"Like... you say." It's a joke, right? I was about to ask that, but the words vanished as I looked at Miyanoshita's face. Her cheeks were flushed crimson, and her eyes moistened. Yet, there she was, gazing at me intently with an air of nervousness. She's serious. Her feelings aren't something to be dismissed as a joke. It doesn't matter that she's an elementary school student or whether that's bad. A girl is bravely making her confession. In that case, I must respond with equal sincerity. "I see." "Yes, I have feelings for you, Yuki-san. Of course, romantically." "Yeah, thank you. I’m truly flattered." "So..." "I'm sorry, though." This might mean the end of my relationship with Iris. I might be playing by myself from tomorrow. But even so, I can't reciprocate her confession. "I can't date you, Miyanoshita." "Do you dislike me?" "Of course not. I like you. But only as a friend." I had entertained the fantasy that it might turn into a romantic relationship. But having such fantasies is proof that I'm not truly in love with her yet. It's not love but admiration. And it's not admiration for her, but for the idea of "romance" itself. It would be too rude to Mianoshita, if i were to go out with here with this beeing the case. We're married in the game, but that's just for kicks. And for the in-game rewards. "Yuki, do you have a girlfriend?" "No, I don't." "Then, why not try going out on a trial basis? It's something people often suggest, right?" "I get that, but it's not something I agree with." I suppose there's the option to date someone as a trial. But Miyanoshita has clearly shown her feelings for me. What if we gave dating a shot and ultimately decided to break it off?

Giving her false hope only to betray her in the end. That would be extremly cruel. That's why I turn down the idea from the start. "I'm sorry." I bowed my head. I wonder what kind of face Miyanoshita is making right now? Is she hurt? Or is she angry? I'm afraid to find out. "Ehehe." "Huh?" When I looked up, Miyanoshita was... smiling. "That's a relief." "Huh? What do you mean by 'that's a relief'?" "Because you didn't treat me just as an elementary school student." "That is..." "Yuki-san, you treated me properly as a 'woman'. If you had treated me solely as an 'elementary school student', it would have been a dead end. After all, I can't do anything about my age. But... being treated as a 'woman', don't you think there's still hope?" "Wha...?" I never expected her to think like that. Sure, there's a possibility, but normally, people are unable to think this optimistically. Is she really in elementary school? Ever since we played games together, I've noticed she often acts more mature than her age. Her thoughts are those of an adult. That's exactly why I mistook her for a housewife or a working adult... "From now on, I'll work hard to make you fall for me♪ In fact, I'll definitely make you love me, okay? Don't even think about escaping from me, hehehe." Please don't. I will end up in court. ―――――――――― "Puhh" The first meet-up is over, and I'm on my way home. Exhaustion hit me all at once, and I collapsed onto my bed. "Ahh, dinner... maybe I'll skip it today." Because I am living alone, I have the freedom to decide. "The meet-up was fun, but... but..." Never would I have guessed that Iris was a little girl in elementary school. And she even confessed to me.

"Ah... What am I supposed to do tomorrow?" I spent some time tossing and turning in bed. ―――――――――― "Hehe" Once home, Suzu Minonoshita couldn't help but smile to herself in her room. She was brimming with an uncontrollable sense of joy and delight. "At last, I've met him in person—the real Hiro♪" A 17-year-old high school boy. He wasn't the epitome of a shining idol, but he radiated a warmth and kindness that made you feel at ease. "After all, it's personality over appearance. While looks matter for dating, when it comes to marriage... personality is definitely what's important." Even though we haven't started dating, she's already thinking about marriage. What a frightening girl. "Besides, even if he's not as much of an idol, he has a certain easy-to-love kindness and warmth... Yes, yes. In my eyes, he's certainly handsome. The real Hiro was so cool♪" Despite not being influenced by a love bias, every one of Yuki's actions appeared cool to her. Just like in the game, he always puts Suzu first. In addition, he thinks about enjoying our time together. Having him laugh by her side was an overwhelming joy. Soothed by his sunny, bright voice. And before long, she found herself attracted to him. "Most importantly, he saw me as a woman, and that meant the world to me." Suzu is still just ten years old. An elementary school student. Talking to a high schooler about love isn't usually taken seriously. The normal reaction is "Don't try to act older than you are, you're just a child. Even if they did engage, it's normal to drift apart simply because "you're an elementary school student". But Yuuki was different. He treated her not as an elementary school student, but as a woman. It's hard to express how happy that made her. "Mmm... It's truly the best, isn't it!" She likes his face. He also has a nice personality. And they're married in the game. "This must be fate, don't you think?♪" Suzu hugged a pillow and rolled around on the bed. "You're definitely going to fall for me. There's no escape now. Hehe... I love you so much, Yuuki-san♪" As Suzu spoke, her expression eerily resembled that of a spider, but... No one was there to see it.