Chapter 1175 - Youthful Bastards Parading Around
—And so, after entering a dream world that physically exists in reality.
A connection, or rather, "because you helped me out the other day" ...well, it is probably about the collaboration on that stream. With the special complimentary tickets gifted by the Princess of the world's White Family spitting fire, we sought out our first attraction while munching on a classic sweet (churros), and as a result.
"Hey, Toshiki."
"What is it, Nozomi?"
"Two guys in a 'haunted house', isn't that kind of elegant in a roundabout way?"
"Oh, what's this? Is that the relaxed remark unique to someone with a wife? I'll knock you flat, Mr. Popular."
Two boys and three girls. Our group boasts a ratio that many male students would probably envy, but there exists a fact that, if thought about calmly, could even be called an abnormal situation: there is no romance.
No, I am not saying something extremely rude like Kaede, Shouko, or Miki lacking sex appeal, or rather charm, but simply that romantic glances are not flying around within the group.
Kaede is a self-proclaimed child-level romantic sensibility, Miki makes no-interest remarks like I'll think about it from my thirties, and the most popular Shouko-san is... well, like that.
And as for the male side, leaving aside myself as out of the question in various senses, regarding Toshiki as well...
"Don't threaten me, you're scarier than a ghost. ...Well, how are things after that?"
"Huh?"
"You know, that girlfriend of yours—"
"Like I said, she's, not, my girlfriend, yet..."
Well, it is that kind of feeling.
Yes, this man normally has someone he has feelings for.
His saying "yet" is not an accidental slip or unconscious at this point, but probably because I have already been told of that intent. The timing was during our previous hot spring trip.
Since we were in a two-man room, we naturally chatted about this and that, and because Toshiki frequently teased me about my romantic situation, it was a flow that naturally branched off.
So what about you, in the end, how are things with Shouko, spit it all out honestly—well, with that kind of half-teasing, I poked at that realistic fantasy called inseparable childhood friend (opposite sex) to see how things were, using my privilege as his best friend, and...
—Actually, I have someone I like. The childhood friend who isn't Shouko.
...And that was how I received an unexpected serious response.
I shuddered. Of course I shuddered. This guy, don't tell me, double childhood friends (girls)...? ...I felt a genuine shudder and the world's contrivance. I am also out there in various senses, but this realistic youthful rom-com bastard was also quite the light novel protagonist.
Actually, he has confessed to Shouko in the past, or that he was knocked flat by a full-power slap at that time, or that because of that he had a period where he suffered from temporary gynophobia—at any rate, there is no shortage of episodes that took me by surprise, but now is now. To sum it up,
"I'm still treated like a 'younger brother', you know..."
"Work hard, my friend."
"You bastard, acting like it's someone else's business."
Tooyama Toshiki, nineteen years old. Currently harboring a one-sided love for an "older sister" two years his senior for approximately four years.
Without any lie, I support him from the bottom of my heart. Since they meet up every now and then, according to Shouko-san, they are apparently in a just go out already state. Work hard, my friend, may fortune be with you—
With such individual circumstances, the five of us are close today as always, regardless of gender.
"Anyway, Nozomi. You're not scared at all, it's boring."
"Well, these ghosts aren't attacking me with the intent to kill, after all."
"Stop speaking from a Warrior's perspective. That makes me laugh."
Throwing two guys into a haunted house (screaming spot) while completely ignoring any romance is what you would call Normal Operation. Walking through with zero reaction, even the ghosts must be bewildered.
"Well, certainly, if you adventure in the virtual world (over there), you'll gain some courage..."
"It's scary, normally. They even politely stab at you with 'murderous intent'."
"And since you actually get killed, of course there are many people who throw in the towel saying 'no way'."
And, if someone heard this without knowing it was about Arcadia, they would probably shudder instead. While having a conversation that is dangerous if you only look at the sequence of words, we walk along while viewing the horror presentation (attraction).
Because our point of comparison, or rather the environment we have completely grown accustomed to, is the virtual world (that thing), or rather an extreme fantasy where anything goes, we cannot be surprised to the point where it feels almost apologetic.
Of course, if the real me were actually attacked by a ghost, unless Ashe saved me, I would meet a sad end. ...But, as expected, that won't happen.
Since I understand there is no harm because it is a fabrication, well, it makes sense.
"Hmm... it's that. As expected, Arcadia is partially a horror game."
"It's completely swung towards monster panic, isn't it? This place is Japanese-style horror."
"No, try imagining it, Toshiki-kun. The vague fear of 'I might be cursed to death...!' by a blurry vengeful spirit, versus the certainty of death when being chased by a giant desert moray eel over twenty meters long thinking 'I'm going to be eaten...!' Which one is actually scarier, that is the question."
"Both are scary. Don't underestimate them."
"That said, aren't you not scared at all either, Toshiki?"
"Rather than ghosts, a pissed-off Shouko and Ritsu-nee are scarier."
"I understand. There is nothing scarier than a pissed-off girl."
When immersed in a virtual world that is a fabrication but filled with genuine 'death matches', more than anything, courage and a mental state that does not flinch are cultivated.
At this point, we can no longer make a big fuss over something like a haunted house.
—But well, it is not as if this is everything.
"......Oh, oh, they're really getting into it."
"They look like they're having fun."
Far behind. The three women who entered after the two of us... mainly Kaede and Shouko. Their loud and lively screams reach our ears, causing two boys to smirk and smile to themselves.
It is not as if the entire population has become Arcadians and Warriors familiar with virtual combat, so the demand for this kind of enjoyment will probably never run out.
In addition to that, there are at least three nearby. Even excluding the one non-combat type, there are examples of people who are still, or even more so, unable to handle scary things (horror)...
"It's a good business. I hope they keep up the good work."
"Nozomi, you don't know how to enjoy it so much that you're starting to get desperate, aren't you?"
The classic culture of attractions. I pray for their long-lasting success.
Though there are Japanese horror-style vengeful spirit dungeons in Arcadia too.
Apparently, they are ab-so-lute-ly, completely unpopular because the path is pointlessly long, the entire area is dark with the worst visibility, the environment has many cramped, confined spaces making combat basically difficult, all appearing enemies are completely immune to physical attacks, there are many debuffs causing tons of stress, and the rewards are mediocre.