Escape Galge Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Graduation from Twin Tails

“Twin tails?! Tying twin tails even in high school…?!”

　Plunging into my room, I collapsed on top of my bed.
　The inside of my head was in complete disorder, but I’m currently unable to bear the shame, and feel like dying.

　The amiable imouto-type undercla.s.sman, Torida Kii.
　Blond hair accompanied by blue eyes, along with a green ribbon-type necktie that’s the colour for 1st-years, and a long-sleeved beige cardigan.

　… She’s the current me, a capturable character.

“Hmpf!”

　I tore off the thin ribbons that held my twin tails together on both sides.
　Having recalled my previous life and sorted out my memories, I’m able to look at myself objectively.
　Something like twin tails, should be graduated from along with knapsacks! [1]

　Ruffling my hair roughly, I sorted out the inside of my head.

“It’s the world of…『Hanazono Gakuen　～The Destinied Encounter～』, the galge.”

　Even though I say it’s galge, to be more precise, it’s a『Smartphone Social Game』.
　The gist is to enjoy the story where you come to get along with girls, as you lead a school life.

　There are 50 female characters who appear, but there’s only 5 capturable characters in the story mode.
　And I’m 1 of those 5.
　The girls without a story appears separately from the story mode in the 『School Wandering Mode』. If you get close to them, it’ll be recorded in the 『Girls Compendium』, and if you go on dates with these 『Dateables』, you can unlock their anecdotes.
　Finding it appealing, the me from my previous life was quite into it, and even completed the Compendium.

　If you’re wondering why I, who was also 『female』in my previous life, was addicted to a『galge』, it’s because this game had a 『female-oriented version』.
　The only difference in the female-oriented version was that the girls were changed into guys.
　5 people in the story and 50 appearing characters. The system is identical.
　Would it be easier to understand if I say it’s a 『galge』and an『otome game』with the same base?

　As a lover of otome games, I played the female-oriented Hanazono Gakuen at first.
　Having immersed myself in the female-oriented Hanazono Gakuen for about a year, I exhausted every playthroughs and started dabbling in the male-oriented one. 
　It was because it drew my interest. How is it different from the female-oriented version? What are the things that kindles guys?

　It was unexpectedly interesting when I gave it a shot.
　There’s no way such a girl exists! I constantly retorted, but as the same could be said for the otome game, we’re selfsame in this regard.
　I clearly remembered being quite absorbed as it piqued my interest in various ways.

　The current me, a.k.a. 『Torida Kii』, is a slightly cunning imouto-type, a girl who’ll elicit by saying 『I like you!』even as she acts bashfully.
　She’s a girl who blushes often and repeatedly goes『How cool!』or『Wonderful!』in a voice of approval, then 『Oh noes, you heard that!? How ditzy of me! So embarra.s.sing… 』. That’s her standard behaviour. 
　Cunningness also oozed from the way her fingers poke out slightly from the long sleeves of her cardigan.
　… This was how the me up until a while ago was.

“I want to die! Stupid, stupid!”

　I sandwiched my head between my hands as I hit it.
　If only my memory would buzz off like this!
　… Unfortunately, the cruel thing is, the dark history of my foolish behaviour from up till yesterday had left deep scars in my mind and heart.
　They will most likely not disappear even if I die… I want to die.

　… However.
　The me as of yesterday, is certainly also『me』.
　I don’t know what has become of me in this situation, but I had been living as『Torida Kii』up until now.
　Be it my parents, friends, or my surroundings, all these were c.u.mulated by me, as Torida Kii.

　Even the feelings of love for senpai are mine.
　Swinging from joy to sorrow from his every word and casual actions, it was a part of me that I brought up.
　However…

　I realised.
　They say that『love is blind』, but the things that the me as of yesterday didn’t see…

　Senpai… senpai the『Protagonist』, also built favourable relationships with『capturable characters other than me』.
　I understood the girls’ 『Capture Percentage』from their personal belongings and their att.i.tudes.
　Most likely, all the capturable characters are at the『Pre-Dating』stage.
　It’s a situation where you wait for their confessions.
　In actuality, I was about to do that.

　This is, at the stage where all the stories have been cleared.
　In the game, for the 1st playthrough, the number of people you can capture and eventually tie the knot with, is 1 person. 
　But in the 2nd playthrough, you can simultaneously capture a new character along with the character captured in the 1st playground.
　In other words, two-timing is possible.
　In that manner, in the 3rd playthrough, you can also capture the characters captured in the 1st and 2nd playthroughs. It’s three-timing.
　That way, you’ll eventually five-time, and build a harem.
　Sc.u.m. Thinking of it realistically, it’s exceedingly sc.u.mmy.
　The current senpai is in a state similar to that sc.u.mmy, five-timing harem state.

　Is that his innate nature?
　Or, like me, he remembers his『previous life』and is doing this with a goal in mind?
　Whichever it is, my heart hurts.

　Perhaps, it might be that there’s no harem and it’s my misconstrue.
　I want to believe in him.
　That’s why…

“Let’s make sure.”

　Please, please let it be some kind of misunderstanding…

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 ()
　Excluding me, there are 4 capturable characters.
　It’s set that going on dates with the capturable characters on specific weekdays easily increase their favourability ratings.
　I’m a character whose favourability rating increases easily on Fridays, and now that I think of it, our dates were always on Fridays.
　My heart ached, but rather than paying attention to it, there’s something more important to do.

　The result was that my efforts, hopes, and maiden heart was splendidly smashed into pieces.

(This a.s.s… he’s definitely aiming for harem…!)

　The day I observed his actions, was the Sunday when all the characters’ favourability ratings easily increase.
　You can say it’s a day when the favorability rating perimeters have to be closely monitored.
　I remained on the lookout outside his house right from morning, and what I witnessed as I shadowed him was…

　There were 3 women he came in contact with.
　2 capturable targets and 1 member of the Dateable.
　Watching a movie with a capturable target in the morning, and getting lunch together.
　Just as I thought he parted with her unexpectedly early, he went on to enjoy about 2 hours of shopping with a Dateable girl, followed by having fun at the Amus.e.m.e.nt Park night events with another capturable target from evening to the next morning.
　He held hands with all of them as though it’s the most natural thing in the world.
　That thoroughness in filling the idle time between the 2 capturable targets with a Dateable member, how very praiseworthy.

　He will henceforth be regarded as sc.u.m.

　He headed home after parting with the capturable character when the night events ended. I watched his back figure as he chuckled to himself with a “It sure was another enjoyable day today”.
　Dazedly, I watched him leave as I hid in the darkness.
　… He was even more despicable than I thought.

“How dare you trample on my pure feelings, my maiden heart!”

　Unforgivable.
　Absolutely unforgivable, unforgivable !
　Inside of me, the feelings of love for senpai died.
　They completely pa.s.sed away.
　It’s their funeral.

“This grudge, should I clear it…”

　My clenched fist trembled from the anger.
　I bit my lips so strongly that blood might be flowing.
　When I glared at him thinking how good it’ll be if looks could kill, a shocking mumble escaped from his lips.

“… Huh?… Huh? Kii-tan’s favorability rating is… disappearing?”

　Having my name called, I panicked thinking my shadowing was exposed, but it seems that that wasn’t the case.
　… Rather, did you just say “Kii-tan”!? You did, right!?

　U-Uwahhhh…
　For an instant, my anger changed to chills, and gooseb.u.mps ran throughout my body.
　Wanting to suppress that, I folded my arms and rubbed them. Shifting my gaze to that guy, he was standing stock still beneath the streetlamp.
　He was staring at the screen of his smartphone with an idiotic expression I’ve never seen before.
　The collapsing of my mental image of the『wonderful senpai』knows no end.

“W-Why!? The parameter should have been MAX! I don’t think I made the wrong Choices[3] either! I didn’t mess up my lines, did I!?”

　… What’s the meaning of this?

　He’s looking at the screen of his smartphone while talking about my favorability rating and parameters.
　Conjecturing from that, it means that he can『see my favorability rating on his smartphone』.
　In addition, from his words, “Choices” and “lines”, it means that he was treating it as a game, capturing us as he referred to the data on his smartphone.

　Could it be… even his『words』were false?

　When he said my handmade sweets are delicious, when he praised me for working hard, when he scolded me for my mistakes, when he called me cute, all of them weren’t ‘your’ 『words』?
　You simply recited our『Capturing Data』?

　… Haha, as he watched me dance to his tune, he undoubtedly thought.
　That I’m『a piece of cake』.

　Something is welling up in my chest.
　The corners of my eyes are growing hot.
　But I can’t, not here. I have to hold it in.
　I beg you, hurry up and leave!
　Squatting in the shadow of the lamppost, I endured.
　As I listened to the fading footsteps, I held my breath too, to prevent the tears from leaking out.

　His presence disappeared after a while.
　There probably isn’t anyone here, anymore.
　Standing up, I hurried home.

“… Uu.”

　There’s no one in the dark and gloomy street, no one.
　Once I understood that, what I had been holding back brimmed over.
　Even so, to prevent it from being released full-force, I persevered as I walked on.
　The sobs leaked out even though I held my mouth, and the tears did not stop even though I wiped them, but I cannot relax.
　Not until I enter my own room.
　I won’t be able to go home if I break down here.

　… Seriously unforgivable, Kagurazaka Aoi.
　I will not let things go your way.

　What Feather of Destiny.
　That’s just a Feather of Misfortune.
　Harem? I will wreck you.