Vol 1 Chapter 9 (1/2)
On the following Monday,
As if to celebrate the lifting curtains of the upcoame between our Clotaku Club and MoeRe, the entire school was in a state of unrest
That was a joke
Aside from the sickly patients of the Monday disease, the school was lively as always It would be a stranger sight, if not a severe issue of our school, if these bright, young teenagers were e in a club
Ay, I was alone, tense and afraid My final class of the day had past, and it was in the match
I felt like I alking into an exam room to take the National Scholastic Ability Test-- the ones on June and September, especially They're the worst, I heard I couldn't concentrate-- I couldn't settle down Every step I took toward the infirmary felt heavy and bothersoer an option
--And I've always known that, but it was good to remind myself I approached the infirmary's inner door, and entered the room
”Oh, my welcome”
Then I found the rooseon For once, she was not sitting in front of the co at an object on the table in front
The object was a cup of noodles?
”Are you having cup ramen?”
”Yep Want some?”
”No thanks” I only asked because cup ramen doesn't really fit someone like you!
She did not bother insisting further, instead electing to rub her sleepy eyes”Oh, I'et any sleep yesterday! I used to be perfectly fine with skipping two days worth of sleep, and now, I can't even stay up for one day since I'm over twenty-five”
I could not find a kind, appropriate remark, so I chose to remain quiet
Moone youth, then she suddenly turned her attention to me ”By the way, did you study for your test?”
It's a match, not a test! I replied neutrally, ”Oh, uh, sure, so to proudly proclai Otaku vocabulary
The nurse flashed a s the noticeably darker circles beneath her eyes ”'Somewhat', is it? I'm jealous, I haven't studied much at all I'm worried! What should I do?”
”There's always someone like you in every class!” There's always at least one of those kids in class who cry about not studying enough on the day of exams! And, just as I had feared, you're the third member of our team!
”I felt like I was in school again, having to actually study and learn so I was pretty excited”
”You spent all night trying to memorize words?!”
”You don't memorize words you understand them”
That just sounds like a line straight out of a shoddy study guide! I looked at her in disbelief, but the nurse paid no heed
She slowly lifted her ar, and mixed the dry noodles with the soup in her rarant This beautiful smell-- I think I'm in heaven”
”Miss Yu, are you going to be okay?”
Those are cup noodles, right? Not drugs?
”H~ I'm always like th-- Chomp, slurp, slurp”
”Can you please eat ently?!”
She's supposed to be a respected nurse! And a beautiful lady! And she'sstains on her clothes!
”I'htsipnow, so-”
”Don't bother talking! You don't have to reply, so keep eating quietly! Please!”
It's even scarier how your face reressively attacking those noodles! And Yeonji, too! Why do girls around ?! I don't expect anyone to handle every grain of rice with care, but this is just too much!
I patiently waited The nurse finished the noodles, drank the re soup, and thena full stoe
”Phew I can feelup”
”Please, please don't”
The nurse giggled She snapped the wooden chopsticks in half, put them in the now-e
”You look very nervous,” she commented
”Pardon?”
She grabbed an eround by Yeonji yesterday, placing it into the bag with the rest of the garbage She turned around, ”I' hard”
”Ah, oh I see” II beca manual control over every muscle so that my instincts could not
The nurse sly ”Why is that? Does it bother you that, whoever wins, soone?”
”Ack” I gave a look asking 'How did you know?'
She laughed ”Hah, kids always give ahat they're thinking through their facial expressions And I like that”
Are all adults capable of reading our h, that I can never tell what she's thinking Not in the 'I don't knohat the hell you're thinking' way, I mean
””
'Bother me', huh?
It wasindecisive Yeonji would be furious if she knew, but I still hadn't a particular reason to win the match and put an end to MoeRe Why not? I couldn't answer It was likely related to the classic question of 'do I really have to?'
Athe lives of school clubs on the line sounds awfully like soht out of an ani in my life
”Well, I' ainst people who aren't closeted, either I don't really care what happens today, but I a to try my best”
Fortunately, she had the same mindset that I had about this match Really, what kind of loser would take this Super Idiot Wars EX seriously? Oh wait, that's just about everyone else
Out of the six people involved in this match, less than half the people are sane? What a cruel world!
”Although I feel this way, you shouldn't have the same attitude, Injin”
”Why not?!”
--And the nurse turned her back on me! This wassane for once! And, what's worse, ain! Is it really that easy to tell what I' up instinctively in an attempt to hide my face
The nurse explained ”Of course it's because Yeonji-- No, forget that, I said nothing It's because Yerin”
”I heard you just no sleepy do you have to be to confuse those two?!”
”Tee-hee!”
”Don't act all cutesy! You're an adult, for cripes' sake!”
”A-acting cutesy?” She briefly looked as though she was crying ”Hmph Injin, you watch yourself when you're alone Anyway, about Yerin--”
”You just threatened me! In a voice full of contempt!”
”Stop being too damn loud! Anyway! I've known Yerin since her middle school years”
”H-how do you know her?”
”She got in a huge fight in the first week of class, then she was sent to the infirmary That hen I met her”
The nurse sat relaxed, and began recollecting the tale ”I suppose no one was crazy enough to try and hurt the Eunsung CEO's only granddaughter, so she was punching, kicking, and screaot scratched and bruised everywhere in the process, and she lost her voice; she caused a pretty big trouble for the school I had a little connection with Eunsung, so I did so session with her I'h”
”Hm”
She got in a fight at the start of her middle school year? This sounds familiar
”She fought because--” The nurse looked like she would rather be so a classmate just because he's an Otaku!' was the reason”
--'She confronted the bullies and defended us, asking what's wrong with being an Otaku'
damn it, I should have known
I frowned, re-sunbae and Yerin
The nurse ed and continued, ”It was around that tie I never had the chance toexploits through rumors I knew the rumors were real, because” She murmured quietly, as if she had no audience ”Because she had that look on her face”
””
I did not reply The nurse sat, her eyes distant and unfocused, and then added to her quiet mutter, ”Well I didn't think she'd ruin herself this h”
”You never expected her to go this far, did you?!” And you just said she 'ruined herself'! We're all Otakus here, don't be so harsh!+
”That girl She needs to be stopped Even if it s into pieces”
”Why so brutal?!”
”She'll go to waste otherwise” The nurse shrugged ”Yerin is honestly said, she has great potential She is capable of directing her own life, and she is kind-hearted enough to endure being a villain for over three years just to help her friends I think it's a 's family”
A sudden sense of sadness entered in of Yerin's problems
”We can't let the brilliant granddaughter of Eunsung family cut herself off fro an Otaku altogether; we just have to put her at a level where she is on friendly terain As a licensed teacher, that's all I can wish for It's possible that Yerin herself wanted someone to stop her”
”Do you think so?”
Sukyong-sunbae had said the saly prideful, haughty blonde princess would want her lifestyle to end
In contrast to reat confidence that she was right ”So You should win the match with Yeonji's help, then try to convince Yerin to change her life somehow Good luck!”
”Don't talk like you're not involved!”
She did say she didn't care on thewith us
”Because Yeonji--” The nurse began, bearing a grim expression that read 'I don't want to be here', but her reply was cut short by the entrance of Yeonji and the three members of 'MoeRe'
”I apologize that we are late I wasunpleasantries with Miss U quite the persistent little peasant”
”It's Seo Yeonji!”
Yeonji and Yerin fought the moment they had entered the rooh their clubs were in the danger of being erased from existence
They continued their violent, verbal combat; I must havea martial arts tournament instead The nurse finally broke her coestured the two angrily ”Stop! You're acting like little kids Stop fighting and sit down”
”You are right It should be er with Miss Umji-- a kid, both in body and mind”
”It's Seo Yeonji! Wait, who's a kid?! You empty-headed blondie!”
”Wh-what did you say? I will not let your insult pass! Miss Sukyong, punish that little kid!”
”Hht me yourself?”
”As you wish!+ Mister Yujin, bring me my blade!”
”Please sit down, both of you”
The nurse and I sighed deeply in unison
Soon,
After resolving the conflict, it took a very long tiather around
On one couch sat the nurse and I, already looking exhausted before the y seemed to be tapped from mysterious sources
On the opposing couch was the butler, thetogether, painted a picture far more surreal than a masterpiece by Salvador Dali
The co a little, a little short of complete disarray
”Let us re with energy comparable to Yeonji, and held up a print ”Thethe 'unique subject pool' rule The match will be three-on-three, and tea with each other during the match It will be a Team Deathmatch, where we play until all members of a team are eliminated Is that correct?”
”That's right” Yeonji nodded
”The losers must dismiss their club, and take leave from the infirmary for the winner to freely use Is that also correct?”
”That's right”
”Good Then, we'll begin the match!”
”--Before that” As Yerin put the printed rule sheet away and prepared herself for the e to the rules, if you don't mind”
”Changing the rules, at this stage?”
”It won't be a disadvantage to you”
”Hmph, then I will listen”
Yeonji cleared her throat loudly, and then stated her proposition ”I want to increase the time per turn to a minute”
”An entire minute?”
Norive a valid ithin fifteen seconds since the start of your turn Yeonji had just asked if she couldthat the Otaku Word Chain gaa ti me about her plans beforehand?
Yerin looked briefly confused Then, after presue of rules would not ireed, followed by ayour e? Very well, I will be !”
When Yerin raised her hands and called her, the -sunbae pulled out an object froital display showing '0000'
”This is a digital timer It is the sa-sunbae, see completely oblivious to the fact that we hadduration, it counts down like a ti when the countdown reaches zero If you press the button here, it will reset to the original time Please press this as soon as you say a valid word, and pass it to the next player”
Sukyong-sunbae opened the back of the ti it The tiital panel then read '6000'
The intensity of the situation quickly rose; I realized that htened my posture and sat properly in preparation for the ht, that was completely unnecessary
Yerin passed the timer to Yeonji, as the first player in our rotation She did a cursory glance around the room and shortly announced,
”Right, then! We will begin the match!”
The dreaded Otaku Word Chain gaeneric, other than the presence of a digital timer
Yeonji's ansere usually froe franchises, which eliminated a countless number of possible answers every turn So to use obscure titles that elia-sunbae always ht; I realized that Sukyong-sunbae had not exaggerated about her skills yesterday
”'Saya's Music' Next turn, please”
”'Mayo Chicken' Next turn, please”
”'Mahou Shounen MatsuriMagica' Next turn, please”
I was relieved that the nurse's turn ca speed would have left me pressured and speechless every time
Our order of turns was like this: Yeonji -> Yerin -> Me -> Sukyong-sunbae -> Nurse -> The butler -> Yeonjiand this rotation was going to continue until the end of the game
Yeonji knew that the order of turns would be a big factor in changing the outco the skill levels of the eneically plan our turns Instead, we randomized the order; fortunately, Yeonji was perfectly content having to bombard Yerin with answers that left little room for follow-ups
After almost thirty seconds of silence, Yerin safely passed her turn with an answer: ”'My Distant Relative's Neighbor Totoro' Next person!” As I thought, the ly difficult as time went on, now that the list of available words had become extremely short
”Um Uh, Ro- 'Robot Takkyeon V'? Next turn!” I answered
”'Venusaur' Next turn, please”
But this maid-sunbae appeared totally unaffected by the s from Po[][]mon before? How many words did she just eliminate with that answer?!
Every answer fro no trend in generation or genre If not for the nurse, who seemed to know every obscure visual novel title out there, ould have lost long before
On top of that, no ress we've made into the match, shequeen of the Otakus, she'd definitely be one I began to question if Sukyong-sunbae was serious about wanting us to win; perhaps she was planning to confuse us before the match, after all
No one had made a mistake yet, but our loss was easily predictable with the pace Sukyong-sunbae played Even if the other two people were to fail and drop out of the ga-sunbae
There was only one way to win, then-- The unbeatable aan: The Last Vaanteni-Paraskulssu-[][][]()()()()'!
I still wonder what kind of idiot came up with that name, but it was nonetheless a naainst Yeonji I had to look it up in Maver[1] afterward, too, just to make sure it wasn't a fluke
As uaranteed victory when used, which soame rules It basically was the Excalibur of the Otaku Word Chain
Using that ansas not going to be easy; it would only work if someone were to slip up and use an answer that ended with '-ssu' But there was not a single opportunity yet; clearly, everyone in the ga it
Patience Soaa mistake! Until then oh, until then--
”'Futari wa Pedicure' Next turn!' answered the othersilence since starting his turn It became quickly apparent that he was the weakest player in this e expression, which combined his permanent snaw at my nerves
The next person in turn was Seo Yeonji She observed the ti down from sixty seconds, and she spoke--
”I got sos to say to you, Eun Yerin”
--directly to Eun Yerin
”?!”
A look of surprise surfaced visibly on everyone's faces; confusion crossed Yerin's face, as if she had just seen a polar bear in the South Pole ”What are you doing? The only words that should come out of your mouth should be a name that starts with a 'Ure-' sound Do you ame?”
”You know, you've been h!' before giving a valid answer” Yeonji replied i an eye ”Only the members of the same team can't talk to each other, reive a valid word that starts with 'Ure-', right?”
She continued, ”Listen, Korea's view on the Otaku culture is pretty terrible right now It's all thanks to thestupid things; like the tiht a real weapon to 'Seoul Comic Mart' convention as a part of his cosplay, or people who publically wear Kiree? 'Eureka Ten'!”
Making the end of her ave an answer and passed the timer to Yerin with a couple seconds to spare That was too close
”What-” Yerin becarasp ca like them? 'Tenshi+ Muyo'! Next turn!”
Moveered in Yerin's lips as if she had unspoken words re any energy dealing with Yeonji's sudden outburst, she see if this was another one of Yeonji's deceptions It was probably a wiseto do, either
Under the collective, trained gaze from the others in the room, Yeonji let loose a furious torrent of words as soon as the tih? You 'recoames to your classs! That's just going too far beyond the line Do you even knoe keep our hobbies to ourselves? 'Mental Magica'”
”They weren't porn gaes!” Yerin replied,a defense that was far too often told by Otakus She became flustered at Yeonji's blunt choice of words, but she re to yourselves? Hah, don't h! Peasants like you are merely cowards who cannot be prideful of your hobbies! Why do you feel asha the ie of Otakus, not us! 'Ika Musuko'!”
The timer rotated back once more
”We're the ones doing it? That's the biggest joke yet How are Clotakus supposed to worsen anything, e're completely unnoticed to others? You people are the only ones affecting anything, and that's a fact You asked why can't we be proud of ourselves? Have you seen what's going on in Korea right now? Theto suffer for it forever You could be bullied by anyone who knows of it And you're tellingan Otaku? 'Densha Onna'!”
”Suffer for having a label? And get bullied for it? Would there be a reason to get bullied if you are sociable, and have other positive qualities to offset it? Toan excuse to cover your ineptitude ina social life Look atan Otaku for the past three years; have I ever been bullied even once? 'Natsume's Book of Enemies'!”
Another rotation
”Ha-ha, you're getting everything wrong! You were never bullied, all because you're froot your ht mind would try to harm you? And what about all the other Otakus who have none of the things that you have? Are you sure they, in their position, can do the sa? Don't flatter yourself 'Kamisama no Notechou'”
”Hmph”
Yerin's blue eyes glittered She was beginning to understand what Yeonji was trying to do
Is this supposed to be BBC's 60 Seconds? Whenever it was their turn, they got to argue however they wanted in the sixty seconds that they were given, as long as they gave a valid answer at the end They effectively created a ame, held between only Yeonji and Yerin
Yeonji had souments for herself, as if she had prepared it beforehand-- she probably did, actually-- but the bigger surprise was that Yerin hadn't faltered yet under Yeonji's relentless verbal assaults
”Youwealth or power has anyan Otaku Even if I were a humble peasant, I would choose to continue this lifestyle I never doubted that this was the right path” stated Yerin, clasping her hands on her chest for emphasis ”A lowly peasant like you would not understand why I have gotten on this path You have no idea what Miss Sukyong, Mister Yujin, and I have went through in these past years I would like you to stay quiet when you have no clue what you are talking about 'Chobits'”
”Nyu” squeaked Yeonji, breaking her confident, upright posture, distraught by Yerin's powerful discourse
Since Yeonji was the type to enjoy arguing over the Internet all day, she likely started the argureat confidence that she would win But Yerin's rebuttals struck at Yeonji's arguuments stemmed from her fir-sunbae and her brother fro bullied It was also how the MoeRe ca-sunbae had mentioned