Choco-Rabbit Daily Log: Do We Level Up Outside the Game Too?!
Kinoshita Akane, twenty, has a problem: her ex-boyfriend dumped her with the words "you're too heavy," and the only place she's felt safe since is *Arcadia Chronicle*—specifically, her guild Chocolate Rabbit, where six players log in twice a week to raid, fish, farm, and never pressure each other. But when the guild announces its first real-life meetup at a strawberry farm in Aoba City, Akane has to do something terrifying: step outside the game.
Worse? The guild's resident high school pro game
Choco-Rabbit Daily Log: Do We Level Up Outside the Game Too?! - Operation Komeda-ya! ~The Guild I Made for My Little Sister, and the Declaration of War at Night~
The wind cutting through the shopping arcade carried a faint dampness.
Akane stood in the rotary in front of the station, checking the map app on her phone over and over. The last Saturday of June. A break in the rainy season brought clear skies, and the sunlight already held a hint of summer.
"...Is Yamada-kun not here yet?"
Akane murmured and checked the time. Five minutes until they were supposed to meet. She'd arrived a little too early.
Something stirred restlessly in her chest.
(Today's the guild's big discussion.)
(About the new member. About Washida-san.)
The smile from the farm flickered through her mind. *Yamada-kun's really good at games, I hear?* — those eyes, like a hunter who'd spotted prey.
(Eita-san set up a place for us to talk.)
(Can I really say what I think?)
Akane gripped the handles of her small tote bag tightly.
"...Oh."
She spotted a tall boy walking toward her from the ticket gates.
Black hair. Long bangs falling over his eyes. Narrow, dark eyes. Expressionless, one hand shoved in his pocket.
It was Yamada-kun.
Akane's heart did something strange.
"Hey, Yamada-kun! Good morning!"
Akane mustered the brightest voice she could.
"...Hey."
That was all Yamada said before taking his place beside her. His gaze was already fixed toward the shopping arcade.
"Thanks for coming today. Eita-san said he has something to talk about with you too, Yamada-kun."
"Whatever. Senpai just called me."
"O-oh, I see..."
Akane's shoulders dropped, just a little.
(Still so blunt.)
But strangely, it didn't bother her. This was just how Yamada-kun was — and she already knew that somewhere inside that ordinary bluntness hid moments of surprising kindness.
The two of them walked side by side toward the Aobashi City Central Shopping Arcade.
Under the arcade roof, it was cooler than she'd expected. Faded flags hanging from the ceiling swayed in the breeze. The greengrocer's display was piled with bright red tomatoes and heaps of cucumbers.
"Wow, these tomatoes look so delicious..."
When Akane stopped, Yamada silently stopped too.
She glanced sideways — Yamada was gazing at the vegetables with the same expressionless face.
(He waited for me.)
(That kind of thing is just unfair.)
Feeling a tickle deep in her chest, Akane smiled softly.
"Sorry, let's go."
"I'm not in a hurry."
"...Yeah."
Happy, Akane picked up her pace just a little.
When they reached the middle of the arcade, a savory smell drifted toward them.
Soy sauce, dashi, and freshly cooked rice.
"...Onigiri."
The word slipped out of Akane's mouth before she could stop it.
In front of her stood an old wooden storefront. The noren curtain bore the bold characters "KOMEDA-YA." A rice shop that had been in business for seventy years. Eita's family home.
"Oh, there they are!"
From the back of the shop, a young man with soft brown hair swept back appeared. Gentle eyes, dark brown. Dimples when he smiled — Eita.
"Eita-san! Thanks for having us!"
As Akane bowed, Eita raised the mug in his hand.
"Good to see you. Want some coffee?"
"Th-thank you! But first—"
Akane's stomach growled.
A moment of silence.
Eita burst out laughing.
"Haha, perfect timing. Mom's just shaping onigiri right now. Come on in."
"S-sorry...!"
Akane's face went bright red.
"...You're hungry, huh."
Yamada muttered under his breath.
"Shut up! I ate breakfast!"
"Don't care."
"...Right."
Shoulders drooping, Akane ducked through the noren.
The inside of the shop was bigger than she'd expected.
Old-fashioned rice bins lined the space, and wooden plaques with variety names hung on the walls. Beyond them, she could see a raised tatami room.
"Oh my, Eita's friends?"
A cheerful voice came from the back.
A woman in an apron approached, beaming. Eita's mother, Mitsuko. Fifty-five. Bright and talkative, she called Eita's friends "my kids."
"Welcome! So glad you came. You're Eita's guild friends, aren't you? My kids, take your time today."
"Mom, they're not your kids."
Eita scratched his head, embarrassed.
"Oh, Eita's friends are all my kids. Now, I've made onigiri, so eat up. Young people are supposed to eat."
With that, Mitsuko led Akane and Yamada to the tatami room.
On the table, a large platter of onigiri sat steaming.
"Wow...!"
Akane's eyes lit up.
"Salmon, plum, kelp... oh, these are tenmusu!"
The words tumbled out of her.
"We use our own rice, so I guarantee the taste."
Eita sat across from Akane. Yamada silently lowered himself beside her.
"Thanks for the food!"
Akane picked up a tenmusu and took a big bite.
"...Delicious!"
The springy shrimp, the sweet-savory sauce. And the sweetness of perfectly cooked rice spreading through her mouth.
"Glad to hear it. Mom's been fired up since morning."
Eita smiled happily.
Yamada, without a word, picked up a salmon onigiri. He took a bite and gave a small nod.
"...It's good."
"Right?"
Eita laughed, tilting his coffee cup.
For a while, the three of them ate onigiri in silence.
Akane, her cheeks stuffed with a second onigiri, glanced at Eita.
(Eita-san has something he wants to talk about.)
(About the new member.)
She swallowed slowly.
"...Eita-san."
When she spoke up, Eita set down his coffee cup.
"Yeah. Time to get to the point."
His expression turned a little more serious.
"About the new member — you don't have to answer right away. But there's a reason I'm being cautious."
Eita looked out the window.
"I made this guild for Runa."
Akane's hand stopped.
"For Runa-chan..."
"Yeah. Runa's not good with people. Even at school, she doesn't have many friends. Back in middle school, she'd come home and just play games all day."
Eita's voice was quiet.
"I was worried about her. But I didn't know how to reach out. So I figured I'd start playing the game she was playing."
He smiled a little.
"And it surprised me. The Runa in the game was so much more alive than in real life. Laughing, talking with her friends. There was a Runa there I'd never seen."
Akane listened, onigiri still in hand.
"So I wanted to make a place where Runa could feel safe. A place in the game she could come home to. That's what this guild is."
Eita looked straight at Akane and Yamada.
"That's why adding a new member isn't simple for me. Runa might not like it. Her place might fall apart. When I think about that, I can't help being careful."
Warmth spread through Akane's chest.
(Eita-san cares that much about Runa-chan...)
(That's why he's so kind.)
She felt heat behind her eyes.
"...I see."
Yamada muttered.
He already had a third onigiri in his hand.
"Were you even listening?"
"I was. You're a siscon, right?"
"Don't call me a siscon!"
Eita laughed out loud.
Akane couldn't help laughing too.
"Ahaha, but I think I get it. The game saved me too."
The moment Akane said that, a clatter came from the shadows.
"...!"
The three turned — and from behind the shoji screen, fluffy black hair peeked out.
"Runa?"
"Big brother! Don't say unnecessary things!"
Runa burst out, her face bright red.
A petite girl with voluminous fluffy black hair in twin tails. Her big round black eyes were wet with anger.
"Runa-chan, you were here."
When Akane said it in surprise, Runa glared at her.
"I don't need games to be fine! And you guys, stop worrying about me on your own!"
Runa's cheeks were puffed out with anger.
"Runa, were you eavesdropping?"
"I-I wasn't! I just happened to hear!"
Runa hid behind Eita's back and glared at Akane.
"I understand how you feel, Runa-chan. The game saved me too."
Akane spoke slowly.
"...I don't want to hear that from you."
Runa turned away with a huff.
But her cheeks had softened, just a little.
Akane noticed.
(Runa-chan really isn't honest.)
(But that's just who Runa-chan is.)
Akane smiled softly.
Just then, Eita's phone rang.
"...It's Kamoda-san."
Eita looked at the screen and pressed the call button.
"Hello."
"Yo! Eita, you got a minute?"
A laid-back voice came through the speaker.
"Yeah, Akane, Yamada, and Runa are here right now."
"Oh, nice! Hey, about the joining thing — I'm fine either way. More people is more fun."
Kamoda's carefree voice filled the tatami room.
"Kamoda-san, that's just like you..."
Eita held his head.
"What? Did I say something weird?"
"No, it's fine. Let's talk properly another time."
"Sure. Tell Akane-chan I said hi."
The call ended.
"...Kamoda-san never changes."
When Akane laughed, Eita smiled wryly.
"He lightens the mood of the guild, and I'm grateful for that. But this time, it's a bit..."
Eita tilted his coffee cup.
"Well, let's not rush to a conclusion today. Let's hear everyone's opinions and talk a bit more. Sound good?"
"...I'm absolutely against it, got it!"
Runa poked her head out from behind Eita.
"I know."
Eita patted Runa's head.
Runa looked a little embarrassed, but not entirely displeased.
Watching the siblings, Akane's chest grew warm.
(Eita-san really treasures Runa-chan.)
(I want to protect this guild too.)
(I want to protect everyone's place.)
That was what Akane quietly thought.
In the end, that day's discussion ended without a conclusion.
"See you in the game, then."
"Yes! Thank you for the onigiri today!"
Akane bowed.
"Come again, my kids."
"I told you, we're not your kids!"
When Akane laughed, Eita showed his dimples and laughed too.
Yamada left the shop without a word.
Akane chased after him.
"Yamada-kun, thanks for today."
"Whatever. Senpai just called me."
"...Yeah."
Akane glanced at Yamada's profile.
(What does Yamada-kun think?)
(About Washida-san.)
(About the new member.)
There were so many things she wanted to ask.
But she couldn't put them into words.
"...Well, I'm this way."
Yamada stopped in front of the station ticket gates.
"Oh, yeah. Thanks again for today."
When Akane waved, Yamada raised a hand slightly and disappeared through the gates.
Akane watched his back for a while.
That night.
Akane changed into her pajamas and sat in front of her computer.
She logged into *Arcadia Chronicle*.
Her cat-eared girl avatar, Akane, appeared in the guild house.
"...I'm kind of tired today."
Akane murmured softly.
A notification blinked at the edge of the screen.
"...Huh?"
Akane moved her cursor over it.
[Private Message: WASHIDA]
Her finger stopped.
(From Washida-san...?)
Her heart slowly began to beat faster.
With trembling fingers, Akane opened the message.
Akane-san, good evening. I heard you had a discussion with the guild today? I'm sorry for making things difficult with my joining.
But there's something I want to tell you, Akane-san.
You like Yamada-kun, don't you?
Akane's breath stopped.
The words on the screen seeped slowly into her mind.
I like him too. Yamada-kun.
So why don't we have a contest to see who's more suited for him?
Akane could feel her hand trembling on the mouse.
(...What?)
(A contest...?)
(What is this?)
Her mind went blank.
Her heart was pounding so loud it hurt.
(You like Yamada-kun, don't you?)
(I like him too.)
(Why don't we have a contest?)
Akane put her hands on the keyboard.
I don't like him
Type, delete.
What do you mean, contest
Type, delete.
What are you talking about
Type, delete.
"...I can't reply."
Akane murmured softly in front of the screen.
Her fingers wouldn't move.
The words wouldn't come.
(Do I like Yamada-kun?)
(I shouldn't.)
(But then why am I this shaken?)
Akane couldn't understand her own feelings.
The clock hands had already crept past midnight.
In the end, unable to reply to anything, Akane turned off the computer.
She lay down on her bed.
Stared at the ceiling.
Washida's words repeated over and over in her head.
*I like him too. Yamada-kun.*
(Washida-san said she likes Yamada-kun.)
(She said it clearly.)
(And me...?)
Akane buried her face in her pillow.
(What do I think of Yamada-kun?)
(I don't know.)
(But Washida-san's words hurt
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