Gamers SS: Trying to Play Dumb

"Fujimiya-chan!"

Just as Amane was about to head home after his shift, Oohashi called out to stop him. Having already changed out of her uniform into casual clothes, she beckoned him over with a quick wave. This worried Amane slightly, making him wonder if something urgent had happened or if there was an issue with closedown. But when Oohashi led him to the break room, he relaxed a little, reassured that it mustn't be anything serious.

Even so, Amane steeled himself, still unsure what this was all about.

Strangely, Oohashi acted awkwardly, almost as if she were struggling to find the right words to say. Her face was serious, and her lips twitched with uncertainty.

"Is something the matter?" Amane asked.

"Ahh… Hmm, well, you're not really that sorta guy, so you might not have an answer."

"I don't quite follow, but are you trying to figure something out all on your own?"

He didn't know enough to pinpoint exactly what "that" referred to, so Amane ignored it for now. It was clear, though, that Oohashi wanted to ask him something. But seeing the hint of satisfaction on Oohashi's face, Amane shot her a curious look, silently asking if she'd already worked it out on his own. At that, Oohashi quickly shook her head, flustered.

"Oh—don't mind me. Anyway, about what I wanted to say…" "Yes?"

"Um, this is more of a general question, but…actually, your personal opinion would be totally fine too, Fujimiya-chan."

"All right."

"…Is it normal for guys to, you know, do all sorts of things to a girl they don't even like that way?"

Amane had a pretty good idea of what Oohashi was getting at with that question—and why she was asking it—which almost made him grimace.

Still, he kept a straight face, not wanting to give anything away. It was almost certainly about what had happened between Oohashi and Miyamoto the other day.

Amane didn't know what had gone down between them, but he knew that Miyamoto had done something to stir things up. Though he hadn't asked what happened, it wasn't hard to guess what Oohashi was getting at.

Amane found it hard to imagine that Miyamoto had done anything genuinely unforgivable—or at least he hoped so—and judging by Oohashi's mood, it was nothing catastrophic. Either way, it seemed certain that Miyamoto had let his enthusiasm get the better of him.

Amane had no idea how Oohashi might react if he mentioned Miyamoto now, so he decided to play dumb and answer as if he didn't know anything.

"Well, it depends on what you mean by 'all sorts of things.' If we take, say, physical contact, for example, then wouldn't that depend on the person? I mean, if you're asking whether it's possible, then sure, some men can do it. It's a hard pass from me, though, personally."

"…Yeah, that makes sense." Oohashi slumped her shoulders. She wasn't let down but troubled instead.

Amane avoided looking her in the eye. He spoke in a steady, almost detached tone. He offered no words of comfort or encouragement and just calmly continued sharing his thoughts.

"At the very least, all the guys I know would be against that. Whether they're involved with someone or not, none of them would act if they had no genuine feelings for the girl."

"…So that's your view, Fujimiya-chan?"

"Yes, but that's just my opinion based on the people I know. Everyone draws the line in a different place."

"…Hmm."

"Personally, I think making a move when you're not even dating crosses that line."

"Right? I totally agree too."

Oohashi nodded so vigorously that Amane couldn't help but wonder just how far Miyamoto had actually gone. Even so, he had no desire to poke the hornet's nest. He kept his expression neutral as he looked at Oohashi with an air of feigned innocence. Before long, she appeared to have come to her own conclusion.

"Did that answer your question, Oohashi-san?" "Answer? Well…I'll take it as one perspective, at least."

"Please do. My opinion won't necessarily stand for everyone, after all."

Amane was stricter than others in this regard, but since most of the men around him also had clean records when it came to relationships, he didn't think his views were all that unusual.

As for Miyamoto, Amane could only hope that he and Oohashi would talk things out until they reached a mutual understanding. Judging from Oohashi's reactions, she didn't exactly dislike Miyamoto. But whether that assumption was accurate was something only she could truly know.

For now, the next time he had a shift with Miyamoto, Amane figured he could probably get away with giving him a look that said, "So, what exactly did you do?"

"…I guess that's just how it is, huh."

Amane chose not to respond to Oohashi's whisper. He kept his mouth shut, leaving her alone with her thoughts.