Chapter 1: Into the world of manga?
—Where… is this?
My mind was hazy, drifting in and out of focus.
I forced my eyes open to check my situation.
Looking around, it seemed like I was inside some school.
For a moment, I thought it might be my own school, but a
closer look proved otherwise.
The structure of the building, the feel of the hallway—none
of it matched my school. And more than that… I was wearing a school uniform,
but it wasn’t mine. Not even close.
Why? Why am I wearing an unfamiliar school’s uniform?
Come to think of it… didn’t I get run over by a truck?
So maybe… this is a dream?
I got hit, lost consciousness, and now I’m dreaming?
That seems like the most likely explanation… or maybe I
really did die.
…Huh? My body started moving on its own, without my input.
I walked down the school hallway, heading somewhere.
A glance outside the window showed the soccer club
practicing on the field—so it must be after school.
Yet instead of heading toward the school entrance, my body
was walking toward some classroom.
This sensation is weird… It’s my body, but I can’t control
it at all.
Well, it’s a dream, so I guess this sort of thing happens.
Thinking that, I let my uncontrollable body take me wherever
it wanted, until I arrived in front of a certain classroom.
Just as I reached for the sliding door to enter—my body
stopped.
Voices came from inside, and apparently, I was listening.
‘What should I do, Sei-chan…? Is it okay for me to confess?’
‘What are you hesitating for,
Shiho?’
…!?
That voice—and those names… could it be Fujise Shiho and Shimada Sei?
No, I’ve listened to the drama CD dozens of times; there’s
no way I’d mistake them.
Those voices were definitely Fujise Shiho and Shimada Sei.
‘But Yūichi-kun has Tōjōin-san… I feel like I’m just getting
in the way of the two of them.’
This scene… don’t tell me. Isn’t this that one?
My absolute favorite scene… the one that made me fall in
love with Shimada Sei?
This scene wasn’t even included in the drama CD, and yet—I’m
hearing it live…!
This is the scene where the heroine, Fujise Shiho, debates
whether she should confess to the protagonist, Shigemoto Yūichi.
She was invited on a date by Yūichi and was wondering if she
should confess then, but she couldn’t muster the courage.
Since Yūichi had a cute childhood friend, Tōjōin Kaori, she
even wondered if it would be better to decline the date entirely.
The one who encouraged her was Sei-chan.
‘Tōjōin doesn’t matter. What’s important is your
feelings, Shiho.’
The voices of the two of them, alone in a classroom after
school, reached all the way out to where I stood in the hallway.
‘My… feelings…?’
‘You like Shigemoto, don’t you? You want to go out with him,
right?’
‘…Yeah.’
‘Then you’ve just got to go for it. It’s okay—Shiho, you can
do this. Besides, he invited you on a date, so there’s definitely a chance.’
‘Y-Yeah… you’re right. Thank you, Sei-chan.’
Shiho said that bashfully, thanking her.
‘Alright, I’m heading to the club now!’
‘Yeah, do your best.’
‘Mm! Thank you so much, Sei-chan!’
Fujise, who was in the tennis club, ran off toward her
activities.
I was by the door closer to the teacher’s podium, so she
left through the opposite door at the back of the classroom, sprinting down the
hallway without noticing me at all.
And then… left behind alone in the classroom was Sei-chan.
‘Do your best, Shiho… for the both of us.’
—This part.
This was the moment I fell in love with Sei-chan.
Sei-chan had feelings for the protagonist, Shigemoto Yūichi,
too.
But she’d known for a long time that Fujise had loved Yūichi.
At first, she didn’t approve of him, but as she spent time
with him, she came to understand what kind of person he was—and she ended up
falling for him as well.
Even so, for the sake of her best friend Fujise, she buried
those feelings and helped bring the two of them together.
She stayed sincere to her friend—her best friend.
That sincerity… that’s what made me fall for Sei-chan.
As I thought that, my body opened the classroom door on its
own.
Of course, Sei-chan—who was inside—noticed me and looked at
my way.
‘...Hisamura, were you listening?’
‘It wasn’t on purpose. Sorry about that.’
My mouth moved without my consent, answering Sei-chan’s
words.
Wait—Hisamura?
Is Sei-chan calling my name?
Ah, but that’s not right. If I remember this scene
correctly…
Could it be that I’ve become Hisamura Tsukasa?
Hisamura Tsukasa is also a character in “Ojōjama”—he’s Shigemoto Yūichi’s friend.
In the story, his role is to listen to Shigemoto’s romantic
troubles and offer a bit of advice.
I like this guy, too, actually.
That’s because he shares my exact name.
It was honestly a small miracle—there was a character in my
favorite manga with the exact same name, and I was thrilled.
And his words and behavior are pretty similar to mine, too…
not that I’m aping him or anything.
When other characters called his name, I felt like they were
calling me—and it got me excited.
And even now, Sei-chan was calling out my name.
Well, she was probably addressing the manga’s Hisamura
Tsukasa, not me in the real world, I figured.
Still, the protagonist’s friend type rarely gets involved
romantically.
Hisamura teases Shigemoto a little while he’s tangled in a
love triangle, sometimes poking fun, sometimes offering sincere advice—that’s Hisamura
Tsukasa for you.
Apparently, in this dream, I’ve become Hisamura Tsukasa.
‘About earlier—are you sure? Shimada—about Yūichi…’
Again, my mouth—or rather, Hisamura Tsukasa’s mouth—opened on
its own, and I spoke to Sei-chan.
Come to think of it, the manga continued in much the same
way.
So I’m Hisamura Tsukasa, but am I just moving along
according to the original story?
It’s supposed to be a dream—so why is it playing out this
faithfully?
Still, being right in the front row for my favorite scene?
That’s amazing.
Sei-chan, right in front of me, was so cute and beautiful.
‘…It’s fine. I was just checking whether Shigemoto is
suitable for Shiho. There’s no room for me; they’re a perfect match.’
Sei-chan said that and smiled.
Ah—seeing that smile is what made me fall for you.
A wonderful smile born of caring for a friend, yet tinged
with loneliness because she’s suppressing her own feelings.
Seeing that combination of warmth and sadness in her smile
is why I became a Sei-chan stan.
—But even though that smile is what made me fall for her, I
don’t want her to wear that smile.
I don’t want you to have to give me that kind of sad smile.
An oshi’s happiness is an otaku’s happiness.
If the story won’t let you be happy—then I want to change
it.
“I like you.”
“…Huh?”
For the first time in this dream, I was able to speak out of
my own free will.
“I like that kindness of yours—how deeply you care about
your friend.”
“Wha—!? W-What are you saying, Hisamura!?”
Apparently, I was talking to Sei-chan as Hisamura Tsukasa.
And Sei-chan was actually reacting to my words.
Being able to directly tell my favorite manga character that
I like her—and even get to see her reaction—what kind of ultimate dream is
this?
“I like your cool, sharp expression, Sei-chan. It’s so
badass. And your silver short hair is really cool, and so beautiful—it’s
perfect.”
“S-Sei-chan!? Wh-Why are you suddenly calling me that…?
A-And saying such embarrassing things…!”
Her face turned bright red because of what I said.
Too cute. Absolutely precious…!
“I like how you worried about Fujise and started looking
into Yūichi for her sake. You’re so kind. And the way you end up falling for
Yūichi as you investigate him—how easily you get swayed—makes you even cuter. I
seriously like that about you, too.”
“Ugh…! A-Are you trying to make me angry…!?”
Her face was still bright red, her eyes watery. That, too,
was unbearably cute.
“When you care so much about your best friend that you
suppress your own feelings… I like that about you. But… I also hate it.”
“You really… What are you suddenly talking about…?”
The story of “Ojōjama”, the manga I’m reading, hasn’t ended
yet.
Just earlier, Sei-chan pushed Fujise forward, encouraging
her to confess. Fujise tried her best—but then his childhood friend, Tōjōin
Kaori, interfered. Because of that, she couldn’t confess, and the story
continued.
When Sei-chan hears from Fujise that the confession got
interrupted, she secretly feels a little relieved.
Since Shigemoto Yūichi still isn’t dating anyone yet… maybe
she still has a chance.
Thinking that makes her fall into self-loathing.
But… she’s human. Those emotions are natural.
Still… even though the story keeps going, Sei-chan will
never end up with Shigemoto Yūichi.
There are two main heroines, and Sei-chan is already locked
in as the losing heroine.
Which means that no matter how the story progresses from
here, she won’t find happiness.
“Sei-chan… from here on, you probably won’t be happy.”
“Wh-Why do I have to hear something like that from you!?”
Right—Hisamura Tsukasa has absolutely nothing to do with the
story’s romance.
But I—.
“So that’s why, Sei-chan—I’m going to make you happy.”
“...Huh?”
“Sei-chan, I like you. I’ll definitely make you happy, so
please go out with me.”
“Wha—!?”
I didn’t care about Hisamura Tsukasa’s position at all.
I just wanted to make her happy.
I never wanted to see that sad smile again. I never wanted to
make her laugh like that again.
“W-wait, h-hold on!? A-are you serious…!?”
“I’m serious. I seriously like you, Sei-chan. I’d devote my
whole life to you.”
“Wh—!?”
I was still just a high-schooler working a part-time job,
but almost all the money I earned went straight into buying Sei-chan’s merch.
And from now on, every time new merch came out, I knew I’d
do the same.
That’s how much I liked Sei-chan.
“Y-you… were you always the type to say things like that…?”
“You’re the one who made me this way.”
“Ugh… s-saying such cheesy lines…!”
Even so, Sei-chan’s cheeks reddened as she turned her eyes
away.
I wanted to see that cute face up close, so I stepped toward
her.
It was a dream—so I could confess seriously to a character,
and I could approach her like this without hesitation.
If this were real life, I’d be way too embarrassed. But
having a manga character standing right in front of me is impossible in reality
anyway.
“I like your cool, dignified face, your shy, embarrassed
face, and your cute smiling face—every single one.”
“You… y-you’re only talking about my face…!”
“Of course, I like your personality too. I said it
earlier—how you care about Fujise and suppress your own feelings for her sake…
that’s amazing. I like that kindhearted side of you. But I also want you to be
happier.”
“Hisamura…”
Her swimsuit scene was drawn in the original manga, so I
knew—even if you couldn’t tell at a glance—that she had an incredibly
voluptuous body.
…Not that I had the guts to say that to Sei-chan, even in a
dream.
As I stepped closer, Sei-chan kept backing away little by
little.
She was stepping toward the teacher’s podium while facing
me, so she didn’t notice the small step up.
She tripped on it and nearly fell backwards.
“Ah…!”
“Watch out!”
I quickly reached out and caught her before she could fall.
The way I held her ended up pulling her into my arms—our
bodies pressed together, our faces suddenly inches apart.
“—…!”
I couldn’t tell if it was me, or Sei-chan, or both of us—but
someone swallowed sharply.
“S-sorry… and, um… thanks.”
“N-no problem.”
Her face bright red, Sei-chan hurriedly stood up on her own
and stepped away from me.
My own face was burning too.
Her eyelashes were insanely long. Her eyes were huge—like I
could get sucked in… my oshi is way too cute.
I wanted to see her up close again.
It’s a dream—maybe it’s okay to be a little more forward.
“So, Sei-chan… what’s your answer?”
“Eh, my answer? To what?”
“To my confession, obviously.”
“Ugh…!”
She stood atop the podium, turning her face away from me
with the blackboard behind her. I stepped closer and placed a hand against the
board, trapping her between my arm and the wall.
This was that thing—kabedon*, right?
Someone like me doing it probably didn’t look cool at all,
but the fact that the one being kabedon’d was Sei-chan… from any angle,
objectively or subjectively, it was perfect.
“H-Hisamura, um… you’re… too close…”
“You’re not giving me an answer. And your blushing face is
way too cute—I had to get closer.”
“—…M-my answer… that’s…”
“Sei-chan, I like you. I swear I’ll make you happy. So please
go out with me.”
“—…!”
When I said it again, Sei-chan looked up at me with moist
eyes.
Damn it—she was so cute my brain was about to boil.
“C-could you… let me think for a bit…? It’s so sudden…”
“No. I want your answer now.”
“Huh!?”
Because if I didn’t get it now, the dream would end—and I’d
regret it forever.
Even if she rejected me, I wanted to see how this confession
ended, right here in the dream.
“If you don’t give me an answer… I’m not letting you leave.”
“Uuuu… were you always this pushy…!?”
“Sei-chan, what do you think? Do I… not stand a chance?
Couldn’t I be your boyfriend?”
I leaned in closer as I asked.
Sei-chan’s eyes darted around before she answered.
“I-I know you’re… a really good guy… so it’s not like… you couldn’t
be my boyfriend…”
“Then… does that mean you’ll go out with me?”
“T-that’s… that’s not the same thing!”
“I want the answer now.”
Otherwise, the dream might end any second.
“Sei-chan… which is it?”
“U-uugh…! Uwaahhh!!”
“Whoa!?”
When I leaned in even closer, Sei-chan suddenly shoved me in
the chest with both hands, face bright red.
I stumbled back, and she slipped out from between my arm and
the wall.
“I—I can’t right now! I’ll… I’ll definitely give you an
answer soon!”
“Wait, Sei-chan!”
If it’s not right now, it’s meaningless! If not now, I’ll
wake up and never hear it!
“I—I can’t! It’s impossible right now! I’m going home!”
She grabbed her bag and headed toward the classroom door.
Damn… looks like pushing her any further—even in a
dream—won’t get me an answer.
Then at least… let me say this one last thing.
“Sei-chan, I’m serious! I really like you, and I
swear I want to make you happy!”
“—! O-okay! I’ll… keep that in mind! I’ll think about it!
Bye!”
Her cute face beet red again, Sei-chan dashed out of the
classroom.
From the hallway, I could hear her footsteps—sprinting at
full power.
She was athletic, so even if I chased her, I probably
wouldn’t catch up.
Is she okay? She’s moving so fast she might trip on the
stairs…
She can be a bit clumsy sometimes. That’s cute, too, though.
“Siigh… but in the end, I didn’t get an answer.”
I didn’t know when the dream would end, but I was pretty
sure I’d wake up before she gave me one.
Still… just seeing my oshi in a dream was already a
blessing. And honestly, I don’t think even the manga has shown Sei-chan being that
cute.
I got to experience it—even if only in a dream. That alone
made it worth it.
“But… this dream really isn’t ending.”
I muttered it without meaning to. The dream wasn’t fading at
all.
Actually, my awareness was clear, my senses felt real…
almost too real.
It almost made me question whether this really was a
dream.
But an experience this fantastical—if it isn’t a
dream, that’s even worse.
“…Well, anyway, I should head home.”
I slung my bag over my shoulder.
Of course, in the world of “Ojojama”, there was no “home”
for me… but I was Hisamura Tsukasa now.
And Hisamura Tsukasa did have a home.
For some reason, I already knew exactly where it was. I
could walk there without a problem.
The strange bits of realism mixed into all this made it even
more interesting.
Thinking about Sei-chan’s cuteness just a little while ago,
I walked home in high spirits.
“Eh? Just now—did Hisamura-kun confess to Sei-chan?”
—At that moment, I had no idea that someone had overheard
the very last words of my confession.
◇ ◇ ◇
That night, Shimada Sei… was lying on her bed, tossing and
turning in agony.
“What the hell is that guy, what the hell is that
guy…!”
What kept popping into her head was, of course, what had
happened after school today.
Shiho had asked her to stay because she wanted to talk, so
they were alone in the classroom.
Shiho told her that Shigemoto Yūichi—the guy she liked—had
asked her out on a date.
But there were rumors that Shigemoto was dating Tōjōin
Kaori, and some even said they were engaged.
Shiho wanted to know whether it was okay to go on a date
with a guy like that—whether she should confess her feelings.
Sei answered her best friend Shiho’s worry with sincere
seriousness.
When Sei dug up information on Shigemoto for Shiho’s sake,
she learned that the two of them were childhood friends, and the rumor that
they were dating—or engaged—was false.
It seemed true, though, that Tōjōin actually liked
Shigemoto, and it looked like she’d been the one spreading those rumors to keep
him close.
When Sei told Shiho that, she visibly relaxed.
She’d accepted Shigemoto’s invitation because she didn’t
think he was the kind of guy who’d ask another girl out if he truly had a
girlfriend or fiancée—but she was still a little worried.
Still, Shiho hesitated when she heard Tōjōin liked
Shigemoto.
She wondered if it was right for her to confess.
So Sei told her, “Tōjōin doesn’t matter. What’s important is
your feelings, Shiho.”
Hearing that, Shiho pulled herself together and decided to
confess on the upcoming date.
She thought her worries were gone and the matter was
settled… but she was wrong.
“And then—that guy showed up…!”
Yes—that guy, Hisamura Tsukasa, showed up.
Lately, she had been talking with Hisamura more often while
researching Shigemoto for Shiho.
At first, Hisamura looked at her with suspicion, but once she
explained that she was honestly gathering info for Shiho, he opened up and
talked to her normally.
His suspicion toward Sei—who was looking into his friend
Shigemoto—showed how much he cared about his own friend.
Sei, who also had a close friend is Shiho, could relate—she
remembered thinking, he really cares about his friends.
When Sei said she wanted to look further into Shigemoto,
Hisamura connected her with him.
It was a huge help—she could check whether he was a suitable
match for Shiho.
…And because of that, Sei herself ended up developing
feelings for Shigemoto.
But even so, it was only a mild crush—just a boy she found a
little interesting.
Having Shiho in the picture probably kept her from getting
too carried away—she’d been holding herself back unconsciously.
But Hisamura immediately saw through the fact that she’d
started to like Shigemoto.
That’s why she didn’t want to meet Hisamura there today.
Because she was afraid he’d realize she’d been suppressing
her own feelings for Shiho’s sake.
And as she’d expected, Hisamura did find out right away.
Up to that point, everything had gone exactly as she’d
predicted—up to that point.
But… what happened after that is what was making Sei writhe
on her bed now.
‘So that’s why, Sei-chan—I’m going to make you happy.’
“Uugh…!”
‘Sei-chan, I like you. I swear I’ll make you happy. So I want you to go out with me.’
“Nooo! Don’t remind mee—I!”
She pulled the pillow over her head, trying to block out the
scene.
Of course, that didn’t help—blocking out the scene only made
her remember the words and the whole scene even more vividly.
Those straight, honest eyes made it impossible to deny that
his words were sincere.
She had stepped back, tripped on the podium step, and
Hisamura had caught her.
He pulled her in firmly—bodies pressed together, heat from
his body transferring to hers.
Their faces were close—close enough that if either of them
wanted it, their lips would meet in an instant.
“Mm…!”
She buried her face in the pillow, muffled groans echoing
through her room.
And the pinnacle—he pressed her up against the blackboard, a
Kabedon…
‘You’re not giving me an answer. And your blushing face is
way too cute—I had to get closer.’
“Ugh…!”
‘Sei-chan, I seriously like you. I’ll definitely make you
happy, so please go out with me.’
“No waay! Why do I remember every single word—every last
senteence!?”
Hating her own memory, she couldn’t help shouting it out.
Sei was actually smart—her test rankings were always within
the top ten of the year.
But was using that brainpower and memory on this really
useful—or just useless?
If the first confession someone ever receives is that
passionate and striking, it’s no wonder she remembered it.
Her faint feelings for Shigemoto felt like they’d been blown
away by Hisamura’s passionate confession.
“I—I said I’d think about it, but… what am I supposed to
do…?”
For some reason, Hisamura had been fixated on getting an
answer right then and there, but it was all too sudden—Sei couldn’t come up
with a response in the moment.
If she’d answered right then, without thinking clearly,
there was a high chance she would have said yes.
(N-no—even thinking calmly, it’s not like I’d definitely
refuse… if anything, I’m more likely to accept… wait!)
“What am I thinking!?”
She took her frustration out on the cute stuffed animal by
the pillow, punching it repeatedly—thump-thump.
Still, Sei felt that she’d managed to calm down and pull
herself out of that moment.
Thinking about what might have happened if she’d accepted in
the heat of it—
‘O-okay… if someone like me is alright, Um, I’ll go out with
you…’
‘Don’t say ‘someone like me.’ I like you, Sei-chan. It has
to be you.’
‘—…P-please take care of me… from now on…’
‘Likewise. I’m really happy, Sei-chan.’
They stayed like that—Hisamura still had Sei pinned between
the wall and his right arm.
They were so close they could hear each other breathe—two
newly together people at that intimate distance.
With her beloved Sei that close, there was no way he could
hold back…
‘Sei-chan, I can’t hold back… is that okay?’
‘Eh…?’
Sei looked up in confusion—and Hisamura’s face was even
closer than before.
Realizing what he was about to do, Sei’s face turned so red
it felt like it might boil.
‘W-wait—so suddenly, right after we just started dating…!’
‘If you don’t want this, shove me away…’
Hisamura placed his left hand under her chin, tilting her
head up so it was easier.
Only a few centimeters remained between their lips…
‘Ah—’
Sei briefly thought to place both hands on his chest and
push him away—but in the end, she only rested her hands there.
And then their lips—.
—Pom-pom!
“Nuaaah!?”
The sound, coming from right next to her, snapped Sei out of
her daydream.
“Hah, hah… W-what was I even thinking…!”
Her face flushed bright red as the memory of what she’d just
imagined came back—then she shook her head as if to force herself to forget.
“Ugh, what am I even thinking?!”
Sei didn’t really realize it herself, but she had a tendency
to fantasize—and sometimes, lying on her bed, she drifted into those kinds of
daydreams.
This time, because the fantasy was mixed in real experience, her
imagination ran especially wild.
Unconsciously, she still had a hand to her lips; she snapped
to attention and slapped her own cheek.
“Ugh… making me imagine stuff like this! I won’t forgive
you, Hisamura…!”
She put aside the fact that it was her own imagination and
blamed everything on Hisamura.
If Hisamura hadn’t said those things, she wouldn’t have had
such fantasies—so she could almost say most of the blame lay with him.
“R-right—I just heard a RINE sound.”
It wasn’t that it ruined her fantasy—rather, the messaging
app had prevented things from getting worse.
She checked her phone and, sure enough, had a message.
The message this time seemed to be from Shiho.
She opened the chat with Shiho, and there it was…
“Huh!? W-why…!?”
‘Sei-chan—after we parted in the classroom… were you with
Hisamura-kun?’
“W-why does Shiho know about that…?”
No way—did Shiho actually see that embarrassing scene…!?
If that was true, it was so mortifying she didn’t know how
she could ever face Shiho again.
Then again, Hisamura would probably be even more at a loss
than Shiho.
“A-anyway, I should reply….”
Still unsure how to answer Shiho’s message, she typed a
reply.
‘Yeah, Hisamura came to the classroom afterwards.’
She sent that simple line and waited to see how Shiho would
react.
If Shiho had heard Hisamura’s passionate confession, it was
enough to make her feel like her face would burst into flames from
embarrassment.
Also, before that confession, there’s a mention that Sei had somewhat developed feelings for Shigemoto.
She had no clue where Shiho had heard any of it from.
She hoped, at the very least, that Shiho hadn’t heard about
her feelings for Shigemoto.
But honestly, by now Shigemoto was totally out of her
head—all she could think about was Hisamura.
“F-from where did you hear…?”
As soon as she sent the message, it was marked as read.
Before a minute had passed, a reply came.
‘So it’s true. That voice was Hisamura-kun’s, right? Sei-chan, did Hisamura-kun confess to you?’
“Uugh…!?”
So Shiho had heard the confession after all.
It was a huge blow to Sei—but more messages kept coming in
rapid succession.
‘What did you tell him? Are you going out with him now?’
Of course, Shiho, like any teenage girl, loved gossiping
about romance.
Blushing, Sei answered honestly.
‘We’re not dating.’
‘Huh—so you turned him down?’
About five seconds passed between her message and Shiho’s
reply.
‘I didn’t turn him down!’
That short message came even faster than the previous one.
‘I said I’d put it on hold—or that I needed time to think.’
‘I see. So what are you going to do? Knowing you, Sei-chan,
you’ve probably been thinking about this the whole time, right?’
‘It’s not like I’ve been thinking about it the entire time…’
Several hours had passed since the confession.
She couldn’t have been thinking about it nonstop all that
time.
She’d done homework for tomorrow’s classes and watched TV
while eating dinner.
Still—homework had taken much longer than usual, she
couldn’t remember what was on TV, and she couldn’t even recall what she’d
eaten. Sei wanted to believe it didn’t mean she’d been obsessing over Hisamura
the whole time.
‘Have you decided what to say?’
‘Not yet… I haven’t decided.’
‘I figured. But Sei-chan is Sei-chan—if there was no chance, you
would’ve turned him down right away, right?’
“Ugh—why is Shiho so aggressive today…!?”
Replies came within seconds, sometimes tens of seconds, and
Sei wondered how Shiho always managed to hit the nail on the head.
Maybe it was because they were such close friends that Shiho
could read her so well.
‘But still—being confessed to that passionately, it’s no
wonder you’re conscious of him.’
‘I’m not exactly conscious of him.’
‘No way. Sei-chan, your face is totally red right now, I
bet.’
“Is there a hidden camera or something!? Or are we somehow
on a video call!?”
‘But, ‘I’ll definitely make you happy’—Hisamura-kun sounded
so cool. I want someone to say that to me, too.’
‘Ugh… but what did he mean when he said he liked me…?’
‘Ehh—because Sei-chan is super cute, right?’
Shiho always said that, but since no one else had, Sei
figured it might be a bit of flattery.
But when it came from Hisamura, there’d been none of that
feel—no hint of flattery.
‘I’m sure you’re even cuter right now—let’s do a call!’
“Wha—!? W-what do you mean!?”
Shiho suddenly said she wanted to call, and before Sei could
reply, her phone started ringing.
Startled, Sei hit the call button and nervously brought the
phone to her ear.
‘Ah—Sei-chan? Helloooo?’
“…Shiho, don’t call me out of the blue like that.”
‘Fufu, sorry. I just wanted to talk to you, Sei-chan, as soon
as possible.’
“Ugh…”
She’d answered before she could stop herself—and now she
regretted it, imagining how many questions Shiho would pry out of her.
‘Thanks for picking up, Sei-chan. Now I can grill you about
what happened to my heart’s content!’
“N-no, it’s not like I picked up to talk about that…”
‘Fufu—you’ve been helping me with advice about Shigemoto,
but now you’ve got your own love drama, so I’m so happy, Sei-chan!’
“Ugh… I—I really should go to sleep now…”
‘It’s only ten! Sei-chan, you stay up later than this—don’t
you want to talk about love with me that much…?’
“No—it’s not that—I’m just… embarrassed…”
As Sei squeezed the words out, she heard a sharp intake of
breath through the phone.
‘—…Sei-chan, that was really cute just now!’
“H-hey? Wh-what was—!?”
‘The way you said it! Even as a girl, I got all fluttery!’
“I—I don’t even know what you mean by the way…?”
‘Fufu—you really are cute, Sei-chan. Looks like Hisamura-kun
made you even cuter.’
“W-what!? What do you mean by that!?”
‘Because he confessed to you, right?’
“Ugh… Y-yeah, that’s true…”
The idea that she’d somehow become even cuter after being
confessed to was far too embarrassing for Sei.
‘By the way—why did Hisamura-kun suddenly confess to you,
Sei-chan?’
“T-That’s what I want to know.”
Both Shiho and Sei had some contact with Hisamura, but there
had been no hint that he liked Sei.
‘Sei-chan, how did he confess?’
“W-why do you need to know all that…!?”
‘Come on. I want to use it as a reference for when I confess
to Shigemoto-kun.’
“Ugh… I don’t even know if that would be useful as a
reference.”
Because she cared about her friend, Sei explained the whole
flow of Hisamura’s confession—what he said, how he said it—so Shiho could
succeed.
She stumbled over many parts because of embarrassment, but
she somehow managed to explain everything to the end.
‘T-Thank you, Sei-chan… I’m sorry for making you tell me all
that.’
“Hah, hah… No, it’s fine. If it helps your confession,
that’s enough…”
‘Well, um... I feel a bit bad asking after all we've talked
about, but is it really impossible?’
“W-why not?”
‘It’s just way too embarrassing… That wasn’t a student
confession—it was a proposal.’
“Propo—!?”
Sei hadn’t expected that and coughed in surprise.
Sei hadn’t seen Hisamura’s confession from an outside
perspective, and she never imagined her close friend would describe it that way.
‘Come on—‘I’ll make you happy,’ ‘I’ll devote my whole life’…
doesn’t that just sound like a proposal?’
“Ugh… W-well, when you put it that way, maybe…”
Thinking back on Hisamura’s serious tone and his words, it
really had been almost a proposal—he’d simply stopped short of saying ‘Marry
me.’
‘I mean, I do want to be with Shigemoto-kun if we date, but
a proposal? That’s still too soon for me…’
“I-I’m not saying that if I accepted Hisamura’s confession, I
was already thinking about marriage…!”
‘Huh—so you will accept his confession?’
“I-I’m not saying that!”
‘So you won’t accept it?’
“No—um, I’m still undecided…”
She couldn’t keep him waiting forever, after all.
She needed to reply soon—Hisamura had said he wanted an
answer quickly.
‘Hmm—Sei-chan, is there anyone you like?’
“S-Someone I like…?”
‘Yeah—now that I think about it, I’ve never heard you talk
about someone you like.’
When asked about someone she liked, the first face that
popped into Sei’s head was Hisamura’s.
But before being confessed to—before Hisamura—when she’d
think of someone she liked, it had been Shigemoto Yūichi, the person Shiho
liked.
“…No, I don’t have someone I like.”
She couldn’t let Shiho know that.
‘I see. So how did it feel to be confessed to by
Hisamura-kun?’
“W-well… I was happy, but—”
‘…Huh? Your voice was kind of quiet. Say that again.’
“I-I said I was happy… really.”
Without thinking, she’d added an adjective to show just how
happy she’d been.
But in truth, that’s exactly how much joy she’d felt inside.
Which was why even hours later, she’d flush red again, remembering that moment.
‘Fufu—yep. After such a passionate confession, it’d be hard not
to be conscious of him.’
“Ugh… don’t tease me so much, Shiho. I’m barely holding it
together…”
‘Sorry—this is the first time we’ve talked like this about
you, Sei-chan, so I’m excited too.’
Usually, it was Shiho’s love dramas she’d been advising
on—but this time it was about Sei’s romance.
No wonder Shiho was fired up.
‘But seriously, Sei-chan—what are you going to do? Will you
date him?’
“Well… I do think Hisamura is a really good guy, but he
confessed so suddenly—I still don’t know.”
‘Hmm, maybe you don’t need to think about it so seriously?’
“…Really?”
‘Yeah. Well, after hearing Hisamura’s confession, you might
worry so much you start thinking about marriage—but we’re still in high school,
you know?’
“W-well, I guess that’s true.”
She wasn’t actually imagining marriage.
But before Shiho messaged her, she had been imagining what
might have happened if she’d accepted—just a little.
“Ugh… I thought about something I didn’t need to!”
‘W-what’s wrong?’
“N-nothing—carry on.”
She punched the stuffed toy a couple more times to shake off
the fantasy.
(T/N - Justice for stuff toy)
‘This is a story of my friend from the tennis club, but
there have been a few girls who were confessed to by boys, and even though they
didn’t really like them, they decided to try dating them just once.’
“R-really?”
‘Yeah. Some of them worked out, some didn’t—but trying it
without overthinking is an option. You’re pretty earnest, Sei-chan, though, so
it might be tough for you.’
“Y-yeah…”
In reality, plenty of high-school relationships are like
that.
Not just high schoolers—adults, too, sometimes date like
that.
Couples who are truly mutually in love from the start might
actually be the minority.
In high school, it might be fine to date someone as a trial
if you’re at least a little interested.
You’re not going to be with that person for life
necessarily—so that’s a valid approach.
(But…)
‘Sei-chan, I like you. I swear I’ll make you happy. So I want you to go out with me.’
Hisamura had said it with straight, earnest eyes.
Could she date someone who’d said that if her own feelings
were just “maybe I don’t really like him, but trying might be okay”?
“Fufu… that’s not it.”
‘Hm? What’s up?’
“No—sorry, Shiho. I’m not criticizing your friend, but that
kind of thing doesn’t suit me. And Hisamura—he said it so seriously.”
‘…Yeah. I actually suggested it, but I also thought you
wouldn’t want that, Sei-chan.’
“Heh—really.”
‘And even for me—when I confess to Shigemoto-kun, I don’t
think I’d be happy if he dated me like that.’
“Yeah. I’d expect Shigemoto to be serious about it, just
like Hisamura.”
‘Yeah, I think so too—after all, he’s the person I fell for.’
“…I see.”
With Shiho so confident, maybe Sei hadn’t needed to dig into
Shigemoto at all.
If she’d done that, she might never have developed feelings
for Shigemoto.
But if she hadn’t gotten close to Shigemoto, she might never
have been confessed to by Hisamura—so in the end, getting close to him might
have been the right move.
(No—that’s not right. Why does it sound like Hisamura
confessing was the “correct” thing? I haven’t even accepted yet…)
‘Oh, by the way, Sei-chan.’
“W-what is it?”
As Sei drifted into another unnecessary thought, Shiho said
over the phone with a grin.
‘You were totally bragging a bit earlier, weren’t you?’
“Huh? No, I wasn’t bragging…”
‘You said Shigemoto would be serious too, like Hisamura,
right? So that means Hisamura-kun treated you seriously, right?’
“Wha—no, well…”
Unconsciously, Sei had been bragging.
◇ ◇ ◇
…Huh? When am I supposed to wake up from this?
Several hours had passed since I became Hisamura Tsukasa.
Right now, I’m back at “my” house, lying on the bed in “my”
room while messing around on my phone.
I’d been using my phone just like usual, so I completely
forgot that I was inside a manga world.
This place is from my favorite manga, :My Childhood Friend
Ojōsama Gets in the Way, So I Can’t Have a Normal Romcom."
And for some reason—probably because I had the exact same
name as one of the characters, Hisamura Tsukasa—I ended up becoming that
character inside this dream.
Even though it’s a dream, I ate dinner normally; it tasted
completely real… everything felt way too realistic.
…Honestly, is this really a dream?
It’s so real that I’m starting to doubt it.
But entering the world of a manga? That’s not realistic, no
matter how you look at it.
It’s the most vivid dream I’ve ever had, but… well, for now
I guess it really is a dream.
“But still, it really feels like I’ve actually become Hisamura
Tsukasa from this manga.”
Over these few hours, I even checked myself in the mirror—my
face was exactly my real-world face.
The real-life Hisamura Tsukasa’s face, not the one the manga
character had… or so I think.
…Though since this is a dream, I can’t remember his manga face very clearly
anymore.
“Hmm… I don’t mind being in a dream for now, but I’ve got
nothing to do.”
I muttered that as I sprawled out on the bed.
I’d been playing mobile games and watching videos earlier,
but those are things I could do in the real world.
Actually, up until a while ago, I completely forgot this
world was supposed to be a dream.
Maybe the real me got hit by a truck and is lying in a coma
somewhere, unable to wake up…
…If I think about that too much, I’ll get scared I won’t
wake up, so I’ll stop.
Anyway, since I’m already inside the world of my favorite
manga, I want to do something I can only do here.
What would that be…? Ah!
“Right, maybe I should try contacting someone with my
phone.”
Let’s check the apps… oh, there it is, RINE.
The name is slightly different from the real-world one, but
whatever.
I open RINE and check whose contacts Hisamura Tsukasa has.
Oh—Shigemoto Yūichi, the protagonist.
Well, yeah, of course. They’re best friends.
And… Fujise Shiho is here too. And even Tōjōin Kaori!
So he has the contact info of both main heroines.
Wait, then… does that mean… she’s also—
“There it is!”
I had been lying on the bed, but excitement made me jump up.
On the RINE screen, the name “Shimada Sei” is listed.
So he really did have Sei-chan’s contact!
Alright, I’m definitely messaging her!
I don’t know how many hours I’ll be stuck in this world, so
there’s no way I’m wasting this chance.
Now, what should I send?
She probably remembers that confession from earlier, so I
should bring it up.
If possible, I want her reply—even if it’s just over RINE.
And if I’m lucky… maybe even a call… yeah, let’s do it!
“Okay—message typed and sent!”
I hope she replies quickly—Oh, wait, she already read it!
“Wha—!? W-wait, Shiho! I just—um—got a RINE from Hisamura…!”
‘What? No way!? What did it say, what did it say!?’
“Ugh… N-no, it’s—‘Sei-chan, are you still awake? What I said
today was all my true feelings. I don’t mean to rush your reply, but I’d be
really happy to hear a good answer.’ —that’s what it said…”
‘Woow! That’s, like, totally heart-pounding! Come on,
Sei-chan—reply already!’
“W-what am I supposed to reply…!?”
‘You need to think about it, Sei-chan! Look, it’s not about
me—what matters is your feelings!’
“Th-that’s exactly what I told you today! Don’t copy
me!”
‘Fufu, right. Anyway, hurry up and reply—you’ve already read
it, haven’t you?’
“Oh—right… um, what should I do…!?”
…No reply yet.
It’d been about five minutes since it was marked as read.
Then again, just because it’s been read doesn’t mean she’s
in a place where she can reply right away.
A situation where she can’t reply immediately… what, maybe
she’s in the bath?
Ugh—no, I can’t be imagining about Sei-chan’s bath right
now…!
Even the original manga hasn’t given Sei-chan that many
fan service shots yet—author, please give us more of Sei-chan’s service scenes.
—Pom-pom.
“Oh—here it is!”
When that familiar sound chimed, I immediately opened RINE.
Sei-chan’s reply was…
‘Thank you. Hisamura—your feelings really make me happy. But
please wait a little while. I want to face this seriously with you.’
…! What a cute girl!
I couldn’t help but take a screenshot of the message.
Even if I screenshot it, I knew I couldn’t bring it into my
real phone since this was a dream.
She’d taken my confession very earnestly and was really
thinking it over.
That much came through from just this message.
It was a shame I hadn’t gotten a firm answer, but just
learning that Sei-chan was so sincere and sweet made sending the message
worthwhile.
For now, I should send another message.
“Shiho—i-it’s been marked as read, but no reply’s come…!”
‘Sei-chan, it’s only been like three minutes since you sent
it. He’s thinking about his reply.’
“W-was my message that serious?”
‘Hmm, probably? Before I even thought of a reply, I’d
probably just die of swooning.’
“W-why would you—!?”
‘Because that sweet, pitiable little message of yours is the
kind that makes you faint just reading it.’
“B-but Shiho said it was fine!”
‘Yeah—the wording wasn’t wrong. It gets across how seriously
you’re thinking about it, Sei-chan, so it’s fine.’
“Ugh… Oh! I-it’s here!”
‘What did it say?’
“S-so… it said, ‘No—I’m the one who’s grateful that
Sei-chan is taking me seriously. Thank you. “I like you” isn’t enough.’ …t-that’s
what it said.”
‘…Sei-chan, there’s more, right?’
“H-how did you know—!?”
‘You’re so obvious, Sei-chan. Come on—what’s the rest?’
“Ugh… ‘“I like you” isn’t enough. I—I love you…’”
‘Woow! I’m starting to get embarrassed too!’
“N-no, I’m the one who’s embarrassed! Why do I
have to read this out loud…!?”
…Maybe “I love you” was a bit much?
I meant it, emotionally, but maybe I shouldn’t have sent
that over RINE.
Well—this is a dream, so it should be fine.
“Hah… so this is what texting a girl you like feels like.”
In the real world, I’d never actually had someone I liked.
Even if there were girls I thought were cute or pretty, I’d
never fallen for anyone.
So honestly, my first love is Sei-chan from “Ojōjama”.
It might be kind of pathetic to have a first love for a
two-dimensional girl, but whatever.
I’m just so happy I can text a girl like that in such a
vivid dream.
Seriously, I hope this dream never ends…
Pom-pom. Oh—she replied!
‘Um, I’m really happy, but please don’t say that so much.
It’s embarrassing, I feel like I might die.’
Ugh…! Even the message is too cute—I’m going to die…!
I took another screenshot. Sigh—so precious.
I really do like Sei-chan—no doubt about it.
I want to stay in this world forever and make her happy.
In the original “Ojōjama”, there’s no way she ends up with
Shigemoto Yūichi.
In the original, Sei hides her feelings for Shiho’s sake and
helps the two of them get together.
Along the way, she ends up alone with Shigemoto sometimes,
which leads to a few heart-throbbing moments.
Given Sei-chan’s personality, she’d probably keep hiding her
feelings for Shigemoto until they end up together.
If she’s doomed to play the losing heroine, I’ll make
Sei-chan happy myself.
Yawn… I’m getting kind of sleepy.
Wait—can you even get sleepy inside a dream?
If I fall asleep like this, I might wake up back in the real
world.
I don’t want that…
It’d be a lie to say I had no attachment to the real world,
but this place is definitely more fun.
I’m inside the world of my favorite manga—and my number one oshi,
Sei-chan, is here.
So I don’t want to go back yet.
If I fall asleep here, I might be sent back…
I lay on the bed and forced my heavy eyelids open to look at
my phone screen.
Reading over our earlier exchange, Sei-chan’s cute face
popped into my head.
…Sigh. Sei-chan really is so cute.
I really want to go out with Sei-chan.
I want to stay in this world forever, watch Sei-chan up
close, and make her happy.
Ah, but I’m at my limit—I’m so sleepy…
“Please—let this dream… never end…”
I whispered that wish one last time, closed my eyes, and
fell asleep within the dream.
“Sh—Shiho, it was marked as read thirty minutes ago, and
there’s still no reply…!”
‘It’s pretty late—maybe he dozed off.’
“It’s only around eleven. That seems a bit early for a high
schooler to be asleep…”
‘It’s not an unreasonable hour to be asleep, though.’
“M-maybe he didn’t like my reply and won’t answer because of
that…!”
‘Sei-chan, calm down. Hisamura-kun was making such a big
show of how he likes you—there’s no way he’d suddenly think like that about
your reply.’
“R-really…?”
‘He probably just fell asleep with his phone screen on.’
“If that’s the case, it’s fine—b-but what if he got caught
up in some kind of incident…!”
‘Sei-chaan, calm doown'
Sei’s tendency to imagine things could get a little extreme.
Shiho knew that, but this was the first time it’d gone this far—she was amused,
but it was a little hard to rein her in.
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