Alright, so here we are. Sitting in the aftermath of the "big reveal," and I'm already regretting every decision that led me to this moment. There's no escaping this world, no sudden 'game over' screen popping up to save me. The truth has already hit me like a flying table—again. Haruto's not the 'hero.' No, he's the girl dressed up as a guy, carrying the burden of family expectations. Yeah, that's a plot twist that no one saw coming.
"Jin…" Haruto says with that overly serious tone again, his face contorting in that typical 'I'm about to tell you something life-altering' way. "I've been carrying this secret my entire life. I can't be the hero. I'm supposed to be a girl, but my family needed an heir, so here I am. I've lived my whole life pretending to be something I'm not. I'm… I'm a girl."
I swear, if this was an anime, I'd probably be hearing dramatic music playing in the background right now. Like, the violins and everything. But instead, all I can hear is the sound of my own voice trying to stifle the laugh bubbling up inside me.
"Really, Dumbuto?" I say, sarcastic as ever. "A girl, huh? I mean, wow, that's the big secret. You're telling me you've been playing this entire 'hero' thing while looking like a perfect anime boy—but you're a girl? Truly groundbreaking. I'm so glad you chose to share this with me, best friend."
Haruto looks at me, clearly expecting sympathy, or maybe a heartwarming speech about how we're 'brothers' or 'souls bound by fate' or whatever, but I'm just over here dying inside from how ridiculous this all is. I mean, come on. This was supposed to be an RPG world, and now it's turning into some tragic soap opera.
"Jin, you're the only one who can truly understand this burden…" Haruto says dramatically, hand over his heart, like he's in some Shakespeare play. "I've never had anyone to share this secret with before…"
Oh, I understand alright. I'm stuck in a bugged-out game world, playing the role of the "sidekick," and now I have to carry this burden too? Is this how the game devs decided to play with my life? Great. Just great.
I put my hands up in defeat. "Yeah, sure, of course I get it. What else is new? I'm basically your sidekick, your best friend, your emotional support character—whatever you need, right? Just tell me what to do, and I'll help, okay? But can we—please—make this a bit less dramatic? I've been stuck in this mess for two days, and I'm already over it."
Haruto smiles at me, looking like he's about to burst into tears or some other over-the-top reaction. "Thank you, Jin! I knew you'd understand! You're my best friend!"
I just sigh, rubbing my temples. "Yeah, yeah, best friend. I got it, Dumbuto. Just, please, don't start any more monologues about your burden. I'm still trying to figure out how to escape from you."
Because, let's face it, I'm already stuck in this absurd world where nothing makes sense. I didn't sign up for this mess. I bought this game thinking it would be a fun, chill RPG experience, and now? Now I'm wrapped up in some weird plot where my best friend is secretly a girl, and I have to play the role of emotional support while trying to get the hell out of here.
"And," I say, glancing at Haruto, "just for the record, this world is a mess. I can't even tell if it's an RPG anymore or if it's turning into some half-baked drama. I'm just trying to get through this without being dragged deeper into the plot. You're the hero, Dumbuto. I'm just here for the ride. And no offense, but I regret buying this game."
Haruto gives me this look like I'm the one who's crazy. Seriously?
"No, Jin, you don't understand! This world is bigger than we think! It's our fate to carry out these roles! We must—"
"Yeah, yeah, fate. Whatever." I lean back in my chair, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders. "I'm just going to pretend I'm not part of some ridiculous RPG trope where the sidekick has to suffer. Can you just, I don't know, tone down the melodrama?"
Haruto looks disappointed, but then again, it's not like I have any more patience to deal with this. All I want is to get some peace—or, at the very least, some time to wrap my head around this nightmare. I mean, seriously, how the hell do you go from "I'm an NPC in a video game" to "Oh, surprise, your best friend's been hiding a huge family secret, and now you're involved in it too"? What kind of plot twist is that?
"I guess I'll just... help you out, Dumbuto. Fine," I say, still unsure of how much I'm really willing to put up with. "But first, give me a moment to process everything. I'm not handling this well, okay?"
Haruto's face lights up like I've just given him the greatest gift of all time. "Of course! You're the best, Jin! I knew you'd help me!"
Ugh. This is the kind of world I've been dragged into. I'm just waiting for a 'Game Over' screen at this point, but no. Instead, I have a whole new set of problems to deal with.
---
Haruto, with his usual self-important attitude, stands there, waiting for some deep, meaningful emotional reaction from me. I mean, seriously, does he always have to be this dramatic? I've already had my fill of heroic speeches for the day.
"Jin," Haruto says, clutching his chest like he's about to faint from the weight of his own sincerity. "You've been a great friend to me. I know we have a bond that's unbreakable. We're not just comrades, we're—"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever, I get it," I interrupt, holding up my hand like I'm blocking an incoming fireball. "You're my best friend, I'm your best friend, we're like 'brothers,' blah blah blah. Can we please cut the melodrama?"
I'm just so over it right now. I need space. A moment to collect my thoughts. And Haruto? Well, he's clearly not reading the room.
"Jin," Haruto begins again, looking at me like he's about to deliver another speech. His face is all serious and dramatic, the kind of face you only see in anime after a big reveal. "I just want you to know that—"
Before he can get another word in, I shove my hand against his chest to stop him. But—wait—oh crap.
As soon as my hand makes contact with his chest, Haruto's face immediately turns bright red. She looks up at me, blinking, like she's not entirely sure what just happened. I, on the other hand, am now in full panic mode.
"Wait... wait a second," I think to myself, my face going bright red too. Damn it. I forgot that Haruto is actually a girl. I've been so caught up in the mess of this whole "game world" thing that I just blurted out all this stuff without even realizing it.
"U-uh, sorry!" I quickly pull my hand away, trying to recover from my awkward move. But Haruto's still blushing, and now the air is so thick with awkwardness that I can barely breathe. "Didn't mean to... uh... touch you like that."
Haruto just stares at me, still all red in the face, before putting her hands on her hips like it's nothing. "Well, Jin, no need to be so flustered. We're best friends. Brothers, right? We've been through so much together."
Okay, now I'm really panicking. What the hell do I do now? She's a girl. This is getting way too weird, way too fast.
"I just…" I start, trying to make some sense of this, but I'm losing it. "I can't right now. I need space! I'm gonna lose it if we keep going with this whole 'comrade' thing!"
Haruto's eyes light up as if she just won some prize. "You're right, Jin. We are comrades, after all!"
I force a smile, then shove her—gently, of course—out of the room. "Yeah, yeah, go be 'comrades' somewhere else. I just need a minute to figure all this out. Please."
Haruto, looking unfazed by my obvious desperation, just smiles. "I'll leave you to rest, Jin. But remember, we're always there for each other. Always."
Yeah, I'm sure, I think to myself as I slam the door shut behind her.
I collapse onto the bed, finally feeling like I can breathe again, but... I'm still not sure what just happened. I mean, she is a girl. Haruto is a girl. How did I not realize that sooner? Was I just so caught up in the RPG mess that I couldn't think straight?
"Ugh. What is happening?" I groan, rubbing my face. "This is too much for two days of 'friendship.' I thought this was supposed to be fun. Not this."
But no, I'm stuck. There's no turning back now. This whole world is a mess, and somehow, I'm in the middle of it.
I just need a little bit of time. A lot of time. To think, process, and maybe... not lose my mind.
"Damn you, devs," I mutter, staring at the ceiling. "What did I get myself into?"