…Shake… Shake… Shake…
”Um, are you okay?” a muffled voice came from somewhere, asking softly. “Can you wake up?”
Someone gently shook my body with a low voice, though it certainly wasn’t my little sister, Manami.
”Mmm… just… a little more…” I groaned out, shifting away.
”Oh, no, that’s not really okay,” he said softly, nudging me again. “I think you should get up soon, since something’s probably about to start…”
My body kept getting shaken at regular intervals, but I was just so sleepy that I slowly pushed up my heavy eyelids.
The person there wasn’t my sister Manami or some cliché pretty anime girl. Instead, he was a plain, skinny guy with glasses-a middle-aged dude you’d see anywhere. Apparently, this guy had gone out of his way to wake me up.
”…Why is there… a stranger old guy… in my room…?” I mumbled, still half-asleep and not making much sense.
I slowly lifted my head, put my hands on the floor, and sat up straight.
”No, I just woke up lying here too,” the old guy said, looking at me with an awkward, troubled expression while checking my mood. “I think you probably got suddenly transported here as well, right?”
He seemed a little nervous, but kindness and warmth seemed to seep out from the wrinkles on his face. I shook my head lightly, finally looking around at my surroundings. There was a huge screen monitor, and several men and women were either sitting on the floor or standing around.
…Ah, my memories were coming back. Oh yeah, after clearing the first game, “Abyss Labyrinth,” I took a nap right there until the next game started because I’d completely forgotten the time.
I checked the digital clock next to the screen. The countdown timer was already under five minutes, so it looks like I’d slept way deeper than I thought.
”Ahhh~~…” I stretched big, yawning loudly.
I only slept a little, but all the fatigue in my body was completely gone, leaving me feeling amazingly light. Was this because of the stat boost from leveling up?
”I’m glad you woke up,” he smiled gently, patting his knees. “Oh, sorry. I know it’s weird for a total stranger to just start talking to you. My name is Sasaki Haruo, and I’m just a regular food company employee.”
”Oh, thanks for the politeness,” I replied, rubbing my neck awkwardly. “I’m Kageyama Manato, and I’m a student, I guess.”
Still, what a well-made NPC, looking just like he was a real living person. I stared at the old guy’s face up close because his skin texture, the way his eyes moved in confusion, and even the veins showing were so detailed. I guess God really put a lot of effort into the graphics around here. If that’s the case, I wanna say: why didn’t you put more effort into the enemies in the last dungeon instead of just recoloring goblins?!
”Umm… Is there something on my face?” Sasaki asked, shifting uncomfortably under my gaze.
”Oh, no, sorry,” I said, waving my hand dismissively. “It’s nothing.”
I’d stared too long and obviously made him suspicious. Even if he was a detailed NPC, I’d be uncomfortable if someone stared at my face right after meeting me.
While I was thinking about that, shouts and screams erupted from all over the room.
”Hey, where the hell is this?!” a guy yelled, kicking the wall hard. “Damn it, this door won’t budge!”
”Huh? I was just in class at school… why?” a girl cried out, trembling. “No, let me go home!”
”Tch, this door’s locked too,” a student muttered, shaking the handle wildly. “Doesn’t look like it’ll open…”
”Excuse me,” a woman asked nervously, looking around frantically. “Do you know where this is? I was just outside a moment ago.”
”I, I don’t know… Don’t ask me,” a man stammered back, backing away. “Oh, the police, we should call the police!”
”Hey! Where is this?!” a girl screamed at the ceiling, flailing her arms. “This is a crime, right?! The person in charge better come out right now!”
All over the room, different-looking NPCs were panicking in their own ways. A punk-looking guy with bleached blond hair and tons of piercings was yelling and viciously kicking a sturdy wooden door. A high school girl in uniform was crouched on the spot, hugging her shoulders and shaking in fear. A serious-looking male student, also in a school uniform, was trying to stay calm with his hand on his chin, thinking in front of the door. An office lady in her mid-twenties was clinging to a forty-something man in a suit next to her while asking him questions. A stylish girl with curly hair, about student age, was screaming at the top of her lungs.
There were others who were scared, confused, angry, or just watching-a really varied bunch of NPCs. They clearly didn’t realize this was “God’s second stage,” so they probably weren’t players like me. If they were players, they’d have come through that white room first, set up their game, and then been transported. That’s how it happened for me, anyway.
So I concluded that these people were NPCs here to fill out the game’s world. …No wait, maybe they were goblin-type monsters disguised as humans, since God really was obsessed with goblins when making this game. Well, they’re all level one anyway, and I’m not gonna go out of my way to kill them now. Even if I did, they probably wouldn’t give much XP, plus they didn’t seem like they were about to attack.
”Kageyama-kun, you’re… so calm compared to everyone else,” Sasaki noted, glancing around the chaotic room. “You’re not even panicking.”
”Yeah, well,” I shrugged lightly, turning back to him. “I’m used to this kind of thing.”
”…Used… to it?” he asked, tilting his head in confusion.
I gave a lazy reply because I was just fighting a dragon earlier, so there was no way I’m gonna freak out over being trapped in a room now. But the old guy next to me, who’d introduced himself as “Haruo,” didn’t seem bothered by my blunt attitude. He just smiled gently, even if he was a little confused. Honestly, even if he’s just an NPC, keeping up a conversation one-on-one with an older guy is kinda hard for me, probably because of my dad who left home three years ago.
……Ding-dong-ding-dong♪
……Ding-dong-ding-dong♪
Suddenly, a cheerful chime like a school bell rang through the community-center-style room. I checked the LCD screen next to the main monitor where the digital numbers had just hit “0:00,” Looks like the second game had finally started right on time.
”Hey, what’s going on here?!” someone shouted, pointing up.
”Wha, what?!” another person gasped, stepping back. “What’s starting now?!”
”Gyah! What’s with all this?!” a punk yelled, clenching his fists. “I’m about to get mad!”
”Everyone, please calm down!” a serious student called out, pointing forward. “Something’s changing on the big monitor in front! Text is appearing!”
Almost everyone except me was in a panic, though a few people were staring at the screen silently. Still, most of them seemed completely clueless, which was just sad… Haruo the old guy was also staring at the monitor, looking like he was thinking hard about something.
Ignoring all the commotion, I opened my status screen in my head and checked the details of the current game session.
[PLAYER STATUS]
• Player Name: Kageyama Manato
• Player No: 000 (Early Access Player)
• Games Cleared: 1
• Current Difficulty: NORMAL
• Game in Progress: Trust (Partner Game)
• Days Elapsed: 1/10
Hmm, looks like this game’s title is “Partner Game,” …What kind of game is that? Just from the name, I can’t guess the content at all. The fact that they used an abstract word like “Trust” makes me think it’s a psychological battle-a “Liar Game” type of intellectual content where players deceive each other, or something where you compete over how much you can trust the other person.
Oh, looking now, the difficulty went down too. Maybe the difficulty setting only applies to the first game, though honestly, I’d have preferred it stuck on [NIGHTMARE] mode. If this one’s boring, God, you’re gonna hear from me! But this seems like more of a brain game this time, a totally different genre from an action RPG. It’s not really my strong suit because I’m not that smart, so I’m bad at these psychological games.
While thinking that, I turned my gaze back to the huge monitor.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
• Time’s up. Orientation is starting!
• Within the time limit, form pairs with the opposite sex!
• Anyone who doesn’t form a pair within the time limit will receive a penalty!
• Alright, ready… start!!
• Current Partners: 0/10
In perfect sync with the text, a timer next to the screen started a nervous countdown from “60:00.”
There were twenty people in this room, including me. Looking around, there were ten men and exactly ten women, which meant everyone could form one-on-one pairs without anyone left out.
At that moment, my right wrist suddenly started to glow and heat up.
”Kageyama-kun, what is this?!” Sasaki gasped, clutching his arm in shock.
”No idea,” I answered, inspecting mine closely.
Haruo the old guy was also looking at his own arm, totally confused. When the light faded, a metallic, futuristic-looking bracelet was locked firmly onto my arm. It looked like a smartwatch, or maybe the latest Apple Watch, though a bit bigger than that…
In the center of the bracelet was a small screen, where only the numbers “0:00” and the words “Partner: Unregistered” were shown. I tugged at it to try and take it off, but there was no button or anything I could see.
If there’s something I don’t understand, I can just analyze it with my skills. There’s no doubt about it-this is the first key item in the game.
I kept my eyes locked on my right wrist and mentally triggered Appraisal.
[ITEM APPRAISAL]
Name: Partner Ring (Limited Item)
Owner: Kageyama Manato
Description:
A special item for Trust (Partner Game).
It has a standard clock function for telling time.
If you hold the screens of two devices close together, you can register each other as partners.
It comes off automatically when the game ends, or when [the partner or the owner dies].
Just as I thought. This device is at the core of the whole game. You hold them together, and partner registration is complete.
What bothers me is that ominous line at the end about “comes off when you die,” But this is only Normal difficulty, so it’s probably just flavor text or atmosphere.
I’ll try storing it in my Inventory later, too.
”Haruo-san, could I see that watch on your arm for a second? There’s something I want to check.”
”Ah, sure… this thing? No problem, but… what are you planning to do, Kageyama-kun?”
Old man Haruo held out his arm without hesitation.
…Just as I expected from a friendly NPC.
I brought my wrist device close to his watch, pressing the screens together.
[ERROR MESSAGE]
Target is not the opposite sex.
A red error message popped up on the smartwatch screen.
So it really does only accept opposite-sex pairs, just like the description said. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to clear the first quest.
”This watch seems to be for registering partners. But since we’re both guys, the system rejected us…”
”That’s amazing, Kageyama-kun. Not only are you incredibly calm, but you’ve already figured out the mechanics. I should learn from you and step up my game.”
From my point of view, I think he’s pretty calm too-not panicking in this crazy situation, and actually listening to a random student like me.
Besides, all I did was check the Appraisal results.
…It’s no big deal.
The other NPCs are still in front of the screen, screaming “No way!” and “Let me out!” or trembling and crying.
Some of them, though-maybe they saw what we did-are staring at their own watches, trying hard to analyze them.
(Staring that hard won’t tell you the details. I’m the only one here with the Appraisal skill, after all…)
Anyway, now I have to go find myself a partner.
I don’t want to take a penalty, since the game just started.
….
……Hmm. This is a problem.
I’ve just hit the hardest quest in this game so far.
Honestly, it’s tougher than beating that first Goblin Swordmaster.
Sad to say, in my seventeen years of life, the only girls I talk to on a regular basis are my twin sister Manami and my mom.
Sometimes I exchange a couple of words with Manami’s classmates when she brings them over, but I’ve never once gone out of my way to talk to a girl on my own.
For a socially awkward gamer, even just “talking to a girl” is way too high a hurdle.
Even if every girl here is just a super detailed NPC, it still feels like the night before finals.
”Hey, you there. Do you have a moment?”
Just as I was feeling hopeless about the future, a sultry voice came from behind me.
I turned around and saw a hostess-type woman in a flashy evening dress with way too much skin showing.
Her target wasn’t me-it was old man Haruo next to me.
Her hair was dyed blonde and curled into big ringlets, and strong perfume wafted all around her.
”Ah, um… me? And you are…?”
Haruo’s eyes widened behind his glasses, clearly thrown off by the sudden approach of this flashy woman.
”Oh, sorry. I’m Reina. May I ask your name?”
”Ah, haha, how polite… I’m Sasaki Haruo. Oh, and this young man here is Kageyama Manato-kun, who was with me.”
Haruo kindly introduced me too.
But the dress-clad beauty barely glanced at me, then let out an obvious disinterested laugh.
”I see. I don’t have any business with the kid… but Haruo-san. If you’re willing, would you be my partner?”
”Huh, me…? As your partner…”
”Yes. Since we don’t know what’s about to happen here, I thought teaming up with a smart, calm older gentleman like you would be the safest bet.”
”But I’m just a regular office worker, and… well, I can’t just leave him alone…”
Haruo glanced at me, hesitating, clearly worried.
But Reina kept shooting sharp, irritated looks my way, like she was annoyed I was still standing there.
Her heavily made-up face practically screamed, “Get lost already, you’re in the way.”
She’s a character with a pretty realistic, unpleasant personality setting.
But she’s also proactive about joining the game, so she’s clearly more adaptable than the generic mob characters.
”Um, well… should I step out for a bit? Haruo-san, I’ll be totally fine. I’ll just go find someone on my own.”
”Ah, s-sorry, Kageyama-kun… I’m sorry I can’t help you even though you came to me…”
”Yeah, that would help. Kids have more fun sticking with other kids, right?”
I’ll take the hint and leave quickly.
Looks like the flag for their first partner pairing just went up.
Probably, even the NPCs have preset matchups.
Me standing here is just getting in the way.
So I walked off.
Besides, I need to find my own partner too.
After that, the number on the big screen in front quietly changed.
[SYSTEM STATUS]
Current Partners: 1/10
Looks like Haruo and his new partner just became the first official pair in this venue.
The other NPCs around started panicking too, one by one aggressively approaching nearby members of the opposite sex.
In the corner of this closed-off space, with no one I knew, I was the only one falling behind.
Trivia:
- The protagonist’s casual dismissal of other survivors as NPCs reveals a deep psychological defense mechanism, allowing him to avoid emotional connection while also justifying potential future violence.
- God’s apparent obsession with goblin enemies in the first dungeon contrasts sharply with the highly detailed human NPC design, suggesting either shifting priorities or a deliberate narrative purpose for these specific characters.
- The protagonist’s immediate instinct to analyze the bracelet with his skills rather than panic shows he has fully internalized the game’s logic, treating even unknown threats as solvable mechanics rather than genuine dangers.
- The narrator’s calm analysis of the game mechanics contrasts sharply with his complete panic at the prospect of talking to a girl, highlighting that his competence is purely system-based rather than social.
- Reina’s aggressive dismissal of Kageyama as “the kid” and her pointed comment about children sticking together subtly reinforces the game’s implied rule that partners must be opposite-sex pairs of similar age or status.
- The line “comes off when [the partner or the owner dies]” is dismissed as flavor text by Kageyama, but the narrative lingers on it—a classic setup for later dramatic irony when the game turns deadly.