Chapter 484 - The Tail End of a Date
"—Ooggh, ghh…"
The moment I woke up, my body was assaulted by a sense of immense wrongness, the likes of which I had never experienced before. It was different from phantom-sense fatigue; it was a severe feeling of malaise caused by the intense gap between my virtual self and the dreadfully low specs of my real body.
This is so damn rough.
If not for my trust in [Arcadia], I'd be rushing to the hospital, no questions asked. It feels like the virtual sickness I used to get in the early days, but amplified several times over—
"…So, seriously? Only an hour has passed?"
From my subjective point of view, the current time is one hour after the event started three days ago.
The digital clock displayed on the console's holographic cover just struck 22:00… My head is seriously starting to glitch out.
I knew about this beforehand and had accepted it, but to actually experience this absurdity firsthand has such a massive impact that it's almost laughable.
They're really not even trying to hide the real-life fantasy aspect anymore.
"Like I'm one to talk… Hup."
The console detected my movement and opened its cover. Without waiting for the seat to lift my back, I got out of the mechanical bed. I'm a little unsteady, a bit dizzy, and there's a slight feeling of nausea, but conventional wisdom says that the best way to alleviate these symptoms is to 'move your body.'
The cause is my brain getting confused by the spec disparity with my avatar. Forcing myself to move and get used to the sensations is the quickest way to fix it.
Of course, I could injure myself if I fall, so I shouldn't overdo it—well, as long as I don't do anything dangerous like go up and down the stairs, I should be fine.
Anyway, I'll have some tea and then go to sleep.
The login restriction that was announced is probably the system's way of telling me to 'rest.' Even though my virtual brain (outer brain) takes on the load, the memories of the four-day, three-night experience are reflected in my real brain, so some kind of fatigue must have built up.
I absolutely must not push myself. My acquaintances, who are rational people… for the most part, will probably be taking it easy tonight as well. The debriefing and information exchange can wait for another day—
…Or so I had planned?
"Now then, which one is it?"
Just as I was about to open the fridge, the sound of the doorbell brought me to a halt. I tried to guess who my visitor could be.
Nia—it couldn't be. We said our 'see you laters' and 'goodnights' after the hellish relic collection, so it would be strange for her to ring my bell just a few minutes later.
So, my choices are narrowed down to two: either Arche, who's probably full of energy right after finishing the event, or Chitose-san, bringing some kind of message.
…Or so I had thought?
The hair of the figure on my monitor wasn't black, but a fluffy, caramel-blonde long style that I still wasn't quite used to seeing. I could tell even through the video that she was extremely fidgety, so I skipped the hassle of the intercom and went straight to the entrance.
I turned the key, opened the door, and as I saw her face, I was about to ask, "What's wrong?"—
"—Huh? Wh-what the…?!"
Before I could open my mouth, a body crashing into me brought my thoughts to a halt.
To be more precise, it was the closeness of her body heat. My own head wasn't working right either, but I should have noticed when I saw her on the video intercom….
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, wait, your clothes! Put on some clothes—I mean, you're wearing them, but they're so thin! What are you doing walking around dressed like that? A single shirt is not okay!"
The heat is close. The skin is close. And since I'm also in light clothes due to the early summer, this is just incredibly, thoroughly, and in every sense of the word, not good.
On top of that, I want an immediate explanation for what she's thinking, but I don't see her holding a smartphone. The oversized T-shirt she's wearing like a dress doesn't seem to have any pockets, so she's probably completely empty-handed.
What is she doing? Don't forget your precious 'voice.'
Ugh, can't be helped…!
"Hmph… Phew…!"
With a will of steel, I beat down the thoughts that were threatening to get carried away by the heat. I planted my feet to keep from being knocked over by Nia, who was hugging me without reservation, and placed both hands on her shoulders.
What is this, she's so slender—that's not the point!!
"Answer me with a simple yes or no. I'm going to be blunt, but this is all your fault, so I won't apologize—this isn't a night raid, right?"
At that moment, she froze for a few seconds. Under the most palpable tension, I too held my breath and waited for her answer… The head she shook was side to side.
Right, good, okay. The sudden crisis has been averted—not that I can say that for sure, but it seems she hasn't lost her mind without warning.
Though I have absolutely no idea what she was thinking. In any case, I can't maintain this position, so I have to do something, anything, to change the situation.
'Go home for today'—that probably won't work, though I don't know for sure.
Then I really have no choice. I'll do this.
"…I'll allow a thirty-minute… no, a one-hour extension."
I pulled the clinging 'partner' a little closer and closed the door that had been left ajar by her foot.
Looking again, her oversized T-shirt dress and sneakers could almost pass for a variation of punk fashion… no, it doesn't. That's totally sleepwear. Please, just let me believe she's wearing something underneath, okay?
Anyway, she looked up at my words and blinked her green eyes in surprise. It seems she's aware that she's doing something unconventional.
Excellent. Just keep that minimum level of rationality intact.