kscans

Chapter 298 - Untangling Things, One by One

"I am so, so sorry!"

"Right, well, um…"

—Exactly one hour after that.

The stage shifted from our real-world date, which had ended with quite a shock, to her virtual atelier.

The moment I stepped into the room, Nia dropped into a full, dramatic dogeza. Her earnest apology completely took the wind out of my sails, and I found myself at a loss for words, averting my gaze and scratching my cheek.

After that whole thing, Nia had snapped back to her senses and tried to bolt.

I, however, refused to let our date end on such a classic rom-com trope and promptly ran to catch her.

She said there were things she wanted to talk about, including a proper apology, and asked for an “overtime round” in the virtual world—which brings us to now….

"Well, look… it was an attempted kiss, and it's your first offense, so there's room for leniency…"

"If only I were two centimeters taller…!"

"Hey, hold on. Are you actually sorry?!"

"I'm sorry, I am! It was a joke…!"

So yeah, that's what happened.

She'd nearly stolen my first kiss with a surprise attack, but thankfully, Nia's aim and height were just a bit off, causing the point of impact to land slightly below and to the side.

—Honestly, that doesn't really change much, does it?

Even if it was just an attempt, the shock was still immense… so much so that I can't even look the rampaging 'culprit' in the eye.

"…For now, just lift your head. I don't mind if you stay like that, but please do it somewhere I can't see so you don't keep triggering my guilt."

"That's kinda harsh…! I said I'm sorry…!"

"Wha—?! Hey, stop it! Don't cling to me! This is already way past the point of being funny, so seriously, stop! Get off! Go on, shoo!"

She's clearly genuinely sorry, but now that's making her… well, you know.

I can guess she's desperate because she's afraid I'll start hating her—and that just makes this whole situation completely and utterly hopeless.

Truth be told, I'm just as desperate myself.

Using my superior stats, I push Nia away and unceremoniously toss her onto the sofa to create a safe distance. But the way she clutches a cushion, looking so vulnerable, and the way her anxious eyes glance up at me… every little thing she does deals a critical blow.

Seriously, who is this girl…? I'm getting dizzy in more ways than one.

"…"

"…"

And now that we've calmed down, we're met with this silence.

I understand why she wanted an 'overtime round' instead of ending things in a chaotic mess, but maybe we should have taken a bit of a break—

"…Hey."

"Yeah?"

Her muffled voice comes from behind the cushion. When I look over, Nia is fiddling with her short, indigo hair, staring intently at me.

"My hair."

"Yeah."

"Do you like it long?"

"Yeah???"

I tilt my head at the random question. Her face—which has been red since the beginning—contorts as she hesitates, opening and closing her mouth…

"…You were staring at it a lot today."

"Wh-Ngh-Guh!"

She struck me right where it hurts.

How did she—no, that's not what I meant…!

"N-No, you're wrong! I don't know what you're wrong about, but I wasn't looking at you in a weird way, okay? It was just the most obvious difference between your real self and your avatar, so my eyes kept drifting there! It's not like that!"

"You're talking really fast… —How about this?"

"Wha—…"

She must have used one of those cosmetic magic tools I'd borrowed from her in the past.

Her familiar indigo hair instantly transformed from its usual short style into—soft, long locks, just like her real-world self.

"…So, do you like this better?"

"Seriously, just wait a second. Please, give me a break."

I'll admit it.

Yeah, fine, she's drop-dead gorgeous.

But this isn't about what hairstyle I prefer…!

"…………Both styles suit you. I really don't have a preference for hairstyles, I swear."

"Huh…? But your reaction was so…"

"Do you have any idea what you're doing…?!"

Why do you think I'm on my knees, struggling to breathe? When you come at a guy with that much affection, asking 'Which do you prefer?', most guys would just…!

"It's not about what I'm doing… I'm just desperate. I thought you weren't even the slightest bit interested in me, so this is even more…"

"That's not true, is it?"

I'm pretty sure I've gotten flustered around her before—but as I tilt my head in confusion, Nia glares at me from where she's buried in her long hair and the cushion, looking displeased.

"It's a matter of proportion. There's no doubt that I'm the one who likes you more… from the very beginning, always."

"Ah…,… S-Since the beginning? When did you even—"

"I told you. From the very beginning."

She looks straight at my stunned face and says it.

"—It was love at first sight for me."

"—… That's, ah… huh?"

No way.

Wait, that's… no way.

"B-But why…"

"'Why' is a weird question. I like what I like!"

"But in a world filled with handsome guys, why someone like me?"

"You know I can see through to people's real faces, right? Well, to be precise, I can just tell if a face is artificial or not."

"Oh… so that's also an effect of your 'magic eyes.'"

"Though, I lied when I said it was the power of my [Anima]."

"What?!"

Wait, I don't get it. I don't get any of it.

What am I even supposed to react to first…!

"God, you're so dense…! Your self-esteem is way too low! You're genuinely good-looking, just look in a mirror and realize it already! What is wrong with you?!"

"…,…"

How many times have I been rendered speechless now?

But you can't blame me. I've almost never been complimented on my appearance so directly, especially when compared to someone else.

…Wait, is this one of those things, too?

Another thing where I just decided for myself that it wasn't true and refused to listen—

"At the very least, you're handsome by real-world standards! Got it?!"

"Is that… so…"

"It is! —Enough for a super cute girl like me to fall for you at first sight!"

"…Well, I'm glad to see your self-awareness is perfectly intact."

I need to reflect—I just declared that to myself.

I have to accept this instead of laughing it off as a compliment or a joke—as I thought this and replied, still half in a daze…

"'Your' self-awareness…? Does that, um, I mean, so…"

I realized I'd let my guard down and sparked a new flame of embarrassment. I gently averted my eyes from Nia, who was now stammering uncontrollably.

I know I decided to face her, to not run away, but come on…!

Everything has its limits, and I'm already way over capacity!