Chapter 308: However, a Trash Game Addict

From what I could gather through our conversation, the Saiga family's eldest sister (provisional name) didn't seem to hold a very positive view of Full-Dive VR. Judging by her reactions to my words, it felt like she viewed it with about the same impression one would have toward alcohol or tobacco.
That being said, she didn't seem to be a strict "Realist" loudly advocating for the total eradication of Full-Dive VR, so depending on my explanation, I should be able to dispel her distrust born from ignorance.

The struggle of having family members who refuse to understand or show tolerance toward your hobbies is something you hear quite often when interacting with people across various games.
In my family's case, they're either tolerant or completely apathetic. There's a clear line drawn between each member of the household, so we basically maintain a policy of non-interference... Well, I suppose my family is just a special case.

"Let's see... People often say that continuing to play Full-Dive VR causes your body to atrophy, but that's actually a misconception."

"...Is that so?"

Wetting my lips with my tongue, I felt the engine of my smooth-talking begin to heat up as I continued.

"I mean, yes, it's basically like you're sleeping, so your muscles can weaken. But fundamentally, Full-Dive VR operates on the premise of having a healthy body. The correct way to enjoy it is to build a healthy body that won't hinder your daily life before diving in. Even astronauts lose muscle mass if they stay in space for long periods, right? That's exactly why they train their bodies both before and after going to space."

They call it E-sports, and it's exactly as the name implies. This is the biggest misconception held by people unfamiliar with Full-Dive VR, but Full-Dive is an entertainment medium where health is the absolute top priority. If you play it while your physical health is compromised, you're only strangling yourself.

"Training your body... Do you do some sort of training, Hizutome-san?"

"Training, well... I suppose things like jogging or running, and occasionally doing sit-ups... I think?"

To be blunt, as long as you eat well enough not to become obese and have the minimum stamina required to walk to the convenience store without running out of breath, you can basically manage just fine.
Still, if we're just talking about Full-Dive VR, this is a good flow. At the very least, it's much better than her asking, "How is Saiga-san doing at school?"—since I literally have no way to answer that.

"───By the way, Hizutome-san, do you play the same... um, game? As my foolish younger sisters?"

"Foolish younger sisters... Yes, I do."

This is the first time I've ever seen someone use the phrase 'foolish younger sister' completely seriously in real life. But since we actually met in ShanFro, I gave her a positive affirmation.

"I have heard that in this... Shan...Fro? You can experience being a Samurai (Mononofu) or a Ninja (Shinobi)... But what kind of experiences are those two having?"

"Eh? Um........."

Can I just say "They've basically thrown away their real lives"? We are technically in the same circle... No, she doesn't seem very familiar with Full-Dive, so if I actually say "Your younger sister has basically thrown away her real life, and your older sister seems to have thrown it away even more," and it turns into a whole family meeting, there's no way I can take responsibility for that.
On the other hand, if I lie poorly, the atmosphere is going to drop below freezing again... I need to say something completely harmless here.

"Um, Rei-san and I are in the same Clan... ahー, organization? She is a knight whom everyone heavily relies on. As for Momo...-san? I don't really have much contact with her............ How should I put this, she uses magic to make swords float and controls them... Also, I know she serves as the leader of an organization and possesses the strength to be relied upon by an addic... I mean, an unspecified large number of people."

"????"

Well, yeah, this is exactly what happens when you try to explain a Sword Saint's combat style to someone unfamiliar with fantasy. Besides, Pencilgon was the one handling our contact with Psyger-100 until very recently, so I really don't know much about her anyway.

"That is........."

"Thank you for waiti... S-Sen-nee-san!?"

Saiga-saaaan! (Tears of Joy).

"Rei, what is the meaning of keeping a guest waiting?"

"Eh... heh? Ah, um, I'm sorry..."

Carrying a VR headgear and main unit—which didn't look broken at first glance and was different from the one I had brought—Saiga-san looked bewildered as she bowed her head to the Saiga family's eldest sister... or rather, Sen?-san.
Sen-san turned toward me, gave a slight bow, and stood up.

"Hizutome-san, I shall take my leave now."

"Ah, yes."

"It was a truly meaningful time... By the way, Rei."

"Y-Yes!"

"───Exactly how much time does it take to attain a position where one is relied upon by an unspecified large number of people in this game called 'Shanfro'? Specifically, is it something one can achieve while simultaneously managing a full-time job?"

"Eh."

"Ah."

Sorry Psyger-100, I think a stray bullet just flew your way.

"Um... Depending on the effort, I believe it is possible to balance both..."

"Is that so. It seems I will need to have a little talk with Momo."

I'm sorry Psyger-100, that wasn't a stray bullet. That was a direct sniper shot.
Watching Sen-san leave without her smile breaking for even a single moment, I finally relaxed my shoulders once she was far enough away. I feel a bit rude doing this in front of Saiga-san, but seriously, please spare me from having to face a back-to-back Saiga Boss Rush.

"Um, well, I'm sorry..."

"No, no, you don't need to apologize... I just feel like I've gained a tiny bit of understanding of how a teacher feels during a home visit..."

Pulling myself together, I accepted the headgear Saiga-san had brought. Using the tool kit I brought with me, I removed the cover of the main unit—which was large enough that it had to be carried with both hands—and began inspecting the insides.

"Hmm... It's not clogged with dust... the cords aren't torn... Maybe the output system really is busted."

"H-How is it...?"

"For now, there doesn't seem to be any noticeable damage to the main unit. It's possible the output parts have gone bad... Let's check the headgear next."

"P-Please do..."

If the problem is on the main unit's side, you can fix it without sending it in for repairs just by buying replacement parts for the suspected faulty areas. It's built in a very customer-friendly way, to the point where even someone without specialized knowledge can swap them out.
However, if the problem is with the headgear itself, there's nothing I can do. Unlike the main unit, it's about 20% more delicate, so if it's broken, it's actually faster to just buy a new headgear.

"The gear side... doesn't seem to have any external damage... Can we try attaching the spare output parts I had at home and see if it works?"

"Yes, that's fine."

"These are unused parts, and given how you vanished back there, it's almost certainly a problem with the output system... If this doesn't work, then the issue is definitely with the headgear. Saiga-san, how long ago did you buy this?"

"Umm... About two or three years ago, I think..."

"Heeh... If it's over two years, I wonder what the warranty situation is..."

That kind of thing depends on where she bought it, so it's a bit of a gray area. But honestly, even though it takes time, sending it in for repairs is the only surefire way to return it to a normal state. To be blunt, if there's no external damage, there's almost nothing I can do.

"..................Au."

"Hm? Did something happen?"

"Um, well, you see... If I keep a guest sitting in the waiting room forever, um... yes, Sen-nee-san will get angry at me, and, um... well, you see."

Opening and closing her mouth as if she were struggling to push out words caught in her throat, Saiga-san repeatedly looked away and cast her eyes downward. But then, as if making up her mind, she raised her head and spoke.

"P-Please... c-come to my room!"

"..................Eh."

............

.........

......

"........."

".........Eh, no seriously, what am I supposed to do?"

I muttered that softly, but Saiga-san didn't reply. Obviously. Right now, she's in a Full-Dive. She won't wake up for at least three minutes.

Full-Dives actually take quite a bit of time before you fully log into the game. It doesn't feel like it takes even a minute subjectively, but in reality, a minute and a half—or up to three minutes if it's slow—passes by. By the way, if it takes more than five minutes, it's definitely broken, so repairing it is your only option. Trying to play PvP with delayed response times is a joke I have no intention of participating in.

"Well then..."

This room has no chairs. It has no bed.

In other words, it is a Japanese-style room lined with tatami mats.
So "A High School Girl's Room," "A Traditional Japanese Room," and "High-Tech Gear" really can coexist... No wait, seriously, what am I supposed to do in this situation?
Just what exactly does Saiga-san want me to do... I'm just sitting here in seiza waiting for now, but still.

"I'm bored."

Right in front of me is Saiga-san, currently logging in. The situation feels slightly like something out of an R-18 scenario, but if I were to actually act on it, the final destination would be non-fiction R-18G. So honestly, my true feelings are that I really want to go back to that waiting room... I feel like my skull would get cracked open like an apple.
Kuh... What the hell, what am I supposed to do? Oh, there's a piece of dust near the corner of Saiga-san's eye.

"Heh... The only person who would move to wipe that away right now is the protagonist of a Gal Game."

And the standard template flow is that the moment my finger touches her, Saiga-san wakes up and punches me. And if Saiga-san is the one executing that flow, there's a very real chance I'd actually get knocked out.

In other words, the correct answer in this situation is to simply continue sitting in seiza...! This is the fastest and most optimal choice, right, Loli Sensei (Tias Sensei)!!

Author's Afterword
Loli Sensei: "Like I would know, idiot."

Writing a million words just to finally get some rom-com progression, how about that?