Why is my Isekai in the Slice of Life anime was become a Horror Story?

Interlude 1-06: A Date with the Tsundere Girl and the Moment of Confession

What should the current situation be called?

Takakai glanced at the girl silently walking beside him.

Her violet-brown eyes sparkled like gemstones, making him feel as though his consciousness was being drawn in.

Her smooth, fair skin, paired with a slender and graceful figure. While her "assets" were a bit modest, her overall appearance was still exceptional.

Moreover, though she often spoke arrogantly, she was genuinely kind-hearted, always showing care for others like a little angel.

These were the qualities that captivated Takakai and made him fall for Shijo Maki.

At this moment, she was right beside him, walking forward together.

"Are you just going to stay silent like this?"

Her eyes turned toward him, her brows slightly furrowed, and her tone carried a hint of displeasure.

"Walking with a girl and keeping quiet like a clam isn't a good look, you know."

"Do you have no plans or ideas about where to go or what to do?"

"Don't tell me you're expecting me to decide everything for you?"

Shijo Maki crossed her arms as she spoke, her gaze turning sharp as she stared at Takakai.

The bustling street was crowded with passersby.

Sunlight streamed down, reflecting off the glass skyscrapers, making the view slightly dazzling.

At the edge of the sky, contrails left by airplanes slowly faded away.

Takakai smiled, meeting Maki's gaze. He stroked his chin, feigning deep thought.

"First, we need to consider two scenarios. One, if the place is a well-ordered player market, we'll have no issues bringing Obsession along. Two, if the market lacks order or is even dangerous for new players like us, we'll need thorough preparations. Based on this, I think we can compare the situation with Old Guo and Fake-Maeda. Those two seem to be quite formidable among players."

Takakai continued, analyzing the situation.

"Old Guo's attitude toward newbies like us is condescending and arrogant. He has a lot of Obsessions and also owns firearms. I suspect he has a reputation among players, so we should avoid using his or that woman's Obsession unless absolutely necessary."

"But I've checked; Old Guo's gun is a standard model with no customizations, so we can carry it without worry. That said, one gun isn't enough. Maki, do you know how we can get more firearms?"

As Takakai asked, the two gradually moved to a quieter street to avoid being overheard.

"Guns, huh... I have an aunt who knows people in the self-defense forces. She might be able to procure some equipment and even set up a training area. But these weapons are only effective against players; they're completely useless against horror stories."

Seeing Takakai's serious demeanor, Shijo Maki nodded slightly, matching his earnestness.

But just as she lifted her head, she saw Takakai handing her an ice cream cone.

"Here, talk while you eat."

Takakai smiled at Shijo Maki and spoke.

"M-mm, thanks…"

Although she initially intended to respond with a few tsundere remarks as usual, faced with the ice cream presented to her, Maki's lips quivered slightly. In the end, she quietly thanked him, accepted the ice cream, and began eating it bit by bit.

Afterward, the two entered a shopping mall.

Under Takakai's insistence, they purchased various climbing equipment and outdoor survival gear, including knee pads, helmets, harnesses, a simple tent, and similar items.

Although their first game had taken place in an apartment, their final escape route had forced them to traverse a collapsed, obstacle-filled area. Both Takakai and Maki had been scratched and fallen multiple times during that ordeal.

Thus, protective gear for navigating complex terrains had become critically important.

However, because they bought too much, even with Takakai's extraordinary physique, he couldn't carry everything. Seeing this, Maki couldn't bear it any longer and asked for his address, instructing the store to package and deliver everything directly to Takakai's home.

"You really are an idiot. Even something this trivial needs my help? What are you even good for?"

Maki reached out and poked Takakai's side, her tone laced with mockery.

"That's exactly why I need your help. With you here, even if I run into problems I can't solve, I can always count on you, right?"

Takakai turned his head and smiled at her just as the pedestrian light turned green.

Naturally, Takakai reached out and grabbed Maki's small hand, which was still poking his side and hadn't yet pulled back.

"Eh—"

A flustered sound escaped from her lips.

There was no resistance.

The girl whose hand Takakai held lowered her head, obediently following him across the crosswalk to the other side of the street.

However, as soon as they crossed, when Takakai loosened his grip slightly, Maki immediately pulled her hand back, lowered her head further, her ears burning red, and mumbled "Hump hump baka baka" under her breath. In the end, she said nothing, continuing to walk forward.

"Pfffff—"

Takakai couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.

"What, what's so funny! Doing something like that out of the blue, you're unbelievable! Couldn't you at least let me prepare myself?"

Hearing Takakai laugh, Maki gritted her teeth, raised her head, and revealed a sharp little canine tooth in frustration.

"Sorry, sorry, it's just that your reaction was so cute, I couldn't help myself. Well then, if you need some time to prepare, my lovely Oujou-sama Shijo Maki, may I have the honor of holding your hand as we walk?"

Takakai tried his best to stifle his laughter, giving an exaggerated and clumsy bow as he extended his hand toward Maki.

"Hump, no way! Pulling a sneak attack like that, even if you try to flatter me now, I won't accept it."

Still clearly upset, the girl refused without hesitation, then immediately turned and walked away.

Yet, after taking a few steps, she noticed Takakai lagging behind. Annoyed, she turned back and yelled, "Hurry up, why are you dawdling?" She waited for him to catch up and only then continued walking, matching his pace.

"Is there anywhere you want to go?"

Takakai noticed that Maki seemed to have a specific destination in mind and asked.

"To buy a phone. I left mine at that apartment, and yesterday I had to use my backup. The backup's only good for calls; using a smartphone is much more convenient."

Maki stated matter-of-factly and promptly dragged Takakai into a phone store. She selected a phone worth nearly 200,000 yen and walked out without hesitation.

Outside the store, the two continued walking.

They looked like two friends strolling together, but if they were just friends, the distance between them seemed a bit too close.

If they weren't friends, and one looked at them as a couple, their hesitance even about holding hands made it hard to categorize them as one.

"Here, consider it my treat."

Shijo Maki handed Takakai a cup of milk tea, a hint of smugness on her face.

"Thank you so much, Maki-sama."

Takakai accepted the tea and drained it in one go, causing the girl to furrow her brows and mutter, "Were you that thirsty?" before continuing to lead him onward.

The two walked across an overpass. Maki stopped to have Takakai take a photo with her, their backs turned toward the sky.

Later, they passed by a gaming arcade, where Takakai and Maki played a round together before leaving again.

"Your house is nearby, isn't it?"

After wandering around, Maki glanced at the residential area nearby, took note of the street names, and suddenly turned to ask Takakai.

"Oh~, so you've been investigating me, huh?"

Takakai raised an eyebrow and stopped, catching the underlying implication of her words before replying.

"I haven't! I not have some omnipotent maid like my oba-sama. But she did investigate you and shared the information with me. You've seen how she is since living together in the apartment. Oba-sama is highly suspicious and doesn't trust people easily. Still, I hope you understand. If necessary, I can talk to her and apologize on your behalf."

Realizing the awkwardness of the situation, Maki wore an apologetic expression, clearly uncomfortable about the matter.

"It's not that big of a deal. I've long known that going outside means being investigated. But now I'm curious—what exactly did you guys find out about me?"

Takakai didn't mind the investigation. Given his interactions at the Shirakawa apartment and his role as a companion, it was inevitable that Shinomiya Kaguya would dig into his background. After all, in the original story, she was the type to investigate everyone around her, deliberately spread private information, and test whether the other party would reveal it to determine if they were trustworthy. Honestly, Takakai was also curious to see what Kaguya might uncover. For him, the version of himself in this world still felt unfamiliar.

If they discovered anything unusual, it might help him better understand his situation. However, this depended on whether Shijo Maki was truly willing to share everything she knew.

"Nothing special. Your parents passed away early; you graduated high school and have been staying at home since. Other than that, there's barely any information on you. No records of where you've been, no social media accounts, no comments anywhere. Your old classmates weren't easy to contact, and even with limited questioning, they didn't have much to say. It's like you were invisible. Before the Sacrifice Game began, there wasn't the slightest sign of your existence. Occasionally buying discounted or trending games was the only proof you were around. Right now, oba-sama is reluctantly trusting you, but I suspect she'll become even warier of you later. You're honestly very unusual."

Maki's straightforwardness caught Takakai slightly off guard.

"Knowing I'm so suspicious, why do you still trust me? Why tell me all this and willingly spend time with me like this?"

Takakai was so surprised that he couldn't help but ask. He wanted to hear her explanation.

"Just... a gut feeling."

Shijo Maki blinked, thought for a moment, and gave a simple answer.

"I honestly can't explain why, but ever since we started living at the Shirakawa apartment, we've been supporting each other."

"I think that no matter what, you're not a bad person. You're someone I can trust, a teammate I can fight alongside. I want to believe that. I'll try my best to convince oba-sama to truly trust you and dispel her doubts. I also hope you don't take it too personally. Growing up in an oppressive environment like the Shinomiya household makes it hard to change."

"And just to be clear, I'm not dating you. Don't go saying or doing things that make it seem like we're boyfriend and girlfriend, okay? Stop trying to take advantage of situations like this, baka!"

Maki's serious explanation, coupled with her flustered tone when she realized Takakai's last remark had contained a subtle "trap," blended into a mix of endearing honesty and lighthearted frustration.

Takakai couldn't help but laugh again.

He laughed at Maki's adorable reaction and the heartfelt sincerity she had shown.

Being dragged into the horror game's deadly rules was undeniably painful and challenging. But having someone like Maki, who trusted him and stood by his side, made Takakai feel that maybe things weren't as bleak as he had thought.

Tic-tic—

As this thought crossed his mind, a raindrop landed on his nose.

"Huh?"

Looking up, Takakai saw the sky darkening and rain starting to fall heavily.

Whoosh—

A sudden downpour drenched the two before they could react.

Whoosh—

Amid the rain, passersby rushed to find shelter, cursing the abrupt shower and the lousy weather.

Meanwhile, two figures ran through the rain, disappearing around a street corner into the residential area near the shopping district.

Creak—

A gate slowly opened.

Wet clothes were removed and hung over chairs.

"Want to take a shower? The bathroom's over there, though there's no bathtub."

"Uh... sure, that works. Just a shower is fine."

After a brief exchange, Takakai dried off, rubbed his hair with a towel, and changed into dry clothes. He sat on the sofa in the living room, listening to the sound of running water from the bathroom, and found himself lost in thought.

Strange. Why does the atmosphere feel like something bad is about to happen?