So big...'
Just stepping inside, the bedroom alone was at least five tis the size of Kyousuke's small apartnt.
A massive wooden bed, a dressing table, a wardrobe, and an enormous television dominated the space.
"That over there is my workspace. There are so sketches and drafts from my practice —you can take a look."
Eriri, sitting in front of the television, had her head buried in a cabinet, rummaging for sothing as she spoke.
"Alright." Following her suggestion, Kyousuke walked over to the desk in the corner to the left of the entrance.
His eyes scanned the scattered sketches on the tabletop.
Eriri had ntioned finding sothing to help him better understand the otaku world.
A glance at the cabinet she was searching through revealed it was packed with ga discs.
Stacks of sketches filled with imitations of other artists' work, anatomical studies of character poses, landscapes, and animals—there was even a cabinet taller than a person, stuffed with rolled-up drawings.
Kyousuke picked up a few to examine them.
Following the ti stamp, he could clearly see her artistic evolution.
From hesitant lines to precise copies, from mimicry to original creations, from a beginner's uncertainty to a distinct personal style.
The sheer weight of these sketches—piled in kilograms—spoke volus about her dedication.
Her skill wasn't just the result of talent; it was forged through relentless effort.
Kyousuke understood this well.
Aside from the small boost his "Trash System" had provided, everything he had achieved ca from sheer hard work.
He tried copying one of Eriri's earlier works, but after a few monts, he set the pencil down.
The most important thing in life was happiness—there was no need to torture himself.
anwhile, Eriri held two ga cases in her hands, caught in deep contemplation.
"Little Love Rhapsody" and "Galaxy Railway Night."
The forr's case was worn and cracked in several places.
It was a ga with special significance to her—the first one she had ever recomnded to her forr childhood friend, Taki Tomoya, before they had fallen out.
It was the beginning of their story. Since their falling out, she hadn't touched it even once.
But for so reason, today, she felt a strong urge to recomnd it to Kyousuke.
Why?
She had recalled the ga's story countless tis, felt the urge to play it again and again, but she had always resisted.
She had wanted to save it—to wait until she had proven herself, until she had reconciled with Tomoya, so they could play it together again.
Eriri firmly believed that one day, they would make up.
Clinging to that belief, she maintained her "princess" facade in public, pouring all her emotions into her artwork at ho.
She wanted to prove herself to those who had driven a wedge between her and Tomoya. She wanted to restore their childhood bond.
Once they reconciled, they could relive that ga together—the ga that had once connected them.
If they played it after overcoming all their hardships, it would be the perfect celebration.
It would help them recover the lost years.
That was what she had always thought. That was why she had buried it deep inside her cabinet.
So why had she taken it out now?
mories of the day flashed through her mind—Kyousuke's firm arms catching her when she tripped, his warmth as he led her away from prying eyes, his steady back when he carried her, the thrilling ride on his "Rocket 33" through the city...
And then, those words—
"A hero for Fun."
A knight? A hero? A steadfast warrior?
Who would this princess prefer this ti?
Her hesitation vanished.
Without a second thought, Eriri tossed the critically acclaid "Galaxy Railway Night" back into the cabinet and inserted "Little Love Rhapsody" into the console.
"Hojou, co over here."
Kyousuke put down the sketches and walked over to sit on the couch in front of the television.
On the screen, the ga's title screen had already loaded:
A blue-clad protagonist wearing white gloves—clearly the male lead.
A blonde girl in a princess dress—the heroine.
"I thought we were going to talk about light novels? Why are we playing a ga?"
"You idiot. Gas and light novels go hand in hand!"
"Great gas get adapted into light novels, and great light novels get adapted into gas."
"If you want to understand light novels—especially romance ones like 'Love trono', which you chose—playing gas is the best way."
Eriri's confident tone completely masked the fact that she was just making excuses to get him to play the ga.
"I see." Since he had ti to kill anyway, Kyousuke reached out for a controller.
"What are you doing?" Eriri snatched the controller before he could grab it.
"Didn't you want to experience it?" Kyousuke was confused.
"Well... it's your first ti playing, right? You need to learn first. Gas aren't that simple!"
There was no way she could resist playing the ga herself after all these years.
"Alright then."
Kyousuke leaned back into the couch, watching as Eriri skillfully entered a character na:
"Eiri."
Huh? A girl's na? Kyousuke frowned.
As the ga started, the protagonist was revealed to be... female?
"Eriri, correct if I'm wrong, but aren't otaku gas usually about a male lead pursuing a female love interest?"
"Where did you get that ridiculous bias from? There are oto gas too, you know! If anything, oto gas are even better at emotional storytelling!"
Accusing him of bias while pushing her own preferences—it was classic Eriri.
"Fine."
And so, following Eriri's lead, Kyousuke entered the world of oto gas alongside the princess nad Eiri.
The dreams of a young girl, her struggles, her joys, her sorrows, her dilemmas, her regrets...
Kyousuke, adopting an analytical mindset, studied the narrative—how it crafted its emotional weight, how it was able to make a second-year middle school girl burst into tears within just ten minutes.
"Ugh... w-why aren't you crying?!"
Between her sniffles, Eriri pounded her small fists against the emotionless Kyousuke.
"Sorry for not crying. Actually, I have a rare condition—I was born unable to shed tears."
Eriri froze, turning to look at him, her delicate face streaked with tears, her big, watery eyes filled with sympathy.
"Ugh... y-you poor thing..."
'...Hahahahaha! Was she seriously buying that?!'
Kyousuke had just pulled a random line from his mories—sothing Sakura had once said as a joke.
He hadn't expected it to make Eriri even sadder.
Was she crying out of pure montum now?
What Kyousuke didn't realize was that he had guessed correctly—
The defining trait of these gas was imrsion.
Through careful storytelling, they pulled players completely into the emotions of their characters.
Even if they weren't initially sad, they would end up feeling that way.
Oto gas took this even further, as their primary audience was won.
Once drawn into the ga's atmosphere, even a diocre plot could feel overwhelmingly emotional.
Right now, Eriri was entirely in that state of mind.
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