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 - 45

Chapter 45: Wrapped in a Family-Like Atmosphere

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“H-Haru-kun, turn this way for a second! Ah, no, don’t turn around after all! You’re too dazzling! My clouded old-lady eyeballs are going to burn out!!”

In the stately lobby of the first-class hotel, Marie-san’s shriek (of course, with due consideration for the volume around us) showed no signs of stopping. Shinonome-san hid halfway behind my back, her face bright red as she clutched my shirt tightly. The tremor in her fingertips traveled straight through my back.

“…Marie-san, please calm down. You’re making Shinonome-san uncomfortable.”

“Shinonome-san!?”

Ah, damn it. I used her real name out of habit…

“Kazu-kun, you just called her ‘Shinonome-san,’ didn’t you!? Oh my gosh, even in real life you keep that polite last-name distance! Even though on voice chat you’re all ‘Kazu’ and ‘Haru,’ outside you’re hyper-aware of each other!? Thank you for the feast!!”

“…Master, please. Seriously, help.”

When I shot a look at Genzo-san, he narrowed his eyes behind his silver-rimmed glasses and shrugged with a wry smile.

“…Sorry, Kazu-kun. For Marie-san, who’s been watching over your little lovers’ quarrels—ah, I mean, strategy meetings—for three years, this ‘answer reveal’ is like the ultimate reward.”

“Gahaha! No kidding. Still, I’m shocked. That cheeky-mouthed Haru turned out to be such a refined young lady.”

Tetsu-san laughed heartily as he picked up the smartphone he had dropped. Kuma-san nodded repeatedly, and Shin-kun kept glancing back and forth between me and Shinonome-san, still looking like he couldn’t quite believe it.

“No, seriously, this is an Eternal Legend offline meetup, right? For a second I thought I wandered onto a fashion magazine shoot. …Kazu, how did you not realize for three years that Haru-kun was a girl?”

“…The voice changer was very good.”

When I answered bluntly, I heard a small “…nihihi” from behind me.

“—Oh my. Is everyone already here?”

A gentle, soft voice suddenly sounded from behind us. When I turned around, I saw a kind-looking woman dressed in a calm beige set-up outfit. She looked to be in her mid-thirties. With a mild smile and an elegant handbag held gracefully in her hands, she was exactly as I had imagined. That person was the guild’s “healing presence,” Yuki-san.

“Ah, Yuki-san! You’re late!”

Marie-san rushed over. Yuki-san bowed lightly. “I’m sorry, the train was a little delayed,” she said before slowly turning her gaze toward us. And then..

“…Fufu. I knew it. You must be Kazu-kun. And you are… Haru-chan, right?”

Yuki-san showed no signs of shock or panic. As if she had known all along, she took Shinonome-san’s hand with a smile full of affection.

“Eh… Um… Yuki-san, aren’t you surprised? I’ve been pretending to be a boy this whole time…”

When Shinonome-san asked with wide eyes, Yuki-san tilted her head gently.

“…Oh, I was surprised. I didn’t expect you to be such an adorable young lady in person. …But I think I kind of sensed from the beginning that Haru-chan was a girl.”

“““““——EHHHHH!?”””””

This time, it was our turn to shout. Even Genzo-san leaned forward. “Yuki-san, really!?”

Kuma-san merely widened his eyes as usual. He was surprised… Probably? Well, that didn’t matter right now.

“…How? Even I didn’t notice Haru’s voice changer for three years.”

At my question, Yuki-san gave a playful little laugh.

“…Her wording was boyish, yes. But the messages Haru-chan sent when Kazu-kun caught a cold or felt down after exams… For boys, they were far too gentle and far too attentive. And sometimes, just slightly, her sentence endings would turn cute. That’s when I thought, ah this is a girl.”

“…………!!”

Shinonome-san’s face turned the deepest shade of red yet.

“…Yuki-san, you noticed that much?”

When I said that in astonishment…

“It wasn’t just me. …Genzo-san and Tetsu-san too. …I’m sure deep down they were thinking, ‘These two aren’t ordinary.’ …Right?”

When Yuki-san peered at the Guild Master, Genzo-san sighed as if resigning himself.

“…Well, I wasn’t certain about the gender. But I could tell that the way Haru-chan placed her trust in you, Kazu-kun, went beyond ordinary friendship. …So when you two appeared side by side today, it felt inevitable, you know? Like it simply made sense. Except for the gender part.”

…

………

An adult’s perspective. All the excuses we had desperately built up over three years—“pretending to be strangers,” “just best friends”—had, in their eyes, been a transparent, endearing pure love story all along.

“…Well, we can’t stand around chatting in the lobby forever. …It’s about time for our reservation. Let’s go. …I secured the best private room for today’s stars.”

Led by Genzo-san, we moved to the buffet venue, which radiated class. When we stepped inside, a magnificent chandelier and a panoramic glass wall reflecting the light of May spread before us. We took seats around a round table.

Genzo-san sat at the center, flanked by Tetsu-san and Kuma-san. Across from them were Yuki-san and Shin-kun. And then, the special seat Marie-san absolutely refused to give up… Shinonome-san and I ended up sitting side by side. We each took a drink, and the flow naturally moved toward a toast.

“—Alright! First, a toast to the guild’s third anniversary!! And to the official (tentative) recognition of KazuHaru as a couple—cheers!!”

“““““““Cheers!”””””””

“Marie-san, the second half was unnecessary…”

“Oh, not at all~♪”

With Marie-san’s lead, the offline meetup officially began.

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Shinonome-san and I stood side by side in front of the buffet counter. The adults, saying, “Let’s let the young ones go first,” deliberately stood a little apart, sipping sparkling wine (non-alcoholic) and watching us with knowing grins.

“…Haru. You okay?”

When I asked quietly, Shinonome-san nodded slightly, still gripping the tongs.

“…Yeah. …But I can’t believe Yuki-san knew… I’m so embarrassed I could die.”

“…Serves you right. …Here, hold out your plate. …You like this, don’t you?”

Without hesitation, I placed two slices of roast beef onto her pure white plate.

“Ah… thanks. …Oh, Kazu. …You’re going for the smoked salmon over there, right? …You like extra capers, don’t you?”

“…Yeah. You remember.”

“Of course I do. …For three years, I made you report in chat what you ate for late-night snacks.”

“I don’t use capers for late-night snacks.”

“Nihihi. At first you didn’t even know what capers were. You said they were like a tiny shriveled plum or something.”

“Shut up. Forget that.”

Laughing, she skillfully arranged salmon onto my plate. Then I looked at the items on hers.

“…Haru. That terrine has fresh blueberries in the sauce. Put it on mine and switch to the quiche next to it.”

“Ah… You’re right. That was close. …Thanks, Kazu. …You really are the most reliable.”

For us, it was nothing more than everyday behavior. This was simply the unspoken coordination we had cultivated over three years in the electronic sea 

But the adults watching from afar reacted very differently from what we expected.

“—AAAAAAAH!! I can’t take it!! I’m dying of precious overload!! Someone call an ambulance!!”

Marie-san’s scream echoed through our private room.

“Marie-san!? What happened!?”

“Did you see that, Genzo-san!? That natural escorting from Kazu-kun!! And Haru-chan leaning on him like it’s second nature!! ‘Extra capers’ and ‘blueberry avoidance’?!?! Even long-married couples can’t pull that off so smoothly!!”

“Gahaha! She’s right. Master, this isn’t an ‘offline meetup’ anymore. It’s a ‘newlywed honeymoon live report session.’”

Tetsu-san laughed heartily, and Shin-kun sighed in admiration. 

“Seriously… I’m a college student and I’m losing here. No one can squeeze into the space between those two.”

Genzo-san pushed up his glasses and looked at us warmly.

“…Kazu-kun. Haru-chan. …I knew it. The bond you showed through the screen… It’s real in person too.”

Shinonome-san and I froze, glancing at each other.

…

………

“Well, well, that’s enough teasing the youngsters. Let’s eat!”

Clapping her hands, Yuki-san gathered everyone’s attention. Yuki-san really was an angel. Once we confirmed everyone’s gaze had shifted away, we spoke in voices only we could hear.

(“…Kazu… do we really look that much like a ‘married couple’?”)

(“…It’s because you put salmon on my plate like it’s nothing. …And the distance. You’ve been way too close.”)

(“You avoided my blueberries too… But isn’t that fine? …Kaito-kun and Saki aren’t here. …This is our place, right?”)

Shinonome-san whispered so no one else could hear and lightly flicked the sleeve of my shirt with her fingertip. At school, she was the popular girl, and I was just one of the crowd. But in this closed-off private room of a first-class hotel… We were partners who had entrusted our souls to each other for three years, bound by the deepest connection in the world.

When I ducked my head shyly and returned to my seat, Yuki-san smiled gently beside me.

“It’s fine, Kazu-kun. You two are perfect just as you are. …Treasure those three years you spent believing in each other’s true selves.”

“…Yes.”

I answered firmly and looked at Shinonome-san beside me. She took a bite of roast beef and showed me the happiest smile. It was the “Haru” smile only I knew.

“…Nihihi. …This might be the most delicious thing in the world. …Right, partner (Kazu)?”

Under the table, her fingertips proudly gripped the hem of my knit shirt. We had flown out of the small cage called school into our own world. And there, we had a “family” who wholeheartedly affirmed and celebrated our bond.

Surrounded by adults watching over us with warmth and composure, our offline meetup began running forward, sweeter and warmer than ever before.

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