CH 2.2

PUNISHMENT GAME COMPANIONSHIP?

The classroom was sparsely populated…and the moment we walked in, there was a buzz in the classroom. The only people not making a fuss were Nanami’s two friends. …Her friends also arrived early.

Amidst the noisy classroom, the two of them were the first ones to approach us with a smile on their faces. Let’s see, what were their names again…?

“…Nanami’s extremely bold. I never expected you to come in holding hands.”

“…Hatsumi? …Y-Yeah, well….”

A friend of Nanami-san’s, her hair was long and straight, different from Nanami’s which was fluffy….she seemed surprised by Nanami’s behaviour, but her tone was gentle and kind, giving a sense of relief….I think her name was Hatsumi-san.

Nanami responded to her words with a sly smile.

She was also dressed like a gal; however, she was of a different type when compared to Nanami-san. She had blackish eyes, which matched her long black hair. However, her long black hair had red highlights in some places.

Her eyes were very sharp and reminiscent of a carnivorous beast that was hunting for its prey, which exuded a certain offensive beauty to it.

Naturally, her skirt was also relatively short, and her chest area was boldly exposed…but the part of her chest that was exposed was rather tense. She held her hands on her waist, giving off a somewhat ‘mighty’ air.

“Congratulations, Nanami♪.”

“Ayumi, thank you.”

And then there was another. She was a girl with short hair, and she had a loose smile on her face… clapping her hands in a somewhat innocent way. She seemed to be congratulating us honestly. Turning over to look at me, she smiled at me and said, “Congratulations, Misumai-kun”, all the while clapping her hands.

She had light brown hair with loose waves that stretched just above her shoulders. She was rather small in stature, but her breasts seemed rather large for her height, which I guess you could say was a special characteristic of hers.

There was also a chain of a pendant visible from her cleavage. Despite this, the tip of the pendant was tucked between her chest, so you couldn’t really see what it was.

I wondered if it was a locket? It appeared to be shining rather brightly.

She had a loose smile on her face and a slightly droopy look in her eyes, giving her a very adorable impression. Honestly, if someone told me she was our junior, I would believe them.

Once again, the three of them lined up to form a magnificent sight…..although the three of them are different types, just standing there is like gravure models in a magazine.

Even so, I couldn’t believe that these two girls came up with the idea of a punishment confession, seeing their response and all. I was surely expecting them to grin and ridicule me.

On the contrary, they really seemed to be congratulating me and Nanami-san on our relationship.

…If this smile of theirs, is an act, I’m afraid I’ll start losing faith in all women.

“Misumai-kun, can I borrow her for a minute? I’d like to hear more about Nanami-san’s juicy details…Oh, and if you’d like, why don’t you join in as well?”

“No, it’s alright. I don’t want to get in the way of your girls’ talk ……I’ll see you later, Nanami-san.”

When I let go of her hand, she looked slightly disappointed but quickly walked out of the classroom with her two friends.

Well, since we’re talking about a punishment confession here, they can hardly talk about it when I’m in their presence. And she already seemed to know that I would say no to her invitation earlier.

I took a look at my empty hand after she left, closing and opening it, with the warmth of her hand still lingering in it, as if to soak up the afterglow.

“I guess this is how it feels to be unworthy……”

For now, I sent her off and sat down in my seat.

I placed my bag down.

Well then…what should I do from here?

I casually glance around at my noisy surroundings.

I could see that a few of the people in the classroom who had been looking at us inquisitively earlier were fidgeting awkwardly as if they wanted to ask us something. …It probably won’t take more than a few minutes for them to crowd around me.

I can already imagine the questions that they would ask me. Or rather, what else could it be. …How should I respond to their questions? In the first place, will I be able to survive until Nanami-san comes back? That’s probably the more important question.

And then, the first person came to my seat..followed by a second…and before I knew it, classmates whose names and faces I don’t recognize swarm towards me, firing questions at me like arrows.

This was the first time in my life that I’ve been surrounded by so many people.

The question that was unanimously asked to me:

“Why were you holding hands with Nanami-san in the classroom?”

Everyone flocked over to me, wanting to know the answer.

As a matter of fact, the answer to that question was also something I wanted to know…But for the time being, I’m going to be honest with them.

“Nanami-san and I are going out, so…”

“That’s a lie!!”

Interrupting when I was talking… I couldn’t believe it.

No, it was more akin to a heartfelt cry, as if they couldn’t believe what they’d just heard. But then again, people wouldn’t usually believe that an asocial person like me would be dating a girl like her.

Ah, I added [someone like me] again…even though Nanami-san warned me not to. Well, I can’t do it all at once, but…I’ll gradually try to improve in this area from now on.

And then I was on the receiving end of a barrage of questions until Nanami-san and the others came back. The number of people in the classroom gradually increased, and so did the number of people around me…The questions being asked to me were still the same, though.

As I was struggling to answer the barrage of questions being hurled over at me, the crowd suddenly split in two.

It was like a scene from Moses’ Ten Commandments. The fence was broken apart and what came out of it was Nanami, Hatsumi, and Ayumi.

Like a scene out of a movie, the three of them sashayed through the broken crowd…and I couldn’t help but admire their coolness. As the three of them stood in front of me, their questions gradually shifted from me to Nanami-san.

“Hey, hey, why did you come holding hands with Misumai? Are you playing some sort of game? If so, I’d like to play with you too, Nanami-san…”

“Hmm? Because I confessed to Youshin-san yesterday, and we started going out? Isn’t it normal to hold the hands of your boyfriend?”

The people around me rolled their eyes at Nanami-san’s words, which she said so simply. The classroom, which had been so noisy, was now enveloped in silence.

The boys’ eyes were stained with despair, and some even fell to their knees. The girls looked at Nanami-san and me alternately and looked at each other in disbelief.

…A moment ago, they wouldn’t believe anything I said, but when it came to Nanami-san, they easily believed her……The influence of the top caste is astounding.

“There you go. The both of them just started dating, so please take your time and watch over them.”

“That’s right. Come on, just leave them alone already.”

“Ah, uhm, thank you…Hatsumi and Ayumi…right?”

Everyone reluctantly returned to their seats after the girls’ comments. I thanked them, but when Nanami-san heard my words, her cheeks puffed up at once.

It was an extremely clear sign that she was angry. Cute. No, cute doesn’t cut it in this situation.

Did I do something to offend her?

“…W-Why did you call Hatsumi and Ayumi  by their first names? Y-Yet, from the very beginning, you kept calling me by my last name…”

“Ah…so that was it.”

…You’re sulking, Nanami-san.

No, I just didn’t know their names. I only said the names I learned. I had no other intentions. Now then, how am I supposed to react to that cute sulk of hers…

“Ahahahahaha, that can’t be helped, Nanami-chan. He’s never had any contact with us before. I’m Otofuke Hatsumi. Nice to meet you, Misumai-san.”

“I’m Kamiechi Ayumi. Nice to meet you, Nanami’s boyfriend.”

“Ah yeah, likewise. See, I told you, Nanami-san, I had no other intentions. Thank you, Otofuke-san, Kamiechi-san.”

I turned over to thank the two people once again, this time calling them out by their last names.

Then, the puffy cheeks that Nanami-san had before disappeared along with her bad mood, leaving behind a bright smile.

Hmm…it seems like I’m not paying enough attention to my surroundings…I’ll have to be more careful from now on. Maybe I should at least match my classmates’ faces with their names.

As I secretly made up my mind to do so, Nanami-san took a deep breath and leaned forward to face me.

The sweet and savoury scent that suddenly drifted from her tickled my nose, making me nervous.

“Youshin-kun, what’re you planning to do for lunch today?”

“Lunch? I usually go to the cafeteria…to buy something proper to eat, like bread or something…”

“I’ve prepared a bento box for you today, Youshin-kun. So…if you’d like…and it’s not too much trouble for you…w-would you like to eat with me?”

In the second half of her sentence, Nanami-san hid her face slightly, as if embarrassed, and made an unexpected proposal towards me.

“It’s no bother at all. In fact, I’d be happy to.”

It was all I could do to reply to the unexpected invitation to lunch that was made to me while the whole classroom was staring at me.

At the same time, it became clear to me that she was carrying a slightly larger bag than yesterday…

This is a punishment confession relationship, right, Nanami-san? Don’t you think you’re being a little too serious about all this?

I was happy about it, of course. But it just surprised me to the point that my brain couldn’t keep up with it.

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I’m having lunch with my girlfriend.

Getting lunch with your girlfriend. Any guy has definitely fantasized about that at least once. I don’t think there’s a yin yang difference or anything in that area. No, but I don’t know if it’s definite.

At the very least, I, being the asocial person I am, fantasized about it.

Fantasies are free.

It went something like this.

My girlfriend and I were alone on the roof. She looked a little embarrassed and slowly opened her lunch box, but she told me she made a little mistake as a precautionary measure.

However, contrary to her words, the contents of the lunch box were perfectly cooked and delicious. I ate it and told her it was delicious, which made her smile, and we went on to spend a happy lunch break together, chatting and laughing…

It was such a normal fantasy. I think it’s probably a fantasy that even boys would understand.

But I never imagined that it would happen to me. I always thought fantasies would remain a fantasy.

But it didn’t end in fantasy. It was about to happen to me in reality. With Nanami-san, no less.

She confessed to me due to a punishment game, but after meeting up with me, she came to school holding my hand and even made me lunch.

Her degree of seriousness towards this punishment game was abnormal.

There were already plenty of events that made me feel this way. However, could this really be interpreted as a form of her liking me? A one in ten thousand…no, maybe even less. I think it’s safe to say that there is such a possibility.

No…I shouldn’t be too conceited. I don’t remember doing anything to make her like me that much. As of yet, I hadn’t done anything to make her fall in love with me.

I’ll keep in mind that this is probably Nanami-san’s way of pursuing her ‘ideal girlfriend’ image. If I didn’t think so…I probably wouldn’t be able to stand by now. Mainly from the way people were looking at me.

The two of us were currently on the rooftop during lunch break. Our high school has an open rooftop, so it isn’t uncommon for people to eat on the roof during lunch break. It’s not uncommon, but…

There sure are a lot of people here today. Maybe it’s not just my imagination.

“When the weather is nice outside, the rooftops are really nice. Oh, there’s a bench over there where we can eat. Let’s go, Youshin-kun.”

“Sure, Nanami-san.”

I don’t have to tell you why there are so many people. They were probably there to watch me and Nanami-san have lunch together. But even though there were so many people, very few crowded around Nanami-san and me.

Everyone seemed to have gathered from afar to watch Nanami-san and me. It was like the doughnut phenomenon we learned about in class.

Incidentally, Otofuke-san and Kamiechi-san were not here.

They left, saying they were going to have lunch with their boyfriends for the first time in a while. Apparently, they secretly sneaked out of campus to meet up with their boyfriends.

I was told that up until yesterday, they would always spend their lunchtimes together with Nanami-san, but it seems there’s a sudden change of plans I don’t know about.

However, was that their way of guarding Nanami-san, who was not used to men? A bit overprotective, if I had to say.

And they probably passed on that role to me. That’s probably why they’re not here. I’m feeling a lot of pressure to take on such a big role like this.

But more than that, the amount of stares I’m getting is really severe.

I didn’t mind the curious stares from the girls. It feels unpleasant, but it’s relatively harmless, and they seem to be more interested in Nanami-san than me. I mean, why would they wanna look at me?

If that’s the case, then it’s probably self-consciousness that I’m concerned about.

The problem was how the boys were looking at me.

Hatred, malice, resentment, jealousy, regret, anger…gazes filled with various emotions were being directed at me. It was as if I could feel their gazes piercing through my body.

Seeing as Nanami-san was here, it looks like they won’t attack me, but I could feel their eyes on me, waiting to strike at any given moment. I’m almost certain that when she’s gone, they’ll attack me.

There’s an expression, “If you could kill a man with hate or a gaze”,

I would like to say that I would rather receive that gaze.

Their hatred was coming to kill me.

Their gazes were going to kill me.

I could feel a hole opening in my stomach.

I desperately wanted to scream at the boys around me not to worry, to tell them that Nanami-san was doing all this purely for the sake of the punishment game, but I couldn’t do that, so I had to endure this pain all by myself.

“Is there something wrong, Youshin-kun? Come here quickly.”

Before I knew it, Nanami-san was sitting on the bench, tapping the seat right next to her with her hand, inviting me to sit right next to her.

I did as she asked and sat down right next to her. She had two small lunch boxes in her hand and handed me one of them.

“…Perhaps this was why you got up so early today?”

“…Yes. Oh, are you not a homemade person?”

“Ah, no. No, it’s fine. I mean, it must have been hard for you.”

“Ehehe…..I did my best, okay?”

Her cheeks flushed, looking vividly embarrassed.

…So this is Nanami-san’s bento.

She got up at the crack of dawn just to do this for me…

I wonder what it was. I feel like I can withstand the stares being poured onto me right now. Maybe it’s due to the good shape I’m in or the amount of money I have on me right now…

But I’m sure I’m invincible now, in a mental sense.

“I really wanted to surprise you during lunchtime, but Hatsumi asked me what I would do if you brought your lunch today…so…I’m glad you didn’t bring your lunch today.”

“I didn’t expect Nanami-san to make me a bento box either. I’m glad.”

I get my lunch money from my parents, so I basically just buy bread at the grocery store or eat in the school cafeteria…and now I’ve got a whole bunch of lunch money floating around.

Well, even if I had bought my own lunch, I would have definitely eaten this. I’m not a big eater, but I’m sure I can afford this much.

No, I would force myself to eat it. That’s just how important this lunch box is, even I could understand that.

“Hey, don’t just stand there. I want you to open it…”

“Ah, sorry. I’ll take it then.”

I opened the bento box that was handed to me with great anticipation.

Turns out Nanami-san was actually a bad cook, but I kept at it and finished the whole thing…at least that was the development I thought would happen, but no, the bento box looked pretty normal, and tasty to boot.

“Wow…”

I couldn’t help but let out a squeal of admiration. This was the first time I’d seen a girl’s homemade lunch. I wondered what it looked like…opening it revealed something too dazzlingly beautiful for me.[check]

There were three cute little riceballs wrapped in Nori(seaweed) and sprinkled with Furikake, giving them a very colourful appearance.

[Tl notes: Furikake is a dry Japanese condiment that is sprinkled over food, like riceballs or onigiri]

The omelette was a beautiful yellow with no sogginess, and it shimmered like gold.

For the main course, there were four pieces of karaage, surrounded by lettuce and cherry tomatoes, giving it a vivid colour.

I slowly placed the lunch box on the bench before anything else.

Nanami-san tilted her head in response to my actions…but I didn’t care. Without hesitation, I whipped out my smartphone and started taking pictures of the bento in front of me.

I took several pictures in a row, all from different angles.

“H-Hey!? W-What are you doing!?”

“No, I can’t eat this work of art until I’ve documented it. It just looks too good to eat.”

Even though I don’t usually take pictures of my meals, I felt obligated to take this one. Besides, this was a memorable first bento.

After taking a dozen or so photos, with a bewildered Nanami-san at my back, I placed my hands together again, satisfied, for the bento box and Nanami-san.

“Itadakimasu.”

“…Please enjoy.”

Nanami-san replied with a slightly embarrassed expression on her face. Looking at that made me kinda happy.

The rice ball was made of hard rice and softly squeezed, and the rice seemed to melt in my mouth.

The omelette was not too hard or soft and it had a sweet flavour that was perfect for my taste.

In short, everything was delicious.

I was so immersed in eating, but I felt that I should say something clever, so I took the second riceball.

“The rice balls are small and cute in size. And they’re beautifully round.”

“Thank you. My hands are so tiny that I can’t help but make them that size. Is it enough?”

Nanami-san waved both her palms at me, and it was only then that I became aware that those tiny fingers of hers were the ones that had formed this rice ball.

…This is bad. I’m becoming more conscious of her. Something is wrong with me. I can’t tell exactly tell you what, but it’s bad! T-That’s right, the onigiri. T-They were made by her hands…

My mind was in such a disorder that I lost all my vocabulary, but I still tasted and ate her lunch.

Maybe it was because I was so engrossed in eating it, or maybe it was because the food came in such a small lunch box…that I ate up all the food in the lunch box in no time at all.

“Thank you for the meal. It was delicious.”

“O-oh, it’s nothing so great.”

Seeing that she was still eating, I regretted having eaten too quickly.

“It’s basically my role to make bento’s, you know. Today I secretly made more than enough for one person and brought it for you.”

Does she have parents who worked like mine? That was when I thought about a great idea that could help her make Bentos…as I thought about that…

Gugu～……。

My stomach rumbled…quietly, but just loud enough for Nanami-san to hear. My face turned red at the sound of my stomach rumbling, and hers turned a little pale.

“I…I’m sorry!! T-That’s right, you’re a boy, so obviously, this spare bento box wouldn’t be enough! I should have thought about that a little more!”

She rushes over to apologize to me.

Stomach…you goddamn idiot!

Why couldn’t you hold out a little longer? At least endure until you’ve separated from Nanami-san if you’re a man!

But I have to admit…even though I’m not a very big eater, this amount was a little inadequate for me.

That’s why I was planning to buy some bread or something from the school store later…but then my gutless stomach had to go do something like that and put her to shame…

“S-Sorry, I still have more on my side….do you want some Karaage?”

As I was reprimanding my stomach, Nanami-san offered me a piece of fried chicken that she had picked up with her own chopsticks.

Eh?

What does she mean?

This must be the so-called “Aah” composition. I’m sure of it because I’ve seen it a lot in mangas.

Perhaps she noticed this too because her face later turned red, but…she never lowered down her chopsticks. Rather, she held out her chopsticks even more strongly.

All noise disappeared from our surroundings…and it felt as if everyone was watching us with bated breath. I’m sure it wasn’t my imagination.

I was trembling, but I didn’t want to keep her waiting any longer, so I took a bite of the fried chicken she offered me, which was caught in between her chopsticks.

…I was so nervous that I couldn’t taste it…but I’m sure it tasted better than before. It surely can’t be that bad.

My stomach…you did a great job.

Her palms were whirling and rotating around like a drill, but no matter. Anyway, you’ve done a great job, my stomach. I’ll give you credit for that.

After retracting her chopsticks, Nanami proceeded to eat the rest of her lunch in silence.

“My……friends and I used to……feed each other like this…….”

“Heh……heh……is….. that so…….”

After that, we couldn’t really have a real conversation for a while.

It wasn’t until the redness in her face and mine disappeared and had turned to a normal colour that we were able to resume our conversation.

In that conversation, I honestly told her that the amount was not enough.

I was satisfied in so many more ways than one, and I couldn’t help but want to eat more. I didn’t want to hide the fact that I wasn’t getting enough and have my stomach growl again, so I was honest about it.

“Then, on the way home today, why don’t we go shopping together for a lunch box for you, Youshin-kun?”

That unexpected suggestion made me stop right in my tracks.

“…Can I interpret that as a sign that you’ll be making it again for me tomorrow?”

“I planned to…but it’s not a bother, right?”

“That’s out of the question. In fact, I’m extremely delighted.”

Her tone of voice was strange due to the effects of happiness and temper tantrums, but she only muttered a small “I’m glad” and clasped her hands in front of her chest.

God…I have no regrets if I die here right now. I’m sure the peak of my life is now!

I don’t care if the people who are looking at me kill me. Surely, I’ll never be happier than today.

As I was thinking about this, Nanami-san tilted her head, with her cheeks slightly tinted, and muttered in a low voice with an embarrassed smile on her face.

“It’s an after-school date.”

……God, let me retract my previous statement.

I’m going to live on no matter what!

Despite the murderous glares being thrown at me, I stood alone in my determination to do so.

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After school, Nanami-san and I went to a variety store that sold household goods. The purpose of our visit was, of course, to buy a large lunch box for me.

Thanks to my determination during lunch break, I managed to survive the day. No, no one actually tried to lay a hand on me, but it was a day where there was a lot of hostility and killing intent being directed at me.

To be honest, I felt a little depressed about going to school tomorrow.

“What’s wrong, Youshin-kun?”

“Ah, Nanami-san. It’s nothing.”

“Yeah? Or perhaps……you don’t like holding hands with me? If that’s the case, then I must’ve done something wrong…”

“No, no! It’s not like that; I’d……be happy……to hold hands with you, Nanami-san.”

As if peering into my face, Nanami-san next to me said something in a worrying voice, but she gave me a relieved smile at my reply.

That alone was enough to make the gloom of tomorrow seem to disappear.

Feeling the warmth of our hands clasped together, a positive thought came to my mind that I would be able to eat Nanami’s lunch again tomorrow. Well, it’s Nanami’s fault too, but let’s not think about that.

Then we started to choose a lunch box. The two of us started talking about this and that as we went on about choosing our lunch box. It’s like we’re a newlywed couple, I fantasized to myself.

“It’s like we’re newlyweds…….This is bad!”

The joy of her having the same idea as me, along with her dyed cheeks and embarrassed expression, was incredibly destructive.

“I……was just thinking the same thing.”

I responded in a faint voice, but I was slapped on the back by a red-faced Nanami.

What a comforting pain…..No. I don’t mean I’m an M or anything like that, but it really makes me feel happy, like everything I do makes me feel happy.

[tl notes: M=Masochist]

I mean even if I say we’re flirting, I was aware but not thinking of the changes in my thoughts as I finished choosing my bento, but that problem can be dealt with later.

“This is it. I’ll buy it then.”

When Nanami-san started heading for the cash register with it, I rushed to stop her.

I can at least buy my own lunch box, and if I had to, I’d even pay for the ingredients for today’s lunch. If not, then I’ll really look like a pimp.

But she refused to let me pay for the materials. She was adamant in her decision.

So I told her that I would at least buy my own lunch box, and she handed it to me. No, I mean, it’s obvious, anyone would pay for their own lunch box.

What kind of boyfriend makes his girlfriend buy his lunchbox for him when she’s already preparing his meals. Even I know that’s not going to happen.

But even though it was such an obvious thing, Nanami’s face lit up when she received the lunch box from me.

“It’s like I got a present.”

As she held the lunch box in her arms, she said,

“I’m sure a handsome man would be able to return the favour in a situation like this.”

…… Unfortunately, I’m not someone who can do that.

The most I could do was to bow my head to her and say,

“I look forward to working with you tomorrow.”

She didn’t even look uncomfortable hearing my words and smiled back, “I’ve been entrusted”. I wondered why she was being so nice to me.

I couldn’t understand the meaning behind her smile.

On the way home, Nanami-san asked me what I would like for lunch tomorrow.

I thought whatever Nanami-san made would be fine, but I heard somewhere that saying anything goes is a pretty annoying pattern; for the time being, I just requested a dish that came to mind.

“Let’s see…a hamburger?”

“Hamburgers, okay. Oh, are you okay with green peppers?”

“Yeah, I am. I can eat anything so long as it doesn’t have the smell of coriander or herbs.”

“I’m not a fan of coriander either. If that’s the case, I can cook you anything you want. Is that what you wanted me to say?

…Oh, so that’s how you should answer in such situations. I’m learning.

Nanami-san smiled, and repeated her words, knowing it was too late, but she still laughed heartily. Well, I got it, so that’s good.

We walked together, having such a conversation. Of course, we held hands. It feels like we were talking more smoothly than we did yesterday…yet, there was this unfamiliar feeling lingering in my chest, but I had fun overall.

Then, at the station where we met in the morning, we let go of our joined hands.

When we parted, Nanami-san told me that she would call me again at night. I just nodded my head in affirmation, unable to come up with a witty line, feeling bitter at myself for doing so.

But I can’t help it. Because I suddenly became aware of it.

The only reason she was going out with me was due to the punishment game.

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“…… and well…..that’s all that happened today.”

That’s how I reported today’s events to Baron-san. He listened to me all the way through without interrupting, even though I was using the chat area exclusively.

“No, enough with the negative monolog, it’s not about the punishment confession anymore, is it? She’s absolutely crazy about you.”

Baron-san listened to me till the end, but he immediately replied as if to say my struggle was meaningless. I denied his words, saying it was ridiculous.

“No, look, you’ve already held hands with her on the way to school, which I thought was impossible for this week, and she even made you a bento box, and if I’m not wrong, she fed you? You only confessed to her yesterday, right? That’s not normal at all. What kind of speed is that?”

No, wait, you didn’t even think I could make it through the week?

Well…..let’s not argue about that. I’ll just assume that he was setting the bar so high because I was asking him for advice.

“No, she’s going out with me due to the punishment confession to get used to men, so isn’t she just simulating it against me?”

“No, I would say that dating after a confession in a punishment confession is more practical…..I was rather expecting her to say something like, ‘I’m keeping you company, so don’t get carried away, and don’t talk to me at school.'”

“She’s not that kind of girl.”

Even though I was being given advice, I was a little annoyed by Baron-san’s tone and started to argue with him. I don’t know why I’m defending her, but I am.

I’m sure he can’t tell that I’m feeling uncomfortable because we’re just conversing by text, but I have an unpleasant feeling in my chest when people say bad things about her, even if it’s just a supposition.

Well, this is the kind of nuance that cannot be conveyed in writing. I knew that Baron-san didn’t mean any harm. It’s probably just me being too small-minded towards this kind of situation.

“For now, here are some possibilities considering her current condition.”

“Possibility one. She is a devilish type who finds pleasure in toying with men… was there ever such a beautiful woman in our country like that?”

“I don’t think so, because when they were deciding on the punishment game…her friend said that she wasn’t used to men.”

That’s why I was chosen, even though I was thought to be a herbivore. And if she had been that kind of person, she wouldn’t have to deal with the numerous men who confessed to her in the past. In fact, she would have been actively engaged in a relationship by now.

Regarding the first possibility, I can assure you that there is no chance in a million that she could be that person.

“Possibility two, since I’m pretty sure we’re going to break up in a month anyway, I don’t care if you don’t like me, so I’m creating an ideal image of myself and testing it on you.”

I see…so that’s Nanami-san’s ideal performance of a girlfriend…I thought it was strange since she was coming at me so aggressively, even though she wasn’t used to men, so if she was forcing herself to act, then that makes sense.

But if that really was acting, women sure are terrifying. I’ve thought about it before, but I’m pretty sure she can make a living as an actor.

She’s beautiful, cute, stylish, has a great personality, and just plain pretty.

“Possibility three, she’s already fallen in love with you because you saved her life the day she confessed her love to you .”

“I think that’s the least likely scenario because all I did was cover her up so that she wouldn’t get water on her. Is there such a thing…where someone can be madly in love with you due to just that?”

That degree could be done even if it wasn’t me. Could that make you fall in love with someone right away?

Well, I can’t say that I wasn’t at her mercy all day, but…the motivating factor for her liking me……still feels somewhat unbelievable.

[Tl notes: motivating factor prob refers to bucket incident]

“Possibility four, you’ve actually been reincarnated from another world, and you have the ability to make any woman who confesses to you fall madly in love with you.”

“Ain’t that ability a little too limited?”

Melting down a woman who confesses to you is an unnoticeable and pointless ability since she’s already madly in love with you when she confesses to you in the first place. Baron-san, I think that ability is a little too strange.

“Well, I’m thinking that possibility three is the most likely.”

“I think it’s one. You should break up with her right away before she hurts you.”

Peach-san entered the conversation, but she was gone as soon as she said that much. She was consistently harsh to Nanami. I guess she can’t stand the act of people playing with people’s hearts. She was a person with a strong sense of justice.

“I guess I’m two. Maybe it’s because I’m a practitioner who doesn’t mind if people don’t like me. So I can do a lot of things and act without worrying about my surroundings.”

“Well, possibility two or three doesn’t make much difference to what you’re doing.”

“……That’s true, too.”

Earlier, peach-san advised me to leave her right away. I’m sure she was speaking out of a sense of justice, but the truth is, I’m not so different when it comes to playing with people’s hearts.

After getting her to like me during this punishment game…what will I do?

“So, Canyon-san, did you thank her in some way for making your lunch?”

“Ah, no, I did say thank you, but I didn’t really give her anything in return because of all the……stuff.”

I was troubled as Baron-san mentioned the day’s events.

That’s right,  the only thing I could say was thank you for making my bento and feeding me fried chicken. She refused to let me pay for the ingredients, so there wasn’t anything much I could do to thank her.

When I told him this, Baron-san replied in a stunned manner.

“Material costs…You’re not dealing with a lunch vendor you know? You should buy her some sweets or do some other thing to repay her.”

Oh, I see, I didn’t think of that. I didn’t know there was such a way. I mean, I hadn’t thought of it at all….it slipped my mind entirely.

No, we went home together, so I had as many chances as I wanted…… This was all my fault.

“You’re right. I feel ashamed now that I’m aware of it, but I’ll try to express my gratitude towards her one way or another.”

“Oh, wait, Canyon-sam. The fact that you didn’t do anything today has given me an idea for your next mission. Your next mission is to…..ask your girlfriend out on a date this Saturday…….”

“D-Date!?”

I panicked at the sudden appearance of the command.

Asking her out on a date is too much of a leap of faith, I don’t think I can do it…but he’s giving me the command.

Nanami said that today was an after school date, but it was okay because she was the one who asked me out, and it was an extension of us going home together, but when you’re supposed to ask her out on a date instead, the……difficulty level explodes.

“You don’t have to think so hard. She wants to have an equal relationship with you, right? That’s why you need to return the lunch in moderation. Yes, you should go to the movies with her. That’s a classic.”

Movie date…..? What’s that unknown name? I definitely can’t do that. You want me to do that for you, Baron-san? Just how much more difficult can it get?

“It may be a little premodern, but you should be the one to pay for the entire date. If you say this is the expression of your ‘thanks’ for her making your lunch, won’t she accept it easily? Plus, you’re getting lunch money from your parents…surely you can afford to save that up, right?”

Indeed, he’s not wrong, since she told me that she would make my lunch every day from now on.

I feel bad about accepting it as it is, and I feel that I am far from the equal relationship she is talking about.

[The ‘it’ refers to him accepting the lunchbox without giving anything back in return]

As Baron said, if I want to keep seeing her, I must repay her in moderation, or I will continue to owe her.

It’s a punishment relationship, so I want to remain her equal, at least. No matter what the future holds. No matter what the outcome, I want to be sincere until then.

“Today, you only talked about yourself. Probably because she’s a good listener, but tomorrow you’d better get to know her tastes. Ask her what kind of movies she likes and what her tendencies are.”

“…..It’s a bit of a hurdle, but I’ll do my best!”

I couldn’t really see Baron-san right now, but I clench my fists and make up my mind.

“If you’ve already decided on what movie you wanna see, you should book the tickets in advance. If you buy them on the day of the movie itself, she might wanna pay for her own movie tickets. That’s why, if you buy it ahead of time, that won’t happen.”

“Thank you for everything. By the way…is that information also from the…?”

“Of course, I’m taking it all from the Internet. I heard it’s smart to do that on movie dates. It’s also a good idea to foot the bill when you get up from your seat for lunch or something.”

Even if it’s from the Internet, it’s an opinion I’d like to refer to, so I’ll keep that in mind for now.

“Remember, it’s important that you ask her out. Don’t just wait around idly forever. You have to show her that you are very interested in her. Otherwise, I don’t think she’ll ever come to like you…actually, no wait, I think she likes you a lot already.”

I really appreciate the advice, but I can’t help but disagree with the last point about being liked a lot. It may be partly because I don’t have much confidence in myself.

“Thank you, Baron-san.”

“I hope it all works out for you. And……Canyon-san, I know it’s important to be liked by her, but you should also try to like her at least, and if you keep dating her like that, I’ll be happy for you since I didn’t have such a good youth in high school.”

“Yes, I understand. I’ll do my best to……make her like me too.”

I told him that I’d do my best, and I actually thought that would be fine in that regard,

After all, I was starting to get a little attracted to her, even though I was aware that this relationship was forged through a punishment game.

No…I actually like her a lot, if I’m being honest. I was aware of that much.

…I’m…too easy. But it can’t be helped since I’m a high school boy.

[Tl notes: ‘easy’ like that boy is so simple]

Just as I was thinking about this, I received a message on my phone. The sender was…Nanami-san. This was what was written on there.

“…… Is it okay if I make a call now?”

As soon as I saw the message, I felt my resolve blow away, and I became impatient.

“Wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwhat should I do, Baron-san!? S-She wants to call me right now!! W-What do I do!?”

“Okay, okay, calm down, Canyon-san. Didn’t she tell you that she wanted to be in contact with you, so that’s quite normal. Don’t worry about it, just call her. Look, just stay calm and…..talk calmly.”

Baron-san told me that, and I indeed remembered that she said that she would call me at night.

Perhaps I should have contacted her first, but it can’t be helped since she was the one who contacted me first. I’ll reflect on this matter. At any rate, I paused for a beat and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll call you.”

I messaged her, and when I saw that she had read the message, I started the call.

As soon as I heard the first ring, she and I were connected.

“Sorry to bother you at this hour, Youshin. I was going to call you earlier, but I got caught up in a conversation with Hatsumi and Ayumi…what were you doing earlier? Is it another game?”

“Ah yeah, I was just playing a game earlier. My only hobbies are gaming and strength training, so…”

I can’t actually tell her that I was talking to Baron-san about what I was going to do tomorrow while I was playing the game, but I would never try to hide my hobbies.

That’s all I told her. I’m not one who can say anything clever, so that’s all I could say.

This isn’t the first time I’ve made a call on my phone, but it’s so different just because the other party is Nanami-san.

It felt as if Nanami-san was right next to my ear, which made me very nervous. Nanami-san had a beautiful voice, and even though I was just holding my phone up to my ear, it felt as if I wasn’t even in my own room.

“Muscle training, huh? You have a surprisingly good body. Why don’t you join a club or something? Well, I don’t either, but…”

“I’m not really good at sports-oriented activities. Nowadays, it’s enough to watch videos on how to train your body…I’m not opposed to physical activity, so I do a lot of strength training.”

“I think I know what you mean. You’re so quiet. You don’t seem like a gymnast at all.”

The sound of her laughter reverberating was pleasant to my ears.

But, it’s no good. I found myself talking all about myself again. I need to ask more about her……Let’s see, the topic I was talking about earlier was …….

“Speaking of which, what were you talking about with Otofuke-san and Kamiechi-san?”

“Uh, well… Did it seem strange today? Was it annoying? I hope I didn’t give you too much trouble. I mean, it’s my first time going out with a boy…..I had two girls grading me…….And many other things. ……”

Speaking of strangeness, I would have to say that it was strange from beginning to end. Not in a bad way, but in a good way for me.

She has rejected many handsome men in her life, and now she was holding hands with me on her way to school; how could any of that not look strange?

But the sound of her voice over the phone sounded a little uneasy.

At the very least, mentioning that it was weird here would make her even more anxious…….So I decided just to tell her what was good about it.

“I’ve never held hands with a girl before, let alone gone out with one, and I’ve never received a homemade lunch before, so I was surprised by a lot of things, but…all of them made me happy.”

This is my heartfelt impression, no lie. In this one day, many of the best things that have made me happy in high school so far have been rewritten.

Until now, all I’ve wanted to do is to win the character they wanted in the shadow game or get a higher rank or something like that……It was a parade of fun today, so much so that those things seemed to fade away.

“Really? …But Youshin seemed strangely calm…you’re always so quiet and inconspicuous in school, but you seem so used to girls. Are you really sure that I’m your first girlfriend?”

This was simply because I had received a lot of advice from Barron beforehand, not because I was calm……Apparently, I seemed calm to her.

“And then you were there at the same time as me. I was prepared to wait for a long time, you know?”

“It’s like I said, I just couldn’t sleep.”

“Then is it a coincidence that you noticed right away that I changed my hairstyle.”

It was just a coincidence, really. If I hadn’t gotten advice from Baron, I wouldn’t have noticed it, and even if I had, I wouldn’t have said it was cute.

Well, I only managed to say that she was cute because she urged me to…

“It was just a coincidence, really. As proof, I couldn’t say you were cute until Nanami-san urged me to. That’s how unfamiliar I am with girls. Even now, I’m nervous about the fact that I’m talking to a girl.”

“Perhaps I forced you to say that I was cute?”

“Oh, no. When I said you were cute, I meant it. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that it’s the first time I’ve ever said cute…….I was embarrassed.”

“Haha, I see, so you really meant it. So you think I’m cute…….T-Thanks.

Her cute voice, which she murmured in a small voice, strangely lingered in my ears.

That’s when my conversation with her was temporarily interrupted. Darn, how am I supposed to connect the dots from here?

…… No, Baron said it himself, ask her about her. Anything, anything at all…….Be brave, me!

“I…told you my hobbies were gaming and strength training, but come to think of it, what are your hobbies, Nanami-san?”

“My hobbies? Well, I enjoy reading books, watching movies, eating good food…..and shopping. It’s all rather mundane hobbies, you know?”

The movie, the movie has arrived! The movie mission that Baron sent to me has arrived!!

I only watch anime and special effects movies, so I’m not too familiar with so-called “regular” movies. So I’m going to use this as a starting point to figure out what she likes. Anyway, good luck to me!

“Movies. …… I don’t really watch movies, but what kind of movies do you like, Nanami-san?”

“Me? I like action movies, and I like romance movies. But I don’t like sad movies or horror movies. I like stories with happy endings…….Does Youshin like anime movies? Maybe a movie with a certain iconic character on it?”

It’s pretty obvious if you ask me.

Moreover, I forgot to change my character icon. The tone of her voice at the end sounded a little mean as if she was teasing me, but I didn’t find it unpleasant at all.

…I actually thought that it was kinda nice to be told that in a slightly mean tone.

“…Yeah, I like anime movies. Do you watch them too, Nanami-san?”

“Mu～…just as I thought, you’re still as calm as before. I was hoping to hear a little more panic in your voice….well, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

It wasn’t a calm reply at all, I just gave up, but apparently, it sounded calm to her.

“You like movies, don’t you, Nanami-san? What are the latest movie releases? I’m not very familiar with them…could you tell me about them?”

“I was actually thinking about watching the latest American comic book movie a while ago, but I’ve been thinking about it since I was in the mood for a romance film, which was much talked about by the public. However, I’ve been avoiding them at the moment since I’ve heard that they’ve some sexually explicit H scenes…”

“Well, how about…watching one with me this Saturday?”

“What…?”

No, ‘What’ was also something I wanted to say to myself as well. What did I just say? Why the heck am I asking her this out of the blue?

Also, with the way the conversation was going, wasn’t this the worst time to ask her that question? Couldn’t that be literally interpreted as 『I want to watch a movie with my girlfriend that has some pretty naughty love scenes?』

It came out by reflex, and Nanami-san fell silent……. Anyway, I have to say something!

“A-Ah no, i-it’s not like that. I don’t mean I want to watch a sex scene with you, um, remember that time where you said that you’d continue to make me lunch every day? At the very least, I wanted to thank you by buying you a movie ticket, so I didn’t mean it in a weird way, Nanami-san? Are you listening? Are you listening? Hello?”

The only response to my excuses was silence…I was starting to get a little, no…I was getting considerably anxious. We’ve only been dating for a day, don’t tell me I already blew it?

As I was feeling hopeless…I heard the sound of laughter through my phone.

“Pfft…Ahahahahaha, I finally got to hear Youshin-san’s panicked voice! Yeah, I like that kind of Youshin better than the weirdly calm one. It’s cute. Sorry, sorry. But…”

Lowering her voice just a little, Nanami-san continued her words. However, it sounded apologetic.

“I promised Hatsumi and Ayumi that I’d go see that movie with them this Saturday. If I had known you were going to invite me, I should have called you first…….”

The sound of her sad voice made me realize that my plan had failed. Oh well, if the girls are going to see each other, it can’t be helped. It’s only natural to prioritize prior commitments…….

……No, you said it yourself, Baron-san. 『Asking someone out』is important.

But what if I fail here? Then…there’s only one course of action for me to take!

“….Sunday.”

“What?”

“Are you free on Sunday? If so, would you like to go on a date with me…to the movie theater? Of course, I’ll pay for everything since it’s my way of expressing my thanks for your lunch…….I’ll look up movies that Nanami-san likes, and we can watch them together, how about it?”

…If she refuses even this, I’ll probably be very depressed. Actually, I may even be in the dumps for three days…or maybe, a week…? That’s just how much courage I mustered up.

Sunday was the last day of the team event for the social game. It’s the most exciting day of the event. However, I’m going to choose Nanami-san over the event.

After plenty of silence, I heard Nanami’s slightly faint voice coming from my phone.

“That date…is to make up for the…lunch?”

“Yes, of course. So, starting tomorrow, please tell me about your tastes, what movies you like, and so on.”

“…..Well, then I guess I have to put in more effort in making your lunch tomorrow. I’ll make a lunch good enough for Youshin to enjoy and thank me for it.”

“Then……”

“Yeah…let’s go on a date this Sunday.”

I resisted the urge to shout through my phone, but I said loudly, “Yes, Yes!”

I probably have the most ugliest smile on my face right now, coupled with the fact that I was moving my body in the most uncomfortable way to express my joy. It’s a relief that she doesn’t know that.

“…..Well, I’d better get to bed then…..Good night, Youshin.”

“Good night, Nanami-san.”

Right after I turned off my phone…I started up the chat application with Baron-san and the others again.

I immediately sent a message to Baron, which contained exactly what he predicted I would talk to her about.

“Baron-san…… talking to girls at night is…… amazing…….I don’t know if I can sleep with all the excitement welled up in me.”

“What did I tell you…You should get used to girls through her.”

“Also, I’m going to the movies with her on Sunday instead of Saturday. So I can’t participate in the in-game event on Sunday. Sorry.”

“Oh, that’s totally fine….what!? You’ve already asked her out to the movies!? I know I’m the one who started it but aren’t you going a little too fast? Are you okay? You’re not pushing yourself too hard, are you?”

Baron-san……I think so too. But I have no regrets.

“Don’t worry. I got a date safely without incident! Baron-san! I did it!! I showed her what a man can do!!”

“Aren’t you very excited…maybe it’s because you just asked her out on a date, that’s why you have a lot of energy?”

“What are you talking about? I’m perfectly calm and sane! Well, I’m definitely going to work my hardest this Sunday!!”

“Uh…make sure you do it in moderation…”

In contrast to Baron-san’s slightly dumbfounded words, I was alone in my excitement. It looks like I’m going to have trouble sleeping again tonight.