Chapter 42

「That reminds me, Andou-kun」

「Yes, Asakura-san?」

「How did you first get into reading light novels?」

「How, huh?… If we’re talking about how it all began, it has to start with the first light novel I ever bought『Toaru Shakugan no Zero no Haruhi no Tsukaima』. Have you heard of it?」

「Of course I have! I’ve even watched the anime. Also, if I’m not wrong, I heard it was also released as a visual novel?」

「Yup, you’re absolutely right. Actually, if it wasn’t because I had seen the anime first, I wouldn’t have known about the light novel as I thought『Is this a manga adaptation?』. It was because I really enjoyed that, that I immediately dived into the light novels」

「Is that so. It was surprisingly different from the average stuff. But I knew that back then, the light novel had spanned across multiple volumes 」

「Speaking of which, Asakura-san, 『what got you into light novels』?」

「Eh, m-me? A-Andou-kun… You want to know what『got』me into light novels?」

「Yeah. I mean, you don’t really read manga nor watch anime in the first place so I’m really curious what got you into it」

「Ah huh!」

Andou-kun’s taken an interest in me! Urk… To be honest, it’s an embarrassing story to recount… But since Andou-kun said『I want to know everything about you even till the tiniest details』then there’s no way I can refuse him! (Asakura)

「Umm, that story…I’ll only say it because it’s you, okay?」

It’s because I love you that I’m sharing it with you. D, Don’t misunderstand me, kay!? (Asakura)

Um… What’s going on? … AH, I GET IT! Her words just then—-

『I’ll tell you because you’re the only person who knows that I love light novels, okay? T, That’s all… It’s not like I’ll ever think of you as anything more so don’t misunderstand, alright!? 』

—- That’s what it meant, doesn’t it? (Andou)

「Sure, leave it to me! I won’t tell anyone about it!」

「Okay…?」

Uuu, As I though, I feel reluctant to say it to him… (Asakura)

「But the reason why I fell in love with light novels isn’t anything extraordinary. Andou-kun, have you ever heard of this light novel called『Hermes’ Journey』before?」

「Of course, I followed the light novel since it was first released. It’s about the protagonist, Hermes, accompanied by this tow truck who travels to various countries, right?」

「That’s the one!『Hermes’ Journey』was the first light novel I’d read. I came across it in the library in my first year of middle school and borrowed it to pass time. It was by reading that that I came to know of the existence of light novels and wanted to read more light novels」

「I see. The school’s library, huh~ Well it’s not strange that it was in your school’s library.『Hermes’ Journey』certainly didn’t have a fascinating illustration for its’ cover like the light novels today and the contents were filled with plenty of thought-provoking topics, which doesn’t make it wrong for the story to be there. So from that point onwards you bought light novels, Asakura-san?」

「No… For a while, I was embarrassed about it so for about a whole year, whenever I was at the bookstore, I couldn’t bring myself to go the light novel corner」

「Eh, so you mean even after you’d read『Hermes』, you didn’t read light novels for a year…? I mean, there must have been light novels in your school’s library」

「Yeah, of course. There were other light novels asides from『Hermes』in my school. But even if I didn’t purchase any『light novels』at the bookstore, I still read a wholeeeeee lot, okay?」

「Eh, how?」

「Seriously… Andou-kun, did you forget how I usually read『light novels』? What do you think my smartphone is for?」

「Oh!『Kakuyomu』!」

「Definitely not! It was『Narou』!　

　— Which reminds me…Andou-kun, you made that slip on purpose, didn’t you!? How could you? The way things had went, it’s as though you wanted to see me trash talk『Kakuyomu』!? W-Well, that’s not it! Indeed, I usually read my novels from『Narou』… however, as I said before, I do think『Kakuyomu』is splendid as well!」

「I see. So that’s what got you using『Narou』」

「Yup. I mean, it was light novels. Back in middle school, I was utterly mortified that I didn’t buy any and even if I had tried to buy some, I didn’t have as much pocket money then… So I looked around to find other ways that I could read light novels for free and found『Narou』. From then on, I hungrily read every top ranking『Narou』novel there was… Moreover, because I commenced with the top ranking novels, I was like, “This is interesting… This is soooo goood!” and the more I read, the more my interest in light novels grew.

　Fufu! So the reason why I got super interest in light novels is probably because of『Narou』♪」

And that’s what sparked my fateful encounter with Andou-kun— (Asakura)

「Right… So it ain’t『Kakuyomu』」

「Andou-kun!? Like I said, that’s unfair of you to spin it that way!」