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 - 4

Chapter 4: The Event That Unlocks Mio Murase’s First Smiling CG!?

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“W-what was that sound just now…?”

“I-I don’t know. But maybe it was the wind?”

Murase-san lifted her face and tightly gripped my sleeve. Her hand was trembling just slightly.

“Wait here. I’ll go check.”

I didn’t want to go, but I had no choice. Ignoring that sound and staying here like this would’ve been too terrifying.

“Eh!? N-no! I’m coming with you!”

“I told you no! It might be dangerous!”

“It’s scarier waiting alone!”

That made me freeze.

S-she’s right… In these kinds of situations, when someone goes alone, one of them usually ends up dead, right?

“Then, Murase-san, don’t let go…”

“Okay…”

Naturally, we held hands. Damn it, why was my first hand-holding event with a girl happening in a situation like this? I’d imagined holding hands on the walk home from school without even realizing it… or nervously at an amusement park we went to together for the first time. This had zero romance whatsoever.

Well, technically my emotions were all over the place, but in a negative, fear-driven direction!

“…Let’s go quietly.”

“Okay…”

We held our breath as we slowly made our way deeper into the shed. Silently… slowly… carefully enough not to make even a sound. What we saw ahead were shards of glass illuminated by moonlight. It seemed a nearby window had shattered.

“W-why all of a sudden…”

For a moment, I thought maybe something had entered…? But I didn’t sense any presence. With how silent it was, if something were here, there’d at least be some kind of noise…

Bang, bang—!

Startled, we tightened our grip on each other’s hands. This time, the knocking came from the entrance. It was clearly intentional. No, something was there! Something was definitely there!

“M-Murase-san, be careful!”

“B-be careful of what…?”

Out of fear and tension, we ended up facing each other, gripping hands. Murase-san’s stiff expression became even stiffer.

W-was coming inside the building the wrong choice…? I-isn’t there any light? Moonlight alone isn’t enough to see.

I casually looked up to check for lighting and saw the light fixture above us swaying, as if it were about to fall at any moment.

“Watch out!”

“Huh—”

Instinctively, I shoved Murase-san down. I threw myself over her, shielding her with my body.

“U-Ueno-kun!”

“Don’t move!”

Crash—!

A heavy impact slammed into my back. It was the light fixture falling.

“Y-you’re bleeding!”

“It’s just a scratch!”

Countless fragments scattered around us in a circular pattern. A shard reflecting off the ground had grazed my cheek.

“M-Murase-san, are you okay!?”

“I’m fine, but…”

It didn’t hurt as much as I expected… In fact, the arm of the Murase-san I’d protected was injured instead. The light fell on its own and the shards just happened to rain down specifically toward us?

…No. That wasn’t it.

I understood clearly now. This world was trying to kill Murase-san. There were far too many coincidences stacked up to think otherwise.

Bang bang bang!

The knocking at the entrance grew more violent. At the same time, creaking sounds began echoing throughout the entire structure.

“Murase-san! Make yourself smaller!”

“Ehhh!?”

Ignoring her confusion, I hugged her tightly, completely covering her body with mine. This was a total impulse! Earlier, even though I was supposed to be the shield, I’d only ended up with minor injuries. Which meant that no matter what happened now, I should be fine!

After all, I didn’t die in the synopsis! No matter what kind of game this was, it wouldn’t result in a game over in the synopsis. Probably. Most likely. Maybe!

“U-Ueno-kun, why are you going this far for me…?”

“I don’t even know myself! But if you disappear, there definitely won’t be a happy ending in this world!”

“Eh—”

The area filled with sharp cracking noises. The sound of pillars straining increased.

Aaaahhh! This is a complete disaster!

A thick smell of earth rose into the air, and then from every direction came sounds so loud they felt like they might rupture my eardrums.

“Absolutely…! I absolutely won’t let go!”

I desperately held Murase-san as if to hide her from the world itself.

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I was riding my usual bus home.

“My life really is a normal route…”

A sigh slipped out as I stared out the window. That feeling that I could do anything, which I had up through middle school, had completely faded. It was about time I started thinking realistically about the future.

I, Ueno Satoru, was just an ordinary high school student with those ordinary worries.

“Oh, someone forgot something again.”

I picked up a pencil case that had fallen under a seat and gave a wry smile. I just couldn’t ignore stuff like this. In class, I’d even been given the mysterious title of “Lost Item Collector.” Feeling slightly good about doing a small good deed, I looked out the window again. Reflected in the glass, across the aisle, a girl with light brown hair was reading a book.

…I thought it was just another ordinary day. The first thing I heard was the sharp screech of brakes. Next, an impact so strong it nearly knocked me unconscious pierced through my body. The pencil case in my hand flew into the air, and the world slowed down.

“Watch out!”

The girl across from me was about to be flung out the window. Without thinking, I reached out my hand.

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“Ow, ow, ow…”

It felt like I had been dreaming. The sun shone brilliantly in the sky.

Huh? When did it become morning…? And why am I outside?

“Whaaaaat!?”

Looking around, I saw piles and piles of rubble! And it had collapsed in a perfect circle, as if avoiding only the spot where I was.

W-what is this? An accident? An explosion? Or a dream? No! Wait!

“Murase-san!?”

I hurriedly checked for Murase-san, who should’ve been in my arms. In that synopsis, Murase-san was supposed to be dead by morning…

“Fufu.”

So close our foreheads were almost touching, Murase-san slowly opened her large eyes. She seemed safe. I didn’t even fully understand why, but relief nearly brought tears to my eyes.

“…To put it in Ueno-kun style, I don’t understand a millimeter of what’s going on either.”

“Y-yeah?”

“But Ueno-kun… You were trying to save me, weren’t you?”

In the morning light, Murase-san’s smile burst forth brilliantly.

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