My name is Seigo Konoe. I'm a high school student who just started my second year of high school.

After the opening ceremony was over, I was locked up in the life guidance room, a torture room, and was being scolded severely. The reason for this was that I had fallen ill from working too many part-time jobs during spring break. I didn't expect to collapse after working a mere twenty-four hours of multiples for the entire spring break.

There was no way I was going to say something like that, as it would mean a long scolding period. This kind of thing can be released if you just apologize appropriately.

And when I returned to the classroom after being released, my bad friend Manaka Kaito called out to me with a smirk.

''Brother, thank you for your hard work,''

I'll say it again because it's important, but this is a guy I've been friends with since freshman year. We're not related by any means.

'Shut up. Monaka.

My last name is Maka!　Don't turn it into ice cream.

Don't assume it's ice cream. It's essentially a traditional Japanese snack.　At least I'm better known than you.

It's sad. When you hear the word "monaka", you think of ice cream when you hear ...... Japanese candy monaka is delicious.

It's not a good idea. I don't want to be compared to such a product and its visibility, but ...... how was it more than that?　The Senkos.

I was in rage mode. I recorded it on my phone, do you want to hear it?

'You recorded it: ...... I've known you since the first year, and I still don't know you very well.

If you get beat up, you can take the money.

　Well, the teachers understand that assaulting them is enough to get their heads off, so they just yell at them.

'Scary!　That's not the idea of a high schooler.

Really?

'Yeah. So what happened to your part-time job?

It's not allowed for a while.

Well, I don't need the school to tell me to do it, but my family has banned me from doing it.

'Well, of course. How many part-time jobs have you had to do to get emergency transported for doing too much part-time work?

I worked up to four jobs, 24 hours a day, with no breaks, and then I collapsed.

To be precise, I'm not working hard because I have breaks and time to travel to my part-time job.

"You ....... You're an idiot.

Oh my god. ....... Kaito called me an idiot.

''You have a lot of respect that you can still come up with such words after knowing the academic gap between me and you.

'Gu ....... I can't say anything back to you just because you're always showing me your homework.

But you're free without a job. What am I gonna do?

In fact, I'd say none of my spare time is currently spent. I've been putting in a part-time job for all my spare time.

'Oh!　Then why don't we play a game?　VR Games

You mean that VR game that's been in the news a lot?

I've heard stories of people dying from dehydration after diving for twenty-four hours straight, of being stalked by real criminals, of getting in trouble with video games that led to murder.

'That's a bad example. The government and the people running the game are taking a lot of steps to make sure it's okay.

'Heh, I didn't know that. So what kind of game is it?

'Oh!　Are you interested?

'I'm bored. Playing games to pass the time isn't so bad, is it?

Well, I don't have a great memory for VR games, but it's not a bad thing to do after so long.

I know that feeling. I know that feeling. And that's what I'm recommending!

Kaito shows me the phone screen. It said Elysion Online on it.

''Elysion Online?''

Huh, where have I heard of this ....... Did you hear about it when you were working part-time at a comic book store?

'Yes!　There are many MMORPGs out there, but this game has a reputation for being fun and interesting, with the player being a human and having various professions. There is no lag in the battle and the NPCs that appear in the game are very cute. The conversations seem to be very natural.　Apparently it's so complete that some beta testers thought it was like being transported to a fantasy world.

You're after a pretty NPC.

'Of course. Play with pretty girls in real life. That's what VR games are all about, man!

From what I've heard, it sounds like a pretty good game, but I have a problem with it.

'Hey, Kaito,'

What?

'I don't have any VR gaming equipment or software?'

A silence fell on Kaito.


While returning home, I arrive at my house, seriously thinking about the fact that Kaito told me to buy it because I have plenty of money to spare.

My house is an ordinary two-story house. I currently live here by myself. The reason for this is because I lost my parents in an accident. I was in the sixth grade.

The shock of losing my parents caused me to have a lot of negative thoughts at the time. I don't know if I was having a rebellious phase or developing eighth grade disease, but it was so bad that I thought everything I saw was garbage.

I was in such a mentally dangerous state, and the only person who can keep me alive today is my father's father. My father's father and my sisters-in-law are the reason why I am still alive.

I don't need to tell you the details, but I lived with my grandpa until I was in elementary school, then I was adopted by my sister-in-law's family, the Konoe family, and lived there until junior high school.

After that, at the advice of my sisters-in-law's parents, I came to live by myself at the same house where I lived with my real parents.

I had some money that they left me, but it was hard to spend, so I decided to get a part-time job. As a result, I was sent to the hospital and was lectured by my sister-in-law's parents. I heard that they had a close relationship with my parents, so maybe they had a right to be angry.

A strange car was parked in front of my house. I was alarmed, but the person who got out of the car was someone I knew.

'Koyanagi-san,'

Long time no see. Seigo.

Koyanagi-san. He was a part-time game debugging guy during winter break of my freshman year in high school, and he was my educational advisor.

What's going on?

I have a gift for you today, Seigo.

A present?

Huh?　His birthday is a long time away. ......

"The game you helped develop will be released tomorrow. To thank you for the successful release of the game, I'm giving away a limited edition of the game to those who worked on it.

The game that Koyanagi-san took out was Elysian Online. Eh?　I was in on this game?

'Well. I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't have any VR gaming equipment.

'I can't give you that as a gift: ....... Well, I don't mind selling that game. I'll let you be the judge. Personally, though, I'd love for you guys to get a taste of the game world you were involved in.

If you said that, you'd have to buy it: .......

'Well, I'll take my leave then. I hope you'll be happy to come back with a full-time job this time.

I'll think about it.

Then Koyanagi-san got in the car and went away. I changed into my civilian clothes to buy some VR game equipment, grabbed my wallet, and headed to the electronics store.