Friday.
The weather was clear.
However, I didn't go to school today.
The reason was simple.
"We can follow you to school too!"
"Th-that's right...! The principal said it was okay...!"
"..."
If I went to school, 1+3 of these guys would follow me.
I had no choice but to refuse to go to school today.
It was to avoid causing trouble for students who, unlike me, were studying hard.
"Now that I have an excuse, it's actually kind of nice."
"That means I was helpful, right?"
Should I see it that way?
Anyway, for that reason, I decided not to go to school today and stay home.
I didn't know what kind of trouble those Hero Party guys might cause. It was more comfortable to stay home.
"So for that reason, I'm planning to stay home today."
"Great, mister! Then let's play all day today!"
"Play? With you?"
"Yes!"
Luna was asking to play with me. But what could we even do together?
I sat down on the sofa and asked casually.
"What should we play? Is there something you want to do?"
"Yes! I want to play with you after so long, mister!"
She wanted to play after so long.
As Luna said that, she went into the room and came back carrying something long. It was something rarely used or seen in my world.
"A wooden sword?"
"Yes, let's play like we used to!"
Whoosh—
Luna naturally tossed the wooden sword to me. I staggered but caught the wooden sword in my hand.
*'Don't tell me she's going to swing a sword in this small space—'*
She wouldn't swing it, right?
It took only one second for that thought to change.
"Hyah—!"
Swoosh—
The sound of cutting through the air and the coolness rushing toward me.
Did something just pass in front of my eyes? I couldn't see it, but I could be certain of one thing.
"L-Luna, did you just swing a sword at me—"
"Huh? Isn't that obvious! We have to spar, so of course I swing my sword! Come on, come at me, mister!"
Whoosh— Whoosh—
Luna signaled me to come with her fingers. Her face was full of confidence reaching the sky. Seeing that, I immediately threw the wooden sword onto the sofa.
"Not doing it."
"What are you doing, mister!"
"What sparring? I'm not good at fighting."
"That's not true! The mister I know is better at fighting than anyone!"
"I keep telling you. I'm not the mister you know."
"W-we won't know unless we confirm it!"
Wadadada—
Luna began swinging the wooden sword with the momentum to kill me. I was able to dodge Luna's sword by a hair's breadth.
I was really amazed at myself.
"Wh-what, how am I dodging this?"
"See, you ARE the mister I knew!! Admit it quickly!!"
"If I admit it, will you stop attacking?!"
"Well, not exactly...!"
Then what's the point?
Luna's attack with unclear intentions. However, her expression was the brightest and most cheerful I'd seen so far. Being a Hero, she seemed to fundamentally enjoy swinging a sword.
Still...
*'At this rate, won't we break the TV? There's no more space to dodge...'*
I glanced back. The distance to the wall was 50cm. I'd be cornered soon. There was no more space to dodge.
So there was only one method I could use.
The method of running my mouth.
"Y-you, Luna...! Don't you think you're being cowardly for a Hero...!? I'm not even holding a sword right now...?"
"Me, cowardly! What are you saying! That's rude to a Hero!"
Success?
Luna bristled at being called cowardly and stopped her sword. I slowly moved forward and spoke. Luna, perhaps feeling guilty, backed away.
"I-I'm not cowardly at all! I'm the honorable Hero! Lunacia Luna!"
"Really? Then to prove your honor, put down your sword."
"Why should I!"
"If you came to our world, you should follow our ways."
I passed the flustered Luna and walked toward the TV. My hand reached for the drawer under the TV. I pulled out two game pads from there. Luna tilted her head as if asking what they were.
"What's that? A weapon?"
"If you're good, it could become a weapon."
A very powerful weapon at that.
Thinking about what was about to happen, a smile naturally flowed from my lips.
It might have been a bit underhanded.
"Wh-what is this!! Why won't my character come down from the air!!"
"That's called a combo."
"What's that!! Th-this is cheating!!"
Creak— Creak—
Luna twisted her body wildly in anger. That appearance was quite similar to the character getting beaten up on the TV screen.
"You look alike, Luna."
"Be quiet!! M-move, you idiot!"
*Nope, you absolutely can't move.*
*Even if you move, I'll keep hitting you.*
I kept it to myself since if I said it out loud, Luna's fist would obviously fly at me.
I kept attacking, launching Luna's character back into the air whenever it hit the ground.
The fighting game 'Tekken 7.'
With this game, I could beat Luna very easily.
—YOU WIN—
When the screen showing I won appeared, Luna convulsed and stood up from the sofa.
"Ahhhhh—!! How does this make sense—!! In a real fight, I'd win—!!"
"In our world, we don't really do real fights. We do it with games."
"This world is rotten!"
Luna suddenly cursing Earth.
That's how angry she was.
Nothing makes you angrier than losing in a competitive game.
Hare, who had been quietly watching us, looked at the fuming Luna and said.
"...Stupid."
"Y-you try it then! No wait! Get in here! Come get hit by me!"
Hare stared at Luna quietly, then smirked and answered.
"Fine. Bring it."
Hare seemed overflowing with confidence for some reason.
Hare took the game pad from me and said boldly.
"M-mister... please watch me closely..."
"S-sure."
I answered half-heartedly and watched the two of them fight.
In a real fight, Luna would probably win.
But right now, this was a game using CDs that both were playing for the first time.
Not a bloody, fierce fight, but a fight with both their most important pride on the line.
—GAME START—
In that tense situation, the game started and...
"Th-this doesn't make sense—!!!"
Luna screamed and stood up before even a minute had passed.
The game's outcome was Hare's overwhelming victory. Though clumsy, she showed play similar to what I had used.
It seemed she had watched me play from behind and learned.
"And Luna had no talent for games."
"I do too! I have talent!"
"Then why do you keep getting hit by the same attack?"
"Th-that's because this stupid thing is broken!"
Luna blaming the game pad. Hare handed over her own game pad to Luna so she couldn't make excuses.
"Then want to switch and try...?"
"U-ugh..."
Hare trying to make it so Luna couldn't even make excuses. Luna thought for a moment with a troubled expression, then turned her head.
"N-never mind. Next time."
"Then today... I win...?"
"Wh-whatever!"
*So annoying!*
Luna said it was annoying and ran to the refrigerator.
Then she came back with ice cream in her mouth. It seemed like a method to cool her anger.
*'Anyway, she won't ask to fight for a while.'*
Maybe because I moved too fast earlier? My whole body aches. It's also naptime at school right now.
I thought about lying down on the bed and went into my room.
However, there was already a guest there.
"...Estia. Why is she sleeping here?"
"Mmnya... mm... oppa... mm..."
She didn't care about the screaming in the living room? How could she sleep so comfortably?
If we told insomniacs across the country about Estia's sleeping method, wouldn't she win a Nobel Prize?
That's how deeply Estia was immersed in sleep.
And at the computer next to the bed was Saten.
I approached and checked the monitor screen, asking.
"Do you know how to use it, Saten?"
"Yes, of course. I'm a genius, mister."
Click— Click—
Saten kept clicking the mouse and looking at the screen. However, for some reason, her expression looked very anxious.
"It shouldn't go down any further. This is bad."
"It shouldn't go down...?"
"Yes, it's bad if this turns blue."
Saten pointed at the screen with her finger.
A graph where red and blue coexisted.
No matter how I looked at it...
"Stocks...?"
"There are stocks too, but I don't have an identity, so I chose this method. It's called coin. For money, I sold currency from our world like you mentioned before, mister."
"When?"
"While you were sleeping, mister. Antique shops exist here too."
Click— Click—
Saten was checking and watching the coin screen.
I had no idea where she got this information.
But she seemed to be having fun with it.
"...Well, as long as you don't commit crimes. You can't scam people with coins, right?"
"Don't worry, I won't do anything that would harm you, mister."
"Then I'm relieved..."
Why did Saten staring intently at the screen make me feel so anxious? I had a strong feeling she was going to cause some kind of trouble.
And at the same time I felt that...
I heard a sound I absolutely shouldn't hear.
Beep— Beep beep— Beep—
The sound of pressing the door lock buttons.
The sound of entering four digits, and the sound of someone opening the door.
"I'm screwed..."
The identity of that sound was obviously my parents. How should I explain this situation? With that thought, I felt my future becoming bleak.