kscans

Chapter 503 - Thoughts on the Road

—I wake up.

My body, resting against the comfortable seat, feels only a slight, subtle vibration, likely thanks to the consideration of our skilled driver. It wasn't that gentle rocking that stirred me from my slumber, but simply the fact that I had finished the amount of sleep I'd set for myself.

Two hours since our departure. If my trusted internal clock was not mistaken, it should be right around then. Looking beside me, I see Nia breathing softly in her sleep, just as I had been a moment ago.

She had been so obviously tense before we even got in the car… I wonder if she fell asleep from the exhaustion of being nervous, or if she pretended to be asleep and just ended up dozing off.

The daughter of Russia's Vroubel family is a name that would be more surprising not to know among those with a deep knowledge of the art world—and yet, here she was, in this state.

When we greeted each other in the real world, I managed to maintain a composed expression, but in truth, Iris was thoroughly surprised. The impression of 'Liliania Vroubel' that I had stored in my mind had been flipped on its head in an almost comical way.

From the perspective of someone who knew of her as an artist through her 'works'—though I'm not sure if 'fan' is the right word—it was only natural to be taken aback.

However, seeing her as an acquaintance, and hopefully, as a friend, Iris held a genuine fondness for Nia.

She was bright, intelligent, honest, and courageous. Above all, despite holding special positions in both the real and virtual worlds, there was nothing pretentious about her demeanor.

To be special, yet to be ordinary, is surprisingly difficult. At least, I cannot do it—which is why the specialness of being ordinary shines so brightly in Iris's eyes.

And that, strangely enough… or perhaps, it's not strange at all.

That quality is something the person they both have feelings for also possesses. As someone who wants to believe in 'fairy tales' no matter how old I get, I can't help but think, setting aside my feelings as a love rival,

That like attracts like.

A beautiful, faint, sweet story, just the way I like it. But the most important feelings, set aside from all else, with a childish expression I have yet to show anyone, are—

It's not fair.

I'm jealous.

I don't want to lose, they cry out.

Loudly, endlessly.

"—…………"

Turning to the person next to her, and the one after that. As for the daughter of the famed Yotsuya Development, my dealings with her are still shallow in both the real and virtual worlds, so I'll reserve my feelings for now. With that, I turn my gaze diagonally forward, to the passenger seat.

My eyes land on the person I have feelings for, who seems to have grown even more charming since that day. As I watch him staring blankly out the window, he twitches and turns to look back at me.

His sharp intuition is the same here in the real world. After effortlessly noticing my gaze, his hazel eyes meet mine.

No words are exchanged.

For two, three seconds, we just stare at each other—until finally, looking embarrassed… no, succumbing to his own shyness, Haru gives a vague smile and turns his face back toward the window.

…I'm not sure if it's an appropriate word for a boy, so I won't say it out loud. But my inner thoughts won't be heard by anyone, so,

"…………—"

Letting the single word adorable melt into my heart, Alicia White closes her eyes once more, a small smile escaping unnoticed by anyone.

◇◆◇◆◇

—Suddenly, I woke up.

How much time had passed since I'd started feigning sleep out of unbearable tension and ended up dozing off for real? Frantically checking my appearance after my nap, as if gathering my senses from all over my body, I cautiously glanced to my sides, mindful of the presences on either side of me.

To my right, the princess—still asleep.

Her stunning beauty, which seemed like a work of art no matter how many times I looked, was so perfect that the human-like rise and fall of her chest as she breathed seemed almost unnatural.

Up close, every feature was beyond perfect, achieving an ultimate quality that felt almost terrifying. If you pointed at her and said, 'This is a painting,' it would probably pass.

Really, I couldn't find a single thing about myself that surpassed her, and it made me want to cry every time we met. Her innocence and playfulness, which had become clear since we got to know each other, had launched her already sky-high charm into the stratosphere.

I might even, as a fellow girl, find myself carelessly falling in love with her every move—well, that's an exaggeration, of course, but in terms of combat power as a love rival, it was no laughing matter at all.

I don't know why that's the case, but her black-haired form is also so beautiful it doesn't make sense.

Letting out a sigh in my heart, a mix of admiration, sorrow, and a multitude of other emotions, I turned my head to look in the opposite direction.

To my left, the young lady—sleeping soundly.

From what I'd observed just before I started feigning sleep, she had been gazing out the window with an excited, cheerful face… I wonder if she fell asleep from all the excitement, or if she wisely decided to close her eyes to conserve her energy.

In any case, she was also something else. What is with this beautiful girl who looks like the personification of innocence and adorableness, straight out of fiction?

Setting aside my neighbor to the right, who seems to have transcended humanity from the perspective of 'beauty,' my neighbor to the left is, to be honest, the embodiment of cute.

Her silky black hair, her sky-blue eyes that sparkle just as her name suggests. Her small nose is cute, her cherry-pink lips are cute, her soft-looking cheeks are cute, and it's no exaggeration to say that every inch of her, from her slender neck to her shoulders, is an invasion of cuteness.

And all of this was the exact same impression I had of Sora in the virtual world. I had suspected it from the first time I saw her avatar, but seeing it exactly the same in real life was still a huge shock.

I have a feeling that, like me, she probably has a mix of different bloodlines.

She possesses not only the charm and modest beauty of a Japanese person, but she must have inherited other excellent traits to turn out like this… well, that aside.

—Real-life Sora-chan is also super cute, and it's dangerous in so many ways, someone help me, I thought.

Partly due to the special circumstances, Nia, unable to see her neighbors as simple love rivals, was at her wit's end with these two overwhelmingly charming girls.

It wasn't just that they were attractive as girls.

It was that, from my perspective, the two of them were so charming that I couldn't help but feel a great fondness for them.

The beautiful, straightforward, and cool Iris, and the cute, honest, and innocent Sora—there wasn't a single thing about them right now that didn't make me like them. That was the big problem.

Because, no matter what, these two are my love rivals.

Diagonally in front of me, the heart and body of the person I have feelings for, who is carefreely watching the scenery flow by outside the window, is the one and only in this world. That is the unchanging, absolute reality.

Therefore, in the end, we will have to fight—

"…, …, ……………"

I look to the right. I look to the left.

I can't help but like them—What am I supposed to do about this!!!

My hands, lifted by the force of my emotions, were about to unconsciously slam down on my knees… but to protect the lovely, sleeping breaths coming from both sides, I gently and gracefully contained the outburst.

Wondering what to do with my heart, which had been thrown into turmoil by this self-inflicted blow right after waking up, I groaned internally for a few seconds, and then,

"………………—"

Casting aside all my troubles in the name of postponement, Nia closed her eyes once more.