6 - Epilogue

Airi Kakitsubata was a 17-year-old girl attending a design trade school. She wanted to be a fashion designer when she grew up... but right now, she was a zombie.

“I... I thought you fought very valiantly, myself,” Airi’s companion said.

Airi was sitting in a luxury restaurant on the top floor of a hotel. Cuisine of a level she had never eaten before in her life was spread out on the table in front of her, but her appetite wouldn’t budge.

The Narrow Fantasy Online fashion competition had ended with a squeaker of a victory for Nem, a.k.a. Megumi Fuyo. Several days had passed since Iris’s total self-sabotage, for which the term “karmic retribution” was truly apt. (In fact, it had been a fair and honest competition, but to Iris, it had felt like self-sabotage.)

“I feel pretty awful about it,” Airi muttered. “To lose after putting Yozakura in that outfit. I feel... pathetic. There’s nothing I can say in my own defense.”

Airi had told the young heir that she didn’t want him to interfere. In other words, to respect the purity of “Airi Kakitsubata vs. Megumi Fuyo,” she had warned him not to take her side. As a result, he had acted as he wished to, let the contest proceed, and in the end, voted for the outfit he really thought was better.

He had done just as she had asked him to, regardless of the result. And because Iris had asked for it herself, it had felt like self-sabotage.

“The fact that his vote decided the result was unbelievable, but that’s karma for you,” Airi muttered. “I knew it wasn’t a design that the young heir would like. He likes less ostentatious clothing, like the one he voted for.”

“W-Well... that’s true... Tee hee...”

“I know that, but I know that if I’d made a design that would earn his vote, I might not have gotten enough of the other votes I needed... I feel like I was between a rock and a hard place,” Airi complained.

The person sitting across the table from Airi was none other than Megumi Fuyo herself.

The cutting-edge fashion designer known throughout the world—Airi Kakitsubata’s idol, and at the same time, her ruthless rival. The way in which the vote cast by Ichiro, who had been the instigator of the original argument between them, had settled their competition as well did feel like karma, in a way. But it had also cheered Fuyo up tremendously.

Megumi Fuyo’s invitation to dinner had reached Airi several days later. Airi had been shocked, stunned, and she’d wanted to go, but she hadn’t been sure how to face her. After all, she had gambled on that embarrassing, vulgar design, and lost. She wanted to apologize to both the angelic campaign girl and to the part-time job money she’d spent making it.

She wanted to apologize to Yozakura, naturally, as well as to Felicia, Yuri, Edward, and Kirihito (Leader). They had all said “what a shame” after hearing the result. Both Felicia and Yuri had asked, “But you gave it your best?” and she’d managed to say that yes, she had.

She hadn’t seen Yozakura since then, so she hadn’t been able to apologize to her yet. She had managed to see Kirschwasser, and had told him that she’d like to find Yozakura and apologize. In response, he had looked rather hesitant and just said, “I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about.”

Iris hadn’t been sure if he was telling the truth, or if he was simply trying to spare her feelings in his own way.

“Iris.” As Airi’s thoughts went around in circles, Megumi Fuyo interrupted with a clearing of her throat. “You mustn’t be so despondent. Such thoughts trivialize my victory, too. You’re the one who investigated the market within the game, made a design from scratch, and competed with something you had created, aren’t you? You should take proper responsibility for the votes submitted for your clothing, and for what you made, as well.”

“But you can say that because you won, right?” Airi responded.

“W-Well, that is true...”

Airi let out a small sigh. It was true that there was no point in kicking herself over it. “So, Fuyo. Why did you call me out here? Not just to brag about your victory, right?”

“Ah, n-no, ah...” Airi’s question had Megumi Fuyo openly flustered for some reason. She averted her eyes, looking for something to settle them on.

Airi tilted her head questioningly, but she didn’t urge her on. She just waited, patiently.

“Ichiro said something to me recently.”

“What was it?” Airi asked.

“He said he thought... that you could be a very good friend to me.”

“Huh?” It was a strange thing to be told out of nowhere.

The woman Megumi Fuyo, who was over a decade older than Airi, looked up suddenly. Her face had gone crimson. “I’m rather sheltered... ah, and I have few friends. Especially... friends with whom I can discuss fashion. So, ah, if you wish, Airi, I was wondering, ah, if you would...”

“Oh, um... sure.” Airi was dumbstruck, but agreed. At the same time, she couldn’t help but wonder if it was that same loneliness that had twisted her so. Maybe it was natural that someone so innocent would fall head-over-heels for a man like the young heir.

Friends, though?

Friends?

With the woman who, until a week ago, had existed on an entirely other plane? The world really was unpredictable.

“Sure, I will,” Airi responded firmly. “Let’s be friends, Miss Fuyo. I’m Airi. Airi Kakitsubata.”

Megumi smiled suddenly, in a truly girlish way. “Okay! It will be my pleasure, Airi!”

Airi rather liked having her hand taken this way, but she couldn’t help but feel that if it had been the young heir sitting there instead of her, the problem would have been resolved a lot faster.

Well, I guess that’s all nonsense.

Airi couldn’t even taste her first high-class meal.

It was the morning after the friendship between women with a large age gap had been forged.

“Today’s the day!” Sakurako cried happily at the calendar, hands set firmly on her waist.

“Yes, it’s the day when Asuha and King will be arriving,” Ichiro said.

“That’s right!!” Sakurako turned excitedly to look back at Ichiro, who was sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper.

Naturally, it was Sakurako Ogi who had played Yozakura and worn that immodest outfit at the fashion show the other day. That Ichiro had cast the final vote for Nem and Amesho had been quite a shock, but after he had taken her to a restaurant in Akasaka that night and explained things, she’d woken up the next morning feeling much better. She saw no need to hold a grudge.

It had been the day after that that Asuha had asked if Sera could come along with her for her planned visit during summer vacation. Ichiro had been slightly surprised, but had given ready consent, and when he had told Sakurako, she’d been so delighted she’d leapt in the air.

“That reminds me. I never did ask if Sera was a boy or a girl. I wonder which... Hee hee...”

“You’re having fun,” Ichiro said.

“Well, I’m looking forward to it!” Sakurako had been quite curious about Sera’s true identity for a while, so that was only natural.

They would be boarding a bullet train from Nagoya Station about now. They’d probably arrive at Tokyo Station a little after noon, and then Ichiro and Sakurako would go to meet them together.

“Surely you’re looking forward to it, too, Ichiro-sama,” she said. “You even bought another Cocoon.”

“Hmm, well, I suppose I am. I thought King would prefer that.”

Ichiro would have been happy to take them sightseeing around Tokyo, but Asuha had seen it all already, and Sera likely wouldn’t be terribly interested. That had made him think it might be good to order another Cocoon. Thus, he had called Thistle Corporation yesterday and had bought yet another commercial-grade Miraive Gear Cocoon. The result was that there were now three Cocoons in the Tsuwabuki household.

“That reminds me. If you don’t mind the change of subject...” Ichiro set down his newspaper and picked up the smartphone on the table. “I heard from Megumi last night. It seems she smoothed things over with Iris.”

“Oh, I see,” Sakurako said. “That’s very good. Iris admires her so much, I don’t want them to fight.”

“She said she’d come to Iris Brand to visit. Shall we go and say hello to her?”

Sakurako cleaned up the empty teacup that Ichiro had finished. “Oh, yes. Why don’t we log in? I imagine that when Asuha and Sera arrive, they’ll want to play even more anyway.”

That decision sped things up significantly. Sakurako quickly finished her remaining household chores and was still a bit out of breath as she proclaimed, “Let’s go!” They moved to the room with the three Cocoons, opened their respective hatches, and slid inside.

Sakurako waved with a smile and said, “See you later!”

Ichiro was reminded that he had to help Yozakura level up soon.

He pulled down the lever and closed the hatch, then sat down in the reclining drive seat to which he had grown quite accustomed. He pulled the gear onto his head and locked it in place around his jaw. After his consciousness transitioned into the fictional space, he selected “Narrow Fantasy Online Premium Pack” from the icons that floated up into view.

It was at this point that things began to go off-track.

The Pony Entertainment and Thistle Corporation logos popped up, and he could hear NPC Azami’s cheerful voice proclaiming, “Welcome to Narrow Fantasy Online!”

He inputted his User ID and 16-character password to complete his login. Up until this point, everything had been as it usually had. But just then...

“Password incorrect. Cannot confirm User ID.”

Oh?

Ichiro Tsuwabuki had never committed an input error in electronic media in his life. Thinking that perhaps stranger things did happen, he input his password once more.

“Password incorrect. Cannot confirm User ID.”

Hmm.

Ichiro’s mind worked quickly. It was impossible that he would get his password input wrong twice in a row. It was far more likely that his password itself had been changed without his knowledge.

Ichiro selected the “cancel drive” option and removed his headgear. He raised the lever and opened the hatch, then pulled his credit card out of its slot.

It seemed his account had been hacked.