Episode 02: "The Room You Can't Leave Even If You Have Sex"
It was a vast, empty one-room apartment.
It was probably about twenty tatami mats in size. In one corner of the room, there was a large monitor, and next to it, an equally large trash can.
Other than that, there were no windows, doors, or anything else. The only thing resembling an entrance was the door we had just come through.
The scene was quite different from what I had imagined, and Seo-san and I stood dumbfounded in the middle of this mysterious room.
Illustration (By Mitemin)
"W-what is this place? Huh? I can see something like instructions near the monitor. Should we take a look at that first?"
"Yeah, that's— Hey! Kusano-kun, look! The door!?"
Seo-san let out a surprised cry.
Looking back, the door that should have been there just moments ago had vanished. Seo-san and I frantically looked around.
But, sure enough, it was nowhere to be found. All that remained were the walls, floor, ceiling, and that monitor and trash can.
"No way! Have we been locked in?"
Seo-san said in an anxious voice.
I tried walking around the room, but couldn't find anything resembling an exit. Having no other choice, I decided to read the instructions first.
Upon getting closer and taking a good look, this is what was written there.
"Let's see... This is a room where you have sex—"
"—!!!!!"
Seo-san put a tremendous amount of distance between us with incredible speed.
Then, hugging herself tightly as if to protect her body, she glared at me with a wary look.
Huh...? Honestly, being avoided to that extent hurts...
Well, but I guess it can't be helped if the word 'sex' suddenly appears when you're alone in a locked room with a man you're not particularly close to.
Trying not to provoke Seo-san further, I began reading the instructions again.
Let's see, what does it say...
"This is—a room you can't leave even if you have sex."
....
(You can't leave even if you have sex!?)
I mentally delivered a massive retort.
You got my hopes up, you jerk!
I seriously thought we were locked in a room where we couldn't leave unless Seo-san and I had sex, and my heart's been pounding like it's about to burst since earlier!
For a moment, I even thought the impossible had happened—that a miraculous event to lose my virginity with Seo-san was occurring!! That's totally misleading!
(Sigh... Well, something that convenient wouldn't happen anyway. ...But on the other hand, maybe it's for the best.)
If we were put in a situation where we absolutely had to have sex, I could only see a future where I'd be super awkward, get creeped out, or fail miserably.
I let out a deep sigh, with a tinge of disappointment and a large sense of relief.
Perhaps feeling a bit reassured by the instructions I just read, Seo-san approached me again. Her cheeks were still slightly flushed, but her expression seemed to have softened somewhat.
However, this time she started staring intently at me. It made me feel somewhat uneasy.
After gazing at me for a while, Seo-san slowly opened her mouth.
"That was a shock... I really thought it was *that* kind of room. Let's read the rest?"
I silently nodded.
Let's see, what's written next? I have nothing but bad feelings, but I steeled myself and lowered my gaze.
1. This is a room you can't leave even if you have sex.
2. As long as you are in this room, you will not age, and time outside remains stopped.
3. By operating the touch panel monitor, you can summon anything.
4. However, living creatures cannot be summoned.
5. Discard unwanted items in the trash can.
"Huh? That's it?"
I couldn't help but let those words slip out.
Well, what's written is certainly amazing, and the idea of getting anything you want is appealing, but it's so concise it's almost anticlimactic.
But Seo-san seemed to be seriously thinking about these instructions. Then, she immediately approached the monitor and began operating it.
(What in the world is she planning to do?)
While I was thinking that, Seo-san seemed to have decided what to order, switching the monitor screen and tapping.
Then, with a loud sound, two semi-transparent private rooms appeared in the room.
"W-whoa! Amazing! What is this, how does it work!?"
Surprised, I couldn't help but raise my voice.
But Seo-san seemed dissatisfied, letting out a displeased voice.
"W-why is it a bit see-through!? You can see the shadows of the people inside like this!"
It seemed she had summoned a toilet and a bath, but for some reason, the two rooms were slightly transparent. You couldn't see the actual figure, but you could tell what someone was doing from their shadow.
"Ugh! Bring out a more normal one!"
Seo-san operated the touch panel in an angry tone, but in the end, she couldn't summon a bath and toilet that weren't semi-transparent, and it remained as is.
(Seriously...? Are we supposed to do our business and take baths in a place like that?)
Even I, a guy, would be embarrassed. For a girl like Seo-san, it must be an unbearable space.
Seo-san sighed. I also let out a deep sigh.
I never imagined it would come to this...
How on earth are we supposed to live from now on? Seo-san and I were at a loss for a while.
"...Should we eat something?"
Seo-san said, breaking the silence.
When I nodded, Seo-san skillfully operated the touch panel and summoned a table, chairs, and a meal.
"Wow... This looks like incredibly high-end sushi, right? I wonder how much it costs?"
"Probably really expensive, right? Since it seems we can really summon anything, I decided to go for it."
"Yeah. Well, since we have it, let's eat."
Seo-san and I, looking somewhat apprehensive, brought the luxurious nigiri sushi placed before us to our mouths.
"W-wow, delicious!!"
"Really! It's so good!!"
Both of us widened our eyes in surprise. The quality was as high as what you'd get at a high-end sushi restaurant that doesn't rotate.
Seo-san polished it off in no time and rubbed her stomach with satisfaction.
"Phew, thank you for the meal. That was delicious."
Seeing Seo-san say that with a full smile, I found myself smiling too. Even in this situation, it might be fortunate that it was Seo-san I was locked in with.
I'm not the type to lead others, so if I were locked in with a quiet girl, I think I'd just be flustered and unable to do anything.
It's a pathetic story, but I'm glad a bright, proactive girl like Seo-san is here with me.
"Um, where should we throw away the trash?"
While I was thinking about that, I had also finished my sushi. Being able to summon anything is amazing, but what should we do about trash?
"Oh right, wasn't there a trash can next to the monitor? I think it said to throw unwanted things there?"
Now that you mention it, I think something like that was indeed written in the instructions.
I brought the trash can that was next to the monitor and tried throwing away a tissue I had in my pocket. Then, the tissue instantly disappeared from inside the trash can.
The inside of the trash can was clean and tidy, as if nothing had ever been there.
Watching this, Seo-san opened her eyes wide as if she couldn't believe it.
"Amazing... It really is a mysterious space."
It's truly amazing. You can get anything you want. Unwanted things or food scraps can be thrown in the trash can, and they'll be disposed of automatically.
Aside from the lack of an exit, this was an overly comfortable space.
"Sigh... It seems less dangerous than I thought. Somehow, now that I'm relieved, I feel tired. Are you okay, Kusano-kun?"
"I'm still fine. I'll try using the touch panel next to see if there are any hints."
Saying that, I operated the touch panel. Scrolling through, there were an unbelievable number of items.
Manga, anime, novels, games, movies, high-end cuisine from around the world, furniture, appliances, clothes, etc.—it seemed you could summon just about anything.
(Huh? What's this? Sacred Items?)
I found a mysterious category called "Sacred Items." But the text was bugged, and only unreadable items were listed.
(Oh, I can read this one. What is it? Sacred Sword Lavellion? Never heard of it.)
Out of curiosity, I selected that item. Then, suddenly, a single sword appeared in the room.
"Eh!? What's that!? A sword? Amazing! It's glowing!"
Illustration (By Mitemin)
Seo-san exclaimed in surprise.
It was a beautiful one-handed sword with a silver blade and an emerald-green gem embedded in it. It emitted something like a faint aura, giving off a mysterious atmosphere.
I cautiously picked up the sword. Then, I was struck by a sensation as if power was welling up from the depths of my body.
(T-this is definitely a cheat item! Could it be that my legend begins from here!?)
"Seo-san, could you step back a bit?"
With a tense expression, I called out to Seo-san. She looked puzzled for a moment but seemed to quickly understand and obediently moved to the corner of the room.
Then, as I swung the sword I was holding, a dazzling light shot out from it and flew towards the wall.
――――BOOOOOOM!!
A violent roar echoed, and the room shook violently. However, the wall, whatever it was made of, was completely unscathed, remaining pure white and clean.
"I-It's amazing, Seo-san! This is definitely a cheat item! With this, I can defeat any monster!!"
My era had truly arrived. Right now, I felt like I couldn't lose to any enemy. Thieves, monsters... no, not even a dragon could stop me now. And eventually, I would become famous as the hero who saves the world, and with the heroine, Seo-san...
Just as I got that far in my delusion, I turned to look at Seo-san, still buzzing with excitement. But in stark contrast to me, Seo-san had a strangely awkward expression for some reason.
"Yeah... So? What good is that in this room? There aren't any monsters or enemies, right? And it doesn't seem like you can break the room's walls either."
"..."
That's right. This wasn't a monster-infested other world or anything; it was a room with only me and Seo-san, a room you couldn't leave even if you had sex... A legendary sword was utterly useless.
Seo-san walked right up to me and snatched the divine sword from my hand.
"It's dangerous, so I'm throwing it away, okay?"
And with that, she tossed it straight into the trash can.
"Aaaaah! The Holy Sword Lavellioooooon!"
And so, I lost the Holy Sword Lavellion. Just when I was expecting a cheat-powered, unstoppable development...
I peered into the trash can, confirmed that Lavellion had already vanished, let out a deep sigh, and collapsed on the spot.
Seo-san looked at me with exasperation.
After that, we searched for an escape method together for a while, but ultimately found nothing.
For the time being, I decided to summon a desk and computer for myself.
(Whoa! I can even get a super high-spec computer! It would probably cost hundreds of thousands if I bought it!)
Excited, I booted up the summoned computer and started surfing the web.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
Seo-san asked curiously.
"Ah, look, Seo-san. See, for some reason, I can use the internet. So I've been looking up various things."
Even though we're isolated from the outside and time should be stopped, I can somehow use the internet. What's the principle behind this?
Seo-san stared at the screen with interest.
"Can't you use that to call for help from outside or something?"
"That's impossible. I can surf the web and download things, but for some reason, I can't send anything out from here."
"Hmm, I see. Well, being trapped here forever would be a problem, so we have to find a way to escape somehow."
In response to Seo-san's words, I silently nodded.
We spent a while checking the touch panel and the room's walls together, but eventually got bored, and we lay down on the bed and started reading manga.
"Ah~, this is interesting! I've been meaning to read this for a while~"
"Oh, really? I've already read it, but it gets even more interesting later on..."
Wait, haven't we been talking normally for a while now?
Normally, this would be a situation where I'd probably stutter, but right now, that wasn't happening at all. Also, I usually speak politely to girls, but I was naturally speaking casually.
I looked at Seo-san. Seo-san was also looking at me, and our eyes met. Seo-san's cheeks flushed red as she smiled shyly. I found myself smiling back.
It was a strange feeling. It felt like the distance between us had suddenly shrunk.
As I was thinking that, Seo-san suddenly started fidgeting. Then, she glanced at me.
"Um, would it be okay if I went to the restroom for a bit?"
"Ah... Yeah, go ahead."
When I said that, Seo-san, her face red, entered the semi-transparent toilet installed in the corner of the room.
(Whoa... What is this feeling? My heart is pounding like crazy...)
I could clearly see Seo-san's shadow inside the toilet. From my perspective, I could clearly tell she was in the middle of pulling down her panties right now.
I unconsciously gulped.
(This is bad! I shouldn't look! Absolutely shouldn't!!)
"H-hey, Kusano-kun! Don't look over here when I'm using the toilet or taking a bath! Please, I'm begging you!"
Illustration (By Mitemin)
"Y-yeah! I know! I know..."
I answered, unable to hide my agitation, but Seo-san seemed to get a little worried.
"Really, please!"
"Y-yeah... Got it."
Even though she said that, it was clearly impossible. I was staring intently at the shadow of Seo-san doing her business.
Then, once I confirmed Seo-san had pulled her panties back up, I hurriedly turned around and pretended I hadn't been looking.
"You really kept your back turned for me."
"Y-yeah... Well, I couldn't exactly look."
"...Right. Thank you."
Seo-san said with a relieved expression, thanking me. Hearing those words, I felt a pang in my chest.
(I'm sorry! I actually saw everything clearly! But it was impossible! It's too cruel to ask a healthy high school boy to endure this in a space like this!)
Hiding my rock-hard erection, I kept my back to Seo-san and mentally prostrated myself in apology.
(What on earth is going to happen from now on?)