Chapter 27

The second half of "DoraGaku" progresses quickly, and the peaceful school life of the first half takes a dramatic turn. After all, it is revealed that the protagonist is a princess. From there, a series of events unfold: a confrontation, a chase by Mary at the graduation ceremony, and then the ending—all happening in rapid succession.

This date event can be considered a turning point. Although it is just a typical romantic event, there is a "trap" set for the player in this event.

"A trap?"

What do you mean? Adi tilted her head while sipping her tea. In response, Mary said, "It's a good thing," took a bite of her cake, and said, "Oh, it's delicious," her eyes widening slightly as she looked down at the cake in front of her. The café they entered for a break and explanation had a cake that, though chosen at random, was just the right sweetness and had a refreshing fruitiness, making it a lingering taste. It was on par with the level of the Albert family's dedicated patissier. Mary's thoughts were involuntarily filled with the cake, and she called out to Adi, "Hey, why don't you order one too?" even though she had forgotten about the explanation. Even Mary Albert, a young girl of a certain age, could be distracted by a supreme dessert she happened upon.

Despite this, Adi cleared her throat to prompt her to continue. Sensing the meaning, Mary wiped her mouth lightly with a handkerchief and said, "Excuse me."

"So, what do you mean by 'trap'?"

"This date event is the branching point that determines which ending you will get."

"What do you mean by 'ending' and 'branching point'?"

While calling the waiter to order a cake, Adi tilted her head. Mary, ordering another one, nodded in response to Adi's gaze.

If you play without knowing anything, this date event would be judged as just another typical romantic event. The description of the meeting, the praise for the casual clothes of the target, the conversation in the city, and the smile and "It was fun, let's do it again" at the end—regardless of whose date event it is, it's that simple. However, in this date event, Mary appears halfway through and tries to lure away the date partner right in front of the protagonist. Even a player who has been playing without knowing anything would tilt their head at this change. However, it is also one of the patterns that have been repeated, and everyone would think that Mary would be rejected and retreat, grumbling at the protagonist.

...But that's only if the game progresses smoothly.

For example, if you are in the Patrick route at the ball and neglect to raise his affection, or if you get greedy and become close to other characters... even in a game where romance is the main focus, if you wander around, you will face a painful situation here. Needless to say, the target will follow Mary.

"What!? Why would they follow her!? After all, she's the villainous lady Mary, right? She's unpopular, selfish, and the kind of lady who pops up anywhere and is annoying!"

"I understand why you're surprised, and yes, she is an annoying lady. But come on, you don't have to say that much to someone with the same name! As a punishment, give me half of your cake!"

"Lady and the villainous lady Mary are different. Besides, you're eating too much!"

"Cake and korokke are different stomachs!"

Adi scolded Mary, who was spouting incomprehensible theories, saying, "You won't be able to eat dinner if you eat too much!" From the outside, they might look like a close brother and sister or a long-term couple, but certainly not a master and servant. After such a pleasant exchange, Adi pulled her cake closer to protect it and changed the subject.

"So, why does the target follow the villainous lady?"

"It's because the affection is low. Even if you enter a route once, if you let your guard down and get distracted by other men, you will be disliked, naturally. In both the game world and reality, being liked is easy, but being liked consistently is difficult."

"But even so, they don't have to follow the villainous lady."

"It's more accurate to say they followed the 'Lady of the Albert family.'"

"If it weren't for that, no one would follow her," Mary said bluntly, taking a bite of her cake. Despite her matter-of-fact tone about the game's Mary, it's understandable since she has completely cut ties with her. However, what matters now is this date event. Even though the villainous lady Mary is involved, she is ultimately just one element that indicates the branching point.

In this date event, Mary appears regardless of who the date partner is and tries to lure them away with similar lines. From Mary's current perspective, it's pitiful that she uses her father and, by extension, the Albert family as leverage, but it's also understandable given her position after the condemnation event. The villainous lady Mary must feel the precariousness of her position and, therefore, tries to snatch away the date partner without regard for formality. ...Of course, if it's said that she had such a character from the beginning, one can only nod in agreement.

As for the targets, they don't necessarily prioritize the protagonist and reject Mary. This is the branching point. One of the diverging paths leading to three endings.

"In other words, if the target chooses the villainous lady Mary in this situation, it's one of the endings? Hmm? What about Alicia?"

"Let me make it clear: even if the target chooses Mary, it doesn't mean they will end up together. If the affection from the target is low, they will reluctantly prioritize Mary, and the date will be interrupted."

Of course, there is a follow-up afterward. They might receive an apology and a gift, or the target might come to see them at night, and so on, with solid romantic elements included. Ultimately, the villainous lady Mary is disliked by almost all the characters. On the other hand, the target, even if their affection is low, still has some level of affection for the protagonist. Therefore, they won't suddenly change their heart to Mary. They just had to prioritize the Lady of the Albert family over the protagonist. This indicates that their affection for the protagonist wasn't high enough.

"For example, even if you are in the Patrick route, if the protagonist gets distracted by other men, Patrick will reluctantly prioritize Mary afterward."

"I see. So, he rejects Alicia and prioritizes the 'invitation from the head of the Albert family.' That makes sense."

"There is no affection for Mary. It's just the result of weighing his position and his affection for the protagonist."

The result of the target prioritizing Mary—more accurately, the Albert family—leads to a 'bad ending.' However, "DoraGaku" is a year-round dating game for all ages, and it has a somewhat light-hearted title like "DokiDoki Love School." The bad ending is not dark or depressing but rather a "less than lovers" ending, similar to a "friendship ending." For Patrick, it means that at the graduation ceremony, he smiles and says, "Let's work hard for the country," to Alicia, who has overthrown Mary and reigns as a princess. There is no romantic feeling, only friendship and loyalty to the princess. Although it sounds harsh to call it a bad ending, it is a rather painful ending for a dating game. —Some characters even smile brightly and say, "I'm going to study abroad, will you support me?" which, in a way, can be even more crushing for the player—

"So, when Patrick prioritized Alicia earlier, it means he avoided the bad ending in the game?"

"That's right. It means he was devoted to Alicia."

"Then, are the remaining two endings among the three also determined by affection?"

"That's for another time. I'll tell you when the time comes."

Mary stood up, saying, "Let's go shopping," and Adi looked up at her unhappily, hurriedly putting the remaining cake in her mouth. Mary's smirking face clearly showed the joy of being the only one who knew the trap. She was probably holding back on explaining to Adi. —Otherwise, Mary, who had nothing left to buy, wouldn't suggest going shopping. Considering her character, it wouldn't be strange if she went home immediately if there was nothing else to do— Despite this, Adi, thinking, "What a bad-tempered person," had no choice but to follow, forcing the cake down with tea and chasing after her.