E-book Bonus Short Story: Shinohara – Himeji
One leisurely afternoon on a day off, I was lounging on the sofa in the living room of the dorm I’m borrowing, idly playing a game.
“Master, your tea is ready,” a voice called out.
The speaker was an adorable girl dressed in a monochrome maid outfit—Himeji Shirayuki. Due to certain circumstances, she’s taken on the role of my assistant and currently lives in the dorm, tending to my daily needs as a live-in maid.
Having had little interaction with the opposite sex before, she always maintains a certain distance, but her personality is pure, innocent, and devoted. To me, she’s so angelic I could almost mistake her for one.
Setting a teacup before me, she tilted her head, her silvery hair swaying gently.
“Is that a game of some sort?” she asked.
“Hm? Oh, yeah. It’s a brand-new release. I bought it before coming to Academy Island, but things have been so hectic I haven’t had much time to play.”
“I see…”
Her gaze lingered on the screen, prompting me to ask, “What, are you interested? You’re staring pretty hard.”
“Oh, no, I’m sorry. It’s just… I’m not very familiar with such things,” she replied, a hint of embarrassment in her tone.
I was holding an ordinary handheld gaming device, but I couldn’t quite picture Himeji playing games like this.
“Here, take a look,” I said. “See the characters in the foreground with swords and guns? Those are the party members I’m controlling. The ones in the back are enemy monsters. You move these characters around to defeat the enemies.”
“What are those glowing orbs the woman is casting?”
“That’s magic. Or, in this game, I think they call it a ‘special ability’? Something supernatural, basically.”
“And those creatures… are they like that too?”
“Seems like it. I’m still in the middle of the story, so I don’t know all the details, but it’s something about those supernatural powers being condensed in a negative way… or so it goes.”
Himeji listened intently, occasionally asking questions while her eyes remained glued to my gameplay. Though her expression rarely changed, her clear blue eyes darted after each character’s movements, following the battle with bated breath. At some point, she quietly sat down beside me, her shoulder brushing closer.
Not that I minded, but…
“Uh, Himeji? You’re getting pretty close. You okay with that?”
“Eh? ……!!!”
She froze for a moment before springing to her feet. Shaking her head as if snapping out of a trance, she quickly turned away.
“M-my apologies…!”
With a slightly flustered voice, she hurried off, her footsteps pattering as she fled.
