Chapter 1009 - The Case of the Designated Senior and the Self-Proclaimed Junior
"──────...Hey, Kanata-kun. Can I ask you something?"
"No."
That's what you call getting completely shut down.
After finishing the first day of training, I was impressed by the outdoor cooking skills of the Traveler, which I admit I'd underestimated. Then we casually scattered the Starry Paradise event's customary 'night raid' attackers... and reached the end of the first day. A few minutes after settling into an undeniably comfortable bed.
An aura of tension endlessly propagated through the shared space. Getting genuinely concerned, I called out to my roommate, only to be met with an instant, sharp reply from a short distance away.
So, after a few seconds' pause, I said...
"So, do I actually have you hating me by now or something?"
"N-No! Th-that's not...!!"
When I lobbed that ninety-nine-point-nine-percent joke of a 'what if' question over to him, it must have landed safely. The question vaulted over the 'wall' separating us.
I heard the sound of blankets being thrown off as he shot up, his panicked voice following.
"Hmm..."
I see. So that's not it.
Well, it was a hundred-percent joke anyway... but if that's the case, then the scene that met my eyes when I shifted my gaze from the ceiling made me want to say, 'What's the deal with this?'
"I mean, it's fine, I guess. It's not like it's a bad thing, but still..."
What was it? It was none other than a partition screen, slicing right through the middle of the boys' room.
Kanata-kun had readily agreed to share a room with me, two guys together. But then I saw him whispering something to our host, Lux, and when I opened the door at bedtime, this is what I found.
"Maybe you're the type who can't sleep unless you're alone?"
"N-Not exactly..."
"You sure about that?"
I'm aware I'm being a bit annoying. But this is a precious sleepover. As a healthy eighteen-year-old boy myself, I can't easily suppress the excitement that comes with an event.
Therefore, if a topic of conversation presents itself, I'm sorry, but I have no intention of letting it go. Especially when it involves a sweet, cute junior who just makes you want to tease them.
Never mind our actual Arcadia history. That's a topic for another time.
"Ugh... S-Senpai. You know what you're doing, don't you?"
"Pretty much."
"'Pretty much'...!? A-Aren't you getting meaner by the minute...?"
In the end, it's just that youthful 'it's a waste to sleep' mentality kicking in.
Any topic will do. I just want to casually enjoy this special situation of spending the night in the same room with someone I've taken a liking to.
And so...
"Jeez. You're still going to be nervous around me at this point?"
"I-I am. I really am. This is the first time I've been in a situation like this..."
"As you know, my fundamental mentality is that of a normal person, though."
The partition feels a bit like a subtle emotional wall, which is slightly heartbreaking, but I can't detect any hint of annoyance in his voice, so I'll continue the chat.
Then, what reached my ears was... a small sigh.
"............I was thinking I'd tell you someday."
His voice was tinged with a slight hesitation. But Kanata, for his part, while exposing his nervousness and reservation, might be in a different state of mind than usual, given the event.
"Oh? What's this? Now's your 'someday,' so go on and say it."
That must be why. When I egged him on, a few seconds later...
"You say that a lot, Senpai. —You're not 'normal' at all."
"No way."
What came flying back was a rather forceful declaration.
He must have heard my reflexive gasp of surprise. On the other side of the partition, Kanata let out another sigh, loud enough to reach me.
"Haaah... A person as absurdly kind as you can't possibly be normal, Senpai. If that were normal, the world would be an easier place to live. Both in reality and here in the virtual world."
And just like that, he began to list off things I hadn't expected in the slightest.
"Huh???"
Naturally, a genuine sound of confusion escaped my lips. Followed by a third sigh.
"That's what I think your core is, Senpai. That's why everyone comes to like you."
Only assertions came from Kanata's mouth. In contrast, I could only tilt my head.
"Kind...? Me...?"
Sure, I don't want to be unkind to people or do things they dislike. I don't want to, and I believe I shouldn't. It's something I do unconsciously, without even thinking about it.
But that's well within the bounds of 'normal,' right? At least for players who passed the personality screening and were allowed into the virtual world.
"Everyone's kind, right? You are too, Kanata... and from our group here, Sora, Ui-san, Nia, and Lu...x... well, Lux too, they're all kind, right?"
"That's true."
"All players in Arcadia are kind to some extent, right?"
"That's true."
His straightforward affirmations continued, and I nodded in agreement, but...
"...That's why you stand out so much, even in a world where only kind people exist."
He must be in a slightly different mental state than usual, given the special circumstances. My #2 junior spoke, showing a level of exasperation with me that was frankly rare.
"Being so outstandingly kind means you're not normal at your core, Senpai. Not at all."
"Seriously...?"
I can't quite grasp what he's saying, but I can tell that while he's exasperated, he's not looking down on me. Therefore...
"Wh-What is this...? What direction has this conversation taken...?"
Damn it. I'm actually starting to blush.
I mean, come on...! I've almost never been called 'kind' before...!
"It's just that there aren't many people out there who watch others as much as you do, Senpai."
"You make me sound like I have a people-watching hobby."
"It's for your own enjoyment, right? I know. It's a classic from the 'Quotable Acrobat' collection."
"Hey, what is that hellish collection...!?"
Whether he knew I was starting to get flustered on the other side of the screen or not, once he started rattling off his thoughts, my #2 junior showed no signs of stopping.
"It's not normal. A person who can find their own happiness in seeing others have fun."
"You think...? It's not that big of a..."
"It's easy to pretend. But for you, it's from the very root of your heart... It's your core, isn't it? That means at least part of your identity is 'I want to entertain others,' right?"
"Aren't you exaggerating a little...?"
"I'm not exaggerating. At the very least, it's a way of thinking I could never adopt. ...I can think for the sake of others, but to make that the default precondition is impossible for me."
"Is... thaaaaat... so...?"
Honestly, I still don't quite understand what he's getting at. I mean, I understand the words, but I question whether I'm doing something as special as Kanata claims.
As I was endlessly tilting my head in confusion...
"...Ahaha."
From the other side, a small laugh.
...Since he agreed to the boys' room, I should probably just see him as a guy, but this junior of mine has a way of confusing me with his cute expressions and voice from time to time.
"I really like you a lot, Senpai."
"Huhh!?"
And just as I was thinking that, I got a sudden confession.
"I don't think you're completely oblivious about that part, so it's fine if you don't get it. I think that's the kind of thing the people around you should notice and understand."
"O-Oh...?"
"You just keep tilting your head and saying, 'Oh, so I'm kind, huh?' with that usual dazed look on your face. That's fine. That's what's good."
"'That usual dazed look' is borderline an insult, isn't it?"
"Because I'm sure that you, just like me, are loved by everyone for being that way."
"Aha, I get it now. You're trying to drag me down into sleep deprivation with you, aren't you?"
"With that said, good night."
"What do you mean, 'with that said'...!?"
The quiet rustle of a blanket being pulled up. After that, Kanata said nothing more.
I was the one who started it, but in the end, he brilliantly turned the tables and threw my heart into disarray. My thoughts began to spin, rebelling against the sleep-inducing debuff unique to the Starry Paradise event, and so...
"............By the way, Kanata-kun, is there anyone you like?"
My counterattack, thrown after a long pause, was deftly parried by the surprisingly steady sound of breathing.
He said he likes you a lot. Good for you.