A short while after they’d calmed down, she and Kai remembered their original goal. They booted up the PS4 and prepared to play MHW. Jun tried to find somewhere appropriate to sit, when Kai suddenly realized: he didn’t even have any cushions to sit on in his room, much less a couch. The floor was bare wood—no carpet. “...I normally just use my bed as a couch,” he said, before sitting on the edge of the bed. “...So, uh, feel free.”
As you might expect, Jun was hesitant at first. She’d learned to oppose sitting on a guy’s bed. But in the end she ended up decisively plopping down right next to him, as was her nature.
On the other hand—far too late at this point—Kai was extremely flustered about having a girl sit on his bed. Much like her boobs, Jun’s butt was extraordinarily fine, perfectly shaped, and absolutely mesmerizing. And her butt was on his bed! ON HIS BED!
Jun had also shortened her skirt, meaning that her pale thighs were exposed and right next to Kai. It was far too great of a temptation for an adolescent boy like Kai. The way she kept unconsciously pulling down the hem of her skirt to keep her underwear from showing was also indescribably arousing. He fought back the urge to gulp.
S-Speaking of which, I guess this is the first time I’ve ever invited a girl to my room, isn’t it...
It had completely slipped his mind thanks to him and Jun jabbering away right from the get-go. The more he carefully considered it, though, the more he realized how absurd the entire situation was. He didn’t want to think about it any further. The more he thought about it, the more aware of it he became. He’d get nervous. Hurry up and start already, MH! Why’s it taking his PS4 so long to just boot up?!
Then—just as he was grappling with this internally—it happened.
“Ashie, I bought some cake! Would you and your friend like to have some?”
“JESUS, MOM, could you at least knock?!”
His heart nearly leapt out of his chest thanks to his mother, who had suddenly opened the door and popped her head in. Not that they were doing anything to be ashamed of. It was just... a bit of a surprise attack when he’d been sitting there wondering to himself, Guess we ARE sitting pretty close... Is my mind in the gutter for even being aware of that?
“I’ll have some cake later. We were right about to play a video game,” he told his mom.
“Oh, were you now?”
Kai stood up from the bed and shooed his displeased mother out of the room. He nearly returned to his original spot before realizing that this was the perfect opportunity to revisit how close he was sitting to Jun. No no no. Now that we’re friends, trying to be modest about it would be even weirder!
He eventually ended up sitting down at about the same distance from her, his heart racing all the while.
“Ashie, is it true that you brought a super-cute friend over???”
“JESUS, SIS, could you at least knock?!”
His heart nearly exploded thanks to his older sister, who had suddenly opened the door and popped her head in. Not that he was doing anything to be ashamed of! Not at all!
“Man, she is a total cutie. Especially for somebody like you, Ashie!” his sister teased.
“SIS... She’s not an exhibit,” he said, annoyed. “Scram, we’re gonna play MH.”
“Yeesh, no need to get your panties in a wad. Trying to keep her all to yourself, you big studly man?”
“Yeah yeah yeah, that’s what I’m doing, keeping her to myself.” Kai stood up from the bed and shooed his displeased sister out of the room. He and his sister were about two years apart. While they didn’t have a bad sibling relationship, it wasn’t particularly great either.
He just realized: as he was flustered about inviting a girl to his room for the very first time, his family was also over the moon. They couldn’t help but be curious about the female friend he brought over (and a hottie, to boot!).
“Ashie, I picked up some sushi! Your friend can have some too, if she wants!”
“Come ooooooon, Dad, that doesn’t mean you have to come home early from work!!!”
What was WITH his family?! He shooed his father out of the room too, and then sat down on the bed, completely fed up. Fortunately, Jun seemed to be enjoying it and was giggling, not bothered by it in the slightest.
“Sorry about all the big fuss...” he apologized.
“Not at all,” Jun replied. “Your family is pretty close, huh?”
“I’d really love to write ‘Good fences make good neighbors’ in my mom’s dictionary...”
“Also, I’d love some sushi.”
“Sure, go ahead and have some of that at least,” he said. “Besides, it’s already paid for.”
“Also, Kai?” Jun asked.
“What, Jun?”
“What do they mean by ‘Ashie’?”
Kai ignored her question.
“Isn’t that odd? How come they call you ‘Ashie’ when your name is Kai?” Jun was relentless in her cross-examination.
“AHHHHH, I can’t hear you!”
“Should I be calling you ‘Ashie’ too?” He covered his ears with his hands and pretended like he couldn’t hear her, but she wouldn’t let up.
I didn’t want her to know, if I could manage it... He resolved himself and decided to come clean, bitter about his outspoken family.
“Do you know how to write my name?” Kai asked her. Since the entrance ceremony was today, she would’ve seen his name card on his desk along with the flowers if she’d been paying attention.
“Nakamura, right?”
“What about my first name?”
“It’s spelled with the character ‘hai’ meaning ‘ashes,’ but pronounced ‘Kai,’ right?” Jun responded. “Even I know that spelling.”
“That was a lie.”
“Huh?”
“I introduced myself to you and during homeroom as ‘Kai Nakamura,’ but I lied,” he said.
“Huh? Huh?”
“It’s actually pronounced differently.”
“Huh? Huh? Huh?” Jun was completely taken by surprise that he was lying about how to pronounce his name. It was impossible not to be shocked by it, though.
Despite how incredibly befuddled she sounded, Kai didn’t notice. He continued on. “My name is pronounced ‘Ash,’” he confessed in a monotonous, matter-of-fact way.
For a moment, Jun couldn’t manage a reaction. “...What?”
“It’s pronounced ‘Ash.’”
“...”
“Yeah, I know it’s a weird name. A real bizarre name. Laugh if you want to.”
“But your mom and dad seem like such squares...”
“They were pretty young though, right?” Kai pointed out. “They got married when they were students. Apparently they were a real chuuni couple who aspired to be a manga artist and an LN author. They hooked up, got knocked up, and that’s what they named me,” he explained at length in desperation. (His sister’s name, by the way, was Serena as in ‘serenade.’ Cringey, right?) “That’s why my family calls me ‘Ashie.’”
Jun froze for a brief moment, perhaps in shock. Then, she pointed a trembling finger at him and asked, “So, ‘Ash Nakamura’?”
“...Go ahead and laugh.”
“Pfft—”
“WOW, you’re actually going to laugh?!”
“Laugh or don’t, which is it?!” Jun’s objection was valid, although he hoped she would’ve considered his fragile mental state!
“...Well, because of that, I’d appreciate it if you pretended like you didn’t know,” he told her. “Keep calling me ‘Kai,’ please.”
“Mm, you got it,” Jun agreed with relative ease. He figured she’d tease him a little more. “I’ll keep it a secret from the rest of the class too.”
“Thanks.” That was the end of that conversation. Or at least, that’s what Kai thought when he thanked her. But then—
Her graceful, long eyelashes quivered with sorrow.
“What’s wrong?” Kai pressed her, to show he’d listen if she had something important to say. Eventually, Jun steeled herself before bashfully confiding in him.
“...Do you know how to write my name?”
“Huh. Well, uh...” He did remember it, because he saw it was spelled in an unusual way when he looked at the name card on her desk. Her name was written ‘Jun Miyakawa,’ with two kanji characters for her first name even though it was only one syllable.
“It’s written with the character ‘jun’ meaning ‘pure’ twice, which you combine into one syllable and just pronounce ‘Jun,’ right?” he offered. “Unusual, but sophisticated and stylish.”
“That was a lie.”
“Wha?”
“I introduced myself to everybody as Jun, but I lied,” she said.
“...Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“How is it actually pronounced?”
“‘Pure pure.’”
“...Wha?”
“It’s spelled like ‘Junjun,’ but pronounced ‘Purepure’!” Jun yelled desperately. “Purepure... Purepure... Purepure...” echoed throughout the room.
Holding back the urge to burst into laughter, Kai pointed a trembling finger at her and asked, “So, ‘Purepure Miyakawa’?”
“Yeah, I know it’s a weird name. A real bizarre name.”
“Were your parents aspiring to be manga artists or LN authors too?”
“This otaku apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!”
“What do they call you at home? ‘Pupu’?” he inquired.
“I’d K-word my parents if they didn’t call me ‘Jun.’”
“Hey, ‘Pupu’ can be yummy, like pupu platter.”
“Did you say something, †Ash†?”
“I’m sorry, it was nothing!” he apologized, throwing himself on his hands and knees. After holding that position for a while, Jun burst into laughter.
“Pfft—”
Kai laughed too, still on his hands and knees. Once he started, neither of them could stop.
“Oh my god, this is crazy!”
“Ohhhh my god!”
“I can’t believe we both have freaking ridiculous names, too!”
“And what’s so funny about that?” asked Kai, despite finding the whole thing incredibly funny. Jun was in stitches too, kicking both legs around in laughter. Her soft-looking thighs jiggled healthily and evocatively before his very eyes. ANYWHO...
“Definitely keep it a secret from everybody else.”
“I’ll definitely keep it on the down low.”
And that’s how their relationship began, one year ago.