Chapter 6 - Democracy

How hard is it to keep someone alive?

Probably parents out there could answer that. I have a sketch idea of it going something like this: give them food, clothes, shelter, and education. Attention is optional. But this is just the basics of raising children.

Parents wouldn't expect and let their children die anyway.

In my case, they weren't children. According to my talk with Death, I forcefully have to keep a group of girls alive while disguising as a tutor. Until they die in a way She the one who put me in this task, can be satisfied.

Perfection.

And I'm not even somebody to the girls yet.

That's going to be hard, I'm just a normal immortal.

Hey, what would you do if you could do anything and no one would be able to kill you? Thinking of doing good things? Or bad, bad things? Either way, that's okay. This world has no right or wrong. It's just what we want and despise.

Take me as an example. I commit suicide and I think that's right. Would you think so? No, right? Still, that doesn't change what I feel about my decision.

I just want to rest.

But I guess God is to obey--reluctantly or willingly.

The room of five girls. I turn the knob open and Sohee's voice greets me first.

"S--Sunbae, you said you'd be back soon, but it's been an hour."

How am I suppose to know what's late and soon mean if I'm stuck in a time loop with getting murdered at the end of it?

"Sorry about that," I take a seat beside her.

Mei is averting her eyes from me, trying to cope with her fear of men. And here I am thinking how would she die.

So to the other girls.

Mei would get [redacted] to death and throw in a lake with a plastic bag, maybe. Shizuka would get electrocuted in her bathroom. When a killer is chasing Carrie, her hair gets stuck on a tree branch. And Claire gets shot with a Glock-19.

Heh, what am I thinking? Girls these cute can't die. They are stuck in a loop, too, though they don't know that. And also did I hear a redacted in my mind just now. I swear there's nowhere anyone can be honest nowadays.

"I accept."

"Sunbae?"

I look at each of the negative girls who don't seem pleased to hear the word out of me. I don't care--I have to do this, I have to die, "I want to be the tutor."

So that's that, folk.

Here, at this moment, is the start of my tutoring journey with five beautiful and cute girls. Where would this take us? What backstories will we find out about them? And will a doki-doki scene happen after I gain their favor enough? Will that also lead to a sexy one? And will--

"Great, Sunbae. Now it's the girl's turn."

…

…Oh.

I thought the recognition session only needs of my decision but we have a democratic shit here.

Without any hesitation, they start. And goddamn if it's not disappointing.

Carrie snorts, "hell no, I refuse to be his student."

"Then," Shizuka comes next after her, "I will accept, only because he's cute and absolutely not because 'that' Carrie says no."

Carrie only bits her bottom lip.

Then we wait for another's vote. Sohee looks at Mei with a look of pleading.

Mei grips her hand tight and puts both on her lap. With her eyes closed, she says, "I'm sorry Sohee, I can't."

That means no.

Sohee's eyes decline for a moment, but after a long breath she puts her professional mask back on, "then how about Claire's."

"She's not here," says Carrie, "then just put her as no."

"But wouldn't that be us deciding for her?"

Carrie retorts, "It's her fault! And I am sure she doesn't want any tutor anyway, every recognition session we've been, she says no. And there's this one ti--"

Shizuka cuts her, ignoring the gamer's points. "Put her as not voted then, it's the most careful action here."

Claire remained silent reluctantly.

Sohee sighs "I--I suppose so…"

The pink eyes glance. No, Sohee, you don't have to do that. I can count on my own. So we have a yes and two no's. Hooray, I've failed. Time to die then.

But Sohee stays strong and tries to convince them

…Really, this girl. You shouldn't be supporting others. too much. Your legs would buckle and long after, you would not be able to walk anymore. No one is good enough as you to return the favour, I can tell you that much.

Sohee takes a breath and tries to sound like a mother who thinks she knows what is good for her children, "look, maybe you could change your vote now. Sunbae is, Sunbae has always been a nice guy--he helps you through all aspects of your life, not just academically. Mei, giving Sunbae a chance to stay, maybe could help with your androphobia gradually. Sunbae is not like those men you're thinking of. An, and Carrie," she steadys her tongue, "maybe you and Sunbae could become friends. Yeah, a friend. Like I know Sunbae is good at games--maybe you could be a gaming partner," she frowns, "actually no, I don't want you to play games every time."

I don't expect anything, and nothing is what we get.

Mei shakes her head as her eyes down, "I, I'm sorry, Sohee."

"I don't want a noob tutoring me!" Carrie blurts.

Sohee bits her lips and turns to me with slightly wet eyes, "I tried, Sunbae."

"Thank you, Sohee."

She doesn't appear to take it genuinely.

No, really, thank you.

Likewise, I am drawn to her determination. I shouldn't be giving up early, I can still use this timeline to take more information for the next or if luck plays, succeeded in convincing them to change the vote. There's always a time to give up.

"What will change your mind?" I ask.

Out of everyone, Carrie replies, "nothing…maybe you become a woman? That'd help us to have a calm mind and not think our tutor will take advantage of us."

"I'm a woman."

That's what I say. A simple obvious lie.

That they instantly take as a joke. Or is he joking?

"…" No one laughed.

Silly me I thought that could work. Tehee moment right here.

As if failed to pick my joke, Shizuka. "Hmm, transgender?"

"No, I'm just kidding."

"Maybe if you're funny enough, we're going to accept you."

I wish I was a clown in my past life.

Carrie shouts, "that's to say, no men allowed! Urg, what even the school is thinking…"

As if the word never ends, everyone finds themselves thinking, leaving the room silent for a couple of minutes silent.

This is a sign that our negotiation is over and there's nothing I could do.

Even Sohee sighs, making a face of it can't be helped, and says, "It is very unfortunate Sunbae, but it looks like what Lilly said really happened. If the girls didn't agree then Sunbae can't stay here."

Ouch, what a cold thing to say.

And no, I am staying here--or rather I'm stuck in a time loop with you all.

That means as long as you don't let me be your tutor, we're repeating this again and again. It sounds painful. Sex thirteen times a day sounds more like torture. But lucky for you, I am the only one who would be. It's like being stuck in a boss fight with five minutes of the cutscene.

How would I manage this? We can rule out Claire and Mei. Mei absolutely wouldn't agree and she only would if I cut my dick off. But dick is the best. Let's keep them for now. Shizuka voted yes but it's almost a no--she only says yes to be opposite of Carrie. And Carrie…

Carrie? She only says no because of her ego.

She has a big personality.

And the big thing is easy to lure and manipulate. Hers is a bull, confident and strong and when it sees human, it sees weakling. But provoke enough, the bull would rams straight at you until its feet stumble in a trap.

Carrie glares at me with her fierce dragon eyes, "w, what are you looking at asshole?"

Sohee warns, "Carrie."

"Hmph."

It's going to be worth a try, my bait. "Carrie, would you call yourself a true gamer?"

She takes a moment to process what I said and then raises her nose, "Ohoh, of course, I am. Any challenge I'll beat. Who do you think I am? I am the one and only Carryyourash."

Shizuka mumbles loudly, "more like carryyourass."

Carrie's chin drops, "urk…"

I continue, "then how about a challenge?"

"Wha, what kind of challenge?" She looks interested. Myabe thinking of, I don't know, Alex Legend one v one match?

But her attention was captured is what is important here…I have to lure her closer. Now for the calling. "A challenge where if you lost, you will say yes."

Carrie remains calm, "heh, what if I won then?"

"I will be your friend."

"No."

All right, being a friend is a kinda bad offer.

I suggest another, "I give you anything you want."

Her eyes widen, "anything?"

I nod, I sound and act like the blue Jin.

The other looks at us with interest-only Mei looks scared of what's about going to happen as her fingers rubbing each other.

Carrie appears to be thinking, appears to be accepting, but then her brown furrows and she shakes her head, "Hmph, you think the money could solve your problem!"

It seems like I have to choose the bait on my own. What's a gamer wants--nono, not a girlfriend. What's this nerdy graphic driver called again? Ha, I got it.

"RTX 3060."

When I offer the word, Carrie's mouth drops, "Wha, what?"

"RTX 3060?" hell, what is that anyway? I only heard it once and it seems people really want it.

Her shining eyes prove it I'm right, and by god, RTX is a strong word. "Hell yeah! I'm on." her smile same as a winner, "now what's the challenge, I'll win that!"

Ah, it works. I once read a doujin where a group of schoolgirls bait a shouta onto their bed using RTX 3060. See, how our sad life works? One day you think reading doujin is useless, then the next day it comes to be used at times like this.

What's the challenge anyway? I haven't thought about it. Hm?

I say, "rock-paper-scissor."

The simple of them all.

Carrie sniffs, "heh, right. Let's--"

"Pl, please wait for a second!" Mei shouts. She looks at Carrie, and Carrie returns it with a bitchy look.

"What's your problem?"

"Ca--Carrie, if--if you lost then, you, m-Mei will vote yes. Then that makes him…"

Carrie shrugs her off easily, "yeah, yeah, I got this."

Shizuka smiles, not even looking at Carrie's direction. "I don't know much about maths but rock-paper-scissor is all about probability. Even so-called professional gamers could lose to some nobody. And games like that are very risky, too. What if you lost, Carryyourash?"

Her eyes glance at her and their looks meet. Shizuka put more pressure onto the air, "will you carrydaburden?"

Carrie stutters, "I~I…"

Shizuka withdraws with a giggle. Damn it, that's very unnecessary. Just when our game is about to start.

Shizuka gives me a smug smile. So that's it, she never wants me to win.

Now Carrie who realized if she accepts then she'd be carrying a burden of her actions toward the other, is thinking hard as her small forehead could. Then she shakes her head and says. "I hate to say this but they're right," her eyes land on me, "it--it's not fair if one game is played by only me to hold our group's fate. I refuse the challenge.

What a hypocrites line.

I push final, "you're backing away from the challenge?"

"Yes. What? Gamer can refuse a challenge, too!" she returns back to her console.

Shizuka shrugs and starts writing again.

Now it's back to silence.

Shit. I've failed. Goddamit.

Sohee sighs, "so this is it, huh?"

The bell rings, echoing the end of this timeline.

Ohooooooooooo, now you look at that!

It's the end of the fucking school. And my life on this timeline.

She's coming to kill me now.

Last time, I was lucky enough to enjoy both pleasure and pain until I die. I doubt this time is different. Only The Life is coming with her knife. Only pain.

But no worry there, I have something to help me die fast.

I grab the pill's container out of my pocket.

Sohee notices, "oh, you're going to take that? Are you ill, Sunbae?"

"Quite so." I have this non-dying fever.

Because it's the end of school, the negative girls start to take their bags. Short and petite, Carrie walks to and gives Sohee a palm. As promised, Sohee returns her earphones back.

Carrie snatches it away from her hand and says, "thank YOU, now I'm off."

Shizuka slips her laptop into the bag. "See you never, Sunbae." she smiles.

Mei nods and looks at Sohee, "I'll be waiting at the gate."

Then the negative girls left, leaving Sohee and me alone. And being alone with what she wants.

"I'm very, very sorry Sunbae."

I shrug, "it's not your fault."

I pull open and take the small pill. It looks like any other pill you take to blast headaches away, but this one will blast the life out of you.

Aw, man. Am I going to swallow this? I wonder if the pill tastes like dying by jumping off a building.

The pink catches my hand--it appears trembling. What can I say? I never expected to stand before what looks like an instantly death experience. It sounds like water turns solid the second it gets in the fridge.

"S--Sunbae? Are you just going to swallow it dry? Wait," she puts her bag on her lap and pulls out a water bottle. She pushes it toward me, "Use my water," she smiles weakly, "that's the least I can do."

"Thank you, Sohee." I take the bottle.

Now, before life could kill me, I put the pill on my tongue and suck out Sohee's bottle to gulp it all down.

"I'm sorry," her eyes were down, but when she sees me drinking her bottle like I'm sucking cow's tits, Sohee blushes. Her eyes behind the cloudy glasses gaze at my cheek, "Sun--Sunbae. You--"

Oh, Sohee's holding a plastic cup, I didn't even realize. Oh well, what seems to be a problem? I just made an indirect kiss with her? For me that's bullshit but I guess Sohee is a normal teenage girl.

"Oh, I'm sorry Sohee I thou...I thought...umn--"

The bottle hit the floor and my head fell down on Sohee's lap.

It's all black with a smell of sweet…

---*----*---*---

I died again.

"Sunbae, Sunbae? Are you well?"

And I don't want to, anymore.