kscans

Chapter 77 - Presumed Guilty

"I thought I was used to it..."

"To be honest, my acceleration went haywire and even I was surprised. Sorry about that, okay?"

Will a time ever come when one gets used to running up the equivalent of a ten-story building on foot? I apologized to Sora's faint voice while trying to calm my own slightly racing heart.

We were in a narrow alleyway in some unknown city. It seemed like every player had flocked to that plaza earlier, because this area, a short distance away, was devoid of people. We could probably catch our breath here.

There were no thoughtful amenities like benches in the deserted backstreet, so we both leaned against a building wall and let out a sigh. We exhaled long breaths, one looking down and the other up at the sky, each trying to calm ourselves down.

"I'm sorry, too... I did have some knowledge about that, but it completely slipped my mind..."

"I kind of figured... you mean the 'welcome, newbies' thing, right?"

To my rough guess, Sora nodded, “That’s right,” and then added with a weary smile, “It was even more intense than I expected.”

"Apparently, it used to be a tradition of recruitment battles for parties and clans... but now that new players are rare, it's mostly just a welcoming festival."

Right, a “welcome.”

"Wouldn't that be grounds for calling the authorities?"

"Ahaha..."

That would scare off not just women and children, but any grown man. If Sora had been surrounded by that horde alone, the scene would have been a straight-up criminal incident. A guilty verdict, no questions asked.

Estimated perpetrators: over ten thousand. Not even funny.

"Well, yeah... let's just say we made it through for now."

The crisis is over. Time to move on.

I glanced at a corner of the UI displayed in my peripheral vision. A system clock, with a slightly more complex design than a standard analog one, was ticking away.

It was a clock function that displayed both real time and virtual time, one that took a little getting used to.

In Arcadia, where a player's consciousness is accelerated, a day isn't twenty-four hours, but thirty-six. Just as a twenty-four-hour day in reality is divided into twelve hours of AM and PM, Arcadia is divided into three twelve-hour periods: AM, PM, and VM.

By the way, “AM” is short for ante meridiem and “PM” for post meridiem, meaning “before noon” and “after noon” respectively, but the developers have never officially stated what “VM” stands for, so it remains a mystery.

And the complaint that if a day is thirty-six hours, then noon should be 18:00, not 12:00, has been around for three years, so we'll skip it.

In any case, it was now past PM in virtual time, and a little after 5 PM in real time... which meant, if we stuck to our original plan, it should be about that time.

"It's almost time, right?"

"Yes, that's all for today."

I turned my head to the side and our eyes met, as if she had been looking at me at the same time. Normally, she would probably get shy, but... Sora, who met my gaze directly, looked somewhat sad.

"Not just for today, but... as I mentioned before."

Frustrated, impatient, an indescribable reluctance to speak clearly. This was due to the circumstances she had told me about a little while ago... to put it simply, “real life is getting busy.”

Given the time of year, it's the start of a new season for students and working adults alike, so it's only natural. It's not something I'm immune to either; my university life is just around the corner.

"It's a shame, right when things were getting started. I get why you're antsy."

As for me, I dedicated my high school years to reckless money-making and studying, so I'm actually looking forward to university life as a way to make up for my lost youth.

So, even with the significant reduction in time I'll be able to spend on Arcadia, my mental state is more or less even... maybe slightly in the negative.

But for a working adult dedicated to their job, well, that's another story.

I know I've been treating her like a kid and acting like her guardian, but in truth, I think of Sora as being older than me.

Her youthful avatar and voice make it tempting to imagine she's just like that in real life, but the essential skill of a modern youth living in the online world is to discipline oneself to face reality.

In Arcadia, you can freely design your avatar, but your voice remains your real voice. This means her beautiful girl voice is her own, so it's safe to say she's not elderly.

However, as a part-time warrior who has worked in various jobs and gained a glimpse into society, I know one thing: the “low communication skills” of young people—that is, high school students and younger.

To put it simply, it's the difference in conversational ability, including vocabulary. Anyone who, as a student, devoted themselves to part-time jobs and communicated daily with working adults other than their parents and teachers might understand.

It’s not about being smart or dumb, educated or not (in my opinion), but about whether you are required to have “smooth communication skills” on a daily basis. When an unexpected situation arises, are you expected to think on your feet and propose a solution, or not? In short, it’s the absolute difference in practical communication experience.

That thing called communication skill is something I can confidently say you will never acquire just by living a normal student life.

Now, how about Sora-san?

She has a shy side, but I don't feel any lack in her communication skills.

As for her vocabulary, aside from game terms, she sometimes uses words I don't know.

Her ability to structure conversations efficiently is a given, but even in critical “unexpected situations” that would never happen in real life, she has the quick-wittedness and the ability to convey her thoughts clearly and concisely.

So, does such a female student even exist?

I'm not saying they don't, but on top of that, there's the hurdle of the purchase price for the [Arcadia] console.

Even I, who still only have the bare minimum of information, have glanced at the player age demographics, and the ratio of current students is less than ten percent.

When I first heard one in ten, I thought, “Huh, that’s actually quite a lot,” but when you consider Arcadia's total population, a 9:1 ratio represents a significant difference in actual numbers.

So, to sum it up... the probability that the innocent-looking beautiful girl in front of me is also a younger girl in real life is extremely low.

The possibility that this girl is an office lady being tossed about by the rough waves of society... well, it brings up a lot of different emotions.

"Um... Haru-san, you're going to be busy too, right?"

"To some extent. March is the same for both students and working adults, after all."

Obviously, neither of us has ever talked about our real-life circumstances.

Just as I inwardly think she's older but still play the role of her guardian... maybe she also thinks of me as being younger than her.

I'm aware that I act quite flippant and easygoing, after all. In reality—or rather, when I'm not hyped up, my natural energy level is actually below average.

"..."

As I thought this, Sora, who had been growing quieter, fell completely silent. She looked visibly down, and as someone who could guess the reason, I felt happy on one hand, but also a sense of helplessness that I couldn't do anything about it.

"You get lonely pretty easily, don't you, Sora?"

I want to comfort her, I want to cheer her up—or maybe that's just a pretext. This time, honestly, it was because I wanted to that I found my hand naturally reaching out.

I gently placed my hand on the head of the downcast Sora next to me.

She flinched slightly in surprise... but then accepted my touch.

"...I'm surprised myself. I can't believe I've become so attached in less than a month."

"'Attached,' you say that yourself?"

She acknowledged both her loneliness and who it was directed at. I laughed at her resigned tone, and Sora turned away shyly.

"Well, it's true, isn't it? I've become completely attached to you, Haru-san."

"Oh... an unexpectedly bold move."

Instead of just ending with her usual shyness, I received such sulky words. As for me, I couldn't help but grin.

"Well, I'm more than happy to hear that... I mean, we're partners. It's not strange to be lonely when we can't see each other as often, right?"

"Partners..."

From her reaction, it seems certain that Sora likes me too. In that case, I have no intention of ending our current relationship either.

Even setting aside her cute girl avatar, adventuring with the honest and hardworking Sora is genuinely fun and exciting.

On top of that, her rapid growth has made her a reliable ally who might even surpass me, so she has become an indispensable partner I can't let go of.

"So yeah, the loneliness is mutual. I honestly can't imagine not having you by my side anymore."

"...!"

That's why I felt it was okay to say such slightly embarrassing words. I was confident that Sora wouldn't be put off or laugh, a confidence born from the trust we've built.

I stole a glance at her profile and saw her face flushed a noticeable crimson—truly, my partner is adorable.

...As I was thinking that, something came to mind.

"Speaking of partners, that Partner System thing was just unlocked, but—"

"Huh?"

Was the change in topic too sudden? Ignoring Sora, who let out a surprised sound next to me, I summoned the system window and looked at the newly added item.

"Let's see, what's this... 'Form a bond with a player whose affinity has reached a certain level to receive various benefits.' Huh, very MMO-like."

I don't know what raises this 'affinity,' but Sora and I have been progressing as a pair almost constantly. It must have been from the time we spent in a party or something that we met the conditions.

"Sora, did you know about this feature?"

"Eh, um, well... yes. It's pretty well-known, I guess."

"Hmm?"

Why the sudden stammering... Anyway, isn't this... a perfect way to alleviate the loneliness of not being able to see each other as often?

"In that case, Sora, if you're okay with it, would you like to become my partner?"

To make it official in the system, too, I said it without much thought—and in that moment.

"—"

Sora, who had been acting strangely, completely froze.

"...Uh, Sora-san?"

As if she had been hit by a forced stun. Seeing her stiffen, I reflexively understood that I had done something wrong and slowly retracted the hand that had been on her head.

Sora turned her head towards me with a creaking motion, her face rapidly turning red as her eyes darted around in confusion.

"U-um..."

"Yes?"

"I think, probably. Haru-san, you don't understand what this means, do you?"

Means. What means? The moment I thought that, I knew I definitely didn't understand.

"No, I do not."

I nodded gravely, already contemplating at what point I should transition into a kneeling position. Sora stared at me for a moment with a resentful look before letting out a loud sigh, "Haaah..."

Still red to her neck, she glared at me from the side and muttered.

"...A marriage proposal."

"Huh?"

"In Arcadia, asking someone to enter into a Partner System contract is treated the same as a real-life marriage proposal."

"—Huh?"

"...Honestly, Haru-san, you're impossible."

Sora turned away shyly, and her gesture was as adorable as ever, but that wasn't the point. Huh?

What am I doing? No, what did I do? Huh?

Did I just propose to Sora?

.........Huh?