“““Who’s the king?!”””
Everyone drew lots.
The first king was—
“Ah, it’s me.”
The honour of being the very first king went to Arisa.
Perhaps because it was the first round, she spent a moment thinking it over.
“Then… how about number four performs a short act or shows a special skill?”
True to her serious nature, it was a safe command.
And number four was—
“I’m number four!”
Chiharu.
“Hmm, a short act or special skill… oh! I’m good at grappling. So, Soichiro-san, please stand up.”
“Huh? Why me—”
“Well, I can’t exactly do it alone, can I?”
Don’t pick something that requires another person, then.
Even as he complained, Soichiro offered his arm.
The next moment—
He was flipped onto his back.
Before anyone realised, Chiharu had him locked between her legs, her thighs wrapped around his neck.
“I give, I give… that’s enough!!”
He sounded like he was struggling—
But to Yuzuru, it looked like he was secretly enjoying it.
Having his face caught between Chiharu’s thighs was hardly a punishment for him.
Still, the “reward” only lasted about ten seconds.
Soichiro returned to his seat, grumbling as if nothing had happened.
“…Come to think of it, giving commands that involve others without specifying numbers isn’t a good idea.”
Arisa pointed out—rather belatedly.
Ayaka nodded.
“True. It kind of breaks the game. From now on, specifying numbers is mandatory.”
With the rules clarified, they drew lots again.
This time, the king was—
“Hm, me. …I’d like to get back at Chiharu if possible.”
“You have to specify numbers!”
“I know.”
After thinking for a moment, Soichiro declared:
“Number five does ten squats. How’s that?”
“That’s me. Squats, huh… Should I keep my hands on my head?”
“As long as your form’s correct, do whatever. Just make sure you go deep.”
“Okay!”
Ayaka responded cheerfully.
She raised her hands above her head, spread her feet shoulder-width apart, and began squatting.
“One, two, three…”
She was wearing a long skirt, so nothing was visible—
But watching a well-built, attractive girl sweating slightly as she spread her legs and did squats under six pairs of eyes…
It was, admittedly, a bit of an odd scene.
Everyone, including Yuzuru, felt a little strange.
“I’m done… that was more embarrassing than I expected.”
Even Ayaka had picked up on the atmosphere.
Her cheeks were faintly flushed.
They moved on.
The next king was—
“Alright, me. Then… how about number three runs around the entire estate at full speed?”
A proper punishment this time.
And the unlucky target was—
“…Hijiri-kun. I won’t forget this.”
Tenka—who wasn’t exactly athletic.
She shot Hijiri a sharp glare.
He grinned.
“Until you forget. And do it properly—I’ll check from the window.”
“…Fine. Running around the house once shouldn’t be a problem.”
With that, Tenka left the room.
A while later, she returned—sweaty, clutching her side, breathing heavily.
“…Seriously… this house is way too big…”
Apparently, the Tachibana estate had exceeded her expectations.
“That grudge… I will repay it.”
“Looking forward to it.”
And so the game continued.
The next king was—
“Oh, finally my turn.”
Yuzuru.
He had already decided what to say.
“I pick number one. If it’s a man, act like a woman. If it’s a woman, act like a man—until the game ends.”
“Understood, Yuzuru.”
Soichiro replied in a falsetto.
Yuzuru immediately grimaced.
“…That’s unsettling.”
“How cruel… you’re the one who ordered me to do this, darling♥”
Soichiro was surprisingly into it.
Though rather than “female,” he’d veered into something more flamboyant.
Well—close enough.
Next, the king was—
“Yes! Hijiri-kun, prepare yourself!!”
Queen Tenka had arrived.
She clearly intended revenge.
“One in six odds. No way it’ll hit.”
“Number two has to end every sentence with ‘zaurosu’ or ‘don’ until the game ends.” “-zaurosu” is a playful suffix derived from “saurus” (as in dinosaurs), often used jokingly to make speech sound quirky or childish. “-don” is another humorous sentence-ending used for emphasis or comedic effect.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!!”
It seemed Hijiri was now cursed with ridiculous sentence endings.
Tenka smirked.
“You mean, ‘you’ve got to be kidding me, don’, right?”
“…Fine, zaurosu.”
Someone burst out laughing.
All eyes turned—
It was Arisa.
“Yukishiro-san, are you laughing at me, zaurosu?”
“Pfft—s-sorry…”
She had completely lost it.
Clutching her stomach, she tried to hold back laughter.
Yuzuru leaned in and whispered:
“What’s so funny, zaurosu?”
“Hyu—pfft, p-please stop… Yuzuru-san… I can’t…”
The game paused until she calmed down.
After that—
“I believe it’s my turn.”
Chiharu.
After a moment’s thought, she grinned.
“Alright then—everyone talk about the kind of person they like. You can even name someone specific if you want. Number… six!”
And number six was—
Yuzuru.
He scratched his head.
“What kind of person…?”
“Yes. You have one, don’t you?”
Chiharu pressed him, grinning.
For a moment—
Yuzuru glanced at Arisa.
And at that exact moment, Arisa was looking at him too.
Their eyes met.
He felt his face grow hot and quickly looked away.
“Well? Go on…”
“…Alright.”
After a brief pause, he answered:
“Someone who accepts all of me—but also tells me when I’m wrong.”
“Ohh… could that possibly be—”
“I answered already! Next! Moving on!”
Yuzuru cut her off loudly and forced the game forward.
Then—
“At last, my turn.”
Ayaka.
She folded her arms, thinking.
“I was going to make someone confess their crush… but Chiharu beat me to it.”
After a moment, she clapped her hands.
“Got it! Say your ideal confession scenario—or what you’d want someone you like to say to you. Let’s see… number three!”
“…That would be me.”
At the familiar, gentle voice, Yuzuru’s heart skipped.
He became acutely aware of his own tension.
“A confession… s-scenario?”
“Mhm. A proposal works too.”
Arisa glanced at Yuzuru.
Her face was bright red.
“I… can’t really picture something specific yet, so it’s hard to answer, but…”
She fidgeted shyly.
It was incredibly endearing.
Yuzuru listened intently.
“I like something romantic… on a special day, in a special place, with a special gift…”
She covered her face with both hands, clearly too embarrassed to continue.
Even Ayaka didn’t push further.
“Did you hear that, Yuzurun?”
She suddenly shifted targets.
Both Yuzuru and Arisa flushed.
“Stop teasing, Ayaka-chan.”
“Y-yes… it’s not like that between us…”
At their response, Ayaka grinned.
“Hm? What do you mean? I have no idea~”
She played dumb.
And just like that—
Both of them were left painfully aware of what they’d just implied.
