[Reberu] ga Arunara Agerudesho? Mobukyara ni Tensei Shita Ore wa Gēmu Chishiki o Ikashi, Hitasura Reberu o Age Tsudzukeru - CH 106

[This Time Reflection]

It’s been 3 hours since the round-robin tournament started.

About this time, everyone should be trying hard to crush each other, lucky them— so I absentmindedly thought while looking out the window.

“Sakurai-san, the meal’s ready!” (Iris)

“Kaaaay.” (Sakurai)

I move my bamboo mat-wrapped body like a caterpillar and go to the living room.

I have to use my mouth to open the door, so the hygiene is bit concerning, and I’m crawling on the ground, not walking on my feet, so it needlessly takes me extra time and stamina to get there.

“Alright, Sakurai-san. Say ahh.” (Iris)

“Ahh.” (Sakurai)

“…Sakurai, you’re okay with that?” (Higaki)

“Can’t be helped, ain’t it? My limbs are tied up.” (Sakurai)

I eat the hamburger steak made by Iris while replying so.

Along with a juicy texture, a concentrated special spicy sauce made by mixing red pepper and habanero chilli spreads in my mouth.

I can’t taste such things as the umami of the meat no more, and the pain points inside my mouth are all stimulated, making me unable to swallow the meat.

However, I can’t help thinking that I’d lose my sense of taste if I leave it as is, so I decide to bite the bullet and swallow it.

Un, she’s keeping calm, but from the way she uses food to express her emotion, looks like Iris’s anger hasn’t subsided yet.

(Well… I’ve really done it this time, so I can only resign to my fate and accept it. Damn, it’s so hot.)

The reason why I’m getting tortured like this is because, as you might’ve expected, Iris found out about the ‘Amanai Awakening Event Farce Drama Operation’.

After finishing the all-night leveling, I enthusiastically headed to the reception desk for the round-robin tournament, and at the reception desk Iris stood imposingly.

“Oh, this is dangerous,” I thought, and immediately turned back to try to escape, however, I found Higaki blocking my escape path with an apologetic face, and so, I was sadly taken to Iris’s place.

After arriving there, as I was coming up with an excuse, Iris leaped at me and started bawling.

“Byaaaaaaaaaa! Zaguraizaaaaaaaaaaan!!” (Iris)

“Eh!? What!? I didn’t expect this reaction! What’s happening here, Higakiii!!” (Sakurai)

“Zaaaaaaguuuraaaiizaaaaaaaaaan!” (Iris)

Where did the anger when she stood imposingly at the reception desk gone to? I had no choice but to catch her with surprise to her endlessly overflowing tears and bawling.

Even as I soothe and apologize to her, I still didn’t know what was going on, so I could only ask Higaki for help.

“Umm… well, I was also fault for forgetting it back then, but… the content of the operation hit her trauma directly of sorts…” (Higaki)

“Haah?” (Sakurai)

When I listened to her story with Iris’s crying as the BGM, I understood and realized that I had completely done it this time.

Because when itemized, this farce could be described as ‘taking away someone’s important something and threaten them with it to change their body and mind’.

When I recalled Iris’s personal history with that in mind, I got reminded that she was the victim of an incident where ‘one day she was suddenly abducted by a criminal, was threatened in both body and mind, and was about to be brainwashed’.

We were able to rescue Iris at the very last minute, but as a result she suffered the triple handicap of memory loss, child regression, and trauma, and for the sake of her treatment, she was entrusted to me and Higaki and came to the world of the living in for a change of environment.

If she heard about such a plan… her trauma relapsing was a foregone conclusion, which led her bawling like this as a result.

(If the people you trust starts doing the same thing as the person who made you traumatized, it sure would be scary.)

Well, so, that was a complete mistake on my part, and I deeply regretted it.

After soothing Iris, I naturally apologized with my head lowered, and I decided to tie my body up like this for today.

Why did I tie up my body, you ask? It’s because I would unconsciously start practice-swinging and leveling, otherwise.

That’s right, in other words, I’m now performing the highest and greatest way to express my remorse beyond dogeza and seppuku, that is by abstaining from leveling.

“That is to say, it’s the result of Sakurai’s head has become less valuable because he did dogeza every time he caused trouble.” (Higaki)

“You’re noisy, accomplice. Reflect on yourself a bit.” (Sakurai)

“I have already resigned from the position of chairman of Disciplinary Committee.” (Higaki)

“That’s not your way of showing remorse to me, isn’t it, Higaki-san?” (Sakurai)

Being retorted in a flash, Higaki becomes rigid for a few seconds, after which she quietly stands up and suddenly dashes to my room, voluntarily stepping on the trap that I have set for trespassers and getting her upper body entangled in threads.

It’s my last resort because I’ve been doing dogeza every time something happened before, so I couldn’t convey my remorse to Iris even I do the same again.

“Higaki-san, say ahh.” (Iris)

“That’s spicy, y’know.” (Sakurai)

“I’ve taken that into account. Ahh… go-gofu!? Mugofugo!?!? Ngu~~~~!?!?” (Higaki)

Perhaps her anger reduced to some extent seeing Higaki suffered from the spicy hamburger steak and fell prostrate on the table, Iris heaves a little sigh.

“Haah… Sakurai-san, please don’t do something like this ever, ever again. Regardless of whether it’s right or wrong, I’m afraid that if Sakurai-san does… that, umm, the same thing as my father did, you’d end up becoming like him. I don’t want that. I’m sorry.” (Iris)

Perhaps even mentioning it herself like this pains her, Iris grimaces.

But she doesn’t have to apologize. The pains she feels this time are totally my fault.

That’s why the one who should apologize is me, the one who should bow their head is me, and the one who should show remorse is me.

“Why are you apologizing, Iris? The fault is all on me, so there’s no reason for you to apologize. As soon as I thought that my humanity was improving a little, I went and did something like this. I don’t mind if you point at me angrily, hit my head and say, “This fool!”, y’know?” (Sakurai)

“I won’t do something like that.” (Iris)

“Then, is there anything else you want to do? It’s my way to make it up to you of sorts, but if you have something you wanna do, I’ll go along with it, y’know?” (Sakurai)

Iris crosses her arms and begins to think hard while groaning *un, un* to my words.

Can’t she think of something she’d like to do, or does she have too many things she’d like to do that she can’t choose one?

Either way, I plan to get along with whatever she says, so I’d like her to think about it slowly and give me a firm answer.

If it’s now, she may be able to play human spinning top by pulling the rope that is twined around me.

Adding in Higaki who has fell flat over there, she may also enjoy human spinning top battle.

How ‘bout it? Wanna try? Ah, that so.

“Then… please, just promise me one thing.” (Iris)

“And that is?” (Sakurai)

“Please think of a more humane means in the future.” (Sakurai)

“Ah, yeah.” (Sakurai)

Well, if she, who is in a way like my external common-sense circuit, says so, I’ll give as much consideration as possible if I can afford to choose the means.

Honestly, I don’t quite get the think more humane part, but if I keep it in mind, I’m sure I’d get it someday.

“You look like you don’t really understand it… good grief.” (Iris)

Looking at me giving a reply dumbly, Iris sighs like she’s amazed.

Then, after quickly stuffing the spicy hamburger steak into my mouth and making me swallow it, she lifts me up and makes me sit on the sofa in the living room.

What on earth is she going to do? – As I thought so, she takes blanket out of her room and lays on the couch with her head on my lap.

“Faihufu (Iris)?” (Sakurai)

Because of the spiciness of the spicy hamburger steak, I suffer pain like everything from my mouth to the back of my throat is on fire, so I can’t even pronounce words properly.

Although my intent is still conveyed, Iris, who is laying down using my lap as a pillow, just stares up at me, before making a mischievous smile.

“I’m a little tired, so I’ll take a break for a while, so please don’t move in the meantime, alright?” (Iris)

“Fue?” (Sakurai)

As soon as she said that, she turns her face away, and presses and rubs her forehead against my abdomen, before beginning to make an even breathing sound right after.

Although I’m not sure what is her intention in doing this, but I’m sure this is something that Iris wants to do.

Since I’ve said that I’d go along with whatever she wanna do earlier, I should play along until she’s fully satisfied.

(Well, I haven’t caught a wink of sleep since the kidnapping yesterday, too. Shall I sleep as well?)

Once I thought so, I’m suddenly hit with a sudden rush of tiredness, and following that, drowsiness arises within me.

I relax my body, slowly close my eyes, and leave myself to the drowsiness.

Yet, my mouth continues to tingle for a long time, so I can’t sleep at all, and I can’t even move in this position even though I want to have some water.

By the way, because Higaki also couldn’t draw water on her own because her upper body is restrained, she tries to wriggle her body try to somehow drink the water from the jug, but fails grandly.

With Higaki falling on her knees in front of the spilled water spreading on the floor, I try to distract myself from the tingling in my mouth by breathing roughly.

And so, while we expose such unsightly appearances, our suffering continues until Iris wakes up with a yawn at 3pm.