Yuuka left with the same heaviness she arrived with. The heavy steps of Yuuka, the heavy door slam of Yuuka, bidding farewell to the foolish children of the Game Development Club.
Momoi tiptoed to the door, pressing her ear against the wood with a grave expression, listening intently to the sound of fading footsteps until they vanished completely.
"Yes!" she cried, throwing both hands into the air. "We did it! We successfully drove off the Demon Lord Yuuka!"
Wasn't she just one of the Four Seminar Overlords a moment ago? And besides, Yuuka clearly left on her own, no one actually "drove her off."
Midori muttered, "It's thanks to Sensei that we got off so easily with no progress report and no budget cuts."
Honestly, I thought even if I weren't here, Yuuka's sword of Damocles would have been raised high, only to be gently set down again.
After all, Yuuka's strictness came from her earnest and disciplined nature. She might sound harsh at times, but deep down, she was an exceptionally kind and gentle person.
If she were truly as cold as her nickname suggested, there's no way the Game Development Club could have gotten away with months of missing submissions and still received their activity funds without interruption.
I could see that truth clearly, but I had no intention of pointing it out. Watching the interactions between the twins and Yuuka was far too entertaining.
Once the sisters had calmed from their relief and excitement, I asked, "So, what's next? Continue the game for a while, or take a break for lunch?"
It was already close to noon. Judging by the progress percentages provided by the two developers and factoring in the bizarre traps bound to waste more time, I estimated it would take until three or four in the afternoon to finish.
Playing this cursed game really was like serving a prison sentence.
"Ah, it's already that late," Momoi said, glancing at her phone. "Time to order takeout, I guess. The cafeteria food's awful, and other restaurants are too far. Not very friendly for homebodies like us."
Midori nodded in agreement. "The cafeteria's cheap, sure, but unless you're broke, I doubt anyone would go there. Calling it 'eating' is too generous, 'consuming' might be more accurate."
Their words cast a dreadful shadow over Millennium's cafeteria in my mind.
I couldn't help but think of Gehenna, and the adorable little chef there, Fuuka. The warmth in her cooking still lingered vividly in my memory, the kind that felt like a home-cooked meal.
I decided then and there: next time I visit Gehenna, I'll make sure to get closer to Fuuka.
Meanwhile, the Saiba twins had already started browsing takeout menus on their phones.
Momoi mumbled, "If it's a celebration, it's got to be a party. Let's go with pizza. Hmm, this place has great reviews, fast delivery, and cheap fees. Sensei, any flavor you want?"
"I'm fine with anything. Just get whatever you two like."
"Okay! Then let's go with durian—"
"No!" Midori crossed her arms in alarm. "No durian! Pass! Pass!"
"Eh? Fine, fine… Oh right, we don't know if Yuzu's coming back for lunch. I should ask her first."
Momoi switched to Momotalk and sent a message to the club president.
Ding. The message notification sounded through the room.
But it didn't come from Momoi's phone. The sound came from the storage cabinet in the corner.
All three of us froze, turning in unison to stare at the ordinary-looking cabinet.
Momoi and Midori seemed to realize something, while I could only watch, deep in thought.
"Uh… maybe… maybe Yuzu forgot her phone and left it here?" Midori tried to explain, but before she could finish—
Thud. Something hit the cabinet wall from inside.
Silence fell over the Game Development Club.
Moments later, that silence was broken as the cabinet door slowly pushed open from the inside.
Out crawled a red-haired girl with a broad forehead. Her messy hair was tied with a scatter of small white ribbons, her face adorably cute yet timid and flustered. She stammered as she looked up at me.
"Um… n-nice to meet you. I'm Hanaoka Yuzu, the president of the Game Development Club… I'm in charge of planning… Sorry for hiding in the cabinet all this time… I didn't dare come out since there was a stranger here, and then I couldn't find the right moment… I'm really sorry…"
"Uh, nice to meet you too. I'm Sensei from Schale. Please take care of me."
After our brief exchange, Momoi couldn't hold back her curiosity. "Yuzu, when did you even get in there? Midori and I thought you weren't here!"
"Uu… since last night… I stayed up late working and fell asleep in there, so I just woke up not long ago…"
To stay hidden in a cabinet all night without being noticed, that was a talent in its own right. But sleeping in such a cramped space couldn't be good for her.
Since I didn't know her well yet and she seemed shy and timid by nature, I decided not to press the issue.
"So..." I asked, "you must've heard everything we were talking about just now?"
"Y-yes…"
"Then what kind of pizza do you want?"
"Ah… um… I'm fine with anything…"
"I'll be continuing your game in a bit. Do you want to come closer and watch?"
For a moment, she hesitated under my gaze, then gave the faintest, shy nod.
And so began another round of painful suffering.
Momoi and Midori resumed their positions on either side of me, while Yuzu sat a little farther back on the sofa.
By the time the food arrived, the battle on-screen was fierce, and I couldn't spare a moment to eat. I had no choice but to endure the "humiliation" of the twins feeding me pizza by hand…
Heh. Just kidding. Having cute girls feed me was more than I could ever hope for. This was exactly the kind of reward that made the "gaming imprisonment" worth it.
Time flowed on, steady and relentless. Finally, I guided my character through the last fight and brought down the final boss.
"Yes! We did it!"
Momoi cheered, throwing her arms around my waist. A moment later, Midori followed, slightly hesitant, but smiling as she hugged me too.
Tears welled in my eyes.
At last… I was free.
"Um, Sensei," Midori asked nervously after releasing me, "I know it's a bit sudden, but… what did you think of our game?"
"It's terrible."
I said it flatly at first, then couldn't help but laugh, reaching out to ruffle the sisters' hair.
"But..." I added gently, "It's also pretty fun."