Author: Chapter 14 has been revised over a dozen times and still can't be released. Skipping it won't affect anything. Sorry!
***
Inside Schale's office.
Sensei and today's Schale on-duty student were each busy in their own way.
I fixed my gaze on the computer screen, one hand on the keyboard, the other on the mouse, occasionally frowning in deep thought. Naturally enough, Ako, who argued "it's easier just to ask when there's a problem" and sat next to me, was furiously writing on the documents in front of her.
The last time someone sat in this spot was Yuuka, whom I hadn't seen for several days.
"Hey, in this section, how does Schale usually handle it?" Ako said without being polite, and with the pen barrel she was holding she prodded my triceps. Not too hard, but enough to irritate.
"Ako, what exactly have I done that makes you disrespect me so much? You won't even call me Sensei."
"Everything you've done!"
Seeing that my attention was seemingly rooted to the computer screen, not moving an inch even for real business, Ako couldn't help blurting out in anger: "You let students do your work during work hours, while you sit there playing games, you don't act like a teacher at all!"
"Wait a moment. Just finish this level and we'll be done."
With my smooth, fluid operations, the game screen shortly flickered to show [GAME OVER].
Damn it, what a trash piece of work.
I sullenly released the mouse, took the documents from Ako and, while reading through them, complained: "Tsk, it's all your fault for distracting me. I might've cleared it otherwise."
"…You really blame me for that?"
"Of course I blame you. So remember to accept your punishment later."
Ako fell silent immediately.
After giving her a brief summary of how Schale usually deals with the matter, I stretched and re-loaded the save, continuing my suffering.
Ako, seeing me in this state, muttered: "Is the game that fun?"
"No, of course it isn't," I answered without thinking. "Especially this game, it's infuriatingly bad. Whether it's the illogical puzzles, the unreasonable difficulty, the despair-inducing completion rate or the awful controls… no doubt it's a garbage piece of work."
My criticism completely surprised Ako. She paused, then became even angrier: "Then why are you playing it? Don't you hate work that much?"
"No. Actually, this is work."
I sighed at the screen that again ended in "GAME OVER", in a way I hadn't anticipated, and said: "Didn't I say? This is a new commission Schale got, from a small club at Millennium. The content is playing this game… which ranked first on the annual worst-game list, and giving an objective evaluation."
The game, Myth·Legend·Chronicle, though I'd heard of its bad reviews before accepting the commission and had set my expectations, still managed to be worse than I imagined.
I had thought "how bad can it possibly be," and naively accepted it thinking I could clear it easily without leaving my desk. Looking back now, I realize my understanding of how truly bad a trash game can be was still too shallow, and I paid the price for my inexperience.
When Ako realized that this counts as work, she had nothing more to say.
And so it dragged on until noon, and I was stuck at some boss battle. Perhaps because the game was too bad, I couldn't find any walkthrough online, and so I was forced to ask Saiba Momoi for help, the girl who sent me the commission.
"Huff~"
On the side, Ako breathed out a refreshing sigh, put on the pen cap, and tidied all the documents neatly.
"All done~"
"Ah, thanks for your effort. So what do you plan to do? Head straight back or eat lunch together later? I know a good family-style restaurant nearby."
Actually I only knew of this one place, and it had been Yuuka's recommendation.
"I'll head straight back later. The Prefect Team still has business for me to handle."
"Oh, then see you next time."
However, Ako didn't get up and leave. She looked at me, her lips trembling as if she had something to say but couldn't bring herself to say it.
Before I could ask, she suddenly leaned in.
The faint scent of her perfume brushed against me, and then...
Her lips pressed against mine, sharp yet trembling.
A moment later Ako wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and said harshly: "Don't misunderstand things! I'm doing this for the reputation of the Prefect Team, I'm being forced into it!"
Then she rattled off lines about enduring humiliation, bending to satisfy the other person's preferences, there was a faint structure to her words, as though she hoped to trick me with them.
My attention was mostly on her cherry-lip mouth that had just had a 'deep' conversation with me. It was hard to believe someone could say such tough words from such a soft mouth.
In any case, after Ako finished speaking, she asked rather awkwardly if she could borrow the bathroom.
Since I'd like to state this clearly, I had done nothing, everything was just Ako's own body acting too shameless.
After Ako left, I pulled a tissue and wiped down the chair she'd been sitting in, then took out a card from my pocket to check.
As expected, Ako had not been successfully "captured".
Just then my phone also received a reply.
Momoi: Ah!
Momoi: Sensei, you need the Phoenix Feather in the hidden treasure chest three levels ago!
Momoi: Otherwise you can't lift the Undying King's immortal state!
Me: …?
Me: What if… I didn't find that hidden treasure chest?
Momoi: Uh…
Momoi: You still have the save from three levels ago, right?
You garbage game creator!
I failed the run, got stuck on a boss. I felt like the game had played me for the entire morning. I forgot halfway through. Anyway, I sank into despair.
I leaned back in my chair and recited the incantation, entering the Shittim Chest: "Arona, what do you think?"
"I can't bear to look."
Arona puffed her cheeks angrily: "Arona doesn't want to deal with the scumbags forcing other girls to do bad things in front of them."
I looked at the small framed, innocent-looking Arona and thought it over, but still didn't voice the suggestion I knew she would probably not refuse.
Too harsh, not quite acceptable.
"Let me make it clear first, I didn't force her. Ako clearly enjoyed it."
Later I thought about it and felt like I should be the one feeling like I was being taken advantage of.
I sighed: "What can I do... some people are just like this. To satisfy the other person's preferences, I too had no choice but to endure humiliation and bend the knee… Arona, you and I promised we'll stand together no matter what happens. You understand me, support me, right?"
"Uu—"
Stupid little Arona, silent and panicked, unable to come up with a retort because of her limited intellect, she just put on a near-tears expression and stared at me with those big, teary eyes.
No choice, the silly kid is having a tantrum. I had to soothe her.
In the end I paid the price of restoring the original portion of her dessert rations, and at last Arona broke into a smile… hard not to suspect she did it for THAT.
Arona is too good at using her intellectual advantage!
After I stepped out of the Shittim Chest, Ako's bag was gone, seemed she had left already.
I'd originally intended to give her a little gift…
I picked up the pet collar still on the desk and thought about whether I should call Ako back to pick it up, or hold onto it for now.
Just then, the office door was suddenly pushed open.
"Sensei—" Kirino, whom I hadn't seen in days, burst in. She was about to speak, but on seeing what I held in my hand, she paused briefly.
"Words are useless! Come with me and turn yourself in!"