After the start of the new school year, I came to the second library for the first time in a long time.
My faint hope that maybe I wouldn’t have to use this place when I became a sophomore was shattered. In the end, nothing had changed since my first year. I want a friend.
I went to the back of the bookshelf to see if Nekura-kun was there, but no one was.
I crouched down in the back of the bookcase, smelled the musty paper, and let out a sigh.
They even made me class president. I’m not a popular person.
I was a little worried that maybe this was bullying. However, I dismissed the idea that it is not bullying, because it seems that other kids wanted to be Sakura-Kun’s class committee partner, and everyone else didn’t like it.
As I was pointlessly touching the spine of the book with my fingers, I heard the sound of a door. I hear a small sigh and realize it’s a male student. I looked up, wondering if it was that boy.
“Nekura-kun!?”
“Eh?”
“Nekura-kun? It’s me! It’s Hiria!”
I was so excited to talk to him, but I wondered if I had the wrong person. As soon as I felt uneasy, I heard a “Hic” and a few seconds later a small voice said, “Long time no see …….”
Nekura-kun didn’t want to come to me even though we hadn’t seen each other in a long time, and as soon as he entered, I felt him sit down on the opposite side of the bookshelf where I was. He still refused to show his face. But it’s easier for me to talk to him that way.
“Hey, about playing monster-pretend that time……, was that okay, playing monster-pretend?”
I gathered up the courage to confirm, and after a long, long silence, I got the answer that he hadn’t meant to. Ugh, wow. I am ……. I am such a…
“I’m sorry, I …… thought you were a funny person, so I ……”
“No, I’m glad you think so.”
As I said this, I heard a small exhale on the other side.
“Are you sure you want to be a human today?”
I laughed and replied, “Today, the human version”. It’s fun to joke around, but I also want to talk normally.
“I don’t have any friends, ….. and I don’t think I’ll be able to make any in my new class.”
“Oh, really?”
The reaction was unexpected.
“If I had friends, I wouldn’t be here during recess.”
“That’s true. …… No, actually, I don’t have any …… friends either.”
“Nekura-kun too? So it was like that!”
It wasn’t an honorable thing at all, but I felt happy for the camaraderie.
“You’re so cheerful, I’m sure you’ll make friends soon. ……”
“I’m very shy. ……”
“You could talk to me from the start.”
“That’s because …… you were easy to talk to. ……”
We swung around and joked around from the start, so we didn’t have time to get shy. Maybe it was also a good thing that we couldn’t see each other’s faces.
And even when we talk normally, his gentle manner of speaking allows me to chat without feeling nervous.
“Nekura-kun, you’re a very nice person. ……”
“No, I’m …… garbage and I’m not a good …… talker.”
“No, you’re not!”
The poor thing must be completely demeaned by not having any friends. I know how you feel.
I can’t see his face anyway, and he doesn’t know my name. We seem to be on the same page, and I can tell him things I can’t tell other people.
“I’m on a committee, and I’m with someone who stands out. …… I feel like he doesn’t like me.”
“Which committee?” …… No, That’s right. Hiria-chan seems to be easy to talk to.”
“Maybe I’m being paranoid, but he won’t even look at me or talk to me at all.”
“That’s a terrible guy!”
“Do you also think so? I thought maybe I was imagining it, but people don’t usually respond that way. ……”
“People who respond like that are scum! He’s a scumbag! He has no character!”
“You know, that person …… no, nothing.”
Sakura Souji is rather famous. I was thinking of mentioning his name, but decided against it, as I hadn’t told him my grade or class. I’m not going to let my identity become known in the process. I don’t think it would do any good if people knew my name or face.
I don’t care if it’s a girl, but Nekura-kun is a boy.
I’m not unattractive in appearance. But ever since I entered the school, I’ve only been liked by strange people. On the other hand, decent people use honorifics and avoid me.
A decent person like you, Nekura-kun, might find it repellent.
Besides, I’m famous because I have an older sister who’s a celebrity, and if word got out, it would be a problem. So even if I get to know him, it’s hard for me to go see him in class anyway.
I don’t bother to reveal my true identity. I don’t think I can lie, but at least I’ll keep it to myself for a while longer.
I don’t think I can lie, but at least I can be a little more discreet.
“…… Hiria-chan, can I ask you something?”
“Eh~, Wha..what?”
However, while I was bracing myself for something related to my background, Nekura-kun said after a thoughtful pause over the bookshelf.
“It’s not every day you get an opportunity like this, so I’m going to be brave and ask you …….”
“Uh-huh.”
“What kind of man do you think …… would be a popular guy “?”
“………..What?”
“No, it’s nothing! It’s nothing!”
“Are you trying to be popular, Nekuro-kun?”
You don’t even have friends? Shouldn’t it be friends first? I swallowed my words. People have their own priorities.
“No, no, I’m not trying to be popular or anything, but …… I don’t usually talk to girls properly, so …… I’m just asking for your reference.”
I think he wants to be popular.
No, high school boys, they want to be popular. How can you not want to be popular? You’re kind of cute. Nekura-kun.
I couldn’t help but giggle. But since there was no reaction from the other side, I retracted it. I can’t do this. I have to think seriously about what makes a man popular.
A popular man. Sakura Souji, who was in my class, immediately came to mind. However, he is tall, has a good face and style, excellent grades, is athletic, and has a mysterious sex appeal and atmosphere. That doesn’t sound like a guy you can refer to in general.
But I didn’t know of any other samples.
“The popular guy in my class is …… kind of good-looking and ……”.
“Oh, I’m not talking about looks, I’m talking about inside. You can’t help what you look like. ……”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right! Sorry!”
I may have said something terrible. I don’t know what Nekura-kun looks like, but if he were confident, he wouldn’t be hiding.
I regretted my inconsiderate remark. It seems that people who hear the word “popular” and immediately associate it with physical appearance have that kind of mindset.
This is the kind of gibberish that you remember before you go to bed and go, “Wah, wah, wah!”. I’m embarrassed. I’m sorry. I feel awful.
“Well, popular guy… popular guy… uh…I went to an all-girls school through middle school.”
“Ah. Don’t think too hard about it. ……”
I’m aware that my tastes are not very common. Maybe I should give a general answer here.
“Well, ……, a gentle person?”
“……, I knew it!”
“I don’t know, but …… in general? It is that what I think”
“Oh, ……, is that so?”
There was a lack of confidence on both sides, and I didn’t feel very fruitful. There was no expansion, no discovery. I felt as if I had made a useless comment. But it couldn’t be helped, because I didn’t know. I’m not a popular person. Maybe I’ll ask my father about it next time.
But for now, Nekura-kun is a good person. I have to cheer him up.
” Nekura-kun, cheer up, I’m sure there’s someone who will understand your goodness!”
In fact, if it were me, between Sakura Souji and Nekura-kun, I would choose Nekura-kun without hesitation. I’m not going to say that because it might make me sound weird.
“I really think you’ll have friends and a girlfriend in no time!”
“Haha …… That’s not possible but …… thanks.”
I could feel the warmth in his voice as he smiled.
“Oh, but look! We’re friends! You already have friends! …… hahaha ………”
“……”
Oh, I think I got carried away. You can’t be a friend without showing your face and saying your name. There is no way right……
“……”
I’m sweating like crazy. I wondered if I should add “Just kidding!”. As I agonized, I heard the sound of breathing on the other side.
“…..Is that okay?”
“Eh?”
“Uh, being friends, is it okay? I mean, I’m such an unattractive bastard and I can’t even show my face, and you’re going to be my …… friend?”
“Of…Of course! Faces and names like that have nothing to do with the nature of human beings! I enjoy talking to you, Nekura-kun!”
“……”
Then Nekura-kun fell silent again.
I felt like I was saying a lot of crazy things, and it made me nervous.
After another long silence, he said in a nasal voice, “Thank you,” and we became friends.
After the start of the new school year, I came to the second library for the first time in a long time.
My faint hope that maybe I wouldn’t have to use this place when I became a sophomore was shattered. In the end, nothing had changed since my first year. I want a friend.
I went to the back of the bookshelf to see if Nekura-kun was there, but no one was.
I crouched down in the back of the bookcase, smelled the musty paper, and let out a sigh.
They even made me class president. I’m not a popular person.
I was a little worried that maybe this was bullying. However, I dismissed the idea that it is not bullying, because it seems that other kids wanted to be Sakura-Kun’s class committee partner, and everyone else didn’t like it.
As I was pointlessly touching the spine of the book with my fingers, I heard the sound of a door. I hear a small sigh and realize it’s a male student. I looked up, wondering if it was that boy.
“Nekura-kun!?”
“Eh?”
“Nekura-kun? It’s me! It’s Hiria!”
I was so excited to talk to him, but I wondered if I had the wrong person. As soon as I felt uneasy, I heard a “Hic” and a few seconds later a small voice said, “Long time no see …….”
Nekura-kun didn’t want to come to me even though we hadn’t seen each other in a long time, and as soon as he entered, I felt him sit down on the opposite side of the bookshelf where I was. He still refused to show his face. But it’s easier for me to talk to him that way.
“Hey, about playing monster-pretend that time……, was that okay, playing monster-pretend?”
I gathered up the courage to confirm, and after a long, long silence, I got the answer that he hadn’t meant to. Ugh, wow. I am ……. I am such a…
“I’m sorry, I …… thought you were a funny person, so I ……”
“No, I’m glad you think so.”
As I said this, I heard a small exhale on the other side.
“Are you sure you want to be a human today?”
I laughed and replied, “Today, the human version”. It’s fun to joke around, but I also want to talk normally.
“I don’t have any friends, ….. and I don’t think I’ll be able to make any in my new class.”
“Oh, really?”
The reaction was unexpected.
“If I had friends, I wouldn’t be here during recess.”
“That’s true. …… No, actually, I don’t have any …… friends either.”
“Nekura-kun too? So it was like that!”
It wasn’t an honorable thing at all, but I felt happy for the camaraderie.
“You’re so cheerful, I’m sure you’ll make friends soon. ……”
“I’m very shy. ……”
“You could talk to me from the start.”
“That’s because …… you were easy to talk to. ……”
We swung around and joked around from the start, so we didn’t have time to get shy. Maybe it was also a good thing that we couldn’t see each other’s faces.
And even when we talk normally, his gentle manner of speaking allows me to chat without feeling nervous.
“Nekura-kun, you’re a very nice person. ……”
“No, I’m …… garbage and I’m not a good …… talker.”
“No, you’re not!”
The poor thing must be completely demeaned by not having any friends. I know how you feel.
I can’t see his face anyway, and he doesn’t know my name. We seem to be on the same page, and I can tell him things I can’t tell other people.
“I’m on a committee, and I’m with someone who stands out. …… I feel like he doesn’t like me.”
“Which committee?” …… No, That’s right. Hiria-chan seems to be easy to talk to.”
“Maybe I’m being paranoid, but he won’t even look at me or talk to me at all.”
“That’s a terrible guy!”
“Do you also think so? I thought maybe I was imagining it, but people don’t usually respond that way. ……”
“People who respond like that are scum! He’s a scumbag! He has no character!”
“You know, that person …… no, nothing.”
Sakura Souji is rather famous. I was thinking of mentioning his name, but decided against it, as I hadn’t told him my grade or class. I’m not going to let my identity become known in the process. I don’t think it would do any good if people knew my name or face.
I don’t care if it’s a girl, but Nekura-kun is a boy.
I’m not unattractive in appearance. But ever since I entered the school, I’ve only been liked by strange people. On the other hand, decent people use honorifics and avoid me.
A decent person like you, Nekura-kun, might find it repellent.
Besides, I’m famous because I have an older sister who’s a celebrity, and if word got out, it would be a problem. So even if I get to know him, it’s hard for me to go see him in class anyway.
I don’t bother to reveal my true identity. I don’t think I can lie, but at least I’ll keep it to myself for a while longer.
I don’t think I can lie, but at least I can be a little more discreet.
“…… Hiria-chan, can I ask you something?”
“Eh~, Wha..what?”
However, while I was bracing myself for something related to my background, Nekura-kun said after a thoughtful pause over the bookshelf.
“It’s not every day you get an opportunity like this, so I’m going to be brave and ask you …….”
“Uh-huh.”
“What kind of man do you think …… would be a popular guy “?”
“………..What?”
“No, it’s nothing! It’s nothing!”
“Are you trying to be popular, Nekuro-kun?”
You don’t even have friends? Shouldn’t it be friends first? I swallowed my words. People have their own priorities.
“No, no, I’m not trying to be popular or anything, but …… I don’t usually talk to girls properly, so …… I’m just asking for your reference.”
I think he wants to be popular.
No, high school boys, they want to be popular. How can you not want to be popular? You’re kind of cute. Nekura-kun.
I couldn’t help but giggle. But since there was no reaction from the other side, I retracted it. I can’t do this. I have to think seriously about what makes a man popular.
A popular man. Sakura Souji, who was in my class, immediately came to mind. However, he is tall, has a good face and style, excellent grades, is athletic, and has a mysterious sex appeal and atmosphere. That doesn’t sound like a guy you can refer to in general.
But I didn’t know of any other samples.
“The popular guy in my class is …… kind of good-looking and ……”.
“Oh, I’m not talking about looks, I’m talking about inside. You can’t help what you look like. ……”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right! Sorry!”
I may have said something terrible. I don’t know what Nekura-kun looks like, but if he were confident, he wouldn’t be hiding.
I regretted my inconsiderate remark. It seems that people who hear the word “popular” and immediately associate it with physical appearance have that kind of mindset.
This is the kind of gibberish that you remember before you go to bed and go, “Wah, wah, wah!”. I’m embarrassed. I’m sorry. I feel awful.
“Well, popular guy… popular guy… uh…I went to an all-girls school through middle school.”
“Ah. Don’t think too hard about it. ……”
I’m aware that my tastes are not very common. Maybe I should give a general answer here.
“Well, ……, a gentle person?”
“……, I knew it!”
“I don’t know, but …… in general? It is that what I think”
“Oh, ……, is that so?”
There was a lack of confidence on both sides, and I didn’t feel very fruitful. There was no expansion, no discovery. I felt as if I had made a useless comment. But it couldn’t be helped, because I didn’t know. I’m not a popular person. Maybe I’ll ask my father about it next time.
But for now, Nekura-kun is a good person. I have to cheer him up.
” Nekura-kun, cheer up, I’m sure there’s someone who will understand your goodness!”
In fact, if it were me, between Sakura Souji and Nekura-kun, I would choose Nekura-kun without hesitation. I’m not going to say that because it might make me sound weird.
“I really think you’ll have friends and a girlfriend in no time!”
“Haha …… That’s not possible but …… thanks.”
I could feel the warmth in his voice as he smiled.
“Oh, but look! We’re friends! You already have friends! …… hahaha ………”
“……”
Oh, I think I got carried away. You can’t be a friend without showing your face and saying your name. There is no way right……
“……”
I’m sweating like crazy. I wondered if I should add “Just kidding!”. As I agonized, I heard the sound of breathing on the other side.
“…..Is that okay?”
“Eh?”
“Uh, being friends, is it okay? I mean, I’m such an unattractive bastard and I can’t even show my face, and you’re going to be my …… friend?”
“Of…Of course! Faces and names like that have nothing to do with the nature of human beings! I enjoy talking to you, Nekura-kun!”
“……”
Then Nekura-kun fell silent again.
I felt like I was saying a lot of crazy things, and it made me nervous.
After another long silence, he said in a nasal voice, “Thank you,” and we became friends.
