Chapter 662 - What's in the Cup is Grape-Colored
“—So, you see, if you want to be popular with girls, ‘effort’ is absolutely essential. I’m pretty sure the reverse is also true; it’s basically the ironclad rule of romance.”
“R-Right…”
“Of course, I’m sure there are plenty of ‘exceptions,’ you know? But the overwhelming majority of people are liked by someone else precisely because they consciously make an effort.”
“I… see?”
“Take Haru-san, for example. He pays an incredible amount of attention to other people. He watches them carefully, closely, talks to them, thinks about them, and then fulfills their ideal desires within the scope of what he can do. It’s no wonder he’s liked not just by girls, but by guys too.”
“Th-That’s… pretty amazing, yeah…”
“It is. It’s amazing—frankly, I think it’s on the level of a total eccentric, but he is without a doubt ‘charming.’ He’s the exception among exceptions who is popular without even trying. I believe we should assume that people like that have endured struggles that people who aren’t exceptions could never understand. They deserve our awe and respect, not our jealousy.”
“A-Awe…”
“I mean, it doesn’t make any sense, right? Hitting all the right notes with someone from the moment you meet them? It makes you wonder just how much heart he puts into observing people. It’s insane, isn’t it?”
“Well, yeah. I guess so…”
“I’ve gotten sidetracked, but Haru-san doesn’t matter right now. Ricky-san, if you want to be popular, you have to put in the effort. The difference between ‘someone who just wants to be popular’ and ‘someone who is seriously trying to be popular’ is like night and day, like the virtual world and the real world.”
“I’m not sure I really get that comparison…”
“Your demeanor, your consideration for others, your choice of words. Let’s start by being mindful of these things in your daily life and aim to build a trustworthy foundation. The rest comes after that.”
“A trust… worthy foundation.”
“If I were to list the ‘attributes’ you currently possess, Ricky-san, I imagine it would be something like ‘energetic,’ ‘loud,’ ‘unpopular,’ and so on.”
“Hold on a second. Did you just say something unbelievably rude to me?”
“I don’t think those things are inherently negative in and of themselves. In the end, attributes can be either positive or negative depending on who has them.”
“Rinne-chan? Are you listening to me?”
“So, let’s build a ‘foundation’ that makes those additional attributes shine. Not just by yourself, either. You create that version of yourself in the space between you and the person you want to show it to.”
“R-Rinne-chan?”
“It’s precisely because you build it together that an attachment—a ‘love’—is born, isn’t it? I believe that’s what ‘like’ and ‘love’ are all about—”
…And so it went on, for what must have been close to ten minutes now.
Stunned and bewildered. As I stood beside this scene—where the pitiful victim, one Mr. Ricky, was cowering, truly overwhelmed after being subjected to a ‘Popularity Lecture’ from the esteemed Professor Rinne-chan-san, who was passionately spouting her theories in a perfect embodiment of ‘saying whatever you want to whoever you want’—I couldn't help but think something.
“...Did some of that somehow end up hitting me, too?”
Jin-san was watching the whole spectacle with amusement, Hagi-kun-san had simply gotten up and left as if it had nothing to do with him, and for some reason, Mr. Tonic had lined up next to Ricky and was taking the lecture with a serious expression. Ignoring them, I offered a wry smile to Maru II beside me—and found him with a strange look on his face.
“…”
It wasn't just stern… it was a look of suspicion, as if to say, Don't tell me this idiot…. His gaze was fixed on Rinne, who felt like all her usual limiters for momentum, restraint, and everything else had broken. Then, his eyes fell to the cup on the table in front of her, and he snatched it.
He tilted his head slightly, as if to ask what are you doing?, examining the small amount of liquid left inside… and a few seconds later, he let out an enormous sigh.
“Ah… honestly, this is beyond embarrassing, but—she’s drunk, this idiot.”
“Huh???”
My initial thought was, What are you talking about? But looking back on it, her behavior had indeed seemed that way from the start.
Besides, though it was hard to tell with the combination of night and lamplight, it wasn’t just her cheeks; her entire skin seemed to have a reddish, flushed tint.
And as I accepted that, one question came to mind.
“I thought you couldn’t get drunk in the virtual world?”
I’d asked the General Commander about it once when I saw him chugging something that looked like beer at a banquet, and I was sure the common knowledge in Arcadia was that ‘players can’t get drunk.’
Alcohol itself exists, but something about the makeup of our ‘otherworlder’ avatars automatically nullifies the intoxicating effects… or to put it bluntly, that’s just how it was designed.
“That’s true, but there are exceptions… or rather, it’s one of those things where you can’t get drunk because it’s a virtual world, but you can get drunk for the exact same reason.”
“…? —Oh.”
He’d said it like a riddle, and I almost tilted my head in confusion again, but then it hit me.
“You mean, through the power of suggestion?”
“Bingo. It’s not just that, but there are also… well, I guess you could call them constitutional differences? It’s a rare case that happens when this and that personal factor all interact.”
“Huh…”
In this world, thoughts and emotions affect the body far more strongly than in the real world. So much so that you can even move your limbs with a single thought.
So, this was something similar to that—anyway.
“Uh, is she going to be okay?”
“See for yourself.”
“Is that a yes or a no…?”
Well, I could tell by the look on his face and the direction of his gaze, not by his words.
In other words, ‘NO’—letting out another sigh, Maru II stood up. “So, if you’ll excuse us for a bit…” he said, and with nothing but a wry smile, I saw him off.
“—…and that’s why, in the first place, the guys in the Northern Faction are all so un-cute and lack any moe appe—hey, what, what are you doing, Maru? Don’t pull me—”
“Oh, shut up, you idiot Rinne. Log out and sober up already. How many times do I have to tell you not to put your mouth on something if you can’t tell whether it’s juice or alcohol… I’m really sorry about this. We’ll be going now.”
“Yeah, yeah. See you later.”
With a flick of his wrist, he forced his grumbling partner to log out, and then Maru II, acting as either escort or caretaker, disappeared as well.
I gave them a little wave. Jin-san was smiling fondly, muttering, “They get along so well.” Ignoring him, my gaze drifted and my eyes met Ricky’s.
“…Can we just pretend I was drunk, too?”
“Haha… Shall we try our introductions again?”
I felt a pang of sympathy for the dejected-looking man. I could already tell he wasn’t a bad guy, so I replied with an easy, wry smile of my own.
The moment she logs out, she'll be sober, and her memory of it all will be perfectly clear.
3, 2, 1, until real-life Rinne-chan realizes what she's done and starts flailing…