kscans

Chapter 781 - Special Period Still in Session

"────Mmmph..."

Log out. Out of the pod. Dive into bed.

It was my first time back in the virtual world in three days. I didn't even need to think back on it; I'd spent almost the entire time in the sky. But still, returning from a dream world where the very density of time is different, I had one thing to say.

"Mmmbrain's... so... happy... mmmfeelssogood..."

It sounds like a rather dangerous declaration, but for a player like me, who has already undergone the requisite species change into an Arcadian—also known as an addict—it's nothing new.

The unique weariness that comes from the immense gap in physical abilities, a sensation you inevitably acquire when surfacing back to reality, is even pleasant. I suppose that makes me a bona fide veteran (lol).

It felt like coming home in more ways than one. Truly calming.

And, whether it's related to that mysterious blessing that keeps my strength and muscles from deteriorating, my body is never sore or stiff despite having been asleep for so long. That's the quality of the dream pod for you.

Which is why a "second sleep" is, in all honesty, no hardship at all. I can drift off as naturally as if I'd been awake and active in the real world, so now I have a choice.

Let's see, the current real time is just past eleven p.m.

Do I indulge my slovenly side and go from one dream world to another, still wrapped in this immense satisfaction? Or do I rebel against the faint sense of guilt or immorality that comes with going straight from gaming to sleep and squeeze in a study session, which had, of course, been neglected during my trip...?

That settles it. Alright, three... two... o-o-one, go!

"Hup!"

With a burst of energy—though with a sluggishness that was not just worlds but an entire abyss apart from my virtual self—I got out of bed, escaping its temptation. I've had my fill of luxury. I can't allow myself any more sweet, coddled moves like 'just a little bit longer, this is the last one.'

Get to it. Someone greedy enough to want both reality and the virtual world has no time to spare—

Just as I diligently headed to my desk to pull out my notebook...

"Hm?"

As if on cue, my phone buzzed in my hand. I glanced at the screen.

And my eyes caught the single phrase displayed as a notification on the lit-up LCD screen.

"——!"

Without a second thought, I bolted.

◇◆◇◆◇

A few minutes later.

"............................................ I could probably sue you for this."

"I said I'm sorry, didn't I?!"

In response to that single, incredibly urgent-sounding phrase—'HELP!!'—I had sprinted over at full speed, only to find myself being... used. I voiced my grievances with a sullen face and a disgruntled tone.

Used by whom, you ask? Well, who else. It was none other than Nia-chan, her wet hair being blown by a hairdryer as she sat on my lap, letting out sighs of pleasure that were quite separate from her 'words.'

Of course, whose lap? My lap. And who was wielding the hairdryer? Also me. In my other hand, I was even equipped with a large hairbrush, making me the complete package.

"If you're really sorry, could you at least try to hide that 'ahh, this is heaven~' vibe you've got going on? It's a truth of this world that a girl's cry for 'help' is a lethal weapon that lets her manipulate any man unconditionally, so you shouldn't use it so lightly—"

"Keep your hands moving—a little more to the right now—"

"Will this suffice, you little brat?"

What was this desperate cry for help, you ask? It was nothing more than the utterly deflating reason that 'my hairdryer broke.'

Sure, for a maiden with such long hair, it's probably a major crisis, but I wish she'd chosen her words more carefully. I felt like an idiot for rushing over, breathless.

"I said I'm sorry. I just couldn't have predicted you were that crazy about me, Nia-chan."

"How would you like it if I styled your hair into some proper princess-like ringlets?"

She'd do well to understand exactly who holds her 'life' in their hands right now. Of course, I don't have the slightest clue how to actually curl hair.

...Well, as much as I complain, there are some extenuating circumstances for Nia. The 'HELP!!' was from a sticker, not a message, and it was a comical one of a character her best friend, Mitsueda-san, often uses. Add to that the fact that five seconds after I tossed my phone and dashed off, a more detailed message arrived saying, 'Sorry, my hairdryer broke and I can't dry my hair, could you please help?' If I take that into account... taking that into account, I see. In short...

"..................Well, maybe a part of this was my fault...???"

"A part? I'd say it's almost entirely because you jumped to conclusions."

"So, how exactly does one curl hair?"

"Stop it! I said I'm sorry! I'm reflecting on my actions, I swear!"

It's frustrating, but I guess my overreaction was the problem—though, as someone entrusted with her well-being by her best friend, I have no intention of changing my possibly overprotective stance.

"Haaah... whatever. By the way, Nia-san, you have a crazy amount of hair, you know that? Don't tell me you go through this life-or-death battle every single time you get out of the bath? Seriously???"

"This is just a maiden's proper etiquette, you know? And don't say a maiden's hair volume is 'crazy.'"

"But hair is hair, isn't it?"

"Words with un-cute nuances are off-limits for girls!"

"What is with this girl?"

And so, naturally, she had just gotten out of the bath. It seemed a little late to be taking a bath, but I already knew from a leak from her best friend that Nia loved her baths, so it wasn't surprising.

Also not surprising was the unique fragrance gently wafting from her body. I'm not saying this in some perverted way; it was because it was something I had brought for her.

"So, how was the souvenir?"

"Mmm... it felt very... hot spring-y?"

"Well, it is from a hot spring."

It was a bath bomb I'd bought as a souvenir from my trip. I couldn't tell if she loved it or not, but her reaction suggested she'd at least enjoyed it. Which was perfectly fine by me.

"It feels a little weird, smelling different than usual."

"Can you even notice your own usual scent?"

"That's the point. Right now, it's a special scent I can notice. Also, don't say 'scent' to a maiden."

"You have a lot of off-limits words..."

This, too, was the first time in three days. We continued our aimless conversation, one without any destination from the start—utterly random, and for that very reason, undeniably peaceful.

"Nia-chan."

"Yeees?"

"You're too close. It's hard to work."

"I'm not accepting complaints from the someone whose hands are moving with such practiced skill."

As always... no, correction, thirty, forty, fifty percent more clingy than usual, I supported her slender body as I tackled this super-high-dimensional mission for the second time in my life.

And without ever saying something as foolish and dense as, 'Couldn't you have just asked Ashe?' to the foreign young lady sighing contentedly...

My first night back passed peacefully.

---

He's an insanely fast learner, you know. Of course he'd get used to it after doing it just once. As for whether it really was only once during the trip... only the two of them will ever know.