Keima Katsuragi's voice was perfectly calm, almost cold and robotic.
In his eyes, the relationships people formed in real life were nowhere near as pure and genuine as the ones in games.
"B-but..."
Kushida Kikyo parted her lips slightly, wanting to say a few more words. But after Keima shot her down, she was left speechless. All she could do was awkwardly smile and shake her head.
"I-I understand... I'm very sorry to have bothered you, Katsuragi."
With that, Kushida Kikyo quickly left.
As she brushed past him, the smile vanished from her face completely.
No one noticed the change in her expression.
Elsie watched Kushida Kikyo's retreating back with concern, then turned to Keima Katsuragi.
"God of Conquest, are you sure that was a good idea? She's one of our targets, after all! Her affection level must have dropped a lot!"
Keima put away his handheld console and took out his card again.
[Name: Kushida Kikyo]
[Affection: -20%]
Just as Elsie had said, Kushida Kikyo's affection level had dropped considerably.
Keima, however, looked completely unfazed.
"This is actually a good thing."
"What do you mean, God of Conquest? I don't understand at all."
"Kushida Kikyo has been wearing a mask around us this whole time. That friendly, generous side she usually shows is probably just an act."
Keima shook his head and explained to Elsie.
"Throughout this whole trip, she's seemed to be trying to create chances for us to bump into each other. She's also tried to initiate physical contact when talking. She says she wants to be friends with everyone and bring the class together, but her behavior feels completely off. And she's especially concerned about Horikita. She definitely has another motive."
Keima's words made Elsie feel as if her brain were about to shut down. After thinking for a long while, she managed to get out a single question.
"Th-then what should we do?"
"I've decided to use a strategy that's the complete opposite of the one I used when we first met. It can't be helped if her affection level drops a little at first. To really get closer to her, the first thing we need to do is peel away her disguise bit by bit. If I just go along with what she wants, she'll only hide further behind that mask. What I need to do now is gradually uncover who she really is. Only by truly reaching her heart can I succeed."
"I see! As expected of you, God of Conquest!"
"So there's no need to rush. It doesn't matter if her affection level drops at first. We'll take it slowly."
"I can't help feeling like you're just trying to stall..."
"Not at all. But it's getting late, and I need to get back to my games!"
As he spoke, Keima quickened his pace toward the dormitory.
"God of Conquest! Don't forget the mission!"
"I'll deal with it tomorrow!"
Meanwhile, Kushida Kikyo had no trace of her usual bright, cheerful smile after parting ways with Keima Katsuragi. Her face was shrouded in gloom, as if dark clouds had settled over it.
"Keima Katsuragi is harder to handle than I thought. Why is he acting so differently from the first time we met? Does he really care that much about games? He was the same way during today's test, but he still got such good grades. What a weird guy."
She muttered to herself, her voice ice-cold and utterly unlike her usual self. It was as if another personality had taken control of her body; even her gaze had turned cold.
"But the biggest problem is that woman, Suzune Horikita. She might know about my 'past.' I absolutely, absolutely, absolutely can't let her have the chance to tell anyone—wait, could that woman have said something to Keima Katsuragi and made him change the way he treats me?! Damn it, damn it!"
For a moment, Kushida Kikyo's expression seemed to twist.
"Is that you, Kushida?"
A cheerful voice came from behind her.
"What a coincidence, Ichinose!"
Kushida Kikyo turned and greeted her, her face once again lighting up with a dazzling smile.
The gloom that had covered her face moments ago vanished without a trace, as if it had never been there.
Volume One: Chapter Seventeen: Airi Sakura's Brainstorm
The morning sunlight streamed through the clean glass windows, casting alternating patches of light and shadow across the neatly arranged desks.
As usual, Keima Katsuragi held his handheld console in his right hand, his left index finger darting over the buttons too quickly for the naked eye to follow. His eyes never left the screen, yet his feet deftly avoided every obstacle as he walked in a straight line from the classroom door to his seat, as if guided by an autopilot.
"What was that guy's name again? Keima Katsuragi?"
"I know the teachers seem to let us do whatever we want, but he really does play games every waking moment! I'll never forget what he said during introductions. Who knew this school had a hardcore otaku like him?"
"But how does he get such good grades? That's so unfair!"
A few boys glanced sidelong at Keima and whispered among themselves.
Their murmurs buzzed like mosquitoes.
From the corner of his eye, he saw the boys talking as they looked over at him with complicated expressions. Their gazes held curiosity, confusion, and a trace of jealousy that was hard to detect.
He pushed up his glasses. A cold glint flashed across the lenses.
It didn't matter.
He told himself silently.
Other people's opinions in the real world were like irrelevant NPC dialogue in a game. Skipping it wouldn't affect the main quest.
He pulled out his chair and sat down with fluid, uninterrupted movements. At that very moment, the girl on his handheld screen put on a tearful expression, and a set of dialogue options appeared—
[A. Embrace her gently]
[B. Tell her the cruel truth]
Keima's index finger hovered for half a second before pressing A with pinpoint accuracy.
Pink effects burst across the screen, and a +15 affection notification appeared over the girl's head.
"Phew..."
He let out a nearly inaudible breath, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
Now that was meaningful feedback. The real world? Hah.
Beside him, Airi Sakura sat almost perfectly still.
Even she couldn't help being drawn to the unconventional Keima Katsuragi.
At that moment, her eyes were cautiously inching to the right—past her open notebook, skimming the edge of her pencil case, and finally settling on Keima's nimble fingers and glowing screen.
He presses the buttons so fast...
Sakura marveled silently.
Even when she played mobile games, she often got flustered.
And... he doesn't care at all what other people think of him.
Airi Sakura had never met anyone like Keima Katsuragi.
Someone who could ignore other people's eyes and just do as he pleased...
That thought reminded Airi Sakura of her own past.
She remembered always walking with her head down because she was afraid of being watched; blushing bright red when a convenience store clerk asked, "Would you like a bag?"; and freezing up when a teacher called on her in middle school, unable to answer while her classmates quietly laughed at her.
If only I could be like him...
Even making eye contact for a single second terrified Airi Sakura.
Her social anxiety was extreme.
"Good morning, Sakura."
The sound of Keima Katsuragi's voice rang out without warning. Sakura jolted like a startled rabbit.
She turned in a panic, facing Keima Katsuragi's profile. He was still staring at his screen, his fingers still moving, as if that greeting had been nothing more than her imagination.
"S-sorry!"
She apologized almost reflexively, her ears burning at once.
"G-good morning..."
Airi Sakura quickly looked away again. She instinctively hunched her shoulders and clutched her skirt tightly in both hands, her nails almost digging into her palms.
She had never expected Keima Katsuragi to notice her looking.
What should I do...
How should I answer...
Will he think I'm being rude...
While Airi Sakura was caught up in all these worries, Keima Katsuragi spoke again.
"Did you decide which camera to get the other day?"
"N-no..."
Airi Sakura's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible.
She had been looking at cameras that day not only because she enjoyed photography, but also because of her other identity: the online idol and model who went by the stage name Shizuku, and had a large following online.
Airi Sakura loved taking selfies and sometimes posted the ones she liked on her blog.
Since the school confiscated all electronic devices when students enrolled, Airi Sakura couldn't bring a camera with her. When she learned that she could buy any product on campus with points, she had eagerly wanted to purchase a new camera.
That day in the electronics section, she had actually found a camera she liked—a compact, portable retro-red model with specs suited to portraits and a cute color.
But when the clerk walked over with a smile and asked, "Would you like some help?" that familiar feeling of suffocation seized her again.
The clerk's gaze... Sakura couldn't quite explain it, but she felt the other person had looked at her for too long, and the smile on their lips made her uneasy for no reason.
She had nearly fled, unable to ask even the questions she had prepared beforehand.
Dealing with strangers—even just talking to them—was incredibly difficult for someone with social anxiety as severe as hers.
Online, Shizuku seemed like a cheerful, outgoing girl, radiating youthful energy with every smile and gesture.
In real life, Airi Sakura was the complete opposite.
She was afraid of meeting other people's eyes, afraid of being in crowded places, and hated drawing attention to herself.
Airi Sakura had no idea how she would get through three years of high school. She felt lost about the future.
"Are you not sure which one to pick?"
Just then, Keima Katsuragi's words brought Airi Sakura back to reality.
"I..."
"Thanks to a friend of mine who loves photography, I know a fair bit about cameras."
Keima Katsuragi kept playing his game without looking at Airi Sakura, which made her feel a little more at ease.
"Do you like taking portraits or landscapes?"
"P-people..."
Sakura mumbled.
She really wanted to say "selfies," but the word got caught in her throat and wouldn't come out.
Online, Shizuku could smile brightly at the camera. In real life, Airi Sakura needed courage just to say what she liked.
"Then I know what kind would suit you."
Keima Katsuragi said.
"I happen to be going to the electronics section again today. Want to come with me?"
"Are you going there again, Katsuragi?"
Airi Sakura sounded a little puzzled.
She remembered that Keima Katsuragi had bought a bunch of game discs the day before yesterday.
"I'm going to buy another game console."
Before you continue