“But Commander.”
“What now?”
“Weren’t we supposed to hit the gym this weekend?”
I blurted it out suddenly without thinking.
We had definitely planned to get fit with Dolores’s help, yet here I was outside again today.
Of course, nobody seemed to object, so I ended up here without a hitch, but it struck me as a bit ridiculous.
We had talked about it before, but somehow it didn’t happen.
“Well, we can just do it next week.”
“We decided to go shopping for clothes next week.”
“…Then how about the week after?”
“Pfft…”
It was hilarious how casually things were being brushed aside.
I wasn’t surprised by the Commander’s behavior anymore; I just rolled with it.
After all, such things often occurred while hanging out with the Commander.
“Don’t laugh, but are we going to the arcade first? I haven’t been there often, so I’m clueless.”
“Just follow me. I’ve already found a decent place that’s good for reference. It’s set up by headquarters, so it might not be exactly the same.”
Still, it would be better than having no experience at all.
It was naturally more beneficial to gather any kind of information, and the Commander could learn a thing or two.
“Got it. But if we’re walking down this path, was it really necessary to get out of the car?”
“Why do you say that? We’re just walking.”
The Commander and I were walking down the street toward our destination.
We had just gotten out of the car and were strolling slowly toward the entrance.
It was a place where people frequented, and we had purposely opted to come out because we could venture into alleys too.
You can’t drive through an alley or narrow road in a car, right?
“…But still, we could have driven to the destination.”
“Let’s just walk a bit. Aren’t you usually cooped up in your room?”
“That’s true…”
As I walked alongside the Commander, I noticed people glancing our way again, but I didn’t pay much attention.
After all, it had happened before, and today’s outfits weren’t even that similar.
We were merely walking beside each other.
So, I totally ignored the gazes of others and concentrated on walking with the Commander.
“…It feels like it’s been ages since I last went to an arcade.”
“When did you go?”
“Before I hit puberty?”
Hearing the Commander’s response, I imagined his younger self.
The image that came to mind was of a small, cute boy with black hair.
Even now, he was unnecessarily good-looking, so he must have stood out as a kid too.
He may not have been cuter than he is now, but he was definitely adorable back then.
Kids are always cuter than adults, after all.
“Hmm… That’s interesting.”
“…?”
“I just find it amusing that you’re still gaming at home now. The fact that you gamed as a kid is just fun to think about.”
“Anyone can game, right?”
“It’s just because it’s you, Commander.”
“…Hah.”
I teased the Commander a bit, but I actually thought he would have been cute as a kid.
I mean, little kids are cute, and pretty little kids are even cuter, right?
*
“Ugh!”
“…What exactly games are you good at?”
“…….”
A good question.
Even though I was playing games with the Commander at the arcade, I had to wonder.
After all, I was playing horribly.
I was doing so bad that it made me want to sigh!
To be honest, most of the games I played with the Commander had been on a console.
So, I thought the arcade games might feel a bit different.
I had some hope in that.
-YOU LOSE!!!
“…That’s unfair.”
“Unfair, you say? Didn’t you just score the puck into your own goal?”
“That’s what makes it unfair…”
I genuinely tried to hit the puck that the Commander sent my way to the opposite side.
Why on earth did it come back to my side?
Even though I aimed perfectly, the puck came straight to me, and I lost again to the Commander.
I had already lost four times in air hockey.
I lost so much, but I thought I could win this time, so I asked to play once more…
“You should’ve taken it easier. I haven’t even swung hard on purpose.”
“…Huh?”
“You’re just so bad that I’m intentionally going easy on you. If you swing so hard, you won’t hit properly.”
“…Intentionally?”
Hearing the Commander’s words made my hands tremble.
I lost to the Commander even though he was going easy on me.
What’s more, it bothered me even more that he had deliberately taken it easy.
My earlier vigorous swinging was all for nothing.
“Let’s… go play something else.”
“…Yeah.”
“…….”
I always knew I was bad at games, but this time, being a one-on-one made it even sadder.
I couldn’t even make excuses since it was clearly my fault.
So, I stopped air hockey with the Commander and moved on to another game.
Despite already feeling unfair from losing the first game, that wasn’t why we came here today anyway.
Today was all about just experiencing the arcade…
“Shooting game… no.”
“Why’s that?”
“Let’s start with something casual.”
“…You should do fine against the computer.”
“Stop talking nonsense and let’s do rhythm games.”
“…Okay.”
I tried to argue against the Commander’s suggestion but couldn’t find the words to do so.
Honestly, I thought I wouldn’t be able to play well anyway…?
-Drumroll!
“…How about that drumming game?”
“At least that one’s a two-player game. Even if one person is bad, it should be fine.”
“…Why do you always think I can’t do it?”
“Haha.”
“Why are you laughing?”
It felt truly unfair.
I hadn’t even played yet, I was just going to watch.
Yet already, he thought I wouldn’t be good.
I had a bad track record, but come on, isn’t that a stretch?
All it took was hitting the drum in time.
Well, it’s a little bit about matching the rhythm with the song, but it shouldn’t be that hard of a game.
The person playing in front of me wasn’t doing anything too complicated either.
The beat wasn’t super fast, just a reasonable speed… I should definitely be able to do it.
There was still plenty of time left, and many games to choose from.
And there were lots of places to wander around with the Commander inside the area.
Of course, we couldn’t explore everything, but we should look around a bit.
There was a DVD room and a wine bar too.
It wasn’t necessary to have such facilities installed on the ship right away, but it was fine to just check it out with the Commander.
I would show that I could play rhythm games decently this time.
After all, the Commander was looking down on me!
*
“Pfft…”
“Don’t laugh. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“Then what can I do? It keeps popping into my head.”
“Just don’t laugh.”
It was frustrating, but I had no talent for gaming.
No, it felt like I simply had no talent for any kind of physical activity, including my fingers.
Of course, it wasn’t me; it was more that Lindera lacked that kind of talent.
But still, it felt unfair regardless.
“Now you have dragged me here to do something you’re even worse at.”
“…Quiet.”
“It’s okay for the Commander to tease me, but I can’t do the same?”
Just like how the Commander was terrible at drinking, I was just teasing back.
“You had half a drink of the alcohol I was having and then fell asleep.”
“I don’t remember.”
“That’s because you were drunk. I had at least two bottles before I got tipsy.”
“…That was just a mistake.”
“What mistake was that?”
Was there anything to be called a mistake?
He was the one who drank.
“Hah… never mind. Let’s just go inside.”
“Alright.”
“Why did you bring me along when you can’t even drink…”
“Am I supposed to go drink alone?”
Realistically, wouldn’t it be dangerous for a girl to visit a bar alone?
The Commander wasn’t the type to overlook such things, so I wondered why he didn’t think of it…
Well, he’d said some ridiculous things more than a few times, so I shouldn’t have been surprised.
“Do you think I’d be chatting with other guys? I hate that.”
“…Then is it okay to come with me?”
“What’s wrong with coming with you, Commander? It’s not like I’ve never had a drink before.”
“That’s…”
There were times when it was just the two of us drinking.
Of course, there were separate reasons for those occasions, but that wasn’t odd in this situation either.
“I’m here to gather some intel to set up the wine bar on the ship. I won’t be drinking much, just a little to get by.”
“…Alright.”
“After this, let’s check out the DVD room or the garden. I think going to a movie theater would be better than the DVD room… but since Dolores suggested it.”
It seemed better to go with a recommended spot, right?
I mean, it wouldn’t hurt to consider the recommendations, especially since I was here with the Commander.
Nothing bad was likely to happen.
My heart might be pounding a bit, but…
It was probably just because it was my first time at a wine bar.
Probably.
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