Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/1177354054912451376/episodes/1177354054922730549
I followed behind Izumo Risa, a gyaru in my class who goes by the name of Risa.
I knew her in class, but she disliked me and I had avoided her.
I never dreamed that she was someone I had spent more than a year playing games with and as my wife in the game.
However, it’s even more scary because she actually knows my name in the game and called herself Risa in front of me.
…..I think she may have gotten information about me from somewhere and is using it to think up some crazy ideas.
But what would she gain by doing so? No wait, there shouldn’t be any benefit to her.
If it was Risa herself, where did she get the information and for what purpose did she call me out?
Is she asking me to keep the fact that she’s playing an online game a secret?
Judging from the way she’s in class and her attitude towards me, she doesn’t seem to have a taste for games or anime, and there should be no reason for her to call me up and keep me quiet if I didn’t even know that she’s Risa.
Then why……?
Only question marks rise in my mind as I follow her.
After walking for a while, she entered a certain cafe.
We took a seat guided by the waitress, placed our order and waited for our drinks to arrive. I looked at her as she placed our order with an easygoing look on her face, but she didn’t seem to have anything bad in mind.
“Hey, Kaizei kun. Aren’t you wondering how I knew about Rikku?”
I guess she sensed that I was looking at her seriously, and she said what I’m thinking.
“…..yeah, how did you know that I was Rikku?”
“That’s because….., I saw you playing games in your room. You know, the first time I went to Sora chan’s house.”
“Ah ! !”
Her answer convinced me.
When my childhood friend cut my hair, Risa was certainly there.
But that wasn’t the only thing that convinced me, but the conversation was cut short as the waitress brought what I had ordered.
The gyaru received the iced tea from the waitress, added syrup and milk, and sipped it through a straw.
I saw her and did the same as I sipped the iced coffee I had received as well.
“…… Izumo san?
“What?”
After being silent for a while, I felt uncomfortable with the two of us who’s just having a drink, so I called out to Izumo san.
She took her mouth off the straw and stared at me to reply back. The expression on her face was not inferior to the three most beautiful girls in the class.
I turned my head away, feeling embarrassed by the look from the gyaru who’s dressed somewhat plain and mature, unlike her slightly flashy appearance at school.
“Y-you’re usually so flashy, why are you a little more modest today?”
She rolled her eyes at my question, but her expression quickly changed. She seems to be somewhat smiling.
“…… That’s just to make it easier for you to talk to me. I’m usually not very good at that, am I?”
I nodded modestly to her as she said that.
Very good at it or not, her behavior up until now was terrible. How can I complain about her being bad at something?
Then she turned her head down.
…….I’m sorry, I wasn’t fond of you when you first came to school, so I said some terrible things to you, didn’t I?”
I could only nod quietly to the gyaru who was showing remorse.
It was never my fault.
However, it was not easy for me to forgive her for the one-sided maliciousness she had inflicted on me.
“You know. that……I don’t have confidence in myself, don’t you?”
“….Yeah.”
She began to talk about her personality.
I knew what she was like.
We had played the game together for many years.
At least, I thought I knew her personality.
I’ve seen her up close and personal through the game, as she is insecure, shy, jealous, and possessive.
“I hated myself for that, and I hated myself for running away to games throughout middle school.”
She had been looking down, but suddenly she looked up and stared at me.
“That’s when I met you, Rikku……. In a game……..”
You know what happened after that, don’t you?, she said as she looked at me.
I know because I’ve been through the same thing myself.
I know the time she has spent and the feelings she had.
That’s why I’m here now.
“Because Rikku was there, I was able to change, and I made an effort to change so that when I met Rikku, I wouldn’t be ashamed….. But you were different when I met you as a classmate. You weren’t the same dignified and kind Rikku that I had spent so much time with in the game. Somehow, it was like you were running away from people.”
Her eyes became sharp as she said that, and I looked down.
I’m not a dignified man, and I’m not a kind man, but she’s right nonetheless. I was running away from people’s kindness and malice, I refused to accept anyone’s words, and pretended that this is what I am.
“I didn’t like you like that. …… It was like watching myself when I was in middle school.”
“Then why did you say you wanted to see me today? You said you were breaking up with me just the other day.”
I asked her a natural question as she looked at me as if she was blaming me for her past.
Of course, if she saw something in the past that she didn’t like, it’s better for her not to see it. But she didn’t.
“That’s …….”
There is a certain hesitation in her expression as she goes silent after saying something. I just shut my mouth and wait for her to start talking.
“Because I saw Rikku in you……..”
“Huh?”
I don’t understand what she’s talking about.
Of course, I don’t see Rikku in me or anything, because he’s me, and that’s just the way it is.
But to her, it’s different.
“The day you got your haircut, I was surprised that Rikku was around. I didn’t like that it was you. But I’ve been watching you since that day ……. I was curious.”
Ever since I cut my hair, I feel like I’ve been stared at a lot, but it doesn’t seem like it’s just my imagination. I just don’t understand what she’s talking about.
“…..Why?”
I couldn’t help but let the question slip out.
“That’s because……, I’ve always liked Rikku…….”
The gyaru who heard my words turned red in the face and said that she liked Rikku right in front of me.
I couldn’t hide my surprise at her words…….
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