I, who advocate giving up, feel like a disqualified person

"Platform? Ah..." I repeated it, then something hit me. This kind of game should only be playable on consoles like the PSP, and you'd need to buy the game. However, nowadays, all you need is an emulator and some provided resources. In short... it's like playing someone else's game for free.

"Don't worry about these things... I'm just a poor student. Even if I want to buy the official version, I don't have the financial resources." To sum up, I also wanted to be a good person.

"..." She didn't object to this. But I think it's quite difficult to refute it with just two words, and maybe that's why she gave up.

"Since you're aware of this, you must be quite fond of games, right?" I quickly realized this and asked her for confirmation. "Are you one of those... console gamers?"

My town wasn't very developed a decade ago. Coupled with the chaotic domestic gaming market and rampant piracy, few people had access to legitimate foreign consoles and games. Nowadays, I mostly play games on my computer, and my only memory of console games dates back to my childhood days playing Contra and Super Mario.

"...Yes."

She hesitated for a moment before admitting it. Perhaps the fact that we shared a deep connection to the game brought us a little closer.

"That's amazing." I couldn't help but sigh. You know, it's rare for a family to be able to spend money to buy a game console for their children. Even the computer at home is strictly controlled by my parents to control the game time - but now I spend most of my time in the Internet cafe.

"..No."

She responded like this after hearing my exclamation. I don't know if it was out of modesty or just the way it was—in her eyes, owning a video game console was probably just a normal thing.

"Well... to be honest, I'm not good at remembering faces and names, so I don't know most of the people in the class." I deliberately lowered my voice when I said this. "Don't tell anyone else."

"Okay..." She didn't seem to mind that.

"Well, let me introduce myself first. After all, we both love games, and we should have a chance to chat later." I always get excited when I meet someone who shares the same interests as me. "My name is Yi Sheji, the Yi as in Yiren, and the Sheji as in Jiaguo Sheji. Can you tell me your name?"

"..." She seemed a little hesitant, but still said two words, "Izumikawa."

"Izumi River?" I savored it carefully. "The small springs will eventually converge into a river... gentle yet majestic. What a good name." I couldn't help but sigh.

"No."

Her brow furrowed again, and she refuted me without hesitation. Perhaps she thought I was deliberately complimenting her—but I really liked the name.

"But... Izumikawa is just a name, right? What's your last name?" It suddenly occurred to me that she hadn't told me her full name yet.

"...cold."

"Rin? Is that the Rin from winter?"

This surname sounds very unique... Anyway, I have never heard anyone around me mention this surname.

"Hmm." She nodded.

"Oh... Rinquanchuan?" I vaguely felt that this surname seemed very rare. "What a nice name." Thanks to this, I was able to remember it in one go.

"no.."

For some reason, she seemed very dissatisfied with her name and stubbornly refuted my praise of it.

"Alright." Since she insisted, I decided not to argue. Fighting someone in real life is a thankless task. Besides, even if you win an argument on this kind of issue, you won't gain any substantial benefits. "Since you say it's not true, then it's not true. Anyway, Izumikawa-san, why don't you play games? Isn't it boring just sitting there?"

"..."

After hearing my question, she seemed to be lost in thought, probably trying to figure out how to explain it to me in two words.

"...My family doesn't allow me to bring anything related to gaming outside." She finally began to break down her previous way of speaking, "So I only brought the books I like to read."

"You like to read books while playing games..."

"Yeah, I have quite a collection," she said, pulling out a book with a simple cover from her backpack. It wasn't very thick. You could vaguely see a bookmark stuck inside, which was towards the back, suggesting she was almost finished. "I'm reading this lately."

"...Well..."

The white cover is printed with a two-character title, "Snow Country", and below it is the author's name, Yasunari Kawabata, written in a smaller font.

"I haven't read this kind of foreign books." I hate pretending to know something I don't, so I simply told her my shortcomings.

"Is that so..." She unconsciously flipped through the book in her hand. "Translated articles are closely linked to the translator's literary literacy, so different translators will give readers different feelings when reading the same article."

"That sounds great..." However, I didn't have any deep obsession with things like studying, so I just gave it a perfunctory response.

"Not that great." She still denied it, then changed the subject, "Since you said you're interested in domestic novels, what books do you usually read?"

"..."

I don't remember ever saying anything like that.

"Not a lot... I read mostly the required readings from the textbooks... like Xiangzi (Rooster Boy) and Old Things in the South City. Because they're so far away, I don't feel a sense of closeness." This is exactly how I felt. "I just read it like I was drinking cold water."

"Drinking cold water—what a boring feeling." She couldn't help but sigh. "At least it should feel like drinking warm water."

"...What's the difference?"

I don't quite understand why she cares about the metaphor I casually said.

"Of course."

She suddenly became more talkative, and her expressions became more expressive. She probably preferred reading to gaming—in short, I was certain of this.

"If it's like drinking cold water, wouldn't it be bland and unpleasant? But when it comes to a really good story, I think even if I don't pay attention to the background story and the social context of the time, I won't feel uncomfortable just because I can read it smoothly."

"Ah..." Thinking about it, it really is true, "Maybe I described it wrong..."

“Although I don’t quite understand some of the text…but in my opinion, reading this kind of historical text is like drinking a cup of coffee without sugar or milk.”

"..."

Why use drinks as an example?

"Although it may seem obscure at first, if you savor it carefully, you'll understand why these writers' works are so highly regarded. Perhaps this is what's called aftertaste? If you patiently delve into the background and accidentally get lost in it, it's like adding another serving, or even multiple beautifully decorated desserts, that make you want to savor it endlessly."

"..."

It was futile to try to find a point of view that aligned with hers in my own ordinary life. Without any knowledge or reading experience, I had no way of responding to her words.

"Look...it seems that Rinsenkawa-san really likes reading..."

I held it in for a long time before I just said this perfunctorily.

“Of course, I don’t know much about the literature and writing of this country. So for me, reading the original text is like exploring something in an endless wilderness.”

"Hmm? This country?"

I sensed something was wrong with what she said, so I gave her a questioning look.

"...Eh?"

Her eyes were filled with confusion, and then, as if understanding something, they were gradually filled with fear and obstacles. The cold expression that had been driven away seemed to return to her face with even greater intensity. I saw her quickly put away her book and turned away, no longer speaking to me.

"..."

At this time, the car had already arrived at the destination. I had no idea what was going on, so I had to suppress my curiosity for the time being.

...

Humans are actually very forgetful creatures.

There's no real need for concrete proof of this statement. Just looking at myself, lost in thought under the shade of a tree, is enough to confirm that I'm the legendary person who will be forgotten no matter how I group them.

But I don't care about being forgotten. Rather, being alone makes life easier. However, this easy life will eventually come to an end, even if no one explicitly tells me.

"Ah... where are we going next..."

Even into October, the lingering heat still refuses to dissipate. The sun, high in the sky, still vigorously spreads the scorching atmosphere. If there is one thing that tourist attractions are most lacking, it is the endless stream of tourists whose origins are unknown.

Logically, by the time they were sixteen or seventeen, they should have realized the horrors of holiday travel and that staying home was the wisest option. However, when the idea of ​​an outing was brought up, they acted like elementary school students who had never left the house. It was truly unclear what was going on in their heads.

"So expensive."

Glancing at the labels on the shelves, I couldn't help but sigh. Everything at tourist attractions is more than double the price of regular places. This kind of price gouging should be strictly regulated by the Price Bureau... But the people around me seem accustomed to it, still willing to pay. Perhaps it's just because it's profitable that they can charge so recklessly... Even if it's a willing party, this kind of thing shouldn't happen. When something happens that shouldn't happen, is it the people's fault, or is it the world's fault?

No matter whose fault it is, in my opinion, as long as something exists, it will take at least a long time to make it disappear.

"..."

Maybe this is what they call fate. I gritted my teeth, bought a few loaves of bread, and walked out of the store when I saw Rinquanchuan, also jostled by the crowd. I remembered her disappearing after getting off the bus, so it made sense for her to be here alone now.

She probably doesn't want anyone to talk to her... That's what I thought at first, and I was ready to pretend I didn't see her.

However, when I noticed that she didn't have any navigation tools like a map, I immediately walked towards her.

It would be inappropriate not to help a girl who is struggling to move in the crowd.

"You can't find the way to the hotel either?"

“....!”

It looked like she'd memorized my voice. After I called her, she turned around and gave me an expression that suggested she wasn't happy with my presence at this time—though it wasn't impossible that she was worried about how to talk to me.

"Ah... Come to think of it, I was ostracized by my classmates, so I visited alone." Perhaps to ease her inner anxiety, I said a little unnecessary words, "I'm so lucky to have met Rinsenkawa-san."

“…I see.”

It seemed to have had some effect. After she knew this, her attitude towards me became a little better. "Well, you're really pitiful. Let's go together."

"Uh-huh."

I seem to have a clear idea of ​​how to deal with her personality.

"It seems you're worried about finding the hotel the school arranged... I have a map here, so don't worry if you run into me." I said, pulling the map out of my backpack. "We still have a long time before the meeting time, so let's find a quiet place to rest first."

It is indeed not a pleasant feeling to be squeezed around, and there is a possibility of losing things in a place with so many people.

"...I think it should be difficult to find."

"That's right."

Looking around, there were people everywhere.

.......

Finally, we found a place with fewer people.

The path to the top of the mountain wasn't always crowded, so Rinquanchuan and I found a relatively clean staircase and sat down. As soon as I sat down, a soreness crept up my legs. I couldn't see it on Rinquanchuan's face, but as a woman, she must have been much more tired than I was.

"You can relax now... Do you have any water left?"

During that time, she bought some expensive drinks despite my dissuasion. I had clearly told her that I had a water bottle in my bag...

"Nothing."

As she spoke, she shook the bottle in her hand towards me, but no sound of water was heard.

"I haven't found a place to eat yet... By the way, do you have any food in your bag?" I said and started to rummage through my backpack. Of course, my stomach was already growling.

"...No, there isn't."

"You didn't prepare anything?" Normally, if you were planning an outing, you'd bring at least some stuff. "What did you pack?"

It looked full and visibly heavy, but who knew it didn't even have the essentials. Was she the type who didn't know how to choose?

"...most of them are books I haven't finished reading normally."

"So it's a book..." Thinking about it this way, it does take up quite a lot of weight. "Didn't your family prepare anything for you?"

Actually, I chose everything I brought with me, and my family just gave me money.

"..." She thought for a moment and then gave a general response. "My family is very busy, and I didn't know what to bring, so I just went with what I felt comfortable with."

"You've never been out on your own before... That sounds enviable. My family doesn't seem to like me staying home for too long." I said, already pulling out some bread and biscuits from my bag. "Even though I haven't paid much attention to you before, I do think we could have something to talk about."

"..."

She stared blankly at the package I held in front of her.

"There must be a reason why you treated me like that before, right? I won't take it to heart... Anyway, let's eat something to replenish our energy and hurry up the mountain."

"...Thanks."

She took the bread from my hand. Then, I freed my hands to pour the warm water from the kettle into the lid of the cup and held it up to her.

"Drink some water, there's no need to rush."

"Uh, um."

She took it without further ado, touching her rosy lips to the rim of the teacup and sipping gently. Her posture, as if savoring some precious tea, was quite graceful and charming to me.

"Ah...thank you."

After noticing my gaze, she quickly thanked me.

"No, it's okay."

How should I put it, it feels pretty good to take care of people.

"...Come to think of it, you really do love reading... You can't bear to give it up even when you're out and about." He seems like a serious guy, but in some ways he lacks common sense. "But I'm pretty much the same... I can't bear to give up gaming no matter what... To others, that might seem unreasonable."

"..."