Pandora of Fantasy And Reality Chapter 134

Pandora’s Truth

Akito stared at the town that was in its summer holiday period.

Now that he paid attention to it, the number of stores related to Pandora was increasing.

Before it would become a hot topic if a family restaurant or café  like the one he used for the offline meeting was opened, but now it was  just a normal thing.

Parents with their kid and a pair of lovers came out from a store that was selling Pandora goods.

「……Perhaps the promotion that you can get rare item by staying in a certain hotel is also like that.」

Why didn’t he realize until now?

His feeling that something was out of place seeing topic about Pandora appearing multiple times everyday in news.

In addition.

He stopped walking to wait until the traffic light became green.

Before his eyes, a young woman that he had seen before――she should be  going out with a man who was the same age with her, and yet right now  she was standing beside an older man with a hobby that couldn’t be  called good even as a flattery.

He couldn’t bear to look at the two.

The light turned green and he started walking. He caught a part of the two’s conversation.

「I hate outside as expected degozaru.」

「Geez, you keep saying that. Let’s go to a café. I want to boast to  all my friends. I want to see their face when I tell them that my  boyfriend is a “first string in a famous guild”.」

「Being a member of a popular guild also isn’t easy degozaru!」

The appearance of the new boyfriend was greatly different than her previous boyfriend.

He didn’t look like a man who could get a dressed up girl to like him.

Akito noticed.

「Is this also Pandora’s influence?」

This too was the reason he completely believed the former minister’s  words. That was because he got shocked from being told the true identity  of the uncomfortable feeling he was harboring until now.

He trembled when he read the documents that he was given as proof.

He was walking through the city was also to confirm just how horrible Pandora’s influence had become.

「This is more horrible than my imagination.」

He could only laugh.

When he noticed, Pandora had pervaded deeply into his daily life.

A children T-shirt that was printed with cute character was using a character from Pandora.

He saw a woman carrying a bag that had a slight fantasy factor in its design.

He saw people wearing earrings and necklace with shape that he had seen in Pandora.

The sweat that he oozed out from walking under the strong sunlight was cold sweat.

Akito arrived at a park and sat on a bench. He held his head in his hands.

「……What should I say to everyone」

The prime minister told him that the guild members could become hostile toward him if he said or did the wrong things.

He was right.

The guild was a fun environment that was built with everyone’s  effort. Akito trying to open their eyes on his own was out of the  question.

It would be pointless even if the orcs supported him.

He couldn’t imagine what would Yakumo and Maya and the others would do if he tried to erase his data.

It was the same in reality.

An incident would occur if Akito pushed away the girls using ethic  and common sense to reason with them. The prime minister had warned him  that the influence had reached such level.

「The worst. I’m really the worst.」

He couldn’t forgive himself who built a harem using the game. There  was no way the girls could forgive him just with the excuse that he  didn’t know.

That was what he thought.

That feeling of guilt pushed Akito to crush the new management――no, the Pandora plan.

Akito looked down to the ground and hardened his determination. Then he lifted up his face to stand up.

Then, someone appeared and blocked the sun. It created a shadow that covered him.

「――Eh?」

He looked up and saw a girl who was taking off her sunglasses.

He guessed that she was a teenage. She was wearing a hat that covered  a lot of her face and a dress. She was standing in front of Akito.

「U-umm.」

The girl looked like she wanted to talk to Akito, but she seemed really embarrassed.

But rather than that, there was a fact that sent a chill into Akito’s spine.

「A-Azusa? Are you perhaps, Azusa-san?」

A celebrity――idol, actress. Such girl was standing right there.

Azusa’s face reddened and she nodded repeatedly. Perhaps she was happy that he knew her name.

「Y-yes! I’m the idol Azusa. My actual name is [Fujine Azusa]! You actually know me.」

Azusa looked relieved and happy. Akito couldn’t stop feeling the chill.

(Why is she here? Besides, she said something about liking the orc  Ponsuke didn’t she? Could it be really true? No, but that’s impossible.  Because, there’s no way this person know me IRL――)

Akito was surprised but, Azusa was feeling emotionally moved.

「P-please don’t be surprised. I, I was present at that tournament  where Ponsuke-san appeared. That time, I felt really moved seeing  Ponsuke-san……that match, the winner definitely should be Ponsuke-san!」

「……How do you know that I’m Ponsuke?」

Akito raised his guard to the max. Azusa looked like she wanted to cry, but she told him how.

「I-it’s not like you think. Err……I got a chance to talk with someone  in the management. When I mentioned Ponsuke-san at that time, that  person told me about you with the condition that I won’t tell anyone  else. I have shooting nearby, so I thought that perhaps I would be able  to meet you if I’m lucky. E-err, you will understand if you call this  number!」

Akito looked at the memo that Azusa presented to him――he immediately took out his smartphone.

(……Did the information broker sell my info!?)

Perhaps he would think of this as good luck before this.

But, after knowing the truth he feared that there might be ulterior motive behind this. Akito harbored such distrust.

(No, this isn’t just distrust. There’s something. He obviously has ulterior motive!)

Akito calmed his breathing while listening to the call ringtone from his smartphone.

『Yo, long time no see. Have you perhaps run into her?』

「Yes, she’s in front of me right now. I was so startled I didn’t know what to say.」

『My bad. But, she asked me for advice so seriously. I myself really  wanted to do something for her seeing that I want to contract her for  work. It’s the so called adult circumstance.』

「E-even so I can’t believe you sold out my personal information.」

『I only gave her a few things. Like your photo and the area where you  lived. But, to think she could run into you with just that much. This  might be fate. I’m jealous Ponsuke-kun.』

The information broker prattled about how he had no luck at all with woman. To Akito, all his words sounded like lie.

……It was unlawful to hand over someone else’s personal information like that.

The person being a beautiful girl couldn’t be an acceptable reason.

A normal high school boy would be delighted by this situation, but Akito only felt fear.

Even so, he put up a front so the information broker wouldn’t notice.

「……W-what should I do here?」

Akito continued the conversation while acting like he was flustered.

『You should decide that by yourself. Now then, I’m busy so I’ll cut off the call here. Good luck.』

Akito sighed after the call ended.

His heart was pounding hard.

「U-umm, am I being a bother?」

Akito pressed his right hand on his face.

(It’s a bother. But, if this is also Pandora’s influence……then this person is also a victim.)

Akito wanted to tell her that she was a bother and pushed her away. But, that wasn’t a reason to hurt her feeling.

Because he thought that she was also a victim.

「I was just surprised. But, you shouldn’t do something like this.  It’s a manner violation to investigate someone’s background in online  game.」

It would be different if it was offline meeting to know each other better, but what Azusa did was completely out of line.

Azusa was shaken up and tears were pooling in her eyes. It made Akito panicked.

「W-what’s wrong!?」

「B-because……even though I can finally meet Ponsuke-san, and yet, I’m just being a bother……I, I……」

Akito moved his hand to touch Azusa’s shoulder, but he withdrew his hand.

He almost treated her just like he treated the other female guild members.

「I’m not angry. But, please be careful next time. I’ll take my leave from here.」

Akito turned around and walked away, but Azusa hugged his back.

The scent and soft flesh of female surprised Akito……not. It was as  though he was familiar with them. As though his body was familiar with  this…….

(Could it be, that I’m used to this from game?)

Recently the girls often hugged him inside the game.

Previously Pandora had strict restriction about that kind of body  contact, but now that kind of restriction had been removed and player  could freely touch each other.

「U-umm……please let go」

「I have several hours for break today. Please. It’s fine even if it’s just for a short while, can’t you accompany me?」

When he looked at Azusa’s face, she was looking up to him with moist eyes.

Akito politely refused.

「……I have plan so it’s impossible.」

Azusa looked down, and then she let Akito go.

「Then, at least give me your contact number!」

「Is it fine for a celebrity t have an acquaintance like me? You’re  also an idol right? It’ll be better to not cause any misunderstanding to  your fans.」

When she mentioned about being interested with Ponsuke, it was just  his orc avatar in game, so he still treated it as acceptable.

But, asking him to give her his contact number was unacceptable to him.

Akito left the park in a hurry.

(I have to do something. I can’t let more victims appearing because of me――)

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Akito was surprised when he returned to his apartment.

What was waiting for him when he opened the door――was Maya and Yakumo.

But, he immediately remembered.

(That’s right. I promised to meet them. The key……did I give them duplicate key? No, I never did.)

He should have locked the door when he went outside.

He anxiously recalled if perhaps he forgot to lock the door, but he  was at a loss of what to do in front of the two who were slightly angry.

He didn’t know what they would do if he pushed them away.

「S-sorry. Was the door not locked?」

Maya replied to Akito’s question.

「I borrowed a duplicate key from you before. It was hot outside so we decided to wait inside.」

Maya said that he borrowed the key before so she came to give it back  but, Akito didn’t remember ever lending the key to her. If he was a  university student perhaps he forgot doing that because he got  drunk――such possibility existed, but Akito was a high school boy and not  of age to drink.

「R-right. Sorry.」

Yakumo was lying on Akito’s bed while,

「Where did you go――wait. Hey, whose smell is this?」

Yakumo sensitively picked up on the smell when he closed the door.

She caught scent of perfume that even Akito didn’t notice.

(Smell? Don’t tell me, it’s Azusa-san’s!?)

Akito sniffed himself, and certainly there was a slightly unfamiliar scent on himself.

Maya stood up and approached Ponsuke.

Her nose approached his ear and sniffed the scent.

「M-Maya?」

「……It’s true. There’s a rotten smell mixed in Ponsuke’s nice scent. It’s not just perfume. There’s also woman’s smell.」

Yakumo approached and then slammed her hand on the door over  Ponsuke’s shoulder. Akito didn’t miss how she nonchalantly locked the  door too.

It was a situation where Akito got wall sandwiched by Yakumo――.

「Yakumo……san?」

「Who? It’s not “us” isn’t it?」

Akito wanted to ask if she was able to differentiate everyone based on smell, but he remembered here.

(I see. Job and skill. Yakumo is an elf and she can also do  reconnaissance. The document mentioned how player can obtain that kind  of sharp senses and observation――)

The two’s gazes were painful.

Akito’s heart ached.

(They’re jealous like this over a guy who they don’t even like……no, it was me who did this to them.)

Scary, disgusting, troublesome, annoying……rather than those emotions,  it was the feeling of guilt that shook Akito and he recalled the former  minister’s words.

He mustn’t carelessly agitate them. If he pushed them away, in the  worst case――there was even a chance that they might commit suicide.

Akito took a deep breath after recalling those words.

(Perhaps it’ll be better if I don’t mention Fujine-san’s name here. I  don’t think these two will do anything but, Yumi and Reona are rich and  have a lot of free time. Besides, Chloe is……she’s a foreign celebrity  so there is no relation but, it’ll be bad if she do something to  Fujine-san.)

Akito put on a gentle smile when he saw the two’s darkening eyes.

「……I’m hungry.」

Yakumo was annoyed.

「Like I said, whose smell――!」

Akito grabbed Yakumo’s hand, and then he requested her.

「I want to eat Yakumo’s handmade cooking.」

「……Eh, ah……y-yeah」

Yakumo’s momentum was dampened. She headed toward the refrigerator.  She was going to check the ingredients. But, Maya was staying behind.

「Wait, we aren’t finished ta――tsu!」

This time he grasped Maya’s hand. Gently……he firmly put his palm over hers and held it tightly.

「I’m sweaty so I want to take a shower. You know, you also mentioned there is a weird smell on me.」

「Y-you’re right! The weird smell need to be washed off right away! D-do you want me to prepare the bath?」

Maya was about to prepare the bat, but Akito said that he was going to take a shower and immediately entered the bathroom.

He hung his head in front of the mirror when he became alone.

(……What in the world, should I do?)

He mustn’t push away the two while treating them cherishingly……he  also had to satisfy the two of them somewhat in the current situation.

He felt like he had just accepted a quest with extremely high difficulty level.

He smiled bitterly at the part of him that thought like that.

(Is this the game’s influence too? Well, I guess just holding hand is  still safe? No, at this point anything that I do is already out of  line.)

It wasn’t just these two, how should he face everyone from now on?

Akito was worrying himself sick.

(I can’t keep getting swept away like this. I have to do something……)

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The three finished eating.

They were chatting inside Ponsuke’s room.

Ponsuke was sandwiched between the two――their bodies were touching each other.

But, he noticed how Yakumo was different than usual today.

(Ponsuke held my hand assertively!)

She couldn’t forgive that he did the same with Maya, even so usually  he would get embarrassed and wouldn’t take another step. It was unusual.

(Moreover, he’s responding properly when I fawned on him……p-perhaps we can go all the way?)

Yakumo was so ecstatic that she forgot completely about the scent of other woman.

Maya was also the same.

She was pestering Ponsuke for lap pillow.

(This woman!)

Ponsuke accepted. And then Maya sent a triumphant smile at Yakumo outside of Ponsuke’s sight.

She leaned on Ponsuke’s arm. Usually Ponsuke would become bashful, but today he accepted her advance with only a troubled smile.

(It’s the last day of summer break! Perhaps we’ll be able to go all the way like this?)

The three were flirting, even so Yakumo and Maya were holding each  other back……the night came while things weren’t really progressing  between them.

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