kscans

Chapter 667 - Atop the Tower of Reality

I'm not exactly great with heights.

I can already hear the torrent of retorts—what's the one and only user of a perfect aerial mobility skill in the entire virtual world talking about?—but the virtual is the virtual, and reality is reality. While I wouldn't go so far as to say I have acrophobia, I harbor a normal person's level of instinctual fear when the ground is a distant memory below.

It's probably just a matter of familiarity. Growing up in the countryside, I never had a reason to fly in a plane, so I've almost never been up in the sky, let alone in a tall building.

Which means that right now, having been welcomed to the upper floors of a certain skyscraper, the reason for my own very obvious lack of mental tranquility is, nine times out of ten, due to that.

What is this, dozens of floors above ground? If by some mistake I fell out a window, wouldn't I burn up from aerodynamic heating before I even hit the pavement? The thought, born from a desire to escape reality, spins uselessly in my mind. It's all because of the subtle terror that comes from being in an unfamiliar high place.

Yes, that's all it is…

"Let's go with white today. Ah, juice, of course."

"I'll leave it to you…"

I am not trembling from a level of nervousness greater than I'd anticipated, sitting before my partner's family member, a doting father to his beloved daughter, and the man whose own daughter has feelings for me, whom I haven't seen in ages.

Even though we hadn't had a chance to meet, we'd exchanged a few messages through Kazue-san and Itsuki-san. But how many months has it been since we last saw each other face-to-face?

The last time we were supposed to meet, it was canceled due to his busy schedule. Another two months have passed since then. We've finally managed to arrange another opportunity, but in the end, I was never told the 'purpose' of this meeting.

I have a feeling it's not the kind of situation where he'd thunder, 'YOU CAN'T HAVE MY DAUGHTER!!!!' If that were the case, there's no way Mr. Togo would have approved the invitation to the Yotsuya residence and everything else after Sora and I decided to move our relationship forward.

This is all based on the premise that there was not a single falsehood in a certain maid's statement: "I have already received the master's cheerful consent."

This is also based on the premise that there was not a single falsehood in a certain maid's statement: "In fact, he seemed to be saying, 'By all means,' ufufu."

If those words were lies, then today I will meet a fitting end for a fool caught in a maid's scheme…

"...Haha, no need to be so tense. It's you and me, after all."

As I sat there, trying my best to maintain a poker face while piling one foolish thought atop another, a glass that made me want to point and call it 'the expensive kind' was placed before me.

The liquid inside was a clear, brilliant yellowish-green. Following the red wine-style grape juice from last time, it seemed today's choice was the "white."

"The relationship between a client and a contractor… perhaps?"

After preparing the drinks for our chat, he naturally took the seat across from me. Yotsuya Togo—the head of the global 'Yotsuya Development'—sat down, wearing the same friendly smile as always.

"On your side of things, I would like to add the prefix 'outstanding' to your role as a client. Your ever-growing list of accomplishments is, in a word, magnificent. You, the Acrobat, have been working tirelessly on the request we desired more than anything: 'spearheading the game's progress.'"

"I-I'm honored…"

From my perspective, his words were excessive praise.

Not that the praise itself was excessive, but the flowery language was. If I could strip away the ornamentation myself, I'd just say I wish he'd stop because it's embarrassing.

Whether he read my inner thoughts or not, Mr. Togo's smile never faltered.

"In addition, you are the one my beloved daughter has feelings for. Furthermore, you are also the one my other 'exceedingly outstanding contractor' has feelings for. I have a mountain of reasons to want to be on good terms with you."

"Ngh…!?"

With a verbal blade that, from my point of view, was a fatal blow, he delivered a surprise waterboarding attack on my throat as I took a sip of the drink he had motioned for me to have.

Five seconds, ten seconds… I took a moment to let my coughing subside.

"…………………………"

But the difficulty of choosing my words was too high, so I could only remain silent with a conflicted expression. In response, he calmly watched me, a man in an incredibly weak position from every conceivable angle, and then...

Mr. Togo let out a soft chuckle and spoke.

"Kasuga-kun. Knowing your knack for remembering things, I'm sure you haven't forgotten—"

"Well, uh, my memory here in reality isn't exactly a superpower, you know…"

When I added a note about my real-world performance, which is a common misconception, Mr. Togo gave an ambiguous smile that could be read as either 'I suppose you're right' or 'Spare me the unnecessary modesty.'

"In any case, you must remember—how I was allowed to follow your adventures… the adventures of you, Haru, and my daughter, Sora, as an observer for a long time since your meeting."

"……………Has your daughter forgiven you?"

"Permission for the trip three months ago, permission to prepare a 'room' for you in our home… subtract those two, and I'd say the remaining debt is just over seventy percent."

"Oh, dear…"

Well, yeah, I get it.

Judging from his expression, Mr. Togo doesn't seem to have any objections to the verdict on his own crime, but it appears the anger of a teenage daughter whose privacy was invaded by her father was immense.

And rightfully so. Even considering the circumstances that he apparently wasn't peeping by choice, I don't sympathize, but it is rather pitiful.

"Setting that aside," he said with a single cough.

"In short, for me, you were never 'some stranger from who-knows-where,' even from the first time we met in reality. Through my sin, my eyes, which were turned toward you both without permission, have burned into them the entire path you and my daughter walked, supporting each other… In other words…"

"..., …………I-In other words?"

Every single word he strung together was terrifying, but his expression as he spoke… was at least not the kind that should inspire terror.

"Normally, this would be the point where I would ask you to convince me with a full explanation, but I have used a cheat unavailable to the average 'father' to proactively and unilaterally come to an understanding."

"Uh, huh…"

"Don't you understand? I'm saying this—please, take care of my daughter."

"………………"

"What it was about you that resonated with her, what part of you she was drawn to—I know that a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand times better than anyone in the world buzzing about 'HaruSora.' In that case, what else can I do but trust the you that my beloved daughter trusted and entrust her to you?"

"Th-..., ………………"

"Haha, take your time to let it sink in. Furthermore, I have no intention of putting pressure on you with an impossible demand like 'don't make her cry,' given your current situation."

"………………"

"Things like 'romance' or 'love,' no matter how far they go, are ultimately a matter of personal responsibility between the two people involved. Whatever the outcome, whatever the answer, as long as you can look back on it all when it's over and remember it fondly… it is neither a waste nor a mistake."

"…………………………I don't intend to make her regret it—no, I won't."

A single, trivial piece of my true feelings was all I could squeeze out.

It was nothing more than a simple conviction. In response to the words of a young man with no guarantees, Mr. Togo looked satisfied, as if to say, 'See? I told you so.'

"…Indeed. That's right. The man I know so well would say just that."

He nodded magnanimously and leisurely tilted his glass.

—And then, a few seconds later.

"Now then… setting all that aside, shall we get to the main topic?"

"Wasn't that the main topic, in a manner of speaking!?"

At the very moment I'd exchanged a considerable amount of mental energy for a sense of relief and slumped in my chair.

My retort to the father, who looked as if he was thinking, 'What are you talking about this for now?' with a tone of, 'Are you really okay with that?' was, of course, laughed off.

---

In a way, he's like an Arcadia reader, so of course he's thinking, what's the big deal now? Note: The talk with his father-in... er, father, will not continue next chapter (Epel).

With that said, Happy New Year. I will strive to spin a good story this year as well, so thank you for your support.

Wait until tonight for your New Year's gift.