Chapter 39: Anonymous Forum
[You've temporarily decided to join Baobhan Sith's group.]
[You get on the school's tour bus and set off for the outskirts. By chance, your seat ends up right next to Barghest.]
[The two of you sit properly in your seats, unsure how to start a conversation.]
As the bus drives through a mountainous road, it shakes slightly.
Even though Eikou tries to ignore it, every time the bus bumps, he can't help but glance at Barghest's ample chest bouncing with the vehicle's motion.
They're really big.
Sitting next to such a tall, sexy beauty, he can't help but feel nervous, fidgeting with his phone in his hand.
Barghest remains silent as a statue, sitting quietly like a lady knight standing guard.
Time passes like that for a while.
"...I'm really looking forward to this trip,"
Unable to bear the awkward silence anymore, Eikou takes the initiative to speak.
"Umu," Barghest replies.
"Do you and Baobhan Sith play board games? Since we rarely get to go out, we should totally play some."
"I've played on a few necessary social occasions."
Barghest answers seriously.
Aside from that, not a single other word.
Is this what they call "a mismatched conversation that's pointless to continue"?
Ugh… she's answering so seriously it feels like he's interrogating her.
She looks like a noble lady, but maybe she's actually not good at talking with people?
No, she shouldn't be that kind of person.
Could it be that he did something wrong, like maybe she caught him sneakily glancing at her chest just now, and now she doesn't want to talk?
It's also possible it's because he's currently sick—even though he's wearing a mask, maybe she's still afraid of getting infected?
"..."
What should he say to her?
Eikou had already prepared a few topics, like: how did you meet Baobhan Sith, how's the Fairy Knight club doing lately, can you choke me with your thighs...
But he still thinks he should first observe her attitude, so as not to talk too much and make her uncomfortable.
[You've activated the skill "High-Speed Divine Words A" at high speed, trying to ask Barghest what she thinks of you, hoping to use the opportunity to keep the conversation going.]
[Check failed.]
[Barghest behaves politely but speaks very little. Based on the few words she says, it's hard to guess what she's truly thinking.]
Great, now you're screwed. Not even a dice roll can open the door to her heart.
Looking on the bright side, at least it wasn't a great failure that completely destroyed the relationship.
Since the other party doesn't want to talk, Eikou stops bothering her.
He turns his head to look out the window, adjusts his mask properly, puts on his earphones, starts the music, and lowers his head to fiddle with his phone.
[You open a chat app on your phone.]
[Chaldea Academy has a forum and anonymous chat group just for students. People often post anonymously on the forum or join groups to chat with other anonymous users.]
[Sitting on the bus with nothing to do, you decide to browse the anonymous forum to see what people usually talk about.]
Eikou had long wanted to try this anonymous chat app.
Mainly, he wanted to verify whether, if you're close with Servants in online, you can still receive rewards like a real life.
With nothing else to do, testing it a bit doesn't hurt.
He quickly finishes registering an account.
To avoid being recognized, he even edits his avatar and nickname to make himself less identifiable.
Good, now no one will be able to tell it's him.
Once everything is set up, Eikou casually opens a chat group.
"Miyao didn't you say you'd walk with me till the end" joins chat group no. 1.
He casually sends a message: "Hey everyone."
At that moment, a user named "G-ko" also joins the chat.
G-ko: "Hello sir, nice to meet you. Miyao didn't you say you'd walk with me till the end."
Uh huh, what kind of gentleman is this online? Even types out that whole long-ass nickname, and this polite to strangers on the internet?
G-ko: "This is your first time joining this forum, right?"
"Yeah."
G-ko: "I see… Even though it's our first meeting, may I share a bit of what's been troubling me lately? I really want someone to talk to."
"What's going on?" Eikou types in reply.
G-ko: "Our school just organized a field trip, and right now I'm on the bus with my classmates."
G-ko: "But I'm feeling really restless because the person sitting next to me is making me so uncomfortable."
"Is he trying to harass you?" Eikou typed.
G-ko: "No."
"He's eating snacks next to you and being loud, making it hard to bear?"
G-ko: "That's not it either."
"Then what exactly is it?"
After a long pause, G-ko finally replied:
"That boy is really attractive, and sitting next to him makes me so nervous! I'm afraid I'll act awkwardly and leave a bad impression on him!"
"He even tried to talk to me a few times earlier, but I panicked and could only manage a few words…"
Oho, turns out she's the innocent maiden type.
"So what kind of person is this boy?" he asked.
G-ko: "How should I put it… He's a fellow student in my year, very handsome, has a slightly androgynous look, seems like the quiet and introverted type, but is unexpectedly lively."
G-ko: "I'm not the kind of flirty girl who easily falls for someone. I'm a proper and reserved lady… And yet, my heart is pounding from nervousness right now, and I can't stop myself from sneaking glances at him."
G-ko: "What should I do?"
From these messages, Eikou drew a very clear conclusion: this girl named G-ko is way too easy to handle—there's a good chance the guy next to her might totally eat her up tonight.
Wait a minute…
Eikou suddenly sensed something was off and turned to look at Barghest.
She was seriously holding her phone, appearing to be texting someone.
Could it be… G-ko is actually Barghest?
Hard to say. Gotta probe first.
"…Anyway, calm down for now."
G-ko: "You're right…"
Barghest beside him seemed to take a quiet deep breath.
A moment later, G-ko spoke up again.
"I've calmed down. Thinking it over, it's not like I actually like him. I just kind of care a little."
"…So how well do you actually know this boy?" he asked.
G-ko: "We've almost never talked properly. Everything I know about him is what I've heard from my friends. He seems to be a very capable and funny person, and he's… um, caught the attention of a female company CEO, and also has a lot of close friends around him. My friends don't think highly of him, but in truth, he's well-liked by many."
That's me—Mochizuki Eikou—the most well-loved person of all!
And wait, female company CEO… Could that be Morgan?
Maybe not. In Chaldea, there are plenty of rich noble ladies, and quite a few handsome boys being sugar-baby'd by rich ladies. G-ko might not necessarily be Barghest.
"…So how's he doing these days?"
G-ko: "Not too well. He's been sick, so he's wearing a mask. I'm really worried about his health."
"..."
Then it can only be him.
Eikou quietly turned his head back and looked at Barghest beside him.
She was still focused, typing something on her phone.
Just as he suspected… she really is G-ko.