"Did you know, Guinea Pig-kun, that the human body releases pheromones? When someone you like smells them, they become… pleasant."
On his thigh, Arisuko squinted lazily. "Guinea Pig-kun, your scent is incredible. Did you just finish exercising?"
Exercise… well, technically, yes.
Arisuko brushed her cheek against him.
"Can you smell me?" she asked.
"You mean… my scent?"
She tilted her head, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "There are three spots where it's strongest: the head, the armpits… and the feet. Which one do you want to smell, Guinea Pig-kun?"
"…The head."
Kaito felt his body go soft. He had no energy left to play games with Arisuko—just enough for the horse-shaped desserts she'd prepared.
Arisuko propped herself up.
"Mmm…" She bit gently at Kaito's ear, licking along his cheek.
"…I thought you wanted me to smell you," he muttered.
"When I get close to you, you're close to me too, Guinea Pig-kun," Arisuko said, curling a strand of hair around her finger. "I thought maybe you'd prefer a girl's armpits or little feet, but it seems you're quite… traditional."
Traditional?
Kaito had to clarify: he wasn't into armpits or feet specifically. He just couldn't help but notice the delicate, smooth skin of girls' armpits or the soft, irresistible soles of their feet.
Originally, his "XP" (interest points) weren't so broad, but after spending so much time in the game world, he'd become a kind of connoisseur of Uma Musume—appreciating them from every angle.
Color, shape, scent, taste, sound, softness, comfort—everything became part of his evaluation.
Every part of an Uma Musume was a treasure.
"My… XP is Uma Musume," he admitted.
"Huh? All over?"
"Yes."
"Well, then I'm relieved."
"Why?"
"If there's nothing you dislike, that means anything goes, right?"
"You… want to do what?"
Arisuko smirked. "There's a spot where the scent is strongest. Maybe you'll like it."
Satisfied, she sat up and yawned, asking Kaito to brew her a cup of tea. Once the side conversation ended, they moved on to the main topic. Kaito described his experiences, and Arisuko shared her research findings.
"This world really has a lot of things that don't make sense," she said, stretching. "A few weeks ago, when you gave me the flyer, I noticed there were no words on it. But this morning, text appeared on the flyer, and my memory seemed altered—I felt the words had always been there."
"How did you notice?"
"Text leaves a record. Photos I take of the flyer change with the flyer, but text shouldn't. I wrote, 'Flyer without any alterations,' but handwriting appeared. That's how I knew something was off."
Sipping her tea, Arisuko continued: "Based on your descriptions and experimental records, I think you might be moving between two worlds. The real world is like software you've opened, and the game world is the running code. Whatever you do there reflects here."
"World as a computer?"
"Don't panic, Guinea Pig-kun. The world has always been a computer. Physics and math formulas are just code. The world you're in made that code tangible, something you can understand."
Kaito was silent for a moment.
"So… how do I leave?"
"Leave? Why would you? What's wrong with staying?"
"If I stay too long, I'll go crazy. Humans play games; games don't play humans."
"Every program has a logic inside it. If you understand the logic, you can control it. You just haven't figured it out yet—the time's too short, information too sparse. Everything you've noticed in the past few months is just the beginning. To control it, you first need to understand it."
"So… I need to explore first."
"That might be a heavy burden for you. So—" Arisuko touched his face gently, "I can give you special privileges. Whether in the game world or here, you can do what you like with me."
[Arisuko: Additional Command Permissions Unlocked.]
A translucent screen flashed briefly before disappearing.
"This…?"
"What's wrong, Guinea Pig-kun?"
"Looks like there's a new feature." Kaito shook his head, planning to test it later. Arisuko was right: control required understanding. For now, he was still gathering scattered clues. Once he unlocked all functions, maybe he could do whatever he wanted.
"I suddenly feel… like I have a mission."
"Really? Good. I'm interested in your experiences too, Guinea Pig-kun. You're such a rare experimental subject. If I could, I'd go to that world myself."
"What would you do there?"
"Test medicines on people… and…" She fixed him with her dark red eyes. "Tie you to the lab table and drain your fluids twenty-four hours a day."
"…"
"Don't worry, I'll provide the nutrition."
"I think maybe I've been too conservative in that world."
"Exactly, Guinea Pig-kun. You still need to grow."
"Are you trying to turn me into a cream puff, Arisuko?"
"Haha, Guinea Pig-kun, I don't know about that world. But here? Only you will turn into cream."
"Alright, wait. Let me build up my body first."
"What's wrong? Feeling sick?"
"A little weak right now."
With a subtle smile, Arisuko watched as Kaito left the room.
Besides dealing with the system, he had another task: buying external items. Items from the outside world often had special effects in the game world—shoes, grilled fish, flyers—he planned to buy as many as he could to maximize his Uma Musume's potential.
But time was short. He would wait until tomorrow, when he'd go to the arcade with Teio.
This scenario was unusually brief—only two days. Last time, it had lasted a week. Not only were triggers random, but duration seemed random too. Where was the logic? Kaito couldn't tell.
Back in his dorm, he showered, greeted his colleagues whose names he was already forgetting, and went to bed. Tomorrow, he would return to reality.
Kaito felt a flicker of anticipation.
"Ruru… glug-glug… chirp-chirp…"
He woke to a wet, swirling sensation. Groggily opening his eyes, moonlight streaming in, he saw a long black tail swishing before his face.