After Elsie told her that Keima Katsuragi was serializing game walkthroughs on his blog, Shiina Hiyori clicked through to take a look out of curiosity.
Before then, Shiina Hiyori hadn't even created an account on that social media platform.
Keima Katsuragi's incredibly detailed walkthroughs caught Shiina Hiyori's attention. In particular, the way he brought the game's story to life was no less engaging than reading a short story.
For the first time, it made Shiina Hiyori interested in games as a medium.
Meanwhile, Airi Sakura kept her head lowered, trying hard to make herself less noticeable. Still, she couldn't help tilting her head slightly as she listened to their conversation.
Shiina seemed to be on pretty familiar terms with Katsuragi...
Was the story she mentioned the walkthrough Katsuragi had posted on his blog?
Katsuragi didn't seem to have told anyone else about writing walkthroughs...
I only stumbled across them because the website recommended them to me...
Could it be that Katsuragi had told Shiina about it himself?
Airi Sakura's mind raced.
Meanwhile, Keima Katsuragi looked utterly serious as he said to Shiina Hiyori:
"No, this isn't my story. I've only given a simple description of the game's plot. It's not even a tenth as good as the game itself! You can only understand that by trying it for yourself! If you're new to games, I'd recommend this one... But if you like puzzles, then you should try..."
As soon as the conversation turned to games, Keima Katsuragi seemed like a different person as he spoke to Shiina Hiyori.
Looking at the earnest boy in front of her, Shiina Hiyori's faint smile grew just a little.
He really was a lot like her.
When they talked about something they loved, they became completely serious.
"If I get the chance, I'd definitely like to try one for myself."
Shiina Hiyori nodded.
After chatting for a while, the group got ready to leave the library.
Keima Katsuragi played his handheld as he hurried straight back to the dorm.
Airi Sakura didn't go back to the dorm with them.
"In the end... I just ended up causing Katsuragi more trouble..."
Airi Sakura sighed and muttered to herself.
She'd wanted to treat Keima Katsuragi to a meal to repay him, but her plan had fallen through because Suzune Horikita and the others had intervened.
After that, she'd joined Keima Katsuragi's study group, hoping to help him round out the numbers. But because she had trouble focusing, it had turned into a one-on-one tutoring session instead.
All she ever did was cause Keima Katsuragi trouble. Instead of repaying him, she just kept owing him more and more.
After watching Shiina Hiyori talk with Keima Katsuragi, a thought suddenly came to Airi Sakura.
If Keima Katsuragi liked games so much, why not just buy him one?
The idea grew stronger and stronger in Airi Sakura's mind.
But with it came a wave of nerves.
She'd have to go to the supermarket by herself again...
Last time, Keima Katsuragi had gone with her, so it hadn't felt so bad.
But she definitely couldn't ask Keima Katsuragi to go with her again this time.
After all, who asked someone to accompany them to buy that very person a gift?
The thought left Airi Sakura torn all over again.
"What should I do..."
"I thought I'd made at least a little progress..."
"If I keep my head down the whole time, maybe I can..."
Just as Airi Sakura was trying to talk herself into it, Shiina Hiyori's gentle voice came from behind her.
"Um... Sakura, are you heading to the supermarket?"
Airi Sakura jumped, instinctively shrinking back. But she quickly realized how rude she'd been and hurriedly lowered her head.
"I-I... yeah."
"I was going to the supermarket too. Would you like to go together?"
Shiina Hiyori asked politely.
"Um... okay..."
Airi Sakura gave the tiniest nod.
Maybe it would be all right if she went with Shiina Hiyori...
Airi Sakura had very keen instincts. Kushida Kikyo was usually warm and friendly, but for some reason Airi Sakura never felt entirely at ease around her.
But she didn't feel that way with Shiina Hiyori.
The two of them set off together for the supermarket.
On the way, they seemed to share an unspoken understanding and didn't say a word.
Airi Sakura was extremely shy. Even a few words with someone else could leave her completely drained.
Shiina Hiyori was a little more outgoing than Airi Sakura, but she was usually rather solitary too and rarely spoke to anyone. This time, she'd invited Airi Sakura along because she was friends with Keima Katsuragi and Elsie.
They walked all the way to the supermarket in silence, then headed straight to the household goods section.
'Shiina must be here to buy household supplies, right?'
Airi Sakura wondered. But Shiina Hiyori didn't stop there. She simply kept walking.
'So Shiina isn't buying household supplies?'
Just as Airi Sakura was wondering, the two of them reached the electronics section and stopped in front of the same store at almost the same time.
A game store.
Questions flooded Airi Sakura's mind.
Why had Shiina Hiyori come to the game store?
Wait, wait...
Could it be...
Because of Katsuragi?!
Was Shiina going to get something for Katsuragi?
Airi Sakura's mind began racing.
But this time, Shiina Hiyori spoke first.
"Sakura, is this where you were heading too?"
Shiina Hiyori was just as curious about Airi Sakura.
At first, she'd thought Airi Sakura was going to buy household supplies, but they'd kept walking until they stopped in the gaming section.
"I-I-I..."
The words caught in Airi Sakura's throat. She couldn't get them out, and could only nod.
"I see. I suppose you had the same idea as I did."
"The same idea?"
Airi Sakura's speech seemed to have miraculously recovered, and her words suddenly came more easily.
"I talked with Katsuragi a lot, and I was really interested in the stories he told me... I wanted to find out more, so I thought I'd try playing a game myself. It might be a little like reading."
Shiina Hiyori smiled.
After seeing Keima Katsuragi's stories, Shiina Hiyori had grown a little curious about games as a medium.
Like books, games could tell stories, but she'd never tried one before.
When they'd talked earlier, Keima Katsuragi had told her that games could draw you in even more than books. That had made her curious about them.
And...
It had also made her curious about Keima Katsuragi.
She could tell that Keima Katsuragi was much like her.
And from Elsie's description, Keima Katsuragi seemed to know a lot about mystery novels too. It made Shiina Hiyori feel as if she'd found a kindred spirit.
Shiina Hiyori was curious about games and also wanted to learn more about Keima Katsuragi, so she'd come here.
"You came for the same reason, didn't you, Sakura?"
"Y-yeah..."
At that moment, Airi Sakura had no idea how to answer.
She was too embarrassed to admit that she'd actually come to buy a game as a gift for Keima Katsuragi.
So she could only force herself to nod.
"Then let's go inside."
"Okay..."
Airi Sakura and Shiina Hiyori walked into the store together.
Just then, a somewhat familiar voice came from inside.
"Seriously, what are all these names? I can't find it anywhere!"
Airi Sakura's eyes widened slightly when she heard the voice.
She knew exactly who it belonged to.
Suzune Horikita.
At that moment, Suzune Horikita was scanning row after row of game cases with an impatient look.
She'd come here to keep her promise to buy Keima Katsuragi a game.
The study group had fallen apart that day, leaving Suzune Horikita in a terrible mood. But she wasn't someone who went back on her word.
Suzune Horikita had considered asking Ayanokoji Kiyotaka to buy the game for her, but she didn't want anyone else to know about it. She'd only told Ayanokoji Kiyotaka about her bet with Keima Katsuragi, not about promising to buy him a game, so in the end she'd come to buy it herself.
"Keima Katsuragi, that guy..."
Suzune Horikita frowned and looked down at her device, where she could see the messages Keima Katsuragi had sent earlier.
[Keima Katsuragi]: Don't forget about getting me that game!
[Keima Katsuragi]: That's the price of me agreeing to have lunch with you, so don't try to wriggle out of it.
[Keima Katsuragi]: Since you're buying me one, don't get me something I already have. I want My Youthful Romance: Thoroughly Taming My Tsundere Little Sister, Collector's Edition.
"That guy actually made demands! And how can he type out a title like that without feeling embarrassed?!"
Suzune Horikita gritted her teeth.
She'd planned to buy the game and leave, but she'd searched all over and still couldn't find it.
"Hello, can I help you?"
Just then, a clerk came over to Suzune Horikita and asked,
"Are you looking for a game? Some of our game cartridges aren't on display. If you tell us the title, we can check our inventory for you."
"I'm looking for—"
The words reached Suzune Horikita's lips, then abruptly stopped.
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