And You Thought There Is Never a Girl Online [Volume 4] [Prologue] [Free]

When you've been MMO for a long time, you inevitably end up with a lot of regrets and things you look back on and cringe about. 

No, no, I'm not talking about Nekohime-san—there's a ton of other stuff, too. 

For instance... let's see, this was quite a while ago. Probably right around the time we formed Alley Cats. 

I didn't have anyone to go grinding with at the time, so I joined a random pickup party I saw recruiting nearby. It was a massive group of around twelve people, and we were planning to hit up a pretty tough dungeon. 

But there was a catch: the party only had one healer. 

That healer was a player named Isana-san. When the party leader asked, "We've got a lot of people, can you handle healing solo?", here's what they said: 

◆Isana: I'm fine. 

Just like that, completely casually. 

Like hell you're fine, I thought. Keeping twelve people alive by yourself is a massive pain, and to top it off, the dungeon we were heading to was brutal. Oh yeah, if it were Ako, she'd struggle even if we had three of her. 

Well, sure enough, it went exactly as you'd expect. The party was completely wiped out in under an hour. The mood instantly shifted to blaming the healer, and we disbanded immediately. 

◆Isana:I'm so sorry, truly. 

Isana-san was apologizing profusely, but it really wasn't their fault. After all, the party setup was impossible from the start. Besides, I should've said something too, like "Hey, one healer is going to be way too tough." If I knew that, I should've backed them up. 

I messaged Isana-san privately to say it wasn't their fault, but they still seemed pretty torn up about it. I just prayed that they wouldn't quit the game over it. 

Yeah, I really regretted it. It weighed on my mind for a long time after that. 

Fast forward a few months. I joined another random pickup party, and there they were. Yep, Isana-san. They hadn't quit; they were still playing. 

And get this, it was the exact same kind of group: twelve people, but Isana-san was the only healer. Plus, we were supposed to hit an even harder dungeon than last time. 

The leader asked them again if they'd be okay solo healing. And once again... 

◆Isana: I'm fine. 

They said it like it was nothing. 

Yeah, but this time I spoke up. I actually said something. 

◆Lucian: One healer is going to be rough, so let's all be careful not to put too much strain on them. 

Isana-san had just said they were fine, so maybe I was just being a busybody. I figured they probably didn't even remember me, but I still wanted to say it anyway. 

Then, Isana-san sent me a single private message. 

◆Isana: Thank you. 

Just that. A part of me had been stressing about it ever since that first time. Seeing that message washed all the guilt away, and I felt incredibly relieved. I was so glad I spoke up. I promised myself right then and there that I'd always try to say something helpful when someone was pushing themselves too hard. 

Huh? Oh, no... the grinding session actually went perfectly. Yeah, we finished without a single issue. Isana-san had gotten so insanely good at the game that solo healing was a total breeze for them. So, yeah, it really was just me being a busybody. 

...Yeah, okay, it was embarrassing! After running my mouth trying to sound cool, I was practically the one dragging the party down! 

◆Lucian: A-Anyway, Ako, you get what I'm trying to say, right? 

◆Ako: So basically, you're bragging about your ex-girlfriend? 

◆Lucian: How did you even come to that conclusion?! 

Wait, am I wrong? she seemed to ask, looking completely baffled. But her eyes weren't smiling at all. The terrifying aura radiating through the screen was palpable. 

◆Lucian: Just for the record, Isana-san was a guy in real life. 

◆Ako: But Lucian, you have a history of falling for people even if they're guys in real life! 

◆Lucian: Nekohime-san actually turned out to be a girl in the end! 

Can we just drop that already?! 

◆Lucian: What I'm trying to say is that being helpful and showing consideration for others is something you should start doing the exact second you decide to do it. 

◆Ako: Right... 

Put a little more effort into your reaction, would you? I'm trying to talk about something important here. 

◆Lucian: It's not just the people actively crying for help who are struggling. You of all people should understand that, Ako. Sometimes people look like they're having fun, but they're actually feeling totally overwhelmed behind the scenes. 

◆Ako: Yes, I understand that. 

Good. If you understand that much, you should be able to understand how I feel right now. 

◆Lucian: So, here's the thing. I might look like I'm enjoying a fun, normal school life, but I've officially reached my limit with getting teased about you. 

What I mean to say is: 

◆Lucian: Summer vacation is almost over and school is about to start... Would it be possible for us to tell people at school that we're just normal friends instead of a married couple? 

◆Ako: Oh stop it, you're just joking around again, Lucian! 

What's with that "Oh, there he goes spouting nonsense again" reaction!? My request makes perfect sense! 

◆Lucian: It's the end of summer vacation! With everyone making stupid jokes about "summer flings" and whatnot, throwing "we're married" into the mix is just too much! 

◆Ako: You're right! We definitely need to give off the mature vibe of a couple who's experienced a wild summer fling together. 

◆Lucian: We didn't experience anything! I haven't experienced a single thing! 

◆Ako: Well then, we can still start now— 

◆Lucian: No we are nooot! Dammit, the least you could do is help me out a little here! 

Sadly, my in-game wife hasn't changed one bit.