Translator: 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 a.s.sembly, it might get dangerous. All of this was…
Amano’s fault...
Negative emotions that seemed sort of similar to the ones I felt towards him before welled up in me. Worst of all, the games he recommended were all interesting… No, I need to make a correction. Worst of all, except for the game made by ‘n.o.bE’, the games he recommended were all interesting. I was the type who would restrain myself in terms of entertainment, but when the RPG I was playing 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 recommended 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 plain 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 relations.h.i.+p 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 Hos.h.i.+nomori 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 speculate.
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 had completely grossed 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 replaying in my mind.
The route to my school flashes 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 similar 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 plays games happily… I was really similar 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 a landmine. 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 gus.h.i.+ng 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 h.e.l.l, 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 cla.s.srooms 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 Hos.h.i.+nomori and Amano… Ah, then Amano left first…”
“Ahem, a-after that…?”
“After that… Oh right, I don’t think you know her, the Hos.h.i.+nomori I mentioned is a girl from Cla.s.s A.”
“I-Is that so… W-What kind of girl is she?”
Aguri was interested in Hos.h.i.+nomori for some reason… I could understand if she wants to talk about Tendo or Amano… but she wants to learn about Hos.h.i.+nomori who was completely unrelated 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 cla.s.sical 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 was compatible 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 relations.h.i.+p 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’ cla.s.srooms.
── 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 fas.h.i.+onable manner. She had a lazy charm about her, and her slightly curly hair was enchanting─ Hold on.
“Huh, could you be… H-Hos.h.i.+nomori?”
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.
Hos.h.i.+nomori seemed to be shy about my gaze and lowered her head quietly… Ah, she might look amazing, but she was still Hos.h.i.+nomori 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 Hos.h.i.+nomori on the inside. Her self-esteem was too low, just like Amano. I couldn’t stand it,the two of them had similar experiences and had similar personality, so why couldn’t they get along better? If they just made a compromise about ‘MOE’, they would really be a one true pair── hold on.
If Amano and Hos.h.i.+nomori got together like this...
Would Aguri’s heart return to me? I shook my head when I thought about this. The h.e.l.l was I thinking? That’s too sc.u.mmy. 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 the lack of sleep, my entire face will heat up when I get agitated. I couldn’t stand it…
── At this moment, I realized that Aguri glanced towards my face, and then shuffled towards her cla.s.s as if she was in a trance… Strange.
I wanted to call out to Aguri, but Hos.h.i.+nomori 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 cla.s.smates, even my parents and younger sister asked me ‘w-who are you?’...”
In the end, Hos.h.i.+nomori 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 isn’t any problems, it suits you very well, Hos.h.i.+nomori. 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 Hos.h.i.+nomori… looks like she will be popular.
── As we were chatting about various things, Amano approached gradually from behind Hos.h.i.+nomori. 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 Cla.s.s F.
When Amano pa.s.sed us by, he said softly with a mocking laugh at Hos.h.i.+nomori:
“Dry seaweed.”
"What──!"
Using the chance while Hos.h.i.+nomori was getting mad, Amano dashed into the cla.s.sroom. J-Just how much does he hate Hos.h.i.+nomori!?
Hos.h.i.+nomori wanted to rebuke him, but entering Cla.s.s F… Entering another cla.s.s 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 lend me games?”
“What a superficial friends.h.i.+p!”
Hos.h.i.+nomori complained to me about Amano for a short while, but after the bell rang, she bowed to me and hurried towards Cla.s.s A.
I entered the cla.s.sroom too, thinking in a daze as I went to my seat.
But… Didn’t Hos.h.i.+nomori notice? Amano only saw her back, but he managed to recognized her before coming to tease her.
Hos.h.i.+nomori 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 relations between Aguri and Amano.
“Y-You are making games?”
“Y-Y-Yes.”
Hos.h.i.+nomori lowered her head shyly as she sat on a bench inside a park near the school, while sipping on tea flavoured 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 Hos.h.i.+nomori 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 Hos.h.i.+nomori what sort of fas.h.i.+onable accessories would fit her style. But the content of our dialogue gradually s.h.i.+fted to her worries and complaints about Amano (Which was 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 accompanying Hos.h.i.+nomori who was bored stiff waiting for her bus.
A week went by just like that, until today.
Hos.h.i.+nomori 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 slammed the can to the side and said:
“I-I want to tell you, Hos.h.i.+nomori..."
“Y-Yes, what is it, Uehara-san!?"
Hos.h.i.+nomori 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 that completely spoils your image!?”
Well, Hos.h.i.+nomori 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 Hos.h.i.+nomori 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! Hos.h.i.+nomori, you wouldn’t compete with others on how fast you clear games!"
When I pressed her, Hos.h.i.+nomori probably realized she was being irrational, so she took out her phone and pretended to answer to an incoming message… Basically, she didn’t have friends that would send her messages, just like Amano, right… I leaned in and peered, and found Hos.h.i.+nomori playing a social game as expected… Hmm, wait? Strange, this game was…
"Amano also play this……"
"What～～?"
"Ah, no, it’s nothing."
Hos.h.i.+nomori turned to me with an annoyed look, so I pretended to be r.e.t.a.r.ded. As she fiddled with her games, I peeked at it… And so──
Ah, as expected, that’s the game Amano was playing. Just how compatible 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’? G.o.d was cruel… No, these two were just too r.e.t.a.r.ded.
As I blankly watch Hos.h.i.+nomori play her game, I realized Amano received the help request Amano mentioned last time. The other party’s name… was some guy called ‘Tsucchan’... Hmm? I saw this player’s name somewhere before…
My brain seemed to be stuck onto something as I continued watching Hos.h.i.+nomori play. She seemed to have accepted the request. On the confirmation page, I saw Hos.h.i.+nomori’s player name.
She is ‘MONO’ huh… Oh~~... ‘MONO’ huh. ‘MONO’...?
“Wahh! Huh! U-Uehara-san?”
I couldn’t help grabbing Hos.h.i.+nomori shoulder from behind, and she turn around fl.u.s.teredly with a blushed face. I let go with a “S-Sorry” but I couldn’t help asking her:
"H-Hos.h.i.+nomori. That game… You… are using... the nick name ‘MONO’... to play this?”
“Hmm? Ah, yes, that’s right…”
“And then… Erm… The ‘Tsucchan’ that requested for your help… is a player 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 Hos.h.i.+nomori 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 too compatible a match ahhhhh!!!!!!"
"! Huh hmmm? W-What’s wrong!"
Hos.h.i.+nomori was scared stiff. Her face was red from embarra.s.sment 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! d.a.m.n it, so when someone enhanced by the traits of a main character, possess despairing low potential to be a main character, the situation becomes this r.e.t.a.r.ded!”
“... Eh~~ E-Erm Uehara-san? W-Want some soya?”
When I realized it, Hos.h.i.+nomori 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 regulate my breathing, I spent some time thinking about it before telling Hos.h.i.+nomori:
"Hos.h.i.+nomori. 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 island 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 explain 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 placed 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 Hos.h.i.+nomori, and she seemed a little concerned about me. But the deadline for aid request was probably reaching, so she placed her eyes on her phone and fiddled with it.
Anyway, let me test her out first.
"Hos.h.i.+nomori… 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 ‘Hos.h.i.+nomori’ and read it backwards──"
“No no no, it’s because my mother’s family name was ‘Monon.o.be’, 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 ‘n.o.bE’ as my online name. I use it mainly for game creation.”
“Being this compatible is too incredulous aaaaahhhh!”
I stood up and yelled again, which shocked Hos.h.i.+nomori 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. “‘n.o.bE’ huh!? So you are ‘n.o.bE’! What is this situation!”
Hos.h.i.+nomori probably completed 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:
"Hos.h.i.+nomori. 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 interest completely aligns…”
“That is the reason! His experience is so similar 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 in common, 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 will come 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, Hos.h.i.+nomori 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 Hos.h.i.+nomori, I listened to Hos.h.i.+nomori 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 ‘n.o.bE’ after all…”
Hos.h.i.+nomori一 look so docile, but she was actually so evil on the inside… As I sighed, Hos.h.i.+nomori 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 played one game from the beginning to the end. As for why I played…”
At this moment, I considered about telling her the entire thing with Amano.
However, Hos.h.i.+nomori 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 clarify with Hos.h.i.+nomori, but I found it hard to mention about Amano with how high she looked. Anyway, I will make a simple confirmation.
“Well, Hos.h.i.+nomori, a.s.suming… this is just an a.s.sumption. a.s.suming Amano knew that you are a game creator and played 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 Hos.h.i.+nomori 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, Hos.h.i.+nomori continued her discussion with me:
“Eh, Uehara-san, what do you think about the game I… ‘n.o.bE’ made?”
“Huh? Ah~~... Well… How should I put this… i-it is very original──"
“Ah, that will be enough.”
Hos.h.i.+nomori probably realized something and s.h.i.+rked 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 plan 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 few comments, which made me become c.o.c.ky 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, Hos.h.i.+nomori 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 played…”
“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.”
Hos.h.i.+nomori nodded. Right, I think Amano mentioned this before. Amongst the game made by ‘n.o.bE’, the second one was relatively normal, and even made it into the top rankings.
Hos.h.i.+nomori 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 accepted 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 h.e.l.lish 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 Hos.h.i.+nomori 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. Hos.h.i.+nomori confirmed that.
“? Hmm? How did you… Ah, r-right, I remember. You saw the comment section of my blog, right? Yes, you are right.”
Eh, enough, why aren’t the two of you dating yet? Just how many points did the red string of fate were bonded for the two of you? Was that red string a flawed product or kinked somewhere?
Hos.h.i.+nomori 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 Hos.h.i.+nomori seemed to think this was a joke, and was annoyingly high 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 related troubles. But Hos.h.i.+nomori would never consult him about it. However, it would be wonderful if their relations.h.i.+p improves after talking about this. On one hand, I want to support Tendo’s love, and if I somehow dragged Hos.h.i.+nomori 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 relations.h.i.+p. 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 Hos.h.i.+nomori recently. Frankly speaking, my status as a normie in cla.s.s 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 acc.u.mulated in the past week in one go?
I looked around the park blankly as I harboured a hope that was as good as relying on G.o.d.
In the distance were kids playing in the sand pit, while the housewives busied themselves chatting to the side. On the open plaza 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?”
Hos.h.i.+nomori 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 revelation’.
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 Hos.h.i.+nomori echoed in Cla.s.s 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 cla.s.smates 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 relaxed, 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 pa.s.sion as they forgot their position and clapped 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 cla.s.smates who were still around looking at us and whispering… Good good. This was one of my plan.
Me, Amano and Hos.h.i.+nomori, such a combination 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 Hos.h.i.+nomori 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 to compromise!? I was completely impressed by them!
I was stumped, but still coughed and kept my cool, then explained to them calmly:
“That is the raison d"etre of the Hobby Group.”
""?""
"You two might share similar 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.”