Pandora of Fantasy And Reality Chapter 121

Tightrope Walking

『The punishment is login ban for one week. Do you understand?』

It was a business-like conversation.

Mariela nodded slightly while keeping her gaze fixed on the floor. And then she was pulled back to reality.

She took off her headset and found that it still wasn’t the usual time when she would usually wake up.

The sun had just started rising outside the window.

Mariela――Yakumo wordlessly placed her headset beside her before hugging her legs and burying her face on her knees.

She recalled the last words that Ponsuke said.

「……He won’t get involved with us anymore he said」

Yakumo lifted up her face. Her expression was one of a terrible despair.

She looked at the clock and noticed that it wasn’t her usual waking time.

She looked at the calendar and saw that today was a holiday and she had part-time work.

The girl who did other shift was taking a day off. It irritated Yakumo when she heard that, but now she didn’t feel anything at all.

She slowly got up from her bed and headed toward the kitchen without even changing clothes.

She was living in female dormitory, so she found her junior in the kitchen making a boxed lunch. She was whistling while making the food for her boyfriend.

Yesterday she made Yakumo helped her out to make some side dishes that she was placing in the boxed lunch right now.

「Ah, senpai good mor――hih!」

「……Good morning. I’m borrowing this.」

The junior who was giving a greeting was taken aback when she saw the thing in Yakumo’s hand.

She sensed Yakumo’s strange atmosphere. She was also worried with how bad Yakumo’s complexion was.

「A-are you going to cook senpai? Or rather, your complexion is really bad. I think it’ll be better if you take a rest. Ah, I mean if you go to hospital!」

Yakumo’s junior said that she better went to the hospital. In respond Yakumo smiled at her.

That smile looked terribly lonely for some reason.

「I’m fine. Also, I’m not going to use the kitchen. ……Get along with your boyfriend okay?」

Yakumo bought the kitchen knife some time ago when she started cooking on her own.

It got reviewed as having sharp edge that cut really well. The price was also just right.

Yakumo decided to buy one because it seemed just right.

Yakumo turned around to return to her room. Her junior called out to her.

「S-senpai? You seem odd for some reason today. U-umm, did something happen?」

Yakumo looked back.

「It’s nothing. I’m fine. I have part-time work today, so I’m just going to prepare for it now.」

「Y-you don’t need knife for that」

Yakumo returned to her room to prepare.

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Morning.

Alfie……Maya who had just gotten told that she was banned from logging in for a week got called by her parents.

They were sitting face to face with a table between them. There wasn’t a conversation but scolding.

Maya was looking down with a pale face. In contrast her parents were highly strung and wouldn’t calm down. The reason was――.

「Maya-san, listen when your parents are talking!」

The mother slapped the table. She only planned to place her hand on the table, but her high tension turned it into a slap that made a loud sound.

On the table were various documents like photos and reports. There were pictures of Maya and Akito among them.

The father crossed his arms and pretended to be calm.

「……You two look really close in the picture. I can’t believe that you would wear such small swimsuit and staying in a hotel with a boy. It’s shameful.」

Her parents had investigated about Akito.

Maya didn’t say anything and picked up that photo.

It was a photo when she accidentally almost fell and ended up grabbing Akito’s hand in great timing.

Her finger traced the part where their hands were connected.

Her father continued talking.

「It was a mistake leaving this matter to that guy. I thought of giving you freedom but, if that made you chose this kind of man then arranged marriage would be better for you. In addition there was also that matter with the police involvement……」

He was speaking ill of Akito, but Maya wasn’t istening at all.

There were marriage interview photos on the table.

Her mother continued the talk.

「He is quite older than you, even so he come from a good family and he’s also working in a great company.」

The man was at the latter half of his twenty.

But, Maya wasn’t interested.

「The marriage interview will be soon. Marry this man and join his household after you graduate. Good grief……even though we were planning to send you to university.」

Maya was highly talented.

Her talent was to a degree that she was called elite.

That was why her parents too planned to send her to a good university.

They would also be fine with sending her to study abroad. With that they planned to give her more prestige so they could find even better husband for her.

But for her to get into relationship with a mediocre person like Akito……her parents wouldn’t accept that.

Her mother covered her face with her hands.

「If possible I wanted you to marry with a man from even better family with more splendid job, and yet」

She was crying because the current Maya could only get a man in the marriage interview photo as marriage partner.

The father rubbed the mother’s back.

「This marriage interview is just like an introduction between you two but, prepare yourself for that. Also, this marriage is already a done deal.」

Maya’s shoulders shook slightly when she heard the word marriage, but she replied to her parents.

「I……understand.」

She kept looking down so her parents couldn’t see her expression. Then she stood up and left the room.

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After Maya left the room, the father looked at the documents on the table and sighed.

「I can’t believe that she would get mixed with good-for-nothing man like this.」

The mother was enraged.

「This is why I didn’t want her to enroll at the school where you’re working as director! We can still think about it if the person is an adequate student with bright future. But, a boy like this……」

A document that was displaying Akito’s information in a graph was showing that all of his talents were average.

The document was from before he enrolled into high school.

「I know. I’m also thinking to change their class at the second semester.」

「Please just expel him! If that’s not possible then please transfer Maya to other school! I don’t want our daughter’s future to be ruined from something like this.」

The father said 「Transfer is impossible. But expulsion is also difficult」. It was then a servant came from the kitchen in panic.

The mother looked at the servant.

「What’s with the ruckus!?」

The woman wearing an apron bowed her head.

「My deepest apologies! Umm……one of the knives is gone from the kitchen. Everyone is searching for it right now.」

The father looked dissatisfied.

「Don’t make a ruckus just because of a single knife! Also this is the responsibility of you guys who can’t manage them properly. Good grief……we don’t have time for such triviality right now!」

Usually they would act with more composure, but Maya’s case was causing the two to be touchy.

That was why they missed it when the servant said 「U-umm, but the young lady was seen at the kitchen before the knife disappeared」.

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Lighter……Jun opened his eyes and hurriedly made a call.

「Aa, it’s me. ……So this one is also no good huh.」

He kept trying to make a call but, the eight people wouldn’t pick up the call no matter what.

There was also no reply even when he called out to them from the exclusive chat room for the guild members.

Jun was getting cold sweat from worry because the girl who went into a rampage because of Akito couldn’t be contacted.

Now he was contacting Blaze――Naoto.

『I can’t leave my work right now. There are guild members who are free right now, but there aren’t many.』

The members of their guild were quite busy in real life.

It was great that all of them were hard workers in real world, but the problem was at the present.

「We have to manage somehow. There might be dead person for real if we don’t hurry and find them.」

Jun spat out after the talk was finished.

「Dammit! That bastard SOLOLY, he has really done it now!」

SOLOLY’s chat in the chat room was.

『Sowwy.』

Like that. It also had the illustration of someone sticking their tongue while slapping their head attached.

It seemed to be word of apology in a way that provoked the anger of the other person that people in the past sometimes used.

It irritated Jun greatly.

「Because of him my friend’s daughter is about to step on the wrong path――what?」

Someone was calling him.

The caller was Maya’s father.

「Hello?」

『It’s me.』

「Yeah, I know. Or rather, why are you calling me this early――no, good timing!」

Jun immediately asked about Maya but,

「……M-marriage interview!?」

『Just for formality. I’ll marry her right after she graduate. There’s no changing this decision.』

The inside of Jun’s head was working in full drive.

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Maya getting told to marry a man she will meet in marriage interview

↓

Despair.

↓

She stab Akito.

↓

She’ll still stab him even without the marriage interview. She’ll stab anyone who get in her way.

↓

Dying together.

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This was the woman who turned the sightseeing area into a sea of flame.

He could easily imagine her doing anything based on how she looked at that time.

「Y-you stupid idiot」

『This is your fault too! I’m the one who is shocked. For her to get deceived by that kind of man……』

「Stu~pid, stuuupid, stu---pidddd!」

『O-oi, what’s with you?』

Jun took a deep breath before talking to Maya’s father.

「More importantly, how did Maya-chan react?」

『Her reaction? N-now that you mentioned it……when I showed her the marriage interview photo, she was looking pale. How should I say it, she looked listless……well, it was only natural. She must have realized just how big she had messed up then.』

(That, you might be right that she is definitely depressed but……no, this is that Maya-chan we’re talking about. That Maya-chan who turned the sightseeing area into sea of flame!)

『Ah, wait a second. ……What? You still can’t find it? I’m busy right now so talk to me later. ――I’m sorry. It was my servant.』

「Did something happen?」

『No, it’s nothing. They just can’t find a kitchen knife since this morning. Good grief, they should be more careful.』

Jun thought.

(Isn’t this situation really bad? What should I do!? Maya-chan and knife……the conclusion is already clear to see!)

While Jun was panicking, his wife knocked the door and called out to him.

「Dear, it’s time. You have an important meeting today aren’t you?」

『Y-yhess!』

Jun replied with a shrill voice. He cleared his throat.

「Listen well, just don’t do anything stupid for now. Also, don’t do anything to Ponsuke――to that boy. You get it, absolutely don’t do anything stupid!」

『Is that boy your acquaintance? There’s no way you two have any point of contact. Or rather, do you think I can just stay quiet after things become like this?』

It’s your daughter that had done all the horrible things, Jun almost spoke back like that.

He took a deep breath.

「Anyway don’t do anything to him. You got it?」

Jun said that and ended the call. Then he left behind a chat in the exclusive chat room for the guild members.

『Someone help. Guild master is going to die』

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At the part-time workplace.

The break time had ended five minutes ago, but the male middle school student was still chatting with his friends through his smartphone in the back office.

「And you know, that guy is so easy. He looked like an old man but, he’s showering me with presents even though I’m a GIRL. The requirement to marry is that your friendship meter need to be at certain level remember. ――Yeah, that! Thanks to that I’m getting a ton of high level female equipments. I can’t stop laughing. I’ll wait a bit more before remaking my avatar back to male, but before that I’m going to earn a lot as “Ai-chan”.」

The friend at the other side could be heard cackling.

「Part-time work? No, it’s the worst here. There is a high school hag here but, she’s so bossy even though her look is passable. Aa~aa, working part-time at summer vacation is just the worst.」

Student who entered high school could work part-time as a form of learning about the world.

Middle school student working part-time during summer vacation was so they could have prior experience for that.

This boy participated in such program because he wanted money. He planned to use all the money he earned from this for prepaid card……to buy paid items for game.

But before that, he used female avatar to have male player showered him with rare items, and then after he got his pay from the part-time job, he would remake his avatar and then bought a ton of paid items.

「Today? Yeah, that hag is here but……how should I say it, she’s hard to approach. She’s doing her job quietly but, she doesn’t react even when I talk to her. That’s why I’m killing time like this at the back.」

The boy finished his call, then he received a message from the player who he married.

「Uwah, there’s already message from him.」

The message was about their plan after they logged in next time.

「Err~. 『I’m also happy. Let’s clear that quest together dear』 and sent.」

After he sent that reply, another message immediately came but――.

「Spare me already.」

The middle school boy was annoyed.

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At Akito’s apartment.

Maya kept pushing the intercom’s buttom.

After ten minutes, twenty minutes had passed.

A student in his casual wear came out from the adjacent room.

He was a male student who went to the same school with Akito.

「Eh, isn’t this the student council president? If you’re looking for the guy living there then he already went out since morning while carrying a bag.」

Maya thanked the boy for the information.

「Thank you very much. Then, I’ll take my leave.」

The boy was taken aback when he saw Maya’s appearance.

Maya’s outfit looked somewhat like a casual wear for at home. She was also only wearing slippers. It wasn’t like he thought it was a problem because it was summer, but the problem was her right hand.

The male student wiped his cold sweat after Maya left.

「W-why is she walking around with a kitchen knife? Eh? Could it be she and the guy in that room is…? B-but, there was that red haired woman who came here this morning」

The cicadas were chirping in this season.

The weather was hot and humid, and yet the male student was trembling from fear since the morning.

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Night.

Akito came to his part-time workplace.

He came here to meet Yakumo.

「Hmm~, I asked Riku for advice but……I wonder if this is really okay?」

He met Riku at morning and talked with him.

They got excited talking about the destruction of the sightseeing area, but the problem was after that.

Riku advised Akito with a serious face.

It seemed that Riku too didn’t know about the multiple marriage.

He apologized, saying that he wouldn’t recommend that kind of solution if only he knew about that.

Now then, while Akito was waiting in front of the workplace, he sensed a presence behind him and turned around.

Standing there with a tired expression――was Maya.

She was hiding her right hand behind her back.

「Ah, president―I mean, Maya.」

Akito waved his hand. Maya approached him with a smile.

Then the supermarket’s door opened and Yakumo also came out.

「Senpai! Err, nice timing. Can we talk?」

Yakumo smiled and nodded. Then the three moved to a nearby park.

There wasn’t anybody else in the park.

Akito bought some juices. He handed them to Yakumo and Maya before he sat down on the bench too.

The two girls were sitting on the same bench at Akito’s sides.

The two of them were listening to Akito’s words smilingly.

「Umm, I’m really sorry for today. I didn’t say anything to you two because someone told me it would make things troublesome if I did that. I planned to tell you two about it later, that it’s only a marriage for increasing status.」

Maya was smiling.

「……It’s alright. It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m sorry “Ponsuke”. I was the one in the wrong.」

Akito felt relieved.

「Thank god. Aa, but I’m also at fault here so please don’t feel bad about it. And, I want to discuss something with you two.」

Yakumo was also smiling.

「Yep, tell us anything. But, I too have a request that I want you to hear.」

Akito tilted his head but he then nodded.

「If it’s something I can do then I don’t mind.」

Akito felt like he could see something that had dull glint at a position that was outside his sight, but he guessed that it was just an accessory or something and paid it no mind.

Perhaps he would notice if the two were letting out more killing intent. But, what the two were harboring was……something that surpassed killing intent.

「Umm~, I don’t know how to say this……I’m afraid you two will get angry. Or rather, you two might feel put off hearing this.」

Yakumo nodded with a smile.

「It’s fine. If it’s now I will be able to accept anything. That’s why, try saying it.」

Maya was also the same. She was sticking closely to Akito.

「That’s right. We have been together all this time haven’t we? And we will be together forever from now on too.」

The park had lamps, but the place was still dimly lit.

Perhaps Akito would be able to see the darkness in their eyes if the place was brighter.

「I-is that so? Well, that’s good to hear. Then――」

The two moved their respective hand from positions that were outside of Akito’s sight.

「――You two! Please marry me!」

The two were shocked. And then light instantly returned into their eyes.

There were sounds of metal hitting the ground. That sound echoed through the park.

It was a sound that was out of place in this park that was filled with insect chirping.

「Eh? Why are there kitchen knives here?」

Ponsuke looked at the two kitchen knives back and forth. Then he looked at Yakumo and Maya who were now on their feet.

The two of them were crying.

「I-I’m sorry, “Ponsuke”――I, I!」

「What’s wrong senpai!? Ah, could it be you hate it? I-I’m sorry. Err, this is――」

「I don’t hate it. I really don’t hate it! I……my eyes are opened now.」

Yakumo grasped Akito’s hand.

Maya hugged Ponsuke’s back.

「Ponsuke……thank you. Thank you so much! Let’s be happy no matter what okay?」

「Y-yes? I’m happy that you two accept but……eh, is it okay? It’s polygamy you know?」

Yakumo wiped her tears.

「Who cares about that. I’m fine with anything as long as I can marry with Ponsuke.」

Maya was also the same.

「Yeah. That kind of legal matter is meaningless for our relationship.」

Akito tilted his head but…….

(Is it alright if they themselves accept it? Well, it’s just in game anyway. I guess they had also heard about the multiple marriage system so I guess it’s fine? More importantly, why are there kitchen knives here?)

He himself had been told about it by the information broker, so the other guild members should have also heard about it.

Ponsuke was thinking like that.

(Well, I’ll be treated like trash if I suggest polygamy IRL. In the first place no girl will consider such thing so there’s also no way there can be a misunderstanding.)

Ponsuke had managed to survive……just barely when he was truly just a hair’s breadth from death.

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