Lies Become Truth
Lies become truth. Adults become children. In the game, after awakening as a Netdiver, the protagonist somehow boards an escape pod and flees the crumbling Research Lab. Which meant the path to the escape pod was straight out of the tutorial route.
But every tutorial has one unavoidable element: the combat tutorial to teach new players the controls.
“Catch 'em! They're around here somewhere!”
“...”
Dorothy and I clamped our hands over each other's mouths again, ducking behind the wall. Our pursuers—the armed guards—and the government soldiers gunning them down. Towering mountains of muscle that no single pistol could ever hope to drop, even in a dozen lifetimes.
But a Netdiver could nail them in one shot.
The catalyst to make me that Netdiver was clutched in Dorothy's hand.
It's always most dangerous right before the big payoff. This was the prime moment to sell—if only I could.
As the frantic shouts and gunfire faded into the distance, Dorothy and I crept down the corridor.
“Hoo...”
Even through the sudden escape, Dorothy had kept up like a champ, but now she was drenched in sweat, staggering with exhaustion.
“Dorothy.”
“I said no Netdiver. You do it, Tiara.”
“...No, just help me walk...”
“Oh.”
And that's when my legs gave out completely—I could barely move.
Dorothy, this girl... her stamina's better than mine was as a guy.
Navigating the obviously collapsing Research Lab, listening for footsteps amid the crashes, hiding, tensing up, sprinting, agonizing over whether to shoot or not, and in the end letting them go because it felt too iffy... I'd lived a life far removed from combat, and this nonstop ordeal had me on the verge of collapse.
“We're here...! Mmph...!”
But we made it in the end. To the escape pod bay.
Dorothy, panting beside me, whispered excitedly—then clamped her mouth shut. I peeked ahead and froze too.
The bay was swarming with lab coats—researchers.
“...Let's wait a bit.”
Of course, I wasn't startled by them. Dorothy seemed worried about running out of pods, but in the game, there's always one left when the protagonist arrives.
What shocked me was someone I never expected to see here.
“That woman...”
A skintight special suit hugging her body. White hair, red eyes. Sharp features. She was whispering to a nearby researcher, and I found myself staring blankly.
“You know her...? She looks like you, Tiara...”
I nodded at Dorothy's whisper.
The original game's protagonist was in the escape pod bay.
We'd followed the canon route to the letter. Like a possessed extra hogging the protagonist's opportunities, I'd even scarfed down the Netdiver awakening catalyst, reaching the final scene of the prologue.
Maybe that's why—aside from the surprise enemies choking us up—we'd gotten here pretty smoothly. Honestly.
So yeah, I felt a twinge of guilt watching her dawdle even as pods launched one by one.
“...I might be a little jealous.”
Dorothy grumbled.
Shut up. Ungrateful brat. The catalyst's yours. The pod's yours. All stolen from her.
Of course, she had no clue... so the pouting Dorothy with puffed cheeks was innocent enough.
I ruffled her now-black hair.
Soon, only two remained in the bay: the canon protagonist and the researcher by her side.
“Tiara...”
Dorothy glanced at the gun in my hand. Only one pod left.
“It's fine.”
I aimed forward as I spoke. My escape plan hinged on that single pod.
If our meddling caused a butterfly effect and even one of them took it... I'd pull the trigger.
Gulp.
I swallowed, sighting down the barrel at their argument. Dorothy held her breath beside me, laser-focused.
—...!
—...!!!
The two... walked right out of the pod bay.
“Hoo...”
Dorothy and I sighed in unison, stepping out slowly.
No signs of life all the way to the pod. We'd done it.
I could save Dorothy.
Drained, I pointed at the pod. “Get in quick. Inject the catalyst on the way out. Got it?”
Dorothy stared at it, then glared at me.
“Tiara.”
Her voice wasn't the sweet, gentle one I'd always heard.
“You serious?”
Hah, what now...?
I scowled back at her.
“No more talk. Get in.”
“Hah.”
The ever-smiley Dorothy scoffed for the first time. Her fiery eyes bored into me.
“Tiara, what about you?”
I was too wiped for a proper lie. I leaned against the wall and shrugged.
“Only one pod? I'll find another.”
“Then take the catalyst at least. You said it'd make you strong.”
I shook my head. No way.
For Dorothy to make it solo to the City, she'd need Netdiver power at minimum.
“Then I'll find a pod. You go first...”
Ah, stop. Please.
Dorothy.
I clutched my head.
“See? You're exhausted, so you take this one first...”
“Dorothy, please...! Listen to me...!”
She ignored me. Worse, menhera mode hit—she was glaring with wild eyes.
Q. What do you do when menhera hits in a crisis?
A. Fuck if I know, I'm about to menhera myself.
I squeezed my eyes shut. Calm down. Don't snap. She's just a kid. I'm the adult.
Even if my body's a girl's. Not just any girl, but one whose brain's mush for humanity's vaccine.
And fuck... I never asked for a second life. And if I did, not in this shitshow world.
But if I lose it...
Haa... Kang Tae-oh, the human, held back his anger.
But could the sharp-eyed beauty Tiara hold back?
No. Tiara was pissed.
“Just get in already! Idiot? Get in and you escape! So get in!”
I kicked the wall wildly. Slammed the empty pod slots.
I'm tired too. It's been less than two weeks here.
“I don't wanna scrape by anymore! In this girl's body... F-fuck! I don't wanna live! When that knife stabbed me, I wanted to die right then...!”
I didn't wanna reincarnate in this hellhole.
Parentless again. Loner again. No one to look out for me.
I didn't wanna survive it.
My chest tightened; I yanked at my clothes desperately.
As I—no, Tiara—threw her tantrum, Dorothy approached slowly, face pale. She untied the knot binding my chest.
The tightness eased for mobility, but my fucking... goddamn tits bulged out obscenely.
“You bound it too tight... Who did this...?”
I wanted to strangle Dorothy. No, Tiara did.
“You did. Don't you remember?”
Of course not. That Dorothy's gone.
Dorothy half-listened, gently stroking my upper chest. Lost in thought.
“Ngh...”
A weird noise slipped out. Where's she touching...?
Ignoring my reaction, Dorothy pried at a hidden truth.
“Tiara, am I... infected?”
“...Yeah. And the vaccine's me. So get in quick. I'll sacrifice for humanity.”
Right?
She recoiled at my sarcasm, arms dropping. I let mine fall from midair.
“Tiara, you get in.”
“Please, Dorothy. Don't do this.”
Even Kang Tae-oh begged now. Body and spirit broken, I crumpled before her.
Sighing out the breath I'd held since day one.
“Haa...”
Just... remember me... get fooled a bit, used a bit, then live well with the gift I prepared.
What's wrong with saving a kid doomed for lab fodder? Leaving one person who remembers me?
Is that so bad? Someone remembering me...
“That hard to live for me...?”
Dorothy knelt too, meeting my eyes. Tears welled in those blazing red ones, dripping like rain extinguishing a campfire.
“Tiara, were you planning to save just me and die?”
“Yeah.”
Her tears swelled at my instant reply. I couldn't meet those straight eyes.
Then Dorothy cupped my cheek.
Tap.
She swallowed sobs, pouring out her heart word by word.
“Tiara, thank you... for trying... to save me.”
And then... sniffling, she added through tears she couldn't hold back, wailing.
—We promised to escape together, you liar.
Her tear-mumbled sob woke me. Her ice-cold pale hand cooled my cheek and hair.
Dorothy didn't hide her messy face, stepping closer.
Ngh.
My awkward chest brushed hers. She knelt deeper, hugging me tight.
She enveloped me completely. Dorothy's this big, huh. Never noticed.
...No, not the point now. Protagonist's coming. Gotta hurry.
The white-haired, red-eyed protagonist. Who'd lost both vaccine and catalyst...
“Tiara.”
“Dorothy, no time.”
I tried to move, but she held firm.
“There is.”
She declared, gazing down.
“...”
“Time to say goodbye.”
I looked into Dorothy's eyes—blazing red yet soaked.
“Yeah.”
We'd say goodbye.
“Let's.”
Dorothy chose our farewell: embraced, feeling each other's warmth. Heartbeats. Gazes.
And
“I wish we could've talked more.”
“...About what? Story time?”
In this desperate moment, before the last one-person escape pod,
“No, our story.”
We talked.
Kids don't share their stories much. Same for Dorothy and me. No stories to tell. Plot's obvious anyway. Most kids are street pickups or...
“Mom sent me here.”
Sold.
One or the other.
“Said if I behaved, she'd come get me. Knew it was a lie, but...”
She just dumped me. Hehe...
Dorothy grinned innocently, like a big gentle dog. I...
I couldn't speak easily, but Dorothy didn't push. She shared more instead.
“I like strawberry cake. Never had it, though? Eating it is my dream. Like me—sweet and tangy~”
Shameless. A chuckle escaped.
“Don't like... hmm. What?”
She pouted.
“Swearers. Violent people. Kids throwing fits over clothes.”
“...Sorry.”
My apology got me crushed in a suffocating hug—the way Dorothy, scarred by other kids' violence, punished my outburst.
“And liars.”
“...”
Guilty as charged.
“Tiara. I don't like it if we don't escape together.”
I told you from the start, she muttered poutily, lips pursed stubbornly.
“You don't wanna die either.”
I grumbled back, all sulky. No, Kang Tae-oh did.
Dorothy shrugged.
“Hmm. It's how that matters. How to live.”
Or die. I added silently.
“Tell me about you, Tiara. What do you like?”
Me... what do I like?
“Puppies.”
“Again?”
“...”
“One. Two. Three.”
At three, Dorothy giggled uhi-hi. Her big chest jiggled, shaking mine too.
Ugh.
“Mom said anyone who can't name a like in three seconds is unhappy.”
“...Why remember the bitch who ditched you?”
What're you doing, Kang Tae-oh? Crazy fuck, dropping pad rips.
Dorothy shrugged it off.
“How matters, right? I walked here myself. So not abandoned.”
“To your death.”
My mouth ran rogue again. But Dorothy patted the last pod casually.
“Like you?”
“Heh heh heh...”
Laughter bubbled out. Point taken. I concede.
Dorothy blushed, ears red—disliking her own snark.
“Anyway... then say what you hate.”
“Mom say that too?”
She nodded.
“Can't name a hate in three seconds? Idiot.”
Answer came instantly.
“People who trash parents.”
Dorothy laughed—recalling my earlier jab.
“Again?”
“Mocking kids with no parents... orphans.”
She didn't call it similar. Hugged tighter, asked again.
“Again?”
“...Parentless orphan shits.”
We both giggled. Naughty kids. Damn.
Ah, really. My heart... eased more than expected. Enough to bare my soul to the kid I had to protect.
“Dorothy, you're right... I seem unhappy.”
“Dunno why I gotta live here. And if caught, I'd save humanity?”
Dorothy—who'd pondered this before me—mumbled softly.
“Then make something you like.”
“Something I like?”
Avoiding my eyes, she continued.
“Yeah... I wanted to die too... but thanks to you...”
Too mumbled to catch the end. She glossed over, asking back.
“Was story time with me... boring, Tiara?”
TRPG, huh... Honestly? Meh. Fun with Dorothy, but I made it to feed her info anyway. In a real game...
“Ah.”
“Tiara...?”
I have something I like. Games.
What's gaming like in this dystopian cyberpunk world? Then...
Maybe I could...
“I thought of something I wanna do.”
“Really? What, what is it!”
Dorothy hugged me tight, excited as me.
“Make a game.”
“Eh.”
She pouted oddly. Why? I felt recharged, wanted to shower her with affection... but she kept puffing cheeks, dodging my hands.