177: Should I Call Him Brother-in-law or Not?

Wherever there is a business district, there is always an arcade.

"Is this the arcade?"

As soon as they entered the arcade, the sounds of various games filled her ears.

There were all kinds of game machines placed in prominent spots.

From classic arcade games to the latest high-end video games, everything was available.

While Takashi was buying game tokens, Maki looked around curiously like an old woman visiting a grand garden.

"Yes."

The sound of game tokens clinking into a plastic cup echoed.

Takashi leaned slightly against a machine and smiled, "I guess this is your first time here, Miss Shijo."

To become successful, there's one method: living off others.

In order to win the favor of young ladies, Takashi had once spent a lot of money buying books such as "How to Seduce a Rich Young Lady and Make Her Fall in Love With You," "One Hundred Ways to Please a Rich Woman," and "The University Student Employment Guide."

After reading these books, Takashi summed up his experience in pleasing young ladies.

If she is naive, show her the bustling world; if her heart is weathered, take her on a carousel ride.

Chasing a girl is not just about blindly catering to her tastes; it's about knowing how to evoke her emotions.

Take Maki, for example.

When Takashi took her out, he never went to high-end private clubs like golf courses or ski resorts.

Even when she wanted to visit art exhibitions, Takashi refused.

Because he knew, Maki must have already been to those places.

Going to the same place twice doesn't hold much meaning unless you truly love it.

It's like a game—when you play it for the first time, you're curious, excited, and thrilled. 

But after you've beaten it once, you know where the monsters spawn and lose that sense of novelty.

The key was that Maki had been there more than once!

Taking her to those places wouldn't stir her emotions.

To chase a girl, you need to know how to trigger her emotions.

At this age, a girl doesn't like a guy because of how he looks or how much money he has; it's more about the feelings she gets from him.

Feelings are the result of both physiological and psychological reactions, and they can be manufactured and magnified.

The "suspension bridge effect" is something everyone understands, right?

Now, what Takashi needs to do is to amplify that emotional experience and give the woman the illusion that she is deeply moved by him.

That's why he chose the arcade.

The arcade was an unknown territory for Maki.

It was her first time here.

"Mm."

"For Miss Shijo's first time, I'll take care of it."

Takashi smiled as he handed her a cup full of game tokens, then filled another cup for himself.

He spent 3,000 yen on the game tokens.

"So, where should we play?"

Maki lowered her voice unconsciously, her tone laced with excitement as she asked Takashi.

No need to think—her family would never allow her to come to places like this. Calling it a "forbidden zone" wouldn't be an exaggeration.

Breaking her family's rules and secretly coming to this "forbidden zone" made Maki both nervous and excited.

This kind of experience was something even Tanuma Tsubasa couldn't bring about.

"Follow me."

The arcade was pretty crowded.

Takashi, afraid she might get lost, took her hand and led her through the crowd.

'How can he hold my hand! I haven't agreed to date him yet, it's so casual.'

Maki looked at Takashi's hand holding hers, her braids almost flying up in shock.

Her face, as expected, turned red.

'But Takashi is only holding my hand because he's worried I'll get into trouble; it's not that big a deal, right?'

Though she thought Takashi was being casual, Maki didn't pull her hand away. She even found an excuse in her mind to justify it to herself.

Just as Takashi and Maki were walking, Shijo Mikado also arrived at the machine where they were.

"Crazy, my sister must be out of her mind! She actually came to a place like this."

Shijo Mikado looked at the scene in disbelief.

If their family found out his sister came to this "forbidden zone," she would probably be forced to copy the family rules a hundred times.

She actually went this far for him. What kind of magic does this guy, Watanabe Takashi, have?

Or is it that my sister is just a hardcore romance fan?

Shijo Mikado felt that if this continued, Watanabe Takashi could probably get her to go dig wild vegetables, and she would happily grab a small shovel and run over to dig them.

"Speaking of which, should I try playing too?"

Shijo Mikado had never been to an arcade either.

He glanced around.

The flashing, multicolored lights and the enticing sounds of various machines seemed to lure him in, tempting him to play.

Tch, mischievous machines.

"Since we're here, it'd be a waste not to try. I'll just experience it for a bit."

In the end, Shijo Mikado couldn't control himself and bought some tokens.

…

Takashi held Maki's hand and led her to a machine. "This is my favorite game when I was a kid. Every time I secretly went behind my family's back, I'd play this."

Back in the days before internet cafes became widespread, the arcade was Takashi's most frequent hangout.

Because his family was strict, he always went secretly, and for that, he got a lot of beatings from his parents.

Maki quietly read out the game's name: "Three Kingdoms Battle?"

Takashi inserted the token and smiled, "Yes, when I was younger, the arcades weren't as rich in games as they are now, and the environment wasn't that great."

At that time, arcades had limited options, no dance machines, no Taiko drum games, and no claw machines. 

The only games available were "King of Fighters," "Dinosaur Buster," "Metal Slug," and "Street Fighter."

"Three Kingdoms Battle," "Journey to the West: Conquering Demons," and "Three Kingdoms II" were his favorite games.

Especially "Three Kingdoms II," which was the arcade owner's nightmare.

"Every time I entered, it felt like entering a wonderland. 

Most people were playing King of Fighters, and you had to wait for an available machine. Sometimes, the machines were broken from too much use."

As he spoke, Takashi skillfully selected Zhuge Liang.

Maki: "What should I choose?"

"Anything's fine."

Maki stared at the screen for a while and finally picked Diao Chan just as the countdown was ending.

The game started. The first stage: Crossing the River to Rescue Liu Shan.

"I've never played this before."

"Don't worry, I'm here. Just relax and watch the magic. I'll show you what a one-coin speedrun looks like."

Takashi thumped his chest confidently, then stepped up.

One minute later, he died.

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Not another 3 kingdoms game…

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