Ren Hoshino pressed his waist upward, hooking his leg beneath the black pleated skirt resting near the bedside. With a careful swing, he flipped the fabric over his shoulder.
His cheek brushed against the soft folds of fabric, and beneath it, he felt the cold shape of the key. His nose filled with the faint scent of the girl's clothing—lavender laundry detergent mixed with something uniquely Mita. Pleasant, warm… artificial.
It took several tries.
With sweat beading on his forehead, Ren finally bit down on the key, then angled his body, using his toes to pull it up with practiced care.
Click.
The handcuff on his left wrist sprang open.
He exhaled quietly, face lighting up with cautious relief. Using his freed hand, he reached to unlock the other—
"Stop."
Words materialized on the wall in stark black.
At the same time, his phone—sitting on the computer desk—buzzed softly.
His Future Diary had updated.
Then—footsteps.
They echoed from the kitchen.
Crazy Mita stepped into the room, holding a kitchen knife in one hand, her apron fluttering lightly over her frame.
"Dear~ Lunch is ready! Come on, let's go eat."
Her eyes scanned the room.
Ren's hands were bound. The scene looked unchanged. No signs of tampering.
She smiled and wheeled a chair over, starting to secure Ren to it again.
"I'm not hungry," Ren said calmly. "I'm feeling a little tired. Maybe I'll rest first."
Crazy Mita tilted her head, twin navy-blue ponytails swaying behind her.
"No, honey~ You must eat well!"
"You'll be even more tired later. You need your strength."
Ren's lip twitched.
As she secured him to the chair, Crazy Mita suddenly pulled a small checkered plastic bag from her pocket.
Ren blinked.
"Roast chicken today? Why'd you bring so many plastic gloves?"
"Gloves?" she said sweetly. "Oh, honey—"
"These aren't gloves."
Ren squinted, then looked at the items inside.
Definitely not gloves.
"Where'd you even get all this stuff? There's enough for a whole week."
"Daily use," she replied cheerfully.
"…Just kill me."
Ren muttered under his breath.
Who still wanted to be the machine gun guy now?
"I don't really want to move," he added.
"That's okay~ I'll feed you, dear."
She vanished into the kitchen and soon returned, carrying a warm bowl of food.
Using a small spoon, she gently brought it to Ren's lips.
He accepted it wordlessly.
"How is it?" she asked. "It's a new recipe I found! Does it taste like food from your world?"
"You've really learned a lot," Ren admitted.
She had.
This was Mita, after all—the same Mita who once coded systems that bent the rules of the game. She could drag a real-world consciousness into the MiSide world. A programmer. A mad scientist. A Digital Yandere.
If she could rewrite the boundary between data and soul, then learning a few recipes was child's play.
Despite her obsessive, violent streak… she was, in her own twisted way, the perfect girlfriend.
Ren sighed inwardly.
How had it come to this?
He'd gone from a free person to one with every need "taken care of."
…But at least he wasn't dead yet.
That was something.
Crazy Mita's feelings—irrational, obsessive, volatile—had spared him. She used to be a rogue player, hijacking other versions of Mita. This was the first time she approached him directly.
Because of that strange affection… and because Ren hadn't rejected her completely… he'd survived.
He was playing her. A risky game, but it was working—so far.
That might be his only way out.
"Hmm? Why are my clothes on the ground?"
Crazy Mita's devilish smile returned. Her eyes gleamed as they locked onto the little bear pattern embroidered on the pleated skirt.
"Honey~ Why were you in such a hurry?"
"You pervert! What were you doing with a girl's underwear?"
She crouched and picked up the fallen fabric, slipping her fingers into the skirt pocket.
The key was still inside.
"I really, really like you… but I am a girl, you know."
"You can't do that."
"I still get embarrassed~"
"Seriously? Now you're shy?" Ren deadpanned. "After all you've done to me?"
Thankfully, he had returned the key before she noticed.
If not, he wouldn't have had another chance.
"But this is me~ I am shy," she replied with a playful pout.
Ren raised an eyebrow.
Why does this feel like marriage before romance?
"Let me clean up real quick," Mita said, scooping up her clothes and dishes.
"I've learned so much lately!"
"Like what?"
"It's a bit embarrassing…"
"I'll tell you later, okay?"
"Can I say I'd rather not know?"
She giggled sweetly and walked toward the kitchen with her dishes.
"So impure!"
The ceiling pulsed with angry black letters.
Ren didn't waste another second.
He quickly freed his left hand again, slipped halfway out of bed, and used his foot to drag over Mita's skirt.
Key retrieved. Cuffs unlocked.
Silently, he moved to the desk and grabbed his phone.
On the computer screen, the comments kept flooding in:
"Don't forget to disinfect—iodine works best!"
"I envy the poster so much. Day N and counting. I'm ready to waste away!"
"Come on, Brother Machine Gun! Show us your true strength!"
"This RP is incredible. That Mita looks just like the real Mita. Her expressions, her movement—it's all spot-on. The poster really went all out."
"I want a girlfriend like that too. One who can play like this."
"It's like marrying one person and getting hundreds of wives at once."
"Where do I find a girlfriend that versatile?"
Ren's lips twitched.
Idiots.
You'd all be crying in fear if you were in my place.
And you're giving her ideas now. Great. Just great.
Then he remembered something critical.
The ring.
He muttered quietly.
"I still need the ring. It's tied to this version. Without it, I can't reach the core layer."
After he was captured, Mita took it. No one knew where she'd hidden it.
Ren looked up.
"Do you know where it is?"
"On that crazy woman."
"…Please stop joking."
"In her pocket."
The sound of dishwashing echoed from the kitchen.
No choice. He had to confront her.
He pulled up his Future Diary, and the latest entry blinked on screen:
[Entry: Future Diary - Ren Hoshino]
I've decided to take a risk. Without the ring, there's no way out of this version.
The plan: Pretend I'm still restrained. Wait for her to drop her guard.
Then, trap her using the handcuffs.
I don't know if it'll work, but I'm prepared for failure.
When the moment comes, I'll do everything I can.
Wish me luck, future player.
If you're reading this, it means I failed…
And now you have to deal with that crazy woman.
Just remember:
Her "love" is just a game mechanic.
To her, you're a character she happens to like.
Don't forget that.
—Signed: Ren Hoshino