Published at 24th of January 2024 11:37 am

Chapter 482 Common Holiday Brief Story Hajime’s Case

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Just the riding time of the train took a total of fourteen minutes. When the time for walking until the nearest station from home and university respectively and the time to wait for the train to came were included, it easily took almost a half and an hour for commuting to university. In that place, there was a neat five-storied condominium.

「Here huh……」

The one looking up at that condominium while holding the smartphone’s map application in one hand was Hajime.

He was dressed casually with a shirt, hoodie, and jeans. A largish rucksack was dangling from his shoulder.

「He’s living in an unexpectedly good place. Is it cheap because of the location?」

He looked around. It wasn’t like the area was clustered with houses. Car was also rarely passing by. And there also weren’t many condominiums standing close together here.

It was a residential area, but rather than calling the place “tranquil”, the atmosphere felt more like the place was somewhat desolate.

It took almost thirty minutes of walking here from the station. There was only one convenience store in the neighborhood. Even the nearest supermarket would be a bit too far unless a car was used, so perhaps this location wasn’t popular.

A condominium that looked like it was just recently built no matter how he looked at it was strange to be found in this kind of place, but it was pointless to ponder about such thing.

Hajime shrugged and entered through the entrance.

He luckily found the caretaker uncle wiping the small window of the caretaker room so he lightly greeted him.

And then he recalled the room number that he had been told beforehand while punching in the number into the interphone on the wall.

A second later.

『……So you’ve come huh, “Dogeza”.』

「Oi stop that, can’t you see the caretaker behind me?」

The caretaker behind him was startled and looked back at him.

Of course he would. For a caretaker, he would be required to check it if there was a resident here who demanded his guest to dogeza.

『Whoops, you’re right. Nagumo, nice to see you came.』

「Ou, let me in already.」

『Before that, I’m still doubting whether you’re really that “Dogeza Instructor”. If you want to pass through then try saying the password.』

Hajime slightly looked back and gave a forced smile to the caretaker who was narrowing his eyes at him suspiciously. He tried to say 「What a troublesome friend, HAHA」 with his gaze. He wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible.

『If you’re the “Dogeza Instructor” that I know, then you should be able to describe the feeling that we shared together in that hellish battlefield where we fought together during the summer of our second-year junior high──』

「Cheater must die, no mercy.」

Hajime cut in with those words. Even though he was still conscious of the caretaker, his words were filled with his heart, or rather his raw feeling (fury).

『……I see. Certainly you are──AH OUCH!? What’re you──got it, I got it already! I’m opening it right now!』

There was the sound of a light blow and a panicked tone from the interphone. Then right after that *uii~~nn* the entrance door opened.

A small sight escaped. Hajime felt the caretaker’s wry smile on his back while climbing up the stairs with a bit of embarrassment.

He pushed an interphone once more in front of the room that was his destination in the third floor. The door immediately opened.

「My bad for just now, Dogeza.」

The one who opened the door was a boy with small build, thin body, black hair that was split at the center, and wearing eyeglasses.

「Can I ask you to stop using handle name outside already. Date Masamegane?」

「It became my habit. After all the time I spent calling you Dogeza Instructor is longer.」

「……Soomehow it feels like there’s personal grudge in there somewhere.」

「I wouldn’t invite you to my home if that’s the case.」

The handle name “Date Masamegane” huffed while pushing up his glasses smartly. It went without saying, this was the gaming friend from Hajime’s middle school era.

「Neon, don’t talk while standing at the entrance. Let him in already.」

Popping out his face from inside the room was a young man with skinhead & no eyebrows, but, for some reason no scariness could be felt from him with goodhearted and calm nature seeping out from his being.

「I kept telling you don’t call me with my first name!」

「It’s because you’re acting mean now.」

「That’s right, Neon. Let me in already. Also, I think your name is cool you know, Neon.」

「Nagumoo, youu」

It became bothersome, so Hajime-san pushed aside Date Masamegana aka “Nemoto Neon” and entered inside the home.

It seemed that Neon-kun didn’t really like being called with his first name. Apparently the story was that his parents liked to look at the neon district at night from afar, and they also had music hobby so they named their child that.

To Hajime it was honestly a good name in his opinion, but……for the person himself it seemed that he was feeling complicated about it.

「Yonekura. Here, souvenir. I just bought whatever.」

「Aa, thanks. ……Ahaha, looks like our thinkings are almost the same. I also bought almost the same things. There’re only energy drinks and no normal drink at all……」

「Seriously……」

「By the way, from the start there’s only water in Nemoto’s home, no energy drink at all.」

「Unbelievable. Even though this is the important fuel for us gamer, I guess I should consider the possibility of that.」

「It’s fine. Let’s go to the minimarket later.」

Hajime did that kind of exchange while throwing himself on the sofa in the living room. Meanwhile handle name “Supreme Cleft Chin” aka Yonekura Kenshin was sitting on a legless chair with a posture that showed good upbringing.

Yonekura also had good body built, so just based on appearance he looked like a dangerous guy who was completely used to violence, but perhaps because of the peace loving atmosphere that was seeping out from him, nobody really got scared of him even in the first meeting. He was a really rare type of person. His speaking tone was also really gentle, and kindness could also be felt from him, so anybody would feel it even more that he was a good person after talking with him.

His home being a temple must also played a factor. He wasn’t bashful no matter who he was facing, and his bearing was courteous. However, the impact of his appearance was working sufficiently when he got seriously angry.

Conversely, Nemoto was foulmouthed and quick to lose his temper. However, he only acted like that with good friend inside online game that he had opened up with.

Naturally he would turn drastically timid when he was facing an unfamiliar person in the first meeting. He wouldn’t even meet their eyes. In other words, he was a so-called keyboard warrior, an internet tough guy.

Hajime and Yonekura immediately rummaged inside the bag and took out energy drinks. *Pshew* The cans made such delightful sound. And then,

「「Anyhow, for our first offline meeting!」」

They toasted together.

Yes, today they were doing the first offline meeting that they had promised to do before. The holiday where they promised they were going to game like in the past to their heart’s content.

That was why Nemoto offered his own home as their gathering place.

「Look here, I’m amazed you guys can relax that much in someone else’s home that you visited for the first time.」

Nemoto-kun’s eyes were twitching while his trembling hand pushed up his glasses watching the two toasting without the home’s owner.

「What, so this is also your first time Yonekura? You two were in the same high school right?」

「Yeah. But, my home is far from here.」

「Certainly. I think this is a good room but, there isn’t anything around.」

Hajime ran his gaze around. It was a clean room. To a degree that it felt unlived. There was one more room beside the living room and it was quiet spacious.

He thought the adjacent room was a bedroom, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

The solidly made door was opened. Hajime got curious and when he stood up from the sofa and peered inside,

「Oo, nice equipment.」

A rich environment of PC and game consoles were arranged neatly there that he even ooh-ed in admiration.

Even just from a brief glance the PC was a self-assembled type that must have costed around seventy or eighty thousand yen. There were three screens for display. Other than that there were also tablet, laptop, and exclusive consoles.

「Fufu, that’s right isn’t it? This is the result of my pursuit toward my ideal room. It’s a bit challenging to commute to college from here though.」

「Ideal room? ……There’s also mike, besides this room……is soundproofed huh? Eh, don’t tell me you」

Hajime realized something and his eyes widened.

Nemoto pushed up his glasses to act cool for some reason. In exchange Yonekura answered for him.

「You noticed? That’s right. Nemoto is a game streamer so to speak.」

「Seriously? Ah, I see. I was puzzled why there’s a newly built mansion in this kind of location but, this place, it’s a property targeting streamer huh.」

「Well yeah. This kind of place is popping up more recently. It’s quite popular. Even this room is the last one of this place.」

Even though the room was soundproofed, it wasn’t absolute. But, if it was a property that was targeting a certain class, then fellow residents would understand even if they were making a bit of noise.

What was left was the consideration for the neighbors, but location-wise this area wasn’t popular and there was also some distance from the neighboring house, so there wasn’t much need for restrain.

And most of all, it seemed just the lack of need for ISP-gacha was making this property to be an appealing condominium for streamer. (TN: When moving home in Japan, the internet speed could differ drastically depending on the ISP of the place you moved into. It’s a gacha roll whether the available ISP got good speed or slow)

「The rent isn’t cheap thanks to the location but it’s also not expensive.」

「I see now. I didn’t realize because it have been so long since I last watched game broadcasting. You got the skill to be invited into a pro team. You must have a lot of follower.」

「……You skill as gamer doesn’t equal your popularity as streamer……」

Nemoto-kun quietly averted his gaze. Sorrow that couldn’t be put into word was drifting out from him……

Hajime thought that he must have become a very popular streamer if he had all these good quality equipment and also paying rent that wasn’t cheap for this room, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

「Apparently he got his PC as congratulatory gift for entering college and his parents are sending him rent and living expenses periodically.」

「Yonekuraaa, don’t blab that out!」

「Oh, is it this? Your handle name is still the same. ……What, your follower is going to breakthrough ten thousand soon. It’s amazing enough.」

It seemed that Nemoto was able to monetize his stream. His popularity also didn’t seem bad based on what Hajime saw from the comment section. It seemed he was a bit sharp-tongued, but he had established reputation from the play he was displaying.

Perhaps he was able to earn enough earning that was around the same like a college student doing a bit of part-time job.

But, Nemoto’s expression became displeased instead even when Hajime gave his honest praise. He sat heavily on the edge of the sofa.

「That only sounds like sarcasm when hearing it from you who’re driving around on foreign-made car.」

Nemoto pushed up his glasses with irritation while saying such thing with complete displeasure in his expression.

「What, here I was wondering why you’re strangely touchy. You’re bothered by something like that?」

Hajime sat back on the opposite side of the sofa with a troubled expression.

As expected the answer came not from Nemoto but Yonekura. He was smiling wryly, but there was just a bit of seriousness inside his eyes as he answered.

「There is that but, that isn’t it, Nagumo.」

「? Whaddya mean?」

「……A friend that we had played so much like that with, was suddenly gone one day without any notice. It was just a connection in internet who we never even met, so something like that wasn’t that unusual. But you know……」

It would be good if he at least said something, like saying that he was going to stop playing the game they were playing together, or saying that he wouldn’t be able to play for a while.

They weren’t asking him to give a definite promise that there would be “next time”.

But, with that they would be able to think that naturally there would be “next time”.

That was just how much fun the three of them had playing during their three years of middle school, and one year and a little bit of high school. ……It was fun, or that should be the case. For both sides.

And yet, when they got reunited unexpectedly, their old friend whose tone from the other side of the headset sounded gentle and a bit timid had become far different than before. In addition he had things like harem and imported car.

It was only natural that they doubted whether he was really their friend from that time. But, the more they talked the surer they became that he was the right person.

Then, rather than thinking that the Hajime in the past was just feigning friendliness, it was more natural to think that he had changed completely.

From there, it must be only natural for their thought to head to this direction. Which was,

──Did he cut off relationship with us, for this kind of thing……

He could see it. Certainly, it was also understandable for them to be a bit touchy with him if they had that kind of thinking.

Rather,

「……I guess. Certainly that was dishonorable for me. And yet, I’m amazed you guys would accept gaming with me again.」

「Because it was a good chance. We too want to clear up the feeling in our chest.」

It wasn’t like they were resenting him or anything. What kind of personally someone really had, what kind of live they had at the other side of the internet, those weren’t the kind of things that anyone should go out of their way to investigate or point out. They understood that anyone could do as they pleased in the internet.

That was why, even when they heard that Hajime was married, they were able to give him congratulatory words properly.

But……but, it was also a fact that somehow there was something like a lump swelling inside their chest. And coincidentally they got blessed with the chance where they might be able to remove it.

Yonekura implicitly said that to him while looking pleased. In respond Hajime bowed his head with a quiet expression.

「My bad. Also, thanks for today.」

「Shaddup. The decision whether to forgive you or not is just going to start now.」

Nemoto said that and opened an energy drink with *pshew* sound. Then he gulped it in one go in order to also swallow back the various words that he wanted to say.

「Come on, fess up everything.」

Why did he vanish without saying anything at all?

These two who Hajime only knew from internet knew about the returnee commotion itself, even so they must be unable to connect that their friend was involved with that.

Hajime should be the side who contacted them first. It was definitely Hajime’s blunder that it slipped his mind to do that.

Extreme chance in all aspects of his environment. Mountain of problems, new commotions that came one after another. Him spending all his time and energy on dealing with those. In regard to that circumstance,

(Well, those are just excuse huh)

He could only smile wryly. He folded his arms and sank deeply into the sofa as he looked up to the ceiling.

「You guys are right. Where should I start……」

「Today you’re going to stay overnight. We’ve a lot of time. Also energy drinks and snacks too.」

「The 250% powder Happy *urn is mine.」

Nemoto promptly snatched the snack he was targeting. Hajime laughed at that while starting to speak with a calm tone.

Without hiding any of the preposterous tale.

That was the least, and also the greatest sincerity he could show to these two who were still trying to become friend with him again even after the neglect he committed.

.

.

.

By the time the day had passed the noon by far.

Considering that they met up around ten at the morning, the story that had taken nearly four hours to tell had finally came to a stopping point.

As the result,

「「……」」

Both Nemoto-kun and Yonekura-kun turned their back to Hajime.

It wasn’t that they chose to reject him as the result of the story. They just wanted time to sort out their feeling.

The sunlight that entered from the window was shining brilliantly. The two were harmoniously sitting on the floor grasping their knees while the light was showering them near the window. Their gazes were looking at far away.

Thinking that their reaction couldn’t be helped, Hajime quietly sat on the sofa waiting for the two’s minds to recover.

He yummily enjoyed his favorite “happiness butter flavor” potato chip in place of lunch while checking the “High Difficulty Megane Series──Reproducing Hollywood’s Action Movie’s Scene Inside Game Series” archive of “Date Masamegane Channel”.

The videos packed quite a punch as to be expected from a streamer whose selling point was showiness. He clicked the channel follow button.

「……What do you think, Yonekura?」

「……No need to ask, I think there’s no other option than to believe after getting shown something like that.」

「Of course it iss」

The two whispered weakly to each other like they were talking to themselves to ascertain their perception──or perhaps their sanity.

No matter how preposterous the story was, they could do nothing but believe after getting shown right in front of their eyes how Hajime summoned artifacts from treasure warehouse or did transmutation magic.

Not to mention after some fairy sisters casually came out from the treasure warehouse, they couldn’t deny the phenomenon before their eyes except by doubting their own sanity.

「I get it, I really get ittt. Even I’m an otaku, so I can understand that kind of thing and even yearn for it you knowww」

「Yeah, I understand what you want to say.」

The two looked at each other’s face in the same timing and sighed.

「「There’s a real harem LN type MC right near us」」

How should they accept that kind of unrealistic reality? They wondered while holding their heads at their wits’ end.

There was too much information for them to be able to honestly get excited while yelling awesomeee, not to mention the story content was too severe for them to feel envy or jealousy. This must be what being at loss for words meant. Their thoughts and emotions were all going in circles.

In respond to that, Hajime sported a wry smile as though he wanted to say “I understand your feeling”.

「What do you think? I’m destined to get dragged into some kind of turmoil. What’s more it’s the kind of unreal turmoil. If you two wish for it……then it can’t be helped. I’ll go home.」

What Hajime was saying simply meant that perhaps they should cancel the offline meeting today for some time……but he also meant to yield the decision to the two, that it couldn’t be helped if they wanted to go further and cut off relationship with him completely. The two clearly sensed his meanings even while their heads were in the middle of confusion.

They reflexively looked back at Hajime.

Hajime was sitting deeply on the sofa while tilting the potato chip’s bag to pour the content into his mouth. His posture was really impudent.

It was like he was a different person from the kind and gentle boy who once played together with them across internet, who never raised his voice even once all those times.

But, his figure when politely telling them his story for a long time, and his gaze at them during that time……

The two let out a lo~ong sigh at the same timing without any arrangement beforehand.

「……Well, let’s just set aside the small details for now. If you think about it simply, we’re crazy lucky. In the sense of pulling friends with rarity level like lottery jackpot.」

「Even non-otaku will think like that won’t they? No, I guess it’s otaku especially.」

Smiles naturally formed on the faces of Nemoto and Yonekura. Feelings that they still couldn’t accept were overflowing, and there were also a lot of things that they couldn’t understand completely.

But well, for the time being. If they thought of only the things that were important for them.

At the very least, they understood the circumstance of why Hajime went out of contact, and why he didn’t contact them even after that. They could understand to a certain degree. Just in that respect they felt the weight falling off their shoulders, and most importantly Hajime’s thoughts and feelings toward them had somehow gotten conveyed to them.

Then,

「「There’s an LN type MC being our friend」」

The two’s atmosphere of accepting the situation for the time being and next 「That’s the best ain’t it?」 was conveyed to Hajime in a glance as the two said that sentence together. The smile on Hajime’s expression deepened while there was relieve somewhere in it.

「Thanks」

Hajime naturally replied like that together with a bit of embarrassment that he couldn’t fully hide.

Nemoto and Yonekura didn’t say anything and shrugged. It was clear from looking at their expression. It seemed the small lump deep inside their heart had been really cleared up without a trace this time for sure.

「What now? There are still a lot of other things I can show you guys……」

「Nn~~, I won’t say that I’m not interested……or rather, I completely interested here, but you knoww」

「Yeah. But……」

It was like a fairy tale was materialized right before their eyes. Magical product that had been only their imagination before was within their grasp now.

Not to mention, if they were told that they could go right away into a fantasy world inside a gem if they wanted to, there was no doubt that anyone, even non-otaku would waste no time to reply 「Please do right away!」.

Naturally, Hajime asked his question with such intention but……

Nemoto and Yonekura unexpectedly showed a negative reaction. The two exchanged glance for some reason, reached an understanding, and nodded.

「What’s wrong? You guys don’t need to be reserved you know?」

「There’s no way we’re gonna be reserved to “Dogeza” at this point.」

That seemed to be not the case. Then, why didn’t they leap at the chance? Hajime wondered while tilting his head in puzzlement. In respond Nemoto snorted while Yonekura smiled gently.

「Today is “the day to game to our heart’s content” isn’t it?」

「……」

Hajime blinked as he was taken aback in surprise.

「O-ou, certainly that was the plan before this but……」

Nemoto moved toward the TV and prepared the game they were going to play before he tossed a controller to Hajime.

「What’s with that stupid face. We’re gamers. Any gamer worth their name will game when they’ve decided to game! Forget about other world or magic, it’s game first!」

「O-oo……」

Nemoto declared while pointing his thumb at himself resolutely. Hajime looked strangely moved. Yonekura smiled wryly while adding (?) on.

「In other words, Nemoto is saying this. We’re friends in the same college, so you’re going to show us other world and magic a lot even after this right?」

「Wrong-! I’m just prioritizing to check whether this guys still has gamer soul even now or not──」

「This is what Nemoto is saying. Nagumo who didn’t even h have much time to game must be looking forward to today, so let’s forget about everything else for now and play game.」

「I’ve told you so many times, don’t misinterpret me as you please-」

「I see. So it’s like that.」

「You too don’t just accept it like that-」

Veins pulsed on Nemoto-kun’s forehead. Perhaps it was his habit when irritated, his finger was pushing up his glasses *kui kui* nonstop at highspeed. Yonekura’s face was grinning gently like a bodhisattva.

He was happy from the bottom of his heart that he was able to regain the friendship, no, something more than that and be able to game face to face like this……

That feeling of his was seeping out. Perhaps it was conveyed. Yonekura’s expression was becoming even more softer and kinder, while Nemoto was pushing up his glasses *kui kui* even more. Perhaps it was also his habit when hiding his embarrassment.

「And, what game we’re going to play? I’m bringing my laptop just in case, so playing the FPS game we did in the past that got interrupted is also fine……my account is also still there.」

「Stupid idiot. No way we can just throw you to battlefield after being absent that long. First we’re going to check your skill after getting hooked on RL like now.」

Unlike Hajime, Nemoto preferred digital version. The TV’s screen switched picture and he selected one game from the numerous titles that were lined up.

「Fighting game huh? Or rather this series, it has reached until the sixth?」

「Based on that you don’t know just as I thought huh? It came out half a year ago. There’re for and against but it introduced a new innovative system. The high hurdle that is characteristic of fighting game got reduced here. Right now this game is getting absurdly popular among the streamer circle, no, even among the average people.」

「Hee~. I got this image that fighting games are getting marginalized but, the genre is making a comeback huh……」

Perhaps it was just their imagination but Hajime’s eyes when looking at the game screen looked sparkling. Hajime naturally also had a taste for fighting game since the past. If he heard that the latest work of a series he liked was introducing a new system that was never seen before, of course his heart would be trembling with expectation.

Meanwhile, Nemoto-kun’s glasses──or rather his eyes were strangely gleaming. Yonekura let out a wry smile.

「……Good grief, keep it in moderation okay?」

「Heh, what the hell are you saying. Holding back is taboo in fighting game yeah?」

「Oh, you’re eager. Certainly I’ve gap of playing game but I’m not gonna lose so easily.」

Hajime said that while selected a popular character. It was a character that he was using even in the previous games so he thought that the control wouldn’t be that much different from before.

「There’s also training mode you know?」

「I want to give it a try first.」

「That so. Then, let’s have a good match yeah? Dogeza-kuun」

Nemoto’s smirking was really mocking. It lit up Hajime’s motivation.

And then, Nemoto selected an old gentleman character who was carrying a stick. Yonekura covered his eyes with his hand when he saw that. Hajime felt suspicion seeing that, even so he felt that the appearance of the blond haired and red colored character that had been his favorite throughout the series had become really refined after so long of not playing──

(The command key of the basic technique might be the same right? With my current reflexes I’ll have enough leeway to input the command after watching the opponent first)

Hajime himself was smirking childishly inside his heart──

Thirty seconds later.

「──Eh?」

「Ha—– HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-!! Dogeza-kuun? What’s wronggg!? I got perfect win over here thoughhh!」

Far from being able to land a hit, he practically couldn’t even attack before his character got KO-ed.

「No-, wai-, what the hell was that just now!? This is fighting game right!? How did I got one-sidedly killed with long range magic──magic (?) like that! That is cheat no matter how I see it!」

「That’s the mechanism.」

The glasses push up *kui* was irritating!!

「One more time! Once more!」

「Caan’t be helped」

And then he died without being able to do anything again.

After that, Hajime had rematch more than ten times. Even so he was unable to win and asked Yonekura to take his place to observe the fight. He also did training mode and the like but……

The opponent was a gamer with skill that netted him invitation from pro team. Just returning a blow was the best he could do in this short time and he was unable to grasp victory at all.

Hajime unconsciously almost threw away the controller.

Nemoto-kun’s face couldn’t possibly look any smugger!

「Just like I taught you, even that character has a weakness, more or less. And it’s obvious but the performance is also greatly affected by the player skill……but well, that character is quite hated.」

「It sure is!」

Hajime agreed with Yonekura’s additional comment with all his heart.

It was a common occurrence in fighting game, where there was this one character among all the characters that would make the players said 「Anyone using this guy isn’t friend anymore」, but Nemoto was apparently using exactly such character that was “a culmination of that kind of character”. Furthermore he used with the skill of master class gamer.

Hajime glared at Nemoto fiercely.

「This looks like you’re just beating the hell out of me……didn’t you say something about confirming my skill?」

「I lied.」

Nemoto-kun declared with a straight face. Hajime’s face was twitching uncontrollably.

「Your ill feeling for me should have been cleared right? I’m feeling some kind of personal grudge here though? 」

「The matter of you not contacting has been erased. But, I’m jealous with the harem thing. That’s why, I’m beating the hell out of you in game. I have no regret at all.」

The result of the questioning was such testimony. In other words, that was that, this was this, was the attitude Nemoto was taking.

「By the way」

Yonekura-kun interjected with a really troubled face.

「I have a fiancée that was picked for me by my family and her family.」

「Fiancee!? What era your family is from!?」

The shock made Hajime instantly forgot his irritation toward Nemoto. His gaze snapped toward Yonekura.

「We are originally childhood friends though. We have been close ever since kindergarten and she said “Let’s marry when we grow up” so none of us are unhappy about it.」

「What kind of shoujo manga setting is that? So something like that can really happen in RL huh……」

「Yeah yeah. That kind of promised victorious life mustn’t be allowed to exist ain’t that right?」

Nemoto-kun’s jealousy filled gaze also got poured toward Yonekura.

「When I got together with her as couple at high school and introduced her to Nemoto, he also kept beating me up in fighting game for the whole night.」

「You’re amazing being able to say that with a smile. Are you a reincarnation of Buddha?」

In any case. Hajime was an existence that was the complete opposite of a Buddha like Yonekura instead.

Hajime stood up and turned toward Nemoto. He kept his arms folded while slowly bending backward to the utmost limit like doing limbo dance.

And then, to Nemoto who was narrowing his eyes while saying 「What is this guy doing?」, Hajime pointed a finger with a movement that was also slow.

「Sorry for having a happy family!」

「T-this guy-」

A no holds barred provocation. With the pose of a certain pirate empress who liked to look down on others too much. Nemoto-kun’s glasses felt like it cracked sharply for a moment. It seemed that the blow was a critical hit.

It felt like his eyes became a bit teary there. He tried to say something, however, no word came out when faced with such cruel reality and his mouth could only open and close silently. Then he glanced at his character that had accumulated victories before he suddenly hung his head down.

He quietly put down his controller and hugged his knees at the corner of the sofa.

「……I want to become this person」

I want to become a shellfish……it was with such atmosphere Nemoto-kun spoke while aiming to become the brawny psycho-powered old gentleman inside the screen.

「This sequel has story mode too. This character, he got introduced as a preeminent villain within the story. He’s strong on top of having a lot of authority and riches too.」

「H-hee……by the way, is he a married character?」

「I wonder. Currently there isn’t any info about that, but if there’s some kind of hidden setting then we might──」

「He’s obviously an unmarried noble」

「「Ah, yes」」

Nemoto-kun’s eye glint when he lifted up his face just a little pierced them. Hajime and Yonekura reflexively nodded.

「Something like marriage is a graveyard. Great people all say that.」

「Sorry for this, Nagumo. Nemoto, just not long ago, he managed to do a collab with this female streamer he has ben a great fan of but……the viewers flamed him badly, saying things like he was acting gross, or trying to act cool……well, certainly even in my eyes I thought that he was too conscious to an embarrassing degree that time.」

「I see. So his heart’s HP already entered red zone beforehand……Nemoto, sorry for landing the finishing blow.」

「Eh, what’s with you two? Are you two onis, dealing additional blows on me even after seeing me in this state?」

He completely thought that Nemoto would snap and became lively, but instead he buried his face onto his knees. Like a shellfish.

It seemed that he was seriously feeling quite down. Although he was venting his anger that came from jealousy, in the end he was only experiencing “Even victory feels empty……” in real life, or rather he keenly felt the smallness of his own heart and ended up damaging himself.

The way he behaved like a beginner hunter which was an unworthy deed as a gamer seemed to affected him quite much too. Apparently he was in the middle of self-loathing as someone who truly loved game.

(He hasn’t changed.)

Whether it was the way his tone was a bit harsh toward his close people, or whether it was his shyness coming out in full force when facing stranger and how he selected his words carefully, and how most of the times he would become regretful later on and busily felt down or reflecting. That was just how Nemoto was.

Most of the time it would be Hajime and Yonekura who needed to soothe him in that case.

He was truly a troublesome guy.

But, in a sense, he was a honest guy, or perhaps someone who couldn’t lie to himself.

The impetus of Hajime playing together with him was his admiration of Nemoto’s gameplay that he showed off, but their relationship became something that could be called friendship must be because Hajime took a liking to that side of Nemoto for some reason.

(Maybe, after feeling sorry for himself enough, he’ll look a bit awkward and apologize in a really hard to understand way later.)

Hajime thought that while feeling happy seeing his friend that somehow hadn’t changed at all.

When he glanced to the side, his eyes met Yonekura who as always had the personality like a particularly effective cushioning when it came to human relationship.

「Then Nagumo, let’s ignore Nemoto and play game by ourselves.」

「!?」

Nemot kept his face buried as his body jerked strongly in reaction to that merciless statement that sounded like the complete opposite of Yonekura’s gentle atmosphere.

「I’ll train you so you can at least wrench off one victory. With your sense and reflexes Nagumo……you should manage somehow in two hours.」

「!!?」

「I’m in your debt. After all the losses are just too frustrating that at this rate I won’t be able to move on to other game.」

「Fufu, you also haven’t changed deep down Nagumo. Even though normally you were a quiet person who can accept anything, you instantly became a sore loser when it came to game.」

「O-oi……」

「You say that Yonekura, but you’re also skilled in handling people as usual. I can confess it now but, actually in the past I suspected that you might be an old man inside your avatar, one who is experienced in the ways of the world.」

「Hey, listen」

「Haha, I often got told that. But please stop saying that I’m “skilled with handling people”. You make it sounds like I’m a schemer. I’m planning to succeed my family in the future. A scheming priest sounds kinda nasty right?」

「Hahah, there’s no mistaking that!」

「Oo~~I, don’t ignore me you twooo」

Hajime and Yonekura conversed in nostalgia while quickly resuming the game.

Even though in the past you two would console me regardless of anything……you two, have changed completely……Nemoto’s expression became sad like that and became quiet in his own way as he entered spectating mode.

But, even that only lasted for a short time. He started commenting Hajime’s play, and before he realized it he started helping with the training and raised his voice alternating between happiness and anxiety during the ranking matches that served like warrior’s training trip for Hajime……

After that, the time passed in a flash.

They were truly engrossed. The three forgot the time and enjoyed to their hearts’ content the game that connected the three of them. They became even more so like that after changing to the game that the three of them were addicted to in the past.

Even after the sun set, even after it became late at night, even when the morning sunlight shined in, there was no change.

They took their meals sloppily and washed them down with energy drink. If their families saw that then they would definitely get angry at them for neglecting their health, but even that became an enjoyment to them. They were talking about this and that, or laughing raucously at seeing someone’s idiotic play, just like in the past.

Surely it wasn’t just Hajime, but Nemoto and Yonekura also had a lot of their parts that had changed.

But, the three’s love for game, and their relationship as friends with the same hobby surely hadn’t changed.

It seemed this holiday was enough time for three of them to believe in that.

.

.

.

「Hajime, welcome ba──」

At night the next day, Hajime returned home after having his fill of holiday where he indulged himself in gaming together with friends after so long. Yue came out to welcome him. But, she blinked the moment she saw Hajime. Even her welcoming greeting tapered at the end.

「I’m back Yue. What’s wrong?」

Hajime tilted his head while taking off his shoes. Yue stared fixedly at him for a little while before,

「……You must have a lot of fun last night.」

She stated such thing. As expected from such line, Hajime was startled for a moment, but it wasn’t like he had done anything to feel guilty about. In addition, Yue’s expression was extremely kind.

「Welcoming a husband who came home after having fun gaming with a game material huh. As expected from Yue. What a capable wife.」

It seemed that Hajime was making a satisfied expression that was beyond his imagination.

He became slightly embarrassed wondering if his expression was merry to such degree and reflexively patted his own face. Yue asked him with an expression that was overflowing with affection.

「……No~ne of us were at your side for a total of two days though」

「Ou」

「……But my dear husband is saying that he had the greatest fun?」

It sounded like sarcasm based only on the wording, but Yue’s expression was still containing nothing but kindness.

In respond to such Yue, Hajime grinned and,

「My bad for my wife but……it was the greatest day off!」

Declared such thing boldly.

In respond, Yue’s smile deepened even more.

.

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