episode_0138

I wanted to applaud his persistence, but the outcome of him having spent 1,000 credits of his allowance on the ridiculously expensive challenge, which gobbled up 10 credits per try, wouldn’t change.

Aaron, as if it were the most obvious thing, handed the first-place prize – a life-sized hologram figure of a virtual idol – to Seira.

“Here you go!”

“Mm, thanks.”

Instead of a big reaction, only a dry thank-you, almost cold, came back, but Aaron beamed as if that alone was enough, his face split into a wide grin.

Didn’t this kid act like that towards Martina last time?

Anyway, as an adult, I discreetly looked away and ignored the kid’s pathetic display.

No matter how much of a rich young master he was, splurging 1,000 credits on a crane game’s first prize that only cost 80 credits was a big hit, so he probably had to settle for that kind of self-satisfaction.

“A virtual idol… She must be famous? I didn’t know you liked that sort of thing.”

Unlike her half-hearted thanks, Seira, who had been carefully putting the life-sized hologram figure of a virtual idol whose name I didn’t even know deep into her bag, stopped her movements hesitantly at my words, then looked straight at me.

I was disgusted by the fervent desire in her eyes, but my mouth had already opened.

“Aina-chan is my idol! She was #1 in real-time viewership on TT Net for 16 consecutive weeks and is the only virtual idol to receive the Platinum Frame, which you can only get with over 50 million subscribers. And this product is an ultra-rare piece of merchandise, limited to only 2,000 units, produced as crane game prizes by UCFO, a company partnered with Aina-chan’s agency. The fans acquire them so quickly that this is the only store left in Eclipse Point that still has them…”

“Ah, I get it. Right, right. My bad. Breathe when you speak.”

I recoiled in horror at Seira, who was spouting words without breathing, and stopped her rampage.

If this lady, who was unsuitably a virtual idol otaku, were to collapse from breathing difficulties, Johann might come looking for me and I’d have to fight him to the death.

“So, I didn’t know you two knew each other.”

Come to think of it, Kathleen was a person from the Ayakashi line, so it wasn’t strange for her son, Aaron, to attend an academy sponsored by Ayakashi.

Similarly, Seira also held some resentment towards Ayakashi, but she was wearing that uniform from the very first time I met her, anyway.

“Oh, Seira and I are in the same class…! She seemed to want the Aina-chan hologram figure, so I promised to get it for her.”

If you listened more closely, the two, who not only coincidentally attended the same academy but were even in the same class, were initially just acquaintances. However, Aaron pushed his way in, saying he wanted to get closer to Seira, and eventually secured a date.

Of course, Aaron beat around the bush, ambiguously hiding his true intentions, whether denying it or not, but it was 100% clear.

Nowadays, they say to be careful because anyone who buys you fresh food is after one of your four orifices [a proverb warning against favors with ulterior motives], but isn’t there also a saying that friends only go as far as pork [implying true friends don’t buy expensive things like beef, as it suggests ulterior motives]?

Aaron was undeniably beef.

Whether Seira would understand that was a separate issue, though.

“But Hyung, what are you doing here?”

“I’m diligently resting as part of my work. Don’t look at me like that; I’m not unemployed. Besides, the company’s mine, you know?”

I pressed down on Aaron’s head, who was looking at me with very disrespectful eyes, to make him lower his gaze.

“I heard about the war with Titan and Fiftystar. So you’re recuperating.”

“Correct! Both times, I really almost died for the first time in a long time. Crazy bastards… How can they live hiding such dangerous things? Can they really sleep soundly without being afraid?”

Maybe because I’ve been sleeping well lately, my skin has become plump and firm, but if I had been just a little more timid, I wonder?

Wouldn’t I have been trembling and unable to sleep all night, living with hollow eyes and rough skin?

I feel like claiming damages from Xenotech and those blue tights wearers.

Of course, I inflicted far more damage than that petty claim, though.

“Then Mr. John, are you not taking requests right now?”

“Hmm? For now, I sup—”

At the sudden question, I was about to nod reflexively, but then stopped speaking.

To be honest, unless it involved operating Cerberus, I’d recovered enough that it wouldn’t have much physical impact anyway, and I could move well enough.

And wasn’t I just down here because I was bored to death, anyway?

“…I might take it, depending on the story. Is there something you want me to do for you?”

“Then shall we talk somewhere quiet?”

“Oh. Me, me too!”

At the answer I gave, Seira immediately started dragging me away, and Aaron also startled and followed behind her.

***

America’s restaurant, boasting explosive calories with absolutely no thought for nutrition whatsoever, still had no intention of changing even after a whole century.

I chomped down on the same old fast food, except that the ingredients came from cultivation facilities.

‘Thanks to that, it tastes good, though.’

They say calories are a food’s combat power, don’t they?

Indeed, thinking that saying was a hundred times correct, I gulped down the bread that tasted slightly of sawdust and the patty that had a strong chemical flavoring.

“So, what’s this?”

I looked down at the brain-computer interface, which resembled a BD player, and asked.

“It’s the IMAX Trigger. Everyone’s been wearing one of these lately, but Hyung, you really don’t seem to be interested in things like this, do you?”

“Are you calling me an old geezer now?”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

“Just kidding, you brat.”

I bopped Aaron’s head with a straw, as he shriveled up again after being scolded, and lifted the brain-computer interface called the IMAX Trigger.

Actually, the name sounds grand, but you can just think of it as a game console that you wear on your head to play games in an AR (augmented reality) or VR (virtual reality) environment.

If I had to compare it, it might be a console of a similar standing to the Switch.

“Unexpectedly, you don’t seem to enjoy games.”

“Hmm… No. I like games too. I do, but…”

Originally, I was someone who played a lot of games and enjoyed them deeply… but ever since I woke up in this world, I’ve been having my energy sucked dry by a black company, so I just slept more during that time.

There was a time when I thought I was becoming an adult who couldn’t enjoy games anymore and felt sad about it.

“There’s no particularly interesting story to tell about it anyway, and while I haven’t played recent games, I do like games themselves. So, what does this IMAX and the request have to do with each other?”

“Lately, betting matches using the IMAX are happening frequently at school.”

“What… like a battle?”

“Similar. The problem is that gambling matches are frequent, where credits or expensive devices are wagered.”

At Seira’s words, I couldn’t help but cock my head.

While it might not be a very desirable trend, it didn’t sound like a serious problem.

“Is there a problem with that?”

“Hmm. More accurately, only some members of the delinquent club are profiting from these gambling matches.”

“Maybe they’re just good at games.”

Instead of raising their fists and roughing people up, isn’t a game bet rather more wholesome to look at?

At my question, Seira nodded, as if admitting it.

“Of course, their skill was indeed excellent, as if they were clinging to it all day. However, in certain situations, they showed physical abilities as if they were a different person.”

“Hmm… Are you saying those guys cheated or something?”

“Most likely, yes.”

Indeed, if there’s evidence like that, there might be a problem.

“Can’t you just solve it yourself? Those thugs could be disciplined with just a flick to the forehead.”

“Because I’m a celebrity.”

Seira’s nose pointed skyward.

At her confident posture, chest puffed out and hand placed on it, as if she were boasting something, I sipped my sweet drink through a straw, and Aaron glanced at her, pinching his nose.

“It’s a bit complicated. They’re quick to catch on, so if I approach them, they’ll quickly hide.”

“If the betting matches themselves are the problem, I’d think that would be enough, but… you’re saying there’s someone behind it?”

Seira nodded, as if my suspicion was correct.

“Which reminds me, are you good at games? If not, there’s nothing we can do.”

“Heh heh.”

“Bring it on, you hag.”

The game used for the betting matches was, perhaps unsurprisingly, a fighting game.

In the AR environment, you moved your body directly, and the view was fixed to a 3rd-person side view. I had to get used to the movements, but my adaptation was fast.

“Cheating… It’s cheating…”

Seira, who challenged me with all characters, after I entered with the pot-bellied giant tree frog character I chose because it looked fun, knelt down without winning even a single round out of three.

“This is pretty fun, actually? How is a tongue flick a special move?”

“Hyung, you lied about not having played games before, didn’t you?! Lynn’s super special move is famously difficult to counter…!”

“You break it by getting within 32cm in the middle of the 6-frame window, landing a weak low attack to build up break gauge, then immediately raising your high guard and jamming in a strong mid-attack within 4 frames.”

“Bullshit.”

It feels quite rewarding to enjoy a game after such a long time.

Maybe because I’m moving my body, it seems more fun than just clicking a stick, too.

“…Mr. John, please approach them pretending to be interested in the delinquent club and dig up who’s behind it.”

“But won’t security catch you if an outsider enters the academy?”

Since it belongs to Ayakashi, no less, the level of security must be considerable.

Not that they could do anything to me, though.

“You’ll have to sneak in as a student. I’ll give you a student ID.”

“Quite elaborate, isn’t it?”

Seira, who had been completely beaten by me and was gloomy, handed over an envelope containing what looked like a uniform and an ID card, as if it were prepared materials.

“Then we’ll be going now.”

“Oh, okay. Shall I take you?”

“It’s fine. Mr. Johann said he’d come pick us up.”

“Then, see you next time, Hyung.”

“Sure thing.”

In return for keeping me entertained while I was bored, after giving both of them a generous allowance and sending them off, I returned to the second floor of the arcade center, scratched my head, and decided to try on the uniform Seira had given me.

Just in case the size was different.

And, should I say fortunately, the size fit perfectly as if it were custom-made for me.

…

However, should I say there was one problem?

No. There was clearly a problem.

Even though I just put it on neatly, it had a subtly figure-hugging fit that seemed to cinch the waist.

An utterly empty, hollow feeling, with wind breezing through between my legs.

Looking in the mirror, I couldn’t help but cover my eyes.

“Why is it a girl’s uniform?!”

Even if I’ve shriveled up, I shouldn’t look like a girl!

Does this mean they have the kind of perception only a fucking macho would have, that all East Asian men look like girls?

No, Seira’s an East Asian woman herself, anyway.

Cross-dressing is now treated as nothing special, but I, who had goosebumps crawling all over me at my reflection in the mirror, recoiled in disgust, turning my eyes away, and tried to take it off before someone discovered me in this state.

“John~ We’re here!”

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

“Huh?”

“…Uh, hmm. An event for you two, who worked hard today…?”

Yuki, who blinked her eyes, making a foolish sound, and my idiotic excuse to escape this awkward situation.

What event, bullshit.

“Oh.”

What ‘oh’ are you ‘oh’-ing about.