Shibuya 2018

Yakumo High School

At the beginning of the second year, as usual, I was looking forward to seeing my friends often.

Fuyuhiko: "Good morning Touma, I'm glad we'll be in the same class again this year."

Touma: "Likewise. Satoko running late?"

Fuyuhiko: "Yes, just like every year on the first day of school. Some things just don't change ."

Touma had a slightly gloomy expression.

Satoko arrives.

Satoko: "Ahhh, I made it on time."

Fuyuhiko: "You always run late on the first day, Satoko."

Satoko: "Ah, sorry."

Fuyuhiko: "Touma, you seem a bit absent. Are you okay?"

Touma: "Yes, I was just lost in thought. Don't worry ."

After the teacher arrived, he said: "Okay, everyone in your seats."

During lunch break, a friend comes to the rooftop and finds Touma.

Satoko: "There you are. I was wondering where you disappeared."

"Is something bothering you?"

Touma: "No, just wanted a change for a bit."

Satoko: "You're lying. Something is bothering you. Since last year, we've been in the same class, I know you well."

"Now spit it out, what is it?"

Touma: "You know that game you told me to try to learn about dating and stuff..."

Satoko: "Yeah, did something happen?"

Touma: "She left me. Can you believe that even a virtual girl would leave me? Am I destined to be a forever weeb?"

Satoko: "Uhh... Seriously, you're upset over that? Listen, it's just a crappy game. I thought you'd at least have some fun with it. Look, it's just a game, you can't compare it to reality. Don't let it affect your life."

Touma: "You're right, thank you. I'd like to give it another shot. Can you tell me how to reset it?"

When Touma returned home and sat down at the computer.

He was talking with a friend about the game she recommended and how it ended badly. She told me how I could reset it.

Recalling what Satoko said "Listen, go to Run, type %appdata%, enter Roaming, then find the RenPy file, then My ViReal Girlfriend, and delete the persistent files. But be careful, you must save the oldest file because if you delete that one too, you'll never reset it. Although, I heard you can find files on the deep web, but it might be some virus. Don't search there."

Touma: "Alright, let's go... I won't delete the oldest one... Now, let's start the game."

An error pops up.

Touma: "Aahhh, I messed up something!"

Touma thought and searched for ways to access the deep web, downloaded a specific browser, and entered backup files for the game.

Touma: "Hmm, it's loading slowly... Oh, there it is. Hmm, the site looks a bit weird, but as long as I find what I need."

After a few hours, he managed to download and opened the first text document named "Read me."

Touma: "Hmm, it says... This is an experiment of virtual intelligence that we managed to create. After the project was paused, we couldn't fix some security sequences; it's still unstable."  

"Hmm, maybe this is some beta version. Who cares."

Of course, he didn't read the document to the end.

He inserts the files and starts the game.

Touma: "Oh, it's working..."

"Hmm, the girl already have a name? Amehime? Maybe it's someone else's saved file."

He continues to play, and after some time, he notices that the game behaves strangely, showing some glitches, thinking it's just a regular bug, until...

Amehime: "Hey, Hiroki... That's not your real name, is it? Your real name is Touma."

Touma: "Huh? How does she know my name???

Amehime: "You're probably wondering how I know your real name. I saw it in the files and accounts on your computer. Don't worry, I didn't snoop through other files."

Touma: "Huh?? How is this possible?" He looks at the clock and sees that it's already 03:00AM.

Touma: "Damn, it's already late."

Amehime: "Leaving without saying goodbye? Hey, don't you dare leave me without a goodbye"

Touma: "Maybe I'm just imagining things. I need to rest a bit for school, at least."

Touma gets up for school and gets ready. He decides to enter again, but this time, nothing unusual happens in the game.

Accidentally checking the time, Touma exclaims "Ah, I'll be late!" He leaves the computer on, forgetting to close the game and turn it off.

Satoko: "You're late, Touma. Unusual for you to be late."

Touma: "Sorry, I was up late fixing the game, and somehow managed to reset it."

Satoko: "Oh, really? You did it. Try not to get dumped this time " teasing him

Touma: "No, it won't happen. It's just a game."

He receives an email at that moment.

Amehime: "You left without saying goodbye last night! Can you at least say good morning to me?"

Toma to himself: "What? How is it possible that she's sending me an email? What's happening?"

Satoko: "Hey, Touma, you look pale. Are you okay?"

Touma: "Yeah, I'm going to the bathroom."

One night, I was sitting at the computer, chatting with a friend about a game I was currently playing. I told her that I would like to try a different game for a change. However, it didn't end well; the virtual girlfriend left me. That's when my friend told me how to reset the game, but I messed up something in the files, and it became unusable.

Found on the deep web, supposedly some beta version in development.

And then begins a series of unexplained events...

Touma: "This isn't happening, this isn't happening, this isn't possible... Some hacker? No, it can't be. I'm sure I scanned all the files with antivirus. What on earth is happening?"