CH 15

By the time we arrived home, it was already 6:30pm. I had left at around eleven in the morning, so I had been out for about seven hours.

As I was thinking about it, I suddenly found a mysterious package stuck between in my novels.

「Hm? What is this, a game?」

The title read “Notice my love!”. This was a love game, I think. I bought it in the spring of my high school. Well, I didn’t get to play this game because I went out with Hatsune right after that, but… Maybe I should give it a try? I want to have a normal love life too…

「So-kun, what do you think of this outfit——Eh?」

Then Hatsune came into the room, carrying a magazine. What is this sense of deja vu?

「What’s that?」

「No, this is…. I found it a while ago, but…」

Oh no, it might be thrown away again. Well, I haven’t played this game yet, so I don’t care if she throws it away.

「Notice my love…? What’s that?」

「Oh, it’s a romance game, but…」

Oh, I guess I could throw this one away. Just as I was getting ready to, Hatsune said something shocking.

「Hee, try it in front of me.」

「…Eh?」

What an unexpected answer. I thought she was going to do something terrible like before.

「Eh, is it okay?」

「Yes, it’s disgusting to fall in love with someone other than me, even if it’s just a game, but I have to see how well you understand a girl’s heart now.」

Oh, so that’s what it was… Well, it’s better than not being able to play it.

The game was compatible with portable game consoles, so I put the software into one of those consoles and started the game.

I was greeted with the usual menu screens like “Start from the beginning”, “Continue”, “Gallery” and so on, I pressed “Start from the beginning”. I had already sent my name.

Then the game’s story began.

『Oh no! I’m going to be late!』

(My name is Soumei Saoji, an ordinary high school boy who is often called strange names.)

…Does this happen with every name you put in? Please don’t call it a weird name. I really wish you wouldn’t make jokes like that because I’ve had my name messed with, well, let’s not worry about it.

""

(I’m transferring to another school because of family circumstances, and today is the entrance ceremony. I’m a transfer student, so I want to get to school early, but I never thought I’d meet someone like that there.)

Boom!

『Kya!』

(I bumped into a girl at the corner, I reach out to her)

…What’s with this story, I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere before…

「You two are alike.」

「Ha, haha…」

Hatsune, who was willing to say what I was thinking, made me feel uneasy.

「Oh, there’s a choice.」

「Then, let’s see if you understand the female mind here!」

As I recall, when I was in this situation, I held out my hand but immediately ran to the school. I remember that the other person was Hatsune.

I guess I chose one at that time. That’s a terrible answer, even if I was really in a hurry. Objectively speaking, this stuff is easy. This is…

「Of course, this one goes to 2—-」

「Three, right?」

「Eh?」

I think 3 is probably the least likely… “Please go out with me!” is too annoying to a stranger who suddenly bumps into you.

「I don’t think 3 is a good idea, though? The other person doesn’t even know who I am.」

「You don’t understand, girls get nervous in these situations. I also got nervous when So-kun bumped into me, and when I found out it was So-kun, I was so excited that I became dizzy!」

I think that’s just because Hatsune is special…

「Well, just pick 3!」

「Ahh, un…」

I was quite reluctant, but I decided to pick 3.

『I like you. Please go out with me.』

『Yes, I’d be happy to…///』

(She took my hand and kissed the back of my hand.)

「Haa!? No, you’re lying! That’s not true!!」

「So, you should learn more about a girl’s mind, for my sake, of course.」

I didn’t think that was possible, so I went to my phone and looked at each of the choices in the “Notice My Love” on my phone. There was something quite astonishing written there.

{The guy who choses 2 there is so stupid, right? www}

{Who would be so stupid? wwww}

{I think even a machine would choose 3 on this one wwwwww}

…I gently closed the screen of my phone. Then Hatsune spoke to me as if she had been watching me.

「Ne? That’s normal, right?」

「…Looks like it.」

I was deeply depressed. Could it be that between Hatsune and me, I’m the one whose strange? No, that’s definitely not it.

「I like it! This game will let you learn a lot♪」

「…I’m starving today, maybe we can play this game another time?」

「Is that right? I’m a little disappointed, but okay!」

I rather wanted Hatsune to throw away that game.