Volume 1 - CH 7.2

The Shimizu Sisters and the Game Center 2

“Let’s go! Operation name: [The distance between him and me is closer than I thought, and my heart is pounding… What is this feeling…?] Strategy! Take this!”

As Ai-san announces her strategy, she hit the puck toward our goal.

“It’s too long! “

Shimizu-san responds with a retort and hits the puck back.

“What!”

However, this time the puck’s speed seems slower, and Ai-san hits it back again.

The puck was on a trajectory that was about halfway between me and Shimizu-san.

Just as I thought that Shimizu-san would start to move to intercept the shot, she suddenly slowed down and stopped, looking at me.

“Shimizu-san!”

Although I managed to hit it back somehow, I couldn’t hit the puck cleanly, and it slowly headed toward Ai-san.

“Chance! Oriya!”

Ai-san’s puck was not hit back and went into our goal.

“Why did you stop in the middle, Shimizu-san?”

“B-Because…you were closer than I thought… “

“What do you mean?”

Why couldn’t Shimizu-san hit the puck if I was close to her?

“Fu-fu-fu. It seems like my plan worked.”

Ai-san crosses her arms and wears a proud expression.

“By ‘plan,’ do you mean that long and incomprehensible thing? “

“I feel like crying a little due to the harsh criticism, but that’s exactly right!”

Ai-san pointed at Shimizu-san.

“Kei-san, you have a weakness, don’t you?”

“What’s this all of a sudden?”

Weaknesses? I can’t think of any weaknesses that would put Shimizu-san at a disadvantage in this situation.

“If Daiku-kun is next to you, you find it diffic——”

As Ai-san begins to speak, Shimizu-san quickly moves towards Ai-san and physically blocks her mouth with her hands.

“What are you trying to say all of a sudden?! “

“Mmmffw.——”

Ai-san taps Shimizu-san’s hand a few times and declares surrender.

Shimizu-san sees this and releases Ai-san.

“That was dangerous… I almost departed to Heaven…”

“That’s because you were casually trying to say something outrageous.”

What was Ai-san trying to say? And what would happen to Shimizu-san when I’m next to her?

“But I haven’t said anything yet. Well, anyway, the innocent and naive Kei-san can’t show her true abilities when she’s so close to Daiki-kun. If I can exploit that, I can easily defeat you!”

“You… Are you happy to win with that?”

“It doesn’t matter! As long as I win, I can do whatever it takes!”

“Don’t suddenly become obsessed with winning. Usually, you prioritize having fun and don’t care about winning or losing.”

Indeed, Ai-san doesn’t seem to be the kind of person who is obsessed with winning.

“Since you say things like that, this is what you get! You better get back next to Daiki-kun now! I’ll give you a good beating!”

Ai-san strikes a fighting pose and throws a punch into the air. Shimizu-san still seemed to have something to say, but Ai-san shooed her away and came back to me.

“Shimizu-san, are you okay?”

“She’s not going to listen to anyone anymore.

“It seemed that way to me too… Anyway, Shimizu-san, I’m sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for?”

Shimizu-san has a puzzled look on her face as if she can’t think of anything that would require an apology.

“I don’t really understand, but it’s because of me that Shimizu-san wasn’t in top form earlier, right?”

“Ah… that, how should I put it, it’s because of you, but at the same time, it’s not entirely because of you…” (あれはなんというか、お前が原因だけどお前のせいじゃないというか)

“Err…uh?”

Am I at fault or not? Which one is it?

“Well, you don’t have to worry about it.”

“Got it. But what if we both end up in a position where we can take the puck like earlier?”

“We’ll split up by location. I’ll take care of this half, so if it comes to your side, you take the shot.”

That way, we won’t have to worry about a situation like before arises.

“Roger that. In that case, can I ask Shimizu-san to take the first shot?”

“Sure.”

“Are both of you ready for my strategy? Then come on!”

“It won’t go as smoothly as before, you know.”

The second part of the Shimizu sisters’ air field hockey duel has begun.

“Here I go!”

“Shimizu-san, go for it!”

“I know! Ora!”

Shimizu-san quickly moves and returns the puck. Ai-san, unable to react in time, lets the puck go into the goal. It seems like we’ve scored this time.

* * *

“Haah… haaa… Kei, that’s pretty good. It seems like you’re gradually syncing well with Daiki-kun. Onē-chan is starting to feel a little jealous… “

“You’re better than I thought you’d be, Ai.”

With less than a minute remaining, the score is currently tied at five to five. Our team has been scoring points with Shimizu-san’s powerful strikes using her athletic abilities, and Ai-san has been scoring precise goals by accurately hitting the puck even after we divided our location.

“We don’t have much time left.”

“Yeah, the next one to score wins.”

“That’s right. And the winner gets to give orders to the loser.”

“What? What are you talking about all of a sudden? “

Thinking that she has an advantage with the puck on her side, Ai-san starts adding a new rule.

“It’s only natural that the winner has the right to give orders to the loser, right? Huh, don’t tell me Kei, are you not confident? “

“Shimizu-san, that’s just Ai-san’s provocation. Don’t fall for it.”

“I know. Who would fall for such an obvious provocation…”

“Ahh I see〜. Kei-san is playing with two people and has an advantage, but she’s scared to death. Wow~. “

“…fine. I’ll take you up on your offer.”

“Shimizu-san? “

It seems that Shimizu-san is more susceptible to provocation than I thought. I’m starting to worry about her a little.

“Well then, it’s decided. There’s not much time left, so let’s go for the finishing move! Never-Ending Attack! (Nebāendingu atakku)”

Ai-san is now hitting the puck into a good trajectory again.

“I’ll hit it!”

“Understood!”

Even though I was closer to the puck, I decided to trust Shimizu-san and leave it to her.

“Ora! “

Shimizu-san hits the puck back, heading straight for Ai-san’s goal.

Just when we were confident that it would be a goal, the puck disappeared with a [thud] sound.

“Huh? “

The next thing I knew, the score had been updated and the number on Ai-san’s side had changed to 6.

At the same time, the game-ending buzzer sounds. The intense game ends with Ai-san winning by six to five.

“You let your guard down. If I know who’s going to hit and where they’re going to hit, I can deal with a fast shot. Based on our previous fight, I had a pretty good idea which way Kei would hit and the trajectory she was going to take, so I could counter it.”

“Grrr… “

Shimizu-san can’t hide her frustration.

From her explanation, it seems that Ai-san’s last score wasn’t just a coincidence.