34 Virtual Reality

"What happened?" Saito asked as he returned to the room. Jun entered just behind the mountaineer. Haruki explained,

"We found the Golden Ticket. I spoke to Miyu-chan, and now we're going to have to wait and see if she can get more invitations for everyone to go."

The singer was in doubt as to whether or not Daisuke had seen what really happened, when in doubt he decided to explain the facts in little detail.

"Who found the invitation? Why didn't he tear it up? Wasn't this the deal?" Hinata asked, after arriving in the middle of the explanation.

"Hinata-kun, as soon as Haruki took the Golden Ticket Miyu-chan appeared, and the ticket disappeared from his hand, like a show of illusionism," Daisuke informed. He had his arms crossed while explaining to the senior student.

Haruki, who was previously in doubt, now was sure that the influencer had seen Takashi throw the golden ticket at him. And remembered his bet with Jun, and the shameless Jun saying that friend Dice-K would hope that the plan went wrong. And it went wrong. Daisuki now had a day as Jun's master. However, he was helping with the plan, but why?

The meeting alert music played.

"Who will it be this time?" Daisuki spoke if asked, as they walked to the game room. There the screen was down and chief engineer Honda-san was typing fiercely on a tablet.

He looked at the screen, and when he saw the group, he stopped typing.

"Gentlemen, greetings again," Honda said, looking excited,

"I want to congratulate Takeda-san on winning the Golden Ticket," and looking at Haruki, he bowed.

"Thanks, Honda-san, but you don't need that. Me, I wasn't competing," the singer responded uncomfortably with the situation.

"Takeda-san, c'mon. Who'd say you are shy? But your background belies it, so do you have anything you want to share with us?"

Honda-san narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips in disapproval, shaking his head. The engineer put the tablet aside and stared at him in silence. Like a teacher who, having caught students in the act, needs to decide which punishment to use.

Haruki spoke before Honda-san made up his mind,

"Honda-san, you transmuted us here. And they still want to turn us into rivals, even after all the suffering, hunger, and loneliness we've been through. Even knowing that our only consolation is the friendship bringing us together. I wanted the Golden Ticket to share it. I thought that, if we all had a part, we would all may go to the ball." In this speech, Haruki used all his years of acting training as a trainee. Moving while talking to highlight his best angles.

Honda heard him and bit his lip, and in the end, released his breath in an audible sigh.

"I understand your logic Takeda-san. But put yourself in a father's shoes. See," the chief-engineer stopped talking to touch something outside the camera's field and returned with a frame. In it, there was a picture of a girl. And unfortunately for her, very similar in appearance to Honda-san.

"This is my daughter Mia, she is my everything. There are no limits to the things I can do for her. And look, she is smart and beautiful. I'm a privileged man..."

" Does he think she's beautiful?" Haruki heard Hinata whisper to no one in particular.

"SUSSSH! He's a father," Daisuke scolded him.

Haruki struggled with himself to keep a straight face. The child was a Honda-san's girlie version with bows and dress, and not all kawaii ornaments in the world would make her cute.

"Oh, this punk. You should have more respect for ordinary-looking people. You all signed the contract. And it wasn't my team that created the smartwatch."

Even though Hinata only whispered his comment, the engineer heard him, and this incident crumbled all the goodwill Haruki had been getting so far.

Daisuke positioned himself in front of them, and Haruki was concerned with what he could say next.

"Honda-san, our friend Okane cannot imagine himself as a father. He's still the son and is so young that he only sees the apparent beauty. But he's not the only one. We are here, within archetypes that are not faithful reflections of what we are. This proves that also those who looked at us did so superficially. We can do this exercise, of putting ourselves in Abe-san's place, but we also need to be seen from our angle." Daisuke walked over to stand beside Haruki.

Haruki made his best face as a good boy, to help Daisuke achieve a perfect score in his speech, and concluded,

"Please Honda-san! Help us."

The man fixed the glasses several times, until finally saying,

"I'm going to have to redo the schedule to meet your wishes. But you must also think about my request, and be good with sweet Miyu-chan," the engineer took a bottle of water and drank some, gathering time.

Haruki concluded that now the part Honda-san really wanted to talk about was about to be revealed.

"Analyzing the new situation, and thinking of a way to resolve it in the best possible way, I have a proposal to make to you," Honda paused dramatically and faced them.

Haruki realized that the engineer was reading the text on the camera, and he was horrible at that.

"For you to go to the Masquerade Ball, it's necessary that you accept to take part in the Otome Game 'Covet and Temptation' using and activating your personal, non-transferable smartwatch, and fulfilling your requirements. These actions bring immediate benefits to the player and in the future. Including bonuses in the reward, each player will have when leaving, as compensation for their trouble. Whoever accepts must take their device and activate their game account. The devices will also monitor your health and report any issues, glitches, data losses, loading delays, bad coding, and all and any threats to your health and safety, making the IT team immediately aware. The devices are in your rooms."

"'For our trouble'?" Takashi spat, outraged.

At the same time in which Jun yelled an upset and aggressive "WHAT?" Saito raised his voice, overlapping the others,

"Honda-san, I understand the situation they placed you in as an employee. What I signed was the permission to use my image in drawing, and my voice, nothing more. I want a meeting with Abe Hiroshi-san. I'm waiting," Saito's words were so assertive that the engineer shrugged his neck, shrinking his arms like a turtle that collects in its shell. 'Poor man,' sympathized Haruki, remembering his excitement at the beginning of the meeting.

"I'll be calling in two hours," the engineer tiredly pronounced his last words before ending the transmission.

"I'm starving, I'm going downstairs," Hinata announced.

"Hey guys, why don't we go down to eat and talk for a while? I always get in a bad mood when my stomach is empty," the singer suggested. "I'm hungry too."

In the kitchen, the butler Ita-san had prepared meals according to the preference of each one, efficiently as ever.

"Ita-san, how do you feel today?" asked Haruki, curious to know if the android didn't feel bad about being isolated, just working all the time.

"I have no feelings, Miyake-san, thanks for caring."

Haruki nodded in satisfaction, and turned to the influencer,

"Daisuke-san thank you," the singer said sincerely, "You have all the merit for making Honda-san accept to plead for our trip to the ball."

"Not that this is relevant now, Haruki." And turning to the mountaineer, Daisuke questioned, "Saito-san, what do you think about getting from this meeting?"

"Let's eat. We talk later in my room. Everyone is summoned," he said between a mouthful and another, facing the men at the table.

The mountaineer led them to the meeting in the room Iwata Kenta had designed for him.

"Why in this place, Saito-san?" Takashi questioned, as he was squeezed between Hinata and Jun.

"Because this place doesn't exist. Honda-san has been spying on us. He hears what we've been talking about. That's why he cheated in the game. I think the invitation was for one of the two artists."

There was a brief silence, broken by Hinata,

"I believe Miyu-chan came to TMD. Since her father would not be so liberal about letting her live with six single men."

Everyone looked at him.

"Tanabata Matsuri Destiny, TMD," he explained.

"We already understood this part, Hinata-kun. What we want to know is what made you think she is here?" Haruki asked impatiently.

"Because she is dying in the real world, and here Miyu is healthy."