Chapter 27 Let's Have Fun!

Let’s Have Fun!

“Game? Now?”

Haruki asks, looking at Sou suspiciously. Her eyes catch Sou’s perfectly.

“Yes. Use that video game.”

Sou points to a video game connected to the TV. It is in the same condition as it was yesterday.

The name of the video game is Wuu! (ウゥー). It is a family-friendly video game developed by a major Japanese game company that exploded in popularity about 10 years ago.

It became such a social phenomenon that it spawned a number of viral video game titles.

“Wuu!? That brings back memories. I used to play it with my classmates.”

As if reminiscing about the past. Haruki smiles nostalgically.

It feels like Haruki’s natural expression was first seen at Sou’s house. Thanks to Wuu!, a topic that expands the conversation is born.

“Really! Then… Have you ever played this?”

Opening the drawer near the TV, Sou reaches in and pulls out a package of game software. Then she turns the package upside down so that Haruki can see it.

“Of course! I’ve played it! Mirio Kart, right? On the other hand, is there anyone in our generation who hasn’t played it?”

Haruki gets excited.

“Right! That was a stupid question.”

Sou smiles in response to Haruki’s excitement.

For Sou and Haruki generations, Mirio Kart (ミリオカート) is one of the most special games, and they have shared many fond memories.

Almost all of their classmates had a copy of Mirio Kart at home. That is not an exaggeration. In fact, every house had a Mirio Kart along with the Wuu!.

“Really! You underestimate me.”

Haruki turns away, deliberately sulking. But her mouth is clearly waving.

Sou has a special emotion in her heart. It’s not a negative emotion, but a positive one. Something like fun or joy.

Until now, Sou and Haruki had never had the experience of getting excited about a common topic. It’s true that they got excited when they bitched about Shitty #1 and Shitty #2 together. But at that time, they were just bitching as they pleased.

Besides, they had never gotten excited when they were alone. Haruki would bring up the subject thoughtfully, and Sou would just answer. That was the pattern.

If we look at it that way, we could say that Sou and Haruki’s relationship has progressed now. It’s a big step forward. The distance between Sou and Haruki has become smaller.

Seeing Haruki’s sulky behavior, Sou can hardly contain his laughter at her acting. It is obvious that she is pretentious.

““Pfft!””

Sou and Haruki burst out laughing, unable to stand it any longer.

Sou and Haruki burst out laughing at the same time, and the room was filled with laughter. Their smiles and laughter might be proof that their relationship has changed for the better.

“Hahaha, no~ I laughed; I laughed so much.”

After laughing for a while, Haruki scratches under her eyes as if wiping away tears. It’s completely different from when she first entered Sou’s house. The tension is completely gone.

“Hahaha, I laughed so hard too.”

They both said the same thing.

Sou and Haruki laughed and enjoyed their conversation more naturally than ever before. This new atmosphere allowed the two of them to accept each other’s true selves and empathize with each other.

“Then, shall we start playing Mirio Kart?”

Sou asked, looking into Haruki’s eyes without breaking his gaze.

“Oh yeah. I can’t wait to play. It’s been so long since I played Mirio Kart.”

At Sou’s suggestion, Haruki nodded with a wide smile. Unlike her usual masculine behavior, it was a really cute and feminine smile. Her unique smile, which was different from Japanese people’s, was also attractive.

Sou was completely captivated by such a wonderful smile, and his cheeks flushed slightly.

Has he ever been fascinated by the smile of his ex-girlfriend Seira? Maybe he had. At this moment, she did not exist in his memory. Maybe she had disappeared completely.

“Y-yes. That’s right. I’ll get ready quickly.”

Sou gets up from his chair, trying to hide the fact that he is enchanted.

He quickly goes to the TV in the living room.

He uses the remote to turn on the TV and presses the power button on the Wuu! game. The mechanical sound of Wuu! starting up gently caresses Sou’s eardrums. It’s a mechanical sound he’s heard many times before.

He changes the TV channel to Games and is ready to play.

“Here. This is the controller. It’s a controller shaped like a car steering wheel to make it easier to play Mirio Kart.”

He hands Haruki one of the steering wheel-shaped controllers he took from the dresser. Using the steering wheel controllers, Mirio Kart controls the car.

“Oh. I’ve only ever used a steering wheel controller. This is great.”

Haruki takes the controller from Sou. Feeling nostalgic, she checks the feel of the steering wheel controller. The steering wheel controller is a must for enjoying Mirio Kart even more, and Haruki seems to know how to use it.

Sou took the other steering wheel controller and sat down back on his chair.

“Let’s get started. Are you ready?”

“Yes. Of course. Let’s have fun!”