Chapter 38: Want to See?

Holy chicken, the System actually wanted to turn him gay?

Hmph, naive! Oh, young System!

Himekoji Akito panicked for just a moment before calming down again.

See, it’s written right here: the mission just requires achieving a Good End on any route.

So as long as he smoothly conquers the first leading lady on the romance route, he naturally wouldn’t have to face those tricky problems like “how to pursue a guy”—problems even the conquest god Katsuragi Keima might find troublesome.

So how to guarantee 100% success on the first romance route?

Piece of cake! Just memorize all the choices!

Because galgames are built on choices!

You can’t reload saves in real life, but in games, you can.

Trying countless times in-game doesn’t matter until you find that absolutely perfect, guaranteed-success route!

Then, bring that flawless plan into reality, and conquer her in one try!

So this game disc provided by the System truly lived up to being a “mission cheat guide.”

After one entire night and another whole day’s effort, Himekoji Akito finally perfected his conquest of the first romance route.

What to say, what to do during meetings with the heroine—he had it all memorized, backward and forward.

Everything was ready. So—

The conquest began!

※※※

Friday night, 7:18 PM.

Quiet, empty balcony.

Himekoji Akito stood on guard, ready.

If reality truly mirrored the game exactly, without the slightest deviation, then the fated encounter with the heroine would happen precisely two minutes from now.

Subconsciously, Himekoji Akito tilted his head back slightly toward the floor above—

The fourth-floor balcony remained perfectly quiet and empty.

……

But still…

Would a girl really make her entrance exactly like in a galgame?

And could that girl just coincidentally live right upstairs?

Himekoji Akito frowned slightly.

Although the System had sworn a thousand guarantees, practically vowing on its honor, he still remained doubtful.

Because all of this was just too unbelievable.

Click.

The minute hand pointed precisely to the 20.

7:20 PM.

In the game, this was the moment the hero and heroine met, destined by fate.

So what about reality?

Thump.

A rope was tossed down from the fourth-floor balcony.

A coarse, bright yellow rope, swaying conspicuously in the dim evening light before Himekoji Akito’s eyes.

Akito’s heart seemed to skip a beat, because the unbelievable was unfolding incredibly right before him.

Exactly like in the game!

A petite girl, gripping the rope with both hands, slid nimbly down from the fourth-floor balcony.

She appeared before Himekoji Akito.

This time, it wasn’t on a distant, virtual screen, but real, tangible, right within reach in the real world, appearing just in front of Akito.

First visible was the lower body, below the waist—

A red plaid miniskirt paired with a matching black gothic belt. The belt looked heavy, adorned with many cross-shaped ornaments.

Below the skirt were two excessively slim legs, tightly wrapped in black knee-high socks.

As the girl slid slowly down the rope, her upper body gradually came into Akito’s view.

Her sleeves were rolled up slightly, resembling short sleeves. Her left arm, from wrist to elbow, was bandaged in long white dressings. The white bandages contrasted starkly with fair skin, exuding a faint, mysterious allure.

The thin, short-sleeved top was slightly sheer, vaguely revealing the fair, rosy skin beneath.

Higher up, beautiful black hair was cut to just the perfect shortness, tempting him to reach out and touch it.

Her face was delicate, fair, with finely crafted, small features.

Very beautiful, very cute.

But besides that, there was one tiny thing impossible to ignore—

Over one eye, she wore a pure white eye patch, as if seriously injured.

“Iyaah—”

The girl struggled, swinging her bare feet trying to find purchase on the balcony railing.

But she clearly misjudged the length of her legs. Her little feet swung frantically yet uselessly through the air, the tips still about seven to eight centimeters away from the railing.

Himekoji examined the girl, roughly estimating her height at only about 1.5 meters?

Just like the game data said, delicate and petite.

Right, this scene—he’d gone through it countless times before on the computer.

At this point in the game, the first option appeared—

A: Watch quietly.

B: Step forward to help. Reach out and hold the girl’s foot.

The early choices weren’t difficult.

Since Akito was now in reality, the A and B option prompts didn’t appear.

Still, without the slightest hesitation, he took two steps forward, reached out, and cautiously cradled the girl’s foot on his palm.

Her small foot felt light as he held it in his large hand, clad in a black knee sock. Her 1.5-meter frame seemed especially petite before the taller Himekoji Akito. Just holding her foot, yet at a glance, it looked almost like he was cradling her whole body in his hands.

With his help, the girl stepped safely onto the railing, unharmed.

She released her tight grip on the rope with one hand, turning to face Himekoji Akito directly.

“See it?”

She lightly pressed down on her skirt with one hand, but her lovely, delicate face showed absolutely no expression.

Just as expected, same as the game’s setting: an icy, expressionless, petite, chuunibyou beauty.

“Ah… Nope!”

Hurriedly waving his hands in denial. That was the second correct choice.

Yet, while his mouth moved along the “script,” his mind raced elsewhere—

Hmm… So Takanashi Rikka liked… black?

The “view” missed in the game due to camera angles was now witnessed by Akito.

He saw—

Her pantsu was black as night itself.

“Want to see?”

The girl blinked almost imperceptibly, asking him.

Good, so next came the game’s third option…

[Please choose!]

Suddenly, at that moment, the System’s voice intruded—

[A: Politely ask Takanashi Rikka: “Want to see?” And then, regardless of her reaction, immediately drop your pants and shamelessly show her your ‘little brother’.]

[B: Let out a cold laugh. Respond to Takanashi Rikka: “See this!” Then, don’t hesitate—kick her off the balcony! Kill the holder of the Evil Eye of the Wicked Lord with your own hands!]

Eh, wait! What the heck?!

He remembered clearly: the galgame he played didn’t have choices like this!

So… wrong! This was all wrong!

Himekoji Akito was totally stunned…

In short, the System butting in completely derailed Himekoji Akito’s supposedly foolproof conquest plan.