Narumi shook his head as he realized he'd fallen asleep at the front desk of the live house.
Waking from the hazy dream and returning to reality, an indescribable sense of lightness filled his entire body. The freedom of not having to play anyone else washed over him.
"What future is there in playing bass, anyway? I'd probably just get pointed at and asked, 'Why does your guitar only have four strings?' Honestly, continuing to be a lousy wage slave suits me just fine."
As a longtime gamer, Narumi naturally understood the simple truth that immersion makes games more fun. But if role-playing goes on for too long—and you stop treating it as just a game—it becomes dangerously easy to blur the line between simulation and reality.
Even though Narumi had always been playing other possible versions of himself, that only reduced the sense of rejection somewhat. Accepting unfamiliar habits and hobbies—and performing them flawlessly—was never easy.
Like a mask worn for too long growing into your face, playing a role for too long makes you slowly forget who you really are.
In any case, it was probably best to return to his real life for a bit and readjust.
What happened next was something everyone could already guess.
Thinking that, he stood up and poured himself a glass of water—and then Yamada Ryō appeared behind him like a ghost—and, for no apparent reason, smacked his butt hard with her bass.
"?!"
Having just returned to reality only to be ambushed like this, Narumi's mind went completely blank for a moment.
This was not the kind of homecoming ceremony he'd imagined.
While he clutched his backside in utter confusion, Miss Yamada Ryō—who never followed the script—smiled faintly.
"Looks like I'll need a new bass."
"No, seriously, what's wrong with you?"
Narumi voiced his displeasure without holding back. Any sentimental urge he'd had to properly catch up with her was instantly crushed by the ruined atmosphere.
Yamada's response?
"Did you only just realize that today?"
She then raised the bass again, looking disturbingly eager to go for a second round.
"There are security cameras in the shop! This is a violent incident…!"
Alright, Narumi had zero confidence that this would actually scare Yamada.
This woman had a talent for shattering every expectation and doing things completely beyond imagination.
There was nothing he could do. Even if he really did get beaten into a hospital stay, he'd just have to accept his fate.
"Koumi, you know I wouldn't actually go that far."
The blue-haired girl raised an eyebrow. She already understood exactly what his reaction meant and put her answer plainly on the table.
"Then can I ask why you suddenly hit me? It really hurt, you know."
"Felt like my hands were itchy lately, and I happened to want a new bass."
Yamada said this calmly, then pointed at Narumi's lower body.
"Besides, isn't it possible that your butt was the one that initiated intimate contact with my bass?"
"You can fool your bros, but don't fool yourself."
"Ehehe."
"What's a deadpan 'ehehe' even supposed to be, ehehe."
"Anyway, you're coming with me tomorrow to buy a new bass."
Yamada waved her hand, slinging the bass over her shoulder as she unilaterally made the appointment.
"No ditching. Or I'll snitch to the boss about you slacking off at work."
"Haaah…"
Watching the back of this bass freak as she raised a hand in farewell and walked off, Narumi barely managed to stand up, still holding his swollen backside—she had definitely put her full strength into that. It seriously hurt.
"Could it be that the system's so-called 'influence on reality'… is already starting to show through Yamada?"
Uncertain—for now, he'd keep watching.
After exiting the simulation, Narumi resumed his normal real-life routine.
Once his shift ended, he took the last train back to the neighborhood where his rented apartment was and spent a peaceful night.
The traffic drawn by Guitar Hero's videos was still gradually boosting the popularity of his novel post, but he didn't have the bandwidth to focus on writing right now. After briefly skimming the comments, he left it at that.
The next day was a rare day off.
Before heading to the instrument store to meet Yamada, Narumi casually glanced into a bookstore he was passing by—and his gaze met that of a black, medium-length–haired woman quietly reading by the window.
"..."
The two froze like someone had pressed the pause button, staring at each other in silence.
Then Narumi Tōru was the first to turn away, pretending he hadn't seen anything as he kept walking.
"Tō~ru~kun~!"
As expected, he hadn't even taken two steps before Yukinoshita Haruno chased out of the store and called after him.
"Ahaha, Yukinoshita-senpai. What a coincidence."
Running into this woman—now this was trouble.
He didn't even bother putting on his harmless, obedient underclassman act. With a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, he greeted Haruno.
After all, this fox-sharp woman could see through most disguises anyway.
"Oh my, it would've been even nicer if that politeness had been used when you saw me just now and immediately turned around to leave."
Sure enough, she began teasing him with that sweet, radiant smile.
"But since it's you, Tōru-kun, I'll forgive you~"
"If anything, the way you get all awkward is really fun to watch—and pretty cute, too."
She tilted her head slightly, lively eyes blinking, as if she'd never hesitate when it came to expressing her feelings directly.
One of life's three great illusions— "She's saying things like this… does that mean she likes me?" makes its grand entrance!
At the same time, however, long-buried memories were inevitably stirred in Narumi's mind.
A warning bell once rung by the novelist Narumi Tōru.
He vaguely remembered that he'd started dating Yukinoshita Haruno because her bold, unrestrained way of expressing emotion felt dazzling—something that sparked rare curiosity in his emotionally detached self.
But after dating her, he realized that she wasn't all that different from him.
Both of them were hollow people pretending to be free-spirited, well-adjusted adults.
"This is bad. This woman is way too skilled at smacking you with a stick and then feeding you candy. If I hadn't already fallen into her trap once before, I might've really been taken in just now."
One of life's three great illusions—"She's saying things like this… does that mean she likes me?" regretfully exits the stage…!
"Senpai, you're really good at praising people. Is that because you're always so kind and gentle with everyone?"
Used to lowering others' guard by making himself seem non-threatening in social interactions, Narumi blinked his lake-blue eyes and put on an innocent expression.
"I was actually a little happy just now, but if you say things like that to everyone… it does sting a bit."
Sincerity is the ultimate trump card—and fabricated sincerity is another kind of trump card altogether.
"—"
As expected, Yukinoshita Haruno's previously effortless smile stiffened slightly.
Even though she could see through Narumi's feigned innocence and knew this was a deliberate jab meant to put her on the spot, a straight-on attack like this was still enough to leave her momentarily speechless.
"Even when you're at a loss for words, senpai, you're still beautiful."
The curly-haired boy tilted his head, eyes half-lidded as he smiled warmly and cheerfully—even though Haruno could practically see the nonexistent fox tail behind him swaying smugly.
"And studying seriously in a bookstore even on your day off? As expected of a student from a top university."
He graciously offered her a way out, and Haruno smoothly shifted the topic.
"No, not really. I'm just reading some light novels to relax and slow down my study pace."
Smiling, she cast her gaze toward the rows of shelves behind the bookstore's glass walls, her eyes drifting over the colorful spines.
"For some reason, I've been really into books with bizarre, wildly imaginative settings lately…"
"They're completely illogical and often fizzle out at the end, but somehow, unexpectedly, they really draw me in."
"I see…"
Narumi tugged at the corner of his mouth, but the smile came out strained.
The simulation's influence on reality—it looked like the signs were already there.
"What about you, Tōru-kun? Wandering the streets aimlessly alone on your day off?"
Haruno pulled her gaze back and looked again at the thoughtful curly-haired boy.
"Want me to invite little Yukino out and have a study session together?"
"That'd be a bit inconvenient. I already have plans with a friend."
Translated: politely declined.
Also, maybe dial back the probing a bit, Miss Haruno.
"Oh? A friend?"
Haruno raised an eyebrow with renewed interest.
"Are you having a study session with someone else, Tōru-kun?"
"No, I'm just going to browse an instrument store with her. She wants to buy a new bass."
"Oh… I see."
Yukinoshita Haruno looked him up and down.
That familiar gaze—like she was trying to dig information out of him.
Of course it was familiar.
After dating her for several years, how could it not be?
"And your friend, Tōru-kun~ Is she a classmate from school?"
"No, a friend I met through a shared hobby."
"I see. Then she's about your age?"
"Yeah."
"What kind of person is she? A boy or a girl?"
"A girl."
Faced with Haruno's rapid-fire questions, Narumi answered truthfully and sincerely—without oversharing.
If anything, there was no need to be guarded in front of Yukinoshita Haruno.
The more honest you were, the fewer cracks she could poke at.
Trying to hide things only stirred her curiosity to uncover secrets.
"Heh. After years of deep interaction in the simulation, how could I not know what this woman is thinking?"
Based on the experience accumulated over years of dealing with Haruno in the simulation, Narumi Tōru could outline a general strategy.
To handle a Yukinoshita Haruno who was full of suspicion and vigilance toward others, the key was to respond to all change with constancy.
"Oh my, a same-age girl from another school you met through a hobby."
She neatly organized the information she'd gathered so far, her smile still blooming on her face.
"Does little Yukino know her too?"
There it was—a question that sounded innocent, but was actually a classic attempt to redirect trouble…!