his is real... I've transmigrated into the game world I was playing..."
The teenager looked at the mirror in front of him to confirm.
In my previous life, I was Ryu Saito, an orphan who grew up in an orphanage. I lost my family in a fire.
I was able to continue my education thanks to the orphanage that was good to me and my friends—and also because of scholarships, I could go to school all the way through college and was already halfway through the semester.
During college, I also worked part-time at the orphanage that once cared for me. I aspired to build my own orphanage and provide schooling for those who shared the same fate as me—alone.
One day, I played an eroge game because my friend asked me to play it in his place since he was going back to his hometown for a month.
I agreed. This game was a complex NTR eroge with many routes.
Honestly, I'm not particularly fond of NTR, but since it could be avoided and it was my friend's request, I figured it wouldn't hurt to play it. Besides, I could get a good ending so it wasn't always bad.
Because I was busy, I didn't have time to finish the game. Even after 5 days, I had only completed 2 single routes: Reina Suzuki and Rena Akatsuki.
Although there was a harem route, I preferred single routes because they only required one playthrough. For the harem end, you'd need to play all routes to get to know and understand all the heroines deeply to lead to the harem—not through random choices.
Back to the point, I preferred single routes because they were simple. I started with Reina Suzuki and finished it. After that, I saw Rena Akatsuki during Reina Suzuki's playthrough. Even though she was Mina Hoshino's best friend and from a different grade level, that didn't mean all heroines couldn't meet each other.
I became interested in Rena Akatsuki and started her route.
As I played, I grew fond of her. Rena Akatsuki only lived with her grandmother and grandfather. Like Reina Suzuki, Rena Akatsuki was a hard worker. She did part-time work while attending school as a manga artist's assistant to support her small family, and she aspired to become a manga artist and build a free nursing home.
I saw that her dream was almost the same as mine...
While playing, I never got a bad end from either playthrough. Maybe it was because I read and considered the characters' feelings even though it was just a game? That's just how I am—I'm quite sensitive even toward game characters, haha...
And after finishing Rena Akatsuki's route, I intended to go to the orphanage to play with the children to pass the time, but...
Who knew I'd get into an accident caused by a drunk driver and end up here as Yuuma Sakaki.
He's just an NPC who doesn't exist in the game.
If you asked my opinion, I honestly don't really care about what my status is.
But here, I have a complete family who loves me. This is the first time I know what it's like to have a family that I never had...
And I actually felt conflicted because I felt guilty for taking over this body... but when I came to my senses, I felt that Yuuma and I had become one—not that I'd taken over—because his feelings and thoughts were the same as mine, as if I was both Yuuma and Ryu in the same body.
After I accepted that Yuuma is me and I am Yuuma, I swore I would protect my family and make them happy, and I would also create my dream in this world!
That's what I said, although—
"It's kind of weird for me as a college student to become a high school student, haha..." He laughed awkwardly.
"But with this, can I get closer to Rena Akatsuki? But I'm just an NPC... I don't have any important status in the game..."
He shook his head.
"No! Don't be a coward! It's better to try and fail than not try at all and live with regret!"
"If I fail, then I can only slowly back away and wish her the best..."
He hurried and left for school.
———
On the way.
"Come to think of it, since I didn't finish the game, I don't know the fate of the other heroines. I don't even know all the heroines or villains..."
"This is an NTR game, right? I'm afraid something will happen to them... what should I do?"
As he was confused, he saw Reina Suzuki being forced by two delinquents.
"That! That's one of the NTR events... I have to stop it!"
As he began to move, he saw Ixa Pendragon helping Reina.
"What? Who is he?..."
Yuuma thought for a moment.
"Ah!" He clapped his hands together.
"Ixa Pendragon, a delinquent!"
Looking at them again.
"But he seems different here... has there been a change? I'm not sure myself since this is no longer a game."
"But regardless, I'm grateful Suzuki-san is okay, because if I had been the one to stop it, the problem might have spread everywhere."
"And also, if he's a good person and everything's just rumors, isn't that a good thing?" Yuuma nodded in agreement with his own mutter.
With that, he continued his journey to school.
———
After coming home from school, he went to a bookstore that sold lots of manga and novels.
"Wooow... this is big and fancy? Or am I just too provincial?"
Since this is my first time.
Before, when I was still a high school student, I was too busy studying and working part-time at the orphanage through college.
Yuuma entered and looked at the manga books.
As he was about to grab something, he accidentally bumped into a girl.
"I-I'm sorry...???"
Rena Akatsuki!!????? Eehhhh!!!
"Ah, it's okay. Were you trying to buy this book?" She asked Yuuma.
Yuuma snapped back to reality.
"A-ah... no... I was just curious about this book..." He scratched his head.
Rena smiled hearing his answer.
"Then you should try it. This manga is really good because———"
They talked and grew close, ending up becoming friends.
After finishing buying books and chatting.
"Akatsuki-chan, I suggest you don't go through the alley because I saw a group of drunks and gang members there," Yuuma said worriedly.
Rena nodded, listening.
"Alright, thank you for the warning. And you can call me Rena—we're reading buddies, right?" She smiled.
"Alright... Rena-chan..." Yuuma was a bit shy saying it.
"Fufufu... alright then, I'll head home first. See you at school, Yuuma-kun." She waved her hand and left.
Yuuma also waved back in response.
After Rena left.
"Haahhhhh... haahhhhh... I was so nervous! I mean, I just talked to and became friends with my waifu who became real!!"
"But I'm glad I could meet her today, because Rena-chan has an NTR event if she goes through the alley and would end up becoming a toy for the drunks and gang members."
How did I know even though I never got a bad ending? Simple—I read forums to avoid seeing it directly.
"But yeah... I'm happy everything went smoothly, and I'll also do my best!"
He ran home with enthusiasm.