Landmines

“I see, I see…….”

“It seems we really came from the same world aren’t we.”

“At first I thought that it’s only me but maybe there are more [metafiction people] like us out there huh.”

(TLN: Metafiction was written in kana indicating that it was a transliteration)

“If we find more [metafiction people] other than us then let’s make sure that we tell each other then.”

“Got it. Also, this is unrelated but I’m surprised that you suddenly say something like [Metafiction People] you know.”

“Then foreign words are NG okay! Alright, let’s talk later.”

(TLN: NG=No good)

“Right.”

I don’t like this woman but she’s definitely an essential existence for me.

That goes both ways though.

Rather, somehow I feel like I had a familiar conversation like this before.

Hmm, maybe it’s from a long time ago huh.

“Come to think of it, there’s one thing that has been on my mind for a while now.”

“What is it?”

“You were a woman back in our original world right?”

“That’s right.”

“…..[Breaking the Chain of Sadness] is a Moe game series but you still played every single one of them huh………”

“………”

[Breaking the Chain of Sadness] is a Galge series that let you flirt with cute girls (The word flirt might be an exaggeration in this case though?).

I’ve never seen any girl I know playing this series before so honestly, I’m pretty surprised.

“It doesn’t matter right! We did form an alliance but can you not come prying into my past!?”

“Eh? W, Why did you suddenly snap like that……?”

“Fine, then I can assume that you are an otaku who plays moe games all day too right?”

“Well, I won’t deny that……”

I was a nobody after all…….

“How inconsiderate can you be. Goodbye, you really are the worst. You must have lived the life of an unpopular disgusting otaku anyway!”

“I won’t deny that…….”

“It’s irritating instead when you just admit it like that! I’m going home!”

“?”

Tsugaru suddenly snapped and ran away.

I really don’t get why she got so angry.

“Looks like she does hate me huh……”

It seems I’ve stepped on some dangerous landmines earlier.

She probably kept the fact that she’s an otaku a secret in her past life.

And here I thought that I finally gained a comrade who can appreciate the charm of the series just like me too. What a shame.

“Guess it’s time to go back huh…….”

I can chill by the river alone but since that would be a waste of time, I decided to go home.

When I climbed up the riverbank to head home, I found Emi who was on her way back from school.

“O~i, Emi!”

“Ah, Hideyori-kun.”

Emi noticed me and stopped walking so I ran toward her.

“Why didn’t you wait for me today?”

“I saw a story in the news this morning that a Tsuchinoko appeared around this riverbank so I came to look for it.”

(TLN: A Tsuchinoko is a big yokai snake, think of it like finding bigfoot I guess)

“Did you find a Tsuchinoko!?”

“Nah, I didn’t. I did find a dragon at school though.”

“Dragon!? That’s amazing! I want to see it too!”

“Then I will show it to you tomorrow okay.”

I will introduce her to the siscon dragon I met today tomorrow.

Rather, her innocence that allows her to believe in Tsuchinoko and Dragon is too dazzling for me.

“You really are cute, Emi.”

“Ehehehe.”

While stroking Emi’s hair, the feeling of not wanting her to get involved with the tragedies of the game started to overflow from inside me.

Before I knew it, Emi had already become like a younger sister to me.