Bookwalker Special
Intermission: S-san Looks Like She Wants to Join in
*This contains spoilers, so please read it after finishing Vol.7.
One day after school. At the Nukumizu residence in a certain part of the city.
Three Tsuwabuki High School girls gathered in a room on the second floor.
"Uh, are we allowed to be here? This is Prez's room, right?"
The hesitant voice belonged to the new club member, Riko Shiratama. As she cautiously looked around the room, the veteran member Anna Yanami crossed her arms and responded.
"The president is supposed to sacrifice everything for the sake of the Literature Club in exchange for his power. And since the president isn't here, the VP holds the highest authority. Komari-chan, if you would."
Komari, now under Yanami's watchful gaze, steeled her expression and declared with determination.
"F-From this moment on, this room shall be the Literature Club's second club room!"
…Kazuhiko Nukumizu's room has turned into the Literature Club's room from this second onward.
No one can stop them since the room's owner isn't home yet.
Yanami clapped her hands together with a loud smack.
"Alright, let's get started. First, we need to check out Nukumizu-kun's collection of unusual manga and light novels."
"L-Let's end him for good."
The two senpais began rummaging through the room while Shiratama watched nervously from the sidelines.
"B-But I heard that the President keeps anything he doesn't want at home in the clubroom."
Yanami and Komari, who had been opening CD cases, froze at Shiratama's words.
"True. He keeps the little sister-themed light novels he doesn't want his family to see in the clubroom."
"T-Trash…"
"Then what exactly are we looking for…?"
Shiratama asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"If he keeps it in the clubroom, it means he's okay with the possibility of us finding it. So for Nukumizu-kun, his sister complex isn't something he hides from others."
Shiratama nodded slightly, still unsure. Yanami then leaned in with a smug look on her face.
"But what do you think he does with the things he doesn't want even us to see?"
"...So, he has hidden them somewhere in this room?"
Komari nodded and approached the bookshelf with a long ruler in hand.
"B-Behind here, for example-"
She slid the ruler behind the bookshelf and began moving it up and down.
Suddenly, a manga volume tumbled out from the back.
With a sly grin, Komari picked up the volume while Yanami and Shiratama leaned in to see the cover.
"Huh, so Nukumizu-kun is into this kind of stuff."
"Wow, this is quite lewd."
"T-That guy should r-really go die."
Komari muttered, then plopped down on the study chair and started flipping through the manga.
"...Komari-senpai, you're actually going to read that?"
"M-Manga isn't g-guilty of anything!"
Indeed, there's nothing wrong with manga. It doesn't have any adult content markers, so it's perfectly fine for a high school student to read it.
Having finished going through the CD and game cases, Yanami crossed her arms and looked around the room.
"Hmm, so it's not here."
"Are you still looking for something?"
"Nukumizu-kun definitely has some hidden treasure- media with valuable images. There's no way he wouldn't."
"If it's images, wouldn't they be on his computer or phone?"
"Oh, is that where you keep yours, Shiratama-chan?"
Shiratama kept her smile but averted her gaze, clearly dodging the question.
Yanami, picking up on the shift in the atmosphere, but chose to let it slide.
"Nukumizu-kun is such an otaku that he's obsessed with having the 'real thing'. Just the other day, he was hiding an SD card under the carpet. I'm sure he has something like that stashed somewhere."
Hearing this, Shiratama's interest seemed piqued. She put her index fingers to her temples, thinking hard.
"...Well, I've heard that people often hide things under the bed mattress or inside the desk drawers."
"Nah, those spots are off-limits. Imouto-chan does regular inspections there, so it's unlikely."
"Eh?"
For a brief moment, Riko Shiratama's face turned serious.
But it seemed she decided not to delve deeper into that matter, returning to her usual cheerful expression as she stared intently at the study desk.
"What's wrong, Shiratama-chan?"
"That clock over there. It's stopped, right?"
Shiratama pointed at an alarm clock featuring a blue-haired anime character holding a sword. The clock's hands aren't moving.
Yanami shrugged casually at the sight.
"It's broken, but Nukumizu-kun keeps it because he likes the character."
Shiratama silently picked up the clock and removed the battery cover on the back.
Inside, nestled in the compartment, is a single USB stick, gleaming darkly under the light.
"...!" (x2)
Yanami and Komari gasped in unison.
"Hehe, looks like I've found Prez's little secret."
Shiratama said, holding up the USB stick next to her face with a flawless smile-
*
"-Alright, everyone, here we go."
"D-Do it."
"I'm so ready."
With Komari and Shiratama watching intently, Yanami inserted the USB stick into the laptop she had "conveniently" brought along for just such an occasion.
<Please enter your password:>
The words appeared in the center of the screen, and the three of them exchanged glances.
"This thing is encrypted."
"L-Look at that s-sneaky Nukumizu getting a-all high and mighty."
Shiratama, meanwhile, maintained her usual cheerful demeanor, listening to their complaints with a smile.
After a moment of hesitation, Yanami began typing on the keyboard.
NU-KU-MI-ZU.
She hit the Enter key with a decisive tap.
The message "incorrect password" flashed across the screen instantly.
Yanami tried again, inputting "KA ZU HI KO" and "TSU WA BU KI", testing words that came to mind, but none of them worked. The lock remained secure.
-3 attempts remaining.
The warning message appeared on the screen, and Yanami's fingers froze.
"...We've only got three tries left. Any ideas on what the password could be?"
"T-That guy always u-uses the name of a v-voice actor he likes."
"But he used a VA's name last time, remember? Knowing how paranoid Nukumizu-kun is, he probably changed it."
"T-That criminal."
Yanami and Komari started talking shit about their absent president.
Shiratama, who had been quietly watching the screen, tilted her head cutely.
"Oh, there's a password hint button. Let's try pressing that."
With a tap on the touchpad, the hint appeared: "Name".
Yanami and Komari exchanged puzzled glances.
Nukumizu has set someone's name as the password.
They had already tried his own surname, so whose could it be?
While her two senpais were frozen in thought, Shiratama quickly typed on the keyboard.
SHI-RA-TA-MA.
The Enter key was pressed, and the screen flashed a message: "Two attempts remaining."
Shiratama tapped her head playfully with a smile, looking at her astonished senpais.
"Too bad it wasn't my name."
Yanami, snapping out of her daze, reached for the keyboard again, only for Komari to grab her hand.
"W-Wait! There are only t-two tries left!"
"Come on, one for me and one for you, right? Let's get this over with."
As the two bickered, Shiratama chimed in with a seemingly innocent suggestion.
"But it could be someone else's name. Maybe someone he's interested in from his class?"
Yanami shrugged dumbfoundedly.
"Nukumizu-kun doesn't even have that many friends. It's got to be one of our club members."
Subtly insulting the other two, Yanami's gaze drifted towards the 'Y' key.
"Let's just try my name and then Komari-chan's-"
"Aren't you going to try Yakishio-senpai's name?"
Yanami shook her head slowly, almost as if in resignation.
"Uh, let's not try Remon-chan's name…"
Shiratama's eyes widened in curiosity.
"If her name is indeed the password, it would just be…too real. It would be creepy."
"Y-Yeah, t-that would be g-gross."
"...Definitely feels like we would be seeing something we weren't supposed to."
Shiratama agreed with a firm nod.
It's not about logic. It's about a gut feeling, a sense of unease that they can't quite shake.
As the three girls fell into an uneasy silence, they suddenly heard the sound of footsteps approaching in the hallway.
The lively, almost noisy way of walking is unmistakable.
With a bang, the door swung open, and Yakishio entered the room, towel-drying her hair as she stepped inside.
"Oh, everyone's here. What are you girls doing in Nukkun's room?"
She asked, tossing the towel aside and plopping down energetically onto the bed.
Yanami turned the laptop screen towards Yakishio, showing her the USB interface.
"We're exposing Nukumizu-kun's evil schemes."
"That sounds so fun!"
"Right? It's outrageous that the president would keep secrets from us."
"Yeah, that's why I don't like this part of Nukkun."
As the two continued chatting about Nukumizu, Komari, seizing the opportunity, quickly typed something into the password field.
KO-MA-RI.
The message "1 attempt remaining" appeared on the screen.
Komari, startled by Yanami's sharp glance, quickly retreated to a corner of the room.
"Eh, Komari-chan, did you just put in your own name?"
"I-I just thought I w-would give it a t-try…"
Komari stammered, turning her back to the others and staring intently at her smartphone.
Yakishio, watching this scene unfold, tilted her head in confusion.
"What's going on? You can't figure out the password?"
"Yeah, we figured out it's someone's name, but we haven't been able to guess which one."
With only one attempt left, Yanami steeled herself and moved her finger toward the 'Y' key-
"Oh, so you put a name here?"
Yakishio stood up and walked over to the laptop before letting her slender, tanned fingers fly across the keyboard.
She typed in NU-KU-MI-ZU.
"Huh!? Remon-chan, we've tried that already-"
-The device is now fully locked. Formatting required.
"It says it's fully locked. What does that mean?"
Yakishio tilted her head innocently.
Panic set in as Yanami hastily unplugged and replugged the USB stick.
"Uh, did we mess up? Can we unlock it?"
"I-I don't think w-we can…"
Komari shook her head after checking her phone.
The senpais, now enveloped in an uneasy silence, were met with Shiratama's unwavering smile.
"Well, it can't be helped. Let's just go ahead and format it."
Yanami seemed alarmed by the lack of doubt in Shiratama's voice.
"But we're not supposed to break something, right? Even if that something belongs to Nukumizu-kun."
"We can't unlock it, anyway. As compensation-"
Shiratama pulled out her phone and snapped a quick selfie.
"Why don't we replace the data with our photos?"
Her unexpected proposal left the other three exchanging puzzled glances.
Yanami nodded helplessly.
"...I guess that works. Honestly, Nukumizu-kun should be thanking us for this."
"I don't really get it, but it sounds like fun! Hey, Komari-chan, strike a pose!"
"U-Uh, how s-should I…?"
"Just do a peace sign with both hands- yep, that's perfect! So cute!"
Yakishio said as she happily snapped away while Yanami was busy changing filters and taking selfie after selfie.
…They saved their photos in the formatted USB drive after the photoshoot was over.
Double peace signs from Komari, a handstand from Yakishio, and Yanami's carefully filtered selfies-
As Yanami reviewed the photos on the laptop, she suddenly noticed something odd and blinked in surprise.
"Wait, Shiratama-chan, your photo is password protected."
"I played a little prank. I wonder if Prez can figure out the password."
Shiratama smiled after that.
Yanami jumped up.
"Hold up, you didn't take a weird photo, did you!? We're talking about Nukumizu-kun, you know!?"
"Wow, risky photos? Tama-chan, you're so bold!"
'W-What did you take!?"
Shiratama, faced with her senpais' anxious questioning, simply smiled and brought her index finger to her lips.
"Well, I guess you'll just have to wait and see."
Animate Special
Intermission: The Cat VS Dog War at the Nukumizu Household
*The following short story contains spoilers, so please read it after the main story.
Leisurely moments at home.
Sometimes, it's nice to just lounge around in front of the TV in the living room, casually watching evening news programs.
The right amount of boredom can be relaxing.
Right now, the TV is showing a video of a little kitten falling asleep while eating.
This sense of relaxation perfectly encapsulates that sweet spot of boredom.
"Prez, isn't it adorable? Look, the little kitten is so sleepy its head is bobbing up and down."
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, kittens are pretty cute."
Riko Shiratama, sitting beside me, clasped her hands together and smiled as she spoke.
Even though the temporary suspension crisis for the Literature Club has been resolved, why is she still hanging around?
I'm not really sure why, but she's been pretty gentle and cute lately, so I guess it's fine…
"I'm so happy. I didn't know you like cats, Prez."
"Huh? Well, I mean, most people probably like cats, right?"
"But aren't most guys dog lovers? Or could it be that you like dogs too, Prez?"
"Uh, if I had to pick one…"
Shiratama-san's eyes sparkled as she looked at me expectantly.
"...I like cats."
"Wow, just like me! Hehe, it feels like fate."
Shiratama-san nearly leaped with joy.
Of course, I'm not lying. I just like cats more right now.
"...Eh? Didn't onii-sama say he likes dogs more?"
A sweet, innocent voice called out from behind me.
My little sister Kaju approached with a tea tray. She set the tea down in front of us and asked curiously.
"Uh, well, I've been thinking about switching to liking cats more lately…"
I mumbled, trying to dodge the question, and picked up my teacup.
"Hmm, so Prez actually likes dogs. That means we'll definitely get along well!"
"What?" (x2)
Shiratama-san giggled as my little sister and I both voiced our surprise in unison.
"Actually, people often tell me I'm like a puppy. Prez, wouldn't you like to keep a puppy like me?"
With that, Shiratama-san playfully struck a growling pose.
Growling is something lions do, but she sounded cute, so I guess it's fine…
…No, it's not fine. Kaju seems to be radiating some sort of ominous aura.
"Unfortunately, pets are banned in our house since our father is allergic to them."
Kaju smiled as she held her teacup, sitting across from Shiratama-san.
"Yes, that's unfortunate. So, Prez, should we visit that cat café again? This time, I won't do anything like last time."
"Uh, w-well…"
I sneaked a glance at Kaju, who nodded with a smile.
"It's fine, onii-sama. You can go. No problem at all."
"...Really? Is it really okay for me to go?"
"Of course, maintaining such fragile and fleeting relationships is important too. You might not even remember them after graduation."
…Slurp. Kaju sipped her tea leisurely after delivering this statement.
Shiratama-san nodded slightly with her usual smile.
"I understand that too. Siblings can't always be together, right? You should cherish new encounters as well, Prez."
Clink. Kaju gently set down her teacup.
"Shiratama-senpai is right. But the bond between siblings is one that lasts a lifetime. It's a bit different compared to those fleeting and overwhelming connections."
"Hehe, the broom might break under the weight if there are too many."
"Indeed, at that point, you would just have to pick it up and toss it away."
…Hehehehehehe. The two of them exchanged cheerful smiles.
This…isn't some kind of showdown, is it? Why do I have to think about such awkward things while stuck between my little sister and a girl who doesn't like me…?
The TV is now showing a segment on the latest dessert craze in Tokyo.
I sipped the now cold tea, wondering what significance there was in learning about Tokyo's latest dessert trend while living in Toyohashi-
Melonbooks Special
Intermission: Bounitsuki and Inoshikacho
*The following short story contains spoilers, so please read it after the main story.
After school, in the student council room.
The weather turned bad this afternoon, and now the only sound outside the window is the steady patter of rain.
The kouhais have gone home already. Only the two third-year students, Yumeko Shikiya and Hibari Hokobaru, remained in the room.
They are sitting across each other at a small table, each holding a set of cards as they play.
This is a version of "karuta" known as "hanafuda". It's a card game that, for a time in the past, had been banned because it was associated with gambling.
Hokobaru drew a card, matched it with one on the table, and then added it to her hand.
"Are you sure this is okay? Just playing a game as payment for covering the study tour for me this weekend?"
"Yes, this is…fine…"
Shikiya flipped through the deck and drew a card with a blue ribbon design with her delicate fingers.
Tilting her head slightly, she placed it on the table, and Hokobaru placed a card with a ribbon and a peony on top of it.
"Aotan. I get 5 points."
"...You're…really good at this, Hibari…"
"Yeah, I was trained strictly by my grandfather in shogi, go, and hanafuda. And whenever I was short on pocket money, I would play with my grandfather and uncle."
"Gambling…isn't good…"
"Don't worry about it. It's just my way of being a good kid to the elders."
Hokobaru smiled as she shuffled the deck.
While dealing the cards, Hokobaru casually asked-
"So, how was the wedding venue tour?"
"It was…kind of interesting…"
Shikiya said thoughtfully as she looked at her cards.
Hokobaru nodded and then drew a card.
"Shikiya, it's rare to see you so taken with someone. You seem to like that boy a lot."
Shikiya's hand paused as she was about to play a card.
"That boy…feels kind of like…Koto-san…"
She said, placing a "Bounitsuki" card on the table.
"He's…interesting…"
"Interesting, huh? I can see that."
Hokobaru picked up the card on the table and nodded slightly.
"Well, let's go for another round of koi-koi?" [TL: Hanafuda with 2 people.]
Facing Hokobaru's confident smile, Shikiya drew a card and then turned over another from the deck.
She drew "Sakuranimaku".
Shikiya swayed slightly and then placed the card down with a snap.
"Ameshiko. I…win…"
Hokobaru sighed deeply, her fingers still hovering over her cards.
"I lost. I guess greed doesn't pay off after all."
She smiled wryly and placed her cards on the table.
"It's not over yet, right? How about another round?"
"Fine by me…"
The sports clubs have ended their training early due to the rain, leaving the school unusually quiet.
-The student council's term is nearly over.
They won't have moments like this anymore once they begin preparing for entrance exams.
And both of them are fully aware of this.
With the sound of rain behind them, Hokobaru and Shikiya quietly took turns playing their cards as if they were reminiscing.
[TL: I've barely heard of hanafuda, and there aren't really English terms to describe the cards and combos used, so I'm keeping the original Japanese ones. I guess the game's point system is kind of like riichi mahjong's, but honestly, you should definitely Google this if you're curious.]
Seibunkan Special
Intermission: Please Don't Eat or Drink in the Store
After school, I headed alone to the magazine section of Seibunkan Bookstore's Toyohashi main branch.
I came here to gather material for the <City Bookstore Guide> that the Literature Club planned to create.
This is supposed to be a club activity, so other members are expected to show up. But I haven't seen any of them yet.
I spotted Yanami through the glass while wandering around aimlessly.
Instead of coming inside, she was just strolling around in the arcade outside the store.
What is she doing…?
With a sigh, I exited the bookstore. Yanami noticed me and gave me a small wave.
"Good work, Nukumizu-kun, you're already here."
She said this casually, taking a bite of her crepe.
"We're supposed to be gathering material in the bookstore. Why are you eating a crepe?"
I asked, half-complaining. Yanami shrugged indifferently.
"This crepe shop usually has long lines. It would've been a waste not to buy one today since there was no line."
There wasn't much I could do since she had already bought it- it's Yanami, after all. I silently waited for her to finish eating, but then I noticed she was staring at me.
"Huh? What now?"
"Here. I'll give you a bite."
…? What does she want me to do?
Seeing my confusion, Yanami held the crepe out toward me.
"You want some, right? You can have a bite."
She pushed the crepe up to my cheeks in an utter lack of manners.
I turned away, uninterested.
"No thanks. The part you've already eaten is all soggy, and it feels kind of gross."
"What? I am not gross!"
Yanami's expression suddenly changed. Shit, I think I made her mad…
"Uh, well, I know it's not a big deal in terms of hygiene, but it's more of a mental thing- or just that it's kind of gross, you know? Also, could you not shove the part you ate at me?"
Okay, I think I expressed that pretty tactfully.
Yanami should understand- though her expression suggests she might not.
Just as I was struggling with this-
"W-What are you two a-arguing about?"
A savior's voice cut through the tension.
Komari stood there before we knew it. She stared at us dumbfoundedly.
"Ohh, perfect timing. Komari, you-"
Eh? Komari's holding a crepe as well.
Noticing my gaze, Komari awkwardly extended her crepe toward me.
"A-Actually, you gave me a b-bite the other day. So, uh, h-here's your r-return."
Oh, right. Komari did take a bite of my crepe here not too long ago.
Saying no here might hurt her feelings…
"Alright, I'll have a bite."
I took a small bite from the edge of her crepe.
The crispness of the outer layer and the sweet cream blended beautifully in my mouth.
…Ah, Yanami's giving me a weird look.
"Hold on, what's going on?! You wouldn't eat my crepe, but you'll eat Komari-chan's?"
"Well, Yanami-san, it's just that..."
It's just that taking a bite here and there is a little messed up.
"...Yours is kind of gross."
"Mine's not gross!"
Ah, crap, I accidentally let that slip out.
Resigning myself to the situation, I took another bite of the crepe with chocolate and cream mixed together-
[TL: Welp, we kind of ended the last volume on a big sappy note, so this time I hope you have fun waiting for Vol.8…like us. See you and enjoy the anime!]
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