Chapter 20: Founding of the Anime Research Club

If these girls weren’t yandere, this would be a dream situation.

Childhood friend, class rep, and a gyaru—three beautiful girls, each with a distinct personality, gathered in my room to watch anime together. It’s a scenario that would make any otaku green with envy… if only they weren’t yandere.

I mean, sure, there are people out there who adore yandere types, but that’s strictly a 2D thing, right?

In real life, yandere and mentally unstable types are nothing but trouble.

And the yandere around me? They’re not your average kind.

I mean, who chants sutras or… wets themselves? That’s not normal for a yandere, is it? Okay, maybe the sutras, but definitely not the other thing.

“Is this what they call ‘subscriptions’? They seem quite cost-effective.”

Is the class rep really that out of touch?

Even elementary school kids these days know about subscriptions.

“Well, I don’t watch much anime, so I’m not sure I’m getting my money’s worth.”

“That’s such a waste. Don’t you even watch movies?”

From the way she talks, does Kumanokyo watch movies?

She doesn’t strike me as the type who can sit still in a chair for long periods.

“They’re just too long…”

I might get called a “modern-day kid” for this, but movies feel way too long to me.

I hate pausing halfway through, so I rarely get into them. I know I should watch more while I’ve still got the free time as a student, though.

“If that’s the case, B-movies are the way to go.”

“Huh? B-movies?”

What’s this gyaru talking about?

Who recommends B-movies to someone who doesn’t like watching movies? That’s just going to make them hate movies even more.

“Sakamoto, let me guess—you can’t sit through long movies or anime because you feel like you need to focus?”

“Yeah, that’s pretty much it.”

“B-movies are more laid-back. You can look away, chat with whoever you’re watching with, and still enjoy them.”

Huh. I never thought of it like that.

I’ve always felt like I had to catch every single line of dialogue, so the idea of chatting while watching is new to me.

“Hey, come on. Can we start already?”

It looks like the class rep got impatient with all the pre-viewing chatter and urged us to hit the play button. Don’t show me that cute, serious expression. You’ll make me fall for you.

But seriously, why does it have to be an isekai anime? And one that… honestly, seems like it’s going to be terrible.

“Hey, class rep. You’re really excited, but should we avoid talking during the show?”

Kumanokyo, for all her quirks, can actually be pretty considerate of others.

It’s hard to believe she’s the same girl who wet herself and barged into my bath.

“Why would anyone talk during an anime in the first place?”

“These kinds of shows aren’t exactly masterpieces. They’re meant to be watched casually, with some commentary. But if you want to watch it seriously, I’ll stay quiet.”

I have to side with Kumanokyo on this one. Most works that started on web novel sites are amateur creations. They’re the kind you watch while poking a bit of fun.

If it were a group of hardcore fans watching the original source material, that’d be a different story, though.

“If that’s the norm, then I’ll follow along…”

“No, it’s fine. Forget I said anything.”

Oh, Kumanokyo backed down.

What a reasonable gyaru. It’s hard to believe she’s the same girl who wet herself on my back and barged into my bath.

“Can we start now? I’m pressing play.”

Kaede, getting impatient, pressed the play button.

Even though I had nothing to do with creating the anime, I was feeling oddly nervous.

I just hope it doesn’t get awkward with some cringey jokes.

“The animation isn’t bad.”

Kumanokyo whispered to me.

Does mentioning the animation mean she’s a bit of an anime fan? I’ve kind of been getting that vibe from her since earlier.

Yeah, the animation isn’t bad. Though it could just be one of those cases where they only put effort into the opening sequence.

Ah… it’s the classic “truck hit” trope.

It’s not like the truck caused the reincarnation—it feels more like the reincarnation needed the truck as a plot device.

And as expected, the protagonist wakes up in an unfamiliar world.

Oh, look, a beautiful girl just showed up. She’s probably going to fall for the protagonist. With no meaningful interaction whatsoever, of course. I know this trope like the back of my hand.

See? She’s already blushing just because he complimented her looks. With her appearance, she’s probably been praised countless times before. Why does she act like it’s the first time?

“Isn’t she a bit too easy?”

“Girls like being complimented, you know.”

Kaede responded to my muttered comment.

Sure, everyone likes compliments, but falling in love because of one? That’s a stretch.

Oh, here comes the obligatory giant monster. The kind that’s not supposed to exist in this area but shows up anyway. Classic setup.

Do reincarnated people mess up the ecosystem or something?

Let me guess, the smartphone has some overpowered ability?

There it is. It unleashed some magic. Took down the monster in one hit.

Couldn’t the protagonist just reincarnate as a wizard? Why does it have to be a smartphone?

“Amazing…”

You’ve got to be kidding me, class rep. Are you seriously enjoying this?

Maybe for someone who doesn’t usually watch stuff like this, it feels fresh?

“What’s a ‘drop’?”

“Like, when the monster drops an item.”

“Ah, I see…”

Now the class rep and the gyaru are bonding over isekai anime. That’s a more interesting sight than the anime itself.

Sorry, but I’m already bored of this show. First time watching, but I’m done. The overpowered smartphone getting rare item drops—there’s no limit to the absurdity.

The protagonist’s bath scene… I know what’s coming next. That girl from earlier is going to walk in, isn’t she?

Yep, there she is. Episode one, and we already have a mixed bath scene. This is clearly a fanservice-heavy anime. I bet more girls will join as the episodes go on.

…So unfair. This guy gets all of this without any curses or consequences.

Why don’t you bear some burden too, man? At least have your cheat smartphone come with a drawback, like insane data charges or something!

“What a shameless thing to do…”

Wait, class rep, do you really have the right to say that? You’re the one who tried to get a classmate to suck on your chest. Isn’t that way more shameless?

Finally, the ending… Well, at least the pacing was decent.

Oh, here we go—shots of all the yet-to-be-introduced heroines flashing one after another.

This is the kind of show you keep watching just because the characters are cute. There’s no other reason.

“Anime these days is amazing.”

Anime these days, huh… Feels like it’s been this way for a while, honestly.

“Class rep, do you usually watch anime?”

“When was the last time I watched any… I think I was around eight years old?”

Hmm… is that how it is for girls? I get that some don’t watch it at all, but isn’t that a bit early to stop?

“Haha, the class rep has always seemed so serious.”

Yeah, I guess you could say she’s been serious from back then until recently.

But honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to describe her as “serious” again until this curse of hers is lifted.

“My parents were strict. They thought anime was for kids.”

But eight years old is a kid, isn’t it?

I can’t imagine banning anime actually does any good.

“So, so, how does it feel to watch anime after so long?”

Kaede, playing the role of an interviewer, mimicked holding a mic.

“It was fun.”

The class rep answered honestly, without any pretense.

Huh… I guess when something’s been off-limits for so long, even a show like this can be enjoyable.

Alright, I’ll hold back from making any cynical remarks.

“Yeah, I had fun too. Should we watch the next episode?”

Suppressing my desire to watch something else, I got ready to queue up the next episode.

Even Kumanokyo, who clearly didn’t enjoy it much either, didn’t voice any objections. Very mature of her.

“Wait, I want to analyze it and discuss it.”

This girl is so serious.

Maybe it’s just a bias, but I feel like the creators of these kinds of shows don’t put that much thought into them.

Then again, who knows? If it’s been adapted into an anime, it must’ve gone through the whole process of getting published as a book, right?

Maybe they did sit down with editors and refine the world-building and stuff.

“I feel like the heroine was way too easy.”

Are you really one to talk?

If my guess is right, you had at least some feelings for me even before your curse. I don’t know what started it, but yeah, you’re kinda easy too.

“Romance should take its time, you know?”

So Kaede doesn’t approve of easy heroines.

Well, with only twelve episodes, the anime probably doesn’t have the luxury of dragging things out.

“Unless it’s a full-blown romantic comedy, most shows like this don’t really take their time.”

“I see. But I still think love should grow slowly over time. You know, like how I feel.”

How did this turn into a minefield?

“I spent four years pining over you after being abandoned.”

Look, can you please let that go already?

All I did was show up to school early that one time. Calling it “abandonment” is definitely wrong. It’s not like we made some promise to walk to school together every day.

…Wait, did we? Knowing her, there’s a chance she’s clinging to some promise we made in first grade. We didn’t promise to get married or anything, did we? Now I’m starting to worry.

“I spent a whole year trying to win you over, but you just ogled my cleavage and left me hanging. Do you even have feelings? Or is it just lust? Are all guys like that?”

My ears and chest hurt.

Yeah, back then I was a terrible guy—a jerk who only cared about looks, not feelings. As a first-year, I was really the worst.

“When you think about it, the heroine being so forward is actually the right approach.”

Oh no. I just saw the worst possible future flash before my eyes. Please, don’t take inspiration from this anime. Don’t let it influence you.

“Alright! Then let’s form the ‘After-School Anime Research Club’ with this group!”

Kaede, please don’t. I don’t even like anime that much, and your idea of “research” is probably just analyzing the heroines’ romantic advances.

“Kaede, you’re… the best.”

“Such youthful energy. I’m all for it!”

Before I even had a chance to voice my opinion, the majority had already decided. I lost before we even got to a vote.

How did it end up like this?

Wasn’t this supposed to be a heartwarming story about the class rep watching anime for the first time since elementary school? This isn’t how it was supposed to go.

“…So, are we each going to watch an anime and write a report about it?”

Honestly, I don’t want to write reports, but I figured I’d steer things in that direction.

Because otherwise…

“That sounds so lonely. Anime is meant to be watched together!”

See? This is exactly why.

If I don’t steer this right, they’re going to turn my house into the meeting place. And since my mom has welcomed these three with open arms, I can’t use family issues as an excuse to say no. It’s a nightmare.

“But it’s more efficient to—”

“Come on, it’s all about enjoying it together! Don’t be so stiff. The only thing stiff should be—”

“Alright! Alright, I get it!”

Once again, I got steamrolled.

Can you guys stop taking things in such dangerous directions if I don’t immediately agree? If I hadn’t stopped them just now, where would this have gone? Testing how stiff I was? Stripping me down? What kind of insane scenario is this?

Even though she’s an inexperienced gyaru, she goes all-out when it comes to me. What’s her deal?

“Alright, I’m pressing play now.”

In the end, I couldn’t stop the creation of the club.

I’ve essentially given them an excuse to come over on weekends. What am I supposed to do?

Am I never going to have a peaceful weekend alone again? Am I going to have to spend all my free time with these three from now on?

…That particular fear, my bad feeling, turned out to be entirely correct.

In the worst possible way.