"Should I say, as expected of Kazama-san?"
Amaori Renako chuckled awkwardly, scratching her cheek. "I also tried talking to Takamatsu-san, wanting to be friends with her. But our wavelengths just didn't match."
This is a good thing.
Kazama Haru thought to himself.
Given Renako's succubus-like attraction to women, and her fickle attitude, if she really did connect with Takamatsu Tomori...
With Takamatsu Tomori's intense approach to emotions, it might truly lead to a full-blown yandere incident—complete with a hatchet and broken door locks.
"Amaori-san, are you also interested in a Band? We haven't finalized all our members yet; if you join the Band, you might even become good friends with Takamatsu-san."
"Ah, instruments and such, I'm completely clueless about them."
As Kazama Haru expected, as soon as Amaori Renako heard the word 'Band', she reacted like a startled cat whose tail had been stepped on, frantically waving her hands in refusal.
The trauma from the karaoke session earlier made it difficult for her to show interest in anything related to music again.
"Ah, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up." Seeing Renako's dejected expression, Kazama Haru realized he had stepped on a landmine.
To make up for his blunder and help Amaori Renako quickly change her mood, he pointed to the game shop ahead and proactively suggested, "Next, I'm planning to check out that shop up ahead. Amaori-san, would you be interested in coming with me?"
"Game…" Amaori Renako was startled at first, then the gloom on her face quickly dissipated like morning mist.
Gaming was her only hobby, and influenced by her father, Amaori Renako's pocket money was mostly spent on buying game discs.
Not to mention, she now had an invitation from Kazama Haru—a handsome guy who was extremely patient with her and very comfortable to be around.
Maybe today isn't so bad after all...
"Yes, yes! So Kazama-san, you're also interested in games! I thought someone like you would only scoff at virtual products?"
When talking about her area of expertise, Amaori Renako immediately perked up, her voice even becoming more energetic, and her previous worries were quickly forgotten.
"How could that be?" Kazama Haru smiled and shook his head. "A guy's heart never truly leaves boyhood behind. If there's any man who isn't interested in games, he must be completely hopeless—like a protagonist who ignores every flag thrown his way."
"Mhm, mhm! Exactly, exactly, games are the best!" Amaori Renako expressed strong agreement, pumping her small fist.
Pushing open the shop's glass door, the familiar scent of fresh plastic packaging and new paper manuals filled their nostrils. Several well-organized functional sections greeted their eyes beneath the soft hum of fluorescent lighting.
Unlike a specialty store that only sold products from one company, this was a comprehensive game paradise.
Nintendo's iconic red cartridges lined one wall, Sony's blue and white disc packaging occupied another, even Sega cartridges that had long exited the console market sat preserved like relics, and various age-rated galgames with their glossy covers—everything was available.
In addition, there was also an entertainment area dedicated to game merchandise, along with some light novels and manga stacked in neat towers.
This made both of them get starry-eyed.
Even for Amaori Renako, a game collector who had spent at least 500,000 yen on games since childhood, the sheer variety of this store still amazed her. Her pink hair seemed to bounce with each excited turn of her head.
Kazama Haru was equally moved. In his previous life, he grew up in a keyboard and mouse gaming environment and hadn't had much exposure to consoles.
In this life, he had only played some children's console games when his parents were still alive in his youth, and after that, he had little money or time to spend on games.
Looking at the dazzling array of game cartridges on the shelves before him, their colorful spines creating a rainbow of entertainment, he instantly understood Takamatsu Tomori's almost obsessive collecting habit.
If conditions allowed, he would also want a whole wall of games.
Following behind Renako, Kazama Haru arrived at a display cabinet for FPS games. The cool air conditioning carried the faint chemical smell of new disc cases.
Destroyer Warriors, Zombie Crisis, Battlefield series... various familiar IPs flashed by one by one.
Amaori Renako fell into decision paralysis. She only had 10,000 yen on her today, originally intending to buy the new installment of the Call of Duty series, but seeing the dazzling array of blockbusters in front of her, she found it difficult to choose.
"Kazama-san, can you help me?"
Amaori Renako clenched her fists against her chest, her face flushed, and turned to Kazama Haru for help.
"Um, well, let me ask, Amaori-san, which FPS games do you usually prefer?"
Even though he already knew her preferences, to avoid giving himself away, Kazama Haru still asked symbolically.
"That... it's a bit embarrassing to say, but it's the kind of game genre that has no feminine charm at all."
Feminine charm? Did this person, who had just walked into the FPS section on her own two feet, still care about such things?
Renako, who couldn't hear Kazama Haru's internal monologue, continued with growing enthusiasm:
"Story-driven games where you chase zombies and blow their heads off, and battle royale online games. For example, the currently popular APEX and PUBG, those are my preferred types."
"Haha, good taste." Despite his internal shock, Kazama Haru still affirmed her gaming preferences with a genuine smile.
She really is something else.
"How about... we buy a game that can be played cooperatively with friends?" Kazama Haru prepared to push the topic forward with this suggestion.
"Uh, Kazama-san's suggestion sounds very tempting, but besides my sister, I think it would be very difficult for me to find anyone else to play online with."
Am I invisible? Am I really just background scenery here?!
Kazama Haru roared internally, but naturally, he couldn't say it out loud. He could only tentatively and cautiously venture:
"That... actually... I do know a little about FPS games."
"If Amaori-san doesn't mind... perhaps, I could play with you?"
"Dokun—!"
A volcano erupted in Amaori Renako's heart, and the lava that burst forth stained her face crimson all the way to her earlobes. Her fingers went numb around the game case she'd been examining.
What is happening?!
To suddenly declare friendship with such a pitiful expression?
Isn't that against the rules?! This is definitely cheating!
Seeing Renako inexplicably frozen in place like a buffering video, and thinking his sudden invitation had displeased her, Kazama Haru said with a somewhat apologetic tone:
"Ah... no? I'm sorry, Amaori-san, I was too abrupt. Please forget about it."
In Amaori Renako's eyes, the incubus before her was lowering his head dejectedly, and the always composed expression in his brows now showed a faint melancholy because of her.
I surrender! Can't I just surrender?! White flag! Full retreat!
Amaori Renako frantically waved her hands, nearly knocking over a display stand. "Ah, Kazama-san, you misunderstood! I absolutely didn't mean that!"
"Your willingness to play with me is truly an honor for this humble one; there's no reason to refuse. Rather... it's like a happy dream that I don't want to wake up from!"
Due to excessive nervousness, her choice of words became extremely strange, like a samurai pledging loyalty to their lord.
To prove she wasn't lying, Amaori Renako disregarded any shyness, grabbed a copy of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" which supported two-player split-screen co-op, and marched towards the cashier with determined steps.
Kazama Haru blinked in confusion. Why did this trashy pink-haired girl suddenly change her mind?
Walking out of the store, the evening breeze carried the distant smell of takoyaki from a nearby stall. The sky still held its bright afternoon blue, though hints of orange were beginning to creep along the horizon.
Renako secretly glanced at Kazama Haru, clutching the shopping bag against her chest, and her heart stirred slightly.
Thinking of Kazama Haru's gentle attitude towards her just now, Amaori Renako took a deep breath, gathered her courage like a warrior facing a final boss, and said with a trembling voice:
"Um... Kazama-san, I see it's still early, how about..."
Her sneakers scuffed against the pavement as she shifted her weight.
"We go to my place and play a round today... what do you think?"