/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>46119503
>>46119503
(Part 9)
“Good job, Anon! As a reward for helping Alice and understanding the meaning of teamwork, you get a special treat!” The two gilded forks on the tray paled in comparison to the delicacy Shinki presented. Rich fondant encased an elegantly decorated cake. Extravagant didn’t begin to describe it. It could top a wedding cake and still look too fancy for the event. In red, crystallized syrup, there was a message in cursive writing:

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY
MY TRUE LOVE, ANON
ALICE MARGATROID

Still lying on the floor, Alice grabbed Shanghai out of the air and hugged her knees together, using the living doll to hide her beet-red face.

“You know, Alice baked this herself! She’s quite handy in the kitchen. Plus, this message comes directly from her and her alone: It was piped by her hand!” The way Shinki enunciated herself, it seemed like Anon wasn’t the only person she was talking to. “Don’t be shy: Take a fork and try it. Now.” Coach said it with the same energy Mima presented earlier this morning. There was no room to argue. So, Anon took a bite. The blend of chocolate, coffee and raspberry seemed to melt in his mouth.

From Shinki’s pocket, an electronic chime that signaled doom played again. She wasn’t happy.
___
She prepared for everything! Sure, Alice lying down on the floor of the gymnasium in front of a gawking crowd wasn’t part of the plan, but Shinki had to improvise! After learning that Yukari could change the rules on a whim, Shinki pulled her daughter out of the previous two periods to raid the Home Ec class for a proper place to write Alice’s confession down on her cake. The first rule change was fine, Anon wouldn’t be able to resist a Makai recipe! The second was no issue—Alice made this with love! The third was annoying: Thankfully her daughter didn’t oversweat. She made her that way. But this? She just needed to push Alice just a little bit further, and her little girl would finally be happy!

“Anon! Get back in front of Alice this instant! Let’s see if your teaching paid off!” The creator of all Makai dropped her phone to the ground, ready to seal the deal no matter what Yukari pulled.

~~~
1. Confess your love and chocolate to Anon
1(a). Your confession must be genuine
2. Anon eats your chocolate
2(a). Anon must eat your chocolate himself
3. Physical contact must be maintained for 10 uninterrupted minutes.
4. Prove your love with a kiss~
~~~
___
Fear was the operating emotion in Anon’s mind. Shinki’s aura was a terrifying, demonic force that eclipsed any youkai Anon had met before. Operating on self-preservation instinct, Anon sat rooted to the ground while Coach knelt down to Alice and whispered something in her ear. Her rejection was clear.

“NO! NOT IN FRONT OF YOU! NOT IN FRONT OF EVERYONE! NOT EVEN IN FRONT OF SHANGHAI! That’s too embarrassing! That’s too far over the line! W-What if I do it at lunch, when nobody’s around? Please, please, Mom!”

Another beep came from Shinki’s phone and the crowd of ogling youkai. A stare from Shinki was enough to prompt one kappa to relay the message to her.

The poor girl’s entire body was trembling “O-One chance.”

“What?”

“E-Everyone only gets one chance! It starts as soon as you clear rule 1!” Unable to take the pressure, the kappa ran away from the gymnasium. A few girls followed.

Shinki paused to consider the girl’s words. Against Anon’s best hopes, it only made her more aggressive. Shanghai flew up to guard her master, but was easily tossed away. “Alice, you’ve come too far to let it all slip away now!” The goddess knelt down to Alice’s meek form and pulled her as hard as she could. “Just… One… Sit-up!”

Anon didn’t know exactly what was happening, but it was definitely bad. “C-Coach, I think the lunch bell is about to ring. I should probably go now.” With a vice-like grip, Shinki grasped the back of Anon’s head and held it over Alice’s knees. She repeated the same to her daughter, trying her damnedest to make them meet in the middle.

By a green-haired miracle, Shinki’s arms were wrenched away. Two Aunns held Shinki back, allowing Anon and Alice to escape. Hana threw on a blazer and tossed Anon’s gakuran at him. “Just get as far away as you can, Dad! We’ll be fine, we just have to make Coach settle down.”

“But Hana—“

“Go!” By his daughter’s plea, Anon slipped his uniform over his sweaty gym clothes and ran out with a crowd of scared youkai. As he escaped, he could hear Shinki let out a cry of anguish that transitioned into wild sobbing.