The note stayed in Matou's hand long after he finished reading it.
> "Be careful. You're not the only one."
He read it again. And again.
Each time, the words hit a little harder.
"Not the only one…" he muttered. "Does that mean… other people played the game too? Other girls came to life?"
He glanced toward the bathroom door. The sound of the shower still ran steadily, with Airi's voice humming faintly behind it. It was a normal moment—something you'd expect from a real girlfriend staying over.
But nothing about this was normal.
He stared at the note again, scanning it for a clue—handwriting, a symbol, anything. But it was just simple text. Printed, clean, like it was made by a printer. The paper was slightly warm, like it had been placed just minutes before.
And he hadn't seen or heard anyone come in.
"How did this even get here?" he whispered.
He stood up, crossed the room, and opened the front door.
Nobody.
The hallway was empty. The silence outside felt deeper than usual, as if the whole building was holding its breath.
Matou shut the door and locked it.
Then he sat on his bed, staring at the note.
Airi was real. He had accepted that—somehow. But now this?
He felt like a player who thought he beat the game… only to realize it was just the tutorial.
---
Airi stepped out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later, wrapped in a towel and looking refreshed.
"Matou~ I didn't know showers could feel so good! It's so warm and relaxing!"
He gave her a quick glance, then awkwardly looked away. "Y-Yeah. Told you."
She tilted her head. "What's wrong?"
"Huh? N-Nothing."
"You're lying," she said instantly, walking up to him. "I know your face. You always look down when something's bothering you."
Matou blinked. "How do you—?"
"I spent hours talking to you, remember? I know your habits." She smiled gently. "So… what happened?"
He considered telling her. The note. The warning.
But something stopped him.
He didn't want to worry her. And honestly… he wasn't sure what to believe yet.
"It's nothing serious," he said finally. "Just… thinking about school stuff."
Airi pouted. "You're really bad at lying."
He scratched his cheek. "I'll get better."
She laughed, and just like that, the tension in the room faded a little.
---
They had lunch together—instant ramen and the leftover rice Airi hadn't destroyed.
After eating, she pulled out one of Matou's light novels and flopped onto the couch, reading aloud dramatically with terrible voice impressions.
Matou tried to focus on his phone, but his mind was elsewhere.
Not the only one.
Did someone else already reach 100%?
If so… where were they?
And what kind of "reward" did they get?
---
That evening, Matou decided he couldn't wait.
Once Airi was asleep, he slipped out of the apartment.
He left a quick note—"Going to the store, be back soon!"—and quietly shut the door behind him.
The night air was cold, brushing against his skin as he stepped into the quiet streets. The vending machines buzzed faintly, and his footsteps echoed off the walls.
He didn't go to the store.
He went back to the place where the game might have appired in his phone.
The alley near the convenience store. There was a memory—vague, but strange. That night, the app hadn't just appeared out of nowhere. He remembered checking the time. He'd been standing under the blinking streetlamp by the trash bins when it popped up.
He reached the spot again now. Same flickering light. Same trash bins.
Same cold silence.
He pulled out his phone and stared at the screen.
Still no app.
But… something felt different. Like the air itself was thicker here.
Then—
A faint vibration. His phone buzzed in his hand.
He looked down.
A message. Unknown number.
[Do you really think you were chosen at random?]
His breath caught in his throat.
A second message arrived immediately after:
[If you want answers, go to Yamazaki Park. Midnight. Come alone.]
Matou's fingers trembled slightly as he lowered the phone.
Was this a trap?
Was it a prank?
Or… the start of something even deeper?
He stared at the message for a long moment.
Then, without replying, he turned and walked home.
---
The clock read 11:52 PM when Matou slipped out again.
Airi had fallen asleep on the couch, hugging a pillow. Her breathing was soft, her expression peaceful.
He didn't want to wake her.
Didn't want to lie either—but this was something he had to do alone.
He grabbed his hoodie, pulled up the hood, and stepped into the night.
Yamazaki Park wasn't far. Just ten minutes away, past a few blocks of dark, quiet residential streets. The trees there were tall and thick, casting long shadows in the moonlight. The place was practically empty at this hour.
Except for one person.
A girl.
She stood by the swing set, dressed in a dark coat, her short silver hair catching the moonlight. Her eyes glowed faintly beneath her bangs.
She turned as he approached.
"You came," she said.
Matou stopped a few feet away, tense. "You're the one who texted me?"
She nodded. "And the note."
"Why?"
She motioned for him to sit on the swing beside her.
He hesitated, then sat.
"My name is Rina," she said, her voice calm and sharp. "And like you, I was a player of Love 100."
Matou's heart skipped.
"You… too?"
She nodded. "Three months ago. I found the game, raised my affection to 100%, and then… my 'boyfriend' came to life."
Matou stared. "A guy?"
"Yes. His name was Yuto. Kind, smart, caring. Everything I wanted."
"…What happened?"
Rina looked away.
"He stayed with me for two weeks. Then he disappeared."
"Disappeared?"
She nodded slowly. "One day, he just… faded. Like static. And then he was gone."
Matou felt a chill crawl up his back.
"What caused it?"
"I don't know. But I think it's because my feelings changed. I started questioning if it was real. If he was real. I stopped believing. And that weakened him."
She looked straight at Matou.
"That's why I found you. You need to know… these 'game people'? They're not stable. They're linked to our emotions. Our love is the only thing keeping them here."
Matou gripped the swing chains tighter.
"So if I stop feeling—"
"She disappears," Rina finished.
Silence stretched between them.
"Then what do I do?" he asked. "How do I keep her safe?"
Rina looked at him with a sad expression.
"You can't fake love. If you truly care about her, she'll stay. But if you don't…"
She didn't finish the sentence.
Matou looked at the ground. His thoughts raced.
He cared about Airi. She made his days brighter. She listened to him, made him laugh, cared about what he said. But was it love?
Was it real?
Or just the illusion of company?
Rina stood up. "I don't know why we were chosen. But someone made this game. Someone's watching. Testing us."
"Why?"
She looked into the trees.
"To see what happens when love becomes real."
She started to walk away, then paused.
"Matou. Be careful. The more people reach 100%, the more unstable this reality becomes. Love shouldn't be programmable. Something is wrong with this world."
Then she disappeared into the shadows.
Leaving Matou alone under the moonlight.
---
He walked home slowly, her words echoing in his head.
Airi was still asleep when he returned.
He knelt beside her, watching her sleep for a long time.
"Are you real?" he whispered. "Or just what I wanted you to be?"
She stirred slightly in her sleep and reached out, gently gripping his sleeve.
He froze.
"…Don't go," she murmured, still half-dreaming.
He sat beside her and let her hold on.
He didn't know the answers yet.
But he knew one thing.
He didn't want to let go either.
---
[To be continued…]