Ch.70 Going out with Kikyo-senpai ④

After lunch and recharging our energy, we headed next to the cosmetics section. Just like before, I leave Kikyo-senpai in the care of the st

After lunch and recharging our energy, we headed next to the cosmetics section.

Just like before, I leave Kikyo-senpai in the care of the store clerk.

As expected, the store clerk looked shocked and exclaimed, "What, what did you say...!?" as she began an emergency operation.

"Teacher, what about her...?!"

"I'll do my best."

"Hey, Is this trending? Is this farce really trending?"

After seeing off Kikyo-senpai, who had turned into a space cat, I quickly left the store.

I don't intend to make the same mistake twice.

This will probably take about an hour, including the makeup lesson.

So, I headed to a nearby arcade area to kill time.

First, I take a walk around the whole place.

It's fun just looking around and seeing what prizes there are.

Ah, I'll skip the recoil platform.

(TL note : A type of crane game. Click here for more info)

It's crazy that this is spreading across the country.

"Maybe I'll go with this one."

What caught my eye was a mascot plushy from an anime aimed at young girls.

Fairly large size.

The standard for plushies of this kind is that they have three claws, and as expected, that was no different here.

I don't like machines with RNGs in them.

But there's nothing better so there's nothing else to do.

I Insert a coin.

If you are too honest and try to win the prize normally, it's obvious that you will get lost in the traps.

The moment I tilted the lever, aiming for just one tag, my evil thoughts were awakened.

My gaze is fixed on the other plushies lined up nearby.

Of course, that is a space set up so that store staff can quickly replenish supplies.

With a nonchalant look on my face, I moved the arm to the very back and quickly took a look around.

Staff, clear! Other customers, clear!

After I made sure that there was no one around, I started yanking the levers together!

Forgive me, Charasuke. This is the last time I'm doing this.

In response to the movement of the lever, the arm moves dramatically.

Eventually one of the claws got caught on a prize replacement.

It only moved a little.

But it's enough. The fact that it moved even a little is proof that there is a chance.

Time is running low, so I quickly put in another coin.

Kisaragi Aria.

Here to continue the evil play.

I keep moving the claw around slowly, little by little bringing the prize forward.

If I keep doing this, soon enough ー it'll go down!

Finally, the prize plushy fell down.

Just like that! Just like that, keep rolling down to the prize hole!

It's okay, keep going, keep rolling, please.

"Ah"

However, my prayers were in vain, and the plushy never rolled down to the prize hole.

There are more prizes on the field now. Damn it.

With little time left, I don't have time to aim at the tag, so I obediently caught the stuffed animal with all three claws.

It may have lifted up, but it's probably not going to fall down anytime soon anyway, right?

[Congratulations!]

"………… So I got to pity."

With a mixed feeling, I take out the stuffed toy that had fallen into the prize hole.

A common thing amongst crane game players.

When you get them in a way that's different from your own strategy, you'll get a little annoyed.

Well, at the end if the day, I'm still having fun, I guess?

After that, I spent a few minutes browsing the arcade before returning to the cosmetics store.

After waiting a little while, Kikyo-senpai appeared.

After completing her makeup under the guidance of the store clerk, Kikyo-senpai's beauty was greatly enhanced.

"You look beautiful, senpai."

"Uh, thanks..."

Kikyo-senpai blushes and fidgets embarrassed.

In the back, a store clerk was wiping sweat from her forehead and saying with a pleased look on her face, "I did a good job★!"

"When your makeup is done, did you say the mandatory line? 'Is this, me...?' Like that?"

"Enough! Stop making fun of your senpai!"

She said it.

The store clerk even gave a thumbs up.

Well, I guess that's the line the store owners would like to hear the most.

It means that their skills surprised and impressed people.

"Haha, I'm sorry. Here, take this as an apology."

I gave Kikyo-senpai the plushy I just got.

"Huh? When did you get this?"

"Just a little while ago over there."

I point to the arcade area.

“Knowing you, senpai, it didn’t seem like you’d go out of your way to get something like this. So I thought it would be perfect.”

"Eh? Eh? B-but I feel bad."

"Don't mind it. I just did it on my own accord."

"Well, then, the moneyー"

Kikyo-senpai tries to take out her wallet. Why?

"Are you trying to make me look like a shameless person who asks for money from the recipient of a gift?"

"Is it really okay?"

"Of course."

After all, I prefer beautiful girl figurines over plushies.

I wish they would produce more prize figures of various characters from various works.

After all, they've been using the same character from the same work over and over again.

"Thank you. I'll treasure it."

Kikyo-senpai said as she hugged the plushy and smiled happily.

It's a scene I couldn't create.

◇◆◇

"Then senpai, let's have a collab again next time."

"Yeah, next time for sure!"

With the setting sun as a backdrop, Aria was waving gracefully, and I waved back.

The sight of Aria turning on her heel was as beautiful as a painting.

Feeling a sense of regret as I looked at her back, I also set off on my journey home.

It was fun.

It was a very fun day.

It was my first time to act like a normal girl.

Although I always had a longing for it, I continued to pretend not to notice.

Because I didn't have the means to do it.

Although it had been several months since I had been freed from the worries that had bound my life, I still didn't know how to live my life.

I had no idea what a normal girl's life was like.

It was her who brought moisture to those dry days.

I was taught what being normal feels like.

After that, we went to a game shop and I got advice on what games I could try streaming, and bought a few used games.

My bag, which was empty when I left, is now packed more than ever.

Saying goodbye to a few 10,000 yen bills is a bit... no, quite a stomach-churning feeling, but it's a necessary expense.

Aria said that I should get used to it quickly.

That I should live my life the way I want to and be happy.

Aria is definitely a special girl.

A stunning performance that combined all the skills necessary for an idol.

She is also a skilled streamer, and the sight of her trading blows with listeners made her seem like a shining star, and made us feel close to her.

Her setting is TS.

And there will be many male listeners whose brains have been burned by the high resolution and her sense of distance, making them think that this might actually be the case.

It's no wonder that her channel has the most subscribers.

This was no different in the newly launched NewWorld service, where Aria's channel had far and away the most subscribers.

Also.

The person behind that Vtuber avatar is the embodiment of a peerless beauty.

Her speech and mannerisms are different from when she was Alpheria, and they exude elegance.

They were both polite language, but while Alpheria's was polite language that exuded casualness, this time it was more of an elegant tone.

She said that If she use that persona, it would be hard to tell that she's Alpheria.

I don't really understand the reasoning behind it, but I guess it's just her own obsession.

In fact, when I interact with her, she really does seem like a different person.

Still, there are glimpses of her behavior here and there that suggest she is Alpheria.

I was happy every time I found that similarities.

As a senior, I felt extremely embarrassed, but I also felt a sense of superiority that she had thought of and put into action so many things for me.

(It's a swamp...)

I'm already sinking into it.

When I look at the plushy that Aria gave me, a smile naturally comes over my cheeks.

At the same time, I felt envious of Ouka who lived in the same house.

If you follow their live streams, it's clear that they feel comfortable going back and forth between each other's rooms.

They're so attached to each other.

Ouka would deny it, saying "Huh?! I'm not attached, though!? I'm a lone wolf, though!?" but no matter how you look at it, she has almost completely fallen.

What's more, since that horror project, they have been sleeping in the same bed almost every day.

It's not uncommon for Ouka's streams to go on past midnight, and you can see Alpheria sleeping soundly in the bed behind Ouka.

(Um, what was it again? Jealousy, Outrageous?)

Applying words I have recently learned.

Yes, that's exactly it.

Now that I know the person inside Alpheria, this feeling has grown even stronger.

Because it made me feel even closer to her.

(She really was so beautiful... especially that silver hair. It was like a diamond... ―――― Hmm??)

Then the word "silver hair" came to mind.

I'm sure I knew someone who hated silver hair so much that they had an allergic reaction to it.

"Ahhhh!!"

Yes, that childhood friend who threw the word "delicacy" out of their dictionary.

When she was a child, she participated in a singing competition and lost to a silver-haired girl in a rigged match, which left her boiling with hatred.

I take out my smartphone and send a message.

Natsukawa Kikyo

《Hey, do you still remember that silver-haired girl?》

Kusunoki Momiji

《Kill》

... I'll keep quiet.

Sensing the darkness concentrated in that one word, I vowed to take it to my grave.

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