Gamers!

Volume 8 3 – Tasuku Uehara and Difficulty Change

Volume 8 Chapter 3 – Tasuku Uehara and Difficulty Change

Translator: 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.

In comparison, 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 glared 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 glanced 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 blame 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 glanced 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 collapsing 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 blame 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, come to think of it, none of us is in the same class 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 class 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 splat 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 a complete over! Your social life is in ruins, not to mention your place in the romantic comedy!”

“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 relaxed 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 explained 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 explained by an outsider.)

I already understood how terrible it can be to interpret other people’s relationships on your own, and in a painful way. I learned my lesson too.

I put the last 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 classroom.”

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” sometime later. …This reply is way too standard. We’re quite worried, and it made Amano and me feel a subtle sense of uneasiness.

So, 2F classroom, 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 relationship 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 relationships, 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 play games.

The problem is…

“…………”

Next to the excited gamer girls.

The person that’s a bit far from the girls’ sightlines. She even occupied the best position so that only us boys can see her face – 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 accurately 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 blamed 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 blamed 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 relationship issues!)

Just as Amano is scolding me quietly yet fiercely, I glanced 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 relationship, well, I can do something even more selfish.

“…………”

Even so, I didn’t expect Aguri to be devastated this much. I can’t just comfort 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 glared 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 relationship 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 relationships 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 deflatedly, 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 classified 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 relationships!”

“I guess. …It’s because this is the commitment 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 related. 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 overcoming 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 glared 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 explanation.

“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 to communicate.

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 planning 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 Amanocchi 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 glanced 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 relax, Chiaki! Who cares about a bug destroying the balance! 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 their completely dazed faces? Hey, that looks like a kid stepping into a playground 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 have common 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 Claus…”

(A real Santa Claus!?)

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 translated as divine morality.]

(What’s with that chic face of yours? Stop it, that pun is lame. 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 plan won’t work at all!)

The reasoning of my complaint 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 playing 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?”

In comparison to our relief, those two are still filled with excitement.

“Ahhh, Keita, …I can’t believe I get to eat and play 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 relationships. In the end, they will figure something out naturally. At this point, I don’t plan 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 play 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 recommend to someone and the games that are fun to play 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, Amanocchi 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 playing 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 play on that day, …we’ll carefully select 10 of them!”

“You didn’t get it! 10!? We can’t play 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 this community, alright?”

When I glared at them, Aguri sighed dumbfoundedly and complained 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 Amanocchi and Hoshinocchi, 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 played with Kousei…”

“I-I also play it with Konoha. …Uh, even though we don’t play that much, I’m not a total stranger for multiplayer 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 someone complained mercilessly. I gave them a mischievous smile and thought they deserved it. Then, Amano slammed 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 multiplayer is recommended 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 play 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 deflatedly. …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 playing one, I guess that’s quite pathetic too. The disappointment is for their own good. …Usually, otakus that aren’t used to playing with friends will fall into traps like this. If there’re enough people, their desire to play 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 accidentally 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 play that? …Didn’t we play 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 overlapping isn’t weird, right. People that love to play 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 place.”

“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 major competitions. 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 recommend 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 recommend’ 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 recommend?”

“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 place, 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 recommended 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 they completely 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 place. ‘Hmm, but the comment 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’t come 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 accumulated 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 playing the so-called board games, isn’t it better to play 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, Hoshinocchi. 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 players and casual players 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 relaxed gameplay, often come into conflict with Tendou, who more or less want to be competitive. Even after we sorted out their differences and decided the card game we want to play, 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 play, 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 collar 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 Amanocchi 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 it comes to their favorite games. Why can’t they express their feelings sincerely when it comes 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 relax for even a second, the conversation comes 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 glanced at the girl next to me, and I realized Aguri completely 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 same last 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 time last 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 flared 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 accepted 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 relationship 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 can completely eliminate my existence as your ‘boyfriend’ first, and think about this again.”

“…Think about what?”

“-How do you feel about Amano?”

“…………”

Aguri glared 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 relaxed her expression and tone before telling me.

“Hey, Tasuku, it’s like what I’ve repeated several times before, Amanocchi 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 explained 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. …Amanocchi, he… Hmm, I feel terrible for him when it comes 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 Amanocchi’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 glare. 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 escalate the problem!”

“That’s fine! I will say ‘this one is for Amanocchi’ 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 Amanocchi. 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 just complaining 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 classmate’s home. So, I chopped her furious brain with my hand.

Then, Aguri wrapped her hands around her head and yelled, “it hurts.” She glared 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 Amanocchi and me becoming 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 planning 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 popular, 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…glared 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 will laugh. Whatever, the serious moment ends here.

“Uh, speaking of this, it’s been a long time since I played 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.