Fellow Losers Epilogue

 

A Romance That Began as Fellow Losers

"...Then why did you come here!?"

"It can't be helped. This is the most convenient place. It's quiet, and we don't have to worry about other people's stares."

"Ahaha... Sorry about this, Takayuki-san."

Just like that, we ended up at Takayuki-san's house again. Of course, it was Sachika who suggested it.

Afterward, we discussed what to do next, but realizing we were both more exhausted than we expected, we came to the conclusion: "Let's go to Takayuki-san's house and go over the midterm exam answers."

When we told Takayuki-san this... he let out a deep, deep sigh.

"What kind of unromantic date is that!?"

"It's very student-like, isn't it?"

"Are you really okay with this, Amou boy!? Is this really okay!?"

"Uh... W-Well, I was planning on doing it after I got home anyway."

"If it's something you can do alone at home, then when you two are together, you should do things that only the two of you can do!"

Faced with this forceful rebuttal delivered all in one breath, Sachika also murmured, "That's true..."

It was actually quite convincing. Doing something that could be done alone when the two of us were together really did feel like a bit of a waste.

"However, I can't really think of any other ideas..."

"Isn't that fine too? Just start by chatting aimlessly... No wait, my little sister doesn't seem like the type who's good at that sort of thing."

"Somehow, that kinda pisses me off."

"Do you want to try it then?"

"......"

"See? If Amou could just keep talking one-sidedly the whole time, that would be fine, and I wouldn't stop him."

"That... might be a bit difficult."

I didn't think Sachika was taciturn, but she definitely gave off the impression of not being good at meaningless, pointless conversations. She was the type who would deeply ponder things starting from, "What exactly constitutes a meaningless conversation?"

Conversely, I wasn't exactly good at it either. If we really tried to challenge ourselves to do it, it wasn't hard to imagine that most of our time would be filled with silence. In that case, checking our exam papers would be far more meaningful.

"It can't be helped then..."

Takayuki-san sighed deeply, walked over to the TV, and crouched down.

"Watching a movie... well, Sachika is the type to stay silent while watching a movie too. To be on the safe side, let's go with this."

Muttering to himself, what he pulled out was—a game console controller that you'd often see in commercials and the like.

"Do you usually play games, Amou boy?"

"Eh, no, not really... I don't even have a game console."

"Seriously!? When I was a kid, games were the ultimate communication tool, you know? Everyone would gather in the park to play multiplayer battles and stuff."

"Well, I... was always completely absorbed in playing tennis."

"Onii-chan, unilaterally forcing your 'when I was young' experiences onto others is the beginning of becoming an old geezer."

"It was purely just a question!? Sigh, whatever. Sachika doesn't play games at all either anyway. It's a perfect balance in that regard."

Although we had been to the arcade, the claw machines we played there were in a completely different category.

While we were staring blankly, Takayuki-san booted up the console and handed us the controllers.

How should I put it, actually holding it in my hands, it felt much smaller than I imagined, and there was an overwhelming sense of it being a foreign object.

Looking at Sachika, who was observing the controller with a puzzled expression, it seemed she felt the same way.

"According to my profiling, having two complete amateurs suddenly play a competitive game would just be confusing and pointless. So, give this a try! It's something even amateurs can play together cooperatively and amicably!"

What he recommended was a shooting game with a slightly retro vibe. I felt like I remembered seeing arcade cabinets for it in the candy stores I used to go to when I was very little.

Although I had seen my friends get absorbed in it, this was my first time actually touching it.

"The rules are simple! Defeat the enemies without getting defeated yourself, pick up items to power up, and keep moving to the right! That's it! Simple, right?"

"It feels a bit barbaric somehow."

"That kind of game is the purest. Give it a try before you complain! As for me, I'm going to step out for a bit. I won't be back right away, so take your time and enjoy yourselves to the fullest~"

Saying that, Takayuki-san really did leave the house.

Did he think dealing with us was too much of a hassle... No, leaving Sachika and me alone meant he trusted us to some extent, right?

Well, even though we were left alone together, the other person was that Sachika. How should I put it, I didn't think the atmosphere would develop in that direction...

"...Anyway, want to give it a try?"

"Sure. If it's boring, I'm going to complain about it thoroughly later."

Giving a wry smile to a slightly nervous Sachika, we started the game.

◇

One hour later──.

"Amou, don't grab that weapon. It'll actually make you weaker."

"U-Understood!"

"Judging by the timing, a large enemy is about to appear... Be careful, Amou."

"You even know something like that—Whoa, it really appeared!?"

Sachika was improving at an astonishing speed.

The movements of the character she was controlling were completely different from mine, moving like an entirely different entity as she swiftly cut down the enemies.

You could revive a few seconds after being defeated, but Sachika had to do that far fewer times than me.

"This is surprisingly quite fun."

Sachika's eyes were visibly sparkling with excitement.

It was obvious that she was becoming deeply engrossed in it at a visible rate.

"Playing games will melt your brain—that idea might be outdated now, but I always felt like it wasn't a good thing, so I've always avoided them."

While defeating a large boss on the screen, Sachika suddenly started speaking.

"However, being fun... as long as it's fun, that in itself is a form of justice."

She said it with a hint of triumph... even her choice of words was inexplicably cool. It was undeniable that she was deeply immersed in the game and her spirits were high.

Although I was engrossed in the game in my own way, compared to Sachika, both my passion and my skills were completely lacking. It had basically turned into a situation where she was completely carrying me.

Then, another hour passed──.

"Ah! We did it!?"

After progressing through several stages and defeating a giant alien, accompanied by dramatic music, the staff credits began to roll.

Of course, the final blow was struck by Sachika. I felt like Villager A watching from slightly behind as the Hero brought an end to a long battle... Well, it's true that a villager wouldn't be standing in a place like that.

"Amou!"

Sachika suddenly looked over at me, her eyes sparkling.

Somehow, it felt like she was going for a high-five, so I reflexively raised my hand──.

"Yay!!"

"Whoa!?"

Without hiding her joy, Sachika lunged straight into my chest!?

The momentum was so fierce and completely beyond my expectations that I was knocked over backward by the force.

"Ah, Sachika!?"

"For some reason, this sense of accomplishment is incredible...! Hehehe, this is a victory we won together!"

With her excitement from the game hitting the ceiling, Sachika showed me an innocent smile that made her look a few years younger.

That smile already possessed an excessive amount of destructive power, but she was also absentmindedly pressing her body heavily against mine, which was even more overwhelming. It left me dizzy and completely at a loss...!

(A-And right now, it's just Sachika and me in this room... Wait, what am I thinking!?)

As a result, even unnecessary worries started getting me worked up.

What should I do? What exactly do I want to do? No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't come up with a solution and could only shrink back.

"Ah...!? I-I'm sorry!"

In the end, this situation continued until Sachika noticed the circumstances and pulled away first. If it had lasted even a few seconds longer............ No, I better not think about it.

"I-I got a little too into it...! I didn't hit anywhere weird, did I!?"

"Ah, yeah, yeah. I'm fine...!"

Although we somehow managed to sit back up, the atmosphere became inexplicably awkward.

If Takayuki-san were here, this atmosphere would probably be swept away... No, it would probably just end with me getting killed.

"W-Well, I might have lost my composure a bit, but aren't you being a bit too unenthusiastic, Amou? We finally cleared the game, you know?"

"Of course I'm happy. It's just that, in the final stages, I was basically just an accessory."

"What do you mean an accessory? That's impossible. It's exactly because you were there that we could clear it. Or rather, if it were just me alone, I probably wouldn't have even gotten past the first stage... Just having you there was very reassuring."

After saying that, Sachika suddenly startled as if remembering something, and then glared at me intently with half-open eyes. Her cheeks were slightly flushed.

"Don't tell me you're doubting what I just said too?"

"Eh, doubting? What you just..."

"...I mean what I told Suzaki-san about you."

"Ah..."

Sachika had said many things to her, but there was only one thing she would specifically use the word "doubt" for.

—However, the reason I want to be with him—with Amou—from now on, is because from the bottom of my heart, I see him as a special man.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call that the highest praise... but it wasn't until she asked me this now that I realized I hadn't doubted her words at all.

Sachika's back from that time was still burned into my memory. Although it was something that happened on the very same day, I'd probably keep it in my heart tomorrow, the day after, and always.

I had no eye for people. I couldn't even properly understand the one girl who had always been by my side, Karen Suzaki.

But, for someone like me to not doubt Sachika's words... was because her words back then resonated and aligned with the feelings I held for her.

Of course, not every part matched perfectly, and Sachika's way of expressing it was much more eloquent...

"I didn't doubt it at all. Though thinking back on it now is pretty embarrassing—"

"Then don't think back on it!"

Smack, she covered my mouth with her hand.

Probably feeling a bit shy from recalling it herself, Sachika looked slightly serious.

"You can forget it... However, although I tell lies just like any normal person, that one thing was absolutely not flattery or an exaggeration... I just wanted to tell you that... That's all."

"...Yeah."

I didn't doubt her. Although she said it was fine to forget it... I nodded again, holding onto the thought that I would "absolutely never forget it."

I tucked her sincerity, along with the joy of today, into an important corner of my mind──.

"That's right, Amou! Since I said it, you should say it too!"

"Eh? Say what..."

"The things................ you like about me."

"Haeh!?"

"It's fine, right! Hurry up and say it! It's too unfair if only my feelings are known to you... Besides, I'm also a little... curious..."

Although her voice grew quieter and quieter until she lost almost all her momentum at the end, I heard the very end perfectly clearly.

The things I like about Sachika...

"...The fact that you can't say it right away, does that mean there are none?"

"N-No! It's because there are too many, so I don't know where to start..."

"Heeeh~? There are many, huh. Hmm~?"

She stared at me with dewy, half-closed eyes... She completely didn't believe me!

"Then just start with the ones that float right on the surface."

"The surface ones, the ones I can think of immediately..."

My eyes met Sachika's. They were a pair of resolute eyes that carried a hint of assertiveness. Long eyelashes. A well-defined nose, soft and glossy lips──.

"You're beautiful, or something."

"So in the end, it's about looks."

"It's not 'in the end'! It's just because that's what's floating on the very surface!"

Sachika has many good qualities. Of course, it's not just her appearance, but the fact that she has outstanding looks is indisputable. Not just her face, but even the silhouette of her entire body visible through her uniform──.

"...Pervert."

"No I'm not!?"

Even though I didn't usually notice it much, following the flow of the conversation, I couldn't help but gaze over her entire body. This, of course, was noticed by Sachika. Keeping a straight face, she wrapped her arms around herself protectively and put some distance between us!!

"As I thought, you're only after my body, Amou. Aah, how cruel. Toying with my pure maiden heart. My heart has suffered severe damage. Boohoo."

"Guh...!"

Although I was clearly being teased, given how things played out, I was completely at a disadvantage.

After that, I desperately racked my confused brain to list Sachika's good points, and Sachika returned them with merciless critiques............ Before long, the topic shifted to something completely unrelated.

We swapped offense and defense over and over, laughing, making a moderate amount of noise, and laughing again... Just like that, by the time we realized it, it was completely pitch black outside, and several hours had passed──.

"...Seriously. You two are so perfectly matched it's annoying."

Takayuki-san, who had returned at some point without us noticing, said this with a sigh of exasperation.

<<PREV | TOC | NEXT>>