kscans

Chapter 360 - The Reason for the Real Face

"—Oh, it's the human missile."

"Yo! The flying pervert is here!"

"Hello."

After a whirlwind of a day spent running around in both the real and virtual worlds, the night has passed.

I headed over to the now-familiar Shijo residence, only to be greeted by the lively, teasing remarks of my friends.

"Hey, Mizuki, hello."

"Wow, you just ignored me."

"He's starting to act more like his virtual self in the real world, too."

"Maybe you two should reflect on your own behavior?"

"Ahaha..."

I returned a greeting to the ever-quiet Mizuki, went through the usual pointless banter with the childhood-friend duo, and Kaede, who had led me to the room, let out a noncommittal laugh.

A lazy weekend afternoon, an ideal gathering with friends where you don't have to be on your guard.

One of us might be slightly outside the bounds of a 'normal person' by societal standards, and the rest of us may be a temporary support team to assist said person... but emotionally, we're all just normal university students.

What's wrong with getting together to chat when we're free?—was Shoko's suggestion that led to today's get-together.

Though, in my case, I can't really say I'm 'free'... but that's a separate issue.

I decided myself that I wouldn't give up on my university life, so I have to be a little reckless with my scheduling for both.

"Anyway, it was just yesterday. Has word already spread?"

"Of course, man. It's Arcadia's first-ever true aerial jump skill. It's been a huge deal everywhere since yesterday afternoon."

"Honestly, it's already been on the news."

"So they reported on it with no mercy, huh..."

Between that and the fact that Togo-shi knew about my and Sora's gameplay, there's a serious lack of privacy. Still, that was part of the contract when I ordered [Arcadia], so I can't complain as a player, nor do I intend to.

"Well, at least things are pretty peaceful for you in the real world. Honestly, I thought you'd get doxxed pretty much instantly, one way or another."

"Peaceful... Well, I guess so."

"Huh, what's with that reaction? I smell a juicy story."

"I plead the fifth."

"Then I won't ask."

I gave Toshiki a vague response, and when the group's number one curiosity monster immediately took the bait, I stood firm.

One of Shoko's disarming qualities is that she gives up immediately if I say "no."

"...In fact, there's an almost unnatural lack of activity regarding your real identity. It's possible Yotsuya is making a move."

"That... might be it."

Togo-shi and Chitose-san haven't said anything to me, but since we have a contract for my protection, it's a definite possibility—

In fact, they've almost certainly taken measures. My friend-produced Disguise Ver. 2.0 is still in effect, but hardly anyone stops to look at me when I'm walking around so carefree.

As Nia and Iris said, the visual manipulation seems to be working better than expected. Same face, yet a different face. It's received high praise (?), I guess.

"This is kinda late to ask, but why'd you make your avatar with your real face? If you were worried about getting doxxed, you should've just tweaked it a bit."

"Oh, that—before that, can I please have a seat?"

"Oh, sorry, sorry! Go ahead!"

When I asked how long we were expected to stand around talking, Shoko slid across the sofa as if she hadn't noticed at all.

She just casually picked my seat for me. Not that I mind.

"The usual tea?"

"Yes, the usual delicious kind, please."

When I politely accepted Kaede's offer to host, the young lady of the Shijo house replied, "You got it," with a happy smile and went to make tea.

I used to be hesitant, but after she insisted things like "I like taking care of people" and "making tea is my hobby," refusing would have been rude.

First Sora, now Kaede; the daughters of the Yotsuya family have extremely high refined-lady specs. I'll offer a silent prayer of thanks.

"Sooo? Is this a story you can actually tell?"

As I was lost in my foolish thoughts, a prompt came from beside me.

Toshiki and Mizuki seemed interested as well, ready to listen. I thought about waiting for Kaede, but... whatever. Explaining that would only take a sentence.

"It's simple—when I ordered my unit, I got a VRE diagnosis."

"V-R—wait, no way..."

"What...!? No, you've got to be kidding."

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

I said it casually, without any drama or emotion, and was met with three different reactions. I expected them to be a little surprised, but it's not that big of a deal.

"Basically, it's not that I didn't customize my character; it's that I couldn't."

VRE—full name, Virtual Reality Entrainment... something, something syndrome? I feel like I'm getting it slightly wrong, but it's a 'symptom' with a similar meaning.

Simply put, it means that the discrepancy between your real body and your virtual body, your avatar, causes a drop in controllability, and that disadvantage is way more pronounced for me than for others.

It sounds like a disease, but it's more like a physical constitution. To varying degrees, about one in thirty people apparently has it.

"In my case, the symptoms are moderate... If I change my face or build, it's pretty much game over. I can get away with changing my eye or hair color, but that's about my limit."

"Huh... And that's considered moderate?"

"Yeah. Apparently, in severe cases, you can't even move if you change the slightest thing from reality."

"Seriously? I've never really looked into it..."

"...I'm surprised, but it makes sense."

Cases that severe are supposedly on the level of one in a thousand, though. As I finished, the two girls looked like they understood, but Toshiki had a dumbfounded expression, as if a pigeon had been hit by a pea shooter.

"And here I was thinking you were some kind of chosen child of the virtual world."

"Hah, what's that supposed to mean?"

Talk about overestimating me.

At this point, I wouldn't dare say I'm not special... but if that title truly belongs to anyone, it would be my partner or people like Iris.

"Sorry to keep you waiting—...huh, what were you all talking about?"

Afterward, I shared my situation with Kaede when she brought the tea, and went through the whole surprise-and-explanation routine again.

"Oh, so you're the same as my older sister."

"Oh, wait, really?"

And just like that, I was surprised by something new myself.

The gathering continued for a while longer, filled with lively conversation as I answered the barrage of questions from my ever-curious friends.