The chirping of birds served as my alarm clock.
...Huh?
...Wasn't today Sunday?
Wasn't it basically my style to stay up late on Saturday and sleep through the morning on Sunday?
...Why was I waking up at this disgustingly wholesome hour?
...Back to sleep, back to sleep...
"Keiichi~, are you awake~!?
You have a phone call!"
At that moment, the sound of my mother calling me from downstairs finally registered.
Phone call!?
I sprang up out of bed abruptly and stampeded noisily down the stairs.
"He's awake, I'll put him on right now," my mother informed the person on the other end of the line.
"Hello?
It's me.
Who might this be~?"
"Ahahahah!
Mornin', Keiichi-kun.
You're such a sleepy-head. Such a sleepy-head!"
"Oh, Rena! What's up, calling so early in the morning...?"
"Ah, I don't think it's so early... it's the middle of the day, you know?"
It was 11 o'clock.
...I guess you could loosely consider that 'the middle of the day.'
"So, what's up?"
"Hold on a second!
I'll put Mii-chan on now."
"Ohayou, Kei-cha~n!
If I were to say it in English, that'd be 'good morning.'"
"While we're at it, why don't you try saying it in Chinese, German, and Russian as well?"
"Ni hao Kei-chan.
Guten Morgen Kei-chan.
Russian!?
Do svidaniya...
.........
How the hell should I know!?!?"
"Wahahaha!
Well, whatever.
This stupid conversation has woken me up."
"Ahahaha!
That's good to hear.
...So, Kei-chan, you free right now?
If you're good, then we've got everybody."
Everybody?
Did she mean all the club members?
"That's right.
You might be thinking: 'Every day always ends in heated competition, but at least I can spend my day off peacefully'...
You're too naive, Kei-chan!!"
"Yeah, yeah.
The aim of our club is to find the best solution for every situation.
In other words, we don't care if it's the weekend."
"Oooh!
It looks like you've come to understand our club!
So, how about it? Can you come?"
I had absolutely nothing planned that day.
If I were to refuse Club President Mion's invitation, what other fun ways to pass the time would I have?
"...It's not like I planned on doing anything.
And if I said no, you'd probably just declare me the loser by default and force a penalty game on me anyways!"
"If you understand that much, then you can't refuse, right~?
If you're okay with it, then meet at the usual place at one o'clock!
We're going into town, so bring your bike, okay?"
Club activities in town?
...Well, we could do them anywhere.
Besides, since it was a new venue, there was no way this wasn't going to be intense!
"I'm holding a pretty big grudge from that narrow loss a couple days ago!!
I'll say it right now, I'm not going to lose!"
A couple of days ago was Friday's club activities...
That uncompromising poker match!
It was a fight to the death.
Nobody held back.
Nobody could tell who was in the lead or who was last until all the points were tallied.
In the end, I won by only 1 chip.
Mion came in second.
"Dammit!!
To think, if I hadn't squandered that one chip!!!"
Mion lamented thus, perhaps moreso that than the fact she lost the match.
Mion doesn't lose.
That's why Mion only whined when she let the champion's throne slip through her fingers.
That's why she was more frustrated than anybody over a close loss.
...So, did she mean for today to be a grudge match?!
"Bring it on!!
Just like last time, I'll shut you down and make you play that penalty game!
Make sure you play in a way that you won't regret it when you lose!!"
"Hehehe!
Wouldn't have it any other way!
It'll make it all the more better when I crush you!!!"
After that, we exchanged jeers for a bit before hanging up the phone.
As I headed back upstairs hastily to get the key to my bike, I bumped into my mother as she was carrying a futon down.
"Oh, Keiichi, you seem like you're in a good mood. Heading out?"
"Something like that!
I'm going into town to play with everybody."
"Take care.
Watch out for traffic~!
Be back before dinner~!"
"Yeah, yeah! I'll be back by then!"
After unlocking the chain from my bike in the garage, I reveled a bit in the resistance the slightly stiff pedal gave as I pushed on it.
Alright, let's go!
I set off on my bike, cutting through the refreshing morning air.
"Keiichi-ku~n!
You're late, you're late!"
"Ah, sorry to keep you waiting!
Huh? Where are Satoko and Rika-chan?"
"Rather than meeting up with them here, it's a lot quicker to just meet up in town."
Oh, I see.
If I remember correctly, Satoko and Rika-chan's houses were on the other side past the school.
"Oh yeah. What's up with doing club activities in town?
It can't be that everybody's going to put on masks and rob banks all day, is it?"
"I wouldn't mind doing that.
Even then, I wouldn't lose to you~!"
"You see, Mii-chan always tells me the routes and schedules of the armored bank cars.
...I wonder why? I wonder why!"
What?!
I spun around with a serious look on my face and looked at Mion.
...Well, it certainly seemed possible that Mion was capable of doing that.
"...Seriously Mion?"
"Re... RenaaaAAaaa!!
What are you sayiiiiiinng!!!!"
"Ahahahahaha!
Sorry, Mii-chan! Sorry! Ahahahaha!"
The two of them joked around.
...That bright laughter was the best match for a beautiful day like today.
"Hey, you two!
Satoko and Rika-chan are waiting for us, aren't they?
Let's stop fooling around and get going!"
Around and around, fooling about like two fluttering butterflies... I earnestly wished I could just keep watching them like this.
But, the five of us together would be absolutely more fun!
"That's right! Well then, let's go!"
"The goal is to plunder one billion!
Once we split the loot, everybody scram!!!"
""Yeaaaaah!!""
The three of us on our bikes headed over the gently sloping hill towards town.
Accelerating hard, we crested the hill.
The view expanded as Okinomiya Station came into sight.
I occasionally come to the station here.
Considering the amount of effort it takes to get here though, it was quite a hassle.
That's why I didn't know much about the area around the station, or Okinomiya itself for that matter.
The street we were headed down today was of course unfamiliar to me as well.
Going through the railway crossing, we headed past the south end of the station.
"...This is the first time I've been this way."
"Around here, there's lots of things like arcades and toy stores.
Mii-chan knows a lot about it!"
"So there's an arcade.
I used to go to one pretty often!
My gamer's blood roils within me!"
"Always going to an arcade? Kei-chan, you're quite the delinquent~!
Next time we're here, I'll show you where it is.
It's a good one—there's quite a few machines."
It seemed like the town of Okinomiya was Mion's stomping grounds.
If I asked her, she could tell me a lot of things about it.
Eventually, we came across a store with quite a few bikes parked in front of it.
Was this the arcade?
No... it was a smaller shop.
Looking at the window display, it seemed like your everyday toy shop.
...But, for almost ten kids to be filing in and out of the store... they were doing almost too well for themselves!
"Could it be... that store is having some sort of event today?"
"Exactly!
Top prize is 50,000 yen!!!"
"Fi-Fifty thousand!?!?
What the heck is that!!
That's the GNP of the People's Republic of Keiichi 5 times over!!!"
Two cute figures messing about the front of the store noticed us and waved their hands.
"Hello, everybody~!!
We've been waiting for you~!!"
"...Good morning."
"Hey!
Morning, Rika-chan!
Satoko, we'll settle this before the cops get here!
The goal is to plunder 1 billion!!"
"Huh?? ...Keiichi-san, I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Are we late? Did we keep you two waiting?"
"...We finished early today, so we've been waiting a while."
"I'm sorry about that.
Kei-chan here was taking his sweet time!"
"...Well if it was Keiichi's fault, it couldn't be helped."
Saying that, Rika-chan stretched up and began patting Mion's head. Hey, wait a minute...
...Are you solving everything by making me the bad guy?!
"Of course!
Who else but Keiichi-san could fill this important role?
Ooohoho!"
"I don't like being cast like that.
If you think that this'll solve everything, you're sorely mistaken!"
...I was feeling slightly irritated, so I began to repeatedly smack Satoko on the head.
*smack smack smack smack smack smack...!!!*
"Keiichi-san hit meeeeeEEeee!!!
WaaaaaaAAaaaAAAaaa!!!"
"...It's such a shame that Keiichi's bullying you."
"Satoko's crying! She's crying!!
I'm taking her hoooome~~!!!
Your big sis here will take care of the bad guy, okay?"
WHAAAAAAAAAAM!!!!
Rena ecstatically wiped the tears (which were probably fake...) from Satoko's face, while Rika-chan gently patted mine as I lay sprawled on the ground.
...Yes, this is fine.
"Hmmm, yup.
...This is the way things are supposed to be solved..."
"...Although, I think we should find a new punchline before you start losing teeth."
Well then, upsy-daisy.
In any case, the greeting for today went well!
Inside the toy shop, there were about 10 boys around the same age as me.
Apparently they all knew Mion, and finding out that she had arrived, they greeted her with jeers a few at a time.
"Mii-chan is a regular at this toy shop.
So she has a lot of friends!"
"A regular at a toy shop... what's up with that?"
"Hey, Keiichi-san, take a look back here!"
Following Satoko's prompting I took a look... there were chairs lined up at tables, almost like some sort of birthday party.
...I realized it immediately.
"I-It couldn't be... this is the venue for today's club activities!?"
"Surprised, Kei-chan?
I'm good friends with the owner here!
He sometimes lets me hold game tournaments to expand his customer base."
Expand his customer base... I see.
...Meaning, all the boys livening up the place... were participants!?
"That's right.
Normally it's just us five, but today we're gonna play with lots and lots of people!"
Rena was innocently happy about being able to play with so many people, but my expression grew noticeably stern.
"...Keiichi-san, I know exactly what you're thinking."
"Oh?
Well then why don't you try saying it?
Together, okay? One, two..."
"These are all enemies!!"
Satoko's voice and mine blended together in harmony.
We looked over at the participants.
...After all, the top prize was 50,000 yen!
My eyes lit up like a flame.
"Hey, Kei-chan.
It looks like today will be fun."
"...Well.
No matter how many more rivals I have, the goal is still the same!!"
"Rivals?
...*sigh*, Kei-chan.
...Do you think a whale keeps track of all the krill it eats~?"
She said that in an unpleasant voice, laughing with the aggressive glint in her eyes reserved solely for club activities.
...Dammit, Mion...
...She's as serious as she can get today!!
"I'm not the only one who's serious.
...Take a look at Rika-chan."
Mion pointed.
Looking at where her finger directed me...
"...What the heck is that?"
Rika-chan was using 'those kinds of traits' to soften up the group with an almost excessive pleasantness...!
"...I'm also going to do my best.
Go for it, yaaay♪"
"""Go for it, yaaaaay♪"""
Completely emasculated, the group joined Rika-chan in a cheer.
The inside of the store had been consumed by "The World of Rika-chan"!!
...Damn. ...She's already chomping at the bit!
"I-It seems like today's going to be fun!
I'm going to do my best~!
Hau~~~~!!"
It seemed that Rena was also unusually fired up by the large crowd.
Hopping about and running around, she had entered entirely into Kyute Mode.
..In Rena's case, the real fun starts when her Tension Gauge fills up!
Her happy-go-lucky attitude belied the fact that this was the state in which she was the most threatening...
Mion was making small-talk with some of the regular customers she was acquainted with. It was like business as usual with her.
Of course, if anybody thought that Mion looked ordinary, they were not qualified to be in our club.
The shadow beneath her feet was exuding killer instinct, rising up like a chill wind!
"...Damn it, Mion... throwing away her honor and humanity like that... she's serious."
"Keiichi-san, didn't you know...?
...The 50,000 yen prize is from Mion-san's own pockets."
Wh-Whaaaaaaaaat!?!?!?
She was putting out the 50,000 yen... all by herseeeelf?!
At that moment, a dark miasma that warped Mion's surroundings began to appear!!
"...Hm?
What is it, Kei-chan?
Is there...
something on my face...?
Hehehe!!"
Eep!! ...A shiver crept up my spine.
...That Mion... cornering herself like that... she was pulling out the demon lurking within her!!!
F-Fine with me..!
Damn it... my knees are shaking like crazy...!
Before I realized it, the store had filled up with even more people.
However, the looks in their eyes weren't confrontational.
They were looks of expectation and curiosity.
They were the eyes of onlookers who were wondering what kind of match was going to occur, and who was going to win.
"Hehe... you couldn't ask for a better stage than this.
This is getting interesting..."
"K-K-Keiichi-kun!
L-L-L-Let's do our best, okay?
Do our best!!
Hau~!!!"
Rena was already fully charged.
Mortal laws and common sense held no power before the might of Rena in her Kyute Mode!
I definitely didn't want to fight her, if possible.
"""Rika-chan, do your best!!
We're all cheering you on~~!!!"""
"......Okay.
I'll do my best~♪."
Rika-chan, who was exuding way too much charm no matter how you looked at it, had already won over most of the onlookers to her side.
Nonchalantly avoiding things had always been Rika-chan's creed, but... for her to be blatantly laying out her machinations like this, something was definitely strange!!
...Like Rena, she was somebody who I didn't want to fight if I could help it.
"Of course, the one you don't want to fight the most is Mion-san."
"...I've been lucky to even leave alive more than a few times at the end of club activities, but...
I don't think there was a day that even came close to being this dangerous."
"Mion-san seems to have developed quite the grudge after losing that poker match a few days back, you know?"
"It seems that way.
...In other words, today is just an elaborate stage for her revenge!"
Almost as though she were psychic, Mion turned towards us.
Her eyes silently conveyed the message: "You guys just figured that out now?!"
It wasn't just Mion; both Rena and Rika-chan were more pumped up than they'd ever been.
...Yeah.
...One's gonna pop up today.
...Without a doubt, there'll be casualties!!
"It seems that somehow Keiichi-san and I are the only ones left.
...What do you think?
Should we not have our match during the opening round?"
"Might as well.
I need to warm up before I can really kick it into gear—"
My spinal column shuddered like it had been struck by a bolt of lightning, and like a pillar of ice was being jammed into it, began to freeze.
I could almost see the flames backlighting Satoko with their intensity.
Even then... while Satoko was displaying a normal smile...
It was cold and inhuman, almost as if it were a plastic mask!
"...Heh!
You must really want to eliminate me in the opening round.
You can't hide that murderous intent."
"Oh, that's too bad...
You're being uncharacteristically cautious today, Keiichi-san.
Ohoho!"
Without a doubt, it was a trap.
...I don't know what she had up her sleeve, but if I fought with Satoko during the opening round, my loss would be more certain than if I went against Mion!!!
A pitch-black miasma permeated the inside of the store...
Did they all want to win that 50,000 yen prize that much?!
No, that's not right.
...The only ones competing for the prize money were the casual participants.
I was different.
I had mistaken this as just a way to fool around on a normal Sunday.
It didn't matter when it was, or where it was, or who our opponents were.
...In our club, the goal is always the very top of the mountain!!!
An intense flame that no strong winds could extinguish, hot enough to melt any steel, began to burn inside me...
The fuse had been lit on this unprecedentedly intense club battle!!
It was then that the owner of the store told Mion in a lackadaisical voice that it was about time to begin.
"Is everybody ready~?!
Listen close now~!!"
Mion began with the formalities, standing in for the owner, and explained the rules of today's tournament.
You're only playing to win!
There is no second or third place.
...That's the same rule as our club.
There were 15 people participating.
We were to split up into 5 groups via a draw, and each group would have one winner.
Each winner in the first stage would advance to the next in order to compete in the final.
"Now, as for how each group will compete:
each table can decide to play whatever they want.
As long as the game is here in the shop, anything goes!"
Already in Club Mode Defcon 1, I didn't let the small gap in the rules go unnoticed.
"Mion, can I ask a question?
Won't everybody push to play a game they're good at, and not be able to agree on which one?"
"...Hau.
That's right.
If we can't decide, we can't start."
The spectators also nodded along.
It was only natural.
There wasn't anybody who would simply cede to their opponent's suggestion!
"I'd prefer if you were all good sports and manage to come to a decision on your own, but if it comes to a stalemate, should we have the store's owner decide for you?"
It was an event at a toy store, after all.
You'd expect the owner to referee.
After that, Mion's rundown continued. It ended with the rule that any losing participants would have to buy the game they lost at; a rather nice proposition for the store.
First... we used a draw to split into 5 groups.
Everybody lined up single file, and began to draw tickets that the shop owner had prepared.
It was my turn.
Alright, time to draw.
...No matter who I was up against... I'd crush 'em!!!
At that moment, Mion began to laugh with a hawkish gleam in her eye.
"Of course, I'm sure you already know... but club members will have a separate penalty game than the casual participants."
"...Heh.
I thought as much.
What's the gist of it?"
"The winner gets to give the losers one order each."
Contrary to how simple it sounded...
It was a terrifying eventuality, the subject of which no one could predict...
Damn you, Mion...
Was she... really planning on parading me around Hinamizawa in cat ears and a banana hammock with a tail attached or something?!
The look on Mion's face told me... she wasn't going to let me off that easy.
On top of that... this time, it wasn't just the person who finished last who'd have to submit to the penalty game.
"The losers get one order each... in other words, even if you don't finish last, you still have to do a penalty game."
"That'd be the case."
"What about if there's no winner?
Like, if all the club members drop out midway through?"
"...Ahahahaha!!
Kei-chan, are you all right in the head~?"
"Wh-whaaaaAAt?!"
The look in Mion's eye became that of a lion baring its fangs!
"How, exactly, are the elite members of our club going to lose to some mewling newborns?
...Kei-chan.
Don't embarrass me by getting eliminated in the first round."
Even so, I didn't feel threatened!!
The more into it my opponent was... the stronger I would become!!
"You just wait and see.
I won't just sit here and be bullied by you, Mion. I'll show you!!!"
"We shall meet...
In the finals!!!!!!"
The results of the draw were... enough to make you cry conspiracy.
All the members of the club were nicely divvied up amongst the 5 tables.
...How did this happen when the draw was that random?!
The thought that I was already caught in Mion's puppet-strings made me feel uneasy.
That was fine, though.
...I'll crush all your petty tricks!!
Now, where were my opponents?
Everybody was headed to the table corresponding to the number on their ticket.
The competition at my table was... these two, huh.
They look younger than me.
......Huh?
"...Aren't you two classmates of mine?"
"Oh, hi.
I'm Tomita.
This is Okamura."
Okamura-kun greeted me by nodding his head.
So my opening round was to be against my juniors from school.
...Just saying, but it seemed like a pretty easy match-up.
Lucky!
Time to destroy them without mercy!!!!
"Alright then, everybody!!
Please decide on your games and start!"
With Mion's declaration, the inside of the store suddenly became lively.
Everybody was yelling their favorite games at each other, trying to gain an advantage before they started.
Even my two classmates, who seemed taciturn at first glance, began to fiercely insist on their own games as soon as the signal was given.
Of course I would kick those suggestions aside!
There was absolutely no reason to pick a game your opponent was good at!
"Sorry, they're all games I don't know.
Could you pick something a little more well-known?"
Of course, they didn't agree to the games I suggested either.
I could only smirk bitterly.
Naturally, after 5 minutes, this table still couldn't agree on a game.
Obeying the rules, we asked the store owner to decide on a game.
Clearing his throat, the shop owner brought over a board game from the back of the store.
It was a game called "Billionaire."
...Quite the vintage we have here.
Come to think of it... if you lose, you have to buy this game.
...That damned shop owner, was he using this competition to get rid of all the games he couldn't sell?
"I know this one.
You guys do too, right?
Spin the wheel, and head to the goal.
Whoever has the most money after we liquidate our assets is the winner."
The two nodded in agreement, and finally the game was underway.
At that time, I already had a feeling of impending crisis.
...I wouldn't realize why until the game progressed a bit.
"1, 2, 3, 4.
Celebrate the birth of your child.
Receive $5000 from everybody.
...Sorry!"
Okay! I've built a bit of a lead!!
"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
Bonus.
Receive $100,000 from the bank."
Wha?!
The tables were turned in an instant?!
"1, 2, 3.
Proceed to the corporate ladder course."
Whoa, that's a good route!!!
...It seemed like only my piece was landing on the 'steady' spaces?!
I had doubts as to why Mion didn't bring out board games for club activities, but that reason was laid bare to me before my eyes.
That's right.
I had only realized it now.
...This game... was completely based on luck!!!
What could I possibly do to make sure I ended up in first place at the end!?!?
The ultimate outcome of this game... was decided in a place beyond human hands!!!
...How were the other club members doing? My eyes naturally wandered off to the other tables.
Mion's table was... what?
They weren't doing anything?
Had they still not decided on a game...?
This naive idea... existed to distract me from the most frightening possibility...
Mion was lounging about, leisurely holding some juice she bought from the vending machine outside in one hand.
When our eyes met she gave me a look of ease.
It couldn't be... she'd already finished?!?!
What game was it?!
That easily?!
It was probably too late to be concerned with that at this point.
Only 5 minutes since we started, and her two opponents were already beyond recourse.
...They were sitting there, slumped over in disappointment.
Muttering to themselves, trying to figure out where they went wrong... for that, they'd find no answer.
Was there any reason for their defeat other than 'they sat at the same table as Mion'?!
Then, what about Rena's table?!
The spectators were causing quite a commotion!
It looked like their game was karuta.
The shop owner was apparently the one reading out the cards.
Rena tended to dawdle along and space out a lot...
...Wouldn't she have a hard time with this game?
"Then, I'll read it out~.
...'The dog gets tired on a walk'~."
BAAAAAAM!!!!
At the same instant the shop owner began sounding out the words, the card in question disappeared off the face of the table—no, the face of the Earth!!!
...Impossible! Where did it go?!
...It was against Rena's cheek.
She was rubbing it there.
"Hau~~~~!
Sho kyuuuute~~!!
I'm taking it home~~~!!!"
Looking at the card Rena was rubbing against her cheek... it was some anime-themed version of karuta, with rather cute moe illustrations decorating the cards.
Basically, it was a picture of a pretty dog-girl with a slightly large chest, panting and half in tears as she was being pulled along on a chain.
...With those types of pictures, even I could play with godlike speed...
Of all people to play that game, it had to be Rena!!
It was entirely possible that her fingertips were on the verge of breaking the sound barrier!!
"...It's over."
Mion smiled coolly. Seeing no further reason to keep watching, she turned back.
"Sho kyute sho kyute!!!
Even if I win, I'll still buy these cards~~!!!
I~'m ta~king them ho~me~~~ hau~!!!!"
After that, the second the card started being read out,
BAAAAAM!
BAAAAAAAAAAAAM!!
Such decisive sounds echoed...
Well then, how about Satoko... oh, she was playing a rather orthodox game.
Concentration.
Judging from the distressed look on Satoko's face... it seemed that she was struggling somehow.
One of the main characteristics of Concentration is that the pace of the game speeds up as it goes on.
As the number of cards to memorize decreases, it becomes easier to match several pairs in a row.
It wouldn't be exaggeration to say that the first person to take over the flow of the match can run away as the winner.
The cards still in play had decreased.
...If you memorized the cards that had been turned over before, you should have a good chance to sweep the table at this point...
Satoko probably knew the positions of all the remaining cards.
...However, her turn came a little too late!
If her opponent followed up... the match would be decided!!
"Houjou... Sorry, but I'm also aiming for the prize money.
Don't hate me for this!"
This guy... did he have the locations of the remaining cards memorized?!
He was completely certain of his victory.
The tension on his face relaxed.
"Hmph.
...It's over."
I whispered that in a bored manner as I turned my attention back to my own game.
I spun the wheel.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5...
"Wh-Whaaat?!?!
No way!!
The ace of hearts should have been here!!"
There was a commotion at Satoko's table as the shout rang out.
The other two at my table turned around in surprise.
I didn't.
After all, there really wasn't anything to be surprised about.
The onlookers were confounded, most of them certain that the ace of hearts should have been there.
"There's no way... I must be seeing things... It must have been because I was excited..."
...So assured in his victory, the distress over his defeat ran deep.
Hmph.
...That's how it is.
If his opponent wasn't Satoko, then the ace of hearts certainly would have been there.
What a fool.
...When you're up against Satoko, you can't let your guard down for a moment until the battle is over!!!
"Hmm? Keiichi-san, you still haven't finished your match?
You have no sense for these things."
With a refined tone of voice reserved for only winners, Satoko called out to me.
For the casual observer, it must have looked like she only eked out a victory.
From my point of view, however... she was only playing around.
The roles of winner and loser had already been decided. It was nothing more than child's play!
The laughable part about it was that her opponent didn't know his role had already been assigned.
"Nice work there.
...Setting up a farce of a trap with the ace of hearts."
"My opponent only walked into one of my traps.
Even then, one was more than enough."
Satoko was a trapper.
Her true talent was never having one misfire.
...Setting off only one trap was more than enough?
...Hmph!! Ain't that cool!!!
The fact that the other club members were winning one after another with their own brand of play only added to my impatience at my own lack of progress...
Oh right, how was Rika-chan doing?!
How was our club's sly little fox doing?
...
What the heck is that?
Over in that corner, the mood at that table was decidedly different from the others.
The game at Rika-chan's table was... you know that battery-powered fishing game?
The one where the fish opened and closed their mouths as they rotated on the platform, and you used a magnetic fishing rod to pick them up? That old thing.
...It seemed they planned on competing by seeing who could catch the most fish, but...
...It had become an atmosphere you could hardly call competitive.
"....Wow♪ I caught one~."
"You're so good!
Rika-chan, you're good at this~!"
"Oh my, she caught another one~.
Rika-chan is really good at this☆"
...I knew that Rika-chan had already charmed her opponents, along with the onlookers, before the matches had even begun, but...
...brilliantly played.
That corner had become an informal meeting of the Rika Furude Fan Club!!
"It's Rika-chan's total victory!
Total victory!
Rika-chan's good at fishing, isn't she~!"
"What Rika-chan is trolling for probably isn't fish..."
Hearing that, she glanced over my way briefly.
"This is my way of getting serious."
...That's what I heard.
"This is a masterful technique that only Rika is allowed— only Rika can do!!"
...Yeah!
...A masterful technique!!!!
"Maebara-san, it's your turn."
"Oh, sorry.
Guess it is.
1, 2.
...Fined for tax evasion.
Pay $50,000 dollars..."
In contrast... my game... what an unseemly situation this was!!
Noticing the uneasiness creeping across my face, my companions came to see how I was doing.
"Huh... Keiichi-kun, could it be you're struggling? You're struggling?"
"Okamura.
Right now, how much money do you have?"
Okamura, who had wrung lots of money out of the elite course, began to count through a stack of white 100,000 dollar bills.
"Uh...about 980,000, I guess."
"...How much money do you have, Tomita?"
"Ah, I have... $880,000.
I'm still close enough to turn this around!"
Those two, it looked like they would easily surpass a million dollars!!
"Well? Kei-chan, how much do you have...?"
Mion's tone of voice was grim from the get-go.
...It was her disappointment and disgust as club president.
"I... It can't be helped!!
There's no strategy involved other than spinning the wheel in this game!!!
How am I supposed to cheat?
Tell those two to close their eyes and count to a hundred while I rig the wheel?!
...You know there's no way I can do that!!"
Rika-chan gently pet my head.
...Still, she wasn't too happy.
"...How pathetic.
At one point I thought you'd be a worthy adversary.
I've been utterly disillusioned."
"Don't give up, Keiichi-kun!
There has to be some way to make a comeback!
Do your best!
Right 'till the end!!"
...Like I said... how am I supposed to make a comeback with this game relying entirely on luck!?!?
Right?! Mion?!
...Mion's face, however, was almost unbelievably indifferent... like she was watching something completely unexciting.
...She then turned her back without saying a word.
"H-
Hey, Mi—"
It was a pathetic voice that irked even myself...
"...I'm disappointed.
Everybody was serious about this, but you're the only one who wasn't."
"Wh-What do you mean by serious?!?!
Are you telling me to control the spinner through sheer force of will?!?!
How can I do that?!?!"
"...If you were serious about it, you would have settled this game 10 seconds from when you started."
"Mi-Mii-chan! You don't have to get so angry!
Wait!"
Mion, in a bad mood, cast me aside and disappeared into the depths of the shop.
...Maybe it was because it had become an awkward situation, but the spectators dispersed from around my table...
Damn it!! Are you saying I'm not serious about this?!
Are you saying if I were serious, I would have settled this game of chance in 10 seconds?!?!
If I were serious... If I were serious...!!!!
Everybody was praying for my victory.
They believed in me!!
...Did I betray their expectations?!?!
Was it because... I wasn't serious?!
....Ugh...!!!!
"Umm... should we continue the game...?"
The two of them were timidly trying to resume play.
...I didn't respond to that.
The table sunk into silence.
"Maebara-kun... should I take that to mean you're giving up?"
The owner, thinking I was forfeiting, started to announce the cancellation of the game...
At that moment!!!
...The demon inside me let loose a howl... and awakened.
I get it now, Mion...
...What it means for me to be serious...
I'll show yoooooooooooooooooou!!!!
BAMPH!!
I clamped my hands on their shoulders, speaking in a low voice after pulling them closer.
"Tomita-kun.
Okamura-kun.
Let's make a deal.
Let me win."
The two of them, not immediately understanding what I had just said or the meaning behind it, were momentarily confused.
"Hey, Maebara-san, no violence!
Let's settle this game properly!!"
"Just listen to what I have to say.
...What is it you guys want?
The 50,000 yen prize?"
"Well, of course.
Winning that kind of money is a once in a lifetime opportunity!"
"Even supposing you win.
What are you going to do with that money?
How are you going to enjoy it?"
...The two of them considered it briefly.
"Buy a new game, or something...?
Snacks?
...Maybe some juice..."
"Hehehe... that's petty.
So petty.
Are you guys stupid? Hehehe!!!"
"Th-Then, how will you enjoy it if you win, Maebara-san?"
"Me?
That's the point.
Just shut up and listen to what I have to say."
We club members have a penalty game separate from the casual participants.
If we lose, we have to obey a single command from the winner.
...From another point of view, the winner earns the prize of being able to order the other club members around!
"First of all, Tomita-kun.
You like Satoko, right?
Don't deny it!!!
Next, Okamura-kun.
You like Rika, right?
Don't turn red!!!!"
I drew the two of them—red-faced and conscious of whether anybody else heard what I just said—even closer.
"Lolis!
Moe!
What men covet,
what men dream about!!
It's like an unreachable Garden of Eden!!
Even then, you'd still aim for it, wouldn't you?!
That's because our passionate souls scream for moe!!!!"
That sensitive age where you couldn't say you liked the girl you liked...
Understanding that gave me all the more power!!!
"Tomita-kun, if I win...
I'll make Satoko wear a collar and be your little sister for a day."
*Pshh*. A red fountain spewed from both of Tomita-kun's nostrils.
"Also, Okamura-kun.
I'll put cat ears on Rika-chan and let you take her out for a walk on a leash."
*Pshh*. Blood erupted from the vein in Okamura-kun's forehead.
""Th-th-that... That... Uhhhhhhhhhh......!!!!!""
"Don't be shy!!!
Just pretend I forced you to go along with me!!
You two are simply sacrifices to Maebara-senpai's whims!!
You can pretend to be against it!!
I understand!!! I know everything that your hearts desire!!!!"
...Then, I suddenly lowered the tone of my voice.
"...My school life was very bleak.
I know with my very body how foolish it is to waste such an important time in your lives.
...So... to you, my juniors...
I don't want you to live your lives like that!!!!!
Be honest with yourselves!!!
Chase your dreams!!
Fulfill them!!!
I'll fulfill them for you!!!
I wiiiiilllllll!!!!"
It was this moment that the values of men bridged generations.
""Ma-Maebara-saaaaAAAaaaaaAAAaan!!!!!!""
Did I ever have a mentor who ever spoke my mind for me so strongly?
Never!!
There was no way there was!!!
That's because in a man's lifetime, he'll only have three fateful encounters.
That valuable first time... was being experienced right this moment with these two!!!!
"It's fine then?
Let's do it.
...One, two, three."
"""Game oveeeer!"""
It was such an assertive declaration of the game's ending that everybody in the store turned and looked.
It had been less than 3 minutes since I was on the verge of forfeit and all the spectators were certain of my loss.
"Ke-Keiichi-san... what happened!?
Who won...?!"
"It was my complete victory."
"Wh-What did you saaaaAY!?
Exactly how did you overcome that situation?!"
"There's no need to explain what happened.
It was a gentleman's agreement.
Right, guys?"
""YESSIR!!!!""
The two of them, stifling tears of gratitude, answered strongly from the bottom of their hearts.
Exactly what kind of miracle occurred here during those three minutes the spectators all looked away from my utter disadvantage?!?!
"Y-you did it! You did it, Keiichi-kun!! Yaaaaaay!!!"
The spectators were puzzled at how I was able to so quickly overcome that hopeless situation!
"...That guy, is he able to control the spinner wheel with his eyes or something?!"
"It's a miracle!"
"What devilry is this!!"
"He's in cahoots with *that* Mion, you know!?"
"There's no doubt he had some strange trick up his sleeve!!"
I looked at the crowd, who couldn't help but be excited, out of the corner of my eye. Now fully awakened and in battle mode, I let out a derisive laugh.
"...So this is what it means for me to be serious.
Mion."
"Hmph.
...You took your sweet time."
Baring our fangs at each other, we laughed together in a most unsightly fashion!!
"With this... all the club members have cleared the first round, then!!"
"Which means, this time... it's a match against everybody! A match!"
"...I've already decided what I'm going to buy with the prize money."
"That's only natural~!
Right~?"
Satoko and Rena smiled (sneered?) at each other.
Hmph, these guys...
Do they really think they can win against Keiichi Maebara when he gets serious?!?!
"Mion.
...That was a mistake.
...You shouldn't have offered me 'advice' just now..."
"...Hehehe... what a mewling newborn you are.
You're a million light years too early to think you can win against me."
"Mion.
...Light years are a measure of distance."
...Oh, she's embarrassed, she's embarrassed.
"What are we doing, Mii-chan?
How are the five of us going to face off?
How?"
"Well now.
...Hehehe.
We have such a splendid line-up.
It would be a waste to rush things."
"...Mii is saying something complicated again."
"!? ...It couldn't be... why you—!!"
Mion's hair flowed elegantly—almost like a cape—as she turned her back to the table.
"As for today's contest: I, Club President Mion Sonozaki, will reserve judgment for now.
The method and time are yet undecided.
...The more spectators, the better.
It should be in front of everybody from Hinamizawa and Okinomiya.
...By then, we'll know the best way to finally settle things."
"A-Are you running away from this!?!?
This is too unfair, even for you, Mion-san!"
"Hehehe... you newborn!!
Do you still not realize what has happened?"
The combative aura billowing out of Mion's body formed a barrier, stopping Satoko's advance!!
"We'll meet again.
Prepare yourself for your inevitable defeat."
With a shrill laugh, Mion left the store...
After a moment of silence, the crowd erupted into cheers!!
"When will they resume the contest?!"
"Mion's serious!"
"The other members did great too!"
"That new guy, Maebara... He's got some strange power...!!!"
"He turned the tables in an instant!!"
""Maebara-saaaaaan!!!
You've got to win!!!""
"Yeah!!
I'll dunk someone like Mion headfirst into the River Styx for ya!!!"
The part of the crowd that had apparently overheard the covenant between Tomita-kun, Okamura-kun, and myself erupted into a cheer again!!
Mion's going to win anyways!!
She's the Undefeated Empress!
I'm betting on Mion!!
No, it's going to be Rena with that ungodly speed!!
Satoko the Trap Artist!!
Rika the Siren!!
It may be a long shot, but it'll be Maebara!!!
However, right now, I had no ear for those cheerful voices.
Setting the stage for this huge match and then running away like that... I wasn't going to forgive Mion!!!
Outside of the store, Mion was getting on her bike as the shop owner was seeing her off.
"Don't run away, Mion!!
If you're the club president, don't run!!
Fight meee!!!"
"Oh, sorry, Kei-chan.
Right now,
I've got to get to my part-time job☆."
Huh!?
Like you would see in a sketch-comedy show, my legs slipped in opposite directions until I was doing the splits.
"Yeah.
While you were playing your game, Mii-chan received a phone call.
...It's too bad."
"It was just getting good, too... not our lucky day.
...They're getting crushed at the sale over at my Uncle's store. They don't have enough people to work the registers, so he called me for help."
"When you say your uncle... does he manage a supermarket or something?"
"It's just a small store,
buuuut!
...Whenever you put stuff on special, all the housewives swarm in like locusts. Don't they have any common sense?!
Even though they don't have enough staff, they're selling a carton of eggs for 10 yen, limit one per customer!!!"
I was a little surprised.
You would never think that this was the club president exuding such a dark aura inside the store just a short time ago.
It was the usual Mion right now, almost exasperatingly so.
My shoulders slumped.
...That's right.
Club mode was over now...
But... It was really heated today.
It really was fun!
Damn Mion, she really knows how to fire people up!
"Me too!
I got so fired up my head started to tingle!
Especially Kei-chan!
That was scary!!
I thought he was going to eat me alive there!"
"It's work, so I guess there's nothing you can do... but it really is too bad!"
"I really want to continue this some other time!
Any time is good~!"
"...How about we do it at the Watanagashi Festival?"
"The Cotton Drifting Five-Demon Fire Fight!
...That's right.
I'll think about it."
Right now, what were Rika-chan and Mion talking about?
...Watanagashi Festival?
Cotton Drifting Five-Demon... what??
"Ahahahaha!
I love it when things turn out all over-the-top and manga-like.
It'd be nice if we could have another thrilling club activity like this soon!"
She laughed with a smile that made you feel refreshed just looking at it.
At that moment, the shop owner came out carrying a paper bag.
...I wonder what it is.
Is he giving it to us?
"Thank you, everybody, for today.
Thanks to you, the event went really well~!
It's not much, but here's a little something for you guys~."
"Hey, Uncle Yoshirou!
Isn't there a little something for me, too?"
"My my my!!
Quite an adorable one, is it not!?"
When Satoko and Rika-chan opened up the bag, there were cute little stuffed animals inside.
"Wow!!
They're so... kyute~...!!
Can I take them home?!
I really can...!?"
"Which means, there's something for me, too?
......Oh.
I got a pretty adorable one."
It was a stuffed toy wearing a beautiful dress. One you'd use to play house.
Rena's eyes were glued to my stuffed doll!
...Satoko was the same, and...
Rika-chan too...!?
"Ahahahaha!
Kei-chan got the one that fits him the least!"
"...How do I say this... I could say it's pretty or cute...
...Well, I guess it's cute and pretty... I can admit, it's adorable... but a doll with changeable clothes is... eh..."
"If you walked around with it, then you'd be treated like a weirdo starting tomorrow. Definitely!"
...Mion didn't have to go that far.
This wasn't something a guy like me should be carrying around.
Mion was the only one who hadn't received a present, so I thought about giving it to her. However, after briefly considering, I gave it to Rena instead.
"Huh!?!?
You're giving it to me!?
To Rena!?
Thank you~~~!!!!!"
"Just protecting myself.
...If I didn't give it to Rena, then walking the streets at night would be scary."
"Ahahaha!!
No doubt! No doubt!"
"I thought about giving it to Mion, but it just didn't feel right!"
"Heh heh heh, you know it!
I sometimes wonder why I wasn't born a boy."
"It's better that you're a girl.
If you were a boy, I would have killed you already!"
"Ahahahahaha!!
You should kill me while you still can!
If you don't, Kei-chan, you might not live to regret it.
Ahahahahaha!!"
Mion laughed after saying such an ominous line.
Everybody laughed heartily along with her.
"Ask God to make you a boy in your next life!
I'll also have Him make me a boy."
"Then together, the two of us will start with taking over the country as a warm-up!
Ahahahaha!"
"Mion-chan, if you don't get going soon..."
the shop owner told her meekly.
The lot of us looked like we were having a lot of fun, so it must have been hard to put a wet blanket on things.
"Later then.
Today was really fun.
I'll see you later guys.
Tomorrow, at school~!"
"Don't be late for work!"
Everybody waved their hands and watched as Mion left.
...Before I knew it, the sun was already setting, and the breeze carried a hint of chill.
"Should we play for a bit more in town?
Or should we go home?"
"...The road gets scary when it's dark."
"Then, I guess it's time to leave.
We certainly caused a ruckus today!"
"We sure did! ...Okay!
Let's go home."
The wind blew gently, as if to cool down those of us flushed with enthusiasm.
The road back to Hinamizawa was long, but I didn't really mind.
"Oh, that's right!
Rena-san, you achieved an overwhelming victory, didn't you?"
"When Rena gets like that, I'm sorry to say it, but there's no winning against her!"
"Ahahahaha!
It was because the cards were so kyute.
See!
I bought them☆. Hau~~!"
"Rika was the same as usual.
When it comes to boys, it's like taking candy from a baby!"
"...It was an easy win."
"...How much was calculated and how much was natural...?
I get scared when I think about how Rika will turn out in the future..."
"Ahahahaha!
Satoko-chan was amazing too!
The way it ended was really exciting!"
"It wasn't the sort of game where I should be complimented.
Ohohoho!"
"...Keiichi, you also showed your fangs at the end there."
"Hm?
Well, I guess!
I'm the type of guy who's strongest when he's cornered!"
"...Tomita-san and the others seemed to be cheering you on really hard... what was that about?"
"...He made some sort of promise with Tomita and Okamura.
...It's probably a secret."
"A... a secret... a secret...
... Hau~~... I wonder what it is, I wonder!"
"....Ah, sometimes, for a man, there are times we can only understand one another by fighting...!
Wahahahaha!!"
Desperately laughing, I frantically tried to avoid the subject.
After that, everybody continued to praise each other for how they defeated their opponents, and reflected on how fun today was.
"Everybody look!!
The sunset is beautiful~!!!"
Satoko, getting even more excited, pointed. Waiting where her finger indicated was an immense sunset, casting even longer shadows of us on our bikes.
The cries of the higurashi were gentle and very comforting...