Chapter 295 - 37.0°C
"Hrmmm…"
Some time had passed since Hiyori, unable to get into her work, had tossed aside her pen and the illustration she was in the middle of.
How long had it been since she’d started rolling around in bed, vaguely listening to the melody of a song she’d received for a different project?
She picked up the smartphone beside her and glanced at the time. One-thirty in the afternoon.
An hour since she’d sent off her best friend, who was dressed in a masterpiece of coordination. Assuming they met up safely, it had been about thirty minutes since the date began.
There were no new messages. Her friend was the type to have her phone in hand by default, so Hiyori had thought it was entirely possible she’d get a cowardly text full of complaints, sent brazenly in the middle of the date…
Is she okay, or is she just so overwhelmed she can’t even text? I wonder which it is.
Honestly, for this one time, her worry was still greater than her desire to cheer her on. She had given her the bare minimum warning—Don’t you dare go anywhere that isn’t crowded—but when she calmly considered who was on the offensive in this situation…
Isn’t the one who needs to be careful her friend, but him? And isn’t the one I should be worried about running wild my friend, not him?
"…No, no, no."
Surely—surely, she wouldn’t end up in some unfunny comedy where she gets counter-reported and hauled off by the police… I want to believe that won’t happen.
…Is she really okay? She’s okay, right?
"Don't go getting carried away in some weird way again, I'm begging you…!"
Why did she, a mere bystander, have to put her stomach through this? But that was a question she’d long since stopped asking.
As she prayed for her friend’s safety, unable to focus on her work, she sent a half-joking prayer to the gods… Please, let today end peacefully…
For better or for worse, she tossed the silent phone to the side.
◇◆◇◆◇
A place that's always crowded—that condition led me to the simple choice of a large theme park. In the end, choosing this place, filled with a festive clamor that perfectly orchestrated a sense of the extraordinary, was the right call.
Everywhere I looked, the park was overflowing with an energy just shy of delirium, naturally making you feel like you had to have fun.
We, who couldn't hide our forced cheerfulness at the start, were able to get going without getting caught in awkwardness, under the pretense of 'Let's just hit an attraction.'
…And that part was fine, but.
"…Nia, I’ve realized something."
"'…what?'"
"Strolling through the air in my avatar is nothing. A roller coaster is a hundred times scarier."
"'…i have no idea what you're talking about.'"
At the request of my companion, who drew the eyes of ninety-nine percent of the people we passed, I had just challenged one of those attractions known as a 'scream machine' for the first time in my life.
The result: Nia and I had both gone down for the count, and were now slumped on a bench, our faces pale.
"'That's more than a little surprising. So why are you like that over there?'"
"I'd like to know that myself… And you? After charging in with such glee, this is how you end up?"
"'…It was my first time, too, so I just wanted to try it.'"
I see… On an unrelated note, is that 'app' of yours specially made, by any chance? The text you type is resized and displayed so clearly each time that my eyes don't get tired even with this form of conversation. It’s a huge help.
"'I realized something, too.'"
"Yeah?"
"'Not being able to scream even when you're so scared you want to… it felt like a new kind of torture. It was awful.'"
Alright, let’s stop with the slightly dark jokes. If it were anyone but me, that could have created an awkward atmosphere—…what’s with that look?
Don’t go throwing sharp jokes at a guy you’ve technically just met for the first time with such a trusting smile. Don't blame me if my HP hits zero and I can’t continue the date.
"So, how's your sense of balance?"
"'…Still a little wobbly.'"
"Thought so. I'll go buy us some drinks. What do you—"
—want? As I asked and stood up, a hand that had followed me as a matter of course caught my arm.
My body froze, but my eyes darted to the side. There stood Nia, who had just claimed to be wobbly, looking away from me.
"…Y-You can stay seated, you know?"
I said the words, but there was no reply.
And for good reason—the hands that should have been typing words in place of her voice were both wrapped around my arm.
…Well, it's the same whether she has words or not. Her large, green eyes looking up at me from point-blank range told the story of all her feelings and intentions in perfect detail.
Namely—that today, she had no intention of leaving someone's side.
"Tch…! —Don't trip."
I tried to push the heat from my left arm, which she squeezed in reply, to the back of my mind.
But the offensive from the girl following me as I started to walk—an offensive far beyond my expectations—was, terrifyingly enough, only just beginning.
◇◆◇◆◇
He's wearing glasses!!!!!
His hair is a little shorter!!!!!!!!
His hairstyle is pretty different too!!!!!!!!!!
And his vibe is somehow calmer than in the virtual world!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can't, I really can't, what is this, he's so handsome, I love him…!!!!!!!!!
And so it was.
In truth, the girl was malfunctioning. So much so that she had vaulted over the line he had likely drawn at 'holding hands' and impulsively reached for his arm.
She couldn't make any sense of herself at all.
Is it even possible to love someone's face this much just based on preference?—she tilted her head endlessly in her mind, captivated beyond all reason.
She was aware she had a bit of a father complex towards her Japanese dad, and she understood that those childhood memories were reflected in her 'tastes'… but still.
Even so, could a boy this perfect really exist? Or was it just that he seemed to shine all the brighter because she had fallen for his personality, too?
The more she thought, the deeper she seemed to fall into a spiral.
And on top of that—
"…"
She glanced over. Her eyes fell on his profile as he ordered, chatting in a remarkably friendly way with the staff at the kiosk.
He looked like he was keeping a poker face, but his face was faintly red.
"Your girlfriend is sooo pretty!"
"Ah, well, um… haha…"
And now he was turning even redder after being teased by the high-energy staff member.
I can't.
I really can't.
I truly can't handle this.
Could it be that his defense is lower here than in the game?
She'd had a vague feeling about it, but maybe it was because when he was [Haru] in Arcadia, he was lightly role-playing?
Was he less used to girls than she thought?
Or was it romance that he wasn't used to?
Could it be,
No, it wasn't a 'could it be'—
…You're aware of me, aren't you?
That when she hugged his arm tighter, he looked back at her, troubled.
That when their eyes met, he quickly looked away as if to hide it.
—I knew it. I knew it, but still.
He complained, but in the end, he was properly seeing her as a girl.
…Hey, what should I do, Hiyo-chan? I'm in trouble. I really need help.
They always scold me for staying in the bath too long and getting light-headed, just because I like baths, but,
"…H-Hey. You can't drink that unless you free up at least one hand."
I wonder if he's younger than me, just as I suspected.
I'm trying my best over here, but even more than that… his flustered reactions to every single one of my advances, and the way he desperately tries to compose himself.
The boy I love is so cute it makes no sense—and right now, for the first time in my life, I feel like I'm going to pass out from my own fever.
He doesn't react when others treat them like a couple. Why? Because he only has eyes for you.