kscans

Chapter 946 - Lively Days, Calm and Stormy

Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.

Studying, sports, work, games—it applies to everything. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that every single thing in this world can be classified into one of those two categories for each person.

And so, I've always believed this.

Talented, untalented.

Skilled, unskilled.

Whichever way it goes, it's all just part of one's personality. It's a harsh reality that we're inevitably ranked… but I think true happiness comes from loving both the 'you who can' and the 'you who can't' in equal measure.

Chin up. It's all about perspective.

Yes, even if there's something you're hopelessly worse at than everyone else…

"—Hrrrraaaah!!"

Whoosh! Thud! CLANG!!!

"Bwah…!"

"…Hmph, ghh."

"Ugh, s-so clo—phh…!"

"Ahahahaha!!!"

…if that's the case, then you just have to find friends who will laugh heartily with you.

"……………………………………………………………………"

This isn't fine at all. What are you all laughing at? This isn't a gag, so cut it out.

And so, here we were, on a Saturday weekend.

I had brought my delightful group of university friends—my dedicated support team, if you will—to an amusement complex in response to a recent request.

In one corner of the bowling alley, on a single lane, I had just masterfully delivered my third consecutive gutterball. In return, I was showered with a truly lively and unreserved quartet of laughter.

"Hee, heheh…! Oh man, seriously. Seriously, Toshiki, nice intel sharing…!"

Shoko was howling, clutching her stomach in a textbook display of uproarious laughter.

"Hah, haha… y-yeah, I know, right…? I just thought, this is too good to keep to myself…!"

Beside her, clutching his own stomach, was Toshiki, my fellow bro and betrayer, who was looking down on this pathetic weakling—me—with amusement, his own score towering over the rest of the group.

"Mmph, heh… I think… it's good that you have a surprising number of weaknesses, you know?"

There was Mizuki, trying and utterly failing to hide her smile with a quick adjustment of her glasses.

"Nngh… mm…! —Nozomi-kun!"

"What is it?"

"It's okay!!! You! Just stay the way you are, okay?!"

"That 'okay' doesn't make it okay."

And then there was Kaede-san, spirited as ever, though I couldn't tell if she was trying to console me or not.

—…Plus, one more.

"……………So—"

"Nnhh…"

"—…Hinata-san."

"Hahh… —Yes. What is it, Nozomi-san?"

"You're laughing too. You're not holding it in at all. I won't forget this. I swear, all of you, you just wait. You'll see what happens when you make me angry. I'll make you all pay someday."

"B-But…! I can't help it…!"

The young lady of the Yotsuya—no, Natsume—household was surrounded and diligently protected by the older girls.

She's as angelic and adorable in the virtual world as she is in the real world, and over here, her physical specs match her delicate appearance. The fact that I was soundly losing in score to Miss Hinata—Sora-san—was shredding my pride beyond repair.

Seriously, what is with my catastrophic lack of bowling sense?

"Why 'someday'?"

"Probably 'cause he can't think of any actual way to get revenge on the spot."

"Can Nozomi-kun even get angry?"

"Just stay the way you are, okay?!!!!"

And seriously, what is up with the ridiculously high concentration of delightful characters around me?

Again, it was Saturday of the weekend—

In other words, it was the early afternoon of the day after the day after Thursday, when we'd conquered the hundredth layer of the Key Tree Maze.

"You dare underestimate me?! Just you watch! The classic trope of awakening through intense rage is about to unfo—ld!!"

Whoosh! Thud! CLANG!!!!

"Why?!!"

"""""What do you mean, 'why'…?!"""""

Today, as always, I was grateful that the prime of my youth had not given up on me just yet.

---

And so begins the seventh part of Chapter 5.

Chapter 5, Part 7. Let's brace ourselves and dive in.