After a bit more searching, they managed to find a rusted, discarded steel pipe.
[Steel Pipe]
Quality: Common
Durability: 80/100
Effect: Chance to inflict Tetanus damage
"Take this," Tsukikawa Shuu said as he tossed the pipe to Hitori Gotou.
As soon as she caught it, her hands instinctively sank downward.
So heavy...
Hitori, who was never good at physical activity, could barely lift the steel pipe without struggling.
"I'll sneak up behind it. If I don't manage to take it out in one hit, you rush in and smash its head with that pipe," Tsukikawa explained.
Hitori nodded stiffly, though she had absolutely no confidence in herself.
Tsukikawa crept through the shattered glass doors, cautiously approaching the huge rat from behind. He raised the crowbar in his hands and drove it down hard at the creature's head.
Crack!
The sickening crunch of bone echoed as blood splattered out. The massive rat shrieked in agony, its bead-like crimson eyes popping open as it lunged forward in pain.
"Hit it!"
Tsukikawa yanked on the crowbar to hold it back and shouted to Hitori.
She scrambled over, trembling as she struggled to lift the steel pipe, then swung it down with her eyes tightly shut.
Thud!
It did land squarely on the rat's head, but because her strength was too lacking, the blow wasn't enough to knock it out. Instead, it enraged the rat further—it writhed violently on the floor, letting out piercing squeals, and Hitori was thrown back and fell on her butt, blood splattering all over her.
Tsukikawa didn't give the rat another chance to retaliate. He pulled the crowbar free and drove it into the rat's head again with a powerful blow.
At last, the massive rat twitched a few times and lay still, its limbs going limp.
Hitori sat on the floor, still shaken as she stared into the dead rat's glassy, crimson eyes.
"You're not hurt, are you?" Tsukikawa reached out a hand toward her.
"I'm okay…" she muttered, rubbing her sore backside and then taking his hand.
Her second time holding a boy's hand…
Hitori blushed, but her joy quickly turned into self-reproach.
I'm so useless… I'm nothing but a burden. There's no way a guy like him would ever like someone like me...
"Good thing there weren't more of those around," Tsukikawa said.
They had barely managed to take down the rat using stealth. If another one had shown up, they would've had no choice but to run.
This Inner World was far more dangerous than any open-world game. Even low-level monsters had terrifying vitality and combat ability.
[You have successfully slain a Giant Rat.]
[You received: Rodent Tooth ×1, White Soul Orb ×1]
Tip: Once you form a Destiny Bond with a partner, both of you will receive equal experience points and a random identical item drop.
After reading the system notification, Tsukikawa looked at Hitori again.
"How much XP did you get?"
"Only a little…" she replied.
Because she barely contributed, the system gave her just a sliver of XP—nowhere near enough to level up.
On the first day, the two of them carefully targeted only weak monsters.
They ended up killing three giant rats, and by the time night fell, Hitori was completely exhausted. She finally leveled up just before dark.
Day 1 Results:
Tsukikawa Shuu: Level 3
Hitori Gotou: Level 2
Acquired: White Soul Orb ×3, Rodent Tooth ×2
They didn't yet know what the items were for, so Tsukikawa just held onto everything for now.
That evening, they found a commercial building and chose a room to spend the night in.
After locking the door, Tsukikawa turned around—and saw that Hitori had found a cardboard box from who-knows-where and curled up inside it.
"I'm sorry… I'm just so useless. I should've died instead of teaming up with someone. All I do is drag people down…"
Inside the box, Hitori mumbled to herself, her depression spreading like a fog throughout the room.
Kita-hime's signature routine had begun: spiraling into negativity. The whole atmosphere turned a hazy gray.
Tsukikawa sat down beside her and pulled out the canned food and bread they'd scavenged.
Having seen Bocchi the Rock!, he was no stranger to this side of her.
He heated the canned food using a makeshift portable stove, opened it, and held it beside the box.
"Bet you're hungry," he said with a smile, showing no sign of blame or frustration.
The aroma of warm food wafted through the room.
Grrruuughh~
Hitori's stomach growled.
She sniffed at the air, swallowed hard, and the gloom surrounding her quickly faded. A slit opened in the box, and she peeked out with just her eyes visible.
Not even the deepest spiral of self-loathing could beat out a hungry stomach.
Tsukikawa chuckled and handed her the can of meat.
"…Thanks." Hitori finally crawled out of the box and accepted it with a shy look.
The fire crackled gently, and the faint scent of scorched meat filled the room.
The two sat in silence, each holding their can of meat, wordless but close.
After a long pause, Tsukikawa finally spoke.
"Bocchi-chan."
"Y-Yes?!" Hitori blinked and looked up at him.
Only the people closest to her called her that. It was the first time a boy had used it—and it made her nervous.
The Inner World was dangerous, and Tsukikawa's only golden finger was the ability to form a marriage bond. He didn't want to wait too long.
"…Actually, I've liked you for a long time."
Tsukikawa looked at her with utmost seriousness.
Ever since watching Bocchi the Rock! before crossing over, he had genuinely liked Hitori Gotou.
"Eh?"
Hitori blinked, confused.
Then, after a beat—
"EHHHH?!"
She leapt to her feet, her face flushed bright red.
"L-Like me?! That's impossible!"
She couldn't believe it.
How could someone with such a gloomy, withdrawn personality possibly be confessed to by a boy?
"I've always been watching you."
Tsukikawa gently held her small hand and said slowly and clearly:
"I just never had the chance to get close… or to tell you how I feel."
"I like you. Will you be with me?"
"Th-this is…!"
It was like her entire body shrank on the spot.
Her first confession—ever.
She'd fantasized about it countless times. About being confessed to, being pursued, maybe even turning someone down or saying yes in a cool way.
But when a real confession suddenly landed on her out of nowhere—
Her mind went completely blank.