As I said earlier, I'm speed-running this. If you find any errors, comment under the particular paragraph and I'll fix them.
Special shout out to Sumeragi, Ryo25 and all of you who provide images in the comments as well as the general thank yous for the chapters. Even the stones, we might not be making it to the rankings any more but I'm proud to see that this book has over 7k collections. Of course, only a fraction is following the book faithfully. I'm humbled nonetheless.
Happy reading!!
****
Observing the genuine, touched expression on little Kirino's face, Hozuki Nozomi allowed a faint, knowing smile to curve his lips. The rapport was establishing itself beautifully.
"Kirino, I think I understand your situation now," he began, his tone gentle and summarizing. "To put it simply, you have a deep affection for the sister characters in games and anime. You find them incredibly endearing, and that's why you've collected all these titles. But you've had to keep this passion a secret from your family and from Ayase. Carrying that secret alone has been a heavy burden, making you feel isolated and uncomfortable. Am I right?"
"Yes! Yes, that's exactly it!" Kosaka Kirino nodded rapidly, her relief at being so perfectly understood palpable.
"So… what should I do?" she continued, her earlier enthusiasm dimming slightly as a more practical worry surfaced. "And then there's Ayase… Wuu… Ayase super hates otaku. I don't know if we can even stay friends now…" She lowered her head, her shoulders slumping with dejection.
"I believe it's possible," Nozomi countered, his voice infused with calm optimism. "As I mentioned earlier, the mainstreaming of virtual reality technology is going to normalize a lot of these subcultures. Common knowledge will shift. Ayase's prejudice isn't baseless, of course. Not all otaku are as… pure in their appreciation as you are, Kirino. Some individuals, deeply dissatisfied with reality, retreat entirely into fantasy. And in rare, tragic cases, that disconnect can lead to harmful actions."
He paused, his expression softening into one of sincere contrition. "And… I want to apologize to you here, Kirino. If it weren't for me bringing that book today, you wouldn't have been forced to reveal your hobby. I've caused a crisis in your friendship with Ayase. For that, I truly feel responsible."
"No! You can't blame yourself, Nozomi Oni-chan!" Kirino looked up, her eyes wide with earnestness. "It was me who couldn't hold my composure. Besides… I think Ayase would have found out eventually. In a way, it's good it happened now. Even though the thought of losing Ayase's friendship is unbearable, it was also painful to keep hiding such a big part of myself from her." She took a shaky breath. "Now that she knows, I feel awful and scared… but there's also a part of me that's relieved. At least I don't have to keep lying to my best friend anymore."
Hozuki Nozomi felt a flicker of genuine surprise at her mature, self-aware response. Kirino wasn't just a tsundere caricature. This nuanced understanding was… unexpectedly cute. Was it because he was her first true confidant in this matter that she was opening her heart so completely? The feeling of being trusted so implicitly was deeply satisfying.
He met her gaze, his own turning serious and purposeful. "I'll help you with Ayase. A friendship as strong as yours shouldn't be broken by something like this. In fact, Kirino… why not try to bring Ayase into the circle?"
"Huh? Bring someone who hates otaku… into being one?" Kirino blinked, dubious.
"How do you know it's impossible without trying?" Nozomi replied with a confident smile. "But first, for easier coordination, let's exchange contact information."
"Okay!"
And just like that, Kirino-chan's personal phone number was securely in his possession.
"Ahem, back to the main topic," Nozomi continued, seamlessly guiding the conversation. "Kirino-chan, if hiding your hobby alone is too difficult, the solution is simple: find people who share it! And of course, I'll always be a friend you can talk to about this."
Kosaka Kirino nodded vigorously, but a practical question remained. "But… how do I find people like that?"
"The internet is your friend. There are dedicated chat groups and forums. You can join one and try chatting anonymously. As long as you're careful and don't arrange offline meets, you can speak freely there."
Following his own advice, he guided her to her computer and helped her search for an appropriate community. Soon, they found and joined a specific group. The group owner's name was 'Saori Bajeena,' and among the members, a familiar handle stood out: 'Fallen Saint Black Cat.'
No mistake, Nozomi thought. This is the very group she joined in the original timeline.
"There you go, Kirino. You're in. You can start communicating with them whenever you like." He leaned back from the desk. "We still have some time now… how about you teach me how to play one of these Meruru games? You've probably heard the official studio is interested in collaborating with my circle. While I'm familiar with the Meruru anime, I haven't spent much time with the actual games."
Hearing his request, Kosaka Kirino's eyes lit up with immediate, infectious excitement. "I can do that! But… we should start with Sister's Beckoning Call! If you want to truly appreciate Meruru's charm, you have to begin with the ultimate sister experience!"
Hozuki Nozomi's expression turned momentarily strange. The way she phrased that… 'Play with the ultimate sister'… sounds a bit questionable. But seeing Kirino's uncontainable eagerness, he naturally didn't want to dampen her spirits. "Lead the way," he agreed.
With practiced efficiency, Kirino unpacked the game disc, loaded it, and navigated to the start screen. A moment later, a charming, sleep-rumpled anime girl with large, innocent eyes appeared. Her nightclothes were slightly askew, revealing a delicate shoulder.
Game text scrolled alongside:[Your adorable little sister, Hoshimi Sayu, looks at you with drowsy eyes. It is morning.[Facing the sister who has crawled into your bed, you…]]
Three options materialized at the bottom of the screen:
[1: Gently stroke her hair and say, "Good morning."[2: Lean down, kiss her forehead, stroke her hair, and pull her close to sleep a little longer.[3: Kick your sister off the bed, complaining she's too clingy.]
With control of the mouse, Hozuki Nozomi considered for a bare second before clicking decisively on option three.
Thump.
The screen immediately faded to black, displaying a GAME OVER message. A short cutscene played, showing the sister kneeling on the floor, tears brimming in her huge eyes. "Oni-chan… wuu wuu wuu… why? Does Sayu… disgust you that much?"
"AAAAH! What did you do?!" Kosaka Kirino practically screeched, snatching the mouse back. She whirled on him, her cheeks puffed out in a spectacular pout. "How could you just kick her off the bed?! Look how sad she is!"
Nozomi merely chuckled, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "I was conducting an experiment. I wanted to see if that choice led to a unique continuation or triggered a hidden CG. And look, we got a 'crying sister' CG, didn't we?"
"Even so! Kicking your sister is fundamentally wrong!" Kirino huffed, though she couldn't entirely hide a flicker of data-collector's interest at the mention of a new CG. She reluctantly handed the mouse back. "Fine. Start over. And this time, no more 'experiments'! I am seriously guiding you!"
"Yes, yes, ma'am. I'll play properly this time."
What followed was a masterclass in efficient visual novel navigation. Hozuki Nozomi proceeded to blaze through several different games, securing the optimal, 'perfect happiness' endings in each one with unnerving speed.
Staring at the flawless ending CG gallery now unlocked, Kosaka Kirino looked at him with utter disbelief. "You… you're sure you've never played these before?"
"Today was my first time. The logic seems straightforward: consistently choose the options that prioritize your sister's happiness. Once you grasp that pattern, it's simple." Of course, there were other, more dramatic or tragic endings, but the 'sister's happiness' route was clearly the one Kirino valued most, so he'd tailored his playthrough accordingly.
Emboldened, Kirino pulled out several more titles for him to try. She watched him play with even more fervor than she displayed when playing herself, offering commentary and gasping at close calls. It was just…
Whenever a scene with even mild fanservice appeared—a suggestive camera angle, a suggestive line of dialogue—Kosaka Kirino would instantly flush scarlet, her hands flying up to cover her own eyes as she instructed him, "Don't look! Skip it! Skip it right now!"
Hozuki Nozomi found her reaction immensely amusing. She's definitely seen these scenes in private, he mused. Her claim of "taking a bath" every time one triggered was adorable in its transparency. The more interesting question was… why did she feel the need for a bath afterward?
Unnoticed by either of them, time slipped away. The afternoon light had deepened into evening. With a start, Nozomi realized he needed to take his leave.
Kosaka Kirino saw him to the door, her expression unmistakably reluctant.
"I'll visit again," he promised, his tone warm and reassuring. "We can play more then. And I haven't forgotten about Ayase; I'll think of something. If you need anything before then, just call or message me."
Kirino nodded vigorously, her earlier sadness tempered by the promise of future contact. Then, in a final, impulsive act of shared passion, she scrambled back to her room and returned with a small stack of carefully selected game cases, pressing them into his hands. "Here! Take these! You can play them at home!"
Hozuki Nozomi looked at the proffered games, then at her earnest, hopeful face. He could only accept them with a soft chuckle. "Alright. Thank you, Kirino. I'll take good care of them."