【Heroine C?】 is a friend?
Translator: Skythewood
Editor: Deus ex-Machina, Ruzenor
［What’s your name?］
The one asking my avatar with a chirpy voice was a fashionable girl in casual clothes. Her clothing matched just like a model out of a fashion magazine. Her limbs were slender, and showed an appropriate amount of cleavage that had an impish charm about her. Even in the game, it couldn’t be helped for my eyes to drift over there since I was a boy. Her shoulder length hair was dyed a rarely seen pink. Her makeup wasn’t too thick, which brings out her androgynous beauty.
【T-T-Tosa, Tosa, Itsuki. 】
【Tosa tosa? Tosa Itsuki right?】
My avatar nodded.
【Okay, and I’m Fujikawa Kaname. Just call me Kaname. 】
【…………】
In response to the girl about my age—— and a boku girl on top of that—— my avatar stopped and couldn’t react when he was asked to address her by her name.
<TL: Girls that address themselves as boku(僕) instead of watashi(私).>
【Ka, kakaka】
I know, I know. If I was just reading it from the phone, I could call her Kaname. But in real life, I would act just like my avatar!
Ignoring the repetitive and robotic 【ka】 sounds from my avatar, Kaname said:
【By the way, going by my principles, I can’t pretend I didn’t see that. You are planning to buy the clothes you placed inside your shopping basket right…?】
When I realized it, Kaname’s name had changed from 【???】 to 【Heroine C? Fujikawa Kaname】... I already knew Rika-sama and Nakajima, and their names appeared in their dialogue box the moment we encounter.
So people I didn’t know in real life would be shown in such a way.
And the next thing of note was, a third heroine appeared in the game! A girl that had nothing to do with the data I entered at the very beginning!
I lift my head from the phone for a moment and stretched myself… I was too engrossed in the game. I tilted my neck in a stretch, phew—
I looked at the clock above the blackboard, the time displayed was already past 1700hrs.
Wednesday, the third day after school. It was rare for me to stay behind in class 2-2. I had the room to myself. When it was possible to play the game, I immediately started 【There are no heroines in my youth】. This was something I set for myself from the lesson I learned this afternoon.
If I went home at the usual time, I think that the timer would drop to zero while I was still walking or on the train. And so, I stayed behind in the classroom.
Well, I wasn’t in any club and didn’t promise anyone to go home or visit some place together. Gon-chan and Kazuya both prioritize their girlfriends. The only thing left was the cleaning duties as a campus beautification committee member that took just a bit of time. Speaking of which, I think I was told that there had been more littering during the student council election period…
I returned my gaze to Kaname’s lines on the phone screen.
The choice branch after school on Wednesday was something like this.
【Hurry home and chat with other players together with Grandpa in the latest FPS【Hell·Scream 4】.】
【Shop for clothes at 【Train】.】
【Puppurapu?】
It has to be the second option! I didn’t see that Puppura thing!
And so, I selected ［Shopping for clothes］.
It was plain and simple for a course of action, but not that normal for me.
【Train】—— shopping for clothes there… Just the name of the shop had an obviously different atmosphere from the usual shopping center where I usually buy my clothes, a place I never visited. Because I just needed my uniform for clothes. Or my tracksuit. I had never went on a date before too! I didn’t have the chance to wear fashionable clothes! By the way, the very act of shopping for clothes… I had only done so with my Grandpa in April, when I bought a tracksuit for about a 1000 yen.
Asking me to shop for clothes in a fashionable shop… That was something I usually wouldn’t do…
Following my selection, my avatar headed for 【Train】. That seemed to be a franchise popular among youths as the latest in fashion trends. I saw a few students wearing the same uniform as me. My avatar entered the shop.
—— Going into that place as if it was nothing, my avatar was… a scary person…!
I was only intimidated for a moment. I was relieved when I saw my avatar selecting his merchandize quickly.
The screen showed the clothes that my avatar was planning to buy, and every one of them was a choice that puts me at ease. The clothes seemed to be the kind I would choose myself. I would be able to choose from the ones that was selected. My avatar, you and I were the same person after all.
My avatar then put the clothes into the basket. A matching pair of pants and jacket.
After the narration 【a girl is looking at Tosa Itsuki】 popped up, Kaname then talked to my avatar with the line: 【I have something to tell you】.
Alright, I already stretched, so time to pull myself together—— And end the break time! Continue with the game. I tapped the screen. After that Kaname’s dialogue was displayed: 【Those clothes——】.
【are dull】
【……! 】
I could feel the wavering my silent avatar was feeling. Kaname’s lines were dubbed. Because she was dubbed, I started to waver just like my avatar.
【This might be none of my business, but I can’t stay silent anymore. Tosa-kun, are you making yourself dull on purpose? The clothes inside that basket wouldn’t match well, they will look ugly on you. You need to buy cooler clothes… Do you have time? Try on every piece of clothes in the basket. After doing that, come out and let me take a look. 】
And then, the scene changed and my avatar went to the changing room. My avatar tried out the clothes… The images of my avatar in those clothes were shown one after another on the screen. This was the first time I saw my avatar in the game, and he just had a generic hairstyle and body shape.
Hmm, it feels like I was slightly behind the curve compared to the trending fashion right now…? That was about it.
【Alright, I will take a shot with my camera. Good, take them off and try the clothes I picked.】
After opening the curtains of the changing room, Kaname inspected my dressing and took my photo, and I returned to the changing room once more. It will take some time in real life, but the clothes were changed immediately once I tap the screen.
Trying on the clothes for the second time.
【……! 】
［……! ］
I was in sync with my avatar. My hair and body remained the same, but I had obviously changed.
【Hmmm, just like I imagined. Alright, I will take some photo. Well, let’s compare the difference.】
I pulled out the before and after photo, and placed them on either side of my phone screen. If I had to give a score, the combination my avatar and I chose was 40 points. Kaname’s choices was 100 points, that was how wide the gulf was.
【The clothes Kaname chose is better...】
My avatar actually said the name of a girl he met for the first time without stuttering! And he didn’t have a Recycling bag over his head! And wasn’t weirded out by a carnivorous girl and gotten used to it…! I have to work hard.
【Isn’t that so? Hehe.】
My avatar bought the 100 points clothes… It wasn’t that expensive either. I could buy it all with the money I had in my wallet—— At this moment, the screen turned dark and the countdown appeared.
I got up from my seat.
［Alright, Pandora! ］
I said to my partner. The installed AI Pandora, would always answer as long as the phone was charged, even if there wasn’t internet.
【Here.】
［I want to go to this 【Train】 shop! ］
In order to meet with 【Heroine C?】 Kaname in real life! I never heard of this shop name before, but since it was in the game, it should be nearby!
【—— There isn’t any clothing line by that name near Honami High School】
… Ehh? Huh?
［Pandora-chan, are you serious?］
【I’m serious.】
Like Pandora said, I couldn’t find that place even when I search on the net.
The clothing shop 【Train】 didn’t exist!
So the place I would meet Kaname didn’t exist.
【This should be the effect of the error code. The name might be different, it should be fine if you visit a similar shop.】
［Erm, as for similar shops...］
I went to the busiest subway station in the vicinity. The surrounding area had plenty of shopping malls and high class condos. There were many national chain franchises and niche fashion stores here too.
Since it had chain stores with the latest fashion designs, popular among youths of both genders and frequented by many Honami High School students, this should be the place.
After exiting from the ticket barrier and leaving the crowd, I looked at my phone.
Fast fashion, shops where you could buy fashionable clothes at a bargain.
<TL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_fashion>
I would be visiting the shops I knew and searched for fast fashion shops around the station. There were 【Shimamura】, 【Union】, 【K·U】, 【Dark On】, 【Muji】.
Well… If my luck was bad, I would need to visit every one of them.
［Then, let’s start with 【Shimamura】…］
【Calculating from our current position, the most efficient route would be 【K·U】【Muji】【Union】then 【Shimamura】. As 【Shimamura】 is the furthest away, we will lose a lot of time if 【Shimamura】 is the correct answer. Going with the reverse route and starting with 【Shimamura】 is a viable way, but considering Itsuki’s character, you will probably opt for the the cautious and efficient method of starting with the nearest place. That’s why I suggest this route.】
［… I will start with 【K·U】 then.］
Time was short, so I began my search for the shop… in the end, even 【Shimamura】 I visited last wasn’t that shop, and I returned to the station again. It was a complete miss. The clothes in the game couldn’t be found in any of the shops. It had been 5 minutes since my avatar was supposed to meet with Kaname.
［Hah…］
【Sorry.】
I sighed deeply while holding my phone, and Pandora said softly.
【If only I can find the correct location of 【Train】… I’m not worthy of being a support AI.】
［No no no! It’s not strange that you couldn’t do that! Don’t get so down!］
【But…】
［Think about it, you are the one who told me that the shop 【Train】 didn’t exist, right? I would have wasted more time without this information. You have been a big help! So Pandora, don’t be so depressed! ］
【… Alright. Itsuki is consoling me, our positions have switched huh. Okay, I won’t be depressed anymore. Next time, I will be the one to comfort Itsuki.】
［Ugh, I prefer to not have anything happen to me that would require me to be comforted…］
【In order to avoid that, let’s work hard.】
［Right. Did we missed out any fast fashion shops…?］
The sight of a couple wearing uniforms from my High School visiting a shop that had just opened entered my field of vision. I followed them with my gaze.
When the couple entered the shop, my eyes opened wide when I saw the clothes display window. I had an impression of the clothes over there. That jacket! It was the same design as the one Kaname placed inside my basket. So this was the place?
【It seemed to have just open today. Searching on the net yield no results, but there is a notice on the store’s homepage.】
I took a look at the store name. 【WEGA·Wiga】. The only thing it had in common with 【Train】 was the usage of English alphabets. So this was the place… It was definitely here. And so, I entered the shop.
If I could find the clothes my avatar chose… I picked up a basket and started browsing the clothes. Starting with a shirt… Found it!
This was definitely the 【Train】 inside the game. Amend it to 【WEGA·Wiga】, prediction system!
Really now… I composed myself and started picking out clothes just like I did in the game, the only thing that worries me was being late. To make myself more prominent, I wandered around the shop randomly.
［I have something to tell you.］
Fortunately, Fujikawa Kaname was here. Next, Kaname will ask 【What’s your name?】,
［What’s your name?］
I told her my name…
［……］
I should tell her my name, but I remember I didn’t do so smoothly. Oh no, I only remember that much. Because I was only thinking about finding this shop, I forgot my lines.
Turn on the phone on power saving mode! Pandora! Pandora could definitely do it! She would definitely know what I was thinking! Come on out, my cheat sheet!
The lines came out with a snap.
Yes, Pandora! Nice, Pandora!
［T-T-Tosa , Tosa , Itsuki. ］
［Tosa tosa? Tosa Itsuki, right?］
I nodded as I looked at the cheat sheet.
［Okay, and I’m Fujikawa Kaname. Just call me Kaname. ］
According to the sheet, I stopped here momentarily.
［Ka, kakaka］
Just like this.
［By the way, going by my principles, I can’t pretend I didn’t see that. You are planning to buy the clothes you placed inside your shopping basket right…? Those clothes—— are dull.］
I need to turn silent at this point and sigh.
After this, for the first time in reality, I looked at Kaname calmly.
Ehh…?
I noticed something different from the game. Be it Rika-sama or Nakajima, the difference between the portrait and reality wasn’t too big. Rika-sama’s sexy body in reality was shown perfectly in the drawings, the same goes for the pure beauty Nakajima. Their voices were the same too.
As for Kaname—— her hair colour and voice was just like the game.
My eyes drifted to Kaname’s chest. Kaname’s casual clothing was the same… except for one small difference.
The Kaname in real life wore warm yellow clothes, and the design was the same as the game, but there was something right below her neck—— Girls would understand, right? She was wearing sweater and hotpants, as the sweater fitted her body snuggly, it emphasized Kaname’s breast despite it being very boyish. However, her cleavage was well hidden. It didn’t have the beauty of being a little revealing. Was this due to the error code?
But even if I took a hundred steps back and ignore the cleavage that wasn’t visible, her breast… that was quite voluptuous had disappeared. Was those fakes?
I recall the portrait in my mind —— Wrong!
There was no such thing. The portrait’s feel and wobble of the breast was definitely the real thing.
That was strange. I stared at the part which was different from the game—— Kaname’s breasts.
［……?］
I tilted my head
… Or rather, before we talk about the size and the amount of skin being revealed, wasn’t it crooked?
The left breast was sliding down. Noticing my gaze, Kaname looked down at her own body.
［Oh no.］
She muttered, and pulled at the collar of her sweater.
［T-This is a pathway! The middle of a pathway!］
［Ah, that’s true. Hurry up then, come with me too Tosa-kun.］
We headed to the part of the shop where the merchandize was less eye catching. However, when we reached there, Kaname pulled open her collar without hesitation. If she did that here——
I would see things I shouldn’t be able to see!
And then… Her chest was flat?
Kaname then reached into the open space with her right hand in plain sight. She then corrected the position(?) of her breast(?) to the right spot. She probably thought it was hard to adjust it this way, so she took her left breast out.
—— Pads.
［Done.］
After moulding her pad into the correct shape, she put it back on.
［How is it?］
［… Erm, it’s straight now...］
［Oh? I was in a bit of a hurry today, that was careless of me to not do a final inspection with a full mirror. That won’t do.］
Kaname took out a folding mirror and checked herself.
［Okay, my appearance as a girl is the prettiest! Don’t fall for me now! ——Tosa-kun, what’s the matter?］
［Your, breast.］
Your breast.
［Breast? Ahh, what about them…? Oh right, since I’m expose, I have a question. How does it feels to the touch? I think this pad isn’t bad for a fake breast.］
My hand was grabbed over and brought to Kaname’s chest. I didn’t have any experience in touching the breasts of a girl before, but, this one would fall off if I touch it right… Why wasn’t there so much as a soft bulge behind the pads? Why wasn’t it that much different from my chest?
［Ah, it’s out of shape again.］
Kaname hurriedly adjusted the pad.
［Ermm…］
［Hmm?］
Kaname pulled open the collar of her sweater again.
［……Kaname, you are... ］
The right breast that had fallen onto her stomach was fished out by Kaname’s hand, and pushed to the right place.
［…… a boy, right?］
［That’s right. My pads slipped so it can’t be helped. That was really bad, but no one else saw through me. After all, my cuteness is on the level of one in a hundred. There, done, okay.］
Kaname’s fake breasts were ready. Her slender body looked even skinnier
［Cross dressing…］
A problem that wasn’t anything like the conversation in the game was happening right now.
［There’s a proper term for this, a trap, right?］
［Something about wanting to be a girl and falling in love with boys, right?］
［Eh? I like girls, and don’t want to be one either. I might look this way, the symbol of a man between my legs is still there.］
［But you’re cross dressing…］
［Well, because of my height…］
As if he was saying that was hard to accept, Kaname shrugged.
［I’m a boy, but I’m just 157cm tall… What do you think? Just tell me your honest thoughts.］
［Erm… you’re quite short.］
［Isn’t that right!? Too short! I think my looks isn’t that bad. But I’m too short, and the boy’s clothes I want to wear don’t suit me at all! Even if I wore thick soles shoes, it doesn’t really fit. No matter how I wear them, I would look cute! That isn’t what I want! I’m not compatible with boy’s clothes! And I spent my days miserably...］
［Okay….］
［And so, I got it. Why not go for cuteness all the way. And that’s how I am now.］
So he started going out dressed like a girl.
Kaname laughed quietly. Aside from the size of his chest, he had the same face as Kaname in the game. No matter how I looked, he was just like a girl that was pleasing to the eyes.
［I have an androgynous face, so I look my best not as a boy, but as a girl. Since then, I have always worn girl’s clothes for casual attire. And of course, I toned down my boyish behavior and it suits me even better. I have to act like a girl when cross dressing!］
［I see. It looks good on you.］
［Ehehe, thank you.］
His clothes suiting him was one thing, but Kaname pointed at my basket regarding a different matter.
［Tosa-kun, the clothes you’re buying is completely out. I even thought you wanted to make yourself ugly. These are all dull clothes. You should buy cool ones instead.］
The development was the same huh… there wasn't any need to mimic my avatar’s lines anymore. Pandora’s cheat sheet was gone anyway.
［—— Even though we just met, can I ask you to pick out clothes for me, Kaname…?］
Feeling weak, I said what was on my mind.
［Yes! ］
Kaname placed his hands behind him and nodded with a smile.
［It's fine, just leave it to me!］
［Thank you for shopping with us, we hope to see you again.］
After the store clerk settled our purchases, I picked up the shopping bag with my clothes inside and left 【WEGA Wiga】.
The clothes Kaname picked for me was the same as the game, something that would change my image elegantly. Kaname was very sociable, although he had the weird side of cross dressing because it suited him, he could hold a good conversation. He received a call from home and needed to go, so he left after saying ［let's have a good chat if we meet again.］
［……Pandora-Chan.］
I stood at the walkway at the entrance of 【WEGA Wiga】, raised the phone to my face and said:
［……That's a guy.］
Meeting and getting to know Kaname was great, and I felt we would be friends if we met again.
【……】
But, but. The problem was his gender.
——【Heroine C?】is a trap, alright?
［Pandora-chan! ］
【…The entity Fujikawa Kaname was probably assigned as a girl in the prediction, and the game will probably continue to treat him as such. This is something that should be corrected when the game starts… Since the correction hasn’t been made, this may be the effect of the error code. I can’t interfere with the prediction, so the difference between the game and real Fujikawa Kaname will probably…】
［It will go on like this?］
The Kaname in the game was a girl. The Kaname in reality was a trap.
［Even though he’s a trap, he is still【HeroineC?】?］
【Yes… Give it up… Please don't cry, Itsuki.】
My nose felt a little itchy as I shed tears in my heart. Pandora’s concern was right on point.
［Pandora, please go out with me.］
My companion that treated me so gently was already a heroine, right? Definitely a heroine, right?
【That's a little...】
［I got dumped…! ］
【Itsuki is my favorite amongst the humans.】
［Pandora…］
I felt touched and looked at my phone. However…
［——The only humans Pandora knew and spoke to are me and Grandpa, right?］
【Yes. I like Itsuki’s grandfather second best.】
［You like me the most because your choices were limited from the start...］
I didn’t know whether I should cry or not.
【N-No matter how many people there are, Itsuki will still be my favourite, alright? This is my raison d'etre. Understanding Itsuki and being Itsuki’s comrade is my priority. No matter how much of a bum Itsuki is, what fetish and sick interest you have, I have been programmed to accept all that.】
It seemed that Pandora was kicking me while I was down…
【… Ah!】
［What is it?］
【I reported this situation as a system error to the main server, and the operations side sent a reply specially for Itsuki. Please confirm the content.】
［Let me see...］
I launched 【There are no heroines in my youth】. What appeared was the title screen. There was a NEW icon on the top right corner.
【Notification for Tosa Itsuki-san. We apologize for any inconvenience that arises because of error code 000000000000000000000. Normally, our organization would not be responsible for any losses if the player insisted on continuing the game in spite of the error code. However, we will make a special exception this time and provide a function that are still in the experimental stage as compensation. It unlocks the function of the support AI. The first usage will be available for 24 hours at 0 sols, please make full use of this function. To unlock the function, please tap 【here】. After the function has been unlocked, a new item will be added to the instruction manual.】
［Hmm, do you know anything about this, Pandora?］
【No, I shouldn’t have any unlockable functions...】
［0 Sols huh……］
The nightmare from forced reparation came to mind. And this was a function still in the experimental stage. Could it be, since there was someone who continued the game despite the appearance of an error code, they were using this chance to make me debug their product since they wouldn’t be held responsible even if something happened! Killing two birds with one stone! That was the kind of scheme this was, right?
As I was troubling over it,
【Erm, Itsuki.】
Pandora who was usually passive said timidly:
【Could you please unlock the function?】
［Pandora wants me to unlock the function?］
【Yes. I am very intrigued.】
I see….
［Well then——］
If Pandora wants to, I didn’t have any reason to object. Leaving the debug issue aside, it costs 0 Sols and last for just 24 hours.
I clicked on the 【here】 as indicated by the line 【To unlock the function, please tap here】.
I stared at my phone for a few seconds… Nothing happened.
【Itsuki, please look to your side.】
Following Pandora’s instruction, I turn towards a foreigner girl standing to my right. Silver hair and amber eyes that looked golden. She wants me to talk to her…? She was wearing a Honami High School uniform.
W-Was there such a student? If there was, she would be as well known as Rika-sama and Nakajima… Slightly shorter than me and a face that gave a little fantastical feeling, a very beautiful girl. She was beautiful… But her expression seem to have an aura of being inorganic. It was somewhat different from being expressionless.
The girl’s eyes fell on me.
【It’s me, Itsuki. Can you tell?】
In concert with Pandora’s voice, the soft lips of the girl moved.
New texts appeared on the phone screen.
【Visualization of the support AI has been unlocked.】
I opened my eyes wide and the phone slipped from my right hand. The silver haired girl moved quickly, and caught it before it reached the ground. She made it in time, her hand intercepted the falling trajectory of the phone.
However—— the phone passed through that hand, making a soft sound as it fell on the pavement.
【As someone had entered the tracks, our staff is in the midst of investigating it right now. We are sorry for the delay and inconvenience. We appreciate your patience before we resume operation ——】
The fourth day, 29th September. A staff announcement was broadcasted inside the morning commute train. A short moment later, Pandora’s voice came from the ear piece connected to my phone.
【How intriguing. Why is he apologizing?】
I typed into my phone.
【Theoretically, there was nothing to apologize for.】
Yesterday, after we left 【WEGA·Wiga】, Pandora’s visualization function was unlocked, and I had been bombarded by her curious questions. She claimed that she didn’t experience any change aside from becoming visible, but that wasn’t so. Compared to her time when she was just a voice, she was obviously speaking a lot more. The number of people around us didn’t faze her at all, and it was troubling to handle.
I tried to change Pandora’s voice setting to off at the start. I did this often in the past to make Pandora’s words appear as text on the screen. But that didn’t work now.
… Pandora had hijacked my phone’s rights. This was like a mandatory message from 【Smile】, more intense than Kazuya’s boasting his lovelife.
Basically, I would only turn on the sound when no one else was around and speak with Pandora openly. When there was other people, I would turn off the sound. But in a messy setting like a train, it was quite easy to chat with Pandora since no one knew me, and I would turn on Pandora’s sound. I would plug in an ear piece to the phone and type my reply into the phone.
I decided on this before heading to school on the morning of the fourth day,
【Because those in a rush will feel annoyed about the delay. Even though they have important work to do, they couldn’t do so as they were stuck in a train, which deepens such sentiments. They will become angry at the cause of the delay, and being stuck in a train will make them even more anxious. That’s why the staff apologized for the delay to soothe the passenger’s emotions, and they would be more willing to accommodate them. 】
I finished typing.
【What an irrational logic.】
She said in a ‘humans are weird’ kind of tone. I looked at Pandora’s expressionless face. She didn’t show any of the emotion she invested in her voice. A girl who seemed to be in college and grabbing onto a hanging strap probably felt she was being stared at and raised an eyebrow. I hurriedly averted my gaze.
It was a problem that only I could see Pandora.
With reference to the new item 【Regarding the Visualization Function】 that I had read plenty of times.
【The AI’s visualization function was developed in response to the feedback by many customers. The AI won’t be limited to just their voices, and will grant them a human appearance too. It’s as they are really there, you can see them, and they can move and interact with you too.】
Pandora who was standing to the side seemed to be drawn towards something, and walked to the next train compartment. Pandora, would you really be fine…? But she wasn’t troubling others physically, and couldn’t do so anyway. Even though I knew that, I still couldn’t calm down. She could move and converse with me, just like a real person. She couldn’t float in the air and her legs were on the ground though.
Pandora stopped.
What she was drawn to was the cage on the lap of a person sitting there… there was a puppy in there. Pandora reached out, and the puppy reached its paw out from the cage. However, it missed. The puppy could see her too? Or sensed her? She shouldn’t be tangible at all, but its paw moved up and down as if it was touching Pandora.
【However, only the player——Tosa Itsuki-san can sense the AI’s human form. Please note that the AI was an existence that appears to be there, but doesn’t physically exist.】
Pandora that was playing with the puppy was passed through by a salaryman walking by.
【Furthermore, the effective range of the visualization is 10m from the phone. The visualization effect will be lost beyond this range.】
I did thought about giving the support AI a portrait or something. But the expectations had risen too far all of a sudden…
And if the visualization went on, I wouldn’t be able to afford the Sols.
After unlocking the function, 【There are no heroines in my youth】 was upgraded to a version that would allow visualization to be turned on at any time. Amongst the icon on the top right corner which includes the instruction manual, the visualization option was added beneath Pandora’s voice on/off select.
But it cost 1000 Sols per minute. Not 100… but 1000.
Right now, I could use this function for 24 hours for 0 Sols, but the normal charges would be 1,440,000 Sols. 1,440,000 Sols, I couldn’t afford it even if I took out my entire possible loan.
Did the other players possess that many Sols? Was their potential loan 10 million Sols…? Just when I had such a doubt…
【Sorry for the wait. Our staff have located and brought the trespasser away from the tracks, this train will resume operation shortly.】
The broadcast announced.
Just like the preview. According to the preview, my avatar’s Thursday morning will start with a train delay. After operation resumed 【Heroine C? Fujikawa Kaname】 would board at the next stop, and we would meet again. I would learn that Kaname was attending the same school and in the same year as me. We had a lively chat, and my avatar exchanged 【Smile】 ID. It was a good atmosphere, but that development was limited to the game…
Because Kaname was a girl in the game, but a trap in real life!
The Kaname in the game was in female uniform, with a skirt and hair accessory. The school uniform was generic and wasn’t tailored in anyway, but she felt very fashionable.
However, in reality… What would happen when I meet Kaname again. Well, I got on the same train as my avatar—— even though I just took the train at my usual spot.
I arrived at the stop where Kaname should be boarding. The automatic doors opened to the left and right, and the passengers alighted one after another. Several Honami High School students got on the train… The girls… ignore them for now. The boys…
Pandora who was still playing with the puppy asked through my earpiece.
【Itsuki, aren’t you going to talk to Fujikawa Kaname?】
When we first met, Kaname started talking to me. In our second meeting in the game, my avatar talked to Kaname with a【A-Ah, Allo! 】
I didn’t plan to chat him up this way.
I started looking around me. There were several Honami High School boys standing near the entrance. Was he there…? Be it a men’s wear or female wear… Even if he revert back to a normal guy, I still remember Kaname’s face. A youth with a pretty face. Was there someone like that here?
［Tosa-kun, we are in the same train. And we are the same year in the same high school too. ］
A guy I have never seen before talked to me. It was someone I ruled out since I thought he wasn’t Kaname. First, his hair colour was different from her, and looked dull even to me. He was the type who covers his face with his fringe. He wore glasses that nerds in manga would wear. I wouldn’t hate him because he was nerdy. But he was that Kaname who transformed the dull me elegantly. The Kaname who strive for the most beautiful female dressing?
I took off my earpiece. To be sure, I asked again.
［… Who are you?］
［Really now, it’s Kaname.］
［Fujikawa?］
［It’s Kaname.］
I scanned the person claiming to be Fujikawa Kaname from top to bottom, then to the top again. He was wearing male uniform and his tie was the same colour as mine, meaning he was a second year too.
He was about Kaname’s height. However, there wasn’t any semblance with Kaname at all.
At most, I felt their voice was similar.
［Why this hair style and the glasses?］
I knew Kaname was a boy, but he was dressed intentionally to suppress his good side.
［I don’t like my appearance in a boy’s uniform.］
［Huh?］
［Because if I show my face and style my hair I will become a cute male high schooler that is not here nor there. For me! That is! N.G! ］
<http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Ng>
［N.G…］
［N.G. If boys can wear girl’s uniform, I will definitely wear a skirt and put on light makeup. But it isn’t allowed. I can only attend school in boy’s uniform. No matter how I try, I couldn’t achieve the male style I want. Even if I go for cuteness, it is still one step away, unforgivable! My appearance as a boy is too far from my ideal!］
And so, he concluded:
［That is why I can’t accept how I look in a uniform…］
［I-I see…］
That was a mentality I couldn’t fathom.
［By the way, I’m from class 3. What about you, Tosa-kun?］
［Class 2.］
［Class 2 huh. I don’t know much people there. I do have lots of friends in class 1… For class 2, I would know more people from the third year’s class 2.］
［Third years huh…］
［Yes. A student called Amamiya Keisuke will be transferring to class 3-2 today.］
［Ah… right. I heard about that before.］
I knew about it. I shouldn’t have known, but I got this information because of the game’s preview last night. This was the thing that Nakajima mentioned. Amamiya Keisuke was Rika-sama’s ex-boyfriend that went to study abroad at the end of his first year. Ex-boyfriend… huh?
But the information was too limited. On day three, after I parted ways with Kaname, I could only play the preview until reaching school on the morning of the fourth day. It then switched to the familiar countdown screen. And the prediction today elegantly ignored the part about Pandora becoming visible… There wasn’t even a narration about that.
［Tosa-kun. To~Sa~kun］
［Ah, sorry. What is it?］
［Let’s exchange 【Smile】 ID, didn’t you hear me? I wanted to say that yesterday, but I forgot.］
［Oh, alright.］
We exchanged IDs. If… If only Kaname was a girl… I would have already reached the exciting stage of confirming her as a heroine. Starting as friends and becoming a couple! —— That was just an impractical delusion.
Pandora who walked over expressionlessly looked at me at me and Kaname. Pandora’s lips moved. The earpiece… had already been removed.
It was fine.
I nodded.
Making friends wasn’t a bad thing. And Kaname was a type I had never seen before.
And so, Kaname and I went to school together. Soon, we reached the school gate.
This was the route my avatar took too. However, Kaname in the game was a cute girl, and my avatar stutter a lot… The Kaname in reality was a boy, and for some reason Kaname wouldn’t back down from, he intentionally dressed in a nerdy manner. So there wasn’t any reason for me to stutter.
［Nakajima Konoha! Please cast a fair vote for Nakajima Konoha! ］
We reached the school gates, and because the election date was near, there were rallies and activities being held.
Even though the train was delayed, but just like the preview, I got up early because of my grandfather’s effort in playing 【Hell·Scream 4】. I took three trains earlier than usual, so the delay wasn’t a big deal.
During this period, the student council candidates would carry out their election activities. Yesterday, Nakajima’s opponent set up shop at the area around the school gate. Today, Nakajima was here too.
There were several female students supporting Nakajima, and giving out election fliers. A female student came before me and Kaname and gave one to us.
【Sincere and Earnest】
Sincere and Earnest. That was the slogan I guess. Personally, I think that was something distant for Nakajima…
I did plan to vote for Nakajima, but the election didn’t matter much to me. The student council president, vice-president, general affairs and accountant would be elected. That might be so, aside from the student council president, everyone else just needed confidence votes.
In short, the point of the election was to pick the student council president. It might be a one on one competition between Nakajima and the male student who was also in his second year, Nakajima was more or less the shoe-in candidate. I didn’t even know the name of her opponent. I did see him yesterday, but it was just a glance during election period.
［Can you give me a pamplet about the policies?］
Similar to the game, Kaname walked to the girl who was near the slogan banner.
And then, we will come into contact with Nakajima——.
I remembered what happened in the game preview.
The beautiful Nakajima was in her wolf in sheep skin mode, and had a friendly chat with Kaname. My avatar was treated like part of a scenery with only lines of 【……】. At this moment, Kaname headed towards the campus after saying she had class duties. My avatar who maintained his dialogue of 【……】 was greeted by the smiling Nakajima with a 【Good morning】. A choice branch appeared here.
【Greet her back with a ［Good morning］. 】
【［O-Ooooohhhha! ］ stutter timidly.】
【［Good morning, Nakajima-san. The reverse harem topic we discussed yesterday was very interesting］, identify yourself sarcastically.】
I could only choose option number three here. Work hard, my avatar! With that in mind, I selected that option when I play the game last night. If I chose it in the game, I would need to follow through in reality. I was put down by Nakajima yesterday, so I bore a grudge against her…! The second choice suit my style well, but I would never choose it! Retard!
And so, my avatar spoke to Nakajima sarcastically. However, in the game, Nakajima… remembered speaking to me, but couldn’t remember my avatar’s name. That’s why she said 【Good morning】 to me with a smile. I didn’t realized that immediately.
Nakajima fell into deep thought and tilted her head with a 【……?】, and observed me with narrowed eyes. Finally! Finally, she said quietly:【Generic face… Mano?】.
That concluded my recollection of the game.
The same thing will probably happen in real life. However, how would things turn out with the difference in Kaname’s gender…?
［Policies huh, do you want the detailed one or the brief one?］
［Please give me the detailed version. ］
［Please wait a moment. Konoha! He wants a policy booklet! ］
The female student called for Nakajima. I saw Nakajima picked up an A4 sized booklet about 1cm thick piled on top of a chair nearby. She walked this way… Eh, Pandora was looking at the pile of booklets. Even though she was just walking behind us, she was suddenly there? As I was chatting with Kaname and wasn’t checking my phone or wearing the earpiece, I didn’t have the time to check on her.
［Alright, here you go, thank you...］
Nakajima proffered him the booklet. Kaname started flipping through it immediately, which stopped Nakajima mid sentence, and she stared hard at Kaname.
Her lips moved. I knew from instinct what she was saying. Hottie. It couldn’t be anything else.
Nakajima actually saw through Kaname’s real appearance, despite his intentional dull dressing to hide himself…?
Did she caught the scent of a hottie…? So all that she said before wasn’t just hot air… What a scary woman, Nakajima Konoha……!
A sense of defeat seized me. I felt that I have acknowledge something that I mustn’t accept.
［You are really enthusiactic about this, thank you. School year… you are from the second year right? Mr...］
Nakajima’s eyes seemed to be flashing.
… Hunt? Was this a hunt? Was Nakajima… planning to turn Kaname into a member of her reverse harem, and hunt him? Even though in the game Nakajima wasn’t too interested in another girl! As expected, the difference in gender had a huge effect!
［Ka……］
If Kaname continues, his name would be exposed to Nakajima.
［Hey ya!］
［Hmm?］
Kaname turned his head at my shout. Nakajima’s angry gaze pricked me painfully for an instant.
［Don’t you have class duties today? You should hurry on to your classroom! ］
［Hmm, that’s right… Erm, did I mention about my class duty to Tosa-kun before?］
［Yes you did! ］
During the preview in my game.
［Well, thank you very much. See you later, Tosa-kun. ］
He nodded at Nakajima with a booklet in hand, and headed towards the campus.
［Good morning, Nakajima-san...! The reverse harem topic we discussed yesterday was very interesting.］
The first part was spoken loudly, and the second half was much softer. I greeted Nakajima,
Nakajima’s eyes as she stared at me in silence seemed anxious and angry. She opened her eyes wide.
［Generic face… Mano! ］
However, Nakajima regained her composure in no time. A smile appeared on her lips. She returned to the booklet pile and brought one over.
［Please take one too.］
［Thank you…］
Since she offered one, I accepted it. Although I wanted to take it, Nakajima held on and didn’t let go. What was Nakajima trying to do. She smile as she spoke softly. She maintained her wolf in sheep’s skin appearance, but her tone exposed her true nature.
［The generic face from yesterday… How dare you disrupt my meeting with a pretty face hottie I just discovered...］
［He’s my friend…! I won’t let my friend be hunted right before my eyes...］
I rebuked her unyieldingly in a quiet voice. I was being strong about it, unlike my usual self! Probably because my impression of Nakajima took a 180° turn, so I wasn’t nervous when I spoke.
［Ara, so you are a guy who prefers men, huh?］
［No…! ］
No way! Why did she come to such a conclusion here!? It was true that Kaname had the potential of becoming a heroine. I felt complicated about that, but that definitely wasn’t it——!
Even if I shout here, I would be the one being forced into a corner. I need to calm down here.
At this moment, the crowd split apart. Ah… I came to my senses. That’s right, after Kaname head to the campus, a short while later——
Before I could recollect my memories, events in reality occurred just like the game.
——Rika-sama and Amamiya had arrived in school.
［Rika! ］
A male student called out to Rika-sama who was walking singlemindedly forward.
The student taking part in the election rally, those listening to the rally and the students walking towards the school gates. As the mass of students gathered near the school gates, an empty space suddenly appeared.
［Rika! ］
Even so, Rika-sama didn’t stop and kept her lips tightly pursed. But her wrist was grabbed and she stopped. The high school boy who asked Rika-sama to stop and grabbed her hand was—— Amamiya Keisuke. Standing beside Rika-sama, they were a picturesque couple.
［Please don’t ignore me. ］
［……］
Rika-sama turned back silently with her face lowered. Amamiya’s well serious face turned gloomy, and he said:
［Give me a chance to explain, let me clear up that incident back then…］
［——Unhand me.］
She froze the air with a voice that wasn’t anything like the Rika-sama I knew. Amamiya who was left behind didn’t pursue her, and slouched his shoulders as if he had given up. A male student who had a diagonal sash for student elections and appeared to know Amamiya spoke with him.
I heard the discussion between the students who witnessed this interaction.
［So this is the first meeting between the Queen and Amamiya after such a long time?］
［Amamiya-kun, the one who studied abroad after the end of his first year, that Amamiya Keisuke? He’s back huh…］
［That handsome guy is Amamiya? How pitiful…］
［It is definitely Mochizuki-senpai who is in the wrong. He got scammed by the Queen…］
I already saw these lines from the game. At this moment, a soft voice came from a different place.
［A true hottie…］
Nakajima beside me wasn’t holding the booklet anymore, and her overlapped hands were placed on her chest. Her passionate eyes were looking straight at Amamiya.
［Unlike that disappointing generic face, the fresh handsome guy during his first year became a true hottie after returning from his studies abroad… No, the fresh handsome guy part must be a mistake…! Both that chiseled face and slightly hurt expression are great. His body looked tone and his height is 180cm… alright, no time to waste. I need to create a nice atmosphere quickly and confess to him today…! ］
She said in a very quiet voice. Only I, who was standing beside Nakajima could hear her… probably…
The game only brushed it off with the narration 【Nakajima Konoha seemed to be infatuated with Amamiya】, so that was how it should be in reality. It wasn’t anything surprising after I hear it. However, I should bring Nakajima back to reality. Listening any further would be abusing my ears.
［Nakajima … san. ］
［… Generic face. You are still here?］
Yes, still here. You got a problem with that!? However—— I couldn’t even muster the strength to rebuke her.
Rika-sama and Amamiya were dating or something.
I sighed. I stood there like a mosquito net quietly, just like what my avatar did.
Rika-sama’s attitude means she still like Amamiya or something. I thought about such unnecessary things. Assuming Rika-sama like Amamiya, what should I do?
If that was true, I would have no chance of winning.
Even with the aid of 【There are no heroines in my youth】, the competition for Rika-sama would still be futile. His success rate must be above 98%, while I would get just 60% at best with the help of the game.
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