CH 1

Chapter 1

I somehow finished looking over the first half of the first chapter for this week. The second half is about three to four times longer than this one so that (or the succeeding chapter) might take a while. As usual, reading the other volumes in advance, along with playing other games also eat into my time that I just can’t speed up work here.

Also, in the previous post, people asked why I won’t just skip the volumes the anime adapted (volumes 1-4) and just skip to the continuation. The main reason is: Volume 5 (which is the housing update and part-time job volume) relies on events in the anime that weren’t really expanded upon (Master’s P2W tendencies) or just plain cut (Nekohime’s Elite Guard asking for a reward for participating in the guild war). I feel that a summary just won’t do it justice since it really shows how the main characters and side characters develop (albeit slow or some slight regressions here and there). And yes, this includes Bats.

Well then, with that aside, please enjoy reading the first part below.

Chapter 1

Love Sawed

TL note: Title is probably a reference to a play in the card game Duel Masters which is named the ‘The Love Sword’. I really couldn’t understand much of the stuff going on as I haven’t played it myself, but it looks like another endless loop strategy where you can endlessly attack your opponent until the match ends, which will leave them saying ‘Just where is the Love part in all of this!!!’. You can see the explanation here in Japanese (https://blog.goo.ne.jp/tcg1234/e/124ccf55e0afb28a4e3f8f6f6fb5b6cf). Also, take note that I’m not really sure since most chapter titles seem to all come from game titles and I have no idea of any game named Love Sword (that should have been available back in 2013).

Part 1

Translation: Yamaking

“Come on, I’m going to carry teacher’s desk.”

“Fine with me, you go do that.”

“I meant help me do that.”

This is a common spectacle in my school where, at the pace of at least once a week, we get to be on cleaning duty.

Though there’s people who would say, ‘Why not just leave it to the janitorial staff?’, we’ve been doing this since the first year of elementary school so it’s nothing out of the ordinary.

“Today’s heaviest desk award goes unanimously goes to Takasaki. Just what the heck did that guy put in there?”

“How about we leave his chair on top like that as punishment?”

It would look like you’re bullying him so stop that.

Anyway, it wasn’t that big of a deal so we just finished up what we had to do.

“Sorry guys, for making you help out like this.”

“Well, we were free anyway—.”

“That’s just you though.”

“Shaddup.”

I thought that normies would usually just loiter around after class while chatting away but it seems that they actually help out the person in charge of cleaning duty as well. Hmm? ‘Aren’t they unexpectedly nice then?’ is the illusion that I perceived by them doing this.

“And… We’re all done.”

As I was throwing away the dirt that had accumulated in the dustpan, one of the normies proceeded to tap at my shoulder.

“Later Rusian, nice job today.”

“See you tomorrow—, Rusia—n.”

“Later Rusian-kun.”

“……Ah, yeah.”

They each flashed their bright smiles at me as they bid their rowdy goodbyes as if nothing happened. Without even waiting for a reply, they proceeded to leave the classroom. As they were quite a distance from the classroom, I muttered to myself.

“…You guys have no right to call me Rusian.”

I kind of understand Ako now that time she got mad when she got called by her name.

In addition to Ako, who would periodically spawn in the classroom blurting out ‘Rusian this, Rusian that’, ever since the ‘I guess it can’t be helped— Meowkay.’ incident, Akiyama-san has been calling me by my character name too that it couldn’t help but spread toward the class.

“But the number one cause for this probably has to be that time in class where Nekohime-san suddenly blurted out ‘Okay, Rusian read the next part.’”

The whole class burst into laughter as Nekohime-san was the only one who had an expression that look like it said ‘Me, meow got it wrooooooong!’

And though I said it spread to the class, putting Ako, Nekohime-san, Segawa, and at worst, Akiyama-san aside, having my other classmates that I’m not really close with call me that only feels like they’re making fun of me. Preferably, I’d like them to stop.

I guess I really just can’t get along with those kinds of people. Just like that, I completely forgot my gratitude towards them for helping me clean as I walked onward. It seems like there’s other groups that stayed in their class like that as well.

Really, you normies should just hurry up and head home— is what I was thinking, but it seems I got it wrong. That wasn’t a normie. There’s definitely someone caught up there that isn’t a normie.

“…Oh, Ako’s there too.”

In the room after class was a group of girls fussing about with Ako in the center.

That girl is a net game addict who has a tendency to be adverse to social situations that would probably just stay home all day were it not for school. Such a person is my wife. I thought for sure she wouldn’t be coming to school given that club activities are suspended prior to the upcoming tests, but I didn’t expect her to be fitting in so well.

She was currently surrounded by Segawa and Akiyama-san on both sides that it looked like they were forcefully keeping her there, but it looks like I can see Ako in the middle of the ring from here. It seems like they’re having a heated discussion about a magazine they’re showing her.

“Look! I’m sure Tamaki-san can pull this off!”

“Eeh? Isn’t that a no go? Wouldn’t this fit her better?”

“Ha, haa…”

‘Kyaa! No way!’, were some of the things they were saying out loud but I have no idea what they’re talking about. And just like myself, Ako seems to have no idea what they’re talking about as well.

‘She’s doing pretty well isn’t she? Good for her!’ is what I was thinking while watching this spectacle but somehow I also felt a sense of defeat rising up within me. Just like the boss of a group of kids, thoughts like ‘Even though you’re just Ako, you’re getting pretty cocky aren’t you?’ were stirring up in my chest.

Just what is with this feeling when you witness a close friend suddenly escaping from being an otaku and achieving normie status? Is this the feeling of defeat or some inferiority complex? Or is it a feeling of contempt or that of envy?

“Ah this is no good. I should honestly just be happy for her.”

‘I guess my role here as the husband is done’, is what I thought in my melancholy as I passed by classroom. She may have caused trouble for me a bunch of times during our time together, but I really enjoyed them.

Goodbye, even if it was for but a moment, my youth has truly been brilliant.

“I can’t take it anymore! This thing— a cursed item like this—!”

I just heard a voice that sounds to be somewhat displeased.

As I took a bit of a glance to what was happening, I saw Ako teary-eyed while she was gripping the fashion magazine she was being shown earlier in both of her hands. It looked like she was about to rip it out and throw it away that Segawa looked very troubled and caused Akiyama-san to burst into laughter. The other girls surrounding her seem to be seriously taken aback.

Really, just what is this girl doing?

You’re going to end up driving away all these friends you’ve just made you know—.

“—Hey, just what are you doing there Ako!”

“Ru, Rusian—!”

Having noticed me, Ako ran up towards me with tears in her eyes. Hey, wait, stop it! If you do that here… See! Those group of girls are going to look at us with a tepid gaze!

“Please listen to this Rusian! It’s terrible, they’re being mean!”

“I’ll listen to what you have to say later but you’re the one being mean here!”

“Rusian is a meanie too—!”

Even if you show me a face that yells out ‘You traitor!’, I feel like I’m the one being betrayed here. Weren’t you already starting your life anew?

“Ah—, it looks like the husband has arrived?”

“Should we just take the hint and leave this to him?”

The girls surrounding Ako hurriedly dispatched, as if they were aware of Ako’s bothersome tendencies when she blows off her top like this. The only ones left now are: Akiyama-san, who’s still laughing, and Segawa, who was grasping her head.

“…That was close. Real close.”

“But I kind of understand her. Even I feel like ripping up and throwing this thing sometimes.”

“Nanako, I think yours and Ako’s reason for that are completely different though.”

Segawa seemed to be tired from have to work hard on cleaning up after Ako’s mess. Trying to cover up for Ako while not letting a single glimpse of her hidden otaku self show must be pretty hard on her.

“Ya-ho—, Nishimura-kun.”

“Ah yeah, ya-ho to you too. …So, what happened here?”

As I asked Akiyama-san, who was clinging to Ako’s hip to hold her back, she seemed to be having extreme amount of fun as she laughed.

“We—ll, we were thinking about how it would be nice if Tamaki-san were a bit more stylish, so we were recommending some accessories and stuff to her.”

“You, you’re being pretty cruel to my wife aren’t you?”

“Right? They’re really mean aren’t they?”

“Eeh? Is that so?”

That is very much so. It’s cruel. This is the workings of a fiend.

To Ako— no, to us, that kind of thing would definitely be tantamount to torture.

“Look, look at this! This whirlwind of smug faces that look as if they’re saying ‘I am the model that reigns supreme at the top of the school caste! Bow down before me commoners!’! Just who would enjoy reading this stuff?!”

“Well, I’m sure that image is pretty biased even going by reader model standards but…”

TL note: I just used reader model here since I don’t really know much about the equivalent in English and amateur model just doesn’t seem to fit this particular word. It’s those models who are actually supposed to mirror the expected readers of the fashion magazine (thus, reader models) but they usually have their own jobs (e.g. OL). If anyone knows the actual word for this, please let me know so I can edit it.

You still shouldn’t be holding hatred over the other people involved in the making of magazine too.

“Hm—, is that what you think? I’ve learned a great deal from it though.”

“I don’t want to learn about those things!”

Ako dejectedly hung her head. It seems she’s received quite the damage from the bright smiles of those reader models.

“If you hate them, then feel free to do so, but could you leave my magazine out of this? Come on, give it back.”

“Oh? This magazine was yours?”

“…Yeah, but do you have a problem with that, huh?”

Segawa in her ‘school-mode’ took the magazine back. She also looked a bit pissed as she said that. Well, it’s not like I wasn’t expecting that or that I have any complaints about it but, it just feels a bit off from your usual image.

“The second and third edition had stuff about it for makeup that suits a first-year and stuff like how to choose clothes for beginners, so Akane went out of her way to buy it back then.”

“In the first place, I’m not planning to raise my level anyway.”

Even if it was aimed towards beginners, if the person herself doesn’t wish for it, then it’s pointless.

“You really don’t get it do you Ako? This is an important item that you really shouldn’t miss out on.”

“When you say important item, it’s probably one of those quests items that don’t disappear until you’ve progressed with the quest and just keep taking up space in your inventory right?”

“It’s not like that! I mean, in the game it’s like that—! —Uh, err…”

It looks like Segawa wanted to say something as she was slurring on her words. She took quick glances at Akiyama-san as she fumbled to say something out loud.

“……Nanako, isn’t it about time for you to go home?”

“Nope, there’s still plenty of time so I’ll keep I can still hang around you know?”

“…That so?”

Ah, oh! Having a normal person in the conversation is restricting her from going full otaku!

Putting aside the fact that she was already exposed to Akiyama-san, Segawa is still in the middle of acting out her facade so it can’t be helped that she’s troubled by this. She began seeking for any possible help around her as she had a flustered look on her face.

(“Hey, do something about Nanako here.”)

Segawa seemed to convey that as she desperately stared at us. Though, even I couldn’t do anything but shake my head in response.

(“You’re in charge of Akiyama-san aren’t you? Do something about it yourself.”)

(“It’s impossible! Impossible! There’s just no way!”)

(“Tch, you’re both useless.”)

Aren’t you being too unreasonable there?! Ah, but I’m not really sure if that’s what she was saying though!

“Could you not suddenly leave me out of the loop by talking with your eyes like that?”

“Aah, err, that’s not it at all you know?”

For a brief period, Segawa was mumbling as she was troubled by all of this, but it seems she’s finally gathered her resolve as she went to face Ako.

“I guess there’s no helping it now that it has come to this… Err so then, Ako. Listen well you hear? You see, fashion magazines like this…”

She strongly clenched her fist as she said this.

“Are the equivalent of a ‘Real-life Offline Occupational High-School Girl’ strategy Wikis!”

“…Wiki?”

This girl just blurted out something pretty strange!

“I mean, that’s just how it goes! Just by looking at this, you’re able to learn skincare and the use of makeup, the models that everyone should at least know, and brand names that could come out often in different conversations! It’s the one-stop strategy site for everything you need on how to live your life as a typical high school girl! Tearing up and throwing away something like this is unheard of! I’m going to cast those who don’t cherish the Wiki deep into the pits of hell!”

“I, if you say it like that, I’m starting to feel like it’s really important…”

Ah, it seems that convinced her.

It seems that explanation got through to Ako while she gave the said fashion magazine a strange look. I guess she really just can’t accept those glamorous girls on the cover.

“But, but, for beating a game, the Wiki isn’t everything you know. Sometimes the Wiki could be wrong or sometimes there could even be better ways to do something that’s not in the Wiki. I know there’s lots of cases like that.”

“So you say, but when I play with PUGs, those illiterates who can’t be assed to look at the Wiki because ‘it doesn’t have everything’ end up dragging everyone down you know! This is why you should at least give the Wiki a one pass! You’ll be useless otherwise!”

“I, I kind of remember those people—!”

“So you’ve played with people like that huh…”

‘If you ask me, Ako would definitely belong in the group of those illiterates’, is what I held back on saying.

Also, if I had to point it out, those other types also definitely exist. There are those people who would place complete trust in the Wiki even though the info on it is outdated, wrong, or just plain inefficient.

“Hey Nishimura, you’re in the same side as me right!? You’ve followed a proper strategy guide for Real-life Offline too right!”

“…Well, maybe a little. I watch live broadcasts of shows that the guys in class seem to be interested in. Even if it doesn’t particularly interest me, I make sure to just give it a look.”

Keeping up the appearance of an all-rounder otaku who seems to be alright with any topic otaku-related is pretty tough as well. Like that time with the ‘Internet Karaoke Man’, I really had no interest in it, but when I heard the guys talking about it, I just had to look it up. These kinds of things are important for when fellow otaku are engaged in some sort of secret communication under the radar of everyone else, so it would be bothersome if I didn’t learn them.

TL note: Internet Karaoke Man was quite a popular word in JP tweets back then (whether they received it well or not) with people saying they want to be the next Internet Al De Baran in Ragnarok Online.

“It’s because some games tried to fix that that it took hours just to get to other cities in those other games.”

“There’s good and bad sides to it right?”

“Well,they all have their definitions of open world after all.”

—Err, what do I do? I even went out of my way to pass by the park but the atmosphere just isn’t changing.

I really like this atmosphere when I’m talking with Ako. That’s an indisputable fact. But I don’t need this right now.

As I was wondering what to do, I slipped my hand into my pocket and felt something touch my fingertips.

Oh yeah, there’s that note.

Schwein and Master’s confession strategy guide should be written there.

Ako was looking up at the sun, squinting her eyes towards it as if she was some kind of vampire that was weak to sunlight. I took my gaze off of her for a moment and opened the note in secret.

Written above the note was a concise message written with skillful penmanship.

“…Don’t screw with me.”

She’s really useless.

Well, if a plan like hers, who hasn’t had a boyfriend for a single frame, actually worked, this wouldn’t be a problem.

Let’s look at the lower side of the note then.

The next characters were written in girly handwriting.

She really sticking to her bad self act isn’t she?

As I looked further below,

Profit my ass!

I’m already going to fail at the first step!

These guys really had no intention of helping me out at all… Darn it…

I clicked my tongue as I went to fold back the note.

Though, as I did that, I noticed that there was something else written at the back.

“…You guys…”

They’re both really great people after all.

I have to do my best so as to not let them down. I want to do my best but…

“But… How exactly do I get a nice mood going?”

“Yes?”

Ah, I unconsciously said it in a voice loud enough for Ako to hear!

Just what the heck am I doing asking the person directly that!

“Y, you’re asking a pretty hard question aren’t you Rusian? I know very well how to ruin the mood but… creating a nice one you say…”

“…I figure I might as well ask, how exactly would you ruin the mood?”

“Well, you see… Like when a classmate is excitedly talking about something that I’ve been listening attentively to, but then I tell them I didn’t hear a thing when asked. Or like when someone goes out of their way to look out for me and asks ‘What do you think Tamaki-san?’ and I just reply to them with a ‘—Huh?’. Acting like that when people get chummy with me is sure to turn the previously cheerful mood to a thing of the past.”

“Sorry. It was my fault for asking.”

That example just sounds so real that it hurts to hear it. Just how hard have you lived up until now?

Even though I felt like crying already, my wife seemed quite happy as she smiled.

“That’s why I’m having so much fun when I’m with Rusian.”

“Eh?”

“I mean, you see, when I’m with Rusian, we’re always in a nice mood. I guess it’s because we’re husband and wife after all, right?”

If this were in-game, a heart mark would probably be appearing out of her head to express her intense emotion.

She’s like a bugged character in the fact that I can raise her likeability just by being around her.

It’s because she’s like this that I’m able to muster up all my courage to come up and talk to her like this.

It doesn’t matter anymore. I’ll make Ako take responsibility for this emotion.

“Hey Ako.”

“Yes?”

Ako turned to face me as I stopped in my tracks.

I gently looked up towards her and began to stretch out my right hand. I then softly swept to the side her bangs which usually covered her face.

Not having an ounce of uneasiness towards the hand touching her, she continued to look at me with her trusting gaze.

As all this was happening, I continued to strongly grasp the note in my left hand.

“Ako—”

I didn’t stutter on calling out her name.

That alone provides me great relief. I then gulped down my saliva as I continued.

“Please, go out with me.”

“……”

There was no response.

Ako suddenly stopped as if taken aback by what I just said.

Once more, I squeeze out every remaining bit of courage I had in my body and opened my mouth yet again.

“Please become my girlfriend!”

—In that moment, the sun was overcast.

A cold breeze blew through me and Ako, as her hair began to ruffle in the wind.

Ako’s expression was now hidden because of that.

“U, uhm…”

The wind stopped, and I was able to see her expression again.

And over there, was the expression of someone who was at a complete loss— It’s that expression that yells out ‘I thought we were just friends, but you confessing all of a sudden is kind of troubling’ was what Ako had on at that moment.

“Er, erm…”

Right now, I still won’t stop sweating, but this is because of a much different reason than before.

At this moment, a feeling of regret I had never ever felt before came over me.

I truly didn’t wish to hear what else that beloved voice of hers has yet to say.

But, as if to completely ignore what I was thinking, Ako’s mouth began to move again.

“—No way.”

It was spoken so clearly that I couldn’t even mistake hearing it for something else.

And from my hand fell the note, which by now, had lost its purpose.