Kaiwa mo shinai tsurekko no imouto ga, naganen issho ni baka yatte-kita Netoge no friend datta

I’m done. All that’s left is to download the game, apply the patch, and you should be able to carry on with the data from the demo version and play the rest of the game.

“Wow, thanks!”

“!”

That took me by surprise. 

It was an innocent smile. 

A dazzling smile exuded her genuine gratitude throughout her whole being. 

The girl named Nanjo Rin suddenly took off her mask and showed an utterly defenseless expression.

Needless to say, Nanjo Rin is a beautiful girl. 

It’s hard to remain unfazed when you are suddenly attacked with such a smile without having any prior preparation to defend against it.  

The remaining download time was displayed as more than 20 minutes. 

There was still quite a bit of time left. 

So this question was closer to hiding me being embarrassed, a sort of deception.

“Why did you suddenly decide to play this game?”

“Eh!?”

On that day, Nanjo Rin seemed too absorbed in her smartphone game. 

She talked so much about her favorite character. She must have put a lot of thought and feeling into it.

That’s why, I couldn’t understand why she became so obsessed with an online PC game.

[TL note: Netoge]

I didn’t mean to ask any sort of strange questions. But when I looked at her, that face was getting visibly redder each moment. The way she wriggled and rubbed her knees together was heightened in its destructive process with the fact that she is indeed a gorgeous girl. In turn, it was becoming bad for my heart.

“…”

“…”

It was a strange silence.

It’s not that she doesn’t want to say it. It was more like a young child had learned some sort of a secret. So, they couldn’t help but want to tell someone about it… But it was probably embarrassing. She glanced at me from time to time while making such a face.

This is undoubtedly a face that Nanjo Rin had shown only to me. She looked wanting to get spoiled. Certainly a very rare expression. If it were any other boy, they would be delighted and even proud to be even able to witness it.

However, for some reason, I had a strange sense of deja vu. 

It is close to the time and atmosphere that I often felt near…

―Hiyori? Yes, it was undoubtedly similar to Hiyori.

It overlapped with Hiyori at home, who, no matter when I tried talking to her, would just fidget for some time before ending up running away from the front of me into her room. Then, as if giving up, Nanjo Rin put her mind and heart into her words and spoke up.

“I became something… Some, another me that I wasn’t.”

Her tone of voice was tinged with shame and horror. But she was still hot with that feeling. It was like a variety of emotions that even I would not be able to grasp, either of playing or processing together.

“I could see many people as they walked right past me, passing me without even a second thought. They… just passed me by, like I’m one of the many people there, without a care in the world. That was fresh. It was different from those socializing games where you create your own alter ego and play with that. I— I was the one standing on the street, and yet, the reaction I got was completely different from my real life. Sometimes they wouldn’t just walk past me but rather teach me things when they found out I was a beginner. Anyway, I was able to be someone different…  and that made me incredibly happy!”

“I see.”

Then she showed a big happy smile. It was as if she was bragging about the secret base she had found, her precious treasure, and now she wanted to share her joy with me too…

“I can’t say it well, but I want to be someone I’m not… That’s why I want to play this game. Maybe I’m indeed a stupid girl to think that way.”

That’s exactly what it was. The way Nanjo Rin laughed so self-deprecatingly, hurting herself for some reason. She looked just like her,—Hiyori.

“Don’t be stupid!”

— Involuntarily, I shouted out loud.

I feel like an idiot becoming hot-headed. 

As soon as I realized it, I became embarrassed and averted my eyes from Nanjo Rin. Through my peripheral vision, I could see her being wide-eyed in astonishment.

“…Damnit” 

“…Shut up, please.”

[TL note: Probably both was the boy, Subaru.]

Ah, c**p. What am I even doing?

I scratched my head, trying to ease the unspeakable atmosphere that it had just become.

And then, before I knew it, the download finished up.

“It’s over. Now you can continue.”

“I see.”

Nanjo Rin immediately typed in the password and tried to start the game. 

Seeing as my role had finally concluded. I picked up my bag and proceeded on my way back home. 

Staying any longer was useless. I might go crazy if I wait any longer.

“With this, it should be enough. I will be leaving for home then.”

“W—Wait!”

For some reason, I was stopped.

And then, with the same gesture and expression she made to me, that feeling of childishness from a while ago, she added on while muttering.

“In the game, become my friend too…!”

As she said that, there was a small shadow of loneliness in her eyes.

It was as if she was telling, ‘I don’t want to be left alone, I don’t want to be isolated…’ just like… Hiyori. ― I know it’s rude to put Hiyori and Nanjo Rin on top of each other. 

But right now, the girl in front of me looked just like her. Desperately trying to reach out her hand for someone to support her.

[TL notes: Probably referring to Hiyori]

“… A~sh, sure.”

Because of that, I couldn’t say no to her request.