#43: The Captain’s Dere Phase Has Arrived

As usual, I headed to school with Meg and Kurumi.

After parting with Kurumi, Meg and I walked to the classroom while debating whether competitive swimsuits are acceptable or not as a substitute for school swimsuits as visible bras. I’m in the “acceptable” camp. Meg says it depends on the fabric’s elasticity. Basically, you won’t know until you try it on. By the time we reached the classroom, we’d settled on the conclusion that we’ll have Kyouko-chan buy one and try it out next time.

When I entered the classroom after such a productive morning discussion, Fujiko-san was already at her seat next to mine, sitting quietly.

“Good morning, Fujiko-san.”

“G-good morning!!! Norio-kun!!!”

Whoa!?
She’s incredibly energetic!
That startled me.

“Thank you so much for yesterday! I had a wonderful time!!!”

“O-oh yeah? You seemed like you couldn’t quite keep up with Meg and the others’ energy though?”

“No! I learned a great deal!”

“Uh, I see.”

“And… Norio-kun’s singing was so wonderful… mumble mumble“

Is she really going through a probability change phase right now?
Her character’s clearly different, isn’t it?

Let me test the waters a little.

“Getting this happy over just some singing, geez. Should I sing just for you next time, Fujiko-san?”

“Hauu♡”

Ah, there’s no mistake about it.

Fujiko-san is currently in her dere phase. It is the change of seasons, after all.

Finding Fujiko-san’s reactions so entertaining, I kept enjoying her “Hyan♡” responses by blowing on her ear, when Kyouko-chan arrived and homeroom began.

I took my seat and casually glanced toward Meg, who gave me a thumbs-up and a wink as if to say I told you so!

Just as Meg had said on the way home yesterday, she’d apparently predicted this reaction from Fujiko-san.

That’s our sunshine girl Meg for you.

But still, Meg’s acting like she wants to add Fujiko-san into my harem too.

Since I’ve already clearly expressed my rejection once, I think it’d be problematic for me to make a move now, but I wonder how that’s going to play out?

Maybe I’ll ask Meg about it while we eat lunch.
I should be able to get Sakura-san’s opinion too.

And so, lunch break arrived.

“U-um! Norio-kun! May I join you for lunch too!?”

Following yesterday’s karaoke, Fujiko-san once again asked to join us for lunch.
However, the moment I considered refusing because I wanted to consult with Meg and the others about Fujiko-san—

“Sure thing~! Let’s eat lunch together, Fujiko-chan!”

It was Meg again.
The same carefree gal with absolutely no reservation or wariness as always.

Having gotten Meg’s OK, Fujiko-san quickly moved her desk over and began preparing for the meal.

Good grief.

By the way, we stuck Fujiko-san’s desk facing mine, with Fujiko-san sitting across from me and Meg and Sakura-san clinging close to my left and right sides. Usually, three of us crowded around one desk, making it cramped and hard to eat, but even though we now have two desks and more space, it’s not being used effectively at all and remains just as cramped as before.

It’s an unbalanced arrangement, the stereotypical harem position.
Well, I suppose this is also a side effect of my protagonist harem power.

“So, why did Tsukino-san suddenly start making moves on Norio?”

Even Sakura-san showed no restraint, cutting straight to the point.

“Th-that’s because… Norio-kun scolded me and I came to my senses… and… um…”

“I see. I can sort of understand various things, but for Norio to get angry is really something, you know? If you show some self-restraint from now on, we won’t say anything.”

“I mean, Fujiko-chan gets lonely without Norio too, right? It’s like, just go ahead and confess you like him already! That kinda vibe, y’know?”

“Hyaaa!?”

Meg suddenly dropped that bomb.
And Fujiko-san let out a shriek, her face turning bright red as if she’d been hit right on the mark.

Today’s fried chicken side dish is tender and delicious too.
Incidentally, today’s fried chicken is also frozen food.

Since I still hadn’t reached a clear conclusion about Fujiko-san’s situation, I deliberately ignored it.

#44: The Literature Club’s Passionate Youth Discussion

After finishing lunch, I began organizing my thoughts while watching Meg and Sakura-san tease Fujiko-san.

Fujiko-san seems to be reflecting on her behavior toward me and appears to be trying to reach out. Or rather, she’s in her dere phase. If Meg’s assessment is correct, she’s also started developing feelings for me.

Next, Meg.
Is she trying to bring Fujiko-san into the harem?
It definitely looks like she’s actively supporting Fujiko-san.

And then Sakura-san.
Her stance seems to be: if you’re going to interfere, I won’t forgive you, but if you don’t interfere, do as you please.
I think her way of thinking is relatively close to mine.

So the most troublesome question is: do I let Fujiko-san into the harem? Or, having made such a big show of it before, do I reject her again or deliberately continue ignoring her?

“Fujiko-chan should totally go with a school swimsuit too, right? If she wears a school swimsuit under her uniform, she’ll have easy-peasy Norio completely smitten in no time!”

“Hey now, Meg! Don’t increase the school swimsuit forces any more! School swimsuits are my secret weapon! If you add more school swimsuit users, it won’t be a fair competition!”

“School swimsuits… So that level of resolve is necessary for me too…”

E-even Fujiko-san’s going with a school swimsuit!?

Oh no.
While I was lost in thought by myself, things have taken an unexpected turn.

As expected of Meg, good job.
I’ll have to give her some reward Calpas later.

And today is Wednesday.

The day we have Literature Club after school.

Like last time, when I headed to the Literature Club classroom with Fujiko-san, the other three members and Kyouko-chan were already gathered there.

“Good, you two are here too. Everyone, take your seats.”

After saying that and having everyone sit down, Kyouko-chan, for some reason, sat sideways on my lap and wrapped one arm around my neck as if clinging to me while beginning her lecture. Incidentally, she’s sitting the same way Meg and the others did when they sang at karaoke.

“You all have been messing with Mizumoto since last week, haven’t you?”

“N-no! We didn’t mean to…”

Is Kyouko-chan giving this lecture from the position of advisor right now? Or as one of the heroines?

Either way, sitting on my lap means she has absolutely no dignity, and in the first place, this is a “Look who’s talking!” situation since she tried to make me her pet.

But since she seems to be lecturing out of concern for me, I kept my mouth shut and committed to being a human chair.

“First of all, there’s no such disease as Love Comedy Syndrome! I checked the family medical encyclopedia and it wasn’t listed! Tsukino almost fooled me.”

“Th-there just haven’t been many reported cases yet, but even though the numbers are small, reports have been submitted!”

Ah, Fujiko-san—I thought she’d reformed her delusions too since she changed her attitude, but she still believes in that part.

Somehow, Fujiko-san is really stubborn, isn’t she?

At first, she seemed like an honor student who was kind to everyone, the class madonna, someone who could be the main heroine, but in reality she has chuunibyou, seems to have serious delusion tendencies, has strong convictions and is stubborn, is persistent, and is in a way very human.

Ah, wait—so this is her true nature, and until now she’d been putting on a character of having chuunibyou while being an honor student type with a hidden side, but because I kept pressing her on various things, her character collapsed?

“Where exactly have these reports been submitted? Some niche message board?”

“Th-that’s…”

“Now, now, Fujiko-chan, calm down a bit~”

“That’s right~”
“Calm down~”

“B-but…”

“Tsukino’s rampage is partly my responsibility too. If I’d taken Tsukino’s concerns seriously from the start and helped her wake up…”

“If you put it that way, we’re responsible too~”

“We were having fun with it too.”
“And egging her on.”

Right now, in the Literature Club, the five of them excluding me are speaking their true feelings, having what’s called a reflection meeting—a passionate clash of youth. Since it’s a cultural club, it’s not actually heated though.

But the Literature Club probably needs this kind of discussion right now.
When things become closed off and you try to think and proceed with only your own group, you can’t notice when something’s off somewhere.

While everyone felt confused by the awkward situation of a female teacher having a serious discussion while sitting on a male student’s lap, the conversation was suddenly directed at me, the human chair.

“So, what do you think, Mizumoto? Do you agree?”

“Huh? Kyouko-chan’s butt was so perfectly weighted and textured that I wasn’t listening.”

Exactly.
I’m Norio, a man who’s an ass enthusiast.