Vol 1 Chapter 19 – Worry and Possessiveness

“I’m making this my wallpaper.”

I had Segawa-chan send the two-shot photo of me and the cosplaying Kajiwara-kun to my phone.

Still, Kajiwara-kun is ridiculously muscular.

His white collared shirt is stretched taut over his frame.

Comparing him to the 140cm shorty in the photo holding his hand—me—makes me think that all over again.

“Well, we’re all doing the same thing.”

That was Segawa-chan’s reply.

While sending my own photos to Segawa-chan, the four of us changed our phone wallpapers.

Only Emma’s was a picture of a pervert getting a body blow from Kajiwara-kun.

But as members of the Modern Culture Research Club, we possessed the mercy to overlook it, knowing that it’s not right for an otaku to laugh at someone’s fetish.

“Die of jealousy, little sis! Photo sent!”

Hatsune sent the two-shot of her clinging to Kajiwara-kun to her sister.

I’ve met her sister before; as always, the two of them are close.

In any case, we all got good pictures.

These were keepers, destined to be backed up, saved forever, and used as my desktop wallpaper.

“Alright, what should we do now? Hatsune, how long do these photoshoots usually last?”

I looked around and asked the group.

I mean, I’d rather not become a target for the Kameko’s jealousy.

Gently watching over him from a distance like this isn’t boring, though.

“It’ll probably take two or three hours. It’s fine if you want to split off to look for some fan comics you’re interested in, or go take pictures of other cosplayers. What’s the plan?”

“If you’re saying that, Hatsune, it must mean you trust Tsukishima-san enough to leave things to her, but…”

I’d already secured the fan comics I wanted during my greeting rounds this morning.

Though it was less “buying” and more “trading” them for our own circle’s new issue.

I’d already arranged for all of them to be shipped to the clubroom.

Wandering around to discover new circles this afternoon could be good, too.

“Well, I’m staying. I’m the president, and I’m worried about Kajiwara-kun.”

It’s my duty as president.

Besides, just watching Kajiwara-kun’s photoshoot like this is enough to make me happy.

“I also have the job of visually violating Kajiwara-kun from a distance… And it’s not like any of the other male cosplayers are more erotic than him…”

Hatsune is an open pervert.

She’s true to her sexual desires.

She’s a hopeless case as a human being.

“I-I’m also full of fantasies of being hit by Kajiwara-kun. The pit of my stomach feels hot.”

I think Emma might be a lost cause.

She was overflowing with a powerful libido and an egregious masochistic spirit.

She’s a hopeless case as a human being.

“…I’ll stay too, since I’m worried about what Toudou and Emma might do. It’d be a problem if they suddenly screamed ‘I can’t take it anymore!’ and charged the photoshoot.”

Segawa-chan is a person of duty.

She was being called upon to function as our final backstop, like a member of the discipline committee.

She’s the last conscience of the Modern Culture Research Club.

“Anyway, Kajiwara-kun looks like he’s having fun. He did say he likes being fawned over.”

I remembered our conversation from lunch.

How he said he was happy to be complimented on his looks and fawned over.

Kajiwara-kun was honest.

He must be overjoyed to have the body he worked so hard to build be praised with a “Nice bulk!”

This is just a guess, but in his case, I suspect he feels more like a bodybuilder about it.

Whereas we women can’t help but see it in a sexual, “I can’t take it” kind of way.

“He also said he hates it when normies praise and fawn over him because they’re just looking for a relationship. He’s warding people off without even realizing it.”

Hatsune chimed in.

She’s right.

There’s no sign that Kajiwara-kun has a girlfriend. Is he just not interested in romance?

I tilted my head.

In my line of sight, Kajiwara-kun was striking a pose, the lines of his body showing through his clothes.

As expected, his shirt was skin-tight over his muscles.

Erotic.

“So what’s the deal, Chihiro? What do you actually think of Kajiwara-kun?”

“Love talk?”

“Love talk. I really wanna have some love talk with you, Chihiro.”

nudge, nudge

Hatsune poked my side with her knuckles.

I decided to honestly grant her request.

“Well, yeah, of course I like him. There’s no way I couldn’t. Any otaku would fall for a guy like that.”

I liked Kajiwara-kun.

I liked him from the bottom of my heart.

Love is always a hurricane.

I don’t think these feelings are a lie, but…

“Is it a pure, ‘I like Kajiwara-kun’s personality’ kind of like? Or is it more, ‘I like his body’?”

“…Probably both.”

I think it’s a mix of genuine affection for his character and raw sexual desire.

I glanced over at the cosplay booth.

The Kameko were in a line, and Kajiwara-kun was posing while they took his picture.

“Good, good! That’s a great look!!” Tsukishima-san’s voice rang out. “Ichirou-kun, show a little more chest! Unbutton a few buttons on your shirt! All the other male cosplayers are stripping down!!”

Is this an ero-shoot or something? I’m gonna punch her, I thought.

But it was undeniably effective.

There was something sexual about it.

With his sleeves rolled up, showing off his sexy muscles, Kajiwara-kun had a body that stoked the flames of our female desires.

Honestly, it’s a turn-on.

Right, I heard that Kajiwara-kun’s mother thinks it’s fine whatever pictures are taken as long as he’s confident, but isn’t this going a little too far?

I’m not his guardian, but it wouldn’t be unreasonable for my supervisory responsibility as club president to be called into question.

If someone was going to get yelled at, I was prepared to go apologize to his mother as the president.

“Don’t tell me that Kameko, that Tsukishima woman… is planning to sell these photos in a photobook at the next convention? I’ll definitely buy it.”

Segawa-chan spoke up worriedly.

Her true feelings slipped out at the end there.

But still, that would be a problem.

A problem, yes, but it all depends on whether Kajiwara-kun agrees to it.

If he did, I would buy it.

But I wouldn’t want anyone else to.

At most, I could permit our inner circle, the members of the Modern Culture Research Club.

“…Possessiveness, huh.”

I muttered the word aloud.

Look, my primary feeling is genuine worry.

For a male to stand out in this world means worrying about strange women being drawn to him.

I mean, the possibility of Kajiwara-kun being abducted is probably one in a million, but things like being stalked or getting caught up in violence aren’t uncommon.

But more than that…

“I-It kinda feels like Kajiwara-kun has gone somewhere far away.”

Emma had just stammered out the thought.

It was a feeling I couldn’t hide.

Right, I had thought of Kajiwara-kun as one of us, a member of the Modern Culture Research Club.

One of us nerds.

But watching from the side like this, it felt like I was being shown in vivid detail how someone like me, Takahashi Chihiro, could never match up to him.

Mixed in with the Kameko are some of the general attendees who bought our new issue.

During a short break, Tsukishima-san was considerate enough to make time for him to take photos with them.

That woman really pays attention to the details.

But looking at it this way makes it clear.

Our new issue is just an accessory. The main attraction in the photos being taken is the cosplaying Kajiwara-kun.

We are nothing but a side dish.

Compared to the existence of Kajiwara-kun, shining like the sun, we are nothing more than some garnish.

That’s how it makes me feel.

Right, Kajiwara-kun is truly the prince of the otaku circle.

A shining star that descended upon the Modern Culture Research Club.

“Hmm. Is he gonna become a popular cosplayer just like that? The gravure model route is also a possibility.”

Hatsune put a hand to her chin and nonchalantly pointed out the dangerous possibility.

That’s right, it’s possible.

Kajiwara-kun is already good-looking to begin with; if he wanted to, he could probably do it.

If that happened, we’d be out of a job.

He might get too busy and have to quit the Modern Culture Research Club.

“…”

I fell silent.

Honestly, I wanted him to stop the cosplay photoshoot right this second and come back to us.

But that’s a selfish desire.

I know that.

If Kajiwara-kun wanted this from the bottom of his heart, I have no way to stop him.

This glasses-wearing shorty with big boobs and a bob cut doesn’t possess that kind of charm.

“…Chihiro, if you don’t want Kajiwara-kun to stand out so much, you should just say so.”

“What are you talking about, Hatsune?”

Like I could ever say something like that.

I don’t have a shred of a right to.

Of course I don’t.

I want to respect Kajiwara-kun’s own will.

“Kajiwara-kun would probably listen to pretty much anything you say, Chihiro. Telling him to stop the photoshoot this very instant might be a no-go, but if you told him to make this a one-time thing, he’d listen.”

“There’s no way.”

No way.

Look at Kajiwara-kun’s smile right now. Look how brightly he’s shining. Look at that bashful expression that says he’s a little embarrassed by the attention, but honestly happy.

It might seem worldly, but more than that, he’s pure.

“Why do you think that, Hatsune? There’s no reason he’d listen to what I say.”

“Huh? Because, like… I think Kajiwara-kun just plain likes you, Chihiro.”

Hatsune said something outrageous.

What is this flat-chested, tall, black-haired girl with a blunt hime cut talking about?

“Kajiwara-kun doesn’t have any romantic feelings for me. We’ve barely known each other for any time at all.”

“Well yeah, he probably doesn’t have romantic feelings yet. But watching from the sidelines, I think you’ve earned enough goodwill that he’d at least say, ‘If the President says so, shall we do that?’ And besides, from our point of view, Chihiro, you’re more than charming enough.”

That’s just Hatsune being mistaken.

I don’t remember being particularly kind to him.

And besides…

“…If Kajiwara-kun gets serious about being a cosplayer, I don’t want to get in his way.”

“Well, that’s just your personality, Chihiro. I get it. You’re the kind of person whose fetish is supporting people when they’re putting their all into something, not getting in their way.”

Hatsune said, as if she’d reached a conclusion on her own.

She nodded to herself, looking back and forth between me and Kajiwara-kun.

“But you know, I think it’s okay for you to be selfish sometimes, Chihiro. I think that’s what love is, right?”

Hatsune is kind.

But I can’t accept that kindness.

Just as she murmured, I watched Kajiwara-kun’s smile from a distance, feeling a little lonely.

And at the same time…

It’s a truly embarrassing thing to admit, but the ladylike part of my heart couldn’t help but stir at the thought that Kajiwara-kun really does have an erotic body, and I had to turn my face slightly away.