Volume 1 Chapter 9.1

Volume 1 + Chapter 9.1: Inoue Hatsuka

“My name is Hatsuka, Inoue Hatsuka.”

While soaking in the bath after returning home, I found myself recalling the expression on that girl’s face when she formally introduced herself before leaving.

That expression clearly conveyed her wish to stay in contact with me.

The text box hadn’t given me any instructions, was it leaving things up to me, or was it simply not the right time yet?

Only now did I begin to think seriously about these matters, and the most important question surfaced in my mind.

If I follow what the text box dictates, then what is the meaning of me becoming “Watanabe Yuu” within this game?

And what about the original occupant of this body, the yuri-side-character girl who was supposed to fall in love with “Endou Yuna”? Where did she go?

Did I take her place?

Or have I become some kind of unremovable bug within the game?

The more I thought, the more absurd it became. I shook my head and reorganized my thoughts.

So far, the only requirement the text box has imposed on me is to complete the character’s tasks. At other times, it remains silent and unobtrusive.

Such a text box only appears when the plot requires progression, guiding my decisions at critical moments.

It is, in a way, surprisingly gentle, nothing like the puppet-like existence I had imagined, where I would lose all personal freedom after the age of seven.

On a personal level, the text box hasn’t greatly interfered with my daily life, which is actually a good thing.

But when it comes to finding leverage against it, this subtlety makes things less convenient.

If it is real, then I should simply follow its instructions and complete the tasks as required.

If it is fake, then I’ll live my life as I please and ignore it altogether.

So far, I have encountered three heroines. Among them, there is one I must maintain contact with, “Endou Yuna.”

The other two, “Endou Hina” and “Inoue Hatsuka,” are people I can choose to stay in touch with freely.

As for why I judge them to be heroines, there are several reasons:

1. A sense of fate.

This is an intuition carried over from my previous life. I don’t know if it still applies now, but I tend to trust this familiar instinct.

2. Their appearance.

While there are many good-looking people in this world, beauty on their level is rare.

At least before the text box began influencing the story, I had never encountered anyone of such striking appearance.

…Well, that’s not entirely true.

Rin-nee would count as one, but she’s far older than both me and the game’s male protagonist, so she doesn’t qualify.

The designated heroine by the text box, “Endou Yuna,” is the same age as me, while the male protagonist, “Horikita Tomoya,” is only three years older.

So no matter how you look at it, Rin-nee cannot be one of the heroines.

3. Guidance from the text box.

It was the text box that guided me to find the cat, and it was also the text box that instructed me to wait at the place where I found it to locate its owner.

Following its instructions led me to meet “Inoue Hatsuka.”

As for “Endou Hina,” the text box will likely guide me toward her as well in the future.

Having sorted through my thoughts, I continued.

Based on the current priority set by the text box, “Endou Yuna” is first.

From this, it can be inferred that my relationship with her is the main storyline of the game.

But will this unrequited affection eventually be returned…

Or will it remain unanswered?

Since this is a game, there should logically be both a “yuri route” and a “normal BG route.”

And that distinction will determine whether this is merely a temporary role… or a role I must play for a lifetime.

Moreover, if we assume the text box is real, then the game itself must eventually come to an end.

Most romance games conclude during high school or university, at the latest when characters enter the workforce.

Given the number of heroines, it will probably end during the high school arc.

So I won’t be under the text box’s control forever, that’s good news.

Even after the game ends, there may still be character-setting requirements.

If I must continue liking “Endou Yuna,” that wouldn’t be a problem.

After all, it would only be for appearances, and the fact that Yuna is female eliminates most of my resistance.

Relationships with the same sex carry far fewer risks compared to those with the opposite sex.

At present, it’s still unclear whether “Endou Yuna” will become the male protagonist’s true heroine.

So my future remains uncertain. Even if things fail and I end up living together with her, I wouldn’t mind.

As long as I’m not forced into anything, or reduced to some pitiful, fawning existence, it’s acceptable.

After more than a year of interaction, I can say that Yuna’s personality aligns well with mine, that’s one point.

Her tendency to be easily led by me poses no threat, that’s another.

And since we’re both girls, there won’t be children, that’s a third.

So whether I accept it or not doesn’t really matter.

I adapt easily, I have no problem with whatever comes.

Even if I accept a future on the “yuri route,” one of the heroines, “Endou Yuna,” may not. After all, she’s already infatuated with the male protagonist at such a young age, and they’re childhood friends.

A childhood friend of the protagonist is usually an irreplaceable existence.

As for the future, having control over my own time still seems very possible.

Perhaps when the game ends, the text box will disappear.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense.

That, too, would reveal whether the text box is a real system, or something controlled by someone behind the scenes.

As for Yuna’s choices as a heroine, they don’t concern me much.

Once the text box disappears, I’ll likely cut ties with the heroines cleanly, in accordance with my personality.

If that’s not possible, then maintaining a distant, neutral relationship would suffice.

Time dulls everything.

The text box stated that I am merely a yuri-side character, one who cannot be conquered by the male protagonist.

Such a role would naturally have little screen time in a game, making it rather reassuring.

Feeling that the future wasn’t so bad after all, I stretched my legs in the bathtub.

One of the few perks of being a child again is bathing, you can stretch out freely in the tub without restraint.

Mm~ what should I do today?

After soaking comfortably, I put on my pajamas and used a soft white towel to dry my hair.

Walking to the bookshelf, I ran my finger across the spines, choosing which book would be “favored” today.

But upon seeing the section filled with piano-related books, I suddenly remembered something more important and abandoned the selection.

Since I had determined that the game’s main storyline involved “spirits,” continuing to remain willfully ignorant like before was no longer an option.

I sat at my desk, turned on the computer, and began researching the scenes and concepts I had encountered today.

“Piano Healers: a profession that uses the power of spirits to restore a person’s physical and mental condition.

Those with the potential to become Piano Healers are extremely rare, only one in ten thousand.

Among those chosen by ‘spirits,’ there exist even more exceptional individuals known as ‘Spirit Users.’ These are people who form contracts with spirits, and their abilities far surpass those of Piano Healers.

Piano Healers require a piano to attract spirits, allowing the spirits to synchronize and emit energy that heals body and mind.

Spirit Users, however, can summon spirits anytime and anywhere through singing, melody, or tonal expression.

The healing power of spirits summoned in this way is ten times stronger than that of spirits drawn through a piano.

Those capable of forming contracts with spirits are themselves one in ten thousand even among Piano Healers, exceedingly rare…”

…

To be honest, I had already prepared myself mentally before researching.

I had looked into this before out of curiosity, but since I was in a bad mood at the time, I remembered very little.

Now, after only reading a few terms and concepts, I already felt like giving up, even forcing myself, I couldn’t continue.

The explanations on the computer felt like something ripped straight out of a child’s fantasy, or a Chuunibyou setting manual.

It made me want to say just one thing, 

“This trash game should just disappear already!”

Feeling inexplicably irritated, I stood up abruptly. Seeing the piano and “Piano Healer” books I had previously bought, I walked to the shelf and, expressionless, pushed them all to one side.

Determined to ignore them completely, I instead picked up a philosophy book from the other end of the shelf.

As expected, I preferred something grounded in logic, it soothed my sense of reality that had been toyed with.

———–

[Yuu, you were okay yesterday, right? The rain got really heavy afterward…]

As soon as I sat down at my desk in class, Yuna approached me, her expression tinged with concern and apology.

[I’m fine. I was already indoors by then.]

[Ah? …Really? Mm… as long as you didn’t get caught in the rain.]

She seemed puzzled about how I got home so quickly, but didn’t dwell on it.

Perhaps she came up with an explanation herself, or simply wasn’t that interested.

Personally, I’d prefer it if she wasn’t interested at all, hardly the mindset of someone harboring a crush.

The text box, which imposes no demands on my inner thoughts, really is quite gentle.

And since that house isn’t even mine, there’s nothing wrong with how I phrased things. I smiled faintly.

It felt almost like I was putting a “green hat” on the official yuri partner, “Endou Yuna”, strangely amusing.

[Hm? Where’s Endou-san?]

Not seeing the “princess of the sun” today felt unnatural, so I asked.

[My sister…She… might not be able to come to school for quite a while.]

Yuna’s expression was a mixture of sadness, distress, and a hint of fear.

[I see.]

Pretending not to notice anything unusual, I calmly took out my book and nodded without asking further.

[Hm? Yuu, you’re not reading piano books today?]

She seemed to know I had the habit of sticking to one type of book for long periods, so my sudden change caught her attention immediately.

[Yeah. It doesn’t really suit me, I think.]

Thinking back to yesterday’s dreamlike scenes and last night’s research, I couldn’t imagine involving myself in that kind of world. I decisively chose to give up.

Even without piano, there are plenty of other paths. Today, I picked up a book on calligraphy instead.

Besides, as a yuri-side character, there’s no requirement for me to interact with “spirits,” right?

The moment I entertain the thought, “It won’t be that bad,” I recall something from “Murphy’s Law”. Never expect tomorrow to be better. More often than not, it turns out worse than today.

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