By the time the three of us had played through every attraction at Eiga-no-Sato, it was evening. Time to head back to the hotel.
“First time at Eiga-no-Sato — that was fun.”
“Yeah, hadn’t gotten this excited in a while.”
“Lots of memories.”
We returned the costumes and left. The shuriken dojo, the ninja maze, the trick house — Eiga-no-Sato’s signature attractions had all delivered.
I had been assuming “school-trip free-time” would be miserable, but this had genuinely been fun, thanks to Reona and Riona.
“Thanks to you two. Really fun.”
“Oh — Ryouya-kun deying like that is unusual.”
“Old Ryouya wouldn’t have said it even if he meant it.”
”…That’s how fun it was.”
I’d been firmly teased, but I committed to saying it out loud. Saying these things to someone directly is the right thing to do, I had committed to that.
“So Ryouya-kun is letting down his guard, courtesy of Riona and me.”
“So Ryouya’s capture is progressing on schedule.”
“Phrased that way, I sound like a target in a dating-sim.”
“And we’d be the players.”
“Structurally, yes.”
If such a dating-sim existed, the only players capturing me would be completionists trying to lock every route, plus a small subset of niche-preference enjoyers.
“Just so you know, Riona and I are going for full capture.”
“Nee-chan and I commit fully — no half-measures.”
“I would be a hard route.”
I’d joined in on the dating-sim bit. They were in form today.
“All major flags and events have already been completed.”
“Just the finishing sequence left.”
The two of them looked normal, but for a beat I could swear there was an ominous aura. Maybe I was making some critical misunderstanding.
We hopped buses back to the hotel in Shijō-Kawaramachi. Other groups were arriving too — the lobby was packed.
I reported in to the teacher, split off, and went to my room. I’d gotten the key from the teacher, so I was the first to my room.
I set my stuff down and was relaxing when there was a knock. I figured it was a roommate and called out — door opened.
“Ryouya-kun, we got bored, came to see you.”
“Now Ryouya isn’t lonely.”
“Wait — hold on!?”
Reona and Riona. Boys’ floor. Cross-floor visits were strictly prohibited. If caught, major punishment. Worst case, a year-level assembly.
“Someone’ll see you — please leave.”
“Aw, why?”
“It’s fine if it’s brief.”
I was trying to expel them when the elevator chimed.
“It stopped on our floor!?”
“Hide.”
“Here.”
Reona and Riona grabbed my arms and pulled me into the room’s closet with them. As the closet door closed, the room door opened. Close call.
“If I’m in the closet too, I have no way to come out.”
“Sorry, sorry — pure reflex when I grabbed you.”
“Nee-chan didn’t mean to… probably.”
She definitely did mean to. The situation was not abstract right now. If only the two of them were hiding, I could have managed re-entry; with me in the closet, no recovery.
”…So what’s the plan?”
“Hmm, ideas, Riona?”
“Thinking.”
“Both of you are winging it?!”
The room had my roommates in it now; I couldn’t just emerge. I’d been hoping Reona and Riona had a plan — they had nothing.
———
Posted a new work for the Kakuyomu Contest — “My Three Step-Sisters Who Mock Me as a Romantic Loser Have Apparently Fallen Hard for Me” (https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093086422120550).
Originally planned for after the new year, but I posted now to give the reader-judging period more runway.
Different sub-genre from this one, but if you’d care to follow, please consider it.