Sasaki and Peeps - Volume 8 - Chapter 5.2

<The Neighbor’s POV>

In the end, we stay at the ski resort all day practicing. To be brief, it’s hell.

We get a break for lunch, but aside from that, we’re out on the snow nonstop. By the time we get back to the hotel, the sun is beginning to set. All the students head to a restaurant and eat dinner like they’re at a school cafeteria. When we finally get back to our rooms, I’m completely exhausted.

Apparently, the organizers set aside some time for us to use the hotel’s communal bath. I’d rather just collapse into bed, though.

As for our room assignments, I’m sharing with Robot Girl and the blue magical girl. Naturally, Abaddon is here, too, bobbing around in midair. Our room is part Western-style and part Japanese; there are two twin-sized beds in the Western area and a futon in the Japanese part. I’m not sure if my neighbor arranged this for us or if it’s just normal for resort hotels around here, but the room feels really big to me.

“Elder Sister, the youngest daughter would like to once again express her gratitude for suggesting such a wonderful opportunity.”

“I’m happy for you.”

“Yes. I am very happy, too. As I thought, it is wonderful to have family members who are so knowledgeable and quick-witted.”

“……”

Robot Girl is in a really good mood. She’s sitting on her knees on her assigned bed, facing me. Her expression is the same as always—like a mask, without so much as a shred of emotion. But the way her toes are fidgeting hints at how excited she is.

She and the blue magical girl are using the two twin beds while I’m in the futon laid out on the floor.

“Kurosu, is it really okay if I take this bed?” the blue magical girl asks. She’s using Magical Communication, so her voice echoes through my mind. She sounds a little guilty.

“I can sleep anywhere,” I say. “Don’t worry about it.”

Not only is the futon soft, but it’s also big enough for me to stretch out on. This is pure bliss. I spent so much of my life with nothing but a blanket; it doesn’t matter to me if it’s a bed or a futon. Both of them are like heaven.

“Yup! My partner’s used to sleeping on the floor!”

Abaddon is visible to everyone in the room. The blue magical girl knows who and what he is, so we decided there was no point in hiding him anymore. My neighbor said it was okay, too. He said we should prioritize communication instead, in case something happens.

“I don’t like how he put that, but he’s right,” I reply. “We should both sleep on what we’re used to.”

“Thank you so much, Kurosu.”

Unlike the permanently impassive robot girl and the pink magical girl, who’s not much better, the blue magical girl is very expressive. One moment, guilt is written all over her face, and the next, she lights up with a big grin.

I can’t tell if she’s making those expressions on purpose or if they’re what she’s honestly feeling. If her youthful appearance is to be believed, she must be younger than I am. Still, I feel like something is off about her good-girl behavior. She’s a lot better at playing it close to the vest than Robot Girl, who tends to let down her guard.

“Also, Twelve,” she says, “I want to talk to the other students more!”

“I understand your request, Ivy. Unfortunately, the male students’ attention is directed at me. Among humans, who place the most importance on love and romance, partners are to be won through one’s own power. Such information is commonplace on the internet.”

“Oh, um, I wasn’t really talking about that—”

“Therefore, you should spend your time like me, paying attention to how you interact with the male students.”

“…Right. Okay.”

I wonder if there’s anything we can do about Robot Girl’s communication issues. I thought I had trouble talking to people, but she takes it to a new level. And now she’s left the blue magical girl completely confused.

The magical girl’s mission is probably to win Robot Girl over to her side. Unfortunately, her target is too busy being fawned over by all the boys at her school. Robot Girl has been mostly neglecting her role as a translator, too, which my neighbor assigned her.

She’s quite the handful, to be sure.

“I will now head to a boy’s room,” she says. “My sister, I ask that you not stop me.”

“Could I ask why?”

“I received several invitations during today’s ski lessons. I believe this is a chance I cannot pass up.”

“If you waltz over there unprepared, you’ll probably get gangbanged.”

“If such a thing would soothe my heart, the act of ‘gangbanging’ has value to me.”

“I can’t say for sure, but I think your mother would probably be disgusted by that kind of behavior.”

“…I see. Then perhaps hesitation is called for.”

I don’t care at all about Robot Girl’s chastity. But if this gets my neighbor in trouble and lowers his opinion of me, I won’t be able to stand it. I’m supposed to watch over her while we’re at the hotel, so I have to warn her, at least.

After that, we spend the night going to the bath and doing whatever. A few girls from our class invite us to their room. According to the host, they’re having a pajama party. But since I’m so worn out, I decline their invitation.

A little before the school’s designated bedtime, I climb into my futon and close my eyes.

However, just as I’m starting to doze off, I hear a clattering inside the room, and my mind wakes back up.

Dazed, I open my eyes and look around. That’s when I see the blue magical girl. Earlier, she was in bed in her pajamas, but now she’s in her magical girl outfit and standing by the window. As I watch her, wondering what’s going on, she leaps outside.

Since the Western half of the room faces the hallway, she was standing very close to me. Close enough I probably could have grabbed her foot if I had sat up and reached out. For a moment, I was worried she was trying to kill me.

But she didn’t; instead, she floated into the air and left the room, quietly closed the curtains and the window, and then flew away. I wait for a few moments, but she doesn’t seem to be coming back.

Eventually, Abaddon, who is lying right next to me, asks, “Are you awake?”

“Yes. Tell me what’s going on.”

“As you saw, your roommate transformed into a magical girl and left.”

“Elder Sister,” says Robot Girl immediately, “the youngest daughter is curious about Ivy’s behavior. I would like to pursue her.”

She slowly sits up in bed. I’ve known for a while that she doesn’t actually need sleep. She was only lying down to mimic us humans. I can vividly imagine her fidgeting excitedly in bed all night as she thinks about tomorrow’s ski lessons.

Abaddon doesn’t need sleep, either. When I first met him, he would float around the room like a dust bunny even at night. Once I told him it was annoying, he started lying down near me instead. He was probably watching the blue magical girl for me just now.

“Why not leave her be?” I ask.

“It is possible she snuck out of our room at night to go see the male students. I am worried she wishes to soothe her heart by receiving a ‘gangbang.’ As the one who was supposed to do so originally, I am very curious.”

“……”

According to Robot Girl, mechanical life-forms tell no lies. If true, those are her genuine feelings on the matter. Is communication with other cultures always so difficult?

“I think you should get a better grip on what the word ‘gangbang’ really means.”

“For humans on Earth, a ‘gangbang’ provided by high-spec boys is an expression of deep adoration, and works of entertainment featuring such plotlines are mainstream. It is clear to me that such acts always grant psychogenic comfort.”

“…I suppose some people out there probably think that, but…”

Whenever I talk to Robot Girl, I start to lose my grip on reality. It makes me feel like humans are all completely insane. What is the line between intelligent life and animals living off instinct?

“If you wish to continue your slumber, feel free to do so.”

“No, I get it. I’ll come with you.”

What if something happens to the robot girl while she’s alone? That would be a disaster. It’s my responsibility to watch over her. That’s the whole reason we’re sharing a room. I don’t want to betray my neighbor’s expectations.

“You seem very tired,” Abaddon points out. “Are you sure you don’t want to sleep?”

“Someone needs to be there to contact my neighbor if anything happens,” I say.

“You’re always so earnest. It’s a real shame he doesn’t seem to notice.”

“Shut up, Abaddon.”

I slip out of my futon and change into my day clothes. The robot girl does the same. Abaddon is wearing his usual clothes and doesn’t need to change. I wonder if he ever wears anything different. His clothes don’t stink yet, but I think maybe he should wash them once in a while.

“Besides, the eldest daughter needs to be there to make sure her little sister doesn’t do anything reckless.”

“The youngest daughter is very pleased to have such a dependable elder sister.”

“I’m not doing this just for you. I’m doing it for the family.”

“I have learned from information stored on human networks that your behavior is described as being a tsundere.”

“I am one-hundred-percent sure that’s not what’s going on here.”

“Ah, yes. Exactly what a tsundere would say.”

“……”

Who the hell is she calling a tsundere? I find Robot Girl so unpleasant and annoying I can barely stand her.

“I have called a terminal for transportation to the window. We should board immediately and pursue Ivy.”

“All right.”

Now that I’m changed, I throw open the room’s curtains and window. There’s a bright light floating right outside, bleeding into the dim hotel room. The familiar terminal entrance is right up against the window. The other parts of it are hidden from sight, as usual.

I get one leg up on the window frame and hurry inside.