New Game Plus! ~The Struggles of a Popular VRMMO Livestreamer~ Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Popular and The Lonely High-schooler (Part 2)

 

 

For Aran, For Edogawa Ran, it has been 3 years since he came across the world of Dragon’s Krone.
By nature, Ran was a person who preferred to do things alone. Since he had few friends, once Ran heard about the grand unveiling of the VR console「UnChain」 he was instantly hooked.

 

A new device that constructed a virtual world directly in your brain,「UnChain」. By giving specific stimulation to the 5 senses, it could create a visual using your sensory organs and project the image into your mind; a new kind of「Brain Machine-Interface」.

Being a device that defied our common perception of the future, mass media was in a big fuss about it. Up until now other attempts with technologies involving naked eye 3D imaging and AR (Augmented Reality) have been met with a multitude of failures. There were many who thought that UnChain would follow down the same path and most held cold-hearted opinions of it.

That application was developed alongside the UnChain-Project, It was the game application「Dragon’s Krone」.
In the game you become an Avatar, it was a virtual fantasy world with swords and magic. Appealing to both casual and hardcore players, gaming fans were all captivated by it. Dragon’s Krone caused UnChain to become popularly widespread, and this gave rise to the sensation known as the VR Boom.

 

「Haaa……」

 

In a certain remote prefecture was Kasumigaoka High-School. During lunch break, in a classroom filled with cheerful laughter, left all alone by himself was a young man breathing a heavy sigh.

In the world of Dragon’s Krone, a tall figure with silver hair, and with genderless facial features, he possessed a beautiful form that like a painted picture. But for the Ran in the real world this did not hold true. His looks were nothing special, just your average boy with black rimmed glasses.

 

During their 2nd year, the students were shuffled into new classrooms and half a year has passed since.

For Ran who only ever tasted bitterness during lunch time, being here made him feel like a snail desperately trying to cling on to a rocky surface. This was his daily routine, patiently enduring while lying motionless.

 

「2 more periods…… Only 2 more periods and it will finally be over」

 

Ran absentmindedly looked over towards the window. As if offering up his prayers, he whispered those words to himself.

Oh yea, that’s right, before I do that I have to contact DICE and make a request for more of the Blizzaria Sets[1].

Thinking about those things, Ran quietly took out his smartphone. In order to contact DICE he opened up their Dragon’s Krone “My Page” that he had bookmarked.

 

「Hey, did you see yesterday’s broadcast?」

 

Just then, suddenly reaching Ran’s ears, was the conversation of one of his classmates.

 

「Broadcast…… You mean Aran’s broadcast? Of course I did. It was awesome huh」
「Totally. Ya know, I almost ended up screaming」

 

The topic of his classmate’s conversation, was Dragon’s Krone…… and moreover it was a conversation about Ran’s other half, Aran. Because Dragon’s Krone did not have any age restriction, there were many Players in high-school. The fact that there were Players among his classmates, this was well known to Ran.

 

「Did ya hear? According to the rumors, Aran is a high-schooler just like us, you know that?」

「Being able to make money from a game……It makes me totally jealous」

 

The two were having an interesting conversation. But for Ran who didn’t have the courage or the guts to join in on their conversation, he continued on as usual and sat there quietly, only listening with perched ears.

 

「But ya know, with such insane skills and techniques like that, He must be a complete game addict[2]huh」

「……ッ!」[3]

 

Due to the two’s conversation making an unexpected turn, Ran unintentionally showed a frown on his face.

It’s true what you said, in the real world I am socially challenged and can only do things like eavesdrop on my classmates’ conversations. But, in the other world, I have many things that money can’t buy.

 

Also, the one thing that I won’t ever do is talk to you about Dragon’s Krone.

It’s true if I did something like that then I might gain some people who seem like friends. But if you know that I was Aran then what kind of things will you demand from me?

Really, it’s completely absurd.
That’s why I don’t want any friends in the real world. Friends are Unnecessary.

 

「Andou-kun, Yamabuki-kun」

 

As Ran talked to himself in his heart, in that moment, the once heavy and gloomy aura in the room gradually started to transform.

Ran involuntarily shifted his gaze to the source of that sound and what met his eyes was, being illuminated by the radiant sunlight shining through the window, a female student with long chestnut hair and big round eyes──
Wearing a blazer, one could say that it was an image perfectly befitting of a female student. She was「Ninomiya Suzu」.

 

「Oh, Ninomiya-san」
「Umm……Regarding the thing from before, did finish looking?」

 

While slightly leaning to the side, she called out to the two male students who were having a heated conversation about Aran.
Gently using her pinky to twirl her ruffled hair, the gesture was so sensuous that you wouldn’t think she was someone their own age.

 

Immediately averting his gaze from her, Ran’s pulse had quickly escalated.

Suzu was, despite being reserved and somewhat of a late bloomer, she was a girl who earnestly tried her best at everything she did. Although it was nothing extraordinary, her looks were refreshing and charming. With a polite and calming ambiance about her, she was a student who embodied the words「Fair Beauty」. Many students both male and female were captivated by her.
Ran, her loner classmate who was always in the background, was also one of these people.

 

「Oh, that’s right. Sorry. Not yet」

「Eh, by today? For the Grand Mission」

 

The male student known as Andou casually threw out a certain terminology. One he heard it, Ran’s heart leapt into his throat.

By Grand Mission… there’s no way that they could be talking about the Grand Mission in Dragon’s Krone right?
Gathering together a large amount of players at once, all of them would try to complete the same quest, The「Grand Mission」. There should’ve been an announcement saying it would start soon but……

 

「Was there anyone else from the other classes who played Dragon’s Krone?」

「Someone who’s still left… I’m sure there must be at least one person」

 

Saying “Let’s go through them one by one,” Andou and Yamabuki began naming off students in alphabetical order.

However, the name “Ran” did not come from their mouths, and they continued down the attendance list until they reached the last name「Watanabe」.

 

「……Nope, can’t think of any」
「Wonder what we should do~」

 

Little by little the mood coming from the two seemed like they gave up hope. Ran was desperately trying to hold down his beating heart that felt like it was about to explode.

If so, then the same could be said for the other two classmates──

 

「Ninomiya-san, is there really no way other than searching in other classes?」

「I know what ya mean. I wonder if there really ain’t some other guy who plays too」

 

Right here.

Completely forgetting that he had just declared in his heart「Friends are unnecessary」, Ran was nervously squirming as if he wanted them to invite him.

In his mind he thought that even if he did something so grandiose such as raising his hand, surely his voice would not reach those two.

As if ridiculing Ran, the sound of other students having fun and laughing came through the window.

The lunch break that Ran desired to end would soon be over──
However, today’s lunch break was different from all the others.

 

「Uhmm……You’re Edogawa-kun……Right?」

 

Gently, those few words came from the voice of Suzu.
And, from her mouth came, as if answering his cursed prayers of「Invite Me」, she called out Ran’s name──

 

「Fuee!?」

 

Honestly believe that his name would never be called out, letting out a hysterical voice, Ran so vigorously turned his neck that it might snap off.

However, facing him was the gaze of Suzu, informing him that he was indeed not mistaken.

 

「Edogawa-kun, perhaps, do you play Dragon’s Krone?」
「……eh?」

 

An unsightly voice crack came from Ran.
In spite of them not once having spoken to each other before, Ran could not hide the shock he received from finding out that Suzu actually knew his name. But, the question that came out of her mouth struck Ran with an even heavier blow.

 

「Huh, are you serious?」

 

As Ran and Ninomiya Suzu were mutually facing each other, Andou called out while looking doubtful.

 

「Edogawa…… You play? Wait, why does Ninomiya-san know that?」

「Smartphone? Oh, I see……」

 

Suzu pointed her finger at the screen of the smartphone that Ran was holding in his hand.

The moment the three’s gaze turned towards his smartphone, Ran immediately tried to delete the image from his screen… but he was too late.

 

「You seriously play Dragon’s Krone!? There’s absolutely no way I would’ve guessed」

「……Uuu」

 

As if he was a mole being dragged out from underground, Ran, who suddenly found himself as the center of attention, was frantically looking around in a panic.

By showing off a My Page like that, it looks as if I wanted them to invite me.

 

「But ya know…… If you really do play the I guess you’d be good enough」

「……ッ!」

 

These guys…… They keep saying「But」, what the hell is that「But」 suppose to mean.

Up until now I wasn’t sure if I was going to join in or not, but now I know for sure that I’ll refuse.

 

「Hey, Edogawa-kun」
「Y-yes」

 

But, again, brushing against his ear was the soothing voice of Suzu.

Not for anyone else, that gesture was done only for him. The dark angry cloud that was swirling around in Ran’s mind, like clear mist descending on the water’s surface, that dark cloud was blown away and everything became pure white.

 

「If you would like, that is, if you don’t mind」

 

Suddenly finding Suzu directly in front of him, Ran’s pulse hastened even quicker, his throat instantly became dry and scratchy.
And, without noticing Ran’s panicked state, Suzu continued.

 

「Would you like to play Dragon’s Krone together with us?」

 

Signalling the end of lunch, the bell let out a high pitched chime.
That chime, as if annoyingly clear, as if urging him onward, it resonated throughout the classroom.

 

「Gladly」

 

Frozen on the spot, Ran stiffly nodded his head.
This lunch break that he always wanted to end, the lunch break where he thought only brought pain and anguish, today he experienced the start of his high-school life. And this is only the beginning.

 

Chapter end