Chapter Text
After a (full of screaming) bit, he finally calmed down enough to assess his predicament. The game screen introduced itself as the [System], apparently there to help Eijun achieve his “desired ending.”
“So, what, I’m going to be living through the game?” he asks. He’s still in bed, having taken quite a bit to come to terms with his situation.
[Exactly! Host is so smart!]
“How is this real… ” Eijun mutters. “Is there any way to get back?”
[Apologies, Host. Your original body was beyond repair, which is why you arrived here!]
“Ah… ” he says. Having someone talk about your death so casually was rather disconcerting. In fact, he was surprised that he wasn’t freaking out over it as well.
[Currently, I have been nullifying any extreme negative emotions regarding your death, to keep your mind sane. The shock of death usually goes away after a few days!]
“That’s good to know, I guess,” Eijun says. He sighs. “Doesn’t change the fact that I barely believe what I’m seeing.”
[Don’t worry, Host! I will do my absolute best to help you acclimate to your new life and to achieve your desired ending!]
[ (✪‿✪)ノ ]
“My desired ending… What does that even mean?”
[It’s the thing you want to achieve the most! The reason you were put into this world rather than a different one!]
“I could’ve been put into a different world? Wait, nevermind一” Eijun’s eyes widened.
“Does this mean… I could meet Chris-sama?”
[Yes, Host!]
I could… help Chris-sama overcome his inner demons?
“System, would I be just playing out the game, or could I change things?”
[Host is free to manipulate the plot as he so wishes! After mass amounts of complaints from our Users, it was decided that the OOC function would no longer be used, allowing for you to change anything you like!]
“So I could do Chris-sama’s hidden route? I could help Chris-sama have a happy ending?”
[If you wish to, Host, then yes!]
Eijun whoops loudly, punching his fists in the air. Chris-sama… Just you wait!
He finally gets up from his bed, reinvigorated, and immediately a new game screen comes up.
DAY 1
NEW QUEST: “EVEN IN AN OTOME GAME I HAVE TO GET UP”
Objective: Get ready for the day!
Bonus Challenge: Choose clothing that will fit you best!
Reward: 5 coins
Bonus Reward: 5 coins
“Talk about a low stakes quest,” he says. Regardless, he moves into the bathroom, relieving his physical needs and washing his face. Luckily, it seemed like his face was still the same as his old life.
Would this be reincarnation? Or transmigration? It seemed to be the same body he had before entering the game world…
He shrugged. It really wasn’t that important.
Finishing up in the bathroom, he moves over to the dresser, which is filled with various pieces of clothing. He stares at them for a moment, surprised at the sheer amount in the seemingly tiny dresser.
[Places such as dressers , mirrors , or desks have special properties for the Host.]
“So this is like the game’s clothing inventory?”
[Correct! These are the default clothing options. If you so wish, you can purchase additional outfits in the store.]
“Store?” Immediately, the store screen from Daiya no A showed up, floating in front of him. In the top right corner he noticed he had 100 coins already. He reached his hand out to begin scrolling through the options, wondering how he must look from the outside.
[While interacting with features such as the store, time will stop around you, and it will not start back up until you exit.]
“Ah, thanks,” he says. He debates buying a few items he know would be useful later on一like a cheap but sturdy wooden wand, which would catch the eye of Haruichi when they meet一but ultimately decides against spending any coins until he figures out how easy they are to get.
He searches through the wardrobe, having trouble deciding what constitutes “clothing that would fit him best.”
[Host, would you like me to suggest an outfit?]
“Hm? Uh, sure,” he answers. Suddenly, he feels the air change around him, and he can feel himself suddenly cloaked in a new outfit. “Oh!”
He looks down.
“System?”
[Yes, Host?]
[ (*^_^*) ]
“Why am I in a dress?” he asks. After a second and out of curiosity, Eijun twirls for a bit, feeling the air swirl around his feet as the flowy skirt billowed out.
The dress was just short enough to allow him to comfortably walk or run without fear of tripping, while also being long enough to cover anything up if he decided to spontaneously do standing splits. It was a simple but pretty sky blue, with a white underskirt. Admittedly, it looked quite good on him.
[The bonus challenge was for you to choose clothing that would “fit you the best.” As such, I decided this would be best!]
Eijun furrowed his eyebrows.
[Do you… ]
[Not like it?]
[ (>﹏<) ]
“No, no, it’s fine!” he says, trying to console his nervous System. “I just thought it wouldn’t be… this.”
[Ah, Host need not worry! The world of Daiya no A is a very open-minded world, as insisted upon by its Creator!]
“Well, yeah I figured, since the MC was always gender neutral and there were a lot of hidden side routes with same-sex relationships… ”
[I’m glad Host understands! The Creator wanted to make an otome game where all love was equal, like in Y*ri on Ice! ]
Eijun nodded. “If you think this fits me then I guess I’ll wear this,” he says.
DAY 1
QUEST: “EVEN IN AN OTOME GAME I HAVE TO GET UP” COMPLETED!
Reward: +5 coins
Bonus Reward: +5 coins
HIDDEN BONUS for wearing SEIDOU BLUE: +5 coins
Huh. Eijun hadn’t even noticed that it was Seidou blue.
DAY 1
NEW QUEST: “THE PLOT ACTUALLY BEGINS”
Objective: Go to the woods to collect medicinal herbs.
Reward: Common medicinal herb x2, +15 XP, +KND
The rest of Day 1 goes largely the same as in the game, with Eijun coming across an injured animal and using the medicinal herbs he just collected to clean the wound. Takashima Rei, vice-principal and scout for Seidou Academy, saw his kindness and offered him a scholarship after noticing his large magical potential.
The next day, Eijun woke up in a carriage on the way to the Academy, with his meager items already packed up for him. This time, he was dressed in the standard Academy uniform for incoming students with no magic path yet, which was a simple blue blazer with gray pants underneath. They would get specialized outfits once they chose their magic path.
He was restless the whole rest of the ride, excited to meet two of his favorite characters, Kuramochi and Masuko. By the time he arrived he all but jumped out of the carriage, just barely restraining himself. He rejected the offer for the coachman to escort him into the Academy, stating that he already knew the way.
Getting to the dorms was very easy, as they were the only buildings with large amounts of students milling around. There were also more lights on to illuminate the night.
Despite the fact that Seidou Academy was a school for nobles, they still insisted on a dorm system for all students (apart from the princes, of course). Their hope was to foster strong relationships between nobility despite their differing social statuses. While this sometimes worked out, as in the case with MC and their dorm placement, it could also lead to bullying, which the MC could try to fight during Act 2. This would lead to the MC entering the fan-named route “Destroy The Monarchy!” It’s name was self-explanatory.
Eijun carefully passed by a group of gossipping unnamed nobles and made his way up the stairs to his dorm. While the Academy could’ve easily paid for an elevator or even a gravity magic-operated lift, they apparently kept the stairs as a way to encourage exercise and a more minimalist lifestyle. Of course, many students would simply have their servants bring their luggage up for them, making the first week full of arguments between roommates over who got to keep what.
Climbing the last flight of stairs, he finally reached Dorm 505. Taking a breath, he prepared himself for the jumpscare that was about to happen by closing his eyes. He knocked twice.
“Welcome… ” a voice said. Despite himself, Eijun peeked his eyes open, only to fall back in shock.
“AH!”
Jumpscares were definitely scarier in real-life, after all.
“Kyahahaha! Welcome to Dorm 505!” Kuramochi said, reaching a hand out to help him up. “Scaring the incoming first-years is a dorm tradition!”
It’s nice to meet you, Masuko writes, bowing.
Getting up, Eijun bows to both of them. “Please take care of me!”
“Also, don’t mind Masuko, he made a mistake during dueling club so he’s not speaking until he makes it onto the first-string.” Kuramochi says, moving out of the doorway.
“Ah, no worries!” he said, making his way into the dorm. After setting down his meager amount of items, Kuramochi drags him over to the floor, which has various games set up.
“Well, now that you’re here, let’s get to know each other!”
DAY 2
NEW EVENT!
Your new roommates have invited you to a game night!
Option 1: Refuse and go to bed early. [-1% with Kuramochi and Masuko]
Option 2: Say yes and stay up. [+1% with Kuramochi and Masuko, +KND]
Eijun didn’t hesitate. “Sure!”
Hey, System, could you wake me up tomorrow?
[Of course!]
Grinning, Eijun prepared himself for a long night of games.
Eijun woke up late.
System, why did you wake me up?
[Host! Host! I tried to wake you earlier, but you said some rather… heated things.]
Eijun groaned, rolling out of bed. He couldn’t really blame them for his own actions. Eijun hadn’t had to wake up for school in three years now, so he wasn’t surprised that he had likely cussed the System out in his sleep-deprived state.
“Don’t worry about it,” Eijun says. He quickly gets ready, heading out the door just as orientation probably started.
DAY 3
NEW QUEST: “OH NO! I GOT PUNK’D AND THEN PRANKED!”
Objective: Sneak into orientation without any teachers seeing you.
Bonus Challenge: Don’t get caught or seen by anybody else.
Reward: 10 coins, +20 EXP
Bonus Reward: 10 coins
Time Left: 59 mins and 34 seconds
Eijun began to sneak towards where he knew orientation was taking place, in the high-class auditorium at the center of campus. While he couldn’t see anybody around, he wasn’t about to take any chances.
By the time he made it to a side entrance he still had around 50 minutes left. He crouched down, carefully opening the door. Inside, he could hear the principal, Kataoka Tesshin, still talking. He debated what to do, since the first-year area was smack dab in the front, where the teachers could very clearly see them. He’d have to be careful about this.
System, can I use magic spells?
[Yes, Host! However, you will be limited to the starting spells. If you’d like to purchase more, please check out the store.]
How do I cast one?
[If Host knows the name, all you need to do is focus and either say the name outloud or in your head.]
Okay… What were the starting spells, again? By the time Eijun hit the end of Act 2 he had so many spells he had to use the search function to avoid scrolling for the spell he wanted.
I cast一
The sound of someone approaching brought him out of concentration. He tried to come around a corner to avoid being caught before coming face-to-face with the character he had spent the last few days cursing.
They both blinked at each other in surprise.
ALERT!
Bonus Challenge: “Don’t get caught or seen by anyone else.” FAILED
Miyuki’s mouth curled into a smirk, ready to say his iconic first line: “What’s this? I didn’t think some first-year would have the guts to try and sneak into Orientation.”
Before he could speak, Eijun’s brain kicked back into action, reminding him of his initial playthrough.
Just like today he had been late to orientation and decided to sneak into the orientation through the side door. He had also met Miyuki Kazuya there for the first time and, rather naively, taken the prince’s advice, only to get caught and given detention before classes had even officially started.
This time, he had no intention of that happening.
“Miyuki Kazuya!” he screamed, finger pointing accusingly. He quickly looked towards the door, but it seemed like nobody had heard him. When he looked back at Miyuki the prince’s smirk was gone, replaced by a stunned expression. He looked down at Eijun’s finger and then raised his own finger and pointed it at his chest.
“Yes?”
“You’re Miyuki Kazuya,” he says, whisper-shouting.
“Yes?” he asks again. “I mean, yes, that’s me.” The prince’s face turned into his standard smile, the one that was described by the game as “perfectly crafted and utterly charming, as though practiced in front of a mirror hundreds of times.”
Eijun bristled, feeling his face growing hot.
[Host! I thought you didn’t like Prince Miyuki? What happened to being Team Chris?]
Just because he’s a bastard doesn’t mean he’s not hot, okay?!
[How true, Host!]
[Even I’m blushing.]
[ (*≧∀≦*) ]
Taking a breath, Eijun pulled himself up.
“Don’t think I’ll fall for your, your一tanuki wiles!” Eijun declares. Miyuki stands as well, face contorting into one of confused wonderment.
“Tanuki?”
“And don’t even try to trick me into being a distraction for you! Face the consequences of your actions head on!” he says. Miyuki tilts his head.
“Weren’t you trying to sneak in, too?”
“Gah!” he says. How could he explain that the only reason he was sneaking in was because it was a quest? “Well, I一”
Miyuki laughs at him. “Come on, I bet we can both sneak in during one of the club presentations,” he says.
“I don’t believe you! How do I know you’re not gonna rat me out and sneak in yourself?”
“Hm, how could you know… ” he says. “Say, why don’t we hold hands while sneaking in so that we’d both get in trouble if seen?”
Eijun’s face felt like it was on fire. What… What insolence! How thick-faced was he?
[Kyaa!!! Host!!!!!!!]
“Miyuki Kazuya, you! You!”
“Me?” He takes a step towards Eijun, holding his hand out. Eijun steps back.
“You!” Step forward, step back.
“Me!” Step forward, step back.
“You!” Step forward, step back.
“Me!” Step forward, step back.
“You two.” Eyes widening, they both turn towards the voice, where they see the vice-principal smiling menacingly at them. Rei stalked towards them, putting a hand on both of their shoulders. “Detention.”
ALERT!
QUEST: “OH NO! I GOT PUNK’D AND THEN PRANKED!” FAILED
The rest of the day was spent writing lines and helping with last-minute cleaning in classrooms. Luckily, it seemed like Miyuki was given a different set of tasks, as Rei separated them once they got to the principal’s office. The crown prince seemed to be close with the vice-principal, even referring to her as “Rei-chan,” which Eijun reprimanded him for.
Eijun was even forced to eat in an empty classroom instead of in the dining hall. Luckily, the food was top-notch (which was to be expected).
Soon enough, though, the day was over and he was finally allowed to go back to his dorm for the night, only to be greeted by the amusement of his roommates.
“Kyahahaha! I can’t believe you got detention on the first day!” Kuramochi was still laughing, even ten minutes after hearing the story from Eijun. “What kind of idiot just stands outside the auditorium or tries to sneak in?”
“It wasn’t all my fault!” Eijun says. “Miyuki Kazuya一I mean, Prince Miyuki一was the reason I got caught! If he hadn’t started getting all up in my personal space… ” Eijun’s eyes narrowed.
Kuramochi finally stopped laughing, sharing an inquisitive look with Masuko.
Did you just say Prince Miyuki, Sawamura-kun?
“Huh? Yeah,” he replies.
“Oi, since when did you meet the prince, huh?” Kuramochi asks. “And don’t think I didn’t hear you use his full name! You better not have been that rude to his face!”
Eijun sweated.
Cursing, Kuramochi launched himself at the first-year, trapping him into a wrestling hold. “Gah! Senpai!”
“Don’t struggle, this is your punishment for embarrassing your senpai, got it?”
“Masuko-senpai, help!”
Masuko averted his eyes.
“Ah! I’ve been betrayed! Ouch, ouch!”
The next day, Eijun made sure to wake up on time, especially since it was a school day.
DAY 3
NEW QUEST: “THINGS ARE REALLY STARTING. LIKE SERIOUSLY.”
Object: Get through your first day of classes!
Reward: 20 coins, +10 EXP, +INT
Bonus Challenge: Talk to all available side characters! Excluding the locked characters. (0/9)
Bonus Reward: +CHM, +LCK
What’s up with these quest titles? Eijun wonders, finishing up his morning routine. He also buys a small sunflower clip from the shop, which increases his Charm by one point.
[Unfortunately, I don’t pick the quest titles.] the system says. [If Host wishes, I can send a request to revise them?]
No, it’s fine, I just thought they were kind of on-the-nose.
“Oi, Sawamura, stop spacing out and let’s go!” Kuramochi yells.
Eijun hurries out the door behind him, making his way to his first class of the day.
When he gets into the first-years’ building, he weaves through the mass of students, and arrives at his classroom, which has a large group of people blocking the door.
“Wow, he looks so nice!”
“How tall is he?”
“How much time do we have until classes start? I want to introduce myself.”
Right, they must be here for him.
“Excuse me!” Eijun says loudly, causing the group to collectively turn. “Apologies, but I need to get into my classroom.” A few of the people shoot him glares but he stands his ground as they move. “Thank you!”
Eijun marches his way in, immediately heading to where his seat is, conveniently sandwiched between the two first-year capture targets: Furuya Satoru, the cause behind the blockage at the door, and Kominato Haruichi, who had taken advantage of Eijun’s request and slipped into the classroom right behind him.
After setting his book bag and supplies down, Eijun turned around to face Haruichi, catching the other boy off-guard. “Hi, I’m Sawamura Eijun. It’s nice to meet you!” He sticks out his hand.
Haruichi shyly shakes the offered hand. “I’m Kominato Haruichi.” Eijun eagerly shakes their hands up and down, noticing that the other boy hadn’t cut his bangs yet.
“Do you mind if I call you Harucchi?” Eijun asks. Haruichi opens his mouth in surprise, about to answer, before the teacher tells them that class is beginning.
Eijun starts to zone out, trying to plan how to meet up with the seven other available characters. Let’s see… I met Harucchi and I’ll introduce myself to Furuya during the break… I should be able to meet Kanemaru and Toujou during lunch…
“Sawamura-kun?”
There’s an event between Haruichi and Ryousuke that I can “accidentally” stumble upon after classes end…
“Excuse me, Sawamura-kun?”
And then I’ll be able to bump into Kawakami and Miyauchi, who will be searching for where Ryousuke went…
“Sawamura-kun!”
“Huh?” The class around him titters in amusement, while their teacher simply glared at him.
“Do you mind answering my question, since you were obviously paying attention?”
Eijun felt himself beginning to sweat.
ALERT!
QUICK REACT EVENT (5 SECONDS)
Answer the teacher’s question correctly!
Reward: +INT
There’s no multiple choice?! he thinks, staring in dread at the problem written on the board.
[In an effort to create the most interactive experience, certain gameplay options like multiple choice answers have been changed to free-response, quick react events!]
While Eijun never bothered to look up classroom answers, he was never too bothered by answering wrong, since he already spent so much time in the library with Chris that his stats were at least good enough to pass exams.
“Well, Sawamura-kun?”
He didn’t think not paying attention to the game questions would come to bite him in the ass!
“Uh… ”
He felt a small nudge at his ankles, and the soft voice of Haruichi whispered: “It’s third circle telepathy.”
“It’s third circle telepathy, Sensei!”
The teacher stares him down, lifting an eyebrow as though to question his honesty. Eijun could feel himself begin to sweat.
“Very well. Next time you might not be so lucky, so pay attention,”
“Yes, Sensei!”
CONGRATS!
You successfully answered the teacher’s question correctly, with a little help from a new friend.
Reward: +INT, +1% with Haruichi
Huh? How come I got more points with Harucchi?
[Due to trusting Haruichi’s answer, as well as your previous interaction, he felt a sense of amusement at you!]
Eijun huffed out a nervous laugh. Amusement…
Luckily, Eijun managed to pay enough attention to the classes afterwards to avoid being called on. While he had never been a studious child (far from it, in fact), Eijun quickly found himself engrossed in the classes being taught at Seidou.
[Host, I’m glad you’re finding your education interesting!]
Of course I am! This is a magical world. Magical. Who wouldn’t?
[Well, you’d be surprised… ]
“Excuse me, Sawamura-kun?”
Eijun turns towards Haruichi’s voice, who is smiling at him shyly. “Harucchi! Thanks for your help earlier.” Quickly, he darts his head to check if the teacher overheard, sighing in relief when he realizes they had already left.
ALERT!
+1% with Haruichi!
While Haruichi’s romance route wasn’t very popular, his friendship and hidden route were two of the most common side routes people completed. His friendship route allowed for the character to further enhance their magical casting speed, which came in handy during late-game fights, as well as completing all aspects of his romance route other than the actual romance.
His hidden route saw him engaged with Furuya in a rather satisfying cutscene where the two confess to each other at the same time, only to be discovered by Haruichi’s older brother, who disapproves of their relationship. Haruichi fights back against his brother, protecting Furuya, and Ryousuke finally relents. The brothers reconcile afterwards, with Ryousuke revealing that he was trying to shield Haruichi from the cold political world of nobles by distancing himself from him, while Haruichi reveals he only ever wants to be close with his older brother.
Eijun himself had cried when the two brothers reconciled, since Harucchi was one of his favorite characters in the game. The seemingly timid and shy boy turned out to be just as mischievous as his older brother, just far less obvious about it. Halfway through Act 1, Semester 2 he would cut his bangs and commit to becoming the type of person worthy of the last name “Kominato.” Eijun had always respected the determination and dedication that he exhibited.
“It was no problem, Sawamura-kun. You helped me out earlier, so I thought I’d lend a hand,” he replies.
“Ah, call me Eijun!”
Haruichi smiles. “Eijun-kun, then.”
ALERT!
+5% with Haruichi!
The alert reminded Eijun of his goal for the day. Turning in front of him, Eijun holds out a hand to Furuya. “Hi! Furuya Satoru, right? I’m Sawamura Eijun!”
The other boy blinks slowly at him, staring at his hand like he’s unsure of what to do with it. “Yes.”
“This is Kominato Haruichi,” Eijun says. And your future husband, he adds on.
“It’s nice to meet you, Furuya-kun.”
“Ah… Likewise.”
“Since Harucchi already calls me Eijun, feel free to call me that, too!”
Furuya nodded his head rather passively, but the System let him know how he truly felt.
ALERT!
+10% with Furuya Satoru!
Unlike Haruichi, Furuya’s romance route was one of the most popular, both due to his design as well as the fact that raising Furuya’s affection was very easy, due to his isolated upbringing. In his route, the MC helped Furuya discover his background, spending many nights searching through family records in the library. After some time, the MC happens to meet a couple at a school gala whose family colors match the ribbon around Furuya’s polar bear. The MC then helps the family reunite, and Furuya, now with a noble title, proposes at the end of Act 2.
Furuya’s friendship and hidden routes were also popular, with both MC and Haruichi helping Furuya find his lost family. In his hidden route, the MC is able to accidentally overhear them “searching” late at night in the library, when in reality that was an excuse to hang out.
While Eijun wasn’t a diehard fan of Furuya, he enjoyed the rivalry the MC and him had, as well as his relationship with Harucchi. Meeting him in person reminded him of how lonely the boy was said to have been, and he vowed to become close friends.
Satisfied, Eijun leaned back in his chair, conversing with the two until they had to start their lessons again.
It was almost disappointing when lunch came around, as Eijun found himself once again enraptured by this new world he was in. Learning about the history of Seidou, different magical properties, the practical application of low-level magic spells…
Suffice to say, he would likely be one of Seidou’s greatest students if he kept his enthusiasm up.
Although no amount of classes could supplement his excitement at getting to meet more characters.
Or, friends, since they weren’t fictional anymore.
“Eijun-kun, the cafeteria’s this way.” Eijun stops and turns towards Haruichi, who is heading in the opposite direction.
“Ah, sorry! I had my head in the clouds.” Haruichi laughs.
“Don’t worry, I already felt like you’d be the type of person to get lost on the first day.”
“Huh? What does that mean?”
ALERT!
+1% with Haruichi!
Eijun stared at the alert in puzzlement as Haruichi laughed again, guiding him to the cafeteria. “Furuya-kun left right when classes ended, so I don’t know where he’s sitting.”
“Sounds like Furuya,” he replies. In the game, the MC always had to seek out Furuya’s lunch spot in a secluded area in the school until they were close enough friends to eat other places. Eijun made a mental note to “accidentally” stumble upon his hiding spot, but for today he needed to meet the next people on his list.
While standing in line for food, Eijun spotted bleached blond hair at a table alongside a brunet. “Let’s go sit there!” he says, dragging Haruichi along once he finished ordering.
As they approached, Eijun could tell that the two other boys were confused by their actions. Sitting down like he owned the place, Eijun held out a hand to the two. “Hi! I’m Sawamura Eijun.”
While Kanemaru only stared at his hand in suspicion, Toujou reached his hand out as well, firmly shaking it. “I’m Toujou Hideaki, and this is Kanemaru Shinji.”
Eijun grinned at both of them, quickly diving into conversation. Soon enough, Kanemaru was loosening up and teasing him, while Haruichi and Toujou mediated their two new strong-willed friends.
In Daiya no A: The Seidou Saga, Kanemaru and Toujou were two possible capture targets, although most people only completed their friendship routes, as they gave a lot of valuable perks, like the ability to cram, which would temporarily boost your INT at the expense of CHM and MAG. It was helpful for the weekly tests, although wasn’t worth it for the larger exams.
Kanemaru and Toujou’s routes were heavily tied together, since the two were childhood best friends. Completing one route (whether romantic or platonic) required simultaneous completion of the other’s. Their routes were also very, very similar, with the romantic options having the other as the best man at their weddings. Going on their friendship routes lets the MC help them overcome their newfound anxieties over their places in the world, showing them that power isn’t everything.
Eijun always enjoyed hanging out with Kanemaru and Toujou in the game, with their scenes often being filled with witty banter and back-and-forth. Unfortunately, the two seemed sidelined in terms of screentime, with most of the other capture targets taking precedence.
Of course, this wasn’t the game, so Eijun let himself enjoy the rest of their lunch.
