Vol. 1 Chapter 2.2 – Tried Being Kind to a Gyaru JK

“Good morning, Niko.”

Morning, in the school classroom──

Entering the classroom, Issei spotted Fujino Niko and greeted her cheerfully.

“Don’t call me without honorifics.”

She shot him a sharp glare and replied in a displeased voice.

“Good morning, Fujino Niko-san.”

“You’re still calling me without honorifics! ──I mean, don’t talk to me!”

“Hmm.”

In short, whether he used her first name, her surname, or added an honorific or not, she wasn’t going to talk to him.

So this is the result of that so-called negative one billion affection points.

“Is even a morning greeting between classmates off-limits?”

“You? Don’t you remember what you did yesterday?”

“When it comes to memory, I’m confident. I’ve had complete recollection since I was a baby.”

“Then that means you do remember what you did, right?”

Of course, he remembered.

“Indeed. I asked you to show me your panties──”

“That’s why! Don’t say it—! ──And seriously! Don’t talk to me!”

From that point onward, Niko didn’t say another word.

◇

After the morning homeroom ended, the first period class began.

While attending class, Issei kept being conscious of Niko, who was seated next to him.

He recalled something Chitose had told him.

According to her──

To gain『affection points』it seems being kind is the way to go.

What exactly it meant to be kind—that part, Issei didn’t quite understand, but…

As Chitose had said──

“You dropped this.”

An eraser had rolled off the desk beside him with a koron, and Issei picked it up. He returned it to its owner’s desk.

At first, Niko blinked in surprise, but after a short moment──

“Ah… thanks…”

She said so in a small voice.

There was supposed to be a no-talking rule… but it seemed that had been lifted.

Hmm…

So this is what it means to gain『affection points』 huh.

Hmm. Hmm hmm…

I see.

◇

Break time between second and third period.

“Tch… Why the hell me…”

Niko came out of the earth science prep room, hugging a large cardboard box.

Unluckily, she had been caught by a teacher and got stuck with the job of carrying materials back to the classroom.

Whatever was in it, the box was heavy.

Thinking something like『Curse that teacher who made a girl carry this kind of weight』Niko wobbled down the hallway when──

“Let me carry it.”

“Eh?”

Before Niko could even process it, Issei had appeared beside her and smoothly snatched the cardboard box out of her arms.

“Eh? Ah── Wait!”

Niko hurriedly chased after Issei. She circled around him as he briskly walked, trying to talk to him.

“I-I didn’t ask you to carry it or anything!”

“Seriously, a teacher who makes a girl carry something this heavy is just… awful.”

“Eh? Ah? Uh… y-yeah…”

Hearing the exact same thing she had just been thinking moments earlier, Niko ended up nodding without meaning to.

He does have a kind side, huh.──For just a moment, she reconsidered her impression of Issei.

Niko walked alongside Issei, heading back to the classroom together.

◇

During the fourth period, there was a mini test.

And during it, Niko was facing her greatest crisis yet.

Oh crap.

She was out of lead.

Her mechanical pencil had run out of lead.

She had thought, 『It’s gonna run out soon, huh.』

She had thought,『I should probably restock.』

She had thought,『I’ll buy some the next time I stop by the convenience store.』

She had thought all that… but she completely forgot.

Ughhh, seriously, what do I do!? Should I tell the teacher? But that’s so embarrassing…

While Niko was hesitating──

At the edge of her desk, suu, a few sticks of pencil lead appeared.

From the seat beside her, Issei, without even looking away from his test sheet, casually placed three leads on her desk.

No way… How did he know…?

Her affection points for Issei, who had sensed her crisis, skyrocketed once again.

◇

The afternoon class was P.E.

The boys were playing a volleyball match. The girls were playing basketball next to them, though about half were just watching the boys’ game.

“What’s this~? Niko~? Who ya watchin’~?”

“I-I’m not watching anyone.”

Her gyaru friends came over. With teasing grins on their faces, they pressed in close, and Niko turned her face away with a pui.

“Who, who, whooo? Who’s caught your eye~? Which guy~? C’mon, fess up already~!”

“L-like I said, I’m not watching anyone!”

“Ah. That guy from Class Rep’s group is about to spike.”

Issei delivered an incredible spike, scoring a point.

Niko saw it all, loud and clear.

Issei high-fived the setter and turned around. His eyes met Niko’s──

“Were you watching?”

“I-I wasn’t watching!”

“That was both my kind side and my cool side on display. ──Well? Was that cool just now?”

“C-cool!? I didn’t think it was cool at all!”

“Hmm. Not enough, then. In that case, I’ll show off even more──”

“──M-more importantly! Hey! The match! The match’s still going!”

While Issei was chatting it up with Niko by the court sidelines, the match continued.

Because Issei wasn’t participating at all, the opposing team landed a perfect spike.

“What the hell are you doing, Issei?” the boys shouted angrily.

“My bad.”

Raising a single finger lightly, Issei responded. And with that, the other boys wore a can’t be helped look on their faces.

She’d thought this before, but…

That kind of aura he gave off—like a prince or a noble—was definitely there.

“Ah—see, look! Issei, the other team—they’re about to serve!”

“More importantly, right now, Niko—talking to you is far more important.”

“L-like I said… don’t call me without honorifics… Also… saying that talking to me is that important…”

“Niko.”

“Y-yes!”

“Watch out!”

“Eh?”

Issei suddenly lunged toward Niko──

And took the serve’s impact square in the face.

“Issei!”

“I-I’m f-fine…”

“No, you’re not! You’re bleeding from your nose!”

Holding his face, Issei spoke. But from the hand he was pressing against it, a red trail slid down.

The serve had hit him directly in the face.

If Issei hadn’t protected her, that ball would’ve struck Niko instead.

The boy who served the ball was saying, “My bad, my bad,” as he apologized.

What do you mean ‘my bad’!? He’s bleeding, isn’t he!?

And Issei too—what the hell is he doing, raising a finger all cool and acting like he’s forgiving him!?

“Oooh~? Niko? You just got protected by His Highness~? Are you a princess now~?”

“Y-you idiot! It’s not like that at all!”

“Hey hey, His Highness~? You’re into Niko, aren’t you~?”

“Indeed. I do find myself curious about her.”

H-he finds me… curious…?

Is that why he said that weird stuff yesterday?

Maybe Issei’s just that kind of weirdo, and it’s not that he meant it in a creepy way—but that his way of expressing affection is just weird…? Could it be that, deep down…?

“Niko-saaa~n?”

“It’s not like that!”

“Shouldn’t you take him to the nurse’s office?”

“Ah…”

Niko looked at Issei.

His nosebleed still hadn’t stopped.

And so, the two of them ended up going to the nurse’s office together.

◇

After school, she was alone.

She didn’t feel like hanging out with her usual friends, and her feet just aimlessly led her toward the shopping arcade near the station.

She wandered into a store full of crane games, and while she was idly looking around, her eyes caught sight of a kinda cute mascot.

“Ahh, I want that… but there’s no way I can get it.”

It looked pretty much impossible. Actually, it looked like one of those setups where it’s definitely not going to happen.

“You want that one?”

Suddenly spoken to from behind, Niko’s heart dokin! physically jumped about ten centimeters.

“I-Issei!? Why are you here!?”

“You’re after that weird-looking doll, right?”

“Answer the question! And it’s not weird, okay! It’s cute!”

“I never said it was weird. Whether it’s cute or not—I can’t say. The taste of commoners has always been something beyond my comprehension as a genius. As for your first question—why I’m here—well, it’s because I find myself curious about you. ──Niko.”

“Y-you’re… curious about me…?”

Niko held her cheek with one hand.

He said it again.

So it really is true. Issei really does…

Trying not to show her reddening cheeks, she pressed her face even harder.

“I mean… that’s kinda… stalker-ish…”

She barely managed to complain.

It’s not like being stalked makes her happy or anything. No way. Never.

“Hmm. So that means I’m allowed to call you by your first name now.”

“Ah…”

And with that, she realized it.

Up until now, she hadn’t allowed him to call her without an honorific. She’d corrected him every time.

But this time, Niko said nothing.

“Hmm? This won’t accept a credit card?”

Issei was trying to swipe a credit card through the 100-yen coin slot.

“Are you stupid?”

“Nanako.”

The moment Issei said that──

“Yees, sir!”

“Waaah!? Where did you even come from!?”

The same maid from before suddenly appeared, making Niko jump in surprise.

“How many hundreds of millions would you like to prepare this time, Master~!?”

“Bring me a single 100-yen coin.”

“Will one be enough~? I’ve got a roll of fifty if you want bulk~!”

“Who do you think I am? One attempt is all I need.”

“Yes~! Then that’ll be ten billion yen~!”

The maid pulled a 100-yen coin not from the suitcase she was dragging, but from her pocket, and handed it to Issei.

Then she vanished.

The『ten billion yen』part had startled Niko for a moment, but apparently that was just an old-school Showa-style joke, where 100 yen is exaggerated into something like a million or a billion.

“That weird-looking doll, right?”

“I told you, it’s cute…”

“My apologies. It’s a cute one indeed.”

“You don’t have to rephrase it…”

They pointed to the mascot that was hidden in a hard-to-see spot and confirmed which one it was. Naturally, their bodies got closer.

Too close, too close, too close, too close! …But she kind of felt like she was getting a little something out of it.

“One hundred yen is enough? Issei, are you that confident? Have you played this a lot or something?”

“No. This is my first time playing this game…”

“No waaay.”

Then how could he be so absurdly confident?

“Hmm. Button ① for horizontal movement. Button ② for vertical movement, huh.”

He was reading the instructions.

It really was his first time!

“Alright. I see it now.”

What exactly did he『see』?

Without the slightest hesitation or tension, Issei casually pressed the buttons.

The crane moved… and stopped right above the target.

Then it began to descend.

“Ah… ah! Ahh! That’s amazing! Look, it’s caught on something!”

Even though it looked like an absolutely impossible setup, the strap string had miraculously hooked onto the crane claw.

“Look! Issei, do your best! Grab it, grab it! Grab it!”

“I don’t need to try hard to get it. Besides, I’ve already operated all the buttons. There’s nothing more for me to do.”

Issei turned his back to the machine──and said:

“Mission complete.”

And just as he said that, behind his back… the mascot dropped into the prize bin.

“Kyaa!”

Niko lunged toward the prize chute.

Clutching the mascot she had wanted so badly, she then suddenly remembered something and hurriedly turned to face Issei.

“Ah──Here! The money, ten billion yen!”

As she tried to hand him the 100-yen coin, Issei said──

“Won’t you let me give it to you as a present?”

“Uuu…”

Niko hesitated.

It felt like she was taking on some kind of debt, and she didn’t like that──

But when it came to debts, she already owed Issei something way bigger than just a hundred yen…

“H-Hey… I should probably apologize.”

“Apologize? For what?”

“For hitting you yesterday…”

“Ahh, now that you mention it. I did get slapped yesterday. You should be proud. You’re the first person ever to lay a hand on me.”

“I only hit you ‘cause you said something weird… I mean, I did hit you, but… Issei, you’re actually a good guy… and you helped me out a bunch today too… So I kinda thought, yeah, maybe hitting you was a bit much…”

“Hmm. I see. So my affection level has risen.”

“N-not like that! I just meant that you’re, like, a decent person! That’s all!”

Niko denied it with all her might.

But Issei just nodded solemnly, as if moved. Saying incomprehensible things like『So I was right after all』he kept nodding to himself.

Earlier, he had said something about affection points or whatever.

But it’s not like that. It’s not like she liked him or was interested or anything like that.

“D-Don’t get the wrong idea!”

Niko pointed at the mascot in Issei’s hand.

“That! I just wanted that! That’s the only reason I accepted it as a present! I just thought if I was gonna accept it, I needed to make that clear!”

“You’re serious about things. That’s very like you, Niko.”

Niko fiddled with her bangs.

“Exactly. I might look like this, but people always get the wrong idea… I’m actually a really serious person.”

While fiddling with her brown hair, Fujino Niko said softly.

“Ahh. Of course—I already knew.”

What is with this overwhelming gentleness…?

Niko felt dizzy.

“Here. Take it. A gift from me to you.”

“Th-thanks…”

She received the mascot from Issei’s hand.

Right away, she hung the mascot on her bag, then her hand returned to her hair again.

“Hey… do you think… I’d look better with black hair?”

“No. More importantly──”

She had finally worked up the courage to ask, and he brushed it off as『something like that.』

And then, Issei went on to say something completely outrageous.

“You’ve reevaluated me now, haven’t you? Then… show me your panties.”

“…Huh?”

“I said, show me your panties.”

She hadn’t misheard.

This guy hadn’t changed at all.

Niko understood now.

Everything that happened today—all the kindness, all the cool moments—was for one single purpose: he just wanted to see her panties.

Niko raised her hand high──

“D-don’t screw with meee!!”

PAAAN! Issei’s cheek rang out with a crisp sound.