When I Was Rejected and Returned Home, My Childhood Friend, Who Should Have Been Distant, Was in My Room - Chapter 24: Spoiler Alert

Chapter 24: Spoiler Alert

During the usual school break time, the slightly longer break between second and third period, I was reading a manga alone.

Originally, I wasn’t the type to read manga on an app, but someone recommended one to me, and I tried it out. I got completely hooked, and now I read it whenever I have free time during breaks…

“Hey, Masaki-kun, what are you doing?”

“Oh, Hoshino.”

“Oh, you’re reading Baxas!”

Before I could answer, Hoshino peeked at my smartphone screen and said happily. Baxas is short for “Backtime Suspense,” a sci-fi spy action story disguised as a school harem manga, with intense heroine depictions (I mean that as a compliment).

“What? You got hooked despite everything?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“You were so obsessed with paper manga, but now you’re totally into it, huh?”

I felt embarrassed and looked away as Hoshino put her hand to her mouth and laughed slyly. It made sense, because the person who recommended this app was none other than Hoshino herself.

When I mentioned I couldn’t wait for the new Baxas volume, she said, “You can read ahead with the app, you know?” That was the trigger for me to install my first manga app ever.

I knew about apps, of course, but I was firmly in the “manga is for paper” camp. I thought you couldn’t enjoy checking the remaining pages by hand or the feeling of turning them on a smartphone. So, when Hoshino told me I could read ahead, I wasn’t keen at first…

“The temptation to read this every week was too much to resist…”

In the end, I settled on a compromise—or maybe a contradictory approach—where I read on the app and then buy the volume when it comes out to binge-read it.

“Hehe, you gave in to technology.”

“Yeah, honestly, I can’t wait for next week. I’m even debating paying to read the latest chapter.”

“Nice, nice!”

Hoshino let out an evil laugh and voice, like a mad scientist doing human experiments, looking delighted.

“Nothing feels better than turning a paper manga fan into an app user!”

“App user? That’s the first time I’ve heard that term.”

“Details don’t matter, as long as you get it!”

With light steps, Hoshino sat down in the seat in front of me, which was empty.

“So? What’s your take?”

She leaned forward with one elbow on the desk. I put both elbows on the desk and faced Hoshino seriously.

“Man, it was insane…!”

“I totally get it!”

My opinion was basically zero points for eloquence, but Hoshino nodded in strong agreement. Like a dam breaking, I started sharing my thoughts with her.

“No, it’s obviously fun, but this week’s plot was so unexpected! Like, they just dove into a new arc with no warning!?”

“Right, right! I was reading casually and got shocked! It was fun, but it’s like eating katsu don and finding a second piece of katsu hidden in the rice!”

As expected from rice-loving Hoshino, she didn’t hold back on food metaphors. If a dish like that was served, it’d probably cause indigestion, but I totally got what she meant.

“Man, I can’t wait for next week!”

“Yeah…”

Since we were talking in the classroom, we avoided spoilers. Naturally, we just poured out how fun it was and ended up feeling wistful together.

“Man, Masaki-kun, you’ve got such good taste. Talking with you is so fun!”

“I feel the same. Manga talks with you are seriously fun, Hoshino…”

Maybe part of why it’s fun to talk with Hoshino is that we share the same passion for things we love. As we talked, the manga’s afterglow came back, and we both sighed deeply.

“What are you two talking about?”

““Whoa!””

As we sighed, a hand landed on my desk, and a face popped up from there.

“Aiki, don’t scare us like that…”

“It’s not my fault. I came close, and you two didn’t notice.”

I peeked at the side of the desk, and Aiki was crouching, holding the edge of the table. A girl shouldn’t sit like that… it’s careless…

“So, what were you talking about?”

Maybe noticing my gaze, Aiki stood up while brushing off her skirt.

“Oh, we were talking about Baxas. The latest chapter updated on the app today.”

“Oh, really? I’m a paper manga fan, so I didn’t know.”

“Can we really call you a paper manga fan…?”

Aiki’s so-called paper manga fandom meant she didn’t buy manga herself but read the ones in my room without permission. Lately, she’s been coming over more often, and she’s nearly conquered all the manga in my room.

“Brat, you don’t use the app?”

Hoshino asked Aiki, who shifted her gaze to Hoshino. There’s a height difference even when standing, so both Hoshino and Aiki looked like their necks were straining a bit.

“Nope, I don’t. It’s a hassle to install an app just for Baxas.”

“What? Why not? There’s tons of other fun stuff too!”

There’s been a slight change in Aiki and Hoshino’s relationship. Hoshino started calling Aiki “Brat.” At first, Aiki hated it, saying it was childish, but Hoshino kept at it, and eventually, Aiki gave in.

Thanks to Hoshino’s strong communication skills, they’ve gotten a bit closer. Well, aside from the nickname, not much else has changed, but still…

“It’s fine. Plus, if I read ahead on the app, it’d ruin the fun of reading at Masamune’s place.”

“You’re not mistaking my room for a library, are you…?”

Every time you come, you hog my bed, which is kind of inconvenient for me. I showed my annoyance with a look, and Aiki bowed her head slightly. Oh, she’s actually reflecting…?

“I’m looking forward to the new volume.”

“It’s not a library!”

I’d buy it anyway, even if you didn’t say that! I’m supporting the author! Aiki quickly raised her head and looked at Hoshino with a satisfied expression.

“So, that’s why I don’t use the app. Masamune lends me his, and it’s not inconvenient.”

“Hmm, I see…”

After saying that, Hoshino flashed a sly grin and turned to me.

“Then, Masaki-kun, we can’t have this week’s Baxas discussion with Brat, huh?”

“Yeah, true. It’d be total spoilers.”

“What!?”

Aiki’s face showed she’d been hit with a clean counter from Hoshino’s words. She looked at me with a pleading expression. But Hoshino, with a knowing look, didn’t let up.

“Especially this week, right?”

“Yeah, no way we can spoil this.”

“What? What happened?”

Seeing Hoshino’s deliberate suggestive expression, Aiki started to panic visibly. Her rare panicked face was so amusing that I couldn’t help but join in.

“Man, it’s just… you know?”

“Yeah, who’d have thought Nagisa would… oops, almost slipped.”

“What? Did something happen to Nagisa-chan?”

“Hey, careful, Hoshino.”

“Hehe, my bad~”

Learning something happened to Nagisa-chan, the childhood friend heroine and her favorite, Aiki panicked even more. Nice, she’s fun to tease… After nearly ten years of knowing her, I just discovered this. I looked up, and Hoshino seemed to be thinking the same, flashing a mischievous grin.

“But, if we talk more, it’ll be spoilers~”

“Yeah, looks like Aiki’s gotta wait for the volume.”

“You two… you’re so mean about this… Stop nodding smugly with your arms crossed! That’s the worst part of otaku!”

She tried to rile us up desperately, but we were unfazed.

“Even if you say that, right?”

“Right?”

“Ugh!”

Finally losing patience, Aiki whipped out her smartphone from her pocket.

“Fine, I’ll read it! Tell me the app’s name!”

“There we go~”

As if waiting for those words, Hoshino instantly pulled out her smartphone, stood up, and showed the screen to Aiki. Aiki compared her phone with Hoshino’s, operating it. Hoshino looked thrilled. So, this is what “app user” means…

Nodding to myself, I checked my phone and saw break time was almost over. Better hit the bathroom… I confirmed Aiki and Hoshino were busy and stood up.

“Huh? Masaki-kun, you going somewhere?”

“Yeah, just picking some flowers.”

“What’s that? Just say bathroom.”

I was trying to be considerate of the girls… but it backfired. Even Aiki, who was focused on her phone, gave me a cold look.

“Uh, alright, I’m off!”

Feeling awkward, I scurried out and opened the classroom’s back door.

* * * * * * *

“Phew…”

I finished at the bathroom and checked the time on my phone. More time was left than I thought. Gotta love a 15-minute break…

“Now, how far has Aiki read…?”

I muttered quietly to myself. The Baxas chapter Hoshino and I dodged talking about was actually where the protagonist, Tooru, and Nagisa fell into an enemy trap and got separated.

With Nagisa, who always protected him, suddenly gone, readers were thrilled about how Tooru would face this new arc…! But with Nagisa, the author’s favorite, temporarily exiting, many fans worried about the author’s health or mental state.

With how attached Aiki is, she’s probably freaking out right now. Hoshino’s likely laughing at her. Thinking that, I reached the classroom. That’s when it happened.

“Hey, isn’t that Himuro-san?”

Two unfamiliar girls’ conversation reached my ears.