The engine roared to life, and you waited for the moment for it to start. If I could make a good start, I would be able to take advantage of the race. Thinking of this, my hand on the steering wheel went tense and my right foot on the gas pedal trembled with tension.
The traffic light changed to red, red, red, and then green with a nice rhythm. At that moment, I stepped on the gas pedal as hard as I could, but
“AH!? I blew it!!”
My car was stumbling as the engine spinned out of control. Kaede and Nikaido, who were sitting next to me and playing, started their cars with great enthusiasm and were cruising along at a brisk pace.
“Hohohoho! This time, Yuya-kun will lose and take the punishment game!”
“Fufu… I won’t let you create a strawberry space while my eyes are black, Kaede!”
Kaede and Nikaido were fighting for the top spot ahead of me. I was currently running slowly at the bottom. Shinji, Otsuki, and Yui-chan were cheering me on from the outfield. Shinji was especially abusive to me.
That was right. I forgot to mention that we’re playing a racing game that had been ported to home consoles and could be enjoyed by adults and children alike. It was a car racing game where you could throw red shells called “items” at your opponents on the track, or turn yourself into a missile and try to outrun them.
While we were playing the crane game, Shinji and Otsuki were having fun playing a two-player game, and Kaede saw them and said, ‘Next time, let’s play too’, as she took my hand. In addition, as usual, they started to say that the loser would be punished.
But Nikaido was there to intervene. There were three consoles in total. Then she said she would join in. And–
“If Kaede wins, you can punish Yoshizumi, and if Yoshizumi wins, you can punish Kaede. But in return, if I win, there will be no punishment game.”
I said. For me, a ship was crossing. Whether I win or lose, I couldn’t stop Kaede’s ambition. A powerful reinforcement, a savior was definitely needed.
“I can’t have you making out with her in front of us anymore… !”
“Uuh… ! Even though I had no choice but to go bowling, I can’t lose here… !”
“No, no, no!? Aren’t you two going too fast!?”
There was a heated battle for the top spot between Kaede and Nikaido. I’m slowly moving up in the rankings, but I was currently in 7th place, which was a delicate position. It was all because of the NPCs that were getting in my way. Just when I think I’d passed them, they would throw their shells at me, or run at me while being invincible, and me getting blown away.
“Kaede, go for it! Don’t lose, Ai-chan! Yoshi, in moderation!”
“I’m sorry Nikaido-san, but I want to capture Yuya’s embarrassment on video, so Kaede-san, do your best!”
“Hey, Higurashi-senpai! Do you want to watch Kaede-neesan and Yoshizumi-senpai’s insanely sweet strawberry space!? I don’t want to!? That’s why Nikaido-senpai, please do your best!”
From the outfield, I heard cheers from all three parties, but I’m completely out of the loop. Shinji would shake his back and interrupt me, as if he wanted me to be at the bottom of the list. He was able to make out with Otsuki-san, so that was good! What was wrong with you now!?
“Shut up! Unlike Yuya, I’m not mentally strong enough to flirt openly in front of everyone! He even took a video… let me get even!”
“No, don’t shake me! Aah! You’re the one who made me fall!?”
I took my eyes off the screen and made a mistake with the steering wheel, causing my green dinosaur cart to go off course. While I was recovering, more and more NPCs were passing me. Is there no mercy?
“Hahahaha! I guess Yuya’s victory is hopeless now! Good luck with the rest, Hitotsuba-san!”
“Yes! Thank you, Higurashi-kun! I’ll beat Ai- chan and have a couple juice with Yuya-kun!”
Kaede grinned fearlessly. With one lap to go, Nikaido was in first place, with Kaede in second place, just a little behind. I was fighting for the bottom spot.
“—Damn. This might be a bad idea”
Nikaido was running at the top, but her expression was not relaxed in contrast to Kaede’s. This was the fate of those who were burdened with the task, because this game was not just a racing game. If you become the target of items acquired by Kaede or NPCs and they interfere with your run, you would be overtaken at once.
“Fufu. If I get the red shell, it’s over, Ai-chan.”
“… I just have to finish before that.”
“Please, Nikaido! You’ve got to get away!”
Before the last corner. The two of them picked up the item boxes that were placed. Nikaido got a banana that she could just throw on the course, and Kaede got a red shell, a must-have item. And what I got was–
“Aah, that’s the finish! Yeah!”
The red shell that Kaede released hit Nikaido’s cart without any mercy, and Kaede took advantage of the opportunity to overtake her and take the lead. If she was going to use it, it would have been here.
“Now you and Yuya-kun can have couple juice!”
“—I won’t let you do that, Kaede.”
I had a top-killing item in my hand. A blue spiked shell that would end your life if you use it. The blue spiked shell automatically flies to the bottom of the first place player and explodes, engulfing the surrounding area.
“Aah!!?? Yuya-kun, you can’t do that!!”
Thus, Kaede, who was running in first place, was caught in the explosion and stopped, and the race ended without a winner, with the NPC taking first place.
“No one won, so let’s call it a no-punishment game, Kaede.”
“Uuh… Yuya, you should… Gaku.”
Needless to say, right after this, I dropped a handkerchief on the head of a frustrated Shinji, who was stomping on the ground in a big way.
The engine roared to life, and you waited for the moment for it to start. If I could make a good start, I would be able to take advantage of the race. Thinking of this, my hand on the steering wheel went tense and my right foot on the gas pedal trembled with tension.
The traffic light changed to red, red, red, and then green with a nice rhythm. At that moment, I stepped on the gas pedal as hard as I could, but
“AH!? I blew it!!”
My car was stumbling as the engine spinned out of control. Kaede and Nikaido, who were sitting next to me and playing, started their cars with great enthusiasm and were cruising along at a brisk pace.
“Hohohoho! This time, Yuya-kun will lose and take the punishment game!”
“Fufu… I won’t let you create a strawberry space while my eyes are black, Kaede!”
Kaede and Nikaido were fighting for the top spot ahead of me. I was currently running slowly at the bottom. Shinji, Otsuki, and Yui-chan were cheering me on from the outfield. Shinji was especially abusive to me.
That was right. I forgot to mention that we’re playing a racing game that had been ported to home consoles and could be enjoyed by adults and children alike. It was a car racing game where you could throw red shells called “items” at your opponents on the track, or turn yourself into a missile and try to outrun them.
While we were playing the crane game, Shinji and Otsuki were having fun playing a two-player game, and Kaede saw them and said, ‘Next time, let’s play too’, as she took my hand. In addition, as usual, they started to say that the loser would be punished.
But Nikaido was there to intervene. There were three consoles in total. Then she said she would join in. And–
“If Kaede wins, you can punish Yoshizumi, and if Yoshizumi wins, you can punish Kaede. But in return, if I win, there will be no punishment game.”
I said. For me, a ship was crossing. Whether I win or lose, I couldn’t stop Kaede’s ambition. A powerful reinforcement, a savior was definitely needed.
“I can’t have you making out with her in front of us anymore… !”
“Uuh… ! Even though I had no choice but to go bowling, I can’t lose here… !”
“No, no, no!? Aren’t you two going too fast!?”
There was a heated battle for the top spot between Kaede and Nikaido. I’m slowly moving up in the rankings, but I was currently in 7th place, which was a delicate position. It was all because of the NPCs that were getting in my way. Just when I think I’d passed them, they would throw their shells at me, or run at me while being invincible, and me getting blown away.
“Kaede, go for it! Don’t lose, Ai-chan! Yoshi, in moderation!”
“I’m sorry Nikaido-san, but I want to capture Yuya’s embarrassment on video, so Kaede-san, do your best!”
“Hey, Higurashi-senpai! Do you want to watch Kaede-neesan and Yoshizumi-senpai’s insanely sweet strawberry space!? I don’t want to!? That’s why Nikaido-senpai, please do your best!”
From the outfield, I heard cheers from all three parties, but I’m completely out of the loop. Shinji would shake his back and interrupt me, as if he wanted me to be at the bottom of the list. He was able to make out with Otsuki-san, so that was good! What was wrong with you now!?
“Shut up! Unlike Yuya, I’m not mentally strong enough to flirt openly in front of everyone! He even took a video… let me get even!”
“No, don’t shake me! Aah! You’re the one who made me fall!?”
I took my eyes off the screen and made a mistake with the steering wheel, causing my green dinosaur cart to go off course. While I was recovering, more and more NPCs were passing me. Is there no mercy?
“Hahahaha! I guess Yuya’s victory is hopeless now! Good luck with the rest, Hitotsuba-san!”
“Yes! Thank you, Higurashi-kun! I’ll beat Ai- chan and have a couple juice with Yuya-kun!”
Kaede grinned fearlessly. With one lap to go, Nikaido was in first place, with Kaede in second place, just a little behind. I was fighting for the bottom spot.
“—Damn. This might be a bad idea”
Nikaido was running at the top, but her expression was not relaxed in contrast to Kaede’s. This was the fate of those who were burdened with the task, because this game was not just a racing game. If you become the target of items acquired by Kaede or NPCs and they interfere with your run, you would be overtaken at once.
“Fufu. If I get the red shell, it’s over, Ai-chan.”
“… I just have to finish before that.”
“Please, Nikaido! You’ve got to get away!”
Before the last corner. The two of them picked up the item boxes that were placed. Nikaido got a banana that she could just throw on the course, and Kaede got a red shell, a must-have item. And what I got was–
“Aah, that’s the finish! Yeah!”
The red shell that Kaede released hit Nikaido’s cart without any mercy, and Kaede took advantage of the opportunity to overtake her and take the lead. If she was going to use it, it would have been here.
“Now you and Yuya-kun can have couple juice!”
“—I won’t let you do that, Kaede.”
I had a top-killing item in my hand. A blue spiked shell that would end your life if you use it. The blue spiked shell automatically flies to the bottom of the first place player and explodes, engulfing the surrounding area.
“Aah!!?? Yuya-kun, you can’t do that!!”
Thus, Kaede, who was running in first place, was caught in the explosion and stopped, and the race ended without a winner, with the NPC taking first place.
“No one won, so let’s call it a no-punishment game, Kaede.”
“Uuh… Yuya, you should… Gaku.”
Needless to say, right after this, I dropped a handkerchief on the head of a frustrated Shinji, who was stomping on the ground in a big way.
