Popular with girls? I wish I were you? What’s this guy talking about? Is he making fun of me?! You’re the popular one between the two of us!
“B-But surely you have lots of female friends, being in university and all,” I replied. As I spoke, I realized that, a few short months ago, I would never have been able to say something like this to an older dude, let alone one so intimidatingly handsome. I owed this newfound courage to all the practice I’d gotten hanging around Kokoro: at work, meeting cute girls at events, and so on.
“Aw, not at all. It’s all pretty much men on my course. You can count the girls on one hand.”
“What? R-Really...?”
In my imagination, university had always been a place where boys and girls met and went drinking or partying together.
“Yeah, and my high school was a boys’ school too. I’m kind of envious!”
“B-But you’re friends with lots of female cosplayers, right?”
A guy this handsome must have swarms of girls coming after him. Just like Bambi did...
“Ah, you see, I’m new to this. This was my third event so far. I’ve exchanged business cards with other cosplayers a couple of times, but I haven’t become friends with any of them yet.”
So that thing about being a beginner on his Twitter profile was true...
It was then that I noticed our conversations were taking place between all the wrong people—Kokoro was still talking with Masahiro, while I spoke to her crush. Mr. Crush didn’t seem to mind, however, and he continued talking.
“S-So, by the way... you and Two-Heart are otaku friends, right?” Yuya was still smiling, but I could hear the concern in his voice.
“Huh? Y-Yes...”
“That means that you two aren’t... you know... dating?”
“What?! No, not at all!”
“I see...” he replied, looking slightly relieved.
It sounds like he’s interested in Nishina! She might have a chance with him!
“Do you happen to know if she has a boyfriend...?”
“Huh?”
“I-I just thought it’d be wrong to invite her to cosplay together if she was seeing someone!”
Okay, she definitely has a chance with him!
“She doesn’t! There’s no problem inviting her whatsoever!”
“R-Really?!” he asked, a broad smile breaking out across his face.
“Actually, she doesn’t have any other cosplayer friends, so she’d probably be happy if you asked her.”
“Oh! That’s great news! I-I’ll invite her then! Why don’t you come too? We could all cosplay together!”
“Me?! Haha... I don’t have the confidence to cosplay...”
The more I spoke with Yuya, the more surprised I became. He said he didn’t have any female friends, and that he hadn’t had any in high school either. Seeing how he wasn’t as forward as his friend in talking to Kokoro, he was likely telling the truth. He also spoke politely and respectfully to me, even though I was younger than him. In general, I had to admit that I liked him.
I thought back to that other handsome cosplayer I knew, Bambi, and the contrast between them was stark. Even though he’d tried to sound like a good guy, that handsome narcissist had been suspicious from the start. I didn’t get any such vibes from Yuya.
Considering all of this, and the fact that he seemed more attracted to Kokoro than I could have ever imagined, he probably was the perfect otaku boyfriend that she had been looking for. He was handsome and an otaku, of course, but he was also kind. Not to mention that he didn’t seem like he fooled around at all.
A man so perfect shouldn’t be allowed to exist. He’s perfect for Nishina. He has my blessing. I’ll have to tell her about how much he seems to like her later on, and then it’ll only be a matter of time before they start dating. Right... Nishina will have a boyfriend. Why does that bother me so much? I should be happy about it! I can’t explain this feeling... If it’s not jealousy from being overtaken in our race to romance, then I really don’t know what it is.
Eventually, our individual conversations merged into a collective one. We talked about Kisaki’s doujinshi, Elena’s work as a voice actress, and so on.
Masahiro was just as eager to talk to these two girls as he had been to talk with Kokoro, bombarding them with questions and compliments. This might have been his way of being polite, but then again, he wasn’t even trying to talk to me. He probably just wanted to take his chances with all the girls he could find.
Despite the dude’s advances, we had a surprising amount of fun, and we all continued talking until six o’clock.
“Oh, look at the time,” Elena said after a glance at her watch. “I’m really sorry, but I have to go. I have a work appointment soon.”
I was disappointed that, despite sitting next to her for so long, our meeting would end without us having spoken to each other. Even when everyone was telling her goodbye, speaking to her was so difficult that I only managed to wave her off.
“I’ll go get my train then. The station is... over there, right?” she said, pointing in the exact opposite direction of the station.
I mean, we aren’t that close to the station, but I thought she’d have at least some idea of where we are...
“No, it’s that way!” Masahiro corrected her. “Guess it’s probably better if I walk you to it!”
Wh-What?! This guy wants to go with her! He’s definitely going to flirt with her or ask for her LINE or something! I have to do something!
“Ah! I just remembered I have to be going too! I’ll walk you, don’t worry about it!” I told Elena.
“R-Really...?” she asked, looking extremely confused.
“What? You’re going home already?” Kokoro asked.
“Yeah... I’ll text you two later,” I replied, feeling bad about my lousy lie.
“Okay then...” she said.
As Elena and I left, she and Kisaki stared after me with a mixture of suspicion and surprise.
When we could no longer see the diner, I finally apologized to Elena.
“I-I’m sorry I said I’d go back with you all of a sudden...”
“It’s not a problem, but is it true that you had to go?”
“W-Well...” I fumbled for words, knowing that, as awkward as it was, I had to tell her the truth. “Actually, I was worried about letting that guy go with you...”
I slowly turned to look at her, worried about how she was going to react. She was staring at me, looking stunned, until our eyes met and she quickly averted her gaze.
“Thank you,” she then said with the faintest voice possible. Even if she wasn’t looking straight at me anymore, I could tell that she was blushing.
Moments later, she stopped walking. This time, her voice was more determined when she spoke.
“Ichigaya?”
“Yes?” I said, stopping as well.
“The thing I told you last time...” she continued, and my heart skipped a beat. I noticed her eyes were getting wet with tears. “Please forget that I ever said it.”
“...Huh?” I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard.
“I was so grateful back then that, in the heat of the moment, I ended up saying what I did without considering that it’d be a nuisance to you... I’m sorry.”
“A nuisance? No way...”
She said it in the heat of the moment... So she didn’t really mean it?
“I meant everything I said that day,” she said as if she’d read my mind.
So... she does like me?
“But I know that you’re not attracted to me.”
“What?”
Why in the world would I not be attracted to Minami?!
“Wait...” I objected, but she had already started speaking.
“And I’d already told myself that I wouldn’t date anyone before becoming successful as a voice actress. I shouldn’t have bothered you in that way, and I’m sorry.”
Elena looked as if she could start crying any moment.
She didn’t want to date before becoming successful? But... wait a second. She basically just said that she likes me, right?! So she doesn’t want to date me because she’s only starting out as a voice actress?
I was having considerable trouble processing so many thoughts at once, but there was one thing that I knew for sure: nothing could make me happier than Elena liking me. All the same, the fact that she wouldn’t date me was extremely sad.
“I’m so sorry. I know I’ve asked a lot of you, and I promise not to be a nuisance anymore, but... would you do me one last favor?” she asked.
“One last favor?” I repeated. I wasn’t even able to come up with my own words anymore.
“Just once... would you please go on a date with me? Then I’ll give up on my feelings for you.” Elena looked at me, tears streaming down her face.
I hadn’t rejected her, nor had I been rejected by her. I actually hadn’t done anything at all. And now, hearing her request, there was only one way I could answer.
“If that’d make you happy... it’d be my pleasure.”