Love Compensation Effect

"Hey, how do you actually get a girl?" Toba Shigeru gazed out the window, a hint of longing in his voice.

"You asked that five minutes ago." Ishida kept leafing through his study materials without looking up. "If we knew, we'd have told you already."

"Help me figure out my strengths," Toba Shigeru persisted.

Ishida sighed. "Fine. First, looks."

"Born with those. Can't change them." Toba Shigeru touched his face helplessly. "Next."

"Wealth."

"My other half isn't that materialistic." He waved a hand. "Next."

"Talent."

"None." This answer came even more readily. "Next."

"A sense of security."

"Too subjective. Hard to say." Toba Shigeru frowned. "Next."

"A way with words. Wit and humor."

"So sorry I don't have a funny bone." He spread his hands. "Next."

"Sword Demon."

"Isn't that the same thing? How did we circle back to that?" Toba Shigeru nearly sprang out of his chair.

"I can't think of anything else."

"How is that possible? I'm really caring. Doesn't that count?" Toba Shigeru patted his chest.

"Caring is the most useless one."

"Why?"

"If caring alone could get you a girl, would there still be simps in this world?"

"Damn, you could've said so sooner." Toba Shigeru felt his soul take a critical hit. "That cuts deep, bro."

"Isn't there a girl who doesn't care about looks or money, who loves only me, and who's beautiful, cute, innocent, compassionate, warm, and lively? An even better figure would be a bonus."

"This... creature you're describing. Does it still qualify as human?"

"Wasn't there supposed to be genuine affection in this world? Where did true love go?" Toba Shigeru lamented bitterly.

"You can have anything in your dreams."

"Just because you haven't met someone like that doesn't mean they don't exist." Takahashi Ren's voice came from the kitchen. "Have you heard of the love compensation effect?"

Both of them looked toward him. Toba Shigeru shook his head. "No."

"It's a social psychology phenomenon. Put simply, people are more likely to fall for someone who likes them," Takahashi Ren explained.

"I get it." Toba Shigeru's eyes lit up, and he smacked his right fist into his left palm. "I just have to let her know I like her!"

"I don't think it's that simple." Ishida adjusted his glasses. "That's only in theory. There are too many variables in real life."

"Exactly," Takahashi Ren agreed.

"But if the theory holds, then the possibility exists. Right?" Toba Shigeru pressed eagerly.

"The compensation effect can be the starting point of a relationship, but whether it lasts ultimately depends on whether the two people truly understand each other and feel a mutual attraction."

"In other words, you still need enough personal charm," Takahashi Ren said leisurely.

"Aaagh..." Toba Shigeru let out a wail, his freshly kindled hope thoroughly doused again. He scratched his head and slumped back in his chair like a salted fish that had lost its dreams.

"Say, do you really need to be in such a hurry to get a girlfriend?" Ishida asked Toba Shigeru.

"I'm in a hurry? The semester's almost over. Are you planning to spend every day of summer vacation with the three of us crammed in here, staring at each other?"

"What's wrong with hanging out with friends?"

"You really don't get it at all." Toba Shigeru pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed.

"No, I understand perfectly. Women would only get in the way of my study efficiency."

"Uh, are you serious?" Toba Shigeru's mouth fell open in surprise.

"No, I was imitating a meme I saw online. Was I cool just now?" Ishida looked expectant.

"Not bad. Just a little stupid."

"Really?"

"Time to eat." Takahashi Ren interrupted their conversation.

Before long, the table was set with three bowls of rice and four home-style dishes: tomato and egg soup, napa cabbage stewed with tofu, fish-fragrant shredded pork, and stir-fried pork with chili peppers.

"What kind of food is this? I've never seen it before," Toba Shigeru asked curiously.

"It's food from Dragon Country." Takahashi Ren named the dishes, then invited them to dig in. "Give it a try."

"The colors and aromas are great." Ishida picked up his chopsticks, eager to try.

"Your senses can deceive you, Ishida." Toba Shigeru folded his arms, looking somewhat doubtful.

"Relax. It's fine."

Ishida was the first to pick up a piece of fish-fragrant shredded pork, and his eyes immediately lit up. "Mm, delicious." He promptly reached for the other dishes.

Seeing that Ishida's expression seemed genuine, Toba Shigeru took a dubious bite, and his face relaxed. "It really is pretty good."

"These peppers aren't spicy at all."

"Yeah, I can't handle spicy food myself, so I chose mild peppers," Takahashi Ren replied.

"The eggs are sho shoft and fragrant, and the tomatoes are delish." With his mouth stuffed full, Ishida's praise came out muffled and unclear.

"There's no fish in this fish-fragrant shredded pork, but it tastes like fish. Awesome!" Toba Shigeru had also been won over by the food.

Takahashi Ren watched them with a smile, a little satisfaction welling up inside him.

Then he picked up his own chopsticks and started eating.

After a filling meal, the three of them started chatting.

"Ah, I wish I could eat Takahashi's cooking every day." Toba Shigeru rubbed his stomach, thoroughly satisfied.

"In your dreams. I'm lazy. Cooking once in a while is fine." Takahashi Ren turned him down with a smile.

"What made you cook today?" Toba Shigeru asked again. "You never mentioned it before."

"Don't you know Takahashi by now? He just wanted to show off his skills today," Ishida chimed in.

"You really get me."

"Speaking of which, how did you end up in Dragon Country during middle school?" Ishida asked next.

"My dad got transferred for work, so I went with him," Takahashi Ren answered.

"Then communicating must've been really hard when you got there."

"It wasn't too bad. My dad's from Dragon Country, so I picked up some of the language growing up. He hired a private tutor for me afterward, too, so I adjusted pretty quickly once I got there."

"Come to think of it, I didn't even want to go at first. But after three years in Dragon Country, I didn't want to leave," Takahashi Ren recalled.

"Seriously? Is it really that great? The reviews online are pretty average." Toba Shigeru sounded somewhat tempted, but also somewhat doubtful.

"You'd be better off believing I'm Qin Shi Huang than believing that," Takahashi Ren blurted out.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times. You've already tried Dragon Country's food. As for the rest, you'll know when you see it for yourselves. You won't regret it."

"I'd really like to see it." Ishida hesitated for a moment before adding, "Actually, one of my childhood dreams was to travel around the world."

"Travel around the world? That'd be hard. Financial freedom would have to be the bare minimum, right?" Toba Shigeru said without thinking.

"That won't be hard for Ishida. He's bound to be a big boss someday," Takahashi Ren said.

Ishida shook his head, his voice somewhat subdued. "Honestly, I'm not even sure I can graduate from this school."

"Why do you think that? What about this school makes you uneasy?" Takahashi Ren asked.

"I'm afraid..." Ishida hesitated before voicing his concern. "I wouldn't be surprised if I got expelled one day."

"Why would you worry about that? Aren't your grades pretty good?" Toba Shigeru frowned.

"I heard from an upperclassman in my club that someone in their Class A got expelled," Ishida said seriously. "So I don't think this school only looks at grades."

"Don't scare me like that."

"Did they say why that person was expelled?" Takahashi Ren asked.

"No."

"Then there's no need to assume the worst. Just like at an ordinary school, they could've been expelled for something like committing a crime."

"Exactly. You've got to be optimistic. Spending every day looking miserable just isn't worth it," Toba Shigeru agreed.

"Yeah, you're right," Ishida replied.

He understood all that, but the unease in his heart wasn't something a few words could dispel.

Still, at least when he was with them, he wanted to be a little happier.

They were friends he could confide in, not trash cans that constantly dealt with his negative emotions.

He would set those heavy things aside in a corner for now, laugh with them, fool around with them, and get through these high school days together with fewer regrets.