Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16817330662140414210/episodes/16817330663942108015
When Rika got off the bike, she was almost out of breath. She had spoken so many long words. She had been saying them all the way from the park until she arrived home.
“I told you, didn’t I? Were you scared?”
Rika asked, after catching her breath.
“I was surprised, but not scared. How long do you think I’ve known you? For someone who doesn’t know you well, that’s scary. Maybe even insanity. But it’s me.”
“I’m glad you trusted me after all.”
“Well, it was impressive when you got to that point. I think we might have broken some kind of world record.”
“It’s been building up for a while.”
“Building up?”
“Yes, a great feeling of love. I couldn’t release it because all my resources had been devoted to malice. Also, since I haven’t been able to meet you up until now, I’ve been feeling stuffed up. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to surpass this.”
With that, Rika unlocked the door to her house. We went inside.
“Don’t put a lid on your feelings. I don’t mean that you have to be honest about everything. There is nothing more filthy than honesty.”
“Everything must be done in moderation, huh.”
I don’t intend to go to bed now. My body was cold, but my head was warm.
Rika is probably more like that than me. If you talk like that, your head must be clear.
“Today, it seems like I can’t afford to be in moderation.”
“Time is time, isn’t it?”
I looked at the clock. It would not make much sense to go to bed now.
“All-nighters are a given.”
The caffeine from the energy drink has kicked in. I’m high. Combined with the late-night tension, I’m feeling almighty.
“So this is where the game finally comes out.”
“A real hit.”
Rika’s house is full of games. Living alone, there is no avoiding loneliness. She once told me that she has an assortment of games to make up for it.
I, who also lived alone, tended to accumulate things. I thought I could make up for the lack of people with things.
“Why don’t we play three safe games?”
“That sounds good. It reminds me of the old days.”
We would play three games, and the one who won the first two games would win, and so on. There are so many different games.
The time spent on each cassette is not that long, although of course it depends on the ones. The more types of games, the longer the time spent.
The first game in this battle is a car race. It’s the one where the famous characters are in carts, making good use of items and such.
The speed of three laps is the key. Of course, the player’s skill is also tested, but the irregularity of items is the key to bridge the gap between beginners and experts.
It seemed that our abilities were on pars.
“You’re……fast.”
“I hope you don’t underestimate my hard work.”
The two of us are supposed to be equal in ability, but over the years, we had developed a hierarchical relationship. The gap was huge, and the team was beaten by about half a lap.
It was not just a difference in ability. Physical obstructions during the race were also a major problem. I was met with childish resistance, such as hitting my body unnecessarily.
“It wasn’t very mature of you.”
“You said you wanted to have a competitive race like we had back then.”
“You didn’t need to use dirty tricks.”
The three-way match was a complete defeat for me. It seems that the passage of time had left me behind in terms of my abilities.
From that point on, we had a good fight.
Action games in which the characters engage in a big battle, and Sugoroku games that have a luck element. Board games and other mini-games included.
As we repeatedly played the smallest of these games, the winner was split 50-50. Rika’s ability to read me was top-notch, but I was not to be outdone. I pulled out all the stops and pulled out a win.
“……It looks like we didn’t win or lose.”
“It’s a draw.”
The sun was rising. It was time to start getting ready for the morning. The result was a draw. The official winner would be decided if we could get down to the nitty-gritty of how many wins and losses per game. It was not that serious. It was just for fun.
“Let’s start getting ready for school.”
Breakfast was light. This was because we were snacking on food at short intervals until night.
“It might take a while.”
“Girls will have a lot of setting up to do. I understand, don’t worry.”
“Of course. I just want to make it a little longer than usual.”
“You’re more than cute enough as usual.”
“I want to bring out the best of my cuteness for you. And I don’t want to compromise. Do you understand my feelings?”
“Of course I do.”
Rika has a gorgeous appearance. What will happen if we spend even more time on this?
The anticipation is so great that it makes my heart pound. The thought of being prettier was very exciting to Rika, and it was not hard to feel satisfied when she thought that it might be the source of her motivation to work hard.
“You know we have to go to school today, right?
“Yeah.”
It was good to answer, but it was not good to be asked what you knew.
The answer to my question came in the form of action.
“We have to hold hands.”
It’s a connection that makes me feel that she is determined not to let go of me.
“Is there something strange about me? It’s just that I’m different from usual. My feelings are different. I’m just more aware of what I’ve been thinking and doing. I’m not blurred in my mind.”
“Oh, yeah.”
But it was a sudden change. It seems that when one is less ruthless toward others, one’s feelings are suddenly turned toward this side.
I was happy, but I could not deny that there was an aspect of it that bothered me. I was somewhat surprised when she changed her behavior, even though her feelings remained the same.
“Shall we go, Masa kun?”
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