41 Reset, Duty, Pows and Whacks!
The pain stopped.
There was no more falling.
Haruki opened his eyelids a little, but the light was too strong and he closed his eyes again.
'I am dying? Is it the light that leads to the other world? ' Haruki felt that he was crying when the tears fell inside his ears, tickling. 'No! I don't want to die without seeing my mom one last time. Without saying goodbye to my father. Without hugging my brothers. I WANT TO LIVE! Jun, help!' Haruki sobbed as the air returned to his lungs along with the pain.
For the first time, Haruki took pleasure in the pain. 'I am alive!'
"Calm down, Prince Miyake Takao," a feelingless voice rang close to his ears.
******
"Prince Miyake, wake up."
Haruki heard Okami System's voice calling him over and over.
But the pain in his chest was too strong for him to respond. Haruki was more concerned with keeping his breathing paced while feeling his heart start to pump blood to his body again. Haruki was lying on the floor.
The singer was aware he had suffered a heart attack or whatever they would call it. That happened because of the rapid descent of the aircraft _ the pressure almost killed him!
The singer discovered that, even though he was inside a virtual system, he could actually die.
Hearing the sound of footsteps, Haruki opened his eyes.
Jun who was running in his direction, followed by Saito and the others, a little behind.
"Haruki!" Jun called while trying to approach him. But to their surprise, androids stopped him, "Get out of the way."
"POW!!! BIFF!!! BANG!!! WHACK!!!"
With little patience left, Jun threw a punch across the nearest one and another punch at the one who tried to hold it.
Haruki saw other androids gather around the baker to contain him, which sparked a widespread fight with the entry of Saito, Hinata, Daisuke, and even Takashi, who joined Jun against the crew.
Haruki tried to get up,
"OUCH." He halted his plan and kept where he was, wheezing, and waiting for the sharp pain to pass.
"STOP!" Okami's command was immediately obeyed by the androids halted and lined. And Jun could finally approach Haruki, putting a hand under the singer's head, to lift him,
"Cupcake, what happened?"
Saito knelt on the other side and took his wrist.
"Holy cow, what happened to you?" Takashi asked Haruki, somewhat distant, as Jun, Saito, and the chief android surrounded him. Okami System responded by interfering,
"A system error. And the error was restored. Prince Miyake Takao should have been up by now, Honda-san," she explained staring at the young man, and blinking almost humanly, "Prince Miyake-san why are you still lying down? Report the error through a debug log."
She wasn't a human, after all.
"Haha," Haruki chuckled, "An 'error', Okami-san?" he sneered, "You almost killed me with your trolling. Was it the work of some programmer? And I can't call my heart-stopping an error in the system."
Haruki tried to get up. He still felt ill and his friends helped him.
"I'm sorry, sir," Okami System spoke with her artificial intonation, bowing.
******
"Prince Miyake, I ask that you leave the accident to be discussed with Chief Engineer Honda when you return to Princess Island. The 1st Tanabata Matsuri Destiny Masquerade is scheduled to start at 20:00. You must accompany Princess Sawada Niko."
"He owes nothing to anyone," Jun snarled.
"He just suffered a heart attack! How do you expect him to be able to go to the ball right away?" Takashi questioned.
"Okami-san, take responsibility for your mistake!" Saito demanded.
"Haruki needs medical care, he has to be removed from the game now," Daisuke exclaimed.
"I also need to!" Hinata complained.
Haruki heard his friends contest the System, speaking almost at the same time without giving Okami a chance to respond.
The singer heard his smartwatch, as well as those of all the 'otome boys' around him, buzzed. And instinctively, he looked at the device on his wrist, realizing that new messages had arrived.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Daisuke, Takashi, and Hinata immediately checked their new messages. The singer accessed his new messages, thinking it was something important.
...
[System Message]
ERROR: 224AB3
THE PROGRAM DOES NOT RESPOND.
DO YOU WANT TO END THE PROGRAM?
(Y) (N)
.
.
.
ERROR 22700WK
.
.
.
MESSAGE SENT
RESETTING
…
PROGRAM RESTARTED SUCCESSFULLY
DEBUG LOG SENT FOR ANALYSIS AUTOMATICALLY
[System Message]
Miyake Takao lost 100 hit points
Total life: 0
….
[System Message]
Miyake Takao recovered 100 hit points
Total life: 1oo
….
"GRR! How come? Why did I lose 30 hit points and you only 10, Takashi-san?" Hinata asked Takashi, looking over his shoulder at the artist's smartwatch while sweeping blood from his nose. "Ughh! It hurts!"
"Because you got more punches, I guess. C'mon, let me help you. Let's sit down a bit," the artist replied, going to the aid of the younger man.
Haruki watched Takashi helping the senior student who was bleeding and limping as he walked, sitting him on an outside bench.
"Is there a doctor on board? Can someone bring a first aid kit here? Water and ice bags, please," Daisuke asked, going to sit beside them. And holding Hinata's hand in an act of support.
Haruki then realized in horror that his union mates were in wrinkled and dirty clothes, and with bruises and cuts. The fight was real!
******
Haruki, even against his friends' opinion, went with Okami System. The singer could not deny his education focused on discipline, and respect for the fulfillmenting of his duties.
Haruki thought of Abe Miyu, who was waiting for him. It was her ball. Probably the first one the girl would walk in, like an ordinary person. The young man wondered how long the girl had dreamed of tonight, and that she had probably spent the entire day preparing for the party.
Thinking about his family, especially his mother, made him strive to be the kind prince Miyu expected. Despite his initial plans to be as unpleasant as he could.
After tonight, he would talk to her, telling her the whole truth.
Before the door of a luxury cabin, he took a deep breath.
Okami System said goodbye,
"Princess Sawada is in her cabin, Prince Miyake."
He knocked lightly on the door, unable to know what would happen next.
*****
"VRRRRR VRRRRR VRRRRRR VRRRRRRRR You are my sunshine… My sun shineee… VRRRRRR VRRRRRR…"
Takeda Nozomi-san woke up in alarm, her cell phone vibrating. It was the ringtone of Haruki's number, her missing son.
Clumsily reaching for her cell phone, Haruki's mother saw that there was a message from him,
[Am I dying? It will be the light that leads to the other world. No. I don't want to die without seeing my Mom one last time. Without saying goodbye to my Dad. Without hugging my siblings. I WANT TO LIVE. Jun! Help me!]
"AHHHH AHH AHH" her desperate screams woke the entire family.
******
