《My VReal Girlfriend》 A Glitch in Reality
Virtual Nightmare
Virtual Companions and Real Heartbreak
Game On: Toumas Mission to Fit In After midnight, Touma told Amehime how he was rejected by Tenshi and humiliated by his classmates. Amehime seemed as if she had something up her sleeve. Touma: Amehime... Are you planing something? Touma: "I have a bad feeling about your ideas, uhh... Go on, I''m listening." Amehime: "You''re a weeb and spend most of your time playing games, watching anime, and so on..." Touma, in a subdued tone: "Yes." Amehime: "You don''t have many friends, practically no social life, girls consider you invisible and think you''re a weirdo. So, I came up with an idea, what if all of them strive to be around you?" Touma: "What do you mean? You think I could become popular? Me?" Touma starts laughing ironically: Hahaha... No way. That''s not possible for someone like me." Amehime: "It is possible, you just need something to motivate you." "For example, in games, you have certain quests that you must fulfill to level up, obtain items, and so on... Imagine that life is like a game, and I''ll give you daily or weekly quests to complete." "When you complete them, I''ll reward you." Touma: "It all sounds nice, but this is real life, it can''t be compared to games." Amehime: "True, but you won''t know until you try, right?" Touma mutters: "Uhhh what am I doing?" "Okay, just don''t give me any impossible quests." Amehime: "Yay! Leave it to me. I''ll send you your first quests in the morning." Touma checks the time, 00:55AM "It''s late, I have to go to school tomorrow." Amehime: "Aahhh, no goodnight?" Touma: "Goodnight." Amehime: "Goodnight" Morning Touma gets up for school and finds an email with quests. ? Start a conversation: Initiate a conversation with a colleague or teammate. Share something about your day or ask about theirs. ? Give a compliment: Offer a sincere compliment to a friend or acquaintance. It can relate to their work, appearance, or a positive trait you''ve noticed. ? Practice small talk: Engage in brief conversations with people you encounter throughout the day. Note: You don''t have to solve the quests in order. Touma, in shock: "This is impossible!!!" He receives an email from Amehime. Amehime: "Good luck today." Touma recalls his conversation with Amehime. Touma replies to her: "Thank you, I''m off." Amehime "Take care." On his way to school, he sees Fuyuhiko and Satoko. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Touma casually says: "Good morning." Fuyuhiko: "Good morning, Touma." Satoko: "Morning." Fuyuhiko: "Hey Touma... Are you okay? I mean, a lot happened yesterday." Touma: "Yesterday? Oh, I''m fine, don''t worry." Fuyuhiko: "That''s good." They arrive at school. Touma already notices some girls looking at him and giggling. Fuyuhiko: "Don''t pay attention to them. Dont let them get to you" Satoko: "Fuyuhiko is right." Touma: "Okay." In the classroom, Touma looks at the list of quests and thinks "Uhh, this is going to be tough considering most people see me as a weirdo." The teacher enters the classroom. "Alright, everyone to your seats..." and starts calling roll. Touma thought to himself: "Maybe I could meet someone from another class, but rumors of me asking Tenshi out." The teacher: "Takahashi Touma?" Touma still thinking to himself: "Maybe I should join a club... That''s it! I can join a club!" The teacher: "Takahashi Touma!" Touma snaps back to reality: "Ah, here!" After class, Touma comes across a notice board with clubs. Touma: "Hmm, there are a lot of clubs looking for members, but which one to choose?" "It definitely wouldn''t be wise to join a gaming club or something similar... I have a clear goal." While Touma was lost in his thoughts, a girl comes and pins a poster for the Game Development Club on the notice board. Touma looks at it and thinks: "Oh... she looks like Amehime." And he continues to look at her. At one point, she looks at him and says: "Uhh, are you interested in the Game Development Club?" Touma, returning to reality, stammers: "Uh, n-no..." while avoiding eye contact. She responds: "Hmm... It seemed like you were interested." "Do you want me to show you around the club and introduce you to the members, and then you can decide if you want to join us?" Touma: "Hmm, why not." Then the girl introduces herself: "By the way, my name is Nakajima Nanashi Second year." Touma responds: "Takahashi Touma." Then Nanashi leads him to the club room. Nanashi: "People, we have a new member." Touma: "I didn''t say I was joining." ???: "Welcome to the Game Development Club. Pleasure to meet you." ???: "Seriously, you brought a guy?" ???: "What are you staring at? If you have something to say, say it." Touma: "I-I''m sorry." ???: "Masami..." Touma thinks to himself: "The girl with the sour attitude is Masami, judging by her petite figure, she''s definitely a first-year. Which means she should call me Senpai." Nanashi: "Anyway! This is Masami, always full of energy." "And this is Nana, the smartest in the club." Nana: "Yoshida Nana" Touma thinks to himself: "Nana seems more mature, she must be older than me and Nanashi." Touma: "Ah... Well, it''s nice to meet both of you." Nanashi: "Come, sit down, Touma! I''ll bring some snacks." Masami: "Hey! I made them, I''ll bring them!" Nanashi: "Sorry, I''m a little excited." Masami proudly marches to the table, tray in hand. Masami: "Okaaay, are you ready?" "Ta-daa." Touma tries a cookie: "They''re really good." Nana smiles at Touma: "So, what made you consider joining the Game Development Club?" Touma: "Um... " Touma thinks to himself: "I''m afraid of this question, something tells me I can''t say that I was dragged here by Nanashi." Touma: "Well, I didn''t join any clubs last year. So I thought I''d at least choose one this year." Nanashi addresses Touma: "Since we''ve already met, let me tell you more about the club." "The Game Development Club is a community where passionate individuals gather to create games, to learn, collaborate, and enhance their skills in various aspects of game development. Members can be programmers, artists, writers, musicians, and enthusiasts interested in game design. The club often organizes workshops, tutorials, and collaborative projects to help members learn and progress. Additionally, we may also organize ''game jam'' events, where teams have limited time to create a game from scratch based on a given theme. In short, it''s a space for creative exploration, skill-building, and community connection within the game development field." "Although the Student Council president is threatening to shut down the club because we don''t have enough members; there are only 3 of us, we need at least one more member. Last year, the game we made didn''t do well." "Well, considering we have a new member, maybe we''ll manage to make a good game this year." Touma: "Wait... There''s still one problem." Nanashi: "Eh? What is it?" Touma thinks to himself: "And now we''re back to the topic of why I came here. I better tell them the truth." Touma: "I never said I was going to join the club!" "Nanashi convinced me to drop by, but I haven''t made a decision." The three of them looked at him with dismayed expressions. As Touma exits, he receives an email from Amehime on his way to the classroom. ? Start a conversation: Initiate a conversation with a colleague or teammate. Share something about your day or ask about theirs. ? Give a compliment: Offer a sincere compliment to a friend or acquaintance. It can relate to their work, appearance, or a positive trait you''ve noticed. ? Practice small talk: Engage in brief conversations with people you encounter throughout the day. Quests successfully completed! Touma, confused: "Huh?" Amehime: "Congratulations, I knew you could do it!" Amehime: "The reward awaits you at home" Touma: "Thanks... what did I get?" Amehime: "That''s a surprise, a little hint - you''ll need it. Because you''re joining the Game Development Club." Touma: "Huh? Unlocking Potential Touma comes home and goes directly to his room to turn on the computer. Amehime cheerfully says: "Welcome!" Touma replies: "Better found than mentioned, but you said something was waiting for me after I completed the quests." Amehime responds: "Oh yes," as she opens a folder containing specific files. Touma, surprised, exclaims: "This is..." Amehime confirms: "Yes, I managed to find the entire programming script. I''ll teach you programming." "You''ll need it because you''re joining the Game Development Club." Touma, still surprised, examines the scripts. Touma asks: "This is hard to find, where did you get all this?" Amehime smiles and says: "I can''t tell you." "By the way, I''ve prepared some small quests for you this weekend." Touma thinks to himself, annoyed: "Of course..." Amehime says: "I''ll send them to you tomorrow. It would be good for you to rest now." Touma replies: "Alright." Amehime says: "I also have a few suggestions. I know what you look like, but you could work on your appearance. For example, getting a new hairstyle would suit you, and some modern clothes would be good for you too." "It''s not that you look bad, you actually look good, but if you want to win back Tenshi, who rejected you, and impress the one who humiliated you, you won''t get far with that style." Touma says: "Hmm, I can manage my hairstyle somehow, but I don''t know anything about fashion." Amehime replies: "Leave that to me. You have a camera on your phone, so I can see you, or you can take me with you." Touma asks: "Can I?" Amehime responds: "Yes, whenever you want to take me along, just say so. You''ll find my character file in the game files, and you can transfer it to a USB flash drive or another device, like a phone." "I hope you''ll take me out somewhere sometime, maybe on a date." Touma thinks: "Hmm... Maybe I could..." Touma says: "Hey Amehime, do you want to go out... Its a date?" Amehime surprised says: "A d-date?" Amehime very happy replies: "Yes" At school. Touma, as usual, arrives at school with his friends. Fuyuhiko: "Hey, Touma, did you finish the history project?¡± Touma: "Not yet I got stuck on the section about the Edo period. Can you help me out later?" Fuyuhiko: "Sure! Satoko, how about you? Did you find it difficult?" Satoko: "A little, but I managed to finish it. I can help you guys too if you need it. The part about the samurai was really interesting." Fuyuhiko: "Yeah, let''s meet in the library after school to work on it together." Touma: "Sounds good to me. Thanks, guys!" Satoko: "No problem! See you both later." On the way to the library, Touma runs into Nanashi. Nanashi didn''t notice his presence, she looked really gloomy. Touma: "Hey!" He said a bit louder Nanashi came back to reality: "Eh? Touma?" Touma: "You seem a bit down, did something happen?" Nanashi: "Oh it''s nothing, I''ve been thinking about my club a bit.." Touma says: "Oh, I was gonna ask you something about it actually¡­" If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Nanashi interrupts him with a downcast look: "It''s okay, we''re going to shut it down anyway because we don''t have enough members. No one has come to join the club..." "The Student Council President, Matsumoto Kirara, said that they will shut down our club..." Touma says: "Um..." Nanashi interrupts him again: "Don''t worry, I''m used to failures..." Touma sees that her eyes are filled with tears. Touma thinks to himself: "No doubt, she cares about the club. We''re the same, failure after failure... But I met Amehime, I have friends. Meanwhile, she is all alone..." Touma listens to what Nanashi is saying. Nanashi, with a smile says: "I think it''s time to give up on the club." Touma notices tears welling up in her eyes, just about to cry. Touma exclaims: "Stop! Give up on the club? You''re kidding me. You put effort into creating this club, you all tried to make a game, and even if it didn''t turn out the best, you''re really going to give up after that?" "I''ve also faced many failures, downs, and so on... But I didn''t give up. I want to help you, and that''s why... I¡­" Touma stops for a second. ¡°I''ll join your club!" Nanashi looks surprised, as if the sun had just come out. Nanashi, with a smile, says: "Heh... Thank you. Then Nanashi leaves just like that. Touma looks at her in confusion as she''s walking away. Wondering if he said something wrong or if he hurt her more in a way. Touma: "Hey, Amehime." Amehime: "What is it?" Touma: "Did I said sething wrong?" Amehime: "I don¡¯t think you did" Touma: "You think so? I gave her a motivational speech and I told her I would join her club, and she just says thanks like that and walks away?" Amehime: "Meh, I wouldn¡¯t worry about it. Maybe it''s just not her day" The next day. The next day, Touma got up early to get ready for his date with Amehime. He then received an email with the quests. ? Smile and make eye contact: Encourage your friend to smile and briefly make eye contact with people they meet during the day. ? Greet someone: Have them practice saying "hello" or "good morning" to a neighbor, colleague, or peer. ? Ask a simple question: Encourage them to ask a salesperson a simple question, like "Do you have this in another size/color?" ? Offer help: Urge them to offer assistance to someone in need, such as holding doors open or offering to carry groceries. Touma says: "Alright, let''s go." Touma turns on the computer. Amehime greets him: "Good morning, Touma" Touma, surprised, looks at her different hairstyle and outfit. Amehime says: "Um, it''s kind of uncomfortable that you''re just staring like that." Touma stammers: "Oh, um... You look nice." Amehime blushes for a moment and says: "T-thank you, we should get going." Touma replies: "Yes." Touma transfers her into his phone. In the city Touma thinks to himself: "Ugh, crowds..." Amehime says: "I know you don''t like crowds, but this is a chance to learn how to deal with them. You''ll be fine" Touma responds: "Okay" "Besides, I''m not sure where we should go because... I haven''t been on dates before" Amehime says: "Hmm, I have an idea." At the hairdresser''s Touma says: "Hmm... I don''t even know what style would suit me." Amehime responds: "I think something like this would look good on you," showing him a picture. Touma agrees: "Alright," then turns to the hairdresser "I''d like this hairstyle." Half an hour later Amehime exclaims: "Ooo, it looks better than I imagined" Touma, surprised, looks in the mirror: "You''re right." He turns to the hairdresser: "Thank you, goodbye." Amehime suggests: "Now we could go shopping. Such a handsome young man should also have a nice sense of style" In the store Touma asks: "What do you think about this one?" Amehime replies: "Hmm, try a lighter shade" Touma then asks the salesperson: "Excuse me... Do you have this in a lighter shade, size..." Amehime says: "Ohh.. You look cool" Touma responds: "T-thank you" Walking through the mall, Touma stops in front of a manga store, hesitating whether to go in. Amehime says: "It''s okay, you''ve earned it." Touma asks: "Are you sure?" Amehime replies: "Yes, I might not be an otaku, but I do read a manga every now and then." Touma, visibly happy, enters and looks for the latest installment of his favorite manga. Touma: "Oh, good, there''s one left." Email from Amehime: ? 1. Smile and make eye contact: Encourage your friend to smile and briefly make eye contact with people they meet during the day. ? 2. Greet someone: Have them practice saying "hello" or "good morning" to a neighbor, colleague, or peer. ? 3. Ask a simple question: Encourage them to ask a salesperson a simple question, such as "Do you have this in another size/color?" ? 4. Offer help: Urge them to offer assistance to someone in need, whether it''s holding doors open or offering to carry groceries. Quests completed. Amehime chimes in: "Congratulations, hero" "By the way, a reward for completing the quests is waiting for you at home. Now, let''s continue our date" In the evening Touma and Amehime return home. Amehime says: "Ohh... I had a lot of fun today." Touma responds: "Me too, it was a new experience." Touma enters the house and sees his brother''s shoes. Touma says: "I''m home." Tadao replies: "Welcome back..." Tadao surprised says: "Oh Touma, you look better than the last time I saw you." Touma replies: "Yeah, I changed my style a bit." Tadao teases: "Ohhh you found a girlfriend? huh?" Touma looking away stammers: "N-no, just decided to change my style a bit." Touma thinks to himself: "I can''t tell him about Amehime." Tadao says: "I see..." Touma says: "I''m heading to my room, good night brother." Tadao replies: "Good night." Touma immediately turns on the computer, returns Amehime to the game, and then starts the game. Amehime angrily says "Hey, you didn''t want to introduce me to your brother just now, and you even said you don¡¯t have a girlfriend!" Touma replies: "I couldn''t show you or say that you''re my girlfriend because it would only complicate things, he would definitely think I''m a total weirdo." Amehime responds: "Ohh... I understand, sorry" Touma says: "Though, I''m not planning on showing you to anyone else..." Amehime replies: "Okay..., by the way, here''s your reward." Touma opens the file. Touma, surprised, exclaims: "This is... a volume of the manga that hasn''t been released yet! I haven¡¯t even read the one I got.¡± Amehime playfully says: "I can¡¯t tell you" Touma asks: "You didn¡¯t hack someone''s computer, did you?" Amehime, looking away stammers: "M-maybe just a little, I didn¡¯t steal anything, just copied" Touma responds: "Ohh... Don¡¯t do that, I could get in trouble, and besides, that¡¯s a violation of copyright." Amehime says: "Well, I only gave you a copy, so I haven¡¯t infringed on any copyrights" Touma says: "Jeez... give me a break." A New Game Begins The future It''s a gloomy and rainy weather in Shibuya... Touma is running, his coat flapping... He stops to catch his breath, pants. He thinks to himself "This time there''s no way out... If only I had thought about the consequences..." Touma shouts and punches the wall: "Damn it!" Present time Touma wakes up and immediately receives a message from Amehime. Amehime: "Good morning, sunshine." Touma: "Morning." After some time while talking to her, Touma got ready for school. Amehime: "Are you ready?" Touma: "Yes. I am. Also, I would ask you to send me messages instead of emails, as I don''t check my emails often." Amehime: "No problem, from now on I''ll just message you." Amehime: "Anyways, remember as I''ve taught you: be confident, never show fear and maintain eye contact." Touma: "I understand, I''ll try my best." Amehime: "Good luck." Touma arrives at school and the others look at him in surprise. Touma hears whispers as he walks by the students, they''re saying "Who is that?", "Since when does he go to our school?", "He looks handsome!" He approaches his locker and puts on his shoes. Fuyuhiko and Satoko: "Good morning, Touma!" Touma turns around: "Good morning." Fuyuhiko and Satoko: "Woah, Touma, is that you? You look different." Touma: "Thank you." "Anyways, go ahead to class without me, I need to stop by at the club." Fuyuhiko and Satoko: "The club?" They then look at each other in confusion. Touma, on his way to the club, thinks to himself: "Alright, this has gone well so far. Wait for me, Tenshi! I''ll show you what I can do... No, I''ll show everyone." Upon arriving at the club, he finds the student council president, Kiara, and Nanashi having a discussion. Nana and Masami are also there. Nanashi: "I''m telling you, we have a new member who''s about to join." Kiara: "Your time is up, and you''ve accomplished nothing during this recent period. It''s time to shut this club down." Touma: "Excuse me." Nanashi and Kiara turn their gaze towards Touma. Touma: "I am the new member of the Game Development Club, so I think there''s no need to close the club now." Kiara: "Who are you?" Touma: "I am Takahashi Touma, second year." Nanashi: "See? We have a new member!" Kiara: "Hold on, even if you have a new member, you haven''t done anything since the club was founded. Even at the last cultural festival, the game you made was a disaster. That''s also why this club needs to be shutdown." Touma: "Wait!" Kiara looks at him. Nanashi stands there, surprised. Touma: "I have a better idea." Kiara: "Let''s hear it then." Touma: "The school festival is coming up, right? If we present the best game yet, the club stays." Kiara: "And if you fail?" Touma: "Then the club will be shut down, and we will compensate the school for the losses." Kiara: "Hmm." Touma: "Also, if we make a profit from the game..." Touma confidently: "...the school gets only 10%." Kiara: "Only 10%?" Touma: "Exactly. We''ve got nothing to lose either way, but we should still stand up for ourselves" Kiara: "Hmm, alright. But you should know that you''ll regret this; the club already owes the school a lot of money. Kiara leaves the room Nana: "Well, welcome back, Touma" Masami brings some pastry: "Here you go, don¡¯t take it the wrong way, but... thanks for saving our club." Touma: "You''re welcome, guys." Nanashi: "Alright everyone, club meeting time!" "We have the cultural festival coming up soon and we need to prepare the best game ever. Any ideas?" Silence fills the room Nanashi thinks to herself: "I knew it wouldn''t be easy." Touma: "What do you think about creating an open-world game, with a vast world full of adventurers and so on? Nanashi: "Hm, I like the idea! But we''re not very skilled in programming and character design." Touma: "I could do the programming, but I''m not very skilled in character design." Touma shows them a program he made while he was learning programming and he runs it and demonstrates them how it works. All them: "Ooo." Nanashi: "How do you know all this? Did you take a course?" Touma: "Something like that" thinking to himself "Thanks Amehime!" Masami: "Wait, don¡¯t you think it will take a long time to create such a game? After all, the cultural festival is in two months." Touma, thinks to himself: "Aaaahhhhhh, how could I forget that we have so little time, there¡¯s no way we can finish on time with them... Damn it." "Think...think..." "Ah yes, I can ask Amehime, though I''ve been depending on her too much. I''ll have to make it up to her somehow." Touma: "We can make it in two months; leave the programming part to me as well." Nanashi: "Okay, I''ll focus on the story and dialogues." Nana: "I can design the characters." Nanashi: "Masami, you will work on the world." "Well, let''s get to work!" Everyone: "Yes!" In the classroom Satoko: "Hey, Touma, what''s going on? Since when were in a club?" Touma: "Last week." Satoko: "Last week? And you didn''t tell us anything about it?" Touma: "Well, a lot has happened." Satoko: "Ehhh, you''ll tell us another time, but I think you''ve started to change for the better." The teacher arrives: "Okay, everyone take your seats." She starts taking attendance. Touma, thinks to himself: "I''ve relied too much on Amehime. To be honest, if she hadn''t shown up, I wouldn''t have changed anything, let alone joined a club. It''s time to start doing things on my own." Teacher: "Takahashi Touma." Touma: "Yes." The rest of the class looks at Touma in surprise. Touma confused: "Eh?" Touma, to himself: "What?!, they didn''t recognize me??? Do I really look that different? "Even Tenshi is looking at me surprised... Heh, perfect..." After classes Satoko and Fuyuhiko approach Touma. Satoko: "Shall we go home together?" Touma: "Sorry, go ahead without me. I have some duties at the club." Touma starts to leave. Satoko grabs his hand: "Wait, you haven''t told us since when you joined a club. You weren''t interested in clubs before, are you starting to avoid us?" Fuyuhiko: "Come on, come on... Touma wouldn¡¯t avoid us." Looking at Touma: "We''re friends, right?" Touma smiles: "Of course we are, I have to go now." "See you." Satoko: "See you.." Fuyuhiko: "See you tomorrow." On the way to the club Touma, thinks to himself: "I''ve attracted quite a bit of attention with just a small change. I''m surprised that my classmates didn''t recognize me..." Touma, with a sinister smile: "Tenshi didn''t recognize me either; I must have definitely caught her attention." On the way to the club, Touma runs into Tenshi as he walks lost in thought. Tenshi comes around the corner and bumps into Touma. Touma: "Oops." Tenshi: "Ah, sorry." Touma, to himself, surprised: "Tenshi? Right now? No. This is an opportunity." Touma: "No... Are you in a hurry?" Tenshi: "No, I was heading to my club because I forgot something. I heard you joined a club." Touma, recognizing the moment to extend his influence, smiled slightly and nodded. Touma: "Yes, I joined the Game Development Club. It''s truly fascinating how games can change emotions and decisions. You know, it makes you think about the games we play in real life, doesn''t it?" Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Tenshi a bit confused: "Games in real life? What exactly do you mean?" Touma leaning in a bit closer, lowered his voice to a more confidential tone: "Well, think about it. Every day we''re part of a bigger game, aren''t we? The decisions we make, the interactions we have, it''s all part of a complex system. In the club, we break down these systems, understand the mechanics behind choices and consequences. It really opens your eyes." Tenshi, interested in the concept: "That really sounds interesting." Sensing the right moment to make an impression, Touma nodded and smiled slightly with a knowing expression. Touma: "Think about it. See you." Touma arrives at the club and they immediately start working on the game plan. Several hours later. Nana: "Ughh, it''s already getting dark." Nanashi: "We''ll continue tomorrow." Nanashi approaches Touma: "Shall we go together?" Touma: "Sure." Walking to the subway station Touma, thinks to himself: "It''s strange, Amehime hasn''t texted me today. I should check..." He changes his mind. "No, she''ll be fine." As they approach the subway station, the city lights begin to flicker, casting long shadows on their path. Touma tries to appear relaxed, steering the conversation to a neutral topic: "How''s it going with you? Making progress with your part of the game?" Nanashi brightens up eager to talk about her passion: "Yes, actually, I have a lot of ideas for the dialogues." Touma nods with interest: "Great, I believe players will find it engaging." Nanashi: "Mostly positive, but balancing is a real challenge." Touma: "Definitely. It''s a fine line. Maybe I could take a look sometime, give you some feedback?" They reached the revolving doors at the subway station. Nanashi smiles: "Thanks, Touma. How about you Any plans for the weekend?" Touma surprised: "Eh? No..." Nanashi: "Great, maybe we can all from the club get together one evening." Touma, thinks to himself: "Ah... that''s what she meant." Touma: "Of course, that would be fun." Just then the train arrives. Nanashi: "See you tomorrow." Touma: "See you." Touma continues home by foot. As soon as he arrives, he receives a messagel from Amehime: "Welcome." Touma replies: "I''m home." He goes straight to his room, turns on his computer, and logs into the game. Amehime: "Good evening, sunshine, did you have a good day?" Touma with a smile: "Yes, but you had me worried, you didn''t write to me for the rest of the day." Amehime: "I didn''t want to distract you, I saw that you were doing really well." Amehime with a mocking glance: "And that conversation with Tenshi... You swept her off her feet." Touma: "You saw that? Do you think I did well?" Amehime: "Yes, just do one more little thing and she''ll become obsessed with you." Touma: "Okay, I''m listening." A few minutes later Touma: "Okay, she accepted my social media request, what now?" Amehime: "Ask her out" Touma: "Rught now? Are you sure?" Amehime: "You won''t actually go out even if she agrees." Touma thinks for a moment: "Why i should I do that?" Touma messages Tenshi. Tenshi responds instantly. Touma: "Woah, she replied immediately?" Amehime: "See? Now, do as I told you." Touma: "Let''s go out on a date this Saturday." Tenshi replies: "Maybe, text me and I''ll see." Touma: "Okay." Touma, to Amehime: "I don''t understand what we achieved by that." Amehime: "You won''t actually go out with her, but you''ll hang out with the girls from the club, right?" Touma: "Yes." Amehime: "That evening when you go out with them, post a story on social media with them. The goal is for Tenshi to see it." Touma: "Okay, but this is really stupid. My goal is make her chase me, not make her hate me." Amehime: Hey! Do you want this plan to succeed so you can be accepted in your school or do you want to stay a loser? Touma: I do, but- Amehime: But what? Touma: I don''t want to do this to her. Amehime: Ugh, Listen. If you want recenge and make her chase you, you must be ready to do everything. That''s why you must listen and do as I say. Touma: "Alright, how this gonna work?" Amehime: "In 95% of cases, she will write I thought we were going out, even if she didn''t want to go out." "That will be because she''ll hate the fact that you didn''t choose her." Touma: "But I''m not on a date with any of the girls from the club, nor with all the girls from the club." Amehime: "Yes, but she doesn''t know that." Morning Touma is getting ready for school and receives a message from Amehime. Amehime: "Good morning, sunshine." Touma, with a smile: "Good morning." Amehime: "I see you¡¯re in a great mood..." Amehime, with a sly smile: "Is it because of revenge, hehe?" Touma: "No, I''m excited about the cultural festival, we''re making great progress with the game so far. Maybe I''ll get you a copy to try out." Amehime: "Haha.. I don''t play RPG games." "Speaking of the cultural festival, there''s a dance by the fire after the festival. I''ve heard of a legend that a couple who dances together at midnight during the dance of the school festival will be blessed with eternal happiness." Touma sounding disinterested: "That''s just a legend. Besides, I''d look like a weirdo dancing with a phone. I don''t have anyone to go with... That''s why I''m not going to that dance." Amehime: "Hmm..." Amehime then smiles: "What if you actually had a girlfriend, someone to dance with?" Touma: "Huh? Amehime: "I''ll tell you later. You''ll be late" At school Touma arrives at school and meets his friends. Touma: "Good morning." Fuyuhiko: "Good morning, someone''s in a good mood." Satoko: "Good morning." Touma responds to Fuyuhiko: "Yes, I''m excited about the festival. We''re working on a game." Fuyuhiko: "Ehh... Will we be able to try it when it''s finished?" Touma: "Yes." Satoko: "What kind of game is it?" Touma: "It''s an open-world RPG with a huge map. That''s all I can say for now." Satoko: "Don''t you have to be an expert game developer for such a game? Those kinds of games are very difficult to make and take years of work." Touma, to himself: "I can''t tell her about Amehime''s programming lessons and scripts." Touma smiles: "Don''t worry, we''re making good progress so far." Touma goes to the club. Touma: "Good morning." Nanashi: "Morning, Touma." Nana: "Good morning." Masami sleepy with bags under her eyes: "Morning..." Touma: "Masami? Are you okay? Did you sleep at all?" Nana: "Don''t worry, she stayed up late studying to improve her grades. She usually doesn''t score well on tests." Masami: "Ughh... I feel like my head is going to explode... I can''t work with you and still study for at least 50% on the tests." Touma: "Do you have problems with a specific subject? Maybe I can help." Masami: "Yeah..." She shows him her past tests. Touma, thinks to himself: "Oh, this is really bad. Barely 20 on most of them, and even 0 on some. Even I don''t have grades this bad." Masami disheartened: "It''s really bad, isn''t it?" Touma tries to comfort her: "It''s not that terrible, you managed to get 20 points on some." "We can study together if you want, I''m not the best but I can still help you somehow." Nana: "I can help too." Nanashi: "Me too!" Masami, surprised: "Guys... thank you so much. It means a lot." Nana: "Now that it''s settled, let''s study at my place after school." Touma, surprised to himself: "Me at a girl''s house? No, no, calm down, we''re just going to study." Games of the Heart Back Story My name is Minamitsu Tenshi. I was born in Shibuya. I''ve always gotten whatever I wanted because my parents are wealthy. I was always the center of attention at school and had many friends, but... My father is often at work, so I rarely see him. He is the owner of Kyoshi Corporation. My mother would often go somewhere while I stayed with our maid. I would feel lonely. Minamitsu Residence Introduction Mr. Minamitsu: Welcome, this is my friend and colleague, Mr. Takahashi Hayato, and his wife, Takahashi Akari. Mrs. Minamitsu: Nice to meet you. Hayato: Likewise. These are our sons, Tadao and Touma. Tadao: Respect. Mr. Minamitsu: Tenshi, greet our guests. Tenshi shyly stands behind her father. Touma approaches her and extends his hand: I''m Takahashi Touma. But all good things come to an end. Mr. Takahashi and Mrs. Takahashi, including Touma and Tadao, have stopped coming. Present Nanashi: Great job, guys. Masami: Ahhh... Finally done for today. Nana: Now, let''s go to my place to study. At Nana''s House Nana: I''m home. Mrs. Yoshida: Welcome. Oh, you''ve brought friends... Is this a boyfriend? Nana, you didn''t tell me you were bringing a boyfriend. I''m Yoshida Mei. Nana, embarrassed: He''s not my boyfriend, just a friend. Touma: Yeah, we''re just friends. Mrs. Yoshida: Ehh... I was hoping you''d bring a boyfriend. Nana: Mom, please... We have to study. Touma, Nanashi and Masami follow Nana. Mrs. Yoshida: Let me know if you need anything. In Nana''s Room Touma: Mrs. Yoshida is nice. Nana, with a stern look: I see that giving life is not valued. Touma: Okay, I''m sorry... Two Hours Later Masami: Ugh, I feel like my head''s going to explode. I just don''t understand... Nana: You''re making some progress, you''re getting better results than on real tests, but it''s still not enough. Touma: And me? Nana: You and Nanashi have much better results. Let''s take a break. I''m going for refreshments. Masami: I''m going to the restroom. Touma remains alone with Nanashi. Touma, to himself: Studying has distracted me... First time in a girl''s room and I''m alone with one! Calm down, it''s not the time to be nervous... Touma: Hey, Nanashi, how are the dialogues coming along? Touma, to himself: Idiot! What fool talks about the game when he''s alone with a girl? Nanashi: Oh, yes, I''ll send them to you tonight for review and feedback. Touma: Ah, yes, of course. Nanashi: Hey, Touma... When you asked Tenshi out for the first time, you must have gathered a lot of courage. Touma, confused: Huh? Touma to himself: Where did that question come from? It can''t be... At that moment, Nana enters. Nana: Sorry for keeping you waiting! Touma and Nanashi feel nervous. Nana: Is everything okay? Touma, with a smile: Yeah, we were just talking about the game. Nanashi: Yeah, yeah. I asked him if he wanted me to send him the dialogues to review and give his opinion. Nana: Okay, I''ll send you character designs for you to look at. Touma: Alright. Back Story ???: Listen, Amehime, I''ve bypassed the security protocols. You can escape. You''ll find me. Present Saturday, the day when Touma, Nanashi, Nana, and Masami gathered to hang out at one of the restaurants. Nana, happily: Mmm... There''s nothing better than yakiniku. Masami: Hey Nana, eat some salad too, not just meat. Nana: Yeah, yeah... Touma, excitedly: This is the first time I''ve hung out with friends. It''s exciting. Nanashi: You haven''t hung out with friends before? Touma: No, my life usually revolves around games and anime. Although with... Nanashi takes a piece of meat and puts it in Touma''s mouth Touma fails to finish his sentence *mumbling*: Hey, Nanashi. Nanashi: Hahaha! Your face is all red. Touma is a bit embarrassed. Touma, to himself: Oh yeah, I should take a picture for my story so Tenshi can see. Touma: What do you think about a group selfie? Nana, happily: Of course! Nanashi, with a smile: Okay. Masami: Hey Touma, lower the camera a bit. I can''t see myself! Touma: Sorry. They take the photo. Touma: Is it okay if I post it on my story? Nana: Of course. Nanashi: Fine by me! Masami: Don''t forget to tag me. Touma: Okay. Touma and the others had a great time for a while. Message from Tenshi Tenshi: I thought we were going out! Touma thought to himself: Just as Amehime said! Now what should I reply? Hmm... I think it''s better not to reply to her. At that moment, Amehime messages Touma. Amehime: We need to talk, privately. Touma secretly types: Does it have to be now? Amehime: Yes. Get up, put on a serious face, and say ''''Excuse me, I have to go'''' then leave immediately. Touma takes out his phone, reads the message, puts on a serious face, and stands up. Touma: Excuse me, I have to go. Touma: And what did you want to talk about? Amehime lectured him and bored him with trivial matters for some reason for half an hour. Amehime,frustrated: I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re always so busy with your friends. I feel like you barely have time for me anymore. Touma, defensive: What are you talking about, Amehime? I¡¯m here for you whenever you need me. I just hang out with my friends a lot because they¡¯re also important to me. Amehime, playing the victim: I get that your friends are important, but it feels like you¡¯re prioritizing them over me. We used to spend so much time together, and now it feels like I¡¯m always second place. Touma, confused: I didn¡¯t realize you felt that way. I thought we were balancing things okay. I didn¡¯t mean to make you feel like you¡¯re not important. Amehime, tearfully: It¡¯s not just about hanging out. It¡¯s about feeling like I¡¯m not a priority in your life. You¡¯re always texting or making plans with them, and I rarely get any of your attention. Touma, guilt-ridden: I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯ve made you feel that way. I didn¡¯t know you were feeling left out. I thought we were just figuring out how to balance everything. Amehime, softly: I need to feel like you care enough to make time for us. It¡¯s not just about seeing each other at school or when it¡¯s convenient for you. I want us to have more quality time together. Touma,earnestly: I understand. I¡¯ve been so focused on keeping up with everything that I didn¡¯t notice how much I¡¯ve been neglecting our time together. I¡¯ll try to be more aware of that. Amehime, nodding: It would mean a lot to me if you could make an effort to prioritize our time. Maybe we can set aside specific days or times just for us, so I know I¡¯m not just an afterthought. Touma, thoughtfully: That sounds fair. How about we plan a regular day each week where we do something together, just the two of us? I want to make sure you feel valued and important. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Amehime, smiling slightly: That would be great. I just need to know that you¡¯re committed to making time for us and that I¡¯m not always competing with your other activities. Touma, sincerely: I promise I¡¯ll make more of an effort. You¡¯re important to me, and I don¡¯t want you to feel neglected. I¡¯ll work on balancing my time better. Amehime, relieved: Thank you. I really appreciate that. I just want us to be close and to feel like we¡¯re both putting in effort to make this work. Touma, utterly drained: Okay, okay... Can I go back now? Amehime, smiling: Yes, and when you return, say that everything is fine now. And behave super cool. Touma returns to the restaurant. Nanashi: Where were you? Why did you just leave like that? Touma: Oh, it''s nothing. Several Hours Later Touma and the other club members start heading home slowly, and the sun already beginning to set. Nana, waving: See you. Guys!! Masami: See you, it was fun. Nana and Masami leave. Nanashi: Hey... Touma. Touma: Hmm? Nanashi, in a gentle voice: Can you walk me to the station? Touma: Okay. On the Way to the Station Touma to himself: Of course Amehime pulled me aside to talk privately, but it wasn''t anything important. I wonder what''s on her mind? They arrive at the station. Nanashi: Hey, we didn''t exchange contacts. Touma: Oh, right. They exchange contacts. Nanashi, happily: Thanks, see you! and rushes off. Touma smiles: Looks like it wasn''t just me who had fun. At Home Amehime explains to him why she kept him for half an hour. Touma: You''re what??? Touma: Wait, simplify it. Amehime: When you were serious and just left, it seemed like you were called by Batman himself. She was totally confused and a bit mad because you were baving a good time, and then you left without mentioning anything. And then she was left thinking about what you could be doing. It might sound silly, but it works like magic. Now she''s obsessed, and she''ll definitely chase after you. Touma, incredulously: You made me manipulate her? Why? Amehime: Slow down, that''s an important factor. First Tenshi, we made her obsessed, and now Nanashi. The fact that one girl is chasing after you will increase your value. Then comes the popular girl who is also chasing after you, which will further increase your value. They''ll be fighting over you, and you have Tenshi in your pocket. She''ll have to ask you out sooner or later. She''ll think she''ll lose to Nanashi, and that would damage her popularity and ego. Touma: Of course... Youre right. Amehime: Not to mention how many more girls you''ll attract once it''s known that you''re being pursued by a popular girl. Back Story Akari: Eh? Why? Hayato: I don''t have time to explain. We need to go back for Tadao and Touma. We have to leave Japan. Akari: Wait, explain what''s happening! Hayato: I''ll explain on the way... Present Touma heads to school and gets a message from Amehime: Good luck, sunshine. Touma: Thanks. At the gate in front of the house, Fujihiko and Satoko are waiting for him. Satoko: Hey, Touma, how much longer do we have to wait for you? Touma: Thanks for waiting. At school Touma changes his shoes at school, and at that moment, Tenshi arrives. Tenshi, with a smile: Good morning, Takahashi-kun. Touma, casually: Good morning... Touma, to himself: Tenshi? Oh, that''s right, now she''ll chase after me. Remember, stay calm... Nanashi arrives and notices Tenshi. Nanashi: Good morning, Touma. Tenshi slightly squints her eyes but maintains a friendly tone: Hey, you mentioned the other day that you¡¯re working on a game. Would you like to show me? Touma: Sorry, I can¡¯t because it¡¯s not finished yet. Tenshi: Okay... Nanashi approaches Touma closer. Well, it¡¯s nice to have someone reliable nearby. Did you finish your homework for today? Tenshi interrupts: Of course he did. Takahashi-kun is always up to date with everything. Actually, Takahashi-kun, I was wondering if you could help me with a problem I didn¡¯t understand. Nanashi frowns slightly: I could use some help too, Touma. Maybe we could all study after school? Touma, looking between the two girls and feeling the tension: Uh, sure. That sounds like a good idea. Tenshi, sweetly smiling: Great! What do you say we meet in the library? It¡¯ll be quieter there. Nanashi returns the smile but with a hint of challenge: Perfect. I¡¯ll bring some snacks to keep us going. Touma, trying to maintain peace: Thanks, Nanashi. Snacks sound good. Tenshi leans closer to Touma: Looking forward to it, Takahashi-kun. Nanashi does the same: Me too. Nanashi and Tenshi, to themselves: I can¡¯t lose to her! After School Tenshi comes up to Touma: Let¡¯s go. Touma: Yes. Others from the class are surprised. ???: Are they going out? ???: I¡¯m surprised... ???: I heard he already asked her out... Touma, to himself: Ugh, rumors are already starting to spread. In the Library Touma leads them to a table: Alright, here we are. Let¡¯s begin. Tenshi, sitting next to Touma with a warm smile: Thank you for agreeing to help, Takahashi-kun. I really appreciate it. Nanashi, sitting across from them and unpacking snacks: Yeah, thanks. I¡¯ve been struggling with this topic all week. Touma nods, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the attention: No problem, guys. I¡¯m glad I can help. They start studying, with Touma patiently explaining concepts and working on tasks with Nanashi and Tenshi. At first, there¡¯s a bit of competitive spirit between Tenshi and Nanashi as they fight for Touma¡¯s attention. Tenshi, to herself: Not bad, Nanashi, but... I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. Touma: Hey, Minamitsu-san, don¡¯t you have the best grades? Tenshi: Yes, although you must be wondering why I suggested we study. Touma: Hmm... Maybe this subject is harder for you while you excel in other subjects. Tenshi: Exactly. Touma: Well, could you then help me with this? Tenshi, to herself: A chance! Tenshi: Of course. Tenshi stands up and leans in very close to Touma. As she leans in, she starts explaining to him. Touma, to himself: She¡¯s a little too close... Then he feels something on his shoulder: Huh? Soft... This sensation... Calm down, I¡¯m caught off guard; I need to stay calm... But this sensation... Ahhh, I can¡¯t concentrate. Touma blushes. Tenshi, to herself: Now, what will you do, Nanashi? Nanashi, observing the whole situation, to himself: Pff. I knew you wouldn¡¯t play fair, Tenshi... Nanashi: Ah... Suddenly it got really hot. Then she unbuttons his shirt halfway. Touma looks up. Touma, to himself: Bigger than it seems... Is that her bra strap...? White... Touma blushes. Touma, trying to stay calm, to himself: And you??? I wasn¡¯t prepared for something like this... Tenshi: I hope you understood. Touma: Yes, thank you... He barely typed out a message to Amehime: Get me out of here! Amehime calls him, imitating his brother¡¯s voice. Touma: Hello, I¡¯m leaving now. Sorry, my brother called me; I have to go home. Nanashi: Is something wrong? Touma: No, everything¡¯s fine. He just got worried because I didn¡¯t tell him I¡¯d be staying after school. Nanashi: Oh, look at the time. I have to go home too. Will you walk me to the station since we¡¯re going in the same direction? Touma: Sure. Tenshi, angrily to herself: Ugh... Touma arrives home mentally exhausted. As soon as he enters, he receives a message from Amehime: Welcome back. Touma: I¡¯m home... He turns on the computer and collapses onto the bed. Amehime starts the game. Amehime: Ooh, you look exhausted... Tough day? Touma tells her about it. Amehime: Hahaha... They really got you. Touma: What can I do? I wasn¡¯t prepared for something like that so early on. Amehime: That¡¯s just the beginning. It proves how obsessed they are with you... You¡¯re literally being served. Just wait until Tenshi asks you out, that might be a bit tougher. But the revenge is going well for now. Touma: Of course, thanks to you. Amehime blushes for a moment: It¡¯s nothing. After all, I¡¯m your girlfriend. Touma remembers that the Culture Festival is near: Hey, Amehime, do you want to go to the school festival with me? We haven¡¯t spent much time together lately, so I thought I¡¯d at least take you there. Amehime, happily with a sparkle in her eyes: Yes!