"It's normal for Miko to be angry…"
Natsuki sighed softly, sitting beside Miko, and whispered, "If our roles were reversed, and Miko suddenly became extremely popular, with foreign princes, demons from another world, super-powered beings hidden in the human world, and aliens from distant stars all fawning over her every day, I would definitely be super angry too."
Miko: "…"
What you're describing is clearly a setup that only appears in light novels with a strong female lead!
Natsuki continued:
"If something like that really happened, I'd probably quietly knock Miko out and carry her away, then lock her in a basement where no one could find her…"
"Wait!" Miko finally couldn't hold back and retorted, "You want to lock me in a basement? That's illegal!"
Natsuki said seriously:
"If you don't even dare to commit a crime for the girl you like, what kind of liking is that?"
Miko: "…Nonsense!"
It's not just nonsense anymore, it's clearly pure gibberish!
Even if it's for the girl you like, you can't choose illegal means!
"So, people can never truly empathize with each other…" Natsuki took a deep breath and said earnestly, "That's why I've decided, until Miko is truly willing to accept dating together, I will absolutely not take advantage of Miko again."
"Easy to say…" Miko puffed out her cheeks, unable to resist retorting, "What is your hand doing?"
"Huh?"
Natsuki looked down and realized his right hand had somehow reached Miko's thigh.
"My sincerest apologies, that was my right hand's own idea."
"Pfft~"
Miko couldn't help but lightly spit:
"Quickly take your hand away."
"…"
After talking for a while, Miko was still angry, but she certainly wasn't as aggrieved as she had been in the afternoon.
Just like Natsuki said earlier, people can never truly empathize with each other.
She wasn't a player, hadn't entered an instance, and couldn't understand that bond that transcended life and death… If not for that, excellent girls like Kaguya would never share their boyfriend with others, right?
Haruno and Komi at noon, judging by their expressions, were clearly willing, and she had no right to dictate…
But even so, Miko still couldn't agree to date together.
Being a lazy girl doesn't mean she has no self-respect.
The idea of dating together was just unacceptable!
But breaking up completely, severing all ties, Miko didn't have enough resolve or will for that. In the end, she was just a lazy girl; occasionally conflicted, but often just lying flat.
At this moment, Natsuki's voice rang out:
"Miko, have you dreamed of another you these past few days?"
"I have…" Miko subconsciously responded, looking up and softly saying, "I've dreamed twice this week already."
Natsuki raised an eyebrow and said:
"The frequency has increased?"
"Mm."
Miko responded softly.
Natsuki pondered:
"What were the contents of the dreams?"
Miko exhaled lightly, her gaze shifting to the TV, and whispered:
"In my dream, I was walking through an empty city, and the ground was covered in scattered clothes."
"The location must have been Shibuya, because I also saw the Hachiko statue."
"There were many evil spirits on the empty roads… I seemed to be looking for something, and occasionally I'd encounter some vagrants, but I didn't interact with them, instead I avoided them from a distance…"
Miko extended a finger and gently pressed her brow:
"That's roughly the content. The things I dream about aren't continuous, but the memory of the dream is always very clear."
Natsuki reached out and ruffled Miko's small head, whispering:
"This dream shouldn't be simple."
It was certain that Miko didn't have the ability to control dreams.
Yet now she frequently dreamed the same dream, where another version of herself walked alone in a desolate and eerie city. This was clearly more than a simple coincidence.
Natsuki continued:
"In a few days, when I master a new skill, I might be able to figure it out."
"Eh?"
"In this instance, I encountered a the passerby player who possessed a skill called 'Dream Link'…"
Natsuki put his arm around Miko and began talking about what happened in the park.
The eerie, bloody, and endlessly life-draining park was much more interesting than any children's anime, and Miko couldn't help but prick up her ears and listen carefully.
Only after listening from beginning to end did Miko suddenly realize that she had been embraced by Natsuki at some point.
"…Let go of me!"
Miko's pretty face flushed, and she struggled.
He said he wouldn't touch her, didn't he?
When did he even hug her?!
"My sincerest apologies." Natsuki released Miko, looking surprised, "Why did Miko run into my arms?"
Miko couldn't help but exclaim:
"You clearly did it on purpose!"
"…"
After talking for a while, the child Kyosuke returned from walking the dog.
Natsuki stood up, patted his backside, and prepared to go home:
"Anyway, in a few days, once I've mastered Dream Link and enter your dream, I should be able to figure out what's going on with the dream."
"…"
Natsuki took the leash from the child's hand and slowly walked home.
What he said, he naturally had to follow through on. Natsuki sat on the sofa, took out his phone, and prepared to send a message:
"Has Sakurai registered?"
A few seconds later, Mitsui replied:
"Natsuki-kun, please wait. I'll arrange for someone to check immediately."
Before, when in doubt, he'd find Hayasaka. Now, he didn't need to find Hayasaka; when in doubt, he'd directly find Mitsui. As a high-ranking member of the Strange Tales Management Bureau, she could help solve ninety-nine percent of real-world troubles.
Natsuki put down his phone, summoned Mrs. Shimizu, then watched TV leisurely while waiting.
A moment later.
His phone vibrated softly.
Mitsui sent a message:
"Sakurai and several other players you met in the park have all registered today."
In the park, Mitsui had introduced the identities of the Strange Tales Management Bureau members. In the eyes of the passerby players, Natsuki and his group were naturally the 'official team.' They not only generously and selflessly led them to complete side quests, but also offered various benefits in the real world through the Strange Tales Management Bureau. Naturally, there was no reason for them to hide or conceal anything.
So, after clearing the instance and returning to reality, they all went to the Strange Tales Management Bureau's office to register.
"Here's Sakurai's contact information…"
Mitsui quickly sent the contact information. As for why Natsuki was asking for Sakurai's contact information, Mitsui had no intention of asking.
"Sakurai has a very interesting skill; I plan to copy it over in a while."
Natsuki said while taking out his Coin of Destiny and casually tossing it.
The 100% luck buff had been used up, and now it was time to slowly recharge.
Given their 'acquaintance' in the park, that the child would surely agree to help 100%.
Mitsui sent another message:
"Natsuki-kun, two more suspected Strange Tales have appeared in Tokyo these past few days. The Strange Tales Management Bureau is urgently investigating, and I'll have to ask for your help again…"
With Strange Tales appearing constantly, Tokyo is doomed!
Looking at the case messages Mitsui sent, Natsuki pressed his brow and sighed helplessly.
The first suspected Strange Tale case actually appeared half a month ago, but it was only confirmed by the Strange Tales Management Bureau today. The victims were mostly single office workers who inexplicably didn't go to work. Calls went unanswered, messages unreturned, so their companies reported them to the police. When the police checked their apartments, they were shocked to find only a white-haired, lifeless old person, as if they had aged decades in just a few days, which was quite terrifying.
Initially, isolated cases didn't attract attention, but as the number of victims with bizarre deaths continued to increase, it quickly caught the attention of the Strange Tales Management Bureau. Players used items from the game to detect residual abnormal energy, confirming that it was highly likely the work of an anomaly. However, as of now, there is no other information about this Strange Tale.
The second Strange Tale is even more mysterious.
"It's a misty Strange Tale that can make people disappear…" Mitsui continued, "A roadside surveillance camera happened to capture a video. An office worker was returning home late at night, passed through an alley, walked into a mass of white mist, and then vanished into thin air."
"The location where the mist appeared is in your area, Natsuki-kun, so you must be vigilant…"
Natsuki clicked on the video to watch.
The location in the video was indeed very familiar; it was an intersection Natsuki often walked past. It was late at night, and a man in a suit, his face flushed, reeking of alcohol, stumbled forward in the surveillance footage, walking directly into a mass of white mist. He then vanished as if into thin air, never emerging from the mist. A short while later, the white mist also dissipated.
"Tsk~"
Natsuki lightly raised an eyebrow.
Mist usually appears in late autumn and winter. It was only the end of summer vacation, and the weather had just turned cool, so mist clearly shouldn't appear… So, drinking leads to trouble. If he hadn't been drunk, any normal person seeing such a large mass of strange mist would avoid it, right?
"This world is getting more and more dangerous…"
Natsuki sighed helplessly.
Kaidan seemed to appear with the advent of the game, and their numbers were clearly increasing.
Although the Strange Tales Management Bureau had always arranged for players to eliminate Strange Tales, the results were meager. Many Strange Tales were untraceable, appearing occasionally, causing casualties, and then disappearing without a trace. The Strange Tales that were truly eliminated were actually very few.
Natsuki took a sip of tea, selected the recent messages, forwarded them to Kaguya and the others, chatted with the girls for a while, and then went to bed.
He wasn't a Kamen Rider; he didn't have the noble will to stand up for humanity. Besides, even if he wanted to eliminate Strange Tales, he had to find them first, so… he rested peacefully.
The night passed without incident.
The next day.
Natsuki got up in the morning, quickly washed up, and then left.
"Good morning, Tsubame-senpai."
Natsuki's first stop was to see Tsubame.
Seeing Natsuki appear, Tsubame's pretty face beamed with an exceptionally bright smile, and her voice was clear as she said:
"Good morning, Kohai-kun… Aoi-chan, come quickly, see who's here."
Thump thump thump.
A short-legged the child ran over, and upon seeing Natsuki, immediately slowed her pace, then shyly hid behind Tsubame, softly calling out:
"Dad…"
"It's only been a few days, and you're already estranged."
Natsuki sighed, and at the same time reached out, scooped up the child, and then directly lifted her into the air.
"Waaahhh—!"
With the lifting and spinning, the child's awkwardness quickly disappeared. She tightly hugged Natsuki's neck and then giggled.
"Here, eat this."
Natsuki handed the small cake he bought on the way to his daughter, then looked intently at Tsubame.
Tsubame's pretty face flushed. She naturally knew what Natsuki wanted to do and quickly took half a step back, whispering, "I—I don't want it!"
Natsuki took half a step forward and said, "Does Senpai really not want it?"
Tsubame quickly shook her head, "Absolutely not!"
She wasn't a the child. The thought of being lifted high was too embarrassing!
"Alright then…" Natsuki took out the Mirror of Lies and smiled, "Senpai just needs to say into the mirror that you don't want to be lifted high, and I won't do anything."
Tsubame: "…"
"Junior, don't go too far." Tsubame covered her body with both hands and couldn't help but glare at him.
"It seems Senpai isn't willing to say it." Natsuki spread his arms and said, "So, will Senpai come over yourself, or should I go over?"
Tsubame: "…I don't want to choose either!"
Unfortunately, not choosing wasn't an option.
Tsubame could only blush as she let Natsuki pick her up, lift her high, and spin her around.
"E-Enough…!" Tsubame's voice was urgent. It wasn't long before she started begging, "My head's spinning!"
Natsuki then put Tsubame down. Ignoring the little radish head next to them, he kissed her and then quietly asked about the little radish's mother's condition.
"I even took Aoi to the hospital yesterday." Tsubame lifted her hand to tuck the strands of hair behind her ear. Her breathing was slightly hurried. After wiping her lips clean, she softly said, "The treatment effect isn't very good… Aoi's mother sometimes talks to herself and occasionally calls Aoi's name, even though Aoi is right in front of her."
"No rush, take your time." Natsuki gently played with Senpai's fingers. "At least it's much better than when she was first rescued from the hotel. Having an effect is a good thing."
"Mm." Tsubame softly hummed, "Summer vacation is almost over. I plan to find someone to help Aoi go to school. She can't just stay cooped up at home every day."
Natsuki took out his phone: "I'll send a message to Mitsui-san."
"Don't trouble Mitsui-san with everything!" Tsubame couldn't help but complain, "We can handle these small matters ourselves, can't we?"
"Alright." Natsuki put away his phone. "It's mainly because an all-purpose secretary becomes more useful the more you use her…"
"Mitsui-san will be angry if she hears you say that, won't she?"
"…"
After sitting for a while, Natsuki and Tsubame took the little radish head out for a stroll and some parent-child game.
Soon it was afternoon.
After parting with Tsubame, Natsuki headed to Marin's house.
He pressed the doorbell.
The door opened.
A petite, pink-haired girl who looked like a the child appeared before his eyes.
Natsuki looked down and couldn't help but smile:
"Juju-sama, long time no see."