Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: What Do You Want?
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Somehow, after finishing our first goal of checking out the Last Destiny booth, we set out in earnest to explore the AGP.
My sister either wasn't that interested in this kind of thing or was just following my lead—whatever the case, she was busy trailing after me to the spots I had my eye on.
I even casually asked once if there was anywhere she wanted to go, but every time, she'd say, "Wherever Cosmo wants to go," which left me pretty embarrassed.
As we wandered around like that, one booth caught my eye.
"Oh, they've got that game here too. I've heard it's pretty popular these days."
"What's that game?"
She really knew nothing about this stuff, just tilting her head curiously. You could tell at a glance she was the total opposite of someone like me.
"It's a collectible RPG like the Last Destiny we saw earlier. It's famous for having a pretty high level of... intensity."
"High intensity means... it's brutal?"
"Well, not exactly..."
How do I explain this?
Sure, there are in-game depictions of throats being slit or guts spilling out, but it's all text-based, so it's not really that gory.
What they mean by high intensity around here is...
"......"
"...Yeah, that kind of thing."
As I hesitated, my sister—who seemed curious enough to approach the booth—checked out the character standee up front and fell silent.
And no wonder. The character on the standee was so scantily clad that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say there was more bare skin than covered parts.
Yeah. This game was so risqué it was a miracle it hadn't gotten slapped with a mature rating.
"...Does Cosmo play that game?"
"Ah, no. I've never really played it."
Her voice carried a chill, so I frantically insisted on my innocence.
Of course, as a guy, it did appeal to certain fantasies, but the gameplay wasn't my style, so I dabbled a bit at launch and quit within a week.
It felt a little guilty to say I'd never touched it, but as long as I didn't admit it, no one would know.
"Hmmm..."
"......"
The way she looked up at me with those piercing eyes felt like she was silently asking, "Really?"
Her gaze was so intense that I averted my eyes without thinking. Was this how a small animal felt cornered by its natural predator?
"Pfft, I'm just kidding. Why are you taking it so seriously?"
"...Huh?"
Just as our silent staring contest dragged on, she burst out laughing with those words, leaving my mind blank for a moment.
What? So that whole frosty vibe earlier was all an act?
"It's just a game, after all. It's not like you're gambling or anything—just enjoying what you like. Who would judge you for that?"
"R-Right?"
In the face of her perfectly reasonable statement, I couldn't exactly say, "Some people do," so I just smiled awkwardly, gauging her mood.
I didn't know if she was just saying it politely or really meant it, but at least the razor-sharp tension was gone, which was a huge relief.
"Anyway, the characters are really pretty. I haven't played the game, so I wouldn't know, but it looks like the creators put a lot of effort into them."
With the atmosphere relaxed again, my sister and I checked out the standees and merchandise around the booth.
Setting aside the high exposure, she seemed to think the character designs weren't bad, murmuring to herself as she examined them one by one in detail.
They really were well-designed.
"Yeah, that's true. The gameplay wasn't great for me, but the characters were cute, so I pulled a few..."
...Ah.
I'd been rambling to agree with her when I realized my mistake too late and let out a sigh.
As a sense of crisis hit, her head creaked around—creak, creak—like an unoiled machine. The moment I thought even that would sound smoother, our eyes met as she shot me a sour glare.
"...So you have played it, you liar."
Damn, it was a trap card all along.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In the end, branded a sinner, I got dragged around by my sister to check out more booths until we decided to take a break and headed to a cafe inside the building.
Figuring I'd pay for the coffee as penance for lying and to settle the debt from dragging her into that mess earlier, I was about to head to the counter when...
"What would Cosmo like? I'll get it."
"Huh? No, I was going to pay..."
She pulled out a sleek black card that screamed luxury from her wallet, firmly declaring she'd cover it.
Flustered, I stammered as I fumbled for my own card and approached, but she pushed it away with that stern big-sister look—like drawing a line with a sharp "No."
"The older one pays in situations like this. Don't worry about it—just grab us a seat first."
"Ugh..."
This wasn't what I had in mind.
I'd wanted to treat my fan to a coffee as a thank-you, but now I was the one getting treated. Pushing my card insistently would just seem rude, though.
"Alright. Then I'll come grab the coffees later."
"I'd appreciate that."
After some agonizing, I backed down for now, ordered a caramel frappuccino, and headed to an empty spot by the window.
I'm a shut-in who doesn't particularly love sunlight, but she might not like dark corners. We'll sit here today.
"Looks like it'll take a bit because it's busy."
"Figured as much. Oh, give me the pager."
"Sure, here."
My sister returned quickly, handed me the pager, and gracefully took a seat.
"This spot gets lots of sunlight—feels nice. Great view outside too..."
"Good to hear. I was worried you might prefer a corner like me."
As she stretched and gazed out the window right after sitting, her quiet comment drew a sigh of relief from me.
Looks like my unnecessary consideration wasn't a miss after all.
"Wait, did you pick this spot for me? You didn't have to..."
"N-No, not at all. Don't worry about it. I like sunlight too."
The problem was, I'd only meant to think that—I'd blurted it out loud without realizing.
Now she was looking at me apologetically, so I waved my hands even faster than before, denying it urgently. It wasn't like I was a vampire or anything; a bit of sun wouldn't hurt.
"Pfft, liar."
"I-It's not a lie...?"
She propped her chin on her hand, staring at me, and flatly called me out. I tried my best to protest, but she was firm.
"I can tell just by looking. Like earlier—you're the type where it shows when you lie, Cosmo."
"You talk like you know me so well."
"Hehe, yeah. Was that rude?"
"Not really..."
It wasn't rude. It was just embarrassing how spot-on she was about my tells.
Plus, it felt a little awkward realizing how closely she was paying attention to me. Then again, she was a fan, so maybe it was natural.
"Seeing Cosmo in person, you come off even more naive than on stream."
"Th-That's a compliment?"
"It is. What fan would insult a celeb to their face?"
Hmm, feels like she's teasing.
But looking at her bright smile, any snark melted away. Depending on how you take it, maybe—but she definitely meant it as praise.
"Anyway, thanks to Cosmo, I had a blast today. Dream day for a fan."
"Same here. Honestly, wandering alone would've been lonely, but thanks to you, waiting in lines wasn't boring..."
I couldn't quite say, "Plus the honor of hanging with someone this pretty," so I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
That seemed enough for her, as she flashed a genuine smile of joy.
Moments like this made me lament my lacking way with words.
"Still, I put you through a lot today. From the Chae-ah thing to making you buy coffee..."
"I said no need to apologize. And I was the one who suggested coming here, planning to pay anyway."
She put on a mock-stern face, saying, "Keep it up and I'll get mad," but honestly, it was just cute. Not that I'd say it out loud.
"Even so, it feels like I owe you. Wish I could think of something to do in return..."
There was this term: reverse fan service.
Idols and celebs do something back for devoted fans. I wasn't that big a deal, but I'd love to do something for this fan in front of me.
Anything at all...
"...Want to repay the coffee like that?"
As I pondered inwardly, her eyes shifted subtly, gazing at me with a soft, wistful voice.
"It's not just the coffee—more like repaying you for putting up with me all day."
She let out a wry chuckle at my response, her pupils dilating for a split second—like a businesswoman spotting a golden opportunity.
And then...
"Then... could you grant me one little request?"
With a shy expression, she delicately held up her index finger in a "1" shape and uttered the word "request."
A request? Sure. She didn't seem the type to ask for anything outrageous, so whatever. If it cleared even a bit of this debt...
"Of course. Anything—go ahead."
"R-Really...!?"
I mirrored her by raising my thumb, signaling I'd accept any demand, and she shot back with wide-eyed disbelief.
Wait, did I say the wrong thing?
That thought flashed through my mind.
"Then... could I maybe get your contact info?"
"...Huh?"
What do you want?
Faced with a request I'd never heard from a woman's lips in my life, it felt like a hammer to the head, leaving me briefly convinced my ears had failed me.
Bzzz.
But the pager's buzz soon confirmed my ears were fine.
So... she was asking for my number right now?