Chapter 577 - Every Moment, a New Turn
Humans are creatures of adaptation. We turn the unknown into the known, coming to terms with fear, awe, surprise, and other emotions, eventually growing accustomed to them.
I understand this, probably more deeply than the average eighteen-year-old.
It started with my time as a part-time warrior, experiencing countless workplaces from short-term to long-term gigs. It continued with making sleepless nights of desperate studying a familiar routine. And it culminated in the special position I now hold in the virtual world, as a 'ranker' or whatever they call it.
My experience has taught me that anyone can get used to most things, given enough time and repetition. Yes, for example, even things like—
"—And so, this five-year-old me goes headfirst into the ocean. What I remember is the incredible pain of being slammed onto the surface of the water from a pretty good height, and the feeling of my body sinking deeper and deeper no matter how much I struggled... Then there was the sight of a poisonous-looking seaweed forest, sparkling in all sorts of colors from the sunlight piercing the water, and the emotionless eye of a huge fish that I felt passed just inches from my face."
"...I see. That would certainly explain why you'd be traumatized by several things... Um, Kasuga-san."
"Yes?"
"Your skillful scene-setting and emotionally charged narrative reveal a surprising talent, which is all well and good, but you're scaring the Young Mistress, so if you could please tone it down..."
"Huh? Oh, uh, sorry. It's fine, really. My family jumped in and salvaged me right away, and I didn't have any serious injuries or lasting effects or anything, okay?"
"I believe the incident itself qualifies as a 'serious' matter."
"Well, it's just a funny story from long ago now."
"Given that you're still carrying the trauma, it hasn't quite become a 'funny story' yet."
"I'm fine with swimming, and small fish in a pond don't bother me."
"What about large carp?"
"If they're pets, I can convince myself they're fine."
"That is not what most people would call 'fine.'"
"By the way, I've never been to an aquarium."
"No, I imagine you haven't..."
—And so it goes.
Even an unrealistic fantasy like sharing a dinner table with a surprisingly good listener of a maid can transform into simple, everyday life through sheer repetition.
"Having heard your stories... it seems, Kasuga-san, that you are thoroughly loved by the gods."
"That look in your eyes says you're teasing me. Let's hear the details of this 'love,' shall we?"
"The way you've faced a lifetime of dramatic events yet always come out unscathed in the end... it's as if you were their favorite toy."
"Please don't say the same thing my mother does."
It's been a while since I started visiting the Yotsuya residence on weekends. Naturally, I've had more opportunities to speak not only with Sora but with her maid as well, and from there, it didn't take long for us to warm up to each other.
Well, we had a strange sort of rapport before, but we weren't exactly 'friends,' so I suppose you could say our relationship has certainly changed.
Of course, it wasn't as if I was the one who actively tried to get closer.
"May I ask about your mother?"
"Huh? Oh, sure. My mom is basically a demon of vitality..."
It was the maid here, Itsuki-san, who made the first move.
In fact, this whole 'invitation' thing started with a formal protest from her: "The other two are living under one roof with you, while my Young Mistress continues to be left out. I find this unacceptable. I demand compensation."
And when I had no choice but to accept her demand and make the weekend invitations a regular thing...
"Oh my, a flower arrangement instructor... How lovely."
"I've only been to observe since I was in elementary school, but she was really cool."
It was the maid, the maid, the maid who kept engaging with me, pushing the actual 'Young Mistress' aside. At first, I was a bit put off by it, thinking, 'Seriously...' but—
A quick glance to my side revealed the 'Young Mistress' herself, beaming with a constant, happy smile as she watched her 'family' and me getting along.
Well, of course. There was no way this maid would ever put anyone before her.
"You seem like you'd be good at flower arrangement or tea ceremonies yourself, Itsuki-san."
"Heehee... Actually, I have some experience with them, from long ago."
"This maid has done everything... Wait, how old were you back then, Itsuki-san—ah, okay, never mind, I'll shut up, please stop smiling like that, it's scary, it's scary."
"My. What a thing to say to a maiden's gentle smile."
"...Hehe..."
I'm sure that's not the only reason she teases me... but regardless, this whole setup isn't for my sake, or for Itsuki-san's.
It's a gift, prepared by a devoted maid for her precious Young Mistress.
◇◆◇◆◇
"You seemed to be having a lot of fun with just Itsuki-san again today."
"I think the person who just smiled endlessly next to me without joining the conversation might be the cause..."
And yet, she still gets jealous. The hearts of maidens are a complex mystery.
We moved from the dining room to Sora's room—no, to my room.
Somehow, a room had been prepared for me. According to the maid, "This is Kasuga-san's exclusive guest room." I was told I was free to use it, and so this de facto personal space was pushed upon me.
In addition to a bed I have yet to use and have no plans to use for the foreseeable future, it's furnished with the basics like a table and shelves—
"...Wait a second, this is brutal, just brutal. Have mercy, Sora-san, have mercy."
"Checkmate. Nope."
—and a mountain of what Alicia would call digital (analog) games, but were actually bona fide analog board games. Apparently, they're a hobby of Togo-shi's, and the collection he's amassed at the Yotsuya residence fills the shelves and storage walls as our playthings.
With such things at our disposal, it became natural to spend our time after dinner engrossed in these games with Sora...
"I can't win... What is with this girl...?"
"Ehehe..."
The Yotsuya heiress is just absurdly, demonically strong. From simple games like Othello to more complex ones like chess, I have yet to win a single game against her.
I heard that she's been playing them since she was little due to Togo-shi's influence, but even so, she's too good. I may be an amateur, but I can only think that she has a genuine talent for strategy.
Like with shogi, for example. I was stunned when she crushed me with a six-piece handicap.
According to Sora-san, "It wasn't that easy, you know," but I, who watched her play through the entire game with a soft, cheerful smile never leaving her face, will never know the truth.
...Now that I think about it, I'm starting to get frustrated again.
"Sora-san, let's play shogi."
"...Didn't you say you would never play it again?"
"A boy is allowed to take back his words a couple of times."
"I'm not sure what to say when you state something so uncool with such confidence..."
Shoving the chessboard, on which I was also thoroughly defeated, to the side, I pulled out the shogi board I had tearfully sealed away in the back of the closet, just as Sora said, declaring, "I'm never playing this again."
It wasn't one of those thin boards, but a magnificent one with proper legs, its value impossible for me to guess.
The format of our match was, of course—
"Let's do this fair and square, with a six-piece handicap, please...!"
"...It feels strange for me to say this, having been the one to crush your pride, but are you okay with that, Haru? I mean, it's completely fine with me, but..."
Okay or not, the unshakable fact is that I can't win at all, with or without a handicap. In that case, it's better for both of us to play in a way that Sora can enjoy too.
I am absolutely not thinking any unmanly, crafty thoughts about my adorable younger partner, like wondering if I might be able to snag a fluke win by some mistake.
Maybe she could give me an eight-piece handicap instead of six... but anyway,
"Hey, Sora."
"What is it, Haru?"
As we both moved our pawns with crisp clicks, I spoke to my partner next to me.
"With these kinds of games, don't you think playing face-to-face has a better atmosphere, or something...?"
"Please stop thinking about unnecessary things and concentrate. You'll be in checkmate in seventy-three moves."
"Wait a minute, you're kidding, right?!"
While tightly pinning one of my arms, she moved a piece on the opposite side and declared something terrifying, whether it was true or not. I proceeded with the game, one move at a time, filled with dread.
To be honest, I can barely see one move ahead, let alone ten... but Sora-san, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, seems to be seeing not just ten moves ahead, but far, far beyond that—
Somehow, I think I'm starting to get it.
The fundamental source of the strength that [Sora] sometimes displays in the virtual world.
"...Haru."
"Hm?"
I responded to the voice from close by while glaring at the board, sensing that I was steadily walking the path to defeat. Even as the warmth from her body pressed closer... for two reasons, I couldn't run away now, so I simply accepted it.
"Are you going home again today?"
"Well, yeah. I have the selection matches tomorrow, too."
"Itsuki-san can drive you, first thing in the morning."
"I plan on making adjustments early in the morning, so first thing won't be enough time."
"Mmph..."
Sora-san's unspoken question was, 'Aren't you going to stay over?' I gave her a 100% factual excuse, and she responded... as if in protest.
My major piece was snatched away with magical dexterity, and I could do nothing but offer a wry smile.
"You know... I understand that Togo-shi has given his 'permission,' but I still think it's a bit much for a guy to be staying over in a house with his two 'daughters.'"
Both out of respect for a father's feelings, and out of my own sense of decency.
"But Nia-san and Iris-san are under the same roof with you, aren't they?"
"The Chitose parent and child are also under that roof, so it's safe."
Besides, we're all so conscious of each other that a peaceful state is paradoxically maintained within the dormitory.
"Mmph...!"
Lately, Sora has started to make her selfish demands to me directly.
And I, for my part, can't help but find the way she tries so hard to be endearing. When we're alone, I don't even have the heart to deflect her direct advances, and the fact that the other two have caught on and now give me the side-eye has become the new normal.
So, well, in short...
"By the way, Sora-san, how many moves until checkmate is this?"
"Six moves...!!"
"My life hangs by a thread...!?"
It's 'dangerous' in more ways than one.
Which is why I'd really appreciate it if you'd spare me from a sleepover at your house, where there are no stoppers around.
A candle in the wind. How many more moves until checkmate?