252 Please Teach Us About Otaku Culture! (1/2)
Chiaki and Mika could easily imagine it: with Yukari and Seiji’s personalities, in addition to their common interests, they’d surely be happy together.
They seemed likely to become a blindingly bright beautiful couple that everyone would envy.
Just imagining it made Chiaki and Mika feel like it was wrong to stop them from being together... they would feel really guilty about it!
So they didn’t dare imagine any further, as they instinctively felt afraid.
”The only lucky part is that Seiji still isn’t that romantically interested in her yet; although I can tell that he’s been slightly moved, he hasn’t got there yet.”
”Yeah... if we didn’t go this morning, then...” Mika clenched her hands tightly.
She didn’t dare imagine the possibility of Yukari and Seiji developing a relationship either.
She felt it was great that she was able to receive information from Shika about Seiji’s date with Yukari. This was despite Shika being worried about the same possibility as them, which was the motivation behind her telling Mika this information.
Yukari Asamiya was simply a girl who gave people tremendous pressure and just happened to match Seiji so perfectly to the point where it was scary.
A period of silence fell between them.
”What should we do, Chiaki?” Mika asked weakly.
”First, we need to tighten our defenses.” Chiaki rubbed her chin. ”With Kagura-san as our spy, we should be able to keep track of Seiji’s movements and respond appropriately just like today. Next, we need to increase our own level... our understanding and enjoyment of otaku culture.”
”Yukari Asamiya’s strongest advantage over us is the fact that she has the same interests as Seiji. Her strong self-confidence stems from knowing this. If we want to compete with such a girl, apart from obtaining the exact same weapon, there’s no other better method.”
Mika nodded in understanding. ”But how are we supposed to increase our level? Just watching some anime and reading some manga by ourselves... I think it’s still difficult.”
Interests weren’t cultivated that easily. It would actually be quite difficult to like something that a person originally had no interest in with just a short period of time.
”Indeed, it would be very difficult just by ourselves,” Chiaki said. ”If we ask Seiji to help us... well, firstly he’s busy writing his novel, and secondly he’d probably believe that we’re just forcing ourselves.”
”Yeah...” Mika said.
”In that case, we can only find someone else around us who’s familiar with otaku culture. Someone that’s interested in it, has ample free time, and can teach us how to ‘become otakus...’ There just happens to be a perfect candidate around us.” Chiaki smiled.
”You mean...” Mika also thought of someone as she came to a realization.
...
Kaho sneezed.
She had a free day today and, just like usual, she was browsing the internet at home and having fun reading things she was interested in.
Suddenly, her cell phone rang.
When Kaho checked the caller ID, she saw that it was a number she didn’t recognize. Although she felt it was a little strange, she still decided to take the call.
”Hey, hello, is this Miyamoto-san?” a voice asked.
Kaho recognized that this open and direct-sounding voice indeed belonged to the tomboy that was her classmate. ”Yes, hello... Wakaba-san?”
”It’s me, Chiaki Wakaba. I’m sorry to bother you by calling. I wanted to ask you something—are you free this afternoon?”
”This afternoon... yes.”
”Then, could you come out for a meeting? I have something I’d like to request of you.”
‘Something to request from me?’ If this had been a manga, Kaho’s forehead would have question marks drawn all over it.
”What... is it?”
”Even though I could tell you over the phone, I still feel it’s better to ask you in person, since it’s an important matter. Could we meet up this afternoon?”
Something important? Kaho was even more confused, and she also felt some pressure.
With her personality, she wasn’t the type that liked to get involved in others’ affairs. But this was Chiaki Wakaba, Seigo’s good friend, so she felt that she should at least hear out her request first.
”Alright,” she replied.