Chapter 348: An Unexpected Chase
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 348: An Unexpected Chase
“Animal Forest? I know it.”
“How do you know it?”
“What do you mean, how? It’s famous, that’s how.”
Renka gave me a weird look, as if wondering why I’d ask something so obvious.
I ignored her gaze and asked, “Have you played it?”
“No.”
“Do you have a console at home?”
“My uncles have one. Probably.”
It’s been a while since I heard about Renka’s uncles.
I wonder how they’re doing. I suddenly feel like asking after them.
They’re rough around the edges, but they’ve kind of grown on me.
“Do your uncles play games too?”
“No. I think I bought it about a year ago because I was bored, played with it at their house, and then forgot it there when I came back.”
Seeing as she hasn't looked for it until now, she must have zero interest in games.
Just like Renka to only be interested in things related to anime.
She probably only bought the console because some anime got a game adaptation and she wanted to try it, right?
“And you don’t play it now?”
“I don’t.”
“I do.”
“...So what?”
“Let’s play together.”
“I don’t want to...?”
“You’re being really prickly today.”
“I’m just being my usual self.”
“I believe I told you to be careful.”
“Th-that was only for things related to Chinami...”
It’s funny how she instinctively shrinks back when I lower my voice.
When should I insert the plug? I need to wear down her resistance a little...
Should I be nice to her for the next few days? Or should I try some neglect play?
Both sound good. A good mix of the two could produce a very nice picture.
“So you’re not going to play?”
“I don’t have money to buy it.”
“I’ll give you the game.”
“With that money...”
She trailed off.
I finished her sentence for her.
“You’d rather buy a figure?”
“Ngh...! Wh-what are you talking about...!”
It’s painfully obvious I hit a nerve.
I chuckled and said, “You’ll play with me, right?”
“I told you, I don’t have the console. My uncles might have thrown it away.”
“Why would they throw it away? Go look for it.”
“It’s a pain to look for it.”
“Why don’t you just say you don’t want to play?”
“That’s not it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
“Alright. Then I’ll just ask my master to play with me.”
“Chinami doesn’t have a console.”
“I bought a spare one.”
At my words, Renka’s eyes went wide.
“Who buys a spare console...? Don’t tell me you bought it just to play with her...?”
“Yep.”
“You’re really something else... Shouldn’t you ask Chinami if she’s even interested in games first?”
“My master likes anything as long as she’s doing it with me.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“It’s true. And isn’t it the same for you, Captain?”
“What are you talking about...! It’s not...!”
A strong denial is a strong affirmation. It’s nice to see Renka agreeing with me like that.
I gave her a benevolent smile as if I knew everything. As Renka fumed, telling me to stop grinning and not get the wrong idea, I patted her on the back and returned to work.
* * *
-Very well. If you wish for it so, Junior, I shall give it a try.
“You’ll like it.”
-Yes. Well, I must be going to eat dinner now...
“Okay. Enjoy your meal. And please give my regards to your mother.”
-Mmat...! Yes...!
After finishing my sweet call with Chinami, I checked a message that had come in during the call.
[Matsumatsuken.]
It was from Hiyori.
So she sent me her first personal message. I’m overjoyed.
The fact that I saved her from the host and then took care of her when she was sleeping at the stand must have happened in quick succession, raising her Affection Level by a lot.
[So you're not even calling me senpai anymore.]
Not long after I sent the message, a reply came from her.
[Should I?]
Even just reading the text, I could feel her mischievous personality dripping from the words.
She probably has no intention of using honorifics, but I should maintain my boomer-like attitude.
[Of course you should.]
[Nope. I sent a friend request to your game account, so accept it.]
[How did you know my account ID?]
[We made them together in the car.]
[Oh, right.]
[Are you a real idiot? The nickname Stupid-ken seems perfect for you, so don't change it.]
[Shut up. What are you doing?]
[I'm at a cafe. The one where you used to work.]
My memories with her... well, I can’t call them that, but she went to the cafe where we first got acquainted without me?
That’s a little disappointing.
[Why there? To fill up your coupon card?]
[Yep. That, and I came because the Chocochip Frappuccino is delicious, but I tried it today and it was just okay. I think they changed the recipe. It's bland.]
[Ask them to add more condensed milk.]
[They'll do that?]
[I think they'd do it at their discretion.]
[Extra condensed milk costs money! 50 yen! Are you trying to mess with me?]
[If it tastes different and bland, it's a perfectly reasonable request. Why would I be messing with you?]
[So if I had made a request like that when you were working, you would have done it for me?]
Hmm... a situational comparison... a good sign.
I don’t think she would have even asked if she didn’t have some interest in me.
[I wouldn't have.]
[Why not?]
[Because it's a pain.]
[You don't have the right mindset for a service industry part-timer.]
[I'm not a part-timer anymore, so it's fine.]
[You're always acting all authoritarian, telling me not to do things, so why are you so lenient with yourself?]
[Because I do a good job on my own.]
[I do a good job on my own, too.]
[Says the girl who sleeps with her belly button and legs showing.]
[Ugh... you're the worst.]
Time seems to fly by when I’m messaging Hiyori.
Still, I had a small worry.
I had fewer points of contact with Hiyori than with the other heroines, so it wasn’t easy for an event to occur.
Making Hiyori approach me first is the best-case scenario in my current situation, but going down to the first-year classrooms every day to show interest is a bit much...
Until now, I’d been able to meet Hiyori because I was running around all over the place, but there was no guarantee that would be the case in the future.
If we’ve been getting closer slowly until now, from here on, I want to close that distance in a single leap.
I wish we could do something together. Is there a good way?
With that concern in mind, I held onto my phone and talked with Hiyori for quite a long time.
* * *
I didn't hear my alarm because I was up late playing games last night, so I had to hurriedly get ready and rush to school.
In the end, I barely managed to avoid being late.
I almost got demerit points on a day Miyuki was on duty, which was a huge relief.
I arrived just in time, parked my car, and was crossing the school grounds when—
“Wait...! Stop! I said stop right there!?”
I spotted Miyuki, who was supposed to be guarding the school gate, chasing after someone.
Wondering what was going on, I looked closer and saw someone wearing their uniform skirt over their gym pants, running away from Miyuki.
They even had their gym shirt pulled over their head.
The suspicious back of a girl, running as if she’d planned this all along, even wearing running shoes...
The moment I saw her, I knew who it was.
It’s Hiyori.
Hiyori must have overslept like me, was late because she took public transport, and to avoid getting demerit points, she hid somewhere until the coast was clear, then slipped in and made a run for it.
Are the heroines and I all connected somehow?
This must be what it means to be the main character.
An unexpected event like this... is great.
With points of contact like this popping up, I guess I was worrying for nothing yesterday.
“Hey...! Pant... pant... I won’t let you get away with this!?”
Miyuki’s stern warning to Hiyori.
Hiyori, of course, paid it no mind and ran behind the cafeteria.
Anyway, it looks like our Miyuki’s stamina has dropped a bit.
She’s just been lazing around lately and not exercising... all that great athleticism has gone to waste.
I’ll have to build up her stamina through a ‘physical conversation.’
Miyuki looked all around the cafeteria, but when she couldn’t find Hiyori, she seemed to give up the chase, placing her hands on her knees and bending over, panting.
I walked up to her, took a handkerchief from my pocket, and offered it to her.
“Wipe your sweat with this.”
“Haa... haa... Matsuda-kun? What are you doing out here?”
“I saw you chasing someone in a hurry.”
“Ah... a late student ran away. I tried to catch her, but she was too fast...”
“Want me to help?”
Miyuki wiped the sweat from her forehead, her expression twisting in frustration.
“She’s already gone... I think she has a secret passage that only she knows about.”
Hiyori is probably in the place I told her about before.
That was the only place you could discreetly hide by going behind the cafeteria.
The problem is that to get out through the other side, you have to pass through a forest full of bugs, but Hiyori is probably just hiding and waiting for Miyuki to leave, so it shouldn’t matter.
“Is she a first-year?”
“Yeah. I saw her drop her name tag while running and pick it up. The color was for first-years.”
“Did you see her name?”
“She was too far away. Haa... she’s dead if I catch her.”
She clenched her fists, steeling her resolve. She must be really pissed off.
“Matsuda-kun, you should hurry inside. I think you can still make it to class on time.”
I replied that I would, then gave her a light kiss on the forehead and left.
Afterward, I watched Miyuki from behind a nearby building wall. Once she, face beet red, touched her forehead and walked away with an embarrassed gait, I returned to the cafeteria and hid.
A short while later, I saw a disheveled Hiyori creeping out of the passage to our hideout like a stray cat.
Hiyori looked around, checking to see if Miyuki was there.
Just as she put on a triumphant expression at finding no one around and was about to head for the classroom building, I quickly lunged and grabbed the back of her gym shirt.
“Gotcha.”
“Hyaak!?”
Seeing her shriek and tremble as if she’d seen a ghost, I felt myself becoming intoxicated with the feeling of victory.
I looked down at her, completely frozen, and grinned, baring my teeth.
“Hello.”
“M-Matsuken-senpai...?”
Why isn’t it Matsumatsuken today?
Is she being mindful because I mentioned she doesn’t call me senpai?
It doesn’t really matter what she calls me, but I’m strangely disappointed.
I feel a bit like her trainer.
Should I let this troublemaker go? Or not?
Caught up in this happy dilemma, I started dragging Hiyori into a corner.