Chapter 16: I'm Playing Games, I'm Very Busy
Kushida Kikyo froze for a moment.
'Was I just... rejected?
Strange. Was I really rejected by Katsuragi Keima?'
Kushida looked at the boy in front of her with confusion, but Katsuragi Keima had already lowered his head, withdrawn his hand, pulled out his handheld console, and started playing.
This was the first time Kushida had encountered a male who didn't look her in the eye during a conversation. She was highly confident in her looks, her figure, and her mannerisms; she knew exactly how to use her advantages to quickly close the distance with others.
Most boys, when talking to her at such close range, would blush or act shy. No matter what she said, they would basically nod in agreement. It was precisely by exploiting this that Kushida's social circle had expanded rapidly in just two days.
However, the Katsuragi Keima before her was completely different from those people. His gaze wasn't on her at all; he was focused solely on his game. That feeling of being ignored filled Kushida with utter bewilderment.
When she had first interacted with him, he wasn't like this.
"Katsuragi-kun, is it... inconvenient for you?" Kushida bit her lip awkwardly and asked softly.
"Yeah, inconvenient. I have much more important things to do," Keima said while playing his game.
Kushida stared at him, baffled.
'He's playing a game; he looks completely at leisure, doesn't he?'
"May I ask... what 'things'?"
"Playing games."
"Wh-what?" For a moment, Kushida thought she had misheard.
"To me, playing games is the most important thing."
"But... I want to make friends with everyone, and since we'll be living together as a collective from now on, building good relationships is vital... and Horikita-san seems quite difficult to get along with... Katsuragi-kun, you were the first friend I made at this school, and since you and Horikita-san seem close, I thought I'd ask for your help..."
Kushida lowered her head, a worried and aggrieved expression surfacing on her face. If it were any other boy, nine times out of ten, they would find it impossible to refuse.
But from start to finish, Keima didn't give her a single glance.
"That's a matter between the two of you. Besides, my relationship with Horikita isn't 'close.' She just comes over to mock me whenever she's bored. If you want to make friends with everyone, you might as well start with others first. You haven't gotten close to every single student in the grade yet, have you? Isn't it best to leave the toughest nuts for last? I can consider other things, but please forgive me—I cannot help with this."
Keima's tone was incredibly flat, almost cold like a robot. In his eyes, various interpersonal relationships in reality were far less pure or "real" than those in games.
"B-but..."
Kushida opened her mouth to say more, but Keima's logic left her speechless. She could only offer an awkward smile and shake her head.
"I... I understand. I'm very sorry for bothering you, Katsuragi-kun."
With that, Kushida walked quickly away. The moment they brushed past each other, the smile on her face vanished completely. No one caught the change in her expression.
Elsie watched Kushida's departing back with concern, then turned to Keima.
"Kami-nii-sama, is this really okay? She's one of the mission targets, after all! Her affection level must have dropped a ton!"
Keima set down his console and pulled out the cards again.
[Name: Kushida Kikyo] [Affection Level: -20%]
Just as Elsie said, Kushida's affection had dropped significantly this time. However, Keima looked unconcerned.
"This is actually a good thing."
"What do you mean? Kami-nii-sama, I don't understand at all."
"Kushida Kikyo has been wearing a mask while interacting with us. That friendly and generous demeanor is likely just a disguise," Keima explained to Elsie. "All along the way, she seemed to be trying to manufacture a 'chance encounter,' and she kept trying to initiate physical contact while talking. Though she says she wants to be everyone's friend and unite the class, her performance is incredibly discordant. Plus, she's abnormally fixated on Horikita. She definitely has another motive."
Keima's words made Elsie feel like her brain was about to crash. She thought for a long time before squeezing out a question:
"Th-then what should we do later?"
"I've decided to adopt a strategy completely opposite to our first meeting. It can't be helped if the affection level drops a bit at the start. To truly get close to her, the first thing I need to do is strip away that disguise bit by bit. If I just go along with her ideas, she'll only hide further
behind the mask. What I need to do now is dig out her true face. Only by walking completely into her heart can I succeed."
"I see! As expected of the Kami-nii-sama!"
"So this can't be rushed. A drop in initial affection doesn't matter; we have to take it slow."
"I have a feeling Kami-nii-sama just wants to procrastinate..."
"Not at all. But it's getting late today; it's time for me to get into my gaming session!"
As he spoke, Keima quickened his pace toward the dorm.
"Kami-nii-sama! Don't forget the mission!"
"I'll worry about it tomorrow!"
.
.
.
On the other side, having parted from Keima, Kushida Kikyo no longer wore her usual sunny, cheerful smile. Her face was shrouded in a gloom as dark as storm clouds.
"Katsuragi Keima is trickier than I thought. Why is his attitude completely different from the first time? Does he really value games that much? He was like that during the test today too, yet his grades were so good... what a weird guy."
She muttered to herself, her voice incredibly cold and starkly different from usual—as if another personality had taken control of her body. Even her gaze had turned icy.
"But the biggest trouble is that woman, Horikita Suzune. She very likely knows about my 'past.' I absolutely, absolutely, absolutely cannot give her the chance to speak out—Wait, did Katsuragi Keima's attitude change because that woman said something?! Damn it, damn it!"
For an instant, Kushida's expression became almost distorted.
"Is that Kushida-san?"
An enthusiastic voice came from behind her.
"What a coincidence, Ichinose-san!"
Kushida turned around to greet the other person, a brilliant smile once again gracing her face. The previous darkness vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.