I Confessed My Sexual Preferences to My Online Game Best Friend, and the Person Who Showed Up at the Offline Meetup Was the Cute Girl from My Class - 12-13

Chapter 12: I’m Not Threatening Her

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

Our old living room was enveloped in an unprecedentedly “precious” aura. The source of it sat across the table from me, Rin Shinonome… no, my partner, Haru.

“Come on, Rin-chan, don’t hold back! Eat up! I baked this just this morning.”

“Hehe, thank you very much. It looks absolutely delicious.”

Shinonome-san lifted the chiffon cake my mom had served her to her mouth with impeccably refined movements. Having removed her cap and tucked her smooth black hair behind her ear, every gesture she made was the very embodiment of the “angel of the school.” Her devastating beauty had completely knocked out one member of our household.

“…………”

Sitting next to Mom, my usually rebellious younger sister Futaba stood frozen, her face bright red, like a believer standing before a real, living god. Futaba was a middle school girls’ basketball player. To her, Rin Shinonome, the ace of a high school girls’ basketball team and a beauty on par with a model, was the ultimate symbol of admiration, existing far above the clouds. Clutching the teapot with trembling hands, Futaba spoke to Rin in a voice barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz.

“U-um… Shinonome-san… would you like… a refill?”

“Wow, thank you, Futaba-chan. …You don’t need to be so nervous, okay? Just relax.”

When Shinonome-san smiled gently, Futaba bowed vigorously, looking like she was about to mutter something like “h-hawaa…”

“—! I-it’s far too kind of you! I-I always watch your games, Shinonome-san, and, um… I’m a fan!”

“Really? That makes me happy. Next time, let’s play basketball together.”

“—!! (Dying of reverence)”

Futaba trembled, overwhelmed with emotion and unable to speak.

…However. The instant she took her eyes off her goddess of admiration, the “light” vanished from Futaba’s eyes, replaced by absolute zero hostility directed straight at me.

“………Hey. Onii.”

“…W-what is it, Futaba?”

Seated beside me, Futaba spat her words out as if they were crawling along the ground.

“…Onii, what did you do to Shinonome-san? …What kind of underhanded methods did you use to drag this ‘treasure of the world’ into our house? …Be honest. If you’ve got even a shred of evidence that you threatened her, I’ll call the cops for you right now.”

“That’s a false accusation!! She just came over to hang out as a friend, that’s all!”

“Liar. …There’s no way someone this beautiful, this kind, practically a saint, would willingly visit a gross otaku like you in a tracksuit. …Impossible. You’re violating the laws of the universe.”

Futaba was genuinely suspecting me of being a criminal. But there was no way Shinonome-san would miss our whispered exchange. She chuckled softly, then deliberately gave my arm a light poke.

“Nihihi. Futaba-chan, aren’t you being a little too hard on your brother? …You know, Kazu may look like this, but in games, he’s incredibly reliable. He always protects me. He’s my very best partner.”

“…………!!”

Kazu. Partner. At the sound of those words, Futaba’s face twitched.

“…Kazu… You just called Onii… Kazu…”

“Oh, sorry. Habit from the game. …Hey, Kazu, weren’t you going to show me that new dragon figure you were talking about earlier?”

Shinonome-san smoothly stood up and deliberately held up the familiar sticker on the back of her phone so Futaba could see it.

“This is matching with Kazu’s. …Right, Partner (Kazu)?”

……

…………

“…I see now.”

Futaba muttered in a voice filled with despair.

“…See what, Futaba?”

“…Onii. You even put some kind of weird magic on Shinonome-san’s phone. …Matching? You and Shinonome-san? …Ah, I get it now. …You must be holding some kind of ‘embarrassing photos’ of her hostage and forcing her to match with you. …Just die already, Onii. Filth. Trash.”

“That’s way too harsh!!”

“—Rin-chan, sorry to keep you waiting! The pizza’s ready!”

As Mom cheerfully carried in the pizza, Futaba kept staring at me like I was an enemy of humanity, then bowed deeply to Shinonome-san.

“…Shinonome-san. …If this ‘criminal-in-the-making’ has any kind of leverage over you, please tell me now. …I’ll protect you, even if I have to erase my brother from existence.”

“Ahaha! Futaba-chan, you’re really funny. It’s okay, I was the one who asked to come to Kazu’s room.”

As she said that, Shinonome-san gave my back a light push.

“Come on, let’s go. We’ve got lots to talk about that we can only do when we’re alone, right? …Okay, Kazu?”

……

…………

“…I’m calling the police.”

The moment Futaba pulled out her phone, I hurriedly grabbed Shinonome-san and dashed up the stairs. Behind us, I could hear Futaba shouting, “Rin-san, run away!!”

This was hell. A little sister who truly believed her brother was threatening her idol. And a partner who was enjoying the situation and deliberately saying things that deepened the suspicion. With trembling hands, I opened the door to my room. It was my private sanctuary.

…Or rather, it had been.

“Excuse me—! …Huh, you actually keep this pretty clean, Kazu.”

“Just sit wherever you want.”

Rin Shinonome sat down casually on the edge of my bed. A closed door. A sealed room. Her sweet scent lingering in the air. We had escaped our family’s eyes, but I was painfully aware that from here on out, this was where the real “hell” would begin.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

Chapter 13: A Ten-Star Offline Meetup

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

The door closed with a soft click. My room was barely six tatami mats in size. Normally, it only held the stale heat from my worn-out computer and the faint smell of discarded gym clothes. But right now, it had turned into something unbelievable.

“—Phew. It’s finally quiet.”

Shinonome-san—no, Haru—said that and let her body slump back against the backrest of my old pipe chair. This was bad. A sweet scent was spreading from her and filling the entire room.

“…Haru. What was that performance back in the living room? Futaba’s completely treating me like some kind of ‘blackmailer’ now.”

“Nihihi. Well, Futaba-chan was doubting Kazuma (Kazu) so much that I couldn’t help but have fun with it. …But now no one will interrupt our Saturday afternoon, right?”

Shinonome-san tilted her head and grinned mischievously. But her gaze soon shifted to exploring the room.

“Heeey, so this is Kazu’s sanctuary, huh? …You’ve got more manga than I expected. …Oh, I have this one too. …Hm? What’s this thick book hidden a little deeper in the shelf, I wonder?”

“—!! Hey, don’t touch stuff without asking!”

I grabbed her hand at the speed of sound. It was something every high school guy owned but absolutely could not show to the most beautiful girl in school. A so-called “gentleman’s hobby” mook.

“Ehh, now I’m curious. Is it that ‘Ultimate Thigh-High Encyclopedia’ you mentioned on voice chat the other day?”

“I did not say that!”

It was her who started talking about that whole “absolute territory” thing. When I thought about it, sure, I had exposed some questionable tastes but Shinonome-san wasn’t exactly innocent either…

“Then maybe it’s under the bed? That’s always the classic hiding spot in anime, right?”

Grinning, Shinonome-san dropped to her knees and tried to crawl toward the bed. The hem of her miniskirt swayed at a dangerously risky angle, and I hurriedly grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back.

“…H-Haru! Seriously, cut it out! My social dignity will die!”

“Ahahaha! Kazu, you’re panicking way too much! Okay, okay, I’m joking. …Besides, the real me is right here. You don’t need books, do you?”

Saying that, she plopped down right beside me on the edge of the bed. She was close. Her knee lightly brushed against my jeans.

“…Tch. You seriously have a terrible personality.”

“You’ve known that for three years, haven’t you? …Alright, chatting’s over. Let’s start the strategy meeting.”

Shinonome-san pulled out her smartphone and pointed at the computer on my desk. I turned it on. The familiar login screen of Eternal Legend appeared. After that, time passed astonishingly fast. The behavior patterns of the newly implemented raid boss. How we would rotate our skills to counter it. We talked about it all.

“I’ll take aggro here, so Kazu, unload your max damage from behind.”

“Don’t be stupid. With your defense, one heavy hit from the boss and you’re done. I’ll be the shield. Wait for an opening and aim for a burst.”

This was the same exchange we’d had for three years over voice chat, but now she was right beside me. The sound of her pressing controller buttons. The way her eyes narrowed slightly in concentration. And the bright smile she showed when a strategy clicked perfectly into place. After we reached a stopping point, I looked away from the screen.

“…Man. This is seriously fun.”

The words slipped out unconsciously.

“Huh?”

Shinonome-san blinked at me.

“…I mean. Yesterday, when I found out you were Rin Shinonome, I honestly panicked. And even now I don’t know how I’m supposed to explain this to my family. …But sitting next to you like this, talking about games… It’s still…You know, just like it’s been for the past three years. The most fun I’ve had.”

To hide my embarrassment, I deliberately scowled and tapped at the keyboard. A brief silence fell beside me.

“…Nihihi. Kazu, you’ve got a really nice expression right now, you know?”

Shinonome-san leaned in with a teasing grin.

“—W-What? Don’t stare at me.”

“I will. It’s rare for Kazu to honestly say something’s ‘fun.’ …I see. So Kazuma (Kazu)-kun is that happy being with me?”

“You—! Stop twisting my words like that!”

“It’s fine. It’s the truth, after all. …But you know, Kazu? I feel the same.”

Shinonome-san placed a hand on the bed and leaned just a little closer to me.

“At school, even when I’m surrounded by everyone, it sometimes feels like I’m far away. …But in this room, sitting next to you like this… I feel like I can just be ‘Haru,’ not ‘Rin Shinonome.’ …Because you see me as just your partner.”

Her cheeks tinted slightly red as she smiled softly.

“…So me too. …Today’s even more fun than yesterday. …Thanks, Kazu.”

…

…………

This was bad. This beautiful girl—Haru—sometimes landed these devastatingly effective “dere” moments as my partner.

“…Tch. You really are something. …Thanks too. …Haru.”

Just as we were wrapped in that warm, wordless atmosphere…

“Onii. Mom brewed fresh tea, and the pizza—”

Click. The door opened. Futaba stood there holding a tray, her face frozen like a stone statue. Shinonome-san and I were sitting side by side on my bed, locked in a strangely intimate atmosphere.

“…………”

“…………”

Futaba’s gaze coldly scanned the almost-touching distance between our knees and my flushed face.

“…………Crime confirmed. …This time I’m really calling the police.”

“Wait, Futaba! It’s a misunderstanding! This is strategic close-quarters positioning—!”

What the hell is “strategic close-quarters positioning”?! I’m panicking so hard I sound like a creep…!

“Ahaha! Futaba-chan, your timing’s perfect. …Kazu, we’ll continue later during tonight’s login, okay?”

Shinonome-san grabbed her bag, laughing brightly at my frantic state. A home visit like a storm. In the end, my status within the family had been firmly established as “the suspicious older brother who deceived Rin Shinonome.” But after she left, in my room where a faint trace of her scent still lingered,  I stared at the message on my phone.

『Today’s offline meetup gets ten stars! See you tomorrow at school, partner!』

And for the first time ever, I found myself impatiently looking forward to Monday.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー