CH 3

Kasuga Hina Wants To Be Lovey-Dovey

Early in the morning, I couldn’t help but roll around in my bed and think. Kasuga said that ‘I’ll become your ideal girl!’, but if you asked me who my ideal girl is, then I probably wouldn’t be able to answer that myself. I mean, I can talk about my taste, and my type, you know. In terms of taste, she’s asking about personality, yeah? If so, then, and I do feel bad for Kasuga, but I prefer the calm and quiet girl. Talking about type, it’s like an attribute, huh? A calm girl, maybe a library committee girl, or a beautification committee girl, another type of person that is a loner like me. At the very least, some tsundere, some lovey-dovey girl, sportive type, any girl like a normie and outgoing person, that’s definitely not my type.

But, ideal…that means that she has to basically be perfect to me. Thinking about it…Even if I told Kasuga about my preferences like that, surely my words about the small details wouldn’t reach her. That’s why, I figured it would be most efficient to tell Kasuga whenever I felt like she was too far away from my perfect type, and tell her possible corrections about such, but using a bit of an egoistic and rude tone while doing so.

I know, I’m aware of it. In order to find faults, you need actions that contain these faults. Since these actions need to be considered bad, there’s someone who needs to think that way, which…Basically, that’s me. My thinking that something is bad basically revolves around Kasuga more or less messing with me. In other words…

“Well, now that I promised, I’m planning to help her, and although I won’t break that promise, it basically means that, in neither the good nor the bad sense, something is intervening with my calm and relaxing, free daily life…”

Ah, my alarm is ringing.

—Like this, Kasuga and I started dating for real.

****

On the 23rd of April, a Friday during lunch break, I walked around inside the school with no particular business anywhere. The library room? I won’t. Or rather, I can’t. Apparently, today is the day where they organize the library and tidy it up. That being said, as a loner and outsider, it makes perfect sense to walk around during lunch break like this, as the loner that I am. After all—

If I stayed in the classroom, everybody would naturally be talking and having fun. If I went to the cafeteria, everybody would be having an enjoyable meal with each other. If I went to the gym hall, everybody would be having fun while playing basketball. If I went to the self-study room, everybody would study silently, but sometimes teach their friends and vice versa.

Of course, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing at all, but if I went to a place designated for something, I would be forced to do that exact thing, is what I’m saying. I’m just bad…with that sort of atmosphere that’s going on there. The fact that ‘doing nothing’ almost feels like it’s against the law, it’s tearing me apart. So? For a loner to spend lunch break in such a designated place, what’s the goal? Eating with friends, meeting up with friends?

Put frankly, ‘I don’t have any goal. I don’t have any friends after all. That’s why I’m just randomly walking around. As long as I don’t stop at one of those designated places, nobody will give me any weird gazes along the lines of ‘Why is he here and not doing XXXX, huh?’.

In fact, if I stayed in my classroom during lunch break, people previously laughed at me with ‘That Kujou, he’s staying in the classroom but not even talking with anybody~’, see. I mean, that happened back in grade school though. I’ve reflected on that, which is why I’m taking a walk around the school now! So, where should I go next…

“Shiiiizuki-kun!”

“Woah!?”

Suddenly, someone clung to my back—There’s only one person who would do this! Even more so since it’s me they’re hugging! I’m glad this event happened at the relocated parking lot for bicycles.

“K-Kasuga!?”

“Ahaha, did I get you?”

Holy smokes…Kasuga is giving off this sweet and girly scent. I need to stay calm, so that she doesn’t realize how much I’m shaken.

“Of course. Also…”

“What is it?”

“Y-Your chest is hitting me…”

“Eh!? You’re conscious of it!? Yay!”

Although Kasuga finally moved away from me, she immediately moved towards my front, showing me a happy grin. Seriously…she’s actually having fun about this…I myself could barely show an awkward reaction.

“Also, going for so much physical contact is a lot what a normie would do, you know?”

“Ehhhh? Really~?”

“By the way, we went on a date yesterday, right?”

“Yup, sure did.”

“You seemed to be looking for me today as well…Are you sure about that?”

“Why?”

“I’m calling it the Kasuga Group, but…now you can’t be together with your friends.”

“Why is that a problem?”

“I mean, the image I have of normies is that they immediately go against anybody who dares break out of their ranks.”

“That’s some heavy prejudice!?”

“Is it accurate though?”

“Hehe, don’t underestimate us, Shizuki-kun. My friends wouldn’t say something like that about their friends. We don’t look down on others.”

“I see.”

“So, what were you doing, Shizuki-kun?”

“Taking a walk.”

“Teacher! I want to go on a walk with Shizuki-kun!”

“……”

“What’s wrong?”

“I was trying to come up with a reason to say no.”

“If you don’t have any reason to, then you don’t have to think about it in the first place! Just nod and say yes!”

“I mean, walking around with Kasuga at school will definitely draw attention to me.”

“Why are you so against getting attention? I don’t think that’s just a bad thing…”

“Let me ask you, why is it so good to be at the center of attention…?”

“Eh?”

“Ehhhh…”

Well, since we’re both part of different worlds, I guess that our ideologies would clash like this…

****

“So, should we go?”

“…Go where?”

“Eh? Hmmm, we could go back to the classroom to talk, play basketball in the gym hall, play some tennis after borrowing tennis rackets, something like that? Come on, let’s go~!”

“Haaaaaa…”

“Ehhh!? What’s that exaggerated sigh for!?”

“I mean, all your ideas and offers are just so…normie, you know.”

“You’re already complaining!?”

“Hey, Kasuga.”

“Hmmm?”

“Yesterday, you told me to change you into my ideal girl, right?”

“Yup! Sure did! What about that?”

“My ideal girl would never propose that we’d go back to the classroom, that we’d play basketball at the gym, or play tennis at the tennis court.

“No way!?”

“Listen, Kasuga, people like you, outgoing people, move with a clear destination in mind. However, in the case of an outsider and loner, we can’t do anything like that, so we just randomly walk around the place in order to spend the time.”

“O-Okay! I’ll make sure to remember that!”

“Then…let’s just walk around a bit.”

Like that, Kasuga and I wandered around the school with no clear goal in mind. Naturally, I tried to stay away from the hallways and stairs that were riddled with students.

“That reminds me, I’m a bit surprised you didn’t run away and hide despite all of this.”

“…I may be a loner, but I’m not human trash, okay.”

“Meaning?”

“I’m aware that I’m not good with people, and don’t spend much time with others, but once I agreed to something and promised, I don’t plan on breaking that promise.”

“Ehehe, that makes me happy. I knew you’d say that.”

“You knew?”

“You may be a bit blunt and cold on the outside, but you’re actually really kind.”

No no no, this has nothing to do with kindness, alright. I just think it’s common sense to keep the promises you make. Basically, I just accepted that I won’t run away and avoid Kasuga no matter what…Well, nothing gained, nothing lost.

“Still…”

“Hm?”

“As a loner, Shizuki-kun, you’re a bit annoying, huh.”

“Humans are annoying and bothersome living beings in general. Also, why would you want to go out with me if I’m that annoying?”

“Even those annoying parts of you, I like and love you very much. I think it’s cute.”

“~~~!”

The way Kasuga looked up at me was adorable. To think I’d get flustered from this.

“So as for what I should remember from today, I should avoid places with a lot of people, and that walking around without any particular goal isn’t as bad, yeah?”

“Yup. Also, Kasuga.”

“Hm?”

“Tell me, during the times you stood out, or when you gathered a lot of attention, what was the reason for that?”

“Uuuumm…When I won the relay for my class during my middle school’s sports festival, and everyone was praising me for coming back from last place. Everyone praised me, saying how amazing I was.

“So basically, they were gazes filled with admiration and respect, yeah?”

“I don’t think it was that big of a deal.”

“But…that’s the kind of image you have when someone is showered with attention, right? However, my image of receiving attention is being aimed at dodgeball, or purposefully being shot in the face during soccer, basically all bad types of attention. That’s why I can only think of bad nuances.”

“Something like that happened to you?”

“Yeah, although back in grade school.”

Right as I finished my words…Wah, Kasuga!? Why is she suddenly holding my hand?!

“W-What are you…!?”

“Ehehe, I wanted to cheer you up, Shizuki-kun.”

“You’re pretty amazing.”

“Hehe, not that much~”

“You can only try to cheer up a boy by holding hands if you’re not even aware of how cute you are.”

“That’s why you were praising me!?”

Like this, we were walking around the school grounds, while still holding hands, but…

“Hey, Kasuga.”

“What’s up?”

“How long do you plan on holding hands like this?”

“I can’t?”

“I told you before, but you’re way too much of a normie!”

“Ehhh!? I wasn’t doing anything, though!? We were just walking around while holding hands.”

“I feel like holding hands is plenty of physical contact, you know? I don’t know your basics and fundamentals, but it is what a normie would do. Sharing shoulders as boys, hugging girls, all that.”

“Ehhh…But then, well…”

“?”

“Can we ever even do…the stuff that…lovers do?”

“~~~!”

My face! My face feels so hot! What is Kasuga saying! Huh? Eh? She wants to do that sort of stuff with me!? Well, she declared that she wants to become my wife, so I guess this is the goal, but…

“Sorry, Kasuga.”

“Yes, Shizuki-kun.”

“I was saying that using excessive skinship is basically screaming normie, right.”

“Yup yup.”

“But…what exactly did you have in mind while saying that?”

“Isn’t this sexual harassment!?”

“Oh? But, kissing me in the middle of Sendai Station, which made us the center of attention for a hot minute, was just as much sexual harassment, you know?”

“Urk…you’re not wrong…B-But, we can just decide at which of our homes we do it, or in the empty classroom after classes, maybe even the infirmary while the nurse is gone, the gym hall, or…Ahh, this is so embarrassing.”

“See, that’s what I mean! Those ideas are exactly what’s way beyond outgoing! Also, you sound like some party girl instead! Even a loner like me has fantasies like that, but how do I say this…in your case, you’d actually be down to do that, yeah? You would do that, right?”

“~~~!” I asked, to which Kasuga blushed furiously, and showed an awkward nod.

But right then…

“Ah, the chime rang.”

“Guess we’ll end up late.”

“Why don’t we skip classes, and play some tennis at the tennis court?”

“Again, too much normie. If we’re skipping classes, let’s at least play some games.”

****

That having happened, Kasuga and I headed to the peculiar future course clubroom. Here, no teacher should be able to find us.

“Ah, that reminds me, Shizuki-kun, could you maybe accept my friend request?” Kasuga said, and suddenly moved next to me on her chair.

T-Too close! Can you not invade my personal space? If you get closer than 50cm, and I don’t think of you as someone I’m friendly with enough, I will only see this as a bother! On top of that, with your face this close, my heart won’t stop racing, and your girly scent is really hammering down on me.

“Shizuki-kun?”

“Ah, well, accept your friend request?”

“Yup yup.”

“Well…I guess that should be alright.”

“Yup yup!”

“So, what kind of games are you playing? I guess there should be one or two games that we both play.”

“Pazudora, Monsuto, Animal C*ossing Pocket Camping, PokeGo, I guess1?”

“Eh?”

“What about you, Shizuki-kun?”

“…Shadow*erse, FGO, Az*r Lane…”

“Eh? I heard of that shadow thing before, but what is FGO and that azur thing?”

“They’re games as well…”

“Shizuki-kun, you know a lot of games! …Though it’s a shame we don’t play the same games.”

“Y-Yeah…”

Now this is quite an awkward silence…I mean, I normally would welcome silence, but there’s a difference between being all alone, and having someone next to me…

“Then, why don’t we start playing a game together?”

“Wahh…that sounds like something a couple would do…”

“We technically are a couple, right!?”

She’s not wrong, alright. Although it still hasn’t fully set in. Then…I guess it wouldn’t be that bad.

“So, Shizuki-kun, how about we make this a contest?”

“If we just started the game, isn’t our equipment basically the same?”

“Eh? No no, you’re wrong, I wanted us to see who can make it further until the next classes start.”

Wha…what did she…!? Ah, crap, I was so surprised, I dropped the phone. Thankfully, Kasuga picked it up for me.

“Sorry, and thanks.”

“Yup, is there something wrong?”

“Since I don’t have any friends, I never really got to experience these kinds of games that require a second person like this.”

“I see…But, from now on, I’ll always be with you, okay?”

“Ah…y-yeah…”

After that, Kasuga and I started playing this game while skipping classes. Also, thinking about it again, but right now it’s just me and a girl my age, like we’re sharing a secret! Skipping classes! Playing games! It’s youth! …Not good, I can’t become aware of it. And then, thirty minutes later—

“Shizuki-kun, you’re amazing! You’re so good at playing games!”

“If anything, I’m shocked you could barely reach that level…”

“I feel like I was just playing the game normally though…”

“I’m doing the exact same…while looking up a wiki though.”

“Eh!? But, won’t you get spoiled if you do that!?”

“Huh? What are you talking about? Even if I end up seeing spoilers, I can at least play more efficiently.”

“Ehhh, hmpf!” Kasuga started pouting, looking a bit childish…

That’s right, she almost seemed like Chisaka-senpai!

“But, that means this is your victory, Shizuki-kun!”

“Right.”

“That being the case, I have a reward for you.”

“Hm? You gonna treat me to some juice? I don’t need that?”

“No, not that.” Kasuga grinned, showing a somewhat dirty smirk. “There! The winner gets a hug from his girlfriend as a reward!”

“Don’t joke around! You just want to hug me, right!”

“Ehehehe~”

If I had lost, she probably would have asked for the right to hug the loser.

****

On the 26th of April, a Monday lunch break…

“Okay, stop.”

“Please…get out of the way, Kasuga…! Talking with you inside the classroom is showering me with curious onlookers…!”

Ahh, lord. I just wanted to walk out of the classroom like always, but Kasuga had to block off my exit.

“If you answer my question, I’ll make room.”

“Oh?”

“Last week, what did you do before taking a walk?”

“Ate lunch.”

“I see.”

“That’s why I was planning on grabbing a bite now as well, so…”

“Shizuki-kun.”

“Don’t wanna.”

“I didn’t even say anything yet!?”

“You probably were planning on asking ‘Let’s eat lunch together’, right!? I’ll tag along later, so at least let me eat my lunch in peace!”

“Wah, amazing! That’s like telepathy!”

“I can tell what you’re thinking at least, it’s not that hard!”

Ah, crap, I just screamed so loud, not to mention towards Kasuga. I glanced inside the classroom, meeting gazes with the few students still inside. Ahh, as expected, the Kasuga group with the five girls and five boys were staring at us like crazy…Aw man…

“Well, whatever. I’m going.”

“Yup, got it. I’ll just tag along.”

“Wait wait, Kasuga. Calm down. Recently, you haven’t spent much time with your friends, right? You told me not to underestimate your friendship last Friday, but you should at least spend some time with your friends, right?”

“Hmmm…do you really think so?”

“I sure do.”

“Alright, then…”

Huh? Why did she suddenly take my hand? Following that, she forcefully pulled me into the Kasuga group and the other guys around. That’s a normie group, you know? It’s the brightest place in the entire classroom. If I get too close, I might just melt.

“Wait, Kasuga.”

“Hm? What’s up?”

“You seriously ask me that? Do you really tell me to mix in with those guys?”

“Hm? I was just thinking that maybe you could eat together with all of us?”

“No no no no, not happening! I managed to stop holding back with my words when it comes to you, but towards any other normie people, I still can’t talk properly! Also, can you not interrupt people who simply want to enjoy their lunch on their own!? What are you, some grade school teacher!”

“Um…you’re Kujou, right?”

“………!”

Someone called out to me!? When I turned around, I was greeted by a male student, with a super calm face, seeming like he’d be popular with people for his kind attitude.

“Well, how about eating lunch together with us?”

“Ah…Ehm…Ah…No, well, I’m sorry…”

“Hey now, why are you apologizing, lol. Ah, my name’s Ooba…Well, I guess you’d know, we’re in the same class after all!” He spoke with a friendly tone, but…I’m sorry, Ooba.

We are in the same class, but I didn’t know your name at all…

“W-Well…You know…Don’t bother with me, and just eat with your group as always…No, please eat together.”

“O-Okay…I see.”

Waah, he seems bothered. Ahhh, I can’t stay here any longer!

“Ah, wait a second, Shizuki-kun!”

“You’re still tagging along with me after all that!?”

****

We, Kasuga and I, sat on the outer stairs of the alumni association building.

“This is the worst…I want to die…”

“S-Sorry, okay, Shizuki-kun? I didn’t think you’d be this hurt by it…”

Why are you tearing up, Kasuga? The way she’s this honest is cute. It’s a pain in the ass to the point that I can’t forgive her.

“No, you don’t need to apologize…I doubt you’d even understand.”

“Urk…”

“Ah, no, that was a bit misleading.”

“Misleading?”

“I didn’t want to blame you, I was just trying to say that it can’t be helped.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, basically there’s no person in this world who shares the exact same traits and beliefs as you. It’s impossible for you to understand my feelings, but that’s not your fault, and it’s just the way things work.”

“What do you mean?”

“Understanding between human beings is superficial, and you don’t actually understand each other, but rather you feel that you’ve come to some sort of understanding.”

“I see, you say some complicated things at times, Shizuki-kun.”

“Did you understand what I was trying to say?”

“Humans can’t ever fully understand each other, but if a miracle happened for people to understand the other, then it’s something truly wonderful! Yup, I’ll try my best to understand you, Shizuki-kun!”

“Wah, that’s so extremely positive…”

“Now then, leaving aside this conversation that makes my head feel like it’s going to burst, let’s instead eat lunch, okay?”

I wholeheartedly agree. I’m feeling a bit hungry myself.

“Ah, also, are you fine about me eating with you? You seemed to hate the idea before…” Kasuga looked at me, her eyes filled with worry.

At the same time, I averted my face, and answered…

“Well…it’s fine. Rather than being questioned this entire time, it’s better to just eat together…Not wasting time is the most logical conclusion…”

Waaah…I sound like a total tsundere. No, I’m not a tsundere, okay! It’s a fact that eating together with her is less exhausting, and I don’t waste nearly not as much time!

“Still, getting to eat lunch together with the boy I like, with Shizuki-kun…If I told my first-year self that, she’d definitely be happy.”

“I’m sorry to spoil the fun, but you’re sounding like a normie again.”

“Eh?! Why!?”

“Ah, that was another mistake on my end. Rather than being super normie, it’s way too sweet, like a single pay out of a fulfilling youth.”

“Isn’t that fine!?”

“No, not really. But, I came up with something good.”

“Something good?”

“It’s not that the two of us are eating lunch together, but rather that two loners happened to sit next to each other while eating lunch.”

“Why did you have to turn it into something so bothersome!?”

“You got any complaints?”

“Of course I do! This won’t count as me and Shizuki-kun, us as a couple, eating lunch together! It’s important that we are a group of two!”

“But, you want to become my ideal girl, right?”

“……”

“Kasuga?”

“Okay! In order to become the perfect girl of Shizuki-kun that I love so much, I want to eat lunch as a loner!”

“~~~! So straightforward…How can you say you love me this easily…”

“Ahh, you’re flustered~ So adorable.”

“A-Anyway, the most important point when doing a loner lunch is that ‘Nobody is allowed to see you being a loner’.”

“Why? Wouldn’t you be happy to be found by someone else when you’re all alone?”

“I like being alone, and I don’t want to be perceived as poor or pathetic simply because I am eating my lunch by myself.”

“Hmm, I don’t really get it.”

“But why though.”

“So, what exactly am I supposed to do so that we can eat lunch together?”

“Since we can’t look at the other person, I guess having our backs pointed at each other would be the best idea?”

“Okay, if this allows me to somehow eat lunch together with Shizuki-kun, then I’ll do that.”

With that being decided, we sat back to back at the stairs. Seriously, what are we even doing? By the way, so that her skirt wouldn’t get dirty, Kasuga put a handkerchief on the ground before sitting down.

“Hey, Shizuki-kun.”

She’s talking to me…!?

“Ah, wait, since this is a loner lunch, I can’t talk to him.”

Correct.

“I see, then I came up with something good!”

…Eh?

“Seriously, I love Shizuki-kun so much. During my first year, I always fantasized about going out with him, and I even wrote several love letters that I could never send to him in the end. I even have his picture as my phone lockscreen.”

Damn that Kasuga, she’s trying to play it off as a simple monologue!?

“In order to become a good wife, I’ve tried my best at cooking, cleaning, and laundry, all so that he would be happy to have me around. And, so that he would praise me, I worked really hard with my studies and sports.”

Grrr…Of course, hearing how far she went just for my sake makes me happy.

“Since I’m just talking to myself during my loner lunch, I can say this, but would he pat me on the head if he knew about that? Would he give me a kiss as a reward?”

Ahhh, for crying out loud! I can’t focus on my loner lunch!

“Since I’m eating lunch on my own, and Kasuga is nowhere near me, I can say this, but…”

“……”

“Honestly, she’s too outgoing, and energetic. Put badly, she’s basically American, and a party-goer, fully focused on love, way too relaxed about everything, and is constantly trying to break down the wall I’ve built up around my heart, but…just a bit…A really tiny bit! I…might, under the right circumstances, in a slight off-chance, be willing to admit and praise that she really has been working hard.”

“Ehehe, I can say this since nobody else is around, but I really feel like kissing Shizuki-kun right now~”

1 Puzzle & Dragons, Monster Strike, Pokemon Go