The printer in my house finally gave up the ghost, so I visited an electronic appliance store to buy a replacement.
While there, Y-ko discovered the megahit video game handheld console—
sold out everywhere for the entirety of the previous year—the Nintendo DS.
| Y-KO: | Oh, hey… DS! A Nintendo DS!! |
| ME: | It sure is. First time I’ve ever seen one available for sale. |
| Y-KO: | Hang on! I’m going to buy it! |
| ME: | Buy it…? Do you actually have the cash…? |
| Y-KO: | No! But if I don’t buy it now, I’ll regret it! |
| So hang on a moment! |
| ME: | …… |
… An instant decision.
If this doesn’t define the term impulse buy, I don’t know what does…
Ignoring my exasperated looks, she finished up at the register and returned, grinning.
| Y-KO: | Heh-heh-heh. Got my DS! |
| ME: | Good for you… |
| What games did you get? |
| Y-KO: | … I didn’t get any… |
| I spent all my money on the system itself… |
| ME: | Oh… Well, it’s no fun just holding the system. Want me to buy something? |
| Y-KO: | Are you sure?! Super Robo, then! Super Robo W! |
| Bonta’s in it, you know! You have to get it! Okay?! Okay?! |
| ME: | … Ooh, how about this brain-training game? Those are popular now. |
| That, or maybe this test of common sense… or wait, this English trainer could be useful. |
| Y-KO: | Excuse me?! Are those the best choices you can come up with?! |
| What’s so fun about teasing me like that?! |
| ME: | Well, your Alzheimer’s seems to be flaring up recently. |
| I thought maybe you could use a bit of brain rehab. |
| Y-KO: | Excuse me?! Since when was I senile?! |
| ME: | Well, you’ve certainly forgotten our rotating schedule for doing the cooking, laundry, and garbage disposal. |
| Y-KO: | Argh! |
| ME: | So I’ll be buying the brain trainer, then? |
| Y-KO: | … You’re right. I have been forgetting things recently. |
| Oh, wait. Where did I put that thing…? I think I’ve just forgotten! |
| ME: | Put what thing? |
| Y-KO: | Well, I snuck a BL book or two into your apartment recently, |
| but I’ve completely forgotten where it went. Where could it be? |
| ME: | Say what?! You’d better remember right now!! |
| Y-KO: | Oh, but I think I might remember if you buy me Super Robo W… |
| ME: | ………! |
You are completely incorrigible!
…… Oh, damn it all.
| ME: | …… But you only get to play one hour a day. |
| Y-KO: | What! Why? That’s so strict! It should at least be two hours! |
| ME: | …… One and a half. |
| Y-KO: | Oh, fine… It’s not like I’m going to hold myself to that, anyway. |
| You’ve got a deal! Now go out there and buy me that game! |
| ME: | …… |
She just said she would ignore that rule! Out loud!
Of course, I didn’t really expect her to follow my rules in the first place.
But still, I wasn’t expecting her to announce it on the spot…
Without having fully accepted the situation yet, I went to the register with the trainer and Super Robo.
… This is terrible. If I ever have kids, I’m going to spoil them rotten.
I need to buy a book on discipline on the way home to balance this out.
Or maybe a book for new mothers.
…… The fact that I think that would actually help me is kind of sad.
| Y-KO: | Ooh, thanks! |
| My overflowing gratitude has stimulated my brain into remembering where the BL is! |
| ME: | Yeah, yeah… |
| Y-KO: | Inside the white bag you haven’t been using lately, inside the suitcase in your closet, and in the— |
| ME: | That’s a lot! How much have you been smuggling into my home?! |
| Y-KO: | Don’t sweat the little details. |
| I plan on using them incessantly as diplomatic negotiating pieces in the future. |
| ME: | That’s a pretty aggressive stance on diplomacy… How much were you planning on wringing out of me? |
| Y-KO: | Come on, don’t fuss over the little stuff. It’s okay. |
| Plus, I know you’re interested, aren’t you? |
| ME: | Well, sure, I’ve always wanted to try it out a bit. |
| Y-KO: | Of course you have! And I’m always generous with my stuff. |
| You just read all of that BL you can handle. |
| ME: | What?! I was talking about the DS! |
| Y-KO: | I’m glad to finally hear you admitting an honest interest. |
| Of course you’d be intrigued by BL. But to hear you say you actually want to “try” it… |
| ME: | I have no interest! I don’t want to try it! |
* Bonta: The mascot character from Shoji Gatoh’s series Full Metal Panic! Its name is based on Gonta, the character from NHK’s long-running kid’s program, Dekiru Ka-Na. Bonta appears as a hidden character in Super Robot Taisen W and makes a cameo in several side events within the game.