After Becoming a Counselor for Girls, I Ended Up Producing a Lot of Potential Girlfriends Who Became Mentally Ill - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Shiraishi Wants a Change of Nickname

We returned from the trip.

On the way back, as expected, Shizuku fell into a deep sleep. She had been so hyper that it was no surprise she crashed once she relaxed.

When Shizuku came out of the hot spring, her flushed face and wet hair combined to make her even more attractive than usual.

Since the kiss, the frequency of Shizuku’s messages had increased. It was about the same as with Kujo. Kujo also sends messages at a fast pace, so my standards are becoming a little skewed.

The winter break had finally come to an end.

Today, I had made plans to meet Shiraishi. She seemed a little anxious as school was about to start again. She would be in the same building as Sasamoto, who had ordered a contact ban, and she was worried that would make her even more uneasy.

To shake off that anxiety, she wanted to go out and clear her mind.

If I believed her words from before, this was probably an excuse or a formality to avoid simply saying, “I want to meet you.” The desire to sort out her feelings was probably true, though.

“I want to go to a nearby amusement facility,” she said.

It offered various entertainment options like bowling, karaoke, and darts. It would be more fun with a bigger group, but this time she wanted to enjoy it just with me.

It had been a while since I last went. Was it since middle school? As a third-year student, I hadn’t been able to have much fun due to the pressure of studying for the entrance exams.

Right now, I was in the middle of a financial crunch. I had spent too much on food during Shizuku’s trip, and my Engel coefficient had shot up.

So, I ordered a discounted premium set so we could have fun without spending too much.

“You look just like I imagined, in casual clothes,” Shiraishi said as soon as we met.

“Should I take that as a compliment?”

“I’ll leave that to your imagination.”

“In any case, compared to your clothes, I can’t help but feel mine look cheap.”

I wasn’t someone who bought expensive clothes. I preferred cheaper options, which meant I had to replace them more often. But I always looked like I had something new on.

In contrast, Shiraishi was dressed for the occasion. She had chosen sporty clothes for a day of fun, but her efforts to look cute were obvious.

Just one look, and I could tell she’d put a lot of thought into her outfit.

“To be honest, I think you’d look better if you wore more expensive clothes.”

“Even though I’m not good-looking, is that really true?”

“Don’t put yourself down. I’m not teasing you.”

“Next time, I’ll make sure to impress you.”

Shiraishi gave me a thumbs up.

“By the way, Yasuda-kun,” she said.

“Me?”

“I’d like you to change the way you call me. Calling me ‘Shiraishi-san’ isn’t bad, but it feels a little formal.”

“I guess I’ve been using polite speech because you do it without thinking.”

“I figured that might be the case,” Shiraishi replied.

“Polite speech is a habit, so there’s nothing I can do about it. That’s why I want to be more casual with just my name.”

“Do you want me to call you Shiraishi, without the honorifics?”

“Somehow, it makes me feel like I’m being called by a teacher. I’d rather you use my first name.”

“Is Kotomi okay?”

“You can even call me ‘Kotomi-chan’!”

“That would make me sound like I’m treating you like a younger sibling.”

Kotomi strongly agreed with that idea.

“Yes, that’s exactly it! I always wanted an older sibling, and I want to be treated like a younger one.”

“Everyone has their own preferences, I guess.”

“Yes, and of course, this is a secret just between you and me.”

I could feel myself getting carried away by Kotomi’s younger-sibling act.

Before I knew it, we were on a first-name basis, and she had even asked me to use “-chan.” She was definitely taking control of the pace.

Kotomi seemed like a person I couldn’t let my guard down around.

“So, Yasuda-kun, should we start bowling now?”

“Yeah.”

The wait was about an hour, so we decided to kill time in the game center.

“Do you want to try a rhythm game?”

“Are you good at them?”

“Of course! Kotomi-chan is a master at rhythm games. You should watch me play.”

I decided to try it out with her to see her skills.

It was one of those games where you press buttons in time with the music. The first song was at a normal tempo, so I was able to keep up.

Then Kotomi picked the hardest mode. She tackled it with incredible focus.

I struggled with the level just above normal, but she almost played flawlessly.

“…Phew. This is surprisingly tough.”

“I was surprised too. Even watching from the side, I couldn’t keep up.”

“It’s the result of years of practice. Until now, I never had anyone to show it to, so I thought it was a useless skill.”

“Now that I know, it’s definitely not useless.”

“That means a lot! I’m glad I didn’t waste my time!”

Kotomi seemed pleased with my surprise at her hidden talent.

“Actually, I have a special skill when it comes to game centers too.”

“Really!?”

“Yeah. I’m really good at crane games.”

I explained how my experience with the Counselor had helped me master crane games.

“I can feel the relationship between the crane and the machine, almost like I have a sixth sense. And I always express my gratitude to the machine, creating a situation where it’s easier to grab the prize. Preparation and listening are key.”

“…So, you’re saying it’s based on some sort of occult theory?”

“I believe the machine has a heart. That’s what I think.”

It was probably more a matter of chance than anything, but there was a certain technique involved. Crane games are all about probability. You can’t control when the strength of the claw will increase.

I’ve managed to win prizes for under a thousand yen, so I like to think there’s some truth to my theory, even if it’s just something I’ve convinced myself of.

“Let’s put off deciding if we believe it. Do you see anything you want?”

“I’ll look!”

We walked around the store, looking for a prize.

“This one’s from the current season’s anime.”

“Do you like anime too, Kotomi?”

“Just like most people, I guess.”

Shizuku had told me Kotomi was a huge fan, but now I was wondering if that was an exaggeration.

It was probably modesty, but I wasn’t sure just how deep her fandom went.

“What I want is the Ellie figure from ‘The Sorcerers of Conduct.’”

It seemed that Kotomi was also on the deep side of fandom.