"Hey, hey, Pokeni's new game is about to be released. Have you thought about getting it?"
On the rooftop, Yamada continued a conversation that felt all too familiar.
Kinoshita Keisuke opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Yamada quickly interrupted him. "I know, since you got married, you've lost interest in games. You didn't even buy the witcher 2. So this time, with 86 - eighty-six, you're definitely not interested either, right, Senior?"
Kinoshita Keisuke:???
"Who said that? I'm definitely getting it this time."
"Huh?"
His friends nearby were a bit surprised. Weren't you supposed to be free of desires after marriage?
"You guys don't understand. It's precisely because I'm married that a man needs a little space of his own. If you're always stuck to your wife, you'LL easily get tired of each other. One day, you'LL end up being unfaithful."
In Japanese, 'uwaki' means being fickle, unfaithful, or having an affair.
In reality, it refers to cheating.
That's why on the prayer papers in many temples, many wives write things like 'I hope my husband won't cheat.'
This also shows that the rate of marital infidelity in Japan is indeed quite high.
"Eh? Really?" Furukawa Hirozawa's eyes widened next to him.
Seeing his terrified look, Hayamikawa couldn't help but laugh. "Kinoshita, you're scaring him. He's going to be terrified of getting married. Our Furukawa is about to be promoted to manager; he needs to get through the marriage stage soon."
"I'm not joking."
Kinoshita dropped his usual playful grin and said calmly and seriously, "A relationship between two people is like a rubber band tied around two fingers. The more you pull, the more it hurts when it snaps back. But if it's too loose, the rubber band will fall off."
"You understand what I mean, right?"
The others shook their heads. "Don't get it."
"Good grief, didn't you just get married last August? It hasn't even been a year, and you've already entered this state?" Hayamikawa couldn't understand.
"Marriage... you guys don't know how terrifying it is. This has nothing to do with how long it's been. Once you're married, you're dragged into the abyss of marriage."
"I'm just smarter than most, so I felt it sooner, that's all."
The others crossed their arms, looking at him with skeptical, raised eyebrows. Really?
This guy was always saying bizarre things.
Is this what it's like to be a Normie?
"Anyway," Kinoshita Keisuke looked up and stared at Furukawa Hirozawa. "Don't be overly intimate, but don't be too relaxed either. Leave some time for yourself, and leave some time for the other person."
"However, if you give the other person too much alone time, it's also easy for them to cheat."
"It's the same for both you and her."
"Profound, so profound." Yamada Masaharu quickly started fumbling around his pockets to see if he could find a notebook to record the master's words.
"Hmm... more useless knowledge acquired," Hayamikawa said with his arms crossed.
Yamada couldn't take it and made a face. "Senior, why would you say that? It's heart-wrenching."
The marital wisdom Kinoshita was sharing was probably only meaningful to Furukawa Hirozawa.
Ever since Hayamikawa's first love's child had grown quite old, he basically had no confidence in getting married himself.
But Yamada was different; he still dreamed of finding a gentle and beautiful girl.
Otherwise, at his age, certain functions might atrophy if not used.
"I don't get it, it's too hard," Furukawa Hirozawa shook his head. "I think the way Junna and I are now is quite good."
"It's fine, you'LL understand later, especially after you get married," Kinoshita Keisuke said, feigning depth. "Some things you can't appreciate without experiencing them yourself."
"Once upon a time, I was just like you, wishing I could be glued to my girlfriend every day. But now, I'm actually afraid to go home."
"When I get home and face my wife's gaze and expectations, I always feel a bit inadequate."
The group nodded silently. A master is indeed a master.
"But," Hayamikawa looked up, "Kinoshita, seriously, should you go see a doctor?"
"Damn it, I didn't mean it in that way!"
Kinoshita Keisuke jumped up and started scuffling with Hayamikawa.
After the two messed around for a bit, Kinoshita Keisuke straightened his clothes and brushed his hair back. "I'm talking about mental exhaustion.
Anyway, the reason you don't feel it yet is that you haven't stepped into the grave of marriage.
Enjoy the present, everyone."
Kinoshita Keisuke held his head high, facing the wind.
His eyes were filled with lamentation.
"Sometimes, a middle-aged man's breakdown happens in an instant. All the household expenses have to be carried on one person's shoulders.
Work is already exhausting, and when you get back, you have to listen to your wife nag about what she bought today, which lady she's going out with tomorrow... when to have a child, what to prepare for the future.
Whether to plan a future trip, the trash hasn't been sorted today, there's no more beer in the fridge... Mom broke a tooth yesterday, and fixing it costs over 500,000 yen... Every day you also face the boss's scolding: 'Why is there another bug here? Can't you look closely at the client's requirements?'
'If a similar situation happens again, don't bother coming to work.'
But I still have a mortgage to pay, a car to buy, baby formula, preparations for the upcoming baby, and my old mother's teeth need fixing... and I can't skip the supplements..."
Terrifying.
It was as if some strange switch had been flipped. Kinoshita Keisuke went on like a machine gun, pouring out his inner bitterness like a tide.
His friends felt like their heads were about to explode.
Who am I? Where am I? Why am I here listening to Kinoshita say these things?
Why did it turn out like this?
Why is life like this?
What's the point of a life like this?
Why are we alive, and where are we going?
A middle-aged man's crisis was on the verge of erupting.
Even Yamada Masaharu was becoming depressed.
"Ah..."
Kinoshita Keisuke clutched his head, feeling a pain he'd never felt before. "Only late at night, when it's quiet and your wife is asleep beside you, do you have that tiny bit of time for yourself. Then you go out to the balcony, smoke a cigarette, and silently enjoy a moment of being alone."
The others shuddered at his words.
They felt that the wind was quite noisy today.
There was dead silence; both those with girlfriends and those without were struck dumb.
After who knows how long, Yamada finally snapped out of it.
"Weren't we talking about games? How did we suddenly end up on such a heavy topic like married life?"
"Oh, right." Kinoshita suddenly realized.
Furukawa Hirozawa and Hayamikawa both had black lines on their foreheads... wasn't it you who was ranting all this time?
You've made everyone too scared to get married.
"Don't listen to Kinoshita, Furukawa. Everyone's situation is different. Just live your life the way you want to.
Because it's your life, not Kinoshita's, not mine, and not anyone else's.
It's your life, Furukawa."
Hayamikawa grabbed his collar excitedly and shook Furukawa Hirozawa back and forth.
"Okay, okay. I get it, I get it." Furukawa Hirozawa laughed and brushed his hands away.
What a bunch of lunatics.
Sometimes, being single seems pretty good too, Yamada and Hayamikawa thought simultaneously.
Who needs a girlfriend? Women only get in the way of playing games.
Being alone is great. You can do whatever you want, whenever you want, and you don't have to worry about another person's state of mind.
"So, are you going to get it or not? 86?" Yamada only cared about this.
"Of course," Furukawa Hirozawa hesitated for a moment. "Yukitake said she wants to go with us. Ever since she played the witcher 2 last time, she's been unable to put down games, especially Pokeni's games."
Regarding the fact that my girlfriend is a Valkyrie, Furukawa Hirozawa was both happy and apprehensive.
The happy part is that my girlfriend and I share the same hobby.
The terrifying part is that my girlfriend plays games better than I do.
What should I do in the future?
Should I practice hard in private?
Should I share this kind of thing with them?
What if I get laughed at? What should I do?
Ultimately, Furukawa Hirozawa decided to bear this sweet burden alone.
To some extent, having a girlfriend who can help you clear a level at a critical moment is also a lucky thing.
Fortunately, the new game released by Pokeni this time is a tactical RPG, which doesn't require high-speed operations and is more of a test of brains.
For Furukawa Hirozawa, games are a communication tool to enhance the relationship between him and Yukitake Junna—no, "tool" might not be appropriate; it should be called a way of communication.
Common interests and hobbies give them more topics to talk about and bring them closer together.
For Kinoshita Keisuke, games are a safe haven, a warm little nest where he can seek peace and return to his true self; here, Kinoshita Keisuke can temporarily forget his troubles, and all the hustle and bustle of the world has nothing to do with him.
Moreover, in the games, he can catch a glimpse of his younger self, where he can be carefree and not have to think so much, only needing to do what he wants to do and play what he wants to play.
As for Yamada and Hayamikawa...
Games are a vital part of life besides work and daily living. Anyway, since they don't have the troubles of being in a relationship, they might as well fully experience life in games... June 6, 1997.
Pokeni's new game, "86 - eighty-six," is officially released.
When the store opened early in the morning, it was already crowded outside.
Many players came specifically for the game "86."
Or rather, they came for the name "Furuhara Tsubaki."
"Ah, it's been a long time since I heard Furuhara Tsubaki's name. I remember I was still in high school back then. Now I'm already in university."
"Old Thief Furuhara's games almost accompanied me through my entire high school years. When I played them back then, I felt so miserable that I really had the urge to kill Old Thief Furuhara."
"But now that there are no more to play, I actually miss it quite a bit."
"Me too. Although Furuhara Tsubaki is only listed as the director, those who know, know when they see the staff credits."
"Even though Ishino Mika is the producer, in most cases, Gu Yuan is still the one leading. So as soon as I saw his name, I decided to buy it."
"Hahaha, we're all of the same mind. I also came for Furuhara Tsubaki. It's been a long time since I played a game by Gu Yuan, and I'm itching for it."
"Since LL, there have been very few games on the market that could make me feel the way I did when I played a game until I broke down in tears."
"Sometimes, being able to have a good cry is also a refreshing experience. I've found that after starting work, the urge to cry out loud has actually disappeared."
"When I was young, I was really easily moved and prone to tears."
"But after starting work, no matter how miserable or frustrated I feel inside, I just can't cry."
"I've had insomnia and heartache, but I just can't cry, and I don't know why."
"Maybe it's because after working, you get more used to it—used to accepting, enduring, and then healing yourself alone."
"Or maybe it's just that we're missing a Furuhara Tsubaki game to let us cry our hearts out."
"Yeah, I think so too. We're missing a trigger. Once the valve is opened, the lake water in our hearts can pour out."
"It's probably that kind of feeling."
"I wonder if 86 is a tear-jerker."
"Speaking of which, this feeling is also very contradictory. Sometimes you hope it's a tear-jerker, maintaining Furuhara Tsubaki's style."
"But then again, you worry it might be too much of a tear-jerker to handle, especially since this is a game directed and produced by Furuhara Tsubaki."
"Just thinking about it is scary."
"Can't he be a bit gentler and just reach the point of moving us without being so heartbreaking?"
"If he could do that, he wouldn't be Furuhara Tsubaki."
"Hahahaha..."
Hearty laughter came from the people queuing outside the store.
These guys gathered together because they all had a common goal—
To get 86.
To try Furuhara Tsubaki's new work.
Even if he wasn't the producer and only held the title of director, this level of influence was no joke... Looking at the long queue outside, the store manager couldn't help but sigh that the name Furuhara Tsubaki really was a gold-lettered signboard.
Around 8:00 PM, Furukawa Hirozawa and his friends appeared at the game store on time.
The chubby store manager wearing glasses had a happy smile on his face. "Welcome! Pokeni games are new in stock today, you guys..."
Just then, he suddenly saw that following the group was the young lady he had seen last time.
Furukawa's girlfriend.
The manager suddenly became nervous.
He silently swallowed and continued his line, "The new game is on that shelf over there; you can choose for yourselves."
My god... is this guy going to bring his girlfriend every time from now on?
But... there was one thing the manager couldn't quite understand: why bring a girlfriend along just to buy a game disc?
No matter how you looked at it, "86 - eighty-six" didn't seem like a game suitable for couples to play together.
Should he recommend they try Pokeni's Pokémon series?
The manager felt those were the games men and women would prefer... The group filed in, picked their games, each taking a copy of 86, and then filed out.
"Well then, everyone, see you on Monday."
Furukawa Hirozawa waved goodbye to the others at the store entrance and then strolled home with his girlfriend.
"I really envy you guys."
On the way back, Yukitake Junna said while holding his arm.
"Hmm?"
"To have the same hobby and even come to buy games together. It's really nice," Yukitake Junna said with a smile.
"Yeah."
Furukawa Hirozawa nodded.
He felt the same way.
After walking for a bit, Furukawa Hirozawa suddenly remembered what Kinoshita had said that morning.
"Junna?"
"Yes?"
"If you don't like playing games, you don't have to force yourself to accompany me."
Yukitake Junna was suddenly stunned for a moment and looked at him with some amusement. "Did someone say something to you?"
"No."
Furukawa shook his head, blushing. "I just feel that if I want to live with you, I need to respect and understand your hobbies, allowing you to have your own space and live more freely and comfortably."
"If you force yourself because of my presence and become unhappy, you won't be happy after we get married either."
"Huh?!"
Yukitake Junna's pupils widened, then she turned beet-red with embarrassment, quickly lowering her head and pulling him forward by the arm.
"Getting married and all that..."
What on earth was he talking about?
Has this guy actually planned that far ahead?
...After a while, Yukitake Junna's gentle voice sounded on the street.
"I like playing games, and it's not because of you, Kousawa-kun."
"the witcher 2 made me realize the fun of games."
"Different lives, different worlds, and stories of fighting for ideals—it's truly touching."
Perhaps this is the charm of games?
No, Furukawa Hirozawa shook his head; that's the charm of Pokeni... "Let's hurry up; I want to go back early and experience '86.' Just looking at the cover, I can tell it's a good story," Yukitake Junna said with a smile.
Hearing Yukitake Junna's answer, Furukawa Hirozawa was very happy.
This was probably what it felt like to have a soulmate.
"Okay."
He nodded vigorously.
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