Chapter 5: “A House Date Full of Turbulence”

 

—Monday.

As usual, I arrived at school early and was reading a light novel at my desk… or at least, I was trying to.

“Ryouta, Ryouta~ What’re we voting for at the culture festival?”

“Culture festival voting?”

An unfamiliar term popped up, and I couldn’t help but ask back.

“Yuria, from the culture festival committee, said we’re deciding what to do for the festival on Monday, remember?”

Now that I think about it, they did mention something like that during Friday’s homeroom.

“It’s a majority vote between a café or a play, right? Airi wants a café~”

“A c-café…”

Miyama… in a maid outfit…

Imagining Miyama’s massive chest peeking out from the neckline of a maid outfit, I couldn’t help but grin at the thought of being served by her.

“Ugh, Ryouta? Why’re you grinning like that?”

“…A big-boob café sounds good.”

“Hah?”

At the same moment Miyama looked confused, Yuria and Kuroki entered the classroom together.

Miyama immediately turned forward and started talking to them.

“Morning, Yuria and Rui-chan~”

“Morning, Airi… Hey, weren’t you just talking to Izumiya?”

“Oh, I was just asking Ryouta to vote for the café for the culture festival, that’s all~”

“…Yeah, figures.”

Yuria gave me a quick glance before sitting at her desk to my left.

As expected, Yuria acts all distant when these two are around… even though we had a fun movie date yesterday.

As I stole a sideways glance at Yuria, Kuroki stopped in front of my desk.

“Hehe, so what’s Ryouta-kun voting for in the end? The play or the café?”

“”Ryo-Ryouta-kun!?””

Miyama and Yuria reacted simultaneously to Kuroki calling me “Ryouta-kun.”

Kuroki Rui, with a bold smirk, licked her lips seductively.

Damn it, Kuroki! This is gonna cause all sorts of trouble!!

“”………””

Thanks to Kuroki’s “Ryouta-kun” remark, I could feel Miyama’s cold stare from the front and Yuria’s icy glare from the left piercing into me.

The sting of their gazes was inevitable.

Because I know each of these three beautiful girls’ secrets, I’ve ended up connected to all of them, but I’m not allowed to share those secrets with the other two.

So, none of them know that I’m somewhat close to the others due to these shared secrets.

And yet, Kuroki casually calling me by my first name in this situation is way too mysterious for the other two.

It’s the same tense atmosphere as when Miyama accidentally called me “Ryouta” before.

Of course they’re suspicious… this situation is seriously bad.

“Hey, why’s Rui-chan calling you Ryouta too? You and Rui-chan never even talked in middle school, right?”

“That’s true, but since Airi calls him Ryouta, I thought I’d try it too. Plus, if everyone around us uses different names, it might confuse Ryouta-kun, so I figured this’d be better.”

As expected of a brilliant and beautiful genius… she delivers a flawless excuse without missing a beat.

Her face shows no trace of unease, making it seem like the truth, but I’m the only one who knows she called me that on purpose.

Kuroki probably made a move to call me by my first name in front of everyone.

That’s the kind of cunning that makes Kuroki so formidable… a perfectionist who never misses a detail.

“Exactly. Yuria, you should call Ryouta-kun ‘Ryouta’ too.”

“Huh? M-me?”

“Come on, go for it.”

Prompted by Kuroki, Yuria turned to face me.

“Alright… Ryo-Ryouta.”

Yuria called my name with a slight pout.

The way she deliberately acted like she wasn’t used to it made me think, Yuria’s pretty sly too.

And just like that, I ended up being called “Ryouta” by all three of them, not just in private but in everyday life.

“Anyway, back to the topic. What’re you voting for, Ryouta-kun? The play or the café?”

“Uh? W-well, I…”

Kuroki naturally tried to pull me into the conversation with the top-tier beautiful girl group.

“Since Miyama asked me, I was thinking I’d go with the café.”

“Oh, a café. So you really were talking about the culture festival with Airi, huh?”

“I-I was! Geez, Rui-chan, don’t be so suspicious~”

It seems Kuroki’s doubting our relationship.

Well, to be fair, Miyama and I have been seen together at the cafeteria and even at Starbucks, so it’s not surprising people might suspect something…

“So, Airi and Ryouta-kun are both for the café, huh? Yuria, you’re on the committee, but you said you wanted a play before, right?”

“W-well… I mean, a café means dealing with food-related paperwork, which is such a hassle… And the inspections are, like, gross.”

Inspections… yeah, that’s what she means, right?

I’ll hold off on thinking anything weird since that’s a no-go, but collecting that is part of the committee’s job, and it must suck for Yuria…

“By the way, what about you, Rui?”

“Me? Hmm, I’m still on the fence.”

Kuroki said that while glancing at me sideways.

What’s with that look…?

When I glared back, she flashed a smile and turned to Yuria.

“I think I’ll vote for the play for Yuria’s sake.”

“What?! Rui-chan, vote for the café! Let’s be maids together~”

“Huh? But I’m not cute like you or Yuria~”

Kuroki said, staring straight at me.

Could it be… Kuroki’s figured out I’ve been having impure thoughts about Miyama’s massive chest and Yuria’s thighs…?

Also, for a girl as stunning as Kuroki to say she’s not cute just sounds like sarcasm…

“No way! If Rui’s not cute, then every girl in our class is basically a background character!”

“Hehe, what’s that, Yuria? You’re complimenting me?”

Kuroki leaned closer to Yuria, reaching out with her elegant left hand to lift Yuria’s chin.

“Getting praised by a stylish gyaru like Yuria makes me kinda shy~”

“I-I’m just stating facts, okay?”

“Hey, Ryouta, Ryouta~? Should we go with the play after all?”

“What’s that, Miyama? No big-boob caf— I mean, you’re fine with not doing the café?”

“Hmm. If Yuria says the play’s easier as a committee member, maybe I’ll vote for the play to help her out. I’m cool with either, really.”

“…Yeah, fair enough. I’ll do the same.”

A play, huh…

The heroine will probably be Kuroki anyway, and a loner otaku like me will just end up doing grunt work.

Kuroki as the heroine… huh.

I’ve got a bad feeling about this, but maybe I’m overthinking it?

☆☆

Second period’s Modern Society class turned into a self-study session, so we started discussing what our class would do for the culture festival.

The female committee member is the school’s No. 1 gyaru, Ichinose Yuria.

On the other hand, the male committee member is Hino Yamato, a total chad with a handsome face and a natural leader’s personality.

“Alright, let’s talk about the culture festival again! Last time, we narrowed it down to either a play or a café. Everyone thought about which one they want over the weekend, right?”

Hino smoothly led the discussion with his natural charisma.

Yuria, who hates talking to guys, stayed silent and supported by writing things on the blackboard whenever Hino spoke.

So even with someone like Hino, Yuria doesn’t open up, huh?

Thinking about it, maybe I’m kind of amazing…

My looks, height, and social skills are nowhere near Hino’s level, and the only thing I beat him at is academics.

But being good at studies just makes you a “nerd,” so it rarely puts you above the popular crowd in the class hierarchy.

As a loner otaku at the bottom of the class caste, I’ve always been there… but right now, I’m definitely on a higher stage than those chads.

All thanks to the seat change that put me near Yuria, Miyama, and Kuroki.

I used to be intimidated by all three, but sharing their secrets has made us pretty close.

I hated the seat change at first, but I guess it’s a silver lining in disguise.

“Alright, we’re passing out papers, so write down which one you want!”

While I was smirking with a sense of superiority, the voting was about to start.

“Here, Ryouta, your paper.”

Taking a palm-sized blank paper from Miyama in front of me, I quickly wrote “play.”

After collecting the papers, the results were tallied soon after.

“Ahem, here’s the announcement! Our Class 2-B will be doing… a play for the culture festival!”

Hino’s announcement was met with applause from the class.

Nice, so it’s a play after all.

Miyama and Kuroki exchanged smiles, looking at each other.

Since Yuria, the committee member, said a play would be easier, they’re probably happy it got chosen.

Their friendship is honestly pretty heartwarming to see from the sidelines.

“Since we’ve settled on a play, let’s also decide on the performance. Anyone got suggestions—”

Cutting off Hino’s words, a hand shot up from my right.

Kuroki…?

“An original play would be too much work, so I think a classic is best. Like, say… Snow White? What do you think?”

S-Snow White…?

Snow White, as in that story? The one where she eats an apple, falls asleep, and won’t wake up without a kiss from a handsome prince? That tale of a high-maintenance, selfish NEET girl’s downfall?

Ugh, why’d she suggest a story with a kiss scene of all things? It’s just a class play; no one’s gonna show up, so something like Momotaro would’ve been fine!

“Ooh! Snow White’s a great idea! Brilliant! Perfect! What do you all think?”

Hino hyped up Kuroki’s suggestion while asking the class.

“Yeah, if Kuroki-chan says so, I’m in!”

“Me too, me too!”

“I’m good with it!”

“I wanna wake up with Kuroki’s kiss!”

“”””Me too!””””

Despite a few creepy comments, almost the entire class nodded in agreement.

This… is the absolute authority of Kuroki Rui, huh?

If Kuroki Rui says right, it’s right. If she says left, it’s left.

When the class president and the school’s most popular girl speaks, her word becomes the consensus.

“Alright, Snow White it is!”

Another round of applause erupted from the class.

With a once-in-a-millennium busty beauty like Miyama Airi in our class, they should’ve made a slightly risqué play with her as the busty heroine instead…

As I wished for something that’d never happen, the busty girl in front turned to me with a “Hello.”

“Hey, Ryouta! If we’re doing Snow White, let’s be dwarves together!”

“Dwarves? No way someone like you could be a dwarf.”

“Why not? Dwarves are cute!”

You… are undeniably a busty person, no matter how you look at it.

“Also— just doing a play feels kinda boring, so I have one more suggestion.”

Another suggestion?

Coming from the perfectionist Kuroki…

She probably wants to play Snow White herself—

“Let’s have the guys play Snow White and the girls play the prince! What do you think?”

…Huh? So, like, swapping the genders for the roles?

“A gender-swapped Snow White? That’s awesome!”

“I’m in!”

“Sounds fun!”

Thanks to the class’s yes-bot brigade, Kuroki’s “gender-swapped Snow White” idea passed, as usual.

Next up was deciding the cast.

To choose Snow White (male) and the prince (female), the boys and girls split up to discuss.

The girls deciding the prince role gathered by the hallway, while the boys deciding Snow White gathered by the windows.

Gender-swapped roles… It’s fine for the girls, but for the guys, it’s just embarrassing.

Still, since they agreed to Kuroki’s idea, I figured some of the overly enthusiastic chads would volunteer to play Snow White… or so I thought.

“E-even for Kuroki-san, that suggestion’s a bit harsh for the guys…”

“Yeah, one of us has to play Snow White, right?”

“Cross-dressing’s just too much.”

Negative opinions started flying among the boys as soon as we gathered.

Apparently, even the chad group was skeptical of Kuroki’s proposal.

They probably couldn’t speak up in the moment due to peer pressure.

Guess the yes-bots backfired. Well, guys wanna look good in front of Kuroki, so…

But a girl like Kuroki Rui can manipulate even guys with ulterior motives, pushing her ideas through with ease.

I can’t figure out what Kuroki’s thinking, but it’s too late to oppose now… She totally played us.

“Kuroki-san suggested this play, but to begin with, isn’t it unlikely she’ll play the prince?”

When Hino said that, the chads around him tilted their heads, asking, “Why?”

I thought for sure Kuroki would take the lead role…

“Because the inter-high’s coming up, right? She’s been aiming for her fifth consecutive national championship since middle school. She’s too busy to play the lead in a culture festival play.”

That makes sense.

Kuroki Rui is insanely busy, and even she probably doesn’t have the time to star in a play.

So, Kuroki suggested whatever she wanted since she’s not involved?

That’s probably part of what Hino’s getting at… but would Kuroki really use her influence and authority like that?

“If Kuroki’s not the lead, it’s either Miyama, who’s got a boyfriend, or Ichinose, who’s rumored to have a boyfriend at another school.”

One of the chad group muttered with a bitter expression.

Miyama’s publicly said she has a boyfriend (a total lie), and it seems Yuria’s also thought to have one.

Well, Yuria’s pretty cold to guys other than me, and with her cute gyaru looks, it’s natural to assume she’s got an older or out-of-school boyfriend.

“I’m gonna pass.”

“M-me too.”

“If Kuroki-san’s the lead, I’d step up for the cross-dressing, but…”

“This humble one would gladly do it if Airi-tan’s the prince, but if not, it’d be a betrayal to Airi-tan…”

The chads and the annoying otaku started opting out one by one, with the rest of the boys shaking their heads.

Not a single person suggested “Let’s do a fair lottery,” which shows how much they really don’t want to do it.

I get where they’re coming from.

If Hino’s right and Kuroki’s not the lead, the guys crushing on her see no point, and for those into Miyama or Yuria, it’s a high-risk, high-reward gamble since there’s no guarantee they’ll be the prince.

If no one steps up, that’s bad news for me.

Inevitably, the target would shift to…

“Hey, what if Izumiya plays Snow White?”

The neutral loner otaku. Aka, me.

“Izumiya’s got the best grades in the class, so he’s probably great at memorizing lines!”

“Yeah, exactly! He’s smart! Come on, Izumiya, we’re counting on you~”

Hold up! Grades have nothing to do with this…!

I want to argue so bad, and there’s no way I want to play Snow White.

But if a loner otaku like me acts defiant… no need to explain what’d happen.

“Yeah… how about Izumiya?”

Hino asked me directly.

When even the class’s male leader says it, it’s even harder to refuse.

That jerk Hino… He always acts like a good guy, but this is who he really is, huh?

“W-well, I…”

Wait, hold on! Snow White?!

The lead role in a play is way too much for me!

Say no! Don’t get swept up!

In my head, I pictured myself sharply refusing Hino…

“F-fine, I’ll do it.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll do it, alright?! Me!”

“””””Woooooooh!!!!”””””

In the end, I caved to the pressure.

I’m such an idiot! Why didn’t I say no…?!

Cheers and applause erupted from the guys around me.

This is the worst. I’ve never been less thrilled by praise.

And so, I ended up stuck playing Snow White, of all things.

Afterward, the girls decided on the prince role, so both groups gathered to announce the leads.

Yuria and Hino stood at the blackboard.

“Uh, so, the male Snow White is… Izumiya-kun!”

All eyes in the class turned to me at once.

Ugh, someone just kill me already.

“Ryouta, that’s awesome! Congrats, congrats! The lead’s so cool~!”

The dumb busty girl in front of me laughed, oblivious to my feelings.

Wait, the way she said that… Miyama’s not the lead?

Which means…

“The female prince is… me—”

As expected, Yuria…?

Yuria, standing at the blackboard, looked at me as she spoke—

“and Rui. We’re doing a double cast.”

“”””””Whaaaaat!?””””””

The guys’ jaws dropped, and they couldn’t close their mouths.

“No… way…”

Yeah, me too.

☆☆

When Yuria announced that the prince role would be double-cast, the room was engulfed in a whirlwind of shock and confusion… but surprisingly, not a single guy in the class complained.

Just like with the gender-swapped Snow White, saying anything against it might mean going against Kuroki, so it’s only natural no one spoke up.

Still, no one could’ve predicted this outcome, so the guys’ gazes gradually shifted toward me.

Here come the looks of envy and jealousy… They should’ve just done it themselves.

For the chads in class, it must sting that a chance to flirt with two beautiful girls as their co-star slipped through their fingers to a loner like me.

If my life were a revenge-fantasy story, this would probably be the ultimate “serves you right” moment… but whether this “victory” is actually something to be happy about is questionable.

I’m glad my co-stars are girls I know rather than strangers, but Yuria and Kuroki, of all people…

When I glanced to my right, Kuroki was staring straight at the blackboard with a blank expression.

I thought she’d be smug about securing a lead role, but surprisingly, she didn’t seem pleased.

Did something happen during the role assignments?

If there was some kind of drama between Yuria and Kuroki… ugh, I’m curious.

“Alright, so Snow White is Izumiya, and the prince will be played by Kuroki-san and Ichinose-san. We’re short on time, so let’s quickly decide the rest of the roles. For the others—”

After that, Hino took charge, and the remaining roles were assigned smoothly.

Even though we had breaks and lunch, I didn’t get a chance to talk to the three beautiful girls until after school.

They didn’t even bring up the play in their own conversations, which makes me think something definitely happened between Yuria and Kuroki.

After school, with no particular plans, I found myself standing in front of a certain bookstore, my mind still lingering on the issue.

N-not that I’m worried about what happened between Yuria and Kuroki or anything! I just came to buy a light novel and maybe accidentally run into her to ask when her shift ends… definitely not!

With a tsundere-style inner monologue, I stepped inside.

“Welcome… Oh! You’re Miyama-chan’s—”

At the Tsutaya counter was a blonde, short-haired female manager.

She’s the same manager who, when I learned Miyama’s secret before, mistakenly thought Miyama and I were in a close relationship.

“Ohoo, coming to check on your girlfriend’s work? What a perfect boyfriend!”

No, no—it’s not that she used to misunderstand; she still thinks Miyama and I are super close.

“Uh, I didn’t come to see Miyama or anything—”

“Perfect timing! Wait right here.”

The blonde manager told me to stay by the counter and went to the back, returning with Miyama in tow.

“Huh, Ryouta? Why’re you here? What’s going on, Manager?”

“It’s slow today, so you can clock out early. I’ll mark your timecard for your full shift, of course.”

“But, uh—”

“Airi-chan, you work too hard, and I was worried. Go relax with your boyfriend today~”

Looks like the manager was trying to be considerate.

Just like last time, this manager’s actually pretty nice.

“Well, I’ll take you up on that, then. Thanks, Manager!”

Miyama didn’t hesitate and happily accepted the manager’s kindness.

“Ryouta, I’m gonna change, so wait here for a bit, okay?”

“Y-yeah.”

And so, my second after-school “date” with Miyama (though I just want to talk) was about to begin.

☆☆

“Sorry for the wait! Alright, let’s go, Ryouta!”

“Yeah.”

I nodded, stepping out of Tsutaya with Miyama, now in her school uniform, and we aimlessly headed toward the station.

“So, what’s up, Ryouta? Showing up at Airi’s workplace out of nowhere totally surprised me!”

“S-sorry, Miyama! I actually wanted to ask when your shift ends so we could talk afterward, but… the manager…”

“No, no, getting off early and getting paid? Airi’s super happy! Plus, I get to hang out with Ryouta, so I’m even happier!”

“M-Miyama…”

Miyama flashed a pure, innocent smile, effortlessly spouting heart-fluttering lines like some oblivious protagonist.

Her massive chest bouncing up and down is definitely charming, but Miyama’s constant positivity is so uplifting to be around.

“So, where should we go today? Wanna head to Airi’s favorite spot for now?”

“Favorite spot?”

“Yeah! There’s a place near here I’ve been going to since elementary school. I kinda wanna visit it again.”

“G-got it. Let’s go there, then.”

With a destination set, I followed Miyama as she led me to her so-called “favorite spot.”

“So, what did you wanna talk about with Airi? Good news? Bad news?”

“I’m not sure which it is, but… I wanted to ask about the play.”

“The play?”

I gave a small nod and got to the point.

I need to clear this up, or it’s gonna keep bugging me.

And… honestly, I’m dying to know what happened between Yuria and Kuroki.

“The prince role ended up being a double cast with Ichinose and Kuroki… What was it like when they decided that?”

“What was it like? Are you curious because Yuria and Rui-chan are both playing the prince, Ryouta?”

“Yeah, I guess. But you’re the only female friend I can ask about this, Miyama…”

“Ehehe, just Airi, huh? That makes me kinda happy~”

Miyama grinned and playfully bumped her left shoulder against my right as we walked side by side.

Her reactions are so darn cute.

“You wanted to know about how they decided, right?”

“Y-yeah.”

“When we were picking the prince, everyone was pushing for Rui-chan at first—”

That’s obvious.

Kuroki Rui suggested the entire play and is a flawless beauty with unmatched talent.

Even for a male role, there’s no one more perfect than her.

“But then Yuria said Rui-chan has ‘the inter-high coming up soon’ and offered to take the role instead because she was worried… Yuria’s so kind.”

So the inter-high thing Hino mentioned was a concern after all…

“Then how did it end up with both of them doing it? From what you’re saying, it sounds like it would’ve just been Yuria… er, I mean, Ichinose.”

“Yeah. After that, the group split right down the middle—some wanted Rui-chan to do it, and others supported Yuria’s idea.”

“H-huh?”

How did it come to that?

Yuria’s reasoning was solid, and if they cared about Kuroki, they’d back Yuria’s suggestion…

Were there some hardcore Kuroki fangirls who desperately wanted her as the prince?

“In the end, they couldn’t agree, so they decided to make it a double cast to lighten Rui-chan’s load while also having Yuria do it for publicity, and that’s how they settled it.”

“That’s chaotic… Did Kuroki not say anything?”

“Rui-chan told Yuria, ‘I can handle both track and the play,’ but since there were quite a few people who wanted Yuria to do it, she couldn’t push too hard.”

So, there were actually some brave rebels in this class who dared to oppose Kuroki, huh?

Well, since Kuroki’s still playing the prince, it’s inconvenient for me, but whatever.

“That’s the gist of it. I know being the co-star for both of them will be tough, but Airi’s got your back as a dwarf, supporting Princess Ryouta!”

“Th-thanks, Miyama.”

Oh, right—Miyama’s playing the dwarf role (or rather, busty dwarf) she wanted after all.

With Miyama’s assets, a male role would be tough… but then again, Yuria’s pretty busty too, so who knows.

“Oh, we’re here! Airi’s favorite spot!”

Miyama stopped in front of the shop and pointed at its sign.

“This is Airi’s favorite candy store!”

A c-candy store…!?

I was expecting something like Starbucks, but…

Miyama’s “favorite spot” was an old-fashioned candy store near the station.

“A candy store!? Not, like, Starbucks?”

“Yup! Candy stores are super cheap, right? So you can eat tons of snacks, and I love it!”

Oh, right… Miyama’s had a tough life in a lot of ways.

“Airi’s been coming to candy stores since elementary school. There used to be one near my house, but it closed down. So this one by the station is my go-to now!”

“Huh, so you come here after work or something?”

“Yeah! I always buy, like, ten Umaibo or stick kinako snacks before heading home!”

I see… So Miyama’s massive chest is made of candy store snacks, huh?

In that case, we should start feeding high schoolers nationwide piles of candy ASAP.

A super-busty society. This should be a top national strategy.

“Ryouta? Why’d you suddenly get all serious?”

“Oh, uh, just thinking about some political stuff…”

“Politics!? Thinking about complicated stuff like that—Ryouta, you’re amazing!”

“Haha, yeah.”

Phew, that was close… Almost got caught thinking something ridiculous.

Having dodged that bullet, I followed Miyama into the candy store.

When I slid open the door, a chime rang from a wind chime, and an elderly gentleman, likely the shopkeeper, slowly walked from the back to the counter.

“So this is… a candy store.”

Classic mizuame, hand-shaped gummies, colorful mini mochi, and even lottery tickets, string pulls, and darts—everything you’d expect from a traditional candy store was right there.

Faded flyers were plastered on the windows, and there was a questionable arcade machine that might not even work anymore.

The price tags showed snacks ranging from 10 to 30 yen, unbelievably cheap for today’s inflated economy.

Everything felt so nostalgic. It’s amazing a place like this still exists.

“Is this your first time at a candy store, Ryouta?”

“Nah, back in elementary school, I used to bike to a candy store a bit far from home…”

“Oh, so you’re used to it?”

“Y-yeah. But I haven’t been to one in a while.”

Back in elementary school, I was a total Wafer Kid, scouring supermarkets and candy stores for wafers from my favorite anime or sentai shows whenever they came out.

Feeling nostalgic, I picked up a sentai-themed wafer from a higher shelf.

The wafer, placed higher up, was a bit pricier at 100 yen compared to other items.

It didn’t seem to sell much, judging by the price.

“Oh, you’re getting a wafer, Ryouta?”

“Nah, just looking.”

“Wafers are awesome, right~?”

Miyama seemed oddly fond of wafers.

Most people who buy them are probably after the bonus stickers, not the wafer itself.

“For Airi, wafers are a special snack.”

“Special?”

“Yeah. Like I mentioned before, Airi was super poor in elementary school, so I could only buy snacks at the candy store once in a while.”

Miyama took the sentai wafer from my hand and started talking wistfully.

“On days I couldn’t buy snacks, I’d sit on the red bench outside the candy store, watching everyone else eat. But one day, a boy with a blue bag sat next to me out of nowhere and gave me a wafer!”

“A boy… with a blue bag?”

That sounds familiar, like I’ve heard a similar story somewhere.

Listening to Miyama’s story, I got a sudden sense of déjà vu.

I feel like I heard something like this recently… or is it just my imagination?

“The boy wanted the sticker, so he gave me the wafer. I was so happy back then…”

Miyama’s voice trembled, like she was about to cry.

Was the wafer that big a deal?

“Airi was always bullied for being poor, so I’d never been treated kindly by someone my age. I think that boy was from a different elementary school, but ever since that day, I’ve always loved him. That’s why, until high school, I wasn’t interested in other guys… I couldn’t even get a boyfriend.”

“I-I see.”

Ugh, I’m so jealous of that guy…!

If Miyama’s still into him, he could totally date her if they reunited and have all the fun he wants with her!

Winning over a busty beauty like Miyama with just one wafer… That’s insanely enviable.

If he’s not gonna show up, I’d love to take his place… (Not that a guy with my impure motives could ever compare to that boy.)

Crying internally, I ended up buying the wafer and some bottled ramune.

Meanwhile, Miyama bought ten Umaibo sticks.

“Hey, since we’re here, let’s eat on the bench outside!”

“Y-yeah.”

Following Miyama’s suggestion, I sat on the long red bench in front of the store.

Eating snacks with a friend at a candy store… It’s an experience I never had in elementary school.

“Mmm~ Umaibo’s so good~!”

Miyama chomped down on her Umaibo with a big bite, crunching away.

Umaibo crumbs fell onto her massive chest, slightly dirtying her uniform.

A chest so big that crumbs don’t even fall off… Truly magnificent.

“Mmm, Umaibo’s the best~”

I couldn’t take my eyes off Airi eating her Umaibo.

Not in a weird way… but it’s kinda sexy. No—super sexy.

“Ryouta? Why’ve you been staring at me?”

“Oh, uh, nothing! Whoa—crap!”

Panicking, I looked away while opening my bottled ramune, and the fizz sprayed all over my hand.

“Ugh, it’s all sticky.”

“Pfft, what’re you doing! Ryouta, you’re hilarious~”

Laughing, Miyama pulled a pack of pocket tissues from her bag, handed me a couple, and said,

“Here, wipe your hands. You don’t wanna stay all sticky, right?”

“Y-yeah, thanks, Miyama.”

Miyama’s so kind.

She probably used to find an otaku like me off-putting, but spending time together like this has made us surprisingly close.

But with her Wafer Prince out there, she probably doesn’t see me as a guy.

Same goes for Yuria and Kuroki.

No matter how close we get, they’ve got guys they fell for in the past too.

Yuria has her Manga Prince, and Kuroki has her Cat-Saving Prince.

By the time you’re a second-year in high school, most people have already had their first love and have someone they like.

A weakling high school guy like me isn’t gonna have girls suddenly falling for him now…

“Haah…”

“Ryouta~ Airi wants some wafer too~”

“Wafer? Alright, alright. I just want the sticker, so you can have the wafer.”

I opened the wafer pack, took the sticker, and handed the wafer to Miyama.

I held it out… but Miyama didn’t take it right away.

“Hm?”

“…………”

“H-hey, Miyama?”

“Uh… it’s just, it felt kinda familiar, like the exact same thing he said.”

“Huh?”

“N-nothing! Thanks for the wafer!”

Miyama took the wafer from me and ate it in one big bite.

“Cough, cough! Oh no, I choked on the crumbs!”

“See? That’s what happens when you eat so fast. Here, drink some of my ramune.”

“Th-thanks, Ryouta.”

Miyama chugged the ramune I handed her.

“Phew, haa! I’m alive! Ryouta, you’re my lifesaver!”

“Come on, choking’s not that dramatic.”

“No, really, you’re probably my lifesaver… probably.”

“?”

Instead of her usual carefree smile, Miyama gave me a quiet, almost mature one as she handed the ramune back.

“Thanks, Ryouta.”

“U-Uh, yeah.”

Miyama seemed… kinda different just now.

Her expression looked oddly relieved.

Speaking of which, this bottled ramune… isn’t this my indirect kiss chance since Starbucks?

Last time, Yuria interrupted, but if I drink this, it’s like kissing Miyama…!

I checked my surroundings and chugged the ramune.

The faint carbonation tickled my throat, and my lips trembled with excitement.

I did it… I did it!

Miyama’s first kiss doesn’t belong to the Wafer Prince—it’s mine, Ryouta’s!

“Ryouta, you know…”

“Hm?”

While I was getting hyped up with my creepy virgin thoughts, Miyama spoke up.

“Uh… n-never mind!”

“Huh? What was that?”

“It’s nothing, really! Anyway, finish your ramune quick so we can head home together. Walk me home, okay?”

“That’s fine, but…”

“Ehehe, yay!”

Miyama seemed like she wanted to say something earlier, but what was it?

I hope it wasn’t about the indirect kiss… That’s all I, the creep, could think about.

☆☆

After walking Miyama home, the usual route back felt oddly quiet, and a strange sense of loneliness crept in.

Miyama’s a bit airheaded and loud, but her mascot-like cheerfulness is so bright that being around her somehow feels calming.

She’s kind even to a loner like me. Honestly, she’s such a great girl.

Lost in thoughts about Miyama, I hadn’t noticed I’d already reached home.

“I’m back~”

Heading from the entrance to the living room, I found my sister sprawled on the sofa in a shirt and underwear, lounging lazily.

Haah… Compared to Miyama, her chest is so flat.

“Oh, Ryouta~? I ate your ice cream, by the way.”

“W-what, no way! I was so looking forward to that limited-edition Harden flavor! Damn it, you idiot sister!”

“Also~”

“What now?!”

“Tanaka-chan stopped by earlier~”

Tanaka came to our house? What for?

Come to think of it, I haven’t talked to Tanaka since that time on the rooftop, not even on LINE.

Lately, I’ve been spending so much time with the three beautiful girls that I haven’t had a moment to geek out with Tanaka.

“She said she ‘just dropped by,’ but coming all the way here means she probably had something to talk to you about, right?”

“Yeah, probably.”

“Ask her on LINE, then~”

“I got it, I got it.”

I sent Tanaka a LINE asking, “Wanna talk on the phone for a bit?” and headed to my room.

While waiting for Tanaka’s reply, I got a message from Kuroki with a photo from today.

“Whoa…! Twintails today!?”

The photo showed Kuroki in her school uniform with low twintails, lying on her bed in a selfie.

‘Kuroki: To help us do our best with the play ♡ Sending you another pic today! Twintails with the uniform—Ryouta-kun likes this kind of thing, right?’

This girl… she totally gets my otaku weaknesses.

Twintails on Kuroki’s gorgeous face are just too unfair.

The gap moe from a refined girl doing something cute like this has a thousand times more impact and destructive power.

While I was saving Kuroki’s photo, Tanaka replied.

‘Tanaka: Got it. I can talk now.’

Seeing her response, I called Tanaka.

“Yo, Tanaka, it’s been a while.”

“Ohh, Ryouta-kun, long time no talk!”

“I heard you came by my place earlier. Did you need something?”

“Uh, not really, but I heard some weird rumors about the culture festival.”

“Weird rumors?”

I’ve got a bad feeling about this…

“Something about you playing Snow White at the culture festival, with the three beautiful girls, Ichinose-san and Kuroki-san, as the princes or something.”

…Tanaka, that’s not a rumor. It’s the truth.

“With the genders swapped, it’s already weird, so it’s gotta be fake, right?”

“…I’m doing it.”

“Hah?”

“I’m… playing Snow White, Tanaka.”

“…Uhm, have you gone completely insane lately, Ryouta-kun?”

Tanaka’s utterly appalled tone pierced my eardrums, shredding my mental state to pieces.

Stop it, Tanaka! My HP’s already at zero!

“You’re seriously playing Snow White? So, like, cross-dressing?”

“Argh, shut up! It just ended up that way! I had no choice!”

“Got it. The chads pressured you into it, huh?”

As a fellow loner, Tanaka instantly understood my situation.

She really gets the loner life.

“Anyway, putting that aside, do you even properly understand the story of Snow White, Ryouta-kun?”

“Of course I do. I used to read a picture book of it a lot—it’s on my bookshelf somewhere.”

“That’s a surprisingly wholesome anecdote for you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

While bantering with Tanaka, I moved to my bookshelf.

“Come to think of it, where’s that picture book now?”

“Since you’re at it, why not look for it? You’re the lead, so you should read it properly.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

My bookshelf is packed with manga from top to bottom these days, so I couldn’t spot it at a glance.

It’s been years since I read a picture book, so maybe it’s at the bottom…?

“Snow White, Snow White… Hm?”

Looking at the bottom shelf, I found a nostalgic manga.

It was a shonen magazine manga I read in elementary school called Lucky & H.

This manga had some pretty risqué scenes for a shonen title, so I used to read it while hiding from my parents.

Wait, this manga… It’s supposed to have 18 volumes, but why’s the first volume missing?

“…Whatever.”

“What’s wrong, Ryouta-kun?”

“Oh, nothing.”

In the end, no matter how much I searched, I couldn’t find the Snow White picture book, so I resorted to reading Isekai Cheat Snow White: You Woke Me Up with a Kiss and Now You’re Breaking Off Our Engagement, Seriously?, a female-targeted light novel Tanaka passionately recommended, to fill in the story gaps (why did it come to this?).

Reluctantly, I bought the first volume of Isekai Cheat Snow White as an e-book.

“You just wanted to push this on me, didn’t you?”

“Well, that’s part of it! Engagement-breaking stories are super popular in the fandom right now!”

“I know that, but…”

From a female protagonist’s perspective, there’s way more focus on the male characters’ chiseled physiques than steamy heroine scenes, which isn’t nearly stimulating enough for my puberty-fueled pink brain.

“Still, you playing Snow White, huh… I didn’t know you swung that way, Ryouta-kun.”

“I told you, the chads forced it on me! I’m just stuck doing it!”

“By the way, the princes are Kuroki-san and Ichinose-san, right?”

“Y-yeah, that’s right.”

When I answered, Tanaka let out a long pouting sound.

“Those two as princes… Isn’t that, like, cheating?”

“What? Unlike us loners, their very existence is a cheat code, isn’t it?”

“True, but… So, how’s it going with the three beautiful girls lately?”

“How? Well, I guess it’s been dates, dates, and more dates.”

“You’re going on tons of dates! Wait, is that all you’ve been doing!?”

“Pretty much.”

I said it with a smug grin.

I can only brag about dating the three beautiful girls to someone like Tanaka.

I’d love to rub it in the chads’ faces, but saying that would definitely get me half-killed.

“You’ve changed, Ryouta-kun. Soon, you’ll toss away the virginity you swore to protect until 30, stop talking to a loner like me, and move on.”

“Why’re you sulking, Tanaka? A loner otaku like me’s got no chance of losing his virginity.”

“But…”

What’s that? Is she jealous because I betrayed our loner alliance?

Maybe it’s because I got cocky and bragged, but it feels like she’s misunderstanding something.

“Look, Tanaka. Even if I’m going on dates with those three, it’s not like I’m in that kind of relationship with them.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“The truth is, each of those three has someone they’re into.”

“Someone they’re into?”

“Yeah, apparently all three fell for some guy back in elementary school, and they still like him. So, even though I hang out with them, there’s no way I’d end up dating any of them. Sucks, but that’s how it is.”

“I-I see… Haah.”

Tanaka let out what sounded like a sigh of relief (?).

Guess she’s reassured knowing I’m still one of her kind.

“Also, even if there’s a tiny chance I ended up with one of them, I wouldn’t ditch you, Tanaka. You’re my only otaku friend, after all.”

“Ryouta-kun… Hehe, you really haven’t changed.”

“Huh? I’ve totally changed! I went on lovey-dovey dates with the three beautiful girls!”

“But if you can’t date any of them, you’re gonna stay a virgin forever, right?”

Her logic’s so airtight I can’t even argue…!

“Well, that’s fine by me.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing~ I’ve got cram school soon, so I’ll hop off now.”

“Oh, yeah. Thanks for everything, Tanaka. Talking to you, my oldest friend, is so easy and relaxing.”

“…………”

“Hm? Tanaka?”

“That… that’s exactly it, urgh.”

Muttering that, Tanaka hung up the LINE call.

“W-what’s ‘that’s exactly it’ supposed to mean?”

☆☆

A few days later, during lunch break.

“Everyone, the script’s done!”

Hino, the committee member, came back from printing copies in the computer room and called everyone with roles to the front of the blackboard, handing out the finished scripts.

The script… It’s finally done.

I was worried at first, but I’m glad it’s complete.

I opened the script Hino handed me.

“Look, look, Ryouta! Airi’s dwarf has tons of lines~”

“Y-yeah… That’s great, Miyama.”

Miyama’s playing a dwarf, but apparently, she’s the leader of the seven, with quite a few lines.

Making Miyama the leader is probably a tactic to draw in her fans from across the school.

“Yay! Airi gets to talk a lot~”

Oblivious to such scheming, she looked thrilled.

So carefree. I wish they’d cut my lines instead.

I flipped through the script, thinking that.

…Wait, now that I think about it, this casting…

I suddenly realized something.

Since the roles are gender-swapped, the evil queen (stepmother) with her infamous poisoned apple is being played by Hino, but every other role is filled by girls.

The huntsman who lets Snow White escape into the forest is a girl, and all seven dwarves, including Miyama, are girls too.

And the princes are Yuria and Kuroki…

This is totally a harem Snow White made for me!

“The morning performance will have Ichinose-san as the prince, and the afternoon will have Kuroki-san. Got it?”

Hino explained, and Kuroki and Yuria gave small nods.

Right, it’s a proper double cast.

Yuria for the first half, Kuroki for the second.

If anything, I wish they’d double-cast Snow White too…

“Hey, Ryouta.”

As I grimaced, Yuria spoke to me.

“This is my first time doing a play… but I’m taking it seriously. You better take it seriously too, Ryouta.”

“A-Alright…”

Yuria said that and returned to her seat from the blackboard.

“Geez, Yuria’s so serious sometimes.”

Kuroki, watching Yuria’s back, spoke to me.

“Ryouta-kun, we’re gonna be each other’s destined partners… so let’s have lots of fun, okay?”

“W-what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what I said. We’re the prince and Snow White, guided by fate.”

Kuroki always says things with such hidden meanings.

Destined partners, huh?

☆☆

Tuning out the boring afternoon classes, I read through the script.

I haven’t been in a play since preschool pageants, and now I’m stuck playing the heroine, of all things, so I’ve gotta put in extra effort.

As the lead, I’ve got a ton of lines, naturally… I need to memorize them well so I don’t freeze up and forget them on stage.

I was so engrossed in the script that I didn’t notice the afternoon classes had ended.

Since Hino, the committee member, can’t make it to today’s after-school festival prep, it’s optional participation.

I’ve been dragged to festival prep every day, so today I’ll head home and focus on memorizing lines.

As I packed up to leave, Miyama, sitting in front of me, brought Yuria over to Kuroki’s desk.

“Hey, you two! Since festival prep isn’t mandatory today, let’s read the script together! Rui-chan, you don’t have track practice today, right?”

“Yeah, so I’m free.”

“Yay! Then~ can we go to Rui-chan’s house?”

“My house, huh…”

Kuroki hesitated, glancing sideways at me, sitting to her left.

W-what’s that about?

Feeling Kuroki’s gaze, I pretended to pack up while eavesdropping.

“Hmm… My house might be tough today. The big room’s being used for guests, my dad said, and my room’s… a bit messy, let’s say.”

Even as she said that, Kuroki kept glancing at me.

W-Why do you keep looking at me?!

“Oh, gotcha. Airi’s place is small and super messy, so that’s a no-go. What about you, Yuria?”

“M-my room’s… also a no.”

Yuria gave a wry smile.

Knowing Yuria, her room’s probably filled with Chichi-kyun merch.

If someone found her Milk-tan baby bottle, the school’s No. 1 gyaru would turn into the “breast-milk-chugging gyaru.”

Not that I can talk—my room’s full of stuff I’d die if anyone saw…

“Then, a family restaurant?”

“Ugh, the last time we went to the nearby one, it was full of loud yankees from Nishi Junior High. Rui made them all shut up, though.”

“Rui-chan was so cool back then! She silenced those yankees in a second!”

“Hehe, it wasn’t a big deal. That’s just normal.”

Whoa, whoa, what did Kuroki do to those yankees?

I’m dying to know…

“If a family restaurant’s out, how about Starbucks?”

“But Starbucks is always packed with our school’s kids, so we might not get seats… Plus, Airi tries to chug three Frappuccinos there.”

“I-I don’t! That’d wreck my stomach!”

Miyama blushed, denying it.

That’s totally the amount Miyama would drink, though.

“So, what do we do? Since Rui’s free today, I’m fine with wherever she picks.”

“Yeah, Airi’s cool with wherever Rui-chan wants. The new karaoke place by the station, the usual bowling alley—anywhere’s fine with me.”

“Geez, Airi. We’re reading the script together today, right? Just so you know, we’re not playing around.”

“Boo, Yuria’s such a serious stickler. But for a stickler, your panties were pretty flashy today, huh~”

“H-hey!”

What… did she say!?

Yuria’s panties… are flashy!?

Miyama! Tell me more about Yuria’s panties!

“Don’t say weird stuff, you idiot!”

“Gugyuuh! I-I give, I give! Sorry, Yuria!”

Blushing, Yuria put Miyama in a side headlock, making her squirm.

Through the headlock, I could see Miyama’s massive chest pressing against Yuria’s thick thighs.

N-n-n-n-no way!!! Miyama’s massive chest and Yuria’s thick thighs in a miraculous collision!!

Truly a breathtaking moment…!

“…Wait, huh?”

As I stared intently at Yuria and Miyama, I suddenly noticed Kuroki standing right in front of my desk.

“Hehe…”

With an unsettling smile, Kuroki turned to the two bickering girls.

“You two, stop fighting already. I’ve decided where I want to go.”

At Kuroki’s words, Yuria released Miyama.

“So, where do you wanna go, Rui? Karaoke?”

“Nope. I was thinking… since it’s a rare chance, how about Ryouta-kun’s house?”

“““H… HUH!?”””

That eerie smile from Kuroki earlier… was because she was plotting this!?

This girl is relentless…!

☆☆

With the three beautiful girls coming to my house, I inevitably ended up walking home with them.

How did it come to this…?!

Even if I rush home now, there’s no time to hide all the creepy otaku stuff in my room.

I’m usually so open about my hobbies that I don’t even put covers on my light novels, but having these three see my private space is unavoidably embarrassing.

Bringing three female classmates (and beautiful ones at that) into my room is an overwhelmingly rom-com harem situation, but given the circumstances, I can’t exactly rejoice… Sigh.

If it were just one of them, I could open up and act naturally, but with all three at once, I’m worried I might accidentally spill someone’s secret.

For now, I need to tell Yuria not to react to any anime merch.

“Walking home with the four of us feels kinda fresh, doesn’t it~?”

“Yeah, it’s been a while since just the three of us hung out too, right? Rui’s been at practice every day lately.”

“Sorry about that. I’ve been so busy with track. You were lonely, weren’t you, Yuria?”

“N-not really!”

“Hehe… Sure, sure.”

The three chatted happily as they walked ahead of me.

Walking home together like this, it’s clear how much attention they draw, even outside.

From salarymen heading home to a jogging old man, a woman walking her dog, and even elementary school kids on their way home—everyone we passed followed the three with their eyes.

Their looks are just that striking, and the space they occupy together feels so special, like it repels everyone else.

With the brilliant and beautiful Kuroki, the busty beauty Miyama, and the school’s No. 1 gyaru Yuria all together, it’s no wonder.

Walking home with these three dazzling girls makes me feel out of place.

There’s no way a slimy loner like me belongs in the sparkling world of these chad-level beauties.

Even though I’m walking with them, I kept my head down, trailing behind to pretend I’m not part of their group.

“Hey, Ryouta!”

“Y-Yesh!?”

Miyama suddenly called out to me, and in my surprise, my voice cracked.

“Geez, Ryouta… What’s with that voice?”

“Ryouta-kun, are you nervous or something?”

Yuria and Kuroki turned to look at me.

“I-I’m not nervous! It’s just… you guys are really only doing the script reading, right? You’ll leave after that, yeah?”

“““…………”””

As if coordinated, all three fell silent, giving no response.

These girls… Don’t tell me they’re planning to stay longer.

“Hey, hey! Ryouta, you’ve got a gaming console at your place, right? Airi wants to play games!”

“Oi, Miyama, didn’t I just say…”

“Don’t get mad, Ryouta. It’s just a game, no big deal, right?”

“Exactly, Ryouta-kun. We’re all hanging out, so don’t be so uptight, okay?”

Wait, did Kuroki just say ‘hanging out’?

Maybe they never planned to do the script reading in the first place.

“Everyone! Let’s stop by this convenience store~”

“Good idea. Should we grab some snacks and drinks here?”

“Got it. Come on, Ryouta, let’s go.”

“Eeeh…”

☆☆

After a detour to the convenience store, we arrived at my house, carrying shopping bags.

“Hey, hey! Where’s your room, Ryouta~?”

“M-my room’s on the second floor, turn right, and it’s right there… but—”

Before climbing the stairs, I stood in front of the three to stop them.

“Please, just give me three minutes. I have to tidy up my room.”

“Nope. Let us in already.”

“Yeah! Airi wants to sit down~!”

“Ryouta-kun, I don’t mind if it’s messy, you know.”

“But I mind!”

It’s not like my room’s a total pigsty… but it’s definitely not in a state to show to girls.

I don’t even know if it smells bad or not.

“Fine. How about we go to your room’s door and wait there?”

“Uh, y-yeah.”

At Yuria’s request, we headed to the second floor.

Bringing the three to my door, I stressed, “Wait here,” before entering my room.

There’s no way I have time to put away figures or tapestries, and nowhere to store them anyway.

They already know I’m an otaku, so instead of worrying about that…

“Forget it, deodorizing spray!!”

Grabbing the deodorizing spray I usually blast after… certain activities, I sprayed it all over the room.

At least make the smell bearable!

“Three minutes up! Coming in~!”

“Oi, Miyama!”

I’m not sure it was even three minutes, but Miyama charged in first.

Yuria and Kuroki followed, looking around my room.

“So this is Ryouta-kun’s room…”

“Whoa, it’s loaded with merch.”

The walls were covered with risqué illustrated tapestries, and a three-tier steel rack was crammed with figures.

In the corner stood a massive five-shelf bookcase, dubbed the “Light Novel Wall,” filled exclusively with light novels, making the space unmistakably otaku.

Having such a private space seen by them made even me feel embarrassed.

“Ryouta’s room is so cool~! Wow, tons of girl posters hanging down~”

Calling tapestries ‘posters’… It’s not exactly wrong, I guess.

“Hmm. I knew it before, but you’re a total otaku, Ryouta.”

Yuria said it with an air of “I’m totally different.”

I bet her room’s not that different, though.

For now, I’ll just pray she doesn’t slip up and reveal anything today.

“Sniff, sniff… Huh? It smells super strongly of deodorizing spray!”

“I just sprayed it. I thought it might smell bad.”

“What~? Airi likes Ryouta’s smell, though~”

My smell… She likes it!?

“Right, Yuria? Ryouta smells nice, doesn’t he?”

“Well, yeah… I guess. I don’t hate Ryouta’s smell either.”

I have no idea what my smell is even like.

“Hey, why don’t we drink the juice we bought? I’m getting thirsty.”

Kuroki pulled a two-liter bottle of apple juice from the shopping bag.

“Oh, Ryouta-kun, can I borrow some cups?”

“Right. I’ll go grab some, but…”

Wait. If I leave the room now, it’ll just be the three of them in here…

I doubt they’d snoop through my stuff, but still…

“What’s wrong, Ryouta-kun?”

“Oh, uh… You three can sit on the cushions around there and wait.”

Leaving them in the room, I headed downstairs alone to get the cups.

Is it really okay to leave those three alone…?

But, circumstances aside, I can’t exactly make my guests go fetch them.

It’ll be fine… probably.

☆☆

From the kitchen on the first floor, I grabbed four cups and a medium-sized plate from the cupboard, placing them on a tray to carry.

I hope those three aren’t doing anything weird in my room right now…

My room’s filled with moe tapestries and figures, but the really bad stuff—eroge, Blu-rays, and that boob mousepad—are hidden deep under my bed when not in use.

I don’t want my mom finding them when she cleans during the day.

So, as long as they don’t dig under the bed… it’s fine, no problem.

Still, Miyama and Kuroki’s reactions to my room were surprising.

Yuria’s an otaku like me, so she’s fine, but I thought Miyama and Kuroki, who aren’t otaku, would be grossed out by the moe tapestries and figures.

Neither of them seemed put off, though.

Miyama used to hate otakus before we got close, but she doesn’t act like that anymore.

Does that mean I’ve gotten that close to Miyama and Kuroki, even as a loner otaku?

“…Close, huh?”

To think I’d end up like this with those beautiful girls… It was unimaginable not long ago.

Lost in thought, I reached my room and opened the door.

“Hey, I brought the cups… huh?”

When I entered, the three were lounging in their own ways.

Miyama had placed a cushion in front of the TV and was sitting in a girly pose, Yuria was in my gaming chair fiddling with her phone, and Kuroki was sitting on my bed, glancing around the room.

“Oh, Ryouta, you’re finally back~”

“Thanks for the cups, Ryouta-kun.”

Kuroki was on my bed, but it didn’t seem like they’d found the stuff underneath, and there were no signs of anything else being touched.

I let out a sigh of relief.

“I’ll pour the juice, then.”

“I’ll help, Rui.”

Taking the tray from me, Kuroki and Yuria started opening the juice and snacks.

They seemed pretty practiced at this—do they do this often?

“Hey, Ryouta~? This console won’t turn on at all~”

Miyama, fiddling with the SP5 controller in front of the TV, whined to me.

“You’re already playing games? What about the script reading?”

“I wanna play games!”

“Haah… Figures.”

To turn on the console, I grabbed the SP5’s power plug and plugged it into the outlet.

At this rate, we’re just gonna laze around all day.

“What games do you usually play, Ryouta? The ones where you shoot guns?”

“I get motion sickness from FPS, so I don’t play them. I mostly stick to RPGs. Lately…”

Wait… Lately?

When was the last time I used the SP5?

I think it was when that Blu-ray arrived, and I sampled… Oh, no!?

Crap! This is bad! Right now, the SP5 has the Blu-ray disc for ‘Heart-Pounding! Swimsuit Competition Full of Former Gravure Idols! Nothing But Wardrobe Malfunctions!’ still inside!!!!

This is an emergency, so I’ll skip explaining the contents, but this is bad—if this keeps up—

“Oh, the game’s finally starting~”

“Wait! Hold on, Miya—!”

“Hm? Hey, what’s this ‘Heart-Pounding! Swimsuit Competition Full of Former Gravure Idols! Nothing But Wardrobe Malfunctions!’? Weird title for a game.”

““Huh!?””

The moment Miyama read the title aloud, the room’s atmosphere froze solid.

Oh no, I’m screwed.

My brain shut down at this unexpected disaster.

Having my favorite “work” (with deep meaning) exposed to my female classmates…

“R-Ryouta… You…”

Yuria’s face was visibly red, her lips trembling.

“Hey, Airi? I suddenly want some ice. While we’re setting up the snacks and juice, could you go downstairs to the kitchen and grab some?”

“Sure thing, Rui-chan!”

For some reason, Kuroki steered Miyama out of the room, and Miyama dashed off like a dog chasing a frisbee.

“Now, Ryouta-kun? Mind explaining what that is?”

The instant Miyama left, Kuroki turned to me with a beaming smile.

Anyone could tell that smile was anything but friendly.

Realizing this, I instinctively sat in seiza in front of the TV, looking up at the two standing over me.

This was no longer just a lecture—it was a full-on sermon.

“Ryouta… Why the heck are you watching this pervy stuff?! And who even buys this on disc nowadays? You’d just stream it online!”

“W-well, I’m the type who likes watching on a big TV screen…”

“H-Huh!?”

“Hehe, that’s so Ryouta-kun.”

“Wait, Rui, why are you acting like that makes sense!?”

While Yuria was flustered, Kuroki was oddly calm.

It almost felt like she knew my preferences inside out… No way, what do you know about me?

“So, Ryouta… What do you do with this?”

“W-what do I do? I mean, I just… do that with it.”

“Oh, come on!”

“Now, now, Yuria. Ryouta-kun’s a teenage boy in puberty. It’s totally normal to watch stuff like that.”

“…Hey, I just thought of something. Why’s Rui acting like she’s Ryouta’s biggest defender? Weren’t you two just middle school classmates?”

“Huh? W-well, Ryouta-kun and I are… you know, right?”

Kuroki gave me a suggestive look with moist eyes, hinting at something.

Hey! What’s with that suggestive vibe, like we’ve got some secret relationship!?

“W-what’s that? Are you two secretly dating or something?”

“No way! Kuroki and I are just from the same middle school, and—”

“But isn’t it weird? Rui’s been guy-averse since first year and is cold to other guys, but she’s different with Ryouta.”

“Hehe, if you’re gonna say that, Yuria, you’re pretty cold to guys too, but you and Ryouta-kun seem to get along really well, don’t you?”

“That’s… irrelevant, isn’t it? I’m close with Ryouta partly because he’s my co-star in the play… A-anyway, I’m asking about you and Ryouta’s relationship right now.”

The two started a verbal sparring match, probing each other cautiously.

Both Yuria and Kuroki think they’re the only ones sharing a secret with me.

That’s only natural since I’m the only one who knows about Yuria’s otaku hobbies and Kuroki’s cunning perfectionism.

Kuroki’s suggestive comments are making this way more complicated.

Haah. Getting teased about my secret Blu-ray would’ve been better than this… Wait.

Could it be… Did Kuroki bring this up to shift the topic away from the Blu-ray?

Did she deliberately do this to cover for me after my embarrassing reveal…?

At that moment—the door suddenly burst open with a BANG.

“Everyone~! I brought the ice! Let’s play that wardrobe malfunction thingy~!”

“““We’re not playing it!!”””

“Huh?”

Miyama genuinely thought it was a game.

☆☆

“Whoa, Rui-chan’s too strong~! One more time!”

“Hehe, if Airi loses again, maybe you’ll have to give me a shoulder massage~”

“Ehh~”

After everything, thanks to Kuroki’s quick thinking, the Blu-ray incident didn’t get fully exposed to Miyama, and now Miyama and Kuroki were playing a fighting game in my room.

With nothing else to do, Yuria and I sat side by side on the bed, watching them.

“R-Ryouta…? Sorry about earlier. I had to come down on you a bit hard because of the situation.”

Out of nowhere, Yuria apologized in a low voice.

“Don’t apologize. I mean, I’m already a creepy loner, so finding out I watch stuff like that just makes me even creepier, right?”

“…”

“Yuria?”

“Actually… I-I’ve watched the same thing too…”

“Huh…?”

I couldn’t hide my shock at her sudden confession.

Yuria’s watched ‘Heart-Pounding! Swimsuit Competition Full of Former Gravure Idols! Nothing But Wardrobe Malfunctions!’ too…?

Why’d she just come out with that!?

“Doesn’t that, like, feel like fate or something?”

“That’s a fate I’d rather not have.”

Yuria’s banned from getting mad at me for dirty jokes from now on. We’re the same kind, after all.

“So, Yuria, you’re not just into 2D Chichi-kyun stuff—you watch that kind of thing too?”

“Y-you might not know this, Ryouta, but girls watch that stuff too sometimes… Sure, there are pure and kinda ditzy girls like Airi, so maybe I just have a stronger libido or something.”

Yuria’s face flushed even redder than before.

Stronger libido… That’s kinda erotic. No, way too erotic for a gyaru like her.

“Ugh, let’s drop this! I’m sweating so much my bra’s showing through.”

Show it.

“Anyway, there’s something I wanted to ask you, Ryouta.”

“Hm? What’s up all of a sudden?”

“That copy of Lucky & H on your bookshelf—why’s the first volume missing?”

“Lucky & H’s… first volume?”

Yuria asked why the first volume of Lucky & H wasn’t on my shelf, but I had no recollection of why.

“What’s with the sudden question? I don’t remember something from that long ago.”

“…Y-yeah, you’re right. It’s a series from when we were in elementary school.”

Yuria gave a wry smile as she said that.

I thought the same thing when I was looking for the Snow White picture book the other day, but I bought Lucky & H so long ago, I don’t remember anything about it…

Maybe I threw it out because it got dirty or something, or perhaps I lent it to Tanaka, and we both forgot about it, so she accidentally kept it. But…

Tanaka’s so polite that if she borrows something, she returns it with snacks or something, so that’s highly unlikely.

If it’s not Tanaka, maybe my dumb sister took it… but she’s a fujoshi, so she wouldn’t read normal romance stuff.

“Wait, did you want to read Lucky & H, Yuria? If you’re into similar manga, I just bulk-bought Inago 1000% recently.”

“Oh, no, it’s fine! I just noticed it and got curious, that’s all.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Anyway, I should probably join in before Airi starts sulking.”

“Sulking?”

At Yuria’s words, I looked at the two playing the game. Next to a smiling Kuroki, Miyama was puffing out her cheeks, glaring at her.

“20 l-losses in a row…! Come on, Rui-chan, go easy on me!”

“Hehe.”

This perfectionist…

She might seem kind usually, but she absolutely refuses to lose.

“Don’t get mad over something like this, Airi. Geez, Rui, you’re so immature.”

“Hey, Yuria! If Rui-chan’s immature, does that mean Airi’s a kid!?”

“Uh, well…”

Yuria hesitated, but I couldn’t help thinking, ‘Yeah, pretty much…’

“Why don’t we play something four people can do? Like a party game. Come on, Ryouta, join us.”

“F-fine, but… are you guys seriously not gonna read the script?”

“““Nope.”””

Haah… Figures.

These girls have zero sense of urgency about the culture festival.

Am I just too serious?

Maybe for chads like them, it’s just a fun event, so they don’t feel any pressure.

“Hey, Ryouta, Ryouta~ I wanna throw out the snack wrappers, so grab the trash can~”

“Trash can? Oh, yeah.”

At Miyama’s request, I brought over the trash can from the corner of the room.

“Thanks, Ryouta… Huh? This bag in the trash can…”

“Bag? Oh, I always put a bag over it so the can doesn’t get dirty.”

“…I knew it, it’s…”

“What’s up, Miyama?”

“Oh! N-nothing! I just thought I don’t see this blue bag very often!”

An Animate bag, rare?

I see them all the time in otaku spaces like Animate, so I wouldn’t know.

“So, what’re we doing now? I’m cool with anything.”

“Airi wants to play this ‘Life Board Game’! It looks like it’s for four players~”

“Huh, Ryouta-kun, you own a party game? That’s surprising.”

“Ugh…”

Tch, Kuroki’s acting like I wouldn’t own a party game just because I’m a loner.

To be fair, I only play this with my family occasionally, so she’s not entirely wrong.

“This game has stuff like players getting married, right?”

“O-oh… It’s got that kind of thing, huh~?”

“…Hmm. You sure know a lot about it, Rui.”

Thanks to Kuroki’s unnecessary comment, Miyama and Yuria responded awkwardly.

What’s with this vibe…?

In the awkward atmosphere, we started the Life Board Game.

This game lets you experience all sorts of life choices and events, from club activities and exams to marriage and parenting.

Normally, I hardly play party games, only occasionally with family, so I never imagined I’d be playing this with this group.

Miyama, Yuria, and Kuroki sat on cushions in front of the TV, while I sat on the bed behind them, holding a controller.

“Airi’s gonna study a ton to become super rich~!”

“Wow, the total opposite of real life.”

“Did you say something, Yuria~?”

“Nothing~ I’m gonna focus on looks like in real life. What about you, Rui?”

“I’ll go with… talent, I guess.”

Ugh, so very Kuroki.

In this game, the main parameters are study, athletics, looks, and talent, and depending on those, the jobs and events you get as an adult change.

I’m going for a balanced approach, but the three are each focusing on specific parameters.

In reality, Miyama’s chest and Yuria’s thighs are already maxed out, though.

Thinking that, I glanced at their assets, only to get a sharp glare from Yuria, who noticed. Scary, scary.

After the student phase focused on boosting parameters, we finally entered the adult phase with jobs and marriage.

“Student life’s over, so now it’s adult life~ Airi’s still got no money~”

The adult phase is what I’m most worried about.

This phase includes the “marriage space” Kuroki mentioned before we started.

In this space, players can propose to each other regardless of gender, so I wonder what the three will do.

“Hmm… Since we’re doing the princess and prince in the play, maybe I’ll propose to Princess Ryouta-kun~”

“Huh!?”

When Kuroki said that, Yuria let out a reflexive yelp of surprise.

“What’s wrong, Yuria? Is there a problem?”

“N-nothing. If Rui’s doing that, then since I’m also a prince… I guess I’ll propose to Ryouta too.”

“What’s with the ‘I guess’!?”

“Well, since it’s a special occasion, Airi’s gonna propose to Ryouta too~!”

“Y-you guys…”

I had a bad feeling when Kuroki mentioned “player marriages” before we started, but I didn’t expect this.

Even if it’s just a game, getting proposed to by the three top-tier beautiful girls in the class…

This is way too ultimate of a choice!

Choosing one out of these three is like picking a starter Poké●on when all the options are legendary Poké●ons.

In my head, I can hear a certain voice saying, ‘Choose one of these three beautiful girls~!’

“Ryouta-kun, if you marry me, you’ll never have to work again. I’ll take care of you~”

“Hold up, Rui. What’s with that ‘I’m fine with a freeloader’ declaration?”

“Well, I’m a future Olympian, after all.”

“That’s unfair, Rui-chan, using your real-life skills to appeal~! Okay, then, if you marry Airi, I’ll cook delicious meals every day~! I’m great at cooking!”

“M-me too! I’ll do chores properly, and I want… kids too.”

Why are they suddenly getting so competitive?

An impromptu appeal battle broke out. Even though they’re making these pitches, marriage is just part of the game and has nothing to do with reality… But marrying one of these three, huh?

If I married Kuroki… there’s no doubt she’d have complete control over my life and death.

Even as her husband, defying Kuroki Rui in the slightest would probably mean—death.

But with Kuroki, it’s true she could probably “support me for life.”

She’d definitely go to a top university like Tokyo U, keep up with track, become an Olympian, and land a job at a prestigious company… or maybe even become a celebrity or model.

Her looks and figure are already head and shoulders above everyone else in high school, so she’d likely become a stunning wife with supermodel-level beauty. With her perfectionism, married life would probably be flawless.

Yes, flawless… without a doubt.

“What’s wrong, Ryouta-kun?”

“Oh, uh… nothing.”

With Kuroki, she’s always so mysterious… I still can’t read her true intentions, and letting my guard down feels like she’d dominate me to my core.

But Miyama, on the other hand, is super easy to read.

Her personality makes her thoughts crystal clear, and with a chest that size in high school, it’s bound to get even more insane in the future. Go bigger, I say.

Marriage means doing that stuff, and being able to do whatever with that massive chest would be the ultimate happiness for any guy.

Plus, given Miyama’s tough background, I’d really want to spoil her.

I wanna let Miyama eat all her favorite foods as much as she wants…

“Hey, Ryouta, your stare’s getting creepy.”

“Ow, ow!”

Yuria, sitting to my left, pinched my cheek, probably thinking I was ogling Miyama.

What’s with Yuria? She’s been super sensitive about my gaze…

So, what if I married Yuria?

We share the same hobbies, and her big-sister vibe might suit a slacker like me. Plus, her thick thighs are worth a million points.

The only concern is that she might stop being a gyaru after marriage…

A former-gyaru wife is definitely a genre I’m into, but if someone as gorgeous as Yuria quit being a gyaru, she’d just be a perfect, stunning wife.

A non-gyaru Yuria… I’d love to see that, but part of me wants her to stay a gyaru forever, and there’s an internal war between the former-gyaru faction and the eternal-gyaru faction in my head.

In the end, though, it all boils down to “thick thighs are justice.”

“…Hm?”

“““Hmph……”””

While I was lost in creepy otaku fantasies about marrying each of them, the three suddenly shot me suspicious looks.

“Ryouta, who’re you picking out of us?”

“Hurry up and decide already~!”

“Hehe… There’s no need to even think about it, right?”

Easier said than done…

Urged by the three, my thoughts started spiraling.

This is just a game, okay?

Choosing Kuroki won’t make life easy, picking Miyama won’t let me touch her chest, and selecting Yuria won’t mean she’ll do naughty things with her thighs!

With that in mind, who would I choose…?

If I pick one, the other two will definitely give me dirty looks—especially the perfectionist Kuroki.

But to move the game forward, I have to choose one.

There’s no escaping this ultimate choice.

Natural massive chest, gyaru thick thighs, or a perfectionist who loves taking sultry selfies with a sexy navel?

At this point… I have no choice but to decide.

“Alright… I’ll pick—”

The three’s gazes locked onto me in an instant—but at that moment…

“H-hey, coming i—oh!”

The door creaked open, and a loli girl with red-rimmed glasses peeked in from the hallway.

“…T-Tanaka!?”

Bursting into my harem space surrounded by three chad-level beautiful girls was none other than my otaku friend, Tanaka Kanade—not a family member.

Without her summer uniform’s moe sleeves, her petite frame in an oversized uniform stood out. The moment she took in the room’s situation, her eyes widened, and she froze.

“A-aba, abababa!”

“H-hey, Tanaka?”

“R-Ryouta-kun’s actually doing a 4● (bleep)!!!”

“I’m not doing that!”

For some reason, Tanaka freaked out and blurted something outrageous.

Seems like she’s got the wrong idea…

“Wait, what do you mean ‘actually’?”

“I ran into your sister at the station, and she told me, ‘Don’t ask questions, just use this key to get into our house.’”

“That idiot sister…”

Even if Tanaka’s my only friend, she wouldn’t have a spare key, so I thought it was weird she got in… That explains it.

My sister’s been convinced I’m doing a 4● (bleep) with the three of them, so she probably thought, “Might as well let Tanaka in too.”

“Oh? You’re Tanaka-san, right? We were in the same class as Airi last year!”

“Yeah, the girl who was always reading, right?”

“Hehe… Why’s Tanaka-san casually strolling into Ryouta-kun’s house, hmm?”

The three beautiful girls’ gazes shifted from me to Tanaka.

One of them was glaring with intense pressure…

“U-uh, um, a speck-of-dust loner girl like me, who’s barely had friends her whole life, breathing the same air in the same space as radiant chad-level beauties like you all feels so out of place, s-so…”

Tanaka, exuding pure loner energy, rambled incoherently at breakneck speed.

She’s way too panicked.

Even I, the bottom-tier loner, don’t get this bad.

But yeah, Tanaka does have a slight connection to these three.

In that case… I’ve got no choice but to rely on her.

Tanaka’s sudden appearance gave me, who’d been agonizing over this choice, a fourth option in this situation where I had to pick one of the three.

It’s definitely not choosing Tanaka Kanade as my bride.

No, the fourth option that emerged in my mind was…

“Alright, Tanaka! Take over the game for me for a bit!”

“Huh!? W-wait, Ryouta-kun!?”

“Do whatever you want! I’m hitting the bathroom!”

“Ugh, Ryouta~!”

“Hey, Ryouta! Don’t run away!”

By passing the ultimate choice to Tanaka, I successfully dodged it.

I left it all to Tanaka, but now that I think about it, she might just wait for me to decide.

If that happens, I’ll have no choice but to face this ultimate choice head-on…

Steeling myself, I returned from the bathroom to find a literal hellscape waiting for me.

“W-what… is this?”

In the room, Tanaka was lying on Miyama’s lap, holding a controller.

“Oho~ Airi-tan, now I want you to feed me snacks~”

“Geez, Tanaka-chan, you’re so needy~ Here, say ahh~”

Tanaka and Miyama were acting like a sickeningly sweet newlywed couple.

Looking at the TV screen, it seemed Tanaka had made the ultimate choice for me and picked Miyama.

I don’t know how marrying Miyama in the game led to this, but Tanaka was completely indulging in Miyama’s affection.

I’m so jealous…! Switch places with me right now, Tanaka!

I’m slightly regretting abandoning that ultimate choice.

“H-hey, Ryouta… This girl’s seriously creepy.”

“Can’t help it. Tanaka’s the type of loner who loses all sense of personal space once she gets a bit close.”

“Ryouta-kun, kick Tanaka-san out right now.”

“You’re being harsher than usual.”

I escaped the ultimate choice, but at the cost of Tanaka getting completely shunned by the beautiful girls just minutes after arriving.

☆☆

Despite Tanaka’s intrusion (or rather, me making her take over), the Life Board Game continued to the end.

Kuroki, who didn’t marry me, stayed single and stoically pursued the “Inventor” route, achieving great success with her inventions and overwhelmingly winning with the highest total assets.

Meanwhile, after Tanaka took over for me, I married Miyama. I became a “Salaryman,” Miyama became a “Model,” and we had six kids together, triggering a ton of lovey-dovey events. We ended up in second place.

As for what happened to Yuria…

“W-why am I… a comedian…?”

Yuria failed the roulette for the “Model” audition during the job phase and also flunked the roulette to become an “Announcer.”

She was forced to choose between the randomly selected “Comedian” or staying a “NEET.” With bitter reluctance, she picked comedian.

She reached the goal looking like some outspoken female comedian, but a string of bad luck landed her in last place.

“Hehe, maybe you should consider a comedy career starting now, Yuria?”

“Sh-shut up! Just because you became an inventor…! And Airi, didn’t you want to get filthy rich!?”

“Yuria? Airi realized love is more important than money in this world ♡ Right, Kanade-chan?”

“Yesss!! I’d spend anything for Airi-tan!!”

Tanaka, you’re straight-up creepy.

But seeing Tanaka get along with a girl for the first time was kinda refreshing.

Since middle school, I’ve been her only friend, after all.

Honestly, this is probably why she doesn’t make friends…

“But to be honest, I kinda wanted Ryouta himself to choose, not Kanade-chan~”

Miyama grinned mischievously, glancing at me sideways.

“W-what’s that supposed to mean?”

“I was super curious about who Ryouta would pick out of us~!”

When Miyama said that, Yuria and Kuroki nodded as if to say, “Exactly.”

Even if you say that…

“To be honest…”

“What? Got a problem with us or something, Ryouta?”

“No! It’s just… being told to choose one out of three top-caste beautiful girls like you is way too extravagant! No normal guy could pick!”

“““!”””

The three widened their eyes at my words, their suspicious expressions turning to confusion as they looked away from me.

Wait, did I… say something weird?

“Wow… All three of you are such easy marks.”

“Shut up, Tanaka.”

“Quiet, Tanaka-san.”

“Tanaka-chan, you’re too loud.”

“S-such a brutal takedown…! Airi-tan, call me by my first name like before, please!”

I don’t know what was going on, but the girls were having fun chatting, so I just watched from the sidelines.

☆☆

“Alright, everyone, let’s head out. Staying too long would be rude to Ryouta-kun’s family.”

As the sun started to set, Kuroki finally suggested we wrap up, and we began to disband…

“Aww, Airi wants to have a sleepover~!”

“Tch, no way that’s happening!”

“Yeah, Airi. If we did that, Ryouta might try something pervy.”

Yuria shot me a sidelong glare.

What’s with her? Acting like I’m some kind of repeat offender… (Okay, I totally am.)

“Alright, let’s go. Thanks for today, Ryouta.”

“Y-yeah.”

I walked the four of them to the entrance to see them off.

“Starting tomorrow, we’re prepping for the culture festival. Gotta memorize the script or we won’t be ready for the performance.”

“Yeah, yeah, got it.”

“See ya, Ryouta~!”

After seeing everyone off, I slumped back into the house, exhausted.

What an insanely hectic after-school day…

Alright, time to head back to my room, still filled with the scent of beautiful girls…

N-not that I’m planning anything shady—

“Hey, Ryouta-kun.”

“!?”

A voice called from behind, and I turned around in shock to see Kuroki standing there.

“I forgot something in your room… Mind if I come back up?”

After the others left, Kuroki Rui returned, claiming she’d forgotten something in my room.

She’d somehow appeared behind me, and I turned to face her, startled.

“F-forgot something…? That’s not a lie, right?”

“It’s true, Ryouta-kun. What? You think I’m up to something?”

“N-no, that’s not what I meant…”

Given her track record, it feels like Kuroki would do anything to mess with me…

After all, the whole reason the three beautiful girls came to my house was because Kuroki suggested it.

She must’ve had some kind of motive for wanting to hang out in my room.

Kuroki wouldn’t make a suggestion like that without a purpose.

Come to think of it, she was unusually calm from the moment she arrived and kept to herself in the room.

Could her real goal have been to find a moment to be alone with me like this…?

“Hehe… Are you expecting something, Ryouta-kun?”

“E-expecting?”

“Like, maybe I forgot something on purpose to get alone with you in your room and try something naughty… or something like that?”

Kuroki said it with a calm tone, narrowing her eyes.

“W-what…! I-I didn’t think anything like that!”

Her guess was so specific that, since it wasn’t entirely wrong, I couldn’t help but get flustered.

Saying it that precisely… Did she actually forget something on purpose?

Is Kuroki scheming to do something naughty with me in my room…!?

Oh man… Is it finally happening? My vir☆gin☆ity’s☆graduation!?

“Hehe, sorry to disappoint, but I didn’t forget anything on purpose, and I’m not doing any ‘naughty’ stuff you’d probably like.”

“Huh…?”

“Sorry for getting your hopes up. I’ll grab my thing and leave right after.”

T-This girl…!

Saying stuff like that would make any guy’s heart skip a beat!

I felt a rush of heat to my head and lower half but managed to hold it together.

Stay cool. If I fall for Kuroki’s bait here, I won’t survive in more ways than one.

Letting Kuroki back into the house, we climbed the stairs together.

“Today was fun, wasn’t it, Ryouta-kun? The others seemed to enjoy themselves too. Did you have fun?”

“I… w-well, kinda.”

I can’t just say it was fun outright.

If I admitted, “It was a blast!” I have a feeling they’d show up every day.

“What about you, Kuroki? You didn’t… hate it, did you?”

“Hate? What do you mean?”

“You know, coming to my house.”

“Why would I?”

“Well…”

As we reached the top of the stairs and entered my room, the conversation continued.

“I mean, no one would want to come to an otaku like me’s room, right? For you, maybe dragging me down is necessary for your ‘perfection,’ so you’re forcing yourself, but even so, it’s a bit much to—”

“You still don’t get it, do you, Ryouta-kun?”

Cutting me off, Kuroki picked up her phone from under a cushion in the room.

“Sure, I might’ve said under the umbrella before that ‘I need you for my perfection.’ But that meant I need you to stay perfect.”

I’m needed for her to stay perfect?

I don’t understand what she’s getting at…

“I thought you’d figure it out quickly since you’re surprisingly smart, but… too bad.”

“W-what’s that supposed to mean?”

“But that part of you… hehe.”

Muttering that, Kuroki passed by me near the door and left the room.

“After the culture festival, I’ll tell you what it really means. So let’s do our best with the play, okay, Princess?”

“Y-yeah…”

Kuroki’s cryptic, layered words lingered in my mind as I saw her off.

She didn’t forget anything else, right…?

Wary, I returned to my room and sat down to read the script alone, feeling a bit lonely.