Chapter 3: Advice

On a certain day off, Takumi was summoned to Kotori’s room.

“…………”

Sitting across from each other at a sturdy, no-nonsense low table, Takumi and Kotori faced off in silence.

Thanks to her high school glow-up, Kotori’s appearance had turned heads, but her loungewear was the same old frumpy tracksuit she’d always worn. Her hair was tied back, and she sported glasses.

Having caught himself noticing how cute she’d become after her makeover, Takumi felt a secret wave of relief seeing her in this familiar, less girly getup.

So, what was the deal today?

No stretching cat stickers this time—just a plain message saying 《Come over for a bit》. It didn’t seem like their usual routine.

He’d known Kotori since they were kids, but they rarely hung out outside of her confidence-building exercises. He couldn’t think of any reason she’d call him over.

The only time she’d summoned him for something other than their routine was before high school started, when she asked him to help craft a script for booking a hair salon appointment.

Speaking of salons, they were uncharted territory for Takumi. His only impression was of a torturous place where stylists constantly chatted you up. He remembered how hard they’d worked to come up with a strategy: state your name, desired date set far enough out to guarantee a spot, and keep it short to avoid small talk. In the end, though, Kotori chickened out when it came time to make the call, and they ended up doing their routine anyway.

As for Kotori, she looked unusually nervous, practically frozen.

This was going nowhere fast, so Takumi let out a “Phew” and broke the ice.

“So, what’s up today?”

“Th-The class duty day… it’s coming up soon…!”

“Class duty… Oh, got it.”

Takumi caught on to why she was so tense.

Class duty wasn’t rocket science—wiping the blackboard, leading class commands, changing the vase water, writing the daily log, and sometimes handling classroom switches or hauling equipment. No big deal.

But for Takumi and Kotori, the real hurdle was that it was done in boy-girl pairs. Back in middle school, a girl paired with Takumi had cried, leaving him with a mild case of trauma.

Class duty was the kind of depressing event that forced you to confront your social standing through your partner.

Takumi’s face soured, but Kotori leaned forward, eyes wide, her voice trembling yet ringing with determination.

“This time, I’m gonna do it right with my partner and nail it!”

“Whoa…!”

Takumi couldn’t help but let out an impressed grunt.

Up until now, Kotori’s class duty experiences had been grim. Guys called her gloomy, creepy, or a dud, dumping all the work on her while she quietly slogged through it, unnoticed.

But now, thanks to her makeover, the guys saw her differently.

Kotori’s eyes narrowed with resolve, her fists clenched as she psyched herself up.

“M-My goal… I’m gonna show those jerks who looked down on me!”

“Be a real it girl, make friends, snag a great boyfriend, and live that sparkling high school life, right?”

“Yeah. But I still haven’t… unlocked the achievement of talking to a guy properly.”

“True.”

To be precise, even when guys talked to her, she didn’t know what to say, so she’d just glare or mumble one-word responses like “Hmph” or “Sure”. That only fueled her rep as the aloof Ice Princess.

“Doing class duty without talking… that’s rough…”

“Got it. So you’re asking how to talk to your partner before duty day, huh?”

“Yeah…”

Takumi crossed his arms, letting out a low growl.

He was no social butterfly himself, so he was clueless about what to do.

Kotori’s fists trembled, barely hiding her nerves, but she was still ready to tackle this high-difficulty achievement.

Knowing her past, Takumi couldn’t just brush off her determination.

“By the way, who’s the guy?”

“Toba.”

“…Seriously?”

Takumi tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling.

Toba was part of the popular crowd—cheerful, a bit of a goofball, the class mood-maker. He talked a lot, always chatting with classmates and livening things up. He was the polar opposite of Kotori, who struggled with words.

If she went into duty day like this, it was easy to picture Toba chatting away while Kotori fumbled her responses, leading to an awkward mess.

She must’ve imagined the same thing. That’s why she’d come to him for advice.

“…………”

A heavy silence pressed down on them.

Two socially awkward teens racked their brains for a plan, but no brilliant ideas came up.

If they knew how to handle this, they wouldn’t be loners in the first place.

How the hell did other students manage something this tough?

As Takumi pondered, he thought back to how others handled duty and had a sudden realization.

“Hey, the goal’s just to get through duty with Toba without any drama, right?”

“Yeah. I’ve always done it alone before.”

“Here’s the thing—do you really need to have a full-on conversation?”

“…What do you mean?”

Kotori shot him a puzzled look.

Takumi grinned like a scheming villain, twirling his raised index finger as he laid out his idea.

“Think about it. The kids doing duty don’t always chat like besties, do they? It’s just stuff like, ‘Can you wipe the board for next period?’ or ‘I’ll handle the bio room key, cool?’ or ‘You good with writing the log?’—just divvying up the tasks, right?”

“! You’re right! If I plan out what to say beforehand, I won’t freeze up!”

Kotori’s face lit up as she clapped her hands, her words tumbling out fast. Takumi nodded firmly.

Kotori usually clammed up because she didn’t know how to respond on the spot. Preparing lines in advance would solve that problem.

Luckily, class duty tasks weren’t too complicated.

They could brainstorm a few scenarios and responses—realistic enough to pull off.

With a path to the achievement in sight, Takumi’s lips curled into a smirk.

But then Kotori froze, as if struck by a thought. Her tone dropped, and she pointed out, serious-faced, “I just ran it through my head, but wouldn’t it be better if I started the conversation? It’d cut down on the talking I’d have to do.”

“Yeah, and if you ask Toba now, he’d have a hard time saying no. Plus, it’d make finishing duty easier.”

“But how do I…”

“Urk, that’s…”

Takumi faltered.

If they could just start conversations, they wouldn’t be loners.

He knew how high that mental hurdle was, so he had nothing to say.

They both knew they were just chickening out.

An awkward silence hung in the air.

Stuck in a mental dead-end, Kotori suddenly stared at Takumi, then tilted her head curiously and muttered, “Now that I think about it, I can talk to you just fine, Takumi. Why’s that?”

“Well… we’ve known each other forever. Guess we’re just used to it.”

Kotori casually threw shade, but neither noticed—it was par for the course.

Stumped again, Takumi watched as Kotori’s face lit up with an idea.

“Then I just need to get used to talking to Toba before duty day!”

“Kotori, that’s…”

She stood up, buzzing with excitement, and declared loudly, “I’m gonna learn to greet Toba before duty day!”

And so, to pull off class duty without a hitch, the plan to get Kotori comfortable greeting Toba by the big day began. If she could manage a greeting, she’d probably handle the scripted duty lines too.

The next morning, Takumi got to school earlier than usual.

Kotori hadn’t arrived yet, so he settled at his desk, pulling out a paperback from the library to read.

It was a light novel.

The story followed high school protagonists unraveling small mysteries in their daily lives, with misunderstandings and misreads gradually tangling their relationships. He was only partway through, but the tagline—Youth × Mystery, Recommended for a Second Read with Full Context—was spot-on.

The frustrating mix-ups hit close to home for Takumi, who was often misjudged as a delinquent. The story resonated, and he couldn’t stop turning the pages.

He’d started reading to play up the “literary” vibe, but he’d gotten hooked.

Unnoticed by his classmates, Takumi dove into the book’s world.

At a scene where a heroine, who’d hinted at liking the protagonist, suddenly showed interest in a teacher from another school, he flipped the page eagerly—only to find a handwritten note tucked inside.

What the hell? He scanned it, and his face twisted into a scowl.

“…Tch.”

He let out a loud click of his tongue.

The note read: 《The letter the heroine gives the teacher is to support someone else’s crush.》 Other lines included 《The gyaru girl’s been loyal to the protagonist all along》 and 《The paper airplane causes the misunderstanding.》

To Takumi, who’d been devouring the story, it was obvious these were spoilers.

Probably some jerk who’d borrowed it before left them for their “second read.”

It was a library book, so accidents like this happened, but that didn’t stop the frustration from bubbling up and showing on his face.

His sudden bad mood sent a chill through the classroom, silencing everyone.

The vibe turned painfully awkward.

Realizing it, Takumi turned away, embarrassed, and stared out the window, propping his cheek on his hand.

A sigh slipped out, but then a bright voice cut through, as if to clear the icy air.

“So, I had this dream where I poured milk into a teapot and it turned into ice cream. This morning, still half-asleep, I actually did it—made a total mess and snapped awake!”

Laughter erupted from the guys around. “What the hell, dude?” “Classic Toba.” Toba grinned back, “Hot milk might’ve been a win, maybe?” and the girls chimed in, “Isn’t there hojicha latte?” “What about tea brewed straight from milk?” The chatter spread.

The frosty atmosphere vanished in an instant.

Toba must’ve read the room. He was that kind of guy—always smoothing things over.

Maybe, even with Kotori’s blunt attitude, he’d stick it out during duty.

Takumi narrowed his eyes, musing, when the door slid open with a rattle, and Kotori walked in.

“Yo, Nabacchi, mornin’~! My bedhead was wild today!”

“Hey, Torichii, you do the math homework?”

“Oh, listen, the stream I watched last night—”

Kotori was instantly swarmed by the usual clique of popular girls, bombarded with their random chatter. She could only manage a flustered “Nope” or “Yeah” in response.

It was the same old scene.

But Kotori must’ve been gearing up to try greeting Toba. She looked restless, her mind clearly elsewhere.

Finally, seizing a lull in the conversation, she dropped her bag at her desk and marched toward Toba with purpose.

Normally, Kotori only hung out with the popular girls, keeping her cool, detached vibe with everyone else. For her to actively approach someone was unheard of.

Her obvious intent to talk to Toba stunned not just him but everyone around, silencing the room.

Standing before Toba, Kotori narrowed her sharp, elegant eyes and clenched her fists. Her face was stiff, cheeks faintly flushed. Words seemed to be stuck in her throat, choked by nerves.

“Uh, Nabata-san…?”

“!”

Toba, puzzled by her staring, tried to break the ice, but Kotori only flinched, her shoulders trembling slightly. After a brief moment of hesitation, she turned and left without doing anything.

Greeting a guy she’d never spoken to before was, as expected, a steep hurdle. To Takumi, her retreating figure looked a little defeated.

But to everyone else, it came off differently.

“Was Nabata-san just, like, mad?!”

“Toba-kun, what was that about?!”

“Dude, what’d you do?!”

“H-Hey, I’m as clueless as you are…”

Toba’s group erupted into panicked chatter.

Kotori had only tried to say hi, but her usual curt demeanor and tense expression made it look like she was holding back anger, as if she’d come to chew him out.

Oof, Takumi thought, slapping a hand to his forehead.

Meanwhile, Kotori was getting grilled by the popular girls. “What’s wrong?!” “Spill it, we’re listening!” Since she’d never singled anyone out like this before, they latched on, not letting it go.

Takumi sensed things spiraling into something messy.

Kotori seemed to feel it too, shooting him a troubled look.

After that, she kept trying to approach Toba, but the best she could do was sneak glances. Those glances only deepened the misunderstanding among Toba and their classmates.

This had to be fixed.

If Kotori could just casually chat or toss out a greeting, it’d clear things up quick—but if she could do that, they wouldn’t be in this mess.

Right before lunch break, as frustration mounted, a message pinged from Kotori.

“!?”

It was a stretching cat sticker—the signal for a routine.

Seriously? Takumi’s eyes widened as he looked at her. She nodded apologetically.

During lunch break, Takumi headed to an empty classroom in the old school building, as Kotori had instructed.

Calling it an “empty classroom” was generous. It was crammed with spare desks, chairs, traffic cones, tiger-striped rope, grimy gym mats, a battered vaulting box, and stacks of cardboard boxes—a storage dump for unused supplies. Plenty of spots to hide, though. Perfect for a secret meet-up.

The front door was locked, but the back one wasn’t.

Takumi was impressed Kotori knew about this place.

It was far from the main building, the school store, and the cafeteria. The faint buzz of lunchtime noise felt like another world. A wry smirk crossed his face as the door rattled open.

“S-Sorry to keep you waiting. Got held up sneaking out.”

“Nah, it’s fine.”

Kotori was out of breath, probably from running.

He’d only waited a couple of minutes, no big deal. Takumi gave a wry smile, shaking his head.

Kotori’s cheeks softened with relief. Then, without warning, she slipped her hands under her skirt.

“W-We’re short on time, so let’s make this quick!”

“Whoa, hold up, hold up, hold up!”

“Huh?”

Takumi hurriedly stopped Kotori as she yanked her underwear down to her thighs.

He’d come because she’d called, but he wasn’t planning on doing the routine.

He got why she was struggling.

But doing it at school? That was a hard no.

Kotori tilted her head, confused, as Takumi tried to explain calmly.

“It’s not that I don’t wanna help with the routine, but, like, someone could walk in here any second.”

“It’s fine. You can lock the door from the inside. Plus, there’s an unspoken rule—if the door’s locked, it’s in use.”

“That so? You know a lot… Wait, no! I mean, uh, I don’t have a condom or anything.”

“I do.”

“Why the hell do you have one at school?!”

“I’ve been keeping it in my period pouch lately. Almost got caught by my mom the other day.”

“Guh…”

No matter how many issues Takumi raised, Kotori shot them down one by one. He clamped his mouth shut, fuming.

She handed him a condom, but noticing his hesitation, her face clouded, and she mumbled in a pitiful tone, “P-Please, Takumi. If I don’t do this, I can’t handle class duty…”

“I get it, but…”

“That’s why we need the routine. I’m a girl who can do it if I do it!”

With that, Kotori leaned her upper body onto a nearby desk, sticking her hips out—the usual routine position.

Normally, this was where Takumi would cave, tossing out a playful “What’s with this ‘do it to do it’ crap?”.

“…”

“…Takumi?”

But he just stood there, frozen. Kotori turned back, her face on the verge of tears.

A pang shot through Takumi’s chest. Reflexively, he grabbed her waist, and her expression melted into a soft, relieved smile.

Yet his brow furrowed even deeper.

It wasn’t like he was trying to be mean.

He genuinely wanted to help with her efforts.

He’d already steeled himself for it.

But no matter what, he couldn’t bring himself to meet her request. With a pathetic sigh, he muttered in a stiff voice, “Sorry, I’m too nervous here. I… can’t get it up…”

“……………………Huh?”

Kotori’s stunned, almost comical voice echoed through the empty classroom.

They tried to make the routine happen, but Takumi’s Takumi was utterly useless. No matter how much they tried to get things going, his body betrayed him, shrinking further as his nerves took over. Kotori could only offer an awkward smile.

“It was… kinda sudden, y’know?”

“Guys need some mental prep too, right?”

“Maybe if I was a bit more… tempting, it would’ve worked…”

Kotori tried to console him. As they parted, she added, “I’ll try a bit harder on my own for now.” Here he was, the one desperate for help, and he was the one who’d completely flopped, making her feel the need to comfort him.

They’d done the routine countless times, but this was a first.

He never imagined a change of location would rattle him so much he’d be useless.

His confidence as a guy crumbled to pieces.

“…”

Lunch break was far from over.

But he sure as hell wasn’t in the mood to eat.

Fleeing the noise, he wandered the halls aimlessly.

His chest was heavy with shame, embarrassment, and self-loathing.

To distract himself, he decided to do something for Kotori and searched his phone for tips on how shy people could talk to strangers.

The results were all about finding common ground like the weather, asking questions to spark conversation, or commenting on someone’s stuff—ways to expand a conversation.

Nothing for people like Kotori or Takumi, chronic social wrecks who tripped up just saying hi.

A sigh laced with complex emotions slipped out.

“Ha… Huh?”

He realized he’d ended up in front of the library. Habit, probably.

Glancing at his phone, he saw the same generic advice online.

But maybe the library had a book that could help. He stepped inside.

It was quiet, even during lunch. A few people were reading or studying, paying him no mind. That was one thing he liked about the place.

Now, where would the right book be? He usually stuck to the light novel section, so he was out of his depth.

He browsed the shelves aimlessly.

There were encyclopedias, astronomy and science books, photo collections of mountains and stars, even magazines and newspapers.

Essays by famous people and paperbacks by classic authors he’d heard of were plentiful too. Maybe he’d borrow one of those next time.

But his search was going nowhere. He couldn’t even pin down the right genre.

He could ask a librarian or the library committee, but talking to someone was a hurdle in itself, and no one seemed to be around anyway.

Arms crossed, he glared at the shelves with a sour expression, ready to give up. Then—smack—someone slapped his back.

“Yo, looking for something?”

“! …Ikoma-senpai?”

Turning, he saw Akira.

By their third encounter, he wasn’t that shocked, but her cute, beaming smile still made him bashful. He averted his gaze, noticing she was pushing a small, mobile bookshelf.

As he stared curiously, Akira explained with a smug grin, “This is a book truck. You see ‘em in bookstores sometimes, right?”

“Oh, cool. Didn’t know that. Are you helping the library committee, Ikoma-senpai?”

“Yup, putting returned books back where they belong.”

“You’re always helping with something, huh?”

“Gotta, it’s the volunteer club! I go wherever I’m needed~”

“Makes sense, club stuff.”

When he asked about something he’d been wondering, Akira puffed out her flat chest proudly.

As always, talking to her felt effortless. The Angel of Support lived up to her name.

As Takumi nodded, satisfied, Akira turned her bright, round eyes to him.

“So, Hashio-kun, if you’re looking for something, I can help!”

“Uh, well…”

It was about Kotori, not him, and he wasn’t used to asking for help. He clammed up.

A frustrated silence hung between them. But Akira didn’t push, just smiled patiently, waiting for him to speak.

She was probably offering out of genuine kindness.

He was at a dead end anyway, so he decided to take her up on it.

“Actually—”

Prefacing that he wasn’t great at explaining, he vaguely described Kotori’s issue: freezing up and failing to greet someone new due to nerves.

Akira listened, hand on her chin, thinking. After a small “Hmm” and a nod, she grinned and raised her index finger.

“Got it! I’ve got the perfect solution!”

“Really, Ikoma-senpai?!”

“But there’s one condition.”

“Condition…”

Excited by her confidence, Takumi leaned in, only to hesitate at her terms.

What could he offer? Money? How much was in his wallet? As he wavered, Akira’s expression sharpened, and she flicked his nose with her finger.

“Not ‘Ikoma.’ Call me Akira.”

“Aki… Huh?”

“C’mon, use my first name, not my last! It’s cuter, and I love my name~”

She winked playfully.

Takumi blinked, thrown by the simple condition, his dumbstruck face on full display.

“Ha… Alright, Akira-senpai, then.”

“Good enough!”

When he said her name, she planted her hands on her hips, nodding with satisfaction.

Calling a girl other than Kotori by her first name brought a delayed wave of embarrassment, but he kept it off his face and got back to business.

“So, this perfect solution?”

“Simple—no conversation needed!”

“…Huh?”

Takumi let out a dumbfounded “Huh?” at the unexpected answer.

She wanted to greet someone but didn’t need to talk?

Akira’s zen-like nonsense drew a skeptical squint from him. She grinned mischievously, her lips forming an ω shape as she raised her left hand.

Caught off guard, Takumi furrowed his brow, puzzled by her intent. As he stood there fumbling, Akira bounced on her toes a few times, urging him on, and waved her raised right hand invitingly. It clicked what she wanted.

Hesitantly, Takumi raised his right hand. She met it with a crisp slap of a high-five, then said with a smug grin, “See? Wasn’t that a kind of greeting?”

“Oh!”

“Even just smiling at someone or giving a little wave works, right? You don’t have to talk to greet someone.”

“Yeah, yeah, it does!”

“A greeting’s just about showing you’re not hostile, like, ‘I just wanna get along!’ If you can get that across, words aren’t always necessary.”

It was a revelation for Takumi. This morning, Kotori had gotten close to Toba, even if she couldn’t speak. Smiling might be a stretch, but a small wave? She could probably manage that. It’d at least show she didn’t hate him. Maybe Toba would respond, and it could lead to actual words.

Akira puffed out her modest chest with a proud ehem.

Takumi’s voice carried both admiration and curiosity. “Thanks, this might actually work! But… I gotta say, I didn’t expect a trick like this from someone like you, Akira-senpai, who seems fearless talking to anyone.”

“Haha, even I get nervous around scary people sometimes~ But when I have to talk to them, I need to show I’m not a threat.”

“What?!”

“Eep?!”

Akira’s casual shrug made Takumi’s jaw drop, unable to hide his shock. He stared at her, startled by his own volume, then cautiously asked, “Uh, I mean… I’ve always been the type people find intimidating and avoid…”

“Really? You just seem a bit rough around the edges, like a playful delinquent vibe.”

“Playful delinquent?”

“C’mon, compared to someone who’s legit pissed and ready to throw punches, or the type who might pull a knife if things go south, you’re just a little wild, right?”

“Well… yeah, I guess.”

Her cutesy “playful delinquent” label made him chuckle awkwardly, but her follow-up explanation oddly made sense. If those were the kinds of people she was comparing him to, he was downright approachable.

A warm feeling spread through his chest.

Musing, he murmured, “So the volunteer club deals with people like that, huh?”

“Kinda. Oh, gotta get back to shelving books!”

With that, Akira returned to her library committee duties.

Watching her go, Takumi immediately sent her advice to Kotori.

Kotori latched onto Akira’s tip like it was a lifeline.

Her messages came in a flurry: 《Whoa, that’s genius!》《I can do this!》

The bell signaling the end of lunch rang, leaving just a few minutes before afternoon classes.

Bursting with determination, Kotori stormed back to the classroom, ready to strike while the iron was hot, and headed straight for Toba. Takumi watched from his seat, holding his breath.

Toba was convinced Kotori had it out for him after this morning.

As she approached his desk, a tense hush fell over the room.

Just like earlier, when Kotori reached Toba, his face twitched nervously, but he forced his usual cheery tone. “Nabata-san…?”

“…”

Awkwardly, Kotori managed a slight upward curve of her lips—almost a smile—and raised one hand in a small yo gesture.

It was clumsy, but she’d done it. Takumi mentally fist-pumped.

Toba, though, didn’t get it.

He let out a confused “Huh?” looking utterly lost.

Kotori glanced at Takumi, her eyes pleading for help. He nodded deeply, urging her to try again.

With a quick “Phew”, she flashed another stiff almost-smile and raised her hand again.

This time, Toba hesitantly mirrored her, raising his hand and muttering, “Uh, yo?”

“!”

Kotori nodded vigorously, as if to say Nailed it!

Toba exhaled in relief, his face breaking into a grin as he exaggerated a smile. “Haha, glad I got that right! Wait, was this morning just you trying to say hi too?”

“…Yeah, exactly.”

Toba’s knack for reading the room was unreal. Takumi was impressed.

Kotori seized the chance to roll with it, and the class chimed in with “Oh, that’s all it was?” and “Kinda hard to read, but that’s so Nabata-san.” The tension melted away.

Takumi and Kotori sighed in relief, the misunderstanding cleared.

But then Toba, all casual, dropped a bombshell. “So, what’d you need me for?”

““!?””

Kotori and Takumi froze. Toba grinned, oblivious.

It made sense. Kotori, who never showed interest in anyone, had gone out of her way to approach him. Of course he’d think she had a reason.

They’d been so focused on the greeting they hadn’t thought beyond it.

Saying “nothing” now would just make it weirder, like she was leading him on.

Kotori’s panicked eyes spun toward Takumi for help.

In a rush, he typed 《Class duty》 and sent it.

Kotori, frazzled in front of Toba, grabbed her phone the second it buzzed and read the message aloud. “《Class duty》…”

“Class duty! Oh, right, it’s coming up, huh? You wanted to swap contacts for it?!”

“Mm!”