Ever since I confessed, she has been acting strange. - CHAPTER 1:THE YOUNG LADY TO BE CONQUERED

Episode 5: Turning the Tables

“The next one is ‘five. The fifth space is… ‘Hug the person next to you for ten seconds.'”

“Um… Ojou…”

“Eito’s neighbor is… me.”

“Ojou?”

“Now, hold me.”

The young lady smiled happily and opened her arms wide, expecting to be hugged.

“That’s fine, but…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Don’t you think this ‘Life Game (Provisional)’ is a little strange…?”

“Really? I don’t think it’s weird at all, not even a little bit.”

A truly impenetrable smile. She pays no attention to my doubts.

“Hurry up and give me a hug, okay?”

“U-Understood…”

Something is not right. There’s definitely something strange about this Life Game…!

It’s been a while since the game started, but the commands were nothing but things like that.

Even now, I resent Yukimichi, who has yet to complete his rounds around the school building. But the person himself isn’t here. It feels like a long time has passed, but there’s no sign of him coming back.

“Well then, excuse me.”

“Nn.”

I gently pull Ojou into my embrace as she stretches out her arms. Her delicate form feels as fragile and beautiful as a piece of glass and makes me hesitate for a moment. But Ojou herself seems to see through my hesitation. Without a hint of reluctance, she wraps her arms around my back and holds on tightly.

“…Eito, you have become more reliable compared to the past.”

“That’s because I’ve been training.”

“Heh. That’s true. It’s very manly… Yes, it’s wonderful.”

While I was wondering if it was really okay for me to hug the young lady, she seemed completely satisfied.

“You are so much bigger than me now.”

“Of course. I’m not a little kid anymore.”

“Yes, that’s right. We’re not little kids anymore…both of us.”

Right now, it felt like she was really emphasizing the “both of us” part.

“Hey, Eito. I’ve grown up too, you know?”

“Yes, I’m well aware.”

“Do you understand what I mean?”

“Uh, yes.”

“Just like how you’ve grown taller and stronger, I’ve grown too… So, Eito, where do you think I’ve changed the most?”

I feel like ten seconds have already passed…

But the young lady shows no sign of letting go. On the contrary, she’s holding on even tighter, as if she wants to press her whole body against me…?

“The young lady is growing every day, so if I were to list them all, there would be no end…”

“There’s no need to think about it… Just honestly say whatever comes to mind.”

Say whatever comes to mind honestly, right?

“That’s right. After all…”

“After all?”

The young lady looks up at me expectantly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

“The fact that you’ve learned to rely on others, I suppose.”

“……………………………………………………”

The light in Ojou’s eyes vanished in an instant.

Huh? Did I not convey what I meant clearly?

I should probably explain it properly.

“The young lady has always been talented and hardworking, but because of that, I felt that she wasn’t very good at relying on others. But now I think she has learned to accept help from others properly and allow herself to lean on someone. I think that’s an admirable form of growth.

“That’s not what I meant!”

“That’s not what you meant!?”

It seems that although I intended to point out a respectable aspect of her growth, she finds it completely unsatisfactory.

“Hey, Eito. You’re holding me right now, aren’t you?”

“Yes, that’s right. Though I do feel it’s quite presumptuous of me…”

“You’re holding me tightly right now, so surely there’s something you’ve felt, right?”

“There is, indeed.”

“Go ahead and say it.”

“You’ve gotten better at relying on others.”

“That’s not the point.”

“That’s not the point?”

I don’t understand… I don’t understand anything anymore…!

“I’m not talking about something emotional. I’m talking about something more… tangible.”

“Rather, Ojou, are you really okay with that?”

“You’re the one saying that?”

I can feel an overwhelming pressure from Ojou’s smile. At the very least, I understand that I’m the one at fault here.

“I’m focusing on the physical aspects because the emotional ones just aren’t getting through.”

“Th-Then… my apologies, but could you enlighten me on which part of you has grown…?”

“My br3asts have grown.”

“Ojou!”

No, I mean, now that she mentions it, there are certainly two very soft and full sensations, but…!

“The last time it got tight again and it was really annoying.”

With a proud “hmph,” the young lady puffed out her chest. I decided it was best not to ask exactly what had gotten tight.

“…Sigh. You mustn’t say such things so carelessly, my lady. Please remember to carry yourself with the dignity befitting the heiress of the Tendou family.”

“I don’t need that kind of common sense.”

“No, common sense is necessary…”

I let go of the young lady as ten seconds had surely passed.

Damn you, Yukimichi. Because you created such a strange game, the young lady got caught up in the mood and started saying strange things.

“It’s your turn next, my lady.”

Anyway, let’s just finish this game quickly. Fortunately, it’s already nearing the end, so it shouldn’t take much longer. There are a lot of strange commands, but maybe because it’s hard to come up with a variety, there aren’t too many spaces on the board.

Although she looked unhappy, my lady rolled the dice and landed on an eight.

“The eighth spot is…”

We’ve had all kinds of commands so far, but surely they’re running out of ideas by now.

Most likely, Yukimichi’s concentration has started to fade at this point, so they must have put in something easy…

“Until your next turn, the servant must carry his master in a princess carry.”

“The servant must carry her master in a princess carry!?”

I couldn’t help but doubt my own eyes, but the space on the board said it clearly: “The servant must carry her master in a princess carry until her next turn.”

“Miss! This is absolutely ridiculous!”

“What’s ridiculous about it?”

“No, but it is aimed at me!”

“It’s just your imagination.”

“Because, look, there are no names written, right?”

“Th-That’s true, but…!”

The young lady’s face remained completely calm.

Am I the one who’s wrong here…!?

☆

Mmm….As expected, Eito is a tough opponent.

I’ve tried various commands, but he still won’t pay attention.

I even pressed my grown body against him, but even that wasn’t a decisive blow… And I was pretty confident about it.

But the game is already in its final stages.

From now on, I’m going to push forward all at once and defeat him…!

“Eito. Carry me.”

“Understood. Even though it feels like I’m being directly targeted, I suppose that’s enough.”

Reluctantly, Eito takes me in his arms. The ease with which he carries me shows how strong he really is.

Yes. Just like we talked about before, Eito has grown too.

When he held me earlier, I secretly felt my heart race at the strength of his body. And now, his dignified expression, his gentle touch…

(No, no! Not now. I’m the one doing the conquering here!)

If I end up being the one who gets upset, it will be completely counterproductive.

“Ojou, you’re pretty light

.”

“Oh, my. You’re pretty good at flattery.”

“I’m being sincere. You’re so light, it’s almost worrisome.”

“Then hold me tight so I don’t fly away.”

Even though I dismissed it as mere flattery… I can’t deny that being called light by Eito makes me a little happy. And since it’s Eito, I know he’s not just saying it to be polite – it’s the truth.

“Um, Ojou… My hands are so full, so I can’t roll the dice. Could you roll them for me instead?”

“Y-Yes. That’s right.”

I rolled the dice in Eito’s place, and the result was “one.

I moved forward one space and peeled off the sticker.

“List ten things you like about the person next to you. That means I have to list ten things I like about you, right, Ojou?”

“It seems so. I wonder if you can do that, Eito?”

“It’s easy.”

“Hmm. Then go ahead and say them?”

“‘Your hardworking nature.'”

As I pushed him, Eito began to speak without the slightest hesitation.

“‘How honest you are with yourself.'”

“‘How you’ve learned to rely on others.'”

Wait a minute……

“‘How you value the feelings of others.'”

“Uh, um, Eito-”

“‘How you have confidence in yourself.'”

“Wa-wait! Stop. Just stop for a moment!”

“Ojou? What’s wrong?”

“Well… it’s just that…”

Being held in a princess carry, our faces are even closer than when he hugged me earlier. Because of our position, it feels like Eito is whispering directly into my ear… And for him to list my good qualities so effortlessly in this situation… The effect is much greater than I had imagined.

“There are five more to go, you know?”

“Um… Isn’t there something else you could talk about instead?”

“Something else?”

“Not something about personality, but more like… right, something physical, about appearance.”

“Well, the lady’s charm isn’t just about looks, but…”

“I can’t handle this. Just stop talking about personality. From now on, just about looks.”

“I don’t mind, but…”

Since I’m used to hearing compliments about my appearance from many people,

as long as it’s superficial,

I should be able to keep the effect in check, even in this princess carrying position.

“I don’t need flattery.”

“I speak nothing but the truth.

“I see.”

Ah, no. I understand. That pure smile – it’s proof that there’s not a single lie or exaggeration in his words. And that… makes it all the more unfair.

“Forget about my hair. Pick something else instead.”

“Next are your blue eyes. They are as clear and pure as the sky, and no matter how often I look at them, or how long I stare at them, I never tire of them. I could stare at them forever. They shine like the dazzling sea, and their beauty rivals that of precious stones. Their value is immeasurable. No, putting a price on them, even trying to put a price on them, would be vulgar. Even if all the gems in the world were collected, they could never match the beauty of your eyes…”

“I’ve lost.”

I can’t stand it anymore. If he keeps whispering things like that while I’m being carried in a princess hold, my heart just won’t be able to take it.

(I was supposed to be the one doing the conquering, but I ended up being completely defeated instead.)

After that, I couldn’t bring myself to look at Eito’s face for a long time.