Chapter 2: Operation - Conquering the Heroine

The protagonist of Chapter One of Bluff of Girls: The Girls Who Wear Their Bravado was Tatewaki Hazuki.

With her dignified, warrior-like bearing, she seemed strong—but mentally, she wasn't nearly as resilient as she appeared.

And she was pretty bad at communicating.

A Bluffer's power was heavily affected by their mental state.

Hazuki had originally been strong.

But conflicts with her teammates and her resistance toward the protagonist gradually drove her into a corner, until she made a fatal mistake.

As a result, she lost one of her fellow Bluffers.

Witnessing that scene made her realize how arrogant she had been, and that her way of thinking had been wrong. From there, she grew into a Bluffer who was mentally strong as well.

...No, couldn't they have just let her grow normally?!

Why does Bluff of Girls have to be so damn depressing every single time?!

I get it... I get it, but Hazuki is such an incredibly good girl. I just wanted her to be happy.

Of course, I admit that the dark, heavy development had a catharsis that only such a story could provide.

But I wanted the girl named Tatewaki Hazuki, the one living right in front of me, to simply be happy.

◇◇◇

"Listen. Hazuki may not look it, but she's lonely and anxious. So you need to become someone who can listen to her worries, worry alongside her, and help her."

"Shouldn't Usobuki be the one doing that?"

"What I can do and what you can do are different. All I can do is support her as a colleague. But you can become someone she can lean on as her Anchor."

I looked him in the eyes and spoke in the most serious tone a habitual liar like me could manage.

And maybe, if things work out, you two could become a couple...

I kept that selfish little wish to myself.

"I see..."

"Well, if you get stuck, you can always ask me for advice. We're partners who know each other's secrets. At least I'll be there to comfort you when she rejects you."

"Why are you already assuming I'm going to get rejected?"

To show that I was joking, I laughed loudly and put a cigarette between my lips.

This was the third time I'd talked with him like this. The area behind the school building had become the perfect place for secret meetings between me and the protagonist.

And whenever I came here, I couldn't help but smoke.

The sharp scent somehow calmed my mood.

At least I turned my face slightly away when exhaling, making sure the smoke wouldn't drift toward him.

"Listen, what Hazuki is actually weak against is someone coming on strong. She usually acts like, 'Such flirtatious nonsense!' but she loves shoujo manga, and the scenario she wants most is getting kabedon'd."

"Aren't you revealing something incredibly embarrassing about her...?"

"Well, if Hazuki finds out, she'll probably cut me down."

"S-She'll cut you down...?"

I could practically picture it: her beautiful face turning bright red as she waved her Japanese sword around.

"Yeah. She's such a serious girl that she doesn't get jokes."

"I don't think serious girls normally cut their friends down..."

Ah, this was kind of fun. Talking with him reminded me of my days back when I was still a man.

Talking stupid nonsense with other guys, laughing at crude jokes, drinking alcohol.

Things a beautiful fourteen-year-old girl couldn't do.

"Oh, right. Have you found anyone you like yet?"

"What?!"

He jerked backward, letting out a completely bewildered yelp.

"I mean, come on. The Bluffers are all cute, cool, or beautiful, right? Even if you don't like anyone, there must be at least someone you're interested in."

"No, no! I don't have the luxury of thinking about that kind of thing!"

He waved his hands back and forth.

He was fun to tease.

But I couldn't underestimate him. This guy was a future harem protagonist who would end up getting close with more than ten heroines.

"Huh? You tripped and fell on top of a girl, and that's what you have to say?"

"Huh?! How do you know—? No, never mind."

"Ohhh... So who did you fall on top of?"

I had merely baited him, yet he'd immediately given himself away. Grinning, I leaned closer.

Those cliché lucky-pervert incidents were the first affection events with the characters.

In Bluff of Girls, every character you owned had an Affection Level. Taking them into battle and completing interaction events raised that level.

As their level increased, you could unlock their individual stories.

"Who was it? Which heroine was it?"

"Heroine...? No, um... it was my childhood friend, Mana."

"Ahhh, Mana, huh?"

Mana was the only heroine with the childhood-friend archetype.

She rarely showed much emotion and wasn't very talkative.

However, once you raised her Affection Level, you got to see an incredibly cute affectionate side of her, so I highly recommended it.

"Well, whatever. Just be careful not to spread yourself too thin and get stabbed."

"What are you even talking about?!"

I'm talking about you, you future womanizer.

"Do you like Mana?"

"Well, she's my childhood friend, so of course I don't dislike her... But she's an amazing person—far more amazing than I am. So it's not like that."

He answered hesitantly.

So this part was just like the original story too.

"Well, that's not important right now. Anyway, keep an eye on Hazuki for a while. Her mental state is pretty unstable. Keeping the Bluffers mentally healthy is part of your job as an Anchor. Sorry, but I'm counting on you."

"My job, huh..."

I immediately regretted my wording when his expression darkened slightly.

"Ah, no, sorry. I don't want to bind you with some weird sense of duty. You're a high school kid, not some working adult."

"Huh? ...That's not really what I meant, though."

He still had the right to enjoy the moratorium of youth—to simply live as a kid.

The adults of this world were the ones who had taken that right away from him.

So it was wrong to force adult logic and responsibilities onto him.

"Let me put it another way. I'm worried about her, so... would you keep an eye on her too?"

Once again, I looked directly into his eyes.

After a moment, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

"...If that's what you meant, you should've said so from the start."

He answered with an awkward smile.

"I mean, I hardly have any experience interacting with girls, so I'm not very confident..."

I let the thought slip out and gave a wry smile. I immediately recalled her advice.

"First, talk to her. Don't put on airs—show her who you really are. Hazuki's weak to that kind of thing."

---

〈TIPS〉The protagonist's name can be freely changed later in the game.

---

Hazuki herself had told me that the rooftop was a place she often visited.

I opened the unlocked rooftop door and found a single girl standing beneath the blue sky.

The black-haired girl, her hair tied back, was swinging a Japanese sword while still wearing her school uniform.

"Hngh!"

The only sounds echoing across the rooftop, far removed from the noise of the world below, were the girl's breaths and the blade cutting through the air.

It was a scene so beautiful that I found myself holding my breath.

The black-haired girl swung her sword with complete focus. There wasn't the slightest tremor in the blade as it came down from overhead. It was as though the space around her alone existed in an entirely different dimension.

The seriousness she displayed was utterly at odds with the ordinary setting of a school rooftop.

Even after I'd entered, she repeated the practice swings several more times. Then, lowering her sword to steady her breathing, she finally seemed to notice me.

Her expression, which had been as clear and calm as still water, changed into an openly displeased scowl. With her naturally sharp, upturned eyes, that expression made her particularly intimidating.

She addressed me in a prickly tone.

"Lord Anchor. Do you have some business on the rooftop?"

"N-No, I just wanted to get some fresh air. Funny running into you here! Want to talk for a bit?"

My strained excuse earned me a suspicious look, but she seemed to accept it for the time being.

"I'm practicing my swings here. Sorry for taking up the space, but please enjoy your 'fresh air' over in a corner."

She was completely curt about it.

"Well, as the Anchor, I do want to get along with everyone, at least."

Her eyes snapped toward me in a fierce glare.

"There's no need. We've managed just fine without an Anchor until now. Raika is enough of a source of emotional support for us. This is none of your concern."

Normally, a glare that intimidating would have sent me retreating with my tail between my legs.

But today, I was on an errand from the dead-eyed, smoking loli-sama. At the very least, I wanted to take this opportunity to get to know what kind of person she really was.

"But Usobuki was worried about you. She said you don't really get along with the others."

"Wha—?! I-I... I do feel bad about that."

The way she mumbled was completely different from her clear, confident manner of speaking earlier. Suddenly, she looked almost timid.

"You don't need to worry about what Raika says. In any case, I simply don't have the personality to play at being all buddy-buddy with everyone."

As if to hide something, she turned her back on me and resumed practicing her swings.

"Usobuki said you're too hard on both yourself and others. She also said it would be nice if you could loosen up a little."

"Hmph. That does sound like something she'd say."

She muttered with obvious displeasure as she swung her sword.

At this rate, it felt like the conversation was about to end.

"Do you hate Usobuki, Tatewaki?"

"No. There are plenty of things about her that irritate me, but she is someone I can respect."

"Then what about the other Bluffers?"

"They're all kinder than I am. People worthy of my respect."

That was unexpected.

Because she always gave off a faint air of rejection, I'd mistakenly assumed that she looked down on the people around her as well.

Realizing how foolish my assumption had been made me feel a little embarrassed.

"That said, I can't help but call them too soft. We didn't come here to play at being friends. We've been entrusted with the mission of saving humanity."

"I heard that mental stability is important for Bluffers, though."

"Of course it is. But letting yourself grow complacent can become a fatal opening. I cannot accept how overly kind they are."

The whoosh of her sword cutting through the air seemed stronger than before.

"You're kind, Tatewaki."

"—What?"

In that instant, a slash tore through the air beside me with a sound sharp enough to send a chill down my spine.

Right in front of me, she stood with an enraged expression, her sword having come down in a powerful swing.

"How in the world did you come to that conclusion? I am not kind."

"But you're genuinely worried about your comrades, not just saying pretty words."

She held her breath at my words, so I pressed on.

"That's not some half-hearted kindness. You're sincerely thinking about them. You're just clumsy—you only know how to express your kindness through strictness."

She drew in a sharp breath. She stopped breathing for a moment and said nothing.

Watching her, I began to feel a faint sense of guilt.

Those weren't my words.

They were Usobuki's words. She was the one who had taught me that about her.

"...That's the first time anyone has ever said that to me."

She stopped practicing and looked directly at me.

Our eyes met.

My guilt only grew stronger.

Her expression had always been stern and composed, but now her cheeks softened ever so slightly.

"Perhaps... I wouldn't mind speaking a little more honestly with you."

No. You didn't earn that trust. Usobuki did.

Without saying that aloud, I gave her a vague smile.

---

〈TIPS〉After saying something harsh to someone, Tatewaki Hazuki holds a private reflection session all by herself.

---

"So it feels like I'm cheating? ...AHAHAHA! You're so naive!"

Usobuki slapped my back repeatedly with the hand that wasn't holding a cigarette.

Naive, she says, even though she still looked like nothing more than an elementary or middle schooler.

"You didn't lie, did you? You observed her yourself and reached the same conclusion I did, right? Then that's good enough."

"No, it's more that I only noticed because of what you told me. I mean, it's not like I reached that conclusion entirely on my own..."

"Who cares about the process? What matters is the result."

With that, she turned away and exhaled a stream of smoke.

I wasn't completely convinced, but I kept my mouth shut for the time being.

"Then next up is... Operation Lovey-Dovey Date."

"...What kind of lame name is that?"

"L-Lame...?"

She stared at me in utter shock and nearly dropped the cigarette between her fingers.

I felt like the cloudiness in her eyes had somehow gotten even worse.

"So this is what they call a generation gap... No matter how young my body becomes, my mind is still..."

Muttering to herself, she vigorously ground the cigarette into the ashtray.

Apparently, she'd taken some serious emotional damage.

"No, whatever. The point is, you need to get closer to Hazuki and reach the part of her she's keeping buried deep inside. You understand that, right?"

"Well, I understand that she's unstable and needs someone to support her."

"Exactly. Which is why you need to take her on a date. If you just ask her normally, she'll probably stubbornly say something like, 'I have no interest in such frivolous pursuits!' But I have a plan."

"Heh heh heh..."

She gave me a wicked grin.

---

〈TIPS〉Tatewaki Hazuki usually wears her hair in a ponytail, but on rare occasions during her days off, she wears it in twin-tails.

---

The Bluffers attended classes just like ordinary high school students.

Studying wasn't useful in battle, but if we ever managed to defeat the Fictional Invaders and return to normal society, we'd need an education. We weren't soldiers. We were ordinary people who just happened to have powers.

And then came lunchtime.

"Hazuki, want to have lunch together today?"

"Sure, I don't mind. The cafeteria?"

Hazuki nodded at my suggestion without the slightest suspicion.

Heh heh heh. Fooled you.

I smirked to myself. Hazuki knew perfectly well that I was a liar, yet she still hadn't learned to be on guard around me. That was her fault.

We picked up our food together and headed toward our usual table.

And there he was.

The protagonist.

"Oh, you're here too. What a coincidence. Since we're all here, why don't we eat together?"

"Y-Yeah. I mean, we did just happen to end up together!"

This guy is terrible at lying...

Hazuki sharply furrowed her brows and stared at the protagonist.

"Are you eating with Lord Anchor, Raika? In that case, I'll find somewhere else to—"

"Ah, wait, wait, wait! Since we're here, let's all eat together, okay?"

"No, I—"

"Hazuki isn't the kind of person who breaks a promise. Right?"

I deliberately used words I knew would provoke her.

Hazuki let out a deep sigh and reluctantly took a seat.

Hazuki and I sat next to each other, while the protagonist sat alone across from us.

So far, everything was going more or less according to plan.

Now all the protagonist had to do was make an effort to talk to Hazuki.

As if getting started right away, he began speaking to her while she ate.

"Um, Tatewaki, you're having Japanese food. Not many people get that at the cafeteria, do they?"

"Yes."

"The salmon is a really nice color. Is it good?"

"Yes."

"By the way, what do you like? For me, out of the things on your tray, I'd probably go with the seasoned spinach, or—"

"Yes."

The protagonist looked at me with eyes screaming, Help me!

Hazuki's brutally curt responses had apparently shattered his spirit.

I guess I had no choice.

"Hazuki, isn't it rational to deepen your relationship with the Anchor and reduce the emotional distance between you?"

"Even you are going to say that, Raika? I have no need to socialize for the sake of strengthening my power as a Bluffer."

"Try thinking about it more flexibly. It doesn't have to be for just one reason. It can be both. If you become friends, maybe you'll grow stronger. And he might become someone you can talk to when you're lonely, since you don't exactly have many friends."

"Urgh..."

Her face twisted as though I'd hit a sore spot.

Apparently, she was aware of how isolated she was.

"V-Very well, then, Lord Anchor—"

"Ah, call me Nakatsuka. We don't seem that far apart in age, so you don't need to call me something so formal."

Most Bluffers were girls around middle school or high school age. The protagonist was, if I remembered correctly, a second-year high school student, so most of them were around his age.

"...Nakatsuka."

"You sound incredibly unhappy about it."

Hazuki awkwardly attempted to make conversation.

I watched over her with the feeling of a proud parent.

"D-Do you have any hobbies?"

"Hazuki, that sounds like a marriage interview. Are you trying to get married?"

My joke instantly turned her face bright red.

"D-Don't be ridiculous! I-I would never... Marriage is still at least ten years too early for me...!"

"O-Okay."

I had teased her, but the reaction was even bigger than I'd expected.

"B-Besides, if I were to get married, I wouldn't want an arranged marriage. I'd want to fall in love first. We'd slowly get to know each other, and then I'd receive a proper proposal and become lovers, and after confirming our feelings and compatibility, we'd finally get married when the time was right..."

"Hazuki, you're exposing embarrassing things about yourself without me having to reveal them."

"—!"

With a snap, Hazuki whipped her bright-red face toward the protagonist.

All he could do was give an awkward smile.

"A-Ahaha... But I'm kind of relieved. I thought all of you Bluffers were these amazing people far beyond someone like me, but I guess you actually have pretty normal values. You're ordinary people, just like me."

"What did you think we were? We're not some kind of military, so don't be so self-conscious around us."

"That's right. If anything, I'm an ordinary person."

Hazuki muttered self-deprecatingly.

"So, what were you like at school?"

Hazuki thought for a moment before answering.

"I didn't do anything particularly remarkable. I was decent enough at studying. I was in the kendo club, so that's what I devoted myself to."

I couldn't resist interrupting.

"Decent at studying? Did you forget that disastrous math score you got the other day?"

"T-That was because my training left me without enough time to study..."

"Then why didn't you let me teach you? I told you to ask me! Why don't you ever rely on me?"

"Well, you were already helping other people study too, so..."

"Honestly... Listen, if you don't know enough, bad adults will trick you someday, you know?"

Adults like me, for example.

"Coming from the smallest person here, that sounds unbelievably strange. How old did you say you were again?"

"Huh? Fourteen."

"...What?"

The protagonist looked as though he was about to ask something.

I shot him an absolutely murderous glare.

When you tell different lies to multiple people, this sort of thing happens sometimes. I overcame the crisis with the brute-force tactic of simply shutting one of them up.

Perhaps sensing my killing intent, he quietly closed his mouth.

"It's rather pathetic for a high school student to be taught by a middle schooler... but with Raika, somehow, I can accept it. Why do you always seem so mature?"

"It's because I've always read nothing but books. It's nothing special. Don't worry about it."

Ah, damn. I ended up talking about myself too much again.

Thinking that, I looked toward the protagonist.

He seemed to be quietly observing the two of us.