I Saved the First Victim of the Horror Game (The Idol in My Class), and She Became the Ultimate Sweet Heroine Who Smiles Only at Me - 26-27

Chapter 26: Game Tip: I Was the One Who Killed Miocchi!

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“…!”

I immediately covered Murase-san’s small scream with my palm. Through my fingers, I felt the trembling of her lips. From the slit of the locker, Hoshino-san’s figure looked pale, almost ghostlike, with no sense of substance.

This is too absurd! What kind of timing is this? But since the event is happening, maybe it’s the “correct” choice for game progression!? For my life, though, it’s completely wrong!

“Where is everyone…?”

Hoshino-san’s voice echoed eerily off the classroom walls. The knife in her hand glinted poisonously in the moonlight. I couldn’t let Murase-san answer. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to die in peace even if I did.

“Eveeeeeryone…”

Hoshino-san’s gaze slowly swept across the entire classroom.

Don’t come, don’t come, don’t come…!

She moved as if to inspect everything, creeping under desks and behind the teacher’s podium. Her slow, slug-like motion was terrifying.

I hugged Murase-san even tighter, almost in prayer. The locker was already steaming with our combined body heat. Her heartbeat pounded directly through my chest. I could feel her sweat trickle onto my neck from being so close.

I need to calm down…!

…Yeah, I was panicking. Definitely panicking, but somehow, I was gradually getting used to this terrifying situation. I could even see it from a third person perspective somehow.

After Sato-kun, now it’s Hoshino-san…? Maybe, depending on the choices, the “perpetrator” in this game changes. That knife might be a key item. Somehow, the person holding it becomes like a “demon.” If that’s true, the Hoshino-san in front of me might not even be acting on her own will… right? But then, the strange phenomena attacking Murase-san don’t make sense. They seem intent on killing her regardless of the game’s story.

“(U-Ueno-kun… about my earlier answer…)”

“(Wait! If I hear it now, I swear I’ll die!)”

Murase-san was trying to give her response to my confession at the absolute worst timing. She was glitching out right now!

…Glitch?

At the very beginning, I desperately ignored the choice to make Murase-san pass under the torii.

But is that even allowed…? In a world where only [Yes] or [No] exist, what happens if you choose something else?

Thinking that, this current situation… If, just hypothetically, I completely ignored the game flags and jumped to the next stage…?

“(Murase-san)”

It was all hypothetical, but I felt like I was about to grasp something.

“(I’ll go fight Hoshino-san)”

“(Ehh!?)”

I needed more hints. At this point, the only option was to check Hoshino-san’s chest pocket! She seemed insane enough, so it was perfect!

“(S-Stop! Hoshino-san isn’t normal right now!)”

“(But hiding won’t solve anything, I think)”

Murase-san and I were probably similar. Me, clueless about what would happen to me if I just went on with my life through the normal, expected route. Murase-san, an idol called “Air-chan.” 

I’m sure we both have the same sense of powerlessness before coming here… And I want to change that about her.

Then, no normal route. I’d reach the best, ultimate route with Murase-san!

“(Murase-san, trust me.)”

I said that briefly, hugging her thin shoulders tightly once. Her body, stiff with fear, relaxed for just a moment.

“(…Promise me you’ll come back.)”

Her voice was barely audible. Instead of nodding, I gripped the locker handle and pulled hard.

Clang!

A metallic sound cut through the silence. Hoshino-san’s head turned toward me like a mechanical doll.

“…Ah… found you.”

Her eyes were muddy under the moonlight. The knife hung loosely as she crawled toward us.

Scary, but…!

After the first paranormal event and the Sato-kun attack, I should’ve been used to this… Right? Bracing myself, I faced the threat. Ghosts and weird phenomena weren’t so scary… at least I hoped. I aimed for Hoshino-san’s chest pocket. A bit of paper peeked out, it had to be the key to the game. I deliberately blocked her view and leapt out from the locker.

“Hoshino-san, over here!”

I shouted, spreading my arms wide. Her cloudy eyes locked onto me. She laughed like a broken toy and charged with her knife raised.

…She’s coming!

My body trembled. I couldn’t run. I stepped forward deliberately. Her downward swing grazed my sleeve with a sharp sound. My heart leapt. But in that miss, her pocket was completely exposed.

“Uwaaaah!”

I thrust my right hand into her chest pocket without hesitation. Ignoring the soft feel of her chest, I probed deeper and felt cold, rough paper. I yanked it out and shoved Hoshino-san’s shoulder back to put some distance between us.

“U-Ueno-kun!”

Murase-san had come out of the locker! Flustered, she ran to my side. Hoshino-san, sitting on her butt, had strangely stopped attacking, staring blankly like a deactivated robot.

“Haa… haa… got it…”

I held the paper up in the moonlight. It wasn’t just a memo. The paper was darkened as if stained with blood, but clearly a letter addressed to someone. I kicked the dropped knife out of her reach and read the letter:

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To the Traitor of the Village

Your parents have become an impurity that must be erased for the sake of Sakuragafuchi. The punishment for breaking the generations-old ritual and communicating with outsiders continues until your bloodline ends. The next time you visit this village, you must offer yourself as a “sacrifice.” Otherwise, your loved ones will sink one by one into the deep abyss. First, pass under the torii and purify the impurity.

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Ugh, just looking at this letter made me feel cursed.

Wait… Isn’t it Murase-san who passes under the torii?

“I killed Miocchi…”

From Hoshino-san, sitting there, came an unbelievable confession. Her face was back to normal. She seemed sane again.

“Eh?”

No, but… Murase-san is right beside me?
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Chapter 27: Completion Objective ②: Make a Heroine Without a Route Follow the Route!

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“What do you mean?”

“That’s because I’m a survivor of this village…”

Amid the chaotic situation, an important piece of information suddenly slipped in. 

Wait, Hoshino-san is a survivor of this village!? If she’s a survivor, does that mean the massacre incident is real!?

“Th-then why does that mean Hoshino-san killed Murase-san!?”

“Because… I was too scared to go through the torii… so I suggested we all do a punishment game…”

Hoshino-san’s confession began. Tears dripped onto the classroom floor.

“I…! I was the one who was actually supposed to be killed by this village!”

Hmm…Tthis feels like I’m trying to piece together the events based on the summary and outcome. If I take her words at face value, then it was Hoshino-san’s suggestion that made Murase-san go through the torii. So… the one who was originally supposed to die was Hoshino-san?

“Hoshino-san, are you okay…?”

Murase-san cautiously called out to Hoshino-san.

“Eh? Eh?”

“Hoshino-san, Murase-san is fine. She’s alive.”

“Eh?”

I pointed toward Murase-san. Hoshino-san’s face turned into a look of utter shock, like she’d just seen a ghost.

“Wh-why is Miocchi…!?”

“Uh, she’s been here since the beginning…”

“Wait… now that you mention it…? I’m… here… right? Huh… why…”

Hoshino-san stared at her own hands and began trembling. Then…

“C-come to think of it… After Miocchi disappeared, I went into the school alone, crying… but before I knew it, I had a knife and was looking for someone…”

Hoshino-san sobbed uncontrollably and collapsed.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhh!”

Hoshino-san’s scream made the old classroom window panes vibrate. It sounded less like a human voice and more like noise leaking from a broken megaphone.

“H-Hoshino-san!?”

“I really thought I’d come to Sakuragafuchi alone… but, but…!”

Hoshino-san spiraled into madness, hitting her own head with her fists. I couldn’t move a single step at the sight of this.

“Hoshino-san, calm down!”

“The truth is…! I was supposed to be killed—”

At that very moment, something happened.

Thud.

A heavy, dull impact hit the back of my head, as if struck with hard metal. Sparks exploded in my vision, turning everything white, and the next moment the floor rushed up toward my face as if gravity had been cut off.

“Eh…?”

Before I could even feel the pain, my brain refused to process the information. My sense of balance was completely scrambled, and I couldn’t tell where my hands or feet were.

“U-Ueno-kun!”

At the edge of my blurred vision, I saw Murase-san calling my name, crying. I reached out to grab her, but my fingers met only empty air, sliding across the cold floor. My consciousness sank rapidly into a deep, dark void.

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Pitch black.

No sound. I couldn’t even tell where I was standing. I moved my hands to confirm Murase-san’s presence, but despite having held her hand for so long, I felt nothing. Tears welled up in my eyes. Did I fail again…? Murase-san had just started remembering things, and I could have conveyed my feelings to her.

Then I realized I was clutching my smartphone. Unconsciously, I glanced at its screen.

―――――【Hint】―――――

・Don’t let Hoshino get confused

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Yeah, I know that much. Hoshino-san’s behavior was clearly off.

Damn it. Being called the “Lost Item Collector” means I have to think about every little detail. Going to the school this time was completely unavoidable. I feel like I skipped several events. And the supernatural events are happening again…

While turning over these thoughts and staring at my phone screen, I noticed I could scroll further.

―――――【Hint】―――――

・Don’t let Hoshino get confused

・Don’t cause a bug

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Don’t cause a bug? This one feels very realistic somehow…

But… Bug…? The word “bug” definitely caught my attention. First I ignored the choices, so next…? 

Somehow I feel like doing things the game doesn’t expect triggers the supernatural events. It’s always too unpredictable. Also, I haven’t even reached the initial story part yet. The “endless summer vacation hasn’t started. Wait… An “endless” thing that hasn’t started… What does that even mean?

“…”

An endless summer vacation that hasn’t started…? To end it, I need to start it…?

“Ah.”

Maybe I shouldn’t have caused an incident on the first day. That must be it. Until morning, neither supernatural events nor incidents should happen.

“So that means…”

The person who hit me earlier was still a concern, but I roughly understood the flow of events even from a situation I had no knowledge of. Still, balancing clearing the game with keeping Murase-san alive…

Just then, the usual game window appeared before my eyes.

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Remaining Continue Count: 1

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Wait… So the next one is the last…

Before I could even panic, my vision warped. A nauseating sensation hit, and I lost consciousness.

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“Ueno-kun! Wake up, Ueno!”

I woke up, shaken by someone. The usual torii, the usual ruins, the usual cobblestones were visible. But there was one thing that wasn’t usual.

Murase-san’s expression looked like she was about to burst into tears.

“A-Are you okay, Ueno-kun?”

“Somehow…”

“I’ll say it before I can’t! I like you too, Ueno-kun! I’ve never had a first love, so I don’t really understand love yet, but…”

She said that, then hugged me with all her strength.

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