Chapter 16: Home Visit

Even now, days later, that weekend remains vivid in my mind—an absolute whirlwind. It’d been a few days since Toudou and Akane first met. Dozens of hours had passed since my hands brushed against Toudou’s body, yet the sensation refused to fade. Every detail clung stubbornly to my memory.

At night, alone in my room, the entire sequence would replay in my head, so vivid I’d catch myself shouting, “Uwoooooh!” into the silence. Yes, I actually did that.

One major shift had upended everything. Ever since that day, Toudou had been showing up at my house daily, as if it were her personal hangout spot, even though summer vacation hadn’t even started. And the culprit behind this? My little sister, Akane.

When she learned Toudou and I were hanging out under a “one-time-only” agreement, Akane blew it out of proportion. “Eh!? Having such a cute girl over is the best! I wanna play too—Mashiro-san, play with me!” she whined, making a scene far bigger than necessary.

Toudou didn’t seem to mind at all, saying something like “I’m an only child, so it’s like I’ve gained a little sister. That makes me happy.”

Girls and their sense of personal space are a complete enigma. Somehow, Akane and Toudou Toudou hit it off, bonding over plans to play games together. And just like that, Toudou had a standing invitation to our house every single day.

A few days later, in the cramped entryway of our home, Akane and Toudou stood hand in hand, their voices bright with excitement.

“Akane-chan, I’m back again today!” Toudou chirped.

“Hello-hello, Toudou-chan! You can come over every day, you know.”

“Yay, awesome! I’ll be here as much as I can, then!”

Their enthusiastic “Waaah!” filled the air, but as I lingered silently by the door, unable to squeeze past, they scattered with a playful “whoosh” and returned to their tasks. Akane grabbed a drink and headed to her room, while Toudou slipped off her shoes, casting me a casual glance before flashing a mature smile. “Kuroki-kun, shall we have fun today too?”

Seriously, what’s with this girl? Toudou’s grin widened.

“Akane-chan said I can come every day, right?”

“I didn’t say that…” I muttered. “Besides, summer vacation hasn’t even started, and you’re already playing too much.”

My words lacked weight, considering I was the one lounging around every day.

“Oh? So once summer vacation starts, I can come every day?” she teased.

“…I didn’t say that.”

“Ahaha! Well, once summer vacation begins, I’ll hold back a bit, so forgive me for now.”

Normally, it’s the other way around, I thought, but I kept quiet, my gaze settling on Toudou. Somewhere along the way, she’d changed from her school uniform into casual clothes before coming over. As she turned her back to me, she bent down to neatly align her shoes, even straightening my scattered sandals in the process. Over the past few days, I’d come to admire this about her—not just her outgoing nature, but her effortless knack for small, thoughtful gestures. Toudou’s human skills were something else.

But today, her skirt was unusually short, and I quickly averted my eyes. Spending time with her had revealed another side: a natural obliviousness that caught me off guard.

A small sigh escaped me, and Toudou, misunderstanding, puffed out her cheeks. “I told you, once summer vacation starts, I won’t come every day. Do you really hate playing with me that much?”

“No, that’s not what I meant…” I trailed off, unable to admit that her skirt had nearly revealed too much.

Toudou crossed her arms with a huff, the motion inadvertently accentuating her chest and creating a hint of cleavage. That was what had prompted my sigh, but there was no way I could explain that.

Let’s be honest here.

Truth was, I was exhausted—mentally drained, to be precise. It wasn’t that I disliked spending time with Toudou, not at all. But being around her was… taxing. When you’re with a beautiful girl, even the smallest things—like letting out a burp after chugging soda—felt painfully awkward.

Then there was this constant worry: Was my room clean enough? Did my clothes smell? Was my hair sticking up in some embarrassing way? And Toudou’s outfits, always so frilly and delicate, made it a mental minefield to figure out where to rest my eyes without catching a glimpse of something. It was all so draining.

Toudou settled into my chair like it was hers by right, claiming it with an ease that left me no room to protest. I hesitated, then asked cautiously, “Um, Toudou-san? You’ve been coming over every day this week, but you’re not coming on the weekend, right…?”

“Yeah, that’s right! I’m coming!”

“……, ……Yeah, that’s right.”

Her smile disarmed me completely. I probably should’ve pushed back, made some kind of argument, but that bright expression of hers left me speechless. Besides, as tiring as it was, I couldn’t say it was boring. Far from it. Just playing games with a girl was enough to set my heart racing. And when that girl was someone Akane called a “celebrity-level beauty,” the feeling was amplified tenfold.

Then it hit me, like a quiet revelation. Maybe the exhaustion wasn’t just a burden. Maybe it felt… good? My heart was pounding so hard it was impossible to ignore. And in that moment, I realized something unsettling.

Could it be… I’m the one who’s completely hooked?

＊

That night, I got invited to play games by one of my few friends for the first time in a while. I’d been using up my energy on the daily Toudou Mashiro events, but since he went out of his way to invite me, I decided to play.

He was a guy I used to be on an amateur team with. When we met, he was in high school, but now he’s apparently in college. But age differences don’t matter with online friends.

His name is Boichen. As in, voice changer—Boichen.

Every time he speaks, the voice that comes through is a woman’s, but it feels off somehow. He’s using audio converted by a voice changer, turning a guy’s voice into a machine-made girl’s voice.

Why does he bother changing his voice? Because when he gets excited in games, Boichen’s mouth turns super foul. That’s caused trouble plenty of times.

But he figured if his voice was female, his words might sound softer. Ever since then, he’s been Boichen. He’s a weird guy, but we get along.

While we were playing, Boichen suddenly said this.

Boichen: Crow, did something happen to you?

Of course, we’re playing online from afar, so the conversation is over voice chat.

“What do you mean?”

Boichen: Nah, it’s been a while since we played…… but your playstyle’s changed, or rather, you’ve gotten better.

“For real?”

I can’t tell myself……

Boichen: Totally for real. So, did something happen?

“Nothing in particular.”

Even as I say that, Toudou Mashiro’s smiling face pops into my head.

Boichen: Maybe you found a game buddy you click with or something.

“W-what do you mean?”

He hit the nail on the head, and I got a bit flustered.

Boichen: You’ve got this oddly serious side, Crow. After the team fell apart, games weren’t fun for you anymore, right?

“Yeah, well……”

That’s true. There was a time when games felt painful.

The amateur gaming team I was in was made up of skilled students. But most were middle or high schoolers, so arguments never stopped. And as usual, irreparable cracks formed in the relationships, and the team disbanded.

Every time arguments turned into fights, I’d step in as mediator, so the mental strain was endless. Before I knew it, playing to get stronger felt like torture. Honestly, I was relieved when it disbanded.

Remembering the old days, I retort.

“No, wait. A third of my stress came from that foul mouth of yours, Boichen,” I shot back, half-joking but with a bite of truth.

Boichen: Haha, if you’re gonna throw shade, don’t forget that jerk S was just as bad, right?

He wasn’t wrong. S had a mouth on him too, always clashing with Boichen in a storm of snark and sarcasm.

“Why do I always end up surrounded by people like this…?”

Boichen: Poor you.

“Don’t act like you’re not part of the problem.”

Boichen: You’re destined to babysit us all, Crow. Anyway, back on track—you found someone fun to game with, didn’t you?

“What makes you say that?”

Boichen: Just a hunch. You’ve got this vibe, like you’re actually enjoying yourself. Been a while since I saw you play with that kind of spark.

“…Huh.”

I hadn’t noticed until he pointed it out. But yeah, maybe he had a point. When I’m gaming with Toudou, it’s not about grinding to get stronger—it’s about having fun. Watching Toudou lose herself in the game, laughing and throwing herself into every moment, makes me want to dive into that energy too.

Boichen: Back in the early days, when the team was just messing around and having a blast, you were unstoppable. Honestly, you were top-tier among the six of us.

“Past tense, huh…”

Boichen: Haha, well, keep at it from here on out.

If Boichen’s right, then Toudou Mashiro might just be the reason I’ve been getting stronger lately.

Not because I’m chasing power, but because I’m chasing that feeling—wanting to enjoy the game more than anything else. And somehow, ironically, that’s what’s pushing me to improve. Can something like that even happen?

A few nights later, the confirmation came.

That evening, I’d been roped into gaming by “S,” Boichen’s eternal rival. Akane joined us, and the three of us dove into the session together. About an hour in, Akane’s voice crackled through the headset, tinged with curiosity.

Akane: Hey… hasn’t Nii-nii gotten better? Your plays feel sharper, more stable.

Before I could respond, S chimed in, his tone teasing but sharp.

S: Yeah, I noticed that too. What’s up, Crow? Found a hotshot coach or a new game buddy? Cheating on us already, huh?

Despite their rocky history, S was echoing Boichen’s exact sentiments. I bit my tongue, knowing full well that pointing out, “You sound just like Boichen,” would sour his mood instantly. So I stayed quiet, letting the moment pass. Then Akane dropped a bombshell.

Akane: Could it be Mashiro-chan power? Do beautiful girls come with that feature too?

S faltered, clearly thrown off.

S: Mashi…? What power? Beautiful girl?

Akane: You know, like girl power. I told you before, didn’t I? There’s a girl’s shadow behind him. Turns out it was true.

S: Wait… what? A honey trap? Crow, you’re doomed, man…

It was like a dramatic sound effect blared in my head. I couldn’t stay silent any longer.

“Hold on, that’s not it,” I cut in, exasperated. “Akane, quit spouting nonsense. It’s rude to Toudou.”

Akane: Sorry, sorry. I’ll drop it—

With Akane’s quick apology, the conversation veered effortlessly to another topic, leaving the air lighter but my mind still reeling from her wild assumptions.

Still, what’s going on? Have my plays really improved?

I haven’t practiced lately. I’ve just been playing nonstop with Toudou. Can you really get better at games that way? But if three people said so, I’d have to believe them.

It’s ironic. I did endless repetitive practice until I hated it, built up knowledge, mediated team fights, got exhausted, but kept trying, trying, trying—and yet my performance didn’t improve, the team collapsed, and in the end, I quit activities and went back to just being a game enthusiast.

I was tired of everything, gave up on everything, but before I knew it, I’d gotten what I wanted. Can that even happen?

Is Toudou that big of an influence to me……?

＊

Being praised with “You’ve gotten better at games” sent a warm thrill through me, and outplaying Toudou in our matches added a smug sense of superiority.

That’s why I missed the signs I should’ve caught. There were turning points, subtle shifts I barreled past without a second glance. Toudou Mashiro, this embodiment of perfection—only I should’ve been able to spot the cracks that stood out precisely because of her flawless veneer. But I couldn’t. Not until something forced my hand.

While I was riding high, Toudou had been… off these past few days. Her smile, for instance—it seemed perfect at a glance, but her eyes didn’t match. To the world, it was a smile, polished and impeccable, yet it carried an unsettling distortion. It was nothing like the genuine spark in her “Yay!” when she nailed a move in-game. For Toudou Mashiro, that false smile was pure discord, a jarring note in her otherwise seamless existence.

The something throwing her off.

A tiny misalignment, barely perceptible, was spiraling into a glaring distortion.

The confirmation came abruptly.