NOVEL NEXT On the day of the Millennium Price announcement, a ton of people flocked to the award ceremony. They said the audience count was over double compared to previous years, and honestly, I think it was largely due to the Blooming Buds’ congratulatory performance.
No, you don’t believe me? Then I’m terribly sorry~!
According to the host, who was from the engineering club Kotori, the club must be recognized by achieving results, leading to the most submissions ever since the first Millennium Price… and hearing that made me feel a bit sorry for them.
But come on, it’s not like we’re at a level where we should be experiencing that kind of performance urgency as students!
Yet, when I heard reports about the Game Development Club doing all sorts of strange things, what can I say? It’s hard to criticize overly harsh policies when there’s gotta be a bit of reason to it.
Anyway, taking a look at the submissions for the Millennium Price, honestly, they were so bizarre they made my head spin.
A self-defense umbrella with a built-in missile.
A necktie power bank.
A portable fridge the size of a pencil case.
An optical camouflage lingerie set. I found out this one used the same tech as the optical camouflage socks included in my stage outfit.
…Thinking about it, Hanako would probably like that.
And then there’s the sauce that looks like toothpaste but squeezes out mozzarella cheese… This one oddly seems practical, doesn’t it?
I might just get one for Haruna; she seems interested.
There were many other ridiculous entries with strange functions and appearances, but amidst them, Game Development Club’s Tales Saga Chronicle 2 actually felt relatively normal.
To be honest, retro games are pretty outdated, but you just can’t resist that nostalgic vibe, can you?
…Hmm, maybe I should give it a try later? Like playing when I have spare time on the subway or something.
The previous title? No need to bother with that piece of junk. You don’t have to take a bite of poop to know it’s poop.
The award ceremony proceeded without a hitch. As far as I know, the Game Development Club probably won some kind of encouragement award, and sure enough.
They didn’t get their name called until the second place was announced.
“The winner of the second place, with a very close margin, is Mr. Noah’s short romance novel, ‘Memory Illness’ from the Millennium Seminar!”
And in exchange, at that point, another familiar name appeared on the winner’s list.
As soon as her name was called, Noah, sitting between me and Haruna, brightened up like today’s star. Just seeing her satisfied smile made me think it was worth coming all the way here.
“The story is about the picky-eating devil girl Luna and the fox-girl Miko, who captivates her heart and taste. And also the ordinary girl Nia, who holds both in her heart while wishing for their happiness and choosing to hide her true feelings. With a sweet yet sensual love story, combined with the bittersweet and beautiful heart of a girl who has given up on love, this novel undoubtedly deserves to be called the year’s best romance.” The fact that it didn’t win the grand prize just shows that it focused more on the essence of literature than last year’s, oh—! Just ignore that last part!
Woah, it’s impressive that she can say all that without stuttering even once. That’s a skill!
“Um? I meant that ‘sensual’ was just to imply a certain level of suggestiveness! It’s definitely not a red book, so please give lots of love to Noah’s ‘Memory Illness’!”
With that, Kotori concluded her speech, and as the talk shifted to the grand prize…
Noah, with possibly one of the brightest smiles I’ve seen today, suddenly grabbed me and gave me a passionate kiss, and then did the same to Haruna.
“Uh, Noah-chan. If that scene gets captured on screen, it might be a bit awkward, you know? Though it did feel nice.”
“Hehe, what of it? We’re not going to be idols for a thousand years! It’s not that we don’t enjoy it, but personal time is so scarce that it’s hard to do for long.”
“True. And hey, Haruna-chan, you should manage your expression a bit? That face was way too raunchy for a public place. I hope you realize Neru’s giving you a very disappointed look.”
“Hyoo, hyoohee! Double the deliciousness… ♡”
I get it, but you really need to manage that expression. It was too much to flaunt in public. Please acknowledge that Neru is judging you quite harshly.
“By the way, Noah-chan… Luna? Miko? Nia? Those names are a bit too on-the-nose, don’t you think? And Haruna-chan got written as a devil girl while I’m labeled a fox girl?”
“Hehe, doesn’t it suit you? And later on, with the tail…”
“Ah! Th-That’s enough! You’ve really lost all sense of shame… Just keep comments like that for when it’s just us, okay?”
“Ah! I’d definitely want to see that too, Mika-san.”
“Uh, no matter what, that’s just NO…!”
I can’t believe I might not survive due to these sex-crazed monsters.
If I’m stuck with these two during the White Night Festival, I can see us hiding away in the inn all day instead of enjoying the cherry blossom festival.
So it’s a disaster I brought upon myself, and I can’t complain. And when it comes down to it, if I’m asked if I’m unhappy, the answer would be no, so I can’t push them away.
Right now, I’m turning down that lewd request to preserve my dignity, but I know exactly what they’re thinking.
If we push it to the end, the one who won’t help will be me. Yup, that’s probably what they’re thinking.
…Dream on, you two.
Am I the only easy girl around here?
“Hehe. About the names, honestly, I thought it wouldn’t matter if we just used our real names… but nah, that seemed a bit too much, so we made some slight changes. Since they are our names, and our relationship isn’t something to be shy about in front of others, right?”
“Haha, saying that makes it hard to argue… true.”
At that moment, Hina, who was glancing at us from the seat next to Noah, stood up and boldly claimed my lap while leaning back.
“Hina-chan, horns…”
“I remember you said last time that you could love even the pain those horns bring. Was that a lie?”
“N-No, it’s not about the pain. I just wanted to ask you to shift your head a little. Y-Yeah, I’m sorry.”
“…I’m sorry I acted petty.”
It’s funny; the three of us are now pretty much aware of each other’s presence. When Nagisa joins, things change, but it seems our shared idol training experience has significantly impacted the bond here.
After the ad break, the highly anticipated first place went to the ‘New Material Development Whatever’ club. After that, it transitioned to a unique award in Millennium Price history, but the Game Development Club probably smashed their TV by now and missed it.
Well, I hope they enjoy their joy properly.
Everyone’s put in a lot of work. Cheers~!
Of course, I won’t actually be able to drink. Not even a pop of champagne.
Thinking about it, I still have a few months until I can legally drink… By then, everything might be a total mess, seriously.
*
The atmosphere in the Game Development Clubroom was surprisingly cheerful despite being on the verge of losing their clubroom.
Momo took solace in the fact that the evaluation of their game was quite positive and said they could just make progress from here on. Even if they were kicked out, they could recruit new members and produce results to secure a bigger clubroom.
Yuzu, who had been living in the Game Development Club room instead of the dorm, expressed her will to return to the dorm. Even if someone called her a lousy game developer, with everyone around, she’d be okay, showing how much she has grown mentally.
She even expressed her gratitude to the Teacher, stating that the moment the Teacher visited, the Game Development Club was able to change and that a lot of that change was thanks to him.
The only thing weighing on their minds was Aris’s situation, but it seemed the Teacher’s intention to take Aris to the Shalle resolved it to some degree.
“…But I can’t be with everyone… together… anymore, huh.”
Aris said that with teary eyes, and before the room could turn into a sea of tears…
“Ugh… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, Aris-chan! I’ll visit you at the Shalle every single day! I’ll definitely, definitely come every day! No matter where we go, we’ll make games together, right?!”
“Uuuuu…! No! Teacher, don’t take Aris away! I-I’ll take her to my room! We can share a bed! We’ll eat from the same bowl!”
“I’ll share mine too!”
“…Ah.”
Just when the mood was about to hit rock bottom, Aris suddenly exclaimed as if an idea struck her.
“…What’s wrong, Aris-chan? Are you planning to stay here at Millennium anyway?!”
“Well, it’s not like that, but… at the last meeting, Senpai Rion said he wouldn’t hold Aris’s unauthorized enrollment against her… and he even mentioned the mandatory quest at the end of April.”
“A mandatory quest…?”
“It’s a quest, a test, assigned to all students…”
“Ugh… thanks for bringing up such a horrifying truth. But still, does that mean Aris-chan can be properly assigned to the dorm?!”
“I think asking Yuuka would help… No, I’m sure she will! Even if Yuuka is part of the Four Heavenly Kings, she’s kind enough to donate to an orphanage in a nearby village!”
Suddenly!
As Aris shouted energetically, the door to the clubroom swung open unexpectedly. From beyond it emerged Yuuka, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, looking utterly baffled.
“…What on earth are you talking about, Aris? Me?”
“Y-Yuuka…?”
“Are you telling us to vacate the room already?!”
“You devil from hell! Does your Student Council lack humanity?!”
“First, let’s take it slow and talk. Aris, I’m what? Donation? I don’t get it.”
“…Aris heard it from Senpai Rion. Yuuka has been using every means to prevent the dissolution of the Game Development Club, a hidden peace-level secret!”
“What…? Aris-chan, is that true?!”
“Th-That’s impossible.”
“…”
“W-Why on earth did Senpai Rion tell Aris about that?! I won’t deny helping you a bit, but it was just to give Yuzu a little more chance so she wouldn’t get expelled. Don’t put too much meaning into it.”
“Yuuka! You’re our hero in the Game Development Club!”
“…Your attitude changes faster than flipping a palm. Anyway, congrats on winning! Since you’ve had some results, it means you won’t have to vacate the room now.”
“…?”
Everyone but Yuuka looked around the room in confusion, trying to gauge her reaction.
Seeing that, Yuuka seemed utterly baffled that she might be the happiest one among them.
No matter how it is, Yuuka wasn’t straightforward, but she was a kind girl.