I Was Reincarnated As a Man who Steals The Protagonist’s Childhood Friend - 3 - Nakano Household

“Are you sure about me joining you for dinner at your place?” I asked hesitantly, wanting to ensure that I wasn’t intruding in any way. 

Nakano’s face lit up with a warm smile. “Of course! You’re more than welcome in our place, Takeshi-kun!” Immediately, she took my hand and both of us were running straight to her home. 

As we made our way to the house, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe. It towered above the surrounding residences, an unusual sight in this neighborhood. To my surprise, it turned out to be Nakano’s very own home, conveniently located right next to Naoki’s house.

A strange mix of nerves and excitement flooded over me as we approached the entrance. This was the first time I had ever set foot inside a girl’s house, and I couldn’t help but wonder what awaited me beyond those doors.

“Come on in, Takeshi-kun,” Nakano gestured, her voice filled with warmth.

I took a deep breath to steady myself and stepped inside, apologizing for the intrusion. The moment I crossed the threshold, a spacious and well-lit living room greeted me. To the right, a long and inviting sofa beckoned, accompanied by a small coffee table right in front of it. A large, flat-screen LED TV adorned the wall opposite the sofa.

To my left, I noticed the presence of a compact kitchen area, and standing in there was a tall and graceful figure. I could only assume it was Nakano’s mother.

“Ara, welcome back, Hoshino! Hmmm?” Her mother’s gaze shifted from Nakano to me, curiosity glimmering in her eyes. She possessed long, straight, black hair paired with sparkling blue eyes, an unusual combination but I did not pay too much attention of it.

“Hoshino, why didn’t you tell me we were having a visitor today, and a boy from your class, no less!” her mother exclaimed, with a touch of surprise in her voice.

“Sorry, Mom. It was a sudden invitation from me.” Nakano responded, a hint of sheepishness in her voice.

“It’s alright, dear. Just remember to inform me next time if you plan on bringing someone home, alright?”

Nakano’s mother exuded a vibrant and radiant personality, almost overwhelming in its intensity. I couldn’t help but feel a slight uneasiness, as though I might get burned if I get too close to her energy.

“Oh! I completely forgot to introduce myself! I’m Nakano Minami, but you can call me Minami. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” she introduced herself with a friendly smile.

“I’m Ueno Takeshi. I’m in the same class as Nakano-san,” I replied, offering a polite bow.

“Huh, and here I thought you two had a ‘special relationship,’ Hoshino-chan~~” Nakano’s mother teased, with a mischievous glint in her eye.

“M-Mom!” Nakano’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, clearly caught off guard by her mother’s comment.

As they engaged in a lively mother-daughter exchange, I couldn’t help but giggle, appreciating the warmth and familiarity that filled Nakano’s home. It was evident that their bond was strong, and I felt fortunate to be welcomed into their midst.

I couldn’t help but wonder if this vibrant and lively girl in front of me was the same heroine from that doujin. The stark contrast between her personality in real life and the character I had seen on those pages has left me utterly shocked.

“Come on in, Takeshi-kun. I’m making dinner tonight, so make yourself comfortable,” Minami-san said, her voice filled with warmth and hospitality.

“I want to show you my room first, Takeshi-kun. Come and follow me!” Nakano-san suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the stairs, leading us to the second floor of their house.

Isn’t there supposed to be a set of steps before even geting to a woman’s house? Let alone entering their room? Did I miss a page or something?

Such concerning questions have been popping out in my mind but all of it vanished as soon we found ourselves standing in front of Nakano-san’s room.

“Tada! Welcome to my room, Takeshi-kun!” she exclaimed, beaming with pride.

Her room was as spacious as it appeared in the doujin. To my left, a pinkish-white bed was adorned with a small table, topped with a delicate lamp. Next to the bed, a small wooden cabinet seemed to house her neatly organized collection of clothes. On my right, a study desk with built-in bookshelves displayed a notebook and a school textbook, which were meticulously arranged. A small TV sat beside the desk, accompanied by a gaming console and a stack of DVD games.

“Sorry if it’s a bit messy in here,” Nakano-san apologized, seemingly worried about the state of her room.

‘You call this messy? This is already cleaner than my room’ I thought. I don’t see anything that you would consider “messy” in this. In fact, I think Nakano’s description of “messy” seems to be completely different than my case.

“I don’t mind,” I reassured her, taking in the sight of her personal room.

I scanned the room once more, realizing that it was much larger than my own living quarters. After all, the place I called home was a small, cramped apartment with limited space. It’s a luxury for me to dream of having such large spaces but alas, it will be just a pipe dream after all.

“So, what do you think of my room?” Nakano-san asked, eagerly awaiting my response.

“It’s as spacious as my apartment,” I commented, genuinely impressed by the size of her room.

“What about your room, Takeshi-kun?” she inquired, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.

“Well, it’s not as big as this, but it’s decent-sized” 

“Heh. I would love to visit your place someday, Takeshi-kun,” Nakano-san expressed her interest, her enthusiasm shining through. 

For a moment, the surroundings stayed silent while the both of us were standing awkwardly with no plans of sitting down. Nakano-san then broke the awkward atmosphere.

“A-anyways, Takeshi-kun, do you play games?” she asked, changing the subject.

“I’ve only played arcade games before, I haven’t tried console games,” I admitted. I tried to dig up some memories of the old Takeshi and one of which was him playing an arcade game with Natsu and his girlfriend whenever they have free time after school. Poor old Takeshi, being the thirdwheeler of these two lovebirds.

Nakano-san’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Then, shall I teach you how to play one?”

“Sure, why not?” I agreed, curious about this new gaming experience. 

Nakano-san eagerly picked out a DVD game from her collection, featuring funny-looking characters riding carts on the cover. She turned on the small TV and inserted the game into the console. We both take a seat in front of the TV. With great patience, she guided me through the basics of using the controller.

“This joystick here is how you control your cart, and this one right here—”

As she sits beside me, demonstrating the controller, I found it increasingly difficult to concentrate. Her distance was in a 0 inches radius, she’s literally leaning right beside me, and her ample bosom sometimes accidentally collides with my arms whenever she moves her body. This is a dangerous situation.

‘F*ck, hold yourself together, me. Don’t get tempted, calm yourself down’ I struggled to stay composed, desperately trying to keep my cool.

“And that’s how you use the controller. Hmm? Is something wrong, Takeshi-kun?” Nakano-san noticed my unease, her voice was filled with concern.

“N-nothing, Nakano-san,” I stammered, doing my best to hide my inner conflict. Fortunately, I managed to control these unforgivable thoughts.

After what felt like an exhilarating half hour of gameplay, we finally wrapped up our session. My ingrained habit prompted me to glance at my phone to check the time, revealing that it was already 7:30 PM. Surprisingly, curfew wasn’t that of a distant concern, I didn’t find myself particularly worried about heading home early. After all, I lived alone in my apartment, so I didn’t have any obligations or restrictions to adhere to.

As I pondered over the evening’s events, a few questions began to nag at me. I couldn’t help but wonder about Takeshi’s parents and their whereabouts. It struck me as peculiar since I had never encountered them or even learned about their situation. Moreover, another puzzling aspect was how I managed to sustain myself financially while living independently. These curiosities lingered in the back of my mind, but I decided to set them aside for now, opting to focus on the immediate matter at hand: having a delightful dinner at Nakano’s home.

“I must admit, Nakano-san, I had no idea you were skilled in this type of game,” I remarked, genuinely impressed by her gaming prowess. I recalled the doujinshi that showcased Nakano-san’s dedication and hard work. If my memory served me correctly, she consistently ranked at the top, securing the coveted position of first place. As for Naoki, the second-place holder, his skills were also commendable. Unfortunately, the doujinshi didn’t shed light on Takeshi’s performance, leaving me to speculate that perhaps his academic achievements were just merely passable.

“Sometimes Naoki-kun comes here just to play games with me. I always lose to him, so I decided to practice every game that he plays, determined to beat him. All of that hard work finally paid off,” she explained, a glimmer of determination could be seen in her eyes.

‘Both of these two have a competetive spirit, huh.’ I thought.

“Ah, no wonder you’re so good at it, Nakano-san,” I remarked, realizing the effort she had put into honing her gaming abilities.

Silence suddenly fell upon us, and I couldn’t help but sense a shift in the atmosphere. Something seemed off about Nakano-san, I can’t exactly put it into words.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, sensing a change in her demeanor.

Without warning, she forcefully pushed me down to the floor, causing a loud thud. Though it didn’t make my back hurt, it certainly took me by surprise.

“N-Nakano-san?” I stuttered, trying to comprehend what was happening.

She remained silent for a moment, a determined look on her face. And then, she spoke, her voice filled with determination.

“Call me by my first name,” she whispers softly.

“Eh? I can’t hear you,” I said, my confusion growing evermore. Her voice was too low, I couldn’t understand what she wanted to say clearly.

“I won’t let you go until you call me by my first name!” she exclaimed, her eyes indicating that she was serious, and her tone stern and determined.

I was bewildered by her sudden change in behavior. It was clear that something as seemingly trivial as being addressed by her first name held great significance for her. In order to ease the tension, I decided to comply and call her by her first name.

“Hoshino-san…” I started, attempting to utter her name. However, she didn’t release her grip on me just yet.

“No honorifics,” she interjected firmly, her unwavering gaze fixated on me.

Realizing that she won’t let me go until I say her first name the way she wanted, I tried again.

“Hoshino…” I said, making sure to call her name without honorifics.

“Yes!” A spark of joy flashed in her eyes upon hearing her name without the customary honorific. But instead of releasing me, she held on even tighter, engulfing me in a warm and unexpected embrace, as if I were some sort of treasured teddy bear.

Caught off guard by her sudden show of affection, my heart raced with a mix of confusion and surprise. I could feel the genuine warmth emanating from her embrace, and it was both comforting and exhilarating. 

Lost in the moment, I found myself reciprocating the hug, wrapping my arms around her petite figure. There was an unspoken understanding that this simple act of embracing was an expression of trust. But I don’t know how she trusts me so much, let alone why did she trust me so much.

‘Just what in the hell did you do to her, Takeshi?’ I cannot help but think that there’s something that must’ve happened between these two even before that event in the doujin occured. 

I took a moment to catch my breath, still processing the unexpected turn of events. What just transpired between us? I couldn’t shake off the feeling that things were about to get even more mysterious, yet even more interesting…