled withments like ¡°that¡¯s new¡± or ¡°it¡¯s kind of positive when he¡¯s this stubborn.¡± So, the reactions that he made while ying, I guess it¡¯s within my expectation in a sense. ¡­At the same time, I¡¯m constantly surprised. Moreover, I asked Amano a couple questions during the break between games. It wasn¡¯t until then that I realized that he has a little brother that doesn''t really care about him. Also, he watches him y video games for a long time ago. In the end, this ¡°unwilling to admit defeat on the mouth gaming style¡± seems to be naturally cultivated. Well, that¡¯s why I can sense his spirit of entertainment from what he says alone. So, around 40 minutester, when the adventure is over, he put the controller on the table. ¡°Phew, thanks for letting me try this, Tora. I had a good time.¡± ¡°Eh? R-Really, you¡¯re done already?¡± I turned off the recording as I asked. Amano replied with a charming smile. ¡°Yes! I enjoyed it! Moreover, it¡¯s time for me to go home.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­right.¡± Looking at the clock, it¡¯s already past 6 PM. It would be an awkward time to keep a high school student here. Just as he¡¯s enjoying the canned coffee that was barely touched, I threw another question again. ¡°Uh, ¡­well, Amano.¡± ¡°Hmm? Hey, you don¡¯t need to call me Jiraiya anymore?¡± ¡°Eh? R-Right, think about it, ¡­I can just call you that while we¡¯re ying, right?¡± ¡°Oh, I see. I got it. Uh, Kiriya-san, so what are you asking?¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­did you have fun today?¡± Amano froze for a moment at my subtle question. Then, he answered with a smile. ¡°Of course! I¡¯m excited! I really appreciated you for inviting me here! Even though getting asked by a weird uni student on the first contact ¡®Do you want to try out some games in my house? ¡­Hehe¡­¡¯ is quite shocking.¡± ¡°Ha, ¡­haha¡­¡± You little prick. ¡°However, when we actually yed together, I feel like Kiriya-san is a kind person. Thanks to that, I¡¯m so excited that I forgot about the time.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s great¡­¡± I rubbed my neck as I answered. ¡­After that, I tried to continue. ¡°Uh, ¡­if that¡¯s the case, let me ask you this. Uh, ¡­next time, do you want toe to my house again? I should say, do you want to visit here once in a while, Amano?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Amano got startled as he stopped sipping the coffee. (Hmm, ¡­w-was that invitation unnatural?) I have to continue this series of videos. Therefore, he has toe here often, no matter what. However, this time, I invited him in the name of ¡°trying the game out.¡± So, I have to think of something else if I want to meet him again. When the scene is suspended in silence, my restlessness caused my eyes to float around. ¡­So, when Amano finished the entire can of coffee, he said a ¡°thanks for your coffee¡± and put it on the table. After that, he looked at me once again¡­and showed a very gentle smile. ¡°I got it.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± I blinked at his baffling reaction. During this time, Amano ignored me and continued seriously. ¡°It¡¯s really fun to chat and y games with other people.¡± ¡°Eh? Y-Yeah, y-you¡¯re right. So¡­¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s a very precious time for ¡®loners¡¯ like us.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± What did this guy just say? For loners like us? Hmm, ¡­what does he mean by ¡°us¡±- ¡°I got it, Kiriya-san. Even though recently, a lot of stuff happened to my friends and me, I¡¯m still a loner, after all. As a part of the same group, I¡¯m willing to help you!¡± ¡°N-No, Amano? Well, I¡¯m not a loner¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, please don¡¯t start exining everything, Kiriya-san. I get it. Right, as loners, I sincerely understand. It¡¯s upsetting to ept this fact, right¡­¡± ¡°Uh, I already told you that I¡¯m not a lon-¡° I almost continued exining, but I changed my mind and stopped. (Although I don¡¯t like being treated as a loner, ¡­if he doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m one, will he stille to y games with me out of sympathy? If that¡¯s the case¡­) I clenched my fist tightly. ¡­Although I¡¯m trembling from anger, I still managed to muster a smile and answered him. ¡°T-Thanks, Amano. It would be great if you can y with a¡­loner like me.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand! If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll try my best to free up some time for my lonely Kiriya-san! After all, we¡¯re both loners!¡± Douchebag. ¡°O-Okay, thank you. ¡­R-Right, please don¡¯t tell the others that you¡¯reing here to y with me¡­¡± I would be in big trouble if someone leaked the secret recording to him. Luckily, he said that he rarely watched gaming live streams recently. I only need to pay attention to the people around him¡­ So, he quickly epted with a smile. ¡°Alright, I get it! I won¡¯t tell anyone that you¡¯re a loner!¡± ¡°Huh! T-Thanks¡­¡± You smell. My face is twitching from anger. However, I still exchanged my contact with Amano. Then, Amano looked at the clock. He mumbled ¡°crap¡± as he hastily took his bags and walked towards the door. I chased after him. He quickly shoved his feet into the shoes and told me this. ¡°Uh, w-well, I¡¯m free in the evening as long as there¡¯s no Hobby Club meeting on that day. Please invite me on those days.¡± ¡°Hobby Club? Well, even though I don¡¯t really understand, I got you. Well, I¡¯ll contact you when there¡¯s a chance. If it¡¯s possible, I hope that we can meet each other once a week. It¡¯ll be great even if we only y for just an hour.¡± Well, that¡¯s in terms of the uploading frequency of the videos. ¡°I get it! Yeah! It¡¯s really lonely when you have no one to talk to for a week!¡± I¡¯ll kill you. Although I thought about that, I still bid farewell to him with a smile stered on my face. He got on his shoes and turned back to me. Then, he lowered his head deeply and said goodbye to me once again. ¡°Well, sorry for the intrusion. I really had fun today.¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± He¡¯s quite a well-mannered person in this aspect. ¡­I can¡¯t deal with it. Also, while I¡¯m not a loner, bute to think of it. Besides my neighbor Ao, ¡­perhaps I really didn¡¯t bring anyone into this room and talked to them. This is my first time to have a friend in live streaming. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see you next time.¡± ¡°Oh, see you, Keita Amano.¡± I waved and watched his back. When the door is closed, I leaned on the corridor wall and mumbled with a sigh. ¡°¡­Although I¡¯m unwilling to admit this, ¡­today¡¯s gaming experience is enjoyable¡­¡± ¡°¡­Keita Amano, right¡­?¡± Honestly, I despised him today. However, I did expect that he¡¯ll be quite an important person in my heartter- < Ding! > -My heart skipped a beat from the sudden doorbell. Did Keita Amano leave something here? I answered with a ing¡± as I got on my sandals and opened the door. In the end, that person is¡­ ¡°What? Ao, it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impolite for weing a guest, Ayumu-san.¡± Ao Saika, she looks quite pissed. She stopped me from closing the door with her foot. Then, the girl crossed her arms and questioned me with a solemn face. ¡°¡­Who was the one that just left?¡± ¡°Eh? What just then¡­? Ah, you mean Keita Amano?¡± ¡°Keita Amano. ¡­I see. He¡¯s indeed a gentleman in high school.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s the problem with that-¡° ¡°Big problem!¡± Suddenly, Ao took a step closer. I freaked out at her momentum and took a step back into the room. The door closed behind Ao. ¡­In the cramped space of the entrance, Ao is intimidating me at a distance where we can practically stick together. I can¡¯t help but look away and answered her. ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong, Ao? To be clear, Keita Amano is just my partner for live streaming. Didn¡¯t I tell you that I was looking for a partner before?¡± ¡°A partner for live streaming? This means that¡­he will visit this room quite often, right?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, I guess so. I made a promise, after all.¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong with this person¡­? Why are you thinking so shallowly every time¡­!?¡± Ao red at me with a sincerely dumbfounded look. I got angry and retorted. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you? Ao, what was the issue that you were trying to bring up since then?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still asking that¡­!? L-Listen, Ayumu-san, I¡¯ll just ask one thing here. Did you¡­properly exin to that boy?¡± ¡°Hmm? Why are you suddenly bringing this up? What do I need to exin to him?¡± So, after Ao took a huge sigh- She red at me fiercely again. Then, ¡­she said this. ¡°Ayumu-san, I¡¯m asking¡­did you tell him that you¡¯re actually a girl!¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± I can¡¯t help but let out a gasp in shock. Come to think of it, I did forget to tell him that. Ao put her hand on her forehead and hmphed sulkily to my reaction. ¡°Why are you always like this¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ao? That isn¡¯t a big problem, right?¡± ¡°Big problem!¡± Ao yelled at the top of her lungs again, ¡­my ears can¡¯t take it. Yep, in contrast to my deep voice, a normal young girl¡¯s voice is indeed really sharp. ¡°Indeed, you¡¯re tall, your voice is deep, you cut your hair short, and you¡¯re so handsome that ordinary guys can never hope to match you. Honestly, even I¡¯m always attracted to you too.¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s quite embarrassing to say all that.¡± I scratched my head. Ao continued. ¡°However, at the same time, your beautiful face can be regarded as a top-tier girl as well! Are you even aware of that part?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll text my parents and thank them for this afterward.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that! In other words, the current situation is that¡­a beautiful uni student just brought a high school boy into her one-person apartment! What the hell were you thinking!?¡± ¡°What I¡¯m thinking? ¡­I¡¯m thinking about games and live streams.¡± ¡°I guess so! A blockhead like you will only think about those things!¡± Ao wrapped her arms around her head frustratedly at this point. ¡­I still don¡¯t really understand this neighbor of mine. I sighed and told her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I¡¯m live streaming under the impression of a guy. So, Keita Amano treating me as one has no issues at all. That¡¯s just right for me. Moreover, if that¡¯s what he believes in, those indecent situations feared by you won¡¯t happen. It¡¯s perfect, right?¡± However, Ao sighed dumbfoundedly at what I said. Then, she turned back and opened the door before leaving my room without saying a single word. Just as I¡¯m looking at her back dazedly, she prepared to close my door directly. ¡­But she stopped in the middle. ¡°For example¡­¡± She mumbled to me. ¡°I¡¯m saying, for example, what will you do if that Amano boy has a girlfriend? You¡¯re a girl, and yet you keep bringing Amano into your room. ¡­If it got out, this will evolve into something more than a rom.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Ao warned me with a serious look. As for me, Ayumu Kiriya- -I burst intoughter and ignored thatpletely! ¡°Hey, hey, hey, is it possible for that suspicious and lonely high school boy Keita Amano to have a girlfriend!? Ao Saika, you really think that can happen? Jeez, a wealthydy¡¯s imagination can certainly go wild.¡± Ao curled up her lips at my reaction. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not like I care anyway. Jeez, I won¡¯t care about you no matter what happens afterward, Ayumu-san!¡± After she said that, the girl banged my door close impatiently and returned to her apartment. As for me, who was left alone, ¡­I smiled bitterly at Ao¡¯s ridiculous warning as I mumbled. ¡°You¡¯re saying that I¡¯ll get into a rom situation with a boy like Keita Amano. Hmph! That¡¯s impossible.¡± I shrugged alone. Then, to change into my home clothes, I took off my jeans and t-shirt before throwing them around. I walked back into the living room with my underwear on only. < Time until Keita Amano¡¯s girlfriend enters Ayumu Kiriya¡¯s apartment: 6 months > DLC 3 – Ayumu Kiriya and Sweet Taste

DLC Chapter 3 ¨C Ayumu Kiriya and Sweet Taste

Trantor: your_pingas Someone found out that the live streamer was cheating behind his girl. From what I¡¯ve heard, that live streamer brought a nonage high school student into his room and banged each other every night. Also, the exposure is due to the private messaging records of people rted to him. This became another example of troubles caused by love. Naturally, he received wave after wave ofints from the inte. Initially, the live streamer freaked out and messed up his responsepletely. In desperation, his reaction is basically flying into a rage out of humiliation, which caused even moreints. In the end, people went overboard and started human flesh searching. Right now, his daily life is in ruins as well- -I, Ayumu Kiriya, looked at the summary of the news report dazedly. Then, I grabbed and took a small sip of my micro sugar canned coffee. (Sigh, his live streaming career was over when things went this way.) The artificial bitterness of the canned coffee is slowly spreading inside my mouth. The news report did pay attention and didn¡¯t specify the actual name of the live streamer. However, people already knew who from the content alone. That guy has humorous reactions that putedians to shame. Also, his chatter never bores the audience, which is the so-called ¡°idol live streamer.¡± That guy is at the top of the live streamer ranking, which makes me kind of upset. I scrolled down the report and read thements below. < I can already see how trash this person is from the messages he replied to the girl. > < He looks quite ugly in the photo, right? > < Seriously? It¡¯s kind of upsetting since I really liked him. > < By the way, who¡¯s this person? > < The girl¡¯s more or less the same when she published the message records. > < His worshippers are disgusting. > < Everyone rted is gross. > < Do we really need a news report for things like this? > < I can already see from the games that he¡¯s streaming. > The entire live streamingmunity is insulted during the process, and even I was a bit hurt too. It¡¯s upsetting. But, even so, my hands can¡¯t stop scrolling down the online reactions. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I really understand how meaningless, insidious, and terrible this is. This incident is like your colleague or rival suddenly falling from grace. ¡­Being addicted to rted reports and online reactions is thest thing I can do. Therefore, I sincerely get how stupid, horrible, and tasteless this is. (Even though doing things like this won¡¯t increase my poprity or video quality. ¡­Seriously, this is boring. What the hell am I doing?) I get all of that. Even though I should get it, ¡­but I still can¡¯t stop scrolling down with the mouse¡­ < Ding dong- > The doorbell suddenly rang. I freaked out as my shoulder trembles. In response, I immediately minimized the window. ¡­My heart is tangled up by an extremely ufortable sense of guilt. To remove this ufortableness inside my heart, I answered the door with a louder voice than usual. ¡°Coming!¡± Then, I rushed to the entrance. I opened the lock, and hastily opened the door. In the end, the person standing there is¡­ ¡°Ah, h-hello, Kiriya-san. Uh, ¡­ I¡¯m Amano, Keita Amano. W-Well, we promised-¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I get it. You don¡¯t need to be so serious and even introducing yourself. Wee, Amano. No need to be polite. Juste in.¡± ¡°Ah, okay. S-Sorry for the intrusion.¡± The high school boy Keita Amano walked into my room with an unnaturally stiff body. I urged him to take a seat in the living room. Then, I grabbed a canned coffee that he asked for in my fridge. After that, I threw it to him while saying, ¡°Take it.¡± ¡°Uwah.¡± He quickly reached his hand out and tried to catch it. ¡­So, the coffee went back and forth between his hands like a sandbag. It ended up between his legs. Even though it¡¯s nothing too humiliating, his face red up. I bitterly smiled at his unchanging ¡°attitude.¡± Then, I took a seat at the cushion next to him. Looking at the side, I found out that he seems to be staring at me too. When we made eye contact, Amano hastily looked away in embarrassment and pulled open the can¡¯s ring. I couldn¡¯t hold my sigh as I looked at him dumbfoundedly. Keita Amano, he¡¯s a year 2 boy in Otobuki High School. As for right now, why is he in a university student, which is me, ¡­Ayumu Kiriya¡¯s room? All of that is because he¡¯s currently my ¡°live streaming partner.¡± Two weeks ago, I chose this boy on the street when I struggled to make my live streams more popr. So, I started talking to him. This is the second time that he showed up at my house. However¡­ (But, even if we just met twice, he¡¯s so nervous that everything I did with himst week was reset¡­) I enjoyed my half-finished canned coffee as I looked at him. A stiff and nervous high school boy is right in front of me. (I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s so anxious. Well, unless he knows my gender. That would be hard to say¡­) Yes, in reality, -he came to my house to y without knowing two of my big secrets. The first one is that I¡¯m recording his gamey into live stream videos and uploading them. He¡¯s partially qualified for being a live streamer. However, that¡¯s based on a delicate bnce. As long as he¡¯s conscious that we¡¯re in a live stream, everything bes boring. What a miracle. Therefore, I have to make him think that ¡°we¡¯re just trying games out¡± and ¡°I¡¯m just ying with friends.¡± That way, I can record the process. Honestly, due to moral issues, I included this in thements when I uploaded the video- I added this deration. Thanks to that, no one started a fight in thement section right now. ¡­Well, even though I didn¡¯t gain his permission yet¡­ Basically, I deleted everything that can expose his identity during editing. The voice is slightly adjusted too. So, he won¡¯t lose anything because of this, ¡­I guess. Also, it¡¯s been one week since I uploaded the first video. The result is way better than I¡¯ve imagined. With that, I couldn¡¯t stop even if I wanted to. If no one is interested in this video, I can exin everything to Amano and delete the video. Then, we can pretend nothing happened. ¡­However, right now, it¡¯s already out of my hands. I want more people to watch my videos and feel that it¡¯s interesting. Therefore, when I started nning this, I always pay attention to the ¡°exposure risk.¡± This cautious attitude of mine is why my poprity is stable. At the same time, it¡¯s the reason why I¡¯m struggling to be even more famous. That¡¯s why, currently, I decided to step forward. This means that I have to be responsible for this Keita Amano ¡°risk.¡± Right, speaking of risk, there¡¯s another big secret that Amano doesn¡¯t know. Perhaps this can be called an overwhelmingly dangerous ¡°risk.¡± In reality, I don¡¯t think this is a problem. ¡­However, ording to my neighborhood friend, this is more than a grenade. It seems that this risk is so dangerous that it can be called a nuclear ¡°secret.¡± The reason for that is¡­. ¡°Eh, Kiriya-san, there¡¯s a loose thread on your shirt.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± He reached his finger towards my chest. Then, he got rid of the thread and smiled. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s done.¡± ¡°¡­Uh, t-thanks, Amano.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± It¡¯s casual and nothing significant, a usual daily scenery. ¡­It looks like that. Actually, what he did is pretty close to the line. (Well, like what my neighbor, ¡­.Ao said, perhaps this is not good.) Although I thought about that, I scratched my head emotionlessly as if this happened to somebody else. I still don¡¯t think I¡¯m in danger. Uh, even though I know from an everyday perspective, that would be a colossal issue¡­ The reason why is that I, Ayumu Kiriya, ¡­the live streamer with a handsome voice- Even though I don¡¯t look like it, I¡¯m still a girl. When Amano wasn¡¯t noticing, I casually put my palm on the chest area of my shirt. Although it can¡¯t be any more t, you can still feel something. (Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m explicitly acting like a guy¡­) Indeed, my figures aren¡¯t as attractive as a normal girl. Including my chest, everyone is thin and slim. When I look at myself in the mirror, I always feel like I¡¯m like a match stick. Moreover, my hair is short, my clothing is on the neutral side, and my voice is deep. The worst part is that I never smooth out my way of talking. ¡­Naturally, there¡¯s a pretty high chance that someone who met me for the first time will see me as a ¡°more neutral guy.¡± This is me, a girl named Ayumu Kiriya. It¡¯s just that in the past, a misunderstanding like this didn¡¯t bother me too much. I¡¯m always in a girl¡¯s uniform until the end of high school. Although people did mock me for looking like a guy, they can still recognize my gender. People think that I¡¯m a boyfriend when I¡¯m with my female friends on holidays. The mood got embarrassing when the staff member in the outlet store thought I was a guy. ¡­Situations like this happen all the time in my daily life. Well, Amano¡¯s different. ¡­It¡¯s my first time to share a close rtionship with a guy that thinks I¡¯m of the same gender as he does. (Sigh, even though I¡¯m the one lying to him right now¡­) The reason for that is because you can see from Amano¡¯s appearance. He¡¯s a very introverted otaku teenager. If I revealed that I¡¯m a girl, a coward like him will never ¡°casually enter a single university girl¡¯s room¡± ever again. If I have to record gamey videos from him, this will be a very fatal mistake. In the end, he has no idea of the two secrets: he¡¯s being recorded, and Ayumu Kiriya is actually a girl. Yet, he still came into my house and yed games with me innocently. ¡­This is the current situation. (His alias ¡°Jiraiya¡± is really suitable to him right now¡­) Amano, he¡¯s the guy that unknowingly carried a bunch ofndmines. I can feel that my shoulders are getting heavy, so I can¡¯t help but started rubbing my neck. Just as I¡¯m doing that, Amano got restless and asked me. ¡°Can I ask¡­aren¡¯t we going to y games?¡± ¡°Eh? R-Right, we¡¯re ying. Sorry, just a second.¡± This is different. I would usually put a great effort into managing my schedule and progress strictly. The current unusual situation took up all my mind, and I can¡¯t help but feel at a loss. I quickly arranged the cables and turned on the power as I talked to Amano. ¡°This time, I want to y something different with the two of us together, what do you think? But you can choose to continue trying thest one¡­¡± ¡°Eh? No, no, no, it¡¯s weird when I¡¯m the only person ying. I¡¯m the one that barged into your house, after all.¡± ¡°I-I guess so.¡± I answered with a bitter smile as I got the games out. If I¡¯m uploading a series of videos, it¡¯s easier to split the same gamey into several parts and edit them. So, initially, I wanted him toplete < Hell¡¯s Blood >. ¡­But,e to think of it, what he said did make sense. If I don¡¯t exin that this is a live stream, it will be strange for him to finish the entire game in my room. So, from now on, the series he¡¯s starring in will be a noob trying out various titles for people to watch. I decided to go with that route. Actually, manyments fromst time also said, ¡°I want to see him ying other games.¡± I guess everything¡¯s settled. After I turned on the console, I grabbed two wireless controllers and handed one to him. ¡°Hmm? Are we fighting each other with a game?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I nodded as I quickly started recording with my PC. ¡°Eh? Kiriya-san, I think the light on the microphone just lit for a second¡­¡± ¡°I-It must be your imagination.¡± Ugh, I thought I already switched off the light on the microphone beforehand! Perhaps it still shed for a second because of how cheap it is. I took a seat at the cushion next to him again. So, when the TV showed the game screen, -I turned on my ¡°live streamer switch¡± inside my heart. ¡°Alright, ¡­this time we¡¯re ying this game! < Exploding Monkeys >!¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly so energetic!?¡± Amano, who doesn¡¯t know that the live stream has already started, freaked out and bulged his eyes. I ignored him and continued talking in live streamer mode fluently. ¡°The ssic actionbat game < Exploding Monkeys >. The colorful monkeys will attack each other with bombs on the same screen. It¡¯s an eternal masterpiece.¡± ¡°Uh, can I see that as you talking to me? Even though you weren¡¯t looking at me at all¡­¡± ¡°Jiraiya, have you yed this game before?¡± ¡°Eh? I guess. I tried it out before¡­¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s no need for exnations. I n to fight against you with this game today. I¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡± ¡°I-I see. I¡¯m looking forward to it too. Ki- no, T-Tora.¡± We have to call each other¡¯s aliases when ying in this room- Amano seems to be suddenly aware of that rule and called me by the correct name. ¡­Alright, it looks like I don¡¯t need to edit out as much audio asst time. I continued the live stream calmly. ¡°Well, let¡¯s start right away.¡± ¡°Hey, can I ask whether you¡¯re talking to yourself? Or do I have to respond to you?¡± ¡°Uh,bat mode, 2 yers, bots setting is strong, and all items are avable. ¡­Alright.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re really talking to yourself-¡° ¡°Jiraiya, you have to say something as well. Help me fill up the time!¡± ¡°What!? This is the first time that someone asked me to talk to myself! Hey, what¡¯s happening? Tora, are you afraid of silence or something?¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s simply because something bad will happen if we don¡¯t talk.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that curse!? That¡¯s scary! Something terrible will happen if we don¡¯t talk. Tora, the death threat on your end is even less reasonable than the ones in Final Destination!¡± ¡°No, no, no, what are you talking about, Jiraiya? You¡¯re already not an outsider anymore.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an outsider!? Eh, how did I get dragged into this in just a second¡­¡± ¡°Ah, the fight between the exploding monkeys is starting, Jiraiya.¡± ¡°Now¡¯s not the time for that!¡± Amano nearly cried out, yet he still responded to the game quickly. I gave a satisfied smile at his look. At the same time, I remembered thements I got from thest video. (I didn¡¯t expect the audience to like ¡°Jiraiya not realizing he¡¯s live streaming¡± so much¡­) Initially, I chose him as my partner because of his mediocre gaming skills and reactions. After I actually uploaded the video, I found interest in a part that wasn¡¯t in my expectations. That¡¯s why it¡¯s both fun and challenging to provide entertainment. ¡°Wow, I miss it so much. It¡¯s been a long time since Ist yed it, < Exploding Monkeys >.¡± So, Amano¡¯s fear for the ¡°curse¡± vanished. When the game started, he immediately started talking energetically with bright eyes. I smiled at his live streamer attitude as I turned my attention back to < Exploding Monkeys >. If I have to summarize this game in one sentence, < Exploding Monkeys > is a game where you kill each other with bombs and be thest survivor. Although the description seems brutal, it¡¯s a party game with cute characters moving around on the 2D screen- -Or it may seem at first. Actually, this is a battle of ruthless murders. No matter what, the feature of thisbat game is the weapon, bombs. If the game uses swords or guns as weapons, in a sense, the fight still has some legitimatepetition and sportsmanship left. However, none of that works when bombs are used. Since there¡¯s a dy between nting and detonating the bomb, it¡¯s a weapon that can turn against your will. It¡¯s because that¡¯s the only weapon for every yer. The battlefield bes a mess of tactics, baits, traps, alliances, and betrayals. Only one survivor can live through hell like this. Instead of saying that it¡¯s a game, this already entered the ¡°gu refinement¡± realm, terrifying. [Note: Gu refers to the process of putting several poisonous insects and letting them kill each other to concentrate the toxins.] ¡­Even though it¡¯s such a meaningful game, basically, the controls for yers are just movement and cing bombs. It¡¯s easy to learn. In other words, it¡¯s a family party game that everyone can enjoy happily right away. Moreover, it includes thepetitive side of murdering each other in a battle royale. For such a well-designed game, what else can you call it other than a masterpiece? (Ay, even so, of course, there are a bunch of techniques and tactics.) When the match begins, the first thing you need to do is clearing the bricks around you. In this game, whether you¡¯re trying to move, encountering enemies, or picking up items, you have to start by destroying the bricks. This time, it¡¯s a 4-yer battle that includes bots. Therefore, the 4 yers are ced on a square screen as they start destroying the blocks around them. During the process, random items will appear from the bricks. However¡­ ¡°Oh, I can ce more bombs now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice¡­¡± Amano looked at my item and let out an envious sigh. The one that I got can increase my maximum bomb cement number. I can clear the bricks faster with a thing like this. As a result, I have a higher chance to get even more items than other yers. I continued blowing up the bricks as I get item after item. I got increased bomb power, increased character speed, and the ability to kick bombs away. Inparison, Amano¡­ ¡°W-Why do I have nothing here!? Ah, it finally appeared. ¡­Eh, isn¡¯t this a skull head!?¡± Amano suddenly got a useless item that randomly generates a negative effect. I observed the change in his character. The effect this time is- ¡°Nice, I only turned invisible. Well, I guess it can still be useful in certain situations.¡± After he said that, a bomb immediately appeared next to his character. I guess he ced it when he turned invisible. (¡­Indeed, this power is a bit annoying. I can be suddenly locked into a dead-end by the invisible character-) When I¡¯m bing increasingly aware of the danger, Amano suddenly yelled out loud. ¡°Uwah! Crap, I blocked myself with my own bombs!¡± ¡°What the hell are you doing!?¡± -At the next moment, the invisible monkey died spectacrly. The invisibility is removed the second he died. There¡¯s even a cute squeak, which just makes the whole thing even more depressing. The most important thing is¡­ I can¡¯t even keep my cool anymore. I can¡¯t help but yell at him. ¡°You died before even touching me!¡± A live stream like this has nothing to see! Amano looked away from me and tried to find excuses. ¡°Ay, ¡­i-it¡¯s usual when I y < Exploding Monkeys >. I often blow myself up at the start of the round.¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s indeed usual, but that was different, right! If you¡¯re not used to controlling an invisible character, why did you force yourself to ce bombs! You could¡¯ve just waited for the invisibility to disappear!¡± ¡°I heard this from someone before. Instead of regret because you didn¡¯t try, it¡¯s better to try before you regret it.¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve chosen a way that you wouldn¡¯t regret at the start! Like what happened there, you shouldn¡¯t bet your luck with that idiom, right!¡± My anger made Amano tilt his head dumbfoundedly. ¡°Uh, ¡­Tora, why are you mad?¡± ¡°You have the nerve to ask me that!? This way, the video will-¡° The video will be boring. ¡­I barely stopped myself from saying that. Crap, I think I just mentioned video. ¡­N-No, perhaps he didn¡¯t hear it¡­ ¡°The video will? The video you¡¯re saying, ¡­is it a video that can be yed?¡± (He heard it!) His hearing shocked me. What¡¯s wrong with Amano? Even though he¡¯s an amiable guy, why does he listen to everything in situations like this? That¡¯s annoying. My forehead is covered in sweat, but I paid attention to the screen as I answered him. ¡°I-I was saying the victory. ¡­Y-Yes, in terms of the ¡®victory,¡¯ you wouldn¡¯t even get 2nd runner up!¡± ¡°Is this the Olympics!? Eh, is there punishment for people that didn¡¯t enter the top 3!?¡± ¡°N-No, it¡¯s not like that. ¡­However, you should still aim to get a medal! Don¡¯t you feel upset when you¡¯re just one step away from the podium!? Show me your soul of a samurai!¡± ¡°What!? Tora, I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re getting so worked up! Uh, ¡­indeed, I guess being thest ce makes you upset. ¡­A-Anyway, I¡¯ll try harder time. It¡¯s okay.¡± Phew, ¡­i-it looks like I barely made it through. That was close¡­ In the end, I got 2nd ce in the first round because of my partner¡¯s sudden explosive death. After the results came out, the next round immediately started. The second round is different. Amano got some items on his side too, and the match went well. So, the blocks that isted the characters are finally destroyed, and both sides are about to meet each other. -However¡­ ¡°Uwah! This bot is strong! AHHH!¡± ¡°I was saying, why did you die before even touching me!¡± Keita Amano was defeated before he can fight me. ¡­So, there¡¯s nothing to see for a video. I faced two bots again. ¡­What¡¯s happening right now? Amano looked at the fight between the bots and me dazedly as he sighed. ¡°¡­This is boring.¡± ¡°Same, me too.¡± Why do I have to y against bots two rounds in a row? This is so pathetic. This series does have a rule where the defeated yers can throw bombs into the field. However, I turned it off this time. Uh, I was thinking when only the two of us are left, the match wouldn¡¯t be fun if the bots are interfering. I didn¡¯t expect none of us has interacted with each other right now. Amano has nothing to do and even mumbled dazedly. ¡°¡­This would be fun if it¡¯s a 4-yer match. ¡®Empty¡¯ time like this wouldn¡¯t happen at all¡­¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°¡­But you¡¯re a loner, Tora¡­¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± I messed up my controls due to incredible frustrations. So, my character was dragged into the explosion. In the end¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The two bots are dueling each other on the TV screen. ¡­What is this? What kind of live stream is this? Amano and I can only endure this period of ¡°pointless¡± time. The bots are still struggling. How can they fight so fiercely? I looked at the screen as I can¡¯t help butin. ¡°Speaking of loners, Jiraiya, aren¡¯t you just the same?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Amano blinked at my suspicion. Then, for some reason, he scratched his head embarrassingly. ¡°Hiya.¡± ¡°That was true, but I knew more people and friends recently. My growth is speeding up.¡± ¡°Your growth is speeding up? Uh, what¡¯s this¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Like I said before, it¡¯s simply because I have more friends now¡­¡± ¡°You? Why? The thing that you¡¯re talking about isn¡¯t rted to religion, right?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not! Tora, who do think I am!?¡± ¡°Bait.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a shocking answer! Eh, bait? Why am I a bait?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m meaning it positively.¡± ¡°What do you mean positively!? If you¡¯re saying a good bait, that just makes me even more ufortable!¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect this, Jiraiya. You actually have friends¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not unexpected. Please don¡¯t say that¡­¡± ¡°Ah, sorry, then I¡¯ll use the correct words.¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Jiraiya at least has several people that he acknowledges as friends.¡± ¡°Hey, why do I feel there¡¯s more room for exnations.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great, Jiraiya. Congrats, congrats, congrats.¡± ¡°Stop it! Don¡¯t encourage me to imagine a happy ending in my mind!¡± ¡°Well, the bots battle is over. Let¡¯s go for another round, okay?¡± ¡°My mental state is too terrible!¡± Anyway, we still started a new round. The two of us destroyed the bricks sessfully, and we gradually acquired items. So, in the 3rd round, ¡­we finally managed to fight each other. ¡°Go, go!¡± ¡°That¡¯s nothing. Eat this!¡± We ced bombs next to each other as we dodged the attacks. From this perspective, ¡­Amano indeed got his basic gaming sense right. At least, he¡¯s ultimately able to keep up with me. (Well, why does this boy always screw it up at thest moment¡­) I guess that¡¯s what makes Keita Amano him. Amano and I began a series of offense and defense. The ¡°offense¡± in this game is mainly about cutting off the escape. You wrap your bombs around the enemies and block them to win. Of course, there are tactics like kicking the bombs, throwing them, and n a series of chain detonation. However, no matter which one you choose, the basis is still ¡°cutting off the escape.¡± To aplish that, you need to predict your opponent¡¯s movement. Then, you need to guess the enemy¡¯s weak spot with pinpoint uracy. Even if you can¡¯t finish your foes, you still need to try cing bombs in the enemy¡¯s escape to ¡°pin¡± them. You can also force him to fight with other characters. ¡°¡­Okay, I managed to kill a guy!¡± ¡°Nice, Jiraiya. But the same goes for me.¡± The two of us killed off the bots that tried to mess with us. So, in the 3rd round, the two yers finally faced off each other seriously. First, we threw and kicked bombs at each other as we kept our distance. ¡°Wow! That was close!¡± I kicked my bombs to Amano¡¯s side, causing a chain explosion from the one I ced beforehand. It almost blew up his character. Just as I¡¯m thinking that¡­ ¡°Oh, crap!¡± This time, he tossed a bomb over the wall and hit me. Although my character got dizzy for a second, I managed to escape before the bomb exploded. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The nervousness from the intense fight is skyrocketing. I slowly forgot that I¡¯m live streaming, but I still got the video running with my reactions. (Even though that¡¯s not my live streaming style¡­) While I did think of that, on the other hand, I believe this isn¡¯t too bad. People can tell something¡¯s wrong when you¡¯re reacting while ying a game alone. However, when Amano is next to me, I can easily express myself. It¡¯s because he¡¯s a person that reveals his emotions from time to time. He¡¯s so honest that it¡¯s a bit embarrassing¡­ ¡°Damn, you¡¯re evil, Tora!¡± ¡°No, no, no, Jiraiya. You¡¯re in no ce to talk.¡± Naturally, we started bickering with each other as we yed. I began to think that maybe this way of live streaming is not so bad. (Although the content isn¡¯t refined, and the quality isn¡¯t spectacr, ¡­perhaps it¡¯s nice as long as the ¡°enjoyment¡± we¡¯re experiencing can pass to the audience from the screen. It¡¯s just like an idol live streamer¡­) At this point, the online news report suddenly shed in my mind, and my hands stopped pressing on the controller. ¡°Nice! I did it!¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Once I snapped out of it, my character was already trapped inside the bombs set by Amano. I blew up in a sh with nowhere to escape. ¡°Yeah!¡± Amano put up a victory pose next to me. I mumbled. ¡°I-I was defeated¡­¡± Then, I gulped to ignore the vague emotions that are flooding my heart. Amano¡¯s character, who defeated me, is now dancing innocently on the center of the screen. * In the end, we recorded 10 rounds before quitting. Since the match gotpetitive after the 3rd round, it¡¯s pretty impressive. When Amano¡¯s preparing to go home, I clicked on the PC and stopped the recording. So, ¡­I can see the minimized window before at the bottom of the monitor. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I sighed¡­and erged the screen, not even caring that Amano is still I the room. That news report and the readers¡¯ments popped up again. I can¡¯t help but shake my head. (Jesus, ¡­why did I immerse myself in this gloomy and insidious sense of happiness after seeing news like this? How terrible¡­) Perhaps it¡¯s because I just had a happy and innocent gaming experience with Amano. I feel pretty despicable for what I felt. I¡¯m getting increasingly depressed. ¡­Crap. I can¡¯t keep like this¡ªtime to switch up the mood. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± I let out a huge sigh. Then, I stood up from the table and turned toward Amano. As for him, he¡¯s struggling to put up his scarf for some reason. I don¡¯t know whether he¡¯s clumsy or he didn¡¯t practice enough¡­ The PC that showed the news report is right before me. ¡­I asked him this. ¡°Eh, Amano, let me ask you this. ¡­Am I a terrible person?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He answered casually. Also, he didn¡¯t look at me at all as if it¡¯s a natural conclusion. ¡°Why did you suddenly ask this?¡± Amano started a fight with his scarf as he asked. I cleared my throat with a cough and continued. ¡°Uh, ¡­recently, I¡¯m getting frustrated because I¡¯m not improving for some reason. Then, I¡¯m thinking whether the main reason¡­has to do with this bad habit of mine.¡± ¡°What habit?¡± ¡°The habit of feeling joy in secret with others¡¯ misfortune.¡± ¡°You suck.¡± ¡°Right?¡± I put up a mischievous smile to cope with it. However, in my heart, I¡¯m sincerely reflecting. I¡¯ve always lied to myself with gentle words like stubborn and twisted temper. In all honesty, a person like me is just- -Just as I¡¯m thinking about that¡­ ¡°Hey, but I do like Kiriya-san because of this.¡± Keita Amano suddenly said something shocking. ¡°-Eh?¡± My face went pale as I froze. However, ...Amano is still continuing with a casual, chatty tone. ¡°After all, if you¡¯re too kind and innocent, we won¡¯t get along when ying < Exploding Monkeys > today. Kiriya-san, I like your gaming style.¡± ¡°Ah, you mean gaming¡­¡± I pressed my chest in relief. ¡­Uh, what was I thinking? Amano challenged his scarf again and again as he continued. ¡°A benevolent, gentle angel, and a devil that goes out his way to torture his opponents, which side is better to fight against? This is what I¡¯m trying to say.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always putting your standards on gaming.¡± ¡°¡­Ay, even though from a cooperative game¡¯s standpoint, perhaps the angel is the only choice.¡± ¡°And you always change your mind.¡± I feel like talking to him makes me being troubled by those things looks stupid. Amano carefully adjusted the shape of his scarf and went on. ¡°Right, speaking of changing minds, I was just answering you casually from the conversation. However, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad thing to feel happy with other¡¯s misfortune.¡± ¡°Uh, that¡¯s at least not something you can praise on, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. ¡­For example, after the righteous hero defeated the demon king, can¡¯t ordinary people celebrate ¡®you get what you deserve, demon king¡¯ happily? That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to say.¡± ¡°I feel like it¡¯s harder to understand once you started exining with gaming.¡± ¡°You¡¯reining even when I¡¯m trying tofort you. You suck, Kiriya-san.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say?¡± This time, I can¡¯t help butugh out loud. ¡­For some reason, even though this guy is clich¨¦ and always talks non-sense, ¡­he can still manage tofort me. Amano¡¯s finally satisfied with his scarf. Then, he turned towards me with a cheerful look. ¡°Ay, no matter what, a person like me is just a small passerby in the end¡­¡± Amano said that and smiled gently. ¡°I will drop a joyful and sincere ¡®that¡¯s what you get¡¯ when the demon king is defeated. ¡­If there¡¯s a pure and terrible person like me around, I think my daily lives will be happier.¡± ¡°-Really?¡± After hearing his encouragement, I can¡¯t help but¡­give a rare and warm smile. So, Amano looked at my expression and bulged his eyes in surprise. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, it¡¯s nothing. ¡­Sorry, Kiriya-san. I felt like you¡¯re a girl for just a moment.¡± ¡°¡­Uh.¡± What¡¯s wrong with this guy? How troublesome. He¡¯s abination of clumsiness, keenness, and weirdness. It¡¯s tough to predict when and what strange things he¡¯ll say. Why did my gender almost got exposed in a time like this? Perhaps Amano was aware he said something he¡¯s not supposed to, so he hastily changed the topic. ¡°H-However, when the demon king is defeated, there¡¯s always a religious nut that prays gently. ¡®I hope his soul can rest peacefully.¡¯ I do like her as well! It¡¯s more like, that¡¯s what I love.¡± ¡°Seriously, you always change your mind! ¡°That¡¯s why I said I¡¯m just a small passerby! I feel relief whenever I find a person that¡¯s just as insignificant as me. However, on the other hand, I do admire people that are much nobler than me. Actually, that¡¯s just amon concept.¡± ¡°Uh, you¡¯re already less than a small passerby when you¡¯re this unconfident.¡± ¡°Hiya, a guy that looked down on himself as a ¡®small passerby¡¯ is retorting that ¡®I¡¯m less than a small passerby.¡¯ Kiriya-san, you¡¯re brutal!¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey, ¡­didn¡¯t I brought it up several times before?¡± ¡°What?¡± Facing Amano, who¡¯s asking me with a dumbfounded face- I curled my lips mischievously and answered him with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m always terrible, whether it¡¯s the past, present, or the future.¡± * ¡°Sorry for asking you to walk with me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just have to stop by the convenience store.¡± I answered him and continued walking on the street in front of my house with Amano. Autumn in the northern areas is pretty short. When you feel it¡¯s getting cold, sprinkles of snow will appear just after a while. Today¡¯s temperature is low. I guess wearing a shirt and an autumn leather vest isn¡¯t enough. I rubbed my arms and thought about whether I should get oden in the store for dinner. Although I didn¡¯t talk much to Amano, unbelievably, this isn¡¯t so awkward. (Normally, it¡¯s pretty awkward for me to be alone with a guy¡­) Perhaps it¡¯s because I don¡¯t treat him as a boy. Even though it¡¯s just my second time ying with him, I¡¯m so rxed like I knew him for a long time. We arrived at the convenience store without saying anything. I stopped. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be leaving now. Stay safe.¡± ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± Amano lowered his head and greeted me obediently. I subconsciously followed and greeted as well. During this time¡­ ¡°Ah, Kiriya-san, just a second, alright?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Suddenly, he took a step closer to me. Just as I¡¯m thinking whether something¡¯s wrong, Amano quietly reached his hand out towards my head. ¡­Then, after picking something away, he took a step back. Amano, whose hand is holding some cotton, smiled. ¡°There¡¯s dust on your hair.¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, I see, thanks.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be leaving. See you.¡± ¡°Ah, yep, okay, thank you.¡± I waved and watched him slowly moved away. Then, when he turned over the corner and disappeared¡­ ¡°Ayumu-san.¡± Someone suddenly called me from behind. I freaked out and turned around. After that, I found out the wealthy universitydy with a shopping bag in her right hand that lives next to me, ¡­Ao Saika, is standing there while pouting. ¡°Oh, Ao, it¡¯s been a long day. Are you going home?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­Let¡¯s bring that upter, Ayumu-san. Did you kidnap that boy into your room again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s mean when you said I¡¯m kidnapping him into my room¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but sigh dumbfoundedly. Then, I tried to persuade this neighbor that¡¯s a bit on-edge. ¡°Listen, Ao. He really thinks that I¡¯m a guy, and I¡¯m just using him as my live streaming partner. If that¡¯s the case, an ambiguous rtionship that can be posted on the inte will never happen.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no but. Ah, right, I can tell you a piece of good news. Today, that guy reached his hand out to my chest. Even though a rom situation like this happened, I still feel nothing for that guy. Is there any more solid evidence than this?¡± ¡°¡­Eh? Uh, if that¡¯s true, then why did you-¡° Ao still has something to say. ¡­Honestly, I feel she¡¯s pretty annoying. I walked past the girl and towards the convenience store as I told her. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be getting dinner. See you at the university, Ao.¡± I stopped the topic forcefully and quickly left. As for Ao, who was left alone- ¡­She seems to be mumbling something in the car park of the convenience store. I don¡¯t know whether she wants me to hear it or not due to her volume. ¡°If that¡¯s true, then why- did your face blush a little when he just casually reached his hand towards your head¡­?¡± < Time until Keita Amano¡¯s girlfriend enters Ayumu Kiriya¡¯s apartment: 5 and a half months > DLC 4 – Ayumu Kiriya and Mysterious Inference ACT

DLC Chapter 4 ¨C Ayumu Kiriya and Mysterious Inference ACT

Trantor: your_pingas ¡°I¡¯ll be going on a school trip soon.¡± Keita Amano brought this topic up a bit depressingly. In reality, this is just a while before the 5th live stream recording. Both of our personalities aren¡¯t really suited to talking with others. However, the two of us are alone in a room. If we already had 4 joyful and back-to-back gaming experiences, it seems to be enough to close off our distance. I prepared the instant coffee in my kitchen and answered rxedly with a bitter smile. ¡°It seems that you don¡¯t like it, Keita.¡± I forgot when did I start calling his name directly. Although I don¡¯t really remember, I naturally call my best friends on a first-name basis. To me, Keita Amano unconsciously turned into something more than a ¡°live streaming partner¡± already. Even so¡­ ¡°Well, of course, I¡¯m a loner. Kiriya-san, you don¡¯t like it too, right?¡± He¡¯s still calling me by myst name. Honestly, I do feel a bit upset about that. Well, he¡¯s willing to share his private life with me at this point. So, I guess he¡¯s been slowly opening up to me. I think this counts as an improvement. So, actually, I also want to stay and talk with him sincerely¡­ (However, if we suddenly chatted about our memories, my gender could be revealed¡­) When we were chatting about high school memories, I identally mentioned that ¡°I don¡¯t like how tight the school swimsuit is.¡± The guy froze when he heard it. From then on, I paid more attention to topics in the past like this. It¡¯s a bit ridiculous at this point. ¡­After all, I don¡¯t want to be treated as a pervert with weird sexual fetishes. To prevent revealing my past, I smiled and avoided the topic as usual. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I already forgot everything in high school.¡± ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s not so long ago, right. Kiriya-san, you¡¯re cunning. You rarely say anything about yourself. Well, aside from your love of school swimsuits and bringing nonage boys into your house.¡± ¡°Your impression of mine is quite terrible.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to think you like that, then please talk more about your past, my loner senpai.¡± Keita pouted in dissatisfaction. ¡°As I told you before, I¡¯m not the same as you. I¡¯m not that much of a loner.¡± I chuckled and grabbed two mugs. I ced one of them on the desk that I use frequently. Then, another one was put on the kotatsu he¡¯s sitting in. Also, I moved this kotatsu out from the shelves during thest live stream recording. Thanks to that, Keita is especially excited since thest time was his first kotatsu experience. We were barely ying the game. The recording ended up being ¡°Keita Amano¡¯s First Kotatsu Experience.¡± ¡­However, the audience called it ¡°creative¡± and liked it. So, I¡¯m not even sure what gaming streams are supposed to be at this point. ¡°Thanks for the coffee.¡± Keita thanked me as he carefully grabbed the mug. Perhaps he¡¯s afraid of the hot. The boy tried his best to blow air into the cup. He¡¯s inhaling to the point that his face pouted before blowing looks way too childish, and I can¡¯t help but smile mischievously. So, Keita seems to have noticed that and changed the topic embarrassingly. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m talking about the school trip. Ay, I hope God blesses me when ites to splitting off into groups¡­¡± ¡°Eh? If I remember correctly, didn¡¯t you have a guy that you deemed as your only friend in the ss?¡± I sat on theputer chair and crossed my legs as I sipped my coffee before asking. Keita answered in a vague tone. ¡°I do, ¡­but it¡¯s hard to exin. It¡¯s because he¡¯s popr.¡± ¡°I see, you¡¯re not sure whether you can be in the same group? Well, ¡­just admit your defeat and enjoy the loneliness? You can create a happy trip atmosphere on your own.¡± After he heard what I said, Keita still held the mug with both of his hands, but tears appeared in his eyes like he¡¯s seriously throbbed. ¡°¡­Kiriya-san, you¡¯re a true gentleman and the hope of all loners.¡± ¡°Hey, I already said that I¡¯m fundamentally different than loners like you-¡° ¡°Very well, I will bestow the alias ¡®Archmage Loner¡¯ to you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it. Also, you¡¯re already not talking about loners.¡± ¡°¡­The archmage loner that loves shotas and school swimsuits.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t treat me as a monster spawner or something like that.¡± ¡°Hiya, then it¡¯s almost time for gaming, archmage.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t change my alias. I¡¯m Tigertrap.¡± ¡°I do feel that alias is weird enough.¡± I finally started slowly preparing the game while I watched Keita¡¯s bitter smile. I feel like the longer we spent time together, ¡­our ¡°chatters¡± is dragging longer than the actual gaming session. Alright, let¡¯s forget about that and y the game. He¡¯s going to y a detective AVG today. A text-based game is definitely not suited for live streams, at least I won¡¯t upload a video like this. However, I want to experiment with Keita Amano¡¯s live streaming qualities. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re all set now.¡± After I opened the game, I clicked on the PC and started recording. Then, I grabbed the mug and moved over to the kotatsu before starting the stream. ¡°Excuse me.¡± I squeezed myself into the tight kotatsu with Keita, where I¡¯m practically touching his shoulder. Naturally, I can feel his ankles and waist. It made me a bit ufortable. (Why am I getting nervous over a brat like this¡­) It¡¯s because Ao is always yelling at me. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re bringing a high school boy into your room. How dirty.¡± I can¡¯t get it off my mind. ¡­During this time- ¡°Uh, then can I start ying this, Ki- Tora?¡± I¡¯m still lost in thoughts even when the title screen popped out. Keita asked me this in confusion. I answered. ¡°S-Sure, sorry.¡± Then, I cleared my throat and switched the mood. ¡°Alright! So, we¡¯re ying this game today! < Gulf Party >!¡± [Note: The Japanese pronunciation is a reference to Danganronpa.] ¡°Although I¡¯m used to this, Tora, why are you often switching like this? Are you the type that changes his personality whenever he holds the steering wheel?¡± Keita is still anxious with my live streaming mode. It¡¯s hard to me me. If he doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m recording a hot video for the whole world to see right now, of course, he¡¯ll react like that. It can¡¯t be helped. Even so, his reaction already became one of the selling points. So, I continued hosting like nothing¡¯s wrong. ¡°Jiraiya, have you yed this game before?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s my first time. I do know this game, though¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. It¡¯s because this is a detective AVG. I can¡¯t look forward to your reaction if you already yed it. Thank God, I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°Why do you care about my reaction so much, Tora? By the way, what does this have to do with my reaction?¡± ¡°My reputation, trust, and friendship (as a live streamer).¡± ¡°It¡¯s unexpected serious! Hey, how did it turn into this!?¡± ¡°Come, chatting about the game is more important, Jiraiya.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still saying chatting is more important. ¡­Sigh, whatever, I¡¯m fine with it.¡± We¡¯ve already repeated this conversation several times, so Keita gave up after a while. I started exining the game again. ¡°< Gulf Party > is just like its name. The game is about some guys and girls holding a party in a small bar next to the gulf.¡± ¡°It¡¯s indeed what the name says, but why am I feeling a little disappointed right now?¡± ¡°However, things went south during the party due to ¡®Hey-hey Bear,¡¯ the mysterious person behind all of this.¡± [Note: It¡¯s a reference to Monokuma.] ¡°Oh, it got a subtle psychological horror vibe-¡° ¡°A joyful King¡¯s Game started cheerfully like this!¡± ¡°-That vibe disappeared right away.¡± ¡°Can the protagonist, Supreme Rintaro, survive in this ¡®deathmatch of rejecting ugly girls?¡¯ At the same time, can he ¡®pick up¡¯ a cute girl and go home in the process?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the protagonist¡¯s name? Is he living in < The Way of Osaka Financing >? ¡°Also, no one knows the shocking goal hidden behind this King¡¯s Game!¡± ¡°Oh, it gets a bit interesting at this point-¡° ¡°How is it rted to the ¡®Birthrate Increasing Programme¡¯ pushed by this world¡¯s government?¡± ¡°-I think everything¡¯s solved.¡± ¡°The unexpected real identity of Hey-hey Bear will be revealed!¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s just working in the government¡­¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯s just Tuesday, please don¡¯t miss the fight thatsts until 5 AM in this tiny bar!¡± ¡°Hiya, I¡¯m suddenly getting a < No 10 No Return > vibe.¡± [Note: I don¡¯t know what that is, so I looked this up, and there¡¯s no official English name. It¡¯s a Japanese TV show about food or something.] ¡°-The future that awaits them when they leave the bar, will it be hope or despair?¡± ¡°No, only school or work will be waiting ahead.¡± ¡°So, let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time for you to start, Jiraiya.¡± ¡°This is the first time that I¡¯ve yed an AVG with such a boring theme and ending.¡± While he didin, Keita still pressed the start button. On the screen, a description of the protagonist and a series of character introductions are disyed one after one seamlessly. Keita let out a convinced sigh. ¡°The theme is indeed terrible, but I realized that the character lines and monologue are quite enjoyable once you started ying it. Nice.¡± ¡°Of course, there is a reason for it to sell well.¡± ¡°Yeah. ¡­Strange, I think I suddenly got something called an < Promise > after talking to female characters¡­¡± ¡°Ah, you will use that during the main show, < Birds Judgement >.¡± ¡°Birds? Eh, I didn¡¯t know this is a sports game!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong. It¡¯s not. Even though this isn¡¯t a sports game, they do y billiards. They¡¯ll do it at the right opportunity in another room.¡± ¡°Ehh! Uh, I didn¡¯t know that. People y billiards in parties?¡± Since I never went to a party, I don¡¯t know the answer even when asked. However, ¡­Keita¡¯s looking at me with hopeful eyes. So, I identally answered. ¡°Y-Yeah, ¡­I guess a lot of people do that in parties these days.¡± ¡°Eh, really? I see. ¡­I guess so. After all, mobile game cafes are getting popr now. I didn¡¯t know billiards are prevalent among normies¡­¡± ¡°Y-Yeah.¡± I looked away as I answered. ¡­Sigh, I wonder what people will say in thements after the video got out. ¡­I get the feeling that there will be more people teasing at me than at Keita. ¡­I should edit this part outter. Just as I¡¯m doing these useless nnings, Keita yed the game and asked me again. ¡°Well, I understood the billiards part, but what does judgment mean¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to the court. It¡¯s just that the protagonist will y 1 vs 1 billiards with the girl he wants, and the questioning begins. This process will be presented in the form of < Billiards Judgement >.¡± ¡°Oh, ¡­so we¡¯re using this < Promise > at that time?¡± ¡°Yeah. If what the girl said conflicts with the < Promise > you got during the < Drinking Session >, you can expose her with a < Promise Smash >, just like ping pong.¡± ¡°I see. So, it¡¯s a visualization of words going back and forth in the form of billiards. That¡¯s creative.¡± ¡°You¡¯re basically repeating this process in the game. First, you will collect < Promises > and < Billiards Judgements >. Then, there will be an ugly girl that the protagonist doesn¡¯t want during the < Billiards Judgements >. ¡­That girl is called a < Money-losing Thing > in this game.¡± [Note: It¡¯s a sexist term that used to mean girls in Japanese/Chinese.] ¡°It¡¯s a terrible word thatpletely abandons the female yer base. It¡¯s so terrible that it¡¯s special.¡± ¡°Anyway, as long as you brutally finish the < Money-losing Thing > here, she¡¯ll go home with some guy other than the protagonist. Only then can Supreme Rintaro brilliantly go out with a cute girl, ¡­which is called a < High-ss Thing > in the game.¡± ¡°I want to bring this protagonist to a game over. He should be hit by a car.¡± ¡°I know how you feel, but after you actually yed, you¡¯ll realize that this is a super exciting game with exceptional writing and 200 IQ plots. Just follow the story for once. Come to think of it, Rintaro is kind of a likable guy.¡± ¡°Sigh, ¡­I do admit that the story is written pretty well¡­¡± Keita started ying the game unwillingly as he said that. However, a few secondster, he can¡¯t hold hisughter when he sees the ¡°Hey-hey Bear¡± reference. Keita started reading the < Drinking Session > plot fluently. Also, the developers only allowed people to upload their walkthrough on the first chapter. So, even if we¡¯re live streaming an AVG, I don¡¯t need to worry about spoiling the story. I¡¯m grateful for the situation. However, personally, I also love ¡°the realm that only non-official live streams can reach.¡± Therefore, I¡¯m absolutely not decided to change my route yet by picking this game. ¡­Well, even though I don¡¯t know who I¡¯m exining to. ¡°Hey, it finallyes to that < Billiards Judgement > mode?¡± Just as I¡¯m still thrown off, Keita continued the game without stopping to the most beautiful part in this series. Keita followed the tutorial and prepared to face the < Billiards Judgement >. The ugly girl that¡¯s supposed to be the enemy this time, ¡­the < Money-losing Thing > started cing her words for seducing the protagonist onto the ball. Then, she hit them towards the screen one by one. ¡°Ah, it feels so hot in here¡­¡± ¡°Should I take one of my clothes off?¡± ¡°Eh, Supreme-san, your body is quite masculine¡­¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re strong.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking about whether we can go outside.¡± ¡°Perhaps I¡¯m really starting to get drunk¡­¡± Keita started hitting these balls filled with words back one by one as if he¡¯s in an action game. However, when the round finished, the < Money-losing Thing > repeated her lines again. I exined. ¡°From all the things that she said, if you think ¡®this sentence is suspicious,¡¯ you can request a < Smash > with the < Promise > you collected before. ¡­In other words, you will score in this match.¡± ¡°I see. If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± After Keita mumbled, he moved the cursor towards the < Promise > that looks like it can be used this time. ¡­He selected ¡°the waiter brought the wrong, non-alcoholic drink to the girl.¡± Then, he put it on the < Money-losing Thing >¡¯s ¡°perhaps I¡¯m starting to get drunk¡­¡± sentence. Suddenly, the protagonist, Supreme Rintaro, screamed. ¡°It ain¡¯t true!¡± ¡°What¡¯s with his sudden Kansai-ben!?¡± Keitained. Actually, while this Supreme Rintaro guy is a jerk, he¡¯s still a guy that speaks the standard dialect. So, this line is bizarre. While it¡¯s unusual¡­ ¡°Rintaro¡¯s setting is that once he¡¯s excited or pissed, his Osaka lineage will start going wild.¡± ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t know that the protagonist is born in Osaka.¡± ¡°Nope, he¡¯s actually born in Portugal. Also, he never lived in Kansai.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this protagonist!? There¡¯s a limit for weirdness, right!¡± While he said that, I think the game itself looks pretty interesting to Keita. After that, he still had a good time during the < Billiards Judgements >. When he cast out a couple smashes, he stared at the game screen and mumbled. ¡°¡­Sometimes, I¡¯ll hope that these options can appear in reality.¡± ¡°Hey, why are you suddenly saying things that only exist in light novel settings?¡± ¡°Uh, you are so free in real-life. Comparatively, isn¡¯t this like facing numerous options at every second?¡± ¡°I see, you¡¯re right. This game is just the same. After you increased the difficulty, there will be many < Promises > included in the options. You really need to give it a good think. When there are more choices, perhaps it does grant more freedom, but it¡¯s going to be tougher.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Keita answered with a weak smile. I don¡¯t really understand what he¡¯s thinking about. So, I took a sip of coffee with a vague smile. So, at the next moment- ¡°¡­Can someone give me the choices on how I should get along with my beloved girlfriend?¡± ¡°PFFT!¡± -I can¡¯t help but spew all the coffee after hearing such a shocking sentence. ¡°Are you okay!?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m okay, ¡­yeah.¡± Luckily, the coffee didn¡¯t spill inside the kotatsu and the mic. I only need to clean the table with paper towels. However, ¡­that¡¯s not the issue here. Keita paused the game. I grabbed a wet towel to finish the cleaning as my eyes began to float around nervously, but I still managed to throw a question at him. ¡°Uh, ¡­hey? Well, ¡­Keita Amano-san, ¡­please allow me to ask you something¡­¡± ¡°Eh, why are you suddenly so polite? You¡¯re calling my real name while we¡¯re still ying.¡± ¡°No, this part will be edited out, so it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Edited out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s forget that. ¡­Keita Amano, you just said¡­¡± I wiped the table with the wet towels a couple more times despite not achieving anything. Then, although I tried my best to stay calm, ¡­my lips trembled as I asked him. ¡°Uh, ¡­y-you have a girlfriend?¡± Facing with the question that I only asked once in my lifetime- Keita Amano, ¡­he answered very clearly. ¡°Ah, yes, I do. My girlfriend is super beautiful. It¡¯s a shame that she¡¯s willing to go out with me.¡± ¡°-Seriously¡­¡± Even though I fell speechless, I managed to walk to the kitchen tremblingly like I¡¯m a ghost. I washed the towel as my brain rapidly spun. (Eh, what is this? What¡¯s happening? This guy is a ssic loner. Why does he have a girlfriend!? Isn¡¯t this strange? No, more importantly¡­) Why is my heart pounding so fast¡­? (¡­O-Oh, I got it. I-It¡¯s because Ao warned me about this before. I figured out as much. Yeah, yeah.) I remembered the specific ¡°reason¡± for my panic, so I felt a bit relieved. I turned off the tap and wrung the towel dry forcefully. (You¡¯re a university girl bringing a high school boy into your house. A situation, ¡­won¡¯t it be pretty bad if the boy has a girlfriend? This would be something more than a rom. -Ao said this before.) However, when I heard her warning, I figured out that ¡°a guy like Keita Amano¡± will never have a girlfriend. So, I ignored what Ao said¡­ It looks like I¡¯m dead wrong. I aired the towel as I asked Keita Amano, who¡¯s wiping the table clean with tissues. ¡°Uh, that girlfriend you talked about, ¡­you didn¡¯t imagine her in your brain, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s kind of mean when you¡¯re casually suspecting me like this. Do I look like such a twisted person?¡± ¡°Very much.¡± ¡°I guess so. After you said, I think it¡¯s hard to guarantee that I wouldn¡¯t imagine it.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°However, the girlfriend I talked about really exists. That¡¯s why I¡¯m seriously thinking about how I should get along with her.¡± ¡°I-I see¡­¡± After I¡¯m done with the towel, I went back to the kotatsu and sat real close to Keita Amano- No, I sat on the chair in front of the desk. Keita asked in confusion. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re not ying with me anymore?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, nothing. Well, ¡­I-I think it¡¯s not that good for me to get close to you¡­¡± ¡°Ehh? W-Why did you suddenly say that? It¡¯s really mean¡­¡± I guess Keita¡¯s thought that he¡¯s being despised for being too ¡°disgusting¡± with his incredible paranoia. He drooped his head down. I quickly tried to smooth things over. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re disgusting, nor am I feeling ufortable. I¡¯m serious. It¡¯s real.¡± ¡°It just hurts me even more when you¡¯re trying your best to exin!¡± ¡°It¡¯s more like, the real problem is that I don¡¯t hate this¡­¡± ¡°Eh? W-What¡¯s wrong, K-Kiriya-san? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re into that¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m normal. However, it¡¯s even more problematic because I¡¯m normal¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡± ¡°¡­In a sense, I have no idea too.¡± I sighed helplessly. Then, I leaned directly onto the back of theputer chair. Keita still hasn¡¯t resumed the gamey yet. He even asked me this. ¡°¡­Am I¡­bothering you whenever Ie here to y? ¡°Eh?¡± This question made me sat upright again as I faced Keita. So, I found out that his innocent eyes are filled with worry. A tinge of pain immediately hit my chest. (I invited him out of my personal convenience, but I didn¡¯t check if everything¡¯s okay since I¡¯m an idiot. Atst, I¡¯m even despising him for being a nuisance due to my secrets. ¡­Who do I think I am?) I¡¯m frustrated at my own small-mindedness. I¡­sighed. Then, I answered Keita with a casual university student¡¯s smile just as usual. ¡°Impossible. Jeez, you¡¯re always losing faith in yourself. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Keita. I want to ask, why did you think that you¡¯re bothering me?¡± ¡°Well, ¡­it¡¯s, ¡­uh, ¡­I don¡¯t have any reasons¡­¡± Keita looked down apologetically. His face finally¡­forced me to make up my mind. I stood up from the chair. Then, I quickly took a seat next to him. After that, I put my legs inside the kotatsu¡¯s nket, not caring about our shoulders and backs touching. I even told Keita this with a smile. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for me to think that you¡¯re a bother. Here, most importantly, it¡¯s time for you to continue ying. Alright, Jiraiya?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. You¡¯re right. I got it, Tora.¡± My encouragement and expression finally made Keita smile in relief as he answered. So, he started ying < Gulf Party > once again. I looked at his face as I reaffirmed my determination. (If that¡¯s the case, I have to keep my gender a secret no matter what. This is already¡­not just for myself. It¡¯s for Keita, ¡­and Keita¡¯s girlfriend as well.) Honestly, I used to think, ¡°whatever, he¡¯ll found out sooner orter.¡± However, I¡¯m serious from this point on. I¡¯m okay with whatever happens to me. But, ¡­but I can¡¯t ruin his happiness. That¡¯s why I have to eliminate everything that can expose the fact that I¡¯m a girl- ¡°Ah, by the way, Kiriya-san. I can¡¯t get this thing off my mind today, so I want to ask you¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What is it? Hey, no need to be polite, just ask me, dude. I will never hide anything from you!¡± ¡°Yeah? Then I¡¯ll really ask you¡­¡± During this time, Keita¡¯s still focused on the game screen. Yet, he used his left index finger to point at the corner of the room. Then, he asked casually. ¡°What¡¯s that over there? It looks like a bra¡­¡± ¡°!¡± I slowly looked over there with a pale face. There¡¯s indeed a bra at the corner of the room. ¡­I should say that sports bra of mine is casually thrown onto the ground. I picked it because I valuefort over beauty. (WWHHHHHAAAATTT! HOW! Did it fall out from theundry basket!? Nothing like this has happened before! W-Why did it happen today¡­!?) I¡¯m falling into a mess of embarrassment and all kinds of emotions. Even so, I scrambled my brain for an excuse. ¡°Uh, well, ¡­while that¡­thing looks like a bra, it¡¯s actually a kneepad-¡° ¡°It ain¡¯t true!¡± ¡°Eek!¡± The sudden and violent Kansai-ben freaked me out. After I took a look, I realized that it¡¯s the audio from the game. Keita remained focused on the game. At the same time, he nced at me beforeughing out loud. ¡°Haha, Tora, you¡¯re really good at imitating!¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± ¡°Your face is covered in sweat, and you look really desperate. ¡­It¡¯s exactly like the desperate < Money-losing Thing > in < Gulf Party >! You¡¯re amazing!¡± ¡°Eh, ¡­ah, right, it¡¯s the same, right? H-Hoho, I¡¯m really confident in my imitating skill.¡± I said that as I left the kotatsu naturally and seamlessly. Then, I walked to the corner of the room. I blocked Keita¡¯s sight with my body to prevent him from seeing me picking up the bra- ¡°While you¡¯re good at it, that thing isn¡¯t a kneepad, right.¡± ¡°----¡° -I stopped moving when I¡¯m about to pick it up. ¡­I can feel he¡¯s gazing at me sharply from behind. ¡°The texture clearly doesn¡¯t seem like it. It¡¯s more like, ¡­I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s a bra. Also, I was just asking why is there a bra here. ¡­Hoho, ¡­Tora, your excuse is weird¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± My forehead is covered in sweat. ¡­I feel it. I can clearly feel that a high school boy is staring at me with incredibly evil eyes from behind. Even though, at the same time, I know that it¡¯s just my paranoia getting the better of me. But even if that¡¯s true, what¡¯s wrong with this guy? Although he¡¯s usually an innocent and dense teenager, why does he get smart at the wrong ce and time? When the game is ying the climax BGM since the < Money-losing Thing > is desperate, I¡­I made up my whole mind. Then, I grabbed the bra and turned to him. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped once you found out. Yes, ¡­this is from the beautiful university girl next door. It¡¯s Ao¡¯s bra!¡± ¡°Ehh!¡± Keita¡¯s freaking out this time. He¡¯s blushing slightly and even stopped ying as he looked at me. ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­that out-of-this-world, elegant, and beautifuldy that I¡¯ve never talked to despite meeting her for a few times. The Ao-san that¡¯s a friend of you?¡± ¡°Yes, and this is her bra. Come, you can take a close look at it, Keita.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not looking!¡± Keita immediately acted like a child and looked away. Very well. ¡­This way, I can avoid him from observing the bra for too long. ¡­Also, I can prevent him from realizing that this thing can never fit Ao¡¯s plumpy chest. After I hastily shoved the bra inside the wardrobe, Keita asked me nervously while blushing. ¡°B-But if that showed up here, ¡­it means that¡­she and you¡­¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey, ¡­you shouldn¡¯t ask anything further. Don¡¯t force it out of my mouth, man.¡± I scratched my cheeks and gave him an embarrassing smile. So, Keita answered. ¡°I-I see¡­¡± He¡¯s entirely convinced. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe you can just casually talk about that. ¡­Uni students are really mature¡­¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, right? Even so, this is a girl¡¯s bra, after all. So, I was a bit embarrassed and can¡¯t help but lie to you. Sorry, Keita.¡± ¡°R-Really, I see. It¡¯s okay. I should be the one apologizing for knowing something this private. How should I put it? I initially thought¡­it¡¯s just ¡®I bought that as a prank between my boys¡¯ beforeughing and call it a day. ¡­I didn¡¯t expect this to get 18+ real fast¡­¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Crap! Even if I¡¯m lying, it¡¯s clearly way easier to make it through if I just followed what he said! Why did I drag Ao into this mess! Well, even though it¡¯s toote to regret it now!¡± No matter what, Keita let go of the bra incident already as he started ying the game again. Finally, he arrived at the cutting ties scene. Summarizing the information that appeared earlier, the main character has to clearly reject the < Money-losing Thing >¡¯s seduction to make her give up. In conclusion, this is the climax of a douche. I looked at Keita ying the game silently and dazedly as I sighed on the inside. (There are too few lines that can be used in the video. ¡­It looks like I can only archive the recording this time¡­) Sigh, even so, at least I made it through that whole bra thing. So¡­ ¡°This is who you really are, idiot!¡± ¡°EEEK!¡± On the screen, Supreme Rintaro yelled at the < Money-losing Thing > brutally. She spewed foams out of her mouth and fainted. After the retort part is over, Keita looked at the screen and bitterly smiled as he expressed his feelings. ¡°Initially, I can¡¯t immerse myself with the protagonist in this game for even a little. ¡­However, after I actually yed it, I realized the plot is more interesting than I expected. I didn¡¯t believe the < Money-losing Thing > the protagonist is actually worse than him¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, this game did a fantastic job at this part. In reality, the main character is nothing but a jerk. However, he managed to uncover the < Money-losing Background >¡¯s darkest secrets. At the end, when the douche main character pushed the lowest scum < Money-losing Thing > to her desperation. It somehow feels refreshing.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the < Money-losing Thing > has been stealing thepany¡¯s money.¡± ¡°The plot is really creative and unexpected when a sudden evil person is exposed during a drinking party like this. It¡¯s nice, right.¡± ¡°Yeah. Right, speaking of unexpected, the part where this < Money-losing Thing > is actually a man is quite shocking too! If plots, where the gender is misinterpreted, can exist like this, it really gives off a fictitious feeling. After all, it¡¯s not so easy to mess up someone¡¯s gender in real-life, right!¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re right¡­¡± I secretly looked away. ¡­Did this guy say it on purpose? The game screen showed < The End of Chapter 1 >. So, Keita put down the controller and continued with an innocent smile. ¡°However, the protagonistter said this manly, ¡®I do think that a guy is a guy. It¡¯s fine.¡¯ It freaked me out too.¡± ¡°Yeah, Supreme Rintaro is a male protagonist that feels more unbelievable the more you know him¡­¡± Even though this counts as a spoiler, this young man got through the final chapter with his fantastic inference skills. First, he managed to retort a beauty that¡¯s actually the best serial killer in history. ¡­In the end, he even got to bring another beautiful girl home. Then, it¡¯s the < Happy Ending >. ¡­Honestly, when I yed this for the first time, I really suspected that whether the developers are insane. At the same time, Iughed a long while. I put the games back as I became lost in thoughts dazedly. It¡¯s because I can sometimes encounter an impressive title like this. That¡¯s why I- ¡°It¡¯s because I can sometimes encounter an impressive title like this. That¡¯s why I¡¯m addicted to gaming!¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Keita pulled a fast one and said what I wanted to first. I can¡¯t help but look back at Keita. So, ¡­he said his thanks to me with a cheerful and innocent smile. ¡°I have to thank you for today too, Kiriya-san! I really feel blessed for when I get to y new games with you. I¡¯m always looking forward to this these days!¡± Things happened at that moment. I can feel¡­a tinge of pain in my chest. ¡°¡­R-Really, me too, Keita.¡± I answered Keita with a smile. Then, I pretended that I¡¯m packing up the games as I pressed my chest tightly. (I, ¡­is a person like me even worthy of being treated with Keita¡¯s smile? I¡¯m¡­lying to him to preserve my reputation. ¡­Aside from that, I faked my gender and carried a giant bomb that can destroy his happiness instantly¡­) Initially, I thought everything¡¯s fine as long as I can use him. That¡¯s just like the < Money-losing Thing > in < Gulf Party >. I was exactly like that. It¡¯s not my fault even if Keita has a girlfriend. ¡­I can just casually make excuses, anyway. I didn¡¯t think about this for too much. After all, as a matter of fact, there¡¯s nothing between Keita and me. It¡¯s true even for this moment. It should be like that. However¡­ (¡­Really? ¡­At least, ¡­Keita¡¯s already not an ¡°irrelevant stranger¡± to me anymore¡­) His life and happiness could be ruined by me at any seconds. I¡¯m incredibly horrified by that. It¡¯s because¡­he¡¯s already my friend. ¡­Indeed, it¡¯s because he¡¯s my precious friend. That¡¯s why¡­ I put the game disc into the box as I continued thinking with a solemn face. (¡­How about I just tell him that I¡¯m a girl and end this¡­) I thought of that. However, a different sense of pain appeared in my chest. ¡­I¡¯m so self-centered. I want to protect him because I value him. It¡¯s not because I can use him for recording videos. Right now, ¡­I feel nothing but happiness when I get to y games with him here. There are no evil thoughts hidden in this. Also, ¡­it should be the same for him too. I looked at Keita dazedly, who¡¯s preparing to go home. ¡­So, in the end, I still reached the usual conclusion. (Sigh, to put it simply, I have to keep this as a secret¡­) This is the only road for everyone to be happy. Although this sounds like an excuse for cheating, we didn¡¯t actually do anything terrible, ¡­currently. (No, what¡¯s ¡°currently¡± for! It¡¯s not going to happen in the future!) ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong, Kiriya-san? Are you practicing shaking your head?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m fine. Right, Keita, I¡¯ll go out with you just as usual.¡± ¡°Ah, I got it. Then, I¡¯ll get my shoes on and wait for you at the entrance.¡± ¡°O-Okay? I¡¯m sorry.¡± I looked at Keita Amano as he quickly walked to the entrance. Then, I let out a deep sigh alone. ¡°Ay, no matter what, I still have to keep lying to protect everyone¡¯s happiness.¡± I can whine about the guilt next time. From a gamer¡¯s perspective, the best solution for this situation is ¡°don¡¯t get discovered.¡± It¡¯s like an RTA. Although I have to bet on a route that¡¯s unlikely to win, there¡¯s no need to observe as long as it can lead to the best ending. All I need to do is take the challenge. Although real life is different than RTAs, the only and most significant problem is that you can¡¯t rechallenge it¡­ ¡°Kiriya-san, are you still not done?¡± ¡°Ah, oh, sorry,ing!¡± I stopped thinking, and hastily grabbed my feather vest. After that, I dashed to the entrance, where Keita¡¯s waiting for me. ¡°Ah.¡± When Keita and I arrived at the car park near the convenience store, we met up with someone going home at the wrong ce and time. ¡°Ah, Ao¡­¡± Since I just made up a baffling lie to Keita, I¡¯m exceptionally nervous even when it¡¯s just my elegant universitydy from next door. Also, Ao¡¯s face turned stiff as well. ¡°Ayumu-san, and¡­¡± Ao looked at the high school boy next to me. So, Keita has never met her before. ¡­Also, after he heard the lie I just told (the unusual rtionship between Ao and me), he lowered her head and greeted Ao even more stiffly than usual. ¡°I-I-I-I¡¯m K-Keita Amano! I-I¡¯m in ss 2F of Otobuki High School, 17 years old!¡± ¡°I see, you¡¯re really polite. I¡¯m Ao Saika, in the same university as Kiriya-san-¡° ¡°Y-Yes, I already know you! T-Thank you!¡± ¡°R-Really? Me too.¡± After the talk, the two of them shook hands stiffly. I sighed in relief as I pressed my chest subconsciously. However, after a while, ¡­Keita Amano freaked out and said something he¡¯s not supposed to say. ¡°Uh, well, Tora, ¡­no, K-Kiriya-san cared a lot for me¡­¡± ¡°Oh, ¡­Kiriya-san cared you a lot. I see¡­?¡± Ao squinted her eyes silently as she started to radiate darkness. ¡­She¡¯s clearly letting her imagination go wild. I let out a huge sigh and tried to exin to Ao. ¡°It¡¯s not that, Ao. The things he talked about are just rted to gaming¡­¡± At this point, I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s on Keita Amano¡¯s mind. He suddenly interrupted and helped to smooth things over. ¡°Y-Yeah, of course! I didn¡¯t do anything dangerous. Please rx, Kiriya-san¡¯s beloved girlfriend!¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Ayumu-san¡¯s¡­g-girlfriend¡­? Hey, what are you talking about¡­?¡± Ao froze from her confusion. Keita tilted his head after seeing her reaction. ¡­This could go bad. I quickly grabbed Ao¡¯s shoulder¡­and hugged her. Then, I even let Keita seeing us sticking together as I made up an excuse. ¡°H-Haha, ¡­Ao¡¯s surely easy to be embarrassed, jeez!¡± ¡°Hey, Ayumu-san!¡± Ao¡¯s eyes floated around as her face blushed hard. Hmm, while I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s wrong, her reaction is excellent, as if she really fell in love with me. I hugged Ao by the shoulder tightly as I told Keita. ¡°So, sorry, Keita. I¡¯m going to the convenience store with Ao. I¡¯ll see you around.¡± ¡°Ah, right. Well, thanks for sharing your happiness today as well. The same goes for Saika-san, goodbye.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, sure, goodbye¡­¡± Keita Amano¡¯s politeness made Ao froze as she answered. We smiled as we saw him leaving. Then, we lowered our volumes and quickly talked. ¡°¡­Ayumu-san, did I be your girlfriend, right?¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­alright. I¡¯ll exin everything about thister¡­¡± ¡°Okay. Well, I already know a bit, anyway.¡± You¡¯re amazing, Saika-sama. She¡¯s born into a family environment where it¡¯s all about political trickery, even if she¡¯s just dealing with her rtives. You really need to sensitive. The girl has to always rely on her terrific observance. ¡°Ay, the simplest exnation is that I found out that the guy has a girlfriend.¡± ¡°Huh? See, I already told you before¡­¡± Ao sighed. But for some reason, she¡¯s not as pissed as I thought, ¡­even though she was forced to go along with the lie I made up. ¡­What a generous friend. I apologized sincerely. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t face you anymore.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay. There will be something for me if he thinks you¡¯re a guy, anyway.¡± ¡°Hmm? Why?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, it¡¯s nothing. Well¡­¡± Ao started scratching her cheeks as she tried to continue. To make her rify the meaning, I took a step closer to her- ¡°Eh? He¡¯s gone already. That¡¯s strange¡­¡± -Just as I¡¯m about to ask her, suddenly, we can hear a girl mumbling to herself loudly. The two of us looked over there in confusion. Then, we saw¡­a refreshing high school girl that doesn¡¯t really match this rural area. She seems to be looking for her friend as she took a look around. ¡­Ay, I guess that¡¯s not rted to us, no matter what. Ao and I nced at each other. After that, we stopped chatting and walked to the store, without paying too much attention to that girl- ¡°But I think I just saw Amanhi around here¡­¡± -When we¡¯re walking, I think both of us heard an ¡°alias¡± that we can¡¯t ignore, so we stopped. That high school girl somehow noticed our reaction with her observant eyes. Then, she said this very casually to strike up a conversation with us. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong?¡± We turned around a bit nervously. After that, she asked us a question in an unexpectedly polite manner that doesn¡¯t match her gal appearance. ¡°Sorry for suddenly calling you two. I think I just saw Aguri¡¯s underling, ¡­no, uh, i-it¡¯s my friend. Can I ask whether the two of you know him?¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­the friend you¡¯re referring to is¡­?¡± ¡°He¡¯s Amanhi. ¡­No, uh, his name is Keita Amano.¡± ¡°!¡± Our hearts immediately started pounding hard. As for me, ¡­I told this seemingly-to-be ¡°Aguri¡± girl. ¡°Ah, just a second.¡± Then, I turned around with Ao, and we started discussing this with an ultra-low voice and super speed. (She appeared right when we said it! She¡¯s that guy¡¯s girlfriend, right? She¡¯s the girlfriend, right?) (P-Please calm down, Ayumu-san. This girl just said that she¡¯s Amano¡¯s friend¡­) (Keita can¡¯t have such a cute girlfriend! That guy is a loner!) (Why you always look down on Amano? He really has a girlfriend.) (So, this girl is definitely that girlfriend! She¡¯s cute! She¡¯s insanely adorable!) (¡­Oh.) (Hey, what are you suddenly getting sulky? Forget about that, if she¡¯s Keita¡¯s girlfriend¡­) (Herees the rom situation. You deserved it.) (Now¡¯s not the time to act calmly, Ao! For the two of us, your look is the exact girl who will seduce a young high school boy! Perhaps you¡¯re the one to be stabbed first!) (There¡¯s a limit for dragging someone into this! How did you judge that from my look!? I would never-) (Anyway, we have to make this through somehow!) (Sigh, ¡­I understand. All I need to do is help you, right. Here goes.) After Ao and I finished our supersonic whispers, we turned towards her. ¡­Then, both of us smiled and spoke up. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Keita Amano? I don¡¯t know a boy with such a name, ¡­yep.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ve never heard him before. Well, there¡¯s indeed a high school boy around here. ¡­However, we don¡¯t know him either.¡± Facing our lie, she¡­didn¡¯t seem to mind and said. ¡°I see!¡± She epted our answer. ¡°I feel quite sorry for asking a weird question like this.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine. This is nothing.¡± I replied with a smile. ¡­Then, I pretended everything¡¯s alright as I asked further. ¡°Uh, by the way, is that high school boy your¡­boyfriend or something?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The high school gal froze. After a while, ¡­she suddenlyughed out loud as if she¡¯s sincerely humored by this. ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe you said Amanhi is my boyfriend¡­! Ahaha, c-crap, that¡¯s too ridiculous. I can¡¯t stopughing! No, no, no, that¡¯s absolutely impossible! My boyfriend would never be a disgusting otaku like that! Saying that Amanhi¡¯s my boyfriend, ¡­ho, ho, ho, crap, I¡¯m alreadyughing when I imagined it..! ¡­Hahaha!¡± (It looks like both of them are super close!) What¡¯s this feeling? The person in question denied it, and it doesn¡¯t sound like she¡¯s lying too. However, that just makes people think that they¡¯re super close. What is this? What¡¯s happening? What should we do with the girlfriend suspicion now? I think the mystery got even more puzzling after we asked her. Ao and I have no idea what¡¯s the rtionship between this Aguri girl and Keita Amano as we froze. As for her, she wiped the tears at the corner of her eyes after she finishedughing. (T-Those are tears after sheughed too hard, right? Right!?) Once we got suspicious, every detail began to look meaningful. Don¡¯t tell me the girl couldn¡¯t hold her tears back because she thought her boyfriend is cheating with us? It¡¯s impossible, right? Just as Ao and I remained still, this girlfriend said, ¡°It¡¯s almost time.¡± After that, she turned around. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be leaving. Sorry for asking weird questions.¡± ¡°Eh? R-Really? It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay.¡± I waved stiffy, and Ao followed me too. As for Aguri, she showed an extremely calming smile. (A-Anyway, ¡­it looks like she didn¡¯t find out the rtionship between Keita and I, right?) Let¡¯s ignore the rtionship between Keita and her first. I feel like we got out of this contact safely. When Ao and I pressed our chests in relief as Aguri leaves, she¡­turned around in the middle with a smile. After that, she rolled our tongue out and said this atst. ¡°Exactly! Amanhi can never be friends with ¡®such beautiful girls,¡¯ after all! I was impolite! See you!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Ao and I waved our hands while smiling as we fell silent for a moment. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Huh, I think she just said something important when she left¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­! So, we looked at each other¡¯s faces after she disappearedpletely. Although our faces turned pale, ¡­we can¡¯t help but yell at the top of our lungs. ¡°She can easily tell that I (Ayumu-san) am a girl!¡± The mysterious high school gal that can tell my gender in one-go, along with her unusual rtionship with Keita Amano ¨C Aguri. -Our live streaming days just got another colossalndmine. < Time until Keita Amano¡¯s girlfriend enters Ayumu Kiriya¡¯s apartment: 5 months > DLC 5 – Ayumu Kiriya and Deceiving Cheats

DLC Chapter 5 ¨C Ayumu Kiriya and Deceiving Cheats

Trantor: your_pingas ¡°Jiraiya¡¯s ying this game today! The masterpiece of open-world games, < Infinite Space >!¡± ¡°¡­Oh, I see.¡± Inparison to my exciting live stream introduction, Jiraiya, which is Keita Amano, held his cheeks on the kotatsu, and answeredzily. He just randomly pressed buttons on the controller. I can¡¯t sense any will to y from the person. It¡¯s early December. Aside from the kotatsu, oil-filled heaters finally entered the scene too. In Ayumu Kiriya¡¯s apartment, this is the first recording after Keita Amano got back from the school trip. (Keita still thinks that this is just a demo experience) However¡­ I looked at Keita¡¯s clearly unmotivated face and sighed deeply. (This guy showed up in my house with an obviously depressed look. ¡­He got even worse when he¡¯s facing the game screen.) I shrugged helplessly. Then, I clicked on the PC and muted the mic that¡¯s supposed to be recording. (I can¡¯t record a video when he¡¯s like this¡­) In reality, nothing is more upsetting to watch than a poor video made by a depressed live streamer. The audience didn¡¯t y the video to watch stuff like that. Even so, ¡­Keita didn¡¯t do anything since he doesn¡¯t know this. This is where I have to show my care for him. I need to cheer Keita up first. ¡­Of course, that¡¯s just not for the live stream. This is what I should do as a friend too. I turned myputer chair from the TV screen to Keita¡¯s direction. After that, I chugged all of the canned coffee at once and asked him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Keita? Does your stomach hurt? It looks like you¡¯re not drinking the coffee either¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± He gained his senses back and put down the controller. Then, he grabbed his unopened coffee and threw it around his hands meaninglessly. ¡­It looks like he has it pretty bad. He took a deep sigh and turned to me before sitting upright again. ¡°Sorry, ¡­I got the chance toe to bother you, yet this happened.¡± ¡°Uh, I¡¯m not mad at you. It¡¯s just that, well, this is the same everything. ¡­The so-called entertainment, there¡¯s no need to force yourself to do it when you¡¯re not feeling it, right?¡± ¡°Well, ¡­you¡¯re right. ¡­Sorry, I was being impolite to gaming as well.¡± He held his canned coffee tightly and looked at my eyes again as he continued. ¡°So, this is to wipe out all of my cowardly emotions. Kiriya-sama, since you¡¯re an experienced university student, there¡¯s something that I want to talk to you about¡­¡± ¡°O-Okay, ask me anything. I¡¯ll answer you since I¡¯m older.¡± Ay, I should say that I¡¯m an ¡°onee-san¡± studying at university. I guess this part won¡¯t affect anything, right. Yep. I patted my thin chest and urged Keita to say it out loud. So, he cleared his throat with a cough and sat upright. ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡­He threw the question at me. ¡°How should I get along with my ex-girlfriend?¡± ¡°That¡¯s an explosively normie question.¡± It¡¯s way off from what I can answer. I, Ayumu Kiriya, never went out with someone before, and I likely never will. Of course, I won¡¯t have a so-called ¡°ex-girlfriend.¡± ¡­It¡¯s more like before I can even answer this question, my body and soul are both of a girl. It¡¯s hard for me to imagine an ¡°ex-girlfriend¡± out. Sweat appeared on my forehead. I decided to get more intel out of Keita first. ¡°Uh, ¡­w-what kind of question is that? Is it like something for your friend? Or, don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s your own problem, Keita?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, ¡­I guess you can say it¡¯s something my friend encountered too¡­¡± After Keita mumbled a bit hesitantly, he scratched his cheeks and answered. ¡°Uh, it¡¯s because this is quiteplicated. Please allow me to skip over the details, sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t really mind¡­¡± Although I replied like that, a seed of worry appeared in my heart. Don¡¯t tell me Keita and his girlfriend broke up because of me. Ay, ¡­it doesn¡¯t feel like that from his attitude¡­ Keita continued hastily. ¡°A-Anyway, Kiriya-san, I should say, right now, all I want to do is to give you an ¡®ex-girlfriend¡¯ questionnaire. Yes, if I can hear your stance on how you would get along with your ex-girlfriend, that would be an excellent reference for me.¡± ¡°Uh, no, I mean¡­¡± Crap, what¡¯s happening? I never thought that someone would ask me how he should face his ex-girlfriend in my life. However, I¡¯ve always put up the senpai face in the past. I don¡¯t think I can get away if I say, ¡°I actually never went out with anyone¡± right now. At least, I need to find one more person to talk this out with Keita- -Wait, uh, I got it! That person is free at this time, anyway¡­ ¡°W-Wait, Keita! I¡¯ll bring help here right now! There¡¯s a good helper!¡± After I said that, I ignored Keita, who¡¯s still confused, as I quickly stood up from the chair. Then, around 3 minutester- ¡°¡­What is this?¡± In my living room, there¡¯s a universitydy that looks upset because she was suddenly dragged from her room next to me ¨C Ao Saika. It¡¯s 5 PM currently. She just got home from university. Initially, I think she was enjoying herte ¡°personal tea-time¡± elegantly. Thanks to that, her hair is messed up, and bits of chocte remained on her lips. I can only point toward my lips to show her. She snapped out of it and said, ¡°Excuse me.¡± After that, without bothering to ask me, she dashed inside my room¡¯s toilet. So, I don¡¯t know how she did it, but after 30 seconds¡­ ¡°Sorry for making you wait. Ara, Keita Amano-san, it¡¯s been a while. Good to see you.¡± The usual, ¡­no, the ¡°perfecter¡± ¡°wealthydy Ao Saika¡± came back with a charming smile. (¡­I feel like this girl is explicitly trying to put up a ¡°high-ssed¡± attitude in front of Keita¡­) Is it because she wants to act like a senpai to him, just like me? In reality, Keita freaked out and remained still. He barely managed to mumble a greeting out. ¡°I-It¡¯s been a while, Saika-san. Uh, ¡­I feel kind of sorry for calling you here because of me¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What? ¡­For you?¡± Ao tilted her head. Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t exined why I brought her to my house yet. I gave a simple exnation of what happened between Keita and me to Ao. But, even so, Ao still looks like she doesn¡¯t understand at all. ¡°I understand. However, what does that have to do with bringing me here?¡± Keita shared the same question too. Just as he¡¯s also looking at me confusingly, ¡­I puffed up my chest and answered. ¡°Uh, doesn¡¯t Ao give off an ¡®ex-girlfriend¡¯ feeling already? Should I say you look like a mistress?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll grab you by the neck and suffocate you.¡± Ao protested furiously. I answered with a bitter smile as I pressed on. ¡°So, what do you think, the girl that gives off an ¡®ex-girlfriend¡¯ feeling? How do you want boys to treat you?¡± ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know. After all, I never dated any boys.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Why are you two so surprised? I¡¯m sorry. I have a questionable face, anyway. I¡¯m just a tragic side character that can only help to smooth things over!¡± Ao crossed her arms and pouted before turning away, hinting that she¡¯s throwing a tantrum. I can only smile bitterly. However, ¡­Keita asked her sheepishly. ¡°Uh, Saika-san, did you just say¡­you never dated any boys?¡± ¡°Hmm? Yeah, it¡¯s not just that. I can¡¯t hope to date anyone, even though I look like a mistress.¡± Ao still answered with a temper. So, Keita¡­tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Eh? But, well, aren¡¯t Kiriya-san and Saika-san dating right now¡­¡± ¡°!¡± Suddenly, Ao and I remembered that setting. We immediately became alerted and looked at each other. Crap. I forgot about thispletely. Yes, yes, yes. If I remember correctly, ¡­I lied to him because of the bra incident. Since Keita came with an unexpected question after a while, I already forgot what happened on that day. Ao tried to find an excuse with floating eyes. ¡°Well, ¡­t-that¡¯s because, to me, I still can¡¯t consider my rtionship with Ayumu-san as a serious one¡­¡± ¡°H-How mature! I can¡¯t imagine that at all!¡± Keita¡¯s eyes brightened as he got worked up. ¡­I¡¯m sorry, Keita. Actually, Ao and I also can¡¯t imagine that rtionship. I nced at Ao as we exchanged eye-contact. (¡­I can¡¯t do anything if you¡¯re making things up like this.) (W-What was that? I-It¡¯s because Ayumu-san¡¯s lying in the first ce-) Yes, just as Ao¡¯s staring at me with bitter eyes- As I¡¯ve expected, -Keita innocently asked Ao¡­a brutal question. ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll look forward to the rtionship master, Saika-san¡¯s answer!¡± ¡°EHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± Ao¡¯s face gradually went pale. This is not just suicide, it¡¯s a mega-suicide. Ao reached out to me for help with teary eyes, while I gave her a ¡°who cares about you¡± look and turned away. Perhaps I initially caused this trouble, ¡­but she¡¯s the one that dug her own grave this time. Keita still looked up to Ao with his puppy eyes. ¡°Saika-san! So? What should an ex-boyfriend do to gain your love back? Please teach me! I¡¯m begging you!¡± ¡°T-There¡¯s no need to beg me¡­¡± The good girl is about to cry. ¡­So, Ao, you should know right now? This is¡­the hell that awaits people who think they¡¯re masters of love. Wee to the alliance. Ao looked around on her own sheepishly. However, I, Ayumu Kiriya¡¯s room, is publicly certified as being clean and straightforward. There are not many furniture everywhere, so there¡¯s literally no topic for her to get away with- ¡°Ah, t-this game! A-Actually, I¡¯m always curious about it!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± -Suddenly, Ao pushed us away and sat where Keita was, the area facing the TV screen. Then, her breathing turned rough as she grabbed the game controller excitedly. ¡°S-So, please let me try this game out! Yes, this is good! After all, ¡­I¡¯m totally defenseless to games like this!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± -Thedy held the controller upside down as she spewed some non-sense out. ¡°Hey¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but cover my eyes. ¡­I can¡¯t see this anymore. This is the worst attempt at ¡°changing the topic¡± I¡¯ve ever seen in my life. Well, we¡¯re finally out of options. Perhaps it¡¯s time for us to admit all the rtionship lies we made up. Then, I guess it¡¯s an excellent chance to reveal the live streams I recorded¡­ Yes, just as I¡¯m about to admit defeat- Keita, -he gave us an unexpected reason. ¡°T-That¡¯s incredible! T-This is the level of an open-world expert, right!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± We fell speechless. However, Keita got close to Ao excitedly and continued. ¡°This is the first time that I saw someone flipping the controller on purpose!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± It was not until now that Ao realized that she¡¯s holding the controller wrongly. ¡­Ah, she started shivering with a face as red as a tomato. What¡¯s this? It¡¯s adorable. From what I know, this is the cutest Ao in history. At the same time, it¡¯s the most pathetic. It¡¯s as miserable as a rabbit being bit and carried around by a lion. But Keita didn¡¯t see Ao¡¯s face as he pressed on. ¡°However, I didn¡¯t know that Saika-san loves gaming too! Exactly! Otherwise, a charmingdy like Saika-san will never get close to Kiriya-san. His looks are scary, his temper¡¯s twisted, and he got a slight eighth-grade syndrome, after all!¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Keita didn¡¯t even notice my cold protest. He¡¯s still pretty worked up¡­as if he already forgot the things we¡¯re supposed to talk about. The boy continued. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, Kiriya-san! Why don¡¯t we let Saika-san y this game today!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The situation turned toward an unexpected end. For a moment, we freaked out and froze. However, ¡­a bitter, Ao and I quickly exchanged looks. Then, we nodded at each other with determined faces. Finally, both of us smiled as we gave a thumbs up to Keita. ¡°S-Sure!¡± During this time, both of our hearts connected to each other. ¡­Yes, even though this means- < A newbie has to y like a professional with reverted controllers. > Ao will be jumping into the hell for newbies. Even so, ¡­even so, this is a hundred times better than pretending to be masters and talk about rtionships! In reality, we¡¯re two weird university girls whose ages are equal to the years we don¡¯t have a boyfriend. If we¡¯re facing a normie high school boy that¡¯s a couple step ahead of us in terms of love, we have to brag about a rtionship that we know nothing about. That would be too torturing. I¡¯m close to vomiting when I merely thought about it. If that¡¯s the case, it would be better to make Ao, who¡¯s a newbie, to hold a reverted controller and pretend to be a professional. Even though, ¡­ typically, this is just as torturing. So, we immediately acted and started ying the game once again. When Keita¡¯s hesitating on where he should sit, I quickly started recording, just in case. (Perhaps it would be unexpectedly enjoyable¡­) A wealthydy, who¡¯s a noob, will be ¡°ying like an expert¡± in an open-world game with reverted controllers. -Yep, quite an attractive live streaming proposal. Well, even though it¡¯s not my style. I turned off the PC monitor to avoid revealing the recording, and then I turned back. During this time, Keita looked at me a bit awkwardly. ¡­ording to the usual seats, Keita¡¯s supposed to sit next to Ao. However, I guess he¡¯s a bit too humble and polite for that. ¡°Keita, you can sit at theputer table today. I¡¯ll sit next to Ao.¡± I got in the kotatsu and got close to Ao after I said that. When Keita held his canned coffee as he took a seat at the table, Ao whispered to me quietly. (Ayumu-san, now that things turned this way. I can¡¯t just¡­change the controller back?) (Correct. Also, you have to show your expert gaming skills to Keita Amano as well.) (Even though I¡¯m a newbie that never touched games before?) (Yes. Moreover, if the guy found out, all of our other lies, including the one when we pretended to be masters, will be busted as well. If things got worse and my gender got revealed, the worst-case scenario is that the cops will be alerted.) (¡­This is the first time in my life that I experienced such a strong ¡°stuck in a level¡± feeling.) (Ao, let me tell you, this is what happens when you deal with Keita Amano- this young man.) (Keita Amano is literally a gue or something!) Ao protested to me with tears in her eyes. Ay, it¡¯s precisely that. However, if you consider the videos¡¯ views, he¡¯s a pretty efficacious god as well. So, we can¡¯t just call him a gue. It¡¯s like Zashiki-warashi. You will benefit as long as you treat her nicely. ¡­Well, even though we¡¯re facing a major crisis right now. [Note: Zashiki-warashi, spirits that like to prank others. It¡¯s folklore in northern Honshu.] ¡°Uh, it¡¯s almost time for us to start, right?¡± The god is still looking at the TV, which is paused at the title screen, as he urged us to y. Ao and I nodded at each other. ¡­Then, we decided to start while trembling. I whispered orders to Ao and asked her to press the circle button on the controller. (Just touch it. Press the ¡°O¡± button, Ao.) (The circle¡­will¡­go down¡­when you touch it¡­?) Thedy tilted her head a bit and asked me yfully. After that, she checked the bottom left of her sweater as if she realized something. She even mumbled, ¡°I see.¡± ¡­Then, for some reason, she left the controller on the table. ¡°?¡± Just as Keita and I became confused, Ao slowly stood up. She grabbed the bottom left of her sweater as she took a couple deep breaths. So, at the next moment- -She suddenly used all her strength and sent her left fist out towards the screen with a yell! ¡°Ha!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± When Keita and I fell speechless, ¡­Ao adjusted her breaths again, and then she closed her eyes. Just as a mysteriously serious atmosphere envelops the room, ¡­at the next moment, she suddenly opened her eyes and yelled. ¡°G-Go down!¡± Suddenly, on her left fist, -the bottom left of the sweater, a circr peony embroidery appeared. ¡­Oh, ¡­I see. Punching fists and yell. ¡°You punch and yell after touching it.¡± Really? Jeez. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± -What the hell? Eh, what is this? Can someone really not know anything about gaming nowadays? This is so ridiculous that it¡¯s not even about whether she¡¯s a newbie anymore, right? If you think about this normally, she¡¯s already doing something weird, right? My face went pale as I nced at Keita to peek at his reaction. As for him, he¡¯s looking at Ao seriously as he gulped. ¡°N-No, this is too advanced. My mind can¡¯t follow up at all¡­! F-From what I saw, I only felt that thedy just did something strange!¡± Your feelings are entirely correct! You can see things urately! However, this guy didn¡¯t suspect Ao. Instead, he¡¯s doubting himself. We can see how honest or dumb he is from this. Now that we got a chance, I decided to help Ao smooth things over. ¡°H-Hiya, but it¡¯s the same in sports. Once you reached a super-advanced level, some ¡®routine ceremonies¡¯ that seems weird be necessary for luck.¡± ¡°Huh! I-I see! Routine ceremonies. ¡­T-That¡¯s deep.¡± Keita Amano mumbled to himself quietly. What an idiot. Even though this guy¡¯s brain isn¡¯t that bad, he¡¯s an idiot. Then, I slowly reached my hand out to Ao, who¡¯s still looking at the title screen with her left fist out. ¡­She¡¯s slightly shivering. (Ao, ¡­no matter what, I think you can already sense the situation you¡¯re in right now.) (¡­Yeah.) Ao¡¯s face is blushing hard with tears in her eyes. I let her sit back at the original position to avoid Keita from seeing that look. At the same time, I passed her the reverted controller again. (Here, press this with your left thumb. The button with the ¡°O¡± mark. Get it?) (Ughhh, I¡¯m sorry, Ayumu-san¡­) Ao looks like she lost all strength as she pressed the button ordingly. So, after a couple attempts at pressing the ¡°O¡± button, we managed to push through the game to the prologue cinematics. However, ¡­herees the problem. I nced next to me. ¡­Ao¡¯s already running out of breath when she just pressed ¡°O¡± a couple times. I guess she¡¯s overwhelmed by the anxiety. (¡­I really have to do something right now.) Even though she¡¯s a newbie, we can make this through if she knows how to hold the controller. I can just calm things down at the side or do some random exnations. I nned to do that. ¡­However, now that I know the truth, I guess I can¡¯t pull that off as well. Ao¡¯s soul will copse first. I scrambled my brain for a solution¡­ During this time, I suddenly noticed another wireless controller on the kotatsu. Suddenly, Ayumu Kiriya received an oracle! I quickly decided to tell this ¡°Devil¡¯s Strategy¡± to Ao. (Ao, when Keita¡¯s not noticing, ¡­you need to secretly pass your controller to me.) (Eh? Sure, ¡­but there¡¯ll be nothing in my hands¡­) (Yeah. So, at the same time, you need to quickly fetch that 2P controller and then hold it just like right now!) (Huh! Hey, doesn¡¯t that mean¡­!) Ao finally realized what I¡¯m trying to do. Indeed, ¡­to put it simply, this is the full n. (Yes, I¡¯ll be the one¡­to y the game for Ao under the kotatsu!) It¡¯s literally a devil¡¯s idea. This miracle can only be performed during the kotatsu season! This way, Ao doesn¡¯t need to y professionally with a reverted controller as a newbie, and it won¡¯t stress her too. Ao and I immediately started the n after nodding at each other. First, Ao looked for the chance when Keita¡¯s not paying attention. ¡­After confirming that he¡¯s staring at the TV screen, she immediately handed the main controller to me. Simultaneously, she managed to quickly¡­and quietly got the other controller in her hand. As for me, I secretly hid the main controller handed to me in the kotatsu. Of course, I¡¯m holding it the usual way instead of flipping it. Finally, both of us checked up on Keita. On his side¡­ ¡°Hiya, the recent games got some incredible graphics.¡± Keita¡¯s still saying mundane thoughts for the game, and he¡¯s upied. The strategy is sessful! Ao and I smiled at each other. So, when we¡¯re touching things, the prologue is about to end. I quickly told Ao the following n. (Ao, I need you to pretend that you¡¯re controlling, but you shouldn¡¯t press the controller too much. Things can go wrong if it¡¯s different than the actual movement of the character.) (I-I got it. I won¡¯t do anything unnecessary.) Ao¡¯s still holding the reverted controller as she stared at the screen seriously. Alright, ¡­I think we can make it through with this n. Now, ¡­I just need to control the game. ¡°Ah, I think it¡¯s starting, Saika-san.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± Like what Keita just said, the prologue is over. The tutorial that teaches the control basis is starting with a cave exploration mission. I sighed¡­and began ying. The character is slowly advancing forward. Suddenly, Keita yelled out of joy! ¡°Wow! That¡¯s amazing! It¡¯s almost like you¡¯re ying normally!¡± Of course, I¡¯m controlling it the usual way. Naturally, Keita wanted to peek at Ao¡¯s hands. I hastily blocked Keita from Ao with my body, and then I warned Keita as I continued. ¡°Hey, Keita, aren¡¯t you, ¡­hmm, being impolite right now?¡± ¡°Eh, you¡¯re saying¡­impolite?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, this is a professional yer¡¯s unique controlling method. It¡¯s already a kind of intellectual property.¡± ¡°I-Intellectual property!¡± Keita¡¯s shocked. ¡­Don¡¯t worry, Keita. I¡¯m just as baffled as you after saying that. I pressed on. ¡°So, you shouldn¡¯t stare at what Ao¡¯s doing. Right, Ao?¡± I spoke up and asked for her agreement. Ao nodded stiffly. ¡°Y-Yes, ¡­h-he¡¯s right. It would be great if you can cooperate.¡± ¡°I see, ¡­how regretful.¡± Keita Amano dropped his shoulders depressingly. Sigh, ¡­as a gamer, it¡¯s hard to be not interested in how an expert ys with a reverted controller. I can understand that. Ao casuallyforted him. ¡°Uh, ¡­please don¡¯t feel so disappointed. T-Think about it, my fingers actually move in a pretty horrifying and ufortable way when I¡¯m in this reverted state.¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s ufortable?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s pretty serious. The tips of the fingers are twisted like a mess as the joints are disconnected. You¡¯ll vomit once you saw it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s straight out of Cthulhu Mythos! I-It just makes me want to look even more! Ao-san, c-can you please let me observe it¡­¡± ¡°K-Keita Amano-kun!¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± During this time, Ao gave Keita a pretty handsome smile. ¡°¡­If you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s deep! I¡¯m sorry, Saika-san! I think I¡¯m taking this too lightly! Please continue ying! Yes, I¡¯ll never watch your fingers!¡± ¡°It¡¯s great that you can understand.¡± Ao smiled as she looked back at the screen. ¡­This girl, she¡¯s having fun. I¡¯m dumbfounded by their interactions as I continued controlling under the kotatsu. Basically, I, Ayumu Kiriya, am not bad at games. However, ¡­of course, I¡¯m not like a top-tier professional. Right now, we¡¯re still in the tutorial. So, there aren¡¯t many chances to ¡°show off¡± my skills, which means that there¡¯s no problem so far. But around 5 minutester, the adventure will start, and I¡¯ll have to show expert skills then. Ao seems to be able to sense my nervousness, so she sighed while looking at the screen. In this room, only Keita Amano is humming a song as he¡¯s looking at the game screen cheerfully. ¡­Honestly, I really want to beat him up, even though I think he didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Right now, he suddenly remembered something and pulled open the ring of his canned coffee before taking a sip. Since the game reached another cutscene, I unintentionally looked at what he¡¯s doing. ¡­So, he noticed that and casually suggested to me. ¡°Ah, Kiriya-san, you want to take a sip? Even though it¡¯s not cold anymore.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll share a sip-¡° I can sense an overwhelmingly cold aura when I¡¯m in the middle of casually replying, so I hastily nced next to him. In front of me, ¡­ady is giving me a vengeful spirit¡¯s look. ¡°A-Ayumu-san? I-Isn¡¯t it wrong to share a sip when Amano drank it already?¡± ¡°Hmm? Wrong?¡± But I don¡¯t really understand what Ao¡¯s trying to say. Keita looks a bit confused too, and he even wanted to help me out. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing, Saika-san. This coffee is from Kiriya-san¡¯s home, anyway. So, there¡¯s no need for him to be polite to me. He can just take it if he wants.¡± ¡°No, t-that¡¯s not the issue, Amano.¡± ¡°Hmm? Uh, well, what do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, ¡­uh, ¡­it¡¯s because¡­¡± Ao gazed at me and the canned coffee as she mumbled something before lowering her head. At the next moment, ¡­she stared at me brutally with tears in her eyes. Then, she whispered to me this quietly. (I-Isn¡¯t this an indirect kiss!? Ayumu-san, what were you thinking!?) (Huh? But I¡¯ll share a sip with you in the university sometimes, right?) (I-It¡¯s alright if you¡¯re sharing with me. It¡¯s me!) (Why?) (Y-You¡¯re still asking why¡­! Uh, ¡­r-right, it¡¯s because we¡¯re the same gender!) (The same gender? Ah, that¡¯s fine. Keita and I are just the same, anyway.) Ao¡¯s still protesting next to me, but I just want to drink coffee. So, I ignored her and prepared to take the can from Keita- -During this time, the cutscene is over. ¡°Ah.¡± Ao and my voice ovepped each other. Currently, a bunch of mysterious enemies is attacking the protagonist on the screen. ¡­This means I have to start some violent controls immediately. Anyway, Ao went back and pretended to be ying the game. At the same time, I quickly controlled the protagonist under the kotatsu- ¡°Hmm? Kiriya-san, what¡¯s wrong? Please take the coffee now.¡± ¡°Eek! Uh, no, look, ¡­right now, the game is¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah, Saika-san¡¯s giving her best, and she¡¯s an expert. But she¡¯s ying on her own, ¡­Kiriya-san, you can still drink the coffee, right. Take it, just get your hands out of the kotatsu now¡­¡± Keita¡¯s getting closer as he said that. Hey, I bet this guy found out already, and he¡¯s just messing with me on purpose! Even though this is just a coincidence, he¡¯s too talented at pranking people! I tried my best to control the game under the kotatsu as I started making up excuses. ¡°Uh, well, ¡­yep, I guess I don¡¯t want it. I just drank coffee.¡± ¡°No, no, no, you don¡¯t need to be polite. This is something in your house.¡± You¡¯re a pain in the butt! What the hell do you want from me!? ¡°I-I gained weight recently. Although it¡¯s micro-sugar, I shouldn¡¯t drink too much¡­¡± ¡°No, no, no, you¡¯re literally too slim! You should be fatter!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll drink itter then! Alright, I want to watch Ao ying the game now¡­¡± ¡°No, if that¡¯s the case, please drink it in front of me right now!¡± ¡°Why!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m your traditional older brother! Once I decided to give someone something, I won¡¯t give up until it¡¯s actually handed out!¡± ¡°Who cares!?¡± What the hell? This guy¡¯s really annoying! However, this frustration seems to have a positive impact on my gaming skills. I¡¯m unprecedently good at controlling the game. I¡¯m headshotting the enemies one by one like a real pro. To that, the older brother guy can¡¯t help but stare at the screen as he let out sighs in praise. ¡­I decided that I can only clear this in one go, so I eliminate the entire enemy battalion in seconds. After that¡­ ¡°Well, give me that coffee!¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, sure.¡± ¡­When the cutscene of the next quest ys, I quickly took the coffee from Keita¡¯s hands. I took a single sip and returned it. ¡°Ah.¡± Ao let out a grumpy sound, ¡­but I ignored her before paying attention to the game screen again. * ¡°Hiya, Saika-san, you¡¯re amazing!¡± When I¡¯m thoroughly exhausted, Keita prepared to go home as he threw another wave of praises at Ao. Inparison, Ao smiled shyly and said, ¡°No, you¡¯re praising me too much.¡± That humble attitude made Keita fully convinced, so heplimented her even more, and the cycle continues. Keita finally fell quiet when he has to get his coat on. So, Ao whispered to me during this time. ¡°Ayumu-san, I think I can finally understand a bit why you¡¯re so unsuspecting at a boy like him. He¡­is such an innocent child.¡± ¡°See? Keita Amano is a guy like this. He¡¯s not really someone from the opposite gender.¡± After I answered a bit smugly, Ao nodded in agreement before continuing and toning her expression down. ¡°In a way, perhaps it¡¯s better if all we need to worry about is his gender¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Ao looked at Keita, who¡¯s trying to figure out the buttons on his coat, and let out a confusing sigh. She took a deep sigh and warned me by lightly putting her hand on my shoulder. ¡°Nope, Ayumu-san, don¡¯t get too deep.¡± ¡°Hmm? What are you saying? Are you asking me to stop engrossing Keita so much? But think about it, that guy just broke up with his girlfriend recently. Doesn¡¯t this mean we have one less thing to worry about?¡± I made a logical conclusion. ¡­However, for some reason, Ao answered me with a solemn look. ¡°Ayumu-san. If you¡¯re casually saying something like this, I think you already entered the dangerous zone.¡± I was a bit annoyed at her attitude. ¡°Ao, so what are you talking about? I don¡¯t like beating around the bush.¡± ¡°Beating around the bush? Me? Ha, that¡¯s more like for you-¡° When the argument¡¯s about to escte, I realized that Keita¡¯s staring at us. Ao and I quickly made an excuse. ¡°I-It¡¯s fine, Keita. We¡¯re just arguing on dinner.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. Think about it, Ayumu-san¡¯s a picky eater.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Indeed, Kiriya-san feels a bit unhealthy.¡± So, after Keita gave a bitter smile, he walked in front of Ao for some reason and smiled again. ¡°Perhaps you did say that you¡¯re not serious. Even so, I think it¡¯s the blessing from Kiriya-san¡¯s former life when he has such a virtuous girlfriend like Saika-san.¡± ¡°AHH!¡± For a moment, Ao nearly fainted for some reason. What? After she barely regained her consciousness, ¡­somehow, she suddenly grabbed Keita¡¯s hand and told him this with sparkling eyes. ¡°Y-You¡¯re such a¡­good child! Please, we¡¯ll have to y together next time too!¡± ¡°W-What? T-Thank you.¡± Although Keita freaked out for a bit, he still answered like that. ¡­What¡¯s with this conversation? After that, I think the fight between Ao and me doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Ao seems to feel the same. The three of us walked to the entrance. After Ao got her coat from her room, we left the apartment and walked Keita home just as usual. The snow¡¯s rustling as we stepped on it. ¡°It¡¯s already December¡­¡± Ao grabbed the front of her coat tightly with a single hand as she mumbled to herself. The white fumes slowly melted away at the street in the dusk. When we¡¯re not far away from the convenience store, I suddenly remembered that Aguri girl we saw therest time. (In the end, ¡­Keita was dating her, right?) Although Aguri herself said it¡¯s impossible and denied it, honestly, they look pretty close. ¡­I can¡¯t let this go once I start thinking about it. Someone said that it¡¯s dumb to worry about one¡¯s own imagination. Even so, I still can¡¯t help¡­but ask Keita. ¡°Uh, hey, ¡­Keita.¡± ¡°Yes, what¡¯s wrong, Kiriya-san?¡± Keita faced forward as he answered me nonchntly. When Ao realized what¡¯s happening and looked at us, ¡­I gulped and asked that question. ¡°The girl¡­that you said she broke up today. ¡­Is that girl called Aguri?¡± After hearing my question, Keita bulged his eyes¡­and answered me while nodding repeatedly. ¡°Ah, yes! Well, you¡¯re right. Aguri-san did break up.¡± (It¡¯s real!) Inside our hearts, ¡°Aguri is Keita¡¯s girlfriend¡± is finally confirmed. No, I guess she¡¯s his ex-girlfriend now. Keita tilted his head in confusion and continued. ¡°However, why did you ask about Aguri-san?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, it¡¯s nothing much. I just bumped into her at that convenience store a while ago. But please rx, I didn¡¯t say the rtionship between you and me.¡± ¡°Hmm? Thanks¡­? But, I think it¡¯s fine even if you said it¡­¡± ¡°Eh? R-Really? But think about it, ¡­hanging in a university student you met on the street and y games, that¡¯s not something nice to hear, right?¡± ¡°Really¡­? However, I don¡¯t actually talk about you in front of others. ¡­That¡¯s because I¡¯m afraid people will know that you¡¯re a gloomy and lonely university guy that brings high school boys home frequently¡­¡± ¡°I-I see? A-Anyway, no matter what, including Aguri, please continue to help to keep this a secret for Ao and me.¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t mind that¡­¡± Keita still looks a bit unconvinced, so I changed the subject. ¡°Anyway, uh, ¡­how regretful, Keita, about what happened to Aguri.¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­you¡¯re right. It¡¯s really regretful¡­¡± Keita dropped his shoulders detedly. This guy did break up with Aguri, right¡­ ¡°¡­Even though it¡¯s such a matching couple¡­¡± ¡°Eh, will someone really say that for themselves!?¡± Ao gasped at Keita¡¯s unexpected side. ¡­It looks like this guy used to love Aguri so much that his IQ began to drop¡­ Keita continued depressingly. ¡°I feel so bad for Aguri-san. ¡­She just lost such an excellent boyfriend.¡± ¡°He¡¯s saying that by himself again! What¡¯s wrong with this guy!? It¡¯s more like, where did that overflowing confidencee from!? Where did that humble Keita Amano-kun go?¡± Aoined a bit violently. However, Keita just answered her with a vague smile. ¡­I guess he already treats Ao as an ¡°out-of-this-world and crazydy¡± today. Keita even ignored her reasonableint. I¡¯m confused at what he said, just like Ao, but I still pressed on. ¡°Sigh, b-but, it¡¯s not a bad thing that you broke up. Honestly, ¡­I feel like that Aguri girl, ¡­well, doesn¡¯t match you¡­¡± ¡°Aguri-san and I? Ay, of course. I can¡¯t deal with a girl like her!¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± His violently changing attitudes freaked Ao and me out. What¡¯s wrong with this guy? I didn¡¯t know he¡¯s this insane. He thinks he¡¯s perfect at rtionships, so he despises the girl this much? That¡¯s a literal scum! Even though it¡¯s not good to say this out loud, Keita Amano is a real scumbag! He looked up to the sky and mumbled. ¡°Aguri-san, ¡­I hope she can try her best to restore this rtionship.¡± (S-Scumbag!) Ao and I screamed inside our hearts as we froze. What¡¯s wrong with this guy!? He thinks the girl has to pay for everything if she¡¯s the one that¡¯s dating him!? I bet that¡¯s why she broke up with you! The unusual mentality radiating around Keita Amano is starting to horrify the two university girls out. Just as we¡¯re chatting around, we arrived at the store before we knew it. Keita turned around to bid farewell just as usual- During this time, he suddenly let out a confusing ¡°eh.¡± Keita looked behind us- over Ao and me, who¡¯s shocked, he spoke up to someone with a smile. ¡°Uehara-kun! How did you get here?¡± Ao and I turned back at the same time. So, we found out¡­a high school boy with a refreshing smile (which makes him even more suspicious) is standing there. (W-When did he¡­) He¡¯s standing closer than I thought, and we can¡¯t hide how startled we are. Although Keita didn¡¯t even seem to realize, it¡¯s unusual that he can get this close without making a sound. Clearly, ¡­indeed, this Uehara guy is obviously¡­! (He¡¯s really hiding his movements to stalk us¡­) Even though we realized that, we don¡¯t know what he¡¯s trying to do. Our faces turned stiff. He- the Uehara-kun, ording to Keita first answered Keita with a greeting gently over us. ¡°Hi, Amano. It¡¯s nothing but a coincidence. I¡¯m the one that should ask why are you here?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m, ¡­uh¡­¡± Keita nced at me at this moment. He paused to think for a second, and then he made a small lie to that Uehara guy. ¡°I-I¡¯m just here to visit my cousin, so I stayed in his house for a while.¡± ¡°Oh, ¡­your ¡®cousin,¡¯ ¡®¡­his¡¯ house, right?¡± The Uehara high school boy observed Ao and me for a while. Then, he greeted us with a suspiciously refreshing smile. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m this guy¡¯s friend, Tasuku Uehara.¡± ¡°Ah, I-I¡¯m Ayumu Kiriya. Uh, ¡­I¡¯m Keita¡¯s c-cousin. Well, this one here¡¯s my¡­neighbor. Her name is Ao Saika.¡± Ao greeted him with a simple nod, and Uehara did the same thing and said, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡­Ay, it looks like he¡¯s not a bad guy. Once I felt slightly relieved, that Uehara asked for a handshake with me. I epted him without giving much thought. So, at the next moment, -he pulled my hand lightly and started whispering next to my ears. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit too unfair to do this?¡± ¡°!¡± His charming voice made me back out immediately. After that, that Uehara guy continued casually with his refreshing smile. ¡°Sorry, I shook a bit too tightly. ¡­As a guy, Kiriya-san looks even slimmer than I expected.¡± (This little¡­!) I can¡¯t help but re at him. So, when Keita¡¯s starting to freak out from the dangerous mood. ¡­Uehara finally toned down his expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m a bit curious after hearing about you from Aguri.¡± It looks like he knows Keita¡¯s ex-girlfriend, Aguri, as well. I see. Well, I guess I can understand why he was trying to intimidate me. This Uehara -he¡¯s the friend of those two. I bet he wants Keita and Amano to go back together. I get it. I finally understood what¡¯s happening. Then, I got close to Uehara and whispered to him to avoid Keita from hearing it. (Let¡¯s stop talking about me first. I think Aguri would be happier if she just forgets her old rtionship¡­) After all, Keita Amano ispletely insane when ites to rtionships. I told him with this in mind. For some reason, ¡­Uehara answered me depressingly. (Ugh¡­! Eh, Kiriya-san, w-why do you think so?) (Eh? Uh, it¡¯s because, from everything I¡¯ve heard, Aguri¡¯s ex-boyfriend is pretty terrible as a guy, right?) (UWAH! D-Do you think so? R-Really¡­) ¡°?¡± Uehara looks upset for some reason. ¡­Hmm, I didn¡¯t expect this boy to be this nice. He¡¯s so considerate toward those two just to make them stay as a couple. When I started to admire him, Keita spoke up in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you two? Is everything okay?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, yes, it¡¯s fine. Right, Uehara?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. A-Alright, forget about it, Amano. It¡¯s just that we¡¯re a bit nervous since we just met for the first time.¡± ¡°Oh, let¡¯s forget about Kiriya-san first. I didn¡¯t know that Uehara-kun will get nervous too. That¡¯s unexpected.¡± Why can you forget about me first? Do I really look like a loner? No matter what, after the mood turned peaceful, Ao cleared her throat and changed the topic. ¡°By the way, Amano and Uehara, shouldn¡¯t you two go home now?¡± Keita freaked out at what she said. ¡°Right, it¡¯s time for me to go home! Uh, Uehara-kun, you¡¯re walking me home, right?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. Well, it¡¯s time for us to leave, you two.¡± They gave us a simple nod after saying that. Then, the two chatted happily with each other as they leave. Uehara poked Keita¡¯s head, while Keita pushed his chest lightly. There¡¯s no politeness, and the distance feels pretty casual. I looked at them dazedly while Ao mumbled to me. ¡°¡­Ayumu-san, that¡¯s how boys get along with each other, right?¡± ¡°What are you trying to say, Ao?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Ao only said that before walking to the entrance of the convenience store alone. I sighed as I followed Ao. ¡­At the same time, I turned back to look at those two again. After that, I can¡¯t help but mumble alone. ¡°I¡¯m being unfair, ¡­right¡­?¡± < Time until Keita Amano¡¯s girlfriend enters Ayumu Kiriya¡¯s apartment: 4 and a half months. > DLC 6 – Gamers and Spinoff Talk

DLC Chapter 6 ¨C Gamers and Spinoff Talk

Trantor: your_pingas ¡°Everyone in the Game Hobby Club, what do you guys usually do?¡± Since Aguri-san suddenly brought this up, the four of us can¡¯t help but look at each other¡¯s faces. It¡¯s a day of the Game Hobby Club in December. Since we often talked about irrelevant things during the meeting, Uehara-kun suggested, ¡°Hey, maybe we should operate normally.¡± So, we got excited when it¡¯s been a while since we can enjoy chatting about gaming¡­ However, Aguri-san, who¡¯s the gal with zero gaming knowledge, seems to be at her limit. Although she looked a bit ashamed, she still continued. ¡°Uh, basically, we always talk about gaming whenever the five of us are together, or someone will report on recent events, right?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s useless to talk about my rtives when you guys don¡¯t even know them.¡± Uehara-kun gave Aguri-san a reasonable retort. However, Aguri-san said, ¡°This is the problem¡± She continued the argument. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, in the end, don¡¯t you think we don¡¯t know anything about each other? It¡¯s okay to talk about the world outside of this ce, right?¡± ¡°Hmm, ¡­one of my uncles is annoyed at his growing leg hair¡­¡± ¡°Tasuku, that¡¯s boring, stop it. Moreover, I don¡¯t feelfortable hearing it.¡± ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Uehara-kun¡¯s at a loss. ¡­I feel bad for him, even though that¡¯s indeed boring. When everyone¡¯s hesitating, Aguri-san spoke up. ¡°For example-¡° ¡°You guys think that I always go to the family restaurant to talk to Amanhi after school, right?¡± Everyone immediately nodded at Aguri-san¡¯s question. Her expression instantly died a little, but she cleared her throat and continued. ¡°However, a guy like Amanhi is just one of my many friends to me.¡± ¡°W-Why do you have to put it in such a mean way!?¡± ¡°Sorry, I was a bit too mean. I should correct myself.¡± ¡°Aguri-san¡­¡± ¡°To me, ¡­Amanhi is just a ss lower than all of my friends. He¡¯s a ve in a special zone!¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯m honored to hear that I¡¯m special! ¡­A-Aguri-sama, your phone looks a bit dirty. Should I help you wipe the screen clean? I¡¯m using sandpaper.¡± ¡°No, thanks! Let go of my phone, you ve¡­!¡± ¡°T-There¡¯s no need to be polite, Aguri-sama¡­!¡± We pulled Aguri-san¡¯s phone around with a twisted smile. Once we snapped out of it, everyone in the Game Hobby Club is giving us the ¡°usual¡± cold stares. We quitted fooling around, and cleared our throats. ¡­Aguri-san continued. ¡°A-Anyway, I feel pretty upset when you guys think all I do is mess around with Amanhi after school.¡± Tendou-san agreed with what Aguri-san said. ¡°I understood.¡± She asked. ¡°Well, Aguri-san, how do you spend your time with someone other than Amano-kun?¡± ¡°Good question, Tendou-san! Uh, aside from Amanhi, ¡­I¡¯ll go sing karaoke with my ssmates after school. Also, we¡¯ll cover our own expenses!¡± ¡°Eh, wait, that gal right there.¡± Suddenly, Uehara-kun and I interrupted her. Aguri-san mumbled, ¡°Sheesh, these guys always like to interrupt me.¡± Uehara-kun and I can¡¯t help but m the table as we stood up. ¡°C-Can I ask what¡¯s with the whole ¡®cover our own expenses¡¯ matter!? Please exin!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah! I didn¡¯t you have that concept!¡± Uehara-kun and I were furious, but Aguri-san waved her index finger and answered us. ¡°No, no, no.¡± ¡°Let me tell you this, ¡­I¡¯m not that down-and-out. I can¡¯t ask my friends to pay for me, right.¡± ¡°Even though you forced me to pay 90% of the drink bar bills!¡± ¡°Even though I paid for you every time we go to the w machines and photo booths!¡± ¡°Sigh, ¡­I¡¯m such a sinful woman¡­¡± ¡°Of god damn course!¡± Although Uehara-kun and I urged to follow the split-the-bill system, Aguri-san just outright ignored us. She continued to the girls. ¡°Anyway, just like that, I also have rtionships and activities other than the Game Hobby Club. So, I want to ask whatever you guys can share about this.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Split the bill!¡± The girls are nodding, and the boys are continuing their protests. So, for some reason, the girls, ¡­Tendou-san and Chiaki are giving me a ¡°it¡¯s annoying to keep asking to split the bill¡± stare. W-Well, you two didn¡¯t suffer from it. That¡¯s why your attitude¡¯s like this¡­! However¡­! ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± However, we¡¯re just wasting our energy if we continue screaming. Uehara-kun and I looked at each other with tears in our eyes, ¡­and then we sat down silently. Our fists are trembling on ourps. ¡­Life is difficult for us. When the boys spiral down into depression, Tendou-san changed the mood by responding to what Aguri-san said. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, for me, ¡­right. I think everyone knows this already. When there¡¯s no Game Hobby Club meeting, I¡¯ll be in the Game Club.¡± After hearing her, Chiaki raised her seaweed head up and continued. ¡°Yeah, Karen-san does that. However, when the Game Club is on a day-off¡­¡± ¡°Ah, then I¡¯ll go out with my friends like Aguri-san, or¡­¡± ¡°Or?¡± When everyone¡¯s paying attention to Tendou-san¡¯s answer, she¡­smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll go and ¡®hunt¡¯ gamers.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? It sounds scary.¡± Tendou-san revealed her hidden side and made us genuinely scared. So, she smiled a bit bitterly. ¡°No, no, no, I don¡¯t mean it weirdly.¡± She exined. ¡°Like when I invited Amano-kun, I¡¯ll go and look for students that wanted to join us or simply people that are expert gamers. For example, I visit arcades and game stores frequently.¡± ¡°I-I see.¡± Chiaki pressed her chest in relief. However, ¡­after she said that, Tendou-san casually added. ¡°Also, sometimes, I¡¯ll defeat those evil gamers.¡± ¡°It¡¯s indeed what you said earlier! K-Karen-san, what are you busy with!?¡± ¡°Busy with? ¡­I ¡®hunt¡¯ gamers.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not going to work even if you¡¯re saying that like you¡¯re just nting flowers! Please don¡¯t hunt gamers!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s quite usual for gamers like us, right?¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s usual?¡± ¡°The evil gamers often bully poor viges.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not! Please don¡¯t say that like it¡¯s a universal experience for gamers!¡± Chiaki yelled at the top of her lungs. ¡­By the way, what kind of world does my ex-girlfriend live in¡­? When sweat began to appear on our faces, Tendou-san tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Huh, this is a guaranteed ¡®universal experience¡¯ in the Game Club¡­¡± ¡­Come to think of it, instead of Tendou-san, I believe the world that the Game Club¡¯s in is the problem. An awkward atmosphere surrounded the scene. Chiaki spoke up thoughtfully. ¡°M-My turn!¡± ¡°When there¡¯s no Game Hobby Club meeting, I¡¯ll-¡° Chiaki said that as she leaned forward. I asked, ¡°Hmm, what do you do?¡± Then, she started talking about the stuff she did outside of the Hobby Club energetically¡­ ¡°¡­Ah, ¡­since I don¡¯t have friends or a boyfriend, I¡¯ll just go home¡­¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­really¡­¡± We looked down quietly in sympathy. ¡­However, Chiaki immediately smoothed things over. ¡°B-But, I¡¯ll also make F2P games myself! Yes! So, sometimes, I¡¯ll go do research and investigation too! Hmph!¡± ¡°Oh, that really sounds like what a creator would do. It¡¯s nice, Chiaki.¡± ¡°R-Right, Keita. I visit ces like libraries often as well.¡± ¡°Really? By the way, what did you read in the library?¡± ¡°Eh? Let me think. For example, right now, I¡¯m trying to make a ssic fantasy RPG, so, every day, I¡¯ll¡­¡± Chiaki stopped and took a deep breath. Then, she raised her finger and told us confidently. ¡°I¡¯ll do research about the history of Shio koji.¡± [Note: It¡¯s a natural seasoning made by salt, water, and rice.] ¡°I feel like the finished game will be weird.¡± Chiaki¡¯s tastes are still the same. She didn¡¯t realize we¡¯re giving her a dumbfounded face, and she even continued a bit embarrassingly. ¡°Also, I want to do something new this time. I¡¯ll make a fancy scrolling shooting game for kids.¡± Tendou-san put her hands on her chest and smiled at what Chiaki said. ¡°Hey, that sounds nice. I love < Steins;Gate > too.¡± ¡°Yeah! Me too, Karen-san. So, the references that I¡¯m looking for are¡­ ¡°Ah, did you look for illustrations of flowers-¡° ¡°I¡¯m searching for horrific incidents during the Showa period.¡± ¡°The material is really unsettling!¡± What? Why did this clump of seaweed research about that when she¡¯s making a game for children? Also, how can she still tilt her head innocently when she saw that we¡¯re totally startled? Is she a genius? No, the most critical question is¡­ ¡°Hmm? Amano-kun?¡± Tendou-san found out that something¡¯s wrong with me, so she tried to look my way. ¡­But, I ignored her and even turning my face away from everyone secretly. ¡­I¡¯m struggling! (Crap! It sounds pretty fun¡­!) I¡¯m a die-hard fan of NOBE. That overflowing NOBE feeling is really drawing me in. However, I don¡¯t want Chiaki to find out. When I¡¯m trying my best to hold myughter, Uehara-kun, who seemingly saw everything, mumbled dumbfoundedly. ¡°Seriously, you two can just marry each other¡­¡± He¡¯s being ridiculous again. Aside from me, there should be a lot of people that love NOBE¡¯s games too. ¡­I-I guess. I finally calmed down, so I sat back down and faced forward. So, Uehara-kun spoke up this time. ¡°Ah, I guess I¡¯m the same as Aguri. I¡¯ll go out with my other friends too since I¡¯m not in any clubs, after all.¡± ¡°Ah, right-¡° Tendou-san answered. ¡°Uehara-kun, sometimes, ¡­you¡¯ll y with Nina-senpai, ¡­Nina Oiso-senpai from my club, right?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Aguri-san raised her ears explicitly at what Tendou-san said. Her face made Uehara-kun answer stiffly. ¡°Y-Yeah, b-but I didn¡¯t invite her out. Uh, it¡¯s because Nina-senpai¡¯s always there when I go to the fighting games area in the arcade. So, I¡¯ll try to learn a thing or two from her¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Oh¡­¡± ¡°Eh? Uh, ¡­ugh¡­¡± Aguri-san¡¯s releasing her ¡°ex-girlfriend¡¯s pressure¡± to pin down Uehara-kun. What is this? ¡­Even though it¡¯s happening to me, my stomach hurts just as much. Perhaps it¡¯s because we¡¯re both guys. I¡¯m getting upset from seeing it alone. However, the seaweed girl didn¡¯t seem to notice the situation. She even spewed an innocent¡­yet extremely brutal sentence out to Uehara-kun. ¡°Hey, unlike us, ¡­Uehara-kun has a lot of girl friends!¡± ¡°Uwah!¡± The sudden friendly fire nearly made Uehara-kun choke in pain. He nced at his ex-girlfriend¡¯s dark aura before gazing at Chiaki bitterly. Yet, Chiaki continued like nothing¡¯s wrong. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he managed to build good rtionships with several girls at the same time. Uehara-kun¡¯s really amazing.¡± ¡°Eh? Uh, hey, Hoshinomori? Can you be quiet for a second¡­?¡± ¡°Right, when I just knew Uehara-kun, I think he treated a first-met girl like me better than Keita, who¡¯s already his friend-¡° Crap, as a guy, ¡­as Uehara-kun¡¯s friend, I can¡¯t stand this anymore. I stood up and went behind Chiaki. Then, I covered her mouth that keeps spewing words out with my hands. ¡°Ughhh¡­!¡± ¡°Eh, don¡¯t force yourself to talk! M-My hands are getting itchy!¡± Chiaki kept moving around as if she¡¯s protesting to me. I don¡¯t want to admit defeat, so I hugged her seaweed head tightly- ¡°¡­Ah!¡± -After I hugged her, I realized that this time, my ex-girlfriend, ¡­the blonde angel, Ms. Karen Tendou-san, is releasing a shockingly menacing aura. The intimidation is too intense, and I can¡¯t even look at her face. I¡¯ll die if I even took a single nce- I felt that. ¡°Ugh, ¡­ugh!¡± However, Chiaki still struggled like she can¡¯t read the mood at all. When she¡¯s messing around like that, my hands can feel her breaths and lips. Honestly, I¡¯m pretty embarrassed. However, Tendou-san can sense how shy and hesitant I¡¯m as well. This is making me ufortable too. Well, how about I just let go¡­? However, this way, this seaweed head will keep on screaming and worsens the situation. (¡­We¡¯re stuck¡­!) Uehara-kun and I can¡¯t stop sweating. ¡­What¡¯s happening? Right now, this is the first time that I experienced the dark side of the ¡°2 Boys: 3 Girls¡± ratio. ¡­Well, I can¡¯t deal with this. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The otaku girl that¡¯s struggling to speak, and, with her as the center, the two pairs of broken-up couples being dragged into this dangerous atmosphere. In this difficult situation, Uehara-kun pulled thest trick out of his sleeves. ¡°R-Right, Amano, what about you? ¡­Did you know anyone outside the Hobby Club?¡± ¡°Eh, ¡­ehh!¡± This conversation is too hard for a lonely passerby! I can¡¯t believe I have to introduce friends outside of Uehara-kun and others. How could I possibly have- ¡°¡­Ah.¡± -No, I do. Well, I actually do have. However, this way¡­ ¡°?¡± Everyone besides Uehara-kun tilted their heads at my confusing silence. Instead, Uehara-kun¡¯s clearly urging me to talk about ¡°them.¡± They would be- (Kiriya-san and Saika-san¡­) -Those two. I didn¡¯t really bring up the rtionship I have with those two university students. Indeed, the current topic does allow me to talk about them. More importantly, this can solve the eerie atmosphere right now. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Anyway, I let go of Chiaki¡¯s mouth, and she already stopped moving. Tendou-san and Aguri-san stopped radiating their intimidating aura too. However, in contrast to this, ¡­everyone¡¯s paying attention to the ¡°rtionship outside of the Hobby Club¡± now. ¡­Honestly, I¡¯m about to suffocate. ¡°Uh¡­¡± I scratched as I went back to my seat with a bitter smile. ¡­Well, what should I do? (I guess Kiriya-san doesn¡¯t want people to know him too much¡­) Although I didn¡¯t make a promise to him, I do want to avoid bothering him. While I hope that¡­ I nced at everyone¡¯s look. ¡­Perhaps it¡¯s because I¡¯m trying to stay quiet. I can tell that they¡¯re trying to say, ¡°Just spew it out, dude.¡± (¡­I can¡¯t lose both things at once. Sorry, Kiriya-san. I¡¯ll try to keep your name and the content as vague as possible¡­) After I made up my mind, I took a deep sigh. ¡­Then, I carefully minced my words and exined. ¡°Uh, ¡­recently, sometimes, ¡­I y with someone outside of the Hobby Club twice a week.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Tendou-san and Chiaki gasped at the same time. After that, ¡­both of them started sweating for some reason. They suddenly leaned forward and asked me. ¡°A-Amano-kun? I¡¯ve never heard about this before, even though I¡¯m your girl- ex-girlfriend.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, right. I think this isn¡¯t something that I have to tell you¡­¡± ¡°K-Keita? I always thought you were a loner like me¡­¡± ¡°No, I mean, I¡¯m still just as lonely right now. You know what happened to me during the school trip, right? 90% of my school life is still being afraid of other people looking at me. I just y mobile games alone in my seat.¡± I tilted my head since I don¡¯t get what they¡¯re fussing over. So, ¡­for some reason, the two of them mmed the table hastily and asked me in unison. ¡°So, is the person a guy!? Exin it clearly!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± I can¡¯t help bute to a stand-still. I don¡¯t get it. ¡­What¡¯s wrong even If the person I hang out with, ¡­Kiriya-san, is a girl¡­? ¡­Ah. I quickly shook my head when I realized what¡¯s wrong. ¡°No, no, no, no, no! How could that be possible!? We¡¯re talking about me now!¡± ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s why we¡¯re worried about you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that like I¡¯m a B-grade rom protagonist¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re a B-grade rom protagonist!¡± ¡°Ehh?¡± Those two finally stood up and got real close to me, while I remained speechless. ¡­I really don¡¯t know what the girls are trying to say. When will a rom protagonist try his best to ignore the ssmates that are teasing him every day? I¡¯m ying mobile games sheepishly during lesson breaks¡­ When Uehara-kun and Aguri-san looked at us with freezing eyes, I answered my ex-girlfriend and gaming buddy with a bitter smile. ¡°No matter what, this time, it¡¯s not what you guys think at all. I¡¯m just¡­hanging out with a guy you don¡¯t know sometimes. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Phew, ¡­ a guy¡­¡± For some reason, they pressed their chests before sitting back. ¡­Basically, these two have opposite personalities, and yet they¡¯re incredibly cooperative sometimes. Is there anythingmon between them? After the two calmed down, I continued. ¡°Uh, well, sometimes, I¡¯ll¡­visit that university guy¡¯s ¡®one-person apartment.¡¯ Then, he¡¯ll teach me something that I ¡®never experienced¡¯ before.¡± ¡°OUT!¡± The two girls stood up abruptly and screamed at the top of their lungs. Although they freaked me out, I managed to throw a question at them. ¡°Eh, ¡­i-is there something wrong?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still asking that!? It¡¯s wrong from top to bottom, Amano-kun! It¡¯s more like, this is the most serious ¡®OUT¡¯ situation since we¡¯ve known each other!¡± ¡°Yeah! How could you join that circle behind us!?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m joining that circle behind you¡­?¡± I have no idea why these two are so excited. Although I acted sheepishly, I suddenly remembered one thing is wrong. ¡°Ah, sorry, I was wrong. It¡¯s not one-to-one. Sorry.¡± They calmed down a bit somehow. ¡°I see. R-Really? If it¡¯s just not you two¡­¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, Karen-san. If that¡¯s the case, it feels like there¡¯s a buffer¡­¡± I was relieved at what they said, so I continued. ¡°The ¡®wealthydy¡¯ that shares an ¡®adult rtionship¡¯ with him will sometimes join too. The three of us will ¡®have fun¡¯ together.¡± ¡°OUT!!!¡± The two beautiful girls finally screamed to the point that the whole school can hear them. ¡­What¡¯s with this exceptionally rare cutscene? Aguri-san and Uehara-kun even took the opportunity and kept taking photos of us. ¡­I do hope that those two can be a bit more interested in my friendships. When I¡¯m sighing, Tendou-san went around to my side. She grabbed my shoulder and shook me crazily, and questioned. ¡°WHAT. IS. GOING. ON!? Amano-kun!¡± ¡°Keita, ¡­you¡¯re horrible!¡± Tendou-san¡¯s face as red as a tomato, while Chiaki, who¡¯s standing behind her, cried out loud. ¡­Uh, seriously, what¡¯s happening? I still don¡¯t really understand their emotions, but I tried to smooth things over. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. ¡­To put it simply, it¡¯s just that a perfect university couple is willing to y and teach me¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem we¡¯re talking about! You¡¯re too dirty, Amano-kun!¡± ¡°Ehh! I¡¯m just ying games with them. Why do you have to describe it as dirty¡­?¡± When I¡¯m feeling annoyed, the two of them gave each other a confused look and asked. ¡°P-ying games?¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s with the confusion at this point? Didn¡¯t I say this before? The three of us are just ying video games.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t say that!¡± R-Really? I guess so. I was at fault here. ¡­Uh, but, even if I didn¡¯t say that it¡¯s gaming, I don¡¯t remember which sentence of mine pissed them off so much¡­ I exined directly, and they finally acknowledged and sat back down. ¡°I see. In other words, ¡­it¡¯s just like what happened with me in the Game Club. Aside from the club here, Amano-kun will sometimes look for other friends to y as well. That¡¯s what is happening. If that¡¯s the case, you should just exin it earlier.¡± ¡°Uh, eh, ¡­yeah. ¡­I think I meant that at the start¡­¡± ¡°You got a problem?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sorry, madam.¡± I stood still and saluted. ¡­Even though our rtionship is no more, this world¡¯s social hierarchy still isn¡¯t going to change. I learned something today. Then, Chiaki sighed in relief this time as she said. ¡°But, even so, it¡¯s still kind of unexpected. Keita actually befriended a university student¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± I hesitated on my words for a bit. Then, I peeked at Uehara-kun at the corner of my eyes. (I think I introduced him as my cousin when I met him a while ago¡­) I remembered that, so I decided to continue with the setting. ¡°Uh, he¡¯s my cousin studying in the university around here. Then, his girlfriend will join him and y with us sometimes. ¡­That¡¯s all, I guess?¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Well, I can ept that. You can go.¡± Why do I have to ask for this seaweed¡¯s permission? Although I¡¯m baffled by this, I don¡¯t want to cause any troublesome arguments anymore. So, I wisely remained silent. Then, for some reason, Uehara-kun smiled a bit mischievously and joined the conversation. ¡°Well? Did you have fun ying games with your cousin, Amano?¡± Perhaps Uehara-kun understands what I¡¯m thinking more or less, so he didn¡¯t specify it¡¯s Kiriya-san. Instead, he followed me and called him my cousin. I appreciated that. ¡°Yep, of course. He¡¯s really good at games. ¡­Also, more importantly, those two are really nice people.¡± ¡°Oh, they¡¯re nice, right? Ay, that¡¯s quite important. Yep.¡± Uehara-kun nodded thoughtfully. I¡¯m a bit baffled, so I wanted to ask what does he mean by that. -At this time, Aguri-san suddenly gasped. ¡°Ah.¡± When everyone¡¯s looking there, Aguri-san looked at me and spoke up. ¡°I think I brought this up to Tasuku before. A while ago, I saw a guy that looked like Amanhi on the streets. He seems to be talking to two people that are just as young.¡± ¡°Hmm? That happened?¡± ¡°Yep. So, after I¡¯m done with my stuff, I tried to talk to them. ¡­At that time, the guy that looked like Amanhi already disappeared.¡± Really¡­? What did that happen? Was it when my cousin was together with his girlfriend?¡± Talking to someone that Aguri-san doesn¡¯t know, ¡­I feel like Kiriya-san¡¯s the only option. After all, I¡¯m still a loner. When I¡¯m lost in thoughts thinking about where she saw me, Aguri-san waved her hands with a bitter smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°I think I got it wrong in the end. Actually, I did talk to those two people after a while. The two said they don¡¯t know Keita Amano. I feel like it¡¯s definitely not the cousin that Amanhi mentioned.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, the most important thing is¡­¡± Aguri-san rolled her tongue out at this point. She told me while looking down at me. ¡°Those two ¡®beautiful girls¡¯ will never hang out with a guy like Amanhi.¡± ¡°Those two beautiful girls¡­¡± I got nervous after hearing that for some reason. ¡­Huh? (Kiriya-san and Saika-san standing together, ¡­they do look like¡­two beautiful girls¡­) What the hell? My heart¡¯s starting to beat faster. ¡­I think I just¡­foresaw something¡­really terrible. ¡­However, ¡­I¡¯m like a step away from the truth. (What¡¯s happening? ¡­Which part of what Aguri-san said made me worry so much¡­?) To search for the worry in my heart, I slowly sank into the ocean of thoughts. However¡­ < Bang! > ¡°!¡± -The sound of someone pping the table freaked me out as I raised my face. So, in front of me, ¡­my girlfriend¡¯s getting angry again. ¡°Meeting two mysterious beauties, what¡¯s happening, Amano-kun!?¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s not true. Didn¡¯t Aguri-san say it before? She got the wrong person¡­¡± ¡°Seriously!? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re raising gs on those beautiful characters like a light novel protagonist in a spinoff volume!?¡± ¡°Spinoff. There isn¡¯t a difference between the main story and spinoff in my life in the first ce¡­¡± However, Tendou-san didn¡¯t listen to me as she expanded on her paranoia. ¡°Ah! A-Amano-kun, ¡­don¡¯t tell me, I, Karen Tendou, is nothing but a heroine in a spinoff?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that! Tendou-san, who do you think I am!?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re a terrible man that ys with a girl¡¯s emotions unintentionally!¡± ¡°My image is horrible! If that¡¯s the case, Tendou-san, I feel like your life¡¯s main story should take ce in the Game Club!¡± Facing with myint, Tendou-san answered calmly with a serious face. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. The story on that side, ¡­it¡¯s merely a spinoff based on saving the world with gaming.¡± ¡°What life are you living to treat that as a spinoff!?¡± ¡°Amano-kun, of course, my main story is all about you.¡± ¡°My ex-girlfriend¡¯s love is too heavy! Even though I¡¯m excited, ¡­while I do, I feel like I¡¯m pretty stressed! The story between you and me isn¡¯t that valuable!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that at all, Amano-kun. You¡¯re my main story. However, ¡­to you, Karen Tendou is just the main heroine that appears on a spinoff movie.¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯s all spinoffs, you¡¯re raising your status.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that. A girl like me¡­will just be the central character of the movie. Even if I can quickly get close to the protagonist, I¡¯m still strolling towards a mncholic ending. It¡¯s like those spinoff heroine that gets first ce during the fans¡¯ poprity votes.¡± ¡°How are you slowly climbing up the ranks in the spinoff heroine realm?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped! To you, ¡­to you, I¡¯m a¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re the main heroine!¡± ¡°Amano-kun!¡± ¡°Tendou-san!¡± The two of us looked at each other lovingly. ¡­The two normies that were once a couple and the seaweed observed from the outside. ¡°¡­What¡¯s with this super terrible ripoff of < How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend >?¡± ¡°I think there¡¯s should be a limit of messing around. Did you forget that you two already broke up?¡± ¡°Ah, can I go home and y games already? I¡¯m not used to roms like this.¡± We were brutally insulted. ¡­Ay, honestly, I think Tendou-san and I got into the mood too much since the middle part. Tendou-san and I cleared our throats and concluded the topic. ¡°Anyway, ¡­this means that everyone in the Game Hobby Club still did a lot of things outside. Our lives aren¡¯t so bad.¡± ¡°Yeah, Tendou-san. This means that everyone has a fulfilling life besides Chiaki.¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey, that bean sprout midget over there, why don¡¯t you just end with Karen-san¡¯s conclusion!? I-I have a fulfilling life too!¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, Chiaki¡¯s life is great too, ¡­no matter what the others say.¡± ¡°But no one said anything to me!¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, you¡¯re right. Chiaki¡¯s having her best time! Isn¡¯t that great!? If someone dared to oppose you, ¡­I, Keita Amano, will immediately punch that person!¡± ¡°Then please punch yourself first!¡± ¡°¡­Tck, ¡­this lonely seaweed is noisy¡­¡± ¡°Lonely seaweed?¡± ¡°Hey, those two over there, stop teasing each other lovingly. The Hobby Club¡¯s closing down.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± When Uehara-kun told us this, we backed down obediently. It¡¯s hard to say at the start, but Chiaki and I won¡¯t fight each other seriously anymore. Moreover, ording to what Aguri-san said, our reaction is like watching a video of kittens nibbling at each other¡¯s necks gently. Although I can¡¯t really ept her metaphor, ¡­I remembered the high probability of experiencing the evil ¡°Top 3 Spirit of Japan¡± aura from Tendou-san. Regrettably, I think Aguri-san¡¯s right. Do I look so close¡­to Chiaki? We quickly packed everything up to go home. After that, we bid farewell to each other near the ssroom¡¯s entrance just as usual. Tendou-san¡¯s going to the club, Chiaki¡¯s heading to the library, Uehara-kun and Aguri-san¡¯s meeting with their friends, so everyone dispersed. I¡¯m walking with Tendou-san all the way until the entrance. Then, she headed off to the club while I changed my shoes. ¡°¡­It¡¯s cold!¡± Walking out of the entrance, the cold breeze of the northern area immediately stabbed my skin. I rubbed my arms outside the coat as I stepped on the snow. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s not too early orte for going home, so the bus stop is empty. After that, I watched the evening sky dazedly. ¡°¡­Indeed, I met a lot of people recently¡­¡± I mumbled subconsciously after hearing that ¡°spinoff¡± talk from Tendou-san. ¡­This is something that I wouldn¡¯t have imagined a while ago. This is an unbearable honor for a guy like me. ¡­Yes, ¡­I can¡¯t bear it. ¡°¡­Kiriya-san, right¡­¡± I unintentionally mumbled his name. So, today, I can¡¯t help but sink myself in thoughts¡­ His face looks a bit too tidy for a guy, and I¡¯m still not wholly convinced with that bra incident. DLC 7 – Ayumu Kiriya and Offline Encounter

DLC Chapter 7 ¨C Ayumu Kiriya and Offline Encounter

Trantor: your_pingas The term nemesis is precisely used to describe a girl like ¡°her.¡± ¡°Ah! Did I seriously just lose that!? Uwah!¡± I moved away from the arcade controller on the table as I kept scratching my head angrily. Keita¡¯s sitting at the chair in front of the PC. He¡¯s looking at my irritated face like he just witnessed something rare. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s hard to see Kiriya-san getting this emotional in a game like this.¡± ¡°Of course, ¡­I got mmed when I used a strong character that counters my rival on a fighting game match. It¡¯s hard to stay calm and say nothing, right.¡± ¡°Rival?¡± Keita tilted his head confusingly this time. He nced at the battle results on the TV screen. Right there, it disyed the victory rate between this opponent and me. Yes, -I won 20% of the time only. That¡¯s depressing. When I¡¯m looking away, Keita Amano is still adding insult to injury innocently. ¡°Eh? Basically, don¡¯t rivals mean opponents at the same level?¡± ¡°Stop it! It doesn¡¯t matter! In fighting games, there are many instances where you¡¯re still a rival despite only winning 20% of the time! It¡¯s because luck is a pretty big factor in this field too!¡± ¡°Eh? However, even if it¡¯s luck, in summary, this yer already fought you more than 300 times before, right? If you only win 20% of the time, it¡¯s clear that you¡¯re too far-¡± ¡°Keita, do you think Anpanman and Baikinman are rivals?¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly asking that? Hmm, I guess they count as rivals from a character¡¯s standpoint.¡± ¡°Right? Well, now think about how many times did Baikinman win.¡± ¡°¡­! Huh? Isn¡¯t his victory rate a bit too low?¡± ¡°See? Inparison, don¡¯t you think a guy with a 20% win rate is enough to be ssified to self-proim as a rival?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! A-After your exnation, I feel like it wasn¡¯t a problem!¡± Keita Amano is convinced with a bit of excitement. Idiot. What an idiot. A 20% win rate is nothing close to being at the same level. There¡¯s a clear skill difference, and I understand that the most. I rechallenged the opponent while Keita watched. ¡­I fought with him again and again, and Keita continued watching. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ So, after who knows how many hours have passed¡­ Suddenly, Keita began moving his chair around as he mumbled. ¡°¡­Uh, Kiriya-san. Well, ¡­even though it¡¯s a busy end-of-the-year, ¡­ you¡¯re willing to let me watch you y this fighting game. I appreciated that.¡± z ¡°It¡¯s fine. This is nothing if it¡¯s for you¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m truly grateful. Thanks to that, I can already feel what makes this game so attractive. Since I felt it already¡­¡± Keita paused for a moment here, ¡­and then he yelled out to me with tears in his eyes. ¡°Can you remove your ¡®I¡¯ll quit after winning one online match¡¯ condition!? I was already forced to watch you lose for a whole hour!¡± He pulled a long face and begged me. I smiled andforted him. ¡°Just you wait.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not serious yet.¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯ve already heard that 5 times!¡± ¡°I can still power up 15 times.¡± ¡°There are too many transformations! Please just head straight to your final form!¡± ¡°¡­Sigh. Keita, you have no idea of the rules of a weekly shonen manga at all.¡± ¡°You¡¯re thest person I want to hear that from! Suppose the protagonist has to fight an enemy that can transform 15 times in a weekly magazine. In that case, that¡¯s nothing but dragging the plot, right!¡± ¡°Ara, from what you said, do you think that watching me y fighting games is like reading a dragged series, Keita Amano?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I said! If you got it already, can you please skip this?¡± ¡°Well, ¡­what should I do? (mischievously smiling)¡± ¡°Why are you acting like a strong character!? You¡¯re nothing but all talk! I¡¯m going home!¡± Keita said that as he stood up from the chair. I quickly tried to keep him here. ¡°No, no, no, K-Keita. Now that it came to this, doesn¡¯t that mean I¡¯m really a noob? P-Please just stay with me a bit longer¡­¡± When we¡¯re messing around, the opponent requested another fight. ¡°¡­Sheesh. By the way, why don¡¯t you just fight someone else?¡± ¡°No, no, no, I want you to watch me defeat ¡®her.¡¯ It¡¯s more satisfying than beating those mainstream sucker yers¡­¡± This is my inner live streaming attitude. I always hope to ovee a difficult challenge. ¡°Ah? What¡¯s with that? ¡­Sigh, whatever.¡± Looking at Keita sitting back, I pressed my chest in relief as I epted the fight again. We entered the next round without changing the characters. ¡­Right, I¡¯ll have to win this time. ¡­No, I¡¯ll have to win today. So, ¡­in the end, I started losing again as if it¡¯s a match rey. At the same time, I remembered something about this opponent. SALT0519. This yer¡¯s ranked near the top in this fighting game, < Complete Zero >. The craze has already faded for this title. In reality, SALT0519¡¯s a total expert. However, the person never ranked no.1 on the ranking. It¡¯s because he- no, it¡¯s because she¡¯s not focused on always winning. After she practiced a character to the point of perfection, she¡¯ll switch to other weaker characters. Even though there¡¯s a strong meta, the girl will immediately work on different strategies. So, her win rate drops. That¡¯s why I can win 20% of the time despite not as skilled as her. So, Keita didn¡¯t even need to say this, but I¡¯m biting off more than I can chew by calling her a rival. Basically, I¡¯m on the low end of the skill spectrum for professional yers. Even though I¡¯m in 45th ce on the < Complete Zero > world ranking, it¡¯s because there aren¡¯t many yers around. I¡¯m way worse than SALT0519. Even so, I still called her my rival. ¡­That¡¯s because there¡¯s a grudge between us. I fought her for the first time a year ago. During that time, I was trying to host my first live stream. I remembered the n for that video is something like ¡°ending after winning X times.¡± The content is standard and rxed. Initially, I expected that although I¡¯ll screw up a couple times, I can still finish the entire thing in an hour. To me, it¡¯s just an experimental n. -Well, it¡¯s until SALT0519 showed up. I think you can guess this already. In the end, the live streamer went on for a torturing 4 hours. When the win streak¡¯s about to reach its goal, SALT0519 will barge in and defeat me. I had to restart. Then, when I¡¯m one win away from ending, SALT0519 came again and ruined the streak. The cycle goes on and on. The audience was even getting interested, so I can¡¯t reject her match invitation. I dragged on for a long time. In the end, I never reached the goal when she went offline. ¡­Being a person that always emphasizes progress management, that was such a bitter memory. After that, I rarely opened Twitch anymore. Well, it¡¯s actually quite impressive for a video. However, I¡¯m not determined enough to remain undamaged after getting wrecked for 4 hours straight. Of course, I¡¯ve since held a grudge against SALT0519. ¡­However, something expected happened on the next day. I didn¡¯t expect that damn SALT0519 to send me a friend request. Initially, I thought she just wanted to insult me. However, she left down a great message. ¡°Let¡¯s y next time too.¡± My temper immediately went away, and I epted the friend request. After that, although it¡¯s just within < Complete Zero >, we still interacted with each other through the matches quietly. Then, I found out that she didn¡¯t mean to mess up my first battle with her. It¡¯s just that she thought I¡¯m a nice person that continued to fight despite losing, and she loved it. Therefore, she requested a match after match. Moreover, I found out all that since I looked at her social media ount. She registered it to conquer fighting game yers. I knew who she is from her posts. Of course, I never get to know her actual name. Even so, I can still feel she¡¯s a girl. At the same, she¡¯s engaged in a variety of fighting games as well. While she¡¯s strong, she¡¯s only a legend that the fighting circle knows due to her match style. Also¡­ ¡°Uh, you just lost again. ¡­Kiriya-san.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± After I snapped out from the memories, the screen disyed something that happened a few minutes ago. My character fell to the ground while SALT0519¡¯s cheering out loud. ¡­Just like that, she¡¯s still stronger than me. I should have gotten better when I yed for so long, yet she¡¯s always one step ahead of me. Although she¡¯s practicing multiple games, unlike me, who¡¯s focusing on one only, she¡¯s another level above me. What a displeasing person. In the game, nothing is harder to trust than the word ¡°friend.¡± What kind of friend is this? She¡¯s someone that I can seemingly surpass while unable to do so. It¡¯s because of her, I¡­stopped at the 45th ce on the world ranking. Come to think of it, I should at least be a decent yer. However, I can¡¯t really puff up my chest and say proudly. ¡°I¡¯m good at this game!¡± This is SALT0519. She¡¯s a literal sting in my eye. When I told Keita this to kill time while skipping the live streaming part, he nodded and answered. He seems interested. ¡°Ah, I guess I can understand what you said. Although¡­I don¡¯t have a rival, since there¡¯s not much interaction I can join online, I feel like I can participate in one with a purer mind. I can understand that¡­¡± Then, I don¡¯t know which person came to Keita¡¯s mind. He¡¯s showing quite a gentle face¡­ ¡°I¡¯m anything but close to her.¡± After I swallowed another defeat on the screen, I replied angrily. Keita said this with a bitter smile. ¡°Kiriya-san, perhaps she¡¯s a sting in your eye, but the girl treats you as a friend, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°She thinks I¡¯m a doofus.¡± ¡°Based on what you¡¯ve said alone, I feel like she¡¯s not that kind of person.¡± ¡°Well, ¡­I guess you¡¯re right.¡± The online ranking won¡¯t be affected when friends are battling each other in this game. Even if she thinks I¡¯m doofus, there¡¯s no benefit for her. Although that¡¯s true¡­ During this time, my character ate a streamlinedbo. When I¡¯m mumbling ¡°this guy really isn¡¯t my friend¡± unhappily, Keita chuckled and said this. ¡°However, I didn¡¯t expect this person to be a girl. How should I put it? Although this is just my super-biased opinion, I usually imagine great fighting games or FPS yers as guys.¡± After I heard him, I paid attention back to the game as I replied casually. ¡°Really? There are a lot of girls that y these games nowadays too.¡± Yes, even though I ate abo, I managed to take advantage of the mistake and counterattacked her. Right now, I¡¯m in a perfect position. I guess¡­I can win this time? ¡°Yeah, I know girls that are good at games too.¡± I¡¯m having a challenging and intense battle now as the casual chattering continued. However, since I¡¯m solely focused on the game, I answered Keita with this. ¡°Right? In reality, I love FPS and fighting games too.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Very well, I¡¯m gaining the upper hand. I can win this! I can kill her with another weak blow- ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Suddenly, my character paused. At that moment, the opponent took the chance and returned her attacks. ¡­My HP dropped to 0. < YOU LOSE! > The subtitles that I watched countless times popped up on the screen. I could¡¯ve won this match. How unfortunate. ¡­I would¡¯ve won. However, ¡­winning or losing doesn¡¯t matter now anymore. My hands¡­are intensely sweating as I¡¯m holding the controller. I¡¯m trying to remember something. (What did¡­I just say¡­to Keita?) ¡­I can¡¯t remember it. No, I was lying. I knew it. Although I didn¡¯t forget it, I don¡¯t want to admit it. However, ¡­the innocent and pure boy, Keita Amano, tilted his head in shock as he put that fact in front of me. ¡°Hmm? Uh, I mean, I was talking about gamer girls. But, Kiriya-san, why did you talk about yourself?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I put out a stiff smile as I remained silent. ¡­W-What should I do¡­? No, it¡¯s not time to freak out yet. Right, Ayumu Kiriya? There are a lot of excuses for this, right? It¡¯s like how I can still power up for more than 15 times- ¡°Kiriya-san, don¡¯t tell me- you¡¯re actually a girl?¡± (IT¡¯S SUDDENLY THE FINAL BOSS FIGHT!) What is this? Is this thest episode before the canceling of the series? The 15 transformation thing pissed the reader off. In the end, people filled their anger into the questionnaire, and then the series was immediately canceled? I bulged my eyes and looked at Keita. As for the boy, ¡­he¡¯s giving me quite an incredibly suspicious look. (¡­Don¡¯t tell me this guy¡¯s already questioning my gender?) It would be bad if that¡¯s the case. It¡¯s horrible. This failure¡­can¡¯t be saved that easily. ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong, Kiriya-san? If that¡¯s really the case, I¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I what? I¡­can¡¯te here anymore, right? Ay, I guess so. After all, even though they already broke up, he¡¯s still in love with someone. If that¡¯s the case, although he can visit a ¡°gaming-loving onii-san¡¯s house¡± to y, he can¡¯t hang out at a lonely university girl¡¯s room. Of course. This is a guaranteed conclusion for a teenager in love. (Sigh, ¡­perhaps it¡¯s time to quit.) In reality, Keita already contributed more than enough for the poprity of the videos. Disrupting my benefactor¡¯s life is thest thing I want to do. If he found out that I¡¯m a girl, I should quit this right away. (Yes, ¡­that¡¯s what I should do¡­) Yes, logically, that can solve everything. If I stop right now, I won¡¯t cause any trouble for his love. This is the most reasonable solution. How could I treat him as a friend while lying to him until now? This is an excellent opportunity. I made up my mind and took a good look at Keita. ¡°Yeah, Keita. Actually, I-¡° ¡­¡­¡­¡­ (H¡­Huh? W-What¡¯s with this tinge in my heart? W-Why am I so¡­) ¡­Strange. Logically, I understand that what I need to say and do right now. ¡­However, ¡­however- -The deration of ending this rtionship remained in my throat. I can¡¯t say it at all. ¡°Ah, ¡­uh, ¡­ugh¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Kiriya-san?¡± My face turned pale since I¡¯m having a hard time breathing. Keita looked at me, worriedly. However, ¡­I can¡¯t face him at this moment, and I looked away subconsciously. Why would I¡­ During this time, another battle invitation appeared on the screen. I can¡¯t help but hold the game controller as I tried to press the ept button hastily. -But my fingers freaked out. In the end¡­ ¡°Ah.¡± ¡­I can¡¯t believe I just kicked her. This doesn¡¯t mean I kicked her during the fight. Instead, I kicked her as in, ¡°I forced her out of the match as if she¡¯s a griefer.¡± In other words, it¡¯s something that BFFs will never do. If I¡¯mparing this to an actual friendship- ¡°Hey, Isono. Do you want to y baseball at that empty ce-¡° ¡°Shut up, Nakajima. I don¡¯t want to see your ugly face ever again. Get out!¡± ¡°¡­I-Isono?¡± It¡¯s something like that¡ªa bolt from the blue from Nakajima¡¯s perspective. Uh, I think Isono-kun¡¯s just as freaked out since I treated him like a brutal character. Let¡¯s get back to the topic. If I just identally kicked her, I can simply say, ¡°Sorry, that doesn¡¯t count.¡± Everything will be fine. However, the game¡¯s making this difficult too. Kicking someone will directly cklist that yer (you won¡¯t see the person again during matchmaking). It¡¯s pretty serious. ¡°Ah! Damn you!¡± I can¡¯t help but scratch my head violently. Then, I switched from the arcade controller back to the normal one to use the menu. For some reason, Keita spoke up with a sense of guilt. ¡°I-It¡¯s okay, right? I feel like¡­I should apologize for saying non-sense like that.¡± ¡°Eh? Eh, r-really? It¡¯s fine. Please don¡¯t mind this. It¡¯s just that I clicked the wrong buttons.¡± ¡°O-Okay? But¡­¡± Keita stared at the screen worriedly. ¡­His worry is justified. ording to the game setting and guide, once you cklisted someone, it¡¯ll take a week before you can unlist him/her. ¡­I guess this is why not many people y this game. I scratched my head and said, ¡°This is troublesome.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Keita said sheepishly. ¡°A-Anyway, ¡­should you send a text to this¡­SALT-san first? Your rtionship with her will really end if this goes on.¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, even though we weren¡¯t friends in the first ce, ¡­I guess so. I should do that.¡± I put down the controller after thinking for a while. Then, I switched to my phone, and Keita asked me in confusion. ¡°Huh? Do you know how to contact her?¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s not that. It¡¯s because she uses Twitter. I¡¯m just sending a text over there. After all, it¡¯ll be quite annoying to type with a controller.¡± ¡°I see. Ah, can I take a look at that person¡¯s tweets?¡± ¡°Sure, take your time.¡± After I answered him casually, Keita came off from the office chair and sat next to me. Our faces are really close, and I almost freaked out. However, since that happened, I managed to keep my cool and clicked on the phone. So, when I finally opened SALT0510¡¯s page, Keita mumbled. ¡°Kiriya-san, I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°¡­Uh, please forget what I just said.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± We said all of that without even looking at each other. ¡­I think Keita¡¯s still not convinced with anything. No, it¡¯s not just that. I think he¡¯s carrying this vague sense of suspicion. Even so, ¡­he seemingly let this go for now, and I epted it at face value. I guess¡­we¡¯re trying to avoid the fact by lying? ¡­I think so. However, if the answer was found out, this cheerful time will have to end. There¡¯s an ¡°answer¡± to my gender. Also, that¡¯s a cruel answer for us. It¡¯s an answer that will stop us from enjoying games like this. However, this ambiguity can be maintained if Keita doesn¡¯t find out. ¡­It¡¯s literally Schrodinger¡¯s Cat. From his perspective, the current Ayumu Kiriya is a superposition of the male Ayumu Kiriya and the female one. It¡¯s in a twisted state. However, this way, ¡­we can continue to y together. This cheerful gaming time can go on. (¡­Even though both of our wishes are so innocent and pure¡­) We just want to y together as friends. This is the reason behind all of this. But why did this drag us into a cheating-like conflict¡­? I don¡¯t get it. During this time, Keita, who poked his head out to look at my phone, gasped. ¡°Eh?¡± He pointed at SALT0519¡¯s past tweets and continued. ¡°She posted this a few days ago¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong? ¡®¡­The arcade that I always go to is under small maintenance. Where should I y until it reopens on the day after tomorrow?¡¯ ¡­What¡¯s wrong with this tweet?¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s nothing. ¡­Perhaps it¡¯s just a coincidence. The arcade that Uehara-kun and I often visit is under maintenance recently as well¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I bulged my eyes after Keita pointed out the coincidence. ¡°Hey, in other words, ¡­this SALT0519 yer¡­could be a local¡­?¡± ¡°Not so fast. There should be a bunch of arcades under maintenance at the same time in the nation. So, I wouldn¡¯t be too sure. However¡­¡± ¡°However?¡± ¡°If this fighting game expert SALT0519 really lives here, ¡­I do have someone in mind. ¡­Uh, but it won¡¯t be that coincidental¡­?¡± Keita raised his face from the screen and started mumbling to himself. Honestly, I can barely hear thest part. So, I can only draft up an apology to the girl for now. After that, ¡­I somehow decided to add another text at thest part of the message. < P.S. The arcade near my home is also under maintenance too. Perhaps we live really close to each other. If there¡¯s a chance for us to battle in real-life, please go easy on me. > Since the apology seems a bit too rigid, I added this to smooth things over. ¡°Right, I¡¯m sending it.¡± After I wrote the message, I didn¡¯t have to mood to continue ying anymore. So, I turned off the PC and started switching between TV channels. As for Keita, he¡¯s still mumbling something by himself. ¡°SALT, ¡­s¡­salt? Hmm, ¡­it¡¯s really unrted, right? ¡­Salt, ¡­it¡¯s pronounced as Osio. ¡­If I read it in reverse-¡° During this time, the cartoon for kids in the evening started ying. Keita immediately stopped thinking and snapped out of it. ¡°Crap, it¡¯s already thiste. Well, I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± Keita hastily got his coat on while I answered him as I stared at the cartoon¡¯s OP dazedly. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m sorry for today. I think you were just watching me fighting the others all along.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Although I didin about it, it¡¯s actually pretty fun to watch you battling someone else. I have thought about this before, and I think your gaming style is quite nice, Kiriya-san.¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s almost like I¡¯m watching an experienced live streamer¡¯s gamey.¡± ¡°¡­PFFT! Cough!¡± I nearly choked. ¡­What the hell, Keita Amano? Are you smart or dense? Seriously, can you just please pick a side? My heart can¡¯t take it. Keita quickly walked to the entrance after he got everything done. ¡­Then, he bid farewell to me with a slightly perplexed smile. ¡°Well, Kiriya-san. Uh, ¡­see you.¡± ¡°Okay, ¡­I¡¯ll see you next time, Keita.¡± So, after he opened the door and left, I locked it¡­before sighing deeply. ¡°I¡¯ll see you next time, ¡­right?¡± ¡­We can still y games together. Although our rtionship remains unchanged, ¡­is this really for the best? At least, for a guy in love like Keita, this is- ¡°Hmm?¡± -When I¡¯m lost in thought, the phone in my hands vibrated. I unlocked the screen and checked the notifications. Then, I found out¡­ ¡°SALT0519 replied to me. ¡­Let¡¯s see.¡± I don¡¯t know whether she understood I was trying to say sorry, so I confirmed the message a bit nervously. She simply said that she doesn¡¯t mind being kicked. I pressed my chest in relief as I scrolled the screen. After that, ¡­I realized there¡¯s another ¡°P.S.¡± under her message. I looked at it without considering it too much¡­ ¡°Eh?¡± I can¡¯t help but gasp, and my body turned stiff as I stood still in the corridor. It¡¯s because of what the girl wrote- < Also, the arcade that I was talking about is the one near XXX street. > It¡¯s precisely the arcade near my house. Aside from that- < If we really do live close to each other, pleasee to the arcade and battle me. > -I didn¡¯t expect the girl to invite me for an offline battle. * ¡°So, why must I apany you to a ¡®secret meeting¡¯ with her?¡± A couple days after I received her message, ¡­it¡¯s just a few days before the end of the year. ¡°It¡¯s not a secret meeting, you¡­¡± I sighed at Ao, who¡¯s pouting while nagging at me. Then, I questioned her. ¡°Did you even listen to what I said?¡± ¡°Yeah. Soon, you¡¯ll be meeting someone you knew on the inte, right? ¡­This is dubious.¡± Thedy covered her mouth with a handkerchief as she gave me a contempt look. I sighed a bit angrily on the road to the arcade. ¡°Please, didn¡¯t I exin this a couple times since we left the university? I¡¯m just battling the person in the arcade.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re using those ¡®codewords¡¯ again. You¡¯re just trying to confuse an innocentdy like me¡­¡± ¡°Hey, this isn¡¯t codeword or anything! Battling the person in the arcade means that we¡¯re ying fighting games together!¡± ¡°Even if that¡¯s true, you two will end up ¡®fighting on a bed at night¡¯ as a conclusion, right?¡± ¡°How did you evene up with that!? Thisdy¡¯s really twisted. Your imagination is too wild¡­¡± I gave her an extremely dumbfounded look. So, Ao calmed down for a bit and cleared her throat. ¡°Let say that you¡¯re really just ying games. Why did you ask me to go with you then? Shouldn¡¯t you just bring Keita Amano-kun to a date like this?¡± ¡°Ay, it¡¯s because that guy¡¯s busy after school today. He said that he can¡¯t reject his family restaurant invitation¡­¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just go alone?¡± Ao¡¯s reasoning is sound. I scratched my cheeks and answered. ¡°¡­I¡¯m a bit afraid of meeting someone I knew online¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re scared. ¡­Why did you promise the person then?¡± ¡°¡­Uh, ¡­well, ¡­I should say I do hope to y with her offline¡­¡± After I gave a way too childish reason, I stopped, and my face red up from embarrassment. As for Ao¡¯s reaction¡­ ¡°¡­Sheesh. That¡¯s what a gamer looks like¡­¡± Although she said this dumbfoundedly, she still gently smiled and grabbed my hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll bete if you keep dragging things around, Ayumu-san.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, ¡­oh. Uh, ¡­thank you, Ao. I¡¯m giving you troubles every time¡­¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not like I mind it too much, anyway.¡± Even though Ao acted calm, I can see her ears getting red from behind. We didn¡¯t leave too many details when we want to meet each other for an offline battle. After we entered the fighting game area, I found a person that looks like SALT0519 right away. ¡°This is the girl, right. ¡­It must be her.¡± I mumbled. Ao nodded and answered, even though she never heard what she looks like from me. ¡°Y-Yeah. ¡­ a person is releasing a unique aura in here.¡± ¡°You can see it?¡± ¡°Yep. While I¡¯m not sure how skilled she is, ¡­but even I can see that one person¡¯s not trying to have ¡®fun¡¯ here.¡± Yes, it¡¯s what she said exactly. In the fighting game area, ¡­a person with a hoodie is sitting there alone while holding a controller silently in the deste section. Her grey hoodie hid her face, and she even wears an extra baseball cap. There¡¯s a neon-colored headphone on her neck. I think she¡¯s a high school girl based on her checkered skirt and the pair of beautiful legs within it. However, that just reinforced the unusual aura radiated by her. In reality, if there¡¯s an expert gamer girl in the fighting game area, it¡¯s not weird for her to attract a bunch of challengers and observers. However, there¡¯s no one besides her. I can even see those other students purposely trying to avoid her. Ao¡¯s face turned stiff, and she mumbled. ¡°¡­W-What¡¯s with that thorny atmosphere? Are all serious fighting game yers like that?¡± ¡°Uh, uh, e to think of it, some people do give off that feeling., but a girl like her is too¡­¡± I yed with a lot of rude gamers, but she¡¯s different than those guys. How should I put it¡­? ¡­It¡¯s like she has an unsheathed sword right in front of her. Ao poked my arm. ¡°¡­Ayumu-san, are you really trying to talk to her¡­?¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­I¡¯m here because of that, after all¡­¡± Even though I answered like that, Icked the courage to step out and talk to her. After a moment of hesitation, I¡­ ¡°¡­Hmm? Ayumu-san?¡± I didn¡¯t strike up a conversation with her directly. ¡­Instead, I went around to the seat opposite of her. Ao gave me a confused look, so I pulled the chair and exined. ¡°You can fight someone from the opposite side on a machine like this.¡± ¡°Ah, really? However, doesn¡¯t that mean you should greet her first?¡± Ao gave an elegant anddy-like idea. I bitterly smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Then, I inserted a coin into the machine. ¡°It would be faster if I talk to her with my fists.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that violent conclusion?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± I started clicking the buttons and casually entered the battle after saying that. So, she nced at me from the opposite seat. Both of us only gave a simple nod, but I still can¡¯t see her face due to the hoodie and the cap. ¡­What kind of expert feeling is this? I¡¯m scared. Anyway, let¡¯s fight first. ¡°G-Give it everything you got, Ayumu-san.¡± Ao cheered me up from behind as if she¡¯s in a real-life wrestling event. I answered her with an ¡°okay¡± as I prepared for the match. ¡­How good is she at an offline battle- -Skipping to the conclusion, I was steamrolled, of course.¡± Well, if you¡¯re saying how badly did I lose, after 5 rounds, even thoughdy university student that knows little about the rules was- ¡°Uh, even though I don¡¯t really understand, ¡­anyway. Ayumu-san, ¡­don¡¯t mind it too much.¡± -She said stuff like that. I lost so bad and was totally destroyed. Then, I lost another 5 rounds in a roll. The machine just swallowed all 500 yen at an impressive speed, which is a lot for a poor student. The game asked whether I wanted to fight again. I held a 100 yen coin with my hand as I hesitated for a long while¡­ ¡°¡­No, I lost fair and square here. I¡¯ll quit for today!¡± I held the 100 yen coin tightly as I stood up from the chair a bit forcefully. Ao asked me this with a tinge of regret. ¡°Is this okay? You won¡¯t feel good if you didn¡¯t even win a single round, right¡­¡± Being an honest girl, Ao expressed her sincere thoughts. However, after I heard her, ¡­I answered with a refreshing smile. ¡°Of course, I would be lying if I said I was willing to admit defeat. However, it¡¯s okay. More importantly, ¡­I had fun today.¡± ¡°Hmm? You mean you¡¯re satisfied since you gave it everything you got?¡± ¡°Uhh? Oh, I mean that too, of course¡­¡± I pondered for a moment. ¡­For some reason, Keita suddenly appeared in my mind. However, I still smiled at Ao. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m thrilled to fight someone good at this game seriously. That¡¯s all.¡± Yes, that¡¯s why I continued to practice despite this game¡¯s not popr anymore. After she heard my answer, ...Ao gave me a gentle look that even the same gender finds attractive and lovable. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Right now, I can feel someone looking at me from the opposite seat. When I turned to the girl, she nced at me under the hoodie. Unbelievably, I don¡¯t feel the vicious aura at the beginning. I smiled and thanked her. ¡°Thanks for today. Uh, it¡¯s been fun today.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ll be leaving¡­¡± I greeted her again before getting out of there directly. So, after we left the arcade, Ao spoke up to me in confusion. ¡°Hey, Ayumu-san, is this okay? You should¡¯ve chatted with her a bit longer when you got the chance¡­¡± Even though she opposed to me meeting that person, this girl¡¯s strange. I bitterly smiled at the ever kind-hearted Ao and answered. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Didn¡¯t I say this before? Gamers use fists to talk about everything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I asked what¡¯s with the mysterious theory that shouldn¡¯te out from a girl¡¯s mouth?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, well, if I had to say it. Perhaps she feels a bit different today.¡± ¡°Hmm? Where?¡± ¡°Hmm, ¡­although she¡¯s still very skilled, I feel she¡¯s strong in a different sense. I should say her desire for victory is more solid¡­¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s really a puzzling world for me. Talking with fists, I¡¯m confused.¡± I surrendered- Ao shrugged and said that. I gave her another bitter smile. Then, we turned to an alleyway since it¡¯s faster to get home this way. So, after Ao and I walked for a while¡­ ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡­Someone suddenly called us from behind. We turned around. So, right there- ¡°¡­Eh?¡± -The high school girl with a hoodie that just finished battling with me chased after us. We were shocked as we stopped and remained still. As for the girl, she took a big step towards us aggressively. ¡­Her face¡¯s still hidden under the shadow as she told us quietly. ¡°Uh, ¡­allow me to apologize for two things.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She said something unexpected. Ao and I looked at each other stiffly. The girl that¡¯s wearing a hoodie, seemingly-to-be SALT0519, lowered her head and continued. ¡°The first thing¡­is that I think I misunderstood you.¡± ¡°Misunderstood?¡± ¡°I was too stubborn about things like this recently. I should understand it won¡¯t do me good¡­¡± ¡°Eh? Uh, can I ask¡­what are you talking about?¡± I asked her again, and she fell silent for a moment. ¡­Then, she mumbled. ¡°I saw the kicking incident and that flippant apology from the side. That¡¯s why I thought you weren¡¯t a serious gamer.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, ah¡­¡± Come to think of it, this whole thing started after I kicked her. I finally remembered. (..Hmm? From the side?) Although I wasn¡¯t totally convinced, she continued on her own. ¡°So, ¡­initially, I wanted to take this chance and rout you fair and square.¡± Ah, that¡¯s why she gave off that thorny vibe? I understand now. I bitterly smiled at her confession that almost sounds a bit adorable. ¡°No, I made a mistake in the first ce¡­¡± I even tried tofort her. However, ¡­she interrupted me and continued. ¡°Yes, I wanted to help her- defeat you at first.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Ao and my gasp ovepped each other. ¡­She just said she¡¯s trying to help her? For a moment, I don¡¯t understand what did she say. But¡­ ¡°¡­Eh, don¡¯t tell me, you¡­¡± Then, I slowly figured out the situation. She -the high school girl that ¡°impersonated¡± SALT01519, answered. ¡°Yes.¡± After that, she reached her hand toward her cap and hoodie. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not SALT0519. ¡­The ount SALT01519-¡° After the shadow covering her face disappeared when she took the cap and hoodie away, I can see¡­her gorgeous blue eyes below. ¡°-It belonged to Nina-senpai. It wasn¡¯t mine.¡± Her beautiful eyes and look that doesn¡¯t resemble a Japanese made Ao and I gasped. In front of our shockingly stiff body as if we were frozen, she continued her ¡°transformation¡± all the way to the climax. ¡°Yes. ¡­Actually, I¡¯m her kouhai from the same club-¡° After she said that, when the cap and the hoodie were entirely removed- -A golden wave of blonde hair is sparkling under the sunset. Her blonde hair was blown by the breeze. Then, she introduced herself respectfully with an angelic and slightly shy smile. ¡°-My name is Karen Tendou. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡­For some reason, at that moment, when I gasped at her overwhelmingly strong sense of existence- ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± -I¡¯m unusually aware that my sweat is flowing from my neck to my chest. < Time until Keita Amano¡¯s girlfriend enters Ayumu Kiriya¡¯s apartment: 4 months > DLC Afterword

DLC Afterword

Hello, I¡¯m Sekina Aoi. The guy that loves putting RPG female characters in sexy DLC clothing packs. However, once the main story got intense, I¡¯ll quietly change the clothes back to normal. Well, well, here are the short stories titled as < Gamers! DLC >. Hey, instead of saying this as a collection of short stories, it¡¯s more like a ¡°spinoff,¡± right. It¡¯s a live streaming story with a handsome university student as the protagonist. ¡­It looks like that, but the content is still the usual ¡°troublesome rom.¡± Or, I should call it ¡°the disaster called Keita Amano¡± story pack. The subtitle should¡¯ve been ¡°A New Victim.¡± This is the ¡°cheating dilemma (where everyone¡¯s innocent)¡± behind the ¡°youth¡± of the main story. I would be honored if youughed more when reading this than the main one. Even though there is some sensation hype, the plot¡¯s still pretty dumb. Here¡¯s the appreciation speech. First, Cactus-sensei, responsible for the illustrations, I appreciated your drawings of the university girls. Regrettably, they can¡¯t appear in the main story. Thanks for taking care of the spinoff as well. Then, we have the editor. You said, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for giving you too few pages for the afterword¡± in the email¡ªwhat a mysterious apology. Wee to the world with twisted values. It¡¯s okay. Actually, I was anxious about how few pages there are for the afterword too. This meme¡­is slowly getting more and more serious¡­! Atst, it¡¯s the readers. I¡¯m genuinely grateful for you to stay all the way until the spinoff (short stories collection). Initially, when < Dragon Magazine > decided to publish < Gamers! >¡¯s spinoff (short story), I was thinking about what I should write for a ¡°lonely rehab story¡± spinoff. ¡­However, after everything, even though it¡¯s unexpected, I think the plot¡¯s still pretty original. Also, I want to share a piece of good news for everyone. Thest part of this volume is avable to read on the < Dragon Magazine > published on the same day. (September 2017) Yeah, please buy one to see the story! (sudden advertisement) However, it¡¯s not just for this month. Kiriya¡¯s story is also published weekly on < Dragon Magazine > too. If you loved it, please look for the magazine. Well, I¡¯ll see you in Volume 9 of the main story, which will be released in winter! Sekina Aoi Volume 9 – Keita Amano and Youth Skills Reset, 1 – Gamers and Overwritten Records

Volume 9 ¨C Keita Amano and Youth Skills Reset, Chapter 1 ¨C Gamers and Overwritten Records

Trantor: your_pingas Winter is an incredibly blessed season for high school gamers in the north. After all, the Christmas sale provided many games, and you get New Year¡¯s money to buy them. Aside from that, you can y for all you want during the winter holidays. Moreover, the winter holidays in the north are 10 days longer than usual. What else can you call this other than a High School Gamer¡¯s Golden Season? This is the only reason lonely gamers like us can tolerate our miserable school life. So, right now, I would like to announce something. Of course, a lonely gamer must stay in his room like a hibernating bear during the winter holidays. It¡¯s a must, and there¡¯s a reason- ¡°Onii-san, it¡¯s almost time for us to go. The other rtives already arrived at Shin-san¡¯s ce.¡± -My little brother Kousei knocked from the outside as if he¡¯s trying to ruin my inner monologue. I hugged my legs on the chair as I answered him, who¡¯s still in the corridor. ¡°¡­Y-You can just help me get my New Year¡¯s money back, Kousei.¡± ¡°Save that douche sentence forter. Come out, onii-san. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m throwing a tantrum.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re like usually? By the way, you always went to our rtives¡¯ New Year parties cheerfully. Why are you throwing a tantrum now?¡± Kousei asked from outside the door. ¡­The older brother in high school year 2 is being persuaded by his little brother in middle school year 3. This fact is so miserable that I¡¯m about to cry. Even so, I want to struggle a bit more. I wiped the small stains on the table with my fingers meaninglessly as I answered. ¡°¡­We¡¯re going to the shrine in front of Shin-san¡¯s house to pray, right?¡± ¡°Hmm? Yeah, it¡¯s right next to his house. We visit that every year, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. ¡­However,e to think of it, that shrine is right on the street¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? So?¡± I can sense Kousei tilting his head outside the door. I sighed deeply. ¡­Then, I told him the crux of this problem. ¡°I feel like there¡¯s a high chance for me to bump into the Hoshinomori sisters or Tendou-san¡­¡± ¡°¡­What? Uh, well, ¡­eh? So? What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Kousei asked me like he¡¯s thoroughly confused. Sigh, it¡¯s hard to me him. It¡¯s because¡­I don¡¯t want to see them due to an incredibly personal reason. Uh, not wanting to see them, I guess I shouldn¡¯t put it this way. The correct way to put it would be¡­I can¡¯t bring myself to face them. The reason for that is¡­ (During the Christmas party, ¡­Konoha-san pointed out an incredibly disgusting and insincere fact ¨C I view Chiaki as a girl¡­) Also, Chiaki overheard the entire conversation. The situation couldn¡¯t be worse. (I don¡¯t even remember how did the Christmas party end¡­) I bet Chiaki¡¯s the same as well. After that, Chiaki and I weren¡¯t talking to each other appropriately. When 2 out of 6 participants were like this, the other members couldn¡¯t cheer up the mood. In the end, the party ended on a sad note. ¡­I¡¯m not really sure, though. Anyway, at least, the silver lining is that only Chiaki, Konoha-san, and I were involved in that incident. Tendou-san, Uehara-kun, and Aguri-san only noticed that something wasn¡¯t right during thetter half. From this perspective, including the Hoshinomori sisters, no one med me for anything. ¡­Aside from one person. I¡¯m the one that¡¯s endlessly ming myself right now. I hugged my legs tightly as I remained in the chair. I don¡¯t even want to see Uehara-kun and Aguri-san right now since they are respectable friends. Their rtionship is so bright. Of course, not to mention Tendou-san and the Hoshinomori sisters. After all, that¡¯s like I¡¯m the only one forced to wear undies during a formal and luxurious party. Right now, I feel like I¡¯m being cared for by friends that I don¡¯t deserve. However, it¡¯s because that happened. The nicer they are, the more I feel depressed, and it¡¯s even worse than I was just a loner. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I looked at the PC screen. It showed thest town of NOBE¡¯s new RPG. All I need to do is to beat the boss in the final maze at the north not far ahead, and it¡¯s the end. I¡¯m just one step away from winning the game, but¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I clicked the controller a couple times. The heroes took a step out of the town. Then, the randomly-encountered enemies immediately showed up. I chose to battle. At the next moment- < Shining Man used Youth¡¯s Light and burnt everything to the ground! The heroes took 1068 damage on average! The heroes were all dead¡­ > ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± The game returned to the title screen. I decided to load the save, and the adventure started at the church of the final town again. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± As if I¡¯m trying to confirm something, I clicked the button and opened the heroes¡¯ status screen. Then, their stats are still- < Hero: Lv.1 ¨C Fighter: Lv.1 ¨C Monk: Lv.1 ¨C Mage: Lv.1 > -What a hopeless situation. It¡¯s all because of a bug. When you executed a specific action in this town, the protagonists will revert back to their initial state and gears, without any money. I can¡¯t believe I encountered this. In the end, ¡­since there¡¯s no way for me to teleport to other cities, I can only walk away from the town first. Of course, thest area¡¯s enemies are powerful, and the protagonists can¡¯t defeat them. So, they can¡¯t get any money or experience. They aren¡¯t even allowed to start from scratch. ¡­In the others, I¡¯mpletely stuck. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± ¡°Hmm? Onii-san? In the end, why you don¡¯t want to see Chiaki-senpai?¡± ¡°¡­This is precisely the situation I¡¯m in right now.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± Kousei¡¯s unbelievably confused voice can be heard from outside the door. Of course, he can¡¯t see this screen. I think he¡¯s pretty baffled. Although I feel sorry for him, I don¡¯t have the strength to exin the hellish reality to him. After I fell silent, Kousei spoke up again. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on, ¡­but it should be fine, right? Usually, it¡¯s not easy to meet specific people.¡± ¡°Usually. But how should I say this? I think a guy like me will have 90% of meeting them.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not that bad, right. ¡­Ugh, ¡­it¡¯s good. ¡­Uh¡­¡± Kousei fell silent when he¡¯s trying tofort me. ¡­Well, ¡­your brother is fated to encounter something like this even from your perspective. ¡­I thought so. I continued with an even more determined mind. ¡°So, I won¡¯t go! I can¡¯t go! I shouldn¡¯t go!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not going to work even if you¡¯re saying that like Three Non-nuclear Principles. Let¡¯s go, Onii-san.¡± ¡°No, I already said¡­¡± I¡¯m still trying to look for an excuse. So, Kousei mumbled with a slightly lower voice. ¡°However, no matter what, in the end, our onii-san¡¯s dumb enough to not avoid something like this, right?¡± ¡°¡­I-I¡¯m not¡­¡± I stopped talking. Kouseiughed from the outside and continued. ¡°I knew it. Onii-san, you already prepared your hair, clothes, and bags.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­I sighed. Then, I turned on the lights in the room with the remote next to my hands. Just like what Kousei said, I already prepared everything. ¡­I hate this aspect of mine. Even though I know I¡¯m just feeding the enemies once I walked outside the town, and I don¡¯t have any grand strategy. Even so, I still think there¡¯s something I can do. So, I became a dumb hero that prepared for the adventure. That¡¯s me. I even knew I¡¯m just walking straight to game over. During this time, I can hear Kousei leaving from the outside. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get going, my blind onii-san.¡± I heard this from my little brother. I hugged my legs tightly¡­for a whole 10 seconds. I stood up abruptly from the chair. In this new year, I finally made up my mind. ¡­This is the first time that I left home since Christmas. * It takes around 30 minutes on the bus from our house to my uncle¡¯s. There¡¯s a huge shrine in the middle called the Ebihei. Well, it¡¯s just a rural shrine that can¡¯tpete with famous shrines or the Jingu. Even so, it¡¯s still the grandest shrine around here. Stalls do open here during the new year. It¡¯s quite lively. It¡¯s just that the God worshipped here is responsible for agriculture and development. So, it¡¯s not as attractive as gods that bless your academics or rtionship. Therefore, it¡¯s not bustling with noise during the exam season or Valentine¡¯s Day. That¡¯s why it¡¯s pretty much integrated into the local life, and the people loved it. It¡¯s a strange shrine. When we saw the Ebihei shrine¡¯s torii is surrounded by people, Kousei dropped his shoulders while walking next to me. ¡°Ah, ¡­I should¡¯ve gone to the department store with mum and dad, right?¡± ¡°Stop it. Also, Kousei, if you went to the store as well, doesn¡¯t that make me the only one to visit here in our house? You should be serious when praying. Since the shrine¡¯s parking lot is tiny, we always park our car near the department store and walk from there. However, my parents said that they wanted to get more gifts for Shin-san before worship. So, right now, only Kousei and I are strolling towards the shrine. Kousei shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat. Then, he sighed with a slightly philosophical expression. ¡°Basically, I don¡¯t really like gods.¡± ¡°Why are you saying that in front of your shrine? Is your eighth-grade syndrome going again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in 9th grade. Uh, how should I put it? Don¡¯t you think everything should be achieved with one¡¯s own effort and mind?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± I immediately answered. Kousei bulged his eyes. So, I continued with a solemn look. ¡°I think it¡¯s more exciting when you managed to barely win a tough boss fight with a series of impossible critical hits. That kind of miracle must exist. It makes the game more fun.¡± ¡°Our onii-san has to put everything in a gamer¡¯s sense, right?¡± Kousei mumbled dumbfoundedly. I smiled and continued. ¡°But, Kousei, I think what you just said was pretty simr to what Konoha-san would think. -Hey, what¡¯s wrong, Kousei!? Why are you giving me a face that only appears in manga for delinquents!?¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­it¡¯s nothing, onii-san. It¡¯s just that¡­my dignity as a human was severely insulted by my family.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that serious!? Eh, I¡¯m sorry, did I say something inappropriate?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. You weren¡¯t at fault here, onii-san. It¡¯s all of that ck twin-tail, inferior creature¡¯s fault. She reminds me of a cockroach¡¯s tentacles.¡± ¡°C-Cockroach?¡± I really don¡¯t know who¡¯s Kousei talking about, so I fell into confusion. So- ¡°Ahem!¡± -We heard someone coughing loudly behind us. I quickly turned around. Then, I saw a pair of tentacles- No, I saw a girl with ck twin-tails. ¡°T-Those heavy S brothers over there, what were you guys talking about?¡± ¡°K-Konoha-san?¡± ¡­I don¡¯t know whether I should say I didn¡¯t expect this or not. ¡­A contestant of the top or second girl that I don¡¯t want to see right now, Konoha Hoshinomori-san. She¡¯s still wearing her usual coat even during the new year. I fell speechless by seeing her alone. However, Kousei wasn¡¯t moved for a single inch. He even answered her emotionlessly. ¡°Ah, isn¡¯t this the erotic girl- Konoha Hoshinomori-senpai? Ara, what a coincidence. We were just talking about you.¡± ¡°Huh! H-Happy New Year. ¡­B-But I don¡¯t think so, right? You guys weren¡¯t talking about me, right. Aren¡¯t you two talking about cockroaches or something-¡° ¡°Yeah! So! We were just talking about YOU!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­...¡± The two of them are smiling at each other, yet sparks are overflowing between them. ¡­I feel like these two are indeed really close, even though they don¡¯t share a point of contact ¡­Hmm. When I¡¯m observing these two, I can hear straw shoe footsteps behind Konoha-san. The person is clearly not used to wearing them yet, and there¡¯s a familiar yet quiet voice too. ¡°W-Wait for me, Konoha. Why did you go first-¡° At this point, the owner of the voice saw us. ¡­No, she mainly saw me first, so she immediately froze. I also stared at her while remaining speechless. ¡°Ah, K-Keita¡­¡± ¡°¡­C¡­Chiaki¡­¡± An indescribable and incredibly awkward atmosphere radiated between us two. ¡­This is not just the awkwardness after the Christmas party. The thing that freaked me out the most is that¡­Chiaki looks way too beautiful in a kimono. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Chiaki blushed embarrassingly, and she hastily hid behind Konoha-san. For some reason, I also felt like I just saw something I wasn¡¯t supposed to look at. So, I can¡¯t help but look away. ¡­If there¡¯s only the two of us, perhaps we¡¯ll really just bid farewell to each other quietly since it¡¯s too awkward. However, of course, our little brother and sister won¡¯t allow something like that. Their rivalry disappeared immediately. Kousei and Konoha-san immediately synced with each other. ¡°Ah, Chiaki-senpai! Happy New Year! Hiya, you¡¯re in a kimono! Onii-san, you shoulde to look at Chiaki-senpai in a kimono too!¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, uh, okay¡­¡± I was forced toe forward. So, in front of me, Chiaki was pushed by Konoha-san forcefully as well. ¡°Yeah! Senpai, please look at my onee-chan in a kimono! Due to the implicit patterns and colors, it just makes onee-chan seems even prettier! She dressed this just for you, senpai!¡± ¡°EH? No, it¡¯s not like that. T-T-The reason I wore this is because Konoha forced me-¡° ¡°Let¡¯s forget about that, senpai! What do you think!? How do you feel about this!?¡± ¡°Eh? W-Why are you asking¡­¡± My heart is wavering. Then, Kousei barged in front of me. ¡°Come, onii-san! You should say something to a dressed up girl! It¡¯s manners, right!? Also,e to think of it, onii-san should say it first! Go!¡± ¡°Ehhh¡­!¡± ¡°Onee-chan, you shoulde forward too! Stand in front of Amano-senpai!¡± ¡°E-Ehhh!¡± Chiaki and I were forced to stand in front of the shrine. ¡­Well, at least we aren¡¯t disrupting anyone, but we¡¯re facing each other. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± This is so embarrassing. It¡¯s almost like we¡¯re a pair of bride and groom just before our wedding. At this point, we¡¯re nearly forced to dere our love for each other. ¡­I really want to escape. While I tried to¡­ ¡°Say it! Say it! Say it!¡± ¡­Our little brother and sister¡¯s cheers gave us tremendous pressure. What made them so energetic? No matter what, ¡­I think I¡¯m sure of one thing ¨C Chiaki and I can¡¯t escape this time. (¡­Sigh. I should just quickly praise Chiaki and get this over with.) I guess I should do that for Chiaki¡¯s good. Yep, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m confessing, anyway. Even though I¡¯m a loner, I can still praise a close friend¡¯s clothes easily. Sheesh, don¡¯t underestimate Chiaki and me. After I adjusted my mind, I faced Chiaki again. Then- (-Crap.) -I can feel that the praises I casually prepared just disappeared away. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Chiaki¡¯s ncing up at me frequently. After I saw her seemingly embarrassed look, ¡­I think my face¡¯s getting hotter and hotter too. (W-What is this? H-Huh? I should know how to praise a girl politely too¡­) I can say it. Of course, I can say it. When Aguri-san asked me, ¡°Did you realize I cut my hair for a bit?¡± I immediately answered without a tinge of sincerity. ¡°Of course! Hiya, you¡¯re so pretty!¡± And then I was punched in the face. ¡­How can I possibly be unable to do something as simple as praising a girl I know casually¡­? ¡°¡­Ah, ugh.¡± ¡­No, I can¡¯t say it. This is so embarrassing. ¡­I¡¯m already too embarrassed to say something as simple as calling Chiaki ¡°cute.¡± After all, ¡­the most knotty part is that¡­no matter which way I put it¡­ (¡­I-It¡¯s going to be how I really feel!) Damn! Why do I feel that Chiaki¡¯s really adorable!? Of course, that¡¯s embarrassing enough! I¡¯m not trying to be polite! It¡¯s what I think literally! This is not the same as casually dealing with Aguri-san and then getting beaten up by her! ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The awkward atmosphere persisted between us. Time is slowly passing second by second. ¡­At this point, even Kousei and Konoha-san, who started all this, are getting embarrassed as well. From their faces- ¡°What is this? It¡¯s harder to praise her if you keep dragging!¡± I can even see what they are thinking. Exactly. Right now, ¡­perhaps I missed the chance to praise her simply. The awkwardness meter between Chiaki and me keeps breaking new records. ¡­This can¡¯t continue. Although I¡¯m the same, Chiaki¡¯s more miserable than anyone. I finally made up my mind after taking a deep breath. I looked at Chiaki¡¯s eyes¡­and barely managed to tell her this. ¡°¡­I¡­I think you¡­look pretty cute¡­in this¡­¡± ¡°¡­T¡­Thank you¡­¡± For some reason, we spoke respectfully to each other and nodded repeatedly. As for the younger siblings that observed this scene, ¡­they¡¯re so excited as if they won the lottery. Suddenly, they grabbed their brother and sister¡¯s hands and took a step before yelling. ¡°Good luck!¡± ¡°What!?¡± I don¡¯t really understand what¡¯s happening, but Kousei and Konoha-san are both in a good mood. Chiaki and I were dragged along with them as our eyes rolled around in exhaustion. When we looked at each other, at that moment- ¡°¡­Haha.¡± -We exchanged a bitter and embarrassed smile. ¡­Then, the two of us greeted each other for the new year in our own way. * After we washed our hands in the shrine, the four of us lined up for the praying. Even though I said that it¡¯s rural, there are still many worshippers during the day of the new year. I guess it¡¯ll take us another 5 minutes before we can see the offering box. Both sides came to pray without their parents due to simr reasons. After we talked about what happened to us, Kousei and Konoha-san lead us. ¡­They pretended to act naturally, but they¡¯re clearly trying to pair up Chiaki and me. Kousei and Konoha-san lined up together. Also, Kousei even said thister. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m having exams this year. So, I should get an amulet. Let¡¯s go, dirty thing.¡± ¡°Let me ask you this, who¡¯s the dirty thing here? Hey? Why are you dragging my arm? Hey!?¡± Then, they left. So, in the end, Chiaki and I are all alone¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Both of us are surrounded by old couples that look super blessed. We plopped our heads down sheepishly, and no conversation was made. ¡­However, after some time, I couldn¡¯t hold myughter back. Chiaki tilted her head and stared at me in her kimono. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong, Keita?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing. How should I say this¡­? After all the things that happenedst year, we still ended up like we just knew each other. I think it¡¯s pretty funny.¡± ¡°Like we just knew each other? ¡­Ah.¡± So, Chiaki looked at the sky as if she¡¯s remembering the first contact with me. After that, she quickly showed the same smile as I did. ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s indeed like this when I first met you all the way until we started arguing about moe elements. Even though there were many things we wanted to talk about, we¡¯re too embarrassed to say them. We were so polite to each other back then¡­¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Then, when I thought about that, I feel like¡­we were so disappointing. It¡¯s funny.¡± ¡°Ahaha, you¡¯re right. A lot of things happenedst year.¡± ¡°Exactly. In the end, we stayed at the initial starting point after the new year. ¡­Our gaming skills can¡¯t even be applied to our real life¡¯s adventure¡­¡± I sighed as I told Chiaki, and she chuckled. She continued. ¡°But-¡° ¡°Unbelievably, ¡­I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m starting a new game at all.¡± ¡°Yep, ¡­you¡¯re right.¡± During this time, I looked at Chiaki¡¯s face again. She¡¯s smiling a bit embarrassingly. ¡­Unbelievably, right now, I can sincerely feel that she¡¯s really adorable. It¡¯s¡­indeed different than before. Even though the adventure¡¯s over, and I lost all levels and equipment. A hero who took a trip around the world is indeed different from a hero who lived his life normally¡­ Chiaki and I¡­absorbed all the bittersweet experiences fromst year too. That¡¯s why we can stand here right now. Currently, I¡¯m feeling a bit proud of that. ¡­Yes. Everything can¡¯t be forgotten that easily. Therefore¡­ ¡°Ah, Keita, it¡¯s our turn.¡± I snapped out of my thoughts when it¡¯s Chiaki and my turn to pray. We got our changes out from our wallets. Then, we walked in front of the offering box when the person in front finished worshipping. We both tossed a coin inside. Then, as if we promised it first, both of us bowed down and pped at the same time. After that, we closed our eyes and started praying to the gods. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I usually report so much stuff like I¡¯m a light novel protagonist in times like this. Whether I¡¯m facing gods or tombstones, it¡¯s an excellent chance to evaluate yourself when you¡¯re speaking to an invisible existence. ¡­Think about it, after all, ¡­there are many things I have to reflect on in my daily lives¡­ However, there¡¯s a bunch of people lining up today. So, I decided to keep it simple. (It¡¯s been a long time. Thanks to the gods, thest year was pretty incredible. I got to know a bunch of respectful friends that I didn¡¯t deserve. Thank you so much. This year, I hope I can repay everyone¡¯s gratitude in my own way. Finally, ¡­I hope this year will be a good one for the people that I trust. I would appreciate it if the gods are willing to bless me.) I opened my eyes and finished praying with ast respectful bow. Then, I realized Chiaki finished at the same time as well. I think I¡¯m pretty much used to the situation now. However, it¡¯s still a bit awkward when we¡¯re this synchronized. ¡­Although I didn¡¯t check up on her, from Chiaki¡¯s gentle expression, I feel like she wished for simr things too. To avoid the old couple¡¯s warm look behind us, we quickly left the offering box area. After that, Chiaki and I came to a rtively quiet ce inside the shrine. We managed to catch a break. ¡°Well, Keita, I started worrying too much whether I thought that people were waiting behind us. It¡¯s like when I¡¯m in an arcade.¡± ¡°I get it. In the end, when it¡¯s my turn to y, I¡¯ll quickly end the round even though I looked forward to it for a long time.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± We smiled at each other. Then, we observed the shrine to try and find Kousei. However¡­ ¡°Weird, I can¡¯t see Konoha around the shrine office.¡± ¡°Yep. Even so, I didn¡¯t see them in the worshipping line as well. ¡­Where did they go?¡± We looked at each other¡¯s faces since we have no idea what to do. ¡­Basically, if they¡¯reing to visit the shrine with their brothers and sisters, I think they won¡¯t leave the shrine so quickly¡­ ¡°We should just take a walk around the shrine, Chiaki.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± After that, both of us took a step at the same time. Since Chiaki struggled to fight with her new straw shoes, I slowed down and apanied her as I asked. ¡°Chiaki, are you alright? How about I just go look for those two instead?¡± ¡°Eh? I-If that¡¯s the case, ¡­I d-don¡¯t want to. A-After all, this is a rare chance¡­¡± ¡°I-I see¡­¡± ¡°A rare chance of that? I couldn¡¯t bring myself to ask that. ¡­So, I can only scratch my cheeks. But Chiaki really looked like she¡¯s having a hard time walking, and I can¡¯t stop worrying about her. So, she looks like she¡¯s about to fall again. Although I hesitated for a moment, ¡­I still immediately made up my mind and grabbed her hand. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Chiaki immediately blushed in embarrassment. -Right before that, I set up a line of defense and told her this. ¡°C-Chiaki, this is just the best option to avoid you from falling and hurting yourself. I¡¯ll say this first. I¡¯m not trying to do anything funny.¡± ¡°O-Okay.¡± ¡°S-So, Chiaki, I hope you can act a bit more natural.¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­I-I¡¯ll try my best! Yes! Sure!¡± While Chiaki said that, her face still ended up as red as a tomato. ¡­Nope, no matter the reason, handholding is handholding. Only a close couple would do something like that. ¡­Even so, it¡¯s not like I can just ignore Chiaki having a hard time walking. After I sighed, Chiaki showed a slightly apologetic and bitter smile. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Keita. I don¡¯t think this pair of straw shoes are designed to be stable. ¡­Ah, even though Konoha picked this, I don¡¯t believe that this is a mistake she¡¯ll make. Sheesh.¡± I knew it the moment I heard that. ¡°No, that¡¯s actually the perfect choice of Konoha-san. Jeez, that girl¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Keita?¡± This onee-san doesn¡¯t know anything. (I¡¯m already confident of this during Christmas. Konoha-san¡¯s definitely trying to pair Chiaki and me together. Also, she used some impressive wit to achieve that.) ¡­Seriously, what¡¯s wrong with that girl? How can she control someone this easily? The talented Hekiyou High School student council president is way too scary when she¡¯s serious. However, this way, it¡¯s pretty suspicious when Kousei and Konoha-san both disappeared right now. Ay, even though I think Kousei was only dragged along by her. Sheesh. ¡­Don¡¯t pull my perfect little brother into your baffling ns, please. I took a sigh. Then, I told my prediction to Chiaki, who¡¯s literally cuddling me while holding my hand. ¡°Chiaki. Honestly, ¡­I don¡¯t think we can find those two even if we tried.¡± ¡°Eh, really? Why?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Crap, it¡¯s hard to skip Konoha-san¡¯s ns if I want to exin it. W-What should I do? If only I can convey the current situation to Chiaki¡­ ¡°Uh, ¡­how should I put it¡­? I should say, right now, we have to wait for the trigger of the next plot¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s often like that when you¡¯re imprisoned in an RPG.¡± I think Chiaki got it. She¡¯s so reliable. We totally shared the same view on gaming! I continued. ¡°So, if that¡¯s the case, we should just leave the shrine. Chiaki, just send them a message.¡± ¡°Well, if we¡¯re looking for a ce for us to kill time, there¡¯s a family restaurant, fast food shop, and a caf¨¦. ¡­No, instead of going to those ces¡­¡± At this moment, both of us thought of a brilliant idea. So, our faces brightened up, and we said this at the same time. ¡°The toys area in the department store!¡± We literally said the same suggestion as if it¡¯s the undeniable truth. After that, as if our nervousness before was made-up, we started walking towards the department store excitedly. ¡­Yes. -We¡¯re holding our hands intimately on the street filled with people. Karen Tendou I, Karen Tendou, witnessed ¡°that scene¡± as if I¡¯m obliged to. ¡°¡­Ah, ¡­ay, ¡­ugh¡­¡± Across the road, my ex-boyfriend and Chiaki-san, who¡¯s kimono is so cute that my nose is about to bleed, are holding their hands warmly¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Witnessing that scene, the single girl in winter stopped and looked at them dazedly. Her coat is the usual one, and she didn¡¯t spend any time dressing up as well. ¡°¡­N-No, no, no, no.¡± Then, she suddenlyughed out idiotically. The girl¡¯s hair is messed up since she didn¡¯tb her hair in the new year. That¡¯s me. ¡­Y-Yeah. At my level, I won¡¯t be irritated or yell and scream over a trivial matter like this. Indeed. I did learn a thing or two during that painfulst year. (T-This is obviously the misunderstanding that always happens around us. That¡¯s definitely the case. Karen, it¡¯s too early to be jealous¡­) Although I took a deep breath to take my calm back, ¡­I still can¡¯t help but follow those two. I¡¯m not jealous or stalking them. Well, ¡­I¡¯m just trying to buy time to think this out. I remained out of their sight as I peeked and trailed them from behind. (Their expression, ¡­ay, they look really cheerful. I feel like they aren¡¯t reluctant to do this. ¡­Uh, well, if I had to say¡­what kind of misunderstanding¡¯s happening here¡­ Ugh¡­) I pondered about this as I followed them closely, ¡­again, ¡­and again¡­ ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t there too little space for interpretation!?¡± I suddenly yelled out loud! So, the two almost turned around and looked here. I hastily dashed from the street into the alley before hiding next to a building. After that- ¡°Huh, isn¡¯t this Tendou?¡± ¡°Hey, Tendou-san. Happy New Year.¡± -Of course, I ¡°had¡± to bump into the couple Uehara-kun and Aguri-san. There aren¡¯t many ces to go during the new year in a rural area like this. However, isn¡¯t it too weird to bump into friends this frequently? I think the god responsible for our rtionships is working extra hard during the new year. Moreover, both Uehara-kun and Aguri-san are in a kimono. Well, to say how much they look like a married couple with those clothings, when a single girl like me saw that- ¡°Yes. Happy New Year. The happy part is already over.¡± ¡°It¡¯s over?¡± After I greeted them with a fake smile, I immediately started to follow those two again. Then, the couple freaked out and said, ¡°No, no, no, no, no!¡± They grabbed my shoulder. ¡­What an annoying couple (temporary). I turned back and looked at them with turbid eyes. For a moment, they looked like they regretted stopping me, but they pressed on. ¡°Hey, T-Tendou, what¡¯s wrong with you? Did something happen to Amano again?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, it¡¯s close¡­¡± My face turned sour. Aguri-san tried tofort me. ¡°Ah, but think about it, it¡¯s always that pattern, right. Amanhi identally did something, and then you misunderstood it before getting jealous! It must be like that! So, can you exin what¡¯s happening to us clearly-¡° ¡°No, I¡¯m already having a problem interpreting this time. ¡­Sigh, that¡¯s enough!¡± I¡¯m starting to find this meddlesome couple repulsive. It¡¯ll be faster if I let them watch. -So, I thought about that and dragged them to the main street. Then, I pointed at the opposite sidewalk. ¡­Amano-kun and Chiaki-san are walking lovingly together. When they saw that scene, their reaction was¡­ ¡°Ah, ¡­ah, ¡­well, ¡­hmm, now that I¡¯m looking, ¡­well¡­¡± They followed those two with me closely as they crossed their arms in front of their chests. They are mumbling something. ¡­So, 10 seconds passed. In the end, -they dropped a familiar conclusion at the same time.¡± ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t there too little space for interpretation!?¡± ¡°See?¡± I looked at my ex-boyfriend¡¯s intimate scene with a dead fish¡¯s eyes. Then, Iughed helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You two canugh at a pathetic woman like me as much as you watch. I wanted topete fair and square, so I supported my rival. In the end, my power as a woman was immediately surpassed by Chiaki-san in one stroke. Please, feel free tough at me!¡± ¡°What a miserable way to start a new year!¡± They are looking at me with tearful eyes. ¡­D-Don¡¯t sympathize with me too much, please? It¡¯s so upsetting that I¡¯m about to cry. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The three of us trailed behind Keita Amano and Chiaki Hoshinomori closely with a funeral-like mood. ¡­W-What the hell am I doing during the new year? I¡¯m leading a depressed couple to stalk my ex-boyfriend. This is way too low for an activity in the new year. I took a deep breath and tried to suggest to Uehara-kun to stop something this pointless- ¡°¡­Eh?¡± -During this time, I discovered another guy and girl with familiar faces behind them. As if they were following my sight, Uehara-kun and Aguri-san turned around as well. So, in that direction, ¡­we can see Konoha-san¡¯s embarrassed face, and Kousei Amano-kun, who looks quite pissed. Those two came to meet up with us. ¡°¡­Ah, ¡­h-hello, everyone¡­¡± ¡°¡­Sigh, ¡­sheesh. All you do is bother us¡­¡± Also, perhaps I should say I expected this. ¡­The two of them are indeed frequently peeking at Amano-kun too. I guess Aguri-san immediately saw what was happening, so she sighed and made a conclusion. ¡°Ah, ¡­I see. It looks like you two ¡®younger siblings¡¯ are responsible for this.¡± Kousei-kun¡¯s face turned stiff. He reacted to her conclusion. ¡°Please wait. Aguri-nee-san. Even though you¡¯re the second most respectable friend of onii-san behind Chiaki-senpai in my eyes, I still can¡¯t tolerate how you grouped us. Please don¡¯t put me together with this erotic girl senpai.¡± Kousei-kun still dropped another insult with a calm face. Konoha-san retorted. ¡°That¡¯s my line! The reason Kousei and I are like this is that there¡¯s a consensus between us¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you two just trying to meddle things and pair up your onii-san and onee-chan together? That¡¯s it, right.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Aguri-san pointed out the truth, and it made them look away in silence. ¡­It¡¯s because these two belonged to the smart type. ¡­So, I guess they are unexpectedly weak at dealing with Aguri-san, who always relies on her instincts. In other words, Aguri-san can reach theirplicated conclusion without any reasoning. After that, Uehara-kun urged us since we stoppedpletely. ¡°Ah, no matter what, we¡¯ll lose them if this goes on.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± After he reminded us, ¡­anyway, the five of us formed up and started walking. ¡­Where can you even find such arge-scale stalking mission like this? Seriously, what the hell are we doing since the new year? The ¡°what the hell¡¯s happening¡± feeling is permeating between the five of us. So, Kousei-kun seemingly backed down for a bit and sighed as he exined to us. ¡°We don¡¯t need to follow them so closely. Onii-san and his darling, ..oh, I was being impolite. Onii-san and his future wife, ¡­oh, I was impolite again. It¡¯s because I know onii-san and Chiaki-senpai are heading towards the department store¡¯s toys area.¡± (I-It¡¯s super annoying when he¡¯s such a tryhard shipper!) Uehara-kun, Aguri-san, and I can¡¯t deal with this guy. So, Konoha-san added with a bitter smile. ¡°Honestly, I doubt they¡¯ll make any more progress. I guess them holding hands would be today¡¯s climax.¡± ¡°Ay, I guess so. They¡¯re Amanhi and Hoshinhi, after all.¡± Aguri-san dly epted Konoha-san¡¯s opinion. ¡­From this perspective, I really understood that she¡¯s not interested in treating Amano-kun as a guy. However¡­ (F-For some reason, on the other hand, ¡­she does look like the main chick!) I-I get it. I also know that there¡¯s nothing between them! However, how should I say it¡­? I think I justpped around my heart for once and felt like, ¡°That attitude is even nobler!¡± Sigh, I¡¯m slowly sinking into this mud pool once I started getting suspicious. That¡¯s what happening here, right. O-Okay, I understand. I¡¯m also aware of this! But even if I understood it, I still can¡¯t pull myself out. That¡¯s why it¡¯s called a mud pool! So, when I¡¯m trying my best to propose something to somewhere inside my heart, Konoha-san continued. ¡°Uh, so, ¡­can everyone just disband here? Kousei and I have to meet up with them after this. That¡¯s why we¡¯re following them as a part of the family¡­¡± This reasoning couldn¡¯t be more logical. Uehara-kun and Aguri-san are already showing signs of giving up. However, ¡­I¡­ ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Kousei-kun, Konoha-san. I deeply understand that I¡¯m not supposed to do this. ¡­Even so, can I please observe those two for a bit longer? I beg you two.¡± I lowered my head and bowed. For a moment, both of them blinked in confusion. Then, they tried to persuade me for different reasons. ¡°You¡¯re really not supposed to do this. Although I¡¯m the same as the erotic girl, you¡¯re literally stalking someone right now. This hobby is way too disgusting, creepy stalker senpai.¡± ¡°Hey, Kousei! Ah, ¡­even though I don¡¯t like how this guy said it. But, Tendou-senpai, actually, I can¡¯t see any benefits from you continue watching them. No matter how things turned out, I think every possible future only involves senpai getting hurt¡­¡± What they said was incredibly reasonable. Usually, I wouldn¡¯t be able to retort. However, ¡­even so, I still don¡¯t want to back down. ¡°Indeed, there¡¯s no benefit to watch those two being so close to each other. I got that. But¡­¡± My eyes are overflowing with determination as I looked at them ¡°Right now, ¡­I don¡¯t want to escape from those two¡¯s sincere feelings.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Both of them fell silent after hearing what I said. ¡­Then, ¡­Kousei actually backed down first. He kept scratching the back of his head, which kind of looks like what Amano-kun would do. ¡°¡­I see. This isn¡¯t a bad thing. ¡­It means that you made up your mind, right. You¡¯re willing to quit as long as you confirmed that they loved each other. Am I right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Well, ¡­yep, this isn¡¯t a bad thing for onii-san and Chiaki-senpai.¡± Kousei nodded before ncing at Konoha-san. As for Konoha-san, ¡­for some reason, she¡¯s giving me a sorrowful look. ¡°¡­Sheesh, ¡­I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re willing to quit this easily. ¡­You¡¯ll quickly regret making a promise like thister. ¡­I already knew the consequence¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Konoha-san?¡± ¡°¡­Sigh, jeez! Alright, alright, alright! I got it! It¡¯s more like I don¡¯t have the right to reject determination like that! I¡¯ve had enough! That¡¯s what it takes to be a good girl¡­!¡± Konoha-san¡¯s getting mysteriously anxious, but she still agreed for me to tag along. I bowed at them once again. After that, I looked at Uehara-kun and Aguri-san. ¡°Now that things turned this way, ¡­what are you two going to do?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Both of them looked at each other a bit awkwardly. However, they immediately reached a consensus at the next moment. The couple even turned down our offer politely. ¡°Uh, I guess we¡¯ll stay out of this. I shouldn¡¯t meddle with my best friend¡¯s rtionship. The two of us will go to the shrine for the new year.¡± ¡°Yeah! Moreover, I can almost guess what Amanhi will do next. If that¡¯s the case, I want to spend today with Tasuku praying in the shrine casually.¡± Aguri-san said that as she hugged Uehara-kun¡¯s arm. In contrast to this, Uehara-kun pretended to be calm, yet a slight blush appeared on his face. I¡¯m really envious of this couple (temporary). So, I smiled at them. ¡°I see.¡± After that, we greeted each other properly for the new year. ¡°Happy New Year, the two of you. I wish you a happy holiday.¡± ¡°Oh, I hope you have a good new year too.¡± ¡°I hope you have a good new year as well!¡± After they said that, the couple left after greeting Konoha-san and Kousei-kun. The three of us watched them slowly disappear. Then, we started moving again. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± So- ¡°Well, it¡¯s time for us to move. We¡¯re heading to the toys area- to decide the fate of everything! Let¡¯s stalk them! We aren¡¯t learning our lesson from the new year!¡± ¡°What a disappointing line!¡± I apanied the uninterested younger siblings and followed Amano-kun and Chiaki-san. Chiaki Hoshinomori Right now, I¡¯m experiencing the most blessed moment of my life. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m slowly on my way from the shrine to the department store. I looked up to the boy that¡¯s holding my hand while walking ¨C Keita¡¯s face. His cheeks are red from embarrassment; His expression¡¯s a bit stiff from the nervousness; His palm is sweaty. However, he frequently turned around with a clumsy smile to stop me from worrying. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I love all of this so much. I¡¯m so happy, and my heart¡¯s feeling really warm. ¡­I can¡¯t help but stick too close to his arm. ¡°!¡± Keita¡¯s body turned stiff as he became nervous. However, his rationality of ¡°holding me tight¡± won in the end. So, he paid even more attention to walking forward. The boy¡¯s willing to tolerate my willfulness to this point. To me, it¡¯s already¡­tooforting for me to bear. I feel like my tears wille out if I rx for even a second. (¡­What do you mean by Keita and I are just friends? ¡­I¡¯m really going tough.) I looked back at what I said a while ago, and I can¡¯t help but smile bitterly. Hiding such feelings in my heart, ¡­I can¡¯t believe I still acted like ¡°I epted my rejection¡± in the past. ¡°Hmm? ¡­Chiaki?¡± Keita¡¯s looking at me bitterly smiling, so he tilted his head in confusion. Although I¡¯m still chuckling, I don¡¯t wish to bother him. Therefore, I came up with another reason. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was thinking after I spent so much effort dressing up, ¡­I just prayed for a while before going to the department store in the new year. It¡¯s prettyughable.¡± ¡°Hmm, ¡­I-I¡¯m sorry. Should we find another ce to kill time?¡± ¡°No, no, no, there¡¯s no need to at all! Instead, I really looked forward to it. It¡¯s been a long time since I browsed games with you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time? Ah, ¡­somehow, there aren¡¯t many chances for us to check out games together.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± I smiled as I nodded repeatedly. In reality, I do mean it when I said I¡¯m looking forward to shopping with him. It¡¯s just that..I¡¯m already feeling so blessed at this time. I cuddled with Keita as we walked from the shrine for around 5 minutes. Then, we arrived at the destination ¨C the department store. We went to the esctor directly without even looking at the floor n. ¡­As gamers, it¡¯s only logical for us to know every detail about the gaming markets near us. ¡­Well, I do have to look at maps when you ask me where I can buy girl¡¯s clothes! After we took the esctor, we stepped towards the gaming store on the 5th floor. The esctor¡¯s wide enough for two people to stand next to each other. However, I think I need to hold the handrail. So, I let go of Keita¡¯s hand and stood behind him. Keita looked at me worriedly from a step above me. After that, he looked behind me and tilted his head. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°¡­For a moment, I thought I saw Kousei and Konoha-san together¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I turned my head around shockingly, but I can¡¯t see them with my eyes. Since other people got on the esctor as well, I looked at Keita again. ¡°Are they really there?¡± ¡°Hmm, ¡­I¡¯m not sure. They immediately disappeared after passing the corner of my eyes¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that like they are cockroaches.¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s real. I should say their skills are exceptional. I think that¡¯s what a high base stats person does when he tries his best to hide.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I think Konoha¡¯s not bored enough to do that.¡± ¡°Hmm, ¡­I guess you¡¯re right. Stalking a lonely duo during the new year, no one in their sane mind would do such a pointless thing.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s impossible for someone to be this miserable in the world. Keita, sheesh¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, I think I got a bit too self-conscious recently. I¡¯ll try to improve.¡± Keita said that as he turned around again. Therefore, I concluded that the restless res I felt behind me were just my imagination. We continued riding the esctor and arrived on the 5th floor. The gaming section is right in front of us. So¡­ ¡°Come here, Chiaki.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Keita¡¯s reaching his hand out to me in front of the end of the esctor. His breathing¡¯s a bit rough. It looks like he¡¯ll continue holding me. Although my heart is filled with an indescribable emotion, I grabbed his hand. So, when we¡¯re touring around with a tinge of embarrassment, Keita started chatting with me to switch this weird mood. ¡°I-It¡¯s indeed the new year. There¡¯s a lot of kids around here.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, this ce is usually so empty that it makes you worry after school.¡± ¡°Right. I onlye here if I¡¯m looking for a sold-out game. ¡­Ah, wait.¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong, Keita?¡± Suddenly, Keita gave me a resentful look for some reason. Just as I¡¯m baffled by him, Keita continued. ¡°< Kurikure 3 >¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Eh? What¡¯s wrong with that famous game releasedst year¡­?¡± At this point, with the surrounding environment, a blurry memory resurfaced inside my heart. ¡­Yes, I remembered it. It was at this ce where I¡­ Keita sighed and mumbled as if he¡¯s checking his answers with mine. ¡°Chiaki, st year, there¡¯s only a single copy of < Kurikure 3 > left here, and you bought it away¡­¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­I-I remembered that.¡± I quietly look away as sweat appeared on my face. Yes, ¡­that happened back when Keita and I still treated each other as rivals. At that time, < Kurikure 3 > was sold out. I got thest copy here. I think I even bragged to Keita¡­ After Keita watched me look away awkwardly, he chuckled. ¡°I feel like a lot of things happened between you and mest year, Chiaki.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. ¡­Basically, we knew each other afterst year¡¯s spring.¡± ¡°Yep, it¡¯s right after I rejected Tendou-san¡¯s invitation¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± My heart ached for a moment when I saw Keita¡¯s thinking everything based on the girl ¡°Karen Tendou¡± so naturally. However, ¡­I won¡¯t give up because of trivial stuff like this anymore. Instead, I refused to admit defeat and tried to drag his mind to me. ¡°B-But, I started interacting with Yama-san and Tshi as NOBE and Mono even earlier! Yes!¡± ¡°Eh? Yep, y-you¡¯re right. From this perspective, perhaps I knew you for the longest in the Game Hobby Club.¡± ¡°Y-Yes, yes, yes, yes!¡± I¡¯m nodding way too many times today! Keita¡¯s a bit scared by my excitement, but he continued the conversation. ¡°Come to think of it, at that time, that person, ¡­right, Miyamoto-san was there too.¡± ¡°Hmm? You¡¯re saying¡­Miyamoto-san?¡± ¡°Yep. I think his name is Satoshi Miyamoto. Think about it, he¡¯s the handsome middle-aged uncle with me. ¡­He¡¯s quite unique in every way.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Right, I think I saw quite a bold person there. Also, I can subtly remember that I ran away since I freaked out at that guy¡¯s boldness¡­ Keita continued nostalgically. ¡°In the end, I didn¡¯t manage to buy < Kurikure 3 > that day. ..I should say I gave it to that person atst.¡± ¡°Oh, really? I feel like¡­I should apologize to you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I managed to buy itter. So, you don¡¯t need to mind. Moreover, I was the one that decided to give it to Miyamoto-san. Let¡¯s forget about that, Chiaki. < Kurikure 3 >¡¯s really a great game!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah! I think I brought it up at that time. That¡¯s such a fantastic game! Right, Keita, did you know this!? < Kurikure 3 >¡¯s about to get arge DLC soon! I think they¡¯re adding new sses!¡± ¡°Eh, really!? Uwah, I¡¯m looking forward to it! Thanks for telling me that!¡± ¡°No problem. That¡¯s nice! We have to try it, Chi- no, Mono!¡± ¡°¡­! Yeah, Tshi!¡± Both of us walked towards the game shelf peacefully. During this time, I can feel a vengeful spirit looking at me from behind, so I turned around- ¡°Hmm? Chiaki, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing. ¡­I think I just saw something passing right under my eyes just then¡­¡± ¡°Why are you saying that like you saw a cockroach¡­?¡± ¡°No, this time, instead of saying that it¡¯s a cockroach, I think it¡¯s a golden object quickly appearing and disappearing¡­¡± ¡°What is that? It feels like it got a bunch of gold or experience. Chiaki, you¡¯re spending too much time on games.¡± ¡°¡­I guess so. Ah, we¡¯re already here, Keita!¡± ¡°Ah, really. Right, let¡¯s start checking these out, Chiaki!¡± ¡°Alright, alright!¡± Karen Tendou ¡°U¡­UGGHHHH¡­!¡± ¡°Told you.¡± A vengeful spirit is staring at the intimate couple behind the shelve gap, ¡­that¡¯s me, Karen Tendou. The younger siblings are staring at me, dumbfoundedly. Konoha-san shrugged helplessly and continued. ¡°So, didn¡¯t I tell you this before? Tendou-senpai, it¡¯s meaningless for you to continue watching them.¡± ¡°¡­H-Hiya, sheesh, what are you saying, Konoha-san? I¡¯m the woman that always writes ¡®self-control¡¯ during free calligraphy training, Karen Tendou. At this point, I won¡¯t be hurt by something so trivial¡­¡± ¡°Hey, you kept biting your bag¡¯s belt and stared at Amano-senpai with blood-lusting eyes. You aren¡¯t fooling anyone.¡± ¡°Please rx, Konoha-san. This leather is made with natural material, and I even wiped it with anti-bacterial towels before. It¡¯s safe and reassuring when you bite it.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s even scarier when you can consider this much calmly.¡± Konoha-sanined to me helplessly. Behind her, Kousei-kun sighed as well. ¡°Uh, even though I allowed you to follow us, you have to be serious when ites to stalking. We aren¡¯t messing around.¡± Kousei-kun scolded me about weird stuff in a solemn tone. I answered with an ¡°I got it.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s why whenever I¡¯m about to get discovered, I brilliantly ¡®rolled and dodged¡¯ to avoid them from seeing me, right?¡± ¡°This is the first time that I saw someone dodging like that other than in games. That¡¯s horrific.¡± ¡°Please rx. I also considered hygiene. I used a ¡®mid-air roll-dodge¡¯ that¡¯s 3 inches away from the ground. Moreover, there¡¯s an invincible period during that as well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s already not what humans can do, right. Hardcore gamers are way too scary. Also, that¡¯s not even the problem. I mean, your aura will naturally make them turn around.¡± ¡°Ho, Kousei-kun, don¡¯t underestimate Karen Tendou. If you were talking about ¡®absolute despair,¡¯ I already used that a long time ago.¡± ¡°How could you use a move in mangas so naturally? No, that¡¯s not what I want to talk about. Please don¡¯t release your dark, jealously aura whenever they¡¯re acting lovey-dovey. That can even make an ordinary person turn around and look at our side.¡± ¡°Yep. I¡¯m indeed amazing, right?¡± ¡°You can just go home!¡± Kousei-kun got mad for some reason. ¡­From my perspective, the Amano brothers both have weird triggers. When Kousei-kun and I were ring at each other, Konoha-san tried to smooth things over. ¡°Alright, alright.¡± ¡°Anyway, we should observe onee-chan first, right. Tendou-senpai, please try to limit your jealousy when you¡¯re looking at them. Also, don¡¯t mind too much, Kousei. We aren¡¯t actually discovered.¡± ¡°¡­Understood.¡± We answered her unwillingly. Konoha-san sighed deeply alone. ¡°Why am I the one with the mostmon sense here¡­? There are too many weirdos around me¡­¡± Even though I¡¯m not sure what happened, she¡¯s strongly radiating that ¡°luckless person¡± aura recently. Anyway, the three of us calmed down and started peeking at Amano-kun again. On the 5th floor of the department store, we¡¯re stalking Amano-kun at the kids¡¯ clothing area next to the toys area. There¡¯s some distance between us. Typically, we can¡¯t hear what those two are talking about. However, right now, we¡¯re¡­ ¡°Ah, Keita, Keita, isn¡¯t this nostalgic?¡± ¡°Hmm? ¡­Ahh! Isn¡¯t this one of the best RPGs inst year¡¯s autumn!?¡± We can hear them clearly. ¡­Of course, it¡¯s not a superpower or anything. The medium that ys out their conversation is actually¡­ ¡°Yep, it looks like the app is working correctly.¡± ¡­It¡¯s from Kousei-kun¡¯s smartphone. ¡­Konoha-san and I secretly exchanged looks. ¡­Hmm, ¡­right. Yes, I understand. If the situation got a bit stabler, ¡­it¡¯s almost time for me to ask this. Yep. After Konoha-san and I looked at each other, I spoke up to Kousei-kun sheepishly. ¡°Ah, ¡­hey, Kousei-kun? I really want to ask this. Uh, that thing that can make us hear Amano-kun talking clearly, don¡¯t tell me¡­that¡¯s an eavesdropping-¡° ¡°This is just an app for pranks.¡± Kousei-kun¡¯s mouth cracked into a smile and interrupted me. ¡­That¡¯s horrifying. ¡°Uh, but that clearly looks like an eavesdropping device using Amano-kun¡¯s phone. Isn¡¯t it slightly illegal when we can hear them talk-¡° ¡°This is just an app for pranks between brothers. It¡¯s just that onii-san doesn¡¯t know someone¡¯s listening to them.¡± ¡°¡­No, so doesn¡¯t that make it an eaves-¡° ¡°It¡¯s just a prank.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Konoha-san and I fell silent. When we¡¯re trembling in fear of this overly ridiculous middle school boy, Kousei-kun sighed andforted us. ¡°Ay, actually, I usually won¡¯t do this as well. This app is really just used for calls. Some kid from our rtives rmended us to install it.¡± ¡°Then why is it¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s because onii-san pressed the wrong button. He called us just then, and I bet it¡¯s just a mistake. Then, I just pressed the ept button. Moreover, I think he turned his volume to the max. In the end, it miraculously turned into an eavesdropping device.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± I was relieved. From this perspective, Kousei-kun isn¡¯t that unusual- ¡°¡­So, Kousei, even though you knew it, you aren¡¯t ending the call? Also, you even carefully muted the app on our side so that they can¡¯t hear us¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­Kousei-kun smiled at us. We quickly looked away. Konoha-san and I can¡¯t stop sweating as we peeked at Amano-kun and Chiaki-san. ¡°¡­Yes, yes! Hiya, that part where he meets up with the protagonist from thest game is really exciting!¡± ¡°Yeah! Many RPGs failed to round up the story when they involved the prequel¡¯s plot. As for this sequel, it connected the story of thest game¡¯s protagonist. The mood got really excited-¡° I can hear their cheerful conversation from Kousei-kun¡¯s phone. As for him, ¡­he got his phone close to us and asked with a devilish voice. ¡°Well, can I end the call now? It¡¯s okay, right? I¡¯m ending it. Get ready¡­¡± ¡°No, no, no, you don¡¯t need to cut it so fast. This department store has Wi-Fi, after all!¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± The middle schooler that¡¯s smiling like Satan, and the high school girls looking away from guilt, ¡­what¡¯s wrong with this new year? Anyway, we¡¯re still eavesdropping on those two at a corner of the kid¡¯s clothing area. Luckily, there¡¯s barely anyone around here, and I guess we aren¡¯t bothering anyone too. As for Amano-kun and Chiaki-san, they kept browsing the games¡¯ shelves together. The two are sincerely enjoying the ¡°casualness¡± of selecting the games in a department store. ¡­As a gamer, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t understand how they feel. It¡¯s because this isn¡¯t a game store or shop that picks grand titles specifically. So, it really gives off that deep ¡°it¡¯s been a long time since I saw this game¡± feeling. That¡¯s something you can experience in a department store! So, I¡¯m quite interested in their conversation. However, that¡¯s not the case for the younger siblings, who are not really fond of games. Konoha-san looks a bit fed up with the eavesdropped conversation as she spoke up. ¡°By the way, Tendou-senpai, didn¡¯t you react weirdly to what they said? Uh, I remembered¡­you did that when senpai and onee-chan talked about that Miyamoto-san.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, ¡­that one?¡± Right. Chiaki-san looked over here, so I freaked out and forgot about that. ¡­At that time, I discovered quite a shocking fact. I exined to Konoha-san with a bitter smile. ¡°Uh, ¡­it¡¯s a bitplicated. To put it simply, the ¡®Satoshi Miyamoto¡± they talked about¡­is my father.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The younger siblings froze. It¡¯s rare to see this expression on their faces. Although I¡¯m somewhat happy, I continued to exin. ¡°I was pretty baffled at that time too. My father still managed to get a sold-out game even though he knows nothing about gaming.¡± Kousei-kun answered. ¡°Ah, ¡­I heard onii-san before. He gave the game to that person.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I can¡¯t help but smile due to the warmth in my heart. ¡°¡­Yeah, ¡­Amano-kun was the one that gave me the game¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Eh, don¡¯t tell me Amano-senpai and that Miyamoto-san, ¡­which is your father, met each other and even gave the game to him. Then, it ended up in Tendou-senpai¡¯s hands? Also, you two didn¡¯t know any of this until now?¡± ¡°Yes. I think that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s some serious fateful encounter. You¡¯reparable to my onee-chan¡­¡± Konoha-san stopped in the middle of her sentence. ¡­I guess she¡¯s considerate of her onee-chan. I gave her a reassuring smile. ¡°It¡¯s indeed a fateful encounter, and I¡¯m pretty happy about it too. But, please understand this, Konoha-san. To me, or to Chiaki-san¡¯s love, ¡­a fateful encounter doesn¡¯t really matter that much anymore.¡± ¡°It¡­doesn¡¯t matter?¡± ¡°Yeah. Isn¡¯t it the truth? Perhaps Chiaki-san and I¡­got the chance because of fate or mistakes. However, at this point, we¡¯re just hopelessly in love with Keita Amano. Even though our emotions can still be affected by fate, there¡¯s no deeper meaning within it. The other parts¡­are more important.¡± ¡°¡­Tendou-senpai, you¡­¡± Konoha-san squinted her eyes as if she saw something really bright. For some reason, Kousei-kun hmphed displeasingly. ¡°¡­Hmph, ¡­if you¡¯re going to be the bad guy, why don¡¯t you just y it well¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Kousei-kun?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was saying you¡¯re really a pain in the butt, ¡­ex-girlfriend-senpai.¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly mad at me!?¡± Ugh, it¡¯s quite fatal when Amano-kun¡¯s little brother hates me. ¡­I need to work harder. (Huh? But I think this boy treated me as the ¡°fake girlfriend¡± before. However, he said ¡°ex-girlfriend¡± just then¡­) When I¡¯m lost in thought, Amano-kun¡¯s tone suddenly changed during their conversation. ¡°¡­Right, Chiaki, there¡¯s something, ¡­uh, I have to tell you clearly. Can I say it, even though we¡¯re at a ce like this?¡± ¡°Huh! A¡­A-Alright¡­.¡± I can feel Chiaki-san¡¯s nervousness and determination over the phone¡¯s speaker. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The three of us straightened our backs. Don¡¯t we feel guilty from listening to the critical part of their conversation? Although we thought about that- Even so, we still made up our minds for something we simply can¡¯t back down. We raised our ears to those two¡¯s conversation. Chiaki Hoshinomori Oh, this is it? When Keita spoke up respectfully, this question appeared in my mind. I put the game box back onto the shelf. Then, I slowly stopped crouching and stood up before facing Keita. After we started browsing games, I let go of his hand to take the goods. Even so, that¡¯s still one of the happiest moments in my life. However, after seeing him in such a solemn look, sigh, I guess it¡¯s over. -I felt a bit lonely when I realized that. (¡­I bet¡­he¡¯s talking about what happened on Christmas¡­) To me, that day was unforgettable in every way. That¡¯s a day where he replied to my feelings that I thought would never be answered. Since that day, a tinge of warmth is lit inside my heart ¡­Even though I understand that it¡¯s a pretty ¡°brutal¡± tinge of warmth, I still felt¡­very blessed. However, that illusion is about to end. Although I feel very lonely about that, I, ¡­no, Karen-san and I already made up our minds¡­ ¡°¡­So, what do you want to talk about, Keita?¡± ¡­We won¡¯t ever avoid his true feelings. I looked at the boy¡¯s eyes determinedly as I asked him. Then, Keita scratched his face¡­as if he made up his mind again. Then, he finally threw that topic out. ¡°Actually, I want to be a < Hero >.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± I let out a confused noise after my shoulders lightened up. Suddenly, ¡­I think I heard a simr reaction from behind¡­at the kids¡¯ clothing area. However, I didn¡¯t see anyone when I turned around. ¡­Is something possessing us today? Keita ignored my confusion as he started searching the shelf again. After a while, he said, ¡°I found it!¡± ¡­He grabbed a box of a famous RPG remake and showed it to me. ¡°Look at this! It¡¯s the third installment of a national RPG! There¡¯s a personality test at the start of the remake, you remember that?¡± I started searching my memories after he said that. ¡°Ah, ¡­yeah. If I remember correctly, the events will change based on the simple questions you answered in the beginning. The personality of the hero protagonist is based on the yer¡¯s answer, right.¡± ¡°Yes! Then, that personality will affect the hero¡¯s stats. For example, your intelligence will increase when your test result is smart.¡± ¡°Yeah, I remember that. That¡¯s a nice design. ¡­Uh, but, what¡¯s up with that?¡± That system is pretty impressive, ¡­but what are we talking about? After I tilted my head, Keita continued talking about the game. ¡°Then, this test is quite strict. The different personalities yield varying results.¡± ¡°¡­Yep. Although I¡¯m not really sure, ¡­I think that¡¯s the case. From my memory, there are a bunch of personalities that give you positive modifiers. Still, there are many negative ones too.¡± ¡°Exactly! So, it¡¯s better to check out walkthroughs to pick the protagonist¡¯s personalities from a simple gamey perspective.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I don¡¯t understand what he¡¯s trying to say. Keita looked at the back of the cover nostalgically and pressed on. ¡°Then, I love < Hero > the most when ites to the stats modifiers alone. Even though your intelligence will decrease, your power will skyrocket. That¡¯s his personality.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ssical pick for a protagonist. I like characters that rely on his strength too.¡± ¡°Right? I think it¡¯s definitely better to be the < Hero >¡­¡± Keita said that as he put the box back onto the shelf. Later, he continued. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°For me, if I¡¯m ying the game ording to my thoughts, without watching any personality test walkthroughs, my results are always < Honest Person >.¡± ¡°I remembered that. ¡­It¡¯s a pretty versatile and normal personality, right?¡± ¡°Yep, the modifiers are pretty nd both positively and negatively. So, I guess it¡¯s not that boring.¡± T-That test result perfectly described Keita¡¯s personality! The test is actually pretty urate, right? After I chuckled, Keita followed with a bitter smile¡­as he continued. ¡°However, ¡­at that time, I hesitated for a while. In the end, I picked the < Honest Person > instead of the < Hero >.¡± ¡°Eh? Is it okay for you to not choose the < Hero >?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s cheating to spend your time picking the best personality. In other situations, I would choose to y rxedly too. It¡¯s just that¡­I can¡¯t help but start the adventure that way.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± Although I¡¯m not sure where this is going, Keita¡¯s concept fits his attitude very much. I feel like¡­my heart is warming up. But, as if he¡¯s purposely trying to make me rx, Keita suddenly brought up the topic. ¡°Then, ¡­Chiaki, I want to talk about what happened on Christmas Eve.¡± ¡°!¡± I held my breathing. Keita plopped his head down awkwardly. Actually, ¡­I already have a rough idea of what he''s going to say about that day. (¡­You¡¯ll say that¡¯s just a misunderstanding, right?) A serious and sincere boy like him is always loyal to Karen-san. He fell for Konoha¡¯s trap, so he¡¯s going to apologize and correct me. That¡¯s why we¡¯re hanging out today, right. ¡­It¡¯s because that¡¯s what makes him Keita Amano. I¡­put my hands on my chest. Then, I took a deep breath and answered him. ¡°Sure, what do you want to say?¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­well, even though I feel really sorry for saying this, ¡­Chiaki, about what I said at that time-¡° ¡°¡­Yes.¡± I have to raise my head and look at the ceiling. I closed my eyes¡­to prevent myself from breaking into tears since I don¡¯t want to stress him. So, I waited for that fateful moment. As for Keita, ¡­he said the answer with a clear tone. ¡°Those are what I, Keita Amano, sincerely thinks. I hope no matter how much you misunderstood me, please don¡¯t think I said that because I fell into Konoha-san¡¯s trap.¡± ¡°----Eh?¡± What he said was too shocking. I can¡¯t help but look away from the ceiling and back to him. After that, ¡­although he blushed slightly, he looked at me sincerely. He continued. ¡°So, ¡­Chiaki, I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°¡­Eh? Uh, ¡­what are you trying to apologize for?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m a terrible person? I just told a girl that confessed to me, ¡®I actually love you as well.¡¯ That¡¯s the worse thing a guy can do.¡± ¡°Eh? It¡¯s okay. ¡­I¡­don¡¯t think so¡­¡± Indeed, it¡¯s just like the slight hope I felt during this week. Making me looking forward to that tinge of light is very brutal as well. I guess Keita¡¯s apologizing for that. ¡­Actually, he doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m just as happy if not more because of that. However, ¡­even so, he still continued agonizingly. ¡°However, although I understand this terrible conclusion benefits no one, even so, ¡­even so, I have to be sincere to my feelings that day. -No matter how awful I¡¯m, I still think I shouldn¡¯t ignore this and move forward.¡± ¡°Keita¡­¡± ¡°So, Chiaki, I¡¯m telling you this right here again.¡± At this point, Keita straightened his back uncharacteristically. ¡­There¡¯s not the slightest sense of embarrassment at all. The boy sincerely¡­said that. ¡°Chiaki, right now, I see you as someone more than a friend. You¡¯re a woman in my heart.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Unbelievably, ¡­this time, I didn¡¯t freak out from embarrassment as well. I just smiled gently and epted it. I was pretty happy with what he said. However, ¡­since I understand the boy, I know what he¡¯s going to say next. Keita looked a bit hesitant at this point. ¡­Even so, he still continued with determined eyes. ¡°However, no matter what, -the more important thing is, I still love Tendou-san.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± After that, ¡­he¡¯s so upset that his face wrinkled like he¡¯s about to cry at any time. Even so, he still mustered that¡­brutal truth out. ¡°¡­I love her more, ¡­more than I love you.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± However, I epted that with a smile. -He has topare and rank people that he trusts the most. How torturing would that be to one¡¯s soul? How many times did he me and hurt himself during this week? He¡¯s the most gentle boy that I know. At this point, ...I¡¯m about to break into tears as well. However, that¡¯s not the thing I should be doing now. It¡¯s because right now, ¡­no, no matter where I¡¯m, there¡¯s only one thing I should tell him. So, ¡­I¡¯m just the same as him. Even though I know no one benefits when I say that, even so, ¡­I followed and conveyed my intense feelings for him. ¡°Keita, ¡­right now, I still really love you.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to¡­lose to Karen-san. I don¡¯t want to¡­give up yet.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Both of us fell silent for a moment. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­Actually, both of us really want to escape from this cruel game called love immediately. ¡­It¡¯s already not entertainment when the participants have to hurt each other as they move forward. However, ¡­even so- As gamers, both of us¡­tried our best and smiled at each other. ¡°Keita, I¡¯ll go on the offensive now. Thispetition isn¡¯t over yet.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll quickly end thispetition. I¡¯ll show you that I can date Tendou-san again.¡± ¡°No, no, no, I¡¯ll dash across the finish line before that, Keita.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not going to happen. I¡¯ll go back to her first.¡± ¡°Well, ¡­in the end, we¡¯re still opponents and rivals this year.¡± ¡°Yep, ¡­we¡¯re opponents and rivals.¡± After we said that, both of us shook each other¡¯s hands with a smile. ¡­I think our new year wasn¡¯t starting until right now. Karen Tendou ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The three of us looked at Amano-kun and Chiaki-san shaking hands as we fell silent. Kousei-kun didn¡¯t say anything as he ended the call in shame. As for Konoha-san, she looked at her onee-chan and Amano-kun as if they¡¯re unreachable. Then, I¡­ ¡°¡­Yep, right¡­¡± I made up my mind after seeing what those two did. Then, without bothering to consult Kousei-kun and Konoha-san, I quietly moved toward¡­Amano-kun and Chiaki-san. ¡°Eh?¡± The younger siblings froze since they didn¡¯t expect this. I ignored them and stepped forward. Then, I came next to those two as they finished shaking their hands and greeted them with a smile. ¡°Amano-kun, Chiaki-san.¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± Both of them freaked out as they turned to me. I smiled at their startled look. ¡°Happy New Year, you two.¡± ¡°H-Happy New Year¡­¡± While they hesitated for a while, they still greeted me humbly. I chuckled at their unchanging personalities and immediately followed it with another sentence. ¡°What a coincidence. ¡­Although I wanted to say that, I¡¯m sorry. Actually, I¡¯ve been following behind you two since a while ago.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sincerely sorry.¡± I bowed down and apologized for that. ¡­Actually, I should apologize for eavesdropping on them too. However, Kousei-kun and Konoha-san will be dragged into this if I said it. So, ¡­I sincerely said my apologies for stalking them. They looked at each other confusingly for a moment. ¡­After that, unexpectedly, they chuckled. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s toote to say that at this point? There¡¯s no need to apologize for things like this, Tendou-san. ¡­Right, Chiaki?¡± ¡°Yeah. How many awkward moments have we been through until right now? Especially when we¡¯re just chatting in public normally this time. Well,e to think of it, we should be the ones to say sorry! We¡¯ll never get mad at Karen-san!¡± ¡°You guys¡­¡± They¡¯re just as gentle as ever, and it almost made me cry. However, I managed to suppress this emotion and answered with a refreshing smile. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°No sweat.¡± So, after we apologized to each other, I brought up the real topic. ¡°Well, now¡¯s that out of the way. ¡­There¡¯s something I want to suggest to you two. That¡¯s why I came here.¡± ¡°Hmm? You¡¯re suggesting something to us?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Amano-kun and Chiaki-san tilted their heads in confusion. I closed my eyes and made up my mind again. After that, I opened my eyes determinedly and exined to them. ¡°Should we set a time limit?¡± ¡°Time limit?¡± They tilted their heads again. I continued. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes, a time limit. Chiaki-san and I, ¡­no, this is for Amano-kun as well. Currently, everyone must feel like they are a lost child in love. Comparing this to a game, it¡¯s like we have no idea where the next destination to trigger the plot is. So, we can only level up dazedly.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± They epted my analogy readily. ¡­Uh, it¡¯s really convenient when you canpare everything with gaming. I continued. ¡°Sigh, even though I¡¯m the one that broke up with Amano-kun. However, this chaoticpeting state is also what I hoped for. ¡­Ah, I¡¯m beating around the bush. No matter what, I feel the ¡®main story¡¯ can¡¯t progress no matter how much we leveled up.¡± ¡°¡­Indeed.¡± ¡°Even so, I¡¯m not forcing everyone to answer my suggestion right now. That will just backfire. Uh, ¡­think about it, I rejected Amano-kun again before. That slight change of mind got me. ¡­.Ay, seriously, why did I reject it¡­? ¡­Ah, sheesh¡­! If I epted it at that time, right now, Amano-kun and I are already¡­!¡± ¡°T-Tendou-san?¡± ¡°Huh! Sorry, I¡¯m losing it. Ahem. Uh, let me exin this again. The reason that I rejected him can be summarized in one sentence. It¡¯s because I feel like we¡¯re just halfway through thepetition. Even though the first ce can only be decided after 3ps, Amano-kun gave me the impression that he decided who won based on the firstp¡¯s result¡­¡± ¡°I-I see¡­¡± These two are usually a bit dense towards others, but they immediately got the hint if I used gaming metaphors. While I¡¯m d to see that, is this really okay for them¡­? I cleared my throat and pressed on. ¡°However, this wouldn¡¯t end without a time limit. So, ¡­please allow me to set up a time limit for this race of love during the new year.¡± ¡°Ohh, ¡­the president of the Game Club is incredible. ¡­You¡¯re so reliable!¡± They finally started pping their hands admirably. ¡­Although I can¡¯t see it, I can feel Kousei-kun and Konoha-san giving us a dumbfounded look. ¡°These people have to consider everything with gaming¡­¡± ¡­I don¡¯t care. I took a deep breath and puffed up my chest as I dered to them. ¡°Thispetition- has to end two and a half monthster on March 14, which is the White Day.¡± ¡°Ohhh!¡± The two gamers gave a round of apuse again. I can still feel that Kousei-kun and Konoha-san are suspecting and looking at us dumbfoundedly. ¡°Are these really high schoolers talking about their rtionship problems?¡± ¡­But I don¡¯t care! After all, this is our style! I pressed on. ¡°Who¡¯s feeling will Amano-kun respond to on that day? Let us make a conclusion to everything here!¡± I announced the rules of this race of love loudly. As for Amano-kun, he¡¯s showing his intense passion for me. ¡°I-In other words, as long as nothing changes until that day -and I don¡¯t do anything extra. We can go back together when I remained loyal to Tendou-san, right!?¡± ¡°E-Exactly.¡± ¡°Well, perhaps I¡¯m really confident about this match!¡± ¡°!¡± S-Stop it. I-I can¡¯t even properly stand if you¡¯re saying those affectionate lines with sparkling eyes. ¡­Moreover, you¡¯re saying that right in front of Chiaki-san. I tried my best to withstand it. So, Chiaki-san mumbled as she started breathing heavily. ¡°T-This means that all I need to do is conquer Keita before that dayes, right?¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re right.¡±¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s absolutely no problem! It¡¯s a piece of cake if I need to conquer Keita in two and a half months. I can easily win this, yes! After all, ¡­I, Chiaki Hoshinomori, is a live walkthrough for his thoughts!¡± ¡°I-Indeed¡­¡± After Chiaki-san acknowledged her feelings, she¡¯s rapidly chasing behind me at a scary pace. Although I think it¡¯s good to pick a beautiful date, that¡¯s why I chose White Day as the time limit. ¡­Perhaps I can¡¯t deny the fact it¡¯s too long. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I-I should just move up the deadline for a month and set it on Valentine¡¯s Day- ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give it everything I got! There are two and a half months before White Day. ¡­I¡¯ll follow the Three Don¡¯ts. Don¡¯t go out (casually), don¡¯t say anything (randomly), and don¡¯t argue (with people). I can make this through!¡± ¡°M-Me too! There are two and a half months before White Day. ¡­I¡¯ll follow the Three Don¡¯ts as well. Don¡¯t distance myself (from others), don¡¯t back down (for my love), and don¡¯t forget to dress up. I¡¯ll show you two I can make this through! Yes!¡± ¡°Ah, r-really? G-Good luck, the two of you¡­¡± I-I can¡¯t say it! At this point, they are entirely fired upon. As a hardcore gamer, I can¡¯t say, ¡°Should we move up the time limit?¡± That¡¯s only something a fence sitter would say! Ugh¡­ A strong wave of regret is sweeping me up right now, so I dropped my shoulders helplessly and said, ¡°W-Well-¡° Then, I turned around. ¡°I-I¡¯ll be leaving. ¡­See you next time, Amano-kun, Chiaki-san.¡± ¡°Yes! We¡¯ll wish you a happy new year!¡± ¡°O-Okay. I wish you a happy new year too.¡± I smiled stiffly before leaving the gaming shelves depressingly. ¡­On my way, I guess Kousei-kun and Konoha-san thought it¡¯s about time they meet up with their brother and sister. So, they walked towards me. They scolded me at the same time just as the two passed me. ¡°Are you an idiot!?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I thought so.¡± I sighed even more depressingly as I passed them. However, at this moment, I suddenly saw it. ¡­While they are saying some mean things, their face showed a tinge of warmth. I walked for a while and turned back before heading down the esctor. ¡­Those four met up with their families and started chatting happily. I mumbled alone. ¡°¡­Even so, I¡¯ll absolutely win this atst.¡± So, our ¡°final battle¡± started like a casual match. While it¡¯s calm, stable, and peaceful on the surface- -In reality, this marked the start of an all-out battle where no one wants to give their victory to others. Volume 9, 2 – Aguri and Efficient Youth Walkthrough

Volume 9, Chapter 2 ¨C Aguri and Efficient Youth Walkthrough

Trantor: your_pingas ¡°We¡¯re¡­already over, Aguri-san.¡± ¡°H-How¡­? Amanhi, I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± The girl sat on the opposite end of the table as she begged me with tears in her eyes. However, I still shook my head coldly and rejected her. ¡°We already knew this from a long time ago, right? We¡­can¡¯t take this anymore.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that at all! I-I¡­I can still- Ugh¡­¡± During this time, Aguri-san suddenly looked like she¡¯s about to vomit and covered her mouth. I stared at her displeasedly and answered. ¡°Look, ¡­isn¡¯t this the consequence of our ¡® big mistake¡¯ here¡­?¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t be so mean! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re saying this treasure as a mistake¡­!¡± Aguri-san stroked her slightly bigger stomach lovingly inside her dress, seemingly for pregnant women. However, ¡­even so, I still red at her stomach fiercely. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not paying any responsibility¡­!¡± ¡°Huh!? How could you!? Amanhi, but you¡¯re half responsible for my stomach¡­!¡± ¡°Hmph, who knows¡­? I bet you got that from somewhere else. Right?¡± ¡°Huh! I-I can¡¯t believe you. ¡­You¡¯re so mean!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because of you!¡± I can¡¯t help but smack the table loudly. The ice in the ss is bumping into each other. Aguri-san fell into a silent depression. The other customers are peeking at us frequently. However, ¡­even so, ¡­I really understand how they think of me right now. Still, I spewed out my sincere and angry feeling to her! ¡°You¡¯re the one that decided to challenge this < Timed, Couple-only Giant Sundae Eating Contest! > Why are you crying on your 5th bite!? I¡¯m the one that¡¯s supposed to be crying!¡± I red at the giant sundae ced in front of us majestically! The other customers must be feeling, ¡°Sigh, another stupid couple decided to challenge this¡­¡± They looked at us dumbfoundedly. As for Aguri-san, ¡­she started stroking her stomach gently and mumbled again. ¡°Sheesh, ¡­I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re not acknowledging this stomach of mine¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line! Our eating ratio is 8:2 right now! My stomach should be the one that¡¯s respected as the product of hard work, right!¡± I stood up as I said that. My stomach is about to explode. However, Aguri-san touched her at max ¡°slightly erged¡± stomach preciously. ¡°Amanhi, everything inside here is¡­love.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­This is because I couldn¡¯t handle it. ¡­So, I created this product of love with noodle sandwiches!¡± ¡°You came before with a stomach full of noodle sandwiches, right!? Seriously!? You got to be kidding me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not kidding you. ¡­This is love, ¡­two servings of love.¡± ¡°Two? Hey, why the hell did you think you can still challenge the eating contest in this state!?¡± ¡°Ay, anyway. Well, if there¡¯s something that I miscalcted today, ¡­it should be that I overestimate Amanhi¡¯sbat power.¡± ¡°Okay, you¡¯re going to die here.¡± Atst, I finally spewed out the harshest sentence of my life. A tinge of nervousness shed inside the family restaurant. Aguri-san also freaked out too, so sheforted me with a gentle smile. ¡°A-Alright, calm down, Amanhi. ¡­I¡¯ll pay 20% of the bill too.¡± ¡°Eh, why are you only paying 20%!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s based on how much we ate on our own.¡± ¡°It¡¯s even worse when it sounds reasonable at first! No! You should at least help me pay half!¡± ¡°Ehhh, ¡­it can¡¯t be helped. How about we just split the bill? You owe me one, Amanhi.¡± ¡°Okay, call your ex-boyfriend here and you two will die together.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay today! Yes! Please let me pay for everything!¡± Aguri-san looked at my vengeful eyes as I raised my fork stained with sundae against her before deciding to back down. ¡­Sheesh. I sighed as I still decided to help pay half of the bill. Then, I red at her. As for Aguri-san, she replied to me with a bitter smile. During this time, a timer¡¯s nose can be heard. After a while, the waiter came to our seat with the timer and looked at the sundae. She announced the failure of our attempt. Then, she calmly left the bill down and left. We let out aining sigh that almost sounded a burp. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to see sundaes and noodle sandwiches for now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re fed up with noodle sandwiches too? Where did your love go?¡± ¡°My love is both magical and mysterious. ¡­Right now, I¡¯m in love with slightly bitter ck tea.¡± ¡°90% of your love is based on appetite. ¡­Sheesh, ¡­well, I¡¯ll get you a cup.¡± ¡°Wow, Amanhi. I love you!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I love you too.¡± I casually answered as I walked towards the drink bar. The two of us share the cheapest love in this world. I quickly poured coffee for myself and a cup of Assam ck tea with less hot water. After that, I went back to the seat, and both of us took a sip. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± The sweetness in our mouth was neutralized. After we took a break, we grabbed the spoons for a sundae and started digging in the fresh cream and ice cream. ¡­While we failed the challenge, basically, we don¡¯t really want to leave anything behind. Even though we like to mess around, ¡­we¡¯re still prettywful and obedient people. Aguri-san and I are both like that. However, from our rate of consumption, we¡¯ll be fighting for a long time here. So, the family restaurant meeting entered its dyed phase due to us dragging our feet. ¡°Sigh, ¡­the winter holidays right after the new year is the most enjoyable moment for northern students. Yet, why am I licking fresh cream that I don¡¯t even want with Amanhi here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s entirely supposed to be my line. I was ying video games back home¡­¡± Around an hour and a half ago, it¡¯s 3 PM. After I finished the homework and chores for that day, I was excited to enjoy my blessed gaming time. Then, things started happening. Aguri-san told me- ¡°Please, Amanhi,e to the family restaurant with me. You¡¯re the only one I can rely on...¡± I received this emotional message. As her friend, of course, I immediately dashed out of the door. In the end, ¡­this is what happened. I slowly put bits of sundae cream into my mouth as I continued. ¡°I thought something happened between Uehara-kun and you again¡­¡± ¡°Eh? That¡¯s impossible. Tasuku is on a trip with his family right now. I¡¯m indeed super lonely when I can¡¯t be together with him. However, we¡¯re really lovey-dovey since the start of this year, even after we broke up! This is just between Tasuku and me! Hoho, we aren¡¯t like some stupid gamers with a twisted temper. I was thinking, should I hand out the Loverbears finally-¡° ¡°Seriously, can I go home now?¡± This is a rare holiday. Why must I fill my stomach with sundae when I don¡¯t even want to? And then, why must I spend money to listen to a gal showing off her love? If this is an interpersonal rtionship, it¡¯s okay for me to remain a loner forever. At this point, this is what I genuinely think. I almost stood up and left, and Aguri-san tried tofort me. ¡°Alright, alright, calm down, young man. It¡¯s been a long time since we came to the family restaurant, right?¡± ¡°Ay, I guess so¡­¡± I sat down unwillingly. Aguri-san took a sip of ck tea and continued. ¡°Luckily, there¡¯s a lot of time today. Onee-san will show you a trick.¡± ¡°Hoho, ¡­yes, a trick.¡± Aguri-san put the cherry on the sundae into her mouth along with the stalk. Then, she looked at me with a somewhat provoking and flirty face. She started twisting her tongue and ying with the cherry. It seems like she¡¯s trying to show me that famous trick of tying the cherry stalk with her tongue. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± As for me, I just stared at her nkly. So, around a minuteter, ¡­Aguri-san, ¡­she grabbed a tissue and put it near her mouth. ¡°Belch¡­!¡± She looks like she¡¯s about to vomit for a second, and then the girl screamed at me with teary eyes. ¡°I-I¡¯m definitely good at kissing! Stupid Amanhi!¡± ¡°I feel like you¡¯re messing everything up. Why don¡¯t you just not do that in the first ce¡­?¡± ¡°B-But, Amanhi, I¡¯m an admirable onee-san in your eyes¡­¡± ¡°Hiya, what¡¯s with that line that I can¡¯t pretend I didn¡¯t hear it? I request an immediate apology from you right now.¡± ¡°But I want you to believe what I said. Amanhi, ¡­I¡¯m super good at kissing.¡± ¡°Who cares. I don¡¯t want to know that.¡± ¡°After all, I¡¯m the one that finishes udon and ramen the fastest in my family. Do you know that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m shocked at this mysterious evidence.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll definitely melt people¡¯s soul when I kiss them. It¡¯s going to melt once it entered my mouth. It¡¯s going to be turned into liquid.¡± ¡°That¡¯s literally a special ability of a weirdo from an evil organization.¡± ¡°Ah, but I do want to apologize to you.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°No matter how much Amanhi is worshipping me, ¡­uh, my lips¡­only belong to Tasuku. Ah, this is embarrassing!¡± ¡°Hiya, what¡¯s with this emotion of mine?¡± ¡°Weird? Amanhi, is that emotion what you call jealousy-¡° ¡°Ah, no, I realized it¡¯s a desire to kill.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t grab a fork while smiling! You¡¯re really scary today, Amanhi!¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m super annoyed today!¡± ¡°You dump your anger over others because your rtionship is a mess. This is terrible!¡± ¡°You look down on your friend because your rtionship is going well. A girl like you is pretty terrible too!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s looking down on you!? I¡¯m just¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re just?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just¡­too bored during the winter holidays. So, I want to teach a poor otaku something while messing with him!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be despised any further! What¡¯s this!? Don¡¯t act all high just because you kissed-¡° ¡°Eh, what did you say? I haven¡¯t even kissed anyone yet.¡± ¡°What a shocking confession! Hey, then who gave you the privilege to talk about kissing skills all high and mighty?¡± ¡°Udon and ramen.¡± ¡°Are you really constructing your love on such weak foundations!?¡± ¡°Well, honestly, I thought we can pass this eating contest based on how fast I can eat udon and ramen too.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t udon and ramen taking too big of a role in your life!?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s more like, I feel like eating spaghetti when I¡¯m talking about this, Amanhi.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it udon and ramen!?¡± ¡°Ah, waiter. I¡¯m sorry. Uh, well, ¡­I would like a bowl of fries.¡± ¡°Where are the noodles!?¡± The waiter looked at me, who¡¯s yelling at the top of his lungs, and just said, ¡°It¡¯ll be here right away.¡± After that, he left without any hesitation. ¡­It looks like this family restaurant is already used to dealing with Aguri-san and me. After we got the extra dish, I let out a huge sigh and continued. ¡°Let¡¯s put those kissings aside first. ¡­I do feel that you¡¯re willing to share this with me. Uh, Aguri-san, thank you.¡± ¡°Yep. It¡¯s just that, Amanhi, I hope you can remember that I¡¯m super good at kissing before going home.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, yes, yes, I got it. Well, I¡¯ll help you tell Tendou-san, Chiaki, and Uehara-kun. ¡®Aguri-san¡¯s super good at kissing!¡¯ Like that, alright?¡± ¡°Yeah, that sounds nice! You should tell everyone how attractive my kiss is!¡± Aguri-san crossed her arms and hmphed. We just scooped the sundae for a while silently as we drank our beverages¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­So, around a minute after, ¡­we dropped our spoon temporarily. -Suddenly, both of us bulged our eyes and screamed at the top of our lungs. ¡°THIS IS THE PROBLEM!¡± We realized we almost nted the seed of another misunderstanding. Our hearts are shivering. ¡°This is wrong! I finally saw it! This is the crap we pulled in the past!¡± ¡°Seriously, we¡¯re so stupid! Why did I help to increase the suspicions on myself!?¡± ¡°Yeah! B-But, I guess you can say we grew up when we realized it at this point!¡± ¡°Y-Yes! Amanhi, we¡¯re different thanst year!¡± ¡°Exactly! From this perspective, this year¡¯s guaranteed to have fewer misunderstandings!¡± Aguri-san and I imagined the following ¡°peaceful year¡± for a while. So, after that, we started chatting again. ¡°Sigh, in reality, the current issue for us¡­isn¡¯t even caused by misunderstandings in the first ce.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡± Aguri-san put a spoon in her mouth and looked up. ¡°Indeed, ¡­no one is stubbornly misunderstanding anything right now.¡± ¡°We have to add that it¡¯s from what we can observe, though. Anyway, there¡¯s no misunderstanding to solve anymore. However, that¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°Yep, ¡­we can say all of us already entered an even more tricky realm.¡± Aguri-san dropped her shoulders. She¡¯s swinging the sundae spoon like a whip and said. ¡°Amanhi, right now, Tasuku didn¡¯t ¡®misunderstand¡¯ the rtionship between you and me. While he didn¡¯t, ¡­he did urge me to think about this seriously.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more or less the same for Tendou-san. She didn¡¯t ¡®suspect¡¯ the rtionship between Chiaki and me. However, she¡¯s also urging me to think about this.¡± After we confirmed what we¡¯re going through, ¡­both of us sighed loudly. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s annoying.¡± Since we¡¯re the ¡°rejected¡± side, ¡­that¡¯s the only sincere thought we have. Aguri-san knocked the tip of the sundae ss with her spoon lightly. ¡°Coincidentally, we¡¯re just like this, right?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Let say this giant sundae is our hearts, then, those two would want to see the ¡°I love Tasuku¡± and ¡°Amanhi loves Tendou-san¡± at the bottom of the ss.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­I see. I guess you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Then, ¡­we¡¯re the one that served this sundae out. Moreover, before we finished the sundae, no, before we even started this love goose chase, the answer is already evident. We know the truth at the bottom of the ss.¡± ¡°We all know that.¡± ¡°However, those two asked us to show them the bottom of the ss after we finished the sundae. Also, they are not even going to be the ones to eat. Instead, Amanhi and I have to finish that on our own.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± This incredible metaphor made me stop eating the sundae. ¡­The inside of my mouth is helplessly sweet now. Aguri-san and I chugged the drink at the same time and exhaled. ¡­We mumbled. ¡°What a pain¡­¡± Of course, we didn¡¯t mean to ¡°throw¡± this quest away. There¡¯s no need to say it. However, that¡¯s why¡­we can¡¯t help butin right now. I leaned back to take a break. After that, I gave Aguri-san a heads up before starting to y on my smartphone. During this time, there¡¯s a new quest for < GOM >. Mono, which is Chiaki, is online as well. I mumbled, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll y with Chiaki first.¡± Aguri-san, who¡¯s also on her phone, smiled bitterly. ¡°Amanhi, if Tendou-san¡¯s with your right now, what you said would piss her off a little bit. You should mind that. She¡¯ll deduct your points.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­yes. Sorry¡­¡± Aguri-san reminded me. ¡­Indeed, it¡¯s just like what she said. Right now, the ¡°Don¡¯t go out casually, don¡¯t say things randomly, and don¡¯t argue with people¡± rule is active. I would be in vition of ¡°Don¡¯t say things randomly¡± now. I need to be careful¡­ No, it¡¯s more like, before I take that into consideration¡­ I continued ying and answered Aguri-san. ¡°Well, if we¡¯re being thorough, us meeting like this today would be deducting our score, right? Even though it wouldn¡¯t cause a decisive misunderstanding. ¡­Using the giant sundae as a metaphor, it¡¯s like we just squeezed even more cream onto it.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Aguri-san still looked at her phone as her face darkened a bit. ¡°Yeah. Perhaps it¡¯s like what you just said. ¡­I¡¯m sorry, Amanhi.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, it¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t need to apologize for anything. I¡¯m¡­¡± I still looked at my phone and even scratched my cheeks. ¡­I continued. ¡°¡­Uh, ¡­honestly, I feel¡­pretty happy too¡­¡± ¡°¡­R¡­Really¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Both of us continued paying attention to our phones silently. I¡¯m ying with Chiaki. As for Aguri-san, ¡­I guess she¡¯s texting Uehara-kun. ¡­If that¡¯s the case, did she tell him that she¡¯s in the family restaurant with me now? I can¡¯t get this off of my head. So, -we looked at each other. Both of us quickly grabbed our spoons as if we¡¯re trying to cover up the awkwardness. ¡°A-Alright, let¡¯s finish this up, Aguri-san.¡± ¡°S-Sure.¡± The cream is already stained with grey from the chocte sauce. We quickly sent them into our mouths one at a time. In the end, our pace immediately slowed down. Just as I¡¯m slowly moving the spoon, the fries that Aguri-san ordered came. While it¡¯s a nemesis for our stomach, it¡¯s a savior for our sweetened mouth. We neutralized the sweetness with the saltiness of the fries as we gradually cleared the sundae. As a result, -I¡¯m afraid this is much easier than eating the sundae alone. We ate it all up. We let out a burp in fullness as we stroked our stomachs. Then, we started dealing with the remaining fries. Aguri-san pinched a small piece of fries with her index finger and thumb and mumbled. ¡°¡­Amanhi, going to the family restaurant with you is like this.¡± ¡°Oh, ¡­I see. I get it.¡± I nodded as I pinched another stroke of fries too. However, Aguri-san pressed on. ¡°This is indeed extra. However, there are still more benefits to me¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. I can barely manage to keep myself together because of talking to you.¡± Usually, a loner like me can never handle a rtionship problem. In reality, I¡¯m having a bad time from Christmas to the new year. The more I think about Tendou-san and Chiaki, the more I hate myself¡­ However, after I chatted with Aguri-san, although it didn¡¯t solve anything, I feel a whole lot better. I guess this helped me to loosen a bit. I looked at the empty sundae ss. ¡­Come to think of it, I felt pretty stupid for watching the outside world when I left my house. Right now, ¡­I¡¯m sincerely relieved that I did. Aguri-san scooped up the remaining tomato sauce with the fries and put it in her mouth. Then, she mumbled with aplicated expression. ¡°But¡­I think you shouldn¡¯t focus on one thing too much.¡± ¡°Yeah. ¡­Sigh, except gaming.¡± ¡°Why!? Isn¡¯t gaming the worst when you¡¯re ying too much!?¡± ¡°Aguri-san, let¡¯s stop fighting over this. This isn¡¯t about who¡¯s right and wrong.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m absolutely being reasonable about this one!¡± ¡°Wars are born from people with a stiff mind like you.¡± ¡°Jitakukeibins are born from people with a corrupted mind like you!¡± [Note: The word means ¡°home security¡± literally. It has the same meaning as NEET.] We hmphed and red at each other. However, ¡­we quickly chuckled. Aguri-san put thest fries into her mouth and said, ¡°Alright!¡± She grabbed the bill and stood up. ¡°The fries time is over. It¡¯s time for us to go, Amanhi.¡± ¡°Alright, ¡­also, are you really paying today?¡± ¡°I should be the one to ask this. ¡­Amanhi, are you really trying to make me pay for all of it?¡± ¡°¡­Sigh, let¡¯s split the bill.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re the best, Amanhi! Love you!¡± ¡°The value of love is freefalling¡­¡± Even though Aguri-san¡¯s love can be acquired by noodle sandwiches. After we paid, we left the family restaurant and strolled towards the station. It¡¯s just 5 PM, yet the sky is already getting dark. Thenterns of a chain bar on the opposite of the road are shining. Aguri-san got her scarf on as she walked next to me and said, ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s cold!¡± ¡°Hiya, I want somebody to warm me up in a night like this, Amanhi.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not familiar with a human¡¯s temperature at all, so I never thought about that.¡± ¡°¡­Really, ¡­ay, me too.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡­It doesn¡¯t feel like we dated anyone. What an empty conversation. So, after we walked silently for a while, Aguri-san said, ¡°Ah, right.¡± She stroke up a conversation with me a bit unnaturally. ¡°A-Actually, there¡¯s another reason why I want toe to the restaurant today. Eh, Amanhi, listen to me. Actually, since yesterday, someone horrifying showed up in my house-¡° It sounds like unimportant chatter, and it¡¯s going tost for a while. Although I felt a bit sorry for Aguri-san, I still interrupted her. ¡°¡­Aguri-san, can you listen to me first?¡± ¡°Ehh? What¡¯s wrong? You sound so serious.¡± Aguri-san tilted her head and asked me innocently. As for me, ¡­I stared at the starless sky and took a deep breath. -Then, I managed to say that out loud. ¡°-Can we stoping to the family restaurant like this for a while?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Aguri-san got uncharacteristically quiet. I still stared at the night sky as I continued. ¡°In conclusion, this is like sundae and fries. We treat meetings like this as a way to heal our wounds. So, I feel kind of bad for requesting that. ¡­No, I should say, that¡¯s why I want to say this.¡± ¡°¡­Amanhi, exin yourself.¡± Aguri-san didn¡¯t get angry or tried to brush it off casually. Instead, she asked me calmly. As for me, ¡­I looked away from the sky and towards the station far ahead. ¡°Like what I¡¯ve said before, right now, I made up my mind. It¡¯s going tost all the way until the White Day that Tendou-san promised. ¡­During this period, I¡¯ll keep myself from going out, saying stuff, and arguing with others. To put it simply, I won¡¯t act before I think like I used to.¡± ¡°Eh, Amanhi, I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re aware that you always act before you think. What a surprise.¡± ¡°Ugh, ..after all, ¡­I messed up some serious things. The least I can do is¡­¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Aguri-san still answered me like she¡¯s not interested. I cleared my throat and continued. ¡°So, ¡­Aguri-san, hanging out with you is a relief for me. It¡¯s irreceable, and I¡¯m super happy too. However, ¡­that¡¯s why I think I need to restrain myself to achieve the true ending I want. Right now, ¡­I wish to avoid distancing myself from Tendou-san¡¯s finishing line. So¡­¡± I said that as I looked at Aguri-san. So, she¡­nodded with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Amanhi, I think you¡¯re pretty amazing.¡± ¡°Thank you! Well¡­¡± ¡°Yep, let¡¯s stop meeting like this for a while. Ah, ¡­but¡­¡± At this point, ¡­a tinge of loneliness is floating in Aguri-san¡¯s eyes as she looked at me. ¡°Even though you¡¯re nothing but a blockhead, I don¡¯t hate that way of yours¡­¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± I can¡¯t help but stop after hearing what she said. Yet, Aguri-san immediately said sorry andughed. ¡°Don¡¯t mind that. I was just mumbling to myself. Yep, anyway, about us stop hanging out for a while, yep, I got it!¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, okay. ¡­Thanks. Also, ¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Why are you apologizing? I¡¯m your onee-san, and I shall support a young man chasing after his love with everything I got! You can do this, Amanhi!¡± ¡°A-Alright, I¡­will try my best. R-Right, Aguri-san, you were in the middle of something, right? Sorry, I think I interrupted you. Well, what were you talking about?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, ¡­hmm, it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s nothing big, anyway! Everything¡¯s okay! Yes!¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± So, my head remained lowered as I took a step. ¡­For some reason, although I¡¯m the one that asked for it, ¡­my heart is getting restless. (Did I¡­misunderstand something?) I tried to recheck everything after I calmed down. I want to go out with Tendou-san. To do that, I have to prove my feelings. If that¡¯s the case, I need to dash towards that goal wholeheartedly. For that, ¡­I should avoid misunderstandings at all costs. It¡¯s because that¡¯s the right thing to do. It¡¯s the correct answer. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­No matter how many times I thought about it, I still can¡¯t find any mistakes. If there¡¯s really one, perhaps it¡¯s my weak mind for thinking that I made a mistake. When I fell silent, Aguri-san suddenly gasped, ¡°Ah.¡± She stopped. ¡°Right, I have to go to the pharmacy.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, really? Well, I can go with-¡° I can¡¯t help but stop in the middle of my suggestion. So, Aguri-san smiled understandingly and patted my shoulder. ¡°Sigh, Amanhi, you¡¯re so inconsiderate! Girls always don¡¯t want boys to see what they¡¯re buying!¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, s-sorry¡­¡± That¡¯s true. Even though that¡¯s true, ¡­well¡­ When I¡¯m standing there with aplicated smile, Aguri-san waved at me and ran away. She has to cross the road before the lights turn red. ¡°Bye, Amanhi! Next time, ¡­uh, I¡¯ll see you at the school or the Hobby Club!¡± ¡°O-Okay! Next time, ..see you at the school or the Hobby Club¡­¡± I waved powerlessly, and then I watched Aguri-san disappear from my view. So, just like that, she turned next to a building and left. ¡­I suddenly remembered. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t there a pharmacy in the station too?¡± ¡­No, she must¡¯ve got a regr pharmacy she often visits. That¡¯s where she can earn points for a discount. Yep, that¡¯s it. Exactly, it can¡¯t be wrong. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Why? Even though I¡¯m taking the shortest route, the station feels especially far to me today. Volume 9, 3 – Tasuku Uehara and Troublesome Quest

Volume 9, Chapter 3 ¨C Tasuku Uehara and Troublesome Quest

Trantor: your_pingas Come to think of it, having too many friends isn¡¯t exactly a good thing as well. I, Tasuku Uehara, can¡¯t get that off of my mind recently. Fate is indeed a helping hand. Of course, it¡¯s fantastic when people can help you every time. The reason that heroes in fantasy RPGs can defeat the demon king is mostly because of that. It¡¯s a power called friendship. However, while I acknowledged that power, ¡­I also thought about this- There should be a bunch of bad points with knowing a lot of people. Indeed, the hero received great help from all across humanity. But that¡¯s directly connected to a source of stress called expectation. Just look at those celebrities, you do hope for their bright and charming lives, right. However, they have to wear sunsses and masks in their private lives. Honestly, it¡¯s not that envious. What am I trying to say? Well, to be honest, it¡¯s just that having a bunch of friends doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that you have a fulfilling life! ¡°Oh, ¡­I see.¡± After I said all of that, I heard a dumbfounded and deted reaction on the other side of the phone. It¡¯s thest Monday of the winter holiday, 2 PM I¡¯m standing at the corner of the supermarket parking lot. I bent my back as I told this to the person, ¡­Keita Amano. ¡°Get it, Amano? A hero has his own responsibilities. So, sometimes, people have to give him mental support as well. Right? As one of my people, you think this is correct too?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s one of your people? Uh, I do admit I was born as a peasant¡­¡± ¡°My people, how about I ask you this? What should people do when the king is under threat?¡± ¡°¡­Uh, sorry, Uehara-kun. I want to y video games, so can I cut the call already?¡± ¡°Why!? Did you even listen to what I said!?¡± ¡°Yeah, I figured this out after hearing you. Ah, it¡¯s going to be a waste of time talking about this. That¡¯s my judgment.¡± ¡°That¡¯s mean! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re this cold to your best friend! How inhumane!¡± ¡°No, no, no, I was the one that suddenly got a phone call. Then, I was forced to listen to the bad points of having too many friends and theories about the king and people. You should think about how I feel too¡­¡± ¡°I-It can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s because I¡¯m also hesitating how I should talk about the real topic¡­¡± ¡°Hesitating on the topic? Ah, ¡­is it about girls again?¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t say it like I¡¯m always mixing with girls. It¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Wait!? It¡¯s not!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s cold! Ah, that¡¯s enough! I¡¯m not calling you because of that.¡± I scratched my head repeatedly. So, Amano sighed deeply on the other side of the phone. After that, his tone changed to a more gentle one. ¡°So, what¡¯s wrong, Uehara-kun? I¡¯ll do everything I can if that¡¯s helping you.¡± ¡°Amano¡­¡± No matter what, he¡¯s such a warm person. Although I almost wanted to cry, ¡­I managed to suppress the feeling. So, after a moment of brewing, -I told him my wish. ¡°-Amano, ¡­I really want to see you right now. No matter how.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The other side of the phone replied to me with silence. Itsted for nearly 10 seconds. ¡­A passionate breath can be heard from the speaker. ¡°¡­I see. I got it. ¡­Well, I¡¯ll tell Tendou-san that she doesn¡¯t need to wait until White Day. I¡¯ve already decided on my route.¡± ¡°Yep, even though I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. Please remain calm, Amano.¡± I stopped Amano with my overwhelming instinct. However, of course, he doesn¡¯t seem to be serious too. So, he concluded to me while sighing. ¡°Uh, in other words, you want me to hang out with you, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s partially right.¡± ¡°¡­Sigh, if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m still quite busy today. When it¡¯s this sudden, I didn¡¯t even prepare myself. It¡¯ll take some time for me to go out. Moreover, I¡¯m in the ¡®I shouldn¡¯t mess with anyone¡¯ month right now-¡° ¡°Amano.¡± I interrupted Amano when he¡¯s exining. Then, I told him this calmly. ¡°Listen to me, I know what you mean. So, it¡¯s fine for you to reject it. Although it¡¯s okay, ¡­atst, please let me tell you what¡¯s happening here.¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening? Why are you bringing that up now¡­? Ah, right, I still didn¡¯t understand why did you talk about knowing too many friends is bad.¡± ¡°Yeah, aren¡¯t you curious?¡± ¡°Yep, I do. ¡­However, I guess it¡¯s that pattern again, right. I bet you bumped into the Hoshinomori sisters or someone else, and then you can¡¯t deal with them alone. So, that¡¯s why you asked me for help¡­¡± Amano showed his ¡°just a little bit off¡± theorizing. Currently, I¡¯m indeed like what he said. I bumped into someone I know while I¡¯m taking a walk. Also, I was forced to stick with them for a long time due to some reasons. ¡­Moreover, I¡¯m so terrible at dealing with them that I¡¯m about to explode. From this sense alone, Keita Amano¡¯s answer is perfect. As long as it¡¯s not rted to his love, this guy is godly intelligent. ording to the conflict type, perhaps he¡¯s qualified to be an armchair detective as well. ¡­That¡¯s why I need him more than ever in this situation. I smiled mischievously and answered Amano. ¡°Yeah, your answer is entirely correct. Amano, you¡¯re really smart. You¡¯re indeed a twisted otaku that can only observe people from afar since you¡¯re envious. As long as you¡¯re not rted, your observation and insight are this brilliant.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hanging up.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± I apologized obediently. Amano sighed and continued. ¡°Anyway, I feel pretty sorry for you if you encountered stuff like that. ¡­However, I can only mourn you right now. I¡¯ve dealt with the Hoshinomori sisters on my own before too. So, it¡¯s just your turn now, coincidentally. Uehara-kun, just suck it up and deal with it yourself-¡° ¡°It¡¯s just that, from my perspective, you made a decisive mistake.¡± I interrupted Amano again and pressed on. ¡°The Hoshinomori sisters aren¡¯t the ones I¡¯m with now-¡° Then, I took a deep breath¡­and revealed those unexpected members. ¡°They are Eiichi Mizumi, Gakuto Kase, and Kousei Amano. -It¡¯s super awkward to be with these guys.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going there right now.¡± The call ended here. It looks like Amano finally realized he¡¯s the necessary ¡°connection¡± here. ¡­Yes, everyone should know an observant friend. I¡¯m about to cry. I wiped the tears at the corner of my eyes as I put my phone into my pocket. After that, I looked at the opposite side of this convenience store. ¡­Those three guys are waiting for me next to the arcade. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go.¡± So, I, Tasuku Uehara, a man that made up his mind and retook the first step- ¡­To me, this is just the start of the day where I¡¯m surrounded by the most awkward friends I know. * Amano rushed to the arcade at an impressive speed 8 minutes after he hung up. From what I¡¯ve heard, it seems that his parents were coincidentally driving to get some stuff. Even so, Amano still went through a series of hassles. He tried to press down his raised hair a couple times, but they wouldn¡¯t behave. Then, he looked up to us slightly and said, ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°¡­Uh, ¡­it¡¯s quite embarrassing to ask this suddenly. ¡­What¡¯s happening right now?¡± ¡°We want to know as well.¡± ¡°Aha, ¡­ha, ¡­sigh.¡± A group of boys full of characteristics is standing at the arcade rest area. -Mizumi, Kase-senpai, Kousei, and me. As for Amano, he¡¯s right in front of the four of us with a tired and lethargic look. After that, Amano looked towards. -There¡¯s even a little doll-like girl in goth loli clothing pinching the bottom of his shirt. ¡­This is what we call chaos. ¡°-Onii-chan, can I ask you this immediately. ¡­Are you a ¡®useful¡¯ person?¡± ¡°¡­Uh, well¡­? S-Sorry, can I ask who you are?¡± ¡°Oh, my apologies. I¡¯m Mii, 7 years old. Right now, at this moment, I¡¯m lost.¡± ¡°L-Lost?¡± ¡°Yes, ..no, perhaps it¡¯s even worse. I lost my way, and I¡¯m surrounded by ¡®useless¡¯ onii-chans. This is a¡­disaster.¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­this is a disaster?¡± ¡°Yes, a disaster.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Amano and the girl- Mii, looked at each other for a while. Then, sweat appeared on his forehead as he nced at us again. He threw the same question at us once more. ¡°S¡­So, what is happening right now!?¡± After we heard his question- The four of us¡­smiled- Immediately after that, we almost broke into tears as we yelled back. ¡°We want to know what is happening right now too!¡± ¡°Sheesh¡­¡± Only the little girl is shaking her head dumbfoundedly in front of the 5 embarrassing high school boys. ¡°I see. ¡­I understood the situation now, but please allow me to memorize it.¡± So, 5 minutes have passed after that. Amano¡¯s sitting on the bench in the rest area and looked at everyone. We nodded, and Amano began rying the information immediately. ¡°First of all, ¡­Uehara-kun and Kousei were minding their own business initially, but they bumped into each other. ¡­Then, you two started an argument for some reason. In the end, you guys decided to sort this out in the arcade. ¡­Is that right?¡± Kousei and I nodded. Amano continued. ¡°At that time, on the other side, Mizumi-kun was thinking ¡®why don¡¯t I get some new games¡¯ during the holiday. So, you invited Kase-senpai to the arcade.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kase-senpai and Mizumi nodded. Amano continued. ¡°Also, on the other side, you, ¡­the kid named Mii Fushiguro, you got separated with your mother around here. Then, you eventually got to the arcade when you¡¯re wandering around aimlessly.¡± ¡°Carbonic acid, I love.¡± The doll-like girl is sitting on Amano¡¯sp. She didn¡¯t answer his question. Instead, she¡¯s just holding the can with both of her hands and sipping slowly. ¡­By the way, I think Amano got that drink for himself. ¡­Wow, the man looked down upon by a little girl 5 minutes after they met, Keita Amano. He sighed and continued. ¡°I knew what happened for now. ¡­Even so, typically, this isn¡¯t an anime or video game. Is it possible for everyone¡¯s fate to be tangled up together like this?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Kousei and I answered at the same time. However, at this point, ¡­Kase-senpai¡¯s sses shed coldly. He pointed his thumb at the charming boy standing next to him. ¡°You should know this, Keita Amano. Today, this guy, ¡­Mizumi, is together with me. Let¡¯s forget about bumping into someone I know first. We can call encountering this ¡®troublesome¡¯ fate a reasonable conclusion, right.¡± ¡°Eh, it¡¯s my fault!?¡± Eiichi Mizumi bulged his eyes when someone suddenly med him without any reason. However, Keita agreed after he heard Kase-senpai. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s hard to me you when the ¡®protagonist¡¯ is here.¡± ¡°Amano-kun!? Why do you believe in that non-sense as well!?¡± ¡°How about I ask you this, Mizumi-kun. ¡­This time, who¡¯s the first one that tried to help that lost girl -Mii?¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­it¡¯s me¡­¡± ¡°See, here¡¯s your protagonist.¡± ¡°Will someonein like that!?¡± Mizumi nearly cried when Amano and Kase-senpai corrected him. Since Kousei and I aren¡¯t familiar with them, we can only look at each other nkly. ¡­Sigh, Mizumi does look like the guy that never messes around. Yet, I can always feel an overwhelmingly shocking aura from him. I should say he¡¯s the same type of person as Tendou. After Mii heard all that, she drank some more soda and mumbled. ¡°Eiichi-nii-chan at that time was literally like a prince to me.¡± ¡°Mii¡­¡± ¡°Even though he¡¯s an unexpectedly useless prince.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Mizumi let out a hum. ¡­Indeed, this guy¡¯s abilities are exceptional. Sadly, I guess he¡¯s not equipped to deal with a lost child. Kase-senpai mumbled helplessly. ¡°Things would be easier if the problem is on a ¡®saving the world¡¯ scale¡­¡± ¡°No, no, no, what world are you guys living in to say that? It¡¯s just a joke, right?¡± Kousei tried to y it off with a smile. However, it¡¯s not just Amano and Kase-senpai, including the person in question, Eiichi Mizumi. No one isughing right now. ¡­Kousei looked at me in the hope of me saving him. However, it¡¯s hard when things are like this. So, Amano sighed. Then, perhaps he¡¯s trying to smooth things over, the topic changed to Kousei. ¡°By the way, Kousei, what are you doing out here alone? Didn¡¯t you leave in the afternoon to hang out with your friends?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Kousei looked away awkwardly. ¡­I knew it. He made up that ¡°hanging out with friends¡± excuse to his brother. Moreover, I also know that this guy¡¯s just like me in the past. He still wants to ¡°help¡± Amano¡¯s rtionship blindly. Although I¡¯m not sure of the exact details, honestly, he¡¯s just trying to get Hoshinomori and Amano closer. ¡­Or, he¡¯s trying to distance him away from Tendou or Konoha-san. Unfortunately, he bumped into me during his quest. I saw what¡¯s happening and tried to warn him. Then, it turned into an argument. Finally, it escted into ¡°How about we end this with a match?¡± -Until right now. Moreover, Kase-senpai and Mizumi already knew how wicked Kousei¡¯s tongue is when he¡¯s not disguising. The two of them also know what¡¯s happening. Amano¡¯s the only one who has no idea. However, from Kousei¡¯s side, of course, he couldn¡¯t tell all of this to his brother. He struggled to say something for a moment. ¡­Then, he tantly tried to change the subject. ¡°L-Let¡¯s forget about that, onii-san! The most important thing right now is Mii, right!?¡± You¡¯re trying to get away with such a thin excuse¡­? Mizumi, Kase-senpai, and I were dumbfounded. However, unexpectedly, ¡­this seems to work really well on Amano. He realized it and immediately apologized to Mii. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Mii. Yeah, we should think about you first¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Carbonic acid tastes nice, so please don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Mii¡¯s slowly sipping the soda on Amano¡¯sp. Amano felt a bit upset. ¡­Perhaps it¡¯s due to his natural cowardness. He¡¯s really weak towards a retort that sounds reasonable. You¡¯re incredible for being able to use that, Kousei Amano. In reality, all of us agreed to solve this lost child¡¯s issue as fast as possible. Mizumi continued exining to Amano frustratedly. ¡°Anyway, we already did everything we should do.¡± ¡°Really? For example, did you ask the staff around here?¡± ¡°Yep, of course. However, Mii didn¡¯t lose her way around here precisely. It¡¯s because she got lost around this arcade. So, I don¡¯t think we can ask the people here to take care of her¡­¡± ¡°I see. Well, ¡­ah, did Mii bring her parents¡¯ contacts?¡± ¡°Yep, she does. There¡¯s a card with ¡®name, address, and telephone number¡¯ written on it. However, about that¡­¡± ¡°Look, it¡¯s this one.¡± Mii searched in her tiny bag. Then, she handed the contact sheet we saw before to Amano. Amano took and checked it. ¡­Indeed, there¡¯s the name Mii Fushiguro on it along with the address and the phone number. However¡­ ¡°¡­T-Tokyo?¡± Amano looked at the Honshu address and tilted his head. Mii nodded. ¡°Yes. I came from¡­Tokyo.¡± ¡°Y-You came from?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s because my father was transferred here, so we moved to a new ce. Right now, since thepany¡¯s dormitory isn¡¯t open, only my mother and I are living in our cousin¡¯s house.¡± ¡°¡­Uh, I have a bad feeling about this. Well, did you know how to contact your father¡¯spany dormitory or your cousin¡­¡± ¡°Hoho. Of course, you¡¯ll ask that. Yeah, right. It¡¯s natural toe up with that idea. -Well, for your question, there¡¯s only one answer from me.¡± ¡°Oh, so what¡¯s your answer?¡± ¡°-It¡¯s bad to prepare nothing!¡± Mii said that as she opened the empty bag and showed it to Amano! ¡°This is the first time that I¡¯ve seen such a confident lost child.¡± Yep, Amano also reacted the same way we did 10 minutes ago. When Mii put her useless contact sheet into the bag, Mizumi added. ¡°We tried to call her number in Tokyo too, but no one answered.¡± ¡°It sounds like¡­we¡¯re pretty stuck¡­¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The 5 high school boys smiled bitterly at each other. After we looked around, Amano¡­reached the same conclusion as we did regarding a lost child. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll send her to the police¡­¡± However, after Amano said that, Mii mmed the soda onto the table. She pouted and turned to Amano. ¡°No, I hate finding the police. I feel like things would escte that way.¡± ¡°In reality, I think this is pretty serious¡­¡± ¡°¡­But, ¡­mom will be upset if things escted¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­I see. That¡¯s¡­true. Hmm¡­¡± Amano realized it, and his face looks a bit awkward. He¡¯s exceptionally aware of other people¡¯s looks and who he is troubling. So, I guess he can understand how Mii feels. Following that, Mii mumbled quietly to the point that we almost can¡¯t hear her. ¡°¡­After all, ¡­my ownership belongs to my mom¡­¡± ¡°Eh? Ownership? What? Ah, ¡­you mean guardianship?¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s ownership. My mom said that.¡± ¡°Uh¡­?¡± Amano tilted his head confusingly. Mizumi tried to make progress and exined. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s what happened for now. However, I think Mii did have a point when she said she doesn¡¯t want to escte this. So, we nned to look around for an hour. Of course, we¡¯ll have to pay the police a visit if she still can¡¯t meet up with her family.¡± Amano nodded deeply at what he said. ¡°I see. Then, the four of you listened to Mii¡¯s situation. ¡­In the end, everyone couldn¡¯t bear to leave, so things dragged out like this.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The four of us sighed at the same time. ¡­Suddenly, Amano chuckled out for some reason. We frowned displeasedly. Amano apologized. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m sorry.¡± After that- For some reason, he looked at everyone lovingly and smiled. ¡°Uehara-kun, Kousei, Mizumi-kun, and Kase-senpai, ¡­you¡¯re all nice guys. I¡¯m really happy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We immediately blushed. It¡¯s so embarrassing that we turned away from Amano. W-What¡¯s wrong with this guy!? How can he always praise someone so honestly as long as he¡¯s a guy? He¡¯s too innocent, and we can¡¯t even cover it. After Mii looked at us, she turned to Amano and asked him calmly. ¡°Keita-nii-chan, I saw it. Among these useless guys, ¡­you¡¯re like a princess for otakus, am I right?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°No!¡± The four of us yelled out when Amano¡¯s still confused. By the way, what¡¯s wrong with this girl¡¯s words? I can¡¯t believe she can say stuff like a princess for otakus! Whether it¡¯s the goth loli clothes, her poisonous tongue, or her wild perspectives, ¡­seriously, what¡¯s wrong with her family!? Mii told Amano. ¡°From this perspective, Keita-nii-chan, you¡¯re just like my mom.¡± ¡°Eh, you¡¯re saying we¡¯re the same¡­? I didn¡¯t know your mom is a princess for otakus? Also, she¡¯s tantly saying all that to you? I wonder what she¡¯s like¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s a beauty. Also, she¡¯s popr, my mom.¡± ¡°Sigh, I guess so.¡± ¡°More importantly, she has a lot of underlings.¡± ¡°Really, underlings¡­? Eh, underlings? Are you sure it¡¯s not the subordinates in apany!?¡± ¡°Yes, mom won¡¯t call those people subordinates. Ah, she does call them ¡®underlings¡¯ sometimes.¡± ¡°Mii¡¯s mom has underlings!?¡± Amano screamed. This guy¡¯s talking to a little girl on equal grounds. ¡­I guess it¡¯s because their mental age is simr. During this time, Kase-senpai looks like he can¡¯t take it anymore. So, he scratched his head and spoke. ¡°Ah, ¡­no matter what, I think it¡¯s time for us to move, right? Even though we have our reasons, we shouldn¡¯t keep upying the rest area.¡± His reminder made the four of us stare at each other. Then, we slipped it out shockingly. ¡°(This) Kase-senpai is actually talking aboutmon sense¡­?¡± ¡°All of you areing to the alley at this second.¡± Kase-senpai cracked his knuckles and red at us. ¡­He¡¯s scary. At this moment, Mii jumped down from Amano¡¯sp. She walked calmly in front of us and said. ¡°Ah, please go somewhere without me if there¡¯s violence. If it¡¯s possible, I hope you guys can refrain from saying those things. ¡­Onii-chans are really inconsiderate.¡± ¡°¡­I feel like we should say sorry.¡± ¡°Alright, onii-chans, what are you still waiting for? Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­sure¡­¡± So, the five deted boys were rebuked by a little girl reasonably. Then, they followed her. ¡­It seems that the most miserable day of my winter holiday isn¡¯t over yet. * ¡°Even so, there are literally no clues around¡­¡± After we left the arcade, Mizumi immediately started scouting around as he sighed helplessly. There are a lot of people in the evening. So, it takes a lot of energy for our group to even stay together. At this time, Mii, who¡¯s at the front, suddenly stopped and looked at us. Then, she nced at my eyes for some reason before pointing at the ground. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Tasuku-nii-chan, please lower your head for me.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± I tilted my head since I have no idea what she was saying. So, Amano gave me a dumbfounded look. ¡°¡­This again, Uehara-kun? Should I say, your IQ disappears when you see girls¡­?¡± ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t want to hear that from an idiot! I didn¡¯t do anything to Mii. Why do I have to apologize to her!?¡± ¡°Uehara-kun, but you always seduce girls and me unconsciously. It really hurts us¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not! Especially you, I don¡¯t even remember seducing you at all!¡± ¡°Eh, that¡¯s mean. I was hurt. So, please lower your head to me, Tasuku-nii-chan.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± The annoying loner stood next to Mii and even asked me to lower my head with the little girl. Mii sighed dumbfoundedly at what we said. ¡°I don¡¯t mean by that. I was saying lower your head physically.¡± ¡°Physically?¡± Amano and I looked at each other and tilted our heads. ¡­So, I can only squat down with a hmph and lower my head slightly to Mii. ¡­After that, a small palm grabbed the back of my head suddenly. ¡°Hey, wait, what are you doing-¡° ¡°Please don¡¯t move. It¡¯s hard for me to reach the top.¡± ¡°¡­Reach the top?¡± Mii directly pressed my head and shoulder with her entire body before climbing up. After that, she adjusted her body quickly. In the end¡­ ¡°Phew, I¡¯m on the top now. Tasuku-nii-chan, please stand up.¡± ¡°¡­It hurts.¡± My hair is being grabbed like a controller, and I was forced to raise my head. Then, after she urged me to stand up, ¡­Kase-senpai said, ¡°I see.¡± He nodded. ¡°You want to ride on his shoulders.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m on top of Tasuku-nii-chan now.¡± Mii put her legs on my shoulders as she grabbed my hair with both of her hands tightly. After I understood what¡¯s happening, I held Mii¡¯s legs to prevent her from falling off. So, Kousei mumbled a bit admirably. ¡°I see. After all, we have no idea what Mii¡¯s mother looks like. She should observe the people in a tall ce.¡± I can feel Mii nodding above my head after Kousei exined. ¡°Exactly. Mii has acquired Robo-Tasuku. Right now, Tasuku-nii-chan¡¯s ownership belongs to me.¡± ¡°Eh, you¡¯re going off with that ¡®ownership¡¯ thing again. ¡­.Ouch, ouch, ouch!¡± ¡°Turn right, Robo-Tasuku.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t control me by pulling my hair! Robo-Tasuku can bemanded via speech too!¡± ¡°Eh, but the feedback wouldn¡¯t be sensitive enough then.¡± ¡°You actually know what feedback means.¡± ¡°Alright, you¡¯ll lose a fight to the enemy if you don¡¯t move quicker.¡± ¡°Eh!? I didn¡¯t know that Robo-Tasuku has to battle! Seriously?¡± I was shocked. So, Amano stared at me lovingly. ¡°I feel like¡­Uehara-kun will be a great dad.¡± ¡°Stop! In my life, these lines are supposed to be said by Agu- cute girls, and an idiot like you just wasted all of them. Don¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, Robo-Tasuku. You have to try your best to walk and fight! ¡­Until a new robot arrives!¡± ¡°Hey, that passenger above me! Can you not set up gs that kill the robot!? You¡¯re saying that I have to get defeated horribly by the enemy first, right!? If this goes on, I¡¯ll just be a random ceholder for a brand new robot, right!?¡± I almost cried out, and the apanying boys are also cheering around me irresponsibly. ¡°You can do it, Robo-Tasuku!¡± ¡°All of you areing to the alley at this second!¡± ¡°Ah, Robo-Tasuku, you shouldn¡¯t use violence. -1 point.¡± ¡°Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch! Mii! You just pulled one of my hair out, right! Stop! You¡¯re making this like the punishment system they have in Monkey King!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t use violence, Robo-Tasuku.¡± ¡°Even though you were saying like I was designed to fight!?¡± After we messed with each other, in the end, I still acted as Robo-Tasuku and walked obediently. Amano stayed next to me and smiled bitterly. ¡°A scene like this would cause a lot of misunderstandings if someone with no idea saw us.¡± ¡°Hey, stop it. It sounds like something guaranteed to happen. Don¡¯t set up any gs for me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Even though Aguri-san saw us, the only possibility she coulde up with is, ¡®¡­Don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s the child of Amanhi and Tasuku?¡¯ This is the most ridiculous she would be, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s already the deadliest misunderstanding we could ever have.¡± My face went pale. However, as for Amano, instead of worrying, he even mumbled lovingly with a bit of embarrassment. ¡°¡­Sigh, but, ¡­if it¡¯s with Uehara-kun. Even though it¡¯ll cause a misunderstanding, ¡­I think I wouldn¡¯t mind too. Hoho.¡± ¡°I told you not to ruin lines that were supposed for girls! I¡¯ll punch you-¡° ¡°-1 point, Robo-Tasuku.¡± ¡°Ahh! My hair!¡± The unreasonable punishment cost me a strand of hair. ¡­Hey, hey, hey, if this goes on, I think¡­ ¡°¡­Will Robo-Tasuku¡¯s head meet the unfortunate fate of losing all of his hair!?¡± ¡°I feel like I¡¯m extraordinarily motivated to deal with this lost child problem now!¡± We got a battle that can¡¯t be lost here. ¡­The punishment of Robo-Tasuku¡¯s scary. Anyway, the six of us walked around aimlessly. However, ¡­of course, Mii¡¯s mother won¡¯t be found this easily. In the end, we only walked for roughly 10 minutes. After we arrived at the small park for people to rest, Kousei sat on a bench exhaustedly. We can only stop as Kousei looked at uszily. ¡°¡­I feel like this is indeed really inefficient. What¡¯s the point of the six of us staying together¡­?¡± Mii answered determinedly. ¡°Even if one robot exploded, there are still five in stock. I¡¯m relieved.¡± ¡°Eh, it¡¯s already pretty horrible if one of us exploded, right.¡± Kouseiined, yet Mii doesn¡¯t seem to care at all. She¡¯s ying with the ¡°hair controller¡± on my hand cheerfully. So, Kase-senpai also stopped and agreed with Kousei as he pushed his sses a bit. ¡°Indeed, I also feel like it¡¯s a failure to y in such an inefficient way.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re quite smart, uh, ¡­the senpai that will lose quietly in the third battle.¡± ¡°My name is Kase! Also, hey, Keita Amano! Where are your little brother¡¯s manners!?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Kase-senpai. Uh, ¡­I should say he¡¯s usually not like this. ¡­No, while he¡¯s mean when talking to me, he should be friendlier to outsiders. K-Kousei, you shouldn¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± Amano didn¡¯t know what to do while Kousei leaned on the bench and stared at the sky like this has nothing to do with him. ¡­I didn¡¯t know this guy will act coldly to others once his real personality is revealed. Well, at least he¡¯s straightforward in a way. So, Kase-senpai sighed and gave up on lecturing Kousei¡¯s attitude as he continued. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re being extremely inefficient at searching people right now. This is a fact. Initially, I hoped to split us into two teams¡­¡± I continued for him. ¡°After all, only Mii knows her mother¡¯s face.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not my mother. She¡¯s my mom.¡± Suddenly, Mii showed a mysterious persistence. ¡°Yes, yes, yes, she¡¯s your mom.¡± I casually answered her and moved on. ¡°Even so, we can¡¯t deal with this the other way. If we screamed ¡®Did anyone lose a child called Mii!?¡¯ to the pedestrians-¡° She already pulled my hair before I could finish. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I don¡¯t want to escte this?¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Kase-senpai, Kousei, Amano, and I can¡¯t do anything as we sighed. ¡­During this time, Amano tilted his head. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Right, where¡¯s Mizumi-kun? I think I didn¡¯t see himing to this park¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± We didn¡¯t realize it until he said it. So, we started looking around. ¡­I¡¯m not close to that guy. Even so, I have an unprecedentedly bad feeling about this. It¡¯s because the same pattern happened when Mizumi brought Mii to us- ¡°Ah, there he is!¡± -At this moment, Kousei found Mizumi before anyone did and yelled. He¡¯s a real stalker for having such sharp eyes. We looked in Kousei¡¯s pointed direction. So, we saw Mizumi there. Also- ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± -We can¡¯t help but fall into silence. The scene in front of us¡­made the four boys and a little girl speechless. We¡¯re sweating profusely. The reason for that is¡­ (I feel like as soon as we turned around, Mizumi¡­is forced into a corner by a ck-haired beauty! She got a sword, and the girl is clearly ¡®hiding¡¯ something!) ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The four boys gulped and stared at each other¡¯s eyes. ¡­His side¡­is clearly not something that ordinary people can deal with. ¡­We don¡¯t want to get involved. We shouldn¡¯t. That¡¯s definitely not the story we should be in right now. I hope Mizumi can solve the problem himself. Atst, even Mii can see the mood and pull my hair. ¡­Ho, you shouldn¡¯t need tomand me, Mii. Right now, Mii and I, ¡­no, the five of us are connected. At this moment, we turned our back towards Mizumi. Then, I quietly mumbled, ¡°Stay safe.¡± All of us left chicly- ¡°Ah, everyone! I¡¯m sorry! This girl just said, ¡®I¡¯m killing your friends if you don¡¯t help me.¡¯ Also, she won¡¯t listen to whatever I say. So, can you guys help me for a bit-¡° ¡°Why don¡¯t you two just go deal with it yourselves!? WHAT THE HELL¡¯S WRONG WITH YOUR PROTAGONIST FATE!?¡± ¡°Ehh!? Why is everyone mad at me? L-Let¡¯s bring that upter, quick! She¡¯s seriously trying to chop my head off! Look, she unsheathed her sword!¡± ¡°PICK THE RIGHT PERSON WHEN YOU¡¯RE DEALING WITH GIRLS!¡± -So, that¡¯s it. We temporarily stopped searching for the lost child¡¯s mother and wasted 15 minutes dealing with this mess. * ¡°Even though I¡¯m just a side character, this is still the most meaningful 15 minutes in my life¡­¡± It¡¯s been 15 minutes since that. We finally returned to the same park before. Kousei, Amano, and I leaned on the bench exhaustedly. Mii¡¯s the same. She¡¯s still on my shoulder, but she leaned her entire body to my head. ¡°Hey, hey, hey, aren¡¯t you guys too embarrassing?¡± However, Kase-senpai looked down on us with a ¡°sheesh¡± mood. His eyes brightened as he continued. ¡°¡­That¡¯s what I experience every day when I tag along with Mizumi.¡± We yelled at him together. ¡°No, no, no, no, no, I think the world nearly ended atst!¡± ¡°It¡¯s usual.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not!¡± When Kousei, Amano, Mii, and I stared at Kase-senpai forcefully- Mizumiughed like it''s none of his business. He even looked up to the sky alone. ¡°But think about it, ¡­it¡¯s good that she can return to the ¡®future¡¯ sessfully¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know the story was that grand in scale!¡± We¡¯re all outsiders. So, we didn¡¯t follow the main story at all. Sigh, even so, we still encountered 8 near-death crises alone. ¡­The even more shocking fact is that all of these happened within 15 minutes. Amano mumbled exhaustedly¡­ ¡°Atst, ¡­I think Mizumi-kun was kissed by that beautiful girl in the end.¡± ¡°Uwah, damn you. No one can mess around with him.¡± Kousei and I cursed immediately. In these 15 minutes, we¡¯ve already acknowledged our ce as side characters so much that it¡¯s annoying. ¡­The mess that we¡¯re dragged in is beyond troublesome. Yet, the protagonist just took all the rewards away. Life¡¯s tough for a side character. During this time, Kase-senpai got his sses off and started wiping them with a towel. Kousei looked at him dazedly¡­and mumbled quietly. ¡°¡­His handsomeness skyrocketed after removing the sses. ¡­Seriously, this person¡¯s just the same. Why is he such a great side character¡­?¡± Even Mii, who¡¯s still on my head, nodded at what Kousei said. ¡°I saw it just then. In the end, Gakuto-nii-chan¡­killed all the enemies with a long rifle and saved Eiichi-nii-chan in danger.¡± ¡°What a great side character!¡± Kase-senpai¡¯s cunning! Hepletely knows his role! He¡¯s super close with Eiichi Mizumi! For people like us, our roles are literally just ¡°passerby high school boy¡± and ¡°a little girl that barely rtes to the plot (guest performance)¡± only! When the three boys (one of them has a little girl on his back) leaned on the bench exhaustedly, Mizumi, who doesn¡¯t seem tired at all, pped his hands. ¡°Alright, everyone, let¡¯s help Mii find her mom again!¡± ¡°¡­Uh, I feel like a lost child¡¯s not that important anymore, right?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s still really important! What are you guys talking about!? I should say why Mii doesn¡¯t care anymore even though you¡¯re the lost one!?¡± ¡°Eiichi-nii-chan,...I got it. My family¡­doesn¡¯t really matter to me! I¡¯ll try to live on my own determinedly!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t get it! I-I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t believe I dragged everyone into a mess that changed how a child views her life¡­¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Everyoneined at the same time except Mizumi. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He backed down. ¡­Sigh, there¡¯s no point dilly dallying around like this. So, we cheered and picked ourselves up again. ¡­That experience just then is like a midnight anime adapted from a light novel. Let¡¯s treat it as that and move on. I asked Mii on my head. ¡°Then, Mii? Where are we going next? Do you have any idea?¡± ¡°About that, Robo-Tasuku, it¡¯s hard for me to say this¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong? There¡¯s no need to be polite with us at this point¡­¡± We tilted our heads. ¡­Mii told us this sheepishly. ¡°¡­I got lost with mom in front of the arcade. ¡­So, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good to go too far away from that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too reasonable!¡± The five high school boys¡¯ voices ovepped each other. Mii freaked out a bit while we looked at our faces helplessly. ¡­After that, we stood up from the bench and headed back to the arcade. My footsteps are really heavy. I spoke to the little girl above my head. ¡°Sigh, in reality, we didn¡¯t n to walk any further.¡± ¡°Ah, really? Sorry, I almost thought onii-chans are pletely useless¡¯ guys and felt hopeless.¡± ¡°Your way of putting it is also really hopeless. Sigh, but please rx. Based on what we¡¯ve been through, the only ¡®useless¡¯ one that in the search dragged everyone down is that damn protagonist.¡± ¡°¡­Ahaha. I-I wonder who¡¯s that guy¡­? I can¡¯t think of any.¡± Mizumi smiled with a stiff face. ¡­While we feel sorry for him, all of us have been through hell more than enough. It¡¯s okay for us to torment him a bit, right. The six of us started going back to where we came from. ¡­Well, I already didn¡¯t know why we left the arcade already. We just spent a little effort and saved the world. The six people soon stopped talking unintentionally and walked. Once we snapped out of it, the sun¡¯s already about to go down. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Mii, who¡¯s as self-centered and energetic as always, can¡¯t help but feel deted on my shoulder. Of course, all of us noticed that. ¡­Yet, we¡¯re worried that a casualfort will just make her feel worse since she¡¯s mature. ¡­I think that¡¯s even more miserable. At this point, everyone hesitated to smooth things over. ¡­There¡¯s always one exception. At this time, only a unanimously-agreed blind and lonely gamer dared to speak. ¡°I really wish there¡¯s an arrow at times like this.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Amano said something baffling and made everyone tilted their heads. However, Amano didn¡¯t seem to pay attention to our reaction and pressed on. ¡°Think about it, this design often appears in open-world RPGs. After you set the destination on the map, there¡¯s a direction on top of the protagonist¡¯s head when you¡¯re back at the game screen. ¡®The destination is around there.¡¯ To be honest, ¡­that¡¯s the 27th most wanted game function that I wish to exist in real-life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really low!¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s because you can use GPS in real-life too. A smartphone can already do that. So, honestly, I¡¯m not eagerly hoping for that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Our hearts felt, ¡°Well, then why did you bring this up?¡± ¡­It¡¯s been a long time since Amano did this. He¡¯s precisely the type of otakus that only cares about what he wants to talk about. The guy doesn¡¯t care whether the topic is interesting, and he¡¯ll go and talk about it. It¡¯s a rather unusual sickness. I thought Amano had way bettermunication skills now, ¡­but I guess he hasn¡¯t changed in his heart for a single bit. Amano ignored ourck of interest and continued with a smile. ¡°Well, what do you guys think the 26th ce will be!?¡± ¡°We¡¯re still talking about that!?¡± We can¡¯t help but yell. So, Amano froze before showing a surprised face. -During this time, ¡­I suddenly realized it. The small palm that gripped my hair like a controller¡­gained a little strength back. ¡°Sheesh, ¡­Keita-nii-chan is really a useless person as well¡­¡± Indeed, even though Mii¡¯s sighing, her gloomy atmosphere from before already disappeared. (Amano, ¡­don¡¯t tell me you calcted that?) I looked at him admirably. However, as for Amano himself¡­ ¡°The 26th ce¡­is a gear-switching system that doesn¡¯t cost round numbers!¡± ¡°It feels really pathetic!¡± ¡°Eh? No, no, no, actually, the most surprising fact is that you can change clothes in a sh-¡° ¡­Indeed, he looks like a helpless otaku that doesn¡¯t worry about anything. ¡­No, instead of saying he looks, that¡¯s pretty much what he is. At least he¡¯s not ¡°pretending¡± it. His face is the same as those idiots that sincerely enjoy talking about those things. However, that¡¯s why¡­Mii genuinely felt dumbfounded at him and smiled. When I¡¯m giving Amano a half-dumbfounded, half-admiring look, suddenly, I saw Kousei smiling gently behind him. (¡­I didn¡¯t know that guy has such a gentle smile.) Although Kousei is always insulting people in my eyes, I guess his respect for the brother is genuine. I looked at Kousei¡¯s extraordinary warm smile- ¡­No, I looked at his ¡°nostalgic¡± face. Then, I realized something¡¯s wrong. (I see. Indeed, ¡­Amano will never be smart enough to ¡°calcte¡± all that. However, perhaps he does think about something.) That must be some kind of ¡°attribute¡± cultivated when he¡¯s messing with his little brother. As for that attribute, it even saved Mii and Kousei. ¡­No, Tendou and I as well. Come to think of it, I can¡¯t help but admire this respectable friend- ¡°Then, the 25th ce is¡­!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± -I wanted to admire him, but whatever. Yep, indeed, Amano did this because he¡¯s an idiot. Even if he¡¯s trying to cheer Mii up, he had no idea when he should stop. In reality, Mii¡¯s hand is grabbing my hair tighter and tighter like she¡¯s really impatient! I¡¯m about to lose all my hair. ¡°¡­Sigh, ¡­onii-san.¡± Also, Kousei, who¡¯s looking at his idiot brother intoxicatedly, is quite disgusting too! I described their rtionship as impressive, but nevermind! These two brothers are just disgustingly drawn in by the things they love! So, when we¡¯re messing around, all of us have already returned to the arcade. We put ourselves next to the w machines that no one visits to avoid disrupting others. The giant dolls under sunlight are looking at us, and their eyes look a bit sympathetic. After we caught a break, Mizumi shrugged his shoulders helplessly. ¡°We got nothing in the end. Well, we have to find the police¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Mii¡¯s gripping my hair tightly. ¡­At this point, she didn¡¯t vehemently reject the idea of finding the police anymore. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± A suffocating silence radiated among the five of us. The songs yed from the w machines are cheerful and old. It just made us feel even more depressed. However, in such a hopeless mood, the one that ¡°switched¡± first- isn¡¯t Kousei or Kase-senpai. Instead, it¡¯s Amano. He pped his hands lightly and spoke up. ¡°Yep. If we already decided to do that, let¡¯s get to the police station now, everyone. In reality, perhaps Mii¡¯s mom is already there. Let me ask you this, Mii, is that alright?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, sure. I think¡­it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s that. Let¡¯s go.¡± After Amano spoke up cheerfully, he started walking towards the police station without any hesitation. Although everyone¡¯s a bit confused, his action seemingly urged us to follow him. ¡­However, I¡¯m the only one that can¡¯t let this go. So, I can¡¯t help but grabbed Amano¡¯s arm. ¡°A-Amano?¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong, Uehara-kun?¡± Amano...turned his head like me ¡°extremely normally¡± as he froze. When Mii¡¯s ncing down at me confusedly, I¡­am not even sure what I wanted to do. So, I asked him. ¡°Amano, ¡­hey, ¡­w-what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong with me? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± I don¡¯t even know why I bothered to ask that question. ¡­What am I even trying to ask? My eyes were uncertain as I barely managed to squeeze out the question. ¡°I feel like, ¡­well, ¡­today, ¡­you¡¯re making decisions really quickly¡­¡± ¡°Do I? Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± Amano exined to me with a face that says he doesn¡¯t know why he¡¯s being med. ¡°If we knew that this is something we can¡¯t deal with, -we shouldn¡¯t over-intervene by now and drag things out. It¡¯s not good for Mii and her mom, right?¡± Yes, what he said- made so much sense that I can¡¯t retort. As if to prove how correct that is, even Kase-senpai, who was just listening, agreed with what Amano said. ¡°Tasuku Uehara, even I had to agree with Keita Amano this time. At this point, we should find the police as soon as possible. I do wonder what you are trying to do? Tasuku Uehara, are you saying that we should rely on ourselves and help find her mom a bit more?¡± ¡°Eh? No, i-it¡¯s not like that. ¡­I also agree with going to the police station as well. I have no issues with that.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why are you- grabbing Keita Amano¡¯s wrist so tightly?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± After he said that, ¡­I realized I was grabbing Amano¡¯s wrist harder than I thought. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry!¡± I quickly released his hand. Amano smiled gently like he always is. ¡°It¡¯s absolutely okay, Uehara-kun. He forgave me. ¡­Yep, Amano¡¯s just as usual. No matter how much we owe each other, he¡¯ll still smile considerately for me on important things. ¡­This is my best friend, Keita Amano. ¡°Uh, ¡­I¡¯m sorry. Amano, ¡­I¡¯m just¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know what¡¯s the point of doing that, so I can¡¯t help but plop down my head. ¡­So, a tinge of pain shed on my head. ¡°Ouch.¡± -1 point, Robo-Tasuku.¡± Mii seems to have pulled another hair of mine again. ¡­Sheesh. However, thanks to that, ¡­she helped me. ¡°Don¡¯t get too full of yourself, controller!¡± ¡°Uwah! Ah, ¡­ahahaha! P-Please stop, Robo-Tasuku! It¡¯s too cunning to t-tickle my waist from the bottom- Ahahahaha!¡± ¡°What, you admit defeat? Take this, take this!¡± Thanks to Mii, I got myself out of that strange atmosphere. ¡°Sigh, ¡­alright, you two, let¡¯s go.¡± Amano turned around after he smiled bitterly. The other members took a step forward to catch up. I got Mii on my shoulders properly once again since she nearly fell down when I tickled her. -However, I caught her off-guard and tried to tickle her waist a couple more times. ¡°Aha, aha, ahahaha! I-I can¡¯t. Ahh, ¡­ugh!¡± So, atst, Mii leaned on the back of my head softly. She even let out a flirty sound that a little girl shouldn¡¯t have. ¡­Ah, crap. I think I overdid it and didn¡¯t know when to stop this time. Yep. This way, ¡­doesn¡¯t this look like they¡¯re reporting to the police in others¡¯ eyes? After I regained my calm, I quickly withdrew my hand from Mii¡¯s waist before anyone misunderstood me- ¡°Hey, that lolicon over there. I¡¯m sorry. ¡®That¡¯ belongs to me.¡± -Suddenly, someone impaled my body from behind with an ice spear. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Ruthless, cold, sharp, hostile, the tone is as rough as a guy¡¯s- It¡¯s a girl¡¯s sound. It made me feel all those emotions. That voice from behind isn¡¯t targeting another direction. It¡¯s precisely locked on us. ¡°Eh, that handsome guy over there, are you listening? I¡¯ll beat you up if you don¡¯t answer, alright? Okay? I¡¯ll treat silence as a yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± -I took this intimidating aura head-on. It¡¯s not just me¡­even Amano and the guys, who are not far ahead, immediately froze too. We couldn¡¯t move at all. It¡¯s as if someone froze our movement. ¡­In the past, I¡¯ve experienced a couple ¡°dangerous¡± scenes before. However, this is the first time that I can clearly feel I should admit defeat. This is not just afraid of death or getting killed. Instead, it¡¯s a kind of ¡°it couldn¡¯t be saved no matter what I do¡± feeling. I can do nothing but submit. Right, this is an over-absolute violent aura. ¡­The woman that¡¯s continuing radiating this aura pressed on. ¡°I don¡¯t really care about your sexual fetishes. But, unfortunately, the ¡®ownership¡¯ for ¡®that¡¯ belongs to me. ¡­I should say you know this, right? Your favorite toy is being touched by someone¡¯s dirty hands. -No one in this world can still keep a good mood, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Once we snapped out of it, it¡¯s not just me. ¡­Even Amano and Kousei, ¡­no, even Kase-senpai and Mizumi, who¡¯ve been through hundreds of battles, started sweating by the neck. -This already has nothing to do with how hostile she is. I¡¯m afraid the existence of the person herself is illogical- ¡°Turn around, Robo-Tasuku!¡± ¡°Owowowowow!¡± -Then, as if she¡¯s trying to break through this solemn atmosphere, my hair was suddenly pulled forcefully. Although it¡¯s so painful that my face wrinkled up, I still turned my ugly face around to avoid further damage. ¡°U-Uehara-kun?¡± As if they¡¯re dragged by me, Amano and the guys followed me and turned around. So, ¡­within this chaotic moment, the true face that caused us immeasurable ¡®fear¡¯ is- ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Just as we¡¯re voicing our confusion, the little girl on my head screamed in her most energetic voice today. ¡°-Mom!¡± I can already predict that Mii will yell this. ¡­Even so, we¡¯re still¡­ ¡°¡­Eh?¡± The five of us let out of shocked gasp again. This is because¡­the overwhelming ¡°existence¡± from the woman in front of us- ¡°Very well, Mii. You actually dared to call me ¡®mom¡¯ in public. Seriously, you little brat are still just as helpless. -I can¡¯t teach you.¡± -She looks just a few years older than us. ¡­The woman¡¯s at her early 20s at maximum. She has an attractive and mysterious wave of tinum hair¡ªa young and beautiful woman. ¡°Hiya, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know that you lots are ¡®protecting¡¯ Mii for me. I could¡¯ve never expected that. Yep, I shouldn¡¯t judge someone based on their appearance and actions. This won¡¯t do.¡± She pretended to say sorry while insulting us and pressed on. ¡°About that so-called protection, it¡¯s highly narcissistic and unnecessary in my eyes. It really counts as nothing. ¡­Even so, from a sole misunderstanding¡¯s standpoint, it¡¯s really my fault. Well, here, I should think about what I did and bow down to apologize. ¡­Mii will do that instead of me.¡± ¡°Eek? ¡­Uh, m-my mom has caused troubles for you guys. Is this correct?¡± The girl that was grabbed by her head and forced to bow down for her mom ¨C Mii. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± When she apologized like that, the five of us can only remain still dazedly. It¡¯s been around 5 minutes since we met her, ¡­the so-called ¡°mom¡± of Mii. It looks like she finally understood what happened. However, -we rarely got to speak. The reason for that is because¡­ ¡°However, I think you lots are actually part of the problem. Basically, high school boys hanging out on holidays should feel a bit more energetic and rxed, right. What¡¯s wrong with you guys? All of you look really dead. High school boys surrounding a little girl with an ugly face on the street, nothing is stranger, more disgusting, and displeasedly hrious than this. Right? This way, it¡¯s hard for me to misunderstanding. ¡­Hmm, indeed, this made sense no matter how many times I simted it in my brain. The correct rate is at least 90%. However, regrettably, that other 10% is the right answer in this case. By the way, what kind of misunderstanding can cause five high school boys to surround a little girl with that face?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s because-¡° ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t need to exin. I can calcte all that. If you guys aren¡¯t delinquents, there¡¯s probably only one exnation left. Honestly, the truth is a bunch of normally-not-friendly guys linked together by a lost child. This is so dumb and annoying, right? So, am I right?¡± ¡°¡­Eh? Ah, yes, it¡¯s like what you said.¡± ¡°Very well. As for the next suspicion-¡° ¡­She always knows everything. After ¡®mom¡¯ showed her inference skills calmly, she can always hit the correct answer brilliantly atst. Mii and us can only answer, ¡°Yes, just like that.¡± She¡¯ll start guessing and grasping the situation on her own. ¡­We¡¯ve been repeating that procedure since a couple minutes ago. So, the name of this ¡°mom¡± and ¡°where were she¡± a while ago, all of this intelligence that we want to know don¡¯t have any answers. Also, the mood doesn¡¯t allow us to ask. Amano, who¡¯s standing next to me, got his face close to my ears and mumbled quietly. ¡°I feel like¡­I turned into a character controlled by this person¡­¡± ¡°I feel the same. The only words we¡¯re allowed to say is yes or no. Also, instead of saying that we chose it, it¡¯s more like she almost forced us to choose that¡­¡± Also, while she¡¯s clearly a rude person, what she said makes perfect sense. The conclusion is terrifyingly urate. So, the best option for us is to answer ¡°yes¡± robotically. Our brains and actions aren¡¯t needed in all of this. In other words, it¡¯s ¡°rxing¡± in a way. We don¡¯t need to do anything. This ¡°mom¡± can reach the ¡°perfectly correct answer¡± on her own. However¡­ (¡­I feel like she¡¯s making people useless in a way¡­) I started remembering all of the people I¡¯ve seen so far. Perhaps the one that¡¯s the closest to the concept of a violent ¡°demon king¡± is this ¡°mom.¡± First of all, of course, her most attractive attribute is that silver hair that reminds people of tinum. For a moment, I associated that with Tendou¡¯s blonde hair. However, I can see that she dyed it from the tinge of ckness on the tip of her hair. However, her looks are pretty tidy, and she even dyed her eyebrows too. So, it doesn¡¯t show that ¡°trying her hardest to pretend even though she¡¯s a Japanese¡± feeling. At least, this is the first time that I¡¯ve seen a Japanese dying her hair with such a forefront color and still doesn¡¯t feel off. Her body is so slim and tall that it reminds people of those top overseas models. I think it just made that silver hair all that more convincing. However, ¡­the most intriguing thing for me is her uniform. ¡­Uh, she¡¯s not wearing anything unusual. Well, it really suits her in a way. It¡¯s cool and attractive. Uh, it¡¯s just that¡­ (¡­W-Why is she wearing a flight attendant¡¯s suit on the streets¡­?) Also, the clothes are unprecedently dirty and messed up. She almost looks like a high school delinquent girl from the Showa period. However, the clothes made her look even more handsome for some reason. It¡¯s even cooler than ordinary flight attendants. She¡¯s as charming as the male character in Takarazuka Revue. [Note: It¡¯s a famous all-female musical theatre troupe. One of them wears a male suit, though.] So, for a moment, I almost thought that was a cosy. However, the texture of the uniform doesn¡¯t look cheap at all. It¡¯s more like, even I, who took a flight on the family trip, will think, ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the real thing.¡± I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a real uniform. Hmm¡­ (It feels super weird when you see a uniform like this on the streets. I should say, even though it¡¯s real, people will wonder, is it alright to wear that in public? That usually wouldn¡¯t work, right? You aren¡¯t supposed to wear that in your private lives, right? Come to think of it, can a flight attendant even dye her hair tinum? Sigh, she has too many features.) Every single boy in the scene is surrounded by questions. However, ¡­just like that, we can literally say nothing. The questions are still floating around us. ¡­Also, more importantly- There¡¯s another thing that people will be curious about her. ¡­I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯m the only one to mind. The reason for that is¡­ (I feel like¡­she looks really familiar to someone I know. ¡­It¡¯s hard to tell.) Honestly, Mii, who¡¯s rted to her by blood, shared that impression of mine too. However, the ¡°mom¡± is even more significant. (In other words, ¡°mom¡± looks closer than Mii¡­to that person in terms of age?) ¡­No, I couldn¡¯t think of anyone. Initially, I didn¡¯t give it too much thought and treated her like Tendou. However, I still feel like something¡¯s off. Uh, while her ¡°temperament¡± feels like Tendou¡¯s, this is not why they¡¯re simr. It should be more straightforward, like their face is close- ¡°-So, we¡¯ll be leaving now. Bye.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, okay. ¡­Eh!?¡± Just as we¡¯re still lost in thoughts, that ¡°mom¡± dragged Mii¡¯s hand quickly and prepared to leave. I hastily went in front of them and told her. ¡°No, no, no, why are you two leaving so quickly!? Please wait!¡± ¡°Hmm? What? Ah, you want money in exchange for returning a lost item?¡± When ¡°mom¡± is actually so provocative, I can¡¯t help but feel anger. However, ¡­I managed to calm down after looking at Mii¡¯s face. ¡­After that, I calmly and forcefully asked her this. ¡°At least let us bid farewell to Mii properly, alright?¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re not asking for money? I¡¯m sorry. Kay, here¡¯s your apology.¡± This ¡°mom¡± suddenly gave me a sincere bow. ¡°I-It¡¯s okay. Uh, well¡­¡± Although I wasn¡¯t expecting this, I still treated this as permission. So, I squatted down and smiled at Mii. Then, just as I¡¯m preparing to pat Mii¡¯s head atst- ¡°However, even so, I still won¡¯t allow you to ¡®bid farewell¡¯ to her.¡± ¡°Wha-¡° -My hands missed. ¡°Mom¡± seemed to have pulled Mii¡¯s hand rudely. ¡°Mom¡± stared at me, who fell speechless, coldly, and spoke up. ¡°I can appreciate you for protecting Mii. However, that¡¯s entirely different from whether you people are qualified to interact with Mii, right? Sheesh, ¡­why are you so full of yourself? You guys are hrious.¡± So, it¡¯s not just me, ¡°mom¡± is looking down on Amano and the guys from behind with a despising look. That¡¯s it. So, I stood up and got close to ¡°mom¡± forcefully. It¡¯s like I¡¯m about to wrestle with her. ¡°Y-You!¡± ¡°Violent attitude. -1 point, young man.¡± ¡°!¡± While I¡¯m unwilling to admit this, her tone does sound a bit simr to Mii¡¯s. ¡­So, my momentum was weakened a little. With this window, Mii, who was spectating until now, said, ¡°Uh, m-mom!¡± She dragged her hand a bit desperately ¡°I-I want to say goodbye to onii-chans too¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± This time, it¡¯s not just us, ¡°mom¡± is staring at Mii coldly even though she¡¯s her rtive. Mii gulped. ¡­Then, ¡°mom¡± finally nodded her head after thinking about it for a while. ¡°Sure. If you¡¯re the one saying it, it can¡¯t be helped. You can go.¡± ¡°T-Thank you, mom-¡° ¡°However, you can only bid farewell to them unterally. You still can¡¯t ¡®interact¡¯ with them. It¡¯s already bad when those stinky guys touched you with their oily hands. I can¡¯t deal with it if your soul was stained too.¡± ¡°Eh, but-¡° ¡°Mii, -who has your ¡®ownership¡¯ right now?¡± ¡°¡­Ugh, ¡­i-it¡¯s mom.¡± Mii lowered her head and answered. ¡­I see. She sometimes spews out mature words like ¡®ownership¡¯ because of this ¡°mom¡¯s¡± mantra? ¡­This really pisses me off. ¡°Alright, you can say goodbye to them. Ah, right, there should be a time limit. Well, end this within 30 seconds once you start speaking, get it?¡± ¡°Mom¡± said that as she backed down and started looking at her watch slowly. ¡­It seems like she¡¯s really counting that 30 seconds. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The boys were freaked out by that unusual face. ¡­I guess she¡¯s slightly different than those ¡°scumbag parents¡± as well. It¡¯s not just to Mii. I feel like she has a single motto for everything¡­ After that, Mii lowered her head and spoke up. ¡°Thanks for today, everyone. The quest is over.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± All of us wanted to reply. Yet, ¡°mom¡± is staring at us seriously like a judge in sports. So, we can¡¯t do that. ¡­When she¡¯s this inconsiderate, ¡­it really strongly associated with Tendou from a temperament¡¯s perspective. Well, ¡­even though she¡¯s a bit more reasonable. Mii continued in this unusual situation. ¡°Also, I¡¯m sorry, Robo-Tasuku. ¡­I can¡¯t bring you until your grand explosion finale.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± My face frequently twitched since I really wanted toin. ¡­Mii smiled mischievously. T-This little kid¡­! She¡¯s already using this silence rule! The bloodline of ¡°mom¡± is terrific. Mii continued. ¡°Also, ¡°mom¡± isn¡¯t actually Mii¡¯s mother. Instead¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I think we should end it like that.¡± (You¡¯re leaving us on a cliffhanger!?) Even though you two don¡¯t look like mother and daughter from the age and mood! Why are you making this so mysterious!? After Mii looked at the five boys¡¯ sulky face, ¡­sheughed innocently. ¡°Thank you so much, onii-chans. I¡­had fun today!¡± ¡°!¡± ¡°See you, onii-chans!¡± Mii said that atst and waved her hands. Then, she dashed in front of ¡°mom.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s really precisely 30 seconds. You really belong to me, Mii. Well, I¡¯ll add 5 points to your reputation in my heart.¡± ¡°Mom¡± said that as she patted Mii¡¯s head very gently. Mii¡¯s getting embarrassed. ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s nothing, mom.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm. But you didn¡¯t change how you¡¯re calling me, I¡¯ll have to deduct 20 points for that.¡± ¡°Ehh!? Isn¡¯t that a bit too much!?¡± So, ¡°mom¡± held Mii¡¯s hand as theyughed and left. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± To that, we really regretted that we never got to say anything. ¡­However, ¡­that¡¯s why, inparison, all of us waved our hands energetically as an answer. It¡¯s almost as powerful as Mii just then. So, perhaps our passion finally got a response, Mii turned her head and secretly waved at us behind ¡°mom.¡± ¡­We¡¯re already so blessed with that alone. ¡°¡­Hoho.¡± All of us can¡¯t help but give a wholesome smile. ¡­Yes, ¡°all¡± of us¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± Amano, Mizumi, Kousei, and I immediately turned around. So, right there, ¡­Kase-senpai slightly rxed his face. However, his face immediately went back to the original, stiff expression again. He even coughed a couple times to clear his throat. ¡°¡­A-Anyway, we dealt with the problem, right? Sigh, much quieter.¡± ¡°Yeah, right-¡° ¡°Hey, why are you guys showing me such a warm smile? Don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not really why, ¡­Gakuto-nii-chan.¡± ¡°Very well, let¡¯s battle.¡± At that moment, Kase-senpai loudly got his guns out from who knows where (I hope that¡¯s just a model). All of us squeaked and tried tofort him. So, after things calmed down more or less, Mizumi sighed loudly and mumbled displeasedly. ¡°However, ¡­who¡¯s that ¡®mom¡¯ person? Although it¡¯s impolite to say this, ¡®tyrant¡¯ would be a perfect word to describe her. I should say she feels simr to Kase-senpai¡­¡± ¡°Mizumi, who do you think I am, you brat? However, annoyingly, I think I can understand what you said. From her looks, ¡­I think she¡¯s really the same type as me.¡± ¡°Hmm? Which type is senpai talking about?¡± Mizumi tilted his head confusedly while Kase-senpai answered calmly. ¡°We¡¯re people that like to bring petition¡¯ into everything, a tough person that wouldn¡¯t concede until the opponent surrenders. If I had to make a metaphor, -it would be that kind of crazy and admirable people.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We held our breaths after hearing what he said for a moment. ¡­Then, after a few seconds, everyone mumbled at the same time. ¡°You¡¯re actually saying something so embarrassing out loud¡­¡± ¡°Very good, all of you clowns can line up. I¡¯ll execute the shooting.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll execute the shooting.¡± ¡°¡­! Y-YOU BRATS ASKED FOR IT!¡± Kase-senpai finally snapped and pounced on us. We cheered around as we scrambled and escaped. Although all of us still messed around, ¡­actually, we realized it already. (Bringing petition¡± to everything, right¡­) What senpai said was right, and we can¡¯t help but try to mess with him on purpose. All of us would start a ¡°conflict¡± with that person if we took a wrong step. -If that¡¯s the case, perhaps we might have an unhappy ending with Mii. After we waited until Kase-senpai¡¯s temper cooled down, we gathered at the arcade¡¯s entrance again. After that, I cleared my throat and represented everyone to announce a disband. ¡°Uh, anyway, we¡¯ve sessfully dealt with the lost child problem. Everyone, let¡¯s disband here. ¡­Thanks for the work, everyone!¡± ¡°Yes, thanks for the work.¡± The five of us just went our separate ways in a rxed manner. It¡¯s different from what we bid farewell to Mii. There¡¯s no emotion at all. After all, four out of five of us are in the same high school. Well, the remaining one is Amano¡¯s little brother as well. I feel like we don¡¯t have to be that depressed for a farewell. ¡°Hey, Mizumi. So, where¡¯s the game you¡¯re rmending me?¡± ¡°Right, I almost forgot. Here, Kase-senpai.¡± Then, Mizumi and Kase-senpai immediately entered the arcade to achieve their initial goal. After we nonchntly greeted them, Kousei spoke up. ¡°Then? What should we do about our duel, the green leaves that adorn my brother?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the green leaves? Honestly, ¡­at this point, I don¡¯t want to fight you anymore.¡± ¡°Yeah, me too. Well, ¡­we can leave, right?¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s do that. Well, I¡¯ll just buy something before I go home¡­¡± I looked at Amano after I said that. ¡°What do you want to do? Or, do you want to tag along-¡° Even though I¡¯m suggesting it, Amano immediately shook his head. ¡°Ah, sorry, Uehara-kun. I want to go home directly and not do anything else.¡± ¡°R¡­Really? That¡¯s okay¡­¡± After I canceled my n, Amano talked to Kousei directly. ¡°Ah, you want to go home together, Kousei?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, ¡­I-I¡¯ll hang around on the street a bit longer before going back.¡± I guess he¡¯s still trying to mess something up. Kousei answered hesitantly. However, Amano didn¡¯t seem to mind too much. He just dropped an ¡°I see¡± before backing down quickly. ¡°Go home before dinner, Kousei.¡± ¡°A-Alright.¡± ¡°Well, ¡­see you.¡± ¡°G¡­Goodbye.¡± Kousei and I greeted Amano. ¡­He left calmly and chicly. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ So, after he disappeared, ¡­Kousei spoke up to me with a serious tone uncharacteristically. ¡°¡­Uehara-senpai, today, ¡­what¡¯s your impression of onii-san today?¡± ¡°Eh? W-What do you mean¡­?¡± Just as I¡¯m hesitating because I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s asking, he mumbled quietly with a sigh. ¡°¡­I feel like¡­things aren¡¯t asplicated as I expected, even though onii-san¡¯s here¡­¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± I didn¡¯t realize it until he said that. ¡­Indeed, perhaps it¡¯s really like that. That guy really got into trouble today, and he did help to solve it. But, ¡­that¡¯s it. Especially now that I remembered it, the strangest thing is that¡­ Kousei mumbled in the direction that Amano left. ¡°Especially that ¡®mom¡¯ of Mii. I thought a woman like her will definitely fight with onii-san¡­¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± Come to think of it, I almost snapped at some scenes. Yet, Amano is exceptionally quiet today¡­ Kousei sighed loudly. ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m not hoping that onii-san is falling into trouble. In reality, if onii-san rebelled against that ¡®mom¡¯ today. Then, including Mii, everyone will probably be frustrated. You can say that he made a pretty smart decision.¡± ¡°Yeah. ¡­From this perspective, isn¡¯t Amano improving?¡± ¡°Improving, right¡­? You¡¯re correct¡­¡± Kousei and I reached the same conclusion, but we still felt a bit ufortable inside. ¡­That guy made the correct decisions today. It¡¯s entirely urate. He didn¡¯t cause any extra troubles. Even so, it¡¯s not like he¡¯s being inconsiderate to others. He¡¯s improving as a person. ¡­That should be the case. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I suddenly remembered something, so I mumbled to Kousei. ¡°Right, Amano¡­said that he¡¯s not going to meet with Aguri for a while.¡± Kousei answered cheerfully to what I reported. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good news. I also respected Aguri-senpai as onii-san¡¯s friend. Even so, it¡¯s better when fewer things are blocking Chiaki-senpai¡¯s path.¡± ¡°Yeah, that should be the case, to you.¡± ¡°Uehara-senpai¡¯s just the same. Your girlfriend, ¡­no, your ex-girlfriend, right. Anyway, isn¡¯t it worth celebrating where you¡¯re less likely to be jealous or worry about your loved ones?¡± ¡°¡­I guess so. ¡­From this perspective, Amano¡¯s dealing with everything pretty well recently. Yep.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Naturally, our conversation stopped here. In the end, there¡¯s no more reason for us to stay together anymore. So, we bid farewell after greeting. I checked out the guys¡¯ clothes since that¡¯s what I nned to do. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± However, I really don¡¯t have the mood. Atst, I quitted after browsing for 30 minutes at maximum. Then, I got on the bus that¡¯s headed towards my home. I took a seat at the back of the empty bus and stared at the darkened streets dazedly. I tried to think about what happened today. (Keita Amano¡¯s improving, ¡­right? ¡­Ah, hey, I wonder whether Mii¡¯s home yet.) Just as I¡¯m lost in thoughts, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I took it out and realized there are already tens of messages. I quickly checked them. However, in the end, almost all of them came from Aguri. ¡°I¡¯m eating the desserts next.¡± It¡¯s really ordinary reports like that. I pressed my chest in relief. ¡­Sigh, if she¡¯s willing to talk about small things like this, a guy in love like me does feel pretty blessed. I threw the issue I had with Amano behind my mind and started replying to Aguri lovingly. In the midst of that, ¡­suddenly, there¡¯s a little, ¡­you can say it¡¯s a microscopic kind of realization. I texted my beloved ex-girlfriend back as I mumbled to myself on the bus. ¡°Come to think of it, that ¡®mom¡¯ looks quite simr to Aguri.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ It¡¯s a ¡°small discovery¡± that I quickly forgot afterward. At that time, I have no reason to know that- how important does that mean to meter. Volume 9, 4 – Karen Tendou and High Score Challenge

Volume 9, Chapter 4 ¨C Karen Tendou and High Score Challenge

Trantor: your_pingas There¡¯s a smelly cardboard box inside the dust-filled storage closet of the Game Club. I can¡¯t help but p my hands in celebration when I decided to open it. ¡°Ara, I miss this!¡± As for the people in the same room, the three club members was influenced by this happiness- ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Tck!¡± ¡°Ah, w-what¡¯s wrong, Tendou-san?¡± Two of the three ignored me. One of them even cursed me for breaking his attention. What a terminal reaction. It¡¯ste January, and the cold breezes slipped passed from the window are sending chills down our spines. I can¡¯t help but sigh. Then, the only normal member in this club, ¡­Eiichi Mizumi-kun, stopped ying his game. After that, he came next to me, who bent down at the corner of the room. ¡°Did you find anything good?¡± With that said, he squatted down and nced at the box I opened. I answered, ¡°Yeah.¡± Then, I gently took out one of the consoles inside of it. ¡°I yed this in elementary school, and it¡¯s a short-lived one. ¡­Don¡¯t you remember?¡± ¡°I see. ¡­Sorry, I lost my memories, after all.¡± ¡°R-Right. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Mizumi-kun¡¯s still who he is. Even though he¡¯s normal, his experiences are ridiculous. I cleared my throat and stared at the console intoxicatedly. ¡°Look. It¡¯s a cassette, a cassette! ¡­Sigh, when it was the age of CDs, ¡­I¡¯m shivering for its bravery to fight with a cassette.¡± ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t understand how romantic that is though¡­¡± Mizumi-kun changed the topic slightly after he smiled bitterly. ¡°But why is there such an old thing here in the club room? Tendou-san, didn¡¯t you register the club in this year¡¯s spring?¡± ¡°Ah, well, right, I never exined this to you before?¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± Mizumi-kun tilted his head confusedly. I put the console back temporarily and turned to him. ¡°I think I talked about this a bit before. Before I recreated the club, there was a Game Club in Otobuki too. They are famous for their skills.¡± ¡°Ah,e to think of it, I did hear that. However, I think the club was abandoned before you entered the school¡­¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. So, I can only dash around in the first year. ¡­Most of my effort was spent on convincing Kase-senpai and Nina-senpai to join. Then, I barely managed to recover the club in the second year¡¯s spring. Also, these two senpais were really just ¡®lone wolf gamers¡¯ before I brought them in. They weren¡¯t connected to thest Game Club at all.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­Well, we¡¯re totally separated from thest club.¡± Mizumi-kun mumbled in a lonely manner. However, I smiled and told him this. ¡°Well, about that, we shouldn¡¯t skip to the conclusion. Indeed, just like what you said, we have no direct interaction with thest members. However, ¡­in terms of materials, we did inherit something more or less.¡± At this point, Mizumi-kun seems to have figured out something and mumbled. ¡°Ah, do you mean this club room?¡± ¡°Exactly. Even though this ce isn¡¯t a ¡®Game Club¡¯ when I¡¯m in the school anymore, luckily, no other clubs wanted to use this room. In the end, all the way until I revived the Game Club, this room barely changed at all.¡± ¡°I see. So, that box full of old games is¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s from thest generation. Sigh, since gaming equipment is expensive, all of the soft and hardware were left for the former members. So, there aren¡¯t too many things left. ¡­However, it looks like there are still some unwanted goods, and here they are.¡± I said that as I searched the box. Aside from the old console I picked out, the rest are basicallyplicated wires and plugs with no purpose. ¡­It¡¯s hard to say I gained something. Mizumi looked at me from behind. At the same time, he understood something and mumbled. ¡°Ah, you already knew the stuff inside isn¡¯t really useful. So, that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t unbox them until just then, right.¡± I nodded and said yes as I¡¯m searching the wires. ¡°After all, there are a lot of things I need to do in the beginning, like recruiting members. It¡¯s just that, ¡­uh, from what this room looks like now, we¡¯re not in a position to say that¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Mizumi-kun nced at the club and smiled bitterly. The reason for that is because¡­this Game Club clubroom is already filled with things. It¡¯s on a whole different level than when Amano-kun paid us a visit. Naturally, there are software and consoles. Aside from that, the room¡¯s filled with a bunch of game controllers and trophies from thepetitions. The expert members often win in e-sports events on their own. Then, they spend their rewards on improving this room. Therefore, this club is having more and more stuff as time goes on. At this point, ¡­I, as the president, have to deal with the mysterious boxes left by thest club members. I have to save as much space for the club as possible. By the way, the nostalgic console is an unexpected reward to me. I continued searching in the box and seeing if there are any cables or games for this console. So, around 10 minutester¡­ ¡°¡­Everything¡¯s here.¡± I didn¡¯t expect the whole set required for ying on this console to be included in this one box. Mizumi-kun gave me a round of apuse. ¡°Wow, I feel like this is simr to < Lucky Strike>.¡± [Note: It¡¯s a show for identifying antiques in Japan.] ¡°Yeah, ¡­even though there¡¯s only one, it has a cassette inside too.¡± ¡°I see. I think it¡¯s a shooting game from the package¡­¡± Mizumi-kun¡¯s interested as he looked at the box of the game. I started exining excitedly. ¡°Yep, you¡¯re right. Strictly speaking, this is a ¡®shoot ¡®em up¡¯ action game. The protagonist will dash between huge waves of enemies automatically. The yer has to move left and right, aim, fire, and attack in close range to pass the level. There¡¯s no experience at all. Also, even though I thought it¡¯s for gamers, the easy mode provided more-¡° Just as I¡¯m talking, suddenly, I can hear a greeting from behind. ¡°Excuse me.¡± After that, I heard the door of the clubroom being opened. I turned back, and the person is¡­ ¡°Ara, Amano-kun, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Ah, Tendou-san, thanks for the work. Uh, I¡¯m sorry. I thought the club was almost over, so I wanted to get you. ¡­It looks like I¡¯m still early.¡± Amano-kun backed down a bit after seeing the flurry of activity in the clubroom. My heart can¡¯t help but beat faster after seeing his ¡°effort.¡± Actually, recently, ¡­after the winter holiday, Amano-kun started inviting me to go home after school enthusiastically. Usually, he¡¯s not used to showing up in the Game Club¡­ Amano-kun scratched his cheeks and took a step back. ¡°Uh, then I¡¯ll wait in the ssroom. Please tell me once you¡¯re done-¡° ¡°Wait, Keita Amano.¡± He prepared to leave, yet, unexpectedly, Kase-senpai told him to stay. Senpai put down his mouse and turned to Amano-kun. He suggested this calmly. ¡°You¡¯re waiting for Tendou, anyway. Just stay here. It¡¯s more efficient.¡± ¡°Eh? But, won¡¯t I bother you guys¡­?¡± ¡°Ha, you think a little brat like you can never interrupt me ying games? Don¡¯t underestimate me.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. Well, thanks, senpai¡­¡± ¡°¡­K.¡± Kase-senpai said that as he pushed his sses a little and went back to gaming. ¡­I was shocked at how he treated Amano-kun. Mizumi-kun whispered to me. ¡°Actually, Kase-senpai already treated him as a friend. After all, we owed him one for making him help us a while ago¡­¡± ¡°You owed him one? I¡¯m not sure about that. ¡­But, Kase-senpai did already ept Amano-kun. ...Well, even though he was mad at me just then.¡± ¡°Ahaha, I-I think that¡¯s also the proof of him opening his heart¡­¡± After Mizumi-kun smiled bitterly like this, Amano-kun came in front of us. He greeted Mizumi-kun and then immediately showed interest in the box. After that¡­ ¡°Ah, isn¡¯t this the brilliant console that still used cassettes during the CD era!? Hiya, it¡¯s so admirable to have such a determination like that!¡± ¡°Yes! You¡¯re right, Amano-kun!¡± I can¡¯t help but look at him with sparkling eyes. Then, both of us held each other¡¯s hands tightly. So, Mizumi-kun mumbled dumbfoundedly next to us. ¡°¡­Can I ask, if I remembered correctly, you two broke up, ¡­right?¡± However, we already can¡¯t hear what he said. I exined thest club issue to Amano-kun just like what I did to Mizumi-kun. Of course, he seems to also feel the romanticism behind it. His eyes are sparkling even more brightly. ¡­I¡¯m relieved to know that. Then, Amano-kun found out about the package of the game, and his voice got even higher. ¡°Ah, this one!¡± ¡°Yes, Amano-kun! This is that hidden masterpiece, < Gods and Evil>!¡± ¡°T-This is way too moving! That¡¯s awesome! I can¡¯t believe this is the only game left!¡± ¡°You get it!? Can you feel it, Amano-kun!? It¡¯s this awesome! Ay, really!¡± At this point, both of us looked at the game¡¯s box intoxicatedly like it¡¯s our child. ¡­During this time, Mizumi-kun put his hand on the forehead and mumbled something again. ¡°Right now, I feel like my definition of words like friends and couples are shaking violently¡­¡± It looks like he¡¯s talking about personal troubles. What he¡¯s mumbling shouldn¡¯t have to do with us. So, Amano-kun noticed something and spoke up. ¡°Ah, speaking of < Gods and Evil>, if I remembered correctly, ¡­the score records of the game are stored in the cassette, right?¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Mizumi-kun and I can¡¯t help but look at each other after hearing what Amano-kun said. We questioned him. ¡°This means that¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Amano-kun nodded with a smile, and then he brought up that ¡°possibility¡± excitedly. ¡°If it can be turned on, I guess it has thest Game Club¡¯s high score records.¡± * In summary, Amano-kun¡¯s guess is entirely on-point. ¡°This score¡­¡± The console is connected to the TV screen at the corner of the clubroom. ¡­With me holding the controller as the center, all of us stared at the screen intensely. After that, Mizumi-kun sighed and asked. ¡°¡­Sorry, I don¡¯t know whether my score¡¯s good enough since I never yed it before. ¡­What do you two think?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Even for Amano-kun and I, we¡¯re not too sure of the score standards of a game we yed a few years ago. Although we don¡¯t remember¡­ Amano-kun still answered Mizumi-kun. ¡°Let¡¯s forget whether it¡¯s fantastic or not. Anyway, the record is really inside. Look, games like this will usually let the yer create a name with three letters. All of the record holders are named < MAI>. All of the high score yers are named < COM > in a row, if I remembered correctly. Also, their scores would be in integers¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I understand. This means that it¡¯s almost certain that this is thest club¡¯s record. However, the problem is¡­¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re not sure how good this score is. ¡­The standard is kind of vague.¡± After Amano-kun sighed, -I closed the score record screen. Then, I returned to the title screen and selected < New Game > as I suggested to them. ¡°Can I spend some time beating the game? I think it should take less than an hour if I skipped all of the plots¡­¡± Both of them immediately nodded and answered. ¡°Of course.¡± It looks like they are just as interested in thest club¡¯s skill as I do. After I thanked the two, I took a deep breath and started the game¡­under ultra concentration. So, around 40 minutes passed after that. ¡°Phew, ¡­it¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Tendou-san, you¡¯re amazing!¡± I withdrew from my concentrated state and wiped the sweats on my forehead. Amano-kun cheered me up with a smile. ¡°Shooting games like this only allows you to challenge a high score after remembering the pattern. I didn¡¯t expect you to pass it with no deaths on the first try!¡± ¡°Thanks. Sigh, I did already forget all of the levels. ¡­However, I managed to get my feel back in the middle. I was surprised at how fast I picked up the pace too.¡± After I smiled, Mizumi-kun nodded and answered. ¡°It looks like we can expect a lot for your score.¡± ¡°Yes. After all, I gave it everything I got. I guess so.¡± Just as we¡¯re chatting, the screen showed the final score during the ythrough. The number is¡­ ¡°Around 60 million points...?¡± I think this score is pretty decent, ¡­yet I¡¯m not sure. I just nced at thest club members¡¯ score briefly, so I didn¡¯t remember it. Anyway, I inserted < TEN > into the name and switched the screen to the ranking. This is the moment to identify thest generation¡¯s skills. Did I surpass the previous club¡¯s highest score? I¡¯m a little bit confident in that. The three of us waited for the results anxiously, so- ¡°¡­Eh?¡± -We were shocked. ¡°¡­Seriously?¡± I put down the controller subconsciously, and it smacked the table loudly. Mizumi-kun and Amano-kun are just as speechless. ¡­There are two parts that we¡¯re surprised about. First of all, -this game¡¯s high score record only includes the top 8 yers. ¡­My score wasn¡¯t even on the top 8. In other words, it¡¯s not worthy of discussion. I can¡¯t even stand on thepetition stage. However, ¡­this doesn¡¯t really matter. Shooting games are all about getting a higher score. It would be unrealistic for one to think that they can surpass an expert on the first attempt. So, ¡­while not being included in the ranking did hurt me, that¡¯s still okay. The real problem is¡­ ¡°¡­300¡­million points¡­?¡± The top 8 scored 5 times higher than my 60 million points, ¡­300 million. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± To that, all of us fell silent. In reality, ¡­even though it¡¯s basically my first ythrough, I didn¡¯t make any serious mistakes, and I beat the level quite cleanly too. However, ¡­there¡¯s still such an overwhelming and hopeless difference. I feel like my pride was utterly destroyed. I can¡¯t help but plop my head down. Amano-kun and Mizumi-kun scrambled to smooth things over. ¡°Y-You don¡¯t need to mind too much. Even though you lost, this is still your first time trying to break the record! It¡¯s¡­hard for things to not end up like this.¡± ¡°A-Amano-kun¡¯s right! Tendou-san, there¡¯s no usepeting with someone who knows how to y the game! You can definitely get a score like this after trying a couple times-¡° ¡°-I don¡¯t think I can do it.¡± However, I abruptly rejected what they said. ¡­After all, I was the one that yed until that moment. ¡­I know our skill disparity the best. I can¡¯t help but bite my thumb nail forcefully and re at the screen. ¡°¡­I remembered it. The highest score I got back then¡­is at max 100 million¡­¡± ¡°B-But, Tendou-san, that was when you were in elementary school, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, you¡¯re right. Amano-kun, ¡­you¡¯re right¡­¡± I answered, yet my cloudy eyes are still staring at the scoreboard. ¡­I stared at my worthless and miserable score¡­ ¡°Hey, Tendou, the club¡¯s ending soon.¡± During this time, I can hear Kase-senpai from behind. It seems that it¡¯s time to go home. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­Amano-kun and Mizumi-kun are ncing at me tremblingly for some reason. However, facing the end of the club today- ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± -I smiled and answered honestly. Amano-kun and Mizumi-kun let out a sigh in relief somehow. I smiled and turned off the console, and then I smiled and ejected the cassette. ¡­After that, I smiled and pulled out all the cables. Then, I smiled and put all of those back into the tiny box. Finally, I smiled and- ¡°Phew.¡± ¡°-Eh?¡± -I held the box under my arm. Amano-kun and Mizumi-kun started sweating profusely. I asked for permission from Kase-senpai. ¡°Uh, senpai, can I ask for something? ¡­Can I keep this console and game for a while? I¡¯ll bring it to the club room when there are activities.¡± ¡°Hmm? Sure, it should be fine. No one¡¯s using it, anyway.¡± ¡°Thanks, senpai. Well, ¡­let¡¯s go, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Amano-kun answered densely for some reason. I can¡¯t help but tilt my head slightly. ¡°Hmm? You¡¯re walking me home today, right?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, yes, right¡­¡± For some reason, Amano-kun said that as he nced at the box instead of me. Also, even Mizumi-kun is doing the same thing. ¡­What¡¯s wrong with them? I chuckled at them. ¡°Let¡®s go.¡± After that, I urged everyone to leave the room and go home. ¡°You two, the room¡¯s closing. Please leave first.¡± ¡°Ah, okay¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong with you guys? Why are you two staring at me so passionately¡­¡± ¡°Uh, no¡­¡± They keep looking at my face and the box for some reason. ¡­Then, the boys only managed to squeeze this question out. ¡°¡­Please remember to sleep, okay?¡± ¡°¡­Haha, I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about, no idea at all.¡± I turned away and answered, ¡­yet they¡¯re still ring at me. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Anyway, I, Karen Tendou- -started to lose a bunch of sleep. * Using the weekend, I immediately got back on track with < Gods and Evil>. Don¡¯t get hit. Don¡¯t miss any enemies. Don¡¯t miss the bonus items. Come to think of it, all of these are basics in shooting games. However, that¡¯s why you need to get really familiar with it. A high score requires you to master all of that. Therefore, as long as you achieve those perfectly, you¡¯re close to your final goal. -That should be the case. ¡°1-130 million¡­¡± ¡°Yes, ¡­you¡¯re right.¡± I dropped my shoulders and sighed depressingly with dark circles under my eyes. Amano-kun looked at me worriedly. It¡¯s after school Monday. Coincidentally, there¡¯s no meeting of the Game Club or the Game Hobby Club today. I almost said that I want to grab the chance to dash home even a second earlier. I didn¡¯t even bother to wait for the bus. -However, I bumped into my ex-boyfriend, who seemingly expected and ambushed me next to the shoe shelves. His eyes told me, ¡°I¡¯ll walk you home,¡± determinedly. I have to back down. So, we¡¯re walking together toward the residential area. -Quickly. Amano-kun¡¯s catching his breath next to me as he continued. ¡°Uh, ¡­if I remembered correctly, thest member < MAI>¡¯s record is over 300 million points, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But, Tendou-san, you already passed the level perfectly at this stage, right? Yet, you only got 130 million points?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Uh, how?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I can¡¯t help but grin after saying that. ¡°Really, I have no idea at all. Honestly, all I can do right now is to hold my hands up and surrender.¡± While I said that, my cheeks still rxed for a bit. I can¡¯t help but bite the nail on my thumb again. ¡­Oh no, I really want to investigate it right now. Since this game¡¯s from thest generation, there are no walkthroughs on the inte anymore. Therefore, I can only rely on myself if I want a chance at surviving.¡± This is overwhelmingly attractive to me right now¡­ ¡°¡­Please don¡¯t force yourself too much. I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I hastily turned to him. Amano-kun¡¯s looking at me sincerely and worriedly. I snapped out of it, slowed down, and then answered him. ¡°I-It¡¯s okay, Amano-kun. I, Karen Tendou, have absolute confidence in self-control!¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s good to hear.¡± ¡°Yeah, no problem at all! So, let¡¯s move quickly, Amano-kun!¡± ¡°Eh? ¡­Uh, well, Tendou-san?¡± ¡°Eh? W-What¡¯s wrong?¡± I quickly tidied up my bangs and turned back to him. ¡­So, Amano pointed to his right secretly and reminded me while shivering. ¡°But, we¡¯re already at your house¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± I didn¡¯t realize it until he said that. ¡­This is indeed my home. I didn¡¯t notice it because I kept thinking about stuff while walking hastily. Iughed stiffly and answered him. ¡°O-Of course, I know it. Yes, I know everything. This is that renowned and beautiful gamer girl, Karen Tendou¡¯s house. Yes, I always wanted to pay a visit here.¡± ¡°No matter what you say, you¡¯re too nervous, Tendou-san.¡± I got my cool back when Amano-kunined. So, I cleared my throat. ¡­Yep, I have to calm down. I smiled again and bid farewell to Amano-kun. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see you-¡° -However, I quickly realized this in the middle of my speech. (T-This isn¡¯t right, Karen Tendou! Amano-kun¡¯s walking me home! Also, it¡¯s still early! This way, no matter how much you want to y the game alone, you should¡­!) I stopped abruptly and changed my farewell to an invitation. ¡°-D-Do you want toe to my house, Amano-kun?¡± ¡°¡­Uh.¡± For a second, Amano-kun looked really excitedly. ¡­However, for some reason, it immediately turned into a bitter smile. ¡°Ah, no, thanks. My whole family has to go out today.¡± ¡°R-Really? What¡­a shame.¡± Even though I said that, I also want to focus on < Gods and Evil > today. ¡°Uh, well, Tendou-san, I¡¯ll see you in school tomorrow!¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, sure, see you tomorrow¡­¡± Just as I¡¯m lost in my gloomy thoughts, Amano-kun waved with a smile before leaving chicly. I watched until he disappeared¡­and mumbled. ¡°Amano-kun, ¡­are you being considerate to me¡­?¡± I think he realized it just then. I actually want to go home and y < Gods and Evil > right away. Also, he even said that he had things to do to avoid me feeling guilty. That¡¯s¡­really smart. He¡¯s gentle and considerate. It doesn¡¯t feel like Amano-kun at all. ¡­At least, that¡¯s entirely different from him prioritizing his mobile game first when I invited him to the Game Club. That was really impolite. Yeah, he has improved a lot¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°Karen? What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re idling in front of the house.¡± During this time, someone suddenly called me from behind. When I turned back, my mother was poking her head from the door and stared at me dumbfoundedly. I guess she heard me talking outside and came to see what¡¯s happening. I sighed and answered with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m back, Mom.¡± So, I took a step toward my house, where < Gods and Evil > is waiting for me. * In the end, I made virtually no progress for the following 3 days. Slight improvements were made in small mistakes or predicting the enemy sequence. However, the score only increased by less than 10% with all of that. After I reached 140 million points, my orthodox strategy reached the bottleneck ultimately. This way, -there¡¯s nothing much I can do to double the score. ¡°You want the Hobby Club toe up with new strategies?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded repeatedly and answered my beloved Game Hobby Club members. It¡¯s the 4th Thursday of January, after school. I, Karen Tendou, finally decided to ask my friends for suggestions. Also, I¡¯m asking people in the Game Hobby Club instead of the Game Club. After Chiaki-san heard what I said, she raised her hand silently. ¡°Well, ¡­uh, we don¡¯t dislike helping Karen-san at all¡­¡± ¡°Thank you, Chiaki-san. You¡¯re reliable.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. B-But, uh, ¡­can I ask why are you asking the Hobby Club? Also, you went out of your way to make sure all of us came here¡­¡± Chiaki-san said that as she looked around. So, other members started to be restless too. It¡¯s hard to me them. After all, this isn¡¯t the 2F ssroom we use to hold Hobby Club meetings. -It¡¯s the Game Club. I smiled and started exining to calm them down. ¡°First of all, I chose here simply because this is the yable environment. It¡¯s because I want to y while listening to everyone¡¯s suggestions.¡± After I exined, Uehara-kun answered this time. ¡°Well, I do get that. ¡­However, is it really necessary to close the Game Club for today? Moreover, aren¡¯t Kase-senpai, Nina-senpai, and Mizumi more reliable when ites to beating games?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not actually true.¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Everyone in the Game Club is indeed pros, ¡­but all of them are specialized on one kind of game. Also, regrettably, no one in the club has experience with shooting action games like this.¡± ¡°How about Mizumi? Think about it, that guy is super talented, right? Well, even though I don¡¯t really know him.¡± ¡°Yes, he does have amazing talents. It¡¯s just that, ¡­how should I put it? Honestly, I think he¡¯s running wild recently. I should say his powers already exceed the ¡®gaming¡¯ realm by a lot, right?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± For some reason, Amano-kun and Uehara-kun nodded convincingly. ¡­Did they deal with troubles caused by Mizumi-kun recently? Aguri-san and Chiaki-san still don¡¯t understand. I continued. ¡°Anyway, a guy like him is really not fit for suggestion or help. I feel like he¡¯s full of special abilities that can¡¯t help us.¡± ¡°He¡¯s the protagonist, after all¡­¡± The two boys agreed again. As for the girls, they didn¡¯t say anything. All of them seem to have epted my exnation. However, Aguri-san raised her hand and asked me. ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± ¡°But, are you sure we can do it? ¡­From Tendou-san¡¯s point, aren¡¯t Tasuku, Amanhi, and Hoshinhi are all trash gamers, not to mention me?¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Aguri-san¡¯s innocent speech made Amano-kun, Uehara-kun, and Chiaki-san suffered massive mental damage. I cleared my throat and helped the three out. ¡°I-It¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m not trying to see an expert¡¯s demonstration. At this point, my strategy has already reached its limit. What I need is a way that I never thought of before.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. So, instead of finding those Game Club pros, we need a yer that¡¯s far from Tendou-san¡¯s amazing skills. In other words, you want Amanhi¡¯s suggestion, right!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± In the end, they took even more damage. ¡­For some reason, Aguri-san¡¯s innocence made all of that hurt so much. Anyway, they get what I mean. After I took a seat near the club room entrance, I started ying on the giant screen in the room. The four of them are next to me. This way, I can y the game while exchanging opinions from everyone. I started the game skillfully. When the plot is skipped, Amano-kun looked at the screen and mumbled embarrassingly. ¡°However, if Tendou-san can¡¯t think of how to think of a creative strategy, ordinary people like us won¡¯t be able to do that too¡­¡± Aguri-san casually suggested this and retorted to him quickly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just kiss with Amanhi as you beat the game?¡± ¡°Creative!¡± Everyone dropped their jaws. The whole board agreed that it¡¯s a creative strategy. It¡¯s not just that you can¡¯t find any examples in the shooting games history. The strategy can¡¯t even be found in all of the video games. Aguri-sanughed and continued exining to us, who fell speechless. ¡°Love can solve everything in the world, right?¡± Amano-kun sweated profusely and stopped her right away. ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Love can only solve everything in a fictional world.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t games fictional?¡± ¡°The yers are real!¡± ¡°Amanhi, but your face looks fictional.¡± ¡°What did you just say!? Eh! You want to fight!? Got a problem!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important. Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!¡± ¡°Stop it. Don¡¯t yell it like a slogan! Are you a toddler!? No one will do it! The kiss between Tendou-san and me isn¡¯t cheap enough to show in a ridiculous environment like this!¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s okay for Hoshinhi to kiss Amanhi as well.¡± ¡°Ehh!?¡± Amano-kun and Chiaki-san yelled at the top of their lungs. Also¡­ ¡°Ah, you died.¡± Uehara-kun looked at the screen and mumbled. ¡­This is the first time I lost a life after I remembered the basics of this game. Of course, ¡­after all, I dropped the controller entirely just then. Amano-kun mmed the table and retorted Aguri-san. ¡°What does Chiaki kissing me has to do with a shooting game¡¯s strategy!?¡± ¡°I already said it¡¯s the power of love.¡± ¡°Can love really give the person in question power when she¡¯s not even participating!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. We have to try everything we can. It¡¯s worth a try.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not! Please don¡¯t use such excuses to prank Chiaki and me!¡± Amano-kun¡¯s so pissed off that he¡¯s about to bite Aguri-san. As for Aguri-san, she curled up her lips and turned away. ¡°Tck¡­¡± ¡­They are still as close as siblings. I coughed. After that, ¡­since getting hit reduced the score multiplier, I have to try again. ¡­I¡¯ll have to be careful this time. So, I finally got to the level where I died. ¡­This time, Chiaki-san was the one that made up her mind. ¡­She suddenly stood up and yelled. ¡°W-Well, ¡­it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t assist you guys beating the game that way!¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± Amano-kun looked at Chiaki-san shockingly. Aguri-san even cheered up at the same time. ¡°Nice, Hoshinhi!¡± Also¡­ ¡°Ah, you died.¡± Uehara-kun looked at the screen and mumbled again. ¡­This is the first time I lost a life after I remembered the basics of this game. Of course, ¡­after all, I threw out the controller just then. Full power. I threw it into the clubroom¡¯s¡­seating pad. Just as I¡¯m picking up the controller faintly, Amano-kun blushed and yelled. ¡°Why are you epting such a ridiculous request, Chiaki!?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s because I don¡¯t dislike it, ¡­yes!¡± ¡°You do! You have to dislike it! Isn¡¯t this too weird!? This devilish gal just arranged the worst kissing scene in history, and yet you¡¯re ying along. It¡¯s so pointless!¡± ¡°¡­Keita, ¡­I think, ¡­I think a girl has times where she must fight! This is what I think!¡± ¡°Now¡¯s not the time for that! Your impressive determination should never be used now, Chiaki!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, ¡­Keita! Please! G-Give me a painless one!¡± ¡°Kissing definitely doesn¡¯t involve a painless one! I don¡¯t want to!¡± ¡°Amanhi¡¯s a coward, weakling, virgin, midget!¡± ¡°Very well, that gal will die first.¡± Finally, this turned into Amano-kun and Aguri-san bickering with each other again. So, Chiaki-san seems to have regained her consciousness too. She mumbled embarrassingly and sat down while blushing heavily. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± I regained my cool as well and restarted the game again. This time, Aguri-san also stopped bringing up those ridiculous strategies. ¡­Huh, even though this girl always messes with Amano-kun, she knows when to quit. I should say she really understands Amano-kun¡¯s bottom line¡­ ¡°Oh, that was close.¡± Uehara-kun mumbled again. While I dodged everything this time, I clutched the enemy bullets really close. I continued either way since it doesn¡¯t affect my score. Then, when I finally defeated the first boss, ¡­Chiaki-san mumbled. ¡°Hmm, ¡­Karen-san¡¯s indeed really good at this. This still doesn¡¯t work?¡± ¡°Regrettably, I can¡¯t break the record this way. So, that¡¯s why I hoped for a different strategy¡­¡± ¡°Ah, how about I just kiss with Keita-¡°¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡± After I said that, I swept the entire wave of minions with an overpowered attack. Sweat appeared on Chiaki-san¡¯s forehead. She cleared her throat and changed the topic. ¡°But, the real question is how we should improve the score. I think it has to reach that ridiculous ¡®I didn¡¯t know this work!¡¯ level. Well, even though that doesn¡¯t mean the power of love.¡± ¡°Hmm, yes, Chiaki-san. Did you think of something while watching? It would be great if you can give me some suggestions, even if it¡¯s not directly rted to improving the score.¡± ¡°Hmm, ¡­w-well¡­¡± Chiaki-san crossed her arms and closed her eyes as she fell into deep thought. ¡­Later, when she opened her eyes suddenly, she brought this up. ¡°I worry about the cost-performance ratio of bullet hell attacks.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really irrelevant!¡± Everyone yelled at the same time when her mumble is even less relevant than we thought. However, Chiaki-san switched to her serious ¡°creator¡± face for some reason and continued exining. ¡°No, no, no, but don¡¯t you guys have questions about this? A massive amount of bullets were sprayed in the entirely opposite direction to the yer. Is there a reason? Also, the bullet hell¡¯s colors are so sharp and bright!¡± ¡°I-I think it¡¯s not wise toin about the game this way. Moreover, < Gods and Evil > isn¡¯t really a bullet hell game¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about < Gods and Evil>, Karen-san! I¡¯m talking about all bullet hell games!¡± ¡°Uh, can you please talk about < Gods and Evil>!? I was asking for suggestions of achieving a new score here!¡± ¡°Right! Well, I¡¯ll first hide my eternal issue of bullet hell systems inside my heart secretly!¡± ¡°It would be great if you can do that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Uh, basically, if they are powerful enough to spray such bullet hell, why don¡¯t the enemy just cut off all of my escape? That¡¯s-¡° ¡°Chiaki-san?¡± ¡°Alright, I will be quiet!¡± Chiaki-san straightened her back and saluted me. ¡­S-Sheesh, that¡¯s what weird people look like¡­ So, just as I¡¯m sighing dumbfoundedly, I realized that Amano-kun¡¯s getting restless. He mumbled to himself quietly. ¡°¡­Yes, yes, yes,e to think of it, it¡¯s weird to set the hitbox of the yer in the center¡­¡± However, he only kept that to himself¡­without sharing the topic with Chiaki-san. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I bet he realized what will happen next. If he started chatting with Chiaki-san passionately after that, my mood is guaranteed to turn sour. It¡¯s not hard to imagine what¡¯s next. I will immediately remind him, ¡°Amano-kun?¡± After that, both of them will squeak and shrug their shoulders. That¡¯s why he explicitly kept the topic to himself. ¡­This is a reasonable choice. Also, he didn¡¯t want to distract me from ying the game. ¡­Even though that should be the case¡­ When I¡¯m tangled up in an indescribable knot ofplicated emotions, Uehara-kun, who had remained silent, spoke up. ¡°Honestly, you¡¯re so good at it, yet the record score is nearly twice as much. ¡­From my view, I can only guess that you missed something important. You¡¯re Tendou, after all.¡± ¡°Although I don¡¯t understand what does thatst ¡®after all¡¯ mean, ¡­what did I miss?¡± ¡°Think about it, there should be some hidden or bonus levels where you can only enter under special conditions. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re that fated to encounter those bonus rewards.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been really noisy since then! Moreover, if I¡¯m really not fated with bonuses, then what should I do!?¡± ¡°Of course, the best way is to find two matching people ying the game together, right?¡± Uehara-kun looked at Amano-kun and Chiaki-san after saying that. ¡­Indeed, few boys and girls are blessed by ¡°fate¡± or ¡°coincidence¡± more than them. Also, both of them love gaming, and they are getting restless after seeing me ying. After Uehara-kun suggested it, both of them are quite interested in epting- ¡®Alright, please-¡° -Amano-kun smiled bitterly in the middle of his sentence suddenly and quitted. ¡°-I wanted to ept it, but Chiaki should be the one to try.¡± ¡°Hmm? Keita?¡± Chiaki-san tilted her head confusingly. Amano-kun exined. ¡°Even though two people can y this game, in the end, it¡¯s just spreading the control of one main character to two yers. I feel like this can ruin what makes the game interesting. Of course, you can have a different kind of ¡®fun¡¯ ying that way too.¡± ¡°I-I see. Indeed, perhaps you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°So, anyway, let¡¯s have Chiaki try ying it first? Although it¡¯s different than Uehara-kun¡¯s suggestion, I think Chiaki will do a lot of things that Tendou-san wouldn¡¯t.¡± R-Really? Uh, well, ¡­if Keita and Tendou-san are okay with this, I¡¯d be more than happy to y¡­¡± Chiaki-san nced at me. I nodded with a smile. Then. I restarted the game and handed her the controller. So, Chiaki-san immediately¡­and ¡°uncharacteristically¡± cheered herself up with a breath. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give it my best!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± My heart¡¯s getting tortured by a wave ofplicated emotions again after seeing her face. ¡­She just wants to y with Amano-kun, right? The game doesn¡¯t really matter. Only I can¡­acknowledge this painfully, about how she feels. On the other hand, Amano-kun¡¯s attitude and suggestion weren¡¯t wrong either. I can also understand that. In reality, he¡¯s way too sincere to us recently. The evidence Is that- during these few weeks, my heart didn¡¯t ripple at all. Surprisingly, the weird misunderstandings never happened again. Also, I¡¯m sure that the reason¡­wasn¡¯t because fate has stopped messing with us. It¡¯s because the annoying seed of misunderstanding¡­has already been carefully removed one by one. The one that used toy the roots has improved. ¡­In other words- It¡¯s all because of Amano-kun¡¯s effort and consideration. This sentence can summarize everything. ¡°Wow, wow, wow.¡± -Once I snapped out of it, Chiaki-san immediately lost a life in the first level. Sheined while looking at the screen tearfully. ¡°U¡­Ughh, I can¡¯t even beat the level! I was a bit confident at first!¡± ¡°Ahaha, that baffling confidence is quitemon! You can¡¯t help but think you can also do it after watching experienced people nailing it!¡± ¡°Yeah, Keita! Ugh, I should¡¯ve let you y first¡­¡± ¡°W-What are you trying to say, seaweed-san?¡± ¡°It¡¯s exactly what you¡¯re thinking right now, bean sprout-san.¡± ¡­They are enjoying themselves and started bickering intimately. For some reason, ¡­I was relieved after seeing that. Come to think of it, it¡¯s weird to feel relieved when your loved one is hanging out with your rival. (Why is that¡­? ¡­Is it because Amano-kun is still Amano-kun¡­?) Even I have no idea what I¡¯m saying at all. I turned around, and Uehara-kun and Aguri-san are showing a simr expression to mine. ¡­I feel like this atmosphere is unbelievable. However, I reaffirmed something in this mind-boggling web of emotions. That is- ¡°Ah! I didn¡¯t even reach the capital on the first level! No, I don¡¯t ept this!¡± ¡°Okay, Chiaki, you¡¯re out. I¡¯ll go next! My turn! Alright, let me show you-¡° ¡°Eh? Amano¡¯s ying too? Well, I¡¯ll go to the toilet first.¡± ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m going with you! There¡¯s no point watching a rey, anyway!¡± ¡°Wait right there, you two!¡± -The five of us are the happiest when ying video games together. Nothing tops that. * It¡¯s midnight on that day. ¡°I-I¡¯m finally at 280 million points¡­!¡± I¡¯m wearing my pajamas in the gloomy room. My eyes are staring at the bright screen sparklingly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Aguri-san to find the breakthrough¡­!¡± Even though I held the meeting to hope for an unexpected idea, I didn¡¯t expect a non-gamer like her got me the solution. I restarted from the first level again. Then, I remembered what happened as I¡¯m fighting for a better score. Yes, that was when the meeting¡¯s almost over. Aguri-san was looking at other people ying dazedly, except when it¡¯s Uehara-kun¡¯s turn. Suddenly, she seemed to have realized something and said, ¡°Borrow me this.¡± Then, she robbed the controller away from Amano-kun, who was ying at that time. Of course, Amano-kunined a lot. At that point, Aguri-san started ying the game unfamiliarly like a total newbie. She didn¡¯t press the attack button at all and missed enemy after enemy. The bullets even hit her, and the score multiplier dropped a lot. Also, atst- ¡°Ah.¡± -The flight directly collided with the middle boss battleship and crashed in an explosion. After that, ¡°Here you go.¡± Aguri-san said this, satisfied. She returned the controller to Amano-kun. As for Amano-kun, ¡­of course, he¡¯s about to blow up from anger. ¡°No, no, no! What the hell were you trying to do!?¡± ¡°Eh, colliding with the enemy.¡± ¡°Why!? Are you trying to mess with me? What¡¯s the point of-¡° ¡°Eh, it¡¯s because all of you are trying to increase that number, right.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Aguri-san said that as she pointed. -We confirmed her score, and we saw¡­ ¡°H¡­Huh?¡± Even though she was hit a couple of times and lost a life, her score is still slightly better than our ¡°normal¡± method. We fell silent while Aguri-san yawned and exined. ¡°Ah, that mainly happened when Amanhi and Hoshinhi were ying. When the two of them dropped dead, that number will SOMETIMES go up a bit. At first, I thought it was just an unbelievable bonus from god since they suck. ¡­However, I realized it afterward.¡± ¡°R-Realized what?¡± We gulped anxiously. Aguri-san answered calmly. ¡°When the protagonist collides with the enemy directly, the enemy dies due to the protagonist¡¯s explosion. Then, at that time, I think the number jumps up a lot.¡± ¡°!¡± ¡°Also, it increases more when you¡¯re hitting big enemies. But, I think that¡¯s called the boss, right? Since you can¡¯t defeat that by collision, that¡¯s why I thought hitting the middle boss is the best, right? That¡¯s all.¡± Amano-kun paused the screen as he fell speechless and stared at the score. ¡­Since he died from the bullets, the score multiplier did drop a lot. While that¡¯s true¡­ (¡­I think the score¡¯s even higher when you y it that way!) I calcted that and took over from Amano-kun. After that, I purposely collided with the middle boss during the critical levels and reyed the level. The end result¡­is actually 200 million points. ¡°OHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± Aside from Aguri-san, everyone in the Game Hobby Club exploded. At that moment, I finally managed to break my limit. I snapped out of my memories and mumbled in the dark room alone. ¡°Also, after I investigated the ¡®collision method¡¯ even more, ¡­I got 280 million points this time!¡± 300 million points are finally within range. All that remains is¡­ ¡°At this point, I can¡¯t believe I have to practice grinding this¡­!¡± The flow is alreadyplete. I know where I need to use the collision method. The only thing left is to charge into the boss at the right time, ¡­but here¡¯s the problem. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the game to have countermeasures against this too¡­¡± While you can get points by directly colliding with the boss, ¡­aside from the level Aguri-san¡¯s in, other levels¡¯ bosses will always hit you with a bunch of minions and bullets. I didn¡¯t realize that until now. In other words, it¡¯s actually not that easy to charge into the middle boss. I was left speechless by that as well. ¡°T-This game is designed so brilliantly¡­¡± You won¡¯t realize that at all if you y it usually. After all, the most crucial part of the game is defeating the middle boss ASAP. Letting it stay on the screen isn¡¯t great for your score multiplier and lives. However, it¡¯s just that, ¡­after I knew the collision method, the game changedpletely. It¡¯s not just a change. They thought about the bnce as well. From this point, ¡­it¡¯s absolutely not a bug. Clearly, this is purposely designed by the developer ¨C a shocking fact that won¡¯t be revealed until 10 years after release. Yes, this is it. When you y video games or encounter entertainment like video games, ¡­a surprise like this awaits you! ¡°¡­I must break the record and show everyone¡­!¡± At this point, I only wasn¡¯t able to use the collision method on thest level. The middle boss in this level is crashing at an incredibly tricky position. It¡¯s designed for the protagonist to get hit by bullets or other enemies. Even so, since this is thest level, it takes a long time to reach here if you restarted. It¡¯s designed so that people can¡¯t practice easily. If this isn¡¯t evil, I don¡¯t know what is. The barrier is hopelessly tall. However, that¡¯s why, ¡­that¡¯s why¡­!¡± ¡°¡­AHH!¡± My blood turned boiling hot from excitement as I spent all night gaming in a long while. Keita Amano It¡¯s Friday morning. When I¡¯m walking towards the 2F ssroom and holding my yawn, ¡­I bumped into a mysterious blonde creature heading forward wobbly. ¡­Without using an if, I bet that¡¯s my beloved ex-girlfriend. Every other ssmate was scared by her unusual aura and kept their distance. As for me, ¡­of course, I chased after her and spoke up. ¡°A-Are you okay, Tendou-san!?¡± ¡°Fweuh?¡± Tendou-san didn¡¯t even open her eyes when she looked back. ¡­She was totally not sleeping. She looked at my face and smiled. ¡°Ah, oh, ¡­nice to meet you, ¡­sir, you remind me of Amano-kun.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m Amano. A-Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay. ¡­Ah, ¡­nice to meet you, ¡­sir. You remind me of Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Your memory can¡¯t evenst for 2 seconds!?¡± This is anything but okay. When I take a good look, parts of her hair are curled up. The uniform and the tie aren¡¯t really tidy either. It¡¯s hard to imagine such anguish Tendou-san from her usual appearance. ¡­Sigh, even so, she¡¯s still adorable to the extreme! Ah, she¡¯s so cute. I can¡¯t take it anymore! I literally want to bring her home like a doll! However, I managed to suppress this desire and coughed. Then, I put my hand on Tendou-san¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Uh, anyway, you shouldn¡¯t force yourself. Should I take you to the health room?¡± ¡°Eh? Going to the health room with Amano-kun, alone¡­!?¡± ¡°T-Tendou-san?¡± Tendou-san¡¯s eyes slowly bulged. Also, her cheeks started to regain their usual redness again. ¡­After that, she stood straight and cleared her throat. ¡°Thanks for your love. ¡­Sadly, my consciousness has already recovered.¡± ¡°I-I guess so.¡± While I¡¯m not sure why, her heart seems to be experiencing some intense emotions that caused her to wake up. ¡­Well, even though Tendou-san looks pretty regretted now. We first stood next to the hallway to avoid blocking other ssmates. Then, we started the conversation again. ¡°By the way, Tendou-san, you¡¯re clearlycking sleep. Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell you what? Amano-kun, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still trying to show your dull logic to Karen Tendou? Ah, that would be way too funny. I¡¯m the one talking to you right now, the renowned Karen Tendou. I¡¯m the incarnation of self-control, Karen Tendou. There¡¯s no reason for Karen Tendou to be this exhausted aside from-¡° ¡°You stayed up all night ying video games, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Tendou-san bowed down and sincerely apologized to her ex-boyfriend. ¡­The other ssmates are staring daggers at me from the hallway. But, even I¡¯m getting used to it. I sighed and smiled bitterly at Tendou-san. ¡°There¡¯s no need to say sorry. After all, I sometimes do that too. It¡¯s just that¡­I can¡¯t help but worry when I see a girl I love is in this situation.¡± ¡°Amano-kun, ¡­t-thank you.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re wee¡­¡± Tendou-san¡¯s blushing slightly, while I¡¯m feeling a bit embarrassed. There¡¯s this embarrassing rom mood radiating between us. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Sigh, even though we¡¯re actually talking about staying up all night ying video games and not having enough sleep. That¡¯s a terrible topic. I changed the topic and asked Tendou-san again. ¡°So, Tendou-san, uh, well, ¡­your result?¡± ¡°Hoho, that¡¯s a good question, Amano-kun.¡± So, Tendou-san put her hands on her waist and puffed up her chest. I mumbled, ¡°Eh, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± Then, she¡­put up an adorable V sign and announced it to me with a bright smile. ¡°I finally broke the record this morning! I even got first ce!¡± ¡°Ohhhh! You did it, Tendou-san! That¡¯s amazing! Congrattions!¡± ¡°Yeah, thank you, Amano-kun!¡± ¡°Even though I¡¯m pretty aware that you said ¡®this morning¡¯ instead of yesterday!¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t mention it, Amano-kun!¡± The two of us just cheered each other next to the hallway excitedly. I didn¡¯t expect Aguri-san to bring light to the high score challenge yesterday after school. ¡­It only took her a day to surpass thest club members! That¡¯s our Tendou-san!¡± I smiled and cheered Tendou-san excitedly. ¡°This way, you¡¯re finally free from your painful struggle, Tendou-san!¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± However, Tendou-san tilted her head confusingly at what I said. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s thinking about, so I continued. ¡°Eh, Tendou-san, aren¡¯t you exhausted during this week?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± ¡°So, ¡­that¡¯s why I said you¡¯re finally free from your painful struggle¡­¡± ¡°¡­Then you¡¯re wrong, Amano-kun.¡± Suddenly, Tendou-san abruptly rejected what I said. I was surprised as I answered. ¡°Eh, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re trying to reach an even higher record¡­?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve already achieved the goal, so I¡¯ll stop here. It¡¯s not what you think. When I say you¡¯re wrong, I mean you¡¯re describing this whole thing as painful.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± During this time, Tendou-san turned her body toward the window of the hallway. She looked up to the blue sky. ¡­After that, the girl spoke up with sparkling eyes that don¡¯t look exhausted at all. ¡°I wasn¡¯t struggling painfully this week. Instead, I¡¯m having fun ying games.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± What she said made me, ¡­no, she¡¯s way too charming. I fell speechless. Tendou-san continued. ¡°Amano-kun, you said this before, right? The reason that you didn¡¯t join the Game Club is that youcked the determination to improve. Something like that.¡± ¡°¡­I did.¡± ¡°At this point, I have to retort what you said.¡± Tendou-san said that as she looked at me again. ¡­Then, facing the sunny sky in the morning, she told this to me. ¡°I¡¯ve never brought determination into gaming. However, I¡¯m still, ¡­no, the Game Club is still dedicated to improving. There¡¯s only one reason for that.¡± ¡°¡­And that is?¡± After she heard my question, Tendou-san, she- showed me a childish and carefree smile. ¡°-That¡¯s because we¡¯re all really happy!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­I lost, ¡­what should I do? That smile is way too charming, and I can¡¯t even look at her face properly. What¡¯s with this warmth in my heart? Yep, I¡¯m really into this girl¡­¡± I slightly looked away from her. Then, I tried to answer while scratching my cheeks. ¡°That¡¯s nice. ¡­I¡¯m really, really envious of your attitude on gaming.¡± ¡°Hoho, thank you. However, you can find a lot of fun outside of winning and losing. We¡¯re pretty envious of your attitude as well.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± At this point, we smiled at each other again. ¡­This reminded me of our first date. We were like that at that time¡­ Then, Tendou-san looked at the window again. After that, she saw what she looked like on it and hastily spoke up. ¡°S-Sorry, Amano-kun! I have to tidy up my looks¡­¡± ¡°Eh? Your look? But, you¡¯re always extremely adorable.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Ah, are you minding that curled up hair? I do feel that¡¯s pretty cute in its own way too. ¡­Ah, please wait.¡± ¡°Eh? Eh? Eh?¡± I took a step closer to Tendou-san. After that, Ibed her curled hair gently and carefully using my hand. So, after I swept it silently a couple times. I was so relieved that I can¡¯t help but express what I¡¯m sincerely thinking. ¡°¡­Haha, Tendou-san, it feels like I¡¯m coaxing you to be a good girl.¡± ¡°!¡± I guess she wanted me to have an easy timebing. Tendou-san plopped her head down. I continued. ¡°Ah, but let¡¯s say I do mean that, perhaps it¡¯s nice too. It¡¯s because you got such a brilliant score today. I think the teacher or your parents won¡¯t praise you for beating the game. ¡­So, the least I can do is to help and praise you for loving gaming. Moreover, I also hope for a little that can be what I mean to you." ¡°!!!¡± Tendou-san seems to be mumbling something. Is it because it hurts when I¡¯mbing her hair? I paid attention to be more gentle with my hands as I continued chatting. ¡°Ah,e to think of it, even though it¡¯s a bitte, this is the first time Ibed a girl¡¯s hair.¡± ¡°!¡± ¡°But, somehow, whenever I¡¯m with you, ¡­my wish to do all this for you always wins against embarrassment. It¡¯s just like when I confessed to you. This is unbelievable. I guess it¡¯s because I really do love you¡­¡± ¡°!!!!!!¡± Perhaps it¡¯s because Tendou-san¡¯s hair is incredibly soft and smooth. I¡¯m revealing all of my emotions defenselessly like I¡¯m in my bed. With that, ¡­Tendou-san suddenly raised her head as if she¡¯s trying to stop me. After that, she rolled her eyes and started protesting. ¡°W-What were you doing j-just then!?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡± After she said that, I finally realized that this is the school hallway in the morning. When I turned around, a shocking amount of people are looking at me. ¡­However¡­ ¡°Ah, but, Tendou-san, it¡¯s great now that you cheered up!¡± I smiled and answered. So, ¡­Tendou-san¡¯s blushing harder and harder like a red apple. Her lips are trembling. ¡°A-A-A-Amano-kun! ¡­Y-Y-Y-You¡¯re literally R-R¡­¡± ¡°R? ¡­Ah, I get it! I bet you¡¯re trying to say ¡®romantic yer¡¯ just then-¡° ¡°You¡¯re literally Romeo! I LOVE YOU!¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that reaction!?¡± My ex-girlfriend made that shocking confession as she yelled at the top of her lungs and ran away. ¡­Uh, ¡­how should I say this? What just happened? I think I didn¡¯t mishear anything, yet I feel like I shouldn¡¯t take her word for it. I can¡¯t just get excited like that. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Sigh, even so, I¡¯m excited. Yay. ¡°¡­A-Amano, why are you bouncing around in the hallway alone? That¡¯s disgusting.¡± Someone suddenly talked to me from behind. I turned back and saw a familiar face. ¡°Ah, good morning, Uehara-kun. ¡­Eh, huh, Aguri-san and Chiaki are here too.¡± ¡°Hi, Amanhi.¡± ¡°Good morning, Keita.¡± The two girls poked her head out behind Uehara-kun. ¡­I can¡¯t help but re at Uehara-kun. ¡°¡­That¡¯s our Uehara-kun. You can get two girls next to you once you arrive at school¡­¡± ¡°Your eyes are full of darkness. Well, Aguri is going to school with me, but we bumped into Hoshinomori on the road. ¡°Ohhh¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s with your reply? Ah, forget about that, Amano, is Tendou alright?¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, the three of us saw a wobbling and mysterious blonde creature near the entrance. But, we lost her because she¡¯s wobbling too much. After that, we walked around the entire school and got here¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Yes, honestly, she¡¯s miserable in terms of sleeping time. ¡­However, I think she got better.¡± When Uehara-kun and I talked about that, Chiaki suddenly freaked out for some reason and asked me. ¡°A-Also, K-Keita, ¡­w-were you chatting happily with Tendou-san just then?¡± ¡°Eh? Uh, hmm, I guess so¡­¡± ¡°Can I ask¡­what did¡­you two talk about?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Chiaki nced up at me as she asked me that question, ¡­even I know what that means. I feel like, ¡­right now, she seems to be a bit jealous. Ugh, ¡­t-this is embarrassing. So, the sharp-eyed normie couple secretly looked at us with an annoying expression. So, I cleared my throat and decided to exin to them. ¡°Tendou-san said that she has already broken the record of that game.¡± ¡°Ohh!¡± These three immediately cheered up. ¡­My heart¡¯s getting warm when they¡¯re so engaged in their friend¡¯s score in a game. After that, when I told them Tendou-san is really exhausted, Chiaki suddenly grabbed her phone out and said, ¡°Come to think of it-¡° ¡°I discovered this mobile game after yesterday¡¯s meeting.¡± ¡°Mobile game?¡± Uehara-kun, Aguri-san, and I tilted our heads as we looked at Chiaki¡¯s phone. So, the game is¡­ ¡°Is this¡­the mobile version of < Gods and Evil>? I didn¡¯t know they have this version!¡± ¡°Yes, Keita. I didn¡¯t know that either. However, I think this got on the shelves 3 days ago. I can¡¯t help but download it since it¡¯s a one-time purchase.¡± Chiaki then showed us the new game. The screen is showing the exact same thing we saw at the Game Club yesterday. Uehara-kun sighed admirably. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s almost the same.¡± ¡°Yeah, all of thements are positive as well. I also think that they did a good job. It¡¯s just that the impossible part to replicate is¡­¡± ¡°Huh, Hoshinhi, how do you control this?¡± ¡°This is the issue¡­¡± After Aguri-san asked that, Chiaki rotated her phone and continued ying the game. ¡­However, no matter how you look at it, the controls are pretty restricted. ¡°Uh, well, they already tuned it a lot for a mobile game. Therefore, thements have no problem with that too. ¡­Even so, the controls are still worse than a game controller¡­¡± ¡°It has to be. The original game already required you to press a lot of buttons¡­¡± I nced at the screen as I said that. Once I got my face close, Chiaki messed up and got a game over. ¡­A slightly awkward atmosphere enveloped us. Then, when the screen switched to the scoreboard, my eyes turned to the tiny button at the top right corner. ¡°Eh, there¡¯s an online ranking in the mobile version too.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, there is. I didn¡¯t even notice that.¡± Chiaki said that as she pressed that button unintentionally. The loading screen showed up. Uehara-kun mumbled. ¡°The controls in the mobile version aren¡¯t great, right? How high can the score be when it¡¯s just 3 days old¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­ah, there it is. Uh, the current first ce is¡­¡± ¡°Let me see! Let me see!¡± All of us looked at the screen excitedly. In the end, the score and name above is- < No.1 ¨C MAI ¨C 457 million points > ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Everyone froze and fell speechless. ¡­All of us are thinking of the same thing. (Huh, I think I just saw one of my friends staying up all night to reach the 300 million goal¡­) After that, Chiaki suddenlyughed stiffly and clicked on her phone. ¡°T-Think about it, the score multiplier in the mobile version¡­is definitely higher, right?¡± She opened the official webpage and scrolled down to thements. However, it showed¡­ < The mobile version is excellent. But, the controls are terrible, and the score increases very slowly.> < It¡¯s still just as fun! But are there fewer enemies in the mobile version? Thanks to that, I think the score can¡¯t be as high as the console version¡­> < There are cheaters on the online scoreboard, right? MAI dominated. How could someone get a score like that?> < Developers: We didn¡¯t discover any cheaters at this stage. It would be our honor if the yers can continue to enjoy the game.> ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The four of us read thesements. The mood is getting heavier and heavier. The ssmates saw our faces and left without a trace. At this point, Chiaki finally¡­ ¡°¡­Phew, phew.¡± She pressed the power button and turned off the screen silently. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­An exhausted gamer girl floated up in our minds. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ The four of us looked at each other¡¯s face and gulped. Then, we mumbled the same thing at the same time. ¡°There¡¯s no mobile version at all.¡± Sometimes, we have to look away from reality for our friend¡¯s health. ¡­This realization came to the high school year 2 students on a cold winter morning. Volume 9, 5 – Keita Amano and Sudden Boss Fight

Volume 9, Chapter 5 ¨C Keita Amano and Sudden Boss Fight

Trantor: your_pingas ¡°I refuse.¡± ¡°That sudden!?¡± Aguri-san¡¯s loud voice can be heard from the speaker. I can¡¯t help but move my ears away. It¡¯s the first Saturday of February, 9PM. I¡¯m lying on my bed in the room as I continue. ¡°Uh, it¡¯s because¡­I got a call on a Saturday night from you instead of a text. This way, ¡­the only correct choice that I, Keita Amano, can do is still pick up the phone and reject right away.¡± ¡°Amanhi, I hate how much you¡¯ve grown up! You¡¯re so sensitive now! B-But¡­¡± Aguri-san paused for a frustrating moment at this point to try and arouse my curiosity. ¡°Is Amanhi¡¯s assumption really correct? Drawing the line before listen to what Aguri-nee-chan has to say, can you really say that you won¡¯t regret-¡° I hung up without any hesitation. ¡°Well, then¡­¡± I stood up from the bed and took a big stretch. Well, there¡¯s nothing on the TV I really want to watch today. It¡¯s time for a bath- < Ring¡­! > -My phone¡¯s ringing again. The electronic noise sounds really annoying. Perhaps it¡¯s my imagination. I stared at the phone, which is on my bed, for a few seconds. ¡­However, the ringing isn¡¯t stopping any time soon, so I unwillingly answered. ¡°Hey? Who¡¯s speaking, please?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me! You know that right!? Why are you hanging up!?¡± ¡°Aguri-san, it¡¯s because you¡¯re calling me on a Saturday night. You know that, right?¡± ¡°Amanhi, a boy shouldn¡¯t reply this coldly! I didn¡¯t remember raising you like this!¡± ¡°¡­Ah, right. ¡­Ahem, ¡­ah, ¡­ah¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? A-Amanhi? What¡¯s wrong-¡° ¡°This is Nakamura. Who are you looking for?¡± ¡°Eh, there¡¯s no point! The wrong number excuse doesn¡¯t even work now!¡± ¡°¡­Ah, someone¡¯s calling me. I¡¯m hanging up.¡± ¡°Liar! Amanhi, no one in the world will call you-¡° I hung up without hesitation for the second time. Relentlessly. Alright, I¡¯m going to take a bath. ¡­Someone¡¯s calling me again. Although I wanted to ignore it again, ¡­perhaps it¡¯s my imagination, the ¡°Aguri-san¡± on the screen looks really depressing. So, I answered the call. ¡°I¡¯m calling the cops.¡± ¡°Will someone really say that to his friend after picking up a call!?¡± Aguri-san¡¯s voice sounds terrified. As for me, ¡­I can only admit defeat and sit on the bed again. I asked her what¡¯s going on. ¡°So? What¡¯s wrong? You kept calling me.¡± ¡°I kept calling you because you keep hanging up!¡± ¡°It¡¯s usual to hang up an annoying harassment call.¡± ¡°Why do you think that I¡¯m annoying!? I didn¡¯t even say anything yet!¡± ¡°¡­So, you mean I can benefit from what you¡¯re going to talk about?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Aguri-san seems to have puffed up her chest on the other side of the phone. I scratched my head and urged her to continue unwillingly. ¡°If you are saying that already, I¡¯ll be asking then. ¡­Why did you call me on a Saturday night, Aguri-san?¡± ¡°Yes! Amanhi, do you want toe to my house tomorrow-¡° I immediately hung up. Then, I also considered turning off my phone entirely. However, I still hesitated a bit, no matter how cold-hearted I am. So, I got another phone call before anything could be done. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­I scrolled the screen and tried to decline the call. ¡­However, she called me right away again. ¡­I should just cklist her. ¡­Although I thought about doing it, I can¡¯t cross that line. Furthermore, at the end of the day, I just can¡¯t ignore Aguri-sanpletely. I answered the call. This time, Aguri-san seems to have learned her lesson as well. She suddenly exined to me without anyint. ¡°Eh, I get it! I understand! I also considered this! Right now, Amanhi doesn¡¯t want to stir up any more troubles. I get that. So, I also respectfully agreed to stop going to the family restaurant for a while! Yes!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why are you suggesting such a heavyweight event that not just affects me, but your own rtionship as well¡­?¡± Facing my thoroughly dumbfounded voice, the other side of the phone is¡­ ¡°¡­I guess it¡¯s because¡­even though I understand, I can only rely on you, Amanhi¡­¡± ¡­Aguri-san¡¯s voice got uncharacteristically depressed. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± My ears are still next to the phone. I can¡¯t help but look up to the ceiling in my room. ¡­That¡¯s why I wanted to hang up ASAP. After all, if things turned like this, there¡¯s only one option left for me, Keita Amano. * ¡°Hiya, you¡¯re here, Amanhi! Wow, you¡¯re such a man!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s a Sunday morning, 11AM. I¡¯m at the bus station near Aguri-san¡¯s home. I got off with cloudy eyes. The gal, who¡¯s in a coat, immediately came here while rubbing her hands. When the bus closed the door and left, I started mumbling without even looking at the gal. ¡°¡­Should I try and suddenly invite Tendou-san out for a date? ¡­I thought about that.¡± ¡°N-No, no, no! I bet Tendou-san has something else to do today, yes!¡± ¡°¡­Even so, the important part is that I ¡®suddenly invited¡¯ her, right. ¡­I wonder whether this can let her know that I want to see her. ¡­I thought about doing that.¡± ¡°N-No, no, no! Amanhi, you can¡¯t just keep going on the attack in rtionships!¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s definitely right! I-I feel like you shouldn¡¯t force Tendou-san out!¡± ¡°¡­I guess it¡¯s right when Aguri-san said it. Sigh, ¡­it¡¯s just that¡­¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s just that?¡± I stared at the grey sky that looks like it¡¯s about to snow at any time and mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m intruding in a girl¡¯s house secretly on a Sunday, and she has a boyfriend too. Even a guy like me knows that this is literally the ¡®wrong route¡¯ for my rtionship.¡± ¡°¡­I-I guess you¡¯re right.¡± Aguri-san looked away and curled up her lips. She started whistling even though she doesn¡¯t know how to do it. I sighed and changed my mind before smiling at her. ¡°Even so, it¡¯s cold to stay here. Can Ie to your house?¡± ¡°Eh? Hmm, ¡­s-sure, of course! Let¡¯s go, Amanhi!¡± Aguri-san immediately brightened up and walked in front of me cheerfully. She¡¯s bouncing on the t snow with a white knitted hat like a bunny. My temper already cooled down after seeing that. I tried to ask her what¡¯s next when I¡¯m following Aguri-san towards the residential area. ¡°So, why are you dragging me to your house? I think you just said you want to stay home and y video games on the phone¡­¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­uh, well, that¡¯s true¡­¡± Aguri-san slowed down and answered me. ¡°To put it simply, Amanhi, I want you to y video games with me at home.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­Uh, I don¡¯t really mind that. I love to y video games with others too¡­¡± ¡°Right? See, isn¡¯t this good for you too, Amanhi!?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± Aguri-san suddenly turned back and started getting aggressive. I was surprised. ¡­Indeed, it¡¯s a pretty attractive invitation if I¡¯m really just ying games with my friends. However¡­ ¡°But, Aguri-san, why are you inviting me even though you don¡¯t like games?¡± ¡°Eh? Uh, ¡­it¡¯s nothing. ¡­How should I say this¡­?¡± Aguru-san turned around right away and faced forward again. She took a step on the snow as if she¡¯s avoiding me. I chased after her. Then, ¡­after a long moment, she continued. ¡°¡­Amanhi, well, it¡¯s actually someone wanting to y video games with you¡­¡± ¡°Eh? Someone besides you? I-Is it your family?¡± I don¡¯t remember whether Aguri-san has any siblings. Ah, perhaps it¡¯s her parents? If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s kind of awkward to see them since I¡¯m a guy, after all¡­ Aguri-san seems to have noticed that I¡¯m worried about that. So, she calmed me down. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not my parents. To be clear, ¡­it¡¯s actually my cousin.¡± ¡°Your cousin? You got me on board because that cousin wants to y video games with someone?¡± ¡°Uh, ..r-right. ¡­It¡¯s close. That¡¯s it.¡± Aguri-san didn¡¯t give a straight answer. Although I stared at her suspiciously, I can still understand. (She invited a game-loving friend to her house because her cousin wants to y. ¡­Sigh, I guess it makes sense for her to not find her boyfriend.) At least, this is way more wholesome than my initial imagination. Or, I should say this won¡¯t cause much danger for me. This way, even though if someone found out I visited Aguri-san¡¯s house, I can still exin to Uehara-kun and Tendou-san. ¡­Yes. If that¡¯s the case, I think I was a bit too self-conscious on the phonest night. I scratched my cheeks and spoke up. ¡°Uh, ¡­I feel like I should say sorry. Aguri-san, I overthought this.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, ¡­ah, y-yeah! Amanhi, you¡¯re way too sensitive to girlstely!¡± ¡°I guess so. I should stop that ¡­You¡¯re right. We don¡¯t need to be involved in rtionships every time we talk.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah.¡± I was relieved to hear what Aguri-san said, so I started chatting with her directly. ¡°Ah, right, speaking of stopping, perhaps you heard this from Uehara-kun already, I did the same thing during that lost child incident. I regretted whether I can do more so much-¡° When I¡¯m in the middle of my sentence, during this time- Aguri-san stopped in front of an apartment and said, ¡°This way.¡± After that, she quickly unlocked the door. I froze as I looked at the lobby from the ss door. I spewed up my thoughts honestly. ¡°I feel like this apartment¡¯s pretty high-ss. It doesn¡¯t match you.¡± ¡°Amanhi, you always say unnecessary stuff in front of girls.¡± ¡°Sheesh, I only do this to you.¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯m d.¡± Aguri-san robotically answered as she inputs the password. I looked away subconsciously. The automatic door opened after an electric sound was yed. Aguri-san stepped forward and continued. ¡°However, in reality, this isn¡¯t really a high-ss ce. It¡¯s just 5 stories tall, after all. The house isn¡¯t new either. Inparison, the rooms inside are pretty big.¡± ¡°Oh, wide spaces. That¡¯s nice.¡± ¡°¡­Hiya, it¡¯s hard to say¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Isn¡¯t wide better than tight?¡± ¡°Yeah. I feel the same way around a month ago¡­¡± ¡°?¡± Aguri-san just said something meaningful as she crossed over the lobby. I hastily followed her as well. After that, both of us got on the elevator. She pressed the 5/F button, and the door closed. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Then, for some reason, both of us fell silent inside the closed space. Well, I¡¯m just getting nervous since this is my first time visiting her house. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I can see Aguri-san¡¯s face from the clean and reflective elevator door. (Why does Aguri-san look pretty stiff as well¡­?) We have known each other for a long time, yet this is the first time I see her like this. That face is different than when she¡¯s bothered by something Uehara-kun did. How should I put it¡­? You can only feel stress from that depressing face¡­ Just as I¡¯m lost in thoughts, the elevator arrived on the 5th floor. We exited the elevator and walked through the corridor directly. ¡­Then, we stopped in front of a door. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°A-Aguri-san?¡± To her, even though it¡¯s just going back to her home, for some reason, she looks really nervous. The girl even started taking deep breaths. ¡­Something¡¯s wrong. I can feel it. I can¡¯t help but look at her suspiciously again. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m just here to y games with that cousin, right?¡± Facing my question, Aguri-san answered calmly without turning back. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Amanhi, you just need to y games with my cousin.¡± ¡°A-Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes, ¡­also, uh¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s also!?¡± Aguri-san suddenly requested another thing as she reached her hand to the door handle. So, ¡­she stepped forward forcefully without giving me any time to ask any questions. ¡°Also, you need to cooperate with me. -I¡¯m home!¡± ¡°Eh, wait, what does that me-¡° The door opened before I could clear my confusion. First of all, I can see the entrance. After that, a corridor with a rug on top came into view. The inside was split by the door to the living room. -At the next moment, the door I¡¯m looking at was opened forcefully. A child bounced around as she dashed out. Then- ¡°Wee back, Aguri-nee-chan!¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­... ¡­This feels familiar. The little girl¡¯s wearing a goth loli dress. She pounced on Aguri-san¡¯s chest after running to the entrance. After that, ¡­Aguri-san hugged her tightly and gently patted her as she spoke softly. ¡°Now, now, this is too dangerous, -Mii.¡± ¡°¡­Mii.¡± I can¡¯t help but repeat her name. So, that little girl, -Mii, suddenly turned to me. After that, she bulged her eyes and gasped, ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°The princess chased after by otakus!¡± ¡°Can you not remember me in that way, Mii!?¡± Indeed, she¡¯s the lost girl we found a while ago, ¡­Mii Fushiguro. As for Aguri-san, she hugged Mii as she tilted her head unbelievably. ¡°Eh, Amanhi, you know Mii? Why?¡± It looks like Aguri-san doesn¡¯t know about the lost child incident. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s because¡­¡± I wanted to give a simple exnation. ¡­However, I was interrupted by someone speaking deep into the corridor. ¡°Oh, Agu, it looks like you brought the guy here.¡± This dominating voice grasped and ruled the mood inside. -None of the conversations before this mattered anymore. It¡¯s an overwhelming pressure. ¡­The voice that I can¡¯t forget even if I want to. This¡­ ¡°Mom.¡± Mii left Aguri-san and ran inside. My eyes followed her. ¡­Then, I saw a silver hair beauty deep inside the corridor leaning on the wallzily. She¡¯s not wearing her usual flight attendant uniform today. Instead, it¡¯s a vest with thin shoulder straps and tight jeans that emphasized her long legs. Home clothing. However, that unique dominance is still fully operational. ¡­My forehead is covered in cold sweats as I gulped. (She¡¯s the same. ¡­The type that I¡¯m scared of the most¡­) Beautiful, arrogant, confident, -a woman that seems to be always tasting others. For a short, self-abased, and cowardly person like me, she¡¯s the absolute opposite of my kind. So, at that time, ¡­I wanted to escape when I nced at her. Also, at this moment, she¡¯s observing me to her satisfaction with ¡°that¡± look. Just as I¡¯m confused by her meaning and froze at the entrance, ¡­for a moment, I think she¡¯s teasing me. Then, she looked back at Aguri-san, who¡¯s taking off her shoes. After that, -she spewed something unbelievable. ¡°I see. Agu, this guy¡¯s your- boyfriend?¡± ¡°¡­Fweuh?¡± I let out a weird noise with my reflexes. Speaking of Aguri-san, ¡­she wasn¡¯t fazed at all. The girl even answered calmly as she took off her shoes one by one. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s my boyfriend, Amanhi- Keita Amano. ¡­What, you got a problem?¡± ¡°Hmm? No, I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± She answered Aguri-san casually. Then, she turned to me with a smile that sent chills down my spine. ¡°I¡¯m Main Fushiguro. Nice to meet you, -Keita Amano.¡± ¡°¡­Y-Yes, ¡­n-nice to meet you.¡± I plopped my head down and sweated profusely. ¡­My throat¡¯s unusually thirsty. After she, -Main-san, looked down on me in satisfaction, she turned around and greeted us. ¡°Sigh, anyway,e in first, you two. The house¡¯s not beautiful, sorry.¡± ¡°¡­Eh, this is my house. You two are just guests¡­¡± When Mii and ¡°Mom¡± walk back to the living room, Aguri-san helplessly shrugs as she prepares to follow them. However¡­ ¡°¡­Uwah!¡± ¡­I grabbed Aguri-san¡¯s coat cor rudely and dragged her to me with force. I got my mouth real close to her ears. ¡­Then, I spoke up in an uncharacteristically harsh voice. ¡°¡­Oh, Aguri-san, I didn¡¯t know that I¡¯m your boyfriend?¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­a-alright. A-Anyway, you shoulde in first, Amanhi. Alright? Alright?¡± The traitor gal is still trying to persuade me when I¡¯m grabbing her neck. ¡­Why do I have to face such a terrifying person for this liar? Why do I have to get into this mess that hurt my rtionship with Tendou-san? This is stupid. I let go of her cor and turned around. As I¡¯m preparing to leave right away- ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Amanhi. I¡¯m being serious¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± -I can¡¯t do it. (You¡¯re so cunning to apologize now. Aguri-san, you¡¯re so slick¡­) I dropped my shoulders detedly. After that, I turned to Aguri-san and red at her angrily. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s forget what you¡¯re hiding first. ¡­I will only help you within my abilities, ¡­and what I should do. If that works¡­¡± ¡°Huh! Yes, yes! Thank you, Amanhi! I love you!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I also more or less love you.¡± I casually answered as I took off my shoes. Then, ¡­I finally headed straight towards that corridor leading to hell instead of the living room. I took a step tremblingly. * In conclusion, that ce really is hell. ¡°Very well, Amako¡¯s left sock¡¯s ¡®ownership¡¯ belongs to me now.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡±¡± When the screen shows the racing game¡¯s ranking, I put down the controller and stood up from the chair. After that, ¡­in front of the three girls (one of them is a child), I slowly took off my left sock. So- ¡°Keita-nii-chan, your legs are really white!¡± -Mii¡¯s jumping on the soft sofa as sheughed. ¡°Ughh¡­!¡± W-What¡¯s with this baffling sense of humiliation? Aguri-san and Main-san are staring daggers into me. ¡­I didn¡¯t know people watching me taking off my sock can be this humiliating! A new discovery! After I took off my left sock, ¡­I feel like it¡¯s ufortable to keep the right sock on too. So, I nned to take that off. However- ¡°Hey, why are you taking the right one off too, Amako? I just robbed your left sock¡¯s ownership. There¡¯s no need for you to give me the right one.¡± ¡°No, Main-san, I just want to take that off because it feels ufortable. I¡¯m not giving you that¡­¡± ¡°Really? Well, if you¡¯re taking off the right side, then wear the left one, Amako.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ufortable to wear one side only, right? Well, I want you to continue feeling ufortable.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡­I encountered a real demon today for the first time. I gave up on taking off my right sock as I sat down again. -I¡¯m afraid that the cushion is not used to wee guests. Instead, it¡¯s filled with holes and soy sauce stains. As for Main-san, she¡¯s sitting on a high-ss gaming chair that seems to cost at least 100,000 yen. Sheughed out in satisfaction and looked down on me. ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± I teared up in pure frustration. Aguri-san, who¡¯s sitting on a normal cushion, got her face close to me. Then, she quietly apologized to me for the countless time today. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Amanhi.¡± However, as she apologized, ¡­in contrast to me being forced to take off my clothes, she has to wear a thick coat even though we¡¯re in a house. We looked at each other sympathetically and sighed. -It¡¯s been 2 hours since we started ying games in Aguri-san¡¯s house, including Mii and Main-san. Uh, this is really a ¡°gamer¡¯s meeting.¡± What we are doing isn¡¯t deviating that far from the theme. From this point alone, Aguri-san didn¡¯t lie to me. ¡­However, that¡¯s excluding two serious problems. The first problem. ¡°Alright, Amako, Gurisuke, which ¡®right¡¯ are we betting for the next match? Say it, what do you guys want to y?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± You have to bet one of your ¡®rights¡¯ in every match of this gamer¡¯s meeting. The second problem. ¡°But, ¡­I¡¯m on a 25 win streak already. You¡¯re weaker than I thought, Amako.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± This Main Fushiguro woman, ¡­she¡¯s unusually good at gaming. No, she never lost a match, even in luck-based card games. Instead of saying she¡¯s a pro gamer, it¡¯s more like she¡¯s exceptionally strong at all kinds ofpetition. In the end¡­ ¡°Thanks to that, there are almost no ¡®rights¡¯ left to strip off of Amako.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­I think I met a robber in these 2 hours. (How should I say it¡­? I remembered how I felt when I was visiting the Game Club¡­) Sigh, the sadness and depression are a hundred times stronger, though. After all, you can already see what Main-san¡¯s like. Then, if it¡¯s so miserable, perhaps you might ask why don¡¯t I just end the match quickly? However, ¡­the terrible part is that I already don¡¯t have the ¡®right¡¯ to do so anymore. That¡¯s what we call cunning. -Apetition has to provide both risk and reward. That¡¯s the mindset of this Main Fushigurody. ¡­An attitude that brings nothing but troubles to others. However, Main-san didn¡¯t rob anything from Mii. From her view, it seems to because ¡°Mii¡¯s ownership already belongs to me.¡± ¡­What a shocking theory. Also, that ¡°almost¡± applies to her cousin Aguri-san as well. The reason that I said almost¡­is because she¡¯s not totally out of it like Mii. Aguri-san has a 30% chance of having something randomly robbed from her. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The result of being robbed of her ¡°temperature adjustment right¡± is that she¡¯s forced to wear her coat in the house. Her face is devoid of pride. I gave my friend a sympathetic look. ¡­Well, even though I¡¯m not much better since I lose something every time I was defeated. However, Aguri-san seems to feel upset because Main-san gets to decide whether she will be ¡°robbed¡± or ¡°released.¡± As a result, Aguri-san has to abandon her carefree attitude and be forced to obey. The rtionship is a bit twisted for normal cousins. ¡°By the way, Mom is the strongest.¡± ¡°Ha, don¡¯t say something that¡¯s clearly true. Mii, -1 point.¡± Mii was shocked as she fell onto the sofa. ¡­While I feel sorry for her, she looks quite adorable. Ah, as for the real rtionship between Mii and Main-san, just as expected, they are siblings instead of mother-child. Their age difference is greater. It¡¯s just that their mother seems to have eloped after giving birth to Mii. Main-san, who¡¯s a couple years older, is definitely ying the ¡°onee-san mother¡± role. ¡­So, I think she especially pays attention to ¡°ownership¡± because of that, ¡­or not. Personally, I would vote for her natural demonic personality. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± So, when we tried our best to fall into memories and escape reality, Main-san urged us to continue impatiently. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Amako, Gurisuke. It¡¯s time for the next match.¡± ¡°¡­.Fine.¡± We grabbed the game controllers again exhaustedly. Also, we¡¯re being called ¡°Amako¡± and ¡°Gurisuke.¡± Of course, that¡¯s the result of having our rights taken. (Mii said that ¡°Mom¡± has a lot of ¡°underlings¡± before. ¡­At this point, I think I really understand what does that mean¡­) Just as I¡¯m peeking at Mii because of that, ¡­she seems to be blushing sheepishly. ¡°Mii?¡± After I asked, ¡­Mii admitted defeat and made up her mind to ask Main-san. ¡°Mom, ¡­I want to go to the bathroom.¡± ¡°Huh? You can go alone, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­but I don¡¯t know how to take off this clothing.¡± Mii said that as she looked at her detailed and refined set of goth dress. ¡­I bet Main-san ¡°forced¡± her to wear it. No matter how unreasonable Main-san is, she had to ept it and stood up. ¡°Alright, alright.¡± ¡°Gurisuke, I¡¯ll borrow your room to change Mii, okay?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, sure.¡± So, as they are preparing to leave the room together, ¡­as if she calcted that Aguri-san and I will feel relieved here, Main-san left down another word. ¡°Alright, ¡­well, next time, I¡¯ll be asking for Amako¡¯s rights to his lips.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± I guess it¡¯s because our spines turned stiff as we freaked out. Main-san hummed a song in satisfaction as she closed the door. After the Fushiguro sisters got in another room, both of us sighed loudly. We¡¯re free from the anxiety. Both of us lost all strength and leaned our entire bodies on the back of the chair. I looked at the ceiling and talked to the gal next to me. ¡°Aguri-san, ¡­I think I can understand why you invited me as a boyfriend to your house after all that. There¡¯s a reason why you don¡¯t want to find Uehara-kun..¡± ¡°Ah, at least you understand. Amanhi, ¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. ¡­If I¡¯m you and there¡¯s a male cousin version of Main-san, ¡­well, I don¡¯t think I can introduce Tendou-san to him.¡± I¡¯m getting chills from imagining it. This means that there will be a handsome and capable guy in a flight attendant suit. ¡°You belong to me!¡± He¡¯s going to say that to Tendou-san. ¡­That¡¯s scary! Of course, Aguri-san won¡¯t dare to find Uehara-kun! However, ¡­even though I understand, even so¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I stood up from the back of the chair and thought silently for a moment. ¡­After that, I let out a deep sigh and told Aguri-san. ¡°¡­But, Aguri-san, as a friend, I think¡­I¡¯m at my limit.¡± ¡°¡­I guess so.¡± Aguri-san stood up as well as she answered with a bitter smile. Unexpectedly, she didn¡¯t me or beg me. I continued. ¡°I¡¯m fine if the rights she¡¯s asking for are within aughable range. However, ¡­it¡¯s too much responsibility for a ¡®fake boyfriend¡¯ when ites to lips. More importantly, I can¡¯t face Tendou-san if she really robbed that away from me.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Also, the hardest part is that¡­once that person said she wants it, it won¡¯t go down as a joke, right? Moreover, she¡¯s the type that can kiss emotionlessly too.¡±s After she heard my assumption, Aguri-san smiled. ¡°That¡¯s our Amanhi. You¡¯re just as observant as you used to be when ites to people. It¡¯s just like what you said. That¡¯s why I¡¯m frustrated right now. It¡¯s been like this since a long time ago.¡± ¡°A long time ago?¡± ¡°Ah, Main-nee-san and her family started taking up residence in our house because of reasons. They were living in their old house until shortly after Mii¡¯s birth.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± ¡°Right. ¡­Ah, I just remembered it. I think Main-nee-san graduated from Otobuki as well.¡± ¡°Eh, so, she counts as our senpai?¡± ¡°Yeah. It was around 4 years ago, I think. ¡­That was the most chaotic period of Otobuki.¡± ¡°Oh, ¡­although Main-san¡¯s personality is like that, she¡¯s beautiful and good at gaming. I guess her position was just like Tendou-san back then.¡± ¡°Uh, I¡¯m not sure. You couldn¡¯t paint your hair silver at that time. I feel like it¡¯s not that ridiculous. Ah, but she¡¯s indeed very good atpetitions and video games since that time.¡± ¡°Oh, really. Main-san has always been good at gaming¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, right. Main-nee-san¡¯s great at games. ¡­She was studying in¡­Otobuki¡­a couple years ago¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± At this point, we¡¯re getting goosebumps for some reason. Good at gaming, ¡­Main, ¡­the name¡¯s pronunciation¡­can be written as¡­? ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­M-A-I-N¡­? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± T-That¡¯s impossible. I-It won¡¯t be. ¡­We looked at each other¡¯s faces. Then, Aguri-san identally knocked off Main-san¡¯s phone from the table. Luckily, it fell onto the carpet from a low ce. So, it didn¡¯t break or anything. However, ¡­the screen turned on from the shock. We can¡¯t help but saw- (I think it¡¯s a notification from the mobile version of < Gods and Evil >!) Aguri-san quickly turned off the screen and put it back to the table. Honestly, it¡¯s not concrete evidence. However, ¡­from our point, I feel like we can be absolutely sure. (MAI¡­has always been around us¡­) How should I put this? It literally felt like we can spread our wings freely. Instead of surprised, Aguri-san and I only felt ¡°relief¡± at that time. Also, at this point, we¡¯re sure that¡­ ¡°¡­Okay.¡± I slowly stood up from the chair. As for Aguri-san, ¡­.she gave me a smile that said she admitted defeat and looked at me. ¡°I guess so.¡± Aguri-san tried her best to speak up casually. I turned away from her smile and answered. ¡°This is already not¡­a scene that Aguri-san¡¯s male friend Keita Amano can tangle with, right? Uehara-kun should be the person to do it, ¡­or, from a simple gaming perspective, Tendou-san should challenge her instead.¡± ¡°Yes, Amanhi, it¡¯s exactly like what you said.¡± Aguri-san nodded and agreed as she stood up as well. After that, she quickly handed me my bag and coat from the corner of the room. Then, she even smiled and said, ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Amanhi, go home now before Main-nee-san returns.¡± ¡°Even though I¡¯m sorry, things are better this way. It¡¯s for our love.¡± ¡°Yeah, of course, it would be terrible if Amanhi¡¯s lips are robbed away. I also feel that, ¡­yeah, we should tell apart personal issues from the public ones at first hand. It¡¯s right to ask my boyfriend to intervene.¡± ¡°Exactly. I feel like I shouldn¡¯t intrude on Uehara-kun¡¯s responsibilities. ¡­It¡¯s for our love.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s for our love.¡± Both of us just smiled at each other peacefully. I feel like¡­I have never expected our interaction can grow to this point in the past. If it were us a while ago, we would do something dumb without giving it any thought. ¡­However, at this point, we know when to back out. Anyway, the one thing that we¡¯re sure of is that we¡¯re both ¡°mature¡± already. I hastily got on my coat and bag. Then, I walked to the corridor as quietly as possible. So, I can hear Mii and Main-san talking from the room in front of the bathroom. They seem to be done. The two of them returned to Aguri-san¡¯s house and started changing, I walked to the entrance quietly and got on my shoes in silence. Then, I looked back again. Aguri-san bid farewell to me quickly. ¡°Well, Aguri-san, I¡¯ll see you.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you, Amanhi. You were a great help.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry for not staying until thest moment.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I feel like it¡¯s just like what you said. Amanhi shouldn¡¯t take part in the following. It¡¯s time for me¡­to rely on Tasuku.¡± ¡°¡­I think this is better, whether it¡¯s for you or for me.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. This is better, whether it¡¯s for Amanhi or me.¡± We smiled at each other once again. After that, I¡¯m finally leaving- ¡°Hey, hey, hey, there should be a penalty when you disconnect without a greeting, right? Amako, Gurisuke?¡± -At that moment, Main-san, who stood behind Aguri-san without us knowing, warned us with the sternest voice she produced. ¡­Also, what she said makes sense. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Just as we¡¯re profusely sweating as we fell speechless, Mii walked out of the room slowly. ¡­Then, as if she¡¯s defending us, the little girl spoke up gently. ¡°Ah, i-it¡¯s because Keita-nii-chan¡¯s right to say goodbye to Mii was already robbed away by Mom, ¡­right?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± That way of smoothing things over is so smart that I doubted a child could pull it off. It shocked me. ¡­As for Main-san, she grinned cheerfully for some reason and patted Mii¡¯s head roughly. ¡°Ahaha, really? I see! That can¡¯t be helped, then! Sigh, what perfect logic! You got me! Alright, I lose. I lose!¡± Main-san¡¯s in a good mood. ¡­Even though I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, it looks like I can go home without being yelled at. I showed a pathetic and polite smile. ¡°W-Well-¡° I raised my head. ¡°I-I¡¯ll be leaving¡­¡± ¡°Sure, you can go home without any penalty. Bye, Amako.¡± ¡°Bye bye, Keita-nii-chan.¡± ¡­Yes, I can go! I waved at the Fushiguro sisters as I felt relieved for not having to intervene in this plot. That¡¯s not my responsibility. I pressed my chest as I turned to the door- ¡°But, Gurisuke, you have to be punished. Let me think. I was wondering about this keychain found in your room¡­ -However, I immediately reacted to what I saw at the corner of my eyes and turned to Main-san. So, at the next moment- ¡°-I¡¯ll confiscate this Loverbears thing then-¡° -I already grabbed her wrist tightly before she finished that. Main-san¡¯s middle finger has a pair of teddy bear keychains on it. ¡­That double-colored teddy bear is the symbol of Aguri-san and Uehara-kun. It¡¯s ringing under her palm. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Time stopped. Aguri-san and Mii look confused. Main-san, who¡¯s enjoying something, raised her grin even more. As for me- ¡°Hey, hey, hey, what¡¯s wrong, Amako, aren¡¯t you going home?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°A-Amanhi!¡± Aguri-san snapped out of it and persuaded me. I hastily¡­yet detailedly nced at her face. As for Aguri-san, ¡­as if she¡¯s trying to hide something from me, she quickly got her close to my ears and tried to calm me down. ¡°I-I¡¯m okay! Please just go home first, Amanhi! Don¡¯t wait until she changes her mind! That¡¯s definitely better. Listen to me!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± For a moment, I closed my eyes and thought about what Aguri-san said. So, I remembered¡­the ¡°improvement¡± I made during thest year. Also, I thought about my ¡°attitude¡± for this whole week. I have acquired irreceable growth fromst year¡¯s misunderstandings and mistakes. With that, I had a new answer and attitude. Don¡¯t rush to the fore. Don¡¯t say unnecessary things. Don¡¯t argue with others. In the end, I got a peaceful life. Also, everyone said that I¡¯ve grown up. This improved me is the construct of those logical ¡°considerations¡± and ¡°correct¡± answers. All of that- -are nothing but trashpared to my friend¡¯s tears. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s have another match.¡± I mumbled and opened my eyes determinedly. Then, I moved my eyes and confirmed¡­the tiny yet real tears on Aguri-san¡¯s eyes- -I made up my mind and showed a provocative smile at Main-san. ¡°We¡¯ll just have another match, Main-san. Please fight me on video games, alright? Also, I¡¯ll ce your favorite ¡®ownership¡¯ as the bet.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Main-san¡¯s face is showing excitement from this chain of events. We continued our conversation when Aguri-san and Mii were still trying to catch up. ¡°However, Amako, at this point, what can you even bet-¡° ¡°There is. I¡¯m betting- myself. In other words, it¡¯s the ownership of Keita Amano. If I lose, it¡¯s okay for me to be your underling or worker for the rest of my life.¡± I immediately answered. Main-san¡¯s falling into intoxication since she lovespetitions so much. Aguri-san can¡¯t help but intervene. ¡°Wait, Amanhi! What¡¯s wrong with you!? Are you an idiot!?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, you¡¯re right. Right now, I intruded on something that¡¯s Uehara-kun¡¯s responsibility. I¡¯m also stepping on a stage that only Tendou-san¡¯s skill level would qualify.¡± I smiled embarrassingly at Aguri-san. ¡­Aguri-san fell silent. ¡°¡­Uh, i-if you knew it already, why are you still-¡° ¡°However, as if she¡¯s trying to cut Aguri-san¡¯s question, Main-san continued on her own selfishly. ¡°Alright, Amako, well, if you won, I¡¯ll return the Loverbears-¡° ¡°Huh? What the hell are you talking about, Main-san? ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°No, no, no, no, no. It¡¯s not equal if you think about this inmon sense. A human¡¯s ownership is way more important than a teddy bear keychain. You need to ce more bets on your side.¡± ¡°Hmm, ¡­that¡¯s true. Yes, you¡¯re right. I agree, Amako.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Our conversation is already so ridiculous that Aguri-san and Mii can¡¯t catch up anymore. The two of them observed the development speechlessly. However, only one person, ¡­only Main-san, continued thinking and hmphed. ¡°But, Amako, if that¡¯s the case, what do you want if you won?¡± ¡°Do I even need to say it? I¡¯m asking for a person¡¯s ownership as well.¡± ¡°Ha!? That¡¯s daring of you. Don¡¯t tell me you want me? Our stats aren¡¯t equal, right.¡± ¡°No, I would never want a person like you. I¡¯m only asking for one thing.¡± ¡°That is?¡± ¡°The ownership of everyone that you arrogantly thought that¡¯s in your control.¡± Obviously, what I¡¯m about to say and do is clearly wrong in the ¡°youth¡± I finally got recently. It will destroy my improvement. It will stall Aguri-san¡¯s rtionship. It will make Chiaki upset. Perhaps it will also make Uehara-kun mad too. It¡¯s even possible for him to end our friendship. No, ¡­it¡¯s not just that. The worst-case scenario would be for me to return to my lonely high school life. Just like that, it¡¯s clearly the worst option for the people around and me. Right now, I¡¯m betting into it. ¡­But, who cares? ¡°Main-san, if I win in the next match, at that time-¡° Heedless, selfish, idiotic, irritable, and sometimes rushing into a fore like a fool, ¡­I¡¯m literally a hopeless idiot. However- I dare to say this original me is absolutely why- -Tendou-san fell in love with me in the first ce. I looked at Main-san¡¯s eyes determinedly. I looked at her respectfully, just like how I looked at that admirable blonde-hair hardcore gamer. Upright and fearless. I believe in- myself. So, I finally- brought up the ¡°victory reward¡± that sounds ridiculous and overstepping, ¡­yet it matched my style perfectly to her. ¡°-I¡¯m taking Aguri-san. Everything.¡± A temporary ¡°improvement¡± is not needed anymore. This is me, a lonely and twisted gamer, Keita Amano. Volume 9 Afterword

Volume 9 Afterword

Hello, I¡¯m the author that brought a game or manga I already have at least once per year, Sekina Aoi. I don¡¯t know why either, and I get really upset whenever that happens. Initially, it should be just as money-wasting as stacking up books I don¡¯t read or games I don¡¯t y. However, their level of disappointment is wholly different. Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s because I knew how stupid I¡¯m as well. Let¡¯s put the just as awfully trash introduction away first. This is the afterword. The sensitive readers can already notice it from how many words did the unnecessary trash took up. This will be quite a lengthy one as well, 9 pages. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ That one reader that heard it¡¯s 9 pages and felt, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not so bad this time.¡± Allow me to correct you once again. That standard is still pretty weird. Uh, even though I also felt ¡°it¡¯s not so bad¡± when I heard it from the editor. Suppose I¡¯m getting used to this miserable mindset. In that case, my power level will gradually inte like thest episode of a shonen manga. In the future, I¡¯ll tease the Sekina Aoi that got proud of himself after writing a 16-page afterword. Moreover, perhaps, atst, the main story of will only take up 2 pages. All of the remaining 300 pages will be afterwords. I don¡¯t care if someone¡¯s paying to publish this unprecedently ridiculous light novel. Sigh, honestly, I think that¡¯s a bit fun too. ¡­It¡¯s because I still got that eighth-grade syndrome heart that feels impressed when I heard the word ¡°unprecedented.¡± Ahem! Forget about all that nonsense. I need to write a real afterword and talk about the story. Personally, this volume is based on the concept that Keita Amano is in the spotlight. Uh, he¡¯s still the protagonist. So, it¡¯s okay for you to say Keita Amano is in the spotlight for every volume. However, he used to have a high probability of affecting things around him. However, in this volume, he decided how he¡¯ll impact the surroundings and how he¡¯ll face them. ¡­While making it sound serious, the actual content gets dragged in with a little girl and a horrifying onee-san. Stay calm, my friends who haven¡¯t read the content yet. After you read it, you¡¯ll realize the serious afterword is just messing with you. So, I don¡¯t feel like any heroine is on the main stage here. ¡­I guess all of them are average in terms of the plot share. However, if you had to argue it from the whole picture, I think Aguri counts. I talked about the ¡°product of love¡± between Amano and her, after all! Please mentally prepare yourself if you haven¡¯t read that part yet! ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Uh, even though this is a PSA for readers that didn¡¯t read it yet, at this point, I don¡¯t think the readers will fall for the same trap in Volume 8 anymore¡­ Sigh, whatever. Moreover, I think the readers of this novel will just cheer up with a soulless tone. ¡°Wow, you lied to me.¡± Ah, also, Tendou-san had the rare chance to y an actual game. I guess it counts as a unique feature of this volume. After all, the main story described her as a hardcore gamer. Yet, I didn¡¯t have much of a chance to write her ying games in the past. I felt so refreshing and cheerful in the middle of my writing as well. No matter what, this is the first volume that ¡°Keita Amano¡± appeared in the subtitle ever since Volume 1. It would be my honor if everyone enjoyed it. ¡­Well, the author just spent a short paragraph talking about his novel. What should I do? There are over half of the pages left. W-Well, let¡¯s talk about the anime. Actually, had the luck to have an anime adaption released in Summer 2017. The readers who still haven¡¯t watched it can do so with DVD, Blu-ray, or the inte. Please see it when you have time. As for the readers that already watched it, thank you. As the author, I also experienced a very blissful 3 months. There¡¯s nothing for me to say aside from thanks to the production team. ¡­Seriously, all I got in terms of work is a thank-you speech. I-I¡¯m way too useless! Uh, actually, the original author, ¡­or I should say me, Sekina Aoi, contributed way less to the manga and anime than the reader¡¯s expectation! My only responsibility is to watch and express my feelings touchingly. ¡°It¡¯s amazing. This is super fun!¡± Or, I would say, ¡°It¡¯s amazing. ¡­It¡¯s really fun, ¡­sigh.¡± Then, I¡¯m the troublesome type to lose faith in my light novel. This is the original author. ¡­Sigh, ¡­the anime and the manga¡­is really well-made. ¡­All I can literally do¡­is to write random long afterwords, ¡­sigh. Alright, let¡¯s put thisfort-begging stuff aside first and talk about the anime. Naturally, the anime adaption is a video. So, there are fewer gamer memes during the monologue. Inparison, there are a bunch of easter eggs in the background or small details. Even the original author can¡¯t list every one of them. Especially those in the OP, seriously¡­! ¡­But, how should I put it? At times like this, since I¡¯m confident with my love of gaming, I feel really frustrated for not being able to tell every single meme. Come to think of it, do the readers of the original feel the same way sometimes? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m sincerely sorry. However, the games that appeared in the book are almost all my favorite ones. Please try them if you love gaming but haven¡¯t tried those yet! also has a list of rmendations from Sekina Aoi! ¡­Uh, I guess it would be annoying to include them without asking for permission. Right, speaking of games, I should talk about board games sometimes. Although the anime didn¡¯t really talk about board games (card games, non-digital games), the author sometimes ys them. The hardest part of these games is that you have to find more people, no matter what. It¡¯s not as convenient as digital games. Inparison, these games don¡¯t need you to be good at using controllers. Naturally, it¡¯s suitable to y with your rtives, not to mention friends. From a ¡¯s perspective, it counts as a game where Tendou-san and Aguri can fight on equal ground. ¡­Uh, I feel like Aguri¡¯s better at board games (my own impression). The unbelievable part is with the ¡°mobile version¡± with the same rules and real-life board games. Those two have really different impressions. From my personal interest¡¯s perspective, it¡¯s more exciting to y on boards and cards. It¡¯s really something where even a gamer like me considered that to be better. I don¡¯t know why that is the case too. If it¡¯s about counting the score or preparation, some part of the mobile version feels less stressful. However, I guess you can emotionally attach more when you can touch the pieces or cards. Ah, from this point, even though I don¡¯t y often, it¡¯s easier to understand with mahjong. While mahjong games are way more convenient, the texture of real mahjong pieces must have their actual worth. ¡­Even though the best part of mobile is that you can y with CPUs alone for a loner like me! The mobile version is the best! ¡­Sigh. Well, now that I¡¯m done with mobile, let¡¯s talk about ways to kill time when traveling. A guy like me will often dream when my work or trip forced me into a Shinkansen or ne for a long time. ¡°I should read that book.¡± ¡°I should try that game out.¡± However, I will feel this every time I got on a vehicle. ¡°Nevermind, I¡¯m dizzy.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not working anyways. Should I take a nap? Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I think we¡¯re already here.¡± This happens every time. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with this unable-to-use-traveling-time-efficiently syndrome. When I see the working ss that is always typing information into theirptops on Shinkansen, I feel like my way of life is outdated. I want to die. Even though I have the perfect excuse of ¡°Now¡¯s the time to think about my light novel, yes!¡± I reluctantly managed to lie to myself every time. Also, sleeping is an efficient way to kill traveling time as well, but I¡¯m the insomniac type. It¡¯s a pain when I can¡¯t sleep right away on the ne. Well, it looks like I¡¯m sleeping- The flight attendant started handing out drinks immediately right when I felt that. ¡­Uh, it should be alright for me to ignore it temporarily. But, how should I say this? Perhaps it¡¯s because I¡¯m a petty person. I feel like I should always grab a drink if I¡¯m awake. In the end, I aplished nothing, yet I still get motion sickness. Then, I arrive at the destination with an exhausted body. ¡­That¡¯s how I live. I already don¡¯t know what I should do. It can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯m venting out this depression the next time I¡¯m traveling. Right, I should think about the content of Volume 10. So, if the rtionship drama in Volume 10 is tangled up especially, ¡°Ah, Sekina Aoi must¡¯ve traveled¡­¡± Please forgive me, everyone. ¡­I think Amano and his friends won¡¯t ept this way of deciding their rtionship. Well, well, here¡¯s the appreciation speech. First of all, Cactus-sensei still helped create the incredible illustrations even though you¡¯re busy with the adaptation. I¡¯ve always appreciated you. Please continue to take care of me. The editor¡¯s next. I bet you¡¯re swamped with contacts and conferences about the adaptation. After all, the original author really didn¡¯t do anything. Thanks for your work, I mean it. Please continue to take care of me. Also, we have the readers. Whether you are a loyal follower or started reading after watching the anime, I sincerely appreciated your support. The original will still continue. However, I¡¯ll always remind myself not to forget my ¡°initial goals,¡± just like Amano. I hope I can create the uing stories sincerely. It would be my honor if everyone can continue reading. ¡­Ah, but please rx, at least this won¡¯t suddenly turn into a gaming duel novel in the next episode ughs). Well, we¡¯ll see each other in Volume 10, which is expected to release in Spring 2018! Sekina Aoi Volume 10 – Karen Tendou and Surprise Update, 1 – Keita Amano and Demon King Subjugation

Volume 10 ¨C Karen Tendou and Surprise Update, Chapter 1 ¨C Keita Amano and Demon King Subjugation

Trantor: your_pingas The bell that urges the students to leave the school rang across the ssroom under the sunset. A bus drove into the roundabout outside and raised a bunch of delicate snowkes. The students walking outside look pretty cheerful. They are chatting happily with their friends or club members as they are going home. Everyone¡¯s enjoying their respective after-school time. This is no exception for the 5 guys and girls in the Game Hobby Club. We¡¯re also setting up the scene at a corner of the 2F ssroom with the ¡°Hobby Club¡± g. The five of us are still messing with each other today just as usual- or that should be the case. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I looked around, and 4 servings of suffocating eyes are staring at me in silence. I feel like I¡¯m in an extremely stressful interview right now. ¡­It¡¯s hard to me them. The reason is because of me, Keita Amano. I¡¯m facing these 4 people, ¡­Tendou-san, Uehara-kun, Chiaki, and Aguri-san- ¡°¡­I¡¯m really sorry.¡± -I¡¯m confessing my sincere ¡°atonement¡± in my heart. Everything started 2 days ago. I was introduced as a ¡°boyfriend¡± in my ¡°friend¡¯s girlfriend¡¯s house¡¯s rtive meeting.¡± That¡¯s how everything started. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Ay, yes, I know. ¡°Forget the start; you¡¯re already disqualified with that, right. You have to atone right now.¡± I deeply understand you guys for wanting to skip to the conclusion and stop me from talking. However, I hope all of you can just wait for a moment. Anyway, about me visiting another person¡¯s home as a boyfriend, there¡¯s actually a concrete reason. The reason has to do with my friend¡¯s girlfriend -Aguri-san¡¯s rtive that she introduced to me. This person is not to be pushed around. Sigh, if we¡¯re just going with a slight introduction¡­ - Main Fushiguro. Age: unknown. Aguri-san¡¯s cousin. A super beautiful flight attendant. - 10 out of 10 guys that met her will turn around. They will even look at her 3 times. - A genius that can do anything. - She¡¯s super considerate of her little sister. ¡­Anyway, she¡¯s an incredibly high-standard person So, if there¡¯s any issues with this perfect cousin- -Honestly, this person¡¯s an evil viin on the inside. Also, she¡¯s a viin with an exceedingly terrible personality. She¡¯s the type that won¡¯t even turn friendly in the movie version. Instead, she turns into an enemy that makes our side as miserable as possible. Finally, this douche will ignore the story and win without reason. Violent, overpowered, superhuman. This is Main Fushiguro. Even so, of course, she wouldn¡¯t use those low-level ¡°violence.¡± She uses something nobler, stronger, and sharper- -Yes, it¡¯s logic and skills. Indeed, she never ¡°uses violence to rob something away.¡± However, on the other hand, she¡¯s a person that uses her skills logically to execute legitimate exploitation. Once she finds something she wants, she¡¯ll request an entirely fair duel with equal risk to its owner. This is Main Fushiguro. From this point, ¡­no, no matter how you look at it, it¡¯s a legitimate and reasonable duel. That¡¯s why we can¡¯t argue. ¡­The problem is this Main Fushiguro woman is exceptionally outstanding at petitions.¡± In other words, she¡¯s almost absolutely invincible as long as a ¡°fairpetition¡± is held ording to the game rules. A woman like this with herpetitive attitude, that¡¯s already- either a rogue god or a natural disaster. You can only pray that your house isn¡¯t her next target. Alright, at this point, I think everyone understands already. She¡¯s a terrible cousin that can rob everything away because she suddenly wants to. No one will introduce her ¡°real boyfriend¡± to her obediently, especially for a high-quality handsome guy like Uehara-kun. Aguri-san will definitely not introduce him to her that easily. However, she has to follow her ¡°introduction promise.¡± It¡¯s because there will be a harsher punishment if she didn¡¯t do it. As ast resort, Aguri-san decided to sacrifice someone else and chose¡­ Yes, she chose a disgusting otaku virgin that no one wants- which is me, Keita Amano! ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Sigh, I¡¯m really sorry. Although I exined the prologue myself, there¡¯s no need for me to hate myself this much, right? Ugh, even if I¡¯m not Uehara-kun, I guess someone with unusual fetishes may still want me. Uh, ¡­for example, they may wish to have a weaker gaming opponent. ¡­Yes. ¡­.Crap, the more I think about it, the fewer reasons I cane up with to ¡°rmend¡± Keita Amano. It hurts me so much. L-Let¡¯s go back to the topic. Anyway, I think everyone can understand why I visited Aguri-san¡¯s home as her boyfriend. Let¡¯s forget whether everyone agrees with me first. However, I don¡¯t regret this for a single bit. It¡¯s because Aguri-san and I didn¡¯t betray our respective lover¡­ ¡­At least, that¡¯s true until this point. Indeed, Aguri-san and I, ¡­no, I, Keita Amano, have to apologize to everyone because of what happened next- ¡°-I¡¯m taking Aguri-san, everything of her.¡± -An idiotic and lonely otaku just clearly executed a ¡°territorial invasion¡± to his friend. * ¡°I deeply understand how mistaken I am to do that.¡± Finally, -after I exined how Main-san went wild that day, I wiped the sweat on my forehead with the back of my head. Around my desk, with Uehara-kun as the center, Tendou-san and Chiaki are just next to him. They are the ¡°apology-epting trio¡± here. The three of them sat in front of me, shoulder to shoulder. As for Aguri-san, she sat somewhere behind us, which¡¯s a bit far away. She put her hands on her chin as if this has nothing to do with her. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± These people never answered me once when I started the story. They are just listening to what I¡¯m saying. My optimistic side treats this as them willing to hear me out seriously. The pessimistic side, ¡­which is like 90% of me, perceives this based on disappointment and anger. Of course. Until this point, people have suspected the rtionship between my friend¡¯s girlfriend and me a few times. I just kicked all the evidence away with, ¡°That¡¯s dumb.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything bad.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence/misunderstanding.¡± Sometimes, we even think that Tendou-san and Uehara-kun are annoying to bug us out. It¡¯s different this time. At that time, I was consciouslyying waste on Uehara-kun- her boyfriend¡¯s territory. ¡°I requested a direct match with Aguri-san¡¯s cousin that wagered her ¡®ownership.¡¯ No matter how much I tried to cover it, ¡­this is not something that a friend should do.¡± I feel like I¡¯m really in a stressful interview. My hands are sweating as I grabbed my kneecaps. ¡­Crap, even though I already mentally prepared myself. ¡­However, I feel really diffident when I¡¯m facing my important ones. ¡°Not to mention that the person in question has a boyfriend, ¡­and I also have a girl that I should treat with sincerity. I was so dumb for making a big fat lie like that¡­¡± My friend, partner-in-battle, the person I love, and the girl I care about are all here. These people are in the Hobby Club right now. I want to show my best side to all of them as much as possible. They are important to me. However, ¡­that¡¯s why I need to be honest and confess my sins. ¡°Then, the worst thing that I did is, ¡­even though I know this is an invasion, I still took a step forward. In other words, I consciously¡­betrayed everyone¡¯s trust in me.¡± This feels like I¡¯m slowly tearing apart my favorite game disc. I can feel the circr te slowly bending, twisting, and breaking. My chest is about to be torn apart too. How much better would it be if everyone can just be disappointed, angry, or end our friendships without me knowing. Why do I have to do that by myself¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m really, really sorry.¡± I can¡¯t handle the four of them staring at time, and I finally can¡¯t help but plop my head down. Honestly, it¡¯s a miracle that I haven¡¯t cried yet. It looks like somewhere in my heart, I still want to y it cool in front of the people I love, even at this point. ¡­How hrious. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± A suffocatingly deep atmosphere that makes people want to escape enveloped me. However, even so, ¡­I still think I should make a conclusion. So, I mustered my final courage and raised my head before continuing bravely. ¡°That¡¯s the end of my apology. ¡­Well, everyone, if there¡¯s something you want to say-¡° -Suddenly, everyone except Aguri-san mmed the table. After that, three people stood up abruptly under the sunset-filled ssroom. ¡°Eh?¡± The unexpected reaction made me stand up as well. H-Hiya, honestly, I¡¯m already mentally prepared to be punched by Uehara-kun. I just didn¡¯t expect that the three of them would beat me up together. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I really want to back up. However¡­ (N-No, even though this attack power is beyond my imagination, I have to take it since I''m wrong here.) I spurred my cowardly heart and decided to take everyone¡¯s rage at once. I bulged my eyes at the three of them. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Only the noise of me gulping can be heard in the eerily silent ssroom. After that, Uehara-kun stood in front of me. He lowered his head¡­as he slowly put his hands on my shoulders. ¡°Ugh.¡± Facing the expectation that I¡¯m finally getting punched, even though I tried to keep my eyes bulged, my body froze right there. Then, finally, everyone and Uehara-kun slowly raised their head- -Their strong emotions erupted towards me, who¡¯s deeply sinful! ¡°-Beautiful! That¡¯s our Keita Amano!¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m really sor- ¡­Eh?¡± I tried to apologize reflectively. However, I heard something that was out of my expectation. So, I looked at Uehara-kun again confusingly. After that- ¡°¡­Eh?¡± -Instead of my friends¡¯ angry eyes, -I saw pairs of sparkling eyes that look like they¡¯re watching a hero¡¯s show. ¡°Eh? Eh? Eh?¡± I have no idea what¡¯s happening at all. All I can do is feel dazed. Also, I looked around, and it¡¯s not just Uehara-kun. Even Tendou-san and Chiaki are giving me the same look. ¡°Hmm, hmm! Yes, this is Amano-kun! You¡¯re amazing!¡± ¡°Yes, yes! Seriously, I¡¯ve been waiting a long time for this! Hi, Amano-ya!¡± ¡°¡­Eh, no, ¡­ehh? What¡¯s happening¡­?¡± I can¡¯t follow up at all. So, I tried to find help and stared in Aguri-san¡¯s direction. Her hands are still on her chin as she sighed a bit helplessly. ¡°Sheesh, Amanhi, why are you surprised?¡± ¡°Uh, look, why am I¡­not being scolded right now? Instead, you guys are praising me¡­¡± I said that since I don¡¯t understand. Aguri-san shrugged her shoulders helplessly again. ¡­Then, she looked at me gently and spoke up. ¡°Why would a friend be mad when they hear such an ¡®Amanhi-styled¡¯ story?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but bulge my eyes after hearing that. During this time, Chiaki and Tendou-san agreed with Aguri-san and nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, yes! It¡¯s such a Keita-voured story by Keita. We love it a lot!¡± ¡°Chiaki-san¡¯s right. Your story really feels like you. ¡­To that, we can do nothing but throw praises at you. I think it¡¯s not weird for our noses to bleed at this point.¡± I don¡¯t think they are lying. The two girls look really excited with their bright eyes, and Tendou-san even prepared her handkerchief. ¡°¡­You two¡­¡± Even though I¡¯m deeply throbbed by what they just said, there¡¯s still worry inside my heart. I looked at Uehara-kun, who¡¯s right in front of me. ¡­If we take a hundred steps back, I understand why Chiaki and Tendou-san love those things with my style. I really appreciated that. I¡¯m already relieved. However, ¡­Uehara-kun¡¯s different, right? Logically, he¡¯s the worst victim in this whole incident. I visited his girlfriend¡¯s house without authorization and even acted like a boyfriend in front of her rtives. In the end, I participated in a grand battle that put his girlfriend on the wager. No man in this world would be kind enough to forgive a territory-invading douchebag like- ¡°Hiya! That¡¯s our Amano! I¡¯ve never been so proud of you!¡± -There is. It¡¯s right here. Uehara-kun patted my shoulder loudly and showed me an exceptionally refreshing smile as he continued. ¡°Hiya, I was freaking out from frustration when I haven¡¯t seen ¡®your style¡¯ for a long time! I can¡¯t hide my excitement when someone¡¯s giving me a super ¡®Keita Amano-ly¡¯tte!¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that disgusting drink? Can you notpare my attitude to a cup oftte?¡± After Iined dumbfoundedly, I replied¡­.the friend in front of me with a smile. ¡°Uehara-kun, ¡­thank you.¡± ¡°Oh! I¡¯m the one supposed to be thanking you!¡± His carefree smile saved me from the bottom of my heart. However, ¡­even so, I can¡¯t just ept it at face value. I looked at him solemnly and continued apologizing. ¡°¡­But, Uehara-kun. It¡¯s still a fact that I betrayed you disgustingly¡­¡± However, Uehara-kun just smiled at my apology. ¡°Hey, hey. What ¡®betrayal¡¯ are you talking about?¡± ¡°So, I just put your lover Aguri-san on the wager-¡° ¡°Oh, this. I only want to say one thing about what you did¡­¡± After Uehara-kun paused for a beat, ¡­at the next moment, he put his hand on my head. ¡°You tried your best to protect my important girl. Thanks, bro.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± At that moment, I hastily nketed my eyes with my sleeves. ¡­Crap, ¡­I didn¡¯t expect to really cry at this moment. I can feel my sleeves getting wet immediately, and I¡¯m soon in my 3rd year of high school. How embarrassing¡­! ¡°Oh, ¡­how should I put it?¡± It looks like Uehara-kun realized my state as well. ¡°¡­Uh, right, instead of Amano, Aguri, I want to hear your apology more!¡± ¡°Eh!? Why!?¡± They naturally removed the topic away from me and started chatting. I guess the two are giving me time to adjust my emotions. ¡°Don¡¯t say why! Even though I understand that you are not introducing me honestly, you shouldn¡¯t make Amano do all the work! That supernatural onee-san and Amano are like oil and water!¡± E-Even so, no one can deal with that Main-nee-san!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! ¡­H-How about Kase-senpai?¡± ¡°That fake boyfriend¡¯s choice is too shocking, right!? I don¡¯t know that person at all!¡± ¡°Aguri-chan, Aguri-chan, I think Kousei-kun¡¯s a good choice!¡± ¡°That¡¯s another confusing choice! If he gets along with Main-san, the ¡®bad personality concentration¡¯ in the room will be too high! It will upset me!¡± ¡°Aguri-san, I rmend Mizumi-kun. I bet he can turn the entire thing around.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anything to be turned around at all! Moreover, I have no connection with him, alright!?¡± After that, the Game Hobby Club started chatting about Aguri-san¡¯s ¡°what should I do¡± loudly. So, I appreciated everyone and cleared my mind in around 2 minutes. I finally rejoined the conversation when they¡¯re talking about, ¡°So, how did the duel go?¡± * ¡°Oh,e to think of it, I didn¡¯t get to exin the duel and the result.¡± After I threw that out, Chiaki leaned forward and red at me a bit angrily. ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± ¡°Sheesh, stop leaving us in a cliffhanger, Keita! Are you that Urasawa-san from somewhere!?¡± [Note: Naoki Urasawa, a master mangaka that¡¯s famous for creating cliffhangers.] ¡°No, I don¡¯t remember dragging out the story like the plot of revealing Friend¡¯s true identity¡­¡± [Note: Friend is a cult leader and the antagonist in Urasawa¡¯s <20th Century Boys>.] ¡°That¡¯s how much I¡¯m looking forward to it! K-Keep going!¡± ¡°Alright. ¡­Sheesh, I got it. Well, I¡¯ll start from the conclusion-¡° I scratched my head and tried to progress the story casually. Right here. ¡°STOOOOOP!¡± ¡°?¡± Uehara-kun, Tendou-san, and Chiaki immediately stopped me there. The three of them got close to me angrily, and their face is overflowing with stress. ¡°W-What are you thinking, Amano-kun!?¡± ¡°Uh, no, w-what¡¯s wrong, Tendou-san? What do you mean? I¡¯m just trying to talk about the story¡¯s ending¡­¡± ¡°Hoho, that¡¯s why you¡¯re a twisted, non-mainstream idiot boy!¡± ¡°Tendou-san!?¡± Why did my ex-girlfriend get really mad at me? Seriously, I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening at all. ¡­But, when I looked around, I realized Chiaki and Uehara-kun agreed with Tendou-san too. They spoke up as if they¡¯re scolding me. ¡°Keita is still that degenerate among creators!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not even a creator, alright¡­¡± ¡°But, you should¡¯ve learned it as an otaku, right! A story arc should beplete!¡± ¡°NOBE is thest person I want to hear this from!¡± This girl doesn¡¯t just ignore the story arc. She even threw away all of the existing concepts of a story and went on her own journey. This Miss Modernly Artistic Game Creator actually dares to teach me the importance of a story arc. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± I sighed. As for Uehara-kun, he summarized the two girls¡¯ opinions in a short sentence. ¡°In other words, Amano, we¡¯re seeking entertainment from yourst weekend¡¯s story!¡± ¡°What are you even requesting of a loner that¡¯s bad with words, my friend?¡± I¡¯m the guy that lived his ¡°times I spoke today at school = 0¡± life inly before meeting with everyone in the Game Hobby Club. What are you even talking about¡­ However, Uehara-kun ignored my dumbfounded expression and continued. ¡°At least, what we want to say is that you shouldn¡¯t start from the conclusion. It¡¯s the same logic as no detective novel tells you who the criminal is right away.¡± ¡°Actually, there are quite a lot. I often bump into this kind of novel.¡± Suddenly, the original literature gal next to him, Aguri-san, came with an on-point rebuttal. But, Uehara-kun ignored his ex-girlfriend¡¯s unwise betrayal and cleared his throat. ¡°A-Anyway. To us, this story, ¡­ is the hottestedy right now.¡± ¡°Can you not treat someone¡¯s lift as aedy so casually and even giving it a weird subtitle?¡± This is the first time that someone added a subtitle to me in my life. ¡­It¡¯s the first time, right? Just as I¡¯m falling into confusion when people are giving me weird looks, Uehara-kun continued. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for us to not be excited. It¡¯s because¡­this story is about the ¡®Keita Amano¡¯ that we¡¯re familiar with. He¡¯s going to use his weakest power for Aguri and face a terrible and vicious enemy, right? Of course, this only makes us look forward to it!¡± ¡°What do you mean by terrible and vicious? What do you mean by weakest?¡± ¡°Right now, we can¡¯t wait for the next episode¡¯s story the most. You actually tried to start from the conclusion directly¡­! For example, if Jungi Inagawa started his story with ¡®this is a ghost tale in the end,¡¯ what would you think!?¡± [Note: Jungi Inagawa, a director of scary movies.] ¡°Ugh¡­!?¡± This is somehow really convincing to me. Indeed, ¡­a story¡¯s ¡°essence¡± is slowly pushing towards the end. I have to think about this. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Wait, does a guy living an everyday life need this ability? Isn¡¯t it far more critical to grasp the skill of talking effectively? However, Tendou-san, Chiaki, and Uehara-kun look like they are kids from the Showa period looking forward to a serialized y. Their eyes are glowing brightly. Well, I can¡¯t really reject them¡­ ¡°¡­Fine. I¡¯ll go from the start. ¡­Well, I may as well try to make the story sound more interesting in my own way.¡± ¡°Alright, Amano-ya!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I didn¡¯t expect a guy like me to feel that my treasured friends are annoying one day. I nced at Aguri-san. She, the girl who knows the entire story, shrugged frustratedly before yawning. After that, she started ying on her phonezily¡­ (¡­Hey, everyone, the ¡°main heroine¡± of my following story is acting like that. ¡­Do you guys really not care about that?) Even though I really wanted to say that, the three of them will justin, ¡°How disappointing do you have to be?¡± So, I kept it inside my heart. Then¡­ ¡°Uh, ¡­well, Main-san and I are in the final game duel that wagers started like that¡­¡± (Gulp¡­) All of my friends are looking at me. I started talking about my ridiculous experience- Also, I¡¯m giving a speech passionately in front of the gal that¡¯s still the main heroine- -It¡¯s a hellish memory, and it just started reluctantly like that. * ¡°So? Which game are you going to win against me, Amako?¡± After we argued with each other at the door, all of us returned to the living room to battle. Then, without waiting for me to take off my coat, the demon king- Main Fushiguro-san said that. She¡¯s still that absolute beauty with tinum hair. Initially, a lonely otaku like me will never be involved with a woman like this. ¡­However, she¡¯s shooting me a passionate andpetitive look right now. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± However, I didn¡¯t immediately take her bait. Instead, I took off my coat casually and folded them neatly. Then, I answered her after putting my bag in the corner of the room. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s fight with the I saw in the game catalog.¡± ¡°Hey, is really¡­¡± Main-san mumbled the abbreviation of the game as she started searching for the game in the menu joyfully. Also, I think this game doesn¡¯t belong to Aguri-san¡¯s house. Instead, Main-san brought it over. With that alone¡­ (Well, I bet she already yed the game to its fullest¡­) Although we don¡¯t know each other for long, I already have a grasp of Main-san¡¯s personality. Main-san, a beautiful flight attendant, she¡¯s the original genius of the old Game Club. ¡­She¡¯s a being infinitely close to Tendou-san¡¯s level. In other words, her attitude towards things that interests her is way different than when it¡¯s not appealing to her. She¡¯ll finish everything once she started ying. So, when I saw she owns the game, I didn¡¯t expect her to be a newbie at all. I bet she¡¯s not the type to buy a game because of memories or collection purposes. (¡­But, I¡¯m already mentally prepared for that.) I sighed and made up my mind. After that, I stood next to her to face our match- ¡°Wait, Amanhi, Amanhi!¡± ¡°What?¡± -Someone pulled my sleeves as soon as I tried to move. I was pulled to the corner of the room. After we got far enough from Main-san, she- the main heroine gal of this match, Aguri-san red at me fiercely. ¡°What the hell are you thinking!?¡± ¡°Uh, what do you mean by what I¡¯m thinking? -Of course, I¡¯m thinking about your love!¡± ¡°Huh, -why are you saying that with a serious face!? I, Aguri, already have a brilliant boyfriend that¡¯s Tasuku¡­¡± Aguri-san got flustered after hearing my line. ¡­Ugh. ¡°Hey, can you not brew this atmosphere like I¡¯m loving Aguri-san as a girl? It¡¯s disgusting, and most importantly, it¡¯s pissing me off.¡± ¡°Okay, Amanhi,e here and grit your teeth!¡± After the warning, she immediately pped me on the face- no, instead, she stomped my feet brutally. I moaned in pain after taking an unexpected attack before curling up like I¡¯m aedy manga character. After that, I protested with tears in my eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the point of you telling me to grit my teeth!?¡± ¡°No, I just wanted to attack somewhere you didn¡¯t expect.¡± ¡°Is this how you treat a guy that¡¯s wagering you!? You bitch gal!¡± [Note: I didn¡¯t exaggerate his tone here. That¡¯s what he said.] ¡°That¡¯s my line, alright!? Is a young man supposed to say that after he wagered the main heroine, Aguri!? You¡­!¡± ¡°Oh, it feels like a ssic novel, . It sounds nice.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not praising you at all, okay!? By the way, Amanhi, why do you always leap before you think!?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s because that¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Look, this is !¡± Aguri-san looks pretty upset. ¡°Calm down.¡± I calmed down and continued. ¡°I¡¯ll be the only victim even if I lose. Aguri-san, you don¡¯t need to worry about this too much.¡± After she heard what I said, Aguri-san stopped joking around. Instead, she plopped her head down and said this sincerely and regretfully. ¡°¡­Bakanhi. You really think¡­I won¡¯t worry?¡± ¡°¡­No. I¡¯m¡­really, really sorry about that.¡± ¡°Exactly¡­¡± If I¡¯m her, ¡­if Aguri-san will lose something important because of me, I¡¯m guaranteed to feel pain. It¡¯s going to be regretful and enraging. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± A suffocating silence radiated between her and me. However, Aguri-san quickly raised her embarrassed face. ¡°B-But¡­¡± She mumbled and looked away from me before continuing. ¡°How should I say this¡­? You being pissed for me as a friend¡­makes me feel really happy. Thank you, Amanhi.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, it¡¯s okay. ¡­Well, ¡­you don¡¯t need to thank me.¡± We smiled at each other embarrassingly. Then- ¡°Sorry for intruding you two, Keita-nii-chan, Aguri-nee-chan.¡± -Suddenly, a voice from below freaked both of us out. We can¡¯t help but take a step back. We hastily looked down and saw a little girl with a goth loli dress. ¡°M-Mii-chan¡­¡± I can feel her dissatisfaction from her pure eyes. So, I immediately called her name with a head full of sweat. Mii Fushiguro, she¡¯s the little sister of Main-san. This little girl treats Main-san as ¡°mom¡± respectfully. So, that¡¯s why her appearance looks a bit different than other same-age girls. Well, if I have to point out their difference¡­ ¡°Can you two flirtter?¡± ¡°Where did you learn that word from?¡± ¡­This. Instead of saying she¡¯s growing up faster, it¡¯s more like her words are really biased. However, that¡¯s because of her primary guardian right now. So¡­ Aguri-san and I shrugged our shoulders. Mii-chan pressed on. ¡°Mom already prepared the game, and she wanted me to call you two.¡± ¡°Oh, uh, really. Thanks, I¡¯m going.¡± I answered and patted Mii-chan¡¯s head gently. This time, ¡­she got uncharacteristically obedient and looked at my eyes. ¡°¡­Keita-nii-chan, are you seriously trying to defeat Mom?¡± To that, I answered with a bitter smile. ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°¡­Mii thinks that this is called ¡®recklessness.¡¯ ¡­You still have time to apologize now¡­¡± Mii¡¯s looking at me worriedly. I patted her head again and replied to her with a confident smile. ¡°Thank you, Mii-chan. But, this is the only time where I don¡¯t n to back down.¡± ¡°¡­I see. ¡­Sheesh, Keita-nii-chan is really an idiot.¡± ¡°People often say that to me these days.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a fact?¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Well, Mii will leave first.¡± Mii-chan dashed towards Main-san after saying that. I looked at her innocent back. Then, Aguri-san stood next to me and asked. ¡°So? Seriously, Amanhi, do you really think you have a chance?¡± ¡°¡­Uh, ¡­sigh, ¡­how should I say this¡­? I think I have?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m the main heroine in this duel. I do hope that you can guarantee ¡®yes¡¯ like a man.¡± Aguri-san felt a bit deted. It can¡¯t be helped. I changed my mind to cheer her up. ¡°¡­I do, I do.¡± ¡°No, no, no, ¡®have¡¯ and ¡®yes¡¯ are the same thing. You can just say it once! I feel like you¡¯re just being flippant right now!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It looks like I feel a bit deted after thinking that this is a duel where Aguri-san is the main heroine. ¡­I think I¡¯m only at 70% of my true power¡­¡± ¡°Get your damn powers out! T-Think about it, I¡¯ll give you a prize if you win! Alright!?¡± ¡°Eh? Hmm, it can¡¯t be helped even if Aguri-san said that. My ¡®power switch¡¯ can only be turned on by Tendou-san¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you!?¡± ¡°Oh, right, but there¡¯s something I want you to help before the battle.¡± ¡°W-What? Oh, do I have to kiss your face to cheer you up? It¡¯s a bit too-¡° ¡°No, can you please not give me that ¡®main heroine¡¯ face?¡± ¡°Are you really fighting for me!?¡± ¡°Especially that passionate ¡®GOOOOOO! AMANOCCHI!!!¡¯ scream, I¡¯ll die from embarrassment if you suddenly yelled that. Please don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re limiting an ally¡¯s support when facing the final boss. What kind of protagonist are you!?¡± ¡°Alright, ¡­it¡¯s time for me to go.¡± ¡°Right now!? Wait, please, Amanhi, we can go aftering up with a better mood-¡° She suddenly stopped in the middle of her speech. I was curious about what¡¯s wrong with her. So, I turned around. She seems to be¡­looking at the tip of my finger- ¡°--!¡± ¡°¡­Amanhi, your hands are shivering¡­¡± She¡¯s looking at me extremely worriedly. I hastily turned around and blocked my hands with my body as I said. ¡°L-Look, this is what I¡¯m talking about! Didn¡¯t I say this before? Don¡¯t act like a real main heroine. S-Sheesh, this isn¡¯t like you-¡° She¡¯s staring at me from behind as I¡¯m mumbling. Aguri-san suddenly¡­punched me from behind. After that, she said something, ¡­not as the main heroine. Instead, she¡¯s the usual Aguri-san, who¡¯s my terrible friend, as she cheered me up. ¡°-Go do your thing, Amanhi.¡± ¡°-Yes.¡± Simple, straightforward, it¡¯s a pretty mundane conversation. However, ¡­frustratingly, this gave me full power. ¡°¡­Sorry for the wait. Well, let¡¯s start, Main-san.¡± ¡°Oho, ¡­let¡¯s go, Amako.¡± Finally, I sat next to the demon king for the epic finale. * , it¡¯s just like its name. The famous action game allows you to battle with your customized mecha. Everything in this game can be interchanged, body parts, leg parts, special secondary weapons, not to mention the main gun. You can assemble a stylish mecha to fight with CPUs or other yers. ¡­This game sounds difficult when I¡¯m just listing the major features. However, in reality, it¡¯s a quick-paced action game for all yers. The mecha in this game¡¯s world is just a small mechanic toy that exploded between kids. Also, the game¡¯s plot is only about a kid that got a mecha from his parents. He started winning his way from the localpetition all the way to the national level. Sometimes, he¡¯ll fight against organizations that misuse mechas. ¡­It¡¯s a ssical shonen manga plot. In other words, this game is designed for children with very low bars. However, there¡¯s a shared feature for all famous games. -They take care of both low-skilled and expert yers at the same time. This game is no exception, especially when ites to yer vs. yer. From tactics, controls to parts structure, there¡¯s a lot worth going into in this masterpiece. This is precisely the game that the original Otobuki High School Game Club president would love. But, at the same time¡­ ¡°Hey, Amako.¡± Main-san looked at the screen and chose ¡°battle¡± as she spoke to me. I¡¯m trying to familiarize myself with the 2P controls as I answered, ¡°What?¡± ¡°I bet you chose this game because you¡¯re confident, right?¡± ¡°¡­Who knows? I¡¯m not sure.¡± The screen switched as I replied. It split into the top and bottom customization screen. Main-san shrugged her shoulders exaggeratedly next to me. ¡°Hey, hey, please, Amako? Don¡¯t disappoint me with the ending if you escted this so much?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less about that. Well, ..it¡¯s just that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just what?¡± After I confirmed the default basic mecha that showed before changing the parts- -I pressed the confirm button and smiled at Main-san. ¡°I¡¯m going with the default one on the first battle. You can continue customizing if you want.¡± ¡°What-¡° Two shocking voices can be heard from Aguri-san and Mii-chan, who¡¯re the audience. ¡°Hey, what are you doing, Amanhi!? The title said it¡¯s . Aren¡¯t you going to customize it!?¡± ¡°(gulp) ¡­Is this the so-called¡­sandbagging¡­?¡± Mii-chan continued using words that nevere out from a little girl¡¯s mouth. I ignored their insults and remained focused on the screen. During this time, -Main-san red at me as she curled up her lips. ¡°You¡¯re good, Amako. I like that. Well, I¡¯ll- go with this too.¡± She pressed the confirm button without making any changes after saying that. Aguri-san and Mii-chan immediately beganining behind us. ¡°No, customize your mechas, you two!¡± Theirint couldn¡¯t be more reasonable. Main-san startedughing. After I saw her, I gave up and turned back to exin. ¡°Uh, ording to the setting, whoever won 2 matches first gains victory in this game. So, we¡¯ll have 3 matches at most. So, the two of us will customize it in the next round¡­¡± Just as I¡¯m trying to smooth things over, Main-san said something unnecessary. ¡°3? No, no, if I¡¯m ying 2 wins in 3 games against Amako, there¡¯ll only be 2 matches at most.¡± Main-san smiled ferociously after saying that. ¡­Sheesh, this person is still the same. I would¡¯ve freaked out and started shivering in the past. However, it looks like I won¡¯t be afraid of someone once I identify him/her as an enemy. I looked at the screen again and said this calmly. ¡°Well, this can be interpreted as I¡¯ll win twice in a row.¡± ¡°Oh, Amako can joke around as well, even though it¡¯s boring.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± It looks like the two behind me are really scared to taunt Main-san. They remained speechless, not even trying to cheer around. The TV showed the battleground selection screen. ¡°You want to choose one, Amako?¡± ¡°No, let¡¯s go random- even though I want to say that, this is a rare basic mecha duel. Why don¡¯t we just go with the simple and in ¡®Default¡¯ battleground?¡± ¡°Okay. But, are you sure, Amako?¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± The selection is finished, and the screen is finally turned to the battle phase. The TV is ying the introduction of the course. Main-san showed me a provocative smile. ¡°If we¡¯re going with the default mecha and course, ¡­our skill difference will be revealed entirely in the first battle?¡± ¡°¡­Oh, yes. Indeed, this is the worst option when the enemy¡¯s better. There¡¯s no counter between mechas, and the victorypletely depends on the yer¡¯s control. In other words, this condition doesn¡¯t allow a low-skilled yer to win.¡± The countdown started on the screen already. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re still going despite knowing that. You¡¯re quite manly, Amako.¡± Main-san whistled like she just changed her mind towards me. ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not the case.¡± I smiled bitterly and answered her. ¡°I¡¯m just-¡° The countdown is over, and the match started- ¡°-I¡¯m just better than you at this game.¡± -I shed a lightspeedbo and chipped away 1/3 of Main-san¡¯s HP. ¡°----¡° It¡¯s only been one second since the match started. Main-san¡¯s mecha fell to the ground and entered the invincibility period. At the same time, I immediately distanced myself away with an impressive jump and propel control. ¡°¡­Hey.¡± Main-san licked her lips next to me as her aura slowly switched towards ¡°beast¡± mode. ¡­It looks like she waspletely triggered. At this moment, Aguri-san can¡¯t hide her questions anymore behind me. ¡°Uh, thatbo just then was from Amanhi, not Main-san?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± After I answered her in short, I dodged Main-san¡¯s attacks after she stood up. Then, when there¡¯s a window in the battle, I decided to answer her uing question first. ¡°I¡¯m pretty good at this game.¡± ¡°Good, ¡­you?¡± ¡°Yes, me.¡± I caught a break in Main-san¡¯s control as I said that. I started damaging her little by little with my secondary weapon. ¡°¡­Ha, don¡¯t be so cheap, Amako. ¡­Sure. I feel good.¡± Main-san licked her lips as she let out excited moans that¡¯s pretty easy for others to misunderstand. Even though I already gave up being polite to her, I still can¡¯t help but shiver. I continued exining to Aguri-san to eradicate this weird atmosphere. ¡°This is no talent. It¡¯s just that¡­even for a guy like me, if I y this game every day with my little brother for 3 years, this level can be reached.¡± ¡°ying the same game every day for 3 years¡­¡± Aguri-san is shocked. I beautifully slipped through Main-san¡¯s violent attacks as I continued. ¡°Kousei and I didn¡¯t fight each other during training. We¡¯re just¡­¡± ¡°Just?¡± Facing Aguri-san¡¯s question, I- even though I''m in such a fierce battle, I can¡¯t help but smile. ¡°It¡¯s just that I feel the happiest when the two of us are ying this game. That¡¯s all.¡± After that, my attacks hit Main-san¡¯s mecha repeatedly. Once I snapped out of it, her HP is already at 20%. Inparison, I haven¡¯t even taken a scratch. Aguri-san and Mii-chan held their breaths as their eyes locked onto the screen. I bet they are not listening to me at all. However, even so, I switched my mood and continued. ¡°So, I¡¯m not saying that I¡¯m the best in the world of this game¡­¡± I continued locking down Main-san¡¯s movement with my secondary weapon. So, I created a situation where she can¡¯t dodge at all. Also- ¡°¡­However, if I¡¯m fighting against an empty-brained hardcore yer that thinks she¡¯s the top when she barely yed it, -I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll lose.¡± -Iunched a repeated strike at her with my main weapon. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The room is filled with an overwhelming silence. The screen is showing¡­something that no one other than me can imagine. It¡¯s Keita Amano¡¯s perfect game. It¡¯s Main Fushiguro¡¯s absolute defeat. The situation that my familiars can¡¯t imagine is right here. At this point, the screen returned to the mecha customization screen. When the game BGM is already ying in my brain subconsciously, my rival, who has been silent -Main-san, finally spoke. ¡°¡­You¡¯re good, Amako.¡± ¡°¡­Thanks.¡± I didn¡¯t brag about my victory. Instead, I quickly started choosing parts for the second battle. ¡°¡­?¡± Even though I just got a miraculous giant-killing, I wasn¡¯t too excited. ¡­Everyone around is dumbfounded by my calm attitude. However, to me, this calm attitude of mine is guaranteed. (I was already confident with my first win after I baited Main-san into a basic mecha fight. However, the real problem¡­is after this.) Although I just talked about my 3 years¡¯ worth of training, on the other hand, to Main-san, ¡­the value of ¡°one battle¡± to a genius hardcore yer can¡¯t be underestimated. I don¡¯t even need to list Mizumi-kun as an example. This type of person¡¯s learning speed far exceeds filthy casuals like Kousei and me. In reality, the same goes for the first battle as well. ¡­Even though it¡¯s my perfect game, in the end, she could turn the entire thing around if I made a single mistake. -This type of hostility is the most apparent at the final game. ¡­I don¡¯t need to care about what happens next. Even though it¡¯s embarrassing for me to say this, a in guy like me doesn¡¯t have the protagonist¡¯s ¡°getting stronger in battle¡± skill. So, my power is static. As for Main-san, her skill is growing at an rming rate. This way, there¡¯s only one tactic that I can use. -I have to win before this genius catches up to a normal brothers¡¯ ¡°3 years.¡± ¡°I SEE. It looks like you weren¡¯t just fooling around when you said you¡¯ll win twice.¡± Main-san started choosing her mecha as well. I feel like she already exposed all of my strategies from her mumble. ¡°It¡¯s more like there¡¯s no way for you to win aside from this, right, Amako.¡± ¡°¡­Who knows.¡± Although I answered her emotionlessly, her usation is way too urate. This is the same logic as a race where a regr car started far ahead of an F1 race car. Even though you had the lead first, the race is already over once the F1 overtakes you. It¡¯s because it can¡¯t be reverted anymore. From this meaning, this duel- the next second match is the most formidable challenge. Everything is decided on whether I can make it through. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± This time, it¡¯spletely different from the default mecha battle. We carefully assembled the body and parts. The assembly is basically two people split between the top and bottom screen. So, you can choose a more effective strategy based on the opponent¡¯s build. However, the same thing goes for your enemy as well. At least, from my little brother and my experience, if we spend too much time calcting at this part, in the end, we can¡¯t finish assembling before the time ends. The resulting match will be horrid. Well, ¡­I only have one strategy for building my mecha. ¡°Hoho, a mecha leaning toward mobility with a sniper, right. Your meta build is quite interesting, Amako. But, are you sure about it? I admit that this weapon and mecha are rtively easy to use. However, it¡¯s too far-fetched to call it a strong weapon and part, right?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine. This suits me.¡± ¡°I see. Well, whatever.¡± After that, Main-san started assembling her¡¯s around the first-ss equipment. ¡­A bunch of hardcore yers in this world will avoid using a strong character. It looks like this person isn¡¯t that type. She doesn¡¯t care whether it¡¯s unbnced or a bug. As long as it gets her ¡°up,¡± she¡¯ll do it. This is also a respectable and thorough tactic, ¡­if she¡¯s not my enemy. (Even though I already anticipated this, ¡­this person is indeed scary.) Of course, a mecha like this is a monster filled with overpowered parts. The design is entirely different than my basic build that emphasizes mobility and ease of control. The customization stage is over. We entered the battleground selection screen. -Right here. ¡°Oh, which one do you want this time, Amako?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see. Well, let¡¯s go with random for fairness.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Main-san chose random after saying that. After that, the system¡¯s short selection screen was over. The course is¡­ ¡°A sports arena¡­¡± ¡°How regrettable, Amako. This course is filled with obstacles.¡± I made a subtle reaction while Main-san looked at mepassionately. Then, I exined the situation to the two behind. ¡°My sniper rifle is a weapon that shoots the enemy in a straight line from afar. So, it¡¯s going to be tough in an environment filled with obstacles or covers¡­¡± ¡°¡­Crap.¡± Aguri-san said this regrettably. After that, Mii-chan asked next to her. ¡°What about Mom¡¯s weapon?¡± ¡°Oh, my weapon is .¡± ¡°It sounds strong, and the name matches with Mom as well!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s ignore why it matches with me first. In reality, this is one of the strong weapons in this game. A swarm of will be fired in a shotgun-like wave. Although the speed is a bit slow, it has a homing ability. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Ohh! Such wretched style suits Mom as well!¡± ¡°¡­Mii. You¡¯re getting the ¡®belly button tickling¡¯ punishment tonight.¡± ¡°Huh! B-B¡­belly¡­t¡­tickling, ¡­ah.¡± For some reason, Mii-chan¡¯s face turned pale and immediately darkened. ¡­B-Belly button tickling, what the hell is¡­ Even though this is unrted to the match at all, I can¡¯t let it go. Tickling the belly button¡­ ¡­N-No, now¡¯s not the time for this. The battleground selection screen is over. Finally, the countdown of the match started. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Suddenly, the once rxed atmosphere disappeared. All of us entered the game world, and two yers¡¯ expressions even vanished. ¡­This is different than the first round. It¡¯s just not me. Main-san¡¯s going serious all-out mode right away as well. As the number on the countdown reduced, my mind slowly dived into the deep end. After that, -the match started. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Both of us nearly finished adjusting our mecha¡¯s mode at the same time. Then, we dashed towards each other with fast propulsion. We¡¯re facing each other at the center of the course. Simultaneously, we raised our guns to each other. Then- -The two of us didn¡¯t fire anything as we touched each other by the shoulder. ¡°Eh, why¡­?¡± The audience Mii-chan got a reasonable question. Then, Aguri-san¡¯s the one to answer her even though she¡¯s not familiar with games. ¡°Although I don¡¯t really understand either, ¡­I feel like it¡¯s that, right? Whoever fired first will lose, right?¡± ¡°R-Really. It feels like a professional sports teampetition.¡± ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s actually like that, right? Look, isn¡¯t there a thing that calls games a sport, well. Uh, what was that again? E¡­e¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­E, ¡­uh. ¡­.Whatever.¡± ¡°E-sports!¡± Main-san and I impatiently yelled as we fought each other. ¡°Oh.¡± Aguri-san seems to have understood and pped her hands. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s close.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not close. This is the correct answer!¡± ¡°Really? ¡­By the way, you two can really talk while having such a fierce battle.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t say it because we wanted to!¡± Main-san and I are getting incredibly frustrated as we continue attacking back-and-forth. ¡­Damn, whether we¡¯re seriously fighting or not, as long as someone¡¯s not getting the gamer jargons properly, we can¡¯t help but interrupt. This is the pathetic side of gamers. Aguri-san looked at the two of us and sighed. ¡°Come to think of it, you two do look like a pair of good friends enjoying gaming together-¡° ¡°Ha!?¡± ¡°-No. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m getting too full of myself. Please let me apologize.¡± In the end, our extremely annoyed aura exploded on Aguri-san¡¯s face. She freaked out and immediately apologized before shutting up. Our ferocious attack-and-defend situation came to an end. Then, when I caught a break as we distanced ourselves, I can¡¯t help butin. ¡°Sheesh, who do you think I¡¯m fighting for¡­¡± Just as I¡¯m negging about it, Main-san¡­said this with an unprecedented gentle voice that I¡¯ve never heard before. ¡°Agu¡¯s surely blessed. She can be- loved by a weak idiot like you.¡± ¡°¡­Big talk from a person that lost once to a weak idiot.¡± ¡°Ho, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± On the surface, I still replied to her arrogantly. -In reality, I was a bit moved inside a corner of my heart. (What just¡­happened? ¡­Although she¡¯s still despising me, ¡­well¡­) I feel like her voice has a warmth of humanity- love inside. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I tried to give myself time to think. So, I dragged her feet with my secondary weapon and explosives from afar as I thought about who Main Fushiguro really is. (Let¡¯s forget how she did it first. Is she trying to use her way to consider Aguri-san¡¯s love?) In other words, ¡­she¡¯s not robbing a rtive¡¯s ownership because of her violent attitude? I slipped off for a moment. However, I threw this out of my mind immediately. (No, even if that¡¯s the case, Aguri-san¡¯s still really sheepish these days. Also, there¡¯s her reaction when she took her Loverbears away. Right now, she¡¯s clearly making Aguri-san suffer. This is an undeniable fact.) -It¡¯s already a reason for me to fight with that reason alone. So, I shouldn¡¯t distract myself and focus on the match right now. I made up my mind and continued chipping away Main-san¡¯s HP little by little with my refined attacks- ¡°Got you.¡± ¡°!?¡± -However, I suddenly took a massive blow from Main-san and fell onto the ground. I immediately stood up and distanced ourselves with the invincibility frame. Main-sanughed out loud and mumbled. ¡°It¡¯s getting interesting, right, Amako?¡± ¡°¡­No, unfortunately, I¡¯m a guy that loves to be invincible in front of weak enemies.¡± ¡°Ha, you sure feel like a pawn. It¡¯s more interesting when you go around.¡± ¡°This is all because of- thanks!¡± After I said that, I greeted her with a wave of bullets from my main and secondary weapon. However, Main-san clutched it through and took a couple hits only. Her controls are already the same as when my little brother and I are ying these days. (¡­Damn, she¡¯s already getting the hang of it¡­!) Her unbelievable learning speed sent chills down my spine. Right now, Main-san¡¯s mecha still has 60% HP remaining. It looks like it¡¯s already pretty difficult to corner her before she overtakes me. However, the one thing I can do didn¡¯t change. I need to use the experience of battling against Kousei and limate the damage solidly and refinedly. The dumbest thing I can do is to get nervous and make a massive attack. My opponent won¡¯t let this chance go. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The attacks between Main-san and I are already reaching the climax. Both of us don¡¯t have the time to speak. When Aguri-san and Mii-chan are holding their breaths from behind, our HPs are slowly decreasing as we move closer to victory. Main-san still has 50%. I have 70% Main-san still has 40%. I have 50% Main-san still has 30%. I have- 30%. (Crap, ¡­she¡¯s chasing after me way too quickly!) This is just not just a simple ¡°fast learning speed¡± issue. It¡¯s like she¡¯s using a different person¡¯s control every second. The 3 years between Kousei and I were devastated within seconds. ¡­I¡¯m about to copse. However, there¡¯s no way for me to back down here. I can¡¯t let her win the second round. ¡°¡­AHHH!¡± I¡¯m already so immersed in the game that I yelled to cheer myself up. You can say that it¡¯s my first time since I treat games as entertainment. The desire for victory is already overflowing crazily inside my chest. Perhaps it¡¯s thanks to this. I¡¯m at the peak of my game today. I tried my best to resist Main-san¡¯s chase. Main-san still has 20%. I have 20% ¡°Nice, Amako! You¡¯re incredible!¡± Main-san yelled cheerfully during this intense battle. It¡¯s a match between a lonely guy trying his hardest and a woman enjoying the game with a cheerful face. I don¡¯t even know who¡¯s the hardcore yer here. Main-san still has 10%. I have 10% It¡¯s already a ¡°one-hit¡± battle at this point. You lose after taking a hit, whether from the main or secondary weapon. I used 3 years while Main-san used 2 battles. It¡¯s not just our own mecha¡¯s capabilities. She even grasped the opponent¡¯s ability and the course mechanics entirely. You can¡¯t win with luck in times like this. It¡¯s simply- the stronger side will win. However- ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± -During this time, Main-san¡¯s controls advanced another level again. This can only be pulled off by someone who knows all of the top-tier parts¡¯ abilities. In other words, it¡¯s the limit of this game. As for my default mecha, the defeat awaits even if my inner power has awoken to her level. ¡°Amanhi¡­!¡± Main-san¡¯s ¡°nning¡± for herst hit with her secondary weapon. It¡¯s slowly cutting off my escape. All I can do is to prevent myself from dying identally and try to escape. However, this is futile resistance no matter in who¡¯s eyes. The atmosphere is slowly getting heavier. Then, -thest moment is here. ¡°It¡¯s over, Amako. I enjoyed this.¡± After cutting off all of my escape routes and pointed the gun at me, Main-san said this in satisfaction. Just as she¡¯s about to press the trigger, -however. ¡°-!?¡± She can feel a sense of danger from me as she suddenly tries to switch controls. However, I¡¯m not letting this opportunity go away. I inputted themands as fast as possible, and I yelled at the top of my lungs. ¡°TOO LATE!¡± ¡°!¡± -At the next moment, Main-san¡¯s bullet- disappeared. This is my final trick up my sleeve that can¡¯t really be called one. I¡¯m afraid that only Kousei and I know in this world -the miraculous that can only ur with an extremely low probability. The attack that¡¯s supposed to go off from the main weapon will vanish, and only the defenseless mecha remains. I guess this strategy is banned in official rules. However, for today¡¯s victory, -I¡¯m using it even if it¡¯s a bug! ¡°You¡­!¡± Main-san switched from her attacks and showed me her defenseless mecha. However, -on the other side, I can¡¯t act immediately as well. It¡¯s because this bug can only be triggered when both of us are in low HP, super close to each other, and using that particr main weapon. So, to trigger this bug, I attacked with my main weapon in the wrong direction. -I¡¯m also at my stunned time too. In other words, thispetition¡¯s result is already pretty simple. -Whoever presses the trigger first after the stun is over wins. ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± ¡°HEYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡± The screams of Main-san and I are echoing around the room as we pressed the attack button ferociously! The button, the tip of my finger, my arm, and my shoulder- no, my entire body is about copse. Main-san and I are fighting with each other wholeheartedly. The muscles on my hands are screaming painfully. It¡¯s already an understatement to call this a duel. -This is a real deathmatch. Then, at the end of the finale, the one that¡¯s deciding the result of this extreme battle- ¡°GOOOOOOOO! AMANOCCHI! AHHHHHHHHH!¡± -The young girl is the main heroine of this story. She¡¯s praying and screaming at the same time. * ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The after-school 2F ssroom is enveloped in an overwhelming silence. -During this time, I suddenly realized¡­it¡¯s not just the Game Hobby Club members here. 7 ssmates that are unrted to the story at all came into the room. They are awaiting myst weekend¡¯s story while gulping heavily. ¡­Uh, what¡¯s happening? Facing my confusion, one of the girls cheered out loud and asked me with a slightly nervous and shivering voice. ¡°¡­T-Then? What happened to Amano-kun and Aguri-san afterward¡­?¡± ¡°Uh, well, who are you¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Nishimura. I¡¯m in the same ss as you.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. I guess so¡­¡± I¡¯ve never talked to you, right? Amid my confusion, another guy that I¡¯ve never talked to roared in anger. ¡°This is nothingpared to the ending! The ending! Amako-kun!¡± ¡°No, Amako is how Main-san calls me. I¡¯m Amano-¡° ¡°Can you speed it up? I still have some stuff to do.¡± ¡°No, who the hell are you-¡° ¡°Alright, alright, I, the master of rom, already have the answer. ¡­It should be kissing next, right!¡± ¡°Kya!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking where the hell did you guyse from!?¡± ¡°MOVE ON!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Ignoring myint, Uehara-kun, Tendou-san, Chiaki, and the ssmates, 10 people in total, are giving me some intense stress. After I epted everyone¡¯s passionate look, I took a couple deep breaths and made up my mind. Aguri-san and I exchanged looks as our faces turned red. Just as I¡¯m about to reveal the result of this duel that wagered everything- ¡°Hey, Amako, we¡¯re going shopping.¡± -During this time, I suddenly received the demon king¡¯s order, who appeared in front of the ssroom, Main Fushiguro-sama. I immediately straightened my back and saluted her! ¡°Yes, Main-sama! I¡¯m d to apany you! (humorous)¡± [Note: The (humorous) is a tone or ¡°word habit¡± here. It¡¯s mostly used during thete Edo and early Meiji periods by artists, craftsmen, or yboys. You will see this a lot in the next chapter.] After I said that, I packed all of my belongings at lightspeed. Then, I just dropped a ¡°bye¡± to everyone, who all fell speechless. After that, I walked out of the ssroom with Main-san- Main-sama. I kept bowing down to her as I smiled humbly and apologized. ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m so sorry for making you wait for a guy like me, Main-sama. (humorous)¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t talk. It¡¯s disgusting. Just shut up and carry my luggage.¡± ¡°Hey, sure! I got it!¡± I squeezed myself to dirt level as I walked next to her. So, the Game Hobby Club of today ended sessfully as well- ¡°YOU--- LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTT!?¡± -Suddenly, a deafening roar or cry from the 2F ssroom echoed throughout the entire school. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Hmm. Uh, well, ¡­what. Including this pathetic and miserable ending- This is me, a lonely and twisted gamer, Keita Amano. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I¡¯ll be looking forward to- no, please don¡¯t. I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯M REALLY SORRY, EVERYONE! Volume 10, 2 – Main Fushiguro and Underling Training

Volume 10, Chapter 2 ¨C Main Fushiguro and Underling Training

Trantor: your_pingas What in the world is everyone looking for in a story¡¯s protagonist? Is it resonance? Belief? Strength? Or the narrative ability? I guess all of us have different standards for a protagonist. However, I, Keita Amano, feel like the most important thing is ¡°yearning.¡± I don¡¯t need to describe external factors like being popr with girls or having insane abilities. The protagonists¡¯ beliefs or reserved inner attractiveness make me respect them from the bottom of my heart. In summary, to me, a so-called protagonist is a person that I would ¡°yearn¡± for. At least, what I can be sure is that- ¡°Hehehe! Hiya, Main-sama looks good in everything! Hehe!¡± -That¡¯s not a wretched high school year 2 guy that ditches his lover on the weekend near Valentine¡¯s Day to tter a beautiful flight attendant. It¡¯s been nearly a week since I¡¯m owned by Main-san. I¡¯m giving my all in being Main-san¡¯s underling today as well. ¡°By the way, what¡¯s with this festive aura everywhere? Hey.¡± Main-san red ferociously at the afternoon shopping street flooded in Valentine¡¯s Day¡¯s sales. She¡¯s still grumbling as usual. Right next to her, I¡¯m carrying numerous paper bags with both of my hands. Then, I sighed and agreed with her, ¡°Yeah¡­ (humorous)¡± ¡°This idea always shows up in my head every year I see this scene. -It would be great if all chocte exchanged between boys and girls is mixed with horse shit during this period.¡± ¡°Amako, you¡¯re so stylishly disgusting.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get embarrassed if you praise me like that. (humorous).¡± ¡°You¡¯re really disgusting.¡± Main-san fell a bit speechless. ¡­Even the craziest person I know is done with me. This hurts me quite a lot. When my eyes turned dark, Main-san smacked her tongue before continuing. ¡°By the way, Amako, when can you return to normal?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? (humorous)¡± ¡°Your way of talking. I told you to stop adding weird attributes onto yourself.¡± ¡°Eh. But, this is how I always talk, my lord...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me a bold-faced lie.¡± ¡°Ow, ow, it hurts! (humorous)¡± Main-san didn¡¯t even care we¡¯re on the main street. She pinched my cheeks and started pulling them. ¡­Why is she messing with me in the same way as Aguri-san does? Perhaps I should say they are really rtives, right¡­ She saw that I didn''t intend on changing my tone and sighed. ¡­However, at the next second, she looked at me cheerfully for some reason. ¡°You¡¯re really sly, Amako.¡± ¡°¡­Really? (humorous)¡± I still put up my insane tone to avoid any internalmunication with her as I looked away. -Even when my ownership was robbed away, I still can¡¯t take my hate off a terrible person. This can¡¯t be helped. Of course, I¡¯ll abide by the promise and listen to all of her orders. As long as she said I¡¯m going shopping with her, even though I was nning to search for a game controller that day, I¡¯d drop everything and rush to her and be a ve. I guess I¡¯ll immediately lie down and lick her shoes without hesitation if she ordered me. -At least that¡¯s what it¡¯s like on the surface. ¡°Well, where are we going next, Main-sama?¡± I turned back to Main-san¡¯s direction and showed her a delinquent underling¡¯s smile. Honestly, this attitude is a bit too perverse. It¡¯s normal for her to feel pissed. But¡­ ¡°Hmm, let me think. ¡­Well, let¡¯s go to the mall there. We¡¯re moving, Amako.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Main-san isn¡¯t especially mad at me. She just walked first and made the order calmly. I followed her as I remembered the ¡°underling life¡± I¡¯ve had for this week. (¡­Honestly, ¡­it¡¯s a bit different from my imagination¡­) I secretly nced at the silver-haired woman that¡¯s humming a song as she walked on the street. She¡¯s not wearing her flight attendant suit today. Instead, it¡¯s a wine-red jacket that can emphasize her height. She looks even slimmer now. ¡°By the way, that staff member is such a piece of trash. It¡¯s already not the problem of whether she suits being in the service industry, alright. You can sometimes find those people that are useless at everything, just like Amako.¡± Also, it¡¯s just like this. She never minces her words. Instead, she¡¯ll cut other people¡¯s hearts into pieces with a dagger called logic. However¡­ ¡°¡­Ah. Wait here, Amako.¡± ¡°Hmm? Sure¡­¡± I suddenly received Main-san¡¯s order and stopped at the side of the road. I was thinking about whether she¡¯s going to the bathroom, so I looked in her direction dazedly. After that, I saw her running to the shopping street just then. Then¡­ ¡°¡­Eh?¡± ¡­She started chatting with a muscr and bald foreigner that doesn¡¯t look like her friend at all. Even if I¡¯m looking from afar, I can see that guy¡¯s dreadlocks and tattoos. Moreover, he¡¯s holding a solid ck Boston bag that can almost contain a person- (¡­Hmm? Ah, based on his amount of luggage, I guess he¡¯s a tourist, right?) -I finally made a normal assumption at this point. In reality, his face looks pretty gentle when talking to Main-san. Atst, he even asked for a handshake with her. Main-san greeted the man with a smile before turning around. Then, she gave me a poker face and waved at me to get me there. Her former attitude disappeared to nowhere. ¡­Why can¡¯t she keep her smile for just a bit longer? It¡¯s not going to hurt, right¡­ I quickly dashed to her. Main-san then turned around and walked again as nothing happened. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Eh? N-No, no, no, no, no. You don¡¯t need to exin what happened just then¡­?¡± ¡°Exin? I just showed him the way, right. What do I need to exin?¡± ¡°Uh? Ah, ¡­that¡¯s not what I¡­¡± I still followed Main-san a bit confusedly. ¡­Yes, I only understood this after being with her for a week. This person seems to be- ¡°Wait, yes, that¡¯s you! Hey, the beautiful girl over there!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± -During this time, an olddy carrying her shopping bag suddenly talked to us from in front. ¡­I should say Main-san¡¯s the one she wants to talk to. The olddy fearlessly smiled as she kept patting Main-san¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re amazing! It¡¯s that guy, right! You showed that strong overseas man his way, right! That¡¯s incredible! Right!?¡± The olddy is smacking Main-san¡¯s shoulders crazily. For some reason, there are a lot of these cheerful olddies in the north. You can find at least five within my rtives. However- (AH, ¡­AHHHHH!) -I know how violent Main-san is. So, I¡¯m terrified of her friendly attitude. It¡¯s only a matter of time before this shopping street is stained with red if this continues. Just as I¡¯m taking a step back¡­ Main-san, she answered the olddy with a gentle smile that I¡¯ve never seen before. ¡°Hiya, you just saw that, olddy! It¡¯s so embarrassing. I actually know a little bit of English despite how I look. So, I just did something extra without knowing it¡­¡± ¡°----¡° W-WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!? Main-san put her hand near her mouth elegantly and chuckled. I stood behind her, speechless. The olddy looks attracted by her smile for a moment. After that, she smacked Main-san¡¯s shoulders loudly andughed before leaving. ¡°You¡¯re incredible, no matter what! Here, take some candies!¡± ¡°Wow, thank you! I really love sweets!¡± Main-san looks like she¡¯s sincerely happy when she gets the lollipop from the olddy¡¯s bag¡­ ¡°Well, take care!¡± ¡°You too. I hope you can have a cheerful weekend, olddy.¡± Main-san stillughed as she waved and greeted the olddy. Then, after the olddy got out of sight¡­ ¡°Alright¡­¡± She put out that original vicious expression again as if nothing had happened. After that, the woman just started putting the olddy¡¯s lollipop in her mouth violently as she walked. ¡°N-No, no, no, no, no, no!¡± I even forgot to keep my humorous character setting after seeing that. I grabbed her shoulder to make her turn to me and questioned! ¡°T-This is too weird!¡± ¡°You mean Amako¡¯s brain?¡± ¡°This insult came just as quickly as usual! No, I¡¯m saying this is weird!¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still asking that!? W-W-Why did you¡­¡± I paused for a moment here before yelling at the top of my lungs. ¡°Why did you show that mature woman¡¯s look!?¡± ¡°This is the first time that I really don¡¯t understand why someone¡¯s mad.¡± Main-san licked the lollipop as she stared at me, speechless. ¡­Ugh! What¡¯s with this development that¡¯s making me look like I¡¯m the weird one!? ¡°No, but! Aren¡¯t you Main-san!? Aren¡¯t you Main-san from the Fushiguro residence!?¡± ¡°What do you know about my home?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you Main the Demon King!?¡± ¡°Hell no. I don¡¯t have a retarded alias like that. I¡¯m just your average flight attendant, Main-san.¡± ¡°Yet, you¡­! You just acted like that¡­! It almost feels like you¡¯re a conscientious and mature woman¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Hey, Amako. I bet you want to have round 2 with me then, right? Alright, if you¡¯re asking for it-¡° ¡°Oh! Yes! This is the pressure I¡¯m asking for! Ah, what a relief!¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re way too crazy. It¡¯s disgusting.¡± Main-san seems to be really dumbfounded, and her pressure disappears. She scratched her head impatiently before letting out a slight ¡°ah.¡± ¡°¡­Is it because of that? Don¡¯t tell me you always think that ¡®I¡¯ am always myself?¡± ¡°O-Of course. In reality, you¡¯re always ¡®I,¡¯ right. You¡¯ve been acting like this since we met when Mii-chan lost her way¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ah, ¡­I see. Really. That¡¯s why.¡± She pulled out the lollipop from her mouth and pointed it at me. ¡°That¡¯s just because the way I met you guys is too terrible.¡± ¡°¡­The way you met us?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s because when I first saw you guys, weren''t all of you just gathering around to prank a little girl?¡± ¡°That¡¯s too biased, right!¡± After she saw meining angrily, Main-san started licking the lollipop again and apologized to me casually like a child. ¡°Don¡¯t mind it.¡± ¡°Yeah, actually, I quickly understood that¡¯s a misunderstanding. However, the problem is that you already saw my undisguised form for the first time.¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­so, in other words, Main-san¡­normally treats someone that¡¯s not especially close or hostile to you with¡­¡± After she heard me mumbling, Main-san coughed. ¡­After that, she faced me with the fake smile used on the olddy. ¡°Haha, Amano, you¡¯re surely interesting.¡± ¡°-Bleugh, you disgust me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Main-san immediately returned to her usual attitude and choked me. I returned to the living room after having a small talk with my deceased grandma as I coughed. Then, I faced Main-san again. ¡°But, I guess I understood. Indeed, after we met like that, you¡¯ll just make us confused if you put out that fake ¡®gentle¡¯ attitude again.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Main-san said that as she licked the lollipop violently again. ¡­For some reason, I get the impression that she¡¯s smoking right now. She started stepping towards the mall again as she continued with a bored voice. ¡°However, did you really think that I don¡¯t even put on a disguise while working?¡± ¡°Yeah. I thought you would yell, ¡®Catch, this is your god damn rice¡¯ and throw the meals to the airline passengers.¡± ¡°What kind of flight attendant is that?¡± ¡°Then, you¡¯ll throw the troublesome people down from the skies.¡± ¡°Doesn''t my image as a human look terrible in your eyes?¡± ¡°A-Also, when your addiction to Ace Combat kicks in, you¡¯ll rob the joystick from the pilot and start flying it yourself, ¡­or something like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Uh, wait, why aren¡¯t you retorting this time?¡± ¡°¡­I think I made the passengers enjoy a very cheerful and exciting journey.¡± ¡°Main-san!?¡± Yep, this person is always terrible. Why does she put up that gentle face usually? After I fell silent, Main-san chuckled a bit happily for some reason. ¡°You¡¯re the one to talk, Amako. Aren¡¯t you talking normally now?¡± ¡°Ugh. ¡­N-No, this is¡­¡± ¡°This is more like you, after all. I love the original you more.¡± ¡°¡­Eh? I felt confused when the demon king could say the word ¡°love¡± so quickly. No, although I understand she¡¯s not loving me the real way, ¡­I never thought that she can say the word ¡°love¡± so easily to someone. Even if it¡¯s a simple interpersonal rtionship¡­ (I can¡¯t get her at all¡­) I scratched my head silently next to her. ¡­After I became her underling, everything in the week has always been like this. She never treats me well, and her violence/insults keep piling on. ¡­However, I feel like that ¡°stingy¡± attitude in the past was gone, or should I say pressure? No, even though it¡¯s probably because I have nothing to lose, she¡­ ¡°Right, we got to buy clothes for Mii as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­Perhaps she¡¯s really a caring person to people that she has ownership of -which the people that she¡¯sfortable with. A lot of recent scenes made me have this idea- ¡°After all, my best entertainment is forcing her to wear different clothes.¡± -Of course, sometimes I feel like that¡¯s not true at all. ¡°So, prepare yourself to carry things until your hands break, Amako. However, I¡¯ll kill you if you dropped something on the ground.¡± Yep, I¡¯m sorry. Pretend I haven¡¯t said anything. Sorry, I just made everyone read something utterly trash. Main-san entered the mall¡¯s automatic door energetically with me, who¡¯s dead exhausted. -At this moment. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong, Main-san?¡± Main-san squinted her eyes like she discovered something in front of her. I followed her gaze as well. Then, I saw the food court on the first floor. It¡¯s a weekend afternoon, after all. It¡¯s packed with families. Among them¡­ ¡°¡­Ah.¡± When I looked at the area closely, I saw two people that Main-san and I both know. Also, they just have to be¡­ ¡°Hey, hey, Amako, now this is getting interesting. Hey.¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± Main-san¡¯s looking at my shocked face with a mischievous smile. After all, the ¡°state¡± of those two friends in the food court ahead is¡­ (Aguri-san¡¯s feeding fries to Uehara-kun¡­!?) I fell speechless with this untimely scene. Main-san saw that and started messing with me. ¡°Ara, ara? Hey, Amako? Isn¡¯t my- no, aren¡¯t you Agu¡¯s dearest boyfriend?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! Hmm, yeah. ¡­I guess¡­so, right.¡± I started profusely sweating as I looked away. ¡­Indeed, I think everyone knows this already. The setting of ¡°I¡¯m Aguri-san¡¯s boyfriend¡± still hasn¡¯t been revealed to Main-san yet. ¡­No, I should say that there¡¯s no reason for me to tell her. People always say, ¡°Apany the Buddha to the west.¡± She robbed my ownership, anyway. Why don¡¯t I just keep making Main-san think that I¡¯m Aguri-san¡¯s boyfriend? This can further reduce Uehara-kun¡¯s loss as well. [Note: It¡¯s an idiom that means if you¡¯re going to help, you might as well give it everything you got.] So, this isn¡¯t because Aguri-san¡¯s too selfish or that I¡¯m willing to sacrifice myself so much. It¡¯s simply because that is the most reasonable solution. That¡¯s why we¡¯re keeping the lie as long as possible¡­ ¡°Hiya, your girlfriend looks all lovey-dovey with another man.¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­I think so.¡± ¡°It¡¯s literally like that guy is the real boyfriend, Amako.¡± ¡°Indeed, ¡­you can¡¯t say that¡¯s not the case.¡± Uehara-kun¡¯s the same. He¡¯s usually too embarrassed to do stuff like this. Yet, he just had to feed Aguri-san fries at a time like this. ¡­W-What¡¯s with this feeling? This anger is entirely different from jealousy. It really pisses me off when my friends show their love off while I¡¯m in a troubling situation! Main-san saw my expression and instigated me further. ¡°Oh, are you going to fight, Amako? Is this a battle? Battle?¡± ¡°¡­Why are you so happy?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s normal to feel happy, right? I love to see idiotic peasants messing up like this.¡± ¡°And you dare to oppose being called a demon king with your attitude?¡± I can¡¯t believe she can sincerely enjoy a violent drama between her cousin and boyfriend. What¡¯s wrong with this person? Main-san¡¯s observing the entire thing excitedly. However, after she saw me stalling since I didn''t know what to do, she shrugged her shoulders helplessly. After that¡­ ¡°You¡¯re loading too long, Amako. This is boring. Here, how about I call them instead?¡± ¡°Eh? Wait-¡° ¡°Hey, Agu, and that wild man over there!¡± ¡°Are your ability to read the mood utterly broken!?¡± What¡¯s wrong with this person? When the boyfriend¡¯s freaking up since he saw his girlfriend cheating -at least that¡¯s what it looks like now. How can she just talk to them without thinking about anything else? That couple bulged their eyes after seeing Main-san yelling and waving her hands as she dashed to them. I can even feel that exmation marks popped out of their heads. ¡°Ah, ¡­sheesh¡­!¡± I quickly chased after her. Uehara-kun and Aguri-san were shocked again after noticing my presence. ¡°Amanhi, why are you¡­¡± ¡°No, even if you ask me¡­¡± Aren¡¯t you supposed to be the one that knows where Main-san and I are going to avoid us? Iined to her with my eyes. However, Aguri-san looks really surprised. She kept ncing over Main-san and me. (Ah, it looks like Main-san tricked her¡­) I guess I understood what¡¯s happening. It¡¯s just like that, anyway. Main-san told Aguri-san, ¡°where she¡¯s going to with Amako¡± today, and it¡¯s nowhere near here at all. I think this is precisely what Main-san would do. So, that strategist demon king turned around and looked at me before smiling. ¡°Alright, you can wrestle all you want now, Amako. ¡­Fight.¡± ¡°Wrestle what? I don¡¯t know how to fight.¡± ¡°I see. You¡¯re not fighting. -Then, what are you going to do?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I was unsure after- feeling the ¡°pressure¡± suddenly released by Main-san, which I haven¡¯t experiencedtely. Aguri-san and Uehara-kun are holding their breaths as well. At the same time, Main-san red at me like she already knew everything and further questioned. ¡°Are you going to pretend you didn¡¯t see anything? Or would you try to cover it up with a bunch of stupid interactions? No, that¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re trying to smile and say ¡®go ahead¡¯ while lending Agu to somebody else? Ah?¡± ¡°M-Main-san?¡± I was overwhelmed by her half characteristic, half unusual stingy attitude. During this time, the person who has the highest tolerance to Main-san, Aguri-san, spoke up. ¡°N-N-No, it¡¯s not like that, Main-nee-san. We weren¡¯t cheating or anything. ¡­It¡¯s just a punishment-like game between friends. That¡¯s why we¡¯re feeding fries. Right, Tasuku- Uehara-kun?¡± ¡°Huh! O-Ohh, of course, Aguri¡­-san.¡± Uehara-kun seems to have immediately understood what¡¯s happening and went along with Aguri-san. After that, he secretly nced at me and asked for my approval with his eyes. ¡°Is this okay?¡± So, I nodded repeatedly behind Main-san. ¡°I see. It¡¯s a game.¡± Main-san said that she didn¡¯t ept their exnation at all. Then, she suddenly turned to me and asked. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Uh, I¡­I choose to believe her. Also, I trust my friend Uehara-kun.¡± ¡°Really. That Uehara-kun guy over there is Amako¡¯s friend too. ¡­Come to think of it, I did remember seeing this face somewhere.¡± Uehara-kun faked a smile at Main-san, who¡¯s staring at him. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s me! I let Mii-chan rode on my shoulder¡­¡± ¡°Oh, the main suspect.¡± ¡°That¡¯s way too biased, right!¡± Uehara-kun yelled something I seemed to have heard before. Main-san put out a poker face before saying, ¡°It¡¯s just a joke.¡± Her voice doesn¡¯t sound like she¡¯s joking at all. After that, she asked. ¡°Well, let me ask you this, the Uehara-kun guy.¡± ¡°S-Sure, what is your inquiry?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay for my Agu and her boyfriend Amako to do the same thing, ¡­which is feeding fries to each other, right?¡± Main-san showed a mischievous smile and asked. ¡°¡­Uh, ¡­o-of course, it¡¯s entirely alright. Yes.¡± Uehara-kun started sweating as he looked away and gave a weird reply. At the same time, Aguri-san and I are both furious. (How can this person always mess with others in the most urate spots¡­!?) For what? Can you actually tell other people¡¯s weak spots when you reached a certain level in gaming? Honestly, whether it¡¯s Aguri-san or me, feeding each other fries in front of Uehara-kun is the worst thing we can do. We absolutely don¡¯t want to do it. Even though we don¡¯t want to, ¡­Uehara-kun already sacrificed himself so much to hide the lie. So, we can only abandon our lives and apany him. ¡°C-Come here, Amanhi. I¡¯m feeding you fries.¡± ¡°W-Wow, I¡¯m so blessed to have my dear girlfriend feeding fries to me!¡± ¡°S-Sheesh, don¡¯t be like that, Amanhi. ¡­Here, say ah.¡± ¡°Ahaha, this is embarrassing, Aguri. ¡­Ah.¡± Although we act all lovey-dovey on the mouth, the two of us managed to finish feeding each other fries like wepleted a quest. I bit into the fries that Aguri-san¡¯s holding- ¡°Ah, wait, Amako, Agu. Now that we have the opportunity, why don¡¯t you two feed each other with your mouths?¡± Facing this sudden yet evil proposal, the three of us blushed in anger or something else. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong? Aren¡¯t Amako and Agu couples? Even though this is a bit embarrassing, you two don¡¯t need to be that hesitant¡­¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, but everything can be exined if you two are just pretending to be couples?¡± ¡°THIS EVIL GOD!¡± What the hell? Is this person a more supreme being than the demon king? Is she a yer that can observe our story and have the power to intervene freely? Main-san looked at our reaction with a mischievous smile as she urged us. ¡°Hiya, you guys aren¡¯t doing it? No? Really, that¡¯s regrettable. In other words, this is concrete evidence that all of you are banding together and lying to me. Ouch, I¡¯m hurt. This is too much. Well, ¡­I guess I can only look forward to a little bit of COMPENSATION, right?¡± Aguri-san and I can¡¯t help but shiver since we know how risky it is for Main-san to ask forpensation. However, at the next second, a hero mmed the table and rose up! When Aguri-san and I are admiring him, the man- the hope of humanity, Tasuku Uehara, showed us the most refreshing smile we¡¯ve ever seen. ¡°D-Do it, you two! I¡¯m just you guys¡¯ friend. It¡¯s absolutely fine!¡± (U-UEHARA-KUN!) (TASUKU!) Have we seen a person trying his best to fake a refreshing smile? Nope, we haven¡¯t. (¡­Gulp.) Aguri-san and I looked at each other with solemn determination. Then, we nodded. -After that, we made up our mind and faced the glorious battle. ¡°Hiya, a-a lot of people are looking at us. I¡¯m getting embarrassed, darling.¡± Aguri-san said as she¡¯s holding the end of the piece of fries with her mouth. ¡°Y-Yeah. But, ¡­it¡¯s just something that normal couples do, anyway. We can just do it, sweetheart.¡± With that, I leaned forward and got my face close to the other side of the fries. ¡°Y-Yeah. We often do this alone, after all.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. We looked like a lovely couple. However, actually, the dangling piece of fries on Aguri-san¡¯s mouth is shivering, Uehara-kun¡¯s smiling as blood is dripping off his fist, while Tendou-san¡¯s smile appeared in my brain. ¡­To put it simply, this is hell. ¡°Hey, hey, Amako, Agu, did you notice? ¡­Right now, the entire food court is looking at you.¡± (Ugh!) ¡°This is getting exciting. Valentine¡¯s Eve is surely amazing. ¡­It would be even better if someone you guys know showed up in the mall as well.¡± (She¡¯s saying something very likely to happen again!) How can this person just start setting up gs everywhere? Can we be sure that she¡¯s an ascended being now? Anyway, at this point, we can only pray that it¡¯s over soon. I got close to Aguri-san¡¯s face and sheepishly bit the other side. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Even though there¡¯s still some distance between face-to-face, I¡¯m getting really ufortable from facing thisposition and the shiver sent from that piece of fries. Also, not to mention that I¡¯m freaking out from Uehara-kun¡¯s unusual aura. We have to end this as soon as possible. After I got a hold with my lips, I urged Aguri-san to release it. She didn¡¯t n for us to eat half of it like a Pocky game. It would be over as long as I caught the piece of fries. So- ¡°Ah, right, Amako, Agu, now that we have the chance, why don¡¯t we y the Pocky-¡° ¡°UGH!¡± -So, I pulled the piece of fries over with my lips before Main-san said anything else. After that, I looked up and sent it into my mouth before chewing it. (Phew¡­) A ¡°sessful smile¡± appeared on Aguri-san and my face. Although this is a lot of experience, Uehara-kun didn¡¯t need to be tortured inside any longer. We turned to Uehara-kun and smiled to try and calm him down- ¡°This is amazing, Amako. You two are really a couple. -You can even eat a piece of fries filled with Agu¡¯s saliva without hesitation. Hiya, that¡¯s incredible.¡± ¡°¡­UWAH!¡± -After taking another stab from Main-san, the three of us spat blood and fell down (on the inside). * ¡°Please just forgive me¡­¡± ¡°Hiya, that was super fun.¡± A minute after we bid farewell to Uehara-kun and Aguri-san, I took the esctor with Main-san with an exhausted face. Main-san, who¡¯s standing two steps higher,ughed and turned around. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to go this far, Amako.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell us to do it?¡± Main-san continued right away after seeing me ring at her angrily. ¡°That¡¯s right. But, I still feel like you guys are already amazing for a fake couple.¡± ¡°Yeah. From that perspective, Aguri-san, Uehara-kun, and I are really-¡° I froze at this point. Main-san continued looking at me from above with a mischievous smile. ¡°¡­Did you really think that I can¡¯t tell you guys are making up that poor lie?¡± ¡°¡­Uh, ¡­w-when did you realize it?¡± ¡°When? Ah, let me think¡­¡± Main-san walked to the other side of the esctor as she mumbled. ¡­After that, she gave a shocking answer like it¡¯s nothing. ¡°I think it¡¯s when you showed up- as Agu¡¯s boyfriend in my house.¡± ¡°I-Isn¡¯t that at the very beginning!?¡± My back is shivering from shock. ¡­This is the first time I experienced how a criminal feels when he¡¯s targeted by a famous detective. I asked the famous detective sheepishly. ¡°C-Can I ask the reason? Which part did Aguri-san and I miss¡­¡± ¡°Everything.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t mincing your words at all!¡± What¡¯s with this instant conclusion? Main-san answered me with a bitter smile. ¡°It¡¯s more like I¡¯m surprised that you guys think that I still don¡¯t know anything. Don¡¯t underestimate me, Main Fushiguro, alright? Naturally, I would want to mess with all of you a bit, right?¡± A bit? ¡°¡­Well, so, you made us do all of that when you know everything already?¡± ¡°Yeah. Also, that ¡®Uehara¡¯ is Agu¡¯s real boyfriend, am I correct?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± A famous detective is way too scary. ¡­It¡¯s really not funny when someone you know is good at inference. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m sincerely admiring. ¡­I can¡¯t believe you guys actually pulled that off.¡± ¡°D-Didn¡¯t you ask us to do it!?¡± ¡°Hiya, you¡¯re really interesting, Amako.¡± Main-san said that as she chuckled. W-Who the hell is she!? I won¡¯t be surprised if she¡¯s bing an SSR+ character in a gacha mobile game the next day. ¡°?¡± Main-san¡¯s humming a song cheerfully as she walked in front of me. I think she got a bit too happy if it¡¯s just because she pranked Aguri-san and me. (I still don¡¯t understand this person¡­) Even though she only ys by her own rules, I don¡¯t know what those ¡°rules¡± are when I think about them. All I know is that- ¡°However, based on what I¡¯ve seen, Agu and that Uehara are sailing smoothly on the surface. But, actually, I get that ¡®just need one more push¡¯ feeling. Hmm, ¡­although they both love each other, perhaps they are trying to keep everything peaceful by temporarily maintaining the distance?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± -All I know is that she¡¯s a shockingly intelligent detective. Also¡­ ¡°I bet that Uehara guy¡¯s source of trouble is from you, Amako. You and Agu look a bit too close, even from an outsider¡¯s standard like me. Also, Amako, you¡¯re giving me a feeling that you have your loved one too-¡° ¡°No, please, seriously, forgive me, my lord.¡± After my sincere request, Main-san smiled and said. ¡°Well, tell me everything then.¡± She pointed her chin at the caf¨¦ on the 4th floor. I sighed deeply. ¡­At this point, I think instead of raising her interest even further, I should just tell her the truth usually. So¡­ ¡°You¡¯re paying for the coffee.¡± ¡°Sure, ¡­even though I might not.¡± ¡°Give up and pay for it!¡± ¡­I told her everything happened this year in this 10-minute cup of coffee. ¡°Hahaha, hiya, your experience¡¯s straight out of a trash light novel.¡± Main-san said that at the moment I¡¯m finished. I stood up angrily and helped to take Main-san¡¯s coffee cup away as well. After that, she waited for me at the entrance with a mischievous grin. We entered the mall again. ¡°Forget the trash light novel part, Amako. Your experience is more interesting than I thought. Hmm, I¡¯ll pay for your coffee since it entertains me.¡± ¡°¡­Thanks.¡± I answered casually. Main-san patted my head violently andined, ¡°An underling should be more adorable.¡± She smiled and continued. ¡°However, in reality, the biggest problem is that there¡¯s no sexual description in your one-year high school love story at all. I¡¯m kind of surprised.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a bigger problem if a high school student is drinking coffee as he¡¯s describing his sex life vividly, right.¡± ¡°Hmm? Well, did you do it?¡± ¡°¡­No, ¡­actually, ¡­I haven¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°You useless virgin.¡± ¡°That hurts a lot!¡± I red at Main-san speechlessly. ¡°Well, I bet Main-san has a very mature and adult-like love experience, right?¡± ¡°¡­Hmph. Sheesh, don¡¯t ask such a stupid question, Amako. Isn¡¯t it obvious? Right?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Main-san helplessly shrugged as she looked at me with bright eyes. I freaked out since she looks so flirtatious that it makes me associate her with a snake. ¡­At the same time, Main-san licked her lips and told me. ¡°Did you really think there¡¯s a man that matches me in this world?¡± ¡°This is the coolest and most unpopr speech I¡¯ve ever heard!¡± It looks like a glorious battle between a demon king and the hero. However, in the end, it¡¯s just an ugly debate between a hikineet and an old virgin. After seeing me dropping my shoulders depressingly, Main-san opened her arms greatly as if she¡¯s a real demon king without any embarrassment. ¡°Hey, Amako, a 3* character that finally can be used in battle after much grinding and the strongest 5* pure white character that¡¯s a guaranteed victory, which one is worth more?¡± ¡°This is also the first time that I¡¯ve seen a person that tries to normalize her unpoprity!¡± ¡°Hmph, look at how dumb you are. I¡¯m not unpopr. Instead, I won''t let myself be popr.¡± ¡°I have lived for 17 years, yet this is the first time I¡¯ve heard something like this!¡± ¡°If a guy shows even just a slight interest in me, I¡¯ll first try my best to destroy his soul.¡± ¡°Are you the evil version of tsundere?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re asking whether I¡¯ve dated someone- hmph, you¡¯re utterly stupid.¡± ¡°Stop it, alright!? I feel like I¡¯m the one getting upset now!¡± Even though I really want to know Main-san¡¯s weak spot, this isn¡¯t what I¡¯m looking for. It¡¯s more like I¡¯m getting emptier the more I attack this weakness. ¡°What? I don¡¯t really get it, ¡­whatever.¡± Then, Main-san really started walking forward like nothing happened as she changed the topic calmly. ¡°Anyway, I count as an exception. But, it¡¯s a fact that your rtionship isn¡¯t going well at all, right?¡± ¡°¡­Well, ¡­I can¡¯t deny that.¡± ¡°So, what do you think the main reason is?¡± ¡°Eh? Are you asking that? ¡­Well, of course, it¡¯s because of all kinds of misunderstandings¡­¡± ¡°I see. -I¡¯m so disappointed in you.¡± ¡°-Uh?¡± Main-san suddenly turned around. -She reminded me of the one we saw in the beginning. That stressful, overwhelming, disgusted look made me stop. (What¡¯s wrong with her¡­) I started gulping into my dry throat before facing her sudden change in attitude with a question. ¡°What does¡­that mean¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah.¡± However, Main-san didn¡¯t answer my question. She just took a step higher onto the esctor angrily as if she¡¯s trying to lose me. I fell a bit speechless to her violent attitude. ¡­But, I snapped out of it and chased after her. (W-What¡¯s with that attitude? ¡­Well, even though she''s usually pretty selfish and violent.) Until now, I always answered her violence with, ¡°Alright, alright, alright.¡± However, this time, ¡­ripples keep appearing in my heart. ¡­That must be because I¡¯m not satisfied with my answer either. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± I don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s because I¡¯m thinking about that on the esctor. But, when I arrived at the 5th floor with all the daily necessities, kids¡¯ clothing, and toys, I already lost Main-san entirely. ¡°Ah, ¡­I think she said she wants to buy clothes for Mii-chan¡­¡± I remembered what Main-san said, so I looked around as I walked to the kids¡¯ clothing area. In the midst of this, I took a detour through the toy sales area. Then, I looked at the goods on the shelf aimlessly. After that- ¡°¡­Ah.¡± -After that, I saw the special game controller that¡¯s supposed to be sold out right now and stopped. (S-Seriously! Its price on Amazon is skyrocketing¡­!) That¡¯s a special game controller. It really makes a difference in experience when you¡¯re ying that popr party game on console. Of course, the game itself also includes a controller bundle because of that. However, there¡¯s only one in the package. ¡­Even though this is a mostly offline party game, there¡¯s only one special controller in the box. ¡­This is already weird enough. But, the even more unfortunate fact is that this game¡¯s already reached poprity beyond the developers¡¯ imagination. In the end, the demand for special controllers that wasn¡¯t abundant to begin with skyrocketed. Also, the wheeler-dealers tried to benefit from this. Therefore, this controller can already be called a sought-after item for everyone who bought the game. ¡­Of course, I¡¯m one of them too. (I can finally fight fair-and-square with Kousei this way!) I¡¯m really excited about this miraculous encounter. So, I quickly forgot about Main-san and walked toward the sales area. After that, I grabbed the controller box that was casually ced on the shelf. (This is the advantage of a toy sales area in a small department store!) This is one of the few advantages of a small-time gamer. Goods that are always sold out in big cities will appear here. ¡­However, even so, it looks like this is thest one too. I grinned as I opened my bag and checked the cash in my wallet. ¡­Very well, this controller costs 2,980 yen. I have enough money. Yes. I took 3,000 yen out of my wallet and stepped cheerfully to the cashier. At that moment- ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°?¡± -I saw a child looking at my controller sadly. His hand has the 3,000 yen that he hastily asked from his parents. ¡°Oh, Amako, you¡¯re slow.¡± ¡°Sigh, ¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± I regrouped with Main-san in the kids¡¯ clothing area. Then, I stood next to her, who¡¯s picking out cute girl clothes, a bit awkwardly. Main-san didn¡¯t look at me as she searched in the hangers before asking me. ¡°So, did you buy the controller you want, Amako?¡± ¡°Are you really a god or something?¡± I never said one word about the controller to this person. Main-san smiled bitterly and answered after seeing me getting this shocked. ¡°Although I appreciated your overly-high evaluation, this is just amon conclusion. I saw that controller on the way too. Even though I didn¡¯t buy it because I¡¯m not interested at all, ¡­I can see peasants like you love that.¡± ¡°I feel like you can already be a god with inference skills like that.¡± I fell speechless. Then, the god in front of me immediately continued. ¡°Off-topic. In other words, you couldn¡¯t buy it. ¡­No, you didn¡¯t buy it, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± I feel like she¡¯ll force the truth out of me no matter how long I keep silent. So, I exined to her that I gave the controller to the child before sighing. ¡°I feel like mypatibility with this department store isn¡¯t too good. Something like this also happened with as well¡­¡± ¡°Huh,patibility, right.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± She¡¯s doing it again. ¡­I hate it. Although I always hate Main-san, I can sometimes feel genuine contempt from her words, just like right now. I fell silent. Main-san seems to be finished with getting Mii-chan¡¯s clothes. She still said naturally impolite stuff like, ¡°It¡¯s filled with boring things here.¡± Then, she walked away. ¡­Luckily, there are no staff members around. Main-san suddenly stopped after getting out of the kids¡¯ clothing area. I thought about what¡¯s wrong as I looked in her direction. After that, I saw the bare arcade area in the department store¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Main-san turned to me with a demon king¡¯s face as I started shivering due to the bad feeling. ¡°Hey, Amako. In other words, -you have an extra 3,000 yen right now, am I correct?¡± ¡°¡­Mom, I think I got ckmailed for the first time in my life.¡± ¡°Hey, hey, don¡¯t put it in such a bad way, Amako. ¡­Let¡¯s have a match?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± In conclusion, I got ckmailed for the first time in my life. ¡°Ahaha, I¡¯m sorry, Amako. I feel like I just ckmailed you!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I looked at my crippled wallet depressedly. What a nightmare. ¡­No, I already lost my ownership. It should be a miracle that I wasn¡¯t ckmailed until now. Even so¡­ ¡°Well, let¡¯s go somewhere else, Amako!¡± ¡°¡­Alright¡­¡± ¡­It¡¯s pointless toin about it now. Although I said it¡¯s ckmail, actually, she didn¡¯t take my money away directly. Main-san won¡¯t do uwful things like that. Well, if I had to say what she even did¡­ (I didn¡¯t expect her to really spend 3,000 yen ying those coin games with me in an arcade for children¡­) ¡­She just yed 3,000 yen worth of games with me. In some cases, such action can be called a date. However, of course, I lost everything. So, it¡¯s not really good. ¡­Ah,e to think of it, I feel like the same thing happened when I¡¯m ying with Tendou-san, but that¡¯s definitely a date. It¡¯s a ¡°beautiful memory¡± that is entirely in contrast to this. ¡­Indeed, it¡¯s crucial to choose the person you¡¯re with¡­ ¡°¡­Ha.¡± Main-san and I stepped on the esctor going down. We went through the game sales area again. I can¡¯t help but look at where thatst controller once was. Then¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I saw a depressed female seaweed. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Honestly, ¡­I¡¯m really familiar with that person. I don''t know whether I should say she¡¯s my acquaintance, friend, a girl I care about, partner, or rival¡­ Well, it¡¯s just Chiaki Hoshinomori wearing her casual clothes during the weekend. I can¡¯t miss her. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Yet, I didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, I hid behind Main-san and walked over. Well, the reason is¡­ (I don¡¯t want Chiaki to meet Main-san¡­!) Right now, I finally understood how a protagonist feels when he¡¯s sacrificing himself to challenge a giant, evil power. I¡¯m not trying to act cool. Something like this is really uneptable. Instead of letting my dear friend getting involved with an evil spirit, I should just take it alone- ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± -During this time, Main-san suddenly stopped. Then, she turned around and thought for a second. Suddenly, she said this to me loudly. ¡°Hiya, that game was pretty interesting! Keita Amano!¡± ¡°HEY-¡° Why is she using my full name instead of my alias right now!? If she yelled like that, undoubtedly- ¡°Eh, Keita?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± -Chiaki will definitely notice and turn around, isn¡¯t it!? ¡°Chiaki, ¡­g-good afternoon.¡± I smiled at Chiaki awkwardly as I red at Main-san. She mischievously smiled as she got her lips close to my ears. (Did you really think I can¡¯t tell what¡¯s going on from your breathing and pace?) (Can you please stop doing stuff that easily exceeds human limits this casually!?) However,e to think of it, a quickly-hatched n never works on this person. Even so, ¡­I didn¡¯t expect her to go this far. Although I¡¯m in aplicated web of emotions right now, Chiaki still feels innocently cheerful for the fact that she met me. She dashed to me without hiding her joy in the slightest. ¡°Wow, what a coincidence, Keita! Uh, are you looking for that controller as well?¡± (Ugh¡­) I¡¯m a bit embarrassed at her evident kindness. ¡­At the same time, I¡¯m petrified to spill the beans to the demon king next to me. Anyway, I can¡¯t remain calm. My entire body is sweating from nervousness and shock as I answered Chiaki. ¡°Yeah, uh, that¡¯s close, yep.¡± ¡°I see! ¡­Hmm? ¡­Well, by the way, Keita, who¡¯s this¡­?¡± At this point, Chiaki noticed that there¡¯s a weird stranger next to me. She pulled my sleeves a bit worriedly. Facing her, Main-san kicked my heel lightly from behind too. Regrettably, I can only give up and introduce this evil being to Chiaki under their urges. ¡°Chiaki, ¡­this is the¡­Main Fushiguro I talked to you a bit about before¡­¡± ¡°Huh! S-She¡¯s the evil being you said¡­!¡± ¡°HEY!¡± What the hell did this seaweed just say!? Well, even though Aguri-san and I were describing Main-san as a vicious viin usually! After I fell silent, Chiaki seems to have noticed her mistake as well. She covered her mouth. ¡­As for Main-san, she smiled and answered Chiaki. ¡°Thanks for taking care of Keita. I¡¯m the owner of Keita Amano, Main Fushiguro.¡± Feeder. She suddenly spewed that ultra-impactful word out politely. Then, she pretended to be a mature woman and chuckled. Although Chiaki looked a bit shocked, she still greeted her humbly. ¡°Ah, well, I¡¯m Chiaki Hoshinomori! Uh, ¡­I¡¯m friends with Kei- Amano-kun¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Hoshinomori! I¡¯ve been looking forward to meeting you! Haha, you¡¯re just as beautiful as Keita said!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Oi.¡± What the hell did she just say? Didn¡¯t I just say Chiaki looks ¡°objectively quite beautiful¡± when I¡¯m talking about her? I can¡¯t believe her¡­! ¡°¡­Hehe, Keita does have some lovable parts too¡­!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Look, this rival ispletely over her head and started treating me like a tsundere, right!? Doesn¡¯t this mean that I¡¯m a guy who says rival but actually praises her as a beautiful girl to others!? The most problematic part is that this isn¡¯t too far from the truth! Main-san seems to be satisfied after seeing me blushing really hard. She ended the topic quickly by greeting Chiaki. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll be leaving.¡± ¡°Eh, r-really? Well, ¡­can I ask where you two are going¡­?¡± Chiaki¡¯s clearly clinging to me. Main-san poked her head out next to me when I failed to answer. ¡°Ah, Keita¡¯sing to my houseter. ¡­Then, as his owner, I¡¯ll let him release the things he has built up during the day since I kept my distance with him.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you just release me from my luggage-carrying duties like a normal person!?¡± My face went pale as I immediately yelled to solve Chiaki¡¯s misunderstanding. (Nope, this person¡¯s influencing Chiaki too much!) It¡¯s okay for strong girls like Tendou-san or Konoha-san. However, this person¡¯s words and actions are too exciting for Chiaki. ¡­It¡¯s like how I felt before fighting with her. ¡°However, we really need to go somewhere else. So, I¡¯ll see youter, Chiaki.¡± I bid farewell to Chiaki a bit forcefully to separate them as soon as possible. ¡°Uh, ah, o-okay. ¡­I understand, ..but¡­¡± Chiaki epted it for a moment. However, she grabbed my sleeves tightly at the next second. ¡°Uh, Keita, I¡­¡± Chiaki¡¯s trying her best to muster up her courage to stop me gently. I made up my mind in pain and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°I really have to stay with Main-san today! See you at school, Chiaki!¡± ¡°B-B-But, Keita, she didn¡¯t do anything weird to you, right¡­!¡± ¡°S-She won¡¯t do it, rx!¡± ¡­No, the premise is that ckmailing me and making my friend¡¯s girlfriend scream don¡¯t count as weird things. I smiled tofort Chiaki as I prepared to leave. ¡­At that moment- ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go, Keita.¡± ¡°Wait-¡° Even though she has never done this before, Main-san suddenly hugged my arms tightly. Her hourss figure is tangling my entire arm up erotically. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Ugh, the girl behind is staring daggers into my back! Although it hurts, ¡­I can¡¯t turn back because of the pain! Main-san hastily dragged me up to the esctor. After that, she finally released me and returned to her usual mischievous smile. ¡°I see, Chiaki Hoshinomori. ¡­Hmm, interesting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not interesting!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s interesting. That¡¯s a beautiful gamer with the same soul as Amako, and she has feelings for you as well, right? She¡¯s overly interesting to me.¡± She turned around at the esctor and showed a fearless smile. ¡°I have to own her as-¡° ¡°I¡¯m not going to let that happen.¡± At that moment, I changed my attitude and showed real anger. When Main-san saw that- ¡°¡­Haha.¡± ¡°?¡± -I thought she would be pissed at me, or herpetitiveness will be aroused. ¡­However, unexpectedly, she looks sincerely happy. ¡­At the same time, I can feel loneliness from her as she smiles at me. ¡°Indeed, ¡­I envy you.¡± ¡°Huh? W-What?¡± I¡¯m shocked by this unexpected response as I questioned. The esctor¡¯s heading to the 4th floor. So, naturally, we¡¯re taking the one that heads towards the 3rd floor¡­ ¡°Hey? Main-san?¡± Main-san stopped at the 4th floor as she looked above. ¡­After that, she seems to have thought of something and suggested it to me. ¡°Hey, Amako, why don¡¯t we take a break at the benches next to the bookstore?¡± ¡°Ha? No, we were literally drinking coffee and ying games just then. That¡¯s enough rest, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only going to take 5 minutes. I¡¯ll teach you some life experience, you weak lover.¡± ¡°Big talk from a person that¡¯s even weaker at love than me. Alright, stop saying stupid things and-¡° ¡°-You can reference Mii and my hopeless mother¡¯s story.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Main-san¡¯s eyes looked unprecedentedly helpless as she said that. In other words¡­ ¡°Well, even though it¡¯s not an interesting story.¡± ¡­At that second, she looks literally just like a normal girl. * ¡°Even so, you don¡¯t need to prepare yourself for a tragic story, right? So, please don¡¯t put weird expectations on me. Although I¡¯m sorry for this, no zombies are going to appear.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t even expect things like that at all.¡± Main-san said that with her usual tone once we took a seat. In reality, her tone doesn¡¯t sound tragic at all. It really sounds like we¡¯re just having a casual conversation. ¡­However, that¡¯s why I feel that this isn¡¯t going to be a simple chitchat. The bookstore and the corridor walls are right behind the benches. I think the corner in front of me has some game strategy magazines as well. ¡­So, as a gamer, I can''t help but look behind Main-san¡­ ¡°Hey, are you more interested in game magazines than my story? You¡¯re surely underestimating me, Amako.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± I immediately turned to her like a puppet after hearing that. ¡­Recently, I think I can tell whether Main-san¡¯s being serious or joking. ording to my feelings, ¡­that was a pretty severe warning. I should just listen to her. Main-san confirmed my attitude and started exining after a pause. ¡°My mother left home shortly after Mii¡¯s birth. I was still a student back then.¡± ¡°What student?¡± ¡°A female student.¡± ¡°No, I mean, are you a university or high school-¡° ¡°The direct cause of the divorce is my mother cheated.¡± She ignored that!? Also, her face showed genuine sadness to seal away myint! H-How cunning can she be!? It really hurts when you can¡¯t say something you want. But, Main-san continued talking about her own story. ¡°Forget Mii for a moment. You can already tell from me, right?¡± ¡°I can tell that your mother didn¡¯t teach you well?¡± ¡°No, my mother is pretty beautiful.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Does this person always have to show her superiority or she would feel ufortable? Please, you¡¯re just making me not want to hear you out seriously. ¡°Anyway, my mother¡¯s a beauty, ¡­and a pretty shy person.¡± ¡°This is a lie.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t stare at me this intensely, you brat.¡± Main-san bumped me with her elbow. She sighed and continued. ¡°If you want to describe my mother in 3 words, it¡¯s attractive, kind, and fragile.¡± ¡°I decided to not trust gics anymore.¡± ¡°Very well, let¡¯s have some fun with onee-san at home, Amako.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I immediately bowed down and apologized. There¡¯s already no self-esteem to talk about. Main-san shrugged helplessly. ¡­Then, she suddenly smiled for a second. ¡°She¡¯s a person that likes to take care of others sincerely. She always hums songs while sweeping the floor, and she¡¯llfort Mii when she¡¯s crying at midnight. Also, she¡¯ll smile at my weird words- my sarcasm. She also irons my father¡¯s shirts diligently while sweating¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, she¡¯s a pretty good mother in the end, right. ¡­Mii still really loved her.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The fact that she added Mii at thest part stopped me from joking with her, even though we¡¯re hostile. Main-san continued. ¡°Then, inparison, my father is an easy-to-understand working ss. Of course, he¡¯s not at home usually. Even when he is, he doesn¡¯t show any interest in his daughters. He¡¯s the type that focuses more on logic than emotions.¡± ¡°Ah, I believe in the father¡¯s gics side more.¡± ¡°You¡¯re annoying, ¡­whatever. Anyway, my father¡¯s a robotic human that¡¯s entirely different from my mother. It¡¯s right on both the good and bad sides. He cares about logic more than emotions. However, that¡¯s why he¡¯ll never do dangerous things like cheating or crimes. So, -for example, instead of ying with the kids on holiday, he¡¯ll choose to give more money to the kids and get them out. He¡¯s that kind of person who lives by his own principles. ¡­So, he¡¯s not bad as a parent, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I answered the question with silence. ¡­Honestly, I even feel like this father is a bit pathetic. However, Main-san doesn¡¯t sound like she hates him at all. So, perhaps this is one kind of family too. ¡­My father isn¡¯t the most incredible person on Earth as well. ¡°Well, herees the question.¡± Main-san smiled calmly and changed the topic. ¡°My mother¡¯s gentle, warm, lovable, and shy. However, that¡¯s why she was half-forced to cheat behind my father. That was the only mistake she made. Yet, she just had to confess to my father honestly. As for the father, he¡¯s a coldhearted andissez-faire person. ¡­If parents like this are trying to make the daughters live with one side during the divorce, what do you think the result would be?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Hint 1: The daughters both voted for the same person. ¡­Sigh, Mii was still pretty young back then and didn¡¯t understand. However, she clearly chose the side with the kinder appearance.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hint 2: With my talents, I can basically earn as much money as I want.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Alright, time¡¯s up. Well, I¡¯ll announce the correct answer.¡± Main-san pressed on with a slightly joking attitude as if she¡¯s not letting me answer in the first ce. After that, ¡­she told me the correct answer. ¡°Mii and my vote were invalidated. The ¡®logical¡¯ result is for our father to take care of us.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± At this point, the cheerful children in the mall sound especially noisy. I fell silent. Main-san continued with a bitter smile. ¡°Moreover, I¡¯ll tell you what my cowardly and kind mother said that decided everything while making me appreciate her a lot.¡± After a moment of pause, ¡­Main-sanughed emotionlessly. ¡°It¡¯s- this is for everyone¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I already can¡¯t face Main-san directly anymore. ¡­It¡¯s not because she looks really sad. ¡­Instead, at the same time that I understood her ¡®reason¡¯ behind this, I also noticed that an ordinary passerby like me can¡¯t retort. Main-san stared at the ceiling dazedly and continued. ¡°Hey, Amako, is ¡®for someone¡¯s sake¡¯ and ¡®lending something out¡¯ really that admirable and beautiful? Is ¡®for my own sake¡¯ and ¡®robbing something away¡¯ really that stupid and selfish?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± I feel speechless for the moment. Main-san looks like a girl that¡¯s about to disappear as she said that to me. ¡°-At least, I really hope that the person I love will rob my rights away, even if it means violence.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Main-san sighed after not getting an answer from me as she continued. ¡°However, I learned a lesson from this.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°A logical and legitimate principle is extremely powerful. ¡­At least, it¡¯s way stronger than vented emotional instincts based on illegitimate reasons.¡± ¡­I think I can see where this person¡¯s near-violence ¡°correctness¡±es from. Main-san closed her palms lightly as I¡¯m swept up in theplicated wave of emotions. She concluded. ¡°¡­It¡¯s easy for a powerless person to destroy his/her own happiness when he/she does something for someone¡¯s sake. So, I¡¯m going to use my own powers for the things that I truly value only- and gather the happiness together bit by bit.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re such a selfish person.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think so too.¡± Main-san smiled at me. ¡­I can¡¯t help but reply to her with a smile as well. So, Main-san stood up from the bench after exining everything. ¡°So, you, being a cowardly and kind gaming otaku, if there¡¯s something really important to you that you don¡¯t want to lend away¡­¡± Main-san looked at me as I hastily grabbed her paper bag¡¯s luggage. She told me that shallow¡­yet sincere suggestion with a solemn face. ¡°Go rob it. Don¡¯t back down.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to go, Amako. ¡­It should already be here.¡± ¡°Hmm? Here?¡± I have no idea what Main-san is talking about. However, she walked away without exining anything. So, I can only stand up quickly and chase behind her. At that time- (Eh? Why did I feel like I just saw a seaweed-like head in the bookstore¡­?) But, I think I saw that over the bookshelves. I didn¡¯t know the face, so I¡¯m not sure. However, I guess it¡¯s not weird to see her if we¡¯re in the same mall. However¡­ ¡°Hey, Amako, you¡¯re too slow! I¡¯ll punch a hole in your skull if you don¡¯t speed up!¡± ¡°That punishment is too much, right!?¡± I hastily chased after Main-san after hearing her terrifying urges. Whatever, I guess I don¡¯t really need to force a greeting with Chiaki. I don¡¯t want her to get involved with Main-san. I caught up to her at the esctor and asked. ¡°So, what did you mean when you said it¡¯s here?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, I just asked one of my underlings to buy something.¡± ¡°¡­How many ¡®underlings¡¯ do you have aside from me¡­?¡± ¡°What? Amako, are you jealous?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s boring for an underling to be jealous of another.¡± ¡°Rx. You¡¯re my favorite one.¡± ¡°No, no, we didn¡¯t know each other for long. Please don¡¯t joke with me.¡± ¡°Joke? No, I¡¯m really-¡° Main-san suddenly noticed something in the middle of her sentence. She grabbed her phone out of the pocket. ¡°Oh, that thing¡¯s already in the lockers near the mall¡¯s entrance. That person went back because he still has something to do.¡± ¡°Uh, I think you shouldn¡¯t have told me that, right? This feels terrible!¡± ¡°Rx, that guy¡¯s a cop.¡± ¡°Why!? Now it¡¯s even worse!¡± I¡¯m shivering as I try to slow down. However, of course, Main-san won¡¯t allow me to do that. She grabbed my arms and dragged me forward. So, ¡­we finally arrived at the coin locker area on the mall¡¯s 1st floor. ¡°Let me see, ¡­it¡¯s no.89¡­¡± (Even the number is terrible!) [Note: I think the joke is about the number 893. The pronunciation of it is the same as ¡°mafia¡± in Japanese.] She opened the locker door designated by the underling cop and finally took that thing out. I tried my best to not look at it. However, I can¡¯t believe she- ¡°Catch it, Amako. It¡¯s for you.¡± ¡°Hey-¡° She shoved this ¡°stic bag¡±- a bag from a game store to me very casually. ¡°Hmm? Eh? Shouldn¡¯t this be a heavy brown paper bag¡­?¡± [Note: This is probably referencing the news about discovering corpses, drugs, weapons, or even erotic books in the lockers. They show up from time to time in Japan.] ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Main-san stared at me dumbfoundedly. Following that, she urged me to open the bag to see what¡¯s inside. As for me, ¡­I¡¯m still suspicious as I try to confirm what¡¯s inside tremblingly. Then- ¡°Eh-¡° -I really didn¡¯t expect this to show up. I¡¯m more shocked than seeing drugs or a pistol. It¡¯s because this is exactly- ¡°It¡¯s good now, right, Amako. This is the special controller you ¡®gave¡¯ to that kid.¡± ¡°Oh, ¡­uh, even though i-it¡¯s, well¡­¡± -That¡¯s the controller I didn¡¯t buy. Main-san showed me a refreshing smile as I just stood there. ¡°That¡¯s good. Well, I didn¡¯t call that home electronics underling keeping the goods and cop underling to bring it here for nothing.¡± ¡°Uh? W-W-W-Well, t-thank you¡­? Oh, w-well, I-I¡¯ll pay you.¡± ¡°Hmm? Didn¡¯t you already give me the money in the arcade?¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± I was shocked. Eh, ¡­isn¡¯t that¡­supposed to be ckmailing¡­? I stood right there dazedly. Then, Main-san casually mumbled, ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere else, then.¡± She walked away. ¡°¡­N-No, no, no, no!¡± I quickly chased Main-san, who had already passed the automatic doors and was heading towards the shopping street. I asked her loudly while holding the controller in my chest. ¡°Why!? Why are you¡­doing¡­something like this for a person¡­like me¡­?¡± ¡°Hmm? Uh, what do you mean by why? Didn¡¯t I already say this before? I really love you.¡± ¡°S-So, that¡¯s why I asked why! We didn¡¯t know each other for a long time. Also, I even went full berserk mode and retorted you very impolitely-¡° ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s exactly because of that.¡± ¡°-Eh?¡± I felt dazed since I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s talking about. As for Main-san, she exined slowly with a cheerful smile. ¡°Even though you don¡¯t have the power or right to do so, you remained unreasonable and followed your own beliefs and desires. You never feared an overwhelmingly stronger opponent and kept biting her down. You betted your entire life to rob something important to you. This is¡­¡± At this point, Main-san paused for a moment and looked at me sincerely lovingly before smiling. ¡°¡­This is everything that I hoped my mother could¡¯ve done back then.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Her utterly sad smile sent a tinge of pain to my heart. How should I put this? This is almost the first time that I realized what a beauty she is after meeting her. However, it looks like Main-san didn¡¯t expect to show this expression of her as well. She quickly cleared her throat and changed the words. ¡°N-No, Mii hoped for it. Yes.¡± ¡°R-Really. Mii hoped for it.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Main-san looked away from me and started walking forward. I carried the luggage again as I walked next to her. (¡­Ah,e to think of it, I felt the same way briefly when I was dueling with her.) Right now, I can slightly understand the emotions contained in her words back then. ¡°Agu¡¯s surely blessed. She¡¯s loved by- an idiot like you.¡± That¡¯s not sarcasm. Instead, she just sincerely and purely expressed her enviousness. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We¡¯re walking silently on the bustling main street during Valentine¡¯s Day sales. A while ago, Main-san should¡¯ve said some violent stuff on her own. However, she¡¯s not doing that now. ¡­In the end, both of us are a bit embarrassed. Then, Main-san¡¯s actually the one that can¡¯t tolerate this atmosphere first. She cleared her throat without looking at me. Once again, ¡­she told me today¡¯s conclusion. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t give something you truly want to others. You have to rob it even if it means violence. Get it, Amako?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± This is the first time that I¡­sincerely epted a suggestion from a person I hate the most- no, a person that I used to hate the most. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ However¡­ ¡°Oh, but it¡¯s hard to say. Even if I encountered what happened today a couple more times, I feel like I will still give the controller to the child.¡± ¡°Ha, you¡¯re not backing down on this one. What a terrible guy, Amako.¡± ¡°¡­Thanks.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really not cute at all.¡± Main-san rubbed my hair violently after saying that. While I twisted my body and tried to resist ferociously¡­ (You have to rob it, even if it means violence, right¡­) I thought about what Ick the most in the past year¡¯s rtionships. As for me, I finally¡­realized what¡¯s missing with the help of this demon king. Volume 10, 3 – Gamers and Valentine’s Day, Part 1 of 2

Volume 10, Chapter 3 ¨C Gamers and Valentine¡¯s Day, Part 1 of 2

Trantor: your_pingas I never acknowledge the passerby characters in roms at all. Although I, Keita Amano, am definitely closer to these passerby characters than a popr harem protagonist, I¡¯m absolutely leaning toward being amoner. Well, if you¡¯re asking me whether I¡¯ll be engulfed in a me of jealousy like those characters, it¡¯s not to that point yet. The most significant example is Valentine¡¯s Day. Guys that no one loves will always shed angry and bloody tears because the harem protagonist receives a boatload of choctes from the pretty girls. ¡­Although you see that plot really often in roms, in reality, I always watched handsome boys in my ss getting choctes left and right. Yet, I just thought, ¡°Oh.¡± Then, I immediately lowered my head and back to my mobile game. It¡¯s because that happened in a world entirely parallel to mine. It¡¯s like watching an unknown protagonist getting shot by the criminal in a detective show when you identally switched the channel. You won¡¯t think about him. Even if someone¡¯s popr in a parallel world to mine, I won¡¯t feel jealous. The same goes for games as well. Emotions like ¡°upset¡± can only appear between same-level contestants. ¡­So, to me, Valentine¡¯s Day is just a typical day where the surroundings get a bit more festive. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ That was the case forst year. (V-VALENTINE¡¯S DAY IS SCARY!!!) It¡¯s 13th February, just a day before Valentine¡¯s. I¡¯m wrapping my hands around my head on the table as I sweated profusely during the break. (W-What¡¯s happening!? I thought I could look forward to Valentine¡¯s Day a little after meeting a couple girls this year. ¡­I didn¡¯t expect this to go theplete opposite way! My stomach¡¯s starting to hurt really bad since yesterday!) N-No, in reality, I didn¡¯t think about Valentine¡¯s Day at all until a couple days ago. After all, this festival has nothing to do with me. However, e to think of it¡­ (¡­Not getting any chocte hurts way harder thanst year!) I¡¯m not getting any chocte despite knowing more than one girl. ¡­Doesn¡¯t this show how worthless I am as a person!? Compared to not getting chocte because girls hate me, not getting chocte because I¡¯m a loner is much better! I hugged my head alone as I remembered the excuse I mumbled to myself many times since yesterday. (I-It¡¯s okay. No matter what, it¡¯s a trend for people to get obligatory chocte these days. I¡¯m sure that even a guy like me can-) ¡°Hey, Uehara. Here¡¯s your early obligatory chocte this year.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks, Mika!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but raise my head after hearing the cheerful chatter that echoed across the ssroom. -Mika-san, one of the girls in Uehara-kun¡¯s circles, is right in front of me. She handed him a self-made chocte waffle. Also¡­ ¡°Hey, here, Inamoto, Kitami. Also, ¡­Kimura. Here¡¯s your chocte!¡± ¡°Oh,ing!¡± Mika-san¡¯s gathered the boys in the ss quickly as she chuckled while handing out the waffles. After that¡­ ¡°Alright, there goes my investment for this year! It¡¯ll be you guys¡¯ turn on White Day!¡± The peaceful chocte gifting ceremony ended with theughter and booing of the boys. ¡­Sigh, how should I say this? 90% of the guys in-ss got their obligatory gifts. Yep¡­ -Aside from a guy that¡¯s coincidentally taking a break today, which is me. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ (¡­Hiya, I¡¯m so nervous, ¡­hmm¡­) I¡¯m trying my best to suppress the warmth that¡¯s about to overflow in my eyeballs as I stared at the chilly winter view outside the window. ¡­Recently, I got to know a lot of people and mademunications with games. Subconsciously, I already forgot¡­that I¡¯m still the loner that no one likes. Perhaps the yer of this ¡°Cultivate Keita Amano!¡± game is an idiot- actually, that¡¯s me. ¡°Ah, well, I¡¯m giving Uehara this as well.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks, Reina. It¡¯s going to be a pain in White Day.¡± ¡°Hehe, I¡¯ll look forward to it.¡± ¡­I nced at Uehara-kun getting another chocte. ¡­I take back what I said. Right now, I feel like I¡¯m entirely synced with those passersby dripping bloody tears when they see a popr protagonist! (N-No! That¡¯s not it! Keita Amano, don¡¯t be fooled!) I looked away from him and cheered myself up again. (This isn¡¯t the end! Valentine''s chocte will still end up, ¡­yes, the quality is way more important than quantity! It¡¯s because that¡¯s how roms work! Yes! Yep, this is it!) I threw away the reality of roms that I was bitching about away wholly. Then, I started to search forfort with a rom¡¯s mindset. I became the eye of the ¡°obligatory chocte¡± hurricane on the surroundings. Well, then I started imagining the great plot twist that¡¯s about to happen. (Y-Yes, this¡­is it! Right, ording to the story, this must be the final hold-off before the big squeeze! If I keep umting the pressure of not getting what I want, ¡­Tendou-san will give me a lovely serving of chocte that sends me flying! Look, this is awesome! This must be it! It has to be!) So, it¡¯s correct not to receive any obligatory chocte. It¡¯s incredibly valid. It¡¯s more like I should prevent someone from giving me obligatory chocte. That will reduce the value of chocte in my high school life! In other words! (Naturally, I¡¯ll look forward to tomorrow¡¯s Valentine¡¯s Day and face my true angel girl- Tendou-san. This is my < GLORIOUS ROAD >!) [Note: The singer of < GLORIOUS ROAD > is also named Tendou.] After I made up my mind, I¡¯m getting proud of not receiving any obligatory chocte. So, ¡­I spent the eve of Valentine without speaking to anyone, just as usual. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ -Until I¡¯m rushing to meet Aguri-san in the family restaurant after school like an idiot. ¡°Here, Amanhi, ck Thunder chocte.¡± [Note: It¡¯s a bar of 30-yen chocte that¡¯s 1/3 the size of Kitkat.] The first Valentine¡¯s chocte in my high school life formally became a shitty convenience store snack. It was given by a gal with a boyfriend (I guess). ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Take it.¡± The first Valentine¡¯s chocte in my high school life was thrown onto the family restaurant¡¯s table incredibly casually. ¡­I took the chocte and stared at Aguri-san¡¯s eyes directly. Then, I spoke up with an incredibly refreshing smile. ¡°I¡¯ll murder you.¡± ¡°Is that how you react to a girl that just gave you chocte!?¡± Aguri-san leaned forward and tried to take back the chocte. ¡°I-If you¡¯re reacting like that, I¡¯m taking back the ck Thunder!¡± ¡°Nope, I¡¯m taking it.¡± I took the ck Thunder and stared at the package. ¡°¡­Actually, I do love it.¡± ¡°Eh, you mean me?¡± ¡°Hoho.¡± ¡°Amanhi, you¡¯re really sly these days!¡± ¡°Aguri-san, you¡¯re having too much fun pretending to be the main heroine!¡± We started bickering with each other furiously. It¡¯s so violent that you won¡¯t think that she just gave me chocte. ¡­Sheesh, the first chocte in my high school is way too depressing. ¡­But, whatever. ¡­Sigh. After I¡¯m done yelling, I turned my head away and answered her. ¡°¡­How should I say this? Thanks¡­for giving me chocte. ¡­I¡¯m relieved.¡± ¡°Relieved? Well, even though I don¡¯t really understand, whatever. ¡­It¡¯s fine if you¡¯re happy.¡± Aguri-san finally cooled down after that. I took a sip of coffee and suddenly snapped out of it as I asked. ¡°Ah, right, Uehara-kun¡¯s chocte-¡° ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll spend the whole night making one filled with love for him!¡± ¡°¡­E-Eh, what¡¯s happening? I feel so irritated right now!¡± No, ck Thunder¡¯s pretty tasty. It¡¯s okay! I think it¡¯s a million times better than Aguri-san¡¯s clumsy handmade chocte! Aguri-sanughed naughtily after seeing my reaction.¡¯ ¡°Hiya, Amanhi, are you getting jealous again?¡± ¡°Uh, I guess it¡¯s jealousy¡­! ¡­How should I put it? Well, Aguri-san, if I gave Tendou-san and Chiaki each a VR headset, but I gave you a paper cannon only, what would you feel?¡± ¡°T-This is pissing me off! Well, even though I¡¯ll never use VR! It¡¯s more like, I think paper cannons are way better to y! But, isn¡¯t your difference in treatment too much?¡± ¡°See!? I feel that as well!¡± ¡°Ugh, you can¡¯t be helped. Well, I¡¯ll give you a little bit of the chocte¡¯s corner I made for Tasuku-¡° ¡°Ah, no thanks. My stomach can¡¯t take it.¡± ¡°What do you mean!?¡± So, we started arguing pointlessly again. ¡­This is weird. Words like ¡°Valentine¡¯s Day,¡± ¡°girls I know,¡± and ¡°getting chocte¡± are far beyond my expectation of rom events. After we¡¯re done dissing each other, both of us felt pretty exhausted from how pointless this is. Finally, we began today¡¯s real topic. ¡°So? Amanhi, why did you want to hold a family restaurant meeting with me again? Aren¡¯t you trying to stay away from anything that can affect your rtionship with Tendou-san?¡± ¡°Oh, about that.¡± I answered casually after hearing her logical question. ¡°I already gave up the moment that I started fighting Main-san.¡± ¡°¡­I think so.¡± Aguri-san continued drinking orange juice calmly like this has nothing to do with her. It¡¯s like she already knew my answer from the start. I continued with a bitter smile. ¡°So, I¡¯m not saying that¡­let¡¯s hold even more family restaurant meetings with you, Aguri-san. However, I think the least we can do is don¡¯t avoid it explicitly. ¡­What do you think?¡± ¡°How should I answer you¡­?¡± After she heard that, Aguri-san looked away a bit embarrassingly. She blew a bunch of bubbles on her orange juices violently before answering quietly. ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine as long as Amanhi pays for it.¡± ¡°Ah, then I guess we should really stop doing this.¡± ¡°Amanhi, you¡¯re getting really sly these days!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because a particr gal¡¯s getting too disgusting these days!?¡± We started the 3rd round of the pointless argument of today again. However, both of us justck the energy for another one. So, we immediately ended it and plopped our heads down. ¡°Well, Aguri-san, we cane to this family restaurant once in a while.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The gal raised her hand casually and answered. ¡­I feel like she¡¯s so quick to respond that it made me a bit ufortable. Well, I think this works since we¡¯re not a divorced couple trying to get back together, anyway. So, we finally returned to our usual attitude. Aguri-san immediately said this. ¡°Ah, right, I forgot to tell you what happened to Main-nee-san.¡± ¡°Uh, what¡¯s wrong? Ah, d-don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re getting bullied even harder because I lost¡­¡± ¡°N-No, it¡¯s not that. Please rx about that. It¡¯s more like this is the exact opposite.¡± ¡°The opposite?¡± I expressed my confusion after not understanding what she said. Aguri-san searched in her bag and said, ¡°Look at this.¡± After that, she showed me something familiar. ¡°¡­The Labears? Oh,e to think of it, didn¡¯t Main-san take that away from you after I lost that day?¡± ¡°Yeah, Main-nee-san said we¡¯re only wagering our ownerships. I¡¯ll forget about the bear¡¯s ownership.¡± ¡°Oh, that does sound like what Main-san would say- no, it doesn¡¯t really sound like her¡­¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded at Aguri-san. No, how should I say this? Even though Main-san emphasizes logic, the Labears doesn¡¯t really have to do with the duel in reality. That¡¯s supposed to be the punishment of Aguri-san letting me off without a proper greeting. So, it¡¯s okay if I won at that time and got Aguri-san¡¯s everything. However, if I didn¡¯t pull that off, I can¡¯tin if the Labears are taken away by Main-san. However, Main-san let this teddy bear couple go away. This¡­isn¡¯t like her. Aguri-san fiddled with the Labears in her hand and scratched her cheeks. ¡°But.¡± ¡°Although I¡¯m a bit sorry for you to fight Main-nee-san for me, ¡­despite Main-nee-san¡¯s look, she¡¯s not really a bad person.¡± ¡°Well, ¡­sigh, how should I put this? I, ¡­even though I hate to say this either, I can¡¯t disagree with you.¡± Even if you ask me whether she¡¯s a good person right now, I can definitely answer, ¡°She¡¯s absolutely not.¡± However, if you¡¯re asking me whether she¡¯s a bad person, I¡¯ll hesitate for a bit as well. Aguri-san¡¯s swinging the hoop of the keychain with her finger as she continued. ¡°Amanhi was angry at that time. I think Main-nee-san must know how much more important this is to me than she thinks. No, perhaps she already knew everything.¡± ¡°¡­I think so. She has godlike senses, after all.¡± ¡°Yes. So, she used that duel as an excuse to shirk the bear thing away. From this perspective, I have to thank Amanhi and Main-nee-san for putting up a good fight.¡± ¡°Sigh, ¡­I¡¯m relieved to know that duel is meaningful more or less.¡± ¡°Hahaha, yeah, thank you, Amanhi. Also, ¡­I can¡¯t believe Main-nee-san can hold herself back even when she likes cute dolls like this-¡° ¡°-Hmm?¡± -I think I just heard something I can¡¯t miss. Aguri-san sipped the remaining juice with her straw when she saw me blinking shockingly. ¡°Eh, did I not tell you this before? Despite Main-nee-san¡¯s look, her hobbies are really girly. Her room is filled with dolls.¡± ¡°Ehh¡­? Are you sure they¡¯re not dolls with their heads ripped off?¡± ¡°Amanhi, aren¡¯t you too scared of Main-nee-san? No, it¡¯s just a regr room with a lot of adorable dolls. I think she has to hug something fluffy while sleeping. ¡­When I¡¯m waking her up, she¡¯ll throw it aside and try to make an excuse.¡± For a moment, I seem to have understood what Main-san¡¯s really like. However¡­ I spoke up dazedly. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that Main-san will- ¡­but her hairstyle and clothing doesn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Oh, she understands that she doesn¡¯t fit with those things. So, Mii¡¯s the one wearing it for her?¡± ¡°Huh! I see!¡± I finally managed to solve some of the questions in my heart. I see. ¡­Come to think of it, she took the Labears out of Aguri-san¡¯s room chicly. That¡¯s not just because she hates us. ¡­Hmm, she simply could have only seen something cute and feel excited about it. ¡­I-I feel a bit sorry for bickering with her angrily now¡­ ¡­But¡­I can¡¯t believe¡­Main-san actually likes cute things. ¡°Next time, ¡­I¡¯ll definitely torment her with this.¡± I smiled evilly and mumbled. Aguri-san looked at me a bit dumbfoundedly. ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t expect Main-nee-san and Amanhi to be such good friends after a short time.¡± ¡°A-Aguri-san, don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t see¡­?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not blind. At least, I feel like Main-nee-san rarely loves someone other than her family so much.¡± ¡°¡­I feel like she just found a new toy.¡± ¡°Sigh, that could be the case. Anyway, thanks to you, Mii and I are a lot less stressed now. Think about it, didn¡¯t Main-nee-san always look for Amanhi in the holidays or after school? You really caught us a break there.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t treat me as a nursery, please¡­¡± If this continues, perhaps I¡¯ll really be the one that has to take care of Main-san exclusively soon. That¡¯s too scary. No, I have to get away from this¡­ After seeing my depressed face, Aguri-san stared at me worriedly and said. ¡°¡­Ah, ¡­sorry, Amanhi.¡± ¡°Ah? No, why is Aguri-san apologizing? This ispletely my fault, right.¡± ¡°Hmm, I guess so. ¡­But, do tell me if you need any help.¡± ¡°Oh, so, for example, can you help me look after Main-san for 3 hours when I¡¯m dating Tendou-san?¡± ¡°No, please don¡¯t treat me as a nursery¡­¡± ¡­I think the people hearing this won¡¯t know we¡¯re talking about an adultdy. So, we ended the Main-san topic. ¡°Phew.¡± Aguri-san straightened her back and moved on. ¡°By the way, Amanhi, tomorrow- on Valentine¡¯s Day, how are you going to spend it with Tendou-san? Did you make a promise with her?¡± ¡°No, ¡­I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Ehh? You are kidding me!?¡± Aguri-san showed me an ¡°unbelievable¡± face as she red at me. ¡­It looks like Uehara-kun and her already nned what to do on Valentine¡¯s Day. Sigh, it¡¯s hard to me her. After all, this is what a couple with a normal rtionship should do. However¡­ I scratched the back of my head and spoke up quietly. ¡°How should I put it? ¡­It¡¯s more like Tendou-san and me¡­didn¡¯t say anything about Valentine¡¯s Day this week¡­¡± ¡°What!? Why!? I¡¯m asking you this. Can a loving couple talk about anything else in this one week!?¡± ¡°Uh, we did talk about how incredible the third PV of the new RPG is.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I hate gamer couples like you two! W-Well, how about Hoshinhi!?¡± ¡°Uh, we talked about how incredible the 4th PV of the new RPG is.¡± ¡°Thispany is spending way too much effort in PVs!¡± Aguri-san¡¯s running out of breath from yelling. I answered with a bitter smile. ¡°It¡¯s kind of hard when the only good thing is the PV.¡± ¡°No, you guys are the one making this hard, alright!? Don¡¯t avoid the chocte!¡± ¡°How can you me someone that didn¡¯t even get chocte in the first ce?¡± ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m getting so pissed as well!¡± Bam, Aguri-san mmed her hand onto the table. Klink, the ice cubes in the ss bumped each other. ¡°Anyway, the three of you better not avoid chocte anymore!¡± ¡°Your line is like the climax of an imaginary movie called < Scary! The Attack of the Chocte Monster! >.¡± ¡°This is what I¡¯m talking about! I¡¯m saying that this is how you¡¯re avoiding it!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The weakling in rtionships can only cover his brain to the overwhelmingly stronger opponent. The feisty gal continued arrogantly on the sofa in the family restaurant. ¡°I don¡¯t really want to say this. Amanhi, all of you are too indecisive!¡± ¡°¡­Big talk from one of the most indecisive couples I know-¡° ¡°What did you say!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She exploded for a moment. It made me feel like Main-san and Aguri-san are indeed cousins. Their type of ¡°stress¡± is entirely identical. I was freaking out. ¡°Whatever.¡± Aguri-san sighed and continued. ¡°Even though I feel like I shouldn¡¯t take my anger on you.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It just disgusts me when Amanhi¡¯s the only one preparing for Valentine¡¯s Day happily.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°So, Tendou-san or Hoshinhi should make the first move, ¡­but they didn¡¯t do anything, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± That¡¯s why I¡¯m really restless. Although I already think that some girls are interested in me, now I just feel like a ridiculously wrong clown. Also, you have to include myck of confidence as well. This is literally¡­! Aguri-san sighed. ¡°¡­I wonder what those girls are doing now.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, what are they doing¡­?¡± We stared out into the street a day before Valentine¡¯s. Then, we can¡¯t but sigh together when we think of those two confusing gamer girls that don¡¯t understand love. Karen Tendou Let¡¯s skip to the conclusion. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. I FAILED. -I have to rely on a < Steins;Gates > reference to escape reality. 13th February, 5:30 PM. I¡¯m paralyzed on the ground lonely in the kitchen under the white ceiling lights of my house. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m dazing out with my weary eyes as if someone just raped me a while ago. Melted chocte can be found everywhere on the ground. My favorite apron is a bit burnt up¡ªthe oven¡¯s oozing with ¡°brown marshmallow,¡± giving out a ck fume. The pot, which caught on fire a while ago, is now overflowing with a soup-like scent. The three cats in the living room are meowing as they cheerfully pulled the cotton out of the cushions and threw them everywhere. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ How did this happen? Let¡¯s answer- sorry, I don¡¯t want to say it. Yes, I don¡¯t want to. Actually, my emotions and brain can¡¯t follow up as well. It¡¯s just that, no matter what, let¡¯s skip to the conclusion. I, Karen Tendou, failed to make chocte. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± I pulled myself up with the help of the desk. Then, I nced at this tragic scene detailedly again. ¡­My parents are spending the night outside. Should I say this is the silver lining? After all, the house isn¡¯t burnt up. It¡¯s fine as long as I clean everything up. The problem is that the failure just then hit me hard¡­ ¡°Hiya.¡± At this moment, my phone on the ss table started ringing. I went around the chocte on the ground and trimmed the three cats¡¯ furying on my legs. After that, I grabbed the phone. I freaked out when I saw the screen. ¡°A-Amano-kun!?¡± I thought it was my parents. I trembled as I tidied my hair and skirt meaninglessly. Then, I took a deep breath¡­and pulled up the < Karen Tendou: Ultra Calm > armor and equipped it in my < Soul Inventory >. I picked up the call. ¡°Hey, hello. I¡¯m the perfectly fine Karen Tendou without any problems at all.¡± ¡°Why are you making such a worrisome introduction!? I-I¡¯m Amano¡­¡± ¡°Oh, Amano-kun. Hello.¡± ¡°H-Hi¡­¡± Amano-kun sounds really dumbfounded on the other side of the phone. ¡­T-This is weird. I have to smooth things over. I cleared my throat and urged him to continue. ¡°So, Amano-kun, what¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s rare for you to call me at this time. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re asking me for money?¡± ¡°Why am I suddenly the cheap ex-boyfriend in your eyes!?¡± ¡°Ah, no, I didn¡¯t mean anything bad. It¡¯s just that the only reason I can think of for Amano-kun to call me in the evening is asking me for money.¡± ¡°The rtionship between my ex-girlfriend and I is too terrible! No, I¡¯m not here for money¡­¡± ¡°Eh, really? Well, so, why are you¡­¡± I¡¯m perplexed. After Amano-kun paused for a moment, he hesitated¡­before making up his mind and spoke up. ¡°H-Hey! About Valentine¡¯s Day tomorrow-¡° ¡°Oh, I know. I¡¯m trying my best right now. Please wait.¡± ¡°No, why are you acting like a writer with an impending deadline!? No, I¡¯m trying to say-¡° ¡°It¡¯s just that my work speed won¡¯t increase no matter how much you urged me!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s why I¡¯m asking why are you like a fearless writer that doesn¡¯t care about the deadline anymore!? No, I¡¯m not here to urge you anything! It¡¯s just that, tomorrow-¡° ¡°Yes, tomorrow¡¯s the deadline, right? I understand. Tomorrow¡¯s the deadline¡¯s¡­start?¡± ¡°Start!? No, there¡¯s no ¡®start¡¯ for Valentine¡¯s Day!¡± ¡°B-But, think about it, isn¡¯t there like- for example, Christmas is on the 25th, but the eve is on the 24th. These two days aren¡¯t that different, right?¡± ¡°Why are you talking about Christmas!? No, Valentine¡¯s Day onlysts for tomorrow! A-Also, if it¡¯s possible, can you please spend-¡° ¡°-Spend the day together cheerfully with you, right? I think so, too, until 5 minutes ago.¡± ¡°What happened in these 5 minutes!?¡± ¡°I have no idea already. Whether it¡¯s my power, ¡­or the definition of chocte¡­¡± ¡°The definition of chocte as well!? Uh, chocte¡¯s made from cocoa¡­¡± ¡°¡­Is that really the case? Come to think of it, doesn¡¯t soup count as a kind of chocte too?¡± ¡°What happened in these 5 minutes to make you reach that level!?¡± Amano-kun kept on yelling on the other side since he has no idea what¡¯s going on. I feel sorry for his reaction. However, I can¡¯t just tell how exhausting chocte-making is to the person I¡¯m giving it to. It can¡¯t be helped. I can only end the conversation with the initial promise. ¡°¡­Amano-kun, about tomorrow¡¯s promise, there¡¯s only one thing I can say to you right now.¡± ¡°W-What?¡± ¡°¡­Let us live to see each other.¡± ¡°Tendou-san!? No, wait, I¡¯m just trying to spend tomorrow with-¡° Amano-kun¡¯s still trying to say something. However, I hung up the call extremely depressingly. (¡­Making a promise with my lover without preparing the chocte is like entering a concert without a ticket!) I, Karen Tendou, am a person that has to make perfect preparation before ying a game. This kind of mistake is a literal insult to me. It¡¯s because I¡­I¡¯m insanely in love with him. So, on such a critical day like Valentine¡¯s, I want to puff up my chest confidently and face Amano-kun in my best game. That¡¯s why¡­! ¡°¡­Okay!¡± I made up my mind to try to make the best chocte again. Let¡¯s start by cleaning the room first. Chiaki Hoshinomori ¡°Onee-chan, is this chocte really okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. No problem.¡± It¡¯s 6 PM on 13th February. I¡¯m looking at this glimpse of hope I found in the chaos with sparkling eyes. However, the high school girl standing next to me- my little sister, Konoha Hoshinomori, is warning me with suspicious eyes. ¡°¡­I think the God of Love is saying that you can¡¯t die here yet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. A little sister shouldn¡¯t worry about this. It¡¯s the best one.¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± Konoha gave the chocte I chose an unconvinced look. Also, Konoha got a delivery when she was about to head out in the morning. It looks like Valentine¡¯s chocte. I talked to her when she opened the package, and she got jumpscared. Then, she shoved it into her bag as if she¡¯s hiding it away from me. After that, she didn¡¯t answer no matter what questions I asked her. ¡°Who are you giving it to?¡± ¡°What does the chocte look like?¡± ¡­Sigh, I guess it must be the obligatory chocte for the student council members in Hekiyou. Yes. ¡­Whatever, let¡¯s move on. ¡°Hello, I want to buy this!¡± I ignored Konoha¡¯s suspicious re and gave the goods to the cashier. Konoha asked me again when we¡¯re waiting for the package. ¡°¡­Onee-chan, are you sure you¡¯re not handing out a handmade one?¡± This is already the billionth time that my little sister told me this. I nodded confidently and said yes. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely make something terrible if I try it myself!¡± ¡°Why can my onee-chan expose how unvirtuous she is so confidently?¡± ¡°Well, if onee-chan made chocte, would you eat them?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, onee-chan. This is entirely my fault.¡± ¡°Ehh, this is strange! Why am I feeling so sulky even though I just retorted to you so brilliantly!?¡± ¡°But, actually, boys don¡¯t really care about the taste or whether it¡¯s poisonous. I think they are already happy with the fact that it¡¯s handmade.¡± ¡°No, I think they still care whether it¡¯s poisonous. Also, even though I understand what you mean, I feel like handmade chocte isn¡¯t the only thing to send out your feelings!¡± ¡°¡­Sigh, so, ¡­in the end, you bought that?¡± After that, my little sister looked at the packaged thing behind the cashier. I nodded confidently and said yes again. ¡°I¡¯m a loner and hikineet, after all. The polluted atmosphere released out by normie girls that love rtionships terrifies me. I barely had the will to give it my all to find chocte before Valentine¡¯s Day. In a sense, it contains even more feelings than a handmade one!¡± ¡°Indeed, my stupid onee-chan¡¯s seaweed brain is struggling within a sparkling wave of Ols and JKs. As your little sister, I¡¯m really about to cry. Do you really think that Amano-senpai will know how you feel?¡± ¡°I believe that Keita will understand me!¡± ¡°What¡¯s with this trust between useless people? I¡¯m getting envious for some reason. Konoha answered helplessly. The packaging is done at this point. So, I quickly fetched the paper bag from the cashier. After that, I hugged it outside my coat and started walking. We got over the crowd and took the esctor before walking out of the store. ¡­During this time, Konoha looked at me, who¡¯s hugging the chocte tightly, with helpless eyes. ¡°¡­Onee-chan, how much do you love that chocte? Your body temperature will melt it.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s okay. The chocte¡¯s taste isn¡¯t the most important part here!¡± ¡°Sheesh, my onee-chan¡¯s taste of choctes is too unique¡­¡± Konoha mumbled dumbfoundedly. Then, she added something else quietly. ¡°¡­This is why I can never win against you.¡± ¡°Hmm? I feel like you¡¯re better than me in every way, right?¡± ¡°You even heard that too. Sigh, whatever, you¡¯re the same as a certain person.¡± Konoha walked in front of me after saying something baffling. I guess she doesn¡¯t want me to see her face. My little sister and I are walking unwillingly on the street filled with red hearts icons without saying anything. ¡­In the past, I never treated this Valentine¡¯s mood seriously. However, this year, ¡­I can¡¯t help but admire those high school couples walking together lovingly. I don¡¯t really understand myself either. Since when did I imagine myself in their ce? The sweet dreams and the bitter reality taste like chocte in my heart. Konoha seems to have noticed that I¡¯m looking at her. She asked me without turning around. ¡°¡­Onee-chan, when are you giving that to Amano-senpai tomorrow?¡± ¡°Uh, when will I give it? Well¡­¡± I fell silent for a moment and hugged the chocte in front of my chest even more tightly. I answered. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll find a good time.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Konoha¡¯s a bit unsatisfied. I plopped my head down as if I¡¯m avoiding her. ¡­Actually, I can feel what Konoha¡¯s trying to say. ¡°Well, ¡­Konoha, I, ¡­well, ¡­how should I say this¡­?¡± I¡¯m stuttering, not being able to speak out the following words. To that, Konoha turned around with a frustrated face and said. ¡°Hey, onee-chan. You should understand this, right. How can you look forward to chances and fates-¡° ¡°¡­Hmm? Konoha?¡± Konoha suddenly stopped as she looked in a particr direction. I followed her confusedly. Then, right in front of me¡­ ¡°¡­Ah.¡± It¡¯s a lonely high school boy. He¡¯s walking within this Valentine¡¯s atmosphere depressingly, just like me before. In other words¡­ ¡°¡­Keita.¡± Just as I¡¯m mumbling his name, he seems to have heard what I said within this crowd and looked at us. Then, he immediately brightened up and dashed to us. My little sister looked at Keita¡­and sighed lonely. Then, she spoke up angrily. ¡°Sigh, this is why I hate fateful love like this¡­!¡± Keita Amano ¡°Chiaki, Konoha-san, what a coincidence. Are you two going home right now?¡± After I bid farewell to Aguri-san in the family restaurant, I¡¯m walking toward the station. Suddenly, I bumped into the Hoshinomori sisters. So, I smiled carefreely and started talking to them. After this eventful year, I can at least say hi to my friends casually. However- ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡± -The Hoshinomori sisters gave me a subtle reaction as if they¡¯re denying my growth. ¡­Hiya, a loner finally managed to open up his heart and try to talk to others enthusiastically. Yet, they immediately say, ¡°No, we¡¯re not that close.¡± It really hurts me! I¡¯m profusely sweating as I tried my best to change up the mood. ¡°U-Uh, this is embarrassing. Aguri-san just forced me to call Tendou-san, and it ended in a mess¡­¡± ¡°¡­R-Really¡­?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± Very well, that¡¯s everything I can talk about today. ¡­What the hell is this? Even Konoha-san got uncharacteristically quiet, as for Chiaki- ¡°¡­Hiya! Hey¡­!¡± ¡°?¡± -She suddenly seems to have remembered something. Then, as if she¡¯s trying to cover up her plumpy chest, she hugged herself in a wildly exaggerated manner. ¡°¡­Huh!?¡± I¡¯m pretty shocked when I saw her- clearly sexually harassed reaction. (Do I stare at Chiaki¡¯s chest all the time!?) I-I¡¯m not thinking about the girl that way. ¡­But, if you ask me whether I¡¯m sure that I didn¡¯t look, ¡­I guess not. ¡­Hmm, ¡­crap. C-Crap, I¡¯m getting less confident the more I think about it. Also, my mind is filled with close-ups of Chiaki¡¯s chest in my memories. In the end, it just further progressed the hate I have for myself. ¡­This is a vicious cycle! ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± In the end, the three of us remained speechless as we froze there. ¡­This is weird. This is not how I hope¡­a rom style Valentine¡¯s Day would go. So, finally, ¡­I hate myself so much. I plopped my head down to them as tears flooded my eyes. ¡°¡­I understand. ¡­I¡¯ll surrender myself to the police.¡± ¡°WHAT¡¯S WRONG WITH YOU!?¡± The two girls immediately freaked out and got close to me. After that, we spent 3 minutesmunicating with each other and solved the misunderstanding. I sighed in relief and mumbled. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know Chiaki¡¯s hugging herself because it¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± The Hoshinomori sisters nodded at the same time. I continued. ¡°But, if that¡¯s the case, why didn¡¯t Chiaki continue doing that? I think your hands are empty after shoving something into your bag behind me¡­¡± ¡°Huh! I-I¡¯m okay! Well, ¡­right, I just took a handy warmer out of my bag! So, I¡¯m pretty warm right now. So warm! Look, look!¡± ¡°Uh, ah, hmm, yes.¡± For some reason, Chiaki started sending me her body temperature innocently this time. I¡¯m in a pretty awkward situation. Uh, uh, I can feel your chest when you¡¯re so close. Also, your seaweed smell- no, your shampoo smells really nice¡­! ¡°A-Ahem!¡± At this point, Konoha-san cleared her throat loudly and stopped her onee-chan. Chiaki freaked out and let me go. Konoha-san smiled as she suggested. ¡°Senpai, let¡¯s not stand around while talking. Let¡¯s walk to the station.¡± ¡°Uh, ah, hmm, sure.¡± ¡°(nodded repeatedly)¡± Chiaki nodded as she¡¯s blushing. The three of us took a step forward. ¡­Moreover, under Konoha-san¡¯s subtle persuasion, I¡¯m now walking between the Hoshinomori sisters. ¡­In other words, it¡¯s a trap of harem. ¡­Usually, it¡¯s depressing to walk on the streets alone. Even though this has always been the case since I was dating Tendou-san, this time, that ¡°who the hell do you think you are¡± pressure is much stronger. Sigh, it would be at least better if I¡¯m as tall as Uehara-kun¡­! I¡¯m being tortured with jealousy and embarrassment. Then, as if she¡¯s trying to make me feel even worse, Konoha-san asked. ¡°By the way, senpai, what are you nning to do for tomorrow?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking a lonely gamer what he¡¯s nning to do on Valentine¡¯s Day?¡± ¡°Senpai, you don¡¯t need to act humble. I bet there are a bunch of naked girls pouring chocte onto themselves for you since you¡¯re so popr. That¡¯s nice. Can you invite me too?¡± ¡°Invite your ass. I wasn¡¯t nning to do that as well. Sheesh, you¡¯re ying too many hentai-¡° ¡°SENPAI?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Konoha-san smiled and warned me. ¡­R-Right, she didn¡¯t tell Chiaki her interests in hentai games yet. Chiaki¡¯s the only one tilting her head in confusion. I cleared my throat. ¡°Anyway, regrettably, there¡¯s no n.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Konoha-san¡¯s voice looks really energetic after hearing my lonely expectation. Then, she suggested this as if it¡¯s nothing. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t youe to y at our house, senpai?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± After hearing that, it¡¯s not just me. Even Chiaki freaked out too. Then, Konoha-san seduced me with a devilish smile. ¡°Onee-chan and I can pour chocte all over ourselves for you to lick us.¡± ¡°Hey, Konoha!¡± Chiaki immediately stopped her little sister. For a moment, I imagined that scene as well, and my face red up. ¡­At the same time, I think that Konoha-san feels a bit different today. (It¡¯s fine to turn on her ¡°hentai game lover¡± mode when we¡¯re alone, ¡­but she¡¯s doing that in front of Chiaki now. Isn¡¯t she a bit too carefree now?) In reality, Chiaki also seems to have noticed her little sister¡¯s unusual behavior. She restrained Konoha-san to stop her from rampaging. At the same time, she spoke up worriedly. ¡°Konoha, what¡¯s wrong with you? ¡­Are you getting a fever?¡± ¡°Fever? Ah, fever. Well, in that meaning, I guess I¡¯m burning now?¡± Yet, Konoha-san replied to her onee-chan¡¯s worry very casually. Chiaki and I can only look at each other. For some reason, ¡­she gave us an annoyed look. ¡°¡­Senpai, onee-chan, how should I say this¡­? You two are really kind.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Even Chiaki and I know that she¡¯s definitely not praising us with that. Konoha-san continued with a slightly gloomy look. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that¡¯s a bad thing. Instead, that¡¯s why I really love you two. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Konoha-san didn¡¯t answer my question. Instead, she stood still and searched in her bag. After that¡­ ¡°¡­Senpai, this is for you.¡± She forcefully pressed a paper bag to my chest. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± I didn¡¯t understand, so I can only take it. Chiaki¡¯s also blinking her eyes confusedly next to me. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± Konoha-san looked at us and took a deep sigh. Then, at the next moment, she red at me directly- and said. ¡°I love senpai.¡± ¡°¡­Uh.¡± Her expression doesn¡¯t allow any room for misunderstandings, and her eyes are shining in determination. ¡­I froze after looking at that. ¡­Even a guy like me deeply understands that Konoha-san isn¡¯t joking around. ¡­Even a guy like me knows the weight of Konoha-san¡¯s feelings. ¡°¡­Kono¡­ha?¡± Chiaki fell silent in shock. However, Konoha-san continued calmly in contrast to our emotions. ¡°I think you understand this already. This is Valentine¡¯s chocte. Even though I bought it instead of making it myself, this is my only honmei chocte.¡± ¡°Uh, ah, how should I say this? Thank¡­you.¡± I have no idea how to answer her, but I still thanked the girl first as I lowered my head. ¡°Also,¡± Konoha-san asked me again ¡°Senpai, ¡­this year, did you already receive any Valentine¡¯s chocte aside from me?¡± ¡°Eh? A-Ah, ¡­uh, Aguri-san did give me the most obligatory of obligatory chocte just then. I don¡¯t even know if it counts as Valentine¡¯s chocte¡­¡± ¡°Tck, you already lost your chocte virginity¡­!¡± ¡°K-Konoha-san?¡± Your onee-chan can hear that as well, you know? Sigh, Chiaki already lost her soul after your confession just then. Then, Konoha-san cleared her throat. ¡°Whatever, but, if that¡¯s the case¡­¡± She slightly blushed and looked at me with watery eyes. ¡°¡­This is your first honmei chocte, right, senpai?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, hmm, yes. It¡¯s more like this is my first honmei chocte¡­¡± I scratched my cheeks and continued a bit embarrassingly. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not just this year. It¡¯s the first in my life¡­¡± ¡°!¡± Chiaki suddenly pressed her chest painfully after hearing that. Konoha-san nced at her onee-chan before immediately looking at me again. She showed me a sincere smile. ¡°I¡¯m really happy. It¡¯s worth it for me to muster up my courage this way.¡± Konoha-san¡¯s face looks prettier and more tragic than I¡¯ve ever seen. ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± However, that¡¯s why I- plopped my head down painfully. Then, ¡­no, even so, I have to answer what she said. ¡°¡­Thanks. But, well, ¡­I¡­¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m not attractive enough for you, right.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s not the case-¡° I hastily raised my head after hearing her over-denial. -Konoha-san¡¯s face is already right in front of me. Our noses are practically touching each other. She stared at me with her clean, big eyes and continued. ¡°However, right now -at the moment that I mustered up all my courage, senpai, you¡¯re impressed by me, right?¡± ¡°W-Well¡­¡± Just as I¡¯m struggling toe up with an answer, Konoha-san smiled naughtily and moved away. Then, she put her hands behind her and showed me her tongue. ¡°This is already enough. One day, I¡¯ll turn this feeling of yours into something thatsts more than one second.¡± ¡°Konoha-san, well, but I really¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha, I know. You don¡¯t need to draw your line this clearly. I get it. But, this loyalty or coldness of senpai really feels like you.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s sudden. I should be the one saying sorry, whether it¡¯s to senpai, ¡­or onee-chan.¡± ¡°Konoha¡­¡± Chiaki clenched her fist tightly in front of her chest as she called her little sister¡¯s name depressedly. Konoha-san turned around and started walking to the station. ¡°However, I¡¯m not tolerant enough to look at my rival¡¯s face while in a rtionship.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Chiaki and I froze after hearing that. Konoha-san turned her head around slightly and waved with a bitter smile. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t walk to the station together, right. Well, see you, senpai. ¡­Onee-chan, I¡¯ll see youter.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Chiaki and I can only wave back at Konoha-san silently. So, ¡­she took a turn and disappeared. For some reason, ¡­Chiaki held her bag tightly in front of her chest and stuttered to me. ¡°Keita. ¡­Well, ¡­I, ¡­let¡¯s, ¡­tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­N-Nevermind. W-Well,e to think of it, Konoha said you¡¯reing to our house tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°No, ¡­well, ¡­that¡¯s too¡­¡± Although Chiaki¡¯s trying her best to talk to me, ..right now, my brain¡¯s in a mess. I already spent all of my energy trying to answer her with a bitter smile. ¡°R-Right.¡± Chiaki answered me depressingly. She bit her lips and lowered her head. ¡°Well, I need to think about something myself as well. I¡¯ll be leaving!¡± ¡°Uh, ah, uh, sure. I¡¯m¡­just the same. Well, ¡­see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes, how should I say this? Well, ¡­well, ¡­see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes, ¡­see you tomorrow.¡± So, Chiaki and I bid farewell to each other stiffly. We took a step forward to our respective stations. After I walked alone for a while, ¡­I sighed and stared at the sky before mumbling. ¡°¡­Look at my rival¡¯s face while in a rtionship, ¡­ah¡­¡± The weather on Valentine¡¯s eve is a cloudy sky that¡¯s about to snow. Tasuku Uehara The weather on Valentine¡¯s Day is so sunny that I hate it. I nced at the snow in the fields reflecting the sunlight. A wave of tiredness hits me as I try to suppress my yawn when I¡¯m on the way to school. ¡­Actually, I didn¡¯t really sleep well yesterday. After all¡­ (Aguri¡¯s chocte, ¡­ah.) ¡­At this point, I won¡¯t suspect where my girlfriend¡¯s going. Unlike those twisted souls like Amano, Aguri already dered this to me a while ago. ¡°Tasuku, you better look forward to Valentine¡¯s Day! I¡¯m really worked up!¡± Of course, I can only feel happiness from that. So, what is the troublesome thing that hindered my sleep yesterday? That would be- ¡°Good morning, Uehara-kun.¡± Suddenly, someone talked to me from behind. I turned around, and it¡¯s the usual humpbacked little boy- However, for some reason, my friend looks a bit taller today. ¡°Oh, good morning, Amano. It¡¯s rare for you to walk to school instead of taking the bus.¡± I asked. He came next to me and answered with a bitter smile. ¡°Yeah, sometimes. I have some stuff¡­to think about.¡± ¡°You too?¡± ¡°That means Uehara-kun¡¯s troubled by something too?¡± ¡°Yes, I guess so. ¡­I¡¯m getting restless since my dear ex-girlfriend is giving me chocte today.¡± ¡°Hmm, I could be innocent even if I punched you right now, as long as the jurors are guys.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same for you? You¡¯re walking to school today because of chocte, right?¡± ¡°¡­Ugh, ¡­I guess so.¡± Amano looked away a bit awkwardly. He sighed heavily and confessed. ¡°How should I say this? Right now, a girl ¡®could be¡¯ giving me non-obligatory chocte. Actually, it hurts my stomach way more than not getting any at allst year¡­¡± ¡°What you¡¯re thinking isn¡¯t much better either. Aren¡¯t you in your popr phase?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be afraid of not getting chocte if I¡¯m really in my popr phase, ¡­sigh.¡± Amano pressed his stomach. It looks like he¡¯s really troubled by this. Indeed, I also know that he¡¯s afraid of the girl that¡¯s giving him chocte. Especially Tendou, she¡¯ll hesitate and hesitate and end up with a twisted ending. ¡°After heavy consideration, I still decided that it¡¯s better to not give you any chocte.¡± That¡¯s too usual. Iughed loudly and patted Amano¡¯s back over his coat. ¡°Sigh, there¡¯s nothing for you to worry about, even if that¡¯s the case. You can beat yourself over it when you¡¯re actually not getting any.¡± ¡°Uh? Ah, ¡­yes, ¡­I guess you¡¯re right.¡± It¡¯s hard for Amano to say his troubles out loud, after all. I can¡¯t help but look away and scratch my head. After he stared up at me for a while, he said this with a gentle smile. ¡°¡­I love Uehara-kun.¡± ¡°W-Why did you say that? It¡¯s disgusting.¡± I didn¡¯t expect my first rom Valentine¡¯s event to be with a guy. I stopped, and Amano chuckled as he walked forward. ¡°Nothing, I just want to say it. It¡¯s Valentine¡¯s Day, after all.¡± ¡°Hey, are you serious? Ah, well, then give me chocte.¡± ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t prepare that at all.¡± ¡°What the hell? This main heroine can¡¯t be helped. Sheesh.¡± ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re right.¡± Amano smiled and continued walking. The snow is rustling under his feet. I nced at his back. ¡­Then, I thanked the boy silently for avoiding him from hearing. ¡°¡­Thank you, Amano.¡± -However, at the next moment, Amano immediately turned around and broke the mood without hesitation. ¡°Ah, no problem.¡± ¡°How did you hear it!?¡± ¡°No, no, keep it in your heart if you don¡¯t want people to hear it! Come to think of it, why are you guys always mad at me when I hear your mumblings!? Isn¡¯t the person speaking at fault here!?¡± ¡°Shut up! Quick, stop squabbling. Let¡¯s go to school! Although I don¡¯t really want them, a lot of obligatory chocte is waiting for me!¡± ¡°Hiya, you just offended both boys and girls at the same time! That¡¯s why I hate normies¡­¡± ¡°Big talk from a brat that¡¯s probably going to get two beautiful girls¡¯ honmei chocte!¡± ¡°Tck, I already got a honmei chocte yesterday! ¡­Even though it¡¯s a very wretched and disgusting one.¡± ¡°A very wretched and disgusting honmei chocte!? WHAT IS THAT!? Spill the beans-¡° So, we chatted with each other happily and threw all the troubles behind- -This marks the ordinary start of this important day. Volume 10, 3 – Gamers and Valentine’s Day, Part 2 of 2

Volume 10, Chapter 3 ¨C Gamers and Valentine¡¯s Day, Part 2 of 2

Trantor: your_pingas Karen Tendou 14th February, the morning of Valentine¡¯s Day. I, Karen Tendou, arrived at the school pretty early. Then, I headed straight to the Game Club room. After I locked the door, I sat on my seat and put my handmade chocte package in the front. -I wrapped my hands around my head tightly! (I shouldn¡¯t give this out!) I have already tangled myself again and again since yesterday, not to mention this morning. I don¡¯t even understand the final conclusion I got. Why am I being so miserable right now? It¡¯s a long story. ¡­Anyway, first of all, the most unforgivable part is this scent. Yes, the handmade chocte that took me a night to make has a very thick- (WHY DOES MY CHOCOLATE SMELL LIKE BOOKS!?) -It smells like printed paper! This strong scent of books makes people think that it¡¯s cooked with ink and paper before drying! This doesn¡¯t taste like food at all! I¡¯m pretty sure that I didn¡¯t add a single drop of ink into my chocte, but why is it so pungent? During this time, I can hear girls talking outside the room after their morning training. ¡°Eh, is there a library inside the clubroom?¡± ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t think so. ¡­It¡¯s unbelievable. I think there¡¯s a library as well!¡± ¡°I bet there¡¯s a library as well!¡± ¡°Yeah! Although I have no idea at all, I think there¡¯s possibly a library!¡± The girls¡¯ chatter faded away as they were talking nonsense. I sighed deeply- and started hesitating on my own. (Should I give the person I love library-like chocte!?) This problem is way too advanced for humanity. Also, -this isn¡¯t the only issue. I slowly unwrapped the package as I observed my handmade chocte model. -I hugged my head once again! (Why did I make such an exquisite < Keita Amano 1/10 >!?) The ¡°chocte Amano-kun¡± is standing in front of me majestically. It¡¯s so realistic that I don¡¯t even know whether I should praise myself. This is already the countless time that I¡¯m trapped in this vortex of regret and excuses. (I-It¡¯s because of those books and online blogs I found. They always say the biggest secret to making Valentine¡¯s chocte is ¡°your feelings to him.¡± So, I keep thinking about Amano-kun. ¡­Then, it turned into this because I¡¯m not getting enough sleep as I was working on this!) My handmade chocte looks so much like Amano-kun. It¡¯s to the point that as if the boy is covered in chocte. Should I say you¡¯re amazing, Karen Tendou? Such details, even I¡¯m so attracted to it. ¡­Indeed, you can really feel the feelings inside it, and it looks nice too. I agree with that. However¡­ (I¡¯m letting Amano-kun eat this himself!? Letting him taste this potent library smell!?) Although I managed to take it to school, I¡¯m very hesitant to give it to him. ¡­No, this isn¡¯t because¡­of my usual hardcore gamer side, and I¡¯m not hoping for him to be happy either. It¡¯s simply because of this. (This thing- it looks like his affection meter for me will copse if I send this out, right!?) Let¡¯s think about this logically. In the end, it¡¯s way better to not give it out! ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I slowly stood up and walked around the Keita Amano that¡¯s releasing an ink-like smell. This is really tormenting my brain. (Uh, no, but, Chiaki-san will definitely give him chocte. It would be a fatal mistake in thispetition of love¡­if I don¡¯t give anything!) No main heroine will ignore Valentine¡¯s Day. However¡­ (I¡¯ve never heard of a main heroine that gives the guy she loves- library-like chocte in his shape!) At least I can¡¯t imagine a good development after this at all. It¡¯s more like it¡¯s easier to imagine Amano-kun smiling bitterly before leaving with a ¡°GAME OVER¡± text. ¡­! ¡°Uh, ¡­r-right! Let¡¯s not give this out. I¡¯ll just buy chocte at the store for him!¡± I stopped and raised my index finger. This is such a good solution. Even if I didn¡¯t make it myself, it¡¯s better than not giving anything or letting him eat a library version of himself. ¡°Yes, yes, this will work¡­! That¡¯s it. Now, let¡¯s deal with this¡­¡± After I thought of an easy solution, I hummed while grabbing my handmade Amano-kun chocte. After that- -I copsed onto the ground powerlessly. (How can I throw such a beautiful Amano-kun away!?) This is the first time I know how those underground Christians feel when their Jesus statues are stomped on. But, well, what should I do? (..R-Right. Actually, I don¡¯t have to throw this away. I¡¯ll bring it home and worship it¡­) Turning my room into a library? Putting a realistic Amano-kun out? Staring at him until he starts melting and changes color a couple dayster? Start fighting with my parents when they entered the room? ¡­I-It¡¯s a bit hard. Well¡­ (¡­I-I¡¯ll eat it, yes.) I gulped and looked at the Amano-kun-shaped chocte. ¡­Y-Yes, I made this thing myself. I should be responsible for dealing with it. Yes, that¡¯s it. I slowly reached my hand out to the Amano-kun chocte. Just as I¡¯m unwrapping the transparent stic packaging around him- < Ring! Ring! > -Someone called me while I¡¯m tearing the wrappers apart. However, I feel like I¡¯ll be scared again if I stop right here. So, I answered the call with my left hand while peeling off the wrappers with my right. ¡°Hey, hello.¡± ¡°W-Well, how should I say this? Let me think. I-I¡¯m, uh, well-¡° ¡°I know. You¡¯re Chiaki-san, right?¡± ¡°I-I see. That¡¯s great. ¡­Ah, so, Karen-san, where are you right now?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I quickly untied the ribbon sealing the package as I replied. Chiaki-san continued a bit worriedly. ¡°Uh, the morning assembly¡¯s about to start, and your bag isn¡¯t at the seat yet. Think about it, Karen-san normally arrives pretty early. Everyone in the ss is a bit nervous¡­¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m already here and will be going to the ssroom soon.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. d to hear that. I thought you caught a cold¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but smile after hearing Chiaki-san¡¯s sincerely relieved voice. ¡°Sheesh, you¡¯re even nice on a day like this.¡± She¡¯s worrying her friend over paying attention to her rival in love. That¡¯s why I love Chiaki Hoshinomori as a person. ¡­At the same time, that¡¯s why I¡¯m terrified of her. When I¡¯m flooded with aplicated wave of emotions, Chiaki-san spoke up. ¡°By the way.¡± ¡°Honestly, Karen-san, where and what are you doing now¡­?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, well. You¡¯re asking me where and what I¡¯m doing¡­?¡± Eating chocte, Chiaki-san, going to school, all of these processes filled up my RAM. In the end, I don¡¯t have enough left to deal with the phone call. So- ¡°I¡¯m peeling Amano-kun off in the clubroom.¡± ¡°HUH!?¡± -I can only tell her the truth like I¡¯m live streaming after snapping out of it. However, I overlooked the underlying issue and continued talking to Chiaki-san while working. ¡°Ah, I finally untied the ribbon on him.¡± ¡°T-This y is way too difficult, right! Have you two¡¯s rtionship gone this far¡­?¡± ¡°Alright, what should I do next¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me! H-Honestly, I¡¯m about to cry. I¡¯m hanging up.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m less nervous if someone¡¯s talking to me. Please don¡¯t hang up.¡± ¡°Are you a ghost!?¡± I requested Chiaki-san since I don¡¯t like eating library-like chocte on my own. For some reason, even though she let out an unwilling voice, the girl didn¡¯t end the call. So, I treated this as a yes and continued. ¡°Ugh, ¡­yeah, I still don¡¯t like suddenly twisting off my lover¡¯s head¡­¡± ¡°No, isn¡¯t that guaranteed!? Uh, how difficult are you two¡¯s rtionship!?¡± ¡°¡­Okay! I made up my mind! I should start by licking his entire body!¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden erotic description!? I-I still don¡¯t want to hear things like-¡° ¡°Eh, Amano-kun¡¯s fingers are about to fall.¡± ¡°KEITAAAAAAA!? S-STOP IT! Why is there weird violence included sometimes!? Karen-san, what are you doing to Keita-¡° ¡°Hiya, crap, now that I¡¯m looking, isn¡¯t Amano-kun¡¯s shoes about to melt!?¡± ¡°WHERE ARE YOU!? Did you put Keita in a monster¡¯s stomach!?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, but it¡¯s good. Amano-kun himself¡­is still pretty h a r d. ?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden erotic description again!? I-I¡¯m hanging up! There¡¯s no way for me to hear things like-¡° ¡°By the way, is it because it¡¯s melting? Amano-kun¡¯s smell is getting more disgusting.¡± ¡°HE¡¯S DEAD!? Wait, don¡¯t tell me Keita already died!?¡± ¡°¡­Hmm, okay, but Amano-kun is still very hard as a whole.¡± ¡°Rigor mortis!? Hey, that¡¯s rigor mortis, right!?¡± ¡°¡­Hiya, Chiaki-san, what should I do? How did this happen¡­?¡± ¡°Y-You finally regained your senses, Karen-san! Well, let¡¯s call the ambnce first-¡° ¡°I already don¡¯t know where I should start eating Amano-kun first!¡± ¡°You¡¯re eating him! Y-You¡¯re horrible!¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. I won¡¯t make it to ss at this rate. I¡¯ll just leave Amano-kun here first.¡± ¡°Y-You can¡¯t do that to Keita! You¡¯re insane!¡± ¡°So, Chiaki-san, ¡­I¡¯m going to the ssroom now. Please wait¡­¡± ¡°Eek!? NO! How can you do that!? You can¡¯t do that! When did I fall into a scary and bloody world like this!? Is this the punishment of my vile imagination of Valentine¡¯s Day despite being a lonely gaming otaku!? Is this the case!?¡± ¡°Hmm? ¡­I¡¯m sorry, Chiaki-san. I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°That¡¯s totally my line, alright!?¡± Chiaki-san suddenly started crying on the other side of the phone for some reason. I freaked out as I wrapped the chocte Amano-kun again. After packing up my things, I came to the corridor. I realized Chiaki-san misunderstood something when I¡¯m dashing toward the ssroom as I¡¯m talking to her. She finally calmed down after I exined everything again. Then, she suggested to me warmly. ¡°Hmm, even though I can understand how Karen=san feels, ¡­I feel like it¡¯s best for you to not destroy that chocte.¡± ¡°Yes, Chiaki-san, you calcted this, right. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re trying to lower Amano-kun¡¯s affection towards me¡­¡± ¡°N-No, no, I¡¯m not thinking about that at all! Yes!¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s just a joke. You won¡¯t be smart enough to do that.¡± ¡°Uh, ugh. ¡­A-Anyway, no matter what Karen-san made, I don¡¯t think Keita will not be excited over a thing you made yourself.¡± ¡°I get what you mean, ¡­but this tastes like a library?¡± ¡°Uh, uh, this taste is way too original. I don¡¯t even know what I should suggest anymore.¡± ¡°Also, it¡¯s a super realistic version of Amano-kun. For example, what would you think if Amano-kun gave you a super realistic Chiaki-san chocte?¡± ¡°It¡¯s disgusting, of course.¡± ¡°Right!?¡± ¡°S-So, the feelings are the most important! I think the most important fact is that you made chocte sincerely!¡± ¡°Chiaki-san¡­¡± I¡¯m deeply throbbed with her sincere kindness. A wave of warmth flooded my heart as I asked my dear friend. ¡°Also, ¡­Chiaki-san, ¡­how strange is your chocte then?¡± ¡°Ah, I just bought one in the store.¡± ¡°YOU TRAITOR!¡± ¡°EHH!?¡± ¡°How could you be so vicious!? Even though you¡¯re giving proper chocte, you¡¯re asking me to y dumb and give out a < Realistc Amano-kun: Library Taste >!? How much embarrassment do you want from me!?¡± ¡°EHH!? But, isn¡¯t this Karen-san¡¯s fault for making a library-tasted Keita?¡± ¡°Fault! You¡¯re finally treating my chocte as a fault, right! You evil woman!¡± ¡°EHHHHH!? T-This is the first time that I experienced such an unreasonable drop in my affection meter! Y-You¡¯re so mean, Karen-san!¡± I finally woke up after hearing that. I cleared my throat and plopped my head down to the other side of the phone. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Chiaki-san. ¡­It looks like I was possessed by Valentine¡¯s ghost.¡± ¡°S-Sigh, that¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard a ghost like that. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not that angry, anyways. ¡­By the way, forget about that.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± We stopped talking after that. I¡¯m already in front of the 2A ssroom. Chiaki-san put her phone inside her suit jacket¡¯s pocket and looked at me. I greeted my ssmates and headed to Chiaki-san¡¯s seat before mine. Then, ¡­both of us stare at each other and asked each other¡¯s friend and rival at the same time. ¡°How should we hand out Valentine¡¯s chocte¡­!?¡± -It looks like our rtionship skills haven¡¯t improved by a bit. Tasuku Uehara ¡°Here, Tasuku, your honmei chocte!¡± ¡°Uh!? Oh, sure¡­?¡± 14th February, lunch break. Since my friends keep taunting me, ¡°you two should eat alone sometimes, both of us came to the stair tforms in the old school building. ¡­Things were fine until now. After I casually grabbed the sweet bread out of my bag, ¡­which is an entirely dull moment, my cute ex-girlfriend just handed me chocte super directly. I put the chocte on my bread speechlessly. ¡­This is such a weird time for you to give me this. I can¡¯t react at all, crap. Aguriughed naughtily while I fell silent. ¡°Sess!¡± ¡°Huh? This is a sess? Uh, what¡¯s happening?¡± I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on. So, I just stood at the center of the resting tform with my bread and chocte in hand idiotically. Aguri turned away and looked at the snow outside the small window. ¡°After all, if I handed Tasuku chocte respectfully and sincerely, ¡­you won¡¯t take it as fast as you just did, right?¡± (Huh!?) My heart skipped a beat after hearing that. It¡¯s because¡­she¡¯s right. Aguri continued looking outside. ¡°A while ago, when Tasuku rejected my Labear- ¡­no, my gift, I think I can tell what you¡¯re thinking recently.¡± ¡°¡­What am I thinking?¡± I asked tremblingly while Aguri answered with a bitter smile. ¡°Amano can do everything for Aguri¡¯s sake, but look at me right now. I¡¯m so useless. Do I really have the right to take this honmei chocte? Is this correct?¡± ¡°!¡± ¡°Hehehe, don¡¯t underestimate how observant Aguri-san can be.¡± I almost dropped the bread and chocte on the ground because her words are so on-point. I quickly bnced myself and put the bread back into the package. During this time, Aguri turned around and tongued out with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s a lie. Actually, half of this is thanks to Amanhi.¡± ¡°Amano?¡± ¡°Yes, but I did more or less know what Tasuku¡¯s thinking. So, Amanhi called me in the morning and told me what you said to me. This just proves that I¡¯m right.¡± ¡°¡­What did he say?¡± ¡°He said I¡¯ll get a good result with a blitzkrieg. My lucky item is orichalcum.¡± ¡°Why is he fortune-telling? Also, thetter suggestion wasn¡¯t for people at all!¡± ¡°So, I decided to give you chocte when you¡¯re least expecting it.¡± ¡°Aguri¡­¡± ¡°I prepared the orichalcum as well.¡± ¡°Huh!? Seriously!? H-Hey, please let me see the metal that only exists in legends-¡° ¡°Ah, here, Tasuku. Eat it, eat it, quick!¡± ¡°Uh, ah, hmm, uh¡­¡± Eh, what¡¯s happening? I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m more interested in the orichalcum now. ¡­Goodbye, the entrance to a fantastical world. Aguri urged me to open the chocte. I peeled off the package and opened the box. Then, I grabbed a piece of chocte truffle inside that looked really tasty¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Tasuku?¡± Aguri looked at me helplessly when I stopped. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still dragging over whether you have the right to take the chocte?¡± After hearing that question, I¡­nodded determinedly and made her feel even more speechless. ¡°Yes, ¡­even though you guys think that I¡¯m being indecisive, I don¡¯t think so. Think about it. It¡¯s a bit ufortable when you got the strongest gear in an RPG for no reason, right?¡± ¡°That should onlye out of Amanhi¡¯s mouth. Can¡¯t you just treat it as you¡¯re lucky?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay if it¡¯s a gacha mobile game! I don¡¯t want to rely on bugs and secret tricks this much. All I hope is to conquer the level by myself!¡± ¡°How indecisive! My boyfriend¡¯s really dragging things out!¡± ¡°Yes! What¡¯s the problem!? This is me, after all!¡± ¡°Do boys really like flipping their attitudes these days!? You¡¯re about to annoy me to death!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll return this honmei chocte-¡° ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE!¡± At the moment that I¡¯m handing her the chocte, Aguri robbed the box away from me. Then, she grabbed the chocte truffle and- ¡°¡­Eat this!¡± ¡°Uwah!?¡± -She shoved it into my mouth forcefully. A couple chocte truffles were stuck in my mouth, and a lot of cocoa powder came out. ¡°-Cough, cough, cough!¡± The powder invaded my trachea, and I started choking. However, Aguri didn¡¯t put away her hand that shoved chocte down in my throat. -Honestly, this is the most painful moment in my life. Aguri finally released her hand when I was thinking whether I¡¯ll die this way. I tried my best to chew the chocte to survive. Using all of my meager saliva, I spent nearly a minute swallowing all that. ¡®¡­Cough, cough, ¡­p-phew¡­¡± I rubbed my lips and took a couple difficult deep breaths. Aguriughed. ¡°Excellent, it¡¯s a sess! My Valentine¡¯s Day is a huge sess!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not at all! It¡¯s not sessful if you use violence-¡° I startedining angrily. ¡°After all, this way, I conveyed all of my feelings to Tasuku entirely!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even though this may upset Tasuku, perhaps you¡¯re not willing to take it too, my n is undoubtedly a sess. It¡¯s because I-¡° Her face blushed slightly and showed an embarrassed smile. ¡°-I let my favorite person know how I feel. This is the best Valentine¡¯s Day ever.¡± ¡°¡­Sheesh.¡± I rubbed my lips, which¡¯s stained with chocte and cocoa powder. After that, I straightened my back and looked at Aguri again. I answered with a provocative smile. ¡°Hmph, hmph.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really selfish and stubborn, Aguri.¡± ¡°Hehe, thanks to a certain ex-boyfriend.¡± ¡°¡­Just you wait. ¡­I¡¯ll return all of these to you with interest on White Day.¡± ¡°¡­Sure, I¡¯ll be looking forward to it, Tasuku.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± We smiled at each other like a good pair of rivals and lovers. However, at the next moment, we pretended nothing happened and continued our lunch. The two of us took out our respective bread and bento. Aguri mumbled quietly. ¡°¡­I hope Amanhi¡¯s Valentine¡¯s Day will be okay.¡± ¡°No, I mean, ¡­that¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°I guess so¡­¡± We looked outside the window. The melting snow is sliding down from the white zinc house¡¯s ceiling into the bicycle park. Both of us sighed at the same time. Keita Amano < I¡¯ll be waiting for you in < Challenger¡¯s Arena > at 4 PM. > 30 minutes after school, I received a rude message from my ex-girlfriend that doesn¡¯t sound like a Valentine¡¯s Day invitation at all. I sat alone at the corner of the ssroom. I read the text on my screen again and again. After that, I clenched my fist tightly and screamed. ¡°¡­YES!¡± The other ssmates in the room gave me a surprised look, but I didn¡¯t care. After all, I really looked forward to Tendou-san contacting me until this very moment. ¡­No, if I have to be honest. It¡¯s because I can¡¯t ept the shocking fact that the person I love hasn¡¯t contacted me after school on this crucial Valentine¡¯s Day. So, I¡¯m praying to my phone alone in the ssroom meaninglessly. Therefore, I almost jumped from excitement when I saw Tendou-san¡¯s message. ¡­Well, I¡¯ll ignore the weird content first. I grabbed my bag excitedly and dashed out of the ssroom. ¡°By the way, she really chose < Challenger¡¯s Arena >. ¡­It really fits her.¡± I ran across the hallway as I can¡¯t help but smile bitterly. < Challenger¡¯s Arena > is on the 4th floor of the arcade. It¡¯s at the corner of the digital games area. The arena is stacked full of all sorts of fighting games since antiquity. The yers around here always treat it as a ce where hardcore gamers fight each other every night. So, they called it < Challenger¡¯s Arena > out of their respect and a slight sense of sarcasm. Although a casual console gamer like me is utterly irrelevant to this ce, I apanied Tendou-san, Uehara-kun, and the Game Club members into that ce multiple times. It¡¯s only a 15-minute walk from the school. I walked towards the school entrance. On my way, when I¡¯m turning in the corridor, I nced at the 2A ssroom where Tendou-san is. My heart feels a bit sad. (¡­In the end, I didn¡¯t go there by myself.) I didn¡¯t receive Tendou-san¡¯s invitation until today. However, if I really wanted to meet her on Valentine¡¯s Day, I should¡¯ve ignored her hesitation. I could¡¯ve just dashed to ss A without caring anything else. In reality, I almost made up my mind about it. Also, I really understand how inappropriate it is for me to urge chocte. However, in the end, I gave up. One of the biggest reasons is that¡­ (Chiaki, ¡­she¡¯s in ss A too¡­) I¡¯m terrified of asking Tendou-san for chocte when Chiaki seems to have feelings for me (which I¡¯m incredibly honored). So, I ended up staring at my phone in the ssroom uselessly. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± I sighed deeply and walked to the shoe shelves next to the entrance. (I see¡­) This is the core part of my consciousness that I¡¯m trying to improve. ¡­I don¡¯t want to exin in detail right now. However, in a negative sense, I should try to change this style of mine- ¡°¡­Eh?¡± I opened my shoe locker as I¡¯m thinking that. -I saw something strange on top of my shoes. Honestly, it looks like Valentine¡¯s chocte¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I immediately squinted my eyes and observed that thing suspiciously. Then, I looked around with a vicious face. After all¡­ ¡°¡­Eh, there¡¯s no audience¡­?¡± ¡­A guy like me can only associate with what I just encountered as a prank. However, I don¡¯t hear anyone saying, ¡°Haha, you took it! What were you looking forward to? You¡¯re disgusting!¡± The students aren¡¯tughing out loud either. It¡¯s more like everyone turned away from me, bulging my eyes. ¡°¡­Ahem.¡± I snapped out of it and gave up observing. After that, I reached my hand out¡­to that chocte-like package again. However, I, Keita Amano, cannot let my guard down yet! (Ah, this must be a fake confession!) The girl tells you to go somewhere in the letter and make fun of you! I was already pranked twice in this way, and I want to cry! I grabbed the box tremblingly as I looked at this cutely-packaged thing. ¡­Then, I saw a letter wrapped in ribbons behind it. I yelled. ¡°Uwah, herees my mental trauma.¡± Even though these pranks are annoying, my personality still thinks, ¡°it would be sorry for the person waiting for me if it¡¯s real.¡± There¡¯s a 90% chance that this is a trap. But I¡¯ll still go with it knowing that it¡¯ll probably hurt my heart! Ah, sheesh, this is annoying. However, even if I said that Keita Amano¡¯s still Keita Amano. Keita Amano already understood after what happened to Main-san. Honestly, I didn¡¯t improve by one bit. So, ¡­there¡¯s only one thing I can do. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± I made up my mind and pulled the letter out of the box. After that, I unfolded the paper and looked at the text. < To Keita: > ¡°Wow, you¡¯re calling my name right away?¡± I startedining in detail as if a mental barrier has just been constructed in my heart. < By the time you read this letter, I¡¯ve already passed on from this world. > ¡°Uwah, what a sudden death. You¡¯re watching too many dramas-¡° < It¡¯s because the evolution of VR is too incredible. > ¡°Aren¡¯t you just running home to y VR games!? > < Ah, speaking of VR, Keita, did you y < Shoot Hearts > as well? That¡¯s a hidden gem! After all, the developers are from that famous- > ¡°Why did you just start going off-topic and talk about VR!?¡± I heard that phishing letters these days are written pretty well, but I didn¡¯t expect they can attract a game lover like me to this point. I admired the person for a bit with some excitement as I read her VR games rmendation. However, the author seems to have realized it midway and changed the topic. < I¡¯m sorry. I think I went off-track. Now that I¡¯m looking, what I wrote doesn¡¯t really make sense. > ¡°You know it.¡± < However, regrettably, I ran out of spare letter papers. So, I¡¯ll just continue using this one. > ¡°That¡¯s not romantic at all! What are you hesitating about!? Isn¡¯t this letter important!? You spent 90% of the page talking about VR games. Are you fine with it!?¡± < Let¡¯s get to the point. I love you. Here¡¯s your chocte. That¡¯s all. > ¡°I knew it! That¡¯s what you get! This is the worst confession I¡¯ve seen in my life!¡± I take back what I said. This phishing letter sucks all the way to Earth¡¯s core. I shrugged speechlessly. Finally, I saw who¡¯s sending me this boring prank letter. The name that¡¯s written with the most tiny font possible is- < Chi Hoshinomori > ¡°I see.¡± It looks like this ¡°Chi Hoshinomori-san¡± just made her first appearance in my story. I think a friend of mine has a really simr name to hers. But I guess they are different persons. Yes, ¡­sigh. ¡°-You couldn¡¯t write ¡®aki¡¯ down, right, Chiaki-san!¡± Although I figured out that this isn¡¯t a prank, I can¡¯t still wipe the regret off my heart. I see. ¡­This is just an ordinary Valentine¡¯s chocte. Ah¡­ I¡¯m really dumbfounded and sighed. However, I can¡¯t help but read that letter silently again. After that¡­ ¡°¡­Haha, ¡­what am I supposed to do with you¡­¡± I can¡¯t help butugh out loud. ¡­Then, I read that letter again and again. Finally, I raised my head and reached my hand onto the chocte silently before mumbling. ¡°¡­It really feels like Chiaki.¡± Right now, I can deeply feel her nervousness, anxiety, ¡­and kindness when she put the chocte here. (She¡¯s just the same as me¡­) I bet¡­she couldn¡¯t bring herself to hand me this in front of Tendou-san. But she couldn¡¯t think of a better method either. ¡­In the end, she rushed to write this clumsy letter and included it in the box before going home. ¡­If that¡¯s the case, why didn¡¯t you just hand me this when we met yesterday? ¡­It really feels like Chiaki¡¯s style. ¡­She¡¯s dumb, timid, and boring. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll have to thank herter.¡± I suddenly realized I haven¡¯t checked what¡¯s in the box yet when I¡¯m mumbling. I put the letter inside the bag on my shoulder. Next, I carefully opened the package without tearing the paper. Then, I saw the chocte that nearly took me a minute to unwrap beforeughing idiotically countless times today. ¡°Haha, ¡­will a girl really hand out a bar of chocte for a mobile game character crossover event on Valentine¡¯s Day? It doesn¡¯t look tasty, and it¡¯s cheap too. ¡­Sheesh, Chiaki, ¡­Chiaki, you-¡° -Chiaki, you really just gave me a mobile game character-shaped chocte that symbolized the memories I have with Mono. She¡¯s smart. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­I tried my best to suppress this feeling in my heart and mumbled. ¡°I really appreciated it, Chiaki.¡± Finally, I started praying and remembering the cheerful times I had with Mono. ¡­A good 10 seconds passed after that. ¡°Yes, ¡­let¡¯s go.¡± I put Chiaki¡¯s chocte into my bag respectfully and finally changed my shoes. Then- ¡°¡­I have to go face a person that I truly love as well.¡± -I started walking next to Tendou-san again. * The 4th floor of the arcade is still just as unsettling as usual. The cigarette smell lingering on the walls is stimting my nose. I can¡¯t help but rub it. (Indeed, this floor is a bit too tall-ordered for a guy like me.) A multi-stories arcade has a different mood for every floor. However, this space- < Challenger¡¯s Arena > feels significantly different. From a positive aspect, it¡¯s a holy world made by rivaling experts. From a bad point, it doesn¡¯t wee outsiders very much. ¡­But that¡¯s just what we ¡°self-proimed outsiders¡± think. It seems that experts like Tendou-san and Nina Oiso-senpai often say that, ¡°No, no, newbies are weed everywhere.¡± From my impression, I think experts are more caring to newbies in online games. ¡­Sigh. ¡°Hey, hey, I thought a bean sprout just appeared out of nowhere. Isn¡¯t this Amako? You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. A small-time pawn like you actually dared to show your face here tantly. Hiya, ¡®impudent¡¯ and ¡®overconfident¡¯ is exactly for you, right!¡± Sometimes, there are super impolite pricks like this. I sighed heavily and called the name of this terrible person. ¡­Regrettably, she¡¯s my acquaintance. ¡°¡­Main-san.¡± ¡°Hey, Amako. Happy Valentine¡¯s. Well, where¡¯s my chocte?¡± ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± Bumping into Main-san on Valentine¡¯s Day when I¡¯m looking for Tendou-san, I¡¯m really depressed with hellish encounters like this. I sighed once again. However, the demon- no, Main-san patted my shoulder cheerfully and wrapped her arms around my neck. ¡°Alright, Amako. Did you find me because you¡¯re a loyal dog?¡± ¡°¡­Shush.¡± I answered emotionlessly. ¡°Haha.¡± After Main-sanughed, she got her mouth close to my ears- and mumbled something in her see-through-everything voice. ¡°By the way -did you know that I already devoured your dear blonde girl?¡± ¡°Tck!¡± I immediately shook away Main-san¡¯s hand violently and red at her. After that, a dangerous atmosphere that worried the other customers suddenly radiated between us. Main-san nced at me with her usual sincerely sympathetic eyes. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± Then, she smiled and relieved the mood. ¡°I¡¯m only half-joking this time. Don¡¯t re at me this fiercely, Amako. I already want to hug you.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t expose your crazy sexual fetishes this suddenly.¡± ¡°How cold-hearted. Sigh, but I¡¯ll really kill you if you¡¯re thinking anything funny.¡± ¡°At least leave me alive. However, that¡¯s already unreasonable enough. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Hmph, you can treat this as my usual expression of love. Whatever, I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m in a good mood today, so I¡¯ll spare your body, Amako.¡± You¡¯ll hug me if you¡¯re in a bad mood, right. It¡¯s terrible to have your ownership robbed away. At this point, I realized again how twisted and risky it is for my ownership to be taken away. However, I think Main-san¡¯s not really trying to bug me today. She walked right next to me quickly. Then, when we¡¯re crossing paths, Main-san put her hand on my shoulder and whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can be with her by relying on fate alone.¡± ¡°¡­I know.¡± I answered. Main-san just said ¡°right¡± before going down the stairs. I looked at her back dazedly and readjusted my breaths before continuing deep into the floor. (Relying on fate, ¡­ah.) I hate to admit this, but what Main-san said is so on-point that I¡¯m angry about it. In reality, I would be lying if I say I didn¡¯t look forward to that recently. Perhaps I can suddenly bump into Tendou-san. Perhaps the gods will grant me the time to talk to Tendou-san alone. Perhaps- there¡¯s suddenly a good timing for Tendou-san and me to get back together. However, in the end, it¡¯s like what everyone can see. Recently, we didn¡¯t have any point of contact until Tendou-san called me out. (This can¡¯t continue¡­) I decided to start changing how I think after the fight I had with Main-san. However, it¡¯s meaningless if I¡¯m not strong-willed enough to do something. I know it. I really understand it. But¡­ (Well, what is the thing that I should muster up my courage to do¡­?) In the end, I didn¡¯t get a grasp on the answer. This is how I¡¯ve been recently. Although this sounds like an excuse, when I acquired this answer in my heart, I have to be prepared to take it and move forward¡­ -Right at this moment. ¡°Oh, Amano-kun, I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Ah, Tendou-san.¡± I think I already entered the abyss of the digital game area when I¡¯m lost in thought, < Challenger¡¯s Arena >. When I snapped out of it, I can see a beautiful blonde high school girl surrounded by a lot of audiences as she¡¯s ying- my cute ex-girlfriend. ¡°E-Excuse me, excuse me¡­¡± I squeezed myself between the hardcore residents of < Challenger¡¯s Arena > that are ring at me. It took me a while to get behind Tendou-san. After that, I bent my waist down as much as possible to avoid obstructing other people. Tendou-san turned her head around and nced at me before immediately paying her attention back to the screen. She said this with a bitter smile. ¡°Amano-kun, even though I feel really sorry when I¡¯m the one calling you out, can you wait for me to finish this?¡± ¡°Ah, of course. Enjoy it to the fullest.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Tendou-san answered obediently before moving back to the game. Then, she battled for around 5 minutes. Regrettably, Tendou-san was promptly defeated as she stood up. After that, she went around and greeted the person on the opposite seat before leaving. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± The surrounding yers admired her smile and politeness. She grabbed her bag and walked next to me. Then, she casually held my hand and said, ¡°Amano-kun, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Ah, s-sure.¡± I followed her. ¡­I can feel people staring daggers behind me. Although I got used to it whenever I¡¯m with Tendou-san, they are professional fighting game experts this time. I can feel a menacing aura. ¡­It¡¯s terrifying. Don¡¯t tell me you have an even more exalted position here than you¡¯re in school, Tendou-san? So, Tendou-san brought me to an area with few people and sighed. She leaned on the wall. I followed her and leaned next to her. The fighting game¡¯s screen that Tendou-san just yed is right in front of me. It looks like the audience and challengers are all looking for Tendou-san. Right now, all of them disbanded to y their own games. Tendou-san looked at this slightly lonely scenery. Suddenly, -she said this with unexpected honesty. ¡°I just¡­had a match with that Main Fushiguro-san.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± I already know this was probably the case when I heard Main-san¡¯s tone today. So, this isn¡¯t surprising to me. The problem is¡­ ¡°¡­Did you battle Main-san- because you bumped into her by chance?¡± Tendou-san hesitated for a moment after hearing my question. ¡­After that, she gave up and shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°I heard this from my fellow gaming friends. Recently, ¡­there¡¯s a woman with a distinctive hair coloring here at this time.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± We didn¡¯t look at each other. ¡­I bet Tendou-san realized this too. I¡¯m- a bit angry at her. ¡°¡­Are you trying to get my ownership back when you¡¯re preparing to fight her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not entirely correct. ¡­It¡¯s not preparing. We already¡­fought each other.¡± Tendou-san grabbed the bag in front of her skirt tightly. I looked at her¡­and sighed deeply. ¡°I can finally understand why Aguri-san was so pissed with me at that time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­great.¡± ¡°Great?¡± I understand that she did this for her lover. Yet, I can¡¯t hold back my anger. ¡°It¡¯s not great! How can you be so rash-¡° I can¡¯t help but yell as I stared at her. However, ¡­she isn¡¯t scared of my rage. Even more, she puffed up her chest and announced proudly. ¡°However, this is how Karen Tendou does things, right?¡± ¡°----¡° I fell speechless. Tendou-san continued with an embarrassed smile. ¡°Y-Yes, I get it. This¡­isn¡¯t cute at all. I¡¯m doing too much. The rtionship between the protagonist and the main heroine is entirely reverted. Amano-kun¡¯s self-esteem is also destroyed-¡° At this point, Tendou-san seems to have realized it herself, and bits of tears came up from her eyes. ¡°¡­Y-Yes, I get it! This is dumb! No, even if we take a hundred steps back, this is definitely not what I should do on Valentine¡¯s Day! Yes! But I can¡¯t help it! I knew she¡¯s showing up here today! I was so focused on it that I sent creepy messages to Amano-kun too! (cries)¡± ¡°O-Oh¡­¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right, Karen Tendou always has been a clown! Yes! Laugh all you want! I know this more than anyone. As a girl in love, this is entirely incorrect, and only a clown would do that! Hiya, sheesh!¡± My ex-girlfriend finally let anxiety get the better of her and started pulling her blonde hair. Crap, this is the first time that I saw someone going so hard on herself¡­ My anger already disappeared. So, I can only say this to her dumbfoundedly. ¡°N-No, then why did you-¡° ¡°Why!? Isn¡¯t this obvious!? It¡¯s like what I said!¡± Tendou-san went all-out and yelled. She pressed her chest politely and announced. ¡°No matter how humorous I am, this is me- the real Karen Tendou!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± However, just as I¡¯m thinking ¡°really¡± inside, Tendou-san immediately withered away again. ¡°Hiya, sheesh. ¡­How terrible can this Valentine¡¯s Day be? Soup, getting no sleep at all, library, and Amano-kun¡¯s fingers fell as well¡­¡± Her words are really rming. I want her to rify everything she just said. However¡­ ¡°Tendou-san¡­¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± I held myself back and said the thing I should tell her the most here¡­ Even though it¡¯s a bitte, I still sincerely told her the first thing I should say first. ¡°Tendou-san.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I asked what, Amano-kun. Alright, if you¡¯re going to tease me-¡° ¡°Thanks.¡± I bowed down profoundly and appreciated her. She immediately froze as I continued. ¡°Sorry, I think I should¡¯ve said that first before getting mad at you. I¡¯m really useless, ¡­and really far away from Aguri-san. I don¡¯t know how to handle these situations at all.¡± ¡°Amano-kun¡­¡± ¡°Let me say this once again. Tendou-san, I appreciated you for fighting for me. I¡¯m¡­insanely excited with this love of yours.¡± ¡°Uh, h-how should I answer? ¡­R-Really? Well, ¡­let me think, uh, ¡­ah.¡± She tried to get her hair down and do the standard Karen Tendou pose. However, she screwed it up and lowered her head with a serious blush. She¡¯s adorable. I thought. On the other hand, I didn¡¯t want her to be humiliated anymore. So, I changed the topic calmly. ¡°By the way, how did the battle go? ording to Main-san¡¯s suspicious reaction, I don¡¯t think she took anyone¡¯s ownership¡­¡± ¡°Oh, about that. Well, ¡­regrettably, this match is invalidated.¡± ¡°Invalidated?¡± ¡°Yes, we each won once in a two-wins-in-three match. The audiences are pretty hyped up.¡± ¡°O-Oh¡­¡± It¡¯s almost too easy to imagine. After all, it¡¯s < Karen Tendou VS Main Fushiguro >, right? An exciting and skillful match like this is a rare sight. ¡°In the end, we even affected the customers that are just here to y casually. ¡­At that moment, she- Main Fushiguro-san said, ¡®Hmph, even if I have the overwhelmingly upper hand, you¡¯re not qualified to fight with me on equal grounds yet.¡¯ She suddenly left after that.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± That¡¯s how she does things. I smiled bitterly. Tendou-san looked at the machine she sat on and mumbled with lonely eyes. ¡°She¡¯s far more mature¡­and ruthless than you described.¡± ¡°¡­Ruthless, I see.¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­After all, what she said was brutally correct. Even though it¡¯s 1:1 at that time, ¡­she just went easy on me to know my level.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°I admit defeat. Right now, I¡¯m far beneath Main Fushiguro-san.¡± After that, Tendou-san¡¯s eyes- brightened up like a blossoming flower. I can¡¯t help but smile when I saw Tendou-san like that. ¡°Yep, this is why I- love Tendou-san.¡± ¡°Hiya!? W-W-W-What did you just say¡­!? W-We¡¯re at a ce like this. How shameful¡­!¡± ¡°Shameful? You told me to meet here, Tendou-san.¡± ¡°Q-Quiet!¡± ¡°Quiet¡­¡± This is the first time someone yelled at me like that. I didn¡¯t believe anyone would say ¡°quiet¡± nowadays. Tendou-san mumbled, ¡°S-Sheesh, that¡¯s why I¡­¡± She waved her hands to cool down her face. After that, she saw me chuckling at her. So, ¡­she quickly searched her bag to change the topic. Then- ¡°H-Here, Amano-kun, your chocte. Chocte. That¡¯s all!¡± ¡°NO, that¡¯s too half-assed! This isn¡¯t romantic enough for you to give me chocte, right!?¡± My lover suddenly handed me chocte at a smelly arcade because she wanted to change the topic. ¡­Sigh, I also feel that I¡¯m not a normie that cares about the romantic atmosphere. ¡­But, once I experienced it for myself, yep, I do care whether it¡¯s romantic or not! ¡°T-The mood doesn¡¯t really matter all that much! After all, the thing inside is pretty half-assed!¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s half-assed!?¡± ¡°No, I made it myself.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s a half-assed Valentine¡¯s chocte. Isn¡¯t that an item for people you hate!?¡± ¡°¡­Sigh, I feel like it¡¯s not a health regeneration item. It¡¯s more like a damaging item.¡± ¡°Ehh¡­?¡± ¡°Even so, ¡­I still decided to give you this!¡± ¡°Ehh¡­?¡± Tendou-san¡¯s making some worrisome derations as she handed me a horrifyingly heavy package. Uh, ¡­what is this? ¡­Is this filled with cheap chocte? ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Eh? By the way¡­ ¡°Hmm? Tendou-san? Is there an air cleaner in this arcade?¡± ¡°Huh? Why did you ask that? I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± ¡°No, ¡­I can¡¯t smell the cigarettes anymore. In the end, there¡¯s like a bookstore scent-¡° ¡°I think there is! Yes! I think there¡¯s an air cleaner!¡± ¡°W-Why are you so worked up? ¡­Whatever, anyway, I feel really secure when I smell this.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Hmm? I really like a bookstore-like smell like this¡­¡± ¡°S-SHUT UP, Amano-kun! Don¡¯t say that here! Sheesh! You¡¯re just as sly¡­¡± ¡°Uh, why are you embarrassed!? W-Whatever, let¡¯s move on. ¡­Anyway, just let me open it to see what¡¯s inside¡­¡± ¡°Wait, don¡¯t open it here, Amano-kun! You¡¯ll be embarrassed!¡± ¡°You gave me a chocte that¡¯s embarrassing to open!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if it¡¯s only embarrassing! Depending on the situation, it can be ssified as a terrorist attack! You have to use it carefully! I just realized that its power is slowly increasing!¡± ¡°No, what did you just say!? Is this another misunderstanding like we used to have again!?¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m really talking about Valentine¡¯s chocte! Yes!¡± ¡°My god! This is the first time that I really hope that this is just a misunderstanding!¡± ¡°A-Anyway! Y-You should, how should I say this, you should open it alone in your house. ¡­Then, you¡¯ll fall speechless!¡± ¡°This is a chocte that will make me speechless. ¡­I-I understand. I¡¯ll enjoy it by myself.¡± ¡°Very well, Amano-kun, let¡¯s go home. I¡¯ll walk with you. ¡­As the creator of this negative relic, I have the responsibility to see it to thest.¡± ¡°D-Did you just say negative relic¡­?¡± Seriously, what did my ex-girlfriend give me¡­? I¡¯m already afraid to open it alone¡­ I¡¯m pretty deted. However, Tendou-san¡¯s face looked relieved as she showed a satisfied smile before moving forward. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± So, I looked at her handmade chocte package. ¡­Although she said it¡¯s pretty half-assed, I can see she put a lot of effort into the wrapping paper. I started to smile. Then- ¡°Tendou-san¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± I called her. ¡­Then, naturally, I smiled and said what I honestly thought. ¡°This is- the best Valentine¡¯s Day in my life.¡± Volume 10, 4 – Aguri and Aftermath Report

Volume 10, Chapter 4 ¨C Aguri and Aftermath Report

Trantor: your_pingas Valentine''s Day is over. It¡¯s a Sunday in the middle of February. I, Aguri, am now on a date with Tasuku. ¡­Regrettably, I¡¯m not. Right now, I¡¯m sitting in a waiting room intimately with my 7-year-old cousin- Mii Fushiguro. Mii¡¯s swinging her legs that are unable to touch the ground carefreely. Then, she looked in front of her dazedly and spoke to me. ¡°Hey, hey, Aguri-nee-chan.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mii?¡± ¡°Aguri-nee-chan, you¡¯re just ¡®apanying¡¯ me today, ¡­right?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah? What can I do otherwise?¡± ¡°I see. ¡­But, if that¡¯s the case, why¡­¡± During this time, Mii slowly pointed to the reception and got me at my weak point triumphantly. Her innocent yet piercing words really make me feel that she¡¯s rted to Main-nee-san. ¡°Why did onee-chan give the registration card to the dentist too?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± I can¡¯t help but mumble. ¡­Indeed, right now, ¡­we¡¯re at the nearby dentist. Mii rolled her watery eyes and looked up at me. ¡°I¡¯m here to do my routine check-up. Is that the same for Aguri-nee-chan too?¡± ¡°Ugh, ys. I guess¡­so.¡± I looked away and answered with a face full of sweat. Then, Mii continued her interrogation. She¡¯s really Main-nee-chan¡¯s sister. ¡°Well, well, I saw Aguri-nee-chan opening your mouth in front of the mirror for a long time. I can hear your sighs too. Is that irrelevant to what¡¯s happening now?¡± ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Really. ¡­Well, Aguri-nee-chan tried a bunch of chocte because you want to ¡®make¡¯ them. Is that irrelevant too?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Really? ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡®¡­Sorry, I have a tooth decay.¡± I revealed the truth before plopping my head down and apologizing to a 7-year-old child. I started making excuses to Mii, who fell speechless. ¡°B-But, it¡¯s not that big of a deal! Even though it¡¯s tooth decay, I don¡¯t feel pain at all. This can be treated once, and it¡¯ll be good-¡° ¡°Watch out for sweet stuff.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m really sorry.¡± A high school girl is apologizing to a 7-year-old child. ¡­Sigh, this is embarrassing. The children and their parents in the waiting room are hiding theirughter too. ¡­I¡¯m really going to cry? Mii shot me a sympathetic look that doesn¡¯t resemble a face that a 7-year-old can make at all. Then, she changed the topic with her more-than-7-year-old wit. ¡°By the way, Aguri-nee-chan, don¡¯t you have ns today?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, hmm, sigh, I wanted to go on a date today.¡± Mii asked a bit confusedly after hearing my answer. ¡°A date? With Keita-nii-chan? Or with your prince?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!?¡± I was pretty shocked when I heard her unexpected question. ¡°I got a bit of intel from Mom.¡± She exined. After that, I sighed and mumbled. ¡°Sigh, ¡­you already know that, Mii. Well, I also know that Main-nee-san knows because of Amanhi¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but wrap my hands around my head. As for Mii, she continued her innocent questioning. ¡°Well, don¡¯t tell me that Keita-nii-chan and Aguri-nee-chan only have a ¡®sexual¡¯ rtionship?¡± ¡°A-Ahem! Hey, ¡­where did you learn that word from, Mii?¡± ¡°It¡¯s from the TV show that Aguri-nee-chan was watching in the living room while scratching your belly.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m really sorry.¡± I didn¡¯t expect it was my fault. ¡­Main-nee-san¡¯ll kill me if this gets out. I cleared my throat. ¡°Amanhi and I are just normal friends.¡± ¡°I see, normal, sexual friends, right?¡± ¡°No, can you stop saying sexual?¡± ¡°I know. Aguri-nee-chan and Keita-nii-chan have something more than a sexual rtionship, right?¡± ¡°Why do I feel like the suspicions keep adding on? No, we don¡¯t have a sexual nor a mental rtionship.¡± ¡°¡­Uh, does this count as friendship?¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­I take that back. We have a mental rtionship.¡± ¡°I got it. Your body belongs to your boyfriend, but your heart belongs to Keita-nii-chan, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like where this conversation is going! Amanhi and I are really just friends!¡± ¡°They say that, but they will kiss 5 minutester.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I was watching on the TV, right!?¡± ¡°You scratched your belly as you¡¯re watching that.¡± ¡°Do we really have to focus on that part!? Anyway, there¡¯s nothing between Amanhi and me!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± A high school girl is bickering with a little girl in the waiting room. Luckily, the BGM in the room is pretty loud for rxation purposes. Our conversation didn¡¯t have much of an effect. ¡­Well, even though I can hear people snickering. ¡°¡­No! I¡¯m not going in! LET ME GO HOME!¡± ¡°Be good, Yuiko, don¡¯t throw a tantrum now. ¡­I¡¯ll let you y games once we¡¯re home.¡± A child is being flighty inside the treatment room. ¡­It looks like it¡¯ll be a while before us. Right at that moment- ¡°By the way, I yed games yesterday.¡± Mii seems to have remembered something from the conversation in the treatment room. Honestly, thanks to a certain family restaurant partner, I¡¯m already fed up with gaming topics. But, we¡¯re doing nothing now, anyway. So, I said ¡°really¡± to Mii and continued the chatter. ¡°I had to work yesterday because I spent too much money on making chocte, so I didn¡¯t see you. Main-nee-chan took care of you, right?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Mii seems to be struggling to answer. I can¡¯t help but ask with a baffled look. ¡°Hmm? No one in the family was free aside from her, right?¡± ¡°¡­I guess so. But, our holidays often go beyond our expectations.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that idiom-like sentence? Oh, but, speaking of expectations, I think the same is for Amanhi too. I just heard this, but I believe Tendou-san tried to go out with him. In the end, he couldn¡¯t go because something happened¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Mii looked away for some reason. ¡­Don¡¯t tell me. ¡°¡­Uh, ¡­where and who are you ying games with yesterday, Mii?¡± ¡°Well, ¡­uh¡­¡± Mii moved her hand a bit awkwardly and lowered her head. ¡­Then, as if she¡¯s confessing a prank she made, the little girl revealed what she did yesterday. ¡°Mom put me in Keita-nii-chan¡¯s care yesterday. I had fun for the entire day.¡± ¡°Amanhi turned into a nursery!¡± I¡¯m frightened by my family¡¯s selfishness. Sigh, but Main-nee-san has always been like this. However,e to think of it¡­ ¡°Main-nee-san¡¯s actually letting someone else take care of Mii, ¡­that¡¯s new, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m surprised too.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°As for Keita-nii-chan, who was yawning before suddenly forced to take care of me in the morning, he¡¯s even more surprised than I do.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± This really feels like what Main-nee-san would do. I can¡¯t help but cover my forehead and sighed. ¡°Sheesh, why is my rtive always like this¡­? ¡­By the way, why did Main-nee-san do that?¡± ¡°Who knows. ¡­But, I think she was mumbling, ¡®I¡¯m getting restless because it wasn¡¯t fun¡¯ before dashing out like a beast.¡± ¡°Her working switch is just as violent as it is.¡± Main-nee-san often gets promoted because of her unexpected responses as a flight attendant. I don¡¯t understand how this world works. After Iined about Main-nee-san, I urged Mii to continue. ¡°Then? Did Mii just y games with Amanhi for the whole day?¡± ¡°Yes, we yed a lot of games together. Then, I won 90% of the time.¡± ¡°90% of the time¡­¡± I don¡¯t know whether I should praise Mii or tease Amanhi. I shrugged and asked Mii. ¡°Then, did you cause any trouble to Amanhi? Were you good?¡± ¡°Of course. Did I ever cause troubles for Keita-nii-chan?¡± ¡°I feel like the Fushiguro sisters only caused him troubles ever since you guys met¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s impolite. This time, I really just wrecked Keita-nii-chan in games and nearly made him cry.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not mention whether you¡¯re being honest or not. At least you didn¡¯t do anything weird.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Aside from almost eating onii-chan¡¯s important chocte.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really bad! What you did was directly spearing at Amanhi¡¯s biggest weakness! W-What the hell did you do!?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s all because of Aguri-nee-chan¡¯s fault, okay? You didn¡¯t give me any chocte¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m the indirect cause!?¡± I didn¡¯t expect this. My important friend¡¯s honmei chocte had an existential crisis because I didn¡¯t give my cousin chocte. I urged her to continue with a face full of sweat. ¡°T-Then? How did it go? Did you return the chocte?¡± ¡°¡­No, I did a little prank at that time.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°I took that chocte and ran around onii-chan¡¯s house a couple times.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a tragedy! Didn¡¯t I tell you to be honest!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t say much. I just ran away quietly.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you just being sneaky!? That¡¯s even worse! Weren¡¯t you the real chocte thief!?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t steal it. I salvaged it up from onii-chan¡¯s table.¡± ¡°Your Aguri-nee-chan feels like it¡¯s not salvaging if it¡¯s on the table!¡± ¡°¡­It can¡¯t be helped. At that time, ¡­I didn¡¯t have fun, so I¡¯m pretty restless¡­¡± ¡°Why are you sisters restless on holiday!?¡± Sheesh, my head¡¯s getting dizzy. Although I feel like the central issue of the Fushiguro sisters has to do with the onee-san, she indeed inherited the bloodline. After I snapped out of it, Mii looked pretty depressed due to my anger. I hastily try to smooth things over. ¡°Sigh, but it¡¯s okay. Mii just said you ¡®wanted¡¯ to eat it, right? Which means that you didn¡¯t really eat it, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Well, uh, then it¡¯s not really a big problem¡­¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded. ¡°Right!¡± Mii immediately brightened up and continued. ¡°Well, it¡¯s also not a big problem when Mii robbed Keita-nii-chan¡¯s phone and video-called someone I didn¡¯t know, right!¡± ¡°You keepmitting crimes that I¡¯ve first heard of! Hey, what were you even doing!? Why did you rob his phone!?¡± ¡°¡­I wanted to ask for help.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the theft here, right!?¡± ¡°I feel like Mom will stand on my side, no matter what.¡± ¡°Yes, your judgment is correct! It¡¯s just that your education is entirely wrong!¡± ¡°But, I didn¡¯t know how to call Mom, so I just randomly picked one on the contacts¡­¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t just do whatever you want. What if you called someone you weren¡¯t supposed to!?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay. Onii-chan¡¯s contacts are nearly empty.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t expose how pathetic Amanhi is!¡± ¡°So, I felt that there was a high chance to call Mom or Aguri-nee-chan.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite smart, Mii!¡± ¡°However, I lost. In the end, ¡­I called someone I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Hmm, Mii doesn¡¯t know that person while Amanhi does. Hmm, who could it be¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but she¡¯s a beautiful girl.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Even though Amanhi¡¯s a loner, he managed to know a couple of beautiful girls. Well, I still can¡¯t say who it is from this alone- ¡°It¡¯s just that I suddenly wanted to eat seaweed miso soup after the phone call.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Hoshinhi.¡± I¡¯m sorry, Hoshinhi. I really am. It¡¯s about how I know you¡¯re the one. ¡­How should I say this? I¡¯m really sorry. I cleared my throat and asked Mii. ¡°Well, what did you say to Hoshinhi- her?¡± ¡°Nothing. I won¡¯t talk to someone I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Well, it¡¯s good that this call didn¡¯t cause that much trouble-¡° ¡°So, I didn¡¯t end the call as I ran away from onii-chan. I was having so much fun screaming. It¡¯s like something terrible just happened.¡± ¡°THAT¡¯S A DISASTER!¡± Sheesh, what¡¯s wrong with this child? How much does she want to ruin Amanhi¡¯s happiness in a single day!? As for Mii, she continued mumbling to me, who doesn¡¯t even want to hear anymore. ¡°Hiya, Keita-nii-chan was super fun to watch at that time. He said a whole bunch of things to the onee-chan, who was trying to call the cops.¡± ¡°I¡¯m now certain! You¡¯re really Main-nee-san¡¯s little sister!¡± ¡°Hehehe.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not praising you! Sheesh, I can¡¯t deal with this pair of sisters!¡± ¡°Hey, that onee-chan didn¡¯t call the cops in the end.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good to hear. ¡­Really.¡± I¡¯m relieved. ¡°Then?¡± I urged her to tell me what happened in the end. ¡°Mii, you returned the chocte and the phone, right?¡± ¡°Of course, who do you think I am?¡± ¡°A mini Main-nee-san.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t give you anything even if you praise me like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, I returned the phone and chocte¡­after 2 hours.¡± ¡°2 HOURS!?¡± Nope, this child can¡¯t be helped. Main-nee-san¡¯s education¡­is indeed scary. Just as I¡¯m trembling, Mii swung her legs cheerfully and stared at the ceiling. ¡°I had so much fun yesterday! Really!¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡­Let¡¯s forget it took a guy 2 hours to seriously try and catch a 7-year-old child. It¡¯s weird no matter how you think about it. Well, indeed, ¡­it¡¯s Amanhi¡¯s problem, right. No, I should say it¡¯s both Amanhi and Hoshinhi. As if she¡¯s trying to prove my thoughts are correct, Mii continued. ¡°I also gave some love suggestions to Keita-nii-chan!¡± ¡°Love suggestions? What did you say?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to spend so much effort for a bar of chocte. This just proves how insecure you are. Things like that¡­¡± ¡°Stop it! A 7-year-old child like you shouldn¡¯t keep attacking Amanochci¡¯s weak spots!¡± ¡°Finally, Keita-nii-chan even started saying stuff like he doesn¡¯t know how to convey his ¡®love¡¯ feelings. It was really embarrassing.¡± ¡°Is Amanhi this self-abased!? What was he discussing with a little girl!?¡± ¡°So, I suggested this to him! It¡¯s easy to convey your feelings. Just-¡° ¡°That¡¯s enough! I don¡¯t want to hear about a high school guy asking a little girl for love advice!¡± ¡°Oh, right, when I was bullying Keita-nii-chan, for some reason, the onee-chan also started moaning.¡± ¡°What a miserable hit, Hoshinhi! I¡¯m really sorry for you!¡± ¡°However, this way, I think Keita-nii-chan learned something too.¡± ¡°No, what were your love advice even based on¡­?¡± ¡°The TV shows that Aguri-nee-chan¡¯s watching while scratching your belly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault again!?¡± Amanhi, Hoshinhi, I¡¯m really sorry. Please forgive me. I mean, this poor girl can¡¯t deal with the Fushiguro sisters¡­! Just as I¡¯m hugging my head, the door to the treatment room opened. That child walked out with her mother. It looks like the treatment¡¯s already over. I think it¡¯s almost our turn. ¡­Then, my cousin was called. ¡°Mii-chan. Mii Fushiguro-chan.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Mii raised her hand energetically and got off the chair. I patted her head and asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid? You want me to go with you?¡± Mii shook her head and rejected my worries. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s more like you should be good in your treatment, Aguri-nee-chan.¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­you¡¯re right.¡± Mii said that as she walked to the room. I faced her back. Then, suddenly, I realized I didn¡¯t ask the onest thing during the conversation. ¡­However, this is an essential piece of information in Amanhi¡¯s love. I saw that some other patients are walking out of the room. So, I patted Mii¡¯s shoulder gently to make her turn around. After that, I smiled mischievously and gossiped. ¡°Let me ask you this, Mii. By the way, what does Amanhi¡¯s important chocte look like? Is it big and handmade? Or is it like an in-game character? Oh, or is it pretty erotic- weird?¡± Aguri listed out all the chocte''s features I heard from Amanhi calmly. I really want to get information out of Mii¡¯s mouth. This is because¡­ (Hehe! Now I can know who Amanhi cares about the most!) Now I can know who¡¯s the main heroine of this twisted rom! I¡¯m hyped! -However, Mii looked surprised as she answered me. ¡°Well...¡± ¡°I took that in the first ce because I didn¡¯t think it¡¯s an ¡®important¡¯ chocte at the start¡­¡± ¡°¡­Uh, ¡­what does that mean?¡± ¡°¡­Hmm, so-¡° Mii wanted to continue. ¡°Sakurano-san! Aguri Sakurano-san!¡± ¡°Oh, y-yes!¡± I quickly stood up upon hearing my name. Mii showed me a mischievous smile. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Aguri-nee-chan? It¡¯ll be embarrassing for me, as your apany.¡± ¡°W-Why would I cry!? Don¡¯t underestimate me! Sheesh¡­!¡± As a role-model for Mii, I angrily dashed into the treatment room before her. ¡­At the same time, I forgot about the chocte thing entirely. Mii Fushiguro ¡°Sheesh¡­!¡± Aguri-nee-chan¡¯s walking in front of me like a child. I startedughing on my own since I found this funny. Then, I walked into the room and separated from Aguri-nee-chan. I sat on the chair. Suddenly, I remembered the question. So, I pouted and mumbled quietly. ¡°Why was he getting so worked up? It¡¯s just a ck Thunder.¡± [Note: Aguri gave Amano that, in case you forgot.] Volume 10, 5 – Lonely Gamer and Slashed Love & Bonus Chapters

Volume 10, Chapter 5 ¨C Lonely Gamer and shed Love & Bonus Chapters

Trantor: your_pingas Mid-February, Saturday, a little bit past 12 PM. ¡°Oh, this is the legendary , right!? I didn¡¯t expect it to be this big!¡± ¡°Right! Tasuku, this feels fun!¡± I saw this vast entertainment facility after getting off the bus. The normie couple immediately started getting excited about it. The snow in the parking lot is reflecting the winter¡¯s sunlight. My eyes hurt from looking at it. So, I turned around and asked the seaweed girl in front of me. ¡°¡­What is this? A guy like me can¡¯t possibly mix in a normie group ying at a huge entertainmentplex¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I think so too, Keita. In my humble opinion, we can¡¯t really turn into normies even if we have many guys and girls. So, this isn¡¯t different from sitting alone in school.¡± ¡°I get it.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Just as we¡¯re agreeing to each other¡¯s shallow opinions, someone suddenly smacked our heads at the same time from behind. I turned back and saw my speechless hentai gamer kouhai. ¡°Can you two please stop? Seriously, it¡¯s really disgusting.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± ¡°Sigh, even so, it¡¯s pretty disgusting if Amano-senpai and onee-chan are the only ones having fun.¡± ¡°What should we do then?¡± ¡°Who knows? Oh, anyway, senpai can start with holding hands with me.¡± With that, Konoha-san squeezed herself between Chiaki and me and hugged my arm. In times like this, my first response is alwaysining before escaping. ¡­However, Konoha-san¡¯s confession on Valentine¡¯s Day appeared in my mind, and I didn¡¯t react appropriately. Konoha-san seems to have noticed what I¡¯m thinking, so she mumbled next to my ears. ¡°Hey, senpai, you don¡¯t need to mind it so much. My usual attacks are way more exciting than that, right?¡± ¡°Sigh, even so, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. You don¡¯t need to draw the line. Also, I¡¯m not M enough to hear an answer that¡¯ll one-hit KO me. Please forgive me.¡± Konoha-san said that unwillingly. As for me, ¡­even though I didn¡¯t entirely agree with her, I still reluctantly epted her suggestion. However¡­ ¡°Oh, but about the chocte, can I please say something about it, Konoha-san?¡± ¡°Shut up, senpai! Sheesh! Actually, I didn¡¯t want to say it. That chocte¡¯s supposed to motivate onee-chan-¡° ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m cheered up thanks to that Konoha-san-styled chocte.¡± ¡°¡­Eh, oh, ¡­r-really.¡± ¡°Hmm? Konoha-san?¡± She suddenly released me. Her face is much redder than when she¡¯s hugging me. I wanted to ask her if I said something wrong- ¡°-Ouch!¡± In the end, someone smacked Konoha-san¡¯s back brutally from behind. ¡°What are you doing!?¡± She looked back with teary eyes. As for the person standing in front of her¡­ ¡°That¡¯s my line. What the hell are you doing to my onii-san?¡± ¡­He¡¯s my little brother that still hates Konoha-san for some reason, Kousei Amano. Konoha-san immediately retorted. ¡°By the way, why the hell are you here today!? The main goal of today¡¯s activity is going to with everyone in Otobuki High School¡¯s Game Hobby Club, right! You¡¯re not invited!¡± ¡°Right back at you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine for me, okay!? I¡¯m a rtive of the participants!¡± ¡°Right back at you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always so arrogant. Who do you think you are? You¡¯re aplete nuisance.¡± ¡°Right back at-¡° ¡°Stop saying that!¡± ¡°-Shut up, cockroach. I¡¯m about to vomit.¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve just said right back at you!¡± I feel like Konoha-san and Kousei are having fun. Let¡¯s forget whether they¡¯re having fun, at least it¡¯s really lively. So, Chiaki and I walked away secretly. Finally, thest participant- my ex-girlfriend, Karen Tendou, got off the bus. ¡°Sorry to make everyone wait. I just dropped my lipstick on the bus¡­¡± I hastily shook my hands to her and replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine! It¡¯s more like I admire that you can hide lipstick in your pocket!¡± ¡°Hiya, Keita, that¡¯s a bit much¡­¡± ¡°Meanwhile, the seaweed girl here doesn¡¯t even know what lipstick is!¡± ¡°I-I know it, okay!? It¡¯s just lipstick. I brought it today too! Look!¡± ¡°Wha- Did I just see something other than light novels, phone, and consoles in Chiaki¡¯s bag!? ¡­Can you believe this!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty shocked with how shocked you are, alright!?¡± ¡°S-Stay calm, you two. At least don¡¯t fight like usual today¡­¡± ¡°¡­Hmph!¡± Chiaki and I looked away from each other. During this time, Uehara-kun, Aguri-san, Konoha-san, and Kousei gathered around us. After everyone got here, Tendou-san cleared her throat and said. ¡°Uh, well, let us remind ourselves why we¡¯re here today.¡± ¡°Yes, yes! We¡¯re here to have fun with our loved ones! That¡¯s all!¡± Aguri-san immediately raised her hand and yelled. Uehara-kun scratched his cheeks next to her. Tendou-san turned to Aguri-san and smiled. ¡°Aguri-san?¡± ¡°¡­! ¡­M-My bad, right. Ha, ahaha¡­¡± After she said that, it¡¯s not just Aguri-san. Everyone started trembling from fear. ¡­That¡¯s scary. Tendou-san is in serious mode today. I should say it¡¯s like Tendou-san in the Game Club. This is because¡­ ¡°Ahem. Indeed, I¡¯m fine with everyone enjoying the entertainment facilities here in . However, ¡­don¡¯t tell me everyone forgot the main goal?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­Oh my god. Tendou-san¡¯s pressure is even stiffing Kousei and Konoha-san, who aren¡¯t afraid of anything. It¡¯s hard to me them. It¡¯s because the so-called ¡°main goal¡± is¡­ ¡°¡­We have to think of a way to defeat thest Game Club president, Main Fushiguro.¡± ¡°Very well! Let¡¯s go then! Oh!¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ My hardcore gamer main heroine-sanbined the goal of taking her ex-boyfriend back and challenging an expert gamer together. ¡°Let¡¯s go! ¡­Yes, I, Karen Tendou, have to do it¡­!¡± She¡¯s so energetic that I can¡¯t deal with her. * So, it¡¯s been around 2 hours since we dashed into ¡°Hey, Amano-kun, Chiaki-san! Move up! Here, here!¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Right now, ¡­Tendou-san¡¯s transversing the arcade area energetically. The two hikkineets are chasing behind her exhaustedly. ¡°Phew, ¡­phew¡­¡± We nearly ran out of our breaths and finally caught on to Tendou-san. As for Tendou-san, she¡¯s clearly in contrast to us. Her eyes brimmed with energy as she spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you two. This game looks like a single-yer one! But I think we can still fight with our scores. Can I try it first?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Thanks! Well, I¡¯ll go for it!¡± At that point, Tendou-san immediately inserted a coin and sunk herself into the game. We sat on a bench farther away to avoid blocking others as we watched Tendou-san. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± Both of us sighed deeply right after sitting down. We exchanged looks before smiling bitterly. ¡°We finally managed to take a break 2 hours after we disbanded at the entrance, Chiaki.¡± ¡°Yeah, I really didn¡¯t expect the ¡®gung-ho¡¯ Tendou-san to have an infinite amount of stamina¡­¡± Indeed, ¡­we entered 2 hours ago. Tendou-san suggested her high-efficiency ¡°finding ways to defeat Main-san¡± method. We¡¯re separated into ¡°3-2-2¡± groups with a lot-drawing mobile app. ¡­There¡¯s no problem up to this point. Also, Tendou-san is just as ¡°energetic¡± as Chiaki said. A girl with unlimited stamina just had to be grouped with Chiaki and me, who are proud of our meager strength. This is unfortunate. Thanks to that, Tendou-san¡¯s dashing around at a shocking speed while making us lose with new games. The cycle repeated for 2 hours. Our bodies have already reached their limits. Chiaki rubbed her shoulders helplessly and mumbled. ¡°It¡¯s lucky that this is a single-yer game¡­¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± I answered Chiaki as I looked at Tendou-san. In contrast to our exhausted body and low morale, she¡¯s still ying games non-stop¡­ (¡­Haha. She already yed it countless times. How is Tendou-san still so strong, beautiful, and energetic¡­?) I can¡¯t but be attracted to hardcore gamers- no, Karen Tendou, the girl that loves gaming so much. She¡¯s still apletely different person than me. However, ¡­that¡¯s why I- ¡°¡­Hey, ¡­how are things for the other two groups?¡± Suddenly, Chiaki talked to me. I quickly looked away from Tendou-san. ¡°Eh? Oh, well, h-how did things go¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m a bit afraid to look at Chiaki¡¯s eyes directly. ¡­Come to think of it, I¡¯m just looking at a girl that confessed her love to me before. There¡¯s no need for me to feel guilty. ¡­Yes. (This is¡­the problem, ¡­right.) I realized what I¡¯ve been doing wrong again as I adjusted my mind. I chatted with Chiaki. ¡°I feel like the other groups are just as bad, but with a different meaning. I mean, ¡­look at our groups.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Chiaki bitterly smiled after hearing my answer. ¡­It¡¯s hard to me her. It¡¯s because the other 4 people are¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t believe Konoha¡¯s with Aguri-chan and Uehara-kun¡¯s with Kousei-kun. These pairs really have an unstable rtionship at best¡­¡± ¡°Yep, especially for Aguri-san and Uehara-kun. I bet they¡¯re disappointed.¡± Seriously, I feel so sorry for them. So, I suggested to Tendou-san, ¡°Just let them be together¡­¡± However, she didn¡¯t even ept it. ¡°To be fair, it¡¯s very possible to put ¡®entertainment¡¯ in the first ce if people with good rtionships got into the same group. That¡¯s why we¡¯re drawing lots, right. In the end, all of this is meaningless if we just regroup because someone¡¯s not satisfied. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± That¡¯s right. We felt speechless with her incredibly correct answer. ¡­So, all of us ended up like this. Everyone aside from Tendou-san isn¡¯t satisfied with the result. ¡°Hiya, Karen-san¡¯s really the Game Club president. She¡¯s amazing.¡± Perhaps Chiaki¡¯s just remembering what happened 2 hours ago like I am. She bitterly smiled and said, ¡°Right.¡± I answered. ¡°A ce like this can really make us associate with the original president, Main-san¡­¡± ¡°Really? From what I can see, she looks like a serious person¡­.¡± ¡°No, the true Main-san will arm herself with relentless logic and correct answers.¡± ¡°Ugh, t-this is pretty hard to defeat.¡± ¡°Yes, ¡­that¡¯s why.¡±¡¯ I can¡¯t help but frown when I remembered Main-san¡¯s overwhelming strength. As for Chiaki, she watched Tendou-san ying the game. ¡°Actually¡­¡± She spoke up. ¡°¡­Hey, Keita, do you think that Karen-san can defeat Main-san?¡± ¡°Uh, well¡­¡± I fell silent. Chiaki already knew the answer from my reaction alone. ¡°I see¡­¡± She plopped her head down for a moment. Then, she immediately looked at Tendou-san, trying her best to y the game again with a smile. ¡°I think Karen-san knows this too since she has already fought her once.¡± ¡°¡­I guess so.¡± ¡°However, Karen-san didn¡¯t evenin for a second today. ¡­She¡¯s just ying games cheerfully, energetically, and seriously.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I feel like this must be because she believes this is Keita¡¯s happiness on the line. That¡¯s why she¡¯s doing this. Karen-san only uses her maximum power when it¡¯s rted to Keita, right.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yes, ¡­Karen-san¡¯s really charming. I mean it.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, too charming. I mean it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The conversation suddenly stopped. Strangely, I don¡¯t dislike this silence. Chiaki started ying with her fingers on her skirt embarrassingly. For a moment, I can¡¯t help but watch her. ¡­Then, I realized her skirt is really short today. So, I quickly looked away. At the next moment- ¡°Thanks for the wait, Amano-kun, Chiaki-san!¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, sir!¡± -Tendou-san already finished her game and came to us. As for me, I stood up, straightened my back, and saluted her. Chiaki was pretty shocked. Meanwhile, ¡­Tendou-san dropped her jaws for a moment. After that, sheughed out sincerely. ¡°Sheesh, ¡­why are you always talking to me like that every time we¡¯re at ?¡± ¡°Every time? Eh? Uh, o-oh, e to think of it, the same thing happened in the pool too.¡± ¡°Right, You remembered it?¡± ¡°Yeah. ¡­Sigh, that was nearly half years ago. I haven¡¯t changed by a single bit.¡± ¡°Haha, right. Amano-kun has never changed at all.¡± ¡°¡­No, I think it¡¯s a bit much to use at all, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. This is a fact. It can¡¯t be helped. You never changed who you really are. ¡­That¡¯s why I love you the most.¡± ¡°Uh, hey, no, why are you saying that in front of Chiaki-¡° I tried to cover my embarrassment while blushing. As for Tendou-san, she turned around and urged me. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go to the next ce, you two! We have to meet with the others in an hour! There are only so many ces we can research on! Quick, I¡¯ll leave you two behind!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t forget it¡­¡± She has always been a person that goes all out on something she likes. I thought she was looking at me properly for a second. In the end, she returned to her world of gaming again. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­However, that¡¯s why I really love this girl. (Yes, ¡­this is it. Well, I should¡­muster up my courage and confess my feelings¡­!) Just as I¡¯m about to make an important decision- ¡°¡­Hey, no, wait, Tendou-san!? Don¡¯t just leave us behind, okay!?¡± When I snapped out of it, Tendou-san¡¯s really leaving us behind for the next game without hesitation. I realized I¡¯ll lose her if this continues. So, I freaked out and looked at the other person. ¡°Chiaki, let¡¯s- hey, why are you just sitting over there!?¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®eh¡¯ me! We¡¯re really going to lose her! Alright, stand up now! We¡¯re moving, Chiaki.¡± Chiaki was still dilly dallying around. I¡¯m a bit in a hurry, so I grabbed her hands and walked. As for Chiaki, she said this to me nervously from behind. ¡°Uh, h-hey, Keita, I¡­!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong!?¡± ¡°¡­How should I say it¡­? I¡¯m sorry. I think now¡¯s not the time yet.¡± ¡°My God, what are you talking about!? Alright, Chiaki, let¡¯s catch up to Tendou-san!¡± ¡°O-Okay! U-Uh, ¡­t-the guys seem to be turning around and looking at something, Keita!¡± ¡°That¡¯s it! We¡¯re running in their direction, Chiaki!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± So, Chiaki and I started hastily chasing Tendou-san again. After that, we went through another exhausting hour until meeting up with everyone. * ¡°Wow, this is beautiful!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± When we entered the meeting ce, which is , Tendou-san and Chiaki looked at the giant ss window with bright eyes. ¡°Look, Chiaki-san! The building over there, ¡­isn¡¯t that Otobuki?¡± ¡°Eh, really? Which one?¡± The two girls are yelling around like children. They¡¯re looking at the beautiful scenery cheerfully. I stood next to Tendou-san and praised this incredible scenery beyond expectation. ¡°Oh, this is amazing. I thought there¡¯s nothing to see on the 5th floor. ¡­Come to think of it, this ce is already the highest in the countryside.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. This ce was still under construction when Amano-kun and I came herest time. I heard that it¡¯s finally open this year, and I looked forward to it secretly. This panoramic ss tform leads to the food court too!¡± ¡°It¡¯s really amazing. If only it was openst time¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, but even if it¡¯s not a date, I¡­¡± During this time, Tendou-san gave me an angelic smile. ¡°¡­I¡¯m already pretty happy toe here with you today.¡± ¡°¡­Uh.¡± I can¡¯t help but scratch my cheeks in embarrassment after hearing her overwhelming amount of love. At the next moment, -Tendou-san seems to have realized it and started making excuses. ¡°N-No! Oh, no, it¡¯s actually not wrong! I¡¯m not saying that I¡¯m already happy with staying next to Amano-kun! How should I say this? I¡¯m just touched by this scenery! D-Don¡¯t misunderstand it, okay?¡± ¡°Eh, oh, sigh, I¡¯m sorry. Honestly, I misunderstood a bit just then as well¡­.¡± ¡°Huh!? Oh, no, not all of it is your misunderstanding! Yes! C-Can you not agree that you got the wrong idea before I said it¡¯s a misunderstanding!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tendou-san. Can you say what you¡¯re feeling again!? I have no idea how to answer you right now!¡± ¡°I love you, Amano-kun!¡± ¡°Uwah, I can¡¯t catch it when you¡¯re going for the straight ball.¡± Tendou-san and I plopped our heads while blushing intensely. Suddenly, someone pinched my sleeves on the left. I was thinking what¡¯s wrong¡­ Chiaki, who¡¯s supposed to be on Tendou-san¡¯s side, dashed next to me for some reason. ¡­She¡¯s even sticking really close to me. ¡°I-I¡¯m just trying to look at the scenery from here!¡± Chiaki continued a bit angrily. ¡°Forget that.¡± ¡°Look below you too, Keita.¡± ¡°Hmm? Below?¡± I looked below me after she urged me. Oh¡­ ¡°Oh, I can see the pool from here.¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­Keita helped me in the past there.¡± ¡°Helped you? ¡­Uh, oh,e to think of it, some guy tried to talk to you before. Uh, but he doesn¡¯t look like a bad person too¡­¡± ¡°Even so.¡± At that moment, Chiaki looked at my eyes directly. She sincerely appreciated me in a very embarrassing way. There¡¯s no way for me in the past to imagine that. ¡°At that time, I¡¯m really, really relieved to meet and touch Keita.¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­oh, r-really¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, even though it¡¯s a bitte, ¡­Keita, uh, thank you very much for what you did.¡± ¡°Oh, hmm¡­¡± ¡­It¡¯s because Chiaki never thanked me in person. My heart¡¯s getting restless as I fell silent. -At the next moment, Tendou-san¡­mumbled lonely on my right. ¡°¡­This feels a bit lonely.¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± I freaked out because I don¡¯t know whether what Chiaki and I talked about hurt Tendou-san. When Tendou-san saw my face, she hastily smiled bitterly. ¡°Oh, this doesn¡¯t mean anything else!¡± Then, ¡­she said what she was really thinking a bit embarrassedly. ¡°I had a lot of fun today.¡± ¡°Oh, uh, ¡­that¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Yes, really. However, ¡­that¡¯s why I feel, how should I say this¡­?¡± ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡± During this time, Tendou-san stood in front of the sunset. Then, she said this to me with an incredibly charming yet lonely smile. ¡°The memories I made with you on our first date will be slightly covered with what happened today. ¡­I feel a bit lonely because of that.¡± ¡°----¡° The moment that I saw her face and listened to what she said- I finally- made up my mind. Right at this moment- ¡°Hey, Amano!¡± -I can hear Uehara-kun from behind. When I turned back, everyone¡¯s already standing on this . Tendou-san waved at them and suggested to us. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get some snacks-¡° However, I- ¡°Tendou-san.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± -I grabbed Tendou-san¡¯s hand and made her stay. ¡°W¡­What¡¯s wrong, Amano-kun?¡± Tendou-san was shocked at what I just suddenly did. Her eyes are rolling around. I stared at her dreamy iris directly- -Then, I took a step forward forcefully. ¡°Eh¡­¡± Tendou-san¡¯s trembling because I suddenly got closer. At this point, Uehara-kun and the other three also started noticing the unusual mood between us. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ (¡­But I don¡¯t care.) Usually, I would feel nervous, and my face would be all red. Perhaps I¡¯ll just back down and apologize in the end. However, right now, my heart- (Main-san, ¡­Konoha-san, ¡­Mii-chan.) -My heart is filled with the ¡°lessons¡± I took from the people I met recently. Yes, ¡­lessons. I learned how to grasp my own happiness from Main-san. I learned how important it is to be cheeky sometimes from Konoha-san. Finally, I learned how to- express my love and feelings from Mii-chan. The biggest thing to take away from them- is something that they said. That sentence is revolving around my brain right now. ¡°Go rob it. Don¡¯t back down.¡± ¡°However, I¡¯m not tolerant enough to look at my rival¡¯s face while in a rtionship.¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy to prove your own feelings. Just-¡° At this point, I opened my eyes again and got even closer to Tendou-san¡¯s face. ¡°Tendou-san¡­¡± ¡°A-Amano-kun¡­?¡± So, even though Tendou-san¡¯s still confused, ¡­she finally realized what¡¯s about to happen and looked into my eyes. Then, she slowly closed hers. I finally made up my mind when I saw her reaction. Who cares whether everyone¡¯s watching me? Who cares whether I¡¯m in front of my friends? ¡­More importantly, who cares if I¡¯m in front of another girl that loves me? Fearless. Ignorant. That¡¯s how I¡¯ll prove my feelings. I thought I can at least ¡°cover¡± our first date¡¯s memories with an even happier one. So, I got close to her lips- ¡°Keita.¡± -Someone called my name right before I¡¯m taking her lips. Initially, I would¡¯ve just ignored things like this and continued kissing. However- ¡°Eh?¡± -I can hear this voice right after I decided to do something. So, I answered this voice with unexpected sincerity. I turned back as if my brain forced me to. At the same time, -suddenly, a certain ¡°fatal mistake¡± ran across my brain like electricity. -Come to think of it. Three suggestions influenced me a lot recently. All of these are valuable and irreceable lessons. Is there another person- that heard all of this at the same time as I do? I¡¯m afraid that person listened to what Main-san and I talked about in the bookstore. ¡°Go rob it. Don¡¯t back down.¡± She was here when Konoha-san gave me chocte. That girl is even more impressed with Konoha-san¡¯s courage than I do. ¡°However, I¡¯m not tolerant enough to look at my rival¡¯s face while in a rtionship.¡± Then, finally, ¡­that girl also heard Mii-chan¡¯s lesson on how to prove your feelings on the other side of the phone. ¡°It¡¯s easy to prove your own feelings. Just- kiss her.¡± Then, that girl- is alreadymented as having an identical soul as I do. In other words- Right now, at this moment- That girl experienced the same determination as I do. It¡¯s incredibly possible for her to reach the same conclusion as I do. That girl, she¡¯s right next to me- ¡°Oh¡­¡± -I finally thought of this horrifying possibility. At the same time- When everyone- when Tendou-san¡¯s watching me dazedly- ¡°Uh, ugh¡­!?¡± -Chiaki Hoshinomori brilliantly sealed my lips with hers. [End of Vol.10] GAMERS (¥²©`¥Þ©`¥º) Magazine Special Chapter 1 - Aguri and Reset Marathon ¡°Hey, Amanhi. What¡¯s with this ¡®RM¡¯ thing you¡¯re doing?¡± Aguri-san threw this question when we¡¯re in a family restaurant meeting. I temporarily put my phone aside and took a sip of hot coffee. I answered. ¡°What does Aguri-san think it is?¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­a veteran football yer that just retired?¡± ¡°No, this isn¡¯t the abbreviation of Diego Maradona. It¡¯s the abbreviation of reset marathon.¡± [This joke doesn¡¯t work in English.] ¡°It sounds really exhausting. I think I can imagine an old man with a 300-yen daily wage pressing the reset button for the whole night in a gloomy room with a table and foldable chairs only.¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not a physical patience experiment like that. Well, I guess you can say it¡¯s disgusting. To be put simply, you just keep resetting and ying the first part of the game.¡± ¡°Eh, why are you doing that? Did someone bully you?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t give me such a sympathetic look, okay? This isn¡¯t bullying. I¡¯m doing it because I want to.¡± ¡°The kid forced to buy bread for all of his friends says that too.¡± ¡°W-Well, uh, it¡¯s just a reroll of the 10 free gachas in a mobile game-¡° ¡°?¡± ¡°Oh, ¡­Aguri-san, if you can exchange the cards in your hands as much as you want at the start in poker, what would you do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll obviously keep exchanging cards until I get good ones.¡± ¡°See? What would you do if you had to pay 100 yen to exchange again after the game started?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just exchange them at the start! Until I¡¯m satisfied with the cards!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. That¡¯s why I¡¯m doing this RM thing. I¡¯ll keep rerolling until I get a strong character as a great start.¡± ¡°I see!¡± Aguri-san understood and started drinking her melon juice. As for me, I grabbed my phone again and restarted my RM process. So, around 10 secondster, Aguri-san continued. ¡°But.¡± ¡°¡­Amanhi, do you think this is fun?¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± This gal always gets me on my weak spot. I skipped the mobile game¡¯s tutorial as I answered. ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s fun if you ask me. Look, it¡¯s like ying the lottery every 5 minutes, right?¡± ¡°But the lottery isn¡¯t fun as a game, right?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! B-But, look, didn¡¯t we talk about poker before? This is important for a better gaming experienceter¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean by important? If this is poker, isn¡¯t the game already over when I just exchanged my cards to a royal flush? If I¡¯m you, I would just leave the game in satisfaction.¡± ¡°Uwah!¡± I can¡¯t retort against this gal, who¡¯s always so on-point. Moreover, Aguri-san stared at me as she continued calmly. ¡°It¡¯s called an RM when you get a great start with a strong character. ¡­Oh.¡± She seems to have noticed something. ¡­After that, she gave me an unexpected attack, who¡¯s still pretty confused. ¡°In other words, Amanhi, God didn¡¯t reset you in an RM, right?¡± ¡°WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN!?¡± Even a guy like me is pissed. I can¡¯t help but stand up. However, Aguri-san¡­showed me a kind and refreshing smile. ¡°However, this way, I still don¡¯t think we need RMs, right?¡± ¡°¡­? No, of course. You don¡¯t y mobile games, Aguri-san.¡± I answered her with a baffled look. As for her, she gave me a relentless look like I¡¯m a pathetic person. ¡°¡­Amanhi, Tendou-san will eventually RMs you sooner orter.¡± ¡°Huh! You¡¯re the one that should watch out. Uehara-kun will RMs you someday!¡± ¡°W-WHAT DID YOU SAY!?¡± So, our family restaurant meeting continued lively and chaotically today. -Until the waitress cleared her throat loudly. GAMERS (¥²©`¥Þ©`¥º) Magazine Special Chapter 2 ¨C Chiaki Hoshinomori and Next Level ¡°Yes, yes! Hiya, it¡¯s really like that, Keita!¡± Chiaki walked next to me as she nodded repeatedly. Her face is about to sink into her scarf. I nodded like her and said yes. We stepped on the snow as we walked to the station. It¡¯s a day after school in winter. I suddenly bumped into Chiaki in the city- it¡¯s more like we saw each other in the game store. So, we walked home together. Of course, all of our topics are rted to games. Chiaki¡¯s eyes brightened up as she moved to the next topic. ¡°Well, well, Keita, ¡­what do you like the most in open-world games?¡± ¡°Oh, this one. How should I put it? I¡¯m a bit different than everyone.¡± ¡°M-Me too, me too. Well, let¡¯s say it on the count to three!¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s say it together. ¡­3, 2, 1!¡± ¡°Grinding!¡± For a moment, our voices and looks ovepped each other. Both of us stopped as we smiled at each other. Our hands and feet iled around in excitement as we started talking about it. ¡°Yeah, Chiaki! A free open-world game with sophisticated graphics always gets a good reputation. As for me, I really like clearing the side quests one by one on the world map. It feels like I¡¯m popping bubble wraps!¡± ¡°Me too, me too! Those Ubisoft games are really refreshing to y!¡± ¡°Right!?¡± We chatted for a while after that before starting to walk again. Both of us made countless talks since we left the game store. Thanks to that, none of us know if we¡¯re even at the station yet. However, it¡¯s truly a blessing for me when I get to talk to my gaming partner like this. We walked on the snow path as we searched for the next topic excitedly. Suddenly, Chiaki started chuckling next to me. She started exining after seeing my confusion. ¡°How should I say this? ¡­Come to think of it, we don¡¯t really get into an argument anymore.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s true when you said it.¡± Even though it¡¯s not zero, we yelled at each other way less frequently. I looked at the station that finally appeared in front of us as I continued. ¡°It¡¯s because we¡¯re different than when I just met you. Both of us know the things we can¡¯t back down on, right.¡± ¡°Yes, recently, we¡¯re just normally close gaming partners.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not normal. We¡¯re a pair of very close gaming partners.¡± I smiled and said that. Chiaki blushed really hard and plopped her head down. ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Ah, eh, what¡¯s with this embarrassing atmosphere? I just corrected her based on facts. ¡­U-Uh, did I say something wrong? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We strolled on the path silently. That excitement when we¡¯re talking about games flew away. So, after an unknown amount of time- Chiaki suddenly started chuckling again. She carried a¡­timid expression that doesn¡¯t look like a gaming partner at all. The girl mumbled to herself. ¡°Well, ¡­what¡¯s the next level for a pair of very close gaming partners?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Is this the question for me? Uh, even if that¡¯s the case, ¡­all I can do is to scratch my cheeks silently. I cleared my throat loudly and dragged ourselves back to games, even though I understand that this is really cunning. ¡°B-By the way, Chiaki, did you y thetest one in the series?¡± After that, Chiaki immediately returned to normal and took the bait. ¡°Yes! Of course! Did Keita y it as well!? This one¡¯s pretty good!¡± I was relieved when I saw her face. So, I participated in the discussion too. ¡°Yes, indeed! The bar is suddenly lowered in this version¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just that. The plot for the side quests is pretty polished too¡­¡± So, once we started talking about games, we forgot the question-and-answer part of a proper conversation. ¡°The one thing that they exceeded my expectation is-¡° ¡°But, the only part that I think they did worse is-¡° However, our conversation- suddenly fused into one point. ¡°-The girls are all in a Japanese moe style!¡± Suddenly, the two otakus stopped walking. After that- ¡°¡­What the hell did you just say?¡± -Our eyes immediately sharpened. The embarrassing atmosphere just then was thrown to nowhere. ¡°That¡¯s why I hate fake otakus¡­¡± At the next moment, we just started screaming at each other viciously. It¡¯s even worse than when we just met each other. Volume 10 Afterword

Volume 10 Afterword

Hello, I¡¯m the hikkineet who¡¯s always worried by the delivery man because I was out a couple days, Sekina Aoi. ¡­Sigh, I¡¯m an insignificant dot in his casual clothes 99% of the day, after all. It¡¯s reasonable to suspect whether I¡¯ve died when they didn¡¯t see me for days! Ah, sorry, this is meant to be a casual greeting. But then I suddenly started talking about a wealthy author-sama that lives on book tax¡¯s elegant daily lives. I¡¯m just showing off now. Sigh, but please be generous and forgive me, everyone. It¡¯s because there are 14 pages in the afterword this time. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Alright, let¡¯s gather up, everyone. The traditionally twisted readers that checked the afterword¡¯s pages before reading the main story can sit at the front. Everyone else can just sit wherever you want, as long as you can see the whiteboard. Did you get it? Well, let¡¯s start by learning from the past, okay? Hey, those of you sitting in front! Don¡¯t yawn! Even though I think you guys are already pretty fed up with me! But, don¡¯t forget I, Sekina Aoi, have to do the most work here! Did you hear me? Well, let¡¯s start, okay? Very good, so let¡¯s begin by looking at this string of numbers. 17, 13, 10, 18, 12. Here, the people who understand what this means- hey, don¡¯t raise your hands so fast, the people sitting in front! Sheesh, don¡¯t juste to me with an excited face! All of you stand behind this white line! HEY! Hmph, well, let¡¯s continue. Yes, yes, indeed. These are the afterword page numbers of my novel series before thest one, including the short stories. What do you think, everyone? Alright, that new guy sitting at the back, say it. ¡­Hmm, I guess so. It¡¯s really dumbfounding, right. No, it¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t mind it. You¡¯re not being impolite to me. It¡¯s more like the author is the most dumbfounded one here. You can just leave those sitting in the front, who¡¯s having the most fun of their lives, alone. People call me the ¡°afterword author¡± for a reason. I can say there are enough sesses, right. Let¡¯s not mention whether this counts as an honor. Alright, based on that, take a look at this string of numbers. 9, 6, 3, 3, 13, 12, 2, 3, 2, 9, 14. Alright, those who know what it means- hey, the people in front, don¡¯t just spoil it without raising your hands! Where are the manners in this ssroom!? Whatever. Indeed, these are the afterword page numbers of < Gamers! >. This includes the pages of this volume and the short stories. Well, what do you think, everyone? Hmm, the one sitting in the middle, say it. ¡­Hmm, yes. It¡¯s a bit hard to meme these numbers. There are consecutive huge numbers, though. However, the rest have really few pages. If that¡¯s not the case, I don¡¯t know how the author or the readers react. What¡¯s with this mixed string of huge and tiny numbers? It¡¯s not fun¡­ Alright, anyway, there are suddenly 14 pages. ¡­Everyone, can you understand how troubled I am here? The readers are already fed up with meining about the page numbers. But people won¡¯t be satisfied if I write a short one. So, I tried to make everyone smile by recalling the history of the past afterwords. However, once I checked it, I realized < Gamers! >¡¯s afterword page numbers are way too weird. It would be better if I can write 2-3 pages 5 times in a row. That way, I canpare to thest series I made to show how useless I am. In the end, this included a situation where I can suddenly remember everything and write 14 pages. Most importantly- I¡¯m already a bit tired of writing this like I¡¯m a teacher. Can everyone really understand my frustration!? Especially the ones in the front! D-Damn, why are your eyes so bright right now!? You dared to force me in a way I can¡¯t reject!? How impressive! This pisses me off. I¡¯ll never hate your disgusting smiles! N E V E R! That¡¯s all. The lesson¡¯s over. I¡¯ll clean up the whiteboard. Well, let¡¯s start the main afterword. I feel sorry for readers that want to see a proper story evaluation in the afterword. I¡¯ll write it seriously after this. ¡­I guess. S-So, let¡¯s analyze this volume! Here¡¯s the 10th volume of < Gamers! > - Karen Tendou and Surprise Update! The content follows Vol.9. I think Amano still ys a significant part here. Hmm, but not much of the story is from his perspective. However, strictly speaking, there¡¯s an ¡°inner protagonist¡± mission here. I¡¯ll leave the readers to look forward to it in the main story. (I think the people who finished reading it understood already.) Also, there¡¯s a certain onee-san from the Fushiguro family. People hated her in thest volume due to her stance. In this volume, she goes off wild, including the illustrations. I hope everyone liked it. But, Amano did suffer even more because of this. Aside from that, I casually revealed a piece of information about Aguri. Well, please check it out yourself if you expected or cared about it. Then, Tendou-san got on to the title. In a way, this is an ¡°unusual Tendou-san¡± in the story. Hiya, I feel like Tendou-san isn¡¯t really like Tendou-san this time. Finally, as a whole, I think Vol.10 has a straightforward and fast-paced story. Amano revolutionized his mind in thest volume. Thanks to that, the novel itself went back to a Vol.2-like pace. The subtitle also returned to its 2nd counterpart too. Moreover, I think the readers will find the titles and subtitles more appropriate after reading the story. Well, that¡¯s true every time. Oh, but < Gamers! > is already in its 10th volume. The world is already saved in Vol.8 of myst novel, < My Hero >. However, look at what these people have done after 10 volumes! However, once I remembered < My Hero > spent 8 books to progress 2mm (100 km for the friendship and games between men), I guess this is a kind of bnce. Anyway, I hope everyone can pay attention to their rtionships passionately for a couple more volumes. I think they are about to save the world as well. Think about it. Perhaps this can really happen. A bouncy ball flying towards Chiaki and Amano hit Tendou-san and Uehara¡¯s heads. Then, it fell onto the ground and started spinning. Coincidentally, Aguri kicked it and shot a mosquito that carried a mutated virus with humanity-ending powers. Finally, the ball was sent into the incinerator. These people are often pranked by fate, after all. ¡­Sigh, but even if something likes this were to happen, I won¡¯t write it because it¡¯s not rted to the rom story at all. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Alright, that¡¯s all I have to talk about < Gamers! >. Well, even though there are still 7 pages left for the afterword. Ah, right, speaking of myst novel, there¡¯s one more thing. I¡¯ll talk about my previous book then. Even though it¡¯s just an explicit notice. Actually, in this year¡¯s summer (2018), the novel that¡¯s a bit rted to < Gamers! >, < Student Council¡¯s Discretion >, is about to get a new book. The novel¡¯s title is < Student Council¡¯s Anniversary >. It¡¯s because < Student Council¡¯s Discretion > was released in 2008, making this the 10th anniversary. This is also to celebrate the 30th anniversary of < Dragon Magazine >. So, if you have already read < Student Council¡¯s Discretion >, please check it out with this opportunity. There should be some new stories. (I¡¯ll start writing them now!) Alright, that¡¯s all for work. ¡­Now, let¡¯s talk about games. < Monster Hunter > got a new game when I started writing the draft of Vol.10. I¡¯m still a yer. So, of course, I had my fair share of fun as well. ¡­O-Of course, I yed it after I finished the draft! I yed it after finishing the draft! (It¡¯s important, so I said it twice, but I think the editor¡¯s getting suspicious too.) I hunted alone while finishing quests with my little brother. Hunted alone, finished quests with my little brother. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Someone¡¯s thinking, ¡°Eh, where are your other friends?¡± I guess you don¡¯t understand. I¡¯m an aloof hunter. Why would I entrust my back to someone not rted to me? So, I¡¯m definitely not friendless. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of light novel authors tweeting that they y < Monster Hunter > too. Why didn¡¯t you join in the fun with them?¡± The one who asked me with an innocent face, you¡¯re great. Didn¡¯t I already say I¡¯m an aloof hunter? Why would I entrust my back to my rivals? ¡­If I even let my guard down slightly, my job will be hunted instead of monsters. Whatever, let¡¯s not joke around. I¡¯m just ying it with my little brother leisurely at our own pace. That was already pretty interesting. This is also the advantage of < Monster Hunter >. (It¡¯s definitely not because we can¡¯t y it without 4 people.) Alright, most online games have some bnce-breaking weapons or tactics atunch. It¡¯s no different for < Monster Hunter > as well. However, it¡¯s not like bugs or something. It¡¯s just a strategy that¡¯s way better than others. As for me, I really like the weapons involved in this strategy. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ However, I¡¯m still me. An aloof hunter. No matter how powerful the strategy or the weapon, I won¡¯t just give my pride away- -But I¡¯ll do it. Strength is the best! It¡¯s because I¡¯m an aloof hunter! No one hunts with me because of my trashy personality. I¡¯m a cold hunter that relies on my little brother! So, I made preparations with an evil smile after knowing that powerful strategy. It¡¯s because this game requires you to get materials from monsters to make weapons and armor. You need a specific weapon to use that tactic effectively. I made all kinds of effort with determined eyes. I spent a lot of time defeating tough monsters to make a strong weapon. The aloof hunter is thinking, ¡°Something¡¯s not right.¡± ¡°No, wait, do I really need to press O on this one?¡± I¡¯m giving my best despite not knowing the results. The hunter is working diligently to cheat. So, I grasped the little ytime I got after finishing my drafts. Finally, I made that OP weapon and finished the preparations. Just as I¡¯m about to open the game and do the actual hunting, ¡­I see a new patch that¡¯s being installed. Yes. The patch nerfed that strategy. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I smiled depressingly after seeing that in the game. So, I returned to my routine before making this gear. I assembled the set, ¡­got my usual gears on, and started a new adventure. Yes, ¡­that¡¯s how people call me. -A lonely hunter ughs). The end. I encountered something that often happens in online games. I should smooth things over a little bit. In reality, this patch is correct. Thanks to that, there¡¯s not only one meta with weapons and strategy. It added more variety and buffed other weak weapons. It¡¯s just that this made me reconsider a lot of things. For example, when I¡¯m writing, I often think, ¡°Ah,e to think of it, I really want to rewrite that part.¡± Whether it¡¯s about the setting or the opening of the story. I feel like it¡¯s a good thing to edit it with a republication. ¡­However, that¡¯s not true sometimes. Very well, I¡¯ll start deleting the ¡°Tendou-san is everyone¡¯s idol¡± setting at the start of < Gamers! > in secret. Eh, even if I don¡¯t, everyone already forgot about this setting, right? Ah, really. ¡­Well, I feel bad for her. Hmm, let¡¯s keep everything unchanged. Yep. Whatever, let¡¯s not joke around. In reality, a nerf in the game makes people sad. What¡¯s with this feeling? Does it feel like when the stocks you bought keep freefalling? Huh, even though I don¡¯t understand it. ¡­Eh? Tendou-san? Tendou-san isn¡¯t ¡°nerfed¡± at all. You¡¯re impolite. Well, although she wasn¡¯t nerfed, people feel sorry for her for some reason. ¡­It¡¯s more like she¡¯s a regrettable person. It¡¯s okay. Tendou-san can withstand adversity! Anyway, even though I don¡¯t want to, let¡¯s end the nerfing topic here. Here¡¯s the appreciation speech. First of all, Cactus-san has continually adorned the story with brilliant illustrations. Thanks for your beautiful drawings in this volume. Please continue to take care of me. Then, it¡¯s the editor. Thanks for letting me have fun in < Monster Hunter >- eh, you don¡¯t remember allowing me to y it? Ah, r-really? ¡­Thanks for taking care of my draft that I wrote without ying any < Monster Hunter > at all! Hiya. Finally, it¡¯s the readers that supported me to Vol.10. Hiya, I finally got something when I spent all my time writing the draft instead of ying games! Yay! Finally, it¡¯s the reader that supported me to Vol.10. Starting from the next volume, this will be my longest novel in terms of the main story. However, the characters will never stop moving forward. Please continue to support them! I think everyone knows this after realizing the time passed in the story. Well, let us meet on Vol.11, which will be released in autumn. Otherwise, we¡¯ll see each other in the summer at the release of < Student Council¡¯s Anniversary >! See you! Sekina Aoi Volume 11 – Gamers and First Love Multi End, Prologue – Keita Amano and Second Kiss

Volume 11 ¨C Gamers and First Love Multi End, Prologue ¨C Keita Amano and Second Kiss

Trantor: your_pingas Mistakes in g management often cause an event bug in games. For example, a character that already died can suddenly appear on the screen. For example, things that haven¡¯t happened yet are treated as past events in the description. To put it simply, they are strange events that don¡¯t follow the story flow. However, in reality, these are pretty fatal and unfortunate bugs for gamers. The reason is that ordinary bugs mostly just waste things like time and energy. However, an error in g management can- -Hurt the yer¡¯s soul. It doesn¡¯t feel right when a deceased partner suddenly reappears as if nothing has happened. Then, it¡¯s the worst spoiler when you¡¯re told what¡¯ll happen next. Just like that, it suddenly attacked from the yer¡¯s blind spot. A scar is formed in your heart without any time for preparation. This is- an event bug caused by g mismanagement. So. To me, Keita Amano. When someone took my lips in front of a girl I love- ¡°Uh, ugh¡­!?¡± This is an event bug caused by g mismanagement. * The cold breezes of February are blowing on my cheeks. The sun is beginning to set. I¡¯m at the corner of . Right now. Something moist and warm is pressing against my dry lips. Then, I can only see- Chiaki Hoshinomori¡¯s closed eyes and her long eyshes. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± It seems that I¡¯m kissing Chiaki right now. I¡¯m thinking outside of my perspective. ¡­My mind can¡¯t catch up. -Then, I noticed Chiaki putting her tiny hands on my chest. Her weight and momentum are all concentrated on it. (Hey, watch out!) My body is pushed backward. I can¡¯t help- but put my hands on her shoulder to support her. ¡­Yes. It¡¯s like I epted her kiss. It¡¯s like I¡¯m hugging her warmly and gently. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Our lips are pressed together with the initial momentum. After I calmed down, we realized again how soft each of us is. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m tasting that overly sweet touch. For a moment, I can¡¯t help but feel- a misced sense of achievement and an indescribable feeling of happiness. The reason I say that is because, actually, at this moment, I¡¯m trying my best to take someone¡¯s lips too. In other words, I¡¯m moving because I wanted to take away my lover¡¯s lips. In other words, it¡¯s because I¡¯m entirely in a ¡°kissing¡± position. So, reasonably, I feel happy when I achieved the kissing part. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ -It¡¯s the same, even if my most important girl is switched. ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± As a result, I feel deep into the mud where my ex-girlfriend has to see this. I¡¯m kissing Chiaki. However- (¡­N-No!) After I snapped out of it, my love and passion for Tendou-san came back. Of course, I thought of just immediately pushing Chiaki away- I should¡¯ve done that. However, ¡­.for some reason, my hands on her shoulder don¡¯t have any strength. (¡­This is¡­) I should¡¯ve vehemently rejected what I¡¯m doing with Chiaki after thinking of myself and Tendou-san. I should¡¯ve acted immediately without considering the consequences. That¡¯s what the usual Keita Amano would¡¯ve done. However, right now, ¡­I hesitated when I¡¯m facing Chiaki. The reason is that¡­ (Chiaki¡¯s trembling¡­) From her shoulders, from the hands she¡¯s putting on my chest, from her lips, I can feel her trembling- -No, these are the remnants of the ¡°courage¡± she mustered up. She¡¯s sending them over to me. (¡­How can I reject something like this?) It¡¯s because even though this is strange, it¡¯spletely identical- to the courage I have when I was trying to take away Tendou-san¡¯s lips. ¡­It¡¯s okay even if everyone in the world thinks this is stupid. I¡¯m the only one that can sincerely praise it. It¡¯s because only we can understand this feeling -this lingering and meager sense of courage. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s because our bodies are sticking together. At this moment, I can painfully feel her emotions. At the same time, to Chiaki, ¡­the most enormous resonance up to this point is gradually filling my heart. Yes, you- are me. However, when I entirely understood this point, -it¡¯s already toote. ¡°¡­Ugh, ¡­uh¡­¡± I already can¡¯t move away from Chiaki¡¯s kiss. No, to be precise, I can¡¯t push her away forcefully. Instead, I¡¯m trying to press her shoulders to slowly push her out. I swear to god that this is true. However, Chiaki¡¯s determined and overwhelming ¡°desire¡± is far above what I¡¯m feeling right now. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± In the end, we kissed for a long time- as if itsted forever. From Tendou-san¡¯s eyes, this scene¡­can only be interpreted as me epting Chiaki¡¯s kiss. Also, this isn¡¯t a misunderstanding. After all, right now, in a way, ¡­I indeed epted Chiaki¡¯s confession and kiss. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± An unknown amount of time has passed. In the end, someone brought an end to our sudden, long kiss. -It¡¯s not somebody else. Instead, it¡¯s an apology from Chiaki. ¡°¡­I-I¡¯m sorry, Keita, Karen-san.¡± With that, Chiaki left me and showed a lonely smile in front of the sunset. For some reason- She looks so illusory that the girl may immediately disappear into the orange night sky. Volume 11, 1 – Karen Tendou and Chiaki Hoshinomori and Rival Encounter (RPG Enemy Event)

Volume 11, Chapter 1 ¨C Karen Tendou and Chiaki Hoshinomori and Rival Encounter (RPG Enemy Event)

Karen Tendou The heater at the corner of the club room is blowing out warm breezes. This is a day at the end of February. It¡¯s after school. I¡¯m in the club room. The heater¡¯s not working properly, and I can feel the slight chills on my skin. As the Game Club president, I, Karen Tendou, is standing in front of the sunset outside the window- -I judged my members with a cold attitude. ¡°Everyone- aren''t you guys gettingzy recently?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± After hearing the president¡¯s solemn words, the three members stopped ying and looked at us. Gakuto Kase, Nina Oiso, Eiichi Mizumi. At this point, Kase-senpai and Nina-senpai should¡¯ve already graduated from the club. They don¡¯t even need toe to school anymore. However, they still show up in the club ordingly to practice with us. As the president, I¡¯m deeply thankful for that. However, -it¡¯s impossible to use this as an excuse forziness. As the Game Club president, -I startedining about them calmly. ¡°First of all, Mizumi-kun.¡± ¡°Y-Yes, what¡¯s wrong, Tendou-san? ¡­No, president.¡± Mizumi-kun put his phone onto the table and looked at me nervously. I shook my head exaggeratedly and looked at him dumbfoundedly. ¡°Your talents are indeed perfect. If you¡¯re in your world, I bet you can use your cheat-like powers to enjoy a harem protagonist life. ¡­Hoho.¡± ¡°W-Why!? This is strange! I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m praised at all!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m praising you. There¡¯s no need to doubt your skills. Please be more confident.¡± ¡°T-Thank you¡­? Well, ¡­so, what¡¯s wrong¡­?¡± Mizumi-kun asked me confusedly. Sheesh, what¡¯s your usual awareness? I shrugged helplessly. ¡­Then, I squinted my eyes and red at him. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be straight. Mizumi-kun, recently, you-¡° ¡°¡­Y-Yes, ¡­w-what¡¯s wrong?¡± Mizumi-kun watched my unprecedentedly serious face in the Game Club and gulped. So, the two third years held their breaths and waited for my conclusion as well. After I mentally prepared myself, -my heart turned ice-cold and pointed out the fact. ¡°Aren¡¯t you- enjoying games a bit too much?¡± ¡°E¡­Ehh!?¡± For a moment, Mizumi-kun showed a thoroughly shocked face. ¡°N-No, no, no! I can be yelled at because of that in the Game Club!?¡± He rebelled violently after that. However, I retorted to him calmly. ¡°You can. It¡¯s because this isn¡¯t the Game Hobby Club. This is just the Game Club, right? In other words, -it¡¯s a hellish battleground instead of a blessed paradise.¡± ¡°N-No, what¡¯s with that saying!? Are the moods between these two groups that different!?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s because one of them is a cheerful and rxed group with Amano-kun. On the other hand, we have a gloomy and dark club without Amano-kun here.¡± ¡°The reputation of the Game Club! Isn¡¯t it weird to hear that from the president!? N-No, but I do like Amano-kun¡­¡± After hearing Mizumi-kun¡¯s mumble, I red at him fiercely again. ¡°Ah, this is another fault of yours, Mizumi-kun.¡± ¡°Eh, you mean¡­?¡± ¡°I mean, aren¡¯t you- too close with Amano-kun these days?¡± ¡°HAAAAAAAA!?¡± Mizumi-kun showed an even more shocked face and red at me. He struggled violently. ¡°You¡¯re the one to talk!?¡± ¡°Yes, Mizumi-kun. You¡¯re¡­influenced too much by Amano-kun!¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening? It¡¯s like hearing Shinnosuke Noharaining about erotic jokes!¡± Mizumi-kun isn¡¯t convinced at the slightest. I shrugged again and started guiding him as the president. ¡°Listen, Mizumi-kun. The goal of our club is to improve ourselves. In other words, we aren¡¯t here to enjoy games alone. However, recently, ¡­you¡¯re influenced by Amano-kun too much and focused more on enjoyment, right?¡± Facing my rebuttal, Mizumi-kun showed pain for a moment. ¡­But, he¡¯s a sensitive protagonist young man, after all. He immediately retorted. ¡°That makes sense, Tendou-san. However, you get good at it because you love it. In a sense, enjoying the game and improving your gaming skills are the same thing, right?¡± ¡°Ara, ara¡­¡± Mizumi-kun rebelled against his president angrily. I sniffed at him. ¡°Hmph.¡± ¡°You get good at it because you love it. ¡­Such empty words. Here, look at me, Mizumi-kun.¡± ¡°Eh, Tendou-san? I mean, actually, didn¡¯t you improve your skills because you love games-¡° Mizumi-kun¡¯s forced into a corner, yet he¡¯s still trying to struggle. I put my hand on my chest- -and struck him with my final and most potent retort. ¡°-Did I improve by even the slightest when facing my favorite Amano-kun?¡± ¡°UWAHHHHHHHH!?¡± Mizumi-kun wrapped his hands around his head and started screaming. ¡°Such painfully convincing words! I can¡¯t fight back at all!¡± I smiled gently at him, who¡¯s utterly depressed. ¡°It looks like you understood. Well, you have to pay attention to improving your skills from now on, Mizumi-kun.¡± ¡°U-Ugh, ¡­I understand, president.¡± I turned to the two third years after convincing him. ¡°¡­The same goes for senpais too.¡± ¡°W¡­What?¡± The usuallywless senpais can feel my pressure right now. Their shoulders are shivering. I squinted my eyes slightly and started giving them a lesson. ¡°I feel like you two are ¡®warmer¡¯ than before.¡± ¡°W¡­Warmer?¡± ¡°Yes. For example, if you two were battling newbies or weaklings in the past, it¡¯s guaranteed that senpais would crush them relentlessly. People say that a lion will use its full strength to pounce on a rabbit. In other words, it¡¯s just like a disgusting old bloke that likes to win all the kids¡¯ pocket money with mahjong on New Year.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that example!?¡± ¡°But, ¡­look at what happened to you two now. Both of you now start to avoid being hated by your opponent and go easy on them. This is like a tiger with its teeth taken away. In other words, you two are like the disgusting old bloke that¡¯s unexpectedly weak at being yelled at by rtives.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we asked what¡¯s with that example!?¡± I shrugged exaggeratedly and sighed. ¡°You can¡¯t be helped¡­¡± After that, the two senpais retorted a bit dissatisfiedly. ¡°Hey, hey, Tendou. After I heard what you said, I think your unreasonableint about us does make a little sense. But, what¡¯s wrong with this care?¡± ¡°Yeah, Tendou. Isn¡¯t it better if we¡¯re slightly smoother and warmer?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Iughed at what they said before continuing. ¡°Sheesh, isn¡¯t the fact right in front of senpais?¡± ¡°Huh? Eh, what¡­?¡± The two didn¡¯t understand what I¡¯m saying. They asked confusedly. Facing these two idiots, I said- ¡°Hohoho, you¡¯re still asking that? ¡­Didn¡¯t I say it¡¯s already here?¡± -Just like how I defeated Mizumi-kun, I put my hand onto my chest once again and attacked. ¡°Here¡¯s the blonde clown that gave too much warmth to her enemy and tasted this idiotic defeat!¡± ¡°UWWAAAAHHHHH!?¡± The two members hugged their heads and started screaming again, just like Mizumi-kun! I raised my skirt elegantly and introduced myself like a noble. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m the self-destructing loser, the ideal negative example, Karen Tendou.¡± ¡°Ahhhh! Such convincing words! I can¡¯t¡­retort!¡± I smiled gently at the two deted senpais. ¡°If you got it, please pay attention to destroying the enemy seriously and improve yourselves in the club.¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­ugh, ¡­I understand, president.¡± So, I convinced the senpais and smiled cheerfully. Then, I pped my hands and returned to the topic. ¡°Well, everyone, please remember my suggestions and start today¡¯s activity!¡± I continued to instruct my members based on what I¡¯ve taught them as the president. ¡°First of all, Mizumi-kun, you can¡¯t stop improving no matter how tiring it is! As for senpais, no matter how unwilling you are, please abandon your innocent side and put out your serious faces again! This is a promise with Karen Tendou-nee-san!¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± The members unwillingly epted my precious teachings. I¡¯m satisfied with their reactions. Finally, I dered the club activity today as the club president- ¡°Well, as the president, I¡¯ll do the same¡­¡± -I dered the thing I¡¯ll be doing loudly to avoid wasting my members¡¯ efforts. ¡°No matter how depressing it¡¯ll get -I have to ruminate over the scene where Chiaki-san kissed Amano-kun in front of me.¡± ¡°¡­Ha?¡± The sudden deration made everyone in the Game Club turn stiff. However, I ignored the club room¡¯s mood and calmly- said what I¡¯ll be doing today. ¡°After that, no matter how much I don¡¯t want to do this -I have to dere a bloody war on Chiaki-san and duel with her. I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± I said that and walked outside the club room. The members saw that there are two reflective ck pistols in my hands- ¡°Uh, hey, hey, hey, WAIT WAIT WAIT!¡± -So, today¡¯s Game Club activity started by me, the president, Karen Tendou, ¡­being arrested by my members. * ¡°S-Sheesh, this isn¡¯t a real pistol. It¡¯s just a gun-shaped controller¡­¡± Mizumi-kun looked at the two pistols- controllers he robbed from me after a violent fight. He sighed of relief. ¡°Of course.¡± I sighed dumbfoundedly and returned to the president¡¯s seat. The two senpais returned to their seats too. Uncharacteristically, they started defending Mizumi-kun. ¡°I mean, even though we said that, Tendou. No one won¡¯t stop a person that¡¯s holding two guns while radiating a menacing aura.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s more like it¡¯s already wrong the moment you released your instinct to kill. Tendou, we would stop you even if you¡¯re just holding a konjac.¡± ¡°In a sense, trying to kill someone with a konjac is true insanity¡­¡± You mean I¡¯ll cook Chiaki-san alive. Sigh, no matter what¡­ ¡°Anyway, sorry for making you three worry about me.¡± Then, Mizumi-kun stood up slowly. He handed the controller back to me and patted my shoulder lightly. ¡°Well, Tendou-san.¡± I guess he¡¯s about to ask me what happened. ¡°It seems that Amano-kun and Hoshinomori-san kissed each other a while ago. ¡­I think you said something like that before. Is that true?¡± I answered irritatedly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to answer at all.¡± ¡°I see. In other words, you won¡¯t face the truth until you¡¯re thoroughly hurt.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Mizumi-kun? I, Karen Tendou, still haven¡¯t given up on the possibility that this is all just a dream.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s enough, Tendou-san. We¡¯ll really cry if you go on¡­¡± Kase-senpai already took off his sses and turned around. Nina-senpai¡¯s rubbing her eyes. ¡­For some reason, even I want to cry as well. Mizumi-kun cleared his throat and continued. ¡°Also, from Tendou-san¡¯s reaction, it should not be the one before, ¡­the ¡®attempted kissing¡¯ at the amusement parkst autumn, right?¡± ¡°Yes, indeed. It¡¯s different from Aguri-san. I saw it clearly this time. ¡°You saw the two people¡¯s lips touching each other?¡± ¡°¡­*click* (the sound of pulling the safety of the gun)¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll apologize for my rough way of directly saying it. Please don¡¯t point the gun-shaped controller at me without saying anything. That¡¯s really scary.¡± Mizumi-kun raised his hands as if he¡¯s pointed at by actual guns. After I put down the pistol, Mizumi-kun pressed his chest and mumbled. ¡°But, how did that happen¡­?¡± To his question, Kase-senpai casually predicted, ¡°It must be that, right.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the same as thest time, anyway. The ¡®pranks of fate¡¯ that you guys are most familiar with.¡± However, I quickly denied this. ¡°Nope, this time, Chiaki-san took away Amano-kun¡¯s lips on her own.¡± ¡°¡­I-I¡­see¡­¡± The members immediately looked away awkwardly. So, a suffocating silence wrapped around us for 10 seconds. This time, Nina-senpai tried tofort me with her uncharacteristically joking attitude. ¡°B-But, think about it, even if that¡¯s the case, we¡¯re talking about Keita Amano here? He¡¯s reckless and can¡¯t read the mood. I bet he just suddenly confessed he loves Tendou-¡° However, I interrupted herfort once again. ¡°-Nope, his face was blushing as he just stood there.¡± ¡°¡­R-Really.¡± The silence fell onto the Game Club once again. I slowly turned to Mizumi-kun and gave him a provocative smile. ¡°Ara, Mizumi-kun, you aren¡¯t standing up¡­as Amano-kun¡¯s defendant this time?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!? W-Well¡­!¡± Mizumi-kun fell speechless. I looked down on him. ¡°Ho, ¡­well, this can¡¯t be helped. If this is a criminal case, the defendant would be holding a knife soaked with blood at the scene. At the same time, he said, ¡®yes, I killed the person.¡¯ It¡¯s already irreversible.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! I-Indeed, there¡¯s no way for me to defend him!¡± Mizumi-kun¡¯s barely holding himself onto the table as if he was brutally beaten up. However, after a few seconds, ¡­perhaps his usual protagonist persistent attitude awoke. A slight spark of hope appeared in his eyes. He stood up and retorted to me with hisst strength. ¡°B-But! Tendou-san! Even if he didn¡¯t struggle violently, it¡¯s a fact that Amano-kun¡¯s the one that has something taken away from him! In other words, he¡¯s also a victim! S-So, it¡¯s unreasonable to get really mad at him or punish-¡° However, I cut off Mizumi-kun at this point. ¡°Ara? But I didn¡¯t say anything about me getting mad at Amano-kun at all, right?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Mizumi-kun froze when he heard what I said. He scratched his head a bit confusedly and carefully asked, ¡°I-Is that the case?¡± I smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, indeed,st time, ¡­when he almost kissed Aguri-san, it looks like each of them wanted it. So, I did suspect and got angry at Amano-kun. This time, no matter how you put it, Chiaki-san ¡®took¡¯ it away from him. So, even though I¡¯m a bit jealous and shocked, I didn¡¯t get mad or suspect Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Ah, r-really? I-I see. That¡¯s our Tendou-san. What a reasonable answer. Yeah, if that¡¯s the case, it seems that I don¡¯t need to defend him anymore.¡± Mizumi-kun smiled in relief and sat down. I replied him with a warm smile and said, ¡°Yes, so-¡° ¡°-Who should die this time? Me or Chiaki-san?¡± I squinted my eyes and raised the guns. At this moment, everyone in the Game Club stopped me and yelled, ¡°WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT!¡± First of all, Kase-senpai tried his best to calm me down. ¡°Why are you suddenly releasing that dangerous aura!? You¡¯re just talking about a gaming match, right!?¡± ¡°Yeah. The console¡¯s in my room. I want to fight her.¡± ¡°R-Really? Well, it¡¯s still okay if you¡¯re just talking about games¡­¡± ¡°So, didn¡¯t I say this before? If you wanted to, I could put it as, ¡®Girls dueling each other in a gaming-loving high school student¡¯s room.¡± It¡¯s more rxing, right?¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s good. I was worried about you girls fighting in an arcade filled with cigarettes and smoke. If it¡¯s in your room, it¡¯s quite relieving for two girls to y together.¡± ¡°Right. Well, if there¡¯s one rule in my room-¡° I paused for a moment and continued with a smile. ¡°That would be- two girls in, one girl out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s suddenly Mad Max! No, I mean, is there a high school girl¡¯s room bound by post-apocalypse arena rules!? Where did the ¡®rxed¡¯ mood go!?¡± ¡°Hoho, sheesh, Kase-senpai, aren¡¯t you having too much fantasy of a high school girl¡¯s room?¡± ¡°No, no, no, it¡¯s far from the nightmarish arena room you¡¯re talking about! By the way, both of you need to survive! Don¡¯t just bet your lives on games!¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning on just betting it onto games. ¡­Instead, I¡¯ll wager my soul seriously.¡± ¡°That¡¯s even worse!¡± ¡°It¡¯s because¡­this is our Game Club, which is full of serious gamers, right!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what the ¡®serious¡¯ means in serious gamers! That¡¯s more like a dark battle than a serious gaming battle!¡± ¡°A dark battle, ¡­hoho, what a fitting word for the conflict between Chiaki-san and me.¡± ¡°How is it fitting!? By the way, it¡¯s just apetition for love. Is it necessary to sacrifice lives!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just love¡­?¡± What he said pissed me a little. I can¡¯t help but give him a despising look. ¡°Ara, ara, ¡­such opinionsing from a pair of sses without any love experience. Go back to your twisted logic.¡± For a moment, Kase-senpai¡¯s sses cracked. I don¡¯t know why. However, it¡¯s true that he¡¯s seriously angered now. Kase-senpai pushed his sses and said. ¡°-Very well, let¡¯s fight, Tendou. From now on, the rule in this club room is also-¡° I nodded. ¡°¡­Yes. ¡­4 people in, 1 person out.¡± ¡°No, no, don¡¯t count us in!¡± Mizumi-kun and Nina-senpai immediately yelled. The dangerous atmosphere disappeared. At the same time, Kase-senpai apologized to the two. ¡°S-Sorry, she¡¯s pulling me in¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Kase. I understand. That¡¯s just your usual unpoprity.¡± ¡°Damn you, Oiso¡­!¡± ¡°Forget that, Tendou.¡± After she destroyed Kase-senpai, Nina-senpai was the one to convince me this time. She continued with her usual gloomy and lethargic tone. ¡°Well, let¡¯s forget that the ¡®it¡¯s just love¡¯ statement is overwhelmingly inconsiderate. But, in reality, there¡¯s no need to wager your life onto a victory, right?¡± ¡°Indeed, but either Chiaki-san or I must disappear.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Ha, you¡¯re still asking why? Can¡¯t all of you see this already?¡± ¡°?¡± Nina-senpai didn¡¯t understand. ¡­So, I mmed the table and announced loudly. ¡°There¡¯s not a single girl in this world who can give up on such an attractive Amano-kun!¡± ¡°Yep, she¡¯s terminally ill¡­¡± Nina-senpai¡¯s looking at me like I¡¯m a seriously injured person that¡¯s about to die. I continued while looking at her. ¡°It¡¯s because Nina-senpai¡¯s the same, right? You don¡¯t hate him, right?¡± ¡°Hate? Well, I guess I don¡¯t hate Keita Amano¡­¡± ¡°I see. In other words, you want to make babies with him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re jumping too far. You¡¯re like repaying your debt by changing your character pool after changing characters in a fighting game.¡± ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t understand what you just said.¡± ¡°Nevermind, this kouhai is replying to her senpai¡¯sint too coldly.¡± ¡°Anyway, the fact is that even though Nina-senpai doesn¡¯t really know Amano-kun, you want to make babies with him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just move forward with a wrong conclusion¡­¡± ¡°If that¡¯s already the case for Nina-senpai, for Chiaki-san and I, who legitimately dered that we love him, ¡­we can¡¯t be satisfied with just making babies with him. We literally want to give birth to him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand a single thing you just said in the past minute.¡± ¡°However, regrettably, there¡¯s only one position for a woman that can give birth and raise him.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s his mother, right. Also, someone should¡¯ve already taken ce at first, right. That¡¯s his mother.¡± ¡°Anyway, no matter how we loved him, Chiaki-san, Nina-senpai, and I just want to be his most beloved girl, right?¡± ¡°Hey, I wish you don¡¯t just add me to yourpetition this calmly.¡± ¡°Eh, senpai doesn¡¯t want to be Amano-kun¡¯s girlfriend? ¡­Are you serious?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more like I want to ask you, are you serious. ¡­Well, ¡­hmm.¡± Nina-senpai put her finger on her chin and thought for a moment. ¡°¡­N-Nina-senpai? Did you just¡­imagine dating Amano-kun and got an ¡®oh, I think it wouldn¡¯t be too bad¡¯ conclusion?¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess so. After all, Keita Amano helped me a lot in the past as well.¡± Nina-senpai admitted quickly. For some reason, Kase-senpai¡¯s sses cracked again. However, Nina-senpai continued with her carefree attitude. ¡°Well, even though I said that, I¡¯m not interested enough to take part in your boring match.¡± ¡°R-Really¡­?¡± This girl has a strange character setting. In reality, there could be a timeline where Nina Oiso is seriously trying to win Keita Amano over. ¡­I feel like it¡¯s not impossible for her to deny other followers and deepens their rtionship in a short time. However, it seems that Nina-senpai¡¯s just treating this as a casual conversation. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get back to the topic.¡± She pressed on without a single trace of passion. ¡°To put it simply, it¡¯s the final battle where Tendou and Chiaki Hoshinomori are trying to win Keita Amano as the prize, right?¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s with that straightforward conclusion? W-Well, let¡¯s forget whether it¡¯s the final battle, but I think it¡¯s simr¡­¡± ¡°Right. I can more or less understand when it¡¯s put that way. Tendou, you¡¯re at yourst straw, right. After all, I have things that I must absolutely win over too.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, it feels like we¡¯re in apetition, right.¡± I nodded. Uncharacteristically, Nina-senpai smiled warmly and said, ¡°Right?¡± After that, ¡­she continued to calm me down. ¡°But, that¡¯s why I¡¯m also thinking this. Even though you lost in a crucial battle, ¡­that¡¯s not the end of your life or your own story, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°At least, even if I lost in a fight, I¡¯ll step forward to the next one. That¡¯s the same for Tendou and Chiaki Hoshinomori, right?¡± ¡°Same¡­¡± ¡°Yes, even if you can¡¯t be next to Keita Amano, there will still be-¡° ¡°No.¡± I interrupted Nina-senpai right away. ¡­I clenched my fist in front of my chest. ¡°This is¡­different from a typicalpetition, Nina-senpai. I- dered to everyone with an endlessly sad, upsetting, and bitter smile. ¡°It¡¯s because whether it¡¯s the next time or a recement, we can¡¯t imagine that at all, ¡­and we don¡¯t want to. Our minds are filled with that boy. I think this is what we call love.¡± ¡°Tendou¡­¡± Nina-senpai and everyone else gave me a sympathetic look. I smiled helplessly at them and continued while lowering my head. ¡°It must be the same for Chiaki-san too. So, ¡­that¡¯s why we-¡° After this final battle, ¡­I can¡¯t mince my words with any jokes. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The club room returned to silence¡ªthe heater¡¯s noise echoing emptily in the room. Chiaki Hoshinomori The snow is blown up by the dry breezes of the north. It brushed through my skirt. It¡¯s dusk. I¡¯m walking silently on the street filled with snow alone. ¡­Carefully. I¡¯m even prepared to walk 3 steps ahead before taking another 5 back sometimes. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± I stopped and wiped the sweat on my forehead with the back of my hand. This way, I¡¯m finally halfway there to the ce I need to go. I already spent 3 times longer than what should¡¯ve taken me to go there. All of this is because the others must think that I¡¯m walking too carefully. Seriously, there¡¯s a limit of inefficiency. Well, speaking of why I¡¯m walking like this, -that must be because I¡¯m a clumsy girl that often trips over. There are two reasons for this. First, my reflexes are disastrously horrible. The other reason is- ¡°Oh? Hoshinomori?¡± -Someone suddenly called me from behind when I¡¯m adjusting my breaths. I hastily tried to turn around- and immediately realized what¡¯s under my legs. After that, I carefully, slowly, and masterfully¡­turned my head around like a robot. I managed to figure out who that person is. Then, I moaned from my throat exhaustedly. ¡°¡­Ah, ¡­ugh, ¡­Souen-san¡­!¡± ¡°AHHHHHH!? What¡¯s with this exorcist attitude!? You¡¯re freaking me out!¡± One of the Game Hobby Club members, Tasuku Uehara, took a step back with a pale face. I wanted to calm him down. ¡­But, my heart still didn¡¯t agree with my legs¡¯ movement. So, I just turned my head over and squeaked. ¡°W¡­.What a coin! DEATH! Hey!¡± ¡°AHHHHHHHH!? Crap!¡± Uehara-kun took a couple more steps back. However, he immediately calmed down and came here. ¡°Well, I mean, I know that you¡¯re probably trying to say what a coincidence, Hoshinomori! That¡¯s fine. Even if it¡¯s fine¡­¡± ¡°Death! Death!¡± [Again, this is a joke of Desu.] ¡°Even though I knew that, I¡¯m still really terrified of your act and pose! What are you trying to do!?¡± While Uehara-kun¡¯s still scared, he gave me a caring look. I turned my face forward and finally released myself from the stoned look. I answered with my normal voice. ¡°Sorry to make you worry.¡± ¡°Really. I mean, I wasn¡¯t just worrying about you. For a moment, I thought this world is about to copse.¡± Uehara-kun said that as he walked next to me. I smiled and exined. ¡°Well, ording to the oath, I can¡¯t lift my feet off the ground.¡± ¡°You still ended up ruining the world for me. Hey, seriously, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Uehara-kun asked for further exnation. It can¡¯t be helped. ¡­I decided to confess this to him! ¡°To put it simply, ¡­I don¡¯t want to get embarrassed from tripping onto the ground!¡± ¡°That thing you just did was already more embarrassing than falling onto the ground. By the way, you would rather do something weird than tripping? I don¡¯t understand your reason.¡± ¡°Ho, Uehara-kun. Instead of getting teased at, I want to make peopleugh more.¡± ¡°That¡¯s like a line from a high-ssedian. ¡­I mean.¡± Uehara-kun scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°Hey, can we walk as we talk? You didn¡¯t even move a single inch.¡± As if he¡¯s teasing my caution, Uehara-kun stepped onto the uneven snow path loudly. I can¡¯t help but sigh¡­and shrugged before mumbling. ¡°Sigh, ¡­that¡¯s why Uehara-kun is always Uehara-kun.¡± ¡°This is the first time that I¡¯ve heard such an irritating sarcasm!¡± ¡°Ha, ¡­Uehara-kun must be the hare in , right?¡± ¡°Oho, here we go. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve heard a fable story. You friendless loners have to say those things when arguing with me?¡± ¡°Ha, ¡­that¡¯s enough. Please go first, Uehara-kun. Go first and take a nap under the tree.¡± ¡°No! Why would I sleep under the tree on a winter night!? I¡¯ll die!¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll slowly surpass you with a turtle¡¯s step¡­!¡± ¡°No, save me, girl! Don¡¯t just ignore me freezing to death! Are you a demon!?¡± Uehara-kun kept onining. He didn¡¯t want to leave first at all. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± It can¡¯t be helped. I gave up and nned to convince him again. ¡°Well, I¡¯m pretty bad at walking on the snow. Please go first-¡° However, at the moment that I said that- ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Uehara-kun suddenly took my bag away. He walked forward in the snow as if he¡¯s guiding me. ¡°Yo, Hoshinomori, isn¡¯t this better?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, yes. ¡­Ah, no, no, no, not that, please, Uehara-kun-¡° ¡°Hmm?¡± He stood still and turned back with a pissed expression. ¡°You¡¯re saying that I should leave a girl I know walking on the snow slowly? ¡­Are you sure you want to tell me that? Hmm?¡± He looks furious. I¡­can¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Sheesh, ¡­Uehara-kun has always been like this. You¡¯re still Uehara-kun.¡± ¡°Ha? What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re beating around the bush like Amano.¡± Uehara-kun said that as he looked forward and stomped the snow t for me. I had just a bit more courage when I looked at his back. So, I started walking on the snow path again. * ¡°Hmm? Born under the ¡®zenpai¡¯ star? You, Hoshinomori?¡± [Note: It means total defeat or failing at every attempt.] ¡°Yes.¡± It¡¯s been only 5 minutes since meeting up with Uehara-kun. The ground below me finally turned t after crossing the most challenging part. We walked together and chatted. Uehara-kun put his hands into the pocket. He sniffed his slightly red nose and asked. ¡°Uh, what does ¡®zenpai¡¯ mean?¡± ¡°Well, it simply means losing all of your EXP and money after a defeat in a game.¡± ¡°Hey, I mean, I know it as a game term. It¡¯s just that you wasted all of your adventure earlier. Once you think about the time, experience, and items you spent, you just feel like it¡¯s easier to quit the game, right?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s like the feeling of throwing the controller onto the pillow.¡± ¡°You¡¯re unexpectedly violent. Well, let¡¯s forget about that. That ¡®zenpai¡¯ of yours, ¡­I do understand it as a game term. But, what do you mean by born under that star? I still can¡¯t think of an actual scenario of you failing that¡­¡± Facing Uehara-kun¡¯s question, I said, ¡°well¡­¡± before pondering about it. Then, I immediately thought of a great example. I spoke up with a bright smile. ¡°Like the mood after I took Keita¡¯s lips a few days ago?¡± ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± Uehara-kun jumped. ¡­I bet it¡¯s because of the cold today. It seems that he¡¯s trying to avoid looking at me. He¡¯s looking at the destination. ¡°Yeah, that was like he- no, it¡¯s pretty awkward.¡± ¡°Uehara-kun, Uehara-kun, you were trying to say hell, right?¡± ¡°N-No. Think about it, I¡¯m not an inconsiderate man that describes another person¡¯s love story as hell.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re amazing, Uehara-kun. Keita¡¯s way less considerate than you.¡± ¡°See?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­It¡¯s just that- I would call that ¡®hell¡¯ too.¡± For a moment, Uehara-kun lost his bnce like he just tripped over the snow. After regaining his senses, Uehara-kun immediately protested! ¡°You¡¯re saying that!? You started it, and you¡¯re saying that!?¡± To that, I hugged my shivering body and answered with a pale face. ¡°No, no, I¡¯m already trembling from just thinking about it. After that, whether it¡¯s the ensuring silence or the awkward dinner time, and the train home where none of us made eye contact, ¡­everything is hell.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe that¡¯s how you¡¯re describing your first kiss!¡± ¡°My first kiss already doesn¡¯t taste like tangerine. It¡¯s literally a bitter gourd.¡± ¡°At this point, Hoshinomori¡¯s love story is just so tragic.¡± ¡°No, no, my tragic love story started a long time ago.¡± ¡°Ouch, that¡¯s the most pathetic and depressing retort in our high school life! It¡¯s too upsetting!¡± ¡°Ho, ..but please rx, Uehara-kun.¡± ¡°Hmm? Rx what?¡± Uehara-kun¡¯s a bit confused. -I dered to him proudly! ¡°It¡¯s not just me- Keita and Karen-san¡¯s love stories are just as tragic now!¡± ¡°You¡¯re literally a terrorist in this love story! Thanks to you, the sea of flowers just turned into a barren and burnt wastnd!¡± ¡®This is all because of my ¡®zenpai¡¯ attribute¡­¡± ¡°Hey, wait. You just let fate take all the me, right? Right?¡± ¡°¡­I really hate this side of me¡­!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Uehara-kunined dumbfoundedly. I cleared my throat and ignored him. ¡°Ahem, so, this is not the only time where my ¡®zenpai-ness¡¯es to shine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s just like¡­tripping over the floor like that or biting your tongue when talking, ¡­things like that.¡± ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s just being clumsy, right?¡± After hearing what Uehara-kun said, ¡­Iughed at him like he¡¯s an idiot. ¡°¡­Yes, yes, if I¡¯m in Keita and Uehara-kun¡¯s favorite dating sim, you can summarize it with such a cute conclusion. Sheesh, ¡­that¡¯s why I hate guys that fantasize over girls¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯m pissed at your attitude.¡± Even though Uehara-kun¡¯s smiling, an angry symbol showed up on his forehead. I added. ¡°Well, but my ¡®zenpai¡¯ attribute isn¡¯t that fatal yet.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean by that?¡± Uehara-kun still doesn¡¯t understand. ¡°For example¡­¡± I started giving concrete examples. ¡°No one saw my panties when I tripped over, but there¡¯s blood. People will startining or be confused when I identally bit my tongue. My cooking tastes terrible when I screwed it up, but it¡¯s still edible. I¡¯m just a piece of trap that can¡¯t even bring a smile to others¡¯ faces. That is¡­me, a ¡®zenpai¡¯ girl, Chiaki Hoshinomori.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°In other words, once I get greedy, I¡¯ll fail so hard that I end up in an even worse situation. So, I have nothing. I¡¯m constantly losing as I move forward with life. ¡­This is how lonely I am. Ah, also-¡° Uehara-kun hit my head lightly just as I¡¯m about to continue. He¡¯s giving me a very sympathetic look. ¡°¡­Okay, I already understood it so much that it¡¯s upsetting. So, there¡¯s no need for more examples.¡± ¡°Eh? But I can still list out a bunch of examples. I answered my ssmate energetically when I thought he¡¯s talking to me. In the end, he¡¯s speaking to someone behind-¡° ¡°No, no, that¡¯s really enough! Your spinoff story is too upsetting! I get it! You¡¯re boring under the ¡®zenpai¡¯ star! Ahh!¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s good to hear¡­¡± After I backed down, Uehara-kun sighed in relief. ¡°In other words, that¡¯s why you¡¯re carefully walking, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Even though you dared to kiss a few days ago?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but plop my head with a blush. Uehara-kun apologized with a slightly flippant attitude. ¡°However, in reality, if you can do amazing things like that, why are you still afraid of walking on uneven roads?¡± ¡°That¡¯s different. By the way, doesn¡¯t ¡®zenpai¡¯ also means messing up when you¡¯re confident?¡± ¡°Ah, I guess so. Indeed, it¡¯s easy to imagine Amano and you are walking confidently before tripping.¡± ¡°Right. This is us. We only mess it up when we decide to do something!¡± ¡°Just like that day¡¯s kiss?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± I blushed detedly. Uehara-kun started repeatedly apologizing again. Well, I¡¯m not kind enough to forgive him for saying stuff like that. I pouted and red at him to show my anger. ¡°Sigh, but that was a pretty shocking event, even for outsiders like us. So, you can at least forgive me for messing with you a little bit, Hoshinomori.¡± ¡°Shocked, ¡­ha! Uehara-kun is indeed-¡° The long-awaited love detective is here! Then, my seaweed head took a smack. I moaned with tears in my eyes. Uehara-kun sighed andined. ¡°What do you mean by indeed? I don¡¯t remember raising any gs to you.¡± ¡°N-No, you¡¯re always saying things that make me overthink! For example, what¡¯s with your ¡®I only choose you¡¯ deration a while ago!?¡± ¡°Eh? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°You forgot it already!? ¡­Whatever, I know it, anyway. Uehara-kun is pretty good at picking up girls.¡± ¡°Hey, wait. How did you reach that conclusion? I-I have never-¡° ¡°But didn¡¯t you support Karen-san a little bit recently?¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°You¡¯re also having a close rtionship with Keita, not to mention Aguri-chan! ¡­If this isn¡¯t called being smooth and slick, I don¡¯t know what is!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t argue! However, if you say that, isn¡¯t Amano¡­¡± ¡°Keita¡¯s fine. It¡¯s okay for Keita to have a bunch of rtionships with girls.¡± ¡°Eh? Why?¡± ¡°Well, since- he¡¯s still not happy now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really mean! ¡­Well, that guy¡¯s rtionships are all somewhat negative for some reason.¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s tangled with girls that he shouldn¡¯t date with, and I¡¯m the first one on the list. This is Keita.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t put yourself onto the first one. ¡­Sigh, it¡¯s hard to envy his poprity when you think of Main-san and Kousei¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded. ¡­Seriously, a lot of girls have a thing for Keita. ¡­But, why can I still sense ¡®sorrow¡¯ on his back? It must be because he still doesn¡¯t have any friends in ss aside from Uehara-kun. ¡­Well, but I don¡¯t think I can befriend anyone aside from Karen-san¡­ We talked about Keita for a while. Then, Uehara-kun fixed his scarf¡¯s position and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the topic.¡± ¡°The reason that I¡¯m shocked with you two kissing is not that I love Hoshinomori. I never loved you. A. Single. Bit.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to reject this vehemently¡­¡± Even though I don¡¯t want Uehara-kun¡¯s feelings, this hurts. Uehara-kun just frowned like he¡¯s finding this troublesome. However, he didn¡¯t change his mind and continued calmly. ¡°How should I put it? ¡­I feel like you guys are ahead of us again.¡± ¡°Ahead of¡­us?¡± For a moment, I didn¡¯t understand what he said. But, I immediately got it and answered. ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Yes, our humor is way ahead of you, right! Indeed,pared to the exceptional normie Uehara-kun, Keita and I are just underground peasants!¡± ¡°You¡¯re just as good as hating yourself as you used to. I don¡¯t mean by that. It¡¯s more like it¡¯s the opposite.¡± ¡°O-Opposite?¡± Uehara-kun scratched the back of his head a bit embarrassingly. ¡°You two are way too charming for me. Even though your timing can¡¯t be worse, even though someone¡¯s looking at you, even though you leap before you think, ¡­all of you are still walking forward.¡± ¡°Uehara-kun¡­¡± ¡°¡­To me, that¡¯s something utterly impossible to do.¡± He seems a bit depressed. I can¡¯t help butfort him. ¡°N-No! You¡¯re not supposed to praise what I did!¡± After hearing my gentle words, he¡¯s deeply throbbed- no, instead, he gave me a dumbfounded look. ¡°Of course, honestly, it¡¯s really disgusting to let your ex-girlfriend see you kissing.¡± ¡°Ouch, I feel like I just reached my hand out to a seriously injured person only to find out that he¡¯s actually a zombie and bite me! This is the first time that I¡¯m getting sick offorting people!¡± ¡°Well, I mean, that¡¯s actually impossible. Seriously, there should be a limit of brutality on people.¡± ¡°U-Ugh, I know it. ¡­Ah, the guilt¡¯s flushing me again¡­!¡± I stopped and dropped my shoulders detedly. Uehara-kun put his hand on my shoulder and continued with a pretty gentle voice. ¡°However, I love such a messed up ¡®Chiaki Hoshinomori¡¯s first love¡¯ so much.¡± ¡°Ugh, Uehara-kun¡­¡± I raised my head and looked at him with teary eyes. He looked at me with his usual charming smile- and pushed me away. ¡°Well, even though you¡¯re really evil. Letting Tendou see you kissing at the ce of her first date memories¡­¡± ¡°Right, right! I¡¯m very sorry! Ah, sheesh, I have to send Karen-san my pinky!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how apologies work in roms!¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll give her all of my rmended games¡­¡± ¡°N-No, that¡¯s just you being an otaku! It¡¯s notpensation at all!¡± ¡°W-Well, I¡¯ll just send Keita¡¯s pinky-¡° ¡°Jesus Christ! That¡¯s not even being yandere. You¡¯re just unreasonable!¡± ¡°Well, what should I do then!? Anyway, I should start by searching keywords like ¡®friend, in front of you, kissing, apology, blonde¡¯ on Google, right!?¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be an answer to such a specific question, no matter how great the inte is! Also, thatst ¡®blonde¡¯ is unnecessary, right!?¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­I can¡¯t face Karen-san again.¡± ¡°You really didn¡¯t think of the consequences at all.¡± Uehara-kun scratched his head. I continued stepping on the moist snow and curled up. ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s not like¡­I just went in there¡­¡± ¡°Eh? So, you were nning to kiss Amano on that day?¡± My face immediately red up after hearing that question. ¡°W-Well, ¡­uh, ¡­hmm, ¡­b-b-b-but, I didn¡¯t expect to pull it off under that situation, no matter what¡­!¡± ¡°I see. How should I put it? ¡­You¡¯re still Hoshinomori, after all. Ah, this must be that ¡®zenpai¡¯ thing you talked about, right? Reaching your hand out only to lose it violently.¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­yes, ¡­the same goes for my friendship with Karen-san, ¡­and Keita¡­¡± I reached the bottom of my depression as I walked silently. It seems that Uehara-kun couldn¡¯t think of a good way tofort me either. Silence ensued between the both of us for a while. Around 30 secondster, Uehara-kun cleared his throat and gave me a new topic. ¡°By the way, where are you going, Hoshinomori? No games are released today, right?¡± ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯re saying that like I¡¯m a rare monster that only appears on a game release day. Well, even though you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°See? But, if that¡¯s not the case, seriously, what are you doing today?¡± Uehara-kun asked confusedly. I answered him with a flirty smile. ¡°Ara ara, isn¡¯t it obvious? Right now, ¡­I¡¯m a girl in love, right? Then, girls in love will turn beautiful, right? In other words-¡° ¡°Ohh? The representative of boring girls, Hoshinomori, is finally going to dress herself up for her beloved boy¡­!?¡± When Uehara-kun¡¯s rubbing the corner of his eyes, ¡­I announced loudly! ¡°-Of course, I¡¯ll train myself by going to the second-hand game store once a month!¡± ¡°Give me back my tears!¡± For some reason, Uehara-kun¡¯s enraged. I¡¯m confused. ¡°Eh? Hey, I¡¯m giving my best to train myself even though I¡¯m an otaku. Shouldn¡¯t you praise my will to make myself more beautiful¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just walking home once per month! How shameless can you be!? Stop giving me that training crap! You¡¯re just a miser that doesn¡¯t want to spend money on the bus to the game store!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! Then, if Uehara-kun¡¯s saying that, where are you going? I don¡¯t see Aguri-chan or your other friends¡­¡± ¡°Ah, well. I just¡­want to take a stroll alone.¡± Uehara-kun scratched his cheeks a bit awkwardly. To that, I¡­ ¡°Ah, I see.¡± ¡°Oi, you should continue asking me, Hoshinomori! Aren¡¯t you curious about my reaction!?¡± ¡°I am. But, I feel like I would just get a ¡®thanks, I¡¯m stuffed¡¯ in the end, anyway.¡± ¡°Ugh, this irritating observance really feels like Amano too, you sly girl!¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± I started blushing after hearing that. ¡­I¡¯m really innocent. Even though I hate being called a replica of Keita a while ago, right now¡­ Uehara-kun saw my reaction and answered sarcastically. ¡°Thanks, I¡¯m stuffed.¡± After that, he saw the street and finally passed me my bag. ¡°Anyway, here¡¯s your bag. I¡¯ll be going a different way.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Thanks, you were a great help!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. ¡­It¡¯s more like, well, ¡­sorry.¡± ¡°Hmm? What? Why?¡± He said sorry even though he took my bag for me. I¡¯m confused. He scratched his head awkwardly and said. ¡°Well, ¡­I always say that I¡¯m supporting the Hoshinomori x Amano ship, ¡­but I just ended up helping you taking the bag.¡± I can¡¯t help but smile bitterly¡­after seeing his sincerely apologetic look. I answered a bit mischievously. ¡°Yeah, yeah,e to think of it, I rarely received any rtionship support from Uehara-kun.¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­this is embarrassing.¡± Uehara-kun dropped his shoulders. ¡­I continued. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°My first love only gets so interesting because of Uehara-kun.¡± ¡°Hoshinomori¡­¡± Uehara-kun sighed in relief and raised his face. I continued appreciating him. ¡°So, thank you, Uehara-kun.¡± ¡°W-What? You¡¯re making this like we won¡¯t ever see each other again. Your first love is far from over yet-¡° ¡°Of course. I, ¡­no, Karen-san and I won¡¯t back down and escape now. We¡¯ll see it all the way to the end, ¡­even if it means losing everything again.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that saying? Don¡¯t tell me you already admitted defeat-¡° Uehara-kun questioned a bit angrily. However, -I answered determinedly. ¡°But, I don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s help anymore. Whates next¡­is the love that only belongs to ourselves.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Uehara-kun squinted his eyes as if he saw something really bright. He smiled warmly. That¡¯s the warmest smile I saw from him. ¡­He would only show that loving and gentle smile to Aguri-chan usually. I reached my hand out. He shook mine steadily and encouraged me. ¡°Don¡¯t give up, Chiaki Hoshinomori. I¡¯ll- support you from the bottom of my heart.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± So, we let go of each other¡¯s hands and continued walking. It¡¯s almost time for us to part ways. I can¡¯t help but chuckle a momentter. ¡°Ah, but, Uehara-kun. Your encouragement just then¡­is faked, right?¡± ¡°Fake? What do you mean?¡± ¡°You said you¡¯re supporting me. Like I¡¯ve said before, Uehara-kun, you don¡¯t want to upset Karen-san right now, am I correct?¡± ¡°Ah, you saw it?¡± Uehara-kun replied to me with a flippant and bitter smile. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t do things like this.¡± ¡°Ah, no, that¡¯s not because you can¡¯t-¡° I wanted tofort him, but I realized I¡¯m not responsible for what happens next. So, I kept the words in my chest. So, I continued as if I¡¯m covering it up. ¡°Well, forget about that. There¡¯s also another fake thing in Uehara-kun¡¯s supporting speech.¡± ¡°Hmm? Another? Well, ¡­I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Uehara-kun is baffled. I¡­stood at the road and turned around. Then, I pointed this out while giving him a slightly mischievous smile like Konoha. ¡°In the end, Uehara-kun only sincerely supports- Keita.¡± With that. Uehara-kunughed again. ¡°You got me.¡± ¡°I got you. It¡¯s more like perhaps Uehara-kun loves him more than Karen-san or me. Or, I should say, suit him, right?¡± ¡°Stop, it¡¯s disgusting. ¡­Normally, I would say that. But, perhaps that¡¯s the case. I do love him, and I suit him, as a friend.¡± Uehara-kunughed cheerfully. Then, he continued. ¡°However, that¡¯s why-¡° ¡°The same goes for Tendou and you. Don¡¯t mind the stress of Amano¡¯s choice. Just love him without any holdback.¡± ¡°¡­In other words, Uehara-kun willfort Keita mentally?¡± ¡°Well, I guess so.¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­I feel like you¡¯re the main waifu that doesn¡¯t have to worry about anything. It makes me a bit angry.¡± ¡°Ah, really? But, this is the only thing I won¡¯t back down, even if you begged me.¡± Uehara-kun said that and turned around. ¡°See you tomorrow, Hoshinomori.¡± He carried on with his usual flippant tone and left. I answered. ¡°Okay, see you tomorrow.¡± His back is right in front of me.¡± After that, ¡­I mumbled dazedly. Unlike Keita¡¯s sensitiveness, I don¡¯t think he can hear it. ¡°I really, really appreciated you ¨C the person who gave me courage.¡± * I arrived at the game store shortly after separating from Uehara-kun. Once I entered the store, the warmth from the heater immediately wrapped my body. I quickly untied the scarf and put it under my arms with the bag. First, I looked at the new release area. However, there are no new releases today. Naturally, nothing caught my eye. So, I walked towards the real goal of today, the second-hand area. After that, I searched within the RPG shelves as usual. ¡­Suddenly, I noticed something. ¡°Huh, e to think of it, it¡¯s been a long time since I came to this section.¡± I said I visit here once per month to Uehara-kun. However, I didn¡¯t really check the second-hand area out in these few months. The reason is that¡­well, there¡¯s only one. (My mind is already full with Keita¡­) In a sense, picking second-hand games sounds like something that you can only do in your spare time. Spare time, spare money, and¡­spare energy. However, if you¡¯re asking whether I have that, the answer should be no. ¡­Hmm? Huh? Well, why did Ie to find second-hand games in the climax part of this love story? ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± I don¡¯t really understand the reason either. ¡­I was just lying to Uehara-kun when I said I¡¯m training to be more beautiful. ¡­Ugh. I moaned as I ventured deeper into the second-hand shelves. RPG, FPS, adventure, puzzles, shooting, fighting- ¡°-Ah.¡± During this time, I finally saw the game that reminded me why I came here. So, I slowly reached my hand out. However, at this moment¡­ ¡°Ah.¡± My hand touched someone else¡¯s. My pale hand is covering someone¡¯s (warm and smooth) skin. -It¡¯s just like what happened on a particr day. Indeed, at that time, I¡¯m- and ¡°his¡± body is pretty stiff too. The boy¡¯s hand won¡¯t move, and he turned his head around to check¡­ When I thought about that, a wave of warmth ignited in my chest. ¡°Ah, sorry.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Unlike that bittersweet otaku meeting, this time, the person withdrew his hand naturally. He doesn¡¯t hate the fact that my hand covered his. ¡­Moreover, he just withdrew his hand quickly¡ªsuch a clever response. ¡°Eh?¡± I can feel a clever response that neither he nor I can have. That¡¯s why I¡¯m even more confused than who the person actually is. So, when I turned around hastily- ¡°K¡­Karen¡­-san?¡± ¡°C¡­Chiaki¡­-san?¡± -Unlike that time. But, this bittersweet feeling is the same. ¡°¡­W-Well¡­¡± -We made a ¡°fateful encounter¡± that no one can benefit from. * ¡°E-Excuse me¡­¡± ¡°Wee.¡± Karen-san led me to her room. Her room is way different than a gamer girl¡¯s room like mine. It¡¯s tidy and organized, just like her. I can¡¯t but observe the room rudely before carefully stepping inside. So, I¡¯m immediately impressed by what I¡¯m looking at. ¡°A-Ahhh, ¡­i-is this a high school girl¡¯s room!?¡± ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t yours a high school girl¡¯s room too?¡± Karen-san bitterly smiled as she put her school bag next to the table. I nced around and expressed my excitement. ¡°Am I imagining things? I can feel a strong scent¡­! The scent from a young girl¡­!¡± ¡°Please stop sniffing around, Chiaki-san. Konoha-san and your room should also be filled with a young girl¡¯s scent, too, right¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, no, no, no, Konoha and my room just have a slight scent.¡± ¡°Eh, what¡¯s wrong with that room? But that¡¯s attractive in its own way as well.¡± ¡°Wow, ¡­ah, ¡­I can feel my body is filled with girl¡¯s power¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not filled, right!? Girl¡¯s power isn¡¯t like mana to a mage, right!?¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­really, it¡¯s too charming, Karen-san¡¯s room. Ah¡­¡± ¡°¡­Huh, it¡¯s indeed too early to bring you here.¡± When I¡¯m looking around impolitely, Karen-san shrugged. I sat on the cushion she pushed over. My eyes are sparkling. Karen-san said this as if she¡¯s sincerely dumbfounded. ¡°Chiaki-san, do you know why I called you here today?¡± ¡°Eh, ah, yes! You want to y the game we picked together, right!? I get it!¡± I puffed up my chest and answered confidently. However, Karen-san sighed again. ¡°Well, that¡¯s the reason I gave, ¡­but you should know it, right?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but look away from Karen-san¡¯s sincere eyes. ¡­I get it. We were talking about recent game gossips on the road from the game store to here. But, actually, ¡­even a girl like me can guess what Karen-san wants to talk about. Also, I don¡¯t think I can fool her. My forehead began to sweat as I gulped. Karen-san made a deration with unprecedented seriousness. ¡°Two people in, one person out¡­¡± ¡°This is even worse than my imagination! Eh, will I die here!? Don¡¯t tell me I¡¯ll get killed here!?¡± I started recoiling on the floor with teary eyes. Karen-san continued with a dark smile. ¡°Chiaki-san, ¡­do I look like that sort of person?¡± ¡°YES!¡±¡¯ ¡°Chiaki-san?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll apologize. Please spare my life¡­!¡± In the end, I finally started begging for my life for the first time. Then, Karen-san looked at me, who¡¯s about to burst into tears for real. ¡­Her dark aura suddenly disappeared as she started chuckling. ¡°Hoho, I¡¯m just kidding. I¡¯m sorry, Chiaki-san.¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re too pleasing. ¡­It makes me really want to do bad things.¡± ¡°B-Bad things? S-So, you¡¯re not going to kill me¡­?¡± ¡°Of course not. How could that be possible?¡± ¡°I-I see. Yeah, it¡¯s impossible when you think about it-¡° ¡°Yes, it¡¯s because someone alreadyined about it in the Game Club.¡± ¡°That means it¡¯s dangerous!?¡± I started backing up to the bed as I freaked out. Karen-san startedughing again. ¡­It looks like I was tricked again. I¡¯m a bit unhappy. ¡°You¡¯re so mean¡­¡± However, I immediately remembered my sins of¡­kissing Keita in front of her. I plopped my head down. ¡°No, ¡­I¡¯m the one being mean¡­¡± When Karen-san saw me mumbling to myself masochistically, she- ¡°¡­I guess so.¡± -She didn¡¯tfort me at all. After that, Karen-san took out the game she bought before. She walked to the TV and plugged the cables into the console from thest generation. Finally, she inserted the game and turned on the console. Just as I¡¯m watching her dazedly, she grabbed two controllers and sat next to me. Then, she handed one of them to me. ¡°Eh, uh¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Karen-san ignored me and started pressing the controller calmly. She started that software, ¡­which is a 1v1 fighting game. So, I still didn''t understand what¡¯s happening until I entered the character selection screen. ¡­But, I decided on my character and startedbating Karen-san. I¡¯m not sure what she wants, but all I can do is answer her right now. That way, all I can do is¡­try my best in the game. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± So, we started the game silently. This is a calm yet seriouspetition. Honestly, as a casual gamer, this is hardly any fun to me at all. Even so, no matter what we¡¯re thinking now, treating a fight seriously until it ends gave us some refreshment. So, after we fought each other 3 times, ¡­I subconsciously showed a faint- smile. Then, seeing that, Karen-san spoke up with a calm tone. ¡°Chiaki-san.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± We stopped during the character selection screen of the 4th match. Karen-san watched the screen and continued. ¡°Did you¡­regret doing that at that time?¡± I bit my lips after hearing this question. ¡­However, I mustered up an answer. ¡°¡­No, ¡­I don¡¯t regret it at all.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡­I know I just said the worst possible thing to Karen-san. However, ¡­that¡¯s what I sincerely think too. But, Karen-san isn¡¯t that angry. It¡¯s not just that, she continued with a slightly relieved tone. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s good to hear. ¡­I¡¯ll be outraged if you answered that you regretted it.¡± ¡°Karen-san¡­¡± ¡°Indeed, as a girl who loves Amano-kun, I¡¯m really pissed. That¡¯s guaranteed. No one in the world will be happy when someone took their loved one¡¯s lips away.¡± ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m sorry¡­!¡± ¡°However, at the same time, as your opponent¡­and your friend, this is what I think too.¡± Karen-san paused for a moment and looked at me determinedly. ¡°Ah, that Chiaki Hoshinomori girl is really handsome¡­¡± ¡°¡­!¡± I can¡¯t help but burst into tears after hearing that. ¡­I didn¡¯t expect to hear that from the dear friend who I¡¯ve hurt the most. Just as I¡¯m about to hug Karen-san with tears due to relief and happiness- ¡°But, I also really want to stab you to death right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± -I immediately turned my hug into a kneel-down. Karen-san looked at me and took a deep sigh. ¡°Ha, ¡­isn¡¯t this an obvious joke? I¡¯m not going to do anything to you.¡± ¡°But, there¡¯s no reason for me to be forgiven!¡± ¡°You do. It¡¯s because you- didn¡¯t regret it. It must be because your bond with Amano-kun is much tighter than I expected.¡± She¡¯s right. I felt sorry for the two for a time. I looked at Karen-san with watery eyes. ¡°¡­Ugh, ¡­K-Karen-san, h-how should I atone for my sins¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Sheesh.¡± Karen-san sighed even more dumbfoundedly. ¡°¡­You won¡¯t ept it no matter how many times I said, please don¡¯t mind it, right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I knew it. ¡­Well, I did take a massive hit in sanity.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but lower my head. Karen-san pressed on. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, for the sake of our mental health, ¡­it¡¯s the best for both worlds if I ept your atonement, right?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, yes! I¡¯ll do anything!¡± I raised my head and spoke loudly. Karen-san- suddenly removed her loving and caring mode. Her eyes were sparkling with an evil glow and confirmed what I said. ¡°You just said¡­you¡¯ll do anything, right, Chiaki-san?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, uh, well, ¡­yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± My whole body began to sweat as I got the expectation that I made a fatal mistake. I quickly added. ¡°E-Even when I said I¡¯ll do anything, it means that, okay? If you¡¯re going to make hentai out of me or ask me to leave Keita, I¡¯m afraid that¡­¡± She heard my annotation. For some reason, ¡­Karen-san¡¯s eyes are sparkling coquettishly as if I fell into her trap. ¡°Oho, ¡­in other words, I can say whatever I want aside from that. Is that correct, Chiaki-san?¡± ¡°Eh? Eh, ¡­well, I-I guess so¡­?¡± Karen-san¡¯s eyes brightened up at the moment I answered. ¡°Excellent! You¡¯re incredible, Chiaki-san! That¡¯s my respectable opponent!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Ah, eh, what¡¯s happening? The ¡°respectable¡± sounds really good until just then. ¡­Now, the word smells nothing but gunpowder. My face went pale once I snapped out of it. My body is sweating profusely. I don¡¯t know what this girl will do- even though I forgot just then, she¡¯s actually a talented genius. I can¡¯t stop trembling once I thought of that. Taking one of my kidneys away? ¡­She said she¡¯s doing that, but she¡¯ll take two in the end. Or, she can connect two electrodes on my brain and turn me into . No, no, no, the worst-case scenario would probably be locking me into an endless game of death- ¡°Chiaki-san.¡± ¡°AH!¡± Just as I¡¯m letting my imagination run wild, she called me, and I can¡¯t help but straighten my back. My sweat won¡¯t stop, and my uniform is thoroughly wetted as if it rained. With that, Karen-san¡­beamed me an angelic smile. Her voice is pretty gentle, ¡­yet with overwhelming pressure. ¡°There¡¯s something I would like you to help with, is that okay?¡± ¡°Y¡­Yes¡­¡± ¡°Great! Well, the thing that I want you to help with has to do with the game-¡° I gulped. ¡­Ah, mom, dad, Konoha, I¡¯m sorry. I¡­I¡¯m about to graduate from my ¡°Chiaki Hoshinomori¡± human form today- ¡°In the game -team up with me to fight against Main-san and take Amano-kun¡¯s ownership back.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll enjoy my life in the virtual world- eh?¡± I digested what Karen-san said once again. For a moment, I was relieved that I don¡¯t need to die. However- I immediately felt the sheer responsibility from her ¡°take Amano-kun¡¯s ownership back.¡± That Chiaki Hoshinomori who dared to kiss a few days ago disappeared utterly. I returned¡­to my usual cowardness. I trembled and burst into tears. ¡°N¡­NOOOOOOOO!¡± ¡°THANK YOU! Let¡¯s give it our best together, Chiaki-san!¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re already pushing the plot without caring about me!? Y-You already decided the conclusion beforehand. ¡­T-This is a trap!¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s start the training, Chiaki-san! Ah, of course, you¡¯ll stay here for a couple days, okay?¡± ¡°NO! MOM, DAD, KONOHAAAAAA!?¡± -I learned something today. No matter how much you want to atone for your sins, you never say, ¡°I¡¯ll do anything.¡± Absolutely not. [I¡¯m also proofreading all the chapters again to fix the mistakes, mostly with names and grammar.] Volume 11, 2 – Aguri and Ultimate Love Guide

Volume 11, Chapter 2 ¨C Aguri and Ultimate Love Guide

Trantor: your_pingas Monday, after school, the week after that shocking kiss incident. The family restaurant meeting between Aguri-san and me is going on as usual today. ¡°Hoshinhi. She¡¯s really a good child, just like Amanhi.¡± Aguri-san returned to her seat after mixing her drink at the bar. Then, she brought up an unbelievable topic. As for me, I stirred the Olle coffee that I don¡¯t really drink and answered. ¡°Ah, I think Konoha-san said something simr a while ago.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­well, she¡¯s definitely not praising me.¡± ¡°Ahaha, I get it.¡± ¡°Uwah, yourugh is really annoying.¡± I pouted sulkily. As for Aguri-san, sheughed cheerfully and took a sip of her Darjeeling tea before taunting me. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong, Amanhi? You keep looking at me. Is it because I¡¯m too cute?¡± I answered the gal half-jokingly. ¡°Ha, please, your cousin¡¯s jokes are already too much for me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that? Well, I guess my cousin does bring a lot of troubles.¡± Aguri-san smiled bitterly. I looked outside the window when she¡¯s enjoying her ck tea. Perhaps it¡¯s because of the strong breezes and snow today. Everyone¡¯s curling up their bodies while walking. In contrast to the coldness, the northernnds are often warmer because of the abundant heaters. ¡­Some people always say that, but this is clearly irrelevant when you¡¯re outside. It¡¯s just an average- winter that can freeze you to death. While I¡¯m a bit sorry for people on the outside, I still took a sip of my Olle coffee. After that, I put down the cup and asked Aguri-san. ¡°So? Aguri-san, you want toin about Chiaki and I pretending to be good children too?¡± ¡°Hmm? No, I¡¯m not taunting you two or anything. I just feel like it would be good for you two to not change. That¡¯s what I meant by good children. However, that¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why- I¡¯m very shocked when Hoshinhi essentially robbed your kiss away.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­¡± I stared at the cup filled with the mixture of milk and coffee. Then, Aguri-san looked a bit surprised and questioned. ¡°But, Amanhi was unexpectedly distressed too even at that time.¡± ¡°Hiya, I was scared as well. Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡± ¡°Then why were you so chill at that time? ¡­You¡¯re literally like the MC in thetter part of a harem anime. ¡®I¡¯m a guy that¡¯s used to girls ughs).¡± That¡¯s the impression you¡¯re giving me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? I feel like that¡¯s the worstint I¡¯ve ever received! No, I wasn¡¯t acting like that at all! There¡¯s still a lot of EXP away from ¡®lol it¡¯s just a kiss¡¯ level!¡± ¡°Eh, isn¡¯t there an intion of your body value yet?¡± ¡°How is it possible!? Who do you think I am!?¡± ¡°An MC in thetter part of a rom novel.¡± ¡°HA! There¡¯s no way for a person like me to provide that sort of entertainment! I¡¯ll say this ahead. No matter how you look at my life, my rtionships are still a mess!¡± ¡°You really did say that ahead. That¡¯s the most tragic retort I¡¯ve ever heard in my life.¡± ¡°Anyway, what I¡¯m trying to say is that there¡¯s no way for me to get used to kisses.¡± ¡°Actually, can I ask you how much EXP you have?¡± ¡°Ah, aside from the school trip kiss when Tendou-san broke up with me, this is the only one- no, why do I have to tell you!?¡± ¡°Uwah, I asked again. There¡¯s a limit to passiveness, you disgusting virgin¡­¡± ¡°Can you not show that explicitly despising gal attitude!? The way you¡¯re looking at me really hurts!¡± ¡°By the way, what happened? Amanhi only had the experience of getting his lips taken away by girls twice. Yet, you¡¯re already acting like a harem MC now? Disgusting. ¡­I bet you¡¯re the type to say ¡®I¡¯ll have the usual¡¯ at a restaurant you visited twice only.¡± ¡°Why am I on the receiving end of such unreasonableints!? I¡¯ve already said this many times before! I wasn¡¯t even chilling like an adult when Chiaki kissed me, okay!?¡± ¡°Well, what were you thinking then when Hoshinhi kissed you?¡± ¡°My heart wouldn¡¯t stop pounding, of course-¡° Just as I¡¯m about to retort, I saw Aguri-san¡¯s mischievous smile. ¡­I finally realized that this is a trap. I cleared my throat and drank my coffee. Aguri-san¡¯s staring at me arrogantly with her evil smile. ¡°Hehehe, your heart wouldn¡¯t stop pounding, Amanhi. When Hoshinhi, ¡­hehe?¡± ¡°W-What do you mean!? I-It¡¯s natural for a boy to feel that when an adorable girl kissed-¡° ¡°Ah, you just said adorable, right? Right? You just said Hoshinhi is adorable, right?¡± ¡°--!¡± ¡°Ha, and you still call her your rival, Amanhi? HA? HMM?¡± ¡°Damn, ¡­you¡¯re like an annoying rtive¡­!¡± Aguri-san kept tormenting me as she finished her ck tea at once. She asked again. ¡°But, if that¡¯s the case, why was Amanhi so calm at the time?¡± ¡°Well, instead of saying calm, ¡­it¡¯s just that the other feelings are much stronger.¡± ¡°Other feelings? Ah, like you were angry that someone did that to you in front of Tendou-san?¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­it would be great if that¡¯s the only feeling. ¡­In reality, it¡¯s the opposite.¡± I looked at the white scenery outside and sighed. ¡°The most profound feeling I can sense from Chiaki¡¯s kiss- is an overwhelming wave of defeat.¡± ¡°D-Defeat?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­Actually, I wanted to kiss Tendou-san at that time.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­I see. That makes sense¡­¡± Aguri-san understood as she looked outside the window too. ¡°¡­Ah, ¡­in other words, if the timing was just a bit off, Hoshinhi would¡¯ve seen Amanhi kissing Tendou-san instead.¡± ¡°Exactly. So, at least I don¡¯t have the right to say what she did was wrong.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s like shooting a person that¡¯s about to open fire, Hoshinhi.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s forget about the dangerous metaphor, but you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Indeed, from this meaning, Amanhi didn¡¯t pull out your gun fast enough. That¡¯s why you¡¯re defeated. ¡­Well, even though I feel like Tendou-san¡¯s chest took that bullet instead.¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­also, I feel like an aplice for receiving the kiss too.¡± ¡°Sigh, that¡¯s why Amanhi won¡¯t be happy no matter how cute the girl that kissed you is.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± I took another swing of Olle coffee again. Strangely, I can¡¯t feel the sweetness anymore. I nced at the cup that¡¯s not steaming anymore and can¡¯t help but mumble. ¡°¡­By the way,e to think of it, all of my memories rted to kissing are bitter. What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± ¡°Hiya, that¡¯s because you¡¯re Amanhi.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need that!¡± ¡°Ah, if you really want sweet kissing memories, you want to drink my ck tea?¡± Aguri-san said that as she pushed her cup to me. ¡­How could someone further destroy a lonely person¡¯s soul and mind? I thought about just licking the entire cup angrily. However, such empty yet terrifying action benefits no one. So, I held myself back. Aguri-san said, ¡°Amanhi sucks.¡± Then, she mischievously smiled and took back the cup before enjoying the tea. ¡­Sheesh. ¡°¡­Even though I¡¯m the same, Aguri-san really doesn¡¯t know how tofort others.¡±s ¡°What are you talking about? Are you getting turned on because I¡¯m teasing you? Amanhi, disgusting.¡± Aguri-san said that and smiled evilly again. After that, she put the cup onto the mat and turned serious. ¡°Well, let¡¯s forget how Amanhi is feeling now first. ¡­Actually, I bet Tendou-san and Hoshinhi aren¡¯t in great shape either.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. Tendou-san must be hurt pretty bad, ¡­and Chiaki isn¡¯t the type that can just ignore what she did¡­¡± ¡°You two started calling each other¡¯s first names. Nice friends you got there¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­I think we treat each other as precious friends.¡± I started to feel like this can¡¯t continue anymore. Honestly, my kissing experience is helplessly bitter. However¡­ I began to frown. Aguri-san started teasing me again. ¡°You¡¯re Amanhi, after all. I understand. But, even if you¡¯re the reason for them to argue, it¡¯s still ¡®their¡¯ problem, right?¡± ¡°Yes, ¡­I know. It¡¯s dumb for me to try and figure out a solution. But¡­¡± ¡°Well, I guess so. You can¡¯t do anything even though your loved ones aren¡¯t happy. It must hurt¡­¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Also, I know full well that I¡¯m the cause. Suddenly, I remembered identally breaking Mom¡¯s favorite vase. At that time, Mom didn¡¯t get angry. Instead, she smiled gently and said, ¡°It¡¯s dangerous. You should stay back.¡± She cleaned the ss shards alone slowly. As for me, ¡­all I could do is to grab my sleeves tightly. There¡¯s nothing I can do aside from watching with embarrassment. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I grabbed the phone from my table. The ck screen is reflecting a depressed face that looks like he just broke someone¡¯s vase. ¡­Actually, after that kiss, I didn¡¯t even manage to contact them. We just sent each other apologies and care. There was literally no contact on the second Sunday. Even though school started already, I didn¡¯t even manage to bump into them in the corridor. Then, reasonably, the Game Hobby Club stopped meeting too. (I wonder what they are doing right now¡­) I thought about this countless times after that day. Then, every time I think about it, my chest begins to contract painfully. ¡­Those two must be thinking about their rivals or me right now. Their after-school life must be much more painful than I do. I looked outside the window to relieve this bitterness of youth. Then- ¡°Don¡¯t give up, Chiaki-san! Why are you giving up right now!? You can do it!¡± ¡°H-Ha, ha, ¡­I can¡¯t do this! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re making me move all of the furniture¡­!¡± -I think I¡¯m seeing two beautiful girls pulling a lot of luggage with sleds as if they are an Antarctica expedition team. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I chuckled and took another sip of Olle coffee. After that, I turned to Aguri-san and smiled. ¡°Haha, caffeine drinks are really better. I¡¯m a guy, after all.¡± ¡°Amanhi decided to escape reality pathetically!¡± Aguri-san started yelling as she looked outside the window. ¡°A-Amanhi? Well, ¡­even though it¡¯s hard for me to say this, I think you¡¯re not hallucinating here. Regrettably, I also saw those two embarrassing acquaintances.¡± Aguri-san said some crazy things with a dumbfounded look. ¡­Yep, both of us are having the same daydream. Something like this can really happen. The world is filled with wonderful things. I looked at the illusion warmly. A seaweed head is pulling the sled with teary eyes, and a blonde girl is leading her relentlessly like she¡¯s a devil coach. ¡°C¡¯mon, you can do it, you can do it! Chiaki-san, you can do better! The only thing stopping you is your mood!¡± ¡°This ¡®mood¡¯ thing is precisely the problem! Look, aren''t a lot of people watching us right now!? Forget about my stamina. My heart can¡¯t take it anymore!¡± ¡°No! Don¡¯t give up! Think about the people around you! Think about the people that are cheering for you right now!¡± ¡°S-Someone¡¯s cheering for me!? For me!? Uh, indeed, the children from afar are staring at me with sparkling eyes¡­! Such humiliation! Is this the hell I¡¯m in!? What did I ever do to deserve this!?¡± ¡°Eh, it¡¯s because you and Amano-kun kis-¡° ¡°Yay! I love pulling sleds! This is so much fun!¡± ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Chiaki-san! That¡¯s how you do it! You can make it! My house is right around the corner!¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ So, the Antarctica expedition team left with noises that sound like a monster dragging its tail. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Hiya, my imagination of beautiful girls is unexpectedly fascinating. Suddenly, I looked in front. Aguri-san¡¯s staring at me with half-dead eyes. ¡°Uh, ¡­I feel sorry for you, Amanhi. I think I was too serious. ¡­Yes, ¡­idiotic things like this¡­¡± ¡°Stop it, Aguri-san. Don¡¯t apologize to a human¡¯s innate sense of seriousness.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that was just an illusion. Alright, we¡¯ll treat it like that, Amanhi!¡± ¡°Wow, yourfort just brought me back to reality.¡± Yeah, ¡­that is obviously¡­not an illusion, ¡­ugh. ¡°¡­Aguri-san, what should I do¡­?¡± Facing a guy that asked painfully, Aguri-san showed a bewildered expression. ¡°Ah, I hope you can ask that when you¡¯re genuinely bothered by love¡­¡± Aguri-san looked mysteriously regretful. She shook her head helplessly and stared at me again. ¡°Right now, I can only tell you one sure thing.¡± ¡°W-What is it?¡± I answered with a bad feeling. Looking at me, Aguri-san¡¯s eyes- glowed brutally. ¡°Even when you start dating one of them, Amanhi¡¯s life will still end up being- a joke.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that!¡± It¡¯s like I just found out that I¡¯m terminally ill. Eh, what is this? Can¡¯t I have even a single sad moment in my life? Here I thought I¡¯m in a pretty honest rtionship. Also, consider how many days are remaining until White Day? I¡¯m supposed to be at the climax of the story, right? Also, ¡­why do I have to see my ¡°Shuzo Matsuoka-ed¡± ex-girlfriend and the mysteriously excited lips robber pulling a sled full of luggage together? Isn¡¯t this strange? [He¡¯s an energetic and passionate TV sportsmentator after retiring from being a tennis yer.] I can¡¯t help but wrap my hands around my head. Aguri-san tries tofort me. ¡°H-Hey, at least those two don¡¯t seem to be fighting. Isn¡¯t it great?¡± ¡°Well, I feel like it¡¯s much worse than fighting¡­¡± Someone¡¯s a borderline ve to the other girl. That¡¯s genuinely a hellish battlefield. However, Aguri-san looked away and continued. ¡°B-But, at least they didn¡¯t stop talking to each other. It¡¯s a good thing. Yes!¡± ¡°Sigh, ¡­I guess you¡¯re right.¡± Honestly, I would be lying if I¡¯m not relieved after seeing those two talking. ¡­Let¡¯s forget what they were talking about first. The worst-case scenario is that the two girls don¡¯t even want to see each other. From this meaning, I¡¯m d to see those two together. ¡­But, by the way, isn¡¯t what happening right now the worst-case scenario in another sense? Ugh¡­ During this time, my phone suddenly started vibrating. The person calling me is- ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Aguri-san. Can I pick up this call?¡± ¡°Eh, sheesh, Amanhi. You¡¯re really going to pick up the phone when chatting alone with an adorable girl-¡° ¡°It¡¯s Main-san.¡± ¡°PICK IT UP. YOU¡¯LL DIE!¡± After Aguri-san¡¯s violent permission, I immediately picked up the call with Main-san. ¡°Hey, hey-¡° ¡°Too slow. Game over, Amako. I¡¯ll go burn your house down right now.¡± It¡¯s an undoubted dead end, but it can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s my fault for spending too much time choosing the option to interact with Main-san. It¡¯s just my house getting burnt. I¡¯ll allow it. ¡°Understood. However, forget about me. Can you at least let my parents and little brother leave in peace?¡± ¡°Eh, why did you just ept it? Are you insane? It¡¯s disgusting even though you¡¯re scared¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I think she bullied me like this before. I¡¯m still terrible at dealing with this person¡­ I sighed. Main-san can¡¯t stopughing on the other side of the phone. ¡°Hiya, you¡¯re still you. I¡¯m getting excited after chatting with you for two seconds. Love you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the worst ¡®love you¡¯ I¡¯ve heard in my life.¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s get married then.¡± ¡°Uwah!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a hundred times more scared than when I said I¡¯ll burn your house down. What are you trying to say, asshole? I¡¯ll really kill you, socially. I¡¯ll put Mii to good use.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t propose a scenario that¡¯s a hundred times more realistic than burning my house down. It¡¯s horrifying.¡± However, honestly, an intelligent kid like Mii-chan can aplish Main-san¡¯s mission perfectly. I¡¯ll be eradicated from society. ¡­I remembered stepping on her once like she¡¯s a Kuriboh because of how small she is (in Super Mario). I took a huge sigh and urged Main-san to continue. ¡°So, what do you want, Main-san? I¡¯m chatting with Aguri-san right now¡­¡± ¡°Ah, sorry for intruding on your after-sex chattering.¡± ¡°That after-sex is absolutely unnecessary! We¡¯re just chatting normally! It¡¯s a routine!¡± ¡°Ah, the routine¡­love motel¡­meeting?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a family restaurant meeting! What do you mean by love motel!? We¡¯re not that erotic!¡± I yelled. Aguri-san heard that and started coughing. ¡°Love¡­!?¡± ¡­Crap, it¡¯s a trap. This person can attack Aguri-san and me at the same time across the phone. After Main-sanughed cheerfully for a while, she seemed satisfied and continued. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you something first. Just then, I received a message from your ex-girlfriend.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± The unexpected conversation made me answered dazedly. ¡°That Antarctica expedition team¡¯s captain¡¯s¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Oh, no. What is this? It¡¯s been a long time since a genius like me can¡¯t understand what someone¡¯s saying. Scary. You¡¯re incredible, Amako.¡± I think I just got unbelievably praised. I cleared my throat and corrected myself. ¡°Well, so, Tendou-san messaged you?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°By the way, when did you two exchange contacts?¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, we exchanged information when we were fightingst time.¡± ¡°Exchanged information¡­? Ah, you mean using QR codes or IDs-¡± ¡°No, Morse code.¡± ¡°Morse code!?¡± ¡°We gave each other¡¯s ID by pressing the buttons in a rhythm during the fight.¡± ¡°You stupid geniuses!¡± Is there a rule that says a Game Club president must be weird? Just as I felt speechless, Main-san said, ¡°Anyway, she contacted me.¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s picking a fight with me. Your ownership is on the line here.¡± ¡°Sigh, again¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but sigh. Well, honestly, I already know that Tendou-san would rechallenge her sooner orter. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t expect to be this quick. In reality, I don¡¯t think she can win yet¡­ I wrapped my hands around my head and moaned. Main-san got uncharacteristically surprised and continued, ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­¡± ¡°Unexpectedly, she asked whether it¡¯s possible to not do a 1v1.¡± ¡°Not 1v1? Well, what does that¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, she wants a 4-yer, Smash Bros. style fight. In other words¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that there are two more aside from Tendou-san and Main-san?¡± ¡°Yes, and the members are already in ce. It¡¯s Chiaki Hoshinomori and that Nina Osio girl.¡± ¡°Ha? What¡¯s with the members?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Anyway, it¡¯s these 4 people. The one who wins can obtain your ownership.¡± ¡°No, no, no, I mean-¡° What¡¯s wrong with them? The choice of members is already pretty strange. There¡¯s no reason for Chiaki to join, considering her skills. Also, I don¡¯t understand why Oiso-senpai wants my ownership as well. Shouldn¡¯t Tendou-san and Main-san fight alone? The problem with the members¡­ ¡°Hey, Amanhi, Amanhi, tell me what¡¯s happening too.¡± ¡°Eh, ah, well¡­¡± I started exining to this high school girl with my phone next to my ears. Aguri-san is also confused. ¡°Even though I don¡¯t know about games, ¡­isn¡¯t Main-san at a super disadvantage here? Although it¡¯s an individual match in name, this is practically a 3v1, right?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to ask that too¡­¡± It¡¯s pretty clear who¡¯s in favor of winning in a Smash Bros. game. Also, they are going to be fighting amon ¡°enemy¡± to obtain my ownership. A person like her is guaranteed to be ganged up. Honestly, this match is so unfair that it didn¡¯t sound like Tendou-san suggested. However, Main-san continued as if she¡¯s defending her. ¡°Well, I¡¯m fine with it. You brats are all banding together. That¡¯s how I feel.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still that arrogant demon king.¡± ¡°Ah, but, aside from that, Karen Tendou also emphasized that¡¯s aplete personal battle. No matter what, the rted¡­¡± ¡°Huh! ¡­I-I see.¡± In reality, right now, even though Tendou-san and Chiaki aren¡¯tpeting over my ownership, they are still fighting over me. When there¡¯s a battle of my ownership, they don¡¯t want to lose to each other, not to mention Main-san¡­ But, if that¡¯s the case, isn¡¯t it simply dangerous to let Oiso-senpai join the game? If this is a true 1v1v1v1, she¡¯s an enemy on the same level as Main-san. It¡¯s just increasing the difficulty. Well, but, in this sense, Chiaki will probably lose. I think it¡¯s an excellent opportunity for Tendou-san to kick her away too- ¡°Ah, also, I think Karen Tendou¡¯s training with Chiaki Hoshinomori in her own house for around a week before the start of the battle.¡± ¡°Ha!?¡± Training with Chiaki? Why? Aren¡¯t they rivals? By the way, there¡¯s no benefit to Tendou-san in terms of skills, right? What¡¯s wrong with her? Eh, what is my ex-girlfriend trying to do? My head¡¯s slowly getting dizzy. ¡­Karen Tendou is really an unpredictable person. Perhaps even Main-san is easier to understand. She¡¯s smart and dumb, talented and clumsy, realistic yet passionate. I don¡¯t know what reasons she used to achieve this conclusion. When I think about it- I can¡¯t help butugh. So, I can¡¯t help but gradually smile. Then, I realized Aguri-san¡¯s looking at me with a mischievous smile. I coughed to cover up my embarrassment and continued talking to Main-san. ¡°So, you epted the challenge?¡± ¡°Ah, of course. It¡¯s taking ce next Wednesday after school at the Game Club.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­By the way, what are you going to do if you win? My ownership is already yours, right?¡± ¡°Well, about that. Karen Tendou asked me that too just then. I did request something.¡± ¡°What is it? Don¡¯t tell me you want all of their ownerships¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. Do I look like such an annoying person?¡± ¡°You literally are.¡± ¡°Alright, but I really didn¡¯t ask for that this time. Appreciate my generosity, Amako.¡± ¡°Eh, really. Thanks, so what did you ask for¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, well.¡± Main-san paused for a moment here. After that, she cheerfully- told me this. ¡°I¡¯ll have the right to decide who you¡¯ll be dating.¡± ¡°HOW COULD YOU!?¡± This is the worst result for Tendou-san, Chiaki, and me. What¡¯s wrong with this person? She¡¯s too talented at hitting her opponents at the weakest spot, right? I trembled and urged her. ¡°W-Well, ¡­how did Tendou-san-¡° ¡°Yeah, she moaned for a while as if she¡¯s being burnt with fire. But, she epted it eventually.¡± ¡°Can you stop torturing my ex-girlfriend mentally!?¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯s the one that proposed thispetition. It¡¯s guaranteed to be a 3v1. So, I have the right to ask for an equivalent reward.¡± Tck, there goes her irritatingly correct logic again¡­! But, the one thing that I don¡¯t understand is¡­ ¡°Well, there¡¯s no need for me, who isn¡¯t even in the battle, to be dragged into this, right¡­¡± ¡°Hey, hey, Amako. Girls are fighting for you, and yet you¡¯re still dragging your feet on paying the consequences. Ha, you disappoint me.¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­it¡¯s because everyone will-¡° ¡°Amako.¡± Main-san suddenly stopped her joking attitude. She asked seriously. ¡°Did you really think that Karen Tendou asked for a fight on the premise that she would lose?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but clench my fist after hearing that. Right, ¡­I already considered Main-san as an absolute existence since a long time ago. I began to follow her orders subconsciously. Indeed, I can¡¯t beat her. However, ¡­I didn¡¯t get to decide whether Tendou-san can defeat her or not. That¡¯s- different from ¡°worrying¡± about her, right. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I closed my eyes and thought for a moment. At the next second, I opened my eyes and spoke up determinedly. ¡°No, I¡¯ll trust Tendou-san if she thinks she can.¡± ¡°In other words?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll ept the condition too. You can do whatever you want with my rtionship if you win. I¡¯m betting on Tendou-san- no, Tendou-san and Chiaki.¡± ¡°Very well. You¡¯re a great person, after all.¡± After she said that, Main-san¡¯s tone returned to normal. ¡°Hey, rx. AlthoughI didn¡¯t say this because I want to hype up Karen Tendou, I won¡¯t force you to date someone you don¡¯t like even if I win.¡± ¡°Eh, really?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m always saying this, right? I love you. I¡¯ll definitely make you happy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but scratch my cheeks. Ah, ¡­this person is unexpectedly kind- ¡°But, honestly, I thought it would be interesting for you to date Tasuku Uehara.¡± ¡°Yep, you¡¯re that kind of person!¡± ¡°Actually, I really don¡¯t want you to date someone you don¡¯t love. But, while I said that, I want you to date a girl you¡¯ve been craving for in your heart.¡± ¡°Ah, also, right now, the girl you¡¯ve been craving for- is actually me. Hiya, this is embarrassing.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t afford to lose this war!¡± What kind of agreement did youe up with, my ex-girlfriend!? Let me say this first, your opponent is a devil beyond your imagination! This person ns to break our carefully crafted love stories like it¡¯s a useless and boring vase! Main-san chuckled and said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s all.¡± She hung up while I¡¯m still enraged. Damn, ¡­she just wants entertainment from other people. The depression I¡¯ve been having after Chiaki¡¯s kiss is already- ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­N-No, wait, it¡¯s impossible. She¡¯s not kind enough to do something like this, right. Hmm. ¡­I guess not, right? ¡°Amanhi, Amanhi. Hey, exin to me as well.¡± ¡°Ah, right, sorry.¡± I snapped out of it once Aguri-san urged me. I exined in detail about Tendou-san¡¯s fight. After she hears all of it, Aguri-san is a bit dumbfounded. ¡°Why are you guys¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with all of you? Are all gamers retarded?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the worst thing you can say to gamers! Even though I feel like I must retort here, all of the people I met are really retarded. So, I have nothing to say!¡± I wrapped my hands around my brain. Aguri-san bitterly smiled and continued. ¡°However, ¡­I¡¯m a bit envious of how simple and innocent you are.¡± ¡°Hmm? Aguri-san?¡± Aguri-san put her cup onto its mat. She looked outside the window and got uncharacteristically upset. I shot her a- worried look, even though I¡¯m not in such a position. Aguri-san noticed me and tried to cover it up. ¡°What¡¯s with your face, Amanhi? I¡¯m okay. There is some progress between Tasuku and me. We got a lot closer.¡± ¡°Hmm? But, if that¡¯s the case, you¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­well.¡± Aguri-san said that as she searched the bag next to her. Then, she grabbed¡­ ¡°¡­Labears?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± We bought that for our loved ones during the school trip. However, in the end, we didn¡¯t manage to hand them out because we broke up. It¡¯s a pair of teddy bears. Aguri-san yed with the teddy bears and said this dazedly. I love Tasuku so much. This will never change. Even though there might be some hesitation during the expressing feeling part, ¡­recently, this is what I think.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Perhaps Tasuku- loves the ¡®present¡¯ the most.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The snow on the window is slowly melting because of the indoor temperature. Aguri-san looked at the people rushing home and squeezed a smile. ¡°Ah, but I love the ¡®present¡¯ the most too. So, we don¡¯t need to push-¡° ¡°Aguri-san.¡± I interrupted Aguri-san and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m d that I met Aguri-san.¡± ¡°W-What are you saying? Is this a confession?¡± ¡°Well, you can think of it however you want.¡± ¡°N-No, I don¡¯t think I can¡­¡± Aguri-san¡¯s still confused. But, I ignored her and continued. ¡°I was always helplessly alone until I met everyone in the Game Hobby Club. However, ¡­there was still something you need to fight for, even if you¡¯re a loner.¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± ¡°You want to stay in the present. ¡­You have to be exhaustingly aware of it to avoid your high school life take a turn for the worse.¡± ¡°Amanhi¡­¡± Aguri-san¡¯s looking at me sympathetically. I¡¯m a bit embarrassed, so I looked outside the snowy window. ¡°But, the ¡®present¡¯ is the same as the snow. No matter how much you want to protect something important to you, it¡¯ll still end up melting away and drip off between your fingers. That¡¯s why my high school life¡­is slowly yet concretely taking the worse turn.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°However, the people who changed this are Tendou-san, Uehara-kun, Chiaki, and Aguri-san, using your sincere words. ¡­Everything started because we said honest things that could¡¯ve led to hatred.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°I must¡¯ve opened my hands at that time. I hadn''t noticed it at that time. ¡­Confessing my feelings to the person in front of me is my favorite thing to do. I didn¡¯t care how much snow had fallen off my palm. ¡­Rejecting Tendou-san¡¯s invitation, bickering with Uehara-kun and Chiaki, then¡­¡± I looked at the girl in front of me again and spoke up honestly. ¡°¡­You taught me how precious it is to love someone.¡± ¡°!¡± Something¡¯s sparkling in Aguri-san¡¯s eyes. Finally, I tried toe to a conclusion. ¡°So, that¡¯s how I¡¯m thinking right now.¡± ¡°The ¡®present¡¯ isn¡¯t turned from the past that you¡¯ve held dearly. Instead, it¡¯s the future you try so hard to grasp with the energy from the past. That¡¯s what the ¡®present¡¯ means.¡± ¡°Amanhi, ¡­I, ¡­I¡­¡± Aguri-san lowered her head as if she didn¡¯t want me to see how embarrassed she was. I should encourage her- I thought about that and continued. ¡°To make the ¡®present¡¯ that Uehara-kun loves even shinier, Aguri-san, all you need to do is to move forward determinedly like before. That¡¯s the Aguri-san I¡­love.¡± Aguri-san lowered her head and wiped the corner of her eyes. ¡­Finally, she returned to her usual tone and made aeback. ¡°Hehe, ¡­that¡¯s indeed a confession, Amanhi.¡± ¡°Who knows? But, even if that¡¯s the case, what you¡¯ll do and how you feel won¡¯t be moved by this, am I right?¡± I asked. Aguri-san rubbed her eyes with her wrist. ¡°¡­Of course!¡± She answered proudly and raised her refreshed face. ¡°I love Tasuku the most! Then, -I¡¯ll confess this feeling with my whole body! This is me!¡± ¡°¡­.Yes, this is how my Master Aguri-san should be.¡± We smiled at each other. ¡­So, the losers¡¯ family restaurant meeting has a moment of peace we never experienced before- ¡°Ah, so, sorry, Amanhi. I just physically can¡¯t ept gaming otaku.¡± ¡°Yep, you just had to ruin the mood and reject me! This isn¡¯t a confession, by the way! Even if it is, can¡¯t you just reject it more subtly and gently!?¡± ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t Amanhi just say something about being honest?¡± ¡°I did say that! But that doesn¡¯t mean an indiscriminate attack!¡± ¡°Shut up. ¡­You justpared the ¡®present¡¯ to the snow to express your feelings, disgusting otakus¡­¡± ¡°HAAAAA!? I take back what I said! Take back your honest words, you thick-lined gal!¡± ¡°HAAAAA!? You treat your master as a thick-lined gal!? How disrespectful!? You didn¡¯t improve at all. This hikineet didn¡¯t improve in this year at all.¡± ¡°Ha, right back at the clich¨¦ and slow-burn couple!¡± ¡°You mad? Did you say that? Did you really say that? I¡¯ll have to say something too if you say that!¡± ¡°W-What!? I¡¯ll get furious depending on what you¡¯re going to say!?¡± ¡°Amanhi as a boyfriend reallycks future-¡° ¡°DAMN YOUUUUUU!¡± So, the family restaurant meeting returned to its usual idiocy. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ It looks like there¡¯s still some time before the family restaurant meeting can truly calm down. Volume 11, 3 – Gamers and Final Battle

Volume 11, Chapter 3 ¨C Gamers and Final Battle

Trantor: your_pingas The day of the final battle came in a sh. It¡¯s the second Wednesday of March, just a little bit away from White Day. The after-school Game Club room is filled with a silent yet hot atmosphere. Of course. After all, right now, in the room- ¡°Are you kidding me!?¡± -Suddenly, Uehara-kun stepped forward. He startedining and looked around with sweat on his face. ¡°Isn¡¯t there too many people in the room!?¡± ¡°¡­Ha.¡± After hearing that, everyone thought, ¡°he finally said it,¡± and sighed. Indeed, ¡­we didn¡¯t bring it up just then. However, right now, the room that can only allow a maximum of 6 people- -There are 12 people in here. The heat is suffocating. Uehara-kun sighed deeply and continued. ¡°Anyway, the girls camp in this battle, ¡­Main Fushiguro-san, Karen Tendou, Chiaki Hoshinomori, and Nina Oiso-san, are supposed to be here.¡± Uehara-kun said that and looked at the four girls sitting around the monitor in the center. I nodded and observed around again. The room today looks a bit different. Some modifications are made for this significantpetition. The usual long tables are folded and ced against the wall. The empty middle area is upied by thergest monitor in the room. The four are standing in front with their controllers. It¡¯s Chiaki, Tendou-san, Main-san, and Oiso-senpai in order. After that, the 8 audiences are sitting around them in a semicircle. ¡­Well, honestly, it¡¯s guaranteed for us to have to squeeze in such a packed room. During this time, Uehara-kun suddenly looked at me. ¡°Also, ¡­it¡¯s okay for Amano to be here since he¡¯s the prize.¡± ¡°Hey, can you not say I¡¯m the prize?¡± I can¡¯t help but interrupt Uehara-kun. ¡°Even though it¡¯s rted to my ownership, the winner doesn¡¯t have to like me¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Chiaki and Tendou-san turned around and looked at me. Just as I¡¯m feeling dazed, Oiso-senpai, who turned a bit slower, saidzily. ¡°I was trying to make you clean my house and doundry¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s how you¡¯re going to use my ownership!? Eh, don¡¯t tell me Chiaki and Tendou-san are thinking of the same thing!? You want me to do all that, just like Main-san!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°W-Why are you two looking away!?¡± I¡¯m a bit hurt. Suddenly, Main-san chuckled. ¡°Hoho, such an exciting thought, Amako.¡± ¡°M-Main-san, ¡­but, honestly, I feel like I¡¯m Princess Peach waiting for the Mario Bros toe to save me from Bowser. That¡¯s how I trusted Tendou-san and Chiaki¡­¡± ¡°Ah, you thought the main goal was to take something back from the enemy, right? Actually, you nned to do that when you¡¯re betting Agu¡¯s ownership, right. However, ¡­look, look at their eyes.¡± Main-san said that and looked at the girl¡¯s camp. ¡°This isn¡¯t the eyes of Marioing to save Peach from Bowser. This is-¡° Then, ¡­she announced loudly. ¡°-It¡¯s Wario trying to snatch Peach as a prize away from Bowser.¡± ¡°You mean there¡¯s not even one righteous partner here!?¡± I¡¯m sweating profusely. ¡­This is the brutal reality. ¡­Yes, indeed, even if the ownership is transferred to Oiso-senpai. There should be no changepared to when Main-san¡¯s owning me. In other words, right now, ¡­I¡¯m not actually here to cheer anyone up? Am I just Princess Peach looking at Wario and Bowser fighting outside the castle with dead eyes? Just as I¡¯m staring into nothing, Uehara-kun cleared his throat forcefully. Come to think of it, he¡¯s only halfway through hisint. I took a step back. Uehara-kun continued. ¡°Well, ording to the situation, as you all know, there are only 5 people in this match ¨C the girl¡¯s camp and Amano. They are responsible for this. In other words, they should be in this fight. However¡­¡± Uehara-kun paused for a moment. At the next moment, he screamed in this overpopted club room. ¡°What¡¯s with the other people!? Non-club members shouldn¡¯t be here!¡± ¡°Hey, Tasuku Uehara, are you really in a position to say this?¡± Gakuto Kase-senpai, whose sses are shining,ined. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Uehara-kun moaned and took a step back. Kase-senpai continued calmly. ¡°Everyone aside from the Game Club is outsiders to us. Right, Mizumi?¡± ¡°Uh, well, I don¡¯t hate this lively room, though¡­¡± ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± Mizumi-kun was suddenly brought up. He smiled bitterly. Kase-senpai hmphed disappointingly. ¡­Ah, Mizumi-kun is still pretty awkward here. Mizumi-kun and I exchanged looks tofort each other. Inparison, Kase-senpai red at Uehara-kun once again. ¡°Well, ording to what we¡¯re doing today, I¡¯m okay with those 5 you mentioned entering here. However, the other people, ¡­especially you, and the girl that¡¯s your lover, you two have no right to be here, am I correct?¡± Kase-senpai¡¯s sses are sparkling with sarcasm. Uehara-kun is a bit scared. ¡°No, ¡­well! Aguri and I! We¡¯re in the Game Hobby Club with Amano!¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s not the Game Club, you two.¡± ¡°Well, aren¡¯t we brother clubs or something!? Especially with Amano as the medium here! Then, when we¡¯re deciding the fate of Amano, ¡­the Game Hobby Club should have observing rights! You agree, Aguri!?¡± ¡°Yeah, Tasuku.¡± ¡°See?¡± Uehara-kun and Aguri-san are having fun. ¡­Ugh, how should I say this? I¡¯m a bit triggered now. ¡°That couple intern is honestly so annoying, right?¡± I¡¯m getting this feeling. Of course, Kase-senpai is even more triggered at this first-time-entering-clubroom excitement. He pushed his sses and made an even more severe warning. ¡°Get out right now, you two. Sheesh, what do you think this holy Game Club room is¡­?¡± ¡°Ha?¡± However, Aguri-san is mad with Kase-senpai¡¯s attitude. The sweet attitude she showed to Uehara-kun disappeared utterly. She equipped my- no, our otakus¡¯ worst fear, ¡°a gal¡¯s despising look.¡± She soon counterattacked Kase-senpai. ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing what you¡¯re saying for a while now. What? I mean, Amanhi¡¯s on the line here. Isn¡¯t the one that¡¯s the least interested and serious sses-senpai?¡± sses-senpai. Kase-senpai¡¯s character is entirely destroyed with this nickname. Of course, he couldn¡¯t retort to Aguri-san¡¯s sharp and logical attack. In the end- ¡°Ugh¡­! I-I¡¯ll take a hundred steps back and acknowledge you two!¡± -He avoided the fight just as usual. Oiso-senpai mumbled in the middle of the room, ¡°How embarrassing.¡± I¡¯m sorry, Kase-senpai. ¡­That¡¯s the most reasonable point as a Game Club member. Kase-senpai cleared his throat and covered it up. His next target is- the junior duo next to me. ¡°Hey, those two from other schools! Where¡­did you twoe from!?¡± Kase-senpai pointed at them with a confused look. To hisint, ¡­the two sitting next to me- Kousei Amano and Konoha Hoshinomori-san answered at the exact same time calmly. It¡¯s like they already anticipated it. ¡°Rtives. You got a problem?¡± ¡°What do you mean by you got a problem!? What kind of reason is this!? You think this is a public lecture!?¡± Kase-senpai is really pissed with the impolite duo. I sighed helplessly and looked at the little brother and sister that are seemingly guarding me. ¡°You two aren¡¯t this school¡¯s students. It¡¯s a bit¡­¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± For some reason, Uehara-kun suddenly agreed with me. The person that said there are too many people in the room started getting arrogant again. ¡°It already has nothing to do with the Game Club and Game Hobby Club. You two aren¡¯t even from Otobuki. Isn¡¯t it weird to be here like nothing¡¯s wrong!?¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah! You guys are really cheeky! Seriously, give some face to your senpai and get out, okay!?¡± ¡­Hmm, well, even though he¡¯s unwilling to budge, in a sense, it¡¯s reasonable. However, these two, ¡­Konoha-san and Kousei, won¡¯t back down with that alone. The two chuckled like Uehara-kun¡¯s an idiot. They said at the same time again. ¡°Family rtionships are much deeper than friendships in school¡­!¡± ¡°I-I guess so!¡± Even though Uehara-kun¡¯sining, he looked away after seeing the two¡¯s determined eyes. Then, finally¡­ ¡°¡­E-Even so, ¡­no matter what, Mii¡¯s weird to be here. Mii¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± ¡­Finally, Uehara-kun turned to the little girl that looked the weakest. Kase-senpai agreed. The girls in the room sent despising looks to the guys, considering how embarrassing we are. ¡­What¡¯s wrong? These girls¡¯ aura even gives Mizumi-kun and me enormous pressure, even though we have nothing to do with it! Kousei¡¯s still putting out his usual slightly pissed look! Among all of this, the little girl who¡¯s suddenly brought up, Mii-chan, she¡¯s calmer than everyone. ¡­Then, she sent the most lethal attack to the guys¡¯ camp. ¡°No, no, I feel like the weirdest part is the people that actually waste time on this.¡± ¡°Uwah!?¡± Mii-chan inherited Main-san¡¯s logical spears and sent the guys¡¯ camp straight to the grave. Kousei suddenly smiled next to me for some reason. ¡°Hiya, you¡¯re constantly at your A-game, Mii-chan. ¡­I want to learn from you too.¡± ¡°W-What are you trying to learn, Kousei?¡± My little brother is really unusual these days. What happened? Did he receive some lousy influence? From Main-san¡­ Just as I¡¯m thinking about that, Main-san yelled ¡°hey¡± violently. I can¡¯t help but straighten my back. Main-san showed a disdaining smile on the foldable chair. After that, she turned to the audience and said this to everyone. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s not waste my time- you excited brats.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Everyone immediately chickened out after feeling her pressure and violent aura. However, I sighed at Main-san and shrugged. ¡°My, my, look who¡¯s talking. You¡¯re the one that looks the happiest here.¡± Main-san immediately curled up her lips after I pointed it out. She showed an innocent, youth-like smile. ¡°Oh, you saw it?¡± ¡°I saw it a long time ago. Even though I realized it, ¡­can you please not intimidate someone other than Aguri-san, Mii-chan, and me? I mean your devil king aura.¡± ¡°Hmm? Stop saying nonsense, Amako. I¡¯m actually the enemy of every single one of you, right?¡± Main-san said that as she observed everyone¡¯s faces again. Sheughed even more excitedly. ¡°Ah, sorry, allow me to correct myself. None of you are qualified to be called my enemy.¡± Main-san turned back to the screen as if she lost interest. Right away, even Kase-senpai and Mizumi-kun released their aggressive aura silently, not to mention Konoha-san and Kousei. ¡­Hiya, you¡¯re a genius! This person is a genius at making enemies! Making people hate her is like breathing to this person! (Well, but this is just ¡°nting¡± the seed, right¡­) I think she¡¯s trying to cultivate a serious opponent as she did to me before. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± Once we snapped out of it, Aguri-san, Mii-chan, and I sighed at the same time. Sigh, I feel we¡¯re parents taking care of a capricious child¡­ Main-san ignored our worries andpletely controlled the mood here. ¡°Well, let me confirm this for thest time. The next match is an individual battle instead of a team fight. The winner- can obtain Keita Amano¡¯s ownership. No problem? Otobuki High School Game Club president Karen Tendou-san?¡± Main-san stared at the blonde high school girl next to her provocatively. However, Tendou-san wasn¡¯t moved by an inch. She answered calmly. ¡°Yes, no problem. Former Game Club president, Main Fushiguro-san. Also, you get to decide who Amano-kun will be dating if you win.¡± Main-san turned to me as she said that. Kousei and Konoha-san immediately took a step forward and red at Main-san ferociously. ¡­I-I¡¯m happy that you two are stepping up for me. However, I think that¡¯s just her acting. Actually, recently, this person really wanted me to be happy¡­ Well, I think Main-san will beat me to death if I say that out loud here. So, I won¡¯t exin it. ¡­The actual problem is that the ¡°Keita Amano being happy¡± in Main-san¡¯s heart is slightly different than my imagination. In this sense, it¡¯s a fact that my future is highly unstable. ¡°Well, let¡¯s start.¡± Tendou-san said that and picked up the controller. The testing screen switched to the title screen of the game. I can see Aguri-san¡¯s pulling at Uehara-kun¡¯s sleeves. ¡°Hey, Tasuku. It¡¯s probably super bad timing to ask this right now. ¡­What game is this?¡± ¡°What? Aguri, you don¡¯t even know what < Smash Bros. > is?¡± [It¡¯s actually not Smash Bros. but something called < Sutoshisu >. It¡¯s practically the same as Smash Bros.] ¡°I don¡¯t know. What is that? Is it the most interesting?¡± ¡°What do you mean by the most interesting?¡± Uehara-kun dropped his shoulder dumbfoundedly. ¡­Yep, Aguri-san really doesn¡¯t know anything about this game. She just came here to apany Uehara-kun. ¡­Thanks for the work, Uehara-kun. When Tendou-san pressed the start button and entered the menu, Uehara-kun started exining it to Aguri-san. ¡°< Smash Bros. > is a multiyerbat game. You can have at a max of 4 people on a screen.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s affordable.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really understand your feedback. Anyway, let¡¯s continue. The best part about it¡­is that you can use characters in various games!¡± Coincidentally, the screen is disying the character selection screen just as Uehara-kun is exining this part excitedly. Every protagonist on there is from famous games. Looking at this breathtaking scene, Aguri-san can¡¯t help but- hug Uehara-kun. ¡°¡­Hey, who are they?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act like you¡¯re a child staying at a distant cousin¡¯s home! Everyone is pretty famous there!¡± ¡°I see. ¡­T-Thanks for the work.¡± ¡°Distance! You know what, whatever! A-Anyway, you can choose your favorite character to fight from these amazing people. There are some specific rules about the actualbat¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I see. It¡¯s a civic trial, right. Civic trial.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too much! Didn¡¯t I say it¡¯s abat fighting game!?¡± ¡°Well, but a couple girls are deciding their love with this game. Isn¡¯t this the most important¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean by that¡¯s the most important!? It¡¯s not a trial! It¡¯s a battle!¡± ¡°¡­This is really the worst situation.¡± ¡°Yep, I knew I always lived in a different world than you! Even though it¡¯s a battle, it¡¯s not like there will be bloodshed. Think about the world in < Smash Bros. >¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s easy to understand. You¡¯re incredible, Tasuku. Unlike some lonely otakus!¡± ¡°Oi.¡± I can¡¯t help but re at Aguri-san. She immediately looked away. This gal¡­! Uehara-kun cleared his throat and continued the exnation. ¡°So, the one different thing is that this isn¡¯t based on HP. All of the stages are like floating inds. You lose when you fall or get kicked out of the screen.¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­so it¡¯s like a Dohyo ring except the outside is filled with piranhas?¡± [The ring you see in sumo.] ¡°Well, that¡¯s a sudden game of death. Honestly, I¡¯m a bit shocked at my ex-girlfriend¡¯sck of knowledge. But, I think you got the point.¡± ¡°So, to put it simply, whoever survives wins, right?¡± ¡°Well, ¡­that¡¯s based on the rules. Some allow you to respawn immediately and count points instead. Then, there¡¯s also the battle royale mode Aguri just said. This time is¡­¡± Uehara-kun paused for a moment and continued a bit nervously. ¡°¡­It¡¯s battle royale.¡± ¡°Hmm? This is not the normal game mode?¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­it is. But¡­¡± ¡°People normally y by the point system in < Smash Bros. > since you can revive after dying. So, everyone can always enjoy the game. Also, even if there are some random elements, you won¡¯t immediately lose because of a single match. This rule can reflect your average skill level pretty well. It¡¯s fair and square. However, battle royale¡­isn¡¯t the same.¡± The girls chose their characters and are now selecting the stage. I continued my thought. (People will lose one by one in a battle royale. Of course, this is actually an interesting and exciting rule. However, honestly, if you¡¯re asking me whether this shows your true skill, I¡¯ll answer no. It¡¯s all over if an overwhelmingly strong character dies in an ident.) ¡­However, ¡­no, that¡¯s why Tendou-san chose this game mode. In other words¡­ (She¡¯s throwing everything away to try and beat Main-san in a short time¡­) Uehara-kun and I, ¡­no, people who know this game understand that. That¡¯s why this room is filled with an unusual nervousness. Mizumi-kun is in awe as he¡¯s watching the girls. ¡°Choosing a one-chance battle royale in such an important fight, ¡­I would never do that.¡± It¡¯s not just Mizumi-kun. I bet everyone¡¯s thinking about the same thing. This will be a short fight, no matter what. That¡¯s why I¡¯m even more nervous than when we were ying < CM >. After all, it¡¯s over when you die. You don¡¯t get to count your total score in the end. The entire thing will be over in something like 3 minutes. I can¡¯t believe they are betting on some of the most critical stuff in their lives in such a short time. They are already at the athlete level. (Also, this is even heavier when they trained for a week¡­) My stomach is already hurting as the audience alone. The voltage in the room is slowly increasing when the level is chosen. Kousei, who was observing the situation, got his face close to my ears and whispered. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not just a battle royale. There are also no items, no special mechanics on the stage. It¡¯s just a normal stage. ¡­This condition is way too harsh for Chiaki-senpai, onii-san.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Honestly, I can¡¯t let this go as well. Such an environment¡­is extremely hardcore. No, I think skilled people like Tendou-san, Main-san, and Oiso-senpai are already used to it. But that¡¯s not the same for Chiaki. Come to think of it, it¡¯s already weird when Chiaki can join these people. Also, Chiaki basically faded into nothing aftering here. ¡°Onii-san¡­¡± Kousei looked like he wanted to say something. ¡­I know. I should be the one to say this here. This isn¡¯t fair to Chiaki. However¡­ ¡°It¡¯s okay, Kousei.¡± ¡°Onii-san?¡± Kousei is confused. However, I looked at Chiaki. ¡­She¡¯s watching the screen fearlessly and determinedly. ¡°I would be insulting Chiaki if I say that for her right here.¡± ¡°¡­I see. ¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Kousei said that as he smiled childishly and innocently. ¡­Even though I don¡¯t get to see it that much, ¡­this is his characteristic gentle smile. I smiled at my adorable little brother. Finally- ¡°Well- let¡¯s begin.¡± -The final battle is here with Tendou-san¡¯s deration. * ¡°Onii-san, this is indeed too¡­¡± Kousei is saying this worriedly next to me. My forehead began to sweat. It¡¯s only been 30 seconds. However, ¡­the difference between the yers is already clear to the audience. (Chiaki¡¯s falling too far behind everyone else¡­) Honestly, they are so amazing that casual gamers like us can¡¯t exin it perfectly. Main-san, Tendou-san, and Oiso-senpai¡¯s movement already reached an e-sport yer¡¯s level. Defense, evasion, cancetion, receiving, rotation, dislocation, jumping, diving, these three already mastered the basic movementsmon to all characters. Aside from that, their character-specific reactions are also carried out at an impressive speed. So, newbie audiences like us can¡¯t tell the tide aside from the percentage below. However, even so, we still clearly know that¡­one person, Chiaki, is falling behind. Honestly, she¡¯s not even worth being the other three¡¯s opponent. It¡¯s not weird for her to be immediately kicked out too. But, ironically, it¡¯s because the other three are letting her live because she¡¯s not worth defeating. As a result, although it¡¯s still a danger if she gets hurt, Chiaki is still trying her best to survive. Mizumi-kun, who has the smallest skill difference to those three, tried to support Chiaki out and exined. ¡°Actually, Hoshinomori-san is already an above-average yer. That must be the result of the sleepover, right? It¡¯s just that the other three are monsters¡­¡± Aguri-san nodded. ¡°Ah, those three are amazing.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s so amazing that I won¡¯t suspect if you say this is a worldpetition¡¯s footage.¡± ¡°Really? Ah, ¡­who¡¯s leading then? Mizumhi.¡± ¡°Mizumhi¡­?¡± Mizumi-kun froze when he received a sudden nickname. However, he still looked at the screen and said, ¡°Well¡­¡± Everyone aside from Aguri-san looked at the screen too. Mizumi-kun announced with a solemn face. ¡°From my perspective, Main Fushiguro-san and Oiso-senpai are the same. Tendou-san is barely keeping up¡­¡± ¡°I-I see¡­¡± Aguri-san smiled bitterly. ¡­The Game Hobby Club, Konoha-san, and Kousei reacted in the same way. We wish to cheer Tendou-san and Chiaki up. It¡¯s not just because of my ownership. We just hope they can do well- but the reality is often really harsh. Main-sanughed cheerfully in the middle of the fight. ¡°But, I really didn¡¯t expect this! Even though I''ve heard for a bit in the past, ¡­you¡¯re quite good, Oiso!¡± ¡°Thanks, ¡­even though I literally never have heard your name.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s because I don''t really y fighting games these days!¡± ¡°!¡± Main-san said that as she delivered a heavy blow to Oiso-senpai. ¡­This person is really your overwhelmingly strong demon king. Why does a person that ¡°doesn¡¯t really y fighting games¡± have the same or even higherbat power than Oiso-senpai? ¡­Sheesh. Oiso-senpai¡¯s character distanced herself and then immediately switched to attacking Tendou-san. At the same time, Main-san continued. ¡°But, I don¡¯t get it, Karen Tendou!¡± ¡°W-What¡­?¡± Tendou-san barely evaded the attacks as she answered. When Oiso-senpai is casually dealing with Chiaki¡¯s character, Main-san pressed on. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you three ganging up on me? I thought this would be the case. I¡¯m really disappointed, ¡­ah!¡± ¡°!¡± Main-san¡¯s sharp attack hit Tendou-san. Including the sustained damage, Tendou-san¡¯s character was kicked out of the ind. Aguri-san gasped because she didn''t understand the game. Mii-chan¡¯s actually the one to answer her, ¡°It¡¯s still okay, Aguri-nee-chan.¡± She looked at the screen happily and exined. ¡°You¡¯re more likely to be knocked out the more damage you take. However, you can stille back if you put in the effort.¡± ¡°The effort?¡± ¡°Yes, just like that.¡± Mii-chan pointed at the screen. During this time, Tendou-san¡¯s character¡­either double-jumped or used her ultimate to get back to the ind. Aguri-san understood. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°This is different from other fighting games. You don¡¯t lose after taking a certain amount of attacks. Instead, you¡¯re out if you fall off.¡± ¡°Like a home run?¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± For some reason, Mii-chan and Aguri-san¡¯s conversation made us smile in this hardcore fight. Then, Konoha-san cleared her throat and added to Mii-chan¡¯s exnation. ¡°So, it¡¯s also possible to knock someone out relentlessly when they¡¯re trying to get back, Agu-senpai.¡± ¡°Really? Well, is it like blocking the in volleyball?¡± ¡°Yeah, perhaps it¡¯s just that this is even more aggressive. How should I put it? It¡¯s like jumping over the and blocking the opponent in their zone. Of course, you¡¯re finished if you fall too.¡± ¡°I-I see. So, why didn¡¯t Main-nee-san knock Tendou-san¡­¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s because Oiso-san is right behind her. It¡¯s a battle royale, after all. You¡¯ll die if you¡¯re not careful. So, it¡¯s not worth it to continue chasing. ¡­A lot of people die because they try to force a kill in this game.¡± ¡°I-I see. ¡­This is different than girls ying a lively game together. I didn¡¯t expect this to be that brutal. < Smash Bros. >¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I rank this as the most possible game to devolve into a real-life fist galore. Just a side note, the other games on this list are < Momotaro Dentetsu > and < Bomberman >.¡± [It¡¯s a board game thatbines Monopoly and Snakes and Ladders.] Konoha-san smiled after exining that. I didn¡¯t expect this side of her, so I asked. ¡°You actually know it, Konoha-san? I didn¡¯t expect you to y these games¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, senpai? Why don¡¯t you tell me what games I y?¡± ¡°A-Ah, well¡­¡± I can¡¯t say ¡°hentai games¡± in front of these people, no matter what. Konoha-san enjoyed my awkward face for a while. Then, she looked at her onee-chan, who¡¯s still trying her best to put up a fight. She continued. ¡°I do y family games too with onee-chan. ¡­This is the same as senpai.¡± ¡°Hmm? Really¡­¡± Well, it¡¯s not something weird. Kousei does the same thing too. Even though he¡¯s not particrly a gamer, he does y with his siblings. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I remembered something, but now¡¯s not the time to think about that. I immediately paid attention back to the screen again. The girls¡¯ battle is getting more intense. ¡°Hey, hey, what¡¯s wrong, Oiso, Tendou? Is that all the Otobuki Game Club got?¡± ¡°Tck¡­!¡± Although Main-san keeps irritating them, the two are still fighting. Then¡­ ¡°Ahhh¡­.¡± ¡­Even though she only took the shockwave from the three¡¯s battle, Chiaki¡¯s umted damage is already at the breaking point. I don¡¯t think she cane back after another strong hit. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Konoha-san¡¯s eyes are filled with strength as she watches over her onee-chan. During this time, Uehara-kun is slightly surprised and tells Aguri-san. ¡°However¡­¡± ¡°They are really not going to cooperate.¡± ¡°Ganging up on Main-nee-san together? But I thought Tendou-san hated cheap tactics like this.¡± ¡°Well, picking on the best one is more of a strategy than being cheap. By the way, why did they pick 1v1v1v1?¡± ¡°Hmm, doesn¡¯t this make it more possible to take Amanhi back from Main-nee-san?¡± ¡°Possible, ¡­well, I guess.¡± Uehara-kun watched the screen again. Right now, Oiso-senpai knocked Main-san out. Of course, Main-san came back with her brilliant movements. However, because of that, they took the same amount of damage. Aguri-san looked at the screen and mumbled. ¡°Indeed, there¡¯s a slim chance if it¡¯s Oiso-senpai¡­¡± That¡¯s all. Right now, Oiso-senpai and Main-san are on the same level. If that¡¯s the case, ording to the situation¡­ During this time, Main-san continued her mind-boggling controls and kept picking on Tendou-san. ¡°I see. Even if you can¡¯t beat me, ¡­it¡¯s okay as long as this Oiso wins, Karen Tendou.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Not ordering someone rudely like me, and also not participating in the love battles around Amako, this Oiso is really the best victor. You gave a lot of thought into this, current Game Club president.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°This is nice. I love- ruining trivial cleverness like this.¡± ¡°!¡± Main-san¡¯s long-awaited ¡°meaning aura¡± is here. At the next moment, Main-san¡¯s character moved supersonically. Is it a bug? ¡°Wha-¡° Everyone is shocked. Main-san¡¯s character- went over to Oiso-senpai¡¯s back brilliantly. So- ¡°Shi-¡° ¡°Toote.¡± -Oiso-senpai was sent flying to the sky without any time to react. Her round ended with a one-hit KO. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We couldn¡¯t follow up with the tragedy. Main-san chuckled and exined. ¡°That¡¯s the bug-like movement skill that originated from this Game Club. Few people know about it. When you¡¯re doing an emergency evasion while using your ultimate, it¡¯s possible to achieve an insane amount of speed and trajectory. ¡­Well, even though it¡¯s only a legendary skill because there¡¯s no way to recreate that in battle.¡± ¡°Tck, ¡­even I only know about that¡­! I didn¡¯t expect anyone to be able to execute that¡­¡± Oiso-senpai mumbled, unwilling to admit defeat. Main-san¡¯sughing even louder. ¡°Well, it¡¯s just that you didn¡¯t see iting. I couldn¡¯t pull it off if you¡¯re aware of it. So, right now, it should be useless to Tendou, right¡­¡± During this time, ¡­Main-san shot a cold and insulting re at Tendou-san. ¡°HOWEVER, thergest threat is already neutralized. There should be no problem, right?¡± ¡°!¡± Tendou-san bit her lips tightly to the deration that practically said the rest of the time is just garbage. ¡°Who knows!¡± Her eyes are still burning with determination. Main-san looked at her and smiled, ¡°Not bad.¡± So, the remaining two are about to start the final battle- ¡°Oho, before that.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± -That moment. When everyone¡¯s not noticing- It¡¯s literally like an ident. The demon king-sama, the demon king-sama that grasps everything. The weakling at the side- -which is Chiaki¡¯s character. She knocked her out with a sudden attack. ¡°--!¡± At this moment, even Tendou-san¡¯s face turned stiff, not to mention Chiaki. Chiaki immediately tried to make aeback. As for Tendou-san, as if she¡¯s avenging her- she attacked furiously with the window caused by Main-san attacking Chiaki. ¡°AHHHHHHHHHH!¡± ¡°Oh, nice, I love this momentum! It reminds me of- Amako in the past!¡± So, with Chiaki¡¯s defeat, the two hardcore gamers are about to start their final battle. Also, Chiaki tried her best and didn¡¯t get one-hit KOed like Oiso-senpai. However, that just makes it even sadder. ¡°¡­Eh, eh, eh.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± This is a hopeless distance, no matter what. -Chiaki¡¯s character is struggling with all her might outside the main screen. There has to be a small screen to show that. ¡­Honestly, I can¡¯t see it anymore. It¡¯s like watching a Koshien high school yer trying his best to throw the ball back to home base even though he can¡¯t make it. I can¡¯t watch her anymore. On the other hand, Main-san and Tendou-san¡¯s battle is reaching the climax. ¡°Damn¡­!¡± -Tendou-san was knocked out by Main-san¡¯s defensive attack. Even though it¡¯s not as lethal as Chiaki and Oiso-senpai, she¡¯ll lose if she falls. Of course, she immediately started to make her way back to the ind, however- at this moment. ¡°It¡¯s time to end this.¡± ¡°!?¡± Main-san jumped off the ind to pursue Tendou-san. She¡¯s trying to strike Tendou-san down while ignoring her safety. ¡°Ah, this is what it means to block the- she¡¯s striking someone down viciously!¡± Aguri-san remembered the exnation and yelled. At the same time, Main-san is slowly closing her distance to Tendou-san. So, Main-san showed a devilish smile and struck Tendou-san- at that moment. ¡°-That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been waiting for!¡± A sh of light sparkled in Tendou-san¡¯s eyes. She used her ultimate strategy to return to the ind- nope, the miracle didn¡¯t happen. -Instead, she threw out an energy ball that knocked her even further out of the ind. ¡°Ha!?¡± Main-san froze for a moment because of her illogical choice. However, the demon king-sama is incredible. She immediately canceled her ultimate and dodged Tendou-san¡¯s energy ball. ¡°Hey, hey, Karen Tendou. That¡¯s not even a bad strategy. You¡¯re literally just suiciding.¡± Main-san shrugged helplessly and sighed. I think it¡¯s because she¡¯s genuinely disappointed. Even the mood of the audience got heavy. Then, Main-san continued. ¡°You disappoint me-¡° -However, Main-san stopped. After that¡­ ¡°-----¡° All of us are holding our breaths too. To ask why- It¡¯s because for some reason, right there- on the screen of the two¡¯s aerial battle- A being that¡¯s no ce to be here- -Another character showed up from outside the screen. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± When everyone and Main-san are shocked, this character- ¡°Ah.¡± -She stepped on Tendou-san¡¯s character¡¯s head. With her as a jumping board, she then- -She finally and brilliantly jumped on Main-san¡¯s character¡¯s head. ¡°----¡° At this point, Main-san finally saw something wrong and tried to react- but it¡¯s toote. She¡¯s already going to take this ultimate. Main-san can¡¯t do anything aside from sweating from her forehead. ¡°HEY, HEY, DID YOU SERIOUSLY JUST GET BACK FROM THAT DISTANCE-¡° Finally, she called the true hero¡¯s name that¡¯ll bring her the final attack. ¡°---CHIAKI HOSHINOMORI!¡± Completing the miraculous recovery that no one expected, our hero of light said¡­ ¡°That¡¯s me.¡± At the next moment, the weakest girl¡¯s ultimatended on the strongest demon king in history¡¯s head. Karen Tendou The first time I noticed Chiaki-san¡¯s gaming style was around two weeks ago -on the day of that kiss. Honestly, that day¡¯s goal is to find a game that can be used to defeat Main Fushiguro-san. Then, Chiaki-san, Amano-kun, and I moved together. Of course, Chiaki-san yed with me a couple times too. So, my first impression of her gaming skills are- ¡°Yep, she¡¯s indeed at the same level as Amano-kun.¡± -That. Well, which means that¡­she sucks. (I¡¯m sorry, Amano-kun, Chiaki-san.) It¡¯s just that I anticipated this. After all, these two are practically clones. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t expect one thing. That is- -There¡¯s a slight difference in why they are not good at it. Honestly, both of them aren¡¯t talented in gaming. Aside from that- Amano-kun will always give up victory because he emphasizes having fun. Meanwhile, Chiaki-san will always spend effort on weird ces and lose. If we¡¯reparing this to cooking, Amano-kun is the type to focus on the appearance of the bento (making cartoon pictures with the ingredients). As for Chiaki-san, she¡¯s the type to hide plums inside rice balls. Chiaki-san often does a lot of unexpectedly unnecessary things. This is different from Amano-kun, who enjoys spending time on the entertainment part. I think that¡¯s because she¡¯s a creator. Anyway, when Chiaki-san¡¯s ying games, I always can¡¯t help butin, ¡°Why did you do that in that situation!?¡± ¡­Ah, no, perhaps that¡¯s not just for games. ¡­Even that day¡¯s kiss is- ¡­Ahem! B-Back to the topic. Anyway, Chiaki-san doesn¡¯t have a particr ystyle or follows a certain meta. ¡­However, that¡¯s not totally a bad thing. It¡¯s more like, including me, all professional yers do something like this, more or less. Especially when ites to developing new metas and strategies. So, I suddenly thought of something after knowing this side of her. Chiaki-san, ¡­perhaps she does have a secret ¡°weapon¡± that not even she knows of. In the end, I didn¡¯t manage to ask her about it because of that shocking incident. So, things started changing 2 days after that. On that day, Chiaki-san bumped into me while we¡¯re still affected by that kissing incident. Our hands touched when we¡¯re grabbing the game in the second-hand area. That¡¯s how we met, strangely. That game is < Smash Bros. >. So, I followed my strange instincts and half-kidnapped her back home. I brought her to my room and battled with her¡­ At that moment, my instinct turned into reality. Yes, Chiaki-san does have a secret weapon. That¡¯s a secret weapon that not even Main-san knows, and that is- ¡°The return strategy developed by Chiaki Hoshinomori that no one on the knows¡­¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why she could return from that distance. Surprised you, right?¡± ¡°Indeed. I didn¡¯t expect it at all. ¡­I lost, Chiaki Hoshinomori.¡± ¡°A-Ah, well, thanks¡­¡± It has been around 10 minutes after that legendary battle, which resulted in Chiaki-san¡¯s victory. After the audience calmed down, ¡­right now, Main-san, who showed an uncharacteristically admiring face, begged me to exin that situation. Also, the yers stood up and turned around to talk to everyone. After listening to me, Main-san said, ¡°I see.¡± She stroked her chin and nodded in interest. As for the audience that heard us, Aguri-san raised her hand and yelled, ¡°I have a question.¡± She immediately asked after Chiaki-san and I looked at her. ¡°Why is Hoshinhi so good at that returning thing?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s because-¡° ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m wrecking onee-chan every day.¡± Chiaki-san¡¯s little sister Konoha-san interrupted and answered Aguri-san¡¯s question. She continued a bit awkwardly. ¡°Honestly, onee-chan and I¡¯ve always yed < Smash Bros. >.¡± ¡°Really? Ah, that¡¯s why Hoshinhi can keep up, despite being a weakling.¡± ¡°I-I think someone said something mean about me!¡± Chiaki-san interrupted angrily after hearing Aguri-san. ¡°Despite my looks, I¡¯m pretty confident with < Smash Bros. >! Konoha and I started ying it when we¡¯re young, after all!¡± ¡°Eh, really? Ah, in other words, Hoshinhi¡¯s < Smash Bros. > is like Amanhi¡¯s < CM >. Both of you poured your heart and soul into the games, right?¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Chiaki-san puffed up her chest and hmphed in satisfaction. Konoha-san and Aguri-san smiled at each other bitterly before continuing. ¡°Well, that¡¯s all. So, onee-chan often ys < Smash Bros. > with me. ¡­However, did you notice something here?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°My number of battles is basically the same as onee-chan. -In other words?¡± ¡°Ah, well, the elite Konohhi must be better. This must be it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Hey-¡° Everyone nodded. Only Chiaki-san is protesting in disatisfaction. However, Konoha-san ignored her onee-chan and continued. ¡°So, basically, I always knock out onee-chan. ¡­After that, I¡¯m not satisfied because I win too easily. However, onee-chan seems to want to y with me, no matter what. In the end¡­¡± ¡°Ah, so Hoshinhi is only good at returning, right. ¡­Eh, what¡¯s with this pathetic description. I¡¯ll cry if I¡¯m at home.¡± ¡°Hey! Can everyone please don¡¯t pity me!?¡± Chiaki-san¡¯s protesting even more vehemently, but it doesn¡¯t work. ¡­Everyone is giving her sympathetic looks. ¡­It must be hard for her. ¡­I can¡¯t help but hug Chiaki-san tightly the first time I heard it. Chiaki-san is moaning embarrassedly. Aguri-san seems to feel a bit guilty. So, she threw another question and changed the topic. ¡°W-Well.¡± ¡°In the end, what did Hoshinhi and Tendou-san do in the stayover? Hoshinhi should¡¯ve already known that disgustingbo, right?¡± ¡°D-Disgustingbo¡­¡± Chiaki-san dropped her shoulders after hearing the usual mean remarks. I answered the question for her. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s just to improve Chiaki-san¡¯s basics. If Chiaki-san was still at that level, she would¡¯ve been destroyed before using that perverted return strategy¡­¡± ¡°Perverted¡­¡± Even though Chiaki-san¡¯s the winner, she¡¯s getting more and more depressed. Aguri-san backed down after saying, ¡°I see.¡± This time, Kase-senpai raised his hand uncharacteristically. Senpai pushed his sses and asked after I looked at him. ¡°Why are you helping Chiaki Hoshinomori? It should be faster for you to learn her weird return strategy, right?¡± ¡°Weird¡­¡± Chiaki-san¡¯s finally trembling with a face as red as a tomato. ¡­I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how we should treat a winner. Anyway, I answered Kase-senpai¡¯s question first. ¡°Yes, of course, I tried to train for that too¡ªher return skill. Well, ¡­that¡¯s why I need a way that normal people can¡¯t achieve in a week. ¡­Instead of saying that¡¯s a skill, it¡¯s already like magic to me.¡± ¡°Magic¡­!¡± Chiaki-san freaked out after hearing what I said. She bit her tongue with teary eyes. ¡­Hiya, she¡¯s adorable. Just as I¡¯m enjoying my adorable partner, suddenly, ¡­Nina-senpai, who has been observing dazedly, got right into the chase. ¡°Hey, well, in the end, why did Tendou let Hoshinomori win?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Nina-senpai threw out the question on everyone¡¯s head cold-heartedly. ¡­Sheesh, she has always been like this. I can feel everyone¡¯s immediately turning to me, ¡­especially Amano-kun. His nce is twice as heavy as the others. I hesitated for a moment. Main-san continued Nina-senpai¡¯s question to adjust the mood. ¡°I¡¯m also pretty curious, too, Karen Tendou. What¡­are you nning to do, hmm? I¡¯ll- get Amako a Pawnee haircut if I don¡¯t like your answer.¡± ¡°Why!?¡± Amano-kun is suddenly under attack and freaked out. ¡­I can¡¯t help but smile after seeing his startled face. (I see. I think I can slightly understand why Amano-kun isn¡¯t badmouthing Main-san.) This person is a tornado, whether good or bad, right. ¡­She can blow up all the pollution as well. ¡°Come, Karen Tendou, answer me. If you¡¯re not going to answer, ¡­your ex-boyfriend will attack the vige, okay?¡± ¡°A Pawnee haircut, and I¡¯ll end up in a post-apocalyptic world!? By the way, apologize to those who have a Pawnee haircut!¡± ¡°Shut up, you¡¯re annoying, Poniko.¡± [Pawnee = Poni] ¡°My nickname got changed!? T-Tendou-san, can you please answer quickly!?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, sure¡­¡± I was urged for some strange reason. I cleared my throat and faced Main-san again to exin. ¡°First of all, Main-san should know the best since you¡¯re here, ¡­that ultimate is Chiaki-san and my n all along- that wasn¡¯t true at all, right, Chiaki-san?¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Chiaki-san nodded repeatedly. Main-san scratched her head and said, ¡°I do know that.¡± ¡°That miraculous flow can¡¯t be pulled off by sheer will alone.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°However, at the same time, this is what I¡¯ve been thinking. That- can¡¯t be exined with luck alone, right.¡± Main-san¡¯s eyes got sharper. I looked at her and nodded. ¡°Yes, I admit that too. We practiced that stomp many times during the sleepover. However, I didn¡¯t expect this to really go that way¡­¡± ¡°I see. You¡¯re saying that this is just a miracle based on that particr situation.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­In other words, you didn¡¯t join this thinking that you¡¯ll let Chiaki Hoshinomori win?¡± ¡°Of course, I, Karen Tendou, will always y a game with the absolute will to win.¡± I answered a bit angrily. Unexpectedly, Main-san apologized sincerely. ¡°Ah, sorry, I was being impolite. Forgive me, Karen Tendou.¡± ¡°Ah, w-well¡­¡± Her unusual apology halved my anger. However, Main-san immediately returned to her usual expression and gazed at me. ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t understand. Karen Tendou, ¡­you¡¯re more sincere to games than everyone else. So, you should have an unimaginable amount of love for Amako as an ex-girlfriend, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± I put my hand on my chest and clenched it determinedly. Then, Chiaki-san and Amano-kun held their breaths as they listened to our conversation. Main-san squinted her eyes. ¡­She¡¯s releasing an unprecedented amount of pressure. ¡°That¡¯s why¡­I have to ask you. What are you nning to do, Karen Tendou?¡± ¡°!¡± Main-san¡¯s aura suddenly changed. ¡°At that time, if you¡¯re just doing it for your own sake, ¡­even if you can¡¯t defeat me, you won¡¯t let the worst opponent- rival Chiaki Hoshinomori obtain the ownership of your loved one. Am I correct?¡± ¡°¡­Well-¡° ¡°Why did you choose to let¡­your rival, Chiaki Hoshinomori, win?¡± Main-san¡¯s forcing an answer out of me with her emotional tone. Her overwhelming pressure is sending chills to everyone¡¯s spine. (This is Main-san¡¯s¡­serious questioning that Amano-kun brought up before¡­) After seeing her like this, I can understand her arrogance a bit since that¡¯s her character. Amano-kun isn¡¯t really that scared of the usual her anymore. On this side, ¡­her serious mode¡¯s pressure is orders of magnitudes higher. (This means that she¡¯s seriously¡­questioning me, Karen Tendou¡­) I don¡¯t understand the reason at all. However, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s because of what I did. ¡­Giving your loved one to another person must¡¯ve triggered this Main Fushiguro. In an overwhelming silence, I gulped and- (But, ¡­there¡¯s something I can¡¯t back down on too!) I puffed up my chest- and exined legitimately. ¡°It¡¯s because- that¡¯s the best.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Perhaps she didn¡¯t expect this answer. Main-san¡¯s pressure disappeared as she bulged her eyes. Looking at her, I- -My eyes are sparkling as I continued excitedly! ¡°It¡¯s because that¡¯s Chiaki-san? That¡¯s Chiaki Hoshinomori-san!? The girl at the same level with Amano-kun- which is aplete weakling, Chiaki Hoshinomori-san!¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡± Amano-kun and Chiaki-san look like they want toin. But, now¡¯s not the time for that! I continued excitedly to Main-san! ¡°That Chiaki Hoshinomori-san¡­rushed into a battle filled with strong opponents. Right now, she¡¯s about to attack the strongest demon king-sama! Seeing that situation, ¡­there¡¯s no way for me to just stop what she¡¯s about to do, right!? Right!? Main Fushiguro-san!? RIGHT!?¡± ¡°Eh, hmm? Well, I¡­think the best thing to do is to choose a way that¡¯s the easiest to win¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that you won¡¯t let it happen!? Even though all of the elements are there!? You¡¯re saying that you¡¯re still putting your victory as the first priority!? ARE YOU SURE!?¡± I got closer and closer to her and stared into her eyes. ¡°¡­Well.¡± Main-san looked away slightly awkwardly. During this time, the two rtives around her mumbled a bit admiringly. ¡°¡­This is the first time I see Main-nee-san freaking out.¡± ¡°¡­Me too.¡± They bulged their eyes as if they saw supernatural things. I continued to Main-san. ¡°Yes, yes, Main-san! Your greed to victory! That¡¯s an attitude for an elite gamer, right! It¡¯s worthy of praise! You¡¯re incredible, former Game Club president! I can do nothing but admire you!¡± ¡°Ha? I-I think I was suddenly praised. I, ¡­well, me.¡± Main-san¡¯s clearly confused. I chuckled. ¡°¡­However, Main-san. While I do respect you, right now, ¡­I can¡¯t help but think that-¡° ¡°What¡­?¡± At this point, I secretly nced at those annoying, twisted, and lonely boys. A tinge of warmth appeared in my chest. I expressed my feelings with confident sincerity. ¡°Enjoying a game is just as important as winning.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± After hearing my conclusion, everyone- especially Amano-kun, smiled. The Game Club room is filled with the warmest atmosphere of today. However, of course, only Main-sanughed at my conclusion like a demon king. ¡°Ho, it sounds like what an innocent Amako would say. Sheesh, ¡­and you just have to be my kouhai as well. I can¡¯t believe the Otobuki Game Club president would say that. The next generation is screwed¡­¡± Main-san¡¯s stillining viciously. I apologized, ¡­but, actually, I noticed it. I noticed that her anger disappeared. Also, I realized that even though she sighed at my na?ve conclusion, she didn¡¯tpletely reject it. Anyway, the room is filled with a lively mood. -That sses-senpai, who¡¯ve beenmented as not being able to read the mood, mumbled dazedly as usual. ¡°-Even so, it¡¯s a fact that Tendou lost and Chiaki Hoshinomori acquired Keita Amano¡¯s ownership.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Then, facing the suddenly coldhearted reality, all of the rxed, happy end feeling I stored up disappearedpletely. Everyone dropped their jaws. ¡­As the Game Club president, I, Karen Tendou, hugged my head tightly and yelled! ¡°NO! WHY ARE YOU SAYING THAT NOW!?¡± ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you just regretting this like a normal person right now!?¡± Main-san fell speechless and looked at me, even though I convinced her a while ago. I yelled at her with teary eyes! ¡°Why did you lose to Chiaki-san, ex-president!? Are you really the final boss!?¡± ¡°You¡¯re already insane for pushing the responsibility onto me! Chiaki Hoshinomori only won because of your cooperation, right!?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the final boss that far exceeds our imagination!? Where¡¯s your second and third form!?¡± ¡°This is my final form! You¡¯re annoying, kouhai!¡± Main-san stared at me helplessly. Finally, sheforted me in a very not final boss way. ¡°Also, well, Chiaki Hoshinomori just took Keita Amano¡¯s ownership away from me. That doesn¡¯t mean any of you have won-¡° ¡°Hey, in terms of love, stuff like ownership- doesn¡¯t that mean the same thing as his body?¡± ¡°NO!?¡± Nina-senpai just threw that possibility that everyone had thought of slightly but is too embarrassed to say it out. She easily aplished something that not even us can do. There¡¯s no hesitation or embarrassment too. I¡¯m just irritated now. Konoha-san¡¯s a bit excited when I¡¯m falling into chaos. ¡°Right, right! Hiya, this is exciting! Even though I love pre-marital sex, I also love the scary feeling of having sex before the rtionship is matured. Uh, it¡¯s nothing. Yes, please don¡¯t mind.¡± Konoha-san suddenly snapped out of it and wiped her mouth. Kousei-kun looked at her with an extremely disgusting look and mumbled, ¡°Damn you, rotten hentai girl.¡± During this time, Uehara-kun finally grasped the situation and started talking. ¡°Hey, calm down, Tendou. Come to think of it, if it¡¯s really like what Nina-senpai said, Amano should¡¯ve already been stained by Main-san¡­¡± ¡°Ah, r-right¡­!¡± What Uehara-kun said cheered me up again. However, at the next moment, an unexpected ambush got me. It¡¯s the little girl- Mii Fushiguro. ¡°Ah,e to think of it, ¡­Mom did ask me how hard Keita-nii-chan¡¯s bed is, right?¡± ¡°NO! SHE¡¯S OBVIOUSLY GOING TO DO IT!¡± Finally, I started swinging my blonde hair crazily. Main-san looked at Mii and mumbled something. ¡°¡­Well, it was really just a simple question. ¡­But, I like this too since it¡¯s fun.¡± I think she said something important, but I can¡¯t hear it right now. I¡¯m really depressed. Aguri-san seems unable to stand this anymore and stepped forward. ¡°So? In the end, Hoshinhi, what are you going to do with Amanhi¡¯s ownership?¡± ¡°Eh? W-Well, I, uh¡­¡± Chiaki-san looks a bit startled when she¡¯s suddenly brought up. After she carefully observed around, she faced Main-san and me¡­before lowering her head a bit embarrassingly. ¡°Well, ¡­it¡¯s something hard to say to Karen-san¡­¡± ¡°HA!? It¡¯s his body, right!? You¡¯re craving for Amano-kun¡¯s body, Chiaki-san! Tck, you bitch!¡± I bit the handkerchief I used to wipe my tears. Blood began to drip from my eyes. Chiaki-san blushed. ¡°N-No, it¡¯s not like that!¡± She denied. Then, she looked around again. Finally, she faced Amano-kun and cleared her throat. She raised her right hand as if she¡¯s an athlete doing an oath. After that¡­ ¡°I, Chiaki Hoshinomori, hereby dere that-¡° ¡­She said a conclusion that¡¯s impossible toe out of a winner¡¯s mouth after several days of grinding and a miracle. ¡°-I dere that I¡¯ll return Keita Amano¡¯s ownership to himself.¡± She¡¯s a bit embarrassed, ¡­but she meant it. Chiaki Hoshinomori It¡¯s been around 20 minutes since the end of that battle of the century. Right now- for some reason, I¡¯m sitting on thest row of the bus with Keita. There¡¯s practically no one here. I¡¯m watching the Otobuki High School getting farther and farther with a web ofplicated emotions. As for Keita, he sat next to me and chatted with me with an unprecedented amount of excitement. ¡°By the way, I didn¡¯t expect Chiaki to have that talent!¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve already said this many times. That¡¯s thanks to Karen-san¡¯s help. How many times do I have to exin it until you understand!?¡± ¡°Even so! At least that unique returnbo belongs to Chiaki, right?¡± ¡°Uh, well, yeah¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s still amazing! It¡¯s because this means that Chiaki has a secret attack that not even Main-san can imagine!?¡± ¡°Maybe, but¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that¡¯s an amazing talent! You¡¯re really creative, NOBE!¡± ¡°U-Ugh¡­¡± Keita¡¯s eyes are shining. He¡¯s in his passionate fan mode now and keeps praising me at such a close distance. Moreover, since the seats are pretty narrow, I can¡¯t help but feel his body temperature when his arm touches mine. It¡¯s just making me even more embarrassed. (Ah, I guess you can say this as a reward¡­!) My most beloved boy is praising me extremely closely. That¡¯s like winning the lottery. ¡­However, regrettably, for a useless girl like me, I can¡¯t handle such an amount of happiness at all. It¡¯s because if youpare a normal girl¡¯s happiness capacity as a draft beer cup, mine is like Yakult, okay!? Even if you pour that much happiness champagne, I¡¯ll have no idea what to do. [Yakult¡¯s 100 mL / 3.5 oz.] Anyway, I looked away from Keita to avoid being poisoned by happiness. Amidst the garden scenery filled with snow, I can see the tiny Otobuki standing out. ¡­I just achieved victory in that building¡¯s ssroom 20 minutes ago. Then, I kicked away the rewards of winning. I¡¯m not trying to act cool there. Instead, I think that¡¯s the best for everyone, so I did it. Also, in reality, everyone gave me a round of apuse. It¡¯s indeed an ideal ending screen. ¡­This feelingsted until the demon king turned everything around. (I didn¡¯t expect Main-sama to be so pissed¡­) Following Karen-san¡¯s choice to relinquish the ownership, even that annoying demon king-sama, ¡­Main Fushiguro, was triggered by me. She sent an overwhelming amount of pressure on me and said, ¡°You really dared to say that!¡± However, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t want to back down on too. So, I puffed up my chest and stared at her. In the end, Main-san suddenly shrugged helplessly and sighed. ¡°Whether it¡¯s Amako, Karen Tendou, or you, all of you are too stingy. It¡¯s not adorable at all.¡± Even though she said that, Main-san looked very happy. So, I was relieved- and that was when I made a mistake. Just as we were letting our guard down, as if she predicted this moment- she suggested this. ¡°Even so, it¡¯s not good to not give the winner any reward. That¡¯ll make ourpetition meaningless. So, Amako, you¡¯re walking seaweed head home today. Got it, you two?¡± ¡°Ah, sure. -What?¡± -So, that¡¯s where I ended up with¡­ (Ah, by the way, when she¡¯s looking at Keita and me leaving, Karen-san¡¯s smile¡­always sends chills down my spine, no matter how many times I think about it!) On the surface, that¡¯s a mature smile for understanding her female friend is leaving with her ex-boyfriend. -It looks like that. However, I can understand since I had a sleepover in her house for a week. That smile¡­is the same as the smile Karen-san gives when she sees an arrogant foreigner in an online game chatroom! ¡­Ah, also, 10 minutester after that, the foreigner- ¡°Tck, ¡­tck, ¡­sheesh, ¡­you crazy Japanese people. ¡­Tck.¡± That was all he could say. ¡°Tck, ¡­oh, ¡­Karen-san, ¡­tck.¡± ¡°Hmm? Chiaki, why are you mumbling to yourself? Your eyes look pretty dead.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± Hiya, I¡¯m d that the sleepover is finished. I¡¯ll really suicide on the train if I still have to return to Karen-san¡¯s home today. Let¡¯s put all of that aside first. Anyway, thanks to Karen-san, my excitement toned down for a bit. I looked at Keita after adjusting my breath. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Chiaki? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­well.¡± ¡­Of course, I calmed down. But, this time, I started to notice how physically close we are. Logically, that reminded me of what happened a couple days ago¡­ ¡°Why are you looking at my lips? Ah, is there something on there- ah?¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± The worst part is that perhaps it¡¯s my reaction. Unexpectedly, he¡¯s not dense enough to not remember what happened too. Finally¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± A bittersweet mood surrounded the two blushing souls. ¡­I-I didn¡¯t really hope for this. It¡¯s just because, as I said before, my capacity is too small. I can¡¯t handle all these feelings at once. Only the snowy scenery outside is rushing past us in this awkward silence. ¡­During this time, Keita¡¯s the first to act to remove this awkwardness. ¡°B-But, honestly, is it okay for Chiaki to give up my ownership?¡± ¡°Hmm? You mean?¡± I asked. Keita continued. ¡°Think about it.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it great to order me around like Main-san?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not nning to order you around, man. ¡­Also, with such poor abilities, Keita is just a useless servant, right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s mean.¡± ¡°Also, I can do whatever Keita can since we¡¯re the same¡­¡± ¡°B-But, there must be something I can do, or you want me to do, right¡­¡± ¡°Eh? W-Well, ¡­uh, there is¡­¡± I scratched my cheeks. Then, Keita¡¯s eyes brightened up, and he got close to me. ¡°See?¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯s not Main-san, giving me my ownership back without asking for anything else¡­is slightly embarrassing for me as a guy.¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± ¡°Yes! So, at least for today, I¡¯ll do anything Chiaki says! Think about it, is there something you want me to do? So, go ahead. There¡¯s no need to be polite!¡± Keita kept asking for my wish. He¡¯s as excited as the spirit inside a magicmp. Looking at him, I¡­ ¡°Eh, b-but, w-well, u-uh, ¡­i-it¡¯s because¡­¡± ¡­My face red up. My kneecaps can¡¯t stop shaking. I can¡¯t help but¡­express my feelings with a nearly silent voice. ¡°¡­I did think about what Oiso-senpai said early, so¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What Oiso-senpai said was, ¡­ah. My bod-¡° Keita blushed again. After that¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­Herees the new and even more bittersweet time again. However, unlike the previous one, I tried my best to exin! ¡°B-But, even though I¡¯m thinking in that direction, I¡¯m not going to do whatever you¡¯re thinking right now!¡± ¡°Yeah, I know what you want to say, ¡­I think. Maybe¡­you want to hold hands or something?¡± ¡°Yes! That¡¯s it! I¡¯m not asking anything more than that from you!¡± ¡°I-I know!¡± ¡°Yes! I just want things like hand holding, hugs, and head pats!¡± ¡°Yep!¡± ¡°Also, ¡­ah, right, I want you to kiss me!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Yes, this is the third bittersweet moment of the day. It¡¯s just that¡­I can barely taste the sweetness anymore. It¡¯s just bitter. Both of us trembled embarrassingly. I wrapped my hands around my head embarrassingly and forced an answer. ¡°I-In other words, ¡­it¡¯s okay. Here¡¯s your ownership.¡± ¡°Ah, uh, ¡­yes. T-Thanks¡­¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re wee¡­¡± We plopped our heads down again. At this point, ¡­I can¡¯t help but smile again. Keita¡¯s a bit confused. ¡°I feel like¡­I¡¯m Karen-san right now.¡± ¡°Ha? Like Tendou-san? What does that, ¡­ah, ¡­right.¡± Keita noticed what I wanted to say and started chuckling. ¡°Indeed. That¡­feeling of giving up your advantage for strange beliefs. That does feel like Tendou-san.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Hmm, she influenced Chiaki during the sleepover, right?¡± ¡°Maybe. At the sleepover, I noticed how interesting¡­Karen-san is again.¡± ¡°Hmm, yeah. Tendou-san is always interesting. ¡­She has always been.¡± Keita said that as he nced faraway belovingly. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I looked at his face for a while. Then, without any hesitation, I confessed to him smoothly. ¡°Keita, I-I love you. ¡­I love you just as much as Karen-san loves you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± This time, the mood didn¡¯t turn bittersweet. To my confession, ¡­Keita showed me his warmest and most gentle expression. ¡°Yes, thank you so much. I mean it.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re wee.¡± Why in the world am I appreciated here? I¡­I¡¯m just saying the feelings I have for him as another girl. ¡­It has always been like this since I confessed under the starry sky. Even though this love I have for him- only causes nothing but troubles for Karen-san and him. However, ¡­even right now, I don¡¯t see the slightest bitterness on Keita¡¯s face. Instead, he answered my feelings directly. He looked into my eyes calmly. ¡°You¡¯re incredible, Chiaki.¡± ¡°Are you still talking about the game? I think we can move on already¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m talking about you. You, including your gaming style and attitude, ¡­that¡¯s why you can defeat the demon king when Tendou-san and I couldn¡¯t. ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Yeah, I wonder what I¡¯m talking about as well. I don''t even know it. ¡­I guess I¡¯m saying I respect Chiaki, ¡­and NOBE sincerely from the bottom of my heart.¡± Keita spoke calmly and refreshingly. However, looking at him, I can¡¯t help but look away like I¡¯m throwing a tantrum. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want Keita to respect me at all.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm, well, ¡­I understand. ¡­I should say this properly.¡± Keita mumbled to himself and scratched his cheeks dazedly. ¡°¡­So, let¡¯s make a promise again.¡± ¡°What promise?¡± To my question- Keita¡­stared into my eyes and announced. ¡°On the day after tomorrow, which is White Day -I¡¯ll confess all the feelings I have for Chiaki.¡± His eyes are filled with a sheer amount of determination. I also- answered with the determination to ept everything. ¡°Okay, ¡­I understand. I¡¯ll also look forward to it.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± So, herees the countless times of silence today. It¡¯s not sweet. It¡¯s not sour. ¡­However, it¡¯s definitely not bitter as well. We¡¯re enveloped in silence, as calm as the snow outside. ¡­Yes. ¡°Hey!? Eh, uh, Chiaki¡­!?¡± ¡°Hey. ¡­I-I think I can look forward to something at this level, ¡­right?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, go ahead.¡± ¡°..Well, well.¡± After I said that- I leaned my head on Keita¡¯s shoulder lightly once again. For a moment, I can feel his scent. His shoulders are stiff due to nervousness. Honestly, it¡¯s notfortable, even if I put it politely. I can feel his body temperature from where we touched. I can also feel his calm breathing. It seems to be making me sleepy. Also- our resonating heartbeat. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Inside the bus warmed by heaters- I can feel such a blessed moment that I may break into tears. Volume 11 4 – Tasuku Uehara and No More Restarts

Volume 11 Chapter 4 ¨C Tasuku Uehara and No More Restarts

Trantor: your_pingas ¡°Ha? You can¡¯t match her?¡± Amano explicitly despised me as he walked. I fixed my scarf and sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t be so mad. I already paid the fee for this discussion, right?¡± ¡°I guess¡­¡± My dear friend said that as he looked at the convenience store coffee withplicated emotions. That¡¯s the one I paid for him a couple minutes ago. After taking a couple of sips, right now, he can¡¯t beining. I bitterly smiled and turned to Amano, who showed an explicitly disgusted face. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not nning to say something that¡¯ll make you nervous. That¡¯s a promise.¡± ¡°¡­Really? Aren¡¯t you nning to say you don¡¯t match Aguri-san as a boyfriend?¡± Indeed, that¡¯s how he sees me. But, honestly, perhaps I really thought about that. I waved my hands and said. ¡°I¡¯m not saying it. That¡¯s really not what I¡¯m going to talk about.¡± ¡°I-I see.¡± Amano immediately sighed in relief. Looking at him, I can¡¯t help but smile gently. (¡­This guy is always putting us ahead of anything else.) Especially today- it¡¯s thest day before White Day. I don¡¯t think Amano has much free time too. Even so, he still sacrificed his after-school time and stayed with a person like me. ¡­He¡¯s sincerely worried about me. I appreciated it. At the same time, I swore that I have to be closer to his heart as well. He took another sip of the coffee with a bitter face. I started talking to him once again. ¡°So, I¡¯m definitely not talking about whether I match her. Instead, it¡¯s a more realistic and urgent issue.¡± ¡°In other words, ¡­the present for White Day?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°Well, ¡­but, Uehara-kun, didn¡¯t you walk around the town alone to find a White Day present?¡± ¡°Yeah, I bumped into Hoshinomori too and heard about her ¡®zenpai¡¯ thing.¡± ¡°Chiaki¡¯s zenpai thing? Eh, what¡¯s with that? I want to join too if that¡¯s about a game.¡± ¡°Ah, nope. How should I put it? ¡­Well, even though I think I should tell you first.¡± So, I gave a simple exnation about Hoshinomori¡¯s troubles and cleared my throat. ¡°Well, that¡¯s everything. In the end, after that, ¡­I¡¯m still hesitating about the gift for White Day.¡± ¡°Really? That would be an issue for loners like me. ¡­But, I feel like choosing gifts for girls should be easy for Uehara-kun.¡± ¡°Hmm, ¡­that would be the case for people that gave me obligatory chocte. I made up my mind quickly and prepared them. It¡¯s just cheap, small snacks you can buy online.¡± I clicked on my phone and showed him the snack. Amano dropped his shoulders depressingly. ¡°Uwah, what is this? That¡¯s a guy living in apletely different world than mine¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Come to think of it, what did you prepare? The obligatory chocte present.¡± ¡°Eh? Well, honestly, aside from the ck Thunder I got from Aguri-san, the rest are honmei chocte¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re even ¡®normier¡¯ than I do!¡± ¡°Wel, I guess you can call that a normie¡­! However, in contrast, I have to bear extra pain for not being able to return a casual gift like Uehara-kun¡­!¡± Amano tried his best to exin. Looking at him, I said- ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it!¡± -At the same time, I took a step forward. Amano nearly jumped as I continued. ¡°Facing Aguri¡¯s feelings- her handmade honmei chocte, I have no idea what I should give back!¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­I see.¡± Amano nodded his head. ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m pretty troubled by this too. Honestly, I don¡¯t know how I should answer Tendou-san, Chiaki, and Konoha-san¡¯s loving presents.¡± ¡°See!? You can¡¯t decide at all, right!?¡± I grabbed his shoulders and asked for agreement. Yet, Amano looked away a bit sorrily. ¡°Well, I already thought about this a long time ago. ¡­So, I¡¯m already prepared.¡± ¡°Huh!? You!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty mean!¡± Amano¡¯s triggered. I said sorry and rubbed my eyes as we talked toward the street. ¡°But, seriously, the more I think about this, the harder it gets. Presents¡­¡± ¡°Well, yeah. ¡­It¡¯s different from presents for obligatory chocte. You can¡¯t just base your standards on the price.¡± ¡°Yeah, I do want to find things that Aguri loves. However, the more I think about it, the more I feel like nothing can match a handmade gift.¡± ¡°I get it.¡± ¡°However, why don¡¯t I just make something instead? I thought about it and felt like that¡¯s not what I should do. Hmm, but I¡¯m not a clich¨¦ guy that feels only girls should make handmade snacks¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Honestly, no one wants Uehara-kun¡¯s handmade cookies, right. I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Oi.¡± I knocked Amano¡¯s head gently. He said, ¡°Ouch!¡± But, he immediately stroked his head happily. I bet he craves for boy¡¯s interactions like this, right. ¡­I feel like this guy¡¯s just as subtly miserable as when I first met him. He chuckled for a while and noticed my sympathetic look. So, he cleared his throat and took another sip of the coffee. ¡°So, Uehara-kun wants me to help with finding something to match Aguri-san¡¯s feelings?¡± ¡°Hmm, ¡­well, of course, I know this is something that I should figure out myself. But, it would be great if I can have some suggestions.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Amano showed a bewildered expression after hearing that. He thought for a while and said a bit sorrily. ¡°Hmm, I do want to tell my presents for White Day to Uehara-kun for your reference. ¡­But, I still feel like the girls should know it first. Or, I should say this is my sincerity¡­¡± Amano rubbed his shoulder awkwardly. I still love how honest this person is, and I agreed with him. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Sorry, Amano. I wasn¡¯t nning for you to tell me. It¡¯s okay. You can keep your White Day present as a secret.¡± ¡°Really? ¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s okay. I should be the one to say sorry for you worrying about me. Anyway, you don¡¯t need to say what you¡¯ve prepared for White Day. I simply want to chat with you about what Aguri loves¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, things that Aguri-san likes¡­¡± Amano walked for a while as he mumbled. Then, he raised his head with a bitter smile. ¡°Honestly, I think Aguri-san would be happy no matter what you give her, as long as it¡¯s from Uehara-kun, right.¡± ¡°Hmm, ¡­perhaps. However, that¡¯s why I want to make her happier.¡± ¡°Yes, ¡­I understand. Very much.¡± Amano said that with a gentle smile. ¡­Seeing his face, I can¡¯t help but open my mouth for a moment. ¡­But, I managed to keep it inside my throat. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Both of us fell silent. For a while, I can only hear the lively street and the sound of stepping on snow. So, we snapped out of it after a while. Then, we¡¯re at the alley where we fought a long time ago. Both of us can¡¯t help but stop at the same time. After that, we faced each other and smiled. -Just like that time, we grabbed each other¡¯s cor. I showed a despising look to Amano- but I¡¯m smiling. ¡°Hey, virgin, who do you think you are? I guess you already treated yourself as a normie after being surrounded by beautiful girls recently.¡± Facing my insult, Amano¡¯s eyes turned sharp too- but he¡¯s also smiling. ¡°You¡¯re the same. What¡¯s up? Where¡¯s your ¡®cricket¡¯ theory? Did you stop sucking blood from others? Moreover, you¡¯re always giving to others in this year to the point that it hurts.¡± ¡°You said it, you so-called twisted gamer. You¡¯re just the same. Even though you said all you need is games- you ended up giving up your New Year because of a friend. Seriously, forgive me, don¡¯t be like that anymore.¡± It seems that we¡¯re criticizing each other. In reality, this sounds more like flirting. I can¡¯t retort even if he said that. ¡­Since that day, our rtionship has changed violently. However, it seems that we¡¯re still always bickering with each other. At least, from my point, Amano has always stayed the same. His courage andmunication skills have improved a bit. But, his inner ¡°Keita Amano¡± hasn¡¯t changed. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­I¡¯m the same. No matter how much I try tough, cover, pretend as a normie or love master- In the end, ¡­I, Tasuku Uehara, is just a hardworking idiot. ¡­It was hard for me to ept this in the past. But, for some reason, right now¡­ ¡°Isn¡¯t that great, Uehara-kun?¡± Once I snapped out of it, Amano already let go of my cor and looked at me gently. Instead of saying he read my mind, that¡¯s more like the answer to our discussion¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I slowly released his cor. Then, I nodded determinedly and asked. ¡°Do you¡­think that¡¯s true?¡± ¡°Yes. Of course, as I said before, Aguri-san will love whatever Uehara-kun gives. Yes, what ¡®Uehara-kun¡¯ gives.¡± ¡°I..see.¡± During this time, I finally made up my mind and decided what I should give to Aguri. Finally- I shook hands with the guy that I found annoying a year ago. ¡°Yo, thanks, lonely virgin asshole.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, you flippant normie asshole.¡± * Then, it¡¯s finally here. March 14. I arrived at where I¡¯ll meet Aguri a bit earlier. The ¡°presents¡± showcased inside the shop windows attracted my eyes. I leaned on the wall and waited dazedly. I sighed and looked at the sky. The sunset¡¯s bathing the street as the snow trickles down. The clouds are pretty thin. It¡¯s a romantic weather for White Day. However, this coldness is slowly freezing my heart. (¡­Aguri¡­will be here, ¡­right?) I bet Amano will get mad at me if I tell my worries to him. Yet, this insecurity is slowly spreading inside my chest. Of course, I trust Aguri. Compared to the lighthearted teenager a year ago, I already have a solid bond with Aguri. We understood each other a lot more. However, that¡¯s why I can¡¯t help but think about that possibility. ¡°Do I suit Aguri better than Amanhi?¡± ¡°!?¡± I hastily lowered my head. Then, I realized Aguri¡¯s already next to me in her uniform. She leaned on the wall too. Aguri looked at the sky dazedly, just like I did. ¡°Tasuku, you always prioritize others over yourselves, for good or for bad.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± This is what getting a fever on your face feels like. Next, I¡¯m about to hand my important present to the girl I love. I have to show my disgusting jealousy and weak mentality. I didn¡¯t know you can be that embarrassing as a guy. Facing my utter depression, Aguri continued staring at the sky. ¡°You¡¯re honest. I- really hate this part of you, Tasuku. Also, I have to be sincere here.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± ¡°-I really love Amanhi.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± ¡°For example, if my parents forced me to marry him- I won¡¯t feel pain at all. I think that¡¯s called love.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Come to think of it, I guess this is the first time I heard how Aguri thinks of Amano seriously. After all, she always said absolutely no for the surface Amano. That¡¯s why I¡¯m worried. Then, that¡¯s why, ¡­unexpectedly, I wasn¡¯t shocked at her confession. I¡¯m even a little bit happy about it. ¡­What the hell is wrong with me? Am I d because Aguri opened her heart to me? Or is it because my friend is praised? Either way, I¡¯m just the same- ¡°Hiya, ¡­Tasuku really considers others before yourself.¡± -Once I snapped out of it, Aguri¡¯s looking at me dumbfoundedly. I looked away with a blush, ¡°T-This is embarrassing.¡± Aguri teased me and sighed. ¡­Then, she continued as if this is just usual chatter. ¡°So, I met with Amanhi beforeing here and encouraged his White Day. ¡­However, half of that is based on another reason.¡± ¡°Another reason?¡± ¡°Yes- I want to confirm the feelings between Amanhi and me. To put it simply- I got really close to Amanhi.¡± ¡°Wha-? ¡­W-Well, in the end, how did it¡­?¡± My heart can¡¯t stop pounding. However, in contrast to this, Aguri bitterly smiled and answered. ¡°He vehemently and impolitely rejected me. He even got really, really mad at me.¡± ¡°H-He got mad at you?¡± I was a bit shocked at the unexpected result. Aguri continued. ¡°Amanhi said he knew what I was going to do. I couldn¡¯t do that even if it¡¯s just a joke. It¡¯s because he doesn¡¯t want to hurt Tasuku- and my feelings so casually. He told me, ¡®Instead of doing dumb stuff like this, how about you just go and find Uehara-kun, who¡¯s been waiting in the chilling wind, you dense gal? He got so mad at me. I thoroughly pissed him off.¡± ¡°Haha, ¡­that¡¯s how he does things.¡± ¡°Really. That¡¯s why he¡¯s a short-fused person¡­¡± At this point, we made direct eye contact for the first time today. We smiled sincerely. After that, Aguri started exining the result. ¡°However, that¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°I understood. It¡¯s because Amanhi encouraged me. This time, I can finally say it out loud without making Tasuku suspect anything.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± At this point, Aguri stood up from the wall and turned to me. The street behind her is painted with the sunset. As usual, she showed her innocent, lighthearted, yet most adorable smile. Finally- she said the thing that I¡¯ve been craving since meeting her. ¡°I love Tasuku more than anyone else.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Huh, my vision is getting blurry. ¡­For some reason, I can¡¯t see my beloved girl clearly anymore. Even though it¡¯s such a reassuring answer, my cheeks red up as I plopped my head down bashfully. Aguri didn¡¯t mind my embarrassing reaction and continued. ¡°Amanhi¡¯s really amazing. He can even get mad at Main-nee-san for me. I don¡¯t know anyone that can act like this aside from him. As for Tasuku, you simply won¡¯t get into a fight with anyone. You¡¯re smooth, slick, and treat all girls nicely. Moreover, you even include boys as well. You simply think that it¡¯s best if everyone rted to you is happy. What a helplessly wholesome and flippant boy.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, you¡¯re right. I have nothingpared to Amano-¡° ¡°However, that¡¯s why I- love Tasuku.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­I said this before, right? I fell in love with you during middle school¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I remember that. ¡­I can¡¯t forget it.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s great.¡± Aguri sighed in relief. ¡­At this point, I finally made up my mind. ¡°Aguri.¡± I called her name and raised my head. My eyes are filled with determination. I looked into her eyes solemnly- and puffed up my chest. ¡°I hope you can go out with me once again.¡± Upon hearing that, Aguri¡­answered with two words without any hesitation. ¡°Of course! Looking forward to being with you again, Tasuku!¡± ¡°¡­Yes!¡± I nearly broke into tears for a moment. However, I don¡¯t want Aguri to see such an embarrassing side of me. In the end, I lowered my head and adjusted my breath. Suddenly, Aguri handed me something. ¡°This is for you.¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s this?¡± I took it with my hands. ¡°¡­Labears keychain?¡± ¡°Yes, this is called Labears. ¡­As I¡¯ve said before, I actually wanted to give you this during the school trip.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± I see. This is¡­the present I haven¡¯t got my hands on until now. It was robbed by Main-san, and then my friend protected it - the Labears. I stared at the teddy bears on my head. Aguri asked a bit worriedly. ¡°Hey, ¡­can you take it this time?¡± To this question- I sighed for a long while. ¡­Then, I raised my head determinedly and held the Labears tightly with a smile. ¡°Yeah, of course! Thank you, Aguri! I¡¯ll treasure this with my life!¡± Aguri smiled in relief after hearing my answer. ¡°d to hear that! Ah, but doesn¡¯t this feel weird?¡± ¡°Hmm? Why?¡± ¡°¡­I gave you something first, even though it¡¯s White Day.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. ¡­We¡¯re still really bad at keeping secrets.¡± ¡°Yeah. ¡­I¡¯m sorry, Tasuku.¡± ¡°Why is the one that gave something out apologizing? Are you an idiot?¡± I said that and rubbed Aguri¡¯s head. Then, I stood up from the wall and walked next to her. ¡°Even so, let me give you a present on White Day, Aguri. After all, I managed to prepare something that¡¯ll make you super happy.¡± After hearing that, Aguri said, ¡°Eh, seriously!?¡± She jumped like a gal and hugged my arms. ¡°What is it? What is it? I¡¯m excited. Is it a luxurious bag, makeup kit, or jewelry? ¡­Huh, don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s a ring!?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. Well, I want that if I¡¯m picking from the shop windows.¡± ¡°Seriously!? Ah, you¡¯re amazing, Tasuku. Unlike a certain lonely gamer, you understand-¡° ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± ¡°-Eh?¡± We took¡­around 5 steps from where we met. Aguri kept blinking her eyes after hearing that we¡¯re at the destination. ¡°Eh, but, this is-¡° She questioned me confusedly. ¡°This is the arcade, ¡­right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded. I pointed at the- -UFO machine behind the window with an innocent smile. ¡°I¡¯ll get anything you want today- my most beautifuldy.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± For a moment, Aguri¡¯s eyes are filled with tears. Indeed- this is to recreate the scene where I first met Aguri in middle school. This is my- most beloving present for White Day. However¡­ ¡°¡­H-Hey?¡± ¡­Aguri¡¯s head remained lowered, just like mine before. I¡¯m suddenly getting super worried. (Eh, don¡¯t tell me I ruined the mood!? W-Well, I think the difference between a ring and a UFO machine is too big! C-Crap, I messed up! My inner gamer got lured out once I¡¯m here-) -Suddenly, Aguri buried her face into my chest and hugged me tightly. ¡°A-Aguri?¡± Even though I¡¯m shocked, I still embraced her tightly. The customers around are giving us weird looks, ¡­but I don¡¯t really care at this point. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Both of us hugged each other for a while. We want each other to feel our body temperature. These 30 seconds felt like an eternity. Aguri raised her head gently. ¡°¡­Well, I¡¯m looking forward to it, ¡­my hardworking side-part hair-kun.¡± The young girlughed cheerfully. I smiled. ¡°Oh, you can rely on me!¡± So, we immediately returned to the UFO machine in our memories- ¡°Ah, but I still want one more thing before that.¡± ¡°Ah? What? Don¡¯t tell me you still want the ring-¡° I didn¡¯t notice until I finished saying that. Aguri¡­closed her eyes and turned to me. ¡­Of course, I know what she wants me to do. My face is getting hotter and hotter with each passing second. ¡°A-Are you an idiot? We¡¯re in front of so many people right now. This is an arcade as well. The mood isn¡¯t romantic-¡° ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s do it right here, right now.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, ¡­but¡­¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s okay to do it right here, right now. ¡­What about you, Tasuku?¡± ¡°¡­Sheesh, of course.¡± I made up my mind and hugged Aguri¡¯s petite body. Our faces got closer. It¡¯s been around 2 years since we first met each other. Even though we keep going around in circles- However, today, at this moment- In front of the UFO machine in our memories- ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± -We kissed each other for the first time. Volume 11 5 – Keita Amano and Endgame Preparation

Volume 11 Chapter 5 ¨C Keita Amano and Endgame Preparation

I found out that the demon king was already waiting for me when I returned home on White Day. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I know you don¡¯t know what I¡¯m saying. It¡¯s okay. Even the narrator is confused too. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Anyway, I closed my door and observed again. First of all, the wooden sign with an ugly ¡°Keita¡± name carved onto it came into view. I made that myself in elementary school. It¡¯s a bit embarrassing to look at it now. However, I didn¡¯t really need to get a new sign. So, this just stayed here. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Well, at this point, I¡¯m 99% sure that this is Keita Amano¡¯s room. However, I can¡¯t eliminate the possibility of someone changing the signs. In other words, it¡¯s like the ones you see in roms or detective novels. They change the room numbers or male/female signs to cause some situations. So, I turned around and observed the surroundings first. The location of the stairs that connected the 1st floor of Amano¡¯s house: Normal The location of the window opposite the corridor: Normal The location of my little brother¡¯s room: Normal Finally, the scar on the door I made when I fell down: Clearly visible ¡­¡­¡­¡­ So, after gathering all the evidence, I finally acquired that one true fact. ¡°I see. This is a parallel world-¡° ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± Suddenly, the door opened forcefully. The demon king-sama, the beautiful officedy, Main Fushiguro, appeared. I didn¡¯t even dare to move and smiled stiffly. ¡°H-Hiya? This is weird. I don¡¯t remember summoning a demon king-sama in my room¡­¡± ¡°Really? It¡¯s quite normal for a beautiful girl to befall in a useless passerby¡¯s room, right. You shouldn¡¯t even be surprised at this point.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not going to help even if you tell me rom plots like that.¡± ¡°I mean, this timeline belongs in a rom setting, right?¡± I can¡¯t immediately deny her. Well, if something has to happen in a rom world¡­! ¡°E-Even if that¡¯s true, why does it have to be you? Doraemon can appear in Nobita¡¯s room, but why the hell is Jyaian here?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Jyaian? You want me to beat you to death, Amako? Socially.¡± ¡°That¡¯s even worse than Jyaian!¡± ¡°Well, forget it. Come in first, Amako. Even though this is a room filled with a virgin¡¯s smell.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still just as refreshingly awful!¡± Main-san urged me. I dragged my feet to enter my room. After Main-san closed the door forcefully, I sighed and walked to the table. Then, I hung my school bag and leaned on the table. ¡°So?¡± I turned back and asked. ¡°Seriously, why the hell are you here¡­?¡± ¡°Hey, hey, Amako. You¡¯re saying that like I just barged into your house.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t actually invite you, right!?¡± ¡°But no one says anything when the hero is literally stealing from the vigers¡¯ home.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be punished in real life! Don¡¯t you havemon sense!?¡± ¡°Ha, you¡¯re saying that like I¡¯m a criminal.¡± ¡°Yeah, this is already a crime, after all!¡± I screamed angrily at the woman that intruded my house. However, Main-san just walked next to my bed and chuckled as usual. She jumped onto it andid down. ¡°Phew, ¡­other people¡¯s beds are really hygienically disgusting..¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Barging into someone¡¯s room and talking trash about the guy¡¯s bed. She¡¯s already a burr. After I showed disappointment, Main-san changed her pose on the bed. She put her elbows on the pillow and looked at me. Her legs are crossed like a photo idol. Also, her skirt is really short today. Honestly, I¡¯m not sure where I should look. So, I can¡¯t help but look at the snowy scenery outside. ¡­I even prepared myself to be teased due to that virgin reaction. Unexpectedly, Main-san didn¡¯t attack me for that. Instead, she went right into the topic. ¡°Hey, Amako. I heard you¡¯re¡­giving an ending to your love on White Day?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I guess so.¡± I avoided her nce and answered. Indeed, today- I¡¯m giving a conclusion to my love. Well, it¡¯s just giving Tendou-san and Chiaki answers as we¡¯ve promised before. Of course, I already made a promise to them. I also prepared the gifts for White Day too. So, I¡¯m supposed to make preparations here before meeting them individually. After I got home, I anxiously opened the door, and yet- the demon king is there. Anyway, I¡¯m pretty anxious right now because I still have things to do. However, Main-san doesn¡¯t seem to end the conversation. She continued while lying on my bed. ¡°The conclusion means giving presents to the weird girls that gave you honmei chocte. You¡¯re going to decide their fate, right?¡± ¡°¡­Why the hell do I have to tell you?¡± I can finally look at Main-san¡¯s eyes. ¡­It¡¯s fine if she¡¯s just going to mess with me. Those kinds of looks- that despise someone that has feelings for me are upsetting. Perhaps Main-san understood what I meant. She immediately sat upright and apologized. ¡°Indeed, even though I was joking, it¡¯s probably really impolite to Karen Tendou and Chiaki Hoshinomori. Forgive me.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine as long as you can understand.¡± I can¡¯t help but avoid her eyes again. ¡­This part of her is really cunning. She¡¯ll throw her logic at you violently. Yet, she¡¯ll immediately admit her mistakes and apologize. That¡¯s why there¡¯s no way I can be genuinely mad at her. I scratched my cheeks. Main-san toned down her expression and continued. ¡°Well, I lost your ownership already. So, right now, ¡­I¡¯m simply asking this as a friend of yours. Are you going to meet with the girls that gave you honmei chocte?¡± Main-san looked at me with an unprecedentedly serious face. Although I hesitated for a moment, ¡­I still answered her question honestly¡­as her friend. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m meeting them. It¡¯s just that¡­I¡¯ll only be seeing Tendou-san and Chiaki today. Konoha-san has her own request, so we dyed it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The conversation ended. The snowkes are dancing outside. ¡­I got it. Main-san didn¡¯te here for the sole purpose of teasing me. However, I still don¡¯t understand what she¡¯s thinking. Well, even though I¡¯ve never understood what¡¯s on her mind. During this time, I suddenly remembered something that I wanted to ask her. ¡°Come to think of it, that fight is really-¡° Main-sanughed and interrupted me. ¡°You¡¯re so not romantic, Amako. I yed it seriously and lost to that seaweed head. That¡¯s all. ¡­There¡¯s no boring truth behind this.¡± ¡°¡­I see. Well, that¡¯s all I have to say. I won¡¯t bother you again.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all.¡± Main-san crossed her arms as we smiled at each other. ¡­Finally, I can feel both of our hearts are slightly connected. Suddenly, I saw the clock on the wall. It¡¯s almost time to meet the girls. I urged Main-san to leave, ¡°Well¡­¡± At the same time, I started packing up the presents for White Day in my drawers. ¡°It¡¯s time for me to go. Are you good now?¡± Even though I¡¯m in a rush here, I still reminded her tactfully. However- unexpectedly, Main-san¡¯s answer was no. ¡°No, you can¡¯t. There¡¯s still something.¡± ¡°Ha? Something?¡± I didn¡¯t expect her rejection at this point. My voice is gradually getting impatient. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Say it earlier if you have to.¡± I prepared my stuff and urged her. But, Main-san continued as if she¡¯s changing the topic. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re the one that should say it now.¡± ¡°Ha?¡± ¡°Listen, Amako. I¡¯m already ready. So, don¡¯t hesitate to ¡®put it down¡¯ here.¡± ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡± I have no idea what she¡¯s saying. Even though I never really understand her, I¡¯m exceptionally pissed when she¡¯s dragging me while I¡¯m in a rush. This way, that moment that I felt our hearts connecting to each other is really upsetting. I shoved my presents into my schoolbag and turned back impatiently. Main-san¡¯s sitting on the bed as she looked at me with her usual arrogant eyes. Just as I¡¯m curious about her silence, she suddenly changed the topic again. ¡°Amako, you gave a suggestion for Tasuku Uehara¡¯s White Day present yesterday, right?¡± ¡°What? Why did you ask me that? Also, who told you about this?¡± ¡°My ¡®eyes¡¯ are everywhere on the street.¡± Who the hell are you? But I don¡¯t really need to keep this a secret. So, I sighed and answered helplessly. ¡°Well, yeah. It¡¯s a suggestion for White Day. ¡­So?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± It¡¯s not nothing. My precious White Day is slowly fading away. I¡¯m genuinely impatient now. However, ¡­as if Main-san¡¯s messing with me, she changed the topic again. ¡°By the way, Amako, Agu forced you into a corner today, right?¡± ¡°Ha? Well, I guess¡­¡± Indeed, Aguri-san got her face really close to me as I¡¯m going back today. I guess you can call her trying to force me. But that¡¯s¡­ ¡°Yeah, I know the details. You were really cold to her, right?¡± ¡°Well, ¡­uh, yes.¡± I thought she¡¯ll be mad because I hurt her cousin, but Main-san doesn¡¯t look angry. She pressed on calmly. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have much free time right now. Yet, you still encouraged Tasuku Uehara and Agu. ¡­Hey, you¡¯re really gentle, Amako.¡± ¡°¡­What are you saying?¡± ¡°By the way, good news, Amako. Agu and Tasuku Uehara got together. Hiya, congrats-¡° ¡°What the hell are you going to say!?¡± My impatience reached its limit. I yelled violently at the woman that has a higher status than I do. However, Main-san said this with a gentle expression that I¡¯ve never seen before. ¡°You¡¯re really gentle. Really. I¡¯m not teasing you. Also, you¡¯re the most determined person, at least from all the people I know.¡± ¡°What are you saying¡­?¡± ¡°However, that¡¯s why you dealt with ¡®it¡¯ brilliantly. Moreover, you gave it a beautiful conclusion. No one understood it. You¡¯re amazing. Well, ¡­at least I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°What¡­are you talking about¡­¡± I can clearly feel that my voice is shaking. Main-san slowly stood up from the bed and walked to me. ¡°¡­Hey, Amako. Let say you¡¯re the protagonist in this rom. If there¡¯s any meaning for me to barge in, that will be for moments like this. ¡­That¡¯s what I think.¡± ¡°¡­Stop.¡± ¡°So, ¡­Amako. Even if you¡¯re just going to do it for a second, you can throw ¡®that¡¯ onto an ¡®outsider¡¯ like me. It¡¯ll lighten up your heart.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± I can¡¯t stay here and entertain her anymore. At this point, I quickly grabbed the school bag filled with my White Day presents. This demon king-sama can be left here. Just as I¡¯m about to leave the room, I put my hands onto the door handle- ¡°You can leave your ¡®little breakup¡¯ with Aguri Sakurano here.¡± The demon king-sama pointed out the worst and the most crucial fact that I didn¡¯t n to reveal. * ¡°There¡¯s something I have to tell you.¡± It¡¯s been a couple seconds since that annoying famous detective revealed her terrible conclusion. ¡°Right now, I don¡¯t have any feelings for Aguri-san, not even a little. So, you¡¯re over-exaggerating to say that it¡¯s a breakup.¡± ¡°I feel the same.¡± Main-san agreed with me quickly. So, she started announcing her theory chicly. ¡°I thought Amako has always yearned for Agu ever since you met her. I know this pretty well. It¡¯s just like the feeling Chiaki Hoshinomori has for Tasuku Uehara. You two are really like clones.¡± ¡°¡­Well, if you know it, why are you still-¡° ¡°However, the problem is-¡° Main-san interrupted. She raised her finger. ¡°You didn¡¯t let anyone around you notice it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°N-No, you just hide it inside your heart perfectly¡­¡± ¡­I can¡¯t help but scratch my head. ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that you can¡¯t call that love, after all¡­¡± I looked away. Unexpectedly, Main-san understood what I said. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you have a feeling to ¡®yearn¡¯ after her like that seaweed head, right.¡± ¡°Sigh, I guess so. It¡¯s just that, well, ¡­how should I put it? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s like how Chiaki felt about Uehara-kun. Think about it, I¡¯m not really yearning for Aguri-san. It¡¯s more like I feel pretty close to her since the start.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s who Agu is as a person. It¡¯s more like that¡¯s where my cousin is attractive.¡± ¡°Yes. So, instead of saying yearning, it¡¯s more like I thought about, ¡®What if I can go out with this girl?¡¯ like a normie. However, that¡¯s..¡± ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s a bit too serious to call it love. It¡¯s actually just a hypothesis.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°However, even if it juststed for a moment, this is evidence of you seeing her as a lover, right?¡± ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± It¡¯s a bit embarrassing since I¡¯m practically robbing my friend¡¯s girlfriend away with a confession. But, indeed, for a moment, this is how I felt about Aguri-san, even though she has a boyfriend. However, that¡¯s why, after that, I- -Main-san interrupted my thoughts. ¡°Amako, you¡¯ve always put out that ¡®I will never treat Aguri-san as a lover¡¯ attitude to me. Well, honestly, it¡¯s a bit too much.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­I see. I guess so.¡± Indeed, I¡¯m always saying that to Aguri-san. However, that¡¯s even more so when I¡¯m fighting with Main-san. It¡¯s because that was the only time that it¡¯s true. ¡­I was going to take Aguri-san away. So, whether it¡¯s for Aguri-san, Uehara-kun, or for myself, who¡¯s about to engage in a real rtionship, ¡­I can¡¯t lower my guard. Main-san¡¯s face smoothed down after seeing my embarrassed look. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, sorry. I¡¯m not taking your yearning out of your heart and making fun of it.¡± ¡°Eh!? You aren¡¯t!?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with your overly unexpected reaction? Even a woman like me can be hurt. By the way, what¡¯s my image in your head?¡± ¡°Well, ¡­uh, aside from demon king, it would be¡­¡± Suddenly, I thought ofparison. ¡­At the next moment, I just spat it out. ¡°You¡¯re the person to kill people with a smile while humming .¡± ¡°You¡¯re seriously biased.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Whatever, I¡¯m quite happy, anyway. I get to tease Amako until you¡¯re half-dead.¡± ¡°Oi.¡± This person is indeed the worst. But, she¡¯s a person like that. This is the happy serial killer in training, Main Fushiguro. Well, even though I already said the killing part out loud. I can¡¯t help but smile bitterly. Looking at me, suddenly- Main-san showed a purely and uncharacteristically beautiful smile. ¡°However, even if that¡¯s just the tiniest sense of love.¡± She said her sincere words out loud with an unprecedented amount of warmth. ¡°You didn¡¯t let anyone find out. Moreover, you even tried your best to encourage them. I think, for a child like this, an outsider like me can at least praise you for a bit.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Also- even if it¡¯s a tiny wound that can immediately heal, you¡¯ll never tell this to Karen Tendou and Chiaki Hoshinomori. Of course, that includes Agu and Tasuku Uehara too, right? So, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here. ¡­Amako, you can leave half of that in here.¡± Main-san patted her chest at this point. ¡°¡­You¡¯re really¡­¡± Yep, I¡¯m- pretty bad at dealing with her. She tramples on other people¡¯s feelings and collects happiness everywhere. Yet, in the end, she¡¯ll buff and return them to everyone. There¡¯s no way I can hate things like this. So, I¡¯m pretty bad at dealing with her. ¡°Here, that¡¯s it. Pounce into my attractive chest, Amako.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll obey rather than respect then.¡± I said that and pounced on Main-san¡¯s chest- no, I just leaned my head on her shoulder for a while. Even though Main-san looks very unsatisfied, she still didn¡¯t try to hug me. This person does get her stuff together in serious moments. Finally, I raised my head after a good 5 seconds. Then, I showed Main-san my bright and hazeless smile. I have to admit it. ¡­Compared to when I just entered the room, I feel much better now. I have to admit Main-san gave me the courage to face those two girls¡¯ feelings. After seeing me getting charged up, Main-san returned to her usual mischievous attitude. ¡°But.¡± ¡°You did more or less notice it, right?¡± ¡°Hmm? What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fool me. It¡¯s about the ¡®robbing away¡¯ I suggested before. About that, half of you wanted to take Agu away, right?¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Indeed, I did more or less think about that. But, I just ignored it as a joke and absorbed other serious parts.¡± ¡°¡­Tck. In other words, you already made up your mind about Agu¡¯s feelings since that time. Sheesh, I feel like I just gave my appreciation to an idiot.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. Well, I already made up my mind a long time ago. However, I still feel refreshed after saying it to someone out loud. It¡¯s like getting rid of your constipation.¡± ¡°You¡¯re treating Agu as constipation? ¡­You¡¯re even meaner than me.¡± ¡°Anyway, all I want to say is thanks. Thank you.¡± ¡°¡­O-Oh.¡± Main-san said that and looked away a bit embarrassingly. ¡­Okay, not going to lie, she looks a bit cute. Anyway, I¡¯vepletely prepared myself mentally. All that¡¯s left is to move forward. ¡°¡­Well, it¡¯s time for me to go, Main-san.¡± ¡°¡­Sure.¡± This time, Main-san didn¡¯t stop me. I walked next to her and grabbed the handle. I pressed it down and finally entered the corridor- ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± -At that time, I stopped again. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong, Amako? Did you forget something?¡± Main-san looked at me confusedly. I turned and looked at her eyes silently. At the next second, I walked to the table and searched in the drawers. ¡°Hey? What¡¯s wrong, Amako? Did you forget something?¡± ¡°Well, I guess so. ¡­Ah, here it is.¡± I got what I want a couple secondster. Then, I showed Main-san. She squinted her eyes curiously. ¡°Hmm? What? Chocte? ¡­ck Thunder? ¡­Uh, ah, that¡¯s the important Valentine¡¯s chocte Mii said earlier¡­¡± Main-san finally realized it. Yep, ¡­it¡¯s good that she knows what this is. I showed a charming smile and slowly peeled off the wrapping paper- -I tore Aguri-san¡¯s ck Thunder chocte¡¯s wrap apart. At the next moment- ¡°Ah, hey-¡° -Main-san dropped her jaw as I shoved all of the chocte into my mouth. So, I chewed the tasteless chocte violently. Then, I rubbed the wrapping paper and threw it into the bin before walking to the door. Then, when I¡¯m passing over Main-san- I yelled loudly with my mouth full of chocte. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving!¡± Facing my utterly idiotic action- Main-san looks shocked for a moment. However, she immediately said, ¡°Fantastic!¡± She showed a genuinely happy smile. ¡­Thanks. So, I stomped on the ground loudly as I went out. Main-san sent me her usual mischievousughs. Usually, thisughter does nothing but bother me. However, right now, for some reason, ¡­her flippantughsforted me. I walked to the stairs that lead downward before turning around again. After that, Main-san- she¡¯s right outside of my room. Although she still finds this pretty amusing as she hugged her chest whileughing, she gave me a strong thumbs up. The person said her farewell. ¡°Go, Amako. I¡¯ll hug you- if you crashed into pieces.¡± Volume 11, 6 – Gamers and Youth Master-up

Volume 11, Chapter 6 ¨C Gamers and Youth Master-up

Trantor: your_pingas Chiaki Hoshinomori ¡°Haa, it has to be so far from the school. P-Phew¡­¡± I nearly ran out of breath as I¡¯m mumbling to myself on a dark and extremely cold mountain path. The snow path alone is already making me suffer more than I have to. If we¡¯re including conditions like mountains, slopes, and evening, I¡¯m totally helpless. Honestly, I kept thinking about whether I should give up and go home. ¡°This¡­is¡­totally¡­the wrong option, ¡­Keita.¡± The spot that we¡¯ll meet on White Day just has to be that za. Iined angrily. Indeed, right now, I¡¯m going to the ce that we visited around 5 months ago- -< Starry za >. That¡¯s a dating spot built on a high tform filled with stairs. You can reach it by the mountain paths. Just like its name, it¡¯s a ce where you can see beautiful stars. Also¡­ (That¡¯s¡­where I confessed to Keita¡­) At this point, my cheeks still re up whether I think about it. I stood dazedly for a while and calmed down. Then, I gripped onto the handle with ayer of snow as I moved to the za once again. Luckily, even though it¡¯s infrequent, a bus leads from the school to this < Starry za >. That¡¯s why I prevented any additional waste of stamina and arrived at the start of the path. At least,pared to wasting a whole day using the GPS of the mobile gamest time, I feel much better now. Well, even though the snow is draining my strength as well. ¡°Phew, ¡­phew¡­¡± Even so, I worked my way to the destination. I climbed on the path that¡¯s nearly buried in snow. ¡°¡­I¡¯m here¡­!¡± I finally arrived at the destination - < Starry za >. This is a semicircr za that¡¯s a bit far away from the mountain slope. There are double-seat benches on the circumference. The back of the benches is all facing upward. It¡¯s the same as when I came here in October. However, all of these are covered in a thinyer of snow. Also, there were a lot of couples before. Yet, this time, there¡¯s no one besides me. ¡°It¡¯s hard to me them¡­¡± I mumbled and walked to the center of the za. I stared at the scenery dazedly. ¡­Actually, < Starry za > isn¡¯t a dating hotspot during winter. The reason is simply because of the cold while seeing the stars on the benches. Even though the sky is just as beautiful, it¡¯s not a ce that couples can casually challenge. Even so, this < Starry za > has to be the ce. ¡°¡­Keita reallycks a nerve.¡± Usually, he cares about other people¡¯s opinions and feelings. However, he always acts by his values on important things. ¡­He doesn¡¯t care about the consequences at all. ¡°I bet he made a promise with Karen-san too¡­¡± Even so. I¡¯m afraid this is just a good ce to end everything with me. That¡¯s why he simply chose a lonely and far away location. ¡°¡­I¡¯m such a talentless girl, ¡­sheesh.¡± I looked at the sunset. The stars are already sparkling. ¡­I can¡¯t help but mumble with a bitter smile. Although I¡¯m already at the ce, Keita¡¯s not here yet. I carefully swept away the snow on the couple''s bench and took a seat. Although I can¡¯t lean on it, my back still feels pretty cold even with a jacket. So, I nned to make a cushion with my school bag. I took out all the things inside first. Stationery bag, make-up kit (in-name-only, it¡¯s actually filled with random stuff), then- ¡°Ah, right, I also brought this today!¡± -I found the handheld console that I¡¯ve always used. It¡¯s exciting to know this. I immediately put my school bag onto the bench and the rest onto myp. After that, I grabbed the console while wearing gloves. ¡°Ho, ho, ho, I won¡¯t be bored with this, no matter how long I have to wait¡­!¡± Honestly, the battery is running out. It¡¯s not rmended to y in such an extreme temperature. But, I have to do it now. I quickly turned it on and continued from the save. ¡­ying games instead of watching the starry sky in a snowy mountain on White Day. I suspected whether this is something a high school girl in love should do. ¡­Well, who cares? It¡¯s because I¡¯m the twisted gamer, Chiaki Hoshinomori! However¡­ ¡°¡­E-Eh, we¡¯re starting from the boss fight? ¡­Ugh.¡± I opened the game excitedly. Yet, I realized I¡¯m in the deepest part of the maze. The savepoint is right before the boss battle. Also, this game has to be an action RPG. It¡¯s very difficult to control it precisely with gloves on. Even so¡­ ¡°¡­But, it doesn¡¯t feel right to avoid a fight here¡­!¡± Chiaki Hoshinomori¡¯s mysterious determination is ignited! I controlled the protagonist and entered the boss room. The boss fight showed up after a big warning. It¡¯s a giant made with trees. (Gulp¡­) I got nervous. Also, this game is the rare kind that punishes you for dying. You have to start from the maze entrance if you fail. Why don¡¯t I just start from the savepoint before the boss fight? Regrettably, that¡¯s just a temporary one that¡¯ll disappear after starting the adventure. In other words, I¡¯ll waste a lot of time if the boss kills me here. The nervousness is subconsciously skyrocketing. Well, that¡¯s one of the selling points of this game too. Anyway, I should distance myself from him for now. However- < Click! > ¡°!?¡± Suddenly, wooden spears were thrown out from the forest and paled my character. It looks like traps will activate if I run too far away from the boss forest. Moreover, spears shoot out if I get too close to the woods. I don¡¯t know what to do¡­? (Hmm? Come to think of it, ¡­I kind of remember this¡­) Although the strange familiarity is worrying, I still continued the battle. I¡¯m a gamer, after all. I can counter the boss¡¯s attack in an action RPG after seeing it once. So, even though I¡¯m still hit pretty badly, my evasion is slowly improving. It¡¯s finally here. I¡¯ll win if I can keep up the attacks- at that moment. A bad feeling shed in my brain, (Ah, hmm? I have a bad feeling, ¡­but this is the first time I¡¯m fighting this boss.) It looks like the answer is inside my memories. However, I can¡¯t piece anything together, no matter how much I think about it. I scrambled my brain as I continued fighting. ¡­Then, I suddenly noticed it. (Ah, hey, ¡­isn¡¯t this the memory from the previous game?) I felt like I¡¯m a step closer to the crux of the problem. Indeed, I¡­yed the previous version around 9 months ago. That name is- < Dream Tale Aigis VIII >. [Read Vol.1 Ch.3 and Vol.5 Ch.2 if you forgot what game this is.] ¡°¡­!?¡± Just as I¡¯m lost in thoughts, the tree giant started burning with very little HP left. I can¡¯t really deal with this unexpected situation. (S-Should I flee for now? O-Or should I just attack him before he does something? Ah, there¡¯s no time to hesitate-) I have to make up my mind now, no matter which side I choose. However- ¡°-Kill it!¡± -I can hear someone at this moment. At the next second, I started an all-out attack on the boss. ¡°Go! Go! Go! Go!¡± ¡°!¡± Someone kept cheering next to me. I pressed the attack button furiously and let out a storm. Then, when the tree giant started shing, which means that he¡¯s about to release the power- ¡°!¡± -The boss¡¯s HP is reduced to 0. After a moment of silence, the tree started disintegrating into ashes. Then, when thepletion screen appeared- I couldn''t help but stand up. Then, I looked at him, who appeared next to me from nowhere. I can¡¯t help but say. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± His right hand pped with my left one. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Then, after I snapped out of it, we¡¯re now holding each other¡¯s hands¡­and smiling. That¡¯s- a too-perfect recreation of the day we met each other. I looked at him a bit mischievously. My mouth curled up and asked him, just like that day. ¡°Hey, can I ask who you are?¡± Facing my question, he¡­answered with a slightly embarrassed smile. ¡°I¡¯m a lonely gamer like you.¡± * ¡°Seriously, I¡¯ve already failed the moment I chose this ce. It¡¯s far and cold¡­¡± Keita bitterly smiled and sat next to me like usual. I grabbed the school bag I used as a cushion. Then, I put my console and stuff inside it as I answered. ¡°That¡¯s how you feel too. Well, why did you pick here?¡± ¡°Uh, well, that¡¯s because-¡° Keita scratched his cheeks a bit embarrassedly. I immediately realized the meaning. My cheeks are ring up too. Indeed, the reason is unquestionable. It¡¯s because this is our memorial- ¡°Of course, this is where the rare boss appeared in < GOM >!¡± ¡°Give me back my feelings!¡± I didn¡¯t expect him to answer the boss¡¯s location of the mobile game. Keita¡¯s already ying on his phone after Iined. T-This gaming otaku, in times like this¡­! For some reason, my nervousness vanished in an instant. I sighed and sat next to Keita. ncing at him, ¡­he¡¯s still passionate about games like a child. ¡°Ah, Chiaki- no, Mono should y too? < GOM >. Even though I don¡¯t think you know it, this score is super amazing right now.¡± ¡°Alright, alright¡­¡± His passion cheered me. So, I took out my phone and opened < GOM >. After that, I confirmed the location and, indeed¡­ ¡°Yeah, this is¡­a super good hidden spot! Isn¡¯t this the best counter to that raiding battle boss!?¡± ¡°Right? I know Mono must understand!¡± ¡°Yeah! This is useful! Thank you, Tshi.¡± ¡°We¡¯re just helping each other out, Mono.¡± So, both of us clicked on the phone excitedly. ¡­Seriously, I have no idea why we visited a snowy mountain in winter during White Day. However, for some reason, my chest feels much warmer than when I just got here. So, after around 3 minutes, we finished what we had to do here. Both of us smiled and put our phones back as we looked up. The night sky is really quiet and beautiful. Unlikest time, now¡¯s not the time that you can see a sky filled with stars. However, there¡¯s a red-purple gradient view across the top. It¡¯s like a fantasy. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The scarcely sparkling stars reminded me of the memory during mid-October. The beautiful sunset made me remember the kiss in < Twilight tform >. (¡­Yeah, this is indeed the best ce.) Although Iined to Keita about it, I wasn¡¯t talking about White Day. Instead- -It¡¯s the ce where I ended my youth. I clenched my fists on myp as I slowly prepared myself. During this time, Keita finally started talking. ¡°Then, well, first of all, ¡­here¡¯s your present for White Day.¡± ¡°Oh, sure. Thank¡­you?¡± I received the present from Keita calmly. However, my eyes can¡¯t stop blinking. ¡°Hey, ¡­is this a¡­letter?¡± ¡°Uh, well, yeah. Think about it, ¡­Chiaki also wrote me a letter on Valentine¡¯s Day, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± I didn¡¯t have the courage to give him chocte. So, I just took a step back and sent him a hastily-written letter. It wasn¡¯t meant to be a present. Keita¡¯s expression turned stiff. Perhaps it¡¯s because my thoughts are all written on my face. ¡°Ah, hey, am I making you embarrassed? Do you hate me?¡± ¡°Eh? Of course not! It¡¯s impossible! It¡¯s more like¡­¡± I looked at the letter from Keita and took a breath. ¡°Well, ¡­I¡¯m really happy. This letter is filled with Keita¡¯s feelings¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­great.¡± I can¡¯t help but hug the letter on my chest tightly. What I just said is pure feedback. My heart can¡¯t stop pounding when I face something tangible that¡¯s full of Keita¡¯s feelings for me. I felt the beating of my heart as I quickly opened the letter- ¡°Ah, wait!¡± -Keita stopped me just as I¡¯m about to see the content. He scratched his cheeks a bit embarrassedly. ¡°U-Uh, ¡­I hope that you can read it at home instead of here. This feels¡­super embarrassing¡­¡± ¡°¡­I see. I got you.¡± I made up my mind after seeing Keita¡¯s look. He sighed in relief. ¡°Very well. So-¡° ¡°Well, well, well, let¡¯s read it now!¡± ¡°Chiaki-san!?¡± Keita couldn¡¯t hide his confusion after seeing my anxious look. But that can¡¯t be helped. After all, ¡­it¡¯s an item that¡¯ll make Keita feel embarrassed. How can I not confirm it now!? I pped Keita¡¯s hand and took the letter out. ¡­Let me confirm this incredibly bittersweet content as soon as possible! After that, I realized what¡¯s written inside- < Feedback for NOBE¡¯s game! By Tshi! > ¡°GIVE ME BACK MY FEELINGS!¡± ¡°HEY, DON¡¯T THROW- DON¡¯T THROW IT AWAY!¡± I can¡¯t help but stand up furiously. My hand is about to throw the letter away. Keita¡¯s trying his best to stop me. I turned to him with teary eyes and startedining angrily! ¡°What does this mean, Keita!?¡± ¡°Eh, you¡¯re asking me that. ¡­Uh, it¡¯s like from a Famitsu editor¡¯s perspective?¡± ¡°Why is your White Day present a letter from a Famitsu editor!? There should be something else on the letter, right!?¡± ¡°Eh? ¡­Ah, information for new releases?¡± ¡°You¡¯re really a Famitsu editor, aren¡¯t you!? I don¡¯t want to hear about how an editor feels! No! I¡¯m saying¡­your boiling passion for me, ¡­for example!¡± ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t this my boiling passion for NOBE?¡± ¡°No! ¡­Ah, sheesh!¡± My brain overheated from anger. So, I gave up and sat on the bench before starting to read. Keita was still twisting around embarrassedly at the start. He¡¯s annoying. Yet, ¡­his disruption didn¡¯tst long. It¡¯s because¡­ ¡°T-This is¡­really everything I made¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Of course? I wrote that because of this.¡± Keita¡¯s showing me a ¡°why are you talking about this at this point¡± face. But, ¡­there¡¯s clearly something unusual here. I turned the paper to Keita and asked again. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s because¡­you wrote more than 20 pages for each of my games. This¡­¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­hmm, sorry, honestly, I already deleted a bunch of content. There¡¯s a lot I want to say when ites to NOBE¡¯s work¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I flipped each page with a surprised face. ¡­It¡¯s just like what Keita said. It¡¯s filled with detailed feedback for all of my games. Also¡­ ¡°All of them¡­are praising me.¡± After hearing that, Keita startedughing awkwardly. ¡°Ahaha¡­¡± ¡°Even though I say it¡¯s feedback, ¡­I¡¯m basically a big fan of NOBE¡¯s games. I even treated the imperfections as attractive points. So, once I have to write it¡­¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± I smiled again. ¡­What Keita just said should be half-true, right. I know my games are riddled with bugs and errors. However, ¡­this person, Tshi, knows. He knows I¡¯m the type that likes making games ¡°happily¡± rather than making them for achievement. That¡¯s why he gave up on using the words that¡¯ll make me upset. He handed a letter filled with praises and cheers as a gift for me, right. ¡°Hoho¡­¡± This boy still hasn¡¯t changed. He¡¯s very clumsy, ¡­yet he¡¯s always considerate to me. I flipped over the pages and said what I noticed. ¡°Keita, ¡­you yed everything again to write this?¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­you saw it? Uh, well, even though I¡¯m a fan, I can¡¯t remember all the details. So, I took the opportunity to rey everything. ¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± For some reason, Keita looked quite apologetic. However, my heart is slowly filled with appreciation. It¡¯s because it took him at least 100 hours to beat all of my games. This person, ¡­I bet he started doing it after taking my choctest month, right. All that- for a letter to me as a present. I continued reading thements. The final page is tilted < Chiaki Hoshinomori >. At this moment, Keita seriously stopped me from reading it. ¡°Uh, that¡¯s really¡­¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I know it. I''m even a bit embarrassed about it too.¡± ¡°I-I guess so.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Both of us plopped our heads down. ¡­Honestly, I peeked for a moment. The text under < Chiaki Hoshinomori > is also filled with praises too. In other words, after I opened it, ¡­it¡¯s a present that¡¯s even more perfect than I looked forward to. However, that¡¯s why- (Yes- this must be Keita¡¯s resolve, right¡­) -Right here, he¡¯s giving me everything, including myself. Well, in other words, ¡­we¡¯re¡­already¡­ I can¡¯t help but lower my head. Keita is perhaps reminded of something after seeing my look. ¡­He added on a bit hastily. ¡°Ah, well, it¡¯s too little if I just give you a letter, no matter what. I still prepared something! This is for you!¡± ¡°H-Ha¡­¡± Actually, I¡¯m not disappointed. ¡­It¡¯s more like things like prices or my chocte are nothingpared to this letter filled with feelings and effort¡­ However, Keita seems to think that I¡¯m very disappointed with the letter. He searched and grabbed something new from his schoolbag again. Ah, this boy is still the same. Instead of saying he¡¯s dense, it¡¯s more he¡¯s not confident. ¡­Well, but I¡¯m not in a position to say this too. By the way, what else does he have for me? From Keita¡¯s perspective, it seems that this is more important than the letter. However, something that can send more feelings than that letter shouldn¡¯t exist- -During this time, the long-awaited love detective, Chiaki Hoshinomori, is here! (¡­Ahhhhh.) I realized that was the only possibility. My body can¡¯t help but tremble. There¡¯s nothing else. It¡¯s the only one. Something that¡¯s more special and contains more feelings than that letter. That object is famous for its immense feelings in the world of love. You can even call it the ultimate item. Isn¡¯t there something like this in the world!? ¡°¡­Ah, I found it.¡± Keita took that out of the school bag. ¡­I can feel my heart¡¯s pounding. I held my breath and looked forward to it. Indeed- that¡¯s a gift that can send an overwhelming amount of lovepared to that letter. That would be, ¡­yes, its name is < Ring >. ¡°Look, a ssic dinosaur-hunting game!¡± ¡°GIVE. ME. BACK. MY. FEELINGS! AHHHHHHHHHH!¡± I stood up abruptly and screamed. Keita bulged his eyes at me. ¡°Uwah!? Chiaki, why did you suddenly let out a strange noise!? Woah, all the birds in the mountain are flying!? Hey, you¡¯re amazing! Damn! It¡¯s literally a miracle!¡± ¡°THAT DOESN¡¯T MATTER! AHHHHHHH!¡± ¡°It does matter! I¡¯ll get a million views if I upload this!¡± Keita ignored my protesting voice straight out of hell. He¡¯s still being his usual dense idiot. ¡­Sheesh. ¡°That¡¯s enough¡­¡± I said that and walked to the railing of the tform. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± I put my hands on the railing covered with snow. ¡­Actually, I wasn¡¯t angry at Keita¡¯s purity. It¡¯s just that¡­ (Well, ¡­right. There¡¯s no way¡­I¡¯ll have a ring.) The ¡°future¡± that I yearned for a moment now feels incredibly empty. At this point, Keita came next to me. He enjoyed the view with me and said, ¡°¡­Hey, Chiaki? I¡¯m not joking¡­¡± ¡°Alright, I know. I¡¯m sorry for having weird expectations.¡± ¡°Weird expectations?¡± ¡°F-Forget about it. Anyway, ¡­why did you give me that game? Also, it¡¯s the previous version for mobile phones.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. ¡­Think about it, ¡­we were both still friendless when this game was at its peak, right.¡± ¡°Hmm, ¡­I guess so. ¡­Hey, what¡¯s with the sudden ck history?¡± I didn¡¯t understand what he meant and red at him. Keita continued a bit hastily, ¡°Ah, but-¡° ¡°Right now, ¡­we have, right?¡± ¡°What? We have?¡± I still didn¡¯t understand what he meant. Keita mumbled embarrassedly. ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°I have Chiaki. Chiaki has me. We have each other.¡± ¡°----¡° I can¡¯t help but bulge my eyes after hearing that. That¡¯s¡­because¡­because¡­I¡¯ve¡­always¡­always¡­ Just as I¡¯m swept by the tsunami of feelings in my heart, Keita continued. ¡°So, ¡­I want to y this game with Chiaki together.¡± ¡°Keita, ¡­that, ¡­in other words¡­¡± I slowly turned to Keita. The miraculous sunset view has already vanished. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Keita¡¯s facing me directly. His eyes¡­are filled with determination. Then, he took a deep breath to ease the tension. Finally, he said it- -The sentence that ends and begins everything. The boy said it out wholeheartedly. ¡°Chiaki, please-¡° Karen Tendou ¡°This is toote, right.¡± After the club was over, I quickly dashed from the old school building to the corridor. At the same time, I mumbled to myself. The sun is already setting. It¡¯s around 7 PM right now. The usual club activity ends at 6. It¡¯s a bit unusual today. However, this is the only day that it can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s because¡­ ¡°This is thest time that the senpais are here.¡± Indeed, today¡¯s not just White Day. At the same time, it¡¯s also thest day that Kase-senpai and Nina-senpai are in the Game Club as a student. I can¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Well, the graduation ceremony is just two dayster. I do really appreciate them for showing up every day for 3 years¡­¡± Even so, excluding the ghost members, two of the four members in the Game Club are about to quit. It¡¯s hard to not feel lonely as the president. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll have to recruit members again¡­¡± I remembered what happened a year ago. A different sense of mncholy appeared on my face. I already spent a lot of effort on recruiting the senpais and the two ghost members. Aside from that¡­ ¡°¡­Ah, sheesh, once it¡¯s about Amano-kun, I¡­!¡± Waves of regret flushed over my cheeks to the point that it¡¯s about to catch on fire every time I think about that. ¡°Uwah, it¡¯s embarrassing no matter how many times I think about it¡­!¡± I always put myself in a higher position when I¡¯m interacting with Amano-kun. I¡¯ve always despised his favorite games. In the end, I turned into a blonde loser then ran out crying. I¡¯m saying that I¡¯m such an arrogant yet untalented girl. ¡­Uwah. This must be the so-called ck history. Compared to such experiences, a notebook filled with chunni quotes is a very adorable memory. To me, all of the things that make me embarrassed are all in someone else¡¯s hands. ¡­Also, it has to be the boy that I love the most. How bitter and embarrassing this can be!? ¡°¡­Seriously, I should build a time machine.¡± I mumbled something that doesn¡¯t sound serious at all. However, I immediately sighed deeply and stood up. Then, I continued to the destination- the ce where I promised Amano-kun. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± No one¡¯s inside the slightly dark school building. It¡¯s incredibly quiet. It¡¯s because the Game Club is just ahead. Although I don¡¯t want to think about it, I can¡¯t help but get more depressed. So, after I¡¯m at the entrance, I looked at the shoe lockers of my ss- ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± -I looked at Chiaki-san¡¯s locker and sighed. (At this time, Amano-kun and Chiaki-san¡­) The worries that I¡¯ve hidden in my heart today finally surfaced. I can¡¯t help but close my eyes tightly. At the same time, I clenched my uniform tightly. (No, that¡¯s just simply because of the time. I still had to join thest Game Club activity of this year. That¡¯s why Amano-kun went to meet Chiaki-san first. There¡¯s no other¡­meaning¡­to this¡­) I still sighed again after thinking about that. Love always gives you lemons. Of course, I don¡¯t regret falling in love with Amano-kun at all. However, ¡­if you¡¯re asking me whether I¡¯m truly happy, I can¡¯t answer. It¡¯s the same for games. You have to put time and effort into it if you wish to win. But that¡¯s actually distancing yourself from the ¡°entertainment¡± part. Of course, it¡¯s fun to put in the time and effort too. However, ¡­there are times that it won¡¯t result in fruition. It¡¯s impossible to not regret it, no matter how manyforts you received. The more hearts and souls you¡¯ve put into it, the more upsetting it gets. It¡¯s helpless. However, ¡­even though I don¡¯t want to admit it, well¡­ ¡°Huh, ¡­the ck history isn¡¯t just inviting him to the club.¡± The wrong choices I¡¯ve made this year appeared in my weakened soul one by one. The Karen Tendou that upset Amano-kun on our first date. The Karen Tendou that always suspected his rtionship with Aguri-san. The Karen Tendou that couldn¡¯t answer Amano-kun¡¯s sincere confession brilliantly. The Karen Tendou that didn¡¯t get closer to him despite leading him to my room. Finally, the Karen Tendou that broke up with him at the worst possible time in the school trip. The Karen Tendou that lowered her guard and let Chiaki-san took away her lover¡¯s lips. Then, ¡­the Karen Tendou that gave her the decisive blow in a fight deciding Amano-kun¡¯s ownership. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡­Uwah.¡± Also, the Karen Tendou that¡¯s wrapping her hands around her head in the entrance. If this continues, my MP will reach 0 before I can get to the destination. After all, the ¡°conclusion¡± is imminent. My emotions are starting to destabilize. So¡­ (Yeah, that¡¯s why he met Chiaki-san first, right¡­!?) ¡­I started interpreting it negatively again. (They said they were visiting their memorial ce, < Starry za > when I asked them. This is already¡­already¡­!) Also,pared to that, the ce where Amano-kun meets me is just a normal school. ¡­The difference in romance is toorge. It¡¯s too much. Hey, God. ¡­Uh, well, even though Amano-kun chose that ce. A sense of defeat made me tremble. I¡¯m a person that really hates losing. However, I¡¯ve never been this terrified of failure. It¡¯s like the world is about to end. If the Karen Tendou a year ago saw this, I bet she¡¯ll say something along the lines of, ¡°Ha, love is just being over-dramatic¡­¡± She¡¯ll despise me. In reality, this is still how I think now. Even if my love is shattered, it¡¯s not the end of everything. Nothing will change. It¡¯s like seeing a game you want has sold out. It won¡¯t affect your life. Even if my love ends in failure, ¡­I¡¯ve always lived alone, anyway. Karen Tendou is a girl that can live beautifully even when alone.¡¯ So, ¡­so, I can¡¯t overestimate the happiness when Chiaki-san can be together with Amano-kun since they match each other so much. That¡¯s why I broke up with him and brought everyone back to the starting line. I wanted to find a path where everyone can be truly happy. After that¡­ After that¡­ ¡°Eh¡­?¡± I should be thinking about this calmly with the logical part of my brain. However, ¡­suddenly, a stroke of tears dripped down my left cheeks. I quickly wiped it with the back of my hand. Strangely, tears are only dripping from my left eye. ¡°¡­Haha. I¡¯m just ying too many games. It¡¯s nothing.¡± I said this jokingly and cheered myself up. Perhaps it¡¯s because I cried. The depression toned down for a bit. Simultaneously, I found the delicateness that made me cry a couple seconds ago all that more repulsive. How did Karen Tendou turn into this miserable state? It¡¯s just because I keep overthinking every day that I''m with Amano-kun. But¡­ ¡°¡­Yes.¡± This- is different from me messing up when I was inviting Amano-kun. The memories of this love, ¡­including everything, will never be in the ¡°embarrassing section¡± of my brain. That¡¯s the one thing I¡¯m sure of. So¡­ ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that already enough?¡± I mumbled to myself and took a step forward once more with a refreshed mind. I¡¯m here toplete my promise with Amano-kun. The destination is- the 2F ssroom he¡¯s in. * ¡°Excuse me.¡± Although almost all students have gone home, I still made a greeting, just in case. I opened the door of the 2F ssroom. Then, unexpectedly, someone answered from the seat near the window. ¡°Here, Tendou-san.¡± ¡°¡­Amano-kun?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I took a good look. Amano-kun¡¯s smile is brightened by the stars in the lightless ssroom. I can¡¯t help but reach my hand to the light switch. Amano-kun quickly stopped me. ¡°It¡¯s better to keep the lights off, Tendou-san.¡± ¡°Hmm? Why?¡± ¡°Well, ¡­think about it, it¡¯s already this time.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± I immediately understood. In reality, the old school building is used for club activities. The teachers won¡¯t get mad at you even if you¡¯re still in the clubroom at 7. Especially for the ssrooms that no one¡¯s using, as long as it¡¯s not the school festival. Teachers will get mad if you turn on the lights. Although they don¡¯t really care since it¡¯s near the graduation ceremony now, let¡¯s keep it quiet. I epted Amano-kun¡¯s advice and walked into the dark ssroom. Luckily, the moon and the stars are pretty bright tonight. There¡¯s no pressure. I stood next to Amano-kun and looked at the sky filled with stars. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just like the mountains. I can see it clearly here too.¡± ¡°The mountains¡­¡± After I repeated what he said, Amano-kun raised his head on the seat and looked at me worriedly. ¡°Well, as I¡¯ve said before, I met with Chiaki first today and gave her the present for White Day. The < Starry za >¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­I know. Is it good?¡± ¡°Hmm, well, ¡­the sunset is pretty incredible.¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± The conversation ended awkwardly. ¡­I¡¯m such a hateful woman. I pretend to have a big heart, ¡­yet it¡¯s incredibly narrow inside. My chest is about to rip from pain once I imagine Amano-kun being happy with other girls. I looked at the starry sky again and changed the topic a bit forcefully. ¡°It¡¯s thest day for senpais to be in the club.¡± ¡°Yeah, I heard that from you. ¡­Kase-senpai and Oiso-senpai are finally graduating. ¡­It must be lonely for you.¡± ¡°Yeah. By the way, the Game Club¡¯s membership is in the danger zone.¡± ¡°Eh!? Really!? Ah, well, uh¡­¡± Amano-kun is lost in thoughts. Looking at him, I can¡¯t help but smile bitterly. (¡­Sheesh, you¡¯re not our member. Even more, you rejected my invitation fiercely. Yet, ¡­you¡¯re showing that face.) You¡¯re just a sly boy. You¡¯re only interested in ying games in your own style. ¡­Even though you¡¯re such a twisted person, you can still throw your beliefs away for other people immediately. That¡¯s why I¡¯m always moved by you. That¡¯s why I fell in love with you¡­ ¡°¡­Tendou-san? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Amano-kun noticed that I was looking at him and asked. Looking at him- I remembered something. After that, I got really close to him a bit forcefully. I showed a business-like smile that¡¯ll leave a good impression in other¡¯s hearts. ¡­Then, I begged him with a coquettish tone. ¡°Amano-kun, you should stille to my club, alright? Please? I¡¯m very interested in you.¡± ¡°Eh? Uh, well- I mean, that¡¯s¡­¡± For a moment, Amano-kun showed confusion, but he immediately realized it. ¡­Those are the lines when I invited him to the club back in spring. He squinted his eyes a bit nostalgically. After that, he answered determinedly. ¡°N-No, thanks. There aren¡¯t any games I want to y in the Game Club.¡± That¡¯s a new way of putting what he said before. Upon hearing that, I showed a clearly dissatisfied look and frowned. ¡°I¡¯m okay if you think that¡¯s for the best. Amano-kun can¡¯t help us at all, anyway.¡± ¡°I guess so. But, I sincerely think that Tendou-san is a talented person. It makes people want to cheer for you in secret. You should keep it up too.¡± ¡°¡­Okay, yeah!¡± We recreated that invitation calmly. Both of us can¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Ahaha, ¡­Amano-kun, your acting is unexpectedly good.¡± ¡°Tendou-san¡¯s the same. You remembered all of the lines, right? I had to try my best to keep up¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for me. Well, but, in a way, perhaps you ruminate more.¡± I¡¯m talking about the overwhelming regret of my ck history. I cleared my throat and changed the subject. ¡°By the way¡­¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s then or now, you keep saying that I¡¯m talented. Honestly, ¡­what is your definition of talent?¡± ¡°Eh? What¡¯s with this utterly annoying question? ¡­Well, even though it fits Tendou-san.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that? What fits me?¡± ¡°Alright, sorry. Let¡¯s move on.¡± ¡°Tck¡­¡± If I had to say how Amano-kun has changed, he¡¯s a lot better at dealing with me now. Even though I¡¯m the one that keeps getting pranked, ¡­sheesh. ¡°¡­Tendou-san? Are you not happy? Are you mad at me?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not happy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re finally telling the truth. ¡­I feel like¡­Tendou-san¡¯s being smart¡­is perhaps a disaster. You¡¯ll always achieve your own conclusion and can¡¯t control your emotions.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He¡¯s on the point again. Damn, ¡­ah, stop being so arrogant. You¡¯re just Amano-kun. I can predict Amano-kun if I want to, ¡­want to¡­ ¡­Very well. ¡°Amano-kun. Then, please provide a sincerely convincing definition of ¡®talent¡¯ for me!¡± Bam! ¡°Hey, why did you suddenly raise the bar that high!? T-Tendou-san!?¡± Amano-kun started trembling after hearing my deration. ¡­Very well, I¡¯m in control now! Even though it¡¯s a bit different than I expected. Well, either way, I put up an exciting pose to hear Amano-kun¡¯s ¡°talent¡± talk. As for him, he moaned while struggling toe up with an answer. ¡­After that, he took a huge sigh. ¡°Well, ¡­honestly, I don¡¯t have a definition of talent. I can only give you an ordinary answer.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m very disappointed in you, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Ah! It¡¯s been a long time. This is Tendou-san¡¯s cold and terrifying gaze! Ouch! But aren¡¯t you too unreasonable!? Tendou-san¡¯s the one to look forward to it, right!?¡± ¡°Ha? Can¡¯t you give me a definition that makes hearts appear in my eyes? Karen Tendou has always looked forward to Keita Amano like this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re giving me too much stress, Karen Tendou! Ugh, ¡­but there¡¯s really nothing I can do about myck of experience. I¡¯m not a talented person, and I don¡¯t have experience of being defeated by talents. Well, I guess the battle with Main-san counts¡­¡± Amano-kun looks a bit deted. I looked at him and showed a bitter smile. ¡°Sorry, I said something weird. However, the word ¡®talent¡¯ has always apanied me. So, I want to hear everyone¡¯s definition of talent. ¡°I see. ¡­Well, I do want to help you out.¡± Amano-kun said that and moaned gently again. ¡­He¡¯s indeed a weird person. On the surface, he looks uninterested in other people. ¡­However, he¡¯s more interested than everyone else. So, my chest is also satisfied by looking at Amano-kun¡¯s expression alone. During this time, unexpectedly, Amano-kun seems to have thought of something. ¡°Ah, right.¡± He looked into my eyes and spoke up a bit unconfidently. ¡°I don¡¯t really have any philosophical definition of talent. ¡­But, I do have something inside my heart when I say the word.¡± ¡°Ha, inside your heart? What is it?¡± ¡°Well, that would be¡­¡± Amano-kun smiled. He has always been like this. ¡­Then, he spoke up with warmth. ¡°I won¡¯t say the word ¡®talent¡¯ to deny someone¡¯s effort.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but bulge my eyes after hearing that. However, ¡­Amano-kun didn¡¯t notice my reaction and continued his exnation a bit embarrassedly. ¡°Ah, well, ¡®You¡¯re really talented!¡¯ This sentence alone is a simple praise and doesn¡¯t do any harm. It would be great if the appreciated person can ept it. However, if it¡¯s ¡®Tck, that guy already does pretty well on his own, after all.¡¯ I will never say the word ¡®talent¡¯ with this meaning. I already made up my mind about it.¡± ¡°Why¡­is that?¡± ¡°Eh? Why? Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡± Then, he looked at my eyes determinedly and said it out clearly. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve been watching Tendou-san¡¯s life this year.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± His words made me blush again. In this sense, he indeed didn¡¯t meet my expectations. No, it¡¯s not just that- ¡°¡­Tendou-san? W-What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re suddenly lowering your head¡­¡± ¡°¡­Shut up.¡± -Just like that, my tears won¡¯t stop falling. ¡­There¡¯s a limit to being unexpected. Ah, sheesh, so annoying! That¡¯s why I hate Keita Amano as a person. I hate him the most. From the moment we met, I¡¯ve always, always, always, always, always¡­hated him. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± After that, even Amano-kun seems to have realized something¡¯s wrong with me. I think he realized I¡¯m trying to hide my tears away. He slowly pulled his chair and stood up. Then, he looked to the sky outside the window. ¡°For me, ¡­actually, in the beginning, while I¡¯ve always admired Tendou-san, ¡­I hate you as well. ¡­I¡¯m very bad at dealing with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s because isn¡¯t this true? I¡¯m¡­always miserable whenever it involves you.¡± That¡¯s what I want to say as well. ¡­I would¡¯ve said it if it weren¡¯t for my tears. However, my throat is struck down by the violent wave of emotions rising from my chest. It¡¯s like I lost my ability to express myself. Seeing me unable to retort, Amano-kun stood in front of me and continued his speech. ¡°Even when we¡¯re together, you just make me even more aware of myself instead of making me feel relieved. Especially after we started dating, your expectation of me keeps rising. ¡­This is just a joke, but my rtionship with Tendou-san has more pain than happiness.¡± That¡¯s what I want to say too! I screamed desperately in my heart. However, I can¡¯t say it out loud, no matter what. As for Amano-kun, ¡­he still continued cold heartedly. ¡°Instead, I feel really rxed and cheerful whenever I¡¯m with Uehara-kun and Aguri-san. Also, it¡¯s not just that-¡° At this point, Amano-kun¡¯s face is filled with bitterness for a moment. ¡­However, he immediately showed a determined expression and said the most important thing. ¡°-I¡¯m really relieved whenever I¡¯m with Chiaki.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°So¡­¡± This is what Amano-kun sincerely thinks. He has hidden it until now. Finally, he said it out loud. My chest feels so painful that I can¡¯t breathe. I¡¯m upset. I really want to run away. I don¡¯t want to hear it anymore. I want to pretend none of this has happened. However, this is something I said first- we have to give each other an ending. So, I, ¡­Karen Tendou, have to listen until thest moment. That¡¯s the least I can do. But, that¡¯s why¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I wiped my tears and leaned forward. I prepared myself for what¡¯s about toe. I¡¯ll ept any oue. Then, I faced Amano-kun¡¯s eyes again. His eyes are filled with incredible sadness- It¡¯s not just that. He¡¯s also filled with an overwhelming sense of determination. I felt dazed. At this moment, I understood. (¡­I guess this is it.) I can¡¯t help but look up to the sky over the window. ¡­My vision is getting blurry. The atmosphere in winter feels very cold. Countless stars are blinking as if they are seeing an ending to a rtionship. Keita Amano I, Keita Amano, have prepared three things for White Day. Two of them are for Chiaki, one of them is for Tendou-san. I spent around a month preparing Chiaki¡¯s present. It¡¯s a letter filled with my feelings and a game I bought after considering what we experienced. In other words, I spent a lot of time and effort preparing those two gifts. Inparison, the present I have for Tendou-san- is nothing out of the ordinary. That¡¯s something I already have. So, I don¡¯t need to take any time thinking about it, not to mention effort. It¡¯s just that I have to take that from my home. The next is about where I¡¯m handing out the presents. One is the best spot where you¡¯ll have to take the bus to arrive. The other one¡­is an ordinary andmon ssroom. Also, you can¡¯t turn on the lights due to the time. It¡¯s an even worse environment than a typical ssroom. Moreover, the priorities are pretty brutal as well. I satisfied Chiaki first beforeing to Tendou-san for the remaining time. ¡­At this point, my answer is already clear to Tendou-san. Also, I¡¯m facing Tendou-san, who¡¯s trying to keep the White Day promise, even though her eyes are already filled with heartbreaking tears. The lights from the stars are shining into the window. ¡­I said. ¡°¡­Tendou-san, perhaps you know this already. ¡­Just then, I-¡° I can¡¯t help but hesitate for a moment. However, I suppressed my cowardness down- and looked at Tendou-san¡¯s eyes with sincerity. ¡°-I confessed to Chiaki.¡± ¡°¡­! ¡­I see.¡± Tendou-san¡¯s pupils are shaking violently. She hugged herself as if to prevent herself from trembling. ¡­Right now, I¡¯m about to be surrounded by regret and pain. Even so, I still moved forward without any hesitation. I¡¯m not running away. ¡°Chiaki¡­epted it as well.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s¡­great.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, ¡­it¡¯s great.¡± What the hell is great right now? Both of us are saying energetic words like ¡°great¡± under the starry sky. Yet, you can¡¯t feel happiness from both of our faces. We looked at each other¡¯s heartbreaking expressions. Then, I thought about how I should say the following words. ¡°¡­Hey, Tendou-san.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, ¡­things aren¡¯t calm at all when we¡¯re together.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s with Uehara-kun, Aguri-san, ¡­Konoha-san, Kousei, Main-san, or even Chiaki, they are all different. Our time spent together is anything but calm.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± ¡°So, in other words-¡° At this point, I finally- smiled. I faced Tendou-san and said what I truly thought. ¡°-To me, that''s proof that you¡¯re more special to me than anyone else.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Tendou-san¡¯s eyes are filled with tears once again. I reached my hand into my jacket¡¯s pocket. Then, I took out the present- that I¡¯ve decided to give to Tendou-san since the start. However, I still clenched my right hand tightly to not let her see what¡¯s inside. ¡­I continued. ¡°I said I confessed to Chiaki before, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°¡­The actual content of the confession is, well, ¡­ a bit hard to exin to Tendou-san¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Tendou-san didn¡¯t say anything. She just clenched her arms tightly. I said this to her- with an embarrassed smile. ¡°I told her- the ¡®confession I failed to make¡¯ on that day.¡± ¡°Eh¡­? That¡­day?¡± ¡°Yes, that day. The day where all of us are involved- that summerst year where we confessed wrongly. It¡¯s the day I first met Chiaki.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­eh? But, the failed confession that Amano-kun is talking about, ¡­that would be- to be friends¡­¡± Tendou-san seems to have noticed something and bulged her eyes suddenly. After that, I can see her eyes are slowly turning wet. I reached out my right hand containing the present and continued. ¡°Now, even though I know this is utterly boring and ordinary, I still-¡° I opened my hand and revealed the present. ¡°-I¡¯m not making the confession I failed to make on that day. Instead, I¡¯m repeating the confession I made to you.¡± So, the present is revealed in my palm. Of course, that¡¯s something I¡¯ve always wanted to give her ¨C the proof that we¡¯re lovers: Labears. ¡°Ah, ¡­ah¡­¡± Tendou-san took the Labears. Her tears won¡¯t stoping out of her eyes. It looks like my sincerity has already reached her. However, I still have to differentiate her from other people. This person crying in front of me- is my most beloved girl. ¡°Tendou-san, please-¡° This time, it¡¯s not a misunderstanding or an impulse at all. Instead, I confessed to her properly, clearly, and determinedly. ¡°Please go out with me.¡± To my confession, Tendou-san- (Please be ¡°friends¡± with me, Chiaki.) She showed the same teary smile as Chiaki after I confessed to her at < Starry za >. Also, even her answer is the same as Chiaki¡¯s- ¡°Sure-¡° -Her eyes are filled with sparkles of happiness and determination as if she¡¯s answering Chiaki¡¯s tears. Finally. Under the starry sky and the silent night- She- no, them. Although they are about to break into tears due to the pain, the two girls answered my confession with an incredibly cheerful smile. ¡°Sure, I would love to.¡± [End of Vol.11] Volume 11, Afterword

Volume 11, Afterword

Hello, I¡¯m the guy that can¡¯t stop burping after eating something spicy, Sekina Aoi. Hey, kami-sama, can you not give such a weakness to an old man like me? Why don¡¯t you just give it to a beautiful girl? No one likes an old man that sweats, cries, and burps profusely after eating something slightly spicy, right. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve never appreciated kami-sama. However, I¡¯m truly thankful for a short, 3-page afterword this time. Well, I guess I can reluctantly appreciate him (unnecessary tsundere moment). Alright, < Gamers!> is already in its 11th volume. Perhaps this is my longest series to date. I use ¡°perhaps¡± because even though the < Student Council> series only has 10 books, there are many spinoffs and continuations. It¡¯s still going to be an issue with counting them. Well, but this is still my first time writing ¡°Volume 11.¡± I had a really hard time too. The characters may ask, ¡°What did you even make us do in this volume?¡± I¡¯m sorry, Otobuki Game Hobby Club. Well, think about it, isn¡¯t this volume¡­right? So, here¡¯s the episode to end everything. Even though this is like the final volume, there¡¯s still Volume 12. That¡¯s the real final volume. ¡­I think. Well, I n to end the main story at Volume 12. However, the DLCs are still ongoing. Even the author is unsure whether this is an ending. Well, anyway, the end of the story is at Volume 12. Please look forward to it. I think it¡¯ll be released in Spring 2019. As I¡¯ve said before, I treated Volume 11 as the end. It¡¯s supposed to conclude everything in the series. So, the next volume- the final one will be a < Gamers!> ¡¯s style rom. Please support it. Well, here¡¯s the appreciation speech. You¡¯ve always conveyed my overflowing imaginations during the writing into fabulous illustrations. Thank you for helping out in this volume too. I¡¯ll look forward to continuing working with you. Next, it¡¯s the editor. Even though this volume is close to the final one, I didn¡¯t give up a heads-up for the actual content. Terribly sorry for that. Well, actually, I don¡¯t get to decide everything they want to do. ¡­Uh, like business contacts, for example. The final volume¡¯s content is probably about Konoha Hoshinomori identally going back to the Edo period. She¡¯ll use her modern knowledge and weapons to make innovative pornography. It¡¯ll be a masterpiece that can ease the thirst of truly interested people, humanely, of course. Finally, it¡¯s the readers. The content preview is aplete lie. Please don¡¯t worry about it. The next volume will return to a cheerful and rxed rom. Hope you¡¯ll enjoy it! Well, see you at the final volume, or DLC 2! Sekina Aoi Anime Anniversary Twitter Short Stories Collection

Anime Anniversary Twitter Short Stories Collection

Chapter 1 ¨C Aguri and Family Restaurant Meeting Trantor: your_pingas [There are 35 chapters in total, but I skipped the ones already covered in the short stories collection.] ¡°Typically, you¡¯re already out the moment you think that games are interesting, Amanhi.¡± Aguri-san and I continued our useless conversation in the family restaurant today. I looked at her seriously. ¡°Eh, you¡¯re starting the conversation with a statement that denies my entire story?¡± Aguri-san grabbed a piece of fries and pointed it at me. ¡°Amanhi, you¡¯re already seen as a ¡®soft and weak¡¯ boy. If you add ¡®my interest is gaming¡¯ on top of that, ¡­ah, you know what I mean.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°A protagonist without personality.¡± ¡°Hiya, I¡¯ll be embarrassed if you say I¡¯m a protagonist.¡± ¡°Amanhi, you¡¯re the only one that¡¯ll ept what I said as praise!¡± ¡°Well, even though I don¡¯t really care about my image. However, I can¡¯t just ignore your opinion on gaming.¡± ¡°You get triggered by weird things, right?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m exactly the live example of Aguri-san¡¯s description of a disgusting otaku.¡± ¡°I never said that.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m the passerby guy that¡¯s satisfied with a chance of saying, ¡®You¡¯re amazing!¡¯ when the protagonist is in his climax.¡± ¡°It¡¯s time for us to return to our talk of interests, Amanhi.¡± I cleared my throat when Aguri-san said that jokingly. ¡°Well, from Aguri-san¡¯s perspective, what hobbies do you think I should develop?¡± ¡°Right, right, right, that¡¯s what I want to talk about.¡± Aguri-san ate a piece of withered fries in her mouth andughed. ¡°Go back home and start farming.¡± ¡°This is indeed an unexpected hobby for me! I feel like my character just got enriched!¡± ¡°The anime that focuses on this version of Amanhi, < Farmers!> will be live at 5 AM on Cable TV every day!¡± ¡°I feel like even the time is trying to make you healthier!¡± ¡°So, Amanhi, do you want to start farming now?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡°Hiya, what a quick answer. Do you hate physical work so much?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just¡­intoxicated by games.¡± To my answer, Aguri-san¡­smiled gently for some reason. She immediately leaned on the table. ¡°Ah, ah, why can¡¯t Amanhi use a little bit of that manliness of yours on girls?¡± ¡°Tck¡­¡± I fell speechless when Aguri-san asked me that. ¡°¡­Yeah, it¡¯s not about hobbies. The problem has to do with Amanhi¡¯s character¡­¡± ¡°So, can you stop denying my existence, Aguri-san?¡± That¡¯s all. Aguri-san and I continued our useless conversation in the family restaurant today. Chapter 2 ¨C Karen Tendou and Lunch Time Lunch breaks in schools seem long and short at the same time. This time, Keita and Karen battled each other with games together. It¡¯s been a few weeks since Tendou-san invited me to lunch in the Game Club. The initial nervousness has already disappeared. Suddenly, Tendou-san blushed and breathed flirtatiously. ¡°I want to smash, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°I bet 5 cents that you mean < Smash Bros.> .¡± I can immediately tell a joke of misunderstanding like this. I took a bite of my tuna sandwich and answered. Tendou-san¡¯s grabbing an egg sandwich with her right hand and sighed. ¡°Even though we¡¯re surrounded by games¡­¡± ¡°I guess. But, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a great idea to y video games during lunch, right?¡± ¡°I know. So, Amano-kun, let¡¯s y something non-digital.¡± ¡°Non-digital, ¡­like a lunch shiritori?¡± ¡°Shiritori¡­¡± Tendou-san smiled gently at my ordinary suggestion. ¡°Amano-kun¡­has always been Amano-kun, right?¡± ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re not really praising me? Your smile is making me exhausted!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start with high score. It¡¯s a.¡± [Haisukoa] ¡°We¡¯re already starting!?¡± I managed to answer despite the initial surprise. ¡°¡­Ah, French hydrangea.¡± [Ajisai] ¡°It has to be a gaming term.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still adding rules!? Well, ¡­item?¡± [Aitemu] ¡°Infinite 1-UP.¡± [Mugen Wan Appu] ¡°Pu? Uh, ¡­can I follow with ¡®fu¡¯ instead?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Too strict!¡± I gave Tendou-san a bitter smile. She suddenly snapped out of it and hastily apologized. ¡°H-Hey, I¡¯m sorry, Amano-kun. I got into it¡­¡± ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s okay. That¡¯s why I love you, Tendou-san.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Both of us plopped our heads down and started taking small bites of the sandwiches. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ In the end, the shiritori today ended before a winner was decided. Chapter 3 ¨C Chiaki Hoshinomori and Game Development A genius idea shed in Chiaki¡¯s brain. Can she develop a game that can surpass the current generation¡­!? It¡¯s a night in autumn. The person who¡¯s working hard on her new game, ¡­NOBE, or Chiaki Hoshinomori, is addicted to the protagonist design stage. There are two choices in front of me. ¡°Should I choose a carnivorous nt or Chinese yam?¡± It¡¯s because both of them seem like a pretty ordinary yet ssic MC. It¡¯s hard to choose. ¡°First of all, if I choose a carnivorous nt as the MC, I really want to write him falling in love with an insect that he¡¯s supposed to hunt. The dilemma will be amazing.¡± I¡¯m intoxicated in my wonderful imagination. ¡°On the other hand, I also really want to write the opponent of the Chinese yam MC pointed out that, ¡®Youck something that¡¯s the most important for a Chinese yam. That is¡­tenacity.¡¯ It¡¯ll be amazing too!¡± This is very lit too. I¡¯m catching on fire. I created a document called ¡°Game Goal Setting¡± and started thinking. ¡°The carnivorous nt can level up by eating bugs. ¡­I guess it¡¯s too simple.¡± I leaned on the back of my chair and thought for a moment. Then, I started typing. ¡°The carnivorous nt grows by eating bugs. At the same time, its < Sin Value> increases too. After reaching a certain number, it¡¯ll start eating the person it loves- no, the bugs he loves.¡± I¡¯m trembling from a prediction that this will go viral. Well, now¡¯s the time to figure out the Chinese yam part. ¡°The dream of the Chinese yam, his final goal. That would be to be¡­a banana!¡± It¡¯s an exhausting topic, a setting that dives into the crux issue between dreams and talents. It¡¯s literally the game of the year. Carnivorous nts and Chinese yam, both of the protagonist¡¯s settings are very attractive. I can¡¯t make up my mind. So, I decided to talk about it with my little sister, Konoha Hoshinomori. In the end, her answer is¡­ ¡°Human.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, but, well, these two are really attractive-¡° ¡°Human, the rest can be up to you.¡± ¡°Hey-¡° ¡°I won¡¯t say anything else. The MC will be a human, okay?¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Today, a game that¡¯s supposed to rival some of the greatest masterpieces died in its crib. Chapter 4 ¨C Tasuku Uehara and High School Debut Even though you can change your looks, you can¡¯t change what¡¯s inside¡­ This is the hidden history of Normie ¡¤ Tasuku Uehara¡¯s birth!? Someday, when we¡¯re going home, my girlfriend, Aguri, asked me this casually. ¡°By the way.¡± ¡°Tasuku, can you talk about your high school debut?¡± ¡°What made you bring that up?¡± ¡°Ah, I want to use you as a reference to transform Amanhi.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s a great idea.¡± After understanding what Aguri said, I crossed my arms and did an ¡°a god amongst normies¡± pose. My girlfriend¡¯s looking forward to it. I spoke up solemnly. ¡°First of all, don¡¯t give yourself edgy nicknames.¡± ¡°Uwah, my boyfriend¡¯s chuunibyou is worse than I thought.¡± ¡°Ah, actually, I don¡¯t really use it as well. It¡¯s just that when I get excited¡­¡± ¡°What kind of emotions did you have¡­?¡± ¡°Instead, I¡¯ll suddenly say, ¡°Yay- w¡± from time to time.¡± ¡°Shallow! Your understanding of normies is really shallow, Tasuku!¡± ¡°Come to think of it, Masaya and Taiki used to smile bitterly about it. ¡­How nostalgic.¡± ¡°Tasuku should really appreciate your friends more, seriously!¡± ¡°Then, distance yourself from games and start surfboarding.¡± ¡°S-Surfboarding? Where? We aren¡¯t close to the sea-¡° ¡°Public swimming pools.¡± ¡°You weirdo! They don¡¯t have the things that can make waves at all!¡± ¡°Ah, so, basically, we treat it as a giant water board.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even understand your definition of normies anymore!¡± ¡°In the end, ¡­the kids around love to call me ¡®Boardman.¡¯ My poprity is through the roof.¡± ¡°What an unexpected plot twist!?¡± ¡°So, mymunication skills got better and better when I was ying with the kids and talking to their parents. Right now, I¡¯ve reached mastery.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Aguri stared at me dumbfoundedly. ¡­Hmph, it looks like she¡¯spletely throbbed with my < How to Raise a Normie> speech. I swept up my bangs and asked my girlfriend. ¡°So? It¡¯s okay even if you immediately tell my normie legends to Amano-¡° ¡°No, thanks.¡± Aguri rejected me with an unprecedentedly serious look. Chapter 5 ¨C Keita Amano and Free-to-y Games Keita immediately started ying NOBE¡¯s new game after it¡¯s published. However, this time, he¡¯s full of expectations that this will be another weird one. The casual game developer that I¡¯ve admired, NOBE, published another new free game. I quickly downloaded it and started the game to finish it before going to bed. The logo and the title first came into view. < The Bug-eating Battleship: Sweet Potato> ¡°It¡¯s already going with the full-on weirdness route. I feel like things will beplicated¡­!¡± Facing NOBE¡¯s usually unusual tastes, ¡­I can¡¯t help but feel recharged. I guess an insane author must attract simr fans. The prologue appeared after pressing the start button. < It¡¯s the Year 6491 of the Photosynthetic Calendar. Earth was struck with a catastrophic attack from mysterious bug-type aliens called < Mosquito> . In order to save the world, a quest to take back the < Aedes Cleaner> from the faraway < Ascandar> is initiated.> [This is a reference to Space Battleship Yamato¡¯s, Iscandar.] ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you just use repents¡­!?¡± Iined and continued reading. < So, the battleship that was chosen to be on this quest will be us, < The Vegetable Battleship: Tomato> !> ¡°Where¡¯s the sweet potato!?¡± I dropped my jaws when the plot just straight up ignored the title. After that, the text continued. < Finally, < The Vegetable Battleship: Tomato> carried the hopes of humanity and headed straight to < Ascandar> .> ¡°Oh, it¡¯s finally beginning?¡± I felt that the game¡¯s about to start, so I grabbed the controller. However¡­ < Let¡¯s put all those irrelevant crap aside first-> ¡°Let¡¯s put all those irrelevant crap aside first!?¡± < It¡¯s the year 52 of the Showa period. A young general by the name of Shigeru-> ¡°A young general by the name of Shigeru!?¡± -Anyway, this is just the start of my long night. Chapter 6 ¨C Aguri and Family Restaurant Meeting 2 Here¡¯s the second episode of the family restaurant meeting between Aguri and Keita! This time, Aguri, who¡¯s totally inexperienced with games, questions Keita¡­!? ¡°By the way, don¡¯t you think games are annoying?¡± I¡¯m hanging out with Aguri-san in the family restaurant today, just as usual. I stared at my phone and answered her. ¡°The fun part of games is that you get to enjoy this tediousness.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you spend the time and effort on finding jobs instead of games?¡± ¡°You¡¯re very right.¡± ¡°Also, why don¡¯t you just give all those extra money to me instead of games?¡± ¡°You¡¯re very right- my ass. Almost got me.¡± ¡°Tck.¡± Aguri-san rolled her tongue after I raised my head. She continued. ¡°But, in reality, don¡¯t you think games are just wasting your time?¡± ¡°Well, indeed, you just feel pretty empty having a bunch of cash in Yakuza.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°After the protagonist in Tokimeki Memorial became an insanely popr and perfect superman, I looked at myself in the mirror. Honestly, I wanted to die at that time.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you should polish yourself in real life and spend less time on games, Amanhi.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What a quick answer!¡± I took a sip of my coffee and spoke up calmly. ¡°¡­Aguri-san, what would you feel if someone says it¡¯s healthier to eat vegetables when you¡¯re eating a slice of pizza?¡± ¡°Shut up, you¡¯re annoying.¡± ¡°See? That¡¯s what I¡¯m feeling now.¡± Aguri-san sighed at my conclusion. ¡°Amanhi is only good ating up with weirdly convincing excuses¡­¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± ¡°Oi, I¡¯m not praising you. ¡­Ha.¡± It looks like there¡¯s a long way before I can deal with people properly. Chapter 7 ¨C Tasuku Uehara and High School Debut 2 The second episode of Tasuku¡¯s high school debut! This is the birth of the current normie, Tasuku!? My girlfriend Aguri asked me when we¡¯re on our way home today. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°What¡¯s Tasuku¡¯s experience on your high school debut image?¡± ¡°Ah, well. Let me think¡­¡± I remembered what I was like a year and a half ago and answered her. ¡°First of all, put gel on your hair and spike them up to the point that Square Enix characters tighten their anuses.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand the reference, but I do get that you were a chunni brat.¡± ¡°Ahh, so, after seeing the looks around me, I gave up doing that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s always not toote to save yourself. However, why can¡¯t you do that before your chuunibyou surfaces?¡± ¡°Then, tear apart your clothes.¡± ¡°Tear?¡± ¡°Rip and tear.¡± ¡°Rip and tear?¡± ¡°Also, draw scars and wounds on your body.¡± ¡°Draw scars?¡± ¡°It¡¯s finished ¨C a Tasuku Uehara covered in wounds.¡± ¡°A Tasuku Uehara covered in wounds?¡± My girlfriend kept repeating after me. I couldn¡¯t wait to announce my transformation¡¯s result. ¡°So, ¡­I ended up under the protection of the police.¡± ¡°Under protection!?¡± ¡°At first, the cops¡¯ eyes were full of warmth. However, after they heard the truth, their eyes became terrifying cold¡­¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°Finally, I¡¯ve grasped the truth of normie fashion.¡± ¡°What a sudden reveal.¡± ¡°That would be: it¡¯s best to dress normally.¡± ¡°You just wasted a couple minutes of my time!¡± ¡°Therefore, I have ascended to be a normie.¡± ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve hears such a useless lecture!¡± Aguri dropped her jaw after hearing my speech. ¡­Hmph, it looks like she¡¯s admiring my brilliant < Normie Fashion Talk> . I swept up my bangs and announced to my girlfriend. ¡°Go ahead, Aguri. Even if you immediately tell my < Truth of Fashion> to Amano-¡° ¡°No, thanks.¡± Aguri rejected me. Her eyes are filled with an emptiness I¡¯ve never seen before. Chapter 8 ¨C Konoha Hoshinomori and Ero-game Talk Konoha, who has a unique view on hentai games, had an ero-game talk with Keita! ¡°Senpai, what do you think about humiliation?¡± It¡¯s a day after school. A kouhai from another school threw an extreme question at me in the food court of the convenience store. ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°I like it very much, anyway.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like this topic, though.¡± I wrapped my hands around my head. Yet, Konoha-san can¡¯t stop at all. ¡°There are good plots in humiliation doujins too, senpai.¡± ¡°I know, but do you really have to talk about this in a convenience store?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m betting my honor as the student council president here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s clearly not where you should bet it.¡± ¡°However, speaking of humiliation, it¡¯s not good to humiliate for humiliation¡¯s sake. Even if it¡¯s humiliation, there are good humiliation and bad humiliation. An uwful humiliation is-¡° ¡°I don¡¯t think the definition of ¡®humiliation¡¯ will change in the near future.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Humiliation is really an erotic term.¡± ¡°Yeah, so, let¡¯s stop¡­¡± ¡°From now own, I¡¯ll call all humiliation things ¡®ohazukashi¡¯ instead.¡± [It means embarrassing.] ¡°You can say ¡®picking flowers¡¯ if you don¡¯t want to say losing your virginity. But, that¡¯s not how it works with humiliation!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always found ¡®ohazukashi¡¯ interesting since I¡¯m little. ¡­Hehe.¡± ¡°Hehe, my ass! Also, don¡¯t find it interesting since you¡¯re little!¡± ¡°Well, I went off-topic. Let¡¯s go back to hentai games.¡± ¡°The main quest isn¡¯t something nice too!¡± I can¡¯t stopining. Konoha-san just shrugged helplessly. ¡°Alright, alright, senpai. I won¡¯t say it, okay?¡± ¡°Thank god¡­¡± ¡°I will stop ying this ¡®senpai humiliation¡¯ game.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t humiliate me, Konoha-san!¡± Anyway, I¡¯m free from erotic jokes for now. ¡°Well, senpai, what do you think about chikan doujins?¡± ¡­It looks like this humiliation game is far from over. Chapter 9 ¨C Karen Tendou and Fantastical Incident Love is always unpredictable. Tendou took Nina-senpai¡¯s advice to heart and acted decisively!? I, Karen Tendou, am the Game Club president. As the president, my gaming skills should be at the top of the club. ¡­However, the reality is much less pleasing. Nina-senpai wrecked me in fighting games just as usual. I can¡¯t help but sigh detedly. ¡°Why can¡¯t I win?¡± After hearing that, Nina-senpai chewed her bubblegum and answered. ¡°Summarizing it in a sentence, you¡¯re overthinking it, Tendou, whether it¡¯s games¡­or love.¡± ¡°What does it have to do with love?¡± Senpai stared at the screen and continued. ¡°Tendou, you¡¯re always nning and strategizing your moves, right? Even though this is one of your strong parts, it¡¯s easy to see it through.¡± ¡°What should I do then?¡± ¡°Be unpredictable sometimes.¡± ¡°For example?¡± ¡°¡­For example, scream in a weird voice.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that too unpredictable!?¡± Nina-senpai answered quickly to myint. ¡°You got to have the courage to pull that off for love too.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t involve love every time, okay?¡± ¡°It feels deeper¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± While I don¡¯t like how she put it, Nina-senpai¡¯s conclusion is reasonable. Love is always unpredictable. I think it¡¯s true. ¡°¡­Very well.¡± I made up my mind and started nning when I¡¯m meeting Amano-kun after the club¡¯s over. So, it¡¯s after school. I¡¯m about to meet up with Amano-kun at the entrance. I made my mind, twisted my waist, and greeted him passionately. ¡°A-Ara, ara, my dear, sorry to make you wait¡î! Ba-dump!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Well, let¡¯s go home, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Sure, I feel like I¡¯m a little bit dizzy today.¡± ¡°What a coincidence, Amano-kun. Me too.¡± ¡­Nothing happened. I said nothing happened. Chapter 10 ¨C Magical Girl Karen Tendou is in huge trouble this time!? Facing the unusual situation, Karen¡¯s answer is¡­!? BUGL, it¡¯s an evil amalgamation of gamers¡¯ frustration. One gamer stood up to protect others from its evil powers. Her name is- Magical Girl Karen! < Episode 1: Guidance> ¡°Form a bond with me and be a magical girl.¡± The mysterious white fox creature, Kinta, suggested. I thought about it for a moment and answered. ¡°If there are ranked battles.¡± ¡°Ranked battles!?¡± ¡°Eh, no? Ranked battles.¡± ¡°I was going to ask why is that the first question you have!? Where can I find ranked battles for you!?¡± ¡°Well, what¡¯s the point of bing a magical girl then?¡± ¡°For the peace of the streets!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel like it¡­¡± ¡°Feel like it! Don¡¯t you have justice in your heart!?¡± ¡°Even though I have, there¡¯s something inside me that can crush this sense of justice like it¡¯s a puny ant.¡± ¡°¡­Why did I look for a person like this?¡± ¡°Why did you find me?¡± ¡°Eh? It¡¯s because you have an extremely high level of < Gei Magicules> . This is the root of all magical girls¡¯ power¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, in other words, I¡¯m already the strongest character at the start. ¡­I really don¡¯t feel like it.¡± ¡°Can you not base your feelings on this!?¡± ¡°Can you lower my initial stats?¡± ¡°No! I won¡¯t do it even if I can!¡± ¡°Well, I shall reject then.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you rejected it at all!¡± I walked past Kinta and started going home. Suddenly, an explosion can be heard around. People were running out of the pink smoke after I looked in the voice¡¯s direction. They are talking over there. ¡°Uwah, it looks like a weird monster is bringing mayhem to the streets!¡± ¡°Also, that monster caught a dense high school boy that¡¯s too focused on his games!¡± ¡°Hey, Kinta. I will be a magical girl.¡± ¡°That¡¯s sudden!? Aren¡¯t you not feeling like it!?¡± ¡°Handsomely saving Amano-kun- everyone, ¡­that¡¯s already more than enough for a reason!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Anyway, let¡¯s form a bond!¡± -This is the moment when Magical Girl Karen is born. Chapter 11 ¨C Chiaki Hoshinomori and Moe Talk Even though they are identical clones, Keita and Chiaki have very different views on moe. ¡­Here¡¯s a discussion between the two today! ¡°Moe is pretty great.¡± A day after school, only the two of us are in the Game Hobby Club. Keita ignited the fuse for the argument. I squinted my eyes and answered him. ¡°It¡¯s not great at all. All of them should go extinct.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. 80% of light novels will disappear if there¡¯s no moe, okay?¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good. Are you a devil?¡± ¡°Nope, this is exactly what I want to ask Keita. A truly interesting novel will remain so even if there¡¯s no moe. It won¡¯t affect anything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s BS¡­¡± ¡°Doraemon won¡¯t be affected even if Shizuka and Jyaiko looked the same.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a big mess! The basic plot won¡¯t be there anymore!¡± ¡°It¡¯s perfectly fine even if Minami Asakura from < Touch> is very muscr.¡± ¡°That¡¯s already < Jigoku No Misawa> !¡± ¡°Moe ispletely unnecessary.¡± ¡°That¡¯s also BS¡­¡± ¡°Do you really want to see Batako-san from Anpanman with a cute girl¡¯s face!?¡± ¡°Right! She will feel like an otaku princess if that¡¯s the case!¡± ¡°Therefore, good things can only happen from the extinction of moe.¡± After my conclusion, Keita answered. ¡°Ah, but.¡± ¡°Chiaki¡¯s face won¡¯t look the same anymore if moe is gone, you sure?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Both of us stared at each other. Around a few secondster- ¡°¡­!¡± Both of us blushed after understanding what that meant. ¡°L-Let¡¯s disband for today, Chiaki!¡± ¡°S-Sure!¡± In the end, today¡¯s moe discussion ended in a draw. Chapter 12 ¨C Magical Girl Karen 2 Today¡¯s the second episode of Magical Girl Karen! Karen¡¯s doing so many things after she became a magical girl! Please look forward to it! BUGL, it¡¯s an evil amalgamation of gamers¡¯ frustration. To protect Amano- everyone from its evil power, a gamer stood up. Her name is- Magical Girl Karen! < Episode 2: Ultrakill> I immediately began transforming after receiving the console-shaped item < God¡¯s Itch> from the mysterious white fox creature, Kinta. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± My uniform dissociated into light and formed new clothes- ¡°Hey, where are your lines!? Don¡¯t just transform silently!¡± I finished transforming while ignoring Kinta¡¯sint. Then, I realized I¡¯m wearing pink clothes that are even floatier than my expectation and sighed. ¡°This isn¡¯t suited to battle at all. Can I get in a tracksuit instead?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Fanservice!¡± I¡¯m terrified of Kinta¡¯s extreme stubbornness and changed the topic. ¡°So, I should just fight with this thing that appeared in my transformation?¡± ¡°This is called < Happy Wand> . I think you automatically learned how to use it.¡± ¡°Up-right-up + P is magic bullets. Huh.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it how you got it.¡± ¡°Anyway, let''s go! Fly, Karen!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m going to walk to save MP.¡± ¡°That Amano-kun guy will really die!¡± ¡°Full < Gei Power> . Max-speed flight activated!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t spend all your power on movement!¡± I arrived at the scene and was shocked by what I¡¯m watching. ¡°Amano-kun¡­¡± ¡°Uwah, the boy was caught by the tentacles. ¡­Eh, another girl is hugging that Amano-kun tightly too. Her face is filled with excitement as she yelled, ¡®Tentacles doujins in real-life!¡¯ That¡¯s-¡° ¡°Kill it.¡± ¡°That sudden!?¡± I pointed the < Happy Wand> towards the sun and poured all of my < Gei Power> inside. ¡°Let¡¯s bring an end to everything¡­!¡± ¡°DON¡¯T! Why are you ending everything when it¡¯s just a trash opponent!?¡± ¡°Eat this¡­! < Ultra Magic: Absolute Void> !¡± ¡°That¡¯s not something you can cast in the prologue!¡± Enormous darkness turned the enemy into nothing. I wiped my sweat off and showed my best smile to Kinta. ¡°¡­Thank you for always taking care of me, Kinta.¡± ¡°You used all of your power with that one spell!?¡± -This is the moment that Magical Girl Karen is over. Chapter 13 ¨C Eiichi Mizumi and Protagonist Days Mizumi-kun¡¯s living an extraordinary life that perfectly fits his ¡°protagonist¡± title. This is just another usual weekend for him. ¡°Mizumi-kun, how did you spend your holiday?¡± During recess, I bumped into my friend, Amano-kun. He asked me this question. I looked outside the window and mumbled. ¡°Hmm, let me think.¡± The first memory I have is- someone kidnapped my sister-inw. On Saturday morning, I was awoken by the shattering of sses on the window. I jumped up from the bed and dashed to my sister¡¯s room, where the noise is located. ¡­There¡¯s a man with a clown mask carrying my sister under his arm. ¡°Game start, Eiichi Mizumi.¡± The clownughed coldly and left. I felt pretty helpless for a moment. However, my female partner pinched my cheeks, and I recovered. I gathered all my partners and acquired new gears. After a short training, I¡¯m finally at the boss castle. That was already midnight Saturday. Finally, I arrived at the deepest lobby. Right there, my sister, who¡¯s in a wedding dress, is waiting for me along with the clown. ¡°Here, let¡¯s y, ¡­Eiichi.¡± After that, the final battle with the clown headed straight to its climax. Both of us were unwilling to give an inch. It¡¯s so intense that other people beganining about why I didn¡¯t use that move at the start. ¡°Uwah¡­!¡± I delivered the final decisive blow. The clown mask broke apart and showed the face underneath. ¡°¡­Father?¡± ¡°Hmph, ¡­you¡¯ve grown up, Eiichi.¡± I dashed next to my defeated father. Blood keepsing out of his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. I won¡¯t live for long due to my sickness, anyway¡­¡± ¡°Why? ¡­Why, Father!?¡± ¡°Hmph, the reason is simple, Eiichi. ¡­I want to fulfill our promise.¡± ¡°O-Our promise?¡± So, my father smiled at the moment he stopped breathing. ¡°We were going to y a game together. ¡­Ah.¡± ¡°F¡­FATHER!¡± This is what happened on Sunday night, a day after I intruded the castle. ¡°Mizumi-kun, how did you spend your holiday?¡± I answered Amano-kun. ¡°¡­I spent the weekend ying with my family.¡± ¡°Ah, I yed games with my little brother too. We¡¯re the same.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Just like what he said, -we¡¯re such amiable friends. Chapter 14 ¨C Keita Amano and F2P Games 2 Today¡¯s the continuation of Keita¡¯s night of ying NOBE¡¯s new free gamest week! My admired creator, NOBE¡¯s new game, is published. I immediately tried to y it before sleeping. However, the unpredictable prologue is already making me crazy. Can I really finish this game and go to sleep¡­? ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the young general Shigeru to be the true protagonist¡­¡± It¡¯s been 30 minutes. I made the protagonist Shigeru do side quests like ¡°borrow soy sauce from the Nishimura-san next door.¡± I sighed at the same time. The title of this game is < The Bug-eating Battleship: Sweet Potato> . The prologue also described < The Vegetable Battleship: Tomato> . Yet, the main story is about Shigeru¡¯s daily lives. ¡°¡­I feel like someone forced him to make a human into the protagonist.¡± I guessed the development environment the creator¡¯s in as I continued. ¡°Well, I guess the two storylines will merge sooner orter.¡± I stopped guessing and continued ying. I yed for 10 minutes, 20 minutes, ¡­30 minutes, ¡­an hour. ¡°Shigeru, go borrow me somepress.¡± ¡°Endless errands!¡± I literally want to change the title to < Errands Guy: Shigeru> . There¡¯s not even a single bit ofbat. I¡¯m just running errands. ¡°I-I¡¯m tired¡­!¡± The only battle is the one between me and my sleepiness. However, I don¡¯t want to give up halfway. So, I continued controlling Shigeru¡­for another hour. ¡°Hey, Shigeru. Well, ¡­go find me some stones.¡± ¡®This is bullying!¡± In the end, I¡¯m just taking random orders from a nearby young man. Where¡¯s the young general setting¡­? So, I spent another hour on this. Finally, there¡¯s a g that signals a change in the story. ¡°Shigeru, find me some sweet potatoes in the mountain behind us.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The ¡°sweet potato¡± in the title finally appeared. ¡°Is it turning into a battleship?¡± I dashed to the mountain with a heart filled with hope. Finally¡­ ¡°Sweet potatoes are perfect for dinner.¡± ¡°It¡¯s tasty.¡± The quest is over with the end scene of Shigeru¡¯s family dining together. After a night, Shigeru left his house and said. ¡°Very well, let¡¯s continue doing errands today. Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°HELP ME!¡± -My long night is still far from over. Chapter 15 ¨C Konoha Hoshinomori and Ero-game Talk 2 ¡°Senpai, what do you think about plot twists in hentai games?¡± A day after school, a kouhai from another school asked me in the food court of a convenience store. ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty interesting¡­¡± ¡°Me too, but I¡¯ve slightly changed my mind.¡± Konoha-san raised her finger and said. ¡°Don¡¯t you think plot twists are dangerous in sexual terms?¡± ¡°I hope you can consider how dangerous it is to talk about this in a convenience store before this.¡± Ignoring myint, Konoha-san continued the investigation. ¡°Let¡¯s take a step back. Even though it may be interesting for the plot, people may hate the rtionship part.¡± ¡°Ah, you mean the protagonist¡¯s actually someone else?¡± ¡°Yeah, for example, the protagonist is actually a crab.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too much for a plot twist!¡± ¡°Also, the shocking truth is only revealed in thetter part. This is also very dangerous.¡± ¡°Ah, you mean like how everything¡¯s just a dream?¡± ¡°Yes, for example, everyone has already removed the crab moe.¡± ¡°Konoha-san, are you sure you¡¯re talking about hentai games?¡± ¡°For example, some games like to disrupt the timeline. It¡¯s easy to be confused when you¡¯re not good at it.¡± ¡°Ah,e to think of it, things already happened can pretend to be something in the future in the prequel. Something like that?¡± ¡°Yes, for example, it¡¯s actually frozen even though it looks like it has just been caught.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still talking about crabs!?¡± I knocked on the table andined. ¡°Why are you still talking about crabs!? Please talk about hentai games!¡± After hearing that, Konoha-san smiled teasingly and answered. ¡°Understood! Well, let¡¯s start talking about hentai games now!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± It looks like I fell into Konoha-san¡¯s trap. Chapter 16 ¨C Game Club and Daily Scenery Even though I¡¯m not the best person to say this, everyone in the Game Club is very weird. First of all, we have Gakuto Kase-senpai, the FPS gamer. He has good skills. But, more importantly¡­ ¡°Ahh, that dagger really hurts¡­¡± He¡¯ll mumble something scary sometimes. Next, the fighting game yer, Nina Oiso-senpai.¡± Of course, she¡¯s incredibly skilled. But, more importantly¡­ ¡°Very well, < Blindfold Online Battles 100 Winstreak> is achieved. Beginning the next challenge.¡± She always adds all kinds of limits to herself, like training. However, Nina-senpai¡¯s humming a song nonchntly. Also, there are two ghost kouhai members. The two girls are hiding something. ¡­Even though they don¡¯t show up, something will happen every time they are here. Last time, their appearance brought all of the Game Club on a ¡°strange thief¡± hide-and-seek. ¡­I¡¯ll skip the reason due to the limited word count. Finally, it¡¯s the president, Karen Tendou-san. On the surface, she seems to have the mostmon sense in the club. But, it¡¯s only on the surface¡­ ¡°Ahhh!¡± ¡­After a certain point in time, she started to let out baffling screams. The reason is clear. It¡¯s because of a boy. ¡°Ugh, ¡­did I already fail when I said those things to Amano-kun!? Ahh¡­¡± She doesn¡¯t seem to realize it. Yet, the president always says what she¡¯s thinking out loud when she¡¯s ying games. In the end, ¡­this is how it is when everyone in the Game Club is here. ¡°¡­There should be more blood in this situation.¡± ¡°Very well, the < Beating Story Mode Using a 2-second Dy Controller> challenge ispleted. Beginning the next one.¡± < When the kouhai members are here, the club room is suddenly under attack from mysterious robots!> ¡°Ahh, why did Amano-kun and Aguri-san¡­!? Ugh¡­!¡± Amidst the chaos, I took a look at my phone. Amano-kun just messaged me. < How are things going in the Game Club today?> After seeing his question, I observed the robots and answered him without hesitation. < It¡¯s just the usual.> ¡ùThis is from the protagonist Eiichi Mizumi¡¯s perspective ¡ùJust like what Aguri said, the Game Club is filled with a bunch of creepy masochists. Chapter 17 ¨C Karen and Aguri 1 Karen and Aguri rarely had the opportunity to be together, let alone chatting. What will they talk about¡­? It¡¯s another day in the Game Hobby Club. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°Uh, I have to give my little sister a call.¡± After that, the three stood up at the same time. Aguri-san and I casually greeted them. ¡­Then, I noticed something. (¡­What¡¯s with thisbination!?) It¡¯s pretty awkward. Even though I, Karen Tendou, and Aguri-san are both in the Game Hobby Club, we aren¡¯t really that intimate. However, at this point, we don¡¯t really need to be polite to each other. In the end¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s a crushing silence. I, the top of the normie pyramid in this school, and an adorable and energetic gal are in the same room. ¡­This is hell. Right now, both of us have the same wish. (¡­Amano-kun!) (¡­Amanhi!) He¡¯s the line that will connect both of us and change up the mood. Sadly, ¡­he went to the toilet. There¡¯s no way he cane back in like 10 seconds. I made up my mind and smiled at Aguri-san. ¡°Aguri-san, do you like any games?¡± ¡°Eh? No, I don¡¯t y games¡­¡± ¡°R-Really.¡± ¡°Y-Yes, ¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Hell. This time, Aguri-san spoke up worriedly. ¡°W¡­Well, let¡¯s talk about the games that Tendou-san loves. Please!¡± ¡°Eh? My favorite games? Let me think¡­¡± I put my finger on my chin and started thinking. 10 seconds, 20 seconds¡­ ¡°H-Hey, ¡­Tendou-san?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Aguri-san. This isn¡¯t something that I can answer on the spot.¡± ¡°I-I see.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­...¡± Hell, part 2. It¡¯s absolutely my fault this time. ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± I can feel sharp nails on my seat. However, Amano-kun is about toe back- -Suddenly, I got a message. < Keita Amano: The janitor is inside. I have to go to the old school building.> ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Hell. Chapter 18 ¨C Karen and Aguri 2 Please enjoy the conversation between the two girls that don¡¯t really talk to each other! Aguri-san and I are together in the ssroom after school. ¡­An acquaintance with a subtle rtionship and almost nomon interest, this is hell. But, I¡¯m trying my best. I tried to bring on a conversation again to change up the mood. ¡°Aguri-san, what are your hobbies?¡± ¡°Hobbies? Hmm, ¡­I guess it¡¯s bullying Amanhi.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that hobby?¡± ¡°Also, I like messing Amanhi up and breaking him.¡± ¡°What are you doing to my boyfriend!?¡± ¡°Ah, please don¡¯t misunderstand, Tendou-san. I¡¯m just treating Amanhi as a free app to kill time.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this even more depressing!? Please be more gentle to Amano-kun¡­¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll kiss his cheeks next time.¡± After hearing that, I smiled and crushed my soda can silently. Sweat appeared on Aguri-san¡¯s forehead. ¡°I-It¡¯s just a joke. Haha.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I smiled and released the can. There¡¯s a clear fingermark on the side of the can. This time, Aguri-san threw a question at me. ¡°Tendou-san, what are your hobbies other than games?¡± ¡°¡­I can think of one right now.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Bullying Amano-kun.¡± ¡°I think I heard that from somewhere before!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand, Aguri-san. The ¡®bullying Amano-kun¡¯ I¡¯m talking about isn¡¯t your usual sinful routine.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, what I¡¯m talking about¡­isn¡¯t the boy himself. Instead, I¡¯m going to break and mess up an imaginary Amano-kun in my heart!¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty terrible!¡± Aguri-san stood up andined. Just as we¡¯re staring at each other, Amano-kun suddenly came back by himself. He looked pretty interested in our conversation and asked. ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± We blushed. Then, both of us nced at each other and answered. ¡°None of Amanhi¡¯s (Amano-kun¡¯s) business! Go away!¡± ¡°Ehh!?¡± In the end, the 2-person Hobby Club- came to a conclusion with him as the sole loser. Chapter 19 ¨C Tasuku Uehara and Friend Introduction 1 As the leader of the normies, Tasuku is asked about his rtionship with Amano¡­? ¡°You¡¯ve been hanging out with Amano recently. How is he like?¡± We had the rare opportunity to go home together today. My ssmate Masaya questioned me. We wandered on the street to downtown. I pondered for a moment and answered. ¡°He¡¯s like the Viger D in a game.¡± ¡°Viger D? Can I understand that as being universally insignificant?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s impossible for him to join the hero even if the sun¡¯s rising from the west. He¡¯s an incredibly minor character.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re this terrible.¡± ¡°However, you should pay attention to one point- that guy isn¡¯t Viger A. He¡¯s Viger D.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°In other words, Viger A is the guy that says, ¡®Wee to X vige!¡¯ when the hero came to town, right?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°As for B and C, they are the guys to spread rumors. Then, Viger D will finally talk about the things that actually matter.¡± ¡°Talk about what?¡± I sighed and answered Masaya¡¯s question. ¡°For example, ¡®Ah, what if you have this item?¡¯ Things that can give a hint on what the heroes should do next. That is Viger D.¡± ¡°Hmm? What does¡­that mean?¡± I continued exining to Masaya. ¡°Viger D is a passerby that can affect the main characters with anything he does.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t get it.¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t get him either.¡± Masaya¡¯s clearly confused. He mumbled to himself for a while. ¡­Finally, he concluded with a simple question. ¡°Well, is he a good person?¡± This is the only question where I can¡­answer him determinedly and confidently. ¡°A very good person.¡± Chapter 20 ¨C Tasuku Uehara and Friend Introduction 2 Continuing from thest episode, the leader of the normies, Tasuku, is introducing his closely rted school idol? Karen Tendou! ¡°Well, how¡¯s Karen Tendou like?¡± We had the rare opportunity to go home together today. My ssmate Masaya questioned me. Just likest time, I thought for a moment and answered. ¡°She¡¯s like the hero in a game.¡± ¡°Hero? Isn¡¯t she supposed to be the princess?¡± ¡°She does look like the princess on the surface. Yet, she doesn¡¯t feel like she needs to be saved.¡± ¡°Ah, instead, she¡¯s full of a hero¡¯s talents?¡± ¡°Right. Well, even though it¡¯s not all good.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Although she¡¯s a hero, Tendou¡¯s your usual clich¨¦ and traditional protagonist. Her mindset only consists of yes or no. Also, she¡¯s absolute justice.¡± ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you praising her?¡± ¡°Masaya, do you want a clich¨¦ hero to be your friend?¡± ¡°¡­Ah-¡° Masaya looked into the distance. I continued. ¡°More importantly, ¡­this hero¡¯s actions are directly influenced by Viger D.¡± ¡°The hero¡¯s being messed like a monkey by the viger.¡± ¡°Heroes can only wait for other people¡¯s instructions, after all.¡± ¡°Aplete victory for Viger D.¡± Masaya continued the question with a baffled look. ¡°Karen Tendou has noints at all?¡± I can¡¯t help but smile bitterly at Masaya¡¯s question. ¡°At least she really enjoys being tortured in RPGs.¡± Chapter 21 ¨C Tasuku Uehara and Friend Introduction 3 Finally, Tasuku is asked about Chiaki. How will he exin Chiaki, who¡¯s an identical clone to Keita? ¡°Well, finally, that Hoshinomori? Let¡¯s talk about this cutie.¡± ¡°Cutie.¡± Someday after school, I¡¯m slightly annoyed with Masaya¡¯sscivious questions. However, I still answered him after some pondering. ¡°She¡¯s like the Viger Girl D in a game.¡± ¡°Another D? Don¡¯t you think your gaming partners suck?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t me me. This is the reality.¡± ¡°However, that girl¡¯s appearance doesn¡¯t look like a ¡®D¡¯ at all, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s adorable after getting a haircut-¡° ¡°I mean her chest. It¡¯s at least F-¡° ¡°Oi.¡± I stopped him from driving this conversation to the erotic end. ¡°More importantly, she¡¯s the same kind of ¡®D¡¯ as Amano.¡± ¡°The ¡®D¡¯ that messes with the hero like a monkey?¡± ¡°Ah, also, they are the ¡®D¡¯ partners. She¡¯s very simr to Amano in all meanings. In the end¡­¡± ¡°In the end?¡± I revealed the cruel truth to Masaya, who tilted his head. ¡°The hero can screw up whenever those two did something.¡± ¡°Vigers that can make the hero (Tendou) lose it isn¡¯t really scientifically urate, right!?¡± ¡°Also, they aren¡¯t even aware of it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s disgusting.¡± ¡°In reality, the hero already has power, wealth, and fame. However, ¡­uniquely, she¡¯s unable to get close to Viger D because of the system.¡± ¡°The world is hard.¡± ¡°However, in this sense, Viger D and Viger Girl D are literally made for each other.¡± ¡°The world is super hard.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Chiaki Hoshinomori.¡± I concluded the topic. Yet, Masaya still isn¡¯t satisfied. ¡°Wait, you still haven¡¯t talked about her personality and hobbies, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same as Viger D.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too short! There must be something else, right!?¡± This horny dude really wants more information about the beautiful Hoshinomori. Sigh, ¡­I can only give up and reveal a piece of information to him. ¡°The protagonist of her most recent game is a sweet potato.¡± ¡°No, thanks. Take care.¡± Masaya backed up wisely. Chapter 22 ¨C Keita Amano and Prequel Talk 1 How did Keita live his life before meeting with Karen¡­? We¡¯ll bring you the prequel for today and tomorrow! ¡°Ha¡­¡± I¡¯m alone during the break again. The scenery outside the window didn¡¯t help to relieve the suffocatingly ufortable ssroom. I sighed. It¡¯s been a month since I entered Otobuki High School. I, Keita Amano, still don¡¯t have any friends. It¡¯s not because I did anything. It¡¯s more like it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t do anything. The ssmates are chatting next to me cheerfully. Yet, I¡¯m staring at my phone alone. So, although I wasn¡¯t nning on eavesdropping, their conversation can still be heard. ¡°Wow, look at that blonde girl! She¡¯s really beautiful!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Talking about an adorable girl is something utterly irrelevant to me. It¡¯s a conversation of another world. After that, I don¡¯t know whether they are bored with talking about the blonde girl, they started ncing at me. ¡­I hate this. So, I decided to head to the toilet. On the way, I can see what¡¯s happening in other ssrooms. The most notable one is a guy with spiky hair like he¡¯s from an Akira Toriyama¡¯s manga. He¡¯s letting out weird ¡°Yay -w!¡± screams at the center of the ssroom. ¡­This world is filled with unbelievable people. I continued my way. Then, there¡¯s a seaweed hair girl walking to me. I¡¯ll bump into her. So, I went right. She did the exact same thing at the same time. After that, we always moved in the same direction, no matter how many times we repeated it. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± Even our apology sounded the same. Moreover, I think both of us are really timid. We plopped our heads down and didn¡¯t look at each other. It just makes the situation harder. In the end, we spent nearly a minute resolving this. In front of the toilet, I can see a ck hair twin-tailed girl holding a bunch of books. I would be happy to help her if I¡¯m a light novel MC. However, I¡¯m just a weak passerby. Just as I¡¯m hesitating, her friends came along. ¡°Aguri-chan, I¡¯m here to help.¡± ¡°Thanks, Yamauchi-san.¡± ¡°By the way, what¡¯s happening? These are all¡­girl¡¯s magazines?¡± ¡°I borrowed them from the library.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you think they are outdated?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, girl.¡± The two girls chatted with each other as they left. (Why are my legs trembling from the mere thought of helping someone else¡­?) Even though I wanted to help, at the next moment, my brain is filled with, ¡°I would just be a bother if I talked to them, right?¡± I don¡¯t belong anywhere in this high school. Someone important is being taken away from me. Chapter 23 ¨C Keita Amano and Prequel Talk 2 Here¡¯s the daily life of Keita before meeting with Karen. It¡¯s the second part of the prequel, followed closely by Ep.1 of < Gamers!> anime. ¡°My body¡¯s already empty from going to the bathroom during the break alone¡­¡± A loner already used up all of his energy with moving inside the school. ¡­The world is hard. I sighed and slowly made my way back to the ssroom. During this time¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± This is the first time I¡¯ve seen an angel in my life. She¡¯s a beautiful blonde girl with blue eyes. I don¡¯t think someone like this should exist in the 3rd dimension. There are a lot of friends surrounding her as she passed through a sad and lonely passerby, It¡¯s really contrasting. ¡°Tendou-san, that catch was amazing!¡± ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m d that I helped the team to win.¡± ¡°I felt so good when you pointed out the math teacher¡¯s mistake too!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s kind of embarrassing when I intervened.¡± She¡¯s chatting with her friends happily. I stared at the back of the girl that didn¡¯t look at me dazedly. (¡­Are we really in the same school and ss¡­?) The difference between her and me just makes the above fact unbelievable. Even though we¡¯re at the same time and ce, there¡¯s zero connection between us. It¡¯s like the separation between the 2nd and 3rd dimensions. However, a person like this really exists in this school. For some reason, this fact made me- -really happy. (This girl is the projection of the ¡°games¡± that I¡¯ve always loved.) She¡¯s unrealistically perfect. You can¡¯t get close even if you want to. However, ¡­I¡¯m already happy enough from just observing her as an unrted person. ¡­In reality, this is a hopeless and dreamless high school life. However- Even if we¡¯re a thousand kilometers apart, ¡­I know that ¡°light¡± is here. It¡¯s just that. ¡°Right, I¡¯ll try my best today.¡± I received a little bit of energy from her and continued my lonely life. Chapter 24 ¨C Aguri and Dating Simtion Here¡¯s another family restaurant meeting of Keita and Aguri. They seem to be talking about dating sims this time. ¡°Amanhi, are you conquering me?¡± Aguri-san suddenly dropped a nuclear bomb during our usual meeting. I almost spat all my soda out. I managed to get a hold of myself and asked. ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong? That¡¯s sudden.¡± ¡°Ah, I just found this on the inte.¡± After that, Aguri-san handed her phone over. I can see a walkthrough of a dating sim. ¡°I think Tasuku¡¯s ying this recently.¡± ¡°Oh, I rmended that.¡± Aguri-san red at me. But, she¡¯s not very angry and continued the topic. ¡°So, you just visit the female protagonist multiple times and date her in the end, right?¡± ¡°Well, close.¡± ¡°In other words, Amanhi is onto me too?¡± ¡°You¡¯re overthinking too much.¡± I immediately denied it. However, Aguri-san hugged her shoulders and looked at me sheepishly. ¡°From our meeting frequency, I bet you¡¯re doing the Aguri route.¡± ¡°I said you¡¯re overthinking.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because this walkthrough mentioned that they¡¯ll kiss after 7 events with the same girl.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Well, ¡­shouldn¡¯t I give birth to Amanhi¡¯s child now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s kind of true from how frequently we meet!¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­I don¡¯t want it. ¡­Ugh.¡± ¡°Oi, why are you crying!? Everyone¡¯s looking at us! I want to cry too!¡± ¡°Amanhi, you¡¯re so irresponsible. ¡­Do you know how many times you did that with me¡­?¡± ¡°We¡¯re just hanging out and having tea, right!?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to get pregnant¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect either! By the way, increasing the affection meter by meeting the girl only works in games, right!?¡± ¡°Yeah, since I think Amanhi is still pretty disgusting, after all.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but ouch.¡± We clicked on our phones silently after talking trash. ¡°¡­It¡¯s good that this world isn¡¯t a game.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Our rtionship still hasn¡¯t changed today. Chapter 25 ¨C Karen Tendou and Masked Gamer [Included in the short stories post] Chapter 26 ¨C Tasuku Uehara and Gender Change 1 Keita and Tasuku became friends after that incident at the arcade. What are the two of them talking about today¡­? ¡°I¡¯ll definitely fall in love with Uehara-kun if I¡¯m a girl.¡± Amano suddenly said that before our after-school Game Hobby Club meeting. I answered him while sweating profusely. ¡°Give me a break. ¡­I¡¯m about to vomit.¡± Yet, Amano continued cheerfully despite my reaction. ¡°Hiya, it¡¯s because there¡¯s no reason for me to not fall in love with you. Uehara-kun is handsome, and you¡¯re as close to me as my family¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me? Is this a nightmare?¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m already falling in love with you so much.¡± ¡°Yep, this is a nightmare.¡± What did I fall asleep? Amano continued just as I¡¯m pinching my cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s just that I, Keiko Amano, am not happy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going first-person?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because Uehara-kun isn¡¯t loyal.¡± ¡°Please just say you don¡¯t like me out loud, okay?¡± ¡°In the end, I feel like Keiko Amano will stab Uehara-kun to death.¡± ¡°How much more do you want to twist the story?¡± ¡°Then, she¡¯ll chuckle as she¡¯s eating the heart.¡± ¡°How am I supposed to listen to this story?¡± ¡°¡­Hiya, I¡¯m d that I¡¯m not a girl.¡± ¡°Seriously! I don¡¯t want to hear any of this, even if it¡¯s just a hypothesis!¡± ¡°Well, I still undoubtedly love Uehara-kun even when I¡¯m not a girl.¡± ¡°HELP ME!¡± What kind of hell is this? I¡¯m exhausted. Amano smiled and apologized. ¡°Ahaha, ¡­I¡¯m sorry. I went overboard.¡± ¡°Forgive me, seriously¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s the end.¡± I¡¯m relieved with Amano. However, ¡­Amano pushed for another topic. ¡°Instead, what if Uehara-kun is a girl¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± It looks like I have to go through this nightmare once again. Chapter 27 ¨C Tasuku Uehara and Gender Change 2 Continuing fromst time, Keita and Tasuku¡¯s gender change imagination is entering its climax¡­!? ¡°If Uehara-kun¡¯s a girl, I¡­¡± Amano brought up an extremely disgusting topic in the ssroom after school. I¡¯m toozy to struggle and just answered him casually. ¡°Alright, alright, you¡¯ll fall in love with me, right? Whatever.¡± It¡¯s not whatever. Facing my causal reaction, Amano¡­said something unexpectedly with aplicated look. ¡°No, ¡­I¡¯m not sure how it¡¯ll go. I think it¡¯ll be hard for us to get along, Yuko-san.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give a name to my female version.¡± Even though Yuko fits me perfectly. Amano continued. ¡°Think about it, Yuko-san switches boyfriends as often as she¡¯s buying new clothes. You¡¯re literally a thot, right?¡± ¡°You actually really hate me, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not confident enough to be friends with Yuko-san.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not confident to be friends with you right now!¡± Amano ignored myint and deepened his imagination. ¡°Come to think of it, your girlfriend, Aguri-san¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, ¡­ a male Aguri¡­¡± I started thinking about it too. In the end¡­ ¡°He¡¯ll be hard to get along with.¡± This time, Amano and my thoughts lined up. Amano continued detedly. ¡°A hot boy that¡¯s loyal to the public toilet Yuko-san¡­¡± ¡°¡­How should I put it? Although I¡¯m not supposed to be the one to say this, I think we can¡¯t be helped.¡± Both of us are deted. Suddenly, Amano changed the topic to lighten up the mood. ¡°Oh, but I really want to see a male Tendou-san. I bet she¡¯s a heroic handsome guy.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. Also, a male Hoshinomori, ¡­ah, it¡¯s right in front of me.¡± ¡°H-How impolite!¡± Come to think of it, gender change¡¯s kind of interesting. So, we continued talking about everyone in the Game Hobby Club if they switched gender. For example, Tendou is a silent satyr, Aguri wears many ear studs, and Hoshinomori is probably dark inside. When we snapped out of it¡­ The girl members are looking down on us with vicious smiles. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I can¡¯t reveal the ensuing tragedy. Please forgive me. Chapter 28 ¨C Chiaki Hoshinomori and Mutual Insult Today¡¯s a fighting game battle between the identical yet rivaling gamers, Keita and Chiaki! The end result is¡­? Please look forward to it! ¡°Keita, we¡¯ll decide a winner with fighting games today!¡± ¡°Sure, Chiaki!¡± So, even though this came out of nowhere, Keita and I went to the arcade. The reason is simple. I have to win against my nemesis. Initially, I, Chiaki Hoshinomori, share the exact same stats as my rival, Keita Amano. ¡­We¡¯re so disgustingly synced. It¡¯s not just test results or physique. Even our rhythm and writing look the same. So, after a while, it evolved into a gaming duel. Keita and I wandered around in the arcade silently. The goal is¡­ ¡°Keita, let¡¯s find an unpopr fighting game!¡± ¡°Sure. Chiaki!¡± The timid duo went around the group of fighting game lovers. We found an arcade machine at the corner. We started ying without saying much else. ¡°I¡¯m choosing this ssic protagonist.¡± ¡°What a coincidence, Keita. I¡¯m choosing this as well, but in a different color.¡± We¡¯re somon that even our characters are the same. So, the match finally started. < Shockwave Fire!> We shot a ranged attack at the same time. They canceled each other out. After that, ¡­things went ugly. We keep hitting each other with cheap ranged attacks while mixing in some hesitant strong moves. Our ultimates also didn¡¯t hit each other because we executed it in a rush. Finally¡­ < Time¡¯s up! Draw!> Both of us ended the game exhaustedly when there are still a lot of HP on our bars. An elementary boy stood next to us. ¡°Boring.¡± The lonely gaming duo left the arcade detedly. ¡°L-Let¡¯s fight next time, Keita!¡± ¡°S-Sure, Chiaki!¡± This is only the start of our battle. Chapter 29 ¨C Hoshinomori Sisters and Light Novel Attack-Defend This time, Konoha¡¯s trying her best to get a sample copy of a new light novel! I, Konoha Hoshinomori, am a hentai game super fan. However, my onee-chan, ¡­Chiaki Hoshinomori, doesn¡¯t acknowledge hentai games at all, not to mention moe. It¡¯smon for her to keepining about shoujo anime. Obviously, I won¡¯t reveal my hobby to her¡­ ¡°Konoha, Konoha, you¡¯re totally not interested in a new light novel sample written by a dating sim plot writer, right?¡± ¡°Ugh!?¡± My body turned stiff the moment onee-chan said that. Onee-chan continued exining. ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know whether they messed up or not. A light novel publisher just sent me a tweet about a new light novel sample.¡± My onee-chan is a nameless game developer. I answered while trying my best to suppress my urge to lean forward. ¡°H-Hehe, ¡­w-why don¡¯t you take it when it¡¯s free?¡± ¡°But, I literally have no use of it. Konoha doesn¡¯t need it too, right?¡± I need it! I¡¯m literally craving for it! ¡°Although you¡¯re right, ¡­well, perhaps my friends want to see it¡­¡± ¡°Please stop hanging out with such a friend, Konoha.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you too ruthless to light novels?¡± I¡¯m shivering from my onee-chan¡¯s extreme hatred towards moe. Crap, I can¡¯t get the sample if this continues. I have to do something¡­ ¡°T-Think about it, there are other uses aside from reading, right¡­¡± Decorating the bookshelf, filling up the spaces, ¡­I tried to rmend all kinds of solutions. My onee-chan nodded her head and added another suggestion. ¡°I can toss it into the fire.¡± ¡°Are you a demon?¡± ¡°Even so, it¡¯s still a useless piece of trash.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡± I don¡¯t think I can get the sample. It¡¯s time for me to give up, ..but I tried onest time. ¡°Perhaps Amano-senpai will be envious of you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking the sample.¡± She immediately made up her mind. Conclusion: Recently, I think it¡¯s pretty easy to manipte my twisted onee-chan. Chapter 30 ¨C Eiichi Mizumi and Dog Food [Dog food means getting diabetes from sweetness overdose.] Keita and Karen started going out. Where does Karen find Keita attractive¡­? ¡°Tendou-san, what do you usually talk about with Amano-kun?¡± In the Game Club, I asked Tendou-san this question while I¡¯m taking a break. She thought about it for a while and asked me. ¡°We confess our love to each other.¡± ¡°Uwah, acute diabetes from the first bite¡­¡± I immediately retreated from the overdose. However, Tendou-san pulled my sleeves and said, ¡°Please stay.¡± ¡°I still have to tell you how amazing Amano-kun is.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡± ¡°The first one is his voice!¡± ¡°Ugh, I need insulin¡­¡± My eyes are raining tears. Yet, Tendou-san is still continuing her lecture stubbornly even after seeing my sorry state. ¡°His clear voice is like 8-bit music to my ears.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re praising him?¡± ¡°His adorable appearance is like bitmaps.¡± ¡°You¡¯re insulting him, right?¡± ¡°Nope, what I want to say is that he¡¯s like the most vintage of vintage games to me.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t think you¡¯re praising him!¡± ¡°Also, he oftenpares me to VR.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a huge difference! Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s a canyon between you two!?¡± ¡°I just want to say that, in my heart, ¡­Amano-kun has already surpassed every RPG.¡± ¡°What a cheap slogan.¡± ¡°As for Amano-kun, he thinks that I¡¯ve already surpassed all horror games.¡± ¡°He¡¯s afraid of you, right!?¡± ¡°If I¡¯mparing Amano-kun to characters in games, ¡­he¡¯ll be the dumbest enemy at the start.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really insulting him, right!?¡± ¡°Also, hepares me with the hero or the final boss.¡± ¡°What a big difference!¡± I¡¯m exhausted from yelling. Tendou-san showed a gentle smile¡­and concluded. ¡°In other words, we¡¯re always happy when we¡¯re chatting.¡± ¡°Really? ¡­That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­Hmm, they do match each other. In this peaceful atmosphere, I smiled at Tendou-san and turned around as I¡¯m trying to leave. ¡­However, she tugged my sleeves again. ¡°Well, let¡¯s continue talking about how attractive Amano-kun is.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± After that day, no one in the Game Club asked Tendou-san about her boyfriend anymore. Chapter 31 ¨C Game Hobby Club and Beginner¡¯s Guide In a certain day¡¯s Game Hobby Club meeting, the beginner Aguri asked questions about games. ¡°Which game should I try first?¡± At that moment, Aguri-san¡¯s question brought an abrupt end to the Hobby Club¡¯s peace. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The four gamers suddenly stopped talking and lowered their heads silently. ¡°Eh, what¡¯s wrong? Did I step on andmine again?¡± Aguri-san asked sheepishly. I answered her. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°It¡¯s theplete opposite. Aguri-san, ¡­you just threw food to a bunch of kois.¡± ¡°I want to go home.¡± The gal immediately sighed. I robbed the first opportunity and suggested. ¡°Nintendo¡¯s the only choice. You should try Mario first.¡± ¡°Ha, that¡¯s why Keita isn¡¯t appealing. Compared to action, turn-based RPGs are clearly better.¡± The fuse between Chiaki and I was immediately lit. ¡°What the hell are you guys talking about? The best option is clearly puzzle games.¡± ¡°Uehara-kun is really shallow. A newbie must grind through tests and hardships. So, the true answer is FPS.¡± Uehara-kun and Tendou-san share wildly different opinions too. Aguri-san mumbled. ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough. It was meant to be a simple question¡­¡± However, we ignored her and continued arguing. ¡°The most typical option is Mario!¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s clearly < Dragon Quest> !¡± ¡°It should be < Candy Crush Saga> !¡± ¡°You can also start with < Civilization> too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°You can!¡± Aguri-san¡¯s eyes are filled with emptiness. Yet, we aren¡¯t stopping. ¡°You¡¯re picking a fight, right? How about Tetris?¡± ¡°What an utterly uncreative solution. < Wizardry> is obviously better.¡± ¡°You¡¯re all stupid. The best one is < Puzzle and Dragons> .¡± ¡°It should be < Super Ghouls n¡¯ Ghosts> ¡­¡± After we snapped out of it, ¡­Aguri-san smacked the table and yelled with teary eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not ying games anymore!¡± ¡°Why!?¡± ¡°You still ask why!? Ask your conscience and think about it!¡± We thought for a moment after Aguri-san¡¯s urge. Then, the gamers¡­reached the same conclusion. ¡°¡­It¡¯s because you suck at games?¡± ¡°Okay, I shall fight with every single of you until death. Wash your necks dry, you autist gaming otakus!¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­The Game Hobby Club today is just as lively. Chapter 32 ¨C Karen Tendou and Unusual State Karen and Chiaki get to talk to each other more often with Keita as a connection. Please look forward to a rare conversation between these two. During the PE lesson, I¡¯m taking a break at the same time as Hoshinomori-san. So, I made up my mind and sat next to her. With the rare opportunity, I asked her a question that¡¯s a bit overboard. ¡°Which ¡®type¡¯ does Hoshinomori-san like?¡± Facing my question, ¡­Hoshinomori-san answered calmly. ¡°Single-yer games that don¡¯t focus on moe.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking about games.¡± ¡°What are you asking then?¡± ¡°Well, ¡­b-boys.¡± I immediately looked away embarrassedly. Hoshinomori-san finally understood what I meant. She suddenly started answering incoherently. ¡°Y-You¡¯re asking me about boys!? A person like me shouldn¡¯t talk about things like this!¡± ¡°No, everyone has the right to talk about this.¡± Hoshinomori-san lowered her head after hearing my dumbfounded mumble. ¡­A couple secondster, she whispered. ¡°I-If I have to answer¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Any male aside from Keita.¡± ¡°You got a wide range!¡± I freaked out with the unexpected answer. ¡°Can you filter your results for a bit!?¡± ¡°Well, ¡­I-I would like a human.¡± ¡°Why did you include other species too!? Narrow your range down!¡± ¡°Hmm, ¡­I don¡¯t really like serial killers.¡± ¡°I knew you would answer like that!¡± I pressed my forehead and sighed before asking another question. ¡°Please make your range¡­more normal. Can you tell me which type of boys you like?¡± ¡°Anyone but Keita.¡± ¡°I know that already. Something else?¡± She pondered about my question for a while. The result is¡­ ¡°Well, ¡­I want a boy who loves games.¡± ¡°I see. Anything else?¡± ¡°¡­He should have equal skills as I do.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°I think our feelings for games should be in the same generation.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Also, he should be an otaku¡­¡± Hoshinomori-san started listing her ideal boyfriend one by one like her engine was ignited. ¡°Also, I¡¯m a bit afraid of tall people. ¡­Uh, how should I put it? A normal boy would do. I love people that can chill and hang out with me.¡± ¡°I-I see¡­¡± ¡°Ah, but, even though we share the same interests, I think I¡¯ll be happier if he has a slight difference in opinion.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± T-This is weird. I feel like these clues are rapidly piecing together to form an actual person. Is it my imagination? I didn¡¯t realize sweat wasing out of my forehead. Hoshinomori-san continued. ¡°Ah, finally, ¡­I have an utterly capricious wish. My most ideal person would be¡­a boy that sincerely loves the games that I make.¡± ¡°¡­Hey, hey.¡± It¡¯s my turn again, just as we¡¯re talking. ¡°W-Well, Hoshinomori-san, good luck.¡± I left with an elegant smile. -For some reason, I kept making unnecessary mistakes on that day¡¯s match. Chapter 33 ¨C Konoha Hoshinomori and Student Council¡¯s Truth Konoha Hoshinomori is the student president of Hekiyou High School. She has an unknown frustration, though¡­? I, Konoha Hoshinomori, am the president of this Hekiyou High School Student Council. Once upon a time, past members have written their activities down and turned them into a light novel. ¡­Honestly, I think it¡¯s pretty stupid. It¡¯s even crazier than imagining yourself getting isekai¡¯d. Who in their sane mind would turn themselves into a light novel? As for me, I am a very serious person. All-rounded, talented, beautiful, energetic, lusty. There are no embarrassing elements even if you take out and analyze each one of my attributes. I¡¯m literally a pure white girl that¡¯s totally unrted to light novels. This is me, Konoha Hoshinomori. I¡¯m also investing my healthy mind into the council¡¯s work today. I kept wiping the seat clean before gathering the super beautiful girls in here for a conference. After the conference, when everyone¡¯s scent is still on the chair, I kept wiping them clean. When the girl¡¯s swimming club asks for supplies, I¡¯ll alwayse to observe as the president. When the tea club¡¯s light bulb went out, I¡¯ll request to be the one ridden. I¡¯ll never be the one riding others¡¯ shoulders. People must ride on me, such a noble mindset from a student council president. However, honestly, ¡­my character is extremely in as the Hekiyou Student Council president. There were light novel-grade student council presidents in the past. However, in my generation, there is only talent, purity, and cuteness. Is this really okay? I feel upset sometimes because of this. ¡°Ha, pared to thest generation, my character and hobbies are pretty in.¡± I let out a deep sigh, and I continued writing the proposal that turns us into a hentai game. Chapter 34 ¨C Gamers and Past and Future 1 [Included in the short stories post] Chapter 35 ¨C Gamers and Past and Future 2 [Included in the short stories post] Volume 12 – Gamers and Youth Continue, Prologue

Volume 12 ¨C Gamers and Youth Continue, Prologue

Trantor: your_pingas I¡¯ve never felt the same as those in protagonists that love their ordinary lives. It¡¯s because their so-called ¡°ordinary lives¡± are incredibly blessed and sessful. < Roms with a cute girl, chatting happily with a handsome friend, cheered on by a reliable master, and even ying with friends that sharemon interests sometimes. > If this is called ordinary, then my life- < Friendless, not belonging to anywhere in ss, wandering around the school during the break, keep repeating mistakes that can¡¯t make peopleugh in PE, people say they are ¡°carrying¡± me when we¡¯re splitting into groups. > How should I call this kind of life? Hell? A lonely hell? Seriously, even I don¡¯t want to ssify my high school life as hell. Anyway, from my perspective, no matter what, I don¡¯t understand how those protagonists feel. They are already satisfied with their environment and abilities. ¡­This thing, indeed, even if my daily life right now is- < Roms with a cute girl, chatting happily with a handsome friend, cheered on by a reliable master, and even ying with friends that sharemon interests sometimes. > -which is your so-called ¡°an asshole protagonist that makes people jealous.¡± It¡¯s because I can¡¯t call this kind of daily life ordinary, nor do I want to. I can confidently announce that a daily life like this is the best treasure to me. It¡¯s just that, even if my daily life has already evolved into its current state- I, Keita Amano, am still a pretty mundane person. This year, no special abilities were awoken inside me, and my gaming skills didn¡¯t improve. I didn¡¯t be manlier, nor there¡¯s a sense of noble justice within my heart. In the end, I¡¯m still just a lonely passerby high schooler. However, if you still have to point out my features, there are two. The first one is that I have the exact same name as the MC in < Youkai Watch >. Also¡­ ¡°I love games.¡± That¡¯s all. ¡­Indeed, I still really love games right now. There¡¯s no ridiculous backstory or special reason. I¡¯ve just always loved it unconditionally. Whether it¡¯s the remarkable sound effects, adorable bitmaps, detailed illustrations, strategy systems, amazing plot, or ssic adventure tales, I love them all. Anyway, it makes me happy. ying a well-made game is the most blessed moment for me. So, I can forget most of the bad moments in high school as long as I have games. This is how much I love games. ¡­However, recently, something as important as games, if not more, appeared in my life too. That would be my current girlfriend- Karen Tendou-san. ¡­What the hell? In the end, you¡¯re just showing off like a normie. I bet you¡¯re thinking about that. But, please rx. Yeah, I¡¯m showing off. Having a girlfriend is super amazing. If you ask me how great it is, I¡¯ll tell you that I¡¯m soaked in happiness 24/7. Doesn¡¯t it feel great to level up in RPGs? I get 10x as much pleasure from just thinking about her, okay? Nothing is more valuable than this, right. She¡¯s an infinite happiness generator. That¡¯s what we call lovers. ¡­Hmm, I can show off forever if I can, but let¡¯s stop it here. Anyway, you¡¯re asking what I want to say? I want to say that I, Keita Amano, have another thing to love aside from games. So, finally, here¡¯s the story I want to talk about. Unfortunately, it¡¯s not a story that I love. In fact, I¡¯m feeling quite regretful. It¡¯s because of the ending of the story. It¡¯s about a protagonist that acquired the best daily life possible. After so many plot twists, he finally started going out with a beautiful girl. It¡¯s so sweet that you can¡¯t resonate with it. -In other words, it¡¯s a story about games. Volume 12, 1 – Gamers and Post-divergence Development

Volume 12, Chapter 1 ¨C Gamers and Post-divergence Development

Trantor: your_pingas ¡°Hey, Amano started going out with Tendou, right, ¡­right?¡± It¡¯s the day after that fateful White Day. During our long-awaited Game Hobby Club meeting, for some reason, Uehara-kun¡¯s sweating profusely. He asked in confusion. I nodded and answered him in the lively after-school ssroom. ¡°Hmm, yeah. But, how many times do you have to ask this? Isn¡¯t it annoying?¡± ¡°Uh, well, sorry. ¡­I-I guess that¡¯s true. Hmm. Uh¡­¡± Uehara-kun kept looking between Tendou-san and me like he wanted to say something. For some reason, even Aguri-san showed a baffled look too. However, Chiaki sat next to me while ignoring those two and continued chatting with me. ¡°After that, how did Keita set up your team? It¡¯s the new sequel of < Dragon Blood Tree Maze >!¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m going with the meta: < Holy Knight >, < Swordsman >, < Ranger >, < Fortune Teller >, and < Medic >. These five!¡± ¡°Right, that¡¯s the same as me! Hoho, we¡¯re really simr.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Chiaki and I are talking about the game passionately. We¡¯re smiling at each other extremely closely. Hiya, a conversation between gaming buddies always sends warmth to my heart. ¡­But, for some reason, Aguri-san and Uehara-kun kept looking at us while sweating. Chiaki and I pressed on. ¡°How¡¯s your progress, Keita? I¡¯m at the second level only¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I spent 10 hours to get to the second level too. It¡¯s because I¡¯m the type that levels up while moving forward in RPGs.¡± ¡°Right, right, me too! You can only feel that you¡¯re finally ready after getting all of the strongest gears, not to mention exploring the entire map!¡± ¡°I get it! You have to be ready perfectly in RPGs, Chiaki!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± The two gaming buddies here even started high-fiving. Uehara-kun and Aguri-san are sweating even more. Suddenly, my girlfriend- Karen Tendou-san, coldly smiled. She broke the peaceful atmosphere. ¡°Ara ara, ¡­you¡¯re such a clumsy and slow gamer, Amano-kun. How regrettable.¡± ¡°!?¡± Tendou-san¡¯s cold criticism made Uehara-kun and Aguri-san tremble in nervousness. However, I shrugged and answered her very rudely. ¡°Oya oya, another rant on other people¡¯s gaming style? The tryhard Game Club president-sama.¡± ¡°!?¡± The normie couple got even tenser after hearing what I said. Just as they looked like they fell into another timeline, Tendou-san and I- continued our vicious argument. ¡°Well, here¡¯s a rant, okay? Amano-kun, it seems that you spent 10 hours on the new < Dragon Blood Tree Maze > only to reach the second level? Meanwhile, I spent 7 hours and got to the 4th level. In my eyes, you¡¯re just- wasting your life away.¡± ¡°Here it is. Look, everyone. This is your so-called hardcore gamer. I don¡¯t really like treating the first ythrough as a speedrun.¡± ¡°Speedrun? Ara, I¡¯m terribly sorry. This is a pretty slow speed to me. ¡­ I see. At Amano-kun¡¯s level, would you treat that as a speedrun? Hohoho.¡± ¡°Tck, ¡­ha, t-that¡¯s why people call you a tryhard. I feel sorry for you.¡± ¡°¡­What was that?¡± ¡°To you, the term ¡®enjoying the game¡¯ is only strategizing and beating the level. This is you, okay? So, you¡¯re doing nothing but showing off when you said you took 7 hours to get to level 4. ¡­Seriously, Tendou-san, you aren¡¯t evenposed at all.¡± ¡°Tck. W-Well, let me ask you, Amano-kun. If you¡¯re really enjoying the game, can you hum out the BGM of level 1¡¯s boss fight?¡± ¡°Eh? Uh, well, ¡­hmm¡­¡± ¡°Ho, ¡­ahaha! And you dared to say things likeposed!? I can hum out that BGM! Hmm-mm-hmm!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, here we go. This is another fault of tryhards. You just treat your knowledge as your love of games. Sigh, you can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°Ha, big talk from a guy that doesn¡¯t even remember the games he¡¯s ying.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Tendou-san and my eyes are filled with fire. The normie couple, who have been watching us dazedly, finally can¡¯t hold it anymore and interrupted. ¡°Hey, you two, stop, stop! ¡­Eh? What¡¯s happening? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°A-Amanhi, I¡¯ll ask you again. ¡­Well, you rejected Hoshino and started going out with Tendou-san, right, right?¡± I sighed at Aguri-san¡¯s question. ¡°How many times do you have to ask this today? The answer is yes! I said I want to be ¡®friends¡¯ with Chiaki and go out with Tendou-san yesterday! It¡¯s true!¡± I said frustratedly. Uehara-kun and Aguri-san exchanged nces. Finally¡­ ¡°¡­Well, if that¡¯s the case, why are you-¡° ¡°Me?¡± -They finally said the question they wanted to ask today. ¡°Why are you so nice to Hoshinomori and so cold to Tendou!?¡± Uehara-kun finally yelled his question out loud. Aguri-san repeatedly nodded in agreement too. After hearing them, Tendou-san and I looked at each other and shrugged helplessly. ¡°Lovers¡¯ quarrel. You got a problem?¡± ¡°Eh, isn¡¯t this too fast!?¡± The normie couple is surprised with our speed. During this time, the girl sitting next to me, my ¡°friend¡± Chiaki Hoshinomori, mumbled cheerfully. ¡°It¡¯s more like Keita and I have been chatting non-stop since we became friends! Ah, this must be the ¡®honeymoon¡¯ people say!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that, right!?¡± The normie couple is even more shocked. At this point, Aguri-san looks sincerely anxious. ¡°Hey, Amanhi! What are you doing on your second day of going out!?¡± ¡°What am I doing? ¡­I¡¯m just arguing with Tendou-san and going on a honeymoon with Chiaki.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too crazy, even for a rom! What¡¯s happening!? Is Amanhi always looking after that unexpectedness!?¡± ¡°Well, can¡¯t say that I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Deny it! A guy that gets lovey-dovey with another girl and fights with his girlfriend right after the confession isn¡¯t unexpected or anything! You¡¯re just a scumbag!¡± ¡°Hmm? I¡¯m getting lovey-dovey with Chiaki?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, I¡¯m just chatting with Keita intimately as a ¡®friend.¡¯ Agu-nee is impolite.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, s-sorry, Hoshino. I¡¯m just suspecting that there¡¯s a secret rtionship between you two¡­¡± ¡°Sheesh, didn¡¯t I say this before? Right now, I¡¯m at most his ¡®friend¡¯ only.¡± ¡°I-I guess so.¡± ¡°Yeah, so -it¡¯s reasonable to hold his head like this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s out, Hoshino! I think that¡¯s infinitely close to cheating!¡± ¡°Eh? But, Agu-nee always makes all kinds of body contact with Keita, right? Even though you two are just friends.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Aguri-san started moaning in pain. Well, ¡­indeed,e to think of it, I guess Aguri-san pretty much touched all sorts of ces. Aguri-san paid attention to Uehara-kun¡¯s look and answered awkwardly. ¡°Well, well, as a friend, how much can Agu-nee tolerate Keita?¡± ¡°Eh? Tolerating Amanhi? Ah,e to think of it, I guess I haven¡¯t thought of this before.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m slightly interested in this too.¡± Uehara-kun suddenly leaned forward as well. What? Are you still suspecting Aguri-san and me? Uehara-kun¡¯s surely not easily annoyed. In reality, the chaotic feelings Aguri-san and I have for each other aren¡¯tpletely clear. Ah, so, if you¡¯re asking me how much I can tolerate skin contact with Aguri-san, I- ¡°If I have to consider Amanhi, ¡­well, ¡­ah, it¡¯s that, right?¡± -Aguri-san seems to have reached a conclusion when I¡¯m thinking. She looked at Chiaki and Uehara-kun before clearing her throat. ¡°Ahem, I won¡¯t hug his arms like Hoshino. However¡­¡± ¡°However? Ah, don¡¯t tell me Agu-nee wants to say it¡¯s okay to hold hands?¡± ¡°Hey, hey, Aguri, I have to interrupt here as your boyfriend¡­¡± Chiaki and Uehara-kun reacted before Aguri-san could answer. ¡°Ahaha, I¡¯ll never hold hands with Amanhi. It¡¯s disgusting.¡± She rejected me with a smile. That hurts, you know? But I don¡¯t hate holding hands with Aguri-san. So, if you¡¯re saying how much I can tolerate, that would be- Just as I thought of an answer- ¡°But.¡± Aguri-san smiled and said the same answer. ¡°I¡¯m fine with bathing together with Amanhi.¡± ¡°Why!? It¡¯s not fine at all!¡± Uehara-kun suddenly stood up and yelled at Aguri-san with a pale face. Chiaki¡¯s the same when I look at her. ¡­Well, even Tendou-san, who¡¯s in an argument with me, started blushing and trembling. (¡­E-Eh? Was Aguri-san¡¯s answer that problematic?) I¡¯m secretly sweating while everyone¡¯s staring at Aguri-san. ¡­Ah, that was close. I would have agreed to what she said if Uehara-kun didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Ah, I think so too.¡± I would¡¯ve said that. Phew, that was close. ¡­Even though I don¡¯t have any particr feelings about it. Well, think about it, alright? You should think about my family. Although it¡¯s a bit embarrassing to hold my little brother¡¯s hands now, there¡¯s no problem with going to the bathhouse or hot springs together, right? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Aguri-san and I exchanged looks in secret. We¡¯re genuinely confused. ¡­Hmm, indeed, no matter what, Aguri-san and I can take a bath together even if we don¡¯t hold hands. However, it looks like we¡¯re the only two that can ept it. The other three are looking at us with a menacing aura. ¡­H-Hmm, I think we¡¯re the ones thatckmon sense here. I cleared my throat and brought up the ¡°skinship with Chiaki¡± topic again. ¡°B-But, Chiaki. Perhaps our body contact is a bit too much as friends.¡± ¡°Hmm? Really? Even though it¡¯s okay to take a bath together?¡± ¡°Well, only Aguri-san and I can take a bath together. By the way, even though we¡¯re friends, I don¡¯t think I can do it with Uehara-kun.¡± ¡°Again, why!?¡± Uehara-kun yelled. I blushed and plopped my head down. ¡°¡­I-It¡¯s embarrassing.¡± ¡°Save that reaction for someone else! Why can you do it with Aguri!?¡± ¡°A-Anyway, it¡¯s not okay to touch a boy¡¯s body unnecessarily as friends, Chiaki.¡± Chiaki¡¯s clearly dissatisfied with what I said. She pouted. ¡°But, it can¡¯t be helped when there¡¯s body contact between friends. Doesn¡¯t Uehara-kun pat Keita¡¯s head too?¡± ¡°I-Indeed, as friends, we touch, ¡­right? N-No, that¡¯s not true for opposite genders-¡° ¡°Ah, I¡¯m not touching you on purpose. It¡¯s just sometimes. Keita, you¡¯re too self-conscious.¡± Chiaki suddenly interrupted seriously. ¡­Hmm, after she exined it clearly, I think I¡¯m embarrassed by my self-consciousness. ¡°R-Really? Sorry, I was overthinking. Well, ¡­I think you can touch me.¡± ¡°Yes, this is what we call friends, Keita. Well, I¡¯ll touch you to my heart¡¯s content. ¡­Here.¡± ¡°¡­Uh, I think it¡¯s okay for ¡®friends¡¯ to do that, ¡­right.¡± ¡°You¡¯re totally defenseless, Keita Amano!¡± Suddenly, even Tendou-san started yelling along with Uehara-kun and Aguri-san too. I answered in confusion. ¡°W-Well, didn¡¯t Chiaki just say I¡¯m just overthinking¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re too pure! Oi, Amano! While I appreciate your absolute trust in friends, you have to draw the line when you start dating Tendou!¡± ¡°Line? I mean, I did draw a certain line already¡­¡± ¡°Really? Well, let me ask you this, Amano. If Hoshinomori said, ¡®Hey, let¡¯s spend the whole night in my house ying games as friends, okay?¡¯ to you, what would you do?¡± ¡°What will I do? ¡­Ha, did you really think I¡¯m this stupid, Uehara-kun?¡± ¡°O-Oh, sorry, I think this question¡¯s difficulty too low-¡° ¡°As a gamer- how can I not stay over in her house!?¡± ¡°You¡¯re totally defenseless.¡± Everyone yelled again. After that, Chiaki seems to be mumbling to herself, ¡°¡­Ah, I can do that, ¡­very well.¡± She jotted some notes. What is she writing? Nothing to do with me, anyway. I¡¯m the only one that¡¯s not following up and standing dazedly. Uehara-kun saw my face and tried to guide me. ¡°You know, you should change this part of yours when you started dating Tendou?¡± ¡°Which part?¡± ¡°The part where you still care about the girls who aren¡¯t your girlfriend.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey, uh, why¡¯s everyone staring daggers at me?¡± Uehara-kun self-destructed tragically. ¡­However, I understood. Thanks to him. ¡°You¡¯re right, ¡­I got it, Uehara-kun. I¡¯ll try my best to not end up like you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you can understand! Damn!¡± Aguri-san spoke up after Uehara-kun sat down with tears in his eyes. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s leave Hoshino and Amanhi for now first. I can understand you two befriending each other after all kinds of rtionship issues. It¡¯s good that there¡¯s a conclusion. But¡­¡± Aguri-san said that as she looked next to me. At the end of her nce is¡­a beautiful blonde girl that seems really pissed since then. Aguri-san gulped and whispered to me. ¡°¡­Uh, how did that happen?¡± To her question, I repeated the same answer again. ¡°Like I¡¯ve said before.¡± ¡°We just have a normal argument.¡± ¡°Well, so, you too can get into such a serious fight the day after you became lovers? Is it because of other girls¡¯ scent on Amanhi?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impolite. My body will never have any girl¡¯s scent aside from Tendou-san!¡± ¡°Well, Hoshino is hugging your arms right now¡­¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­but this isn¡¯t why we¡¯re fighting. There¡¯s a deeper meaning to our argument.¡± My voice deepens. Tendou-san lowered her head in unison. Aguri-san and Uehara-kun gulped. ¡°I-It feels pretty deep.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah. Hey, Amano, Tendou. Well, ¡­I know people don¡¯t like me intervening in other¡¯s matters. But, I still want to hear it if you don¡¯t mind. I want to know why¡­my two most important friends are fighting.¡± ¡°Uehara-kun¡­¡± He¡¯s looking at Tendou-san and me sincerely. Our hearts are moved. Then, this was the first time we looked at each other after that fight. Both of us nodded at the same time and made up our minds. Finally, ¡­both of us exined this serious ¡°problem¡± to our friends. ¡°It¡¯s about how we should raise our child¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early!?¡± The normie coupleined again. Uehara-kun looks sincerely shocked. ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t think I need to ask this. But, you two haven''t had a child yet, right?¡± ¡°Ha, this is the fantasy of a normie with a messed up sex life. You can¡¯t be helped¡­¡± Uehara-kun spiraled into depression. Aguri-san backed him out and asked. ¡°A-Anyway, how can you two fight around your child when you just started dating?¡± ¡°How? ¡­That¡¯s because there¡¯s something where both of us can¡¯t back down.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t back down? Ah, is it the future after graduation? It¡¯s important to decide whether you want to live in the north or going to a big city-¡° ¡°Ah, nope. We¡¯re fighting over which console should we let our child y first.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter, right!?¡± This normie gal immediately got worked up. At the same time, as the person who understands me, Chiaki nodded repeatedly and said, ¡°You indeed can¡¯t back down on this¡­¡± Yes, that¡¯s why everyone should get a friend with simr mindsets. Aguri-san looked at us sympathetically. ¡°Eh, did Amanhi and Tendou-san really start a fight because of something that doesn¡¯t even matter?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just skip over the ¡®doesn¡¯t even matter¡¯ thing you just said, Aguri-san.¡± The game club president immediately red at the gal. Aguri-san backed down for a moment before continuing. ¡°B-But.¡± ¡°First of all, I still think it¡¯s too early to talk about children. In reality, I don¡¯t one or two games can affect the child¡¯s life that much-¡° ¡°¡­Ha!¡± ¡°Sheesh, it¡¯s been a long time since Ist experienced this tant impoliteness. By the way, why did Hoshino and Tasuku look down on me too!?¡± Uehara-kun hesitated to answer Aguri-san. ¡°Uh, well, let¡¯s forget about the child-discussion-right-after-dating part. Honestly, I also think that the first game affects your personality a lot¡­¡± ¡°Even Tasuku¡¯s saying that too. ¡­Well, I¡¯m not underestimating you guys. But, aren¡¯t games just entertainment? It¡¯s just a way to y. So, while something like your first book is important, games are¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re too na?ve, Aguri. How innocent.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Ah, my boyfriend is in the enemy¡¯s camp¡­¡± Aguri-san looked at Uehara-kun hopelessly. Even though I feel sorry for her too, I can¡¯t back down here. Tendou-san represented the gamers and raised her finger to exin. ¡°Nope, this is indeed something crucial, Aguri-san. For example, the first game that I¡¯m addicted to is an FPS. That¡¯s why I love ranked battles. ¡­To put it simply, I love games that force you to challenge and outdone yourself. This is why I like improving myself.¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­I guess it¡¯s important when you said that, but that¡¯s just for Tendou-san, right? For example, Tasuku and the others are also influenced by their first games too?¡± ¡°Yep, I did. My first game is a casual fighting game. The ones that don¡¯t really care about bnce with clearly OP characters. The first memory I have is ying that game whileughing with my friends.¡± ¡°W-Wow, Tasuku¡¯s first game does feel like yours. ¡­W-What about Hoshino?¡± ¡°Ah, mine was an inexplicably strange maze RPG from overseas! I died due to uneptable reasons after the adventure!¡± ¡°It feels like Hoshino! Eh, don¡¯t tell me the first console games influenced gamers that much!? Well, what about Amanhi!?¡± ¡°An attractive and casual RPG where the protagonist loves reflecting on himself and slowly makes friends.¡± ¡°It¡¯s exactly Amanhi! Eh, what¡¯s happening!? Seriously!? The first game really does influence your personality!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say this before? That¡¯s why Tendou-san and I can¡¯t back down on this.¡± ¡°Even though I don¡¯t want to admit this, I think I slowly understand you guys! I-Indeed, forget about normal families. Amanhi and Tendou-san¡¯s child is guaranteed to be a gamer. The first game really does matter here!¡± ¡°Right!?¡± Tendou-san and I immediately leaned forward to ask for agreement. Aguri-san nodded, but she quickly followed with a question. ¡°So, what are the differences between you two¡¯s opinions?¡± ¡°¡­Like I said before, we¡¯re having an argument because our feelings for games are different.¡± ¡°Ah, in other words, both of you are pushing for your own rmendations? A normal RPG vs. a hardcore FPS?¡± ¡°Ah, nope. It¡¯s the opposite.¡± ¡°Eh? The opposite?¡± After hearing my answer, Aguri-san, Uehara-kun, and Chiaki blinked in confusion. Tendou-san and I pointed at each other. Both of us said the crux of this argument at the same time. ¡°Our child has to be like Tendou-san (Amano-kun)!¡± ¡°You unimaginably idiot couples!¡± The three dropped their jaws after hearing the reason. Uehara-kun yelled. ¡°What the hell are you two doing!? All that just for a stupid couple argument!?¡± I answered a bit angrily. ¡°Uehara-kun understands this too, right? How pathetic must it be for our child, who¡¯ll inherit Tendou-san¡¯s elite genes, to have my lonely passerby mindset?¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­w-well, I think what Amano said makes sense¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not! Uehara-kun, as his dearest friend, you must get it, right? No one in this world has a better soul than he does! Compared to that, how dirty must Karen Tendou¡¯s soul be!?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with your pathetic confidence? Well, I do understand Tendou¡¯s reason as well.¡± Uehara-kun fell silent after hearing our reasons. Tendou-san and I started asking even more viciously. ¡°No, Tendou-san is the best girl!¡± ¡°No, Amano-kun is the ultimate lifeform!¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± The other three are already looking at us with a dead fish¡¯s eyes. After seeing their faces, even Tendou-san and I got quieter. We cleared our throats. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s why we started fighting. However, that¡¯s at most the initial cause. Our argument isn¡¯t that rted to that.¡± ¡°Hmm? In other words?¡± I smiled bitterly. ¡°Just like what you saw in the morning, at this point, Tendou-san and I are just having a normal fight. It¡¯s already not really rted to our child. Right now, we¡¯re just venting out our dissatisfaction for each other in the past¡­¡± ¡°Although I love Amano-kun, your indecisiveness really pisses me off.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line, Tendou-san. Although I love Tendou-san, you always overthink things. Honestly, I¡¯m having a hard time following up.¡± ¡°Ara ara, filthy casuals. You can¡¯t be helped¡­¡± ¡°Tck, you and your attitude are why tryhards are hated in this world!¡± The fuse was ignited again during our conversation. Then, ¡­finally- Uehara-kun and the others understood something and smiled gently. ¡°¡­Sheesh, in the end, you two are just a stupid couple.¡± ¡°Yeah, Tasuku. But, it feels refreshing for Amanhi and Tendou-san to be fighting. ¡­Hmm, perhaps this isn¡¯t too bad.¡± ¡°¡­Maybe. Hmm, what¡¯s happening? I¡¯m getting even more jealous with their argument than with them acting all lovey-dovey.¡± It looks like they understood too. I think an argument counts as us having ¡°progress¡± as well. This makes me feel slightly relieved. ¡­However, I immediately started an eye-staring contest with the damn blonde girl in front of me. The spirited and vicious debate that dragged the entire Game Hobby Club started again. * ¡°It¡¯s finally getting warmer.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Tendou-san and I looked at the snow on the side as our conversation grew. It¡¯s 5 PM. Both of us are going home together after the club is over. We¡¯re on the way to Tendou-san¡¯s house. The snow was rustling as we stepped on it. Initially, Uehara-kun¡¯s house is here too. We could¡¯ve gone home together. Yet, he said something along the lines of, ¡°I''ll tease my friends at the sports clubs before going home.¡± He even left Aguri-san behind before disappearing inside the school. ¡­He still really loves taking care of others, unlike a certain demon king-sama. Ah, right, perhaps that¡¯s the reason why Aguri-san loves him- ¡°Hmm? Amano-kun? What¡¯s wrong?¡± I was lost in thoughts. Tendou-san looked at me with a slightly worried expression. I smiled bitterly and said what I was thinking out loud. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about Aguri-san.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Tendou-san immediately frowned. It¡¯s already toote when I realized I messed up. She turned around angrily and dashed away from me. ¡°It looks like Amano-kun cares about another girl more than his girlfriend next to him!¡± ¡°N-No! It¡¯s not like that! Tendou-san understands it too, right? I¡¯m just overthinking due to worrying about her.¡± ¡°Hmm, ¡­I-I guess so. Well, what would Amano-kun think if you heard me say, ¡®I was thinking about Uehara-kun?¡¯ after a while of silence?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cry, of course!¡± ¡°How can you say something so unmanly in such a manly way!?¡± Tendou-san shrugged helplessly and continued. ¡°Anyway, you get it now, right? When I hear you say another girl¡¯s name, I¡­just, ¡­well, ¡­how should I put it?¡± I guess she¡¯s embarrassed in the middle. Tendou-san started stuttering as she rolled the tip of her hair with her fingers. ¡­What¡¯s with this adorable creature? Did I sleep while ying a hentai game? Well, anyway, I should stop my girlfriend from worrying about me. I made up my mind and walked up to her. Then, I gently put my hand on hers. After that, she stopped with a surprised look. I blushed and stared at her determinedly. ¡°You¡¯re always in my heart even when I¡¯m talking about someone else.¡± ¡°¡­Amano-kun.¡± Tendou-san¡¯s eyes look watery. Her cheeks red up as well. Then, she buried her face into her scarf¡­and answered. ¡°That line is still quite embarrassing in a daily scene¡­¡± ¡°I-I guess so!¡± My cheeks are unusually hot from embarrassment and regret. Ah, how can I say something so disgusting even when it¡¯s just a normal after-school time¡­!? There¡¯s a limit to excitement¡­! ¡°Ugh, please forget it¡­!¡± I moaned and let go of her hand. Then, I wrapped my hands around my head. After that- ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°?¡± -Tendou-san seems to feel a bit lonely. ¡­Then, at the next moment, she twisted her body with her mouth still buried inside the scarf. ¡°But, uh, ¡­it¡¯s not like you can¡¯t stop doing that¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I didn¡¯t understand for a moment. However, she¡¯s secretly ncing at my hand. I quickly answered. ¡°Ah, ...sure. I-I see.¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± ¡°W-Well, uh, s-so, let¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°S-Sure¡­¡± We started holding each other¡¯s hands stiffly. Honestly, it feels like we¡¯re just shaking hands. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± However, after we started moving forward, ¡­we finally understood how we should respond. Our fingers crossed as we held each other even tighter. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­Well, there¡¯s actually no need to describe the feeling. Right now, both of us are blushing really hard. No one said anything. Well, if we¡¯re couples already, going back to our home while hand holding should be a piece of cake. ¡­But, honestly, this isn¡¯t a slice-of-life. Come to think of it, 90% of my brain power is focused on her hand. We can¡¯t even chat anymore. Perhaps we don¡¯t even know where we are going as well. This is super unusual. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± After a long while, the garden scene turned into a lively downtown street with trees. We stopped by the traffic lights and sighed in relief before looking at each other. ¡°¡­Hoho.¡± Strangely, we¡¯re relieved with each other¡¯s nervousness. There¡¯s finally a break. Then, Tendou-san seemed to have noticed something and looked in the opposite direction. She smiled. ¡°Come to think of it, everything started over there, right?¡± ¡°Hmm? ¡­Ah, yeah.¡± I followed her look and understood what she meant. That¡¯s a game store. It¡¯s just a normal and worn-out rural game store. However- ¡°Come to think of it, that¡¯s where Tendou-san called me for the first time.¡± ¡°Yes, so, everything between you and me started there.¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, but I already knew about you at the time.¡± ¡°Ara, I¡¯ve actually seen you many times if you say that? Even though I don¡¯t know your name yet¡­¡± Tendou-san looks a bit ashamed. I quicklyforted her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay! That¡¯s guaranteed! By the way, I¡¯m honored for Tendou-san to know me as ¡®Otobuki High School Boy C¡¯ already! ¡­Well, by the way, Tendou-san should know my name by now, right? ¡­Uh, my name¡¯s Keita.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the first one to introduce yourself like that in front of your girlfriend!¡± Tendou-san sighed and continued. ¡°Amano-kun, this part of you never changed ever since we met.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s because a passerby will always be a passerby, even after he started going out with a princess-sama.¡± I answered fluently. Tendou-san¡¯s lips curled up as sheforted me. ¡°I-I don¡¯t think a passerby that can go out with a princess is a side character¡­¡± ¡°Nope, I am. People only know a guy like me from the epilogue where we happily lived ever after. The princess solved all of the important events on her own.¡± ¡°It¡¯s kind of sad to see how low you¡¯re seeing yourself.¡± ¡°At least I¡¯m not a tachie.¡± [It¡¯s simr to concept art. You draw the character without any background. A conversation bubble is sometimes included.] ¡°What tachie?¡± Tendou-san sighed helplessly. I feel a bit regretful after seeing her reaction. (Hmm, am I too self-abased¡­?) Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been alone for too long. I¡¯m still not good with these kinds of things. Thoughts like ¡°seeing yourself too lowly only make people that care about you sad¡± didn¡¯t appear in my heart until now. However, I actually feel sad when my favorite game developers say that their game is meaningless. Well, even though I also hate people that give themselves too much credit. The traffic light turned green, and we crossed the road. However, we didn¡¯t talk during this period. ¡­Honestly, this is also why we got into a fight yesterday. I really love Tendou-san, and I respect her from the bottom of my heart. ¡­That¡¯s why I¡¯m despising myself more than usual. Tendou-san¡¯s unwillingness to back down is definitely not just over stupid topics like the first game for our child. Instead, it¡¯s something much, much deeper. I, Keita Amano, am still unwilling to acknowledge how much I am worth. She¡¯s mad because of this. Actually, I also know that this is a bad part of me. So, naturally, I wanted to improve. (However, even so, I can¡¯t change my personality on a whim¡­) Not being confident in myself is one of my core personality structures. I need strong determination if I want to improve, just like if I have to stop being humpbacked. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± In the end, we didn¡¯t say anything meaningful. Both of us walked into the game store. After that, Tendou-san passed through the new release area without taking a nce. Just as I¡¯m wondering where she¡¯s going, ¡­she stopped at an unexpected ce. ¡°Tendou-san? This is¡­the dating sim area.¡± ¡°Yes, ¡­this is where we first talked to each other.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± ¡°Amano-kun was super nervous at that time.¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­y-yeah. Well, I¡¯m still nervous when facing Tendou-san now.¡± I was a bit nostalgic as I looked at the shelf. However, that game isn¡¯t there already. Time moves forward, and it shifts everything. However, I¡­still haven¡¯t changed. I¡¯m still not confident in myself. I still love games. I¡¯m still really clumsy. ¡­Of course, even so, I¡¯m not nning to run away with an excuse like ¡°I can¡¯t match her.¡± It¡¯s more like it¡¯s the exact opposite. If I can¡¯t match her right now, I have to work hard to stand next to her. Yes. I have to be more confident to stay with my beloved Tendou-san- At the moment that I made up my mind- ¡°Well, I¡¯m fine with however you see yourself, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I let out a surprised sound. Then, she said- ¡°It¡¯s because-¡° -She¡¯s not pausing to see my reaction. Instead, she continued as if she¡¯s saying an undeniable fact. ¡°The fact that you¡¯re the best person to me in the world will never change.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± After hearing that, my chest just took a dazzlingly heavy blow. She acknowledged everything that makes me, including my hopeless side. I can¡¯t believe someone like this exists in the world. Is this love? In this case, I can understand why those couples always do stupid things in public. I¡­I¡¯ll be useless if this continues! I¡¯ll be a worthless person! So, I can¡¯t be spoiled here! Although I don¡¯t want to be spoiled, ¡­what should I do? I¡¯m so happy that it hurts. I¡¯m about to cry. Sorry, I lied. I already cried a little, but I wiped my tears right away. Just as I¡¯m twisting my body disgustingly, Tendou-san observed me. She looks sincerely confused. ¡°Hmm? Eh? What¡¯s wrong, Amano-kun? Your face looks really red?¡± It looks like this girl doesn¡¯t know how destructive what she just said is. I¡¯m regretting over me being the only one embarrassed. I can¡¯t help but hide my face behind my arms and answer rudely. ¡°Tck¡­! T-That¡¯s why I don¡¯t like natural tryhards! Do you even know how to spell ¡®embarrassment¡¯ correctly!? I can¡¯t believe you can say something so embarrassing¡­!¡± ¡°Wha-¡° Then, after hearing that, Tendou-san retorted angrily as usual. ¡°What was that!? Tryhards!? You want a fight? Are we fighting now!?¡± ¡°No, we aren¡¯t. By the way, Tendou-san immediately switched to yourbat stance.¡± I can¡¯t help but say what I sincerely think after seeing her childish reaction. However, I think this pissed her off even more. Tendou-san asked furiously. ¡°Ha!? You picked a fight, and yet you say things like that!? Ah, sheesh, that¡¯s why filthy casuals that pretend to be mature while misunderstanding things are-¡° ¡°I can¡¯t just pretend I didn¡¯t hear that. We¡¯re much better than people that immediately fight after eye contact. You aren¡¯t a Pokemon trainer, right?¡± ¡°What did you just say!?¡± ¡°What?¡± So, even if it¡¯s just a day after we started going out, we entered our second argument. This is the future that I never thought about when we met a year ago. However- This is the reality we¡¯ve achieved after a year. ¡°In the end, Amano-kun has always-¡° ¡°No, no, Tendou-san has always been like-¡° We bickered with each other quietly as we left to avoid causing troubles for others. During this time, suddenly, I nced at the new release area. Even though time moves forward, I can still find something that connects both of us. The disc of < Golden Memories 3 > is right on the shelf. Volume 12, 2 – Aguri and Family Restaurant Meeting Extra

Volume 12, Chapter 2 ¨C Aguri and Family Restaurant Meeting Extra

Trantor: your_pingas ¡°Let¡¯s find a time and visit an open hot spring hotel in secret? Amanhi.¡± During the after-school family restaurant meeting, a high school girl sent out an erotic and immoral invitation despite having a boyfriend. To this request, I, Keita Amano- ¡°Ah, sure, why not?¡± -I took a sip of my hot green tea and smiled. Then, the couple, which I should say is dressed weirdly, is eavesdropping on us. I think they want to say, ¡°What¡¯s with that reaction?¡± They are looking at us in shock. However, I ignored them and continued calmly. ¡°Indeed, I guess I¡¯m kind of bored with family restaurants sometimes. Instead, let¡¯s rx while talking about each other¡¯s lovers in a room with beautiful scenery.¡± After hearing that, the neighboring couple shot us despising looks. ¡°Oi, oi, you two have lovers!?¡± But, Aguri-san doesn¡¯t seem to care about their reactions too. She took a small sip of her hot lemon tea and continued. ¡°No, if we¡¯re going to say it anyway, why don¡¯t we just talk to each other in the hot spring, Amanhi.¡± ¡°I mean, boys and girls are separated in hot springs- ah, but I guess an independent open-air hot spring will be good.¡± (It¡¯s anything but good!) The couple next to us isining quietly. But, our chatter won¡¯t stop because of them. ¡°Ah, but, Aguri-san, ..is it bad for the two of us to go on a hot spring trip alone?¡± (You only noticed it now!?) ¡°Ah, I guess so. I think the mood got weird after I said we can take a bath together. Our partners.¡± (Of course!) ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s like cheating from the looks of it.¡± (It¡¯s not from the looks of it. Taking a bath together is totally cheating, right!?) ¡°Yeah, but we didn¡¯t actually cheat, right? I guess this counts as a pass.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I think it¡¯s a pass.¡± (It¡¯s aplete fail!) ¡°Come to think of it, Amanhi and I in a hot spring are just like everyone ying in the pool, right? We aren¡¯t thinking about anything bad.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s more like I don¡¯t understand why Tendou-san is making a fuss.¡± (Understand her!) ¡°Ah, but if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m not so happy if Tasuku and Tendou-san are going on a hot spring trip together.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll carve all of Uehara-kun¡¯s organs out.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll also put Tendou-san on a grinder and turn her into strips.¡± (Sicko!) ¡°But Amanhi and I are special, right?¡± ¡°We¡¯re special. I can¡¯t believe they are jealous of our rtionship. I don¡¯t understand why.¡± (You two are really this selfish!?) ¡°It¡¯s like that, right. From my perspective, suspecting Amanhi and me is like being called out for cheating when I¡¯m just eating with my dad. I don¡¯t understand at all.¡± ¡°Ah, I totally get that. Tendou-san and Uehara-kun going out are definitely cheating. Still, the two of us don¡¯t count even if we¡¯re showering together.¡± ¡°Yeah. Moreover, it¡¯s not cheating even if we kiss, hug, or sleep together naked.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine even if you have to change your name to Aguri Amano.¡± (What!? Eh, that¡­that¡¯s already¡­!?) ¡°¡­Seriously, I really want to do it now. The hot spring meeting instead of the family restaurant meeting.¡± ¡°Me too. Hot springs are really nice. ¡­Well, if Amanhi agrees-¡° ¡°Yeah, Aguri-san. Well, I think it¡¯s a bit too much to spend the weekend together without telling our lovers¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, anyway, let¡¯s ask Tasuku and Tendou-san¡­¡± We nced at each other and nodded. Both of us said the same conclusion. ¡°Let¡¯s ask them for permission.¡± At this moment- ¡°It¡¯s impossible!¡± The weirdly-dressed couple next to us finally snapped. * ¡°That freaked me out, Amanhi. I didn¡¯t expect a stranger couple to get mad at us¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, the most depressing part is that they are the good guys.¡± It¡¯s been 10 minutes since the weirdly-dressed couple yelled at us. Unlike their strange appearance, they meant it when they scolded us. It seems that they are going to see a movie. Even though they wanted to say something else, the couple left the restaurant. So, after they left, ¡­we started calming down. Aguri-san finished her lemon tea and whispered. ¡°How should I put it? I feel like we¡¯re the crazy ones.¡± ¡°Yeah, I have to admit when an unknown personined about us. ¡­I think we are crazy.¡± Then, both of us sighed at the same time. ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty normal for siblings with good rtionships to take a bath together.¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­but we¡¯ll obviously cry if we see Tendou-san and Uehara-kun taking a shower together.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯smon sense. ¡­I¡¯ll go grab a drink.¡± Aguri-san stood up. I looked outside the window. The snow is already melting. Then, I finished all of the remaining green tea at once. ¡­Hmm. (¡­But, even so, my heart still pounds if she¡¯s fully naked.) I reached this conclusion after thinking about it calmly. Well, I didn¡¯t mean to keep this a secret. It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t thought about it seriously. However, if we¡¯re being real here, taking a bath with Aguri-san is too- ¡°H-Hey, Amanhi.¡± -Just as I¡¯m thinking about that, Aguri-san came back with her soda. ¡­For some reason, she¡¯s blushing and embarrassed. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± It looks like she has the same idea as I did when she was grabbing drinks. We held our cups silently¡­even though there¡¯s no green tea left. I changed my mind and stood up to get a cup of cold oolong tea. After that, I chugged more than half of it without using draws. Finally, I spoke up to Aguri-san. ¡°W-Well, let¡¯s forget about going to the hot spring together. ¡­Uh, it¡¯s not because I¡¯ll do something weird. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t think our lovers would be happy.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, we¡¯re not doing anything weird. Yeah, not good. Yep.¡± We said that and sipped our drinks. ¡­What¡¯s happening? Compared to where we¡¯re yelling open-air hot springs confidently, we feel even guiltier after being self-conscious. Aguri-san cleared her throat and changed the topic. ¡°W-Well, did Amanhi want to go somewhere else with Tendou-san?¡± ¡°O-Of course not! It would be too impolite for her!¡± I denied it forcefully. Aguri-san stared at me, dumbfounded. ¡°What do you mean by impolite¡­?¡± ¡°The same goes for Aguri-san as well. Did you invite Uehara-kun on a trip?¡± ¡°Ha, that¡¯s impossible. We¡¯re talking about Tasuku here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s kind of mean¡­¡± I fell silent this time. We looked at each other and sighed. -Then, immediately. ¡°¡­Pfft, hahaha!¡± The ¡°usual family restaurant meeting¡± is still just as familiar to us as always. We can¡¯t help but burst intoughter. Aguri-sanughed for a while. She wiped the tears off her eyes and mumbled. ¡°What are we even doing here? We¡¯re supposed to be soaked in happiness after our new dates. Yet, this is where we ended up again.¡± ¡°Yeah, for some reason, I feel like new problems keeping up after Aguri-san and I came into the family restaurant.¡± ¡°Ah, I get that. How should I say this? This meeting is supposed to solve problems with the two of us together. Right now, I feel like it¡¯s causing more issues than solving them.¡± ¡°Well, should we stop?¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Both of us smiled mischievously. ¡­Even though we have our respective lovers already, this isn¡¯t going to stop any time soon. It¡¯s because we¡¯re only cheating if we realize that doing this isn¡¯t good for Uehara-kun and Tendou-san. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Well, from this perspective, it¡¯s not good for the two of us to go to a hot spring. ¡­Ahem! A-Anyway. The two of us stared at the pedestrians outside the window. ¡°Come to think of it, while Aguri-san may not like it, a start of a rtionship means an end to a story for me. Perhaps I should call it a goal, ¡­at least in dating sims.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? That¡¯s disgusting. Seriously, it¡¯s disgusting.¡± Yep, called it. She even included another high-damage word, ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s disgusting.¡± However, I remained defiant and continued to struggle. ¡°But, how should I say this? That¡¯s not how reality works. There are no credits or ED. The story will continue. The affection meter can still change. Also, the worst scenario would be for a tragic break-up. In the end, there are no clear lines to separate each part.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think about that too, even if we¡¯re talking about marriage. The sad part is that nothing is eternally stable in this world.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why-¡° I paused for a moment and looked into Aguri-san¡¯s eyes. ¡°-This meeting is the only thing that I want to continue forever with Aguri-san.¡± Aguri-san froze for a moment after hearing that. ¡­However, she immediately followed it up with a dumbfounded smile. ¡°What? Is this a proposal?¡± ¡°In a sense, yeah. After all, I¡¯m talking about please be together with me forever.¡± ¡°Wow, this is embarrassing.¡± ¡°As in being fair-weather friends.¡± ¡°Wow, this is upsetting.¡± ¡°Ah, you can use ¡®eternal friendship¡¯ instead.¡± ¡°Stop, it¡¯s even more upsetting. Well, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Really? d to-¡° ¡°Ah, then give me a ring, Amanhi. You don¡¯t need to fill it with love. I just need an expensive one.¡± ¡°Uwah, this BFF sucks.¡± Although I¡¯m speechless, I rolled the straw wrapping paper on the table and handed it over. Aguri-san pinched the ring. She looks clearly dissatisfied. ¡°Uwah, here it goes. This is the one I hate the most.¡± ¡°The price is irrelevant during the oath, right?¡± ¡°The clich¨¦ line makes this even more annoying, ..sheesh.¡± Aguri-san put the ring on her left middle finger with a bitter smile. Then¡­ ¡°Ah, then I should give you a ring as well.¡± ¡°Eh, really? Well, give me a ring that can be pawned for a high price-¡° ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a very high- temperature onion.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just an onion ring!¡± The gal handed a cold onion ring to me. I hesitated to put it on my middle finger. ¡°¡­Uwah, it¡¯s greasy!¡± ¡°This is 180 carat.¡± ¡°180 carat doesn¡¯t mean something boiled in 180-degree oil! Also, it¡¯s not even hot anymore!¡± ¡°Ho, ¡­I wonder what¡¯s not hot anymore? Is it the ring or our rtionship¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s both the fried onion ring and our friendship! What the hell is this!? Take it off!¡± ¡°That¡¯s mean, Amanhi. I¡¯ll never talk to you again if you take it off.¡± ¡°This is an impossible game! This thing will rot in a few days even if I try my best!¡± ¡°Well, consider that the end to our friendship. Well, but I¡¯ll take this off before that.¡± Aguri-san took off the wrapping paper ring I gave her- rudely. ¡°What!? Why are you taking it off first!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s disgusting. I don¡¯t want a wrapping paper ring made by an otaku¡¯s dirty fingers.¡± ¡°Screw you! A leftover onion ring from a gal is way worse!¡± ¡°At least mine is edible. The one you gave me can¡¯t be eaten. In other words, trash.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t your standards of rings a bit weird!?¡± ¡°Anyway, if this ring represents our friendship, isn¡¯t it too short?¡± ¡°Ugh, tck! I-I get it! W-Well, let¡¯s swear an oath when they are still rings! Put on the ring and swear an oath of our eternal friendship!¡± ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s getting more and more like a marriage. Aren¡¯t we cheating?¡± ¡°How is a friendship deration cheating?¡± ¡°Well, if you say so, perhaps it¡¯s really the case. ¡­Sigh, forever, let¡¯s get this over with, Amanhi. I want to take this wrapping paper ring off as soon as possible.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line. I want to wipe off the grease¡­¡± I feel like my middle finger is getting all sticky. Also, as a seriously-raised child, I¡¯m really guilty about ying with my food. So, all I want right now is to take off this onion ring. Can someone just type, ¡°The behind-the-scene staff enjoyed it.¡± during the credits scene!? I can¡¯t take this anymore! ¡°Well, let¡¯s start, Amanhi. ¡­Well, get your pinky out.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s nice. It feels like a serious oath.¡± Both of us put our hands with the worst rings possible onto the table. Then, our pinky fingers are hooked together. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± W-What¡¯s with this awkward atmosphere? It¡¯s a bit too much to not say anything. Anyway, I¡¯ll y the priest and say something oath-like. ¡°Well, will you promise to love here, eat here, getfort here, help here, no matter whether you¡¯re healthy, sick, ¡­rich, poor, during a game release day, or during an important TV show?¡± ¡°I refuse. I¡¯ll nevere here when I¡¯m sick or poor.¡± I was rejected casually. This feels strange. I¡¯ve never seen a rejection during an oath. ¡­Sigh. ¡°¡­Well, can you swear that you¡¯lle here during your spare time?¡± ¡°This oath is really casual. But, if that¡¯s the case, ¡­very well, I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Very well. Now, let¡¯s do an oath-¡° ¡°O-Oath what?¡± Aguri-san blushed slightly and looked at me. Her face is written with nervousness. Looking at her, I continued. ¡°Oath¡¯s- yearly tribune.¡± ¡°Tribune!?¡± ¡°We¡¯re doing this twice a week. So, the annual fee would be 200,000 yen.¡± ¡°Expensive!¡± ¡°Also, even if we¡¯re not going ording to the schedule, there¡¯s no refund. Please pay attention to this part.¡± ¡°Sounds like a scam to me! What did I just swear to!?¡± ¡°Who knows? Aguri-san, -pay me if you miss me.¡± ¡°Is it okay to miss someone like that!? Amanhi!?¡± ¡°¡­Tck. ¡­I¡¯m just joking.¡± ¡°Wait a minute!? You paused for a few seconds before concluding it as a joke, right!?¡± ¡°Nope, this can¡¯t be helped. If you¡¯re not willing to pay, how about a kiss then?¡± ¡°This is the first time someone requested such a casual kiss on me.¡± ¡°Here, let¡¯s kiss. Please be as enthusiastic as possible. Go.¡± ¡°E-Eh? Ah, Amanhi, are you serious-¡° ¡°Yes, please kiss- this dirty family restaurant table.¡± ¡°Cold-hearted!¡± ¡°But, it¡¯s an oath about our family restaurant meeting, after all. It¡¯s key to kiss with the restaurant.¡± ¡°Please pay attention to the people instead!¡± ¡°Eh, Aguri-san, don¡¯t tell me you want to kiss me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re really inconsiderate! No, that¡¯s not it! I¡¯ll never kiss Amanhi! But I also don¡¯t want to kiss with a family restaurant¡¯s table!¡± ¡°Well, how about you just kiss something you like? You can kiss it as much as you want.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that fond of kissing! By the way, can¡¯t we do something other than kissing?¡± ¡°I see. Well, do you want to pour each of our blood into a cup and drink it?¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s too much for a family restaurant meeting¡¯s oath!¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s yell, ¡®Renaissance!¡¯ while we cheer, okay?¡± [Not sure whichedian he¡¯s referencing.] ¡°That¡¯s too light-hearted! This isn¡¯t a party!¡± ¡°Well, do you want to pray before each of our home¡¯s graves?¡± ¡°No! Get your bnce right, Amaohi!¡± ¡°Crossing our swords?¡± ¡°Where can we find a sword!?¡± ¡°We seek not to be born on the same day, in the same month, and in the same year-¡° ¡°That¡¯s Oath of the Peach Garden!¡± ¡°Uwah, a gal like you actually know that? I-I¡¯m impressed.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter! Ah, sheesh, there¡¯s nothing good for an oath between us!?¡± ¡°I have nothing. Well, I guess we can exchange our cups like it¡¯s the Oath of the Peach Garden-¡° At this point, a great idea suddenly popped up in my head. I gave Aguri-san time to mentally prepare herself as I said, ¡°Sorry, just a second.¡± A couple minutester, I took back two cups of drinks. Aguri-san raised her head in confusion. ¡°Uh, Amanhi? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a drink. Here¡¯s yours, Aguri-san.¡± I put a cup in front of Aguri-san before returning to my seat. Aguri-san observed the cup in suspicion. She seemed to have realized something and sniffed it. She frowned. ¡°¡­What¡¯s this? ¡­There are a lot of smells. Amanhi, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°You guessed it. I mixed every drink in this store together.¡± ¡°Uwah.¡± Aguri-san stood up and tried to escape. Hey, didn¡¯t you do something simr to this before¡­? I continued. ¡°Let¡¯s chug this together.¡± ¡°Are you serious, Amanhi?¡± The gal fell silent. I nodded determinedly to her question. ¡°This feels like us, right? Also, I made it already. It would be a waste to not drink all of it. Let us enjoy the taste.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Amanhi just make it by yourself¡­?¡± ¡°The one that put an onion ring onto my finger doesn¡¯t have the right toin. I was wearing this thing while mixing the drinks in front of everyone.¡± Honestly, I must be a weird and terrible high school boy from the others¡¯ eyes. I¡¯ll never befriend a guy like that. Seriously, when¡¯s thest time you saw a guy mixing drinks together with an onion ring on his finger? However, honestly, I was pretty serious about this. Sigh, it can¡¯t be helped. Aguri-san finally bent to my request. ¡°Sigh, ¡­alright. I¡¯ll drink it, okay?¡± ¡°Yes, chug it down at once.¡± ¡°This is the hard part. ¡­Well, but I guess it¡¯s good for an oath.¡± Both of us raised our cups after Aguri-san prepared herself. So, both of us smiled and swore. ¡°To my dearest friend!¡± We chugged everything down at once. ¡­Ew. It¡¯s really bad. Actually, my throat can¡¯t handle all that right away. ¡°¡­Phew!¡± Nope, both of us closed our eyes as the liquid slowly passed down our throats. ¡°¡­Cough!¡± We finished the mysterious potion at the same time. Our hearts are filled with excitement from passing the challenge. ¡­Both of us looked at each other passionately. We hooked our pinkies together again and swore an oath filled with love. ¡°Please stay with me forever (as a friend), Aguri-san!¡± ¡°Of course, Amanhi. My heart always belongs to you (as a friend)!¡± We proposed. This is our eternal friendship. That was a wonderful scenery that can rank top 3 among my life experiences. It¡¯s an incredibly throbbing scene. ¡­Indeed. ¡°¡­Ha?¡± -If only Uehara-kun and Tendou-san weren¡¯t there. I don¡¯t know how they were sitting on the ce where the couple just left. The blonde girl and the normie boy immediately stood up and yelled vehemently. ¡°Hey, Amano-kun, what¡¯s that-¡° ¡°Aguri! You¡¯re really feeling that way-¡° ¡°¡­Ah, give me a break!¡± Allow me to skip the usual routine. Volume 12, 3 – Konoha Hoshinomori and First Love Fan Disc

Volume 12, Chapter 3 ¨C Konoha Hoshinomori and First Love Fan Disc

Trantor: your_pingas ¡°Well, ¡­can we start talking about what we need to now?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­Uh, well, I have a very important topic rted to love-¡° ¡°Save your energy to find the hentai game instead of chit-chatting, senpai.¡± ¡°Sigh, sure. I¡¯m very sorry.¡± Konoha-san rejected my suggestion ruthlessly. I can only start working again in silence. We are in Hekiyou¡¯s student council room right now. I squatted down on the floor covered in a blue mat. There¡¯s a box filled with mold in front of me. I opened it and searched for everything inside while holding my breath due to the dust. Also, the box I just opened right now is filled with books called . It should be impossible for a hentai game to be under these books. However, Konoha-san said this. ¡°At this point, even a micro SD card can fit in there!¡± So, just in case, I had to take every single out and flip the pages. After that- ¡°Ah, senpai. Please take off the cover too.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± I followed her instructions and checked the inside after taking off the cover. ¡­Of course, there¡¯s nothing inside. Yep, I carefully slipped the cover back and checked the next one. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± It takes around 10 seconds to check one book. I took a look at the inside of the box. There are nearly a hundred novels inside. In other words, I¡¯ll have to spend a thousand seconds- more than 15 minutes to check it patiently. At the same time, there are tens of boxes I haven¡¯t checked yet. I raised my head and looked at the clock on the wall. It¡¯s almost 6 PM. I arrived here at 4:30. So, it¡¯s been nearly one hour and a half. I gulped and made up my mind. Here goes the unusual suggestion for a passerby loner. ¡°¡­Uh, Konoha-san? It would be the best to find more people-¡° However, Konoha-san didn¡¯t even stop after hearing that. She hmphed and answered. ¡°Ho, this is a newbie in a rtionship. Sigh.¡± ¡°A newbie in a rtionship.¡± It¡¯s quite a refreshingly new word for a loner. Konoha-san continued. ¡°Listen, senpai. I¡¯m different from you. I¡¯m not a person that had to be photoshopped away in a ss photo because he¡¯s disgusting, okay?¡± ¡°Who do you think I am? It¡¯s not that bad, ¡­right. ¡­I think.¡± Being unable to retort back confidently at a meanment. I¡¯m pathetic. In contrast, Konoha-san puffed up her chest and continued. ¡°From this perspective.¡± ¡°I¡¯m standing at the top of Hekiyou, the super beautiful student council president that everyone yearns for, Konoha Hoshinomori?¡± ¡°Huh? Well, so, unlike me, there should be a lot of people willing to help you-¡° ¡°Senpai is too na?ve. It¡¯s more like it¡¯s exactly because I¡¯m a person like this-¡° She paused for a moment. Then, she looked weirdly throbbed as she continued. ¡°-How can I say an incredibly shameless request that is, ¡®Let¡¯s search for the together!¡¯ to others!?¡± Konoha-san looked like she¡¯s about to cry. Indeed, I can understand what she said. However¡­ ¡°But isn¡¯t this strange? You just asked me toe here without hesitation.¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s because senpai isn¡¯t like others to me at all.¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± After hearing that, I suddenly remembered her confessionst month. My face can¡¯t help but re up. Konoha-san looked at me with her watery eyes. She licked her lips erotically and continued. ¡°It¡¯s because senpai is-¡° I held my breath. Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s going to sincerely confess- ¡°Senpai is my- friend for orgasm.¡± ¡°Yeah, hentai game friends, right! Can you please don¡¯t lewd your words!?¡± ¡°I guess ¡®hentai game friends¡¯ are close¡­¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± I regretining. So, I cleared my throat and continued. ¡°W-Well, let¡¯s forget about that first. If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you just not say you¡¯re finding hentai games? A lot of people will help you if you just say things like the past memory discs of the student council¡­¡± ¡°Ha, that¡¯s why you¡¯re a character that gets 3 lines of exnation only.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re talking to the guy that received your honmei chocte a month ago. Don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s my illusion?¡± ¡°I¡¯m speechless at how shallow senpai is. Listen, let say I recruited help, and we did find the legendary hentai game. What would happen if the cover of the disc is ?¡± ¡°¡­I bet the mood would¡¯ve died.¡± ¡°Right? I¡¯ll be treated like garbage in the worst-case scenario. You¡¯re severely underestimating how repulsive non-otakus can be against hentai games.¡± ¡°I know how repulsive they can be already.¡± It¡¯s like your aunt who doesn¡¯t understand why people love indoor activities. Not as extreme as Aguri-san, but you get the idea. However, that¡¯s definitely not weird. In fact, it¡¯s a very normal opinion. Konoha-san nodded and continued. ¡°So, we have to carry out the mission in secret. Only sex-driven people like senpai and I can do it.¡± ¡°Yeah, hentai game partners. Please stop lewding it. I have a girlfriend.¡± ¡°I mean, you¡¯re already out the moment you decided to search for hentai games with another school¡¯s beautiful girl.¡± ¡°Tck¡­!¡± She got me again. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t deal with smart perverts¡­! However, even so, I still nned to retort and red at Konoha-san. ¡°I-In the end, I¡¯m not here to find hentai games. Instead, I¡¯m here to give you a present and answer for the White Day-¡° ¡°Oi, don¡¯t just use your mouth, senpai. Your hips should move more.¡± ¡°Hands! I¡¯m just flipping books. I don¡¯t need to use my waist!¡± ¡°Ah, if you¡¯re being so violent, I¡­I¡¯ll break.¡± ¡°I feel like you¡¯re trying to stir up some misunderstandings again!? Do you think that someone can hear our conversation outside the student council room!?¡± ¡°Ah, side note, I told onee-chan to pick us up today.¡± ¡°Screw this little sister!¡± I hastily stood up and opened the door. No one is there. I poked my head outside and checked left and right. The gloomy corridor is silent. Konoha-san continued casually, ¡°Ah,e to think of it, I haven¡¯t called her yet.¡± I sighed in relief and closed the door. For some reason, she smiled at me like a little devil. ¡°Hoho, what senpai just did feels super evil. It¡¯s like we¡¯re really cheating.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not. By the way, why can I sincerely feel how scary is it if people saw me cheating? Isn¡¯t this a bit unreasonable?¡± ¡°Well, with this rare opportunity, do you want to cheat for real?¡± Konoha-san said that as she put her fingers on her chest¡¯s ribbon. I sighed and started searching for the hentai game again before answering calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t move your mouth. Use your hands, Konoha-san.¡± ¡°Ara ara, hoho, senpai loves hands more than the mouth?¡± ¡°Alright, alright, that¡¯s enough teasing for one day.¡± ¡°¡­Tck, I feel like senpai isn¡¯t turned on at all today. How boring.¡± It¡¯s because I¡¯m not turned on at all. Konoha-san pouted in dissatisfaction. Even so, I remained in my chores silently without looking at her. Konoha-san also returned to her work reluctantly. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The two of us are working quietly in the Hekiyou Student Council room. ¡­It¡¯s not that I¡¯m mad at Konoha-san. It¡¯s more like it¡¯s the opposite. Just for today, Konoha-san is the most important girl to me. ¡­That¡¯s why I don¡¯t know how to deal with her method of ying dumb by sexually harassing me. After all, there¡¯s one thing I have to do today. I¡¯m here to give her, Konoha Hoshinomori- -A brutal rejection. * It¡¯s already spring break soon. I only got to hang out with Konoha-san a week after White Day, which is today. I fulfilled my promise bying to the student council room. However, just like what you can see, I still don¡¯t have the chance to talk about that. In other words, the answer to her confession. Moreover, I was dragged into Konoha-san¡¯s search for the slumbering hentai game in this student council room. It¡¯s not even certain whether it really exists. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I invested my search effort in silence as I observed Konoha-san in secret. It looked like she¡¯s ncing at me too. Our eyes met each other. I felt that this was a good chance and prepared to talk about the White Day present. However, as if she was on purpose, Konoha-san looked away and spoke in a high-pitched voice. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll look into the files on the shelf too.¡± ¡°Eh? Uh, sure.¡± Konoha-san stood up before even finishing her sentence. She turned around and started checking. I stared at her beautiful figure. ¡­It looks like my suspicions are confirmed. I¡¯m not overthinking it. Recently, she¡¯s clearly avoiding my answer. Come to think of it, this went all for the entire week. Of course, I wasn¡¯t aware of it on White Day. I just felt that she¡¯s considerate to not ask for this on White Day. That¡¯s why I appreciated her. However, after the second day, no matter how many times I asked her, she kept saying that she¡¯s busy. This is already far out of the limit of being considerate. She¡¯s avoiding me on purpose. However, from my perspective, I don¡¯t want to drag this on. The present for White Day and the important answer are both on the line. That¡¯s why I kept the pressure on despite my inability tomunicate with people. Today, Konoha-san finally surrendered and promised to meet me in the student council room. Also, I can¡¯t help but do a V-pose after the promise was made. Tendou-san saw that and cried out. ¡°Hey, hey, hey! Showing your brightest smile when you chase after another girl¡¯s tail in front of your girl, is that what you should do!? Amano-kun!?¡± She said that with teary eyes. It took a long time for me to convince her too. ¡­Ahem, anyway, let¡¯s put this aside for now. Anyway, I finally acquired the chance. I¡¯ll definitely hand her the present in my school bag and the answer today. However, the person in question¡­ ¡°H-Ha! I-Is it possible for them to have uploaded the data on the cloud instead of the SD card!? If that¡¯s the case, perhaps there¡¯s an URL or QR code hidden somewhere here. So, I have to check every page of the documents too¡­!¡± ¡­Her mind is still filled with that legendary hentai game. She¡¯s literally like a student cleaning her room right before the final exam. There¡¯s no need to do that now. However, the girl just keeps trying to dy my answer. This can¡¯t continue. ¡­I bet she understands it too. However, I can¡¯t brush over that, no matter what. It¡¯s because both of us know that- -Our rtionship will be ¡°reject/being rejected¡± after today. I started going out with Tendou-san around a week ago. Everyone knows that, especially Konoha-san. There¡¯s no way for her to not know that when she¡¯s Chiaki¡¯s little sister. So, in this sense, my answer feels especially ¡°heavy¡± for her, unlike Chiaki. In the end, no one knew my feelings before I confessed them to Chiaki on that day. Of course, not even Tendou-san knew it. Therefore, I bet Chiaki came with a slight sense of hope. Of course, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s hoping to be saved. I didn¡¯t save her. That¡¯s the same for Tendou-san too. Just like Chiaki, she met me on White Day without knowing anything until I answered. Her chest must¡¯ve been filled with expectation and worry. Honestly, I felt the same too. I didn¡¯t know how much I would hurt Chiaki. Will Tendou-san really ept my feelings this time? Even the future my answer leads to was uncertain. My chest was filled with insecurity. However, I stepped forward with that slight sense of hope. However, she- Konoha Hoshinomori, ispletely different. Konoha-san¡­came here today knowing full well that it¡¯s hopeless. Even I know how cruel that is. That¡¯s why it¡¯s incredibly painful for me to say it out loud. To be honest, I thought about just escaping from this ce. No one can benefit from this, no matter what. However, even so, even so¡­ I can¡¯t just void her confession. ¡°¡­Very well.¡± I made up my mind after enduring the bitterness. I raised my head and told Konoha-san my answer to her confession- ¡°By the way, does senpai like chikan doujins?¡± ¡°You seriously interrupted me because of something like that?¡± -She ruined the mood the moment I wanted to say it. ¡­Sigh, I can¡¯t talk about our rtionship with that. It can¡¯t be helped. I yed along with her as I continued searching. ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, I don¡¯t have weird fetishes like that.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. But, I do know why senpai chose Tendou-senpai, okay?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Suddenly, Konoha-san drove the conversation in the direction of love direction. That weird fetish thing is over, right? Well, who cares. I appreciated it, anyway. I straightened my back and listened to her. Konoha-san continued with a strange look. The reason why senpai chose Tendou-senpai is that-¡° So, she stared at me with her painfully shaking eyes and said, ¡°-you¡¯re into blonde hair girls, right?¡± ¡°No!¡± It looks like the fetish thing isn¡¯t over yet. I protested to Konoha-san. ¡°Can you not conclude the first love in my life as weird fetishes!?¡± ¡°But, once I thought about senpai and Tendou-senpai¡¯s story starting with , I can¡¯t help but-¡° ¡°That does look like a perfect ending! But I¡¯m not into it! In the end, I don¡¯t even have anything for blonde girls!¡± ¡°But guys always choose blonde girls if they can choose between that and wakame, right?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a guy that chooses his love based on hair!? It¡¯s not rted to blonde hair!¡± ¡°But, if that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s really not that convincing for you to choose Tendou-senpai.¡± ¡°Why!? Why is Tendou-san¡¯s attractiveness concentrated on her blonde hair!? Let me say this ahead. I¡¯ll always love Tendou-san, no matter what color her hair is!¡± ¡°Even if it''s a rainbow?¡± ¡°Ugh, I-I can¡¯t answer that because it affects personalities too! Anyway, I love Tendou-san because she¡¯s Tendou-san! I want to be with her forever!¡± ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Konoha-san reacted coldly. I realized I screwed up. ¡­Even though I came here to reject her, it¡¯s not right to keep showing my girlfriend off in front of someone that has feelings for me. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The room is enveloped in suffocating silence once again. Although the current mood is gradually shifting to the answer, this is a mess to deal with. It¡¯s like adding even more score to a match that has already been won. Anyway, I shouldn¡¯t reject her by showing off my girlfriend. I nned to change the mood. ¡°Well, by the way, what does Konoha-san think the legendary hentai game looks like?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, hmm, well¡­¡± Perhaps she understood what I¡¯m trying to do. Konoha-san followed enthusiastically. ¡°¡­Uh, I feel like it should be an unpublished alpha from a famous developer. I mean, I do look forward to it.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s nice! I would be super interested if it really exists!¡± The hot gaming topic made me can¡¯t contain my excitement. Konoha-san seems to be in the mood as well. She smiled and said, ¡°Right!¡± ¡°I became a fan of an author that has written light novels before! Uh, his series is¡­¡± Konoha-san said that as she searched for that person online and handed the phone to me. I stopped and took the phone. The screen brightened my eyes. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°I love this guy¡¯s novels too! How should I put it? The monologue of the heroine is incredibly upsetting. Also, the MC helps to power this feeling as well! Although he¡¯s not a hot-head, the novel made it clear why the heroine fell in love with the MC!¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right, senpai! I¡¯ve yed a lot of god-tier hentai games! However, if only one hentai game plot writer can exist in this world, I¡¯ll definitely choose him! This is how much I love him!¡± ¡°I can understand! It¡¯s a sense of relief from the author¡¯s experience and trust!¡± ¡°Desu desu- ah.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Maybe it¡¯s because Konoha-san¡¯s too excited. She spoke her onee-chan¡¯s mantra. We looked at each other andughed. ¡°Aha, perhaps this is the first time I can feel that Konoha-san¡¯s really Chiaki¡¯s little sister.¡± ¡°Ha, I feel the same way. But this mantra really represents the excitement when we¡¯re talking about our hobbies.¡± ¡°I guess so. Chiaki¡¯s words are unexpectedly good at infecting others.¡± ¡°Yeah- ah, no, desu desu.¡± ¡°Oi, you don¡¯t need to repeat it. Well, I guess that¡¯s our limit. We can¡¯t say it out naturally at times like this.¡± ¡°¡­Da-ne da-ne.¡± ¡°That variation isn¡¯t cute at all, senpai.¡± ¡°Tck. It¡¯s really hard. Indeed, is very deep¡­¡± Konoha-san sincerely smiled for the first time today. I can¡¯t help but smile after her too. So, after a while, the subtle nervousness surrounding us disappearedpletely. I handed Konoha-san her phone back. She gently smiled and continued. ¡°Perhaps senpai wouldn¡¯t believe it because you know me. Actually, I wasn¡¯t addicted to hentai because of the sex part.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. Hmm, most people aren¡¯t like that. In this generation, there are much better sources if you just want the sex part.¡± ¡°Yeah, so, if you¡¯re asking me which part of hentai I love, ¡­I guess it¡¯s because it lifted all restrictions, including the erotic descriptions. As a source of art and entertainment, it¡¯s truly free. ¡­It¡¯s literally like onee-chan¡¯s games.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I didn¡¯t expect to hear Chiaki¡¯s name. Konoha-san continued with a bitter smile. ¡°I know, right? But, despite my looks, I¡¯ve actually always yearned for onee-chan.¡± ¡°¡­I see. Well, it¡¯s a bit surprising, but I can understand. I do respect Chiaki from the bottom of my heart. It¡¯s hard to find a girl like her, after all.¡± ¡°¡­Will you transfer those feelings to the little sister instead?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just a simple fact. Chiaki¡¯s really amazing, and I love her games the most.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I know. Senpai always makes me choke whenever I talk to you.¡± Konoha-san shrugged helplessly before smiling again. ¡°But, I¡¯m the same too. I¡¯ve always admired my onee-chan. ¡­That¡¯s why I feel strongly inferior. I always think that why don¡¯t I have the things she has?¡± ¡°The thing?¡± ¡°Uh, how should I say it? Hmm, for example, when she¡¯s making games-¡° ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to say it. I get it, very much¡­¡± ¡°Senpai¡­¡± Konoha-san¡¯s eyes grew watery. I continued to her warmly. ¡°Desu desu, indeed, Konoha-san admires Chiaki as much as I do.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Right? You want Chiaki¡¯s-¡° I clenched my fist and yelled loudly. ¡°-ability to make a stic bag into an RPG protagonist!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need that, okay!?¡± Konoha-san immediately denied it. I blinked my eyes in confusion. She continued dumbfoundedly. ¡°T-That¡¯s why I can¡¯t deal with strange fanatic creator fans like you¡­!¡± ¡°Eh? Well, even though I¡¯m her no.1 fan. ¡­But, Konoha-san, that¡¯s a protagonist made of stic bags? A strange mindset like this should be admired by everyone, not just fans, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. In the end, I didn¡¯t even y onee-chan¡¯s game.¡± ¡°What¡­? Please y that masterpiece, ! Every time I thought about how the stic bags ended up, ¡­ah, I¡¯m about to cry.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a stic bag making people cry? ¡­Ah, don¡¯t tell me it reincarnates into new stic products after getting thrown into the recycle bin?¡± ¡°Huh!? H-How did you know that¡­!? Y-You two are really sisters¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, that game has a lot of excellent parts except the ending. Whether it¡¯s the BGM beatboxed by the author or the insanely harsh setting or the fact that he can¡¯t take any hits because he¡¯s a stic bag. Also, the final boss is the US army. ¡­It¡¯s an explosively NOBE game! Phew, that¡¯s amazing!¡± ¡°Senpai, senpai, I¡¯m sorry to interrupt you. But we were talking about my feelings for onee-chan, right? Did you remember that?¡± Konoha-san answered me dumbfoundedly. I answered naturally. ¡°Think about it. Normally, you would want those feelings to the point that your handes out of your throat, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need those feelings to the point that I¡¯m throwing them up. It¡¯s not like that. The one thing that I can¡¯t ever match my onee-chan is-¡° ¡°Ah, I know! Chest, your chest!¡± ¡°How impolite! I got big breasts too! Even though onee-chan¡¯s really bigger!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your chest? If that¡¯s the case, ¡­I feel like there¡¯s nothing of Chiaki for Konoha-san to admire¡­¡± ¡°S-Senpai¡¯s just insulted someone subconsciously. My onee-chan has a lot of good points too.¡± ¡°Of course, I know. But, Konoha-san isn¡¯t far from Chiaki¡¯s league at all.¡± ¡°!¡± ¡°Yes, Konoha-san is just as good as Chiaki. I think you¡¯re the same as Chiaki, if not better.¡± ¡°S-Senpai¡­! When you¡¯re this sincere, I can¡¯t-¡° ¡°Except your chest.¡± ¡°-say anything. Did you choose the wrong lines because you¡¯re too lonely? This is what an amateur virgin that treats hentai games as textbooks looks like¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re just as mean when ites to choosing lines, okay!?¡± Our eyes ignited as we looked at each other. However, after a few seconds, we felt exhausted and sighed before returning to our work. So, Konoha-san checked the shelf again as she sighed. ¡°Forget about my ability difference with onee-chan first. Anyway, I¡¯m always envious of something that only onee-chan has.¡± ¡°Uh, any examples?¡± After my question, Konoha-san paused for a moment and answered. ¡°Her ability to fall in love with anything. Her ability to concentrate on anything. Talents, art skills- things like that, I guess.¡± ¡°Ah, I can understand that too.¡± Chiaki and I are often treated as the same person. However, when ites to creativity, I always feel that Chiaki¡¯s incredibly charming¡­to the point that my chest hurts. Konoha-san continued. ¡°To put it simply, it means that I have to change myself into something of myself, right? If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s just ordinary trouble you can find everywhere. However, I¡¯m painfully aware of it. ¡­It¡¯s because I was really just a¡­boring elite student in the past.¡± Konoha-sanughed a bit self-depreciatingly. For some reason, I felt pissed and answered her with a stern face. ¡°It¡¯s not boring to be an elite student at all. Hardworking, intelligent, these are all points that should be praised. At least, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s boring at all. So, I wholeheartedly approve of Konoha-san in the past.¡± Just as I¡¯m saying that calmly, Konoha-san¡¯s face is slowly ring up. ¡°S-Senpai¡­! Sheesh, what¡¯s with this manliness? I¡¯m falling for you again-¡° After seeing her look, I raised my fist and yelled, ¡°So, that¡¯s why Konoha-san should-¡° ¡°-apologize to all of Japan¡¯s elite students and yourself in the past! Kneel down!¡± ¡°-No! That¡¯s why I don¡¯t like this twisted part of you, senpai!¡± Konoha-san looked incredibly depressed. However, I ignored her and pressed on. ¡°A delinquent can actually get popr because he feeds stray dogs sometimes! Eat shit! Hmph!¡± ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve heard that somewhere before! Calm down, senpai! You¡¯re going off-topic!¡± ¡°R-Right, we were talking about Konoha-san. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Yeah, I was fine until senpai approved of me in the past.¡± ¡°Ah, right. Indeed, what I mean is that instead of the current fallen Konoha-san, I like the elite student Konoha-san better!¡± ¡°This is not my expected conclusion at all! What!? You really want me topletely regret falling in love with you!?¡± ¡°So, please wake up, Konoha-san! Find your true self back!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you just denied my current existence!? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m being possessed by some evil spirits!¡± After Konoha-san calmed down, I stopped joking and smiled cheerfully before saying my sincere conclusion. ¡°Well, Konoha-san¡¯s actually an elite student too. That¡¯s why I really love you.¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, well, the ¡®I love you¡¯ as in-¡° ¡°Hoho, you can¡¯t change your mind, senpai.¡± Konoha-san put her index finger on my lips and showed a mischievous smile. I pressed my chest. ¡°B-But I can¡¯t do something that hurts Tendou-san¡­¡± Konoha-san looked clearly depressed after hearing that. ¡°¡­Sigh, you¡¯re not even giving a girl that you¡¯ll hurt a lot of chances to exin, senpai.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!? B-But, this is what a sincere boyfriend should exin- no, but if you¡¯re asking me whether I¡¯m giving room to exin¡­!¡± I wrapped my hands around my head as I became lost in thought. Then, Konoha-san startedughing and said something she mentioned countless times today, ¡°Senpai, you¡¯re always being yourself.¡± ¡°I feel like you¡¯re always saying that to me. What does that mean-¡° ¡°It means I really love you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Konoha-san changed her usual flippant attitude and looked at me directly. Her expression made me tremble as my face red up. ¡­After that, an even deeper sense of guilt tormented me. ¡°Sheesh, I have Tendou-san already. I shouldn¡¯t feel embarrassed¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a monk, right? It¡¯s more like even Tendou-san will be scared if you remain emotionless during that confession.¡± ¡°Well, I can say you saved me there- no, why would I be saved by anyone aside from Tendou-san!? Ah, sheesh!¡± I said that as I kept mming my head on the blue mat. Konoha-san showed her usual amused smile. After my self-imposed punishment and Konoha-san¡¯sughs ended, we returned to our positions. Both of us searched for a while longer. Then, I stretched my back and said to Konoha-san. ¡°Konoha-san. Let¡¯s switch positions. I¡¯ll search on the shelf instead.¡± ¡°Ah, sure. I¡¯m getting a bit tired too. Okay, let¡¯s switch.¡± We said that and exchanged our search area. Konoha-san started checking the books behind her. I started searching the shelf- no, instead, I checked the shelves and cupboards that Konoha-san cleaned first. ¡°Hmm? Senpai?¡± Konoha-san looked at me suspiciously. I checked the disc-like data shelves as I answered. ¡°Ah, well, don¡¯t mind it. It¡¯s just my inner gamer doing things. This is how I solve puzzle games.¡± ¡°Ha, ¡­well, I guess a normal person like me can¡¯t imagine searching so detailedly like an idiot.¡± ¡°Hey, are you looking down on me? I know how you feel, but I¡¯m trying my best to help you, okay?¡± ¡°Hehe, I really love senpai.¡± ¡°The value of love is entering a free-fall. ¡­Uh, hey.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I can¡¯t help but voice out. Konoha-san stopped what she¡¯s doing and looked at me. I waved at her, and she dashed next to me. After that, I pointed at the inside of the shelf- the corner of the bottom. ¡°What are you doing¡­?¡± Konoha-san tried her best to bend down and looked at where I pointed. At the next moment, she screamed out and got really close to me and asked! Our noses were nearly touching. ¡°S-S-S-S-Senpai! What!? What is that!?¡± To that question, I scratched the back of my head embarrassedly and answered. ¡°Uh, ¡­I think that¡¯s a mark for something like a key.¡± ¡°Yes! It is! You¡¯re amazing, ¡­you¡¯re amazing, senpai! I didn¡¯t notice that at all! Amazing! Amazing!¡± Konoha-san grabbed my hands and jumped up and down innocently. ¡­Seeing that face, I- ¡°Eh, ah, uh. T-Thanks¡­¡± For some reason, I felt way more embarrassed than when she¡¯s seducing me. I cleared my throat and withdrew my hand. ¡°But, by the way, there¡¯s actually such an obvious key mark here¡­¡± I said that as I checked that ce again. There¡¯s a clear mark there that practically says, ¡°This is part of the puzzle!¡± ¡­Hmm. Konoha-san couldn¡¯t contain her excitement as she dragged my arm. ¡°Hey, hey, senpai! This must be rted to the legendary hentai game, right!?¡± ¡°Hmm, well, I agree, ¡­but this escape game plot is quite unexpected.¡± ¡°Hmm? This is rted to a game?¡± Konoha-san is confused with my opinion. I nodded and answered. ¡°It¡¯s like one of those sh or mobile escape games. You click on the screen to find the key or the password. In the end, a door or a chest will be opened. ¡­Konoha-san hasn¡¯t yed them before?¡± ¡°¡­Hmm, I did y one where you open a young girl¡¯s legs in the end.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s an escape game in another meaning too- one where you escape reality. It¡¯spletely different, okay? I was asking whether you y puzzle or maze-exploring games that unlock the treasure.¡± ¡°I did y games that unlock a girl¡¯s shirt and let you explore her body.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll stop asking then. You won¡¯t y anything else unless it¡¯s a hentai game.¡± I paused for a moment and started exining again. ¡°Anyway, this clear key mark on the shelf is just like an escape game.¡± ¡°Eh¡­? Well, I haven¡¯t yed those games before, so that association wouldn¡¯te to me at all. Let¡¯s search the bottom of the shelf¡­¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not really associated with a specific game. It¡¯s more like games in general. The person that has hidden the legendary hentai game must love other games too.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think so. ¡­Ah, but I think he calls himself Key JC Cape.¡± ¡°Key.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. It¡¯s the key! Senpai, we can almost be certain at this point, right!? Let¡¯s search the shelf. ..Ah, I can finally reveal the truth of the legendary hentai game!¡± ¡°Hey, uh¡­¡± I wanted to interrupt with an exnation, but Konoha-san can¡¯t be stopped anymore. She reached her hand into the shelf and pressed the key mark. Then, the bottom part snapped and flipped outside. ¡­It looks like there are two bottom boards on this shelf. ¡°Ohohohoho¡­!¡± Konoha-san, whose eyes are filled with lust, put her hand onto the board. Then, as if her saliva is about to drip out of her mouth, she grabbed it in excitement. ¡°Now, ¡­it¡¯s the opposite!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± So, the disguised board was pulled out. Then, what¡¯s below- ¡°-Uh, ah, eh?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± -It¡¯s something expected for an escape gamer lover like me. In other words- ¡°It¡¯s a key¡­instead of the game itself?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± ¡­Konoha-san took out the small key under the board and froze. I looked at her and sighed. ¡°Konoha-san, if this is really like an escape game, you can¡¯t get that legendary hentai game this easily.¡± ¡°Eh, what does that mean?¡± ¡°That''s what I meant. You won¡¯t fight with the final boss right away, right? The same goes for escape games like this. It won¡¯t just give you what you want at the start. In other words¡­¡± ¡°This is just level 1¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Konoha-san sighed in disappointment after hearing my exnation. However, after a while, she immediately cheered up and turned to me again. ¡°¡­Very well.¡± ¡°H-Hey, I¡¯m sorry for keeping you thiste, but¡­¡± She hesitated to say that. ¡­I answered with a smile. ¡°No need to say sorry, Konoha-san.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll leave a game that looks pretty fun and go home?¡± ¡°¡­Senpai.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more like I¡¯ll stay here even if Konoha-san went home.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Konoha-san thanked me sincerely. I can¡¯t help but look away from her and cover my embarrassment with a joke. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s a dream of a lonely boy to be thanked by beautiful girls for liking his own games.¡± ¡°Ah, if that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t mind it if you hug me right now.¡± ¡°Yeah, but that turns into an erotic dream!¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll make sure to send the video to onee-chan and Tendou-senpai.¡± ¡°It ends up being a nightmare!¡± ¡°¡­Hoho.¡± ¡°¡­Ha.¡± Our usual routine made usugh again. Anyway, the student council room returned to its usual silence. ¡­Konoha-san put her hands on her waist and announced like a student council president. ¡°Well, let¡¯s begin¡­the battle between the former student council and us!¡± * In conclusion, we didn¡¯t spend a lot of time on this puzzle. Come to think of it, the only reason why Konoha-san didn¡¯t make much progress is that there are too few hints. That Key JC Cape guy must be an idiot. I don¡¯t know whether he¡¯s treating the legendary hentai game like it¡¯s Tokugawa¡¯s Treasure. However, a game without any hints is unyable.¡± That¡¯s why Konoha-san didn¡¯t achieve any result for an entire year in the student council. However, that¡¯s why things are much easier once the first step is made. Konoha-san¡¯s already a pretty smart girl. Not only can she solve the puzzles with ease, for some reason, even the questions involving hentai game-specific knowledge are also nothing to her. There¡¯s only one ce where she can get stuck. That¡¯s the part where associations with games are needed, just like the key mark at the start. However, that can be solved by me. Although I¡¯m not an expert, strangely, this puzzle wasn¡¯t really asking for your depth of knowledge. It¡¯s more like, ¡°Do you really love games?¡± That¡¯s why there are hints after you check a ce that you¡¯ll only do so in games. There are even puzzles that use secret cheat codes. It¡¯s definitely not something profoundly deep. It¡¯s like the person is just asking, ¡°You should know the answer if you love games, right?¡± I was thoroughly enjoying it. It¡¯s more like I really want to befriend whoever came up with these questions. However, strangely, it¡¯s hard to imagine that dumb Key JC Cape guy will include many game references. However, Konoha-san answered. ¡°I bet he asked his friends to help.¡± She convinced herself with that. To me, I don¡¯t feel like he¡¯ll drag someone into a dumb prank like this. We¡¯re talking about hiding a hentai game, after all. However, I guess his BFF can be stupid enough to tag along. Anyway, Konoha-san and I banded together and solved the puzzles one by one. So, ¡­it¡¯s been 40 minutes since we discovered that key. ¡°It looks like¡­this is thest one, Konoha-san.¡± ¡°Yeah, senpai.¡± We looked at the locked chest on the table and held our breaths. Konoha-san read the note on the chest aloud once again. ¡° ¡­That¡¯s what it says.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this weird? All of you? It¡¯s like he already expected multiple people to search for it.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I guess he really guessed it. Think about it, there are not that many people that love hentai games and y on consoles at the same time.¡± ¡°Yeah, I just saw one question that only hardcore and old-school hentai game fans would know. However, the next question revolves around Mario Party. If multiple people are making the questions, I guess there would be more than one challenger.¡± ¡°¡­Multiple people will find the hentai game in the student council room when a group hides them.¡± ¡°Stop it. That literally makes us on the same level of weirdness as Key JC Cape.¡± ¡°Uh, I think that¡¯s the case¡­¡± Konoha-san smiled bitterly, yet she looked excited as well. Aside from that, even I can understand what she¡¯s feeling. It¡¯s because if having friends that can solve an utterly stupid puzzle like this isn¡¯t called happiness, what is? Konoha-san looked at the chest and mumbled. ¡°I can never y this game with everyone in the student council, not even onee-chan.¡± ¡°Well, ¡­I¡¯m the same. I can¡¯t even y it with Uehara-kun, not to mention Tendou-san.¡± ¡°Yeah, now I understand. The person hiding this game doesn¡¯t want to just leave the legendary hentai game behind. Instead, he also wants his kouhai to enjoy the process. That¡¯s why he left this incredibly stupid yet specially¡­exciting game behind.¡± ¡°I guess so. In fact, I¡¯m enjoying it.¡± ¡°Same, senpai.¡± Looking at the final chest, both of us smiled and- ¡°I¡¯m d to have met senpai.¡± ¡°Same, Konoha-san.¡± -We said things that don¡¯t resemble a scene where someone¡¯s about to be rejected. After a while, Konoha-san turned to the chest. ¡°Well, the final question would be opening this lock! ¡­That¡¯s what I want to say, senpai. What do you think?¡± ¡°Honestly, I have no idea.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± We sighed at the same time. Yeah, this is the final challenge ¨C the lock. We can see that it requires 8 letters to open. However, we have zero clues about these 8 letters. ¡°Hmm.¡± Konoha-san read that note again. But, she didn¡¯t see any clues no matter how she tried. I also yed with the lock. Of course, there¡¯s no way. It seems that there¡¯s nothing we can use to open it too. It would be better if this is a 3-number lock. It¡¯s 8 letters this time. We can¡¯t try our luck or brute force it. ¡°E-R-O-G-A-M-E, ¡­no. Adult game, ¡­no, there are 9 letters.¡± ¡°Key JC Cape doesn¡¯t work as well. However, from my memories, no hint links to the password from the puzzles.¡± ¡°Yeah. Hmm, ¡­but we¡¯re here already. It¡¯s impossible to have no hints at all. Puzzles like this often reuse elements from the previous ones. It¡¯s more aesthetically beautiful.¡± ¡°No, senpai, I¡¯m sorry. This Key JC Cape guy has absolutely no aesthetic at all.¡± ¡°Right, he didn¡¯t give us any hint at the start, after all.¡± ¡°We can only try the words we can think of now¡­¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I agreed. Konoha-san slowly put her hand on the lock and started trying thebinations. ¡°Well, anyway, let¡¯s start with words I can think of-¡° ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°-Fetio.¡± ¡°You¡¯re following ¡®anyway¡¯ with that word!?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not right. Hmm, the next one, ¡­of course, anal sex.¡± ¡°Of course, my ass!¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s 7 letters, after all. Well, let¡¯s try missionary.¡± ¡°The word count isn¡¯t even right!¡± ¡°Sorry, I just want senpai to hear lewd words just then.¡± ¡°What did you just confess to me!?¡± ¡°Well, senpai, please say the positions you like.¡± ¡°Why does it have to be positions!? By the way, I don¡¯t understand that either!¡± ¡°Eh? Hmm, how about you just say any words with 5 letters, senpai?¡± ¡°Eh, 5 letters? There are 8 letters, though? Why 5 letters?¡± ¡°Hiya, I¡¯m thinking just adding ¡®sex¡¯ after the word senpai said.¡± ¡°That¡¯s terrible! Can you not stain some of the 5-letter words that I actually love!?¡± ¡°Ah, there are 5 letters in Mario. You love those games, right?¡± ¡°Can you please stop adding ¡®sex¡¯ behind it like it¡¯s or !? That¡¯s terrible!¡± ¡°Hmm,e to think of it, Karen-¡° ¡°Konoha-sama?¡± I red at her furiously. Konoha-san immediately backed down. Konoha-san withdrew her hand from the lock. She stretched her back and mumbled. ¡°But, there¡¯s no way to solve this aside from that. There are too few clues.¡± ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°An 8-letter lewd word, an 8-letter lewd word¡­¡± Konoha-san started looking for something that¡¯s guaranteed to not have results on her phone. I can¡¯t help but question. ¡°In the end, is the answer really a lewd word?¡± ¡°Ha? We¡¯re talking about the legendary hentai game here.¡± ¡°I agree. However, there were no clearly lewd words from past questions, right?¡± ¡°Ah, indeed. Anyway, Key JC Cape is really a cowardly virgin.¡± I feel bad for him. A kouhai high school girl just agreed that he¡¯s a virgin. I cleared my throat and continued. ¡°Let¡¯s forget whether he¡¯s a virgin or not. Anyway, consider him as a person who chooses his words seriously, unlike a certain unrestricted 18+ student council president.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impolite. The furthest I¡¯ll go is saying, ¡°I want a concentrated dose of 69 with senpai!¡± I¡¯m a high school girl, after all!¡± ¡°Yeah, I know you¡¯re screwed the moment you say things like that. Hey, let¡¯s forget about the perverted high school girl first. Key JC Cape shouldn¡¯t be like you.¡± ¡°Indeed, even though there are hentai game references in the questions, there¡¯s no direct lewd words.¡± ¡°Right? Although this person¡¯s probably weird, he may have hesitated when the guy helping him is here. I don¡¯t think he was bold enough to use those words.¡±s ¡°A helper, ¡­ah, the person that really matches senpai.¡± ¡°Yeah, that person should be responsible for half of the puzzles. So, if this person helped with the final challenge too, the answer shouldn¡¯t be an erotic word. If anything, it should be-¡° At this point, Konoha-san suddenly realized it and said the conclusion. ¡°It should be a word that appears in both hentai and console games!¡± ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Our eyes were sparkling from the progress. However, this excitement didn¡¯tst long. Konoha-san slightly dropped her shoulders andined. ¡°Sigh, there are even more console game words than lewd words, right?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± There are still a lot of options, even after all the eliminations. However, there¡¯s already no hint left. ¡°All that remaining is brute-forcing it.¡± Konoha-san took the box and mumbled a bit annoyedly. As for me, I can only answer her, ¡°Yeah, maybe¡­¡± The silence enveloped the room. Only the ticking clock can be heard. Konoha-san twisted the lock aimlessly. Then, ¡­as if she¡¯s suddenly reminded of this, she asked. ¡°-Am I going to be rejected by senpai?¡± ¡°!¡± I can¡¯t help but straighten my back due to nervousness. However, Konoha-san remained emotionless. She twisted the lock and continued calmly. ¡°Senpai should feel it too, right? ¡­Honestly, this was dragged on for too long.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Well, she¡¯s indeed dragging it. Konoha-san and I aren¡¯t benefiting from it. Our rtionship is just hurting and being hurt. There¡¯s no hope. But¡­ ¡°¡­I have to be responsible.¡± ¡°Yeah, I thought so. Senpai is this type of person.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t praising me, I think. I lowered my head silently. Konoha-san tried tofort me, ¡°Ah, I¡¯m not ming you.¡± ¡°Senpai is incredibly correct as a guy and as a person. It¡¯s more like that¡¯s why I fell in love with senpai.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°No problem. ¡­Yeah, so I understand it too. This is something I must experience, no matter how pointless and meaningless it is. I get it. ¡­It has to end, whether it causes me pain or not.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± The gloomy room sank into silence. Konoha-san started ying with the lock again. She wanted to change the mood and continued with a bright tone. ¡°It¡¯s exactly because of these painful days that makes me want to see the proof of progress even more.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s why you¡¯re here to find the legendary hentai game.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a dumb idea from me, right? Uh, ¡®Game Over¡¯ isn¡¯t right either. I thought that was a good one.¡± Konoha-san seems to be thinking of the gaming word as she¡¯s chatting with me. Indeed, Game Over is a pretty good word. Regrettably, it¡¯s not correct. She bitterly smiled and mumbled depressedly. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the limit for an ordinary girl like me.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re saying that again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. This is just the unfortunate truth. I can¡¯t understand what geniuses are thinking. ¡­That¡¯s why I can¡¯t even step on the final stage of love.¡± ¡°What!? Hey, I wasn¡¯t thinking of Konoha-san separate from Tendou-san and Chiaki-¡° ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what senpai thinks. But, objectively, I¡¯m far inferior to Tendou-senpai and onee-chan." ¡°That¡¯s not-¡° I can retort a billion times to such self-abasing words. However, it¡¯s not the others. Konoha-san herself showed an expression that said she doesn¡¯t need temporaryfort. I swallowed the words. Konoha-san smiled at my look. ¡°Ahaha, I still really love senpai.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± This is the first time I¡¯ve heard such bitter love. Konoha-san looked away and continued. ¡°Although we met because of hentai games, I will still end up falling for senpai, even if you¡¯re not a hentai game lover.¡± ¡°Konoha-san, ¡­thank you. Honestly, I¡¯m about to cry from happiness.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t deal with the loneliness from this sincere reaction.¡± ¡°That¡¯s mean.¡± We chuckled at the same time. Even so, the depressing mood didn¡¯t improve at all. I think that this is the only chance. So, I reached my hand into my school bag. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s forget the rejection for now. There¡¯s still something else. I want to give you a present for White Day¡­¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s great. Ah, but¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What? You don¡¯t want to get a present from someone who¡¯s about to reject you-¡° ¡°No, I¡¯m thinking sex toys really reflect your sexual fetishes.¡± ¡°Why would you think that my present is a sex toy!?¡± ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t it because senpai always considers the person before sending gifts? If that¡¯s the case, the only option for me is sex toys.¡± ¡°That singr-choice question is so pathetic. Konoha-san, ¡­it¡¯s almost time for us to consider our rtionship and characters.¡± ¡°Ah, is the rejection event already happening?¡± ¡°No, not yet. I¡¯m saying that this is a much more important thing to do.¡± ¡°Ah, forget that. Please let me try that sex toy.¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s not a sex toy!¡± How many times did she make me say ¡°sex toys¡± in the past couple of seconds? Talking about sex toys while searching for hentai games in a closed room with a beautiful girl, perhaps this is really worse than normal cheating. Am I just overthinking this? I¡¯m very sorry, Tendou-san. I cleared my throat and took the game wrapped in gifting paper out. Konoha-san looked clearly dissatisfied. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a game if you can¡¯t use it for sexual purposes?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just a game, after all.¡± ¡°Hey, but at least I know senpai touched this.¡± ¡°Thank you for your sexual harassment. I feel refreshed now.¡± ¡°Well, well, let¡¯s look at the glow of the box first¡­¡± ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen someone opening a game because of that.¡± Just as I was sighing dumbfoundedly, Konoha-san unwrapped the package delicately. Although she¡¯s pretty unrestricted, she has a soft side like this. I can¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Sheesh, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re giving me a game as a present. Should I say this feels like you too much¡­?¡± Although sheined, Konoha-san didn¡¯t look upset at all. Instead, she opened the package excitedly. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Konoha-san¡¯s hands stopped- -Then, all of her vulgar words disappeared. Her unique and beautiful eyes violently shook for the first time in history. Konoha Hoshinomori ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t expect senpai to give me a dating sim as the White Day present. The cover is a beautiful girl with big eyes that should be pretty popr with otakus. As White Day presents, this choice is far from ideal to the point you shouldn¡¯t do it. H-However- ¡°W-Well, I¡¯m sorry! I wasn¡¯t joking, okay!? Ah, so, well, uh, ¡­I¡¯ll say this ahead first. I have another present! It¡¯s a dessert!¡± Senpai seemed to have misunderstood my shocked reaction. He hastily handed me another small paper bag. I saw that there¡¯s a baked dessert that looks expensive inside. It¡¯s indeed the brand I like. It seems like I said it a while ago casually, and he remembered it with his heart. That only is already enough of a present for me. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Once I snapped out of it, I¡¯m looking at the package again. Of course, this game- is what made me love this person in the first ce, after all. Well, even senpai doesn¡¯t know this either. I¡¯m staring at the dating sim. Yeah, senpai definitely thinks that I¡¯m mad. He scratched his cheeks awkwardly and exined. ¡°H-Hey, Konoha-san? This is, uh, ¡­a game that I rmend.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°U-Uh, of course, I hesitated until thest moment, alright!? Even I know how terrible it is to give a dating sim as a White Day present!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why¡­¡± I unwrapped the packagepletely and stared at the cover of . I asked with an emotionless tone. ¡°Why did you give me this today?¡± ¡°Uh, that¡¯s because¡­¡± Senpai took a deep breath and answered incredibly sincerely. ¡°It¡¯s because it represents my feelings to Konoha-san the most.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s fine even if you don¡¯t like this feeling of mine. However, please try this game out. I bet you¡¯ll love it-¡° Senpai tried his best to exin. ¡­Looking at him, I chuckled and answered. ¡°It¡¯s okay, senpai. Don¡¯t say I¡¯ll love it. ¡­ I had already yed it a long time ago." ¡°Eh!?¡± Senpai¡¯s face went pale in shock. He freaked out and asked. ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible. ¡­My present sucks.¡± Senpai dropped his shoulder depressedly. Just as I wanted tofort him, senpai leaned forward and asked. ¡°B-But, why? This isn¡¯t even a hentai game, right? I thought Konoha-san wouldn¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Ah, well, yeah. It¡¯s indeed not a game I¡¯ll choose. However-¡° ¡°However?¡± I showed a mischievous smile and answered. ¡°This game was rmended by someone important to me.¡± ¡°Eh!? Ah, I-I see. ¡­It¡¯s good that the person is important to you.¡± I don¡¯t know whether I imagined it or not, but Amano-senpai felt deted. I really love this side of senpai. ¡­So, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t say that important person is him. (It¡¯s confirmed that I¡¯ll be rejected. At least let me enjoy something like this.) I rolled my tongue and stroked the surface of the box gently. At the same time, I remembered what happened back then. (¡­It¡¯s because I saw senpai rmending this game to his friend. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t get this person off my head.) That was the most important moment in Konoha Hoshinomori¡¯s life. With his rmendation, I felt that all of my efforts weren¡¯t for nothing. From that day on, what he said has already been repeated in my mind countless times. Whether it¡¯s when I¡¯m not confident in myself, under a slump, or exhausted. Senpai¡¯s words always give me strength, and every time I do that, I can¡¯t help but fall in love with senpai even more. Then, unconsciously, this feeling sublimed into something called love. I know he¡¯s going to reject me. I¡¯ve already made up my mind, even if it¡¯s incredibly tormenting and painful- (I thought I¡¯m prepared.) That¡¯s why I decided to give onee-chan a push during Christmas and Valentine¡¯s Day. Although I was in pain, I didn¡¯t regret it- that was supposed to be the case. However, when the end of my love is really in sight, my kneecaps can¡¯t stop trembling. ¡­Perhaps I can withstand this excruciating pain a bit longer if senpai chose onee-chan? I can feel a sense of achievement after helping her out, right? ¡­At this point, that has turned into an incredibly strange feeling too. It¡¯s because no matter which girl senpai chose, the fact that I lost my first love won¡¯t change at all. -In other words, I lost. I lost him already. There¡¯s already no future where senpai and I can stay together. -I¡¯m thoroughly terrified of such a simple yet incredibly brutal fact. However, this is the only thing that I don¡¯t want to know from senpai. It¡¯s because this person, ¡­this stupidly gentle and observant boy, must feel as much pain if not more from my tears. That¡¯s why I have to be a good girl that wishes senpai good luck with a smile. That¡¯s the coolest and best thing Konoha Hoshinomori can do. I know it. ¡­I understand all of it. Isn¡¯t that true? No matter what, I¡¯m the student council president of Hekiyou, a pure pervert girl, alright? As the side girl that was rejected, shouldn¡¯t I already know the best way to withdraw? ¡­I know it already. ¡­But, for some reason, right now, I don¡¯t want to act like such a cool girl at all. However, it¡¯s okay. I can just buy some time to calm down. I thought about that as I dragged senpai¡¯s invitation for a week. I avoided him to buy time. However- -It¡¯s just like what you can see. At this moment, I still really, really love senpai- I¡¯m insanely in love with him. ¡°Sheesh, what is this feeling¡­!?¡± My heart is thoroughly messed up. I can¡¯t help but tap the box of forcefully. ¡°A-Ahhh¡­¡± After seeing my attitude, senpai finally confirmed that he messed up his present. His face turned pale. ¡­However, I don¡¯t have the time tofort him now. Why¡­ is love always so imperfect in reality? Why can¡¯t everyone just have a perfect ending like dating sims? The main heroine for senpai, the protagonist, was already confirmed ages ago. If that¡¯s the case, an extra side girl like me should just bless him. Then, I gradually reduce my on-screen time and fade into the background. That would make everyone happy. However, why- -Why am I still falling in love with him more and more? I¡¯m terrible. After all, even when Ipletely understood that he¡¯ll reject me today, I¡¯m still- in love with him. Senpai helped me to find the legendary hentai game. Senpai solved the puzzles and experienced all of the emotions with me. Senpai is supposed to live happily ever after with Tendou-senpai now. Yet, he¡¯s still spending time to face me sincerely. Finally, senpai drew the full stop with . Seriously, please spare me. It¡¯s like watching the rating of the sold-out hentai game skyrocketing on Amazon. Giving up something after knowing that you can¡¯t acquire it is the norm. However, people always desire something even more after learning that they can¡¯t get it. Regrettably, this is how I feel about senpai. ¡°¡­Konoha-san?¡± Perhaps it¡¯s because I was silent for too long. Senpai asked worriedly. My consciousness immediately returned. I managed to answer, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine.¡± However, I¡¯m anything but fine. It¡¯s because I didn¡¯t reach any answers at all. Senpai looked relieved after hearing that. Yet, he immediately turned serious and cleared his throat. The boy repeated it again. ¡°So, my answer is-¡° ¡°No, please wait-¡° Senpai is still trying to draw a full stop to this love. After realizing that, I hastily grabbed something in front of me and answered. ¡°-T-This! I-I think I solved it already!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I put my hand on the chest ¨C the one that contains the legendary hentai game. To that, even senpai, who¡¯s trying to be truthful to his girlfriend, can¡¯t ignore it. He stopped and followed up. ¡°I-Is that true, Konoha-san?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, it¡¯s true.¡± I nodded repeatedly. ¡­Honestly, I¡¯m lying. I just made it up because I really don¡¯t want this to end yet. Of course, the innocent senpai won¡¯t suspect me. His eyes brightened up and urged me. ¡°Well, please enter the answer! C¡¯mon!¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re saying that you want to enter me! Senpai is such a beast-¡° ¡°Hey, stop messing around. Seriously.¡± ¡°Ugh, senpai is already resistant to lewd jokes¡­¡± I sighed helplessly and started ying with the key. Senpai looked at me with sparkling eyes. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ (¡­W-What should I do? Actually, nothing even came up in my mind.) An 8-letter word isn¡¯t something that easy to think of. Also, I¡¯ve already tried a lot of words. At least I can¡¯t think of one that can interrupt senpai. I twisted the lock casually. Senpai finally raised his suspicion. ¡°Konoha-san, ¡­did you really get it?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Even senpai started to notice my strange look. His undoubted eyes turned into confusion and suspicion. I answered casually. ¡°A-An impatient boy isn¡¯t popr these days, okay?¡± I¡¯m not trying to be popr. Forget that. What¡¯s the answer?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after I solve it.¡± ¡°I ask you because I don¡¯t think you solved it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I started ying with the lock again. If you take a closer look, I¡¯m just randomly sequencing the letters out. ¡­Senpai finally can¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Listen, Konoha-san. ¡­It¡¯s time for you to hear what I¡¯ll say.¡± I answered him with a painful expression. Senpai continued with the same face. ¡°¡­I really want to drag this as well. ¡­No, I don¡¯t want to do this if it¡¯s impossible as well. However, both of us will get hurt. No one will be happy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°However, even so, ¡­I still think this is something worthy of doing.¡± ¡°Senpai¡­¡± Senpai looked like he¡¯s about to break into tears. Even I¡¯m ashamed of myself. Why did I push him this far? I¡¯m such a terrible girl. Unlike the cool girls who withdraw that I like, even though my fate is sealed, I¡¯m still struggling. ¡­This is¡­embarrassing. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I stopped ying with the lock and gave senpai a bitter smile. ¡°Y-You can¡¯t be helped, senpai. W-Well, I¡¯ll hear what you¡¯ll say then.¡± ¡°Konoha-san¡­¡± I know that my voice is trembling. It¡¯s really embarrassing. However, ¡­I¡¯ll really break down if I don¡¯t try my best to hold myself together. After hearing my answer, senpai made up his mind and stood up. Then, while I¡¯m still sitting with my hands on the chest, -senpai bowed down deeply. Then, he finally said something that I¡¯ve tried to avoid for so long. ¡°Konoha-san. Right now, ¡­right now, I have a girl that I sincerely love.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°I really, really love that girl. ¡­So, I¡¯ll never do something that disappoints or hurts her.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°So, even though I know this is very selfish and ignorant of your feelings, I still have to say it.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°I, Keita Amano, can¡¯t go out with Konoha Hoshinomori.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± I lowered my head and bit my lips tightly. ¡­What is this? I should¡¯ve known this ending already, ¡­and I¡¯ve prepared for it countless times- -But my chest is in unbelievable pain. ¡°Ugh, ¡­ah...¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I voiced my sadness out. No, keep it together. I have to smile. My brain is forcing that on me. ¡­However, my body and heart aren¡¯t listening. Even I didn¡¯t expect I would crave for senpai this much. I thought I can just put down this feeling of mine quickly after the defeat. I thought I could let go. ¡­But that¡¯s not true. At this point, all I can do is feel regret. Why did I help someone¡¯s love instead? Why didn¡¯t I just express my love wholeheartedly like onee-chan? Then, I finally understood ¨C the reason why I kept avoiding the end of my love. Did I find the thing that onee-chan epted easily that hard to take in? Yes, I¡­I must be still¡­ ¡°Konoha-san, ¡­well¡­¡± Senpai looked sincerely worried when he saw my trembling shoulders. He asked me gently. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not saying that our friendship ends here. ¡­Hey, if you¡¯re okay with it, of course, and only if you¡¯re alright with it¡­¡± Senpai paused for a moment and scratched his face. He continued trying to save me. ¡°I would be very happy¡­if we can continue being ¡®friends¡¯ afterward.¡± ¡°¡­Senpai.¡± At this point, I raised my head and looked at senpai. I can see¡­my most beloved senpai showing his usual warm expression. (Yes.) At the moment that I saw his face and heard his words- I finally acquired ¡°two¡± answers. To prove one of them, I immediately- put my hands on the lock. ¡°Konoha-san?¡± Senpai was confused by my sudden action. I ignored him and pressed on. At the next moment- -The lock was opened. ¡°Eh-¡° Senpai fell speechless after seeing that. ¡­After a moment of pause, he screamed. ¡°EHHHHHH!? W-Why!? How did you do that!? Answer! What¡¯s the answer!? I can¡¯t see it when you¡¯re blocking it-¡° Senpai threw a barrage of questions. However, I pressed my finger against his lips and made him shit up. Then, I showed a charming smile. ¡°Senpai, the answer just then-¡° ¡°The answer just then?¡± ¡°You want to be friends with me, right. You said that to onee-chan¡­to try and save her, right?¡± ¡°Oh, well, I don¡¯t really mean to save anyone. I¡¯m just saying that I¡¯ll be happy if that can happen.¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m honored. You¡¯re willing to let a person like me stay next to you as a friend. I don¡¯t know whether I should say you¡¯re too nice. I¡¯m d that you¡¯re always like this.¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± ¡°Yes, so, I want to appreciate senpai¡¯s warmth as much as possible with my answer.¡± ¡°Konoha-san¡­! In other words¡­!¡± ¡°Yes¡­!¡± I smiled charmingly. Then, with all of my determination inside my chest, I said the answer out loud clearly. ¡°To such a sympathetic and excellent friend request- please allow me to reject it respectfully.¡± * I¡¯m not showing off, but I¡¯m always really good at making friends. Friends are something that increases automatically as long as you follow what they say with a smile. Just don¡¯t hold on to your own weird beliefs too much. Of course, that excludes my hentai game hobbies. Reasons like ¡°a true friend is someone you can confess everything to¡± can go straight to hell. In reality, I keep my hobbies secret to the student council members. Yet, I still became their irreceable partners. I can¡¯t say that¡¯s fake. Anyway, my definition of ¡°friends¡± is people that spend their usual time with me. It¡¯s not anything more or less than that. That¡¯s why- ¡°I¡¯ve always said that I really hate being ¡®friends¡¯ with you, senpai.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Senpai went silent with a pale face after hearing my cold-hearted rejection. ¡­Honestly, I thought senpai would cry out and ask, ¡°Why?¡± I was a bit surprised. However, I immediately understood why. That reaction doesn¡¯t fit senpai at all. Senpai looked like he was deeply in pain. He held his arms tightly and mumbled. ¡°Yeah, ¡­thought so. It¡¯s selfish to befriend someone after rejecting them. Yes, I understand that too. ¡­But, there¡¯s no way for me to keep this in my heart.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± It seems that senpai still can¡¯t ept his friend request being rejected, even for a side girl like me. He became lost in thought and fell silent. I sighed. Then, I opened the unlocked chest with the legendary hentai game again. What appeared inside is- ¡°Master Developer¡­of Hentai Games?¡± -It¡¯s a USB with a note saying that on it. ¡°Eh, developer? ¡­So, it¡¯s like that?¡± Senpai came next to me and looked inside the chest. He put the friend request aside first. Senpai and I looked at each other- and sighed at the same time. ¡°Indeed, this software can be our ideal hentai game.¡±..¡± ¡°I feel a bit disappointed and dissatisfied. It¡¯s like that ¡®the real treasure is the adventure all of you had¡¯ feeling.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Although both of us didn¡¯t feel like it, we turned on the notebook we¡¯ve prepared. Then, we checked what¡¯s inside the USB. Aside from the game install data itself, there¡¯s another text file. The name is ¡­Now this is exciting. Senpai and I held our breaths as we opened that text. Then- ¡°Shut up!¡± Not even caring whether it¡¯ll break the text or not, I ejected the USB violently. The file closed with a warning sound that resembles screams of death. I turned off theptop and put it back on the shelf. Then, I turned to senpai. ¡°Can I keep talking about not being friends with senpai?¡± ¡°Oh, sure¡­¡± Senpai¡¯s face resembles that of an abandoned puppy. He froze. Looking at him, I remained stern and got closer to him. ¡°Honestly, you just changed how you rejected onee-chan a little bit, and I really hate it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do that¡­¡± ¡°Onee-chan said ¡®she would love to¡¯ despite not feeling happy about it. So, I bet you think her little sister would do the same. I saw you right through.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m¡­sorry.¡± Senpai¡¯s face is growing paler and paler. I stood in front of senpai and looked at his dripping eyes with my coldest gaze. ¡°Look! I-I¡¯m really sorry-¡° Then, just as he¡¯s trembling, terrified, and backing down- -I touched his face with my lips. ¡°-Eh!? Hey, e¡­eh?¡± Suddenly, senpai raised his head in shock and took a step back. Seeing that, I raised my head and looked at senpai before smiling embarrassedly. Then, I told him my answer- no, my deration of war. ¡°-I¡¯m not nning to end my love for senpai at all.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Senpai blushed. I. ¡°I know senpai¡¯s going out with Tendou-senpai. So, you can¡¯t date me right now. I understand that too. However-¡° I got my face really close to senpai and looked at him seriously. ¡°-Please don¡¯t just draw a full stop to my love for senpai yourself.¡± ¡°----¡° Senpai bulged his eyes after hearing that. At the next moment, as if he gave up, he said, ¡°Sheesh.¡± Then, he smiled and answered like he¡¯s looking at something incredibly charming. ¡°You¡¯re really selfish.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re thest one I want to hear that from.¡± ¡°Ha? I¡¯m not that selfish¡­¡± ¡°Are you serious? ¡­You would be the guy that naturally asks for weird ys in hentai games.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I say you¡¯re selfish when you can just yell things like that out naturally.¡± We squinted our eyes as we looked at each other. Then, we can¡¯t help but burst intoughter at the same time. After a while, we continued. ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t want to be senpai¡¯s ¡®friend¡¯ at all. From now on, I¡¯ll work hard with your body as my goal.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with your prelude to crime? Spare me. If that¡¯s the case, I can¡¯t talk to Konoha-san calmly.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I smiled embarrassedly. After that, I gently put my hand on senpai¡¯s chest. ¡°It¡¯s because I want senpai¡¯s feelings¡­instead of friendship.¡± ¡°Konoha-san¡­¡± ¡­I can sense that his heart skipped a beat for a second. It must be my imagination. I continued leaning my body to him- ¡°Ah, yeah, I think that¡¯s more like lust instead of feelings. I don¡¯t want feelings. I want your lust. Yeah, the wording sounds better too.¡± ¡°Konoha-san¡­¡± H-Hiya, what happened? Did I imagine it? I can feel senpai¡¯s temperature and heartbeat diving to normal levels. ¡­I-It must be my imagination, right? It¡¯s impossible for a guy to not feel excited when a beautiful kouhai corners them, right? My hopeful guesses are useless. Senpai left and answered calmly. ¡°Hey, please don¡¯t do that. I have a girlfriend. Moreover, you aren¡¯t even my friend.¡± ¡°Cold! Hey, is the attitude change necessary!?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s because¡­¡± Senpai looked away embarrassedly and mumbled. ¡°I have to reject Konoha-san firmly when you¡¯re serious. Otherwise, it¡¯s too dangerous¡­¡± ¡°Eh? Senpai, what did you say?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°You said that it¡¯s too dangerous if I¡¯m serious, right? Right?¡± ¡°You heard it! Uh, well, yeah. Sometimes Uehara-kun pranks me by saying that! This is really annoying!¡± ¡°Hohoho, I see. I see. Senpai¡¯s heart will beat faster.¡± ¡°S-Shut up.¡± Senpai left me in embarrassment. I chased after him to continue the tease. Senpai suddenly stopped and said, ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, what¡¯s the answer to the lock?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, well. Hmm-¡° I suddenly paused at this point. ¡­After that, I took away the key and the chest on the table to prevent senpai from seeing them. ¡°-It¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°Hey!? Why!? I stayed with you for this long. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re mean!?¡± Senpai looked really upset. I rolled my tongue out to senpai and started teasing him. ¡°Rob it, then? I dare you.¡± ¡°Tck, ¡­hiya!¡± ¡°Ara, senpai¡¯s dirty.¡± ¡°You¡¯re making me touch your belly on purpose-¡° ¡°Eh? What are you talking about? Here, rob it again? I¡¯m putting the chest inside the bookshelf.¡± ¡°Ugh, tck¡­!¡± ¡°Alright, time¡¯s up. Let¡¯s leave.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Senpai dropped his shoulders detedly. At the next second, someone knocked on the student council room door. We freaked out and heard somebody talking outside. ¡°Hey, Konoha, are you there? I¡¯m here to pick you up¡­¡± ¡°Chiaki!?¡± Senpai couldn¡¯t help but react to her voice. At the next moment, onee-chan¡¯s voice sounds extremely shocked. ¡°E-Eh? Why is Keita in the student council room!? There¡¯s no one here¡­¡± ¡°Woah, Chiaki, I¡¯m going to stop your misunderstandings there. I-¡° Senpai hastily grabbed his school bag and tried to dash out. I smiled devilishly and yelled at him on purpose. ¡°Ara, senpai, can you return my bra you¡¯ve thrown over there first?¡± ¡°Bra-!?¡± Onee-chan sounded terrified outside. Senpai red at me andined. His face is as red as a tomato. ¡°Konoha-san! You little, ¡­stop saying that¡­!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say this before, senpai? I¡¯m not satisfied with just being friends alone.¡± ¡°Tck¡­!¡± ¡°Ah, by the way, I think my onee-chan dashed out¡­¡± ¡°Crap!? W-Wait, Chiaki! That¡¯s really just a misunderstanding! Hey!¡± Senpai quickly opened the door and dashed across the corridor. ¡­Ah, I¡¯ve always enjoyed my time with senpai. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡­I¡¯ll definitely make you watch me. ¡­You know that, senpai?¡± As if I¡¯m dering a fresh restart, I mumbled to myself. Well, first thing¡¯s first- -Let¡¯s start by putting the lock that says ¡°CONTINUE¡± and the chest inside the shelf first. Volume 12, 4 – Gamers and Guided Ones

Volume 12, Chapter 4 ¨C Gamers and Guided Ones

Trantor: your_pingas Keita Amano ¡°By the way, I want to spend a long time with you all alone next weekend, Tendou-san.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± During the lunch break, Tendou-san and I enjoyed our meals in the Game Club room. I suddenly brought this up. Then, Tendou-san¡¯s cheeks immediately started ring up. ¡°Eh, ah, what, well, t-this-¡° Tendou-san held her carton of soy milk as she started freaking out. I feel like she¡¯s about to squeeze everything out. So, I quickly said, ¡°Hey, watch out.¡± After that, she nodded and said, ¡°R-Right.¡± Finally, she finished all of the soy milk with both of her hands on the box. After the box caved in, Tendou-san slightly calmed down (but her face is still red) and asked again. ¡°W-Why¡­did you ask that? A-Are you inviting me to a sleepover¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, no.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Tendou-san dropped her shoulders in disappointment. For a moment, this question suddenly shed in my mind. ¡°Is it better to invite her for a sleepover instead?¡± However, I ignored it and cleared my throat before continuing. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a sleepover. I just want to go on a date with you. Let¡¯s pick a day over the weekends.¡± ¡°Hmm? Sure, of course. ¡­But, if that¡¯s the case, why did you say all of that? Spending a long time with me alone?¡± I took a sip of my oolong tea and exined. ¡°This time, I really want to avoid those interruptions.¡± ¡°I agree with that!¡± Tendou-san nodded repeatedly. I sighed. ¡°So, for us, ¡­aside from lunch and going home together, all of our major events involved other people, right? Forget about the double date and going out with the Game Hobby Club. People always show up even if we were going out alone¡­¡± ¡°Yeah,e to think of it, I couldn¡¯t think of anything that Ipleted with Amano-kun alone together. Ah, there was one on the trip¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­but that¡¯s¡­too¡­¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± The bitter first kiss and break-up are tooplicated for our rtionship. So, naturally, we wanted to ignore it. To remove the subtle awkwardness that¡¯s piling up around us. I cleared my throat and continued. ¡°So, this time, we can¡¯t let anyone, especially those in the Game Hobby Club to intervene. We must have our perfect date. Let¡¯s think about our options with that premise.¡± ¡°I got you. That¡¯s what I think as well. However¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not easy to think of a ce where others can¡¯t intervene.¡± ¡°Yes, so, why don¡¯t we just stay in one of our rooms¡­?¡± Tendou-san suggested while blushing. My face red up as well, but I denied it. ¡°Regrettably¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not absolutely safe. We have our families¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, a lot of things happened when my mother barged into our room when you came. Kousei-kun is in Amano-kun¡¯s house too¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just that. Right now, my room¡­is a cursed dungeon that can randomly spawn a wild Main-san. That person, you can¡¯t stop her even if you closed the doors and windows.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that horrifying room? It¡¯s more of a maze.¡± ¡°Yeah, I suddenly woke up in the night a few days ago. I can feel Main-san sitting on my table and ying with her phone while chewing dried squids.¡± ¡°She¡¯s treating your house like a smoking area, right?¡± ¡°¡­The demon king¡¯s chewing noisessted throughout the night. Finally, I slept after a while of trembling.¡± ¡°This is the first time that I¡¯ve heard ghost stories where the ghost is actually an acquaintance.¡± ¡°Anyway, none of our rooms can provide enough security.¡± ¡°Indeed, ¡­but, if that¡¯s the case, we have to go outside. Well, the only ce where both of us can be alone is-¡° At this point, Tendou-san suddenly blushed even harder. ¡°-No! T-There is, but¡­¡± ¡°Ah, well, yes, that¡¯s it.¡± I can almost understand what she¡¯s trying to say, but I rejected embarrassedly. ¡°Well, ¡­please don¡¯t make us stay in weird ces. Also, it¡¯s not really a date in this case. Honestly, things like singing karaoke in a closed room¡­ aren¡¯t that great.¡± ¡°Yeah, even though I like karaoke, that¡¯s not really the date I¡¯m hoping for. Hmm, ¡­why don¡¯t we just sneak into a deste mountain instead?¡± ¡°Where, when, how, and why?¡± The next event would probably be either Tendou-san or my corpse being found, or both. Tendou-san continued listing her ns for us to be alone. ¡°Speaking of student secret dates, ¡­people normally sneak into the school during midnight, right?¡± ¡°That does sound like youth. However, I hope that we can keep this legal and moral.¡± ¡°Yeah, I agree. Well, let¡¯s keep this legal. ¡­Ah, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°You got a good ce?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s perfectly legal, and no one aside from the Tendou family knows. We have ast resort ce like this, Amano-kun!¡± ¡°Eh, seriously!? That¡¯s amazing. Is it like a private beach of Tendou house-¡° ¡°Yes! Well, but my grandmother calls that < The Restricted ce >. It¡¯s incredibly scary.¡± ¡°That¡¯s even worse than being illegal!¡± ¡°But there¡¯s no one there.¡± ¡°Of course! We¡¯ll immediately disappear too!¡± ¡°N-No? ¡­Uh, if that¡¯s the case, how about an arcade?¡± ¡°Ha? Arcade? We can¡¯t be alone¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, as long as we hide inside the cabin of those VR shooting games for the whole day.¡± ¡°Sorry, Tendou-san, even a gamer like me doesn''t want to call that a date.¡± ¡°But that only leaves < The Restricted ce >?¡± ¡°Since when are these two the only options!? T-Think about it more!¡± ¡°Well, ¡­both of us to be alone, ¡­no interruptions, ¡­the entire day, ¡­right! There is, Amano-kun. There¡¯s a ce where both of us can be alone without any interruptions, ¡­and it¡¯s also locked!¡± A locked ce, my heart skipped a beat when she said that. I fiddled with my bangs restlessly and asked Tendou-san. ¡°Uh, t-that ce would be¡­¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s a secret space that only belongs to you and me, a paradise that allows screams and intense movement!¡± Her cheeks are red. Her heartbeat is fast. We looked at each other. Then, ¡­Tendou-san yelled out excitedly! ¡°That is- a private conference room for online games! This is it!¡± ¡°Tendou-san.¡± ¡°Very well, Amano-kun. On that day, we¡¯ll open up our consoles in our own houses-¡° ¡°Tendou-san!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Tendou-san apologized before I evenined. I guess she realized it mid-way. The purpose is lost already. I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s more like the big premise is that we want a happy date. The goal of the two of us being alone is secondary.¡± ¡°Eh, really? I¡¯m already happy when you¡¯re next to me.¡± ¡°Of course, me too. I¡¯m very happy right now.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± -After we showed off our love calmly, both of us finally realized how embarrassing that was. We blushed at the same time. ¡­It looks like we havemon points like this. She and I always like to express our feelings and beliefs first before anything else. I cleared my throat and changed the topic. ¡°A-Anyway, for me, instead of being alone with you, I prefer a happy date without interruptions.¡± ¡°I-I got it. But, a happy date, ¡­at this point, the only options are within this rural area. If we absolutely don¡¯t want to bump into the others¡­¡± Tendou-san is lost in thought. Looking at her, I showed a confident smile and said this proudly. ¡°No, there is. That ce is very suitable for our date. However, it carried a painful memory for everyone in the Game Hobby Club. Therefore, they can¡¯t help but avoid it. But, now that most of our misunderstandings are cleared, there¡¯s no need to avoid that ce anymore. ¡­Instead, the mood in that ce can make gamers like Tendou-san and me truly happy.¡± ¡°We have a ce like that? ¡­Ah, is it-¡° Tendou-san opened her mouth. It looks like she understood. ¡°This is it.¡± I smiled cheerfully at Tendou-san. I revealed this secret dating spot proudly. ¡°No one in the Game Hobby Club wille. It¡¯s a ce that¡¯s very rted to us. Its name is < Viva Spiel-¡° Tasuku Uehara ¡°Let¡¯s go to the < Viva Spiel Kingdom >, Aguri.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± In the caf¨¦, I suggested our weekend n as I drank a cup of cheaptte. My girlfriend immediately agreed. Aguri-san¡¯s biting the scone like a little bunny as she nodded. ¡°Hiya, you¡¯re amazing, Tasuku. This is the only ce where we can be sure that we¡¯ll be alone. You¡¯re a god.¡± ¡°Right?¡± I feelfortable when my girlfriend praises me. I continued. ¡°Instead, I bet we¡¯ll bump into our friends in < Around 1 > and the arcade.¡± ¡°I can understand. For me, it¡¯s the family restaurant and the hotel. I feel like other people will interrupt us when we want to talk about important things.¡± ¡°Yeah. By the way, if we¡¯re in my house, Mom definitely won¡¯t calm down. If it¡¯s Aguri¡¯s house, that¡¯s already¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s already the demon king¡¯s castle. It¡¯s more like that¡¯s the most ¡®not okay¡¯ ce in the world.¡± Both of us sighed at the same time. I took a sip of the cooled-downtte and continued. ¡°Well, so, basically, we¡¯re stuck here. There¡¯s nowhere we can be alone.¡± ¡°Yeah, I thought about giving up too.¡± ¡°Yes, however, this time, ¡­I received an oracle from the < Viva Spiel Kingdom >. It¡¯s a ce where they won¡¯t visit physically or mentally. Good old reverse psychology.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re a genius. My boyfriend is such a genius, unlike a certain gaming otaku.¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t praise me. It¡¯s embarrassing.¡± ¡°Handsome, talented, humble, and gentle, what¡¯s wrong with you, Tasuku? Are you the best boyfriend in the world?¡± ¡°No, no, that¡¯s my line. Aguri is being unusually adorable recently. The Tendou regime in Otobuki is about to copse. I¡¯m even terrified of how happy I am.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line! There¡¯s not a single girl in the world who can ignore such a refined man! Although some gamer shut-in girls mayin about you as ordinary bean sprout guys, that¡¯s not true, right? If you ask a hundred normal girls, a hundred of them want to go out with Tasuku, right? Ha, thanks to you, I feel exhausted every day.¡± ¡°No, no, that¡¯s really my line. Every boy, no, every male in the world wants to go out with you. You¡¯re already at this level, Aguri.¡± ¡°Tasuku¡­¡± ¡°Aguri¡­¡± We held each other¡¯s hands tightly with our passionate eyes connected. ¡­Honestly, it¡¯s not like we can¡¯t feel the menacing aura surrounding us. However, nothing is more important than this overwhelming sense of bliss. ¡°Let¡¯s enjoy this weekend, Aguri. No one will interrupt us in < Viva Spiel Kingdom >!¡± ¡°Yeah, Tasuku! No one will ever see us in < Viva Spiel Kingdom >!¡± Both of us immersed ourselves in the happiness of the weekend as weughed cheerfully. Side note, everyone around is gazing at us, ¡°You two will pay for it!¡± I can feel it from their eyes. ¡­Hoho, you guys can¡¯t be helped. I pity you. That¡¯s why loners will always be loners. Let¡¯s take their unending envy and jealousy to make us enjoy the weekend even more. Chiaki Hoshinomori ¡°Let¡¯s visit the < Viva Spiel Kingdom >, onee-chan.¡± My little sister suggested this right after she entered the living room. I¡¯m leaning on the sofa while ying the quests of the mobile game. Then, I answered her casually. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Eh, you sure?¡± Konoha looked surprised, even though it¡¯s her invitation. I looked away from my phone and to my little sister instead. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You think I shouldn¡¯t go?¡± ¡°Ah, no. I still have some free tickets left from my friends in the student council. So, I would love to go with onee-chan.¡± ¡°Hmm? Isn¡¯t that great?¡± ¡°I guess so. ¡­Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect you to answer me in two words only. If you think about what happenedst time¡­¡± ¡°Last time? Ah, oh¡­¡± Come to think of it, she¡¯s right. I already forgot it. < Viva Spiel Kingdom > is the ce where Keita and Agu-nee- nearly kissed. At that time, the amusement park became a bitter memory for me since I¡¯ve always loved Keita. However¡­ I raised my body slightly from the sofa and answered Konoha. ¡°But, it¡¯s not worth mentioning right now anymore. Even I feel weird about this. The bitterness from that memory has already faded away.¡± After I answered honestly, for some reason, Konoha squinted her eyes. She showed a mischievous smile to her onee-chan. ¡°Ara ara, you¡¯re amazing, onee-chan. Forget about nearly kissed. Onee-chan already kissed someone. You¡¯re really experienced.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± I can¡¯t help but blush after hearing what she said. I-Indeed, ¡­perhaps it¡¯s due to the ¡°concentration¡± of my kissing event. I can¡¯t deny that I don¡¯t feel anything for Agu-nee¡¯s attempted kissing. Just as I¡¯m hesitating to answer, Konoha opened the fridge and continued. ¡°Even though your first love is over, my onee-chan is already an experienced person¡­¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s that!? I-I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°Ha, ¡­as your little sister, my heart is aching so much right now, onee-chan. Onee-chan is already a grown-up woman.¡± ¡°W-Why did you say that!? T-That kiss¡¯s experience wasn¡¯t enough for me to level up that much!¡± ¡°Really? But you can already visit < Viva Spiel Kingdom > at a moment¡¯s notice.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s true¡­¡± I-Indeed, this is an undeniable fact. Right now, I¡¯m magnitudes calmer than when I witnessed that event. Honestly, I don¡¯t hate < Viva Spiel Kingdom > at all. But, if that¡¯s the case¡­ ¡°I-Isn¡¯t Konoha the same¡­!?¡± I said that as I red at my little sister¡¯s eyes and counter-attacked. ¡°Isn¡¯t Konoha-san the same? Even though you say you love Keita, you ended up inviting me to < Viva Spiel Kingdom >.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, I guess so.¡± Konoha poured the green tea from the fridge into her cup as she answered. After hearing that, I said, ¡°Look, even if you didn¡¯t kiss-¡° Just as I¡¯m about to retort, Konoha twisted the cap of the stic bottle and answered calmly. ¡°Ah, but I¡¯ve kissed senpai too.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. I can understand then- WHAT!?¡± I yelled. Konoha chugged down half of the green tea as she continued like it¡¯s nothing. ¡°Forget about that. It¡¯s more like, in my eyes, it¡¯s just an attempted kiss. I didn¡¯t mind it that much. The goal I¡¯ve set is much deeper than that¡­¡± ¡°D-Deeper?¡± ¡°I want a concentrated and continuous dose of sexual contact.¡± ¡°Konoha!?¡± Did I just hear something incredible from my little sister¡¯s mouth!? I wasn¡¯t imagining things, right!? Konoha put the bottle back in the fridge and continued. ¡°Well, anyway, in my eyes, kissing is just the first step.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, I can understand your reasons, but I can¡¯t understand my little sister now¡­¡± The Konoha I know is a super-serious elite girl. I feel like she picked up some foul lines after meeting with Keita. Just as I¡¯m lost in thought, Konoha dragged us back to the topic. ¡°Anyway, onee-chan, are you good with going to < Viva Spiel Kingdom > on the weekend?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, sure. I¡¯m fine with it.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s great. ¡­Even I¡¯m not thick-lined enough to ignore Tendou-senpai and invite senpai. I can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯m such a good girl.¡± ¡°Konoha¡­¡± My little sister¡¯s bitter smile tightened my chest. To cheer her¡­and myself up, I stood up from the sofa and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s enjoy the weekend, Konoha! Forget Keita for now!¡± After that, Konoha gave me a warm smile and answered energetically as well. ¡°Yeah, onee-chan. Let¡¯s forget senpai and have fun!¡± Main Fushiguro ¡°< Viva Spiel Kingdom >¡­¡± I just took a bath, and now I¡¯m sitting on the chair half-naked with carbonated water in my hand. I pondered about it as I¡¯m reading on the phone. During this time, Agu finished drying Mii¡¯s hair. She yelled, ¡°Mom!¡± as she dashed over here naked. Then, she climbed to the chair next to me and looked at my phone with bright eyes. ¡°Wow, an amusement park! Are we going? Mom, can you go with me?¡± ¡°Oh, well¡­¡± Mii looked at me with hopeful eyes. ¡­Crap, I wasn¡¯t nning on doing that. ¡­It¡¯s more like I want to do the exact opposite. However, ¡­hmm, ¡­if Mii and I¡­went there¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­ A n was quickly constructed in my mind. I smiled at Mii. ¡°Want to go, Mii?¡± ¡°Eh!? R-Really!?¡± ¡°Yes, you can. Let¡¯s go during the weekends. However, there¡¯s a condition. You have to keep this a secret from Agu, Amako, and those in the Game Hobby Club. Understood?¡± ¡°Hmm? I don¡¯t really get it, but I understood, Mom! I¡¯ll be a good kid!¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­what a good child. Look forward to the weekend, Mii.¡± ¡°Yay! Well, I¡¯ll go brush my teeth after drinking some water!¡± ¡°Sure, go.¡± Mii showed an incredibly cheerful smile and dashed away. ¡­I raised a good kid. ¡­Very well. I clenched my phone tightly once again and mumbled with a confident smile. ¡°Well, let¡¯s start- myst quest as the demon king.¡± Keita Amano < Viva Spiel Kingdom >. That¡¯s a ce more rural than the rural areas. You need to spend 30 minutes on a bus through the gardens to get there. That¡¯s why it has a massive space. It¡¯s an amusement park in its own world. The streets of the park look like medieval Germany. In terms of games, it appears as a mid-game city in an RPG. However, of course, the rides are not as good as the ones in famous parks. It¡¯s not a ce for tourists. Instead, it¡¯s more of a resting area for locals when they have spare time. In other words, normally, this isn¡¯t a ce that makes high school students excited. However- ¡°Hooray! < Viva Spiel Kingdom >!¡± We opened our arms as soon as Tendou-san and I entered the park. Our eyes are filled with pure sparkles as we look at the streets. ¡°Ah, this feels pretty good no matter how many times I¡¯vee here, Amano-kun! This mid-game town feeling never gets old!¡± ¡°Yeah, it really never gets old, Tendou-san! This intense mid-game town feeling!¡± Tendou-san turned around and looked at me. Her skirt is flipping in mid-air. Normally, a certain gal will start yapping here. However, we¡¯re alone today. Tendou-san¡¯s face is filled with a shining smile. ¡°Amano-kun, Amano-kun, what¡¯s happening? Right now, I feel as excited as a Kanto representative that lost in her first match!¡± ¡°Well, even though I don¡¯t understand that hardcore gamer reference, I know how you feel. I can¡¯t believe the two of us can y games alone. ¡­This is the first time after < Around 1 >, right?¡± ¡°I think so! Well, we bumped into the Hoshinomori sisters mid-game¡­¡± At this point, Tendou-san said that as she observed around vigntly. Although I¡¯m a bit scared of her FPS yer-like sensitivity, she smiled after confirming there¡¯s no one she knows around here. ¡°Ah, a date with Amano-kun alone¡­! What is this? This feels like a dream!¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m already really happy when we¡¯re walking in this game-like street.¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­Ah, why don¡¯t we just turn it into a VR death game? All of us will be trapped here forever.¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s with that light novel-like wish?¡± Uh, I¡¯m an otaku as well, so I can understand that. However, Tendou-san wants a dangerous game setting instead of ordinary and peaceful life. I guess this feels like her. ¡°Well, it¡¯ll be a waste to just stand here. Let¡¯s get on the rides as we go around the park, Tendou-san.¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s check out the arcade games first, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a ce we should go first, right. Let¡¯s have a proper date.¡± ¡°Tck, ¡­you¡¯re just Amano-kun. How can youin like that¡­!?¡± ¡°Why are you mad? Don¡¯t pretend to be an idiot if you don¡¯t like it¡­¡± ¡°Ha? I wasn¡¯t pretending to be an idiot at all.¡± ¡°Seriously? ¡­Tendou-san, I can¡¯t believe you can keep yourself together for so many years.¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, ¡­you¡¯re the only one I¡¯ll express my true self to, after all.¡± ¡°¡­I-I see.¡± Crap, what¡¯s wrong with this girl? She always says something adorable without noticing it. What, is she a real angel? I can¡¯t look at her face directly due to embarrassment. So, I quickly walked ahead and said. ¡°A-Anyway, let¡¯s go, Tendou-san. Let¡¯s visit something other than the arcade games.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Tendou-san pouted in dissatisfaction. Right now, even her face looks incredibly cute to me. Love is scary, I¡¯m telling you. If this continues, I can¡¯t even hold myself together, not to mention being a reliable boyfriend. To avoid that, I started walking forward a bit forcefully- ¡°Ah¡­¡± -During this time, Tendou-san voiced out slightly. I turned back in confusion, and she said this sheepishly. ¡°H-Hey, ¡­didn¡¯t I tell you that I only express my true self in front of you? ¡­So, ¡­uh¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What?¡± I didn¡¯t understand what she¡¯s trying to say. As for Tendou-san, ¡­she closed her eyes tightly. Then, as if she made up her mind, ¡­even so, she reached her hand out to mine. Her face is as red as a tomato. ¡°Sometimes, ¡­I want¡­you¡­to drag my hand forcefully¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Notice. At this moment, Keita Amano¡¯s character setting, ¡°I really love games.¡± has been changed slightly. Please pay attention. Tasuku Uehara ¡°Even though we¡¯re here for the date, it¡¯s not really an exciting ce.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± It¡¯s been 5 minutes since Aguri and I entered the < Viva Spiel Kingdom >. We¡¯re now taking a stroll around the park. The rides aren¡¯t that interesting to us. The same goes for the medieval European streets too. Just as I¡¯m starting to regret it, Aguri startedining next to me too. ¡°I immediately decided this is the ce for Tasuku¡¯s date. ¡­However,e to think of it, there¡¯s nothing that we can enjoy here.¡± ¡°Yeah, but somehow my brain is filled with the impression that this is an exciting ce.¡± ¡°I can understand! I also feel it¡¯s super rare for us to be here for some reason. Even though I didn¡¯t have a good time, in reality¡­¡± ¡°Well, yeah. This baffling sense of happiness is almost certainly¡­¡± At this point, both of us said the name of the people that brought us this feeling. ¡°It¡¯s because of those idiot gamers.¡± We sighed. Aguri continued. ¡°Yeah, Amanhi and Tendou-san were super hypedst time.¡± ¡°Right, this feels like those mid-game cities in RPGs. Well, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t understand that, but that¡¯s no reason for excitement¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I love those two. It even gave me the impression that this is a fun amusement park. Sheesh, it¡¯s because those two kept handing out 5-star ratings. In the end, I forgot that I only gave this ce 2-star!¡± ¡°Indeed, so, the two of us alone can¡¯t have fun here¡­¡± ¡°In the end, what¡¯s even a mid-game RPG city? How is that entertaining to a normal person like me?¡± ¡°Yes, there are no kigurumis here, after all.¡± ¡°Yeah, there are some staff wearing knight armor walking everywhere. But I don¡¯t even know how I should react. What is that? Is he trying to be popr among kids?¡± ¡°Even adults don¡¯t really like them, not to mention kids. Well, some weird people do ask for photos with bright eyes. ¡­Look, there¡¯s one.¡± I pointed forward as I said that. Two girls are squeezing the knight in the middle as they¡¯re taking the photo. Aguri looks clearly annoyed. ¡°I feel like those two girls are otakus.¡± ¡°Especially the short hair one, she gives off a sheepish feeling. She¡¯s the kind of keeping her distance during photos, and the cameraman has to keep telling her to get closer.¡± We chatted as we looked at the two girls. Perhaps it¡¯s because we stopped amongst the crowd. Someone suddenly bumped into me. I quickly lowered my head and apologized. However, that person- ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay.¡± -After she answered calmly, ¡­the woman that I think I¡¯ve heard of her voice before quickly left. Although I tried to confirm whether I knew her, my mind immediately flew back to Aguri¡¯s photo talk. ¡°The same goes for Amanhi. He¡¯ll keep a subtle distance when we¡¯re taking photos.¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s just like Amano. ¡­No, wait? Ha, Aguri-san? Why did you take photos with Amano together? That¡¯s what lovers would do, right? Oi!¡± ¡°Ah, forget that. Tasuku, I think that store has some disgusting-looking churros!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how you change the topic! I don¡¯t care about that! Hey, don¡¯t just leave me behind!¡± My innocent girlfriend dashed to the churros store. I sighed. ¡­Although I still can¡¯t get those otaku girls off my head, I snapped out of it and chased after Aguri. Chiaki Hoshinomori ¡°Uh, thanks for the photos!¡± After I lowered my head and thanked him, the knight just said, ¡°This is the responsibility of < Viva Spiel¡¯s Knights >.¡± He left after leaving that confusing line. ¡°Let me see.¡± Konoha said that as she leaned to me. We looked at the photos together. On it, the Hoshinomori sisters tipped their toes and squeezed the knight in the middle. Both of us are wearing clothes that we like today. So, it gives off that ¡°we¡¯re trying our best¡± feeling. Konoha chuckled. I found out something unusual in the photo. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s behind this¡­?¡± I can¡¯t really see it because of the distance and the dim light. However, I think I¡¯m seeing a familiar couple. ¡­Since I can¡¯t get it off my head, I immediately confirmed the actual ce¡¯s surroundings. That couple isn¡¯t there anymore. Well, of course. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, onee-chan? We¡¯re going.¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, okay.¡± Konoha urged me. I put my phone back as we started strolling again. We chatted about what we should do next. ¡°Well, what should we do next, onee-chan? Honestly, this ce is pretty boring.¡± ¡°You¡¯re suddenly honest, Konoha! No, no, this is pretty fun to me! The streets look exciting, and I got a photo with a knight!¡± ¡°Only dumb gamers will enjoy things like that, right?¡± ¡°Y-You don¡¯t have to go that far. In reality, didn¡¯t Konoha just take the photo happily too?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because, think about it, ¡­the knight has to be fully naked to fit in that costume. My heart is boiling¡­¡± ¡°What did you just say!?¡± My little sister has some weird feelings these days. I decided to keep up the questions. ¡°But, if that¡¯s the case, perhaps there are other items that Konoha likes?¡¯ ¡°For example?¡± ¡°For example, ¡­well, will you get excited about swords and shields?¡± ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t get to use them in ys¡­¡± ¡°ys?¡± ¡°Nevermind. Well, if there¡¯s anything that interests me in this ce¡­¡± Konoha said that as she pondered about it. I started looking around aimlessly as she¡¯s doing that. Hmm, I think I just saw the couple during that photo session. It even feels like I know them. Just as I¡¯m about to check them out, Konoha said something. ¡°If there are some erotically-textured wands-¡° ¡°Shut up, you bitch.¡± I can hear someone talking when Konoha¡¯s about to finish. We turned around in surprise. A handsome middle school student looks nothing like his brother- no, he¡¯ll be a high school student after spring. ¡°Kousei-kun?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Chiaki-senpai.¡± After he saw my face, Kousei-kun showed a pure smile that¡¯s theplete opposite of what he just said. Yes, this is the Kousei-kun I¡¯m familiar with. However, on the other hand¡­ ¡°Uh, Kousei, why are you here¡­?¡± ¡°Ha? That¡¯s my question. Why are you bothering Chiaki-senpai during the weekend? Are you nning something again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m her little sister!¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying nonsense like that again¡­¡± ¡­Kousei-kun immediately showed his evil side after he started bickering with Konoha. Although I¡¯ve heard that he¡¯s a two-faced person, I¡¯m more surprised when I see it live. During this time, the group that apanied Kousei-kun said this to him. ¡°Hey, Kousei, we¡¯ll go on the rides alone then?¡± After hearing that, Kousei-kun turned back and answered with his ¡°good young man¡± side. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s great! I¡¯ll see you guyster!¡± Then, the 7-people group left one by one. I looked at them and asked Kousei-kun. ¡°Hey, are those Kousei-kun¡¯s friends¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, they are my middle school friends. They asked everyone out to y, even if it''s just a little while after graduation. What¡¯s wrong with them?¡± Kousei-kun smiled bitterly. There are two cute girls in the group looking at Kousei-kun passionately. For some reason, they are staring daggers at my little sister and me. ¡°H-Hey, Kousei-kun? It¡¯s already okay for you to say hi to us. Please go back to them¡­¡± ¡°Oh? Ah, it¡¯s fine. Although I came here with them due to multiple reasons, it makes no difference whether I¡¯m there or not.¡± U-Uh, I think it does make a great difference. By the way, perhaps some of the girls only showed up because you¡¯re here. I¡¯m a love detective, after all. During this time, Kousei-kun asked us. ¡°Chiaki-senpai, why are you here?¡± ¡°Ah, well, it¡¯s just us sisters going out today to y. Think about it, as a gamer, I really love this < Viva Spiel Kingdom >.¡± ¡°I see. Indeed, onii-san loves < Viva Spiel Kingdom > too.¡± ¡°Right? Keita also¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± A subtle silence fell between the three of us. Then, Kousei-kun changed the topic to smooth out this awkwardness. ¡°Ah, let¡¯s not stand here while talking. Why don¡¯t we go to the benches?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, sure, fine by me¡­¡± Kousei-kun urged us. I turned to the benches. ¡­Konoha¡¯s emitting an aura that says, ¡°Get him out of here!¡± I¡¯m sorry, but I have to ignore you for now. We sat on the benches. Then, he handed the drinks he got from the vending machine to us sisters with a smile. ¡°Here, Chiaki-senpai. This is hot tea. The weather¡¯s still a bit cold, after all.¡± ¡°T-Thank you.¡± W-What a smart child! I bet that¡¯s why he¡¯s popr. Then¡­ ¡°Hey, bitch. Here¡¯s your iced strongly-carbonated coffee with mint. Go die if you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Y-You little¡­!¡± What an evil child! I think that¡¯s why my little sister hates him, even though she¡¯s very soft most of the time. Kousei-kun sat next to me and started drinking his hot lemon tea peacefully. Looking at his innocent face, for a moment, I really feel like he¡¯s rted to Keita. Just as I¡¯m drinking the green tea, Kousei-kun looked at his friends on the rollercoaster and mumbled. ¡°Well, ¡­I¡¯m really happy to have these best friends that are still willing to go out with me, even when we¡¯re in different high schools, unlike onii-san.¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong with Keita?¡± ¡°Oh? Ah, I haven¡¯t said this to Chiaki-senpai before, right? The reason that I can do all of this today is thanks to onii-san.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of it. But, ¡­that Keita actually helped Kousei-kun?¡± ¡°Ahaha, you¡¯re mean. Even though I can understand, well, this is really thanks to onii-san.¡± Kousei-kun smiled and squinted his eyes nostalgically. It seems that Konoha is super interested in this topic too. She pulled my sleeves and urged me to continue. ¡­Sheesh. I cleared my throat and continued. ¡°U-Uh, Kousei-kun? I, well, ¡­I want more details.¡± ¡°Alright, I got it. Well, let¡¯s start with- my < 100 Reasons Why My Onii-san is the Best >!¡± ¡°No, no, I¡¯m not listening to that. It¡¯s not about that. I want to hear why Kousei-kun is grateful to Keita. It would be great if you can tell me that¡­¡± ¡°What, you want to know about that? Well, how about I share with you my < 1,000 Reasons Why My Onii-san is the Best > Excel tableter?¡± ¡°Eh? H-Hmm¡­¡± I don¡¯t need it. I don¡¯t need it at all. Also, I think it grew 10 times more for some reason. However, I don¡¯t believe the conversation can continue if I say I don¡¯t need it. So, let¡¯s keep this inside my heart. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Kousei-kun stared at the sky for a while. He seemed to be making up his mind. ¡­Then, he suddenly said this. ¡°My onii-san is insanely stubborn when ites to games, right?¡± ¡°I know.¡± Konoha and my reaction ovepped each other. Kousei-kun continued with a bitter smile. ¡°He can¡¯t stop once people talk about his favorite games. He always has his own beliefs about things he loves. He likes going to second-hand game stores, but he¡¯ll never sell his games. I feel like, ¡­well, in conclusion, he¡¯s an onii-san with a super annoying mindset.¡± ¡°I know.¡± The Hoshinomori sisters nodded repeatedly. Kousei-kun answered, ¡°Right?¡± ¡°So, initially- I used to despise an onii-san like this a lot, sincerely.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± This time, the sisters¡¯ reactions ovepped again, but it¡¯s different from thest one. We bulged our eyes in surprise. Kousei-kun continued. ¡°Hey, even though it¡¯s a bit too much for me to say this, I¡¯m a pretty incredible guy, right. Whether it¡¯s my styles or abilities.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really too much.¡± ¡°Oi, Konoha.¡± My little sister¡¯s reaction was a little awkward. However, unexpectedly, Kousei-kun didn¡¯t get mad at Konoha. Instead, he continued calmly. ¡°Honestly, whether it¡¯s academics, sports, ormunication, ¡­I excel onii-san in these clearlyparable elements. Although I¡¯m not a prick that looks down on onii-san because of that, I do get annoyed sometimes. You know, especially when he¡¯s talking about games non-stop instead of studying, even I can¡¯t contain my dumbfoundedness.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can understand.¡± Suddenly, Konoha agreed with Kousei-kun. She¡¯s looking at me too. I pretended I heard nothing and urged Kousei-kun to continue. ¡°Well, I know what Kousei-kun talked about. It¡¯s more like that¡¯s usually the case from a guy like Kousei-kun. Actually, I find the Kousei-kun that really loves Keita to be unbelievable.¡± ¡°Indeed. Honestly, even I feel super disgusted with my love for onii-san.¡± (You¡¯re actually aware of it.) The Hoshinomori sisters were shocked, but we kept it inside. After all, we want to hear more. Kousei-kun continued. ¡°All of this started two years ago. Onii-san helped me when I was having a tough time.¡± ¡°T-Tough time? Don¡¯t tell me a bean sprout like Keita defeated a strong delinquent¡­¡± ¡°Do you think my onii-san can pull off something this legendary?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Kousei-kun chuckled happily. ¡­This person always smiles whenever it involves his onii-san. Ah, speaking of being addicted when talking about favorite things, I guess he¡¯s indeed Keita¡¯s little brother. During this time, Kousei-kun¡¯s friends finally got onto the roller coaster. He waved and smiled at his friends. Then, he continued calmly. ¡°Actually, they used to call me a thief in the past.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± This child is always saying some nasty things at weird times. When Konoha and I fell silent, Kousei-kun pressed on casually. ¡°That was the same as this time. We were nning to go out and y. Then, being confident, I decided to be the leader and collect everyone¡¯s fees¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, just like that, I lost all of the money in a single brilliant move.¡± ¡°Uwah¡­¡± Both of us were speechless. What¡¯s this? Even though I¡¯ve never experienced something like this, my chest really hurts. However, the person in question continued as if it didn¡¯t happen to him. ¡°Hiya, I was so anxious at that time. It almost felt like I fell from heaven to hell. No matter how anxious I am, if I lost it, I lost it. However, the most upsetting part is that when I apologized sincerely, my friends didn¡¯t let this go with their usual attitude.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Although they didn¡¯t say anything, I was clearly suspicious. Of course, they weren¡¯t at fault, after all. It¡¯s just that I realized all of the¡­trust I¡¯ve gathered up is this fragile. I was really shocked.¡± ¡°Kousei-kun¡­¡± ¡°Also, since I didn¡¯t tell my parents about this, I can¡¯t cry out and ask them for help. However, I had to get the money as soon as possible. ¡­Actually, I was driven by guilt that time.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s really, ¡­I¡¯m sorry for that. Well, but Keita saved Kousei-kunter, ¡­right?¡± ¡°Well, yeah. This is how I regained my respect for onii-san.¡± At this point, Konoha guessed what happened next. ¡°After all that, I guess senpai used his brilliant detective skills and caught the real criminal¡­¡± ¡°Do you think that onii-san of mine can do that?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think so. Hmm, but in that situation, what senpai could do is¡­¡± Facing Konoha¡¯s question, Kousei-kun showed a deep expression. ¡°It¡¯s something ordinary. He did what a ¡®normal onii-san¡¯ could¡¯ve done the most instead of ying as the hero or detective. That¡¯s all. It¡¯s what a family member would do.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm? What did Keita¡­do to Kousei-kun?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°W-Well?¡± Both of us held our breaths. After a moment of pause, Kousei-kun acted like the host of a quiz show¡­and suddenly changed the topic. ¡°By the way, you went to our house to y, right, Chiaki-senpai?¡± ¡°Ha? W-Why did you suddenly bring that up? I did¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, did youe into onii-san¡¯s room?¡± ¡°Eh!? No, no, no, I only stayed in the living room! Completely! Yes!¡± I freaked out as I exined. After that, Kousei-kun said, ¡°That¡¯s a bummer.¡± He continued after showing such a strange reaction. ¡°If Chiaki-senpai goes into onii-san¡¯s room, you can immediately feel that something¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°Hmm? Something¡¯s wrong? What does that mean-¡° ¡°Forget about that. Let¡¯s get back on track, Kousei.¡± Konoha urged Kousei-kun to continue a bit anxiously. However, Kousei-kun answered annoyedly, ¡°That¡¯s why I can¡¯t deal with bitches.¡± He ignored her and pressed on. ¡°Chiaki-senpai, since you have the same personality, interests, and environment as onii-san, ¡­you can immediately realize it after entering his room.¡± ¡°Uh, Kousei-kun, what does that mean-¡° When I threw the question out, Kousei-kun¡­grabbed the opportunity and said the answer aloud. ¡°Right now, there are very few games in onii-san¡¯s room.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We held our breaths after hearing that. I thought this waspletely irrelevant. ¡­However, we started to notice that this answer showed the story behind. B-But that¡¯s¡­too¡­ Waves ofplicated emotions are sweeping our hearts right now. Looking at us, ¡­as if he¡¯s atoning his sins, Kousei-kun said this painfully. ¡°My onii-san sold all of them. He cares about his games the most. He always yells that he hates selling second-hand games more than anything idiotically. ¡­An onii-san like that suddenly sold 80% of his games the day after I told him about it. ¡­Finally, he handed me all of the money and said, ¡®Hiya, I¡¯m d that this is enough.¡¯ He said that like it was nothing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We remained silent. Kousei-kun continued with a bitter smile. ¡°You want to cry, right? Even though I kept this from onii-san, honestly, ¡­I felt like I was beaten up pretty bad. I felt happiness, guilt, and pain. What did I even do better than this onii-san? ¡­I was sincerely embarrassed by myself. At the same time, onii-san can treat something like this with his usual attitude. He was incredibly charming at the time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, the remaining games onii-san has are the ones that I said it¡¯s fun. ¡­I was in total defeat. After that, facing onii-san¡¯s sincere love, I decided to repay him. ¡­That exins why I¡¯m here right now.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± Our reaction is quite subtle. Although it¡¯s a touching story, the ending is reallyme. What¡¯s with this disappointment? Kousei-kun smiled bitterly again. He looked at his friends that are screaming on the rollercoaster. ¡°Well, in the end, I got the money back, and with a sincere apology, they forgave me. After that, a lot of things happened after the real criminal got caught. ¡­Since then, I didn¡¯t just face my friends with my shallow side. Instead, I got along with them with my dirty sincere words. In the end, our rtionship got better.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s why Kousei-kun is like this right now. All thanks to Keita.¡± I understood a lot. The reason why Kousei-kun is Kousei-kun and¡­ ¡°Sheesh, ¡­senpai has always been senpai¡­¡± My little sister mumbled next to me. My heart can¡¯t help but skip a beat when I see her face. It¡¯s because her expression¡­is an incredibly beautiful one that can only appear on a girl that sincerely fell in love. For some reason, I don¡¯t want to see that anymore. So, I asked Kousei-kun hastily. ¡°B-By the way, Kousei-kun, your friends are almost done, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. They are nothing but garbagepared to Chiaki-senpai.¡± ¡°Why did you say that!? It¡¯s like the perfect ending of that story never existed! D-Don¡¯t say that! Please go enjoy the time with your friends, Kousei-kun!¡± ¡°If Chiaki-senpai says so, well, I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± Kousei-kun said that as he stood up. He nced at Konoha. ¡°Well, see you the day after tomorrow- our worst student council president.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, be more respectful to your senpai, the kouhai-kun who looks like he can¡¯t make friends.¡± Kousei-kun and Konoha bickered with each other. I said to Konoha, ¡°Come to think of it.¡± ¡°Kousei-kun is about to enter Hekiyou. He¡¯ll be Konoha¡¯s kouhai soon.¡± ¡°This sucks. ¡­Why don¡¯t he go to Otobuki if he loves his onii-san so much¡­?¡± ¡°¡­I think I can understand how he feels. Sometimes, instead of staying next to someone you love, it¡¯s more important to live in a way that doesn¡¯t bother him.¡± ¡°¡­Just like a certain game developer who¡¯s trying her best to make games?¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± I smiled, and Konoha answered me with a cheerful one too. I stood up from the bench and reached my hand to Konoha. ¡°Well, Konoha, it¡¯s time for us to go! I¡¯m cheered up after hearing Kousei-kun¡¯s story!¡± ¡°What a coincidence, onee-chan. The story just then aroused my lust- no, miraculous energy inside my body.¡± Konoha answered and held my hand. So, we¡­hid our feelings for our loved ones and walked towards the amusement park filled with dreams. Karen Tendou ¡°Bleugh¡­¡± A couple is sitting on the bench inside the park and vomiting embarrassingly- which is us. Amano-kun, who¡¯s pale and crying, protested to me countless times today. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say this again and again before, Tendou-san¡­!? You can¡¯t aim for a high score in teacups¡­!¡± ¡°Y-You did say that before, Amano-kun! But, when you said, ¡®Don¡¯t do it!¡¯ that firmly, it just makes my character setting go wild and try to do something- bleugh!¡± ¡°Why must you only show your artist¡¯s side at moments like this¡­!? Bleugh¡­¡± We can¡¯t go back like this, no matter what. So, we can only moan aimlessly. The dizziness toned down after around 3 minutes. During this time, Amano-kun startedining again. ¡°By the way, it¡¯s not just the teacups, Tendou-san.¡± ¡°W-What do you mean?¡± ¡°You know what I mean. You said, ¡®Hey, how about we take off our raincoats? The one that can avoid the most water wins.¡¯ in the water slides. Both of us ended up soaked!¡± ¡°Ho, I won either way.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s because I had to protect you from that giant wave.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°When we were on the go-karts, Tendou-san¡¯s need for speed nearly broke the brake and the engine. The staff got really mad at us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s their problem to not prepare the equipment that can be used by me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a go-kart if it can handle a professional racer¡¯s control.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even so, I still understand why you wanted to do all that. It¡¯s just that¡­I was really annoyed when you wanted to see who uses the least time toplete ap on the carousel. My girlfriend is really too much for me.¡± ¡°N-No, Amano-kun! I was just joking!¡± ¡°Really? But you kept trying different poses when you were on it, right?¡± ¡°¡­Uh, well, I wanted to explore the techniques once I got on it.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what a terrible person would do?¡± ¡°Can you not treat your girlfriend as a terrible person!?¡± ¡°Then, finally, when we were on the teacups, you wanted to get a high score, right? ¡­I really want to ask you this now. What do you think an amusement park ride is?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a ce for couples and friends to have fun¡­as we train with each other.¡± ¡°Thosest 6 words aren¡¯t necessary!¡± ¡°What was that, Amano-kun? You have a problem with my philosophy too?¡± ¡°N-No, I¡¯m not! But¡­¡± ¡°Ho, ¡­I¡¯m disappointed with you, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Yeah, how did I end up being the bad guy in this conversation?¡± Amano-kun looked unconvinced. I took a deep breath and stood up from the bench. Then, I smiled and said this to him casually. ¡°Amano-kun, I¡¯ll go buy a drink.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, I¡¯ll buy it for you¡­¡± He tried to stand up after saying that. I stopped him. Then, ¡­I smiled again and continued sarcastically. ¡°No, I¡¯m much faster and more efficientpared to you.¡± ¡°Uwah¡­¡± Amano-kun is pissed. After staring at him for a while, I hmphed and turned around like it¡¯s goodbye. I started making my way to the vending machine. ¡­Of course, we¡¯re not really arguing. Half of it is a joke. However, my body does feel ufortable (which I deserved). Right now, I¡¯m a bit frustrated. (I also don¡¯t hate¡­enjoying the date normally too¡­) I took big steps forward as I remembered what happened today. It¡¯s just like what Amano-kun said. Most of the rides in the park aren¡¯t designed forpetition. I know that. Even though I know that, ¡­whenever I¡¯m with him, I really want to fill up this silence. ¡­So, I covered my embarrassment by asking for a match with him. (It¡¯s because smiling at each other on the teacups¡­is too embarrassing!) I bet Amano-kun must¡¯ve felt the same. It¡¯s because both of us are weird. ¡­A normal and romantic date is incredibly embarrassing for us. Even when we were at the pool date, both of us flung water at each otherpetitively. I walked faster toward the vending machine. After that, I saw a couple hugging each other tightly under the tree. They are dressed a bit weirdly. ¡°Unlike those fallen souls in the family restaurant, I¡¯ll only love you¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy! Yeah, we¡¯re totally different from those unconsciously cheating criminals!¡± W-What are they talking about? Some couples express their feelings in such a strange way? I nced at them as I dashed forward. ¡­However, I suddenly noticed something. (If that¡¯s normal, ¡­will Amano-kun and I never progress for our whole life?) ¡­¡­¡­¡­ No, no, no, no, no, that¡¯s impossible. We started going out already. This generation is different from those roms during the Showa period. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ (I feel like we have a self-proimed normie couple that made zero progress so far¡­) I put my hand on my forehead. Y-Yeah, that¡¯s an exception, right. Amano-kun and I are different. We already started dating, ¡­dating¡­ (Did we even make any progress thest time we started dating?) I finally started wrapping my hands around my head. ¡­N-No, we kissed. Yeah, that¡¯s right, ¡­but that was when we were breaking up. Everything is mixed together. Under that extremely awkward atmosphere, I made up my mind and pulled that event off. I think that kiss can be ssified as a painful memory. ¡­Hmm. (Eh, don¡¯t tell me we can never get into an honest good mood?) I finally arrived at the vending machine. However, I stood there and started twisting my body around. ¡­Hey, what¡¯s wrong with that? Don¡¯t tell me, ¡­don¡¯t tell me that we¡¯ll only keep being normal gaming friends if Amano-kun and I keep our gamer¡¯s side? No, that¡¯s right. It has to be right. It¡¯s because I¡¯ll turn something into apetition whenever it gets too embarrassing. The same goes for Amano-kun. He canin about those things non-stop. In other words, our interaction- will self-destruct if we don¡¯t talk about games! (At this point, our gamer¡¯s side is dragging our feet¡­!) If that¡¯s the case, ¡­if that¡¯s the case! (I should¡¯ve not loved games in the first ce¡­!) I can¡¯t keep my appearance and say my regrets out loud. ¡­Well, it¡¯s useless to sigh here. Let¡¯s get back to him for now and deepen our rtionship. I stood up forcefully and looked at the drinks on the machine. ¡°Hmm? Eh?¡± During this time, I think I saw a familiar seaweed head opposite the vending machine. Also, that seaweed head immediately hid inside the shadow. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± After I confirmed that it¡¯s her, I turned my face to the side to see- ¡°A-Ahem! Hey, can you just get your juice and leave?¡± -Someone suddenly got mad at me just as I¡¯m about to do that. ¡°Eh, ah, I¡¯m sorry!¡± I apologized in reflex and turned around. Then, I realized I know that person. ¡°Eh, ¡­Kase-senpai?¡± It¡¯s been two months. He¡¯s still the clever Game Club office guy, Gakuto Kase-senpai. His rarely-seen casual clothes showed his attitude. His shirt and pants are all straightened up. There are no wrinkles at all. His sses are reflecting light coldly, just as usual. He sighed and continued. ¡°Sheesh, I was thinking who¡¯s standing in front of the vending machine and causing trouble. ¡­It¡¯s my kouhai.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I moaned as I stood up. Then, I turned to him and cleared my throat. ¡°What are you doing here, senpai?¡± ¡°You stood in front of the vending machine regretting loving games, and yet you¡¯re the one to ask me that question?¡± Did he see everything? I want to cry. However, I continued refreshingly. ¡°It¡¯s because Kase-senpai and amusement park are two opposites, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impolite. I do things other than FPSs. ¡­For example, a date.¡± ¡°Eh, you¡¯re on a date!?¡± ¡°¡­Well, no.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the point of our conversation just then?¡± I sighed and chuckled after that. -This is nostalgic. Thest time I saw him was on the final day of the club activity ¨C March 14. It¡¯s just that I started going out with Amano-kun immediately after that. Moreover, the fact that Kase-senpai and Nina-senpai graduated is still pretty strong. So, I¡¯m already missing them, even though it¡¯s not been that long. Kase-senpai continued in relief. ¡°Even though this isn¡¯t a date, I dide with a girl.¡± ¡°Eh, really? Who? Do I know her?¡± ¡°Ha, what do you mean by do you know her? ¡­It¡¯s Oiso, Nina Oiso.¡± ¡°Eh!? T-That¡¯s still a date, am I right!?¡± Senpai¡¯s progress in the rtionship immediately hyped me up. However, Kase-senpai shook his head dumbfoundedly. ¡°Well, sorry to make you so excited, but that¡¯s really not true¡­¡± ¡°But you two came to the park on the weekend, right!?¡± ¡°Ah, well, yeah, you can say that¡­¡± ¡°Right!? So what other reasons do you two have other than a date¡­!?¡± Just as I¡¯m asking him in excitement, a weird announcement can be heard inside the park. ¡°There will be a special event at 2 PM today. The professional fighting game yer Tamata¡¯s < 100 Children Challenge > is about to begin. There is still some time left for registration, so please participate if you have the chance. I repeat. Today-¡° ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡­Uh, ¡­yes, ¡­t-this isn¡¯t a date¡­¡± ¡°Right? Well, even though that¡¯s not the only reason we came to the park¡­¡± Kase-senpai dropped his shoulders as he said that. ¡­I can feel a certain sense of courage in the person that apanied her to events like this. ¡­Yeah, I shouldn¡¯t point that out. It makes me sad. ¡°By the way, I think I just heard it¡¯s for children. ¡­Does Nina-senpai want to join too?¡± ¡°Yeah, she said something along the lines of ¡®It didn¡¯t specify an age requirement¡­¡¯ Normal people will feel dumbfounded, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, Nina-senpai will be kicked out when she¡¯s standing with other people, right¡­¡± ¡°That girl did make preparations for this.¡± ¡°H-Her preparation is¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask. You¡¯ll regret it as a kouhai.¡± ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t. I feel like I¡¯ll really regret it.¡± We sighed heavily at the same time. Kase-senpai cleared his throat and changed the topic. ¡°How about you? Are you going on a date with Keita Amano or someone like that?¡± ¡°What do you mean by someone like that? He¡¯s the only guy, right. ¡­Sheesh, you¡¯re still really thick-lined when ites to love.¡± I was dumbfounded. However, his words did remind me of my goal. Anyway, I bought two bottles of tea from the vending machine. After that, I stood aside to let Kase-senpai get his. He just bought an energy drink for himself and started chugging it down right away. ¡°¡­Yeah, ¡­you¡¯re¡­not on a date at all¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me those pity eyes, Tendou. What¡¯s wrong with buying my own drinks?¡± ¡°Well, ¡­hmm, ¡­there¡¯s nothing wrong¡­since you¡¯re Kase-senpai¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re still really impolite.¡± We chatted with each other as we left the vending machine. Both of us walked at the same pace. ¡­Come to think of it, our goal is a date without bumping into any acquaintances. ¡­Well, Kase-senpai and Nina-senpai don¡¯t count, right? After all, these two are in no way obstacles to our love. Basically, they are just side characters that can be treated as roadside pebbles. ¡°You¡¯re thinking something impolite again, right, Tendou?¡± ¡°This is such a disgusting way to use your observance developed from FPSs. You know you won¡¯t be popr if this continues, right?¡± Senpai crushed the energy drink can in his hand. Some of the liquid sshed onto his sses. ¡­Y-Yeah, let¡¯s stop the sarcasm. I changed the topic. ¡°But I¡¯m really surprised, you know? Although I feel sorry to say this, I thought Kase-senpai...is someone who I¡¯ll never see in my life again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s dumbfoundedly impolite. Of course, I¡¯ll show up, right. It¡¯s just graduation. I¡¯m not dead. Also, Oiso and I chose a local college.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Indeed, even though these two already graduated, they are going to a nearby college. They also promised to show up in the Game Club sometimes. So, in reality, their actual graduation isn¡¯t that sad. This is also why I can mess with him casually. ¡­In reality, if Kase-senpai is really going somewhere far away, I would be very touched to see him again right now. ¡­However, I¡¯ll probably keep this inside my heart since it pisses me off. I can feel the heat of the two bottles of green tea on my stomach as I continued. ¡°So, how¡¯s your college life going?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just more freedom. I¡¯m having fun. ¡­Although I wanted to say that, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that different from my high school life.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°While my life did change, it¡¯s just mainly based on games. It¡¯s the same for Oiso and me. This is what I meant when nothing changed much. ¡­Games are still very enjoyable.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I can¡¯t help but smile after hearing the word ¡°enjoyable¡± from his mouth. Kase-senpai looked away a bit awkwardly and continued. ¡°Well, ¡­we do feel empty when the Game Club daily life disappears from us, maybe.¡± ¡°Wow, Kase-senpai¡¯s embarrassed. I¡¯m freaking out.¡± ¡°You are really¡­¡± Kase-senpai said this with a bitter smile. It looks like he grew more mature. He walked next to me and changed the topic again. ¡°Come to think of it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no Game Club in our college, but they are thinking whether they should create one. Of course, Oiso and I will be joining. Think about it, ¡®those two¡¯ visited the Game Club before¡­¡± ¡°Ah, right! That would be great!¡± I forgot about them already. Those two college students, who are also Amano-kun and my gaming partners, are in the same school as senpais. [Kiriya and Saika from DLC.] The conversation grew from here. So, just as I asked Kase-senpai about his college life, senpai changed the topic again. ¡°Come to think of it, where¡¯s Keita Amano? We¡¯ve walked for a long time. I¡¯m walking with you simply because I want to send you to him.¡± ¡°Uh, send? ¡­No one will attack me in the park, right.¡± ¡°Hmm, well, probably. ¡­But, you¡¯re an important kouhai, after all¡­¡± Senpai looks a bit confused. He¡¯s weirdly adorable. I didn¡¯t tease him about this. Instead, I dragged the conversation back. ¡°Well, if we¡¯re talking about Amano-kun, he¡¯s right there. Look, he¡¯s at the bench-¡° I pointed to the bench in front. However- ¡°¡­There¡¯s no one there.¡± Kase-senpai pushed his sses and mumbled. ¡­Hmm. ¡­Hmm? ¡°I-Impossible, ¡­eh?¡± Although I hastily dashed to the bench, he¡¯s nowhere in sight. The small argument we had earlier shed in my mind. My face went pale. Don¡¯t tell me Amano-kun doesn¡¯t want anything to do with me anymore¡­!? N-No, that¡¯s impossible. ¡­It should be impossible! However, that totally inconsiderate senpai said this half-jokingly from behind. ¡°What? He doesn¡¯t like you anymore?¡± ¡°Ha, please don¡¯tpare me to a certain four-eyed FPS guy.¡± ¡°¡­I think the bigger problem is how aggressive you¡¯re today, right? Well, anyway, Keita Amano doesn¡¯t seem to be here.¡± ¡°Phew, ¡­we just don¡¯t see him. It¡¯s too early to determine that he¡¯s not here, right?¡± ¡°Can you not freak out with such a calm face?¡± ¡°He must¡¯ve finally ascended to a noble casual gamer that no hardcore gamers can see. Come to think of it, that¡¯s why Kase-senpai and I can¡¯t see him.¡± ¡°¡­I-I¡¯m leaving, Tendou. It¡¯s time for me to meet up with Oiso-¡° ¡°Stop right there, you irresponsible four-eyed coward.¡± ¡°I- h-hey, don¡¯t grab my clothes! Alright, alright!¡± Senpai choked and turned back helplessly. He pushed his sses. ¡°Let¡¯s ignore your stupid imagination just then. He must¡¯ve just left for another ce, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that Amano-kun will abandon his cute girlfriend?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so narcissistic while keeping a serious face. Perhaps he just went to the bathroom?¡± ¡°Ha? Amano-kun will never go to the bathroom, you know?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t be so attracted to him.¡± Nope, Kase-senpai is seriously dumbfounded right now. I cleared my throat with a cough. ¡°Anyway, he could¡¯ve sent me a message first¡­¡± I checked my phone after saying that. Yeah, there are no messages. At this point, Kase-senpai began thinking of the possibilities. ¡°A sudden disappearance without any chance to use the phone, ¡­that would be kidnapping, right?¡± ¡°¡­Uh, hey, this will really go south if even Kase-senpai starts losing your mind, okay?¡± ¡°You knew that you were losing your mind. ¡­Don¡¯t get mad at me.¡± ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s forget about kidnapping now¡­¡± Just as I¡¯m about to continue- Kase-senpai suddenly noticed something and moved. ¡°Ah, there are other couples on the bench over there, right? Let¡¯s go ask them.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, wait¡­!¡± After that, Kase-senpai walked to that couple. They are cuddling each other and are clearly in a good mood. This senpai is so damn inconsiderate. However, unfortunately, the couple that¡¯s about to kiss didn¡¯t notice the dense idiot behind them. ¡­Sigh. In the end, I didn¡¯t manage to stop him. The four-eyed FPS guy interrupted them before they kissed. ¡°Can I interrupt?¡± No, you absolutely can¡¯t. It¡¯s more like this is the worst timing possible. Obviously, those two poor souls straightened their bodies stiffly. Then, they stood up and turned around. The guy asked Kase-senpai very nervously. ¡°Y-Y-Y-Y-Yes! W-W-W-W-What¡¯s wrong!? ¡­Uh, hey? Kase-senpai?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± We freaked out after his reaction. Wait, that guy is¡­ ¡°Oh? ¡­Isn¡¯t this Mizumi?¡± He¡¯s our Otobuki Game Club¡¯s member, Eiichi Mizumi. He greeted us anxiously. ¡°Ah, yes. It¡¯s been a while, Kase-senpai. ¡­Uh, hey, Tendou-san¡¯s here too?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, ¡­hello.¡± Both of us greeted each other confusedly. Anyway, Mizumi-kun sighed in relief and started introducing the girl next to him, ¡­who is also the only girl he ever mentioned. ¡°Ah, t-this is my sister-inw, Riki.¡± After hearing that introduction, ¡­Kase-senpai and I immediately smiled mischievously. ¡°Eh, ¡­your sister-inw?¡± ¡°Tck¡­¡± Mizumi-kun started moaning as if he¡¯s caught in a terrible situation. Riki curled up next to him in embarrassment. She¡¯s too shy to look at us. What an adorable girl. However, even so, he already went this far with his sister-inw in a year. ¡­Mizumi-kun is surely working his way up the light novel MCdder. He wanted to divert the conversation away from him and changed the topic forcefully. His calmness disappeared. ¡°Uh, ¡­is Tendou-san and Kase-senpai¡­dating now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just joking. Yeah, I¡¯m really apologizing. Can you two please don¡¯t stare at me like a delinquent in a shonen manga?¡± Mizumi-kun asked again after he apologized. ¡°If that¡¯s not the case, why are you two together¡­?¡± ¡°Kase-senpai and I just bumped into each other. I came here with Amano-kun, while Kase-senpai is with Nina-senpai.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­Well, where¡¯s the most important Amano-kun-¡° ¡°That¡¯s what we want to ask. He should be sitting on the bench there. Do you know something, Mizumi-kun?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah. Well, ¡­uh. Hmm, ¡­but what is this situation¡­?¡± ¡°?¡± Mizumi-kun looked at the sky and started thinking for some reason. ¡°But I should say this, ¡­right..? Hmm¡­?¡± ¡°Hey? Well, ¡­Mizumi-kun? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Ah, Tendou-san, ¡­well, let me check once again. Tendou-san wants to meet up with Amano-kun as soon as possible, ¡­right?¡± ¡°Of course, why are you still asking that?¡± ¡°I-I guess so. ¡­Ugh, well, whatever. Uh, I actually saw Amano-kun. He was on that bench.¡± ¡°Eh, really?¡± Then why didn¡¯t he just say it? Just as I¡¯m confused, Mizumi-kun carefully chose his words and continued. ¡°It¡¯s just that, well, ¡­how should I say it? He left before I got to greet him¡­¡± ¡°Ah, really? That¡¯s great. Then where is he now?¡± ¡°Uh, well, ¡­it¡¯s¡­hard to say¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll say this ahead first. That person must have her own reasons. She should¡¯ve considered it before as well. So, I hope you can keep your cool. Don¡¯t just get mad at her, okay¡­?¡± ¡°Ha? Hey, what are you talking about? What happened to Amano-kun?¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­well, ¡­if I have to say it-¡° Mizumi-kun paused for a moment awkwardly. ¡­Finally, he scratched his face and confessed. ¡°I think someone suddenly dragged his arms and pulled him away. By the way, that someone is Main Fushiguro-san.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± My head got dizzy for a moment. Then, Kase-senpai and I looked at each other. The hypothesis we had before meeting Mizumi-kun¡­turned out to be true. ¡°He got kidnapped.¡± Keita Amano The demon king kidnapped me when I was waiting for my girlfriend on the bench. Hiya, I can¡¯t believe I can be kidnapped by the demon king when I was sitting on a bench. This is really a gamer¡¯s paradise, < Viva Spiel Kingdom >! They really considered everything! Hi, the gamer¡¯s paradise! ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Well, even though this only happened to me. (Sheesh, this person always arrives at the most disastrous time possible.) It¡¯s not just because I was waiting for Tendou-san. When Main-san showed up, I was staring at a girl that looks like a certain family restaurant-loving gal. ¡­Suddenly, the silver-hair demon king obstructed my entire sight. My heart nearly stopped from that. Then, the element of surprise will temporarily strip one¡¯s ability to resist and awareness of the environment away. After that, the demon king, who¡¯s a silver-hair and beautiful tyrant, dragged my arms as we walked through the park. ¡­Of course, I tried to resist after the shock. However, she mumbled next to my ears. ¡°The second drawer of the table, between the notebooks.¡± At that moment, I totally became her puppet. Also, please don¡¯t dig into this. This is the ground rule of all high school boys in Japan. Well, even if she didn¡¯t threaten me like that, my physique is way inferior to this demon king-sama. So, there¡¯s nothing I can do. Actually, I wanted to message Tendou-san. However, regrettably, I didn¡¯t have my phone in my hands. So, I can¡¯t text her. Obviously, I can¡¯t take my phone out when one of my hands is being dragged. ¡­At least let me send a message that says, < Don¡¯t find me, you¡¯ll die. > I got dragged for a while. Then, I protested to this silver-haired demon king-sama, Main Fushiguro-san for the countless time today. ¡°H-Hey, Main-san? I¡¯m still on a date with Tendou-san¡­¡± After hearing that, Main-san¡­smiled at me unexpectedly. ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t that great, Amako? So, how did your date go?¡± ¡°Yeah, please don¡¯t change my date into a past tense with a smile.¡± ¡°What, Amako? You¡¯re saying that like Karen Tendou makes you happier than I do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I meant.¡± ¡°You surely can say some weird things. I, Main Fushiguro, am the ultimate version of Karen Tendou, right?¡± ¡°I wonder who¡¯s saying some weird things!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m prettier. My abilities are better. Also, I have a stable ie, right?¡± ¡°Can you notpare your ie to a student¡¯s? It¡¯s not like that. Think about it, it¡¯s that, ¡­well, ¡­there¡¯s only one girlfriend that I¡¯ll love in the world. Her name is Tendou-san.¡± Although I¡¯m a bit embarrassed, I still retorted like that. Then, Main-san stood still and looked like she¡¯s thinking about something. ¡­After that, at the next moment, she suggested this extremely calmly. ¡°Well, after today¡¯s work, I can let you do me tonight, Amako.¡± ¡°Are you some kind of high-dimension being that doesn¡¯t understand human emotions?¡± Her suggestion came straight from an AI that doesn¡¯t understand the concept of love. It¡¯s scary. I¡¯m getting stupider the more I think about this. So, I gave up on convincing her and changed the topic to why she kidnapped me. ¡°Well, Main-san, in the end, why did you kidnap me?¡± ¡°Ho, ¡­Amako. ¡­Do I need a reason to kidnap you?¡± ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t say it with such a handsome face. It¡¯s not an amazing line at all. Quick, tell me why.¡± ¡°A guaranteed ve.¡± ¡°Herees the worst answer. Hey, you gave me back my ownership, right?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s true. But it¡¯s okay to ask for a friend¡¯s help, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just that you don¡¯t say ¡®a guaranteed ve¡¯ when you¡¯re asking a friend for help.¡± ¡°My BFF.¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote to say BFF.¡± I shrugged helplessly. Main-san loosened her grip, So, I took my hand out and decided to bid farewell to her here. ¡°Listen, ¡­I want to make Tendou-san as happy as possible today.¡± ¡°Hmm? You mean at night?¡± ¡°I mean during the daytime! Anyway, that¡¯s all. This is the only day where I won¡¯t stick with you even if you say it¡¯s for a friend¡¯s sake!¡± ¡°Is that true for the night too?¡± ¡°Yes! By the way, what¡¯s wrong with you today? You keep saying lewd things!¡± ¡°Hiya, I got quite close to a certain student council president in Hekiyou. She knows a lot of games that I didn¡¯t know about. I''m quite interested.¡± ¡°That little devil girl is finally influencing the demon king!¡± Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s the real final boss in my high school life instead of Main-san? ¡­Like I¡¯ve said before, I can¡¯t be careless up against her. Yeah. ¡­I went off-topic. I cleared my throat and turned around again. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll be leaving. This is the only day that I¡¯ll reject anything you say!¡± ¡°¡­I see. Well, I guess so. I can¡¯t control my friends.¡± Then, Main-san showed a lonely smile. I was a bit confused by the unusual reaction. However, it would be game over if I give in here. I made up my mind and took a step to the bench, where I departed with Tendou-san- ¡°¡­Then I can only go find Mii myself. Goodbye, Amako.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°Hiya, I feel like I¡¯m urging you. Sorry, Amako.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± After a couple minutes, a cheerful demon king appeared with her servant, trying his best to find a little girl. ¡­The world is hard, I¡¯m telling you. However, you¡¯re cold-hearted if you don¡¯t do anything after hearing that. Sigh, it can¡¯t be helped. In fact, after I texted Tendou-san, she immediately answered, < I¡¯ll go look for her too! Let¡¯s meet upter. > ¡­How should I put it? I really love this part of Tendou-san. Although she can lose it sometimes, she¡¯s a good girl who¡¯s willing to sacrifice herself. She¡¯ll end up losing something most of the time. ¡­That¡¯s why I like this adorable side of her. I chuckled as I looked at the text. Main-san said this dumbfoundedly. ¡°How should I say this? ¡­I don¡¯t want to say this, but you two really suit each other.¡± ¡°Hmm? I don¡¯t really understand, but thank you. However, forget about that. Let¡¯s find Mii-chan as soon as possible!¡± ¡°¡­Ha, ¡®forget that.¡¯ You guys are really¡­¡± Main-san showed a rare and gentle smile. I was dazed for a second. But, I immediately snapped out of it and searched the surroundings as I walked in front of Main-san. Even though this is a rural amusement park, it¡¯s the weekend, after all. I can hear screams non-stop from the rides. The za is filled with familiesing to y. There are too many children around to find a lost one. Finding a lost child in a park during the weekend has to be the worst spot-the-difference game ever. Even so, I tried my best to observe my surroundings and asked Main-san. ¡°So, Main-san, did you ask the lost children center?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. It¡¯s just that the center¡­is no more.¡± ¡°No more? What¡¯s with that < Resident Evil > description?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that different. By the way, I don¡¯t know why there are so many lost kids in the center today. That¡¯s already a pretty serious situation¡ªthe cries and screams of the childrenposed an extremely annoying orchestra. The staff is all busy. Finally, one of their bald managers lost it and yelled angrily. ¡­It¡¯s like Ca¡¯s hell.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­that¡¯s really no more¡­¡± Perhaps that ce already turned into < Roon City >. Main-san continued. ¡°Anyway, I submitted a report and checked every child there, but she¡¯s not there. Then, I figured out that it¡¯s better to look for her myself instead of staying in a chaotic zone like that. My mind can only take so much pollution. After I left the center, I saw a helping item sitting on the bench with a stupid face.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think you can stick with calling me a ve.¡± ¡°I love you, my dear friend.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± I casually answered as I bowed down to look for Mii-chan. Also, Main-san straightened her back and walked handsomely. However, I think that¡¯s just her way to look for Mii-chan with the widest angle possible. She¡¯s taller than me, after all. So, even though it seems like I¡¯m the only one searching, we did team-up. ¡­Yes, really, but barely¡­ I continued the questions as I looked for Mii-chan. ¡°By the way, Main-san, did youe with Mii-chan alone?¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­you got a problem?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± She got annoyed for some reason. Well, it¡¯s not like she¡¯s been reasonable anyway. I was a bit suspicious, but Main-san cleared her throat and dragged the conversation back. ¡°But it never works whenever I go out with Mii.¡± ¡°What do you mean by it never works? ¡­Ah,e to think of it, Mii-chan got lost the first time we met too.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°But, it¡¯s strange when you think about it, right? If Main-san cares about Mii-chan so much, and your observance and prediction are excellent¡­¡± ¡°O-Oh, ¡­you finally noticed it, ¡­Amako.¡± ¡°What?¡± Main-san¡¯s strange reaction made me turn around. She gave me a weird expression. ¡°Hey, uh, ¡­don¡¯t tell others about this. Even the perfect me has opponents that I¡¯m weak against. The best representative is- my bloodline who¡¯s always trying to hide something from me.¡± ¡°Your bloodline means¡­Aguri-san and Mii-chan?¡± ¡°Yes, for some reason, once I¡¯m with Mii and Gurisuke, I can¡¯t tell what they are sometimes thinking. In the end, Mii always loses her way. So, to avoid something like that, I set some strict rules. However, Mii still won¡¯t behave¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I can understand that¡­¡± She¡¯s a good child, but she¡¯s really carefree at her core. The girl has the same ¡°unrestricted¡± attribute as Aguri-san and Main-san. ¡°But, if she¡¯s simr to Main-san, it should be easier to predict her, right?¡± ¡°The opposite is true. It¡¯s not the same when they are with me. Although I don¡¯t want to say this, they always go beyond my imagination.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­that¡¯s how I feel about NOBE¡¯s games too.¡± I nodded. Main-san showed an uncharacteristically bitter face and continued. ¡°Then, among them, there¡¯s a cousin that I¡¯m really bad at dealing with, even though we¡¯re family.¡± ¡°It¡¯s rare for Main-san to talk in this tone. That must be¡­an incredible person too, right?¡± I can feel that she can overpower the demon king. Perhaps she¡¯ll appear as a god. I asked Main-san while holding my breath. However, she shook her head. ¡°Nope, it¡¯s the opposite. She¡¯s the dumbest girl I know, let alone incredible.¡± ¡°Oi, I can¡¯t just ignore that, Main-san. My girlfriend won¡¯t lose if you¡¯repeting against who''s the dumbest.¡± ¡°Is this where you should not admit defeat as a boyfriend? I mean, Karen Tendou is pretty dumb. But, her approach is a bit different¡­¡± ¡°Approach?¡± ¡°Hmm, well. ¡­For example, even though Karen Tendou is a bit dumb, her base abilities are still pretty high, right? She¡¯s clever and athletic-¡° ¡°Of course! It¡¯s because she¡¯s Tendou-san! She is the highest being!¡± Main-san felt a bit speechless after hearing that motivational speech of mine. ¡°O-Oh, ¡­your love is a bit too much. Sigh, anyway, Karen Tendou has high base stats. This is where my cousin falls short.¡± ¡°In other words¡­¡± ¡°Yep, my cousin is pretty dumb from the start. If you ask how dumb, she¡¯s like the weakest character in a fighting game.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that being genuinely dumb?¡± ¡°What do you mean by genuinely dumb? It¡¯s not just that. She¡¯s pretty innocent.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? She¡¯s literally the opposite of Main-san.¡± ¡°Yeah, the onlymon thing we have is that we¡¯re bothwless.¡± ¡°Such an annoying family.¡± Will Uehara-kun join this family if he marries Aguri-san? ¡­What¡¯s this? All I can say is sorry. ¡­I should be fine with Tendou-san, right? Main-san ignored my sudden surge of worry and continued. ¡°Then, even though she¡¯s a dumb cousin, ¡­for some reason, I¡¯m so bad at dealing with her.¡± ¡°Bad? You? Main-san? What do you mean?¡± From her description, Main-san should be dominating that girl, no matter what. After hearing my question, ¡­uncharacteristically, Main-san looked a bit embarrassed and distressed. She scratched her cheeks and continued. ¡°I feel very happy when she relies on me, but I always obey her orders. I¡¯ll also help her whenever she¡¯s in a pinch. Moreover, I won¡¯t leave her alone no matter how she treats me¡­¡± ¡°Is this what a domestic violence victim feels!? Hey, Main-san!? Are you okay!? Did a weird guy do something to you!?¡± ¡°Well, even so, she¡¯s a girl, after all. Her orders are pretty na?ve and innocent as well. It¡¯s not as serious as you think. Also, in reality, we don¡¯t even see each other that often. ¡°d to hear that¡­¡± I¡¯m relieved. Main-san blushed and continued mumbling. ¡°¡­This is the first time that I¡¯ve seen someone sincerely worrying about me.¡± I answered. ¡°Of course, why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Why can you hear that? This must be the eavesdropping ability Agu talked about.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a terrible name.¡± ¡°But you really like meddling in others business. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re worried about me¡­¡± Main-san chuckled as if she¡¯s treating me like an idiot. However, I asked her confusedly. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not meddling in other people¡¯s stuff. I won¡¯t worry about someone I don¡¯t care about, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Main-san? What¡¯s wrong? You aren¡¯t moving.¡± ¡°¡­Shut up. I¡¯m fine. Sheesh, you kept interrupting me. I¡¯ll continue.¡± ¡°What? Ah, sure, please¡­¡± What¡¯s with her weird attitude? I think she¡¯s just forcing herself to be angry¡­ Main-san cleared her throat again. She continued after finally calming down. ¡°Anyway, this is the only cousin I can¡¯t rebel on.¡± ¡°Ha, ..but she¡¯s totally weaker than Main-san, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s the weakest, biologically. I can kill her with my hair, not to mention my pinky.¡± ¡°Hair.¡± Should I worry about Main-san¡¯s strength or that cousin¡¯s weakness? ¡­I guess it¡¯s both. I continued the questions dumbfoundedly. ¡°By the way, what did this overwhelmingly weak girl order or ask Main-san to do?¡± ¡°Yeah, she requested some insanely hard things casually.¡± ¡°¡­If even Main-san says that it¡¯s hard-¡° ¡°That¡¯s like- ah, she asked me to do this before.¡± Main-san adjusted her tone. Then, she recreated her cousin¡¯s speech with an extremely innocent little girl¡¯s voice. How did she even do that? ¡°Ah, Main, give me a big ne!¡± ¡°How can she request something like this with an innocent face!? That¡¯s just her imagination, right!?¡± After hearing that, Main-san returned to her usual deep voice and answered calmly. ¡°I ended up spending two hours on it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re amazing in a weird way! By the way, why did you listen to her unconditionally!? You¡¯re Main Fushiguro, right!?¡± ¡°This is the problem, Amako. I¡¯m confused about it too. I¡¯m so attracted, ¡­too attracted. It¡¯s like that dumb brat has some rules that I can¡¯t vite.¡± ¡°Any examples¡­?¡± ¡°I have this feeling that I can¡¯t make her upset, something like that. I¡¯d be the enemy of the world if I made her cry.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that empty exnation? I don¡¯t understand at all¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I thought so. Hmm, ¡­well, ¡­if I have to put it in a way you can understand¡­¡± Main-san raised her finger and gave me a perfect exnation. ¡°What would happen if you killed a chicken in < Zelda >?¡± ¡°I love that exnation.¡± That¡¯s the best answer for a fanatic gamer like me. You¡¯re amazing, demon king-sama. After I understood her cousin, Main-san pressed on. ¡°Most important, she¡¯s not afraid of me at all. It looks like it¡¯s because she thinks, ¡®Main and I are super good friends!¡¯ ¡­It¡¯s hard to deal with her.¡± ¡°Yeah, ..that¡¯s Main-san¡¯s counter.¡± ¡°Yeah, ..she¡¯s my counter.¡± Main-san looked very helpless. I¡¯ve seen a lot of faces she normally wouldn¡¯t make today. ¡­No, these types of events should happen on Tendou-san, right. What¡¯s this? ¡°Can I ask what¡¯s her name?¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, perhaps you¡¯ll know her if you¡¯re in Hekiyou. Her name is Sakurano-¡° Main-san suddenly stopped and looked in a certain direction. I stood up and followed her eyes. ¡­Then, I saw an old structure. It¡¯s a bit confusing. ¡°¡­< Mirror Maze >?¡± [Main¡¯s cousin is Kirumu Sakurano, the student council president in the Seitokai series. In case you forgot, Aguri¡¯s surname is Sakurano too, as revealed in Vol.10 Ch.4. This means that Aguri and Kirumu are likely to be sisters. Also, I forgot to mention this. The masked girl in SS Ch.1 is Mafuyu Shiina, the secretary. As for Key JC Cape in Vol.3 Ch.4 and thest chapter, he¡¯s the MC, Ken Sugigaki,monly referred to as Key-kun. I¡¯ve added the exnations in those chapters.] Aguri The date with Tasuku in the amusement park went unexpectedly well. There were no issues when we were on the rollercoaster, pirate ship, and the mansion. The meals were good. We didn¡¯t get into an argument either. In other words, ¡­this is just a surprisingly happy date. ¡­However, that¡¯s why- ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong, Aguri? You feel sick?¡± Tasuku worriedly asked after I fell silent. I carefully held the ice cream on my right head as I turned back. ¡°No, it¡¯s the opposite. I¡­feel so happy that I¡¯m kind of lost.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­I can understand that.¡± Tasuku took a bite of the cone part of his chocte ice cream as he looked into the distance. ¡°I¡¯m not just talking about the Game Hobby Club. We¡¯ve always gone out together. Also, you and I are the type that gets easily worried too. It¡¯s a bit touching for the two of us to go out alone.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I smiled and answered Tasuku. ¡­Honestly, my thoughts and Tasuku are a bit different. ¡­Well, there¡¯s no need to correct it, anyway. I walked as I ate the ice cream and looked around. A lot of families came here to y during the weekend. It¡¯s lively. However, there¡¯s no one we know here. It¡¯s just like what Tasuku said. This is a rare situation for us. I bet this must be the reward of the gods that are always messing with us. Tasuku put thest bit of the cone in his mouth and continued. ¡°So, where are we going next, Aguri? ¡­Honestly, there¡¯s not much in this park.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that yet, Tasuku. Is there anywhere we haven¡¯t been to yet?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Tasuku took the map out of his pocket. We started reading all of the rides. ¡°Hmm, ¡­only the Ferris wheel and < Kizuna Dungeon >-¡° ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Tasuku wiped his sweat as he looked at the map again. After a while, he said this with a slightly upset look. ¡°Yeah, we pretty much went through everything.¡± ¡°Yeah. By the way, this is what an amusement park looks like. We just came here without thinking. This is the same as those conveyor belt sushi to me.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s as tiring as eating inside a conveyor belt sushi restaurant. Well, for me, I¡¯m the kind that¡¯ll eat everything, including the desserts too!¡± ¡°¡­Ah, ¡­that feels like what Tasuku will do.¡± I answered sarcastically. Tasuku voiced out his dissatisfaction. ¡°I can make you upset by talking about conveyor belt sushi? This is a trap. Aren¡¯t you being too mean right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just joking. But, seriously, what should we do? Do you want to go somewhere, Tasuku?¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­well, this is probably the only one. Tasuku pointed at a building at the corner of the map. I looked at it, and¡­ ¡°< Mirror Maze >?¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­just like its name, it¡¯s a maze filled with mirror walls.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s fun at all. A mirrored room totallycks yability, by the way.¡± ¡°yability?¡± Tasuku bulged his eyes shockingly. ¡­Crap, did I just say something¡­only a certain lonely gamer would say? I tried to cover it up while enjoying my ice cream. Tasuku looked like he wanted to say something, but he suppressed it and continued. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s not that interesting as a game. However, I feel like this is the best ce for couples to go in and scream. What do you think?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, probably. Well, let¡¯s go then¡­to that¡­< Mirror Maze >?¡± ¡°Yeah, here.¡± Tasuku led me to the < Mirror Maze >. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Am I imagining things? I feel like the melting ice cream doesn¡¯t taste as sweet as before. * < Mirror Maze > is just like its name, a maze filled with mirrors. You have to find a way in the endlessly reflecting maze. ¡­Honestly, it¡¯s quite boring. Even so- ¡°Hey, Tasuku, where are you touching?¡± ¡°S-Sorry, Aguri. I wasn¡¯t doing it on purpose!¡± ¡°Eh, you aren¡¯t doing it on purpose? That¡¯s regrettable.¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± It¡¯s already the best entertainment for me when I get to mess with Tasuku in the maze. Thank god. ¡­Well, even though I can¡¯t forgive all of the misunderstandings you gave us. After entering the maze, we chatted with each other for a while. But- ¡°Hey? Tasuku?¡± ¡°Huh? Aguri? Hey?¡± -Something unusual happened during the mid-game. ¡°Tasuku, where did your real body go?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line, even though I can see you in the mirrors¡­¡± Although we can see and hear each other, we don¡¯t know where our real bodies went. It looks like both of us are separated by something. ¡°We got separated.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll go look for you. Stay right there, Tasuku.¡± ¡°Oh, no, I should be the one to look for you. Stay right there.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, it¡¯s more practical for me to go back because I¡¯m at the front.¡± ¡°Ha? I should be the one to go back, right? I¡¯m at the front.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°What?¡± We started moving without propermunication. In the end- ¡°Crap¡­¡± -Things went worse. I can¡¯t see Tasuku in the mirror anymore. It can¡¯t be helped. I stood still and called Tasuku. ¡°Tasuku?¡± ¡°¡­Hey.¡± I think he answered, but I didn¡¯t understand what he¡¯s saying. ¡­Well, it¡¯s a cramped ce, after all. So, he can hear me if I yell. But I¡¯m not a kid, ¡­right? Our distance grew as a weird sense of self-esteem surfaced in my heart. Finally, I can¡¯t sense Tasuku anymore. ¡­Ah, crap. (I¡¯m sorry for underestimating you, < Mirror Maze >. Your difficulty is still very high.) The hardcore maze struck down the cheerful couple relentlessly. It¡¯s like an anthill. I guess this is the true body of < Mirror Maze >. How evil. That¡¯s why we can¡¯t see any couples beside us. ¡°Ha¡­¡± The sessful date finally met its first obstacle. I sighed. Well, there¡¯s nothing I can do. So, I made my way to the finish line instead of meeting up with Tasuku. I looked around again. The lights are bright in the prologue area without that many mirrors. It¡¯s a simple setup for a maze. However, right now, it¡¯s dim, and there are more mirrors. The roads are crossing into each other. The structure is getting moreplicated. ¡°Sigh, this sucks¡­!¡± It looks like this < Mirror Maze > is trying to kill all couples thinking that they can flirt with each other without any interruptions here. I don¡¯t think any of this can be used. The same goes for the god-forsaken < Kizuna Dungeon >. This < Viva Spiel Kingdom >¡¯s rides must be designed by a guy who hates couples a lot. ¡°Right, let¡¯s walk to the end instead of meeting up.¡± Perhaps I can see Tasuku sooner this way. I started making my way to the end after calming down. As I moved forward, the lights got dimmer and dimmer. Finally, an unsettling BGM started ying. ¡°Ugh, ¡­this is too much for a trap in an amusement park¡­!¡± I can see the overflowing hate of couples. I want to meet with Tasuku as soon as possible. It¡¯s more like now that I¡¯m this scared, it¡¯s fine even if it¡¯s not Tasuku. As long as someone can- ¡°-Eh?¡± ¡­Just as I¡¯m thinking about that, one of the mirrors seems to be showing my family restaurant partner, ¡­Amanhi. However, he immediately disappeared. ¡­Was it my imagination? However, even if that¡¯s the case, why did I see Amanhi instead of Tasuku¡­? I called out in Amanhi¡¯s direction withplicated emotions. ¡°Amanhi?¡± No response. However, I didn¡¯t give up. Instead, I took a step forward. At the next moment- ¡°Ouch.¡± ¡°?¡± Something soft and small suddenly bumped onto my waist. I can¡¯t help but hold it before looking down. I saw¡­a familiar face. ¡°¡­Eh? ¡­Mii?¡± ¡°Hmm? Hey, Aguri-nee-chan!¡± The little girl bulged her eyes and looked at me. She took a step back and greeted me with her usual serious pose. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s been a while. How are you doing?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this just a normal meeting? Well, it¡¯s a bit surprising to see you here¡­¡± At this point, I noticed something and looked around. Then, Mii understood what I¡¯m trying to say and added. ¡°Ah, Mom¡¯s not here.¡± ¡°Eh? Really?¡± ¡°Rx, onee-chan. ¡­Your Mii-chan just lost her way as usual.¡± ¡°You know I¡¯m worrying about other things.¡± I can¡¯t help but sigh. Well, indeed, it¡¯s usual for Mii to lose her way. ¡°Did Mii get lost in < Mirror Maze > with Mai-nee too?¡± ¡°Hoho, please don¡¯t underestimate Mii-chan, onee-chan. ¡­I got separated with Mom 5 minutes after entering the park.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t praise yourself. By the way, you lost your way, and you still decided to get in the maze?¡± ¡°Phew, ¡­I also inherited onee-chan¡¯s gamer¡¯s side.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not even cool.¡± ¡°Alright, Aguri-nee-chan, let us escape this ce together.¡± ¡°How can you be so confident when you get lost?¡± ¡°¡­Please save me.¡± The little girl cried and begged me. I stroked her hair and gently said, ¡°Sigh, you can¡¯t be helped.¡± After that, I held her hand to avoid losing her again. ¡­I should¡¯ve done that with Tasuku. After a while, Mii calmed down and asked. ¡°By the way, did Aguri-nee-chane here with Keita-nii-chan?¡± ¡°Eh? No, why did you ask?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you were calling Keita-nii-chan.¡± ¡°A-Ah¡­¡± It¡¯s because of that. For some reason, I felt a bit ufortable. I scratched my head and answered. ¡®Tasuku came with me. However, I think I just saw Amanhi for a second there. ¡­That must be my imagination.¡± In fact, I don¡¯t think Amanhi wille here today. What happened in < Kizuna Dungeon > should keep Tendou-san and him out of this ce. Just as I¡¯m thinking about that, Mii raised her head and stared at me, ¡°Hmph.¡± ¡­Then, she got right onto the point. ¡°I feel like Aguri-nee-chan always wants to see Keita-nii-chan.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I looked at Mii shockingly. ¡­After that, Mii used her usual innocent eyes that felt a bit brutal to look at me. ¡°It¡¯s because Aguri-nee-chan is always talking about Keita-nii-chan.¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­I guess so.¡± Indeed, I always talk about Amanhi. However, instead of saying I think about him every day, it¡¯s more like he¡¯s the topic of chattering. On the contrary, I feel nothing but happiness whenever I¡¯m with Tasuku. So, surprisingly, there¡¯s not much to talk about him. However, Mii didn¡¯t seem to understand. She continued the questions. ¡°Aguri-nee-chan loves Keita-nii-chan?¡± ¡°Hiya, it¡¯s been a while since Ist received your direct assault.¡± I can¡¯t help but bitterly smile after hearing this question. This is something that I¡¯ve thought about for a long time to the point that it annoys me. ¡­Then, when an innocent child asked me about it, I seemed to have understood something. I put my hand on the mirror and looked into my eyes. ¡­Then, I revealed my true feelings to her. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just like what you said. I love Amanhi. I really love him.¡± ¡°As a friend?¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± I lowered my head and gave Mii a bitter smile. Then, I put my finger on my lips and answered. ¡°Don¡¯t tell the others about this. Actually, I think he¡¯s not that bad as a boyfriend.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Perhaps girls at her age like to talk about love. Mii¡¯s eyes brightened up. I continued. ¡°I feel weird about this too. Right now, Amanhi is an irreceable person in my life. That¡¯s like¡­family, even though we knew each other for less than a year.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s already fate.¡± ¡°Yeah, perhaps it¡¯s really fate for me to think he¡¯s this important despite the short time. However, that¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why?¡± Mii asked. I smiled and answered. ¡°Amanhi and I think that this is already enough.¡± ¡°Enough¡­?¡± Mii thought about it. I continued. ¡®I really love Amanhi, sincerely. ¡­However, that¡¯s not the ¡®love¡¯ in both Amanhi¡¯s and my imagination, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it. What does that mean? What is love?¡± ¡°That¡¯s an even harder question. If I have to put it in a way Mii understands¡­¡± I thought about Tasuku and smiled at Mii. ¡°I want more. That would be the ¡®love¡¯ for us, maybe?¡± ¡°More, ¡­I see.¡± Mii looked like she understood. ¡­It¡¯ll be scary if she really got it. I can¡¯t help but pat her head. (¡­This girl will fall in love one day too, right? Well, when that moment arrives, ¡­I hope our experience can guide Mii to a happier path.) Love has many forms. Perhaps someone may feel that the feeling between Amanhi and me is love. That¡¯s probably the correct answer. However, we¡¯re the only ones that get to decide what¡¯s the correct answer. ¡°Hey, Aguri-nee-chan, I think that side is brighter!¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right! Nice one, Mii!¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go!¡± Mii pulled my hand as she dashed to the bright area. I followed her and mumbled inside my heart. (Well, if you ask me¡­whether I want to do more with Amanhi, it¡¯s not aplete no.) This is like admitting that I¡¯m cheating. We were a bit embarrassed when we said let¡¯s visit the hot springs together in the restaurant. I think that¡¯s the evidence. There¡¯s no reason for us to be shy if we''re a family that doesn¡¯t want to do more. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s really the end, Aguri-nee-chan! Uh, that¡¯s-¡° ¡°¡­Tasuku?¡± ¡°Aguri! Oh, Aguri!¡± My boyfriend ran up to me with a face full of tears after I got out. He ignored Mii¡¯s dumbfounded expression and hugged me tightly. ¡°Thank god, Aguri. I¡¯m so useless, too useless¡­¡± ¡°Hey, why? You¡¯re overreacting. I just got lost in the maze¡­¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter! Whether it¡¯s the maze or not, I couldn¡¯t stay with you until the end. I regret it! I¡¯m so useless!¡± ¡°Tasuku¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, thank god you¡¯re here. Thank you¡­¡± Tasuku hugged me tightly. He kept mumbling in relief. I patted his back gently. Then, I looked at Mii, who¡¯s still dumbfounded, and told her this with my eyes. Yeah,pared to others, I want to know this person more. -More, and more. Chiaki Hoshinomori ¡°No, never!¡± ¡°Eh, what¡¯s wrong? Let us fall with fear in this vortex of happiness!¡± Konoha persuaded me stubbornly. However, I rejected her determinedly. ¡°I said no. Konoha can go fall if you want to.¡± ¡°Why? It would be a waste¡­for me to fall alone! I want to hear onee-chan¡¯s moans next to me!¡± ¡°What kind of wish is that? That¡¯s enough. Go enjoy it yourself, Konoha. This-¡° ¡°-drop tower.¡± ¡°Eh? Let¡¯s fall together, onee-chan.¡± My little sister seduced me erotically. I think our definition of ¡°fall¡± is a bit different. Am I just imagining things? I refused for a couple more minutes. Finally, Konoha pouted in dissatisfaction and left. ¡°Alright, alright, I got it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go by myself then. Onee-chan can enjoy yourself on the bench over there. No need to mind the others.¡± ¡°Alright, I know. I¡¯m just taking a normal break. Don¡¯t mind me, go.¡± ¡°I know. ¡­Tck, even though a violent movement like this will feel so good.¡± Konoha said strange things as she got in the line. I sat on the bench helplessly and looked at the park again. It¡¯s the evening. The color of the sunset is starting to paint the entire < Viva Spiel Kingdom >. This just makes the whole vibe more fantastical. I really like this. However, I can already see everyone getting exhausted. Konoha waved at me in the line to the drop tower. I waved back at her gently too. Right there, ¡­I think it¡¯s called < Mirror Maze >, I think I saw Keita over there. ¡­Hmm? It seems that¡­someone is pulling Keita, ¡­hmm? The roles got reversed? What? Don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s Keita and Main- ¡°Ha¡­¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± -Suddenly, a woman came into view. She looks like she lost her soul. Her hair covered her face like I was in the past. For some reason, she¡¯s walking straight to me. (What? What is this? What¡¯s happening? Help me! I¡¯m scared!) The scariest part is that this woman¡­is wearing a child¡¯s school bag. She¡¯s standing in front of the sunset. Although children these days get plenty of nutrition, her figure clearly doesn¡¯t look like an elementary student¡­ By the way, even an elementary student won¡¯t wear a school bag in an amusement park during the weekends. In other words, a person with a menacing aura is approaching me. I wanted to stand up. However, at the next moment, I heard a familiar voice. ¡°Rare to see you here, Chiaki Hoshinomori.¡± ¡°-Eek?¡± This person knows me for some reason. ¡­I¡¯m even more terrified when a woman dressed like this knows my name. My body lost all of its strength. I sat on the bench as I waited for her while trembling. Finally, she came in front of me. ¡­The woman raised her hair and said this. ¡°It¡¯s me, Chiaki Hoshinomori. ¡­Nina Oiso from the Game Club, did you forget?¡± ¡°Eh¡­? Oiso¡­-senpai?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I carefully looked at her face. It¡¯s really her, Nina Oiso-senpai. We fought with Karen-san and Main-san together on < Sutoshisu > a few days ago. Just as I felt speechless, senpai looked behind her for a moment. After she checked something, ¡­she mumbled, ¡°Very well.¡± Then, she sat next to me and hugged the school bag with her arms. I remained speechless. ¡­However, I suddenly remembered the person who resembled Keita. So, I looked at < Mirror Maze >¡¯s direction again. However, that person isn¡¯t there already. ¡­I think it¡¯s really just my imagination. I rubbed my eyes. Oiso-senpai spoke up. ¡°Thanks for the work, Chiaki Hoshinomori.¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, yes, thanks for the work, Oiso-senpai. ¡­Uh?¡± ¡°I came here with my friend. Are you, ¡­oh, you came here with your little sister?¡± Oiso-senpai saw Konoha in the line to the drop tower. Although I¡¯m a bit confused, I still nodded and answered her. ¡°Yes.¡± Oiso-senpai said, ¡°I see.¡± We fell silent. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ (¡­W-What is happening? I¡¯m not that close to her! What should I say!? I bet she knows this too. Why did she sit next to me!? Also, most importantly, ¡­what¡¯s with this mood!? I really want to ask her about the school bag, but I can¡¯t!) My heart is all messed up. Sigh, ¡­at this point, I can understand why some people don¡¯t like NOBE. The unknown elements often pressure the people with hints too much. I should aim to improve this, ¡­but I won¡¯t change my style. Two introverts sat together and spent their hellish silent time. The worst part is that this senpai doesn¡¯t seem to mind this silence at all. She ys by her own rules. However, I¡¯m absolutely not that kind of person. Even so, there¡¯s nothing I can talk about with Oiso-senpai¡­ ¡°¡­U-Uh, ¡­well¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong, Chiaki Hoshinomori?¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­hey, ¡­what¡¯s with the school bag?¡± In the end, I brought up something I should¡¯ve never talked about. This is why I¡¯m lonely. Although I know that doesn¡¯t work, I still mentioned it. Mymunication skills suck. When faced with this question, even senpai looks shaken for a moment. ¡­However, she immediately sighed as if she gave up. ¡°Hoshinomori, ¡­do you know there¡¯s this < 100 Children Challenge > held by a professional fighting game yer today?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. It¡¯s for kids, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Hmm? Uh, so? What does that have to do with the school bag-¡° ¡°¡­We stood together.¡± ¡°Ha?¡± ¡°Ah, in other words, I wore my school bag¡­and stood next to them. That¡¯s what I did.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Hiya, what¡¯s happening? I¡¯m getting dizzy for some reason. Hey, ¡­don¡¯t tell me this person is way more stubborn than I think? Konoha finally got on the tower. I asked her with a trembling voice in every sense. ¡°So, ¡­what happened in the end?¡± ¡°Fufu¡­¡± After hearing my question, Oiso-senpai showed an empty smile. She squinted her eyes and looked at the sunset. ¡°The staff members bitterly smiled and persuaded me to leave politely¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Dumb! Upsetting! Embarrassing! This is that kind of situation! The worst one! It¡¯s better to be yelled at or teased! The most humiliating thing for us to be persuaded by adults politely! I felt the same emotion and blushed. Oiso-senpai also shook her head and put her hands on her face. ¡°¡­Kill me¡­!¡± ¡°Ugh! Please don¡¯t mind it, senpai! Don¡¯t mind it, ¡­ah, I don¡¯t know how tofort you at all! It¡¯s just another page of your little college life drama, right!?¡± ¡°I just¡­I just wanted to fight with a professional yer¡­!¡± ¡°I-I get it. I understand! Even though I¡¯m not a hardcore gamer, if my admired creator got an autograph event for children, I¡¯ll definitely try my luck too! Yes!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! Thank you, Chiaki Hoshinomori¡­!¡± ¡°Y-Yes, ¡­no sweat. Don¡¯t mind it!¡± I can¡¯t help but put my hand on senpai¡¯s shoulder. ¡­It¡¯s rare for me to touch another person in such a dominating way. However, I have to do it. ¡­The sunset looks incredibly charming. I looked in my little sister¡¯s direction. Konoha¡¯s already sitting on the drop tower and waiting for it to go excitedly. ¡­Excitedly? No, her face is so red that it reflects light. ¡­How is she feeling right now? Which part of the violent movement is making her so excited? My little sister is normal, right? I stared at the drop tower and worried about everything. Oiso-senpai searched in her school bag. Then¡­ ¡°¡­Here, Chiaki Hoshinomori. Let¡¯s fight with NS.¡± ¡°Sure¡­¡± Oiso-senpai handed me a controller. Then, she put her school bag on herp as the table. Finally, we started setting up the console. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡°Hmm, ¡­uh, ¡­Oiso-senpai¡­is really in the same Game Club as Karen-san.¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re praising me. I get it. Let¡¯s battle.¡± Incredible. She cares about the battle more than her reputation. Well, even though I don¡¯t respect it. I took the controller and said, ¡°I¡¯ll just have one match, okay?¡± The screen showed the same game asst time, < Sutoshisu >. I chose the same character to end the match as soon as possible. As if to recreate that battle, senpai chose the same character asst time too. I nced at Konoha as the game is loading. The ride is slowly reaching its height. We saw each other. For a moment, Konoha saw what I¡¯m doing and showed her confusion. However, perhaps it¡¯s the orgasm that shed in her back. Her expression immediately became intoxicated. ¡­I think my little sister lost it. ¡°Let¡¯s start, Chiaki Hoshinomori.¡± ¡°Oh, sure. Let¡¯s go.¡± I paid my attention back to the monitor. There are no items. It¡¯s a 1v1. I grabbed my controller tightly and mumbled. ¡°Hey, ¡­you know I¡¯m pretty bad at this, right?¡± ¡°I know.¡± She immediately answered. However, Oiso-senpai continued. ¡°But¡­I had funst time.¡± ¡°¡­I see, ¡­me too.¡± ¡°Really, ¡­d to hear that.¡± ¡°Same.¡± A strange peaceful mood is floating between us. Something indescribable is around us introverts. The battle started. Of course, I¡¯m far less skilled than senpai. Even so, thanks to the sleepover with Karen-san, I can still hold on for a while. Senpai pressed her controller masterfully and asked. ¡°Come to think of it, ¡­you gave up Keita Amano¡¯s ownership, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± I kept up the attacks as I nodded. Senpai continued. ¡°Right now, do you regret doing that?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but ponder the meaning behind her question. I let my guard down. Senpai took the opportunity and struck down my character. Since it¡¯s a time-limit match, I can respawn immediately. However, it¡¯s already clear that I¡¯ll be defeated. I adjusted my breaths and returned to the game. At the same time, I answered. ¡°Yes, ¡­I don¡¯t regret it. Even if I went back in time, I would¡¯ve still made the same choice confidently.¡± ¡°¡­Even if you knew that Tendou will take Keita Amano away in the end?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± This time, I answered without hesitation. Then, senpai executed a strong attack. Oiso-senpai¡¯s lips curled up as if she¡¯s enjoying it. ¡°I still don¡¯t really understand how you guys feel. Loving something means that you¡¯ll try your best to win it over, right. The open-mindedness after defeat..can sometimes hurt a lot.¡± ¡°No, no, no,pared to me, a college student wearing an elementary school bag hurts way-¡° ¡°Hoshinomori.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s forget about that. Her aura just then was as dark as Main-san. I started exining again. ¡°Of course, ¡­I would be lying if I say I¡¯m not forcing myself to get a hold.¡± ¡°¡­I guess so.¡± I think senpai¡¯s movement is getting slower. I grabbed the chance and pressured her with my attacks. At the same time, I continued. ¡°However, ¡­I really love myself right now.¡± ¡°Yourself right now?¡± ¡°Yes, ¡­I like how I fell in love with Keita and how I lost my first love with Keita.¡± ¡°¡­Well-¡° Oiso-senpai¡¯s face turned serious. Her movement is getting even slower. I quickly speared into her weak spot and continued. ¡°Ah, of course, I really hate to admit defeat. However, ¡­after oveing that depression, right now, I¡¯m not sad at all.¡± I said that as I looked outside the screen and toward the drop tower. My little sister¡­is screaming as she¡¯s moving up and down right now. ¡­She¡¯s enjoying it. ¡°Hey, what I¡¯m about to say will probably piss off my little sister, who haven¡¯t given up yet, and Oiso-senpai, who likes to win, but-¡° I paused for a moment. Keita¡¯s face appeared in my mind. After that, I announced the reason why I believe NOBE can eventually make the best game possible. ¡°-I¡¯m proud that I can move forward after getting defeated.¡± ¡°¡­I see. You¡¯re amazing, Hoshinomori.¡± I don¡¯t know whether she¡¯s talking about the game or not. However, no matter what, Oiso-senpai got her act back together and started attacking me. ¡­If that¡¯s the case, I can¡¯t justy down and admit defeat here. Finally, I managed to strike down senpai once. In the end, I got struck down 4 times. So, it¡¯s my defeat. Even so, Oiso-senpai smiled in satisfaction and looked at me. ¡°Nice one. I learned more than a casual fight with a professional yer. Thank you, Chiaki Hoshinomori.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. Well, it¡¯s my honor¡­¡± Just as I¡¯m getting embarrassed, Oiso-senpai quickly put everything back into her school bag. She stood up from the bench. ¡­It¡¯s pretty stupid no matter how many times I look at her. Even though some fashion magazines include a school bag as essories, Oiso-senpai¡¯s bright red ¨C a ssic < True Elementary School Bag >. So, no matter how I look at it¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t say anything, Hoshinomori. I know it, ¡­I really understand¡­¡± ¡°Ah, uh, okay, I¡¯m sorry. ¡­Well, keep up the good work.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh, I want to go home.¡± Senpai sighed. Indeed, if the event is already over, there¡¯s no need for her to stay here. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you just go home if you want to¡­?¡± After hearing that, Oiso-senpai looked a bit uncertain. ¡°Eh, ah, well, ¡­there¡¯s still something I need to do.¡± ¡°Something else? Oh, you mean the person with you is not done yet?¡± ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t care about what happens to Kase.¡± That¡¯s mean. Despite Kase-senpai¡¯s look, he always gets the poor end of every stick. But, what else does Oiso-senpai still have to do¡­? She changed the topic forcefully despite my confusion. ¡°Anyway, thanks for ying with me, Chiaki Hoshinomori. It¡¯s been a meaningful time.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I should be the one to say thanks!¡± I plopped my head down. Oiso-senpai looked at me and showed her warmest smile I¡¯ve ever seen. She raised her hand and bid farewell to me. ¡°It¡¯s time for me to go. Hoshinomori, ¡­I hope you can have fun for the rest of the day.¡± ¡°Y-Yes! Enjoy the rest of your day, too, Oiso-senpai!¡± I stood up and greeted her. ¡­As a senpai that took care of me, the way she left looks very handsome. However, the red school bag behind her ruined everything. I looked at her withplicated emotions. During this time, Konoha returned from the drop tower. She looked at Oiso-senpai¡¯s back and said. ¡°Onee-chan? Who¡¯s that weirdly dressed person? Well, I did see her, but she was too far. I feel like I know her¡­¡± ¡°Konoha, ¡­there¡¯s something in the world that¡¯s better off not knowing!¡± ¡°Ha?¡± Konoha looked confused after hearing my words. After a while, she reached her hand out to me and said, ¡°Fine, whatever.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s go to the next ce, onee-chan.¡± ¡°¡­Alright. ¡­Ah, but, Konoha, can I ask you something before we move on?¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong, onee-chan?¡± Konoha looked confused. I remembered the conversation with Oiso-senpai. I asked my little sister. ¡°Konoha, did you regret what happened this year¡­with Keita?¡± ¡°Eh? Regret?¡± For a moment, she was surprised by the sudden question. ¡­Then, in the next second, she answered naturally. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. It¡¯s because I¡¯m really proud of how far I¡¯ve gone right now.¡± ¡°----¡° After hearing my little sister¡¯s answer, I showed a charming smile and hugged her happily. ¡°Exactly!¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re weird, onee-chan. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Everything¡¯s fine. Hoho, ¡­somehow, I really want to forget everything and enjoy the rest of the day! Where are we going next, Konoha?¡± I said that as I dragged Konoha¡¯s arms, who looked confused. Then, with a sincere smile, we stepped forward to thest part of the best weekend ever. Main Fushiguro ¡°Oi, hey, why!? Didn¡¯t we just see the exit of < Mirror Maze >!? Why did you suddenly turn around!? Main-san!?¡± I dragged Amako¡¯s arms forcefully as he protested non-stop. We left the exit of < Mirror Maze >- no, where we saw Agu and Mii. I pointed forward to make Amako, who¡¯s still trying to drag me behind, look in that direction. At the same time, I thought of a casual excuse. ¡°Hiya, I think I just saw Mii there.¡± ¡°Eh? Really? Hmm, ¡­I¡¯m not sure.¡± Amako walked to the za I pointed at. He squinted his eyes as he searched amongst the crowd. I¡¯m relieved. So, I quickly texted a certain group on my phone. < Those who are free, please collect Mii at the exit of < Mirror Maze > now. > Amako turned back as I pressed the ¡°send¡± button. ¡°I still didn¡¯t see Mii-chan.¡± ¡°Oh, really? That must be the wrong person then.¡± ¡°¡­The wrong person?¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong, Amako? What¡¯s with your look?¡± ¡°Nothing, ¡­it¡¯s just that I can¡¯t believe Main-san will make a silly mistake like this.¡± ¡°Who do you think I am?¡± ¡°The demon king, an ascended human.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°You admitted it.¡± ¡°Even an ascended being can make mistakes, right? Think about it. Gods always give birth to more children after all kinds of mistakes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, ¡­but Main-san made another mistake again, right?¡± ¡°Hiya, I¡¯m not wrong. The proof is that I think it¡¯s okay to make money from our children and you.¡± ¡°Please stop your godlike ckmail.¡± ¡°Although Karen Tendou keeps causing trouble, the talent that our children got from their mother keeps developing. ¡­Don¡¯t you think our children¡¯s story will be legendary?¡± ¡°This is the first time I''m responsible for half of the legend. ¡­That¡¯s enough.¡± Amako backed down dumbfoundedly. It looks like he doesn¡¯t want to joke around when he¡¯s searching for Mii. Yeah, he¡¯s a serious guy. Anyway, my phone vibrated after Amako and I searched in the za for a while. I paid attention not to let Amako see me while I checked the message. < Seen. Mii is secured. Please pinpoint a meet-up location. > (¡­Very well.) I¡¯m relieved after seeing this report. At the same time, I told this half-true fact to Amako. ¡°Amako, the center just told me that they found Mii.¡± ¡°Eh, really? That¡¯s great!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± His expression is pulling my heartstrings just as usual. ¡­This dangerous sense of kindness reminded me of my mother. Waves ofplicated emotions keep overflowing in my heart. I want to cry. I want to get mad. I want to treasure it. I want to destroy it. ¡­I can¡¯t help but look away from him as I continued calmly. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll be picking her at the center. Sorry for causing you troubles.¡± ¡°Eh? I can walk you to the center.¡± ¡°Sheesh, ¡­hiya, it¡¯s okay. You should stay with Karen Tendou as much as possible.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that after kidnapping me, man¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, I can pick up Mii alone. You can go back, Amako. Thank you. You were a great help.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Amako? Your face looks weird.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just thinking that you thanked me when I haven¡¯t done anything.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°This doesn¡¯t feel like you, Main-san. ¡­You should¡¯ve said, ¡®Tck, you can¡¯t even handle trivial things like this.¡¯ That¡¯s the Main-san I know.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really impolite. Who do you think I am?¡± ¡°I told you you¡¯re the demon king. Also, you¡¯re the type to choose a ck mask. ¡°You know¡­¡± Well, he¡¯s right. Also, my mask is indeed ck. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear those boring things from you. Go back to your girlfriend, Amako. Or do you want to stay with me? Hmm?¡± ¡°¡­I feel like Main-san won¡¯t say clich¨¦ things like this.¡± ¡°Phew¡­¡± What¡¯s wrong with this guy? He understands me, even though we don¡¯t know each other well. It¡¯s hard to deal with him. Unlike how I have to deal with my family, it¡¯s a different sense from Keita Amano. He¡¯s like my mother. Since he can understand me somehow, it¡¯s hard to deal with him in my usual way. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± I took a deep sigh. Then, I said something slightly sincere to him. ¡°Listen, Amako. I know that you may have a lot of questions. ¡­But, I really want you to be happy. Please believe me.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± It looks like this worked. Amako went silent for a while and sighed. ¡°¡­I got it. I won¡¯t ask anymore. Mii is in your hands now.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s great.¡± I smiled. Amako stopped and nodded. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you. ¡­Have a nice day.¡± Amako bulged his eyes shockingly after hearing that. However, this time, he didn¡¯tin. Instead, he answered with a smile. ¡°Yeah, you too, Main-san.¡± So, Amako turned around and left. After he left, I walked to the center- no, instead, I arrived at < Mirror Maze >. After contacting them, we decided to meet up at the kiosk next to < Mirror Maze >. Obviously, Mii is there when I arrived. Also- ¡°Thanks for the work, Main-san. It took me a long time to pick up this kid.¡± ¡°Yeah, of course. Anyway, thanks for your help- Kousei Amano.¡± -He¡¯s the little brother of Amako that I just bid farewell to, Kousei Amano. The two of us sat next to the table under the umbre. Mii¡¯s drinking her orange juice happily. I guess someone gave it to her. I sat between the two and scolded Mii as I put my hand on her head. ¡°Mii, what am I going to do with you¡­?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Mom. I sometimes really want to do something that hits Mom¡¯s weakness¡­¡± She¡¯s a little girl that acts on weird impulses. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t deal with our bloodline¡­ Kousei looked at our reaction. Then, he stood up as if he¡¯s saying that his mission ispleted. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯re leaving?¡± ¡°Yeah, my friends are waiting for me. This is already the second time I left them. People will start to get suspicious if I don¡¯t meet with them as soon as possible.¡± Kousei Amano continued calmly. I gave him a bitter smile. ¡°Ah, I see. Sorry, Kousei Amano. I kept asking you to do weird stuff.¡± ¡°Yeah, even though I wanted to agree, it¡¯s okay.¡± He paused for a moment. Then, he continued with the first gentle smile I¡¯ve seen from him. ¡°Oiso-senpai, Kase-senpai, Mizumi-senpai, and I joined voluntarily in this-¡° Finally, he said the crux of today that Amako and his pals don¡¯t know. ¡°-n to destroy the ¡®encounter crisis¡¯ of the Game Hobby Club.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± I¡¯m relieved after hearing that. It was just a n I came up with in a sh. After I revealed it, he and everyone rted to the Hobby Club lent me their hands. Nina Oiso, Gakuto Kase, Eiichi Mizumi, and Kousei Amano are the masterminds. Of course, Mii and my underlings also helped as well. Even Tasuku Uehara¡¯s friends came to our aid. ¡­Today¡¯s miracle is achieved by the effort of every single person rted to the Game Hobby Club and us. ¡°¡­This is such a disgustingly warm world. ¡­It can¡¯t be helped.¡± I can¡¯t help but express my true feelings. ¡­Then, this time, Kousei Amano threw me a question. ¡°Well, can I ask something too?¡± ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡± ¡°Why are you the one?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, ¡­I can understand if this n is pushed by the idiots that love onii-san so much like me. Those introverted Game Club graduates definitely have a reason. However, you¡¯re trying your best to execute the n at the center. I don¡¯t understand why.¡± Kousei Amano¡¯s eyes were filled with suspicion as he asked. It looks like he¡¯s wondering whether his onii-san fell into more trouble again. ¡­Amako is surely loved by everyone around him. However, I didn¡¯t hide it this time. ¡°Rx, Kousei Amano. Even I won¡¯t be selfish on things like this.¡± ¡°d to hear. However, that¡¯s why I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± ¡°Why? Ah, ¡­well, there are two reasons.¡± ¡°Please?¡± ¡°The first one is the same as yours. I want that guy to be happy as well. Agu, Amako, the seaweed head that I lost to, I want to thank them with this opportunity.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­What¡¯s the other reason?¡± ¡°Oh, that will be¡­¡± After hearing his question, Iughed out uncharacteristically. It would be a demon king¡¯s smile in Amako¡¯s words. For a moment, Kousei Amano is overwhelmed by my aura. Mii¡¯s still drinking her orange juice happily. I maintained my demon king-sama¡¯s aura and answered. ¡°After I heard Amako¡¯s story for the first time, I¡¯ve always- held a grudge against that guy.¡± ¡°That guy?¡± ¡°Yes, that guy. He kept causing troubles for your onii-san this year.¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that you?¡± ¡°You and your onii-san are really honest. No, I¡¯m not talking about myself. It¡¯s more like he¡¯s even more annoying than me.¡± Kousei seemed to have noticed something and opened his mouth. ¡°Is that the God of Misunderstanding that onii-san keeps-¡° Kousei Amano showed a bewildered expression. ¡°Yes.¡± I- showed my most evil and vicious smile for today and dered. ¡°A demon king¡¯s wish is always to kill the god, right?¡± Keita Amano We can see the brilliant night view of the park from the Ferris wheel¡¯s window. The medieval streets are lit by gasmps. This looks even more fantasticalpared to daytime. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s beautiful, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± A blonde angel is sitting in front of me. She¡¯s leaning on the window as she watches the night view with bright eyes. ¡­Actually, for a moment, I wanted to say a clich¨¦ line like ¡°You¡¯re prettier.¡± But I kept it inside. ¡­Well, but you¡¯re really prettier¡­ I kept my sanity in check and looked outside the window again. Since this is a rural area, the park is surrounded by gardens and fields. Everything¡¯s pretty dark after sunset. However, that¡¯s why the sparkling < Viva Spiel Kingdom > looks like a cruise strolling in a dark ocean. It¡¯s unexpectedly romantic. Perhaps Tendou-san is thinking of the same thing. She stared at the night view outside and said this to me. ¡°I was worried when we could sit without lining up. But, this view is nice.¡± ¡°Yeah, think about it. There are no special parades here at night. I think those families went back during the evening.¡± ¡°Indeed, all of the rides can be done in a couple hours. All that remains in this park are couples like us or friends who want to stay until the night. ¡°Ah,e to think of it, I think the people that got on before and after us are both couples.¡± ¡°Perhaps they are our friends.¡± ¡°Who knows? I wasn¡¯t looking¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Both of us fell silent. I think we are thinking of the same thing. As the carriage is reaching its peak, I suddenly said this. ¡°¡­Aside from the lost child incident today, no other things happened. We finally managed to have a date alone.¡± ¡°Hmm, yeah, especially when we didn¡¯t meet anyone in the Game Hobby Club. Everything went along with our n. It¡¯s such a peaceful day.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just a peaceful day.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The conversation stopped again. It seems that both of us want to say something. After a long sigh, ¡­I continued carefully. ¡°W-Well, ¡­even though this might be impolite to Tendou-san- ¡°Ah, it¡¯s okay, Amako-kun. It should be¡­fine. It¡¯s because I feel the same way too.¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± ¡°Yes, so, right now, let¡¯s say it together.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, I¡¯ll obey rather than respect then. ¡­Hey, Tendou-san? I¡¯m d that we weren¡¯t involved in any trouble rted to the Game Hobby Club¡­¡± ¡°Yes, but, on the other hand, yeah, it still feels¡­¡± We looked at each other at this point. ¡­Both of us said our feelings at the same time. ¡°It¡¯s a bit lonely.¡± We¡¯re the same. Both of us looked at our guilty faces andughed. ¡°Pfft, ahaha, what was that, Amano-kun? Aren¡¯t you the one that suggested a date without seeing anyone in the Hobby Club?¡± ¡°W-Wasn¡¯t Tendou-san really worked up too? Also, I¡¯m not lying when I say it¡¯s been fun. I¡¯m really happy when I can enjoy the time alone with Tendou-san.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m the same. I¡¯m really satisfied with this. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­it¡¯s just that-¡° At this point, we looked outside the window again. Somehow, I mumbled to myself as I looked at the go-kart track. ¡°This suddenly came into my head. What will it look like if Uehara-kun, Aguri-san, Chiaki, and Konoha-san are all here?¡± ¡°What was that, Amano-kun? Your girlfriend¡¯s here, you know. Even though I wanted to say that, regrettably, this is how I feel too. This must be like that, right. It¡¯s like < Sutoshisu >. The game is designed for multiple yers, yet we¡¯re using it for a serious match. While we can feel the joy of 1v1 games, at the same time, we can feel that loneliness.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can understand that! I¡¯m not saying which side is better. After all, up until now, even if we started as two people, our friends will end up involved. Thisplete ¡®2-person world¡¯ feels¡­unnatural.¡± ¡°Haha, I agree. ¡­I wonder what everyone in the Hobby Club is doing now?¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­what are they doing now?¡± I looked away from the ground and into the starry sky before saying half-jokingly. ¡°Perhaps they are on this Ferris wheel too.¡± ¡°Ho, that¡¯s highly likely under normal circumstances. However, this is the only day where it¡¯s impossible. It¡¯s because this park isn¡¯t that big, right? We should¡¯ve bumped into them if they came here as well.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Ah, unless an amazing person tidied our fates for us with a lot of people¡¯s help.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? That¡¯s even more fantastical than the God of Misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Haha, it really is impossible, right.¡± Although I¡¯m the one that said it, I felt speechless for how unrealistic it sounds. The Ferris wheel is still rising. I looked at the sparkling stars in the sky and continued. ¡°Tendou-san, after today¡¯s experience, ¡­I slightly changed my mind about the God of Misunderstanding.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Tendou-san asked in confusion. I smiled and continued. ¡°Think about it, we always had a bad impression about unexpected encounters. ¡­So, we call the fate that pranked us as the God of Misunderstanding. But, e to think of it, that isn¡¯t right.¡± ¡°Hmm? That isn¡¯t right?¡± ¡°You know, ¡­forget about today, our rtionship won¡¯t be this good if there isn''t any entanglement in our fates.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­you¡¯re right. Perhaps I wouldn¡¯t even talk to you if we never met in that game store.¡± ¡°Yes, and there are also many connections tied together by coincidence. I think that¡¯s definitely not a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°I see. I know what you want to say. However, what would be a better word to fit us than misunderstandings¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, about that.¡± I paused for a moment. This entire year¡¯s memory came into my mind as I spoke up. ¡°The God of Encounters. That¡¯s what I want to call him.¡± ¡°Encounter¡­? ¡­Hoho, I love this name. It fits us.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Yeah, it sounds better than ¡®misunderstanding.¡¯ However, it can cause trouble based on the situation. ¡­It fits us perfectly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that this god didn¡¯t do anything today.¡± ¡°Yeah, I wonder if someone killed him.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t talk about the possibility of killing a god with a calm face. Well, even though I thought about that too.¡± Even so, I won¡¯t feel as bad if he¡¯s the God of Misunderstanding. The person that killed the God of Encounters is pretty evil. Don¡¯t you think the name sounds kind? -My phone suddenly vibrated when I¡¯m thinking about unrealistic things. I opened it. After that, the screen¡­showed a text from Main-san. < There are only 3 minutes until the fireworks. This would be thest task of the demon king¡¯s army. Appreciate me. > (What is she saying¡­?) I don¡¯t understand at all. What¡¯s with the sudden fireworks? What even is the demon king¡¯s army? What is thest task? What should I thank her for? Just as I¡¯m about to ignore this joke message, ¡­another came in. I looked at the screen, thinking that it¡¯s some kind of exnation. However, the text on it isn¡¯t helpful at all. Instead, it added even more mystery. Main-san really likes messing with others using her words. However, I¡­ ¡°¡­Hey, Tendou-san.¡± ¡°What?¡± Tendou-san looked outside the window as she answered. I¡­gulped and mustered up my courage. ¡°Can I- sit next to you?¡± ¡°Oh, sure. ¡­Wait, what?¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°O-Oh, please. ¡­Uh, hey, Amano-kun? Eh? Ah, ¡­okay?¡± Although she¡¯s confused by my sudden request, Tendou-san approved it. I took the arrogance I got from Main-san and stood up. Then, ignoring the shaking carriage, I sat on the left of Tendou-san. ¡­Our arms are touching each other due to the tight seats. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Both of us fell silent. After the carriage stopped shaking, Tendou-san asked carefully. ¡°A-Amano-kun? W-What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°W-Well¡­¡± The reason is simple. Main-san¡¯s message ignited me. It wrote¡­ < Go rob it. Don¡¯t back down. > (This person¡­is too cunning.) That¡¯s why a passerby like me can step forward. However, it¡¯s useless to exin this story to Tendou-san right now. So, I decided to¡­tell her about the fireworks first. ¡°Well, hmm, ¡­this is a rare opportunity, after all. I want both of us to celebrate the ¡®decisive moment¡¯ together.¡± ¡°The decisive moment? ¡­You mean the Earth is going to explode?¡± ¡°No. However, in a sense, a sphere does explode tonight.¡± ¡°An exploding sphere, ¡­oh, I see.¡± Tendou-san seemed to have noticed something. Well, if we¡¯re talking about exploding spheres in a park, even the dumbest yet adorable creature can- ¡°I understood, Amano-kun. Well, I¡¯ll ept the < Bomberman > match request.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand at all. How pathetic a couple must be to y a 1v1 < Bomberman > match on the Ferris wheel? That¡¯s not it. ¡°The Earth isn¡¯t exploding, and it¡¯s not a < Bomberman > fight? Well, ¡­then there¡¯s no reason for Amano-kun toe next to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m starting to wonder how you view our rtionship. No, ¡­it¡¯s the fireworks.¡± ¡°Fireworks?¡± Tendou-san asked confusedly. Honestly, I¡¯m not too sure as well. ¡­However, I trust what Main-san said. So, I answered Tendou-san confidently. ¡°Yeah, ording to the intelligence, ¡­there will be fireworks when our carriage reaches the top.¡± ¡°Eh? That¡¯s great. Is it written in the guidebook?¡± ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t think so. ¡­I should say this won¡¯t happen normally. However, today¡¯s a special day. I¡¯m not sure of the details. I think the demon king¡¯s army pulled some strings behind the scenes.¡± ¡°The demon king¡¯s army?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Please don¡¯t ask. It¡¯ll be too embarrassing to say it out loud.¡± ¡°Ha, ¡­anyway, Amano-kun¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I want to watch the fireworks next to Tendou-san with this rare opportunity.¡± ¡°I-I see. ¡­Amano-kun wants to lean next to me sometimes¡­?¡± Tendou-san mumbled. After hearing that, I can¡¯t help but get very close to her eyes and answered. ¡°Of course! Tendou-san, I-I¡¯ve always wanted to-¡° ¡°W-What¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We¡¯re looking at each other extremely closely. Our beating hearts sound a bit frustrating. Tendou-san¡¯s blushing really hard. My heart is also beating faster and faster. I gulped..and gently raised my right hand. I stroked Tendou-san¡¯s hair. Although her body turned stiff, she didn¡¯t reject my hand. I stroked Tendou-san¡¯s silk-like hair as I squeezed the words out of my dry throat. ¡°Tendou-san, there¡¯s something I want to tell you¡­¡± ¡°O-Okay¡­¡± Tendou-san¡¯s eyes are sparkling. Our hearts are beating as one violently. Then, at the next moment, ¡­I made up my mind and said it out loud. ¡°I¡¯m actually- really bad at online games.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± For some reason, Tendou-san looked like she just woke up from a dream. However, I still continued nervously. ¡°I¡¯m fine with a casual match. However, I¡¯m really bad at adventuring or conquering an enemy with others..¡± ¡°H-Ha? ¡­What?¡± I can clearly feel that Tendou-san¡¯s emotions are free-falling from their peak. ¡­However, I still continued. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a bother. I don¡¯t want to disappoint people. I don¡¯t want people to look down on me. In other words, ¡­I¡¯m really afraid to be hated by other people, whether it¡¯s online¡­or in reality. I¡¯m a coward.¡± Tendou-san¡¯s breaths changed. ¡­I continued as if I¡¯m venting out my feelings. ¡°Listen to me, Tendou-san. The reason I rejected Tendou-san¡¯s¡­invitation to the Game Club isn¡¯t just because of my gaming style or politeness. That¡¯s just a nice way to put it. Actually, ¡­it¡¯s perhaps because of my fear. I fear that your disappointment will umte when I join the Game Club.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I would rather y at my own speed. If I¡¯m in offline mode, my desires can be fulfilled without bothering anyone. That¡¯s what I thought when I¡­rejected the Game Club¡¯s invitation.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay, Amano-kun. That¡¯s not-¡° Tendou-san tried tofort me. However, I interrupted her. ¡°Of course, the reason I gave Tendou-san isn¡¯t a lie. At this point, I won¡¯t say that I want to join the Game Club too. ¡­It¡¯s just that there¡¯s one thing I really want to say, no matter what. ¡­I, Keita Amano, have always been a person that takes a step back.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°I always act by other people¡¯s feelings. I rejected Tendou-san¡¯s invitation because I don¡¯t want to disappoint the Game Club. I kept my distance from Uehara-kun¡¯s friends to avoid bothering him. I never treated Aguri-san as a true girl to prevent her from hating me. I acted aggressively because I want to be on the same level as Chiaki¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°In the end, while I looked like I¡¯m doing this by myself, it¡¯s not. I only made my move after considering the other person and my attributes. In other words, I don¡¯t want to make a decisive mistake. ¡­This is how I¡¯ve always been. ¡°¡­Everyone is like that, even I do.¡± Tendou-san smiled and continued as if she¡¯s cheering me up. ¡°You know that I¡¯m very different at school than when I''m with all of you. However, I¡¯m not ashamed of it. It¡¯s because that mask is also part of me. By the way, this is how interpersonal rtionships work, right? Facing everything with your true self isn¡¯t always the correct answer.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°See?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s because when Tendou-san¡¯s talking about unknown gaming topics, I¡¯ve always thought, ¡®Can you please hurry up and finish it?¡¯ However, I won¡¯t say it out loud. Instead, I nod with a smile. As a result, I¡¯ve constructed the perfect loving rtionship. I still understand that I can¡¯t be truthful to everything.¡± ¡°You know, I don¡¯t think you got it, right? You just said something you weren¡¯t supposed to confess at all.¡± ¡°I love Tendou-san the most when you¡¯re talking about your games.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s toote. That¡¯s like a guy pretending to be Pikachu after making a demon¡¯s face.¡± ¡°That seems to be a pretty gentle demon to me.¡± ¡°Shut the hell up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She got mad at me. ¡­A-Anyway, let¡¯s get back on track. ¡°I-I went off-topic just then. Anyway, what I want to say is that I¡¯m really bad at forcing my desires and wishes onto others before observing them.¡± ¡°Hmm, yes. ¡­Well, I can understand the reason. ¡­But, what are you trying to say?¡± After hearing Tendou-san¡¯s question, I answered with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s simple. Right now, ¡­I¡¯ll do something that I wouldn¡¯t normally do.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Tendou-san still didn¡¯t understand. The carriage is about to reach its peak. ¡­At this point, I can suddenly hear the pipes that signal the start of the fireworks. Although I didn¡¯t pick this timing on my own, I won¡¯t let go of this chance. I smiled at Tendou-san gently again. At the next moment- ¡°Hey¡­¡± -I hugged her head towards mine. Then¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Huge flowers exploded in the night sky of the spring. For the first time in my life, -I took away my most beloved person¡¯s lips determinedly. ¡°¡­!¡± Tendou-san bulged her eyes shockingly. However, she immediately wrapped her hands around my back and epted my kiss warmly. Facing such a brave lover, I¡­ ¡°¡­Nnn.¡± ¡­I hugged her even tighter and desired a kiss much deeper than in the past. There¡¯s no permission, and I¡¯m prepared for her to be hurt or hate me. Finally, Ipletely exposed my desires. It¡¯s because including this incorrectness and disgust is what makes my ¡®love¡¯ mine. ¡­We kissed for a long time. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I moved my lips away to catch a breath. During this moment, although I gazed into Tendou-san¡¯s eyes, who¡¯s still heavily breathing while blushing intensely, she plopped her head down in embarrassment. I don¡¯t know how I should end this. So, I can¡¯t help but look outside the window. After a while, the fireworks are already over. The Ferris wheel started descending too. ¡­Honestly, I have no memories of the fireworks. I didn¡¯t feel anything aside from the first one. If you¡¯re asking me how intense the kiss is, that¡¯s as unbelievable as a dream. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Silence floated between us. I fell silent due to the euphoria after feeling so good and taking the victory. ¡­As for Tendou-san, I can¡¯t see why since her head remains lowered. (¡­Oh, crap.) Sweat appeared on my forehead. Unlike the determination I just had, the worries in my heart are expanding rapidly. (¡­Eh, what if I really hurt Tendou-san? I-I can¡¯t stand up anymore if she cries¡­!) At least I¡¯ll never desire something from her again. It¡¯s more like, honestly, the action of ¡°desiring Tendou-san¡± isn¡¯t what Tendou-san has wished for¡­ (No, well, look, Tendou-san has always worried about my feelings to her, after all. ¡­Hmm.) At this point, I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m starting to make excuses. This is too embarrassing. So, just as my heart is filled with insecurity- ¡°¡­Amano-kun.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here!¡± Suddenly, Tendou-san spoke up. I can¡¯t help but get nervous. Then, at the next moment- ¡°¡­Eh?¡± -As if she¡¯s copying what I did, Tendou-san reached her hand to my head this time. The only different part is that¡­ ¡°Eh, Tendou-san, it hurts! It hurts!¡± She¡¯s not stroking my hair like a lover. Instead, she¡¯s trying to crush my skull. Just as I¡¯m blinking dazedly, Tendou-san slowly raised her head again. Finally, her face isn¡¯t filled with tears or embarrassment. Instead- ¡°¡­Hoho.¡± ¡°!?¡± -It¡¯s full of desire, to the point that I think she¡¯s adorable. She hugged my head and got her gloomy face up close. ¡­Then, she said this to me while breathing even more flirtatiously. ¡°Well, it¡¯s my turn to do what I want, right?¡± ¡°E-Eh? Ah, no, ah, well, I still want to enjoy the remnants of my courage to kiss someone¡­¡± ¡°Nope, you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s because, I, ¡­no, my trues self, who¡¯s a little bit dirty inside-¡° Tendou-san said this with an excited and slightly shy smile. ¡°-She said that she wants to take a step further with you. ¡­So, ¡­yeah.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­This is the only time when I nearly had a heart attack from the descending Ferris wheel. Volume 12, Finale

Volume 12, Finale

Trantor: your_pingas ¡°Y-You guys went to < Viva Spiel Kingdom > too!?¡± ¡°Eh¡­? We did. ¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡± It¡¯s the Monday after that date. We joined the Game Hobby Club meeting today after school as well. Suddenly, it was revealed that Tendou-san and I went to < Viva Spiel Kingdom > during the weekend. ¡­After hearing that, Uehara-kun, Aguri-san, and Chiaki seemed way more shocked than I expected. Tendou-san and I can¡¯t help but look at each other. We asked what happened once again. Everyone hesitated for a moment. Then, they told us about their weekend experiences. After hearing everyone, Tendou-san crossed her arms and nodded. ¡°I have reached a conclusion. We¡­went to the same amusement park on that day, yet, miraculously, we didn¡¯t bump into each other.¡± ¡°Eh, is that even possible?¡± Aguri-san looked clearly unconvinced to Tendou-san¡¯s conclusion. However, Chiaki retorted. ¡°But.¡± ¡°Even though Agu-nee said it¡¯s impossible, we didn¡¯t actually meet each other, right¡­¡± ¡°Tck, ¡­y-yeah.¡± Uehara-kun also scratched his cheeks and mumbled. ¡°It¡¯s hard to ept this, ¡­but that¡¯s what happened. It can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Aguri-san still didn¡¯t want to ept it. I looked at her¡­and slightly grasped the silhouette of the truth. (Main-san, ¡­no, it must be Main-san and our friends, right.) I realized something after hearing everyone¡¯s story. Even though we didn¡¯t meet each other, we saw everyone around us. ¡­It was not possible for all of our acquaintances to be there on that day. Moreover, Main-san is the only one that sent me a message while we¡¯re on the Ferris wheel. In summary, Main-san was likely pulling strings behind the scenes with other people. However¡­ ¡°Hey, Amanhi, do you agree with me?¡± It¡¯s just a coincidence for us to not bump into each other.¡± ¡°Eh? Well¡­¡± Aguri-san asked for my opinion. ¡­I answered with a bitter smile. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s probably just a coincidence. Think about it. We always bump into each other at weird times. It¡¯s not that strange for the opposite to happen sometimes, right?¡± ¡°Sigh, I guess that¡¯s possible¡­¡± Aguri-san backed down reluctantly. I apologized to her in my heart, but I still don¡¯t n to reveal the truth. If Main-san did give us a push, ¡­the highest honor they can have is that no one noticed. Also, I bet Main-san meant it as a joke when I was the only one that received a hint. Tendou-san cleared her throat and continued. ¡°Well, let¡¯s forget whether it¡¯s a coincidence or not. Why did everyone go to < Viva Spiel Kingdom >?¡± ¡°No, no, that¡¯s my line, Karen-san. Forget about Konoha and me. To Karen-san and Uehara-kun, that¡¯s a ce filled with shocking memories of each of your partners. Why did you two¡­¡± ¡°Eh? Ah¡­¡± Uehara-kun and Tendou-san looked at each other awkwardly. ¡­Well, you can¡¯t say, ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t want to see anyone in the Game Hobby Club.¡± no matter what. However, at the same time, things will get moreplicated if we keep hiding the truth. After I made up my mind, I exined and apologized to Chiaki. ¡°Sorry, Chiaki. Well, we, ¡­no, I want to go on a date with Tendou-san alone sometimes. But, when you think about it, there aren¡¯t that many dating spots here, right? We¡¯ll basically bump into each other, right? That¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I see. That¡¯s why you chose a ce where everyone in the Hobby Club will avoid, right. I can understand, even though I don¡¯t know how I should feel about this.¡± Chiaki understood. Uehara-kun carefully added as well. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Hoshinomori. We, ¡­no, I have the same motive as Amano.¡± ¡°No, no, there¡¯s no need to apologize. Ah, also, I only went there because Konoha had extra tickets. So¡­¡± After hearing Chiaki¡¯s exnation, I smiled and answered. ¡°Indeed, Chiaki has no reason to avoid < Viva Spiel Kingdom >.¡± ¡°Well, u-uh¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± For some reason, Chiaki looked away embarrassedly. ¡­Hmm? I mean, Chiaki didn¡¯t see her lover kissing someone else, right¡­? ¡­Oh, I see. Chiaki already, uh, fell in love with me¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Chiaki and I blushed slightly. At the next moment, Tendou-san cast her ultimate explosive cough. Our bodies trembled. Aguri-san reached out to me and changed the topic. ¡°B-By the way, did everyone see it? That day¡¯s fireworks were amazing. Hiya, it was romantic to watch the fireworks on the Ferris wheel with your lover.¡± Aguri-san said that intoxicatedly. Tendou-san and I nearly jumped when we remembered what happened on the Ferris wheel. During this time, Uehara-kun smiled and answered. ¡°It¡¯s anything but romantic. You know, Aguri- no, I was the same. We were so sleepy when we got on it. The rides during the daytime took too much out of us. Both of us were wobbling.¡± ¡°Ah, uh, well¡­¡± Aguri-san looked at me awkwardly. I guess she wanted to show her honor as my master of love. However, Uehara-kun continued like a dense MC. ¡°Right, right, especially when the fireworks started, we were totally out of it. Don¡¯t even say romantic. The two of us were just wiping saliva off with our hands¡­¡± ¡°N-No, it was romantic, Tasuku! Right, Tasuku!? Right!?¡± ¡°¡­O-Oh¡­? It was¡­romantic?¡± Aguri-san finally forced her boyfriend to say what she wanted to hear. ¡­How should I say this? As her disciple, I feel bad about my master¡­ I didn¡¯t look at my master¡¯s miserable shape. Instead, I threw the conversation to Chiaki. ¡°So, did Chiaki watch the fireworks too?¡± ¡°Of course, Konoha and I were on the Ferris wheel as well.¡± You too? Tendou-san and I secretly nced at each other. During this point, Uehara-kun started chatting with Chiaki. ¡°Oh, you two were there too, Hoshinomori. I didn¡¯t notice at all. We should¡¯ve gotten there at simr times if we saw the fireworks, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Oh, but even though we watched the fireworks, it started before we reached the top. ¡­I think it was halfway through.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Then, Aguri and I must¡¯ve been opposite to you two. We were also halfway through, but we were descending.¡± ¡°Really? It would¡¯ve been amazing if we watched from the top.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± A couple is silent when Chiaki, Uehara-kun, and Aguri-san are having fun chatting. ¡­Yes, we were on the top. ¡­However, both of us weren¡¯t paying attention to the fireworks. Also, by the way, even though there was some distance, I can¡¯t believe we were between them¡­ I exchanged looks with Tendou-san anxiously. ¡­Sigh, at least they didn¡¯t see anything weird- ¡°Ah,e to think of it, the carriage in front of us kept leaning to one side as it reached the top-¡° ¡°Ahem, ahem!¡± ¡°Keita? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m okay. Everything¡¯s fine. Well, I just choked suddenly.¡± ¡°H-Ha? d you¡¯re fine. ¡­Well, let¡¯s continue.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re still going¡­?¡± That¡¯s why I can¡¯t deal with otakus! She has to finish every conversation she starts, even though she doesn¡¯t talk much normally, right!? I¡¯m the same too! Chiaki doesn¡¯t look apologetic at all. She continued happily. ¡°After that, I, the famous love detective, understood everything. The first leaning was just the couple sitting on the same side. However, the sudden movement at the top- was probably because of a sudden development of the couple inside!¡± ¡°Ahem, ahem!¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong, even Karen-san started coughing too?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m okay. Ah, by the way, Chiaki-san, the new RPG released a few days ago-¡° ¡°Ah, I¡¯m halfway through that game. Well, let¡¯s continue talking about the Ferris wheel.¡± ¡°Tck¡­!¡± Tendou-san was struck down. An otaku will never stop talking about his or her interests once things start. I¡¯m sorry, Tendou-san¡­ ¡°So, just as the carriage started leaning, the fireworks began. I went to watch the fireworks. Thetter part was unclear due to the angle. Yeah, that¡¯s all I can talk about.¡± ¡°Phew¡­¡± Tendou-san and I sighed in relief. Ah, if she didn¡¯t see thest part, we¡¯re less embarrassed- ¡°Well, my little sister did say it was sex.¡± [Sess and sex sound the same.] ¡°We didn¡¯t go that far!¡± Tendou-san and I screamed at the same time. Chiaki was shocked for the moment. Then, ¡­Uehara-kun and Aguri-san seemed to have noticed something and started smiling mischievously. Chiaki continued in confusion after we realized we messed up. ¡°Well, I actually wanted sex too.¡± ¡°Eh, you want someone to do it to you!? Hey!? What is that!? What kind of feeling is that!?¡± The girl that confessed to me started telling me her weird fetishes¡­! I think something¡¯s wrong at this point. Chiaki blinked and continued. ¡°It¡¯s because if someone tries his best to shorten the distance, I want him to seed.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s what you mean¡­¡± Both of us sat down with our faces heavily blushing. Phew, ¡­I can¡¯t believe we still fell into ssic wordy like this¡­! ¡­¡­¡­¡­ No, wait,e to think of it, it shouldn¡¯t be a misunderstanding, right? At least Konoha-san definitely meant it erotically. However, Chiaki misunderstood and switched it. Then, we changed it again. Finally, we got the correct answer in a different sense. ¡­This is quite a messy case of misunderstanding. What¡¯s happening? Can I have misunderstandings like this after I became year 3? Please don¡¯t make me worry about things like this anymore¡­! Tendou-san and I fellpletely speechless. Aguri-san and Uehara-kun showed an incredibly evil smile and suddenly said, ¡°Come to think of it, Amanhi, where did you watch the fireworks? I really want to know.¡± ¡°Tck...!¡± ¡°Oh,e to think of it, ¡­I saw a blonde girl walking to the Ferris wheel right before I fell asleep. Hmm, what do you think, Tendou?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± The questions kept pressuring Tendou-san and me. Chiaki¡¯s the only one that still doesn¡¯t understand anything. She still looks confused. However, luckily, Uehara-kun and Aguri-san quickly stopped bullying us. I bet that¡¯s from their experiences as normies. These two must¡¯ve been bullied by their friends before, right? They know when they should stop. So, Tendou-san, Uehara-kun, and Chiaki started talking about that new RPG. Aguri-san took the chance and whispered to my ears. (In reality, how far did you go, Amanhi? Report your progress to me at the next family restaurant meeting, okay?) (Why should I? Who do you think you are?) (¡­Your mom?) (That¡¯s all the more reason for me to remain silent. I can¡¯t believe I have to report my love progress in detail.) (Well, I guess you¡¯re right. ¡­By the way, you gave a detailed report, Amanhi. ¡­Hmph.) (T-That¡¯s just a way to put it. By the way, why are you ming me!?) (Hmph, it¡¯s nothing. I was just thinking, how dare you be this arrogant? You¡¯re just Amanhi. I can¡¯t help but punch you.) (Seriously, how can you even carry that feeling for me? You sincerely don¡¯t want me to be happy. We aren¡¯t family, right?) (Probably. Hmm, ¡­even though we aren¡¯t family, there¡¯s some of that element in our rtionship. Also, we are a little bit conscious of each other. ¡­I¡¯ve always felt that we¡¯re quite suitable as a couple. ..Ah, right.) (W-What? Do you understand your position now?) I asked Aguri-san nervously, who seemed to have realized something. What should I do? What if it¡¯s a weird conclusion that can deteriorate our rtionship? I don¡¯t want- (Ex-wife.) (Exactly.) She¡¯s super right. I answered excitedly to this final answer. (This is what I¡¯m talking about, Aguri-san! Whether it¡¯s that subtle arrogance, familiarity, that love-hate feeling, or that feeling of cheering up your friend but don¡¯t want them to seed, ¡­we¡¯re totally ex-husband and ex-wife!) (Exactly! I mean, the key part isn¡¯t ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends, right? It¡¯s because we don¡¯t have that kind of youthful feeling between us, right?) (Yes! Basically, we are a divorced couple that lived for 10 years together without any child!) (I can understand that. This is it. Amanhi gives off an ex-husband vibe. You¡¯re a coward. However, for some reason, I can¡¯t ignore you. You know that kind of super annoying ex-husband, right?) (Aguri-san is the ex-wife! You don¡¯t want to understand my hobbies at all. At the same time, you keepining. Yet, you always take care of me. This feeling is really from an ex-wife.) Of course, we didn¡¯t marry or divorce each other. The game conversation ended after we¡¯re throbbed with the conclusion. Tendou-san witnessed our excitement and asked, ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± After hearing that question, we¡­scratched our heads awkwardly and answered. ¡°We just divorced¡­¡± ¡°What are you two talking about!?¡± The three kept blinking as they questioned us. Well, of course. It can¡¯t be helped. Aguri-san and I exined the process of reaching this perfect conclusion detailedly. However, these three didn¡¯t understand at all. Instead, all of them look pissed. Why? Alright, that¡¯s the end of the ex-husband and ex-wife topic. The time¡¯s just right. The Game Hobby Club meeting of today ends here. Just as everyone¡¯s packing up, Uehara-kun suddenly voiced out. ¡°Ah¡± He seemed to have remembered something and started searching his school bag. When all of us were looking at him, he grabbed something out of his school bag. ¡­For some reason, he walked and handed that to me. After I took it confusedly, I saw the title¡­ ¡°< Paradigm of Fantasia >¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the game I asked you for a walkthrough a year ago. ¡­In other words, this is the game that brought us together.¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­of course, I remember.¡± I stroked the box and remembered what happened back then. ¡°But, ¡­what¡¯s up with this?¡± ¡°Hmm? Eh, ..well, y it.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I was shocked. Uehara-kun scratched his head awkwardly. Then, he nced at Chiaki and looked at me again. ¡°Well, I heard this from another person. ¡­You really love games. ¡­However, most of your games are gone for some reason, right?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, ¡­really?¡± ¡°What do you mean by really¡­? Think about what happened to Kousei¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Kousei? What did he do?¡± ¡°Seriously¡­?¡± Uehara-kun looked at me dumbfoundedly. For some reason, Chiaki sighed as well. I smiled awkwardly and answered. ¡°Well, I did lose most of my games. However, the reason is, ¡­I¡¯m sorry, but I did sell them all a while ago.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why we said we know it. You did all of that for your little brother¡­¡± ¡°Well, in the end, I forgot where I spent the money.¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± Uehara-kun and Chiaki gasped. After they looked at each other, ¡­for some reason, Chiaki was the one to speak up. ¡°N-No, why!? That was such a cool moment¡­!¡± ¡°C-Cool? I mean, is a gamer selling his games really that worthy of praise? ¡­That¡¯s why I¡¯ve kept it hidden¡­¡± ¡°N-No! I¡¯m talking about where you spent your money!¡± ¡°Ha¡­? H¡­Hmm? Where did I spend it? Well, ¡­I¡¯m not a good kid that hands the money to my parents, no matter what. I just used it on my desires, okay?¡± ¡°Yourself? No, no, no, Keita, you-¡° ¡°Hoshinomori.¡± For some reason, Uehara-kun stopped Chiaki from asking more questions. He looked at me very warmly. ¡­Then, he bitterly smiled at Chiaki again. ¡°Amano has always been Amano. After getting involved with this guy, those things became ¡®normal¡¯ and ¡®selfish¡¯ to him.¡± ¡°¡­Sigh, what are we going to do with you? That¡¯s why Kousei-kun is like that. ¡­In the end, everything¡¯s Keita¡¯s fault.¡± Chiaki looks truly dumbfounded. W-What¡¯s wrong with Kousei? By the way, what¡¯s even with this little drama here? I don¡¯t understand at all. Also, even Tendou-san and Aguri-san joined the conversation despite having nothing to do with it. ¡°Although I¡¯m not sure of the reasons, when Amano-kun said, ¡®It¡¯s for my own sake.¡¯ It¡¯s usually not for his sake at all. I¡¯ve experienced that first-hand.¡± ¡°Yeah, by the way, Amanhi always says that his life is normal. In the end, that ¡®normal¡¯ standard isn¡¯t normal at all. You based that on MCs in games, right? You¡¯re an idiot.¡± I thought everyone was praising me. In the end, they are treating me like an idiot. What¡¯s happening? Is this bullying? Am I getting bullied? I can¡¯t help but cry since I can¡¯t follow up. Uehara-kun cleared his throat and got us back on track. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m giving you this < Paradigm of Fantasia >. I¡¯ll only y this kind of RPGs once, after all. ¡­Also, this game should be happy when you are its owner.¡± ¡°Thank you, Uehara-kun.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°¡­I probably won¡¯t sell it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare! Why did you hint that you may sell it!?¡± ¡°W-Well, I would never sell my games in the past. However, subconsciously, people think that I¡¯m a weakling whenever they see me selling my stuff¡­¡± This is why I¡¯m never confident in myself. In the end, I don¡¯t have faith in myself. Well, I¡¯m just a small-time passerby, after all. ¡°¡­Ha.¡± ¡­For some reason, everyone sighed at me again. What¡¯s happening today? Even though I said that, I¡¯m sincerely happy that Uehara-kun gave me a game filled with memories. I hugged the game in my chest and showed my best smile to Uehara-kun.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m really happy. I¡¯ll treasure this forever!¡± ¡°Eh, ah, o-oh¡­¡± Uehara-kun blushed and scratched his head. At the next moment, all of the girls mumbled together. ¡°This route has potential¡­¡± Hmm? This route? What are they talking about? Sigh, whatever, let¡¯s go home. I carefully put the game into my school bag. During this time, Aguri-san yelled as if she¡¯s bringing a conclusion. ¡°Ahaha, Amanhi can never leave games now.¡± ¡°Ha? Why did you suddenly say that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just thinking that right now, games are what brought Amanhi all of the ¡®connections¡¯ here, right? In other words, games have be even more irreceable in your life.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. That¡¯s true.¡± I agreed with Aguri-san as I looked at the game in my school bag that¡¯s filled with memories. ¡­Hmm. ¡°No, ¡­it¡¯s a bit different, Aguri-san.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± I thought of something and retorted. Everyone turned around and looked at me. I¡­said the brand-new conclusion I¡¯ve reached this year out loud. ¡°I love games the most, whether I have connections or not. Also, I love everyone here the most regardless of my opinion of games.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Everyone in the Hobby Club stood still for a moment after hearing that. However, they nced at each other. ¡­At the next second, all of them answered. ¡°I also love you and games the most, Amano-kun.¡± ¡°I-I-I¡¯m not talking about my connection with a certain person. However, I¡¯m truly grateful that games are what brought us together! Yes!¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t think I love games that much. ¡­Well, whatever.¡± ¡°I hate both Amanhi and games as always.¡± After ignoring someone, I¡¯m so touched that I cried a little bit. ¡­I really want to show off to myself a year ago. I didn¡¯t just get a girlfriend and friends. Also, the one thing that I want to show off the most is- The bestpanions that I could¡¯ve ever asked for are right next to me. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s leave.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Uehara-kun led everyone out of the 2F ssroom. I wiped my tears, chased after them, and took a step forward. * I love games. I sincerely love games. There are no special reasons. I just love all of them unconditionally without realizing it. It¡¯s a blissful moment when I get to y an interesting game. I can forget most of the sadness in my life as long as games exist. Even though this is a boring world without swords, magic, and dragons. However. This is the only world where I can y games filled with swords, magic, dragons, and dreams. Sharing your dreams with others andughing with them together is a daily aspect in this world too. So. So, I want to continue this story. A story filled with dreams like this isn¡¯t my favorite. I¡¯m truly sorry for that. In the end, after bbering so much- After encountering all the connections that his games offered him, this teenager finally found something worth loving other than games. -That¡¯s why he fell in love with games even more than in the past. Finally, this is a in, boring, yet lovable- -story about gaming. Volume 12, Afterword

Volume 12, Afterword

Hello, I¡¯m the guy that felt even more lonely than after finishing a game, Sekina Aoi. Then, I started ying other games to relieve this loneliness. However, I grew impatient with the prologues filled with tutorials as I remembered the games before¡­ But I suddenly became addicted to it during mid-game when I got used to the controls. I fell in love with that game at the finale. After that, loneliness hit me again once Ipleted it. The cycle continues infinitely. So, I fell in love with games and became a quite decent adult subconsciously. ¡­Wait, I¡¯m writing this like I fell into a vicious cycle! Well, I don¡¯t mean it in a bad way. Instead, I think it¡¯s a blessed moment. It¡¯s because feeling lonely means that I enjoyed the game to its fullest. I sincerely appreciate everyone evolving all the games in the world. In this sense, we¡¯re already at the final volume of < Gamers! >. If readers can feel loneliness more than achievement, to a yer, to a creator, nothing is happier than that. Indeed, this is the end of < Gamers! > Thank you for supporting me for such a long time. Please look forward to Sekina Aoi-sensei¡¯s next work. Well, see you! -This is how this afterword should¡¯ve ended. For some reason, I was told that there will only be 2 pages. Yep. ¡­2 pages, 2 pages, ¡­< Seitokai >, ¡­ugh, this hurts my brain¡­! So. There are an additional 16 pages to this afterword. 18 in total. ¡­What the hell? Hey, what the hell? Well, as a summary, let me exin how this whole afterword system works. Basically, all of Fantasia¡¯s novels use a 16-page unit. However, you can¡¯t end the story perfectly that way every time. So, adjustments are made using afterwords or advertisements. However, I¡¯m a man that hates ads (This sounds pretty cool!). Also, I¡¯m an author that can¡¯t decide how many words are in the main content (This sounds prettyme!). So, basically, I can¡¯t adjust with afterwords. In the end, I put it a lot more than I should be. The most affected series is < Student Council¡¯s Discretion >. Nearly all of the afterwords in that series exceed 10 pages. Being annoyed with long afterwords almost became my specialty (but I didn¡¯t mean it on purpose every time). So, here¡¯s the final volume¡­with a 2-page afterword only. A series that¡¯s famous for long afterwords have 2 pages only. ¡­It¡¯s because I realized that this won¡¯t work. So, with a face that looked like I¡¯m about to quit, I asked for another 16 pages while trembling. I wrapped all of the responsibilities onto myself. So, there¡¯s where we ended in, the theoretically highest afterword pages possible, 18. Well, let¡¯s get back on track. This is the end of < Gamers! >. At this point, the devil number of ¡°2¡± appeared in front of me again. Hiya, I done goofed up. There are way too many afterword pages in < Gamers! > Although the standard is a bit weird, it shouldn¡¯t end up like < Seitokai >. So, I didn¡¯t expect this devil-like number to appear here. ¡­I never thought that I¡¯ll only have 2 pages. If I just took it, the readers definitely will say, ¡°Oya oya, this is the second time already. Are you doing it on purpose?¡± I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ll need to say this, but I really didn¡¯t make any changes. Believe me. Well, I can understand that feeling too. This page number is not cool. It sounds like I did it on purpose. However, that¡¯s why, for me, if I¡¯m doing it on purpose, I would add to 19 pages. I¡¯m making a new record, okay? But, boy, do I hate people putting this ¡°from 2 pages to 18 pages¡± choice in front of me! I¡¯ll be the one that ¡°woah¡± the most if you ask! In fact, I have to write it! Seriously, I could¡¯ve just gone for 2 pages. After all, I didn¡¯t promise to write long afterwords in this series. However, for some reason, ¡­it¡¯s because I haven¡¯t written long afterwords series like this. That¡¯s why I can feel a silent pressure from the readers. Somehow, I feel like when I write something like this, ¡°Sekina Aoi is surely considerate of the readers.¡±, ¡°After all that, you still love writing afterwords, right.¡± Perhaps people may think about this positively. But that¡¯s really not the case. Well, I do update my information for readers once per month on my blog. To put it simply, I wouldn¡¯t write something like this if I can choose. Also, I¡¯m a piece of trash that doesn¡¯t feel the need to be honest to readers. I don¡¯t care about their interests either. Yeah, I¡¯m the guy that ys < Tetris > instead of writing my blog, and we¡¯re in the Reiwa era. Can you believe it? So, the choice that said, ¡°There are only 2 pages. ¡­What are you going to do?¡± is put in front of me. I really don¡¯t want to write 18 pages! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re making a garbage NEET writing 18 pages of emotionally-filled text. Going to hell and training would be better than this! However, if I decide to write 2 pages here, everyone will definitely feel disappointed, right!? I¡¯m scared of that! Is this bullying!? Are all of you bullying me!? Anyway, that¡¯s why I ran out of options. Here are your 18 pages. ¡­But there are still 6 pages even after all of yourining, okay? Crap. Well, it¡¯s not like we can stop it after the start. Anyway, let me summarize this series for a bit. ¡­There¡¯s no secret backstory or anything like that. It¡¯s because all of them are in the main story¡­! Ahem, well, let¡¯s go back to the beginning of this series. I think I have revealed a lot of information already. But, please allow me to do it again! Start. I nearly forgot about it now. < Gamers! > originally started at a website called < Fantasia Beyond >, which is called < Kakuyomu > right now. The first chapter was uploaded there. [I think that website is where Higehiro started from. I¡¯m not familiar with it.] That¡¯s the start. The first chapter ended with Amano rejecting Tendou¡¯s invitation to the Game Club. ¡­At this point, honestly, it doesn¡¯t sound like a rom novel at all. What the hell is that? You just wasted such a good boy-meets-girl plot. That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to tell all the readers. Well, this is supposed to be a one-chapter story, after all. At least I didn¡¯t n on continuing when I wrote the first chapter. However, my sensei at the time said, ¡°Good, move on to the second chapter.¡± calmly. Although I was shocked, I still continued writing. With the backstory of Chapter 1 as the mood, I wrote how things are processed on Tasuku Uehara¡¯s side. Then, after that ended¡­ Sensei: ¡°Good, work on Chapter 3. We can almost bundle them into a full novel.¡± Aoi: ¡°Ha?¡± So, I started Chapter 3 without realizing that I¡¯m writing a full series. When everyone¡¯s having fun in Chapter 1 and 2, I added another person who loves gaming topics (an otaku and creator). After that, I also described Uehara and Aguri¡¯s environment. Come to think of it, there wasn¡¯t any connection between Amano and Aguri yet. ¡­Somehow, it ended up in a ¡°misunderstanding rom¡± in Chapter 3. So, just as I thought this is the end, satisfied- Sensei: ¡°Nice, where¡¯s Volume 2?¡± Aoi: ¡°Eh?¡± ¡­So, this slowly got serialized. Also, I kept writing it in web novel forms until Volume 2. There¡¯s no main story finely bundled up in a book. During the middle of Volume 2, I slowly realized that this was going to be a novel. After that, I started thinking of the story as a book. Ah, since it started that way, so, of course, there are no female MCs or endings in my mind. Please rx. ¡­Please rx? Although you may think that I should think about the story more, how should I put it? I mean that I¡¯m not forcing the characters to love in a way that I¡¯ve imagined. I started treating this as an entire novel during Volume 3, after all. However, everyone says that I didn¡¯t write these misunderstanding-style roms on purpose. Even though that¡¯s the case for Volume 1 to 3, basically, I¡¯m still centering the story around gamers and the games they y. The title isn¡¯t < Misundertanders >, after all. So, I didn¡¯t notice this part at all until the readers mentioned it. ¡°Right, it¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± Well, it was utterly miserable at Volume 5. However, to the author, that was more like constructing a chain reaction. ¡­Even though I can feel the characters are strongly protesting me now. So, I wasn¡¯t aware of the ¡°misunderstandings¡± initially, especially in Volume 6. No, think about it. Things went pretty bad for them in Volume 5, right? ¡­A caring author won¡¯t pursue any further, right? ¡­Even though I can feel the characters throwing rocks at me. Forget about the jokes. Anyway, this is a series where everyone gave their best. They conveyed each of their feelings during the final battle and searched for their own answers. So, that¡¯s all for Volume 6 to 12. I¡¯m sorry for people who love misunderstandings. If I kept that up until Volume 12, it¡¯s almost like the prelude of destroying an entire country. So, I¡¯m d that didn¡¯t happen. Also, I¡¯m not really a guy that adds more MCs in the series. However, a demon king appeared this time. Oh, < My Hero > also has a demon king too (seriously). Even so, I think you can understand if you¡¯ve read the entire thing. She¡¯s not the final boss. If this story¡¯s goal is to be no.1 in gaming, she¡¯s indeed the final boss. In fact, she¡¯s even worse than the demon king in < My Hero >. Come to think of it, the demon king in < My Hero > isn¡¯t really a final boss either. Well, who¡¯s the real final boss? Please read all 8 volumes of < My Hero >! (sudden ad) By the way. In the end, can a rom even end with defeating a final boss? I don¡¯t think such a refreshing end like ¡°defeating the source of all evil¡± is possible. So, in a sense, what if Amano and Uehara, the cause of all this, are defeated? Perhaps it¡¯s just as refreshing to punch them until their faces are unrecognizable, right? ¡­What¡¯s wrong with a rom that ends with beating the crap out of the two MCs? Is that really aedy? Moreover, I did n for Volume 12 to be the end. I finally thought of this after finishing Volume 10. ¡°Let¡¯s write two more.¡± The love story ended in Volume 11. However, there was still something I wanted to say in < Gamers! >. So, I wrote another volume. I¡¯ll apologize if you think this isn¡¯t necessary. But, there was a lot I wanted to write in this volume. So, I hope you like it. I guess that¡¯s all for the series. Well, let¡¯s talk about games too. Even though I¡¯ve always said that I love games, I wasn¡¯t that into it during elementary and middle school. Of course, I didn¡¯t hate games. However, I was just a yer at most. I immediately fell in love with it in high school. Eh, why? Well, ¡­how should I put it¡­? It¡¯s because I had no friends in high school! A loner can y happily too, you know? That¡¯s why I fell in love with console games. At that time, online entertainment wasn''t as great as it is right now. So, I didn¡¯t connect with anyone online and just yed silently. Even so, I¡¯m not the type that ys in a ck room and gets mad at my parents. Those usually only appear on TV. How should I say this? ¡°I y games at home to replenish my depleted energy from the lonely life at school. Then, I use this energy to finish the homework for the second day.¡± I guess it¡¯s like a healing potion. Well, of course, I would fall in love with games. However, that¡¯s a bit different than passionate esports yers or game developers. It¡¯s another kind of passion and love. I¡¯m not trying to defeat someone, nor do I want to stand at the top. Of course, I¡¯m not trying to reach the limit of this realm either. It¡¯s a kind of love not as passionate as this one. I guess people don¡¯t understand. I hope I can convey this vague sense of ¡°love¡± to everyone with my works. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Well, when I lost an online match, I would say things like, ¡°Damn! I quit! You idiots!¡± However, I still wanted to show Sekina Aoi as a good guy in my novels. I¡¯m sorry about that. When I¡¯m ying a difficult game, I always say those things after getting owned by the boss 10 times. ¡°Are you kidding me!? You call that a hitbox!? I quit! You idiots!¡± Well, even though I¡¯ll start again a minuteter. Hiya, I guess that¡¯s a bad side of this healing sense of love. It¡¯s a bit simr to a wife domestically abused by her husband. Even though she knows he¡¯s terrible, she can¡¯t bear to her. Sigh, although I ended this on a good note, this sense of love also contains dark emotions. Please consider your dose of love appropriately. Oh, I¡¯m already here. I¡¯ll make sure to enjoy gaming to its fullest. I¡¯ll say I love board games sometimes. However, this is a bit different from my love for console games. Well, in the end, ying with others happily is different from the joy of ying alone. Also, personally, I actually love remembering the rules. However, unexpectedly, a lot of people don¡¯t feel the same. Searching and buying a board game is as fun as ying it. I also love reading the rulebook. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a nice one.¡± Well, even though I think it¡¯s quite a weird hobby. Well, if you ask me what it feels like, it would be that, right? It¡¯s like the time of reading the exnations before I yed the game when I was young. That sense of expectation of hope still exists whenever I¡¯m ying board games. Hiya, the rulebooks these days aren¡¯t as thick. Even though I¡¯m not upset about it, that unique ¡°noble¡± feelings are gone. Well, we have PVs or demos instead. Yep, this generation is better. You don¡¯t really see PVs or demos for table games. Of course, they don¡¯t really have a release as well. However, the main attractiones from the fact that you can touch them. It feels just like when I was buying a game in the past. It¡¯s exciting. Then, I also love bnced rules. I can feel excited whenever I imagine yers enjoying the game under these well-designed rules. Ah, I think I did show this in < Gamers! >. That¡¯s why I revealed my hobby in < Viva Spiel Kingdom > during Volume 5. ¡­Well, even though < Kizuna Dungeon > really sucked (this proves that I¡¯m not talented in making games)! On the other hand, I also love < Gorigori >¡¯s new TV game. It feels like I earned big bucks. ¡­You can also say it¡¯s a sense of guilt since I keeping back. Indeed, when ites to how people my age love games, bitmap games alwayse to the imagination. Well, even though everyone loves ssical games. I¡¯ve said before that I didn¡¯t really love games that much in elementary and middle school. Bitmaps and ssic games aren¡¯t my favorites either. Of course, I didn¡¯t hate them. I just yed them normally. However, people my age always say, ¡°Old games are great, right?¡± as if it¡¯s guaranteed. I don¡¯t really like this feeling. Personally, I love present games. The CG era left an impressive mark on me. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t really chat with them. The same goes for anime too. It¡¯s because I used to live in rural areas when I was little. There weren¡¯t many channels. Of course, the inte didn¡¯t cover that much as well. So, I didn¡¯t watch the same anime the kids in my generation watched. Finally, I still feel a bit distant from my same-age friends. We¡¯ve developed different mindsets. Damn, my loneliness will never end¡­! Well, I¡¯ll say this ahead. Actually, the people around me aren¡¯t at fault. Instead, they warmly told me what was trending in the past. At times like this, the child inside me always ps in excitement. I¡¯ll let you knowter¡­! Ah,e to think of it, I also love people talking about what they like. Also, it¡¯s not something that¡¯s already popr on the inte. Instead, I want to hear what they like in their own way. Weirdly, it¡¯s easy to take in their experiences. It¡¯s because their feelings are their stories, in a sense. I guess that¡¯s why I love board game-rating websites too. They are filled with chaotic personal opinions. It feels good to talk about what you love, right. Hiya, I already wrote this many pages. That¡¯s great. Well, here¡¯s the appreciation speech. First of all, Cactus-sensei, thank you for drawing everything from the cover, the inner pages, and the illustrations. I don''t know how many times I¡¯ve asked you for help. Cactus-sensei¡¯s pictures are one of my biggest interests for the past few years. I sincerely appreciate you. Then, it¡¯s the current and past editors. Even though the development in this series is way more important than thest ones, the author still didn¡¯t know the future. My deepest apologies for causing you inconvenience. That¡¯s all for the confusing intro. However, thanks to you, I had a lot of fun writing this series. I appreciated that. Finally, it¡¯s the reader-sama. Thank you so much for enduring 12 volumes of this annoying rom here. This is the end of the youthful tales of < Gamers! >. Even though this is normal, their future story is still decided by everyone¡¯s imagination. It would be my honor if you can add your version to it. Just like what I¡¯ve said before, this isn¡¯t a story with a concrete ending. So, I don¡¯t think I get to decide what¡¯ll be waiting for them next. As the author, I¡¯m happy if everyone¡¯s happy. ¡­Sorry, that was a lie. Perhaps I do want to cause you some trouble. Well, after all of that, perhaps I¡¯ll decide the fate of these characters in my next short story or book. But, this is just a spinoff of the original author¡¯s work. Anyway, I kept repeating it, but thank you very much. I¡¯ll be very happy if we can see each other again, maybe in an online match! (It sounds exciting, but if you find a noob there, it¡¯s probably me.) See you! Sekina Aoi DLC 2, 1 – Ayumu Kiriya and Close Encounter

DLC 2, Chapter 1 ¨C Ayumu Kiriya and Close Encounter

< Hell¡¯s Blood > All Achievement and Hardcore Difficulty Live Stream ¨C Part 24. Hello, I¡¯m Torabasami. Nice to meet you. Well, we¡¯ll be doing a walkthrough on < Hermit¡¯s Valley > this time. Even though you don¡¯t need toplete < Hermit¡¯s Valley > to push the main story, we can collect three rare pieces of equipment here. So, I¡¯ll go over ways to acquire these gears a bit detailedly as we go through < Hermit¡¯s Valley >. Due to the time limit, we¡¯ll save the boss battle for the next time. Well, let¡¯s start. * ¡°Phew¡­¡± I turned off the mic after recording about 10 videos at once. Then, I stood up from the chair and took a big stretch. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Finally, I sighed deeply. I managed topletely drag my consciousness back from the live stream to my miserable reality. The kotatsu is covered with empty coffee cans and chocte wrappers. The ground surrounding the chair is filled with walkthroughs I bought for reference. There are also the data files, magazines, news, and my tablet for the game wiki page. The entire apartment is so messy that there¡¯s nearly nowhere to stand. A lonely college girl is standing at the center of this room. I had a sweater on top but panties underneath only. ¡°¡­Sheesh, ¡­I hate this.¡± I scratched the back of my head clumsily. Where did that hardcore live streamer Torabasami go? In reality, I, Ayumu Kiriya, don¡¯t even have the slightest energy to improve my life. I don¡¯t know what I should do after imagining how much I need to clean this. So, I just stood there dazedly. However, the cold January breezes invading my cheap apartment don¡¯t allow me to do so. My body temperature is leaking away rapidly once my thin legs are outside the warm kotatsu. I tried my best to fight against my desire to crawl back into the kotatsu. I wore my jeans and immediately started cleaning the house. Basically, I don¡¯t want to spend any energy on things that are not live streams. However, that¡¯s why I need to work hard to maintain myzy lifestyle. That¡¯s why unbelievably, my room isn¡¯t like a garbage disposal. I have to thank my parents for raising such a serious kid. I threw the trash, packed up the books, and started sweeping the floor. Finally, I washed the empty pot as I looked at the trash disposal schedule on the fridge. Then, I suddenly realized something. ¡°Oh, right, it¡¯s 10 AM tomorrow.¡± I remembered a meeting with my friend. ¡­This feeling of losing what day it is due to the sluggish holiday is really daunting. Even so, I jotted down my entire schedule on my phone. There are notifications and rms. I hate failing to deliver my promise. After washing the pot, I wiped my hands with the towel and returned to the kotatsu. After that, I looked at my phone. Then, I opened the calendar and checked tomorrow¡¯s event again. ¡­I can¡¯t help but smile bitterly. ¡°Right, this is it. How can I miss such an important event? It¡¯s more like how can I forget this until just then?¡± It seems that my personality switches whenever I start live streaming, and I hate it. That¡¯s why I forgot that slightly ¡°depressing¡± event. Well, I can¡¯t forget it again once I remembered. Suddenly, my face turned stiff from the nervousness. I read what I wrote on the calendar out loud. ¡°Visiting Otobuki High School¡¯s Game Club- ah¡­¡± This is the first time suchplicated emotions rose up in my heart since my first live stream. * I met with Otobuki¡¯s Game Club president, Karen Tendou, around 2 weeks ago. It was supposed to be a meeting with my online friend, SALT0519. We promised to see each other at the arcade. However, she came instead ¨C Karen Tendou. In reality, the problem is that¡­she, Karen Tendou, isn¡¯t SALT0519. After that, Karen Tendou exined that the real SALT0519 is also in the Game Club. She¡¯s a girl named Nina Oiso. In other words, this Karen Tendou girl came to her ce. There are a lot of reasons behind us. ¡­Please allow me to skip them for now. No, even if there are reasons, Karen Tendou did something wrong to Nina Oiso and me in reality. ¡­She sincerely apologized and suggested this n. I¡¯ll meet with Nina Oiso again in Otobuki¡¯s Game Club. Honestly, I was a bit hesitant. However, this Karen Tendou seems to be a strong girl that won¡¯t back down easily. Also, most importantly- (I¡¯m a bit interested in¡­the school that Keita goes to.) This is why I eventually epted her suggestion. Also, the wealthydy with me at that time, Ao Saika, was invited too. She showed a business-like smile and answered, ¡°I¡¯ll go if I have time.¡± I¡¯m 90% sure she wouldn¡¯t go. This can¡¯t be helped. There¡¯s no reason for a wealthydy not interested in games to visit a school¡¯s Game Club. She didn¡¯t even graduate from that school. Anyway. So, right now, it¡¯s 9:50 AM on the promised day. I, Ayumu Kiriya, walked into Otobuki High School during winter break. * ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect Ao to show up too.¡± We got on the flops used by visitors as we walked across the corridor to the old school building. During this time, I spoke up to the person next to me. After hearing that, Ao rolled the tip of her hair with her finger and answered a bit embarrassedly. ¡°W-What? Didn¡¯t I say I¡¯ll go if I have time?¡± ¡°No, well, yes. I didn¡¯t expect people who said she¡¯ll go if she had time to actually show up.¡± ¡°¡­You got a problem?¡± Ao chuckled. Her smile is filled with pressure. ¡°N-No¡­¡± I looked away and scratched my head. I still don¡¯t understand this ojou-sama, ¡­Ao Saika at all. Even though she¡¯s not interested in games, why did shee all the way to this unknown high school¡¯s Game Club with me? We walked silently for a while. I looked at her. She¡¯s biting the nails of her thumb as she mumbled. ¡°I have enough to worry about Keita Amano-kun. ¡­How can this girl meet more and more gaming buddies? Sheesh¡­!¡± ¡°Hmm? Ao, what did you say?¡± ¡°Nothing. Ayumu-san, please have fun and y games with me today.¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, sure¡­¡± ¡­Why do I feel like my parents are watching me attending a public lecture? I hate this nervousness. We followed Karen Tendou¡¯s instructions sent to our phone as we moved to the Game Club. Although it¡¯s during the holiday, there are still some students attending club activities here. Just as we¡¯re crossing the corridor and entering the old building, Ao spoke up. ¡°Let me confirm this. The people we¡¯re meeting today think Ayumu-san is a guy, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess. Well, didn¡¯t Karen Tendou think we are a couple when west met her?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°By the way, I was going to correct her. Why did you stop me?¡± ¡°Y-Yes.¡± The ojou-sama looked away and started whispering. ¡­Why does she love people treating us as a couple? Did her mind snap from not being able to find a guy? I sighed and continued. ¡°Well, if Karen Tendou thinks that I¡¯m a guy, perhaps she already told that to the Game Club members we are about to meet. In the end, won¡¯t that make the entire club treat me as a guy?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re right¡­¡± ¡°So? I¡¯ll correct them during my self-introduction, okay?¡± My gender isn¡¯t really that important if we¡¯re just going to be ying games. I¡¯m fine with other people treating me as a guy¡­ Ao showed a slightly frustrated look. Then, she answered with a serious face. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Ayumu-san, I think you should pretend as a guy here at Otobuki.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay with it, ¡­but why?¡± ¡°You still don¡¯t understand? Of course, this is the school that Keita Amano-kun is in!¡± ¡°¡­Oh, I see.¡± I finally got it. Indeed, ¡­no matter how friendless he is, he may have the chance to know my gender from the Game Club members. Ao continued asking. ¡°Does he have a connection to the Game Club?¡± ¡°Eh? Uh, ¡­I¡¯m not sure. I faintly remember that he said he¡¯s in a certain hobby club. ¡­Also, I faintly remember that he rejected the invitation to a certain club too¡­¡± ¡°Why do you always only ¡®faintly¡¯ remember what Amano-kun said?¡± ¡°Uh, no, what he says is pretty boring, after all. ¡­However, he sometimes gives me diabetes by showing off. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t really remember his words¡­¡± ¡°I-I understood. Anyway, Ayumu-san, you need to pretend to be a guy in this school. Get it?¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I got it, ojou-sama. ¡­Oops, my jeans are too big. I hope no one saw my panties. That was close.¡± ¡°Ayumu-san!¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s okay. E-Even if someone saw my panties, as long as I say that I¡¯m a guy, people will only think of me as a guy that wears girl¡¯s underwear!¡± ¡°That¡¯s terrible in a whole other sense!¡± ¡°Oh, we¡¯re already at the Game Club.¡± After that, I pointed at the sign on the door. Ao cleared her throat¡­and switched to her ojou-sama mode with a smile. ¡­I feel like she¡¯s wearing a different mask whenever she¡¯s not with me. We nced at each other- ¡°Well, let¡¯s go, Ao.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± -I knocked on Otobuki¡¯s Game Club¡¯s door.¡± * ¡°Wee, you two!¡± ¡°H-Hey¡­¡± The blonde girl- Karen Tendou, is releasing her ultra beauty aura in a room filled with consoles. She smiled and greeted us. However, on the contrary, ¡­two students are staring at us silently. That¡¯s a guy with sharp eyes under his sses and a girl chewing on bubblegumzily. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Ao and I stood still at the entrance with this ¡°entered the wrong room¡± atmosphere. As for Karen Tendou, she immediately noticed this and asked us to enter cheerfully. ¡°Hey, hey. Pleasee in! Pleasee in, you two!¡± ¡°Ah, sure¡­¡± We followed her like she¡¯s our savior. Honestly, whether it¡¯s Ao or me, we were a bit afraid of her the first time we met. Even so, ¡­she¡¯s the only one we can rely on today. She asked us to sit on the guest seat after leading us into the room. However, with this thorny atmosphere, both of us stood still. Seeing that, Karen Tendou¡­started to show anger too. She scolded the two senpais. ¡°Senpais, why are you two immediately releasing this repulsive aura!? D-Didn¡¯t I tell you guys this before? These two are the college gamers I met earlier, Ayumu Kiriya and Ao Saika-¡° ¡°We know.¡± ¡°Then you two should at least greet them, right!?¡± ¡°¡­Wee.¡± ¡°Do none of the year 3 students here canmunicate properly!? Ugh, if only Mizumi-kun¡¯s here today. ¡­Why does he have to-¡° ¡°This club member surely likes other people worrying about him.¡± ¡°How dare you two say that!? Sheesh! I finally figured out again why no new members came after him today!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind it, Tendou.¡± ¡°Why are you two the ones tofort me!? Tell me! Why!?¡± The ¡°strong girl¡± vibe from Karen Tendou immediately disappeared at this moment. All she can do now isin. ¡­This Game Club is amazing. I guess those weird club activities in limited light novels have to admit defeat too. Ao and I dropped our jaws. Karen Tendou snapped out of it and cleared her throat. After that, she turned to us and started introducing those two characteristic members. ¡°Ahem. W-Well, allow me to introduce the Game Club again. Let''s see, first of all, ¡­that four-eyed guy who looks like he¡¯s ying < Data Basketball > is Gakuto Kase-senpai.¡± ¡°Oi, Tendou. That¡¯s not an introduction. You¡¯re just mad at me.¡± ¡°Well, Kase-senpai. How about you introduce yourself?¡¯ ¡°Uh, ¡­I¡¯m Kase. ¡­Hehe, my uracy will be 100% at this distance.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be that character if you can¡¯t!¡± ¡°Uh, really? ¡­Whatever, nice to meet you.¡± After that, this Gakuto Kase guy pushed his sses and started ying an unknown game again. ¡­How should I put it? Even though I still don¡¯t understand him a lot, for some reason, I know exactly how he¡¯s like. ¡­Unexpectedly, I don¡¯t hate him at all. I¡¯m a person that ys games calmly and concentrates on data as well, after all. ¡°Sheesh, whatever.¡± Karen Tendou shrugged before ncing at that girl. Then, she showed a vague smile to me and said, ¡°Also, ¡­Kiriya-san. I¡¯ll be frank here. She¡¯s Nina Oiso-senpai. In other words, ¡­she¡¯s the real SALT0519.¡± ¡°Eh, ah, oh, I-I see.¡± I almost forgot about it due to the chain of events. Come to think of it, I came here to see her in real life. I suddenly grew nervous and looked a bit suspicious. However, I still tried my best to greet her. ¡°H-Hello, I¡¯m that Torabasami. My name¡¯s Ayumu Kiriya.¡± It¡¯s my first time meeting someone I know online, after all. I¡¯m a bit restless. Ao pouted for some reason as she watched us. She, ¡­Nina Oiso, slowly looked at me. Her moist and flirtatious lips said¡­that important sentence which started our real-life interaction in the first ce. I had high hopes. ¡°Oh, hi.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Then, Nina Oiso returned to her game screen. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Alright, that¡¯s the end of our fateful encounter. Good job, everyone. After seeing her ice-cold reaction, Karen Tendou got angry for me. ¡°How could you do that!? Nina-senpai, ¡­there¡¯s something else you should say, right!¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, ¡­which type of arcade controllers do you use, Kiriya?¡± ¡°What kind of topic is that!?¡± ¡°Ah, my apartment has thin walls. So I always use the silent-types¡­¡± ¡°You caught on with her!? Kiriya-san, you caught on with her!? That¡¯s all of the emotions of that impressive first encounter we had!?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, well, honestly, I think it¡¯s better to chat about games right away than anything else. It¡¯s more efficient to get to know each other.¡± After I said that, that Gakuto Kase-san suddenly punched the table. ¡°Nice one! I like you, Ayumu Kiriya!¡± Kase-kun is suddenly interested in me. Tendou-san pressed her forehead. ¡°I can¡¯t deal with these senpais¡­¡± I feel sorry for this girl. I feel like¡­she always suffers from the rtionships here. Anyway. So, we finally grew closer to each other and started the Game Club tour again. * ¡°Sheesh, you¡¯re just as cunning as before.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re the one that¡¯s unwilling to give up.¡± An hour has passed after that. Right now, I¡¯m sitting with Nina Oiso as we fought each other in fighting games. Although I was a bit nervous initially, she turned into the real SALT0519 that has fought me countless times this year. Come to think of it, the two of us¡­are year-long rivals and friends, at least in this game. So, the distance between Oiso and me is immediately closed. Then, everyone in the Game Club seemed to have a chain reaction, and we just started talking. Well, at least that¡¯s true for me. On the other hand, Ao, who¡¯s a total newbie at games- ¡°Gakuto-kun, Gakuto-kun, what did you just do?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m just settingndmines.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­Ah, Gakuto-kun, Gakuto-kun, what was the thing that just popped out?¡± ¡°¡­Someone stepped on thatndmine, and I scored.¡± ¡°I see. This score thing just keeps adding on, right, Gakuto-kun?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°In other words, ¡­Gakuto-kun, you¡¯re very great at this ¡®battle simtion¡¯ game, am I right?¡± ¡°¡­I-I guess so.¡± ¡°I got it. No wonder I¡¯m having so much fun watching you even though I know nothing.¡± ¡°¡­R-Really?¡± -For some reason, she¡¯s having fun with Gakuto Kase. Also, the reason why Ao¡¯s calling his first name isn¡¯t that they are close. Instead, it¡¯s because she already bit her tongue twice when she called him Kase-kun. This seems too big of a blunder for a perfect ojou-sama like her. In the end, she chose the easier Gakuto-kun. ¡­Hiya, the guy in question looks pretty embarrassed, though. Well, I¡¯m a pretty careful person, so I called everyone by theirst name except Kase. After seeing that, Tendou came next to Oiso and me. She chuckled and mumbled. ¡°This is an amazing discovery. It looks like Kase-senpai¡­is too much of a pure gamer. He can¡¯t deal with total non-gamers at all.¡± Oiso smiled mischievously after hearing that. ¡°It¡¯s rare and interesting to see him like this. Tendou, record it. We¡¯ll make fun of himter.¡± ¡°Got it, Nina-senpai.¡± ¡°You guys are pretty brutal to each other¡­¡± I can only see the members insulting each other after I came to this Game Club. Is this the so-called hardcore gamer group? ¡­No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true. Then, Kase¡¯s match is over. The battle between Oiso and I ended as well. So, all of us decided to take a short break. Tendou quickly boiled some water with the kettle. She prepared some instant coffee and shared them. We took a sip and sighed before continuing chatting. Tendou immediately started asking Ao and me. ¡°By the way, where did you two graduate? Don¡¯t tell me¡­you¡¯re from our school?¡± After hearing that, I bitterly smiled and answered. ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t have a boring secret like that. I graduated from a school in Kanagawa.¡± [It¡¯s a bit south of Tokyo.] ¡°I see. Well, how about Saika-san¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m a local. However, regrettably, I didn¡¯t graduate from Otobuki. How should I put it? It¡¯s called Hekiyou. Heard of it?¡± Tendou smiled and said, ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°One of my friends is the student council president there.¡± ¡°Hiya, what a coincidence.¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Even though I¡¯m not the president, ¡­I was in the student council for 3 years. That experience is truly valuable to me.¡± Ao smiled after saying that. This is the first time I¡¯ve heard about this too. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the rumors in my university. That Hekiyou¡­chooses its student council members based on how cute the girls are, right?¡± ¡°Yes, well, although it¡¯s awkward for me to say this, ¡­for some reason, their tradition is to choose cute girls as members. They even have a voting system.¡± Ao continued a bit embarrassedly. I¡¯m not really interested, and I mumbled. ¡°Of course, there¡¯s no way Ao isn¡¯t in the student council. By the way, how are you not the president?¡± ¡°!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡­Ao¡¯s ears turned red as she plopped her head down after I snapped out of it. ¡­The Game Club members looked at me with a shocked face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I tilted my head in confusion. Oiso sighed deeply. ¡°¡­I feel like¡­you reminded me of someone who¡¯s always flirting with girls unconsciously¡­¡± ¡°A-Ahaha¡­¡± ¡°Sheesh¡­¡± Tendouughed awkwardly. As for Kase, he hmphed like this doesn¡¯t interest him at all. ¡­What happened? Tendou spoke up to change the mood. ¡°S-So, what was Kiriya-san¡¯s school like?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s hard for me to say. ¡­We don¡¯t have a cute girl voting contest, though.¡± ¡°Do they have a Game Club?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, I remembered. However, I always went home earlier and yed RPGs alone. So, I wasn¡¯t invited, but the Game Club does exist.¡± ¡°Really? By the way, what¡¯s the name of that school?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, it¡¯s called Arakami, ¡­do you know it?¡± ¡°Arakami, ¡­Arakami. ¡­Eh, ¡­why do I feel like¡­I¡¯ve heard of it before? ¡­I think it¡¯s around elementary? But how did I know about a high school¡¯s name in elementary?¡± [The Shiina sisters transferred to Arakami at the end of Seitokai. Tendou knew that because she used to y with Mafuyu (SS Ch.1).] Tendou started mumbling something on her own. Kase continued the conversation a bit helplessly. ¡°Is that Game Club good?¡± ¡°Good? Ah, ¡­no, ¡­I think I¡¯ve toured it before, but it¡¯s not impressive. That Game Club has a chill atmosphere. The president was pretty casual as well.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kase immediately lost interest after hearing that and started drinking coffee. He¡¯s a really easy-to-understand hardcore gamer. I don¡¯t hate this attitude of his. After the school topic was over, Oiso threw a new question out. ¡°By the way, Kiriya, are you doing live streams?¡± ¡°-Eh?¡± My heart skipped a beat after hearing that sudden question. I secretly nced at Ao. Although she¡¯s not as shocked as I am, she does look a bit awkward and nces at me. Of course, ¡­this would be bad if word got out to Keita, after all. I took a sip of my coffee again as I looked away from Oiso before answering. ¡°Uh, ¡­w-why did you suddenly ask that?¡± ¡°Ha? It¡¯s not sudden, right? Didn¡¯t you send me a message before? You said something along the lines of stop interrupting your stream.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Indeed, I didn¡¯t think of this when I first started interacting with her. I identally revealed that I¡¯m a live streamer. However, luckily, Oiso doesn¡¯t seem to be interested in live streams- ¡°Oh, I just checked on my phone. Hiya, ¡­Torabasami is quite a famous streamer.¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± She touched on some dangerous intelligence in the blink of an eye. It looks like she¡¯s not just unpredictable in fighting games. Sweat¡¯s raining down my forehead as I scrambled my brain. (E-Everything¡¯s still fine. Nothing will go wrong even if she knows I¡¯m Torabasami. That¡¯s all of the information she can get. It¡¯s okay. This is still not rted to Keita yet-) ¡°Hmm. Eh, ¡­ording to the wiki, I think you¡¯ve found a partner called Jiraiya recently, and your views grew up too?¡± (SHE TOUCHED IT! HOW!? WHAT!?) What¡¯s wrong with this Nina Oiso!? Is she as great at attacking people¡¯s private lives as she does in fighting games!? She¡¯s really a genius! I felt speechless. She, ¡­just like how she¡¯s in-game, grabbed the opportunity and sent out chains ofbos. ¡°Oh, ¡­this Jiraiya guy loves games, but he¡¯s not good at it. Kiriya, you know a guy like that?¡± ¡°Eh? Hmm, oh, ¡­I guess so.¡± I looked away again and forced my brain to calm down. (C-Calm down, Ayumu Kiriya. No matter how talented Oiso is at fighting games, everything¡¯s still fine if she stops here. There¡¯s no way she can dig up more details. If she can do that, she¡¯s already a god-) At this moment. ¡°Ah, e to think of it, I know a guy like him too. His name¡¯s Keita Amano.¡± ¡°-GOD!?¡± I yelled loudly due to the massive shock and stood up. Everyone in the Game Club jumped as well. ¡­As for me, ¡­no, both Ao and I red at each other as our faces went pale. Under this emergency, she and I quickly started exchanging looks. (What the hell!? Hey, what the hell¡¯s happening, Ao!?) (I-I don¡¯t know! It¡¯s already a miracle that his name can appear this suddenly! Who in the world is this Oiso person!?) (She¡¯s just a fighting game yer!) (Fighting game yers are amazing! This is how they turn out after reaching the top!?) (No! That¡¯s usually not the case! A-Anyway, what do you think we should do, Ao!?) (What can we do when we¡¯re up against a god¡­?) (Ugh¡­!) It¡¯s exactly like what Ao said. There¡¯s nothing we can do against a god. Well, if there¡¯s anything I can do right now, ¡­it would be to struggle. It¡¯s better than doing nothing. ¡°Hiya, sorry for screaming out loud. I just¡­got a 5-star card from my mobile game. Yes.¡± ¡°I-I see.¡± Tendou looked relieved. I took the chance and changed the topic. ¡°Y-Yes, my friend rmended this game to me recently. I tried it, and it¡¯s quite fun!¡± ¡°Really? What game is it?¡± Nice, Tendou took the bait. ¡­This can work! Ao and I nodded as we went deeper into the mobile game. ¡°Uh, it¡¯s called < Gate of Mars >-¡° ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the one Amano-kun and Chiaki-san are ying now!¡± ¡°IS THIS A LANDMINE FIELD!?¡± What is this!? What the hell is wrong with the Game Club!? Don¡¯t tell me this club has a close rtionship with Keita!? I tremblingly¡­asked Tendou, who was shocked by my scream again. ¡°Uh, ¡­the name that just appeared multiple times, that Amano-kun guy, ¡­h-how should I say this? ¡­Is he a member of this club¡­?¡± I asked. This time, ¡­Kase pushed his sses and answered. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. He just came here for a tour.¡± ¡°Oh, I-I see.¡± Ao and I were relieved. (Nice, even if they know each other, it¡¯s okay¡­) Kase continued. ¡°Sigh, ¡­he does have a big influence on this club, though.¡± (WHY DO YOU SOUND LIKE HE HAS AN UNUSUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU ALL!?) What did you do!? Keita, what the hell did you do!? What in the world did you do when you visited this club!? By the way, you left such a big impression on these characteristic people after a mere visit! What the hell did you do!? Did you murder someone in here!? Ao and I were totally checkmated here. Both of us exchanged looks again. (A-Ayumu-san. At this point, ¡­we can only¡­) (Yes, ¡­I understood, Ao. I know¡­) We nodded. ¡­Then, ..both of us chugged the hot instant coffee at once. Bam! We forcefully put the empty mugs on the table. After that, the two of us grabbed our belongings and coats as we stood up. ¡°WELL, WE¡¯LL BE LEAVING!¡± ¡°That sudden!?¡± The Game Club¡¯s members were shocked after hearing our sudden departure. We quickly greeted them as we left the room like we were escaping- ¡°P-Please wait!¡± -At that moment, Tendou pulled a fast one. She raised both of her hands and blocked the door. My face twitched as I smiled at her. ¡°T-Tendou? ¡­We need to show up at the university right now. ¡­Right, Ao?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, you¡¯re right. We have to go there now.¡± Tendou backed down after hearing our excuse. ¡°R-Really? Sigh, ¡­this can¡¯t be helped...¡± Although Tendou still looked unconvinced, she put down her arms and moved out of the way. So, we passed her and walked outside of the room. Both of us bid farewell to the members. ¡°W-Well, see you. I-I had a good time today.¡± ¡°M-Me too. Well, see you.¡± ¡°S-See you¡­¡± Everyone in the Game Club couldn¡¯t follow up at all. However, they reluctantly bid farewell to us. Just as we¡¯re chuckling while closing the door- ¡°H-Hey! I¡¯ll walk you two to the entrance!¡± Tendou stopped us fiercely. Honestly, ¡­please don¡¯t. However, we didn¡¯t have a good reason to reject her. So, Ao and I could only admit defeat. The three of us are walking in the corridor now. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We were silent for a while. ¡­Tendou clearly suspected us. However, ¡­I guess even she couldn¡¯t think of the reason. So, when we¡¯re approaching the new building, Tendou spoke up. ¡°Hey, ¡­did we do something that made you two unhappy?¡± She looks really worried. Ao and I quickly shook our heads repeatedly. ¡°No, no! Of course not! Right, Ao!?¡± ¡°Yes, of course! It¡¯s more like we¡¯re sorry for making you worry about us!¡± Tendou looked relieved after we denied it quickly. ¡°Good to hear that. However, the Game Club is really bad at weing guests¡­¡± ¡°Well, indeed. All of you aren¡¯t really easy going people¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°However, Ao and I really love your Game Club. Whether it¡¯s Kase, Oiso, or of course, you, Tendou are nice people. We had a pretty good time today. I sincerely feel that.¡± ¡°Yes, ¡­I¡¯m happy to hear that. Thank you, Kiriya-san.¡± Tendou smiled. She¡¯s as adorable as an angel. Even Ao looked dazed. We walked into the main building and turned into a corridor. The entrance is right in front of us. Tendou looked into the distance with lonely eyes. She mumbled. ¡°¡­if only I could y games with Amano-kun in the Game Club again.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Ao and I got nervous again after hearing his name from her mouth. As for Tendou, she always noticed our moods as well. The girl quickly covered it up. ¡°Oh, sorry. I kept saying a student¡¯s name that you two don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°No, please don¡¯t mind it¡­¡± Ao and I couldn¡¯t help but look away from her. ¡­Tendou, that¡¯s not why we¡¯re releasing this aura. ¡­It¡¯s more like the big problem is that we have a pretty close rtionship. For some reason, Tendou sighed depressingly. Ao gently poked my arms and whispered to me. (Although I¡¯m not sure of the details, it seems that Amano-kun and the Game Club don¡¯t have a good rtionship.) (Yeah, but that¡¯s the best case for us. Well, even though I¡¯m a bit sorry for him.) (Yes, at least they won¡¯t immediately talk about us in front of Amano-kun.) (I almost panicked just then¡­) We¡¯re finally free from the intense nervousness as we sighed. Well, we¡¯re already at the entrance. Both of us returned the flops, and we got back on our own shoes. After that, we turned around. Tendou waved at us with a charming smile. ¡°Well, see you, Kiriya-san, Saika-san. I really appreciated you two today.¡± ¡°We¡¯re the same. Well, see you, Tendou.¡± ¡°I had fun today. Even though I don¡¯t want to yet, we have to bid farewell here.¡± Ao and I said our goodbyes. We waved and walked out of the gate. When Ao and I walked out of Tendou¡¯s sight, ¡­we sighed heavily. ¡­Today was exhausting. I grabbed my phone to check the time as we arrived at the station that leads to our home. Ao spoke up. ¡°Ah, right.¡± ¡°Ayumu-san, we should at least confirm Amano-kun¡¯s rtionship with the Game Club, right?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. Let me see¡­¡± I opened the messenger and asked Keita¡­as naturally as possible. < I just visited the Game Club in our university. I still don¡¯t feel like joining them. I guess I love ying alone more. > Let¡¯s start the intro with a small lie. After that¡­ < Ah,e to think of it, Keita, did you have a bad rtionship with your high school¡¯s Game Club? > ¡­Yes, the text is very fluent. This way, he can¡¯t possibly think that Ao and I visited Otobuki¡¯s Game Club, right? He replied after one minute. < We don¡¯t have a bad rtionship! Sigh, but it¡¯s reallyplicated right now¡­ > ¡°Yeah, looks like we¡¯re safe.¡± Ao looked at the screen and mumbled. Indeed, ¡­Keita¡¯s rtionship with the Game Club is cold at best right now. If that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll share our information with him. -Right here, I received another message from Keita. Just as I''m about to reply with a random emoji, Ao and I checked the screen casually. It shows- < The Game Club¡¯s president is my ex-girlfriend, after all. > ¡°Oh, I see. Karen Tendou is his ex-¡° ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­!? Our faces touched each other as we looked at the screen. We read that message again. After that, both of us couldn¡¯t help but scream loudly at the rural station. ¡°WHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!?¡± < Time until Keita Amano¡¯s girlfriend enters Ayumu Kiriya¡¯s apartment: 3 and a half months > [Seitokai readers may notice this bug already. Key-kun¡¯s in the 32nd and 33rd student council. Konoha¡¯s the 37th. So, unless all members get re-elected, Ao can only be in the 34th, 35th, and 36th. She should be in year 1 of uni. However, DLC 1 already said that she¡¯s in year 2.] DLC 3, 1 – Keita Amano and Chiaki Route

DLC 3, Chapter 1 ¨C Keita Amano and Chiaki Route

Trantor: your_pingas I, Keita Amano, am finally facing the moment to bid farewell to my past as a lonely passerby high schooler. At the same time, this moment is also one of the most important events in my life ¨C sending a friend request to Tendou-san. Even though I wanted to draw the line based on personal reasons initially, it caused suspicion and misunderstandings for other people. It¡¯s a huge event that dragged everyone in. Also, with that development, this evolved into a situation that no one has expected. When I noticed it, I, Keita Amano, already- -started going out with my rival, Chiaki Hoshinomori. * ¡°Chiaki, are you going home already?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Chiaki greeted me in the 2A ssroom as she stood up from the chair just as usual. She grabbed her school bag and left the seat before smiling at me. -It¡¯s been 2 months since we started going out. That was on a day in August, during the summer holiday. If we have to exin our rtionship in a single sentence, that will be- ¡°H-Hey, ¡­Keita. Do you¡­w-want to stop by my house and y today?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, sure. ¡­W-Well, ¡­uh, ¡­I, ¡­I would love to.¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± -We pretended that we¡¯re experienced lovers, but in reality, we aren¡¯t even close. So, that¡¯s our current situation. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Most students already left the 2A ssroom. The sunset lightened up our slightly blushing cheeks. We found ourselves in this awkward situation again. To help myself to ept this, I already remembered what happened countless times before. Our rtionship was at its lowest point at first. Of course. I messed up my friend request to Tendou-san, and we didn¡¯t even know how to manage our distance. Forget about Chiaki. When Uehara-kun knew what happened to us, heughed annoyingly as he ¡°blessed¡± us. In reality, that just looked like I was the one being rejected. In other words, this rtionship started with both of us insulting each other. Of course, Chiaki and I wanted to escape from this situation as soon as possible. However, ¡­you know us. After a chain of events and misunderstandings, we even had to pretend our rtionship was going well. So, that left ¡°breaking up¡± out of the option. Again, of course, Chiaki and I weren¡¯t amused by this at all. No, we weren¡¯t supposed to find this funny. That should¡¯ve been the case. In the end, Chiaki and I¡­are just partners with the same hobbies. As we spent more and more time with each other, naturally, our conversation grew more peaceful. Everything was fine when we were just treating each other as ¡°friends¡±. Also, when we dated each other for a month, ¡­both of us found our fateful rtionship as if something pushed us. We¡¯re actually friends in the mobile game, and she¡¯s NOBE-san. After that, we grew even more fond of each other. Finally, after a lot of idents, we¡¯re ¡°lovers¡± at this moment. Of course, both of us aren¡¯t entirely confident of it, but we do have feelings for each other. However, that¡¯s why, unlike when we were rivals or friends, recently, a strange sense of embarrassment and nervousness will surround us. So, if Chiaki invited me to her house under this situation, well¡­ (I-I¡¯ve yed in Chiaki¡¯s house before! Why am I so-) I¡¯ve been slowly realizing my feelings for this girl. This girl has been slowly realizing her feelings for me too. With thisbination, I can¡¯t help but think- ¡°A-Ahem!¡± ¡°!¡± -Suddenly, the two of us are interrupted by someone¡¯s cough. Secretly ncing at our shocked expressions, ¡­the beautiful blonde girl ¨C Karen Tendou red at us unhappily, even though she¡¯s smiling. Just as we¡¯re still recovering from the surprise, she maintained her slightly horrifying smile and continued. ¡°A-Amano-kun, and also Hoshinomori-san? A-Although I didn¡¯t hear what you two were talking about, ¡­w-well, can you two release ¡®this atmosphere¡¯ when alone instead?¡± Both of us tilted our heads after hearing Tendou-san. ¡°This atmosphere?¡± ¡°Tck, ¡­you dense couple¡­!¡± My school¡¯s idol, Karen Tendou, clenched her fists in anger for some reason. ¡­Even though a lot has happened to us, surprisingly, we¡¯re still keeping an intimate rtionship with Tendou-san. It¡¯s just that we¡¯ll trigger Tendou-san for some reason. Are we that bad at ying games? Tendou-san slowly sighed and withdrew her fists. She spoke up again. ¡°A-Are you two going home together today as well?¡± I represented both of us and answered Tendou-san¡¯s question. ¡°Ah, yes. It¡¯s because we don¡¯t have a Game Hobby Club meeting today. But,e to think of it, Tendou-san, you¡¯re going to the Game Club, right?¡± ¡°Uh, yes. It¡¯s just that, ¡­well¡­¡± For some reason, she started curling the tip of her hair with her finger. Then, she continued sheepishly. ¡°I-If you two wanted to, well, it¡¯s okay for me to go home with you two¡­¡± Facing this suggestion, Chiaki and I nced at each other for a moment. ¡­After that, both of us smiled and answered her at the same time. ¡°No, thanks! Please go to the Game Club!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± We chose our words carefully after considering her feelings. However, somehow, Tendou-san looked visibly upset. ¡­Why? Even though both Chiaki and I really want to y with Tendou-san, it¡¯s bad for us to ask for something unreasonable, right? We shouldn¡¯t cause her to be absent from the Game Club. Chiaki and I smiled as we waved and bid farewell to Tendou-san, who¡¯s supposed to go to the Game Club. However, Tendou-san remained still and continued chatting with us. ¡°B-By the way! H-How are things¡­going for you two? H-How far have you two gone?¡± We tilt our heads again with this confusing question. But, we immediately realized it and answered with a smile. ¡°We¡¯re collecting points as we level up in Ch.5 of the Finale!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking about games! Also, I didn¡¯t know you two even have the same progress in games!¡± ¡°Hmm? What else could it be other than games¡­?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, no, I mean, well, ¡­uh¡­¡± For some reason, Tendou-san blushed really hard as she plopped her head down. Chiaki and I thought about it for a moment. ¡­Then, we pped at the same time and asked Tendou-san. ¡°Are you asking about our rtionships?¡± ¡°Yes! That¡¯s it! It¡¯s rare for you two to understand-¡° ¡°Our ssmates¡¯ eyes look just as cold as usual!¡± ¡°No! Well, ¡­but please allow me to pat both of your heads and calm down.¡± After that, she patted each of our heads one by one. ¡­Although I¡¯m excited, how should I put it? Well, Chiaki and I felt a bit throbbed. When she was done patting us, Tendou-san spoke again. ¡°Sheesh. What I really want to ask is you two, ¡­well, how far have you two gone as lovers¡­?¡± We finally knew Tendou-san¡¯s true question. However, ¡­both of us still tilted our heads. ¡°Eh, why are you asking us that?¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Tendou-san looked like she was struck down again. ¡­I think we kept seeing her acting like this after Chiaki and I started going out. Well, even though I have no idea why. Tendou-san continued hastily. Her hands iled around as if she was covering something. ¡°A-As a fellow Game Hobby Club member, ¡­I have to understand the rtionships between each member, okay! L-Look, ¡­for example, if you two are having an argument behind us, it would be embarrassing for us to try and leave you guys alone, right!? Right!?¡± ¡°H-Ha, I-I see¡­¡± Chiaki and I only understood half of it. Tendou-san continued. ¡°Then, how far did you two go!? ¡­Are you two still at the ¡®friends¡¯ level? Or is it already the final countdown? Don¡¯t tell me you two have already broken up!?¡± ¡°Why are you so negative about us!?¡± Chiaki and I still can¡¯t understand this Karen Tendou girl in front of us. She¡¯s sometimes an angel that¡¯s worrying about us. But, at other times, she looks like a devil that wants us to encounter tragedy. Even so, we still have to answer this question. Chiaki and I nced at each other¡­and answered at the same time. ¡°There¡¯s no progress at all¡­¡± ¡°YES!¡± ¡°Yes!?¡± Tendou-san did a victory pose before distancing herself from Chiaki and me for some reason. Eh, what happened? Do people hate us going out this much? What did we even do? Tendou-san cleared her throat after noticing our faces. ¡­Her mood got better somehow. She smiled and continued. ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. ¡­Yes, what a relief! I, Karen Tendou, can go to my club safely today!¡± ¡°H-Ha¡­¡± What should I do? I don¡¯t understand Tendou-san the more I talk to her. She hummed a song as she grabbed her school bag. ¡°I¡¯m going to the club. You two should head home, okay?¡± ¡°O-Okay.¡± Well, ¡­even though I don¡¯t really understand, if she¡¯s going to the club, there¡¯s no reason for us to stay. So, Chiaki, Tendou-san, and I walked out of the ssroom. The three of us walked across the corridor until we arrived at the old school, where the Game Club is located. We bid farewell to each other again before heading in different directions- ¡°Ah, by the way.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± -Tendou-san asked us from behind casually. ¡°Are you two going to the game store today? Hmm, even though it¡¯s Thursday, there are no new releases that catch your eye, right?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Indeed, today¡¯s the new release day. However, just like Tendou-san said, both Chiaki and I don¡¯t really want to buy any games. So, both of us turned back. I answered. ¡°No, we aren¡¯t going to the game store today. We¡¯ll just go home.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Eh, that¡¯s pretty nice. A good student should go home right away after school-¡° ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to Chiaki¡¯s house. Both of us will y together! Well, see you!¡± We bid farewell to Tendou-san. She turned around and walked towards the entrance. We can hear Tendou-san¡¯s mumbling to herself. ¡°I see. That¡¯s really-¡° Tendou-san suddenly stopped in the middle. Then, we heard something falling onto the ground. ¡°?¡± Chiaki and I turned around again. ¡­We can see a couple of PE teachers¡¯ backs. They yelled, ¡°Watch the stairs when you walk!¡± Both of us dashed to the entrance as if we were escaping. Chiaki changed her shoes as she asked me. ¡°Is Tendou-san okay?¡± ¡°Hmm, well, I guess she¡¯s fine. It¡¯s Tendou-san, after all. Isn¡¯t she always clumsy?¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. I feel like that has be way moremon since I started dating Keita. Do you remember? ¡­When I took off something on Keita¡¯s face, Tendou-san looked like her soul was sucked out of her body.¡± ¡°Yeah, I wonder why? This is quite intriguing.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s intriguing.¡± So, the two of us thought about the wonderful Tendou-san as we walked out of the school gate. * ¡°Ara? Isn¡¯t this Amanhi?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. Hey, Amano and Hoshinomori.¡± When we¡¯re waiting for the bus next to the school, the normie couple in the Hobby Club saw us. Chiaki and I are still not used to being called a couple yet. Aguri-san already smiled mischievously before we even get to exin. She put her left hand on my shoulder as she poked me with her right fist. ¡°Ara ara? Are you two waiting for the bus heading to Hoshinomori-san¡¯s house? ¡­Hiya, I underestimated you, Amanhi!¡± ¡°You¡¯re speaking like an old man! Stop, stop, stop!¡± ¡°Here you go again. There¡¯s no need to hide your excitement and nervousness, Amanhi.¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t use testing my heartbeat as an excuse to touch my chest! It¡¯s itchy!¡± ¡°What are you two going to do next? Tell me everything, sheesh.¡± ¡°Hey! A-Ahaha! Stop, don¡¯t poke my waist, Aguri-san!¡± It quickly turned into a body-touching contest between Aguri-san and me. I started asking Aguri-san for rtionship guides even more when I began dating Chiaki. In the end, right now, Aguri-san and I are already like family. Even so¡­ ¡°¡­Eek!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Come to think of it, this isn¡¯t the first day that Uehara-kun and Chiaki gave us cold stares. So, ¡­Aguri-san and I quickly separated. Both of us coughed¡­and started exining. ¡°Ah, this is just our daily routine¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re worried about you two!¡± Our loversined about us respectively. ¡­Well, I guess they are right. It would be kind of uneptable if Uehara-kun and Chiaki touched each other like that. However, even so¡­ Aguri-sanughed as she pointed at me. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for me to go out with a little animal like this guy!¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m going out with him right now, though¡­¡± Chiaki mumbled quietly. So, unwilling to admit defeat, I red at Aguri-san too. ¡°Ha, not a single man wants to go out with an unreasonable and gluttonous gal like you! So, if someone like that exists, we should add another ss of -phile for him! Let¡¯s call it Aguri-phile!¡± ¡°Oi, I don¡¯t have weird fetishes like that¡­¡± Uehara-kun dropped his shoulders for some reason. In the end, both Chiaki and Uehara-kun¡­got even more upset. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Aguri-san and I noticed that this isn¡¯t going to end well. So, we changed the topic again to cover it up. ¡°B-By the way, Aguri-san, are you two going shopping next?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, we are! We¡¯re going to the arcade next!¡± ¡°Ah, you two are indeed close. I¡¯m envious of you two!¡± ¡°The same goes for you, Amanhi.¡± At this point, we turned around and nced at Uehara-kun and Chiaki. ¡­Both of them lowered their heads. They looked slightly embarrassed. This can work. Both of us became more confident and pushed the conversation. ¡°The arcade¡¯s nice!¡± ¡°Nah, ying in your girlfriend¡¯s house is more¡­¡± ¡°Yeah! Aguri-san and I have never visited any ce alone!¡± ¡°Y-Yeah! Both of us are just wasting time together!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! Ah, how should I put it? We never thought about doing something special!¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m happy as long as I¡¯m with Amanhi¡­¡± If Aguri-san said so, ¡­it looks like we can finally take a break. ¡°¡­Ah. I see¡­¡± For some reason, Chiaki and Uehara-kun look even more depressed! How!? Why!? Did Aguri-san and I do something that made these two so upset!? Anyway, it looks like there¡¯s nothing we can do today. Aguri-san and I exchanged looks. ¡­We used ourst resort to minimize the damage. That is¡­ ¡°W-Well, we¡¯ll see you tomorrow, Amanhi!¡± ¡°Oh, sure! Enjoy the rest of your day, Aguri-san!¡± Retreat! This is the ultimate stop-loss choice when we can¡¯t recover any HP, EXP, or money! Aguri-san dragged her boyfriend away with all her might. I waved at the couple. So, the normie couple slowly disappeared from our sight. Just as I¡¯m secretly turning around to see my girlfriend¡¯s expression, I can suddenly feel that she¡¯s tugging the sleeve of my uniform. ¡°¡­Chiaki?¡± I looked at her. Chiak plopped her head down and pouted slightly. The girl tugged my sleeve as she spoke up. ¡°¡­But I¡¯m also¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Chiaki mumbled to herself softly as if she¡¯s throwing a small tantrum. ¡°But I¡¯m also¡­v-very happy¡­whenever I get to be with Keita¡­too.¡± ¡°!¡± This was¡­cuteness overload. I can feel that my heartbeat is intensifying. Finally, after a long while, I managed to squeeze out my answer. ¡°¡­Well, ¡­I¡¯m actually¡­the same.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ We couldn¡¯t even look at each other before the bus arrived, not to mention having a proper conversation. * Chiaki led me into her living room. When I put down my school bag in the corner, I suddenly felt that something¡¯s different. Once I snapped out of it, I can¡¯t help but voice out my confusion. ¡°Hmm?¡± Chiaki turned around and looked at me with a baffled face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Keita?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, no, I feel like your parents and Konoha-san aren¡¯t home¡­¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. We¡¯re alone.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll change my clothes first.¡± Chiaki didn¡¯t seem to notice what I¡¯m thinking. She said that before heading into her room. I stood still for a moment. Then, I suddenly realized that my heart was beating so quickly when I put my hand on my chest. (W-Why am I getting all nervous!? Sheesh! It¡¯s okay for the two of us to y games alone, right? Moreover, even if Chiaki¡¯s parents are home, we¡¯ll end up ying alone anyways¡­) Although I tried my best to convince myself, my heartbeat isn¡¯t slowing by any means. I even started hating myself for being too self-conscious. So, eventually, I stopped thinking about these things and sighed quietly. (I¡¯ll affect all gamers¡¯ reputation if I start thinking dirty about girls before even beginning to y. Isn¡¯t this what I hate the most?) The TV is showing explicit programs like < Apps that can bring joy to the party! > and < Board games that can make couples closer! >. But, honestly, I can¡¯t bring myself to ept these things. However, it¡¯s because I can¡¯t tolerate these things. Also, since I¡¯m a lonely gamer with weird beliefs, I¡¯m pretty stubborn about not thinking dirty things when ying games. Once I snapped out of it, I can already hear Chiaki¡¯s footsteps from the corridor. ¡°Sorry to make you wait, Keita.¡± She said that and pushed the door of the living room. I quickly patted my face and switched back into reality. (Wake up, Keita! Forget about those weird thoughts-) I forced myself to wake up. Suddenly- < Bam! > ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Chiaki, ¡­my girlfriend, tripped brutally inside the house she¡¯s most familiar with. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Time stopped when I¡¯m still trying to figure out what happened. My girlfriend, who¡¯s wearing her home clothes and a skirt, fell down. Due to the angle, I can slightly see her bra inside the cor of her shirt. I hastily looked away. I felt the temperature on my cheeks as I spoke up. ¡°A-Are you okay, Chiaki?¡± ¡°Eh? Ahaha, I-I¡¯m fine¡­¡± She said that and slowly stood up. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­It looks like I¡¯m not the only one nervous about us being alone. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Both of us remained still due to all kinds of embarrassment. Even though I wanted to voice out, I can¡¯t just leave Chiaki on the ground. I tried my best to look away from her chest and reached my hand out to her. ¡°T-Thank you¡­¡± Chiaki thanked me as she held my hand tightly. ¡­The softness of her hand made me feel like my heart was about to jump out. It¡¯s more like, I don¡¯t even know this nervousness of my heart is caused by Chiaki or by the game. Chiaki pulled my hand and stood up. This isn¡¯t a rom, after all. So, of course, things like both of us falling together again won¡¯t happen. However, even so¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We are just holding each other¡¯s hands while standing in the living room. This just creates a subtle distance between us. Both of us can¡¯t look at each other. An otaku couple that just stands in the living room, ¡­what¡¯s wrong with us? ¡°A-Ahem!¡± I can¡¯t tolerate this anymore. So, I cleared my throat on purpose. So, Chiaki cooperated and spoke up. ¡°K-Keita, well, ¡­ah, let¡¯s go and y!¡± ¡°Ah, sure. We don¡¯t have much time left.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± We moved as we said that. Chiaki went to the fridge to make tea while I prepared the game. ¡­However, during this period, we didn¡¯t look at each other at all. ¡­Well, it would be embarrassing if she saw my thoroughly blushed face, right? The same goes for her too. Finally, both of us sat on the sofa in front of the TV with controllers in hand. ¡­We maintained a bit of distance. We¡¯re ying a third-person co-op action RPG today. Well, basically, it¡¯s just a hack-and-sh game. The stage is set upon a zombie-infested Earth. yers have to avoid the zombie horde as they fight and explore the world. You can exchange the drops you got from defeating zombies. There are also features like a technology tree and power upgrades. At the same time, it supports offline co-op as well. The screen splits into two. So, it¡¯s easy to control whether you want to adventure together or split up the work. ¡­Well, to put it simply, you can see games like this everywhere. It¡¯s not unique in any way. In reality, I think most gaming magazines just gave it a 7/10. Even if you look online, the reviews aren¡¯t overwhelmingly positive or negative either. However, ¡­both Chiaki and I¡­don¡¯t really hate games like this. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ No, honestly. We simply just love ying games together. ¡°Oh, yes! I finally got this birch tree log, Chiaki!¡± ¡°Nice one, Keita! Well, let¡¯s group up then!¡± The initial nervousnesspletely disappeared 30 minutester. We¡¯re just enjoying gaming just as usual today. After we grouped up, we began using the materials to improve the blockades around our base. Chiaki¡¯s character moved the materials from the storage to the site. As for me, I¡¯m responsible for making and upgrading the roadblocks. Honestly, on the surface, this doesn¡¯t seem fun at all. However, both of us are enjoying it. Chiaki continued her task. Then, she suddenlyughed. ¡°For some reason, I love construction games like this.¡± ¡°I know! It¡¯s quite refreshing to spend a huge amount of money to improve your equipment. Don¡¯t you feelfortable as you slowly level up and reinforce your base!?¡± ¡°Yes! Ah, ¡­I really like moving things around, even though I¡¯m just pressing the button repeatedly.¡± ¡°I love maintenance too, even though I just have to keep pressing the button.¡± So, both of us looked at the screen as we continued the simple tasks. ¡­Even so, the two of us still spent nearly 5 minutes on such a simple task. We started chatting with each other as our hands remained busy. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that we love co-op games like this.¡± ¡°Same, it¡¯s more like we don¡¯t like ying 1v1 games when we¡¯re alone.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. I do y versus games when I¡¯m with my little brother and the Hobby Club. So, I shouldn¡¯t hate games like those¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, this feels like something special that only Keita and I will do.¡± I turned around and met Chiaki¡¯s eyes. I quickly looked away as I continued the tasks and said. ¡°Ah, well, right. Like whenever I¡¯m with Tendou-san, we are always fighting each other-¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°-Uh, hey, ¡­Chiaki?¡± Chiaki had already stopped moving the materials around when I noticed it. She looked a bit irritated and pouted slightly. I tilted my head in confusion. Chiaki stared at the screen as she mumbled quietly. ¡°¡­If Keita¡¯s going to talk about dating Tendou-san, and I¡¯m saying if, ¡­well, then I don¡¯t really want to hear about things like this.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I suddenly realized what she¡¯s trying to say. So, I quickly added. ¡°I-It¡¯s not like that, okay? I didn¡¯t mean anything. ¡­In the end, I¡¯m just using Tendou-san, who has apletely different gaming style, as an example¡­¡± After hearing that, Chiaki gasped in shock. ¡­Her face went ¡°poof¡± and all red. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine¡­¡± I finally realized the emotion she was giving out. ¡­I guess it¡¯s what people call ¡°jealousy¡±, right? Once I snapped out of it, I plopped my head down, and my face was as red as a tomato too. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Both of us aren¡¯t really ying the game anymore. ¡­No, ¡­what¡¯s with this heat surrounding my chest? We can¡¯t y if this continues. Due to this feeling, I can¡¯t even finish the simple tasks anymore. I sighed slowly. (¡­Is this my dirty thoughts? ¡­I¡¯m being very impolite to games, ¡­no, to Chiaki.) I put the controller onto the table, straightened my back, and faced Chiaki. ¡°Ah! Hey¡­¡± Chiaki freaked out after seeing my face. She also put her controller onto the table, coughed slightly, and awaited me with a nervous look. So, both of us remained in our poses for a few silent seconds. I made up my mind and spoke up. ¡°Hey, ¡­Chiaki. I¡¯m actually¡­¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I don¡¯t know what Chiaki¡¯s thinking. But, anyway, she closed her eyes after making up her mind. I put my hands on her shoulders. Chiaki looks like she¡¯s hoping for something. Her body is trembling a bit. ¡­So, I decided to muster up my courage and convey my feelings to her. ¡°I-I want to be closer to Chiaki-san!¡± ¡°¡­Hmm, what?¡± Chiaki opened her eyes. She looked a bit disappointed. In contrast, my body turned stiff due to nervousness as I continued. ¡°Well, how should I say it? ¡­I feel like we always get nervous for some reason. So, I think, well, we should talk about and identify our feelings, ¡­at least that¡¯s what I think.¡± ¡°H-Ha, ¡­our feelings?¡± ¡°Yeah, feelings! Think about it. Even though we started dating a while ago, we used to be rivals. Then, we became friends. Don¡¯t you think we have a veryplicated rtionship?¡± ¡°I-I see.¡± Chiaki epted the fact, but my hands remained on her shoulders. I continued. ¡°S-So, with this opportunity, I want to¡­let you know how I feel.¡± ¡°Keita¡¯s feelings. ¡­Hmm, it would be¡­that, right¡­?¡± Chiaki nodded. This time, ¡­I smiled and repeated what I said again. ¡°Right now, I, Keita Amano, ¡­want to be close to Chiaki Hoshinomori.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s all. I really wanted you to know my feelings. If you still don¡¯t fully understand, it¡¯s probably because I get unnecessarily nervous in front of Chiaki. ¡­So, I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± ¡°Keita¡­¡± Chiaki smiled at me. She gently put my hand onto her cheeks and mumbled happily. ¡°Me too. ¡­I want to¡­be closer to Keita.¡± ¡°Chiaki¡­¡± It¡¯s quite unbelievable. The nervousness that had radiated between us disappeared in an instant. We¡¯ve never thought that having the same feelings for each other can be so fulfilling. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Our distance grew shorter as time passed. Chiaki¡¯s tone sounds a bit flirtatious as well. ¡°Keita? ¡­How does Keita want to¡­be closer with me¡­?¡± ¡°Chiaki¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡­I want to¡­¡± She¡¯s breathing heavily. I can feel how hot her breaths are. Then, as if we¡¯re about to fall together- ¡°I¡¯M HOOOMMMMEEEE!¡± -We grabbed the controllers on the table as fast as possible. Then, we continued ying with that weird pose. After that, the person mmed the door and headed straight to the bedroom from the living room without turning back. She¡¯s Chiaki Hoshinomori¡¯s little sister, Konoha Hoshinomori. Also, if I have to describe our rtionship- ¡°Ara ara. I can always see you in my house recently, ¡­this cockroach.¡± ¡°A-Ahaha, ¡­good afternoon.¡± -It¡¯s the literal worst. Anyway, I wish I didn¡¯t know her. In summary, this girl is just a terrible otaku that tries to keep her reputation in front of her onee-chan. Also, since I know her hidden hobby ¨C hentai games, her hostility toward me is through the roof¡­ ¡°Sheesh, ¡­what¡¯s so great about this guy¡­?¡± Konoha-san sighed dumbfoundedly. So, she stared at us for a while and returned to her room after a ¡°hmph¡±. We finally caught a breath. Chiaki mumbled after freeing herself from the nervousness just then. ¡°Konoha still really hates you, Keita.¡± ¡°Ugh. ¡­I-It¡¯s just because we met each other in a bad situation. There must be a chance for us to improve our rtionship in the future, right¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah. However, even if there¡¯s a timeline where you two can get along, it¡¯s hard to imagine my super perfect little sister to acknowledge you.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re right¡­¡± Although her hobby is hentai games, Konoha-san is still a pretty serious person. So, I can¡¯t imagine her chatting with us casually at all. We started ying again after taking a deep breath. Eventually, we finished upgrading the roadblock. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The task ended as we looked at the screen silently. ¡­Honestly, the upgraded numbers aren¡¯t anything out of the ordinary. Although the color of the wood changed, the actual performance only increased by about 10%. However, even so. Even so, the two of us¡­felt pretty satisfied after finishing the upgrade. We can¡¯t help butugh after looking at each other. ¡°Even if it¡¯s just a little, as long as we¡¯re moving forward, ¡­I can enjoy it to the fullest.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Well, at least I think this level is just right for ourselves.¡± Our conversation grew from here. ¡°¡­Well, let¡¯s move toward the next small goal!¡± ¡°Sure!¡± -The two of us will probably continue ying games at our own pace from now on. DLC 2, 2 – Ayumu Kiriya and Material Ghost

DLC 2, Chapter 2 ¨C Ayumu Kiriya and Material Ghost

Trantor: your_pingas Sitting on the campus bench, I opened a bottle of sweet wine during this lethargic winter. When did I buy a hot drink without caffeine at this university? The end of January. Even though the month is at its end, this is my first sweet wine of the year. I guess this sounds like something I, Ayumu Kiriya, would do. The sweetness of the wine really makes me disconnect from things like study or work. I couldn¡¯t help butugh after thinking about that. ¡°I made the right choice today.¡± Even though I usually prefer keeping my mind sane, I don¡¯t hate the energy I get from small sips of wine. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I especially need the energy from a case I got this day. My mind just runs dry whenever I think about that. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I opened the messaging app on my phone. ¡­It showed a message from my friend a few days ago. I can¡¯t help but read it again and again. < Keita Amano: I won¡¯t be visiting Kiriya-san¡¯s apartment for a while. > ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Of course, he apologized and exined before and after sending the message. He even wrapped his sentence with all sorts of jokes. However, no matter how much he sugar-coated it, the core part won¡¯t change. -He wants to keep his distance from me. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± I sighed towards the orange sky. Keita kept exining that it waspletely because of his own issues. So, it seems that he¡¯s not lying. Even so, I¡¯m not naive enough to take every word he said at face value. ¡°¡­Did I mess up?¡± I held the bottle of sweet wine tightly as if I¡¯m trying to hold on to something. ¡­Honestly, there are more reasons than I can think of. It annoys me. Aguri-chan, Tasuku Uehara, Otobuki High School¡¯s Game Club, and Keita¡¯s ex-girlfriend- Karen Tendou. I didn¡¯t realize it until now. ¡­While everything that happened between us seemed like they were idents, all of these are proof that I¡¯ve been intervening in his high school life too much. -Not to mention my gender and stance. ¡°I, Ayumu Kiriya, ¡­am nothing but an obstacle in his youthful life.¡± I wanted my live streams to be more popr. So, I lied to the boy to make him y with me. If I wish to continue, I have to keep my gender a secret. ¡­If the ¡°he¡± turns into a ¡°she¡±, none of this can probably go on. On the other hand, Keita doesn¡¯t really have anything to gain from this. He¡¯s a really nice person. That¡¯s why he always says, ¡°I¡¯m really d that I can y games with others.¡± Come to think of it, if he¡¯s willing to y with a low-life university girl, perhaps he really does love ying games. I can¡¯t get that off my head, especially during these couple of days. So, the more I think about it, the more natural this conclusion bes. I¡¯m just awaiting the ending that should¡¯vee in the first ce. After that, there¡¯s no room for regret. So, I don¡¯t need to feel more depressed than I have to be. Also, since there¡¯s nothing I can do on my side, it¡¯s all over. He¡¯s the one that has the right to end all of this. I can do nothing but ept his farewell. You can call it his ¡°growth¡± or ¡°graduation¡± in a sense. Then, the only thing left is to leave with a smile. Actually, as an older person, I¡¯m confident that I can do pretty well. After quickly epting his decision, I can make a gentle lie about me being busy with university and part-time jobs. Then, finally, I¡¯ll mince my words with some gags. So, already, I said everything I had to. Imented everything I had to. I didn¡¯t miss anything. We¡¯re just friends with a slight distance. We¡¯re just heading to each of our paths. We¡¯re just living our lives happily. The story between Keita Amano and me came to a slight and stopping end. ¡­I¡¯m fine. Everything¡¯s okay. There¡¯s no problem. I¡¯m not regretting it. ¡­That¡¯s supposed to be the case. ¡°-Why are you making that face, Ayumu-san?¡± ¡°¡­Ao?¡± After I looked up, a university ojou-sama appeared out of nowhere. She lowered her head and looked at me while I remained on my bench. I bitterly smiled at her before speaking up. ¡°Ao, in your eyes, how do you feel about me now?¡± ¡°How do I feel¡­? Well.¡± Ao pondered about it. She kept her ojou-sama impression. ¡°Well, you look like a university student whose family just got kidnapped, and the kidnappers forced you to drink sweet wine, even though you¡¯re allergic to it.¡± ¡°What kind of situation is that?¡± ¡°I said that because your face looks pretty bad.¡± Ao sat next to me after saying that. Our shoulders slightly touched, and I can feel her body temperature. For some reason, this warmed me up even more than the sweet wine did. She put on her white knitted yarn hat, which just makes her look even more adorable. Then, both of us stared at the cloudy sky. ¡°What happened to Amano-kun after that?¡± ¡°Oh, we didn¡¯t do anything at all.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­So, Ayumu-san, did you regret meeting him?¡± ¡°¡­No, I think this is the best scenario for us. Honestly, our live streaming days are reaching their limit. So I think it¡¯s time to end this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. In my eyes, I think that¡¯s the case.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Both of us stared at the sky silently. Then, I can¡¯t help but nce at Ao¡¯s face. After that¡­ (..What¡¯s wrong? Your face looks like you¡¯re just as bored and sad as I do.) She¡¯s a weird girl, even though she¡¯s staunchly against bringing Keita Amano into my apartment. ¡­No. ¡­She¡¯s a very nice girl. ¡°¡­Alright!¡± Suddenly, I stood up from the bench. Ao tilted her head. ¡°Ayumu-san?¡± ¡°I feel much better whenever I can see your face, Ao.¡± ¡°W-Why did you suddenly say that¡­?¡± Ao¡¯s eyes rolled around as her face red up. I put my hands on her shoulders to prevent her from running away. Then, I looked at her in the eyes determinedly. ¡°¡­There¡¯s something I want to say to you, Ao.¡± ¡°H-Huh? T-This suddenly¡­!? No. we can¡¯t do this. We¡¯re both-¡° ¡°Ao, ¡­can you be my partner-¡° ¡°Ayumu-san...¡± Ao looked at my eyes intoxicatedly. Facing a girl like her, I finally made my once-in-a-lifetime confession! ¡°Can you be my live streaming partner-¡° ¡°No.¡± Of course, she rejected me seconds before I can finish my sentence. * In the end, I yed games alone for a while. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve always been a solo streamer. But, when I was recording with Keita, there was still a traditional single-stream series. I can just continue working on that. So, my live streaming career isn¡¯t over just because Keita and I disbanded. ¡­I think. ¡°¡­But why am I so unmotivated right now? I shouldn¡¯t be.¡± After I submitted another solo stream, I leaned back to the chair and looked at the ceiling. ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± I noticed that there¡¯s a shadow of a dead bug inside the lights on the ceiling. But, it would be too troublesome to climb thedder and get it out. After that, I leaned on my side. After pretending that there¡¯s no problem, I slowly closed my eyes. The kotatsu is warming up the lower half of my body. I can¡¯t help but feel sleepier and sleepier. ¡­Let¡¯s take a small nap- ¡°-No, no, no, no!¡± Suddenly, my upper body was awoken by the imminent feeling that I¡¯m about to fall. Then, using that burst of energy, I took out thedder from the storage. Then, I climbed up and cleaned the ceiling light before reinstalling it. Finally, I took a deep breath. ¡°No, get a hold of yourself, Ayumu Kiriya! Rise from where you fell! You should know that!¡± I pped my cheeks while standing on the table to cheer myself up. Creative work on the inte is not just limited to uploading videos. However, the most important thing for all of them is for the creator to maintain their motivation. If losing your career is the red light, being less productive is already yellow. It¡¯s easy for a streamer to start doing something else after getting famous and praised. Then, their videos¡¯ quality and quantity begin to drop. Finally, they just disappear without even saying theirst goodbyes. I¡¯ve seen this kind of streamers from time to time. That¡¯s why I, as a mid-tier streamer, always try my hardest to upload videos consistently at a reasonable pace. It¡¯s just that¡­after I joined up with Keita, the center of attraction slowly shifted to him instead. This is why I feel this sense of ¡°defeat¡± after he disappeared. I understood the reason, but what should I do from now on? Well, should I go back and work hard on my solo stream series? No, ¡­it¡¯s already over once it involves working hard. Doesn¡¯t this prove that my motivation is wavering? Live streaming isn¡¯t a real job to me. It¡¯s just my hobby. ¡­Something¡¯s value will drastically drop if you can¡¯t enjoy it. In the end, I¡¯m guaranteed to fail sooner orter. Well, how should I relieve this sense of defeat temporarily¡­? ¡­All I know is that at the minimum, ¡­I want to y with Keita one more time. Just as I¡¯m standing on thedder and thinking dazedly- ¡­I noticed an old console in the corner of my room? (That¡¯s, ¡­oh, right, I used that to record < Battle Live > with Keita.) At this point, I can feel that a faint sparkle of hope suddenly ignited inside my memories. I got off thedder and inspected the console. Memories are flooding in. (Of course, I remembered what happened. ¡­Right, Ao came and interrupted me when I just started recording. In the end, Ipletely forgot that the deadline for our ss report was on the second day. So, the stream was already over.) I lifted the console up. It¡¯s covered in dust. (Indeed, I thought it would be quite embarrassing if I let him go home 10 minutes after he showed up in my room. So, I asked him if he¡¯s okay with ying alone. He was fine in it and yed in my house for a while. In the meantime, I was doing my report in Ao¡¯s apartment next door. I also asked him to message me if he wanted to go home¡­) Right, that was basically a non-existent event in his memories. Although I almost forgot about it until now, I¡¯m sure that it happened. Of course, if that¡¯s everything, this event won¡¯t have a conclusion. However, ¡­if ¡°this¡± is the game he yed alone, the story is different. I ejected the cassette inside the console and checked its name. Then, I can¡¯t help but smile. After all, that game is- (You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. You¡¯re making me y < Makeo Kart 128 >?) -It¡¯s because he was ying a racing game with a recording called a ¡°ghost¡±. * ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why today¡¯s stream will be a special one! For the first time, I¡¯ll be racing against Jiraiya¡¯s ghost. Hope you enjoy it.¡± I grabbed the mic on the kotatsu and held my controller before pressing it. A title screen with adorable characters appeared on the TV. After pressing the start button and selecting the mode, I briefly exined the game mechanics. ¡°In < Makeo Kart >¡¯s timed-attack mode, the game records the fastest time you achieved and turns into a ghost. Then, you can race with it starting from the next match. Of course, just like the name, the ghost can¡¯t be attacked. No shooting or anything. However, the screen does look like I¡¯m fighting against it. So, this time, I¡¯ll be racing with Jiraiya¡¯s data. Hope you enjoy.¡± After I exined calmly, I started choosing my kart. Through some consideration, I decided to use the standard build for timed mode. It emphasizes the highest speed, drift, and engine. If this is the real deal, I would¡¯ve fine-tuned my kart to maximize performance. However, my goal isn¡¯t reaching the world record here. By considering the rhythm and readability of the stream, I decided doing something like will be too weird. I added some more exnations during the course selection screen. ¡°Initially, the ghost is the fastest recording in each course. However, in < Makeo Kart 128 >, you get to use the recording in thetest save. So, that¡¯s what I¡¯ll be doing now.¡± When Keita was ying < Makeo Kart >, I set all of this up for him before going to Ao¡¯s room. At that time, I wasn¡¯t doing it on purpose. But, right now,e to think of it, I did pretty well, right. Also¡­ ¡°Also, Jiraiya said that he yed all of the courses once. So, all of the ghosts here belong to him. Well, let¡¯s begin.¡± I said that as I selected the first standard course. The number 3 that appeared on the screen signaled the countdown. I pressed the elerate button as I prepared to dash forward during the 2nd second. It should be okay for timed mode, right? It''s impossible to mess up here. ¡­Yes. ¡­It¡¯s no problem¡­ Suddenly, a mysteriously bad feeling shed behind my head. At the same time, the countdown ended, and the race started! So, as my character dashed out- ¡°I CALLED IT!¡± He made a huge mistake the moment we started. His ghost character is spinning on the screen. ¡° It¡¯s not a ¡®ghost¡¯ video anymore if you are left behind there! Jiraiya¡¯s character isn¡¯t even appearing on my screen!¡± Indeed, Keita Amano, even if you¡¯re not here, you have to ruin my video ns from the start! I can already tell that thements will be filled with ¡°lmao¡± if I do this. However, I still can¡¯t help but¡­slow down in this timed mode and wait for his ghost. ¡°Why did you leave your data down, ¡­Jiraiya?¡± He said that only thetest data will be saved. However, in other words, this means that he can¡¯t correct his terrible start if he wants to maintain the ghost. Honestly, I don¡¯t feel like taking this seriously at all. As for him, his ghost data quickly passed over me, and it¡¯s about to disappear from sight. So, I stepped on the gas and elerated to chase after him. ¡°¡­N-No, be more serious, Ayumu! Weak! Jiraiya¡¯s weak!¡± I¡¯ve noticed this since the start. Jiraiya¡¯s surprisingly bad at this. N-No, it¡¯s not like he doesn¡¯t understand the basic controls. Instead- ¡°Why are you attacking right before turning a corner!? The character¡¯s too heavy to even pull it off! ¡­Tck, also, why are you using dash items!? You¡¯ll crash straight into the wall!¡± Ipletely slowed down and began observing his ghost. I mean, ¡­I¡¯m really pissed right now. Unlike an inexperienced yer making adorable mistakes, he¡¯ll try his best to win, but it just doesn¡¯t work for him. Hell, it even makes things worse. ¡°I want to know, ¡­even though this ghost only exists in the game, for some reason, I feel like I can see another person in the room saying, ¡®Oh, I see how this works.¡¯¡± After that, I observed his ghost from behind. Since this is the first course, the turns are slow, elegant, and simple. ¡­However, he still managed to miss all of his drifts and shortcuts. The match ended. Then, I sighed and mumbled after returning to the selection screen. ¡°Yep, ¡­change of n. Instead of racing with his ghost, I should just observe his recording. Let¡¯s move on to the next track.¡± With that, I selected the second course. It¡¯s also a normal and simple track. However, ¡­we¡¯re talking about Jiraiya here. He¡¯ll definitely mess up his start and turns. I¡¯m not even trying to get a start boost here. Instead, I¡¯m not even stepping on the gas. I¡¯ll chase after him. Then, the second race started- ¡°-Eh?¡± -Jiraiya got his start boost like a pro. I was shocked for a moment. However, I immediately got a hold of myself and chased after him. But¡­ ¡°N-No, no, no, no, no! Why is he only good at turning this time!?¡± Jiraiya¡¯s aggressiveness is going really well for him. My shaking hands are leaving my character behind the dust. ¡­In other words- ¡°The ghost disappeared from the screen!?¡± I quickly paid my attention back to the match. However, it¡¯s not that easy to calm down in such a short time. On the other hand, Keita seemed to do pretty well from start to finish. In the end- (¡­I didn¡¯t manage to catch up on him before the race ended.) I passed through the finish line alone. ¡­What is this¡­? ¡°Tck¡­! How many times do you have to mess up my n, you little¡­!?¡± I¡¯m starting to suspect whether this guy¡¯s actually controlling the ghost in real life just to mess with me. You really know my weaknesses, Keita Amano. I was a bit dizzy when I returned to the course selection screen. ¡°Next one, ¡­the next one! ¡­Well, I¡¯ll go all out from the start! I bet Jiraiya got used to the controls already. From now on, he¡¯ll be a good opponent. Believe it or not! Let¡¯s go!¡± I entered the third race with this mindset. Naturally, the result is- ¡°You¡¯re a noob that can¡¯t start properly, after all!¡± -Keita¡¯s ghost spun around as I dashed out with my full power. He disappeared from the screen. I sighed, slowed down, and switched to ¡°observing¡± mode- ¡°Yep, you¡¯re really fast except for the start!¡± Keita aced the turns and shortcuts again. I¡¯m really pissed, and our distance is slowly growing. ¡­In the end, the result of the third race is the same as the second one. I wasn¡¯t even close to his ghost. It returned to the course selection screen again. I went silent in the stream for a long while before start speaking up again. ¡°Alright, this time, I¡¯m observing him at serious and full-speed!¡± I don¡¯t even know if someone has or ever will do that in < Makeo Kart >. I continued as I¡¯m choosing the 4th course. ¡°As for right now, I¡¯ll start normally. So, no matter how his start goes, I¡¯ll continue once he dashes out. If his ghost doesn¡¯t follow, I¡¯ll slow down a bit. ¡­But, I¡¯ll keep my awareness and wait seriously. Let¡¯s go with that.¡± With this method, I¡¯ll never be fatally far enough from him. This is the n. Anyway, the race started. ¡°Fa-¡° I went with the start boost, as I¡¯ve said earlier. As for Keita¡¯s ghost, he- ¡°¡­Failed, right?¡± I slowed down and waited for him after seeing that his ghost isn¡¯t following me. However, I didn¡¯t let my guard down. Take it slowly. Don¡¯t lose your attention right now so that you can elerate whenever you want. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ However- ¡°¡­Eh? What?¡± It¡¯s been almost 30 seconds, but the ghost still isn¡¯t catching up. ¡­It¡¯s weird, no matter how you think about it. He should¡¯ve caught up even if he made all of the mistakes possible. Just as I¡¯m thinking about that- ¡°WHA-¡° Something that should be impossible to see in < Makeo Kart > - a car charging into you from the opposite direction- shot into my eyes. ¡°WHAT!?¡± His recording is on a collision course with my character. Just as we¡¯re about to hit each other, I passed through his- ghost. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Although I¡¯m shocked, I managed to hold my controller and sped up my character. Then, I think 20 seconds have passed after that? I saw another car charging straight at me- no, Keita¡¯s ghost is going backward! ¡°This is too much!¡± No, I may drive backward or mess around on the mirror course. However, I never thought I can see a half-transparent ghost charging into me with full throttle from the opposite direction in timed mode. This has to be a real ghost, right? It can be an urban legend in the real world ¨C the reversing ghost. Keita¡¯s ghost passed behind me with extreme speed. I can¡¯t help but imagine a smug face on his character. ¡­Wow, it looks like my mind¡¯s finally going crazy. ¡°NO, NO, NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? ARE YOU INSANE!?¡± However, since this ghost is recorded, it looks like he¡¯ll at least reach the goal. I watched him as I¡¯m driving. He¡­returned to normal after going backward for like 3ps. ¡­The ghostpleted onep usually. I don¡¯t even know what this timed mode is anymore. After all of this, perhaps he already lost his motivation? I started the 5th face as I thought about that. Once again, ¡­he trashed me with his full-power-perfect run. After that, we kept on the ¡°unexpected¡± races. During one course, I used a jump tform since I wanted another shortcut. However, I got stuck in the texture¡¯s gap since the shortcut is a bug. A reset would fix everything, but I¡¯m on my way to the finish line. In the end, miraculously, I managed to get my character out and continued racing repeatedly and happily. On another course, the ground suddenly turned into pools of mud. Even though I¡¯m trying my best to race alone, you must go back to the normal roads at the end of thep. The character¡¯s face looked pretty depressed to me before resuming normal driving. [This part confused me a lot. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s 100% correct.] Anyway, ¡­I tried to y alone after that, but I couldn¡¯t. So, herees the final level. ¡°¡­Oh?¡± He- I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s racing properly in this mode for once. I stood up abruptly and yelled. In the end, ¡­both of us were trying our hardest to win thest race. We made a video of it. ¡­Well, that was a nice match. After I made the finishing line, I put back the console and started editing the clip. I leaned back on the office chair. Theputer screen showed the clip recorded just a moment ago. I checked the clip by randomly clicking on the sequence on the editing software. Then, just as I rewatched everything Keita¡¯s ghost did, ¡­I noticed that I¡¯m smiling. I mumbled to myself. ¡°Sheesh, ¡­you can still y games super excitedly even when you¡¯re alone.¡± Of course, his gaming style is pretty casual and silly. You can even say that it¡¯s rude. It depends on your opinion. However, he seems to be having fun. I think I can see him smiling from the ghost. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I stopped using the mouse and looked back at myself. Although I y games to make live streams, recently, I¡¯m starting to keep myself clean from the troubles. ¡°Since when did I start associating live streams with games?¡± I don¡¯t understand. Sure, while I just didn¡¯t suddenly draw an equal sign between live streams and gaming, ¡­I guess it happened little by little. That¡¯s why my mindset on gaming changed at a fatal point unconsciously. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Initially- I just loved ying games. This is like Keita Amano. ¡°So, how should I reignite my motivation to stream again?¡± The first word thates into my mind whenever I¡¯m feeling frustrated is¡­gaming. It¡¯s because I was just a game-loving university girl before bing a live streamer. ¡­That¡¯s all. Don¡¯t forget. I, Ayumu Kiriya, love ying games. I¡¯m not ying because I want to live stream. I live stream because I¡¯m enjoying the game. How can I forget something this simple? Shouldn¡¯t my motivation to live stream be overflowing right now? This sense of emptiness and loss has long troubled me. Well, the solution is simple. Let¡¯s enjoy gaming. ¡­Just like Keita. ¡°¡­Alright!¡± I don¡¯t know why. My depression from earlier disappeared, and I smiled naturally. I quickly prepared everything after I stood up. Well, let¡¯s buy a new game in the city at night without thinking about the live streams for once. * ¡°Sigh, but I still want a new live streaming partner¡­¡± I put my hands inside the pockets of my sweater as I locked onto the nearest game store with my body shaking. The snow in January still seems to be going strong despite the New Year¡¯s atmosphere. You can still see straw ropes hanging outside of the stores¡¯ closed shutters. ¡°They didn¡¯t tidy up their drifting feelings, just like me.¡± Recording with Keita, ¡­Jiraiya produces some ideal content for me. ¡°The creator¡¯s funny.¡± ¡°That¡¯s popr.¡± The videos are really good. However, that¡¯s why I can see the colors on my solo live streams fading away. I guess my streams are like anime seasons. A lot of animes split into two release the first part in spring, right? Some of them can be good. However, the summer season is where many spectacr animes explode into existence like stars in the sky. I enjoyed them so much that when the second part of the spring animees in autumn, it just doesn¡¯t seem exciting to me anymore. But, I do watch autumn animes, and, to be honest, some of them are pretty good. I look forward to them every week. In the end, time will solve everything. I know that. I¡¯ve always loved live streaming alone because there isn¡¯t anything to worry about. However, if you say¡­ ¡°Of course, the fastest way to recover would be to secure a temporary energy source¡­¡± It could be OVAs, moreedies, or an extra spinoff story in anime terms. To put it simply, this can be called a restless period. The energy provided by god-tier animes every week stopped, and I began to show addiction symptoms. OVAs can temporarily cure that addiction. With that, your mind can calm down, and you can move on sessfully. [The wording on this page is extremely confusing. She¡¯s making aparison between her live streaming career and anime seasons, but the word choice is pretty weird. Apologies if you feel like the sentences are disconnected.] However, for me, this time, ¡­it doesn¡¯t work. This is so much more frustrating. It¡¯s like the show was suddenly over without even noticing that it¡¯s thest episode. I can¡¯t handle the ending this fast. ¡°I want a bit more, at least¡­¡± It¡¯s just like the ghost in this live stream. Even if I have quit my addiction toward Keita Amano, I just want a few more clips. You have to slowly reduce the use of cigarettes when you want to quit smoking, right? Even though I¡¯m about to¡­make him, ¡­no, ¡­I need a partner in recement for now, at least. ¡°Ao, ¡­she looks like she definitely won¡¯t be my partner.¡± She¡¯s a determined girl. It¡¯s useless to invite her again once she said no. At this point, perhaps I should ask other acquaintances instead. But¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I thought about this as I walked. However, ¡­no acquaintance¡¯s face came into my mind even when I was already in front of the game store. I know this isn¡¯t good, but I always use Keita Amano as aparison. Well, Keita Amano has some of the best qualities to be a good live streamer. ¡°I know that¡¯s not true¡­¡± My shoulders dropped as I looked at the entrance of the game store. Wait, since when¡­? (Hiya, that¡¯s rare. Someone¡¯s actually ying here.) I can see a high school girl trying out the demo that no one would y usually. It¡¯s a famous scroll action game in the past, but no one will even try that now. I stopped at a distance. Honestly, I can¡¯t help but watch this unusual demo unfold. (Hmm, I think this happened before. ¡­Oh, right, that¡¯s where I first met Keita.) This is nostalgic. Right, I was just trying to look for an easy live streaming partner. I said something along the lines of, ¡°Someone that loves ying games but not good at it. Their reaction should be good too.¡± However, just as I¡¯m thinking that there won¡¯t be someone like this- At this time, that high school girl is busy fighting a simple-minded and weak enemy. Her character took damage. Then, perhaps she¡¯s getting nervous, she pressed the wrong button and fell into the bottomless pit. The girl just lost a life meaninglessly. She¡¯s so bad that I want to share with her a game walkthrough. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Hmm, where was I? Oh, right, the ideal partner. ¡°However, in a sense, is this the tougher obstacle? After all, Keita and I are already the perfect partners in my heart. Even when the conditions are satisfied, I¡¯m still looking for some parts of Keita¡­ So, that high school girl in front of me is still making the same mistake at the same level. This isn¡¯t difficult, but she keeps messing up when facing an irrelevant pawn and falling into the pit. After that- < Game Over > She lost all her lives. It¡¯s not just at the beginning. She died at the first level, and the game ended. I was a bit shocked. Uh, if you ask me, this girl already knew all of the basic controls this game requires. Yet, surprisingly, she wasn¡¯t dying on purpose. Instead, she just came to the game-over conclusion naturally. Also, the most intriguing part is¡­ (Hey, ¡­isn¡¯t this¡­exactly like-) -Keita Amano, right? I freaked out as I got close to her. (With that, ¡­with that, with her reaction, ¡­it¡¯s already¡­) I don¡¯t care about buying games anymore. Will sheugh, get mad, or feel depressed? I gulped as I observed¡­the girl. She put the controller on the console. Then, she grabbed her bag on the floor. Finally, the girl acted smugly and forced a smile out as she mumbled. ¡°I see how it works.¡± ¡°YOU!!!¡± At that moment, I pointed at her as I screamed the hardest I ever have in my whole life. ¡°Eek!?¡± The person in question bulged her eyes and freaked out as she turned to me. Unexpectedly, she¡¯s an adorable girl from Otobuki High School. -Yes, it is at this moment. I, Ayumu Kiriya, a mediocre live streamer. Made my first contact with a lonely and miserable high school girl- -Chiaki Hoshinomori. < Time until Keita Amano¡¯s girlfriend enters Ayumu Kiriya¡¯s apartment: 2 and a half months > DLC 3, 2 – Keita Amano and Aguri Route

DLC 3, Chapter 2 ¨C Keita Amano and Aguri Route

Trantor: your_pingas I, Keita Amano, am finally facing the moment to bid farewell to my past as a lonely passerby high schooler. At the same time, this moment is also one of the most important events in my life ¨C sending a friend request to Tendou-san. Even though I wanted to draw the line based on personal reasons initially, it caused suspicion and misunderstandings for other people. It¡¯s a huge event that dragged everyone in. Also, with that development, this evolved into a situation that no one had expected. When I noticed it, I, Keita Amano, already- -started going out with Aguri-san. * A day in August, 10:15 AM. Riding on the esctor heading toward the men¡¯s clothing area in a department store, a high school girl two steps ahead turned back and smiled at me. ¡°That¡¯s all! Produced by Aguri, this begins Amanhi¡¯s n to abandon his otaku-ness part 3, [Amanhi, let¡¯s buy some clothes]! Yay!¡± ¡°Fufu.¡± Today¡¯s just the usual. Aguri-san¡¯s having fun while I protested because she exploited my gaming time as we toured around the store. However, Aguri-san ignored my reaction just as usual as she continued. ¡°The OVA of the first episode, [Amanhi, let¡¯s get a haircut] is super popr!¡± ¡°What is super popr!? I still remembered that I nearly got a dangerous mohawk haircut!¡± ¡°Hiya, that was just a joke! Didn¡¯t everyone in the Game Hobby Clubughed when they saw Amanhi freaking out?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t bring myself to see everyone in the Game Hobby Club anymore!¡± I walked to the next esctor as I pouted angrily. However, uncharacteristically, Aguri-san looked like she was a bit worried. She moved her head away and continued. ¡°Well, ¡­if we ignore the second episode, [Amanhi, let¡¯s have a party]¡­¡± ¡°No, you absolutely can¡¯t ignore that! You just threw me into a group of university students that I didn¡¯t know! Also, the fact that everyone there was really nice to me just made that even more awkward! Don¡¯t just casually skip over that silently hellish event! In the end, that professor with a strong perfume scent had to walk me home too. ¡­You can¡¯t ignore all that!¡± Sweat appeared on my forehead when I even just thought about what happened on that day. That was a hellish day. It¡¯s literally the top 3 of my worst trauma ever. Even Aguri-san continued with a sad expression. ¡°¡­That was such a tragedy. ¡­If it wasn¡¯t for Tasuku noticing Amanhi¡¯s SOS signal, I don¡¯t even know what would¡¯ve happened¡­¡± ¡°Yeah! Meanwhile, the organizer was sleeping at home, Aguri-san!¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s because I¡¯m bored with Amanhi¡¯s real-time messages.¡± ¡°How evil! By the way, why are we even doing the third episode if you think it¡¯s boring!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because thinking about it, perhaps the next time will be more interesting, right?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s hard to say¡­¡± ¡°Maybe Amanhi¡¯s body will suddenly enter a growth spike when you¡¯re trying clothes out. Then, you suddenly be more energetic, ¡­or something like that?¡± ¡°Why do you have these weird hopes for me!?¡± ¡°Why? ¡­Now that Amanhi has said it-¡° We finally got on the esctor that connects the 4th to the 5th floor. I sighed and asked Aguri-san. ¡°Aguri-san, in the end, who do you think I am¡­?¡± That was my question. Aguri-san looked at me lovingly. ¡­After that, she confessed her overwhelming feelings to me. ¡°A stinky otaku- ah, no, my dearest boyfriend.¡± ¡°You ruined it all with 2 words! Thest part didn¡¯t help at all!¡± ¡°A-Anyway, let¡¯s shop for clothes with Amanhi, no, let¡¯s start [Amanhi, let¡¯s buy some clothes]!¡± ¡°Hey, wait, Aguri-san!?¡± Aguri-san dashed down the stairs as if she was hiding something. So, I could only give up and chased after her. ¡­It looks like today will be a difficult one too. * It¡¯s been 2 months since I started going out with Aguri-san. However, the truth is that- ¡°Ah, ah, I actually want toe here with Tasuku instead.¡± ¡°Is it really okay for you to say that!? You shouldn¡¯t say that in front of your ¡®beloved boyfriend¡¯ even if it¡¯s just by name, right?¡± ¡°Ah, a wild Amanhi appeared.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been here! It¡¯s more like how did you think that I wasn¡¯t here!?¡± ¡°Ah, Amanhi, my schedule won¡¯t be affected whether you¡¯re here or not.¡± ¡°Hey, then it¡¯s fine for me to go back, right!?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. I won¡¯t have a mannequin for clothes then.¡± ¡°Mannequin!?¡± I dropped my shoulders helplessly and followed behind Aguri-san. -Even though I already understood this before, this is still how the rtionship between Aguri-san and I goes. Nothing has changed after we became lovers instead of close friends. Although both of us know that we¡¯re dating, honestly, we don¡¯t want to do that at all. Aguri-san is still fully dedicating her love to Uehara-kun. As for me, I¡¯m also working hard to get closer to Tendou-san. This isn¡¯t a normal situation, to say the least. In a sense, both sides aren¡¯t that sincere. However, unbelievably, both Aguri-san and I aren¡¯t guilty about this at all. (I feel like this will be our rtionship even if we met differently in another world¡­) In summary, we¡¯re something like soulmates, maybe ¡°soul family members¡±? Although both of us treasure each other, we just can¡¯t switch to that love mode. Well, but you can¡¯t say that we don¡¯t suit each other- ¡°Ah, Amanhi, Amanhi, let¡¯s check out that clothing store!¡± -Aguri-san grabbed my wrist as she dragged me over. Honestly, the others must feel like we must be boyfriend and girlfriend. However, in reality, I don¡¯t really feel anything special. Though, there are fewer concerns than when we were just friends. However,pared to the girl next to me, I¡¯m more worried about the things I¡¯m seeing. ¡°Uh, what¡¯s up with that store? Why is it filled with skeletons? Isn¡¯t that too much?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Amanhi! Instead of saying it¡¯s too much, ¡­it¡¯s more like they suit your style!¡± ¡°Since when is that my style!?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Amanhi¡¯s fault for not getting a mohawk haircut, okay?¡± ¡°You- well, yeah, I probably will fit really well into these clothes stuffed with skeleton ornaments if I actually got it.¡± ¡°So, why don¡¯t we try it out!? You should at least try it before making any decision!¡± ¡°Stop. Isn¡¯t that just torture if I end up not buying anything- HEY!?¡± With that, Aguri-san dragged me into the store. The clerk guy smiled and weed us to the store. His clothing is really bright and sharp. ¡­Ugh. ¡°Wee, please take your time here.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Aguri casually walked deep into the store as she smiled at the clerk. ¡­To me, the first condition of buying clothes alone is a store without any staff members trying to talk to you. I feel like that¡¯s what a thief would think¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, clerk-san. Do you have those more edgy tops here?¡± ¡°Ah, hmm, ¡­how about this one?¡± ¡°Oh, the first one already has holes on it. ¡­That¡¯s nice. It¡¯s very edgy!¡± ¡°Also, you can see both nipples from this hole.¡± ¡°Oh, let¡¯s buy it after trying it out then.¡± ¡°No!¡± I can¡¯t help but interrupt after noticing that the conversation is going for a bad turn. However, for some reason, Aguri-san shot me a ¡°this guy¡¯s an idiot¡± look. ¡°Sigh, Amanhi, you¡­don¡¯t need to care about that now. Think about it, the Game Club doesn¡¯t have those non-mainstream characters yet, right?¡± ¡°No, this is irrelevant to non-mainstream characters, right!?¡± The clerk-san next to us joined in as well. ¡°No, I feel like this suits you, young man. You got nice nipples.¡± ¡°Clerk-san!?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this nice, Amanhi? You can be free for once, ¡­I mean your nipples.¡± ¡°Why!? Clerk-san, I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have fetishes like this at all!¡± The clerk backed down in sadness after seeing my immediate rejection of the dangerous t-shirt. ¡°I see. Oh, ¡­but I¡¯m terribly sorry. Right now, our store doesn¡¯t have jeans that can show your bottom part yet¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that even worse!? No,e to think of it, that¡¯s a crime, right!?¡± ¡°Amanhi! It¡¯s too impolite toin about the goods right here! Where are your manners!?¡± ¡°Eh!? Why am I the one being scolded!? Even though I¡¯m an otaku, ¡­this is, ¡­this is! Ahh¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the troubles my boyfriend caused.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. After all, exhibitionism always has its critics, no matter which generation.¡± No, wait, eh, what¡¯s wrong with the conversation? Why does this feel like I¡¯m a child between two adults talking? Hmm? Did I mess something up? Is this really trendy in the world right now? Seriously? If that¡¯s the case, ¡­I¡¯m¡­sorry. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go to another ce.¡± ¡°See you next time.¡± Aguri-san walked outside the store casually as she dragged my wrist again. ¡­She¡¯s tough. If it was me, I could never just go and not buy anything after talking to the clerk for so long¡­! Is this¡­the world of normies!? Aguri-san looked around the men¡¯s clothing area as she mumbled. ¡°Ah, ah, if it¡¯s Tasuku, I bet that t-shirt would look so good on him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand your standard of deciding whether something looks good or not. Also, do you have to add that ¡®if it¡¯s Tasuku¡¯ on everything?¡± ¡°Oh, what¡¯s wrong, Amanhi? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re jealous-¡° Aguri-san poked my waist with a devilish smile. I looked at her with a dead fish¡¯s eyes and mumbled. ¡°Ah, if only Tendou-san did that to me instead¡­¡± ¡°Uwah, that just makes me super mad! It¡¯s not even jealousy. I¡¯m just really pissed right now!¡± ¡°See? So, from now on, both of us are banned fromparing each other to our truly loved ones.¡± ¡°I got it. Well, in the end, Amanhi isn¡¯t evenparable to Tasuku.¡± Yeah, honestly, it¡¯s very impolite to put Tendou-san and Aguri-san together.¡± Aguri-san and I stared daggers at each other. ¡­I take what I said back. The two of us really don¡¯t get along. She¡¯s the only person that I can have such a ¡°normal¡± argument with. Chiaki and I, well, we just half-jokingly called our rtionship a rivalry. In the end, we went around the men¡¯s clothing. Nothing raised Aguri-san¡¯s attention aside from that first store. We got on the esctor and moved to the 6th floor. It has clothes for both men and women. Just as the esctor¡¯s about to reach the top, Aguri-san let go of my arms. ¡­This subtle loneliness on my waist should be just a physical issue, right? ¡°Well, I¡¯ll check out the women¡¯s section first. Amanhi, you can look around by yourself.¡± ¡°Eh, no, wait. Didn¡¯t you drag me out here to get clothes for-¡° ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see youter!¡± Aguri-san directly walked away and ignored my protest. ¡­Honestly, I don¡¯t feel like buying clothes at all¡­ ¡°¡­Sigh, I¡¯ll walk around.¡± My voice sounded a bit helpless. Anyway, I started picking clothes for myself in the store. However, my tastes are the exact opposite of Aguri-san¡¯s. Basically, I go with the safest route, like uni-colored t-shirts. At least without any dangerous English words on it. I¡¯m the kind of guy that won¡¯t choose vibrant clothes printed with characters. In the end, I¡¯m a pretty mundane person. (Sigh, the ending is probably going to be, ¡°Uwah, that seems to suit Amanhi very well.¡± Or ¡°Alright, put that back. This one looks¡­¡± Something like that. Sheesh, I think I can imagine it already.) I mean, I don¡¯t hate this. However, ¡­even though we¡¯re pretending to be couples, isn¡¯t it too weird for us to not be worried about our zero progress? This whole thing sounds just as fake as we first heard it a few months ago. At this point, I can¡¯t but mumble to myself. ¡°¡­Ah, ¡­I guess this feels like she¡¯s my onee-chan.¡± Yep, right now, this is the closest word to describe the rtionship between Aguri-san and me. Onee-chan. Sounds good, onee-chan. So, indeed, I don¡¯t have any feelings for Aguri-san. Yep, I didn¡¯t betray Uehara-kun, and my feelings for Tendou-san are true- Just as I¡¯m repeatedly nodding to reaffirm my feelings- ¡°It¡¯s fine. You have a slim body. You¡¯ll look good in any clothes!¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± I looked forward. Aguri-san¡¯s trying out a halterneck in front of the mirror. She¡¯s talking to the tall clerk next to her. For some reason, I feel like that clerk looks really simr to Uehara-kun. Is that why Aguri-san¡¯s tone sounds a bit embarrassed? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± The guy that can¡¯t help but strike up a conversation when he seems like an acquaintance chatting- isn¡¯t me, of course. I just went on with my business and chose my clothes- that should¡¯ve been the case. However, I don¡¯t know why. I can¡¯t do that no matter how hard I try. Instead, I hid between the clothing racks and observed those two. ¡­It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no reason for me to do this if Aguri-san¡¯s buying things alone. Even though I don¡¯t, ¡­well, ¡­the problem now is- ¡°Also, this is just one in our series. I would rmend the sleeveless one here. You have such elegant shoulders. I bet this one suits you.¡± The clerk said that as he put the clothes in front of Aguri-san, he lifted her wrists like nothing was wrong. ¡°Eh, oh, ¡­you¡¯re right.¡± Aguri-san looked a bit freaked out. Her movements were unnatural. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Then. ¡°Hey, excuse me.¡± When my shoulder was patted, I thought someone was about to scold me since I¡¯m doing something wrong for a moment. I hastily turned around. In the end, ¡­I saw a girl that I used to miss. She still has her warm smile as she continued. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s really you, Keita-kun! Ah, it¡¯s been a long time! Are you doing well?¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re Yumi-chan, wait, Sakuma-san?¡± That¡¯s my ssmate in elementary school before I became a lonely gamer. When we met again, I wasn¡¯t thinking and just called her as I did before. However, it¡¯s not polite to call her that again when we grew up. So, I quickly corrected myself. However, she- Yumi Sakuma has never changed since elementary. She patted my shoulder like a guy. ¡°Why are you freaking out? That¡¯s super funny! You can just call me Yumi-chan, Keita-kun!¡± ¡°Eh, ah, sure¡­¡± I can justugh emotionlessly. No, I don¡¯t hate her for doing that. It¡¯s just that, ¡­on the other hand, we¡¯re not that close. So, with such an awkwardly distanced acquaintance, I can¡¯t be as intimate and warm as she is. Indeed, I can only talk with a polite and humble attitude¡­ ¡°Hiya, Keita-kun hasn¡¯t changed at all. I knew you when I saw you.¡± ¡°Ah, r-really?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s more like you still look like a girl right now. You have pale skin and slim wrists-¡° Sakuma-san said that as she grabbed my wrist. ¡­I remembered. She has always been like this since elementary school. She doesn¡¯t mind any skinship, ¡­but I¡¯m not. In fact, I¡¯m super anxious right now. I¡¯ve never been good at these kinds of things ever since I was born¡­ At this point, a question mark suddenly popped out in my head. (The skin contact is the same, but why don¡¯t I mind when it¡¯s Aguri-san?) Sakuma-san and Aguri-san should be the same type of girls. ¡­She can¡¯t help but smile after seeing me lost in my thoughts. ¡°Hiya, you¡¯re really Keita-kun. I missed that bunny-like look of yours, you know?¡± ¡°R-Rabbit?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what every girl said back in elementary.¡± ¡°Uh, ¡­hey, does that mean I¡¯m a herbivore¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. You look adorable, but you run away whenever we get close. However, you¡¯re too docile to be called a wolf. I feel like you would¡¯ve died if we left you alone.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I ended up listening to everything she said even though I don¡¯t want to. Well, indeed, I wasn¡¯t aware of my manliness in elementary. ¡­Wow, ¡­girls already knew this at that time. Seriously? Girls¡­are amazing¡­and scary. Just as I¡¯m looking into the distance, Sakuma-san suddenly reached her hand out to my head. She suddenly patted me before I could react. The girlughed cheerfully. ¡°Hiya, this is nostalgic. Uh, I think it¡¯s in 3rd grade? That trended for a while among the girls in the ss.¡± ¡°Eh, what is?¡± ¡°Who can pat Keita-kun¡¯s head first.¡± I didn¡¯t even know that such a horrible game existed. Obviously, this can¡¯t mean I was popr among girls. Seriously, this already counts as bullying, right? ¡­I¡¯m grateful that I didn¡¯t know such a cruel fact! I want to cry even when I hear it after all these years. ¡°Well, in the end, no one managed to pat Keita-kun¡¯s head. Everyone got bored with it.¡± ¡°¡­I-I see.¡± It looks like I¡¯m already rated as an overwhelmingly negative game in elementary. ¡­This is depressing. Sakuma-san patted my head as she smiled, ¡°Hehe, this is a victory after 7 years.¡± ¡­It looks like the game carried out in secret is finally over. Thank god. Sakuma-san released her hand and saw someone behind me. She dashed away like a typhoon. ¡°Ah, there¡¯s my boyfriend! I¡¯ll be leaving! Goodbye, Keita-kun!¡± ¡°¡­Goodbye, Sakuma-san.¡± Even though I waved at her with a smile, my words still sounded awkward. However, Sakuma-san didn¡¯t notice it and just dashed to her boyfriend excitedly. ¡­I¡¯m really bad at dealing with her, after all. Even though Aguri-san is, ¡­yeah, there must be some decisive difference here. ¡­What is it, though¡­? ¡°¡­Oh, right, Aguri-san.¡± I suddenly remembered that I was observing the awkward atmosphere between Aguri-san and that guy. Just as I¡¯m about to turn back- At that moment- ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± -I saw a gal staring at me extremely angrily. It wasn¡¯t until the next second that I realized she¡¯s my girlfriend (temporary). I couldn¡¯t recognize her for a moment because of how uncharacteristically pissed off she got. The clerk next to her already disappeared. I was relieved. Even though we¡¯re just meeting up, I can¡¯t bring myself to look at her for some reason as I walk. ¡°Hey, ¡­you¡¯re not going to buy the one rmended by that handsome guy?¡± Just like that time, Aguri-san looked away awkwardly as she answered. ¡°¡­That doesn¡¯t fit my taste.¡± I don¡¯t know whether she¡¯s talking about the clothing or the clerk. She continued questioning me calmly before I could even tidy up my mind. ¡°You too, Amanhi. Is that really okay? You¡¯re not going to y with that VERY close girl for a while longer?¡± ¡°Close girl? Ah, ¡­that¡¯s not true at all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very unconvincing when she patted your head¡­¡± ¡°No, no, no, that was just to conclude that 7-year game¡­¡± ¡°What is that? I don¡¯t understand that at all.¡± ¡°Ha? By the way, why are you mad, Aguri-san?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mad. I can¡¯t be mad. There¡¯s no reason, after all.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­Well,e to think of it, Aguri-san, are you sure you¡¯re not going to buy-¡° ¡°No! What do you want!? You¡¯re really annoying, Amanhi!¡± ¡°No, but you were having so much fun with that-¡° ¡°That has nothing to do with you, right, Amanhi!?¡± ¡°I¡­guess so.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Both of us lowered our heads subconsciously. ¡­What¡¯s with this mood? Although I often argue with Aguri-san, ¡­this is the first time we¡¯re experiencing such a tense atmosphere. ¡­What¡¯s happening? ¡­Nope, this isn¡¯t going well. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Aguri-san. I feel like I just said something weird back then.¡± After I apologized, uncharacteristically, Aguri-san did the same thing. ¡°Hey, ¡­sorry, Amanhi. I was acting strangely back then too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. ¡­Anyway, let¡¯s go to another ce for now.¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­sure.¡± Both of us got back together and headed toward the other floors. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± After that, no matter which store we went into, ¡­for some reason, we couldn¡¯t recreate that lively mood in the beginning. * ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see you at the restaurant after an hour.¡± It¡¯s been 30 minutes since we separated from each other. ¡°¡­Ah, there¡¯s still half an hour.¡± I stared at the roof that extends for 3 floors dazedly as I sighed. To recover the mood and to stop us from worrying about each other, we suggested we split. It should be a good thing. ¡­However, I realized there¡¯s nothing in this department store that takes me an hour to buy. I¡¯m a hikkineet, after all. I already went through all of the outlets and some other stores in 30 minutes. ¡­But, it looks like this is my limit. It¡¯s more like I don¡¯t have the energy to visit different shops anymore¡­ I slowly took out my phone from my pocket and stretched my back before starting to kill time. (Well, let¡¯s go with a mobile game. ¡­d I brought my phone with me.) Also, it looks like Mono-san is online as well. I messaged him, and both of us decided to clear the limited-time event. This is a pretty tough boss. However, Mono-san and I have cooperated with each other since this game¡¯sunch. We canplete a third of the mission in one stroke. I slowly exhaled after the third battle. ¡°You¡¯re such a nice partner, Mono-san. Who in the world is this person¡­?¡± I never thought there would be such apatible person in this world. Suddenly, my inner otaku started imagining things half-jokingly. ¡°What would this person look like if she¡¯s a same-age girl as I am?¡± ¡°¡­Hmm, the ideal type would be like Tendou-san. ¡­That¡¯s impossible.¡± Even though it¡¯s a good thing to set your imagination free once in a while, Tendou-san just doesn¡¯t match Mono-san¡¯s image. However, suppose I exclude the ¡°ideal¡± factor and think about Mono-san¡¯s face. ¡­In that case, I feel like it¡¯s unbelievably close to a certain seaweed girl I know for some reason. ¡°¡­No, no, no.¡± That¡¯s too impolite to Mono-san. I gave up on that idea quickly. However, if I exclude both of them, I don¡¯t there¡¯s anyone I know that matches Mono-san¡¯s description. I¡¯m a bit shocked by how few girls I know. The 4th battle started as I pondered in silence. By the way, Aguri-san didn¡¯t evene into my mind when I was considering what Mono-san could be like. ¡°Well, Aguri-san isn¡¯t even remotely close¡­¡± She¡¯s not an ideal girl like Tendou-san, nor is she apatible partner like Mono-san. However, under the strings of fate, Aguri-san became my girlfriend. ¡­Actually, I shouldn¡¯t be satisfied with my current situation, and that¡¯s true. I was dragged out to apany her shopping trips during the weekend, and I have to kill time on my phone in a ce like this. Aguri-san is never my ideal girl. She¡¯s not even my partner or friend. If I have to describe it, my feelings for her should be simr to what I have for Sakuma-san. I can¡¯t deal with her due to our awkward distance. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Theoretically, ¡­that should¡¯ve been the case. ¡­However, right now, ¡­unexpectedly, I feel- ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± -At that moment, my finger suddenly stopped clicking on the screen. It caused a fatal mistake, and we spent extra timepleting the quest. Mono-san quickly sent me a message after that. [Thanks for today, see you.] ¡­Her quest ended for now. Also, I bet she realized my slip-up just then. I gently sighed and checked the time. Then, I made my way to the restaurant at the top. Aguri ¡°Ara? Isn¡¯t this Aguri!? It¡¯s been a while, right!¡± ¡°Ah, Mikamika.¡± When I split up with Amanhi to try out some clothes on my own, I bumped into Mika- Mika Domon, she¡¯s a ssmate with a close rtionship with Tasuku. I¡¯m holding a pretty in pair of jeans in my hands right now. I quickly put it back onto the shelf and greeted my friend. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s been a while, Mikamika! Are you doing well? You¡¯re here to buy things?¡± I answered energetically. Mika¡¯s answer is brimming with energy as well. ¡°Yeah! Ah, it¡¯s been a long time since we saw each other!¡± ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s because I don¡¯t really go home with Tasuku anymore-¡° ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Both of us stopped at this point as if we noticed something. ¡­Of course. Although it¡¯s an ident, ¡­I can¡¯t go home with Tasuku anymore after I started going out with Amanhi. Naturally, I distanced myself from everyone in ss F. ¡°Ah, hey, why don¡¯t we find a ce to sit down while we¡¯re chatting, Aguri?¡± Mikamika brought me to the bench next to the esctor. I agreed as I sat down with Mikamika. My shopping trip is on hold now. Unlike the benches in the school, the ones in here feel cold. I can¡¯t help but feel a bit nervous. Is it because I¡¯m with a friend I don¡¯t normally see during the weekend? (Even though I don¡¯t really care whenever I¡¯m with Amanhi¡­) At this point, I¡¯m so defenseless that I wouldn''t care even if he suddenly showed up on the girl¡¯s side of the public bath. To me, Amanhi is already a must. That¡¯s why¡­ ¡°But that sure freaked me out. I can¡¯t believe Aguri is going out with Amano.¡± ¡°Ah, well¡­¡± ¡°But, seriously, why did you choose him?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡­.Why is the conversation topic going to him? What should I do? Not even I know. To me, she¡¯s literally asking me, ¡°What do you think about oxygen?¡± All I can answer is, ¡°No, even if you ask me-¡° So, I can only reply to her with a confused expression. As my friend, Mikamika probably thinks that something must¡¯ve happened. She slightly frowned and continued asking me. ¡°Hey, Aguri. You can rely on me if this is something you had to do, you know?¡± ¡°Eh? A-Ah, ¡­how should I put it? Right now, I don¡¯t¡­¡± Indeed, I had to do it. What a great question, Mikamika! I super had to! Yes! It¡¯s because I still love Tasuku the most right now! This is absolutely not a lie. So, I ended up in this situation because I have no other choice. It¡¯s¡­totally unlike what I imagined at all. So¡­ ¡°¡­Aguri?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, well, ¡­right now, ¡­I, ¡­sigh.¡± ¡­Hmm, what¡¯s happening? I definitely did this because I have no choice. That¡¯s how I convinced myself too. I¡­should¡¯ve said that. However, I feel really disgusted about the fact that I¡¯m about to say it. The Amanhi inside my heart stops me every time I¡¯m about to say it. Even though I still really love Tasuku right now, ¡­even so, ¡­my chest really hurts when I say I just ¡°had to¡± date Amanhi to my friends. Also, I really hate myself for saying that. ¡­What the hell is happening? I can answer Mikamika with a faint smile. ¡°F-Forget about that. How¡¯s Tasuku doing? Is he the same in the ssroom?¡± ¡°Uehara? Ah, surprisingly, he isn¡¯t that different from usual. He just half-jokingly teased himself without showing many signs of depression.¡± ¡°I-I see. That¡¯s great to hear¡­¡± I¡¯m a bit relieved. It¡¯s great that Tasuku can stillugh with his friends as he did. I don¡¯t want him to feel pain because of me. ¡­No, actually, I want him to feel pain, ¡­but before that, the most important thing is that he should be happy. Mikamika continued after seeing my slightly relieved look. ¡°Look, you still love Uehara in the end, Aguri! ¡°Eh, ah, that¡¯s-¡° ¡°Hiya, I¡¯ve always felt weird about this! It¡¯s because there isn¡¯t!¡± ¡°Eh, ¡­isn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Yes! Instead of saying the reason you chose Amano, ¡­it¡¯s more like Amano has nothing superior to Uehara!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m lost in thought. However, Mikamika didn¡¯t notice my subtle change and continued. ¡°When you think about it, it¡¯s weird to switch your boyfriend from Uehara to Amano, right? That¡¯s why we feel pretty strange.¡± ¡°Is it weird¡­?¡± It is! It¡¯s because don¡¯t you think switching from Uehara to Amano is like changing from a Ferrari to a light van? It¡¯s weird, no matter how you feel about it. Ah, I¡¯ll be frank here! That gaming otaku is just using Aguri¡¯s-¡° ¡°THAT¡¯S NOT TRUE!¡± Without thinking, I snapped and yelled even though we¡¯re still at the store. Everyone around us looked at us shockingly before leaving. ¡­Mikamika froze for a moment as well. ¡­W-What are you doing, Aguri? I hastily waved and turned back to normal. ¡°Ah, well, ¡­ah, right! I¡¯m really not threatened by him or anything. Uh, ¡­Amanhi- Amano-kun has Amano-kun¡¯s good points as well. That¡¯s why we ended up like this. Yes.¡± ¡°I-I see. Hey, ¡­I¡¯m sorry. I feel like I said something I wasn¡¯t supposed to as well.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine. In reality, Amanhi is indeed a disgusting virgin otaku asshole.¡± ¡°No, no, no, I didn¡¯t go that far¡­¡± I grabbed Mikamika¡¯s hand. ¡­Ahh, she¡¯s a friend you haven¡¯t met for so long. What are you doing, Aguri? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Only silence remains between us. ¡­The mood¡¯s awful. ¡­This is really bad. Mikamika mumbled something. ¡°¡­Hey, Aguri? Don¡¯t tell me you-¡° However, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m focusing on. I¡¯m not even listening to what Mikamika is saying. Instead, my eyes floated as I thought about it myself. ¡°I feel like¡­I just grabbed a pair of jeans that¡¯s totally not my style at all.¡± Just as I¡¯m lost in thought, my phone started vibrating. It¡¯s the rm signaling that there are 5 minutes before I have to meet up with Amanhi. ¡­Thank god. Mikamika is still saying something on her own. I interrupted her and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Mikamika! I have to go see someone else. See you!¡± ¡°Eh, ah, really? Well, see you, Aguri.¡± ¡°Ah, sure! I¡¯m d that I met you! Well, see you!¡± I bid farewell to her with a smile as I quickly dashed away from Mikamika. I got on the esctor. After she disappeared from my sight¡­ ¡°¡­Ha.¡± I covered my chest and sighed deeply. Then, I squatted down and mumbled to myself. ¡°¡­That¡¯s not true, right.¡± ¡­In reality, I wasn¡¯t saying that to Mikamika. ¡­Actually, I bet I¡¯m just retorting her unreasonablement for Amanhi, or¡­ I can¡¯t help but feel annoyed about the question I don¡¯t understand. So, I just went all the way up to the restaurant without turning back. Keita Amano ¡°Ah.¡± We met up on the top floor. For some reason, we stopped when there¡¯s still some distance between us. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We promised each other to meet on the top floor. However, for some reason, both of us kept our distance as if we¡¯re unfriendly acquaintances. ¡­But it¡¯s not like we can just stand here forever. I walked toward Aguri-san and spoke up nervously. ¡°Hey, w-where are we going for lunch?¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, well, lunch, right? Let¡¯s keep it cheap, okay?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± What¡¯s with this mood? This is literally like how I felt when I met Aguri-san for the first time. ¡­We¡¯re familiar with each other, but not really. It¡¯s that subtle distance. I scratched the back of my head a bit frustratedly. Then, I pointed at the floor n in front of us and spoke up. ¡°Let¡¯s check out the restaurants there, Aguri-san.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­? Aguri-san¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, okay, sure. L-Let¡¯s go¡­¡± ¡°¡­Aguri-san?¡± Nope, she¡¯s not listening to me at all. She just stood there like she¡¯s thinking about something. However, we¡¯re at the center of the path. I can only hold her hand to avoid causing any trouble. We walked away from the floor n. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°?¡± Unlike when she¡¯s dragging me, ¡­for some reason, I can feel a sense of determination from Aguri-san¡¯s hand. Just as I turned around in disbelief, I found out that her face¡­ ¡°¡­Eh, hmm?¡± ¡­For some reason, her face looks really red, as if she¡¯s embarrassed. In the end, after seeing her rarely shown expression, I can¡¯t help but¡­ ¡°Ugh¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t aware that I¡¯m holding a girl¡¯s hand until now. The embarrassment finally got to me. In the end¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Both of us just stood in front of the floor n silently. ¡°Tck.¡± -We quickly let go of our hands and took a step back from each other as if this is taboo. ¡­What the hell¡¯s happening? I¡¯ve never felt anything, whether we¡¯re holding hands or arms. It should be the same for Aguri-san too. Isn¡¯t this like¡­we¡¯re lovers- ¡°Ah, lovers.¡± -Aguri-san seems to have the same idea. She unconsciously conveyed her thoughts out loud. After that, both of us looked at each other¡­and burst intoughter. ¡°What the hell are we even doing?¡± ¡°Seriously. ¡­Ah, ¡­I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°Same!¡± We finally returned to normal. She took a step closer and observed the map with me. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m fine with Japanese food or noodles!¡± ¡°I see. With Amanhi¡¯s suggestion in mind- let¡¯s get Tamagoyaki!¡± ¡°That was decided by your own expectations!¡± ¡°Well, Tamagoyaki, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait, wait-¡° Aguri-san ignored my protest and turned around. Suddenly, she- ¡°¡­Ehehe.¡± -She returned to usual. ¡­However, this time, she held my hand a bit embarrassedly. ¡°Sheesh, ¡­you can¡¯t be helped.¡± Inparison, I can only stand right there. ¡­Then, I gently smiled at her. ¡­Both of us are far away from being true lovers. ¡­Our feelings to our truly loved ones aren¡¯t lies. However. ¡°Very well, let¡¯s check out the other stores after Amanohi paid for our meals!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I know- my ass. Why do I have to pay for you!?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so d that I have such an outstanding boyfriend.¡± ¡°This is the only time you actually sound like a girlfriend!¡± Perhaps in 10 years, 20 years, or even 50 yearster, both of us will still be spending our usual and joyful days like this. I don¡¯t think a future like this is too bad. However, of course, it¡¯ll be a long time before I think about that. DLC 3, Chapter 3 – Keita Amano and Konoha Route

DLC 3, Chapter 3 - Keita Amano and Konoha Route

Trantor: your_pingas I, Keita Amano, am finally facing the moment to bid farewell to my past as a lonely passerby high schooler. At the same time, this moment is also one of the most important events in my life - sending a friend request to Tendou-san. Even though I wanted to draw the line based on personal reasons initially, it caused suspicion and misunderstandings for other people. It¡¯s a huge event that dragged everyone in. Also, with that development, this evolved into a situation that no one had expected. When I noticed it, I, Keita Amano, already started going out with a girl I don¡¯t know yet- -Chiaki¡¯s little sister, Konoha Hoshinomori. * The warm sunlight is slowly pouring into the park. The pedals of the Somei Yoshino tree are dancing with the wind. [It¡¯s the mostmon sakura.] ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± She walked slowly next to me. Her face shows a glimpse of mncholy. The girl reached her hand out. Suddenly, as if nature ising to her will, a single pedalnded on her palm gently. Looking at this incredibly precious scene, I can¡¯t help but sigh quietly. ¡­What a charming picture. In this picture, she, ¡­Konoha Hoshinomori, stared at the pedal in her palm, being blown off by the wind again silently. ¡­After that, she snapped out of it and mumbled. ¡°You know, ¡­recently, I don¡¯t like doujins with girls going ahegao with a double V-sign anymore.¡± ¡°WHY WOULD I KNOW THAT!?¡± I really want to punch myself for watching her dazedly for even a second. I pinched my bag tightly as I looked around to see if anyone was hearing our conversation before dashing forward. However, Konoha-san seems to have predicted my reaction as well. She calmly followed me and continued. ¡°Ah, in the beginning, there¡¯s no ¡®hentai¡¯ in this world. It¡¯s the same for ahegao and double v-signs as well. However, ¡­why is that? Is it just because hentai is contradictory to themon sense of this world? As long as I talk about these things, instead ofughing, I just see myself beingpletely opposite to this hentai atmosphere¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you can say that in a park filled with families watching the blossoming sakura!¡± ¡°You too, senpai. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re using lewd words like ¡®blossoming¡¯ in public.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a normal word, right!? Anyway, please pay attention to your manners!¡± ¡°I know. Well, I can talk about sakura now, right?¡± ¡°Well, yeah, I guess.¡± ¡°Eh, in other words, things like ¡®those beautiful sakura-colored nipples¡¯ are okay too!? Uwah¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not okay! Also, what the hell¡¯s with this screen!? Don¡¯t say that with such an adorable look!¡± ¡°Fufu, I¡¯m very cute now, right? I¡¯m pretty confident about this. I bet I can be a nice CG if this got made into a hentai game, you know?¡± ¡°It would be better if you don¡¯t say lewd things¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s call this scene [ Ahegao and Double V ]!.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not relevant in one bit! How much do you have to ruin my memories!?¡± ¡°But doesn''t your heart feel ba-dump just then?¡± ¡°Ba-dump!?¡± Although I don¡¯t really understand, this would be a terrible way to create a memorable scene. I dropped my shoulders and sighed loudly. Konoha-san finally realized she went too far. So, she tongued out naughtily and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, senpai. Senpai will be leading today¡¯s ¡®ordinary date¡¯, after all.¡± I answered her with an ¡°of course¡± expression and continued. ¡°Whenever you¡¯re in the lead, ¡­you always think of games like [ Co-op Hentai Game Walkthrough ] and [ Hoshinomori Sisters and Twister Game Challenge ]. Your onee-chan and I always feel like we¡¯re being interrogated. So, let¡¯s just have a regr date today, okay?¡± ¡°Okay, I got it¡­mentally.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just get what I said mentally!¡± ¡°Eh, in other words, you mean my p-¡° ¡°Sorry, please don¡¯t say it.¡± I put my hand on my forehead and bowed down before continuing. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re going to have a healthy and wholesome date today. Got it, Konoha-san?¡± ¡°I got it, okay. Healthy, publicly, where both of our sweats are mixing with each other as we touched-¡° ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, senpai! I apologize! I¡¯ll say sorry, so please don¡¯t just leave me alone, senpai! It really hurts when I¡¯m senpai¡¯s girlfriend, you know!¡± ¡°¡­Sheesh.¡± I gave up and turned around. Konoha-san¡¯s eyes are filled with tears- that are obviously fake upon closer inspection. I sighed. Then¡­ ¡°¡­I guess we can talk about lewd things a little more when we¡¯re alone.¡± ¡°Uwah! That¡¯s why I love senpai!¡± ¡°!?¡± She suddenly hugged my wrist and put it on her chest. ¡­Seriously, she has always done things like this, and I know. ¡­However, it¡¯s hard for me to act like a man and hide my embarrassment. I looked away to avoid Konoha-san from seeing my blushing cheeks. Then, I took a step forward a bit forcefully. ¡°A-Alright, we¡¯re going, Konoha-san.¡± ¡°Okay, senpai ?.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± -In the end, she still managed to lead our date, just like usual. * It¡¯s been nearly a year since I started going out with Konoha-san. Initially, we tried to end this huge misunderstanding. However, once we snapped out of it, we already became friends that can chat just about anything. Of course, in reality, most of the conversation is about hentai games. It¡¯s rare to find a partner that can talk about these things. Our shared hobbies aren¡¯t just for games. Even our taste in doujins is the same. So, due to all kinds of reasons, our distance quickly grew shorter. ¡­However, at this point, it was more like partners with the same interests instead of lovers. Finally, we spent more and more time hanging out together and chatting. However, this means that it¡¯s harder and harder to resolve this misunderstanding. After all, both of us are always sticking together. ¡­If this is a trial, all of this objective evidence is already enough to prove us guilty, not to mention resolving it. Both of us wouldn¡¯t be able to retort. What a terrible situation. Then, suddenly, one day, Konoha-san and I realized the same thing. ¡°Wait? Why do we have to solve this misunderstanding?¡± Also, coincidentally, that day is Christmas. So, after that, Konoha-san and I started dating for real. If I have to give a reason, this allowed us to chat and y video games together without hesitation. Also, both of us are having fun too. I guess this is what you call what was once pretense has be a reality. Of course, we won¡¯t talk about these things with others. I mean, no one will listen even if we did say it. ¡­Well, however, I can sometimes see Tendou-san staring at Konoha-san with teary eyes. At other times, I can sense a violent aura between Konoha-san and Tendou-san. ¡­Hmm, but I don¡¯t think it has anything to do with our rtionship. Yeah, it¡¯s probably because those two aren¡¯t reallypatible. I think. Anyway, Konoha-san and I started dating now. Yes, ¡­even though we¡¯re dating- ¡°Wow, but spring really is a horny season, senpai.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t throw that conversation to me like you are just talking about the weather.¡± Sakuras are blossoming on the sides of the road. In contrast to my tiredness, the hentai game super fan next to me isughing joyfully. ¡­It looks like our conversation is leaning toward the erotic since we met each other by hentai games. No, actually, Konoha-san is the main cause. She, ¡­basically, she¡¯s a hardworking student council president IF no one knows about her hidden hobbies. These desires are only unleashed when I, the boyfriend, am with her alone. Well, even though her onee-chan gets dragged in sometimes too. However, even though my girlfriend¡¯s like that, I¡¯m really just a normal high school boy. ¡­Hmm, it¡¯s more like having lust toward girls is what makes you a high school boy. ¡°Senpai ?, I¡¯m wearing my lucky underwear today. Don¡¯t you want to see it? But, in the end, underwear won¡¯t wear out if you don¡¯t get to show them, right? Seriously, isn¡¯t this bad?¡± ¡°Why would I know that!? Also, the reason for not being able to show them is more about the person who¡¯s wearing it than the underwear itself, right?¡± ¡°I see. In other words, ¡­it will work if the person wearing it can force her way, right.¡± ¡°Yes, but if you do that, the buzzer I have here will go off.¡± Without turning, I calmly took the keychain buzzer out of my bag. However, Konoha-san protested to me after seeing that. ¡°Wait, why do you always bring that, senpai!?¡± ¡°Put your hands on your chest and think about it with your conscience¡­¡± ¡°Chest, right? ¡­Ah, hmm-¡° ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you to rub your chest! Hey!? What the hell are you doing in broad daylight!?¡± I freaked out, but Konoha-san isn¡¯t stopping at all. Instead, she showed me her iconic devilish smile. ¡°You¡¯re still asking why? ¡­Aren¡¯t senpai the one that told me to put my hands on my chest?¡± ¡°Tck!¡± I blushed in anger and embarrassment. Then, I started to dash forward furiously. Konoha-san chased after me and whispered to my ears with her flirtatious voice. ¡°Hiya, senpai is still just as adorable!¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡­I don¡¯t hate Konoha-san for these things. It¡¯s more like I quite like it. ¡­Hmm, ¡­Konoha-san¡¯s quite cute when she does that. Well, ¡­it¡¯s like what lovers would do. However- ¡°Ah, by the way, senpai, onee-chan and I are both sakura-colored, you know?¡± ¡°Eh!? Wait, ¡­we haven¡¯t unlocked that topic yet, right!?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? ¡­Ah, I¡¯m talking about the consoles onee-chan and I bought recently.¡± ¡°Tck!¡± ¡°Ara, senpai, which part of onee-chan and I were you thinking about?¡± ¡°¡­Ahh, that¡¯s enough!¡± -How does this count as a blissful atmosphere between lovers!? Due to that, I¡¯m blushing while covering my ears again today. I have to try my best to escape from this devilish girl¡¯s whisper. ¡­Kami-sama, I just want a normal date for once, you know? * Taking a stroll in the park filled with blossoming sakura- or the hentai game plot with that name is over. Right now, we¡¯re going to the cinema, ¡­and we¡¯re going to watch a romantic movie. I¡¯ll never do that alone. We sat in the middle of thest row. Both of us chatted as we looked at people trickling inside. ¡°Senpai, don¡¯t you think this is a¡­pretty wholesome date?¡± ¡°We¡¯re nning to have a wholesome and healthy date at the start.¡± Also, the n of our date is to take a walk, watch movies, and have food. That¡¯s it. Perhaps this looks like a normal and boring date in your eyes. However, it¡¯s really hard for us to pull off a ¡°normal and boring¡± date like this. Konoha-san looked pretty upset. She protested and pouted at me. ¡°But, senpai, if this is a hentai game, it¡¯s immediately over once you double-click. I don¡¯t care about scenes like that at all. ¡®Just show me what you two are going to do at night!¡¯ A lot of people will do that, you know?¡± ¡°No, no, no, we¡¯re not going to do anything at night.¡± ¡°Ehh!? I-I already told my family about that. ¡®I¡¯m spending the night at my friend¡¯s house. Uh, maybe I¡¯ll roll on their bedsheets too!¡¯ I even came up with that reason!¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait, you¡¯re going off-track in thest part! How did your parents even react back then!?¡± ¡°Eh, please don¡¯t ask. Sheesh, senpai. Although I said I told my family, ¡­of course, it¡¯s actually just onee-chan for derations like this.¡± ¡°Oh, what a relief- my ass!? It¡¯s more like I¡¯m even more worried now! H-How did Chiaki react!?¡± ¡°She looked like she choked on 3 pieces of toast at once.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really understand, but I think I got it! Don¡¯t stir up trouble! Ahh, Chiaki will definitely give me a handful at school after the holiday¡­¡± Just as I wrapped my hands around my head and sighed, Konoha-san turned around and mumbled quietly. ¡°¡­At school?¡± ¡°Eh, ¡­well¡­¡± Her tone was uncharacteristically heavy. I wanted to say something else, but the lights in the theatre turned off. Our conversation ended as the screen showed ads for other movies. However, the gentle and observant Konoha-san quickly got rid of this weird mood before the movie started. She returned to her usual self. ¡°Senpai, we¡¯re sitting in thest row of the movies. Don¡¯t you want to grope me with your right hand-¡° Well, if she¡¯s saying that, I should do something then. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll go for it then.¡± ¡°Eh-¡° I ignored Konoha-san¡¯s surprised face and reached out my right hand. ¡­I put my hand on the armrest and held her left hand tightly. After I started holding her hand, I could faintly hear her trembling voice. ¡°Eh? Ah, no, hey, senpai!? T-This is a bit, uh, uh-¡° ¡°Keep quiet in the theatre, Konoha-san.¡± ¡°O-Okay¡­¡± Even though it¡¯s dark, I can still see Konoha-san¡¯s red face. She plopped her head down. I can¡¯t help but smile bitterly after seeing her like that. (Sheesh, all of that crazy lewd talk, yet she immediately freaked out when I¡¯m actually doing it.) ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Well. -Right now, I¡¯m intoxicatedly in love with this side of her. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ (¡­No, I finally managed to hold her hand like a real man. But, yeah, I¡¯m really embarrassed about things like this too. ¡­It¡¯s not like I can just let go of my hand. ¡­What should I do?) In the end, we held each other¡¯s hands for the entire 1 hour and a half of the movie. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ As for the movie itself, neither she nor I remembered anything. * It¡¯s just 3 PM when we left the cinema. We were nning to just grab dinner and go home early. However, it seems to be too early for that. Just as I¡¯m thinking about how we should kill time, Konoha-san pped. She looked like she just thought of an incredible suggestion. ¡°Well, let¡¯s check out the hentai games, senpai!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit too far-fetched from the concept of a normal date?¡± Konoha-san ignored myint and continued. ¡°Really? Isn¡¯t it nice to write ¡®enjoying ourmon hobbies¡¯ in the dairy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just what you write when you skip over the key parts! It doesn¡¯t change the fact that we¡¯re going to buy a hentai game-¡° ¡°Did senpai forget about this? ¡­A new one is released today.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go, Konoha-san! I¡¯ll leave you behind if you don¡¯t keep up!¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s why I really¡­love senpai!¡± I think my girlfriend¡¯s attracted to me in weird ces. Anyway, we headed to the game store. So, we¡¯re finally here after taking a 5-minute walk from the cinema. Both of us looked around vigntly as we crept toward the hentai game area- ¡°Ara ara, aren¡¯t you two Keita and Konoha?¡± -A familiar seaweed girl called our name in the middle. ¡°!¡± We immediately stepped on the brakes just before entering the hentai game area. Then, the two of us robotically turned to the seaweed- Chiaki Hoshinomori. We saluted her and yelled. ¡°We¡¯re definitely not going to do something bad!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the first thing you say!?¡± Chiaki bulged her eyes in shock. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± We remained in our pose as sweat poured from our heads. Chiaki looked at us and sighed. From her perspective, we looked like we just came back from the vintage game section. So, both of us moved there silently. ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you two having a date today?¡± ¡°Yes, ¡­right now, this counts as¡­a date.¡± ¡°¡­Well, then why did you two¡­enter this sacred spot for a lonely gamer like me!?¡± ¡°Ugh, t-this is because¡­¡± Chiaki let loose and kept throwing questions at us. ¡­Sigh, it couldn¡¯t be helped. I made up my mind and looked into Chiaki¡¯s eyes. ¡°Uh, well, ¡­I¡¯m just dragging Konoha-san around to check out the things I like.¡± Konoha-san dropped her jaws after hearing that. As for Chiaki, she sighed explicitly and red at me. ¡°Ara ara, I knew it, ¡­Keita. Konoha ispletely different from you. She¡¯s a healthy, serious, elite, and beautiful student council president with no interest in otaku things like games at all. How many times do I have to tell you that?¡± ¡°Tck¡­¡± Konoha-san and I couldn¡¯t even catch a break. Chiaki ignored us and continued. ¡°In the end, I¡¯ve warned you multiple times before. It¡¯s such a waste for Konoha to go out with Keita! It¡¯s already enough for beautiful girls to go out with otakus in those weak dating sims!¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re saying that again, onee-chan. It¡¯s already¡­¡± Konoha-san pouted sulkily. However, now¡¯s not the time tofort her. The reason is that¡­if we¡¯re investigating this question again, it¡¯ll eventually lead to what¡¯s ourmon hobby. In the end, it nearly turned into a trial of hentai games. After realizing that, of course, Konoha-san won¡¯t tell Chiaki about how we met each other. Finally, this just increases her suspicion of whether I baited her little sister. It¡¯s the literal worst vicious cycle, and you can see the result today. We¡¯re in a deadlock here. It looks like I¡¯ll have to solve this today too. ¡°You¡¯re always saying that, Chiaki. Well, which girl do I have to go out with for you to ept me? You want¡­Aguri-san or Tendou-san?¡± ¡°Ha? Keita, get a hold of yourself. Are you really sure who you are?¡± The seaweed head looked at me like I¡¯m an idiot. ¡­Ah, this girl is still really good at pissing me off! Even though she has the same blood as my girlfriend, I have no confidence to improve our rtionship! Chiaki ignored my anger and continued. ¡°A girl that suits Keita, ¡­hmm, out of all of the girls, that would be¡­¡± ¡°Alright, alright, you¡¯re just going to say-¡° I was just going to answer casually and end the topic. Chiaki, ¡­I don¡¯t think she was aware of it when she said it, but she dropped a huge bomb. ¡°That would be¡­a girl around my level to suit Keita.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Both of us blinked at each other. ¡­3 secondster. ¡°¡­!¡± Chiaki¡¯s face red up as she started making excuses hastily. ¡°N-No, no, no, no, no! I-I didn¡¯t mean to say that! Uh, well, ¡­I¡¯m just saying a girl around Keita¡¯s level! That¡¯s all I want to say!¡± ¡°Eh? Uh, well, I think that¡¯s what you mean too¡­¡± ¡°So, uh, it¡¯s definitely not like I love Keita or anything!¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡­What should I do? Even a dense idiot like me can feel that this rival of mine gave off a tsundere vibe just then. I scratched my cheeks and looked at Konoha-san for help. However, she¡­ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? Konoha-san?¡± Uncharacteristically, her face looked like¡­she¡¯s about to disappear. My chest immediately tightened. Konoha-san noticed her look. After that, she quickly returned to normal and started joking with us as she did in the theatre. ¡°Aha, I had been suspicious of this a while ago. I finally understand now. Indeed, my onee-chan is a tsundere that has her eyes on senpai.¡± ¡°W-What are you talking about, Konoha!? T-That¡¯s impossible!¡± Chiaki¡¯s shaking. Konoha-san put her finger on her chin and smiled flirtatiously. ¡°It¡¯s okay, onee-chan. We can always¡­settle for a threesome.¡± Suddenly, steam came out of Chiaki¡¯s head. She quickly distanced herself from Konoha-san and blushed. ¡°J-Jokes like this aren¡¯t funny at all, Konoha!¡± ¡°Eh, I¡¯m not joking.¡± ¡°That¡¯s even worse! Going out with both of the sisters¡­! Sheesh, look at what you¡¯ve done, Keita!¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± I suddenly became the center of the conversation. Chiaki angrily grabbed my waist and started sting me. ¡°No, this is definitely the influence of the boyfriend! Keita, it¡¯s impossible for Konoha¡­to talk like a hentai game super fan like this!¡± ¡°Tck¡­!¡± Konoha-san and I took another critical hit again. Sorry, ¡­but your little sister has always been like this. ¡­Even though I wanted to say that, I don¡¯t think now¡¯s the time. Sigh, I guess I¡¯ll have to change the topic. ¡°B-By the way, what games are you buying today, Chiaki?¡± ¡°¡­I feel like you¡¯re clearly changing the subject. Well, whatever, I have to give up when we¡¯re talking about games.¡± Ha, we¡¯re really still the same gamers. I¡¯m a bit excited. Chiaki smiled as she returned to the shelf and took a box out of the vintage game section. She handed it to us. ¡°Uh, this is the one¡­¡± ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t this¡­?¡± We saw what Chiaki¡¯s holding in her hand. I see. This is the modern era fantasy RPG that will never be picked up by a moe hater like Chiaki- ¡°Isn¡¯t this [ Dream Tales Aigis ]? I really love this game too.¡± ¡°Ah, I knew Keita yed it already, but I really want to skip the illustrations in the packaged version. ¡­Recently, someone I know online rmended this game to me.¡± I was a bit surprised after hearing what Chiaki said. ¡°Eh, what a coincidence. I just rmended this game to someone I know online as well.¡± ¡°Huh, really? That¡¯s really a coincidence.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Both of us sighed as we started talking about that person we know- ¡°Ahem!¡± -Konoha-san cleared her throat and interrupted our conversation. Sweat¡¯s raining down on her forehead as she injected herself between us. ¡°H-Hey, it¡¯s okay for you two to not know that person, right!? Yes!¡± ¡°Ha? What¡¯s wrong, Konoha-san? That¡¯s sudden.¡± ¡°N-No, it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s really nothing. Hmm, ¡­it¡¯s definitely not a shocking fact that I knew before even going out with senpai. It¡¯s 100% nothing!¡± ¡°Ha? Well, even though I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re trying to say, anyway, Chiaki, you should tell me more about that person-¡° ¡°Stop, stop, stop! Stop, senpai, onee-chan! It¡¯s enough, right! Yeah! Let¡¯s stop talking about that person here! Alright, you two should continue talking about the game! Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Ehh?¡± Konoha-san looked a bit scary when she interrupted our conversation. Chiaki and I were utterly confused. ¡­What¡¯s happening? Anyway, I guess there must be some reason if my girlfriend (little sister) doesn¡¯t like it. We were a bit confused, but we changed the topic. Chiaki continued. ¡°Uh, since this game is pretty popr, even a secondhand version isn¡¯t cheap either. I¡¯m still hesitating whether I should buy it now¡­¡± Facing Chiaki¡¯s indecisiveness, I- immediately pushed the game onto her! ¡°You have to buy it! Yes, this game really fits Chiaki¡¯s tastes for some unexpected reasons! Even though it looks like those moe games at first sight, it actuallyes with aplete storyline and game mechanics! Trust me, you won¡¯t regret it! If only I can lend you the downloadable version, but it¡¯s really fun! You can believe me!¡± I don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s because my passion influenced Chiaki. Her face is blushing really hard. She looked away from the package and mumbled very quietly. ¡°Sheesh, ¡­y-you can¡¯t be helped. If Keita¡¯s saying that, ¡­well,l I guess I¡¯ll buy a copy.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± As a gamer, it¡¯s really nice for people to ept your rmendation. I didn¡¯t think about it too much before grabbing Chiaki¡¯s wrist and shook her hand as I continued. ¡°You have to tell me your feedback after finishing it! That¡¯s a promise, okay!?¡± ¡°¡­Ah! O-Okay¡­¡± Chiaki¡¯s face turned redder as she bowed down. ¡­Well, I guess it¡¯s a bit insulting to ept your rival¡¯s rmendation. She can¡¯t be helped. I let go of her hand. Chiaki hastily turned around. ¡°B-But, I have to tell my feelings to Yama-san first!¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, sure, I¡¯m fine with that. By the way, can you say that name again-¡° Just as I¡¯m about to ask Chiaki directly, suddenly, Konoha-san dragged my hand and interrupted me. ¡°Well, go check out, onee-chan! It¡¯s time for us to move, right!?¡± ¡°Ha? The next ce? Didn¡¯t we just get here-¡° ¡°Hiya, our schedule is really packed! Right, senpai?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yes.¡± Konoha-san¡¯s exerting her silent pressure. It¡¯s overwhelmingly scary. We nodded. Chiaki¡­waved her hand timidly at us. ¡°W-Well, I guess that¡¯s it. Anyway, Keita and Konoha, ¡­uh, see you.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, see you, Chiaki¡­¡± I noticed Chiaki¡¯s expression seemed a bit lonely. I swept my bangs upward. However, on the other hand- ¡°See you, onee-chan! Well, let¡¯s go, senpai!¡± ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡± -Konoha-san dragged me out of the store forcefully for some reason. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Come to think of it, I should worry about the little sister instead of her onee-chan. * It¡¯s been 10 minutes since we left the game store. In the end, we decided to take a break at the karaoke nearby to kill time. Both of us sat on the sofa. After we caught our breaths and drank some cold juice, Konoha-san sighed in relief and apologized to me. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, senpai. ¡­I dragged you out forcefully.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, ¡­well.¡± This isn¡¯t the first time that Konoha-san tried to force her way. I¡¯m not mad about that. However, even though Chiaki¡¯s my rival, I still don¡¯t like how we just bid farewell to her this rudely. Both of us didn¡¯t pick any songs. We can hear J-pop songs echoing in the next room. Konoha-san sighed. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry to onee-chan too. Sigh¡­¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­well, ¡­you¡¯re right. ¡­But I don¡¯t think you need to be this upset.¡± She showed her uncharacteristic emotions again. Her expression has been radiating seriousness since we entered the room. Time passed as the silence between us endured. Finally, Konoha-san spoke up. ¡°Actually, ¡­I should¡¯ve told senpai and onee-chan about this a long time ago.¡± She clenched her fists on her kneecaps as she continued. ¡°If that happened, I, ¡­in the end, I¡¯m still at the ¡®second ce¡¯ no matter where I go. ¡­It¡¯s because my fate has already been sealed the moment I was born. It can¡¯t be helped¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­So, I¡¯m¡­really scared. ¡­A girl that can only y little tricks can¡¯t possibly do good. ¡­However, I¡­still want to be together with senpai, so¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I have no idea what she¡¯s talking about. ¡­However, I can tell from Konoha-san¡¯s expression that she¡¯s in a fierce battle with someone. She closed her eyes silently. Then, Konoha-san squeezed out her words. ¡°Senpai! Actually, ¡­onee-chan and senpai are-¡° However, at this moment, I interrupted her. ¡°We haven¡¯t bought the hentai game, right?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Konoha-san froze after hearing that sudden line. I continued with a bitter smile. ¡°Hiya, we visited the game store to buy the hentai game, right?¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­haha,e to think of it, you¡¯re right. I totally forgot it.¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­we forgot about it. It¡¯s more like we forgot about that we forgot it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°In the end, hentai games are what connects us together as ourmon hobby, right?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­?¡± Konoha-san tilted her head in confusion. I sat properly and faced her. This time, I didn¡¯t smile bitterly. Instead, I gave her a sincere big o¡¯ smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t choose to stay with you all the way here just because we have the same hobby, you know?¡± ¡°!¡± Konoha-san bulged her eyes the moment after hearing that. Then, she tried to cover her emotions by lowering her head. She has the exact same reaction as Chiaki. I can¡¯t help but feel a bit relieved as I continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know why Konoha-san feels that you¡¯re in second ce. Indeed, from a pure ¡®who suits who better¡¯ perspective, perhaps you and I really can choose better lovers. In reality, I still can¡¯t follow you up right now, Konoha-san. Whether we¡¯re talking about hentai or normal stuff.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°But.¡± I put my hands on her shoulder and confessed to her like a man. ¡°The reason I¡¯m dating you isn¡¯t just because we have the same interest and hobby. Instead, it¡¯s because Konoha Hoshinomori¡­is you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± A drop of tears suddenly appeared on Konoha-san¡¯s hand. ¡­I guess she doesn¡¯t really want people to know this side of her. I pretended that I didn¡¯t see her crying. Just as I¡¯m about to let go of her shoulder- ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± -At this point, as if she¡¯s asking me to stay, Konoha-san grabbed my hand tightly. Slowly, Konoha-san¡¯s face is closing in. ¡­I can see her watery eyes and blushing cheeks. It¡¯s really a crime for her to show this unseen side of hers. ¡­The girl slowly raised her head and looked at me flirtatiously. ¡°Senpai¡­¡± The way she called sounded pretty lusty as well. I¡¯m alone with my adorable and connected girlfriend in a closed room. ¡­I think I can hear my sanity slowly breaking down¡­ I gently held her shoulder and slowly embraced her. Then- ¡°¡­Now¡¯s the time to show my lucky wear.¡± ¡°ALRIGHT, THAT¡¯S IT. THANKS FOR THE WORK! WE¡¯LL STOP HERE TODAY!¡± I immediately retreated from Konoha-san and all the way to the seat opposite the table. Konoha-san protested furiously behind me. ¡°Why, senpai!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line! Why did you say things like that back then!?¡± ¡°I was thinking maybe I¡¯ll look cuter when I¡¯m crying and being honest!¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re totally wrong! Thanks for ruining the mood!¡± ¡°Why!? Isn¡¯t that mood just right!? It¡¯s more like who wouldn¡¯t go on the attack under that situation!? You herbivore! Pussy! General Audience version!¡± ¡°Who''s the General Audience version!? You little¡­R-18 version!¡± ¡°Eh, what¡¯s wrong, senpai? Why did you suddenly praise me?¡± ¡°Why would you think that I¡¯m praising you?¡± Konoha-sanughed after seeing my surprised look. ¡­Sheesh. We were exhausted from the argument. After that, both of us started clicking on the song tab to change the topic. However- ¡°Senpai.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ko-¡° I immediately stopped. At that moment, I can sense warmth and moisture from the end of my lips. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I waspletely dazed. Once I snapped out of it, Konoha-san¡¯s face practically touched mine. ¡­She¡¯s too adorable. ¡­My sanity¡¯s copsing again. -It¡¯s just that the blush on her cheeks clearly ryed her inner feelings too. ¡°Eek!¡± That¡¯s not the reaction of a girl who always says lewd things. ¡­I started poking the screen subconsciously with my hand to cover my embarrassment. However, Konoha-san mumbled sheepishly next to me. ¡°¡­T-This sometimes happens too. Even though I¡¯m not fazed by the sex scenes in hentai games, the wholesome kiss scenes are¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­that happens in dating sims too.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Both of us are riddled with nervousness. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ In the end, our date ended on a wholesome note. I didn¡¯t even need to worry about it. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ -It looks like it¡¯ll be a while before I can see Konoha-san¡¯s lucky underwear. DLC 2, Chapter 3 – Ayumu Kiriya and Play Test

DLC 2, Chapter 3 - Ayumu Kiriya and y Test

Trantor: your_pingas I, Ayumu Kiriya, don¡¯t believe in ults. I mean, I love ghost stories. Online news about paranormal activities and weird creatures interest me more or less. But, honestly, that¡¯s all. News about the birth of a new panda sounds the same as a sighting of Tsuchinoko to me. It¡¯s nothing more than daily entertainment. [Literal trantion: Child of Hammer. It¡¯s a mythical creature that looks like a snake but with an erged middle part.] So, I love ult stories. However, if you ask me whether I believe it or not, my answer is no. That¡¯s how I, Ayumu Kiriya, think. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ -Until an hour ago. * It¡¯s a certain day in February. The heater in my apartment is running day in and day out. The live streams with my partner are going on as usual. ¡­Yes, really, ¡­it¡¯s going on as usual. ¡°Look, Tora-san! Look at this! Uh, I¡¯m usually a pretty bad yer. However, ¡­this is the only time I miraculously defeated the boss on my first try! Hurray!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I looked at my partner silently as she rejoiced in defeating the boss in [Hell¡¯s Blood]. As she¡¯s putting her legs inside the kotatsu, she¡¯s looking at the TV screen with bright eyes. At the same time, the high school girl is putting her soul into the game. She¡¯s really beautiful. Adorable and innocent looks, and above all, a very, very outstanding and attractive face. The closest girl to her would be Karen Tendou, another high school girl I met earlier. They are both gorgeous, but she seems to be ideal from another perspective. So, ¡­that¡¯s, ¡­if it¡¯s just from visuals- ¡°Hmm, ¡­this game¡¯s graphics are surprisingly bad.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± There should be absolutely no reason to mistake her from a certain herbivorous nerd high school boy. After she looked away from me, I couldn¡¯t help but rub my temples as I shook my head. (I don¡¯t know about these ¡°people watching a bad yer¡±, ¡°expecting a defeat but ended up didn¡¯t¡±, and ¡°somehow miraculously killing the boss on stream¡± stuff. For some reason, I have a strange feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.) I¡¯m disgusted. It feels like I¡¯m spending the day in the same way with a certain someone. Actually, she- Chiaki Hoshinomori, is ying at my apartment for the first time. ¡°¡­Hmm, oh, it looks like the main quest is starting.¡± I remained silent and just let her do her own thing. ¡­My new gaming partner, Chiaki Hoshinomori, entered the extremely difficult RPG [Hell¡¯s Blood]¡¯s character creation screen. ¡°Ooh, there are more choices than I thought.¡± The screen showed a huge amount of ornaments and clothing. Chiaki Hoshinomori mumbled in amazement in front of the screen. I think I¡¯ve seen this somewhere else before. However, I don¡¯t want to interrupt the stream, so let¡¯s skip the unnecessary descriptions for now. One of the selling points of this game is the huge freedom of character creation. You can use all kinds of customizations in this game to create your character. Examples are eyes, physique, and hair. This is one of the important elements in live streams. The live streamer can get creative and make weird characters. Of course, peopleugh at you in the beginning. However, the design will affect everything from the audience¡¯s reaction to views. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll go with the default settings since it¡¯s so annoying.¡± -In the end, Chiaki Hoshinomori finished her character without adding anything. I can¡¯t help but yell, ¡°That¡¯s creative in a different way!¡± I wanted toin, but something stopped me. (No, ¡­I feel like I¡¯ve seen the exact same pattern before.) I¡¯m getting dizzy. My head hurts. ¡­What is this? Did I time travel? At this moment, I checked my phone. The date is correct - early February. Today¡¯s time is passing as usual. That should be the case. Chiaki Hoshinomori continued ying without noticing my emotions. After spending some time exploring the dark dungeon, the first pawn enemy showed up. A girl that can defeat the tutorial boss should find this a piece of cake, even if she¡¯s too nervous. ¡­Just as I¡¯m thinking that- ¡°Ouch, he punches hard. ¡­Hey, this guy- what, that¡¯s ridiculous¡­¡± I saw her character nearly dying from the heavy blow. In the end, she barely managed to defeat one enemy. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± This time, I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve seen this ystyle before. (This¡­this is the same as the one I¡¯ve seen before!) Just like what I expected, this isn¡¯t like those time-skipping phenomena in movies. However, ¡­if this is another supernatural event, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m really encountering it. That¡¯s because- Chiaki Hoshinomori thought for a second before giving me an empty smile. ¡°The enemy couldn¡¯t even kill me. I guess he¡¯s really not that strong.¡± With her stupid line, I¡¯m pretty sure ¡°he¡± is staying with me now. I nced at the roof as my world flipped upside down in secret. ¡­I¡¯ve changed my mind about ults. (Ah, ¡­doppelgangers, does it really exist in this world?) Chiaki Hoshinomori, she¡¯s- the perfect replica of Keita Amano. * We first met each other around two weeks ago. Everything started when I talked to her while she was ying next to the game store. ¡­No, it¡¯s not like I lured her. First of all, I lost my live streaming partner due to all kinds of reasons recently. So, I had to look for a recement. At that time, her reaction was very simr to my previous partner. Naturally, this girl, Chiaki Hoshinomori, caught my eye. Obviously, I scouted her right away. ¡­I didn¡¯t lure her or anything. I just scouted her. ¡­Hey, don¡¯t get me wrong here, and don¡¯t you call me a seduction master right away. ¡­Tck. Anyway, because of how I met her, I knew her simrity to my old partner right at the start. However, I never thought that she would be such a perfect clone. At this point, I don¡¯t even know how the future streams will go anymore. There are just too many variables, and to be honest, it¡¯s annoying. Even though their genders are different, how will the audience react to another person with the exact same personality? Sigh. ¡­Let¡¯s get back to the story. Anyway, everything was fine before I scouted her as a recement candidate. But, just like I expected, she- Chiaki Hoshinomori didn¡¯te to my apartment on the day we met. Of course, we¡¯re talking about a weird uni student luring you here. ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you y games at my house?¡± I don¡¯t even know where I can find a high school girl that¡¯ll say yes. No, well, I used to be alone until a na?ve and innocent high school boy who loves games showed up. Sigh, for him, he thinks that he went to a guy¡¯s house because I look like one to him. So, he resisted much less than Chiaki Hoshinomori. However, no matter how simr they are, Chiaki Hoshinomori is a girl. She won¡¯t enter the apartment of a university ¡°guy¡± even if I try. I kept persuading her. In the end, I think I scared her too much, and her eyes were filled with tears. I freaked out a bit back then. To ease this girl¡¯s worries, I immediately told her my secret generously. Unlike Keita Amano, I told her the fact that I¡¯m a girl right away. This secret had a pretty big effect. It lowered her extreme guard right away. In the end, this resulted in a new problem. No, I caused it. It¡¯s because I knew it when I saw that uniform¡­ ¡­She¡¯s a student of Otobuki High School. That¡¯s where Keita Amano and Karen Tendou are in, the high school filled with students, whom I can¡¯t reveal my gender to. In other words, telling Chiaki Hoshinomori that I¡¯m a girl brings corresponding risks. ¡­But, who am I kidding? I don¡¯t think any of my friends will be involved in a sh*tty light novel¡¯s plot like this. I¡¯m worried about it too much. Anyway, it¡¯s been 2 weeks since I met her. By chatting about games bit by bit and closing our distance, my hard work has finally paid off. We¡¯re recording our first live stream today. (You¡¯ve been working hard, ¡­Ayumu.) After recalling my memories, I clenched my fist as Chiaki Hoshinomori mumbled to herself in awe. ¡°Hiya, but this [Hell¡¯s Blood] really is a good game, after all. Even though I didn¡¯t buy it when it was first released, I¡¯m now seriously considering buying a discounted version!¡± ¡°Ah, d you liked the game.¡± I answered as I secretly nced at her. She¡¯s still a bit nervous, but she can talk with me a lot as long as she¡¯s holding the controller, ¡­just like Keita. (Hmm, she has the same issue as Keita. It¡¯s fine if she¡¯s just ying with friends. However, it seems that hermunication skills will take a dive if she knows we¡¯re recording¡­) I finished the remaining coffee as I sighed deeply. ¡­Just like Keita, she still doesn¡¯t know we¡¯re recording. If I tell her right now, she¡¯ll definitely show her timid side and freak out. This is the same answer and decision I made when Keita was still the partner. In the end, I got more views, and the audience was satisfied. So, if I¡¯m recording with his clone, the correct answer is to keep it a secret, just like what I did to Keita. That should be the case if I care about the video only. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ However, this time. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I made up my mind and mmed the empty can onto the table forcefully. Then, I called the high school girl gamer by her live streaming name. ¡°Shiana.¡± She turned around. I looked at her innocent face and took a deep breath. Side note, the name ¡°Shiana¡±es from the word ¡°otoshiana¡± (pitfall). Right now, we have aliases like Torabasami (tiger trap) and Jiraiya ndmine). It¡¯s a series of traps. That¡¯s right. However, she doesn¡¯t know where her name came from. To be more precise, the reason I gave is, ¡°Oh, this is the SSR character¡¯s name of my favorite mobile game!¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯m honored!¡± What a dumb way to feel excited. That¡¯s why I¡¯m having a hard time telling her the truth. ¡­Well, that¡¯s that. I scratched my cheeks and spoke up again. ¡°Hey, I¡­want to ask you for another favor.¡± ¡°Hmm? Asking¡­for a favor? Me?¡± Chiaki Hoshinomori tilted her head in disbelief. I straightened my back, turned around, and said, ¡°This is important.¡± Then, I took a deep breath calmly and closed my eyes. ¡­After that, I made up my mind again. (This time, ¡­I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll tell you about the live streams.) That¡¯s something I didn¡¯t tell my former live streaming partner, Jiraiya- Keita. Also, ¡­I still regret that I didn¡¯t tell him. Of course, if I consider the videos¡¯ quality, I shouldn¡¯t tell them the truth to avoid freaking them out. I mean, at least they get to enjoy the game freely if they remain blissfully ignorant. Keeping the secret is the most logical answer that makes everyone happy. I know that. However- ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I opened my eyes determinedly. (¡­I won¡¯t lie to my dear friends again, ¡­no matter what. I don¡¯t want to do that anymore.) This is I, ¡­Ayumu Kiriya¡¯s conclusion. Even if the live streams be boring, even if anything happens, it¡¯s way better than suffering in guilt. I stared at Hoshinomori¡¯s face and continued. ¡°Shiana, I¡¯ll be honest here. If it weren¡¯t for you, my live streams would be-¡° ¡°Oh, please wait, Tora-san!¡± Just as I¡¯m about to cut into the chase, Hoshinomori suddenly turned to the screen. I followed her. What¡¯s on here¡­? ¡°[Wizard of Blood]¡­¡± ¡°Uh, this is¡­?¡± An evil character suddenly appeared in front of Hoshinomori. She couldn¡¯t help but back down. A humanoid creature made of ck blood clots, which definitely makes it a strong enemy. On top of that, it¡¯s impossible to not get nervous at a boss battle, especially when it¡¯s in a beginner¡¯s area. I gave her an overview of the enemy as they stared at each other. ¡°This guy, ¡­the [Wizard of Blood] is a new enemy added in this update.¡± ¡°Right, I¡¯ve seen some of the clips before, but I didn¡¯t notice an enemy like this. ¡­Anyway, this guy-¡° She¡¯s freaking out. Hoshinomori kept throwing questions at me nervously as her eyes were glued to the screen. In contrast, I answered casually with an experienced gamer¡¯s attitude. ¡°Listen here, this guy¡¯s called the [Gamer Ender]. It can imitate other yers as well.¡± ¡°Yeah, he can do that as long as there is data online, right?¡± ¡°O-Oh, online, ¡­I see.¡± After the exnation, I gently looked away from the screen. ¡°I see. Well, ¡­Shiana, I¡¯ll give you courage! Hey-¡° Chiaki Hoshinomori finally fights the [Wizard of Blood] head-on. Behind the sounds of metal swords hitting each other- I covered my mouth and screamed silently alone. (THAT [WIZARD OF BLOOD]¡¯S IMITATING KEITA¡¯S CHARACTER!) The doppelgangers are fighting each other in a fierce battle as a uni girl is sweating profusely behind. I drowned in regret after looking at the screen again. (Right! Even though it uses online data, it can also use the ones in my console too! I forgot to delete Keita¡¯s data!) This is, ¡­this is- ¡°Ugh! It¡¯s not giving up! Please just die already!¡± This is a live stream about a deadly battle between my current and previous partners! Who can even see this!? I¡¯m not even sure if this counts as entertainment! I can brush it off if this is settled quickly, but¡­ ¡°Ahhh! What kind of [Wizard of Blood] is this!? He¡¯s matching me move to move! I can¡¯t win at all!¡± (You damn clones!) When these two clones are fighting, the game gets stretched so long that it¡¯s horrifyingly boring. This is what aplete stalemate means. They just keep going back-and-forth, and the fighting has virtually no progress. 5 minutes after the battle, Hoshinomori and I are both tired, but in a different sense. In the end, the match ended as a stalemate, an obvious and reasonable conclusion. Even though it¡¯s a game over, both of us felt really relieved. ¡°Ha, I¡¯m exhausted¡­¡± After her character respawned, Hoshinomori put down the controller and stretched her back carefully. ¡°I haven¡¯t spent this much time ying a single game in a long while¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? ¡­What¡¯s wrong, Kiriya-san? Why are you rubbing your chest?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. ¡­I didn¡¯t really care about this before. But, when you get to show off the things that make you better, it¡¯s unexpectedly mortifying for me.¡± ¡°Uh, I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know that. Right, only winners have the right to know that.¡± ¡°What do you mean by I don¡¯t need to know that!? I feel like you¡¯reughing at me!¡± ¡°Losers certainly bark loud.¡± ¡°You! Even though you¡¯re a grown-up, I¡¯m still really mad right now, Tora-san!¡± Hoshinomori protested furiously. Looking at her, I can¡¯t help but smile disgustingly. ¡°Fufu, ¡­I thought you¡¯re a gentle girl, but you canin loudly and naturally when the timees. That¡¯s a reason that makes you attractive too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s with that dazed face?¡± ¡°Eh? No, I mean, Tora-san, you¡¯re actually an amazingly beautiful girl.¡± ¡°Tck¡­¡± Her praises are innocent and honest, just like another dense idiot. I¡¯m feeling more embarrassed than I should be. Hoshinomori pressed on. ¡°Also, ¡­even though you have apletely different personality, ¡­Tora-san reminds me of ¡®him¡¯ for some reason.¡± ¡°Him? What, you have a boyfriend?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Hoshinomori is a beautiful girl, after all. It¡¯s natural for her to have a boyfriend. However, she keeps insisting that she¡¯s a ¡°lone wolf¡± even until now, so I¡¯m a bit surprised. ¡­W-Wait, wait, wait, didn¡¯t that self-proimed high school lone wolf guy reveal that he has a girlfriend (ex) and made a big mess too? I think that happened. ¡°So, it¡¯s like you¡¯re going out with someone even though you don¡¯t have any friends¡­?¡± I just mumbled that out without much consideration. Suddenly, Chiaki Hoshinomori¡¯s face rapidly turned red. She screamed with the loudest voice I¡¯ve ever heard from her. ¡°No, no, no, no, that¡¯s ridiculous! He¡¯s not my boyfriend! It¡¯s too much of an honor- I don¡¯t know! I¡¯ve been trying to find out for myself. No, but that¡¯s not the case at this moment! Yes! Ah, no, maybe there are ns in the future, but-¡° Hoshinomori shook her head repeatedly. I understood her reaction pretty easily, even though I¡¯m inexperienced in romance. ¡°So? Do I look like the ¡®him¡¯ that you love?¡± Finally, steam sted out of Hoshinomori¡¯s head as she passed out on the ground. I squinted my eyes as if I¡¯m looking at something dazzling. (Sheesh, all of you are enjoying your youth.) In that impression of mine, half of it is sadness, and another half is nostalgia. It¡¯s great to be young. Looking back, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve experienced any of that. I turned to the game screen, which was left alone for a while now. The battle ended, and the armored swordsman returned to the start. He¡¯s just standing there without doing anything. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it nice, Shiana. Unlike me, who practically stopped time long ago for the sake of ying games, your daily love life must be morous.¡± Hoshinomori bulged her eyes after hearing what I said. I gave her a bitter smile. Then, I stood up and grabbed a new can of coffee from the fridge. After returning to the seat, I put my fingers on the can to open it- ¡°No, I think games are what made my daily life much shinier than my love.¡± I stopped and tilted my head. ¡°¡­Uh, what does that mean?¡± ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s nothing. ¡­I don¡¯t know about other people. But, for me, thoughts like ¡®Ahhhh, I fell in love. The world is so bright right now! I¡¯m so happy!¡¯ has nevere to me. ¡­Instead, there¡¯s a lot more I have to do.¡± I don¡¯t feel like holding a love talk to a high school girl, but is this girl¡¯s youth really okay? However, even with my own worries, this time, Hoshinomori smiled cheerfully. ¡°However, on the other hand, ¡®Oh, this game is really fun! I can¡¯t wait to keep ying it! The world grows brighter when I think about how much I can y when I get home tomorrow!¡¯ I thought about this many times on my own!¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that pathetic story?¡± Is this girl¡¯s youth really okay? ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I guess it¡¯s too shameful, ¡­but.¡± She scratched her head slightly embarrassedly. Even so, she spoke up determinedly as she looked at my eyes. ¡°Even when I¡¯m alone, ¡­time won¡¯t stop just because I¡¯m having a good time ying games. ¡­That¡¯s what I think.¡± I feltpletely speechless at that moment. The coffee can in my hand dropped and hit my kneecaps. The reason I¡¯m so shocked isn¡¯t just because of what she said. Her conclusion, her pose, and her kindness. More than anything else, I¡¯m dubbing her as Keita Amano. ¡°Uh, ¡­well, ¡­a-are you okay?¡± I remained speechless as she looked at me. I guess she misunderstood something. ¡°I¡¯m surprised.¡± Just as I¡¯m thinking about thissting dead-air, she looked at my clock and freaked out before standing up hastily. ¡°It¡¯s already thiste!?¡± ¡°I-I guess I have to leave now! Yes!¡± ¡°Eh, oh, sure¡­¡± I answered her dazedly. Just as Hoshinomori¡¯s wearing her coat, I put the coffee can on the table and stood up to bid farewell to her. Suddenly, I regained my consciousness as a streamer. (No, no, no! That¡¯s not it! I¡¯m trying to ask her to help out with my streams!) We went totally off-track just then. This is the main topic. The most important part is¡­ (She has to be my live streaming partner, after all!) At this point, I¡¯m even more determined in what I have to do. It¡¯s not just because she¡¯s simr to Keita. Instead, it¡¯s simply because¡­ (I like this kid.) I don¡¯t think this feeling is love. I just like this kid as a person. That¡¯s the same as how I feel about Keita Amano. ¡­Is it the same? Is it not? Wait¡­? ¡°Oh, well, Tora- Kiriya-san, I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Hoshinomori¡¯s already preparing to leave when I snapped out of it. I quickly put aside my strange thoughts and stopped her. ¡°S-Shiana!¡± ¡°What? Kiriya-san? Uh, I mean, that name, ¡­aren¡¯t you just supposed to call me that when we¡¯re ying together?¡± ¡°This is why! Look, [Hell¡¯s Blood] isn¡¯t over yet!¡± I pointed to the screen. Hoshinomori forced herself tough as if she¡¯s in trouble. ¡°No, what do you mean it¡¯s not over? ¡­Isn¡¯t this game about to end?¡± ¡°Tck, you¡¯re right, but¡­why don¡¯t we y other games instead?¡± ¡°But, ¡­starting a new game is a bit-¡° ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Just like what I expected, these ¡°test ys¡± can¡¯t keep her here any longer. Eventually, I¡¯ll have to tell her about the live streams and ask her for help. Eventually¡­ (Tck, ¡­I see. It¡¯s a little harder to tell her about the live streams than before!) Now that I know she¡¯s really simr to Keita and that she¡¯s a good person. The demand of wanting her to rece Keita has grown even more than before. I wish she¡¯s more different than Keita or that she acts more unpleasantly. This is a conundrum. I want Chiaki Hoshinomori to be my live streaming partner because I like her. However, at the same time, because I like her, such a rude request really hurts me. ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°¡­Hmm? Kiriya-san? Uh.¡± I lowered my head. I couldn¡¯t say anything to make her stay. Hoshinomori gave me a confused look. (Yes, that¡¯s right. If I consider Hoshinomori to be a very important friend, and if I¡¯ve learned anything from my failure with Keita, ¡­there¡¯s only one option left.) (I don¡¯t want to treat her as a recement for my stream partner anymore. First of all, I want to be her friend.) That¡¯s the conclusion I reached after the bitter farewell with Keita. Yes, live streaming is my hobby and an important part of my life. However, that doesn¡¯t justify using my friends. The most important thing is that I want to y games with these guys happily. That¡¯s why¡­ ¡°Hoshinomori, if you want to, do you want toe to visit my house again and have fun ying games together?¡± I said it. I finally said it. That¡¯s what I really wanted to tell Keita. Although it¡¯s a bit toote, I still learned from that experience and grew up. Atst¡­ ¡°Eh? Well, yes, of course, but¡­¡± I¡¯m relieved. Hoshinomori epted me even though she¡¯s confused. ¡°Oh, very well, d to hear that. Hoshinomori, I¡¯m looking forward to working with you.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, ¡­my best regards.¡± So, both of us decided to shake each other¡¯s hands firmly. Just as Hoshinomori¡¯s putting her hand onto mine, she asked, ¡°Right, there¡¯s something I want to ask you. Is Kiriya-san-¡° ¡°Really? Anyway, Hoshinomori. This Kiriya-san will answer any questions you have.¡± I answered her with an elegant and refreshing smile. Yes, that¡¯s right. I have nothing left to fear, nothing- ¡°-Kiriya-san, are you the streamer Torabasami?¡± ¡°¡­Eh.¡± At that moment, I heard the sound of the world breaking apart. Where did that clear sky and sunny atmosphere go? A bloody and violent scream erupted inside my chest, followed by looming and thundering clouds. ¡­How did¡­she- ¡°No, ¡­eh? Why¡­? ¡­Eh? Eh?¡± Sweat is raining from my forehead as I scrambled my brain. However, Hoshinomori didn¡¯t notice my change in mood. She put her finger on her chin as she continued with an innocent look. ¡°Uh, I¡¯ve always thought that your voice is simr to his, but I was really convinced when you told me to call you Tora-san.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± At this point, my breaths are getting rougher when I finally realized how thoughtless my actions were. ¡­No, ¡­but, ¡­it¡¯s because¡­I never thought someone so close to me would watch my little live streams. Hoshinomori continued. ¡°But, because the streamer Torabasami is portrayed as a guy, I wondered whether I messed up you two. However, aside from that, everything¡¯sing together. The final pieces are [Hell¡¯s Blood] and the y test.¡± ¡°Eh¡­? So, that means¡­¡± I noticed what she¡¯s talking about, and my face went pale. However, Hoshinomori¡­clearly misunderstood my reaction as I¡¯m just embarrassed. She told me the decisive truth with a smile filled with kindness and innocence. ¡°I mean, isn¡¯t this the same situation where Torabasami-san lied to Jiraiya-san to y with him live?¡± (AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!) I wrapped my hands around my head in horror at the sudden appearance of an ¡°audience¡±. (What is this!? What¡¯s happening!? W¡­What should I do right now!?) The unexpected situation robbed me of my ability to think of a solution. Hoshinomori, ¡­with her denseness reminiscent of someone, continued with an even more innocent and ¡°I think it¡¯s good¡± attitude. ¡°That reaction! There¡¯s no doubt that you¡¯re Torabasami-san!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s because- it¡¯s just a coincidence-¡° ¡°No, no! Actually, it¡¯s moremon than you might think! Like this! I even had a fateful encounter with my friend in a mobile game a while ago! Yes!¡± What an unnecessarily extraordinary miraculous event? Who on earth made that happen? Damn. Hoshinomori stared at me with sparkling eyes. ¡°Wow, wow, what should I do? I really love Torabasami-san¡¯s live streams!¡± ¡°Uh, yeah, thank you-¡° ¡°Especially Jiraiya-san¡¯s live streams. I really love them!¡± (NOOOOOOOOOOOO!?) What is this!? Seriously, what is this!? Why am I getting praise for videos from a person I tried to rece Jiraiya a while ago? What should I do!? At the same time, Hoshinomori spoke in an embarrassed tone. This time, she¡¯s starting with an ¡°Ehehe¡±. ¡°Uh, ¡­actually, to be honest, I¡¯m a big fan of Jiraiya!¡± ¡°Eh, ah, I see.¡± I wonder why I can¡¯t stop sweating and shivering. Seriously. Suddenly, Hoshinomori looked at the air as she released this uncharacteristically girly atmosphere. ¡°How should I put it? ¡­Uh, I feel like his voice and personality are really simr to the boy I¡¯m in love with, Jiraiya-san.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± W-Wait, what¡¯s happening? My head hurts, and I¡¯m getting dizzy. Isn¡¯t this weird? No, the strangest thing is that these symptoms are caused by that certain thought. Even though I¡¯m not 100% sure, it seems that it has sublimated into something resembling ¡°confidence¡± within me. Just as my lips are trembling, Hoshinomori checked the clock again. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s already thiste! I¡¯m sorry!¡± She lowered her head and apologized before walking to the door. I freaked out and chased after her. Hoshinomori quickly got on her shoes. Then, she turned around and smiled at the entrance. ¡°Well, while I don¡¯t think I can do live streams, but, Torabasami-san, no, Kiriya-san, I¡¯d love to y with you in the future as a friend!¡± ¡°Eh, uh, yes, I see. Yes, thanks.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m the same too!¡± She plopped her head down. Yeah, she¡¯s a really good girl- no, now¡¯s not the time to be impressed by her! Hoshinomori already put her hand on the handle. Half of her body was already outside when I snapped out of it. Meanwhile, I don¡¯t think I can go out without a coat. ¡°Hey, Hoshinomori, uh-¡° ¡°Hmm?¡± It seems to be impossible to keep her from rushing home. If that¡¯s the case, ¡­in the end, just one final question, ¡­I have to ask her this no matter what! I squeezed out my voice and asked her my final question as she left the room. ¡°Uh, if you don¡¯t mind, can you tell me the name of the person you¡¯re in love with!?¡± ¡°Eh? Uh, why¡­?¡± ¡°Well, because I¡¯m your friend! I¡¯m a little worried because I¡¯m your friend that loves the same game! Yes!¡± ¡°Oh, I see. In that case, his name is-¡° The girl started closing the door. After that, with an embarrassed smile- she answered. ¡°-Keita. The name of the person I love is¡­Keita Amano.¡± ¡°--------¡± The door closed firmly after that. Then, I can hear her saying, ¡°Excuse me.¡± as her footsteps went quieter and quieter. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± At the same time, ¡­I leaned by the wall as I looked up to the ceiling. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me, ¡­right¡­?¡± My back rubbed against the wall as I copsed. Finally, when I sat down in the cold corridor, ¡­I couldn''t help but cry out. ¡°¡­Why did she show up here? What does this mean¡­?¡± She knows that I¡¯m a girl. She knows that I¡¯m a streamer. She knows Jiraiya¡¯s simrity to Keita Amano. Also, above all that, she has unrestricted ess to my house. In other words- ¡°¡­She¡¯s the final boss, right¡­?¡± -On this day, Chiaki Hoshinomori, thergest bomb in history, not to mention Jiraiya, has made a brilliant debut in my story. [Time until Keita Amano¡¯s girlfriend enters Ayumu Kiriya¡¯s apartment: 2 months] DLC 2, Chapter 4: Ayumu Kiriya and Battling Game

DLC 2, Chapter 4: Ayumu Kiriya and Battling Game

Trantor: Pingas ¡°Well, let¡¯s start with today¡¯s live stream. Shiana, are you slowly getting used to it?¡± ¡°Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Yes¡­!¡± ¡°Hmm, that doesn¡¯t sound like a yes.¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­I-I¡¯ll never get used to doing live streams¡­¡± Chiaki Hoshinomori looked at the microphone in front of her resentfully, She dropped her head detedly and mumbled. As for me, Ayumu Kiriya, I¡¯m sitting on the chair as Ifort her with a bitter smile. ¡°Even if you say that, this is your 3rd live stream with me already.¡± ¡°Y-Yes, you¡¯re right. But, but, you practically baited me to do this with you the first time, just like Jiraiya-san.¡± Hoshinomori¡¯s adorable cheeks pouted as she spoke out the name of my former partner, Jiraiya, on air. Even though I¡¯m really startled, I still pretend nothing is wrong. ¡°Well, I¡¯m really sorry about that. But, look, that video wasn¡¯t published, right? You said it was embarrassing.¡± ¡°W-Well, thank you very much for your sincerity that time¡­¡± Hoshinomori looked away unconvincedly. In reality, the [Hell¡¯s Blood] video I recorded with her was abandoned. Like I¡¯ve said, the biggest reason is that Hoshinomori thinks it¡¯s humiliating. However, another cause is that the content is practically a copy of what I¡¯ve done with Jiraiya. Honestly, I don¡¯t want to upload two videos with the same stuff. Hoshinomori fiddled with the controller in her hands as she sighed. ¡°Ah, ¡­seriously, I didn¡¯t expect you to be that Torabasami-san.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line. I didn¡¯t know you watched my channel¡¯s videos. Thanks to that, I had a way easier time exining the request for you to be my partner after our dreamy first recording.¡± ¡°Uh, well, as an audience, I really love Tora-san¡¯s videos. B-But, but, I don¡¯t actually want to be part of the cast¡­¡± ¡°There you go again. Even though you said that, didn¡¯t you join my live streams twice already?¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­that¡¯s, ¡­you¡¯re right, but¡­¡± Hoshinomori mumbled quietly. Well, to be honest, I¡¯m pretty surprised that she reluctantly agreed to be my live stream partner. Hoshinomori crossed her fingers and spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s because¡­I can¡¯t believe that Tora-san would actually kneel and beg me¡­¡± ¡°W-Well, I was a bit too worked up at that time too¡­¡± ¡°Also, that day, ¡­ugh, ¡­ugh, ¡­I fell into your ¡®let¡¯s just try it once¡¯ trap. Even though I felt very, very embarrassed about it, you kind of just forced me to¡­!¡± ¡°Uwah, pay attention to your words!¡± T-This is literally like the conversation between a soft high school girl and a vicious male live streamer who baited her! I¡¯d be in trouble if dangerous suspicions like this appeared in the video. I quickly coughed and tried to cover it up. ¡­But- (No, well, I¡¯m worried about it too much.) The reason is that Ayumu Kiriya, which is me, by the way, even though I have an Ikemen¡¯s voice- -I¡¯m just a in university girl. In other words, it¡¯s just two girls having fun ying video games. Even so, the audience thinks I¡¯m a guy. I still have to try my best to exin, ¡°There are no weird secrets between us two!¡± This incredibly stupid situation is quite irritating sometimes. I brought up my usual excuse to the audience. ¡°Well, Shiana is, ¡­yeah, you¡¯re my cousin who¡¯s interested in live streams. You¡¯re my niece, after all.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡­yes, that¡¯s right. Tora-san and I are cousins.¡± ¡°Indeed, indeed.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Both of us nodded at each other silently. ¡­Obviously, Hoshinomori enthusiastically agreed to the setting. A boy-girl live stream of this type is built upon a very delicate bnce, after all. She understands this as a passionate gaming stream audience too. Therefore, we share a strange sense of being partners in crime as usual. At this time, Hoshinomori made up her mind. She sighed deeply and continued. ¡°Ah, ¡­I¡¯m already fine now. Even though I¡¯m still pretty nervous during the recording, ¡­ying games with my cousin Tora-san daily like this is pretty fun. I just want to y some games and go home.¡± I couldn¡¯t hold myughter after hearing that. ¡°Well, yeah, that¡¯s already enough. The audience and I never have any expectation of you or my former partner Jiraiya to have a great and rxed conversation.¡± ¡°T-This is probably my fault. ¡­Well, I didn¡¯t have such expectation for Jiraiya-san when I was part of the audience as well¡­¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Hoshinomori nodded and said, ¡°Desu desu¡±. ¡­Also, her ¡°desu desu¡± has be a meme among our viewers. The screen is filled with ¡°desu desu¡±ments every time she says that. In other words, Shiana has be unbelievably popr right now, and in a different way than Jiraiya. ¡­This is very reassuring to a streamer like me. That¡¯s why I decided to make her my partner despite her being a colossalndmine. ¡°Ah, b-but!¡± Suddenly, Hoshinomori couldn¡¯t wait and spoke up. This is an otaku¡¯s ssic ¡°what I love always goes first¡± tone. ¡°I¡¯m definitely not looking down on Jiraiya-san, okay!? Please don¡¯t misunderstand this! It¡¯s more like, well, well, I really love how straightforward Jiraiya-san is! He must be a charming person! Yes! If I have to exin in detail-¡° Hoshinomori starts talking non-stop whenever it involves Jiraiya. Feeling slightly startled, I try to stop the girl. ¡°Ahh, I-I got it! I got it! I perfectly understand how deep your respect for Jiraiya is! Yes!¡± ¡°I see! That¡¯s really great! Ah, I wonder when I can see Jiraiya-san! His tone and personality really, really sound like someone I really love! So, I think we¡¯ve definitely met before!¡± ¡°I-I see. You love Jiraiya this much¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, no, instead of saying love, it¡¯s more like I¡¯m his fan. His stan! There are a lot of parts that we resonate with¡­! I feel we¡¯ll match each other a lot if I can befriend him and talk about games together! But, it¡¯s a shame that I can¡¯t see him¡­¡± Hoshinomori said that as she winked at me. She seems to be looking forward to something. Sweat dripped down my forehead as I avoided her gaze. ¡°Uh, ¡­well, if that guy is free, okay?¡± ¡°d to hear that! I¡¯ll super, super, super look forward to that day. Ah, at that time, Kei- no, if only the gamer I deeply have a crush on could meet him as well! The three of us will absolutely have a st!¡± ¡°A-Ahh, i-if we have the chance. Kay?¡± As usual, I looked away from her and answered vaguely. (At least, there¡¯s no way the three of them can meet¡­) That¡¯s because- My former partner Jiraiya¡¯s true identity is- -Honestly, it¡¯s the person that Chiaki Hoshinomori has long yearned for, Keita Amano. It¡¯s not that they are simr. They are literally the same person. I buried myself into the office chair and sighed deeply. (¡­Ugh, this is incredibly romantic no matter how many times I¡¯ve heard it.) Whether online or in reality, this girl has the same respect and feelings for the same person. Such a wonderful miracle of love is incredibly rare, I¡¯m afraid. This is pure and innocent love. Having such a strong and pure crush on one person only is extraordinary. If Chiaki Hoshinomori meets with him in this room one day- If she knows Jiraiya, a person she respects so much is actually Keita Amano- At that moment, I wonder how fiery her burning heart of love will be? Despite not being a fan of shoujo manga, my heart pounds whenever I imagine that. This is fated love¡ªthe climax of it. Chiaki Hoshinomori¡¯s love for Keita Amano is probably overflowing right now. At that point, nothing is more perfect than this miraculous rtionship. Ah, how wonderful this is. The romance of youth! How bright! How charming! ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­However, well, how should I put it? That¡¯s why there¡¯s¡­ ¡­There¡¯s a very small, ¡­but, to me, Ayumu Kiriya, a very troublesome problem. That¡¯s because, at the moment she knows Keita Amano is Jiraiya- The moment when Chiaki Hoshinomori¡¯s fire of love starts burning, naturally- -The fact that I, being a university girl, have kidnapped him to my house will be exposed. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ W-Well, what kind of trash do knives belong in? Which day should I throw it? How should I dispose of it¡­? ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± My trembling hand reached for the half-empty canned coffee on the table. ¡°Ah, I really look forward to seeing Jiraiya! Really!¡± ¡°¡­I-I see.¡± I looked away from Hoshinomori¡¯s innocent smile. Then, I gave up and chugged the remaining coffee. * ¡°Well, well, Tora-san, which game are we ying today?¡± Finally, the conversation about Jiraiya has ended. Hoshinomori decided to go back to the stream instead. (I¡¯m d this girl isn¡¯t as nervous right now.) Hoshinomori is talking fluently right now, unlike before. I can¡¯t contain my smile after seeing her like this. I stopped worrying about the underlying risk. We should focus on the stream right now. So, I cleared my throat and switched to my ¡°live streaming mode¡±. ¡°Good question, Shiana. The game you¡¯re ying on today¡¯s stream is¡­this one!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait for it. What is this? The games Tora-san chooses are always of my taste. So, I-I always look forward to this moment-¡° ¡°The new release from the grossly talented indie game developer NOBE-san, [RE: CODE]!¡± ¡°Bleurgh!¡± ¡°Shiana!?¡± A certain high school girl suddenly sounded like she violently threw up when I announced the game. I was really worried about her when she suddenly mmed her head onto the kotatsu. Just like that, she turned into a ball of seaweed in front of the mic. ¡­At the same time, she let out a hellish moan. ¡°Uwahhh, ¡­ahhhhhh, ¡­uwohhhhhh¡­¡± ¡°S-Shiana? W-What¡¯s wrong? D-Does your tummy hurt?¡± I couldn¡¯t pretend to be calm with such a sudden change. So, I tried to pause the recording by putting my hand on the mouse. Shiana stopped me. ¡°Ah, hey! Eh, ¡­ah, ¡­Tora-san. I, well, uh, there¡¯s something I would like to ask you.¡± ¡°Hmm? A-Ahh, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­A-Are you doing this on purpose?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I tilted my head at her puzzling question. ¡­I don¡¯t even know what she means. Even though Hoshinomori always sounds like she has dyslexia, this question is unprecedentedly confusing. With all those meaningless questions, ¡­don¡¯t tell me this is a symptom of cerebral infarction? Should I call an ambnce¡­? I¡¯m sincerely worried about her. Yet, Hoshinomori seems to have realized something and said, ¡°N-No, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡± She raised her head from the kotatsu. Then, she looked at me determinedly and asked. ¡°Uh, ¡­Tora-san, well, well, can you exin your reasoning behind choosing this game in detail?¡± ¡°Eh? I-It¡¯s the same as usual¡­¡± ¡°¡­In other words?¡± To Hoshinomori¡¯s question, I¡­scratched my cheeks and answered. ¡°I think Shiana will like it?¡± ¡°You have an extremely refined taste!¡± ¡°Extremely refined taste!?¡± What is this girl saying? I looked at her worriedly. Hoshinomori swept her hair and mumbled to herself. ¡°No, no, ¡­isn¡¯t this too weird? ¡­I-Is this a coincidence¡­? B-But¡­¡± ¡°Shiana? Uh, ¡­is there a problem with this game?¡± ¡°Eh? A-Ahh, yes, this, ¡­well, uh, if it¡¯s possible, can I y a-another game t-today? Please¡­?¡± I don¡¯t know why sweat is dripping from Hoshinomori¡¯s forehead as she suggests that. ¡­She actually rejects a game I rmend. That¡¯s rare. ¡°Ahh, it can¡¯t be helped if Shiana says so. I think this is a pretty decent indie game, though. ¡­Well, of course, I won¡¯t force you if you hate it.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± I moved the mouse and looked at NOBE¡¯s game download page on the browser with a bitter smile. ¡°Well, indeed, even though I can see the author¡¯s overflowing talent from the introduction screen, this game does feel a bit weird.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, I just chose this game without reason. However,e to think of it, this game does look really dull. Perhaps I should do what you say and choose another-¡° Suddenly, Hoshinomori¡¯s head mmed onto the kotatsu. ¡°No, no! I think this game is a bit s-super interesting. Indeed!¡± ¡°Why did you suddenly say that!?¡± I can¡¯t cover how surprised I¡¯m at Hoshinomori¡¯s 180-degree turn. But, well, if she thinks this game is fine, I¡¯m perfectly okay with it¡­ ¡°Well, ¡­Shiana? Should we y this on the stream?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Then, at this moment, Hoshinomori looked away again for some reason. ¡­Ehh!? ¡°You really don¡¯t like it? Well, no need to force yourself¡­¡± ¡°How could I think this game is boring!? Indeed! It¡¯s more like I think this game is a masterpiece!¡± ¡°You think this game is a masterpiece without even ying it!? Well, if you¡¯re so attracted to the game, then let¡¯s stream this-¡° ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why do you go quiet every time I ask you? If you really don¡¯t like it, I don¡¯t mind recing this with another F2P game.¡± ¡°Huh!? H-How can you do that!? There¡¯s literally not a single game that can rece that masterpiece!¡± ¡°Why are you mad at me!? If that¡¯s the case, then let¡¯s be honest and get the show on the road!?¡± ¡°¡­I-I¡¯m ying it?¡± ¡°Of course! Out of all the possible moments, this is when you give me an ¡®are you serious¡¯ pose? Listen here! You- Shiana, you¡¯re going to y NOBE-san¡¯s game, okay?¡± ¡°¡­Well, I¡¯m terribly sorry. Can we temporarily pause the recording? Let¡¯s have a nice conversation. Please take a seat.¡± ¡°Quit dragging your feet around! No, if you don¡¯t want to y it, let¡¯s go for another F2P game-¡° ¡°Ugh! y! I¡¯m ying it, sheesh!¡± Suddenly, Hoshinomori yelled with teary eyes. ¡­Honestly, I don¡¯t really like this NOBE¡¯s game that much. Although I¡¯m not sure about the situation, if Hoshinomori hates it, I can really make do with another F2P game¡­ ¡°¡­Ugh, ¡­why is this happening¡­? B-But, I can never back down at moments like this. I have to be brave. ¡­This is the key moment where I show my routine training. ¡­Yes!¡± ¡°?¡± She mumbled in a volume that the microphone couldn¡¯t detect. It¡¯s like she¡¯s trying her best to encourage herself. ¡­Naturally, I won¡¯t throw a bucket of cold water at her determination. In the end- ¡°Uh, ¡­well, let¡¯s start ytesting NOBE-san¡¯s new release, [RE: CODE]. ¡­Shiana, are you ready?¡± ¡°¡­Be my guest!¡± -Today¡¯s live stream started with Hoshinomori¡¯s tragically brave deration. * ¡°Well, Shiana.¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong, Tora-san?¡± Hoshinomori leaned forward with the controller in her hands. She¡¯s paying attention to the game screen on the TV that connects to the PC. (She¡¯s always very nervous during streams, but today is even more so.) I looked at her side profile and continued. ¡°This indie game [RE: CODE]¡­is different than usual. I haven¡¯t practiced before- In other words, I¡¯ve never yed it.¡± After my exnation, Hoshinomori seemed to have understood something and nodded. ¡°Hmm, of course, this game was released yesterday.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right- wait, huh, did I tell you when was this game published?¡± ¡°Uh! Y-You did, right? I think you did, or not¡­¡± For some reason, Hoshinomori looked away and started whispering, even though she couldn¡¯t do it well. ¡­What¡¯s wrong with this girl? I have questions about her strange attitude. However, I continued for the live stream. ¡°However, this NOBE has very unreliable descriptions of his works.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impolite to say unreliable. You should say he urately refined-¡° ¡°¡­Shiana?¡± ¡°-the core. I can feel NOBE-san¡¯s soul saying that to me. I can mentally sense it from this game¡¯s exquisite title screen.¡± ¡°Why do you sound so religious right now!? Hey, don¡¯t you try anything funny, alright!? Live streams are very sensitive about this!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. ¡­B-But, this is such a brilliant title screen.¡± ¡°Ehh?¡± I looked at the title screen on the TV at Hoshinomori¡¯s urge. The title screen is full of a doujin game¡¯s style. The background is ck. The pixelized [RE: CODE] title is enormous. There is the new game and continue option below. This feels normal¡­ ¡°No, well, what¡¯s so special about this¡­?¡± ¡°Ha? Do you have bad eyesight, Tora-san? Look, look! Please take a closer look!¡± ¡°Closer look? ¡­Hmm? ¡­Wait, is the screen broken or what? The ck background seems a bit rigid¡­¡± ¡°No! Please take an even closer look! Come on, get closer to the screen! Don¡¯t miss any details! Don¡¯t just think this is a pixel game!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I want her to start ying ASAP, though. However, clearly, Hoshinomori won¡¯t begin until my answer satisfies her. So, I stood up and walked to the TV. ¡­Hmm. ¡°Huh, ¡­you¡¯re right. After taking a closer look, instead of saying that they are pixels, it¡¯s more like the ck parts are making slight movements-¡° ¡°Exactly! It looks like a typical ck background, but actually-¡° Hoshinomori suddenly rose from the kotatsu and announced chicly! ¡°-It¡¯s a bunch of rattling ants!¡± ¡°Ew!¡± I jumped away from the TV immediately. However, for some reason, Hoshinomori puffed up her chest proudly. She raised her head and spoke up. ¡°How is it? Isn¡¯t this extremely paying attention to the details!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s too much! Uwah, ¡­this is too much, no matter how many times I¡¯ve looked at it. A swarm of realistic ants moving behind the title¡­¡± ¡°Fufufu, ¡­well, well, Tora-san, as a streamer, please send your thanks to NOBE-san.¡± ¡°That¡¯s retarded!¡± ¡°Ehh!?¡± Hoshinomori¡¯s cheeks pouted. She¡¯s unconvinced. W-What¡¯s happening? Don¡¯t tell me this girl is actually impressed? I cleared my throat and sat back down. I urged Hoshinomori to start ying. ¡°Well, I know about the secret of the title screen now. Shouldn¡¯t you start the main story?¡± ¡°Ugh, ¡­fine, but I really want to spend another 30 minutes enjoying this screen.¡± ¡°Oi, what kind of stream is this?¡± Is this some kind of brand-new mental experiment? Anyway, Hoshinomori reluctantly pressed the controller and started a new game. At the same time, the screen started disying text. It¡¯s the prologue. ¡­Here¡¯s the shocking prologue. [¡­Well, forget about the ants.] ¡°Forget about the ants!?¡± That¡¯s too outside-the-box for a prologue. However, in sharp contrast to my dropped jaw, Hoshinomori wasn¡¯t moved at all. She¡¯s reading the prologue calmly. [Edo period. The public has just started using Instagram.] ¡°Wait, wait, wait, I don¡¯t understand anything about this world¡¯s setting and events at all-¡° [Living in a corner of New York is the ordinary young man, ¡°Pooh the Bear yer¡±. As usual, he¡¯s summoning demons to take their horns and sell them in the market as his illegal part-time job.] ¡°Uwah, what a shock. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m going insane from reading such a short prologue.¡± [However, something extraordinary happened to Pooh one day.] ¡°Ah, did he encounter the FMC-¡° [He discovers that he¡¯s living in a game¡¯s world.] ¡°That¡¯s so retardedly extraordinary!¡± [Nothing can fear him any longer when he learns of this fact. To break out of this in daily life, Pooh goes to the streets with a spiked bat in his hand¡­] ¡°Hello, is this the Abnormal Human Research Center? This NOBE-san needs dire help to blend into our society!¡± Despite my screams, ¡­Hoshinomori continued ying the game silently. The resounding prologue is over. The screen finally transited to the main story. ¡­No, wait, wait, wait, wait. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Shiana? How can you finish reading this prologue when it¡¯s literally written by an alien who can¡¯t get used to life on Earth? What the hell¡¯s wrong with you, Shiana?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Hoshinomori turned around and answered my suddenint with a surprised look. ¡°No, no, no!¡± I continuedining. ¡°This is a live stream, okay!? You get it, right!? How can you be so emotionless with something so weird and shocking!? ¡°Ha? ¡­B-But, this isn¡¯t really special, right?¡± ¡°Huh!? A-Are you being serious, Shiana¡­?¡± ¡°Hmm? Yeah. ¡­Ah, the main story is starting, Tora-san.¡± ¡°O-Ohh, y-you¡¯re right¡­¡± H-Huh? Am I overreacting? Does a streamer need to make ridiculous reactions like those celebrities? If the answer is yes, I guess that wasn¡¯t too embarrassing. ¡­No, wait¡­ The main story began during my confusion. The controls are disyed in text format again. This time, I¡¯ll make sure I read it carefully and not overreact. ¡­However- [D-pad¡­will not be used.] ¡°Will not be used!?¡± I startedining at the first line of the control instructions. Hoshinomori shrugged helplessly. I continued reading. [Space key. Please knock it to produce rhythm.] ¡°Knock to produce rhythm!?¡± Nope, I can¡¯t. However, at this moment, Hoshinomori looked at me in shock. ¡°Wait, wait, Tora-san, isn¡¯t your reaction too ridiculous?¡± ¡°No, look, aren¡¯t the controls too weird?¡± ¡°Weird? Where? It¡¯s just regr control instructions.¡± ¡°No! No, no, no, no, no, no! It literally says not to use the D-pad! H-How should the MC move and act in his adventure then!?¡± ¡°Adventure? Move? ¡­Uh, what are you talking about, Tora-san? This game has nothing to do with those things.¡± ¡°Eh? Wait, aren¡¯t you supposed to start the game with a spiked bat on the streets¡­?¡± ¡°Ehh, that scene just appeared once only, right?¡± Hoshinomori nodded and turned to the screen. Then, she pressed the button. The control instructions disappeared. The ¡°main story¡± finally began. However, the screen showed- ¡°¡­This is just a normal music game.¡± ¡°Music game!?¡± -I can¡¯t believe the screen is disying a bunch of circles flowing from right to left, just like the screen in Taiko no Tatsujin! I exploded. ¡°Eh, where¡¯s the spiked bat!? Where¡¯s the young man Pooh¡¯s discovery of this world!? Where are his crazy intentions!?¡± ¡°Hmm? Aren¡¯t all of that on the screen already? Look at the person on the left.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°The smiling person beating those circles back with a spiked person rhythmically is that young man Pooh.¡± ¡°Wait, you¡¯re telling me he¡¯s just venting his stress healthily!?¡± What¡¯s up with that meaninglessly unusual prologue!? By the way, the young man Pooh on the screen has a really freaking charming smile! It makes me anxious. What¡¯s wrong with him!? However, with all of that, Hoshinomori is still ying the game calmly. ¡­Why is this girl soposed today? It¡¯s like she already knows what¡¯s happening¡­ ¡°Wait? Shiana? How did you know this is a music game?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­! No, I don¡¯t know. I just had a feeling this would be a music game after reading the prologue. Indeed!¡± ¡°Eh, you knew from that BS prologue!? What kind of insane detective skill is that!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind adding ¡®Detective Shiana¡¯ to the live stream¡¯s title, you know? Hehe.¡± ¡°Your smug face pisses me off!¡± I sighed deeply and retook a sip of canned coffee. Then, I looked at the screen. [?¡«?¡«?] ¡­Hmm, this is indeed a music game. It¡¯s also the most ssic single-key music game. ¡­Hmm. ¡­However, there¡¯s one thing I can¡¯t get off my head. ¡°Hey, ¡­Shiana, what do you think is the most important¡­in music games?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a sudden question. Well, I think it¡¯s key response?¡± ¡°Well, yeah, that¡¯s one of them, but there¡¯s something more important. It¡¯s¡­the theme of the songs. That¡¯s what I think is the most crucial.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! I know! I¡¯m delighted whenever I hear my favorite anime¡¯s OP in a music game!¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. ¡­So, with that as the premise, here¡¯s another question for you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­What is¡­the song in this game?¡± ¡°Eh? You don¡¯t need to ask that, right? It¡¯s just that.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± ¡°It¡¯s, well¡­¡± Hoshinomori stared at the screen while ying happily¡­as she said the answer. ¡°It¡¯s [Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star]. It¡¯s probably NOBE-san¡¯s remix version. ¡°Then why does it has such an eerie melody along with this frightening ¡®pi-hi-yoro¡¯ sound!?¡± Honestly, this orchestration is way too unstable and poor. I thought I had auditory hallucinations. I can¡¯t believe thiscking melody is the song of this music game¡­! Hoshinomori continued when I was bewildered. ¡°Hmm, it already gave you a hint at the title, right?¡± ¡°Huh? What? The title of this game is¡­¡± ¡°[RE: CODE].¡± ¡°That¡¯s where the [RE: CODE]es from!? I thought it sounded awesome!¡± By the way, Hoshinomori, you can tell that from such a short time. I already forgot about the name. Also,e to think of it- ¡°Also, Shiana, you can actually tell this is [Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star]?¡± The melody ying from the speaker is eerily faint and out of tune that it sounds nothing like the original. ¡­As for Hoshinomori, she tilted her head in confusion. ¡°No, no, this is very much [Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star].¡± ¡°No, no, no, no! This is clearly Cthulhu¡¯s calls, right!?¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s impolite! The developer spent so much time and effort orchestrating it!¡± For some reason, Shianained unconvincedly. I shrugged. ¡°No, the only thing I know is that there¡¯s effort. ¡­Wait? By the way, Shiana, why are you so sure that NOBE-san orchestrated it himself?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!?¡± Shiana moaned and paused the game suddenly. She wobbled while pressing ¡°resume¡± again. Her answer makes no sense at all. ¡°W-Well, I think she¡¯s a solo developer¡­¡± ¡°Ahh, I see. ¡­Hmm? She? NOBE-san¡¯s a girl?¡± ¡°Huh!? Ah, well, ¡­uh, look, don¡¯t you feel this game radiates a woman¡¯s charm from every corner?¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s definitely a dude, right? A dude with a mustache with a top hat but naked below.¡± ¡°What makes you say that!?¡± For some reason, Hoshinomori looks like she¡¯s about to burst into tears. No, who NOBE-san looks like has nothing to do with Hoshinomori, right? (Hoshinomori seems way weirder today¡­?) Unlike a certain idiot high school boy, I¡¯m not a dense person. Although I¡¯m not perfectly sure, I can at least imagine Hoshinomori having some sort of feeling toward this NOBE game developer. But¡­ (This is confusing. If she¡¯s just a simple worshipper or fan, there¡¯s nothing to hide. She¡¯s someone who can genuinely express her respect, and I don¡¯t think she hates this person too. ¡­Hmm. ¡­Ah.) ¡°Does Shiana know this NOBE-san?¡± ¡°!¡± At that moment, Hoshinomori trembled like she was about to copse. The eerie music, along with the decisively out-of-tune keyboard noise causes an indescribable melody to surround the room. Will a creature from another world finally be summoned¡­? I¡¯m genuinely worried. For some reason, massive amounts of sweat came from Hoshinomori¡¯s forehead. She looked away from the screen and toward me instead. ¡°W-W-W-W-Why did you think so?¡± ¡°Eh, what why? I just have a feeling¡­¡± ¡°A feeling. ¡­I see. ¡­Ha.¡± Shiana sighed exhaustedly. She looks like she¡¯s ready to suicide. ¡­What¡¯s wrong? ¡°Uh, ¡­S-Shiana?¡± ¡°¡­You know, people who learn of the truth this early with such a groundless reason in detective novels often get murdered within the next second.¡± ¡°Shiana-san!?¡± This high school girl suddenly gave a very dangerous metaphor! I¡¯m the one dripping with cold sweat this time. Shiana sighed. ¡­She resumed the game while seemingly making up her mind. ¡°Well, ¡­I hope you can cut this part out in the video. This NOBE indie game developer is actually¡­¡± ¡°¡­Is actually?¡± ¡°¡­M-My little sister!¡± Hoshinomori made up her mind and answered properly. I epted her reason and was sincerely convinced. ¡°Eh!¡± ¡°I see. What a coincidence! But that exins your weird reactions today. I see.¡± ¡°I-Indeed, ¡­please keep this a secret, okay?¡± ¡°Ahh, of course.¡± ¡°¡­Phew.¡± Hoshinomori suddenly sighed in relief. Her face seems more like she¡¯s happy about an ¡°unexpected sess¡± rather than calming down after telling the truth. ¡­No, it¡¯s probably my sh*tty personality making malicious guesses. Anyway, the mist between Hoshinomori and I disappeared after revealing the truth. With that, today¡¯s live stream went back on track (except for the strange game content). The recording came to an end. * ¡°Well, Kiriya-san! I¡¯ll be leaving! I had tons of fun ying today as well! Thank you very much!¡± ¡°Ah, see you, Hoshinomori.¡± I bowed and bid farewell to Hoshinomori. Then, I quickly walked to the kitchen and started washing the cup Hoshinomori used for drinking juice. ¡°But that girl¡¯s little sister¡­¡± I wiped the cup with a sponge as I mumbled to myself. ¡°I could¡¯ve asked her further if we weren¡¯t streaming.¡± Ignoring her strange talents, she¡¯s indeed an interesting person, Chiaki Hoshinomori¡¯s little sister. I wonder what she¡¯s like with such an older sister. I washed the cup full of bubbles with water as I continued mumbling. ¡°I feel like she¡¯s a capable little sister. ¡­Ah,e to think of it, has Keita met with that little sister before-¡° At that moment, I thought of something. Ding-dong! Suddenly, the doorbell rang across the room. (Huh, did Hoshinomori forget about something?) I answered, ¡°Coming.¡± Then, I turned off the tap, wiped my hands with a towel, and walked to the entrance. After that¡­ ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Hoshino-¡° ¡­I said that as I pushed open the door. Then, I realized she was not the visitor. I couldn¡¯t help but stop in the middle, but- ¡°Hoshino- mori?¡± -Even though I knew that wasn¡¯t her, I still said it. That¡¯s because¡­ ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Hoshinomori.¡± The person standing there- the high school girl looks really like Hoshinomori. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± I observed her in detail. Her fluffy and bright hair is tied into a twin ponytail. She looks a bit short. The skirt shown under her coat doesn¡¯t look like Otobuki High School, the one where Hoshinomori¡¯s in. It seems to be Ao¡¯s Hekiyou High School instead¡­ ¡­During my observation, she- a girl who calls herself ¡°Hoshinomori¡± suddenly barges into my house. ¡°Eh, wait-¡° I carelessly backed up. She went straight into the entrance and closed the door firmly before ring at me silently. ¡°Hey¡­! W-What are you trying to¡­!¡± I could feel a subtle sense of danger, so I asked sternly. A stranger just barged into my house. Nothing is scarier than that. Confusion and anxiety caused cold sweat to appear on my back. At this time, the mood seems like we¡¯re rattling swords. She- suddenly smiled gently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the sudden intrusion. I¡¯m Chiaki Hoshinomori¡¯s little sister, Konoha Hoshinomori.¡± ¡°Ah, i-imouto¡­-san?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I¡¯m relieved after knowing who she is. It looks like I¡¯m not involved in some weird crime. I showed her a clumsy smile. ¡°Ahh, I¡¯ve heard about you from Hoshinomori- your older sister.¡± ¡°Ara, is that so? That¡¯s good, then. I¡¯m visiting as her family member.¡± ¡°Ah, I-I see? W-Wee¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but lower my head. After that, the little sisterughed awkwardly and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± She cleared her throat and turned around. ¡°Well, allow me to greet you properly once again.¡± I stood straight after seeing her well-mannered pose. (¡­Sheesh, I thought what kind of little sister she would be. It seems that she¡¯s a polite girl-) However, at the next moment- ¡°Thanks for taking care of my older sister- no.¡± The ever-considerate little sister Konoha Hoshinomori- suddenly showed a flirtatious smile. ¡°Thanks for taking care of onee-chan and Amano-senpai, Ayumu Kiriya-san, the university girl live streamer?¡± ¡°----¡± After half a year, my story suddenly reaches a checkpoint- [ Time until Keita Amano¡¯s girlfriend enters Ayumu Kiriya¡¯s apartment: 1 and a half months ] The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!