“Hey, Oohashi”
“Yes?”
One day after school, I was stopped by a male homeroom teacher.
I paused preparing to go home and went to the teacher’s desk.
“Sorry, but could you deliver these printouts to Katano’s house?”
Saying so, he handed me a bunch of printouts including a notice of parent and child meeting.
“She’s currently absent due to influenza. If these printouts are delivered any later, it’ll be too late to arrange it with her parents”
“Why me?”
“Ah, after I looked it up, you live the closest to Katano’s house. This is her address, okay?”
I was aware of classmates’ strange looks being fixed on me during this exchange.
“Wouldn’t taking a picture of it and sending it to her be enough. Please ask somebody who knows her”
“The thing is, I don’t know Katano’s email address. If somebody knows it, I don’t mind if you ask of them. Then, I leave it to you”
“Ah, wait”
The homeroom teacher left as soon as he told me to do that.
Feeling uncomfortable, I resumed preparations to go home.
“It’s a disaster, right Rei. Having to go to that otaku’s house”
“Misaki-chan, don’t say that”
“Ahaha… I have no choice other than going. Then, see you at school tomorrow”
The conversation with SakiSaki Duo ended somehow awkwardly and I left the school.
According to a map, Katano-san’s house was surprisingly close to mine.
Or rather, it was across the street.
Because my father moved here for his job, there’s nothing like us being childhood friends.
While we might have greeted each other when I moved here, it’s rare for us girls to interact with neighbors.
After dropping by home to put away my stuff, I paid a visit to Katano-san’s house with the printouts.
I took several deep breaths in front of the door.
I pressed the intercom while being terribly nervous for some reason.
“Yees”
“I’m Shiiko-san’s classmate, Oohashi. I was asked to deliver printouts to Shiiko-san during her absence”
“Ara, thank you. Please, come in”
Together with her voice, the door was unlocked.
I wanted to hand over the printouts at the door and go home, so I was shaken by Katano mom’s words to come in.
Be that as it may, I couldn’t keep standing there, so I reluctantly went inside.
“Excuse me”
“You’re welcome. I’m happy. Shiiko has such a close friend”
“No, I――”
What was I trying to say?
That we aren’t really close?
I barely stopped myself and decided to for now finish my business here.
“These are the printouts. Soon there’ll be parent and child meeting, so the teacher asked to make arrangements ahead of the time”
“Thanks you. I’m sorry, but could you deliver them to Shiiko’s room? I’m a little busy cooking right now”
“Ah…”
Saying so, Katano mom withdrew to the kitchen.
“Even if you tell me to go to Shiiko’s room…”
“It’s in the back upstairs”
A polite voice came from my side while I was perplexed.
There’s no way to run away.
It can’t be helped, so let’s quickly hand them over and go home.
I climbed the stairs and stopped in front of the door at the end of the corridor.
The nameplate says “Shiiko”.
I knocked three times.
“…?”
There’s no response.
I knocked once again, but it was still the same.
Is she asleep?
How many times have I been perplexed today.
What can I say.
(No, wait?)
Isn’t this a chance?
As Shiiko-san seems to be sleeping, rather than awkwardly waking her up, I can place the printouts on her desk, and go home.
“… Excuse me”
I opened the door making as little noise as I could, and while saying that in a quiet voice I entered Katano-san’s room.
“Wow. Woah…”
Katano-san’s room was what you’d call an otaku’s room.
There were plenty anime posters pasted to the walls, bookshelves were lined with manga.
Goods of characters unknown to me were beautifully decorating glass cases.
“! I can’t I can’t”
Unintentionally I got captivated and gazed at them for a while.
It’ll be troublesome if Katano-san wakes up while I’m doing such a thing.
Looking at her, Katano-san is in the bed, peacefully breathing in her sleep.
Let’s do it immediately.
“The desk… Wow…”
While the room is covered with anime goods, the surroundings of the desk were neatly cleaned.
I tried putting the printouts on it, but I seem to have moved the mouse as the computer woke up from its sleep lighting up the screen.
“This is… a manga manuscript…?”
On the large monitor a scene of two naked girls staring at each other was displayed.
Recently there are people drawing manga on PCs and Katano-san is also one of them.
While thinking that, I was captivated by the illustration.
On the illustration, one girl was a shy child with a bob cut, and the other somewhat dull but homely tall girl.
Both weren’t wearing anything, but mysteriously I didn’t find it unpleasant.
Rather, I thought the manuscript drawn in a delicate style was very beautiful.
“The models for it were Kosaki-san and Rei-san”
Although its volume was low, I was startled by the voice resounding through the silence and looked back.
Katano-san, dressed in pajamas, sat up and looked here.
“Ah… wrong… Um… I…!”
“It’s okay. You came to deliver printouts? I understand”
I was beyond confused, but Katano-san’s calmness spread to me and soon I also composed myself.
“I looked at it without your permission, sorry?”
“No. I’m also sorry for using you as a model without permission, so we’re even”
Katano-san said so and laughed a little.
Without her glasses, I could see Katano-san’s expression better than usually in the classroom.
Her complexion also looked good.
“Model?”
“Misaki-san seems to have thought I’m a fujoshi, but actually it’s the opposite. I’m into yuri”
It was about the conversation where I had messed up my response.
I’m writing manga with the theme of romance between girls, Katano-san said.
“Do you think it’s disgusting?”
Rather than doubt, the question sounded like she was expecting a confirmation.
“… I think it’s… not disgusting”
I intended to hide my opinion to the end, but I changed my mind out of worry for Katano-san.
However,
“Obviously”
“Obviously… What do you mean?”
I asked, and when I thought it would have been better not to ask, it was already too late.
“Because, Rei-san loves Kosaki-san, right?”
“!?”
If you looked at me objectively at that time, I must have made an interesting face.
But, at that time I was unable to laugh in the slightest.
“What… are you saying?”
“You don’t need to deceive me. I told you, right? I’m into yuri. I’m not prejudiced against that”
Katano-san stated indifferently, but I was awfully frightened.
If it was exposed by Katano-san, my school life would end.
I desperately tried denying it.
“Wrong… You’re wrong! I’m not weird like that!”
“Weird? What’s weird about that?”
Katano-san kept her calm even when I got irritated.
“No matter who loves who, aren’t they free to do that?”
I thought “Ah, I’m no match for that person” when Katano-san said that.
Rather than following up with more words, Katano-san got off the bed and picked out several books from the bookshelf.
Then she packed them into a bag with anime character printed on it.
“If you’d like, read these”
“…?”
What she handed me were novels with beautiful girls on their covers.
“I think it’ll weaken you, in various ways”
For some reason I couldn’t refuse.
Or perhaps deep down I wanted somebody to affirm these feelings.
In any case, I accepted them.
“After you read them, tell me what you think”
Saying so, Katano-san laid down again.
After a minute I could hear her breathe in her sleep.
I was quite amazed, but as there wasn’t anything else to do, I could do nothing but go home.
“Ara, are you going home already? If you’d like I thought we could eat dinner together”
“No… I think my mother is making it too”
“Is that so? Then, at another opportunity”
“Yes. Excuse me”
I left Katano-san’s house.
That night, I read the books borrowed from Katano-san.
And――.
The world has changed for me.
“Hey, Oohashi”
“Yes?”
One day after school, I was stopped by a male homeroom teacher.
I paused preparing to go home and went to the teacher’s desk.
“Sorry, but could you deliver these printouts to Katano’s house?”
Saying so, he handed me a bunch of printouts including a notice of parent and child meeting.
“She’s currently absent due to influenza. If these printouts are delivered any later, it’ll be too late to arrange it with her parents”
“Why me?”
“Ah, after I looked it up, you live the closest to Katano’s house. This is her address, okay?”
I was aware of classmates’ strange looks being fixed on me during this exchange.
“Wouldn’t taking a picture of it and sending it to her be enough. Please ask somebody who knows her”
“The thing is, I don’t know Katano’s email address. If somebody knows it, I don’t mind if you ask of them. Then, I leave it to you”
“Ah, wait”
The homeroom teacher left as soon as he told me to do that.
Feeling uncomfortable, I resumed preparations to go home.
“It’s a disaster, right Rei. Having to go to that otaku’s house”
“Misaki-chan, don’t say that”
“Ahaha… I have no choice other than going. Then, see you at school tomorrow”
The conversation with SakiSaki Duo ended somehow awkwardly and I left the school.
According to a map, Katano-san’s house was surprisingly close to mine.
Or rather, it was across the street.
Because my father moved here for his job, there’s nothing like us being childhood friends.
While we might have greeted each other when I moved here, it’s rare for us girls to interact with neighbors.
After dropping by home to put away my stuff, I paid a visit to Katano-san’s house with the printouts.
I took several deep breaths in front of the door.
I pressed the intercom while being terribly nervous for some reason.
“Yees”
“I’m Shiiko-san’s classmate, Oohashi. I was asked to deliver printouts to Shiiko-san during her absence”
“Ara, thank you. Please, come in”
Together with her voice, the door was unlocked.
I wanted to hand over the printouts at the door and go home, so I was shaken by Katano mom’s words to come in.
Be that as it may, I couldn’t keep standing there, so I reluctantly went inside.
“Excuse me”
“You’re welcome. I’m happy. Shiiko has such a close friend”
“No, I――”
What was I trying to say?
That we aren’t really close?
I barely stopped myself and decided to for now finish my business here.
“These are the printouts. Soon there’ll be parent and child meeting, so the teacher asked to make arrangements ahead of the time”
“Thanks you. I’m sorry, but could you deliver them to Shiiko’s room? I’m a little busy cooking right now”
“Ah…”
Saying so, Katano mom withdrew to the kitchen.
“Even if you tell me to go to Shiiko’s room…”
“It’s in the back upstairs”
A polite voice came from my side while I was perplexed.
There’s no way to run away.
It can’t be helped, so let’s quickly hand them over and go home.
I climbed the stairs and stopped in front of the door at the end of the corridor.
The nameplate says “Shiiko”.
I knocked three times.
“…?”
There’s no response.
I knocked once again, but it was still the same.
Is she asleep?
How many times have I been perplexed today.
What can I say.
(No, wait?)
Isn’t this a chance?
As Shiiko-san seems to be sleeping, rather than awkwardly waking her up, I can place the printouts on her desk, and go home.
“… Excuse me”
I opened the door making as little noise as I could, and while saying that in a quiet voice I entered Katano-san’s room.
“Wow. Woah…”
Katano-san’s room was what you’d call an otaku’s room.
There were plenty anime posters pasted to the walls, bookshelves were lined with manga.
Goods of characters unknown to me were beautifully decorating glass cases.
“! I can’t I can’t”
Unintentionally I got captivated and gazed at them for a while.
It’ll be troublesome if Katano-san wakes up while I’m doing such a thing.
Looking at her, Katano-san is in the bed, peacefully breathing in her sleep.
Let’s do it immediately.
“The desk… Wow…”
While the room is covered with anime goods, the surroundings of the desk were neatly cleaned.
I tried putting the printouts on it, but I seem to have moved the mouse as the computer woke up from its sleep lighting up the screen.
“This is… a manga manuscript…?”
On the large monitor a scene of two naked girls staring at each other was displayed.
Recently there are people drawing manga on PCs and Katano-san is also one of them.
While thinking that, I was captivated by the illustration.
On the illustration, one girl was a shy child with a bob cut, and the other somewhat dull but homely tall girl.
Both weren’t wearing anything, but mysteriously I didn’t find it unpleasant.
Rather, I thought the manuscript drawn in a delicate style was very beautiful.
“The models for it were Kosaki-san and Rei-san”
Although its volume was low, I was startled by the voice resounding through the silence and looked back.
Katano-san, dressed in pajamas, sat up and looked here.
“Ah… wrong… Um… I…!”
“It’s okay. You came to deliver printouts? I understand”
I was beyond confused, but Katano-san’s calmness spread to me and soon I also composed myself.
“I looked at it without your permission, sorry?”
“No. I’m also sorry for using you as a model without permission, so we’re even”
Katano-san said so and laughed a little.
Without her glasses, I could see Katano-san’s expression better than usually in the classroom.
Her complexion also looked good.
“Model?”
“Misaki-san seems to have thought I’m a fujoshi, but actually it’s the opposite. I’m into yuri”
It was about the conversation where I had messed up my response.
I’m writing manga with the theme of romance between girls, Katano-san said.
“Do you think it’s disgusting?”
Rather than doubt, the question sounded like she was expecting a confirmation.
“… I think it’s… not disgusting”
I intended to hide my opinion to the end, but I changed my mind out of worry for Katano-san.
However,
“Obviously”
“Obviously… What do you mean?”
I asked, and when I thought it would have been better not to ask, it was already too late.
“Because, Rei-san loves Kosaki-san, right?”
“!?”
If you looked at me objectively at that time, I must have made an interesting face.
But, at that time I was unable to laugh in the slightest.
“What… are you saying?”
“You don’t need to deceive me. I told you, right? I’m into yuri. I’m not prejudiced against that”
Katano-san stated indifferently, but I was awfully frightened.
If it was exposed by Katano-san, my school life would end.
I desperately tried denying it.
“Wrong… You’re wrong! I’m not weird like that!”
“Weird? What’s weird about that?”
Katano-san kept her calm even when I got irritated.
“No matter who loves who, aren’t they free to do that?”
I thought “Ah, I’m no match for that person” when Katano-san said that.
Rather than following up with more words, Katano-san got off the bed and picked out several books from the bookshelf.
Then she packed them into a bag with anime character printed on it.
“If you’d like, read these”
“…?”
What she handed me were novels with beautiful girls on their covers.
“I think it’ll weaken you, in various ways”
For some reason I couldn’t refuse.
Or perhaps deep down I wanted somebody to affirm these feelings.
In any case, I accepted them.
“After you read them, tell me what you think”
Saying so, Katano-san laid down again.
After a minute I could hear her breathe in her sleep.
I was quite amazed, but as there wasn’t anything else to do, I could do nothing but go home.
“Ara, are you going home already? If you’d like I thought we could eat dinner together”
“No… I think my mother is making it too”
“Is that so? Then, at another opportunity”
“Yes. Excuse me”
I left Katano-san’s house.
That night, I read the books borrowed from Katano-san.
And――.
The world has changed for me.
