Chapter 39: Shifted Monday Monday morning. From the back of the classroom, an exceptionally loud burst of laughter rose. Even students who turned around at the sound broke into smiles, calling out to nearby friends to ask what was so funny. As they talked, another student joined in, and before they knew it, people had gathered around to encircle several desks. Over by the window a little ways away, voices could be heard talking about something. Students who would normally head off to anothe...

Chapter 38: A Different Purpose Sunday. Reo was playing Asuon in his room while thinking about yesterday. After his parents returned from school yesterday, his mother had told him about how things would go moving forward. “I spoke with Mr. Yamaoka today... and it's been decided that you can take a break from school for a while.” For the foreseeable future, there was no need to force himself to attend school. The school would prepare teaching materials and assignments for that period, and th...

Chapter 37: A Phone Call from School — Meiko Kano Side Sunday evening. Meiko sat on the edge of the bed in her own room, gazing at her smartphone screen. In the morning, she had sent the video to the agency where Suzumura belonged. She had used a free email address prepared separately from her usual ones, ensuring neither her name nor her regular contact info was left behind. In the subject line, she had simply typed—"The True Reality of Kokona Suzumura." Imagining what would happen beyond...

Chapter 36: Connected Facts By the time they left the agency, the light rain that had been falling since morning was gradually intensifying its pace. Fine raindrops fell continuously onto the wet asphalt. Stepping even a single step outside from the eaves, the sound of rain striking umbrellas reached the ears much more clearly than before. Misaki asked a junior manager to drive Kokona back to her home. After seeing the two off, Misaki headed to the car alongside Sudou. Slipping into the pass...

Chapter 35: The Agency's Decision The two of them canceled the shoot, got into the car, and headed straight for the agency. Outside the window, a fine rain fell quietly, and the raindrops dropping from the gray sky softly blurred the contours of the city. There was no conversation inside the car; Kokona sat with her head bowed, her hands resting one over the other on her knees. Misaki kept her hands on the steering wheel, eyes fixed straight ahead, driving the car in silence. Every time the ...

Chapter 34: What Must Be Faced Sunday. Inside a photography studio in Tokyo, the sound of camera shutters echoed. "Kokona-chan, let's try smiling just a little more." "Yes..." At the cameraman's instruction, Kokona relaxed the corners of her mouth. Yet, no matter how many times she tried over, her expression remained somewhat stiff. Yamada: "A bit more naturally... There, right that moment." The shutter clicked. However, upon checking the captured photograph, the cameraman tilted his he...

Chapter 33: The Revealed Fact Saturday. The mother had contacted the school the previous day, expressing her wish to speak with the homeroom teacher regarding Reo. And so, at the appointed time, the parents boarded the car and headed to the school. There was no conversation inside the car. The father kept his hands firmly on the steering wheel in silence, while the mother gazed out the front passenger window. At their feet rested a bag containing the medical certificate received at the psyc...

Chapter 32: Reo & Shigumin Side Wednesday, a little past 11 PM. Today, too, I was hunting in Asuon with Reo all day long. Since it's right in the middle of the 5th-anniversary event, logging in for long hours in itself isn't unusual. Even I am playing all day like this. But Reo was different. Even though it's a weekday, he's been logged in since morning. He said he skipped school yesterday. And today, too, he hasn't gone to school. Just because an event started, keeping up with Asuon to...

Chapter 31: Regret and Resolution — Kaho Kitayama Side Tuesday. When I headed to our usual meeting spot, Kokona-chan was already waiting there. "Good morning, Kokona-chan." "Good morning, Kaho." Exchanging our usual greeting, we started walking toward the station together, but there was hardly any conversation on the morning commute. I secretly glanced sideways at Kokona-chan walking beside me. She wasn't looking down; she was facing forward walking our usual route, but she looked somewhat...

Chapter 30: Meiko Kano After school. The two of them left the school and walked down the familiar commuting path toward the station. Yet today, Rinko’s demeanor was different from usual. Normally, she would chatter away while staring at her smartphone, but today she hardly opened her mouth, walking with her head slightly bowed. "......Rinko." "Hm?" "You really don't need to worry about it that much." Rinko lifted her face just a fraction. "......But." The rest didn't follow. After walki...

Chapter 29: The Target of Irritation — Renya Kujo Side After school. Homeroom ended, and students filed out of the classroom one after another. Kujo headed toward the exit on the corridor side, and right as he was about to step out, Kokona and Kaho walked side by side past him from behind. "Kokona." Kujo called out. Yet, Kokona didn't lift her face, walking side by side with Kaho with her head bowed, passing straight by Kujo's side. "......" Kujo's brow twitched slightly. He silently watch...

Chapter 28: Crumbling Friday — Second Half The fourth-period class continued. Amidst the sound of the teacher's voice echoing through the room, the students faced forward. Yet, inside their heads, the words they had exchanged with their friends moments before kept repeating over and over. They weren't the only ones worried about what happened that day. In other places, similar conversations were being exchanged. The more they realized this, the more the thoughts within their chests slowly so...

Chapter 27: Crumbling Friday — First Half Friday morning. Students were arriving at school one after another into the classroom. Yet, the morning scene there was nothing like what it had been until yesterday. Even if they spotted a close friend, few people called out to them immediately. Even upon reaching the vicinity of a desk, they merely exchanged a brief greeting before heading straight to their own seats. Even when together with someone, conversation barely lasted. There were people ...

Chapter 26: Cracked Thursday Thursday morning. The classroom was filled with the usual morning scenery, and upon arriving at school, the students gathered around their close friends as always to exchange words, yet those voices were somewhat subdued. What could be heard from all around were hushed voices, as though probing the surrounding atmosphere. Every time the door opened, several students unconsciously turned their eyes toward the entrance. For a fleeting moment, a hint of expectation ...

Chapter 25: Wednesday, Beginning to Change Wednesday morning. The classroom was wrapped in the same morning air as always. Students who arrived at school naturally gathered around close friends, exchanging casual conversations about videos they'd seen yesterday or plans for after school. Laughter echoed from all directions, and the morning light streaming through the windows was completely unchanged from yesterday. At a glance, it was an ordinary classroom. Yet— Every time the classroom do...

Chapter 24: Business-as-Usual Tuesday Tuesday morning. The classroom was filled with the usual morning air. Students who arrived at school naturally gathered around the desks of like-minded friends, exchanging idle chatter. Laughter echoed from here and there, and the light streaming through the windows was no different from yesterday in any way. At a glance, an ordinary classroom. Even so, it was just a fraction different. No one would say it aloud. Yet, a hard-to-put-into-words sense of ...

Chapter 23: That Day's After-School — Kokona Suzumura Side Monday after school. The light of dusk streamed through the train windows, dyeing the passing townscape a pale orange. Kokona Suzumura and Kaho Kitayama stood side by side, rocked by the usual after-school train. Yet, the feelings inside both of their chests were different from yesterday. As Kokona gazed out the window, she replayed the scene in the classroom over and over again—the interaction at that moment, Tachibana-kun's express...

Chapter 22: That Day's After-School — Rinko Takamiya Side After school. The path leading from the school to the station. Turning the corner of the familiar residential street, Rinko Takamiya and Meiko Kano were walking their usual way home. The laughter that had been echoing from behind, the fading footsteps. Students leaving school headed toward the station one by one, and the road gradually grew quiet. Walking side by side with Meiko, Rinko looked down at her smartphone and suddenly raised...

Chapter 21: That Day's After-School — Tatsuya Sugisawa Side After-school soccer club. The locker room echoed with the usual voices of the club members. "I heard there's a lot of running in today's practice." "You've gotta be kidding me..." Amidst such chatter, Tatsuya Sugisawa was quietly changing into his practice gear, but the preparations he usually finished unconsciously were taking an unusually long time today. Floating in his head were Reo Tachibana and Kokona Suzumura. And—Renya Kuj...

Chapter 20: Quiet Anger The door closes quietly. After Reo left the examination room, Kawahira dropped his gaze to the medical chart once. After jotting down a few notes, he put down his pen. Before long, the door opened, and Reo's mother quietly entered. "Please, have a seat." Kawahira directed his gaze toward the chair opposite. Confirming that the mother sat down, Kawahira returned his gaze to the chart. How was he spending his time at home? Compared to usual, were there any changes? He n...

Chapter 19: Things Coming into Focus "......I was confessed to." Hearing Reo's words, Kawahira did not reply immediately. Stopping his hand holding the pen, he dropped his gaze to the medical chart and paused for a brief moment of thought. (Changes in romance or human relationships can sometimes affect mental and physical health. Is this confession related to what's going on, too?) Still, it was too early to jump to conclusions at this stage. Kawahira raised his gaze back. "Was that confe...

Chapter 18: The Mind's Examination In front of the hospital reception. His mother took an envelope out of her bag. "Please." Handing over the referral letter given by the internal medicine department where they had visited yesterday, its contents were checked, and the reception procedures proceeded smoothly. "Since it's your first visit today, it might take a little time." "Yes." His mother nodded. Beside her, Reo waited quietly. A place different from yesterday... Even in the same hos...

Chapter 17: Inability to Understand the Situation Friday. As consciousness slowly surfaced, the morning light streaming through the gap in the curtains spread faintly past closed eyelids, and the quiet sound of small birds echoing from afar softly rang through the tranquil room. Reo slowly opened his eyes. Normally, this would be the time he woke up thinking about Asuon. However. Today was a little bit different. Staring at the ceiling for a while, he blankly checked the time. The fog-li...

Chapter 16: Failure to Reflect Upon Students on their way to school, bicycles waiting at a traffic light, an old man walking his dog—the unchanging scenery of a weekday morning slowly drifted past the window. Yet, every bit of it looked like an event happening in some distant world. Reo leaned back against the backseat, gazing blankly out the window. Unfocused pupils. Though it looked like he was tracking the passing scenery, in truth, nothing was reflected in them. The car stopped at a tr...

By the time night fell, the hustle and bustle of the event map had intensified even further. The working-adult group had finished their jobs and logged in one after another, setting the guild chat into rapid motion. Koyori-chan: “Thanks for waiting, everyone~♪” Gonzaemon: “Here they come, our participating members for tonight are ready.” Lord Gomez: “Today we're dropping weapons.” Mako: “Leo-niishama~! Please take care of me today too!” Kahifu: “Since it's a guild all-out war, let's get hy...

Chapter 14: Everyday Life with Shigumin Putting on my headphones, I returned once more to the world of Asuon. My character, who hadn't logged out since yesterday, stood quietly at the 5th-anniversary event base. Inside the monitor, the time for the limited-time event was still ticking. Time remaining. Obtainable rewards. Farming efficiency. Reo naturally checked those numbers. Then, he typed Shigumin's name into the friend chat column. Leo: “Shigumin” A reply came back immediately. Shigu...

Chapter 13: The Day I Skipped School The sound of the alarm clock echoed from afar. The morning light streaming through the gap in the curtains slowly filled the quiet room. Remaining seated in his chair, Reo gazed blankly at the light piercing through the curtain's gap. The white, stretching morning sun slowly crept across the floor, leaving only time to flow through the hushed room. Chasing that light, his gaze shifted to the clock on his desk. Staring at the digital numbers for a few seco...

Chapter 12: The Mask of Justice After Tachibana Reo left. Everyone stared at the closed door for a while. As if trying to sort out what had just happened inside their heads. Before long, triggered by Meiko Kano's voice, murmurs gradually returned to the classroom. However, unlike the laughter from moments before, it was a murmur of people leaning in close to each other, speaking in hushed tones. Gazes testing each other's reactions were exchanged all over the classroom. Everyone seemed to...

Chapter 11: Behind the Mask The moment I stepped out into the hallway, the afternoon light streaming through the windows cast long shadows across the floor. As the daytime hustle and bustle began to fade away, the footfalls of students heading home echoed through the school building. Passing by were students walking side by side, laughing, and cheerfully chatting about looking forward to the upcoming after-school hours, just like any other day. Amidst that everyday routine, Reo Tachibana walk...

Chapter 10: The Truth Exposed in the Classroom Monday after school. The classroom, right after homeroom ended, was filled with the usual pre-departure chatter. The sound of desks being pushed back, the zip of bag closures. The trivial conversations exchanged among friends. An ordinary after-school scene, unchanged by anything. Amidst that. "Tachibana-kun." Hearing a familiar voice, I looked up. Suzumura was standing there—a sight that had been rapidly becoming ordinary lately. From an outsi...

Chapter 9: A Tiny Regret — Kokona Suzumura Side Saturday. Inside a photography studio in central Tokyo, the crisp sound of camera shutters echoed rhythmically. "Yes, looking good!" "Just eyes this way!" "Great smile!" Matching the photographer's cues, Kokona Suzumura flashed a natural, radiant grin. Dressed in a casual-chic outfit and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, that single gesture drew murmurs of admiration from the staff on set. "As expected of Kokona-chan." "She's flawle...

Chapter 8: How to Spend a Holiday The flow of time on a holiday morning is just a little bit different. On weekdays, you wake up at a set time, slip your arms into your uniform, finish breakfast, and head to school. It’s something that repeats every single day. But holidays are different. You aren't woken up by the sound of an alarm clock. You don't need to get ready while worrying about the time. I slowly opened my eyes and gazed up at the ceiling. Checking the clock—6:40 AM. It was stil...

Chapter 7: An Unexpected Presence — Renya Kujo Side Friday afternoon. A few students still lingered in the classroom. In the quiet space bathed in the setting sun, the sounds of packing up to leave and the light laughter of friends echoed gently, just like any other day. Someone stood up to head to club activities, someone continued chatting with a friend, and someone gazed at their smartphone while preparing to leave. Amidst that ordinary after-school scenery, I sat at my desk, casting my ga...

Chapter 6: Looking Back on That Day Kokona Suzumura Side After school. Parting ways with Tachibana-kun, I walked the road home alone. The evening shopping district was moderately bustling with students returning from school and people back from shopping. I felt like the sweetness of the crepe we'd been eating together just moments ago still lingered slightly in my mouth. (...It felt kind of strange, somehow.) I've almost never made a detour after school with a boy. Buying a crepe on the way...

Chapter 5: A Class-Approved Couple The next morning. The moment I stepped into the classroom, I could tell the atmosphere was entirely different from yesterday. As the door swung open, multiple gazes snapped toward me simultaneously. A boy talking in front of the chalkboard cut himself off mid-sentence, and a group of girls clustered around a desk leaned in close to whisper to each other. Those gazes immediately darted away. Even so, it didn't mean they never happened. Until yesterday, I ...

Chapter 4: The After-School Date Walking down the hallway, Suzumura was right beside me. Until yesterday, our relationship was nothing more than being famous people in the same class—that was all. But today is different. From an outside perspective, we might look like a couple whose distance has narrowed. Maybe because of that, I felt like passing students' gazes were more frequent than usual. Suzumura seemed to notice this too, walking while slightly minding her surroundings. "Are we jus...

Chapter 3: Playing the Lover to the Fullest The next morning. As I walked the road to school, I organized what I needed to do today inside my head. It was just like checking a game's walkthrough steps. If you piece them together one by one in order, you won't get lost along the way. (Act naturally as lovers for a few days. Make those around us think we're genuinely dating. If I can progress all the way to the reveal in that state, the reason to skip school will be complete.) The problem is ...

Chapter 2: The After-School Fake Confession The next morning. It happened just as I was changing into my indoor shoes at the entranceway, as usual. "...Hm?" I noticed a single piece of stationery wedged inside my shoe locker. A cute, folded-in-four letter. On the front, written in small characters— To Tachibana Reo-kun That was all it said. Looking around, there wasn't a trace of anyone suspicious. Recalling yesterday's events, I slowly opened the letter. “There is something I want to tel...

Chapter 1: The Best Way to Skip School One hour of gaming a day. Whoever first came out with that saying has definitely never played an MMORPG. Daily quests that reset every day. Limited-time events. World bosses. Raids. Guild wars. School is still happening tomorrow. Game events won't wait for you. No matter how you look at it, the priority is the game. That's what I believe. "...Alright." 6:45 AM. Waking up before the alarm, I boot up the PC on my desk. What projects onto the mo...

After Giving a Fake Confession to Me, Who Just Wanted to Skip School, the Pranksters Suffered a Massive Backlash Orimen https://kakuyomu.jp/works/2912051604668493030 Plot: The guy (the protagonist) targeted with a fake confession was something else. Knowing it was a fake confession, Tachibana Reo accepted it anyway. The reason was simple. He thought it would make the ultimate excuse to skip school. Online games over human relationships. Event progression over reality. For a boy like hi...