Pandora of Fantasy And Reality Chapter 132

Summer Festival

One day when the end of summer vacation was coming into view.

「It feels like the day is long recently.」

That muttering from Akito was drowned by the news in the monitor.

『The festivals recently are strange.』

『Indeed. The items sold are items of Pandora that I……unconsciously bought them.』

『Juice that is packed in bottle of healing potion is selling like candy――』

Summer festival was held everywhere.

The local festival was also going to begin soon. Akito was looking forward to it.

「I wonder if I should buy some clothes? Hm~m……e-eh? Could it be that this is a date?」

He suddenly felt embarrassed when he thought that.

Today was the day for summer festival.

It was the day where he had made promise with everyone……yes, everyone.

Akito covered his face with his right hand.

「What’s this? Why am I feeling this out of place?」

His feeling that something was out of place was getting stronger for some reason.

This feeling started around the time he obtained the Necklace of Kind Heart.

Akito shook his head.

「Is it because the summer vacation going to end?」

He had properly achieved his goals that were set as homework for this  year’s summer vacation. He thought that he had spent a fulfilling  summer vacation.

And yet, his heart was restless for some reason.

When he thought to turn off his monitor, the news program started talking about entertainment industry.

『Our next topic is about the romance drama that used Pandora as its  theme. The actress playing as this work’s heroine is [Azusa]-san. She  became popular recently, but behind the scene of the selection this  time――』

Akito looked at Azusa’s picture and thought.

「She look the same like in game? I see, so she used her physical data exactly as it is.」

The actress was wearing her hair not in ponytail, but straight long hair while wearing a dress.

He didn’t know why she became popular, but apparently she was becoming well known.

「I should have asked for her autograph.」

There was also Makoto in that press conference.

It seemed that he got the role as the rival of the drama’s main character.

His respond when the reporter asked a question.

『It doesn’t matter that it’s a drama. I swear I’ll make the love come into fruition no matter what!』

Makoto declared while striking a pose. The surrounding watched him with doubtful smiles.

「Is this person really alright?」

The surrounding was bewildered by Makoto while also throwing various questions to Azusa.

『This time your character fell in love with the main character as the  heroine in Pandora but, what kind of avatar draw your interest  personally? Ah, I mean it in romantic sense.』

The main character was a plain high school student in real life.

The heroine was a very famous girl. The standing of the boy and girl in real life was like heaven and earth.

But, the plain boy helped the heroine when she started playing game.

Their interaction began from there and turned into drama.

「That kind of development is normally impossible.」

Akito didn’t really think about himself while commenting It’s just drama~. Even so he got curious and checked the time slot of the drama.

Then, Azusa said――.

『I-I’m interested with orc.』

『Eh? Orc?』

『Y-yes. There’s someone I’m interested with……』

Akito smiled wryly hearing those words.

「Is this perhaps because more people are playing as orc lately? But,  who is this orc that drew an actress’s interest? I wonder if there’s a  famous orc?」

There were a lot of players who played as orc to fool around, but a lot of them would remake their avatar after some time.

It was the appeal of playing game, to be able to play around with one’s outside appearance like that.

Anyone would want to aim to become their ideal self.

『Can I ask you for his name?』

『Apparently he’s called Ponsuke-san――』

The press conference’s recording was cut off there and the program  returned to the studio. The announcer and commentator began to talk  about the drama.

『Ah, youth.』

『There’s Azusa-san who will gather a lot of attention from here on,  and Makoto-san who always make me worried no matter how many times I’ve  seen him. I’m looking forward to the drama.』

Akito’s gaze was fixed on the monitor while his mouth was hanging open in astonishment.

A call from Rook――Riku connected to his smartphone.

.

.

.

『You really don’t know anything huh?』

「I never met her directly. Remember, about the tournament that I told you before――」

『That staged event huh. It got really popular among some people  y’know. The scene of Makoto getting KO’ed with one punch got edited and  used as meme.』

「Eh? It got broadcasted?」

『Why didn’t you know that?』

Akito was killing time by talking with Riku. He was wondering whether the Ponsuke that Azusa mentioned was really him.

(I got famous in a weird way after all, so perhaps it’s not so strange for orc who also use the name Ponsuke to show up.)

It wasn’t a problem in Pandora to use name that other player had used, so a lot of players had the same name.

『……Could it be she fell in love at first sight from that tournament? After all your match was quite popular.』

「Popular?」

『You also don’t know that? The player that you fought in that match,  he’s a hardcore player. He’s even a first stringer of a super famous  guild. That’s why, I think you’re more popular than even you yourself  know.』

Was it something like that?

But, at that match the opponent and Ponsuke weren’t using their skills.

The result of that fight came from a duel that was carried out under a condition that was impossible to happen in game.

He didn’t think that it had any meaning.

『R-rather than that, are you alright?』

「Alright what?」

『Y-you asked what……you know, have your guild members contacted you or something?』

Akito didn’t know what Riku was worrying about.

「I haven’t received any call from them. No, there are but it’s all  about the festival today. I’m already getting nervous about it from  now.」

『I-I see! It’s good that you’re safe. Yes, you’re still safe “now”.』

Akito thought that something was strange with the way Riku said that, but he ignored it and invited Riku.

「Do you want to come too? Bring Kagami-san too.」

『Aa~, my bad. She can’t come, and also have another plan. Besides, I don’t want to get kicked by horse to death.』

「Eh?」

『No, it’s nothing. See ya, Ponsuke.』

Akito laughed a little after the call ended.

「He used the wrong name at the end there.」

.

.

.

Evening.

A lot of people came to the summer festival.

Akito knew that the lights from the lanterns were electronic light, even so this unique light felt special.

The heat and humidity felt like fervor in this atmosphere. The surrounding was filled with fumes.

The smell of sauce was stimulating his appetite.

He immediately tried to search for everyone. He found a woman with her daughter waving her hand at him.

He was also familiar with the little girl.

But, the mother――her black hair should be longer when he met her before. However it had been until shoulder length now.

「Ah, Ponsuke-kun.」

「It’s Ponsuke-oniichan.」

Akito smiled wryly and approached the two while greeting htem.

「I’m Naruse Akito in real life.」

After he told the little girl that, she said 「I’m sorry」 and bowed her head.

The woman [Seto Risa] was Naia――the minotaurus Naia in Pandora.

Right now she was apologizing shyly to Akito.

「That was careless of me. Sorry.」

Akito looked at Risa’s left ring finger. There she was wearing the  ring that was distributed in that make-believe marriage ceremony.

(Eh? She’s wearing that one? N-no, perhaps she isn’t wearing her  wedding ring because she doesn’t want to lose it in this crowd or  something.)

He held the hand of Risa’s daughter and they started walking.

The daughter was walking between Akito and Risa. To outsider they  might look like parents and daughter or family――having fun in this  festival.

Both Risa and her daughter were wearing yukata. The two were enjoying the festival’s atmosphere.

「He~y, Ponsuke」

Hugging Akito from behind was a foreign woman――Chloe who was wearing her yukata slovenly.

Chloe Barton……she used the name Lily in Pandora.

「Chloe-san? You really made it in time?」

「You’re horrible. Even though I told you that I would hurry here.」

「No, you were saying that you’re busy so…」

Lily shrugged. Whispers could be heard from the surrounding. Because of that the four started walking away in a hurry.

They became curious with the food stalls and when they took a look――.

「Hey, welcome! ――What, it’s you guys.」

The uncle who was giving them an energetic greeting from the takoyaki stall turned out to be Lighter……Hiragi Jun.

Risa’s daughter looked like she wanted to eat takoyaki.

Jun quickly,

「It’s delicious while it’s still hot.」

Promoted his product. Risa ended up buying one portion for her daughter.

Chloe also got really interested and tried eating one.

The three looked like they were having fun, so Akito looked at Jun.  Looking closer, there were also other guild members that he had seen  before in the stall.

「What are you doing?」

「Can’t you see from looking? I’m polishing my skill in real life for the festival.」

(Normally it should be the opposite right?)

Akito looked exasperated. But he didn’t even feel like teasing Jun with how seriously he was working in this.

「Everyone else too?」

「The committee here listens to my demand. Everyone is deployed all  over the place. Right now we the takoyaki team is the second place in  sales. Ponsuke-kun, buy at least 5 more packs to help out us the  takoyaki team.」

By the way, the first place was held by the okonomiyaki team that was  being led by the craftsman who Lighter kicked down from the floating  island.

「I can’t eat five packs.」

「You can just eat them with everyone else! Even that many packs will  be gone right away anyway if eight or nine people eat them! Like  Maya-chan, she can eat three――」

Jun averted his gaze so Akito looked behind him. There he found Maya  who was dressed in yukata along with the middle school group――Nanami,  Yukine, and one more person.

「……Why is Saeki-kun wearing yukata?」

「M-man can also wear it.」

Kira was standing there wearing yukata.

Certainly man also wore yukata, but she only looked like a girl no matter how he looked at him.

Both Nanami and Yukine were smiling faintly in resignation.

「We met Alfie-san over there.」

「Have you seen Onee-sama? I thought that she would be with you.」

Akito said that he hadn’t met up with Yakumo, and then he looked at  Maya. She was smiling at Jun, but Jun himself was busying himself with  work.

「President――I mean, Maya, you look good wearing that.」

Akito praised Maya even while thinking that calling her without honorific was awkward.

She had really put effort with her yukata appearance.

「R-really? I’m happy to hear that from you Ponsuke. M-more  importantly, after looking around at the stalls we need to go get a good  spot for the firework.」

The girls gathered there. And then while they were chatting happily,

Jun remembered something.

「C-come to think of it, I know this great spot.」

Maya’s reaction to Jun’s words was,

「Is that true Oji-sama!?」

She was greatly baited and urged him to continue.

「U-umu, there is a hotel nearby……I-I think you will get a really good view from there.」

Jun averted his gaze.

Maya said to Akito.

「That’s what he said. Let’s go there after we look around.」

「Eh, but there are a lot of us.」

Jun reacted.

「I-it’s fine! The room is big after all!」

It seemed that the hotel also had a room that could be used for  party. Jun produced a discount ticket that Maya snatched from him.

「The problem of money is also settled with this.」

「No, I don’t think that’s how it works――」

Akito was surrounded by women.

Someone called Akito at that timing.

This time it was the familiar voices of his classmates.

「N-Naruse, you……」

「What’s with that group?」

「You! You betrayed us!」

The envious gazes of the boys were brimming with fury. They looked like they were going to shed tears of blood even now.

Legitimately beautiful girls, adorable middle school girls.

There were also MILF and foreigner. The boys pointed their fingers at Akito.

「You traitor! Give up yourself quietly here――hebuh!」

Someone hit the backs of those boys’ heads with drawstring purse. They rubbed their heads while turning around.

「W-who! ――Hih!」

Yakumo, Kanaho, and Anri were standing there wearing yukata. Akito  couldn’t see their faces from where he stood, but the boys were running  away.

Yakumo smiled.

「Sorry to make you wait~. Eh? Two people are still not here.」

She looked around and said that.

Jum’s shoulders dropped and he covered his eyes with his right hand while murmuring.

「I’m sorry……I’m really sorry. I’ll give you two packs of takoyaki for free in exchange.」

Why was he crying?

Akito couldn’t understand him.

.

.

.

In the hotel near the summer festival’s venue.

It seemed to be a hidden game of a place. Akito could see several groups of couple wearing yukata in the lobby.

When they arrived at the room, they found a spacious place that also had several beds and sofas.

They could see the fireworks that just had gotten launched from the large window.

Yakumo started placing the things that they bought from the stalls on the table.

「We bought a lot.」

Maya took a takoyaki pack.

「It helped that Oji-sama and the others gave us free things.」

Jun and others――the guild members who were running some stalls in the  festival would give Akito free things when they came to their stalls.

「Everyone is so kind. It made me feel bad for some reason to get all these things.」

Risa’s daughter and the middle school trio were clinging on the window to watch the firework.

Yumi sat on a sofa tiredly.

「I’m spent. You’re really energetic Reona-chan.」

「That was because it was fun. But, I wonder why many of the stalls are selling food made from flour?」

「Isn’t that because of tradition? It has been like that since the past, so nobody paid any mind to it.」

The girls’ yukatas were soaked with sweat.

The front of Chloe’s yukata was almost opened up. Kanaho was fixing it for her.

Akito didn’t know where to look, so he went to the window and watched the firework like the middle school trio.

Maya handed a drink to Akito.

「Here Ponsuke.」

「Thanks.」

He accepted the soda drink. Maya also handed out drinks to the other girls.

「If you want to eat something then take it quickly. If not it will get eaten by others.」

Risa’s daughter said 「I want to eat apple candy」 and dashed toward the table. Meanwhile Akito drank juice.

Maya smiled kindly after seeing him drinking.

「Is it good?」

「Yeah, it’s cold and tasty. My throat was parched.」

「We have walked a lot after all.」

Ponsuke who was talking with Maya also ate the ice in his glass. The small ice had melted somewhat and it was easy to crunch.

He felt like the heat remaining inside his body was cooling down  slightly……other than that he also felt sleepy. Perhaps he was tired from  the festival.

(E-eh?)

He was puzzled by the sudden change in his condition.

「Are you tired?」

「Eh? Aa, yeah.」

「Then lie down on the bed. You can still watch the firework from there.」

「R-right.」

He would take a little nap.

His sleepiness was getting so strong that he lightly decided that.

.

.

.

(My body is strangely heavy.)

It was a feeling where he didn’t know whether he was awake or asleep.

The room was dark. There was no firework launched up outside the window.

(So I missed it.)

Akito felt disappointed. Then he moved his gaze. Risa’s daughter and the middle school trio were sleeping on the sofa and bed.

(I wonder what happened after that?)

His sleepiness was awful. It felt like his consciousness would fly away again.

The inside of the room was cool and pleasant thanks to the AC but……he could hear voices.

The color of skin appeared and blocked Akito’s sight.

(What?)

His awareness was blurry and he could only listen to the voices in bits and pieces.

『Today is my――』

『You had done it just――』

『The children will wake――』

Akito couldn’t move his head.

But, from the feeling of his skin, perhaps he wasn’t wearing clothes?  While he was thinking such thing, he also got a feeling that his skin  was touching another skin.

His eyelids were heavy and he could only hear voices.

『――is, I’m』

『Because you always――』

『The effect is already――』

The moment his consciousness was almost gone, two hands grabbed  Akito’s head and forcefully turned it before there was a sensation on  his lips.

The sensation of something slippery entering his mouth was surprising, but then his consciousness sank into darkness.

.

.

.

The next day.

Akito jumped awake.

He was breathing hard. And then when he looked around he saw women in underwear on bed and sofa.

The middle school trio were asleep. He wiped his sweat.

「W-what was that?」

Something was strange yesterday.

He looked at himself and found that he was wearing clothes.

He was relieved seeing that he was wearing the same thing like when  he lied down yesterday. And then he looked around. The clock’s hands  were pointing at 6 o’clock in the morning.

「I overslept.」

Even though normally it was time to login…….

Akito decided to take a shower before everyone woke up and slowly got down from the bed. He headed toward the shower room.

And then when he stripped inside the shower room……his face paled and cold sweat burst out.

He looked at himself on the mirror.

「……What is this red briefs?」

Akito was wearing a red boxer briefs.

If he remembered correctly, he was also wearing this kind of boxer before the summer festival. But it was black.

He just bought it so there was no doubt.

Besides, red was a color that he wanted to avoid.

He pressed his hands on his face.

「……Strange. Something is strange.」

Akito’s discomfort kept growing bigger.

Prev Table of Content Next