WYSM – Vol 1 Chapter 4 Part 2 – Is It Okay to Play Games with My Oshi?

“…Get started with what?” (Sana)

Sana tilted her head in confusion, but come to think of it, I don’t think Serika and I mentioned the purpose of coming to the esports cafe today.

“Well, actually, Serika asked if I could teach her some gaming techniques I use in person.” (Keitaro)

“That’s right. So, I chose this place since we can openly play games here.” (Serika)

“…But now that I think about it, couldn’t we have just done that at your place or mine? Was it really necessary to reserve this entire place?” (Keitaro)

“Y-You’re being annoying. I wanted to show them my level of support—I mean! I thought you might be interested, so I chose this place! Was that a problem!?” (Serika)

“No, not at all. I’m very interested so I’m happy you brought me here.” (Keitaro)

I nodded in agreement with Serika, who was enthusiastically explaining while blushing. In times like these, it’s best to just go along with Serika’s excitement. Besides, it’s not every day I get to come to a place like this, so I’m genuinely glad.

“Alright then. Let’s get started. Teach me, Ketaro.” (Serika)

Serika looked satisfied with my response. She really hasn’t changed since we were kids.

“…What are these gaming techniques we talking about, though?” (Sana)

“Well, imouto-san, haven’t you seen that one play Ketaro pulled off during my stream?” (Serika)

“…Saw it. Sana knows onii-chan was amazing, but she didn’t really understand what was so amazing about it.” (Sana)

“That play was truly wonderful. Oh, but even though Kei-kun wiped out the enemies in an instant, I don’t really understand what he did specifically.” (Nozomi)

“Well, that’s how it is. Alright, Ketaro, why don’t you demonstrate once? I want to see it live too.” (Serika)

“Sure thing.” (Keitaro)

I sat down at the computer, booted up LoF, selected my character, and headed to the training ground. There, I picked up the 777 Magnum and stood in front of the training dummy targets.

…Doing this while being watched by my oshis makes me even more nervous than during the actual match last time. It feels like there’s even more pressure not to mess up this time.

I took a deep breath to calm myself and focused. Then, with quick movements of my fingers, three gunshots rang out in rapid succession, and all three dummy targets fell with their heads shattered.

“…Wow, onii-chan, that was amazing.” (Sana)

“Amazing, amazing! Kei-kun, you’re so cool!” (Nozomi) 

“Seeing it again, your skills are something else. It’s no wonder you can pull it off in real matches, Keitaro.” (Serika)

All three of them showered me with praise, which made me feel a bit embarrassed.

…But honestly, I’ve never been more glad that I practiced today!

“So was that the technique you mentioned? Shooting all their heads was impressive?” (Sana)

“Well, with practice, anyone can do that. What’s impressive is being able to rapid-fire the 777 Magnum and still land headshots.” (Serika)

“Oh, now that you mention it, yeah. I admire Kei-kun and use the 777 Magnum too, but it’s really difficult to handle. I can’t use it as well as you do.” (Nozomi)

“The thing is that the 777 Magnum has very specific performance characteristics. It packs a punch if you hit your target, but it only holds seven rounds, has a strong recoil, and most importantly, it has a long cooldown between shots. It usually takes almost a second to fire the next round.” (Keitaro)

“…But onii-chan, you were shooting so quickly.” (Sana)

“Yeah, that’s the interesting part. Honestly, I don’t even know how he did it, which is why I wanted Ketaro to teach us… So, Ketaro, what’s the secret?” (Serika)

At that moment, Seika turned her gaze towards me. Of course, I’ll gladly explain.

“Well, to put it simply, there’s a technique that allows you to shorten that firing interval. Oh, and just to be clear, this isn’t some kind of exploit or bug, okay?” (Keitaro)

I’ve made a personal commitment to never exploit bugs intentionally. Doing so not only shortens the lifespan of the game but also disrespects the integrity of the game itself. Exploiting bugs is on par with cheating and is something I vehemently oppose as a gamer.

“When I first discovered it, I made sure to ask the developers and received confirmation that it’s within the game’s specifications. And if you look hard enough, you’ll find this technique documented on the game’s official strategy wiki as well.” (Keitaro)

“Eh? Really?” (Nozomi)

“Yeah, and just so you know, I’m the one who added it to the wiki.” (Keitaro)

Sharing information about game mechanics is crucial. But judging by everyone’s reactions, it seems like it’s not widely known. …It’s a bit disappointing considering I took the time to document it.

“Wow, you even put it on the wiki? That’s amazing, Kei-kun!” (Nozomi)

“Well, it’s a normal thing to do. So, about the details… Essentially, it utilizes the fact that you can cancel the cooldown time for the next shot using a punch motion.” (Keitaro)

“Punch motion?” (Serika)

Seems like Seika isn’t quite getting it, so I’ll explain further.

“When you punch right after holding a weapon, you can do it instantly, right? Well, at that moment, the cooldown for the weapon’s firing interval resets. So, by canceling that punch motion and immediately re-equipping the weapon, you can shoot the next round right away.” (Keitaro)

“Huh, there was such a mechanic!?” (Serika)

It’s no wonder she’s surprised. I mean, you wouldn’t notice such a mechanic while playing normally, and even if you did, it wouldn’t necessarily mean much. Typically, at least.

“B-But… wouldn’t it take even longer to shoot if you have to fire, then punch, then fire again? Not to mention, I didn’t see anything like that happening when you were doing it.” (Serika)

“That’s because the cancel happens faster than the punching animation. By the way, the window for each cancellation is just one frame.” (Keitaro)

“O-One frame!?” (Nozomi)

“…What’s a ‘frame’?” (Sana)

“A frame refers to a unit of time. It’s one-sixtieth of a second, so one frame equals 1/60th of a second. In other words, Ketaro was doing it at an incredibly fast and precise speed.” (Serika)

“In other words, it goes like this: Shoot one round with the Magnum, perform a punch motion in one frame, cancel it in the next frame, and then quickly return to aiming the Magnum. Since the firing interval is reset during this sequence, you can shoot again immediately. As a result, you can fire in rapid succession. This technique only works with the Magnum, so we call it the ‘Magnum Cancel’—or ‘Mag-can’ for short.” (Keitaro)

When I first discovered this feature, I was thrilled, thinking, “Now I can fire the Magnum in rapid succession!” However, since the input has to be frame-perfect, it’s incredibly difficult to execute consistently. I’ve practiced it a lot myself, but I still can’t pull it off perfectly every time. Plus, this technique only works with the 777 Magnum, so it’s more of a novelty or show-off move. Honestly, why bother with this when you could just use a regular assault rifle?

…Well, that’s probably why no one knows about this technique. Even though I wrote about it on the wiki. Everyone, let’s use the Magnum more! Let’s stop treating it like a joke weapon.

“I can’t believe you were doing something so amazing… Ahh~…! Kei-kun, you’re the best! I’ll keep using the Magnum from now on!” (Nozomi)

“Ah, no, if you’re a beginner, you should just stick with a submachine gun or shotgun…” (Keitaro)

I take back what I said earlier. The Magnum is definitely a joke weapon. If it’s too hard and you end up quitting the game because of it, I would rather you just use a strong weapon normally.

“To be able to pull off such a technique at a moment’s notice, that’s amazing! Since you got off three consecutive shots, it means that you had to execute four consecutive frame-perfect inputs while aiming for the head… Truly impressive. As expected of my childhood friend──… Oh, I mean, my oshi!” (Serika)

“Hmm, onii-chan is really amazing after all… Hehe.” (Sana)

Everyone’s praise is genuinely heartwarming, to be honest. It’s a stark contrast to before when I would make such plays during streams and hardly get any reaction. Well, hardly anyone was watching back then.

“Alright, now that I understand the principle, I’m going to master it right away! Ketaro, please teach me in detail about finger placement and everything.” (Serika)

“Huh, are you really going to try it? Even though it’s a technique that won’t be very useful in actual matches?” (Keitaro)

“I want to try it out for myself, so it’s fine! Come on, watch me!” (Serika)

Well, it would be nice if Mariel-sama ends up showcasing the technique during her stream, so I have no problem teaching her.

Sitting at the adjacent seat, Serika launches LoF and heads to the training ground.

She picks up the Magnum and aims at the target dummy, firing shots. However, unlike me,  all that echoes are the sounds of gunfire every second or the sound of her punching the air.

“Hmm… This is tough… How do you even start?” (Serika)

“First, focus on canceling with a punch right after firing.” (Keitaro)

“I know, but… Ugh! I just can’t seem to get it right!” (Serika)

“Well, it takes some practice. Try tapping the trigger right after a shot rather than focusing on the rhythm…” (Keitaro)

As I say this, I reach out to guide Serika’s hand from behind. But at that moment, Serika’s body jerks slightly.

“W-W-W-What are you doing!?” (Serika)

“I thought feeling it firsthand would help you understand… W-Why is your face all red!?” (Keitaro)

“I-It can’t be helped, can it!? If Ketaro…I mean my oshi teaches me in such a way, of course, I’d react like this!” (Serika)

I-If you put it that way, even I’d feel embarrassed! And hearing her mention ‘oshi’ suddenly makes me think of Mariel-sama… Wait, teaching Mariel-sama like this… Whoa, dangerous. Just the thought is dangerous…!

“S-Sorry about that. Then, I’ll just explain it out loud—” (Keitaro)

“N-No! I didn’t say to stop! I-I was just surprised, that’s all!” (Serika)

As I try to back away, Serika stops me and insists that I continue.

And so I had no choice but to maintain our position, but once you become conscious of it, it’s incredibly embarrassing. Maybe we could only maintain it because we’re childhood friends.

“Oh! Did I just do it? Did I do it!?” (Serika)

Eventually, Serika successfully performed the Mag-can. It was probably just a coincidence since it only happened once, but it still counts, so I nodded in agreement.

“Yay! I did it! I finally did it! Alright, I just need to master this feeling and show them what Kei taught me on stream…!” (Serika)

Filled with determination, Serika starts practicing alone. Watching her back, I suddenly feel nostalgic.

“…But you’ve really improved, haven’t you?” (Keitaro)

“Huh? What do you mean?” (Serika)

“I mean with games. You didn’t really enjoy playing games in the past, but now you’re suddenly into it. Just from watching Mariel-sama’s streams, I know you’re skilled.” (Keitaro)

“W-Well, that’s…” (Serika)

My words caused Serika to blush and avert her gaze.

“…I, I just wanted to be perfect for you… So, I practiced a lot…” (Serika)

“Huh? Perfect?” (Keitaro)

“N-No, I mean… you used to play games all the time, right? I realized, not long after, that I got interested in them because of that! It’s all your fault for having such a weird influence on me!” (Serika)

Despite her attempts to brush it off, Serika’s cheeks turned bright red, extending to her ears. …Was she embarrassed about getting hooked on gaming, considering how much she used to disdain it? It just means you’ve finally discovered the charm of gaming, albeit a little late. Yeah.

“Um, Kei-kun…?” (Nozomi)

Lost in thought, I turn around at the sound of a voice, only to find Yuki glancing over here with a bashful expression.

“If possible, um… I’d like Kei-kun to teach me LoF too…” (Nozomi)

“Huh? Me?” (Keitaro)

“Yeah… I started playing LoF because I admired Kei-kun, but I’m not getting very good at it. When I saw you teaching Serika-san, I thought it’d be nice to learn from you too… Is that okay?” (Nozomi)

…Hey, are there any fans who would turn down a request like that from their idol? Seriously, you need to realize that you’re my oshi. Of course, there’s no option but to say yes. Despite the issue of maintaining proper distance, I guess it’s a little late for that, especially when we’re in a place like this where we’re all together.

“…Onii-chan.” (Sana)

At that moment, my clothes are tugged on, and Sana speaks up too.

“…Sana wants to play games too. Onii-chan, can you teach her?” (Sana)

“You too? But you weren’t really interested in games before, were you?” (Keitaro)

I returned the question with a raised eyebrow. Until now, Sana hadn’t shown any interest in games, even at home. What brought about this sudden change?

“…San just felt like trying it. Besides, coming to a place like this and not doing anything feels weird.” (Sana)

Well, she’s got a point. …But, you know, it makes me happy. Otakus are happiest when others take an interest in what they love. If there are girls out there who want to win over an otaku guy, they should be aware of that. I don’t know if there are any girls like that, though.

“Alright, shall we all enter the same training room?” (Keitaro)

Yuki and Sana sat in the seats behind me, each launching LoF. Yuki logged in with her ID, while Sana created a new ID and logged in.

“Well then, Yuki, could you run through the course first?” (Keitaro)

To gauge Yuki’s proficiency before starting her instruction, I decided to have her run through the basic course in the training area.

“…Oops, missed a shot.” (Nozomi)

“Hmm, your basic movements are fine, but it seems like you had trouble with using the weapon…” (Keitaro)

Based on the results, it seemed that while her movements were good, she was struggling with handling the weapon. So, I suggested a change of weapon.

“Huh!? But I want to stick with this setup…” (Nozomi)

“You’re using the Magnum and Sniper Rifle combo, right? That’s my…” (Keitaro)

“Yeah, it’s the Kei-kun set!” (Nozomi)

That combination happens to be one I often use, but both weapons are single-shot and difficult to handle. By the way, the “Kei-kun set” isn’t a name I came up with; it’s just what she called it.

“Those two weapons are honestly not very versatile, so it’s better to avoid them at first.” (Keitaro)

“Ugh, but I want to be like Kei-kun…” (Nozomi)

“I appreciate that sentiment, but personally, I’d like you to use more user-friendly weapons and gradually become better. After all, if you can’t win, the game stops being fun, and if you end up disliking LoF because of that, I wouldn’t like it either.” (Keitaro)

“Eh, does that mean you’re worried about me…?” (Nozomi)

I nodded in agreement, and Yuki’s face broke into a relieved smile.

“Yes! I got it! I’ll stop using this set! I’ll use the weapons you recommend!” (Nozomi)

“That was quick!? Well, I appreciate it, but are you sure!?” (Keitaro)

“Because Kei-kun was thinking about me! Haa~ Having Kei-kun choose something that suits me, I don’t think there are many girls as happy as I am!” (Nozomi)

“We are talking about guns, though…” (Keitaro)

“Um, um, how can I repay this kindness? All I can think of is paying for it… H-How much is it!?” (Nozomi)

“No, that’s not necessary!? And what’s up with your habit of wanting to pay me…!?” (Keitaro)

“But, getting one-on-one guidance from Kei-kun can’t be free!… Ah, saying it out loud makes it even more precious…!” (Nozomi)

If anything, being able to give one-on-one guidance to Yuki would be far more precious!? Something like that is impossible no matter how much you pay for it!

…But, the fact that I’m doing something that would normally be impossible… no, I need to stop. I need to maintain my distance…!

“…Onii-chan, are you ready? I’m done.” (Sana)

At that moment, Sana, who had been doing the tutorial, called out to me, providing a perfect opportunity to try to cool down. Great timing, Sana.

“R-Right, you should have a basic understanding of the movements now. Um, let’s see, then why don’t you try shooting that dummy with any weapon?” (Keitaro)

“Sure…” (Sana)

As I suggested, Sana began to aim and shoot. Surprisingly, her accuracy was quite good, and she seemed to naturally correct the recoil of the gun barrel caused by firing.

…Could it be that Sana actually has some talent?

“Good job. Now, try shooting at that moving dummy over there.” (Keitaro)

However, this time, she hardly hit any shots at all, leaving me puzzled.

After observing various actions, such as shooting while running or moving using slides, it became apparent that Sana seemed to struggle with multitasking, like shooting while running or sliding.

“…Difficult.” (Sana)

Sana pouted, but it was impressive that she could hit the target accurately for the first time, even if it was only while standing still. When I mentioned that it was just a matter of practice and she could easily improve with time, Sana responded with a quiet “Yeah,” seeming somewhat pleased.

“That’s right, Sana-chan. Being able to control recoil like that is really impressive. Even though I’ve been playing for a while, my shots still tend to scatter.” (Nozomi)

Yuki, who had been listening nearby, also encouraged Sana. 

“There are some tricks in controlling recoil for each weapon. For example, with this weapon, you would do it like this.” (Nozomi)

I picked up Yuki’s mouse and demonstrated how I would control my recoil. When she saw the shots tightly grouped at the center of the target, Yuki cheered in excitement.

“Amazing! Can you teach me too? Can you guide me with your hands on top of mine?” (Nozomi)

“…Eh? With my hands?” (Keitaro)

“Just like you did with Serika-san earlier, lay your hands on top of mine, Kei-kun…” (Nozomi)

N-No way! T-That’s definitely not okay, right!? A-Asking me to lay my hands on Yuki’s hands, that’s just…! I mean, that’s just…!

“You did it with Serika-san earlier… but, I guess it’s not okay?” (Nozomi)

Please don’t look at me with those puppy dog eyes as if you’ve been abandoned! You’re already my oshi, so there’s no way I can refuse, right!?

In my head, I repeat “maintain distance, maintain distance, classmates, classmates” like a mantra while I place my hand on top of Yuki’s. …I-I need to finish this quick. Her hand is unbelievably soft and warm…!

Th-This is Yuki’s hand…! N-No, stop thinking like that! Damn it, I’m a gamer too. There’s no way I’ll let such distractions affect my recoil control!!

I forcibly suppressed my feelings and pulled the trigger, managing to hit the center of the target without any deviation. Undoubtedly, it was the most concentrated show I had ever done in my life.

“Fwah…! K-Kei-kun’s hand is on top of mine…! I-I’ll never forget this feeling for as long as I live! Please allow me to repay you!” (Nozomi)

“N-No, what you shouldn’t forget is the feeling of recoil control, okay!? And you don’t need to pay me anything!” (Keitaro)

Seeing Yuki with a bright red face and looking dreamy, I couldn’t help but give her a full-force retort. Otherwise, I felt like I was about to hit my limit.

“…Mgmm, Onii-chan, Sana also wants to—” (Sana)

“Aaaahhhh!! W-W-What the heck are you doing?!” (Serika)

Just as Sana was about to finish her sentence, Serika’s voice cut in from behind, drowning out her voice. Weren’t you supposed to be practicing Mag-can?

“Um, I was just helping her with her recoil control.” (Keitaro)

“Mugugu, so that’s what it was…! I-If that’s the case, you should teach me too!” (Serika)

“Huh? You’re already more than capable, aren’t you? I mean, I never missed Mariel-sama’s streams, so I know how good you are at it. And you’re already in Platinum rank.” (Keitaro)

“Y-You’ve been watching all of them…? I mean, that’s not the point! …Ugh, I can’t believe I worked so hard to improve my skills, only for this to happen…!” (Serika)

“I have no idea what you’re talking about?!” (Keitaro)

“A-Anyways, make sure to watch me practice too! There’s still plenty of things you can teach me to climb from Platinum to Diamond, right?” (Serika)

“Ah, Kei-kun, Kei-kun, I want you to teach me more too. At least until I can reach Silver, I don’t want to let you down, Kei-kun.” (Nozomi)

“…Leaving your beginner imouto alone like that, you’re such a hopeless skirt-chaser onii-chan.” (Sana)

And then, all three of them insisted on practicing together, causing quite a commotion… But, um, Sana-san? Your comment there is completely unrelated, isn’t it? Especially the last part.

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Thanks for reading!

Seems like quite the chaos over there. Also, apparently, hitting a still target with a gun is impressive. I mean, if she’s using the H.U.G.E from TTT or something, then yeh, that’s pretty impressive. I know that was a shitty example, but I don’t really play fps games except for TF2.

CNY took more time off me than I thought so I didn’t really have time to translate. I would like to say I have time now, but I still need to submit my final report by this week before I can truly be free.

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