I Confessed My Sexual Preferences to My Online Game Best Friend, and the Person Who Showed Up at the Offline Meetup Was the Cute Girl from My Class - 10

Chapter 10: Nothing Beats My Dark History

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Wednesday, fifth period—math. The formulas flowing across the blackboard looked like nothing more than spells to me right now. My head was completely filled with the scene from breakfast that morning, of Mom and Futaba happily discussing the menu for the “Welcome Party for Haru-kun.”

…No way. No matter how I think about it, this is way too impossible.

Shinonome-san was coming to my house. That alone was an impact on the level of a national emergency, and yet my family was convinced that “a scruffy male online game buddy” was coming over. What if that “angel of the school” showed up at my shabby apartment? Mom would probably go weak at the knees, and rebellious-phase Futaba would surely shoot me a cold, contemptuous look and say, “Onii, when did you start fooling around with a girl this cute? That’s so gross you should just die.”

…Okay, maybe not that far.

Still, I couldn’t see any future where my peaceful standing within the household (which was already at the rock bottom) didn’t completely collapse. I glanced diagonally forward. There, I saw the back of Shinonome-san as she diligently took notes. Her smooth black hair caught the sunlight, as unrealistically beautiful as ever. And in just a few days, she would be sitting on a floor cushion in my filthy room. …No, before that, she’d be made to eat Mom’s homemade cake in the living room.

…I should cancel. If I do it now, it’s not too late. If she’s really my best friend, she’ll understand this desperate crisis I’m in.

Resolving myself, I pulled out my phone under the desk. Breaking the “partner rule” of not messaging during class, I typed into LINE with trembling fingers.

『Kazu: Sorry, Haru. About Saturday… can we call that off after all?』

The moment I sent it, Shinonome-san’s shoulder twitched. She slightly turned her head as if checking her surroundings, then apparently looked at her phone on her lap. Almost immediately, my screen vibrated.

『Rin: Ehh, nooo. Why?』

Guh…

『Kazu: It’s not “why.” My house is kind of a disaster right now』

『Kazu: My mom and sister are totally convinced you’re a “guy” and have already started preparing some insane level of hospitality』

『Kazu: If you come like this, my social life is over』

It was a desperate appeal. But the reply I got was a single line I never could have expected.

『Rin: But I want to goooo!』

……

…………

『Kazu: No, this isn’t a “butI want to go” situation. Try to understand my circumstances』

『Kazu: You’re Shinonome-san, you know? The queen of the class』

『Kazu: If someone like you comes to my house and meets my family, they’ll think I kidnapped you or something』

『Rin: It’s fine. I told you I’m coming in disguise~』

『Rin: And I want to talk about the update directly in your room!』

『Rin: Anyway, I’m going. Absolutely!』

Even through the screen, I could feel her stubbornness. Right. I remembered now. Once Haru made up her mind, she never backed down. In raid battles, even in hopeless situations with a win rate of just a few percent, she’d stubbornly insist, “I’ll keep attacking until the end!”—and in the end, I was always the one who gave in and went along with it.

…Damn it, this partner of mine is way more stubborn than she looks…!

I clutched my head. I had to somehow make her give up.

After school, I spent the time in a daze and logged into voice chat at the usual hour. Haru was already logged in on the screen.

“—Haru, about earlier. Seriously, rethink Saturday. I’m going to die. My mom’s excitement level is already maxed out.”

What came through the speakers was Rin’s voice. She was giggling cheerfully, yet with zero intention of backing down.

『Nihihi. You’re exaggerating, Kazu. …If you hate it that much, I’ve got another idea, you know?』

“…What… What kind of idea?”

I had a bad feeling about this. As I tried to secure the cancellation of Saturday, she pressed the most lethal blade imaginable right up against my throat.

『…P.E. class. …Ponytail. …Nape』

“…………!!”

I thought my heart had stopped. Those words she murmured in a perfectly calm tone over voice chat. They were part of my lowest, worst “dark history,” something I had sent Haru during a late-night burst of unfiltered stupidity.

『…You said it before on VC, right? “When Ichinose-san ties her hair up, the soft baby hairs on the nape of her neck are a forbidden sacred domain. I want to bottle that air and preserve it.” …Wasn’t that it?』

“I’M SO SORRY—!!”

I slammed into a full prostration in front of my computer, even though no one was there to see it.

“I was wrong! Please erase it from your memory! Saturday, please come! I’ll prepare cake, pizza, anything you want!!”

『Ahaha! You’re quick to understand~  I’m grateful, Kazu. …Then I’ll be looking forward to Saturday afternoon, partner』

Haru’s voice sounded like that of a queen assured of her victory.

…It was a total defeat on my side. From the very beginning, I had never had even a millimeter of resistance left against this beautiful girl, Haru.

…If the person herself ever found out I said something like “I want to preserve the air around her nape,” I’d be despised for life… If Ichinose-san ever heard that, my social existence would be completely over…

At the very bottom of despair, I steeled my resolve to begin preparations for the “execution platform” that awaited me on Saturday. On the logged-in screen, Shinonome-san’s character was happily running circles around mine. At those calculatingly cute movements, I didn’t even have the energy to get angry. I could only let out a deep sigh.

“…Haru. …You really have a terrible personality.”

『Nihihi. You know that, right? We’re best friends!』

Tomorrow, when our eyes meet at school… She would surely send me the greatest, most triumphant “eye contact” imaginable. My heart was already in shambles, torn apart by fear and by an excitement I couldn’t possibly resist.

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