#15: Showdown Event, No Time-Outs

The week after my after-school McDonald’s date with Sakura-senpai, she did something unexpected.

Lunchtime.

As I was about to open my bento at my usual seat, I felt eyes on me that I don’t usually feel.

Hmmm?
This sixth sense of mine as the protagonist… that gaze has to be a heroine’s burning stare. Definitely!

When I put my chopsticks down and looked around, I saw Sakura-senpai peeking in from the classroom door, fidgeting.
Knew it.
When our eyes met, she beamed and beckoned me over with a little wave.

It’s rare for Sakura-senpai to come all the way to this classroom. Is this an invite to go on another after-school date today?

I paused my lunch, went out to the hall to meet her, and asked what was up.

“Hello, Sakura-senpai. What brings you here in the middle of lunch? Did you miss me that badly? You’re such a cute little kitten, seriously.”

“Ah, w-well, it’s true I wanted to see you, but… actually… I was thinking we could eat together…”

“Huh?”

I blinked at her, surprised. She was uncharacteristically shy and fidgety, holding what looked like a bento in her hands.

“See, like I said the other day, I’m always alone in my class anyway… so I thought I’d invite you, Mizumoto…” fidget

“Uh-huh…”

What is this adorable senpai?
Fidgeting, head dipped with those upturned eyes.

“Is that… not okay? Right, you must have people you eat with, after all.” crestfallen

“No, that’s fine, it’s just…”

It’s true I always eat alone in my classroom too.

But that doesn’t make this simple.

Because in this classroom are the strongest childhood friend, Megucchi, and main-heroine candidate Tsukino-san. If a fidgety, heart-throbbing-mode Sakura-senpai rolls in here on top of that… aren’t we about to trigger the classic romcom “shuraba” scene?

Casting a glance sideways into the room, I see Megucchi laughing and chatting with the gyaru squad as she eats. Tsukino-san too—smiling with her close friends over lunch.

What do I do!?

Has it finally arrived, the unavoidable crisis event that makes a harem protagonist’s heart pound out of his chest!?

Still, I told myself I can’t lose my cool over something like this and decided on the spot. I’m not like those weak, tone-deaf, or dense protagonists. Besides, Megucchi and Tsukino-san seem wrapped up in their own conversations and not paying attention.

“Good grief, how could the protagonist refuse such a cute, cute Sakura-senpai’s request?”

“Oh, really? Thank goodness… If you’d turned me down, I would’ve ended up eating alone in tears.”

At my answer, Sakura-senpai lit up with a perfect 100-point smile.

“If a heroine cries, the protagonist fails. You think I’d make that kind of blunder? You’ve still got a lot to learn, Sakura-senpai. Let’s eat at my seat.”

“Mm♪”

Did Sakura-senpai just say, “Mm♪”???
Up till now it was always “Yeah,” or “That’s right.”
She’s changed way too much the moment she quit the Disciplinary Committee, hasn’t she???

She turned the chair in front backward and sat down, and the two of us started eating face-to-face on my desk.

I felt a few glances from classmates, but we got that at McDonald’s too. If you don’t mind it, it’s nothing.

More than that, the Sakura-senpai in front of me was all smiles and clearly having fun. No way I’m spoiling that.

Heh.
To turn the infamous “demon” of the Disciplinary Committee into a cute, heart-thumping heroine like this… my protagonist power terrifies even me.

Yeah.
I’m a dangerously charming man, Norio.

However—of course it wouldn’t go that smoothly.

It’s a cramped classroom with me, the protagonist, and three heroines gathered here.

While I was passionately explaining the appeal and practicality of the school swimsuit, thinking we ought to get Sakura-senpai equipped too, a girl planted herself beside us, arms on her hips.

The strongest childhood friend—Megucchi.
Hands on her waist, looking down at me in silence.
And yes, she’d come equipped with a school swimsuit today as well.

“Right, Sakura-senpai, if you wear a school swimsuit under your uniform, it looks just like this. Isn’t it the strongest setup?”

“Uh? Well, I… suppose…”

Sakura-senpai knows I’m childhood friends with Megucchi; she saw us at the gate every morning. Seeing Megucchi standing there silently, she looked uneasy.

“So, Megucchi, what’s wrong with the scary face? Getting jealous just because Sakura-senpai and I are having a nice lunch? You’re such a troublesome childhood friend.”

“Haaah??? I’m totally not jealous!!! I don’t care at all what you and Sakura-senpai are talking about!!!”

“Megucchi, that’s the same as saying you care, y’know?”

“S-shut up! You idiot, Norio!”

It’s rare for Megucchi to be this crabby.
She’s never like this when it’s about Tsukino-san.

I glance at Tsukino-san and catch her watching us, clearly fascinated.

Ah, Tsukino-san is fully in bystander mode, enjoying the spectacle.

“Sigh, troublesome childhood friend. Sakura-senpai, can Megucchi join us?”

“Y-yes, of course. I’m the one intruding on your classroom, after all.”

“Come on, Megucchi, don’t just stand there—grab a chair. Standing like that, you’ll make it hard for me and Sakura-senpai to relax and eat.”

“Uu… okay.”

Once Megucchi finally sat, Sakura-senpai said,

“Sorry to barge in like this, Tsuchida-san. I’m a solo-luncher in the third-years’ room, so I’d appreciate it if you could humor me.”

With that grown-up grace, Sakura-senpai bowed to Megucchi. Megucchi, wearing a hard-to-read mix of angry and embarrassed, nodded silently.

Looks like we somehow cleared the showdown event.
Though with only Megucchi mad by herself, maybe it doesn’t qualify as a “shuraba.”
Either way, no doubt the cause lies with me.

Yeah.
I’m a dangerous—

“By the way, Mizumoto, would it be okay if I called you ‘Norio’ too?”

#16: The Rampaging Childhood Friend

“By the way, Mizumoto, would it be okay if I called you ‘Norio’ too?”

At Sakura-senpai’s words, Megucchi stared, mouth opening and closing in shock.

“Since we’ve had more chances to interact like this, and, well… you already call me by my name, Mizumoto… so, you know, staying formal forever seems, well…”

Unusually for Sakura-senpai, she trailed off, but I got what she meant.

“In other words, you want to get closer to me, right? First-name basis is a classic romcom milestone, and between a boy and a girl it symbolizes a special connection.”

“Y-yes! Exactly!”

Megucchi barked here.

“Hold it right there!!! Meg does not approve!!! The only one allowed to call Norio ‘Norio’ is Meg!!!”

“What’s wrong, Megucchi? You’re awfully fired up today. Do you dislike me and Sakura-senpai getting closer that much? If you cling too hard with jealousy, it’s not cute.”

“This doesn’t concern you, Norio, so be quiet!!! This is between Meg and Sakura-senpai!!!”

“Uh, it’s about my name, though.”

Ignoring my retort, Megucchi snorted and glared at Sakura-senpai. Sakura-senpai met her gaze with a resolute look that brought back the Disciplinary Committee days.
With that face, we can’t count on her to play the adult anymore.

“Tsuchida-san, I’ll say it plainly. Yes, you have the unshakable childhood friend slot. But a story doesn’t have just one heroine. Since I’ve declared myself a contender, I don’t plan on losing to you.”

“Grrrrr…”

Oh boy. In a war of words, Megucchi probably can’t beat Sakura-senpai.

Sensing that instinctively, the headliner finally made her entrance.

“Hey, you two, this is a classroom, okay? Everyone’s watching. Can we calm down?”

Main-heroine candidate Tsukino-san.

“Fujiko-chan, you hush too!!! Sakura-senpai just declared war on Meg, so Meg’s got a lot to say back!”

“Tsuchida-san, breathe. If you raise your voice like that, you’ll only make Norio-kun uncomfortable.”

“Grrr—hey, Fujiko-chan, did you just sneak in a ‘Norio-kun’!?”

“Oh? Did I? Well, in that case, I’ll call you Norio-kun from now on. That’s fine, right? Norio-kun.”

“Yeah, then I’ll call you Fujiko-san.”

“Hey, hold on. I asked first, didn’t I? Why are you barging in and moving things along? And you too, Norio. From now on, drop the ‘senpai’ and call me Sakura.”

“Got it. Then I’ll call you Sakura-san. Letting a younger guy lean on you like that—what a cute senpai.”

“What is this, I hate it—Norio’s name was supposed to be for Meg only, and now nothing makes sense!”

In contrast to Sakura-san, now in high spirits, Megucchi was on the verge of tears.

I’ve known Megucchi for over ten years.
I know better than anyone how to handle her at times like this.

I hugged Megucchi and lightly patted her back in the rhythm of a heartbeat. Then I whispered gently in her ear.

“Sorry, Megucchi. Me being a harem protagonist puts you through a lot. But the strongest childhood friend slot belongs to you alone, okay? Don’t let yourself be swayed. Sit steady as the immovable childhood friend, yeah? That’s my cute childhood friend.”

“Okay… got it.”

Heh.
Calming a childhood friend in one shot—my protagonist power.
I really do scare myself.

Yeah.
I’m a dangerously charming man, Norio.

And with that, we truly cleared the showdown event with three heroines.

Well, all I did at the end was comfort Megucchi.
But that’s probably the reward for my daily conduct and protagonist power.

By the way, Sakura-san said, “From now on, I’ll be joining you here at lunch too. Count on it, Norio♡” She winked, putting an oddly heated emphasis on my name, and headed back to the third-years’ building.