Chapter 24: The Balance Between Reality and the Game
Rakuro: "Phew..."
When I woke up in the real world, morning sunlight was seeping through the gap in the curtains. I knew it, but I ended up staying up all night playing SLF. A god-tier game really is god-tier... If it weren't for my health and real‑life obligations, I'd be driven by the urge to stay logged in forever. That said, I can't stay logged in all day today. I drank some water, took care of business, and headed to the kitchen.
Rakuro: "Good morning."
Mother: "Good morning. You were really into it, but you kept track of time and kept your promise. That's very good, Rakuro."
Rakuro: "I've had enough of “logging out (physically)”..."
Back when I lost eight hours of data because I didn't save, I was so hollow that I couldn't taste food for a while. To avoid repeating that tragedy, I never break our family's rules. Even understanding that the headgear has a backup battery to handle sudden disconnects, being physically forced out is quite a clever trick... not that I want to experience it again.
Our family often gets asked, "Is your home environment okay?" The reason is that both parents and children are all absorbed in completely different hobbies, so we barely see each other for a family bound by blood.
My father, Hizutome Senji, is pathologically obsessed with fishing. He uses his paid vacation every year to go catch fish.
My mother, Hizutome Eika, is such a bug enthusiast that she's known by name to experts in that field. Lately, she's customized one room in the house to replicate the climate of South America to raise butterflies from there.
Me, Hizutome Rakuro — needless to say, I'm a gamer. Most of my time at home is spent with my consciousness inside VR.
My sister, Hizutome Rumi, is a hardcore fashionista. She's managed to convince our parents to let her have two rooms exclusively for herself, and she buys clothes at a rate that her monthly allowance can't cover, so she spends her days working part‑time jobs like a black company employee. I remember she was ecstatic recently about becoming a reader model or something.
When I told this story back in middle school, the teacher forced a three‑way conference on us, so apparently society sees my family as crazy. In reality, it's not like that at all. Well, after both my sister and I ended up in three‑way conference situations, we decided that it was getting problematic. So now our family has a rule: we absolutely have breakfast and dinner together every Sunday morning and evening, and we talk.
Rakuro: "Where's Dad?"
Mother: "He went fishing yesterday... Looks like he just got back."
My father, who once had his fishing rod sold off because he broke the rules on a marlin fishing trip, also doesn't have the courage to keep fishing if it means breaking the rules. That marlin was delicious. Well, we all keep each other in check — selling clothes cheap on online auctions (perpetrator: Mom), releasing butterflies into the wild (planner: me, executor: my sister), selling limited editions of trash games (perpetrator: Dad) — but our relationship is good. No, really.
Father: "I'm home. Caught some nice whiting. I'm counting on tempura for tonight."
Rakuro: "Morning... Oh, welcome back, Dad. How about tuna?"
Father: "Even I can't manage that with this gear."
When my father — who once went out on a friend's fishing boat and landed a bluefin tuna — says that, his words carry a different weight. Anyway, we were all gathered for breakfast. Mom stepped away to take care of the insects, but that's within acceptable limits.
Father: "How have you all been lately?"
Rakuro: "I started a new game recently. It's pretty fun."
Rumi: "I got a modeling gig! Spread the word!"
Father: "I became friends with someone who does marlin fishing. I'm thinking of going a bit farther out."
Miso soup, rice, natto, and grilled salmon... When it comes to seafood, we regularly get it almost for free, so our table is heavy on fish dishes. Mother finished tending to the butterflies and sat down, and our family meal began. The main topics are mostly about our own hobbies, sometimes switching to things like school grades.
After breakfast, each of us returns to our own world of hobbies. We probably won't see each other again until seven in the evening... because we all either shut ourselves in our rooms or go out to work. Lately, the kind old lady next door has been asking if we're being neglected, but we're a proper family. So please stop trying to call child protective services.
Rakuro: "Hmm, an email?"
Just as I was about to log back into SLF, my phone — linked to the VR headgear — notified me that I had emails from friends. One was from Modor Katzo, and another from a mutual friend of ours.
We've never met in person, but we know each other's email addresses. The three of us specialize in different game genres, so we occasionally consult each other via email. Judging by the subject lines, they were both about different things.
Subject: I bought it too
From: Modor Katzo
To: Sunraku
Body: I bought SLF too, Sunraku. Where are you right now? I'll catch up soon.
Rakuro: "Modor Katzo bought SLF too."
He's supposedly a pro fighting game player. Is he managing his time okay? These days, pro gamers are established as legitimate athletes. Not the Olympics, but there are world championships. Modor Katzo is what every gamer aspires to be. Isn't a tournament coming up for him? Well, whatever. For now, I'll hide that I'm in the middle of a Unique Scenario and just send him my progress.
The other one...
Subject: Rain of spears tomorrow?
From: Pencil Warrior
To: Sunraku
Body: I heard from Modor Katzo-san that you, Sunraku-kun, who can only play trash games, have tried your hand at a god-tier game. Is that for real?
Did you get an upset stomach? Any allergic reactions?
Oh, I'm a pretty serious player in SLF, so once you reach Fifticia, let's go hunting together ^^
Rakuro: "That was a taunting email worthy of fan mail, dammit. Fifticia is the newest area currently available, isn't it? Damn beast. I'll send her just a picture of Emul later and let her writhe in anticipation of a Unique Scenario."
Might as well gather some information before logging back into SLF. It's not like I'm stubbornly avoiding guide sites, and this game is more complex and bizarre than I thought.