Chapter 29

"Commander, I think we should go with the classic movie theater. Nothing sets the mood like sitting together in the dark."

"I agree. If they go to the aquarium, Shido won't know enough about fish. Instead of impressing Lingmeng, he'll just embarrass himself."

Kawagoe, "Rapidly Entering a Slump," and Minowa, "Protective Observation Disposition," offered their explanations.

"That makes sense." Kotori smiled in approval.

"Hey, Commander, why not pick option three?" Kannazuki complained from the side.

"Just imagine Shido tied to a hotel bed with thick rope, while Miss Lingmeng, dressed in a skintight leather outfit, lashes him with a whip.

Then, after Shido lets out a moan of pleasure, the innocent boy and girl step into adulthood together... Ah, just thinking about it makes my whole body ache with desire! Commander, please whip me!"

Kannazuki hugged his shoulders, his face flushed and a trickle of drool running from the corner of his mouth.

Kotori merely narrowed her eyes and smiled.

"Sure. As you wish." With that, she snapped her fingers.

Two extremely muscular men appeared from who knew where. Each seized one of Kannazuki's arms, leaving him trapped between them.

"You two, drag this pervert into the back and teach him a lesson!"

"Oh, yes!" The two musclemen hauled Kannazuki away.

"I'm terribly sorry, Commander! I was only joking! Please let me go! Ah, no!"

The crew gave him looks that said you're beyond saving and went back to work.

Ignoring Kannazuki's pleas, Kotori picked up the microphone.

"Shido, take Lingmeng to the movie theater."

The Sour Stench of Love

"Um... Lingmeng, would you like to see a movie?" Shido asked cautiously.

"A movie theater? I don't mind, as long as you're paying. I don't have money for a ticket."

Lingmeng shrugged. She was happy enough to watch a movie; at least she wouldn't have to interact with Shido much.

"Okay... There's a theater nearby. Let's go there."

Shido led Lingmeng to the theater.

"Wow, three new releases today? Not bad."

Lingmeng studied the showtimes on the sign.

"Which one would you like to see?"

"I don't mind. You're paying, so pick whatever you want." Shido hesitated, then said, "All right..."

"Kotori, which movie should Lingmeng and I watch?" Shido tapped his earphones again to ask her.

"Another multiple-choice question?" Kotori said helplessly, looking at the options Fraxinus's AI had presented.

① "School Days: Pure Love Edition. The story of how the innocent hero, Makoto Ito, stays devoted to his classmate Kotonoha Katsura despite the temptations of countless beautiful girls."

② "Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Healing Edition. After an accident turns Madoka Kaname into a magical girl, she and her friends fight evil in a series of heartwarming everyday adventures."

③ "Gun Battle. An animated film about Sansan, who somehow arrives in a place called the Neighboring Realm and battles all the quasi-spirits there."

"Everyone, same rules as always. You have five seconds to choose!" Kotori said, taking the Chupa Chups out of her mouth.

"Got it!" The crew voted as quickly as ever, and their choices appeared on the Command Seat's screen.

The result was two votes for ①, two for ②, and two for ③.

"Why are there only six votes? Where's Kannazuki?"

"Commander, the vice-commander is over there."

Kotori looked where the crew pointed. Kannazuki lay sprawled on the floor, staring blankly ahead and muttering as though he had lost the will to live.

"No more of those musclemen... They're terrifying..." Clearly, he was in no state to make a choice.

"Well, that's fine. At least he won't pick something ridiculous." Kotori showed no sympathy. "The votes are tied. What do you think we should choose?"

"On a date, you have to watch a youthful romance! That's how the couple can see themselves in the story!"

Senbon, "Company President," spoke with confidence.

"No, no. Girls usually like cute things, so option two is the best choice."

Shiizaki, "Cursed Doll," countered.

"You were wrong from the start. Lingmeng said she needed to get back to grinding in her game, which means she's an otaku. If she's an otaku, the animated movie in option three is our best bet!"

Nakatsugawa, "Dimensional Transmigrator," pushed up his glasses as he replied.

"Hmm. You all make good points, but if I had to choose..." Kotori picked up the microphone. "Shido, pick option one!"

"Okay... Got it..." Shido nodded on the screen and turned to Lingmeng. "Would School Days be okay?"

Lingmeng paused. She had told Shido to choose, but if it had been up to her, she would have preferred Gun Battle. Since Shido had picked this one, though, she would go along with it.

"You don't like it...?" Shido asked worriedly when she fell silent.

"It's not that I don't like it. If you want to see School Days, I'll watch it with you."

Lingmeng came back to herself and answered.

"Okay. Let's go in." Shido nodded and led her into the screening room.

"Tch. Did I pick wrong?" Kotori muttered aboard Fraxinus.

Lingmeng might not have shown it openly, but the huge screen aboard Fraxinus made it clear she was less than pleased.

"Wow, quite a few people came to see School Days. Is it really that good?"

Lingmeng looked around after she and Shido took their seats.

She wanted to point out that School Days shared its title with an anime from her original world, but the size of the audience had piqued her interest.

Just then, the opening appeared on the screen, and the movie began.

After watching for a while, Lingmeng felt disappointed. In her original world, this would have been a formulaic romance film. In short—

The protagonist, Makoto Ito, was a poor boy, but he was kind, handsome, and a good student. Plenty of girls admired him, but the hopelessly oblivious Makoto had no idea. He had eyes only for his classmate Kotonoha Katsura.

Kotonoha Katsura was a beautiful, introverted girl from a wealthy family. She and Makoto liked each other, but neither knew how the other felt. Because of that, the pair became targets for the girls who wanted Makoto for themselves.

After that, Makoto and Kotonoha persevered until they finally ended up together.

Lingmeng could have passed the time with a story like that. What sickened her was that, as the film reached its climax, the audience around her started getting intimate.

In an instant, the air filled with the sour stench of romance.

The people in the front rows weren't too bad. At most, they hugged and called each other's names tenderly. Some of the couples farther back went too far.

Take the couple right in front of Lingmeng. Ignoring everyone around them, they slipped their hands into each other's clothes and shared a passionate French kiss, all while murmuring to each other.

"Binbin, I love you. No one in the whole world could love you more than I do."

"No, A Wei, I love you even more!"

"You can't love me more, because my love is already overflowing!"

"Then mine has spilled over!"

"Beep—" Lingmeng's brain shut down as she stared at the couple. There was so much wrong with this that she didn't know where to begin.

What kind of filthy talk is that? Are you two doing something obscene? Slow down! And your name is A Wei too? How many A Weis are there in the world?!

Why am I being force-fed displays of affection when I'm just trying to watch a movie? Stop showing off your love in front of me, damn it!

"Hey, Shido! What happened? Why is Lingmeng so worked up?" Kotori asked urgently, watching the affection meter on the big screen.

"What do you mean? Lingmeng's fine..." Shido turned to look at her and immediately fell silent.

Lingmeng was gripping her armrest with a ferocious expression. Veins bulged on her forehead, and she looked ready to explode.

Time to Eat

"Lingmeng... what's wrong?" Shido asked, breaking into a sweat at the sight of her expression.

"Nothing. I'm just not used to the atmosphere in here."

Lingmeng spoke through gritted teeth, struggling to contain her anger.

All you happy couples should feel the wrath of my mighty FFF Group!

"Uh... I see." Shido glanced at the couples around them, all flaunting their affection, and felt a twinge of discomfort himself.

"Do you want to leave now?"

"Yes. The sooner, the better."

At her firm answer, they left the screening room without waiting for the movie to end.

"Shido, Lingmeng's upset right now. Hurry and find something to talk about to take her mind off it!"

"I know." Hearing his sister's voice in his ear, Shido could only obey.

"Um... Lingmeng, did you have breakfast?"

"I couldn't afford it. Tohka's bottomless stomach nearly ate through all my money yesterday."

Lingmeng folded her arms, irritated. Shido scratched his cheek awkwardly.

So that means she hasn't eaten?

"Then would you like to get something to eat with me?"

"You're paying?" Lingmeng's expression shifted.

"Of course." Shido nodded.

Lingmeng grabbed his hand and spoke with heartfelt gratitude.

"Great! That's my good buddy. You're so generous!"

Since she was broke, Lingmeng accepted without hesitation. She had already decided to make Shido her source of free meals.

"Where are we going? What are we eating?" Lingmeng asked, her eyes shining.

"Uh... well." Shido froze. He had originally intended to grab a crepe or some okonomiyaki with her while they were out.

But he worried she might dislike it, just as she had disliked the movie, and couldn't bring himself to suggest it.

"Tch. Another difficult question, huh?"

Fraxinus's AI had put up yet another set of options. This time, the crew began voting before Kotori could even speak.

① "Go to an upscale French Restaurant."

② "Pick a restaurant at random on the food street."

③ "Get skewers from a roadside stall."

Option ① won by far with five votes. Options ② and ③ received one vote and none, respectively.

"For something as important as a date, of course you want a French Restaurant with a nice atmosphere."

"Agreed. If they choose option two, it'll be something they could eat any day. What would be the point?"

"Option three isn't even worth considering. Taking a girl out for skewers on a date feels so halfhearted."

The crew discussed it below the Command Seat, and Kotori nodded with satisfaction.

She snatched up the microphone and ordered, "Shido, go to the nearby French Restaurant. Don't worry about the cost. We'll make arrangements with the staff beforehand."