“It’s time for you to get serious about playing the game of life!”
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That was the major event that took place on Saturday.
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“Okay, I get what you’re trying to say.”
I don’t think I’d ever been lectured this honestly and with so little BS by a person I hardly knew.
“Good.” Aoi Hinami’s face was still her real one, far as I could tell.
“But there are a few things I still don’t understand.” Yes or no, I couldn’t afford to give a perfunctory answer to a question like this.
“I think the game of life is trash. I can back that up with a lot of proof, and I’m fairly confident I’m right.”
The bottom tier gets exploited, and the top tier reaps the benefits. There are no simple, elegant rules. It’s just a shitty game.
“Yes…”
“So when you say life’s a great game, and that I’m just making excuses, and I’m a sore loser, it doesn’t sit right with me.”
“Right.”
“But…”
“But?”
As I spoke, I remembered how Nakamura blamed his loss on the game itself. “I agree with you. Not making any effort and covering up your loss by blaming it on the game is the most pathetic thing in the world. There’s nothing I hate more.”
Aoi Hinami’s mouth stretched into a wide smile.
“Really? Now that’s worthy of nanashi.”
“…But sometimes it really is the game’s fault. In many games, you can make up for a shitty character with technique, but there are a few where it’s just impossible.”
“And you want to say life is one of those games where it’s just impossible, right?”
“Right. That’s why it’s garbage.”
“In your view.”
“Maybe. But I don’t know how to look at life the way you do.”
“Of course you don’t.”
“Yeah, obviously. People can’t see through someone else’s eyes. In a game, you can try out a top-tier character, but in real life, you can’t try on another person’s perspective. My only choice is to trust my own view of things.”
“Uh-huh…”
“So when someone says life is the G.O.A.T. or whatever, I figure it’s just because they’re a top-tier character. Their opinion isn’t gonna change my mind.” I looked Aoi Hinami straight in the eye. “And that’s my perspective.”
This time, the disappointment on her face was clear.
“…Yeah. That’s fine, then. The final decision is yo—”
“But,” I interrupted. “…But this time, I’m starting to think it might be worth it to hear you out a little longer.”
Again, I looked her straight in the eye. Damn. She really is attractive.
“Why do you say that?”
“Because…” I thought for a moment. “Because the way you put it is too similar to mine, even if you are a normie with good looks. I think we have enough in common that I might learn something from you.”
“Hmm.”
“But that’s not the main reason.”
“…And what would that be?”
Her gaze shifted toward me with interest and suspicion.
“The person who’s saying this stuff is the only gamer in Japan I respect—NO NAME.”
“…”
“…”
“…Lame.”
Huh? I thought I nailed it!
“…Wait, how was that lame?”
“You can’t just slap on a weird one-liner at the end. It’s lame.”
“Cut me some slack; it took all my courage to say that.”
“Don’t care. You might think it was deep, but it wasn’t.” “Hey, I have problems with communication. How ’bout an A for effort, at least? I respond well to praise.”
“Did you do something praiseworthy? No, you disappointed me. Nanashi would never change his mind that easily.”
“Huh? What was easy about it? And I didn’t change my mind; I just said I was willing to hear you out a little longer.”
“How’s that any different? Sounds the same to me.”
“No way. I trust gamers, and you’re the second best in Japan. That means the person I trust more than anyone, other than myself, is saying there’s something I don’t know. Which is why I’ll listen. That’s all.”
“Doesn’t that mean you changed your mind?”
“I already told you, no! I’m just gonna listen and then decide if you’ve convinced me. I’m a long way from accepting your offer. If you don’t convince me, no dice.”
“But you’ll listen to me for now.”
“Of course. I’m nanashi. It only took one game for me to tell how much effort you put into honing your skills. I think listening to you will be worth my while.”
“…Hmph…I guess.”
“I guess,” huh?
I was about to congratulate myself on surviving a whole conversation with a classmate, and a heated one at that…when I realized I wasn’t actually talking to Aoi Hinami. I was talking to NO NAME. Maybe it wasn’t that impressive after all.
“Well, teach me already. What are the rules?”
I wanted to judge for myself whether the game of life was as “god-tier” as they say.
“Tomozaki-kun, you really don’t get it. I already told you, the rules intersect in complex ways. They’re not that easy to teach.”
“You can’t teach me? What the hell? Why did you change your tune all of a sudden?”
“…Okay, consider this. When you buy a new game and bring it home, do you get good by reading the instruction manual?”
“What’s that got to do with it?”
“Just answer the question.”
“…No. I mean, I do read the instructions, but to get good you have to play. Otherwise, you won’t understand what it’s really about.”
“Exactly. They’re the same.”
“The same?”
“You don’t master games by reading the instruction manual. Same with real life.”
Same with real life? I thought about that for a second, but before I could answer, Hinami started talking again.
“You usually try playing new games without reading much of the instructions, right?”
I nodded.
“Life’s the same. You won’t get good without playing.”
…That didn’t sound right. After all, I’d been playing all my life.
“Wait a second. The reason I’m the way I am is because I’ve been failing this whole time.”
“Exactly. And when you’re having trouble in a game, what do you do?”
“In a game? Well, it depends what kind…but I might level up, practice, look at some strategy websites… That’s about it…”
“Spoken like nanashi himself. Correct.”
“And?”
“You can do all those in life, too. That’s the essence of the game.” She grinned.
“…Wait a second— No, I do get what you’re saying. You’re telling me to level up—to make an effort? I guess that’s the only option.”
“Right.”
“But it doesn’t work as well in real life as in other games. You can try till you’re blue in the face—it won’t make a difference. The limits are set when you start it up, and you can’t undo them. It’s a shitty setup in any game, including life. But you probably wouldn’t understand… After all, you’re a top-tier character.”
“Do you really understand?”
“Understand what?”
“Leveling up means self-improvement. It’s the work of increasing your basic abilities, from your appearance to your inner attributes. Practicing means improving the skills you need for getting ahead in the world—in other words, polishing the more concrete and practical abilities. Do those two things, and you’ll clear most of what life throws at you.”
“…Okay, I do get what you’re trying to say, but it’s not that easy. When you’re at the bottom like me, there are tons of impossible problems when it comes to leveling up or practicing.”
“Uh-huh. Leaving aside the question of whether you’ve ever even tried, I’ll admit, sometimes that’s true.”
“So you do admit it? Then I’m doomed?”
“Those seemingly impossible problems are what we could call life’s ‘hard stages,’ and there are ways to deal with those. You already said it. Leveling up, practicing…and one more.”
That would be…
“Oh.”
“Yeah. Strategy sites.”
“…What’s a strategy site in real life, then? Self-improvement books or how-to books? You’re saying I can figure it out just by reading some of those?”
“Oh dear,” Hinami said, giggling. “Well, I suppose that would work, too. But there’s only one strategy site in the world that’s one hundred percent guaranteed to work if you just follow what it says.”
“What are you talking about? That’s too convenient; no way.”
“It’s real. Although, I only know of one.”
“…So what is it already? Where would I find it?”
“Well…,” Hinami said, tapping her head slowly two times with her pointer finger.