Do You Like Romantic-Comedy Protagonists? - Chapter 15: Do You Like House Visits? 1

Chapter 15: Do You Like House Visits? 1

After parting with Hachiya and returning home, Akaishi immediately flopped onto his bed, replaying the day’s events.

“Akaishi, come to my house tomorrow.”

Why Hachiya had said that to him was beyond his understanding, and though he pondered it, no answers came.

Had leaving her and Sakurai alone by getting off at the next station triggered some insecurity in her? Not knowing much about Hachiya, he stopped thinking about it.

Akaishi tossed and turned on his bed, grabbed his phone from his bag, and turned it on.

※

“What should I do…”

In her room, Hachiya stared at her phone, groaning to herself.

Having told Akaishi to come to her house, she felt she couldn’t back out now.

If she messaged him saying it was nothing, he might think she liked him. Or that she’d invited him boldly but got embarrassed later.

She had to act as if it was always the plan, or risk misunderstanding, Hachiya thought.

Desperately, Hachiya racked her brain for a reason to invite Akaishi.

Her mind churned with debates about the best excuse.

“Nnngh…”

She couldn’t find a reason to call Akaishi to her house.

Having exchanged contact info, there was no need to meet in person, but to justify a meeting, it had to involve progress in her romance with Sakurai, making the task doubly difficult.

“What do I do…”

Unable to find an answer, Hachiya felt pathetic, muttering to herself.

She had to contact him soon, or he’d think she invited him for no reason, and she spiraled in endless debates.

“Argh, what do I do!?”

Hachiya rolled side to side on the floor, eyes closed, clutching her head.

Stopping her frantic movements, she took a deep breath.

“In… Out… In… Out…”

After breathing deeply, Hachiya noticed something in front of her.

“This…”

She spotted a bento box she’d bought half a year ago.

A bolt of inspiration struck.

“That’s it!”

Hachiya sprang up and turned on her phone.

“I want to make a bento for Sousuke, but I’m not great at cooking. Come to my house tomorrow so I can learn from you!”

Hachiya sent the message via the SNS app “Kaofu” and set her phone down.

“Phew…”

Relieved that her message wasn’t too late, Hachiya flopped onto her bed.

Ping.

“Wah!”

Surprised by an immediate reply, Hachiya checked her phone.

“Doesn’t have to be me. Ask your mom or dad.”

As expected, the reply said he wasn’t coming, and Hachiya’s face soured.

“What’s with him, totally not falling for my charm, so annoying!”

Fuming, Hachiya flicked her phone and sent another message.

“My dad can’t cook, and my mom’s too busy for that.”

Glaring at her phone, she waited for a reply.

“Then check the internet. Everything’s online these days.”

“Ugh!?”

The off-base reply fueled her irritation.

“That’s not what I’m asking! Obviously that’s not what I want!”

Furiously, she typed back.

“If someone asked you to teach them sports, would you say ‘check the internet’!? If the internet could do everything, there’d be no coaches!”

The argument felt slightly off-topic, but she sent it anyway.

Ping.

“Makes sense.”

“See, told you!”

Triumphing over the rational Akaishi boosted her pride.

Another reply followed.

“But that’s off-topic. I’m not great at cooking either, so ask a friend. Plus, we’re a guy and a girl.”

“Whaaat!?”

Knowing she had no close female friends, Akaishi had jabbed at her insecurity again, and Hachiya finally exploded.

She couldn’t stand Akaishi using their gender as an excuse to avoid her.

Hachiya didn’t understand. She couldn’t comprehend why Akaishi was avoiding her so much.

It was infuriating. Deeply infuriating.

Because she liked Sakurai, Akaishi’s gender-based avoidance felt humiliating, and she wanted to make him realize it.

Letting her anger take over, Hachiya poured out her swirling resentment in a reply.

“I already said I don’t have female friends! What’s with you! A beautiful girl is inviting you to her house, so come happily!

You’re so not cute! What’s your deal! Do you even know what you’re doing!? Always dodging with half-hearted replies, you’re so irritating!

Don’t you get what I’m thinking at all!? Is that why you don’t have friends!? Don’t you ever think to be nice to a girl!?

Are you saying I’m not attractive, is that what you mean!? I’m so annoyed! Just say you’ll come without thinking! Are you an idiot!?

What!? What’s your problem!? Is it that bad I like Sousuke!? Is that why you keep sending these harassing replies!?

Can’t you understand people’s feelings at all!? Something’s wrong with your head! Thinking everything so efficiently and selfishly, your life will never work out! Has your life ever worked out!? The world doesn’t work just because you think selfishly!

Look, you’re pissing me off right now! That’s why you’ll never have friends! At school, you go off alone during lunch, right!? Probably eating alone in the bathroom, huh!? That’s why you’re hopeless.

Living like a machine without considering others’ feelings, you’ll never succeed, idiot!!!!!”

Hachiya laid bare her emotions, adding insults and jabs at Akaishi, and sent the message.

“Hah…”

Having vented everything to Akaishi, she felt a sense of release.

Looking at her message, it was so long it required scrolling multiple times.

Surprised by the length of her emotions, Hachiya stared.

On “Kaofu,” the read receipt showed Akaishi had seen it.

A reply would come soon, she thought, setting her phone down to take a breather.

Five minutes passed.

“He’s slow… Maybe I wrote too much?”

No reply from Akaishi yet.

Ten minutes passed.

“Maybe I overdid it.”

Thirty minutes passed.

“This is way too slow! How long does it take him to read!?”

An hour passed.

“He’s probably writing a long reply, that’s why it’s taking so long! It took me ages too, so it’s natural! Totally natural!”

Muttering, Hachiya realized her thoughts and words were misaligned.

She knew the rational Akaishi wouldn’t send such a long reply.

It was past seven, and Hachiya decided to eat dinner.