The school campus in the dream was not as vibrant as reality. Everyone seemed to be faintly shrouded in a mist, making their faces blurry. But in every story, there are protagonists, and protagonists have unique characteristics.
Kasumigaoka Utaha believed she was the protagonist of the dream for a simple reason: everyone else's face was blurry, like mere background characters. She had seen Sayuka's face in a mirror, and it looked exactly like her own.
Utaha was initially uninterested in this world; Sayuka's personality and life story were identical to hers. Even the high school setting didn't hold much appeal. The only reason she cared about this dream was the presence of one person. This recurring, special dream felt like a completely alien world, yet it contained someone whose voice, silhouette, and even manner of speaking were strikingly similar to a person in her real life. Through repeated encounters, her sense of déjà vu grew stronger, and curiosity drove her to lift the mist from that person's face.
Thump-thump-thump.
The sound of hurried footsteps arrived.
"Sorry, I'm late, Sayuka." Hiratsuka Ryosuke saw the girl waiting for him at the school gate and apologized. Although the girl's face was completely indistinct, the multiple colors on her clothes made her stand out significantly in the otherwise monochromatic dream world. Combined with the name Sayuka popping into his mind the first time he entered the dream, Ryosuke knew she must be the heroine of this world.
He hadn't known much about anime or manga at first, but Eri's continuous crash course for his light novel writing had never stopped. His knowledge base was far from that of a novice now. Following the playbook of a Galgame, this was clearly the Sayuka route. Since this was a rare opportunity for an immersive dating sim experience, which would also help his future writing, Ryosuke decided to complete the route.
The boy's voice was unique, always reminding Kasumigaoka Utaha of the student she'd met on the train platform in reality. Today, her curiosity could no longer be contained, and she planned to use her own method to probe him.
"Naoto-kun, do you know Haruki Murakami?" Kasumigaoka Utaha asked. Seeing no reaction, she called out softly again, "Naoto-kun?"
"Ah, yes, I do. The famous author who's been nominated for the Nobel Prize multiple times." Ryosuke only realized she was calling him when Kasumigaoka Utaha spoke the second time.
Hmm, Ryosuke thought to himself. Based on their past interactions and this new question, he had already labeled the girl in front of him. Sayuka was a long-haired literature girl, one of the classic Galgame archetypes. Is asking this question going to trigger some event?
Kasumigaoka Utaha's beautiful brows furrowed with confusion. As she spoke Haruki Murakami's name, she repeatedly conjured his image in her mind. Yet, the outline of the boy in front of her remained unchanged, and the mist didn't dissipate at all.
Kasumigaoka Utaha paused, and a flash of inspiration hit her. Characters in a game are essentially collections of tags. Things like "rich blonde tsundere girl" or "cunning junior devil" are all tag collections. Since this was her dream, why not be bolder?
The most familiar male peer in her real life was her online friend, Teacher Ryou, whom she'd encountered once by chance. While Utaha wasn't a girl who judged by looks, his face had certainly left a deep impression. Since this was her dream, she would directly construct his image.
As Utaha mentally superimposed Ryosuke's real-life face onto Naoto, she noticed the mist around the boy in front of her faintly thinning. It actually works? To personally construct a character's image in a virtual world was like being a creator. Does Teacher Ryou think like this when he writes novels?
When she continued to visualize Ryosuke's real-life appearance, the mist only dissipated to a certain point and then stopped. When she tried to say "Teacher Ryou" or even his real name, Hiratsuka Ryosuke, she found she couldn't make a sound. Kasumigaoka Utaha thought to herself, It seems I can't conjure a real person from nothing just with looks and a name.I'll have to use another method, then—completing the character's profile from other angles.
Kasumigaoka Utaha continued, "By the way, are you a member of any club?"
Hiratsuka Ryosuke was a little bewildered. Why is the topic jumping so much? He was just about to continue the literature discussion. The standard approach should be for him to show off his knowledge to the girl, increase her favorability, and then for the heroine to invite him on a date to the library or a bookstore, right? Their previous meetings had been fairly standard. What's going on now? Why isn't Sayuka following the script today?
Ryosuke entered this dream with no information other than the name Sayuka, so he had to figure everything out on his own. Well, since this is a dream, I'll just use my real-life background.
"I've already joined the Kendo Club, and I'm the vice-captain now."
As soon as he said this, Ryosuke himself felt nothing. But in Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes, the mist around the boy dissipated even more, and his silhouette became clearer than before. Kasumigaoka Utaha was secretly delighted. She completely understood now. Her earlier attempt to visualize Haruki Murakami hadn't worked because she had initially applied the "Ryou" tag to him. Haruki Murakami did not equal Ryou, so the mist didn't dissipate. Things that the character says about himself cause the mist to dissipate faster and the character's image to build up more quickly.
Kasumigaoka Utaha thought to herself: The first step is to fully construct the image of Teacher Ryou, and the next is to construct the entire world. She was the creator of this dream. This major discovery must be recorded properly after I wake up. Maybe adapting it into a novel wouldn't be a bad idea, either?
With her goal set, Utaha used the information she had gathered in reality to continue probing the person in front of her. "Have you considered participating in any tournaments in the future? Like the Gyokuryūki, for example?"
"Ah, I've already participated in that one," Ryosuke replied seriously. Since he had decided to use his real-life background, he might as well go all the way. His achieving the Fighting Spirit Award at the Gyokuryūki wasn't a secret, especially with his childhood friend's enthusiastic promotion—he was even trending somewhat.
Ryosuke started to doubt himself. Was I wrong before? Is Sayuka not a literature girl, but a Kendo girl? Her thought process is a little scattered today.But it's fine. Thanks to Teacher Kashiwagi Eri's tutelage, I've played similar games.The next step should be to take Sayuka to the Kendo Club, open up a new map. Then, teach her Kendo, creating physical contact and an ambiguous atmosphere, and finally help the girl grow and achieve her goals.Ah, that familiar flavor. Thank you, Eri.
While Ryosuke was still fantasizing about what to do after clearing this route, three blurry figures of delinquent students suddenly appeared around the corner. The delinquents approached the two, hands in their pockets, and called out with a characteristic lisp, "Hey, you two, the guy and the girl over there, how about lending us some money?"
Both individuals believed this was their own personal dream. Therefore, instead of panicking at the sight of the delinquents demanding money, they felt like complaining.
What kind of third-rate, trashy light novel trope is this?