Volume 1 - CH 3.2

I lived in a two-storied ４ＬＤＫ house that didn’t have many features.

“Aah! So this is Nakayama-kun’s house.”

However, Shimotsuki-san looked around the house from the entrance with a frightfully curious look on her face.

“There’s nothing interesting in here. It’s just an ordinary house.”

“I don’t think so. I’m very interested in the house where my friend Nakayama-kun lives.”

To be interested in a man as boring as me, I think Shimotsuki-san is strange.

“Please come in. My family isn’t here right now, so make yourself comfortable.”

“Yes. Ojamashimasu!”

Inviting her inside, Shimotsuki-san took off her shoes in a well-behaved manner before going up the house.

I guided her to the living room.

With only a couch and a TV, it was a dull room, but since this was the only place suitable for housing visitors, she had to put up with it.

“Tea or juice, which do you want?”

“Juice! I’m fond of fast food and drinks….and, when are your parents coming home? As your friend from now on, and for many years to come, I would like to greet them.”

“Even though you’re this shy, are you sure you can greet them properly?’

“O-Of course! Don’t make fun of me, will you? I’m the type of person who’s okay once they get older…. Well, I might still be a little shy, though. Goodness, how rude of you.”

Shimotsuki-san was understandably offended and made an angry plea.

After smiling and apologizing, I lightly explained our family’s circumstances.

“My parents are on a business trip overseas, so don’t worry about it.”

My parents run a travel-related company, so they’re considerably busy.

Thanks to that, we don’t see each other very often.

“That’s too bad. But, I guess it can’t be helped, since it’s work after all….Hmm, then Nakayama-kun’s basically alone. As expected, do you feel lonely?”

……No, I actually have a sister-in-law, Azusa, so I’m not alone.

But, recently, Azusa’s not been home much these days, so I guess the expression “Alone” is not necessarily a mistake.

Ever since she met Ryuuzaki, Azusa’s been playing at his house during the day. Rumour also has it that Yuzuki and Kirari have been seen frequenting Ryuuzaki’s house as well. I heard rumours that it was a harem like situation.

At some point in time, Azusa would often come home around 9:00 p.m., but by then, I was already in my room, so we didn’t have much of a conversation.

“I guess I’ve gotten used to spending time alone.”

Explaining about Azusa would take too long, so I chose to remain silent.

“I know………I’d die of loneliness if I were you, being alone all the time.”

So, she seems to have recognized me as an “only child.”

“If you want to be pampered, just let me know, okay? See, I’m like a big sister, aren’t I? Perhaps, I even have a talent for pampering, so I think you can rely on me.”

….I’m sorry, but Shimotsuki-san feels more like a younger sister to me.

But, I don’t mind watching Shimotsuki-san push herself and act like a big sister, so I nodded my head without refuting her.

“Then, when I get lonely, I’ll ask you for help.”

When I said this, she squinted her eyes very happily.

And then, Shimotsuki-san offered me an empty cup.

“Refill!”

……That figure, overlapped with the Azusa from a few years back.

Azusa in junior high, I remember she used to push me around like this.

“Hey, hey, can you massage my shoulders next? I played too many games yesterday, and now my shoulders feel stiff. After five hours of hunting monsters, I was astonished by how focused I was. Even my mother was surprised to see me like that.”

Shimotsuki-san, who I was spoiling even though she said she’d spoil me, was like a little sister after all, and it made me smile.

◆

“Well, now that our break is over, how about we do 『 that 』promise?”

“That?”

Shimotsuki-san hinted at something meaningful.

She stood up from the couch, her eyes sparkling.

“When it comes to the promise of playing at a friend’s house, it’s decided there’s a room visit, isn’t it? It’s a promised development in anime. I’ve always wanted to be a part of it.”

“Um….even so, there’s nothing that interesting in my room.”

Frankly, I didn’t want to show her my room.

I wasn’t trying to be humble or anything…it’s just that, it’s a really boring room.

“Where can I find it?”

“It’s pretty much the front of the second floor.”

“I see. Well, then, let’s charge in!”

Shimotsuki-san ran out of the living room like a child.

She opened the living room door and went upstairs.

“W-Wait, ah….”

There was no time for me to stop her, so I gave up and followed behind.

When I entered my room, Shimotsuki-san was already inside.

“Amazing! There are so many books in here.”

She looked around my room and scanned with her eyes.

That’s understandable. After all, it’s just a room filled with books, a desk and a bed.

“I’m sorry. It’s a little messy.”

There were countless books scattered on the ground as well as on the bookshelves that covered the walls.

“Nakayama-kun, do you like books?”

“I like it, or maybe….it’s more like the only thing I can do.”

I think it would be more appropriate to describe it as a daily routine rather than a hobby.

From a very young age, I was never good at socializing. So, I read books to kill time, and that situation is something that still continues to this day.

“Ah! I know this light novel……it’s the one that was made into an anime!”

“I didn’t know that…because I don’t watch anime.”

Seeing the work that Shimotsuki-san picked up, I suddenly felt nostalgic.

Come to think of it, Kirari liked that work too.

If I’m not mistaken, it was a work about a dull protagonist with no special features who becomes friends with a beautiful girl at school who takes a liking to him. This was a relatively common genre in light novels, but I suddenly recalled that Kirari had a strong attachment to it.

This one book led to an impetus, with Kirari and I discussing our thoughts on light novels.

In the past, I only read literary works. She was the one who introduced me to the genre of light novels, and most of the light novels here were given to me by her.

Before long, I stopped talking to Kirari. However, when I think about my days in middle school…I feel a little nostalgic.

“Nakayama-kun is the type of person who only reads books. I, on the other hand, don’t like reading words, so I don’t read books or manga. I just enjoy anime, TV, and video games.”

Shimotsuki-san was relentlessly pacing around my room, in hopes of searching for something.

“Because of that, I wonder if you have any gaming consoles? My dream is to play games together with my friends……Oh, maybe Nakayama-kun is someone who doesn’t play games?”

“Erm. I don’t play…games.”

All I have in my room are books. Naturally, I have no games, no TV, so I can’t even watch anime. To begin with, there wasn’t much to talk about.

That’s why I was not very optimistic about letting Shimotsuki-san into my room.

“Sorry about the boring room.”

Instinctively, I apologized.

A room was like a mirror that reflects one’s personality, in which case, my room, a boring one, was also the human nature of Nakayama Koutaro.

Shimotsuki-san came all the way here, but I couldn’t let her enjoy herself.

I felt truly sorry about that.

“Why are you apologizing? It couldn’t possibly be boring.”

“No, but…I think it’s boring.”

Will she be disappointed?

Anxiety has been circling in my head for a while now.

Because of this, negative thoughts that I usually keep in my mind unexpectedly leaked out of my mouth.

“It’s no fun to look at this 『mob character’s』room.”

At that moment, the temperature in the room dropped dramatically.

“──What do you mean by that?”

Shimotsuki-san’s smile, which had been so bright earlier, suddenly froze.

Her voice also turned cold, as if she was talking to someone else.

“Nakayama-kun. Don’t say such a sad thing.”

“What? But, I, something like that…”

“And don’t say that 『I』thing about yourself anymore.”

She seemed more sad than angry.

Her faceless expression was hard to understand, but I somehow got the impression that she was sad.

“I won’t allow you to speak ill about my precious friend. Even if it’s you…I won’t let you make fun of Nakayama-kun.”

Before I noticed, she was holding my hand gently.

It was as if she was telling me, 『don’t be anxious』

“I’m interested in you, Nakayama-kun. I want to know what kind of person you are, I want to know what you like, and what kind of thoughts you have…I don’t care if this room is interesting or not.”

All along, I have always thought that I wasn’t 『good enough』.

I was trapped in the sense of inferiority. Compared to her special presence, I kept belittling myself…….

However, for Shimotsuki-san, it seemed to have stuck with her.

“In the first place, Nakayama-kun, you’re too much in denial. Whenever I praise you or thank you, you always say 『 but 』or 『however』, it really feels like you’re not receiving my feelings at all…that’s pretty lonely, you know? I want people to be happy when I praise them.”

“….So that’s what it was.”

I only realized it after she told me.

More than once, I’ve been extremely impolite towards Shimotsuki-san.

“That’s why, don’t say such sad things like 『mob characters』, okay?”

When Shimotsuki-san said that to me, I understood that I had failed.

In order not to trouble her…I couldn’t help but choose those words, and yet, if it gave the opposite effect to Shimotsuki-san, then there’s no point.

“I’m sorry. I’ll try not to say it from now on.”

“Then, promise. Look, put your finger out.”

Once again, as if telling a very young child, Shimotsuki-san held out her pinky.

Her slender, small finger felt like it might break when I held it.

Normally, I would have said, “I’m embarrassed,” and tried to run away.

But, from now on, I want to face her properly.

“Yes. I promise.”

I nodded honestly, and tied Shimotsuki-san’s small finger to my own.

Right when I did that, Shimotsuki-san’s expression finally relaxed.

“If you understand, then it’s fine. Another good thing that attracts me to Nakayama-kun is his rationality. When you do something wrong, you should apologize and reflect on it. It’s a natural thing to do, but there are very few people who can do it properly.”

“I guess that’s just the way it is.”

I still don’t think I’m amazing.

But Shimotsuki-san spoke highly of me. So I decided to take care of myself a little.

Perhaps that determination was conveyed.

Shimotsuki-san returned to her original expression and talked to me, smiling and laughing as usual.

“And besides, if you think this is such a 『boring room』, why don’t you just make it fun? I’ll bring a bunch of game consoles and stuff.”

“That’s nice. I’m looking forward to it…but, don’t we have midterms in two weeks? I don’t think it would be good if we just spent all our time gaming.”

“I don’t care about the tests! A student’s job is all about gaming! Such a dull and uninteresting task, I don’t know how could anyone go on for hours alone. Oh, but….if Nakayama-kun teaches me how to do it, I might just do it.”

“Then, let’s study together.”

『Studying with me is no fun.』

『It’s strange for a mob character to be teaching Shimotsuki-san, who is like the main heroine.』

Once I got rid of such menial thoughts, the conversation went on longer than I expected.

“Are you sure? Well then, now I can spend lots of time together with Nakayama-kun….! Oh, and make sure you teach me my school lessons seriously. I don’t want you to ignore me like you did today, okay?”

Speaking of which, I’m also worried about the matter concerning Ryuuzaki….I didn’t know what to do, but at last, I realized.

[Tl notes: MC is worried about what’ll happen if Ryuuzaki finds out]

We can tell these stories, too, if we tell them right.

“Ah, um…at school, Ryuuzaki is really involved with school matters, so I think it’s best if we hold off a bit.”

『But I’m afraid to ask for advice.』

Such a menial thought had ruled out the option of asking for advice.

“Eh? Why not…?”

“I’m sorry. Instead, let’s eat lunch together. If that’s the case, you can come to my house anytime after school, so can you forgive me for this?”

I also confided my true feelings about Ryuuzaki’s case without concealing it.

Thanks to that, Shimotsuki-san seemed to understand the reason why I had not spoken to her proactively, and her expression relaxed, looking a little relieved.

“So it was like that…In short, Nakayama-kun didn’t talk to me at school because of that person?”

“Yes. Whenever I talk to Shimotsuki-san, Ryuuzaki will get scary.”

“I see…Well. I’m not very good at dealing with him either, but….I’m not very happy with him getting in the way of my fun.”

Although Shimotsuki-san pouted her lips in disapproval, I couldn’t give in to her this time.

To avoid getting hurt, Shimotsuki-san needs to be thoroughly vigilant of Ryuuzaki.

“You see, Shimotsuki-san is shy at school, and she can’t normally talk anyway…so it wouldn’t make much of a difference, would it?”

“I’m certainly shy! But it makes me a little angry when you say it that clearly… however, to be teased is like having a conversation with friends, isn’t it?”

──Although it was only a little.

When Shimotsuki-san scolded me, it felt as if my vision was expanding.

“If that’s the way it is, then it can’t be helped.”

See, what had been troubling me was resolved more easily than I had expected.

Being so servile and to mope around so much, it’s probably being rude to Shimotsuki-san instead.

I felt that if I did that, I would be able to get along better with Shimotsuki-san.

“In truth, I really want to talk to Nakama-kun at school, but I’ll hold back. In return, you’ll have to give me a lot of after-school attention, okay? I am much more lonely than you think, Nakayama-kun.”

……And yet again, I’m surprised by how much she trusts me.

And she herself seems surprised at how much she adores me.

“Really, Nakayama-kun, it’s a wonder……why do I feel so calm when I’m next to you? Moreover, why do I become such a spoiled child……Nakayama-kun’s sound is so soothing. I can’t help but feel relaxed.”

The girl who was born more “special” than any human being holds special feelings for me.

If this were me from a little while ago, I would have denied that fact, saying, “No, it’s not true.”

But now, I can honestly accept her feelings.

“I don’t care what the reason is. Anyway, I’m glad that Shimotsuki-san thinks so.”

“Really? Then that’s good.”

It was impossible not to feel troubled.

She is usually an expressionless girl, but only in front of me does she show an innocent smile.

How could I not be happy about that──.