Chapter 774: April Fool's Extra Chapter: 'Invaders from the Afterword'

It was one late afternoon. I thought it would be nice to eat out for lunch once in a while, so I went into town, thinking about what to eat, when I spotted a familiar figure ahead of me.

I could only see her back, but her white hair and a black sailor uniform which is quite rare in this world…… Unnn, that's definitely Shea-san. She's not wearing her robe today, which is unusual, and she's holding something in her hand…… I think it's some kind of flag, but that's definitely Shea-san.

Why is she standing in the middle of the road? Well, for the time being, I think I should call out to her…… She'll probably click her tongue upon seeing me again, but that's just Shea-san's way of saying hello.

Wryly smiling at the thought of the usual reaction I expected in my head, I approached Shea-san and called out to her.

[Hello, Shea-san.]

[……Unnn? Eh? Gyaaaahhhhhh!?]

[Ehh!?]

Reacting to my voice, Shea-san turned around, but for some reason, her eyes widened when she saw my face, before she suddenly let out a scream. Eh? What is this? Her reaction isn't like what I had expected……

[W- Why the heck did the Last Boss suddenly appear here!? My heart still isn't ready yet……]

[Eh? Last Boss? S- Shea-san? What in the world are you……]

[Kuhh, so this is the baptism of the Main Story huh…… However, I've already come this far. For me to pull out here…… Alright, come at me, Flag King! Don't think you can raise my flag so easily!!!]

[……Excuse me, what the heck are you talking about?]

What should I do? I can't seem to get through Shea-san's mind today…… Also, should you really be doing that in the middle of the street…… We're attracting a lot of attention here, you know……

[Ummm, I don't know what's going on, but for now, why don't we change places? We're getting a lot of attention……]

[Hearing you respond to my words so calmly also kinda hurts…… For now huh, u- unnn. Alright.]

U- Unnn. Seriously, what the heck is going on with Shea-san…… Her tension is fluctuating wildly today, and how should I put it…… She's kinda strange.

Confused by Shea-san's unusual state, we moved away from the crowded main street to a small park nearby.

[……So, Shea-san? What is it about you today? You look rather different that usual……]

[Wait a minute there!]

[Yes?]

[This is a very important detail, so I'll tell you this first…… but I'm not Shea, okay?]

[……Eh?]

She isn't Shea-san? No, it's not just on the level that they feel like twins or something like that, they look like they're two peas from the same pod…… I was surprised, but then again, I don't think Shea-san would make a joke like this.

If so, is she really a different person? H- Hmmm, seriously, what's going on here?

[Well, you don't have to be stiff around me and just call me "Senpai"!]

[……I understand. Ahh, my name is Miyama Kaito.]

[Unnn, I know…… Disgustingly so.]

[Haahhh…… I- Is that so……]

I don't really know why this happened, but it seems like I've suddenly become this person's kouhai. No, seriously, what the heck is going on here!? My mind can't keep up at all……

This Shea-san lookalike…… Errr, Senpai apparently knows about me. Hmmm, given that she looks just like Shea-san, I wonder if she's also a God? Reluctant I might be, but it seems that I'm famous among the Gods, and if that's the case, it's not surprising that she knows me…… I guess?

[So, errr…… I'm sorry if I'm being rude, but may I ask your name?]

[Hmph, alright, I'll tell you! I'm the serious of the serious! I am the star of seriousness that shines upon the world! Serious-senpai!]

[………………….]

Errr, sorry, I know it's very rude of me to think of this about someone I just met for the first time…… but seriously, what the heck is with this strange person!?

[……I- Is that so, errr, you're called Serious-san, right?]

[Huh? No, are your ears working fine or what…… Listen here, my name is "Serious-senpai"!]

[……H- Huhh…… ummm, errr…… Does that mean your name "also includes the Senpai"?]

[Yeah, what of it?]

[……I- I see.]

……Can I ask it one more time? What the heck is with this strange person!? Ah, no, could it actually be that? Perhaps, the Senpai in her name isn't actually the Senior one, but she's actually surnamed Senpai?

[Incidentally, just to confirm things, is that Senpai…… errr, your surname?]

[Haahh? What the heck are you saying now…… You know it right, it's the same Senpai in a Senpai-Kouhai relationship.]

It really is that Senpai!? If that's the case, didn't she find it insane that that was her real name!? However, the person herself doesn't seem to mind at all…… Was it me? Was it actually me that's weird here?

[Well, you can just call me "Senpai"!]

[I- I understand…… Senpai.]

[Unnn, nice to meet you.]

H- Hmmm, this is getting weird.

[So, ummm, what were you doing standing in the middle of a city's street just now?]

[That's a good question. I was actually looking for something.]

[Looking…… for something?]

[Yes, its' something "important and essential to the world"!!!]

[Important and essential?]

The scale of the conversation suddenly got bigger. H- Hmmm, if that's the case, she really might be a God, and she's come to the Human Realm to find whatever that is that's necessary for the world?

Sounds like it's quite an incident……

[Yes…… It's "seriousness"!]

[……Yes?]

……However, I'm starting to feel like it's actually just nothing.

[The world is lacking seriousness. That's why this me! The Incarnation of Seriousness! Have come to change that!]

[………………]

Errr, is it actually some kind of philosophical thing? This is troubling, I'm not really good with stuff like this……

After that, the excited Senpai started to talk passionately about her purpose and motivation for coming here…… and after a dozen minutes, I finally understood what she meant. Well, at least, some of it.

[……Errr, to sum up the story…… Senpai is the embodiment of the concept of seriousness, who laments the lack of seriousness in the world and coming from a place different from this world, you've come to search for a new kind of seriousness…… Is that right?]

[Unnn, that's pretty much right.]

[……Is that so, errr, I know a really good doctor…… Counseling and such things may not be her specialty, but for the time being, how about we come visit her?]

[I'm not psychotic!]

I mean, after listening to her, I've come to the conclusion that she's nothing more than a "crazy person"! N- No, Spirits and Gods exist, so it wouldn't be strange if embodiments of concepts really exist……

My head felt like it was aching, but I swallowed everything and just decided to ask Senpai.

[So, let's assume for a moment that everything you said is true…… How exactly do you look for seriousness?]

[……T- That is…… by foot……]

[Ahh, I see, no plan huh.]

[……Yes. To top it off, I had no idea where I was going, and am lost.]

How should I say this…… Just when I think she's confident, saying such things with a smug look on her face, her tension immediately drops down, making me really bewildered. Seriously, in all sorts of ways, she really is quite the strange person.

However, be that as it may, I can't just leave her alone like this, especially since I'm the one who approached her…… I can't help but feel that she's unreliable. I have a feeling that if I leave her alone, she might get into some strange trouble.

[……Errr, I don't really know where this seriousness is, but I'm more or less familiar with the geography of this area…… so, errr, should I guide you?]

[ ! ? ……You're so kind.]

She may be a strange person by nature, but I couldn't just ignore her and go home. Knowing it would be troublesome, I still suggested it to her, which made Senpai look like she's overcome with emotions.

But a little later, she looked as if she had realized something.

[Haahh!? Don't you dare misunderstand, okay!? D- Don't think you've raised my flag for just something like this!]

[H- Huhh……]

Errr, is it that? The flags she was talking about in this situation, was she talking about Love Flags?

[I'll tell you this now, but my Affection Meters is still a measly "96"!]

[……Incidentally, what's the maximum value of that?]

[100.]

[……And the initial value when you first meet someone?]

[About 30?]

She surprisingly has a high evaluation of me. Within an hour of meeting her, her Affection Meters had risen tremendously. Where in our conversation had there been a factor that increased her Affection Meter by 66? N- No, it might only make sense when I've accumulated 100, but still…… She seems like a very gullible person.

[……W- Well, for the time being, how about we look for this seriousness…… Do you have any idea what that might be?]

[Hmmm, for now though, I'd like to eat something. Preferably something spicy. Also, if it's possible, I'd also like to eat something famous here.]

Errr, is it that? In the end, this person was just "here for sightseeing in Symphonia's royal capital"? Well, rather than searching for that seriousness that I just couldn't understand, I'd gratefully choose that instead.

After concluding that, I opened the food guidebook that Kuro had given me back then, and guided her to the restaurants that fit in her requests.

Because her face resembles Shea-san, I thought the food would have to be very spicy to satisfy her…… but eating foods like that was too much for me, so I brought her to a restaurant that served slightly spicy food.

Senpai seemed to be totally okay with it too, and was eating very well.  I thought I've heard her say things like "I've only eaten baby castellas all my life" or "I've only drunk choccy milk"…… but I think it was just my imagination.

The fact that she was crying during the meal was only because she was moved by the deliciousness of the food…… It's not like she was being tortured in some mysterious way.

She didn't have any money and I had to pay for the whole thing, but she looked apologetic for it, so I want to believe that she wasn't trying to cheat me out of a free meal.

Senpai was quick to switch gears, or rather, I had already thought about it before, but her tension swings about greatly. Whenever she feels depressed, she recovers really quickly, and in a way, she might be someone interesting to watch.

She might be weird, but she's not a bad person…… In any case, sightseeing in the royal capital with the excited Senpai was fun in its own way, and I couldn't help but guide her to various places.

In the end, we weren't able to find seriousness, and when the sun had set, we returned to the park where we first talked.

[Well~~ That was fun! Thanks for hanging out with me!]

[No, I had fun too. However, in the end, we weren't able to find the seriousness at all.]

[……Eh? Ahh!?]

[……You forgot huh.]

[N- No, that is, you know, that…… Seriousness isn't something found in a day! It isn't something that someone can just easily find!]

[Please don't make up incomprehensible things.]

Gotten to know each other well over the course of the day, we were able to converse with each other with ease. Well, how should I say this…… I guess you could say that her image is rather similar to Alice's, so there's no problem if I treat her roughly to some extent. Rather, it's more like I feel like I'd be at a disadvantage if I treat her politely.

But on the other hand, I don't have to be overly cautious of her, so it might be easier to talk to her once you get used to her.

[Well, anyway, thank you for to———]

[……Eh?]

She was about to thank me with a sweet smile, but she immediately disappeared from my sight…… or rather, she was punched out of my sight. In the place where Serious-senpai had been until a moment ago, a familiar "black stuffed cat costume" appeared with her fist brandished, and immediately afterwards, a thunderous roar rang out.

[Fuuu, good grief. Just when I was thinking where you were…… What a troubling senpai, you are.]

[A- A- A- Alice!? What the heck are you suddenly doing!?]

[Ahh, no, you're mistaken. I'm not the Transcendental Beauty Alice-chan, I'm just her fan.]

[No, no, you're definitely Alice…… No, that aside, what the heck are you suddenly doing!? Senpai!]

While I was stunned by the sudden appearance of the costumed Alice, I hurriedly looked in the direction of the huge cloud of dust that must have been blown up by Senpai's body.

Putting aside if she was Shea-san, but from what I've seen by hanging out with her today, Senpai only has normal physical abilities. If Alice hits such a Senpai, what would happen…… D*mn it, I'll leave scolding Alice for later! I need to make sure Senpai is alright first……

[That really hurts…… Why did you suddenly do that?]

—-is what I thought, but she looked completely composed!? Although she had a bump on her head like those in gag mangas, she seemed to be alright.

While I was confused by the situation, Alice (?), as if she understood my question, spoke.

[Ahh, please don't worry. Senpai has the "Gag Status Correction", so she is basically an immortal durable monster, so there's no problem at all.]

[Eh? No, what the heck are you even saying……]

Gag Status Correction sounds like it's straight out of a manga…… This won't do, I'm seriously confused. My head couldn't follow the situation at all.

[Anyway, it's time to go back, Senpai.]

[No! I still haven't found seriousness yet!!!]

[Like I said, that doesn't exist……]

[No, there has to be! It's definitely there! As long the serious of the serious me exists, the seriousness will appear!]

[……Freaking stubborn.]

[Gyaaaaaahhhhh!?]

What is this, I can't keep up with the situation at all. I thought Senpai was mangled up by the black stuffed cat costume, but the next moment, she was back as if nothing had happened.

I don't know if it's because I was unable to follow behind or because I couldn't make any sense of what's happening, but I felt like my head's going to burst…… and for some reason, my consciousness was slowly fading away.

[————–Hahh!?]

Bouncing out of my futon, I got up…… and found myself in my room that I'm so familiar with. I hurriedly looked around, but neither Senpai nor the stuffed black cat costume were anywhere to be seen.

[……Eh? A dream?]

How should I say this…… That was a really strange dream. Am I that tired?

While thinking about this, I got out of the bed…… and found a neatly wrapped package on my desk. Picking it up and inspecting it, I didn't find the sender's name on it.

Tilting my head at the unfamiliar package, I opened it…… and found "an assortment of powdered cocoa", the kind you dissolve in milk to make choccy, and "a flag" that looks like it could be used as a beach flag.

The flag had the word "happiness" written on it with what seemed to be a magic marker, and there was a message card attached to the handle.

And on the message card, cutely written on it……

I'll leave this flag unbroken. Also, ummm…… I had fun, thank you.

—–Serious-senpai

<Afterword>

Serious-senpai (Affection Meter: 999) : […… W- Well, as expected of the protagonist. He isn't that bad of a guy…… He didn't raise any flag on me or anything like that though.]

? ? ? : [Look at your name…… No, well, if that's what you want to think…… However, cocoa as a thank you huh. I guess it's because there's nothing else here, but it's not like it's a very spicy one, right?]

Serious-senpai (Affection Meter: 999) : [Hahh? What are you talking about…… Listen here, okay? It's obvious that "what I like" and "what will make others happy" are different things. I wouldn't be foolish enough to impose my own tastes on them.]

? ? ? : [……How should I say this…… It's more like common sense…… but don't you think that your words are "sending out a really large boomerang towards the Parallel World you"?]

Serious-senpai (Affection Meter: 999) : [Eh? ……Ahh.]