kscans

Chapter 710 - side: viewer

Don't you dare pull ten in a row, you bastard!

And so, the voice that rang out cheerfully through the venue was a familiar one… and yet, its atmosphere, its tension, its very presence was different from the 'him' of the real world.

The same person, and yet clearly different.

At this very moment, the four university students gazing at their friend on the screen—who was not Haru Kasuga, but [Haru]—were, to varying degrees…

"…Man, I seriously respect that guy now…"

"It's hilarious how he's handling everything—the jokes, the teasing, being the teaser and the teased."

At this point, all they could do was watch, a mixture of admiration and disbelief.

"…Whether he's doing it naturally, whether it's all calculated, or whether his nervousness has just boiled over and he's running on pure chaos… that's just talent, plain and simple."

"…It's amazing, isn't it? Nozo—mghn…!"

As Mizuki added to the words spoken by the two childhood friends, Kaede tried to follow, only to have her mouth clamped shut by her best friend sitting next to her. She had been like this ever since watching 'his' match, but even if it was just a mumble, she was being a little too obvious.

"Kaede, be careful. Get a hold of yourself."

"Ugh, sorry…!"

Though the seats in the Yotsuya Dome were elegantly designed for a stress-free experience and not packed together, they couldn't forget that there were other people sitting on either side of their group of four.

It was fine to get excited along with everyone else, but as effective 'insiders,' they needed to be careful about how they got excited… or at least, she should have known that.

"Well, when you see it up close like this…"

But the other three understood. Because they too, though to varying extents—

"Yeah, you can't help but fall for him."

"F-fall for… no, it's not like that…!"

"It's not? —I certainly fell for him, though."

"Me too. I've gotta say, I fell for him."

"I fell for him all over again. …Well then, I guess you're the only one left out, Kaede."

"N-eh…?! I-if that's how it is, then, m-me too…!"

The image was a projection, an augmented reality. Though it was still a world apart, it was a scene that unfolded right before their very eyes. The result was clear.

Combined with the fact that he was a close friend, it was only natural that these fans, who were in a sense a step deeper and more passionate than the general public, would have their heads set ablaze by the match that had just unfolded before them.

Unaware that the friends he himself had invited were inevitably heating up with passion, 'he'—the one causing a stir on the countless screens floating in the air—

The ten letters are done. Now for the next one.

You've gotta be kidding me, eleven in a row?! Are you sure this isn't rigged…?!

—continued to show off his cheerful demeanor, mingling with the undisputed titans of the world without a hint of intimidation, leaving his friends and the world to wonder whether he was nervous or if it had all vanished.

◇◆◇◆◇

You've gotta be kidding me, eleven in a row?! Are you sure this isn't rigged…?!

And so, the voice that rang out cheerfully in the room was a familiar one… and yet, its atmosphere, its tension, its very presence was different from the 'him' of the real world.

He was the person her best friend cared for, so she had naturally started paying attention, and now she frequently checked his archived videos. It was the voice of 'Haru.'

His virtual face, different from his real one. Gazing at this familiar duality broadcast live on the monitor, she was in her own room—her home, a world away from the heat-filled venue—

"Yeah… it's just a natural talent. He's the type who stops worrying about his surroundings once he's in the zone. He's got guts to spare, too. He's fundamentally suited for a job where he's being watched."

"…"

"I'm so jealous of how good he is under pressure. No matter how many years I've been doing this, the best I can do is pretend I'm not nervous. I can't shake off being a timid little chick. I'm always messing up behind the scenes, seriously."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"—Hey, Nia-cha. Don't you think it's a bit much to summon someone to your room only to use them as a sofa and then completely ignore them? My legs are starting to go numb, you know?"

"…"

"Can we at least talk? Huh? I'm gonna tickle you. I'm gonna tickle you, okay?"

"…"

"Ah, okay, right—That's it, I'm mad now! So it's love over friendship, is it, you!"

"—?! Wha—…?! Hngh—!?!?"

One of them was nestled in her best friend Hiyori's lap. The other held her best friend Nia in her own lap.

While the former was completely engrossed in the person on the screen, and the latter—sixty percent jealousy, thirty percent sadness, and ten percent anger—began a playful scuffle, 'he' was—

"What's your motto?"

Ah… 'What can be done, can be done if you do it, so believe you can do it and try your best.'

…Haru-kun?

What is it? That is, in all honesty, my motto.

—never letting on the truth in his heart. He continued to show the world a playful, elusive, and silly side, just as one would expect from the [Acrobat].


He was, as you know, desperately struggling inside that screen.