Chapter 39: Playing Games

“Ruri, do you really live in here?”

Carmilla stood at the entrance of the alley, looking a bit hesitant.

The lighting in the alleyway was poor and felt somewhat gloomy.

There were no pedestrians, but the walls were covered in graffiti and markings that clearly looked like the work of local thugs.

There was also quite a bit of trash on the ground—beer bottles, cigarette butts, and the like.

It was easy for one to have unpleasant thoughts about such a place.

‘I forgot about this part.’

Yuriko took Carmilla’s hand and comforted her, saying, “It’s fine. The environment just isn’t great, but it’s actually very safe.”

“Then what’s with the graffiti on the walls? I think I saw the word ‘death’ or something similar.”

“That’s just kids being immature and doodling!”

“And what about the beer bottles and trash on the ground? I even saw a broken bottle with what looked like blood on it…”

“There are taverns nearby, so there are bound to be some drunks. Think about it, don’t drunk people cause trouble easily when they’ve had too much to drink?”

“Is that so…”

Carmilla looked at the dismal environment, unable to help her growing worry.

“Ruri, have you always lived here? This place is too dangerous. Maybe you should move somewhere else?”

“That may be true, but this area is covered by the Bone Crusher Gang, so no one dares to cause real trouble here. Besides, I’ve already grown used to living here. It would be a hassle to move suddenly.”

Yuriko patted her chest, giving Carmilla a firm guarantee.

“Don’t worry. As long as I’m with you today, I won’t let a single hair on your head be harmed!”

Since Yuriko had made such a solemn promise, Carmilla had no choice but to trust her and follow her deeper into the alley.

When they arrived in front of a residential building, the man standing guard at the entrance was the same one Yuriko had seen when she returned home before.

However, he had already dyed his yellow hair black and changed into casual household clothes.

Seeing Yuriko return and remembering her instructions from the day before, the man immediately put on what he thought was a kind smile.

“Sister Ruri, are you bringing a friend over to play today?”

The man’s smile was bright, but the hideous scar on his face made it look a few degrees more terrifying.

“Yes, this is the first friend I’ve made at school. I’m taking her inside now. Remember to smoke less—”

This was the first time Lao Liu had heard Yuriko speak in such a high-pitched, delicate voice.

Seeing his boss’s feminine demeanor, his entire body broke out in goosebumps.

‘Hiss, why is Big Sister acting so girly? She didn’t say she was like this at school. Why does this feel a bit disgusting?’

At the thought that Big Sister was willing to go this far for the sake of the gang, Lao Liu felt moved to tears in his heart.

Yuriko led Carmilla into the building.

After greeting two lackeys inside, she pulled Carmilla upstairs.

Carmilla gripped Yuriko’s hand tightly the entire way because the atmosphere of the place frightened her.

Even though everyone there seemed friendly, they gave her an intensely fierce vibe.

“We’re here! This is where I live.”

Once they reached Yuriko’s room, Carmilla finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“So this is Ruri’s home…”

She sat on the sofa, looking around at the layout of the room.

There was a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom, a bedroom, and even a balcony.

It was quite well-equipped, though the area was a bit small—not really enough for two people to live comfortably.

But if they squeezed onto one bed, they could probably make it work.

Yuriko opened the refrigerator and asked Carmilla, “What would you like to drink?”

“Orange juice, please.”

Yuriko took out a bottle of orange juice and a bottle of cola.

After handing the juice to Carmilla, Yuriko gulped down several mouthfuls of cola and let out a satisfied sound.

“Haaa—this is actually the first time I’ve brought a friend over to play. I’m not sure what we should do… How about playing some video games?”

“I’ve never played games before. I’ll probably be very bad at it…”

“That’s okay! We can play something relaxed, like Piggy’s Journey or Zajiang Kitchen. I happen to have two controllers, so we can play together—”

‘But haven’t you already played these games with me?’

‘I know that, of course! That’s exactly why I chose them—so I can give Carmilla a better gaming experience!’

“Alright then. I’ll try my best not to ruin it for you.”

“Don’t worry, Carmilla! You can play however you want. I’m a pro, so feel free to be a burden!”

“Mm~”

Yuriko enthusiastically set up the game.

Carmilla watched her secretly, noting her expectant expression and her excitement, which was different from her behavior at school.

Today’s Yuriko felt a bit different.

She was lively and not nearly as reserved, and Carmilla could feel her passion.

‘Could this be the real Yuriko? Was the version of her at school just a deliberate disguise?’

“Here.”

Yuriko handed over a controller and sat down next to Carmilla, starting the game.

Carmilla really was a first-time gamer; she didn’t even understand the controls to enter the game.

“Press this. Once you confirm, you’ll enter the game.”

“Moving the left stick controls your character’s movement, and the right stick adjusts your view.”

“Right, follow the prompt and press A to pick things up.”

Yuriko taught Carmilla patiently, and Carmilla studied the instructions seriously, just as if she were in class.

Yuriko wanted to tell her she didn’t need to be so earnest, but seeing Carmilla’s hardworking expression was quite cute, so she didn’t interrupt her.

After failing several times, they finally cleared the first level.

Carmilla hugged the controller, feeling a bit embarrassed as she spoke.

“We finally passed. I’m sorry. I kept dying and holding you back.”

‘Her serious apology is so cute, too—’

‘How can there be such a pure girl in this world!’

“Everyone is like that when they play for the first time. Come on, let’s keep going!”

After playing with Carmilla for nearly 2 hours, Carmilla grew a bit tired and leaned against the sofa to rest.

“Ruri is so amazing. You’ve played for so long and you’re still so energetic. I’m completely exhausted.”

“That’s because you’re being too serious. You have to be more casual when you play games, otherwise it’ll be as tiring as being at school.”

Carmilla looked at Yuriko and set the controller aside.

“Is that so? But if I did that, I’d be holding you back even more. I don’t want to be a burden to Ruri.”

*thump*

She really was so kind, even thinking of others while playing a game.

“Just being able to spend time with you is enough to satisfy me. If you keep being this gentle to me, I might actually fall in love with you, you know?”

“Eh!?”

Carmilla turned her head away shyly, her cheeks rapidly heating up.

“Ruri, stop teasing me…”

It was only then that Yuriko realized what she had just said.

“What had she done? Had she actually let her inner thoughts slip out?”

Yuriko also turned her head away, saying guiltily, “I mean, I’ll like you even more as a friend! We’ve played for a long time now. Do you want to go to my room and rest for a bit?”