Gamers!

Short Story Collection: Chapter 4 – Karen Tendou and Idle-type Games

[This is before Amano’s first confession to Tendou.]

“T-That’s why I said social games like this is really…”

I threw my phone to the side furiously before sinking my face into the pillow.

Before I go to bed, I, Karen Tendou, was interested in social games for some reason. …In the end, I quitted the game with a head filled with dissatisfaction and rage.

…Initially, I knew that I’m not suited to these types of games. However, recently, …when I saw Amano-kun enjoying it, I can’t help but think, “perhaps I’m biased.” So, I more or less compromised and tried social games out for a bit…

I slowly flipped my body and stared at the roof with a dazed expression.

(Unexpectedly, the game is actually pretty fun, …especially for rhythm-based games. Their quality is on par with PC music games.)

I did have a good time. From this perspective, I even wanted to take back the “social games are boring” comment to Amano-kun.

However, on the other hand…

As a hardcore gamer, I’m incompatible with the mechanic of social games.

It’s because there’s one element that’s utterly hated by me…

“…Stamina limit. …This is nothing but trouble for me.”

You have to wait for your stamina to regenerate to play the game a limited number of times. The main point is that you’re not playing all of it at once. Instead, you’re checking it out once a while in the long term. I’m really not suited to this playstyle.

I grabbed my phone and opened the music game I played a while ago. …The stamina is zero, and I can’t even play for once.

After I locked the screen and put the phone aside, I pouted.

(Why you’re not letting me play when I really want to?)

I, …Karen Tendou, will feel a devastating sense of defeat when I can’t “follow my own rhythm” during gaming.

…………

“…Uh, ha!”

Once I snapped out of it, I realized that I’m hitting the bed with my hands and legs when no one’s around like a child throwing tantrum. This isn’t what a high school student should be. I can’t help but blush.

(N-No, Karen Tendou! You can’t be like this! You’re not a puppy yearning for food!”

I started reflecting on myself. Actually, come to think of it, I’m impatient when it comes to queuing for a match. I always leave right away when no one is around to play against me online.

I stood up abruptly and grabbed my phone tightly.

(This isn’t working. I have to get used to waiting. If I’m so impatient, I’ll definitely get into fights with Amano-kun later! …I need to improve this by going through some training, Karen Tendou!)

I thought about that as I started searching for new apps. This time, I’m not looking for social games. Instead, I’m looking for ones that wait around for progress, …which is idle-type games.

(There are no extra elements, no need to pay to win, and no skill is required. …A indie app that can be completed by “waiting” is what I need for my training.)

I quickly browsed the list. After scrolling down for a while, I found an icon drawn with vintage and rough pixels. …This is the one.

Intuitively, I installed it on my phone and opened the app right away.

The first thing that showed up is a title and a cute yellow fungus in a black blag. The screen is tidy.

{Idle Cultivation! Happy Fungus!}

(Ahh, this seems to be a very half-hearted game. The content is just cultivating yellow fungi. The developer is so lazy that I fell into a philosophical maze, thinking about what entertainment is. However, once I digested this kind of casual idle-type game, …I can evolve right away!)

I imagined myself being able to chat happily with Amano-kun. Suddenly, I’m filled with determination and immediately clicked on the game.

The screen showed the prologue.

{Today, the yellow fungus is still thriving under the shades of the tree.}

{It’s slowly growing, growing, and growing.}

{It’s slowly opening its caps, opening, and opening.}

{I’m blessed when I’m just looking at it giving its best.}

This poetic description created a warm light in my frustrated heart. At the same time, I believed that as long as I casually enjoyed the experience and completed the game, I will be able to say goodbye to my frustration.

I smiled and clicked the screen to continue reading the prologue.

The screen showed another set of text.

{Haha, …my parents still aren’t visiting me today. It looks like I made a mistake.}

{From the ward’s window, a young man shows a complicated smile to the fungi growing in the garden.}

“…Huh?”

The sudden development made me question it out loud. …W-What is this…? …Anyway, I clicked the screen and continued reading.

{Hoho, …I don’t have much time. Can I at least see something that cheers me up?}

{The young man coldly smiled as he closed the blinds in the ward.}

The screen showed the full view of a pixelated version of the hospital bathed in an ominous atmosphere. ????????????????????????d. ᴄ????????

…………

I clicked. Then, the screen appeared again.

{Idle Cultivation! Happy Dying Child!} [Note: The pronunciation for “Happy Fungus” and “Happy Dying Child” is the same.]

“LIAR!”

I can’t help but yell in the room alone! I can hear my father’s anxious and concerned voice from the living room. “W-What’s wrong, Karen?” “It’s fine.” I answered. Then, I calmed myself down with a couple deep breaths.

“C-Calm down, Karen Tendou. You don’t want this, right. If you’re training for a heart that can contain all accidents, you must not be angered easily. This isn’t working.”

I adjusted my emotions and faced the screen again.

The screen…is still showing that fake title.

(…It was on purpose, right. The initial screen and the app both used Hiragana. The developer is clearly messing with people.)

It pisses me off. However, I have to tolerate this. …In a sense, this is the perfect opponent for training a calm mind.

I made up my mind and continued clicking.

{The goal of the game is basically idling. Sometimes, you need to check out how’s the “dying child” is doing and confirm his sickness.}

“This is too not serious, right!”

I really wanted to uninstall it, but I should at least check what will happen next.

{Note: Also, the young man caught a cold only. So, he took his day-off and hospitalized himself.}

“That’s a double scam! He’s not dying at all!” [Note: The title can also be interpreted as {Idle Cultivation! Happy Holiday-ending Child!}.]

As if it’s trying to answer my question, the next screen popped up with some additional explanations.

{Please use your power and make this “mentally” terminally-ill young man happy!}

“I don’t feel like it in the slightest!”

Why do I have to make a twisted young man feel happiness!

…N-No, no, Karen Tendou. Investigating the meaning of a game is the dumbest thing you can do. Calm down, calm down.

I continued clicking the screen., and I guess the main story is starting. The screen showed a pixeled top view of the young man’s ward. Initially, I clicked the TV, vase, and window first, but they didn’t trigger anything.

At last, I clicked the young man on the bed, and a text appeared.

{1 minute until he wakes up.}

An explanation is also included.

{You can see the next event when you open the app during the young man’s wake-up stage. Sometimes, the events will provide you with options. Please guide the young man to true happiness.}

“I see. In reality, this is an ordinary idle-type game.”

It looks like the core game mechanic wasn’t a scam.

Then, I glanced at the notice.

{However, events will only be triggered within the 2 hours that the young man is awake. If the app isn’t opened during this period, you can’t see the event. Also, the young man will choose an option on his own. Please mind that.}

“You need to check it frequently if you want to see the happy ending. Honestly, this is a bit annoying. …Well, whatever. This is training, after all.”

I feel like this game is really unfriendly to users. Well, I guess you can it’s a feature of idle-type games, right.

Just as I’m thinking about all that, the 1-minute countdown passed already. An event popped up on the screen.

The young man stared outside the window alone.

{I…can’t just stay here and do nothing. Cough, cough!}

“You can get out now. You just caught a mild cold, right.”

{Even though the doctor smiled and said I can be discharged anytime. …Well, this means that…I already…ran out of options, …right. …I guess that’s what he means…}

“Indeed, you ran out of options in the opposite meaning. After all, this can be cured with enough nutrients and a good rest.”

{Hmph, …the yellow fungus over there and me, …I wonder who will die first…}

“I’m afraid it’s the fungus.”

No, I can’t even stop complaining. Is this a gal game? Is the developer even serious about making this?

The young man continued.

{…My parents…still aren’t here today…}

“…………”

Although the young man caught a cold only, the atmosphere is still a bit lonely.

Suddenly-

{120 minutes until he wakes up.}

“You’re stopping here!?”

I was bamboozled! Even though the content is meaningless, but this way of luring you into the hole is way too cunning! Honestly, I’m really curious to see how this young man and his cold’s story progress!

“Also, it’s 2 hours later…”

Since I’m preparing to go to bed, this is a really subtle time. The event will only happen within the 2 hours that the young man is awake. I can never make it if I wake up after getting a night of good sleep.

“Ugh, …even though I started playing this at the wrong time, this is too…”

This game is sincerely unfriendly to users. However, if you say that this is “a part of the game,” I can’t really retort.

After a moment of hesitation, I set the alarm clock to wake me up 2 hours later.

“This is nothing but training, Karen Tendou…”

I showed off my hardcore gamer side at some random places. I turned off the lights and took a 2-hour nap. Then, …midnight, I heard the quiet alarm that doesn’t disturb my parents’ sleep, and I woke up.

I rubbed my eyes as I checked my phone in the dark.

In the game, the young man stretched his back comfortably in a refreshing morning.

{Ah, I had a good night’s sleep today!}

“Tck…!”

This is the first time that I got so mad at a game. I suppressed my anger and sleepiness and continued reading the story.

The young man is mumbling to himself just as usual.

{Ah, my body feels great. I feel like I’m not sick at all!}

“You actually recovered! Your cold goes away when you have a good night’s sleep, right!”

{It would be better if I can just go outside and play!}

{Just go! The game can end this way!}

{…Well, I’ll stop the jokes here.}

“What should I do! I can’t even see where’s the prologue of this game! What does this terminally-ill child in all meanings want from me!?”

In this sense, the title of the game isn’t lying.

{Well, what should I do today?}

Just as the young man is mumbling to himself, a series of options appeared on the screen. I got a bit worked up since this is the first part where the player can participate. So, I read the choices.

1. Throw tantrum at the nurse

2. Steal an ambulance and run away

“You scumbag!”

I can’t find a single correct option. What do I do!? If you want to leave so badly, why don’t you just say it to the staff! Why do you have to commit unnecessary crimes!?

I sighed helplessly and chose the less dangerous “throw tantrum at the nurse” option. Then, the screen showed the next time.

{10 minutes until he wakes up.}

“Shameless!”

Even though I want to sleep right away, I can’t go to bed while leaving this alone. However, there’s a 2-hour period for you to choose the event after the young man woke up. Actually, I can sleep for another 2 hours…

“…I’ll be pissed if I have to wake up once again.”

So, I wasted 10 minutes on my phone checking on the latest game information dazedly. I thought about why I’m getting so worked up while furiously opening the app. Then, …the young man is wrapping his hands around his legs on the bed.

{…My favorite nurse-san is mad at me. …This is depressing.}

“Shut up! You deserved it!”

{Ah, ah, why did you choose to throw a tantrum at the nurse…}

The pixelated young man glanced at me.

“Wait, why are you saying that like it’s my fault? It’s at least better than stealing an ambulance, right?”

{Well, …what should I do next. This time, I have to do something serious…}

The options appeared as the young man is mumbling.

1. Pretend to be cute to make the nurse sleep with you

2. Blow up the hospital

“That’s not what a serious person would do at all!”

What is the meaning of this? There’s only one option, right. You’re doomed in every sense if you choose the latter. Even though the former sounds like what a piece of trash would do, you literally can’t choose the last one, right.

I selected the sleeping option silently. So, the waiting time for the next event is…

{6 hours until he wakes up.}

“Ahh, I can see it when I’m in school. Finally, I can get a good night’s sleep.”

At last, I felt relieved as I went to bed.

After that, I had a nightmare where the young man charged into the hospital with an ambulance and blew everything up. It tortured me for a couple hours.

I went to school after waking up like usual and made all preparations. I took my seat after greeting my classmates. …Suddenly, I remembered the game.

(Ah, it’s almost time for the event. It’ll be over after the first lesson…)

I brought up my phone and tried to see the event. …However, my friends immediately surrounded me and started chatting just as usual. There’s no way for me to see it.

(Even if I pretend to be checking my messages, …I can’t do it. It’ll be too awkward if I explicitly showed the game screen here. However…)

I’ll miss the event if this continues. …It can’t be helped.

I stood up and smiled at my friends.

“I’ll go to the toilet.”

So, after I stopped the girls that wanted to go with me politely, I left the classroom in a flash.

I suddenly noticed my change when I’m dashing across the corridor, and I can’t help but smile bitterly.

(What am I doing? I can’t believe I threw away the chance to talk to my friends for a game. That’s too much for a person, right. However…)

It can’t be helped. Yes, it can’t be helped.

I comforted myself as I arrived at the toilet, where no student uses it in the morning. Once I entered an empty stall, I quickly checked the screen.

{…I kept forcing the nurse to sleep with me, and I ended up getting punched. …Ugh. …I have to tell this to my father, who donated a lot of money to this hospital. …You jerks.}

“…………”

How should I put this? What a godly scumbag observation game. I suddenly calmed down. I distanced from my friends and entered the girl’s toilet just to watch this jerk? I can’t even figure that out.

The young man sobbed as he wiped his tears with his pajamas. Then, he returned to bed. After a while of silence, …he mumbled.

{I made up my mind. …I’m doing the surgery.?

“That was sudden!? Also, what the hell is that!?”

The young man just caught a cold (and he recovered already). What surgery does he need!?

Just as I’m trembling, the young man continued mumbling solemnly.

{I already decided that I’m going through the surgery. There’s no choice! I will never…I will never let someone control my fate again!}

“Like I’m the one that dragged you into hell!”

{However, what kind of surgery should I take? I’ll give it a good think the next time I wake up! Use the options!}

“That’s the most critical decision, right!? You’re throwing that to me again!?”

{The next, …the next choice will decide everything!}

The young man screamed excitedly, and the screen switched again.

{10 minutes until he wakes up, …until the FINAL CHOICE!}

“This game is ending too fast!”

I reached the end in only a single day. No, if there are multiple options, perhaps the content of the first run isn’t this little.

No matter what, I can’t afford to miss the next super important event. However, now that I’m checking the time, I realized the situation is a bit awkward.

“My only chance is the break after the first lesson is over…”

I can’t miss this chance, no matter what.

I made up my mind before leaving the toilet and heading back to the classroom.

(…It’s finally here.)

After the first lesson ended, I stood up immediately. Then, I hastily left the classroom before my friends started to gather around me, which I don’t feel guilty anymore. However-

“Oh, isn’t this Tendou?”

“Hmm? Ahh, Uehara-kun.”

-A familiar guy suddenly struck up a conversation with me in the corridor, and I stopped. Even though I really wanted to check the app, I feel like it’s not going to take a long time talking to him since he’s not that close to me. I showed an appropriate smile. It seems that he suddenly remembered something. So, he dropped down a “right” as he got closer.

“Sorry, can you call Hoshinomori in your class for me?”

“Hoshinomori-san? Sure…”

It won’t take long. I turned around and started walking back towards Class A. Uehara-kun continued.

“Ah, Amano has to talk to Hoshinomori. He didn’t even listen to me.”

“…………”

My face started twitching. A-Amano-kun has to talk to Hoshinomori-san, …that perfectly-matched cute girl for him?

“He, he…”

I covered up my shock as I entered the classroom and spoke up to Hoshinomori-san.

After she heard what I said, the girl tilted her head unbelievably.

“Eh, Keita? …Ah, it must be that, right. Jesus, this guy is surely annoying.”

“A-Annoying? Amano-kun…?”

The Amano-kun that I always cared about…i-is annoying to her?

I can’t ignore the conversation between these two. However, Hoshinomori-san bid farewell to me before leaving the classroom and meeting up with Uehara-kun. Then, they walked towards Class F, where Amano-kun is.

I also left the classroom and walked to the toilet- Of course not, I went to Class F.

So, I sneaked around the classroom…and tried my best to eavesdrop, even though I can only hear parts of their conversation. However…

“C-Chiaki, that----is----------We---talked-------disgusting---too much.”

“Yes---However. Keita----planned this?”

I can really only hear a little bit. I don’t know what they’re talking about at all. Although I have no idea, I can feel that they’re talking about something really important!

I poked my head out and stalked them while ignoring the people who’re staring at me.

“----Even though it’s---Uehara-kun----See?”

“Ah. …Hey, Hoshinomori. ----I’m also----“

(Ughhh…)

The three kept chatting with each other, but I still can’t figure out the content. Even though I can’t hear them, the feeling of them talking about something important is getting stronger and stronger. Finally, they nodded at each other with a “that’s nice” and a cheerful look. What…is happening? Did they form some sort of group…?

In the end, I remained in position even though I can’t figure it out. Then-

“…Ah.”

Once I snapped out of it, the bell that signaled the end of the break rang.

During the next break, I ran towards the toilet. My hands are trembling while holding the phone.

(I’m afraid I missed the most critical event in the game. Also, I gave the most crucial choice to the scumbag protagonist instead of myself…)

Ahh, what did I just do! I sacrificed my sleep to get the game at this stage yesterday. …I can’t believe a hardcore gamer like me will make a rookie mistake like this.

I sighed out loud. However, …well, there’s no use sighing.

I opened the app and observed the protagonist determinedly.

On the screen, he’s still lying on the bed-

-The young man evolved into a muscular person. His body is covered in dark skin.

“WHAT HAPPENED!?“

I can’t help but yell, and I even forgot that I’m in school. “Eek!?” I can hear someone’s gasp outside the toilet, but who cares!

I really want to break the screen with my clicking. The young man showed his sparklingly white teeth and mumbled the epilogue.

{Thanks to you, the operation is successful.}

“What operation!? Did you get Dr. Goodjob by your side!?” [Note: Dr. Goodjob is from Power Pros. A randomly encountered character that can enhance the pitcher’s body performance.]

{Also, this is thanks to everyone. Takeshi, you told me what friendship is. Kyoko, you made me experience the warmth of love. Brother, you gave me your organs. My parents, you two were perceived as mascots by the enemies. The village chief, you granted me the holy sword. However, the one that I should thank the most is the people from the Republic of Madagascar for forgiving me.}

“What did you choose in the last event to turn the whole situation into this! This game’s events are too weird, right! Also, what did you do to Madagascar!”

{Thanks to everyone’s help, I can be reborn like this. …In the past, I’m also instigated by the devil and caused a lot of troubles for the nurse.}

“Who are you taunting!? Hey! Explain who’s the devil you’re referring to!”

{I’m really happy now. Thanks! My girlfriend, Kyoko, is pretty cute!}

“I don’t give a damn.”

{Indeed, from today onwards, …from today onwards, I’m a happy muscular man filled with tendons. You can abbreviate it as Happy M Tendon Man!}

“Uwah, your name actually echoed with the topic? …Did you really think I’ll praise you like that!?” [Note: The game title can also be interpreted as {Idle Cultivation! Happy M Tendon Man!}. ”

Looking at the credits that started playing on the screen, I really want to throw my phone to the wall.

However, …I barely stopped myself.

“N-No, …you can’t do that, Karen Tendou. This is obviously my problem. Yes, if I didn’t miss the last event, perhaps I’ll be just as touched right now…”

The credits are over, and the game returned to the title screen. …I tried my best to suppress my anger…and clicked on the new game button.

“I’m playing it. …Let’s give it my best! I’m the hardcore gamer, Karen Tendou!”

…………

In the end, no matter which option you pick, and even if you saw all events, the game will eventually return to this baffling ending…

-She already wasted 2 weeks of her life when she knew this fact.