Aoki Mirai was an utterly ordinary corporate drone. As long as he never clocked out, he never had to come back to work. After breaking up with his boyfriend, he worked overtime for a whole week and drowned his sorrows in alcohol. Then, while wandering across a zebra crossing in a daze, he got hit by a truck and lost his memory.
When he woke up, he found himself in the hospital dressed like a mummy. The silver lining was that, apart from his temporarily numb legs and a hefty bill, he had absolutely nothing: no memories, and only a vague recollection of a jerk ex-boyfriend.
A friend came to visit. Seeing him tied up and unable to move, he kindly gave him an unreleased company game, the full-dive VR title Passion: Beika Town. He told Aoki it had lots of romanceable NPCs who could be sweet, cool, cute, or motherly, and that playing it might help him get over his breakup.
Aoki Mirai, with his leg in a cast: "I'll find a whole truckload of bread people to ram you into the game too, so you can date the paper characters. :)"
But life in the hospital was just too boring. Since he had nothing better to do, Aoki Mirai entered the game and pressed the sinful "Draw a Talent" button, the once-in-a-lifetime chance every player got. He actually won an SSR skill with a probability of just 0.00001%, one that let him trade one thing for another!
Something for ANYTHING, an ability said to let you trade for anything at all.
Aoki Mirai: .
Really? He didn't believe it.JPG
Half skeptical, he used the skill, going all in with all of his starting funds.
"Something, for anything."
On the rooftop, Scotland and Rye faced each other in a fateful confrontation.
"Scotland, I never thought you really were an undercover agent..."
Akai Shuichi prepared to pull a revolver from inside his clothes.
Words alone couldn't convince a wary undercover investigator. But if he had an overwhelming advantage in firepower, the other man might believe he was sincere.
With his usual confident smile, he reached into his chest and pulled out... a stack of Fukuzawa Yukichi banknotes.
Akai Shuichi, holding a wad of cash: ?
Scotland, ready to snatch the weapon with a spinning kick: ?
At that moment, Scotland's mind inconveniently flashed back to the three of them, the whiskey trio, sneaking into that unspeakable shop, and Bourbon's arrogant, unrestrained grin behind the champagne tower.
Scotland: .
Rye: ...
At that moment, Akai Shuichi deeply understood what it meant to have his reputation besmirched from eight hundred li away.
Content warnings:
1. The protagonist genuinely has a player's mindset at first. He's nowhere near lawful good, and anyone could get wrecked. If you can't handle that (run for your life, holding up a sign.JPG).
2. Lots of original worldbuilding and out-of-character portrayals. If you feel uncomfortable, click the top-left corner. You'll be happy, I'll be happy, win-win!
3. Other characters will have one-sided crushes on him.
4. More to be added. 2024.5.10
Theme: Sincerity for sincerity
