Chapter 71

At that moment, Rion's character in the game she was controlling stopped moving.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Yui delivered a powerful blow, sending Rion's character flying and reclaiming a point.

"Gotcha! Did you see that?"

"...Hey, are you listening?"

"Huh? What's that?"

"I said, stop being the 'Next-Seat Killer' already."

(Next-Seat Killer?)

Before she knew it, Rion had stopped playing the game and was looking at her with an unusually serious expression.

Yui tilted her head in confusion at the sudden mysterious word, but Rion's character respawned, so she quickly refocused on the game.

"This time, you know... proposing something like a 'submission ticket'... Yui, you need to take better care of yourself. You shouldn't be doing things like trying to make someone fall in love with you through a game."

"Aah!? What are you talking about, that's a lie!?"

"Ah, no, that's not what I meant... I didn't mean it as a command or anything..."

"Eh? Ah, game, game."

Just when she thought she had the upper hand, Yui was hit with an unexpected counter.

She expected Rion to show off with a smug face, but Rion looked unusually solemn.

"Being called the 'Next-Seat Killer'... even having such a nickname behind your back..."

"Wait, what? What's this 'Next-Seat Killer'?"

Yui, now suspicious, asked for clarification.

It seemed the story had progressed without her knowledge.

"That's because you're playing a game to make the person next to you fall in love with you..."

"Who said that?"

"It was Priest... I mean, Narioto-kun."

Her vague bad feeling turned out to be right, and Yui frowned.

"Did Narioto-kun tell Rion?"

"Yes. I thought you were taking a dangerous risk... like this time, where the loser of the test has to submit to the winner... I thought it was going too far."

(How much did he tell her?)

Even knowing about the submission ticket.

But that made it seem like she was interested in Narioto.

...Well, she was, but that wasn't the point.

"That... the submission ticket was something Narioto-kun suggested... I think."

"Then what about the bento?"

"Eh? The bento...?"

"Narioto-kun showed off, saying it was Yui's bento."

She remembered the day she gave the bento, and Narioto seemed to be missing. Maybe he was trying to spread rumors about her playing the "make the next seat fall in love" game with Rion.

But in reality, what she was doing could be interpreted that way. With evidence, it was very convincing.

(I have to bluff. I have to somehow bluff.)

"That... it was leftover food, you know. I put all the leftover rice in it."

"What does that mean? So Devil Yui is...?"

"What's with that God Fist-like reaction? Anyway, I don't even know about this 'Next-Seat Killer' thing."

It seemed she had been given a strange nickname without her knowledge.

When Yui firmly denied it, Rion's hand, which had been moving the controller, completely stopped.

Seeing Rion's character frozen, Yui saw an opportunity and tried to land a big move,

"Narioto-o-o-o-o-o-o!!"

A loud roar from Rion, and the screen displayed a large "KO."

Yui's character, hit by a powerful counter combo, was sent flying far off the screen.

"Aaaah!!" Yui also screamed, but then she noticed something was wrong with Rion.

"Hey, what's wrong, Rion? Why are you using such a harsh voice?"

"I was tricked!! Liar Narioto-o-o-o! I thought it was strange, Yui wouldn't do something like that, being called the 'Next-Seat Killer'...!"

Rion, grinding her teeth, threw the controller and stood up.

Clutching her fists tightly, her body trembling,

"I can't forgive that man! I was foolish to believe him!"

"What's going on? Why are you suddenly like this?"

"Yui, that man is dangerous. I won't let him get near you ever again!"

"Hey, Rion, calm down, calm down!"

"If it comes to this, I'll go to his house right now...!"

"Just calm down."

Yui caught Rion's face with her finger as she was about to run out of the room.

"Whoa, whoa, stay! Stay, Rion~!"

She patted Rion's head and shoulders while making her hold the controller, finally calming her down.

Still, why had Rion gotten so worked up? It must have been Narioto spreading rumors.

(And what's with 'Devil Yui' and 'Next-Seat Killer'...?)

He really went all out.

Then, as a response, Yui sat down in front of Rion and spoke slowly, as if trying to reason with her.

"You see... Narioto-kun is a pitiful person. Well, as you can see, he's a bit... off... I thought, 'Oh, this guy is weird,' when I accidentally became his neighbor, so I decided to try to be kind and watch over him. So, I hope you won't blame him too much."

She wasn't lying.

She wasn't lying, she hoped.

"So, he might say or do strange things, but please don't get angry."

"That's... that's what it was... Yui... you're so kind... You're an angel. Angel Yui..."

"No, no, it's pronounced 'Angel.'"

"Oh... Angel Yui..."

(Phew, that was close. I managed to get through...)

Rion looked at Yui with admiration and sighed.

Yui wiped her forehead, having successfully calmed her down.

"Let's take a break. I'll get some drinks."

With that, Yui left Rion and went out of the room.

As she descended the stairs to the first floor, she remembered Narioto's face from their last meeting, when he had missed the chance to use the submission ticket.

(Still, to call someone a devil behind their back... he really went all out. Well, if he's going to do that, I have my own plans.)

The angel smiled slyly.

The button to keep the angel from falling is below.