Game Market 1983

Chapter 98: Pilgrims...

"Excuse me, sir. I'm sorry, but just now, all of Miyuki's scenarios have been sold out."

My world came crashing down.

"Sir...? Sir? Can you hear me?"

The sky spun around. On the other side of the singing heavens, Miyuki-chan bid me farewell.

It's all over. It's ruined.

The one who snatched my own Miyuki-chan right before my eyes will be cursed. I'll curse them for life!!

"Mr. Uchimura, are you okay?"

In response to Yuki's voice, I slowly raised my head, tears flowing from my heart full of injustice and anger.

"Argh... If only I had said a little earlier... I got careless at the last moment."

"Mr. Uchimura..."

At that moment, a staff member standing next to me informed the people in the waiting line through a loudspeaker.

"I deeply apologize. Just now, Hasegawa Miyuki's cartridge sales have been completed. To all the customers who waited for Miyuki's scenario, I sincerely apologize. We will prepare the second sales quantity as soon as possible."

"What!? Unbelievable! We waited for two hours!!"

"That's right!! Release more quantities quickly!!"

"I'm sorry, customers. Since there are no more copies of Miyuki's scenario available..."

The crowd's mood quickly turned into one that could devour the event venue.

However, as the inventory had already run out, there was nothing the event organizers could do except offer apologies.

Finally, after the event staff and Pentagon Soft employees apologized, the atmosphere calmed down to some extent.

But even then, not a single person left the waiting line.

I stood up slowly, having sat on the floor for a while.

Yuki, with a worried look, asked me, "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes. Thank you."

"Sir, I'm really sorry. The only remaining inventory consists of Setsuna and Nanase scenarios. Which one would you like to prepare?"

"No, I really wanted to purchase Miyuki's scenario. I'll just buy it separately later."

I didn't want to choose a different heroine's scenario now to match the event situation.

As I was about to leave the event venue, carrying the Super Family I had placed on the floor, Yuki's voice came from behind.

"Hey, wait a moment!"

"Yes...?"

"Just wait by the side of the event venue for a moment."

Yuki hurriedly ran off somewhere with a determined expression. I was left waiting near the event venue, not knowing what was happening.

How much time had passed?

"What's going on? Where are you going all of a sudden?"

A male voice?

"Well, it's just for a moment."

This time, Yuki's voice reached my ears. In the midst of the chaos, I turned my head to see Yuki grabbing the hand of the man I had seen in the waiting line earlier, running towards me.

"Junhyuk, honestly, tell me. Are there one or two Miyuki scenario cartridges left in the event office?"

"Of course, just in case, I brought a few more, but those are really for emergencies, not for sale."

"Then please sell one of them to this person. Please?"

"What? No, I can't. If word gets out, there will be chaos in the event venue. You saw the Pentagon staff all kneeling down and apologizing just now..."

"Exactly, just one, please. Junhyuk, please..."

"Oh... this is crazy."

The man scratched his head and looked embarrassed.

Could this man also be a Pentagon Soft employee?

Understanding the situation roughly, I gave a 90-degree bow to the man referred to as Junhyuk.

"Please. I've been waiting for this day for a year. I really want to try Miyuki's scenario. I promise not to tell anyone, so please."

Upon hearing this, the man looked flustered and quickly grabbed my shoulders, lifting me up.

"Hey, don't do this here. Okay?"

"Please!! Please, Junhyuk! Please..."

"Junhyuk, I'll beg you too..."

"Really, this is insane. All right. I get it. If you keep pushing, it will be too obvious, so come this way."

Together with Junhyuk, I headed to the event office at the back of the event venue. As I entered the office with Junhyuk and Yuki, Morita, who had been waiting at her desk after apologizing to the users at the event venue, got up.

"Oh, what? Boss, where have you been?"

"Well, Morita. Can I have one of the backup Miyuki cartridges, which we prepared for exchange due to defects?"

"Yes? But those were for exchange in case of defects... Are you going to sell them?"

"Oh~ Is this for the person who missed the purchase at the last moment?"

At the event venue, Morita, who was there with us, recognized me.

"Yes... Yes! Morita-san. I'm a fan of Psych Battle, starting with the author."

I quickly opened my bag and showed her the Psych Battle goods and photobook.

Then, a sharp-looking man who was with Morita whispered as if teasing her, "Oh~ Morita is quite popular~ Only with the guys, huh?"

"Don't tease me, Hayashi. He's a fan of my drawings."

"Ah, sorry about that."

A little later, Morita took out the "The Empty Streets" volume from the office.

"Here it is. You can just give it to us for payment."

"Uh, Morita-san, can you please sign on the package?"

"Huh? Is it okay since it's brand new?"

"It's okay. It's an honor, actually!!"

"Oh... alright then."

A while later, after signing the front of the package, Morita handed it to me.

"Enjoy playing it."

At that moment, Hayashi, who was standing nearby, chimed in, "Enjoy? Hahaha, make some sense, will you?"

I found his reaction strange, but right now, it didn't matter. I couldn't take my eyes off the package with Miyuki-chan's illustration on it.

"Thank you!! Thank you!! I'll cherish it forever."

"Please, make sure to keep your purchase a secret while you're here."

"Of course!! Absolutely!!"

"That's good. Uchimura-san."

"Thank you, Ishikawa-san. I really appreciate it."

After greeting the office staff several times, I returned home.

Now, the signed copy of Morita-san's "The Empty Streets" is sitting on my desk.

So, shall I try playing it tomorrow with a clear mind?

&

November 22, 1989, Wednesday.

Throughout the day while working part-time, I could only think about "The Empty Streets" at home. But I guess that was fine.

After all, I just played with Miyuki-chan~

The protagonist and his childhood friend, who has an extremely lively personality, were the owners of slightly erratic dispositions.

The slightly fickle protagonist had a personality that was very similar to mine.

In the game, after finishing their university classes, the protagonist and Setsuna-san worked together at a family restaurant.

Setsuna-san was the oldest among the three heroines and had a very kind and gentle demeanor, especially a mature figure compared to the others.

During their university classes, every time Nanase-chan called out to the protagonist as "senpai~," it made his heart pound like a drum.

"So... cute..."

With Morita-san's top-quality artwork and the high-quality BGM that could only be experienced in the Super Family, I was completely immersed in the scenarios of "The Empty Streets."

Whenever the events piled up, the conversations they shared on the way home were gradually changing, and that moment sent shivers down my spine.

It felt like I was truly dating a girlfriend.

This game was filled with happy events that completely filled a certain empty space in my heart.

Once we got past the early stages, I began a genuine relationship with Miyuki and spent the weekends going to Odaiba or spending time at Tokyo Tower.

Each illustration was set against the backdrop of Tokyo's streets, so every time a familiar location appeared, I couldn't help but exclaim in awe.

Today, too, I enjoyed a date with Miyuki-chan and just finished the game.

Now, Miyuki-chan completely trusts me...

I'll see you in my dreams~

November 23, 1989, Thursday.

... There's something seriously wrong with this game.

I was having a great time dating Miyuki-chan until just yesterday, but there's something odd about the protagonist's condition in the game now.

Sometimes the illustrations waver, and the graphics seem distorted. I even wondered if my Super Family was defective...

But that wasn't it. It was all part of the game's presentation.

Today, in the game, the protagonist received a terminal illness diagnosis at the hospital he visited.

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