Chapter 19: The Play and its Aftermath

What did she used to do with her friends?

Middle school had been a busy time, filled with academies and tutoring. The only thing she’d done with her few friends was go to PC rooms during the short breaks between school and after-school activities. Weekends were even worse, with tutoring sessions lasting until evening.

What about high school? That’s when her parents gave up on her. Limited to gaming during her brief free time in middle school, she continued gaming in high school.

While she occasionally went to manga cafes with her friends, it was mostly PC rooms. Even that was an excuse; she simply preferred indoor activities, being a gamer at heart.

So, PC rooms, manga cafes, and more PC rooms… that was all she’d done with her friends.
…

Even if she had a wider range of interests and more friends back then, it wouldn’t be relevant now, considering the female-female dynamic. Right.

“Now that we’ve eaten, where to next?”

‘Sigh…’ Why had she boasted about having it all planned out, telling Euru to just show up?

She couldn’t think of anywhere to go in this world without PC rooms.

She did have one place in mind, the most common and accessible option: the cinema.

“Would you like to see a play?” Sayo suggested, offering the closest equivalent in this world.

“Actually, I’ve never been to a play before, Sayo. I’ll trust your judgment.”

“…Really? That’s surprising. You agreed so readily, I thought you liked plays.”

“I don’t mind having my first experience with you.”

“…Interesting choice of words.”

‘Hearing Euru say that directly is… flustering.’

One of Euru’s defining traits was her un-princess-like behavior. Her brother, Astes from Class B, was reportedly a typical arrogant royal, aloof, speaking in archaic language, with followers but no friends. Euru, on the other hand, was approachable, easily making friends and, as just demonstrated, making subtly suggestive comments.

‘The real question is, which play should we see?’

Neither Juseong nor Sayoreinne had ever seen a play. Sayo felt the weight of the princess’s expectant gaze.

They entered the theater district and found a board listing the plays showing at various theaters.

Sayo felt a surge of panic. Maintain composure. Act natural. Hiding her emotions was easy. She scanned the board, her expression carefully neutral.

‘Of course I don’t know anything.’

If there had been any familiar titles like ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ ‘Hamlet,’ or ‘Faust,’ she would have chosen one of those. But neither she nor Sayoreinne knew anything about this world’s plays.

Since they knew nothing, it was best to choose based on Euru’s likely preferences, judging by the titles and synopses.

What kind of plays would Euru like? Could she glean any clues from the ‘game’ Euru? …Euru’s affection level increased regardless of what you did, so that wasn’t helpful. Then…

“How about this one?”

However…

“Oh, Yenitel, can you feel my heart pounding?”

“Yes, Lorca. I feel the same. This is… love.”

On stage, a pink-haired woman and a red-haired woman embraced. Sayo, unable to deny it any longer, had chosen a passionate drama about two engaged women discovering their hidden desires for each other.

‘Was choosing this play really the right decision?’

Sayo had chosen it because, in the game, Euru enjoyed physical intimacy with other girls besides Emelly, and often said, “If you like it, I like it too.” As Sayo’s anxiety and confusion grew while trying to choose a play, her mind, influenced by ‘Sayoreinne’s’ preferences, had jumped to the conclusion, [Ah, Euru likes girls!]

‘Is it normal for two girls to watch a yuri play together?’

Sayo glanced around the dimly lit theater. It was about 60-70% full, and there were only a few other pairs of women, including herself and Euru, perhaps about 10%.

Even in a world where same-s*x relationships and marriage were accepted, they were still a minority, and some people likely disapproved. This had caused conflict in the game as well…

‘That’s…’

Sayo spotted a pair of women sitting together, their hands clasped tightly over the armrest, gazing at each other lovingly. They were definitely a couple. Sayo swallowed nervously, her gaze fixed on them. They looked at each other, then at the play, then back at each other, whispering and giggling. They didn’t seem to be doing anything more than holding hands.

‘Not that I’m disappointed… but they wouldn’t do anything inappropriate in public, right?’
Even holding hands and exchanging loving gazes seemed a bit daring.

Sayo tore her gaze away and looked at Euru beside her. Euru was staring straight ahead, seemingly absorbed in the play, her eyes unblinking.

‘Will this play cause any misunderstandings?’

…On second thought, it wouldn’t be surprising if it did. Sayo sighed internally, moving her arms from their crossed position and resting her hand on the armrest.

She misjudged the distance, her hand landing on top of Euru’s.

Flinch

Sayo, trying to hide her embarrassment, slowly and subtly moved her hand back to her own armrest.

‘Good, that was natural. No misunderstandings—’

The play seemed to be approaching its climax, the two protagonists on stage escaping together, relying on each other.

“?!”

A warm, soft touch against her hand. Euru’s hand reached over and took hers. Sayo froze.

Euru’s hand tightened, intertwining their fingers. Then she held her hand still.

Startled, Sayo turned to look at Euru.

Euru continued to stare straight ahead, pretending to be nonchalant, but—her flushed cheeks, trembling eyelashes, and slightly parted lips betrayed her. While her eyes were directed at the stage, she didn’t seem to be watching the play.

‘…Let’s just stay like this for now.’

The warmth of Euru’s hand was comforting. And Sayo enjoyed seeing this flustered side of the usually confident princess. She could figure out the meaning behind this hand-holding after the play.

They remained like that, hands clasped, until the play ended.

“Ahem.”

After the play, Euru cleared her throat, her face still red, and walked out, trying to appear casual.

Sayo followed, her face also flushed.

“…”

Euru did enjoy physical intimacy with women. But it was usually playful, and she seemed to take pleasure in seeing girls flustered. The only time she herself had shown embarrassment was during intimate moments with Emelly, after their relationship was established.

‘But why would Euru like me?’

Their interactions had been limited to a single spar, that awkward incident in the infirmary when Sayo wasn’t herself, and a few conversations over the past week.

‘Think rationally, rationally.’

There was no reason for their relationship to progress beyond friendship. If Euru truly liked her, she would have been acting shy and flustered, like during their ‘first date’ event in the game. But Euru hadn’t shown any such signs today, until the play.

Then—

‘Did the play stir up her emotions?’

In the game, Euru had been the most proactive in pursuing Emelly, even if their relationship was ultimately short-lived.

Euru was a princess. The royal family was the most conservative faction in the game. Euru liked girls. Euru hid her sexual orientation. The conflict stemmed from this, the internal struggle and societal pressures.

‘So she was deeply moved by the play…’

Sigh. A sigh, usually suppressed due to Sayoreinne’s influence, escaped Sayo’s lips. She regretted choosing this play.

What was Euru thinking right now?

‘Bad ending.’
Euru’s bad ending. Tormented by the royal family’s disapproval and her own guilt, she volunteered for the most dangerous front lines, fighting fiercely until, years later, Emelly received news of her death.

It wasn’t just about avoiding ‘her’ own bad ending.

She had to prevent the misfortune of the other heroines as well—Euru, Nell, Leia, and Sowol. Simply living a peaceful life on her own? That was no longer an option. She had decided to make them her friends, and she was already friends with Euru.

Sayo looked at Euru walking ahead of her. Her ears were still slightly red, and she found it endearing.

She had to save this adorable girl, didn’t she?

Of course. She had promised herself she would.

Sayo had a new goal.