episode_0088

After the chairman’s ‘punishment’ time was over, I reflected on myself for the umpteenth time while doing the bazaar sales job I had originally been called to do.

There is something really wrong with this body… .

It’s okay to a certain extent, but once it crosses the threshold, it becomes uncontrollable. And since the trigger is a sadistic element like pain or shame, it’s different from simply being horny.

I thought it was a no-no, but even the chairman was affected, and there was even a witness. Fortunately, the chairman suddenly came to his senses and things were sorted out… .

It was a lesson learned to me that I could not trust my own control even this much.

In that relationship… I was a little worried as I said goodbye to the chairman who kept apologizing and called Sooin.

There are so many grudges that could be borne against me…

I told the chairman that I was prepared to lose an arm or two or two legs, but… can it really end like that?

Of course, Su-in wouldn’t really try to do that, but if something goes wrong, isn’t there a possibility that a huge disaster could occur?

I contacted Suin with such anxiety, and the response I received was a request to hang out together in the afternoon, so I felt relieved… I felt a little disappointed.

“So what you want me to do is… ‘go on a date’?”

“… … … … … … … … Yeah.”

“No matter how much punishment you get, isn’t it too severe?”

“… … … … … … … … … … Yeah, I don’t need it. Die right now!”

Yeah, this was definitely my fault. Reflection, reflection.

However, Suin wasn’t talking about a ‘date’ between real lovers.

Going back a long time ago to last night.

Suin chats with her friends on Discord,

“Huh? You really have friends?”

“Trust me!!!”

He said he was chatting on Discord. It’s a channel where people from a nearby card and miniature game shop gather, and it seems like most of Suin’s friends are from that network.

In the meantime, it seems that the topic of his girlfriend came up, but Su-in, who was not particularly fond of the topic, seemed to have shown that he was not interested in it.

And I heard this.

“Well, you don’t need a girlfriend if you just wear a skirt, lol.”

That remark must have upset Suin.

“I don’t need it because it’s there lol”

“? Didn’t I say something wrong about my boyfriend?”

… It seems that the person who really got fired up there declared that he would go with his girlfriend to the card game competition that was being held at that game shop today.

“I’m fine, but if you tell another girl that you’re dating, you’ll get beaten to death?”

“… Ugh, I guess so… .”

“A card game competition in a game shop… That’s ridiculous. Who else would enjoy that besides me?”

“… … Sorry… Huh?”

Before I came to this world, before I encountered Seraph of the Superdimensional Empire, I knew nothing about this culture. It would be safe to say that I didn’t even have a hobby.

However, as I fell head over heels for Senior Saya, I delved into the game and dug into a wide range of related knowledge. Various memes, the worldview depicted in the work, various media that I thought might have influenced it, etc.

At the time, I thought it was a ‘strange game with a lot of details that weren’t that important’, but thinking back now, it wasn’t that strange since it was based on a real parallel universe.

Anyway, thanks to that, I was able to become a fan at the speed of light.

However… I only learned about analog games and rarely actually experienced them.

I had colleagues, but I didn’t have friends…

My colleagues either suddenly died and disappeared, or they weren’t close enough to have a personal relationship, or they were AIs in reinforced suits… .

“Okay, fine. If I have to be punished, I’ll accept it faithfully. I’ll prepare diligently and go, so meet me in front of the game shop at 2 o’clock.”

“Huh? What, what are you preparing?”

“You said it was a date. You want to show off to the guy who teased you? I’ll go fully armed.”

“? What are you going to do… .”

I hung up the phone.

Let’s check the time. It’s 1:15. That’s not much time to finish fully arming.

Su-in’s phone rang again, but I refused to answer, so I forcibly ended the call. Then I called reinforcements.

“Hey, Yuren? There’s something I need your help with… .”

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1:57.

We arrived in front of the promised game shop.

As I couldn’t see Suin, I tried to open the game shop door, thinking she might be inside, but someone ran over and grabbed my arm.

“What, what’s that outfit?!”

Suin’s frightened voice.

But I was the one who couldn’t understand English.

“Why are you dressed as a man?” “Why are you wearing a maid outfit?!”

Yes. Suin was dressed as a man. Her hair was tied back, and she was wearing a dark-colored shirt and long pants. The slightly long sports jacket was probably to hide her hips. It was obvious that she was trying hard to look like a man.

Of course, even so, it only looked like ‘cross-dressing’.

It’s strange that I get this impression even though at first glance, it’s obvious that he hasn’t changed much since he was a man. It’s probably because he had a pretty face to begin with, but more than that, it’s the feeling he gives off that’s completely different.

“Why are you wearing a maid outfit?!”

“You like maids, right? If you’re going to date, wouldn’t it be better to date someone you like?”

“… .”

“Are you worried about overlapping attributes?”

I think you can rest assured about that.

Unlike the maid uniforms that are close to the orthodox school, this maid uniform, which was designed in a hurry by Yuren, has a short skirt and vivid colors.

“Other people may not know, but you, the master of the maid world, can clearly tell the difference… .”

“Who’s the master of the maid world! Ah, anyway, change quickly… No, that’s enough, just go!”

“Is your girlfriend embarrassed, Master…?”

“Kkwaaa …

Suin reacted with great shock. It wasn’t enough to hurt her, but it was unexpected.

I tried to grab her wrist and drag her away by force, but Suin stopped moving as a few people came out of the game shop.

“… Hey, Suin? What are you doing?”

Among them, an older man asked as if he were the representative. The people standing behind him looked at me with eyes full of wonder and curiosity.

“Ah, bro… .”

“Hello! This is Suin’s girlfriend Seha!”

“Ah… Uh… Yes… … .”

Even though the expressions of confusion grew stronger, including Suin’s, I didn’t care. I greeted people who I thought were Suin’s acquaintances warmly and naturally entered the game shop.

Suin, who had exchanged greetings with people, eventually followed along hesitantly.

If this is the case… I’ll try acting as if I’m the older girlfriend who’s forcibly clinging to Soo-in, who doesn’t really like it. It seems like she doesn’t like it that much, so there won’t be any awkwardness because the two sides won’t match up.

And he stayed by Su-in’s side, faithful to the role he had set for himself.

This molecule naturally stands out. Since the game shop has such a low percentage of women, many people, aside from my acquaintances, were looking at me.

… I guess the maid outfit was a bit too much. In fact, even if Sooin was just there by herself, she would have attracted quite a bit of attention.

However, as the start of the competition scheduled for 3 o’clock approached, many people began to prepare for their own games. After all, the games were important.

In other words, there were some people who weren’t like that.

The tournament was a so-called sealed deck tournament, in other words, where players would open sealed packs of cards on the spot and create their own decks.

Anyone can participate by paying the entry fee, and even if you lose, you will still get a card pack, so there is no real loss. Luck is important, but operation and response are also important, so there is a clear difference in skill.

“Huh? Then can I join too?”

“Would you like to try it?”

“I know what kind of game it is. I haven’t actually played it though.”

Su-in’s tone, which had been uncomfortable the whole time, relaxed a little. Was she glad that I showed her interest?

When I went to the counter to register, Su-in was left out and I was the only one participating.

Huh? I thought so, but Suin explained that it was a bit odd to give advice to other participants on building their decks due to the nature of the real deck tournament. There was also the possibility of foul play such as card exchange.

The store manager, who was actually the organizer of the competition, responded that it was okay, saying, “It’s not an official competition, so what?” and the people around me were like, “Well, as long as you don’t interfere with the actual game, there shouldn’t be a problem… I guess it’s a rule for gamers.

“In other words, you’re saying that the master gave up his mission to help me… ?”

“… Don’t call me that. It’s not that grandiose… . I just didn’t have the confidence to make my deck within the time limit, and I’m not good at real deck tournaments… .”

According to my own assessment, Suin’s skill level is mid-lower if you play with a prepared deck, and in a real deck tournament, it’s just lower level.

Even if you prepare in advance, you are weak, and if you have to respond on the spot, you are even weaker. It was a pitiful self-evaluation.

But regardless of his self-assessment and actual skills, it was clear that he liked this game. When the competition started and he opened the card packs and built his deck within the limited time, his eyes sparkled.

I listened intently to the explanation of the key cards and combos that could be used as points, then took a quick look.

“You really like it. Don’t you like it more than me?”

“… What the heck, all of a sudden. That can’t be happening… … … … .”

“Oh?”

“What the hell is going on! Why are you so upset that you can’t tease me… .”

I wasn’t trying to tease you.

Anyway, I completed the deck with Suin’s active cooperation. It seems that the cards in each pack turned out to be pretty good, as it was what is commonly called beginner’s luck.

“The problem is that I don’t know the tactics that other people will use… But if I’m lucky, I might make it to the third round.”

“I don’t know much about it, but for a beginner to win twice, the deck must be really good… . Anyway, Master.”

“… I told you not to call me that… .”

“Who is the culprit of today’s situation? Did you come today?”

“The mastermind… . Ah.”

Yes. I wanted to know if there was a person who provoked Suin while chatting.

Suin scratched her cheek and glanced at one side of the shop. A man who seemed to be a year or two older than Suin was staring at me intently, then noticed my gaze and raised his hand in delight.

He smiled brightly, nodded, and whispered to Suin.

“The maid is furious at you for saying such mean things to her master. I will defeat you so badly that you will cry yourself to sleep while chewing on your pillowcase in jealousy.”

“… … … … What are you trying to do?! We were just joking around among friends?! I was so petty that I got mad and called you out… I really, seriously regret it… .”

“You shouldn’t be friends with someone who looks at your friend’s girlfriend like that.”

Of course, I can’t be sure because I’ve never had any friends before, but it’s true that she’s looking at me with eyes full of desire, as if she’s taken aphrodisiac.

“… … … … … … … … I understand that too… .”

“?!”

“… I get it, really. In this case, you’re really bad… .”

Suin sighed and changed the subject.

“But how are you going to defeat me? Are you really going to defeat me?”

“What are you talking about… I can’t do this anymore… Of course I have to win the game.”

“Is this your first time actually playing this game?”

“Yeah. ‘This game’ is.”

Let’s skip the story of how they won the first and second games with difficulty thanks to Beginner’s Luck and advanced to the third game.

Suin’s acquaintances were all good players, perhaps because they were all diehard gamers at this game shop. Except for the cases where they clashed with each other, they all advanced to the third round, and I was lucky enough to face the opponent I had been hoping for.

Lucky in many ways. If it had gone any further, it would have seemed ‘too’ lucky.

We exchanged greetings, shuffled the deck, and chatted lightly.

“But why are you wearing a maid outfit?”

“I wear it often already. Suin likes it.”

“Ah… . Yes… . So… How did you end up dating?”

How did you two start dating?

that….

“I jumped on it. I thought it was necessary. At first, he resisted and said no, but now he’s accepted it… I’m a little surprised because he’s changed so much.”

I didn’t really lie. It’s up to the listener to imagine what they want.

However, it was not just the blushing of the face at the thought of a lewd fantasy, but also the way she glared at Sooin with eyes mixed with hatred that was unbearable.

On the first turn, we fought each other without a hitch, and on the second turn, I unleashed the combo I had prepared. The opponent lost after losing all of his life at the start of the third turn.

I sent my opponent off with an apologetic smile, having won so overwhelmingly. This kind of victory or defeat may not mean much, but I decided to consider it as having achieved one of the goals I came for.

In the 4th game, he had a big lead early on, but it wasn’t as bad as in the 3rd game, and because of that, he ended up losing the game after repeatedly using cards that didn’t fit the situation. However, he left while receiving applause for doing well.

And there was a fat-eyed man.

“… What did you do?”

“I just picked a good card. After all, this game is all about picking cards, right?”

This game is new to me, but it’s not like it’s a card trick.

It’s not particularly difficult to shuffle the cards into the desired arrangement, to induce each other to cut each other’s cards at the desired point after shuffling the cards, or to remove the bottom card and exchange it with the card in your hand without being noticed while 30 or so people are watching.

What’s unfortunate is that, due to the nature of the deck-based game, it took 3 turns to defeat it in the shortest amount of time.

“… You don’t have to go that far.”

As expected, the voice is a bit shaky. It seems like he feels very sorry.

Oh my, really.

He reached out and grabbed Suin by the collar and pulled him across the table. He put his fingers into the dog collar hidden inside his shirt and pulled him, causing Suin to gasp weakly as his neck was tightened.

He whispered in her ear.

“You haven’t forgotten who you are, so why are you like that? Since you teased my maid without permission, shouldn’t you be able to suffer from jealousy and humiliation for a day?”

“Ugh, yeah… . Okay, it’s okay… ♡”

The fastest way to learn is to learn through your body.

He gently bit her earlobe to make sure she remembered what he was saying, then let go of her hand.

The surrounding eyes are blatantly focused on this side, but Su-in, whose face is bright red, seems oblivious. Maybe it looked like they were kissing? Well, it’s not that different.

“I had some things to reflect on this morning, so I was actually a little worried about what you were going to ask me as punishment. But I thought it was cute that you asked me out on a date while saying it was ‘punishment’, so I came dressed in an outfit that I thought I would like while enduring my embarrassment. Or did you like the bunny girl look better?”

Of course, when I came here, I realized that it was a bit too much of a choice, and it doesn’t make sense to say something like this when Soo-in didn’t ask for it in the first place.

It doesn’t fit… but still… I thought about it until I suddenly came to my senses.

It was dangerous. I almost had some incredibly girlish thoughts just now.

Su-in spoke awkwardly as she quickly erased the thought from her head, as well as the logical circuits leading to that thought.

“But… This is really too much… . The beautiful maid girlfriend who came all the way to this game shop to play with me… The setting is so over the top that I can’t be happy… . It’s so unrealistic that I feel like I’m having a dream that I’ll wake up from right away… .”

“… … I’ll admit it was excessive. What, you didn’t hate it? ”

“… … … … … … … … … … There’s no way I wouldn’t like it… .”

I was about to pull Su-in closer and kiss her because she was cute when she said that, but I stopped myself because of the passionate stares from everyone around me (plus a few stares filled with hatred).

If they kissed right now, it seemed like they would get a standing ovation and start dancing. These people are surprisingly generous with other people’s love stories, but it feels like they’re hungry for it… .

“’This kind of game shop’… . I should have opened a regular board game store instead of a TCG or miniatures store… .”

Let’s pretend we didn’t hear the store manager’s complaints, who seemed to have quite a keen ear.

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After that, I spent time fighting Suin one-on-one. My record was 3 wins and 1 loss. I didn’t use any card tricks, but… I’m really weak… .

Still, one loss, or in other words, Suin’s first victory, came in the last match. Let’s hope that there is still a possibility for the future.

Meanwhile, the tournament continued as planned, and the final winner was the old man who had spoken to Suin earlier.

He smiled bitterly, saying that this was the only thing he was good at at this age, but personally, I would like to praise him for not being jealous of Soo-in or giving me strange looks until the end.

In other words, the story is that Suin really had a friend.

what…

I have Saya-senpai, Yuna, the chairman, Yuren, and the maid…

The time we left the game shop was 6:30. We decided to go shopping together and then go back.

“By the way… Is it really okay to waste a ‘punishment’ chance like this? I thought you’d hold a grudge against me?”

“If you do whatever you want because you like it, they’ll retaliate.”

“Yeah. Even if I don’t do it for others, I should do it for you.”

“… What is that standard.”

Even as she said that, Suin was somehow smiling happily.

“Since it has come to this, I will build up my resentment so thoroughly that others can’t keep up.”

“… .”

For some reason, I couldn’t say a word to Sooin, who spoke like that as if she were confessing.