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Chapter 4 â Persuading Mother Enami\nVolume 2\n<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide">\nThe next day, when I went to school, Saito called out to me âHeyâ. As usual, he had an erotic novel in his hand. According to what I heard, he was reading at the pace of one book a day. I thought to myself, why doesnât he put some of that effort into his studies?\n\n
âWhat?â\n\n
I asked.\n
It was after morning SHR. There were about five minutes left until the first-period class started.\n\n
âWhatâs going on with you lately?â\n
âEh?â\n\n
Before I knew it, Shindo had also raised his head and was looking at me. I wanted to say that if there was anything unusual, it would be you guys reading around like idiots, but I didnât say it.\n\n
âI mean, you donât come to club activities much.â\n
âOh, you mean that? Iâve been going through some stuff.â\n\n
In the first place, I thought that it was those two who hadnât come to the club activities. However, when I listened to him carefully, I heard that he has been showing up at the club room recently.\n
Speaking of which, I canât finish cleaning Enami-sanâs house like this. I didnât want to spend too much time on it because it would be a burden on Fujisaki. Enami-san was absent again today. From the way she looked yesterday, she seemed to have a serious condition. She may not be able to recover soon.\n
I wonder if Nishikawa is going to visit her again today. I had a feeling that Nishikawa might, but I decided not to go today. If I caught a cold myself, there would be no point.\n\n\n\nâStuff huh. I donât really know, but the president was lonely without you.â\n
âHe wonât retire until the last minute anyway, so why not just leave him be?â\n
âThatâs true.â\n\n
Since he was the head of the club, he would probably continue to play games in the club room until the last day of school. Probably, even if he took the entrance exam to Tohashi University in his current state, he would almost certainly pass.\n\n
âWell, Iâll be going to the club in the next week or so. I have some business to attend for this week. Please let the club president know.â\n
âYeah. We donât go every day either, by the way.â\n
â⊠So how long is this craze going to last?â\n
âHmm?ăOh, you mean this novel?â\n
âYeah, that one.â\n\n
Because both Shindo and Saito are reading erotic novels together, people might think that Iâm in the same boat as them. In fact, I didnât read any of them at school. Even if itâs not at school, I donât feel like taking it home with me because thereâs a chance that Sayaka will see it.\n
If she catches me doing that, sheâll make fun of me for the rest of my life.\n\n
âYou may not understand. Thereâs a lot of manâs principles here. Whatâs important in eroticism is not visual. Itâs the situation. Situations stir up a manâs libido many times over. Once a man learns that, even if itâs just text, itâs enough to get him excited.â\n\n
The talk seemed to be getting longer, so I put my hand out in front of me to interrupt it. I was afraid people would hear me.\n\n
âWell, maybe youâre too young to understand. Right, Shindo?â\n\n\n\nShindo nodded âthatâs rightâ with a very serious face.\n\n\n\nâThatâs right. Itâs not a lukewarm craze. Itâs about manhood, you know, manhood.â\n
âManhood huhâ\n\n\n\nI was so dumbfounded that I couldnât even say anything. So far, the teacher hadnât found out, but it was probably only a matter of time. Iâm afraid to imagine what kind of humiliation theyâll be subjected to when the teacher finds out.\n\n
âDonât read too much in class.â\n
âDonât worry. Itâs just like doing my homework for health and PE class.â\n
âI hope you can say that to the teacher as well.â\n\n
But no matter what I said, the two of them would not stop. Otaku has an amazing ability to concentrate on what they like. They donât care what others think of them, and they put all their energy into what they find enjoyable. That in itself is not a bad thing.\n
However, I would like them to suppress the occasional âoohsâ and âhoo hoosâ of excitement. This is not something that happens in class. But during breaks, they donât hesitate to let it out.\n
The clock reached the start of the first period. The sound of the chime rang out.\n\n
âCome on, the teacher is almost here.â\n
âI know.â\n\n
Fortunately, the first-period class was modern literature. The modern literature teacher did not pay attention to the students, but only explained things in a rambling manner. First of all, he doesnât reproach Saito and the others.\n
But that didnât mean that they could read erotic novels.\n\n
I took out my textbook from my bag and looked at Fujisaki without thinking.\n
I havenât talked to Fujisaki yet today. Even though I was back to my normal self, I couldnât help but feel defensive when I tried to talk to Fujisaki.\n
There was nothing unusual about Fujisaki. She is chatting with the girls behind her.\n
Naturally, Iâm not dissatisfied with Fujisaki. Normally, I would have jumped up and said, âBy all meansâ the moment she confessed her feelings to me. If I were to talk to anyone about such a problem, I would be strangled to death.\n
Itâs such an extravagant problem.\n\n
In the middle of the conversation, the girl behind Fujisaki seemed to have noticed my gaze and pointed at me. Fujisakiâs gaze also turned to me.\n
My heart skipped a beat.\n
Our eyes met. I didnât know what expression to make. An awkwardness lingered in me.\n
Fujisaki seemed to be troubled, but she immediately smiled.\n\n