Honestly, it felt nice that they liked me.
Of course! Who wouldn’t want to be liked by beautiful women with great skills and power?
‘Liking someone might be hurtful to them.’
That saying exists, but it definitely doesn’t apply to them.
‘There’s no need to think about why they like me…’
If I think about all the things I’ve done so far, there was no reason for them not to have a good impression of me.
I did countless crazy things that would take too long to explain and helped them a lot.
‘Is it okay to charm such main characters like this…?’
Well, if they like me, then what’s the point of saying I don’t or that I’m not the person they think I am? That would just be a buzzkill.
At this point, denying myself would only mean undermining them.
So, I decided to accept it.
I might not be able to reciprocate their feelings right away, but I wouldn’t deny them; I’d embrace it.
But then…
[Affinity: 59/100]
[Affinity: 18/100]
When I see those numbers outright, it feels a bit different.
I even found out about them unwillingly, so I was hesitant to reveal it…
“Rudion, stop stalling and just tell us what’s going on.”
“I was getting tired of waiting for a response anyway. Just do as Seria says.”
I was stalling out of a lack of courage.
But that’s over now. Since they said that, I really had no choice but to reveal the truth.
As I pondered over how to say it, I pointed at Seria and Alkiné one by one.
“59. 18.”
GASP!
I could feel the two of them tremble.
They glanced at each other after my words, then turned back to face one another.
I guess after checking the affinity numbers, it was a “You too? Really?” moment.
And finally, their gazes locked onto me.
Seria was the first to speak.
“Wait, can you see that?”
“Hold on, Seria. Did I just hear you right? Rudion said you’re 59?”
“Shush, Alkiné! Right now, I have to ask something important.”
“What could be more important than your affinity?”
Ignoring Alkiné’s side remark, Seria shot a fierce look and asked,
“Is it just us, or are there others with affinity too?”
“…That’s a good question.”
Even with those overwhelming numbers, is it really that important?
Wait, maybe it’s actually more crucial because of that.
I didn’t feel the need to be flustered by Seria’s question.
I had already checked that out separately.
I explored a few characters with affinity in the game, but none of them had any numbers pop up.
Knowing that result, I simply shook my head to deny it.
“Phew, thank goodness. I was a bit worried about how to handle that if it were true.”
“That’s a relief…”
As I denied it, the two women let out a sigh of relief. It felt pretty strange.
By the way… since they were a pair already, it seemed adding more would be out of the question.
I mean, it’s not that I want more than this! Having just these two is already more than enough, and wanting more would just make me look greedy!
At that moment, Alkiné suddenly had a thought.
“…But what do you mean by ‘handling’ it? Seria, what were you planning to do?”
“Why are you asking when you already know?”
“I’m asking because I don’t know! But more importantly, are you really 59?”
“If you’re asking about my affinity number, then yes.”
At Seria’s calm answer, Alkiné gasped as if it was ridiculous.
I mean, she’s all flustered with a score of just 18, so how much would someone with a 59 be into me?
But I was puzzled — why’d she even allow me to confess if she liked me that much? Is she out of her mind?
That sigh was full of those thoughts, but the quick-witted Seria seemed to catch on immediately.
“As I said, I haven’t handed Rudion over to you, Alkiné. I just allowed him to be by my side, so don’t misunderstand.”
“I know. Just looking at your score, it seems likely.”
“It’s nice to have my feelings quantified into a score like this.”
Don’t find convenience in that!
Just as we were exchanging those awkward lines, the conversation soon reverted back to its original flow.
“Anyway… Rudion found out our affection levels.”
“…Yeah, I get why he was apologizing now.”
“By the way, Alkiné, when did yours unlock?”
“The day before yesterday, when Rudion came to save me.”
“I figured as much.”
“When did yours unlock?”
“It was a while ago… when was it…”
As the two girls chatted about each other’s affinity systems, they turned their gazes back to me.
They didn’t ask questions, just stared, but it was clear what that look meant.
I cautiously shared my thoughts about how I felt regarding their affections.
“Honestly, I appreciate it. Having two people like me… it’s burdensome, but it feels really good.”
“For all my past deeds, I consider it karma. Everything I’ve done up until now was sincere; even if I could turn back time, I’d act the same way. So, I have no regrets.”
“So, even if my feelings can’t be reciprocated, I absolutely have no intention of running away.”
That was the conclusion I reached after babbling for quite some time.
Responsibility? Commitment? I rambled through feelings I couldn’t quite put into words, but at least I didn’t spit out any falsehoods.
…But saying that seriously suddenly made me feel embarrassed.
The truth is, situations don’t just come knocking on your door unless you create them.
Especially this kind of ticklish atmosphere—those kinds just don’t arrive easily.
So until now, I’ve avoided creating this type of vibe to keep my distance… but with Seria’s high affinity, it didn’t seem effective at all, huh?
Anyway, I really wanted to avoid scenarios like this.
This serious mood wasn’t just awkward…it was also impossible for me to alter my attitude toward them right away.
‘The conclusion I just reached was ultimately a declaration that I’d continue to drift along like this.’
I couldn’t actively pursue them.
Not because I disliked them; it was the opposite—I liked them too much for that.
They were characters I had cherished in the game.
Even though it was just a game, I had memories of forming a party, solving problems, and going through hardships with them.
To be honest… they were amongst my favorites.
Now that they had become real, how could I possibly dislike them?
But that only made it harder for me to take the next step.
If I half-heartedly responded, I’d only be leaning on their affections.
I didn’t want to casually bask in the feelings they had for me.
…That sounds grand, but really, I was just a coward.
Of course, their age still factored into this, but that problem was getting easier to overlook.
While I was lost in those thoughts, Seria and Alkiné continued to watch me silently.
Feeling the need to say something more, I was about to add a comment when Seria piped in to stop me.
“It’s fine. That’s enough.”
“I agree. I didn’t confess expecting something from you anyway.”
It seemed like they accepted my desire to maintain our current relationship.
“I said it before, didn’t I? I’ll wait until Rudion comes to me directly. I regret it now, but if Rudion feels that way, I can keep waiting.”
“Your serious answer is making me more embarrassed. You know? My affinity just rose to 19?”
Feeling like it might be a bit awkward since they seemed to take it positively… I wasn’t sure if I should be thankful or apologetic.
Since I was at a loss for words, Seria stepped in to smoothly wrap up the conversation.
“And there’s no need to apologize for finding out about the affection levels. Although I had been hiding it for a while, I was concerned it might make Rudion uncomfortable. So it was better this way for me.”
“I was just a bit taken aback at first, but it didn’t bother me too much.”
And like that, they brushed off my discovery of their affinity levels as just fine.
Honestly, given the ability to read minds, maybe the whole affinity thing didn’t feel like a big deal at all.
Thus, my time for apologies finally came to an end.
Relieved that it seemed to pass smoothly, Seria suddenly started murmuring something with a bright smile on her face.
“Since my affection for Rudion is out in the open now, I can be more proactive moving forward.”
What did she say? I couldn’t hear, but judging by Alkiné’s reaction, it was definitely something concerning.
Feeling a chill run down my spine, I cautiously prayed Alkiné would become Seria’s brake.
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