NOVEL NEXT WORLD The Strongest Solo Gamer with Terrible Social Skills Reincarnates as a Hated NPC in a VRMMO Chapter 124
124, Who is it?
May 1st, Monday.
During the Golden Week holidays, I went on an ABYSS exploration today as well.
My destination was the Transfer Zone.
I decided to get high-grade recovery medicine materials for those poor people who had to spend their holidays in the hospital bed, so I went to the trouble of preparing them.
What a benevolent spirit I have!
Well, I do enjoy exploring ABYSS, and even on holidays, I wouldn’t be able to go out and play with someone, so it’s not like I have anything else to do…
…The annoying thing this time is that I have a “partner” with me. I want to explore at my own pace, but I can’t because of my companion. Honestly, it’s quite stressful.
“Eastern Cloud…what’s with you following me around? Do you think the others are that important?”
I muttered complaints in a low voice while completing the reception procedures. I handed over the portal terminal and finished. The exploration time was set to 72 hours. Three days should be plenty, probably.
As usual, I don’t remember much about Eastern Cloud’s backstory. Maybe I didn’t progress the event? I knew she was a demon hybrid, but that’s all. “She’s a succubus, so she must be super erotic! Woohoo!”…That’s all I thought about back then.
I’m quite shallow, aren’t I?
“Well, let’s see…the rumored Eastern Cloud…”
The time was 7 o’clock. I arrived exactly on time. I looked around the crowded square in front of the Transfer Stone, searching for someone.
It’s tough to find someone in a crowd like this. Is it because of the holiday atmosphere? Most of the explorers in the Transfer Zone seemed to be carefree people who didn’t take exploration seriously. They seemed to be enjoying themselves like they were on a picnic.
I’m not too good at dealing with this kind of atmosphere…
“Today, Yao Bikuni is coming, right?!”
“That’s true! The official HP says Me’y, the idol, will be the reporter!”
“Wow, what great timing! Maybe we can get an autograph later?!”
“My wife is forcing me to get Godou Katsuragi’s autograph, and if I don’t bring it back, I’ll be killed!”
Huh…?
As I eavesdropped on the passersby’s conversations, I nodded to myself. It seems like a famous person is coming. Kyoukotsu River and…Yao Bikuni…Godou Katsuragi?
…I don’t know those names.
Are they original characters or something?
Well, it doesn’t matter now.
What’s more important is Eastern Cloud’s whereabouts.
That guy, where is he――
“Shouma-kun!!”
“Nuwa!? “
Suddenly, I was blindfolded from behind!?
I’m shocked by this sudden turn of events, but there’s only one person who would pull off such a prank in this situation!!
――Let’s go, Final Answer!!
“Is, Touma…?”
“…Eh? …Hazu~re~…”
――Ahhh!? That’s different――!!
The owner of the voice, whose tone suddenly dropped. I removed the blindfold and turned around, and there was Kyouran Kyoumei.
……Ahh, my favorability with her just plummeted….
Kyouran’s face was visibly sulking. I don’t need her favorability, but it’s troublesome to be treated coldly and as an enemy. I need to somehow appease her mood….
“A, ahh〜〜!? Kyouran, yeah… I mean, I was really confused, right? As a candidate, Kyouran was the first one to come to mind, but… I’m just messing around, aren’t I!? I ended up pushing the wrong button, yeah? ――Ahh, what a shame!! I really thought it was Kyouran, but I couldn’t get the correct answer myself, and that’s frustrating〜〜!!”
I’m making a conciliatory gesture while trying my best to appease her.
Kyouran isn’t laughing.
Not at all. Not laughing at all.
“Hmm? Shouma-kun mistook me for another girl and even lied to me?”
“No, that’s not a lie…”
“Hmmmm…?”
“…”
――The pressure is intense.
I had forgotten that, compared to me, Kyouran Kyoumei is an extremely dangerous person in the student council!!
She has a habit of easily discarding others when she gets bored, and her possessiveness is abnormally strong. Before the original story began, she manipulated her classmates into conflict, causing a massive class collapse. Many students dropped out. According to the setting, some even became disabled. As a penalty, Kyouran’s class was demoted to an exceptional low rank. My sister, who was in the same class, was able to rise to B class due to her exceptional abilities.
If I anger her――it’s not good!!
I reflexively prostrated myself on the spot!!
As Sun Tzu said, “The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy’s will to be imposed on him.”
I put that into practice!!
“I-I apologize――!!”
“Eh!?”
“I made you angry… please forgive me!!”
“Ch, what’s going on, Shouma-kun!?”
The flustered Kyouran. The surrounding onlookers, sensing something unusual, turned their attention to us.
“What’s going on?”
“Is he doing a dogeza in ABYSS…?”
“Or is the girl, Me’y or something…?”
“Is this some kind of scandal…?”
“――!!”
Hahaha… I’ll die with everyone, then!! What will you do, Kyouran? As long as you don’t forgive me, I’ll continue to prostrate myself! I don’t like being the center of attention, but if my life is at stake, that’s a different story!!
“…Alright! That’s enough! Just get up already, Shouma-kun!!”
――Ah, permission granted!!
“Uh… Fu…”
I stood up, my neck creaking as I did so, and glared at Kōryūkawa. That guy looked really frustrated.