Chapter 115: Sato Maya's Confession
Inside the game center.
Katsuragi Keima and Sato Maya had been standing in front of the basketball machine for nearly an hour. From being a complete novice at the start, Sato Maya could now occasionally sink a few shots; her progress was visible to the naked eye.
Of course, this was inseparable from Keima's patient guidance—even if his style remained that of flat, declarative sentences, Sato Maya listened with utmost sincerity.
"Raise your hand a bit higher." "Like this?" "Mm." "It went in!"
Sato Maya jumped up excitedly once again. While playing, she was finally able to feel another side of Katsuragi Keima. Whenever it involved games, he was exceptionally serious. And the closer she got, the more she felt his handsomeness.
'I like him. I like him. I really like him!'
The affection Sato Maya felt for Keima was snowballing. A thought took root in her heart: after the date ended, she would go and confess to him! Her resolve grew firmer. Unlike the other girls Keima had encountered, Sato Maya was the type who was truly straightforward.
Kiryuin Fuka was a different story entirely.
Keima looked at her, his expression calm as usual, but his mind was elsewhere.
'Almost time.' He glanced at the clock.
'At this rhythm, she'll likely confess when the date ends. I have to find a way to avoid that scenario.'
Once a confession event occurred, things would get troublesome. If this were a single-route game, it would be a good thing. But... this was the real world. Sato Maya wasn't the only target he needed to progress with. If a "Dead End" occurred, the world could literally be destroyed.
Furthermore... there were people following them.
Sakura Airi, Karuizawa Kei, and the others were currently observing from a distance. Although they were in disguise, Keima had noticed them from the start. Not to mention Matsushita Chiaki and her group were nearby as well. For some reason, Keima could feel that Matsushita Chiaki's attention on him had increased recently.
That gaze was somewhat similar to Kiryuin Fuka's and Sakayanagi Arisu's—it was curiosity.
However, Matsushita wasn't the priority right now. Sato Maya was.
To prevent the situation from deteriorating further, he would occasionally initiate topics to keep Maya's attention on him, lest she discover the stalkers.
'What kind of person wears a heavy coat in late summer or autumn! It's too conspicuous!'
Luckily, Sato Maya was currently entirely focused on him. His brain worked at high speeds, calculating possibilities. How to avoid the confession plotline?
Suddenly acting strange might kill the mood, but it would definitely slash her affection level. Sato Maya's situation was completely different from Karuizawa Kei's. Kei's confession was a search for a "protection umbrella," but Sato Maya truly liked him.
And with those two watching... what should he do?
Create an accident? A sudden stomachache?
That would only delay it for a bit.
Call Elsie over?
She'd probably blow up the whole venue.
Or pretend to have an emergency?
Those felt too forced, and given Maya's personality, she might just follow him to take care of him.
Change the subject? Talk over her before she can speak?
The timing was hard to grasp, and her straightforward nature meant she might just interrupt him to continue.
The safest way was to say something before she spoke that would make her voluntarily give up the idea of confessing. But what? Keima looked at the smiling girl in front of him and, rarely, fell into deep thought.
'She is different from the others. Karuizawa's confession was for protection; I could reject her decisively. But Sato Maya is sincere. If I reject her too heartlessly, her affection might take a heavy hit. But if I accept...'
He glanced into the distance. Through the reflection in the game center's glass window, he could clearly see the two sneaky figures at the entrance: Karuizawa Kei and Sakura Airi. One in sunglasses, a mask, and a baseball cap; the other wrapped in an ill-fitting trench coat. Hasebe Haruka and Matsushita Chiaki were sitting on a nearby bench, pretending to chat while their eyes drifted his way.
'If I accept, their affection will definitely drop. And once a relationship is confirmed, I can't maintain the current status with the others. Being single is the best weapon.'
He pushed up his glasses.
'I have to refuse. But I must refuse in a way... that she won't be too sad.'
He thought of similar scenes in games. Some characters' affection actually rose after being rejected because of the protagonist's honesty. They felt they were being taken seriously, not just brushed off.
'Perhaps I can try that approach' Keima thought. Was it because the game logic dictated this judgment? Even Keima wasn't sure.
"Keima-kun?" Sato Maya's voice interrupted his thoughts. "What are you thinking about?"
Keima snapped back. "Nothing."
"Then, one more round?"
"Okay."
After a few more shots, Sato Maya looked at the time. "Ah, it's almost seven o'clock," she said with some regret. "Should we head back?"
Keima nodded. The two walked out of the game center.
Night had fully fallen. The streetlights of the commercial district were lit, casting a warm glow over the pavement. A evening breeze blew softly, bringing a hint of chill. Walking beside Keima, Sato Maya's heart beat faster and faster. She knew this was her last chance. The date was ending; if she didn't speak now, she didn't know when she'd have the courage again.
She took a deep breath and stopped walking. "Keima-kun."
Keima also stopped and turned to look at her. "Mm?"
Sato Maya looked at him, her eyes appearing exceptionally bright under the lamplight. "I... I have something to tell you."
Keima's heart rate increased slightly—not out of nervousness, but because he knew this moment had finally arrived. He didn't speak; he just looked at her with a very serious expression.
Sato Maya took another breath and let it all out at once. "I like you!"
Her face was flushed deep red and her voice was trembling, but her gaze was steady. "Ever since that day you helped me with the math problem, I've been watching you. The more I look, the more special I think you are, and the more handsome you seem. Even though you're always playing games and you talk so flatly, you are you, and you're different from everyone else."
She clenched her fists. "So... I want to go out with you! If you're willing!"
Having finished, she closed her eyes and waited for an answer.
Not far away, behind the vending machine, Karuizawa Kei and Sakura Airi held their breath. They couldn't hear exactly what was being said, but seeing Sato Maya like that, even a fool could guess what was happening.
"She's confessing..." Kei whispered, her voice shaking.
"..." Airi gripped the hem of her clothes tightly.
"Will he say yes?"
"I don't know..."
The two stared intently in that direction, their hearts in their throats. They couldn't quite describe the feeling they were having.
Keima looked at Sato Maya. She had her eyes closed, her eyelashes trembling, her whole body shaking with nerves.
'If this were a game, the options would pop up now.'
Option A: I like you too, let's date.
Option B: Sorry, I don't want to be in a relationship right now.
Option C: You're a good girl, but...
But reality isn't a game. There are no options, no saves, no restarts. Only one chance. He was silent for a few seconds. Then he spoke.
"Maya."
Sato Maya opened her eyes and looked at him. Keima's expression was still calm, but there was a trace of seriousness in his eyes. "Thank you."
Sato Maya froze. Thank you? What does that mean?
"You're a good girl," Keima continued. "Earnest, brave, and direct. Being with you doesn't feel tiring, and it's been fun."
Sato Maya's heart sank. It's over. This is the "Good Person" card! She had seen enough dramas and manga to know what came next. But Keima's next words made her blink.
"However, I'm sorry. I can't be in a relationship right now. At least, not yet."
Sato Maya blinked again. 'Can't? Not "don't want to"? He can't?'
"Why?" she asked.
Keima pushed up his glasses. "Because I have things I must do."
"Things you must do?"
"Mm." He nodded. "Very important things. If I date now, it will be a distraction."
Sato Maya fell silent. She thought of how he played games every day, how he occasionally looked up to explain a problem, and his eternally calm eyes.
She had always thought he was just playing. But it turned out he was doing "very important things"?
"Very, very important things?" Sato Maya began to imagine wildly.
"That's right, extremely important things." Keima sighed. "So, right now, I cannot respond to your feelings."
"What kind of things?"
"To be honest, I am very disappointed in the real world. I'm not even interested in most things. I need to do some things to change that, and I currently have some very important tasks that need to be completed."
"Then... after those things are done?" she asked cautiously.
Keima looked at her. Silence for a few seconds.
Then he spoke. "I'm sorry, I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"Mm. I don't know when I'll finish, and I don't know what will happen after." He paused. "So, I can't give you a promise."
Sato Maya's heart sank again.
'No promise... so there's no hope?'
But Keima added: "But..."
Sato Maya's eyes lit up again. "But?"
"But, you made me realize one thing."
"What thing?"
"The real world is a little more interesting than I imagined."
Sato Maya was stunned.
'What does that mean?'
Keima looked at her. "I used to think the real world was boring and only wanted to play games, but now..." He paused, his expression incredibly earnest. "Now I feel that occasionally coming out with people isn't bad. Especially with you."
"Coming out... with me is fun? It felt like you didn't smile much today!"
"After all, this is the real world. As you know, I have no feelings for reality. But now I have a tiny bit of feeling. I still need to adapt gradually—but today, I was indeed very happy."
These were his most sincere words to Sato Maya. Although this wasn't a game, he felt he should give a direct response to a girl's feelings. Keima told himself this in his heart.
Furthermore, what he just said wasn't just fluff. It was his current true feeling. This world was indeed much more interesting than his original one. At least, it wasn't boring.
Sato Maya's heart raced.
'Is that... a compliment?'
"So, Maya." Keima used her name. His voice was still flat, but to Maya's ears, it sounded exceptionally gentle. "Thank you for liking me."
He faced Sato Maya and gave a very serious bow.
Sato Maya stood there for a few seconds. Then she suddenly called out to him.
"Keima-kun! I... I... Then... can I keep waiting for you?" she asked. Her voice was shaking.
Keima was silent for a second. Then he said: "Do as you wish. I look forward to that day."
Keima gave Sato Maya a smile. She stood there, looking at his handsome face. Then, a brilliant smile slowly blossomed on her own face.
'Do as you wish. Do as you wish!'
This wasn't a rejection! This was... this was... giving her hope!
"You said 'do as I wish'!" she whispered, then couldn't help but laugh. "You said 'do as I wish'! Then I'm definitely not stopping my offensive! This proves I still have a chance.
But... it feels like I was still rejected, geez!
I—I should be running away crying!!"
Before Keima could react, Sato Maya ran off on her own.
Not far away, behind the vending machine, Karuizawa Kei and Sakura Airi looked at each other.
"Kei, Maya... what is she saying?"
"It... it looks like a confession or something, right?"
"A confession!!?"
Sakura Airi almost launched into the air, and Karuizawa Kei was also anxious. Their hearts were incredibly conflicted. On one hand, Sato Maya was their good friend. But on the other... they didn't want Keima to be snatched away.
"But why is she laughing?" Kei asked in disbelief. "From the look of it... it doesn't seem to have gone well. She should have been rejected."
"I... I don't know..." Airi was also dazed.
"Laughing after being rejected? It... it doesn't seem like a rejection..."
The two looked at each other, and that stifling feeling returned.
'Not a rejection? Does that mean he said yes?'
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