This is an extra chapter.
It is longer than usual, so please read it when you have time.
“Yo, I’m Rachel. Actually, I’m the heroine of a game.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that story a million times.”
Caro replied to Rachel, who had an unusually highテンション, with a exasperated look.
“Well, anyway,”
“Anyway, what?!”
“Caro, you’ve become quite good at comebacks.”
“Rachel trained me.”
Rachel replied with satisfaction to Caro’s retort.
“Well, that’s fine. Then take it off.”
“I feel like you’ve said that after a long time. Does that mean this time it’s that?”
“Yes, it’s that. Last time was a bit iffy, but this time it’s the real deal!”
Rachel said happily.
“I’ve taken it off, though?”
“When you take it off so many times, you get good at it in an instant.”
Caro was already naked.
“So, what should I do today? And before that, what’s today’s topic?”
“Fufu, you ask well. Actually, this [I was reincarnated into, Otome game] has achieved 20 million PVs! Pafu pafu!”
“That’s amazing.”
“Right? So, this is a special extra chapter to commemorate 20 million PVs!”
Clap, clap, clap, clap.
Rachel and Caro clapped their hands together to celebrate the achievement.
“I looked for various things to do this time.”
“You looked for them?”
“I worked hard. And I succeeded in finding them.”
“Oh.”
As Rachel spoke of her tear-jerking efforts, Caro said in surprise.
“This time…”
“Bless you!”
“Caro, don’t sneeze at such an important moment.”
“Even if you say that, being naked in this cold season makes me sneeze.”
Just as Rachel was about to say something important, Caro let out a loud sneeze. She had been ordered to strip by Rachel, so it was understandable that she sneezed from the cold.
“Now that you mention it, you’re right. I had you take your clothes off for my viewing pleasure, but it’s not good to catch a cold. Caro, you can put your clothes back on.”
“Hey, don’t make me take off my clothes just for your viewing pleasure without doing anything!”
Caro, realizing she had stripped to suit Rachel’s desires, protested strongly. Caro picked up her discarded clothes and started to put them back on.
“So, Rachel, what about the rest of the story?”
“Ah, that’s right. I was unintentionally captivated by Caro’s changing.”
Caro, having finished getting dressed, asked, and Rachel answered honestly.
“Ahem, the other day, I secretly entered my Older brother’s house and looked around for anything that might be good material.”
“Th-that’s a bad thing to do!”
“He gave me a spare key, so it’s fine.”
“Ugh, I also have a spare key to Kent’s house, but I’ve never looked around.”
“You’re so serious.”
Rachel said to the serious Caro with a hint of exasperation.
“Giving me a spare key means he won’t complain no matter what I do.”
“I-I think it’s because he trusts me and is entrusting it to me.”
Caro presented Rachel with a sound argument.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. Caro, you’ll be an accomplice in this extra chapter.”
“Even if you say it won’t affect the main story because it’s an extra, I still feel uneasy.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. If we keep arguing here, we won’t get anywhere.”
“Ugh.”
Caro was unable to retort to Rachel’s forceful push.
“Well then, let’s get back to the story. There’s a Japanese-style room in Older brother’s house, right?”
“Yes, it’s next to the room I used before.”
“Right, I actually found something incredible in that room.”
“Something incredible?”
Rachel said, emphasizing her words to draw Caro’s attention.
“When I lifted the tatami, there was a small storage space!”
“I-is that so? Do you normally search that thoroughly?”
“I do. And this is the loot I found there!”
Saying so, Rachel presented Caro with the spoils she found at Kent’s house.
“It’s a laptop… right? Unlike the silver ones we use for work, this one is mainly black with red and silver accents, making it quite flashy.”
“That’s right! The ones I have in my room and the ones we use for work are low-spec, inexpensive computers sold at some Home Centers, but this laptop is a gaming laptop, a very high-performance one. I was truly surprised that Older brother was hiding something like this.”
“I don’t understand how computers differ when they become high-performance…”
Caro had only ever seen the computers in Rachel’s room and those used at Marie’s Bakery, so she couldn’t imagine the difference even when being told it was high-performance.
“You’ll know as soon as you turn it on. Just a moment. Power connection, check. This is the power button, so try pressing it.”
“Understood. Click.”
Groooan, Boooor.
The computer started up with the roar of the internal cooling fan.
“Huh? It’s already started?”
“Amazing, isn’t it? It takes less than 10 seconds to boot up.”
“I am indeed surprised. The ones in the shop take about 2 minutes to start up, so high-performance computers have this much of a difference just in startup time.”
Caro was surprised by the difference in startup speed.
“But, isn’t it Kent’s? Is it okay to use it without permission?”
“It’s fine. What’s Older brother’s is mine, and what’s mine is mine!”
“What kind of unreasonable logic is that?”
“Well, well, if we stop here, we won’t get anywhere.”
“Ugh.”
Caro asked Rachel, but she didn’t seem bothered at all.
“For the time being, it’s good that it booted up, right?”
“Ah, yes!”
“I was truly surprised when I found it. Then, I took it back to my room, turned it on, and looked at the data stored inside. I was hoping there would be some lewd images, but there were hardly any programs installed, just basic software, video editing software, and music playback software.”
“Is that so? But those were also installed on the computer in Rachel’s room, weren’t they?”
“Yes, they are. But those are inexpensive software sold at Home Centers, and this computer has software used by professionals in that field. With this, it seems like I can do any video-related work.”
Rachel spoke passionately about the software installed on the gaming laptop she picked up from Kent’s house.
“And what surprised me even more was the internet connection. This computer is connected to the internet.”
“Internet?”
“Yes, it’s something that existed in my world. It forms a network worldwide, allowing access to various data.”
“Various data? For example, what kind?”
Caro couldn’t understand the concept of the internet, so she asked Rachel what it was.
“For example, recipes for dishes. I’ll try searching for one.”
Rachel launched the browser software needed to view the internet and typed in “recipes for dishes” to search.
“I-it’s amazing. So many things came up.”
“I’ll narrow it down further and type in ‘curry rice’.”
“Huh? Curry rice is made like this?”
Caro was surprised to see the curry rice recipe. On the page Rachel opened, it described how the taste changes with different spice blends and the types of meat and vegetables to use.
“So, curry rice isn’t just something that comes in a bag and you heat it up and put it on rice?”
“What we serve in the shop is retort curry. It’s a pre-made product packed for easy consumption, but making it from scratch takes this much effort.”
“Cumin, turmeric, garam masala… They’re all things I don’t really know.”
“I know, right? Some of the spices written here can be ordered through Older brother’s terminal, but many can’t be obtained, so it might be impossible to make curry rice based on this.”
“…That’s a shame.”
Caro looked disappointed when Rachel told her it would be difficult to make curry rice this way.
“Oops, this isn’t about curry, but, uh, ahem, it was supposed to be an explanation of what the internet is. Actually, there are many other things you can do, but explaining them all would fill several books, so I’ll skip it.”
“Understood. I’ll ask Rachel about it again when she has time.”
“Guh, r-right. That would be a great help.”
Rachel, sensing Caro’s eagerness to learn, feeling very bothered, replied with a strained expression.
“When I found the gaming laptop, I did a lot of searching on the side and acquired a lot of information I didn’t know. But if I talk about it, the conversation won’t progress, and I’ll probably forget it once the side story is over, so I’ll skip it.”
“Um, so if I type text here, I can search? ‘Male pleasure in sexy positions’ – search!”
“Hey, what are you trying to look up when I’m talking seriously?!”
While Rachel was engrossed in her story, Caro was operating the keyboard, trying to search for something.
“Ugh, some weird screen popped up.”
“What is it? ‘Cannot be displayed because SafeSearch is enabled.’ It seems like it’s set to not display adult sites. Caro, unfortunately, you’ll have to give up.”
“It’s a shame, I wanted to make Kent happy.”
When Rachel informed her that she couldn’t display the search results, Caro looked very disappointed.
“By the way, Rachel, usually one chapter ends around this word count, but we haven’t even gotten to the main topic yet. What are you going to do?”
“Of course, we’ll continue. It’s about to get interesting.”
“If I make it too long, some people might say, ‘Oh well. This is just a side story, so it’s not related to the main story. I can skip it.’ Are you worried about that?”
“Guh, you’re hitting a sore spot. But, but, I think it’s going to get interesting from here!”
Rachel, despite Caro’s painful words, resolved to continue.
“Let’s get back on track. I’ll announce what we’ll do this time. It is…”
“What is it?”
Rachel regained her composure and decided to announce what she would do in this side story. Caro, wanting to liven up the mood, asked again.
“I’m going to play a game.”
“Wh-what?!”
When Rachel announced it, Caro responded dutifully.
“Is ‘game’ like card games such as UNO, or Reversi, which is famous in isekai works?”
“Ch, ch, ch, you’re too naive, Caroline. It’s not such a primitive game.”
In this world, “game” usually refers to card games, but Rachel insisted that it was something different.
“Do you remember what I called this computer?”
“I believe it was a gaming laptop, wasn’t it?”
Caro answered Rachel’s question.
“As expected of Caro. You remembered well. Yes, a gaming laptop is a computer for playing games!”
“But I think you could play games on your computer too, right?”
“That’s true. I can order simple games through my Older Brother’s terminal, so I have a few installed. But this is a game too, yet it’s different!”
The computer in Rachel’s room had games installed on it. These were simple games sold at home centers that could be ordered through Kent’s terminal, different from the game Rachel was thinking of.
“This time, I’ll play the ‘Tale of school in another world’ game.”
“Is that the game your world was based on, the one you’re talking about?”
“That’s right. With this gaming laptop, it’s possible (probably).”
Rachel declared with full confidence?
“First, since this gaming laptop is connected to the internet, I’ll go to a site that sells games for download and log in with my account from my previous world. Okay, I’m in. The game I played was for consumers, so I’ll need to newly purchase the PC version of ‘Tale of school in another world’ (a wholesome work, of course) from this site.”
“Rachel, purchase? How will you get money from your previous world? I remember having trouble because I didn’t have any money when I went to the doujinshi convention before!”
“Fuh, fuh, fuh, I’m not unprepared for that either. I’ll use this this time.”
Saying that, Rachel took out a card.
“What is this card?”
“It’s a prepaid card. There’s a code number on the back, and if you enter it on the site, you can use it as money. By the way, this card can be ordered from my Older Brother’s terminal.”
The prepaid card that could be used for game purchases was orderable from Kent’s terminal, so Rachel had asked Emily to sneak it into the shop’s order list through Emily’s terminal. Unbeknownst to him, Kent, trusting Emily, approved the terminal, allowing Rachel to secretly purchase whatever she wanted.
“Then, I entered the code on the back, and yes, payment complete. Now, purchase!”
“Rachel, you bought it successfully. By the way, how will the merchandise be delivered?”
“It won’t be delivered.”
“Eh?”
Caro wondered how the merchandise would be delivered from the other world, but Rachel’s reply made her confused about its meaning.
“This is a download sale, so I’ve just gained the right to put the game data onto this computer. Now I’ll download it via the internet and install it on this computer.”
“Hmm, I don’t quite understand.”
“You’ll understand if you watch. It’s downloading now, so please wait a moment.”
“The percentage displayed on the screen is going up.”
Caro watched the download progress on the screen with excitement.
“Rachel, it’s 100%.”
“It seems the download is finished. Next, I’ll install this data onto the computer.”
“It’s not over yet, huh?”
“It’s almost done. Um, should I use the default installation folder? Okay, starting installation!”
Rachel moved on to the task of installing the downloaded data onto the computer.
“Ah, Rachel, Lord Gordon, Cedric, and Marc have appeared on the screen.”
“This is the installation screen. It’ll be finished soon.”
Caro said, looking at the package art displayed on the installation screen.
“Installation complete. Well then, we’re entering the game, so the main part of this side story begins now.”
“Ah, understood. I-I’ll do my best.”
The installation finished, and the screen turned completely black for a moment. When Rachel announced that it was starting, Caro recharged her spirit and stared intently at the screen.
“Now, the title screen of ‘Tale of school in another world’ is displayed on the computer monitor. Since this is my first time playing, I’ll select New Game.”
“Um, it’s the top item. Click!”
The title screen of the otome game, ‘Tale of school in another world’, was displayed on the laptop monitor, and following Rachel’s instructions, Caro selected the item labeled New Game, which is chosen when playing for the first time.
“Uwah, I think I’ve seen this before, but it’s a panoramic view of the school.”
“Yes. It’s a start similar to the sequel’s opening screen I saw before. The opening song will play here, and along with it, the game’s characters will be briefly introduced.”
The game screen displayed the opening, and with the song, the introduction of each Love Interest began.
“Isn’t Josette singing this?”
“Yes. But to be precise, it’s the voice actress who voices Josette. Actually, when I participated in the game’s event, my Older Brother actually lined up for an autograph with this voice actress at the handshake event that was held at the same time. His face back then…”
While listening to the opening song, the topic shifted to the voice actress for Josette, who was in charge of the singing. Rachel spoke to Caro about the event she attended on her last day living as Akane Yamamoto in her previous world, fondly reminiscing about her brother’s expression at the time.
“At that time, Kent was also a different person, wasn’t he?”
“Yes. He’s one year older now, but back then, there was a slightly larger age difference between us.”
“R-really?”
Caro seemed very surprised upon hearing Rachel’s words.
“Now, now, it’s time for character introductions. First is the Prince.”
“He’s very handsome, unlike the Gordon I know.”
“Right? I was also a big fan back then, but seeing the current Gordon has erased that feeling.”
“Hahahaha.”
The introduction began with Gordon. He was set as the most difficult Love Interest, and Akane was a big fan of Gordon at the time. However, after coming to this world and seeing his true nature, that feeling had considerably faded. Caro, hearing this, could only respond with a dry laugh.
“Next is Cedric. He’s a character who put his abilities into studies,”
“Grrr, I’ll never forgive him for what he did to Kent,”
“Well, well, they look alike, but this is a game. What he did in this world can never be forgiven, but let’s enjoy him as a game character this time,”
“Wha-understood.”
Rachel and Caro still couldn’t forgive Cedric for what he did to Kent. However, this time, they decided to switch their mindset and play the game.
“Finally, there’s Marc. He has abilities suited for physical activities,”
“I see. He’s in his first year, so I sometimes see him around, but he seems easier to approach now compared to when he was infatuated with Marie,”
“That’s true. He’s currently being walked by the nose by his younger girlfriend. Oh, but we just talked about separating this world’s story from the game!”
The screen switched one after another, and the introduction of the three characters was completed with a song.
“Huh?”
“What’s wrong, Caro?”
As the introductions of the three characters ended and the screen switched to the scenery surrounding the academy, Caro had a puzzled look on her face.
“Weren’t there supposed to be one more person?”
“There are only three love interests appearing in this game,”
“Oh, I see. I guess I was mistaken. I’m sorry,”
“You’re acting strange, Caro.”
Rachel moved forward, her mind uneasy about Caro’s statement.
“It’s Josette! But her expression looks so bad. Is she feeling unwell?”
“That’s right. She’s positioned as the villainess in the game. She’s very attractive, but she’s acting wickedly here,”
“Come to think of it, you mentioned before that Rachel was the villainess,”
“That’s right, villainess characters are essential in otome games!”
“However, according to my research, villainesses don’t appear in actual otome games,”
“Th-that’s something you absolutely must not say!”
In between the landscape scenes, the introduction screen for the villainess Josette was displayed. As befitting her role, her expression was sinister, truly looking like a villain.
“Ahem. I know that Josette in this world is a very kind person, so Caro might have her own thoughts, but please bear in mind that this is just a game,”
“Understood. I’ll try my best to think that way.”
Rachel quickly changed the subject as Caro began to say things she shouldn’t. Rachel, who was originally one of Josette’s entourage, knew that Caro held Josette in high regard, so she emphasized that this Josette was a game character, and the Josette they knew was different.
“Well, the opening is over, so next is where we decide the protagonist’s name,”
“Huh? Isn’t the protagonist of the game Rachel?”
“Yes. Actually, the protagonist’s name can be set by the player as they like,”
“Whaaatt!!”
As they moved to the character setup screen, Caro exclaimed in surprise, hearing the shocking truth from Rachel.
“That’s a good reaction. You can enter any name you like, but for those who are too embarrassed to enter one, if you decide to leave it blank, it will automatically be set to Rachel,”
“Oh, is that so? It’s true, if you’re suddenly asked to enter a name, it’s difficult to decide,”
“Well, since Caro is the one playing, I think you should just enter your own name,”
“Is that how it works? Then, Caroline… decided!”
Encouraged by Rachel, Caro entered Caroline as the protagonist’s name.
“Okay. Then, next is the prologue,”
“I’m getting a little excited.”
The screen switched, displaying the scenery in front of the academy. A frame appeared at the bottom, and the prologue text was displayed within it.
“My name is Caroline. I’m a new student at the Royal Academy. I’ve started attending this academy today, but coming from the countryside, I don’t have anyone I can call a friend. I hope to make friends through my school life here. And if possible, a boyfriend too. Just kidding.”
The protagonist wasn’t shown, but the story began to unfold through her monologue.
“Rachel, so you were a bit of a chuunibyou after all. It feels strange when you read poetry in Rachel’s voice,”
“Don’t compare me to the game character! Besides, her name is Caroline!”
“Hmph.”
As Rachel said, there was a blank space on the left side of the frame, with Caroline displayed below it. Pointed out by Rachel, Caro had nothing to retort.
*Dong*
“Kyaah!”
“Oops, sorry.”
As Caro advanced the text by pressing the decision button, a sound effect played, and a male voice was heard for the first time.
“Oh? Are you a new student?”
1) Yes, I am.
2) I’m a second-year.
3) I’m a teacher, what of it?
“R-Rachel, a strange screen appeared,”
“These are choices. There are three options, and depending on which one you choose, the love interest’s affection will go up or down. Choose the one you think is right, Caro,”
“Then I’ll choose 3,”
“3 again!”
Caro chose option 3 without hesitation. Rachel, watching this, couldn’t help but blurt out.
“I apologize for my rudeness. I am Marc. I’m a new student who will be attending this academy from today. I look forward to working with you. Teacher! Eh? You were actually lying? Oh, so we’re classmates. I don’t like people who lie. Your name is Caroline, is it? Well, I look forward to your cooperation.”
[Affection -2]
“Your affection has decreased,”
“Of course. This is the first time I’ve seen someone lower their affection right from the start.”
Caro said this without much of a disappointed expression. Rachel was surprised that someone could fail such a simple choice.
“Huh? Is only Marc appearing?”
“You’ve noticed something important. Only Marc appears at the start. After the entrance ceremony and class division events, it’s finally time to raise your parameters. You decide your plans for the week here. When your parameters exceed a certain number, Cedric and Gordon will appear. You can choose to study, exercise, improve your appearance, etiquette, or rest to raise your parameters.”
“What does ‘rest’ mean?”
“If you choose something other than rest, your stamina will decrease and your stress will increase. Each choice affects different parameters differently. For example, choosing ‘exercise’ lowers stamina significantly but raises stress moderately. Choosing ‘rest’ increases stamina and lowers stress. You need to choose these in a balanced way to raise your parameters. Oh, and I almost forgot, if your stamina drops too much, you’ll get sick and have to take leave from school. If you miss important events during that time, you’ll head straight for a bad ending. If your stress increases too much, the amount your parameters increase from studying, exercise, appearance, and etiquette will decrease. To prevent that, you choose ‘rest’. This will restore your stamina and lower your stress.”
“I see, balance is important.”
Caro received an explanation of the weekly schedule from Rachel.
“I see, Caro, you’ll be raising them in a balanced way,”
“Yes, I’ll try to do that for the time being.”
Caro finished inputting the weekly schedule, and the first week began.
“It’s your first day off. Here, in addition to options available at school like studying, you can choose part-time jobs, going out, shopping, and dates. However, dates won’t appear unless you make plans in advance.”
“I see, then, maybe I should go shopping?”
“Aah!”
It was a holiday, and in addition to the usual options, holiday-specific options were displayed. Caro chose shopping without hesitation.
“Welcome. Please take your time looking around.”
In the game screen, a stylish retail store interior was displayed, and an auntie clerk spoke to them.
“Rachel, what should I buy here?”
“Here, you can buy presents to give to the love interests and items that affect your parameters,”
“Do commoners give presents to aristocrats? Normally, no one would accept them!”
“Come to think of it, Caro, you’re an aristocrat. You haven’t brought up that setting recently, so I’d completely forgotten. Well, that might be the case in this world, but it might be easier to proceed if you accept that this is a game.”
In this world, commoners cannot casually give gifts to aristocrats. It seems to be a matter concerning the pride of nobles unless the relationship is very close or it’s in the form of a tribute. Rachel, prompted by Caro, remembered that setting.
“Well, let’s get back to the game. You have 0 money right now, so if you want to buy anything, you should start with a part-time job. On holidays, if you choose options like studying, the rewards are high, so it’s also a good choice if you want to raise your parameters quickly.”
“I see, I can’t buy anything without money. Then, maybe I’ll choose to work the next day.”
Caro selected a part-time job, as the screen changed to the next day.
“There are so many kinds of part-time jobs,” she said.
“Yes. The way your parameters increase changes depending on the characteristics of the part-time job you choose. Be careful, as gruelling jobs will decrease your stamina significantly. By the way, I recommend the bakery. It increases all your parameters evenly, and it also restores a little stamina.”
“I see, so that’s why Rachel used to work at a bakery,”
“That’s right.”
Rachel taught Caro about recommended part-time jobs.
“I’ve been seeing you around a lot lately. You seem to be studying very hard.”
After that, Caro was raising her parameters evenly when the screen suddenly switched.
“Ah, this voice!”
“You’ve met the parameter requirements for someone to appear.”
Caroline, who was studying in the library, was suddenly addressed, and the voice’s owner appeared.
“You’re a first-year student, aren’t you? My name is Cedric. Hmm, your name is Caroline. You’re very studious. I come here often, so we might meet again. See you then.”
Since it was an appearance event, Cedric left after introducing himself.
“Grrr, when he calls me by my name, I somehow get irritated,”
“There, there, calm down. It’s just a game.”
Rachel desperately held back Caro, who looked like she was about to punch the screen. Rachel understood her anger towards Cedric, but even if they had the same name and appearance, it was still within the game. It was obvious that if her valuable, internet-connected gaming laptop was broken, it would be a significant loss for Rachel. Therefore, Rachel’s desperation was extraordinary.
“I have no choice. If Rachel is trying so hard to stop me, I can’t do anything more.”
“Phew, that’s good.”
Thanks to Caro calming down, Rachel let out a sigh of relief.
“Caro, your parameters are increasing nicely. The prince should be appearing soon.”
“As soon as Rachel said that, the screen changed.”
Suddenly, the screen shifted from parameter-raising to the school’s hallway, and Caro realized that some event was occurring. If Rachel was right, this event should involve Gordon’s appearance.
“Excuse me for a moment? Did you drop this handkerchief?”
1) Yes, it’s mine.
2) I don’t know.
3) It’s yours.
As Rachel had predicted, the person who appeared was the 2nd Prince, Gordon. After his line, three options appeared on the screen.
“Rachel, it’s been a while since we had a three-option choice. I’m torn between taking this seriously or making a joke of it.”
“Caro, don’t overthink it and just accept it normally. If you don’t choose this, you won’t be able to proceed.”
“Is… is that so? Then I’ll choose 1.”
Sternly told by Rachel, Caro suppressed her desire to joke and chose 1.
“So it is. Here you go. My name is Gordon. Well, you probably know that already, but what is your name? Since I found it, I have the right to ask. …I see, Caroline. By the looks of it, you’re a first-year. You don’t show any expression when interacting with me, unlike other first-years. Alright, I’ve noted you down. We’ll likely meet again. Farewell.”
After returning the dropped handkerchief, Gordon left, having introduced himself unilaterally.
“He seems very cheesy.”
“Really? When he said that with that handsome voice, I was quite smitten when I was engrossed in the game.”
Caro felt a sense of incongruity compared to Gordon’s current persona, and she didn’t seem to like his lines very much. In contrast, Rachel recalled her feelings from back then and spoke nostalgically.
“We have all three love interests gathered, but what should I do next?”
“Let’s see. For Gordon, you should raise your parameters evenly. For Cedric, focus on studying. And for Marc, focus on athletics. Also, you need to be careful: for Gordon, the balance of parameters other than stress is important; for Cedric, in addition to studying, you need to pay attention to his appearance and manners; for Cedric, his appearance parameter is crucial. If it drops too much, the best options for dates will disappear, and you won’t be able to captivate him in the end.”
Rachel gave Caro advice for the mid-game, as the early game was now over.
“So, Lord Gordon is the most difficult to capture then.”
“In his case, it’s not just about stats, but also luck. It’s quite unreasonable, you know. Even if you play well, if you stumble here, it all ends.”
Rachel spoke to Caro, recalling her bitter past playing experiences. After that, Caro focused on capturing Gordon and worked on increasing her stats.
“Excuse me, could I have a moment of your time?”
As Caro continued to play, the screen suddenly switched to a rooftop scene.
“Ah, this voice!”
“There she is.”
Caro immediately recognized the voice’s owner, as she had heard it before.
“My name is Josette. I’m a second-year student.”
Appearing on the rooftop was the villainess of this game, Josette. On either side of her were a tall female student and a short female student.
“Could the short one with pink hair be me?”
“That’s right. But your name doesn’t appear, does it?”
“Could it be that I’m nameless in the game?”
“Hmm, that’s not quite right. It’s true that your name doesn’t appear when you show up as an attendant. However, during the exams, you appear as a powerful rival to the protagonist. Although, your name only showed up on the ranking board. It wasn’t until I came to this world that I realized you, Caro, were the same person as the exam rival.”
“That’s right, I remember you saying something like that before.”
Caro is a nickname; her real name is Caroline. It was shortly after Rachel came to this world and met Caro that she realized Caro’s commonly used name was a nickname. The trigger for this realization was when she saw the test rankings.
“Damn it, even here, Lady Josette is getting in my way!”
“Yeah, yeah, she gets more and more irritating every time she appears.”
“This is Josette from the game. The Josette I know is… Ah! Why are you getting in my way while speaking with the same voice?!”
As she continued to play, Josette repeatedly interfered with capturing Gordon. Caro, experiencing this firsthand, had complex feelings. Eventually, the play progressed smoothly, and they finally entered the event where the prince fell ill.
“I think the medicine was in the refrigerator… Wait, there’s no refrigerator!”
“You’ve noticed something good. In this world, I secured the medicine in advance, anticipating the possibility of an event occurring. So, in the game, this is where you search for the medicine.”
To save the fallen prince, the protagonist, Caroline, embarked on a solo journey to find an item called the “Fairy’s Tear.”
“I see, the battles that take place in this event are easier if your parameters are raised.”
“Yes. The protagonist can forcibly increase their parameters by equipping items. The key to victory is to use this effectively. Well, the final boss is appearing now.”
The item search was nearing its end, and the final battle was about to begin.
“It’s a large bee. If I defeat it, I’ll obtain the Fairy’s Tear, right?”
“Yes. To be precise, the boss battle is a quiz. If you get it wrong, it ends right there. By the way, when I obtained it in this world, the questions were difficult, and I got one wrong, but Al-chan threatened the fairy and cancelled the incorrect answer to snatch it away.”
“Al-chan was stronger than this game’s final boss, wasn’t he?”
Caro was currently battling a large bee-shaped enemy in a quiz. To get this far, she had used stat-boosting items and recovery items, and after many battles, she had consumed considerable effort. During the boss battle, Rachel explained how she had obtained the Fairy’s Tear in this world. Hearing this, Caro realized anew that Al, who was so approachable, was actually an extraordinary being.
“Huff, huff, I managed to answer all the questions correctly.”
“Good work. The goal is in sight!”
After defeating the bee fairy in a quiz battle and obtaining the Fairy’s Tear, Caroline hurried to the Royal Castle. She then administered the medicine to the fallen Gordon through mouth-to-mouth, completely curing his illness.
“Caro, the next part might be a bit tough, so be prepared.”
“Huh?”
Caro, who thought it was a straight path to the goal, involuntarily asked back at Rachel’s words.
“Josette, is it true that you prepared medicine claiming to help Gordon, who had fallen ill?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The screen switched to a scene where the King summoned Josette to the audience chamber. Gordon and the protagonist, Caroline, were also present with the King. In response to the King’s question, Josette answered with a composed demeanor.
“Upon appraising this medicine, it was found to contain a potent poison.”
“W-What did you say? I-I merely wished to help Lord Gordon, so I heard rumors of a miracle cure and went to purchase it directly!”
The King discussed the medicine Josette had prepared as a cure, revealing that it contained a potent poison. Upon hearing this, Josette turned pale and desperately tried to explain the facts.
“Your explanation is irrelevant. You attempted to give a potent poison to Gordon, the Second Prince. Only this fact matters. Fortunately, Miss Caroline here, through her quick thinking, managed to obtain the cure first, allowing him to recover safely, so no serious harm was done. The thought of what might have happened if she hadn’t obtained the cure makes my blood run cold.”
“I-It’s not my fault. The merchant who sold me the medicine is to blame.”
“Your excuses are not worth listening to. Josette, I shall pronounce your sentence. At this moment, you are stripped of your noble privileges and banished from the country. You are an eyesore. Take her away!”
“W-Wait. P-Please listen to me…”
“Now, come.”
Josette was apprehended by the Royal Guards and led out of the audience chamber.
“When I played the game in my previous world, I felt satisfied with the ‘comeuppance’ event, but seeing this event again, I feel complicated.”
“Uuu, Lady Josette, I’ll accompany you too, boo hoo, boo hoo.”
Rachel felt complicated seeing this event again, but Caro, who was seeing this event for the first time, identified with the Josette of this world and was sobbing.
“Even in this world, we were on the verge of the same event occurring, but we worked together to stop it, Older Brother. So, this condemnation event will absolutely not happen. Don’t worry, Caro.”
“That’s right. Kent worked hard to stop it.”
The two women embraced, trying to calm each other down.
“Well then, it’s finally the ending.”
“Yes, we finally made it this far.”
The game entered its epilogue. Gordon graduated from the academy, and Caroline advanced to her second year. The story concluded, suggesting their love would continue.
“So, how was it?”
“How was it? As a game, it was interesting, and Lord Gordon was very cool.”
“I thought you’d say that, Caro.”
As the credits rolled after the ending, Rachel asked Caro for her thoughts on the game, and they discussed it. Rachel was very happy to share her favorite game with Caro. Caro, playing a full-fledged game for the first time, had many thoughts but enjoyed playing it.
“Well, it seems it’s almost time to say goodbye to the side story as well.”
“Is that so? I feel like it just ended after playing the game?”
“Well, it’s okay to have an episode like that.”
“That’s right. It’s a side story, after all.”
Rachel and Caro looked back on this side story, saying so.
“How was the 20 million PV commemorative side story?”
“It was longer than usual, so it must have been a lot to read, but thank you for accompanying us.”
Rachel and Caro said so and began to wrap up.
“We hope you continue to enjoy ‘I was reincarnated into an otome game world, but it seems I was just a background male student with cheats.'”
After Rachel and Caro said this simultaneously, they bowed deeply, concluding this side story.
“Fuu, it’s over.”
“Yes, it’s over. We’ve been talking for a long time, and I’m thirsty.”
“Now that you mention it, you’re right. Caro, shall we go downstairs and get something to drink?”
“Sounds good.”
Rachel and Caro’s throats were parched from their long conversation. They left Rachel’s room, where they had been playing the game, descended the stairs, and headed to Marie’s Bakery. The day’s business had ended, and the store was quiet late at night. Outside of business hours, as a perk for employees, food and drinks from the kitchen could be consumed freely. However, due to merchandise management, employees had to record their consumption in a dedicated notebook.
“Caro, what will you drink?”
“Hmm. I’m thirsty, so I’ll have a sports drink.”
“I see. Then I’ll have a melon soda.”
They decided on their drinks and took out single-serving bottles from the refrigerator. They then recorded the names of the items they took in the designated notebook.
“Phew~. My thirst is quenched.”
“Indeed. It tastes very delicious.”
Rachel and Caro opened their chosen bottles and gulped down the drinks.
Slurp, slurp.
“Huh? Caro, didn’t you hear something?”
“Sniff, sniff, I smell instant ramen. It’s miso flavor.”
Slurp, slurp.
“What’s wrong?”
“J-Josette, when did you get here?”
“Lady Josette. What are you doing so late at night?”
It was Josette making slurping sounds. She was sitting alone in a corner of the dining area, sadly eating miso-flavored instant ramen.
“What are you surprised about? I was just a little hungry, so I was having a late-night snack. If we live under the same roof, it’s not strange to see each other, is it? Are you staying at Rachel’s room again tonight, Caro?”
Josette was currently working as live-in staff at the store, so seeing her inside the premises was not strange. However, the sight of a Duke’s daughter sadly eating instant ramen alone in a corner felt peculiar.
“L-Lady Josette.”
“Josette-saaan!”
“What’s wrong, the two of you suddenly hugging me?”
Upon seeing Josette, Caro and Rachel instinctively hugged her.
“It’s Lady Josette’s scent!”
“These big breasts are definitely Josette’s.”
“Hey, Rachel, don’t grope my chest while you’re at it.”
Caro nuzzled Josette’s body to confirm her scent, while Rachel felt her breasts to confirm her presence.
“Are the two of you worried about something? If this makes you feel better, you can stay like this for a while.”
Josette gently stroked the heads of Rachel and Caro, who were hugging her, waiting for them to calm down.
“You’re too noble, too noble, Josette.”
“Kind Lady Josette is the best.”
“My, my, you two act like children.”
Rachel and Caro nestled into Josette’s warm and comforting embrace for a while.
“Ah, Rachel!”
“W-What is it? Caro.”
Rachel and Caro, who were immersed in a pleasant feeling, were suddenly interrupted by a loud cry from Caro.
“Did you press the finish button after the side story ended?”
“Ah! I forgot. Could it be that it’s still going?”
“…It seems so.”
“Ah crud.”
Caro and Rachel realized that the side story had not ended yet.
“What is it? If you’re hungry, I can prepare something for you.”
“It’s not that, thank you, Josette. Actually, for this and that reason…”
Rachel explained to Josette why she was surprised.
“I see. In that case, all we have to do is end it here again.”
“Th-That’s right.”
“Indeed. Let’s do that. So, Josette, please join us.”
“Understood.”
Following Josette’s suggestion after hearing the reason, they decided to conclude again.
“We hope you continue to enjoy ‘I was reincarnated into an otome game world, but it seems I was just a background male student with cheats.'”
Rachel, Caro, and Josette bowed their heads, bidding farewell once more to conclude the side story.
How did you enjoy the 20 million PV commemorative side story?
Please be aware that there are slight differences between the game content played in this side story and the game content that appeared in the main story. We hope you will continue to enjoy it.
