Chapter 2: “Learning Secrets and Taking Action”

──The next day.

“Nngh…? Is it morning already?”

I woke up to the morning sunlight streaming through the curtains.

Phew, no sleep paralysis today, so I shouldn’t be late.

Still, yesterday was one hell of a day.

Between the seat change that left me surrounded by the three most popular beauties in class and learning about the past of the big-breasted beauty of the group, Miyama Airi, it was utterly exhausting.

I thought Miyama was just a big-breasted beauty… but who would’ve guessed she’d been through so much hardship.

Guess you really can’t judge people by appearances.

“Hey, Ryouta! Hurry up and eat breakfast, or Onee-chan’s gonna scarf down your share too!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Urged on by my sister, I headed to breakfast.

☆☆

After a refined breakfast, I arrived at school and settled into my seat, pulling a light novel out of my bag.

The long-awaited print edition of Breasts Sucking, which I managed to buy thanks to Miyama.

I’m really looking forward to seeing how far the erotic descriptions go in the print version.

“Tch, why’s that otaku…”

“Right? What’s even the point of the seat change?”

“That guy’s an otaku, only into 2D girls, yeah? Man, I wish we could trade places.”

As I tried to read my light novel alone, I overheard jealous whispers filled with spite.

Seems like some of the guys in class are deliberately saying this loud enough for me to hear.

Sigh… This is exactly why being seated near those three beauties is such a hassle.

Sure, being surrounded by a busty beauty, a downer gyaru, and a black-haired prim girl might be a dream come true for other guys.

But for a loner otaku like me, it’s the worst possible seat.

I’ll admit, maybe I’ve looked at Miyama’s body (her huge breasts) with some impure thoughts, but I don’t really want to get close to those three.

If I get too involved with those beauties, my peaceful high school life will go up in flames.

Alright, let’s ignore the noise around me and get back to my light novel.

Oh, nice… As expected, the scenes where the protagonist sucks on the breasts of female adventurers to steal their cheat skills are absolutely stunning. Eroticism: 100 points. Fapability: 100 points. Yup, a perfect score.

As I was grinning to myself, lost in thought, a shadow loomed over my desk… Huh?

“…You’re Izumiya, right?”

While I was engrossed in my light novel, Ichinose Yuria had somehow appeared in front of me.

…Huh? Ichinose Yuria!?

The downer gyaru wearing her blazer sloppily, exposing just the right shoulder of her dress shirt, with her bag slung casually over her shoulder.

Her glossy pink lips, shiny manicured nails, and, as always, her striking bright chestnut hair.

“I’m asking if your name’s Izumiya.”

“Uh, y-yeah, that’s right!”

“…”

“Um, Ichinose…?”

Ichinose glanced at the light novel in my hands and narrowed her eyes with a skeptical look.

What’s with that? What’s going on?

“…Got it.”

Ichinose muttered under her breath before sitting down at her desk to my left.

Got it…? What’s that supposed to mean!?

Is this like that yankee line, “I’ve got your face memorized” or something?

Crap… Did I just get on Ichinose’s bad side already?

As expected, there’s no such thing as a gyaru who’s nice to an otaku.

Well, Miyama’s kind of an exception… She’s not just nice to otaku’s—she’s more like a busty gyaru who’s nice to everyone.

Wait, speaking of Miyama… I feel like I’m forgetting something… Oh!

Right, I’m supposed to have lunch with Miyama today.

“Morning, Yuria! Oh!”

After greeting Ichinose, Miyama glanced at me and, without saying a word, gave me a wink with her right eye.

“Hey, Airi, what’s with the wink?”

“Oh, uh, just felt like it? Airi’s looking cute today too, right?”

Miyama tried to brush it off, sounding a bit flustered.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! What’s with that? It’s like we’re some secret couple or something!

If I were some delusional introvert otaku, I’d have fallen for her in a heartbeat… But phew, I’m totally fine. Just my heart pounding like crazy, that’s all.

Man, at this rate, lunch is gonna be even crazier…

☆☆

“Katsu curry, extra-large! With tons of sauce!”

After fourth period ended and lunch break began, I came to the cafeteria with Miyama as promised yesterday, only to find myself treating her to an extra-large katsu curry (1,000 yen) with zero hesitation on her part.

Since I made the promise, I can’t really complain. Or rather, I won’t.

Even as a loner otaku, I’ve got my pride as a guy.

That said, our cafeteria’s extra-large katsu curry is a massive portion, isn’t it?

Just as I thought that, the katsu curry came out from the pickup counter: a mountain of rice topped with eight thick slices of katsu, swimming in fragrant curry sauce filled to the brim.

It looked so hearty that just seeing it made me feel full.

Guess I’ll stick to one onigiri today (mostly because of my wallet…).

Miyama and I grabbed our food and sat across from each other at a two-person table.

Lunch with Miyama Airi. If I told my past self this was happening, he’d never believe it.

This is only the second time I’ve sat face-to-face with Miyama since yesterday, but no matter how many times I see her, her face is Ivy League-level gorgeous, and her chest? Harvard valedictorian-level, no question.

[T/N: Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference of eight private research universities (Harvard, Yale, etc.) in the Northeastern United States.]

Plus, as a loner, I haven’t had lunch with a girl since middle school cafeteria days.

Anyway, I’m insanely nervous…

I’ve gotta be extra careful about my table manners.

“Thanks for treating me today! Also, sorry for ordering something kinda pricey.”

“It’s fine, it’s just thanks for yesterday…”

“You’re good with just one onigiri, Ryouta?”

“Yeah, I don’t eat much.”

I’m stuck with one onigiri because of my budget, but I’ll keep that to myself.

“You’re pretty dutiful, huh, Ryouta?”

“Dutiful? Me?”

“Yeah, I mean, I didn’t actually think you’d treat me. It was just a casual promise, so I thought it might get brushed off or whatever.”

Geez, she really didn’t trust me at all.

Even if I’m a loner, I’m the kind of guy who always keeps his promises.

“By the way, I’ve been thinking since earlier, but…”

“Hm?”

“Don’t you feel like people are staring at us?”

When I glanced around, I could indeed feel the jealous, almost murderous glares from some of the guys directed at me… Yeah, figures.

Miyama doesn’t seem to realize it, but Miyama Airi is practically an idol with a ton of fans in this school.

If that idol is seen eating lunch with a bottom-tier loner like me, it’s way beyond a scandal.

Farewell, my peaceful school life…

“Hey, Ryouta? You listening?”

“Wha!? Y-Yesh!?”

While I was distracted by the stares, Miyama called out to me.

“Ugh, ignoring me? That’s the worst.”

“S-Sorry! Please forgive me, I’ll do anything!”

“You don’t have to apologize that hard… Whatever, it’s fine.”

Miyama started digging into her curry with gusto, continuing the conversation.

“So, about this morning…”

“Y-Yeah?”

“Did you and Yuria talk about something?”

Crap… She saw that?

Miyama kept shoveling katsu curry into her mouth, chewing and swallowing before speaking again.

“I mean, it was less like talking and more like a quick exchange… But why do you ask?”

“Oh, right, you were in a different class in first year, weren’t you? Guess it makes sense you wouldn’t know.”

I have no idea what she means.

“Yuria, like, almost never talks to guys, ever since first year.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Yeah, so when I saw her talking to you, I was totally shocked.”

To think Ichinose, a gyaru, barely talks to guys…

I figured she’d have a boyfriend or something, so that’s surprising.

“What did you and Yuria talk about? Was it, like, something naughty?”

“No way! She just said to me, ‘Got it,’ and…”

“Yuria said that? What’s that about?”

That’s what I’d like to know…

“Hmm, what’s ‘Got it’ supposed to mean?”

“I’d love to know too, but… it’s kinda…”

Approaching a downer gyaru like Ichinose as a loner like me feels way too daunting.

“In that case, I, Yuria’s best friend Airi, could ask her for you.”

“Really?”

“Wait, hold up! Nah, that’d be too boring.”

After finishing her katsu curry, Miyama clasped her hands together and shot me another signature wink.

“I’m gonna let you in on something special, so why don’t you ask Yuria directly, Ryouta?”

“S-Something special…!? What kind of special…?”

Swallowing hard, I asked nervously.

“Yuria’s usually with me and the others at school, right?”

“Oh, yeah, now that you mention it.”

“That makes it tough for you to bring up this morning, doesn’t it? I mean, with me or Rui-chan nearby, it’d be hard for you to ask Yuria about it. And Yuria probably wouldn’t feel like talking to you with us around either, right?”

“Y-Yeah, that’s true.”

“So! If you want to talk to Yuria, I’ll tell you about a place she often goes to alone. You can go there and ask her yourself.”

Oh, so that’s the special thing.

Even if I know that, the idea of a bottom-tier loner like me talking one-on-one with a gyaru is way too high a hurdle.

I got my hopes up for something special… If that’s the case, just tell me Ichinose’s three sizes or something.

“Oh! You’ve got that ‘talking’s impossible’ face!”

“Because it is impossible.”

“You want to know what Yuria meant by ‘Got it,’ right? Then you’ve gotta talk to her one-on-one.”

She’s not wrong, but… I still don’t have the confidence to do it.

“Ryouta, we’re seated close now, so let’s all get along, yeah?”

“B-But, I’m the total opposite of you guys.”

“I don’t know what you think, Ryouta, but at least after talking to you yesterday, I decided I want to be friends with you.”

Miyama leaned in close, her face suddenly serious.

“So I’d love for Yuria to get along with you too… or at the very least, I don’t want you two to end up on bad terms.”

Her words hit me hard.

To think Miyama was worried about something like that…

“If that’s the case, why don’t you just mediate between me and Ichinose?”

“That’d be boring, so no way.”

“H-Huh?”

“Alright, Ryouta! Time for Operation: Become Besties with Yuria!”

Ugh… Why do I feel like Miyama’s just messing with me?

☆☆

That afternoon, after school.

I took the train and arrived at the place Miyama had told me about.

So this is… the arcade in the next town where Ichinose supposedly hangs out alone.

‘Lately, Yuria’s been going to the arcade in the next town by herself on Wednesdays, it seems? She’s always in a bad mood on Wednesdays!’

After getting the info from Miyama about when Ichinose would be alone, I took the train to the next town’s station after school.

It’s not like I’m dying to know the meaning behind Ichinose’s words, but Miyama seems to dislike the idea of me and Ichinose being on bad terms.

Sure, I also want to clear things up since it’d be awkward to stay on Ichinose’s bad side while sitting so close to her… but could it be that Miyama cleverly manipulated me into spying on what Ichinose is doing alone?

Nah, that’s probably just me overthinking things.

Half-doubting, I stepped into the large arcade located inside the commercial complex at the next town’s station.

This arcade holds memories from when I was in elementary school. My mom used to come to this town every week for sepak takraw, and I’d tag along and play here often.

[T/N: Sepak takraw is a sport similar to volleyball and footvolley. Players are only allowed to use their feet, knees, shoulders, chest and head to touch the ball.]

A place full of nostalgic memories… If Ichinose is here, I should find her quickly and get this over with.

Well, the reason a gyaru would come to an arcade is probably just for purikura, right?

[T/N: Purikura is a Japanese term referring to photo sticker booths, or the photos produced by them.]

With that bias in mind, I headed toward the purikura area first.

“Whoa, so this is… the purikura corner.”

Apparently, something called “cos-puri,” where girls take purikura while cosplaying, is trending among girls lately. The purikura corner even has a rental section for cosplay outfits.

The purikura area was filled with gyaru high school girls with brightly colored hair.

For a loner like me, the vibe here feels completely out of place. But Ichinose might be here…

I lingered in front of the purikura corner for a while, scanning the crowd with sharp eyes, but Ichinose never showed up.

I’m probably starting to look like a total creep, so I decided to step away for now.

Come to think of it, no one would take purikura alone, would they?

Besides, if it was purikura, she’d probably invite Kuroki or Miyama along.

That makes me think Ichinose coming to the arcade alone might mean she’s doing something she can’t tell those two about.

“Haah… I don’t get it.”

Why do I even have to think this hard about it in the first place?

Ugh, whatever. I’m over it all.

I’ll just tell Miyama tomorrow that she wasn’t here.

But since I paid 160 yen for the train fare to get to the next town, I might as well have some fun before heading back.

I headed straight to the nearby UFO catcher area.

“Oh yeah, I saw on SNS that they got new UMA JK figurines in stock…”

Might as well try to snag one of those before heading home—huh?

The moment I turned the corner toward the UFO catcher area, I caught sight of a familiar female student.

Bright chestnut hair, a bust that rivals Miyama’s, and thick thighs peeking out from under her skirt.

No mistake—that bust and those thighs belong to Ichinose Yuria.

It seems Ichinose was playing a UFO catcher.

Coming to an arcade alone to play UFO catchers… That’s no different from what a loner like me would do.

I hid behind another UFO catcher and observed her.

“…Tch. This isn’t going well at all.”

She seemed to be struggling quite a bit.

After a while, Ichinose pulled a 1,000-yen bill from her wallet and headed to the change machine.

She’s been at it for nearly ten tries since I spotted her. What could she want so badly to pour that much money into it?

With Ichinose stepping away to get change, I could see the prize in the UFO catcher she was playing…

What? No way… Why would a gyaru like Ichinose want that?

It was something so unbefitting of a gyaru, yet totally my type.

A rectangular yellow box with a girl character printed on it, labeled—Ultra Busty Beauty Anime: Chichi-kyun Prize Limited Edition Beautiful Girl Figurine.

“B-Busty!?”

Ultra Busty Beauty Anime: Chichi-kyun is a super risqué R17.999 anime for cultured ladies and gentlemen, airing late Saturday nights. It’s a chaotic show where bikini-clad beautiful girls fight with their prized busts to save their nation, and its Blu-ray sales set a record as the best in the Reiwa era (in a certain sense).

Why was Ichinose playing a UFO catcher for a figurine from such a niche, ero-heavy anime that only “big friends” would care about?

[T/N: “big friends” (大きいお友達) is a Japanese term used to refer to adults and young people who are obsessed with hobbies aimed at children.]

Could it be… she’s trying to resell this figurine?

Sure, Chichi-kyun was the undisputed champion of last summer’s anime season, a wildly popular (erotic) anime.

But regardless of the show’s popularity, prize figurines like this would only fetch maybe 1,000 to 2,000 yen at most if resold.

Meanwhile, Ichinose has already sunk nearly 3,000 yen into this machine.

It’s obvious she won’t make a profit, so what’s the point?

I can’t figure out her reasoning. What benefit could there be for Ichinose to get a figurine of a bikini-clad, blonde, busty beauty—

“Hey, uh, that’s my machine…”

As I leaned forward, peering into the UFO catcher, someone appeared right beside me—

““Ah.””

In all my years of life, through all sorts of experiences…

This was, without a doubt, the most awkward moment of my entire existence.

The arcade’s noise seemed to fade away instantly.

The surrounding clamor vanished as I froze in this situation.

Standing next to me was a beautiful girl with a bust and thick thighs that rivaled the figurine in front of us.

“Why are you…”

Otaku and gyaru are like water and oil—never meant to mix.

Yet here we were, me (the otaku) and Ichinose (the gyaru), face-to-face in front of a Chichi-kyun busty beauty figurine.

No, if it was just a chance encounter, there might’ve been some salvation.

If I, the otaku, was after this figurine, running into Ichinose here might’ve ended with her saying, “Ugh, otaku are so gross,” and that’d be it.

But Ichinose, the moment she saw me, blurted out, “That’s my machine,” essentially confessing.

In other words, she’d trapped herself in a situation where she couldn’t deny she was trying to win this busty beauty figurine.

“W-Wait, you… you’re not here to dig up dirt on me, are you…?”

Ichinose’s face turned bright red with panic as she pointed a finger at me.

Here we go again. Time for the otaku prejudice routine.

Like with Miyama, it seems otaku’s are seen as creatures obsessed with exploiting people’s weaknesses.

As if an otaku like me would have anyone to blab to even if I did have dirt.

“Hey… say something already.”

As I stood there silently, observing the situation like it was someone else’s problem, Ichinose spoke to me in a trembling voice.

“Are you gonna spread the word that I was after this figurine and ruin me?”

“Calm down. I didn’t come here for anything like that.”

“Then why are you here? This is the next town over.”

That question puts me in a tough spot.

I can’t exactly say I got info from Miyama to ask about this morning.

In that case… time for the sympathy strategy.

“A-Actually, I came here to try and win this figurine too!”

“What, you’re after Milk-tan too…?”

Alright, seems like I’ve cleared up the misunderstanding a bit—wait, hold on.

Calling it “Milk-tan” means she’s not after it for resale or to give away, right?

“So, uh, Ichinose, why were you trying to get this figurine?”

No response.

Ichinose twirled her hair, looking awkward and avoiding my gaze.

Her attitude screamed she had no intention of answering.

“Um, like, to give it to someone? Or, don’t tell me, you’re trying to resell it—”

Before I could finish, Ichinose suddenly closed the distance and grabbed my uniform by the collar.

“Don’t lump me in with those scummy resellers!”

The usually laid-back Ichinose suddenly got emotional.

Apparently, the word “resell” was a landmine.

“I’m… I’m trying to win this so I don’t have to give in to resellers! Don’t compare me to those lowlife scalpers!”

Furious, Ichinose yanked my collar, her face so close it felt like she might headbutt me.

As her perfect face got closer, I couldn’t help but blush.

Oh crap… More than scary, Ichinose’s face is just too gorgeous. And she smells amazing.

This is the scent of a gyaru… Different from Miyama, a rich, fragrant aroma.

“Hey, are you even listening?”

Ichinose, clearly pissed, looked like she might punch me any second. This is bad.

Thinking of how to defuse the situation, I realized I had only one option left.

Still with my collar grabbed, I pulled my wallet from my back pocket and slipped a 100-yen coin into the UFO catcher.

“Hey, what’re you doing!?”

“Can you let go of my collar? I need to focus.”

Switching to focus mode, I cracked my knuckles and spoke with an air of confidence.

Surprisingly, Ichinose let go without a fuss and stood beside me.

“W-Wow… You’ve got, like, a totally different vibe now.”

That’s right—when I start a UFO catcher, a different persona takes over.

Since I was a kid, I’ve honed my extreme focus and UFO catcher skills just to win beautiful girl figurines. To unleash that, I have to enter focus mode.

UFO catchers aren’t easy enough to win in one go. The key is the “caressing” process.

You caress the prize to maneuver it into a winnable position, then push it through with the arm.

“…Alright, here we go.”

With practiced ease, I moved the arm and dropped the figurine in just five tries.

“Whoa… Y-You’re legit amazing!”

See that, gyaru? This is the power of an otaku who can’t flex in sports or studies.

I grabbed the figurine from the prize slot and pressed it against Ichinose’s chest.

“Here, take it.”

“R-Really? But you won it… Didn’t you want it too?”

“You worked hard on this machine, so it’s thanks to you I got it. This belongs to you.”

I said that while fixing my disheveled uniform from her earlier grab.

Deep down, I was thinking, ‘Please let this figurine settle things for today!’

Now that I’ve handed the figurine over to Ichinose, let’s agree to pretend this never happened.

No way would I have guessed that the downer gyaru Ichinose Yuria was a Chichi-kyun fan… Honestly, I wish I didn’t know.

“Hey, Ichinose, let’s just forget about today—”

“You… You’re not gonna make fun of me?”

Just as I tried to wrap things up neatly, Ichinose cut me off.

“A girl, especially a high school girl like me, liking this kind of ero anime… No matter how you look at it, that’s weird, right?”

Ichinose bit her lip, her face twisted in bitterness.

From her reaction, it seems like someone must’ve said something to her in the past.

Even if that’s true, I think Ichinose is wrong.

“Even if it’s an ero anime with girls shooting breast milk, there’s nothing wrong with proudly loving what you love… That’s what I think. I’ve never once felt ashamed of the things I like.”

I don’t even put covers on my light novels. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. That’s what being an otaku is.

“I don’t think hiding your hobbies is bad, but if you love a work, you shouldn’t put it down yourself.”

I ended up sounding a bit preachy, but in reality, I’m at the bottom of the class hierarchy, and Ichinose is at the top, so I’m hardly in a position to act superior.

“Anyway, let’s just forget about today. That’s the best option.”

“No way…”

“Huh? I mean, that’d be better for you too—”

“Because I’m… I’m an otaku too!”

Ichinose Yuria’s sudden coming-out.

I figured she was pretty eccentric for watching something like Chichi-kyun, but to think she’s an otaku…

Not just a gyaru who’s nice to an otaku—she’s an otaku gyaru. What a shock.

“S-So… you’ve been a closet otaku this whole time?”

“It’s not like I wanted to hide it. It’s just… being open about this hobby in front of Airi or Rui is kinda tough.”

Yeah, that makes sense.

Kuroki Rui, the perfect Yamato Nadeshiko, is completely detached from otaku culture, and Miyama Airi, the bubbly, busty beauty (who’s secretly been through a lot), is always chasing cuteness—a universally acknowledged beauty. Coming out as an otaku to those two probably feels like a high hurdle.

[T/N: Yamato Nadeshiko is a Japanese term meaning “Personification of an idealized Japanese woman”. In other words, the perfect, ideal girl.]

Ichinose herself is just as stunning, with a perfect figure, bust, and thighs, but maybe that’s exactly why it’s hard for her to open up.

“I just like anime, but the idea of losing important friends because of it… I don’t want to go through that again. That’s why I hide it.”

As she muttered this, her eyes drifted toward the high school girls giggling in the purikura area.

I don’t know the details, but it feels like Ichinose has been through some painful experiences in the past.

Living as an otaku can be tough—it’s a path every otaku walks, and there’s no helping it.

“If you love anime that much, didn’t you ever think about quitting being a gyaru?”

“Nope. I love nails, makeup, and fashion just as much as anime.”

“…Yeah, you’re right. Sorry, that was a tactless question.”

I’m the one who said there’s no need to hide what you love, after all.

“Your name’s Izumiya, right?”

“Y-Yeah.”

Just like with Miyama, it seems being at the bottom of the class hierarchy means my name doesn’t stick.

“Izumiya, please. Don’t tell anyone I’m an otaku. Especially not Airi or Rui.”

I feel like Miyama said something similar…

“I-I don’t plan on telling anyone.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Even if I did, no one would believe me.”

“…Oh, yeah, true.”

What’s with the “true”!? That response genuinely stings…

“Well, that’s reassuring. If my otaku side got out… it’d be game over for me.”

Ichinose suddenly slipped back into her usual flat, monotone way of speaking.

“But, like, in a way, this means I don’t have to hide it in front of you anymore, right?”

Ichinose casually opened her bag and pulled out a book to show me.

“I bought this earlier too. The light novel you were reading this morning, Sucking S-Class Beauties’ Breasts in Another World to Steal Cheat Skills, Volume 1.”

“O-Oppai Sucking!? Why’d you remember… Wait, no way!”

Could it be that her “Got it” this morning was about this!?

“I memorized the title of the light novel you were reading this morning. So I bought it at the bookstore in this complex earlier. It was the last copy.”

The last copy!? Man, Oppai Sucking’s popularity is insane… No, that’s not the point!

“I-Ichinose, you’re gonna read that too?”

“Duh. I was just looking for a new light novel to read.”

So she memorized the title of the light novel I, an otaku, was reading in class.

“Even if that’s true… if you’re a closet otaku, why’d you go out of your way to say ‘Got it’ to me?”

“That was… I dunno, like, I just blurted it out on impulse.”

“That makes no sense.”

“More importantly, tell me your LINE. I wanna talk about light novel impressions with you.”

“L-Light novel impressions?”

“Yeah. Since I can’t usually do otaku stuff, I’ve decided you’re gonna be my partner for otaku discussions from now on. Starting right now.”

Ichinose said it so matter-of-factly, with her cool tone, like she’s as self-centered as Haruhi.

“Me, doing otaku stuff with Ichinose…?”

“If you don’t, I’ll tell everyone you’ve been ogling me with pervy eyes.”

“P-Pervy eyes!?”

“Just so you know, I’ve totally noticed you sneaking glances at my thighs during class.”

What!? She caught me…?

To be honest, just like I’ve thought “I wanna be squished” by Miyama’s huge breasts, I’ve also snuck a few glances at Ichinose’s thighs with similar thoughts.

Apparently, that was completely obvious.

“You keep my secret, and I’ll keep yours. That’s the kind of relationship we have now. Cool, right, Izumiya?”

Ichinose smirked mischievously, her lips curling up like a playful kid.

And so, I ended up forming a slightly different kind of bond with Ichinose Yuria, the top-tier gyaru of our class, compared to my connection with Miyama.

☆☆

“To think that Ichinose Yuria, the top-tier class caste downer gyaru, is an otaku… unbelievable.”

After learning Ichinose’s secret at the arcade in the next town and becoming someone she’d share her otaku hobbies with, I couldn’t stop thinking about it even after getting home, lying on my bed.

It was surprising enough that Miyama, the busty beauty, turned out to be a hardworking soul, but Ichinose, that downer gyaru, being an otaku was even more shocking.

And because I learned both of their secrets, I’ve somehow ended up exchanging contact info with these two girls with killer bodies.

Just a few days ago, I was just a loner otaku reading light novels, and now I’m sharing secrets with two of the top three most popular girls in class, the objects of every guy’s admiration… Man, it’s like something straight out of a light novel.

All of this is because of that seat change that made Miyama and Ichinose take notice of me.

What am I supposed to do from here on out?

While I was lost in those thoughts, a notification popped up on my phone in my pocket.

‘A message from ♡Miyama Airi♡ has arrived.’

A LINE from Miyama? What’s up?

I opened the chat with Miyama.

‘Miyama: Did you run into Yuria at the arcade? And did you ask her about this morning?’

I need to explain, but if I said, “Ichinose is just an otaku!” she’d probably beat me up.

To dodge it smoothly, I replied, ‘Couldn’t ask her in the end! Sorry!’ acting like I failed.

‘Miyama: Oh, bummer. I was curious about what Yuria said to you, but it’s probably no big deal! Let’s just forget about it~’

Miyama casually brushed it off to make me feel better. Though in reality, it was a huge deal.

‘Miyama: Hey, Ryouta~ Since I told you about Yuria, how about treating me to the new Starbucks Frappuccino as a thank-you?~’

Miyama’s always finding some excuse to mooch off me.

Did she get a taste for it after I treated her to that katsu curry? Well, whatever.

I replied, ‘I’ve had big expenses this week, so maybe next week?’

If Miyama’s fans found out I was at Starbucks with the Miyama Airi, I’d probably get jumped…

“Hm? Another LINE notification…?”

This time, it was a message from Ichinose Yuria.

‘Ichinose: Thanks for today. I was thinking I owe you for the figurine, so how about a movie sometime? My treat.’

“A movie… huh.”

Going to a movie with a girl… An event like that happening in the life of a lifelong loner otaku like me…

‘Ichinose: If you don’t want to, we can do something else.’

Ichinose followed up quickly.

Like I’d say no to that!

I immediately agreed, and just like that, I set up a schedule of dates with beautiful girls: Starbucks with Miyama for the new Frappuccino and a movie with Ichinose.

“My calendar used to only have light novel release dates, and now it’s got normie-level events…”

Is this what it feels like to be a lovesick normie…?

I hate to admit it, but the sense of superiority from being able to talk to the top two class caste girls, Ichinose Yuria and Miyama Airi, is unreal. After all, they’re the ones everyone in school, guys and girls alike, admires.

Is all of this the fault of that seat change orchestrated by Kuroki Rui, or is it thanks to it?

Whether that seat change was planned or just a happy accident, I don’t know the truth.

But if it was planned, why would Kuroki Rui put a nobody loner like me in the center seat? Does Kuroki have some kind of grudge against me…?

We went to the same middle school, but we were never in the same class, and I never even talked to her.

To begin with, someone like me, a speck of dust, shouldn’t even be on her radar.

“There’s no reason for her to hold a grudge… It’s gotta be a coincidence, right?”

Thinking that, I slowly closed my heavy eyelids, worn out from the day’s exhaustion.