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 - 47

Chapter 47: A Precious Treasure

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The women left the room, and the heavy door clicked shut. As if Marie-san’s shrieking just moments ago and Shinonome-san’s sweet insult of “Idiot Kazuma” had been lies, a quiet stretch of time settled over the private room.

“…Whew. The storm’s passed.”

Tetsu-san leaned his weight back deeply against the chair and let out a long sigh. I, Kazuma Sato, stared at the glass of oolong tea Genzo-san had handed me. The ice clinked softly.

“Man, Kazu. You’re seriously amazing.”

The one who spoke up was Shin-kun, the college student. He looked at me with eyes tinged with a bit of envy, but also respect.

“Haru-chan’s ridiculously cute, right? And to think your partner was a real-life top-tier beauty from the same school. Normally, the moment you realized that, you’d freeze up so hard you couldn’t even talk.”

“…Honestly, at first I thought I was going to die. Even now, there are times when I wonder why someone like me is sitting next to her.”

When I let my true feelings slip, Genzo-san softened his gaze behind his glasses and smiled.

“Kazu-kun. …You called yourself a ‘mob character’ earlier, but from where we’re standing, there’s no man more special than you.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Did Haru-chan ever tell you why she kept her gender a secret for three years?”

“…Yes. She said she wanted friends on equal footing. At school, people only see her for her looks and status.”

Genzo-san nodded and gently swirled his glass.

“That’s right. …But to Haru-chan, you weren’t just an ‘equal friend.’ …From the time you were a beginner, no matter how powerful her magic was, no matter how sharp-tongued her instructions were, you never backed down. You stayed right beside her. …Without knowing her appearance, with her voice altered, believing only in the soul of the mysterious ‘boy Haru.’ …Spending three formative middle-school years building that kind of experience… Do you understand what that means to a girl?”

“…………”

I was at a loss for words. To me, it had been natural. Haru was strong, cool, and fiercely competitive. I liked who she was on the inside. That was why I kept raising my shield.

“Gahaha! Kazu, I don’t hate that kind of obliviousness of yours.”

Tetsu-san laughed heartily and leaned forward.

“I’ve run my own business and seen all kinds of people. …That girl, did you see her eyes when she confronted you earlier? Those were the eyes of absolute trust, saying, ‘The one person in the world who understands my worth the most is this man.’ …A guy who gets looked at like that by such a cute girl is no mob character. Not a chance.”

“…………”

“Listen, Kazu. In the adult world, people will flock to you for status, fame, or money. …But trust built from nothing. That’s a treasure that lasts a lifetime. …You two already have that.”

Tetsu-san’s deep voice resonated in the depths of my chest. At school, Shinonome-san was the kind, angelic girl to everyone. But the only one who knew her true smile, her true anger, her true weakness wasn’t Kaito, and wasn’t Ichinose-san. It was me.

That sense of superiority. The weight of that responsibility. The boundary I had kept blurring with the word “best friend” was being vividly colored in by the words of adults.

“…Kazu-kun.”

Genzo-san suddenly called my name, his expression serious.

“What do you want to do for her? …Of course, staying ‘best friends’ is fine for now. But isn’t she already moving while looking one step beyond that? …Even today’s outfit, she didn’t choose it for us. …She probably chose it to make you fall for her.”

“—!?”

“I can tell. I’ve watched his—no, her—growth for three years. …If you want to keep being her ‘knight’ by her side, Kazu-kun… then maybe it’s time you prepared yourself to face her head-on as a girl.”

Genzo-san’s glasses reflected the western sunlight, flashing white.

“…Prepare myself to face her.”

“That’s right. …She can take off the mask of ‘Rin Shinonome’ she wears at school and rest her head on your shoulder because she believes you’ll be waiting in an unshakable place. …If you keep retreating behind ‘I’m just a mob,’ where is she supposed to come back to?”

…

…………

It hit me. I had pretended to be afraid of the “dark history” and “fetishes” she held over me. I had justified it by telling myself someone like me couldn’t possibly match her overwhelming beauty. In truth, hadn’t I just been running away from facing my own feelings?

Shinonome-san needed me. And Haru trusted me. I had simply averted my eyes from that fact and hidden inside the convenient cloak called “partner.”

“…Genzo-san. Tetsu-san. Thank you.”

I drained the oolong tea in my hand in one go. With every swallow of the cold liquid, my hesitation was shaved away bit by bit.

“…I’m still just a kid and honestly, I don’t understand everything she’s thinking. …But the one place where she can be ‘Haru,’ I’ll protect that, even if it kills me. At school, anywhere.”

The moment I squeezed those words out… Until then, Kuma-san, who had sat like a massive boulder, silently drinking his oolong tea, finally moved his huge body.

“…Kazu.”

A low, heavy voice, like a rumble of the earth. It was the first word he had spoken all day. The sheer pressure made Shin-kun gasp.

“O-oh, Kuma-san spoke…”

Kuma-san extended his large hand and lowered his gaze to the scraps of roast beef on my small plate and the remaining salmon Shinonome-san had shared with me.

“…Seasoning isn’t something others decide.”

“…Huh?”

A metaphor, fitting for someone who loved cooking. Kuma-san fixed his gaze on me. His eyes were calm like a deep forest, as if seeing through everything.

“…What kind of ‘salt’ brings out the best in the finest ingredient. That’s something only the one who’s watched the heat beside it for three years truly knows. …Have confidence. Without you, that dish won’t be complete.”

They were few words. But like a master chef certifying the worth of an ingredient, Kuma-san affirmed our “relationship” in a single sentence. Not Tetsu-san’s fiery passion, nor Genzo-san’s logic. It was an absolute affirmation that brought reassurance simply by existing.

Kuma-san gave my head a single, firm pat, then silently raised his oolong tea glass again.

“Gahaha! That’s Kuma-san’s seal of approval, Kazu. There’s no better guarantee than that!”

“…Yes. …Thank you very much, Kuma-san.”

When I bowed deeply, Kuma-san lifted the corners of his mouth just slightly and nodded once in satisfaction. Then Tetsu-san gave my back a light pat.

“Man, that was something good to see. Master, today’s meetup paid for itself with just that.”

Shin-kun chuckled wryly. 

“Lucky… I wish someone would say that to me someday.”

After that, the topic shifted, and we talked about games, then about private matters. Eventually, Genzo-san glanced at the clock.

“…Alright. It’s about time the women came back. …Kazu-kun, don’t you want to go wash your face? You’ve got a bit of a ‘good man’ look right now.”

“…P-Please, give me a break.”

I laughed bashfully and at that moment, lively voices approached from outside the door again.

“—Hey, Rin-rin, if we told Kazucchi about that, he’d totally scream!”

“Marie-san, please don’t do that, seriously!!”

Cheerful voices echoed.  Marie-san’s delighted laughter, and Shinonome-san’s natural voice. She seemed slightly flustered, yet happier than ever. The door opened, and the three women returned. The moment Shinonome-san’s eyes met mine…

……!

Just for an instant, she looked away shyly. But then she turned back to me, smiling with eyes tinged with a little unease and filled with trust. The moment I saw that expression… The word “best friend” inside my chest made a sound as it changed into something hotter, heavier, and far more precious.

“…Haru.”

I called her name in a voice no one else could hear. She tilted her head slightly and flashed the best smile, one meant only for me, letting out a soft “nihihi” laugh. At school, we pretended to be strangers. In the guild, we were the strongest pair.

But…

From here on, we would surely become something more than that. Amid a strange exhilaration, like climbing a single step on the staircase to adulthood… Our offline meetup was finally heading toward its climax.

“Alright! Who’s going for seconds on dessert!? Haru-chan, let’s choose together with Onee-san!”

“Ah yes! I’ll go!”

The private room grew lively once more. This time, I stood up first and pulled out Shinonome-san’s chair to help her rise.

“…Thank you, Kazu.”

That whispered word by my ear… Played a clear, refreshing note and carved itself deeply, deeply into my heart.

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