Chapter 5. Nah, no way. (4)
Chapter 5. Nah, no way. (4)
But they say it's the "no way" moments that get you.
"Or, how about something like a game? You know, the one you're always playing. The one with those cute characters. Teach me too. Let's play together, yeah?"
"U-uh, ah, u-uh, yeah."
Yeah?
Y-yeaaah?
Is now really the time for you to be saying "yeah"?
In times like this, the most important thing to do is deny it. A clear and firm denial. Ideally, even delete the app to show you don't play that kind of stuff.
But unfortunately, Soi is stuck right next to me, so it's not exactly the right atmosphere to sneakily do something like that.
"Umm......."
I racked my brain trying to change the subject somehow, but to reiterate, my brain was already in a panic. Its performance had dropped significantly, making it incapable of effectively responding to this emergency.
"Umm......."
As I couldn't say anything, a slight shadow fell over Soi's expression.
"You don't want to......? You don't want to play with me?"
No, it's not like that.
Besides, isn't it a bit much to be stuck to me like this and say things like that with that kind of expression, Soi? Of course, I know you don't mean it like that, and I know there aren't exactly any boys around you, and I know that in this world, such tragedies as in the original work are unlikely to happen, but still, what if you said that in front of a boy? Wouldn't it cause a ridiculous misunderstanding? Wouldn't it be a better choice not to omit words, Soi?
.......
Sigh, no.
My brain is too rotten. A middle schooler wouldn't say something like that.
Above all, that scene is part of the epilogue, a conversation the protagonist and heroines have after they become adults. It would be dangerous in many ways if a scene like that happened during their teenage years.
But describing it as "they did it" isn't illegal. Now that I think about it, it's annoying.
"......."
Only after seeing Soi looking dejected did I finally come to my senses.
That's right. No matter what, I don't want Soi to get hurt over something as trivial as this, um, yeah.
Soi always calls me her "precious little sister." And that's probably sincere. Soi isn't the type to lie well.
A child who is always lively and bright, lighting up everything around her.
It was the same in the novel. She had this and that in her past, and while she became a villain after being swayed by Seo Lua, she was still someone you couldn't just hate.
Looking back, maybe the redemption arc wasn't just the author's intention. Most readers were against it, but I feel like there were people who wanted that redemption.
"U-uh, that."
As I finally opened my mouth, Soi's eyes sparkled.
A child whose mood changes like this with every word I say.
I thought she had become a bit more cautious lately, but could that have been because of my attitude?
I squeezed my eyes shut and barely managed to nod.
"Yeah, okay."
"Really!?"
Soi's face brightened up instantly.
Twinkle, twinkle, Soi's eyes shone right in front of my nose.
"Really, really!?"
"Yeah, yeah......."
This is getting a bit scary.
What if she sees it and gets disappointed? What if she calls me a pervert?
Though, there's a higher chance I'll die of embarrassment first.
*
"Hmph."
I hear Soi's humming in my ear.
It's ticklish, and embarrassing.
To be honest, I feel like I'm going to die of embarrassment.
"Hmmmmm, I see~ So Lua likes this kind of kid."
Wait, you said it was fine!?
You said to show you! You said let's play together!
No, of course, it's not like Soi is tricking me or anything. She didn't make a face like she hated it, and she doesn't seem disappointed in me.
But, but, still, how should I put it.
When she says things like that while half-climbing on top of me as I lie on the bed holding my smartphone, looking at the phone together, it's just... really embarrassing.
I know this is natural since Soi has been hugging me to sleep since we were little, but still.
"Is this kind of swimsuit your type? Cute~"
She's teasing me, right?
It definitely feels like she's teasing me.
Seeing her stroke my hair with one hand, it really seems like that.
Of course, the part about it being cute is probably sincere too.
She's been like that since we were little.
"Or maybe something a bit more mature would suit you? Lua, you have a good figure and a calm vibe, right? Oh, right! Let's go to the beach this summer, the beach!"
We went to the beach every year anyway.
I know full well we'd go even if she didn't bring it up now.
"This one has blonde hair, so this color suits her well, and for Lua, rather than something this bright— huh?"
"......"
"Hmph?"
Soi tilts her head.
"Hmmmm~"
I guess a hum can really hold so many different emotions.
And in a sense, so can a gaze.
"Hmph, Lua. Doesn't this one look a bit like me?"
"H-heck!?"
I wish she wouldn't suddenly lower her voice like that.
Her mouth is right by my ear, it tickles.
"N-no, it's just, it's just because she's blonde."
"Hmm, is that so? Hmph~"
Soi, having misunderstood on her own, made a sound that suggested she didn't believe me at all.
"I-in games like this, there are a lot of blonde characters......"
You could say it's common. It was like that in the world I used to live in, but in this world, all sorts of natural hair colors exist in reality.
If anything, it's only natural for characters with all sorts of hair colors to appear in games.
Ah, but now that I look at it, she does look like Soi. Not exactly a spitting image, but there's a similar vibe.
But that's unfair too!
Gal characters are common in games like this! Especially the "gyaru who is kind to otaku" trope, there are tons of those!
"Hmm~ I see~"
Soi kept humming, seemingly in a good mood for some reason.
I feel like I'm losing.
Well, at least Soi is in a better mood, so maybe that's better?
If it means she feels better at the cost of my embarrassment, I guess that's fine.
"Then, are there other characters?"
"T-t-there are, but."
I said that and changed the lobby character.
This time, it was a pink-haired one in a swimsuit.
"......."
"......."
Ah.
Come to think of it, if the blonde one is Soi, does the pink-haired one become Chaeyi?
No, of course, pink-haired characters are incredibly common too. You could even say it's a major color because it's pretty.
But I think someone who doesn't watch this kind of manga often might misunderstand. Since they aren't used to it, they'd probably fit it into the impression they usually have.
"Hmph."
The emotion in Soi's hum changes.
For some reason, that sound gives me goosebumps, so I quickly change to the next lobby—
"Wow!"
Soi, who had her chin on my shoulder watching the screen, exclaimed.
"She's cute!"
The character on the screen was in a swimsuit, as expected.
This time, it's a black-haired character.
Unlike me, her eye color is red, though.
"This one looks like Lua."
"N-no, she doesn't."
"Hmph."
As I squeezed out a voice that sounded like I was dying of embarrassment, Soi hummed again, then,
"I like this one. If I start today, can I use her too?"
"A-ah, no, she's limited......"
Because she's a character I pulled just the base copy of by using resources I'd saved up and a little bit of pocket money.
"Limited? Then I can't use her?"
"......If it's a different outfit, maybe."
Fortunately, the character herself is one you get by progressing through the story.
"Great, then!"
Saying that, Soi jumped up from her seat. The parts of my body where Soi had been touching felt a bit cool as they met the air again.
It had been that hot before.
"I have to install it today!"
"A-ah, w-wait a second. Soi."
"Yeah?"
"By any chance, are you going to play it at school too?"
"Probably?"
I looked up at the ceiling for a moment.
"N-no, you can't."
"Hm? Can't I at school? Why?"
"B-because it's embarrassing."
"Hmph."
Soi thought for a moment, then suddenly blinked as if she realized something and grinned.
"Okay. Then this is a secret between just the two of us, right?"
"Y-y-yeah."
I nodded in a daze.
For some reason, Soi's expression looked so satisfied that I couldn't say anything else.
*
The next morning.
I went to school with Soi, who was in an exceptionally good mood, and when we sat down, the other kids gathered around us, buzzing.
I was a little nervous, but hearing them talk, it didn't seem like they were talking about us, but rather they just wanted to share the gossip they'd been discussing among themselves with us.
The topic was an extension of what we had been talking about yesterday.
"Message?"
Soi blinked.
"The Villain left a message?"
"Yeah, that's what they say. This time it's not just a rumor, it even appeared in the news."
The smartphone my friend handed me while saying that had a searched article on it.
[A message for whom?]
That was the title.
It was about a letter containing a message that had been sent to a news agency, and the content said that they couldn't figure out who the recipient was. They had handed it over to investigative authorities, but not a single fingerprint was found.
The message itself wasn't that long.
In red letters, just three characters.
[Where are you?]
As if asking someone.
For reference, they said it seemed certain that the message without a recipient came from a murderer.
Because those red letters weren't written in ink, but in blood.
Naturally, that blood belonged to the murdered victim.