CH 1

On my way home from school, I sat down on a bench by the riverside after taking a walk and launched a smartphone game.

A beautiful girl with glossy black hair and a dignified appearance appeared on the screen.

[So you came again, Producer.]

The idol, Nishino Rinna greeted me with a soft voice and a smile.

I tapped Rinna’s face.

[You’re so mischievous, Producer.]

Her cheeks blushed and she looked away.

Tap.

[You’re so mischievous, Pro-.]

Tap.

[You’re so mischievou-.]

Tap.

[You’re-.]

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

[You.]

[You.]

[You.]

[You.]

[You’re so mischievous, Producer.]

My likeability is already at its highest. Despite this, she scolded me with firm chastity. But at the same time, her gestures and her tone of voice make me feel good.

— I’m healed……

The stress of the day melts away. This is my daily routine when I don’t do any club activities.

Now, just as I was about to complete my daily mission, someone sat down on a bench a short distance away. I glanced sideways.

Same school uniform. A real gyaru. A resident of a world different from mine, a dull one.

Her last name is Urushibara. Her first name is Yua. She is a first-year student, one grade below me.

How do I know the name of my junior, when I can’t even build a proper friendship with my own classmates, let alone the class next to mine?

It’s not a big deal. I was working part-time at a fast food restaurant during my summer vacation when she came in as a customer.

The gyaru came to the counter and started staring at me instead of the menu. I was scared that she was going to accuse me of something.

“Hm-? Isn’t it you, senpai?”

“Eh? Um…..”

I don’t recognize her. I mean, I don’t know what a first-year student looks like. I wouldn’t even know even if we’re in the same grade.

“We’ve seen each other at school. So funny.”

Saying that, she laughed.

–What is she laughing at…..?

“I’m Urushibara, and you, senpai?”

“Izu—“

“I mean, it’s written on your nametag. So….., Dema?”

“No, it’s Izuma.”

“What a trick !”

–Trick?

Didn’t you just fall down on your own in the middle of nowhere?

Urushibara san’s companion, a gyaru, rushes up behind her and said [Yua, are you done yet?]

“Sorry, sorry.”

She apologized, finished her order, and went back to the group who looked like a bunch of flashy guys and gyarus.

That was our only interaction. If I had to give an impression, I would say that I was amazed at the mentality of a person who can talk to someone he/she doesn’t know at all just because they go to the same school. If it were me, I would have pretended not to notice and let it pass.

And right now, I was wondering whether I should pretend not to notice and let it go.

Urushibara san was looking down and sometimes sniffing her nose. It looked like she was crying.

I don’t have the manly skills to comfort a crying girl. If I had such skills, my high school life would have been more colorful.

I would not only be of no use to her, but I might even make her sad or angry.

–But still…….

I sighed exaggeratedly. Then I walked up to Mr. Urushibara.

I can’t ignore her after all.

“What’s wrong?”

Urushibara san looks up.

–Whoa……

What a face. Her eyeliner is melted and running down her cheeks, and one of her false eyelashes has fallen off. It’s more like a landslide than a make-up disaster.

“……Ah. Um……, senpai with a some kind of japanese-style name.”

What a way to remember.

“It’s Izuma.””

“Why are you here?”

“I’m always here after school. Never mind me. Why are you here?”

“I was dumped.”

Urushibara san said so and forced a smile on her crying face.

I want to run away. There was no way that I, who had zero experience in love, could comfort Urushibara san, an experienced gyaru, in her broken heart.

In the first place, the culture of yankee and gyaru is too foreign for me. They look down on a dull person like me, and they are always talking about who they are getting together with and who they are breaking up with.

It’s so unfair that I, who am studying diligently like a student, am living a gray life in high school.

I took  another look at Urushibara san.

Her long, wavy, bright hair, makeup that disguised her frame, earrings and ear cuffs that cover the circumference of her ears, a wide open bust, and short skirts that reveal little of her buttocks.

She was a 100% pure gyaru. She is the type of person I would not dare to get involved with.

[[You’re a pain in the ass] They said….]

I was at a loss for words. She put her face down as if she couldn’t keep her smile.

I should’ve comforted her. I know that. I know that, but.

“…I see.”

I flipped through every drawer in my head and the only words of comfort that came out were those two words.

–That’s just backchanneling ! Don’t you have anything more to say, brain !

“…..Why are you hitting yourself in the head?”

“N-no, it’s ……, I’m just trying to see if something will come up.”

“Huh…….”

Urushibara san was dumbfounded.

I’m not good at this kind of thing. Reading other people’s emotions, expressing my own feelings, or even interfering with other people’s feelings.

I took a hand towel from my bag and offered it to Urushibara san.

“Use this. Crying as hard as you can will reduce your stress level and make you feel better.”

“Senpai–“

She stared at me.

“You’re not very good at comforting people, are you?”

“Ugh……!”

I can’t help you with your grief, but I can give you reasonable advice. But the world seems to call that simple-mindedness. It seems that many people value empathy more than solutions to emotional problems.

“But thanks.”

She took the hand towel and crumpled it with her hand. She sighed deeply and looked up at the sky, which was beginning to dim.

“I’ve tried to match my hair color, hairstyle, makeup, accessories, and clothes to my boyfriend’s taste, but it all went to waste.”

“I don’t think so.”

She was puzzled.

“Even though we’ve broken up?”

“Your knowledge and skills will remain. You can use it for the next time.”

“I knew it, you’re not a very good comforter.”

And she laughed.

“But I see. Then…….”

She stared at me.

“Senpai, what kind of girl do you like?

“M-me?”

It takes a certain amount of experience to be able to talk about your likes and dislikes. It’s just like you can’t tell what you like or dislike about a book you’ve never read. In other words, I have never had a girlfriend in my life, so I don’t know what I like.

“Do you prefer lighter hair color? Or–“

“Black hair, I guess.”

Urushibara san looked a little taken aback at my quick and biting answer.

In my head, the image of Rinna, the idol I am currently producing–came to my mind.

I don’t know what I like. However, this is only in reality. If it were two-dimensional, it would be a different story.

“Do you like her hair longer? Or shorter?”

“I think I like her hair longer. Sometimes when she ties her hair, it’ll look really nice.”

“What about makeup?”

“I prefer that she doesn’t wear make-up at all. I think it’s better to let the original material shine through. What do you call it? Transparency?”

What about accessories? Clothes? The questions continued, and I answered them one by one. I was not only answering these questions, but I was also talking about my favorite type of girl, or rather, the charms of my oshi.

I came back to my senses and Urushibara san was taken aback, dumbfounded.

“M-my bad.”

“You seem so picky about what you like, even though you look like you’re not very interested in that kind of thing.”

I was a little bit happy for some reason. She slapped her knee and stood up vigorously. The pathetic look on her  face disappeared completely, and a lively smile appeared on her face.

“Thank you very much for today ! See you next time.”

She waved her hand and ran with light steps.

“Y-yeah…”

I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ve accomplished my goal of consoling her–right?