ALL NOVEL The Strongest Solo Gamer with Terrible Social Skills Reincarnates as a Hated NPC in a VRMMO Chapter 86
86 Declaration of War
――SIDE: God崎歩――
April 19th, Wednesday.
It’s been three days since I took in Ishizuru Shouma. When he said “Let me stay,” I was deeply surprised, but after knowing his circumstances, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse.
Living with a man, huh…
I’m aware that I’ve done something reckless. Considering the “secret” I carry, living with someone else is out of the question. It’s too risky. For now, Ishizuru doesn’t seem to know about my “secret,” but if this lifestyle continues until the end of the month, I’ll be on edge…
Three things have changed since Ishizuru stopped going to school.
One is the awareness of the entire class.
The incident where I道竜子 attacked a first-year student is known to all students. The rumor that Ishizuru, who was involved, is hiding from students in other classes and skipping school is also well-known.
Antis and Ishizuru-haters like Isozaki and Sakakibara saw this as an opportunity. They, who had no enthusiasm until now, are pouring their energy into ABYSS exploration and increasing their cleared floors.
Moreover, the PT led by Takeshiro and Yoshikawa, who were aiming to become class leaders, were also working hard to polish themselves. Meanwhile, the Three Matsubara, who had fallen behind, were seeking advice from other PTs and doing what they could individually.
Of course, we weren’t an exception.
“Since Shoma’s not here, we have to do our best!” said General Manager, still tense. As PT members, we followed his lead. Currently, instead of forcibly increasing our level, we were focusing on individual leveling.
The second thing was…
It was like the ABC classroom.
The ABC group, which had been attacked, was suffering a great blow with their main force hospitalized. Especially 1-A’s Kairo Maru was in a terrible state. The news had spread that he, along with class leader Mikoto Onagi, had withdrawn from the class competition. Instead, A-class would be led by that Needle General, Chokuro. If he took the lead, this competition might get out of hand…
The class leaders of BC group, Yurantei Jigoku and Tenson Kyuzo, were not seriously injured and would not withdraw from the competition. By now, they must be harboring more resentment towards Ishizuru. Just in case, I’d better keep an eye on them.
And the third thing was…
I glanced at the seat in front of me.
Hōō Ue.
Since Ishizuru Shoma’s absence from school, her aura had disappeared. She was pretending to be carefree, but inside the PT, it was obvious. Even the leader, General Manager, was worried about her. She was a woman who could put on a facade, but for now, she was just observing quietly. However, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated.
As we chatted, the fourth period class ended, and lunchtime arrived.
“Hey, Ishizuru’s not coming today either, huh?”
“Yeah, I’m a bit worried.”
While talking, General Manager and Tōun attached their desks to the seat in front of them. Hōō did the same, albeit a bit late. They still seemed absent-minded.
“…We don’t need to worry about him. Let’s focus on ourselves first.”
I changed the subject, saying so. The others didn’t know that I was hiding Ishizuru Shoma in my dorm room. If they found out, they would probably come to my room, and that would be a disaster. I never let anyone enter my room, and if my “secret” was exposed, the worst-case scenario would be that I couldn’t stay in this school anymore.
“…Well, that’s true. Luckily, Ishizuru seems to be nearby…”
“Huh? How did you know that?”
General Manager asked Tōun, who panicked and waved her hand.
“Ah, no… it’s just a hunch! A girl’s intuition! There’s no proof, but it’s usually right, haha…”
Tōun tried to brush it off, and no one pursued the matter further. We opened our lunchboxes, carrying the subtle atmosphere.
And then, suddenly…
“Hey, hey! Get out of the way! You D-class b*stards!”
The classroom door burst open violently.
It was the students from 1-C class. They stormed into the D-class classroom, looking around with an air of superiority.
“What’s going on, you guys?!”
“Hey, Lin-kun!”
Lin, who was sitting on the corridor side, was immediately surrounded by the intruders. Three Matsubara tried to rescue him, but the intruders glared at them, rendering them helpless.
“Where’s Ishizuru Shoma?! You must know! If you’re hiding him, you’ll regret it!”
“I-Ishizuru…? He’s not coming to school today, I think…”
“What?! He didn’t come yesterday either! You’re hiding him, aren’t you?!”
The collar of Lin’s shirt was violently pulled. If this continued, it would be dangerous. Just as I thought that, three people – Aoba, Ura, and Musashibō – sprang into action.
“That’s enough! We won’t let you bully us anymore!”
“Do you want to fight? I’ll take you on!”
“If you’re going to raise your fists, I have something to say about that!”
“Ah, damn it! You’re all…!”
The situation was escalating.
It seems that the main forces of D Group are quite something. The C Group students, who are known for their bad behavior, are being suppressed by words alone.
“――You’re scared of those D Group nobodies, aren’t you, Guzu!!”
“K-Keiji…!!”
The C Group students, who had been flying in from outside the classroom, trembled with fear. The one who appeared was a boy with a corner-cut hairstyle. If I’m not mistaken, he’s the guy who bothered me on the day of the entrance ceremony. Is he also searching for Stone Ruri’s whereabouts?
“You’re the one from the entrance ceremony!!”
“I’m Yoneda Keiji. Aoba Souji… I thought for sure you’d be the leader of D Group, but what kind of circumstances led to ‘that Stone Ruri’ becoming the class leader?”
“This has nothing to do with you, C Group!!”
“That’s not something you can just dismiss!! We’re the ones who got hurt! We won’t be satisfied until we make Stone Ruri pay!!”
It seems their goal is still revenge. The air between the hot-headed bunch and the D Group students is electric with tension.
“――But if you say you’re not satisfied, what did you say to my sempai, who actually attacked you…?”
“Huh?”
Feng, who had been quietly listening to their argument, suddenly stood up and asked Yoneda Keiji. His posture exuded a certain kind of pressure.
“――Stone Ruri, Stone Ruri, you’re so annoying!! What’s with him?! Did he hit you?! You guys can’t even say anything to my sempai, who actually attacked you, and yet you’re just boasting and intimidating others, you cowards!! What’s there to be unsatisfied about?! You’re not even worthy of being called rivals!!”
『――』
Feng’s intense aura made even the C Group students take a step back, and the D Group students looked crestfallen. I thought they were quite stressed about the Stone Ruri incident, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad…
“What’s going on here? What’s the situation, 1st year…?”
『!!』
“Who are you…?”
A new student, a blue-haired girl who seemed to be an upperclassman, entered the D Group classroom, looking around at the opposing faces, and began her self-introduction.
“Excuse me. I’m Ishizuru Aina from 2nd year B Group. I came to this classroom for a reason, but…”
“I-Ishizuru…?”
“Could it be…?”
“――Is she Stone Ruri’s older sister!?”
“Aww, man! I’m so jealous!! You’ve got such a cool older sister!!”
Leaving aside the noisy Suzuki, the sudden intrusion of the 2nd year student left the C Group’s Yoneda and others at a loss.
After all, their goal was to hurt the upperclassman’s younger brother right in front of them.
“……Damn it, let’s go!!”
Realizing they were at a disadvantage, Yoneda and others hastily retreated. Even if she’s Stone Ruri’s sister, it’s not like they’d dare to pick a fight with a 2nd year student. As they left, Lin shouted, “Don’t come back again!!”
“Ah, Aina-san…”
“Has it been since the morning of the entrance ceremony?”
“I…”
While patting Feng’s shoulder, Stone Ruri’s sister gently comforted her. Her treatment of her brother aside, she seems like a good person.
“My foolish younger brother has caused you a lot of trouble. I’ve also heard about the incident with my sempai, Ishizuru Ryoko. There’s no way Stone Ruri could have moved her. The rumors about a mastermind are just baseless.”
Rather…
Stone Ruri’s sister asked Feng.
“Do you know where Stone Ruri is right now? I haven’t seen him at home either. My younger sister, Aria, is worried sick about him. If you see him, please tell him to come home right away…”
“That’s… of course!”
“……I’m grateful to have you as his fiancée. I know it’s a selfish thing to say, but I’ll count on you to take care of my foolish younger brother from now on.”
“That’s… um, yes…”
It’s quite a hassle, being called “許嫁”――
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Thank you always for your support!!
I’ve added the author’s casual character impressions to the latest note. I recommend reading up to the latest chapter. If you’re interested, please take a look. I’ll be posting stories that aren’t revealed in the main story, so reading them might deepen your understanding of the characters…? For now, it’s just the protagonist and the original author’s impressions, but I plan to add more characters later.
If you enjoyed it, please rate it with ★ or leave a comment with ♡. Your reactions on the latest note also greatly contribute to the author’s motivation!
Then, see you next time! (ᐢ ‘ᵕ’ ᐢ )!!