Asahina Wakaba To Marumaru Na Kareshi Vol 1

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Chapter 1: Asahina Wakaba and the
Rumoured ‘Him’
—I’m scared of waking up in the morning.
No, more accurately, I’m afraid of waking up the next day. I want to doze off
inside my futon the entire day. And if possible, live inside a happy dream. But of
course, reality is always cruel.
“Mm…Hm…?”
The shrilling sound of my alarm clock pulled me out of my slumber. And, it

announced that a new day had begun. I don’t want to wake up. But, I have to, yet
again. Because I don’t want to worry my parents, my little sister…my precious
family.
One, two, three, I counted as I laid in my futon. It’s something like a self-
suggestion, but it works. Now, it’s time to get up. Come on, I can’t stay like this,
Open…your eyes—
“…Morning, huh…” I could feel a strained smile on my own face. “Better wash
my face…” Still feeling gloomy, I headed to the bathroom.
Twisting the faucet, I put a bit of cold water into my hand, and splashed it
against my face as hard as I could. At least my mood had to improve this
morning—But, I had no idea how much effect this even had.
“…Aha, hahaha. What a horrible expression. I can’t show this in front of the
others.”
In the mirror, I could see my—Asahina Wakaba’s pale face. As I bit my lip, I
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splashed another wave of water against my face, hoping that it would wash away
the uprising anxiety inside of me.
When I stepped into the dining room, I heard joyful voices conversing with each
other. Apparently, everyone had already sat down at the table. I’m the last one to
arrive, as always, making me feel a bit lonely.
“—Good morning, everyone!”
As if to blow away all the gloominess inside my chest, I raised a loud voice. In
doing so, three familiar faces turned towards me.
“Good morning, Wakaba. You’re brimming with energy as always, I see.”
“Fufu, she’s still a sleepyhead though. With such great weather we’re having,
would it hurt you to get up a bit earlier?”
Dad had the newspaper in one hand, as he showed me an invigorating smile.

Next to him was Mom, putting some rice in a bowl as she rebuked my habits of
sleeping in. That reminds me, because it rained the entire last week, we couldn’t
dry the laundry properly. If Mom is happy, then that’s all that matters. It makes
me feel happy as if something good happened to me. And, the same seemed to
be the case for my little sister, sitting across from my parents.
“Morning, Onee-chan. It’s been raining all the time last week, so now that it’s
cleared up, I’m feeling so much better!” Futaba waved about her arm, showing a
smile brimming with energy.
The twintails hanging down to her left and right made her look cute and
adorable. Just by watching her, my cheeks relaxed, and softened. Even though
she’s got the same face as me, except the hairstyle, why does my little sister’s
smile look so dazzling to me? Following Futaba’s gaze, I directed my face over
at the window. The sunlight was reflected in the window’s glass, shining
brightly. It was a refreshing morning sunshine.
Yeah, I can see that. This scenery is wonderful to look at. I understand how she’s
feeling so energetic. I turned back, and returned a warm smile to my little sister.
“Really, it makes you feel great.”

“Right right, exactly that. Last week was a mess, right.” Dad reacted to my
words, nodding several times. “It’s gotten more cold recently, so the rain really
doesn’t help.” He held his shoulders, faking himself shaking from the cold.
Seeing this, we both burst out laughing.
“Now, enough of the jokes. You have to hurry and eat, or you’ll be late to
school.”
—School. When these words passed by my ears, I felt my chest growing heavier.
“Ah…Y-Yes! It’d be bad if we ended up late!”
Not good. I stuttered. They didn’t think of my reaction as weird, right? I glanced
at my side, only to find Futaba narrowing her eyes. She must have thought of
this reaction as something odd. She always had good intuition.
“T-That reminds me! Did you buy something again, Dad?”
“Indeed, I found a great bargain!”
I changed the subject to cover my slip-up, to which Dad nodded along happily.
“You’re at such an age, and you still go around buying plastic Mandam
models?”
“Not Mandam, Bandam! Bandam! I keep telling you that the real name is much
cooler!”
“They’re basically the same, so what does it matter?”
“They’re not similar in the slightest! How many times do I have to tell you! You
don’t understand a man’s romance at all! What a terrible time this is…!”
“Ahahaha…I-I don’t really get it, but this Bandam thing sounds pretty cool. The
name makes it seem really…well, strong.”
“You really are a good girl, Wakaba…Alright, I’ll give you my treasured Red
Jack as a present.”
He must have been happy to find an ally in me, as he kept blabbering on about

his own hobby. I have to be honest, I’m not too interested in that. When I was
lost on how to politely decline, Futaba raised her voice.
“Onee-chan! We’re gonna have to hurry!”
Not good, I got too focussed on the conversation!
“I’m leaving!”
“Me too!”
I quickly cleaned up after my breakfast, took my school bag in one hand, and
dashed out of the entrance door. Once outside, I was greeted by a blue sky, and a
comforting morning sunshine.
“Then, see you later!” Futaba waved her hand at me, as she ran into the opposite
direction.
Our schools are different. Unlike me, who had chosen a school close to our
home, Futaba is attending a school three stations from here. And yet, because of
her wanting to leave together, I find it a bit easier to get up in the
morning.However, this feeling of bliss ends here. After all, what awaits me now
is undoubtedly—
—Hell.
“Hey, you saw my message last night, so respond to me, will you.”
“Sorry, sorry, I accidentally fell asleep!”
Even this early in the morning, the classroom was brimming with energy.
Although only a few minutes were left until the beginning of homeroom class,
everyone was talking with somebody about something interesting—except me.
I can’t just enter into the various groups already built in this class, and I don’t
feel like doing so either. Because everyone already knows that you won’t get a
proper response from me, even if you tried anything.

“So then…Ah, pffft, look at that Asahina!”
The second I heard that voice, my body instinctively tensed up.
“Ahaha, what’s with her. She’s acting like the honor student first thing in the
morning!”
“Maybe her workbooks are the only friends she has? Haha, what a poor girl!”
“Don’t be like that. It’s the same as always. Nothing new, right?”
My ears hurt. The voices of the trio reverberated inside my chest, trying to tear
apart my heart.
“Also, I’m shocked you actually come to school. That is some iron will there. I
definitely wouldn’t be able to stand it.”
“Kuhyuhyuhyu, I’m sure that unlike you, Nanase-san, she’s actually an M.

Don’t you agree, Torimaki-san?”
“Haha, now that you say it! Then, aren’t we the good guys? Wakaba-chan’s a
pervert who gets all excited when she gets bullied! …Also, Ria, can you do
something about that laugh of yours? It’s disgusting.”
I could feel three gazes stabbing my body everywhere. I didn’t even have to
check to find out who it was. Ever since she transferred here, in merely half a
year, Nanase Ikumi-san, with the help of the other two, she managed to perfectly
grasp the reign of this class’ hierarchy. Being clever beyond what you would
imagine from her, Shouji Ria-san manages to keep the 2nd place of the student
year on a consistent basis. And there’s the satirist Torimaki Mii-san.
I don’t know what I ever did to get them so dead-set on me, but they are
devoting most of their attention towards harassing me at every chance…
Seriously, how did things end up like this. Thinking back on it, I was always bad
at talking with others. Only my family and people close to me I could talk to.
That’s why I barely had any friends.
I had a bit of hope when I started attending high school. That something maybe
would change. That’s why I worked hard and tried talking with my classmates…
But, this is how things ended up as. Every single day for the past half a year, I

have to suffer through this slander and abuse, as well as their shrill laughing
voices. My ideal high school life should have been much more bright, and
enjoyable. This is wrong. This is not what I imagined!
“Asahina!? You better not be ignoring us!”
“—Eeek!?”
Suddenly, someone slapped their hand on the desk in front of me. I raised my
head in shock, only to find Nanase-san glaring down at me.
“Ah, Nanase…san…how can I…help you?” I knew myself that my voice was
shaking.
My body tensed up naturally.
“You’re always so depressing. Can’t you do something about that!?”
“Ah, I-I’m sorry…” Unable to bear the glare directed down at me, I was forced
to avert my face.
“What? What is that look? Do you have something to say? Why not spit it out
then? Come on, out with it!”
“I-It’s nothing…”
“You’re always quiet, always gloomy, and seriously disgusting. You think
you’re something better than us just because your looks are the only thing good
about you, right?”
My own appearance apparently was the same as Mom’s when she was younger,
and the people around me often praised me, saying that I will surely grow up to
become a beauty. But, here I am, unable to figure out if this is a good thing or
not. Nevermind the fact that I have problems dealing with boys. Of course, it’s
not that I hate boys, but the way they gesture, and their choice of words is just…
It’s probably something like a feeling of discomfort more than anything.
It’s not like I have a reason for this, I just end up tense whenever I stand in front
of them. To my surprise, this was regarded as cute and lovable in the rows of the
boys, which is why I got confessed to several times in middle school. However,

this sense of discomfort did not only stay with me, but even got worse. So, when
I was thinking on what to respond with, rumours started to spread about me
being a ‘haughty woman’.
This is the appearance I got from Mom, so how could I ever act that proud about
it! I want to argue with these words. But, as always, I can’t force out any words.
I worry about their rebuttals, worry about me unable to find anything to argue
with, which leads to my body and brain freezing up. In the end, the best I could
do here was keep quiet, and continue to shake my head left and right.
Fourth period came to an end, and the chime to announce the lunch break filled
the classroom. I grabbed my lunch, waited for the teacher to leave the classroom,
and used this as a chance to quickly escape. I headed to the back of the school
building. It was dark and dimly lit, a location that would see no sunlight or
anybody’s eyes. No student would come there to eat, especially not in such a
cold season such as this. Nobody except me, that is.
I did eat inside the classroom before. But, after they played with it again and
again, I gave up on eating there. I’m always being bullied, so I want to at least
relax during my lunch break.
“Alright, nobody’s there…have to hurry up and—Ah wow! It looks delicious!”
Omelet with boiled vegetables, adding chicken meat dressed with sesame
sauce…When I opened my lunch box, a thousand colors greeted me. Just
because of this scenery, my face relaxed a bit. Only this time is what I can
actually enjoy at school. It makes me feel like Mom and everyone is with me.
…I really don’t want to come to school anymore. But, if I told them about my
wish, my problems, they would definitely worry about me. More than anything, I
don’t want them to know what I’m going through. In four months, we’ll move
up a grade, and the classes will change. Then, it should get a bit better. With this
thought, my fingers holding the chopsticks shook a bit less, as I carried some
food to my mouth.
And, it happened the second I started to enjoy Mom’s lunch.
“Buhyahyahya! You don’t get it at all! Ryouichi, is this all you are?! Buhahaha!”

My body twitched. What was that loud voice just now!? I peeked out of the
shadows, looking around, only to find a few male students gathered in a group,
causing a ruckus. Subconsciously, I almost let out a voice. I remembered their
faces.
“What’d you say, Haruto!? Say it to my face one more time!”
“I’ll tell you as many times as it takes. You don’t understand the true value of
gal games at all! Your sight is stolen by the outer appearance…What a foolish
man you are.”
“Shit, why do I have to receive such insults! Also, I only said ‘That girl with
glasses, she’d definitely look much better without them’, so why do you have to
tick out like that!?”
“I’m about to announce total war on you…!”
“Why!?”
…Not good, their arguing was so nonsensical, my consciousness just cut out for
a second. Apparently, a tanned boy and a slightly overweight boy were having a
verbal fight. Were they talking about some TV show by any chance?
At the same time as I thought that, the third boy of the group, who had stayed
silent this entire time, let out a long sigh. While shaking his head, he broke
between the two.
“Calm down, you two. Ryouichi-kun, you know that you can’t respond to his
provocations. Haruto-kun, no more, okay?” He wore glasses, giving off a more
invigorating vibe.
It’s Namikawa Shun-kun. He’s a genius with top grades all across the board. On
top of that, he even got upper ranks in the national mock exams, pulling along
the overall score of this school by far. In short, he’s an amazing person.
“As if I could calm down! I’m being humiliated here! Come, Haruto! I’ll fix that
eroge nature of yours!” The long-haired boy’s face burned right red in anger.
His name is Bizen Ryouichi-kun. He apparently is very skilled in the field of

athletics, and although he’s a first-year with only half a year of experience on the

soccer club, he’s become a regular. On top of that, he always has a maid with
him, or so the rumours goes, making him sound like the son of a rich family. In a
different sense, he’s just as amazing.
The problem however is the last of the three.
“Weird? What are you saying, you muscle freak! I’m surprised you have the guts
to say that, you spoiled brat! Come at me! I’ll show you that this stomach of
mine isn’t just for show!” The boy spoke, as he repeatedly tapped his own belly.
He possessed pure white skin, with a close haircut. On top of that, wide lips, and
drooping eyes. His appearance seemed to be one step before being overweight.
It’d be hard to praise him for it, even when trying to be nice. No girl would
probably be able to accept this appearance. At the very least, the rumours about
him seem to be true in that regard.
“Iruma…Haruto-kun…”
Fatty – Otaku – Disgusting – These three words were often used to describe him,
making him the most hated person in school. Halfway through the entrance
ceremony, he talked about lewd games, and was forcefully removed. Even in the
long history of this school, he’s made himself a legend fairly quickly. From this
irregular appearance originated nicknames such as ‘White Meat Bun’ or ‘Rentou
Academy’s Daifukumochi’.
I’m not participating in this, but inside the girls’ circles, he’s the top spot of
people you wouldn’t want to have as your boyfriend. As the other two before,
he’s a very special person. In the sense that I don’t want to get closer to him.
“You know what I mean! A game has to be healthy! Like fighting games, or
fighting games!” Bizen-kun roared.
“You absolute moron! What’s a life’s worth without eroticism in it! You darned
virgin striker! I mean, fighting games can be just as lewd, so I’ll gladly take
them!”
“When will you ever realize that this kind of talk is what makes you this
unpopular!”
“I’m offering my body to the 2D world! I’m not interested in 3D!”

The argument grew more and more heated. Bizen-kun started kicking for real,
which was intercepted by Iruma-kun’s belly. Then there was Namikawa-kun,
watching these two as he shrugged his shoulders. These three are pretty famous
at our school. It’s my first time seeing them in action like this, but they do have
an overwhelming impact. They call it the Special Trio, but now I finally
understand why.
…Worst of all, they’re loud. They ruined my one joy at school…And, why is
that Iruma-kun…looks so happy, even though he knows he’s being hated by
everyone? Even I haven’t laughed like this once ever since I started attending
this school. I know what this is. This is jealousy, a cruel and selfish emotion.

I rushed to eat my lunch, and walked away from the backside of the school.
However, this gloomy, hazy feeling inside my chest would remain—
On my way home from school, my feet felt much lighter compared to this
morning. Possibly because I’m finally freed of everything. I just want to hurry
home, and relax. I’ll go and take the shortcut by taking the corner at the new
convenience store. Making this decision, I closed in on the convenience store,
when a familiar face appeared from the entrance.
“Futaba…?”
Met with this sudden wink of fortune, I felt my cheeks relax. Unlike me, she is
actually in a club. The kendo club of all things as well. Since she often has
training until late, we rarely get to walk home together, And yet, I was lucky
enough to run into her here. All my heavy feelings I accumulated over the day
vanished. Since she’s here, we might as well walk home together.
—That’s what I thought.
“It’s gotten so cold recently, didn’t it.”
“You think so as well, Yukari? I guess fall is about to end soon. Gotta bring out
the sweater.”
“It felt like summer passed by in a second. What’s with this place, is time
passing more quickly here? Or am I just getting old?”
“Ahaha! China-chan, you sound like an old woman! Ahahahahahaha, cough

cough, ugh!”
“Wah, Futaba!? Was that supposed to be this funny? You don’t have to force
yourself like this…”
Surrounded by three other girls, presumably her friends, Futaba looked like she
was smiling from the bottom of her heart. Yeah, I often forget, but Futaba
actually has a lot of friends. She’s on an entirely different level from me. Even
though we’re twins…why does it have to be like this.

—Not good. I can’t be like this. It’s weird for me to feel jealous of my little
sister.
I shook my head, and turned around. I didn’t even feel like I could call out to
her. I took a detour instead, and went home. When I opened the entrance,
Futaba’s shoes weren’t there to greet me. I tried to take my time, but even so, I
was home faster than her. Wiping away the tears about to burst out from my
eyes, I tried my best to create a smile.
“—I’m home!”
“My, welcome back. You’re still brimming with energy, I see.” Mom came to
greet me.
Just by watching her invigorating smile, I felt my heart healing. It reminded me

that I finally made it home, to my safe space.
“Yup! I’m always brimming with energy, you know?”
That wasn’t a lie. In front of my family, I can always smile. That is why I’m
scared of the thought that this day will soon end again. My blissful time is
always short. It reminds me of the quick passage of time.
“I made a cake as a snack today. Wash your hands, and then you can have a
slice.”
“Waah! I love Mom’s cakes!”
Everytime I come home, everytime I hear my mother’s voice, the decision I

made at school only grew more solid. Just half a year…But, that alone is plenty
long still.
“For dinner, we have left-overs from yesterday. But, tomorrow, I’ll make your
favorite pasta, so you better be looking forward to it.”
—Ahh…
“Yes! I-I’m looking forward to tomorrow!”
—If only tomorrow never came.

Intermission
“You know, it’s really boring as of late. Like, all peaceful.”
The time of day was early morning, as people to their left and right exchanged
greetings on their way to school. Although it had gotten fairly cold, the
drowsiness wouldn’t vanish that easily. While rubbing her eyes, Nanase Ikumi
yawned, and muttered these words.
“Right. The exams are pretty close, so I’d love to take a breather for now~”
Voices of agreement swiftly followed, coming from Shouji Ria and Torimaki
Mii, who walked next to Nanase.
“That’s right, that’s right. Ahh, is there nothing interesting going on? Like,
something to just—”
“All normies should just explode!”
“Woah!? What was that!?”
A roaring voice loud enough to burst one’s eardrums arrived at the group of
girls. The relaxing morning atmosphere was blown away in an instant. Even the
other students around were at a loss on what went down.
“C-Calm down, it’s the same as always.”
“As if I could! They’re flirting about every single morning!”
Nanase and the other two exchanged gazes.
“Aren’t those Iruma and Bizen in front of the school gate? They’re causing a
ruckus this early in the morning again.” Torimaki let out a sigh, shrugging her
shoulders.
Looking over at the direction she pointed at, a few boys were having a verbal
fight, without showing any consideration to the people around them.

“…Don’t make me repeat myself all the time. Just get used to it already.”
“That’s right, Haruto-san. This is nothing that you should get upset about.”
Next to Bizen Ryouichi stood a woman with a calm simple, wearing an apron
dress.
“Now, Ryouichi-sama, this is today’s lunch. I made sure to put in lots of your
favorite fried food.”
“Ohh, now this one I’m looking forward to! Lunch break is gonna be great!”
The woman wore western clothes, with contrasting white and navy blue colors.
She had a maid’s headdress on her head, looking like a real maid. Someone said
that these types of clothes don’t look good on Japanese people, but she was
wearing it just fine. She looked like she came straight out of a manga or movie.
“A priceless, love-filled, and handmade lunch box…! This difference in standing

is agonizing! What is the Japanese government doing!”
“There you go again…Just stop it already, Haruto-kun.” Namikawa Shun tried to

calm down the enraged Haruto.
“But, but! Aren’t you jealous of him!? Being served every single day by such a
cute maid! Not fair!”
“Really, you’re a difficult fellow, Haruto. She’s my important family. She’s like
an older sister, like a mother. Right, Yui?”
“…Hmpf.”
“Eh, why are you pouting now? Did I do something?”
“I feel like I’m starting to understand Haruto-kun’s feelings a bit. Ryouichi-kun

is so dense at times.” Shun tapped Haruto on the shoulder. “We shouldn’t be
forcing it onto him. For now, we have to be men, and watch over a friend’s love,
okay?”
“What are you talking about, you closet-pervert bastard! I know about it, okay!
You and Mifuyu were talking on the phone until late night, right!” Iruma pointed

at Shun.
“Ah, you knew? It’s really not like that, step brother.”
“Don’t just naturally call me like that! Your face and words don’t match up, you
bastard!”
As the two were fighting, Haruto apparently had cooled down a bit, and dropped
his shoulders in defeat.
“Shit! 3D really got nothing on the 2D! I have lots of 2D waifus, and they all
love me!”
Or so people were led to believe, but he burst out into another fit right away.
That just now might have been the calm before the storm.
“None of you can tell me I’m wrong!!!” He howled like a sore loser, making
watching his unbearable.
“Ugh, being forced to see a disgusting scene like this so early in the morning…”
Nanase stuck out her tongue in disbelief, as her friends joined in.
“You can say that again! Why was trash like this even allowed to join our
school! I can’t believe it!”
“Right! Aren’t we getting too many disgusting otakus as of late? They think they
can do anything just because they walk around with Bizen…Isn’t there
anything…” Nanase stopped her words. “Wait a second? Can’t we use this?”
“Eh? What do you mean?” Sensing something interesting in the brewing, Shouji
pushed her body forward with sparkling eyes.
Nanase saw this reaction, and felt even more confident. She had found a way to
deal with this disgusting otaku pig, as well as to clear their own boredom, a
‘Game’ that would get them two birds with one stone.
“This is going to be interesting. Kuhyuhyuyhu, let me have a bite at it as well.”

Shouji showed a grin, letting out her usual maniacal laugh.
Things would become very interesting soon. Their gloomy feelings of boredom

had cleared up, and a burning excitement had replaced it. It felt like Nanase had
fallen in love, that’s how strong this passion was.
“Fufu, seems like we’ll avoid being bored to death for now.”

Chapter 2: Asahina Wakaba and her
Punishment Game Boyfriend
“Something is weird today…”
The chime rang, and the first period came to an end. Normally, the second the
teacher steps out of the classroom, the classmates around would start meddling
with me. Thinking back, the atmosphere in the class has been weird starting this
morning. The girls who loved to tease me with a greeting didn’t even approach
me. If anything, that Nanase-san called out to me with a normal and average
‘Good Morning’! Imagine that!
Then again, it made me feel even more awkward. I thought I’d be super happy
about this if it ever happened…I guess I must be twisted beyond belief, right.
“Oh, really?”
“Wah, that looks wonderful!”
Wah!? What, what!? Voices of admiration filled the classroom, and when I
looked over at the source.
“Nanase-san?”
Nanase Ikumi-san was surrounded by a great number of classmates. She held a

beautiful accessory with lots of ornaments in her hand, showing it around. I
could see something shine brightly, like the sunlight reflecting in a mirror. A
portable powder case maybe?
Everyone was closely observing this object, sighing in a rhythm. I couldn’t fully
see it from here, but I guessed it was probably something beautiful. I was

interested for a brief moment, but it’s not related to me. Before I would get some
insulting comment again, I just decided to avert my gaze, and ignore it.
—But, that turned out to be a fatal mistake.
“Asahina, why don’t you come over here as well? I’ll show it to you.”
“…Eh?”
Nanase-san called out to me with an oddly kind and invigorating voice.

Honestly, I thought I had misheard for a second. After all, hearing such words,
out of her mouth, with such a tone, I would have never expected that to happen.
“Come on, no need to hold back.” She gave me a gentle smile, beckoning me
over.
“Ah…O-Okay!”
To be perfectly honest, I was a bit…No, I was really happy. I thought that maybe
I was finally allowed to be a part of this class.
“See, this.”
“Oh, how cute. Is it a portable powder case?”
Allowed for a closer glance on the object, I could see a beautiful design on it. It
had a thin pink color as its basis, flower ornaments all over, and I felt like it was
probably really expensive.
“Right? Why not try holding it? I got it from my Dad, and it’s from a pretty
popular brand.”
“Eh, really?”
Since she said so, I couldn’t help but stare down at it for a second. What would
happen if I accidentally broke it?
“No need to hold back. Here, take it.”
But, I couldn’t decline. More than anything, I wanted to get a closer look at it.
Losing against the temptation, I accepted the object from Nanase-san.

“Here you go.”
“Wah, wonder—Kya!?”
The second I accepted the powder case, I felt something hitting my back.
“Ah.”
That moment went by in slow motion. The powder case had left Nanase-san’s
hands, fell down before it reached my palm, and crashed onto the ground. And,
like a flower petal breaking apart, its pieces fell everywhere.
“What are you doing!?”
“I can’t believe you!”
The classmates around me started to grow noisy.
“Y-You’re wrong, this is…!”
Someone definitely pushed me right now…! But, when I looked around, nobody
was there.
“What are you doing!? You moron!”
“I-I’m sorry!”
But, someone pushed me! That’s why my hands slipped…! I wanted to say that.
But, I couldn’t. All I could force out were words of apology.
“This powder case I got as a birthday present! It’s worth several thousand yen…
how could you do that!?”
“I-It was that expensive!?”
Tears fell down from Nanase-san’s face. Ah, eh, what, what should I do about
this…! I was lost on how to respond, when my surroundings started their harsh
complaints.
“Woah, how clumsy can she be!”

“I feel bad for Nanase-san!”
“Is this how Asahina lets out her frustration? She’s the worst, wow.”
This wasn’t even a situation anymore where I could make any excuses. I could
only stand still in the face of this horror, when Nanase-san grabbed my shoulder.
With her nails stabbing into my skin, I let out a groan.
“I will tell your parents about this! They better repay me!”
“Ah, ugh…”
Following this initiation, the disparagement around me grew worse. I didn’t even
know what to do anymore. All I could physically do was stand still, as my body
shivered. Finally, Nanase-san seemed to have calmed down a bit, as her
shoulders relaxed, and her face was devoid of any expression.
“Well, I doubt you did it on purpose, so I’ll forgive you.”
“R-Really!?”
“Yes. However, I have one condition.”
Anything is fine! I will do whatever it takes! I frantically nodded several times.
“I see, you said it.” The corners of her mouth rose up, as she showed an ominous
smile. “Then…I’ll have you partake in a game, as part of your punishment!”
“A-A game?”
“That’s right. It’s a simple game, so you don’t have to worry.”
“W-What should I do?”
“Do you know this Iruma guy from class 1?”
The scenery from the other day flickered up in the back of my head.
“Y-Yes, I have heard of him…Year 1 class 1 Iruma Haruto-kun, right?”
“Exactly. That idiotic and perverted fatty. He keeps talking about some

sickening stuff, not even trying to hide that he’s some disgusting otaku.”
“He’s actually bothering us. Just him being around is ruining my mood.” From
behind Nanase-san’s back, Shouji-san’s face appeared. “Recently, he’s been
acting like he’s the boss around here, don’t you think he’s getting on a high
horse?”
“O-Okay…?”
“So, I want to make him learn his place. If this keeps going, our mental health
will definitely suffer from it.”
What are they talking about? I can’t follow the conversation at all.
“That’s why…Kuhyahyahya…we’re going to do a game!” Shouji-san raised her

index finger.
As I was bewildered, Nanase-san put her hand on my shoulder.
“You go and confess to that Iruma. And then, you two go out.”
“—Huh?”
She said it with a tone like she was asking me to buy something from the
convenience store for her.
“T-That doesn’t make any sense! Why, why…!”
“Really, how stupid can you be. Listen, he’s that much of a disgusting otaku pig
that he never once got a girlfriend before. What do you think will happen if a girl
with the looks of yours confesses to him?”
Ah, you don’t mean…!
“Of course, he’ll fall for the bait like the ape he is.” Nanase-san showed a chilly
smile, sending a shiver down my spine. “And, once you two really hit it off,
getting along and becoming a true couple—We’ll tell him that he had been
deceived this entire time.”
W-What are these people saying?

“Even if he’s as tough and disgusting as a cockroach, he’ll surely break down
from the shock. And after that, we can finally enjoy our calm and fulfilling
school life. We just have him learn his own place, see.” Shouji-san showed a
grin.
It looked as lovable as an angel’s. It almost scared me how collected her

expression was…and I couldn’t stop shaking in the face of that.
“T-That is too much, I think!”
“Huh? Do you seriously think you have any choice in this? Should I just tell
your parents about this?”
And also—Nanase-san waved her hand as she continued.
“Didn’t you say you’d do anything? Were you lying about that? Seriously?”
—She set me up! That just now was all acting! But, to only realize that now…
how could I be this stupid…!
“That’s…”
In all honesty, I wanted to say no. There’s the guilt of deceiving someone I don’t
really have a problem with, but more than anything, I want to freely choose my
own boyfriend. I want to confess out of my own feelings and desires. And now,
she’s telling me to become the girlfriend of the boy most hated in this entire
school!
But, I couldn’t say anything. If I said no here, I would be bullied more

excessively than before, and my parents would be forced to pay for the powder
case. There really is only one choice for me to take.
“U-Ugh…”
Hence, I—
“—I…understand…”
I had to choose the worst possible decision.

2
Time passed swiftly, as lunch break arrived. Normally, I would be out eating my
lunch now, but even as I had it in front of me, my chopsticks would not move. I
was forced to stay in the classroom, unable to do anything except waiting for
‘the time’ to arrive.
“Um…is this class 4? Excuse me!”
My body twitched. Ah, finally, he arrived, I see…
“Asahina? Your loved one has arrived. Fufu, aren’t you glad.” Torimaki-san
grinned, and called out to me, but I could not muster up any energy to respond.
Shortly after, the door of the classroom opened with a rattling sound.
“You have called, and I arrived! First-year class 1, Iruma Haruto at your
service!”
A slightly obsese boy entered the room, after proudly announcing himself. No
doubting it, it’s Iruma Haruto-kun.
“Can I talk to this Asahina-san person? I heard she has some business with me?”
Maybe because of his appearance and attitude, the people in the classroom grew
excited, as I could hear murmurs here and there…However.
“I had planned to finally settle our divine battle, but this timing is just awful.
Let’s get this business done, and leave.”
Together with his appearance, the atmosphere in the classroom froze up.
“Really, you know how to meddle with other people’s plans, Ryouichi. I told
you to wait in the classroom.”
“I didn’t want to risk being stood up. Today, we’ll definitely settle our score.”
“How much of a sore loser can you be.” Iruma-kun showed a giggle, tapping
Bizen Ryouichi-kun on the shoulder.
In the face of this unforeseen visitor, the classmates around me all were at a loss

on what to do. And, that was the same for me. Why is he here as well? Did they
call the two of them here together? Standing behind the two was Shouji-san, the
one whose job it was to call Iruma-kun here. However, rarely enough, her face
looked awfully pale, and I felt like I could see her body shake ever so slightly.
“H-Hey, Ria! Come here, right now!”
Nanase-san dashed over there, grabbed Shouji-san’s arm, and pulled her to the
back of the classroom.
“What is this, why is this guy here!? It’s way too dangerous for him to be here,
otherwise we might get found out! I told you to only get that idiot Iruma here!”
“Y-Yesh…! I tried, but he wouldn’t listen to me at all, just following me!”
“I figured something would go wrong, but to think this was it…”
The three girls were whispering to each other. Apparently, Bizen-kun’s

appearance was an unforeseen circumstance.
“A-Anyway, let’s move this story forward. Come on, Asahina-san!”
“Fueh?”
Suddenly, my name was called out. Not knowing how to react, Shouji-san
pushed my back.
“You have something to talk to with Iruma-kun, right?”
“Ah, y-yes…”
“You are Asahina-san?.” Iruma-kun asked.
“Y-Yes. The thing is, um…”
It was our first face-to-face meeting, but seeing him up close, I yet again was
lost on what to say. His belly was round, and his face made it look like it was
filled with red bean paste. He was the exact opposite of what you would call
handsome.
I already had problems dealing with boys, so now that I was forced to talk with a

boy like him, I couldn’t stop feeling awkward. What makes things worse is that I
only heard rumours about him from others. And if that wasn’t enough, I actually
have to confess to him!
Nanase-san must have seen me tensing up, as she stood in front of me, slightly
irritated.
“Hey, Iruma. You sure are a lucky fellow. This girl apparently likes you.”
“…Huh?” Iruma-kun blinked in confusion, and grew silent.
After this brief silence, he slowly opened his mouth, and tilted his head to the
side, looking confused.
“I can’t say I appreciate that joke. 40 points at best, I dare say.”
“D-Dare say? This isn’t a joke! Right, Asahina-san?”
“Ah, eh…Y-Yes.”
“Wha!?” Iruma-kun raised a voice field with shock, taking a knee on the ground.
W-Was that such a big shock for him…?
“Wha…wha…S-Seriously!?”
“Kya!” Iruma-kun’s scream took me by surprise.
“R-Really!? Y-You like me!? Eh, what? This isn’t a dream, right?”
“What kind of development is this…A shounen manga like this would get axed
right away, I tell you.” Bizen-kun commented.
Seeing Iruma-kun shake in joy, I felt a rush of guilt assault me. I felt horrible, as
I tried to suppress my desire to run away. I want to tell him that I was lying.
“Y-Yes. Um, I actually…”
“Awawwawa!?”
My words got stuck in my throat. I was standing on the edge of two choices.

Should I really confess here? Now, I could still take it back. But, even this one
last chance that I had—
“Asahina-san?”
—Was ruined by Nanase-san’s voice.
“Iruma…kun…”
“Y-Yes!”
Thump, thump, my heart hammered inside my chest. I couldn’t stop my body

from shaking. I really can’t escape this any longer.
“…I…like you. Please…go out…with me…” With a shaking voice, I forced

these words out of my throat.
“…”
…H-Huh? What happened? My head was hanging down, so I couldn’t see his
face, as I could only wait for his reaction.
“It seems like he froze up from the shock. Asahina-san, was it?” Bizen-kun
spoke up, to which I frantically lifted my head.
“Ah, yes…!”
“Sorry about this, but I think you’d best give up on this. He’s got no interest in
3D girls. He constantly talks about how he’ll offer his life to his 2D waifus and
all. And, I admire that courage. That’s why, it’d be better if—”
“I-I will gladly accept your confession!”
“Oiiiiiiiiii!?”
—When had he recovered? With a beet red face, Iruma-kun had stood up again.
“I-If you’re okay with me, then please! Please!”
Looking at him, his facial expression had changed into a bright smile.
Overwhelmed by this reaction, I couldn’t muster another word.

“Finally! Finally my own spring of youth has arrived! Ahh, I’m glad I never
gave up! Dad, do you see this!? I did it!”
“Hold on a damn second! What about that promise we shared underneath the
setting sun!? You said you’d offer your soul to the 2D God!”
“Ha ha ha, what might you be talking about, Ryouichi-kun. I don’t remember the
name of such a God.”
“Y-You bastard…!” I could see a vein pop on Bizen-kun’s face.
His glare was scary, really scary. And yet, Iruma-kun didn’t look bothered by
this in the slightest.
“Well, leaving Ryouichi aside… Asahina-san!”
“W-What is it?”
“A-Are you really fine with me? B-Becoming boyfriend and girlfriend, you
know.” He fidgeted with both his hands tied together.
That gesture made me feel even more uncomfortable.
“Y-Yes…Please.”
“Uuuu…Finally! I finally did it! I scored myself a girlfriend!” Possibly losing to

his emotions, Iruma-kun started crying. “I-I don’t care if this is a dream, just
don’t make me wake up!”
Was this really something of such an unbelievable level to him? He pulled on his
cheeks, moved away his hand, and repeated that a few times.
“A-Asahina-san! Thank you, thank you so much!”
“L-Likewise…”
—I’m sorry.
Seeing the boy burst out in tears purely caused by his joy, these words actually
reached up all to my throat. It felt like I would blurt out everything if I just
relaxed for a moment. I grabbed the hem of my skirt, desperately trying to

swallow these words again.

“Good for you!” Nanase-san and the others ‘congratulated’ me. “You two look
like a great couple. I seriously think so.”
“Y-Yes…thank you…very much…”
“…Hm?” Iruma-kun narrowed his eyes, like something caught his attention.
“Are you all really Asahina-san’s friends?”
“Huh? Of course we are. We’re her precious classmates, right?” Nanase-san

stabbed her elbow into my side.
“Y-Yes! We’re friends?” I panicked and nodded along.
“Well, if Asahina-san says so. Sorry for asking something weird like that.”
“Hey, Haruto! It’s okay now, right? Let’s go back. My right leg is itching today
for some reason…And it’s asking me to kick your ass back to class!”
“Now, calm down. But, you’re right, we shouldn’t make Shun wait for too long.
So, let’s go back.”
Iruma-kun still didn’t look fully satisfied yet, but he apparently couldn’t win
against Bizen-kun’s urging. He looked at me again, and lowered his head with
an apologetic expression.
“Sorry that I have to leave like this…If you’re okay with it, could we, um, go
home together? I want to introduce you to the others.”
“Ah, y-yes! With pleasure!”
I created the best smile I could manage, and saw him off. I could tell that the
corners of my mouth were twitching. Did he realize?
While I was thinking that, Iruma-kun and Bizen-kun left the classroom, finally
allowing me to take a breather. I lost strength in my legs, and sank to the ground.
For a brief moment, the room was filled in silence—
“Ahahahaha!”
Soon after, a roaring laughter ensued.

“Kyahahaha! You actually confessed to that fatty!”
“Did you see that? He started crying so happy he was!”
In response to that, I felt a sharp pain in my chest.
“Not bad! That was great, Asahina!”
“Ah, ugh…”
“Well, now is where the real deal starts, okay? I bet he’s still a virgin, so why
don’t you just go and take that while you’re at it?” The others in the class burst
out laughing at Nanase-san’s words.
“That was great!”
“A gloomy girl and a disgusting fatty, isn’t that the best possible combination?
Ahahaha!”
Today, I lied to someone. And it was the type that would eventually break his
heart. No doubt, I will regret this decision for a long time.
A-Asahina-san! Thank you, thank you so much!
Iruma Haruto-kun. What will he think at the end of this game, after knowing that
the confession he got so happy about was actually a lie?
…I felt scared of finding out about this.

Fake Boyfriend
The ruckus about the confession finally calmed down a bit, and classes came to
an end for the day. Just as my ‘boyfriend’ Iruma-kun had asked me to, I came to
the front of the school gate. He talked about introducing me to his friends or
something…These three together are the so-called Special Trio of this school.
Just passing by them, the other students visibly felt awkward, scared depending
on it.
“Asahina-san, let me introduce you. First, the one wearing glasses is Namikawa
Shun, my childhood friend.”
“Nice to meet you, I’m Namikawa. Please treat me well.”
These three apparently were used to the gazes from the other people around, as
Namikawa-kun introduced himself to me with a calm face and invigorating
smile.
“And, this guy’s been there before, but just to get it over with. He’s a bad
companion of mine, Bizen Ryouichi.”
“I’m Bizen. Nice to meet ya.”
“N-Nice to meet you as well…My name is Asahina Wakaba.”
“Oh, your given name is Wakaba-san? Your name is just as cute as you are.”
“Wait, you didn’t know?” Namikawa-kun had his eyes open wide after hearing
Iruma-kun’s words.

“Well, I didn’t even know what she looked like before meeting her today. Can
you blame me?”
“Yeah yeah,” Bizen-kun nodded.
From the looks of it, Bizen-kun wasn’t suspicious either about the ‘game’ we’re
having…I’m a bit relieved now.
“I see…Well, either way, I’m happy for you. Congratulations, Haruto-kun.”
“Though I’m still not quite satisfied, I’ll cheer for you, Haruto!”
“Y-You two! Thanks a bunch!”
Iruma-kun was surrounded by the two, receiving words of encouragement and

blessings. I watched this dazzling scenery in front of me, as I desperately tried to
ignore this feeling of guilt dwelling up inside of me.
“We finished our introductions, so we’ll take our leave here.”
“Indeed, the third-wheelers should be clearing the place.”
They both put one hand on Iruma-kun’s shoulders, and walked away.
“Huh? Leaving already? You could have come with us.” He complained.
“I got practice to worry about.”
“I have some other business to attend to. Then, Asahina-san, see you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow!” Iruma-kun waved his hand at the two, as their backs grew
more distant.
“You seem really close.”
“Well, they stuck with me even if I wanted them to or not. Though I can talk
about anything with them, so it’s a great thing for me.” He spoke, as his face
almost looked like he was bragging.
…Honestly, I was really jealous.

“T-Then…should we head home as well?”
“Ah, y-yes.”
I cast my face downward, and just when we were about to start walking, I felt a
gaze hitting my back. I turned around. From the position we were at, I could
clearly see the first-year classrooms. Hence, I could clearly make up ‘her’ face,
who gazed at us through the window.
“Nanase-san…”
Her glare, her gaze stabbing me right in the chest, looked to me like she was
urging me to do ‘that’.
“Um, what’s wrong?”
“N-No, it’s nothing!” My head frantically moved back towards Iruma-kun, who
showed a puzzled expression.
On the way home, Iruma-kun talked with me, albeit being very reserved. Most of
these topics were related to school, and mostly about the two people I just met.
He gestured a lot with his arms to make the stories seem more funny. If I had to
guess, he was trying to lighten up the mood a bit. But, the best I could do was
give empty nods and brief words.
There’s no way I could just tell him that I was being bullied at school. But, lying
about my school life was not an option either, since I didn’t know how much he
actually knew. To him, I must have seemed like an awfully boring girlfriend.
Eventually, the subject turned towards our favorite TV shows, music, or the
neighbourhood we lived in.
That should be fine. Although I felt a bit hesitant to tell him my address, that was
basically everything I had a problem with. Hence, I gave honest responses to the
questions Iruma-kun asked.
“Huh, I see. So your house is around here, Asahina-san.”
“Y-Yes. Just a bit more.”
Eventually, we made it to the part where we had to break up. His own house was

two stations further away from here, so I could say goodbye now. That meant
that today’s work is over. After just one more ‘assignment’, I finally will be
freed. He asked me if he should send me home, but I politely declined.
“Then, I’ll see you again at school tomorrow!” Iruma-kun said, giving his
farewell.
“Ah…”
“Hm? Did something happen?”
I gave a response devoid of any meaningful words, to which Iruma-kun tilted his
head in confusion. In all honesty, I want to say goodbye for today. But, there is
something I have to tell him, an ‘assignment’ I have to complete.
“W-Well…Um…the day after tomorrow, Saturday, do you have time?”
“Saturday? Err, I think I should have time there. What about it?”
I was hoping he would be busy. But, such a selfish wish would not be granted, as
expected. Now that it has come to this, I had to do it. I took a deep breath.
“Ah, well…if you’re okay with it…”
“Eh?”
“—Won’t you go out with me somewhere?”
—Saturday. With a gloomy mood, I walked towards the location we decided to

meet up at. I was heading towards my first ever date with a boy. I originally
wanted to create some precious memories with the boy that I had chosen, but
everything about this date was fake. No way would I ever treasure the memories
I will get today.
With these feelings overwhelming me, I realized that the speed I was walking at
went down drastically. My entire body felt heavier, making it hard to walk.
Letting out a sigh, I gazed up at the sky.

“Ah…”
It was a cloudy sky, almost as if to reflect what’s going on inside my heart. I

don’t want to. I don’t want this. I felt like crying. I wanted to complain while
stomping my feet. With another sigh, I booted up an app on my phone, and
checked the weather forecast. No matter how many times I checked, the cloud
icons on the map kept blinking, saying that the chances of rain weren’t too high.
If we had gotten a sudden downpour, the date would have been cancelled. These
cruel thoughts filled my head. But…
No…N-N-no way! A-A date event!? Yahoo, my life is the best!
I remembered Iruma-kun’s reaction to my invitation. His cheerful and delighted

attitude flashed up in the back of my head, sending a sharp pain inside my chest,
like I was stabbed by the guilt. Shortly after, I made it to the place we decided to
meet-up at. I took out my smartphone, and checked the time; 8:12 am. I had
more than 15 minutes until we were supposed to meet up. I happened to arrive
quite early, but he—
“Ah…!”
We planned to meet up at the water fountain of a public park. In the dead center
of said park, I found a round, familiar face. I thought I was nervous, but he
seemed to be even beating me, as his entire body shook wildly. He looked like a
chicken just born into this world. Subconsciously, I held back my voice.
“A-Asahina-san! Over here!” Iruma-kun frantically waved his hand at me.
I can’t ignore him. Unable to do anything, I could only walk towards him.
—I have to look happy. So that he really thinks I like him…Smile, Wakaba.
“Did I make you wait by chance?” I created the best smile I could, and called out
to him.
“O-Of course not! I just came here myself!”
And there, the conversation stopped. I didn’t know what to say next. And, he
was probably the same.

“Um…W-Well, we still have some time, but why don’t we head there already?”
Iruma-kun was the one to break the ice, and spoke with a cheerful voice.
“Y-Yes, I don’t mind.”
I felt relieved, and started to walk after him. I felt bad for Iruma-kun, but the
gazes around us started to get to me. It made me feel even more uncomfortable.
So much that my smile I created was about to break down again. Of course,
Iruma-kun had no knowledge of this. Just like that time we had walked home
together, he talked normally about this and that. I did feel grateful towards that,
but that didn’t clear up the muddy feeling inside my chest.
“I-It’s such a shame that the weather isn’t playing along on our date! B-But!
We’ll just enjoy ourselves all the same.”
“No, it’s fine…I don’t…really care…”
“I-Is that so! I-I’m glad to hear that! Ahaha…!”
Finally, we made it to our destination. It was a movie center set up inside a

shopping mall. This was today’s showpiece.
“Hmm, it’s pretty crowded.”
Since today was not a weekday, a lot of families and couples filled the shopping
mall. Not just at the ticket register, but also at the food corner, rows were
everywhere.
“Now, what movie should we watch? You said you were fine with everything,
but maybe a romance movie instead of action or horror?”
“Uuuum…”
When talking about popular date spots, the movie theater must be ranking pretty
high. It lets you pass the time, and doesn’t make you wait too long. That is why I
advised that. As for the genre, I answered I was good with everything, but now
that we’ve come here, I probably had to change my choice a bit. I really did not
want to watch a romance movie with him.
“Let me think…Why don’t we watch that popular one?” I said, and pointed at a

poster.
“Ahh, ‘White Lily Robot’, huh. Yeah, I wanted to watch that as well, so let’s do
that! I wonder if they still have two seats open.”
“Ah, I’ll go buy—” I felt bad for always pushing him around, so I planned to
buy the tickets.
“Ah, it’s fine. I’ll go buy them, so you just wait here!”
“Eh, b-but…”
“No worries, no worries! I’ll be right back.” He said with a smile, and went to
the ticket register.
Watching him walk off, I was assaulted by an unfamiliar sensation. That reminds
me, when was the last time someone was this considerate towards me outside my
family? I couldn’t even remember. With complicated feelings, I stood frozen in a
daze, waiting for his return.
Soon after, the lights went out, wrapping us in darkness. Together with the short
usual movie theater warnings, advertisements for upcoming movies started
playing. Futaba always hated this kind of ‘time’, complaining that we came here
to see the movie, so we shouldn’t be forced to watch all of this. She’s such a
hasty girl, and pretty cute at that.
Just by remembering this, I was about to break out in a smile, which I barely
managed to hold back. For just a second, I got excited there. It’s been so long
since I’ve watched a movie. I was about to forget that I was actually on a date
right now. Then again, since I’m here already, I might as well go enjoy it.
With these thoughts, the advertisements came to an end, and together with the
label of the movie maker appearing on-screen, the main deal started. Just as I’ve
heard, the movie was pretty interesting. A younger yuki-onna living on a
deserted island in the far seas meets a robot boy under unexpected
circumstances, and they slowly start to get along.
Finally, we get into the climax of the story, as the protagonist and the heroine
have to say farewell due certain circumstances. In the face of this, I started to
feel a bit emotional, when it happened—

“…Eh?”
Suddenly, a warm sensation was covering my hand. W-What!?
“Kyaa!?” Subconsciously, I let out a shriek, and pulled back my hand.
In doing so, another voice came from beside me.
“Awa! I-I-I’m so sorry!”
“Uuuu…”
Because of this sudden occurrence, tears built up in my eyes. I could tell that my
heart was beating faster than ever. N-No, I’m scared…!
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! I just…Ahh, I’m really sorry!”
When I finally got my breathing under control, I saw Iruma-kun, looking like he
was about to break out in tears himself, as he apologized. Then, I finally
understood what just happened. Apparently, Iruma-kun had been wrapped up in
the atmosphere of the movie, and tried to hold my hand. Knowing him, he
probably didn’t think too much of it. And why would he, it’s something natural
to do, since we are in a relationship.
“I-I’m fine. I’m sorry for suddenly pulling away my hand.”
“N-No, you don’t have to apologize for anything! Ahh, I really did it now…
What am I doing…!”
We’d be bothering the people around us at this rate, so I stayed calm and
continued to watch the movie until the end. But, I couldn’t even remember what
the ending of the movie was. All I could was feel this sensation just now in my
head again, as my body trembled in fear.
Finally, the lights inside the theater turned on again, as several people around us
stood up. There were even those who shed tears at the conclusion. However, we
weren’t even able to show any reaction like this, as we just rushed to leave the
theater. This awkward atmosphere continued even as we walked around inside
the mall. No conversation began, and I grew worried that the day would end on
such a note.

“Asahina-san! I’m very sorry about that just now! Let me apologize again!”
Iruma-kun spoke up after a long silence, lowering his head with a serious
expression. “It’s just, I have no experience whatsoever. I never went out with a
girl before, so I didn’t know what to do and what not to do.”
“Y-You don’t have to apologize like that…”
“If you’re okay with it, won’t you let me make up for it? It’s a bit early to eat
dinner, so why don’t we walk around the stores for a while?”
He must have been considerate of me again. It was great that he was the one to
break the ice, and I honestly felt thankful.
“Y-Yes, I’m totally fine. If you like to do so Iruma-kun, then we can.”
“Thank you very much! Then, for starters…” He turned his big head, looking
around.
I did the same, looking at various stores around us, but I eventually was
overwhelmed with the amount of people, finding no worthy candidate. On top of
that, this is my first time coming to this mall. I rarely go out except school, so I
wouldn’t know what to choose.
“Oh? Why not that over there?” Iruma-kun snapped his fingers. “It’s perfect to
spend some quality time, so let’s head to that game corner, shall we.”
“Ah, yes.” I gave a nonchalant answer, and followed after him.
When we approached the establishment, a lively music reached my ears. The

closer we got, the heavier my feet felt. But, in the end, I was taken along by
Iruma-kun, and entered through the doors.
“Woah…”
As I expected, the inside of the establishment was abnormally loud. I heard

gleeful voices coming from every corner. There seemed to be a lot of children
around, as they played with their parents or friends.
“…This is pretty amazing.”

Inside the establishment, I could see several game machines (?) lined up next to
the other. There were claw crane game machines…what is that, a fishing rod?
And, over there, it’s horse racing? Wow, I can’t even fathom how you would
play these games. It’s my first time coming here. But, besides this anxiety I felt,
I found a bit of excitement as well.
“Hmm, they’ve gotten even more games now. Asahina-san, is there something
you would like to play?”
“Ah, um…I’m sorry, I never came to this sort of place…”
“I see! Then, let me show you around!” He showed a warm smile, walking ahead
of me.
The main type of game here seemed to be working with medals, which you can
buy for money. I was about to take out my wallet, when Iruma-kun put in a bill,
receiving back several silver coins.
“Um, I’ll pay for it! You even paid for the movie tickets.”
“But, you bought the drinks, right? We’re just being even now. I was really
happy about that. It might sound weird when I say it like this, but you really are
thoughtful, Asahina-san.” Iruma-kun scratched his cheek, and carried the plate
with all the medals on top of it.
If you want us to be even, then why don’t I just pay for my own share…But, it
seems like Iruma-kun won’t step down from this. I don’t know if it’s him being
special, or if all boys are like this on a date…
“Then, let’s use some of this right now. Talking about games that are fun for
everybody, maybe some UFO catcher? But, the cranes here are pretty weak…
and the prizes are not the greatest…Ah, I know!” Iruma-kun pointed at a certain
machine, and beckoned me over with his other free hand. “Asahina-san, you said
you liked quiz TV shows, right?”
“Ah, yes I did. What about that?”
Now that he mentioned it, we talked about our favorite TV shows that day we
walked home together.

“Then, how about we do this?”
We approached the machine, when I could see a cute fairy (?) on top of it, wings
growing from her back, as she flapped her arms and legs.
“Putting it in simple terms, this is a quiz game. You are given a question, and
press the button on the screen to choose the answer, so even beginners can play
this easily.”
“Wow, there’s a lot of games out there.”
Looking closer, that fairy held a wand in the shape of a question mark. Reading
the manual to the side, you have to tap the wand on the screen to move forward
in the game. I wasn’t too interested, but since he invited me, I might as well join
for a bit. Feeling slight excitement, I sat down on the chair. As I did, a jingle
played, meaning that Iruma-kun had put in the medal.
“Welcome to the Wonderland of Magic!”
The screen lit up, and I heard a voice. The game had begun.
“In order to defeat the Tetra Dragon who brings despair to humanity, solve the
quiz and obtain the legendary weapon!”
Several cute characters appeared on the screen, explaining the story. During that
time, Iruma-kun explained how to operate the game. I apparently had to use this
fairy puppet in front of me to touch the screen, which will bring up questions
that I have to solve inside the time limit.
“Um…Where is the Yamanashi Prefecture’s prefectural office located? Wasn’t

this…”
Although I was a bit perplexed at the fact that such realistic questions came up in
this fantasy-themed game, I already knew the answer. As possible answers
given, I had…
A: Koufu
B: Southern Alps

C: Koushuu
I just have to choose my answer now, right?
“Hmpf, a difficult question right off the bat…I think that the Southern Alps are
rather suspicious though…!”
Yeah, it’s Koufu, right. So I have to choose A…
“Correct!!”
“W-Woah!?”
Following my choice, a loud cheer came from the monitor, as the music played a
celebrative tune. Does this mean…
“I-I was correct?”
“You guessed it right! Amazing!” Iruma-kun clapped as he said. “I had no idea!

Asahina-san, you’re so clever!”
“I-It wasn’t that big of a deal…” Met with this sudden praise, I grew flustered
and tried to deny it.
But, Iruma-kun apparently saw this as me being modest. He’s happy for me like
a child. I-Is he being serious? I’m not used to being praised like this, so my body
was twitching a bit.
“E-Ehehe…”
But…It didn’t feel bad.
“Now, let’s keep going! We’re aiming for a perfect run!”
“Y-Yes!”
A comfortable voice gave me a push, as I turned towards the screen again. And
then, an odd time began.
“The place of origin of corn…? It’s not just about Japan?”

“…Um, I think I’ve seen that on TV before. If I remember correctly, it was in
Central America.”
Iruma-kun and I continued to solve all the questions thrown at us.
“A battle where an army of one million soliders lost against merely three
thousand…? D-Did something like this really happen?”
“Ah, I’ve seen that online before. What was it again? It was a famous episode
with Liu Xiu, and the name had a kanji in it with sun or something.”
“Hmm…? So, this Battle of Kunyang?”
Sometimes we thought about it together, and sometimes we arrived at the answer

at the same time.
“Wow, I had no idea. So the origin of the word ‘marathon’ came from an ancient
Greek city.”
“To say it more accurately, apparently it was associated with a Greek messenger
who ran from the Plains of Marathon to Athens to report the Greek’s victory.
Ah, talking about that—”
Depending on the subject, I even got a bit too into it, and talked about more than
just the question.
“Alright! Correct!”
“Good job! Keep them coming!”
—Without a doubt, I was having fun.
“I-It’s time for the final question!” I myself had gotten excited more than I
would have imagined.
“It’s my first time getting this far. Now, let’s get a perfect score!”
“Yes!”
Futaba often played games on her phone, but I was rather bad at dealing with
them, so I never touched too many. That’s why I only played them when I was a

child. But, a lot of games I just stopped midway and never completed any of
them. That being said, having come this far, I wanted to clear the game without
making any mistakes. Now, what will the last question be…
“Oh, it’s in English, I think?”
“Ehhh!?”
Please translate the meaning of In my book you should stop smoking.
—That’s what it said on the screen. Oh no! I’m really bad at English. With the
other subjects, I can get good to great grades, but English is always a battle.
“Of all the things, an English question as the final one…!” But, I didn’t even
have time to complain.
After all, we were working under a strict time limit. Think! Calm down, and
carefully think this through! Let’s take a look at the possible answers…
A: In my book, it’s written that you should quit smoking.
B: In my opinion, I think you should quit smoking.
C: In my book, it gives you a method on how to quit smoking.
U-Um… I know all the basic words in the sentence! That’s why, in that book, it
should talk about smoking. That would mean that B is out. But, with questions
like these, the one that’s the most different in context is often the correct one.
But, there’s no guarantee that this is the case here…!
Ahh, my head is a mess. All I could see in front of my eyes was the timer slowly
nearing zero. Now that I’m completely at a loss, there’s nothing I could do
anymore. It’s a bad habit of mine. I can’t choose anything, can’t decide on
anything. That’s why I can never pull through with anything, never complete a
game. The counter has reached thirty seconds. It’s too late now—
“…The word ‘book’ has a lot of meanings, right.”
“…Eh?”

“Booking or registry, there’s lots of things. With just a different context, its
meaning changes entirely.”
I suddenly heard a calm, reassuring voice, and turned towards it.
“Iruma…kun…?”
“This is one of those ill-tempered questions. That’s why, you just have to choose
the one that’s different from the two.” He had his eyes closed, and carefully
chose his words. “I don’t like being left out, nor do I want others to feel that
way. That’s why, shall we take this answer into your own group of ‘correct
answers’?”
Being left out—these words reverberated inside my chest. Because I felt the
same. I don’t want the answer to be left out just because it’s different. That’s
why, there’s only one correct choice here.
>B: In my opinion, I think you should quit smoking.
“Correct!”
When I tapped the wand on the screen, an even louder music played, sounding
like an orchestra congratulating us.
“We did it! We cleared all the questions!”
I was left baffled, when Iruma-kun waved his hands with a beaming smile.
“We did it…? A-Ahaha! We did! Yes, we did it!”
A second later, a sense of pride and accomplishment filled my body. It was just a
game, a way of passing time, and yet I couldn’t be happier! This joy I haven’t
felt in a long time, after finally achieving something. It won’t stop. I’m super
happy!
“But, we cleared the last question thanks to you, Iruma-kun. You’re good at
quizzes as well, aren’t you!”
“Eh, I’m just a bit above average in English…Haha, in everything else, I’m a
good-for-nothing.”

“No need to act modest! I think you’re amazing!”
I wonder why. I’m surprised at how energetic I was saying that. Iruma-kun was
bewildered for a second, but eventually showed a bashful reaction.
“Asahina-san, are you tired? If you’re still good to go, why don’t we try out
some other games?”
“Y-Yes…with pleasure!”
Normally, I’d probably act more modest while answering, but now I just agreed
without thinking about it twice—And what followed after was just as amazing.
“This is so much fun! This fishing game feels like it’s the real deal!”
Iruma-kun taught me about all sorts of games I had never seen before.
“I can really recommend this! You can play it together, so why don’t we go for a
round?”
I can’t even put into words how surprisingly pleasant of a time it was.
“Ah, it’s already this late.”
Before I realized it, the time had already pointed towards 1pm. We entered this
game center at around 11am, so we’ve been in here for more than two hours
now.
“I’m starting to get hungry now, so why don’t we go eat lunch? There’s a
delicious restaurant around here. If you’re okay with it, we could—”
Lunch…Ah, right! I forgot!
“U-Um, about that…”
“Oh, are you not hungry yet by any chance? If so, we can just—”
I didn’t wait for his response, and instead took out that from my bag. Two
rectangular boxes were illuminated by the light inside the mall. Nanase-san
forced me to make this lunch box, in order to quickly make progress in this
‘game’.

“…Eh? I-Is this!?”
“Y-Yes, a lunch box.”
“Asahina-san’s homemade lunch box?”
“Yes. Is something wrong with that?”
Suddenly, Iruma-kun started talking like a robot, just like in that movie we
watched before. W-What happened with him? And why is he staring at the lunch
box so aggressively!? Is there something wrong with…
“—Ah, I see! I-I’m sorry! I didn’t tell you I would prepare this!”
He must have looked for a restaurant just for today. He might have even
reserved a location already! I imagined Iruma-kun becoming furious at my
mistake, as my body started to shake.
“Oooooooooooooouuuuuhhhhh!”
“Hyah!?”
Or so I thought, but he started to scream right away!
“Wha…wha wha wha!?”
What just happened, what is going on!? I was baffled, when Iruma-kun
continued to scream.
“A girl’s homemade lunch box…! The ultimate artifact, even beating any
legendary weapon, is right in front of my eyes! Waaah, I’m so glad to be alive!”
“U-Um, calm down, please!”
From the looks of it, he didn’t seem angry, but this reaction is still embarrassing!
“Being alive is the best thing ever!” He started crying, not bothered by the
people around him.
He always wears his expressions on his face, changing in a matter of seconds.

How do I say it, I never get tired of looking at him…

3
“How about here? We should be able to eat in peace.”
“Yes, sounds great. I’m glad we found this place.”
Following Iruma-kun’s recommendation, we came to a public hall. With several

other activities going on, they had prepared desks and chairs for people to sit at.
“I often come here to use this place. The first floor is almost always open, so a
lot of families visit here.”
We were already half-way into November. With barely any sun around at times,
it was fairly cold outside, so I’m glad we found a place to eat inside.
“Still, Asahina-san, your homemade lunch is really delicious!”
“T-Thank you very much.”
“This is delicious as well! And this! Ahh, I’m so happy…”
Just as his outer appearance suggested, he could eat a lot, and made everything
look even more delicious. He moved the chopsticks in a rhythmic manner, as the
lunch box continued to lose its contents. He looked really happy, overtly
delighted, and when I looked at him like this, I myself started to feel all weird
inside.
—Even though I didn’t even make this lunch box with this kind of intention.
Nanase-san and the others told me to make a lunch box for today’s date. They
probably wanted to make quick progress in the game, so that Iruma-kun and I
could get along even better. Knowing this, my heart felt as heavy as stone while
making this. But…
“It’s so delicious! I could stuff myself with just the tamagoyaki themselves!”
“…Fufu.”
If he’s that happy about it, then making it wasn’t that bad of a thing after all. Yet
again, my own thoughts surprised me.

Iruma Haruto is a very odd person. He openly shows any possible emotion,
never complaining, never badmouthing anybody or anything. Although not
many days have passed since I started talking with him, he seems fairly different
from what the rumours are saying.
I was actually really worried that he would shower me with all this lewd game
talk, and the whole otaku blabbering in general, but there were no signs of that.
If anything, he’s acting very considerate towards me. His attitude and behaviour
allowed me, who was usually bad at talking with new people, to speak freely.
He’s a type of boy that I’ve never met before.
“Ah, I’m sorry, I was just so engrossed in your cooking!”
“Ah, no, it’s fine!”
“Still, you really are skilled at this. You’re much different from my Mom at
home. Are you often cooking?”
“I often help out my Mom. My little sister is bad at cooking, rarely enough, so I
decided to help instead, and that’s how I had gotten much better.”
As it turns out, that girl is bad at dealing with detailed handicraft. It’s weird.
Even though we’re siblings, we have different things we are skilled at.
“Ah, you have a little sister as well? So you live together as four people?”
“Yes, that’s right. We’re pretty close.” I like talking about my family, it
brightens up my mood. “My little sister Futaba is my pride, you know? Unlike
me, she’s bright and cheerful. She’s also a very skilled athlete, and really loves
me!”
“My, I’m quite jealous about that. We’re pretty different at home.”
“Mom is pretty scary if she gets angry, but besides that, she is always
considerate and kind.”
I always admired Mom, who was soft and elegant. When did I start speaking so
politely again to copy her?
“And, my Dad has a bit of an odd hobby, but being the only man, he is quite

reliable.”
“Odd hobby?”
“He likes gathering these plastic models…Bandam, were they? His room is
filled to the brim with them.”
My Mom is fairly open-minded, so she overlooks his excessive hobby most of

the time. There was one time where his room was filled with boxes of the plastic
models he didn’t even build yet, and she was attacked by an avalanche when she
went to get him for food. To me, they all look fairly the same, but that shouldn’t
be the case for him. He always looks like he’s having fun building them, so I end
up smiling myself.
“I love Bandam as well! The M91 is just a godlike…Ah, not good.” Iruma-kun
quickly stopped himself.
“What’s wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing. I just thought that your father sure is lively.”
Yes, he is! I pushed my body forward, and started telling of the Dad I was so
proud of.
“My dad is very kind, and always fun to have around!”
“…You really like your father, don’t you, Asahina-san.”
“Yes. My Mom, my Dad, and Futaba! I love everyone!”
My family is more important to me than anybody else. I could talk about them
for hours. Iruma-kun even seemed like he would be willing to listen to me for
that entire time.
“Um, what about your family, Iruma-kun?” Before I realized it, I asked that
question.
I was curious about these people who raised such a cheerful boy.
“Hm? My family?” He continued to grin, as he raised one index finger. “My Dad

was a middle school teacher. He often taught me and warned me about my
manners.”
I didn’t expect that. These two couldn’t be further apart.
“He got a cheerful personality, so he was pulling off stupid gags here and there.
Though he ended up as a crybaby when he drank too much.” Iruma-kun said, as
his words were brimming with energy, like he was having fun talking about it.
“Well, he was pretty strict when he got angry, but he’s still my important old
man.”
“I see…”
“And, my Mom is the exact opposite! She hates losing. There was a bargain sale
at a nearby supermarket, and we stood in the cold at 4am, waiting for it to open.”
4am!? That is some crazy willpower.
“I wanted to stop her, but Mifuyu—My little sister was all on board as well, so I
was forced to come with them…”
“Ah, you have a little sister as well, Iruma-kun?”
I hadn’t heard about that before. So his family also consists of four people? It
made me feel a bit closer to him.
“Yep, she’s fourteen right now. Mifuyu’s the name. Unlike me, she’s got the
looks and the smarts. Maybe it’s because of this that Shun—Namikawa is head
over heels for her. If he’s even got a free second, he immediately goes to text
her.”
That Namikawa-kun has feelings for Iruma-kun’s little sister? I can’t even
imagine that.
“But, she’s not that much of a lovable sister. In reality, she’s a hardcore sadist.
She most likely knows about Shun’s feelings, which is why she’s leading him
around, enjoying herself…”
“Ahaha, t-that sounds like a lively family.”

“You can say that again. I never get tired of them!” Iruma-kun shrugged his
shoulders, but he still looked like he was having fun.
I had imagined that Iruma-kun’s family must be just as lively as him. Finding
out about his family, it’s fairly similar to what I had expected. But, as I was
thinking that, Iruma-kun suddenly started fidgeting nervously.
“B-By the way…There is something I would like to ask.”
“What is it?” I tilted my head, to which his eyes ran all over the place.
He took two, three deep breaths, and spoke up—
“A-Asahina-san, what do you like about me!?”
“Eh!?”
Met with this sudden question, a baffled voice escaped my mouth.
“Ah, um…well…!”
This is bad! I thought of several things to answer that question if it came up, but
now that it’s happening in reality, the words won’t come out of my mouth!
“Ah, I-I’m sorry! I was being too inconsiderate, right!”
“N-No! This is, well…” I panicked, and my tongue felt like it got stuck.
I have to say something. Anything, or he’ll get suspicious.
“Ah, you don’t have to say anything if you’re uncomfortable, okay? I was just a
bit interested, that’s why—”
“Dad! Look over there!”
“…Eh?”
A shrill boy’s voice reached our ears. In a panic, I looked around, and found a
boy seemingly around the age of a kindergartener. With a super excited
expression, he pointed over at us…or rather, at Iruma-kun.

“There’s a giant pig wearing clothes! What is that!? Some costume!?”
The boy was overtly honest, and way too much at that. He used his words with
no restraint whatsoever, leaving me even more flustered.
“Crazy! I’ve never seen a pig this close! So they can get this big!? How much
pork cutlet would you be able to make with this?”
“U-Um, Iruma-kun…”
I tried to follow up with a ‘He’s just a child, he doesn’t know any better’, but I
was already too late. The boy realized that we were looking back at him, and
came running towards us. Following that, he closely observed Iruma-kun,
walking around him.
“Looking at it up close, it’s even bigger! And, it’s as white as a seal’s baby! A
white pig!”
“Whiteness on the level of a seal, huh. You got some good eyes, young man.”
Although the boy probably didn’t have any ill intentions with his words, it must
have hurt Iruma-kun nonetheless—or so I thought. On the contrary, he didn’t
seem bothered in the slightest.
“Hey, Taichi!” A roar came from a bit further away.
Looking over at the direction, I spotted a fairly young man. He must be the
father of this boy. He came running towards us with a pale expression, grabbing
the boy by the neck.
“Apologize right away! This person isn’t a pig, but a human!”
“Really? The human body is amazing!”
“Don’t just admire it, and apologize already! I’m sorry, this child just keeps
being rude…!” The man grabbed the boy’s head, forcing him to lower his head
towards Iruma-kun.
“I’m used to being treated like a pig, so don’t worry about it. Um…Taichi-kun,
was it?” Iruma-kun went down on one knee to meet the boy’s gaze. “Do you like

pigs?”
“Yup! I love them! Their oinking is cute, and they’re delicious!”
“I see, I see. Pork cutlets are indeed delicious. My Dad and I often eat them
together.”
“Really? So does Pig-san…ah, no, um…” The boy apparently accepted the fact
that Iruma-kun was a human, but didn’t know how to call him.
In the face of that, Iruma-kun gently rubbed the boy’s head, smiling at him.
“Me? I’m Iruma Haruto. Can you say it? Ha-Ru-To!”
“Haruto, I see! Nice to meet you!”
“Hey, show your respect to him! Ahh, this child is just…!”
“He’s an honest kid, isn’t he. Nice to meet you too, Taichi-kun.” They shook
hands, and smiled.
How can he get along with an unfamiliar child this quickly, not to mention right
after he was being treated as a pig? Iruma-kun and Taichi-kun quickly started to
forget about us, talking about all sorts of things.
“Sorry that we had to bother you. I’m guessing you were on a date?” Taichi-
kun’s father gave me an apologetic gaze as he started talking to me.
I’m bad at interacting with people I don’t know. No matter what I do, I end up
stuttering, not knowing what to say.
“Ah, no, that’s…”
“He really doesn’t know any delicacy. I wonder who he got that from,” the man
let out a sigh.
He must be having a rough time. And yet, the gaze he directed at Taichi-kun was
kind and invigorating. They must be really close.
“Hey, Taichi, you’re bothering these two. The movie is about to start, so let’s
go.”

“Ah, that’s right! We’re gonna watch a movie today!”
“Oh, a movie, huh. We watched one this morning.”
“Really? We’re going to watch Penguin-san!”
“Ah, that anime. It’s gotten pretty good reviews, so I was planning on watching
it myself.”
I heard about this anime as well. They broadcasted it on TV. Wasn’t it about…
“There’s even lots of flower shops appearing!”
…Huh? I don’t remember that.

1
“Ah, you mean the eight million gods? I keep telling you, it’s not flower shops .”
Ah, that’s right. I remember now. The gods lose the faith of the humans they
protect, and are about to disappear as a result of this, when a penguin goes to
save them.
“It’s not flower shops?”
“It’s pretty simple. We say eight million gods because they’re so many here, you
can’t even count them!” Iruma-kun seemed fairly knowledgeable about this, as
he opened both his hands to explain himself. “They reign over fire, water,
thunder, and I’m sure there’s even one for toilets!”
“Even for toilets!? Gods are amazing! I’m even more looking forward to it now!
Dad, let’s go!”
“I got it, I got it. Before that, you say goodbye to these two, okay?”
Finally, these two walked away from the public hall. An energetic boy, and a
kind father, it’s such a dazzling scene. I wonder if Iruma-kun feels the same
way. I gave him a sideways glance. He was still looking after them. Was it just
my imagination, or did he seem a bit saddened while he did so?
“…Should we continue our lunch?”

“Ah, y-yes!”
I was still a bit confused on what even just went down, but Iruma-kun seemed
like he didn’t want to talk about that. Even though he was smiling so naturally a
few seconds ago…
After that, we finished our lunch, and stepped outside the hall again. Because of
a different reason from this morning, the atmosphere between us was awkward. I
knew I had to talk about something, but the words just wouldn’t come out.
“That kid sure was energetic, right.”
“Ah—Y-Yes, indeed.”
He must have been considerate of me again. That’s always the case when he
talked to me like that.
“But, you sure know a lot, Iruma-kun. To think you had an explanation for the
whole eight million gods idea.”
“It’s just some trivia. I like these types of stories.”
“Hmm…?”
Iruma-kun was smiling as he said that. I think it’s pretty amazing that he could
give a young child such an easy-to-understand explanation even though it’s such
a complicated topic. I sure would not have been able to pull that off.
“But, the anime Taichi-kun talked about sounds really sad. Being forgotten by
someone, just disappearing, I don’t even want to imagine that.” I said.
I can’t help but compare it to my own situation. It makes me think that nobody
might even realize if I left, and it leaves me anxious. Interrupting my thoughts
was Iruma-kun, suddenly coming to a halt, as he looked up at the sky. Did I say
something I shouldn’t have…?
“In this world, there might be things that we can’t even hope to perceive with
our own eyes.” He spoke in a gentle tone.
“Eh?”

“I think that, even though we can’t see them ourselves, ‘they’ must be there to
protect us, always.”
He suddenly brought up such a subject, leaving me confused.
“They? The gods, or fairies?”
But, it didn’t seem like he was ridiculing me or anybody, so I happened to join

in. It reminded me of a fairy-tale my Mom told me before. That they are
everywhere around us, helping us humans in our daily lives.
“Oh, the viewpoint of a fairy is pretty interesting! Did you know? In certain
Western traditions, they say people who pass away turn into fairies. Except for
those that are special individuals, nobody can perceive them, making them fairly
similar to a Japanese ghost.”
A ghost…just like that heroine of the movie we watched this morning. Only the
robot could see her, but her voice couldn’t be heard. She must have been really
lonely.
“—I think that they might be all around us. Inside the fire, water, and even this
ground we stand on.” Iruma-kun picked up a bit of dirt from the ground. “And of
course—inside the wind passing us by as well.” The dirt inside his hand was
carried away by the breeze hitting us.
It was an odd, wondrous scenery.
“I’m sure that everyone believes in them to a certain degree. That they exist, and
protect us. No matter how much time may pass, and even if we were to pass
away, they would never be fully forgotten. That’s why, no matter how painful,
how lonely it may be, they can live with it. Because they have their memories
with them.”
I had forgotten to breathe, focussing my entire being on listening to his words.
“Would you believe me if I said I can actually talk to fairies?”
“E!?”
“I recently met one, and they told me something very interesting. They said that

Asahina-san is a very kind and considerate girl.”
“E-Ehhhh!?”
Because of his sudden words, my head ended up in a daze. What did he just
say…?
“Just kidding~”
But suddenly, he showed a teasing grin!
“Ah, you deceived me! Was everything just now a lie!?”
“Ahaha, you’re too pure, Asahina-san!”
He totally deceived me! Then again, why did I just believe him!
“You are just…”
“Are you feeling better now?”
“—Eh?”
I was about to give him an earful, when he suddenly cut me off, as if he had
aimed for that moment.
“H-Huh?”
There, I realized it myself. These melancholic, lonely feelings that had plagued
me have vanished entirely.
“You seemed down the entire morning, leaving me worried. W-Well, what
happened in the movie theater was my fault…” Iruma-kun said, bashfully
scratching his cheek. “It seems like I don’t have to worry about that anymore.
Thank god.” He showed a relieved sigh.
“Ah…”
What…was that? Just now, my heart…suddenly feels so light, and at ease…I

think, I might be glad that I came here today. It wasn’t a bad…date. It was really
fun. I truly feel that way—But.

“…!?”
My peaceful feelings were blown away by my phone giving off a notification. I

had saved this melody for a certain someone, so that I could immediately
identify who that sender was, and of course…
Nanase Ikumi: How’s your date going? Lol. Send me the picture already.
For a second, my heart shook. I was forcefully reminded that reality was like
this.
“W-What happened?”
“It’s nothing. Excuse me, but I have a request.” Just by saying these words out
loud, I felt a sharp pain in my chest.
“I-If it’s something I can do, then gladly!”
“…Sorry, and thank you. Then—” My hand holding my phone was shaking.
“Could we take a picture together?”
A bit after that, we were talking on our way home. Although it was a bit early,
Iruma-kun must have thought I was tired, as he was the one who brought up the
idea of leaving it at this for today. The guilt kept stabbing me in the chest. And, I
felt like crying at the realization that I was glad after hearing his words. On the
phone screen, I could see the picture we just took a while ago. Since I received
the ‘order’ to take a picture with him, I had no other choice but to obey.

Concerning Iruma-kun, I certainly don’t hate him as much as I did before. If
anything, I think he is a pleasant boy to have around. But, this and romantic
feelings are different. I couldn’t see myself dating him for real.
—And, I really hated myself for thinking that way.
“Asahina-san, you still look a bit pale. How about we take a break over at that
bench there?” He said, and pointed at a bench in front of a store inside the
shopping district.
“Yes…Thank you very much…”
I didn’t even have any energy left to really respond, just sacking down on the
bench.
“I-I often come to this store, so a bit of break should do the trick. I’ll go talk to
the manager here!” Iruma-kun said, rushing inside the store, only for him to
come back with a bottle immediately after. “I just got permission, so don’t
worry! Ah, here, I brought you some tea!”
I gratefully accepted the bottle, and ran a bit of it down my throat. The warm tea
calmed me down a bit, but made me feel like breaking out in tears just as much.
Just how long did I wait now? I’ve calmed down by quite a bit. But, I don’t want
to restrict him too much…I mentally prepared myself to calm out to him with the
words ‘I’m okay now, let’s go back’, but…
“Ah!?” Iruma-kun suddenly let out a loud voice.
“W-What happened!?”
In shock, I looked over at him, when I saw his face glued to the window of the
store, staring inside. I wonder, what’s inside this store anyway? I never checked
because of the circumstances before. Slightly embarrassed, I looked up at the
sign.
“Aoi Model Shop…?”
Model…Maybe they sell plastic models here? Dad often says that he rarely finds
a store for these, so this one must be a rarity.

“Ah, s-sorry! Are you feeling better?” Iruma-kun guessed my gaze, and turned
towards me.
“Eh? Ah, yes. I’m sorry that you had to worry about me. More importantly, what
were you looking at?”
“N-Nothing at all! It’s not anything important!” Iruma-kun frantically tried to

divert the topic.
Is there something in there that interests him? I was wondering to myself, when
the door opened, and a man came out.
“What’s wrong, Haruto?”
“Eeeek!?”
A gigantic man appeared, looking like he could touch the clouds in the sky. He
had a beard, with the glare of a bear that just woke up from its hibernation. At
his neck, he had some sort of accessory, possibly a round necklace.
“Ah, Manager. Thanks for letting us borrow this bench!”
“All good. More importantly, is that Lady over there feeling better?”
Ma…nager? Is this bear the store manager here? Oh yeah, he is wearing an

apron with a logo on it…
“Yes, thanks to you. Ah, Asahina-san, this is the store manager of this model
store, Aoi Masahiko-san. His face might be a bit scary, but he’s a good guy.”
Even if you say that, the first impact this man gave off was shocking. It makes
me feel like I’m a zoo, directly meeting a bear.
“M-My name is Asahina. Thank you for letting me rest here…”
“No no, don’t mind it. But, you’re Haruto’s girlfriend? I never expected this guy
to get a girl!” The store manager let out a hearty laugh.
That alone made me feel a bit more relaxed.
“Ehehe, that’s a bit embarrassing~”

“I’m glad there’s girls out there with weird tastes as hers! I might turn into a
believer in the face of this miracle!”
“None of your business!”
“Now now. More importantly, were you interested in this?” The store manager
pointed at something through the glass. There, I could see a box, slighter bigger
than the others around. That’s a plastic model, right?
“Um, what is that?”
“That? I could finally get a version of this model in my own sortiment. It was a
lot of trouble getting that.”
I see, so it must be something rare. I had no idea plastic models had a rarity to it.
“No no no, I’m more worried about Asahina-san! I’ll do my shopping trip
another time, so we’ll go home today.”
“Yeah, I figured. But, it might be sold out the next time you get here.”
“Eh, really?” I asked.
“Yeah, there’s other peeps who really want this one, and I can’t just put it aside
for you. In this case, it’s first come first served.”
“Ugh…!” Iruma-kun’s expression was distorted in regret. “I-I don’t care. I can
buy other plastic models another time! And if it’s sold out, I can just buy it
online!”
He could just forget about me, and buy it. Seeing that he was forcing himself, I
felt my chest hurt again. Thinking about it, I only knew a small portion of how
considerate he was towards me today. That is why I wanted to at least give him
some freedom at the very end.
“I don’t mind? I’m feeling much better, so why not buy it?”
“B-But…!”
“It’s okay. Come on, let’s head inside.”

“U-Ugh…My girlfriend is so kind, I can’t believe it!” I showed a wry smile
towards the teary-eyed Iruma-kun, and entered the store.
Plastic models are my Dad’s precious hobby, so I’ll use this chance and learn
some more about it. I looked around, and spotted countless plastic model boxes
lined up, seemingly categorized. There’s robots, armies, planes, even mecha
armor (?) models and female figurines (?). So that’s what a model shop looks
like inside. Just looking around is pretty fun.
Out of interest, I took one into my hand. It was the box of a white robot, and the
alphabet letters written below were probably the name of it, but I couldn’t read
it. That reminds me, Dad has a similar model to this…it looks pretty cute
actually.
“Hmm~ Hm hm~” I heard someone humming and turned towards the source.
He must have been pretty happy, because Iruma-kun almost looked like he was
dancing, walking around inside the shop. I wonder which one he’s going to buy?
I was a bit curious, and followed after him.
“Which one are you going to buy?”
“Ah, this is a SD-sized robot model of the AA Warrior. It’s always fairly hard to
get!” Iruma-kun’s eyes were sparkling, as she showed me the box he was
holding. “This one here is part of the Golden Dragon Emperor formation. From
the first generation to the fourth, the emperor’s plastic models all have special
parts to them that fit together in a set! The third emperor is especially cool! If
only he had a lighting saber attached!”
“Wow, there’s a lot to consider, I see.”
I don’t really get it, but since he was getting so fired up, I knew it must be
something rare.
“That is fine and all, but are you sure you should be talking about this in front of
your lady? You’ll get dumped at this rate.”
“Gyaaaaah! I did it again!” Iruma-kun suddenly raised a scream, rolling around

on the floor in agony.

It looked like a straw in Western plays, making me think of him as cute for a bit.
“E-Even though I tried to not talk about otaku stuff in front of her…! I ruined it
all!”
“Well, that’s life, isn’t it. I’ll give you this, so cheer up, lad.”
“Isn’t that…A Banpla? And, a model of the Light Gunner? It looks really
old…?”
“Yup, I’ll give you a discount! Just for a hundred yen, you can have it!” He put
down a plastic model box on the counter.
“You’re just clearing stock, aren’t you…”
“Don’t be like that. Why not give it to the young lady.”
“Huh?”
The conversation suddenly turned towards me, leaving me baffled. I really

wonder if that would be a worthwhile gift on a date for a girl. Apparently,
Iruma-kun felt the same way, as his face tightened up.
“Are you a moron!? As if I could give this to her as a present!!”
That’s right, even if it’s in good thought, this is just…Huh?
“Ah, this robot…” I remembered seeing that design.
I think Dad built one like this before. Knowing this, I couldn’t help but stare at
it. If it’s the same model that my Dad has..then maybe I wouldn’t mind.
“I was joking, but…Lady, are you interested in that one?”
I must have been staring at it, because the store manager called out to me.
“Ah, y-yes…”
“See, your girlfriend wants one. Two thousand yen, and they’re yours.”
“Eh, what, huh—”

“Thanks for your patronage!”
The store manager would not listen to any complaints, as he had already finished
packing everything. Iruma-kun just watched the store manager in a daze, as he
handed me the plastic bag.
After we finished the payment and left the store, Iruma-kun showed a sigh.
“For crying out loud, that store manager really doesn’t know when to stop. I’m
sorry about that, Asahina-san, he must have been a bother, right?” Seeing his
apologetic attitude, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.
“N-No, not at all! If anything, I’m happy about this!”
“R-Really? Then, feel free to take it home.”
He did offer to help me in building it, but I politely declined. There seem to be
necessary tools, but I figured I could just borrow them from Dad. And, after we
finished talking about building that, the conversation ended.
Even on our way home, we didn’t talk much. I was fairly tired from everything
that happened today after all. Soon enough, I could see the train station. Since
we lived in the opposite direction, this was our time to bid farewell.
“Then, I’ll be taking my leave here. I had a lot of fun today…”
“Are you really okay without me taking you home?”
“Y-Yes. I live fairly close, so don’t mind me.” I showed the worried Iruma-kun a
kind smile.
“T-Then, see you next week, Asahina-san!” He lowered his head with a cheerful
voice.
Until I got onto the train, he continued to wave his hand at the train platform. For
some reason, the sight of his remained inside my heart.
“I’m back!”

“Welcome home, Onee-chan! You’re home pretty early. It’s only 4pm, you
know?”
I made it back home, when Futaba came running towards me out of the living
room, leaping at me.
“You were out watching a movie with friends, right? How was it? Was it fun?”
“Y-Yes! We talked about the movie after we finished watching it, it was great.”
With my usual smile, I gave my usual lie.
I’ve gotten used to this pain assaulting my chest.
“Where’s Mom and Dad? Shopping?”
“They both went out for dinner today. They said they’ll spend some time
together, because it’s been so long. They sure are not getting older!”
“I see, so you were a good girl, and decided to stay at home so that you won’t
bother them.”
“Right right! Praise me some more!” Futaba rubbed her cheek against me, acting
as lovable as ever.
Just as she hoped for, I gently rubbed her head, to which she narrowed her eyes
in joy.
“Ah, I know! I’m going out tomorrow myself! A friend of mine has a birthday
party!”
“O-Oh…I see.” So that my jealousy wouldn’t overflow, I quickly moved away.
I don’t want my precious little sister to know of these feelings. I immediately

rushed up to my room, and collapsed on my bed. As if she had waited for that,
Nanase-san sent me a LINE message. She must have seen the picture we took.
I bet she’s going to ridicule me again, I’m just barely good enough when they
need something to laugh about. I didn’t even have the courage nor energy to
check her message. My stomach hurt, and I buried my face in my pillow to hide
the tears. There, my arm hit something laying on the bed. It was the plastic bag

with the plastic model inside.
Oh right, this is the very first present I received from Iruma-kun…After I

hesitated for a brief moment, I opened up the wrapping, and took out its
contents. When I took the box into my hands, I could tell that it was fairly big.
On the cover of the package was a strong-looking robot, holding a gun in a
heroic pose.
Opening said box, many many parts inside small vinyl bags greeted me. If I
remember correctly, I just have to put the parts together…
“Ah, there’s a manual in there.”
I checked inside the short manual, which explained how to build this model, and
a few details about this M-Suit. Um…the Union used this unit in their army, a
large-quantity M-Suit type ‘Light Gunner’, was its name. Basically, this unit was
mass-produced, and a lot of pilots used this same machine.
These words made my heart ache. Why can’t I become the same as everyone?
Bullied at school, and even my very first lover is nothing but fake. I don’t need
to be someone special. I just wanted to be the same as everyone…! Why can’t
my wish be granted?
“Ugh…uuuu…” Tears came streaming down from my face. “I don’t want to do

this anymore…I want to be the same as everyone…! I don’t want to be the only
one left out…!”
My field of view grew darker. My consciousness grew hazy, and I felt myself
drifting into a slumber. I can’t anymore, I’m tired. Let’s just sleep like this. But,
right before my consciousness cut out—
Asahina-san.
For some reason, my cheeks relaxed a bit, and the boy’s kind smile would not
leave my mind…
1 Taichi says ‘Yaoya’ (=Flower shop), but it’s actually Yaoyorozu no Kami,
which is the idea that there exist eight million gods in the Japanese Shinto belief

Earnest Boyfriend
Classes came to an end. I leaned against the school gate with my back, and
looked up at the sky. A week has passed after that first date. Ever since then,
there hasn’t been any development with Iruma-kun. We do head home together,
but during lunch time, we eat separately. Inside my student life, Iruma-kun
barely shows any common ground. Even the plastic model is just laying on my
table at home, as I haven’t touched it ever since.
I just honestly didn’t feel like working on it, although I felt bad towards Iruma-
kun. But, there was still something that changed inside of me.
“I’m here!”
“Ah…”
“Sorry that I’m late, Asahina-san!”
“Fufu, it’s fine. Let’s head home, shall we.”
I felt less of a resistance in walking together with him.
“You know, that Ryouichi. He kept blabbering about that competition again and
again.”
“Bizen-kun seems the type who doesn’t let up once he’s fired up…Also, you
weren’t agitating him further, right?”
On our way home, we always talked about what happened during the day.
Iruma-kun was good at speaking himself, but also a comfortable listener. He

would lively tell stories that happened today, but equally listened to my own
stories with a smile, giving comments here and there. It allowed me to talk
freely. It definitely wasn’t a bad time. It made me think that this kind of
relationship was just fine for me. But, of course, they were nearly not satisfied
enough.
“So slow!”
It was morning, a bit before homeroom would start. Inside the noisy classroom, a
raging roar passed through the rows of students.
“B-But…”
“You’re not a grade-schooler, okay? You have no intentions of taking this

seriously, do you, huh?” Nanase-san glared down at me, hammering her hand on
the desk.
“T-That’s not the case…!”
“Are you talking back to me? At this rate, the game will never end! Do you even
understand the reason behind all of this?”
“Calm down, Nanase-san.”
To my surprise, Shouji-san lent me a helping hand. She smiled at the irritated

Nanase-san, and kindly tapped me on the shoulder.
“She knows what she has done, so no need to worry.”
But, her eyes weren’t smiling. Instead, it felt like she glared right into my soul,
as she whispered at my ears.
“Am I wrong, Asahina-san~?”
“N-No, you’re correct…”
Her facial expression looked lovable, but her words sent a shiver down my
spine.
“Can’t help it then. We’ll give you a bit of a push, so better be thankful.”

Nanase-san’s mouth relaxed, as she said. “You never went out with a boy, right?
Then, you never kissed anyone before, did you.”
“Eh? Y-Yes, that’s right…”
What is she talking about? I don’t understand why Nanase-san would suddenly
bring that up. But, whenever she showed a reaction like this, I could tell that it
wasn’t going to end good for me.
“Great, it’s decided then! On the next date, you go kiss that white pig!”
“Wha!?”
For a second, I couldn’t progress what I was just told. That’s how much of an
impact these words had for me.
“P-Please, not that! I…I can’t do that!”
“Moron! You think you have any right to decline in this? Just do as you’re told,
will you!?” Yet again, a roar came from Nanase-san, gathering the attention of
all the students, who grew excited in their own groups.
Of course, they weren’t showing sympathy or shock. They were enjoying this. I
want to say no, but I can’t…I’m so pathetic. I can’t speak out for myself.
“Ugh…”
Hence, just as before, the only response I could give, was—
“I…understand…”
—In front of my devilish classmates, I was forced to nod.
Sunday arrived, as my mood and psyche couldn’t have been worse. Today will
be my second date with Iruma-kun, and I have to kiss him. Even more than
before, the guilt nabbed away at my heart.
Looking up, the sky was as clear as it could have been. The breeze hitting me
made me feel a bit chilly, but it’s much better than the downpour we had

yesterday. The sky is so comfortable and invigorating, yet I keep thinking about
my own problems, it’s such a waste. I couldn’t hold back a sigh, as I found a
puddle near me.
It felt like my feelings kept sinking deeper and deeper, into an endless puddle. If
I was too careless, I might just go home right now, because I can’t take it
anymore..I knew I shouldn’t be thinking about this, and yet…Soon, I would
make it to the place we planned to meet up at. I decided to at least enjoy myself
until it’s time for the kiss. Just like on that previous date.
Looking at the time, I made it there 20 minutes earlier. But, knowing Iruma-kun,
he probably arrived way before me. I remembered his joyful face when I invited
him out for a second date. It made me feel a bit relieved for some reason.
However, as if to betray my thoughts…he wasn’t there.
“Huh?”
I arrived in front of the bookstore, but I didn’t wait at the wrong place, right?
Ah, he might be inside to pass the time. With that thought, I looked inside, but
couldn’t find him either. With his outer appearance, there’s no way I’d miss him.
Well, it’s still time left until we were supposed to meet up. I decided to wait for
him this time, since I made him wait before, so it’s just fair. But, because I had
nothing else to do, all these various thoughts filled my head, like the ‘game’, and
—him. Honestly speaking, I don’t hate Iruma-kun. If anything, I like his
personality. But, seeing him as a lover is an entirely different matter.
Even now, I hesitate to hold hands with a boy, so I don’t even want to imagine
what comes after. I don’t think I would be able to do that. On top of that, kissing
someone I don’t even have feelings for, isn’t that just rude towards him? Plagued
by all these thoughts, the best I could do was wait for his appearance.
…Weird. We were supposed to meet up 30 minutes ago…what happened to

him? Maybe I was waiting at the wrong place after all? I thought back to our
conversation, and confirmed my surroundings. Yeah, I shouldn’t be wrong.
Then, why? Why hasn’t he come yet? I checked my phone, but Iruma-kun did
not send me a message or anything. Being late, and not even contacting me, it’s
weird. We haven’t been dating for too long, but he doesn’t seem like that type of
sloppy person. Just when I was about to put away my smartphone, I realized.

—That’s right! I can just call him myself! Why did I never think of that. I booted
up my LINE app, and moved to his account. But, there, my fingers stopped. For
some reason, I was hesitating.
—At this rate, our date might be cancelled.
I heard a voice like that from somewhere within me. Yes, I’ll just wait a bit
longer. Maybe his train is late. Just…a bit longer…
But, even after waiting for another thirty minutes, he did not show up. I was
starting to grow worried. Maybe something had happened after all. For now, I
have to contact him, and directly call him—But, it happened right after when I
made up my mind.
“Eh, an incoming call!?”
A familiar melody started playing, and information on the call displayed on my

phone. To my surprise, it was from the very person I was just about to call.
“Yes, hello? Iruma-kun, where are—”
“I-I’m sorry!”
Before I could even ask anything, I heard Iruma-kun’s apologetic voice.
“I’m terribly sorry for making you wait like this! Some urgent business came up,
so I don’t think I can make it!”
“Ah, really?”
Thank god, he wasn’t in an accident or anything like that.
“I’ll definitely repay you for this! I really will! I’m sorry!” Hearing him
apologize this desperately, I was plagued by guilt again.
I told him not to worry, which finally allowed him to calm down a bit himself.
“I really don’t mind, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow, at school…” I cut the call.
A faint sigh escaped my lips. No doubting it, I was relieved. But, for a bit…for a
really small bit, I felt like it was a shame.

“Now then, what should I do next”
It’s still too early to eat lunch. My feet were frozen stiff since I stood still for
more than an hour, so I decided it would be good to take a walk.
“It’s been a long time since I was walking around by myself.”
I was feeling much better now. Maybe I should make my way over to the
shopping mall I visited with Iruma-kun a while back. I could play some more in
the game corner there.
“Oh, aren’t these two…”
A bit further away from me, I spotted a familiar father and son. Taichi-kun and
his father, wasn’t it. They’re going out again today huh. I guess this must be a
crazy coincidence, running into them each date…Then again, this time it got
cancelled.
“Dad, he’s not here either?”
“Just where did he go…With how he was looking, we should be able to spot him
right away…”
Are they looking for someone? They seem to be a bit nervous. I was a bit
curious, but we only met once, so I didn’t want to meddle with their business. I-
It’d be weird, right? Judging like this, I wanted to walk away again, telling
myself this was fine.
“Not good, I can’t find him at all. Where did he go!?”
“One more time, let’s look for him one more time!”
I could still hear their conversation at my back. Maybe they were having some
trouble? I couldn’t help but be curious about it. I stopped my feet, and thinking
back on it, I’m really glad I did.
“Yeah, you’re right. I hope he’s doing okay.”
“Will he be? Haruto-niichan won’t die, right!?”

—What!? W-What, what did he just say!? But, before I could understand the
meaning of these words…
“W-What is going on!? D-Did something happen to him—to Iruma-kun!?”
Reflexively, I started running back towards the two.
“You are from back then…! I’m so glad to see you!”
“Nee-chan! Because…because of me…Haruto-niichan did…” The boy’s

adorable face was drenched in tears and dirt.
Just what happened!?
“Calm down, Taichi! …Sorry, you must have been on a date today, right? And
yet, this happened…” The father tried to calm down the bawling Taichi, and
turned towards me. “The thing is…”
According to Taichi-kun and his father, this is what happened.
These two wanted to visit a newly-built theme park, and went out. I heard of that
place myself. It has 3D games, which makes it popular with the younger folk, or
something like that. I remember hearing Iruma-kun talk about it, and that we
could stop by if time allowed it.
“…On the way there, I happened to run into a good friend from my student
days.”
Taichi-kun’s father met a friend that sold handmade accessories and other small
articles at a street corner. It had been a long time for the father to meet that
person, so he let Taichi-kun walk around a bit, as he talked with said person. He
got so absorbed in the conversation that he didn’t even pick up on Taichi-kun’s
disappearance. Said Taichi-kun was walking after someone wearing a costume
to advertise the park, and got separated from his father.
He ended up all alone inside this unfamiliar town, with no people around him
that he knew. In the end, the person who passed by in front of the crying Taichi-
kun—was Iruma-kun. After hearing about the circumstances, Iruma-kun cheered
up the boy, and offered to help look for his father. That’s very much like him.

However, because this park was still new, and the weather couldn’t have been
better, people were everywhere, making the search more difficult.
“There was no police officer at the police box. I also forgot to take the note with
me, which had Dad’s number written on it…so I couldn’t contact him…”
Taichi-kun said, casting his face down.
I felt bad for him. Of course he would be worried in a situation like that. Yet,
Iruma-kun did not give up, and continued to encourage Taichi-kun, running
around everywhere, and finally managed to spot the man.
“He just saw me on the other side of the pedestrian crossing, and started running.
The traffic light was red, but he didn’t realize, so then…”
He must have been happy to see his father. But, because he just ran towards him
without checking the traffic light, he ended up right in front of a truck driving
down the street.
“Haruto-kun suddenly jumped ahead, and pushed Taichi away. Thanks to that,
he didn’t suffer any grave injuries, but as for Haruto-kun…he slammed his body
right into a puddle…”
“N-No way…!”
“His entire body was dirty, and I couldn’t even tell if he was hurt or not. I rushed
over there to check up on him, but he just kept asking me what time it was.”
“S-So then?”
“He screamed about being late, and panicked, only to suddenly run away while
shouting ‘Asahina-san, I’m sorryyyyy’. Overwhelmed by the situation, I didn’t
even see where he ran off to…so we could only search for him.”
…I was at a loss for words. To think something like this happened!
“If you happen to find him, could you contact me? He saved my son, so I want
to thank him…and, more than anything, I want to confirm if he’s safe! If he hit
his head, he might suffer from a long-lasting injury if he doesn’t get that checked
out!”

Taichi-kun’s father gave me his business card. All I remember was that I
accepted the card, and promised to contact him—Because right after, I was
already running towards the train station. Iruma-kun should be using this train
station. Although not much time has passed, if I’m lucky—
“…Ah!”
I found him! That familiar appearance, there’s no mistaking it!
“Iruma-ku—”
I was about to run over to him, when I lost my words. His appearance was
grotesque enough to leave me baffled. Just as Taichi-kun’s father mentioned, he
was dirty from head to toe, as dirty water and mud dropped to the ground
wherever he walked. His clothes, which looked rather expensive, had holes
everywhere, or even fabric missing at certain places.
At first glance, it didn’t look like he was bleeding anywhere, but his appearance
was painful enough for me to almost avert my eyes.
“What’s with that fat pig? Ugh, he’s so dirty! Some homeless guy or
something?”
“Woah, disgusting…Don’t look him in the eyes!”
Voices of contempt and disgust came from everywhere around him. While being
under the full impact of these voices, Iruma-kun lifelessly walked on ahead. He
did not even bother to wipe the dirt off his clothes, nor did he attempt to dry
them, as he left traces wherever he walked. At the same time, the onlookers’s
voices grew only more violent, as they even took out their smartphones, taking
pictures of him.
“—!”
Seeing this, my chest started to burn up, filled to the brim with anger. They don’t
even know what he went through, and yet they treat him like this…! This might
have been the first time I felt this angry in my entire life. I was about to open my
mouth, giving these onlookers a lecture, when someone else appeared.
“What happened, Haruto-kun!?”

“Hey, what are you doing!?”
I reflexively hid in the shadows as I heard two loud voices.
“Hose are…Bizen-kun and Namikawa-kun?”
The two people of the Special Trio rushed towards Iruma-kun.
“Shun…and Ryouichi…? Why are you here?”
“That’s my question! Shouldn’t you be on a date with Asahina!?”
“I second that! And, how did you end up like this?”
“T-This is…well…”
“Ah, hold on a second.” Bizen-kun looked around him, glaring at the onlookers.
His eyes were running red, and even I felt like running away without being
targeted. “What are you looking at…? Piss off!”
Receiving Bizen-kun’s roar, the people around them quickly started to disperse
like small spiders. My hair was standing on edge.
“Now then, since the annoying folk are gone, we can talk. If they dare take some
more pictures, I’ll smash their phones and their faces in.”
“Don’t be like that. But, he’s right, Haruto-kun. What happened?”
“Um, well…” Iruma-kun looked around in shame, as he scratched his cheek. “I-I
just tripped! I’m such a klutz, haha!”
Eh, what is he saying…!
“Don’t make fun of me! How would you end up like that just by tripping!?”
“That’s right.”
“No, I’m not lying. It’s really what happened.”
“Haruto-kun…”

“You bastard, acting like that again…!”
Indeed, that lie was hard to believe even if you wanted to. Even I could not. But,
for whatever reason, Namikawa-kun stopped Bizen-kun, who grabbed Iruma-
kun’s shoulder.
“I see. Well, you’ve always been a klutz.”
“Shun!?”
“Ryouichi-kun, he himself says so. Isn’t that fine?”
Their two gazes met, as invisible sparks flew, heating up the air. But, that only
lasted a moment, when Bizen-kun was the first to avert his gaze.
“…Tch, I get it.”
“Sorry. And, thanks, you two.” Iruma-kun said and averted his face, to which
Bizen-kun crossed his arms in a sulking manner.
“But, looking at you, today’s date is…”
“…I told her I had some urgent business come up.”
“You…”
“…I’d just embarrass Asahina-san if I talked to her like this, right?”
…Eh?
“I’m fine, really. No matter how much they laugh at me, insult me, I’m used to
it. It’s nothing new. But…but, if it’s the one girl who said she liked me, I
can’t stand her being laughed at because of me…”
Drip, drip, a different liquid from mud and dirty water fell to the ground,
coming out of the boy’s eyes. My legs shook. My field of view shook, as I
couldn’t even keep up the strength to stand, just sacking on the ground—That’s
how much of an impact his words had for me.

“Sorry! You even cheered for me, but I ruined it all! I even made Asahina-san
wait in this cold for more than one hour…Ahh, I really am the worst.”
“…For crying out loud, this is just like you, Haruto-kun. You don’t have to
worry about us.”
“But, Asahina-san…”
“Well, making her wait that long without contacting her is not good, that I can
agree on. But, you just have to make it up to her again, right? Not like this will
break you two apart.”
“Right, you ain’t gotta worry like this. Just apologize to her tomorrow.”
“…Yeah, I will. Thanks, you two.” Iruma-kun wiped his face with the
handkerchief he received from Namikawa-kun, as he showed an embarrassed
laugh.
“Let’s do something about these clothes first! If you went home like this, that
shitty woman, and more importantly your parents would be worried about you.”
“Right. I’ll prepare some clothes for you, so go wash your body first. And, let’s
get you checked at the hospital as well. Gotta make sure that you didn’t hit your
head anywhere.”
“Ugh, the friendship is making my eyes all watery. Must be the sweat.”
“Disgusting.”
“Yup, that it is.”
And there, the two walked away. I at the same time felt so pathetic, my body
wouldn’t even move. The best I could do was watch them walk off into the
distance.
If it’s the one girl who said she liked me, I can’t stand her being laughed at
because of me…
His words would not leave my ears at all. I pressed one hand on my heart, trying
to suppress these turbulent feelings—and walked away myself.

I was on my way home, walking along the way as I was spacing out. A few
minutes ago, I contacted Taichi-kun’s father, and told him that Iruma-kun went
to the hospital, and that he didn’t have to worry. But, nothing more than that.
Explaining everything was too tiresome for me.
A cold breeze hit my burning cheeks. For some reason, my body felt hot. Did I
catch a cold? I’ve been feeling weird this whole day. I touched my cheeks, trying
to calm down the heat emitting from it—
“Waaah! I can’t find it!”
I suddenly heard a childish crying voice. That’s… a park? Did something

happen? I remembered the incident with Taichi-kun, and started walking
towards the voice.
“Maybe it’s her?”
The second I entered, I could immediately find the source of the crying voice. A
young girl, probably a third- or fourth-grader maybe, was looking around.
Normally, I’d ignore that. But, today, I was acting weird.
“What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
“Hic…hic…M-Mom’s errand…because of Keigo-kun and the others…”
The girl could barely force out any words, finding trouble to give me a proper
explanation. Just like Iruma-kun, I lowered my waist, and gently rubbed her
head. I wiped the tears away with a handkerchief, and talked to her until she
calmed down a bit. Finally, after hearing her out, this is what I gathered.
This girl—Haruka-chan—has a classmate called Keigo-kun that’s a bit of a

ruffian. She happened to run into him, had her bag, given to her by her mother,
stolen, and hidden inside this park. If she doesn’t find it soon, she’ll be scolded
by her mother.
Really, there’s bullying kids everywhere. I subconsciously saw myself in the

girl.
“Alright! Onee-san will help you!”

“Eh, really!?”
“Of course. Let’s hurry up and look for it.”
“Okay! Thank you, Onee-san!”
After that, we looked everywhere for the bag, but couldn’t find it still. The park
wasn’t too big, so it should not be too hard to spot an object, and yet…
“Ah, don’t tell me!”
I came up with an idea, and looked up at the tree standing in the center of the
park. We finished searching in all the other places around the vicinity. The fact
that we still can’t find it means that it might be hidden at a place where Haruka-
chan can’t even reach it, meaning a high location, or at a dead angle. With these
thoughts, I reached into the thicket of the tree above me, and felt something with
a fabric sensation. Bingo!
“Found it! It’s here, Haruka-chan.”
“Really? Thank you!”
I brushed the dirt off the bag, and handed it to Haruka-chan. The contents were
still all inside apparently, so Haruka-chan was allowed to sigh in relief.
Following that, she showed me a beaming smile. I’m really glad that we found
it. For some reason, even I myself have gotten happy about this. I planned on
heading home now, but Haruka-chan grabbed my arm. Looking at her, she was
holding my hand, as she grinned.
Well, I don’t have any urgent business, so a bit of talking with her wouldn’t hurt.
I sat down on a nearby bench with Haruka-chan, and I enjoyed a bit of
conversation with her. She told me about all sorts of things. About her family,
her friends, and the boy she likes. Even about her powder case she bought at a
street shop, holding onto it every single day. What grabbed my interest the most
was her slightly different subject of ‘friends’.
“Ren-chan, is it? You’re keeping a dog, huh.”
“Yup, she’s my most precious friend! She’s more of an Onee-chan than me!”

Haruka-chan really liked Ren-chan from the sounds of it. She told me of her
daily life, filled with clumsiness and love.
“So then, so then, Ren ate Papa’s favorite meat snack, and got scolded to the
point where she ran away! It was a lot of work to calm her down and get her
back.”
“Oh my. You really are close with Ren-chan, aren’t you.”
“Yup! We sometimes fight as well. But in the end, she just rubs her head against
my tummy and we make up. She listens to whatever I say, and prioritizes me
over Mama and Papa even!”
The one to jump in for her whenever she was bullied, or had trouble dealing with
something, was always Ren-chan. The reason she was crying this loud before
might have just been in hopes for Ren-chan to come here. Whenever she’s sad,
she can just cuddle with Ren-chan. That alone gives her the courage to keep
going tomorrow. But, suddenly, Haruka-chan’s face grew clouded.
What happened, I wonder? I grew worried, and asked her, when she muttered
something under her breath.
“The thing is, I think that things can’t keep going like this. Mama and Papa
always say that Ren can’t be there forever. And, that I shouldn’t rely on her too
much.”
“Haruka-chan…”
“Ren’s lifespan is shorter than an average human’s, they said. In terms of dog
years, she’s already at a good age, so one day, I’ll have to say goodbye to her.”
Once that time comes, it must be really hard for Haruka-chan. But, I found
myself surprised at the girl thinking about life and death so earnestly, and ready
to accept it.
“But, once that time comes…No! Even after that, nothing will change! Ren will
always be my precious friend!”
“…I’m really jealous.”

Just thinking about it must hurt this small girl, and yet she said this, brimming
with confidence.
“Do you not have someone like that, Onee-san?”
“…Eh? Someone like Ren-chan?”
“Yup! It doesn’t have to be a cat or dog, someone like Ren for you. Someone
who’s always with you, someone who you want to be together with!”
“Someone like Ren-chan for me…”
Asahina-san.
“—!”
For some reason, his face flashed up in my mind, which led to my cheeks
burning up.
“Ah, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have asked that…”
Haruka-chan apparently misunderstood my reaction as her being inconsiderate,

and apologized.
“N-No, it’s okay.”
But even as I answered that, these words just now would not leave my ears,
when—
“Woof, woof!”
“Ah, Ren!”
A black shadow came running towards us from the entrance of the park. I
couldn’t even ready my body in time, as that shadow jumped at Haruka-chan,
licking her face. It was a big dog with black fur. I don’t know the race, but its
masculine face looked fairly strong. That must be the rumoured Ren-chan.
“You escaped outside again? You can’t do that, Mama will scold you again.”
Haruka-chan said so, but she was smiling.

A joyful aura emitted from her body.
“Onee-san, this is Ren. Ren, greet her, okay? She helped me before.”
“Woof!” Ren-chan turned to face me, and sat down politely as her tail kept
wagging behind her back.
It’s almost like she understood Haruka-chan’s words. What a well-trained dog
she is.
“Hello there, Ren-chan.” I carefully touched her face, but she showed no signs of
rejecting it.
“Wau, wau!”
After I rubbed her head for a bit, Ren-chan turned over to bite the hem of
Haruka-chan’s skirt, as if she was rushing her about something.
“What’s wrong, Ren? …Ah, right! I still have to finish my errand!” She must
have gotten too engrossed in our conversation. “Sorry, Onee-san, I have to get
going now.” She jumped off the bench.
“It’s fine. I’m sorry that I kept you here so long.”
At Haruka-chan’s request, we exchanged our contact information. She

mentioned that she wanted to meet up and talk again. I was pretty surprised to
see grade-schoolers even have their own smartphones nowadays, but I didn’t
mind. I’m really glad that I got two new friends like this.
“I’ll definitely repay you for this, Onee-san! Bye bye!” Haruka-chan waved her
hand, as she ran out of the park with Ren-chan.
What a healthy child she is. She didn’t have to worry about that. Watching the
two run off, I got up myself, and left the park after me. Oddly enough, I felt that
my heart had warmed up.
Early in the morning, I rubbed my eyes, as I made my way to school. Too much
happened yesterday that I couldn’t get enough sleep. After I split up with

Haruka-chan, I told Nanase-san that our date had been cancelled. She did doubt
me, and even called me to complain, but this wasn’t something I could do
anything about.
That being the case, I was worried what they would say once I came to the
classroom. Just that alone made my head hurt. Eventually, the school gate came
in sight, and I was forced to mentally prepare myself for another tough day.
Thinking about that, I was about to walk through the gate, when—
“A-Asahina-san!”
“Y-Yesh!?”
Not good, being called out like that had me give back a weird response! I turned
around in shock, only to find a familiar, round face.
“Ah, I-Iruma-kun. Good morning…”
I wonder why? Talking with him made me feel so embarrassed. Just what is
going on with me? I cast my face downward, fidgeting nervously.
—Wait, I forgot! I have to talk to him about something! I need to tell him of
Taichi-kun’s father being worried.
“Um, about yesterday…”
“A-About that, I wanted to talk with you for a second, Asahina-san!” He

interrupted my words, surprising me.
…I wonder what it is? My head still feels hazy, I can’t properly think. We still
have time until homeroom, and all that’ll be used on will be me getting bullied
by Nanase-san and the others again, so talking with him during that time was
much more profitable.
“Yes, of course. What is it?”
“I-It’s a bit hard to talk about here, so could we move to a different location?”
“…Sure?”

We ended up in the back of the school building. It’s the place where I would
always eat lunch on my own. Just what is he going to talk about?
“A-Asahina-san! I am terribly sorry about yesterday!”
“F-Fueh!?”
He suddenly apologized to me!? While kneeling on the ground!?
“I made you wait out in the cold for more than an hour without contacting you…
I have no excuses!”
“N-No! Don’t mind it! Raise your head, please!”
He rubbed his face on the ground, making me feel like I should apologize
instead. He had a proper reason for it, so I don’t see why he would need to be
this desperate.
“I-I’m totally fine. More importantly—”
More importantly, are you doing okay? It doesn’t look like he suffered any
injuries at least…but, I’m still worried. I put my hand into my pocket, and
confirmed that I had my wallet with me, with the business card of Taichi-kun’s
father inside of it. For now, I better hand it over. But, before I could do that, I
needed to confirm one last thing.
“Um, about yesterday…Did you really have some urgent business?”
“Eh?! W-Well, that’s…”
To be perfectly honest, I was a bit angry. It was a wonderful action of him to

save Taichi-kun, but with one small mistake, Iruma-kun could have suffered
severe injuries! So of course, my tone sounded a bit agitated.
“U-Uwaaah! I-I’m sorry, that was actually a lie!”
So he’s finally read to spill the beans. I was relieved, and awaited his words.
However—
“I-I-I actually overslept! I thought it sounded way too lame, so I lied about it!”

“…Huh?”
“Even though I was comfortably rolling around in my bed, you were waiting out
in the cold…I felt so awful, I just made that up in the heat of the moment…”
…That’s a lie. Why are you saying that? Saving a child is plenty of a reason to
not make it in time. Talking about the cold, shouldn’t you have been off much
worse? You were drenched in mud and dirty water from head to toe, not even
wiping it off as you walked around.
“I-I’m the worst! I just want to disappear…”
And yet, he—
I-I just tripped! I’m such a klutz, haha!
…That’s right. He said something similar yesterday. That moment, I felt like I
understood the human Iruma Haruto. He didn’t want to use the incident with
Taichi-kun as an excuse for ruining our date…For some reason, somewhere
inside my heart, I felt a sharp pain.
“It’s not because you were not feeling unwell, right?”
“Y-Yes…”
“You’re not hurt anywhere, are you!? If you dare to lie again, I will never
forgive you!”
“Yessss! I-I swear to god! I am perfectly healthy!”
“—And also.” I continued with a snicker. “The cake shop you took me to a
while back, it was really delicious.”
“—Eh?”
“As a thanks for the first date, you treated me to some cake, right? Let’s go there
today after school. And then, we’re even.”
“Eh!? You’re fine with just that!?”
My words must have been unexpected for him. He lifted up his head, his eyes

wide open like he couldn’t believe it. For some reason, that appearance of his
looked oddly adorable, so much that I was about to burst out in laughter. And, of
course I’m fine with just that. You said it yesterday.
“—You’re going to make up for it, right?”
“Ah…Y-Yes! With pleasure!”
“Fufu…”
Finally Iruma-kun is smiling again! His face looked oddly red though. He didn’t
catch a cold, did he? He stared at me in a daze. I don’t know why, but I’m
relieved. Keeping up a smile, I stuffed my wallet back deeper into my pocket.
“Yes. Yes. That’s right. He’s okay now. Yes, you don’t have to worry. Of
course, I will contact you right away if something happens to him. Yes. Then…”
I hung up, and let out a sigh.
Thankfully, Taichi-kun’s father was pretty understanding, and let things rest as
they were. I think he’s a great person. I sat down on my bed, and remembered
what happened today. After Iruma-kun had finally stopped apologizing, he
started acting weird. Even after we left the cake shop, he’s been giving me
constant glances. Yet, when I returned that gaze, he started blushing right away.
Maybe he really was not feeling well?
I was dwelling in my memories, when I was about to put my smartphone on my

desk—only to change my mind. I went through my camera folder, and tapped on
the screen to show the picture we took on our first date.
“Hmm…? Looking at it again, that is some horrible face.”
Of course, I was talking about myself, not Iruma-kun. I really looked like I was
disgusted at the thought of taking that picture, about to break out in tears.
Nobody could call me cute there. I’m really glad I never showed this to him. He
did ask me to send it several times, but thank god I rejected that.
Today, I had him repay me. So then, why don’t I do something for him in return
for this picture? What would make Iruma-kun happy? Thinking about it—

“…Ah, I know!”
One thing came to my mind. I figured that would be just perfect to repay him.
Tapping myself on the shoulder at this great idea, I dashed out of my room.
“Mom, Mom! Can I ask you something?”
I found my Mom drinking tea in the living room, and rushed towards her.
“My, what happened?”
“The thing is—”
The following morning, during a time when even my family wasn’t awake yet, I
stood alone in the kitchen, cooking.
“Hmm~ Hm hm hmmm~”
For some reason, I was having fun. It’s entirely different from back when
Nanase-san forced me to cook for him. To think my motivation could change to
such an extent just depending on my feelings behind it.
“Alright, all that’s left is to arrange it, and…done!”
Gazing at the three wrappings in front of me, I gave a satisfied nod. Yup, this
should be perfect. I’m sure he’ll be happy about that.
“All that’s left is to put away Iruma-kun’s share so that nobody will notice—”
“Morning~!”
“Hyau!?”
The door suddenly opened wide, and Futaba showed her face. What kind of
awful timing is this…!
“Oh, it’s not even Mom, it’s Onee-chan! What are you doing this early?”
“Awawa…F-Futaba!”
What should I do, I have to come up with an excuse! But, when I was panicking,

Futaba already spotted the three wrappings on the table.
“Ah, did you make lunch boxes? How nice!” Of course, my sharp little sister
immediately figured it out.
“T-That’s right! I wanted to practice my cooking, so that’s why—”
“Wahh, I’m so happy! I love Onee-chan’s cooking! Today will be a great—

Hmmm?” Futaba’s eyes narrowed like she was suspicious about something.
O-Oh no…!
“Three lunch boxes? Weird…Dad said he’s eating at the company today, and
you wouldn’t need to wrap it for Mom, right?”
S-She’s way too sharp! What is with her? Is she some detective!?
“Aha~”
“Eeek!?”
Futaba grinned, seemingly having found out the truth. I can’t run away anymore.
I have to prepare myself…
“Hmmm? I was wondering why you’ve been acting weird as of late…I see, I
see, should I just congratulate you?”
“Y-Y-You’re wrong! He and I aren’t like—”
“…He? He he he, now you said it, Onee-chan. I haven’t heard about that yet,
you know.”
“Y-You set me up, Futaba!”
“Hihihi, you’re so easy, Onee-chan! Hey, who is it? Who won over my Onee-
chan? Tell me his name at least!” Futaba questioned me with a grin.

I had no idea that not only Futaba was watching this scenery. Because of
Futaba’s excessive investigation, I did not pick up on the two people outside the
kitchen. Or to put it in simpler terms, I fully forgot about my parents.
“…I can’t help but want to know more, but this atmosphere doesn’t allow me to
get inside either…Shit! Futaba, keep it going! Break her guard, and make her
spit it out!”
“Come on, eavesdropping is bad manners, Darling. But, I’d say we make some
1
red rice today.”
And, the long-awaited lunch break arrived. I quickly got up from my seat, and
left the classroom, as the suspicious gazes from my classmates stabbed my back.
I however ignored them, and walked down the hallway.
“S-So nervous…”
This is actually my first time making my way over to Iruma-kun’s class. If I

remember correctly, he was in class 1, which means that it should be past the
classroom for class 1. Everytime I passed by one classroom, my heart started to
race even faster, as I tried to hold back the urge of walking away again. Finally, I
made it past class 2’s room, and stood in front of class 1’s.
N-Now, get inside! Just slowly, carefully touch that door.
“Haa…Fuuu…Haaa…Fuuu…”
I can’t. I put my hand on the door, but that’s as much as I could manage. A-
Alright, one more deep breath, and then—
“…Hm? What are you doing there?”
“F-Fueh!?”
A voice arrived from my back.
“Oh, what’s wrong, big bro?”

“Well, there’s a girl standing in front of our classroom—Do you have some
business here?”
“U-Um! Well…!”
Turning around, I found two male students standing there. They both looked
almost identical, as their bangs were hiding right and left eye respectively. Are
they twins? In their hands, they held rectangular objects…Electronic tablets?
Judging from the conversation, they should be students in this class. But, being
talked to before I could even get inside, I didn’t expect this development…!
“No need to be so scared. We ain’t gonna eat you, hehe.” One of the students
said so, as she showed a crackling laugh.
I bet he was trying to be nice, but I really am bad at dealing with these types of
boys.
“Hey, Ryuuji, that kind of ice breaker apparently has the opposite effect. Look,
she’s shaking.”
“Ah, looks like it. It’s been too long since I talked to a timid girl like her. Our
class’ girls all have strong habits, good or bad, and that Ria has been getting
worse as well. Really, that high school debut of hers is all over the place.”
They left me alone, talking between themselves. Excuse me, but I’m still here?
“Her reactions are still interesting to see, but she’s putting on too much air as of
late. If she’s going with a new year new her, why not go towards something like
Haruto.”
Oh? Did he just mention Iruma-kun…?
“U-Um…?”
“Oh, excuse me. I’m Date Ryuuichi. This clone man here is my younger brother
Date Ryuuji. Nice to meet you, young lady.”
The Date brothers…I heard of them before. They go around gathering

miscellaneous information of whatever student in the school, not only limited to

the first years, though I highly doubt that. Anyway, there’s more important
things than that. They should be in the same class as Iruma-kun…
“A smooth introduction from my Big Bro, nice.”
“Don’t miss out on a chance to get acquainted with someone. That’s what my
old man taught me.”
S-Somehow, they’re both going along their own pace.
“I-I’m Asahina Wakaba, from class 4. Um, did I just hear Iruma-kun’s
name…?”
“Oh, you got business with Haruto? He should be back inside the classroom—
Wait, hm? Asahina?”
“Yo, Big Bro. I remember hearing about her. Isn’t she that?”
The brothers exchanged quick glances, and nodded. Why do these two know my
name? I was confused for a second, when they both grinned.
“I see, I see! I heard lots about you from Haruto. He mentioned he got a cute and
kind girlfriend, see!”
“Indeed. That was some great piece of information.”
They both showed a smile like they were happy for a friend.
“U-Um…what kind of person is Iruma-kun in class…?”
For some reason, I wanted to know more about him. This desire pushed my
back, as I asked them.
“Haruto? Well well, he’s a super interesting fellow! He’s a moron, but he’s got
nothing to hide. If only he stopped talking about eroge all the time, he’d be even
better!”
“Agreed. It’s rare to see someone this honest nowadays. He’s cheerful, and kind.
It’d be much better if he didn’t offer his entire being towards 2D. Then again,
we’re not the ones to talk.”

The brothers nodded in unison.
“That’s why we got some high hopes in you, young lady. If possible, we want
you to teach him the greatness of 3D.”
“O-Okay.”
“But, doesn’t he look like an adult at times? Like when he stopped a fist fight
between two other guys?”
“Hm? Oh, right.”
A fist fight at school…? So something like that happens? I thought it was only a
cliché in manga or anime.
“Thinking about it now, the reason for stopping the fight was super lame though.
Even the two people in the middle of it were at a loss of what to say. What did
you think he said?”
“I-I don’t know?”
“You can watch the video here. Well, the footage might be a bit too repulsive, so
listening to it should be fine. Here, earphones.”
Oh, what are you two doing? Let me in.
Ah, it’s Iruma-kun’s voice.
“After that, he ate a double punch from both right and left. That’s the sound
here.”
“Eeeek!? I didn’t need to hear that!”
“Well yeah, he was staggering for a second there. But, this is what he said
towards the two.”
Date-kun (The older brother) tapped the play button again.
Feeling better now? Then, the fight is over now. Why don’t you listen to my list
of ‘100 games that made me cry’, and cry with me!

As if I would, moron! You eroge brain, eroge fanatic!
That’s right, you damned wizard candidate! No doubt you’ll stay a virgin until
thirty!
What…did you say? Do you guys even have hearts to feel emotions with!? You
cold-blooded monsters! Listen, the reason this game here made me cry is
because—
From there on out, he received a storm of booing and complaints. Unrelated to

boy or girl, Iruma-kun was severely insulted by every classmate. A truly
heartwarming scenery…I think?
“And, that’s what went down. The two who were fighting even joined in on the
fun. Before they even realized it, they had all forgotten about the reason for their
fight in the first place.”
“He’s an amazing guy. I can’t hope to win against him.”
For some reason, my heart felt all warm and cozy whenever I listened to them
talk about Iruma-kun. I remembered the incident with Taichi-kun. I bet he never
bragged about having stopped the fight, just like he did when he saved Taichi-
kun. As for the method, it’s just like him.
“Well, this turned out longer than I planned, but all I’m saying is that I hope you
take good care of him!”
“Y-Yes…”
They don’t know the circumstances. About the game, the real reason why we are
dating.
“Hmm, let’s leave it at that. You came to meet Haruto, right? Let’s go, then.”
“Y-Yes…!”
There, I realized. My tension and anxiety from before had vanished. Maybe it’s
because I was listening to stories about Iruma-kun. My chest felt warm. And, I
learned one more thing about him, so I had to thank the Date-kun brothers.

“…Thank you very much.”
“Haha, we didn’t do anything that deserves gratitude. More importantly, come

on in.”
The door slowly opened. As my heart continued to pound loudly, I set foot
inside the room—
“How many times do I have to tell you! I want to study up on the situations
inside eroge and gal games! Clear five games in one night, and unlock all the
CG…And I’m not saying that for nothing!”
W-What!? The second I entered the room, a familiar loud voice reached my ears.
Out of surprise, I looked over there.
“Ah…”
The familiar round face stood in front of his classmates, shoving his hand into
the air.
“Listen closely, Class Rep! If I use all my knowledge acquired through eroge,
she will definitely be happy about this!”
“Aren’t you confident? Even if you get to that part, you’ll just freeze up that you
can’t even properly kiss her. Kanami, you think so as well, right?” A female
student showed a mocking laugh, and tapped another girl with a ponytail on the
shoulder.
“Iruma is all talk. I figure you’ll turn into a good for nothing once the time
comes.” The girl called Kanami joined in on the conversation, as her
surroundings offered voices of consent.
In the midst of these, one of them tapped Iruma-kun on the shoulder.
“Well, just try your best. I’ll be expecting some great results.”
“I don’t care what you all say! Also, Kazuma! Can you really talk about others
like this!?”
“Heh, don’t take me too lightly. Here, look at my LINE messages. I’m keeping

contact with a girl! From here on out, we’ll slowly get closer, until we end up in
a lovers relationship! It’s the perfect plan!” The male student called Kazuma
proudly spoke of his ‘project’.
“T-To be honest, that’s pretty disgusting. Are you okay? You’re not being
deceived, right?”
“Heh, say whatever you want! Even this guy managed to score a girlfriend! Just
you watch me, I’ll make you regret you said that, Class Rep, and Iruma!”
“Howl all you want! If it works out, why don’t we go on a double date?”
“Hmm, you sure are in a good mood, Iruma.” Kanami-san (?) showed an
appreciating nod.
Hearing that, Iruma-kun started to get more and more excited.
“Of course! That cute, exceptionally adorable girl is my girlfriend! How would I
feel bad about that! I’ll definitely make her happy!”
My face was about to burn up. It felt as if he was treating me like a saint.
“Even my simulations are perfect! A lovers’ night…Beneath a tree as the snow

slowly falls down, Asahina-san and I will share a wonderful kiss…”
“Woah, dis-gus-ting!”
“A-And then…once we share a kiss, our feelings will increase…hahaha…”
The Class Rep-san’s retort was beautifully ignored. The current Iruma-kun was
unbeatable. I wonder, wouldn’t it be better to stop him soon? Regarding his own
honor as well. I slowly walked towards Iruma-kun’s back, but he didn’t realize.
If anything, he started to talk more and more, not showing any signs of stopping.
“F-Finally, surrounded by the snow, our bodies and hearts will become one!”
Eh, h-he wants his first time to be outside? Inside the snow? More than romantic,
that just sounds like he’d be freezing to death…
“Hyahaha! Pure love is the best! Forced stuff or NTR stay away!” Iruma-kun

showed a victorious pose, as he screamed.
What should I do? I looked over at the Date-kuns to help me, but they were at a
loss just as much. They just had their shoulders hanging, hands on their
foreheads. Utterly lost on what to do, I suddenly heard a familiar voice.
“Haruto-kun’s going at it as usual.”
“You can say that again. He was all depressed yesterday, and now this.”
It’s Bizen-kun and Namikawa-kun! T-That’s right! I should make contact with
them, and have them convey my existence! I waved both my hands, jumping
around. In doing so, Bizen-kun looked over towards me. Finally, he saw me!
“Hey, Shun? That girl over there behind Haruto, ain’t that?”
“What—Ahhh!?” Namikawa-kun’s face grew pale at record speed.
“Ahh, I hope school ends soon. I want to meet Asahina-san. Well, I can’t talk
about eroge in front of her like this though!”
Hurry, Namikawa-kun! Hurry before it’s too late! I was getting desperate, but
my wish was not granted, as Iruma-kun’s classmates caught on to my presence
before the person himself.
“Ah…”
“E-Eh…?”
The classmates around Iruma-kun all grew silent.
“Eh, why’d you all go quiet? Hm? Behind me? Ah, I got a really bad
premonition right now!”
Slowly, Iruma-kun turned around, only to be greeted by me, Asahina Wakaba.

Our eyes met, as tension filled the room.
“Ah…um…H-Hello?”
“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!? A-Asahina-san!? Why are you here!?”

“W-Well, I had some business with you, so I came here…”
In the face of Iruma-kun’s terrified shriek, voices filled the classroom.
“—Hey, is that girl Iruma’s girlfriend?”
“Moron, why didn’t you tell me earlier!”
“B-Because…I never thought such a cute girl would be your girlfriend!?”
“She must have heard all of that, right…”
“I’d probably hang myself if that happened to me. Although he earned it himself,
I feel bad for him…”
Oddly enough, most voices were filled with sympathy. Even the Date-kuns
standing in the door of the classroom were letting out sighs.
“Just when we did a bit of groundwork for him…that moron.”
“How do I say it, that’s gotta betray her expectations. For now, let’s cheer him
up a bit.”
The crowd moved closer to Iruma-kun, surrounding him, as that female

student…Class Rep-san (?) tried to provide a follow-up.
“W-Well…Iruma, do your best!”
“Yeah…you know…I’ll take over your cleaning duty today after school!”
“I’ll show you the answers for tomorrow’s homework, so live on, young man.”
Matching their expressions, their voices were kind, and warm.

2
“Wanna drink some Ya*ult ?”
“I got chocolate as well.”
The Date brothers joined in on that, offering drinks and sweets. Iruma-kun
accepted this excessive benevolence, and started screaming again.

“Stop with this kindness! It’s killing me! My heart can’t take this!” He protested
with tears in his eyes.
I was lost on what to do myself, when…
“Sorry about this, Asahina-san. Our class is quite lively, isn’t it.” Namikawa-kun
couldn’t keep watching, and approached me.
“Ah, well. I was a bit surprised, but I’m not complaining about what he was
saying.”
That’s right. I do wish he would hold back on all this lewd talk, but that’s not
what I’m surprised about. What leaves me baffled is his position in this class.
Not only the boys, but also the girls were talking normally with him. No, if
anything, they’re acting fairly friendly…
“Ah, I see. You mean that.” Namikawa-kun smiled, and started talking. “It’s
pretty different from how the other classes think of him, right? Of course, some
people here are bad at dealing with him, even disliking him. That really can’t be
helped.” Namikawa-kun narrowed his eyes, as he told me about the rumours.
“Even here in this class, some students want him out. Then again, it’s impossible
to be liked by everyone.”
I understood that painfully well. It was the same with me. But, rather than not
being liked by everyone, nobody in my class had any positive affection for me.
“But, in comparison to that, a lot of people understand Haruto-kun’s good parts.

As you can see, he’s cheerful, and considerate towards others. If you’re around
him, you just end up smiling yourself. Whether you like him or not, that is a
fact.”
I could only agree to that. Being together with him is always fun. I don’t have to
be oddly considerate, and I can be myself all the time.
“Hey, how much time are you gonna waste? It’s time to boot up again.”
“—Ah! Right, right!” Receiving Bizen-kun’s retort, Iruma-kun finally regained

his senses. “Aashina-san, I’m sorry that you had to see such an embarrassing
side of me! Now then, how can I be of service?”

“Ah, ye! The thing is…”
I can’t pull back now! If I did, the lunch I made for him would be wasted!
“—I-I made a lunch box for you.” I remembered my determination from

yesterday, and mustered up as much courage as I could. “So, could we…eat
lunch together…?”
“—Eh?” Tears came falling down from Iruma-kun’s eyes.
Eh, what happened?”
“Uwaaaaaaah! What a good girl she is! I’m so lucky!”
“T-Then, are you fine with it?”
“Of course! Even if my stomach was full to the brim, I could always make room
for Asahina-san’s food!” Iruma-kun started dancing in joy.
“Seriously, this arrogant bastard. From crybaby to happy baby.” Bizen-kun gave
a tired and wry smile.
“Now, we should be glad that she wasn’t taken aback by his attitude. You are
Asahina-san, right?” The Class Rep-san walked towards me.
“Y-Yes!”
“You sure got guts, becoming Iruma-kun’s girlfriend. Being friends is one thing,
but no way would I agree to become his girlfriend.”
“U-Um…?” I didn’t know how to properly respond to that, when Iruma-kun

joined us.
“Hey, no need to say that! Come on, Asahina-san, let’s go!”
“Ah, yes!”
“What an infuriating fellow he is. I’m Iizuka Youko, and the acting class
president of this class.” Iizuka-san offered me a hand, as the class laughed.
“Basically, I have to keep these wild dogs under control and train them a bit.”

“Ah, yes…I’m Asahina Wakaba…”
Eh, what, a handshake? Is she fine sharing a handshake with me? But, I wasn’t
given much time to think about it, as Iizuka-san took my hands, wrapping it
inside both of hers.
“Asahina-san, if you’re okay with it, stop by again. I’d love to hear of your
adventures with this loser.”
The other students around us equally showed me warm smiles.
“That’s right, no need to hold back! We’ll always welcome the person chosen by
Iruma.”
“Right right! If that weirdo does anything to you, let me know, okay? I’ll give
him a good beating.”
That was the first time someone ever told me that. I had no idea how to respond
to that.
“…Meddling folks all of them.” Iruma-kun muttered.
But, his facial expression made it look like he is happy.
“Anyway, time to go eat then! Everyone, I’ll be bragging once I get back, so you
better be ready!” He directed cold gazes all over the classroom, and received an
applause.
With the smiles of the classmates seeing us off, we left the classroom. On the
way there, I turned towards the Date brothers. I had to thank them still.
“Um, thank you for everything!”
“No worries. In the end, he ruined it himself. But, I’d be happy if you stopped by
again.”
“Right. Just as Big Bro said, we never really helped out.”
“That’s not true! Let me thank you again.” I said, and showed a brief bow.
I was filled with an emotional uplift like never before.

7
Iruma-kun offered that we should eat lunch somewhere warm, but I politely
declined, and took him to the back of the school building. This place actually has
a lot of space to offer. But, barely any light reaches this place, and no people
come here. That’s why it’s my favorite spot…More than anything though, I
don’t want the people from my class to see us, and ruin this atmosphere.
“Sorry that you had to listen to my selfishness.”
“I don’t mind at all! If you’re not cold, then this is just fine.”
“…Thank you…very much.”
I opened up the lunch boxes, and showed its contents. I put a lot more effort into
it than before. Since he liked the previous lunch, I think this should be just fine.
But, I can’t help feeling nervous…Then again, judging from his reaction, that
was not needed.
“Delicious! This as well! It’s the best!” Seeing Iruma-kun eat up the lunch with
no restraint, I felt relieved. “I, the great food connoisseur Iruma Haruto, give my
stamp of approval!”
Watching him, my heart felt all cozy and warm. I felt apologetic, and happy at
the same time…something very complicated. I remembered the scenery I had
witnessed back at his classroom. Iruma-kun had more friends than I imagined…
So is this what I’m feeling…jealousy? Yeah, probably. I always thought of us as
allies. I could tell that this emotional uplift I had slowly started to cool down. It
made me realize how much of a despicable human being I was—
“Asahina-san!”
“Eh…wah!?”
Something was stuffed inside my mouth. In a panic, I bit down on it, making me
realize that it was my own cooking. Yeah, it tastes great. There’s no problem
with the seasoning either—Wait a second!
“W-What are you doing!?”

“How does your own cooking taste? It’s delicious, right?”
“Ah…”
“If you’re still bothered by what happened just now, then let me apologize again.
I just went rampant…” Iruma-kun looked at me, as his face was beet red. “I like
Asahina-san just so much…that I couldn’t control myself.”
“E-Eh…!?”
That’s just—unfair. Saying ‘I like you’ so easily…that’s too much of a surprise

attack. But, without knowing of my own feelings, Iruma-kun continued.
“If that made things awkward, then please forgive me.I just can’t stand seeing
you make this kind of face.” Iruma-kun once again picked up a bit of food with
his chopsticks, and shoved it into his mouth. “It’s such a delicious lunch you
made, so you have to eat it in joy!” Iruma-kun opened both his arms as he
grinned. “Come on, in joy, in fun, right!”
Watching him like this, my cold heart started to brighten up…Really, I’m so
pathetic. I receive so much positive affection, and yet I blame myself.
“I’m fine, okay. I don’t mind it anymore.”
“Really!? I thought I had seen hell coming for me! Ahh, I’m so glad…!” He
showed his relief in an exaggerated manner, making me feel like teasing him a
bit.
“It’s okay, I’ve known that you were this lewd from the beginning.”
“Ehh, I’m not! I’m a gentleman!”
“Even though you tried to take advantage of the darkness to hold a girl’s hand?”
“That was caused by my inexperience…it was my mistake…!”
“Hmm, I wonder about that.”
I was starting to have fun, to a level where I let out a snicker.
“Ah…I knew it.”

“Hm?”
“I thought so yesterday, but Asahina-san, when you’re smiling, you look really
cute.”
“W-Wha…where did that come from!?”
I-I’m smiling…? Really?
“I really prefer that kind of Asahina-san! Ahh, I’m already a lost cause…!”
That’s where I realized it. I was smiling. It wasn’t a fake smile to reassure my
family, to act tough. I was smiling from the bottom of my heart. I never would
have imagined that I would smile like this at school. And, and it’s all—
“What’s wrong, Asahina-san?”
…My chest felt hot. Just like that day, my cheeks were burning up. Maybe it was
because of that?
“—Wakaba.”
Before I realized it—
“Yes?”
“My name… From now on, please call me like that.”
“E-Eh?”
“…Okay, Haruto-kun?”
—I had already spoken those words.
“—! T-To think a day like this would come!? Is this reality, or is it just a
dream?! Did I get reincarnated into some game!?”
“…Do you…dislike it?”
“O-Of course I don’t! I’m so happy! I managed to have one of my wishes

fulfilled! Thanks, Asa—W-Wakaba-san.” Iruma—No, Haruto-kun corrected

himself bashfully, making me feel embarrassed as well.
In order to hide that, I raised my voice.
“Oh my oh my~? Do you have other dreams as well? Why don’t I help you in
fulfilling them?”
“N-No no no, I can’t really say that!”
Secrets towards his girlfriend? That’s not a great habit to have.
“It’s not very manly to keep secrets. Come on, spit it out, and I’ll help you~”
“P-Please just let me go!”
“Hmm, what should I do, I wonder~?”
—That day, I fully forgot about the ‘game’, and just enjoyed talking with
someone except from my family.
“Hmm…? So that part goes there.”
Night came, on the day I started calling Haruto-kun by his given name. I sat at
my desk, pouring my soul into building that plastic model.
“Ah, its arms linked up! Maybe it’s not as difficult as I thought.”
I separated the parts, and put them together accordingly to the manual. Yeah, this
is actually pretty fun. I never realized, but I like this detailed handicraft work. It
takes me back to drawing and manual arts class in grade school. As for the tools
I needed to build this model, I borrowed them from Dad. When I told him why,
he offered to help me out, but I declined.
I knew that an amateur like me wouldn’t be able to create a masterpiece of a

model, but I really wanted to build one of my own first. At the very least, this
one model I received from Haruto-kun. For some reason, Dad gave a
complicated expression as he handed me the tools.
Is it a boy? They say that girls end up taking interest in their boyfriend’s

hobbies…
He continued to mutter something, and went to see Mom. He looked really

shaken about something, but I have no clue as to why that was the case. I
remembered this, as I went to move closely into completing the plastic model.
Finally, most parts were put together. Now I just have to put the stickers on it,
and have it hold the weapon and shield…!
“Alright, I did it!”
How long has it been since I made something myself? I feel so proud of myself.
“The Ja…something something inside Dad’s room was pretty cool, but I prefer
this one!”
Oh yeah, I have to take a picture and send it to Haruto-kun! I’m sure he’ll be
happy. He was still hung up on the whole present thing, so this will clear up his
feelings a bit! Uploading it on LINE sounds great, but I want to show him the
picture in person. That way, I can enjoy his face and reaction in real time.
“Ehehe, I can’t wait.”
What should I make for tomorrow’s lunch? He said everything is delicious, but
making the same thing all the time is something I’d like to avoid. I want him to
think of me as a girl who can cook well.
“Hmm…this is quite the predicament.”
Oh right, what time is it right now? I looked over at the clock…9pm. Normally I
would stay awake for a bit longer, but…yeah, for today, I’ll go to bed! I guess
I’ll just take a bath early tomorrow morning. That way, I feel much more clean,
and I want him to see a beautiful version of myself as well.
…Thinking about it, ever since I got in contact with him, my schedule is all over
the place. But, it didn’t feel like that was a bad thing.
I put out the lights, and snuck into my bed. For some reason, I felt oddly excited.
I knew I had to sleep, and yet my eyes weren’t tired at all.
“Ahh, I can’t wait—”

—For tomorrow to come.
1Red rice is often served to celebrate something
2Yakult, a Japanese sweetened milk

Chapter 5: Asahina Wakaba and her
Wonderful Boyfriend
“Mmm, such good weather today! Perfect for my way to school!”
Just looking at the blue sky made me feel great. That’s how the morning is
supposed to be. The sunlight shining inside from the window gave me the rush
of energy I needed this early.
“Futaba, I’m leaving, okay? Hurry up.”
“Wawawa, wait a second, Onee-chan!” Futaba almost fell over as she chased
after me.
“Mom, I’m leaving!”
“S-Same here!”
I have to hurry! Just putting on shoes is such a waste of time!
“Alright then, see you later. Be careful on your way!” I called out to my little
sister—but oddly enough, no response came.
Maybe I left her behind in the entrance? I turned around, only to find Futaba
inspecting me with a suspicious gaze.
“You’ve changed recently, Onee-chan.”
“Y-You think so?”
“Yeah. The way you talk, your tone, it’s gotten a bit softer.”

“Eh…?”
“And, I like this kind of Onee-chan much more!” Futaba grinned as she said so.
She looked really happy for some reason. But, what exactly does she mean by
that? I felt like I was acting the same as always.
“Anyway, see you later, Onee-chan!”
I watched Futaba walk off into the opposite direction, and went on my way as
well. Checking the time on my phone, it was just 7.15am. A while ago, I would
still be laying in bed during this time. Thinking about it, I probably was acting
weird.
—Anyway, at this pace, I’ll definitely make it to school before Haruto-kun! I

spotted the place where we normally split up. I almost made it to the goal. My
feet were moving faster and faster—
“Ah…?” I let out a baffled voice.
I was feeling like a top-speed runner, and yet the winner was already waiting;
the round-faced boyfriend of mine, Iruma Haruto-kun…He beat me again
today!? I felt so frustrated I was about to stomp on the ground like a small child.
“Ah, Wakaba-san! Good morning!”
Haruto-kun spotted me, and waved his hand. What is that arrogant grin about? I
pouted, as I complained.
“I really thought I had it today! Since when have you been waiting here!?”
“He he he, your training is still lacking! Don’t underestimate the great Haruto!”
Ugh, so vexing! Even though I was so confident!
“You better watch me tomorrow, I’ll definitely beat you!”
“Hyohyohyo…I wonder about that! I’m probably going to hear the same thing
tomorrow as well!” He was clearly bragging, but I didn’t hate it.

“…Enough of that! I’m a slowpoke anyway.”
“Oh my oh my, is someone sulking?”
Although his gesture of giving me a sideways glance was fairly agitating, I was
smiling nonetheless.
“I’m not sulking at all! I’m not a child! Also!”
“Also?”
There was something I needed to tell him. I took a deep breath.
“…I forgot to tell you. Good morning, Haruto-kun.” I gave him the best smile I
could manage.
“U-Ugh…! That surprise attack wasn’t fair!”
“Got you now~”
It’s been a week since we started calling each other by our given names. In the
beginning, it was horribly embarrassing, but now we’ve gotten used to it. I guess
that humans can get used to anything. When I showed him an arrogant grin, he
was forced to avert his eyes. No matter how many times I see it, a blushing and
embarrassed Haruto-kun is always cute.
“Fufu, that’s what you get. Anyway, let’s head to school!”
“Really, I can’t win against you.”
I started walking next to him. This reluctant feeling I had before now had
vanished. Yet, I don’t know why, but sometimes, I feel oddly embarrassed. My
chest warms up, and my cheeks start to feel hot. Just what is this emotion, these
feelings I have…I myself did not understand.
“This morning was tough. Dad got scolded by Mom again…”
—Nonchalant conversations.
“You really love your family, Wakaba-san. I can’t help but admire that every
single morning.”

—I’m happy when I see his smile.
That’s why I can say this with full confidence. The days I spend with Haruto-
kun are my treasure, and they make my heart race in excitement.
Lunch break, we had finished our lunch boxes, and headed back to year 1 class
1’s classroom.
“You ate all of it again today~”
“I mean, I could never get tired of your cooking, Wakaba-san.”
Talking about this and that, he opened the door of the classroom.
“Oh, Asahina-san. Good work today. It must have been rough for you…”
“You can scream for help if you can’t bear it anymore, okay?”
Iizuka-san stood near the entrance, greeting me together with the ponytail girl—
Kujou Kanami-san—next to her, both of them smiling.
“You bastards…can you not talk smack about someone right next to you?”
“Just accept the jealousy. Eating lunch together with a girlfriend is something to
be envious about. Right, Big Bro?”
“Agreed. Look at this graph. Right here, this is the class hierarchy. You best
remember that there’s always people complaining when another guy is flirting
around with a girl.”
“Yup. In short, people like us.” The Date Brothers showed a grin.
“Ahaha, that’s just what I expected to hear. Anyway, Haruto-kun, I will see you
after school…Everyone, I’m sorry for causing a ruckus!”
“Got it~” Haruto-kun waved his hand with a smile, and the other students saw
me off with warm expressions as well.
I was feeling great, leading me to even hum to myself. But, that only lasted until
I made it back to my own classroom. Arriving at my own seat, my fulfilled
mood vanished in an instant. I guess this is the end of lunch break today. From

here on out, I have to sit here in anguish, waiting for classes to end. I was just
thinking that, when Nanase-san talked to me.
“You’re actually trying now, huh? Glad to see you’ve gotten serious.”
“…Huh?”
For a second, I couldn’t understand what she was saying.
“Making lunch for him everyday, aren’t you a hard worker. Although it’s for the
sake of the game, I would not be able to stand a second with that fat pig—”
—What…did she just say?
“Fat pig…?”
Taking her words as an insult towards Haruto-kun, I subconsciously glared back

at Nanase-san.

“Huh? W-What? What’s that face for…Ah, you hated it that much?” Nanase-san
apparently misunderstood my actions, and nodded to herself. “Recently, I
haven’t had much fun, but that face of yours sure is fresh, so keep at it. I can’t
get enough of a gloomy girl and disgusting otaku couple.” She just said whatever
she wanted, and went back to her own seat.
I kept my glare directed at her, and tightly formed fists beneath the desk…If not,
I might have not been able to hold myself back. To think that I, who disliked
Haruto-kun just as much, would end up feeling this way. I knew I didn’t have
the right to do so—but I couldn’t help being filled with anger. Rage reigned
inside my body, when—
“U-Um…Asahina-san.”
“Eek!?”
T-That surprised me! Who!? Where!? I turned my face towards the source of the
voice. Without me realizing it, a female student stood next to me. She must be an
entire head smaller than me. She was shaking from head to toe, looking like a
small puppy. She’s a different type of cute from someone like Shouji-san.
“Um, you are…Yajima-san?”
“Y-Yup, that’s right.”
Somewhere in the depths of my memories, I dragged out that name. Um…I

think her name was Yajima Ruri-san. We never really talked with each other,
albeit being classmates, so I almost forgot. She seems to keep her distance from
Nanase-san, which is why she never bothered with me before…I wonder what
she wants now.
“So, do you have some business with me?”
Maybe Nanase-san and the others forced her to do something? Assuming this, I
looked towards them—Ah, they’re not there. Maybe they went to the toilet? The
Nanase-san group had vanished. Then, why is Yajima-san talking to me?
“Um, isn’t it hard for you, Asahina-san? Being forced to go out with that Iruma-
kun…”

“—!”
My anger from before was about to return with Yajima-san’s words. But, before
I could say anything, the girl’s eyes started to tear up. Large drops fell to the
ground—Wait, why!?
“I-I’m…I’m sorry…!”
“W-Wha, eh, what happened!?” In a panic, I handed her my handkerchief.
Yajima-san looked at it in confusion, only to gratefully accept it, and wiped her
eyes.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but let’s calm down, okay?” I rubbed her back,
just like I had done for Futaba when she was younger.
Yajima-san continued to sob for a while, and finally talked to me after she had
calmed down. Although it was a lot of cheering her up, and deciperhing her
words, I finally grasped the basic gist of what she was saying. From the sounds
of it, she herself didn’t want to join in on this ‘game’. But, she couldn’t muster
up the courage to stop this whole atmosphere, and was plagued by guilt ever
since.
“A-Asahina-san’s face just now was so scary…! I-I was worried that you might
end up committing suicide, and I was terrifed of me not being able to do
anything…!”
She apparently couldn’t take seeing this treatment day in day out. And that’s
why she called out to me.
“I see…”
Did I really have that scary of a face…? I mean, even a girl I haven’t talked to at
all could pick up on that. Did I not realize it myself? Did I actually do it this
entire time? E-Eh?
…Not good, I have to be careful not to show that in front of Haruto-kun!
“I have no backbone at all…At that time, I really wanted to scream out ‘You
can’t do that!’, and stop them. I’m so sorry…!”

“Eh, I mean, umm…?” Even if you say that, what am I supposed to respond
here?
Subconsciously, I averted my eyes from Yajima-san, and saw the reaction of the
other classmates. They must be curious as to what we were talking about,
because they all periodically glanced over here. There are a lot of students that
usually follow Nanase-san mixed in there. But, after seeing my gaze, they all
looked away again. It was a surreal scenery…and at the same time, it made sense
for me.
None of them want to meet eyes with me. If they did one wrong step, they would
be bullied just like me, and have this game forced onto them. That is why they
joined in. Yajima-san must be one of them. But, she just had that tiny bit more
kindness in her. That’s why she mustered up the courage and talked to me.
If it was the previous me, I might have been hostile towards her. Not saying
anything when it came down to it, she acted like the victim. I surely would have
treated her like that. But, the me right now doesn’t feel like doing so. If
anything, I felt bad.
“Yajima-san, please raise your head.”
“…Eh?”
“I am doing just fine. Though things are a bit complicated, you don’t have to
worry about me, okay?”
“B-But…but…”
I moved closer to Yajima-san’s ears, and whispered.
“Iruma-kun is actually a very kind person. The rumours are absolutely false.”
“—Eh?”
“If you really are sorry for what you did…then don’t think badly of him. That is
all I am asking for.”
“A-Asahina-san, do you actually like—!?”

Hm? Why’s she so shocked? She covered her mouth with her hands, muttering
something to herself. But, when I asked her what she was talking about, I heard
familiar voices coming from the hallway. It’s Nanase-san’s group.
“Now, return to your seat. If they saw us together, things would get
complicated.”
“Asahina-san, I’m really sorry…” The girl walked away as she wiped her tears.
At the same time, I felt myself having calmed down. So much that I even had
time to worry about Yajima-san. Just when and how did I change like this? I
tried to look for the reason, when his face clashed up in the back of my head.
My heart started racing, and my face burned up. Really, just what happened to
me. How do I—feel about him…?
As always, the two of us were walking home together. Talking with Haruto-kun,
even the long way home from school feels like it goes by in a flash. Ah, I can
already see the end of it. That means that today’s enjoyable time is over.
Normally we would spend some time near the train station, but since Haruto-kun
had some urgent business to attend to, we had to break up here today.
Of course, Haruto-kun felt bad for this, and apologized, but I gave him a warm
smile, and told him to not mind it. As we both waved our hands at each other, we
separated. On my home alone, not even ten minutes passed after we split, when I
got a message from my mom.
—She wants me to buy ingredients for today’s hot pot while I’m still out, huh. I
gazed at the list she sent me, and thought about the price for all of these. It’s not
much, and I should be able to carry it in a normal plastic bag. The money I had
on me should be enough as well.
“But, I have to go back for that.”
Around here, there’s no convenience store or supermarket. I have to go back to

the train station for that. At the supermarket there, I should be able to get some
good deals.

After a bit of walking, I made it to the shopping district. With the end of the year
being near, it was as lively as ever, and so did seem the people passing me by.
That reminds me, it’s Christmas soon. Illuminations decorated the houses
around, a truly wonderful sight to observe.
—Christmas, huh. This year, I have Haruto-kun, so maybe it’ll be just the two of
us…At his house, I can show my cooking skill. Once he’s full, I can give him a
present. When I hand it over, our fingertips touch. He pulls on my hand, and our
bodies approach—
“…Wait, no no no! We aren’t like that!” I shook my head.
What kind of fantasies am I having? Ahh, my heart is beating so fast. S-

Shopping, that’s what I have to do! Um, the supermarket is…
“T-There it is—Eh?”
Isn’t that Haruto-kun over there—with someone? Because of my usual habit, I

hid in the shadows. As for the reason, it was because Haruto-kun had a beautiful
girl next to him. She had long, white hair, with slender cheeks, and almond eyes,
which gave her a calm and cool image. However, contrary to this atmosphere,
she was enjoying herself with a bright smile, which left me totally entranced.
I wonder how old she is. If I had to guess, she wasn’t that far away from my own
age. The two weren’t aware that I was watching from a distance, as they
continued their conversation. Are they in the middle of their shopping trip?
Haruto-kun carried two big plastic bags in his hands.
“We’re going to buy even more? I can’t carry this much…”
“What are you talking about! The real deal starts now! You promised to come
with me, right? If your arms get cold, use your mouth next.”
“I never said I’d work myself to death. Really, you slave driver.” Haruto-kun
sounded like he was complaining, but his face said otherwise.
H-He never showed me an expression like that before! Is that his Onee-san? No,
he never mentioned one. Maybe it’s the little sister then? But, she’s a bit too
arrogant for that. If she’s really his little sister, I’d have to question her choice of
words towards her older brother. Maybe they’re friends then? But, aren’t they

too close…?
“Anyway, let’s go! Next is the alcohol shop!”
“Gueh! N-No head-locks, please! You’re killing me!”
Ahhh!? W-What is that!? S-She’s wrapping her hands around Haruto-kun’s

neck! And so naturally! And, he doesn’t look like he’s hating it at all. Even I
didn’t do that yet! Not fair, not faaaair!
My body shook out of anger and panic. Did he have someone else he was close
with? Did he just say yes to my confession because he felt bad…? Y-Yeah, that
makes sense! He’s such a wonderful person, there’s no mistaking it that he has
two or three girlfriends! Ahh, what should I do, what should I do.
As I was flustered, the two started walking again—Wait, wait! Reflexively, I

chased after them…and tripped.
“Aba!?”
“—Eh?”
Curse my own clumsiness! Why does it always end up like this?
“Ouch…I-I bif my fongue…”
“Wah, are you okay—Wait, Wakaba-san!?”
He must have heard the sound of me falling over, because Haruto-kun came
running towards me.
“Ah…!?” W-What do I do about this!? He found out!?
“Are you okay? That was some loud sound there…”
“I-I’m totally fine! Totally fine!” I panically stood up, acting tough.
My tongue still hurt a bit, but I ignored that.
“I-Is that so…I’m glad to hear that.” Haruto-kun moved his hand towards my
head, brushing away any leaves or dirt hanging on my hair.

When his fingers touched my cheek, he froze up, and frantically pulled his hand
away.
“Ah, sorry! I just, well…”
“N-No, it’s fine! T-Thanks…”
For some reason, I felt oddly embarrassed, and rubbed my own hand at my
cheek he just touched. I happened to glance up, when he just looked down at me.
Our gazes met, we both started blushing furiously, and averted our eyes.
“Ah, um…B-By the way!”
“Y-Yes!”
“W-Why are you here, Wakaba-san? Wasn’t your house supposed to be in the
other direction?”
“T-That’s! I-I came here for a shopping trip—” I tried to explain, but then…
“What’s wrong, Haruto? …Oh, who is this girl?”
She must have come to check things out, as that girl from just now approached
us. I still haven’t mentally prepared myself! H-How should I explain this?
“Ah, t-this girl is…my…girlfriend.”
—He’s throwing a straight ball!? Not even trying to hide it!?
“W-What’d you say!?”
“Well, um…!”
I-It’s a battlefield…! I prepared myself for the worst. But, as if to betray my

expectations, the girl flashed a beaming smile. She proceeded to point at me, and
raised a cheerful voice.
“Y-You did it!? You managed to catch such a beauty!?”
“Eh?”

“Wah!? What are you blurting out! Also, don’t point at her!”
“Don’t be like that! You know, I was really worried, since you didn’t have any
popularity with the girls. Do you know how many pillows I drenched with my
tears at night because I felt bad? Ahh, I’m so glad!”
Eh, what? This isn’t what I imagined. Also, this reaction, it’s almost like…
“Ahh, stop already! You’re so embarrassing! That self-destruction before is still

bothering me, so at least don’t torture me in front of my girlfriend, Mom!”
…Hm?
“Hmmmmmm!? W-What?! This…this person is…your mother, Haruto-kun!?”
“Y-Yeah…that she is…”
No way!? She looks like she’s in her twenties…Even lower if you can’t see her
up close! My parents got me and Futaba early, but not on such a level! Is this
anti-aging or what!?
“O-Oh? Did I actually go too far? I’m sorry, I got excited…”
“N-No, I’m fine! If anything, I apologize for being so rude!”
I don’t want his mother to have a weird impression of me! I panicked and
lowered my head.
“M-My name is Asahina Wakaba! I’m sorry, you looked so young and beautiful,
I didn’t realize at all…!”
“Oh my, I appreciate that, even if it’s just courtesy. I like you more and more!”
T-Thank god…Seems like our first contact was a success…somewhat.
“My name is Bizen…Ah, no. Iruma Natsuki, please take care of my boy.”
“Ah, yes! Nice to meet you!”
Wait, did she just say Bizen…? Maybe it was just my imagination. Still, she’s a
livid and admirable woman. As someone who’s shy with other people, I can’t

help but be impressed at that. At the same time, I could see that she was Haruto-
kun’s mother, with a similar personality like him.
“Are you on your way home as well, Asahina-san?”
“No, I was asked by my Mom for some shopping, which is why I’m here…”
“I see, I see, an admirable lady! Haruto! Why don’t you help her!”
“…Eh? I mean, I don’t mind, but what about you, Mom?” Haruto-kun asked,
slightly worried.
But, Natsuki-san just let out a sigh like she couldn’t believe it.
“What an idiot you are. Who cares about that. Give me those bags! It’d be a
bother if you had to carry that, right!”
“No can do, they’re heavy!”
“Don’t underestimate me! This is nothing.” She said, forcefully tearing away the
shopping bags from Haruto-kun’s hands.
“You never take back what you say, I see! At least let me carry half. I just need
one open hand.”
“Tch, can’t help it then. I’ll take that.”
“Um, it doesn’t look too heavy, so I can help as well!”
I don’t want to be too much of a bother. But, Natsuki-san already had different
plans.
“It’s fine, it’s fine! Let that stupid son of mine do the heavy work. He plays these
eroge all year, he’s got enough strength in his arms.”
“Gyaaaaaa! Stop! Please, I beg you! Dear Mother, no more!”
Ah, I have to agree with Haruto-kun here, talking about the tastes of your
children is a no-go…But, didn’t these types of games have age limitations on
them? Then again, she doesn’t seem like a mother that would be too bothered by
that.

“Come on, go with her already! You can come back in the morning, take your
time.”
“Just shut up, Mom! C-Come on, Wakaba-san, let’s just ignore her!”
“Y-Yesh…”
His face looked like he’d get a heart attack if we stayed with her any longer.
“At your age, I already carried you inside my bell. Today’s youngsters sure are
slow.”
“I don’t want to hear about that!” Haruto-kun panicked at that lively story.
W-What should I even say about that? For now, I could tell that she is a very
lively mother.
“Well, whatever. You go at your own pace, and have fun with that.” Natsuki-san
watched us off, and we walked away.
I just got swept along the situation…is that really okay? I felt bad for just
breaking between the two.
“Um…was that really okay? I feel like I just bothered you…”
“Ah, it’s fine, totally fine! Things would just escalate if we stayed around for too
long.”
You say that, but I couldn’t help it. While talking with Haruto-kun, I turned
around on a whim—
“—Ah.”
For some reason, Natsuki-san was crying as she smiled at us. I panicked, and
looked up ahead again. A cold sweat ran down my cheek, and my heart started to
beat furiously. It felt like I saw something I shouldn’t have, as anxiety caught
hold of my chest.
“…Wakaba-san, what happened?”

“Ah, no, it’s nothing. L-Let’s hurry! There’s a timed sale going on!”
I started to walk faster. At the very least, I wanted us to seem like proper
boyfriend and girlfriend while she was watching.
“You don’t have to force yourself. It looks heavy.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine! Just leave it to me.”
We finished the shopping, and stepped out of the market. I’m glad we could buy
all the soy sauce, vegetables, and so on. But, when I offered to carry that in one
hand, Haruto-kun stayed adamant in holding it himself.
“If she found out that I’m having Wakaba-san carry this, Mom would not let me
hear the end of it. Just think of it as helping me, and let me carry this.”
Not fair. If he phrases it like that, I can’t say no. I gave him a harsh glare, but he
just ignored that with a smile. Given no other choice, I had to let go of that topic,
and was spoiled by his kindness.
“Now then, since we finished shopping for anything, why don’t we take a break
and drink some tea? Mom already sent me an email, saying that she went home,
so nobody is waiting.” Haruto-kun said.
I checked the time. We only have to cut and boil the vegetables, so getting home
a bit later won’t hurt. The ingredients won’t go bad either…Yup, should be fine!
“Ah, then…Should we go to the usual cake shop? I heard they have something
new on the menu.”
“Oh, that sounds great! Let’s do that!”
“Okay!”
I sent my Mom an email as well that I’d be a bit late, so now I don’t have to
worry. The cake shop is fairly close to us, so it didn’t take us long to arrive in
front of it. I could see many customers entering, reminding me yet again of how
popular this store actually was.
“Now, let’s hurry inside. We need to get seats, that’s the most important.”

“You really like this cake shop, Wakaba-san. Alright, then let’s go right ahead
—”
“…Oh? Onee-chan?”
Hmmm? What was that familiar voice about?
“I knew it! How rare to see you here!”
“F-Futaba!?”
A-Again with that pattern? Why is she always running into me at the worst
possible timing?
“That name…is she…?”
“Ugh…yes. She is my little sister, Futaba.”
“Ah, I had a hunch!” Haruto-kun clapped his hands, faced Futaba, and lowered
his head. “Nice to meet you, my name is Iruma Haruto!”
Even though it’s his first meeting with a girl, he made it look so easy. His
communicative skill is from another world. But, my little sister won’t lose
against that. She showed a grin, and gave a bow.
“Hey there, treat me well! I’m Asahina Futaba!” She was brimming with energy
as usual.
Whether she’s at home or outside, she’s always the same.
“Are you a friend of Onee-chan? It’s rare to see her out with a boy…Ah, is this
what I think it is?” A shade of wickedness showed up in Futaba’s smile, as she
snickered to herself. “Is he that person you were thinking about, Onee-chan?”
“Ugh! That’s…well…!”
“No need to hide it! I can sniff it! Iruma-san, was it? My Onee-chan is always in
your care!” Futaba showed no negative reaction when seeing Haruto-kun’s
appearance.
It’s a beautiful trait of my little sister to not judge people based on their outer

appearance. Honestly, I’m relieved. I know that she’s a good girl, but she
sometimes can’t read the mood, so I was worried she might be acting rude
towards him.
“No no, not at all. Your Onee-san is always very kind towards me.” Haruto-kun
looked at me, grinning.
I don’t like this kind of flow.
“I always hear about you from your older sister. That you are an energetic and
kind little sister, someone that she is very proud of!”
“Wha! H-Haruto-kun!? Where did that come from!”
“Ohhh…? ‘Haruto-kun’, I see.” Futaba picked up on my words, showing me a

grin.
At the same time, Haruto-kun broke out in a roaring laughter, like his plan had
succeeded!
“Ha ha ha, you really get embarrassed so easily, Wakaba-san.”
“Ah, are you sure you should be saying that? People who like to tease others will
only get pickled dried plums as a side dish for their lunch box tomorrow!”
“Wah, please don’t! Don’t rub me off my reason to look forward to tomorrow’s
lunch break!”
“Hmmm, I wonder what I should do~?”
“I’m sorry that I used this chance to tease you! Please, find the kindness in your
heart to forgive me!”
As I thought, talking with him is always fun, it makes my heart feel cozy.
“…No way. I’ve never seen Onee-chan talk like that at home. Just what kind of
magic did you use? Grrr, you are more amazing than I thought, Iruma-san.”
Ah, not good, I completely forgot about Futaba.
“I’m sorry, I just got a bit too into it.”

“No no, I don’t mind. I’m glad to see you two are so close. I feel jealous,
hehehe.”
“Again with that…” I complained.
…Well, eventually, I’ll have to introduce Haruto-kun to my family, so maybe

meeting Futaba alone here was good luck. Fortunately, Haruto-kun and Futaba
seem to be getting along.
“Hey, Futaba? We had plans on eating some cake here, so why don’t you join
us?”
“Ah, I see! What a coincidence! We just came here ourselves. If you’re okay
with us bothering you, we’d love to have you around!”
“You came with your friends?”
“Yes…Ah, not good!” Futaba grew pale. “I came running for Onee-chan since I
happened to see you, and forgot about the others! Leaving aside China-chan,
Kazucchi must be angry.”
A-As always, she’s way too straightforward.
“Hey, Futaba! Where did you go, just leaving us behind!”
“Waah, I’m sorry!”
Together with an enraged voice, three girls came walking towards us.
“…For crying out loud, it’s always the same with you!” The girl with braids,
apparently the leader of the group, stood in front of us.
She must be used to Futaba’s personality, which is this. I’m sorry that my little
sister is always troubling you…
“Sorry, Haruto-kun, Futaba is always acting rashly like this…”
…Huh? What’s wrong? Haruto-kun just stared at the girl with braids. Is he
entranced by her…? No way, right?
“Ahaha, you’re as fast on your feet as ever, Futa-chan…”

“Calm down, Kazuho. Your wrinkles will only increase like this.”
When I was trying to decipher Haruto-kun’s reaction, two other girls behind the
girl with braids appeared, joining in on the conversation. They’re trying to calm
her down…or pour more oil into the fire? One of them wore glasses, and the
other had a short-cut hairstyle. The three of them apparently were Futaba’s
friends—Wait, I remember seeing them before?
…Ah, right! A while ago, when I saw Futaba in front of the convenience store,
these three were with her. Since they’re together with Futaba again, they must be
fairly close. When I was observing them, I happened to meet eyes with the short-
cut hair girl.
“Hmm? Who is this girl over here?” She tilted her head in puzzlement.
Since Futaba and I look almost identical, she might be confused, which
explained why she blinked several times, looking between me and Futaba.
“Ah, I’ll introduce you! This is my Onee-chan, Asahina Wakaba!” Futaba raised
both her hands, as she introduced me.
Behind me, Haruto-kun gave a round of applause, applauding my little sister’s

appearance. These two are actually on the same wavelength, aren’t they?
“You really look alike. Nice to meet you, I’m Toono Yukari.” The girl with
glasses gave a polite blow.
“I’m Arimori Kazuho. Yukari’s a long-lasting, albeit unwilling, friend of mine.”

She said, as she tapped her hand on Toono-san’s head.
“My name is Nitta Chinatsu, please treat me well. I do have to say, she has this
cuteness of a small animal, unlike Futaba~” The short-cut haired girl—Nitta-san,
gave a worrying grin, as she offered me a hand.
…I’m a bit scared of her.
“What are you telling her in a first face-to-face meeting? I’m sorry about this,
Wakaba-san.” Arimori-san must have seen my terrified reaction, as she slapped
Nitta-san on the head. “…Wait, this boy that’s with you.—” Arimori-san cut her
words mid-sentence.

Apparently, they finally diverted their attention to Haruto-kun.
“Ah, this person is currently going out with Onee-chan. His name’s Iruma Haru
—”
“No way…! Are you really Iruma!?” Arimori-san suddenly stared at Haruto-
kun, jumping in front of him.
“Y-You’re right! It really is Iruma-kun! Why are you here!?” Even Toono-san
showed a confused reaction as well.
I-Is it just my imagination, or can I see tears in the corners of her eyes…?
“I thought so. Arimori-san and Toono-san, huh. It’s been a while. I’m glad to see
you’re doing okay, yeah.”
“H-Huh? Haruto-kun, you know them…?”
They acted like they ran into a deceased person, so much they were panicking. In
response, Haruto-kun looked a bit tense. If anything, he seemed uncomfortable
with this…?
“It’s been a while~~~ My ass, you moron!”
“We were really worried about you, Iruma-kun…!”
Seemingly relieved, they both let out a sigh.
“You changed your phone number and mail address, right. We had no way of
contacting you, so we had no idea what you were up to!”
“W-What’s wrong, you two? Leaving aside Kazuho, it’s rare to see Yukari this
agitated…”
“T-That’s right. Kazucchi, what happened?”
Futaba and Nitta-san were left in confusion at their friends’ reactions. They
apparently did not know the circumstances either. Is this some sudden brewing
of a battlefield? I looked over at Haruto-kun in hopes for some help.
“…No, it’s nothing. I was attending the same middle school as them, but I

changed schools midway.” Haruto-kun must have realized the storm brewing,
and started explaining. “Arimori-san, Toono-san, I’m sorry for leaving like that
even though I was in your care! A lot of stuff happened, see. I did want to show
my face at least during the graduation ceremony, but I couldn’t make it in time!”
Haruto-kun clapped his hands together, apologizing to them.
But, they both kept silent, showing no reaction whatsoever to Haruto-kun. Are
they still angry by any chase? So I thought, but their eyes were wide open, as if
they were baffled about something. I wonder…they look really surprised…?
“That’s just…you know?”
“Ah, y-yeah.”
Haruto-kun gave the both of them a wink, to which they looked at each other,
and nodded. What was that suggestive gaze about? What happened between
them? Why do I feel like I’m being left out here? …Hmpf.
“Ah, I’m sorry.” Haruto-kun caught on to my gaze, and gave me a reassuring

smile. “No need to worry, I’ll follow you for the rest of my life, Wakaba-san!
Because I’m head over heels for you!”
“Wha!?”
I-Idiot! Why would you just say that!?
“Really, my girlfriend can be so jealous at times, how cute!” Manjuu-san said it

with a tone of ‘Being popular is a curse’.
“W-What’s your problem! Y-You play lewd games that you hide from me, don’t
you! I don’t think you have the right to act like Mr Handsome over here!”
“Wawawa! Y-You promised not to tell anybody, right!?” The mask of a popular
boy fell right off Haruto-kun’s face.
Indeed, this is the boyfriend I know.
“Ah, Onii-san, you play eroge?”
“Ah, well…Just as a gentleman…”

Nitta-san’s eyes were sparkling, as she walked towards Haruto-kun.
“What kind of genres do you play? I really like the training and disciplining
types!”
“No, I’m a specialist on pure games! I reject any fiendish genres!”
“You’re just holding back because you’re in front of your girlfriend, right?”
Nitta-san showed the laugh of an old man.
Watching this, Futaba let out a sigh.
“China-chan always goes crazy when the topic changes to that. Also, aren’t these
18+ games…?”
Futaba’s question was skillfully ignored, as Nitta-san continued her conversation

with Haruto-kun. From what I gathered, she liked games and anime. Even
though this was their first meeting, she and Haruto-kun got along really well.
Then again, a high school boy and girl talking about 18+ games in front of a
cake shop, this truly is quite the surreal scene. The customers that passed us gave
the two confused glances, and entered the shop…This doesn’t count as them
obstructing the cake shop’s business, right?
I was a bit worried, but Futaba joined the conversation as well, not being
bothered by the people around her. Unexpectedly, Futaba sometimes plays
games (not the lewd ones!), so she had no problems following the conversation.
She really has no problems getting along with anybody. I might be a bit jealous.
…Maybe I should look into anime and games some more? I thought of what to
do, and when I turned my gaze towards Arimori-san and Toono-san—
“H-He’s changed, huh…”
“He’s…like a different person.”
They were watching Haruto-kun. Ahh, I can’t take it anymore! I need to know!
“U-Um! You two were…Haruto-kun’s classmates…right?”

“Eh? Ah, yeah.”
“What was he like in middle school?”
“In middle school? Hmm…” Arimori-san had a sudden distant gaze. “How do I
say it, he’s totally different now. Back then, he was acting much more timidly,
and more of an introvert.”
“Yeah, he was very grown-up. And, whenever something happened, Namikawa-

kun covered for him…” Following Arimori-san, Toono-san smiled.
Eh, Haruto-un was like that back then? That’s almost like—
“But, he was working on himself, that Iruma-kun.”
“Right. Once we got up to 2nd grade, he was more relaxed, and easier to have
around…though he was still fairly timid at times. I always thought that he should
work on him being hesitant all the time.”
“That reminds me, you and Namikawa-kun often helped him with his studies
and homework, right.”
“He was really hopeless, so I just had to. As thanks, he helped me with English.
People have strengths and weaknesses, I guess.”
They looked at each other, showing a nostalgic smile.
“He was always embarrassed about it, but his father is an English teacher, so he
must have been good at English. Since he doesn’t have a mother, he had to take
care of all the household, which didn’t give him much time to study.”
“—Eh?”
He doesn’t…have a mother? Eh? But, just now…
“U-Um! Can I ask about Haruto-kun’s family…?”
“He apparently lived together with his father. Whenever that timid Manjuu
talked about his old man, he had this fulfilled look on his face.
“Yeah, I really felt his love for his father, and yet something like that

happened…”
That’s where the two grew quiet. They averted their faces, gritting their teeth.
“W-What!? What happened!?”
“Y-You don’t know!? Ah, ugh, this is bad…”
I apparently heard something I shouldn’t have, but there was no way I could stop
coming this far.
“Please tell me! Just what happened…!”
It might really be something that doesn’t concern me. Because, if Haruto-kun

never told me, I probably didn’t need to know. But, I still…!
“When he was in his second year in middle school, he got bullied. He fell from
the stairs, and hurt his leg in the process. Luckily, he didn’t break anything, but
he hit his head, so they took him to a hospital check-up.” Arimori-san must have
seen how desperate I was, and started explaining. “There, his father hurried
home from work out of worry. But, because he was panicking, he didn’t catch on
to the truck driving towards the intersection…and he passed away in the
accident.”
“—!”
W-What…I never heard of that…He never—
Well, he was pretty strict when he got angry, but he’s still my important old man.
“Ah…”
That’s right, why did I never realize? When he talked about his father, Haruto-
kun always used past tense…
“Iruma-kun blamed himself for his father’s death. He wouldn’t even listen to
Namikawa-kun. And as for us, we could only watch.”
“After the funeral, he just transferred without telling anybody. Apparently,

Namikawa-kun’s parents had a job transfer, and he went with them…but, even if

they’re childhood friends, I had trouble believing that.”
I had no words. To think something like this happened in his past.
“But, he seems to be doing well now, so I’m relieved! Is that thanks to you by
any chance?”
“Yeah, agreed! Thank you very much, Asahina-san!”
No. I didn’t…do anything. On the contrary, I just…
Yes, that’s right. We’re pretty close.
“Ah…”
My dad is very kind, and always fun to have around!
“Aaah…”
What about your family, Iruma-kun?
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh…!”
This morning was tough. Dad got scolded by Mom again…
You really love your family, Wakaba-san.
“I-I…no, I didn’t mean to…!”
I can’t help but admire that every single morning.
…!”
I didn’t know…! But, I still…!
“Hey! Are you okay!? You got so pale all of a sudden!” Toono-san asked,
flustered.
“N-No, I’m fine, it’s nothing…”
“Eh, Onee-chan!? What happened! Did Kazucchi tell you something weird?”

“I-I didn’t do anything! I just talked about Iruma for a bit…”
Approached by Futaba, Arimori-san frantically shook her head. That’s right, she
didn’t do anything wrong.
“I’m fine…I really am…” I casted my face down, and saying these words was
the best I could manage.
My heart raced so fast it started to hurt. My legs were quivering, as I felt the air
in my throat getting stuck—
“—Eh?” My field of view suddenly went black.
A white fabric covered my eyes and ears.
“Why don’t we let off the tea today and go home? Here, use this to wipe away
the sweat.”
I raised my head towards the voice, and found Haruto-kun standing next to me.
He held a white handkerchief in his hand. Being met with his worried gaze, all I
could do was nod.
Haruto-kun and I walked through the evening city, after we parted from Futaba
and her friends. Futaba was adamant on coming with us, probably out of worry,
but I couldn’t accept that. I didn’t want to disturb their fun just because of my
selfish feelings. I really wanted Haruto-kun to go home as well, but he was oddly
obstinate, not leaving me alone.
And, with no conversation whatsoever, an awkward atmosphere reigned between

us—when Haruto-kun stopped walking.
“…Sorry. I wasn’t hiding it on purpose.”
“Eh?”
“I just didn’t want you to worry.”
“You heard…?”

Taken by surprise, my heart almost stopped beating entirely. If so, how should I
even hope to apologize? I found out someone’s secret without their consent. He
has all the right to be angry.
“I actually have good ears. Then again, you were talking fairly loudly. Ah, your
little sister and friend probably didn’t hear it, so no need to worr—”
“I must have been inconsiderate…all this time, right? I’m sorry!” I felt the tears,
about to come out.
I deeply hated myself, and the person I am.
“Haruto-kun, you had to go through so much, and yet I just…!”
“Wakaba-san…”
“You must hate such a gloomy, inconsiderate girl like me…right?”
Who could fall in love with such a girl like me. I deserve to be bullied. Even
now, I keep hurting him, unable to do anything to ease his pain. I couldn’t even
look at Haruto-kun.
“I-I’m just—”
“Wakaba-san!”
“Eh…?” I raised my head in shock, only to find Haruto-kun laughing.
“What kind of gloomy face is that? You’re planning on teasing me again, right?”
He averted his face, like he was sulking.
“O-Of course not! I’m trying to be serious here—”
“Serious? This is too ridiculous, I’m dying of laughter!”
“W-What is so funny about this?”
“That story was finished two years ago. Even if you bring that up now, I just
think of it as a memory, nothing more.” Haruto-kun shook his head.
“T-That can’t be…!”

“You get sad and depressed about it all on your own? Hah, what’s next? I’m
supposed to hate you now? In what world!?” Haruto-kun tried to contain his
laughter as he held his stomach. “Also, there’s no way some dullard like me
would still be hung up on something like that. Not happening! If I was that kind
of man, I wouldn’t have talked about eroge on the entrance ceremony, and I
wouldn’t have gotten kicked out as a result either. Don’t underestimate the
legend that I created.” Haruto-kun raised his thumb. “I hid it from you, and you
happened to hear it, so aren’t we even now? If you still feel bad about it, then
make me a luxurious lunch box!”
…His lie was too easy to see through. It’s just something from the past? You
won’t be bothered by these wounds? Then, why did you have such a lonely gaze
when you looked at the backs of Taichi-kun and his father? I was yet again
baffled at his kindness, when Haruto-kun’s face became more serious.
“I like the Wakaba-san who talks about her family.”
“Eh…?”
“The smile you show me when you tell me about your father, mother, and little
sister…I love it.”
Wha—!
“T-That’s why, you don’t have to worry about that! If anything, I want to hear
even more! Because I want to keep watching that kind of Wakaba-san!”
“Haruto…kun…?”
His kindness snuck right into my chest. It made me feel all warm inside, as my
heart started racing.
“Thank…you…”
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while now, but don’t you apologize too
often? You can live more freely, Wakaba-san.”
“Hm…D-Do you think so?”
“If anything, the kind of tone you have towards me still doesn’t feel like we’re

dating. I was wondering if you were forcing yourself. I mean, it’s gotten better
as of late, but…”
Now that he mentioned it, that made sense. If something happened, I would
immediately apologize. I don’t know when it happened, but apparently I made
that my habit. It’s the same with my polite language. I admired my Mom, and
took after her, but that’s probably where my lack in confidence came from.
Yeah. The way you talk, your tone, it’s gotten a bit softer.
Yeah, that’s it. Futaba told me something like that. I realized that I was talking
less politely even inside my family.
“You saw my Mom, right? I’m not telling you to become like her, but you might
as well learn a bit from her. Then again, you might end up like Mifuyu instead…
Yeah, don’t take her as reference! If you ended up like that, I probably would
bite off my tongue and kill myself.”
J-Just what kind of little sister is she? I was actually a bit interested.
“Right, talking about that your Mom—Ah!” I panicked and cut myself off, but
he already fgured what I was going to say.
“Still hung up on that? No need to worry. The Mom you met before is my actual
mother. She just lives separate from me.”
“Ah, is that so! I got a weird misunderstanding…”
“Well, I can’t blame you. The thing is, before I met Mifuyu two years ago, I
thought that Mom was dead. Because that darned old man of mine never told me
anything.”
—According to Haruto-kun, this is what happened.
His mother…Natsuki-san, wasn’t actually a member of the Iruma family

originally. Her real family name was Bizen. She and Bizen Ryouichi-kun are
actually blood-related relatives. She was born into a renowned family, but
couldn’t take this kind of lifestyle, so she ran away from home, and met Haruto-
kun’s father there. Out of this relationship, Haruto-kun was born.

However, the happiness didn’t continue for too long, as Haruto-kun’s father was
deceived by a trusted friend, burdened with a great sum of debt. For her to carry
that debt instead, Natsuki-san got divorced, and moved back to her main family.
There, she ended up marrying a fiance, and gave birth to Haruto-kun’s little
sister. Then, when his father died two years ago, Haruto-kun’s mother appeared
again.
“So then, after many twists and turns, I got to know Ryouichi and Yui-san, and I
now live together with them, as well as Mifuyu and Mom. And then, we all lived
happily ever after.”
That being the case, his little sister actually turned out to be a genius, which is
why she often goes back to the main family to help with business. Honestly, it
sounded like a drama straight out of a manga. Can you really call this all a happy
end? I’m sure he must have been enduring something beyond what I could
imagine.
“Well, you know. All that ends well is well. Dad is no longer with me, but the
things he taught me stay with me. How to take care of myself, how to make miso
soup. And, his English skills more than anything. It’ll definitely be useful
somewhere.”
“That reminds me, your father was an English teacher, right. Is one of your
dreams that you want to follow in his footsteps?”
I remembered Haruto-kun telling me about his dreams during our first date.
“N-No, not really. The dream I have isn’t something easily achievable with just
effort…”
“Oh, really? Then, what is your dream?”
Judging from his flustered expression, it must be a wish very much like Haruto-
kun. A kiss…or something even more lewd!?
“Y-You’re not going to laugh?”
“Of course I won’t.”
Depending on the contents, I might need to take my distance though.

“I told you that my Mom went back to her family right after she gave birth to
me. That’s why she never really got the chance to hold me, you know. She
seems still pretty hung up on it, and I can sometimes hear her apologize to me
when she’s talking in her sleep.” Haruto-kun looked up at the sky. “That’s why,
I want to marry the person I like, build a family of my own…and then, once I
have a child, I want Mom to carry it as much as she wants. Thanks to Mom and
everyone, I can be this happy, so I want to show her, and thank her.”
A breeze blew past us.
“That is…your dream?”
“Y-Yeah. It’s as average of a dream as it can be, but I was too embarrassed to be
called a mother baby, so I never told anybody.” Haruto-kun hid his face. “Y-
You’re not going to laugh?! It’s pretty embarrassing, I know!”
“H-How could I ever! I think it is a wonderful dream, so I will support…you…

Huh?”
That reminds me, back then, didn’t I—
Do you have other dreams as well? Why don’t I help you in fulfilling them?
“Gyaaaaaah!?”
“Eh, w-what happened?!”
“N-Nothing! Nothing at all! I just remembered something, yesh!”
Waaaah shut up, me! Look at Haruto-kun, he’s getting all suspicious!
“Oh right, a while ago, didn’t you–Ah.” He remembers! “Well…um.”
“Yeah…errr…”
We both had nothing else to say, and just grew quiet. His face already made it
past being red, and burned with a strong crimson. Naturally, I was probably the
same. I-I never would have imagined that a silence could be this awkward. I was
so embarrassed, I wanted to hide in a hole!

“Ah, well…”
“Uuu…”
…Should we…head home?”
“…Y-Yeah! It’s gotten cold now!”
We lined up next to each other, and started walking.
“……”
Finally, with both of us, at the same time—
“……”
—We held hands.

On the way home, we shared no words. There was no reason to. We were both
just enjoying the comfortable and relaxing atmosphere between the two of us.
Through his hand, I could feel his warmth. My heart started beating at a volume
I was worried that he might be able to hear.
The sun had already started to set, as the orange light created shadows at our
backs. Today, the entire time—No, not just today. I am truly blessed that I got to
meet Haruto-kun, and learn more about him. He’s always meddling, quite lewd,
and you can’t call him a handsome man even if you wanted to.
But, no matter how tough it may be, he would always smile, always making sure
everyone around him is happy. He’s like the sun. The moment I saw this
kindness, something inside of my heart changed. I don’t know how it happened,
or when, but I already had my answer inside of me.
…I finally get it now. I actually—Like him.
The fact that I was bad at dealing with boys, and my fear of them, it all
disappeared. What filled this void was a strong, almost overwhelming desire to
never let him go again. It burns strongly inside of my chest, and it’s the first—
love that I experienced. I gave in to these feelings inside of my heart, and tightly
grasped his hand.
At the same time, as if he had caught on to my thoughts, Haruto-kun did the

same. This sensation felt so warm, so comfortable, I just cast my beet red face
downward, and walked next to him.
Finally, we arrived in front of my house. After all things considered, it went by

in a flash. But, I still want to stay with him for a bit longer…Maybe I could
invite him in? No, I didn’t clean up anything! I want him to have a good first
impression.
“S-So then, Wakaba-san…I’d love to stay with you, but…”
“Y-Yes…Um, thanks for everything today.”
I don’t know how I should thank him. I tried using my words, but since I’m so
tongue-tied, this is the best I could manage.
“You don’t need to thank me, I didn’t do anything. If anything, I’d have to be

the one.”
That’s why…I at least wanted to give something back to my beloved one.
“But, I can’t accept that. I’ve been a bother this entire time, so could you turn
sideways for me?” I poured all my heart into these words, and mustered up as
much courage as I could.
“Hm, like this?”
“—” I reached out for his cheek with my fingertips—and pressed my lips against
it.
“Eh…” A baffled voice came out of Haruto-kun’s mouth as he turned around.
His eyes were wide open, as if he had seen a ghost.
“…This is my thanks. Sorry that it’s just on the cheek.”
“—Ah, eh?” His body leaned sideways, as he only barely stopped himself from
toppling over.
He put one hand on his cheek, and just walked away on wobbly feet.
“On my cheek…a soft kiss…the sky…woeh?” He was mumbling something, as

his appearance vanished beyond the horizon.
…D-Did I overdo it? As I watched the place he walked off to, I gently licked my
lips.
After that—everything in my world started to shine brightly. Just how dense

have I been? I realized it way too late! I had no idea that every day could be so
enjoyable.
“Where should we go for our next date?”
“W-Wherever you want to go, Wakaba? I’ll follow you!”
He started calling me without honorifics fairly soon after that.

“…Come on…I’m the same, you know?”
“We really are a good match, right? The best-couple, I say!”
At the same time, I stopped talking overly polite towards him.
“Let’s play that game next!”
The time spent with Haruto-kun was more important to me than anything else.
“Got it. I’ll win this accessory, and make it your present for the day!”
I want to be with him forever.
“Should I buy this plastic model today?”
“I mean, why do we always end up here during our date?”
“You shouldn’t worry about the small stuff.”
“I mean, if you’re enjoying yourself, I totally don’t mind, Wakaba…”
He would even listen to my selfish requests.
“Why’s it matter as long as you both get along? Here, your Gem II!”
These days felt like I was dreaming.
“Waah, so soft and spongy!”
“Y-You’re tickling my belly…! It feels really weird, like I’ll awaken to

something…”
No matter what we did, everything was fun, and just talking with him made me
feel like I was in heaven. I’ve gotten completely engrossed with him. No matter
how spoiled I act, he won’t get angry. No matter how honest I am with my
feelings, he doesn’t push me away. He listens to everything I say. He warms up
my heart with his kind smile. How could you not fall in love with him? I
couldn’t care less about face or body figure.
This is what they call a comfortable relationship, no doubt. Whenever I’m with

him, I feel relieved. It makes me want to be with him forever. I can’t even
imagine a student life without Haruto-kun anymore.
“Here, your special Wakaba-style lunch box!”
“Ohh, looks delicious as always!”
We sat in the back of the school building during lunch break, enjoying our usual
lunch break time.
“Now, eat up. I have your share prepared as well, Namikawa-kun, Bizen-kun.”
“Thank you, Asahina-san. You really are a lucky fellow, Haruto-kun.”
“You can say that again, what a girlfriend you have. I have Yui’s lunch myself,
but this should be enough to fill me.”
Today, it’s not just the two of us. Of course, that meant that I had to make more,
and put more work into it.
“Yes, eat lots, okay?”
“Ah, this is the best…I’m so happy…I don’t even care what happens to me
anymore…!” Haruto-kun shed tears of joy and happiness.
“Really, I can’t watch this. What kind of face is that.” Bizen-kun showed
disgust.
“Ahaha, you can say that again.” Namikawa-kun giggled along.
“Ha ha ha, it’s all okay. I’m sure it’ll work out with you Yui-san and Mifuyu!”
“Why’d you suddenly bring up Yui’s name?”
“Thank you, Haruto-kun, I’ll try my best! Also, I’ll stay with no comment
concerning Ryouichi-kun.”
I met this maid Yui-san before. She clearly emitted affection towards Bizen-kun,
but he did not realize that at all, how dense.
“A while ago, you two gave me a present for my birthday, right? You got good

sense, I tell ya.”
“I’m glad you liked it, Haruto-kun.”
“Heh, go and thank Yui then. She was the one who picked it, although I told her
to just keep it short.”
Oh right, I almost forgot!
“Why didn’t you tell me about that? I would have prepared a present myself, but
more than two weeks have passed already!”
“S-Sorry! I thought it’d sound like I was begging, so I didn’t. And also…”
“And also…what?”
“I already got a wonderful present this year…which is you, Wakaba.” Haruto-

kun was clearly embarrassed at his own words, but still kept a serious gaze
towards me. “You became my girlfriend! There’s no better present to receive!”
N-Not far…! That surprise attack is not fair!
“Just you wait, I’ll definitely top even that! …And then I’ll enjoy your reaction!”
“No no no, there’s no bigger surprise than that, you know? Then again, I’ll
gladly welcome anything coming from you!” Haruto-kun proudly announced, as
he glanced at me. “…But, if you’re that adamant, then I would have one small
wish left unfulfilled.”
“You sure are greedy all of a sudden. What else would you want from Asahina?”
“It’s rare for Haruto-kun to wish for something except anything 2D related.”
Bizen-kun and Namikawa-kun were right. Just what else could he want? If
possible, I’d like to help fulfill that wish.
“C-Can’t you…um…call me by my name now? With no honorifics? I’m doing it

as well, right?”
“A-Auu…that’s…”

I-I didn’t expect that. I’m already embarrassed to call him like that.
“Come on, come on, I’m listening~?”
“U-Umm…Haru…to…Mumble mumble—”
“Oh, I can’t hear you?”
He’s enjoying this!
“Don’t…act like you’re allowed everything! I don’t care about such a cruel
person like you!”
“O-Oh…are you angry now?”
When I averted my face, Haruto-kun gave a worried voice.
“Hmpf, this ‘Haruto’ can just go away! I hate people who play with a girl’s
feelings.”
“…And that’s why I love you, Wakaba.”
“Wha!? A-Are you listening to me? You idiot!”
Apparently, our exchange was impossible to witness for others. Bizen-kun and
Namikawa-kun both gave blank stares of contempt.
“Ahh, I can’t stand this. Hey, Shun! If you’re done eating, let’s leave these two
love birds alone!”
“Right. I’m already full just by watching them.”
“Ah…”
“Ugh…”
I can’t argue against that. We were flirting so much that we completely forgot
about the two being with us, right!? Yeah…that was a no-go…I felt my face
burning up with heat.
“No need to mind us, we won’t be in your way any longer.”

“Heh, just don’t go at it like wild rabbits when nobody’s watching!”
“W-We won’t do anything like that!”
Namikawa-kun and Bizen-kun both gave us lecherous grins, as they walked

away. Left alone, we both looked at each other, smiling bashfully.
“…They are really good people.”
“Yeah, I’ve been with them for a long time. There couldn’t be any more reliable
friends.”
Seeing Haruto-kun talk about his friends, with a gleeful expression, I myself felt
happy. We gratefully used this alone time until the second before the chime
rang, and talked through the entire lunch break.
—At dinner time, my family and I sat at the dinner table.
“Hmm, hmm~”
While carrying a bit of Mom’s cooking into my mouth, I thought about today’s
lunch, and about him. He enjoyed the lunch box today, right? I’m really happy
about that.
“My, my. Someone is in a good mood today. Did something good happen?”
“Not really? Your cooking is just delicious, that’s all!”
“R-Really? I’m happy to hear that.”
To be honest, her food did taste several times better than usual. Maybe because I
was feeling better overall?
“W-Well, it’s great that you’re so energetic, but aren’t you too excited as of
late?” Dad said so, as his face tightened up.
Really? I’m not doing it on purpose though.

“—Hm?” I felt a gaze from my side. “Futaba, what happened?”
“N-No, it’s nothing?” My little sister grinned at me.
It looked her eyes were radiating with happiness…I felt oddly bashful, and
stuffed a bigger load of food in my mouth.
I finished my evening bath, and reminisced about the day, and what happened.
Though there were a few failures, I couldn’t have been happier. All of Haruto’s
expressions and words repeated inside of my head. That alone made me grin.
“Onee-chan, do you have a moment?”
Together with a faint knock on the door, I heard my little sister’s voice. Of
course, I had no reason to deny that, so I invited her in.
“Sorry to come over this late.”
“It’s totally fine. Is there something you need?”
“Mom and Dad were all about ‘Wakaba is acting weird as of late…’. Dad
especially sounded worried, so I came to check up on you!” She gave me a
response with a cheerful face.
I figured she would already know the reason why I was acting weird. That’s
why, there can only be one motivation of hers as to why she’s here.
“So? So? How’s it going recently? Are you getting along with that Iruma-san
person?”
“Ah, well…I-It’s going pretty good, I guess?”
Can’t help it. She met Haruto before, so there’s no need to hide it, huh?
“Haruto talked about all sorts of ridiculous things today, and teased me. But,
he’s actually always considerate and kind, and a wonderful boy.”
“Ohhh, really? ‘Haruto’, huh?” She grinned, but eventually tilted her head in
confusion. “But, I’m a bit surprised. I don’t mean to be rude, but with how he
looks, and his face, he didn’t seem like the type of person Onee-chan would fall

in love with.”
She’s as honest and direct as always. I couldn’t help but show a wry smile. I did
feel the same way, but now…
“It’s true that he’s not exactly handsome. But, I think he’s cute. His charming
points don’t come from his appearance.”
Just by being next to him, my heart feels at ease. I find myself smiling naturally.
It’s exactly as Namikawa-kun told me. Now, I understood his words.
“He can work his hardest for someone else’s sake. He is more kind than anybody
else.”
That’s why I love Haruto.
“Haaa…” Futaba let out a sigh, her cheeks reddened. “Onee-chan, you really
like him, huh! Just listening to you makes me feel all embarrassed!” She held
both her cheeks. “Ahh, I’m so jealous! I want a boyfriend myself! Hey hey, tell
me, how did you start dating someone as wonderful as him?”
“The beginning of our love? Fufu, that’s—”
—What was it again?
“…Huh?”
Why did I start going out with him—
You are Asahina-san? I heard you have some business with me?
Y-Yes. Um, the thing is…
Huh? Just now, I saw something weird in my memories? My head…it hurts…?
“Onee-chan? What’s wrong?”
“Ah, no, it’s nothing?”
Well, whatever. If I can’t remember, then it’s nothing important.

“Um, I don’t remember it too well. It just happened, I guess? One day, I realized
that I liked him.”
“Hmm? I don’t really get it, but I guess that’s what makes love so difficult.”
“Y-Yup, I’m sure.”
I wonder why, my head won’t stop hurting. Am I lacking sleep? Not good, I
don’t want to have baggy eyes when I meet him. I told Futaba I wanted to head
to sleep, to which she still didn’t look too satisfied, but eventually left my room.
I sat on my bed, and put one hand on my chest. What…is this gloomy feeling?
I don’t know why. What should I feel worried about? Oh yeah, Nanase-san and
the others stopped bothering me as of late…Eh? Bothering? That made it sound
like I was bullied. How stupid, as if that was the case. After all, there is nothing
wrong with me and Haruto going out. I wasn’t forced to confess, no. There are
no lies between us.

If I don’t make myself think that—my happiness will break apart.
…I guess I should sleep. I’ll have a dream of Haruto. And then, I’ll wake up to a
new, wonderful day—
……
…………
“Wha…wha…S-Seriously!?”
“Kya!” Haruto’s scream took me by surprise.
“R-Really!? Y-You like me!? Eh, what? This isn’t a dream, right?”
“What kind of development is this…A shounen manga like this would get axed
right away, I tell you.”
Seeing Haruto shake in joy, I felt a rush of guilt assault me.
“Y-Yes. Um, actually…”
“Awawawa!?”
My words got stuck in my throat. Should I really confess here? Now, I could still
take it back. But even this one last chance I had—
“Asahina-san?”
—Was ruined by Nanase-san’s voice.
“Iruma-kun…”
“Y-Yes!”
Thump, thump, my heart hammered inside my chest. I couldn’t stop my body

from shaking. I really can’t escape this any longer.
“…I…like you. Please…go out…with me—”

……
………
…………
Third period finally came to an end. As soon as I make it through the next
English class, the long-awaited lunch break will finally arrive. Thanks to Haruto
teaching me lots lately, I’ve gotten much better at English, and even managed to
get some good grades, about which he praised me. As a thanks, and also because
I felt like it, I poured lots of effort into today’s lunch. Everytime I imagined his
smile with his stuffed cheeks, I found myself grinning.
“You’re feeling pretty good as of late, huh?”
When I was dwelling in my thoughts, Nanase-san and the others approached me.
Did they have some business?
“What are you grinning for, it’s disgusting. Oh yeah, what happened with the
kiss? You said that he couldn’t make it to the date, right? Nothing happened ever
since. You’re not telling me you didn’t do it yet, right?”
“A-A kiss!? N-No, that’s still too early for us! Ah, but…if he was a bit more
assertive, I wouldn’t mind…Kyaa~” Just by imagining it, I felt my heart race.
T-That’s right, he always holds back on everything. I know that he’s being
considerate, but I wish he could be more aggressive at times.
“Eh, Asahina-san, what are you talking about?” Shouji-san blinked at me in

confusion.
“D-Did you go crazy now? I don’t get what you’re on about.” Even the always
calm Torimaki-san showed confusion.
What happened to them?
“Are you joking!? Where did that come from?”

Why are they treating me like I’m the weird one? I’m just talking about my
boyfriend.
“This morning, I got up early to make a lunch box for him. Will he be happy?
What do you think?”
I only asked for their thoughts. Yet, all the color drained from their faces. Maybe
they’re not feeling well? Should I escort them to the infirmary?
“D-Don’t make us listen to something disgusting like that! Are you trying to pull
us down!?”
“N-Nanase-san, calm down!”
“R-Right. Just leave Asahina-san alone. If you talk any more with her, we’ll be
the ones who go crazy next.”
I’ve never seen Nanase-san and the others so flustered before. Maybe they really
were feeling off?
“R-Right…you do you. As long as you entertain us until the very end!”
“…Huh?”
Until the very end? I don’t get it? Entertain them? How?
“—! Let’s go, everyone!”
Just when I thought Nanase-san was about to break out in a rage, she just opened
the door, and left the classroom, the others following her. Recess is about to end,
what are they doing?
“A-Asahina-san? What happened?”
“Yajima-san?”
A timid Yajima-san called out to me. Even her, what’s going on?
“It’s nothing. Nanase-san and the others were talking about something weird,
which confused me. They made it sound like there was some sort of mistake in
Haruto and me going out…Nonsensical, don’t you agree?”

“—Eh? Asahina…san?” She froze up.
Everyone is acting weird. She’s gotten pale as well. I wanted to call out to her,
but she just shook in fear, not listening to me.
“Hey, Ruri! Show me your notes! I forgot my English translation homework! I

used a translation app, but there’s one I don’t get—So, please!”
“Eh…O-Okay…” Yajima-san seemed reluctant to part, as if she wanted to say

something, but eventually gave up.
I gave her a calm smile to cheer her up, but her small eyes opened wide. Still
reluctant, she returned to her seat. Well anyway, my boyfriend Haruto is more
important now. I took out my smartphone, and booted up my LINE app. Out of
boredom, I checked my chat messages with Haruto.
…I felt a wave of joy and content filling my heart. Just by looking at the words
he sent me, I felt relief. It was an exchange with no deeper meaning, and yet I
was so happy, so blissful. I never would have imagined to experience such love.
A short while ago, I hated coming to school, and it all feels like a lie now.
…Huh? Why is it that I hated coming to school before? I was able to meet the
person I like, right? It makes no sense. Why…did I hide my feelings towards my
family?
“…Ouch!”
My head hurt again. Whatever, thinking about something nonsensical like that is
a waste of time. As long as I think of Haruto, and feel happy with him—nothing
else matters. I want to hurry up and meet Haruto.
With these feelings, I somehow made it through the fourth period, and the chime
rang. It was the sound of blessing for me. At the same time as the teacher left the
room, I got up from my seat. I want to hurry and meet Haruto. I want to be
together with him. These feelings were overflowing, and wouldn’t stop.
Immediately, I headed over to his classroom, when—
“Wait a second.”
Standing down the hallway I arrived at was—

“Bizen-kun? You’re alone? Where’s Haruto and the others?” I looked around,
but I couldn’t find anybody else.
It’s rare for Bizen-kun to come here on his own.
“Ah, no worries. I told Haruto that you won’t be coming today.”
“Eh!? W-Why?”
“It’s not anything crazy. I just want to talk about something.”
Talk about something? More importantly, why would he lie about that?
“I kinda don’t want to talk about it here. How about we go up to the rooftop and
talk about it? Wouldn’t want anybody to hear it.” Bizen-kun wouldn’t listen to
me, just walking on ahead as he showed me his back.
“Wait a second! I don’t understand this! What do you want to talk about—”
“It’ll be done right away. Just something I want to confirm.”
“C-Confirm?”
“Yeah, that. I just…” He didn’t turn towards me, and spoke like he was ordering
lunch at the cafeteria. “—Want to know about that game you all are doing.”

Afterword
Everyone, nice to meet you. My name is Hazama Takashi.
This is the first of the ‘4 Thread Topic Ranobe’, Asahina Wakaba to MaruMaru
na Kareshi’, and I want to thank you for picking it up!
Now, you may be asking what these ‘4 Threat Topic Ranobe’ are. Were these
novels published online? Were they revived? In case someone doesn’t know of
this yet, we have this so-called ASCII Art (AA) online, which allows you to
express words or numbers in drawings. Ever since the year 2000, this has been a
method to express stories. These ‘4 Thread Topic Ranobe’ are these four works
that had been born from this, rewritten into light novels.
With this background, Asahina Wakaba to MaruMaru na Kareshi was released.

As you could see, it is a school romcom. Because of certain circumstances, a
fake confession happens, and the torturous game begins. The protagonist of this
story, Asahina Wakaba, has no other choice but to play along in this game.
Even the inside of her is always gloomy, always hurt. She manages to hide it in
front of her family, but the second she leaves the house, everything breaks down.
She even finds trouble voicing her own opinion. That’s why she constantly gets
washed along other people’s wills, left and right. On the outside, she may be a
beauty, but that only makes matters worse, which ends in her getting bullied.
In terms of a story development and writing, she is a character that sticks out
purely negative. And now, this girl encounters Iruma Haruto, and starts to
change herself. I hope you enjoyed it so far, and I wish that you will stay with
her, and continue to watch her grow. On a side note, the next volume will also be
the climax, so I hope you stick around until the very end!
Finally, my thanks. First, my editor, who has helped me greatly in this kind of
work I was definitely not used to. Then, Momomochi-sama for the wonderful
illustrations. Next, my family and friends that always positively supported me.

Naturally, the same goes for all the readers that have supported me since my
WEB debut. Finally, we can’t forget all the people that have helped in shipping
this novel, bringing to every single one of you.
As my final words for now, I hope that we can see each other again soon…

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—I’m scared of waking up in the morning.

The shrilling sound of my alarm clock pulled me out of my slumber. And, it

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“—Good morning, everyone!”

“Good morning, Wakaba. You’re brimming with energy as always, I see.”

Dad had the newspaper in one hand, as he showed me an invigorating smile.

“Really, it makes you feel great.”

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Seeing this, we both burst out laughing.

“Ah…Y-Yes! It’d be bad if we ended up late!”

“T-That reminds me! Did you buy something again, Dad?”

“Indeed, I found a great bargain!”

“They’re basically the same, so what does it matter?”

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“Onee-chan! We’re gonna have to hurry!”

Not good, I got too focussed on the conversation!

“Sorry, sorry, I accidentally fell asleep!”

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The second I heard that voice, my body instinctively tensed up.

“Kuhyuhyuhyu, I’m sure that unlike you, Nanase-san, she’s actually an M.

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“Asahina!? You better not be ignoring us!”

My body tensed up naturally.

“You’re always so depressing. Can’t you do something about that!?”

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“Alright, nobody’s there…have to hurry up and—Ah wow! It looks delicious!”

And, it happened the second I started to enjoy Mom’s lunch.

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“What’d you say, Haruto!? Say it to my face one more time!”

“I’m about to announce total war on you…!”

His name is Bizen Ryouichi-kun. He apparently is very skilled in the field of

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The problem however is the last of the three.

“I’m offering my body to the 2D world! I’m not interested in 3D!”

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—That’s what I thought.

“It’s gotten so cold recently, didn’t it.”

“Ahaha! China-chan, you sound like an old woman! Ahahahahahaha, cough

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Just by watching her invigorating smile, I felt my heart healing. It reminded me

“Yup! I’m always brimming with energy, you know?”

“Waah! I love Mom’s cakes!”

Everytime I come home, everytime I hear my mother’s voice, the decision I

“Yes! I-I’m looking forward to tomorrow!”

—If only tomorrow never came.

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“You know, it’s really boring as of late. Like, all peaceful.”

“All normies should just explode!”

“Woah!? What was that!?”

“C-Calm down, it’s the same as always.”

“As if I could! They’re flirting about every single morning!”

Nanase and the other two exchanged gazes.

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“A priceless, love-filled, and handmade lunch box…! This difference in standing

“There you go again…Just stop it already, Haruto-kun.” Namikawa Shun tried to

“Eh, why are you pouting now? Did I do something?”

“I feel like I’m starting to understand Haruto-kun’s feelings a bit. Ryouichi-kun

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“This is going to be interesting. Kuhyuhyuyhu, let me have a bite at it as well.”

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