"Achoo—!"
Hayato sneezed, rubbing his nose.Someone must be cursing him behind his back.As the saying went, "My pure love for cattle will never die…"
He had already returned to his tiny room. After taking off his jacket, he sat cross-legged on the floor and tilted his head toward the object placed before him.
A BD disc.
Although it was a bit late, luckily the bookstore hadn't closed yet, and so he had managed to buy it for 7,000 yen.
Seven thousand yen… enough to cover the compensation for hitting someone at a party.Hayato glanced at his right hand, then back at the disc—but now an unresolvable problem loomed before him.
The only entertainment appliance in his home was a bulky, old television. And BD meant Blu-ray Disc.
Yes—he didn't even own a Blu-ray player.
Clap! With almost comical speed, Hayato dropped to his knees, palms pressed to the floor. A low roar of despair escaped his throat.
"No—!!"
As the saying went, all hope is lost!
Me, who had been clever my whole life, am I really destined to be foolish at this one moment!? Kami-sama!! Oh, Lord above, please appear and save this lost lamb!
"Excuse me, are you looking for me? Beep. Ai-chan has arrived with compassion and grace."
"Shut up. No."
"...H-how cruel! Host, you're heartless! How long has it been since you last let Ai-chan out for some fresh air… I think you've completely forgotten about me! Beep, Ai-chan complained like a wife abandoned after only three months of marriage!"
"You are?"
"You're doing this on purpose! Definitely on purpose! Host, you've broken my fragile heart! Oh, but what can Ai-chan do? Is it my fate to fall in love with a man who never comes home… Beep. Ai-chan shed tears, hoping for a gentle headpat as comfort."
"...Disperse, disperse my spirit…"
"Please don't! At least use this lottery chance first!! Beep! Ai-chan urges you, urges you!"
"Lottery chance? Since when did I get another one?"
"Cough, cough... Switching to professional voice mode. Hmm… cough…"
"Congratulations, Host! For successfully completing the 'Train Sekiro' mission, you have earned one lottery chance. Would you like to draw immediately?"
"…Sekiro?" Hayato frowned, thinking it was a typo. Then he looked at the wooden sword lying nearby. Ah—so Sekiro was him.
The duel between Train Pervert and Train Sekiro… it all made sense.
"Draw," he said firmly. "And after you're done, sleep quietly. I need to reflect on myself."
"Clang clang clang… boom boom boom…"
"Can you not make those clumsy sound effects? They're irritating."
"Hmph! Host, you don't get it. This is how you build the lottery atmosphere! Beep! Ai-chan vowed to pull something amazing this time—something that would make you praise me to the heavens!"
What now? A little boy who self-destructs on the spot? That would be a Showa-era development, indeed.
"…A regular 'Matsushita' brand Blu-ray DVD player!…"
The system fell silent. For several seconds, the air grew heavy. Then Hayato clicked on the item description.
"Blu-ray DVD Player": Very useful, but no warranty.
"… … Ai-chan will just die now! Ai-chan is useless anyway, always drawing trash! Ai-chan has become trash too! Watch me die right before your eyes, Host!"
"You—"
"Don't scold me, don't scold me, don't scold me! I'll disappear right away, QAQ!"
"You did well."
"Eh?"
"Too well, in fact. It was beyond my expectations. You're amazing. Truly the best system in the world."
"Eh… eheh… r-really? Ai-chan showed a triumphant smile, puffing out her huge 36D chest. Even if it's embarrassing that her career was saved by a warranty-less DVD player… Ai-chan won't say it. Eh heh… praise me more, praise me more… Beep, Ai-chan launched a counterattack, trying to change her Host's impression of her once and for all!"
"Enough. Be quiet. I'm going to watch the disc."
"QAQ…"
…
Because he stayed up late watching the disc, Hayato ended up using math class in the morning as nap time.
Honestly, he thought the math teacher should change careers and become a hypnotist—he could probably compete with Tanaka Hatsumi.
By the time Hayato woke up, it was already lunchtime.
Anshi was tugging on his ear, yelling, "How many adult films did you watch last night!? You look like a zombie today!"
Hayato gave him a warm smile and said kindly,
"Get lost."
Anshi rolled his eyes. "Fine! I'm going to the convenience store. Want me to bring back some yakisoba bread?"
"Yeah," Hayato replied. "Oh, and when you come back, lend me your copy of Tonight, My Sister-in-Law Falls in Love with Me."
Anshi's eyes sparkled instantly. "You finally understand the subtlety of this manga!?"
"Ah," Hayato smiled faintly.
Anshi grinned even wider, his whole expression turning lecherous. Pointing both index fingers at Hayato, he bounced out of the classroom like a husky set free.
This wasn't Hayato betraying the great Pure Love Cult, nor was it a violation of its creed. Yesterday, when buying the BD disc, he had noticed that manga being sold nearby. With the noble spirit of learning from barbarians to subdue barbarians, Hayato had read its synopsis—and discovered that the "me" in the title was actually a girl.
It told the heartwarming story of a sister-in-law and a sister-in-law supporting each other after the brother's death. How could that be cuckoldry!? Surely, the brother in heaven would also smile warmly and say, "This old man's life was worth it!"
As Hayato stretched his tingling shoulders, he happened to notice Nanao Akane squatting by the classroom door.
"What's wrong?" he asked, walking over. Could it be that she was here to get revenge for yesterday, when he had asked her to help take Jiucheng home?
Thinking so, Hayato immediately did an emergency turn after stepping outside:"I'm going to the restroom. Don't follow me."
Unexpectedly, Akane not only followed, but even grabbed the hem of his shirt.
Then she rested her forehead against his back.
"Don't go."
"…What's wrong?" Hayato turned his head.
"Can you… stay with me for a little while?" Akane asked cautiously.
"Not right now," Hayato replied.
Akane released him. Uncharacteristically, she didn't say another word, only stood there quietly.
Hayato took two steps, but something felt off. He turned back to look at her.
"…Because I really need to pee. Can it wait until I'm done with the restroom?"
"Ah… mm!" Akane's eyes suddenly brightened.
…
…
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/Kazenova223
If you guys wanna check it out.