Chapter 82: Is Being an Otaku Embarrassing!?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 82: Is Being an Otaku Embarrassing!?
Lunchtime.
Having finished up the last of my required volunteer hours, I walked out of the stuffy cafeteria.
I was fanning my sweat-soaked body by grabbing the placket of my button-up shirt when...
"Matsuda?"
Renka's voice called from behind me.
I turned around and smiled welcomingly as Renka approached, her arms crossed.
"Inoo-senpai? What are you doing here?"
"I was on my way to the school store. Did you finish your volunteer hours?"
"Yeah. I'm sweating a lot, do you have a handkerchief I could borrow?"
My tone must have bothered her, because Renka's eyebrow twitched.
But she didn't say anything, just pulled a small pack of tissues from her pocket and held it out.
It seemed she decided to let it slide since I looked so hot.
"I don't have a handkerchief."
I pulled out a few tissues to wipe the sweat from my forehead and said.
"This is good enough. Thanks."
"I heard from Chinami. You helped her when she was about to get scammed?"
"Yeah. It just sort of happened."
"Why did you follow Chinami? You even said you liked Momo-nim."
So she heard everything.
Then again, those two don't have any secrets from each other.
Though they will start having some from now on.
"Because I was worried. Nanase-senpai is so innocent, you know? And Momo-nim is cute."
"...You don't seem like the type to like cute things."
"Who? Me?"
"I didn't say who. Hit a nerve?"
I scoffed and tossed the used tissues into a trash can.
They sailed in a perfect arc right into the bin.
Gazing at the trash can with a satisfied expression, I changed the subject.
"You have to admit, it's dangerous to let Nanase-senpai go to a deal like that alone, right?"
"I admit it. If I had known, I would have gone instead of you."
Why do you have to be so feisty? It just makes me want to make you yield.
There's a certain kind of play I've really been wanting to try, and I'll save it just for you.
"Still, I'll thank you for it."
I nodded at Renka's words and held out the half-used pack of tissues.
"Where were you yesterday? You must have been busy if you weren't with Nanase-senpai."
"Why should I have to tell you that?"
"You don't like me, do you?"
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"Nothing. It's just that your tone is so sharp. Anyway, see you at club activities. I'm heading out."
I gave a simple kendo-style bow. Renka glared at me for a moment before bowing her head in return.
I gave her a grin, then turned and walked away.
* * *
"Master."
"....."
Daze...
Chinami didn't answer my call, just kept spraying deodorizer on her gloves.
Watching her, I commented casually.
"Master. That's deodorizer, not alcohol."
"...Ah...!"
Snapping back to her senses, Chinami jumped in surprise and put the deodorizer down.
Her face fell as she examined the moisture-soaked gloves.
"I-It's soaked...! It's all limp, like it was dunked in water...!"
Soaked? That sounds kind of lewd.
"Yep. It's soaked."
"I was lost in thought and made a mistake..."
"You were spacing out earlier, too... You don't seem well today. Are you sick?"
With that, I placed the back of my hand on Chinami's forehead.
"Oh!"
Chinami's eyes widened with a short gasp.
Her body trembled.
I could see how tense she was.
"You don't have a fever... but why is your face so red?"
I feigned concern with the cliché line, pulling my hand away just as she looked like she was about to squirm.
"It's the change of seasons, so you should be careful not to catch a cold. When you get home, take a warm shower, dry your hair properly, and use a thick blanket."
"...Okay..."
"You kept your promise from yesterday, right?"
"Yes... I didn't go on the used goods website..."
"And have you forgotten about the Momo-nim that was dancing before your eyes?"
"A little..."
"That's a relief."
I placed a hand on Chinami's back as if I were handling a child.
Her shoulders twitched the moment my hand touched her.
But she seemed to like the gentle touch stroking up and down her back, and she soon relaxed with a languid expression.
Flick. Flick.
A strange sound came from below where Chinami was sitting cross-legged.
I glanced down to see what it was and found her trying to pick at the cuticle of her thumbnail with her index finger.
"Hands still."
"Okay..."
She listens so well.
I gave the good girl a smile, patted her on the back, and stood up.
Chinami then rose silently to face me, like a ghost, and called my name.
"...Junior."
"Yes."
"Do you want to get some ice cream...?"
"All of a sudden?"
"I want to buy you ice cream... I'm going to buy it for you..."
She was being stubborn without even making eye contact. Should I call that bold? Or timid?
"Alright. Shall we go to the school store together?"
"N-No...! I'll go by myself... You can rest over there, Junior... I'll scold you if you do anything else..."
Chinami's finger pointed to a corner of the storage room.
She wants me to rest in that cramped space?
Is this her way of punishing me for touching her without permission and messing with her just now?
"Shouldn't I finish cleaning the gloves? I have to deal with the one you just doused in deodorizer, Master."
"Hmph...!"
Half displeased, half satisfied.
Chinami let out a huff mixed with those feelings and placed her hands on her hips.
Then she replied, as if arguing.
"Let's eat ice cream first and think about it later...!"
Is she trying to act a little angry to assert her authority as a master?
How absurd. And being with Chinami feels like it's starting to rub off on me.
Like the calculator in my head is breaking down.
In the end, I gave up thinking and just nodded.
"Understood. I'll be waiting, then."
"Okay...!"
Chinami exhaled sharply through her nose, then opened the storage room door and left.
Looking around the now-quiet room, I turned on a fan and started drying the deodorizer-soaked gloves.
Miyuki has to go home, and I just saw Chinami yesterday... I guess I'll look for Renka today.
* * *
[Breath of Thunder, First Form... Thunderclap...]
I was watching the electronic display board, and I closed my eyes as the dynamic anime character unleashed his technique.
The sudden blue flash was just too bright.
I pushed through the bustling crowd and arrived at a figure shop, only to find it packed with people, too.
It was a six-story building, and the inside was huge.
I wondered if I could even find Renka here, but since there was a limited-edition figure sale for a recently concluded anime, the chances were high.
"Anyone here to buy figures, please go to the fourth floor!!"
The loud voice belonged to an employee who was shouting his lungs out, trying to guide the unruly crowd.
He must be really pissed. For someone in customer service to be yelling like that.
I climbed the stairs of the sweltering hot store, teeming with people, and saw a line that stretched from one end of the floor to the other.
Are all these people here to buy figures?
There looked to be several hundred of them at a glance. Finding Renka in this mess was going to take a while.
Just as I was thinking that,
'Huh?'
I spotted a woman in an outfit that made her look like a biker: dark navy jeans hugging long legs, boots, a crop top that revealed a hint of her navel, and a black leather jacket.
She was already tall, but the outfit made her look even lankier. It was definitely Renka.
With a hat pulled down low and a mask on her face, she was walking this way, holding a shopping bag.
I was sure I'd run into her, but I didn't expect it to be this soon.
This must be the main character buff. But sometimes I forget I'm the protagonist.
Because all the luck with women seems to go to some clueless bastard.
I quickly ducked down to lower my height and slipped sideways into the crowd.
Then I watched as Renka passed the spot where I'd been standing.
Her eyes were curved into crescents.
She must be in a good mood, thinking about placing the figure on the top shelf of the massive display case in her house.
I followed her quietly from a distance, and when the crowd started to thin out, I called to her.
"Inoo-senpai?"
"Gah!?"
Renka spun around, startled.
I tilted my head, pretending to be puzzled, then pointed at her.
"It is you! You're Inoo-senpai, right?"
"....."
It was obvious she couldn't hide the bewilderment in her eyes.
Making a fuss, I walked closer to her.
"What are you doing here?"
"Uh... well..."
"What's that? Did you buy a figure?"
My gaze shifted to the shopping bag, which had a huge picture of an anime character on it. She flinched before answering.
"Y-Yeah, what's it to you...? And how do you know it's a figure?"
"Isn't that the limited-edition figure they're selling? I came to buy one, too."
"What...? Why would you?"
"Because I want one. Where can I go to buy it?"
"Wait... you came to buy a figure but you don't even know where they're selling it? The sales area is on the other side."
"I tried looking, but it was confusing. So why did you buy that? Do you like anime?"
"This...? I bought it for my niece who lives out of town."
Renka, who had quickly regained her composure, rattled off a rather skillful excuse.
I scoffed inwardly and asked.
"So your niece is a fan of that anime?"
"Yeah, well... she said she likes it..."
"Really? Are they still selling them?"
"It's too late now... It was a limited quantity, so you probably can't get one..."
"What...?"
My face clouded over with annoyance.
Did she find my disappointment surprising?
Renka adjusted her hat and said.
"I didn't think you'd be interested in this kind of stuff."
If I wasn't, I never would have come to this world in the first place.
"I'm trying to get into it. Anime is pretty fun."
"...Is that so? But you didn't get a figure, huh?"
"Are you teasing me?"
"No, well... that's not it... Ahem..."
She cleared her throat, seeming very awkward in this situation.
I let out a heavy sigh, pretended to turn away, then looked back at Renka.
"Senpai."
"Huh...?"
"Are you heading home now?"
"I should be..."
"Want a ride?"
"You don't really have to do that..."
"It must be fate that we ran into each other."
I spoke while intentionally staring at the figure.
As if I was coveting it.
Completely falling for my act, Renka moved the shopping bag behind her back.
"This is a definite no... Forget it. If you really want to buy one, go look somewhere else. It's a popular anime, so they sell regular figures, too..."
"How do you know that?"
"All the display boards are covered with characters from this anime, how could I not know...?"
"No, I mean how did you know they sell regular figures."
"I saw them on my way here... Why are you picking a fight?"
"I'm not picking a fight, this is just how I talk. You know me."
As I berated myself in a self-deprecating tone, Renka's mask puffed out.
She had let out a laugh.
Seizing the opportunity, I asked with a beaming smile.
"Could you maybe show me where you saw those figures?"
"I saw them over there."
Renka pointed across the way.
I narrowed my eyes slightly and said.
"How am I supposed to know if you just say it so vaguely? Show me."
"No. Look it up on your phone."
"You're being so cold. You apologized for being too rough during our last sparring match, right? You can pay me back by showing me the way."
Renka's eyes wavered.
She looked like she was seriously contemplating what to do.
She glanced back and forth between my face and the shopping bag in her hand, weighing her options.
"Haaah..."
She let out a deep sigh and started walking toward me.
"Follow me."