I was Caught up in a Hero Summoning, but that World is at Peace (WN)-Chapter 2170: A Nostalgic MMO ④

Aoi-chan suggested that we get our characters married to participate in a bridal event, but…… can male characters even marry each other?

Back when I played, there was indeed a marriage system for characters. However, it was strictly limited to male-female pairings, and the benefits of marriage were virtually nonexistent, making it feel like just another element of online game romance.

[Aoi-chan, both my character and yours are male. Can we even get married?]

[Eh? Ah, yeah, it's fine. About 2 years ago, due to the recent emphasis on diversity, they updated the marriage system, so now male characters can marry each other. The same goes for female characters.]

[Ahh, I see. Man, I really feel like a relic of the past when it comes to system changes like these.]

Thinking about it, it made sense. In this day and age, people would definitely complain if same-sex marriage wasn’t possible. Besides, there are players like Aoi-chan who pick a character of a different gender than their own, so it’s only natural that same-sex marriage should be allowed.

As I pondered that, something suddenly came to mind.

[Speaking of which, since the game is currently in its June event…… doesn't that mean your birthday is coming up soon, Aoi-chan?]

Aoi-chan’s birthday should be June 23rd, which means it’s about two weeks away.

[Eh? Ahh…… Y- Yeah, now that you mention it? W- Wait, hold on! That’s kind of weird, though…… Based on when I was summoned here, I always had the impression that my birthday had just passed before I arrived. I mean, sure, from a subjective perspective, more than a year has passed for me…… but since I reset a year’s worth of growth, I feel like I should just consider it as having gone back to how it was.]

[U- Unn? Well, yeah, back in our world, you were summoned right before summer, but here, it was at the end of the year, so the timing is a bit off.]

Honestly, I just wanted to have a casual conversation and maybe get an idea of what Aoi-chan wanted so I could get her a birthday present. But as soon as I mentioned it, Aoi-chan suddenly looked flustered.

It’s true that time flows differently between our original world and this one. Even during my own birthday, it didn’t quite feel like my birthday.

Aoi-chan and Hina-chan returned to this world at a different time than I did, so of course, their sense of time would be out of sync.

[That’s why, in this world, I’m not considered 18 yet!]

[18? ……Ah, oh…… I see, that’s why you’re panicking……]

Back at the Flying Board Tournament after-party, Aoi-chan told me that I was her first love and said something along the lines of "Once I turn 18……", which almost sounded like a confession.

It’s been a few months since the tournament, but in Aoi-chan’s mind, her birthday was still a while away. But now, she suddenly realized it was coming up sooner than expected, which is probably why she's panicking.

[……Ahem. Now listen here, Kaito-san. There’s a saying: "A person truly falls in love only once in their life. That is their first love." First love is incredibly important, and it must be nurtured carefully and patiently.]

[……O- Okay?]

[Besides, I don’t want my birthday to come before Christmas or Valentine’s! I had plans for those…… So, I’ll consider this year’s birthday as overtime for my 17th birthday, and my real 18th birthday will be next year.]

[……I’ve never heard of birthday overtime before. But, well…… if that’s what you want, Aoi-chan, then sure……]

Aoi-chan had just come up with a mind-blowing theory, but if I read between the lines…… Ever since that conversation at the Flying Board after-party, she’d been thinking about things she wanted to do on events like Christmas…… In this case, that likely meant making a move. And since she didn’t want to turn 18 before actually carrying it out, she decided to extend the time until her birthday. ᚱἈƝꝊ₿Е𐌔

……Given the discrepancies in our timelines upon summoning, it’s a complicated situation. But ultimately, what matters most is what makes Aoi-chan feel comfortable. So, I decided to respect her wishes.

The most uptodate nove𝙡s are published on frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓.

[That said, we didn’t get to celebrate your 17th birthday properly, so I’d like to do something for it. Is there anything you want, Aoi-chan?]

[Hmmm, that’s a tough one. It’s not that I don’t want anything, but most of the things I need are for adventuring or books, so they’re not exactly appealing……]

[Then how about we go shopping together and look for something? If we check out different stores, you might find something you’d like……]

[Ah, that sounds great! Let’s do that!]

It seemed like nothing immediately came to mind, so I suggested that we go look together. As soon as I did, Aoi-chan’s face lit up with a bright, happy smile and she eagerly nodded in agreement.

With that settled, we resumed the game…… but just then, Aoi-chan suddenly leaned in, resting her head lightly against my shoulder.

[……Honestly, I do feel a little relieved. After all, I’ve already more or less confessed my feelings, and knowing Kaito-san, if you didn’t feel the same way, you wouldn’t let me get my hopes up only to hurt me later. You’d tell me straight. That’s why…… I feel at ease…… and I can properly…… look forward to that time.]

Her soft voice, almost like a whisper, made it feel more like a monologue than something meant for me to hear. At the very least, it wasn’t something I should respond to right now. That answer would have to wait until Aoi-chan fully accepted turning 18.

Still, just a little———- no, quite a lot, actually——— I felt like my shoulder, where Aoi-chan was leaning, was getting unusually warm.

<Afterword>

Serious-senpai : [T- This guy, what a heroine move…… No, I get it. Knowing Kaito’s personality, if he was going to reject her, he would have said so in the months since the Flying Board event. The fact that he hasn’t means…… the confession has practically been accepted already. They just want to enjoy Christmas and Valentine’s Day while still in that "not-quite-lovers-yet" stage…… D*mn it!]