Gain, dragged to the restroom by her friend, was extremely nervous. Inna was usually a good friend. That much hadn't changed.
But if there was ever a time when she pushed her own opinion without listening to her friend's, it was whenever Erika was involved.
Just what was so good about a girl with an exotic name? Song Gain couldn't help but be furious at the way Inna always prioritized Erika over her friends, yet she couldn't express that anger.
The reason Gain—a promising prospect in the athletics department—couldn't get angry at Inna. It was simply because an angry Inna was someone even Song Gain feared. A pressure so intense that if she misdirected her anger even slightly, it felt like her entire body would be crushed. That was why a woman with physical abilities capable of matching other espers couldn't bring herself to be angry at Yu Inna.
'It's fine. Don't chicken out. It's not like she'd kill a friend. What would she do? The other side is in the wrong, so why should I be the one getting nervous?'
Hoo-. Ha-. Hoo-. Ha-. After finishing her simple breathing exercises, the woman finally spoke words that might make Yu Inna angry.
"You know, too. Back then, I approached first because you told me to, and do you know what I heard! You have no idea how angry I was when I heard those words——"
"You can be angry in front of me. I only said not to get angry in front of Erika. Were you very angry then? Do you want revenge? Our Erika seems to have a particular talent for rubbing people the wrong way, after all."
The sight of Inna covering her mouth with her hand and giggling was not the sociable yet kind Yu Inna that Song Gain knew. Rather, it gave the feeling that some dark, wicked serpent was smiling in human form——
"You can be angry. Just don't unconditionally push Erika away like you have been, and treat her kindly. Instead of getting angry like you are now, you can be angry in a different way, right?"
"A different way?"
"Yes. A way where you have to get close enough to pull it off, but one that'll make even Erika regret what she did to you."
—Don't you want that?
Yu Inna's appearance as she brought her lips to Gain's ear and whispered felt so terrifyingly different from usual that, rather than wanting to get angry at Erika, Song Gain found herself nodding out of a fear that she had to follow Inna's words.
And to be honest, she was also curious to see what reaction that arrogant girl would show if she did things Inna's way.
Influence. An esper ability that allowed Inna to influence even the desires of others. Using this ability—which was far more effective the longer one lived alongside her as a friend—Inna smiled so that Song Gain wouldn't see.
'Show me once.'
Whether you've lost your memories or not, or whether you fall victim to the one you used to look down on before losing your memories.
She had blessed Erika with her own ability, yet wished for her friend to fall victim to that very girl. Thus did the one—treated as a girl by Erika but undeniably a woman—plot her scheme.
***
"What are those guys doing in the restroom for so long?"
I grumbled at the sight of them not returning even as the break was almost over, and the woman who had been quietly stroking my hair said, "Probably not~."
I had seen a premonition that wasn't quite foresight through the system that Yu Inna might be plotting something, but that didn't mean I had been idle.
In the meantime, I had tried to open my heart to Kim Sora as much as possible, and whether my sincerity had been successfully accepted or not, the system informed me that I had gained enough affection with her to open her profile in just a few minutes.
[You already know the self-harm keyword. The 1st stage affection cap has been lifted. Kim Sora's capture profile will now be revealed.]
[Name: Kim Sora]
[Affection: 20(50)]
[A woman with a gentle and kind personality. She greatly enjoys dressing others up and likes small, cute girls. When it comes to lewd matters, that tendency to dress others up acts as a fetish, and she enjoys dressing others up or dressing herself up. However, unless she becomes involved with the main heroine, she is an extra, and as an extra, she won't actively pursue anyone ranked above sub-heroine level, so you can rest easy for now.]
As long as she didn't become involved with the student council president—the main heroine—she would remain an extra, someone I didn't need to worry about.
Though I didn't know why the one who liked the small and cute type did so even though the student council president was far from small and cute, perhaps it was because gaining a role by being connected to the main heroine didn't necessarily mean one had to fall for the main heroine.
While I was organizing my impressions after looking at Kim Sora's capture profile, the back door opened and the two people I had been waiting for entered simultaneously.
Yu Inna was my seatmate, so that much was expected, but Song Gain also approached my side and stood in the seat directly in front of me. She had the look of someone with much to say.
"...I'm sorry for speaking so harshly. You might have changed, but I only thought about what I heard in the past and snapped at you recklessly."
"It's fine. I was in the wrong too, so don't worry about it."
I accepted her apology plainly. Since I had cut short Kim Sora's dressing-up time, this was actually a plus.
This was assuming she hadn't received any strange orders from Inna, of course. If I could somehow open up her affection and learn even a little of Kim Sora's inner thoughts, I would be able to tell whether there had been any strange orders or not.
"This turned out well, right? I told you Gain isn't such a bad kid."
"I'm glad you've made a lot of friends besides me, too."
Kim Sora looked as proud as if her own child had apologized, while Yu Inna spoke as if trying to gauge something.
At first, I had thought Yu Inna was the Kim Sora type, but thinking about it now, perhaps she was merely imitating the kindest person she knew. Or maybe friends just resembled each other.
If friends resembled each other, then some part of the original Erika must remain within Yu Inna as well. I wondered where the original Erika's parts remained in Inna. Before I could think further, the bell rang and everyone returned to their seats. Inna had switched to the seat next to me, so she sat there.
As I was waiting for the teacher to arrive like that, a small bell-like icon flickered at the edge of my vision. When I focused my gaze there, a system window filled my sight.
[Unlike before, you are gradually adapting to this world. However, there are still things you do not understand. To prevent any potential misunderstandings, I shall tell you a few things with certainty.]
[Should you see the true ending with the true heroine, whether you leave this world or remain is your choice, but the body you will have upon leaving is Erika's body itself, not your former one. Even if this body is greatly damaged, it cannot be restored. Injuries can be healed, however. If you've played adult games, I'm sure you understand what I mean. Should you go to that world, you will naturally have no identity, but in exchange, you can take with you the esper abilities and money from this place that cannot be obtained no matter how hard one tries there, so it would be quite the boon, would it not?]
What kind of nonsense was this? Even if I successfully saw the true ending, I'd remain a woman? And what boon was it to gain esper abilities and 300 million won in exchange for having no identity?
A boon,
there was absolutely none.
Even with an identity, I would be going from a man to a woman, so there was no way gaining 300 million won was a boon.
The system's tone seemed to mock all the hopes I had held, and I ground my teeth without letting Inna notice.
Additionally, the line that injuries could be healed but damage could not. Since this was somewhat open to interpretation, I glossed over it for now.
[Second, extras can rise in rank indefinitely if they become entangled with the protagonist or main heroine, so they must not be ignored. Please be advised that the true heroine may be hiding among the extras.]
The true heroine could be hiding among the extras?
Now I finally understood why there had been stories of the protagonist capturing heroines indiscriminately. If the true heroine was among the extras, then capturing everyone including the extras was the only way.
[Third, should you leave this world, the existence known as Erika will be processed as having died here. In other words, you need not worry about leaving money behind for Erika should you stay, nor act solely for her sake.]
[Fourth, Erika remains in a spiritual state and may occasionally speak to you or touch you while you are in a spiritual state, but the owner of the body is always you. Should you wish it, Erika can absolutely never take that body. That is to say, unless you dream of spiritual suicide and actually attempt it, Erika cannot move that body.]
...As for Erika, well, it was an unavoidable part if I wanted to live.
When I left, the people who cherished Erika would be deeply hurt, but it wasn't as if I could refuse to leave when the opportunity came.
If it were before hitting a bad ending, I would have been more than willing to hand it over, as I'd rather do that than die——,
[Finally, once a bad ending is decided, you can never escape that situation no matter how hard you try afterward. You can fall further, but you cannot improve. In that situation, even Erika, who remains in a spiritual state, would not want to take that body, so the loophole of handing the body over to Erika becomes absolutely impossible when entering or heading toward a bad ending. Please keep this in mind. However, while heading toward a bad ending, she may descend in special situations with your permission.]
I smiled bitterly at the absolute denial, as if it had read my loophole.
In the end, all this meant was that even if the original came out, she could only move briefly with my permission, and while heading toward a bad ending, even that was impossible.
—It meant the original Erika was as good as dead, and any action I took for her sake was meaningless.
Had the system popped up now because it felt stifled that I kept thinking of working for the original? Honestly, the timing was somewhat abrupt.
It had appeared even though I hadn't obtained any clues, advanced anyone's affection, or experienced any event.
'I'm sorry.'
I apologized to the girl who must be inside me. It wasn't what I wanted, but it seemed I wouldn't be able to return the body to Erika.
If the system was this certain, I thought I could guess what Erika had done.
During the three days she hadn't come to school,
she had committed acts beyond self-harm,
which was probably why I had come here in her body.
And she had probably committed those acts with the sentiment of making the one who abandoned her regret it.
[Understanding of Erika has increased by 10. There is no reward.]
I didn't even want one, dammit.
When a middle-aged man opened the front door and came in, I tore my eyes from the system and focused on the teacher's lesson that was about to begin.
"Hmm, good to see you, kids. Shall we open straight to page 80?"
...Avoiding Yu Inna's gaze, which was staring holes into me. Had my gaze handling been awkward because I'd been too focused on the system?
I pretended not to notice her gaze and immersed myself in the lesson proceeding at the front.