Chapter 266 - Quits
"Right on schedule. You can head out."
"Leave it to me."
In the parking lot of a hideout camouflaged as a multi-tenant building, Chitose, who had been waiting in the car, started the engine at his employer's command.
"I'll ask just in case, but are you sure about this? Leaving the two of them alone so suddenly."
A quick glance in the rearview mirror revealed Togo's expression to be calmer than expected… or rather, just as expected.
"It's far too late for that now. They've already spent time together that's far more intense than anything in reality. The time to make a fuss has long since passed."
There's nothing to be done about it now—he feigned reluctance with a sigh, but such a pretense was wasted on Chitose. It was, as he said, too late for that.
"You've taken quite a liking to him, haven't you?"
Though at first, Togo had furrowed his brow with a mix of emotions, including bewilderment.
Chitose knew that as Togo followed their daily 'adventures'—even if only the parts 'she' allowed him to see—the feelings dwelling in his eyes had changed.
"...It's not a matter of liking him. I have nothing but gratitude."
As someone who knew a fraction of the circumstances surrounding the Yotsuya family, those words, which seemed to come from the heart, resonated deeply within him.
"As long as he—as long as Haru Kasuga is by her side, that girl can be herself… I can only offer my blessing. I haven't the slightest inclination to stand in their way."
"…I feel the same way—but Sora-chan's real challenges start from here."
"That is a problem that is truly beyond our control."
On this matter, Chitose and Togo were in complete agreement.
Reflecting on the 'past,' the two adults who knew the young man's nature—
"Haru Kasuga in the real world will likely be a much tougher opponent than the acrobat in the virtual one."
"…That is, without a doubt, the absolute truth."
Anticipating the turmoil that lay ahead, they exchanged sighs with indescribable expressions on their faces.
◇◆◇◆◇
That old man, Yotsuya Togo, nonchalantly left the two of us alone and made a grand exit.
One moment he was whispering something into each of our ears so only we could hear, and the next he was flashing a brilliant smile and saying, 'I'll leave the rest to you two youngsters.'
I never thought I'd hear such a cliché line in my entire life… And the words he left for me were another huge problem entirely. I'm starting to think I'll never be able to figure him out.
—And so, as we were left behind in the blink of an eye, there was no one left to move things along but us.
To make matters worse, Sora-san had frozen up again, so I could only rely on myself.
"For now… why don't we sit down?"
"Y-Yes…!"
I called out to her, and after checking on her, I returned to my original seat. The moment I sat down, I felt the other side of the sofa sink and nearly looked up at the heavens.
"—…Sora-san."
"Yes…?"
"Why are you next to me?"
"—W-wha, nyo—!? Th-that's not!"
She shot up and quickly scrambled away.
Her face beet red, the girl who had put a great deal of distance between us was now frantically waving her arms around in some bizarre pantomime, her gaze darting all over the place.
I have no doubt that if this were the virtual world, her pupils would be spinning and steam would be rising from her head.
"—…Ah… r-right! Tea! Coffee! Shall I make you some?!"
"Pfft…!"
"Ugh…!"
She was in such a panic, it was adorable, and I couldn't help but burst out laughing. As Sora sank, defeated by the continuous damage, I apologized and requested coffee. The girl, her face still red, turned away with a huff and left the room.
It wasn't that she'd abandoned me; I assumed she had gone to the kitchen, just like Natsume-san. It was at that point that I finally had a moment to breathe.
"…This is way too much."
For Sora's sake, I had been pretending to act 'as usual,' but my mind was currently being battered by the biggest storm in recent memory.
What was it, you ask? Well, first of all, for some reason, I'd thought Sora was older than me.
The average player age in [Arcadia] is in the late twenties. The fact that I knew less than ten percent of players were students was part of it, but that wasn't all.
I had sensed a certain childlikeness, or perhaps innocence, in her from time to time. But her demeanor and speech were so composed that I figured my perception was just being skewed by her girlish avatar.
But… she's definitely younger than me, isn't she?
I mean, she's wearing a school uniform.
A blazer with an elegant, subdued design, paired with a bright skirt in a distinctive yellow plaid. I've seen it a few times since moving to Tokyo; it's the uniform for some high school.
A high schooler? Sora-san was a high schooler…???
I'd imagined everything from a rich college girl on par with Kaede to a competent office lady…!
And, more than anything else—
"…"
I swallowed the words that were about to escape my lips and collapsed onto the sofa, staring up at the ceiling.
This is impossible.
That's against the rules.
—The fact that her appearance was the same in real life was a forbidden move of criminal proportions.
Lately, after seeing so many beautiful women and girls in the virtual world, I had started to develop a certain immunity. It has now been proven that my immunity to the opposite sex is, in fact, exclusive to the virtual world.
I mean, seriously… think about it calmly. What kind of face can be judged as a beautiful girl with both black and blonde hair without it feeling out of place???
Honestly, I was just as shocked as when I first met Iris. Sora-san, your combat power is enough to make any idol run for the hills…
No, calm down… If I panic and lose control now, all the trust I've built up will go down the drain. Since we've had this miraculous encounter in the real world by some twist of fate, I want to build a comfortable relationship with my irreplaceable partner in both worlds.
Right, I should think about it differently—if she's that much of a celestial beauty, then it's better, I won't get the wrong idea. All I have to do is constantly remind myself how utterly out of my league she is in terms of looks.
Otherwise, I'd probably start acting suspiciously in a split second. No doubt about it.
"…My Partner is Way Too Cute in Real Life, Too."
The raspy whisper that finally escaped me dissipated before reaching the ceiling—and to its echo, which sounded like the title of some novel, I added a dry laugh.
It seemed the encroachment of fantasy had no intention of showing me any mercy.
◇◆◇◆◇
"—Nnngh…!"
During a free moment while the water was boiling—letting out an indescribable cry, a girl's figure could be seen delivering a gentle headbutt to the refrigerator.
If she wasn't careful, her complaints toward a certain person (her father) would become endless, so she kept her lips sealed while silently willing the heat lingering on her cheeks to 'go away.'
She had been discussing the matter of a fiancé—a fake engagement—for some time now.
The endless stream of marriage proposals, the way people looked at her—to the young girl, they were nothing short of terrifying. It was a 'solution' she hadn't just accepted but had even wished for herself—or so it should have been.
"He didn't tell me… not about this…!"
In the first place, she wasn't even supposed to meet the 'partner.' The plan was for her father to select a trustworthy individual for the role, and they would use the pretense of a relationship as a 'shield' without ever meeting face-to-face—that was the promise.
That's why today, when she suddenly received a message saying, 'I want you to meet the fiancé candidate,' she had replied 'Understood,' while secretly fuming.
On the way here, she'd vented endlessly to Itsuki, who had come to pick her up, and by the time she reached the office, she had resolved to put on an impenetrable stone face in a rare act of rebellion.
And yet—
When she opened the door, 'he' was there.
His hairstyle was different, he wore glasses, and his eyes weren't black but a gentle chestnut brown.
But it was still him.
His face, his voice, his smile—
"—!"
Apologizing to no one in particular, she opened the refrigerator and crouched down.
If Itsuki saw her, she would probably get scolded for 'wasting electricity' or 'being unladylike.'
But if the cold air washing over her didn't cool her head, at least a little—she didn't think she'd be able to face her partner (Haru) again.
Chapter 3 is basically this. Brace yourselves.