kscans

Chapter 245 - The Nail That Sticks Out Gets Bound

"Mmm... grading time!"

"Looks good, doesn't it?"

"Not bad."

After a while, once things had finally settled down, I found myself subjected to a full makeover.

My hair, which I had previously just haphazardly held in place with spray, was thoroughly restyled. To top it off, I was made to change my glasses, at which point I received a 'passing grade' from each of them.

My hair... well, that's fine, I guess.

"These glasses are a hard pass, though—"

These weren't just the oval-shaped glasses I'd previously deemed 'incredibly unflattering.' No, these were the round-shaped ones I had personally classified as bizarre.

Round-shaped, as in, John Lennon glasses. Only an incredibly handsome man, a fashionista, or an intelligent girl like Mizuki—the one who provided them—could possibly pull these off—

"They work."

"They totally work."

"Not bad."

"You really think so...?"

Unlike my fake glasses, these were prescription, so they pressed on my eyes with an unfamiliar feeling. I took them off and muttered my doubt. After wiping them down with a cloth, I returned them to Mizuki, who put them back on without a second thought.

...The fact that she had no reservations about touching something I had just handled, I'll take that as a positive. If it were anyone but me, you'd be making them misunderstand things, you know.

"We need to make it as quirky as possible without being unnatural. You have a plain... or rather, a smart-looking face, so nothing you put on will clash."

"I'm being... complimented. I think."

"That was a straight-up compliment. Nozomin, isn't your self-esteem a little too low?"

"Well, I have my own reasons—Nozomin???"

"Anyway, your face should be fine for a while. If you just need to keep it under wraps until you can get your head on straight, there's no need to go to extreme lengths to stay hidden forever, right?"

That's true.

There's a limit to how much you can disguise yourself. I really don't want to go as far as dyeing my hair or shaving my head in the real world.

By the way, I would very much like to address the nickname 'Nozomin' that Shoko just casually dropped—

"Alright, next up is what to do with yourself from now on."

"Right... —Nozomi-kun, what are your plans for university?"

...But as the conversation shifted to the next massive topic, I lost my chance to question the mysterious nickname.

In this day and age, where the virtual world is widely prevalent—no, widely accepted—the existence of a top-tier [Arcadia] player has, much like 'streamers' a generation ago, come to occupy a top spot among dream jobs.

Being recognized as a 'profession'—means that the position comes with profits and income.

The forms this takes are diverse, and I don't know the specifics myself, but the basics involve getting 'sponsors' in various ways. Apparently, some even use their name recognition to start their own businesses, but such powerful individuals are a tiny minority.

For example, Irori—Nate Mitake's—major modeling career is sponsor-related work, and in a more unconventional case, Ui-san's 'book' is something similar.

When you reach the absolute top, the Title Holders, it's common to have some source of income based on your popularity in the virtual world.

And when that popularity isn't just domestic, but literally global... the profits you can earn swell to a scale beyond imagination.

To live by playing—it's no wonder that the celestial players who embody this in the modern age have become objects of admiration.

Whether that dream and admiration are realistic, however, is another story.

So—what happens to the [Acrobat], who has suddenly risen to prominence?

Roughly two months since his virtual world debut. In that short time, he's racked up one incomprehensible victory after another, and to top it off, he even managed to best the strongest player in Arcadia, the [Sword Queen].

Would the world—would the countless corporations scrambling to get close to popular players—leave such a person alone?

"You know, it wouldn't be surprising if you became a billionaire someday."

"..."

"It's not that it wouldn't be surprising; it's practically a given."

"It wouldn't be strange if major corporations were already making moves to sign him as we speak."

While I fell silent, Mizuki and Shoko reinforced Toshiki's words.

"Of course, you can refuse. But the best option is to not be found in the first place... At the very least, you shouldn't be walking around in public for a while."

Mizuki's follow-up was less of a suggestion and more of a 'conclusion.'

In any case, the situation has already exceeded the capacity of a mere commoner like me, who lacks both knowledge and resolve. If I were to be caught by someone while wandering around alone... well, even an amateur like me can imagine it wouldn't end well.

And ultimately, there's the question of whether I can continue my university life under these circumstances—or rather, whether I even need to.

From now on, the [Acrobat] of Istia will likely have an enormous 'value' attached to him. That's a given, whether I want it or not.

And of course, the profits generated from that value will come rolling into my hands... and there's the question of whether there's any meaning in continuing as a student while earning an income that rivals that of a top athlete.

It's not that my studies are being belittled.

It's that the virtual world is just too heavy.

"...Are there any famous rankers who are still active students?"

"If you mean maintaining a normal life as a normal student, there's only one. But 'he' is an exception, and it's more about keeping up appearances since he's still in compulsory education."

Mizuki, who has the broadest and deepest knowledge among the four of them, is truly a lifesaver. She answered my question without hesitation, then lowered her eyes in thought and continued.

"The [Sword Queen] Iris, the [Sword Protector] Irori, the [Right Wing] and [Left Wing]—there are quite a few rankers who rose to prominence while they were still students, but I don't think any of them graduated normally. As far as I know, at least, there's no one whose activity history suggests they were attending school regularly."

It seems no one has heard of anyone dropping out decisively either, but none of them chose to 'continue attending normally.' Or rather, they couldn't, is probably more accurate.

"The 'expectations' placed on them—and the 'responsibility' born from trying to meet them—are too great. I don't think it's possible to manage that alongside your studies."

"Heh, that's just like that hero stuff, isn't it? With great power comes great responsibility."

Toshiki's interjection was undoubtedly out of consideration for me. His joking tone couldn't hide his good nature.

"You can refuse... but still, right?"

Even with my lack of knowledge, I was desperately trying to wrap my head around it. As Mizuki said, whether or not to accept those who approach me is, of course, up to me.

However, as the saying goes, it's best to swim with the tide—

"I don't have any specialized knowledge either. So I can't say anything irresponsible, but... I can't recommend it. For your own safety, you should join a 'large organization' as soon as possible."

That's what I think—Mizuki's conclusion sounded like nothing but the absolute truth to me.

"Aaargh..."

Here, in what was likely the 'safest place in the real world' for me right now, surrounded by friends—

"So... freaking..."

"...annoying...!"

I, who had journeyed through the virtual world with nothing but the desire to enjoy a game, was now bound by the shackles of the real world.

I let out an extremely dejected cry and leaned back on the sofa... listlessly, I stared up at the ceiling.