ALL NOVEL The Strongest Solo Gamer with Terrible Social Skills Reincarnates as a Hated NPC in a VRMMO Chapter 66
66 Floor 5①: Yoshikawa PT
――SIDE: Hokabe Masaharu――
We’re lucky.
The current time is 17:00.
After getting used to long searches, my physical condition isn’t bad compared to yesterday. We didn’t encounter any strong enemies and prioritized our search progress.
As a result, we cleared the 5th floor in first place.
Sae and Mushakouji are struggling on the 4th floor. I think this is a great opportunity. If the number of floors cleared becomes tied, it’ll come down to a one-on-one battle between each leader to decide the winner. With [Healer] Yoshikawa-san, it’s impossible to defeat Sae or Mushakouji. If we get entangled, our defeat is certain.
No matter what, we have to surpass ABYSS in exploration. Since they’re currently stuck on the 4th floor, we’ll likely only get an update to the 5th floor by today. If we can reach the 6th floor in that gap—
We’ll win!!
The class leader has been decided, and it’s Ms. Yoshikawa!!
As for Ishizuru, who had lost his motivation, he was stuck on the 3rd floor for a while. He finally advanced to the 4th floor two hours ago, but it’s too late now.
If everything goes as planned, our victory is guaranteed.
“…What’s going on?”
Ms. Yoshikawa, who was fiddling with her magical crystal terminal (Portal), suddenly let out a questioning voice. I was on high alert, so I couldn’t respond to her voice. Instead, Takafuji, who was intrigued, approached Ms. Yoshikawa.
“What happened?”
“About the class rankings…”
Had there been a change in the number of floors reached? Or had Aoi’s group caught up? I continued on my way, eavesdropping on their conversation.
“—5th floor, updated!?”
The loud voice that suddenly rang out made me stop in my tracks. It was extremely rare for Takafuji to raise his voice to this level.
“What’s going on!?”
“Lies, lies…this can’t be…!”
Ignoring Sekiwa’s questioning, Takafuji gazed intently at Ms. Yoshikawa’s magical crystal terminal (Portal).
Ms. Yoshikawa’s face was also filled with confusion.
What on earth was happening?
“Has someone reached the 5th floor?”
When I said “someone,” I could only think of Aoi and Mushakouji as candidates. But that was already a given. I couldn’t understand why Takafuji was so surprised.
“Ishizuru Shouma…!”
“Huh?”
For a moment, I didn’t understand what was being said.
“Ishizuru’s guy has reached the 5th floor…!”
“………………what?”
No matter how much time I took to think about it, I couldn’t make sense of it. Ishizuru Shouma? Why was his name coming up here? But he—
“Had just entered the 4th floor. Isn’t that right?”
“How, how is this possible…!!”
“Did we make a confirmation mistake…?”
“There’s no way that’s possible. Himeko confirmed it, and I also checked the class rankings on my own magical crystal terminal (Portal). Ishizuru had just entered the 4th floor two hours ago…”
“—Then, how is he on the 5th floor now!?”
‘!!
I couldn’t contain my excitement and ended up shouting.
What a pathetic sight…even if I confronted them, it wouldn’t solve anything!!
“…Sorry, forget I said that…”
“O, okay…”
Even after saying that, an uncomfortable atmosphere still lingered among my friends. …I, who was supposed to be calm, was the first to lose my cool!?
Can I really support Ms. Yoshikawa in this state?
I couldn’t forgive my own incompetence.
Get a grip, Shousei!!
You’re not the same as you used to be, are you?!?
Back then, I was…!
“Let’s move forward first!”
“Eh?”
“If Shoma-kun is going to chase after us, we have to try our best to escape. Even if we talk about it here, nothing will change, right?”
“That’s…”
“Well…”
“Hey, Sei-kun is also energetic! We haven’t lost yet, so let’s work together!”
“Yoshikawa-san…”
With Yoshikawa-san’s bright encouragement, we resumed our search. She took my hand, which was hanging down, and pulled me along. This was a reversal of roles.
What was I trying to do, anyway?
――Middle school days.
I, who believed in my own excellence without a doubt, ran for student council president and won.
With my academic abilities, which were top of the class, I looked down on those around me and said, “I’ll change this school!” with a sigh, and dictated my own style and attitude towards classes. I even intervened in the club activities and student expenses. No one wanted that, but I believed I was doing the right thing.
As a result, my term as student council president ended in just one year. The new student council president was welcomed warmly by the students, and as her popularity grew, I realized that what I had done was a mistake.
I didn’t want to make the same mistake again.
That’s why I wanted to entrust the class leader position to Yoshikawa Himeko. She could do what I couldn’t. I believed that…
“A class leader is someone who has the guts to do it! It’s not a problem for you to dictate what to do!!”
…Suddenly, I remembered Ido Ryusuke’s words. At the same time, I remembered the incident where I asked Yoshikawa-san to be the class leader after school.
“Me, as the class leader…?”
“Yes, you’re suitable for the job.”
“I don’t know if I can do it…?”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t have the strictness required. I just pamper others, and I think the class will go downhill.”
“Then I’ll do it! I’ll make up for your lack of strictness! With Yoshikawa-san’s kindness and my strictness, we’ll definitely…!!”
“……”
――I was desperate.
I wanted to take D class in a good direction somehow. I couldn’t just stand by and watch, even if the method was right in front of me.
Yoshikawa Himeko.
The woman who crushed me mercilessly in middle school. I thought she would be suitable as the class leader of D class, since she was doing a great job as student council president.
I have no regrets about my choice back then.
No, I should have no regrets…
“――Yeah, I understand…”
Yoshikawa-san’s eyes, which seemed to be accepting, had a worried expression.
Was she looking at me with a sense of pity…?
The meaning of that expression still eludes me to this day. But somehow, it’s stuck in my throat like a small bone.
Am I doing the “right” thing now?
The anxiety that arose is growing more and more. Is what I’m doing just a reckless abandonment of responsibility?
Did Yoshikawa-san notice that, which is why she had that expression…?
“I’m the one who ruins people――”
On our way to the family restaurant.
She told me that.
Who was she talking to?
……I knew. I knew, but I still couldn’t bring myself to do it.
“――”
Has an hour already passed……?
I grasped my magic crystal terminal (Portal) like I was praying. The screen displayed the 1-D student roster.
25.[NOBIZ] LV.1 Ishizuru Shoma [6F]
“Ah…”
The result was cruel.
I could only groan when I saw the information displayed on the magic crystal terminal (Portal).