Rabu kome manga no sekai ni haitte shimattanode - Chapter 2

 Chapter 2: It seems like it wasn't just a dream...

“...Am I still dreaming?”

After waking up, eating breakfast, and seeing my uniform, I couldn’t help but mutter that to myself.

The feeling of the house was almost identical to my house in the real world—no, it was exactly the same, so I didn’t notice at all. But the uniform... there was no mistaking it. It’s unmistakably the uniform of Tōjōin High School from ‘Ojōjama.’

And in my mind, I had the memories of Hisamura Tsukasa, the character from the manga world.

It seems like I’m still in a dream... Is that what’s going on?

Is this really a dream? Can something this real even be called a dream?

Maybe... just maybe... I’ve completely entered the world of ‘Ojōjama’, the manga?

And not only that, I’ve become the character Hisamura Tsukasa, who shares the same name and gender as me in the real world.

“Huh... Seriously?”

Have I really become Hisamura Tsukasa from ‘Ojōjama’?

But the situation right now could only be explained that way.

Yesterday, I thought, “This is a long dream,” but it seems like I’ve actually entered the world of the manga.

It’s hard to believe... but, well, for me, the feeling of happiness outweighs everything else.

I’ve entered the world of my favorite manga, where I can interact with my favorite characters.

An otaku who wouldn’t be excited about something this amazing... isn’t a true otaku.

Hm? Wait a minute, does that mean yesterday’s events were actually real in this world?

So, does that mean... I actually confessed my love to Sei-chan right after coming into this world.

Huh, that’s bad, right?

I thought I was in a dream, so I confessed to Sei-chan without hesitation, but if this actually continues as my reality... that feels really bad...

D-Did I really confess to Sei-chan yesterday?

Can I somehow say yesterday was a dream and that I’ve only entered the world of ‘Ojōjama’ today?

“Ah, that’s right, my phone...!”

Yesterday, I thought I was in a dream, so I sent Sei-chan a RINE message!

If the chat history was still there, that would mean this world is just a continuation of yesterday.

When I opened RINE and checked the chat history... yesterday’s messages were all still there.

And on top of that, I had sent some really embarrassing messages, probably because of a late-night mood... or maybe it was the dream-world mood...!

“Ugh, no way! No way! No way!”

I was so embarrassed that I couldn’t help but shout that in my room this morning.

I’m already creating my black history on the very first day in this world...!

No, I don’t want to admit that confessing to Sei-chan is part of my black history, but the words I said and the messages I sent... those are definitely black history material.

Ugh, I want to forget it, but there’s no way I can forget the first conversation I had with Sei-chan...!

Plus, Sei-chan’s reaction was super cute, so even though I want to forget it, I don’t want to forget it.

I definitely don’t want to forget how cute Sei-chan’s reaction was, but I do want to forget my cringeworthy words and actions.

What is this dilemma? It seems like there’s no way to solve it.

Well, the desire to remember Sei-chan’s cute appearance is definitely much, much bigger than wanting to forget my painful actions, so I’ll definitely remember it.

“I really want to delete this chat history, but I definitely don’t want to delete it...!”

Yesterday, I thought, “This is probably just a dream, and I’m imagining Sei-chan sending me these messages,” but if this is real, that changes everything.

When I think about each of these messages being carefully thought out and sent by Sei-chan just for me... it’s so precious I might die.

Yeah, I took a screenshot too, and no matter how much I chat with Sei-chan from now on, this chat history will remain with me. I’ll treasure it like a family heirloom.

As I was thinking about that, there was a knock at my room door—thud-thud.

“Onii-chan! You’re going to be late if you don’t leave for school soon!”

“Ah, yeah, I know, Rie.”

I responded to that voice and grabbed my bag, leaving the room.

Outside my room stood my little sister, Hisamura Rie.

Of course, this wasn’t my real-world little sister, but the little sister of Hisamura Tsukasa from the world of ‘Ojōjama’.

She’s a year younger then me, and in her first year at the same high school.

She has flaxen-colored hair tied in a side tail, with a cute scrunchie in it.

Her face has a cute look to it, but she doesn’t smile much when interacting with her big brother, Hisamura Tsukasa.

She has quite a strong personality and is the type to scold her hopeless big brother.

When she does smile, she’s really cute, though that doesn’t happen often in the story.

To spoil a bit, Hisamura Rie is also one of the heroines who adds color to the story, and she has feelings for the protagonist, Shigemoto Yūichi.

Rie, popular as a junior character, is probably going to be a losing heroine like Sei-chan.

But I guess, at this point, she hasn’t met the protagonist, Shigemoto Yūichi, yet.

The scene I encountered yesterday, where Sei-chan suppresses her feelings and encourages Fujise, happens quite early on in the story.

So, Rie might not even have appeared in the original story yet.

Later on, it’s revealed that Shigemoto Yūichi has a close friend named Hisamura Tsukasa, who has a little sister. She later becomes one of the heroines who adds color to the story.

Rie has a very cute face but hardly ever smiles, usually wearing a stern expression.

But when she’s praised by Yūichi or when she gets flustered, her embarrassed face or the way she angrily says, “P-Please stop!” is super cute and popular.

But, well... I think she’s probably a losing heroine, the type who doesn’t end up with the protagonist.

“...Hang in there, Rie.”

“Huh? What’s with you all of a sudden?”

“It’s okay, you’re really cute, so you’ll be happy someday.”

“W-What!? What are you talking about!?”

Oh, she’s blushing to hide her embarrassment and seems angry. Just like in the original story.

“And your voice is cute too.”

“Wha!? W-What are you saying so early in the morning, Onii-chan!”

“Also, it’s cute how a character like you calls me ‘Onii-chan.’”

“W-What!? Y-You idiot, Onii-chan! I’m going ahead!”

I was speaking my thoughts out loud when Rie’s face turned bright red, and she hurried down the stairs.

Uh oh, I really made her angry, didn’t I?

“Sorry, sorry, Rie. Let’s go together.”

I hurriedly rushed down the stairs and saw Rie waiting at the entrance, having finished changing her shoes.

“...Let’s go quickly, Onii-chan.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

Even though her cheeks were red and she looked a little irritated, she was waiting patiently.

“I’m so lucky to have such a cute little sister.”

“Wha...! Seriously, what have you been saying!?”

The real world... well, it’s already become my reality, so maybe I should call it the previous world.

In the previous world, I didn’t have a little sister, or any siblings for that matter.

It’s only natural that I’d be happy to suddenly have such a cute little sister.

And now that I think about it, last night, and even breakfast this morning, Rie made it for me.

The Hisamura family’s parents are often busy with work, so Rie is the one who does the cooking.

“Thanks for the meal, as always.”

“It’s... It’s nothing. I do it all the time.”

“I’m just thankful that you always do it.”

“W-What’s up with you, Onii-chan? Did you eat something weird for breakfast today?”

“If I ate something weird, it would mean you made it, Rie.”

“Fufu, yeah, you’re right.”

Oh, she smiled.

It wasn’t a big smile, but she smiled with her mouth corners turned up, making the whole atmosphere softer.

“Yeah, you really are cuter when you smile, Rie.”

I said that as I gently patted Rie’s head.

Rie, being a whole head shorter than me, was easy to pat on the head.

“Wha!? S-Stop it! My hair’s going to get messed up!”

“Hmm, ah, sorry, sorry.”

Her hair was tied in a side-tail, so the flow of her hair went to the right ear.

I must have patted it the wrong way, so I quickly fixed it and gently stroked her hair again.

“S-Stop it, I told you!”

Rie said that, brushing my hand away and lightly slapping my chest.

“I-I’m going ahead, Onii-chan! We’re really going to be late for school!”

“Yeah, got it. Don’t get so mad.”

“I’m not mad or anything...”

Rie, her cheeks red, placed her hand over the spot where I had patted her hair.

As expected, my little sister is very cute.

 

After that, I left the house with Rie, of course, not forgetting to lock the door.

Our house is within walking distance of the school, so there's no need to take the train.

However, walking takes about forty minutes, so I always ride my bike.

“Onii-chan, can I ride on the back today too?”

“Yeah, I don’t mind, but...”

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

Who would have thought that a day would come when I’d be pedaling a bike with a girl on the back?

Well, she’s my little sister, so it’s not that strange.

But is it even legal?

You often see depictions of two people riding a bike together in rom-com manga or light novels, and in those worlds, it’s probably not an issue legally.

Yeah, I’ll just assume it’s fine. The world of ‘Ojōjama’ probably doesn’t have legal issues with it either.

“Well, I guess it’s fine. Alright, let’s go, Rie. You got on properly?”

“Yeah, I’m good.”

Alright, let’s go!

Getting started is heavier than riding alone, but once we’re moving, it doesn’t seem like there’s any real problem.

Stopping at every traffic light and starting again is a little tough, but for my cute little sister, it’s a piece of cake.

After pedaling for about ten minutes toward school, I arrived at our usual spot.

Well, this is the usual spot for the Hisamura Tsukasa of this world, but it’s my first time here.

I’m supposed to drop Rie off just before we reach the school.

That’s why Rie is urging me to hurry, since if she doesn’t leave the house soon, she’ll be late.

"Thanks, Onii-chan."

"I keep saying this, but you know, it’s fine if I take you all the way to school. I’m not tired at all."

"It’s okay, I’ll walk from here. You go on ahead with your bike."

I guess Rie doesn’t want people to know she’s riding her bike to school with her big brother.

"Got it. But let’s go to school together on the bike sometimes, okay? It’ll be more fun."

"It’s not like that... I can meet up with my friends while walking and go with them."

"I-I see..."

Of course, if she rode the bike to school, she’d miss out on that part of youth—walking to school side by side with her friends.

I get it too—back in the other world, I’d walk after getting off the train, and there’s something fun about running into friends and going to school together.

Maybe I should try walking to school in this world, too.

But it’s far, and Rie’s with me, so...

"Well... I guess it might be nice sometimes."

Maybe Rie got worried when she saw me looking a little down, because she looked away shyly and said that.

"Rie! Thanks!"

I got so happy that I ended up patting Rie’s head again.

"W-What? Idiot! Don’t pat my head here!"

"Sorry. I’m heading out now, Rie. Don’t be late."

Before she could hit me in the chest again, I pushed down on the bike pedals.

"Ah... Geez, idiot Onii-chan..."

 

After riding the bike for a few more minutes, I spotted an acquaintance walking ahead.

"Hey, Yūichi!"

"Hm? Oh, Tsukasa."

This is the protagonist Shigemoto Yūichi from the manga  “My Childhood Friend Ojōsama Gets in the Way, So I Can’t Have a Normal Romcom.”

He’s got short black hair, a clean, refreshing look, and is a handsome guy.

His height is pretty tall, probably because he’s in the basketball club—he’s over 180 cm.

I pulled up next to Yūichi, got off my bike, and started walking with him.

"Hey, no morning practice for the basketball club today?"

"Yeah, there’s none today. I got to sleep in, thanks to that."

"I see. Even the ace of the basketball team takes a break sometimes."

"Of course. Resting is part of training, too."

Yūichi has great athletic ability, and he was even the ace of the basketball team starting from his first year.

And since he’s good-looking, he’s popular.

As for his personality, I know him well as a friend, and he’s just a good guy.

Yūichi has all the traits that make him popular, but he’s under the impression that he’s not.

The reason he’s so mistaken is because his childhood friend, who’s in love with him, Tōjōin Kaori, has been keeping him away from other girls.

Since kindergarten, Yūichi has been liked by Tōjōin, who has been pressuring other girls not to get close to him.

He’s good-looking enough that he could easily have a fan club, but he still thinks he’s not handsome and that he’s not popular.

I guess it’s because of Tōjōin, so it can’t really be helped.

However, Yūichi ended up falling for someone in high school.

That someone is another heroine, Fujise Shiho.

"By the way, Yūichi, I heard the news. You finally asked Fujise out on a date, huh?"

"Wha!? M-man, where did you hear that from…?!"

"Of course, it’s just a little gossip."

"No way... Have you awakened as a Wind User?!"

"Heh, if I swing my arm, I could... oops, better stop right there."

"Huh, seriously? There are plenty of JK around here, so go ahead and try."

"Dude, don't call them 'JKs' if you're a high school boy!"

(TN - JK short for joshi kōsei (女子高生) high school girl)

We were having a very healthy, high school boy-type conversation.

I never imagined I’d end up in ‘Ojōjama’'s world and have such silly conversations with the protagonist.

It’s not quite the same as talking to Sei-chan, but as an honest otaku, I’m still pretty happy about it.

"So, who did you actually hear that from?"

"Of course, I’d love to say I heard it from Fujise, but actually, I just overheard her talking to Sei-cha... Shimada."

"No way... What were they talking about?"

"Of course, she said, ‘Shigemoto-kun asked me out, but he was so gross that it totally turned me off.’"

"Ugh!? M-man, you’re kidding, right...?"

"Ha ha ha, just kidding."

"Even as a joke, that kind of stings, so seriously, cut it out."

"Sorry about that."

Actually, she was talking about how she was wondering if it was okay to confess to Shigemoto-kun, which was super cute, but that’s not something I should be talking about.

"So, is the date tomorrow or the day after?"

Since today is Friday, the weekend break starts tomorrow.

"It’s Sunday. There’s no basketball practice for me, and it seems like Fujise’s tennis practice is also off."

"I see. Well, I don’t think there’s much I can do to help, but good luck."

"Yeah, of course..."

"Ara, it sounds like you’re having an interesting conversation, Yūichi."

Just as Yūichi was about to nod strongly, a woman’s voice came from behind us.

We froze, mouths still open.

No way... That thought ran through both of our minds at the same time.

We turned around, stiffly like robots...

"Good morning, Yūichi. Hisamura-kun."

"G-Good morning, Kaori..."

"G-Good morning, Tōjōin-san..."

There stood Tōjōin Kaori, one of the heroines, with a menacing smile.

Her golden hair shone with a divine radiance, flowing down her back and waving in the wind.

Her hair was so beautiful that it perfectly matched her graceful elegance.

She was wearing the same uniform as the other female students, but somehow, when she wore it, it looked even purer and more glamorous.

Her features were incredibly beautiful, with an almost foreign beauty.

I believe she’s a quarter European, with her grandfather being from somewhere in Europe.

"So, it seems like you were having a really fun conversation this morning. Mind if I join in?"

"N-No, well, it's the kind of conversation that only guys like me and Tsukasa can have! Right, Tsukasa?"

"Y-Yeah, that’s right. You wouldn’t want to hear about how Yūichi told me to go lift the skirts of the high school girls around here, would you?"

"When the heck did I ever say that?!"

Yūichi shot that comeback at me with unbelievable speed.

Calm down, Yūichi. We need to steer the conversation away from this first.

"Ara, so, what were you two actually talking about, Yūichi?"

"Eh? Ah, no, that’s not it! I didn’t tell him to lift any skirts, it was Tsukasa muttering something like 'What if I gained x-ray vision and could see the high school girls' naked bodies?'"

"When the hell did I ever say that?!"

Now it was my turn to make a comeback.

"Ara, Hisamura-kun, it's not really good to spread your desires everywhere. If you're going to do it, keep it quiet and lonely in your own room."

"Tōjōin-san, you’re surprisingly tolerant of this kind of thing."

"I study every day in case Yūichi decides to attack me."

"Good for you, Yūichi. Looks like your future as the CEO of the Tōjōin Group is secured."

"Wait, wait! Don’t betray me like this!"

Shut up, who was the first to betray the other... oh yeah, it was me.

But anyway, with that, the conversation had shifted...

"So, Yūichi, do you have any plans for the day after tomorrow, Sunday?"

Oops, I made a sharp turn and came back to this topic.

"N-no, well, I have club activities..."

"The gym on Sunday is scheduled to be used by the volleyball team."

"Why does Kaori know about it if she’s not in the volleyball club?"

"Because it’s me."

"As expected of Tōjōin-san, you’re the daughter of the person who founded Tōjōin High School."

It probably has nothing to do with anything, but I’ll compliment her anyway.

"Thanks, Hisamura-kun. So, do you have plans for Sunday? If not, why don’t you come to my house for a party? We could even rent out a luxury cruise ship and have the party on that."

“You’d be wasting a luxury cruise ship like that.”

The amount of money required would be ridiculous.

"W-Well, I don’t have plans for Sunday, but I just want to rest! I have basketball practice until noon, too!"

"Oh, really? Just yesterday, you were saying, ‘I want to practice already, I don’t need a break!’ but now you want to rest?"

"Wait, when did you hear that?! I think I said that last night!"

Whoa, Yūichi, I think you shouldn’t push further with this.

The dark side of Tōjōin Kaori, the childhood friend heroine with a yandere streak, is still a bit too much for you to handle.

"Alright, if Yūichi isn’t willing to talk, then I have my own plans. Well, I should head to school now. Have a good day, Hisamura-kun."

"G-Good day!"

Saying that, Tōjōin Kaori gracefully swayed her long hair and walked toward the school.

Yūichi and I stood frozen for a moment.

"…Tsukasa. You said earlier that you didn’t think I’d need any help, but I’m retracting that statement."

"Hmm, I could’ve predicted that. But I’ll ask anyway, What do you want me to help with?"

"Hold down Tōjōin Kaori!"

"That’s impossible, obviously. Use some common sense. And then just explode already."

"Why the heck would I do that?!"

Now then... what to do.

By the way, did this ever happen in the original story?

 

Yūichi kept pestering me even after we arrived at school and class started.

“Come oon, pleease! I’m begging you, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime request!”

“Don’t think you can get me to do something just because we’ve only been friends for about two years. A once-in-a-lifetime request… should be saved for asking someone to be the best man at your wedding or something.”

“Tsukasa...! That sounds like some kind of famous quote, but I really don’t get it.”

“I don’t really get what I’m saying either.”

And so, I half-heartedly dealt with it.

Honestly, I wasn’t even supposed to be having this conversation with Yūichi right now.

Because… I briefly glanced in a certain direction.

“...!”

Of course, the person I was looking at was none other than the sub-heroine of ‘Ojōjama’, Shimada Sei.

But every time I looked her way, she’d blush and immediately turn her face away.

It was clear—way too clear—that she was avoiding me.

“Aah, I want to die…”

“W-What’s wrong, Tsukasa? What happened?”

“Shut up, it’s fine. You’re probably having the time of your life right now, aren’t you? Well, whatever.”

“Huh? What do you mean? If you’re gonna say something like that, just say it already.”

This guy was the protagonist of this story, the one guy who’s guaranteed to end up with either Fujise Shiho or Tōjōin Kaori, making him the ultimate winner in this world.

There’s no route where he gets rejected.

But as for me… I’m just his friend, a character whose romantic life will likely never be explored in this story.

Compared to Sei-chan or Rie, who are practically confirmed to be the losing heroines, my treatment in the romance department is probably going to be pretty terrible.

In other words, even though I’m calling Sei-chan a losing heroine… I’m the one who doesn’t even have a chance to stand on that stage.

Sigh, yesterday I was all hyped up and said, “I’m definitely going to make Sei-chan happy!” in my late-night, or rather dream-like state, but now I’m starting to think it’s impossible.

Because she’s already avoiding me, right?

And I’ve already confessed, too. With this kind of romance, the real battle is before the confession.

A confession is just a ritual, something that happens once both sides are already in love. It’s basically just a formality.

So the real fight is in how much you can narrow the distance between you and the other person, and how much you can make them like you… before you confess.

But now that I’ve already confessed, the battle is over.

To put it in terms of a romance game, where would you find a player who confesses without raising the affection of the other character at all?

And that’s exactly what I’ve done here.

“Come on, Tsukasa. Please, really, I’m begging you for Sunday.”

“Shut up, shut up, all I have left in this world is despair.”

“Seriously, man, what the heck happened to you from the morning to lunch break?”

“...I guess that’s the problem. Nothing happened, so maybe that’s why it’s bad?”

“That makes no sense.”

I don’t get it either.

But honestly, I wonder what Sei-chan thinks of me.

In the story, Tsukasa and Sei-chan’s relationship is at best that of friends, and at worst, acquaintances.

They sometimes cooperate because their best friends like each other and are trying to date.

So, I probably haven’t left a bad impression on her... at least, in the story.

But all I’ve done is make a ridiculously passionate confession and send her an intense message.

When I think about it calmly, it’s the kind of thing that would make anyone uncomfortable.

Right now, during lunch break, Yūichi and I are eating at the corner of the classroom by the window, while Sei-chan is eating with Fujise in the hallway.

...I keep feeling like Fujise is looking over here, but why is she staring at me?

No, maybe she’s looking at Shigemoto?

I might be a little too self-conscious.

I was eating the lunch Rie made for me, thinking how delicious it was.

Man, Rie really is an amazing little sister. When I get home, I’ll give her another head pat… though maybe she’ll hate me for it? Yeah, maybe I should hold off on that.

Sigh, I really need to think about something else to get through this.

“Oh, right. Tsukasa, you probably can’t stop Kaori by yourself, huh?”

“Well, yeah. There’s no way anyone other than Yūichi could stop someone like Tōjōin-san.”

“Me? Nah, even I can’t do it. I really don’t feel like I can stop her from doing whatever she’s planning on Sunday.”

Well, I’m pretty sure I could stop her.

If I go to Tōjōin’s house Saturday night and do some couple stuff, she won’t be able to interfere with his date with Fujise on Sunday.

Not that I’m going to say that out loud.

“So, what are you gonna do about Tōjōin, someone even you can’t stop?”

“Yeah, if you can’t do it alone, you’ll have to get someone else to help.”

“Huh? Who?”

“There’s someone who’s perfect for this. Someone who knows about my date with Fujise on Sunday and will definitely help…”

“...Wait, you don’t mean...”

“Shimada.”

“That’s a no-go. I’ll die if that happens.”

“Why not, man!?”

Dude, you know, right now, I’m being totally avoided by Sei-chan.

In that kind of situation, you expect me to stop Tōjōin-san from interfering with Fujise and your date?

There’s no way I can do that. It’s impossible in every way.

“This is our only shot! Please, I’m begging you!”

“I’m begging you too, Seicha... no Shimada. If it’s her, I’d rather do it by myself.”

“Why? And what’s up with you calling her ‘Seicha’ all of a sudden?”

“Don’t ask about that. I’ll punch you.”

“Man, you’re making less sense than usual today.”

Dammit, what should I do?

Should I tell Yūichi about my confession to Sei-chan?

The problem is, he’s really bad at hiding his feelings. If he hadn’t been so flustered when he found out about Sunday’s date with Tōjōin, maybe it wouldn’t have turned out like this.

That’s on me, but if the fact that I like Sei-chan gets out, it could hurt her too.

That’s something I absolutely want to avoid.

“So, are you going to do this by yourself?”

“I’d rather do it myself than ask Shimada for help. But I honestly don’t know what I’m supposed to do alone.”

“What’s this about, ‘if you’re going to ask me, why not just do it yourself’?”

“…!”

That voice… could it be?

It’s the same situation as when Tōjōin showed up behind me earlier.

But this time, the person speaking is clearly visible to Yūichi, who’s facing me.

“Ah, Shimada.”

I knew it!

I turned around, and there she was, standing behind me.

Since Yūichi and I were sitting, I had to look up to meet her eyes.

“...So, is there something you need from me?”

Sei-chan’s eyes met mine for a brief second before she quickly turned away, focusing on Yūichi instead.

Sigh... I guess she really doesn’t want to look me in the eye.

That alone was enough to send me crashing into the depths of despair.

“Yeah, Shimada. There’s something I can’t talk about in front of others, so can I meet with you after school? It’s about Sunday.”

“...Is it about your and Shiho’s that?”

“Yeah, that. We’ve got a bit of a problem.”

“I see. After school, then. I’ll stay in this classroom.”

But then, Sei-chan froze. Like her battery had suddenly run out.

“Huh? What’s wrong, Shimada?”

“N-no...!”

Sei-chan had been startled by Yūichi’s question, and her cheeks turned a little red as she fumbled.

For a brief moment, she glanced at me, and since I was staring at her eyes, our gazes met.

“...! T-This classroom isn’t good. After school, meet me in front of the school gate!”

After saying that, Sei-chan quickly turned and walked away from us.

“Something was off about Shimada, huh? I wonder what happened.”

“Y-yeah, I have no idea.”

I wonder if it’s because she remembers what happened between us. The fact that she glanced at me and changed the location to the gate... makes me think so.

This classroom is where I confessed to Sei-chan yesterday.

That’s probably why she changed the spot, but I wonder what it means.

It’s probably because it’s awkward, but... it’s likely in a negative way. Nine times out of ten.

Sigh... I shouldn’t have confessed while I was in dream mode yesterday.

But it can’t be helped, I never imagined I’d end up in this ‘Ojōjama’ world.

Well, I’m happier than anything, but looking back, yesterday’s events would have been better off as a dream.

She’s avoiding me so much now… ah, but she was ridiculously cute yesterday, so I’m glad I got to see that.

“Ah, crap, I just remembered. I’ve got a basketball club meeting after school, so I need to get to the clubroom right away.”

“Huh?”

“Sorry, but could you tell Shimada about it after school?”

“Huh!?”

 

...It had already become after school.

As Yūichi had said during lunch break, he quickly left the classroom for a club meeting.

"I'm really sorry! Please explain and convince Shimada for me!"

"I'll seriously hold a grudge against you."

Why do I have to be alone with Sei-chan and talk right now...?!

No, I'm super happy to be alone with Sei-chan, but definitely not now!

Both Sei-chan and I are feeling incredibly awkward because of what happened yesterday.

Well, Yūichi doesn’t know about it, and he probably doesn’t have any ill intentions.

The awkwardness is entirely my fault, after all.

Sigh... I guess I have to go... Sei-chan’s probably waiting alone.

Feeling a bit melancholic, I grabbed my things and left the classroom.

When I left the school and walked to the gate, Sei-chan was standing alone.

She had silver hair, not too long, but beautifully swaying in the wind.

Why is it that just standing there in front of the gate, she captivates me so?

"...Ah, H-Hisamura?"

Noticing I was approaching, Sei-chan said that, flustered.

It was the first time she called my name since yesterday, but hearing it from my oshi still makes me happy.

I’m glad that my name was Hisamura Tsukasa in the previous world, too.

"Yo... So, is the time okay?"

"Y-Yeah, of course. I don’t have any plans after this."

Sei-chan was looking in my direction, but she didn’t meet my gaze; instead, she looked down slightly.

"U-Um, so, what about Shigemoto?"

"Ah, about Yūichi. Apparently, he has club activities and couldn’t make it after school."

"Huh? He called me because he said he had something to do!"

"He called me saying he had something to do, though."

"What is he thinking...?"

"I really agree with that."

"…So, it means we’re alone, just the two of us..."

"Hm? Sei-cha... Shimada, did you say something?"

"N-No, nothing."

That was close—I almost called her Sei-chan again.

In this world, Hisamura calls Sei-chan by her last name.

If this isn’t a dream, then calling her Sei-chan would be like trying to climb Mt. Everest—it’s way too big of a hurdle.

What happened yesterday... well, it can’t be undone, so there’s nothing I can do about it.

I pray that Sei-chan forgets about it... but, well, that’s probably impossible.

"So, what was it that Shigemoto was talking about? I think it was about Sunday."

"Yeah. For now, it’s probably better to talk while walking."

There were still a lot of students around the gate.

If a guy and a girl were stopping to talk here, they’d definitely stand out.

Especially since Sei-chan is so cute, she easily catches people's attention.

"W-Well, then... how about we head to a nearby café?"

"Huh?"

I didn’t expect to be invited like that, so I couldn’t help but ask again.

"N-No, it’s just that it seems like it’ll be a long conversation, and standing here talking is kind of awkward. So, how about we talk calmly and slowly, just the two of us... if that’s okay?"

"Of course, that’s fine."

I accidentally switched to using polite speech.

Please don’t look up at me like that with such uncertainty—I’d end up saying yes to anything.

Even if she said, "I want you to die, is it no good?" I’d probably happily agree, given how strong that upward glance is.

"I-I see. Then let’s head that way."

Sei-chan started walking toward the café, and I walked alongside her.

C-Could this be... an after-school date!?

An after-school date with my oshi, Sei-chan... How lucky am I?

Yūichi, thank you. I’m glad you’re not here.

And then Sei-chan and I headed toward the café, but...

During the walk, an incredibly awkward atmosphere hung in the air.

It’s usually normal to walk a short distance in silence, but something about the atmosphere felt different.

Both Sei-chan and I could feel the awkward tension.

"Ah, so, do you often go to this café with Fujise?"

"Y-yeah. Shiho’s a bit busy with the tennis club, but it’s not as intense as Shigemoto’s basketball practice. So, on days I go home with Shiho, we sometimes stop by."

"Is that so? You’re not in any club, right, Shimada?"

"…Yeah. You’re not in a club either, Hisamura, are you going to join one?"

"Middle school clubs were tough, so I thought I’d take it easy in high school."

"Heh, that’s so like you, Hisamura."

Sei-chan said that and chuckled softly.

It was a relief that the awkward atmosphere faded a little.

If it had stayed that way, I wouldn’t have been sure we could have talked about that thing once we got to the café.

Sei-chan isn’t in a club either, but she has amazing athletic ability.

Even in team sports, if Sei-chan joined, she’d be able to make it to a high level at the prefectural tournament.

That’s why Sei-chan is often called in as a helper for various clubs.

"Aren’t you joining a club, Shimada? You’ve probably been invited to all sorts of places."

"Well, it’s nice of them, but like you, Hisamura, I’m the type who likes to relax after school. Plus, I’m not that passionate about sports."

“Well, that’s so like you, Shimada.”

Cool, incredibly athletic, and good-looking, yet thoughtful and kind to her friends.

“Sigh... I really like her.”

"Huh!? W-What did you just say...?"

"Eh, ah... nothing."

"No, right now... I-I see."

Sei-chan tried to press me for an answer, but quickly turned red and stopped.

She probably realized that pressing for an answer would only lead to both of us getting hurt.

But I let my guard down just now. It was like I accidentally let slip a "sigh, so precious" while reading a manga.

I need to be more careful; this is already reality.

Talking to Sei-chan like this feels so dreamy, I momentarily forgot that.

After that, Sei-chan and I walked in silence, not meeting each other’s gaze, until we arrived at the café.

 

The café that Sei-chan and Fujise always go to is a well-known chain you often see in front of stations called “Moonbucks.”

Well, this is a manga world, after all—it’s a café whose name is a parody of one from the real world.

By the way, their signature item is called a “Franchino,” which is pretty much identical to what the real-world café serves.

We step inside the shop and place our orders with the cashier.

“I’ll take a tall drip coffee. What about you, Shimada?”

“Let’s see… I’ll have a grande Vanilla Cream Franchino, switch the syrup to white mocha, with extra caramel sauce and extra whipped cream, please.”

What kind of spell incantation was that?

Her order was like three or four times longer than mine, you know?

The clerk seemed used to it and simply said, “Certainlyyy,” before getting to work.

I’m not even sure if what she ordered still counts as a drink anymore.

“Shimada, do you come to “Moonba” often?”

“Yeah, I come with Shiho a lot, but sometimes I stop by alone on my days off too.”

“Oh, so you’re really into it.”

I didn’t know that—actually, that’s information that hasn’t even shown up in the original story yet.

I’m not sure if this matches the original, but I got to see a new side of Sei-chan.

“D-does it not suit me? That I like sweet things…”

“No, I think it’s totally fine. It’s precious—I mean, cute.”

“Ah—I-I see… thank you…”

Sei-chan is portrayed as a cool, stylish character in the story, but she’s still just a normal high school girl. There’s nothing wrong with liking sweet things.

I slipped up for a moment, but she really is cute and precious.

My drip coffee came out right away, and a bit later, Sei-chan’s something-or-other Franchino arrived.

It was bigger than my coffee, piled high with cream and all sorts of stuff—felt more like a dessert than a drink.

Then Sei-chan and I sat across from each other at a table for two.

When Sei-chan took the straw into her mouth and sipped, the corners of her lips lifted just a bit—she looked genuinely happy, like it tasted amazing.

Ah, seeing my oshi’s smile this close is—am I even allowed to be this happy?

“Is it good? Sei-chan.”

“Mm!?”

Ah, damn, I just called her Sei-chan.

She reacted to my words by widening her eyes, and either from surprise or because she inhaled too fast, she choked a little.

“Sh-Shimada, are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine. But Hisamura, um, why did you call me that way?”

Yeah, of course she’d ask.

“Well… I’ve kind of been calling you that in my head for a long time.”

“I-I see…”

“Yeah, and during yesterday’s confession, it kind of happened on impulse…”

When I said yesterday’s confession, Sei-chan flushed even more.

“I-Is that so…”

“Sorry. From now on, I’ll just call you Shimada normally.”

“I-I don’t really mind, you know.”

“Eh? Really? That’s okay?”

“Y-yeah… b-but it’s embarrassing, so only when we’re alone, okay?”

Sei-chan looked away, embarrassed, and said that.

Eh, doesn’t that kind of mean… huh?

“Doesn’t that mean, like, an indirect acceptance of the confession…?”

“W-what!? Why would it be like that!?”

“Because saying it’s okay to call you Sei-chan when we’re alone—well, that’s the sort of thing that…”

“N-no! I only gave you permission to call me by that name; I didn’t accept your confession!”

“O-okay, okay. So don’t be mad about it, my bad.”

Given how strongly she denied it… the answer to yesterday’s confession must already be decided, after all.

Maybe because I visibly sank into gloom, Sei-chan exclaimed “Ah” and hurriedly began to speak.

“I-I’m sorry, Hisamura. That’s not it, I didn’t turn you down. Rather… I haven’t decided yet, but I’m, um, considering it positively…”

“Eh?”

“Th-this conversation is fine now, right!?”

“No, but…”

“You can call me Sei-chan when we’re alone! Got it!?”

“Y-yes, understood!”

So I got permission to call her Sei-chan when it’s just the two of us.

She’d said something earlier that was both maddeningly tantalizing and heartening, but I didn’t get to ask about it.

Finally, I could explain why I’d called her here.

I started with “Actually…” and told her that Tōjōin Kaori had learned that Yūichi and Fujise were going on a date on Sunday.

“I see, that woman…”

Given Sei-chan’s position, Tōjōin Kaori is someone who meddles with her friend Fujise’s love life, so she probably can’t stand her.

“Does that mean she’s coming to interfere with the date?”

“Probably—no, I think she’ll definitely come.”

“Sigh, so the one person who mustn’t know now knows. What were you doing?”

“Sorry about that. I didn’t think anyone would find out.”

“Well, what’s done is done. So you want me to help because you don’t want Tōjōin meddling with the date?”

“Yeah, that’s Yūichi’s request.”

When I said that, Sei-chan fell silent, appearing to think it over.

“It’s fine if you refuse. Don’t feel bad for us.”

“No, I’ll help. After all, it’s for Shiho’s sake.”

“Eh, really?”

“Yeah. Shiho is gathering the courage to confess. I can’t let that be ruined, can I?”

True to form as a caring friend, Sei-chan seemed to decide immediately to help.

“But even if you say we’ll keep her from interfering, how could we do that? She’s the heiress of the Tōjōin Group, you know?”

That’s right, I had no idea how to stop her meddling.

The Tōjōin Group is one of the top companies in this world.

They say their total assets exceed a thousand trillion, but… as a high schooler, I don’t really get it.

Could a company like that exist in the real world? Well, this is a manga world, after all.

In short, Tōjōin Kaori is the daughter of an insanely wealthy family.

If she seriously tried to interfere, there’d probably be nothing we could do.

“So how exactly do you plan to stop her? Do you have any plan?”

“Not at all. Thinking about it, isn’t it impossible no matter what we do?”

“Yeah, I also think it’ll be difficult. I don’t want Shiho’s chance to be ruined, but…”

“…Hm? No, wait a second.”

Come to think of it, this development did happen in the original story, right?

Of course, it wasn’t Hisamura Tsukasa and Shimada Sei talking in this café in the original.

It was the part where Tōjōin came to interfere with the date.

If she tries to meddle in the same way as in the original, we might be able to stop her.

But what’s different this time is that Tōjōin found out before the date.

In the original, she only learned about the date on the day itself, so she had barely any time to prepare. This time, though, she’s likely to prepare in advance.

If things don’t follow the original, we might not be able to stop her… but well, we have to try.

“I have a vague feeling I know how Tōjōin might interfere.”

“Really? What’s your basis for that?”

“Not much, but if I had to say, it’s based on Tōjōin’s personality.”

In the original story, Hisamura Tsukasa and Tōjōin Kaori were somewhat friendly.

Hisamura didn’t try to stop Yūichi and Tōjōin from getting together; he actually encouraged them.

Well, it was mostly in jest, though.

So I’m a little familiar with Tōjōin’s character since we’re somewhat on good terms.

Though in this case, it’s less about knowing her personality and more about knowing the original story.

“I see. Still, it’s better than having no plan. So, what should we do?”

Sei-chan asked me that while managing to sip her Franchino.

“For now, first thing, on the night before the date—Saturday night—have Yūichi come to my place.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Chances are, Tōjōin will be staking out Yūichi’s house starting Sunday morning. So Yūichi should leave for the date from my place instead.”

In fact, in the original story, Tōjōin was standing in front of Yūichi’s house even though she didn’t know about the date.

She’d probably come just to hang out, but since Yūichi had a date, he tricked her and shook her off.

Because Yūichi fled in a hurry, Tōjōin became suspicious, secretly followed him, and saw the date unfold.

So it’s likely she’ll again be in front of Yūichi’s house this time.

“I see. Then should Shiho leave from my house instead?”

“No, I think that’ll probably be fine. I don’t think Tōjōin knows who Yūichi is going on a date with, and she might not even realize it’s a date yet.”

“Is that so?”

“Tōjōin probably thinks, ‘Yūichi has something he can’t tell me on Sunday,’ so when she sees Yūichi and Fujise meeting alone, that’s when she’ll realize it’s a date.”

So most likely, it’s not yet known that Yūichi and Fujise are going on a date.

But I’m sure she’ll come to interfere on the day itself.

“Hm? Then she doesn’t know the location of the date?”

“Yeah, that’s right, she probably doesn’t know.”

“So if we can prevent Tōjōin from tailing Shigemoto, isn’t that enough? Surely even Tōjōin doesn’t know the date’s exact location.”

“…Ah, that’s true.”

In the original story, because they were followed, it was discovered to be a date, and they were trailed and interfered with.

But in this case, Tōjōin doesn’t know where the two are going.

If we can send Yūichi off to the date spot without being spotted by Tōjōin, wouldn’t that be a win right there?

“Hmm, in that case, it seems there’s nothing special I need to do.”

“Maybe so. Sorry for taking up your after-school time.”

“If it means Shiho’s date won’t be ruined, this is the least I can do.”

She’s ridiculously cool.

So manly and handsome—she’s dreamy. Ah, I was already in love.

“As I thought, Sei-chan is really kind.”

“T-That’s not—this is just normal, really.

“Haha, as expected of Sei-chan.”

Sei-chan immediately blushed when I praised her.

She’s probably not used to being complimented much.

I want her to stay that way forever—she’s insanely cute.

 

And after that, Sei-chan and I chatted for a while and left the café.

I say chatted lightly, but we probably talked alone in that café for about thirty minutes.

It was unbelievably blissful… absolutely the best.

We talked about school, about Yūichi, and Fujise—never really running out of topics.

After leaving the café, we kept walking together while chatting.

“Eh? Sei-chan, you have an older brother?”

“Yeah, I have one. He’s already working and living on his own, so he’s not at home anymore.”

That’s new to me. This wasn’t mentioned in the original story either.

I wonder—did Sei-chan have a older brother in the original story, too?

Ah—right, now that I think about it…

“So that’s why you like shounen manga and anime…”

“Wha—!? H-how do you know that!?”

“Eh, ah…”

Right, she never told Hisamura Tsukasa this in the story.

In the original story, Sei-chan was looking into Yūichi for Fujise, and this kind of story comes up as the two of them gradually grow closer.

“Well, I heard it from Yūichi.”

“H-he… I told him not to tell anyone…!”

Sorry, Yūichi.

He didn’t actually tell me anything, but I can’t exactly say I learned it from reading the manga.

“It’s not embarrassing, right? I mean, I like shounen manga too.”

“R-really? A girl like me liking shounen manga… it doesn’t suit me, does it?”

“It doesn't matter whether a manga suits you or not.”

I genuinely believe that.

I don’t read shoujo manga much myself, but there are plenty of guys who do, and I don’t think that’s weird at all.

Everyone has their own hobbies.

“And besides, I’d be really happy if I could talk about shounen manga with you, Sei-chan.”

“O-oh… I-if that’s the case, then… I’m glad.”

Sei-chan blushed and turned her face away shyly.

It’s not even about suiting her, but the way she gets self-conscious about it is so cute it makes me smile.

“Wha, you’re laughing, aren’t you!?”

“Haha, sorry, sorry. I’m not laughing because it doesn’t suit you—I just thought you were cute, that’s all.”

“Ugh, that still counts as teasing me!”

Her reaction makes the corners of my mouth lift again.

Talking with Sei-chan really is fun.

 “Ah…”

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

Sei-chan suddenly let out a sound like she’d remembered something.

“N-no, it’s nothing.”

“No, that didn’t sound like nothing.”

“…Well, I think the new volume of a manga I read comes out today.”

“…Heh.”

“H-hey! I told you not to laugh!”

No, that one was unfair—she was basically asking me to laugh.

I already thought it was cute how she gets self-conscious, but seeing her act like that twice in a row was even cuter—what was I supposed to do?

“Sorry, sorry. So, what manga is it?”

“Honestly… it’s called ‘That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Goblin.’”

“What?”

I just heard a title that sounded pretty intense.

“You don’t know it? It’s even getting an anime adaptation.”

“Hmmm… feels like I’ve heard of it, but also maybe not.”

I forget sometimes, but this world is the world of the manga ‘Ojōjama’.

Since it’s different from the world I came from, the popular manga might be totally different too.

“What other manga do you read, Sei-chan? Any famous ones?”

“Let’s see, besides that…”

She listed several other titles, but I hadn’t heard of a single one.

Well, some of the titles felt familiar, but once she explained the content, they were almost completely different.

“Hisamura, do you really like manga? I thought I listed several pretty famous ones.”

“Hmm… maybe I mostly read obscure manga.”

My guess is the manga I used to read probably doesn’t exist in this world.

And naturally, my absolute favorite manga, ‘Ojōjama’, wouldn’t exist here either.

I didn’t read tons of series, but there were a lot I wanted to continue, so it’s a bit disappointing.

But moping won’t help, so maybe I should start reading some new ones.

“Ah, Sei-chan, want to go to a bookstore now? You want to buy the new release, right?”

“I do, but are you coming too, Hisamura?”

“Huh? Is that bad? I want to buy the manga you like too…”

“No, I don’t mind, I just don’t know if it’ll match your taste.”

“It’ll probably be fine—I can enjoy just about anything. Plus, going on a bookstore date with you sounds like a lot of fun.”

“U-ugh… o-okay, fine.”

Maybe she’s getting used to me saying stuff like that—her reaction wasn’t as dramatic.

But the ears peeking out from her hair as she walked beside me were bright red—and incredibly cute.

 

And so, Sei-chan and I headed to a bookstore on our way home from school.

It was a pretty big bookstore, with not just manga but tons of novels, magazines, and textbooks as well.

“This way.”

“Huh? What?”

Sei-chan said something in a very small voice, but I couldn’t hear it.

Since the bookstore was really quiet, Sei-chan lowered her voice so she wouldn’t disturb the other customers.

I leaned in a little, bringing my face closer so I could hear her.

“Um… th-the manga section… it’s on the third floor.”

Looking a bit embarrassed, Sei-chan brought her face close to my ear, covered her mouth like she was whispering a secret, and murmured that softly.

“G-got it.”

Her unusually delicate voice and the sight of her beautiful face so close made my heart jump, and I replied in a small voice, too.

Feeling a little flustered, Sei-chan and I headed up to the third floor.

The third floor had a dedicated manga section, and we began browsing the shelves there.

“…Found it. Hisamura, this is ‘Tengobu’.”

“Tengobu? …Ah, the shortened title.”

The name somehow sounds good… and kind of bad, too.

“Then maybe I’ll just buy the whole series.”

“You sure? There are ten volumes…”

Ten volumes means about five thousand yen… a pretty painful hit to a high schooler’s wallet.

“I want to talk about manga with you, Sei-chan.”

“I—I see. If that’s the reason, then… okay.”

“Do you have any other manga you’d recommend, Sei-chan?”

“Let me think…”

After that, she told me about three titles, and I memorized their names.

I don’t have the money right now, but I’ll have to buy them all later…

“Hisamura, are you planning to buy all of them?”

“Of course. If you recommend something, I’m definitely going to read it.”

In my previous world, I used to work a part-time job and spent almost all the money I earned on merch related to Sei-chan.

I haven’t started working in this world yet, but I can just start again.

Ever since my previous world, most of my money has pretty much always been spent for Sei-chan’s sake.

It’s money for my oshi—basically, money used for living.

There’s no happier way to spend money than this. I refuse any objections.

“Eh? Seriously?”

Borrowing from Sei-chan wasn’t even an option I had considered.

“Is it really okay for me to borrow them?”

“Yeah. I recommended them, so lending them to you isn’t a problem. I’ll lend you ‘Tengobu’ too.”

“Really? I mean, I’d be super grateful.”

“Then I’ll bring them to school next time. And also…”

“And also?”

Sei-chan averted her gaze slightly and continued in a small voice.

“I’ve never talked about manga with anyone before… so if I get to do that with you, I’d be happy.”

“—Ah… crap, that’s dangerous.”

“W-what is?”

“You’re way too cute, Sei-chan. I almost screamed.”

“Wha—!? D-don’t you dare, that’s embarrassing!”

“There’s nothing embarrassing about thinking you’re cute, though, Sei-chan.”

“T-that’s not what I meant!”

Sei-chan’s last line came out a little louder than she intended, and we ended up drawing a bit of attention.

 

After that, we continued to casually browse the manga section while Sei-chan pointed out books she recommended…

“…”

Sei-chan paused for a moment in front of a shelf and appeared to be looking at the books—only her eyes kept flicking off to somewhere else.

I followed the direction she was glancing at, and it was… the shoujo manga corner.

Hm? Could it be that Sei-chan wants to go to the shoujo manga corner?

Is she holding back because I’m here?

“Sei-chan, do you want to go over there?”

When I pointed toward the shoujo corner and asked, Sei-chan widened her eyes in surprise.

“Eh… H-Hisamura, are you interested in shoujo manga too?”

“Hm? Ah, no… not really…”

Sei-chan’s clearly concerned with the shoujo corner—doesn’t that mean she wants to go?

Just as I was about to ask that… I remembered something.

That Sei-chan had always read shounen manga but had almost never read shoujo manga!

This was something from my knowledge of the original story—the bonus chapter that wasn’t shown in the main story.

There was an original short chapter—one you could read by buying the standalone volume—with a story where Sei-chan secretly goes to buy a shoujo manga.

Sei-chan hid the fact that she read shounen manga, and she’d always thought shoujo manga wouldn’t suit her, so she hadn’t read any.

But she was curious, and in the bonus chapter, she dresses a little differently and makes sure not to meet anyone she knows as she goes to buy shoujo manga.

In that bonus, she wears a skirt so no one she knows will recognize her… and she was ridiculously cute.

Right—so that’s why Sei-chan wants to go to the shoujo corner but hesitates to say she does.

“S-so what is it? Do you like them? Do you maybe want to check out the shoujo corner too?”

If you look closely—or actually, even without looking closely—Sei-chan was fidgety and gave off a vibe of, “If you’re going, then fine, I’ll come along.”

In that case, there’s only one thing for me to do.

“I see. So could you come with me for a bit?”

“I-I see! Well, if that’s the case, I guess it can’t be helped!”

Sei-chan perked up like a fish in water and walked briskly toward the shoujo manga corner.

Does she think no one can tell now?

Well, I don’t plan to point it out… but it’s a problem because she’s just too cute.

Sei-chan quickened her pace and headed to the shoujo corner, scanning the shelves.

Somehow, her eyes looked a little shinier than before.

“S-So, Hisamura, what kind of shoujo manga do you like?”

“Um…”

She asked, but like Sei-chan, I’d hardly read any shoujo manga either.

What should I say… I do vaguely remember a famous shoujo manga being adapted into an anime, and having watched a bit of it.

“It had fantasy elements, but I think it started with an engagement being broken off, and then a romance—something like that.”

“Oh, those kinds have been getting more common lately! But I still think classic shoujo is good, so something like this might be nice too.”

Sei-chan picked up a display copy and showed it to me.

“This manga is a rom-com with a childhood friend that starts after the protagonist is dumped by his girlfriend. There’s no anime announcement yet, but it’s rumored to be quietly in motion—it's a popular manga.”

“Is that so? Have you read it, Sei-chan?”

“N-No, I haven’t read it. It’s not that I’m especially into shoujo manga or anything.”

She said that, but if she really weren’t interested, she wouldn’t be able to casually talk about the contents of shoujo manga she’s barely read.

It seems she’s actually curious, but she hasn’t read it yet.

“Then I think I’ll buy it.”

Only five volumes are out so far, so it’s an easy purchase.

“…I-I see. Yeah, that sounds fine.”

Sei-chan clearly seemed very curious, but she still didn’t intend to buy it.

Well, if she can buy it with me around, there’s no need for the secretive skirt-and-avoid-people scenario from the bonus chapter.

Alright then… in that case…

“Sei-chan, want to lend each other our books?”

“Lend each other?”

“Yeah—I'll borrow manga from you, and as a return, I’ll lend you this shoujo manga.”

“! Is th-that okay?”

“Of course. Is the shoujo manga okay for you, Sei-chan? I can lend different titles if you’d rather.”

“N-No, shoujo manga is fine! I mean, I wasn’t that interested, but you shouldn’t dislike something without trying it, yeah.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

This way, Sei-chan could read the shoujo manga she’d been curious about, and I could lend it as a favor—truly killing two birds with one stone.

And so, Sei-chan and I made a promise to lend each other manga.

We’d probably get even closer, Sei-chan looked happy to be able to read shoujo manga, and I was glad we’d stopped by the bookstore.

 

◇　◇　◇

 

When Sei took ‘Tengobu’ up to the register at the bookstore, she froze.

(Could it be… that Hisamura saw through me and knew I wanted to read shoujo manga?)

Until a little while ago, she’d been giddy thinking, “I can finally read that shoujo manga I’ve been curious about,” but after parting from Hisamura and coming to the register, she calmed down.

While browsing manga with Hisamura, Sei had unconsciously stopped in front of the shoujo corner.

Sei came to this bookstore all the time, but each visit, her heart would race just before the shoujo section.

Should she go into that corner and look through the shoujo manga—or not?

After agonizing over it, she always ended up thinking, “That wouldn’t suit me,” and walked away.

So today, out of habit, she’d stopped again in front of the shoujo corner.

But since Hisamura said he wanted to read shoujo manga, she went in with him… and in the end, he bought the shoujo manga she’d been most curious about and even offered to lend it to her.

Only now did Sei finally realize.

(Could it be that he bought the shoujo manga… for me?)

Thinking back on his earlier behavior, Hisamura had said he wanted to look at shoujo manga, but he seemed less enthusiastic about it than when they were looking at shounen manga.

When they were in the shounen manga section, he showed interest in lots of series—acting like he didn’t even know about that nationally popular adventure manga and saying, “Oh, there’s a series like this too?”

But in the shoujo corner, he didn’t seem all that interested in anything besides the manga she’d recommended.

(So it really is the case…?)

After paying at the register and heading for the bookstore exit, she found Hisamura waiting.

“Ah, welcome back, Sei-chan.”

“Hm!? I-I’m back…?”

“Heh, aren’t you overreacting a little?”

“Y-you’re the one saying weird stuff!”

“That’s the kind of thing you’d say when a friend comes back to the classroom from the bathroom.”

Hisamura laughed like that, and Sei found herself laughing along without meaning to.

(He probably did notice. That I wanted to read shoujo manga.)

He must have pretended not to notice out of consideration for her.

(He’s so clumsy about it… but he’s a kind person, Hisamura is.)

Thinking that in her heart, she couldn’t help but lift the corners of her mouth.

“I bought the new volume too, so shall we head home? It looks like the sun’s already starting to set.”

“Yeah. I can’t let a cute girl like you walk around this late at night, Sei-chan.”

“Cut…!?”

She’d been caught off guard and felt her face flush a little.

Before he confessed, Hisamura had never once called Sei “cute” or anything like that.

But today, while they talked in the café and again when they left and went to the bookstore, those words had slipped out of Hisamura’s mouth several times.

Each time, Sei—who wasn’t used to hearing that kind of thing from the opposite sex—felt embarrassed.

(And yet he keeps saying it again and again… Could he be used to telling women things like that?)

Once that thought started, a haze of unease spread through her mind.

She couldn’t really imagine Hisamura saying that to lots of women, but once she started thinking it, she couldn’t stop.

“Hm? What’s wrong, Sei-chan?”

She’d fallen silent for a moment while they were talking, and Hisamura asked.

“No, it’s just… y-you… no, never mind!”

“What is it? I’m curious.”

Do you call other girls cute, too?

(There’s no way I can ask that…! But…!)

She hesitated to ask, but the nagging haze wouldn’t go away unless she asked, so she summoned her courage and spoke up.

“Y-you… you often call me cute, but…”

“Yeah, that’s true—you’re cute. Ah, and of course I don’t just think you’re cute; I think you’re beautiful too.”

“…S-so you say it to other girls too, don’t you? You sound really practiced at saying it.”

“Huh?”

Hisamura looked surprised, eyes wide, as if he hadn’t expected that.

But he answered right away.

“I’ve never said that to anyone else, really. I only say it to you, Sei-chan—ah, sorry, wait, that’s not right, there was someone I said it to.”

“… S-see… I knew it, there is someone.”

Her brief happiness at “only to you, Sei-chan” vanished the moment he contradicted himself.

So Hisamura really was the type who said things like that to other girls.

(Well, someone who can compliment other women isn’t a bad thing. Even if I’m not the only one…)

“I said it to my little sister, too. Like this morning.”

“Huh? You have a younger sister?”

“Hm? Ah—yeah. You didn’t know yet?”

“You never told me, so of course I didn’t know.”

“Right, of course. I have a little sister named Rie, and I do call Rie ‘cute.’ But I don’t say it to anyone else.”

“I-I see…”

She thought, It’s okay if it’s his younger sister… but then another worry popped up.

“Is Hisamura a siscon?”

“Why would you say that? No, I’m not a siscon.”

“Then what if your younger sister brought her boyfriend home?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. Rie having a boyfriend… I don’t think anyone could end up dating her—she’d be like a side heroine…”

“If you worry that much, wouldn’t that make you a siscon?”

“No, I’m just worried about whether my little sister would get a boyfriend. If she likes someone, I guess it’d be fine.”

“I see. Then I guess you’re not a siscon.”

“Then on the flip side, you said you have an older brother, right? Sei-chan—what’s he like? Are you a brocon?”

“No, I’m not, but he might be a little siscon-ish. Because there’s an age gap, he doted on me in elementary and middle school.”

“I-I see. So if you got a boyfriend and introduced him to your older brother…”

“He might oppose it.”

“Seriously… that sounds rough.”

Hisamura said that with a slightly strained expression.

Seeing that, Sei briefly worried that Hisamura might find her older brother troublesome and not want to date her because of it.

“N-no, of course, if I truly liked someone and we were properly dating, I think my older brother would accept it.”

“Hm? Really. Wait—were you just talking as if you were going to date me and introduce me?”

“!? N-no, that’s not it! I-I haven’t talked about anything like that yet!”

“O-okay, got it.”

The atmosphere between them turned awkward again at Sei’s words.

(Ugh… did I just say something I shouldn’t have…? But still, Hisamura also has a sibling. A younger sister… I wonder what she’s like.)

Earlier, she’d been thinking about Hisamura meeting her older brother, but the reverse would also happen.

If Hisamura ever introduced his younger sister to her someday, she’d need to plan a proper greeting.

If we’re going to be dating, I’ll have to get along with his family too…

(No, that’s not it! Why am I assuming as if we’re dating…!?)

Her face flushed again, and she shook her head to dispel the daydream.

“W-what’s wrong, Sei-chan?”

“N-nothing, really.”

While they were like that, they reached a fork in the road.

“Alright then, Sei-chan—about Sunday’s date, I’ll RINE you if anything comes up.”

“Yeah. Speaking of RINE—uh, why didn’t you reply last night?”

“Huh? Ah, sorry—I saw your RINE, and then I dozed off.”

“I-I see. Well, that’s fine then…”

Hearing that cleared up the worry she’d had last night.

“Really, sorry. I’ll be more careful from now on—I mean, I’ll definitely reply.”

“No, it’s okay. But as Shiho said, you must have dozed off.”

“Sorry… Hm? As Fujise said? What do you mean? Does she know that Sei-chan and I have been RINEing?”

“Ah…”

They stopped again for a moment, and she told him that Shiho had overheard his confession to Sei just before leaving.

“Seriously… huh, so that’s why I felt like Fujise had been watching us a bit today?”

“S-sorry. Shiho apparently only heard the tail end of it, but I, who misunderstood, ended up saying most of it.”

“I-it’s so embarrassing…!”

“O-of course, neither Shiho nor I have any intention of telling anyone else, so don’t worry.”

“I-I know that, but…!”

(I could never tell anyone such an embarrassing thing…!)

In the end, both of them, still feeling embarrassed, went their separate ways home.

TN:- Sigh... I just finished translating this chapter. I know it took a lot of time (given its length), but the next chapter is short, so it should only take 2–3 days. Don’t worry about it.

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