Chapter 13: The 25% of Gal Who is Homely

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Translator: Soafp

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Sniff—Komori-san wiped her nose while tearing up.

There was a pile of crumpled tissues on the bed, as if she might go through an entire box.

“W-what is this…? It's so sad… Are you telling me Mio-chan is going to die like this?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“Uwaaah… that's way too tragic! She finally got together with the boy she loved the most and even got engaged, and now she's just going to die from illness like this!?”

“When it aired in real time it felt a bit sudden, but looking back at it now, there were actually quite a few hints.”

“Don't analyze it so calmly! I'm still trying to soak in the emotions!”

The anime I had chosen was a tear-jerker with a modern setting, a simple world, a moderate amount of otaku elements, and a highly rated story.

Komori-san's reaction had far exceeded my expectations.

As I pressed the tablet's sleep button, I asked her,

“So, what did you think? Did your resistance toward otaku decrease a little?”

“I'm not really sure about that, but… I think I understand a bit better why people like anime and manga.”

“That's good then.”

When I looked out the window, the sun was already beginning to set.

If we stopped here for today, Komori-san would probably be satisfied.

“Don't you need to head home soon?”

“Huh? Oh… you're right. It's already this late.”

Komori-san gathered up the scattered tissues and stuffed them into the trash can.

Then she picked up the bag that had been on the floor.

(This is the most important part.)

In the first place, the reason I was accompanying Komori-san to and from school today and tomorrow was to avoid that “nightmare” of the traffic accident.

I had no proof, but judging from what I saw in the dream, it seemed more likely to happen on the way home than on the way to school.

That was why I couldn't help feeling tense.

“Fukagawa, will you tell me about more anime like the one we watched today? The kind that's a little otaku-ish but still really interesting?”

“Well, that's not hard. Are you planning to sign up for a streaming service?”

“Since I'm starting to get why it's fun, it'd be a waste to just stop here. I thought I'd go home and keep watching.”

“Alright. I'll send you some on Line.”

Like the one we just watched, I'd pick series where the characters leaned toward otaku tastes but the story itself had strong reviews.

Maybe I should just send her a whole list of tear-jerker anime.

Thinking about that, we left the house.

“But Fukagawa, the anime you showed me today isn't your absolute favorite, right?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Then what's your favorite anime?”

“Why? Are you planning to watch it?”

“Well… I might be a little curious.”

Komori-san twirled a strand of hair at her side with her fingers.

“You know how friends share things they like and talk about them together afterward? So, um…”

I understood what she was trying to say.

Rather than just watching something alone like today, she wanted to talk about the show together afterward.

“But the one I like the most is a little ecchi.”

“Huh? Really?”

“On top of that, it's a harem series. You know, where multiple heroines fall for the male protagonist. And the fan-service scenes with the girls are pretty intense.”

“Ehh… Fukagawa, why would that be your favorite?”

“Because that's the kind of thing I like.”

To be honest, I'm not that fond of serious stories.

Light, everyday-life series suit me much better.

No matter how tragic or cruel a story might be, it can't compare to the things I actually saw in that “nightmare,” so it's hard for me to really immerse myself emotionally.

“So I wouldn't especially recommend it to you, Komori-san.”

Especially not to a beginner—and especially not to a girl.

Those kinds of series are basically concentrated male fantasies.

Which is exactly why I like them.

“If you say that, it just makes me want to watch it even more. I'm the type who wants to do something the more I'm told not to.”

“You really do have a troublesome personality. Fine, I'll include that one in the Line message too.”

After that, as we walked, we somehow ended up deep in an otaku conversation.

If she could just fix her habit of freezing up in front of other boys, with a face like hers it wouldn't be hard at all for her to get a quiet otaku boyfriend.

Of course, whether that would be as an “otaku-friendly gyaru” or just an “otaku gyaru” was another question.

“Well then, see you tomorrow.”

Before I knew it, we had already reached the front of Komori-san's house sooner than expected.

Maybe because I never had anyone else to talk about otaku stuff with, I had gotten carried away.

I waved lightly and was about to head home when—

“W-wait.”

Komori-san called out to stop me.

“Um… would you like to stay for dinner?”

“Dinner?”

“Y-yeah. Aren't you hungry?”

“Well, I am.”

“You went along with all my selfish requests today. I dragged you around, but you still came with me.”

So she was aware of it.

“So… I wanted to treat you as a thank-you.”

Maybe Komori-san had always secretly dreamed of something simple—like inviting a friend over and sharing dinner together.

Even if that wasn't the case, the feeling of her wanting to treat me sincerely made me happy.

“Will Anna-chan be okay with it? She seems a little scared of me.”

“Oh, it's fine. She actually seems to like you quite a bit.”

“Really?”

I couldn't quite believe that, but Komori-san was her older sister, so her judgment was probably more accurate.

If Anna really disliked me, she probably wouldn't have tried to push Komori-san and me together earlier.

“Alright then, I'll take you up on the offer.”

Komori-san led me inside her house.

It was an ordinary home, though the furniture had a slightly antique style.

Anna-chan, who had already come home earlier, immediately stuck herself flat against the wall the moment she saw me.

“It's Oji-san from this morning.”

Still calling me Oji-san, huh.

At her age, even high schoolers probably look like adults.

Still, it hurt a little.

“Is it okay if this ‘Oji-san' joins you for dinner?”

“Y-yes… My sister may have her flaws, but when it comes to cooking she's actually very good, so I think you can look forward to it.”

“…Huh?”

Komori-san is good at cooking?

I had always assumed her mother made her lunch, so I thought dinner would obviously be the same.

While I tilted my head internally, Komori-san spoke while putting on an apron.

“Is there anything you can't eat? Or anything you dislike?”

“No, I'm not really picky…”

A girl wearing her school uniform with an apron.

So that really does exist in real life.

Seeing it made me feel like maybe an “otaku-friendly gyaru” could exist in reality too.

“Wait, you're the one cooking, Komori-san?”

“Huh? Y-yeah. I told you, didn't I? Both my parents come home late. So I make most of the meals at home. Breakfast, lunch boxes, and dinner.”

So the delicious lunch she ate on the emergency staircase earlier… that had been homemade by Komori-san too.

I had already eaten a girl's homemade cooking—even though I'd never once had a girlfriend cook for me.

And to think her cooking skills were better than my stay-at-home mother's…

(Oh… that's why she was so happy when I said her lunch tasted good.)

I had thought she was just proud of her mother's cooking.

But that wasn't it.

She had stayed quiet about it simply because she felt shy.

Watching Komori-san skillfully move the knife as she prepared ingredients, I said,

“You could always go for the ‘domestic gyaru' route instead.”

It seemed better than that strange “otaku-friendly gyaru” concept.

“A domestic gyaru? What's that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. A gyaru who's good at housework. Girls who look like gyarus usually give off the impression they don't do chores, right?”

“But is that even popular? To me, being good at housework feels kind of… old-fashioned.”

“I don't know about among girls, but most guys like it. That's why the term ‘feminine skills' exists.”

“Hmmm…”

After finishing the vegetable prep, Komori-san took out some meat and started cutting it.

“What about you, Fukagawa?”

“What about me?”

“I mean… do you like girls like that? Girls who are good at housework and have high ‘feminine skills'?”

“I do like that type. Though I can barely do any housework myself, so I wouldn't demand it from someone.”

“I see… huh.”

For some reason, the corner of Komori-san's mouth lifted slightly.

Maybe she was just that happy about sharing dinner with a friend.

As for me—my quiet anticipation was building for the meal that was about to be served.