School Story of Wandering Witches : Arche's Daily Life

Right now, I'm standing in front of the game center with Arthur. He looks way too smug for someone about to lose their pride.

"So, ready to cry after losing all your money today?" I grin, crossing my arms.

Arthur sighs dramatically, placing a hand over his chest like some tragic hero. 

"Of course I'm ready…" He pauses for effect, then lets out the kind of sigh that belongs in a soap opera. 

"…to survive the next week with an empty wallet."

I burst out laughing. "That's the spirit! So, what's the plan? Compete?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Obviously! And I'll win," Arthur declares with the confidence of someone who hasn't thought this through.

"Keep dreaming, loser," I reply, chuckling.

"Hey, that's rude!" Arthur protests, following me as I push open the doors to the game center.

The smell of old carpet and a cacophony of arcade sounds greet us like an old friend.

The first game we pick is the classic zombie shooter. Guns, screens, and adrenaline—perfect. 

I grab one of the plastic light guns and smirk at Arthur. "Simple rules: whoever scores higher wins."

"Bring it on," he says, already laser-focused on the screen.

The game starts, and the zombies begin shambling onto the screen. I take them out one by one, my score climbing steadily. 

"This is too easy. Kendo guys like you are so bad at shooting games." I toss out the jab casually, just to mess with him.

Arthur, still glued to the screen, fires back. "And basketball guys like you are so good at this, huh? I thought all you knew how to do was throw balls into hoops."

"Underestimating me, huh? Alright, I'm going full throttle now—" I glance away from the screen for a split second to glare at him.

Beep.

Game over. 

I blink at the final scores on the screen. Arthur: 132. Me: 131.

"…Wait. WHAT?!"

"Hah!" Arthur lets out a triumphant laugh, placing his gun down with an air of superiority.

He even has the audacity to ruffle my hair like I'm some kid who just lost at marbles. 

"Better luck next time, Arche," he says, strolling past me with the swagger of a guy who didn't just spend his last dollar to win.

"Hey, you—! That was totally rigged!" I yell, chasing after him. "You cheated! Admit it!"

Arthur stops in his tracks, and I nearly bump into him. "Why'd you stop? Don't think you're off the hook!"

"If you keep yelling like that, people will think you're crazy," Arthur says, motioning toward something—or rather, someone—ahead of us.

I spot them from across the game center. Two figures with distinct black hair—one long and flowing, the other short and spiky.

"Aren't they…?" I trail off, squinting a little.

Arthur, the ever-observant tease, leans in with a mischievous grin. 

"Yes, one of them is your ex-crush."

I glance at the long-haired girl, trying to act casual, but the words slip out before I can stop them. 

"Well, I do have a soft spot for girls with long hair," I mutter, crossing my arms.

Arthur snickers.

"Of course you do, Romeo." 

The two girls are busy trying their luck at the claw machine. 

"They're not as bad as you at claw games, Arthur," I say with a smirk, knowing full well Arthur's usual lack of success with them.

Arthur shrugs, completely unfazed.

"I prefer crab claws to those claws."

I snort, laughing a little.

"Nice one, Arthur." 

"Come on, let's go say hi," I suggest, nudging him forward. We stroll over toward them, and just as we get close enough, they both freeze—like deer caught in headlights.

"Eh?! Arche?!" The shorter girl with the spiky black hair exclaims. 

"You're here too, huh?" 

I grin at the surprise on their faces. "Yeah, didn't expect to see you two here either." 

Arthur steps up beside me, looking smug. "If you guys need help with the claw machine, we're your experts."

Saya and Mina exchange a look. Then, Mina—who's always the serious one—turns her cold gaze on me. 

"I mean..." she starts slowly, her voice cool as ice. "Sure, if you can actually help."

Challenge accepted. I lean forward, ready to show off.

After a few frustrating attempts and some well-timed grumbling, I finally manage to grab the plush doll.

"Huh. So easy," I say, trying to hide my smugness.

Arthur, of course, has to ruin the moment. "Not first try, though."

I roll my eyes. "Shut up, Arthur."

Mina glances at the doll I just won, her expression neutral. "Not bad."

Saya, who's been quietly watching this whole time, finally speaks up, her voice soft.

"How much did you spend...?" she asks, her tone barely above a whisper.

I glance at the claw machine and then back at her, grinning sheepishly. "A little more than I'd like to admit."

Out of nowhere, we hear a familiar voice from behind us. "Oh, aren't they...?" 

We turn around to find none other than Amnesia and her sister, Avilia. 

"You guys are here too?"

Amnesia asks, grinning. 

Saya, who's been quiet until now, suddenly lights up and waves at them with a cheerful smile. "Wow, what a coincidence!" 

I glance around, trying to spot Elaina. "We just need one more person…" I mutter to myself, scanning the area. 

Just then, my eyes land on her. Elaina, of course. She's at another machine, playing by herself, looking perfectly at home despite the bustling chaos around her. 

Looks like the whole gang's here. 

"Oh! Found her!" I shout, almost too loudly. Without thinking, I dash toward her, planning to sneak up and surprise her. 

When I get behind her, I don't waste any time. "Good morning, Elaina!" 

She jumps, clearly startled, spinning around so quickly that her hair sways with a dangerous grace. "AH!" 

For a split second, I think I've successfully freaked her out, but then her expression shifts to one of annoyance. 

"Are you trying to scare me again?" she says, narrowing her eyes. 

I shrug innocently. "I didn't think I'd find you here. I figured you didn't like places like this." 

She crosses her arms, glaring at me. "Well, I'm just curious why so many people go to places like this. It's a bit loud, but... it's not as bad as I thought." 

Before I can respond, Saya suddenly sprints toward Elaina, a huge grin plastered on her face. "Elaina!" 

I glance over my shoulder and see the others approaching too.

The entire group is assembling, as if we've all unconsciously gathered in the same place. 

Elaina looks at Saya running toward her and smiles, just the tiniest bit. "So, you guys are also here?" 

I can't help but chuckle. "Yeah, this coincidence is a little creepy, to be honest." 

Arthur, as usual, agrees with the weirdness of it all. "Yeah, we didn't expect to meet here of all places." 

Amnesia, ever the cheerful one, practically bounces on her heels. "Hey! We should play some games together!" 

I throw my hands in the air with enthusiasm. "Good idea! Let's do it!" 

Saya's eyes light up as she spots something across the room. 

"Ooh! There's a new rhythm game over there! Looks fun!" she says, practically bouncing in place.

Of course, that's the perfect excuse for a friendly competition. Me versus Arthur, Amnesia versus Avilia, and Saya against Mina.

Now, the real challenge was deciding who would take on Elaina in the rhythm game. We agreed to settle it with rock-paper-scissors. 

Saya throws her fist up triumphantly as the winner. "Agh… damn it!" I curse, my annoyance clear. I was so hoping to avoid losing.

Arthur, the ever-present troublemaker, laughs at my frustration. 

Saya, meanwhile, is all smiles, clearly enjoying the victory. "Heh, too bad for you, Arche!" 

I roll my eyes, muttering, "Lucky..." 

Saya and Elaina step up to the rhythm game, their focus sharp. The air buzzes with competition. 

After watching them for a bit, my attention drifts to the punching machine nearby. 

"Arthur, let's play that," I say, pointing at it with a grin. 

I've been dying to show off my strength, especially with Elaina watching. Arthur, of course, knows me too well.

He sighs and shakes his head, clearly aware of my ulterior motives. 

He smiles and nods.

"I won't hold back, Arche." 

"Oh, I'm glad you said that." I smirk, ready to prove my point. 

The girls gather around as we take our turns. Arthur steps up first, swinging with all his might. The machine flashes his high score. 

"Not bad," I mutter, trying not to look too impressed. 

Arthur's faint smile is full of mischief. "But can you beat that?" he says, clearly hoping to impress Amnesia. 

I take a deep breath, positioning myself, feeling the weight of the moment. This is my chance to shine.

With a determined swing, I hit the bag with all my strength. The machine flashes my score—higher than Arthur's. 

"Too bad, Arthur," I say, grinning ear to ear. 

Saya's eyes widen in shock.

"Woah! A higher score…" she says, clearly surprised. 

Arthur chuckles. He knew I might pull this off. 

Amnesia, though, says nothing. She's too busy watching Arthur, not even giving me a glance. 

But Elaina... Elaina looks genuinely surprised. She raises an eyebrow, impressed. 

I smile at her, feeling a little too proud of myself. "I'm great, right?" 

Elaina sighs, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, you're great," she says, her tone dripping with sarcasm. 

I chuckle, feeling like I've earned a small victory. 

I can't help but grin, even though I know Elaina's compliment was laced with sarcasm. "Oh? Photobox!" 

"Want to take a photo together?" I ask, a little too excited. 

Saya's eyes light up at the suggestion. She loves taking pictures. "Oh! Great idea!" she exclaims, practically jumping up and down. 

We all look around at the cramped room, which definitely doesn't have enough space for seven people. 

"We can't take a picture together," Amnesia says, her tone matter-of-fact. 

Saya's smile doesn't falter. "Okay, let's take turns!" she says enthusiastically. 

Arthur, ever the realist, crosses his arms. "So, who's going to take the photo first?" 

Without missing a beat, Saya pipes up. "Let's do girls first!" 

The girls step into the photobox, all smiles and excitement. After their picture, Arthur and I take our turn.

Arthur, of course, poses normally, looking cool and collected. 

Me? I do my best silly pose, throwing up a ridiculous peace sign. After the picture flashes, the girls take a look at it. 

Saya bursts out laughing, clutching her stomach. "That's too funny!" she giggles. 

Arthur just shakes his head, trying to hide his smile. 

Amnesia looks at the picture, clearly amused. "Hehehe, Arche looks silly," she comments with a chuckle. 

Mina and Avilia share a small smirk, clearly enjoying the moment.

Elaina even lets out a soft chuckle, shaking her head at my ridiculous pose. 

I grin, loving the attention.

"Alright, Amnesia!" 

She looks up, eyebrow raised. "Hm? What is it?" 

I grab Arthur's arm and pull him over. "Arthur said he wants to take a picture with you!" 

Arthur's face turns red instantly. "Huh?!" He's completely caught off guard. "I never—" 

Amnesia blinks, clearly confused. "You want to take a picture with me?" she asks, eyes narrowing. 

I just nod, pushing things along. "He said he can't sleep if he doesn't take a picture with you," I exaggerate dramatically, enjoying the chaos. 

Amnesia hesitates for a moment, then shrugs. "Hm, okay then." 

I take that as my cue and literally push Arthur into the photo booth, grinning like a mischievous child.

"Thank me later!" I say, flashing her a wink as Amnesia steps in too. 

After they take their picture, the photo slides out. I snatch it before Arthur can do anything and look at it.

Arthur's face is still bright red, looking like he just stepped into a sauna. 

They step out of the photo booth, and I hand them their picture. Arthur's still embarrassed, his face almost as red as a tomato. 

Amnesia, on the other hand, seems completely unfazed by his awkwardness, casually examining the photo. 

Saya, however, is staring at the photo with intent focus, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Fufufu…" she mutters under her breath, clearly enjoying the situation. 

Arthur grabs my arm and pulls me toward Elaina with a mischievous grin. "Elaina, Arche wants to take a photo with you." 

I raise an eyebrow, already knowing what's coming next. "If you accept, I'll buy you food at the canteen tomorrow," Arthur adds with a smug smile. 

I sigh, already realizing his plan. "Damn… rich guy!" I mutter under my breath, knowing full well he's doing this to get back at me for earlier. 

Elaina looks a little surprised, and the others watch us, clearly amused by the exchange. 

She crosses her arms, giving Arthur a sly look. "Oh, so he's willing to pay me with a free lunch," she says, eyeing him playfully. 

"Elaina… don't—" I try to intervene, but Arthur cuts me off. 

"You can buy anything, including the expensive stuff," Arthur says, clearly trying to outdo me. He wants me to really feel this one. 

Avilia chuckles at the scene, while Mina just shakes her head, clearly finding this whole thing amusing. 

Elaina thinks it over for a moment, then smirks. "Okay, how can I refuse an offer like that?" 

I blink in surprise. "Wait, really?!" 

Arthur smiles faintly at me, clearly pleased with himself. "Thank me later," he says, enjoying his little victory. 

Elaina and I step into the photo booth together. I strike a cool but casual pose—gotta keep it simple, right? After the photo snaps, we step out and look at our picture. 

I can't help but grin. "Hm? I'm cool, right? I look like the main character of a hero story." 

Saya, standing nearby, looks at the photo with a jealous expression. "I'm waiting for you to keep your promise, Arthur," Elaina says with a raised eyebrow, still playing along. 

After we're done with the photo booth, we all decide to go for a walk, satisfied with our time at the Game Center. 

I suddenly realize my original goal in coming here was to compete with Arthur… but, eh, I guess that'll have to wait for another day.