01

One summer day with the blazing sun, Chibana Keika said.

Her firm proclamation broke the brief silence in the clubroom by an inch.

Because of the oppressive sweltering heat of the weather, I felt like I didn't have the strength to open my mouth to answer.

'Bored not to talk'? No, I'm in a state of 'Too tired to talk'.

However, it's not always 'silence is golden', especially when Chibana is sitting across from me with two eyes looking in my direction. As for me, somehow, I unintentionally raised my face after leaving the page.

Face to face, eye to eye. 15 seconds is the maximum time for 'a question to be answered'. There's no way for me to know if the countdown timer has reached zero, I don't have an answer, but I should at least give something back.

So I asked again without raising my voice at the end of the sentence.

"What do you mean?"

Contrary to my expectations, this superficial reply seemed to have flipped Chibana's switch.

Her expression, obviously just waiting for anyone to speak.

“Listen, Engawa, maybe this club motif was popular a decade ago. We can mention like 'I don't have many friends', ‘Good Job club', 'My literature club can't have b….' and so on. It's true that there are many successful series among them, but isn't this genre long gone? Isn't it too dangerous for the author to suddenly choose such an old genre? What else is there to exploit?”

Chibana rambled on while pointing at the book she placed on the table just now.

“To say a genre is outdated is a bit…” I reflexively opened my mouth without taking a moment to think.

“Engawa is right, Keika. Not every character or item will become 'out meta' forever, when the time comes, they can completely become 'meta' again."

Suddenly, Fujisaki Eri interrupted. Her lively expression was positive for a discussion, but still, her argument didn't seem to be very relevant.

Therefore, I decided to put aside the problem of Fujisaki to focus on the topic of Chibana. The correct order is very important, especially when queuing, as 'first come first served' after all.

“Can you be more specific about where they are old?”

I carefully asked again.

While it's crucial to be able to argue with others when arguing, I've seen many people intentionally making arguments that are unclear or polysemous. It's like a trap for reviewers, when they decide to comment, the other person says 'no, I didn't mean that, you got me wrong'.

So, it's best not to go against the argument, just go for the supporting reason.

“Okay, then let’s clear that up!” Chibana excitedly shouted exaggeratedly.

"Ko-chan!"

Reacting to Chibana's words, Uehara Kohaku skillfully took out a piece of paper and a ballpoint pen from her bag.

'Mastery' to the point where there is not a single superfluous movement. 9 and a half points. Minus half a point because she drew a line to check if the ballpoint pen has ink or not.

“First, this genre is almost extinct! It used to be very popular, but now there aren't many books written in that direction."

Chibana raised her index finger, boldly stating her first argument. At the same time, Uehara took out a ballpoint pen and jotted down notes on the paper.

"In a way, I suppose you're right about this--" I said as I ran my hand over my chin. “I've read a lot of books on club topics before, but it's been a long time. Indeed I don't read books on this topic right now. I don't know if it's me, or is this genre becoming scarcer than before..."

I instinctively nodded, indicating a certain agreement.

Uehara also stared aimlessly into space, like she was also recalling the works she had read.

Fujisaki was staring at her phone again, seemingly unconcerned.

“If clubbing is mainstream, then it probably is. But there are still many works that see the clubs as a springboard for the next events in the series. Or for the sports comics I read often, isn't the main character required to join the school's sports club? Clubs are important for character development!”

“You think so?”

I blurted out my suspicions, only to realize Aikawa Meiko had joined the conversation already.

Well, her words are also somewhat true, in the soccer series I read in the past, the main characters all joined the school's soccer club.

That's a convincing argument.

“Sorry, Aikawa.” Chibana shook the index finger she held up earlier while acting strangely confident.

“What I'm talking about here is the casual club genre, the type in which the protagonist joins the literature club, the game club, or the calligraphy club. Of course, there must have romantic comedy in it.”

“If that's what you mean…” Aikawa fell into deep thought.

Well, a perfect example of the unclear argument I told earlier.

After thinking for a moment, Aikawa slowly continued.

“…well, I see you're right.”

"Isn't that right?"

Chibana smiled happily.

"Anyone else have an idea~?"

She stretched the question unnecessarily, but it suited her current mood.

Chibana looked around at the surrounding people in turn.

No further comments were made. All members were silent. When her gaze met mine, I merely responded with a slight shake of my head.

Many members do not react like that, probably because we all find what she said to be reasonable.

“So, all in agreement!”

Still, with an excited voice, Chibana once again shouted.

"Let's move on together."

In such harsh weather, where does she get so much energy? So admirable…

While I was still lamenting, Uehara quietly ticked the paper.

“Next, what are the limitations of this genre?”

Chibana continued the topic, and Uehara continued to take notes.

"OH? There were hands raised. Go ahead, Yuki."

Hearing her name mentioned, Kawabata Yuki stood up.

“There is one thing I don't like about this genre, it's that the way the club members are introduced is too unnatural. Why does the protagonist have to forcefully introduce the other members when everyone has been together in the club for a long time? Why he acts as if the story has just begun!?”

As if feeling elated by Chibana's abundant energy, Kawabata also let out a long speech without stopping.

"It's a good idea. Very good, Yuki!”

Chibana clapped her hands in praise.

“But it is too difficult to imagine, if someone gives specific examples, it will be easier for us to visualize. Do it~, Engawa."

"Eh? Me?”

Being called out of the blue, I was bewildered for a moment.

“Imagine yourself as the protagonist in a story and tell me what you think!”

“U-Umm…”

I nodded slightly to accept the challenge.

Let's see, if I were the protagonist…

After thinking for a while, I decided to open my mouth.

“I am Engawa Hiroki, a second-year high school student in Class B. My school life is not very special, so I usually spend most of my time outside of school hours in club activities.

Here is Chibana Keika, my classmate. Chibana has two-braid sliver hair and mint blue eyes. She is very active and enthusiastically participates in many school activities.

Fujisaki Eri, class 11-E. Her blonde hair is often tied up in a high ponytail. Fujisaki is an excellent gamer and is the top server in some of the games she plays. She also studies very well and always gets good results in exams.

Uehara Kohaku, class 10-A. She just joined the club recently. Uehara has beautiful blue curly hair. Although she had only just joined the club, she quickly integrated with the rest of the members.

Aikawa Meiko, class 11-C. She was with me in 10th grade. In addition to our club, she joined the school's badminton club and was a prominent member there.

Kawabata Yuki, class 11-D. As a member and vice president of the club, she often takes care of our club's projects whenever there is an event.

Makino Aoi, class 11-A. She has outstanding looks and…”

Speaking of which, I suddenly felt wrong.

What's wrong?

It is the reader's reaction when reading the work. In other words, the eyes of the other members of the club.

Therefore, I stopped.

"Yes? Please give feedback.”

I bowed my head slightly, one hand solemnly pressed to my chest.

Reader comments begin.

“Sounds like some sort of identifying feature, doesn’t it?” Chibana said.

"It's true that it's a bit annoying to hear others sum up yourself in a few sentences." Fujisaki added.

"I don't know why but it sounds forced." Uehara wondered.

“This doesn't sound like the author's voice. Maybe you're good at commenting on a book, but that doesn't seem like a good idea to be an author?" Aikawa comments.

“I was just wondering why the introductions got shorter and shorter…” Kawabata doubted.

Oh, this feedback rain is so precious. Exactly my prediction. Readers' comments may be offensive to others, however, to me, they bring positive things. At least people are responding.

In the corner of the room, Makino Aoi frowned at me.

“Why did you comment on my looks and then suddenly stop?”

"Yeah, you said that I noticed. Towards the end, Engawa's introduction to the character's appearance becomes less and less and then disappears altogether. Why? If you don't describe it carefully, the reader won't be able to imagine the character."

To Aikawa's curious gaze, I answered honestly.

“Because I think, let the illustrator take care of that part. If you describe too much, it will be repeated. Readers don't remember the character's appearance anyway until they see the illustrations, right?"

“What you said makes sense…”

Seemingly satisfied with my answer, Aikawa nodded slightly. In the back, Makino did the same move.

Out of nowhere, Tsuchiya spoke up.

“Why are you narrating the story like a harem of yours!? What is this? The motif that the main character doesn't have many friends?"

“Can you at least give us an introduction?”

Sakai followed.

Plug your heads and huddle together to play games and still hear it?

In another corner of the room, Tsuchiya Homura, Sakai Eiji, Watabane Takumi, and Takahashi Kiyoshi were busy playing a 4-player co-op game.

"No, I looked around, who told you to sit at the back of the room playing games?"

I can only helplessly explain, there is no such thing as 'star fruit brothers' here. Honestly, I am not such a person.

"Ignore them, that's all, there's no focus over there."

True to Chibana's words, when I looked back, those four had already returned to the phone screen.

"Let’s go!" Watabane shouted, “Wait a minute!” Takahashi hurriedly replied, but I didn't notice them anymore.

The sound coming from that side to my ears had become a whisper like the noise in a classroom. Very loud, but can't hear clearly.

"What do you think, Engawa?"

Chibana's call pulled me back to the conversation.

"Think about what?"

Seeing my distracted expression, she repeated it.

“How did you feel when you introduced the character yourself?”

Ah, that's the thing.

I thought for a moment and then answered.

“It…Ummm, it's a bit long. By the time introduced Makino, I was out of breath. It's too hard for the main character to introduce so many people."

"Why were you out of breath when you came to me?"

Makino muttered.

Then why did you sit in the corner of the room and still hear the discussion? Your ears are too good. Even though I don't have the right to judge her.

“Looks like you're on the right track. You are great.”

Chibana gave a compliment.

Any compliment makes people happy, I am not an exception.

“It is impossible for the protagonist to introduce all at once. In fact, our club has almost twenty people, so it is impossible to introduce that many characters. A quarter of a page per one, so it takes us five pages just to introduce the characters!? Impossible!"

Hearing Chibana's words, everyone nodded in agreement.

“So what do you think is the solution for clubs with lots of members?”

She kept asking me. Invisible, I felt that all eyes were on me, so I felt hesitant involuntarily.

"I'm not so sure..."

I wiggled two fingers.

“…maybe just let the characters appear naturally in their daily routine. Since it's impossible to introduce them all anyway, why not just mention their names? By any means, the characters’ personalities will be revealed later."

“Oh? What a bold idea!”

Chibana did not hesitate to give compliments. Why does it feel like I'm giving a presentation in front of a panel of judges?

"Don't you think so, Yuki?"

Kawabata nodded silently.

Ha, coincident again?

I trembled with excitement in my heart.

Next to me, Uehara timidly spoke up.

“B-But isn't that too hard for readers to follow? I mean, the number of characters is so large that it will be difficult for the reader to remember.”

“Nice counter.”

Fujisaki gave Uehara a thumbs-up, though her eyes still didn't leave the phone.

“About that thing, shouldn't it be left to the reader to remember? They are the ones who follow our story. They should at least remember the characteristics of each character. The personalities of the characters have all been shown a bit already.”

Aikawa said lightly.

Woah, you'll be the world's most evil author in the future, Aikawa.

We all looked at her helplessly.

"Let’s continue!" Chibana cleared her throat. “Has anyone else found another limitation?”

From the corner of the room, a slender voice resounded.

"Their club activities have problems."

"Oh, could you explain more? Makino, please."

"Okay." Makino closed the book she was reading and continued. “Many works have the club named 'literature' or 'calligraphy', but none of their activities are about those things. Sometimes I feel like the club is just coverage for romantic comedy element.”

“A noticeable detail, huh?.” Chibana made a thoughtful expression.

As for Uehara, she moved her pen on paper at phenomenal speed.

"I think it's because of the tastes of the readers." Kawabata tilted her head. “Not many people are interested in the boring activities of the club. After all, the club is only made up of people with similar interests gathered together. You can't get outsiders to enjoy the activities of the piano club or calligraphy club if they don't even know anything about them. So I think it's understandable that the author wanted to focus more on the romantic side."

“Extremely sharp argument. Yuki is knowledgeable about this genre!” Chibana clapped her hands in approval.

“Sounds pretty reasonable.” Makino whispered.

“Perhaps this is why the club genre is gradually being dominated by the pure romantic comedy. In other words, readers are only interested in the love affairs of the opposite sex. Therefore, instead of having to create a whole club to develop the character according to each event, the author would rather build a couple of romantic ‘flags’. Is that what you mean?"

Kawabata nodded at Chibana's closing sentence.

"In that case, what's the solution, Engawa?"

Chibana looked at me once more.

"Me, again?"

I pointed my index finger at myself.

"Yeah, what do you think?"

“…We have to create, a club, not too far away from the readers. Readers should be familiar with the subject of club activities. Is that so?”

I said what was on my mind.

"Is that so?" Chibana touched her lips with her hand in thought. “But then the number of clubs that can be selected as themes will be relatively small, right?”

"I don't think so!" Aikawa suddenly raised her voice, causing us all to turn our gazes to her.

“We don't know what interests readers have and what activities they are familiar with. Also, in the case that the work becomes famous and attracts many people, how can we satisfy all of their needs?”

“Excellent!”

Fujisaki's thumb was now pointed at Aikawa this time.

“I think Aikawa is right.” Kawabata nodded vigorously toward Aikawa. “I think it's very bad to depend on the reader from the beginning. Every author has to have his or her stance when writing a book!”

"I agree with your point."

Makino in the distance nodded in agreement.

"It seems that Engawa's opinion is quite opposed, maybe you didn't pass the approvement this time." Chibana looked at me with sympathetic eyes.

Those eyes are really sincere, thank you.

“At this point, we need Fujisaki!”

"My show has come?"

Fujisaki pushed a strand of hair that had fallen to her ear. Putting the phone in her hand down on the table, she raised her head. What is on her face is a determined look along with a smile full of confidence.

“Why don't we let the author freely write about what he likes? If it's club activities that the author is knowledgeable about, then he'll be able to convey his interest to the reader."

"OH?" "Marvellous!" “Sounds sublime!” “I think so too!” “…”

Chibana, Kawabata, Aikawa, and Uehara exclaimed in unison. And Makino silently nodded.

"Great! Typically, it's Fujisaki-san!" Chibana cried out in joy with shining eyes. “So happy, I'm finally satisfied with today's discussion!”

"Really?"

I looked at Chibana with a doubtful expression.

“Um! If this author can overcome those two weaknesses, then this is absolutely a book I will follow in the future!”

“But should we reveal the name of the club in the first chapter? Of all the books I've read, they're all revealed at the earliest."

I was about to go back to the isekai novel I was reading, but Makino's statement raised an unnecessary problem.

“Ah!” Uehara shouted. “If that was the case, I had thought about it before!”

Having said that, she wrote a few words on the paper.

"Here!" Uehara handed the paper over to Chibana. “What do you think?”

"OH?" Chibana took the paper and ran her eyes over it. "You guys have a look."

She passed the paper to us. So, the note went round and round starting with me, Kawabata, Aikawa, and Fujisaki.

“?” “EH!” "Really?" “Hmm!?”

Finally, the paper reached Makino.

Her mouth was slightly parted in surprise, but then the corners of her lips curled up into a small smile.

“Sound okay, doesn’t it?”

Makino let out a chuckle.

On that piece of paper, written: “Let it be a keyword!”

02

The evening of the same day.

I have a date with Chibana.

We had agreed to meet at the neighborhood's largest shopping mall.

Even so, I'm not sure this is the place to hang out today. For a long time, this shopping center was considered by everyone as a landmark to meet. Anyway, it stands out to the point of being too ostentatious.

I pressed my back against the big wall and raised my head to look at the evening sky.

The hot sun was gone.

The air was still sultry, but it was much less than at noon.

Sometimes, a few rare breezes hit my cheeks with hot air, startling me to look around.

I looked at the people walking by.

She hasn’t come yet.

So, I looked up at the sky again.

There are no stars in the sky today.

The colorful lights from the downtown area and tall buildings erased them.

Eight PM. The mall is still bustling.

“Engawaaa!!”

Chibana's energetic call interrupted my restless thoughts. I quickly turned my head to the side.

Chibana's figure came into view.

The light orange polka dot dress flutters gently with each movement. Underneath she was wearing a pure white bodice and skirt, and beside her body was an opalescent bag.

As she approached me, she stopped, smiling mischievously.

“Is it because of the bright lights of the mall, or is it because of your energetic looks that dazzle me?”

“Ehehe. Thank you!"

No matter what time of day, Chibana Keika is always full of energy.

"So, let's go!"

She continued to speak with an abundance of energy.

I waited until Chibana had gone ahead, then speeded up and walked side by side with her.

We move forward.

"Where are we going today?"

I looked down curiously at her.

During my walks at this time, I usually just walk around to get some fresh air or visit convenience stores.

"We’re going to the bookstore."

Chibana replied slyly.

“Hmmm?”

My hum lasted longer than necessary, accompanied by a state of superfluous doubt.

"Huh? Are you surprised?”

I shook my head in denial.

"No, it's just different from what I expected, but that's what you're like."

“Oh, am I that hard to grasp?”

Chibana pressed her index finger to her temple while tilting her head, then she looked up at me.

In response, I just shrugged.

"I don’t know."

I don't know how to write the word 'grasp'.

'Well, we shouldn't talk about such complicated matters.'

"That's right, too."

Chibana nodded in agreement.

"Then let's talk about the book I read last week!"

"Yeah." I smile. “Sounds good, talk about it.”

“Let’s begin!” Chibana smiled brightly.

.

.

We walked side by side on the street lit by street lights.

“Is that so?”, “And then?”, “Really?”, “After that?”, these are four sentences I repeated over and over in response to every detail of her story.

That's all, but, for some reason, the conversation seemed to never be interrupted.

At the end of the street covered with street lights, we turned through a few dimly lit roads, then back to the main street, then entered a small road again.

The bustle of the shopping center has disappeared without a trace, replaced by the quiet space of a true evening.

It's so quiet, it's like the whole place is just covered by her voice and my voice.

“Ah! It’s ahead!"

Chibana exclaimed happily.

I turned my eyes forward. About four or five blocks away, there was a bookstore with bright electric lights. The “BOOKS” signboard made of white LEDs is placed protruding outside.

“That place?”

"YES!"

Chibana nodded curtly.

We stopped in front of the bookstore.

It's not too massive, but it's not small either.

"Let's go in!"

“Um.”

Chibana pushed open the door and entered, I quickly followed after her.

"Welcome, which books do you want to buy?"

We were approached as soon as we entered.

"Ah…oh…?"

I hesitated for a moment, then turned my gaze towards Chibana as a cue.

"Ah, we haven't decided yet. We'll be looking through for a while!"

"So you just go ahead."

Hearing Chibana's fluent reply, the friendly bookstore owner pointed his arm toward the bookshelves displayed inside.

With a slight bow of thanks, Chibana and I entered the shop.

We go along each row one by one. Chibana went ahead, and I followed her step by step. Sometimes she stopped, pulled out a book with her hand, looked at the front and back covers, opened a few pages, read for a while, then closed it and put it back in place.

The movements are repeated, and time follows that.

Until I decided to break the silence.

"It seems Chibana loves books."

While sitting down to read a book, Chibana looked up at me. There was a look of surprise in her big round eyes.

“Can you even say that? We're in the same club."

"Of course, I know that." I laugh bitterly. “But even though everyone is in the same club, you are always the one who gets the most excited when we have a discussion.”

“You think so?”

Chibana's voice was full of dreaminess. She seems to be recalling her appearance in the club.

“Perhaps it is.”

Chibana let out a faint, voiceless smile.

“I don't know, I seem to be more interested in expressing myself outside than I thought. Sometimes I accidentally express something I don't mean to, only to later wonder if I'm going too far..."

I could only silently nod at her confession.

However, without giving me a way out, Chibana continued to ask.

“What do you think?”

Even if you say that I don't know how to answer it… I want to say that, but under this pressure, it's like being a candidate studying the wrong way in an exam, even if there's no one answer in your empty head, you still have to answer.

I opened my mouth.

“In my opinion, people who can bring positive energy to people around are amazing. Sometimes I wonder how they can be so active, or how they are so energetic. Of course, I cannot guarantee that everyone will respond well to that lively energy. But, honestly, I think vivacious people are always the ones I want to be closest to.”

“…”

Chibana was silent at my words.

All I see is her drooping lashes, and her delicate lips pursed.

"But that's not what I wanted to ask."

“?”

Chibana stared at me with her eyes covered with question marks.

“Chibana Keika is a girl who loves books so much that she doesn't hesitate to show her passion. She can talk about books in front of the club all day, or discuss with others anything about a book she reads. That's everything I know about Chibana, so all I want to hear is what you think about the books. Chibana, what do you think about reading?"

Chibana's eyes widened. Then she suddenly covered her mouth with both hands as if to stop the laughter from coming out. I knew Chibana was smiling because her cheeks were slightly raised.

“Ha… You know, Engawa? Y-You excel at comforting people."

Probably because it was so difficult to hold back her smile, Chibana's voice broke off as she spoke.

As for me, I scratched my cheek with my hand because I suddenly realized that what I said was a bit embarrassing.

“What do I think about reading?”

Chibana tilted her head in wonder.

“You could say I love reading.”

She lowered her voice as if whispering.

"Everybody knows that."

I replied as if it were an obvious fact, accompanied by an exaggerated raise of my eyebrows and a shrug.

“I only have one self to live…”

Seeing my puzzled expression, as if wanting to avoid having me ask any more stupid questions, Chibana quickly continued.

“But that is not true of the world in books. The more books I read, the more different lives I experience.”

"Mmm." I nodded at Chibana's words. “I can also understand that feeling. I also believe many readers understand how you feel.”

The world in books is very diverse and does not follow a certain framework. Books can tell an everyday story or events in some imaginary fantasy worlds. A book can be just a simple entertaining humorous title, or vice versa, a work that deeply depicts the character's psychology.

"There's one more thing I like." Chibana pressed her index finger to her cheek. She tilted her head, letting her long black hair fall to the side.

"Tell, Engawa." Chibana cleared her throat as a command. “What do you think about when your character is faced with a certain situation? How do you see their problem-solving?”

How should I respond to this situation?

.(3)

.(2)

.(1)

.(0)

"I won't be like them. Given the situation the character faces, I wouldn't do that."

“So after knowing their solution, would you do the same?”

Pausing for a few seconds for a moment to think, I answered without hesitation.

"No, I'll still do it my way."

Hearing my reply, Chibana put the book back on the shelf and stood up.

She turned her back to me and continued walking.

I don't know if I imagined it or not, but Chibana's movement speed was faster than before.

I only knew for sure when she turned her head. On Chibana's face was a pursed grin that stretched widely. Her usual satisfied expression in the clubroom.

"I don't know why, but you usually say exactly what I want." Chibana said with a playful wink. “How can you do that? Did the author tell you to do that?”

I couldn't help laughing.

"Does that even make sense?"

"It's the best explanation for what readers can't explain."

Do they often say that? Okay, I'll keep this quote in mind.

"Just like you said." Chibana's arms swayed as if catching a tune. “If it were me, I would solve the problem on my own.”

“But have you ever felt like this?”

The subject of the question was me, but I felt like Chibana was speaking to herself.

“Even if you know for sure that you won't do it, you still want to know the other options, and the result of each of them.”

“The character helped me do that.” She summarizes after a break.

I didn't know what to say, so I just quietly followed Chibana.

Maybe it's because I understand what she's trying to say.

That's not a bad view.

After all, it is a fact that any reader is attracted to a certain work. So they started watching it, waiting for each new volume to come out, and were happy to talk about it with like-minded people.

In one way or another, they all have their reasons for their passion.

Chibana's feelings were just one of them.

Walking towards the last shelf of the store, Chibana stopped, glancing at the row of books above.

I walked over to her.

"This one?"

“No, next to it. Right-hand side."

"Here's yours." I reached up and pulled the black-bound book down.

“Thanks.”

Chibana took the book with both hands. She carefully opened it.

After a while, she sat down. As if captivated by its opening, her hand steadily turned the page.

Several minutes passed, and Chibana's voice rang out.

“Hey, Engawa. What do you think the 'first girl' in the novel is?"

“'First girl'? "I raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Are you referring to the word that pops up on the internet? Something like 'always wins'? It sometimes appears on those forums of light novels about love triangles or harems, right?”

"Exactly." Chibana nodded in confirmation.

“It is true that I have heard this word many times, but to define it properly…” I hesitated a bit. “Is that ‘the girl whose photo was on the cover of the first volume’?”

“Anything else?”

“Umm, ‘the girl that appears first in the text’.”

I recall the definitions I read on the internet.

“Mmm. It's not quite what I thought it would be."

Hmmm…

Trying to recall the works I've read, I continued.

“The girl who had an unexpected meeting with the main character?”

"That's almost right." Chibana's eyes lit up with anticipation. "Do you have any other answers?"

I continued to rack my brains once more.

“I give up. There are no more answers.”

"What a pity. You're so close to the answer I want." Chibana made a sullen expression, and her shoulders sagged.

However, very soon, her energy returned.

"Never mind. I shouldn't have let you guess what it is either. The answer will be announced by me!” Chibana made a bold tone of voice.

"For me, the 'first girl' is the first heroine to ‘flag’ with the protagonist!"

“Oh, very reasonable.”

In response to my exclamation, Chibana leaned forward and stood up.

“Decided, I will buy this book!”

As she closed the book, I could glimpse its title. ‘….rom-com… in real life.’

Chibana quickly walked over to the counter, seeing that, I grabbed a book titled 'I reincarnated into a hot spring in another world' and hurriedly chased after her.

Why did she say that?

The soft sound that reached my ears was the answer.

“Perhaps I also want to be the ‘first girl’?”

XXX

Midnight.

I stared at the phone screen.

The text message with Chibana ended two hours ago.

"Our date today was great. I’m so joyful. Thank you, Engawa."

"I'm joyful too, let's go again someday."

"Sure~!."

She ends it with a sticker with a white rabbit jumping back and forth.

Maybe I should sleep too.

I tossed the phone aside.

Suddenly, the bell rang loudly.

Reflexively pushing the virtual button with my hand, I tiredly pressed the phone to my right ear, seemingly forgetting to notice who was calling.

"Hey."

“?”

On the other end of the line was Watabane's voice.

"Enter, quickly."

"How many?"

"Four enough."

“Ok. Wait."

I jumped up, ran out, and turned on the computer on my desk.

.

.

.

We played games until Two AM the next morning.

The feeling of victory is like a stimulant that makes me unable to sleep.

It's even more joyful than hanging out with Chibana.