I glared at Kuroki, then without another word, I pulled a light novel out of my desk and started reading.
There was something undeniably eerie about her. It was definitely for the best if I didn't get involved.
"Gross, it reeks of otaku in here."
As I read, Miyama shot me a look of pure contempt.
"Hey, Yuria, doesn't it smell like an otaku?"
"……"
"Yuria?"
"It’s wrong to mock someone’s hobbies. Just leave him alone."
"Whoa, Yuria, since when are you so nice?"
"It’s not about being nice. Come on, let's talk about something else."
Surprisingly, thanks to Ichinose’s intervention, Miyama’s otaku-baiting came to an end.
(Wait, did Ichinose just protect me...? No, get a grip. Assuming someone is helping you the second they speak up is just a classic otaku delusion.)
The three of them stayed gathered around Kuroki’s desk and began their girl talk.
If I hadn’t been occupying this seat, Miyama probably would have sat here so the three of them could chat side-by-side. Unfortunately for them, a loner like me never leaves his seat except for bathroom breaks.
Besides, I had zero intention of "reading the room" for their sake.
(Too bad for you, Beautiful Girl Trio.)
The girls had no way of knowing what I was thinking, and their friendly chatter continued to bloom.
I tried to focus on my light novel as usual, but with three beauties talking right next to me, my concentration was shot. To make matters worse, the cloying, overly sweet scent of their perfumes was starting to get on my nerves.
"I’m super happy that Rui-chan and Yuria are so close now! Airi is, like, totally thrilled! This seat shuffle was the best thing ever!"
Miyama cheered, her massive breasts swaying heavily up and down with her excitement.
(They’re... huge.)
"Airi, aren't you overdoing it? Even if our seats were apart, we could've just met up like this anyway."
Ichinose, ever the blunt one, gave a sharp, somewhat low-energy retort.
"Yuria is as cold as ever. You’re happy too, right, Rui-chan?"
"Of course. I’m also very glad that Yuria and Airi are nearby."
Kuroki, exuding her usual air of black-haired elegance and poise, replied with a small smile.
Damn it. It’s your fault that I’m in this mess...
"I’m going to go buy some cosmetics after school today. What do you two think?"
"The Track and Field Club is off today, so I’m down. How about you, Airi?"
"Ah, I... well..."
Miyama suddenly became evasive.
Wait, what happened to all that energy she had a second ago?
"Sorry, I’ll have to pass! My boyfriend said he wanted to go to Snoto after school. Ahaha!"
"I see. That’s a shame, but it can't be helped."
"Yeah, really sorry!"
So, Miyama had a boyfriend.
Well, it made sense. There was no way the guys of the world would leave a girl with such ridiculously massive breasts alone.
(Knowing her, she’s probably out banging him every single day.)
It’s not like I was jealous or anything, but... the level of sheer decadence that guy must feel while groping those breasts was probably immeasurable.
"Hey, get in your seats. Class is starting."
The first-period teacher entered the room, putting an end to the Beautiful Girl Trio’s conversation as they filtered back to their own desks.
☆☆
After school.
With the setting sun at my back, I stepped out of the school gates and let out a long, heavy sigh.
"Sigh... what a day."
Almost being late, being surrounded by beauties after the seat shuffle, the stinging glares of jealousy from every other guy in class...
Looking back on it, today had been the absolute worst.
It meant that my Rainbow Trunks—the lucky charm I’d specifically worn today to match my lucky color—had been a total waste of fabric.
"Whatever. I’ll head to Anumate to blow off some steam."
I had 2,000 yen left. That was enough for two or three volumes of manga.
As long as I had the world of manga and light novels, that was enough for me. Real-life normies and gyarus were nothing but the natural enemies of a loner. To begin with, the very idea of a rom-com scenario happening in reality was just wrong.
As I chewed over my frustrations, a female student ran past me at a light jog.
(Wait, that overly sweet perfume...)
It was Airi Miyama.
I recognized the scent immediately from the classroom.
"Crap, crap... the manager’s going to kill me!"
She seemed to be in a desperate hurry, her soft under-twintails and those massive breasts bouncing wildly as she ran.
The manager?
I didn’t quite get it. Didn't she say she was going to Snoto on a date with her boyfriend?
That was weird.
There was no Snow Tops in the direction she was running.
If a student from our school were going to Snow Tops, it would be natural to go to the one in the shopping district right next to the school. Miyama was running in the exact opposite direction.
(She’s probably just heading to a different school to meet her boyfriend. Not that I care.)
I pushed the thought of Miyama out of my head and continued on my way toward Anumate.