When I thought I would wake up from a strange dream, my eyes opened to a figure I wasn't used to seeing upon waking. What could it be?
With a beautiful face looking at me, feminine in appearance, with light-blue hair and a cheerful smile, she said:
◇ Shido~ wake up already! I've prepared a meal made by me, the amazing Eris
Yes, as expected, angels aren't what they seem—though I'm not complaining in the slightest.
– All right, I'll get up now to eat
I went down to the dining room and found sandwiches that looked delicious, by the way.
◇ What do you think of my special dish? Cheese, ham, chicken, and egg sandwiches —Smiling proudly, she presented her plate to me.
– To be honest, they look delicious; then… "Itadakimasu"
The food was delicious, the cheese melted, the eggs scrambled, and the chicken well-seasoned. We ate accompanied by orange juice she had also prepared.
After finishing, Eris said she wanted to do one last thing.
◇ Shido… I'd like to take a photo with you—
At the end of her words, she hesitated a little, showing some embarrassment at asking me something I had requested of her not long ago.
– Of course
With the energy of an excited child, she hurried to my side and pulled out her phone.
◇ Then…! Here we go
Unlike the picture I had taken with her yesterday, this time Eris clung to my arm and grinned from ear to ear, catching my unprepared face completely off guard.
– Eh!? You already took it? I didn't even have time to look at the camera
◇ Don't worry! The picture turned out perfect. And I can see your mouth wide open with no idea what's happening. Hehe —She laughed in a teasingly friendly tone at me.
I'm not self-conscious about how I look in pictures, so it didn't bother me.
– Hey Eris, don't you think your team must be really worried about you… Running away for a day will surely cause you a lot of trouble
◇ Wha—?! Wha-, wha-, what are you ta-, ta-, talking about— —Looking down in panic, she tried to deny having responsibilities.
I could tell reminding her of her obligations affected her, but I wanted to tease her a bit, so I laughed.
– It was just a joke. Besides, it's not like you can turn back time and recover all this time, so don't regret your choice
◇ I know that already! I don't regret anything, dummy
She seemed a little upset. Cute, even when angry.
◇ I don't think I can stay much longer. I must continue with my career, so soon we'll part ways. That's why I want us to exchange numbers to stay in touch!
Having a girl's number? In dating sim terms, I'd say that's a pretty good milestone.
– Sure, that way we can talk if you ever feel like playing my little sister again
◇ What are you saying! That was only because I wanted to have fun
– Yeah. I know
Later, we went to Eris's agency.
When we arrived, they didn't recognize her at first, since she was still in her little sister role—proof of how flawless her acting was.
A commotion broke out, everyone confused and incredulous.
Once Eris displayed her usual arrogance, surrounded by what seemed like her personal security guards, they had no doubt it was her.
◇ Hehe, see? I told you I was fine
Eris let her hair down and explained that I was the one who had helped her.
It seemed everything was coming to an end. It truly was an incredible experience, and no matter how much time passed, I knew I'd never forget it.
I turned to leave after saying goodbye, but…
◇ Where do you think you're going, dummy
With a calm tone that carried the weight of truth, she said:
◇ I still haven't returned all the money you spent on me, plus I have to give you back your sister's clothes I'm wearing!
– I can come pick up the clothes later, but don't worry about the money—
◇ Idiot! I don't plan on not giving you anything in return! Albert, go get some money
"Yes, Eris-sama!"
Albert returned with several ten-thousand-yen bills, and Eris tried to give them all to me, but I refused.
◇ I won't let you leave with nothing!
– But it's too much money!
After some back-and-forth, we agreed she'd give me thirty thousand yen. I still found it excessive, but it was impossible to make her lower the amount.
◇ Are you sure you want so little?
– It's more than enough —I gave her a smile to show my gratitude.
◇ Then I suppose that's fine…
We both knew it was time to say goodbye.
– See you soon, Eris
…
◇ Goodbye, Shido
Sometimes farewells are sad, others joyful, and others plain. But there's no need to feel sorrow for a goodbye, if you know it will be followed by a hello.
Afterward, Shido returned home and began a small inner monologue.
– Ahhh…
This truly has been a long day. I still can't believe I managed to talk with an idol—and even became her friend.
But starting tomorrow, my daily life will go back to normal. Or at least, that's what I believe.
I'll use the rest of my time to play the idol's route again; I'd like to at least get the good ending.
I connected the game to the TV and started playing. I played and played, but this time more sincerely, imagining the idol as Eris. Everything flowed naturally, almost automatically.
– All right, now the final choice. After this I'll know if I'll remain her fan forever or maybe get the ending Eris achieved, where I become her friend
It was the moment of truth, where I'd discover my fate.
I was impatient to see the result.
– Now…! Eh…? Why am I kissing the idol…? She's swearing eternal love to me? Could this… be the perfect ending? (True Ending)
By playing so eloquently, I hadn't realized my choices made her express such joy and embarrassment. I only noticed once the game was over…
– I can't believe it. Just yesterday I was terrible. I wonder what happened to me… But it doesn't matter, what's important is that I cleared the route!
That night, Shido prepared a large steak dinner to celebrate his victory.