Hoshino Kaito POV:
I began searching around town, asking for directions, but the more I walked, the more I realized how confusing it was to navigate a place I supposedly knew. This world felt so detailed, so vast—definitely more than a simple background in a visual novel.
Half an hour later, I finally stood in front of what I assumed was my house. It was a two-story suburban home, the kind that looked warm and welcoming, with a small garden out front and a porch light glowing softly in the evening.
I took a deep breath before stepping toward the front door. But before I could even reach for the handle, the door swung open.
"Onii, you're late!" A girl's voice called out.
A petite girl with long black hair and a dark purple eyes, with her slightly annoyed eyes stood in the doorway, her arms crossed. She wore a junior high school uniform. Something clicked in my mind—this girl was Reina, Kaito's little sister, well my little sister.
"Oh, uh… hey, Reina..." I said, trying to sound natural.
"You're acting weird." She raised an eyebrow.
Crap.
"I was just tired. Long day at school. Ahahah."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just get inside before Mom and Dad start nagging you." Reina sighed.
I stepped in, and immediately, the scent of home-cooked food filled the air. The house felt… familiar, despite everything. A mix of nostalgia and strangeness settled in my chest as I kicked off my shoes.
"Kacchan, welcome home!" A warm voice called from the kitchen.
My "mom" emerged, wearing an apron and holding a wooden spoon. She smiled.
"Dinner's almost ready. Wash up first."
From the living room, my "dad" looked up from his newspaper and gave me a nod.
"You're home late. Everything okay?"
"Uhh, y-yeah, just took my time getting back." I keep everything vague.
Reina plopped onto the couch.
"He forgot where we live."
"Oh, Kacchan, you need to get more rest." My mom chuckled.
I forced a laugh, while rubbing the back of my neck.
"Ahahah. Yeah… I guess so."
"Fufu, go upstairs and change your uniform okay?"
I nod.
As I made my way upstairs to what was presumably my room, I exhaled. It was overwhelming but oddly comforting at the same time. A family, a home… even if this wasn't truly my life, it was now.
I opened the door to my room and looked inside. A neatly made bed, a study desk, bookshelves lined with school materials, and a few posters of games and anime I vaguely recognized. It felt lived-in, yet new to me at the same time.
I sat on the bed, letting everything sink in. This is my reality now. And tomorrow… I'll have to figure out where this new path would take me.
I leaned back on my bed, staring at the ceiling. If I was going to survive in this world, I needed to remember everything I could about Love & Lies: Fateful Bonds.
Like I explained before, the gimmick of this visual novel is that the school system forces students into a relationship. Every second-year student must have a relationship on their first semester, or they'll be randomly assigned a partner. If you already have a partner, you don't need to enter the "gacha couple" system. The main story revolves around Ren navigating this system while forming bonds with different heroines, ultimately leading to a romantic climax with one of them.
But while Ren was the one dealing with romance, I… wasn't.
I sighed and rubbed my face. If there was one thing I wasn't good at, it was relationships.
Even in my original world, love was always complicated for me. It wasn't that I was completely inexperienced—I had a couple of crushes and even dated once (self-proclaimed) But something always felt… off. I could never fully connect, I never reach that level of deep emotional attachment that others seemed to experience so naturally. I'd always pull away before things got too serious, and eventually, I just stopped trying.
Maybe that's why I ended up as the "best friend character" in this world. It fits me too well.
Still, this world had its own set of rules, and I needed to understand everything if I wanted to survive. Hmm, let's recall about our main problem, the school.
The Shirakawa Academy
This school wasn't just a regular elite academy. It was infamous for its PPS, which stands for Prestigious Partnering System, an experimental program designed under the pretense of "developing strong emotional intelligence among students." In reality, it was just a twisted matchmaking system wrapped in an academic bow.
The school had a long history. Founded nearly 50 years ago, it initially gained fame for producing top-tier graduates who excelled in all fields. But at some point, its philosophy shifted—rumors say an influential alumni group proposed the idea that emotional stability from a relationships can lead to academic success. Thus, the Partnering System was introduced, and over time, it became the school's defining trait.
The system categorized students into three statuses:
Linked: Students who had entered a relationship and were officially registered as a couple.
Unpaired: Those who had yet to choose a partner but still had time before the selection deadline.
Assigned: Those who failed to find a match and would be paired randomly by the school's system.
At first glance, it seemed like a dream scenario straight out of a romance game. But the reality was more complicated. Some students genuinely pursued relationships, others treated it like a strategy game to find the 'best match', and some simply wanted to get through it with minimal drama. Those who outright rejected the system… well, they didn't have much of a choice.
The consequences of relationships went beyond 'just romance'. Your grades, club participation, and even future university recommendations, were directly tied to how well you handled your pairing. If a couple broke up, their academic standing could drop depending on how the school evaluated the situation. It wasn't just about love—it was about survival in an institution that treated romance as part of its curriculum.
This is the world I'm now a part of.
"What a mess." I sighed, rubbing my temples.
If things played out like they did in the game, Ren would soon be caught in a whirlwind of relationships, and I'll be the ever-reliable best friend. But now that I was here, could I really just sit back and play my role?
Maybe this was my chance to stop being a background character and figure out what love really meant to me.
Tomorrow, I'll start gathering information. If I was going to live in this world, I needed to do more than just survive—I needed to find my own path..
I let out a deep breath, trying to formulate a plan. First, I needed to observe how much of the game's storyline remained intact. Were the major events still happening as scheduled? Was Ren still meeting the heroines at the right moments? If the world followed the game's logic, I could anticipate what would happen next and find ways to position myself.
Second, I needed to interact with the side characters. If I really could change things, then helping those left behind by the main story could be my way of making a difference. Maybe... I wasn't just meant to be an extra in someone else's love story.
The sound of my mother calling snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Kacchan! Dinner's ready!"
I stood up, stretching my arms and changed to a casual shirt before making my way downstairs. The smell of miso soup and grilled fish filled the air, making my stomach rumble. It had been a long day, and I didn't even realize how hungry I was.
Reina was already seated at the table, scrolling through her phone with a bored expression. My father sat with his usual composed demeanor, while my mother smiled warmly as she placed a bowl of rice in front of me.
"You look tired, kacchan. Are things getting busy at school?"
"Yeah… just a lot on my mind." I nodded as I picked up my chopsticks.
"You? Thinking too hard? That's new." Reina snorted.
"Har, har, funny. I do think... sometimes, you know." I answered sarcastically.
Dinner went by with casual conversation, but my mind was still preoccupied. Even as I ate, I couldn't shake the feeling that tomorrow is going to be important.
After finishing my meal, I helped cleaning up and went back to my room. Lying down on my bed, I stared at the ceiling, my thoughts racing again.
Everything about this world felt so real—the warmth of my family, the taste of the food, the weight of my responsibilities. It wasn't just a game anymore. This is my life now.
But still... There's like a weird feeling in my heart. Is it fear? Or is it something else?
I turned to the side, glancing at the clock. Tomorrow, I'll start gathering information. I needed to be careful, but also proactive. If I wanted to carve my own place in this story, I couldn't afford to waste time.
With that final thought, I closed my eyes and let sleep take over.
Goodnight New World!
Tomorrow would be the start of something new.