Too Many Losing Heroines! V1 Prologue & Chapter 1 & Intermission

Translator: Pingas

Editor: Suu

Yanami: "Nukumizu-kun, what does the ‘losing heroine’ in the title mean?”

Nukumizu: “Uh, it means…the main heroine lost, right?”

Yanami: “Lost? Where did the main heroine lose?”

Nukumizu: “Romance, right? …Like she got rejected or something.”

Yanami: “Eh, I feel bad for her.”

Nukumizu: “Yeah, …Yanami-san.”

Yanami: “…Why are you looking away?”

Yanami: “Some bad guys are calling me the losing heroine.”

Nukumizu: “Yes.”

Yanami: “Right here.”

Nukumizu: “Yanami-san, can you please don’t stare at me so much?”

Yanami: “I’m not dumped as long as the book isn’t released. You know, like that cat something.”

Nukumizu: “That’s too vague.”

Yanami: “I just temporarily forgot. That one. The one where the cat dies when you open the box.”

Nukumizu: “It’s not dead.”

Kaju: “Nice to meet you. My name is Kaju Nukumizu. Please come and buy <Too Many Onii-Sama!> releasing in July.”

Nukumizu: “The title’s wrong, okay?”

Kaju: “It’s indeed wrong. There can never be too many onii-sama.”

Nukumizu: “A bunch of me, …that sounds scary.”

Kaju: “Well, I can clone myself too, onii-sama.”

Nukumizu: “Humans can’t do that.”

Kaju: “With this opportunity, I want to recruit friends for onii-sama.”

Nukumizu: “I refuse.”

Kaju: “The requirement for guys is between 10-80 years old. As for girls, I’ll interview them after a paper exam.”

Nukumizu: “You’re going really tough on girls.”

Kaju: “Of course, I want to eradicate all people that are trying to harm onii-sama.”

Nukumizu: “Didn’t you say you’re just recruiting friends?”

Yanami: “I want someone to comfort me.”

Nukumizu: “That’s sudden.”

Yanami: “People are calling me with mean names like losing heroine and loser dog, okay? Nukumizu-kun, please say something as sweet as sugar to me.”

Nukumizu: “Well, …Yanami-san, it’s amazing that you can finish a whole bowl of rice.”

Yanami: “My bad. I shouldn’t expect anything from you.”

Yanami: “Why did Nukumizu-kun fall in love with me?”

Nukumizu: “What are you talking about, Yanami-san?”

Yanami: “I’m the main heroine, okay?”

Nukumizu: “I guess.”

Yanami: “I’m the classmate that you’re yearning for in your eyes, right?”

Nukumizu: “Eh, …you’ll cause trouble for me if you say that.”

Yanami: “Trouble!? Where!?”

Nukumizu: “That’s why I said it’s troubling.”

Yanami: “Karen-chan is my best friend.”

Nukumizu: “The girl who transferred here? But she’s with your childhood friend…”

Yanami: “It’s still not definite yet!”

Nukumizu: “Give up.”

Yanami: “Indeed, she’s cuter, has bigger boobs, and a better personality! However, there’s one key element she’s missing.”

Nukumizu: “Key element!?”

Yanami: “She’s not his childhood friend!”

Nukumizu: “…Right.”

Yanami: “Please don’t give me such a sympathetic look, alright?”

Yanami: “It’s already decided that Nukumizu-kun will fall in love with me sooner or later.”

Nukumizu: “What was that? It’s scary. Be honest.”

Yanami: “You forgot to bring your eraser during the entrance exam, right? Didn’t I give you half of mine? Isn’t this proof that you’ll fall in love with me?”

Nukumizu: “…You’re not talking about me, right?”

Yanami: “Eh, …then who was that guy?”

Nukumizu: “Why would I know that?”

Kaju: “Onii-sama, when can you let me meet that person?”

Nukumizu: “What?”

Kaju: “Recently, I’m seeing a lot of girls with onii-sama. So, Kaju wants to interview them, set up a schedule, and make progress management.”

Nukumizu: “Progress management? What are you trying to manage?”

Kaju: “Progress.”

Nukumizu: “That’s why I asked what is that!?”

Prologue

Today’s the end of the first term final exam.

It’s a Friday afternoon, less than 10 days until the summer holiday. I went out of my way to the family restaurant in the next town and ordered a drink and a large fries. It's really far away from school.

I wiped the sweat on my forehead with my handkerchief as I looked around leisurely.

The key is to not get too hasty. I can casually grab the drink after the fries are here.

“Well, let’s start…”

After checking that no students are in the same uniform, I took a novel out of my schoolbag.

It’s the latest volume of <Is It Okay to Be Spoiled by My Older Little Sister?>.

Coke, fries, light novel. Let the party time begins-

Chapter 1: Professional Childhood Friend - Anna Yanami’s Defeat

“You did well, onii-chan. It must’ve been rough. I really know that onii-chan tried your best. So, it’s okay for you to be spoiled by Kurumi.”

…I can't help but cry after seeing the little sister’s lines, who’s also the main heroine.

I’m shivering from the generosity of Kurumi-chan. She can always spoil the MC. I’m deeply satisfied with this 20-page long spoiling scene as I closed the book in silence.

I stared at the Kurumi-chan on the cover lovingly.

Ah, I want to be loved like this too. I want a lap pillow with these soft thighs-

“You can’t do that, Sosuke! You shouldn’t waste your time on this!”

The screams from the next table blew away my fantasy. I think a couple is arguing about something.

Sheesh, that’s why I hate normies. …They should learn from Kurumi Kashitani-chan, who’s called the Sweet Angel.

Well, I should rewatch the illustrations as I enjoy my melon-flavored coke.

“Huh!?”

I quickly sat back down after trying to walk to the drink bar.

Shit, the couple from the other table is from my school. They’re also my classmates.

The person screaming is Anna Yanami. She’s a cute and soft girl who’s popular in class.

The guy sitting opposite is Sosuke Hakamada. He’s also an attractive and shining guy. The two of them have always stayed together. Hmm, they are indeed going out, right?

But why did they get into an argument here? I raised my ears as I looked down at my novel.

“Karen-chan will be going to England if you don’t go. Is that alright?”

“But Karen-chan said goodbye to me-“

“Doesn’t that mean she wants you to see her!?”

…What’s wrong with that familiar conversation? Their story entered the climax after I finished reading.

The Karen that appeared throughout the conversation…is the girl who transferred here, right? I think her name is Karen Himemiya.

When she introduced herself on the first day of school, she got into an argument with Hakamada. Something about “Ah, you’re the chikan from that time!”

By the way, she’s transferring again? England? Isn’t that too fast?

“Why do you know that?”

“I know it because I know it! It’s because I’ve also always loved…”

Yanami lowered her head and bit her lips.

“Anna, I-“

“Yes, that’s okay.”

Yanami raised her head determinedly. Then, she stood up and put the key of her bicycle on the table.

“Go, Karen-chan is waiting for you!”

“…Are you sure?”

“Karen-chan is a nice girl. I won’t accept her not being happy.”

“Thanks, I’m going to tell her about my feelings.”

“Good luck. I can reluctantly hear you out if you’re rejected.”

“…I’m sorry, Anna.”

Hakamada dashed out after saying that. He didn’t even look at Yanami.

Yanami remained still for a while. After that, she sat down helplessly and mumbled.

“…Don’t apologize, idiot.”

Come to think of it, what a scene I’m in right now. Even though I have nothing to do with the normie world, this is certainly a samurai’s kindness. I should just pretend I didn’t see anything.

I can’t help but start suspecting when I’m hiding my face in the menu.

-Huh!? D-Don’t tell me she’s going to do stuff like that!?

The girl who just got rejected, Anna Yanami, slowly reached her hand out to the glass cup.

It’s the glass cup of the guy who just rejected her, Sosuke Hakamada.

-Stop! Please don’t do something so pathetic!

My desperate prayer isn’t received. Yanami’s holding the glass in her hands as she hesitantly put the straw in her mouth.

…Ahh, she ended up doing it.

Her eyes focused on somewhere as if she’s attracted by something. As for what she’s looking at- it’s me.

Shit, our eyes met.

My last hope is that she didn’t notice me-

Ah, Yanami’s face turned red. Then, pfft! She spat all her coffee out and choked like crazy.

…That’s why I hate 3D.

Well, I can only pretend that I haven’t seen anything. I whistled despite not knowing how and looked at the menu.

Wasting my efforts, Yanami sat in front of me.

Seriously? Why can’t you just let me chill alone?

“You’re Nukumizu-kun from the same class, right?”

“Uh, yes, I didn’t see you, Yanami-san. I didn’t see anything at all.”

Uwah, I said that in a completely emotionless tone.

Even Yanami’s ears turned red too. Her eyes looked up at me.

“P-Please don’t tell anyone about this!”

“Ah, I didn’t see anything. It’s okay.”

“R-Right! Nukumizu-kun didn’t see anything!”

Yanami looked away awkwardly as she stood up.

She’s making it as if I peeked on them. You two were the ones going wild, though.

Sigh, whatever. I pretended that nothing happened as I walked to the drink bar. A cold drink should calm my brain down.

I went back to my seat with a glass of melon-flavored coke. Then, I realized that Yanami’s still standing next to the table. It seems that she’s counting the money inside her wallet. Don’t tell me she’s short on cash.

…It can’t be helped. I have to protect my elegant after-school time. I counted to 10 in my heart before speaking up, just in case.

“Uh, are you short on money?”

“Eh?”

Yanami freaked out with tears as she nodded.

I took the receipt from Yanami. Sheesh, how much did you two eat?

Dude, that Hakamada guy ordered a steak set. Yanami’s not better. She got a hamburger steak set, dessert, salad, and soup.

I’m stunned by this lack of planning.

“Fine, I’ll cover it for you. You can pay me back on Monday.”

Sigh, I was going to buy a bunch of light novels.

However, I’m not cold-hearted enough to leave my classmate alone after hearing her out.

“Eh, really? Even though I’ve just heard of your name.”

It’s okay. Please just go home.

…But why is she sitting down again?

“Uh, why are you sitting down?”

“Thank you. I’m sorry. I think I misunderstood Nukumizu-kun for a bit.”

I think she has said all kinds of impolite stuff to me since then. Also, I’m starting to regret helping this girl out, but that will remain a secret.

“So, why did you sit down again?”

I said it twice because it’s important.

Even so, Yanami clapped her hands together and looked into the distance.

“Sosuke is my childhood friend.”

Are you seriously giving me story time right now?

“When we were little, Sosuke put on a ring made with clovers on me. He said I’ll be his wife. …His wife.”

Tears fell from Yanami’s eyes.

“Uwah! Are you okay, Yanami-san!?”

Hey, what’s wrong with this person? The others are staring daggers at us.

I ran away to the drink bar and randomly picked a teabag.

“A-Anyway, drink this and calm down first.”

“Thanks, this…tastes good.”

“Glad to hear that. This is rose tea.”

I think the label mentioned its effects. Hmm, if I remembered correctly-

“I think it improves your skin.”

“Improves my skin…”

Yanami laughed self-mockingly.

“Even though there’s no one to show mine to.”

Don’t say that. You’re too dramatic. Please just chug it and go home.

Just as I’m thinking what I should say to get her ass home-

“Sorry for the wait. Here are your large fries!”

“Eh?”

A plate of fries is put in front of me. Also, I think the girl just shoved it into my bill.

“Hey, what is this?”

“Karen-chan is an important friend of mine. However, however!? She only transferred here in May, okay? How about the 12 years I spent with Sosuke?”

Sniff, Yanami wiped her nose with the towel, and straight-up started eating the fries.

“Let me ask again. Did Yanami-san order the fries?”

“Even though Sosuke said I’ll be his wife. Isn’t this very mean? What a liar.”

Aren’t you being very mean to me too?

But I want this to end on a happy note. So, I suppressed my urge to sigh and started crossing my legs.

“When did this wife thing happen?”

“Before we went to elementary school. I think it’s when we were around 4 or 5 years old.”

That doesn’t count at all, right?

“Does this count as cheating? He changed his target after a cuter girl with a bigger chest showed up.”

Changed his target? Eh, Hakamada’s going to cheat with that refreshing face of his?

Indeed, Karen Himemiya is a genuine beauty.

Perhaps Yanami is just as adorable as her. However, she still lacked the brilliance that signifies the main heroine in anime or games. After all, that’s decided by genetics.

Just as I grew a little sense of fondness with Yanami, I asked her with a worried tone.

“Is Yanami-san indeed going out with Hakamada?”

“Eh? S-Sheesh, do we really look like that? People had always said we match each other since when we were little. Yeah, that’s really how other people see us too. Ehehe.”

Yanami covered her blushing face in embarrassment.

Hey, in other words…?

“You two aren’t dating? Then it’s not cheating, right?”

Yanami’s face rapidly distorted after hearing what I said.

“Eh!? I-It means that we’re about to go out. Things would’ve gone great if that boob woman didn’t show up!”

Where did your dear friend go?

“Also, it’s not completely over yet. Will Sosuke change his mind at this key moment?”

“…No, it’s already completely over.”

I didn’t watch all these rom-coms for nothing, you know? This girl is fated to lose.

“Let me tell you something. It’s a secret. I once took a bath with Sosuke.”

“That happened when you two were 4 or 5 years old, right?”

I bet the two of them will take a bath together soon. You should just mentally prepare yourself, girl.

“Also, also! Both of our parents largely approved of our relationship. In the end, marriage is just two families hanging out- “

Yanami ignored everything and continued. Huge drops of tears came out of her eyes again.

“Uwah, what’s wrong!?”

“…The wedding, …his wife, …the wedding dress that should’ve been worn by me, …it’s now being shown off to me by that boob woman.”

I think she imagined her rival in love wearing a wedding dress. Ahh, sheesh, I didn’t know rejected girls have such unstable emotions.

“…I know. The result could’ve been different if I mustered my courage early on.”

“Y-You’re right. Do you want another cup? I recommend mint tea too.”

“No, that tastes like toothpaste…”

I guess she calmed down after crying for a while. She wiped her tears and smiled.

“Sorry for making such a mess.”

“No, it’s fine.”

That’s not why you should say sorry to me.

“I feel like this is enough. I’m happy as long as Sosuke can smile. It’s fine for me to stay next to him as his best friend.”

“I-I see…”

But, what’s with the refreshingly rejected look of Yanami?

Yanami’s still pressing on. I reached my hand to the fries as I gave her a sympathetic look.

Come to think of it, there’s this sentence used to describe girls like this.

…Anna Yanami. Yeah, this girl’s a losing heroine.

*

It’s been 3 days since that happened. It’s now Monday, and I’m in school.

I closed the tap as I wiped the water off my mouth.

Some people say that tap water tastes bad in big cities, while others think it tastes better nowadays. However, little did people know, tap water tastes different in every building.

As for me, Kazuhiko Nukumizu, a student in Class 1C of Tsuwabuki High School, I’m the person that knows this.

“Yeah, it just has to be this tap in the morning….”

I chose the tap in front of the library in the new school building during the 3rd lesson’s break.

This is the furthest from the water tank on the roof, which means that it has less chlorine. This is the decision after considering the burden of my stomach before lunch.

Let’s go back to the classroom.

I finished drinking and started making my way back as I calculated the remaining time and distance.

If I go back too early, I won’t know how to deal with troublesome situations like other people hanging around at my seat.

I leisurely strolled in the corridor as I remembered what happened last week.

Anna Yanami. Since she’s quite a cute girl in our grade, she caused some commotions among the boys during the entrance ceremony. I’ve acknowledged that I won’t interact with her in any way, so I never paid attention to her.

On that day, I ended up staying with her until she diarrhea’d out all of her emotions. It’s been a long time since I’ve talked this much to a girl.

Her expressions were interchanging between a smile and tearing down. I was attracted and worried at the same time.

Well, in the end, we’re at different levels. This little story will be over after she returns the money. I guess this counts as a small memory.

I entered the classroom after checking my watch. 30 seconds until the bell rings, literal perfection.

…Tck, someone’s sitting on my chair.

The person is Remon Yakishio. Track and Field Club. She’s a sporty girl with a very healthy tan.

I’ve heard about her since middle school. She’s bright, adorable, and popular. A group of people is always clustered to her. I guess she won’t move until the bell rings if I don’t do anything.

I went around and passed my seat. Then, I threw my receipt, specifically prepared for moments like this, into the trash bin. The bell rings at just the right time.

I think Yakishio will return to her seat, right? Well, I should go back too.

“…?”

A sense of weirdness made me stop. Why is no one going back to their own seat?

Don’t tell me. I looked at the blackboard.

<4th lesson: World History. The teacher will be 10 minutes late. Please study by yourselves before the teacher arrives.>

-I miscalculated. I see now. Everyone just feels like they had another 10-minute break.

Well, what should I do? I wiped the sweat on my forehead and stood in front of the notice board.

…Eh, the national sports festival is this month. I think the Archery Club got into the festival for 3 years straight. They are amazing.

I emptied my mind and read the schedule of the festival.

<Opening Ceremony: July 22. Girls’ Volleyball: July 22 – 25. Kayaking: July 28 – 31.>

“-Well, let’s have lunch together with the three of us!”

A thorough and bright voice distracted my attention.

This is Karen Himemiya’s voice.

I glimpsed at them. She’s chatting happily with Yanami and Hakamada. Such a brilliant appearance and cheerful personality. A genuine beauty on this scale shouldn’t exist. Also, her assets are surely big…

Yanami also answered with a refreshing smile as well.

…I’m quite worried about Yanami because of what happened, but it looks like she’s quite energetic. These dramas must be common among normies.

“I’m good. I don’t want to interrupt you two.”

Yanami said that jokingly.

“You don’t need to mind that. We’re friends, you know?”

“Yeah, it’s not like you to sweat these small things.”

“You too, Sosuke. Please be considerate to Karen-chan’s feelings.”

Yanami poked Hakamada politely.

“Hey, Anna.”

“What’s wrong, Karen-chan-“

Karen Himemiya suddenly hugged Yanami tightly.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Thank you. Anna is really my best friend.”

That girl calls you “boob woman” from behind, you know?

“Sheesh, Karen-chan. We’re in class.”

Yanami said as she patted Karen Himemiya’s shoulder.

Well, it’s good that Yanami doesn’t care anymore.

…I realized something after getting relieved.

Yanami’s legs are shivering as Himemiya hugged her. Her fingers are getting pale from how much force she’s using.

Uwah, this girl isn’t letting go at all.

“Well, let’s have lunch in the courtyard-“

“Hey, uh.”

Himemiya is going in for the kill with a smile. Yanami’s face is getting paler and paler.

I can’t help but walk to those three and speak up after making up my mind.

“Hey, Yanami-san.”

“Eh?”

The three looked at me with shocked faces.

This is what I’m talking about. This is the face I’m talking about. I’m so sorry that a background character like me is talking to you all.

I was really upset, but I kept my outward calmness and said what I’ve prepared.

“Yanami-san is on duty, right? Amanatsu-sensei wants you to help out in the printing room.”

“Eh, ah, I see. Thanks, I’ll be going.”

Yanami escaped from Himemiya with a face full of relief.  She is reminded of something and turned to me just as she’s about to leave the classroom.

“Well, can Nukumizu-kun help out too?”

*

I don’t even know why Yanami and I are walking in the corridor. What should I even say?

I observed Yanami secretly.

Anna Yanami. She’s a girl with slightly fluffy hair, all in all, a person filled with girls’ power.

Her eyes are slightly drooping. Her cheeks give off an innocent feeling. It’s a package of all elements popular with guys.

…This girl’s really cute. Why did that Sosuke Hakamada guy dump her? It’s another childhood friend. What’s bad about her?

Well, even though Karen Himemiya does look cuter and has bigger boobs-

“Hmm? Is there something on my face?”

Yanami tilted her head defenselessly and looked at my face.

“Eh? Oh, it’s nothing.”

…Shit, I was being impolite to her.

She noticed my tenseness. So, she naturally closed off our distance and whispered to me in a voice only I could hear.

“Did Nukumizu-kun help me because you know I’m in trouble?”

“Well, I guess I may have done something unnecessary. You looked really upset there back then.”

“It’s alright, thank you. I barely kept myself from pinching Karen-chan’s boobs.”

She’s saying total nonsense with a serious face.

“Well, where are we going now? The whole helping out the teacher thing is fake, right?”

“Amanatsu-sensei told us to self-study because she forgot to print the material, right? Well, might as well help her out after we come here.”

Konami Amanatsu, she’s teaching us social studies and our class teacher.

Even though she’s a professional latecomer, she’s definitely not lazing around. It’s just that she messes up her schedule, forgets her teaching material, and enters the wrong classroom from time to time.

I’m 100% sure that she told us to self-study because she forgot to print the material.

After opening the door to the printing room, the person in there is exactly who we expected.

“Uwah, what’s going on?”

The floor and the tables are filled with papers.

Just like what we expected, Amanatsu-sensei is duking it out with the printer pathetically. She’s a petite and adorable teacher who won’t look weird in a school uniform. But how should I describe her?

“Ara, Yanami. Why did you come here? Shouldn’t you be in class- uwah!”

Amanatsu-sensei stepped onto the papers and slipped. Her notes are flying across the room.

You can say that she’s clumsy. Actually, she really makes other people worry about her.

“I was thinking maybe I can help sensei out.”

“Oh, thanks. Well, help me print the list of numbers of classmates, please.”

The notes are scattered across the floor. …So, which one are we printing again?

In the end, the 10-minute self-study session has already passed after the three of us found it.

“I’ve spent a lot of time preparing the material. Look forward to it.”

Indeed, Amanatsu-sensei always makes detailed notes. I looked at the content unintentionally.

“Sensei, the curriculum’s wrong, right? Aren’t we starting Chinese history today?”

“Hey, hey, even though I don’t know which class you’re in, you should pay attention to your studies. The curriculum of year 2 students in July is about the Byzantine Empire. I’ll teach you all about the cute parts in this history.”

“Sensei, you’re going to 1C’s classroom now.”

Also, I’m in your class.

“Ehhhh!?”

Sha. The notes that Amanatsu-sensei took forever to collect fell onto the floor again.

“It’s okay. There are still 40 minutes left. I can just prepare all the stuff before that! Please wait!”

The lesson will be over at that point.

Amanatsu-sensei dashed out of the printing room after tripping over.

…The storm has passed. We were shocked by sensei’s moment and didn’t snap out of it for a while.

“Anyway, let’s clean this printing room first.”

“You’re right. Amanatsu-sensei has always been like this.”

We started tidying up the room silently. It feels quite awkward. Being alone with a girl in the printing room, should I say something?

…Come to think of it, there is indeed something important to say. I cleared my throat and spoke to Yanami.

“Hey, about the money I paid for you on Friday.”

“Oh, right. I don’t have my wallet with me right now. Can you come to the emergency stairs in the old building during lunch break?”

“Eh? Oh, sure, I guess.”

Perhaps Yanami doesn’t want people to know that she has something to do with an insignificant guy like me, right? Not to mention in front of a guy that rejected her.

Feeling a bit slumped, I tidied up the notes and handed them to Yanami.

Yanami spoke up as she’s rearranging the notes.

“…Nukumizu-kun noticed it too, right? Those two have started dating.”

She said that calmly.

I can see Yanami’s eyes are devoid of energy. She’s packing up the notes robotically.

“Well, I can feel it. By the way, the notes are all tidied up, right?”

“You should’ve also heard that I’m invited to have lunch with them, right? Will someone really do that under normal circumstances?”

She’s holding the notes tighter and tighter.

“…They are messing with me, right? Or are they just showing off?”

Yanami finally destroyed the papers.

“No, well, I was in the same group as Hakamada during a group project. I think he’s a pretty good guy, okay? He won’t do something like this.”

“You’re correct. Sosuke isn’t a guy like that, right?”

“Yes.”

“Sosuke’s as perfect as an angel. I thought I got a photo of an angel when I looked at the pictures when we were little. He’s so adorable that he can be on SNS’s top. Ehehe.”

Yanami closed her eyes intoxicatedly as she started a trip down the memory lane.

After a long while, I can see a spark of black flame in Yanami’s open pupils.

“…I see. In other words, it’s Karen-chan. Karen-chan is the demon.”

“Eh?”

“She wants me to give up approaching her man.”

“Hey, I think you’re overthinking it too much.”

"Even though I treat her as a dear friend, she's seducing Sosuke with her arrogantly developed body..."

I started thinking about this a couple days ago. Are you two really dear friends?

“Those huge meat sacks are filled with gooey and sticky malice. Nukumizu-kun, this is what you’re thinking too, right?”

Don’t seek acknowledgment from me. In my eyes, those are filled with hopes and dreams.

My god, can sensei please just come back already? The door was opened just as my eyes reached out for help.

“Thank god, sensei-“

“Glory to Byzantium!”

Amanatsu-sensei came back excitedly. I got a bad feeling from this.

“What’s wrong, sensei?”

“Well, come to think of it, I didn’t even prepare the content for year 1 students, so I was planning to just sit the whole lesson out in the office.”

How can you say that with a smile? This person is a functioning member of our society, right?

“However, I realized that I can still talk about the cool points of Byzantium to those first-year brats. So, let’s go back to the classroom.”

“Sensei, please take your classes seriously.”

Why did I wish for this person’s return?

“Your sensei did a good job preparing year 2’s curriculum, alright?”

“Just use the content in the book during lessons. I bet sensei can pull that off.”

“Uh, but is it okay if I’m totally not prepared?”

“It’s not about whether it’s okay or not. It’s that you have to.”

The half-baked encouragement seems to have impressed sensei’s heartstrings. Amanatsu-sensei clenched her tiny fists tightly.

“I got it. I’ll try, even though I forgot the textbook.”

“No, please bring the textbook.”

“You’re so nice, my student, but please go back to your classroom since the lesson has already started.”

“I’m in your class.”

…Sensei, can I please just go back? I’m tired of complaining.

*

On that day’s lunch break, I sat down on the emergency stairs as we'd promised.

I didn’t know such a place existed in school. I observed around a little bit surprisedly.

This is a place devoid of outsider detection. At the same time, no one really comes here. It’s been 4 months since I entered this school. Honestly, I’m done with drinking tap water. This is a great location for me to be in during breaks.

I don’t even know when Yanami will show up. Well, I’ll eat my bread first.

“Ah, there you are, Nukumizu-kun.”

Yanami descended from the stairs above. I looked up unintentionally, and a pair of soft and white thighs filled my sight. I quickly looked away.

“Uh, no, I wasn’t planning to do that!”

Yanami didn’t really mind my attitude. She sat down next to me.

“Help me out.”

That’s the first thing Yanami said after sitting down.

“Karen-chan said she wants the three of us to go sing karaoke after school.”

…Ah, karaoke, the singing game loved by normies, and you want my help? This is indeed a dangerous game.

“Huh, why don’t you just go?”

After Yanami heard my reasonable response, she wrapped her hands around her head with a hopeless face.

“You’re telling me to listen to those two’s duet!? Does Nukumizu-kun really want me to die this much!?”

Why would I know about things like that?

“I’m not sure since I’ve never gone to karaoke.”

“Ah.”

Clouds formed on Yanami’s expression.

“Hey, …I’m sorry. I didn’t know that you’ve never visited a karaoke place. …I’m really sorry. How should I repay my debt to you…?”

Wait, don’t just apologize so adamantly. Hey, please stop. I’ll really break down in tears.

“Please don’t mind it. Well, about the money I lent you earlier.”

“Even though those two tell me we can keep hanging out like we were in the past.”

What? Yanami opened the lid of her bento box. Is she preparing to have lunch here?

“Ha, anyway, don’t push yourself too hard. Well, about the money…”

“I got the message that they’ve started dating at midnight on the day you lent me money.”

She keeps stabbing the taro with her chopsticks.

“…What did those two even do before sending me the message?”

“Hey, don’t think about it too much. It’s just that you got the message late in the night.”

“On that night, I received a text from Sosuke’s onee-san. She said she couldn’t contact Sosuke and asked whether I’m with him?”

“Uh…”

Help me.

I can only pay attention to the curry bread in my hands.

“Weren’t they doing something that makes it hard for other people to contact them? Right?”

The taro suffered stab after stab and eventually shattered into pieces.

“I-I bet his phone ran out of battery. I’ve always encountered something like that too.”

“Hmm, maybe. I have to trust them, …even though I don’t know what I should trust.”

I still don’t understand what’s happening.

Yanami finally raised her head at this point.

“Sorry, I’ve been talking non-stop.”

“Ah, well, it’s okay. I can still do it if you just want someone to listen to you.”

“Thank you, Nukumizu-kun. It’s because I can’t tell my friends and acquaintances about this, so I’m really happy.”

So I’m not even your acquaintance?

“The lunch break is ending soon. Let’s eat.”

Our common topics are just that loving couple and the lunch before us since we’re not even acquaintances. Yanami showed me an exhausted smile after hearing my suggestion.

“…You’re right. We should eat.”

We started dining silently.

I finished the curry bread early, so I glimpsed at Yanami in secret. Why am I having lunch next to a girl?

I bet rejecting and being rejected are really frequent in the upper class.

With how adorable Yanami is, I bet she has rejected a lot of people too. Then, this time, she’s the one being dumped.

This must be something she can’t avoid in her life. I think a lot of similar things will happen too, unlike me.

“Hey, Yanami-san.”

I couldn’t help but voice out, even I’m shocked by myself too. Also, I’m not even sure what I should say next.

“Well, you’re really popular among guys. I bet you have more followers than Himemiya-san.”

Yanami looked at me with unbelievable eyes. This is what I’m talking about. I bet that’s how people on TV looked when somebody called their name.

“Hey, are you comforting me?”

“Ah, well, I’m sorry. I said something weird. Forget about it.”

Uwah, what did I even do? I should’ve never left the background.

I can hear gentle peals of laughter just as I’m drowning in regret.

I can’t help but look away embarrassedly after seeing Yanami’s soft smile.

“Thank you, it looks like I still misunderstood Nukumizu-kun for a bit.”

She put the taro in her mouth after saying that.

…Your misunderstandings are really deep. What’s even your impression of mine?

“Well, it’s almost time to give me back my money. Here’s the receipt.”

“Oh, thanks for helping me back then-“

Yanami’s body suddenly stopped after taking the receipt.

“What?”

“Eh, how come the price got higher?”

“Yanami-san, you ordered melon pizza after that, right? The one with ice cream toppings.”

“Yes.”

“Also, there’s this pork shabu salad udon at the bottom.”

“It’s because eating salad won’t get you fat.”

I don’t dislike the utter trust you have for salad, you know?

It seems that she accepted reality. Finally, I can get my money back.

After Yanami looked between my hands and the receipt, she nodded her head as if she had decided something.

“…This is just an example. If Nukumizu-kun doesn’t hate it, can I pay you back with something else?”

“Something else?”

What is it?

Yanami’s face slowly turned red. The stew chicken on her chopsticks fell down too.

“I-I’m not really experienced with this, so I don’t know whether I can satisfy you. Well, I can only do this since I don’t have enough money. Sosuke got really happy when I did this too-”

“What?”

So, what is she saying? Yanami looks really embarrassed as she’s staring at the slippery, sticky chicken on top of her chopsticks. Wait, Yanami’s lowering her head from embarrassment, and the chicken’s sticky, greasy, and moist-

Eh? Eh? Ehh? Don’t tell me…she’s going to do that!? Aren’t we fast-forwarding too much here?

I shook my head violently.

“No, no, no! This isn’t good, right!? We’re at school.”

“Even though I’m not good with cooking, a bento is still within my reach.”

“…Eh? Bento?”

“Yes, that. What’s wrong?”

Yanami’s eyes are crystal-clear. She tilted her head in confusion.

“It’s nothing! It’s nothing! It’s nothing! Ah, a bento.”

…Shit, what was I even thinking? I snapped out of it and looked at the price tag on the receipt.

“However, I’m afraid a single bento can’t…”

This is something precious I’ve saved up from reducing my lunch allowance, alright?

“Yes, so you can give my bento a price tag each time. I’ll keep making them for you until I’ve paid back the money.”

A girl is making a bento for me. I don’t think I’ll ever encounter something like this if I weren’t involved with her. Also, I can save up my lunch money. I guess you can say I got my money back.

But, how should I put it? …This is troublesome.

I have to avoid other people and give a price tag on the bento.

“Well, I still think-“

“Well, I’ll be waiting for you here starting tomorrow.”

Yanami showed a relieved smile. Looking at her enjoying her chicken bento happily, I can’t say anything else.

“…Yeah, I’m looking forward to it.”

*

As the lunch break bell rang, I sat back on my seat exhaustedly.

I’m pooped. How come getting people to pay me back can be this tiring?

…Also, she didn’t even give me my money back.

For some reason, I think Yanami said that she’s paying me back with her handmade bento. In other words, I can enjoy her food for the following days, right?

The plot’s going too fast. My brain can’t handle it.

It’s mid-July now. I should just empty my brain for the rest of the term. I imagined myself hiding my presence completely in my brain.

…Very well, I’ll never be talked to again today. It’s because this jujutsu is unbreakable-

“H-Hey, you’re Nukumizu-kun, right?”

It was destroyed easily. A girl who looked really desperate came to me.

“I-I’m a first-year from the Literature Club.”

She coughed twice after squeezing that sentence out.

What’s with this weird girl? I would never do that if I were you.

“Huh? Who are you? Where did you come from?”

“U-Uh, I’m Komari! From the Literature Club! Chika Komari!"

This girl called herself Komari and pinched the skirt of her slightly oversized summer uniform. She stared at me with eyes full of tears.

“H-Hey, there’s something I want to tell you about the club!”

“Me? Literature Club? Why?”

“I-It’s because Nukumizu-kun is in the Literature Club, right!?”

“Eh?”

“Eh?”

Silence.

Wait, come to think of it, I visited the Literature Club once during the first week. The people in the Literature Club made me write down my name too. Don’t tell me that’s a registration form?

“Ah, I think that happened.”

Chika Komari started tapping her phone screen crazily after sighing in relief. After several clicks, she put her screen in front of me.

<We’re warned by the student council since there are inactive members. We have very few people, after all.>

That inactive member is referring to me. Komari’s fingers started sliding across the screen quickly again.

<Anyway, please pay us a visit today after school.>

“Oh, sure. I’ll be there.”

I remembered now. Aside from the president, everyone in the Literature Club is a girl. I didn’t go because I don’t think I can stay there for now.

I reaffirmed my decision to not go to the Literature Club at that time as I watched Komari leave.

…After all, this is the type of person that represented that club.

*

Please let me go home.

After school, I came to a desolate corner of the west building that no one visits.

“…This is where the clubroom is.”

I looked at the door to the clubroom with conflicted feelings. Honestly, I don’t want to go in at all. However, I gave up after hearing that this club doesn’t have enough members. After all, I know how difficult things are for the minority.

After a deep breath, I made up my mind and twisted the doorknob.

“What? It’s locked?”

The door’s locked when I’m called here. In other words, this means that I can go home, right?

Just as I sighed in relief and prepared to leave, a phone screen blocked my view.

<Move away. I’m opening the door.>

Chika Komari is standing there. She pushed me away and opened the door. No, I think you should tell me instead of typing it.

I followed her and entered the room. Komari just sat down on a chair and ignored me as she started reading her novel.

I sat on the foldable chair slightly away from Komari and looked at the Literature Club’s room. There’s a bookshelf reaching to the ceiling on this wall. It’s full of books.

I didn’t notice this at first since I was too nervous. Aside from all kinds of old hard-covered books, there are books with pale spines. This is a bit surprising. There are a lot of light novels too.

“Hey, Komari-san, the books here-“

“Uh, w-well.”

Komari quickly pulled out her phone.

…I’m starting to feel bad for her.

“No, it’s fine. Please continue reading.”

The atmosphere is really tense here. I was so bored that I randomly took an Osama Dazai novel from the bookshelf.

This one’s so famous that even I’ve read it. Come to think of it, Dazai was pretty popular with girls, right? Tck, throw him into the river. [TL: Dazai suicided by drowning himself in a river.]

I opened the book in boredom.

…Oh, there are these trendy illustrations. What is this scene?

Even though I’m not sure, I think it’s “sweet punishment time”. “Takuya’s wild rod reached into Haruta’s yet-to-blossom flower-“

What? Is this really what Dazai wrote?

The book was robbed away before I could remove the cover. Komari’s holding the book in front of her chest with a pale face.

“N-N-No! Boys can’t see this!”

“But isn’t this Dazai’s book?”

“Y-Yes! So, n-no!”

What? I don’t understand at all.

“Oh, you two already got so close!”

A girl with glasses and her long hair tied into two bundles walked inside as she said that. She’s a slightly mature beauty.

“Hiya, it looks like I was wrong.”

Glasses-san patted Komari’s head as she smiled at me.

“Nukumizu-kun, right? It’s been a long time.”

Her gentle expression made me smile too. Great, there’s finally a normal person.

“Oh, I’m sorry for being an inactive member.”

“It’s already a great help for you to come here. Do you still remember? I’m the third-year vice president, Koto Tsukinoki.”

“Oh, of course.”

That was a lie.

Tsukinoki-senpai looked at the novel in Komari’s hand and nodded her head.

“Ah, I forgot to say this. Boys can’t read the Dazai’s and Mishima’s books on the shelf.”

“Are those really written by Yukio Mishima and Dazai?”

After I said that, Tsukinoki-senpai’s glasses immediately flashed eerily.

She grabbed my shoulders with her hands as I tried to back up.

“…No, Dazai is in front. Osama Dazai and Yukio Mishima. Don’t switch them. This is important.”

Senpai’s eyes are scary. After I nodded while shivering, senpai returned to her usual smile.

“I’m glad that you understood. Well, sit down first. I’ll make us tea.”

Hey, what’s wrong with this Literature Club? No one’s normal here.

I fell into horror as I stared at the keychain on my schoolbag after taking a seat. Komari patted my shoulder. I saw her phone screen after raising my head.

<She’s definitely wrong. Mishima is in front, and Dazai’s at the back.>

Who cares? Don’t drag me into this.

“Nukumizu-kun, what do you usually read?”

Tsukinoki-senpai gave me a cup of tea as she asked.

“Well, it’s all light novels recently.”

“Oh, I see. We have a lot of light novels here too. You can borrow them as you like.”

That’s great. I’m too lazy to point out whose fault it is. But, after all, my plan to buy a bunch of books has been thwarted.

“Ah, come to think of it, where are other club members?”

“First of all, there’s the president. He’s the third-year student that explained things to you in April.”

I think I remember. He’s a gentle, tall, and handsome guy.

…Wait, why is Tsukinoki-senpai drinking tea calmly?

“Yeah, a hot day calls for a hot cup of sencha!”

“Well, where are the others?”

“That’s all.”

She slammed the cup onto the table after saying that. For some reason, her face looks really smug.

“Our club got the student council’s attention recently. So, you should chill in the Literature Club for a while. The tea’s free.”

I looked at the light novels on the bookshelf. Well, it’s not a bad thing.

“Well, sure.”

Tsukinoki-senpai smiled and stood up impatiently.

“Well, I’ll be leaving. Komari-san, explain our club to him, please.”

“Eh!?”

Komari suddenly gave a weird voice after re-surfacing from her book.

“That Shintaro forgot he’s on duty today and got trapped in the classroom. I have to help him out.”

Girl, you got a boyfriend? Everyone is surely sinking into romance in high schools.

“Romance is an elective in middle school, but it’s core in high school.” I think somebody said that before. Anyway, I’ve obviously failed.

“Ah, also, you should absolutely not touch Dazai’s and Mishima’s books on the shelf. This is important, so I’ll say it twice.”

Tsukinoki-senpai waved her hand and walked out.

After sighing in relief, Komari shoved her phone onto my face.

<Mishima’s in front, and Dazai’s at the back! Don’t mess it up!>

I think we have a girl that failed the core subject here.

“I know, alright? So, can you please tell me more about this club?”

“E-Ehhh…”

Komari showed an explicitly annoyed look.

“It can’t be helped, right? The vice president went to meet her boyfriend.”

<H-H-He’s not her boyfriend! S-Shintaro is the president! Shintaro Tamaki! T-They are just childhood friends!>

What’s with the sudden aggressiveness?

Komari wanted to say something else, but she quietly moaned just as she clicked on the phone.

“T-The battery died!”

After that, she started searching the schoolbag frantically. Hey, that’s my schoolbag. Please calm down.

Knock knock. Someone knocked on the door. Who’s showing up at such a busy moment?

“I’m sorry. …I’m Shikiya from the student council. Are you guys free right now?”

“Uh, it’s a bit-“

My eyes are glued to the person coming in.

Her white, silky hair is adorned with a beautiful flower decoration. A hairband is on her wrist. Her fingers are painted with brilliant colors. She’s wearing a slightly oversized uniform with a skirt that’s a little bit short.

Her makeup looks really natural at first sight, yet she has a lot of eyelashes. By the way, white pupils look scary.

This…is a gal, right? A human who has nothing to do with me appeared in front of us. This Shikiya gal looked around the clubroom before closing in on me.

I gulped.

Even though I don’t know her business here, she’s still a gal, after all. I bet she’ll scold me. Honestly, I can hardly contain my emotions.

“You’re…Nukumizu-kun from the Literature Club, right…?”

Wait, why is she so polite? Aren’t you a gal?

“Ah, …yes. I’m Nukumizu.”

My emotions cooled off as well. This is definitely not because I’m disappointed, okay?

“I’m sorry. …I have to investigate the Literature Club’s activity. What does…the Literature Club usually do…?”

I don’t know whether Shikiya-san’s too tired. She leaned on the wall hopelessly. Is she okay?

“Well, I’m not really sure what we’re usually doing.”

“Eh? …Are you…really a Literature Club member…?”

Her white pupils are observing me from top to bottom. Oh, shit, I think I’m the reason why this club is about to be disbanded.

I sought help from Komari. However, I’m not sure whether she’s afraid of a gal’s presence. She’s holding her dead phone tightly as her body shivers in the corner of the room. Uwah, this girl’s useless.

“Uh, it’s because the Literature Club is all about reading books…”

“It’s just…reading?”

Shikiya-san tilted her head. Eh, is that not enough?

“There’s…no…club activities?”

Shikiya-san’s body slowly wobbled as she approached me. This person is legit scaring the hell out of me. What kind of zombie is this?

“Hey, uh, we sometimes write something too!”

“Writing, right…? Well, …it’s not just…reading?”

Shikiya-san looked up to the ceiling for a while. She wrote something in her notebook without even looking at it.

“I got it. …Thanks.”

She closed her notebook, turned around, and walked out of the room.

This is really creeping me out.

I turned around, and Komari is poking at her phone’s black screen as if she’s possessed. Hey, this side is pretty scary too.

I retrieved a charging cable from the ground full of things and handed it to Komari.

“Ah, please lend me that!”

Komari robbed the charging cable away from me. I noticed something as she’s plugging the cable into her phone with shivering hands.

I’m actually quite a normal person.

*

That night, I edited the list in my notebook on my room’s desk. The light novel purchasing plan has to change after knowing that there are more in the Literature Club. Oh, yeah, and also Yanami.

I leaned on the chair as I calculated the remaining cash in my wallet and the lunch allowance next week.

Right now, I can treat that my lunch allowance is saved. Let’s put the money aside for the new series I haven’t touched on yet.

“First of all, I need <Do You Love an Onee-Chan Who Is Pretty Good at Melee Combat?> after falling in love with the anime.”

Wait, it’s almost time for me to buy <Flat-Chested Senpai> too. I saved a place on my shelf just for the novel and the manga.

My hands are grabbed by a white and petite one as I’m editing the list.

“How can you forget <You Are the Innocent Queen of Darkness>? Kaju’s beloved character fell into darkness during Volume 5. You should just buy everything.”

“Kaju, why are you in my room?”

“It’s just that onii-sama ignored me. Kaju is here most of the time.”

The person saying these dangerous things is my little sister, Kaju. She’s two years younger than me. Under the onii-chan’s filter, I guess she belongs to the cute type. Also, I think she entered the student council recently too. Why are our differences so great despite sharing the same blood?

“But I want <Flat-Chested Senpai> more.”

“That one’s a bit interesting, but it’s too lewd, so no. It will cause harm to onii-sama.”

“Why did you know that?”

“Kaju got it from my friend. It’s really lewd.”

That’s cunning. Borrow it to your onii-sama too.

Just as I’m about to complain, my mouth is blocked with a cookie. It tastes good.

After that, a glass of iced tea is delivered into my mouth too. Am I a patient?

“I can drink it myself.”

“Did onii-sama make friends in school?”

Kaju suddenly leaned forward.

“Uh, not yet.”

“Kaju’s really worried about this. Onii-sama is already a high school student. Kaju only acknowledges onii-sama’s friendlessness until the end of your mandatory education.”

I didn’t know that I’m not even acknowledged by my little sister.

“How about today? How many people did you talk to aside from the teacher?”

Uh, how many people did I talk to again? Yanami, Komari, the vice president Tsukinoki-senpai, and Shikiya-san from the student council.

“4, I guess.”

“…4?”

Kaju’s eyes bulged in surprise. Yes, when your onii-sama is using his true power, trivial things like this are-

“Onii-sama, it’s not shameful to not have friends.”

“But you won’t acknowledge me then.”

“However, I can’t believe onii-sama will lie to his beloved little sister. This makes Kaju really upset.”

“Ha? I’m not lying.”

Are my words so unconvincing?

“Also, Kaju is also feeling really bad from forcing onii-sama to lie.”

Kaju broke down in tears as she’s feeding me cookies.

“No, I told you I can eat them myself.”

“Please relax, onii-sama. Kaju will definitely get onii-sama a friend.”

Kaju wiped her tears and hugged my head tightly. It’s hot.

Kaju Nukumizu, is she a brocon or a worrywart? Anyway, she really cares about me.

However, is it a really bad thing to not have friends? I don’t feel inconvenient usually.

Well, small things like no one telling me about the schedule change or being accidentally ignored by people do happen.

I sighed at the troubles to come as I sipped the iced tea

<Today’s remaining debt: 3617 yen>

*

During the next day’s lunch break, I came to the emergency stairs to take my bento. This is what Yanami first said when she saw me.

“Don’t you think you’re pretty mean?”

Woah, back up there, pal. Are you dragging me in already?

“What do you mean?”

“I mean you. I begged you to help me out yesterday, right? I was treated brutally in the karaoke room, you know?”

Also, why is Yanami sitting next to me on the stairs? Honestly, I just want to chill alone.

“What did you want me to do?”

“Girls are creatures that demand resonance. You should consider my feelings when those two are singing Frozen together?”

Frozen, what’s that?

“The ‘no right, no wrong, no rules for me’, right?”

I don’t think that’s right.

“No, it’s the one where Anna and the prince are singing together. That last duet was like hell to my ears.”

Ah, that one. If I remember correctly, the prince’s line is-

“Something like ‘Marry me!’, right?”

“Meanwhile, Anna said yes! Ahhhhh!”

Yanami said that as she wrapped her hands around her head. You just had to open the lid to hell.

“Indeed, that woman is telling me to give up. That ice witch…”

“Well, that’s how a date goes in the beginning. Anyway, where’s my bento?”

I’m going straight to the point. Of course, I won’t deny that I’m excited to get Yanami’s bento. A bento made by my classmate, and she’s a girl. It feels quite special-

“…Okay, help yourself.”

She took a bento box wrapped with rainbow paper. From the “Chicken Thighs: 98 yen” text on it, I can tell that she just folded a leaflet into a box, right? I saw that once in my grandma’s home.

“Can I ask what this is?”

“I made my own bento along with Nukumizu-kun’s in the morning.”

“I see, but why is this the end product?”

“When I took out two bento boxes, my mom told me, ‘Sosuke-kun will definitely be very happy’…”

…Stop, you’re going to make me cry. Don’t throw out keywords like ‘my mom’.

I quickly silenced myself and opened the box. It’s a sandwich in a plastic bag.

“This is from the convenience store, right?”

“Did you even listen to me? I told you I can’t prepare bento for two people.”

Is this really a handmade bento? Well, the package is handmade, though.

“Nukumizu-kun, how much is this worth?”

“Let me think, 268 yen.”

“That’s cheap.”

Yeah, the price tag is right on there, girl. After that, Yanami gave me a piece of egg roll from her bento.

“…Well, 300 yen.”

After Yanami heard that, she tried to give me a piece of karaage. I immediately took my box away from her.

“Forget about that. The two of us should keep some distance, right? Yanami-san has a lot of friends, right?”

The word “scam” flashed in my brain. I put the egg roll inside my mouth. Even though it’s a bit burnt, it tastes surprisingly good. It looks like Yanami’s egg roll belongs to the sweet faction.

“…Everyone’s worried about me when I’m in the classroom.”

Yanami laid open her egg roll listlessly.

“Look, Sosuke had always been next to me until Karen-chan transferred here, right? Then, this ‘wait, did Yanami get dumped?’ mood showed up.”

“Well, I don’t know what I should say.”

I wanted to say something, but a piece of karaage appeared in my bento box.

“How much is it with the karaage now?”

“…350 yen.”

This girl. I’m literally being an idiot to worry about her.

“Come to think of it, Nukumizu-kun, where did you go after school? I saw you were not heading to the shoe shelves.”

“You were really observing me closely.”

“It’s because it’s hard to ignore you going to the shoe shelves alone.”

…What? Do you really have to stab me with every word you say?

Come to think of it, I’ve graduated from the Going Home Club. I chewed the sandwich with a slightly smug look.

“I’m in the Literature Club now. They want me to show up there for a while.”

“Oh, I didn’t know Nukumizu-kun was interested in that.”

Yanami’s enjoying her octopus sausage.

“Well, I should visit and learn from there too. Can I join you?”

“I’m fine with it. Yanami-san, are you interested in the club too?”

“Yeah, I like flowers.”

“…That’s the Gardening Club. I’m in the Literature Club.”

I finally know why this girl’s getting dumped. Even her cheeks are still filled with rice grains.

*

That’s all for today’s lessons.

I really want to leave the classroom as soon as possible. However, here’s a suggestion from the “observer” in the class.

-At this moment, I should choose to wait. The post-class assembly school is filled with dangers.

Well, let us start with the door to the classroom. To not be left behind after school, the observers are defending the gate. They won’t give way even when a background board like me is approaching them.

…Indeed, when you stare into the background, the background stares back. If you truly wish to be on that side, you have to acknowledge the background’s existence.

I observed the flow of my classmates as I slowly packed the things on my table.

The people defending the door are trickling away.

However, don’t let your guard down yet. Those guys that were next to the door changed places to the shoe shelves. The people waiting for the others or people who don’t want to say goodbye are clustered there.

The worst scenario would be for them to start chatting in front of my shelf. It’s already July. Excuses like “I forgot where my shoes are” don’t work anymore.

…Wait, I don’t think I can go back yet. I have to show up at the Literature Club-

Suddenly, a guy walked straight to me after entering the classroom.

“Hey, Nukumizu, I heard that you entered the Literature Club?”

“Uh…”

The guy talking to me is from 1D, Mitsuki Ayano. We came from the same middle school. He’s my friend- no, I guess not. We just sometimes chat with each other since we were in the same cram school.

Also, we’re in the same cram school. Yet, this dude’s grades are much better than mine, and he’s wearing glasses.

“Ah, yeah, I’m in the Literature Club.”

“I heard from sensei that they have the whole collection of Kobo Abe. Can I borrow those books next time?”

Oh, we have those books too? Well, I’ve only checked the light novels anyway.

“I guess so. I can ask senpai about it.”

“Thank you so much.”

Ayano gave me an innocent smile as he patted my shoulder and tried to leave.

During this time, a wheat-colored body entered my sight.

The person who appeared in front of me is Remon Yakishio. She put her healthily tanned hands onto the table.

“Please wait, Mitsuki!”

Yakishio leaned forward in Ayano’s direction. The mixture of 8x4 and sweat smells really soft. [TL: KAO 8x4 deodorant]

…She’s close, and she’s blocking me.

“I don’t have any club activities today. Let’s go and eat something, okay?”

“Sorry, I have cram school today.”

Ayano gently put his hands together and apologized.

“Heh, aren’t we just first-years? You’ll turn into an idiot if you only care about studying.”

“You’re the one that should care about studying more, or you’ll get hold back a year, you know?”

…These normies. Can you two please stop flirting on my desk?

“Mitsuki-san, we’ll be late for cram school if you don’t hurry!”

A slim girl suddenly appeared next to the door of the classroom.

Hmm, I think she’s the girl who always sticks with Ayano during class. She’s adorable and has good grades too. She’s quite famous in that cram school. I didn’t know we’re in the same school.

“Alright, I’m coming, Chihaya. Well, next time, Remon.”

“Eh, …okay, bye-bye.”

Yakishio didn’t hide her disappointment at all. She waved her hand lifelessly.

I wanted to get away quickly since I get a feeling that things will turn troublesome. However, Yakishio blocked me from taking my schoolbag.

“Hey, I’m sorry, …Yakishio-san…? …That’s…my schoolbag.”

“Hey, are Nukumizu and Mitsuki friends? Even though you two are in different classes.”

Yakishio blinked. Her eyelashes are really long. She stared at me with an unbelievable look.

-The ace of the Track and Field Club, Remon Yakishio. She’s a star in the class.

Short hair, slim body under her uniform, beautifully tanned skin, I was dazed for a moment. At the next second, I kept my cool and answered her calmly.

“Uh, …we aren’t really friends. We just talk to each other sometimes in cram school.”

Yakishio’s eyes suddenly brightened up.

“You two were in the same cram school!? So, you should know that girl too, right!?”

Yakishio suddenly leaned forward to me in excitement. I’m a bit freaked out by her.

“Uh, I think she’s Asagumo-san. She’s in the elite class, along with Ayano. They both have good grades.”

“I-I see. Yeah, Mitsuki does favor clever girls in the end…”

Oh? Don’t tell me Yakishio is…

“It’s because they’re both in the elite class. That’s why they are together sometimes. I feel like they are just friends.”

“Yeah! They are just friends, right!?”

Yakishio showed a blue sky smile.

Hey, I don’t know what they will do after the exam, alright?

“Uh, I want to grab my schoolbag.”

“Ah, I’m sorry, Nukumizu-kun. Alright, I’ll cheer myself up with a run.”

Yakishio immediately started stretching after that. Her tanned legs are really attractive.

I watched her left with an excited expression as I stood up with my schoolbag.

It looks like I’m the only one that doesn’t know it. I think all kinds of lunchtime soap operas have been on air since a long time ago.

…Ah, so annoying. Can’t I just live my days out in peace?

“Are you done talking, popular-kun?”

Oh, right, there’s still this annoying girl too. Yanami stood behind me with her schoolbag.

“Eh, Yanami-san, what can I do for you?”

Yakishio is followed by Yanami, right. I can’t believe all of the top girls are lining up to see me. What business do they even want with me? Don’t tell me she’s short on money again.

I’m suspicious, but Yanami smiled defenselessly.

“You’re going to the club, right? Didn’t you promise to bring me too?”

This girl, are you serious? Literature Club and Anna Yanami- I can’t imagine them together, but whatever, she asked for it.

I nodded silently.

*

I reminded Yanami in the corridor to the clubroom.

“Are you sure, Yanami-san? How should I put it? Are those insignificant clubs really okay for you?”

With yesterday’s mood, I wondered whether I should bring a normie there.

“It’s fine. I made something like that before. You know, the ones where you randomly poke at a furball.”

“That’s the DIY Club. We’re going to the Literature Club.”

Yeah, I should stop worrying about this girl. I opened the door to the clubroom.

“Oh, hello.”

“Hello, Nukumizu-kun.”

Tsukinoki-senpai’s reading as she swept her bangs upward.

“Hmph…”

Komari raised her head with an annoyed look, but she froze after seeing an unfamiliar girl.

“Uh, she’s here to visit.”

“Excuse me. I’m Yanami, in the same class as Nukumizu-kun.”

“Ara, welcome. Sit down first. I’ll make us tea.”

Tsukinoki-senpai fixed her glasses and poked me as she passed by.

“You’re good, Nukumizu-kun. I can’t believe you brought such a cute girl here.”

“Ha?”

“Don’t tell me she’s your girlfriend?”

Uwah, what is she going on about?

“Ah, no, she’s not-“

“Eh, you misunderstood. We’re just classmates.”

Yanami didn’t react at all. She’s not embarrassed or annoyed. It’s as if she was asked how’s the weather today.

She observed the clubroom curiously.

“There are a lot of books in this club. What do you guys usually do?”

“Eh?”

…I think senpai and Komari are staring at me, and they’re being serious too.

As if to clear this awkward mood, the door of the room is opened.

“Oh, what a lively day.”

A tall guy walked into the room. He must be the president, Tamaki-senpai, right? Anyway, I’m saved.

“Shintaro, you’re an inactive member despite being the president.”

Tsukinoki-senpai pretended to frown and glared at him, yet she couldn’t hide her softening lips.

“Sorry, sorry, I’m busy studying.”

Prez just put his hand on senpai’s shoulders carefreely.

“You don’t study at all, right?”

“I am. Ah, it’s been a while, Nukumizu-kun. We have another member too?”

“Oh, nice to meet you. I’m Yanami. I’m here to visit.”

“Take your time.”

Prez showed a charming smile as he approached us. As for Komari, she made up her mind and dashed between us.

“H-Hey, Prez, t-the book you lent me earlier is super good!”

“You already finished it? Glad to hear that. Koto straight-up despises sci-fi novels.”

Prez said that as he glimpsed at Tsukinoki-senpai. Senpai returned with a glaze as if she’s deployed for battle.

“I’m not despising them. Doesn’t Shintaro hate Haruki’s books too?”

“I didn’t know you were Haruki Murakami’s fan too?”

“I’m not. You didn’t read Rin Usami’s book I lent you earlier, too, right?”

“I did. I recommend it. It’s really lit.” [TL: Referencing Rin Usami's <Idol, Burning>.]

Hmm, what’s happening. These two are really going out, right?

Just as I’m watching the two of them dazedly, Komari fearlessly interrupts their conversation.

“H-Hey! I-I love Egan’s books too! Even though I…don’t…really understand…the content.”

“Really? Yeah, Komari has good eyes.”

Prez smiled and patted Komari’s head.

“Ouch!”

Tsukinoki-senpai slapped Prez’s hand away immediately.

“Hey, you little, this is something you can find on #metoo. Komari-chan, I can help you explain it to him if you don’t like it.”

“I-I!”

Komari seemed to be freaking out over her loud voice and lowered her head.

“I…don’t…hate…being patted…”

She mumbled. Her face is as red as a tomato.

“Komari-chan is really adorable! You should learn from her, Koto.”

“Sheesh, Komari-chan, don’t spoil him too much. This guy can really go wild.”

Prez looked at his watch and freaked out.

“I have to go. It’s time for the presidents’ meetings. I should show off and tell them someone actually visited this place.”

“I’ll go with you. You’ll definitely doze off in the middle.”

“Well, Koto should be in charge of waking me up then.”

“Who’s waking you up? Of course, I would recommend you to be a cleaner.”

The two of them gave us diabetes as they walked out of the room. What do we even need Prez for?

“A-Adorable, Prez…said…I-I’m adorable. …Ehehe.”

Komari smiled like an idiot as she mumbled to herself. Sorry to ruin your happiness, but I want to say you were just being used.

Yanami patted my shoulder and got her face up close. Too close. I can smell something good too.

“That’s the president and the vice president, right? Are those two going out?”

“I don’t know, but they surely look like it.”

Komari overheard us with her sharp ears and raised her phone.

<Those two are just close because they are childhood friends! They aren’t dating!>

Yanami suddenly squinted her eyes.

“…Childhood friends?”

<Yes! Childhood friends!>

Komari said that and left angrily- or not. After that, she put on her earphones playing songs so loudly that we can hear them, and started reading. What a selfish girl.

Yanami moved her chair next to mine.

“Can I ask you why she is talking to us with her phone?”

I want to know too.

“Come to think of it, Nukumizu-kun. Prez and the vice are childhood friends.”

“Eh? Oh, I guess.”

“…How come we’re so different despite both being childhood friends?”

Yanami gritted her teeth and mumbled.

“Listen to me, Yanami-san. They didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Wait, this means that…”

Yanami seems to have noticed something. She raised her head and looked at Komari.

“…Mistress?”

She mumbled quietly. Komari shivered in horror.

“N-No, no, no, Prez isn’t dating her. Why are you saying that?”

“No, isn’t this true? A girl who dares to dash in between childhood friends is definitely a mistress. Do you understand?”

Ah, it’s like a guy suddenly showing up in yuri. I see. I can understand. Go die.

“I know, but you shouldn’t say these things. Komari-san is here too.”

“But she can’t hear us when she’s listening to music, right?”

I don’t know whether she felt our sights. Komari recoiled in horror. Uh, what’s with this strange feeling?

“Don’t tell me, …Komari-san, are you not listening to music?”

“Eh, but she’s wearing headphones.”

“Perhaps she’s pretending to not hear our conversation with her headphones.”

“Wasn’t it so loud that we could hear it?”

“I’m not hearing that right now. This must be a disguise intending to fool us.”

Komari’s face is covered in sweat as she’s reading.

She took off her headphones and glared at me. After that, she took something out.

“Nukumizu-kun. Here’s the…spare key to the clubroom.”

“Oh, thanks.”

“I-I-I-I’ll be leaving!”

Komari walked out of the clubroom while shivering.

…The once lively clubroom quickly turned silent. The remaining people are either irrelevant or almost irrelevant.

Well, what should we do now? Even if she wants to visit, I know nothing about this club.

“Anyway, I’ll make us some tea. You should write your name on the list.”

“Thanks. Oh, I’ll have green tea.”

Yanami started flipping the list after writing her name on it.

“Hey, a lot of people visited. Nukumizu-kun’s name on it. Also, that girl must be Komari-san, right?”

I don’t know whether she’s quickly bored with this. Yanami started looking at the bookshelf. It’ll be troublesome, so please don’t reach for Dazai’s and Mishima’s books.

“I’ll put the tea here.”

“Thanks. Hey, Nukumizu-kun.”

Yanami sipped the tea as she asked me with pure eyes.

“So, what are we doing in this club again?”

*

After I got home, I started rolling on the sofa in the living room and sighed.

“I’m literally like a normal high school student now.”

I downloaded Line to get the sticker pack of the character I like, but I’ve never used it until now. I stared at Tsukinoki-senpai’s welcome message dazedly.

Yes, I’m in the Literature Club’s Line group now.

I should treat this as the apex of my high school career. All I have to do now is to live my days out carefully like a clam.

Come to think of it, Ayano asked me to borrow some books for him. Very well, this will serve as my first message.

“Someone I know wants to borrow Kobo Abe’s series, …that’ll do.”

I can finally understand why those old men are saying what they are typing on the keyboard out loud.

Will I really get a reply? I’ve heard that people left you on read. Otherwise, it’s because everyone blocked you for some reason. What should I do if that happens?

Tsukinoki-senpai replied just as I’m swarmed by anxiety. Ah, thank god. It looks like I’m not blocked.

<Tsukino-Mono: Sure, don’t just let him go back. Convince him to join the club.>

I have successfully acquired the permission. …Also, can we do something about senpai’s username?

My little sister Kaju sat down opposite the table as I’m rolling on the sofa.

“Onii-sama is a great person.”

She suddenly said that.

“Ha, thanks.”

“Onii-sama will always listen to what Kaju has to say with a smile. You’ll never say no.”

“I think I’ve complained a lot.”

Yeah, just like right now.

“Onii-sama will patiently spoil my selfishness. You’ll never give me an annoyed look.”

“Hey, if you know you’re selfish, why don’t you change that?”

Kaju ignored me and cleared her throat respectfully.

“So, onii-sama. Kaju’s making a kyaraben.” [TL: Character bento]

She proceeded to say something that I don’t even want to complain about anymore.

“So, what’s up with that? Explain.”

“Kaju’s really worried about onii-sama when you’re smiling like an idiot to the character in your phone.”

I see. That’s why you’re making a kyaraben.

“Sorry, I don’t understand at all.”

“Onii-sama can grasp everyone’s heart with your kyaraben. This will turn into an opportunity for chatting. Let’s heat up the mood and talk about manga and anime. Everyone likes that, right?”

“Why is it just manga and anime?”

“That’s all onii-sama can talk about, right?”

My little sister’s really impolite. Well, not that she’s wrong.

“But, come to think of it, even if I have a kyaraben, there’s no one to show it to.”

“Onii-sama’s not eating alone even if you’re friendless, right?”

“Uh, no, I usually have lunch alone.”

“Eh, seriously?”

Kaju bulged her eyes and covered her mouth in disbelief.

“But won’t everything go smoothly as long as you can talk to people?”

Your onii-sama won’t be alone if he can do that.

“Onii-sama, Kaju shall accompany you to school, right? I’ll try to beg everyone to have lunch with you.”

“Please don’t. Think about how people would see me if I’m being treated like that by my middle school little sister.”

“Well, then kyaraben is indeed the best option. Let’s look at the sample.”

She already made it? Kaju pulled out a bento box from nowhere.

“As my first-time introduction, it just has to be onii-sama’s avatar.”

Hey, wait, wait, wait, wait, stop, you’re creeping me out.

Also, it’s made with the old Gekiga style. It’s more like seaweed art than a kyaraben.”

“I always wrote onii-sama’s personal info using black sesame. This way, I bet everyone in the class will know how attractive onii-sama is.”

My classmates aren’t interested in my height, weight, and first love in the slightest.

“Also, why is my first love Kaju?”

“Eh, it’s because onii-sama has always said that Kaju is adorable ever since I was little.”

No, I’m praising you because you’re my little sister.

“In the end, I don’t even need a bento. Someone’s making it for me.”

“…Someone’s making bento for onii-sama? Heh? Eh?”

She looks like her brain refused to understand this. Kaju froze.

“Hey, Kaju?”

“Onii-sama! Are you going out with a girl despite not having any friends? You didn’t even bother to get Kaju’s permission!?”

“No, I’m not! Why would I have a girlfriend when I don’t even have friends!?”

“Yeah, why would onii-sama have a girlfriend when you don’t even have friends?”

Why does my little sister have to keep reminding me that I don’t have friends?

“Kaju heard that there’s this ‘air girlfriend’ culture in the lonely industry. However, an air bento doesn’t have any calories. You should eat properly.”

“Who do you think I am? I’m eating real food, so don’t worry about me.”

After all, it’s something from a convenience store.

“But, normally, a person won’t make a bento for someone if they aren’t friends or a couple, right?”

“I paid for it.”

“I see. She’s in the working class.”

Kaju seems to have understood and clapped her hands.

“Bento trade, right? Kaju heard that from my friends.”

“Please choose your friends carefully.”

I unintentionally made contact with my kyaraben version.

…It looks like both of us are going to have a rough time.

<Today’s remaining debt: 3267 yen>

*

The next day is a Wednesday. Yanami fulfilled her promise and came to the emergency stairs. It looks like she’s really planning to pay me back with bento.

She put a handkerchief on the stairs before sitting down. She sighed loudly to me, who’s neither her friend, nor her boyfriend.

“I was invited by those two today as well. They asked whether I want to study in Karen-chan’s house after school.”

“Why don’t you just say no?”

Yanami heard my reasonable opinion and started protesting immediately.

“It’s because they will be alone if I don’t go.”

“Give up. Those two have started going out already.”

I’m just here for the bento. Stop giving me all these weird plot twists.

“…Indeed, I think Karen-chan is trying to destroy me. I bet she noticed that I’m watching Sosuke with lewd eyes.”

Yanami, please keep that inside your mind.

“I told you to stop overthinking things, right? Perhaps they just think that being all alone will be too awkward. That’s why they want Yanami-san to be there.”

“…In other words, she just used me as a tool to bring Sosuke to her house.”

Eh, did I say something bad?

“No, you’re overthinking…”

“Just like that, she lowered his guard and made him enter her house. Finally-“

Yanami stared at me.

“…Anna-chan said something showed up, and she can’t come.”

…She suddenly changed her voice and said that.

“Ha?”

This girl’s saying something weird again.

“This is a demo. Imagine a scene where Karen-chan and Sosuke are alone.”

“Ha…”

Can you please just stop dragging me in with you?

“Let’s start again. Anna-chan can’t come today. It’s Nukumizu-kun’s turn. You’ll be Sosuke, quick!”

“Uh, …well, it’s only the two of us alone then.”

What kind of insane imagination is this?

“…What if, …and I’m saying what if. What if I told you that I didn’t tell her on purpose? What will you do?”

Yanami lowered her head and closed our distance.

I have to remember it. How will the rom-com MCs answer in this case?

“What will you do if I tell you that I already knew?”

“Sosuke…”

“Karen…”

A moment of silence radiated when we looked at each other. Yanami quickly moved her body away and slammed her knee caps.

“This has to be it! That woman is indeed targeting Sosuke’s body…”

Most of this is just your imagination.

“Forget about that. Where’s my bento?”

“…Nukumizu-kun, now’s not the time for that, right? Don’t you have any friends?”

Don’t worry about me.

Yanami took out an aluminum bento box. Wait, why is there only one?

“Help me open the lid.”

Yanami made me hold the lid as she stabbed her chopsticks inside the rice.

“What are you doing?”

“I said it yesterday, right? I can only use one bento box.”

Her wrist shivered as she pinched a huge pile of rice and put it onto the lid.

It’s heavy. You can see the grains are sticking together like a rice cake if you look closely.

“So, I tried my best to fit two servings into one box. The vegetables are next.”

I got two piles of something. The fried vegetables are in the shape of the box. I won’t get any appetite from this.

“Well, thanks for the food.”

“…Oh, help yourself. Let’s eat.”

Well, how should I taste the rice cake that Yanami tried her best to make? I was utterly crushed under the hopelessness of not being able to pick up the rice with my disposable chopsticks. At the same time, I disintegrated the pile using the sauce from the boiled food and sent them all into my mouth.

“Uh, does it taste good?”

Eh, you saw what’s happening to me, and you’re asking me how it tastes?

“Did Yanami-san make the vegetables too?”

“Of course, I put in a lot of effort. How much is this worth?”

Ah, I see. That’s great. At least now I know Yanami isn’t raised by food like this.

Ah, I tasted a cold fried potato cake in that pile of veggies.

“Uh, 400 yen.”

“Nice, I like the price tag.”

Yanami chewed the rice ball in a good mood. I’ll go ahead and say this first. The standard for that price tag is pretty low. Also, this is a really huge bento…

“I guess I can pay you back before the summer holiday.”

Right, our lunch will end after the money’s paid. Right, I guess it’s not bad to treat this as a limited-time event. Of course, she still has to pay me back.

“Hey, you want to go upstairs? You can see the playground on the 4th floor.”

I finished my bento in time. Yanami stood up after picking up her empty bento box. Well, I have no reason to reject it.

Not a single piece of cloud can be seen under the sunny sky of July. The Track and Field Club is practicing on the playground.

“Ah, that’s Remon-chan, right?”

Yanami leaned on the handle and reached her hand out.

I can see Remon Yakishio’s wheat-colored skin from afar. She already distanced herself from the rest at the start.

“Remon-chan is indeed really fast!”

Having lunch, changing, practicing, and changing again in 50 minutes. I don’t think I can do that.

I’m not mocking her. It’s just that I’m sighing at my inability to touch something so charming.

“She won the 100m race in town, you know? She even got a good rank in the prefecture-level.”

“Hey, you know a lot.”

You can leave reading the messages on the notice board to me.

“She’s amazing, Remon-chan.”

She unintentionally said that. So, I decided to swallow what I wanted to say back down.

Yanami’s eyes are filled with tears.

The tears she dropped are blown by the wind.

Yanami’s face still has a lingering sense of innocence. I had no interaction with her until a while ago, and now I’m here and seeing her cry. This feels unrealistic.

“Hey, Yanami-san. Are you okay?”

“I was dumped-“

You only realized it now?

“Hey, I bet you’re thinking I only realized it now.”

“Uh, how did you know?”

You shouldn’t read people’s minds.

“How should I put it? I think it finally came to me.”

“Came to you?”

“I feel I got dumped after seeing Remon-chan running.”

The tears on her eyelashes are sparkling.

“My brain can actually understand that I got dumped, but my body still couldn’t acknowledge it.”

Yakishio’s in the boy’s group now. Under our glances, she was immediately passed by a tall guy.

“I think Nukumizu-kun will understand if you get rejected brutally.”

“Maybe.”

“Nothing will change even if I’m rejected. I won’t feel refreshed as well.”

Yanami said that and stretched her back.

“But, everything around me will still move on, and I have to go, whether I want to or not.”

I guess it’s like the main quest in a game.

“I won’t know that because I haven’t been rejected yet.”

“Oh, that’s a line from a popular guy.”

Yanami answered my self-mockery that I scrambled my brain for with a gentle smile.

I bet a light novel MC can make the heroine’s heart go all flutter with humorous words. But I guess this is the furthest I can go.

For the losing heroine, time passes equally. Her daily life is still going on as usual, just as the couple is creating unforgettable moments.

Both of us went silent. We enjoyed the breeze and watched the students running on the field.

<Today’s remaining debt: 2867 yen>

Intermission – Even When She Is Starving, She Is Still a Good Child Like a God

After pressing the button on the rice cooker, an electric sound played in the dark kitchen. Anna Yanami wore her pajamas and opened the fridge with a yawn.

“Ugh, it’s just eggs…”

Yanami opened the vegetable cooler. There are some withered cole and ham inside. As for the refrigerator, it’s all frozen spaghetti and Garigari-kun popsicles. It wasn’t until she got to the bottom that she found an opened bag of mixed veggies.

“What can I do with these ingredients…?”

Eggs, ham, mixed veggies, she looked at the spoils of war on the table.

Well, what should I do with tomorrow’s bento? Even though I’m not good at cooking, I don’t like that guy’s reaction.

“Wasn’t he saying that my bento tastes awful…?”

A thought suddenly popped up in Yanami’s mind as she opened the shelf for bowls. It’s filled with canned food. Yanami took the innermost can out. It’s filled with dust.

The label is “Produced by Emperor’s Hotel: Secret White Sauce”.

Oh, that’s good. It sounds amazing. I bet that guy has to acknowledge my cooking.

Yanami smiled mischievously and looked at the table. She noticed the expiration date on the side.

Wait, which year is it again? Hmm, the first year of Reiwa is 2019-

Yanami stopped thinking and put the can onto the table.

I remembered someone said that Napoleon is the first guy to eat canned food. If someone from so long ago has eaten it, a 2-year expiration date is just a small margin of error, right?

Yanami accepted the mysterious conclusion in her brain and took a big bite of Garigari-kun with her incisors. Then-

(…Ouch!)

She squatted down alone in the dark kitchen.

Anna Yanami, an over-sensitive 15-year old, met another midnight in the summer.

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