“I-Ichinose-san, you want to go to Comiket, too? I mean, it’s not really my place to say, but Comiket is a pretty... otaku-heavy event.”
“I don’t really mind that kind of thing. Besides, I’m used to otaku thanks to Ryouta.”
“B-But, but! Look! A beauty like you, Ichinose-san... your, um, butt might get touched in the crowds!”
What the hell was Tanaka blathering about? She needed to apologize to every otaku in the country—myself included. (Everyone knows Yuria is all about the thighs, not the butt!)
But why did Tanaka look so worried?
It wasn't like her. Usually, she’d be the type to say something like, “Heh-heh, if Ichinose-san is coming along, I’ll have to get a reverse bunny suit ready!”
Since she didn't know Yuria was a hardcore otaku, maybe she thought having a "normie" around would keep us from being able to geek out completely. Tanaka caused plenty of problems, but she could actually read the room when it mattered.
Still, as the only one who knew the truth about Yuria, I needed to smooth things over so she could join us.
“Hey, Tanaka. She said she wants to go. As fellow otaku, shouldn't we see this as the perfect chance to convert a gyaru to our side? I don't see the problem.”
“T-That’s...”
“Hm?”
“...Fine. If you say so, Ryouta-kun, I understand. Let’s all three go to Summer Comiket together.”
The troubled expression Tanaka had been wearing vanished, and she suddenly regained her usual rhythm.
“Oh, but as a trade-off—not that it’s a fair one—I’m going to have Ichinose-san participate in a reverse bunny costume.”
“Wait, what?! Me?!”
Ah, there she was. That was the Tanaka I knew.
Yuria in a reverse bunny suit... the thought was almost too much.
“No way! A reverse bunny suit? Those things show off everything important! If I walked around in that, the cops would pick me up in five minutes!”
“That’s true... Wait, huh? Ichinose-san, how do you know what a reverse bunny is?”
“Ah—”
Crap. Oh, right.
Reverse bunnies had been a massive trend in the otaku community for a while, and every illustrator on social media had jumped on it. But the only people outside that circle who would know about them were hardcore connoisseurs.
This was bad. At this rate, her secret was going to be outed. We hadn't even cleared the hurdle of final exams yet, and Yuria was about to be outed as an otaku at the speed of sound.
I had no choice. I had to throw her a bone.
“A-Actually, I was the one who explained what a reverse bunny was to her the other day!”
“Ryouta-kun, you taught her about reverse bunnies?! Ugh, you really are the worst!”
I didn't want to hear that from the person who suggested she wear one in the first place.
“Well, I won't go as far as a reverse bunny, but maybe I'll have you do a regular bunny girl cosplay.”
“That sounds like a plan. With Ichinose-san’s figure, she’d have a mountain of photographers swarming her.”
“I-I’m not doing it! I’m not interested in that stuff at all.”
Yuria denied it, but I remembered her telling me once that she’d show me a maid costume if I came to her room. She probably just didn't want strangers staring at her skin. Yuria didn't mind showing off her thighs, yet she was strangely guarded about everything else.
(But Yuria in cosplay, huh...)
“Ryouta, what are you grinning about?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Apparently, I'd let it show on my face.
☆☆
“See you later, Ryouta-kun. Thanks for having me over!”
“See ya, Ryouta.”
“Yeah, stay safe, you two.”
I saw them both off at the front door and headed back inside.
“Whew... finally alone.”
Every single time girls came to my room, something ridiculous happened. The mental exhaustion was off the charts.
However, even though Yuria had found the condoms and confiscated them, I’d actually bought two boxes. The second one was still safely hidden in the corner of my bookshelf.
(I could just keep them for safekeeping... or, worst-case scenario, I could always use them by myself.)
While I was busy indulging in lewd thoughts, a notification popped up on LIME. The top student in our grade had sent a photo. The moment I saw it, I put dinner on the back burner and dashed into my room.
Rui: I had swim training today, so here’s a special shot of me in my swimsuit. What do you think?
Rui’s selfie today was a shot of her in a school swimsuit reflected in a mirror.
“...Wait, a school swimsuit?!”
Because school swimsuits hugged the body so tightly, I could see the curve of her slim waist and her long, athletic legs. And while I shouldn't have been comparing her to Airi or Yuria, seeing her like this made it clear that Rui definitely had a bust appropriate for a girl her age.
(God, Rui’s figure really is... incredible.)
Sending a photo like this to a teenage boy in the peak of puberty, while knowing full well she was a beauty, was borderline criminal.
(She's the total opposite of Yuria, who's a gyaru but gets embarrassed easily. This girl is the top of the class and acts so refined, yet she sends these borderline-cosplay selfies without a hint of shame. I really have no idea what's going on in her head.)
I saved the photo instantly. For my LIME reply, I sent a sticker of a wild-eyed, panting chihuahua.
“Come to think of it, it’s already been several months since I started these exchanges with Rui...”
It had been a total coincidence, but apparently, I was the guy who had saved the great Rui Kuroki from a tight spot twice. That was probably why she was so fixated on me.
And if Rui Kuroki became the Student Council President... I...
“N-No, no, I haven't decided yet! Besides, being Vice President isn't exactly my style...”
Even as I said that, my eyes drifted back to the photo folder on my phone.
“It would be... lonely if the selfies stopped.”
Rui Kuroki’s selfies had basically become a premium subscription for me. I didn't need it to survive, but once I’d experienced it, there was no going back. It was subscription hell.
“She said I could wait until after summer vacation to give her an answer. I'll just let 'future me' decide whether to keep this relationship going by becoming Vice President.”
Lost in those lazy thoughts, I prepared myself for the final exams at the end of the week.