Hikawa-sensei Wants An Otaku Boyfriend [Vol 1 Chapter 2]
Chapter 2
[Hey, does Kirishima-kun live alone too?]
[So, does that mean, maybe you too, Hikawa-san?]
[Yes. I've been living alone for a year now.]
[Wow. Coincidentally, I've been living alone for a year too.]
[Eh, we're the same. But when you live alone, meals are a mess, aren't they?]
[Yes, that's right. I try to cook rice and side dishes, but I haven't been able to (lol). I've only been able to cook the rice and the side dishes I buy.]
[Oh, I can understand that very well. I make rice too, but ... It's often a hassle, isn't it? It can be quite a lot if it's for just one person.]
[Yes, that's right. In the end, you end up making a lot of food. ...When I experience this kind of thing, I think that the protagonists of a light novel are really cool. Because, naturally, they cook for themselves. Basically, they don't buy prepared food.]
[And they even make for their sisters....]
[Yes, yes. The protagonist is basically a game character with all their stats maxed out.]
[Ah. Back on topic. If you don't mind....]
--- Hikawa Mashiro cancelled sending the message.
What was that?
I had fallen asleep, so when I woke up I looked at my phone while opening the LINE app.
I remember that the message had appeared on my phone's lock screen and I could half read it. But when I opened the app, she had deleted it ... what was it really about? It kills my curiosity.
What on earth would Hikawa-san have been trying to tell me? Maybe, that we should stop keeping in touch? Or something like that? If so, I must have done something wrong!
What did she send?!
I scrolled through the sent messages, thinking what have I screwed up?
In those thoughts, a week passed.
Hikawa-san thanked me again on LINE, once again after what had happened. From then on, we kept chatting nonstop, just like every day.
Well, still, it was only a few meaningless messages every day. But I still enjoy the time spent chatting with Hikawa-san ... and more than that, I can't help it, my heart aches with emotion.
It's just that well, you know, it can't be helped, right?
My whole life has been one away from this kind of activity, I've never chatted with a girl. I've lived in a reality where I had nothing to do with this kind of thing. And I don't see myself being able to have another opportunity like this come up again.
So because of this rare opportunity, I have been reading articles on the internet of "How to have LINE chats with girls". I used them for reference, write and delete. When I was finally satisfied with what I had written, too many hours had passed. But after sending the message, it was nothing compared to what came next.
I mean, the time I spend waiting for Hikawa-san's reply message, it makes me feel like time is not moving forward.
I don't feel like living. If I had to describe it, that would be the way. It's like time is standing still with a scythe near my head.
Also, when too much time passed, I would go back and look at the message I had sent over and over again, thinking, "Could it be that I have sent some weird message...?" And so, I would spend my time going through the messages over and over again, reflecting on these and wanting to die.
At that moment, my phone vibrated and what I received was a message from the LINE company, I was filled with hatred,
How can they even think of sending that kind of message at this hour, they have got to be kidding me!
I thought it was a message from Hikawa-san, but since that wasn't the case, I continued with my message checking. This is endless.
To be honest, I'm a little tired of it.
I'm impressed by normies who do this sort of thing in the most normal way, those guys are really awesome. But I think I understand them, I like talking to Hikawa-san. Come to this, I admit it, I'm interested in Hikawa-san. I still don't know whether to identify this feeling ... but it's true that I'm curious about what she usually does in her day to day life.
I didn't know that chatting could confuse the mind so much. This is scary, did I really ruin it?
Why isn't she answering? Aahh! Have I really done something wrong?!
It kills my curiosity, what's she doing?
"Well, then the student advisor will speak next."
*Crack
That sound brought me back to reality immediately.
I was in the high school gym. The end of year ceremony was in full swing.
...I know it's wrong to stare at the phone at a time like this. But, I was really worried about my chat with Hikawa-san. However, I don't feel so bad, I'm not the only one who is focused on his phone.
I don't know if it's because starting tomorrow, spring break begins, but my classmates seem to be in a very good mood. The ones next to me are talking to each other, and others are talking on LINE while hiding their phones, and the others are doing whatever they want.
"Guys."
The moment the teacher's voice was heard, the relaxed atmosphere in the gym was extinguished, everyone's body tensed up. It was Yukihime. One could feel the cold gaze through her black-rimmed glasses.
If this were a mobile monster game, everyone's defenses would have dropped 100 points. She is too powerful, so much so that many of the students started to shut up and I included myself as well, but in my case, it was to not draw attention to myself, my appearance is not that helpful and if I talk now, I would only get in trouble. I didn't want to take any risky action in a situation like this.
So, I proceed to put my phone in the pocket of my uniform, as well as those around me, so as not to make contact with Yukihime.
I start looking down, after that, Yukihime starts talking, but to be honest, I didn't hear any of the story. I keep looking down and praying for this torment to end.
...Although now that I think about it Yukihime might become a second year teacher. If that actually happens, I'd hate it too much. My bully appearance would stand out too much, and I don't know what I'd say if she becomes my teacher.
Before I knew it, the ceremony was over and the students began to return to their classrooms en masse. Everyone's faces were tinged with an excitement of relief and anticipation for the vacation that began tomorrow.
The anticipation for spring break didn't seem to stop.
Ah, what am I going to do over break? I want to go see the animated movie coming out soon or I might even stay up all night playing video games, I'm curious about FGO , I might even play the original Fate. I can't wait, I'm actually really looking forward to it.
I really wish this day will be over as fast as possible!
"Hey, Kirishima. Wait a minute."
I heard a voice behind me calling out to me. When I turned around, there was a teacher wearing glasses. It was Shinohara Ryoma a math teacher with a well-defined face, so much so that the girls in my class secretly called him, "The Shoujo manga teacher."
Besides that, he has been my good acquaintance for a while.
"What's wrong?"
He rarely speaks to me at school.
"Kirishima, I'm sorry, can I have a moment of your time?"
"What's wrong Shinohara-Sensei?"
As I raise my eyebrows, Shinohara-sensei says to me, what I least expected at that moment.
"Unfortunately you'll have to take remedial classes during spring break."
My spring break was over.
***
An hour later in the student counseling office.
I was allowed to leave class early because of the closing ceremony, and I was sitting quietly as I received a mountain of paperwork for my make-up classes. But since my spring break was gone, I was naturally shocked and couldn't concentrate at all.
Damn it, I was going to play Fate or Smash Bros!
But because of these make-up classes, all my dreams have gone up in smoke!
"It's just, please god, why am I doing this paper in the first place, I only got three red dots on a test!"
"No, that's not it."
Shinohara-sensei said calmly, while sitting on the opposite side of the table.
Ryoma was my former tutor in middle school, back then he was just a college student, but then he went straight into teaching.
But for some reason, the high school I chose was the same one where Ryoma worked. Since then, my relationship with Ryoma has been the same. A nuisance.
A relationship in which I always come out wrong, because I'm not very smart, and in which I always end up causing Ryoma trouble one-sidedly.
"What I mean Takuya, is that if you keep getting scores this bad, it's only natural for this to happen."
"Well, it's just that ... I'm not the only one having trouble with these exams. The exams at this high school are too difficult. My classmates are too smart. And it's just what are we studying sophomore texts for, when we're still in first grade?"
"Did you know about that when you took the entrance exam?"
That may be true, but I like having an excuse.
The reason for all this trouble is that this school, Keika High School is one of the best high schools in all Japan.
My classmates naturally aspire to get into prestigious universities, so classes move at a very fast pace. It's not uncommon for first-year students to be studying second-year study material. Rumor has it that second-year students finish their third-year studies in the same year.
An institute like this is a place where a person like me should never have entered, it is obvious that I entered by mistake and it is inevitable that I ended up dropping out.
It's no surprise that if you don't study at all, and you're just immersed in novels and anime from the time you get home until you go to bed, there's no way you're going to get good grades.
Plus, my classmates are so smart that in comparison, I'm ... yeah, I guess I'm just not cut out for stuff like this. As I've said before, even if you make an effort, as long as there are individual differences like talent, then it's useless.
"Go beyond."
There is a wall you can't get over. You have to give up everything useless and use your time to live as efficiently as possible in other areas of your choice.
It's not that I want to go to a top university in Japan. First of all, I don't like the idea of staying a student, even now, I just find myself drifting in class.
"The most important thing for you to remember is that you can't just think that you can't get a good score, you have to make an attitude change. Do you even remember how many times this year you've been late?"
"That can't be helped! This year was a bumper year for anime. I've been itching to go camping and do outside training. I found myself immersed in so much stuff that it was already late at night!"
"Why does watching anime make you want to go camping and do strength training?"
Ryoma says incredulously. But we're all like that when we watch anime, right? You find yourself stuck buying all kinds of stuff and spending a lot of time on the internet researching, right?
"It's just..."
"Anyway, don't try to blame it on that. That's the reason they call you by that name. If you don't want to be ridiculed, try a little harder."
"...Wait a minute. What are you talking about? They gave me a nickname behind my back?"
I can't believe I'm so famous that even the professor knows that nickname. I don't have friends who tell me that kind of stuff, so it was obvious I didn't know anything about it.
What do they call me? Don't tell me that they call me Crazy Dog because that sounds like a delinquent's nickname?!
"What is it, Ryoma, tell me! What do they call me behind my back?"
"What I heard, it was 'Old fashioned soap opera protagonist'!"
"That's too accurate! Too much!"
What a disgusting nickname!
True, long ago it was popular to have delinquent protagonists, but for them to call me old fashioned. And I think it's too much to be called a protagonist, I can't do any of the things they do, I'm not smart and I'm not good at housework, if they give me a nickname let it be one that falls better with me!
"If you don't want to be called that anymore, get on with it."
"Damn it! Fine, I'll do it! Let's do it at once so I'll stop being called that"!
"Don't you want to be the protagonist of a novel?"
Ryoma throws out a tasteless joke, but I just ignore him.
I gather all the motivation I can and solve the first few documents. Well, whatever, I have to finish this. I have to get it right this time. The first thing I have to do is make sure I know what I'm doing, remembering that the best way to get the maximum score is to be honest about what you can do.
"Can I ask you something?"
"What is it, Ryoma?"
It bothers me to be disturbed while I'm doing something, but Ryoma doesn't mind and asks me.
I'm not sure what he'll ask me.
"Have you been seeing anyone lately?"
"Why do you say that?"
"It's just that you've been asking me for the latest on clothes and hairstyles, haven't you? Of course I'd be wondering if you've been seeing anyone."
There was a possibility that I might run into Hikawa-san outside the house at any time, so I asked the only person I could trust for such things.
"Well, several things happened. I mean, I met someone I'm interested in."
"Don't lie to me, of course you're lying, all you're interested in is 2D."
"What kind of people do you think I am?"
I know I'm a bit of an Otaku, but really, do you think I'm that dumb to not know the difference between 2D and 3D girls?
I cough a little to continue the topic.
"It's not that ... I have someone I'm interested in, It's in 3D, of course".
"Are you serious?"
"Why do you doubt me, I have no reason to lie."
"I just didn't think you were the type."
When I told him about what happened with Hikawa-san, Ryoma listened to me silently as he nods and says "Hm, hm." Of course I didn't tell him her name. When I finished telling everything, Ryoma loosened his mouth.
"A thing like that, I never imagined it would happen to Takuya..."
"What do you mean?"
"It's just that a little refreshing to talk about my student's love life."
"...Although I haven't heard from her in a long time."
"...Yeah well, what the hell you haven't heard from her, it means you watered her, right?"
Until now, I had a vague feeling that I had screwed up, but by talking to Ryoma, that feeling became a reality. I felt terror at that moment.
"Well, you haven't seen the contents of her messages, so I can only speculate a little, but if you don't receive any messages for a long time, she's most likely not interested."
***
I know that I shouldn't base how I act in my relationship on how someone else acts, I know that the most important thing is to act according to who I am, that's the best way to be authentic and become a good friend or partner.
"Ahhh!"
The truth is, I'm too nervous.
Just got home and I find a message from Hikawa-san.
[Kirishima-kun, can you meet me in front of the building at 8 o'clock?]
Since we had lost contact, I thought we would never speak again, I felt tremendously happy just to receive the message.
That Ryoma scared me to death for nothing. I've been thinking about it like crazy. I was about to go to the place at the appointed time. As the time approached, I look around my house quietly. No one is to be found but me. That is my home. I currently live alone in a house with only two rooms. However, there is no real deep reason. My parents are on business trips abroad. I have an older sister who is in college who also lives alone. I know it sounds like the life of a protagonist ... but in my case, unfortunately, I have never lived a life of youthful love and joy like the real protagonists do.
For a student, I think I've been living well on my own. Well sometimes I think it's because my parents always come home. Besides that the people who live in this very building are family friends. From the way I look, I look like an adult by the way they look at me.
"Ten minutes to go?"
I'd better leave soon.
After putting on my shoes, I close the front door and take the elevator down to the first floor.
When I reached the entrance, Hikawa-san was waiting for me.
"Excuse me. Sorry to keep you waiting."
"No, it's okay."
As I looked at her, I noticed she was dressed the same way, just as neatly as the day we met.
Also, it seemed that today, she had put more effort into her makeup than before. It must be hard to be a girl.
I can't believe she has to put on makeup even after hours. I've heard that makeup tends to come off over time, so it looks like she applied it now.
And then I noticed that HIkawa-san was holding a pot in her hands.
Hikawa-san notices my gaze and nervously hands me the pot.
"Oh, um, please take if you want. Well, I hope it's not too much trouble ... but I hope you like it."
"What do you mean, is that okay with you?"
"When we talked for the first time, you told me that it was difficult for you to prepare your food living alone. Ah ... but I'm not quite sure if it will be good, so it might not be the right way to thank you."
"No! That's not true! It looks great!"
"Oh yeah? I'm glad to hear it!"
Hikawa-san at that moment puts her hand on her chest and exhales in relief.
The contents of the pot was curry as she just heard, it smelled delicious.
There seems to be a lot of it, but if it's curry, it shouldn't be damaged, I could eat it for several days.
Besides, it is handmade by the girl of my interest.
How could I'm not be happy?
But cooking so much curry, Hikawa-san must be the type who likes cooking a lot, right?
"I didn't know you liked cooking so much."
"Ah, yes ... I do..."
She said while fiddling with the ends of her hair, Hikawa-san looked happy.
That look of hers is so cute.
I got carried away and ended up saying,
"Hikawa-san looks like the kind of girl who's always fashionable and loves to cook."
"That's not true..."
"Haha! Just as I had imagined, Hikawa-san leads an adult life."
As soon as I said that, Hikawa-san made a bitter face and said,
"Uh."
I wonder what's wrong with her, maybe I'm simply just seeing things.
Not giving it any importance, I ask,
"So Hikawa-san, do you spend a lot of time at home?"
"No, I don't..."
"You also seem to have really good taste, and be super picky about your clothes, and I bet you cook every day. You look like something hurts! Are you okay?!"
"Y-Yes ... It's fine. Really, it's no big deal. Don't worry."
"Yeah...?"
"I just want to die..."
"Are you all right?! Isn't that a very serious?!"
Then, I say to her as I stare at the pot.
"But if you give me so much like this Hikawa-san, I feel like I have to give you something back in return."
"No need, it was me who received your help in the beginning."
"I insist."
I feel bad to receive something just like this as a thanks, I feel it's too much.
"...Oh, um. Kirishima. If so. Then, can I ask you for a favor? It's okay if you don't want to ... It's just, in fact, a cafe of one of my favorite series recently opened ... I really want to go, but I can't find the courage to go alone."
"..."
"...What I mean is ... Kirishima-kun! Will you go with me?! T-T-That would be the way to t-t-thank me...."
"S-Seriously?"
I'm not sure why she would have invited me, but I must accept that invitation.
"Let's go to that cafe!"
Hearing my reply, Hikawa-san reacted with a bitingly cute smile on her face.
"...W-Well, Kirishima-kun, good night ... I look forward to our next outing!"
===
TL: Diego