"You know? In the gaming world... hard work really does pay off."
The girl's voice, a soft murmur, was close to Alain's ear. He could still feel her fingers blocking his eyes, the faint, sweet scent of flowers drifting from her hand.
"Everything here is streamlined. For instance..." Mita's gentle tone shifted, a subtle chill creeping in. "Slice one carrot, and you get three portions."
Just as she finished, a Security Guard alert flashed in Alain's darkened vision.
The large, red exclamation mark, along with the text beneath, grabbed his attention:
[Attack detected. Security Shield activated.]
A wave of relief washed over Alain. The alert confirmed his suspicion: Mita had definitely intended to do something to him with those pills.
Simultaneously, Mita removed her hands. The girl reflected in the mirror was no longer the warmly smiling figure from their first encounter. The corners of her lips were quirked up, revealing two adorably sharp, vampire-like fangs. Her deep blue eyes locked onto his.
"Took a little while, but... success."
Alain, trying to maintain the stillness of a glitched-out character, remained motionless. This seemed to be exactly what Mita anticipated.
She hummed a tune, a familiar melody Alain recognized from his own computer… which meant Mita was likely monitoring his real life.
The automatic door closed with a soft thud. Alain finally allowed himself to relax, only to be jolted by another red pop-up.
Another "attack" like the pills, and he'd be defenseless without his [Security Shield].
Fortunately, this didn't appear to be an in-game assault. But...
After his previous experiences with "love sauce," the "dark room," and other unsettling events, Alain had figured out that the Security Guard's skills were for in-game damage, like the pills. However, for threats targeting the "deeper" or "outer" layers, the Guard's defense was passive – an unlimited firewall, essentially. Alain thought that name was quite apt. The progress bar skills, on the other hand, were for attacks within the firewall, within the game world itself. At least, that's how he understood it.
[Warning! Attack is too strong. Please select a solution.]
[A: Direct defense. Estimated time: 360 minutes.]
[B: Create decoy. Estimated time: 3 seconds.]
"Is that even a question? And what's a 'decoy' supposed to be?"
Alain quickly scanned the detailed explanation for option B. He chose it instantly.
Alain exhaled, tension easing from his shoulders. The [decoy] essentially meant the Security Guard created a copy of Alain's existence, diverting the external attack to the duplicate and shielding his original self.
"Is this also a way to mislead Mita?"
Direct defense would take far too long and might provoke a stronger reaction from her. Option B, however, subtly shifted the advantage to his side.
"What exactly is she planning to do to me?"
His gaze drifted towards the bathroom door, but his peripheral vision snagged on the ventilation duct.
It was still a game, and the duct was now repaired. Still, Alain couldn't shake the image of the cartridges he'd found inside.
"Could those two things be connected?"
And why were there names written on those cartridges?
A shiver ran down his spine. He cautiously approached the door, listening intently for any footsteps within the game.
"Maybe I should take a peek..."
He carefully cracked the door open, revealing the figure in the center of the room and the drastically altered layout. The bathroom door, which used to open into the bedroom, now led directly into the living room. Two more doors, like a fork in the road, were visible on the far side.
"Will he like it this way?"
Mita was surveying the room, her brow furrowed in concentration as if deciding on further improvements. She hadn't noticed Alain's cautious observation. She held a device resembling a handheld game console, a cartridge slotted into it. The screen displayed a mirror, reflecting Alain's blank, unresponsive face.
Like it? He loved it.
Alain silently closed the bathroom door, returning to stand before the mirror. He replayed the information-packed scene in his mind.
"That cartridge... it must be 'me'."
The console was clearly a cartridge reader, allowing her to monitor his real-time status, like a player character. Fortunately, the Security Guard had intercepted everything. Alain was already, strangely enough, being shaped by the Guard. So, the console Mita was using could only display other screens.
"This woman... she's bizarre."
One moment, she was fretting over whether he'd approve of the room's new design. The next, she was seemingly trying to turn him into a cartridge. Was she toying with him? Was she another one of those… crazy ex-girlfriend types?
A wave of apprehension washed over him. He decided to peek again.
Through the narrow gap in the door, he saw Mita standing in front of the living room sofa. The cartridge and console were gone, likely stashed away. The TV was on, displaying a game featuring a penguin collecting snowballs on an ice rink.
For over ten minutes, Mita barely moved, clutching a pink game controller and staring intently at the screen. It wasn't so much "playing" as it was scrutinizing.
"Yes, good! He should enjoy this one. And with Juice People Battle, we can have so much fun!"
Alain quietly shut the door again, taking a deep breath. Something smelled good. He took another.
He pretended that the smell wasn't there and that he saw wrong and opened the door to double-check.
This time, the TV was off. Mita was sitting alone on the sofa, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Alain banished the inappropriate thoughts. He tiptoed closer, finally getting a clear view of what Mita was doing.
The dark blue-haired girl's low pigtails swayed gently with her movements. Her slender, pale hands were making gestures in the air.
"Is this better? Or maybe this..."
Her thumb and forefinger formed a heart shape. It was an empty outline, but Alain could clearly envision a vibrant red heart filling the space.
In other words: Mita was practicing making a heart.
Hey there! I'm Wallnut-chan! 🌸 I'm translating this fanfic and restoring some +18 scenes that were cut from the original work—since explicit content isn't allowed in China. I went through everything carefully and reinserted the scenes while staying true to the story! Hope you enjoy it!
If you'd like more translations, feel free to support me on ! 💖40 advanced chapters on !
I put a lot of love into these translations and plan to add even more over time! Let's aim for the top of the site! Who knows... maybe I'll go crazy and drop even more chapters! 🚀🔥