Chapter 472 - Parallel Arrows
The starry sky is watching a memory.
Of the “crimson” that, even after the night has passed, remains seared, unfading.
Of the brilliant “white” that it glimpsed from a distant height, hidden in the darkness.
One who seeks—No.
One who is worthy—No.
One who is incapable——No.
One who cannot intersect————No.
He is the one who bears the stars. Not one who seeks, but the very brilliance that is sought.
If so, the time has come to spread the great wings, frozen in eternity.
For this star-shadow desires but one thing—a host who aims for the end.
◇◆◇◆◇
“Nfufu, you’re staring.”
“…You got a problem with that?”
The teasing words at my back were something I’d heard countless times during this event.
I was so past being annoyed that I’d grown used to it. As I turned around with what was basically a ‘problem?’, I saw an orange-haired girl with a beaming smile beside me.
It was irritating that neither my scowl nor my low voice had any threatening effect on her, but since I knew full well this was my own fault, I couldn’t even get properly angry. It was a dilemma.
It can’t be helped. Even though my mind is screaming at me to be mindful of others, my eyes and body are drawn to him on their own.
I had resolved to spoil him so much he’d be crying and begging for forgiveness—and as a result, I ended up a hundred percent more useless than I had planned. I have no one to blame but myself.
It can’t be helped. My brakes gave out a long, long time ago.
“Your ‘partner’ has warmed up to everyone, so I thought now would be a good time. I’d like to commence, with much anticipation, our little love talk session.”
“No. Don’t. Go home.”
“‘Go home’ is a bit harsh, don’t you think?! It’s a ten-second walk!”
“Gah, you’re so loud, so loud! Stop clinging to me…!”
No sooner had we finished our walk and returned to base than my popular ‘partner’ was whisked away by the guys, and our lovely trio was disbanded.
As I watched him (the beautiful girl) from afar, holding another one of his suspicious lectures to a rapt audience, I tried to push away the friend who was now pressing against my back.
“Co-ome on, Nia-chan. You’ve been stuck to the Acrobat’s side this whole time, and even though we had this ultra-miracle event encounter, we haven’t gotten any skinship in at all, so Nonomi-san is just so, so lonely, really—”
“Gah, you’re heavy, you’re heavy, you’re so heavy! Stop being so clingy!”
“Ahaha, that’s a giant boomerang if I’ve ever heard one! So funny!”
As we wrestled on top of the giant tree stump we were using as a chair, I sensed more than a few gazes turning our way from the ‘Acrobat Lecture’ that everyone was attending.
I was well aware that since the group’s formation, we’d been treated like the two idols… or rather, mascots. Given the heavily skewed gender ratio, it was inevitable that we’d draw attention, but I’ve never been good with guys’ stares, so it was a little uncomfortable.
Male players in this virtual world are surprisingly gentlemanly and know their boundaries, so I’ve never had a scary experience like I have in the real world, but—
“Okay, let’s start with this. The classic, ‘What part of him did you fall for?’ question, hm?”
“What do you mean, ‘start’? I’m rejecting this whole ‘love talk’ thing in the first place.”
“You reject it, but you’re not saying it’s not a romance thing, so that means it’s a sure thing, right? I mean, I’d just burst out laughing if you tried to deny that part anyway.”
At any rate, this one here knows no boundaries and shows no mercy.
With my ‘Combat Power: None’ stay-at-home build, I stood no chance against an extrovert with ‘Combat Power: Slight.’ The best I could do was send a silent, indignant glare her way, but she just brushed it off with a cool expression.
Everyone’s staring. This is so embarrassing, I really wish you’d stop—
“Tch…”
“Ah. Aah, aah, aah! Your eyes met, didn’t they? Your heart’s pounding, isn’t it? So cute!”
“I’m going to bite you.”
“Don’t you dare!?”
He must have heard us start to get rowdy, just like the guys.
My eyes locked with his blue ones as he turned to look our way, and I froze—my secret exposed, I bared my teeth in a threat out of pure embarrassment, but the arms wrapped around me didn’t let go.
It’s been this way since we first met, but I still don’t understand why she likes me so much.
Originally, it was her fault for stubbornly refusing to accept my thanks, but still… I’ve done nothing but give her the cold shoulder.
“…You keep talking about me, but what about you? Who is Ikketsu-san? A member of your guild?”
“Hm? Yeah. He’s a former solo chef who joined about six months ago.”
We’d hit it off naturally since he was an acquaintance of a friend, but I still had no idea what the relationship was between him and her.
But if she was going to say, “now would be a good time,” then I figured the same applied to me, and decided to press her.
“I’ve been pretending not to notice, but seeing you with a guy, Nonomi-chan, was actually pretty shocking. What’s the deal? Isn’t it you who’s got something going on?”
“Nfufu, too bad. When it comes to romantic relationships, we’re not even remotely each other’s type.”
“…Wasn’t your type something like ‘a silent, dedicated professional’?”
When I pointed out that he seemed to fit the description perfectly, she replied,
“Oh, that’s old news, Nia-chan, your information is outdated. This big sister’s current trend is ‘an interesting, cool, reliable, and pleasant younger man,’ so you’d better remember that.”
“You know, that is incredibly irritating…!”
The smug look she gave me from point-blank range, combined with the fact that I had no idea what she was being smug about, was utterly infuriating. The condescending ‘big sister’ act on top of it, which was undoubtedly just to tease me, was another point of irritation.
But what was truly unforgivable was how she knew, down to the last detail, that I’d opened my heart to her enough to let it slide anyway.
Really, why is she like this outside of work?
When she’s in artisan mode, she’s cooler than anyone.
“Wait, what was that? ‘Interesting, cool…’—You totally said that while looking in one specific direction, didn’t you?! Are you trying to pick a fight with me?!”
“If you don’t want a fight, then just spill the beans in our love talk! Come on, come on, confess! Tell your big sister everything! What do you like about him, come on, come on, come on!”
“Nnghaaaaaaaaaaaah…! F-FIRST OF ALL, HIS FACE!!!”
Under the relentless assault, I gave up with a ‘to hell with it’ and screamed back. My direct-hit counter seemed to catch the “enemy” off guard, as she let out a choked, “Nnghff…!”
It was a suicidal move that paid no mind to the consequences—and a mere three seconds later, Nia herself was completely wrecked.
◇◆◇◆◇
The starry sky is watching.
The “indigo” that glitters like a clear water surface, steadfastly gazing into the distance.
The “eyes” that hold the potential to see to the very end, like twin stars wavering in the heavens.
She is one who seeks, and one who harbors the stars.
If so, the time has come to wear the crown, sunken in eternity.
For this star-shadow desires but one thing—a host who holds the talent to rule.
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