Shibuya, 11 p.m.
[Otaku-kun, you're surprised, right? www]
[Yeah, I was startled when I suddenly got a message from Nagase. How did you know my email address?]
[Did you forget, Otaku-kun? You filled in your information when you registered for the Student Council election. I peeked while you were doing it, lol.]
[I see. Looks like I was careless.]
[What are you doing, Otaku-kun?]
[I'm catching up on the latest anime. I just finished the last episode and am discussing the plot with my friends.]
[Really? Is it the new one, "Bunny Girl Ties Her Hair Up and Runs Into a Runaway Dog Boy"?]
[Whoa, you watch that too?]
[Of course. Don't you remember? We talked about the plot before.]
[I forgot. Now that you mention it, we did. Sorry.]
[It's fine, lol.]
Nagase Kumari lay on her bed with a lollipop in her mouth. She had already changed out of her school uniform and was now wearing a loose men's shirt.
Her long legs, painted with pink nail polish, swung in the air, and her damp hair hung loosely over her shoulders.
Looking at the sticker he'd sent in reply, Nagase Kumari smiled and typed back, hugging her phone.
[Otaku-kun, you're always apologizing.]
[Sorry.]
[See? You're apologizing again.]
[I'm used to it. Sorry.]
[It's fine.]
[Um, Nagase, what are you doing?]
[I'm getting ready to draw something for our campaign flyer. We're running for Student Council president, aren't we? Of course we should prepare properly for something this fun.]
Pulling out the notebook tucked beneath her chest, Nagase Kumari picked up a pen and twirled it.
Her raised feet swayed lightly in the air.
She hadn't been lying. A few simple lines were already drawn in the notebook.
[Sorry, I thought you were just saying that, Nagase.]
[Apologizing again? It's only natural you'd think that, Otaku-kun. I guess I do give people the impression that I'm a bit careless.]
[Th-that's not what I meant. I don't think you're as frivolous as you seem, Nagase.]
[...]
Nagase Kumari paused, and her feet stopped swinging.
She stared at her phone. Its dim glow illuminated the room around her.
It was no cozy home, but a cramped single room.
Dirty, unwashed clothes and clutter were scattered everywhere. A plastic water bottle stuffed with cigarette butts sat carelessly in the corner.
Noise and shouting drifted in through the window, while a mountain of black garbage bags blocked the hallway.
Beneath the night sky, tainted by the surroundings, the air reeked of mold and smoke.
Picking up the half-finished juice beside her, Nagase Kumari shifted position and held up her phone to type.
[Enough about me. Otaku-kun, what kind of picture should we put on our flyer? I was thinking of drawing something anime-related, but I'm not sure what kind would work.]
[I see. I think so too. If it's an anime people aren't familiar with, they might not understand it. Something based on a series everyone knows might be more popular.]
[Should we do a magical girl, then? Or a dark commander?]
[Uh, those probably won't work. The Public Morals Committee would likely warn us. Magical girls are all pretty weak on defense, after all.]
[How about the Demon King and the Hero? That's a classic, right?]
[That doesn't seem to have much to do with the Student Council election.]
[Then what should we use?]
[Maybe characters or images from an anime about a student council. Ideally, something that shows how we're different from the other candidates.]
[Great idea! Otaku-kun, you're actually really capable. You came up with such a good idea.]
[Hehehe. I've watched a lot of anime, so I've just borrowed something the main characters did in a series. It's nothing special.]
[Even so, I think it's impressive.]
[Really? I actually think you're the most impressive one, Nagase...]
Before Nagase Kumari could finish reading the message Fukayama Midori had sent, someone suddenly pinned her down from behind.
Along with the same smoky odor that filled the cramped room, her senpai's voice sounded beside her ear.
"What are you doing, Nagase? Who are you messaging? Let me see."
As he spoke, Osawa Nobuhiko leaned over, wanting to see who Nagase Kumari was messaging so intently that she hadn't even noticed him approach.
As Osawa Nobuhiko leaned closer, Nagase Kumari put a hand against his face to hold him back.
Smiling, she refused in a gentle voice that wouldn't put him off. "Oh, don't go snooping through my messages. I'm just discussing something."
After Nagase Kumari pushed him away, Osawa Nobuhiko put an arm around her waist and noticed the notebook with a few lines drawn in it. He understood.
"Oh, that kid you met this afternoon? Don't tell me you're thinking of getting with him."
"Not at all. Don't get the wrong idea, Osawa-senpai."
Nagase Kumari smiled and batted away Osawa's hand as it roamed over her.
"We're just classmates. If you say that, Otaku-kun might get scared if he hears you."
"Osawa-senpai, you always read too much into things. I'm still right here, aren't I?"
"Don't spend all your time worrying about this and that. Anyway, what about you, Osawa-senpai? You came back so early. I thought you'd be home later."
As Nagase Kumari spoke, Osawa took off his jacket and roughly pulled her close, pressing his face against her back.
As if he could finally relax, Osawa spoke lazily. "We weren't supposed to be back so early. We were going to hassle a few more middle-aged office workers."
"But we ran into some real yakuza. Their tattoos and muscles were terrifying. They asked if we wanted to go with them and make some big money."
"My friends all wanted to go. I did too, at first, but they only wanted dropouts and unemployed people. I'm still a third-year in high school, so I couldn't go."
"They all left with that yakuza group. I figured I might as well come home alone. I could check if you were still here, too. If you'd left, I would've tracked you down, brought you back, and locked you up so you couldn't go anywhere."
Feeling the heat of his body behind her and Osawa's arms tightening around her, Nagase Kumari smiled and reassured him.
"Don't overthink it, Osawa-senpai. I know you're afraid of being lonely."
"Then you'd better stay with me today."
"Ah, wait, Osawa..."
The phone that had been in Nagase Kumari's hand slipped and fell. Before she could reach for it, Osawa pinned her wrist down.
On the phone screen, Fukayama Midori's email address flashed a notification of a new message.
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