Vol 1 Chapter 25 – Please, Take a Picture with Me

“You know, my little sister doesn’t believe you exist, Kajiwara-kun.”

“Oh.”

I’m enjoying a card game with Toudou-san.

She’s been good friends with President Takahashi since way back, so she has a ton of experience and is a pretty tough opponent.

As I was deep in thought, she suddenly brought up something completely different.

It was about her younger sister.

“She won’t believe I exist? But we took a picture together, didn’t we? The one where I was cosplaying. She doesn’t believe it even after seeing that?”

“That’s right. She won’t believe me even after seeing it.”

I was trying to brag, you know.

To my little sister, who makes fun of me for not having a single man in my life, I wanted to say, “See? There’s a wonderful guy like this in my club.”

That was my comeback, I was trying to show off.

So Toudou-san tells me.

“She goes and says something like, ‘You probably just paid some cosplayer to take a picture with you.’ She’s hopeless. A sister who doesn’t believe her own sister is worthless. Utterly worthless. I gave her a good throttling for it, though.”

“Isn’t that a bit much? In any case, if it’s just taking a picture, I’m free, you know?”

Calling it “free” is a little weird, but it’s the truth.

I really don’t mind taking a picture with Toudou-san at all.

I tell her so.

“Ooh, then you’ll take another picture with me? One of us playing cards together all buddy-buddy like this. I’m gonna send it to my sister right now.”

“Sure, go right ahead.”

I don’t mind one bit.

Toudou-san, being President Takahashi’s long-time partner in crime, is kind and, in a good way, easy to get along with.

She’s approachable with everyone, and just talking with her somehow makes me feel cheerful.

“Hey, Chihiro. C’mere and take a picture for us. Make sure you get the best shot.”

“Sure thing. Hand me your phone.”

“Here you go.”

President Takahashi takes a picture of me and Toudou-san.

Snap

In the frame, there’s probably a shot of the two of us, happily engrossed in our card game.

“Alright, die mad with jealousy, little sis.”

I don’t think this is something to get jealous over, though.

Compared to your average guy, my hands and build are pretty rugged. I doubt I’m popular with girls.

That’s what I think, but I can’t bring myself to say it in front of a cackling Toudou-san.

She thinks I have value.

“Toudou-san.”

“Yeah? You done thinking?”

“Just a little longer, please.”

Right, we were in the middle of a card game.

Card games are a sport for gentlemen and ladies.

I have to take every single move seriously.

Yeah.

That aside, there is something bothering me.

It’s the sight of Toudou-san tapping away at her phone.

Her mouth is turned down in a frown.

“…Did you get a reply?”

“She says, ‘You’re just borrowing President Takahashi’s boyfriend, aren’t you?’ That girl really overestimates Chihiro.”

My, my.

What a presumptuous thing to say.

“Clear up that misunderstanding, Hatsune.”

President Takahashi says, blushing slightly.

That’s right, it’s a misunderstanding.

There’s no way someone like me would be worthy of President Takahashi.

How could she say something so incredibly presumptuous?

“I’ll send her a message: ‘ACTUALLY, you’re right, he belongs to President Takahashi. But I’m after him, too. Have you forgotten we live in a polygamous society?'”

“Hey, stop making things up.”

Toudou-san is sending that fabricated text to her sister.

President Takahashi objects, but doesn’t actually stop her.

This kind of banter is nice.

In reality, if I could actually go out with President Takahashi…

…and also get closer to the other club members, that would be great.

But that feels way too presumptuous.

I can’t imagine someone like me being worthy of that kind of position.

“She replied, ‘I’m gonna kill you.’ Wow. Doesn’t sound like something you’d say to your older sister, does it? I’ll wring her neck later.”

“Are you on bad terms with your sister?”

That aside, I wonder what Toudou-san’s family life is like.

I’m curious, even as I ponder which card to play.

“We fight about once a week, and then I make her pancakes to make up. She loves sweets, you see.”

“That’s…”

…sounds like you get along great, doesn’t it?

I was about to murmur that, but stopped myself.

There’s no need to make a tactless comment.

In reality, this straightforward older sister and her younger sister probably have a great relationship.

Toudou-san lets out a cackle, then looks back at her phone with a healthy smile.

“Oh, she sent another reply. She says, ‘Introduce me, too.'”

“I don’t particularly mind. Shall we go get something to eat at a café sometime?”

“Ignoring Kajiwara-kun’s comment. ‘Nope,’ I send.”

And here I was thinking I didn’t mind…

Well, I guess that’s the kind of reply you’d expect from Toudou-san.

I’m starting to get a handle on her personality.

She’s a mischief-maker.

She takes pleasure in stirring things up.

“So, anyway, Kajiwara-kun. What’s the real story? How do you see me, as a woman? I’m flat-chested and tall, sure. But I think I’m a pretty decent catch. Not as good as Chihiro, though. I’m a bargain, you know?”

Toudou-san leans in close to me.

I respond to Toudou-san’s sales pitch with a smile of my own.

Toudou-san’s jokes can be pretty intense.

“As far as I’m concerned, I think you’re every bit as wonderful as President Takahashi. I’d like you to stop putting yourself down.”

I sounded incredibly serious.

I answered with such heartfelt words.

I don’t really want to reply to this kind of thing with a flippant comment.

To me, the members of the Modern Culture Research Club are irreplaceable.

There’s no way I could treat them carelessly.

“Ooh!? That’s… an unexpected answer.”

Toudou-san replies, shrinking back a little.

She seems a bit shy, squirming in her seat.

I’m completely serious.

I like Toudou-san’s frivolous nature, but I have no intention of responding to it with the same frivolity.

“Toudou-san, you should really stop selling yourself short.”

Toudou-san quietly gave a small nod.

She’s blushing.

No way, is she embarrassed?

“I’ll play a creature.”

Wanting to change the mood, I decide to chant a summoning spell, but…

“I’ll burn it.”

It was burned in an instant.

The creature I just put out was killed immediately, leaving me with no moves to make.

A cruel fate has befallen my creature.

“Bad call!”

The sharp critique came from President Takahashi, who’s acting as the judge.

From her perspective, keeping track of both my and Toudou-san’s card advantage, it was apparently a terrible move.

Well, I mean.

I know it was a bad call, but…

“Hehehe, Kajiwara-kun. You lost your composure. That’s what I was aiming for.”

…because Toudou-san looks so happy, her eyes gleaming.

gleam

I figure it’s fine.

This is fun in its own way.

I’m not looking for victory.

A player should do their best to win, but joy isn’t found in victory alone.

The best thing is—the friendship between players.

Sharing the joy of playing is what’s most wonderful of all.

“Alright, I’m aiming for a comeback from here on out!”

Watching Toudou-san slap the edge of the table.

Smack

A smile spread across my face.

I’m definitely living my own otaku springtime of youth.