That World of Otome Games is Tough for Us - Volume 1 - Chapter 2.1

Chapter 2:

When the Routes Split

I SHOULD HAVE PICKED the fish entrée.

Life is a series of choices. Once you select something, the consequences are sure to follow. Consequences, one might say, that are your responsibility to live with.

Today’s lunch had a choice: meat or fish. I picked the meat without giving it much thought, but now that I saw how delicious everyone else’s fish entrée looked, I couldn’t help thinking I’d botched it. Sure, the meat was delicious and all, but I was still sore about missing out on that fish.

Such is life and its never-ending, branching paths.

I found myself waffling over one such choice right this very moment. An unusual one, to be clear.

Luxion—the spaceship’s artificial intelligence—hovered beside me. He wasn’t in said spaceship form, of course, but rather a softball-sized mini-robot that he had fashioned to accompany me at the academy incognito. His round body sported a single red camera lens in its middle, with which he scrutinized me.

“You’ve been at that for a whole minute now. What is it?” he asked.

“Oh, this?”

In the inner courtyard, you could find a wooden bench located beneath what resembled a sakura tree. I sat there alone, my back against the tree as I stared up absently, appreciating the sakura in bloom. I had been playing with a gold coin in my hand.

“Nothing much. Just debating something in my head.”

“Debating? I assume, given the coin in your hands, that the issue is related to your finances? If that is what plagues you, I will prepare additional funds to suit your needs.”

“Nah, it’s not that.”

Luxion had also prepared this little remote terminal so he could protect me if anything untoward were to crop up. Luxion had been a cash shop item, and perhaps as a result, he was incredibly powerful. If he so wished, he could turn a random pebble into a lump of pure gold. His in-game architects had built and designed him to be a “migrant ship,” but he’d come equipped with a number of other functions as well. Sadly, for all his immense capabilities, he knew jack squat about the human heart.

“I told you before, remember? This world comes from an otome game, and as it just so happens, I’m in the same year as the protagonist.”

Luxion’s gaze drifted off as if he had lost all interest. “Again with these delusions?”

“They’re not delusions. Your existence is proof that I’m telling the truth.”

“I refuse to entertain this. In fact, I was constructed to provide transportation for old humanity into space, where they could escape Demonic Essence and search for a new homeland.”

“Yeah, that’s the in-universe lore justifying your existence,” I supplied helpfully.

“There is no meaning in continuing this conversation. Neither of us will concede.”

Basically, Luxion found it difficult to believe the whole game world premise. I didn’t want to believe it, either. I’d have been way better off if I were wrong. Alas, after only a few short days at the academy, cold, hard reality had hit me square in the face.

“All my predictions came true, didn’t they? The prince and all those prominent noble heirs are enrolled at this school, exactly like I said they would be.”

“Anyone could have predicted as much. While I will admit I was surprised by what seemed to be foreknowledge, that does not equate to simply believing your claims. In your case, perhaps you even experience precognition, which presents itself in your mind in the form of one of these ‘otome games.’”

Precognition? Me? I couldn’t even predict the weather. No way could I see the future.

“What, and Japan was just a figment of my imagination? The rest of that whole world, too? Now that’s something I don’t want to believe.”

“I am merely suggesting that it is entirely possible everything you saw in that world was either a dream or, perhaps, a hallucination.”

My lips pulled into a thin, flat line. “Are you that desperate to dismiss my old world?”

I’d regained memories of my previous life when I was all of five years old. They had been so vivid as they flooded my mind that they’d left me stunned. More than once, I had wondered if I’d gone crazy, or if that distant life and world were, in fact, nothing more than a dream. Perhaps, I even thought, those memories were a mere figment of my imagination.

Yes, there were times when I had doubts. I still couldn’t recall what my name had been. My family’s faces were a blur as well; I couldn’t clearly recall any distinct features.

As I fell silent, Luxion said, “Returning to my original query: Why are you holding that gold coin?”

“No real reason in particular. It’s just that today, the protagonist and the prince have their meet-cute in the rear courtyard.”

“Meet-cute? You are referring to a contrived event wherein a protagonist first encounters a love interest?” Luxion clarified.

“Yup. You got it.”

The protagonist’s name had wound up as the default option: Olivia. The love interest in question was the crown prince and heir to the throne, Julius Rapha Holfort. He was a handsome, slender man with short, navy-blue hair. To accompany his dashing good looks, he enjoyed an impressive position in the monarchy, which had girls squealing and fawning over him at every step.

I studied the coin in my hand. A woman’s profile was printed on the front, while the royal crest of Holfort was on the back.

“Anyway, about the meet-cute,” I said. “I was debating whether to go have a look-see.”

“While I would prefer to believe otherwise, I must ask: Do you intend to use that coin to determine whether or not you go?” Luxion didn’t even try to hide the exasperation in his robotic voice. “Are you truly so indecisive over even this trivial choice?”

What I chose was to ignore his derision. “Honestly, I don’t want to get even a little involved with the game’s story. I mean, I’m just a random background character. I’d rather keep watch from a distance, for the most part. But at the same time, this is an opportunity to see a game event in real life! You know, to watch a girl smack a handsome guy right in the kisser. I gotta see it.”

Since I didn’t want to be involved in the main story, I was content to keep the protagonist and the crown prince at arm’s length, but I couldn’t help my curiosity. It wasn’t a particularly strong desire. More of an inclination. And so, to resolve this little inner battle, I’d produced a coin to make up my mind for me.

I flipped the coin into the air. It spun before falling back down, and I caught it in my hand. I slowly peeled my fingers away to reveal the profile of the Saintess.

“It’s heads,” I said, lifting myself off of the bench. “That settles it. Let’s go watch.”

“Eavesdropping is a dreadful hobby.”

I shrugged. “I’m just gonna get a little peek as I happen to pass by.”

“You cannot call it coincidence when you are purposefully seeking them out.” Nevertheless, Luxion flew to my shoulder and activated his cloaking device to blend into the background. Robot in tow, I left for the rear courtyard.

***

The vast, sweeping gardens behind the main school building were referred to as the rear courtyard. The landscape was meticulously maintained, and the place even had its own pond, beside which Julius presently stood. He gazed into the water, and though his face was full of melancholy, his air was unapproachable.

I had hidden in the shadows of some nearby bushes to watch. “Must be nice being so handsome that you look good even when you sulk.”

“You are jealous?”

“Well, sure, somewhat. But no matter how pretty he looks right now, he’s about to get an open hand to the face, courtesy of the protagonist. That’s what I’m really looking forward to.”

“Indeed. Your virtuous personality is an inspiration to all.”

I shot him a look. “And you’re being a sarcastic little jerk, same as ever.”

“I should remind you that your behavior is the sole reason for my own.” Then there was a pause, and Luxion let out a surprised, “Oh?” His lens moved in a different direction.

I followed his gaze and spotted a girl sneaking this way. It didn’t seem she had noticed us hiding here. At first, I assumed it was the protagonist, but as she came closer, I realized she looked nothing like the heroine I’d seen on the game case. This girl was incredibly petite with long, soft locks of wavy blonde hair. Her eye color resembled the protagonist’s, sure, but everything else was noticeably different.

“Pretty sure I’ve seen her a few times.”

“She is in your year as well,” Luxion said. “Consequently, you have no doubt met in passing on the school grounds.”

“Yeah, guess so.” 

It was more than that, though. Every time I saw this girl, something tugged at the back of my mind. It wasn’t romantic interest—more like a natural-born, deep-seated annoyance. I didn’t hate the girl, per se, but something about her face rubbed me the wrong way.

“Master, this girl is attempting to make contact with Julius. Is she the protagonist of whom you spoke?”

I moved from my spot, careful not to catch the girl’s attention. “No,” I murmured. From what I remembered of the game’s illustrations, the protagonist was taller and had more meat all around. This was someone else.

Eventually, I made my way close enough to overhear what the girl was whispering to herself. She seemed nervous—too in her head to notice her surroundings. She hadn’t spotted me.

“Stay calm, Marie,” she told herself. “You just have to complete the prince’s meet-cute event. Once you’re acquainted, it’ll be smooth sailing from there.”

That told me everything I needed to know. 

Aha. She’s the same as me, then. 

Now that the situation was clear, I figured I’d better apprehend the would-be culprit.

“Luxion, come with me,” I said.

The girl—Marie, was it?—was busily debating when best to approach the prince. I snuck close enough to spring just as she was about to walk out into the open and approach the prince. I grabbed her arm with one hand and slapped the other over her mouth.

“Ngh!” Marie was startled, utterly confused as to what was happening.

Even as she started flailing wildly, I hauled her up and dragged her away. I needed to get her somewhere secluded.

“I don’t want anyone to see us,” I told Luxion.

He dropped his cloaking device and said, “Then please follow me.”

With Luxion leading the way, I swept Marie into my arms and scurried off.