Vol 2 Chapter 47 – Full Throttle Here—Indian to the Right!

“To cut to the chase, I think the result isn’t bad. I mean, I don’t think Torako-chan is a bad person. I’d even say it’s our duty as otaku to drag newbies into the deep end. I want to see her sink into that abyss with a blissful smile on her face. Socially suffocating levels of blissful.”

I’ll state my position again.

My beloved President Takahashi asked for my opinion.

I felt I needed to make my stance clear.

“So Emma isn’t against it either. Well, I figured you wouldn’t be. Yeah, you’re right, Emma. It’s basically our duty as otaku to gently and slowly sink beginners into the deep end. Obviously.”

President Takahashi sighed as she removed her glasses.

To begin with, I was an otaku—but an unproductive one.

From that state, President Takahashi taught me, step by step, how to draw manga.

And how to make friends.

Of course, I also have feelings for Kajiwara-kun.

There’s no way someone like me could tell Torako-chan “you’re the only one who’s not allowed.”

I never had the right to object in the first place.

“Well—we won’t know until we see how it goes, but I think she’s a good kid so far, right? If it weren’t for the Kajiwara-kun situation, we’d have welcomed a new club member who was already interested in otaku culture with open arms from the start.”

Segawa-chan delivered her judgment based on everything that had happened so far.

Yeah, I don’t think she’s a bad person.

In fact, compared to me with my lack of social skills, she seems like a much better person.

That’s how I put myself down internally, but I don’t say such things out loud—not just because it makes me sad, but because President Takahashi gets angry and says things like “Don’t put down my friend.”

“You think so too, Segawa-chan?”

“Perfect communication skills. More than adequate drawing ability. She’s got her kinks too. I’d say she’ll be fine, right? Much better result than having a flood of randos with no interest in proper otaku activities.”

Segawa-chan’s cool-headed assessment.

Seeming to find that convincing, President Takahashi let out a sigh.

“As a club member, I have no complaints either. Well, too late now anyway. I already said we’d accept her.”

Shuffle.

President Takahashi shuffled the cards wrapped in her card sleeves, even doing that shaka-pachi thing while seeming to convince herself.

“Alright! Let’s move forward!! Starting today, we’re a six-person club! We’re gonna conquer the world!”

“…Let’s give it our all. Though I’m not sure where this ‘otaku world domination’ is.”

“…Probably aiming for wall circle status or incorporation?”

President Takahashi answered while tilting her head.

As for me—Emma—well.

Of course I’m scared that Kajiwara-kun might become infatuated with her.

But more than that, I’m afraid President Takahashi will dote on the new club member and my share of her attention will be stolen.

I’m afraid there won’t be any room left for her to pay attention to me.

Even as I think these yuri-esque thoughts, I can’t voice them.

Of course I want my seishun with Kajiwara-kun, but my time with President Takahashi is just as precious to me.

Having that stolen from me would be a fear equivalent to something out of Cthulhu Mythos.

Like something absolutely monstrous creeping along the walls.

That’s the kind of fear I’m feeling.

“Since I didn’t want to leave those two alone together until club time—out of childishly spiteful emotions—Hatsune went to pick up the first-year from her classroom. Well anyway, let’s have Torako-chan start drawing a manga!!”

President Takahashi’s words sounded excited.

Well, she would never abandon me.

I believed that much, at least.

Nodding slightly, I looked at the extra desk we’d gotten from the student council room.

It was the seat prepared for Tachibana Torako-chan.

Though it was an older model, we had spare used LCD tablets besides the one we’d given Kajiwara-kun.

She wouldn’t lack for work equipment.

And she’d have President Takahashi, a truly excellent instructor who would teach from scratch.

“Now then, I hope Hatsune and Torako-chan aren’t having some weird fight. I hope they’re not saying bizarre and obscene things like ‘Don’t steal my dick. Don’t steal Kajiwara-kun’s dick.'”

While voicing complete distrust in her best friend’s character and humanity, President Takahashi sipped kelp tea from a ceramic sushi-style teacup with the characters for “President” written on it, waiting for the three of them to arrive.

“UWOOOOOOO! CONAN THE GREAT!!”

Some kind of barbarian war cry—and for some reason, even shouting a barbarian’s name.

Unmistakably Toudou Hatsune’s voice.

Echoing through the hallway, she slammed open the club room’s sliding door with a bang.

“Torako-chan says she’s quitting the club!”

At that, President Takahashi violently spit out her kelp tea.

What did she just say?

I doubted my ears and tried to ask something, but before I could, Segawa-chan stood up.

“What did you do. It’s the first day of trial membership and she’s already quitting—what did you do!?”

She was a little pissed.

Segawa-chan had concluded that Toudou-chan must have done something.

But—probably not.

“I didn’t do anything! Hear it from her! I’ll bring her now!!”

Liver blow.

We nerds don’t have the power to hurt people.

But well, if you punch someone’s liver with all your might, even Toudou-chan could get Segawa-chan to let go of her collar.

“I knew I’d get blamed! Torako! O-Tora! Get in here!!”

“Um, yeah. I’ll explain properly myself. Also, Toudou-senpai, I never once said I wanted to quit the club. Don’t just decide that on your own.”

Looking nervous and hesitant, Torako-chan and Kajiwara-kun appeared a moment later.

Kajiwara-kun wore a slightly sullen expression, as if displeased with the situation somehow.

And Torako-chan appeared in the club room looking extremely apologetic.

“So it’s not Hatsune’s fault?”

“Toudou-senpai didn’t say anything to me. I don’t want to quit either. But, due to family circumstances, or rather—”

Tachibana Torako-chan.

In her flashy gyaru-style modified uniform, she explained:

“My mother is strongly opposed to me joining. Um, how do I put this—I’m sorry to be in this position as a trial member, but if possible, please help me. It’s pathetic to say, but I don’t think I can convince my mother without your help, senpai…”

Torako-chan pleaded for mercy, her tone at the end somehow resembling a peasant begging a magistrate for tax relief.

I widened my eyes and exchanged glances with President Takahashi.

“Huh? What’s her problem?”

Torako-chan’s mother is probably an otaku.

She must be an otaku, since she owned our doujinshi.

For that otaku’s daughter to join the Contemporary Culture Research Club—for her to oppose that seemed truly puzzling to us.