It had been a week since then. Day after day, I’d been spending my time in a perfectly harmless, uneventful manner. It felt like the distance between Natsukawa and me had clearly widened. Though, if I were being honest, the distance between our hearts might have been that wide to begin with... Regardless, thanks to my new behavior, it seemed like most of the teachers had forgotten I was the resident Natsukawa Aika superfan. Well, I actually still loved her, of course.
My classmates would occasionally give me looks that said, "What’s up with you lately?" but I just dodged them with noncommittal answers. Even if I told them the truth, they probably wouldn't get it anyway...
I was privately savoring these first steps toward a peaceful daily life suited to my station, but that quiet joy was shattered by a sudden visitor.
"Hey, you're Sajou-kun, right?"
Talk about a major plot twist.
A girl was standing in front of my desk, smiling down at me. Her light brown hair had a loose, fluffy feel to it, though she didn't quite give off a "gyaru" vibe. She looked more like the kind of person who’d recommend the latest cosmetics on a morning news segment. In short, she was cute.
"Are you sure you have the right person?"
"Ahaha, no way I’m wrong!"
If you already knew, don't start by checking... She clearly hadn't approached me with a specific goal in mind, but rather with some kind of scheme. I didn't have the skill to see through a fabricated expression, but there was something slightly off about that smile—the corners of her eyes didn't twitch even once.
"You caught me. I am indeed the one and only resident of this class known as Sajou Wataru."
"Eh? I totally don't get it!"
"Got it. So, what class are you from?"
Now that the greetings were over, I moved to the main topic. First, I needed her to reveal her identity. Asking "Who are you?" felt a bit too prickly, so I tried asking for her class instead. It was a tactical play to get her to introduce herself in the process.
"Ah, you really don't know? I'm Aizawa Rena from the class next door! Want to know my three sizes too?"
"Ah, no thanks."
That was a close one... I almost pulled a mountain of unnecessary information out with her introduction. Was she really that confident in herself? Looking at her, her chest wasn't exactly large enough to brag about... actually, it was a pretty nice view. I see. Apparently, I was a gentleman who didn't discriminate. Any size was welcome.
"Aren't you a little too confident? Why would the 'cute Aizawa-san,' who's so open about things, come to see someone like me?"
"Oh stop it, calling me cute... Actually, I saw you the other day! I saw you buying Sim Cat, Sajou-kun!"
"Wait, seriously?"
Apparently, she had witnessed me "adult-buying" the rest of the volumes for a manga series I’d stopped collecting back in middle school. It wasn't exactly a shameful hobby, but since I’d bought a substantial amount, she basically knew exactly what I’d been doing all through my last day off. How embarrassing. That’s right! I wasn't out having fun with anyone!
"I love that series too... Though I refuse to acknowledge that live-action drama they did on TV recently!"
"I... I totally get it...!"
I understood all too well. I was certain there were thousands of kindred spirits out there who felt the same. If I could gather enough people, I’d dress up as the protagonist of Sim Cat and lead an anti-live-action crusade. Wait, then I’d just be making it live-action myself.
"I realized someone nearby liked it! That’s why I decided to come talk to you!"
"Who's your favorite side character?"
"Kuu-chan, the kitten that the heroine Sakuya has been raising for ten years!"
"Hmm, a passing grade."
Kuu-chan was the kitten the protagonist is introduced to by the heroine. Even though it's a kitten, she introduces it as if it's completely normal, saying, "We've been together since I was little!" while the protagonist just stands there going, "Wait, what? Huh?" That scene was classic. It was actually a cat-type AI that fell from the future to the present, and on top of being able to talk, it insisted it was a tiger cub. Despite being tiny, it was an incredibly intense character.
"To think a fellow fan was in the class next door..."
"I feel the same way! Apparently, people either really love it or really hate it."
"Seems that way."
"Ah! Class is starting! See ya later!"
"O-Oh, okay, see ya."
Aizawa, who had thoroughly stimulated my niche interests, vanished as suddenly as a storm. What a bright person... I’d doubted her for a second, but maybe she didn't have a hidden agenda after all. Though my general opinion that girls of that type were always calculating hadn't changed.
"Ah..."
I noticed everyone around me was staring. I got flustered and, out of habit, glanced at Natsukawa to my left.
"Hmph."
"Ah..."
Oof, she turned away with incredible force. I realized Natsukawa had seen the whole thing. I felt a surge of selfish guilt, feeling like a pathetic guy for getting all excited talking to another girl right in front of the girl I’d been constantly—and one-sidedly—pestering until recently. It wasn't like I was dating Natsukawa; we might not even be friends... That’s right, Natsukawa Aika belongs to everyone! (Note: But she is absolutely untouchable.)
Even as I thought that, there was a part of me that was genuinely happy. There wasn't a man alive who could stay perfectly calm when a cute girl talked to him so familiarly. Truly, not a single one...!
Men really are idiots.
◆
"Sajou-kun~"
"......"
Lunch break. A girl who had become very familiar lately approached me again. The way she walked over with her hands behind her back and a little hop made me think about which shonen manga heroine she resembled rather than thinking she was being "calculating."
"Oh, hey again. What’s up?"
"Let's eat lunch together! Let's talk about Sim Cat!"
"Eh, oh, okay..."
Caught off guard, I gave my consent, and Aizawa grabbed a nearby empty chair and sat down in front of my desk. I couldn't keep up with how fast things were progressing.
Today was the first time we’d met. This was only the second time we’d spoken. Was it really possible to close the distance this much just because of a shared interest in manga? No, it wasn't. If I tried the same thing with Natsukawa, I’d probably be obliterated by the curse of the word "gross."
I suddenly felt eyes on me and looked around.
"......!"
Everyone was watching to see what was going on. Some of the guys were even pointing the tips of their mechanical pencils at me. Not good. This was definitely not good...!
"Ai-Aizawa... if we're going to eat together anyway, do you want to move? We're standing out a lot."
"Eh... Whoa! You're right!"
When I made the suggestion in a low voice, Aizawa read the room and replied in a whisper. Realizing she was being watched, she started briskly packing up the lunch she’d begun to spread out. ...Even so, she didn't show any sign of blushing from embarrassment. Was it just a matter of personality? That alone didn't seem like enough reason to be suspicious.
I went out into the hallway and thought of a suitable place.
"The cafeteria... won't have any seats left."
"Ah, then I know a good spot~"
Since Aizawa said she knew a good place, I decided to follow her. She said she had a special spot where she usually ate with her friends. I hoped it wasn't somewhere that stood out too much, but for now, I decided to just savor the happiness of being accompanied by a cute girl.