Episode 25 – Sad news. The blonde lady is an otaku
Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093087122434729/episodes/16818622174899916435
“…Um, well…”
Nishimiya and I had escaped from the bookstore without Aota noticing, and we were now sitting in a coffee shop in front of the station.
It was the same shop we had visited when we met up at the amusement park before.
“…?”
“Um, well… I mean…”
This is awkward! So awkward!
We’ve never even talked face to face, and we were in different classes last year.
“…Um, thanks. For earlier.”
“Huh? Oh, yeah.”
Nishimiya was the one who broke the awkward silence.
Taking off her long coat, hat, mask, and sunglasses, Nishimiya still looked like the quintessential blonde lady.
I heard last year that Nishimiya Aira is apparently the daughter of a wealthy family.
Indeed, when I look at her like this, she’s a little… no, quite a tomboy, but her upbringing shines through in her every movement.
The way she holds her coffee cup and loosely holds her skirt when she sits down feels somehow elegant and graceful.
“So, who are you?”
After taking a sip of her café mocha, Nishimiya asked.
“That’s where it starts, I guess.”
I thought the same thing at the bookstore, but it seems that no one recognizes my face.
Well, I’m just a background character standing next to Sota… Wait, does that mean I’m considered a good friend? That makes me feel excited.
“I’m Hayami. From the third class.”
“Hayami… I don’t know you. What’s your relationship with Hasegawa? You seemed close.”
“Best friends. I think.”
“Hee.”
Nishimiya suddenly lost interest, dropped her gaze to the table, and picked up a small container of sugar.
“Don’t tell anyone about today, okay?”
She poured a heaping teaspoon of sugar into her café mocha. …Hey, that’s way more than a level teaspoon!
“I know, it’s for Aota, right? I kind of get it…”
“No. I mean don’t tell anyone at school. Juniors, seniors, classmates. Don’t tell anyone, young or old, male or female…Bitter”
Even after adding that much sugar, it was still bitter, so he scooped up the same amount again and added it. …It can’t be called a café mocha anymore.
“I understand. But then there’s one condition.”
It’s not that I’m taking advantage of your weakness, but I have a favor to ask of Nishimiya.
“What? No way…”
“Eh? No way?”
Did she figure it out? Still, her tone feels a bit exaggerated.
“…That’s despicable. You’re taking advantage of the fact that I can’t talk to anyone about this to make me do such a thing.”
“Ha?”
Well, that’s true. Maybe, but… Wait, is it so sinful that I want to borrow the new book I just bought after I finish reading it?
“I get it… In the end, men are just creatures who think about such things all the time.”
Wait a minute. I have a bad feeling about this. There must be some misunderstanding.
“Hey, aren’t you misunderstanding something?”
Besides, it seems like you were imagining strange things earlier too…
“Fine, do whatever you want. Like that erotic doujin, for example.”
“Noooooo!!”
I jumped up and shouted reflexively. What the hell? Why did I think that!?
My roar caused the café to fall silent for a moment.
“What? Is it a love triangle?”
Whispers and stares from the other customers pierced me.
“… Ugh.”
I sat down to calm myself and downed my cold drink in one gulp.
“So, what is it? What do you want from me?”
Eh? What? No? Nishimiya looked puzzled, as if to say.
“… The new book. You bought it, right? I asked you to lend it to me after you finished reading it.”
“Haa? Are you serious?”
“I’m serious. I’ve read all of Unohana-sensei’s works. It’s a shame I couldn’t buy the first edition, but well…”
“Hmm. You have quite an eye for it. There’s something about that person’s drawing skills and composition that draws you in. Of course, the story is good, and the characters are good too.”
“Oh, yeah.”
Nishimiya, who speaks passionately and eloquently about her favorite work, is no longer just a fan but more like a critic.
“Well… why don’t you give this a try, Hayasaka-kun?”
“Ah, it’s Hayami.”
The manga she handed me had a huge robot on the cover. It might be a prejudice, but it seemed like the kind of work girls wouldn’t be interested in.
“Oh, it’s science fiction. You thought it wouldn’t interest me, didn’t you?”
Can she read minds? Actually, it’s a genre I’m not very fond of.
“I understand how you feel. Science fiction is difficult to set up, and it has its own unique conventions that make it hard to get into. But this work is different!”
“Oh, okay.”
Oh no, something strange has happened.
“Well, first, up to the part where the protagonist meets the heroine…wait”
Nishimiya suddenly stopped talking, as if she had noticed something.
“Is something wrong?”
“I talked too much. I’m going home… I’ll lend it to you, so read it before we meet again.”
“Eh…”
I thought that would be the end of it, but it seems I’ll be involved with her again.
Nishimiya placed the empty cafe mocha glass on the tray and stood up.
“Hey, wait.”
“I know. I’ll lend you the new one next time. Is that okay?”
Without looking back, Nishimiya walked away.
With the conversation cut off like that, there was nothing I could do. I could only stare at her back as she walked away.
“Nishimiya Aira, huh?”
Still, she was quite a strong-willed person.
I knew she had a crush on Aota, but on the other hand, I didn’t know anything more than that.
“…Oh, wait, the bill.”
I checked the table and found three hundred-yen coins along with the receipt.
“T-That’s not enough, Nishimiya.”
A café mocha costs 500 yen.
“Well, if I can borrow manga, it’s cheap.”
Anyway, I couldn’t keep Aota waiting any longer. I paid the bill and left the store.
***
I met up with Aota, chatted with him for a while in the food court, and by the time we were on our way home, it was past 5 o’clock.
“Well, Ren. See you later.”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”
We parted ways at the intersection near my house, and I headed home. As I listened to the distinctive sound of my loafers, I thought about Nishimiya Aira.
Looking back, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Nishimiya talking to anyone at school… Maybe it’s because we’re in different classes and I don’t always see her.
“Is she a loner… or maybe not?”
Just being a half-Japanese beauty is enough to attract attention, and if she’s a lady, there must be plenty of people who want to get close to her, regardless of gender.
Before I knew it, I was at the front door of my house. I could see the living room light was on.
“Are you home, nee san? I’m back.”
“Welcome home, Senpai.”
“Huh?”
For some reason, it was Shiramine who came out to greet me in the hallway. What’s more…
“What’s with that outfit?”
It wasn’t her usual clothes or her school uniform, but a dress with white sequins.
“I lent it to Hisui-chan”
My sister appeared slowly from behind Shiramine.
“Oh, I see. That’s what’s going on.”
In other words, Shiramine was just wearing the dress that my sister had used in a competition or something.
“How does it look? Does it suit me?”
“It suits you… but isn’t it a little too early?”
Unfortunately, very unfortunately. In a certain area.
“Huh? Really? It fits pretty well.”
Shiramine looked puzzled, turned around once, and checked the length of her skirt.
No, that’s not it. That’s not the problem. That’s definitely not the problem.
“…Ah, Hisui-chan. That’s not what Ren is saying. Mumble, mumble…”
“Hey, nee san”
Apparently, my sister understood what I meant, and she whispered something to Shiramine with a sly smile.
…There was no need to point out the painful reality.
“Senpai.”
My sister must have said something to her. Shiramine’s face suddenly became expressionless.
“Yes.”
“Mine will get bigger. In other words, they’re still developing.”
“I-Is that so?”
What kind of declaration is that?
“Well, that dress is from when I was studying abroad in Germany in my second year of junior high school.”
“…Really?”
Stop it! Shiramine’s life points will drop to zero!
“Well, guys. I’m going to prepare dinner.”
She smiled like a bell ringing and returned to the living room.
A subtle silence enveloped Shiramine and me, who were left behind.
“Senpai.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Is Ajisai san’s good development due to her diet?”
“…It’s probably genetics, isn’t it?”
At least…my mother had a good figure.
“Senpai”
“What is it?”
“Do men really prefer bigger ones?”
The answer was silence. If I denied it, it would be like comforting her, and if I affirmed it, I didn’t know what would happen to me.
That’s right, so. The answer was—silence.
–
–
If you enjoy our content, feel free to donate, Thank you in advance !