kscans

Chapter 267 - The Second Contract

"S-So, how is it...?"

"It's delicious. You made this by hand, a drip brew, right? That's quite impressive."

As I offered my wholehearted praise, Sora visibly relaxed, her shoulders slumping in relief.

Watching her, I felt a mix of guilt for causing her so much stress and happiness for her thoughtfulness. In truth, it was genuinely impressive. Having been taught a thing or two at a cafe run by a coffee-crazed owner, I had some confidence in my palate. This was on par with what the self-proclaimed maid, Natsume-san, had made, and I certainly didn't know anyone her age who could produce such a rich flavor. You could open a shop, Sora-san.

I wondered what beans she used for this blend. Although I could tell the difference in taste, I didn't have enough knowledge to decipher the components without any hints—

""........................""

...And so, the thirty seconds I had bought by focusing solely on the taste of the coffee came to an end. An indescribable atmosphere filled the space between us as we sat facing each other again.

I couldn't just stay silent, but what on earth was I supposed to talk about—

"U-Um..."

After a while of us both looking at and away from each other, just as I was about to open my mouth without any clear thought, it was the girl who broke the silence.

"I'm still very confused... you see. I understand the situation, but I haven't been told at all how we got here..."

"Ah, well, I can imagine..."

If she had been told beforehand, she wouldn't be this bewildered. This was most likely a grand surprise from Mr. Yotsuya for the both of us. And so, although I didn't have the full picture myself, I tried to explain everything I could to Sora—

"————Father...!!"

—and the result was this furious young lady of the Yotsuya household.

"N-Now, now... I'm sure Yots—Togo-san's character, he probably didn't mean any harm by it..."

Somehow, he had a similar vibe to Goldow? He's strict when he needs to be, but takes every opportunity to be playful. That's the impression I got.

"Yes...! But that's not it.................. Um, you see... first of all, why do you think he knew about us?"

"Huh? Well, that's..."

That's............Huh, now that you mention it, why?

No, there's no 'why'; the only possible reason he would know about our relationship is that he was 'watching' us, but—

"............Wait a minute? It's that, right? The contract I had to sign when I ordered [Arcadia]... what was it again?"

Something about consenting to provide play footage to the developers for the purpose of game data collection...

"————————————"

It wasn't just that Mr. Yotsuya knew about us. It was the source of his trust, the reason he could leave his beloved daughter with me, whom he had just met in real life for the first time... The 'certain possibility'—or rather, the 'certain truth'—that Sora was truly angry about, far more than any surprise, came to mind.

I was speechless, broke out in a cold sweat, and almost dropped my coffee cup.

"............I don't want to think about it, but..."

"...Yes?"

"He saw everything, didn't he...?"

There was no reply, only Sora's quiet smile—

"I'll be having a word with him."

"Ah... yes."

Seeing her chilling smile, I offered a silent prayer for Mr. Yotsuya in my heart—

...Actually, no, there's no need for that. Please, give him a thorough scolding.

Anyway.

"If he knew everything and still acted like that, then I guess I should be grateful."

"...Isn't that a bit of a stretch, even for looking on the bright side? This is a blatant disregard for our privacy."

"Well, it is within the rights of the developers that we, the players, consented to... At the very least, it means he trusts me enough to entrust his daughter to me, right?"

And not only that, but to go so far as to offer the title of 'fiancé' as a request from his side.

"That's something I'm genuinely happy about."

"Hk—...Is that, so?"

Leaving aside the depth of that trust, there's no greater sense of security than the fact that I've been acknowledged. In this world too, I can stand beside her—an unbelievable, miraculous piece of good fortune.

"..................Haru, you..."

"Hm?"

She put down her cup, picked it up, and put it down again. Her eyes shifting restlessly, Sora began to speak hesitantly.

"What do you... think...? About... um............Hk."

Seeing her struggle to speak, her hesitation unshakable—I wasn't so dense that I couldn't figure out what she was trying to say. And Sora wasn't so dense that she couldn't tell I had figured it out.

It was embarrassing, but thankfully... it seemed our telepathic connection was alive and well in the real world, too.

Seeing my face, she clammed up even more, so in her stead,

"Will this be enough to protect you?"

I asked, trying to sound as casual as possible. The girl, who had lowered her gaze and was trembling at the lips, took a gulp of coffee as if to build up her courage—

"—Father told me."

"...And what was that?"

"He said... 'I will absolutely protect you'... that this is my chance to fulfill that promise."

"Hk—Ha, haha..."

That was probably about last night—it seems I really should assume that he knows everything.

It's both reassuring and makes me want to crawl into a hole... but if I've been acknowledged even after he knows everything, then perhaps the wisest thing to do is to just accept it and feel 'relieved'.

"Well then, I guess it's the same as in the virtual world after all."

"Hk..., ............Are you sure about this, really? Won't you regret it?"

"I think that's my line."

"That's not true. There will absolutely be a lot of trouble."

"Isn't that the same for both of us?"

"........................"

Words ceased, and her sky-blue eyes wavered.

Because we already understood each other's hearts.

What we were waiting for was not an answer, but for each of us to find our resolve.

"...Haru."

"Yeah."

"Will you protect me?"

"If you'll protect me."

Not one or the other. Because we are already equal partners.

The smiles we exchanged served as our second oath, following our partner contract.

"Well then—I'm Haru Kasuga. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hk—...... I'm Sora Yotsuya. The pleasure is all mine."

The hand that grasped my outstretched one felt just a little warmer than the small hand I was used to.