So he had been kicked out?
What a waste of a rare opportunity.
Too bad he never got to smash the second beer bottle.
Touma couldn’t help feeling disappointed.
At the same time, he found himself frustrated by Sakiko’s weakness.
Could weak little Togawa Sakiko please toughen up a little?
Still, he hadn’t expected to transmigrate into the BanG Dream!
world.
At least, that’s how things looked for now.
That said, with so many lives in the world to experience, why had the system picked Togawa Sakiko of all people?
Touma had every reason to suspect the capitalists were pulling strings behind the scenes.
Coming back to his senses, he realized he was sitting in front of his computer, typing away.
Hm?
[During life experiences, the host’s body will be managed by the system.
The host may also review recordings afterward.] I see.
That almost skipped over my own life.
Touma checked the recording.
Aside from moving with a slight NPC-like stiffness, everything else was identical to how he normally acted.
Now THAT was a useful feature.
A whole host of possible applications immediately flashed through his mind.
Before long, though, his thoughts drifted back to Togawa Sakiko.
Now that he knew his experience target was Sakiko, he ought to make some preparations first.
At the very least, he shouldn’t let her grow too hostile toward him.
Of course, if he wanted to make the most of his experience, he absolutely had to change Sakiko’s life trajectory.
After thinking it over for quite a while, Touma went to bed early.
Soon enough, morning arrived.
At exactly six o’clock, his alarm woke him up.
Technically, a new life experience could begin as soon as midnight passed.
But what was he supposed to do at midnight?
Experience sleeping?
So Touma had set the time for six in the morning, just before the sun had fully risen.
If he entered at this hour, at least yesterday’s situation wouldn’t happen again.
[Life Experience Target Selection:] [1.
Togawa Sakiko] [2.
Pending] There were no other options anyway.
Touma tapped the first button.
Moments later, he returned to Togawa Sakiko’s body.
Perhaps because he had already adapted somewhat, this experience wasn’t nearly as uncomfortable or unfamiliar as the first.
Still, judging by the current situation…
Things looked pretty bad.
A gloomy sky.
Driving rain whipped about by fierce winds.
An electric bicycle lying on its side nearby.
And himself sprawled on the ground.
This was quite different from what he’d expected.
Why was every experience so miserable?
“You again?
Who exactly are you?
How can you control my body?” Togawa Sakiko’s voice echoed in his mind.
Compared to yesterday’s panic, it now carried obvious hostility.
Touma stood up, opened the umbrella, and replied with the explanation he had prepared beforehand.
“I’m actually your second personality.” His voice also sounded inside their shared mind.
Oddly enough, however, it wasn’t his own voice, but the same voice as Togawa Sakiko’s.
As for why he chose that explanation, Touma figured that telling her the truth would only make her reject and resist him even more fiercely.
After all, anyone would have a hard time accepting that a complete stranger could suddenly control their body.
Better to stabilize the situation first with a white lie.
A second personality?
Togawa Sakiko remained skeptical.
But given the circumstances, unless she chose to believe gods or monsters really existed, she couldn’t think of any better explanation.
Even so, she stubbornly replied, “You think I’ll believe that?
Do you even remember what you did yesterday?” “Of course I do.” Touma rubbed his forehead and discovered a large swollen bump there.
“I just smashed that old man’s head once.
Don’t worry, it won’t kill him.” “You…” Togawa Sakiko started to say something before he interrupted her.
“You want to blame me?
If I hadn’t fought back yesterday, we might’ve been beaten to death.” “A beer bottle to the head isn’t something to laugh off.
In serious cases, it can cause brain hemorrhaging or a concussion.
Whether it can even be treated is another question, and it’d cost tens of millions.” Tens of millions?
Togawa Sakiko’s heart skipped a beat.
She swallowed nervously.
“But…” Touma didn’t give her the chance to continue.
“With your current financial situation, there’s no way you could afford treatment.
By then, you might end up mentally disabled, drooling for the rest of your life.” Mentally disabled?
Drooling for the rest of my life?
Togawa Sakiko pictured the scene.
A chill ran down her spine.
It…
actually did seem possible.
Yesterday, she’d been terrified too.
She still couldn’t understand why that useless father of hers had suddenly thrown a beer bottle at her.
Now she was even afraid to return to that apartment.
After several seconds of silence, she changed the subject.
“Anyway, give my body back first.” “Sorry.
I can’t.
I also have control over this body now.
For the time being, it’s under my control.” Touma’s tone left no room for argument.
Togawa Sakiko paused.
“But…
this is my body…” Her voice was filled with anxiety.
Yet she had no idea how to take it back.
After several dozen seconds, she finally gave in.
“Then…
when will you return it to me?” “I’ll control this body for twelve hours every day.
The rest of the time is yours to do with as you please.” “Twelve hours?!” Togawa Sakiko gasped.
“Then what about my classes…
and my part-time job…” Before she could finish, Touma interrupted again.
“You don’t need to worry about those.
While I’m controlling the body, I’ll take care of them.” As he spoke, he picked up the fallen bicycle.
“Think about it.
You get to stay inside your own body, rest, and watch while someone else handles your classes and work for the day.
You don’t have to tire yourself out.
Isn’t that a pretty sweet deal?” Since he was occupying Togawa Sakiko’s body, he felt it was only right to handle her everyday responsibilities.
That…
Actually made a little sense.
Togawa Sakiko imagined such a life.
Every morning she’d wake up, watch this so-called second personality take care of everything for the day, while she simply relaxed.
It…
didn’t sound half bad.
Thinking about it that way, maybe it wasn’t completely unacceptable.
But…
Could someone else really shoulder half of her life for her?
No.
Something like this should really be treated by a psychiatrist, shouldn’t it?
But the medical fees…
At that moment, Touma interrupted her train of thought.
“There’s one condition.
Every day, I want to spend one hour practicing the piano, and you’ll help teach me.” “The piano?
Aren’t you my second personality?
You don’t even know how to play?” Togawa Sakiko was puzzled.
“Just tell me whether you’ll do it or not.” Touma couldn’t be bothered arguing over something like that.
The important thing was getting his hands on this ability bonus first.
“No problem.” Togawa Sakiko agreed without hesitation.
“Good.
Then it’s settled.” Satisfied with the answer, Touma continued, “By the way…
you’re pretty short on money right now, aren’t you?” Hearing that, Togawa Sakiko softly replied, “…Mm.” She sounded somewhat embarrassed.
Then, as if suddenly realizing something, panic returned to her voice.
“You aren’t thinking of…
No!
You can’t!
Something like that is…”