V4 Prologue

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Translator: Soafp

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“It's already been about two months since then, huh?”

I muttered to myself while spacing out in my room.

When I say it’s been about two months since then, I mean the time since I became my current self in this world—Towa Yukishiro

During these two months, the temperature has risen, making it undeniably feel like summer with its heat.

“……………”

I closed my eyes and reflected on everything that had happened so far.

I truly connected with Ayana, becoming a real couple, and other human relationships have also significantly changed. Although things remain the same with Shu, I was happy to reconcile with Ayana's mother, Seina, who had long harbored ill feelings toward me. This reconciliation also led to my mom becoming friends with Seina-san, and everything has been moving in a very positive direction.

“…It's a bit scary, but considering everything that's happened, I guess a reward like this is deserved.”

Well, this reward is a bit too extravagant, though.

In any case, what happened over these two months was truly a whirlwind, but the things Ayana and I gained from it are incredibly significant.

“What's going to happen from here?”

I do have some anxiety, but my anticipation is greater. Being able to stay with Ayana, who is now such an important person to me in this world… Being able to see her smile right beside me—nothing makes me happier.

“……………”

If there's one thing that bothers me, it's Shu.

Sure, a lot happened with him… I talked to him about what I thought, and Ayana also honestly expressed her feelings to Shu.

We haven't spoken at all in the two months since that incident. It's the same for Ayana; we have no idea what Shuu has been up to lately.

“Ayana would probably say I'm worrying too much about this.”

I think that too… But the time we spent having fun with Shu wasn't a lie.

There were moments when Ayana, Shu, and I laughed and acted foolishly together. If we could reclaim that, it would be great, but it's definitely better to be able to talk with a smile rather than having these lingering worries… We've been childhood friends no matter what.

“But… I did have a lot of struggles regarding Ayana and myself, but I was able to overcome them. Surely, there won’t be any more backlash or… right?”

Something that would suddenly snatch away all this happiness… Well, even if raising such a flag makes something actually happen, I can only say that I'll overcome it no matter what.

“…Well, strangely enough, I'm not scared.”

That's probably because she's by my side—.

“Towa-kun, I'm coming in~”

After a light knock, a girl appeared.

With her glossy black hair swaying, her well-proportioned face that captures the attention of both men and women, and her voluptuous figure… No matter how many times I observe her, there's not a single flaw, and I can only compliment her endlessly.

“Ayana.”

“Yes♪”

The dearest existence I met in this world—the heroine of this world… No, at this point, it's safe to say she's my own personal heroine, right?

Ayana Otonashi… Hahaha, it’s a bit embarrassing.

“What's up?”

“No, I just thought you look cute as always, Ayana.”

“Fufu, thank you♪ As Towa-kun's girlfriend, I never skimp on investing in my beauty.”

She smiled and sat down next to me, gently leaning her head on my shoulder.

“It's gotten quite hot, hasn't it?”

“That's right. I guess it's about time to clean the air conditioner filter.”

“Indeed. We can still manage with just the fan for now, though.”

That's true, and at night, if we open the windows and use the screen, it's reasonably cool. I've gotten used to the eerie sounds from outside after years of dealing with them, but I wonder how Ayana feels about it?

(…No, if anything, I feel like those outside noises would get scared of Ayana instead.)

When Ayana's dark side, known as “Dark Ayana,” comes out, even I get frightened… Thinking about it that way, I realize Ayana is truly a strong person in many senses.

“Muu? I feel like I've just been given an unflattering compliment.”

“It's just your imagination.”

“Really?”

And as always, she's incredibly perceptive when it comes to me.

On the flip side, it means I can't lie to Ayana at all, but I don't intend to lie to her unless there's a really good reason.

“You definitely thought something, didn't you? You shouldn’t underestimate my intuition!”

“So what will you do? Force me to spill it?”

“If that's what you want… take this!”

With a mischievous grin, Ayana jumped at me.

I figured she'd do something, but I didn't expect her to tackle me with such force, so I ended up lying flat on my back on the floor, unable to resist.

“Though I could probably get you to tell me if I just asked, that wouldn’t be fun. So let's find out directly from your body!”

“Am I going to lose again?”

At this, Ayana snorted.

“You shouldn't say that! Generally, women are more vulnerable in various ways compared to men!”

“Oh, right.”

“Moreover, you're truly irresistible, Towa-kun… So of course I'd lose if we make love! Yes, I admit it! The reason doesn't matter; I just want to be affectionate with you! That's my true feeling! Do you give in now!?”

“Yes, yes, I give in.”

I wrapped my arms around Ayana’s back and pulled her close.

Setting aside her embarrassing words, I just wanted to relax right now, so I decided to stay like this.

“…Hafuu, pure bliss♪”

“I'm glad to hear that.”

Gone was her previous liveliness, and Ayana was rubbing her cheek against my chest with a look she never showed anyone else.

At school or anywhere else, Ayana was always considered incredibly beautiful. Seeing such an expression on Ayana's face—one that looked as though she might drool if she wasn’t careful—was rare and something only I could witness. It was like seeing a miraculous expression.

“Hey Ayana, I've said it many times, but I'm really… happy.”

“Me too. Spending an ordinary day by your side, Towa-kun… makes me truly happy.”

After a while of holding Ayana and relaxing, I heard the sound of her steady breathing.

It seemed Ayana had fallen asleep in this position.

This left me unable to move, but I didn't want to wake her, so I decided to endure it.

“…Well, it's not really enduring, though.”

Being smitten makes me willing to accept anything from my cute, beautiful, precious girlfriend.

“We'll be together from now on. The same goes for other close people… Let's keep being good to each other, Ayana.”

At times like this, Ayana would normally say, “Of course.” Her lack of response meant she was truly asleep. As I pondered how long we'd stay in this position, I made sure not to disturb her sleep.

“Reincarnated into a game world… huh.”

No matter how many times I think about it, it's a mysterious event.

The days of wondering about my own position and existence are now behind me, and both Ayana and I, as well as those close to me, are walking a path different from the original one.

The future is unknown to me, and even more so to anyone else.

That's why it's exciting and nerve-wracking, but being able to walk that future with this girl… it’s truly nothing but happiness.

“Munyaa… Towa-kun… hehe.”

“…What kind of dream are you having?”

Also, drool! She's really drooling this time!!

There was no tissue or anything nearby, so I couldn't do much, but needless to say, I teased Ayana endlessly when she woke up later.

---

“S-so embarrassing…!”

“You were cute, though.”

“Even so!”

Our exchange doesn't give any hint of a dark future, and more than that, it's nice to know that Ayana no longer harbors hatred toward her past.

I want her to keep looking forward and moving on. I wish for her to never be sad or resentful, and to always have a genuine smile like she does now—that's my wish, and to protect it, I want to stay by her side and keep watching over her.

“Towa-kun, isn't it unfair if you don't show me something embarrassing too!?”

“Come on, you showed it on your own.”

“No, I won't accept that! I'm going to strip away that confidence of yours!”

As she said that, Ayana jumped at me, and I caught her. In return, I counterattacked with a tickle attack… leaving Ayana on the bed, gasping for breath and looking up at me with teary eyes.

“Towa-kun, you're such a pervert…!”

“…I think your reaction is the perverted one, though.”

At my words, Ayana turned her face away in embarrassment.

Well, this is how it always is between Ayana and me. We spend our time together, happily and peacefully, always smiling.

Oh, but recently, Ayana has been worried about something.

She's concerned that spending such blissful times might lead to an early onset of the so-called “boredom period”…

(As much as it's hard to say, will such a thing really happen between us?)

I can't say it won't happen… no, I can definitely say it won't.

After all, we've been together like this all the time, so I really don't think it will.

“Hey Ayana, don't you think there's no need to worry about a boredom period?”

“…I only said it for the sake of saying it! It's impossible for that to happen to me, and if it happens to you, I'll confine you so you don't look at other girls.”

“Ah, okay.”

Please don't confine me, okay?

Feeling a bit scared of my beloved girlfriend's intense love, I'm probably already too far gone if I still find it delightful to be loved this much.

“Towa-kun… I love you. I love you from the bottom of my heart♪”

Hugging Ayana, who was expressing her love in my arms, I savored the greatest happiness once again today.

---

After school, we greet our close friends before leaving the classroom together and heading home.

“You were watching Shu-kun again today, weren't you?”

“…Well, he's on my mind a bit.”

Don’t tell me this is love……?

It's not like I'm so troubled that I can even joke about such a stupid thought, but given our past relationship, it's only natural to be concerned.

“It's not like I'm hung up on him. I'm sure you understand that, Ayana.”

“Yes, of course. There's no doubt there was a connection stemming from the past, but those days when the three of us were simply enjoying each other's company weren't a lie.”

Ayana stopped walking, so I stopped too.

“This is a very strange feeling, but ever since I decided not to be bound by the past and to look forward and move on, there are times when I recall the days when Shu-kun was around. It's probably because I've found a sense of peace by letting go of hatred.”

A sense of peace… when it comes to Ayana, that's probably true.

As for Shu, we conveyed our lingering feelings to him, his mother Hatsune-san, and his sister Kotone.

But what's most significant is that her relationship with her only family, Seina-san, has been mended… This brought Ayana a sense of emotional freedom she never had before.

“It's all thanks to you, Towa-kun. Because of your presence, I can be who I am now… with a light heart, warm days, and nothing I need to endure… Ugh!”

“A-Ayana?”

I panicked as Ayana suddenly groaned mid-sentence.

Looking down and trembling, Ayana suddenly raised her head with tremendous force.

“All of these are days you've given me!”

“O-ou….”

Whoa, your enthusiasm is a bit overwhelming, Ayana-san.

Perhaps realizing she was a bit too abrupt, Ayana cleared her throat and continued speaking calmly.

“Well, because I have this sense of peace, I also care about him in a different way than before. Even if it takes time, I hope we can have days where the three of us can smile together again.”

“…Yeah. We're childhood friends, after all.”

“Yes♪”

Being able to interact with smiles rather than harboring grudges or maintaining awkward relationships is undoubtedly better.

Reaffirming our shared thoughts, we resumed walking again.

Since we have school tomorrow, Ayana won’t be staying over, but it's become a routine for her to come to my house after school. Conversely, I've been visiting Ayana's house quite often, where Seina-san greets me enthusiastically each time, making Ayana a little jealous.

“…?”

“What is it…?”

While reminiscing about Ayana's jealous expressions, I noticed something as we approached my house.

Someone was standing there, staring. From what I could see, it was a woman, and she didn't appear to be a delivery person or anything like that.

“…Huh?”

“Towa-kun?”

…I feel like I've seen that woman somewhere before.

Struggling to recall, I finally remembered.

“That woman… I met her in town before. She called me ‘Towa-boy' then.”

“…Huh? She doesn't seem to be someone you know well?”

Why is she here…? As I pondered, our eyes met, and I felt a jolt of recognition from our impactful previous encounter.

“…Who could she be?”

“I don't know, but I hope she's not a bad person…”

Ignoring her after making eye contact was not an option.

And she was standing in front of my house… well, hoping for no unpleasant surprises, we approached the woman.

As we got closer, she raised her hand in greeting and spoke.

“Yaa, Towa-boy, long time no see. How have you been?”

“……………”

“Aya, have you forgotten me? That can't be, Towa-boy!”

“…She's not a close acquaintance, right?”

Sorry, Ayana, I'm not sure why she's so familiar either.

A flashy woman with a similar aura to my mother… Just who is she? The answer soon came from the woman's lips.

“Ah, right! I forgot I hadn't introduced myself. My bad, my bad—I’m Eto Kanzaki, a friend of your mom.”

At her words, Ayana and I stood there, dumbfounded.

Encountering a new person at this point… This meeting would reveal a fact to me that I had not known before.