Volume 2 - CH 23

“This is the arcade…”

Anri and I are at a game arcade in town.

It was the first time Anri herself to go to a game arcade, and she was very anxious before entering the arcade.

“So, what do you want to start with?”

I took Anri’s hand and we went into the arcade.

There were still fewer people in the place than in the evening, so in a sense, we could do as much as we wanted.

“What do you recommend?”

Recommendation. Well, I’m not that good at shooting or gaming, since most of them are played by a single player.

And unfortunately, I don’t have the skills to satisfy Anri.

“Well, let’s try something we can both play at the same time.”

Speaking of simultaneous play, there’s car racing, gun shooting, and then there’s drumming.

Then there are the dancing ones, but I wouldn’t recommend them because they are in some kind of noticeable position.

Flashy looking, loud music, and dancing in the middle of it all while moving your arms and legs are just not for me.

I pulled Anri’s hand and tried the model that allows two people to play car races at the same time for now.

“Let’s try this for now.”

I put in some coins and sat down next to Kyouri.

If I set the car to automatic, even Anri would be able to drive it easily.

By the way, I set it to automatic too.

The screen switches to the car model selection screen.

While gazing at the screen, Anri selects a car model while turning the steering wheel left and right.

“Which one is the best? They all look the same to me.”

Indeed, the cars look almost similar to sports cars.

The parameters below are quite different, but from Anri’s point of view, they all look the same.

“Well then, why don’t we just go with that yellow sports car?”

I chose a car model that emphasizes acceleration.

I would probably hit a bump or go off the course soon, so it would be safer not to choose a car that emphasizes maximum speed or is difficult to handle.

I will briefly explain the operation of the car and ask to put on the seat belt securely.

Seat belts before driving! Don’t forget.

I chose a car model that I often use too, and finally, it was time to start.

Well, Anri, I’m not that good, but I’m not a beginner.

I’m going to win today! I know it’s not very mature of me, but I want to win.

The countdown begins on the screen.

And then it starts! In the corner of the screen, I see Anri’s car, which is focusing on acceleration, as it begins to run with the gas pedal at full throttle.

Gradually, the gap widened, and before the first corner, I was right behind Anri.

This is where the race begins! By the time I successfully completed the corner, Anri’s car was behind me.

Then, farewell! After exiting the corner, I again opened the gas pedal to full throttle. I’m going to make a difference here!

The counter at the top of the screen is about to reach zero.

Time is up. Despite everything, Anri was good.

She did not go off the track too much, and she handled the corners well, using the brakes properly.

I sometimes looked at Anri from the side, but she did not look like a beginner when she was driving, and she had a firm grip on the steering wheel.

However, every time she turned a corner, her whole body was leaning heavily toward the direction of the turn.

I can understand. I used to lean my body in the direction I wanted to turn too. It doesn’t make sense, though.

“It was quite enjoyable. If the steering wheel were a little heavier, it might be easier to operate.”

I wondered what we should play next, and went to the next game.

“Next game is this one.”

Drums and bachi for two players. It is a famous game. [TLN: Drum sticks]

I gave a brief explanation to Anri. Then they started to play.

I’m going to win here, too! The game started with great enthusiasm, but something unexpected happened here.

Anri’s handling of the bachi was wonderful. The bachi in her left and right hands were dancing as if they were alive.

What? Is she a former drummer? She was playing the bachi as well as a former drummer.

Anri’s hair sways from time to time as she beats the drums with great effort.

I was so fascinated by the sight of her that I broke out of a continuous combo.

“I guess I win this time.”

Anri spoke to me as she put the bachi back in place.

“You’re good at this. You surprised me.”

“It’s easy to tell when it’s the music you know. But I’ve never played drums this well in my life.”

Anri is smiling and intertwined around my arm. Her eyes are shining and she seems to be looking forward to the next game.

“Okay, let’s play this next one.”

The next game I chose was a gun-shooting game.

We sat together on a bench seat in a darkened, closed room, and I used the gun in my hand to shoot the enemies and objects on the screen.

“A, are we going to go in here?”

“Hmm? Yeah, it’ll be a little brighter once the game starts.”

Fearfully, Anri sat down on the bench and picked up the gun that was in her hand.

Before we began, we briefly explained that we were going to play a story mode in which we would support each other as we progressed.

“Then all you have to do is aim and fire with this, right?”

“It’s easy, isn’t it? You’ll probably run out of ammunition soon, so just point the gun off-screen and shoot to refill it. Well, you’ll see what I mean.”

Gun shooting is one of the many games I’m good at, and I’ll be sure to follow through!

I’ll make sure I follow through!

As soon as the game starts, the screen changes and we enter a Western-style house.

As soon as the door opens, a dog attacks from inside.

“Look, you have to shoot these guys.”

“Do, you have to shoot animals…”

There’s no abuse or anything like that, okay? They’re extraterrestrials, they’re invaders, okay?

“Look, if you don’t hurry up, they’ll bite you and you’ll lose a life.”

Anri raised his gun and punched the dog that attacked him.

The dog that was shot rolled with a flourish and gradually disappeared.

“This, this is quite…”

Anri’s hand is trembling slightly. Perhaps she was not good at it?

However, after a while, her hands stop shaking and she accurately punches out the enemy.

And she also collects all the fallen items and gets stronger and stronger.

By the time we entered the final stage, we were fully equipped with automatic machine guns, bulletproof vests, and infinite cartridges.

I’m fully equipped too, but Anri is entering her first battle today, right? Isn’t she good?

The two of us managed to cover each other and cleared the last stage.

She topped the high score ranking today.

“Anri, it’s your first time, isn’t it?”

“It’s my first time. Tsukasa-kun, I’m sure you’ve done it before, right?”

“Well, yes, but aren’t you too good at it?”

“At first I hesitated, but once I changed my mind, it became fun.”

When entering names for the high score ranking, Anri started punching out letters with her gun.

She made no mistakes and continued to type until the end.

Ah, perhaps you can type more accurately than I can?

In the ranking, the words “T&A.”

“Tsukasa & Anri, right? I wonder if this record will hold for the rest of the day?”

“Maybe.”

Anri, who was shooting a gun with a smile on her face, was completely happy.

I was having a good time too. But Anri just doesn’t play games, doesn’t she have a good sense of humor?

Then Anri held the gun up to my chest.

“What’s the matter? Want to play another game?”

“Bang! Tsukasa-kun, did I shoot your heart out?”

I’m surprised. You say that?

I reply to Anri, scratching my head.

“Oh, I’ve been struck through. Instant death.”

We both laugh a little and leave the secret room.

Then Anri pulls on my sleeve and points her finger toward a machine.

It’s a machine that takes a picture and makes a sticker right away.

A photo, it’s not a bad idea to take one as a souvenir.

“Hey, do you want to take a picture with me?”

“Shall we take a commemorative picture?

And so we went into the brightly lit curtains.

Compared to the dark bench seat game we had played earlier, the brightness was the exact opposite.

Speaking of pictures, I still haven’t received the picture that Mom said she would send me later.

I hope she’ll seal it up like that…

TLN: Sorry for the no uploads, I was too tired from classes for the last 3 days.