Chapter 30: The Out-of-Place Aragaki-san
With the game cartridge running, Eriri and Aragaki Moeha's attention was immediately drawn to the screen. It had to be said that Aragaki Moeha was truly like Eriri's daughter; the way she instantly immersed herself in the game seemed as if they were cast from the same mold. Meanwhile, Aragaki Takiya, standing to the side, was clearly a bit out of place.
"Fighting games, huh..."
Looking at the game screen not far away, he tactfully chose not to disturb them. After all, both of them seemed very interested, and it would be clearly insensitive of him to butt in.
Thinking this, Aragaki Takiya didn't stop looking around. He slowly shifted his gaze and finally focused his attention on the nearby bookshelf.
"Sawamura-san, may I take a look at the light novels on the shelf?"
Out of politeness, Aragaki Takiya took the initiative to speak.
"No problem, feel free to look. Just remember to put them back properly..."
Eriri had no reason to refuse Aragaki Takiya's request. She had already tidied up her drafts and such, even those 18+ games were no exception. Therefore, the bookshelf in her Bedroom was a completely safe zone; she wouldn't mind no matter how much the boy flipped through them.
Having received the owner's permission, Aragaki Takiya no longer hesitated and directly picked up a light novel from the shelf to start reading. It had to be said that this young lady's collection was quite rich; the light novels on the shelf were squeezed into a row, and even the works of Kasumigaoka Utaha, who bickered with her every time, were among them.
"As expected, compared to the previous golden age of light novels, the ones currently in serialization fail to pique a reader's interest at all..."
Flipping through the light novel in his hand, Aragaki Takiya could almost guess the ending. Being somewhat cautious, he even flipped to the end in advance to take a look, and the result was not much different from what he had imagined.
"I originally thought Utako Kasumi was the starting point, but I didn't expect her to be almost the peak..."
With such thoughts, Aragaki Takiya silently closed the light novel. For him, not asking the author for a reading fee for this book was already the height of kindness.
"Instead of spending time on light novels where the ending is obvious at a glance, I'd rather revisit some excellent works."
Utako Kasumi—Aragaki Takiya was no stranger to this name. He first learned of it through the internet.
Back then, because he was short on money, he basically only read serialized novels online. Even so, after learning that the light novels she wrote were being published, he still gritted his teeth and bought the full set. He had even specifically worked part-time at a bookstore just to buy the books with early volume tags.
"But I didn't expect that Utako Kasumi, who was so gentle with her words online, would have such a huge contrast in reality."
Recalling the scene of Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri bickering last time, Aragaki Takiya couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. It proved that when the gap between one's expectations and reality is too large, it truly creates an indescribable feeling in one's heart.
"What?! I actually lost!"
Just as Aragaki Takiya was spacing out, Eriri's exclamation from the side interrupted his thoughts. The Blonde Girl, who had been sitting quietly on the cushion playing games, had now put down the controller and was looking at the TV screen with a face full of disbelief.
"Moeha, didn't you say before that you've rarely played this type of game? So why did I lose to you?"
Perhaps to ease the embarrassment of losing the game, Eriri simply pulled Aragaki Moeha into her arms. Her fair little hands were placed directly on the other's identical blonde hair, and the smooth, silky texture slightly calmed the girl's nervous mood.
"Um, I really do rarely play this type of game, but that's only compared to other games..."
Although Eriri's actions made Aragaki Moeha feel slightly uncomfortable, the throbbing in her heart did not diminish. Moreover, the comforting stroking on her head made Aragaki Moeha feel cozy, and for a moment, she actually grew fond of the sensation.
"Should I say they truly are like mother and daughter? Two golden fluffballs huddled together actually gives off a warm feeling."
Looking at the two of them hugging, Aragaki Takiya didn't linger too long. He could take this opportunity to leave Aragaki Moeha here, as he had to go to his part-time job in the afternoon.
"Um, Sawamura-san, could I ask a favor of you?"
Seeing the two finish their playing, Aragaki Takiya spoke up slowly.
"Hmm? What is it? Go ahead, Aragaki."
Thanks to Aragaki Moeha, Eriri's way of addressing Aragaki Takiya had changed from Aragaki-san to just Aragaki. One could say this was a sign of their relationship growing closer.
"It's like this: I have other work to do this afternoon, so I'd like to ask you to help me look after Moeha."
"Eh, but isn't today the weekend?"
The Blonde Girl blinked, a look of confusion flashing across her face.
"Because it's the weekend, the pay is a bit higher than usual."
In response to Eriri's question, Aragaki Takiya explained briefly. Then, he patted Aragaki Moeha's head and prepared to leave.
"I feel like your brother is so busy, Moeha. Is it because there's something he wants to buy?"
Watching the Bedroom door close, a flicker of a different emotion passed through Eriri's heart, and she then began to ask the Little Loli beside her.
"Um, Brother has always been very busy. Even on normal days, the time he gets home from school is very late."
Aragaki Moeha explained softly, her eyes still holding some lingering reluctance. Although Aragaki Takiya had warned her in advance, she still felt a bit aggrieved seeing this hard-won opportunity slip away.
"Eh? Don't Aragaki's mom and dad give you guys living expenses...?"
Eriri couldn't understand Aragaki Takiya's behavior. In her view, even if Aragaki Takiya had something he wanted to buy, he didn't need to be so focused on work unless there was some problem at home.
"It seems Brother's mom and dad passed away a long time ago..."
Hearing Eriri's question, Aragaki Moeha seemed like a wilted eggplant, her previously happy mood vanishing instantly. Her father was different from her; in the previous world, before Aragaki Takiya got sick, he would play with her every day.
But as for himself? At least Aragaki Moeha had asked that question, and Aragaki Takiya's answer was that he hadn't seen them since he could remember... "Ah? Sorry, I didn't know about that..."
Hearing Aragaki Moeha's answer, Eriri quickly pressed her hands together in apology. However, as she apologized, Aragaki Moeha's small hands grabbed hers.
"So, Eriri-oneesan, you must find time to play with Brother. He's always so busy with work; he'll make himself sick from exhaustion."
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