kscans

Chapter 299 - A Belated First Look at Love

—And so.

Since we were both at our limit, I proposed we forcibly change the atmosphere for a bit, a request that was smoothly accepted. A short while has passed since then.

From there, we shifted to more casual tasks, like me handing over the gems I'd collected from the [Great Rock-Eating Hive] and having her appraise some items—

—but I was a fool to think I could relax and let my guard down.

I mean, this is beyond avoiding the topic. It's not just about Nia anymore; I've been forced to realize that I can't handle it either….

Once you become truly conscious of it, it's over—how could I possibly remain perfectly composed with 'a girl who likes me' in the same room?

Whether or not I can sort out my feelings on romance is a question with a completely uncertain future… but since I've decided to face it, I can no longer just push it to the back of my mind.

"…For now, let's just, you know, sleep. We both really can't take much more of this."

"I agree…"

See? Just as I thought, Nia and I are both on our last legs.

To make matters worse, even the sight of her slumped over the sofa in exhaustion no longer looks 'normal' to me… I'm really at a loss here.

I'm one of those people who, for better or worse, sees this world more strongly as 'a game.' On top of that, by recognizing avatars as 'avatars,' I had an extra layer of resistance to beautiful women and girls.

But she's genuinely gorgeous. Now that I've seen her real face, I can no longer think of her avatar, with its minor differences, as just a 'creation.'

Her father is apparently Japanese, but her mother is from Russia. She threw that information at me casually, so I don't know the details, but her mother is a fairly famous painter or something.

The only daughter of a globally active creator couple… so that's what it means. It wasn't just her looks; she, too, was a genuine high-society lady.

Is the density of rich girls around me getting ridiculous?

Well, I guess it makes sense. Considering we met in a virtual world with a three-million-yen entry fee, it's probably not that rare to meet people my age from wealthy families….

—Anyway, that aside.

"You ran around a lot in the real world today, too. Let's get some proper rest."

"Yeah… I know."

It wasn't even nine o'clock yet, but Nia was already looking sleepy, hugging a cushion as she gave a slightly dazed reply.

…Don't fall asleep in here. Well, even if you did, [Arcadia] would just put you into a deep sleep anyway.

It's a mysterious function whispered about in certain circles—and not just a few—as being 'better for your body than sleeping in a real bed.' How it provides such comfort to a body that can't even toss and turn is, as always, an incomprehensible fantasy.

Alright, it's finally time to say goodbye—I have to say what needs to be said.

"Nia."

"Hmyes?"

…I get that you're sleepy, but don't try to kill me right off the bat. Guys have a weakness for that kind of thing; we're basically idiots when it comes to pretty girls.

"Wake up. I have something important to say. I won't repeat it if you miss it."

"Ngh… j-just a second… —Okay, I'm ready."

I couldn't help but let out a small laugh as I watched her rub her eyes like a child to ward off sleep. I tried my best to stay calm, push past the embarrassment, and begin stringing together the words I had prepared.

"Thank you for telling me you like me. I was genuinely happy, and I feel honored. …Though I'm still having a hard time believing it's real."

"…………It is real, you know."

"…Yeah. I know."

She must have taken that as another self-deprecating comment. I gave a wry smile to Nia, whose expression was busily shifting between blushing and giving me a sidelong glance, and took a moment to let the heat drain from my own face.

"So, you've probably figured this out already, but I'm, well, I've got some complicated baggage, you could say… I'm not good with love and all that."

"Oh, I see."

She must not have guessed the specifics of my 'baggage.' I could hear a hint of surprise in her voice as I continued my embarrassing monologue.

"So—I'm sorry. I can't give you an answer right away. It's not even about yes or no; I was never in a position to even consider 'romance' in the first place."

"…Okay."

"But… now that someone has told me they like me, even with all my issues, I'm going to take down my selfish barriers."

"Okay."

As I said what I needed to say—I thought about whether to run or not.

In the end, I didn't run. I stood my ground and accepted the girl who had approached me head-on.

"…I don't know what kind of answer I'll be able to give in the end, but I will think about it."

"Okay."

A muffled voice reached my ears as she pressed her head against my chest. To be honest, this position was mentally taxing, but I was grateful that we didn't have to look at each other's faces.

"Hey."

"What is it?"

"I like you, you know."

"…………"

"It started as love at first sight, but… I really like how honest you are about everything."

"…Have I ever really shown you an honest side?"

"I heard your story, and I kind of understand the reason now. But the fact that you weren't obviously conscious of girls was a big plus for me, too."

"From another perspective, you could have just thought I was 'weird' or 'childish.'"

"And yet you try to act cool in front of everyone. You're so unfair."

"Doesn't that just make me sound like a poser? Besides, it's an RPG, let me have this."

"And—even when you're just bantering, you always choose your words carefully based on who you're talking to."

"…………"

"It's not fair. You should realize it—you're basically my ideal guy."

…—My heart aches.

I've had similar experiences recently, but none have made my chest feel this strange.

And so—

"…From now on, I'll look at you more carefully."

"Okay… I look forward to it."

I guess I'm probably not such a lost cause that it's too late for me.

So, yes… I'll look carefully. I'll face this.

I'll swallow my pride over how this all started and the messy parts in between, and no matter what happens along the way—

I'll make sure that in the end, I can give an answer I won't be ashamed of as a man.

………………That said,

"…N-Nia-san?"

"Yeah."

"I-If you could… maybe… let go… now…"

"Yeah."

"No, not 'yeah'…!"

It seems that developing the mental fortitude to withstand these overpowered heroines…

…is my top priority for the foreseeable future.