“……Then… is this better?”
Saying that, Yuna pressed herself closer against him, careful not to stretch his sleeve.
The floral scent of her perfume wafted into his nose. Suddenly, Haruya’s body grew warm.
“N-No, I mean, people might see—”
“But you like these kinds of developments, don’t you? We do.”
Her words carried an implied meaning.
Haruya’s mind buzzed with confusion.
(…Does this mean she’s figured me out?)
Admittedly, he did love these kinds of scenarios—where the main characters secretly grew closer in public—from a shoujo manga standpoint.
Nayu was the same; during their usual manga discussions, they’d shared their tastes and values.
But Haruya—not Haru san—had never told Yuna that he liked these kinds of developments.
Lately, she’d called him “Haru-san” a few times since their sleepover started (please, let it just be his imagination)… Could she have realized his secret?
Anxiety flickered through his mind.
“What do you mean by—”
“Look, they’re getting ahead of us… Let’s go.”
Ignoring his question, Yuna urged him forward.
Sure enough, Sara and the others were already walking farther ahead.
Haruya and Yuna hurried after them.
“…What were you two doing alone back there?”
The moment they caught up, Kazamiya was the first to fire off that question.
Without so much as a flicker in her expression, Yuna replied smoothly.
“…My shoelace came undone, so Akasaki-kun waited for me. Sorry for holding you up.”
What a bold-faced lie. She delivered it so naturally, with zero hesitation.
Did she really expect them to believe they’d been that close the whole time for scriptwriting?
Though her face was faintly flushed, her eyes were locked onto Haruya.
Despite the crowded streets, their first stop was the hobby shop.
Amidst the bustling kids, Kazamiya’s eyes sparkled as he held a toy katana. …Seriously, he’s like a child. Haruya couldn’t help but mentally facepalm.
“…This looks like Akasaki-san.”
Sara suddenly pointed at something.
Rin followed her gaze, then giggled.
“Oh my gosh, you’re right! The long bangs and that shy look—totally him!”
Their focus was on a figurine—probably from some anime.
Glasses, slouched posture, long bangs, an air of insecurity… the quintessential “introvert character.”
“Whoa. That’s literally Akasaki.”
Kazamiya chimed in while repeatedly unsheathing and resheathing the toy katana.
“Well, I won’t deny the ‘barely noticeable’ part fits.”
Haruya checked the price tag—under ¥1,000.
Male figurines weren’t in high demand, but this price…
With a somber heart, he paid his respects to the figurine.
It was probably cheap because it was leftover stock. The others gasped at how low the price was.
“But looking closer, it’s kinda cute, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, Sara-chan!”
Their attempts at cheering him up felt hollow.
As Haruya forced a bitter smile, Yuna muttered under her breath—
quiet enough that only he could hear.
“…I think you’re way cooler than this figurine.”
Then, Rin called out to her.
“What do you think, Yuna-rin? Doesn’t it look like Akasaki-kun?”
“……I guess it does, a little.”
Yuna’s cheeks were slightly red as she averted her gaze from Haruya.
But that reaction alone made his heart race uncontrollably.
(…She’s probably using me and Nayu-san as references for Nayu-san script, but this is way more overwhelming than I expected.)
Because she was usually so cool… the contrast was devastating.
Clearly embarrassed, she pinched his arm whenever he tried to look at her. Ow. Ow.
[“Don’t look at me—it’s embarrassing.”]
That was probably what she meant.
Though, wasn’t it more embarrassing to act like this for a script? But pointing that out would probably earn him her wrath, so he kept quiet.
She was putting in so much effort for her script—he wanted to support that.
After all… her fingers, still lightly gripping his sleeve, trembled ever so slightly.
“Oh, this looks fun. Wanna play, everyone?”
While browsing, Kazamiya’s eyes landed on a retro game demo station.
Some kids had just finished playing, leaving the controllers free.
“It looks fun, but isn’t it only for two players?”
Sara pointed out—there were only two controllers.
There weren’t five controllers prepared.
This game console was set up for trial play to encourage people to consider purchasing it. It’s only natural that there’s no consideration for playing with a large group.
“Hmm… You’re right, Himekawa-san. But retro games like this are rare, y’know? I kinda wanna try.”
Kazamiya glanced at Haruya as if seeking agreement.
All eyes turned to him. …Don’t put me in charge of this.
Still, Kazamiya had a point—opportunities to play retro games were rare.
Personally, he did want to try… but the girls might not be as interested.
Just as he was about to decline, Rin spoke up.
“…How about we pair up and take turns? The kids just left, so it’s free.”
“I don’t mind trying.”
“Then let’s play just once…”
Huh? They’re actually going for it?
Looking around, everyone seemed oddly enthusiastic. What’s with the sudden energy?
Haruya could only sigh internally.
They decided pairs with rock-paper-scissors, just like on the train.
The retro fighting game was simple: each player picked a character and battled one-on-one.
Kazamiya, way too hyped, declared, “Let’s do a tournament!”
Tone it down, Kazamiya. Haruya gave her a deadpan look.
They agreed—under the condition that they’d stop if other customers arrived.
Luckily, the shop was thinning out as lunchtime approached.
A single-elimination tournament wouldn’t take too long.
And indeed, the final match came quickly.
The retro game cabinet. On-screen, a muscular fighter faced off against a nimble kunoichi.
The finalists? Haruya and Yuna.
Kazamiya, despite his earlier enthusiasm, had been instantly crushed by Yuna.
his loss was brutal—but Yuna’s skill was undeniable.
Her rapid combo attacks screamed “experienced player.”
She claimed she’d “practiced a little at my cousin’s house,” but that was definitely a lie.
Her movements were too agile for someone who had only practiced a little.
Haruya, however, wasn’t a complete amateur either.
He’d never played the retro version, but he knew his character—a slow, heavy-hitting powerhouse, the polar opposite of Yuna’s nimble fighter.
One solid hit could turn the tide.
But landing that hit was proving impossible. Bit by bit, his health chipped away.
“Huh, is that all? Akasaki-kun.”
“…Damn. You’re good.”
From behind, Sara, Rin, and even Kazamiya cheered him on.
[“Do your best!”] [“You can do it, Akasaki-kun!”] [“Avenge me!”]
Kazamiya aside, even Rin and Sara sided with Haruya—likely because he was getting destroyed.
“Oh—! Gotcha!”
It might have been a fluke, but Haruya’s heavy blow landed.
Overjoyed, Haruya let his expression relax.
Haruya grinned, rushing in for a follow-up combo.
“Yeah! You were talking big earlier, but now it’s my turn to—”
Gaming always hyped him up.
Even when reading shoujo manga, he got like this.
Sara and Rin seemed surprised by his unguarded excitement, their eyes glued to his face.
…Stop staring. Do I really look that weird right now?
Just as he tried to chain his combo—
“…You tired?”
A cool voice rang out beside Haruya, and in the blink of an eye, Haruya’s character was sent flying off the screen. The moment his defeat was sealed.
Biting his lip in frustration, Yuna flashed a tiny peace sign and smirked, taunting him.
“…If you want, I could always give you some tips.”
“…Ugh.”
It sounded like nothing but provocation. Haruya sharply turned his face away.
Then, as if to twist the knife, Yuna added:
“…Cute.”
Damn it. Haruya seethed silently.
(I’ll get my revenge, Nayu-san…!)
Rin, watching their exchange, felt an unpleasant swirl in her chest.
(…They seem closer than I thought… Akasaki-kun and Yuna-rin. Now that I think about it, they sit next to each other. It wouldn’t be weird if Yuna-rin developed feelings for him at any point… I need to step up my game too.)
Her emotions flared up as she hyped herself up.
Meanwhile, Sara, in her own world—
(…Wow. Yuna-san is amazing.)
—watched them with a resigned expression.
Kazamiya, for his part, observed Sara’s demeanor with quiet intensity.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT gadgetizedpanda.net
“Man, this looks delicious! Right, Akasaki?”
“We could enjoy the festival food stalls, but should we just eat here?”
“Hmm… If we go home to cook now, cleaning up afterward would be a hassle. I’m with Sara-chin on this one.”
“…I don’t mind changing plans and eating here at the stalls.”
Timing it just right, Haruya and the others made their way to the shopping district’s food stall area.
After leaving the hobby shop, they checked the time—already past 12:30.
With rows of stalls lining the street, the sheer number of people was staggering.
If you weren’t careful, you’d get separated in an instant.
The mingling scents from the varied stalls filled the air, a chaotic blend of flavors.
Before he realized it, Haruya was reminded of the Eikafest. His stomach growled loudly.
“Kinda reminds me of Eikafest…”
It was as if
Rin had read his mind.
Yuna, seemingly satisfied after the retro game session, had distanced herself from Haruya.
Feels like she’s running away after winning… The thought left him conflicted.
“Yeah. I was thinking the same.”
“Let’s just enjoy today without overcomplicating things.”
“Right.”
“…Hehe. That’s kinda embarrassing.”
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