After that, I continued chatting with Hinata and the others while occasionally providing support to Lisha. Whether it was due to the indirect kiss incident or not, the way Hinata and Lisha looked at me was somewhat intimidating. Most problems tend to get resolved with time. Time is truly great.
At that moment, the President, who had been drinking highballs, suddenly raised her voice.
"Alright, the mood is heating up. It's time for a game!"
A game?
"Why so suddenly, President?"
"This is Lisha's welcome party, right? So, besides just drinking, having a game would be nice."
"President is actually saying something sensible... Wait, are you drinking soft drinks, President?"
"Treating me like Matsuda is seriously annoying, Yuusuke."
The president narrowed her eyes and glared at me. Well, treating her like the pervert who was just ecstatic about "stray bullets" in our previous conversation would be unfair, indeed.
And now, that pervert clapped his hands.
"Well, originally, I talked to Souji about having a game. It's a welcome party, after all."
"It's a really simple game, though."
Souji followed Matsuda's word and Hinata, who had already downed three cups of sake, raised her hand.
"What kind of game is it?"
"It's a game everyone's familiar with. How about playing 'Kokon Tozai'?"
Kokon Tozai, huh? In simple terms, it's a game where you name an item/subject related to a given theme in rhythm. It's a simple game with a rule that can be understood by everyone, and it can get quite lively because the difficulty level varies depending on the theme.
It's perfect for when people are a bit tipsy and their head is somewhat empty. It's a popular game for drinking parties.
"Is it too challenging for Lisha? Depending on the theme, she might not know any of them."
Kokon Tozai needs themes that everyone has some knowledge of to be fun, but Lisha doesn't know many things. However, if the themes are made too easy, it won't be fun.
Then, Matsuda made a tiny gesture with his fingers. What's this? Can we fold it?
"I've thought about that. Oh, President, did you bring what we discussed?"
"I brought it, but what's the use of it?"
While saying this, Matsuda received a paper from the president. The president, who was sipping her cocktail, took out a piece of paper from her bag. Matsuda took it and nodded with satisfaction.
"What's that?"
"Hehehe, this is the cheat sheet for Lisha-chan this time."
"Cheat sheet?"
Unlike high school, the term "cheat sheet" is quite common in university. Of course, if you're caught, you lose all the credits for that semester, and you're guaranteed to repeat the year. However, depending on the instructor, the surveillance during the test can be lax, so there are still quite a few people who do it.
But lately, since everyone has smartphones, there aren't many people who use cheat sheets anymore. The "Shining Knee (シャイニングニー)" technique is convenient, but it's a double-edged sword, as it's easy to get caught.
Matsuda handed the paper to Lisha, as he had said.
So, what's written on it?
"...The literature club member list?"
The paper listed the names of the members of the literature club. What's this for?
I looked at Matsuda with my eyes, silently asking for an explanation. Matsuda crossed his arms and confidently explained.
"We're having Lisha-chan's literature club welcome party today. So, when it's her turn, she just has to say the names on this list in rhythm, and it's okay."
Oh, that's an unusually good idea for Matsuda. I wasn't the only one who thought so; Hinata also had a surprised expression.
"So, you're using the game to help Lisha remember the names of the club members?"
"That's right, Hinata-chan."
"Matsuda-san, the 'chan' is disgusting."
"Uwoooohhh!"
It would have been perfect if he didn't say that last word...
As I sighed at the usual Matsuda, I was tugged on the sleeve.
"Um, Yuusuke-san, could you please explain what kind of game this is?"
"Oh, sure. In simple terms, it's a game where you say an object/subject related to a given theme in rhythm. But for now, let's play a round together so you can see."
Lisha clenched her fist and said, "Understood!" That's the spirit, I guess.
"What should the penalty be?"
The president's words prompted a reaction from Souji.
"A safe bet would be to down a whole glass in one go, right?"
Well, when it comes to drinking parties, that's a classic choice. So, let's go with that.
As I confirmed that everyone had their drinks, I noticed Tsukiko's hand go up at the edge of my field of vision.
"I, um, I'm not really into that kind of thing..."
"Hey, Tsukiko, you didn't come to a drinking party just to sit out the game, did you? If you don't like the penalty, you can have a soft drink instead, you know?"
Tsukiko was dealing with an unreasonable adult. Well, what the president was saying wasn't entirely wrong, so let's leave that situation alone. I doubt it would end well even if I got involved.
"Well then, shall we start?"
Matsuda raised his hand. It seems Tsukiko would participate after all.
So, the order would be Matsuda, Hinata, me, Souji, Tsukiko, and the president clockwise. I'm not strong with alcohol, but I can't afford to lose here.
"Starting with Matsuda, let's play Kokon Tozai! The theme is 'drinking snacks'!"
Clap, clap!
"Yakitori!"
Clap, clap!
"Iburigakko."
Hmm, Hinata-san's choice is a bit unusual.
Clap, clap!
"Sashimi."
Clap, clap!
"Motsunabe."
Clap, clap!
"...Dashimaki tamago."
Clap, clap!
"Sad stories of people!"
"Out, oooout!!"
What's with that casual comment?
The president puckered her lips discontentedly.
"Huh, is there a problem with my answer?"
"Actually, there are only problems. We were listing food items, and then suddenly you mention sad stories?"
"But doesn't it fit the theme?"
Drinking snacks and sad stories of people. Technically, it does fit the theme. It's in that gray area of not being entirely wrong.
Souji sighed and said.
"Technically, it does fit the theme. This time it's your mistake, Yuusuke."
"See!"
The president clapped her hands and smiled triumphantly. Ugh, I don't agree.
"Well, even I thought that answer was a bit much for a human being."
"Gahaha!"
The president clutched her chest and dramatically collapsed at Souji's words. She brought it upon herself. She should have behaved more modestly like a maiden in love in front of him.
But then, a mistake is a mistake. There's no helping it. I picked up the glass containing beer and downed it in one gulp.
"Ah, it's strong!"
"Lisha-chan, do you understand the rules now?"
I turned to the side with my head spinning from the chugging and saw Lisha nodding seriously at Hinata.
"Yes, I just need to call out the names on this list, right?"
"That's right. You have to keep up with the rhythm, though."
"Okay, I'll do my best!"
Wait a minute.
"Speaking of which, what happens if Lisha messes up?"
Are you going to make her chug a soft drink? A saint? If the top members of the Holy Goddess Church heard about it, their blood vessels might burst.
Matsuda shook his head.
"No, that's definitely not happening."
"Yeah, I guess not."
What's with you, Matsuda? You're surprisingly sensible today. What's going on? Is it one of those miraculous days that happen once a year?
"If Lisha-san makes a mistake, then it's decided that Yuusuke will have to drink."
"Huh?"
What is this guy saying?
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)