It wasn't like Komi Kisaragi hated people.
She just didn't get why she had to talk to them.
Purple coloured hair, pink colored eyes, with a gyaru build, the Japanese accent made her even cuter, she was...the perfect girl
(Too perfect....to the point the game chose her)
Sliding her hoodie over her head like a defense shield, she walked through the school gates, ignoring the steady stream of chatty voices and laughter all around her. The world of high school was loud, messy, and way too crowded. Her world? Quieter. Simpler. Full of clean code and caffeine.
("Two more weeks of this... then I'm free," she thought, stepping past a group of second-years arguing over ramen flavors."Or dead from social interaction. Whichever comes first.")
Komi was 17, top of her programming class, and a self-declared introvert with a speed-run record for ghosting group chats. She didn't mind being alone—in fact, she preferred it. People made everything complicated. Bugs? Bugs could be fixed. Humans? Not so much.
(So....perfect)
After school, she adjusted her backpack and pulled out her phone, checking the address again.
VR Kingdom — Tokyo's #1 Virtual Experience Store.
Biggest. Loudest. Most expensive.
("Why the heck did they pick that place for pickup...?")
It wasn't like she wanted to test some shady new VR game. She only took the job because the email said 10,000 yen upfront for installing the beta set, and another 20,000 for just playing two hours.
That kind of money could upgrade her PC. Maybe even get her the RGB mouse she'd been eyeing for months.
VR Kingdom
The doors slid open with a digital chime, and Komi stepped into another world.
Bright LED screens flashed gameplay trailers. Kids in futuristic helmets danced inside transparent game pods. Holograms of anime warriors floated through the air, advertising dream experiences like "Sky Duel Legacy" and "Date My Alien Teacher."
"Overkill much...?" Komi muttered, ducking past a robot mascot trying to hand her a flyer.
(Damn, this lights could kill me)
She showed the clerk her voucher. Moments later, she was handed a matte black VR helmet and a box labeled "Echelon Sphere: Closed Beta — Do Not Distribute."
No manual. No welcome screen. Just a note that read:
"You have been selected. Thank you for joining the future."
(Future?.....okay...that's just cringe. Well time to go home and play this thing)
Her apartment was silent as always. Her mom worked nights. Her older brother was off at uni. No one to bother her. No one to notice the weird box.
Dinner was a lonely affair—instant noodles and leftover karaage. She sat cross-legged in her room, the box in front of her like some mysterious artifact.
"I'll just try it... two hours. Then delete it from existence," she muttered.
(Log-In Time)
The setup was way too smooth. The helmet fit like it was made for her. A soft hum vibrated through the room. No buttons. Just a single command screen that blinked:
[Begin Session: Echelon Sphere?]
"Let's get this over with."
She pressed YES.
(Time to do this and earn some cassssh)
In-Game... Kinda
The world loaded. Slowly. Glitchy pixels formed shapes, sky, stone, digital clouds, The trees and the ground all kinda changes colour and texture every now and then. The sky sunny now and rainy later, then cloudy .....Just strange
Her avatar blinked into existence—except it wasn't an avatar.
It was... her.
Exactly like her, only dressed in a flickering royal gown made of shifting polygons.
"Wait. What the hell is this class? Did I pick princess mode by accident—?"
(komi naturally hated girlish stuff)
There were no menus. No health bar. No tutorial.
Just a group of armored NPCs dropping to their knees and chanting:
"Long live Princess Beta..."
(Wow, this is super cringe)
But she didn't stay long.
After two hours of walking in circles, unpredictable changing weathers, boredom cause she couldn't do any quests nor interact with anyone apart from the NPC's in the castle, trying to open menus, dodging overenthusiastic maid NPCs trying to brush her hair, Komi gave up.
"Weird game. Buggy as hell. I'll report it later..."
She pulled off the helmet and collapsed into bed, yawning.
"Woah, I'm exhausted, this.....sucked, I'm don....." Before she could finish the sentence, she fell asleep quickly. She looked like someone who had the world record for fastest sleeper.
(Unknowingly to her, in the middle of the night)
The VR helmet—silent and still—suddenly lit up.
Lines of white light glowed across its surface. The hum returned, louder, deeper, almost alive.
Then—
Flash.
A pulse of bright, blinding white filled the room, swallowing Komi's sleeping figure whole.
To be continued...