NOVEL NEXT Chapter 318
Before we begin.
This episode continues from the early choice section of If Spin-off – I Became the Protagonist of a Yuri Visual Novel (Suzuha Route).
──────────────────────────────────
[Suzuha Koga (Komachi Yuyika): 113]
[Hikari Kurokami (Shirazaki Shiro): 99]
[Ayaka Utsumi (Utaka Ren): 0]
[Yukari Akabane (Sakura Akasaki): 0]
[Aki Nekoto (Hagiwara Ruka): 0]
[Natsune Nanase (HatsuYuki Yoru): 0]
…
[Sakuya Suzumichi (Yuki Miyako): 0]
[Kaede Hatakawa (Shiina Momiji): 0]
What should I do from here?
Of course, if I simply want to clear it, I could confess to Suzuha right now and become her lover, and that would be that.
[Confess to Suzuha.]
[But that’s…]
★
But that’s like toying with Suzuha’s feelings.
If Suzuha were to get a confession from me, she would genuinely like it, but I’m planning to return to reality as soon as we become lovers.
Even if it’s because of the affection system, Suzuha would end up liking me as a partner because of my actions…
Of course, I really like Suzuha too, but it’s a different kind of liking.
So even if I have to return to reality…
Even if all the memories I have right now disappear…
I still can’t bring myself to toy with Suzuha’s heart…
[If there are no individuals with affection over 70 for over ten days, the game will automatically end, and you will return to reality!]
The tenth rule is already ineffective.
But no matter what, I don’t want to toy with the feelings of those I like.
So what the hell should I do…?
I don’t know.
I truly have no idea.
Why is this happening to me of all people?
“Sigh…”
For now, I guess I’ll just move as I usually do.
Since Suzuha and Kurokami’s affection levels have already gone down like this, there’s no reason to avoid the other members anymore.
I should just go about my life as usual and think it through step by step.
…Yeah. Let’s try to think positively.
After all, I did think that if I were to have a girlfriend, I’d like a cute girl, right?
So as I continue to hang around, I might just find someone among the members I fall for.
Aside from this [affection] button, there’s hardly anything uncomfortable or different from reality.
It would be troubling if Suzuha or Kurokami were overly affectionate towards me, but… I don’t think anything major will happen.
Let’s just try to be ordinary. Live like usual.
But just in case, I should avoid any actions that would increase the affection levels of the other members as much as possible.
Honestly, I have no idea what kind of actions increase the affection levels, which is also a problem.
…Well, as long as I don’t confess first, I think it should be okay.
★
[Suzuha Koga (Komachi Yuyika): 113]
[Hikari Kurokami (Shirazaki Shiro): 99]
[Kaguya Aoba (Fujiwara Azusa): 57]
[Kaede Hatakawa
(Shiina Momiji): 55][Rinze Yuzuki (Tsurumi Mai): 49]
[Aki Nekoto (Hagiwara Ruka): 48]
[Ayaka Utsumi (Utaka Ren): 47]
[Ichika Minazuki (Hagane Shiki): 41]
…
[Hina Amatsuka (Hinatsuru Mikoto): 23]
[Natsune Nanase (HatsuYuki Yoru): 0]
It’s been ten days since I got sucked into this game.
Maybe due to some error, I was kind of hoping the tenth rule would activate and I could return to reality.
But of course, nothing of the sort happened.
Well, anyway, I realized during these ten days while being overly conscious of the members… I depend on the Star’s Flow members more than I imagined.
When I feel anxious, I contact one of the members for no reason, and when I have something good happen, I want to share it with the members.
They come to mind even more easily than my high school classmates Miyauchi, Tateyama, and Onodera.
So now.
As I try to avoid actions that would raise affection, I feel frustrated that I can’t talk like I usually do.
But ultimately, even if my affection towards others goes up, it doesn’t really matter in the end.
At least, there’s no one whose affection has risen to the extent of Suzuha or Kurokami’s.
And during these ten days, I also realized one more thing.
I really like the Star’s Flow members, but that kind of liking is quite different.
The feelings I have are not of a lover, but affection I feel as a close friend and treasured colleague.
…Wait a minute. If I keep doing this, am I never going to be able to return to reality?
“Ugh….”
As that thought crossed my mind, a sigh escaped naturally.
…For now, I have a matter to attend to, so I should get ready to head out.
★
After that day, whether I was lucky or not, I hadn’t encountered Suzuha or Kurokami.
Of course, we exchanged calls and DMs, but unless we met face to face, it seemed the affection wouldn’t increase.
And when I arrived at the studio today for a matter, once again, neither Suzuha nor Kurokami’s faces were visible.
“Yoh, Izumi!”
[Natsune Nanase (HatsuYuki Yoru): 0
]
Instead, there was Natsune.
“Ah, hello….”
Natsune is incredibly busy.
I hadn’t seen Suzuha or Kurokami for ten days, but Natsune has a different vibe from those two.
The two of them can make time to meet each other if they want, even if their schedules don’t match.
But Natsune is truly so busy that there’s hardly any time to meet.
She… ‘Natsune Nanase’ is a 2 million subscriber VTuber and the symbol of Star’s Flow, so she has external matters almost every day.
I’m just glad that she continues to broadcast steadily…
“It feels different to see you here in the studio with me, Izumi~.”
“Is that so…?”
Thinking about it, it doesn’t seem like we’ve ever met in the studio just by coincidence without prior appointments because of our individual external matters.
“Or is it? Since I’m wearing the same clothes, it feels pretty similar, right?”
Today, I’m wearing a dress shirt and jeans.
…In other words, it’s the same outfit I wear when going out, as Natsune said.
“I heard from Yuki that you have a lot of other clothes at home? But why do you always wear just the dress shirt and jeans?”
“…Huh? D-Do you and Yuki talk separately…?”
“Ah, yeah. When we met last time, Yuki suggested exchanging lines, so we’ve been in contact since then.”
“…Does she ask a lot about me?”
When I asked, Natsune avoided my gaze.
…It’s 100% sure.
I should ask later if the other members are also keeping in touch with my sister.
“So? Why do you only wear the same outfit when you have plenty of other clothes?”
This was a blatant change of subject.
But I didn’t have anything else to say, so I decided to go along with Natsune for now.
I’ll ask my sister about this later.
“I feel a bit uncomfortable, and it just doesn’t seem to suit me somehow…”
Wearing something flowy makes me feel incredibly uncomfortable.
Especially with skirts, I don’t like the breeze on my legs, and it annoys me to move…
Above all, I can’t even imagine that I would look good in those kinds of clothes.
Well, the main reason is that dress shirts and jeans are the most comfortable.
“Hmm? Not suited? I think Izumi looks great no matter what she’s wearing!”
To my reply, Natsune tilted her head in disbelief.
I instinctively stepped back from the sudden closeness of her breath, but Natsune merely moved closer, making the distance meaningless.
“Hmm…”
Pure white hair and ruby-red eyes.
Her beauty, described as ephemeral, made me gulp without realizing.
“Seeing you this close, I think Izumi has more of a cool vibe than a cute one. Maybe it’s because your atmosphere resembles A-chan?”
Natsune said this with a smile and lightly poked my nose with her finger.
Honestly, I felt my heart race a little due to Natsune’s playful actions.
“Thinking that makes the current outfit look even better! But still, I’m sure Izumi would look good in other clothes too!”
“Th-Thank you…”
“If you’re grateful, later make sure to wear the other clothes Yuki recommended, alright?”
That’s a bit…
★
“If you’re grateful, later make sure to wear the other clothes Yuki recommended, alright?”
“…”
At Natsune’s words, Izumi quietly turned her gaze away.
It was clear that she was rejecting it, and Natsune smiled slyly.
‘Hmm. But surely…’
Then Natsune quietly glanced at the silent Izumi.
Her blue eyes, reminiscent of her mother Seona, emanated coldness and mystery that perfectly matched her simple outfit of a dress shirt and jeans.
‘Izumi is quite handsome…’
Whenever she’s silent, it adds a hint of sharpness to her looks, and now she seemed even prettier than what I usually think of her as a Star’s Flow member.
While Seona symbolized the image of a stunning woman in Natsune’s heart, right now, Izumi somehow seemed even more striking than Seona.
…So much so that it made her heart flutter without her realizing.
“Are you not going to wear it?”
“I-I’ll think about it.”
Of course, the moment she opened her mouth, she was back to normal Izumi.
★
[Natsune Nanase (HatsuYuki Yoru): 6]
Natsune’s affection level rose noticeably faster than the other members.
And thanks to that, I was able to feel the most relaxed I’ve felt in recent times.
“Phew… Finally done.”
“You worked hard.”
“Hey, Izumi. How about grabbing a meal after recording?”
“Um… I think I still need a bit more time?”
“It’s alright, it’s alright. I’ll just wait a bit at the cafe in front.”
Natsune’s sudden meal proposal.
I didn’t have another appointment, so time wasn’t an issue, but oddly enough, I felt uneasy about that affection.
So what should I do…
[Still, just in case, let’s reject it under the pretext of an evening broadcast.]
[Maybe this is alright? It’s been a while since I met Natsune too.]
★
…Hmm. But you never know.
Some event could suddenly increase the affection level, right?
So I’ll reject it this time.
I feel like my heart is being torn apart at the thought of giving up dinner with Natsune, but… there’s no choice.
I suppose I’ll just have to be satisfied with cursing the [game administrator] in my mind.
“I’m sorry. I have to do a broadcast tonight…”
“Oh, right. Thinking about the broadcast, the timing might be a bit awkward. Since the recording isn’t finished yet either.”
“Yeah….”
“I had something I wanted to talk to you about, Izumi, but that’s too bad.”
“Oh, if it’s that…”
“No, no. It’s not a big deal. Let’s set another time to talk about it later.”
“…Okay.”
[Game Administrator]… I genuinely want to curse you.
★
[Failed to enter Natsune’s route]
[Please aim for the next opportunity.]