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 - 3

Chapter 3: The Idol Known as “Air-chan”

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

The sound I heard was coming from both my pocket and directly behind me. It was mine and Murase-san’s phones. Ah, so I had a smartphone. With all the chaos, I hadn’t even noticed. While I fumbled trying to answer it, the call ended almost immediately.

“Murase-san, I’ll put you down for a second.”

“Ah, okay.”

I gently lowered Murase-san to the ground and took my phone out of my pocket. She edged closer to me, making sure not to move away. She was so earnest. She was properly trying to follow what I told her. When I looked at my phone, I saw several missed calls labeled “Yamamoto.” There were also dozens of message notifications lined up.

Yamamoto (0:11) < Ueno, where did you go?

Tanaka (0:11) < Air-chan disappeared somewhere too

Sato (0:12) < I didn’t even realize Air-chan was gone

Hoshino (0:12) < This is why I didn’t want to do a test of courage

Nanase (0:14) < I want to go home already…

Hoshino (0:14) < Everyone’s worried, so contact us ASAP!

Yamamoto (0:14) < Ueno, are you with Air-chan? Let’s regroup soon. We’ve all stepped outside the village for now

Yamamotoooooo! I don’t even know who you are, but what the hell are you doing!? Wait, does that mean everyone already escaped from this village!?

I quickly called back the classmate who identified himself as Yamamoto.

“Hello! It’s Ueno!”

『Ueno!? Where are you right now!?』

“That’s what I want to ask! Where are you guys!?”

『Where? We’re already outside the village…』

“By outside the village, where exactly?”

『Across the bridge.』

“……”

I looked ahead again. I rubbed my eyes over and over, but the bridge was still broken.

“T-the bridge is snapped in half…”

『Huh?』

“I’m telling you, the bridge is completely destroyed…”

『No, when we crossed it earlier— huhhhhh!?』

Beyond the bridge, faint figures illuminated by the full moon were visible. I couldn’t tell who was who, but it looked like at least five people.

『W-what should we do…?』

“H-hey, call an adult—”

Click.

For some reason, the call cut off right there.

“W-why!?”

When I looked back at my screen, the battery was at zero. Damn it! Why did it have to die right now!?

“Murase-san!”

“My phone won’t turn on either…”

“N-no way…”

I looked at Murase-san, clinging to that last shred of hope, but it seemed hopeless. Was it even possible for both our phones to die at the same time!?

“Heyyyyyyyyy!”

I shouted at the top of my lungs so everyone could hear, but the sound of the river completely drowned out my voice. Damn it! Things had been going from bad to worse nonstop. This was bad. I wanted to get out of here as soon as possible, but now it had become physically impossible.

“Ueno-kun, what should we do now…?”

Murase-san stared across the bridge with her usual blank expression. It didn’t show much on her face, but she looked incredibly lonely. Those guys shoved a punishment game (?) onto Murase-san and ran off first. According to that synopsis, Murase-san wasn’t found until morning. Even if she was “Air-chan,” that was way too cruel. Too unfair. Too pitiful. I was starting to get seriously pissed off.

“Murase-san, for now, let’s use that shed over there!”

I pointed to a small hut a little ways away from the bridge.

Get it together, me! At this rate, she might actually die. We’re absolutely going to make it back alive and give those guys a piece of our minds.

“Let’s take shelter somewhere we can spend the night! At this rate, I’m sure they’ll go call for help.”

I spoke to Murase-san as brightly as I could. I’d heard somewhere that if you were stranded, you should stay in a safe place and not move. There might be another escape route, but searching for it at night would be far too risky.

“Don’t worry. I’ll absolutely protect you.”

Saying that, I gripped Murase-san’s hand firmly to encourage her.

“E-ehhh!?”

“We don’t know what might happen, so don’t let your guard down until morning.”

“F-from my perspective, something is already happening right now…”

Murase-san’s voice gradually grew quieter. I couldn’t catch the last part.

“Alright, piggyback time.”

“Y-you’ll carry me again?”

“It’s dangerous to let you walk right now.”

“That still doesn’t make any sense…”

Even so, Murase-san rested her body against my back. We’d hide until help arrived. That was the best option I could think of right now. I had to believe that.

“Sorry. That this happened.”

“Huh?”

“I was the one who invited you, right? So I’m sorry. I’ll take proper responsibility.”

“R-responsibility!?”

Feeling Murase-san’s weight on my back, I carefully opened the shed door. The smell of damp earth hit my nose. Inside, old farming tools and wooden crates were scattered about. It was probably used as storage. One thing that caught my attention was a set of footprints left in the dirt. The soil looked hardened, so they were probably old… but still.

“For now, let’s rest here.”

“Okay.”

I slowly lowered Murase-san from my back, and we sat side by side near the entrance. We were finally able to calm down, at least a little.

“Don’t you think everyone was kind of heartless?”

“Well, that’s just how it usually is.”

“Eh? Doesn’t that make you angry, Murase-san?”

“It does, but I’m air.”

“There you go saying that again.”

“……”

“……”

Awkward. Once we had nothing to do, we ran out of things to talk about. I worked my brain desperately, searching for the next topic.

“Murase-san, earlier you said you worked… What did you mean? Do you have a part-time job?”

“Not exactly a part-time job. I’m in an idol group.”

“Eh?”

A weird sound slipped out of me in shock. S-seriously? She didn’t look like it at all. Her expression was too stiff. She didn’t have that sparkling aura idols usually had. 

Th-this girl sings and dances in front of people…?

“My parents applied to the agency without asking me. Anyone can become one.”

“I don’t think that’s true. I mean, it must be because you’re cute, right?”

“C-cute…”

Murase-san hugged her knees and buried her face in them. Her ears were faintly red.

“How many people in the group?”

“Seven…”

“Are you the center?”

“No way. I’m at the very end. I don’t have any individuality, so even the group’s fans call me ‘Air-chan.’”

“They’re just teasing you.”

Good grief. She was being called Air-chan from every direction. No wonder her expression was like that. Even when people said things like that, she neither got angry nor laughed.

Crash.

Suddenly, a loud noise rang out, and we both stiffened almost at the same time. From deeper inside the shed, we heard something like glass shattering.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー