3.1
The same day, at 9:55 AM, I arrived at Keyaki Mall.
At the entrance closest to the dormitory, it seemed that seven students were already waiting for the store to open. There were five girls and two boys in the group. Among the girls, there was one group of three, and one group of two, neither of which seemed to be focusing on the upcoming battle while engrossed in their conversations.
On the other hand, the boys were of different years. A first-year and a third-year student; neither seemed to be expecting someone to approach as they fiddled with their mobile phones. Apparently, they were acting independently.
While it was possible that they would head to the electronics store, it was hard to believe that they were aiming to purchase a yogurt maker.
The first-year boy was slightly overweight and wore glasses, holding his mobile phone horizontally with both hands. He was sliding and tapping his fingers restlessly, making it highly likely that he was playing a game on his phone.
In that case, he would likely belong to the group of people looking to buy gaming consoles or games.
However...
I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of discomfort.
Why aren’t my classmates here?
I took out my mobile phone and looked at the group chat that had been so lively yesterday.
In the chat, many students, regardless of gender, stated they would go to the electronics store and purchase their desired items. Among them, Hondō's excited message about a long-desired item being advertised was also present.
That item was completely unrelated to me, but the competition for it seemed to be very tough.
Many voices around me were anxiously wondering if they’d be able to buy it even if they rushed in at the sale’s opening, and some were even reminding themselves to be careful not to oversleep.
The time on my cell phone progressed to 9:56 a.m.
As the opening time was getting closer, I couldn't find Hondō's figure, let alone anyone from my year.
Considering the flow of the chat, it was strange that my classmates weren’t showing up.
“...What's going on?”
A strange feeling overtook me as students who should've been here weren't present.
None of the seven people here seemed to be restless or uneasy.
Normally, they would be glued to the entrance, ready to fight every single second.
Can they really buy what they want while leisurely playing mobile games?
I felt a sense of unease and decided to muster up my courage and check the situation.
Fortunately, my kōhai was playing a game here.
“May I have a moment?”
“...Yes?”
The first-year student, who looked slightly annoyed, raised his head and was indeed playing.
The screen was paused. Perhaps he had pressed the pause button.
I could immediately sense the vibe that he didn’t want to be talked to by his senpai, but I had to confirm something.
“What did you come to Keyaki Mall for?”
“Huh? What's going on? Is this like a TV show prank or something? I don't understand.”
“...Hmm?”
I had intended to speak as naturally as possible so as not to make him wary of me, but it seemed that his defensiveness had been kicked up a notch three times.
However, since I didn't have much time to talk leisurely, I reluctantly brought up the main issue.
“I thought you came here today to see the sale at the electronics store. They say game consoles and stuff are cheap too.”
I tried to emphasize the gaming part as much as possible so that the message would get through.
Then, he seemed to understand and showed a reaction as if thinking, ‘Ah, I see.’
However—
“Well, even though game consoles are called the latest hardware, they are old LCD types and the controllers are prone to breaking. They have a bad reputation. Even at a big sale, it feels more like a clearance sale, and they’re still not highly rated works, even if they’re sold at a 20-30% discount from the list price. Besides, I prefer to buy the digital versions.”
—I see.
I could understand, but not fully grasp, the content of my kōhai's story.
One certainty was that he wasn’t interested in the sale at all.
“Today’s the release date for the manga I want, so I'm only going to the bookstore. Oh, are you curious why I buy paper books instead of e-books, even though I prefer to download games?”
“Uh, no...”
“Sure, e-books can be purchased as soon as the date changes, and it's attractive to be able to view them anytime on mobile or tablet. But I like the feeling of holding a book in my hand. I suppose I could say I want to forever own manga and novels in paper form. As I mentioned, though, this is limited to manga and novels only. I surprisingly don't have the same fondness for other e-books. For example, books that compile a year's worth of best-selling products, photo books, and so on. I'm tolerant of those. Well, I used to buy those in paper as well up until middle school, but since entering this school, I've had more chances to use phones and tablets, so I've transitioned. Oh, is it time to go now? I want to work hard on my game’s events.”
I thought I listened carefully, but about 20% of the information had already slipped out of my head.
Since his pronunciation was slightly unclear, I felt like my brain was refusing to contain the information.
After finishing talking at a tremendous speed about something I didn't even ask about, my kōhai resumed using his phone.
He wouldn't even look at me anymore.
It’s now 9:58 a.m.
It should be the time when more familiar faces and students start showing up.
Could it be that it isn’t attracting as much attention as I thought?
Perhaps it was just as my kōhai said—clearance disguised as a grand sale.
However, I heard that last year's event was a great success, and judging from my classmates’ reactions, like Hondō, they seemed to be looking forward to it.
Could it be that I got the date wrong?
In the chat, they had said tomorrow, but I wondered if there was a possibility that it was a mistake.
Perhaps it was because the conversation took place just before the date changed that I began to think it might’ve been tomorrow.
I hurriedly took out my cell phone and accessed the online advertisement again.
“...It's today.”
The misunderstanding disappeared in an instant.
As the opening of the store approached, the number of students gathered didn't grow at all.
What was going on…?
No, let's stop thinking about it.
As soon as the store opens, I'll head straight to the store and buy a yogurt maker.
That should be fine.
“By the way, Yuko sent me a picture earlier, and the line at the north exit is crazy. Look at this.”
“Wow. I went there last year too. But there wasn't much in stock, so I couldn't buy what I wanted. Wait, why is it from the north exit?”
“Last year, remember there was a girl in Class B who got injured during the opening rush?”
“Ah, right. But everyone was in a hurry, so it seemed like no one paid attention to her.”
“Exactly. So this year, they're gathering at the north exit, and the staff will guide them.”
The reality I wanted to hear, yet didn't, reached my ears. As I learned the truth, Keyaki Mall mercilessly opened at 10 a.m.
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