This chapter is updated by wuxiaworld.eu
I was a little busy and couldnāt write todayās chapter, so Iām going to share a past bonus short story againā¦ā¦ This time, itās a bonus SS for Volume 2 and itās about Alice finding out that Kaito is weak at board games.
ā» This is around the time of the Sacred Tree Festival.
Aliceās miscellaneous goods store, where I have been coming more and more often lately. Sitting on the chairs in front of the counter together with Alice, we chatted over a cup of tea that Alice had made for us.
Today is just like any other day, where no other customers have come into this miscellaneous goods store. No, I really feel like Iāve seen so many other customers that I feel more like Iām visiting a friendās house rather than coming to her store to shop.
Since tea and a seat had also been prepared for me, it seems like Alice doesnāt dislike my frequent visits, so I guess itās alright?
As I was looking around the store, a product caught my attention.
[ā¦ā¦That kinda looks like a shogi board.]
[Eh? Is that so? Shogi also exists in this world huh.]
[Yes, one of the people who played the role of Hero back then liked it so much that he made his own that he made his own board and pieces and propagated it. Well, in the end, it didnāt spread that much, so itās only known by knowledgeable people.]
As I listened to Aliceās explanation, I picked up the shogi board and found that it was quite solid. The pieces seemed to be written with the letters of this world, but it was the same as the shogi I knew.
[Since weāre at it, do you want to try it out?]
[Unnn? Is that alright? Thatās a product, right?]
[Customers wonāt come anyway~~ Alice-chan is pretty bored, you know?]
[ā¦ā¦Hmmm, in that case, letās play a game then.]
To be honest, Iām not very good at board games like this. But itās just a game to pass the time, and itās not a serious competition, so why not?
Besides, I heard that itās not very popular, so Alice shouldnāt be that strong. I guess even I would be able to have a good game.
Agreeing to Aliceās suggestion, we put the shogi board on the counter and facing Alice, I started the game with my first move.
The shogi match between Alice and Iā¦ā¦ was quickly settled.
[ā¦ā¦E- Errr, we have our own strengths and weaknessesā¦ā¦ L- Letās play one more game! In the next round, Iāll remove the rook and the bishopā¦ā¦ I also wonāt use the gold and silver generals, okay!?]
Iām not going to lie, even though I know how bad I am in this game, it was a really shameful loss for me. A- Alice is strongā¦ā¦ She had an extremely high skill in shogi.
U- Unnn. Thatās rightā¦ā¦ It was impossible to play against such an opponent without a handicap. It seems like weāll play the next game with 6 pieces less for her, so I should be able to somehow manageā¦ā¦
Given quite the handicap, we played the second gameā¦ā¦ And in a really deplorable way, the second game was also settled early.
Of courseā¦ā¦ I was defeated.
[ā¦ā¦Kaito-sanā¦ā¦ Youāre weakā¦ā¦ Super weak. Y- Youāre so weak that Iām feeling sorry here, you know!? W- Whatās going on?]
[N- No, itās just that Iāve always been weak at board gamesā¦ā¦]
[I- Is that soā¦ā¦ T- Then! In the next match, Iāll only have my king and my pawns on my field!]
As Alice increased the handicap with a look of concern on her face, to be honest, I still donāt think I could win even with that condition.
My premonition came true, as we played several more matches after that, with the handicaps increasing.
After the 10-piece less match, in which she uses no pieces other than pawns and her king, there is an additional handicap where she couldnāt re-enter my pieces that she tookā¦ā¦ before finally, Alice came to play with me with her king alone.
The lone king, riding atop his white horseā¦ā¦ Itās a battle of one against twenty, and if I lose here, Iām just too far gone that thereās nothing that could be done about this.
(Note: In shogi, pieces arenāt killed like in chess, but captured instead. Thus, you can place a captured piece instead of moving at any point in the game, though there are still some additional rules about placing these pieces.)
And now, in front of me, Alice is shivering, looking as if sheās trembling in fear.
[ā¦ā¦Ummm, K- Kaito-san?]
[I only had my king left on my field, you knowā¦ā¦ I- I donāt know how to give you an even more handicap than thisā¦ā¦]
[To be honest, I still donāt feel like I can win.]
[ā¦ā¦If I were to be honest, I also donāt think I can make Kaito-san win either.]
[ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦]
[ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦]
A very heavy silence descended between Alice and me. Seemingly bewildered by how weak I was, Aliceās gaze restlessly wandered about.
[W- Well, itās that, you know? Everyone has their own weaknessesā¦ā¦ Ahh, l- letās play reversi! Letās play that one instead!!!]
[ā¦ā¦Letās do that then.]
(Note: Reversi/Othello is that board game with black and white pieces, and when theyāre captured in between your color, they are turned over to join the capturing playerās color.)
I didnāt realize it until now, but perhaps, Alice is actually quite a good fellow? She doesnāt make fun of my shogi skills, which are probably inferior to even elementary schoolers, and was trying to support me instead.
Iām very grateful for her thoughts, and it makes me like Alice even more than before. However, unnn, Iām sorry, Aliceā¦ā¦ Actuallyā¦ā¦ Iām weak at othello too.
In an attempt to give me back my confidence, she suggested that we stop playing shogi and play reversiā¦ā¦ othello instead, but as I had expected, the result ended up being disastrous.
No matter how many times she tried, the board always somehow turns out to be one color faster than we could even fill in all the squaresā¦ā¦
I was well-aware that Iām not very good at board games, but when the game is just this bad, as expected, even I would start feeling a little depressed. As I gloomily nodded my head, Alice patted me on the shoulder.
[ā¦ā¦No, errrā¦ā¦ Being strong in board games doesnāt have any use in life! Thatās why, it doesnāt matter if youāre not strong in games like this!!!]
[Aliceā¦ā¦ Youāre a great womanā¦ā¦]
[Oiiii~~, Kaito-san? Your mind seems like itās about to die, you know? Itās no secret that Alice-chan is transcendentally pretty, a devilish woman who captivated the men of the worldā¦ā¦]
[No, I didnāt say that much though.]
[What? Youād like to buy this Transcendental Cutie Alice-chan a meal? Yes, Iād love to! Speaking of which, thereās a restaurant nearby that serves great foodāāā Migyaaahhh!?]
When I praised Alice for supporting me through my losing streak, she started getting carried away, so I smacked her on the head to shut her up.
Seriously, if it werenāt for the way she jokes around whenever she gets a chance, she would have been a great fellowā¦ā¦
[Ouchā¦ā¦ At any rate, Iām glad that youāre feeling better.]
[Aliceā¦ā¦ I guess so, unnn. Thanks.]
[Right!? Now, now, keep it up and continue praising Alice-chan! Iām the type who grows with praise! COME ON!!!]
[ā¦ā¦Why are you such an idiot?]
[Even though I asked you to praise me!?]
How should I say thisā¦ā¦ Feeling that Alice is the same as always, I couldnāt help but smile.
Unnn, I really think I have great affinity with her. My closeness with her is different from Kuroāsā¦ā¦ Just like close friends, my relationship with her feels quite comfortable.
[ā¦ā¦Iām hungry. Wanna go get something to eat?]
[Thank you for the treat!]
[Youāre going to assume Iām treating you from the start huhā¦ā¦ Well, I donāt really mind.]
[As expected of Kaito-san! I could really depend on you! How dreamy, please embrace me~~!]
[ā¦ā¦Stop it, youāre creeping me out.]
[You do realize that your words can still hurt my heart, right!?]
I havenāt known each other for a very long timeā¦ā¦ but Iām really glad that I met Alice.
Sheās boisterous, cheerful, and even rather annoying, but sheās a pretty nice fellowā¦ā¦ Thereās a part of me that truly enjoys the time we spend together.
[ā¦ā¦Speaking of which, what about your store?]
[ā¦ā¦There wonāt be any customers anyway.]
Itās just a hunch, but I feel like I can continue to be close to Alice and laugh with her in the future.
This way of thinking is probably because even though I complain about Alice a lot, I like her.
Iām not going to tell this to her because sheāll definitely get carried awayā¦ā¦ but Alice had already become what I would call a dear friend to me.