The officer behind the service window tapped a staccato rhythm on her keyboard, the clicks echoing in the otherwise quiet station. It was late, and she was working overtime. "Name?" she asked, her voice neutral.
"Alain."
"And the other one?"
"Misha."
More tapping. This was her last case of the night. She glanced sideways. A man and a woman, clearly a couple. The girl couldn't seem to take her eyes off the man, and the officer, perpetually single, could practically smell the romance radiating from them. It was… irritating.
"What can I do for you?" she asked Alain, her voice a little deeper than usual.
The girl leaned close to Alain's ear, whispering, "Alain, she seems a bit… intense, doesn't she?"
"Maybe she's just annoyed we're keeping her late," he whispered back.
You think? the officer thought dryly. Maybe don't flaunt your relationship in front of a woman who's spent years alone!
Just then, Alain turned to her. "I need to check Misha's identity information."
"Does the person in question consent?"
"I consent," Misha said, stepping forward with an almost regal grace.
The officer, thinking privately that Alain was a remarkably lucky man, quickly pulled up Misha's information. "Hmm? A foreigner."
"Can you find it?" Alain asked.
"Yes."
"Good."
"Are we finished?" The officer was already mentally packing up, eager to get home and binge-watch some dramas.
But Alain wasn't done. "Actually, can I report a case?"
"...You can," she replied, a hint of resignation in her voice.
"Okay, thank you."
I'm the one who should be thanking you, she thought, with a touch of sarcasm.
...
"Let me get this straight," the officer said, inside the small office. She tapped a pen against the desk, repeating Alain's words with a raised eyebrow. "You can enter and exit Misha's world, and you're being chased by a… crazy woman?"
"Yes."
"And…" Her gaze flickered to the beautiful, long-haired girl sitting beside Alain, radiating an innocent charm. "And in front of this crazy woman, you… 'gave yourself' to this one?"
"More or less," Alain confirmed with a nod.
Misha patted Alain's shoulder, a curious expression on her face. "Darling, what does 'giving yourself' mean? Is it something like animals do?"
"Darling, remember what you saw online? It's…"
A flurry of whispered explanations followed. Finally, the beautiful girl, enlightened, covered her face with her hands, emitting soft, shy exclamations of "Eh, eh…" and "So, did I take Alain from her?"
The policewoman's attention, however, was riveted on the word "darling." Her expression darkened.
"I understand," she said, setting down her pen.
"Alain," Misha whispered, "why do I feel a… strange vibe from the police officer?"
"Maybe she's been single for a long time," Alain suggested quietly.
A prominent "#" practically appeared on the officer's forehead. Definitely a foolish couple. "Next—Is there anyone else? No? Then…"
She put down her pen and looked at the oblivious couple before her. Suppressing the simmering frustration of her late-night overtime, she forced a smile. "Please refrain from public displays of affection in the police station."
...
"We got kicked out," Alain said, sighing.
It was dark now, and he and Misha were walking down the quiet street. He glanced back at the police station, now dark. A woman in plain clothes emerged, and the moment she saw them, her face twisted in a look of pure distaste. She hurried away, the click of her heels sharp on the pavement.
"The real world… is certainly complicated," Misha murmured, her voice soft and vulnerable, like a newly born animal.
Alain looked at her profile and gently patted her shoulder. "We'll figure it out."
"Yes, you're right."
Alain fell silent, giving Misha time to adjust. They continued towards their home. As they walked, Alain opened the Security Guard panel on his… device.
After confirming Misha's real-world identity, he'd immediately wanted to test its validity. The late-night police station had provided the perfect opportunity. While he'd confirmed her identity was genuine, his attempt to report his experiences from the "game" had been met with… amusement.
And really, it was understandable.
As for the Security Guard system, Alain planned to take things slowly, focusing on paying off his debt first. A tool should act like a tool, at least until he was done with it.
But for now, there was one last thing to check.
His gaze focused on the screen. He'd already understood the first item in the system store: Identity. The remaining item was the one he needed to confirm.
[Bring Out Bug] [Price: 99 Points]
Essentially, this would make the Security Guard system stop treating "bringing a game character out" as a glitch. He could exchange points for a character's right to live in the real world – provided, of course, the character agreed.
[Bring Out Bug], plus a real-world identity, totaled 100 points – exactly what he earned for completing a task. Misha's situation was likely considered compensation, requiring no additional points.
Alain's first thought was of the kind Goddess he'd met in that small, dark room. Bringing her to reality… he imagined a life of blissful, shameless ease. It was just a fleeting thought, of course. His body probably couldn't handle it.
"I'll ask the Goddess next time I have a chance."
Then there was that wicked woman. Alain had a strong feeling Crazy Mita wouldn't give up so easily. There were layers to her he hadn't yet uncovered. And, frankly, she displayed some… antisocial tendencies. Bringing her to reality was out of the question, at least for now.
"I'll leave that to my future self."
The [Bring Out Bug], combined with the Security Guard's "can bring one bug into the game" function, opened up possibilities. He could potentially team up with different versions of Mita to handle various situations. He just hoped he wouldn't encounter any… too strange ones.
With a mental shrug, he closed the Security Guard panel, his future goals clear.
First, the game entry time: He'd wait until the morning of the day after tomorrow, taking advantage of a missed class.
And in the day and a half before entering the game, he needed to raise Misha's [Bug Fix] progress bar to 25%.
It was already at 10%, a milestone reached the moment he'd given her a name – a detail that puzzled him. He'd initially ruled out the idea of a "shy system," focusing instead on the "Affection System" and "Adapting to the World" options.
Ideally, it would be about Misha adapting to the world. That way, he'd be actively motivated to help her. And by using the new function unlocked at 25% progress – 720 Cloud Storage – he could bring that wicked woman a gift that would make her "cry with joy."
This wasn't just about avoiding being sawed in half by a furious Crazy Mita when he re-entered the game. It was about finding a gift that would steadily increase the progress bar over time. In a way, that wicked woman was now his cash cow for paying off his debt. He had to take her seriously.
Besides… Crazy Mita had cried because of his departure. The root of her tears was likely the feeling of "abandonment," compounded by the fact that he'd taken this girl with him. This kind of behavior, akin to eloping and cuckolding her in person, made Alain feel faint just imagining her perspective.
"What a complicated, wicked woman."
"Click."
They'd reached the door of their small home. Alain looked at Misha. She'd lifted her head, her expression suggesting she'd been doing some serious thinking.
As he opened the door, Kind Mita stepped forward, positioning herself in the center of the entryway.
"?"
Her dark blue eyes, shining with a newfound determination, held his gaze.
"Darling, I've made up my mind!"
____
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