kscans

Chapter 881 - Crimson Flowers, Half and Half

In a virtual world, if you have someone with architectural know-how and well-honed skills, 'building a residence' is hardly a laborious task, neither in terms of difficulty nor time required.

Thus, erecting two small private houses could be done in a matter of minutes, and the subsequent furniture-making was well within the realm of a pastime or amusement. That's why, while a certain someone who had initially joined the women's group was now caught up in the noisy festivities in the distance...

"Oh, oh-ho, I see... so, uh, you mean to say?"

"My big brother and I are mutually in love, in a sibling sort of way."

"Is that so... Hey, Ri-chan, look at my face. I'm pretty sure Nonomi-chan is experiencing a level of confusion she's never felt in her entire life. I'm genuinely shocked, you know."

Atop a large tree stump serving as a desk, a girl and a woman sat side by side, "drawing" on paper. Rina Amaha (Ri-na) and Mikan Nonomiya (Nonomi), a current and former idol with a senpai-kouhai relationship, were leisurely and peacefully catching up with each other.

"Wowee, I had no idea... that you were harboring such a... habit—ahem, uh, yes, such a 'maiden's secret.' I had absolutely no clue whatsoever!"

But any talk of Nonomi's own life was completely blown away, and the topic immediately became monopolized by Ri-na's brother situation. Although their friendship was stronger in the real world, the sudden coming-out from her junior and one of her 'little sisters' was quite the curious development.

[Colorful Beauty] blinked her orange eyes in confusion and bewilderment. As for the [Right Wing], she continued to sketch out furniture design ideas without so much as a glance at her senior... though for once, a faint, teasing smile played on her cheeks.

"Acting is my specialty, you know."

"Grr...! The sheer glory of being the first to land a drama heroine role, leaving your senpai in the dust...! Hmph, well, Nonomi-chan was in a movie before she retired!"

"What was your role again?"

"I played the 'utterly pathetic, losing rival heroine who's secretly been in love with the hero forever and is actually a good girl but can't be honest so she ends up acting like a villain'!"

"You were perfect for it. You were just un-sympathetic enough that I couldn't feel sorry for you, so you ended up as a sort of half-comedic narrator. That was basically just you, Nono-chan."

"You're saying such horrible things!! And you remember it perfectly, you big meanie!"

Ri-na wasn't particularly quiet, nor did she find communication bothersome.

When she's with someone who knows this, and when her other half who can talk endlessly for her isn't around, that small mouth of hers is surprisingly eloquent.

"Come on... enough about idol work already. In-stead, tell me about the super-duper interesting case of the Acrobat-oniisama. I could listen forever. So, what do you like about him?"

"His face, his voice, his personality, and his aura."

"So everything, then. I mean, I get it. He's a total dreamboat, isn't he?"

As she turned at the sound of clashing swords from afar, she saw another challenger lying spread-eagled before the young man in white and blue, as if to say, 'I surrender.'

Good looks, good personality, and to top it off, according to Nonomi's research, he was strong enough to be counted among the top five in the virtual world without any exaggeration. He was, by modern standards, a prime catch.

And from what I can tell, that avatar's appearance is probably his real one, too.

It wasn't hard to imagine that Ri-na had come to the same conclusion based on the information she'd gathered through their various interactions. Whether the fact that they were almost certainly close in age was a good or bad thing was a bit of a gray area, but...

Well, Nonomi's junior, though small, was more of an adult than many actual adults.

"Are you sure you're okay, Ri-chan? You're not going to transform from a little sister into a girl in love?"

"Nope. Don't worry, I've never played the part of the foil before."

"Are you picking a fight? Are you picking a fight with the Nonomi-chan who once had an infamous summary article written about her called 'The Naturally Beloved Jobber'?"

There was no need to worry unnecessarily. She just had to sit back and enjoy the show. With the trust born from their fairly long friendship, that was one thing she didn't have to doubt.

◇◆◇◆◇

"Mmm, mmm, mmm... nope, still no good. Not a single trace."

At the very top of the watchtower built in the center of the base.

It was a considerable height. But from the sturdy observation deck, which didn't even creak in the wind, Nia, whose "eyes" were glowing indigo, announced her lack of results.

"Right. Got it, thanks."

The reply was a simple word of thanks.

Natsume, who had no particular preferences when it came to furniture and had ultimately troubled the foreman with a simple 'I'll leave it to you,' had asked her friend for only one thing—to find something for her.

"I feel like they have to be hiding somewhere. I doubt they're all just special individuals."

"Yeah... but then again, if I want to tame one, I suppose I'll have to find it myself."

It was none other than a member of the same species as the [Stardust Beast (Lim)] she had tamed, the little mouse known as Vis.

"The conditions seem promising, though. Natchan, aren't you originally a sensor-type?"

"That's my base class, yeah. But if you ask if I'm particularly good at it, not really."

They were both individuals who had spent more than enough time in the incomparable 'sky.' At this height, their hearts no longer wavered, and the words they exchanged were exceedingly calm and gentle.

The breeze rustled their white and indigo hair... they both caught their synchronized movements of tucking hair behind their ears, and small smiles escaped them at the same time.

"A cat and a mouse..."

"Shut up. It's fine, isn't it?"

"It seems you're drawn to them after all."

"I said shut up. It's just because they're cute. There's no deeper meaning to it."

A friendship between two women, a combatant and an artisan, was a rare thing indeed. Including the fact that it was a precious connection, they both shared a desire to cherish it.

And precisely because they were both talented in their own broad ways,

"Of the types here, aren't the rabbits cute, too? What about the rabbits?"

"Rabbits are a no-go for me. I'll pass."

"Aww, why not?"

"We're not compatible in a taming sense—and we're not compatible in a taming sense. ...What's with that look? If you have something to say, just say it."

They keenly read each other's intentions and deepened their bond with a sense of security. In other words, the cultivation of their easygoing friendship was proceeding smoothly.

"Honestly... I appreciate that you trust me as a 'safe option,' but could you stop teasing me in such a weird way? Any frustration I have will inevitably be directed at him."

"Well, that in itself is..."

"'That' is what?"

"Well, seeing you act all senpai-like, and seeing him tease you like a cheeky kouhai, both are cute and I kind of like watching it."

"Don't enjoy this in such a strange way. I'll smack you."

"If a ranker hits me, I'll probably just disappear...!"

"...Could you not lump me in with those gorillas?"

No matter what anyone said, things were proceeding smoothly.