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Main Story 45 - Do You Have Any ○○-ssu?

RAW

Himura-san and Hazuki-san's cleaning duty is over. So, the six of us leave Kasagaya High School and start heading towards my house.

It takes more than 20 minutes to get there from the school on foot. Himura-san and Hazuki-san have never gone to my house. So when I ask them how we should get there, everyone says they can just walk. So we decided to go on foot.

They leave the route to my house up to me, so I decided to take the same route I take to and from school. Therefore, on the way, we’ll also pass through the underpass that is my meeting place with Hiori. When we approach the underpass,

“Every morning, I meet up with Akito-san here. Akito-san is the one who decided on this place.”

Hiori says as she stops and introduces it. I’ve passed through this underpass so many times that I've lost count, and I’ve even gotten used to meeting up with Hiori and going to school from here. Still, it’s a little embarrassing.

“Isn’t this a good place? It looks like it'll keep out the rain and wind. And you won’t have to deal with sunlight either.”

Himura-san expresses her positive impressions. Hazuki-san and the others also nod, saying, “Yeah, yeah.” I’m relieved by their reaction.

Then we start walking again.

I thought we were walking down a road that Himura-san and Hazuki-san didn't know, but it turns out they both know some of the roads. It seems they walked it during Golden Week when they went from my part-time job to Hiori's house. Perhaps remembering about that day, Himura-san murmurs in a daze, “That time at Hyori's house was fun...”

We buy some snacks and drinks at a convenience store near my house before heading to my house. By the way, what I bought was bottled can black coffee and matcha marshmallows.

* (T/N: the bottle can I’m talking about is aluminium bottle, but ‘aluminium bottle black coffee’ doesn’t sound good, and the raw says ‘bottle can’ anyway, so I use ‘bottle can’.)

“I’m home.”

[Sorry for the intrusion.]

“Come on up, everyone. My room is on the second floor.”

I go inside my house and prepare slippers for each person.

“Akito, welcome back. Ara~, Hiori-chan. And Kuraki-kun and Miu-chan.”

She probably heard Hiori and the others' voices. Mom appeared from the living room.

“Good afternoon, Mika-san.” (Miu)

“Hello!” (Kazuo)

“We're all going to have a study session here. Even when we became second years, together with Kazuo-kun, I thought I’d rely on Kamitou-kun. This time, on Hiori-chan and Saaya-chan too.”

“Akito is good at looking after someone, isn’t he? ...Ara, there are two kids I've never seen before. And they're cute too. No, I think they were in the photo that Akito showed me during Golden Week. They're your friends, right?”

When I returned from Dome Town, I showed everyone's photos to my family. Mom must have remembered that.

“That's right. The red-haired girl is our classmate, Himura Kyoko-san. The brown-haired girl is Hazuki Saaya-san from the science class. She's in the same literature club as Hiori.”

“I see. I’m Mika, Akito's mother.”

“I'm Himura Kyoko.”

“My name is Hazuki Saaya. Wow, you’re beautiful-ssu!”

“Isn’t she, Saaya.”

“I'm so happy. When beautiful and cute high school girls say that to me, I feel young again.”

‘Ufufu’, Mom laughs and shakes her body from side to side. I guess she's pretty happy that Himura-san and Hazuki-san told her she's beautiful. Well, even from my perspective as her son, she's so pretty that it's hard to believe that she has two children, one in college and one in high school.

“Mom. We'll have a study session for the midterm exam in my room. Until around 6 or 7.”

“I understand. Do your best with your studies, everyone.”

And then, I take Hiori and the others to my room on the second floor.

Perhaps because it's their first time here, Himura-san and Hazuki-san are looking around inside the house. That's so cute.

“This is my room.”

I open the door and let Hiori and the others through to my room.

Himura-san and Hazuki-san look around the room and let out an “Ooh!” Himura-san seems to be looking around the room more than Hazuki-san.

“It’s a wonderful room, just like what Hiorin said the other day-ssu!”

“It's a beautiful room. It's quite spacious too, it seems like it’ll be okay for six people to study together here.”

“I’m glad to hear that impression.”

Actually, I cleaned it all up yesterday. Club activities start being prohibited today. In my first year of high school, Kazuo, Shimizu-san, and I often had study sessions in my room. What’s more, I’m dating Hiori on a trial basis right now. And since I hang out with Himura-san and Hazuki-san, I thought there was a possibility that I’d have a study session with them too. ‘Cleaning it was the right decision’ I think as I put my bag on my study desk.

“I'll bring a table and cushions from my sister's room. If it’s just the ones in my room, the table is too small and there aren't enough cushions.”

“I’ll help you carry it too!”

“Thank you. I’m counting on you, Kazuo.”

“Kamitou-kun. Can I look at the bookshelf-ssu?”

“I want to see it too.”

“Yeah, sure. Put your bags down wherever. Kazuo, let's go.”

“Yeah!”

I leave my room with Kazuo and enter my sister's room.

The table in my room and the table in my sister's room are the same. That’s why we can increase our study space just by putting them together. There is a TV remote control and a manga on the table, so I put them on the study desk.

“Aki. I'll carry the table.”

“Thanks. It's the same table as the one in my room, so just put them together.”

“Ok!”

Kazuo picks up the table with both hands and leaves my sister's room. As expected from the track and field club. He carries the table easily.

I grab the needed cushions and leave my sister's room.

When I return to my room, I see Kazuo and Shimizu-san sitting next to each other by the TV. Putting the two tables together makes for a pretty big study space.

I place the cushions I brought from my sister's room around the table. Now everyone can sit on the cushions and study.

Hiori, Himura-san, and Hazuki-san are looking over at my bookshelf. There are a lot of romance and rom-com works there, so I'm sure there are works that Himura-san and Hazuki-san like as well.

“Um, Kamitou-kun.”

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

Hazuki-san beckons me over, so I head right up to her.

When I do, Hazuki-san slowly tiptoes herself, and,

“Kamitou-kun, do you have any naughty books-ssu?”

Whispers that in my ear. The word “naughty book” and Hazuki-san's warm breath on my left ear makes me startled.

“...Why do you ask that?”

Even though Hiori and Himura-san are nearby.

“I once heard a theory from a friend that middle and high school boys always have at least one such book hidden somewhere in their rooms-ssu. I wanted to find out whether it was true or not.”

“...I see.”

I’ve gone to the houses of many of my male friends in middle and high school. It wasn't everyone, but a number of them had adult-oriented books in their houses. By the way, there were no such books in Kazuo's house.

“Also, if you have any, I want you to let me read them, I’ll use them for reference when writing future novels-ssu.”

“...How can you say that to me, a man who has a trial lover?”

Among the novels that Hazuki-san publishes on the submission site, there are many works with intense depictions of romance. That's why she probably wants to read adult-oriented books and use them as reference for her own creative works.

“A-Akito-san.”

I hear Hiori's voice from beside me, and I feel a light poke on my right side.

When I turn my head towards the voice, I see Hiori glancing at me, her cheeks slightly red. Also, Himura-san's cheeks are also red as she looks at me and Hazuki-san.

“I heard Saaya-san's voice earlier. So I end up getting curious.”

The inside of the room is quiet, and if they were close, they’d probably end up hearing Hazuki-san's whispers from earlier.

By the way, Kazuo and Shimizu-san are chatting at the table while eating the sweets we bought earlier, so they don’t notice our conversation.

“D-do you have one, Kamitou? Those... n-naughty, adult-oriented books.”

Himura-san asks me that while narrowing her eyes a little. Also, the word naughty sounds naughty.

I'm probably the only high school student who is asked by his trial lover, her best friend, and our classmate, all three of whom are beautiful girls, if I own any adult-oriented books. The three are staring intently at me too, so I have to answer honestly.

“About adult-oriented books... I don’t have any. Neither paper nor digital ones. I do own some manga for the general public that have intense depictions of romance though.”

“R-really? Akito-san.”

“Yeah. That’s why, the theory that Hazuki-san heard from her friend doesn't hold true. Besides, I have a number of male friends who don't have books like that.”

“I see.”

“So Kamitou doesn’t have any.”

“...You don’t have any huh? What a shame-ssu.”

Hiori smiles, Himura-san looks relieved, and Hazuki-san looks disappointed. Hazuki-san, did you really want to read adult manga that much? I don't know if it'll be a good substitute, but should I introduce you to a manga that has great romantic entanglement scenes?

“I don't know if the three of you know about it, but... no, I think I saw it at Hiori's house. The romance manga in the second row from the bottom called [Kiss the Strawberry], that one has quite suggestive depictions.”

“I have it in my house. The love scene in the final chapter where the hero and heroine tie the knot was intense.”

“I have that work too-ssu. The final chapter was really heart-throbbing-ssu.”

“I only know that work by name. Hearing you three talk about it makes me want to see the last scene.”

“You can look at it.”

I take out the final volume of [Kiss the Strawberry] from the bookshelf and hand it to Himura-san.

When Himura-san opens the book, Hiori and Hazuki-san stand on either side of her, perhaps wanting to see the content. The sight of three beautiful girls looking at the same manga... nice.

“Ooh... this is...”

As she lets out that voice, Himura-san's face quickly turns red. Most likely, she’s reading the love scene in the final chapter. Hiori and Hazuki-san also have a slight blush on their cheeks.

“We can see the strength of both the protagonist’s and heroine’s affection for the other.”

“That's right-ssu. I like the entranced look on the heroine's face here-ssu.”

“...E-even though it’s obscene, I still end up turning the page. I wonder if it's because the drawings are beautiful.”

Himura-san turns the pages while breathing heavily. I wonder if that's how people usually are when they read a scene that feels obscene.

The three of them continue to huddle together and read until the end of the final chapter.

“It's been a while since I read it, but looking at the last page is really moving.”

“It’s good that the two of them got together-ssu.”

“I read the final chapter out of the blue, but I know that it was a pretty good ending. Thank you, Kamitou.”

“You’re welcome.”

Himura-san hands me the manga and I return it to its original location.

The four of us sit down on cushions around the table. When we do, Hiori and I sit next to each other. By the way, the seating order clockwise from me is: Hazuki-san, Kazuo, Shimizu-san, Himura-san, and Hiori.

The snacks and drinks they bought at the convenience store are obvious, but everyone also takes out their textbooks, notebooks, writing utensils, etc. from their bags.

I stand up once, go to my bag on my study desk, and take out my writing utensils, workbook, and the assignment printout from today's class. I pick them up and return to my cushion.

“Akito-san, what are you going to study?”

“First, I'm going to do the assignments from today's class. After all, no matter the subject, the content of the assignments is within the scope of the midterm exam. Besides, since my first year, whenever I have a study session with Kazuo and Shimizu-san after school, we often do our assignments first.”

In fact, even now, Kazuo and Shimizu-san have spread out the assignment printouts that were handed out in today's Mathematics B class.

“I see. That's a good way to kill two birds with one stone. I’ll start with the assignment too.” (Hiori)

“I'll do the same. We have assignments for both Math II and Math B anyway...” (Kyoko)

“I'll do my assignment too-ssu. Because I have one in the Classics-ssu. If there's anything I don't understand, I can ask Hiorin and the others right away-ssu.”

“Then, shall we all finish the assignments together?”

[Yeah─!]

Everyone except Hiori and I thrust their right hand up into a fist. Everyone has assignments in their weak subjects after all, so I guess they are thinking of solving them in this study session.

Thus began my first study session as a second year student.

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