落とし穴外伝：思い出の初恋 (Part1)
Pitfall Side Story: Memories of First Love
Memories of First Love
One day, while I had a bit of spare time, I was scouring the web for news on upcoming games.
Suddenly, information about a certain title caught my eye.
"Wait? Is this…?"
I’d seen it before.
With that thought, I looked into the details, and the facts presented there left me stunned.
"No way. They’re actually remaking this…?"
I muttered the words involuntarily, and immediately, I decided to contact him.
Wait, does he already know?
No, hold on. There’s no way he doesn’t know.
So, should I not reach out?
No, no, that’s impossible.
Talking about games is always a blast, and it’s the perfect excuse to meet up with Yuki-san.
And so, I—Taiki—decided to contact Yuki-san, my fellow gaming companion, about the news.
Side: Yuki
It was sudden.
Well, news is always sudden by nature, but for me, this was the biggest surprise in recent memory.
Being summoned to another world, wars breaking out—sure, those were shocking, but personally, this hit harder.
"No way!"
I stood up from my chair, the exclamation escaping my lips before I could stop it.
"…!?"
My reaction drew the gazes of Ria, Jessica, Samantha, Cleena, Fior, Prof, Orelia, Hobis, Yayui, and Lyushi, who had all been busy with their administrative duties.
I mean, of all days, the full roster is here.
Well, except for Nina.
Regardless…
『It’s real! Take a look! Let’s talk about this later.』
"Understood. I’ll contact you again later."
I kept my voice calm as I replied.
I was the one who had shouted, after all, drawing everyone’s attention.
Honestly, I don’t usually act like this, but I was just so excited by some genuinely good news for the first time in a while.
Besides, this is the kind of thing that counts as an emergency.
Everyone was radiating tension.
I figured it would be best to clear up the misunderstanding quickly.
"Everyone. That just now was a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding?"
They all tilted their heads in unison.
Well, I suppose they were wondering what could possibly be a "misunderstanding" after I’d yelled like that.
I’d feel the same way.
Explaining this kind of thing is always tricky—I never know where to start.
Still, it was my fault for being so loud.
"Taiki-kun just sent me some interesting news about a new game. It was a personal matter, so I’ve already calmed down."
"I see. That certainly is a misunderstanding. I thought there was some sort of emergency."
Jessica seemed satisfied with my explanation.
Though, to me, it *was* an emergency.
"But it’s surprising that a game could make Yuki-sama raise his voice like that."
"Indeed. Yuki-sama generally doesn't mix business with pleasure. Is it really that remarkable of a game?"
"…Games Yuki plays are interesting. I’m curious."
"That’s true. Is it a strategy game?"
At Ria’s words, Samantha, Cleena, and Fior started to show interest.
I didn't have anything to hide, but unfortunately, we were currently on the clock—it was business hours.
"Understood. Let’s talk about it later. It’s work time right now. I know how ridiculous that sounds coming from me."
I really do wonder what I’m saying sometimes, but this is the right way to handle it.
Slacking off would only push back our break times or when we get to go home.
"That is correct. Let’s save Yuki-sama’s stories for later as a treat."
When Samantha said that, everyone agreed and returned to their work.
But are they really that interested in game talk?
Well, if they want to hear it, I suppose I can indulge them.
It’s a common enough genre, and I haven’t really talked about those kinds of games before.
Gal games.
Perhaps it’s time to help spread the gospel.
And so, I brought everyone along to meet up with Taiki-kun.
"Whoa!? You’re bringing your wives and female subordinates to talk about gal games? Are you serious!?"
He looked incredibly shocked.
I mean, I can’t say I don’t understand the sentiment.
After all…
"Gal games?"
"…I see."
Except for one, everyone tilted their heads, not understanding the meaning of our words. Only Cleena, who was devoted to absorbing Earth’s culture and quite fond of games herself, seemed to understand.
She loves reading books, after all.
Gal games were likely within her range of expertise.
"Cleena-san, do you understand?"
Samantha asked, reacting to Cleena’s response.
Now, how would Cleena answer?
"Er, Cleena-san. Could you explain it in a way that won't cause trouble?"
"Hmm. I play that genre. I think they are good things that combine stories with pictures and voices. Well, I understand Taiki’s anxiety, so is it okay?"
"Why are you phrasing that as a question…?"
"In the end, because there is the act of choosing, I think it’s unavoidable."
"…True."
Taiki-kun slumped at Cleena’s words.
So, I stepped in to follow up.
"Exactly, it’s nothing bad. It’s just necessary to experience the story."
"Er, Yuki-san, have you considered the possibility of being cornered by your wives?"
"No~, I’m sure they can distinguish between reality and games."
"Even so. Well, whatever. It’s Yuki-san’s struggle, not mine. Alright, Cleena-san, please go ahead with the explanation."
And so, before we could dive into the discussion, she explained what a gal game actually was.
"Hmm. I, who know everything about games, shall explain."
"Why are you acting so high and mighty?"
"Because I am the teacher. Samantha, listen quietly."
"Yes, yes. So, what is a 'gal game'?"
"Hmm. Classically, it’s a genre called a 'scenario novel.' A scenario novel is a game where you read text, utilizing pictures and sound to heighten the sense of immersion. In the past, there was no voice acting, but now, having voices is the standard."
"I see. Is it like a drama?"
Jessica answered within the scope of her own understanding.
"Hmm. It is similar, just as Jessica says. But there is a difference: scenario novels proceed mainly from the protagonist’s perspective, and by choosing options yourself, the ending changes."
"Oh~, is it like an RPG?"
"Just as Ria says, that is also similar. However, many of them lack combat. You can just play an RPG for that, so it feels closer to reading a story. It’s like a moving picture book that you can read at your own pace."
Indeed, as Cleena said, calling it a moving picture book is spot on.
"Think of that as the foundation of a scenario novel. And the 'gal game' that Yuki and Taiki are talking about is one that incorporates a certain element into that."
"A certain element?"
Orelia tilted her head.
She didn't seem able to imagine it.
Well, it’s not exactly a name that lets you guess.
"Romance."
"Romance!?"
At that answer, everyone let out a cry of surprise and turned shocked gazes toward us.
Huh? I feel like this isn't the image they had.
As I wondered what was wrong…
"Yuki-sama and romance? The same Yuki-sama who finds our approaches troublesome?"
"How strange. I don’t understand the meaning of this."