1 - Prologue 1

This is the second seat from the back by the window, in year 1, class A in school.

A warm breeze blows in through the window, shaking my hair.

When I turned my eyes to the outside as if I was invited, I could see my alumni working hard, and the hot summer sunshine reflected off their shaved heads and made them glisten.

The baseball club…

「Hey, Yuki? Are you listening?」

The boy sitting behind me spoke to me in a clear voice, his name was Miyashiro Takuya.

He was the complete opposite of me, tall and feminine, yet crisp and refreshingly handsome.

「I’m listening.」

He and I have known each other since we were children and we know each other well.

By the time I was eight years old, we were about the same height, but from then on, the gap between us rapidly grew, and before I knew it, he was a head taller than me.

He works out moderately, but you can’t tell that looking at his blazer.

「Okay. …Well, in short, let’s play a game together, of course, we’ll invite Chisato and Yumi as well.」

Chisato and Yumi have been my schoolmates since elementary school.

Chisato’s name is Wasumi Chisato, and she is a crisp, fresh, beautiful girl with long black hair tied up in a bun.

Her serious personality has earned her the nickname “Committee Member” among her classmates.

She is smart and tall for a girl, and looks good when she stands with Taku, who is also tall.

I met her when I went to visit Taku at his kenjutsu dojo, and we somehow became friends. 1

Yumi’s name is Rindou Yumi, and she’s a beautiful, fluffy girl with brownish hair that’s straight down her back, along with her lazy eyes.

She is kind to everyone and is always smiling, which is why some people call her a goddess.

Both of them like children, and they often take care of me, who is a child only in appearance.

「By “game”…… do you mean that?」

「Yes.」

It’s called Another World Online, and it’s the world’s first VR game.

It’s main device is in the form of a headgear, and you can go to the VR world by wearing it and saying “Open Gate”.

It is said to be impossible to create with the current technology, so how did they create it? It’s very interesting.

「Hmm, but didn’t the preorder phase already pass?」

I heard that the initial production of only 10,000 units were sold within a few minutes.

「I bought one for you. Chisato and Yumi are both waiting for your reply.」

「Hm? …I see.」

「The server will be opened tomorrow at noon, shall we?」

Taku’s face came closer to mine. It’s rare for him to be so forceful, I wonder if he’s excited?

「I understand!」

「Okay! It’s settled!」

It’s summer, and tomorrow is summer vacation.

Footnotes

Kenjustsu = fencing