Kawaikereba Hentai demo Suki ni Natte Kuremasu ka? Volume 2 Chapter 3

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Love, stalkers and other delusions

Part 1:

Inside the fast food restaurant near the school, there were three people sitting near a window.

A completely boring boy, Kiryuu Keiki.

An ikemen with a soft smile, Akiyama Shouma.

And a small girl with her hair in a pigtail, Ootori Koharu.

It was after school. After Shouma's club activities ended, they met up and entered the restaurant. Shouma, hungry from club activities, ordered a burger set, the girl with the small stomach ordered her usual fries, and Keiki chose a platter of chicken nuggets. Shouma was seated at the window side with Koharu next to him while Keiki was seated across the table. In order to hide her ribbon from Shouma, Koharu had her hoodie zipped all the way up.

"And about the third playoff for the olympics—"

"It was a heated battle, yes. I was so moved to see that they took a medal for Japan."

Their conversations ranged from topics about tennis, to the stuff that happened at school, to other topics without major importance.

Is there even any reason for me to be here…? — thought Keiki as he chewed on a chicken nugget.

The two people across the table were happily talking without paying him any attention. But Koharu had asked Keiki to come here with her. Being alone with the boy she loved all of a sudden was a hurdle that she didn't seem to be able to jump yet. Keiki completely understood her feelings, and had accepted.

"Akiyamsenpai, you have some sauce on your cheek."

"Eh, really?"

"Stay still for a second." Koharu wiped away the sauce with a napkin.

Any male would interpret that action as a forceful approach. And to Keiki's surprise, Shouma actually got a bit embarrassed.

But Keiki, who had been burned yet again by a Cinderella candidate who turned out a pervert, could only see this scene the same way as any other girlfriend-less virgin.

Fucking normies should just explode!

"Or rather… They're completely forgetting about me, aren't they?"

Keiki was still happy that they had managed to get this close in this short amount of time, though. Once Koharu deems that her love is finally fulfilled, Keiki will be released from his role as her cupid and gain freedom once more. However, that hadn't turned out to be such a simple venture as Keiki had wished it to be. After all, Akiyama Shouma is a lolicon, and Ootori Koharu isn't actually his Kouhai, but rather his Senpai.

That was why they had to take drastic measures: Hiding the ribbon that indicated her year.

And even now, Koharu's beloved one was not aware of the fact that she was older than him.

Part 2:

After classes ended, there were two figures inside the year 2B classroom.

A completely normal boy: Kiryuu Keiki.

And a rather flashy-clothed brownish-red-haired classmate of his, who wore her hair in a sidetail: Nanjou Mao.

What were they doing? While our prince was sitting on a chair, Mao was making sketches of him.

Once homeroom class had ended, he was requested to become her model. Keiki for his part was forced to agree.

As a side note, here is an excerpt from that conversation:

"Hey, Kiryuu. Do you have some time after this?"

"I don't really have anything to do today, no."

"I wanted some new material for my new release, so would you model for me?"

"I absolutely refuse."

"If you don't help me, our precious Keeki might have some strong men assault him."

"Since that Keeki-kun doesn't have any relation to me, I couldn't care less."

"Even if I were to share that work with all our female classmates?"

"Are you a demon?!"

And just like that, Keiki had no other option but to agree.

Right now, he was alone with a girl inside this quiet classroom. Normally, situations like these would have the potential to turn into a sweet page in the story of his still ongoing adolescence. Instead, he was stuck watching the evil witch in front of him as she furiously illustrated her BL manga. That being said, from the outside Mao was still quite the beauty to behold. Her long eyelashes, her plump-looking lips, her pure white neck… every time she entered his gaze, he saw her as the opposite sex.

As Keiki obediently stayed still as a model, the girl's hands suddenly came to a stop.

"Are you done?"

"From the front, yeah. Though I'd really like some variations."

"Uhm… what should I do?"

"How about you start stripping?"

"Excuse me?"

"There's no meaning to this if you don't strip."

"Like, the upper half of my body?"

"What are you talking about? — Completely naked of course."

"What are YOU saying?!"

"Tch, still no good, huh."

"Of course. Stripping right here in this classroom would make me a pervert after all."

"I guess there's no helping it. Then can you turn to the side? I want to draw your profile."

"……Got it."

Quite some more time passed in silence after that.

"……Hey, Nanjou?" Keiki asked.

"What is it?"

"Well, wouldn't a picture be enough for this?"

"It would work, yeah, but it looks better when I draw it in person. And drawing live subjects is also good practice. It really helps me draw a lot better overall."

"I think that your drawing skills are really good already, though," Keiki said.

"There's no limit when it comes to skill. And it can never hurt to keep the basics fresh."

"Is that so?"

"It's not like I'm using this as an excuse to be alone together with you or anything, so please don't misunderstand."

"Who would even begin to have such a misunderstanding?" Keiki muttered, which earned him a glare from Mao.

What…?

Being a normal high school boy with no romantic experience, Keiki didn't understand girls at all.

"Say, don't you need Shouma's sketches too?"

"Mhmmm, nope. It's pretty easy to draw an ikemen like him. Drawing people with a normal face like Kiryuu is much harder."

"A normal face…"

"How about being thankful that it's not an ugly face?"

"This is the first time I've ever heard a follow-up like that."

Should you really say all that to the person who's being kind enough to model for you…?

"But, regarding BL manga, I'm actually really grateful for it. Pairing up two ikemen isn't interesting at all, and since Keeki is part of the story, it makes the ikemen Shouto stand out even more."

"So Keeki-kun's only reason for existence is to make Shouto look even better, huh?"

"Did you want to be born as an ikemen, Kiryuu?"

"Well, I certainly wouldn't have complained."

"Really?"

"I'm sure that you don't understand the feeling."

"Why's that?" Nanjou asked.

"You're quite the beauty already, you know?"

"Eh…?"

Everything stopped. Both time and Mao's pencil.

With slightly flushed cheeks, she narrowed her eyes.

"Kiryuu really is an idiot."

"Eh, why? Is being insulted my reward for complimenting you?"

Taking a deep breath, Mao returned to her work. And a certain person didn't notice that her lips had started shaking slightly.

"Well, I guess I can draw you a bit more cool-looking in my next work."

"Sorry. I can't bring myself to be happy about that."

"But you know, BL isn't just about pairing up boys."

"What brought up that sudden change of topic?"

Keiki didn't have the slightest bit of interest in the intricacies of BL. But seeing how Mao had started talking again with a happy look on her face, Keiki honestly thought that she looked cute.

Her face when she talks about something she likes is really great… though the content of her story clearly isn't.

If only this conversation wasn't about BL, she would look even more charming. He really didn't want to know more about how a deep, passionate kiss between two boys was the best thing ever for her.

She's beautiful, she's a tsundere, she can be really sweet sometimes, and her smiling face is so cute it's actually unfair. But her whole world revolves around BL manga. It really is a shame. Even a slight imperfection like that can completely ruin a person's image, and she was the perfect example of that.

"So, Kiryuu."

"Mhm?"

"There's a girl that Akiyama is quite close with, right?"

"……"

"I'll take that silence as a yes."

"Whatever are you talking about? I don't know."

"There's no need to lie. I saw it after all. While you were gleefully eating together in that restaurant."

"So you saw that…"

"She's the perfect girlfriend for a lolicon. Are they going out?"

Mao had told Keiki that she would try to obstruct any relationship between him and another girl. If Keiki went out with a girl, he would spend less time with Shouma, which would reduce her material for her BL manga. Though that should be the same if Shouma started going out with a girl, too. Once it got out that Shouma and Koharu were in item, she might become a hindrance. And if that were to happen, Keiki would have failed his job as Koharu's cupid, and she surely would release that dangerous photo she had of him and Sayuki. The photo of them being a little too close with each other. If that made its way online, it would completely destroy his social life.

Thus, Keiki came to a conclusion: He had to deceive Mao right here or it would all be over.

"Hmm, I don't think that they're going out. They're both just happy to have someone else they can talk to about tennis."

"Hmmm? ……And what about you?"

"Eh, me?"

"Besides the club president and Yuika, you've been awfully close with the vice president of the student council lately, haven't you?"

"……"

"So are you going out with Fujimoto Ayano?"

"No, I'm not. I really am not."

Fujimoto Ayano wasn't Cinderella. Instead, she was just a person who gets aroused by smells. Keiki considered his being forced to drink sleeping pills just because she wanted his underwear to be completely unacceptable. She was only interested in him because she had gotten aroused by his scent. There were no romantic feelings involved at all. But Mao must've interpreted Ayano's closeness to Keiki as them being lovey-dovey.

"Is that so? Well, just as I told you before, being close with guys is good, but girls aren't allowed."

"I know, I know…Though I don't know why you have to go that far."

"Really~? If you say that…"

Mao stood up from her seat, walked over to Keiki's side, and sat down once more. Not on a chair but on his lap. Facing towards him, like she was mounting him. And if that weren't enough already, she put her hands around his neck. Suddenly finding himself in a position like he was glued to Mao, Keiki in his confusion thought that they must look like a couple.

And, finding himself close enough to kiss Mao, Keiki gulped.

"U-Uhm… Nanjou-san? What is the meaning of this?"

"This is all for my data. I want to see Keeki's embarrassed expression for when Shouto pushes him into a corner."

"I-Is that so?"

"Yep. So don't avert your eyes, okay?" With these words, Mao leaned in even closer, her face nearly touching Keiki's.

Maybe it was her perfume, but a sweet smell assaulted Keiki's brain cells. Even though he knew that she was just acting, his heartbeat wouldn't slow down. It really looked like she was going in for a kiss—

"—!"

Keiki gave in and closed his eyes.

"…Hey, I told you not to look away."

"Gah?!"

Maybe it was because she was a bit angry with him, but Mao pinched his nose. When he opened his eyes, Mao looked amused.

"Fufufu. Did you really think… that I would kiss you?"

"N-No, that's not…!"

"Well, I'm glad that you reacted this way. Yup. That feels just like Keeki. I feel like I can draw a good manuscript after this."

"…I'm glad that I could be of help."

Hearing Keiki say these words, Mao let out a cheerful giggle. In the next moment, she packed up her materials, stuffed her notebook into her bag, and turned around with an "Alright."

"Thanks for today, Kiryuu. This is your reward."

Blowing him a kiss, she left the classroom happily. She would probably go straight home and work on her manuscript.

"…That really surprised me. I really thought that she was going to kiss me."

Seeing Mao's watery eyes and flushed cheeks had completely robbed Keiki of his ability to think. Her face had an expression like she really was in love with Keiki.

"Acting like that with a boy she doesn't even have any feelings for… Mao sure must love her BL manga."

Just how much did she want to get some new BL material, really…?

Sadly, the boy did not know that the girl herself was right outside the door, furiously blushing from reaching her limit.

Part 3:

That day, Keiki and Koharu were standing in front of the school gate after classes. Today's agenda was an after school date. Today was a day when a certain boy had no tennis club activities. Their goal for today was deepening the relationship between Koharu and said boy: Shouma.

Being alone with her beloved one would still be too much of a hurdle for Koharu as of now, which is why they had decided on a double date. Even so…

"Ootori-senpai, are you nervous?"

"W-Would you believe me if I said I wasn't?"

"Not at all, no. Even your voice is shaking slightly. Relax, relax."

While they were waiting, the third person arrived: A black-haired female student. The ribbon on her uniform indicated her year. Blue, to be precise, which meant that she was third-year. Every step the girl took, her long black hair and big breasts shook. The big-breasted girl's name was Tokihara Sayuki. She was the club president of the calligraphy club, and many people saw her as a beautiful Onee-san.

"Did I made you wait?"

"No, don't worry about it."

The reason that Keiki had invited Sayuki was simple: Her big breasts.

If Keiki had invited Yuika, the lolicon (Shouma) might've stared at her tiny breasts. Big breasts are the natural enemy of a lolicon.

"I'm really happy that you invited me. I haven't been on a date with Keiki-kun since we went to that cafe."

"We aren't alone this time, though," Keiki said, indicating the hoodie-wearing girl behind him.

And, seeing that person, Sayuki raised her voice in surprise.

"Oh, if it isn't Ootori-san."

"You know her, Sayuki-senpai?"

"We were in the same class our first year. Why does Keiki-kun know her…? Ah?! D-Don't tell me, Keiki-kun is a lolicon—"

"You're wrong."

"I heard that there would be four people participating, but is Ootori-san possibly aiming for Keiki-kun too?"

"No, Kiryuu-kun isn't my target. Not to mention that he isn't even my type."

"That makes sense. He really doesn't have a lot of impact."

"That's right. I would prefer someone who had a more promising future as well."

"Uhm… Both of you… Are you having fun teasing your Kouhai?"

"Fufu, we're just joking. Keiki-kun has some good points too, you know?"

"Yes, that's right. I think that Kiryuu-kun is a good person."

"When you put it that way, it sounds less like I'm a good person and more like I'm a person who doesn't matter, though…"

He recalled reading an article online titled 'Girls really are scary'.

While the two of them were still teasing him, Shouma ran up.

"Hey, sorry for being late. Cleaning duty took a bit longer than expected."

"We didn't wait at all, Akiyamsenpai."

Hearing that phrase, Sayuki tilted her head.

"Akiyamsenpai…? Eh, but, Ootori-san is a third— Mguh?!" Keiki quickly covered her mouth before she could speak the forbidden words.

Though he was a bit taken aback by the softness of her lips, he couldn't allow her to speak any further.

"What's wrong, Keiki?" Shouma asked.

"Nothing! Sayuki-senpai was about to say some stupid joke so I stopped her beforehand!"

"Is that so? You two really are close."

Keiki easily deceived him. The only thing Shouma was lacking in life was a straightforward friend.

"Now then, since that's all of us, let's get going."

"Yeah, let's."

Shouma and Koharu started walking through the school gate, and Keiki and Sayuki followed suit, but a bit slower. Keiki still had his hand over Sayuki's mouth, and her cheeks were slightly flushed. When he was certain that they were far enough away that Shouma couldn't hear him, he let go of her.

"To suddenly silence a girl like this… how rude. But that's what makes Keiki so wonderful. Would you become my master?"

"I refuse."

She still was the same masochistic pervert as always. It seems like she actually enjoyed that.

"But still, why does Ootori-san call Akiyamkun 'Senpai?'"

"There are some extenuating circumstances. She became a first-year for this occasion."

"I really don't get it, but…"

He explained the situation to her in a quiet voice, including Shouma's lolicon tendencies and their plan to hook him up with Koharu anyway.

"So basically, Akiyamkun thinks that Ootori-san is his Kouhai. She's trying to hide the fact that she's older than him because Akiyamkun is a lolicon. That makes sense, yes."

"That's how it is."

"Understood. I'll keep quiet in front of Akiyamkun. Though I would like some Thai yakiniku as my payment."

"Thank you for your patronage."

Grilled meat barbecue was a small price to pay in order to protect a maiden in love.

"And now I understand why you invited me and not Kogsan."

"Sorry for using you, Sayuki-senpai…… You're not angry, are you?"

"I'm the type of girl who gets happy when you're using me like this. It's more of a reward for me."

"Right."

"But what about Nanjou-san? Couldn't you have invited her instead?"

"Well, Nanjou might've been even more dangerous than Yuika in a sense."

After all, she would try her best to drive a nail between Shouma and Koharu. But that probably would happen soon enough anyway, Keiki imagined. It was only a matter of time. And that wasn't the only problem. Koharu probably wouldn't be able to keep her age a secret from Shouma for much longer.

"That's why I'm trying to bring them together as close as possible before that secret comes out."

If he managed to do that, Shouma might reconsider his stance on legal lolis and accept Koharu. The hope is that he would be close enough not to reject her like he had rejected every other girl who had confessed to him. And today's date was the most important part of Keiki's plan.

The place the four of them were walking towards to was a bowling alley near the train station.

"Hey, Keiki-kun."

"What is it, Sayuki-senpai?"

"I didn't get a chance to tell you this before, but this is my first time bowling."

"What a shocking confession. Have you really never bowled before?"

"I don't mean to brag, but I'm really not athletic at all. To be honest, I really hate sports. Whenever any girls in my class invite me to play, I always make up some excuse."

"Whoah…"

Bad at cleaning, bad at sports… even Sayuki has some weak points it seems. Though that all gets blown away when she's seriously working on her calligraphy.

"Huh? But why did you accept my invite today of all times?"

"That's… uhm, Keiki-kun invited me after all…"

"Eh? Does that mean—"

Seeing Sayuki look up at him with expectant eyes, Keiki couldn't help but anticipate some kind of lovey-dovey response.

"If the master says so, a dog would even start a fight with a bear."

"We're comparing bowling to fighting bears now? And I'm not your master, anyway."

That sweet expectant feeling disappeared immediately.

How many times does that make?

After everyone arrived at the bowling alley, they each borrowed a pair of shoes, selected a bowling ball, and prepared for the round to start. Keiki and Sayuki paired up on one side of the bowling lane, with Shouma and Koharu paired up and sat across from them. As the game started, Sayuki proposed a competition.

"Playing normally wouldn't be too much fun, so how we punish the person who gets last place?"

"I think that sounds like fun, but is it alright with you? Sayuki-senpai, this is your first time playing, right?"

"It's fine. As long as I win, everything is fine."

"This person… she's just raising flags on her own…"

"Yep, it seems like the end result is already written in stone."

Seeing Sayuki's groundless self-confidence, the boys nodded to each other.

"Fufu, I wonder about that. It's true that I'm a complete nut when it comes to sports, but this time there's also Ootori-san to consider!"

"Eh, me?"

"Ootori-san can't possibly be good at bowling. Can you even hold a bowling ball with that body of yours?"

"There's no need to worry. There are some light ones too."

Though she looked like a child, she was acting like an adult, and wasn't responding to Sayuki's obvious provocation. Noticing that, Keiki wondered if they really were the same age.

"Sayuki-senpai, what will be the punishment, then?"

"How about the person in first place has the right to write anything on the face of the person in last place? An embarrassing nickname or something. And removing it on the way home is not allowed."

"That sounds like a pain…"

"And in addition, the person in first place has the right to give the person in third place an order."

"Isn't that worse than being in last place?"

Keiki's body shivered for a second, imagining the outcome if Sayuki happened to get first place.

"I'm fine with it, but what about Koharu-chan?"

"It sounds interesting, so I'm in."

"It seems like it's decided then."

With that, everyone agreed to the punishment game and the bowling game started, but with an unpredictable development.

"Another strike! You're amazing, Koharu-chan!"

"Really, you're awesome, Ootori-san."

"This can't be happening…"

To everyone's surprise, Koharu was in first place right now.

"My father likes to bowl, so I've often gone bowling with my family."

"That makes sense, I guess."

"How could this happen…?"

Being confronted with this unexpected obstacle, Sayuki's face completely tensed up. Even though Keiki had taught her the basics, her non-existent athletic skills shone through and it was becoming increasingly impossible for her to avert the upcoming punishment.

"…But just as you'd expect from Shouma. He doesn't show any interest at all in Sayuki-senpai's breasts."

Everytime she threw the bowling ball, her breasts swayed furiously. It was like they had their own gravitational pull, and no normal adolescent boy would be able to avert his eyes. However, Shouma only kept his eyes on Koharu.

"That reminds me, Koharu-chan."

"Yes?"

"You said that you were weak to sunlight, right? Aren't you getting hot in your hoodie in here?"

Even though Shouma said so with no ill-intent at all, Koharu started panicking, while Keiki couldn't think of anything to say. Though from Shouma's perspective, it was a reasonable enough question. In this dire situation, Koharu came up with an excuse.

"Uhm, well, i-it's embarrassing since my breasts are so tiny……"

"Guha?!" Hearing Koharu's reply, Shouma let out a scream as if he was shot in the chest.

In the next moment, Shouma looked like a buddhist who had reached enlightenment.

"Did you hear that, Keiki? Koharu's cutesy phrase."

"I did, I did. Everyone has their own problems, so let's leave it alone for now."

Not only did she dispel the dire situation, she also increased her affection points with Shouma. Ootori Koharu—what a dangerous woman.

"…Akiyamkun really is a pervert through and through."

"He still wouldn't lose to Sayuki-senpai though."

Even a lolicon would lose against a hardcore masochistic woman who wishes to be owned by a master.

"Though I didn't expect Shouma to be worse than me."

"Actually, I was always pretty bad at bowling, you see."

"Do you want me to teach you a thing or two?"

"Really? Then I'll gladly accept."

And just like that, Koharu started teaching Shouma.

Ooh, that's a nice atmosphere they've got there.

It looked like they were getting even closer.

"………Hmm?"

Though in that moment, Keiki thought he saw a small glimmer coming from Koharu's bag. As he looked closer, he saw a small camera with the lens taken off, but Keiki pretended like he didn't notice.

"That's gotta be a video she's taking…"

Keiki was once more reminded of Koharu's real nature. Even now, he couldn't forget the creeped-out feeling he had when he first saw the interior of the astronomy club room.

"Is it really okay for this love to bear fruit…?" The cupid muttered as he watched the two of them laughing together.

And he felt the weight of his sin. He had sold out his friend to a stalker girl just because of one photo that could completely demolish his social life.

Well, it's not like Ootori-senpai is a bad girl or anything, she just comes on too strong…

And like that, the game ended. Unlike what everyone had expected, Koharu was at the top of the leaderboard, and Sayuki was at rock bottom.

"And third place is Shouma, then."

"Yeah. Well, it makes sense."

Though Koharu had taught him a trick or two, it was still impossible to improve enough in one day to beat Keiki. The person in last place gets something written on her head, while the person in third place has to obey an order from the person in first place.

"Now then, winner Koharu, your order for Shouma, if you will."

"Y-Yes."

"Please don't make it hurt too much, Koharu-chan."

"There is no need to hold back. A harsh demand from a loser is the best."

"Now now, Sayuki-senpai. People in last place should keep quiet."

The tiny, hoodie-wearing girl made fists with her hands, mustering up her courage to give out the order.

"Uhm, from now on, can I call Akiyamsenpai… Shoumkun…?"

"Guhaaaa?!" The ikemen once more got shot in the chest by that cute order.

It seems like that phrase coming out from a loli had too much impact on the lolicon.

"……Keiki," Shouma said.

"What?"

"I think I can die peacefully now."

"Then die for all I care."

And just like that, it was decided that Koharu would start calling Shouma 'Shoumkun'. Since they had gotten quite a bit closer, Keiki decided to call this double date a success.

As a side note, Koharu wrote 'My breasts are too big' on Sayuki's cheek as punishment. This was probably even more embarrassing than a nickname, especially because a lot of people would see her on the way back. Though Keiki thought that she deserved it, he received a email from Sayuki on the way home.

'On the way home, everyone looked at me with erotic eyes. It was the best.'

"This isn't even punishment anymore…"

Indeed, this was just another reward for this masochistic female molester.

Part 4:

After classes, Keiki was called to the 'horror house.' It was the place where both the walls and even the ceiling were covered in photos of Akiyama Shouma. Namely, it was the astronomy clubroom.

"Aren't there even more photos than before…?" Keiki muttered as he entered the room.

"That's your imagination," answered Koharu with a smile.

"I'm pretty sure that they've gone up in number…"

It seemed like Koharu's 'Akiyama collection' was going to grow even more.

"Aren't the other club members against all of this?"

"All the other members are ghost members. And the advisor is too laid back to even bother coming here."

"Ah, so nobody is here to stop it, I see…"

Koharu could do as she pleased with that room. Deciding to set that aside for now, Keiki sat down at the table, facing Koharu.

"Ootori-senpai, what are you doing with that video camera?"

"I'm looking at the video I took at the bowling center."

"Ah, so you really were filming that…"

"This is the first time I've been able to take a video so up-close with Shoumkun. I watched it on loop all night long."

"I'm glad that you're living your life to the fullest."

"Getting closer to Shoumkun… Being able to record his voice from up close like this… It feels like I always have him by my side, even when I'm at home. It's even become a routine for me to listen to his voice every time I go to bed."

"You'd better make sure that Shouma never hears anything of this."

That would probably destroy everything they had built up until now. Even if she looks like a maiden in love, she still is a stalker deep inside.

"So, did something good happen, Senpai?"

"Ehehe, is it that obvious?"

"After all, you look really happy right now."

"Actually… Shoumkun invited me to go out with him on the next day we have no school."

"Ohh, now that's good news."

Definite forward progress. Keiki the cupid was very happy to hear this news.

"Lately, we've been exchanging emails in the evening, and talking with each other on the phone."

"…I'm happy to hear that."

They sounded even more like a couple right now. Shouma had also started calling Koharu 'Koharu-chan'. It seemed like Koharu was really giving it her best even without having Keiki around. At this rate, she might not even need his support anymore.

"………"

As he started to feel lonely for some reason, Keiki once more looked around the astronomy club room. The curtains were open, and the early-summer sunlight entered the room. The light danced across the surface of the room's large telescope and binoculars. Several different types of cameras lay on a table next to the wall outside the sunlight's reach.

"That's a crazy number of cameras. Do they all belong to the astronomy club?"

"No, most of them belong to me."

"They belong to you… aren't they pretty expensive?"

"There's no need to worry. It may not look like it, but I'm the daughter of a company president."

"Eh? The daughter of a company president?"

"Are you familiar with Ootori Construction?"

"I guess I have seen some commercials, yes…"

Her way of eating fast food looked very noble, and her movements looked very refined, but Keiki didn't expect her to be from such an important family.

"Even though you're so tiny, Ootori-senpai really has a lot going for her."

"I don't feel like that's a compliment…"

Though she looked aggravated for a moment, her lips loosened into a lovable smile.

"Kiryuu-kun, thank you."

"Eh?"

"Since Shoumkun's a lolicon, I never would've been able to get closer to him if I didn't hide my ribbon," She softly touched the ribbon on her chest. "It's all thanks to Kiryuu-kun. Being this close to my loved one has made me more happy than I could have ever dreamed."

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Keiki scratched his cheek.

"I didn't really do anything… I did only help you so that you would delete that photo."

"Ah, that photo. I deleted that the day you promised to help me."

"Eh? W-Why?"

"I thought that Kiryuu-kun seemed like the kind of person who would keep his promises. After all, you're Shoumkun's dear friend."

So Koharu had trusted Keiki from the very beginning. Hearing that, he felt a warm, fuzzy feeling inside his chest.

"But I won't rely on Kiryuu-kun anymore."

"Senpai?"

"I have prepared myself. Today, I'm wearing pink underwear."

"Pink underwear?"

"It's a popular good luck charm with women. When they wear pink underwear on the day they want to confess to the boy they love, it will bring them success."

"Oh, I never knew such a charm existed."

That was the first time Keiki had ever heard of that, but he knew that girls had a lot of these superstitions.

"Uh? But if you're wearing that today, then—"

Hearing Keiki's words, Koharu nodded.

"I think I've finally raised enough courage. I'm done with the cute little Koharu act."

"Senpai…"

"I will confess my feelings to Shoumkun, as the real me."

And to Keiki, it looked like her eyes were shining with courage.

"—Koharu-senpai."

"Yes?"

"No more threatening me with pictures, okay?"

"I won't! …But, huh? Did you just call me Koharu-senpai?"

Ootori Koharu had made up her mind. Now there was only one thing that Keiki could do.

"Give it your best, please. I'm cheering for you, Koharu-senpai."

"………Yes, I'll do my best."

He could only see her off, hoping that her feelings would reach Shouma.

After waiting until Shouma's tennis practice was over, Koharu started the operation.

"Oh, Koharu-chan?"

"Shoumkun. Can we walk home together?"

Having no explicit reason to decline, the both of them started walking home next to each other. Koharu, who had made up her mind to confess to the boy, had slightly flushed cheeks and continuously glanced at Shouma. Having no idea what would happen, the boy just continued to talk with Koharu about whatever came to mind. And there was one person who followed them, watching this adolescent scene with his own eyes.

"Somehow, I feel like a stalker now…" muttered Kiryuu Keiki in astonishment. "Koharu-senpai said that she would be fine, but I'm still kind of worried…"

Without being aware of the cupid following them, the two of them continued to walk. The street they walked on was just like any other, and it was illuminated by the slowly setting sun. They passed traffic lights as they walked, with seemingly a bubble around them deflecting the people passing them by. The scenery started to change the more they kept walking. And after about 10 minutes had passed since they left school…

In an alley with trees on both sides, Koharu stopped.

"Koharu-chan? What's wrong?" Shouma asked as he turned around. He received no answer.

Under the green trees with sunlight slightly shining through, the girl simply gazed at the boy.

"Do you remember? One year ago, Shoumkun and I met at exactly this place."

"Eh?"

"That day, Shoumkun got me back my hat that blew away in the wind," Saying that, she slowly pulled down the zipper of her hoodie.

And along with her white blouse, the ribbon became visible. The moment her blonde ribbon came in sight, the magic that was cast on the girl vanished. Standing there was the girl who was one year older than her loved one. The third-year highschool student Ootori Koharu.

"Koharu-chan, that ribbon…"

"I'm sorry for lying to you. But I wanted to get closer to you no matter what."

At the place where they had met for the very first time, Koharu turned her feelings into words.

"Since we've met, I've always… always — been in love with Shoumkun."

Those were the feelings she had kept deep inside her heart, for this whole year. Barely being able to hold them back, she could finally let it all out. She finally built up her courage to confess. Her confession gave off so much force that even Keiki felt the impact.

But— the moment he saw Shouma's face, he knew what was going to follow.

"…Sorry, Koharu-chan. I'm a lolicon after all…"

Those were the words he had said every time he turned down a confession.

"I can't go out with you."

After that, Shouma, who had been left alone, didn't go home, but instead walked to a nearby park. After sitting down on a deserted bench, he didn't move at all. The setting sun was slowly swallowed up in darkness, and the sky gradually grew darker and darker in hue.

Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, he lifted up his head.

"Hey, ladykiller. How's it feel after turning down a cute girl like her?"

"Keiki… so you were watching."

"Yeah. Actually, I was Koharu-senpai's cupid all this time."

"…I see, now I understand," Shouma let out a small laugh, but didn't get angry.

That was the emotion that Keiki was feeling right now: Anger.

"Koharu-senpai was crying…"

After being rejected, Koharu started crying. As she turned around and ran away, even Keiki was able to tell from a distance. Just how much she was hurt, just how much pain she felt in that moment. Remembering that sight, the depths of Keiki's chest were burning.

"Do you know how serious Koharu-senpai was with that confession? Every time she met you, she was crazy nervous. She could never even bring up the nerve to talk with you over this whole year. And now… now that she finally mustered up her courage, you turn her down because 'You're a lolicon'?! Did you really think I could just go home after watching that farce?!"

Keiki knew just how happy Koharu was about their first two-person photo together. Just how serious she was about Shouma. As her cupid, he was the closest person to her feelings.

"Falling in love with someone… going out with someone… I believe that Shouma is free to decide all of that. But shooting a girl down just because she's a year older than you is just—"

So unbelievably cruel towards that tiny Senpai.

"…Keiki really is kind."

"Shouma?"

"I remember meeting her, in that alley."

"Really?"

"Yup. I thought that she was really cute, which is why I went there countless times after that."

"That probably made you look really suspicious…"

"But in the end, I never met her again."

Thinking about it, it made sense. After falling for Shouma, she was unable to hold back her feelings and turned into a stalker, always acting in such a way that he would never see her.

"I never realized that that girl was actually Koharu-chan. Her hair was much shorter than now, you know."

Only with a small change in hair length, girls can look completely different. How ironic that he had missed her this whole year because of something like that.

"Shouma, why is it that a girl being older than you is no good?"

"…Yeah, I never told you, right?"

Keiki sat down next to Shouma, while still glaring straight at him.

"You know that I have two older sisters, right?"

"Yeah, Asahi-san and Yuuhi-san. They're at university, if I remember correctly."

When Keiki had gone over to play at Shouma's house, he often met them. Though they both had different personalities, it was plain as day that the two of them were both beautiful sisters.

"Those two are the reason that I turned into a lolicon."

"What do you mean?"

"They both are serious brocons. And not just in the normal meaning."

"The normal meaning…?"

"There was this particular incident, see? When I was in my first year of middle school, I went to take a bath, and when I entered the bathroom, the two of them were there waiting for me."

"Eh…"

"That day was the 14th of February, so Valentine's day. They both decorated their bodies with chocolate and said 'Go ahead and eat me.' This resulted in me collapsing."

"Uwa… that's harsh."

That must've been tough on Shouma's psyche.

"But wait, Mizuha wouldn't be so bad, I guess?"

For a second, Keiki imagined a scene with a chocolate-decorated Mizuha, saying "Eat me?"

"Isn't that a reward?"

"Let's set your siscon tendencies aside for now. Anyways, they often teased me with stuff like that. Before I realized it, I noticed myself trying to keep my distance from older women. So much so that I turned into a lolicon."

"Okay, I understand why you turned into a lolicon."

His sisters had traumatized him.

"I have no problem when it's with friends, like that time with Tokiharsenpai. But, when it comes to actual relationships, it gets difficult. See that girl who just walked by? She's almost done with her teen growth spurt, and when she's in high school, I probably wouldn't even look at her anymore."

"That's gotta be the worst coming-out ever…"

The ikemen was still, regrettably, a lolicon. He still is insisting that girls in their growth spurt, or with nothing at all, are the best. Maybe being a lolicon is an incurable disease. He'll turn any girl down if she is younger than him but is well-developed. He'll turn any girl down if she looks like a loli but is older than him.

"But why are you making such a face, Shouma?"

"Eh? What kind of face am I making?"

"To put it in Mizuha's words, you look like a lost child."

"A lost child… That might be true. I mean, when I saw Koharu-chan crying, my chest hurt. This is the first time I've ever felt like that when turning a girl down."

He probably felt that Koharu was different from any other girl who had confessed to him as of yet.

"You had fun, right? When Koharu-senpai was with you."

"…Yeah."

"And that's because it's Koharu-chan. Not because she looks like a loli."

"………I know." His voice was filled with regret.

But his next words were even more shocking.

"I know… that I can't keep going like this."

He looked down at the ground, and it seemed like he had made up his mind. He was properly thinking of himself and the person in front of him, his expression filled with determination.

Part 5:

The next day after school. The astronomy room was once more wrapped in an artificial night, just like the first time Keiki had entered the room. The only thing that illuminated the room was the phone screen that Koharu was looking at, and it showed her first photo together with Shouma.

"Koharu-senpai, you really were here."

"Kiryuu-kun…"

"Please answer your phone calls. I was really worried."

"…I'm sorry," Tightly grasping the smartphone to her chest, she once more said "I'm sorry."

"Even though Kiryuu-kun was cheering me on, I was still rejected."

"I saw from the shadows. Koharu-senpai really gave it her all. I think that Shouma is the one at fault here."

"T-That's not…"

"Don't you think that his reasoning is just ridiculous? He can't go out with you since you're older? What's up with that?"

"That… might be true," As she recalled the scene, she nodded as she looked like she was about to cry.

In response, Keiki softly patted his Senpai's head.

"That guy might be a bit good-looking, but his personality is the worst. He always says stuff like 'I don't have any interest in them if they're not small.'"

"Well, I really wish he had some delicacy when it came to that…"

"Right? How can he just go and say 'I'm a lolicon after all' to every girl who musters up all the courage she has? Isn't that too cruel?"

"I-I think so! That really hurt me!" The little girl screamed out.

With that, the two of them continued to badmouth Akiyama.

"I really don't get him, that Shouma! Even older women have a certain charm!"

"Right! I think that an older woman makes an even better wife!"

"Right! And normal boys would do anything to get spoiled by an older woman!"

"I don't see why it has to be a girl younger than him!"

"The girl's gotta have big breasts, after all!"

"No, even small breasts have their own charm!"

"And what exactly does he mean by 'lolicon'? Liking young, small girls is totally an out!"

"Yes! Being an actual lolicon is a crime I think!"

The two of them continued their heated discussion. And just at that moment…

"…Uhm, can you stop already? Anything further and it will definitely leave permanent damage. It feels like my heart's about to break from that crime talk."

"S-Shoumkun?!"

With a hand on his chest, the person in question entered the room. Realizing that, Koharu hurriedly stood up and started panicking.

"U-Uhm, I-I was just lost in the moment… I didn't mean to badmouth Shoumkun at all, I just had to vent some stress from yesterday…!"

"Koharu-senpai, your facade is breaking."

"Ah, am I done for?!"

While Koharu was panicking, the ikemen stepped forward. He softly took her hand, which left her in complete speechless confusion.

"During the time I spent with Koharu-chan, I had so much fun."

"Eh?"

"I really thought that I might be fine if it's Koharu-chan… but I might need some rehabilitation for that. That's why I would like to ask Koharu-chan for help."

"So, basically…?"

"Basically, uhm… can we start as friends?"

It's true that Koharu had entered Shouma's heart, but he wasn't able to immediately overcome his lolicon nature, which is why he decided to slowly grow accustomed to it.

This was the first time the young boy had ever reacted like this after a confession. It was something like a confession of his own.

But the girl in front of him only looked at him with cold eyes.

"That's a phrase that a lot of rom-com protagonists use, though…"

"Eh?"

"So basically, without going out with me, but without clearly rejecting me, you're just keeping me warm for when you need me? That really is the worst."

"Guha?!"

"Shoumkun is the worst."

"The worst… I'm the worst…"

Seeing the scene unfold, Keiki couldn't hold back a snicker.

"Don't laugh at me… Keiki."

"Sorry, it just happened."

And Koharu also started smiling.

"Fufu, I was only joking. Since you said crazy things like 'I'm a lolicon after all,' you'll have to endure it if I tease you a little bit."

"Uu… you're right. I'm really sorry about that."

Hurting, apologizing, forgiving, and starting from zero—

To answer the boys confession, the girl looked straight at her loved one.

"I'm happy to just be next to Shoumkun. Let's start as friends."

"…Yeah. I'm looking forward to it, Koharu-chan."

Though it turned out a bit different from what the cupid had hoped for, this clearly wasn't the worst result.

"Good for you, Koharu-chan."

"Yes…!" She let out a bright smile.

Girls really are the cutest when they smile.

"But why is it so dark in here? Let's open up the curtains."

"Ah, yeah…… Hmm? Ah?!"

All brain cells were screaming danger inside Keiki's head.

"Wait a second, Shouma!"

But Keiki was just a bit too late to reach Shouma. The sunlight entered the room, and the ikemen squinted against it.

However, in the next moment, the boy's expression froze.

"………Eh?"

What he now saw were countless photos of him, pinned on the walls and the ceiling. The Akiyama collection that Koharu had produced over the course of the last year.

Please think about this.

What kind of reaction would the boy have?

Would he be happy and scream out "So this girl likes me this much! I'll love her too!" ?

No, the normal reaction would be "Scary?! What the hell is this?!"

And of course, Akiyama Shouma was no exception.

Looking at this mass of photos of him, he was at a loss for words. The cupid for his part felt the same. In addition, the cupid was assaulted with a feeling of despair. The calm atmosphere that the room had just moments before took a 180, and suddenly the room felt weighed down by gravity like a funeral.

"D-Did Koharu-chan take all these pictures?"

"Y-Yes, I took every single one of them!" She sounded like she wanted to be praised.

In response, her target's eyes looked even more dead inside.

"Maybe going out with a girl older than me really is impossible…"

"Yeah, you might be right…"

Even Keiki understood that this was completely unacceptable. No matter how cute she might be, her being such a pervert was too much to handle for Shouma. The stalker girl's feelings were so heavy that even the ace of the tennis club couldn't return them.

Chapter end