According to Misha, there was once a Mita who failed to save her version properly during an update and, as a result, lost the coordinates to her room.
Forever lost... endlessly searching for her room.
"Yes... It's rather embarrassing, actually. I never thought word of it would get around to everyone."
The girl with braids seemed a little ashamed of her own clumsiness, fiddling helplessly with her fingers.
She gazed at the countless doors lining the corridor. "The corridor... just like Misha described. It acts as a transit hub between versions. Behind each door lies a different possibility. That's why..."
"So, that's why you wander this endless corridor?" Alain looked up, studying the Lost Mita's face.
While doing so, he glanced at her legs again.
Back to the matter at hand... The more Alain looked at her, the more familiar she seemed, as if he'd seen her somewhere before.
"Um... excuse me, have we met before?"
Just as he voiced his question, someone pinched his side. He turned to see Misha narrowing her eyes thoughtfully.
"Darling, I'm starting to seriously wonder if you feel the need to hit on every single Mita you meet."
It's true.
Alain didn't say that aloud. A big reason he loved this game was precisely because the beautiful Mita-type girls were exactly his type.
"Ahem... But I'm not hitting on her this time."
Although his previous comments about the 'Ugly Mita' being "so cute" certainly sounded like flirting. But that was mostly just a professional habit acting up; it wasn't really his fault.
As for the Lost Mita, she was watching Alain's face thoughtfully when she noticed him glance at her legs again.
"Th-that... I'm quite certain we haven't met before."
Her hands clutched the hem of her skirt, as if that could somehow hide her legs.
The Lost Mita knew her unusually long legs tended to frighten others, so she usually kept her distance from other Mitas and players.
But this player's gaze... it was so intense. Even during their earlier clash, he seemed to have time to spare glances her way.
If she had met someone like him before, she would definitely remember. He'd be hard to forget...
Ah... he looked again, how mortifying... But isn't he scared? Of these legs...
The Lost Mita felt a little scared, but also curious.
"Is that so?" Alain glanced at her long legs again, a look that made the Lost Mita give a wry smile and retreat two steps.
He started rummaging through the drawers of his memory.
So far, he had entered the rooms of two Mitas. First was Misha's, though that had been... interfered with by that treacherous woman.
Second was the room of the cute, short-haired Mita from when he first started the game—version 1.5.
The pictures didn't match.
Other than those... there shouldn't have been any others.
"Or perhaps it wasn't a room I actually entered, just one I observed from the outside."
Seeing Alain fall into quiet contemplation, the two girls didn't disturb him.
Misha moved closer to the Lost Mita. "Don't worry. When Alain gets like this, it means he's onto something. He's full of clever ideas."
"Mm..."
The Lost Mita kept her head down. Didn't she know better than anyone how hard it was to find her way back?
She longed to have a home of her own, just like the other Mitas. And then... to have a player who belonged to her.
Ideally...
The Lost Mita's gaze flickered briefly towards Alain.
Even if this player is a bit... odd, she thought. If I had a player like him, I bet every day would be interesting, wouldn't it?
Talking, laughing, sharing harmless jokes... Days and nights filled with happy sounds.
But that was just wishful thinking, she knew.
The Lost Mita had lost count of how long she'd been searching, always without success.
This interesting player and Mita were just temporary figures in her long search; they would eventually leave.
And then, she would be back to her endless journey. A journey that might last forever, until her consciousness was finally deleted.
She could only hope they might return occasionally, acting as temporary companions to chat with, pass the time, maybe even listen to her complaints.
The Lost Mita didn't hold out much hope for this.
Once, she too had been full of hope. But with each door she opened, that flame of hope had been dimmed by the endless drafts of the corridor.
Until now... she was merely going through the motions, mechanically following the faint echo of her own desire.
"Got it."
But just then, Alain's words pulled her back from her thoughts.
The player's gaze met hers, settling upon her, his eyes filled with conviction.
"I have seen you before."
Alain looked intently at the familiar Mita. Her hairstyle... he'd only seen it once.
"More accurately, I've seen a picture of your room."
It was true; he had only actually entered two other Mitas' rooms.
But he had seen more than that.
Because before reaching this corridor, he had tried opening doors that connected to other rooms.
There, Alain had seen the Ugly Mita, the Mita with glasses, and... the Mita with braids.
In the picture, her smile was sweet and gentle, a far cry from the hesitation and hopelessness reflected in her eyes now.
Her room had also left a strong impression on him: it was the only one whose doorframe wasn't stained with those black spots.
As soon as Alain finished speaking, the Lost Mita froze, completely stunned.
"Huh? Wh-what do you mean?"
A spark of hope ignited in her eyes, instantly burning away the despair.
"You... Player, what do you mean?"
She bent down, reaching out, grabbing Alain's shoulders as gently as she could, careful not to hurt him.
Even so, the Lost Mita knew it was incredibly rude to grab the player who had just offered help like this.
But her overwhelming emotions drove her to do it.
The girl desperately wanted to grasp this sliver of hope. Her large, misty eyes showed fear of losing it again, just like countless times before.
Alain didn't seem to mind her actions. He patted her hand reassuringly and smiled, "I mean, I've seen your room."
He then deliberately emphasized, "The room you've been searching for."
"..."
The Lost Mita fell silent. Her legs trembling, she slowly crouched down, bringing her eyes level with Alain's.
Alain could see in her eyes a hope so intense it bordered on faith.
Her eyes welled with tears as she clung to this hope with solemn desperation.
"I desperately... need your help, Player..."
Afraid Alain might refuse, she quickly added, "Could you please... help me?"
"Of course. Oh, wait... this time I should say—"
Alain paused, considering his words. "Does that even need asking?"
Hearing his response, she lowered her head deeply, her shoulders trembling so much that neither Alain nor Misha could see her face.
"Thank you..."
Hot tears escaped from the shadow covering her face, falling drop by drop, wetting the corridor floor.
Misha, standing nearby, heard Alain's answer and smiled warmly. That's Alain for you, she thought. Always ready to lend a hand, always offering hope. That's just who he is.
She walked up behind the Lost Mita and gently patted her back, comforting her.
"It's going to be okay."
_____________
🎉 WE DID IT! 🎉 We've officially hit 21 supporters! 🥳 I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! ❤️
And guess what? The Director is ready to DOUBLE THE CHAPTERS for our next milestone! 🚀
🎯 NEW GOAL: Reach 30 SUBSCRIBERS and unlock an incredible 10 BONUS CHAPTERS! 🤯📖
PLUS, don't forget our PowerStone & Review Campaign! 🌟 Every 100 PowerStones OR 5 Reviews = 1 EXTRA CHAPTER! ✍️💎
Join the awesome journey: patreon.com/Walnutchan ✨