"Rock Rock Rock, change the world!"
After stepping out with Millie, she hummed a tune. The two walked along the road.
Alain gazed at the setting sun and the rising moon in the distance, then lowered his head to check the screen in his hand.
Just as he'd predicted, Millie's curiosity about reality was making the bug fix progress bar shoot up incredibly fast. A moment ago, having her help take out the living room trash and tidy up their little home, followed by giving her money to buy a skewer from a roadside stall, had boosted the progress bar by another 10%, reaching 35%—surpassing Misha's progress.
Now that they were outside, the progress bar climbed practically every second. Every few minutes, it would typically rise by 2% to 3%.
The reason for this…
"Hey! Bro. Look! The streetlights are on!"
Holding her skewer, she marveled at the towering giants of light, then gasped in shock at the cars slowly moving beneath the traffic signals.
"There are actually cars that drive this slowly?"
"......You've played too many racing games, haven't you? This isn't Los Santos."
Alain sighed helplessly. Every time Millie encountered something novel, the progress bar would inch upwards, bit by bit.
"Bro!"
Just then, Millie tugged at his sleeve.
Alain decided to just put his phone away and looked at her. "What's wrong?"
"Look!"
"?"
Following the girl's line of sight, beside the path they were walking, lay a long, narrow alley.
"Detective Alain. Don't you think this kind of road looks like a place where a crime might happen?" Millie tipped the brim of her cap lower.
Alain remained noncommittal. "I can walk in there with you, if you want."
"...?"
His words were met with a horrified stare, followed by the girl hugging her chest and taking a step back.
"...Alain?"
Alain felt her gaze fixated on him as if he were some treacherous villain about to turn on his own brother.
"Bro, why… are you being so nice to me the moment we step outside?" she asked warily, her eyes scanning Alain's clothes up and down.
"The usual bro would just pat my hat and lead me towards the main road. Acting like this......"
The girl narrowed her eyes. "It's like you're planning to push me down tonight."
...
Could Alain really say, "It's because I want to increase the progress bar"?
He sighed again, helpless. "The alley is also a shortcut to the department store. Go if you want, don't if you don't."
"Let's go! This kind of alley has a real superhero vibe! Besides…" Millie narrowed her eyes, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips. "I'm not just going in out of boredom. It's because I discovered… there's a fierce creature inside."
"?"
...
Although he didn't quite grasp what the cryptic girl was getting at, the moment they stepped into the alley, a blast of darkness and cold wind hit them, making Alain shiver slightly.
He checked his phone; Millie's progress bar had hit 40%.
Things were going almost too smoothly, making Alain wonder if this damn reality was about to throw some kind of wrench into the works.
"This place is awesome!" The energetic girl's vibrant voice beside him cut through some of the gloom. "Any thugs around? Any thugs? Watch me take 'em down with one punch!"
"With that small frame of yours? Forget it."
"It's not that small." She patted her chest, which bounced twice like jelly.
Watching her gesture, Alain inwardly conceded, "Indeed."
He playfully pinched the two small horns on her hat. In return, the girl gave his stomach a light punch.
"No touching my hat!"
"I'll touch it."
As he continued teasing Millie about her hat, Alain's thoughts drifted.
Even if they did run into thugs, as long as he had the controller connection, combining Millie's gaming prowess with his own physical abilities, they could probably handle it.
Unseen by either of them, a pair of eyes watched their receding backs from the shadows.
It emerged from a corner, crouching low on all fours like a predator.
It was the king of this alley; any creature passing through its domain had to offer a costly tribute.
The hunter let out a low "Rurururu…" sound, a warning to the intruders in its territory.
But the pair ahead, still lost in their playful squabble, paid no heed to the hunter's warning.
Thus, the hunter commenced its first hunt of the night: it would teach these two clueless individuals exactly who ruled this alley.
Tilting its body, it advanced with steps as light as feathers, closing in on the backs of the man and woman.
Constantly searching for a weakness in its prey, it noticed the shorter figure on the right suddenly turn around, seemingly having sensed its presence.
Damn it!
It knew the moment to strike was now—it had to be now.
With an "Aow!" sound, it launched itself like a starving tiger, pouncing towards the girl.
Only to be swept into an embrace.
"Heehee~ I spotted you ages ago! Didn't expect you to walk right into my arms!"
The human female's arms felt like chains, binding the hunter, rendering it immobile.
But as the king of this alley, how could it surrender so easily?
It was just about to bite the finger extended towards it, to deliver its most profound warning.
Then, it saw the eyes of the male standing behind the female.
"? ? ?"
His eyes shone with a dark light, emanating from an existence… of a higher order than the hunter itself.
It was as if they silently conveyed: If you dare bite her, you're finished.
It had only encountered such a protective aura once before, from an otaku clutching an anime figure—the fierce devotion to shield his 2D beloved from any harm! And it was precisely that noble, knight-like otaku who, among all the passersby today, was the sole individual who hadn't offered the customary expensive tribute—dried fish.
"Meow~"
Even kings must eventually yield. But a temporary retreat isn't failure; it's merely the prelude to a greater victory.
At least, that's what the cat believed.
Alain observed the heartwarming scene: the girl gently scratching the neck of a large, plump orange cat with her fingertip, causing it to squint its eyes in pleasure.
"Aww~ You're so chubby, so cute." Millie turned to Alain, teasing, "Much cuter than someone I know."
"Careful, or I'll tease you back."
"Eh? Sorry…" She turned back, losing herself once more in the simple joy of petting the cat.
Alain watched the girl and the cat. Seriously, can a stray get this fat? Looks like it gets fed pretty well around here.
"Meow~ Meow~"
He'd been slightly concerned the stray might scratch the naive Millie, but it seemed his worries were unfounded.
"Do you really like cats?" he asked with a smile. "I remember that photo in your kitchen, wasn't there a cute cat in it?"
Hearing this, Millie shook her head. "Mita's file size is only a few gigs. How could it possibly support all sorts of miscellaneous things like this?"
"......I think it already supports quite a lot," Alain's lips twitched.
From romance, character raising, and daily life simulations…
To dismemberment, high-stakes chases, and interdimensional travel…
He wouldn't even be surprised if it had an FPS mode at this point… He no longer harbored any doubt that Mita could contain other completely unexpected elements.
"Anyway, the game doesn't have wonderful creatures like cats~"
The cat's adorable appearance, its soft fur rubbing against her, was melting Millie's heart.
"Here. Kitty~ Eat up."
She offered the last small piece of her skewer to the cat. A human-like golden glint flashed in its eyes as it snatched the treat and darted away.
Tribute, get! See you next time, two-legs! Meow meow meow meow—!
"Ah, it's gone…" Millie stood up, a little crestfallen.
"If I'd known, I would've given it to kitty later. How boring......"
She listlessly kicked a small stone, which skittered into the darkness with a 'pa-ta' sound.
Seeing her moping, Alain thought for a couple of seconds.
"We might move in the future. When we do, maybe we can think about getting a cat?"
"!" Her head snapped around, eyes sparkling like tiny stars.
"Wow! Bro, you're the best!"
The excited girl threw her arms around his shoulders in a hug.
Grinning broadly, she whispered, "Thank you~".
She hugged him again, bouncing on the spot with joy like a child who'd just been promised a long-desired toy.
After a moment, Millie released him and, as if hit by a wave of post-hug clarity, crouched down in a corner of the alley, overcome with regret.
"Ahhh… Ahhhh! What did I do?! What did I do?!" She looked up at Alain's utterly bewildered face.
"Did I… just hug you?"
"Yeah."
Upon confirmation, the remorse washing over Millie's face was akin to a certain Kasugano being caught red-handed during the Genkan Battle.
"Best friend, I've failed you! Boo hoo hoo, just one little cat destroyed the trust you placed in me!"
Alain remained silent. He was tempted to tell her that Misha had actually, sort of, agreed to him having a harem—though that had stemmed from him unintentionally teasing Misha… Millie's mindset was surprisingly innocent.
Despite her unreliable appearance, her actions revealed a rather conservative girl at heart.
"He's clearly… clearly my best friend's boyfriend, and she's so sick in bed, yet I did something like that to bro......"
"Boyfriend?"
Although Misha's condition genuinely worried him, Alain didn't think they were officially a couple yet.
He hadn't even confessed his feelings.
"How did you arrive at that conclusion? That we're boyfriend and girlfriend."
"Isn't it obvious?" Millie assumed Alain was just trying to console her and stood up.
"The chemistry you two had fighting the crazy Mita, or how naturally you two flirted back in my room—it all points to it!"
The girl stretched languidly, seemingly shaking off the melancholy of "betraying her best friend." Then, looking at Alain, she grasped the reason behind his question.
"Wait a second… Don't tell me, you and best friend aren't actually a couple yet?"
"Right." Alain nodded.
But it probably won't be long now, he added silently. He had indeed been feeling a growing urge lately to marry Misha. She was virtuous, they had great chemistry, she was good at managing a home, and her looks were undeniable. A true Yamato Nadeshiko—daring, decisive, and ready to fight.
"Oho, oho......"
Millie seemed to be drifting back towards some dubious line of thought.
Alain decided to cut it short, taking her hand again and continuing towards the department store.
For a while, they walked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
Alain opened the Security Guard's progress bar again.
Following the "cat incident," Millie's bug fix progress had reached 65%. He had successfully unlocked a skill called [Parry].
[Parry: Usable only in controller mode. Raise the greatsword to enter an invincible state for one second. No other actions can be performed during this period. If an attack is successfully blocked, immediately counterattack. Usable once per mission]
This skill… feels like something out of an RPG, doesn't it? Has a bit of that Japanese Western fantasy vibe.
No… it should have Millie's vibe.
But it lacked a "cooldown." The Security Guard system had hard-coded it as a once-per-mission ability.
Another very useful, yet precious, skill. He wondered if combining it with [Memory Optimization] would allow for a second use.
Speaking of which, the skill description mentioned [Counterattack after defense]… could he potentially counter not with a weapon, but with his… hands?
Alain pictured the aggressive Mita as his opponent. Use the greatsword to [Parry] her attack, and then, use his hands… to thoroughly bully her.
Yeah, that sounds pretty good.
"Bro, I've got it!" At his side, Millie, whose hand he was holding, announced she'd reached a conclusion, tugging on his shirt.
"What kind of pervy thing did you think up this time?"
"It's not like that! Bro, what do you take me for?"
The indignant girl puffed up her cheeks, making Alain wonder: Would they deflate if I poked them?
His body acted on instinct: he reached out a finger and poked her cheek.
Sure enough, with a soft "puu" sound and a tiny puff of air escaping her lips, it was like popping a balloon.
Millie lost her composure.
"Bro, teasing me again!" The girl felt her dignity had been challenged. "Taste my revenge—Propeller!"
Millie started rotating her arm at the elbow, their linked hands swinging in continuous circles between them.
"Hahaha! How about that?! Your arm's getting sore, right?!"
"Indeed." Alain made it a habit to exercise regularly.
"No! Bro changed the subject again!"
Millie's hand, still held by Alain, settled back down naturally, as if the propeller incident never happened.
"Alain."
Millie spoke with uncharacteristic directness and gravity, stepping quickly in front of him, forcing him to halt.
"As compensation for my meddling in your relationship with best friend just now, I've decided something!"
Alain felt a sense of déjà vu; this seemed similar to something that happened when Misha first arrived in this world.
"You've decided to finally break down the walls of our 'bro' relationship and pursue an illicit affair with me?"
"Pfft, pfft, pfft! Of course not, how could I do that?" She recognized Alain's teasing tone, wagged a finger clad in a thick glove back and forth.
"I… have decided… to help you confess to best friend!"
Millie offered a slight, mischievous smile, tugged his hand, and resumed walking towards the mall, swinging their joined hands playfully.
"Bro, you like best friend… Misha, right?"
"Yes."
"So… so straightforward…" The girl took a tiny step back before continuing, "I can tell best friend really likes you too. Your relationship… it probably just needs one good date to reach the next level naturally!"
Alain fell silent. Based on his vast knowledge gleaned from the 2D world:
Taking on the role of 'confession helper,' like Millie was doing now, often made that person the most susceptible to falling in love themselves.
But this is reality, he reminded himself. It probably won't be that dramatic.
As for the confession itself, there didn't seem to be anything inherently wrong with the idea.
"Okay, I'll leave it in your hands."
"Alright! Don't worry—leave it to me!" She gave Alain's shoulder a firm, reassuring pat.
Afterwards, they roughed out a preliminary timeline for the plan: likely during their next return to reality, Millie and Alain would first scout out the location for the confession date. Millie would provide Alain with various tips and suggestions from a female perspective.
The moment Alain asked Misha out, the charge would begin, led by Alain himself.
"Paladin—Alain, will utterly rout Misha!" was Millie's enthusiastic declaration.
Having discussed the basic plan, Alain checked the bug fix progress bar again.
The results were highly encouraging: the bar had jumped straight from 65% to 75%. He had earned the opportunity to purchase [720 Cloud Restore Once] from the Security Guard store.
In simple terms, it was a one-time resurrection. Quite fitting, considering the dangers inherent in Mita…
However, he needed to spend points to acquire this single-use revival skill. The system explicitly stated that the resurrection skill could not be recharged, meaning [Memory Optimization] wouldn't work on it.
He still wanted it desperately.
The item cost 99 points—exactly all the points Alain had available, excluding those potentially needed for Millie's [Identity] item.
This has to be a calculated ploy by the system to drain my points…
Naturally, Alain placed the order without a second thought. Having an extra life would certainly provide a greater sense of security when entering the game next time.
A romance simulation game making me crave an extra life… feels really weird.
He could hazard a guess regarding the rapid progress bar increase: agreeing to Millie's request to help with the confession likely served as an indirect catalyst for growth.
With about half an hour remaining before they had to return, Alain decided to make a final push to max out the progress bar.
They left the alley, crossed the main road, and soon arrived at the mall. After purchasing sanitary pads and other feminine products, he also picked out some small clothing items for Millie. At one point, Millie playfully shooed him away and dashed off to another section of the mall, her purpose unknown.
Finally, before they had to leave, he took her to the arcade.
Watching Millie, completely absorbed and laughing amidst the flashing, colorful screens, a faint smile touched Alain's lips.
But when he glanced down at his phone, his brow furrowed in concern.
Millie's progress bar hadn't budged.
It was still stuck at 75%.
Alain was baffled. It felt as though there was something… something he didn't know, hindering Millie's further adaptation to the real world.
On the walk back, their hands remained unconsciously clasped together.
From the corner of her eye, Millie studied the silent Alain, who seemed lost in thought.
She let out a soft sigh, genuinely looking forward to Misha's upcoming confession date.
She murmured to herself, her voice barely a whisper,
"Best friend, meeting such a good player… you have to grasp this precious happiness. After all…"
Millie glanced towards their small home in the real world, towards the light shining from Misha's bedroom window.
"One Mita can only have one player."
She tightened her grip on Alain's hand.
"Because Mita… is a one-on-one romance game."
______
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