Because Jun was too busy being done into oblivion by Azazel and Elior, System 00 had been unable to update him of his progress with the Side Mission until the next morning. Now it was summer vacation, so Jun didn't have much to do before college started. He had been accepted to the T University of his choice and would start in September.
|-50%? How did that happen? When?|
|I don't know how, Host, but it happened on your graduation day.|
"Oh."
"What's wrong, babe?" Azazel massaged Jun's thigh to comfort him.
"Nothing."
Azazel pinched Jun's chin and forced him to look him in the eyes. "Tell me."
Leaning his forehead against Azazel's, Jun closed his eyes. "It's nothing important, don't worry..."
"Baby, talk to us."
Today Azazel and Elior had to start working again, and they were currently in the study. Jun was sitting on Azazel's thighs while looking at the ADAS official website. Elior was sitting on the chair beside theirs, his hand on top of Jun's. Since he turned 18, these two had been more clingy than before, transforming fully into man-sized leeches. More like, all their reservations had disappeared.
"Just, things never seem to work out for me."
"What do you mean, babe?"
"I try and I try, but still, I fail..."
Though Azazel and Elior did not understand, they tried. "In time, you'll succeed." Azazel comforted him.
"Yeah, it took us years to realize our dream as game developers. Regardless, we'll be here by your side."
"Yeah... Thank you." Jun showered Azazel and Elior's faces with some soft kisses full of affection and appreciation.
Today, Monsoon announced the making of a new game, Finale, a VR dating simulation game where people can be and do anything they want. They could play as the male or female or even intersex character that was customizable, go after men or women or both men and women, be monogamous or polygamous or polyamorous, and so on.
The possibilities were endless and the storyline was deep enough to not just be empty gameplay. There was another announcement, one about a Monsoon convention that would be held during the winter vacation, so people could try the demo for Finale and be the first to get a glimpse of the next expansion of ADAS. Part of the convention included a competition of arena fights to win prizes. This was also a means for friends and in-game lovers to meet in person, and the convention was designated to be held at T City Convention Center.
T City was an important location in the plot. Although Feng Bingwen and Li Jie met in Atlan, most of their development as a couple was in the real world. Both attended T University and their families' residences were also in T City. When Jun started T University in September, the love rival would return to M Country to start another storm between the gong and shou, who would be embroiled in the gong's family's disapproval.
The weekend before university started, Jun needed to move into the dorms for military training. When Azazel and Elior found out that M Country had such a requirement, they were devastated. On their way to Jun's dorm, their faces were the epitome of unwilling bitterness.
"It's just two weeks." Jun tried to placate them.
"Of nothing," Elior whined quite pitifully. "We won't even be able to text or call you." For a grown man, he sure could act very petulant.
Jun was the first to arrive at his dorm and started sorting out his things right away. The faster he finished, the more time he could spend with Azazel and Elior before they had to part. He had three roommates and they showed up one after another, and there were no problems except that one was an ADAS player and knew all three of them.
"Fei Lan, it really is you! And the President Azazel Schwarz... Mr. Ceo, Elior Renaud... May I have your autographs please?"
After fulfilling the roommate's wish and leaving him behind to explain the situation to the other two roommates, Jun and the two men left to go get some dinner. As if the plot was ready for another fight, they ran into Feng Bingwen and Li Jie on the way off-campus.
"Fei Lan."
At first, Jun didn't recognize them but using the context and plot descriptions, he discovered their identities, but he couldn't act like he knew.
"... I'm sorry, do I know you?"
"It's me, <Reason To Be>."
"Oh... It's nice to meet you in real life." He didn't act surprised because everyone who was anyone knew his real identity now. "Since you already know me, what's your real name?"
"Li Jie, second-year, business major."
Was it just him or did the way Li Jie say that sound a bit hostile?
|Host, your progress for the Side Mission just dropped to -75%...|
|What's the use of it dropping? Can't it just stay at 0%? It seems like trying to befriend the shou just made him hate me instead.|
|...|
"What a coincidence. I'm also a business major." Jun looked at Feng Bingwen. "You must be <Feng Bingwen>. Is that your real name?"
"Yes." The gong didn't say more because he was the type to talk little and be terrible at expressing himself. Azazel might be awkward and a bit slow, but he was much better at showing his emotions. Besides, Jun already knew that the gong was also a business major. How else would these two get into so many raunchy R-18 moments around this time?
|... The Side Mission just dropped to -100%, dearest Host. It is now considered a failure, and you will not have any more chances at Side Missions for the remaining duration of this world.|
|What the fuck.|
Was it his clothes? He was in normal menswear today so that couldn't be it, right? His breath? His hair? It really couldn't be because he just verified the gong's identity, right?
Right?
Unfortunately, that seemed to be the case, as Li Jie was currently radiating a negative aura. Azazel felt the hostile atmosphere and put a protective arm around Jun. "We have to go now."
Elior, who paid more attention to the current events of players in the game, knew about these two. One was the #1 ranked player and the other the current #7. He put on a friendly face and held out his hand. "As my baby's upperclassmen, it would be much appreciated if you could look after him."
"Elior, let's go." Azazel was unsociable and disliked interacting with others outside of business purposes.
"Ok, ok."
After a brief wave of goodbye, Jun left with Azazel and Elior. In the car, Elior sat in the backseat with Jun while Azazel drove them to the restaurant.
"Baby, Li Jie seems to hate you. Did you do something to offend him in the game?"
"Does trying to befriend him count?"
"I don't think he wants to be friends with you any time soon."
"It's fine, I'm done trying to be his friend." If he didn't have to, why would he? The more he got to know Li Jie, the more disappointed he was. What happened to the hardworking shou? He would have thought Li Jie would have been more determined after the Gender Changer was made available but he still played as a female. Maybe it wasn't a sore spot for him as Jun originally thought?
There was that other thing, what the original Fei Lan did before he came along. "Before, I was irritated when I found out he was a male playing as a female while posing as Feng Bingwen's wife, so I bullied him a little. But that was a year ago and I apologized. Do you think he still bears a grudge?"
"It's possible..."
"Just stay away from him." Azazel's advice was short and simple, completely to Jun's liking and style.
"Yeah, no need to be involved with someone that doesn't like you," Elior added. "Besides, you have us."
As Jun predicted, two weeks of military training flew by relatively fast. Azazel and Elior were too swamped with work because of the new game Finale and the planned update of ADAS to have time to miss him much. That didn't stop them from exaggeratingly hugging him and complaining about how much they missed (doing) him when they saw him again.
Despite the grueling training, Jun remained miraculously pale or at the most, whatever tan he did develop wasn't remarkable enough to be noticed. After military training was completed, Jun still had a spot in the dorms and kept it just in case, but he didn't live there since their apartment was so close to the university.
Like before, the two foreigners coming and going to the university were often enough that many people noticed and posted on the school forum to ask about them. Those in the know, mainly ADAS players, quickly informed those curious of the situation. Many hearts were crushed in the aftermath once they found out that not only was the cute little freshman taken, he was taken by those two handsome men. Luckily, the third handsome man, a certain Bai Changming, didn't seem to be attached to anyone?
Although Jun tried his best to avoid Li Jie, the plot was unavoidable, so they ran into each other often. Having the same major was probably also a factor. Jun just found it strange that each time he ran into Li Jie, the shou's hostility toward him seemed to rise another level. The strangest times were when they came across each other while Azazel and Elior were also there.
The shou seemed to be having a crush on his men, in particular Azazel? Not this again. This was perhaps the 3rd or 4th time it had happened. It was an almost too familiar situation...
|Why are the shous or female protagonists always into Azel?|
|... No comment, though maybe next time the Host should work harder on the Side Mission if you want answers...|
|...|
What no comment? That was clearly a comment and a spiteful one at that. He had tried being friendly and it didn't work.
Jun moved on with his life until one strange thing occurred that did not follow the plot. As with the previous world, he always seemed to have a knack for running into the protagonists engaging in sexual activities. Except, it wasn't the gong and shou as he had expected but the shou and love rival...!?
He just wanted to use the restroom. Then again, why did he choose such a faraway bathroom in the least occupied building? It was a prime location for people to get down to business. But all the bathrooms he tried before this one had been occupied or closed for cleaning. Sometimes he wondered if the worlds wanted to turn him into a voyeur.
Jun sat in the stall with his chin resting in his palm, not making any noise as he waited for the two people next door to finish. Judging by the heavy pants and thumps against their shared wall, he could imagine how hard they were going at it. Bai Changming sure was fierce despite his gentle, older brother temperament and appearance.
They continued this way for several minutes before he heard a low grunt, a shuddering moan, and things finally ended. From the stall, he heard a man say: "Li Jie, be with me. I love you more than Feng Bingwen will ever do."
"... I can't brother Bai. This was a one-time thing, ok?"
How naive was the shou? It would never be a one-time thing, and Jun knew Li Jie knew that as well. First, he developed a crush on Azazel and Elior, and now he was seducing the love rival whom he always thought of as purely an "older brother." Why was he doing this? What was he trying to accomplish?
"Give me a chance to change your mind at least." Bai Changming said. After a moment's hesitation came the reply:
"... Ok."