077. The True Club Activity

After lunch, Jiang Yu declined the offers of Megumi Kato and Eriri Aki to help clean up, and cleared the table by himself. As for Umaru Doma... after finishing her meal, she wore a satisfied expression, saying things like, "That was delicious, even better than my brother's cooking!" and "I'm so full~", before returning to her game console and pressing the power button once more. To this, Jiang Yu could only sigh in despair.

As he was washing the dishes, Jiang Yu suddenly heard Eriri Aki speaking with fervor, sounding almost like a zealous cult leader preaching his doctrine. Curious, Jiang Yu looked up and saw Eriri removing the game disc Umaru had been playing, and inserting one of the two galgames he had recommended she buy yesterday.

As the publisher's and game's logos flashed and faded, the game's main menu appeared on the computer screen. Then Eriri, his voice brimming with excitement, declared, "What we're about to do now is special training to hone your sensitivity to the world of 2D!"

"Huh? What does that mean?" Umaru asked, puzzled.

"I suppose I don't get a choice, do I?" Megumi accepted Eriri's odd arrangements without the slightest fuss.

Having put away the clean dishes and dried his hands on a towel, Jiang Yu removed his apron and walked to stand behind the sofa, leaning over with interest to watch Eriri's impromptu sermon. Yes, sermon was the word—no matter how Eriri tried to dress it up, in Jiang Yu's eyes, this was nothing but evangelism.

Eriri pushed up his glasses and exclaimed, "This is the legendary bishoujo game with thirty thousand copies sold, adapted into an anime, featured across all forms of media!"

Jiang Yu looked closer; it seemed to be a title Eriri had tried to recommend before—"Dear Memories."

Thus began Eriri's galgame lesson for Umaru and Megumi.

Shaking his head with a smile, Jiang Yu returned to his room to retrieve his laptop, which he'd put away for lunch, and sat at the dining table to continue working on his half-finished proposal.

After completing the main character profiles for "Kyoma" and "Assistant," Jiang Yu yawned, only to hear the familiar, ethereal voice of a certain classmate at his side.

"So these are the protagonist and heroine of the game you want to make, Jiang Yu?"

"If only, Kato, you could give me some warning before you start talking..." he muttered, startled.

"But I've been standing here for quite a while, you know?"

"...Is that so?" So, was it my fault I didn't notice you because of your natural Akari Field, Kato?

"Well, whatever. Isn't Eriri giving you two that... ahem, special 2D training right now? Why are you over here?"

Jiang Yu decided not to dwell on whether it was Kato's Akari Field or simply his own inattention, and changed the subject.

Megumi gave a faintly amused smile, pointed in the direction where the three had been earlier, and said, "They're still playing the ga... I mean, still in training."

Jiang Yu turned to see Umaru, under Eriri's guidance, enthusiastically pushing forward with the main heroine's route in the game. Eriri himself stood by, clearly wanting to interject but holding back, looking increasingly anxious. Jiang Yu couldn't help but laugh.

Soon enough, Umaru would come to understand just how brutal it was to play one of Eriri's favorite games with him hovering nearby.

Drawing his gaze back, Jiang Yu noticed Megumi watching him with curiosity. Feeling a bit self-conscious, he avoided her eyes and looked down at the floor. "Kato, would you like to take a look at my proposal?"

"Sure, I'm a little interested, as long as it's not another one of those proposals Eriri showed me the other day..."

She nodded, then added in a tone worthy of a seasoned straight-man, "I hope it's nothing like that."

You know, Eriri would cry if he heard you say that, Kato!

Sighing inwardly, Jiang Yu turned his laptop toward Megumi with a smile. "Please, take a look. It's actually my first time writing something like this, so if you have any thoughts or suggestions, I'd love to hear them."

"I doubt I'd have anything useful to say, but if I spot any problems, I'll point them out, okay?"

Megumi considered his request—whether it was a genuine plea or merely a formality—for a moment, then answered earnestly.

"That would be perfect," Jiang Yu replied, not quite sure what else to say.

This girl... she seems to have trouble refusing people, doesn't she?

Jiang Yu found himself staring, lost in thought, as Megumi read his proposal intently.

He didn't know how much time had passed before Umaru's voice jolted him from his reverie. He turned to see Umaru, fuming, toss aside her controller and march toward him. When she noticed Jiang Yu looking her way, she rushed over as if he were her savior, leaping into her brother's arms and complaining, "Big brother, Eriri keeps spoiling the story for me! It's ruining the whole game!"

Jiang Yu could only smile wryly, patting her back comfortingly. "Don't mind it too much—Eriri's just like that."

As he spoke, Jiang Yu shot Eriri a look.

Catching the signal, Eriri nodded and came over to bow apologetically. "Sorry, Umaru! I promise I won't do it again!"

Umaru sniffled and buried her face in Jiang Yu's chest, letting out a little hum to show her skepticism and reluctance to acknowledge Eriri.

Seeing Eriri's increasingly awkward expression, Jiang Yu chuckled and tapped Umaru on the head. "Come on, Eriri's apologized. Can't you forgive him?"

Umaru tightened her arms around Jiang Yu's back and huffed, "No way! But..." She looked up at him, her small face earnest. "Since you're asking, big brother, I'll forgive him."

"Ah, thank you so much!" Eriri practically sighed in relief.

With the little incident resolved, Umaru returned to her game, pointedly forbidding Eriri even from watching.

Eriri could only nod helplessly.

Watching Umaru settle back in front of the console, Eriri wiped his brow and, noticing Megumi absorbed in Jiang Yu's laptop, nudged Jiang Yu curiously. "What is Kato looking at?"

Just then, Megumi turned to Jiang Yu and asked, "Um... I don't quite understand this 'Observer' concept. Could you explain it to me, Jiang Yu?"