The next day.
"Mmm... is it morning already?"
I woke up to the morning sunlight streaming through the curtains.
Phew. I didn't suffer from sleep paralysis today, so I shouldn't be late.
(Still, yesterday was one hell of a day.)
Checking the horoscope, Sagittarius was in third place—a solid ranking. That was a relief. For now, I decided to toss those Rainbow Trunks from the lucky bag; they were clearly a Special Grade Cursed Object.
(Those trunks have to be the root of all my misfortune.)
Between the seat shuffle surrounding me with three of the school's top beauties and finding out about Airi Miyama's past, I'd been through the wringer.
(I thought she was just the group's resident busty girl... I never imagined she was struggling so much.)
I guess you really can't judge a book by its cover.
"Hey, Ryota! If you don't eat breakfast soon, your big sister's gonna eat your share too!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Urged on by my sister, I headed to the dining table.
☆☆
After finishing an elegant breakfast, I headed to school. I settled into my seat and pulled a light novel from my bag. It was the physical copy of Opa-sui I’d finally secured yesterday thanks to Miyama.
(I can’t wait to see how far the spice goes in the print version.)
"Why is an otaku like him..."
"Right? That seat shuffle was a total waste of space."
"He’s just an otaku; he only cares about 2D stuff anyway. Someone else should have that seat."
As I tried to enjoy my book, jealous whispers drifted my way. My classmates were clearly saying it loud enough for me to hear on purpose.
(Sigh... This is why sitting near those three is such a pain.)
To any other guy, a seat flanked by a busty beauty, a downer gyal, and a refined girl with black hair would be something to drool over. But for an introverted otaku like me, it was the absolute worst spot.
I’ll admit, in my weaker moments, I’ve looked at Miyama’s body—her huge tits—sexually, but I have zero desire to actually get close to those three. If I get involved with them, my peaceful high school life is history.
(I’m perfectly satisfied, satisfied, Ippon Manzoku just being able to read my light novels.)
I blocked out the noise and focused on the book.
(Ho-ho... The scene where the protagonist sucks the female adventurers' breasts to steal their cheat skills is a masterpiece. Eroticism: 100. Fap-ability: 100. It passes with flying colors.)
I was grinning lecherously to myself when a shadow fell across my desk.
"...You’re Izumiya, right?"
I’d been so absorbed in the book that I hadn't noticed Yuria Ichinose standing there.
Wait... what? Yuria Ichinose?!
The downer gyal stood there with her bag slung over her shoulder, her blazer falling off to reveal her dress shirt. Her light pink lips were alluring, her nails were glossy, and her bright chestnut hair was as striking as ever.
"I asked if your name was Izumiya."
"Eh? Oh, y-yes."
"..."
"Um, Ichinose...?"
She narrowed her eyes, giving me a cold, judgmental stare as she looked at the light novel in my hands. What now?
"...I’ve memorized it."
She muttered the words under her breath and sat in her seat to my left.
Memorized it? What’s that supposed to mean?! Is it like when a delinquent says, "I’ve memorized your face"?
This is bad. She already hates me. I guess the "otaku-friendly gyal" really is a myth. Then again, Miyama is less an "otaku-friendly gyal" and more of a "busty gyal who's kind to everyone," so she's the exception.
Wait, speaking of Miyama... I feel like I'm forgetting something... Ack!
(That’s right. Today’s lunch is with her...)
"Morning, Yuria! Oh."
Miyama greeted Ichinose, then looked over at me. Without a word, she gave me a quick wink with her right eye.
"Hey, Airi, why’d you wink?"
"Huh? Oh, no reason! Don’t you think I’m just extra cute today?"
Miyama tried to play it off, her voice slightly panicked.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! That makes us look like we're dating in secret!
(If I were some delusional loner, I would've fallen for her right then and there. But I’m fine. It only made my heart race a little bit.)
Good grief. If this was any indication, lunch was going to be a disaster...