"Whoa! After passing through the tunnel, it's an underground city! My excitement is through the roof～～～"

Was this a scripted line, or a genuine outburst of awe?

He seems a bit hesitant, so probably the former.

The labyrinth is a place teeming with monsters. Even if only skeletons appear on the first floor, these creatures are undeniably hostile and aggressive toward humans.

After finishing a general explanation in a section where no monsters were present, OriGami paused the stream mode and began speaking.

"Well then, Hikaru-kun. I think it's time we finally start fighting."

"Isn't that fine? Let's start by getting used to things with someone who doesn't have any weapons at all."

Orikami had already taken the first 'Basic Item Bundle,' equipping a short spear and a short sword by default. She also wore a leather chest guard and leather gloves—more than enough for a first-layer explorer.

Well, since staves are easier to handle than swords or spears, today she's equipped with the iron rod she picked up yesterday.

"By the way, Orikami, didn't you bring your body armor with you?"

Every Japanese transmigrant should have received an American-made, ultra-high-performance body armor.

Yet, there's nothing resembling that in Orikami's gear.

"I declined the body armor. I mean, I prioritized my identity... I just really wanted to bring this along."

"Ah, I see."

What Origami-san pulled out from their bag was "origami"—the very thing that inspired their name. They must have brought as many as a hundred sheets.

"After all, I'm Origami. Without this, I can't even begin."

Origami-san is well known for their creative origami, especially the fantasy origami series, which is among the most popular. In this world, dragon and goblin origami would definitely be a hit.

As they spoke, they skillfully folded the paper.

In no time at all, a paper crane had taken shape.

"Here, take this. A token of our growing closeness."

"W-wait, really? It was just paper a moment ago... Amazing. So cute."

"This is a crane, a bird from our hometown—Hikaru and I. Today I folded it from red paper, but real cranes are white and incredibly beautiful."

Origami's paper crane. I'd love to keep it myself, but to Reflair and the other visitors from another world, this must be a completely unfamiliar culture.

Please, take good care of it.

"Now then, let's battle that skeleton! Everyone, cheer us on!"

The first floor is a ruined district with abandoned buildings lining the streets. Skeletons wander aimlessly, and it's quite challenging for those afraid of ghosts, but Origami seemed unfazed.

Spotting a single skeleton, she readies herself while narrating.

I grip the camera tighter.

"…Reflair, if it looks dangerous, please help me out."

"Well, that's fine and all, but I don't think I can beat a skeleton, can I?"

"No... I don't know. He doesn't seem like the type to get involved in fights."

Worigami-san is a kind person. In truth, he probably dislikes fighting monsters like this.

Still, in a world where you can't survive without strength, he puts on a brave front despite his fear.

Ever since entering the labyrinth, I've noticed he's been trembling the whole time.

"If Hikaru says he's kind, that must mean he's incredibly kind, right?"

"…Well, of course I'm just a fan. I don't really know the real him. But I get it."

I stayed on guard, ready to activate Shadowbind at any moment, as I watched Worigami-san defeat the skeleton.

I was hesitant and had to fight it manually, so it wasn’t easy to take down, but I managed to knock the skeleton over on my own.

Origami-san picks up the spirit stone and smiles.

Probably, this is what "normal" looks like.

Jeanne was definitely abnormal, and maybe I was a little abnormal too.

After that, I watched as Origami-san, narrating the action, fought the skeleton without weapons.

"Well, fighting monsters really boosts the attention. Viewers have surged instantly. We might even exceed one hundred million."

"Huh?"

When Origami-san said this with a smile after defeating the fourth skeleton, I couldn’t help but speak out.

It was a remark implying that even Origami-san’s viewers are fewer than one hundred million.

These days, I'm consistently surpassing 100 million viewers. There was definitely a drop when I was holed up alone in the labyrinth, but ever since I teamed up with Refleia, it's been steady.

(…I guess my viewers really are this many after all?)

Worigami is a fairly famous person in Japan.

If even someone like him rarely reaches 100 million, then it's only natural that my viewership remains in the top ranks—clearly a side effect of the 'infamy' I've attracted.

Since Nanami came back to life, viewership has slightly decreased since the arrival of the second wave of transmigrants, but it's still quite high.

After all, I still maintain a viewer count nearly identical to Jeanne's.

The fact that I'm drawing a viewership comparable to Jeanne, a widely popular figure, means there's no doubt some unique dynamic is at play.

　

Of course, there's certainly some truth to the fact that I'm being noticed simply because I'm living alongside someone as prominent as Jeanne or Reflair. But originally, there's nothing about me that should draw attention.

I'm not doing anything particularly interesting, and right now I'm barely more than surviving day to day. I'm not performing for viewers or trying to manipulate their attention.

(Nanami... was she unable to explain it properly? Or perhaps she just didn't look at the person she'd killed?)

If Nanami had clearly defended me as innocent, my viewer count would surely be much more stable—definitely lower than Origami-san's.

Yet at the same time, all of this is merely speculation, and there's simply no way to confirm any of it.

—In the end, just as Jeanne said, the best course might be to simply 'forget' about the previous world.

If you can do it, then you should. It's a world from which there's no return.

　

In fact, lately I've finally started to think that way.

— except for one thing.

"Hey, hey, Hikaru. What are we having tonight?"

"Hikaru, didn't you know it's safer to just head down to the lower levels instead of stubbornly pushing through the fourth floor? You can hunt monsters more safely on the fifth."

"Hikaru, isn't that house a bit chilly at night? Maybe it's just too big?"

"Ah, it's been a while since we've been alone together, hasn't it?"

"Lovebirds Twinbird are back in action!"

Reifrea, talking to me constantly right by my side.

Ever since we reunited, I've been unable to interact with her properly.

No... I'm acting normally on the surface.

...I should be doing fine. ...I'm just not very confident about it.

Back when I was using her to climb the ratings ladder, I even tried to manipulate her feelings. I admit it was awful of me, but I was desperate—so much so that, in a way, I was genuinely focused on her. But now, I can't face

her properly. I understand her kindness, yet I still can't

bring myself to confront her. At the

same time, I know I can't keep going like this forever. Today, it's

just the two of us—Origami-san's here too—but now that Jeanne isn't around, this is the perfect moment to talk things

through. "Hey, Refleia

?" "Yes?" "Um..

." Her sparkling

eyes fixed on me, and I froze, at a loss for words.

She came back and we started living together... yet we've never once talked about that kind of thing. Probably because Jeanne declared "no romance at home," she avoided bringing it up, and I suppose I did too, just keeping things normal.

That's probably why I could interact with her so casually.

"Um... well... you know..."

I couldn't think of a way to start the conversation.

After spending nearly two weeks together without ever discussing anything like this, suddenly bringing it up myself felt like a huge hurdle for someone as inexperienced with love as I am.

I could sense her unchanged affection toward me in every little thing she did, but still—being apart, then her returning... I hadn't actually confirmed anything.

This is tough...

"Wait, really? Hikaru, why are you fidgeting like that... Could it be... are you trying to confess your love? It's just the two of us!"

Seeing me at a loss for words, Refrea lit up with an excited look, saying something like that.

"It's close, but not quite. After you came back, it kind of just happened gradually, but we've ended up living together, so I've been wondering all along if that's really okay."

"Hikaru... you were actually thinking about that?"

"Of course I was. Back then, I was certain I'd never see you again, and yet I rejected your feelings. You know as well as I do that nothing about my circumstances has changed since then. So..."

"Ah, well... yeah, I get it. I understand completely. I've discussed this with Jeanne, and I've thought about it carefully on my own. I'm fine, really. Just relax and go with the flow!"

Refrea said, placing a hand on her chest.

There's a vague sense that things aren't quite aligning...

"Talking with Jeanne?"

"It's a secret. Just pretend you're on the big ship, and stay on board. That's all you need to do—just keep going as you have been!"

"U, uh...?"

Reflair oddly insists on using the idiom "being on the big ship," yet she doesn't seem troubled about her own situation with me.

If she's okay with it, then I suppose it's fine... I have a strange feeling in my gut, but there's nothing I can do about it.

In any case, she seems satisfied with the current state.

Jeanne has invited Reflair, and they're now active together in the same party. In short, that's the current situation. For now, I'll set aside my relationship with Reflair—maybe that's what's happening.

As we're talking, Orikami-san knocks down another skeleton.

Skeletons were originally weak monsters, but to an adult male who had taken the Vitality Up Level 1, they would be an easy opponent.

"You seem to be getting used to it, how about trying with a weapon? The movement is just as slow, so I don't think it'll be too difficult."

"No, I think I'll stop for today. I've only been doing it for about two hours, but I'm already exhausted..."

Origami's expression was bright, yet somehow seemed aged and worn down.

Perhaps fighting monsters, no matter how weak the opponent, still carries the same life-or-death stakes.

I feel that, once you get used to it, it hardly feels like a burden at all—more like how riding a motorcycle carries the risk of injury or even death.

Still, even if that's the case, it's definitely frightening when you're not yet accustomed to it.