Chapter 1: Reunion at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony

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Translator: Soafp

Tl: Short bittersweet novel that consists of 4 chapters.

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I think every coming-of-age ceremony has a drinking party after the ceremony is over.

The coming-of-age ceremony I attended was no exception, and despite being urged by my parents to attend the after-party, upon closer consideration, I realized I was still in touch with the people I wanted to see and didn’t feel the need to meet anyone specifically.

So, I was drinking beer with a group of male friends. Since it was all-you-can-drink, it was impossible to resist the alcohol!! So, I drank. Gulp, gulp.

We split into groups and were all having a great time reminiscing and catching up on each other’s lives. I was also enjoying catching up with my classmates, but suddenly, the topic of the person I used to be close with, “her,” came up at my table.

“Nobuhiko. By the way, I heard that Rougera, who you were close with, got divorced and has a child.”

I felt my heart skip a beat when I heard that she was divorced with a child.

Rougera refers to Kaoru Hirota, a girl I went to junior high with.

She always had a tan and short hair like a boy and has no particular sex appeal. Her lips were thick, but her face was quite beautiful. She was friendly and would talk to anyone regardless of gender, so she got along with most of the class.

I don’t remember who started it, but when we were in the second year of junior high, she was called Rougera. Looking back now, it was a nickname that captured her characteristics quite well.

For some reason, Rougera and I got along. Rather, I was exceptionally good at dealing with Rougera’s antics and managing her annoying behavior, so we often hung out together until we graduated from junior high.

“….Heh.”

While pretending to be calm, I drank my beer, but I didn’t taste the flavor I had just enjoyed. My mind was full of thoughts about Rougera.

“But it’s surprising, isn’t it? I thought you and Rougera were dating.”

Irresponsibly, Ichigaki said while chugging his beer. Wasn’t this guy supposed to be weak with alcohol? Well, whatever, it’s a free-for-all today.

This Ichigaki, whose real name is Ichi, despite his age, looks like an old man or rather a grandfather.

He’s a childhood friend from a nearby house, and his face looks dangerously similar to some villain from a manga, so he’s been called Ichigaki since elementary school.

Except for the amount of hair, he’s practically identical, and having “Ichi” in his last name also solidified the nickname.

I remember he used to resent that nickname, but after the manga ended and he kept being called Ichigaki, he eventually accepted it. Naturally, even at the alumni reunion today, he’s still called Ichigaki.

“Well, it’s not like that. We went to different high schools, you know.”

As I replied to Ichigaki, I drank my beer again. Coming from a long line of heavy drinkers, “I love alcohol so much I’m happy!” so I never stopped drinking. But when it comes to talking about Rougera, I guess there are things even I hesitate to acknowledge.

“Hmm. I see…. Well, Nobuhiko has become quite handsome, so I bet he’s having fun. Introduce me to someone, would you?”

“Idiot, no, I’m a virgin. A virgin. What can someone who can’t even protect their virginity protect?”

“That’s not something a guy with options to lose his virginity can say, you big-d*cked b*****d. Apologize to me! You’re not even worthy of the email address of a girl from the same club, let alone a girl from the same seminar. Apologize to me, you damn womanizer!”

Who the hell are you calling a womanizer?

Whether it was the alcohol or not, Ichigaki started bothering me with his annoying antics, so when I glanced around, the guys who were sitting at the same table quickly moved to another table. Seriously, they were as fast as metal monsters escaping!!

“You know, ugly guys like me, no matter what we do, we just can’t attract girls! I changed my hairstyle and even wore contacts, but most girls just ignored me, except for a few who let me touch them on the first date!! My face is just plain ugly, no matter how much I try to change it with a trip to the hair salon or switching from glasses to contacts! You can’t understand the pain of being ugly, especially not a ripped, muscular, handsome guy like you. Do you know what they call me at university? Kazimodo, that’s right, Kazimodo. Well, not really a nickname! I’m like the bell-ringer watching cute girls getting snatched up by handsome guys, damn it!”

Ichigaki, or should I say Kazimodo, who had become a blend of annoying drunkard and crybaby, had turned into a damn nuisance at the party. I couldn’t just leave him alone, so I was pondering what to do when suddenly, someone pulled my arm.

“——-Nobu, long time no see.”

I looked to see who was pulling me, and there was a girl.

With long black hair that reached just past her shoulders, and piercings. Her subtle makeup wasn’t too heavy, allowing her natural beauty to shine through, and her skin, now as white as back then, with the same slightly thick lips as before.

While none of her features had changed, there was something about her aura that exuded much more allure.

Despite saying she was divorced with a child, her br*asts were now more prominent, asserting themselves from her dress. In short, she had become incredibly, stunningly beautiful.

“You’re Rougera, aren’t you?”

“!! Ahahaha, oh no, that nickname again! It’s been ages since I heard that!”

Being called Rougera, she laughed heartily, a smile that I was very familiar with. …Something I was supposed to have left behind on that summer day.

“You’ve slimmed down and become quite handsome yourself, Dodoria.”

As if to get revenge, Rougera returns with the nickname I used to be called. In junior high, I was called Dodoria because I was a chubby kid with a bald head. While my childhood friends from the neighborhood called me Nobuhiko, to those who weren’t, the impression of Dodoria would be stronger. However, Rougera had been calling me Nobu since those days, so this was her way of returning the favor.

“Shh! I’ve been working out… Well, it’s been a while, Hirota.”

“It’s all good, it’s all good, you look amazing. Hey Nobu, let’s chat a bit.”

Seeing Ichigaki slumped over the table, snoring, and ruining the atmosphere, I couldn’t help but think that maybe he was treated like a ticking time bomb at university or in clubs, and maybe that’s why he couldn’t attract girls. It’s not just about appearance; there’s a problem with his personality too. Feeling sorry, I lowered my gaze, and then nodded to Hirota.

“Yeah, let’s do that. That table’s free, wanna move?”