Chapter 224: Encounter Penalty Part 2
Chapter 224: Encounter Penalty Part 2
Translator: Kurehashi Aiko
Talk about a player truly dedicated to his hobby…… However, I think that Iwamaki-san pushing himself a little bit too hard, trying to play as many games in as very limited amount of time as possible. I would never be able to do such a thing with such dedication, but apparently he is fine with it. I, on the other hand, will stay to my kind of past-timing.
「So? Have you give ShanFro a go? Or perhaps you have given it a go, and you bounced from it so hard that you want to play some more sh*tty games just so that you can cleanse yourself?」
「Nah, I am having a blast with it so far. I even have been playing with a group of friends as of late. Imagine that.」
「Hoo, hoo…… Oh, yeah, that reminds me. Here. It is not really a sh*tty game of any kind, but I heard that it is pretty good.「
Saying that, Iwamaki-san presented a certain package to me,
「…… Sh*tty game?」
「Hmm, it certainly looks the part, but it is not really a sh*tty game. At least that’s what I heard. This game even has a certain secret boss…… A boss that is said to be unbeatable so far by anyone.」
「Secret boss……」
I highly doubt that it is really like that, but who knows? There are many kinds of games out there that make the world. And I won’t say, the words “secret boss” have a certain appeal to them that tends to draw people in……
That being said…… No, could it be……? But this is…… VR learning materials…… What the hell is this all about?
「Oh well, it doesn’t really matter all that much. How much is it?」
「It’s four thousand two hundred ten yen.」
「Hm, what gives? That’s pretty cheap.」
「That’s the price tag you get on a game that is more or less a VR instruction manual.」
I have only baught ShanFro this summer, and aside from that the only real expenses I have suffered were the travelling expenses for the purpose of GGC. Because of that there was still a hefty amount of money that that resting in my pocket, ready to be spent.
That is why I take my wallet out of my pocket and handle Iwamaki-san a single bill with a certain old man printed on it, without regret and not even a single feeling of sadness in my heart that we would be parting ways for now.
「Right, thank you for your patronage. So, tell? About ShanFro. Are you enjoying is so far?」
「Sure thing. But, you see, the thing is, there are times when I’m playing it that I simply happen to miss some of those good old sh*tty games.」
「Hmm…… Right, I think that it is about time.」
「Hm?」
About time? Was Iwamaki-san waiting for something? Or someone?
Or maybe it was something that he personally wanted to do? If so, as a costumer I am nothing more than a bother right about now. Should I just leave and give him some space?
While I was thinking that, the door to Rock Roll opened with a silent sound and someone has entered the store.
「Umm, Iwamaki-san, what is the meaning of this? You told me to come right away, did something happen……?」
「Ah, yeah, thank you for coming.」
「…………」
Well hello there, Saiga-san. I would like to say that it’s been a while, if it was not for the fact that we have seen one another quite recently.
The one who opened the door to the store and entered it was none other than Saiga-san. Lately, I get the feeling that our encounter rate is really high for some strange reason.
Seeing me inside of the store Saiga-san froze in place. Her eyes got round like saucers with surprise, and after a brief moment of silence she moved her gaze towards Iwamaki-san, as if waiting for an explanation.
「OH, HELLO THERE, FANCY MEETING YOU HERE. WELL NOW, DON’T JUST STAND THERE, COME ON IN.」
「You sounded like a character from a game where the developers were cutting costs by hiring rookie voice actors, so your voice lines sound cheap and as if you’ve got a stick up your ass, you know?」
「CV compromises like that should be unforgivable.」
I could feel that those exact words were genuinely coming from Iwamaki-san’s heart. After all, he is someone who has dedicated his life to Otome games, that branch of games that rely on good voice acting.
「Ah, umm, Iwamaki-san, umm, ahh……」
「Oh my, oh my? Could it be that the two of you actually know each other already?」
「…… Hmm? Oh, yeah. We go to the same school, and we in the same year. Although up until now we’ve only known our names and faces. And that’s about it.」
「…… Holy sh*t, dude. This really is just like a chapter two of every Otome game out there.」
Chapter Two? Just what the heck is this guy talking about?
And why is Saiga-san turning her gaze away when she heard that remark, as though she was unable to bear it?
「You see, Hizutome-kun, the truth is, I have been talking with this girl about you for quite some time now.」
「About me?」
「Eehh, aah, umm, that’s not…… umm……」
For some reason, Iwamaki-san lets out a deep sigh.
「…… Come on now, you may not realize that fact, but you have played lots of different games, right, Hizutome-kun? And since Saiga-chan here only started her adventures with video games, we talked about you quite a lot since you’re experience with video games is rather impressive, right?」
「T-That’s right! That is exactly right! Umm, it’s just as you say!」
「So, does that mean that you were the one who happened to recommend ShanFro to Saiga-san?」
「Yup, it was all me. I heard that it was a hot topic among the young people and that it is really a nice and easy gateway to the world of Full Dive VR games.」
I see, so that is the reason why Saiga-san got so excited once the topic of ShanFro was mentioned. Your first games are very precious memories and we all want to treasure our first experiences as much as possible.
「But I must say, what a strange coincidence…… right? Today marks the first day of school for both of you since the end of summer vacation and the first thing you decide to do is to visit my store? I’m beyond overjoyed.」
What the hell is this? I feel like the atmosphere here is really fishy for some reason, but…… Oh well, it doesn’t really matter.
「Well you see, about that. I wanted to go straight back home and play some games, but then I thought I might as well come here and see if you have anything on sale that I might enjoy.」
「Hmm, I see……」
I must admit, this guy can say the most bizarre of things from time to time. Well, today I had a nice long chat with Saiga-san, so right about now I want to go back home and play that new game I was recommended.
「Right, so that will be it from me. See you around.」
「Ahh……」
「Hm? Is there something wrong?」
「Umm, ehh, s-see you tomorrow!」
「Eh? Ahh, yeah. See you tomorrow!」
What are we, an elementary school students? Oh well, it is actually kind of nice that there are still people out there who are proper and polite like that, always remembering to greet other people properly.
But I wonder if acting like that is not getting you more and more isolated from your peers in a long run?
Now then, what to do: play some ShanFro or maybe try out this new game right here?
「…………」
「…………」
「Now then, let us hold a meeting in order to reflect upon our actions.」
「Umm, maybe if we had a little bit more of a freedom to decide first? That would be nice……」
「And how about we are not going to do that? Knowing you, it would take you at least three years to think, and even then it is not certain that you would be able to reach any kind of sensible conclusion.」
「Ugh……」
「First of all, before you even think about speaking up your mind, work on being able to speak up your mind without stuttering like that so much……」
I wanted to make up for the time lost after my post-Kutanid exhaustion, and so just like that I decided to log into ShanFro and get back into the swing of things.
「Alright, so for the time being……」
There is something that I absolutely must do, and even if I did not wanted to do that there was just no way for me to weasel my way out…… The question is: is he going to be angry? Or is he going to be merciful?
Ninety percent…… No, about seventy percent of a fault for this situation was the fault of Kutanid. However, it is without a doubt my fault that I have taken both Emul and Sickle with me to Lulilas and got them into a dangerous situation that very well could have ended up in the deaths of both of them. For that, I must to show Weissash, their father, that I am truly sorry and that I want to repent for my sins.
「W-what’s wrong, Sanraku-san? Why such a long face? Are you sad?」
「Think a pinky finger is going to be enough? …… Nah, that’s a punishment for small crimes and misconduct…… So, I guess I will really have to split my stomach open……?」
「What the hell are you talking about, Sanraku-san!?」
「Say, Emul? If I will really be forced to commit seppuku, I’m counting on your assistance with that.」
「And I keep saying, what are you even talking about, Sanraku-san!?」
Turns out, I was forgiven with relative ease.