Volume 1 - CH 1.3

Chapter 1.3: Status, Growth And Change

TL: Akabane

TL: With this, chapter 1 has completed~

***

"......Why are you at my place?"

"It's more atmospheric than a family restaurant, right?" Haru explains.

After leaving the family restaurant, I came to my room.

I wonder how long it has been since I invited Haru over. As far as I can remember, the last time was about two years ago.

"It's been a long time since I've been in your room. It smells like ...... Akari."

Soon, Haru is sniffing my room.

"Woow, Haru, that was a perverted remark!"

"Huh! Where is it?"

Haru quickly brushes off my hand that was pointing at her.

I'm ventilating the room regularly, and it shouldn't smell weird.

"Well. Then let's get on with it."

I move closer to the front of Haru, who's sitting on the bed, and I'm sitting in the chair.

"Think of me as Saaya-chan and talk to me."

Haru is Takauji-san.......

It's so opposite that I can't picture it at all, but it's just practice, so I guess it's okay.

"Well .................. today, the weather, it's nice......."

""Right.""

""............""

Ah, conversation over.

"Akari, Akari, there is no weather, no weather."

A serious-eyed Haru warned me in a f*cking serious tone.

"It's supposed to be the universal talk, the universal topic."

"It's universal, that's why it's over in seconds like that."

Indeed.

"Haru, you get along with a lot of people, don't you? How do you get along with them?"

"That pen is cute, where did you get it? And then I compliment them when I notice them."

"Mmm-hmm. Give me more of that."

"You could talk about someone you know in common, like ...... the teacher. Talking in a goofy way. "I'm sure you've heard of him. I hold my breath when I walk by him. That's funny." Like that, huh?"

"Oh, wow! That would be fun!"

You're a great communicator!

"It's just that I'm like that, but I'm happy when people talk to me. That's why I'm going to talk to you."

Haru scratches her neck in embarrassment.

My childhood friend, she was a very nice girl, even though she was right in the middle of the gal.......

"What's now, Akari? Common topics."

It's easy for people to get along if they have something in common.

My intuition was not wrong.

"Actually, I like the radio."

"Radio?"

This was my secret hobby that I had never told anyone about.

No wonder my childhood friend Haru was so puzzled.

"Yes. There's a comedian duo called Mandalion, right?"

"Oh, yeah. They're on TV a lot, aren't they?"

Mandarion is a 30-something male duo of Honda, the boor and Mitsuda, the comedian, a.k.a. Mitsun, who have been appearing on TV a lot recently.

"I especially like their late-night radio show "Mandalion's Midnight Theory" and I listen to it a lot."

The name is often abbreviated to "Manshin" in the neighborhood.

Hearing this, Haru reacted flatly, "Really?

I had imagined that listening to the radio as a hobby would give a somewhat dark image to the general public, so I had kept quiet about it. I heard that was the impression people had of anime otaku in the past.

I have never had a chance to talk about it because I consider it to be a minor hobby with a lower level of recognition than subculture hobbies.

Anyway, I was glad to hear that Haru didn't seem to be prejudiced.

"So, you don't just sort of listen to the music as you go along, but you listen to it exactly the same way you watch videos or streaming?"

"Yes. It's on every Wednesday at 1:00 am, and I rear-tie it."

"That's why you look so sleepy. .......I thought you were watching anime."

"I don't mind watching it, but not enough to re-tie."

"Is it really that interesting?"

If she's interested, I can't help but explain.

I mean, this is the first time I've ever talked about the show to anyone, so I had to talk.

Ohon, I cough once.

"First of all, Mitsun and Honda are just talking about what happened this week and what's on their minds..."

"Which one is Mitsun? The one standing on the left?"

If you're talking about left and right, I'm probably talking about the position you stand in when you're doing manga dialogue.

"Mitsun is the guy on the right side, the one who is a comedian. And ...... he talks about personal things that he doesn't talk about on TV, or about everyday things that are troubling him."

"......?"

It was Haru's expression that made me ask, "What's so funny about that?"

The fact that she thought it but didn't say it showed her interpersonal skills in respecting others.

"No, even celebrities who are all over TV have normal problems and troubles, of course. It's relatable, and since they're comedians after all, they talk about it well."

"Wow."

I'll get a reaction like, "I know, I know."

Haru's expression hasn't changed a millimeter.

This is what happens when you go to.......

"Do you want to listen to it? Yesterday's broadcast. You can listen to it on the app."

"No, I don't need to go that far."

I thought it would be quicker to listen to it, but I didn't expect her to turn me down so easily.

I guess my explanation skills are done and this is how she react. It's interesting, though.

"Ummm. Let's get back to the subject."

"Don't go back. I'm not done talking yet."

"I don't want to go any further, it's going to take too long."

I'm not satisfied.

I was not satisfied because my engine had been revved up by the knowledge that I could talk.

"......Well, listen to it if you feel like it. Takauji-san is probably a Manshin listener, so I'm thinking this will be a common topic of conversation."

"How do you know?"

"Because she had the goods."

"That doesn't mean she's as hot as a Akari or not. Maybe she just bought it because she liked the design."

"Oh."

Is that a possibility────!

"If you come at me at top speed like you did just now, not only Saaya-chan, but even I would pull away."

"It's quite a thing to be able to make Haru pull away."

"What are you so calm about......?"

Haru sighs at my line like it's someone else's problem.

"But it might be a good start. You can start a conversation by asking, "Where did you get that?" and then you can start a conversation from there."

"The goods are limited edition stickers made to commemorate the show's 200th episode, and they're really lame."

"So, it's lame?"

Haru's expression clouded.

I guess tacky is taboo for gals.

"In the show, Mitsun and Honda were laughing too, saying, "who wants this kind of thing?" and "what are they spending the budget on?""

"......And she had it, Saaya-chan?"

"Yeah. If it was so lame, I would have wanted one too."

"Isn't that a distortion of your values?"

"I think that distortion is due to my love for the show. I think it's the same for her, Takauji-san."

"You have no choice but to talk to her."

"O-Oh......."

I still get nervous when I imagine actually talking to her. The afterimage of that day's confession scene is burned into my mind and won't go away.

"Don't be scared. You fought off Machon, so you can afford to talk to Saaya-chan."

Haru laughed in a broken tone.

"Saaya-chan isn't a demon either, so if you talk to her normally, I'm sure she'll answer you normally."

Yeah, right. I nodded a big yes.

"There are no bad late-night radio listeners, you know."

"Strong thought."

With the conversation starter and strategy decided, we finally started practicing.

"Takauji-san, is that a radio goods sticker......?"

"That's right!"

Takauji-san wouldn't have returned such a lighthearted response, but oh well.

"Oh, I'm also that, r-r-radio, I was retyping ...... that."

"......You f*cking creepy virgin."

Haru mumbled in a whisper.

"Yeah?"

"......f*cking creepy virgin."

She said it exactly twice!

"You just said that with the intention of hurting me!"

That's not the level of stuffing or disrespect.

"Because you were suddenly mumbling and talking too fast and gross!"

"I get nervous when it comes down to it! Also, I'm not a virgin!"

I've already done this a hundred times in my head!

[TL: Wtf.]

"You lie so much."

"I mean, it's just practice, you can mooch off of me."

Then I got Haru to practice with me for about thirty minutes.

We practiced two different responses, one if I was a listener and one if I wasn't, and Haru assured me, "If you've done this much, you'll be fine."

"If the air quality looks bad, I can come in and join you, if you like."

Haru suggested this, but I declined.

It's bad enough that I'm left to take advantage of Haru, and this is just my situation, and Haru has almost nothing to do with it.

If Haru and Takauji-san were close, I might have asked for help, but according to Haru, that's normal.

"Well then..."

And when Haru left and I was taking a breather and just relaxing, I saw Haru outside the window and she noticed me and waved her hand.

***

Don't dawdle, don't mumble, don't talk too fast.

I've been telling myself these words ever since I arrived at school.

I've been looking for an opportunity to talk to Takauji-san, who is sitting next to me across the aisle, but I can't seem to find one.

She has a beautiful profile and thin, white fingers like a white fish. When she almost looks at me for a moment, I involuntarily look away.

What did she do yesterday with Kidokoro-senpai?

I'm curious about that too.

But if I ask her that, she's likely to cut me off and say, "What's that got to do with you?" I didn't want to make a first move like that.

I'm just going to talk to her as I practiced yesterday.

Ideally, I should use.......

--- "Oh, Takauji-san, is that Manshin's program goods?"

--- "Huh? How did you notice that?"

--- "I listen to it a lot! Are you listening that program too, Takauji-san?"

--- "Yes. I like the story of two good friends......."

--- "I know that..."

I'm like, I'm not sure.

I need to 'notice' the goods I already have, so I want to make this part natural.

I feel that the psychological hurdle to talking to people has been lowered when I decide to talk about radio, whether it is because I have gained skills or because of the practice.

Maybe it's because I've changed from [Timid] to [Reclusive].

I'm nervous, but not as much as before......!

"Sayaa-chan, what's the next class──"

"Next class is modern literature."

After she finished talking with the other girls, there was a free pause.

No more staring, no more mumbling, no more talking too fast....

Now!

"Oh, um, Takauji-san."

Dodd, dodd, dodd, I could feel my temples pulsing.

"What?"

I almost fall in love with her face, a combination of beautiful and cute.

The way she tilts her head in a questioning manner is also very appropriate, and it looks like a scene from a TV drama.

I almost looked away from Takauji-san, who was looking straight at me. Then, one of Haru's advices from yesterday came back to my ears.

--- "Don't look away. Make eye contact when you are talking to her. This is a normal thing to do."

I felt the guns of the interceptor system all pointing at me at once.

If I make a mistake in choosing the right conversation, I'm going to be ripped to shreds by a volley of shots.

I had prepared so many repetitions in my brain, but all the lines were blown out of the sky.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Haru glancing at me with concern.

There was a strange pause, and I somehow managed to point to the sticker on the merchandise.

"That...."

"That's what?"

"On the radio, on the show."

Word for word. The words were somehow uttered.

I could feel my face turning red with nervousness and embarrassment at the sight of the face of the person I love looking straight at me.

"I like that show, too."

"Yes."

.......

...................

Takauji-san began to prepare for his next class.

Wait, what? Oh no, that's not the reaction I was expecting!

It's in the mood to end the conversation.

If I could think straight and be smart, I wouldn't be in this mess in the first place.

Don't be smart!

You're going to be hesitant, you're going to mumble, and you're going to talk too fast. Don't let this be the start of a one-time conversation, me!

"Oh, that story about the two of them, uh, it's funny, isn't it......? I laughed so hard the other day when I was retyping the story about the broken bathtub at Mitsun's house..."

Ah. I was warned yesterday that I would be pulled over if there was a difference in heat level.

It was the moment I came back to myself.

Takauji-san's eyes, expressionless like beautiful porcelain, narrowed and she chuckled.

"I laughed at that crap, too."

"Yeah, dat's right. Oh oh oh, I laughed, too, so much, wow, I laughed. I also liked the end of the show when Mitsun was doing his stuff."

"I loved it, too."

I'm talking to Takauji-san right now. I feel a sense of accomplishment that I'm doing something great.

"That corner is quite a lot of dirty jokes, but is it funny even for girls?"

"No." says Takauji-san, looking into the air as if there is an answer there.

"I guess it depends on the ...... thing."

"It's late at night, and I thought only guys would listen to it because of the content, so I was surprised that cute girls like Takauji-san were listening to it too......."

Fluttering her long eyelashes up and down, Takauji-san's eyes twinkled.

"T-Thank you......"

When I heard her whispered thanks, she looked away.

"Yeah. Eh?"

It was a weird reaction.

Did I just say something weird.....?

.......

...................

I said that! I said something weird!

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, I don't mean cute in that weird way! It's an objective, uh, general evaluation...!"

It's impossible not to be in a hurry! I said something weird!

"I'm sure you're used to being told this, but..."

Takauji-san shook her head.

"I'm sorry. I was surprised too, and I'm not used to people saying that straight to my ...... face, so I had a hard time reacting."

Whether it was her habit of putting her hair over her ears, or whether she was trying to hide her face with her hands while doing so, her cheeks, which peeked out for a moment, were a little red.

"Is there a world line where Takauji-san is not used to being called cute?"

It was a simple question. I thought it would be said when the man confesses his feelings to her.

"Strong thought." a voice said from somewhere in the classroom.

"Oh, there is ...... existence, there is......."

Takauji-san's voice was getting quieter and quieter. As if in inverse proportion to that, her cheeks turned red.

What a reaction! So cute!

"Because they don't usually say it face to face..."

I made a mistake.

But the intercept system doesn't seem to be working?

"Sorry - I haven't seen any other listeners, so I just talked about this and that."

Takauji-san, who remained slumped, shook her head, shaking it again.

"It was my first time in real life, too."

If you're on Twitter or any other social networking site, you'll find listeners all over the place.

"I was just so happy."

Takauji-san's voice overlapped.

Perhaps embarrassed by this, Takauji-san shrugged her shoulders and became smaller and smaller.

Before and after talking to her, my image of her was completely different.

Maybe it was because this was the only topic we talked about, but I was really glad we had something in common.

It was the first time for me to talk to someone I liked, but before that, it was the first time for me to talk to someone who was like-minded.

I suddenly noticed Takauji-san's bag hanging next to her desk.

We were seated next to each other, though a little bit apart.

I had seen this bag a few times before, but there was something unfamiliar attached to it.

"Hey, what's that? Is that...?"

It's a keychain.

I'm sure of it because I checked the official website to see what kind of design it is.

So far, it was a keychain that was sent only to one listener.

"Isn't that the goodie sent to Mansin's MVP postcard maker of the year?"

The people who send real-time feedback to the radio show or to the wanted section are still called postcard makers, a vestige of the old days.

On that day's show---

---  "I'm going to send some shitty goods to "Ujicha" the winner of the annual MVP award. Congratulations, Ujicha!"

--- "Don't say it's nothing."

--- "It's not me, it's you who is the most disrespectful. My "shoddy" is just modesty. It's just a trifle, but .... look at this. The staff outside the booth looks so sad when they hear what you really think."

I just heard a line the other day that said.

"Are you Ujicha, the postcard maker......?"

I said again, and Takauji-san quickly covered it up. But it's too late to do that to a heavy listener like me.

I wonder if that's what her status as a [Dirty talk] meant.

Postcard maker, "Ujicha".

She is a postcard maker who often reads mail at "Mandalion's Midnight Theory" and the mail she sends usually has a lot of dirty jokes.

Takauji-san peeks at me with a look of trepidation.

"This is because it was given to me."

"I can't believe the ogre postcard maker with a dirty jokes was a beautiful girl......."

"You've got the wrong girl."

She makes a clear face, but it's no good to make that kind of face.

"Oh, also, I'm not a beautiful girl......"

It was Takauji-san, who shyly and weakly denies it.

"Ujicha-san, you always make me laugh with your story posts."

"Stop it. Don't mention that name."

The pointed look almost makes me flinch for a moment.

But I'm pretty sure I do. Radio name "Ujicha". He's a postcard maker who's gotten a crazy amount of story mail read in the past six months or so.

Mandarion even laughs at Ujicha's stories during the broadcast, and if I search Twitter after the broadcast using the program's tag, you can find several positive comments about "Ujicha"'s stories.

"You were adopted for email again this week, weren't you?"

"I told you you had the wrong person."

"I laughed so hard at your sexually trivia-inspired email."

Takauji-san's eyes, which had seemed to be filled with a sense of desperation, gradually relaxed.

"I always thought they were sent by men. I was convinced that a woman would have that kind of angle."

Perhaps not entirely convinced, Takauji-san's cool expression gradually became smug.

"What is the adoption rate?"

By the way, I've sent one too. In the two years I've been a listener, I've sent about 20 messages. But not a single one has been accepted. They mentioned on the show that they get a few hundred letters every week, so I'd say the adoption rate is pretty high.

"They'd the adoption rate is about 80%."

"Amazing...!"

"fufu."

She had a smug look on her face.

"Hey, Kimishima-kun, why did you change to honorifics?"

"Because I have nothing but respect for "Ujicha-san." When I think it's you, I unintentionally become respectful."

Perhaps because of the large gap, I have yet to complete the picture in my mind that Takauji-san and "Ujicha" are the same person.

When I think it's her, I can speak with a sigh.

"Ujicha-san, can I have your autograph......?"

"Eh, eh─ uhm, me?"

Rolling her eyes, Takauji-san points to herself.

"Yes, of course."

"What should I do? I've never signed anything before."

Loosening her cheeks in embarrassment, Takauji-san pulls out an autograph pen from her pen case.

Or rather, she doesn't deny it anymore.

I hand her the notebook and make a request on the backmost page.

Without hesitation, Takauji-san signs her name.

"Here you go."

"Thank you."

The returned notebook was received as politely as a diploma.

I wondered what kind of signature it was.

When I checked, I saw that it read "Saaya Takauji" in beautiful handwriting.

"......"

"It's my first time, so I don't really know how it works, but it's my first signature."

She says this and smiles with satisfaction.

It was a smile that would have made any boy swoon, and I would have been thrilled to see it, but the situation was what it was.

But I was more disappointed than excited.

"It's completely different, Takauji-san..."

"Eh, eh, eh, is that wrong?!"

Takauji-san became suspicious of my behavior and became frightened.

"When celebrities sign autographs, they don't write their real names, right?"

"Ah ...... that's true."

She seemed convinced.

"No, I think it would be wrong to ask one listener for an autograph."

Eeeehhh ...... my autograph!!

It seems that she was embarrassed by the mistake and took it out on them.

Apparently offended, Takauji-san turned away with a pout.

The fact that she is so irrational and ...... upset is also forgivable because she's so cute.

And here comes the teacher, one of the boys says, and flops into his seat.

Oh, break time is over....

Last, but not least, I just have to properly convey my feelings────!

"I will continue to support you. I look forward to listening to you every week."

These were my honest feelings.

Takauji-san glanced at me and extended one hand.

"Can I at least shake your hand?"

"Please do."

I shook her hand with both hands.

"Good luck with your e-mail postings."

"I'll do my best even if you don't tell me to."

As I let go of her hand, the teacher came over and the class began.

On the last page of the notebook has beautiful writing on it.

I could talk more than I thought I could. It was a dreamy time.

Besides, I got to shake hands with "Ujicha".

...........?

I shook "Ujicha"'s hand or....

I shook Takauji-san's hand?

If she had been just Takauji-san, I probably wouldn't have been able to shake hands with her.