Games.
It was a foreign term in Bronya's mind. All she ever held were guns, knives, and one matryoshka doll. She knew nothing of things normal girls do.
She looked at the lively girl sitting across from her.
Unlike her prior expectations, Kiana bore the definition of a 'normal girl'. She wasn't similar to her in any way. The way she stared at her curiously and her subtle movements revealed her youthfulness.
For a moment, Bronya could not help but feel dull inside.
This dullness was replaced with a sense of crisis. Bronya remembered she is now considered a captive.
Whether her "captor" is playing around or not, she should focus more on finding ways to escape.
"Someone will fight me on Smash?!"
"Why? Are you afraid of losing?"
"..."
Kiana's eyes noticeably glanced at the clock. Aleph noticed it and let out a laugh.
"I am allowing you to stay up late at night. Only this time."
"Yes!"
She eagerly grabbed one of the controllers beneath the television's cabinet. She threw the other one on Bronya, to which the latter caught with slight confusion.
"Let's fight!"
"..."
Tonight, Kiana faced the so-called natural gaming talent.
******
"Pfft..! Aha…"
There are things that do not change. Kiana being beaten by Bronya was one such thing.
Although her physical prowess are overwhelming, she could still get outplayed by split-second decisions. It was a fight between a player with high stats but no experience and a player with low stats but rich experience.
Fortunately, Kiana's physical attributes are insane enough to offset the difference between experience. She came on the verge of losing several times and was saved by her god-like reaction time.
Thus, the agreement between Aleph and Bronya remained. She was forced to stay inside the house for the day.
Watching her scouting attempts, Aleph watched with relish. He could see she was trying to see 'how' to escape.
Unfortunately, she is destined to fail.
'How would she react to that…'
Aleph placed a restriction on the entire house. If she decides to step out more than a hundred feet away from it, she would be forcibly brought back into the living room. That cycle will ensue until she becomes more 'comfortable' staying in their 'orphanage'.
His thoughts were cut short when the ELF Mobius sat atop his head.
"How is it?"
"Not bad."
"Pervert."
Facing Mobius' sarcasm, Aleph maintained his usual smile. He was able to survive last night's siege.
Nothing beyond the line happened. Perhaps due to the presence of each other, both Senti and Mobius did not do anything but to cuddle him. It carried on until the sun rose up.
As for Hua…
Clang-!
The ladle on her hand fell to the ground.
"Oh."
She blankly picked it up before washing it on the sink.
Seeing her actions, Aleph felt very guilty. He failed Hua several times already. He actually wanted to take the time last night to make it up to her, but Mobius came home.
It resulted in Hua being left hanging. Coupled with the fact that only she was left out last night…
'Let's talk later…'
Hua heard Aleph's mental transmission. She briefly looked at him, whose head was still occupied by ELF Mobius, before returning to cooking breakfast.
'Was it my fault..?'
For the nth time, she began thinking about her 'mistakes'. The entire year and a half, Hua and Senti both had Aleph by their sides.
Had they been more courageous, they could have had Aleph's children already!
They ended up not doing it.
By the time Mobius arrived and their sense of threat reached an all-time high, her regrets began to kick in.
Her Divine Transformation-level mind started thinking a lot of things. Before she knew it, dirty thoughts began to gradually invade her thoughts.
'Doing that thing…'
She bit her lower lip as she felt a shiver down her legs. Her sense of embarrassment reached its peak, causing her thoughts to crash.
Clang-!
Looking at Hua's somewhat miserable state, Senti had mixed feelings.
'...We are the same.'
She admitted it in defeat.
For a long time, she wanted to prove she was different from Hua. Senti ended up making the exact same mistake as Hua now.
If she had been more proactive…
The two did realize the danger only when it was already there.
Watching everything atop Aleph's head, Mobius kept on emitting her smug aura. Sitting atop Aleph's head is the cherry on top.
Amidst the smugness and frustration, Aleph became clear-headed.
'I need to sort this out.'
If he acted the same as the blockheads in the novels he'd read, there would be no doubt Aleph is cooked. People with near-zero emotional quotient who unknowingly step into the harem route should be banned in life.
He sent another mental transmission, but this time, to Senti.
'Do you want to do it later?'
'..!'
Unlike Hua, Senti could not mask her surprise. She jolted from the couch as she sheepishly looked at Aleph.
Mobius was not-so-blind as to remain oblivious to it.
'Hm.'
She lightly stomped her ELF feet to Aleph's head. What followed next were her surprising words.
'Do what you're planning this time.'
'...Thanks.'
Aleph did not expect her to concede this easily.
It was then he realized:
'Mobius defused it easily.'
Despite openly antagonizing Senti by competing with Aleph's skinship, she was considerate to give way to Hua and Senti.
Every woman around Aleph has a high emotional quotient. They are considering not only themselves, but Aleph too. It was completely different from the life he expected when he treated the harem route.
'How shallow…' His chest became lighter. 'Isn't it why I fight? For the people supporting my back..?'
Once again, he was put on the right track.
'You have to make it up later.'
'Alright.'
Aleph's thoughts were shifted into something more dirty. The impression she gave him last night was that of a snake looking for prey… and he is the said prey.
'It'll be more crazy later…'
During this short period, his days turned into a slice-of-life.