"But..." Iori Hashima's face went pale. He knew Akane Kosaka was speaking the truth, but if he accepted that argument, then hadn't the purity he had once seen in Tomoya Aki been nothing but a delusion? Tomoya Aki's character had already made him feel as though he had been blind once, but if even the other man's love for the two-dimensional world was to be denied...
Iori Hashima would feel stupid beyond belief!
"No buts!" Before he could finish, Akane Kosaka cut him off with a frown. "Iori, if our circle can't bring people any profit, do you know what it'll become?"
Iori Hashima lowered his head and fell silent. "..."
"Sorry to interrupt..." Sogo Doma found the situation somewhat baffling.
"Sogo-san, please speak!" Akane Kosaka knew her place well. Though she had been lecturing her subordinate, the instant Sogo Doma spoke up, she immediately fell silent.
Somewhat curious about his boss's reaction, Iori Hashima raised his head to look.
"You're Iori Hashima, right? What a mouthful. I'll call you Waveguide, bro..." Sogo Doma lightly swirled the saucer full of liquor in his hand as he spoke in an amused tone. "Waveguide, bro, as far as I know, although the two-dimensional world has gained recognition from some people after developing this far, it's still a niche in mainstream circles, isn't it?"
That was the truth. Although many countries regarded the two-dimensional world as part of their national culture, their mainstream circles remained extremely hostile toward it. The extremists among them were especially disparaging, wishing this culture would vanish from their country altogether...
At that point, the hot-blooded young Iori Hashima became agitated.
"That's true, but I believe that as two-dimensional culture continues to flourish, one day..." This was probably the dream and passion shared by every two-dimensional enthusiast. Unfortunately, Sogo