The social phobia substitute will not dream of the band girl

"Hmm... I want to try it out, the so-called home theater. After all, when you watch it on your phone, there are always people who can't see it, right?"

But this configuration is no longer just an ordinary home theater, right? It's still so capricious... no, should I say free?

Despite constantly realizing this fact over the past decade or so, Toru Asakura is still able to exceed Higuchi Enka's expectations occasionally... That's right, even she, who is called "Miss Asakura Scholar" by some, cannot fully understand the thoughts of this "alien".

"Home theaters don't need to be that loud, right? ...I can hear it even with headphones."

"Eh?...But isn't it just going to be loud? Something powerful or something—"

Whether it's him, a monster, or Mars, all powerful things can make a loud "noise".

Following Asakura Toru's gaze, Higuchi Enka saw Godzilla roaring with its head held high on the screen. If it really existed, the sound would be very loud indeed.

"...but it's too noisy. Try to change to a less noisy movie."

"Well... okay, then... this is it, 'To Mars'" Toru Asakura took out a collector's edition Blu-ray disc from a box on the bookshelf next to her. This was one of the few things she actually spent ordinary money on.

After all, this was his gift to her, wasn't it?

"...You really like this, even though you've watched it so many times."

In the past, Toru Asakura would watch her favorite movies over and over again. People would crowd around her, and as she said, someone would always miss the entire movie. Sometimes it was her (Higuchi Enka), sometimes it was Fukumaru Koito, and sometimes it was Ichikawa Hina.

"Well... after all, he's pretty handsome."

Monsters and stuff, Mars and stuff, and whoever came up with that idea.

"Is that so..." She flipped through the exercises in her hand. Although there was no loud noise this time, the small noise still existed in her heart. Suddenly, she said, "If I won't keep any in the end, then I'd better not keep buying them. It will cause trouble for the staff, right?"

"Then...just stay." Unlike what she imagined, this time Asakura Toru did not give the answer that Higuchi Enka thought she would say. It was another surprise.

"...But there's not much room here anymore, right?"

Even with the small table that could accommodate four people at once, there was barely enough space left for people to walk around. The screen and speakers weren't usually placed outside every day, so most of the time they were just obstacles in the corner for Enka.

"Eh~~" As if he had just realized it, Toru looked at the screen, the speakers, and then looked around his room. Finally, he smiled as usual, "Then put it in the storage room and take it out when needed."

"...Is it really okay to just spend other people's money on things?"

"Ah, that...it doesn't matter, his things are mine--"

Her tone, expression and actions were clearly no different from usual, and it was still Toru in her eyes and heart, but these words shouldn't have come out of her mouth... There should be no reason for them to come out of her mouth.

"Besides, everyone said, 'It's okay, don't worry about it,' (from) the person himself."

He was clearly using money provided by a stranger of unknown origin, but he didn't care at all, not even the slightest bit? ...When a person reaches this point, I don't know whether to say it's natural or simply stupid. So Asakura Toru is Asakura Toru——

But...why does it make me so irritated?

While Higuchi Enka was still pretending to do her homework, the remaining two people also arrived -

"Ahaha~ Toru-senpai, Enka-senpai, Hina (I) am here~"

"Enka-chan, Tou-chan... Uh-huh!... I brought some snacks today, let's eat together!"

The door opened, and out emerged Ichikawa Hina and Fukumaru Koito, their childhood friends.

Changing, transforming——

Whether it is the times or us who are here.

Higuchi Enka realized this more clearly than ever before. It seemed that they had all changed quietly, and it was a spontaneous change.

Change is a "normal" and "reasonable" behavior in the process of growth, but it is not necessarily a good thing.

What is available may not be the best, but it is definitely the safest.

But what caused them to change, and when did it start?

"......through."

"Hey...are you calling me?"

They appeared here because of Asakura Toru, gathered together, and became so-called childhood friends. It was also because of Asakura Toru that they joined the idol agency with suspiciously loose conditions one after another.

If all the changes are due to Asakura Toru, all originate from Asakura Toru, then——

What made her change?

Chapter 76: Return Gift for White Valentine's Day

"..Is this okay, Koito?"

"Hmm...it looks fine overall. Toru-chan, all we have to do now is pour the melted chocolate into the mold and refrigerate it until it solidifies!"

Unexpectedly, Fukumaru Koito, who had little spare time in the past due to studying, became the best at making pastries among the four childhood friends. So today, in order to prepare return gifts for White Valentine's Day, they gathered at Asakura Toru's house again, and Koito took the position of instructor.

"OK—..then, I'll pour it into the model."

"Well, let me help you hold it... Hey, Tou-chan, are you going to use a heart-shaped mold?!"

"Um... no?"

It is everyone's freedom to use any mold to make chocolate in any shape, so a heart shape is not a problem... But if a girl who usually just likes to eat and never cooks suddenly wants to make handmade chocolate, and she wants to use a heart-shaped mold, then there will definitely be a big problem!

Thinking about Hiranobu and his girlfriends, the shocking truth made Fukumaru Koito feel both happy and distressed. Although she would be happy if there were many cute babies calling her aunt in the future, but she didn't want Tou-chan to suddenly get a boyfriend without her knowing.

At least...at least wait until the cherry blossoms bloom in a month, and then I can go to the same high school as everyone else!

"Asakura..who are you going to give all this to?"

"Eh...shouldn't it be a gift? A return gift." After hearing Higuchi Enka's question, Asakura Toru was stunned for a moment, then continued: "For you, for Koito, for Hina...and for everyone else who gave gifts, right?"

"...Well, that's true."

"Ahaha~ Toru-senpai, are you going to give Hinana (me) a return gift? I'll definitely eat it up!"

"Okay... everyone has one."

Fukumaru Koito was touched by this response. Even though it was just a return gift shared with others, it seemed more precious to Asakura Toru. And since she hadn't mentioned giving it to a boy, after all, White Day is a time for return gifts... She felt relieved.

"..."

However, Higuchi Enka still felt a little confused. After all, even if she wanted to return the gift, with her personality, she would probably find it troublesome and buy it in bulk from a convenience store or supermarket. After all, her appearance was very popular and she had many fans. Why did she suddenly think of making handmade chocolates now?

"What about Enka-chan? What kind of mold should I use? I can give you some advice, okay?" After spending time with the mean-spirited person, Fukumaru Koito's heart had increased by +1 every day. Although she was seemingly asking about the mold, she was actually trying to figure out who she was going to give it to.

"...Nothing, just doing it for fun or to give you guys a taste. I have some free time anyway."

......

...

..

"What's wrong, Miss Higuchi? Are you so unhappy about giving me a return gift?" Hirayuko asked after taking the bag from Enka, who had a sour face for some reason.

"...It's nothing, it has nothing to do with you... although it's not that irrelevant."

This man who usually acts as a riddle teller suddenly felt unhappy. You actually used my magic against me! You can't be a riddle teller and tell riddles. I don't speak human language, I speak in a confused way, and I tell nine truths and one falsehood. That's fine!

"Wow, it's heart-shaped... It seems that Ms. Higuchi has fallen in love with me. What an honor." Higuchi Enka felt uncomfortable with Ikemura's deliberately low (handsome) voice and pretentious attitude.

So she also pinched her throat and replied: "What a pity, Asuka-kun, the heart-shaped one was given by Asakura, and the one I gave you is a cheap chocolate I bought from the convenience store for 50 yen~"

"...Ah, really, there's another one in the bag."

Small, individually wrapped chocolates about the size of your thumb.

"And Asakura made a lot of things this time and gave them to others as return gifts, so don't think too much about it, Mr. Dreamer, just feel the cruelty of reality--" After saying this, Enka turned her head to see his reaction, but found that she was being looked at by Hiranobu with a smile.

And unlike the usual polite fake smile, he is really happy about something... This man is really a masochist, right?

"...Why are you looking at me?"

"What's wrong with me looking at you... ahem, didn't you ask me to look after you that day? So now I'm trying hard to keep you in my sight. It's because you always appear mysteriously, and you look so cute in your school uniform today—"

I'm super, box!

Higuchi Enka suddenly remembered that she'd been in a bad mood today for some reason, so she'd neglected to pay attention to the details. She'd actually come over after school wearing her school uniform. How could such an obvious and over-the-top detail go unnoticed by this cunning man? This was a miscalculation...

Seeing her suddenly anxious expression, Heishin happily opened the chocolate and ate it. The heart-shaped chocolate was not big and there was nothing special inside. The only thing that made him know that it was a return gift from Asakura was a small card with the words "Flowers, delicious" written on it.

After finishing her meal in a few bites, Higuchi Enka came back to her senses. She was already used to Hirayuko's way of eating, which was like drinking water, so she just said calmly, "I didn't ask you to keep looking at me, and I don't have any plans to do so."

"...You mean you need some personal space and privacy, right? I get it, I get it. I wouldn't be so bored as to just go to your school. After all, prior contact is important, right?"

...Which means he won't proactively look for me, but if I (Enka) were to "disappear," he'd come looking for me, right? He's a tough guy, impossible to get rid of...

So there is no way around it like this.

"So...why are you so happy?"

"Hmm… Maybe it's because I feel a step closer to you. Even if it's just some convenience store chocolate, it's one of the ones you usually buy a lot of, right? To me… it feels like a key to your 'world', so I'm happy that you gave it to me personally."

In Ping Xin's eyes, the process of falling in love is the process of getting to know each other better and then liking and getting used to each other.

So he was very happy, because with this, he always felt that the distance between them was one step closer.

As for chocolate...next year, it will definitely be different, absolutely.

"...Strange guy, I'm leaving."

"Well... there is another reason why I'm happy, and that's because I've never done anything like this in previous years. After all, when a person is about to die, he doesn't have the energy to think about so many things... So I'm very happy that I can meet and fall in love with you in such a healthy state, Ms. Higuchi~" he said with a smile.

"...Is that so? Then please continue to be happy on your own."

With a wave of her hand, Higuchi Enka left the old park as usual.

And this is what he wants most——

"Thank you for not looking back... As expected, you are very gentle."

Chapter 77 The Second Chocolate

This year's Valentine's Day and White Day were special days for Ping Xin, because it was the first time he celebrated these holidays properly (according to the Eastern style), the first time he celebrated these holidays after getting a girlfriend, and the first time he received friendship chocolates from someone.

As for why I didn’t receive any chocolates during my three years of junior high school...haha, let’s take a look at how many chocolates I received this year.

"Afterglow...Roselia...shopping street...that shopping street over there...livehouse...people from school, especially the student council members, and a bunch of third-years...it's a bit troublesome to return the gifts, right? After all, some of them are no longer in school. I can just ask someone to deliver them to their homes when I get back. I can always find their addresses by looking through their files."

Then, of course, there were the chocolates for the girlfriends... Ah, besides the return gift from Asakura that Ms. Higuchi handed over, there was also her own return gift. Speaking of which, I also received chocolates from Koito, though there were only two for her and Toru-kun.

"...But why is it heart-shaped?" After opening Toru's return gift, Pingxin fell into deep thought.

You're not going to do anything gay in front of me, are you?

In addition to the large heart-shaped chocolate, there was also a card inside with a message from Toru to him.

"Remember the agreement?"

...Of course I remember, the promise of lifelong friends and sharing the throne of a harem, right? Ah, could it be that this is a trap deliberately made in the shape of a heart to disrupt my harem relationships and start a Shura field?

"No, no, no... If it was 'him', he probably just bought it from somewhere, or even gave it to me as a gift from someone else. After all, he's always been a bit of a jerk, so I wouldn't be surprised no matter what he does..."

It was like there was a stupid climbing frame in front of the door, and there was another idiot climbing it besides him. From then on, Heishin realized that Tohru was a weirdo with even weirder thoughts than him, a reborn person, so no matter what happened when they met next time, he wouldn't be surprised.

absolute!

"Oh, is this a flag...?"

Could it be a substitute of the same type? Or even worse, it could just become—

"...Pah! Ping Xin, Ping Xin, how could you be so depraved? You're actually fantasizing about your childhood best friend turning into a beautiful girl to 'repay your gratitude'. What's going on? Have you watched too many romantic comedies?"

impossible!

Absolutely impossible! ! !

......

...

..

"So... you called me specifically to ask me what I would do if a boy I knew as a child suddenly turned into a beautiful girl when we met again?"

"Yes!"

A powerful answer, but it only brought a speechless silence. Was this some new trap he had devised? Like one of those personality profiling tests?