My Daily Life as the Reliable Best Friend of a Dense Rom-Com Protagonist Childhood Friend Is Way Too Much Like a Nukige - Chapter 29 & 30 & 31 & 32

Chapter 29: “The Blond, Blue-Eyed Beautiful Transfer Student and the Friend Notebook”

Having basically forced my way into becoming friends with Ati, I took her to the station area after school to deepen our friendship.

Wait, you’re asking why I didn’t just drag her back to my apartment and deepen our friendship through naked skinship? I’m not that indiscriminate.

“U-Um… where are you taking me?”

“Just a café.”

Ati was looking around like a small animal on high alert. Entering a side street from the main road seemed to have made her extremely wary. I get it, but this place has the best coffee around, so it can’t be helped.

“Here it is.”

“…‘Smatabucks’? Eh? This looks like a really fancy shop…!”

I opened the slightly bitter-tasting wooden door, and the doorbell jingled. The fragrant aroma of coffee filled my nose. The chic, tasteful interior and the jazz music playing inside felt very “homey” and relaxing.

She should’ve realized it wasn’t a shady place, but Ati was still tense.

“It really is… a stylish shop. I feel like a former shut-in shouldn’t be allowed in here…”

“Our shop’s pride is that we get all kinds of customers—from big company advisors to novelists-in-the-making NEETs.”

If you like coffee, you should come whenever you want, regardless of social status. That’s the master’s motto. Sometimes weird customers show up, but that’s part of the shop’s charm. And surprisingly, even people who seem questionable at first can be pretty interesting once you talk to them.

“Welcome~♪ …Oh?”

The distinctive blonde-ponytail big sister came over and narrowed her eyes. It was none other than Runa-senpai.

“Tomocchi brought a girl! And she’s a foreign girl too. Is she your girlfriend?”

“Just a friend. She transferred in today.”

“Marking your territory on the first day… You really are smooth, Tomocchi!”

Runa-senpai grinned and patted my back repeatedly. What are you doing?

“Gyah!”

Ati suddenly let out a strange noise. She was probably just reacting to Senpai’s flashy appearance.

“Wawah… A real gyaru… She’s blonde and so pretty…!”

“You’re blonde too, aren’t you~? Whoa, real blonde hair really is different. Mine is just fake gold.”

“Hyaaaa…!”

Ati was screaming with a bright red face from Runa-senpai’s full-powered extrovert skinship. This senpai gets close to everyone. Well… she gets especially close to me!

“By the way, should I speak in English? Where are you from?”

“No, she’s Japan-born and raised, and speaks fluent Japanese, so it’s fine as is.”

“I see. Fufu, take your time, cute young lady♪”

Runa-senpai gave a big wink and went off to take another customer’s order.

Ati placed a hand on her chest and breathed heavily.

“Haah… haah… I spoke with such a high-ranking person… It’s too much…”

“What are you even saying?”

I escorted the now-rambling Ati to a seat. She timidly sat down and muttered softly.

“That big sister didn’t laugh at me for not speaking English.”

“That’s normal, isn’t it? A foreigner who’s good at Japanese is actually a huge plus.”

“…You didn’t laugh at me either…?”

Ati looked up at me with slightly upward-turned eyes. I could feel an aura like “Huh? Maybe he’s actually a good guy?” coming from her. Trusting people too easily is dangerous, you know.

“Anyway, stop calling me ‘you’ and use my name. I’m Tomohito.”

“Eh? Eh? What should I call you??”

“Whatever you want. I call you Ati, so you can use a nickname too.”

When I casually encouraged her, Ati put a finger to her lips and thought for a moment.

“…Then, can I call you ‘Tomo’?”

“You went with the safe choice, huh.”

Still, it didn’t feel bad. Using nicknames really does shorten the distance quickly.

I called Runa-senpai over and ordered two coffees. When Senpai asked, “Milk?” Ati nervously answered, “L-Lots, please,” which was a bit off. When Senpai and I laughed, Ati turned bright red and looked down.

While waiting for the coffee, Ati smiled gently.

“This shop has a really warm atmosphere.”

“Yeah.”

It feels surprisingly nice when someone compliments the place you work at. I scratched the tip of my nose, feeling a bit ticklish.

A short while later, Runa-senpai brought over a tray with two coffees and a small milk pitcher, plus one slice of shortcake.

“Um, I didn’t order cake.”

“It’s on me. For that cute young lady right there♪”

“Wawah… T-Thank you very much!”

“Senpai, please stop hitting on my friend.”

“Ahaha~”

When I gave her a half-lidded stare, Runa-senpai laughed cheerfully and left. She really is an amusing person.

I silently sipped my coffee. Bitter and delicious! (Vocabulary: limited.)

Ati copied me, brought the cup to her mouth, and her eyes widened.

“Mmm. I don’t drink coffee that often… but this is really good.”

“Right? It’s great even black.”

“Milk coffee is delicious.”

Ati sipped her coffee with a relaxed smile. I shrugged with a bitter smile.

After a while, Ati pulled out a notebook from her school bag. It was an old, well-used elementary school notebook. She gently traced the cover with her finger, looking nostalgic.

“What’s that notebook?”

“…It’s my ‘Friend Notebook’.”

“What’s that?”

When I tilted my head, Ati smiled shyly.

“Since I was little, I’ve had friends write their names in it when I become friends with them.”

“I know that one. It’s the notebook where you die if your name gets written, right?”

“It’s not the Death Note.”

“Then it’s the one where whoever writes their name has to obey you until they die.”

“It’s not a Friend List either.”

After giving serious replies to my jokes, Ati flipped to the first page. Several girls’ names were written in clumsy handwriting. She traced each one with her finger as if they were treasures.

“I wonder if everyone is doing well…”

“…………”

The mood suddenly felt too heavy for jokes. They were probably close friends in elementary school, but became distant after she stopped going to school in middle school. It felt a bit sad.

“My dream is to fill this notebook with tons of friends’ names.”

“Hmm.”

I moistened my lips with coffee and said bluntly:

“Can I write my name too?”

“Eh?”

Ati looked up. I grinned, showing my teeth.

“Friends can write their names, right?”

“Y-Yes! Please…!”

I borrowed her pen and wrote my name smoothly. Ati squinted as if looking at something dazzling.

“There, I wrote it.”

“Yes… Thank you very much.”

Ati hugged the notebook to her chest and smiled bashfully.

“Tomo, at first I thought you were a really mean person. But you’re actually very kind.”

I scratched my cheek awkwardly. She says embarrassing things so casually.

To hide my embarrassment, I asked:

“So, what are you going to do from now on? Keep pretending you can’t speak Japanese?”

Ati answered while happily eating the shortcake.

“For now… if I can get through until summer break, I’ll have a month’s buffer.”

“I feel like that’s just a temporary fix… but if that’s what you want, it’s fine.”

That’s what we optimistically thought at the time—

But the very next day, during morning homeroom, Kimishima-sensei standing at the podium said:

“For the English Speech Contest at next week’s school assembly, I’d like Harbour-san from our class to participate.”

Well, things don’t always go smoothly in this world. I instinctively looked at Ati.

“Oh my god.”

Huh, that actually sounded a bit native just now, I thought.

Chapter 30: “The Blond, Blue-Eyed Beautiful Transfer Student and the Special English Lesson” ♡

During break time, I was called by Ati via message and went up to the fourth floor. The moment she saw me, Ati grabbed my shoulder tightly.

“Tomo! What should I do!?”

Shaking my shoulders back and forth with teary eyes, Ati looked at me.

“My life is in serious trouble!”

“You really are never boring to watch.”

I placed a hand on Ati’s shoulder.

“What’s done is done. Just steel yourself.”

“Uuu… When I die, you’re coming with me!”

“Don’t drag me into this. This has nothing to do with me.”

“We’re friends, aren’t we!? Don’t say such cold things.”

I’ve suspected it for a while… actually, I’m pretty sure now—her concept of “friend” is pretty heavy. It might even be heavier than becoming lovers.

I scratched my head roughly.

“Well, I’m already on the boat, so I’ll help as much as I can.”

“That’s reassuring…! What should I do?”

“English training, obviously. What else is there?”

When I gave her the logical answer, Ati poked her fingers together nervously.

“I did special training with my mom before transferring to high school, but nothing stuck at all…”

“If even a native’s lessons didn’t work, I don’t think I can do anything about it.”

“Please don’t abandon me…!”

Ati looked like she was about to cling to me. Her expression was full of desperation.

I let out a sigh, then raised a finger.

“Then how about coming to my place after school?”

“To your house? Did you come up with some great secret plan?”

“Yeah… We’re going to watch videos.”

When I said that, Ati tilted her head curiously.

“English learning videos? My mom showed me some, but I couldn’t understand anything and cried.”

“Not those.”

I laughed.

“What we’re watching isn’t learning material… It’s AV.”

“…………Huh?”

　　　　　◯

“So… this is Tomo’s house.”

Ati looked around my room with a nervous expression.

“This is the first time I’ve been to a boy’s house. Actually, Tomo is my first boy friend.”

“I’m honored.”

I replied casually and operated the screen in the corner of the room. I accessed a video streaming service and searched the archives. I’m not really into foreign stuff, but it’s not like I don’t have any. This one looks good for beginners.

Ati peeked over my shoulder at the screen and tilted her head suspiciously.

“I just went with the flow… but why does watching dirty videos help with English?”

“You didn’t know? Erotic stuff sticks in your head really well.”

Even boring historical dates can be memorized easily with dirty mnemonics.

Strawberry panties death (1582) — Honnouji Incident. See? You won’t forget it. Though Nobunaga might burn your house down if he heard it.

“Here, sit on the bed. I’m starting it.”

“Y-Yes!”

I sat down next to Ati, who had plopped onto the bed. The springs creaked under our combined weight. The screen filled with skin tones, and lewd moans echoed through the room.

『Oh! Yeees…! Come come! See! See!』

“Hmm. Foreign stuff really lacks emotion. Wabi-sabi is important even in erotica.”

Are those long, monotone interviews also wabi-sabi? I usually skip them, but it feels lonely without them. No foreplay, straight to raw insertion and pounding. Only middle schoolers can get off to that.

As I watched the screen with a lukewarm feeling, I heard heavy breathing from beside me.

“Haa… haa… Amazing. Something that thick is going in…! Hyaaa… They’re doing that too!?”

She was completely absorbed. Was she empathizing with the blonde girl on screen having sex?

“Hiuh!?♡♡”

My mischievous side kicked in, so I slipped my hand under Ati’s skirt. When I rubbed her over her panties, love juices quickly soaked through.

“Whoa, you’re already this wet? You’re such a closet pervert.”

“Ah!?♡♡ Tomo♡ No♡♡ Don’t touch me right now… Uuunnn!?♡♡♡”

I ignored her and slid my hand inside her panties, touching her pussy directly. It was incredibly hot. My hand was instantly covered in slippery juices.

“Aaah♡♡ Tomo♡♡ My pussy feels so good♡♡”

“Pussy in English is ‘Pussy’. Come on, say it.”

“Pussy! Pussy!”

“Hahaha.”

She’s like an 18+ version of Helen Keller.

“By the way, you watch this kind of stuff? You’re this wet, so you must watch it regularly.”

While kneading her pussy, I whispered into her ear. Ati nodded repeatedly.

“Nn♡♡ When I was a shut-in, I watched dirty videos… all day long.”

“I see.”

Well, when you’re a shut-in, there’s not much else to do besides internet and masturbation.

“Come on, I’m taking these off.”

“T-Tomo♡ You’re so bold♡♡”

I pushed Ati down onto the bed and unbuttoned her blouse. A pale blue bra came into view. Her breasts weren’t particularly huge, but they were erotic enough.

“Uuu, this is embarrassing. You’re looking at me…”

“It’s a bit late to ask, but is it okay that I’m your first? I’ll stop if you don’t want to.”

“…I don’t mind. We’re friends. I saw on the internet that some friends do this kind of thing.”

She saw that on some loose girl’s SNS, huh. Well, my own sense of chastity is pretty loose too.

I pushed her bra aside and flicked her cherry-colored nipples with my fingers. Ati rubbed her thighs together with a needy expression.

“You can… put it in already, if you want?”

“You’re the one who wants it. Such a huge pervert despite being a virgin.”

I quickly stripped off my uniform. Ati’s eyes widened at the sight of my erect cock.

“It’s… so big… Bigger than the ones in the videos…!”

“It’s a stereotype, but a lot of AV actors actually have small dicks.”

I wonder how they satisfy women with those. Well, they probably have technique.

I rolled a condom onto my cock. Then I flipped up Ati’s skirt, pulled her soaking wet panties aside. Her pussy was a beautiful pink.

“Haa… haa♡ We’re… going to have sex♡ I am…”

Ati clasped her hands over her chest, breathing heavily. Since it was her first time, going too hard might be too much. I pressed the tip against her entrance and thrust my cock inside in one go.

“Nnnnnn!?♡♡♡ Aah!♡♡ It’s spreading my stomach open♡♡”

“Ooh, that’s a crazy tight squeeze. Definitely a virgin.”

I slowly rocked my hips, letting my cock get used to her virgin pussy. As for the feeling, Japanese or foreign, a pussy is a pussy. It felt good, but nothing particularly special.

Visually, though, it was great. Her porcelain-white skin was very un-Japanese, and above all, watching a beautiful blonde girl swallowing my ferocious cock filled me with a sense of conquest.

I ground my hips and thoroughly plowed Ati’s foreign pussy.

“Ah♡ Strange sounds♡ keep coming out♡♡ I can’t moan like the girls in the videos at all♡♡”

“Don’t try to act. You don’t have the composure for that anyway.”

When I knocked against her cervix, Ati clutched the sheets and writhed.

“Uuuu—♡♡ Uuuuuh♡♡ Fuu fuu♡♡ It feels so good♡♡ My pussy♡♡ is remembering Tomo’s shape♡♡”

“Are you saying that for real? That’s seriously hot. You might suck at English, but you’re a top student at being erotic.”

I couldn’t hold back anymore and ground my hips harder. The guchu guchu sounds from her brand-new pussy filled the room. The thick scent of her overflowing love juices hung in the air. Hearing extremely lewd moans coming from Ati’s usually cute voice was also irresistible.

“Auuuuh!?♡♡ Feels so good♡♡ Yes!♡♡ I’m going to love this!♡♡ I’m going to become addicted to sex♡♡”

“You already love it, don’t you!? I’ll put my cock in you as many times as you want!”

“I’m so happy♡♡ Training with Tomo♡♡ I’ll do my best♡♡”

Ati’s eyes were completely melted with lust. Since we didn’t turn on the AC, both of us were drenched in sweat, and the whole room smelled intense.

“Aaaaaah!?♡♡ Uuuuuuuuh!!♡♡”

Ati arched her back dramatically and shook violently. She was cumming hard despite being a virgin. Her pussy clamped down tightly, and I couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Ati! I’m cumming! I’m letting it all out!”

I grabbed Ati’s slender legs and went into a demonic final sprint.

“Aaaaaah—!!♡♡ Aaaaaahhh♡♡♡”

Ati drooled from her half-open mouth, thrashing her blonde hair wildly as she moaned.

“Oh. Fuu. Here it comes.”

I ejaculated. My hips trembled as thick semen burst out through my urethra. I pressed my nose against Ati’s neck and gave a few final thrusts, pumping out every last drop. It smelled and felt insanely good. It was the best.

After we cleaned up, Ati shyly rubbed her thighs together while buttoning up her short-sleeved blouse with a bright red face. I spoke bluntly to her.

“Just relax and do your best with the speech. Even if you fail, no one will laugh. At least I won’t.”

Ati gave a small nod and took my hand.

“If I fail, you’ll comfort me a lot, right?”

“Which kind of comfort?”

“Of course… this kind♡”

Ati rubbed my crotch over my pants. She seemed to have completely fallen for sex. I sighed in exasperation and gently stroked Ati’s head.

“It’s fine if you’re bad at talking to people. That’s just part of who you are.”

“…Yes.”

Ati tilted her head cutely and rested it on my shoulder.

—And so, our special training days continued like this until it was finally time for the actual speech.

Chapter 31: “The Blond, Blue-Eyed Beautiful Transfer Student’s English Speech”

It was a beautifully clear summer day. With summer break right around the corner, the whole school was wrapped in an excited, restless atmosphere.

Every year before summer break, the school holds a full-school assembly. The main event is the English speech contest by selected class representatives. They probably want to show off that “Our school puts a lot of effort into languages!” To the students, though, it’s nothing but a nuisance. Just imagine having to sit in a stuffy gym and listen to one broken, Japanese-accented English speech after another.

“Wawah… The day has really come…”

“Of course it came. Time has the property of being irreversible. Unless you overturn that, time travel is impossible for life.”

“Can’t we cheat a little and go back one day?”

“That would just let you do whatever you want like in erotic doujinshi.”

I had come to the wings of the stage to cheer Ati up while she waited for her turn. Well, I was mostly just chatting nonsense like usual. I figured that would help her relax the most.

Ati was repeatedly writing the character for “person” (人) on her palm and swallowing it. Does that even do anything? It just seems gross.

“There’s no point getting nervous now. You worked on your script every day and practiced hard.”

“It’s ‘do everything humanly possible and wait for heaven’s will,’ right? The problem is whether I actually did everything humanly possible…”

“Stop overthinking and just go.”

I gave Ati, who was still muttering, a firm pat on the back. Then I waved and returned to the gym. As soon as I sat in my seat, Shiina spoke to me.

“You were talking with Katie-chan?”

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t know you could speak English, Okayu.”

“I am a pen!”

“You can’t speak it at all.”

While we were talking, the representative from the neighboring class finished. Ati then stepped up onto the stage. The students, who had grown tired of fake-sounding English, suddenly became lively at the appearance of a genuine blond, blue-eyed beauty.

“Wow~ Katie-chan really is cute!”

“Yeah. At least her appearance is perfect.”

“Hmm? That sounded like there’s more to it.”

“Well, just enjoy the result.”

While exchanging light banter, I was actually nervous as hell. I had acted calm in front of Ati, but I was on the verge of panicking like Runa-senpai. Ati was the one giving the speech, so why was I this nervous?

I watched Ati on stage with a prayer in my heart.

“Fuu…”

Ati took a deep breath, lightly tapped the mic to test it, and set the mood. Then she opened her mouth, and her clear voice rang through the gymnasium—.

“I love Japanese culture.”

（わたしは日本の文化が大好きです。）

“The food, the historic architecture, the cultural treasures. I could go on forever listing its wonders.”

（食事や歴史的な建築、文化財。見どころを挙げればきりがないですが……）

“But above all else, I love Japan’s pop culture.”

（なかでもわたしは、日本のポップカルチャーを愛しています。）

“Anime and manga, born in Japan, are now celebrated all over the world.”

（アニメや漫画といった日本のカルチャーは、今や世界で人気を博しています。）

“A Japanese animated film topping the U.S. box office charts—that hardly surprises us anymore, does it?”

（日本のアニメ映画が全米チャートで１位になる。もはやそれが日常でしょう？）

“I grew up surrounded by Japanese culture from a very young age.”

（わたしは、幼い頃から日本の文化に触れて育ちました。）

“It would not be an exaggeration to say that it forms the very foundation of who I am today.”

（今となっては、わたしという存在を形作る礎といっても過言ではありません。）

“Let me ask you this: Have you ever wondered why Japanese anime is so deeply loved across the globe?”

（みなさんは、なぜ日本のアニメがここまで世界で愛されるのか考えたことはありますか？）

“I believe it is because Japanese anime embodies true diversity.”

（わたしは、日本のアニメこそが真の多様性を体現しているからに他ならないと感じます。）

“Ironically, much of American animation—despite loudly championing diversity and freedom—often feels constrained.”

（多様性と自由を声高に謳う米国のアニメは、とても窮屈です。）

“When reinterpretations ignore the original context or character identity, many people instinctively feel a sense of discomfort. You know what I mean.”

（原作の文脈やアイデンティティを無視した再解釈は多くの人の反感を買いましたね。なんのことかは言いませんが）

“Every person has individuality.

Some are brilliant thinkers. Some excel at sports.

Even things like appearance and background are part of who we are.”

（人には個性があります。頭が良かったり、運動が得意だったり。あるいは肌の色も大事な個性でしょう。）

“Japanese anime portrays individuality with remarkable care and charm.

It doesn’t force values onto the audience,

and it doesn’t try to squeeze characters into predetermined molds.”

（日本のアニメは、個性をとても魅力的に描きます。価値観を押しつけたり、型にはめたりしないのです。）

“That is why I love Japanese anime—with all my heart.”

（わたしは、そんな日本のアニメが大好きです。）

The audience was captivated by Ati’s fluent English. I was surprised too. She had improved this much? I hadn’t noticed because I saw her every day.

The script should have ended there, but Ati didn’t put down the mic. The venue gradually began to stir as everyone wondered what was happening.

Ati’s voice cut through the murmurs.

“—In middle school, I didn’t go to school. I was a shut-in. Because of that, I’m still bad at talking to people.”

Suddenly, Ati began speaking fluent Japanese. The content was so heavy that the surprised audience fell silent for two reasons at once.

Ati continued in a calm tone.

“Someone told me that being bad at talking to people is just part of my individuality, and they respected that.”

She paused there and looked straight at me. Our eyes met. She smiled softly.

“Kamioka Tomohito-kun. —Tomo. You are my precious best friend. …Thank you!”

Then, Ati finally put down the mic and bowed deeply.

In the now-silent gymnasium, the sound of clapping began—starting with my hands. Gradually more people joined in, and before long the venue was filled with cheers and applause.

“Ehehe.”

Ati gave a loose, silly smile. It was the kind of smile only someone freed from all pressure could make.

The applause didn’t die down easily. The host teacher had to step in to calm things before the next speech could begin. That’s gotta be tough, I thought sympathetically toward the next student whose name I didn’t even know.

…………

……

When we returned to the classroom, Ati was instantly surrounded by a crowd of people.

“Katie-chan! That was amazing!”

“I was so moved! It was seriously incredible!”

“Wait, your Japanese is actually perfect? That’s crazy! Why didn’t you say anything~!”

“Awa… awawah.”

Ati was flustered. It was understandable—she had probably never been fawned over this much in her entire life. But I thought she deserved it. She had truly accomplished something great.

“Katie-chan! It was really wonderful. That was the best speech I’ve ever heard.”

When Shiina spoke to her, Ati looked at her with a nervous expression.

“Ishikawa… Shiina-san. You’re Tomo’s childhood friend, right?”

“Yeah? That’s right.”

I was nervous about what Ati might say. Ati declared with great enthusiasm:

“Shiina-san! Please become friends with me!”

“Eh?!”

“You’re always kind to everyone in class, bright, and loved by so many people. I’ve admired you ever since I first saw you!”

It was a declaration of friendship that sounded almost like a confession. Shiina smiled and took Ati’s hand.

“Sure! Nice to meet you♪”

“Hawaaa…!”

Ati was deeply moved. Hey, your real personality is showing. Is that okay??

“Ati. Aren’t you going to give her that?”

When I threw her a lifeline, Ati snapped back to reality and took out her well-worn notebook.

“If you wouldn’t mind… please write your name in this notebook!”

“What is this?”

“It’s my… Friend Notebook!!”

“She has friends write their names when she becomes friends with them.”

Shiina nodded in understanding.

“Sure. I’d be happy to.”

Shiina smoothly wrote her name. Ati, who received the notebook, jumped up and down with joy.

“Ehehe! I made a new friend♪”

“I’m glad for you.”

“Yes! It’s all thanks to Tomo!”

While I patted Ati’s head, other girls started peering over.

“What’s that? A Friend Notebook?”

“So nostalgic! I made something similar in elementary school.”

“Katie-chan! Can we write too?”

“Y-Yes! Please! Onegai shimasu!”

Ati was completely over the moon. She was acting totally suspicious now, but no one in class seemed to mind. Well, that’s how it goes, I thought.

After the girls finished writing their names, they suddenly started crowding around me.

“By the way, Kamioka-kun is really close with Katie-chan, huh!”

“Yeah! I heard you said something really cool.”

“So kind! Maybe I misunderstood you before.”

“O-Oh…”

Now it was my turn to be swarmed by girls. What the hell is this situation? This isn’t in my data.

…Hey, why are Ati and Shiina both laughing at me!?

“That’s right! Tomo is a very kind and wonderful person! Ehehe!”

“Right~ I get it!”

They were laughing together like they understood each other perfectly. I’m glad you two are getting along!

While being unusually fawned over by the girls in class, I thought that this kind of thing wasn’t so bad once in a while.

“Tomo!”

Ati took my hand with a bright sunflower-like smile.

“Please continue to take care of me! My best friend♡”

Chapter 32: “A Catastrophic First Day of Summer Break”

From the very first day of summer break, my life was pitch black.

“Shit! The AC broke!!”

It was working normally at first. But suddenly, with a dying “Tooooon……” sound, the airflow stopped. I panicked hard. I uselessly mashed the power button on the remote, unplugged and replugged the unit, and even replaced the batteries in the remote thinking they might be dead. In the end, I prayed to God.

But the one I should have been bowing to wasn’t the nonexistent AC god—it was the management company. With trembling hands, I made the call. The hopeless reply was that the repairman couldn’t come for a whole week.

(No AC for a week in this midsummer heat?? I’m gonna die.)

I almost lost my temper, but yelling wasn’t going to revive the AC. I swallowed my anger and politely said, “Thank you, I understand,” over the phone. This is what being an adult means, I guess.

“Fuu… What am I supposed to do now?”

Maybe I could go mooch some cool air at someone’s house. I quickly scrolled through my LINE friends list. Wait, I have so few friends!! Counting sex friends or perverted exhibitionist slaves as friends feels pathetic, and even including Kimio, I could still count them on one hand. I wanted to clutch my head.

“Whatever, let’s just try!”

I called Shiina, who happened to be at the top of my recent calls. As usual, she picked up within a few rings.

『Domestic Great Poverty♪ Mad at the girlfriend who made pasta♪』

『Fuuuuuuu!! No no no!!』

“…………”

There was a lot of noise coming from the other side.

『What is it, Okayu? I’m at karaoke with Ati-chan right now.』

『Eh! Tomo?? Hello! I’m on a date with Shii-chan♪』

“…I see.”

Glad you two are getting along so well!

They were already using nicknames with each other. Girls really do become friends fast. Loud beats were thumping noisily through the phone. They seemed to be having a great time.

『So, what’s up? Did you need something?』

“Yeah… well. My AC actually broke.”

『Eh? Are you okay?? It’s super hot today. You haven’t collapsed, have you?』

“Not yet.”

『Tomo! Karaoke boxes are really cool inside! It’s so comfortable♪』

“…I see. That’s great.”

If Ati were in front of me, I would’ve pinched her cheeks. Damn communication disorder. That’s exactly the problem.

“I was thinking of coming over to your place to cool off, but since you’re out, I’ll try somewhere else.”

As I was about to hang up, Shiina’s voice came through.

『Then why don’t we all get drinks together now?』

　　　　　◯

The karaoke box Shiina and Ati were at was right in front of the station nearest to school—basically next to my apartment.

I headed out into the sweltering heat.

“Ah. Okayu!”

“Tomo! It’s been a day, hasn’t it?”

The two of them were waiting in front of the karaoke place. Since it was break, both were in casual clothes. Shiina wore a light blue shirt with a white skirt—her usual style. Ati, on the other hand, was in a pure white dress. What a young lady.

“Wow, Okayu, you’re drenched in sweat. Are you really okay?”

“It’s so hot I feel like I’m going to melt. Hot hot hot.”

“If you’re that desperate, let’s settle it with anal games!”

“Huh?”

She must’ve watched some weird video online again. She seemed to have completely opened up to Shiina and was showing her true self. In other words, the same quirky girl I was used to.

“You two have gotten really close. Going out to play together and everything.”

“Ehehe. Shii-chan invited me.”

“We just became friends, so of course I want to deepen our bond, right?”

As expected of an extrovert. Shiina is kind even to introverts. She seems to have firmly grabbed hold of Ati’s heart. That’s why everyone loves her.

“So, where are we going? There are tons of cafés around.”

“Obviously, that place.”

—I had a feeling. The place Shiina suggested was my part-time job. In other words, ‘Smatabucks’ again.

When I opened the door, pleasantly cool air flowed out. The familiar fragrant smell of coffee greeted us.

“Welcome~♪ Oh?”

Runa-senpai’s eyes went wide.

“The blonde girl from last time, and… Shiina-chan, right? It’s been a while♪”

“Yes! Okayu is always in your care.”

“Ahaha! You’re such a good girl. —Tomocchi, feeling like you’ve got flowers in both hands today?”

“My apartment AC broke, so I came to cool off. I’m not exactly in a cheerful mood.”

“Ahaha! That’s rough.”

It was a relaxed atmosphere between acquaintances. This shop really only has people I know.

Ati, who had been fidgeting shyly behind me, gathered her courage and spoke to Runa-senpai.

“U-Um! Big sister, thank you for the cake last time!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine♪ If it brings in more regulars, it’s a cheap investment.”

“Senpai, are you doing sales for the shop too?”

“I think sales could be a good job in the future. A full-on sales lady♪ Think it’d suit me?”

Honestly, it would suit her perfectly. With her natural friendliness, she’d probably rake in contracts left and right.

“Well then, right this way♪”

Runa-senpai guided us to a booth seat. I sat alone on one side while the two girls sat together across from me.

We ordered iced coffees. I usually prefer hot coffee, but there was no way I wanted anything hot on a day like this.

A short while later, three iced coffees arrived.

“Take your time♪”

Runa-senpai left after giving me a meaningful wink. I was definitely going to get mercilessly teased next time I worked…

“Still, what a disaster on the very first day of summer break, Okayu.”

Shiina moistened her lips with her coffee and spoke. I could tell she was genuinely worried, which warmed my chest.

“Tomo’s apartment looks pretty old, right? Is the AC old too?”

“No, it should’ve been only about five years old… but appliances break suddenly when they decide to break.”

“I see. Slurp slurp.”

Ati was happily pouring milk into her iced coffee and drinking it with delight. At that point, it was basically café au lait.

“…Hm? Ati-chan, have you been to Okayu’s house before?”

“Yeah. We did English training together and worked on her speech script.”

“That’s right. The training was really fun.”

Ati gave me a meaningful wink. Does this girl want more “training”?

“I see. You two are so close, that’s nice!”

Shiina smiled happily. She was probably glad that I—specifically, that I had made a friend. Are you my mom or something?

Feeling embarrassed, I cleared my throat.

“What are you two planning for summer break?”

When I asked, they looked at each other.

“I’ll probably be buried in club activities. But I’ll have some days off, so call me when you want to hang out.”

I heard Shiina was throwing herself into tennis club even more than before. Maybe because she was happy about the shoes I gave her… or maybe I was overthinking it.

“I’m going on a family trip. I’m really looking forward to Hokkaido♪”

“Nice. Bring me back souvenirs.”

“You’re not supposed to demand souvenirs like that. That’s greedy, Okayu.”

“No no! I’ve always dreamed of buying souvenirs for friends! I’ll buy lots♪”

“One is enough. But make sure you pick it carefully.”

“Geez, Okayu!”

“Uahaha.”

Ahh, this is fun. I genuinely liked this atmosphere. Ati had completely blended into the mood between me and Shiina, like she had been our friend forever. They must be really compatible.

“…Mmm~”

Shiina chewed on the end of her straw while looking back and forth between me and Ati. Then she dropped a bomb.

“Are you two dating?”

“Ng!? Cough cough!”

I choked hard. What the hell is she suddenly asking!?

“Why would I be dating Ati!?”

“Because you two are really close. Okayu doesn’t invite just anyone to his house unless he really trusts them.”

Well… that’s true. But it couldn’t be helped that time.

While I was struggling to answer, Ati slurped her coffee and said plainly:

“We’re not dating.”

“Really? But…”

“I…”

Ati cut Shiina off and declared firmly:

“I won’t make a boyfriend. Friendship is the most precious relationship there is.”

“She’s that kind of girl.”

I smiled wryly. Shiina tilted her head curiously. Well, you probably wouldn’t understand without knowing Ati well. To her, “friends” are a much stronger bond than lovers.

Shiina traced the rim of her glass with her finger.

“But you like Okayu, right?”

“I love him. He’s my best friend.”

“Then don’t you ever think about dating him as lovers?”

To Shiina’s normal question, the eccentric Ati laid out her philosophy.

“It’s wonderful to date someone you like, but love eventually cools down. I saw in anime that most couples who start dating in school end up breaking up after graduation.”

So she actually watched the rom-com anime I recommended.

Ati gave a soft smile and looked at Shiina.

“When lovers break up, nothing remains. But friendship lasts forever, doesn’t it?”

“This girl actually makes some surprisingly solid points.”

I couldn’t deny her policy. I like Shiina, but I’m not exactly a love supremacist.

“Hmmm. I wonder… Mmm…”

Having been logically dismantled, Shiina was struggling to come up with a counterargument.

Then Ati threw out an innocent question.

“Shii-chan, you’re in love with someone, aren’t you?”

“Fue.”

Shiina’s face instantly turned bright red. I silently drank my coffee.

“Who is it?”

“T-That’s… um…”

“It’s Kimio.”

When I answered bluntly, Ati looked puzzled.

“Kimio-san? The one who talked to me on my first day. You two are childhood friends, right?”

“Yeah. Did you fall for him or anything?”

“?? Not at all. He was actually pretty scary.”

“Ahaha… Poor Kimio.”

Shiina gave a bitter smile.

“Hmm.”

I rested my chin on my hand and thought.

My guess was that the reason Ati didn’t fall for Kimio was because this girl simply doesn’t have the concept of romance. She doesn’t need a lover in her life at all, so Kimio’s weird aura had no effect on her.

“Humans are interesting creatures.”

“Okayu, you sound like a final boss from a game.”

Shiina giggled.

Our love talk ended without much excitement.

“More importantly, there’s somewhere I want to go.”

Ati leaned forward as she spoke. I tilted my head.

“What is it? Is it nearby?”

“Yes. When I looked it up before, it said it was really close.”

“Where is it, Ati-chan?”

When Shiina asked, Ati’s eyes sparkled as she answered:

“It’s apparently called an ‘Amusement Hotel’!”

Me and Shiina looked at each other.

—That’s clearly a love hotel! A retort like a sperm-filled milk boy nearly burst out of my throat.

Ati smiled innocently and said:

“Shouldn’t the three of us go check it out now?”

“…Umm?”

“…Hmmm?”

Neither Shiina nor I could bring ourselves to tell her it was a love hotel. In the end, we couldn’t refuse Ati’s suggestion, and the three of us ended up heading to the “Amusement Hotel”—.