Chapter 452 - Under a Starless Sky
The banquet was over, the first meal in this virtual world to ever truly satisfy one's appetite had been finished—and yet, not a single player was in the mood to just say, “Alright, great work everyone!” and call it a day.
About fifteen hours had passed since the event began, and the estimated virtual time was just past VM9:00. In other words, the first day would be over in about three hours… but with nightfall comes the appearance of certain things.
Namely, the “starry sky.” With the “surface” currently situated above us, you can’t find any stars by looking up at the severed sky. However, considering the title of this event…
“...I wonder if something is going to happen after all.”
“Who knows. But we’ll need to be on our guard either way.”
Considering the possibility that a different kind of starry sky might make its move, it would be nothing short of foolish to get complacent and have everyone go to bed at the same time.
—And so, I found myself on the roof of the log house. I’d had a relatively easy time of it so far, so I volunteered for the first watch… along with my partner, who had stuck right by my side. The two of us.
Both of our status bars displayed a debuff icon—the notice for Sleepiness, likely unique to this event—and as we sat there side-by-side, our conversation was perfectly calm.
Just like in reality, I could feel my eyelids gradually growing heavier, but the drowsiness tugging at the edge of my consciousness wasn't overwhelmingly strong. At least, not yet.
Apparently, the debuff can be removed by getting about four hours of sleep once it appears. Put simply, the game requires you to dedicate 1/9 of its thirty-six-hour day to sleep—that was the information that had been installed directly into our brains.
Nia and I were currently fighting off the debuff that had appeared at exactly VM9:00, and by focusing on the icon at the bottom of the status bar, a pop-up “counter” appeared, its numbers steadily ticking up.
I figured it just meant we’d have to sleep for that additional amount of time to clear it.
Coupled with the fact that the base required sleep time was a mere four hours, it meant that staying up a little late wouldn't result in any significant penalties.
At the same time—it also meant we couldn't just assume that since we're required to sleep to remove the debuff, it's unlikely anything will happen during the night.
Besides, if we obediently followed the game’s design, we’d end up with a routine like, “Go to sleep at 9 PM and start the day at 1 AM,” which, on paper, sounds completely insane. It was a safe bet to assume something would happen nine times out of ten and to prepare for it.
That's why we posted a watch, letting the other group members get some rest, even if it was just a nap.
If nothing happened, I'd get my turn in four hours and sleep until morning. I had a few ideas for how to pass the time alone, but… my partner, yawning beside me, naturally tagged along, so my plans changed.
“You can go to sleep if you’re tired, you know.”
“Mm… if I can sleep here, I’ll take you up on that.”
“You’ve got some nerve, sleeping on the edge of a roof.”
“It’s not like I have a fear of heights or anything. The reason I was screaming my head off in the sky was because of a certain someone’s perverted flying, you know?”
“Is that so…”
“Besides, I don’t have to worry about falling off. My ‘pillow’ will catch me.”
“Oh, how convenient. A handy pillow, huh—hey, stop! Don't shove…!”
Nia, who was already stuck to me at shoulder-to-shoulder distance, lunged for what I assumed was my lap. This transfigured body was soft all over and might indeed make for a comfortable pillow, but I really wished she’d remember that the person inside was a guy.
Of course, the fact that I was fully aware she was doing this because it was me made it all the more problematic—her being this close was, frankly, a little troubling.
I really needed her to realize just how much I was aware of her.
Even just our shoulders touching was enough to get to me. For a kid whose romantic feelings toward the opposite sex had been cryogenically frozen since his first year of middle school, this was a bit much.
They were currently in the process of thawing, so I just needed a little more time.
It wasn't just Nia, but Ashe, too… and now, more than anyone, Sora-san.
Ever since that day, my partner’s displays of affection—her physical closeness—had become unbelievably intense.
“...Hey, what are you thinking about?”
“Mostly about you.”
I replied instantly, and since it wasn’t a lie, a visibly shocked Nia let out a strange little “Ngyuh!” and froze solid.
I know I still have a lot of pathetic sides to me, but I have no intention of letting it end there. From now on, in moments like this, I fully intend to fight back without flinching.
“I told you, I’ll watch you while you’re beside me. Besides, it’s pretty normal for people to think about the person next to them, right? Stop, stop, I’m against violence.”
She grabbed me by the collar and started shaking me back and forth, my view of the dark forest cheerfully jiggling. Her disheveled side-tail whipped against the perpetrator of this outrage.
“What is wrong with you…! Don’t you think you’re a little too over it now!?”
Well, I’ll admit to that—but sorry, I have absolutely no intention of changing back.
“...Did you like the old me better, Nia?”
I asked lightly, trying to make it sound as casual as possible. She, who had been rampaging with a beet-red face, hesitated for a moment before letting go of my collar.
“………………………Uh, um… should I be brutally honest here?”
“I’m curious, but either way is fine.”
She pressed her forehead against my shoulder, hiding her face.
Feeling the warmth radiating from her, I gave an honest reply to her question.
“………………Then, I’ll be honest.”
“Yeah.”
“The old you, the one who was always flustered and had no composure… but was always trying his absolute best for me… he was… kinda cute, and it made my heart squeeze.”
“Squeeze, huh.”
She called me cute, I thought, laughing to hide my embarrassment. Then she said—
“—But the you right now… you make my heart pound nonstop.”
She conveyed even more heat, her words direct.
Her whisper reached my ear, and I felt the feeling spread through my own chest.
“…………Should we stop here? I think we’ll both get burned if we don’t.”
“Y-Yes, let’s.”
“Then, just a final conclusion…—I like both.”
“……, …………”
“...I think I’m more head over heels for you than I realized. This is a problem, isn’t it?”
Ah, it really is… a problem.
I really, truly, don’t know what to do.
“…………I suppose I could, maybe, lend you my lap.”
“...Heheh, what’s this? Did little Nia-chan win you ov—”
“Nope, must have been my imagination.”
“No, no, no, no! Okay, I’ve secured it! No take-backs allowed!!!”
“That’s not the energy of someone who was just saying they were sleepy…”
My wry smile, watching the blur of indigo dive into my lap with the force of a headbutt, was, frustratingly, one hundred percent to hide my own blushing.
…Because every one of the three girls who cared for me was just too damn charming.
“I’m tossing you off if you drool.”
“Pretty girls don’t do things like that~”
I truly wonder if I’ll ever be able to give them an “answer.”
Only these hopeless questions irresponsibly piled up—
…However, after continuing our idle chatter for a while to dispel our mutual embarrassment, with Nia showing no signs of actually sleeping despite having captured my lap.
“—…Hm?”
“—Huh?”
One hour into our watch, at exactly VM10:00.
We both noticed the stirring in the forest at the same time.
I said there was enough peace and quiet, but I never said there wouldn't be any sweet moments. Now, wake up.