Chapter 60: Chapter 59

[This_Code: Private Chat with Chel Sumeragi]

Aurora

[(Hyperlink)]

[Come on over]

Chel Sumeragi

[Okay]

Inagika let out a sigh.

[Guerilla Collab] Sora came over, so we're deciding on a game to play together. [Aurora/EYEAI]

“Must be nice…”

Her sleep schedule was completely wrecked. Inagika had fallen asleep at 4 AM again and didn’t wake up until after lunchtime.

Waking up in the morning was always a struggle.

Back in high school, she somehow managed to get by. She had a friend with similar hobbies, which made it bearable.

But when they went off to different universities, they stopped meeting. She couldn’t fit in with her classmates, so she ended up dropping out.

Since she no longer had to meet people, waking up at a normal time didn’t feel necessary.

But since most people operated during the day and slept at night, finding a proper job was nearly impossible.

It was the ultimate result of her broken social skills.

But she thought it was fine. She had become friends with Laura.

…And yet, seeing Sora and Laura streaming together now, it stung a little.

“I was friends with Laura first... Ugh…”

Somehow, Laura had gotten closer to Sora.

I knew this would happen…@@novelbin@@

From the moment she started talking to Sora, Inagika had realized that Sora was a true extrovert. She naturally got along with everyone. Inagika couldn’t understand why someone like her would even become a VTuber.

Not that she disliked Sora...

Sometimes, when she taught Sora something in Minecraft, she’d feel a slight sense of superiority. Talking with an extrovert like Sora made her feel a bit closer to being one herself.

So while they had gotten a bit closer, Sora was still a little intimidating. Even though her tone was friendly, there was always a sense of distance, especially when they first met in Discord.

Meeting Laura in real life had made things a bit easier.

Aurora.

To Inagika, Laura was an incredibly fascinating person.

Could she really be a rich young lady? Her aura was anything but ordinary. It felt like she lived in a completely different world from the average person.

You’d think that being from different worlds would make it hard to befriend her, but somehow, it was easy to get along with Laura.

Now Inagika understood why. Laura had a natural talent for drawing people in.

Rion-senpai looked out for her because of her status. Sora, noticing Laura's occasional vulnerabilities, took care of her. And Anna-senpai, well... it seemed like she recognized some kind of inner desire within Laura. She probably even figured out her deepest wants.

Whether intentional or not, Laura had a way of making people come to her.

She really was like a villainess from a light novel.

Now, Inagika understood why villainesses in those stories could gather followers.

“Ugh… I’m probably someone Laura doesn’t even need…”

That thought made Inagika feel even more depressed.

Laura would definitely make more friends in the future. She’d be loved by all the seniors too.

In that context, Inagika would just be a fleeting person in Laura’s life…!

Maybe in five years, Laura wouldn’t even remember Inagika. She’d say, "Oh? Was there someone like that? I think I remember a classmate with that name…"

That made sense. After all, Inagika had no standout qualities. She was just a socially broken, sleep-deprived mess of a person.

...Human relationships are always a burden.

To Inagika, Laura was her closest friend. But to Laura, she probably wasn’t.

With that, Inagika curled up under her blanket and slowly faded from everyone’s memory.

Inagika couldn’t tear people apart.

Ding Ding

“Huh…!”

The sudden sound of a Discord notification brought Inagika back to life.

It was a message from Laura.

Aurora

[(Hyperlink)]

[Sora and I are streaming right now.]

[Why don’t you join us if you’re free?]

Inagika

[I’ll be there!!!!!!!!!!!!]

Inagika threw off the blanket that had been smothering her.

She ripped off all the clothes she was wearing and tossed them onto the bed. She didn’t have time to bother organizing her clothes.

“Mom...! Help me pick out something to wear! I’m going to a friend’s house…!”

Since they didn’t teach how to dress well in school, she called for help from her mom.

Amid her mom's scolding about throwing clothes everywhere, Inagika rushed out of the house faster than ever.

And now, Inagika was...

...playing Darkness Deception.

“...Huh? Why…”

Why did things turn out like this...?

Wasn’t Sora the one playing horror games? Sure, Chel also agreed to this punishment as a fellow "terrorist," but I’ve never once helped with the destruction of cities...!?

Before she could question it further, it was too late.

Inagika was seated in a gaming chair, her left hand on the WASD keys and her right hand gripping the mouse.

I’m not good at games like this...

Although she loved games just as much as Laura, Inagika wasn’t particularly confident in her skills. Most of the games she had played weren’t physically demanding.

Quotient God, Destruction: Moonrail, Blue Record, Dragon Girl Predator Derby, Idol Producer Cinderella Kingdoms… they were all... gacha games.

“Maybe Inagika will be better at Stage 3,” Laura commented.

“The mobs in Stage 3 stop moving when they’re in your line of sight. Since they often surround you, it’s less about reflexes and more about planning your escape. You’re smart, Inagika. I think you’ll do well.”

“R-Really…?”

Flattered by the praise, Inagika's spirits lifted.

Well... I have played a lot of puzzle games… right?

In Destruction: Moonrail (or Moonrail, for short), it’s turn-based, so I had to think things through. Quotient God also had some puzzle elements, didn’t it? I’ve even played card games like Shadow Burst, so yeah, I might be good at thinking things through…

Sora, on the other hand, wasn’t the type to overthink things.

Extroverts tend to act before they think, so as an introvert, maybe I really am better at brain games…!

‘I am the savior of the 6th gen… the conqueror of Stage 3…!’

Confidence began to bubble up from deep within…! Inagika straightened her posture.

It was time to show off her brilliant strategy.

If she could clear Darkness Deception’s most difficult Stage 3, what kind of recognition would she earn?

Inagika’s mind began to wander with fantasies.

-“I can’t believe you cleared Stage 3 so easily. You truly are my most prized friend.”

-“Amazing! I can’t even get through Stage 3~. In our 6th gen, Inagika is definitely the smartest! Let’s stay friends forever!”

-“Friend request sent.”

“Hehe…”

As she imagined herself becoming the hero of the 6th gen, a smile crept across her face.

At this moment, a hero was about to be born.

In truth, Stage 3 also required good physical skills.

There were times when you needed to play calmly, but there were also moments that demanded quick reflexes.

As mentioned before, Stage 3 had several traps scattered throughout the map. The timing was crucial to avoid spikes popping up or axes swinging down, and timing relied more on physical reflexes than brainpower, which is where Inagika struggled.

“Shouldn’t you use your skill to jump over the traps?”

“Do... do you think so?”

“Aren’t you holding onto your skill too much? You can use it again after the cooldown, so why not use it more often?”

“But if I get surrounded, the skill’s the only way to escape…”

Sora and Inagika exchanged that kind of conversation.

It’s true that when you take a step back, you can see things more clearly. Now that Sora was in the observer’s seat, she started giving more advice.

“This time, let me try. Move over.”

“O-Okay…”

And so, Sora, Inagika, and Chel took turns playing the game.

Inagika stubbornly cleared Stage 3.

Inagika also cleared Stage 4.

Stage 5 was a bit more challenging, but Sora managed to clear it.

Chel took down Stage 6.

Sora mustered all her strength to beat Stage 7.

And when they finally cleared the long-awaited Stage 8,

“It’s already lunchtime.”

They had been streaming for about 22 hours.

Chel was curled up and sleeping on my bed, while Inagika was dozing off in a chair nearby.

Sora was awake, but barely,

“Ugh… uh...”

Her voice was hoarse, likely from all the screaming.

“Chel and Inagika are asleep, so it looks like Sora and I will end the stream together. So, did you have fun?”

“…I’m exhausted.”

“Sora says she had fun. Today, we played Darkness Deception, but I’ve gifted Sora many other horror games in the past. We’ll see you next time with a different game.”

“…Save me.”

With Sora’s sign-off, I gently pressed the end-stream button.

I removed my earphones and stood up from my chair.

What a mess.

The chicken box we ordered as a late-night snack was still lying around, and there were three bodies—er, my friends—scattered across the room.

Only one of them had stolen my bed.

“Well, I guess it can’t be helped.”

Normally, I wouldn’t bother with such trivial things, but it seemed like I’d have to step in for once.

With that thought, I picked up the nearly unconscious Sora and Inagika and carried them to the bed.