On the shore of the lake, I enjoyed the colorful fireworks with Kuro and the others, who were also dressed in yukatas.
I don’t know who prepared them, but they had handheld fireworks just like the ones in my original world, sparklers, rockets, and pinwheels…… They even had cheap-looking skyrockets here.
[I’ll start lighting them~~]
Kuro lit a skyrocket that was placed a short distance away, and a little later, a small but beautiful firework went off.
……Can you believe this? We’re “indoors”, you know? Seriously, how outrageously spacious is this place……[Isis-san, you’re fine with sparklers?]
[……Unnn…… I like…… this.]
Isis-san, squatting down, holding a sparkler in hand with a smile, looked very picturesque, and I somehow felt an air of elegance around her.
[K- Kuro-san!? Isn’t that the one that flies——– Uhyaaahhh!?]
[Ah, sorry! Are you alright?]
[Now you’ve done it, Kuro-san…… Eat this! Firework attack!]
[Back you go~~][Ah, wait! Throwing it back is unfai———- Higyaaaahhhh!?]
[I- I’m sorry……]
Kuro is the organizer of the event and the one enjoying it the most, but it seems like she only has half-baked knowledge about fireworks themselves.
While Kuro holds a rocket in one hand and lights it, Alice would then avoid it as the rocket flew towards her…… Unlike Isis-san who was peacefully enjoying her sparkler, they were quite lively.
As I ate what looked like a watermelon that Ein-san had prepared for me, watching the noisy, but fun scene makes a smile naturally appear on my lips.
Before I knew it, the fun fireworks had ended, and we moved to our overly spacious bedroom.
However, it was still a little early to go to bed, so just as I was wondering what to do in the meantime, Kuro, Isis-san and Alice began to silently stare at each other.
[……Are the two of you ready?]
[……Yeah, anytime you are.]
[……Bring…… it on…… It will be…… my win.]
As the three stared at each other, I felt like sparks flew between them and I could feel the tension in the air.
Eh? The heck was happening? Why the heck did the situation suddenly look explosive? Even though everyone was having fun with fireworks just now…… T- This is bad! If I don’t stop them……
[We fight with “Old Maid”! The final loser “won’t be able to sleep next to Kaito-kun”…… Got that!?]
[……Unnn…… Let’s fight.]
[Yeah, I’ll be having that victory…… wait, arehh? What are you doing, laying down over there, Kaito-san? It’s still too early for bed, you know?]
(T/N: Old maid afaik is just drawing cards from the people next to you until you don’t have any pairs left in hand. The one left holding the old maid/joker loses.)
……I’m not lying down here, I slipped down here. What the heck are all of you doing!? Old Maid? You’re just playing that, but why the heck do you all have this atmosphere around you all as if you’re “about to have a duel”!?
Or rather, is it already decided that I’m going to sleep in the middle of the bed with two people on both of my sides?
[Well then, Ein! Deal the cards!]
[Understood.]
Even though I was feeling dumbfounded, the three of them looked pretty serious. Holding the cards that Ein-san dealt to them in their hands, they all had serious expressions on their faces.
Rather, wait a moment? Why did Ein-san “deal cards to me too”? Eh? I’m going to play too?
As I held the cards in my hand, Alice looked at me and let out a bold smile.
[……Fufufu, Kaito-san. Let me tell you something good. No matter how lucky Kaito-san is, in this game…… Luck isn’t the only thing that determines your victory! No, it’s exactly because you’re the way you are…… that you wouldn’t be able to win.]
[W- What do you mean……]
[Well then, let’s start!]
[Oiii…… Kuro……]
I was about to ask her what she meant when she said that I won’t be able to win Old Maid because of the way I am, but Kuro announced the start before I could ask.
Incidentally, the order of drawing the cards was Kuro, Alice, Isis-san, then me…… Well, since I’m going to participate anyway, let’s take this game seriously.
With that in mind, the Old Maid game began, but I soon understood the meaning of what Alice had said.
Isis-san, who had just drawn a card from Alice’s hand, clearly had a depressed expression on her face…… Arehh, I’m sure that she just drew the joker. Isis-san, you’re too easy to read.
It was then my turn, and as I reached for one of Isis-san’s cards…… Isis-san’s face brightened up.
Looking at her face, I moved my hand to the card beside it, and her expression changed to one that looked like she’s about to start crying.
……Isis-san, you’re too easy to read. Or rather, you’re really bad at playing Old Maid. I’ve already figured out where the joker is, you know?
However, errr, this is…… I see…… This certainly is impossible. I can’t win against her. I mean, if I draw anything other than the Old Maid, Isis-san would look like she’s about to cry……
I- I’m not so callous that I would seize victory in exchange for Isis-san’s tears.
Feeling defeated, especially before the gaze of the smirking Alice, I drew a card that brightened up Isis-san’s expression.
……wait, arehh? This isn’t the joker? Why? Even though Isis-san looked so easy to read……
Rather than being the Old Maid, the card I drew paired up with a card in my hand, which brought my hand down to two cards…… Kuro would draw a card from my hand next, so victory was practically within my reach already.
While I tilted my head, Alice looked surprised, as if she had expected that I had pulled the Old Maid from Isis-san’s hand.
Could it be that I drew the wrong card? Alright, I’ll get it next time……
When it was my turn again, I checked Isis-san’s face carefully this time. Drawing the card that made her smile brightly…… Thereupon, I’m already out of cards. That means, I’m out of the game…… Why?
When I looked at Isis-san, tilting my head as to why this happened, she put her cards on the table and gave a small clap.
[……Kaito is first…… amazing.]
[…………………]
I see, Isis-san “wanted me to be the first”, so “when I tried to draw the joker out of her hand”, she actually had a sad expression on her face…… Eh? Is she really a Demon? Are you sure she’s not actually an angel in disguise? No, I’m sure she’s an angel. She looks really adorable…..
[……S- So that’s what happened huh…… I- I didn’t see that one coming.]
It seems like she also didn’t expect that Isis-san was going to let me win, and a wry smile appeared on Alice’s lips.
After that, the game resumed, and Isis-san made a mad dash to the top. Thereupon, Isis-san, who I thought was weak at Old Maid, could apparently control her expression as easily as any other player, and she began arranging her pairs one after another until there were only two cards left in her hand.
Isis-san had the joker and an ace in her hand. It was her turn to draw now, so if she could draw an ace, she would be out of the game.
[Ahh, Isis-san. I don’t think you should draw that one. I think the card on the right feels better, doesn’t it?]
[……Unnn…… Okay.]
[Wait right there! Kaito-san, can you please stop telling Isis-san which card to draw!? The cards Isis-san have been drawing since a while ago have been pairs, you know!? Your luck is already a cheat, you know!?]
……I’m sorry, Alice. I want to protect my angel’s smile.
Dear Mom, Dad————- I’ve often heard that the Six Kings were close friends, and I actually think that’s true. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, and I felt like I was having fun watching them. Well, all things aside————- I think Isis-san is actually an angel.
<Afterword>
~~ L I V E ~~
? ? ? : [Ehh~~ This is ? ? ?-chan, live in front of the hospital where Serious-senpai is hospitalized. Serious-senpai is currently recuperating and has two more chapters (including this one) until she is released from the hospital. Serious-senpai was hit by unexpected misfortune, but her progress after hospitalization was good. According to the person herself, “It’s not sweet, it’s not sweet…… Hospital food tastes so good.” or so she said with a smile on her face. After that, due to the “author’s” consideration, only Serious-senpai’s hospital food was changed to “extremely sweet”, making Serious-senpai “cry” from joy. Well~~ Serious-senpai really is loved, isn’t she? I hope you get well soon…… Once again, this is ? ? ?-chan, in front of the hospital, signing out.]
