Translated: Sei, MTL-sensei-tachi
Edited: Sei, Grammarly no Danna

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This chapter sponsored by DJ0kazaki

Chapter 5 We'll Keep Going 



Part 1

    Monday, April 9th. 4 o'clock in the early morning.

    The share house Kitayama was in a state of utter chaos.

    At 10:00 a.m. today, a direct shipment was dead on arrival at the company's press plant in Osakasayama City.

    We were told on the phone that if we missed this, we would not be able to bring it in on the same day.

"Everyone, when this is over, you can sleep! So just hang on a little longer!"

    All of us were currently in the middle of debugging. Shinoaki and Nanako were in charge of playing and reporting, while Tsurayuki and I were in charge of fixing bugs.

    I and Tsurayuki brought our laptops into the living room to make corrections, while Nanako and Shinoaki played with the door to their room open so that they could report back easily.

"Okay! I fixed the bug in file 005! Are the additional files up?"

"I'm doing it! Look at the shared 006. Also, I think Shinoaki should be doing the third route right now!"

"Roger! How about Tsurayuki?" 

"The common is done. The rest is individual. Damn, why do I keep making these typos..."

"Reflection meeting later! Shinoaki! It's almost time. Check it out!"

"I haven't reached the end yet ~"

"Then press the ctrl key to skip it! If it doesn't fall, that's fine!"

"Gyaa!"

"W-What's wrong, Nanako!"

"Here, the position of the standing picture is strange! Only the face is blank! What is this!"

"Ah, it's the one where I cut out the facial expressions, made a png, and stacked them... This is bad, these coordinates are insane."

"Everyone's doing it, here's something for you~"

"Ah, Keiko-san, you've come to the right moment! It's a bug, a bug!"

"Bug? Isn't a script error?"

"I don't think so, please look at Nanako’s PC! The character's face is kind of flying around like a mask."

"Ah, it's a coordinate error. Please show me the script for a moment."

"Please! Shinoaki, what about you!"

"When I pressed the ctrl key, it went black, is this the ending?"

"That's an error! I-I'm coming over!"

"Yo Hasshii, I'm here to support you, whoa, this is amazing!"

"What, everyone has a dead face! Is that okay, Hashiba?"

"Kiryuu-san, Kawasegawa! Etto, I have one PC and one desktop in my room, so please check from the installation!"

"Okay, but what about the route?"

"Ah, then I choose the ringlets curl girl!"

"Hey Hashiba, what should I do?"

"Kawasegawa is a girl with a bob cut! Just skip the ecchi scenes!"

"Wha... I'll do it, I just have to check it, right!"

"I'd appreciate it if you'd do it! Ah, Tsurayuki, explain the options to the two of them, Tsurayuki?"

"Ah, it's a typo again... What's this "What’s trang"..."What's wrong?" is the right, me!"

"Tsurayuki ~! Be depressed later!"

"I'll go upstairs then~"

"Yes, I've fixed the script ~. It seems that someone inadvertently touched the first coordinate specification and cut the numerical value."

"Eeh... is there such a trap?"

"Yes, it might be better to check it."

"Hey, Shinoaki started up again and did the route just before! Don't skip this time! Kiryuu-san! Kawasegawa! Please be careful to see if the picture is a little off!"

"Nanako rechecked the part where only the face was blank! When you fix the typos, Tsurayuki, start all over again! Keiko-san, check the part about the trap! And then……!"

"Gyaa, what's this, this time the background suddenly halved!"

"Now it won't even boot up ~?"

"Ah... it's a typo again... Doing what I like, becomes Do year I like..."

"Hey, Hashiba! What's this? It stopped in the middle of installation?"

"This ringlets curl girl doesn't have the voice of the first two lines, is there a voice?"

"This is bad. I'm not sure if we're going to make it or not..."

"Hiiiiiii...!"

    Keiko-san fixed Shinoaki's error, Nanako's background error turned out to be a coordinate error and was fixed as well, I beat Tsurayuki's ass to make him a typo correction machine, I searched for the voice that Kiryuu-san pointed out in the unedited file, I investigated the cause of Kawasegawa's installation error, and somehow I managed to get to the point where I could play the game without any errors,

    Nine o'clock in the morning. It was time to leave to the factory.

    A few hours of intense work were over.


 
"Well, it's been safely received at the factory and confirmed. With this, somehow..."

    I gulped and swallowed the spit.

"MASTER UP!"

    The moment I declared it, the share house was erupted in applause.

"Ahhh, we have finally done it... It's oveer..."

"Now I can sleep well and not have to drink bitter coffee."

"Can I go to sleep for a while...?"

    All three of them were filled with relief that it was over.

    No matter what the game, the elation and sense of accomplishment of master up it was truly something special.

"Really... good work everyone. Take a rest for now..."

    Saying that, I was about to dizzy myself again,

"Well, good night everyone..."

    I decided to go back to my room and rest before I collapsed.

    There were various accidents due to a series of unfamiliar things.

    When I finished making it in this way, there were many things that became good experiences.

"Ah, I have to report the master up on the site..."

    Three weeks until the spot sale. Now I have to sell what we made.

    I remembered once again that there was one more big event left to do.


Part 2

"No, I think it will sell."

    When I expressed my anxiety about this and that, Keiko-san settled it with one talk.

"But we didn't stand out that much from the first announcement, and there wasn't much excitement after the master-up report, either?"

    Sunday, April 29th. I was in Tokyo with Keiko-san. We were at Comic Zero, the second largest doujinshi fair after Comiket. The memorable first event was also the day "Haru Sora" was released.

    We were walking along the road from the International Exhibition Center station closest to the venue, pushing the cart.

"Whether a game sells or not is not about that. It's all about the name recognition you have and how many people know about it."

    Keiko-san's words sounded somewhat cold.

"To put it bluntly, as long as you make the game look good on the outside, it will sell even if it doesn't look good on the inside."

    How well known the circle is, how the first report is made, and the elements that are revealed.

    Once those were in place, the numbers were almost readily available.

"Is it... work well?"

    It's true that the number of views on the site never went down. The average number has been high and has not dropped at all until today.

    However, the individual threads were not particularly lively and became chat threads in the middle of the day, and some of the critique sites gave the game a bad review at the trial version stage.

"Well, we'll see"

    From that point on, Keiko-san didn't really open her mouth.

    I arrived at the venue, took out my ticket and went inside. The time was eight o'clock. There were still very few people around, indicating the quietness before the festival.

"Ah, there it is"

    This time, Hallucigenia soft was placed in front of the shutter. This in itself was not unusual and it was understandable considering the amount of items we had to carry in.

    The only question was whether or not the right people would come. If it turned out to be a failure after all the preparation, I would not be able to face anyone.

"Do you want to take a look at the package?"

"Oh, yes"

    Remove one of the packages from the box I opened as if to submit it as a sample.

    On the brand new DVD's protective case, there was a picture of the package drawn by Shinoaki and the logo of "Haru Sora" on it.

"...We really made it."

    There were also staff credits on the back. I chose "Kyou" as my pen name. Everyone else used pseudonyms that had little to do with their real names, but I really wanted to put my name here.

    I wanted to leave a proof that I had been here for 10 years later.

    With this, I felt like I was finally able to make it a reality.

"I'll introduce you. Hashiba-kun, who was the director this time."

"Oh, I'm Hashiba... Please take care of me today."

    Some people who were opening cardboard boxes in the circle space replied, "Good morning".

"... Somehow, it's easy, isn't it?"

"This is what the morning of the event of a sale is like. Come on, we'll organize the cardboard too."

"Ah, yes"

    In the past, I had helped a circle. However, this was my first experience with such a large scale event, as it was a birthday seating arrangement.

    First, we disassembled some cardboard boxes to make shelves for our stuff. After securing it with cloth tape, I put a large poster on the back of it.

    We also changed the placement of the boxes. It was difficult to take out the boxes as they were, so we created a line of flow in the way the boxes were placed to make it easier for the sellers to take out additional items.

    The people who had come to help us handled them with an expert hand. To be honest, all I could do was open the boxes and take out the contents.

"The procedure is completely different from a normal circle."

"That's right, people come here all the time."

    Well, I still can't believe it.

    The gray shutters were still closed in front of me. The first group of people in the waiting line must have already formed a line in front of it.

    In other words, the success or failure of the project depends on how many people are there.

"Doors open in 30 minutes, huh?"

    For the past four months, I had been in motion with little time to think. I felt elated and scared at the same time, knowing that it would all be settled in this one moment.

"Now, it's about time"

    Keiko-san said, and the staff of the preparation group told me to move away from the shutter.

    I heard the sound of the motor running, and the shutter slowly opened.

    There.

"Whoa..."

    Other than the first word, I was speechless.

    There was just a wave of people there.

    There were a few breaks along the way, and there was a tag that said the last row was this way.

    On it was the name of the circle, the space number, and an illustration.

    Everyone was lined up using it as a landmark.

    All the people here came to us for what we had created.

    When I thought about it, something welled up from deep within me.

"...I told you, right?"

"……Yes"

    The doors were to open in five minutes.

    I didn't see the line anymore.

    I wanted to get a good look at as many people as possible, each and every one of them in front of me.


Part 3

"Well then! Congratulations on the completion and successful distribution of 'Haru Sora'!"

"Cheers!"

    Two days after the event. I returned to Osaka and held a launch party at a share house.

"Hooray... It's~ finally over~..."

"I don't want to look for typos anymore!"

"I kept drawing and drawing, and I wondered when it would end."

    Everyone thoughtfully reflected on the creation of the game and reminisced about it.

    I asked Keiko-san to join us, but she refused, saying, "You guys should celebrate at least once on your own. You're a team," she said. Well, one person may be in a different position, and that may be the reason she was so concerned.

    There were some stories that only people who had shared the hardships of this place could understand.

"So how many copies did you manage to sell?"

"I think there's 3,000 in the hall?"

"And we sold out of everything after lunch... It's amazing."

    It was an unbelievable sight. As a person who had barely sold a hundred or two hundred units in the commercial world, seeing software disappear in the blink of an eye was like magic to me.

    When I arrived at the space in the morning, the software was piled up in a heap, but one by one it was taken out of the boxes and handed over.

    After the meeting was over, a pile of 1,000 yen bills showed me that this was not a dream.

"No~, but at first I was wondering if we could really do it, but we did..."

    Holding the package in her hands, Nanako murmured to herself.

"When this happens, it makes me feel like it's a proper game."

    Tsurayuki also looked at the game screen in his hand with a look of disbelief.

"There's a lot of pictures moving around other than my monitor."

    Shinoaki was also deeply moved.

    The game was still in its early stages of evaluation, but those who played it first seemed to generally give it high marks.

    It has a professional finish, or it's short but it's full of charm.

    The theme song was also very well received, and Nanako became a bit of a celebrity in the doujin game community.

"I wonder what I'll do if I get an offer or something? Fufufu"

"You're getting carried away, Nanako. You've come a long way from being the one who insisted on going home before the recording."

"Wah, Kyouya, did you talk about that? Of all people, to Tsurayuki!"

"I'm sorry, I was asked what you were doing, so I unconsciously."

"Haha, you were about to do something cool, but you're so lame, Nanako!"

"Shut up! Shut up! It's okay, right, I got a compliment, so it’s okay for me get carried away!"

"That's true, Nanako's song was really good, wasn't it~"

"Oh~, thank you Shinoaki, I loved your drawings too~. I don't care about the scenario."

"I'd appreciate it if you did, so we don't have to talk about how Nanako cried when she read it."

"Hey, Kyouya~! You told him that too!"

"I-I'm sorry"

    As the party progressed, everyone returned to their usual lively mood.

    In the early stages of development, we were all confused and lacked energy.

    During the process of making it, we went through a lot of trial and error and had to redo it each time.
But in this way, somehow we managed to bring it to completion.

"Thank you very much for your hard work. Everyone did their best, so this project was successful and took shape."

    When I said that, they all looked at me at once,

"I couldn't have started without Kyouya... This project"

    When Tsurayuki said this with a sincere smile,

"That's right, without Kyouya-kun, we couldn't have done anything."

    Shinoaki nodded,

"Somehow, everything has been left up to Kyouya."

    Nanako also looked up at me, smiling.

"S-Such a thing... suddenly, stop it."

    I found myself on the verge of crying a little. They are such amazing people, and I really could have done something neat with them because they are amazing.

    But they trusted me, and they followed me.

    I can't be happier...

"Oh, Kyouya, are you crying a little?"

"T-That's not true..."

"Fufu, you've worked hard and are tired~. You can take a rest now, okay?"

"Yeah, you’re right..."

    Just hearing everyone's voices filled me with an irresistible sense of happiness.

    I want to keep making things with this team.

    It never occurred to me that I could feel this way right after I finished making it, in a world 10 years from now.

    Going back 10 years ago, and choose to take the path of making things... I'm really glad.

 
Part 4

    We were out of drinks, so Shinoaki and I decided to go out and buy some.
    
    It was only a few minutes walk to the nearest convenience store, but it was rather expensive, so we often went to the supermarket a little further away.

"Is this enough?"

    The bag in my hands was nearly overflowing with plastic bottles.

"Well, everyone drank a lot ~"

"Maybe there was a feeling of liberation. Both Tsurayuki and Nanaco looked relieved."

    I'm sure there were a lot of things we had to endure, but now we can finally get back to our daily lives.

    And it seems that we can take this opportunity to make something again next time.

    I wondered what I could do to make up for what I had endured this time. What will I be able to do?

    There were a number of possibilities to consider.

"I wonder if it's finally getting a little warmer."

    The cold wind blowing down from the mountains was finally getting warmer.

    By the time Golden Week was over and I started my second year as a student, it must have been spring already.

    It was winter until just this past week, but I feel like the time is passing quickly.

"Shinoaki, you know..."

    I was going to broach the subject of what we should do now.

    As a second year student, I was able to do more and more things, and we were able to create games together. Shinoaki was also able to draw many illustrations for the first time, which should have boosted her confidence.

    I was the only one who thought it was the future we were talking about here.

"Hey, Kyouya-kun"

    Shinoaki, who was walking in front of me, spoke up.

    It was a casual, unprompted way of speaking.

    I didn't react fast enough.

    And then she turned around,

"Is this really okay?"

    ……Eh?

    I stopped my legs.

    The words I heard didn't immediately enter my mind.

    Why did Shinoaki say those words, and why did she say them now?

    I couldn't immediately find a reason to understand.

"Okay, you said... What do you mean?"

    The words that finally came out were returned with a question.

    That's how much I didn't understand the word.

    ...... No, it's not.

    The truth was, I knew. But I was too afraid to admit it.

    Shinoaki said it, probably because it was scary to admit.


    So... All I could do was pretend not to notice as best I could.

"Hmm, I just thought so a little."

    Shinoaki's tone didn't have any air to blame me.
    
But there was no denying what I had said earlier.

"Success... Because we did our best for Tsurayuki."

    Yes. This time, the requirements were harsh from the start.

    Limited time. But the goal is high.

    On condition that Tsurayuki's feelings and he can do something.

    On top of that, it should be something that can make use of everyone's characteristics.

    It was necessary to get that much together.

    So we compromised and endured.

    I forced everyone to do it, but it couldn't be helped.

    Yes, I had no choice.

"I see. If that's the case... It's fine."

    Shinoaki had the usual fluffy smile.

"I'm sorry, I said something weird."

"No, don't worry about it"

    Shinoaki has had to endure a lot. I think it's natural for her to have a little frustration. That's why this was necessary.

"Let me know if it gets tough."

    Shinoki quietly approached me.

    Then she took my free hand. She held my free hand in both of hers and hugged it in front of her chest.

"I ―― I will always believe in Kyouya-kun."

    I wonder how many times she has saved me in this way.

    The gentle words of Shinoaki made me feel hot in my eyes.

"Yeah... I'm fine, thanks."

    But I couldn't take advantage of that kindness now.

    I held back and tried to keep my composure.

    To tell myself, and others, that this was the right thing to do.


Part 5

    And the next day.

    It was a sunny day. A spring-like blue sky spread out, and white clouds were flying there.

    Haru Sora, which is also the title of the work.
(Note: Haru is Spring, Sora is Sky)

    It was a refreshing day, symbolizing both of those things.

    Keiko-san came and took the promised items out of the bag.

    We've been working hard for this. To make sure that Tsurayuki, our friend can go to university as usual.

    And now it was firmly in place in front of me.

"The sales from this event and the store were 4.8 million. After expenses and additional production costs, it's 3 million. This is the amount that you guys and I split."

    Obviously, a firm and thick envelope was handed out to each of us.

"I-Is it really okay to get this much...?"

    Nanako seemed clearly agitated by the amount of money.

"It's okay. Use it carefully."

"Y-Yes... I'll go to the bank later..."

    Still in disbelief, Nanako walked unsteadily back to her room.

"If I had this much, daily life won't be troubled."

    Shinoaki said something oddly familiar, but then I remembered she was applying for a scholarship.

    Thinking about the latter, it's best to have savings.

"Shinoaki-chan is a reliable girl. Well, there are some additional things I want you to draw, so let's talk about them."

"Okay ~"

    The two of them went to Shinoaki's room.

    And in the living room, only me and Tsurayuki were left.

"It's over, right... with this."

    Tsurayuki looked up at the ceiling and let out a breath.

"Tsurayuki, we did it... Now the tuition issue is settled."

    As I had promised at the beginning, I was supposed to give Tsurayuki a little more money.

    Even if I pay all my tuition, I can still afford to pay for my living expenses. Finally, this will free me from my part-time job and allow me to focus on my studies.

    It worked so well that I thought it was a lie.

 “…....…”

    Tsurayuki stared at the wad of bills being handed to him, and then,

"Hey, Kyouya... can we go outside for a bit?"

"Eh"

"I have something to talk about"

    With that, he stood up quickly.

    It was the first time I had seen Tsurayuki’s face like this since we had met.


Part 6

    Tsurayuki walked outside and turned his feet in a different direction from the university. After a short walk up the hill, we found ourselves in an area lined with high-end residential buildings, with a museum at the far end.

    There were few students and the streets were less crowded when late at night, so it was a good place to take a walk for a change.
 
"When I was stuck in a scenario, I often walked here."

    While walking down the hill, Tsurayuki spoke nostalgically.

"There was a park. I used to sit there and think up stories."

    Tsurayuki walks fast. Whenever we go somewhere on foot, I always have to follow behind. But today, his steps were a little more relaxed than usual.

"Will we go there and then talk?"

"...No, here is fine. If we go to a place full of memories, in reverse, I don't think we can talk."

    Eh. What does......that mean?

    In the first place, it was the first time that Tsurayuki had invited me out for a walk like this. Most of the time, we talked in our rooms or on the occasion of something, so it was rare for us to talk in a casual setting.

    Or rather, why does he talk so nostalgic about something that hasn't even been a year yet? I can only think of a few reasons.

    Tsurayuki stopped his legs. A strong wind blew, and some of the pieces of wood that had fallen under my feet flew around, hitting my cheek and it hurt. Then, as if waiting for the wind to die down, Tsurayuki opened his mouth.

"I've decided to quit college "

"……Eh"

    At first, I had no idea what he was talking about.

    But the next words made the meaning clearer.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble you've gone through. Please divide the money between Kyouya and the others. I don't need it."

"What are you talking about... Tsurayuki ..."

    Even though I understood, I had no idea what he was talking about.

    The reason why we've sacrificed so many things to achieve our main goal.

    By his own hand, he pretended it never happened.

    The confusion quickly turned to anger.

    The things that had been piling up for so long were ignited, and then...

"What are you talking about...!!"

    I was grabbing Tsurayuki's chest with all my might. I clenched my teeth in anger and made a grinding sound.

"I thought you wanted to study! I thought if you had money, you could make that happen! Because, Because you can't do it alone, that's why, that's why...!"

    Tsurayuki did not resist at all. Other than twisting his face in agony, he was letting me do whatever I wanted.

"...Hit me, Kyouya. You deserve it."

"……… Tsurayuki"

"I'm... no good anymore"

    I lost power from my arm. Tsurayuki's body was released and he coughed only one, probably because he was a little choked. I was looking at the ground in a daze, with my hands nowhere to go.

    Clouds were gradually increasing in the sky.

    The white clouds were mixed with gray, and the strong sunlight was soon blocked out by the gray.

    When the light was completely subsided, Tsurayuki opened his mouth again.

"I used to think I was talented."

    Tsurayuki began to speak indifferently.

"I was confident that no one could beat me at writing and storytelling, whether it was scenarios or novels. Even if I had lost, I was determined to overtake them."

"But this past year has been a painful reminder that no matter how much I love writing and how confident I am in it, it's impossible for me to make a living at it."

"It's the same for everyone. That's why we should study and do our best..."

"That's what I thought, too. We're all inexperienced at the starting line."

    After saying that much, Tsurayuki cut off his words once and for all.

    Then he looked at my face.

"Until I met you. Kyouya"

"Eh, met... me?"

    I was taken aback by a word that was too surprising. It was so unexpected that I couldn't say anything else.

"My first impression of you was not particularly strong. I thought he was just a nice guy, smiling and laughing. However, behind the smile, this guy was hiding an extraordinary power."

    Tsurayuki's face took on the expression of having seen something truly terrifying.

    I just couldn't connect my thoughts to the fact that the subject was me.

"No matter how much I messed up or how much I stood around with insufficient strength, Kyouya always made calm and accurate decisions. He led us as if it were natural."

    Sigh.

    It was a sigh of resignation that no matter what he did, he could not reach it.

"It's like a wall that can't be overcome. No matter what, I can't keep up with his thoughts. I wondered how many times I had to live my life before I could become like that."

    I was shocked. Of course, he didn't mean to, but I felt as if he could see through my inner thoughts.

"But you weren't a scenario person. So, I thought I'd like to work with this amazing guy, get a part-time job to earn money for school, and follow him closely... or so I thought"

    Tsurayuki looked up at the sky. He sniffed once and wiped his eyes.

"But that just made it worse. I fell down in a mess, and once again was saved by you. Even though I was just a friend, you ran around and set everything up."

    The production of the game began. I made a lot of orders to Tsurayuki, and he became a nobody who just responded to it.

    Before he knew it, he was on the verge of losing his confidence as well.

"...So I was thinking inwardly. I was wondering if this game would go wrong. I wondered if I would ever get the chance to say, "Look, what Kyouya said was wrong"."

"That..."

"It's awful, isn't it? I hope that the person who was so kind as to start a project for me that would not benefit him at all will fail. If it were me, I'd never trust that piece of shit."

    And in the end, the game was a success and got the expected appreciation.

    Tsurayuki felt as if he had hit rock bottom.

"And yet you praised us, saying we were all a force to be reckoned with. I felt saved, but at the same time I felt helplessly defeated and in despair."

    Without thinking about it, I praised Tsurayuki and complimented him.

    It was still so much better to be mocked and laughed at.

"I really felt that I couldn't do anything if Kyouya didn't let me survive. I can't stay here anymore, that's what I thought... at that moment."

"You’re wrong!!"

    Unbearably, I couldn't help but interrupt.

"I-I also... I believe in Tsurayuki’s power, so I was wondering if I could do something with it... I would never have been able to do this if Tsurayuki hadn't been there!"

    In the first place, it was because of Tsurayuki’s presence that the project was pushed to its limits.

    His professionalism, writing skills, and most of all his enthusiasm allowed me to make a lot of suggestions.

"How about that? I'm sure Kyouya would do something about it."

"T-There is no way I could do th..."

"You've done it all so far. "I'll definitely do something" You're the one who can make miracles happen with that one word."


    No way, I am
    I just want to help everyone. I wanted to be a help to these amazing people.
    I'm just trying to help earnestly.


"I couldn't be Kyouya. That's why I'm leaving here. That's all."

    I couldn't say anything.

    I was looking for words. Something had to be said here.

    Like always, I'll come up with a secret plan to do something about it, keep Tsurayuki around, and start the same kind of college life again tomorrow, or words to that effect.

    I thought desperately. Let's make something together, it won't start without Tsurayuki, only Tsurayuki can do what I can't do.

    All kinds of words came to mind, came to my throat, and disappeared. Quickly. Quickly, something. If I don't come up with something, Tsurayuki will.

"...When I became a writer, I had a pen name that I was going to use."

    Tsurayuki opened his mouth.

"I was thinking of using the name of my hometown for my last name, because it's the place where I was raised, despite all that happened. And the name Kyouya. I was going to take the reading of your name."

    I looked up at Tsurayuki's face. It was a gentle smile I had never seen before.

"Kawagoe Kyouichi―― Kyouya, that's the most amazing name. It's cool, right?"

"A... AA..."

    My voice, I tried to speak, but nothing came out.

    All that came out was a pathetic groan from my throat.

    Have I come all this way because I wanted this?

    To the writer, whom I admired so much and wished to create things together with.

    I've been told such amazing things.

    But it all ends here.

    That genius writer, in a place like this.

    By what I've done.

"... Well then, stay well, Kyouya."

    Tsurayuki walked down the slope much more slowly than he had come. At a speed that can catch up whenever I run. If I raise my voice a little bit, I can be heard.

    But I couldn't say it. I couldn't run.

    I knew that if I did that, he would just look troubled and nothing would change.


    pitter-patter, Something cold fell from the sky.

    A mass of water fell from the cold gray sky like a bomb.

    In the midst of my flailing thoughts, I try to move my legs, only to feel a sense of duty to move.

"A... Ah, AAA...!"

    I took a step.

    But then, my feet got tangled.

"UWAAAAA...!"

    I kneeled down on the road, and everything I had been holding in there came pouring out.

    The downpouring rain was turning the soil into mud one after another.

    Just a moment ago, the sky had been clear and sunny. It was supposed to be a new sky for the future.

    In this one moment, I couldn't see where I was going at all, and it turned into a gray world of dark clouds and cold water.

"Why... what went wrong..."

    From 10 years later, I came here to change the past. To make the most interesting things with the best people who are devoted to creation.

    I was able to meet the creators I admire. I met Akishima Shino and N@NA. And... I also met Kawagoe Kyouichi.

    They told me. They said that they couldn't start without Kyouya.

    I, Hashiba Kyouya, that helpless guy who was rotting away in the world 10 years later, became the center of such an amazing group of people.

    But why?

    How could everything have gone so wrong at the very last moment?

"……Ah"

    I felt a presence. As I knelt down, I saw a pair of cute shoes in front of me.

"Hashiba-kun, what's wrong?"

    I heard a voice from above me.

"Keiko... san...?"

    The person who supported the production so far stood there.

    In a standing position, she was as tall as I was on my knees.

    But now, it seemed to me that she was in a very high place.

"Hashiba-kun"

    Keiko-san didn't even hold an umbrella.

    She was soaking wet from the rain, but she didn't even try to avoid the rain with her hands.

"...Hashiba-kun"

    Again, she only called my name.

"Keiko-san...?"

    That's when I finally noticed something strange.

    The young girl, who normally would have been constantly changing her expression, was standing there with almost no expression on her face.

    Yes. In other words, the person here was Keiko-san on the outside, but on the inside she seemed like a different person. That's how different the atmosphere she created was.

"Keiko-san... that, Tsurayuki is"

    Having said all that, Keiko-san nodded slowly.

"You wonder why, right"

"Eh……?"

"Why... didn't it work well?"

    Why, you said... That's obvious.

"I...couldn't think about Tsurayuki properly, right from the start, I was more..."

    While saying, I remembered the beginning ―― when I entered college.

    From a world 10 years in the future where nothing I did was rewarded, time slip.

    Go back to 10 years before and remake my life. And to welcome a future where I can create games together with the stars of the platinum generation, I have to study and work hard.

"...Huh?"

    I may have been wrong about one thing.

    I was watching the three creators shine in a world 10 years later.

    I came to their past. Without knowing any reason.

    I just thought it was a chance.

    I thought that I might be able to create something with those stars who had only one thing in common with me, we were in the same grade.

    And it came true. They needed me to be involved, to take care of them, and I got carried away. Yes, I got carried away.

"Due to my interference... future of Tsurayuki, Kawagoe Kyouichi has changed...?"

    Suddenly my body began to tremble.

    In the first place, they were stars from the beginning.

    When I was in despair, they shone brightly.

    If nothing had happened, they would have created and released their work together, and gained even more fame...

    And then. Is it true that all I did was... just disturb the situation and interfere in a terrible way...?

"What should I do... everyone, everyone is..."

    What do I do.

    The future has changed from what it was supposed to be.

    It means I changed it.

    I wonder if that's what I'm supposed to tell them.

    I knew that doing that wouldn't help with anything.

    They would say, Kyouya-kun is tired, aren't you?

    Then Nanako smiled, and Shinoaki smiled gently.

"What am I supposed to do... really..."

    It reminded me of all the things I had done in the past, one after another.

    Everyone needed me.

    I was able to remake my life. The rebuilt life was always centered on me.

    The sweetness of it made me unaware... that I had done something irreparable.

    Kawagoe Kyoichi is gone. He’s disappeared.

    That dream game with the three of them together has disappeared from the world at this point.

    It's all my doing.

    With my selfish remake...


"Ano, Keiko-san, ano..."


    I desperately called her name.

    In this world, she seemed to be the only person there.

    The rain was just getting worse.

    Gradually, even my vision began to narrow.

    The sound of the water muffled my hearing as well.

    The grayness covered the whole area, numbing my senses,

    When everything was messed up,

    The person in front of me finally... smiled.

    And then she said this.




"As it is, I wonder what will happen ―― in the future"



    I heard a sound somewhere.

    Is it a footstep or a heartbeat?

    I tried to open my eyes without knowing.

    However, my eyes didn't open easily.

    I knew I was lying somewhere. My back was wrapped in something soft, and I was surrounded by a pleasant scent. It was so comfortable that I wondered if I was still dreaming.

    But the intensity and heat of the light hitting my eyelids made me know that it was real.

"Nn..."

    My memory is fuzzy, and I'm slowly remembering what happened before.

    I had a launch party for a doujin game and talked with Tsurayuki alone.

    And... what happened after that?

    But the fact that I'm sleeping like this suggests that I must have already gone home.

    How could I lose my memory when I hadn't even had a drink...

"... I guess I must have been pretty tired"

    Anyway, let's wake up. That's what I thought,

"Hmm……?"

    I could hear footsteps approaching.

"Did someone come home?"

    The sound made me open my eyes.

    The moment I reached for my phone to check the time.

"Otou-sa~n!"

    Bang! The door of the room opened with a loud bang.

"Eh, Otou-san...?"

    Before I could be surprised, the object jumped into the air and draped itself over me.

    She was a girl in the early grades of elementary school. Her short hair, combined with her cheerfulness, made her look very cute.

"Mou, Otou-san is always sleeping! Come play with Maki ~"

    And, dissatisfied, she shook her body on top of me.

"O-ouch, ouch! Ano, a child from where?"

"? a child from where?"

    After a moment's pause,

"Ah, I see! Greetings, practice~ practice~"

    She quickly jumped off the bed,

"My name is Hashiba Maki."

    Yes, she said greetings.

"Hashiba... Maki"

    It's the same as my last name.

    My sister's child, my niece, was about the same age, but of course, she had a different face, a different voice, and a different name. Originally, she didn't look much like my sister. So naturally, my niece's face didn't look much like mine either.

    The child in front of me is certainly...

"It's a little... like me"

    I noticed that her eyes and the contours of her face looked a bit like the ones I saw when I looked in the mirror.

"Otou-san, what's wrong? You've been looking weird since a while ago?"

    The girl gave me a dubious look.

    Otou-san.

    She looks like me.

"My... child??"

    N-No, wait a minute.

    No matter how beyond time I am, there is no way I can have a child without doing something.
To have a child, I need a partner, and to be this old, I had to have done that some time ago.

"Okaa-sa~n, something's wrong with Otou-sa~n."

    The girl opened the door again and ran off as if the situation before her was beyond her understanding.

    I was the only one left in the room.

"... What... where is this...?"

    When I looked around the room again, I saw a completely unfamiliar place.

    The room was about six tatami mats with a single bed. I was sleeping on it.

    There was a TV in the back. I found a great deal of discomfort there.

"Eh... EEH, EEEH...!"

    I jumped up and ran over to the TV.

"I-It’s thin..."

    There was clearly a thin TV there, unlike the TV in 2007, when the CRT was still widespread.

"Eh, wait a minute, wait!"

    I look around the room again.

    The gaming hardware on the side of the TV was a PS4.

    Some software is lying aside. A localized version of a foreign RPG. A sandbox-type game that utilizes the world of DROQUES.

    All of them are "new games" that remain in the corner of my memory.

"Eh... EEH..."

    There was a brand new piece of hardware next to the PS4.

    Rather than hardware, it was more like a portable game console stuck in a dock. The compact exterior had the Jintendo logo on it.

    I couldn't find such hardware anywhere in my memory.

"What's...... this"

    I looked at the bookshelf. The bookshelves were lined with novels, but they were completely different from the reality I had been seeing lately.

    I had all the volumes of Zero-Ma, Asterisk, Haganai, and so on.

"T-Time... phone, phone"

    It wasn't in the pocket where it should have always been.

    Instead, there was a nostalgic silver tablet lying on the bed.

    I pick it up, and I'm surprised to drop it.

    High-definition icons were lined up on the entire screen.

"It's a smartphone..."

    I could see the icons of browsers and SNS that I hadn't seen for a while.

    Suddenly I started to feel unwell. My heart started racing and I felt like I was spinning around in front of my eyes.

    I can't grasp the situation. What is this, what's happening?

    All things point to one thing. But I was rejecting everything because I didn't want to admit it, or because I thought it couldn't be.

    There was a rattling noise.

    The door opened slowly.

"Maki-chan, what’s wrong? Otou-san is strange, you said, he is still here."

"Because Otou-san, he saw Maki earlier, and he didn't know ~?"

"Fufu, Otou-san, he is playing with Maki. A bad Otou-san ~"

    The girl from earlier and someone else came in together.

"Otou-san, good morning. You slept well. It's almost noon."

    The woman who smiled at me was someone I knew well.

    She is not very tall, but her chest is big.

    Her hair was short and neatly put together.

    The smile on her face was so cute, and the kind face she sometimes showed soothed everything.

    Yes, I remembered this girl very well.

    She looked exactly the same as the person I remembered, although she had become a little more calm.

"Otousa... Kyouya-kun, what's wrong?"

    The figure of Shino Aki was there.


Translator Notes: Somehow I can catch up with the anime. But for next, I will translate Ver. Î² first.